英語訳
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They are included within the immeasurable myriad different dharma-gates without exception. The four conventional truths and one ultimate truth are explained in the root treatise, and the four-fold ultimate truth is clarified in the *Consciousness-Only Treatise*. As detailed in the *Two Truths Meaning Forest*.
Two-fold Middle Way
Question: In the intention of our school, through what doctrinal gate is it called the "Middle Way"? Answer: In the *Meaning Forest Chapter*, clarifying the principle of the Middle Way has two-fold meaning. First is the expressible Middle Way. That is, the essence of dependently arisen dharmas is not completely non-existent. Regarding this dependent arising, all imaginatively constructed natures that are falsely conceived have completely non-existent essential nature. Within this dependent arising, there is only the empty nature suchness that is far removed from all imaginatively constructed natures. Regarding that empty nature, one can also have these causally conditioned dharmas, therefore all dharmas are neither empty nor non-empty. In this way, the three natures correlatively express and reveal the meaning of the Middle Way. Second is the beyond-expression Middle Way. That is, although the essence of all dharmas is thus sometimes existent and sometimes non-existent, within true ultimate truth, because mind and speech are cut off, it is called the "Middle Way." These present two levels discuss that dharma-essence and have no further differences. They are simply the dharma-gate of the three natures being neither identical nor separate. However, when expressing their meaning in contrast to other gates: self and dharmas are not existent; emptiness and consciousness are not non-existent; transcending existence and transcending non-existence, therefore called the "Middle Way." This is the expressible gate. If dwelling in inner realization and stopping conceptual thought, this is precisely the one reality beyond-expression Middle Way. Question: Now, the Middle Way is the meaning of one dharma-essence transcending the two extremes. What is now being established is that the emptiness of imaginatively constructed nature and the existence of other-dependent and consummate natures mutually oppose each other and are called the "Middle Way." If so, these are already separate dharma-gates. How could it be one dharma that is neither empty nor existent? Particularly, because imaginatively constructed nature has completely non-existent essence, it is not dharma-essence. That dharma-essence is simply the substantial other-dependent and consummate two natures. Therefore what is ultimately reached is that all dharma-essences remain on one side of existence. How could this be
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the ultimate principle of the Middle Way? Answer: These doubts are all inadmissible. Who says the three natures are separate dharma-essences? This is the meaning of neither empty nor existent Middle Way within one dharma. Although it is the meaning of Middle Way within one dharma, because the three levels of shallow and deep—false attachment, dependent arising, and true meaning—are distinctly non-confusing, they are opened into the dharma-gate of three self-natures. Therefore the *Consciousness-Only Treatise* says: "Are these three different or not different? One should say both are incorrect. Because there is no separate essence, because there are distinctions of false attachment, dependent arising, and true meaning." <<Marginal note: Text>> What wise person, upon seeing the text "because there is no separate essence," would carelessly make it a dharma-gate of separate essences and definite separation? Therefore, the three natures are precisely one nature, one nature is precisely three natures, neither three nor one, yet also three and also one. This is the principle of those three natures. The above provisionally takes imaginatively constructed nature as empty and other-dependent and consummate as existent, discussing the general outline. If discussing in detail, speaking of emptiness, that emptiness is also precisely existence. Because real self and real dharmas appear to consciousness, negating this aspect also becomes diminishment. However, according to principle, their essence is completely non-existent. Not understanding this gate also becomes augmentation. One should know that imaginatively constructed nature is also neither empty nor existent. Regarding other-dependent and consummate natures, speaking of existence, that existence can also be called emptiness. Because the essential nature of imaginatively constructed, conventional, and ultimate truths is empty. If, because other-dependent and consummate are called existent, one then considers other-dependent and consummate to be one-sidedly existent, this is false attachment and therefore augmentation. However, the beyond-expression dharma-essence that is the object of noble wisdom has essence that is not non-existent. Negating this is also diminishment. Therefore the two natures of other-dependent and consummate are also neither empty nor existent. This is still the general outline. If discussing their reality in further detail, within the principled non-existence of imaginatively constructed nature, there is also the meaning of neither empty nor existent. That is, because the characteristics of augmentation and diminishment are all eliminated, it can obstruct one-sided existence and also obstruct one-sided emptiness. How could this be one-sided negating emptiness? Thus
