宗鏡錄 17.23

17.23

答曰。若除有為。則無無為。有為實相。即是無為。如有為空。無為亦空。以二事不異故。畢竟空者。一切法皆畢竟空。是畢竟空亦空。空無有法故。亦無虛實相待。復次畢竟空者。破一切法。令無遺餘故。名畢竟空。若有少遺餘。不名畢竟空。無始空者。如經中說。佛語諸比丘。眾生無有始。無明覆愛所繫。往來生死。始不可得。破是無始法故。名為無始空。散空者。散名別離相。如諸法和合故。有如車以輻輞轅轂。眾合為車。若離散各在一處。則失車名。五陰和合因緣。故名為人。若離五陰。人不可得。性空者。諸法性常空。假來相續故。似若不空。譬如水性自冷。假火故熱。止火停久。水則還冷。如經說。眼空無我。無我所。何以故。性自爾耳。自相空者。一切法有二種相。總相。別相。是。二相空。故名為相空。總相者。如無常等。別相者。諸法雖皆無常。而各有別相。如地為堅相。火為熱相。一切諸法空者。一切法有好有醜。有內有外。一切法有心生。故名為有。無自體。故空。無所得空者。一切法。乃至無餘涅槃不可得。故名無所得空。無法空。有法空。無法有法空者。無法。名法已滅。是滅無故。名無法空。有法空者。諸法因緣和合生。故有法。實性無故。名有法空。無法有法空者。取無法有法相不可得。是為無法有法空。乃至云。離我我所故空。因緣和合生故空。無常苦空無我。故名為空。始終不可得故空。唯心。故名為空。故知一切萬法。皆從心現。悉無自體。盡稱為空。所以云。若住此十八空門。當學般若。則未甞有一法。能出我之靈臺智性矣。此十八空。下至有為世間五陰。上至無為第一義諦。收一切法。無不皆空。若不學般若。別尚餘宗。體有而未達有原。窮空而不盡空理。須歸宗鏡。內照發明。則外無一法。更有遺餘矣。又此是如空。非體是空。以真心無礙。映現萬法。如虛空不拒諸相發揮故。於真心中。能現一切。其所現一切。雖依心無體。照見五蘊皆空。然亦不著於空。能興佛事。如華嚴經頌云。十方所有諸如來。了達諸法無有餘。雖知一切皆空寂。而不於空起心念。以一莊嚴嚴一切。亦不於法生分別。如是開悟諸群生。一切無性無所觀。

He answers: If conditioned [phenomena] were eliminated, there would be no unconditioned. The true characteristic of the conditioned is itself the unconditioned. Just as the conditioned is empty, the unconditioned is also empty, because the two are not distinct. As for ultimate emptiness: all phenomena are ultimately empty, and this ultimate emptiness is also empty, because in emptiness there is no phenomenon; nor is there a relative opposition between the empty and the real. Furthermore, as for ultimate emptiness: it crushes all phenomena, leaving no remainder; therefore it is called ultimate emptiness. If there were the slightest remainder, it would not be called ultimate emptiness. As for beginningless emptiness: as said in the sūtra, the Buddha told the bhikṣus, 'Sentient beings have no beginning; bound by the cover of avidyā and attachment, they come and go in saṃsāra, and a beginning cannot be found.' Because it crushes these beginningless phenomena, it is called beginningless emptiness. As for the emptiness of dispersion: 'dispersion' refers to the characteristic of separation. For example, because phenomena come together in combination, they exist, just as a chariot, through its spokes, felloes, axle, and hub coming together, forms a chariot; if they are dispersed and each placed in a different location, the designation 'chariot' is lost. The causal conditions of the five skandhas coming together are why there is the designation 'person'; if one is separated from the five skandhas, a person cannot be found. As for nature-emptiness: the nature of all phenomena is constantly empty; because of provisional continuity, it seems as though it is not empty. For example, the nature of water is inherently cold; by relying on fire, it becomes hot; when the fire is removed and it rests for a long time, the water returns to cold. As the sūtra says, 'The eye is empty, devoid of self and what belongs to a self. Why? Its nature is simply like this.' As for the emptiness of individual characteristics: all phenomena have two kinds of characteristics: universal characteristics and specific characteristics. Because these two characteristics are empty, it is called the emptiness of characteristics. Universal characteristics are like impermanence and the like; specific characteristics are that although all phenomena are impermanent, each has its specific characteristic, such as earth having the characteristic of solidity and fire having the characteristic of heat. As for the emptiness of all phenomena: all phenomena have good and bad, internal and external. Because all phenomena arise from citta, they are called existent; because they lack self-substance, they are empty. As for the emptiness of non-attainment: all phenomena, even nirvāṇa without remainder, cannot be attained; therefore it is called the emptiness of non-attainment. As for the emptiness of non-phenomena, the emptiness of phenomena, and the emptiness of non-phenomena and phenomena: 'non-phenomena' refers to phenomena that have already ceased; because this cessation is non-existent, it is called the emptiness of non-phenomena. As for the emptiness of phenomena: phenomena arise from the combination of causes and conditions, so there are phenomena; because a real nature is non-existent, it is called the emptiness of phenomena. As for the emptiness of non-phenomena and phenomena: grasping the characteristics of non-phenomena and phenomena cannot be attained; this is the emptiness of non-phenomena and phenomena. And on up to saying: they are empty because they are free of self and what belongs to self; they are empty because they arise from the combination of causes and conditions; they are called empty because of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self; they are empty because beginning and end cannot be attained; they are called empty because of mind-only. Therefore one knows that the myriad phenomena all manifest from citta and all lack self-substance; all are described as empty. Therefore it is said: 'If one abides in these eighteen gates of emptiness and studies prajñā, then not a single phenomenon has ever been able to exceed the cognizant nature of my numinous terrace.' These eighteen kinds of emptiness, from the conditioned worldly five skandhas below to the unconditioned paramārthasatya above, gather in all phenomena, none of which are not empty. If one does not study prajñā and instead esteems other schools, one grasps existence without reaching the source of existence, and probes emptiness without exhausting the principle of emptiness. One must return to the Mirror of the Source and illuminate within to realize it; then externally not a single phenomenon will have any remainder left. Furthermore, this is being like emptiness, not that the substance itself is empty; for the true citta is unimpeded, reflecting and manifesting the myriad phenomena, just as empty space does not reject the unfolding of the various forms. Therefore, within the true citta, all can be manifested. Although all that is manifested is devoid of substance relying on citta—illuminating and seeing that the five skandhas are all empty—still, one also does not cling to emptiness, and is able to accomplish the Buddha-work. As a gāthā in the Avataṃsakasūtra says: / 'All the tathāgatas of the ten directions / Comprehend all phenomena without remainder; / Though they know that all are empty and tranquil, / They do not give rise to mental thoughts about emptiness. / Adorning all with a single adornment, / They also give rise to no discrimination regarding phenomena; / In this way they awaken all sentient beings: / All are devoid of nature, with nothing to be observed.'