廣弘明集 21.15

21.15

Xiao Gang, Prince of Jin'an and Governor of Danyang, inquired: "The explanation in the decree distinguishes having arising and non-arising with reference to persons. I do not yet know: are the unreal and empty and the non-arising merely of one essence, or are they distinct?"
The imperial decree answered: "What ordinary sentiments see, they see its movement and arising; what the sages see, they see its non-arising. Discoursing with reference to persons, they are indeed distinct essences. But if speaking of their mutual identity, they do not constitute difference. It is fully as explained before; I will not discourse on it at length."
[Xiao Gang] also inquired: "If the ultimate is not distinct from the conventional, and the conventional is not distinct from the ultimate, how can what conventional persons see have arising dharmas as its essence, while what sages see has non-arising as its essence?"
The imperial decree answered: "Identical to the conventional, one knows the ultimate; identical to the ultimate, one sees the conventional. Discoursing on this basis, they are of themselves non-distinct. Distinguishing views in terms of persons, there are naturally the distinctions of arising and non-arising."
[Xiao Gang] also inquired: "I do not yet know: since the essence of conventional truth is said to be illusory, how can one see this illusion within the true and real?"
The imperial decree answered: "The essence of the true and real of itself has no illusion. The deluded perversely construct it and call it existent. It does no harm to the true and real, whose essence of itself is void and profound."
[Xiao Gang] also inquired: "What the sages see, they see as not fluctuating; what ordinary beings see, they of themselves see as fluctuating. Since fluctuating and not fluctuating are different, in my foolish opinion they cannot be one."
The imperial decree answered: "I do not say that fluctuating and not fluctuating are each a distinct essence. It is precisely that ordinary beings, within what does not fluctuate, perversely see this fluctuation. Discoursing on this basis, they can be established as one."
[Xiao Gang] also inquired: "The essence of the truly quiescent is originally not fluctuating. That ordinary beings see fluctuation does not depart from the essence of the ultimate. If so, then there is only one ultimate and two truths are not established."
The imperial decree answered: "The essences are ever mutually identical; in principle they cannot be distinct. Yet ordinary beings see the unreal and empty, while sages behold the truly quiescent. With reference to those ordinary beings and sages, the names of two truths may be established."