觀心論疏 1.17

1.17

The verse states: 'All who come seeking the Dharma, / Desiring to hear the unsurpassed path, / If they do not know to inquire into contemplating the mind, / The wisdom gained from hearing will never be accomplished.' Below this are three verses explaining that if one desires to seek the three kinds of wisdom but does not know to inquire into contemplating the mind, [the wisdoms of] hearing, reflecting, and cultivating will not be accomplished. How so? One who rounds out the cultivation of the threefold contemplation and the wisdom of the true mark of the smṛtyupasthānas knows that the nature of letters is detached, without form or characteristic, which is itself mokṣa. A sūtra states: 'There is no speaking of mokṣa apart from letters.' Yet, because letters, though existing, are not real, letters are themselves mokṣa; because they are empty yet not void, they can also be proclaimed. Because existence and non-existence are constantly within the middle, letters are neither proclamation nor mokṣa; this is the objective realm of letters, which can roundly generate the contemplative wisdom of the three knowledges. When one governs one's spiritual ear with this wonderful wisdom, the sounds and teachings heard all become the wisdom gained from hearing. The verse states: 'All who come seeking the Dharma, / Desiring to reflect on the unsurpassed path, / If they do not know to inquire into contemplating the mind, / The wisdom gained from reflection will never be accomplished.' This single verse explains the wisdom gained from reflection. 'Reflecting' means contemplating that what letters can express and what they express are both the true mark of the Middle Way. Their true existence is precisely why they are empty, so the myriad phenomena cannot retain their characteristics; they have their reasons and are thus provisional, so phenomena cannot be severed; they lack reasons and are thus middle, so they are constantly free from the two extremes. Thus the principle of the three truths of letters roundly brings forth the reflection of the three wisdoms, hence it is called the wisdom gained from reflection. Thus reflection neither possesses characteristics nor lacks characteristics; characteristics and non-characteristics are both unobtainable, completely and utterly pure. This is where both object and wisdom are inconceivable; it is called the wisdom gained from reflection. The verse states: 'All who come seeking the Dharma, / Desiring to cultivate the unsurpassed path, / If they do not know to inquire into contemplating the mind, / The wisdom gained from cultivation will never be accomplished.' This single verse explains the wisdom gained from cultivation. 'Cultivating' means examining the truth of the principle and advancing in practical application. Because the truth of the principle is tranquil though illuminating, it is said that 'there is neither person nor self nor recipient'; because it is illuminating though tranquil, one diligently cultivates the myriad goods. A sūtra states: 'Good and bad karma do not perish.' Because the truth of the principle is precisely the middle, merit and wisdom are non-dual; because the two characteristics are unobtainable, a sūtra states: 'For the sake of merit, one does not abide in the unconditioned; for the sake of wisdom, one does not abide in the conditioned'—the conditioned and the unconditioned are both unobtainable. Furthermore, the wisdom gained from hearing takes the twelve divisions of scriptures as its object, generating an understanding of the principle within the text; the wisdom gained from reflection combines text and meaning as its object, seeking the text to grasp the meaning of the principle; the wisdom gained from cultivation takes only the meaning as its object, forgetting the text to grasp the principle.