西方合論 8.9

8.9

二、釋學道執空相者，論曰：學人聞說空，于生死業因緣中生疑。若一切法畢竟空，無來無去，無出無入，云何死而有生？現在眼見法尚不應有，何況死後復生餘處？不知佛法中諸法畢竟空，而亦不斷滅；生死雖相續，亦不是常。無量阿僧祇劫，業因緣雖過去，亦能生果報而不滅，是為微妙難知。若諸法都空，佛不應說往生，何有智者前後相違。若生死相實有，云何言諸法畢竟空？但為除諸法中愛著邪見顛倒故說畢竟空，不為破後身；又為遮罪業因緣故，說種種往生。佛法不著有，不著無有；無亦不著，非有無亦不著；不著亦不著。如是人則不容難，如以刀斫空則無所傷，是為畢竟空相。畢竟空不遮生死業因緣，是故說往生。此疑甚淺，少有知者，皆能斷之。以世間人作此見最多，故首破之，為是求往生者之第一障難故。

Second, explaining practitioners of the Way who grasp at the characteristic of emptiness: The treatise states: When practitioners hear talk of emptiness, they give rise to doubts regarding the causes and conditions of karma in saṃsāra. If all phenomena are ultimately empty, without coming or going, without emerging or entering, how can there be birth upon death? Even phenomena seen before the eyes at present should not exist, so how much less being reborn in another place after death? They do not know that in the Buddha's Dharma, all phenomena are ultimately empty yet not annihilated; although saṃsāra is continuous, it is also not eternal. Through immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas, although the karmic causes and conditions have passed, they can still produce retributions without being extinguished; this is subtle and difficult to understand. If all phenomena were entirely empty, the Buddha would not have spoken of rebirth; how could a wise one contradict himself from first to last? If the characteristics of saṃsāra truly existed, why would it be said that all phenomena are ultimately empty? It is only to eliminate attachment, wrong views, and inversion regarding phenomena that he spoke of ultimate emptiness, not to refute the future body. Furthermore, to ward off the causes and conditions of sinful karma, he spoke of various kinds of rebirth. The Buddha's Dharma does not cling to existence, nor does it cling to nonexistence; it does not even cling to "nonexistence," nor does it cling to "neither existence nor nonexistence"; it does not even cling to non-clinging. Such a person cannot be challenged, just as striking the open sky with a sword causes no injury; this is the characteristic of ultimate emptiness. Ultimate emptiness does not obstruct the causes and conditions of karma in saṃsāra, which is why rebirth is spoken of. This doubt is very shallow; anyone with a little knowledge can sever it. Yet because worldly people hold this view most frequently, it is refuted first, as it is the primary obstacle and difficulty for those seeking rebirth.