英語訳
## Right Page (Zoku Hossō-shū Shoshin Ryakuyō, Lower Volume — Section 16)
### [Upper Section]
(What exists as dharma-substance is solely) the two natures of the dependent (*paratantra*, 依) and the perfectly accomplished (*pariniṣpanna*, 圓). If the dependent and perfectly accomplished have dharma-substance and remain in existence, how could that constitute the Middle Way? I fear this invites the mockery of other schools. Taking the argument of Dàoquán of the Sanlun (三論) School: he challenges the Middle Way of our school, saying "The Middle Way of the Hossō (Dharma-Characteristics) School remains in existence, because the dependent and perfectly accomplished are existent" (and so on). This objection is quite reasonable — how could it be countered? Next, regarding the Middle Way beyond words (*rigen chūdō*, 離言中道): within the two natures of the dependent and the perfectly accomplished, independently of the emptiness of the imagined (*parikalpita*, 所執), there is inherently the meaning of being neither empty nor existent. The dependent (*paratantra*) [Note: the annotation suggests that "有" (*u*, existent) may have been accidentally omitted after "他"] has the meaning of illusory-conventional emptiness (*kokeso no kū*, 虛假空), and the perfectly accomplished (*pariniṣpanna*) has the meanings of empty-nature and emptiness (*kūshō kū*, 空性空); therefore the dependent and the perfectly accomplished each do not remain at either extreme. To call this the Middle Way beyond words — this is the transmission of the prior eminent teachers. Is there any separate meaning beyond the Middle Way of the three-natures relation that the present (argument) seeks to establish? One should reflect upon its merits and demerits in relation to that transmission. In what way does it escape the objections of other schools, and in what way does it not?
**Answer.** That a single dharma departing from both extremes is called the Middle Way — this goes without saying. What need is there to speak of it? The present three-natures relation means that a single dharma is neither empty nor existent. Let us observe this with respect to a single particle of material form (*shikijin*, 色塵). It is like an illusion — insubstantial and coarse, difficult to fix as either empty or existent. Why? Because a dharma produced from conditions is not really existent (*jitsuu*, 実有), and yet is not entirely nonexistent (*atsumu*, 都無). Its being "not really existent" is because it departs from the deluded grasping of a real self and real dharmas (*jitsugo-jitsuho no mōsha*, 実我実法妄執). This constitutes the meaning of the emptiness of the imagined (*shosha kū*, 所執空). Its being "not entirely nonexistent" is because the dharma-substance of the conventional self (*kego*, 仮我) and conventional dharmas (*kehō*, 仮法) remains. [Note: annotation suggests "執" may be a miswrite for "我"] This constitutes the meaning of the existence of the dependent (*eta u*, 依他有). As for the perfectly accomplished (*pariniṣpanna*, 圓成): the ultimate principle (*kyokuri*, 極理) that "what is produced from conditions is neither existent nor empty" departs far from the deluded grasping of real self and real dharmas, and thus constitutes the meaning of the emptiness of the imagined; and because the principle is truly real, it constitutes the meaning of the existence of the perfectly accomplished. This "emptiness of the imagined" is also an emptiness of blocking and stopping — it is in no way the emptiness of one-sided, partial emptiness. That is to say: blocking and stopping the entirety of all deluded grasping — existence and nonexistence, identity and difference, both and neither, and so on — is collectively called emptiness. Such deluded grasping has no further distinct meaning beyond this: it is simply sometimes grasping the dependent and perfectly accomplished as existent, sometimes as nonexistent, sometimes as both existent and nonexistent, sometimes as
### [Lower Section]
"neither existent nor nonexistent," and sometimes grasping (them) as identical, sometimes as different, and so on. There are endless variations, limitless and boundless. Once all these boundless deluded graspings have been comprehensively blocked, what is then revealed as the dependent and perfectly accomplished — how could that be biased existence? Now these three natures are also not-one and not-different (*fūsoku furī*, 不一不異). Within a single particle of material form, there are such ineffable, inexhaustible wondrous principles. If one discusses them in their entirety, there are three layers (*sanjū*, 三重) of principles and meanings within a single particle of material form. If one discusses them in minute detail, within each of those three layers, at each and every point (the dharma) departs from both extremes, and there is not a single moment that is not (in accord with) the Middle Way (*chūdō*, 中道). If one discusses the ultimate (*shi-kyoku*, 至極), everything reaches the point where language is cut off. All dharmas without exception are like this. What person of intelligence could challenge this as a "gate of simple existence and simple emptiness," as the "doctrinal position that the dharma-substance is biased toward existence"? It is simply because (such a person is) confused about the great import of the teachings — "self and dharmas are not existent," "emptiness and consciousness are not nonexistent" — that they rashly doubt the true tradition of Maitreya (*Jishi*, 慈氏) transmitted from the Flower Treasury (*Kegon*, 華厳 / Huazang). As for the objection raised by Dàoquán: what does he mean by "remaining in existence"? Does he mean remaining in the "existence of the Middle Way," or remaining in the "existence of biased existence"? If he says "remaining in the existence of the Middle Way" — I do not mistakenly regard remaining in the Middle Way as an error. It is rather you who should fear remaining in the "emptiness of biased emptiness" — what is gained and what is lost? How much more so when it comes to the Middle Way beyond words, whose substance is wondrous and beyond language! If he says "remaining in the existence of biased existence" — after blocking all deluded graspings of existence, nonexistence, identity, difference, and so on, is the dependent and perfectly accomplished that one maintains truly "remaining in the existence of biased existence"? To speak of "existence that is not (real) existence" is precisely this. If one says "the three natures are entirely each distinct and therefore this is not the Middle Way" — then one has not seen the teaching of not-being-identical-and-not-being-separate (*fūsoku furī*, 不即不離). The fundamental sūtras, fundamental treatises, the ten supporting treatises, and the commentaries of the founders of our school are more than sufficient for me to begin citing — I need not exert myself in the first place. Not only do they clarify the meaning of not-identical-and-not-separate, but regarding the thesis of "being entirely identical" (*ikkō sōsoku*, 一向相即), the Tathāgata himself set out various refutations (*nanha*, 難破). His admonitions in this regard are particularly severe. (The reader should) open (the texts) and see. If one says "I also establish the meaning of not-identical-and-not-separate and do not (hold the position of) being entirely identical" —
## Left Page (Zoku Hossō-shū Shoshin Ryakuyō, Lower Volume — Section 17)
### [Upper Section]
then one already agrees with our school — why then quarrel and dispute? If one says "the not-identical-not-separate of the Hossō (School) means that although it says 'not-identical-not-separate,' in reality it still takes each-distinctness as fundamental" — then where exactly was this determined? [Note: annotation suggests the first "所" is a dittographic error; the second "耶" is also a dittographic error]. The divergent interpretations of scholars are not a definitive measure (*jōryō*, 定量). One should produce evidence for this from the fundamental sūtras and fundamental treatises. Furthermore, you [Note: annotation suggests "段" may be a miswrite for "設"] — even though you say "not-identical-not-separate" — there is little doubt that being-identical (*sōsoku*, 相即) is your fundamental position, is there? Because within the teachings you study, such a discussion constantly appears. If that is so, on what basis do you take your position as correct and, directing yourself exclusively against our school, vigorously advocate the Middle Way and engage in debate?
The individual characteristics and natures of the eight consciousnesses — the mind-kings (*shinnō*, 識王) and the mental factors (*shinjō*, 心所), and so on — are all gates of worldly conventional designation (*sezoku seshaku*, 世俗施設). They are not teachings belonging to the gate of the true (ultimate) body/realm (*shinjitsu shin no mon*, 真実身門). Those worldly, individually distinct teachings are all empty distinctions like illusions and conventional designations, which have no establishment in wondrous existence (*myōu*, 妙有). When one pushes (analysis of) them into the gate of the true (*shin no mon*, 真門), they are all not-identical-not-separate. Commentaries in the *Cheng weishi lun* (*Yuishikiron*, 唯識論) and elsewhere in many places also make this point clearly. However, the Middle Way beyond words (*rigen chūdō*, 離言中道) means comprehensively setting aside all gates of verbal expression (*senmon*, 詮門) — "self and dharmas are not existent," "emptiness and consciousness are not nonexistent," and so forth — stopping all language, and cutting off all conceptual discrimination (*funbetsu*, 分別). "The path of words is severed; the course of mental activity is extinguished" (*gongendōdan-shingyōshometsu*, 語言道断心行所滅) — this is it. This is the fourth ultimate truth (*daishi shōgi*, 第四勝義), the realm of right wisdom in the one-mind dharma-realm (*isshin hōkai*, 一心法界). It is entirely a matter of one's own inner realization (*janaishō*, 自内証) and is not a gate opened and set forth for others. In the present (discussion), (we turn from) one's own inner realization (and instead) open and expound (the teaching) for others: this is the dharma-gate of three-natures relation, neither-empty-nor-existent, not-identical-not-separate. Therefore, in the gate of opening and expounding, the Middle Way of the three-natures relation serves as the ultimate. The two-verse gāthā of Honored Maitreya (*Jison*, 慈尊): when (Maitreya) opened and showed his own inner realization to those with the capacity of Asaṅga (*Mujaku*, 無著) and others, he expounded the meaning of the three-natures relation. There is particularly deep significance in this. When one internally realizes and understands this three-natures relation, it is precisely the Middle Way of the cutting-off of mind and language in the true ultimate (*shin shōgi*, 真勝義). Therefore the two-layered Middle Way is in reality one single principle. It is simply the difference of relying upon verbal expression (*sen*, 詮) versus setting aside verbal expression. The relying upon verbal expression —
### [Lower Section]
means that in expressing (*sen zuru*, 詮ずる) the gate of the meaning of "not empty," it pertains to the dependent and perfectly accomplished (*ien*, 依圓); in expounding the gate of the meaning of "not existent," it pertains to the imagined (*shosha*, 所執). Therefore one verbally expresses "self and dharmas are not existent," and so on. "Setting aside verbal expression" (*haisen*, 廃詮) means setting aside this sort of wisdom of language-and-deliberation (*genryo no chi*, 言慮之智), with nothing whatsoever attained — this is its meaning.
Now, the transmission from one prior eminent teacher — that the dependent and perfectly accomplished inherently have the meaning of "neither empty nor existent" — I certainly do not block this from the outset. The dependent and perfectly accomplished inherently have the meaning of emptiness; if it were not so and they were entirely existent, how could the dependent and perfectly accomplished be said to incline toward existence? This is something that requires no debate. Since it is already a Middle Way existence, even in existing it is also empty. Therefore the dependent (*paratantra*) is neither empty nor existent, and the perfectly accomplished (*pariniṣpanna*) is neither empty nor existent. However, when one speaks of "the meaning of emptiness of the dependent (*paratantra*)" — empty of *what*? If one says "taking real nonexistence (*jitsuму*, 実無) as the meaning of emptiness" [Note: annotation suggests "有" may be a miswrite for "者"], then what does that emptiness point to? What is the "nonexistence" — what is it that is nonexistent? Isn't it the absence of firm grasping at a real self and real dharmas (*jitsugo-jitsuho no kensha*, 実我実法堅執)? An illusory and conventional dharma is inherently not solid and real; a dependently-arisen dharma inherently does not arise spontaneously. This is the meaning of real nonexistence (*jitsumu*, 実無). And is this not precisely the emptiness of the imagined (*shosha kū*, 所執空)? The meaning of "non-existence" of the perfectly accomplished (*pariniṣpanna*) is also precisely the meaning of being far removed from the imagined (*shosha*, 所執). Beyond this, what separate meaning could there be? To speak of "emptiness-nature" (*kūshō*, 空性) — is this not the meaning of grasping at emptiness-nature (*shū kūshō*, 執空性)? One should know: the dharma-substance (*hōtai*, 法体) is wondrous and subtle, inherently neither empty nor existent. In verbal expression, it returns to the three natures (*sansen*, 三性); beyond verbal expression, it returns to the one reality (*ichijitsu*, 一実). If one says "directly empty out the portion of the dependent (*paratantra*) that is conventionally existent, and empty out the portion of the perfectly accomplished (*pariniṣpanna*) that is truly existent" — there is absolutely no basis for this. The two natures of the dependent and perfectly accomplished are already the realm of holy wisdom (*shōchi no kyōkai*, 聖智境界). Their substance is not an object of delusion (*mōkyō*, 妄境). On what basis could one eliminate (*yaru*, 遣) them? If there is no basis for eliminating them, then to negate everything (*bassetsumu*, 撥無) entirely is to be in danger of falling into deluded views (*mōken*, 妄見). One should clearly understand: the meaning of emptiness upon the dependent and perfectly accomplished is the meaning that the dependent and perfectly accomplished are inherently free from deluded grasping. Therefore, to discuss the emptiness of the dependent and perfectly accomplished entirely without reference to the emptiness of the imagined (*shosha kū*, 所執空), and separately and independently from the emptiness of the imagined — this would, I fear, go against the sense of the text (*bunri*, 文理). One should deeply seek to study the transmission of the prior eminent teachers (…)