廣弘明集 18.74

18.74

來難云。同有非甚閡。尚不可以翫此而善彼。豈況乎有無之至背而反得以相通者耶。此是拘於所習以生此疑耳。夫專翫筆札者。自可不工於弧矢。弧矢既工復翫筆札者。何為不兼哉。若封有而不向宗。自是封者之失。造無而去滯何為不可得皆。借不兼之有。以詰能兼之無。非惟鍾胡愧射於更李羿養慚書於羅趙。觸類之躓始充巧歷之歎。今請循其本。夫憑無以伏有。伏之則有忘。伏時不能知。知則不復辨。是以坐忘日損之談近出老莊。數緣而滅經有舊說。如此豈累之自去實無之所濟。且明為晦新功在火日。但火日不稱功於幽闇。般若不言惠於愚憃耳。推此而往。詎俟多云。

The challenge says: 'Even within existence, where there is no extreme obstruction, one still cannot enjoy this and be good at that; how much less so when existence and non-existence are completely contrary, could they conversely be made to communicate?' This is merely raising this doubt out of attachment to what you are accustomed to. One who is dedicated to writing may naturally not be skilled in archery; but if one who is skilled in archery also enjoys writing, why could he not possess both? If one clings to existence and does not face the fundamental principle, that is naturally the clinging person's error; but in approaching non-existence to cast off stagnation, why should it be impossible to attain both? Borrowing existence which cannot combine things to interrogate non-existence which can combine them is not only like Zhong and Hu feeling ashamed of archery before Geng and Li, or Hou Yi and Yang Youji feeling ashamed of calligraphy before Luo and Zhao; stumbling over categories only fulfills the sigh over skilled reckoners. Now I invite you to return to the root. Relying on non-existence to subdue existence, when it is subdued, existence is forgotten. When subduing, one cannot know; when knowing, one no longer discriminates. Thus the words of 'sitting in forgetfulness' and 'decreasing daily' emerged nearby from Laozi and Zhuangzi, and 'extinction through counting conditions' is an ancient teaching found in the sūtras. In this manner, how could defilements depart on their own? It is truly the relief provided by non-existence. Moreover, light renews darkness through the work of fire and the sun; but fire and the sun do not claim credit in the dark night, and wisdom does not speak of kindness to the foolish. Inferring from this, why wait for further words?