止觀輔行傳弘決 3.14

3.14

Next, within explaining the characteristics of the essence, it clarifies the essence revealed by this calming and contemplation. Although calming and contemplation are used as that which can reveal, calming and contemplation are practice, and practice arises relying on teaching. Teaching is that which can express; practice and principle are that which is expressed. Practice, when viewed with respect to principle, is again that which can reveal. That which can reveal also penetrates cause and fruit, attainment and loss. Attainment means being able to reveal the present wondrous essence; loss means merely belonging to expedient means, ordinary persons, and the small. Therefore, the present text reveals the essence through four chapters. Within this, it first clarifies the intention of their occurrence, which also concludes what precedes and introduces what follows. From the beginning up to 'if as before' concludes the preceding two chapters. 'Having known... up to as before' concludes the preceding Great Meaning. 'Names and characters... up to if as before' concludes the preceding Explanation of the Name. From 'one must recognize' onward introduces the subsequent Revealing of the Essence. The Great Meaning penetrates cause and fruit, self and other; hence it says 'unobstructed and vast'. The Explanation of the Name pervades the biased and perfect, horizontal and vertical; hence it says 'spacious and far-reaching'. 'Spacious' means horizontally broad. 'Far-reaching' means vertically deep. As in the Explanation of the Name, the relative is both horizontal and vertical, while the absolute is the non-duality of horizontal and vertical; this is discussing non-duality in terms of horizontal and vertical. Penetrating virtues is vertically far-reaching; reconciling differences is horizontally broad; this then discusses duality in terms of non-duality. What first says 'as before' and next says 'if as recently': both 'before' and 'recently' have the sense of what has passed. Deducing by their meaning, that which is slightly further is 'before', and that which is somewhat closer is 'recently'. Thus the Lotus Sūtra, in the Chapter on Never Disparaging, says: 'Incurring guilt for slander is as previously explained'—pointing to the Teacher of the Dharma Chapter in the fourth fascicle. 'The attained merit is as recently explained'—pointing to the Chapter on the Merits of the Teacher of the Dharma at the beginning of the sixth fascicle. 'One must recognize the profound and abstruse principle of the essence': this again contrasts the characteristics of the essence with the preceding two. The preceding two are both horizontal; the characteristics of the essence are solely vertical; hence it says 'profound and abstruse'. 'Profound' means deep. 'Abstruse' means subtle. Thus, within the distinctions it says: 'The characteristics of the essence are vertical; the remaining eight are horizontal.' This is spoken on the basis of a general division for the moment; therefore, within the Explanation of the Name, it again penetrates horizontal and vertical, non-duality, and so forth.