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precisely within that emotional existence there is also the meaning of neither empty nor existent. For example, when one person with partial false emotion grasps one-sided existence, although that characteristic temporarily appears like one-sided existence, when viewed comprehensively from the gate of awakened realization, the characteristic appearing to consciousness is not necessarily thus. Because some types also grasp it as one-sided emptiness, one clearly knows that the self-nature of this one-sided existence characteristic is originally not determinate. Also, for example, when one person with partial false emotion grasps one-sided emptiness, when viewed comprehensively from the gate of awakened realization, the characteristic appearing to consciousness is not necessarily thus. Because some types also grasp it as one-sided existence, one clearly knows that the self-nature of this one-sided emptiness characteristic is also originally not determinate. This is precisely because false emotional thinking has no fixed characteristics. To repeat the meaning: because the attachment views of false emotions follow time in augmentation and diminishment, the two characteristics that are grasped are each not determinate characteristics. <<Marginal note: So to speak>>. When discussing thus, the characteristics appearing to consciousness are definitely not one-sided existence and definitely not one-sided emptiness. Is this also not the meaning of Middle Way? If within the gate of non-existence of other-dependent and consummate, there is also the meaning of neither empty nor existent. Because of the meaning of being far removed from all false attachments, augmentation and diminishment are both transcended. This is precisely being middle. Thus within the gate of non-emptiness of other-dependent and consummate, there is also the meaning of neither empty nor existent. This is precisely beyond expression. Who determines existence and non-existence? If one-sidedly non-empty, how is it not attachment to dharmas? If it is attachment to dharmas, how could it be called other-dependent and consummate? The principle is extremely clear. What matter is like this? Thus layer upon layer, there is still more that is inexhaustible. Why? For example, within the gate of eliminating augmentation in the principled non-existence of imaginatively constructed nature, although obstructing existence and therefore called "non-existent," since it obstructs one-sided existence but does not obstruct middle existence, how could it be one-sided emptiness? Therefore it is also the meaning of neither empty nor existent. All other layer upon layer individual doctrinal gates can be modeled on this. Thus and thus, finally reaching beyond expression. However, the layer upon layer meanings of non-existence, although layer upon layer, when gathered all return to the
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gate of imaginatively constructed emptiness. Also, the layer upon layer gates of non-emptiness, although layer upon layer, when gathered all enter the gate of other-dependent and consummate existence. Why is this? Simply because the three natures are neither identical nor separate, the emptiness of imaginatively constructed nature and the existence of other-dependent and consummate natures return and enter into one realm. There are such inexhaustible meanings. If so, taking the emptiness of imaginatively constructed nature as one-sided emptiness, and the existence of other-dependent and consummate as one-sided existence, with the two gates of one-sided existence and one-sided emptiness mutually opposing and combining to form the Middle Way—gaining this understanding as doubt, is this not an insufficient doubt? What is the meaning of eliminating all attachments to eliminate the false? Is this not obstructing the various perverse attachments of one-sided existence and one-sided emptiness upon other-dependent and consummate? Having thus obstructed and revealed other-dependent and consummate, how could this be one-sidedly existent dharma? What is not one-sidedly existent is definitely middle-way existence. If it is middle-way existence, how could it remain in existence? The above is still thus regarding expressible Middle Way. How much more so regarding the subtle, wondrous, ultimate one reality essence that abandons expression and discusses the essential point of ultimate among ultimates? Question: What is now being discussed treats other-dependent and consummate as one in the doctrinal gate opposing the emptiness of imaginatively constructed nature. When discussing other-dependent and consummate reality separately, can each also have the meaning of Middle Way? Answer: There is also precisely this. That is, because other-dependent essence is provisional, it is not real existence, yet also not complete non-existence. Because the wondrous principle of consummate essence is without characteristics, it has no existent characteristics and also no non-existent characteristics. Therefore each and every one is Middle Way. The layer upon layer meanings of those individual gates, up to the comprehensive gathering meaning of the various gates of phenomena and principle being neither identical nor separate, are all as above. Question: The two-line verse spoken by Maitreya <<Marginal note: The verse "Imaginary discrimination exists; within this the two are completely non-existent," etc.>> clarifies the Middle Way of which gate? If it is the expressible gate, why would Maitreya explain the shallow and immediate gate? If it is the beyond-expression gate, since the text already explains the meaning of emptiness and existence through the mutual opposition of the three natures, how is it not the expressible Middle Way gate? Answer: