英語訳
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The five subtleties are the wondrous functions that arise responses from fruition. Provisional causes and provisional fruits are expedients before the stage of ground-dwelling, while real causes and real fruits are the middle way realized at the ground-dwelling stage. The real is the central platform of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus, while the provisional are the petals and leaves of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus. One should know that provisional and real, coarse and subtle, are all the wisdom-seals of the nature-ocean, and there is no wonderful Dharma that does not open and develop the three-cause Buddha nature, accomplish the path of the forty-two stages of worthies and sages, and return to the three virtues' secret treasury.
The Commentary on the Mahāvairocana Sutra states: "The meaning of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus maṇḍala here is that Vairocana's original ground constant mind is precisely the complete form of the lotus. The four Buddhas and four bodhisattvas, the ocean of ambrosia fruition, are like multitudinous jewels formed together. The diamond secret wisdom discriminating wisdom-seals of particles numerous as the dust of ten world-systems are like stamens. The great compassion myriad practices pāramitā gates numerous as the dust particles of ten world-systems are like the flower treasury. The immeasurable response bodies of the three vehicles and six paths are like roots, stems, branches, and leaves shining forth in alternation. Because such virtues are completely provided, it is called maṇḍala." It also states: "The inner mind's wondrous white lotus is the original mind of sentient beings, the secret symbol of the Wonderful Dharma Puṇḍarīka. The eight petals of the flower platform are perfectly round and equal, like the form of proper blooming. This lotus platform is the naturally wise lotus of true characteristics; the lotus petals are great compassionate expedients. Precisely taking this treasury as the essence of the great compassion womb-treasury maṇḍala. The remaining three levels are the flowing forth of good spiritual friends from this self-nature merit, entering the dharma realm." Also the ninth (etc.).
This passage corresponds perfectly with the interpretation of the lotus in the seventh section of the Profound Meaning and the purport found throughout the three sections, fitting together like matching tallies. Oh, how marvelous! Master Zhizhe lived before the esoteric teachings were transmitted, yet his explanations often accord with the principles of the secret maṇḍala.
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Perhaps this was because he personally verified this through the great Su's wondrous awakening. This sutra is indeed the maṇḍala text manifested in the samādhi of the place of immeasurable meanings. It is precisely non-text; being non-text, it is text. The single assembly at Vulture Peak remains majestically undispersed.
The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Sutra is the secret among secrets, the depth among depths, and cannot be measured through emotional speculation. Later generations who transmitted and maintained it, taking meaning according to the text, waste their thoughts among dregs and husks, wagging their tongues in the realm of frivolous discourse. The way of Zhizhe loses its brilliance because of this. How sad!
Third, regarding opening understanding: This means that the Profound Meaning clarifies the ten subtleties of trace and original - this is indeed the great model of opening understanding. The ten subtleties of the trace gate are the sectarian principle of using the three vehicles to transform the three paths and accomplish the three virtues. The three vehicles are the track of true vehicle, the track of contemplative illumination, and the track of nourishing accomplishment. The three subtleties of realm, wisdom, and practice are precisely these three vehicles. The three paths are delusion, karma, and suffering - these are the causes, conditions, and effects of birth and death in the six paths. There are two types of three vehicles: expedient vehicles and the true vehicle. The so-called expedient vehicles are the śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva vehicles. The so-called true vehicle is the Buddha vehicle. Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas have wisdom of personal emptiness; the bodhisattva vehicle has dharma emptiness and the path of emerging from emptiness into the provisional. The true vehicle is precisely the middle way of the first meaning truth.
Where the mind of delusion, karma, and suffering arises, the six paths appear before us, called the six ordinary beings. Where the mind of delusion, karma, and suffering ceases, the various vehicles manifest, called the four sages. The six ordinary and four sages are bundled together and called the ten realms. These ten realms are merely the turning of one mind. Among them, the nine realms are provisional and the Buddha realm is real. The real is like the moon in heaven; the provisional is like reflections in water. The moon and its reflection are neither one nor different. Why? Because the moon in water exists yet does not exist, does not exist yet
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exists. Because sentient beings in the nine realms recognize the provisional as real, the meaning of provisional and real cannot be fully manifested. Only the Buddha Tathāgata clearly understands provisional and real, freely mastering both horizontal and vertical dimensions.
