淨名經關中釋抄 2.19

2.19

Explaining the title of this chapter falls briefly into three divisions: first, explaining "gate"; second, explaining "non-duality"; third, explaining "entering."
First, as for "gate": that which provides access is a gate. Therefore the Lotus Sūtra says, "By means of the gate of the Buddha's teaching, one escapes the suffering of the three realms." The ultimate principle is beyond words; to express it is to respond to beings. Beings' capacities are not uniform, so the teaching likewise has many gates. Here we make two divisions: first, the gate of distinction among the three vehicles, which is the three carts exiting the burning house; second, the gate of perfect awakening to the one vehicle, where there is only a single gate that is moreover narrow and small—this is the present gate of the non-dual Dharma, which is the latter gate of the one vehicle. However, generally speaking, it is the non-dual Dharma gate; specifically, there are these thirty-three gates: entering differently according to the teachings, one comprehends non-duality. If unified and gathered by principle, they can also be subsumed under four gates.
Bodhisattva Lion [says]: "If one penetrates the nature of sin as no different from blessing..." In these words, maintaining the non-dual nature is the gate of existence. Bodhisattva Wonderful Arms says: "Contemplating the characteristics of mind as empty, like an illusion, there is no bodhisattva mind and no śrāvaka mind." In these words, this mind is like an illusion, and both minds are equally empty; this is the [gate of emptiness]. Bodhisattva Lightning Heaven says: "The nature of ignorance is itself illumination." Maintaining illumination is existence, yet it is also ungraspable (relinquishing illumination is emptiness). In these words, it is the gate of both existence and non-existence. Up to Good Eyes: "If one knows that the single characteristic is no-characteristic, and yet does not grasp no-characteristic," this is also this gate. Bodhisattva Universal Guardian says: "Self cannot be apprehended: this is the gate of non-existence. How could non-self be apprehended? This is the gate of non-non-existence." Here both words are relinquished. Having relinquished them, one enters the true: this is the gate of neither emptiness nor existence. The diverse explanations among the various gates can be seen as subsumed under these four gates. Thus we know that the ultimate principle extinguishes words, cutting off these four propositions; yet words respond to beings, so all four propositions are gates. Principle is revealed through words; the words that reveal principle are called gates. Where there are traces of words, there must be something upon which they rely; the essentials of what they rely upon are summarized by these four. Therefore the Da zhidu lun says: "The perfection of wisdom is like a refreshing pool; one enters by all four gates" (this clarifies awakening to principle and discarding the snare). It also says: "The perfection of wisdom is like a great mass of fire; it cannot be grasped on any of the four sides, because it is burned by the fire of wrong views" (this verse clarifies clinging to the text as the principle).
Furthermore, one can also declare them relying on the four propositions of self and other. The Mūlamadhyamakakārikā says: "Dharmas are not produced from themselves, nor are they produced from another, nor from both, nor without a cause; therefore know that there is no arising." This is also how principle cuts off the four. How do the four of teaching arise? Virtue Peak says: "Seeing the true nature of defilement, there is no characteristic of purity" (this is the gate of the proposition of self). In these words, the self-nature of defilement is pure, with no separate purity. "Because there is a vehicle, there is an object of the vehicle; if there is no self, there is no self's [object]" (this is the gate of the proposition of other). In these words, the provisional self relinquishes the self's [object]; this is the proposition of other. Clear Characteristics says: "Because the prior limit and the posterior limit are empty, the middle limit is also empty." Only when these prior and posterior are equally empty does one obtain the emptiness of the middle limit. Jewel Crest King says: "Those who abide in the correct path do not distinguish between deviant and correct" (this is the gate of the proposition of both). In these words, when eliminated, both are eliminated; when maintained, both are maintained; therefore it says "both." Virtue Treasury says: "Having apprehension constitutes duality; if there is nothing to be apprehended, there is neither grasping nor discarding" (this is the gate of the proposition of no cause). In these words, there is no further arising from a cause; it directly says that originally there is nothing to be apprehended, hence it says "no cause."
Furthermore, [...] gates: the reason why each person speaks individually here is to clarify that the gates according to awakening are necessarily many, while the principle verified is not different. The intent of each of the bodhisattvas in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra is also like this. In the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Sudhana seeks good spiritual friends everywhere, and each spiritual friend says, "I know only this Dharma gate to enter the dharmadhātu"; this is also the meaning. Therefore the sūtra says: "The true Dharma jewel of Nirvāṇa—sentient beings enter it through diverse gates."
Second, as for the "non-dual Dharma": the myriad dharmas proliferate, but their nature is non-dual; the true mark is the non-dual Dharma. In this Dharma of the ultimate principle, designations are originally extinguished; the names established in various sūtras also vary according to the sūtra. Here it is called "non-dual"; the Lotus Sūtra calls it the "one vehicle"; the Avataṃsaka calls it the "dharmadhātu"; it is also "suchness," "true liberation," "dharma-nature," and "emptiness of nature." This principle clarifies wisdom; it is also called "original awakening." Therefore the Da zhidu lun says: "Though that is a single dharma, the Buddha speaks of diverse names, establishing distinct words for it according to the classes of sentient beings." Question: Why does the single dharma of the true mark have many names? Answer: If the dharma had a fixed name, a single name should not be many; responding to beings, it has many names, so we clearly know the dharma has no name. The Hīnayāna Āgamas and the like determine two Dharma gates: in brief words, attaining the undefiled, one discards defilement and grasps purity. In the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, the three vehicles jointly practice the ten grounds and so forth, both extinguishing the two extremes and together verifying non-arising, which is called determining non-duality. In the gradual Mahāyāna, traversing the fifty-two stages with differentiated cultivation, internally contemplating non-arising non-duality is called [essence], while externally engaging with existence is duality, which is called function; this is called both dual and non-dual. As for the perfect and subtle Mahāyāna, it is never not extinguished and never not illuminating; illuminating is precisely identical; relying on duality it clarifies non-duality, and relying on non-duality it clarifies duality. These two and non-two are all inconceivable. The preceding sūtras and treatises are all the Tathāgata's skillful means to guide beings; exhausting the source and plumbing the nature, this is the ultimate.
