止觀輔行傳弘決 2.68

2.68

Fifth, concerning 'the ultimate resort to which all converges': In the opening section that generally introduces the intention behind 'the ultimate resort' (zhigui), the phrase 'glued hands' and so forth means that the nature of mind is like a hand, and attachment to delusion is like glue; clinging to the literal text causes obstruction and disorientation regarding the underlying intent. The *Vibhāṣā*, fascicle twenty-four, says: 'For example, suppose there is a mountain where humans and beasts dwell together. In the area where monkeys roam, a hunter coats the grass with birdlime. A clever monkey stays far away, but a foolish monkey, unaware, touches it slightly with its hand, which immediately gets stuck. Trying to free that hand with the other, the other hand also gets stuck; trying with its feet and mouth, they all become stuck, and it lies curled up on the ground. The hunter threads it onto a pole and carries it away. A monk (bhikṣu) is just like this: failing to guard the sense-doors, he is carried away by the demon Māra Pāpīyas.' Fascicle twenty-three of the *Great Scripture* (*Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra*) has the same passage. Contemporary practitioners are just like this: failing to comprehend the characteristics of the teachings and ignorant of the ultimate resort, they give rise to attachments based on the letter of the texts and dispute right and wrong with one another. Far from arriving at the ultimate resort of the three virtues, they are carried away by the demons of the aggregates and accumulations. Regarding 'talking in one's sleep' and so forth: because the dream is intense, one talks in one's sleep, and talking in one's sleep makes it difficult to awaken. Dharma-nature is like sleep, ignorance is the dream, and perverse clinging is like sleep-talking. Heavy attachments that are difficult to eliminate are called 'difficult to awaken.' 'Clinging to the text' and so forth: 'clinging' means shutting and obstructing. Adhering to any one of the various teachings, various gates, various truths, or various modes of instruction (siddhānta) is termed 'leveling their intent.' 'Vying in attachment' and so forth: this is the intent of the parable of the spring pond in the *Great Scripture*, as explained earlier. 'Immediate affairs' and so forth: just as a foolish person pointing to immediate matters cannot even understand explicit worldly speech, how much less could they understand the remote principle of the Middle Way or the secret teaching of the perfect and eternal? This is a temporary illustration to reprimand them. There are also those who do not understand worldly speech yet penetrate the remote principle, such as the sudden enlightenment Dhyāna Master of Daoshu Monastery in Kuaiji, who could awaken to the profound principle while remaining unversed in immediate affairs, as recorded in the *Nirvāṇa Commentary* (and so forth). Below 'The ultimate resort' explains the name. 'Text' means teaching. 'Purport' (zhi) means intention. 'Resort' (gui) means direction/destination. The destination toward which the teaching's intention tends is called the 'ultimate resort.' 'Like water' and so forth provides an analogy. Water and fire are like the teachings; their direction is like the textual intent; the empty space and the sea are like the destination. Hence, if one recognizes the secret teaching and penetrates the remote principle, one will neither linger on the explicit teachings nor stall at proximate principles. 'Just as...' re-illustrates the secret teaching. 'Minister': The *Shuoyuan* states: 'The conduct of ministers has six upright and six corrupt types. First, perceiving the signs of survival and ruin before they manifest is called a sacred minister. Second, promoting the good and advancing the Way while attributing the merit to the ruler is called a great minister. Third, humbling oneself to advance worthy men, citing past practices to encourage the ruler's intent, is called a loyal minister. Fourth, clearly discerning matters early on so that ultimately no sorrow or misfortune occurs is called a wise minister. Fifth, observing texts, upholding laws, and maintaining integrity and frugality in food and drink is called a chaste minister. Sixth, when the state is in chaos, not failing to admonish the ruler's stern countenance, speaking of the ruler's errors though it means dying for the peace of the state, is called an outspoken minister.' Although here it says 'wise,' the meaning encompasses 'sacred' and 'great'; the rest do not pertain to the text's intent. 'Secret words': The *Great Scripture* says: 'Salt, water, vessel, and horse share one name for four realities. A wise minister knows well: offering water at washing time, salt at eating time, a vessel at drinking time, and a horse at traveling time, when the king merely says "Bring saindhava!"' The *Kośa* also establishes nine meanings for the single sound "go." Zhang'an says: 'These four meanings also share the intent with the four teachings, the four gates, and the four propositions; they should correspond sequentially to the four items such as salt, which matches the sūtra text naturally. First they correspond to the four including impermanence; next they correspond to the four constants: immobility, formlessness, changelessness, and Buddha-nature. These four are also alternative names for the four gates, and they can also correspond to the principles of the four teachings; reflecting on them according to the meaning, they should be understandable. Moreover, just as the four items like the conch-shell are used in the sūtra to illustrate the four constants, they are sometimes borrowed to illustrate the four gates. Even if the sūtra's intent differs, borrowing them involves no error, not to mention that the intent of this analogy is not different between the two.' What is called 'secret' is like the four teachings and four gates sharing designations such as 'existence': the purports of the four teachings differ, and what they express is distinct. Prior to opening the provisional, concealing the real is called 'secret'; once the provisional is opened, having nothing outside is called 'secret.' Unless one is a bodhisattva who secretly recognizes the ultimate resort beneath the teaching of opening the provisional, how could one comprehend the ultimate resort of the three virtues? As the ground on which wisdom relies, it is called the 'ground of wisdom'; because it can generate wisdom, it is also called the ground of wisdom—this explains it in terms of propagating the teaching. Below 'Furthermore, entering by oneself' distinguishes the characters to explain it in terms of self-practice and converting others.