金剛般若經疏 1.9

1.9

Sūtra: 'Thus' [evaṃ]. The Exegesis says: Since antiquity there have been many explanations. Now I present three approaches: 1. explaining 'thus' separately; 2. explaining 'thus' as a whole; 3. explaining it in connection with 'have I heard'. The first is the separate glossing and explaining of the two words 'thus' [rú and shì]. The second is to state the meaning of the two words as a whole. The third connects the two words 'thus' with 'have I heard' to explain [them], not to explain 'have I heard' [itself]. First, concerning the separate explanations, between China and India, monastics and laity, there are nine explanations in total: 1. Master Yi'an says: Non-duality of existence and non-existence is 'thus' [rú]; that 'suchness' is neither existence nor non-existence is 'so' [shì]; suchness having nothing to be such to, and correctness having nothing to be correct to, is therefore called 'thus' [rù-shì]. 2. Master Zhi says: That the teaching can reveal the principle is 'thus'; that wisdom can illuminate the principle is 'so'. 3. Dhyāna Master Zhizhe says: Taking the text as 'thus', and the principle as 'so'. The text, by [...] expressing [it], is 'thus'; the principle, being without error, is 'so'. 4. The Commentary on the Lotus Sūtra says: 'Thus' is an auspicious omen of stimulus and response. 'Ru' takes its name from according with faculties; 'shi' establishes its designation from being without error. Sentient beings take freedom from error as the stimulus; the Tathāgata takes according with faculties as the response. The transmitter of the Dharma, wishing to show that the nominal teaching arises from stimulus and response, therefore set forth the words 'thus'. 5. The Commentary on the Anantanirdeśa Sūtra says: When the supreme person expounds the Dharma, it is solely to reveal suchness; only suchness is right, and therefore it is called 'thus'. 6. Master [...]zhou says: That the expounded Dharma conforms to the preceding circumstances is called 'ru'; expounding facts conforms to facts, expounding principles conforms to such principles, and causes are likewise. Because these spoken words all accord with reason, they are called 'shi'. Contravening Dharma is wrong; according with Dharma is right. This is an explanation in terms of Dharma. Again, explained in terms of persons: Ānanda states that the Dharma expounded by the Buddha is identical to what past Buddhas have expounded, hence called 'ru'; it is correct and not heterodox, hence called 'shi'. 7. Emperor Wu of Liang says: 'Ru' points to the Dharma; 'shi' is a word of determination. Words such as these are what the Buddha expounded; hence it says 'thus'. 8. Tripiṭaka Master Chang'er says: 'Thus' has three [aspects]: 1. With respect to the Buddha: that all Buddhas of the three periods speak identically without difference is called 'ru'; because it is spoken for application, it is called 'shi'. 2. With respect to Dharma: that the true nature of all dharmas does not differ past and present is called 'ru'; because suchness is expounded, it is called 'shi'. 3. With respect to the Saṅgha: because Ānanda's hearing, compared to the Buddha's original teaching, transmits it without difference, it is 'ru'; permanently transcending faults and errors is 'shi'. Because of this, speaking in concord and according with principle is without error, and therefore the sūtra can be trusted. 9. Also, according to traditional transmission: ultimate truth not contravening conventional truth is 'ru'; conventional truth not contravening ultimate truth is 'shi'. According with principle is 'ru'; using this to ward off delusion is 'shi'. Gathering merit is 'ru'; generating wisdom is 'shi'. The teaching according with principle is 'ru'; giving rise to practice based on the teaching is 'shi'. Object is 'ru', wisdom is 'shi'. Going through dharmas to explain them extensively in this manner, the meanings are indeed inexhaustible.