Third, explaining the word "entering." Entering means: entering the gate of non-duality is awakening. Entering awakening and understanding, entering the principle—therefore it is called "entering." Not awakening is called not entering. However, discussing its true awakening: fully realizing the two emptinesses, the mind has nothing to be apprehended—this is called exhausting characteristics. How could there be entering or not entering? This awakening's essence lacks provisional names; since declaring awakening lacks it, it is likewise explained through provisional characteristics. The various sūtras and the base text here explain entering differently, which can also be analyzed through four propositions. The Lotus Sūtra speaks of exiting the burning house and exiting the conjured city; this sūtra speaks of entering the gate of non-duality, and also speaks of entering the Dharma gate of all Buddhas. Speaking of exiting: deluded bondage is like a prisoner residing in a jail; if one realizes the nature of affliction is empty, the bond is spontaneously released; release is called exiting. However, although the essence originally lacks arising, one may borrow "exiting" to name it. Speaking here of entering clarifies that being deluded about principle, losing the true mind and chasing after false objects, is called exiting; if one realizes that the false is precisely the true and verifies principle, it is called entering. Although in verification there is no entering that can be entered, one borrows "entering" to name it. Thus, the Lotus Sūtra takes escaping affliction as exiting, while this sūtra takes harmonizing with principle as entering; from this we know that the two teachings are never the same, yet the two principles are never different. Again, the Lotus Sūtra says: "That person has recently exited, not long ago"; it also says: "I peacefully managed to exit from this burning gate"; it also says: "and is born into the rotten, old burning house of the three realms"—this is both entering and exiting. Awakening to principle and shedding bondage is exiting; descending in great compassion to transform is entering. Therefore the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: "When coming he is a Sugata, knowing the time he is a Sugata, hence he is called a Sugata." These are all called entering through both entering and exiting.
Entering through neither exiting nor entering: Nārāyaṇa says: "The worldly and the supramundane are two; the nature of the worldly being empty is itself the supramundane. Within it there is no entering, no exiting, no overflowing, and no scattering: this is entering the gate of the non-dual Dharma." This is called entering through neither entering nor exiting.
"Seeing the true nature of defilement": the nature of defilement is of itself non-existent; realizing that defilement is without defilement is called the true nature of defilement.
"That movement is thought": movement is the flowing movement of discrimination; thought is one-pointed non-discrimination. Without movement there is no thought; if there is movement there is thought. If movement is directly empty, what thought could there be?
"Vajra wisdom": thoroughly penetrating the non-arising of the middle way, the hundred negations are spontaneously resolved, bondage and liberation are eternally extinguished, and breaking through affliction plumbs the source; this is called vajra. It is another name for the knowledge of the forbearance of non-arising dharmas.
"Contaminated and uncontaminated": being deluded about principle and stranded in affliction is called contaminated; awakening to principle and tallying with the true is called uncontaminated. The provisional teaching takes [the stages] before the grounds as contaminated, and ascending the grounds and above as uncontaminated. In the Hīnayāna Abhidharmakośa, [the stages] before seeing [the path] are called contaminated, and those who have seen the path are called uncontaminated. These are all provisional explanations, not the ultimate explanation. The present sūtra takes the myriad entanglements as directly true, with no residual affliction in principle; affliction being identical to truth, there is no duality. Therefore it says: "If one attains the equality of all dharmas, one does not give rise to the marks of contaminated or uncontaminated." Master Daosheng also says: "The principle of myriad goods is identical, together uncontaminated." The explanation says: The myriad goods originally exist, all relying on principle to arise; since principle is without difference, good does not permit duality. Only according to the causes of right and wrong do distinct names arise from application; discussing their essence of understanding, it is merely clear illumination. Although at the beginning they cannot be used simultaneously, at the culmination they spontaneously fuse into a single liberation. Since right and wrong are taken as principle, down to engaging with the slightest strand at the beginning, all are uncontaminated. Just as light can remove darkness, there is no darkness it does not remove; only because the light is faint and the darkness prevalent, it cannot be extinguished all at once, not that the principle of light is insufficient.
Conditioned: the arising and ceasing of the three realms is conditioned; the tranquility and cessation of nirvāṇa is unconditioned.
"From the self arises duality": taking the single dharma of the self as that which awaits, all dharmas are taken as that which is awaited. In this way, touching conditions and confronting objects, self is in all cases dual. The preceding bodhisattvas all specifically correlated that which awaits and that which is awaited; here, that which awaits is specific, while that which is awaited is general. Below it says that having apprehension constitutes duality, where both that which awaits and that which is awaited are general. In this way, approaching a single dharma, myriad dharmas are all awaited, hence it directly says having apprehension.
"Delighting in nirvāṇa and so forth": this delights [in nirvāṇa] and is repulsed [by worldly existence] as two; it does not explicitly mention the worldly. Why? Because it was already clarified before and cannot be repeated.
"Not seen by the fleshly eye": Master Zhao [says]: "It can be met through spirit; it is difficult to seek through phenomena." This clarifies that it cannot be seen with the fleshly eye, but can only be awakened to and understood with the wisdom eye.