人天眼目 2.70

2.70

Now, outside the teaching of the three vehicles, the patriarchs transmit separately; amidst all phenomena, it stands out uniquely revealed. If the finest dust is not extinguished, it blocks the mountain passes; if hesitation and discrimination arise, it lasts for thousands of lives and ten thousand kalpas. The three wise levels do not understand it; how could the ten holy levels know it? Cutting off all streams, how can one approach it? The sage circuitously completes all things without stopping, carving all forms without claiming merit—how much more so the Tathāgatagarbha! The so-called "treasury" encompasses the Dharma treasuries of all Buddhas of the three periods of past, present, and future. Within it are the Mahāyāna and the Hīnayāna. The Hīnayāna refers to the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; the Mahāyāna refers to the bodhisattvas. Within these, it branches out into eight, namely the three baskets and the five vehicles. The three baskets refer to sūtras, vinaya, and treatises. The five vehicles refer to śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas, while also subsuming humans and gods. Thus, although the teachings are categorized by names and numbers established according to faculties, they do not depart from the One Vehicle. The Lotus Sūtra says, "Within the path of the One Vehicle, [the Buddha] discriminately explains three." It also says, "There are not even two vehicles, let alone three." It also says, "Only this one matter is real; the other two are not genuine." This clarifies that the provisional is established according to faculties. As the Avataṃsaka explains, the Tathāgatagarbha takes the Dharmadhātu as its substance. The Tathāgatagarbha has neither anterior nor posterior limits; it has no phenomenon of formation and decay, no stages of cultivation and realization, and transcends all dualistic meanings. Therefore, Mañjuśrī's verse says: "In a single thought, surveying everywhere, throughout immeasurable kalpas without going, coming, or abiding; understanding the matters of the three periods like this, transcending all expedients, one accomplishes the ten powers." That the sage spoke of definitive meaning and non-definitive meaning was entirely established according to faculties. The intention of the Buddhas in preaching the Dharma according to adaptability is difficult to discern. The three baskets and five vehicles each have their tenets; discussions within the One Vehicle of complete, sudden, half, or full are all provisionally established. Only the single scripture of the Avataṃsaka takes the Dharmadhātu as its scope: Buddhas and sentient beings share the identical substance, originally without cultivation or realization, originally without gain or loss, with no defilements to be severed and no bodhi to be sought, and the nature and characteristics of humans and non-humans are equal. (An ancient master's capping phrase says, "Scooping up water, the moon is in the hands; sporting with flowers, fragrance fills the robes. Cold spring water gushes from the ancient ravine; the green pine remains verdant after the snow.")