維摩經義記卷第四 4.62

4.62

Second, from "not originating from the four great elements" onward, it explains that the ultimate dharmakāya transcends the hundred negations. "Not originating from the four great elements, it is like empty space" explains that the dharmakāya is not constituted by the four great elements, using empty space as a metaphor. If the true and ultimate is taken to be the permanently abiding dharmakāya, then it briefly clarifies permanence. Another explanation: there is a distinct dharmakāya that explains continuity-permanence, which is a lifespan of seven hundred asaṃkhyeya kalpas. "With no accumulation in the six sense bases, it has surpassed body and mind": the dharmakāya is not an accumulation of the [six] sense bases and has surpassed the realm of body and mind. "Not in the three realms": it has emerged from the three realms. "Free of the three defilements": the karmas of the three realms have long since been eradicated forever. "Accordant with the three gates of liberation": its wisdom accords with the three emptiness-gates. "The three knowledges equal to ignorance": when contemplating the three emptiness-gates, ignorance and wisdom are contemplated equally, hence it says "equal." "Not a single mark": the manifested traces are manifold. "Not different marks": referring to the source, it is solely one. "Not knowing its own mark": responding to stimulus it proceeds, and it can also manifest in other forms. "Not other": it is only its own essence and has never had an other. "Not devoid of marks": the dharmakāya is wondrous existence, not the same as the mark of empty space. "Not grasping marks": although not devoid of marks, one cannot abide and grasp it through the sense faculties and marks. "Neither here nor there": it is not in saṃsāra, yet not transcendent of the world. "Neither there nor not there": it is not in nirvāṇa, yet never not here. "Not in the midstream": it is not between the stages of the path, yet never not in either. "Yet transforming sentient beings": though not here, there, or in between, it resides in saṃsāra to transform sentient beings. "Contemplating cessation yet not permanently extinguished": with wisdom it illumines the principle of essential emptiness and cessation, yet does not enter permanent cessation, remaining also in existence; unlike the two vehicles' permanent quiescence, "neither here nor there," hence it is not here nor there. "Neither by this nor by that": since it is neither here nor there, one cannot grasp it by abiding in here or there. "Cannot be known by consciousness, cannot be recognized by intellect": it is not known by extinct wisdom, nor recognized by ordinary consciousness. "Neither dark nor bright": clearly penetrating the three times, it is without darkness; its essence is not fraught with deliberation, so it is without brightness. Another explanation: manifesting as identical with darkness, it is therefore said to be "without brightness." "Without name and without mark": the essence of the dharmakāya is beyond names and marks. "Without strength": manifesting as identical with the infant and weak. "Without weakness": birth and old age do not afflict it. "Not pure": it displays dwelling in the dusts. "Defiled": troubles and entanglements are forever eradicated. "Not in a direction": it perches high in the center of the circle. "Not apart from directions": there are no forms it does not manifest. "Not conditioned": the dharmakāya is tranquil. "Not unconditioned": it is not identical with the six destinies. "Not an indication": its essence is not form, hence not an indication. "Without preaching": its essence is not sound, hence without preaching. "Not giving": manifesting as identical with stinginess. "Not stingy": the perfection of giving is fully complete. "Not observing precepts": manifesting as having violations. "Not violating": bad dharmas are forever stilled. "Not patient": displaying as identical with affliction and wrath. "Not wrathful": anger and resentment are forever eradicated. "Not energetic": manifesting as identical with laziness. "Not indolent": negligence is forever exhausted. "Not concentrated": manifesting as identical with distraction. "Not distracted": clamor and turmoil are forever separated from. "Not wise": manifesting as identical with foolish darkness. "Not foolish": the darkness of delusion is completely eradicated. "Not sincere": manifesting as identical with deception. "Not deceitful": falsehood and deceit are forever destroyed. "Not coming": going from Vaiśālī toward Rājagṛha is "coming"; returning from Rājagṛha toward Vaiśālī is "going"; the dharmakāya is also not seen to turn its back on this to "come" or turn toward that to "go." "Neither emerging nor entering": neither is it seen to take birth in the royal palace as "emerging" or to extinguish its traces between the twin trees as "entering." "Because all paths of speech are severed": setting aside the responsive and discussing the true, it is therefore said that "the path of language is cut off, and the place of mental activity ceases." "Neither a field of merit nor not a field of merit": slighting it brings demerit, hence not a field of merit; revering it brings merit, hence not [un-]merit. Another explanation: manifesting the creation of many evils, it is not a field of merit; many evils being forever eradicated, it is not not a field of merit. "Neither worthy of offerings": because it is not a field of merit, it is not worthy of offerings. "Nor unworthy of offerings": because it is a field of merit, it is worthy of offerings. "Neither to be taken": because it is not an offering, it cannot be taken. "Nor to be renounced": because it is worthy of offerings, it cannot be renounced. "Not having marks": one cannot grasp it by making sense faculties and marks. "Not devoid of marks": not being the same as empty space, it is not devoid of marks. Furthermore, "identical with the true reality": identical with the principle of the ultimate truth's true reality, it is equal to the true principle. "Equal to dharma-nature": it silently tallies with the nature of dharmas. "Incalculable and immeasurable": its essence is beyond calculation and measurement. "Surpassing calculation and measurement": from the vajra[-stage] downward, the sphere of phenomenal forms falls within calculation and measurement; the dharmakāya surpasses the realm of names and numbers, outside calculation and measurement. "Not large": entering minutely where there is no interval, hence not large. "Not small": pervading the great void, hence not small. "Not seen": its essence is not form, hence not seen. "Not heard": its essence is not sound or smell, hence not heard. "Not felt": its essence is not touch, hence not felt. "Not known": its essence is not taste, hence not known. Another explanation: it is not perceptibly visible, nor can it be known through what is not perceptibly visible, hence it says "not heard"; nor is it felt, and following inspection, it is not known through this. "Free from all fetters and bonds": entangling ties are forever gone. "Equal to all wisdoms": above, it equals all buddhas; below, it is identical with sentient beings. "Without differentiation regarding all dharmas": previously it was identical with nominally designated sentient beings; here it is identical with the dharmas drawn upon by sentient beings, without differentiation. From "entirely devoid" onward, it explains that although identical with the dharmas of sentient beings, it is without faults such as afflictions. "Without loss": without faults or errors. "Without turbidity": without dust or defilement. "Without affliction": without kleśas. "Without action and without arising": the above explained the absence of afflictions; this explains the absence of the substance of karma. "Without birth and without cessation": since there are no afflictions or karma, birth being defined as the beginning and death being defined as the end, it explains the absence of saṃsāra. "Without fear, without sorrow, without joy": ordinary people rejoice in life and hate death; if there were death, there could be sorrow and fear, but within the principle of emptiness no death can be found, hence no sorrow or fear; if there were birth, there could be joy, but since birth cannot be found, there is also no joy. "Without revulsion": there is no death to be reviled and no birth to be attached to. "Neither having existed, nor existing now, nor to exist": this is the permanently abiding essence, not subsumed under the three times. "Cannot be distinguished or displayed by any speech": its essence transcends the hundred negations and the realm of all marks, hence it cannot be distinguished or displayed by speech. From "Bhagavat, the Tathāgata is like this" onward, the third section brings up the correct and the wrong to conclude the above two sections. If one contemplates in this way, taking the sixteen-foot body as empty and the dharmakāya as transcending the hundred negations, this is called the correct contemplation. If one contemplates otherwise, this is called a wrong contemplation. If one posits that the sixteen-foot body is real, or takes the sixteen-foot body to be the ultimate Buddha, this is called a wrong contemplation.