御注金剛般若波羅蜜經宣演 2.25

2.25

There are two explanations here. The first says: it is said that all noble ones are distinguished by unconditioned dharmas; thus, since there is no noble path, how can one contemplate the two kinds of selflessness? How can the path of benefiting sentient beings act as a cause for that [fruit]? To shatter this doubt, he speaks the four statements. Because the Buddha's true wisdom realizes the principle beyond words, subsequent [cognition] raises verbal expressions in accord with the realization: in the ultimate, there is truly nothing to be grasped, while the conventional truth is free from falsity; through the causes and conditions of skillful means, cultivating the two kinds of selflessness does not fail to act as the cause for attaining the Buddha-fruit. To reveal that the Buddha is able to know that that path acts as the cause, he speaks the four statements. In order to sever emotional doubt and cause them to produce faith, to follow and cultivate the causal path of the selfless fruit, and to generate forbearance, it is identical with this. The second says: when realizing the unconditioned, one only uses true wisdom, not the path of verbal expression. Thus one might think that the Buddha's statement that the merit of upholding the sūtra is the cause of the dharmakāya is false; therefore, he speaks the four statements to eliminate that doubt and disparagement. In the former explanation, doubt arises from forbearance; in the latter explanation, doubt arises from the sūtra. Observing the intent of that treatise, the latter explanation is superior. This is because there being four objects, there are four wisdoms; because there are four wisdoms, the four statements are uttered. The verse says: