金剛般若經旨贊 2.64

2.64

Sūtra: “Subhūti … is neither real nor unreal.” Commentary: This is clearing away grasping. Having heard what was previously taught—the true words and so forth—although they give rise to faith and acceptance, it is termed grasping because they cling to the words; this conversely becomes a fault. This reveals that although what the Buddha has spoken is without falsehood, one cannot grasp it according to the words either. To prevent and clarify this, he speaks of “neither real” and so forth. That is, verbal expressions are merely provisional designations; the Dharma is fundamentally free from words, and words are not the Dharma. They merely accord with that realization of true wisdom: because the Dharma that could be grasped according to words is non-existent, it is “neither real”; because the Dharma realized by the wisdom transcending words is not non-existent, it is “nor unreal.” Since the Dharma is free from words, words are not the Dharma; thus it is “neither real.” Yet because it can accord with and attain the wisdom of realization, it is “nor unreal.” Based on this meaning, the treatise provides a verse, saying: