四教義 9.2

9.2

第三約別教明位釋淨無垢稱義者，別教詮因緣假名、如來藏佛性之理，菩薩稟此教門修行得證必有淺深，故須明位。此別教入道亦有四門：一有門，二空門，三亦有亦空門，四非有非空門。別教雖有四門，而尋經論意，多用亦有亦空門明行位也。如《涅槃經》云：「第一義空名為佛性。」又云：「智者見空及以不空，聲聞、辟支佛但見於空，不見不空。」不空者即佛性也。若趣機利物，四門入道，各還根緣，豈可偏用！但一往明位義便，事須如此。是以今明別教行位，還約空、有門以辨也。就此即為四意：一經論出別教菩薩位不同，二總明位，三別解釋，四約別教位釋淨無垢稱義。

Third, regarding explaining the stages according to the distinctive teaching to elucidate the meaning of "Stainless Renown" (Vimalakīrti): the distinctive teaching elucidates the principle of the provisional names of causes and conditions and the Tathāgatagarbha buddha-nature. When a bodhisattva receives this doctrinal gateway and cultivates practice to attain realization, there must be degrees of depth; hence, the stages must be clarified. This distinctive teaching also has four gateways for entering the Path: first, the gateway of existence; second, the gateway of emptiness; third, the gateway of both existence and emptiness; and fourth, the gateway of neither existence nor emptiness. Although the distinctive teaching has four gateways, when one examines the intent of the sūtras and treatises, it mostly uses the gateway of both existence and emptiness to clarify the stages of practice. As the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Paramārtha emptiness is called buddha-nature." It also says: "The wise see emptiness as well as non-emptiness; voice-hearers and pratyekabuddhas only see emptiness and do not see non-emptiness." That which is non-empty is precisely buddha-nature. If one is responding to capacities to benefit beings, the entering of the Path through the four gateways each accords with their faculties and conditions; how could one use only one exclusively! Yet for the purpose of a preliminary, convenient explanation of the stages, matters must be done in this way. Therefore, in now clarifying the stages of practice in the distinctive teaching, we still distinguish them in reference to the gateways of emptiness and existence. Regarding this, there are four points: first, the variations in the presentation of the bodhisattva stages of the distinctive teaching across sūtras and treatises; second, clarifying the stages in general; third, explaining them separately; and fourth, explaining the meaning of "Stainless Renown" according to the stages of the distinctive teaching.