宗鏡錄 34.19

34.19

答曰。凡說喻者。為明正義。又云。凡欲立義。當依四種知見。何等為四。一者現見。二者比知。三以喻知。四隨經教。又法華經云。智者可以譬喻得解。今但取正解圓明。非論法說喻說。若不悟道。徒執絕言。今所言者。皆是提宗唱道之言。極妙窮原之說。如云萬句浮言。不及一句妙理。千般魚目不及徑寸明珠。夫一句妙理者。即宗鏡之言也。斯言不可辯而自通。不可解而自釋。所以云。善言不辯。辯言不善。

Answer: In general, stating a metaphor is done to illuminate the correct meaning. It is also said: 'Whenever one wishes to establish a proposition, one should rely on four kinds of knowing and seeing. What are the four? First, direct perception; second, inference; third, knowledge by metaphor; fourth, following scriptural teachings.' Furthermore, the Lotus Sūtra says: 'The wise can attain understanding through metaphors.' Now we only seek for correct understanding to be perfectly luminous, without debating doctrinal explanation or metaphorical explanation. If one does not awaken to the Way, one vainly clings to the transcendence of words. What is spoken here are all words that raise the source and proclaim the Way, explanations that reach the utmost wonder and fathom the origin. As it is said: 'Ten thousand sentences of superficial words are not equal to one phrase of marvelous principle; a thousand varieties of fish eyes are not equal to an inch-wide luminous pearl.' Now, 'one phrase of marvelous principle' is precisely the words of the Mirror of the Source. These words cannot be debated yet they naturally penetrate; they cannot be explicated yet they naturally resolve. Therefore it is said: 'Good words do not dispute; disputatious words are not good.'