萬善同歸集 2.6

2.6

Answer: "The Treatise on the Great Prajñāpāramitā states: 'The Buddha's teachings comprise two paths: first, the path of ultimate emptiness; second, the path of distinguishing good and evil.' As for the path of ultimate emptiness: the tathatā of an ordinary being is identical with the tathatā of liberation through the destruction of outflows; the speech of the Tathāgata is identical with the speech of Devadatta—there is no duality and no distinction, being one single path and one single source. Therefore, in the hells arises the mind of wondrous awakening, and in the fruit of Buddhahood manifests the realm of Niraya. If one abandons the heterodox to pursue the orthodox, both heterodox and orthodox are negated; if one departs from evil and attaches to good, both good and evil are lost. As for the path of distinguishing good and evil: the foolish and the wise are unequal; the ultimate and conventional are distinctly separate; jade and stone must be distinguished, and gold and brass can be discerned. Now, within the gate of practice, amidst the ranks of ascent and descent, there naturally exist internal and external adherents, and heterodox and orthodox causes and effects; one must carefully differentiate them and not conflate them as identical. Furthermore, when the scriptures set forth passages of censure and praise, they indeed have the intent of denigration and elevation. If one clings, one falls into stagnation; if one understands, nothing fails to penetrate. The four siddhāntas provide cures, with allowances and disallowances carefully analyzed. If one claims all are correct, then the Nirgranthas would have attained the true and upright path, and the Buddhas would have mistakenly censured them; if one says all are wrong, then Bhaiṣajyarāja would have fallen into the fault of inversion, and the Buddhas would have mistakenly praised him. Therefore, promoting the heterodox results in useless practices; abolishing the orthodox cuts off the gate of expedient means. One must understand what is permitted and what is prohibited; how could there be no choosing and rejecting? Moreover, there are two intentions each when those of the inner teaching and those outside the Dharma relinquish their bodies. The two of the inner teaching are: first, realizing that self and other are empty of intrinsic nature, having neither the attachment to phenomena nor the attachment to self, seeing no realm that is offered to, nor having any mind that burns [itself]; second, offering solely to the Three Jewels and deeply repaying the four debts of gratitude to aid unsurpassable bodhi, not seeking the karmic rewards of humans and gods. The two of the non-Buddhists are: first, the view of self is not extinguished, which further increases arrogance; blind to the wisdom-eye of unconditioned action, they give rise to an acquisitive and self-aggrandizing mind; second, they solely crave present renown and merely plan for future blessings and benefits, either wishing to become rulers of the kṣatriyas, or seeking birth in the Heaven of Abundant Fruits. Therefore, the Tiantai teaching explains the 'Chapter on the Burning of the Body by Bhaiṣajyarāja': 'Object and wisdom are non-dual; subject and object thus vanish. With non-dual contemplation, one contemplates the non-dual object, fulfills non-dual practice, and converges with non-dual emptiness. When performing this contemplation, if it benefits those in the dharmadhātu who see and hear of it, it is therefore called the vehicle of vehicles. Hence, throwing oneself from a cliff incurs no critique of non-Buddhist practice, and entering fire meets no mockery from the inner assembly. This is truly because internally there is the contemplation of principle, and externally there is an understanding of the aspired intent. Thus Jayoṣṇīṣa dispelled Sudhana's doubts, and the Nirgrantha produced the understanding of solemn radiance. Strictly speaking of their path, practice will then be achieved; if the mind is orthodox, the practice is orthodox; if the wisdom is heterodox, the phenomena are heterodox. Practice cannot be abolished, and wisdom cannot be discarded; students of later generations will thus not lose the benefit of the Dharma.' The Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā Sūtra states: 'When a bodhisattva relinquishes the body, it is not an indeterminate act; they obtain only merit. Because the body of defilements is extinguished, they obtain a pure body. It is like soiled clothes washed with lye: the dirt is removed, but the clothes remain.' If one grasps the complete purport, the clear judgment is evident. Please examine these texts and take them as a clear mirror."