四教義 12.8

12.8

First, explaining the expedient and the ultimate: 'Expedient' is a name for provisional application; 'ultimate' takes permanent bestowal as its meaning. Because the pāramitā of expedient means accords with sentiment to provide proximate benefit, it is called expedient; because the pāramitā of wisdom accords with principle to be definitive, it is called ultimate. Thus, because the three teachings provisionally conform to the sentiments of beings, they are called expedient; because the perfect teaching definitively benefits beings, it is called ultimate. To distinguish the expedient and the ultimate requires four meanings: first, explaining that all is neither expedient nor ultimate; second, explaining that all is expedient; third, explaining that all is ultimate; fourth, explaining that all Buddhadharmas are neither expedient nor ultimate, yet both expedient and ultimate. First, explaining that all is neither expedient nor ultimate: If one discusses the four ineffables, where there is no exposition there are no four teachings to distinguish; where there are no three teachings, there is no expedient, and where there is no perfect teaching, there is no ultimate; thus, all Buddhadharmas are neither expedient nor ultimate. Second, explaining that all is expedient: If one discusses the four ineffables being spoken due to causes and conditions, then the four teachings are all skillful expedients to transform beings. Hence the Buddha said: 'When I sat at the site of enlightenment, I did not obtain a single real dharma; with an empty fist I deceived small children so as to deliver all.' Third, explaining that all is ultimate: Expounding without exposition must respond to capacities and conform to conditions to benefit them; its meaning is entirely real, and hence the four teachings are all called ultimate. Thus the Dà zhìdù lùn says: 'Because of the worldly, counteractive, and individual [siddhāntas] they are real, and because of the paramārtha they are real'; this is the meaning of being entirely real and not empty. Fourth, explaining that all Buddhadharmas are neither expedient nor ultimate, yet both expedient and ultimate: If there are the four ineffables, then there is no distinguishing of expedient and ultimate, hence it is said they are neither expedient nor ultimate. In expounding without exposition, the three teachings are the expedient, while expounding the perfect teaching is the ultimate. However, our lineage's explanation of the meaning of the expedient and the ultimate has three types: first, the expedient and ultimate of transforming others; second, the expedient and ultimate of one's own practice and transforming others; third, the expedient and ultimate of one's own practice. If it is the expedient and ultimate of transforming others, the preceding three teachings are not only expedient, but within this expedient they also each speak of the expedient and the ultimate. If one explains the expedient and ultimate of one's own practice and transforming others, then the preceding three teachings are all expedient applications, while what is elucidated by the perfect teaching is entirely ultimate. If one discusses the expedient and ultimate of one's own practice, then determining them in terms of the stages of the perfect teaching, illuminating the middle way is the ultimate, and simultaneously illuminating the two truths is the expedient.