觀心論疏 5.3

5.3

Question: Emptiness refutes the provisional, the provisional refutes emptiness, and the Middle refutes both emptiness and the provisional; how then can they be applied as a single essence? Answer: Material obstructions in the worldly realm, the four great elements, mutually refute and yet mutually complete one another, collectively forming a single substance. How much more so for the spiritual wisdom of the three contemplations mutually refuting and yet mutually supporting one another to complete the three virtues and the one Great Nirvāṇa? What room is there for doubt? Why? Emptiness refutes the provisional, and the provisional has no mark; the provisional refutes emptiness, and emptiness has no mark; the Middle refutes both emptiness and the provisional, free of the faults of the two extremes; applying both refutes the Middle, so that the Middle does not lose the double illumination of wither and flourish. Emptiness supports the provisional, so that expedience possesses the understanding of wisdom; the provisional supports emptiness, so that wisdom possesses the understanding of expedience; the Middle supports emptiness and the provisional, so that both wisdoms are quiescent; emptiness and the provisional support the Middle, so that the Middle constantly applies both, just as two birds fly together. Now to offer another metaphor: ice is compared to the provisional, water is compared to emptiness, and wetness is likened to the Middle; thus, though the three names of ice, water, and wetness differ, they do not prevent an identical substance. The names of the three contemplations differ, but what prevents their essence from being the same? Thus, one refutation is all refutations, with no delusion unexhausted; one support is all supports, with no phenomenon uncompleted. Furthermore, perfectly contemplating the mind's ten realms: the Buddha realm is precisely the virtue of the dharmakāya, and also the Tathāgata's robe; the realm of the two vehicles is the emptiness of the ultimate truth, precisely the virtue of prajñā, and also the Tathāgata's seat; the bodhisattva realm is precisely the virtue of liberation, and also the Tathāgata's room. Thus the three virtues constitute the Great Nirvāṇa, termed peaceful and joyful practice. The three—the Tathāgata's robe, seat, and room—are the Tathāgata's perfect practices; these practices are the practice of nirvāṇa, and therefore are called peaceful and joyful practice. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "There is yet another practice, which is the Tathāgata's practice"—this is what it means. Therefore we know that perfectly contemplating the mind's ten realms is constantly contemplating the path of nirvāṇa practice, performing the Tathāgata's practice; this is peaceful and joyful practice. Moreover, the three virtues are precisely the three prajñās and the three nirvāṇas, up to the ten kinds of threefold dharmas, perfectly contained within the contemplation of the ten Dharma realms. Furthermore, peace and joy is the unity of principle; practice is the unity of practice; the practitioner of contemplation is the unity of person; the teaching of perfect contemplation is the unity of teaching. The meaning of the four unities is the profound purport of the Lotus Sūtra. Perfectly refuting the nine Dharma realms, it is therefore called thoroughly refuting phenomena neither horizontally nor vertically.