大乘起信論略述 1.27

1.27

[Treatise:] "That is to say, when the Tathāgata... treatises were not needed." / [Exposition:] The second section below extensively demolishes doubts. It has two parts: first, revealing that when faculties and conditions are both superior, treatises need not be composed; later, revealing that because of differences in faculties and conditions, treatises are necessarily required. This is the first. / The first two lines adduce that superior era to clarify the superiority of faculties. / "The person capable of teaching..." and below adduces the Buddha's three karmas to reveal that the conditions were powerful. / The physical karma is superior because it possesses the major marks and minor characteristics. The mental karma is superior because it knows the capacity of the faculties. The vocal karma is superior because it is expounded with a round voice. Since faculties and conditions were both superior, at that time there were not even [...] sūtras, so why would treatises be needed further? / "With a single expounding of the round voice, different kinds understood": this means that the Buddha's voice is unobstructed, one being all and all being one. Because all sounds are a single sound, he can explain all dharmas with a single sound, leaving nothing unrevealed. Furthermore, because a single sound is all sounds, he can produce all sounds with a single sound, leaving nothing unexhausted. Yet each sound completely fills the dharmadhātu, and its tonal melody is never confused. If this voice were varied but not all-pervading, it would be a sound but not round. If by being equally all-pervading it lost its varied melody, it would be round but not a sound. But now, without destroying the variety it is equally all-pervading, and without altering its pervasiveness it has skillful melody. By this meaning, it truly becomes the round voice. Therefore, the Buddha's voice is called "perfection of speech," causing sentient beings of different kinds to understand equally.