維摩經疏卷第三．第六 3.13

3.13

法常寂然下第二有六句明其法空。初二離相。次二離名。次有一句結前離相。末後一句結上離名。初兩句中前之一句正明離相。後之一句破去心緣成前離相。就初句中法常寂然者。遠云。真性不動故曰寂然。滅諸相者破相障寂四相五陰等是相也。真中本無名滅。諸相有相即不寂。相滅即寂矣。其由無法可生無法可滅故云寂滅也。諺云。真如佛性如來藏等實相法也。常寂然者。是等諸法性出自古體真無超作故云寂也。滅諸相者。本自無相。滅何所滅。正以非相為相。強稱滅也。亦可法者一切法也。法若有相即非寂滅法。何以寂滅諸相。故法離於相。無所緣故者。緣是心緣。相從心生。心若不緣。即相自空。能所俱寂。故離相也。法離相者。遠云。正明理無。於真法中無五陰相名法離相。無所緣者。破相顯理。若真法中有相可緣不名離相。於真法中無相可緣。故法離相。以無所緣能緣亦無。能所俱寂。所以離相。又云。法無相者無貪著之相。真法之中既無所緣。亦無貪著能緣之相。故無垢稱云。法無貪著無所緣故。次兩句中前一句破名破說。後一句破去心覺成前離說。就初句中法無名字者。遠云。正明理無。謂真法中無有妄想所立名字言語段者。破去言說顯成無名。名是言本。以無名故言語不生。故云言語段。舉言語段成名無也。此解不然。何處名為語本。只可言為名本也。言語是名字之本。真深離言。豈有名字也。法無有說者。正明理無。於真法中言語不生。故無言說。離覺觀者。破情顯理。覺觀言因。以真法中無覺觀故言語不生。故無言說。麁思名覺。細思名觀。此皆情相。真法出情故無覺觀。問。初禪有覺有觀。中間禪無覺有觀。二禪已上無覺無觀。與此真法離於覺觀有何差別。答。真法性滅本自不生。所以云無。二禪已上對治不超云離覺觀也。法無形者正辯理無。謂真法中無陰形相。以此結前離相之義。故說無相。如虛空者類以顯之。真法離相如世虛空故言如空也。法無戲論者正明理無。理外名言悉成戲論。真法離此名無戲論。以此結前離名之義。故說無戲論。畢竟空者釋以顯無。理絕言論云畢竟空也。上來就陰明法離相。

From "Dharma is ever quiescent" onward, next are six clauses explaining dharma-nairātmya. The first two are free from marks; the next two are free from names; next is one clause that concludes the preceding freedom from marks; the final clause concludes the preceding freedom from names. Among the first two clauses, the former directly clarifies freedom from marks, while the latter dispels mental conditions, establishing the preceding freedom from marks. In the first clause, regarding "Dharma is ever quiescent," [Hui]yuan says: "Because the true nature is unmoving, it is called 'quiescent.' 'Extinguishing all marks' eliminates the marks that obstruct quiescence; the four marks, the five aggregates, and so forth are these marks. Originally absent in the true, it is called 'extinguished.' If there are marks, then it is not quiescent; when marks are extinguished, then it is quiescent. Because there are no phenomena that can be born and no phenomena that can be extinguished, it is called quiescently extinguished." [The scholar] Yan says: "Tathatā, buddha-nature, tathāgatagarbha, and so forth are the phenomena of dharmatā. 'Ever quiescent' means that the nature of these phenomena has emerged from antiquity, their substance being truly without beginning or contrivance, hence called 'quiescent.' Regarding 'extinguishing all marks,' they are fundamentally devoid of marks—what is there to be extinguished? It is precisely by taking non-mark as mark that it is forcibly called 'extinguished.' Alternatively, 'dharma' refers to all phenomena. If phenomena possessed marks, they would not be quiescent phenomena; why [would it be said] 'extinguishing all marks'? Therefore, phenomena are free from marks." Regarding "because of having no mental conditions," a condition is a mental condition. Marks are born from the mind. If the mind does not cognize conditions, then marks are naturally empty. Subject and object are both quiescent, hence free from marks. Regarding "Dharma is free from marks," [Hui]yuan says: "This directly clarifies that the principle is absent [of marks]. That in the true Dharma there are no marks of the five aggregates is called 'dharma is free from marks.' Regarding 'having no conditions,' this eliminates marks to reveal the principle. If in the true Dharma there were marks that could be conditioned, it would not be called free from marks. Since in the true Dharma there are no marks to be conditioned, dharma is free from marks. Because there are no conditions, the cognizer is also absent. Both subject and object are quiescent, which is why it is free from marks." It also says: "'Dharma is free from marks' means it is without the marks of craving and attachment. Since within the true Dharma there are no conditions, there are also no marks of a cognizer that craves and attaches. Therefore, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra says: 'Dharma is free from craving and attachment because it has no conditions.'" In the next two clauses, the former dispels names and speech, while the latter dispels mental vitarka and vicāra, establishing the preceding freedom from speech. In the first clause, regarding "Dharma has no names," [Hui]yuan says: "This directly clarifies that the principle is absent [of names]. That is to say, within the true Dharma there are no names established by false discrimination. 'Speech is cut off' dispels verbal expression to establish and complete the absence of names. Names are the root of speech. Because there are no names, speech does not arise; hence it is said 'speech is cut off.' Mentioning that speech is cut off establishes that names are absent." This explanation is not correct. Where are names called the root of speech? It can only be that speech is the root of names. Speech is the root of names. The true is profound and free from words—how could there be names? Regarding "Dharma has no explanation," this directly clarifies that the principle is absent [of explanation]. Within the true Dharma, speech does not arise, hence there is no verbal explanation. Regarding "free from vitarka and vicāra," this eliminates conceptual grasping to reveal the principle. Vitarka and vicāra are the causes of speech. Because in the true Dharma there are no vitarka and vicāra, speech does not arise, hence there is no verbal explanation. Coarse thought is called vitarka; subtle thought is called vicāra. These are all marks of mental grasping. The true Dharma transcends mental grasping, hence it is free from vitarka and vicāra. Question: "The first dhyāna has vitarka and vicāra; the intermediate dhyāna has no vitarka but has vicāra; from the second dhyāna upward, there is neither vitarka nor vicāra. What is the difference between these and this true Dharma being free from vitarka and vicāra?" Answer: "The true Dharma has an extinguished nature and fundamentally does not arise, which is why it is said to be absent. From the second dhyāna upward, it is an antidote that does not transcend [defilement entirely] that is called 'free from vitarka and vicāra.'" Regarding "Dharma has no shape," this directly explains that the principle is absent [of shape], meaning that within the true Dharma there are no shapes or marks of the aggregates. With this, it concludes the preceding meaning of freedom from marks, and therefore says 'having no marks.' Regarding "like empty space," it is revealed by analogy: the true Dharma is free from marks just as space in the world is, hence it says 'like space.' Regarding "Dharma has no prapañca," this directly clarifies that the principle is absent [of prapañca]. Names and words outside the principle all become prapañca. The true Dharma being free from these is called 'having no prapañca.' With this, it concludes the preceding meaning of freedom from names, and therefore says 'having no prapañca.' Regarding "ultimately empty," this explains to reveal its absence: the principle is beyond words and discussion, called 'ultimately empty.' The above has explained dharma being free from marks with respect to the aggregates.