The Profound Phrases, Part Three states: "Each realm contains the nine realms and ten suchnesses. If one illuminates the nine realms and ten suchnesses of one's own position, all are called provisional. If one illuminates the Buddha realm and ten suchnesses of one's own position, this is called real. One contains the immeasurable; the immeasurable contains one. Therefore it is called inconceivable" (up to) "Though ordinary beings possess this, they are cut off from principle and confused in emotion. Though the two vehicles possess this, they abandon and seek liberation. Though bodhisattvas possess this, their illumination is incomplete, called unclear. The Tathāgata penetratingly observes, complete in horizontal and vertical dimensions."
After explaining the ten suchnesses of the Buddha realm, it states: "This is the Tathāgata's self-practice; provisional and real are most supreme. Supreme characteristics up to supreme fruition rewards are horizontally broad and vertically deep without anything above. Therefore the chapter heading states 'the true characteristics of all dharmas.' By analogy, one should also speak of 'the true nature of all dharmas, up to true ultimate,' etc. But briefly raising one covers all."
The Tathāgata universally illuminates horizontal and vertical completely and thoroughly, like observing fruit in the palm. Only ordinary beings are like the completely blind, the two vehicles are like those with one eye, and bodhisattvas see dimly at night without clarity (etc.). When the Tathāgata's two wisdoms illuminate the ten dharma realms, then provisional and real are two yet not-two, not-two yet two. The ten realms and three thousand are like painting in space - neither three thousand nor not three thousand. This is called the middle way of the first meaning truth.
However, sentient beings in the nine realms, due to the power of ignorance, are covered and obstructed by the three paths, and the one reality is not yet manifested. When the one reality is hidden, one must rely on teaching and practice to break through the nine and return to the one. However, the path of breaking the nine and returning to the one has two gates: first, the sudden teaching gate; second, the gradual teaching gate. The so-called sudden teaching directly expounds the one vehicle to counteract the coarse and subtle three paths. The so-called gradual teaching distinguishes the three
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vehicles within the one Buddha vehicle, first using the three vehicles to counteract views and thoughts, causing departure from the three realms, then using the one vehicle to purely cure dust-like and ignorance defilements. The trace gate opening and revelation of this sutra demonstrates the gradual teaching gate. At the ultimate position of the wisdom and cutting off of the three vehicles' expedients, the one vehicle Wonderful Dharma Lotus appears, opening the provisional and revealing the real. Then the three provisional become real - all are the Wonderful Dharma Lotus. The original gate opening and revelation is the sudden teaching gate, simply demonstrating the one vehicle (etc.).
The profound text sometimes judges this as "the end of the gradual," sometimes says "meeting the gradual to enter the sudden, gradual and sudden merge and unite," sometimes says "perfect sudden," etc. - the reason for having no fixed location is this. One should know that because this sutra encompasses both gradual and sudden gates, one should also realize entry into the Wonderful Dharma Lotus through both gradual and sudden gates. Whether sudden or gradual, when the two causes of conditional and understanding open and develop, then the direct cause Buddha nature naturally manifests. The provisional of the nine realms transforms to become the real of the Buddha realm.
That is, the five aggregates of the four destinies transform to become the five aggregates of humans and gods; the five aggregates of humans and gods transform to become the five aggregates of the two vehicles; the five aggregates of the two vehicles transform to become the five aggregates of bodhisattvas; the five aggregates of bodhisattvas transform to become the Buddha's eternally abiding five aggregates. The coarse transforms to become subtle, but the essential nature does not change. It is only one mind. This is like ice melting to become water. If discussing in terms of nature, one should say "ice is water." If discussing in terms of characteristics and function, one should say "ice transforms to become water." The transformation of birth-and-death aggregates into dharma-nature aggregates by conditional and understanding causes is also like this. The original gate opening and revelation transforms birth-body wisdom to meet dharma-body wisdom. This can be understood by analogy with the above.
The opening and meeting of the three causes has considerable differences, as explained in the suspended discussion of returning to truth in the Profound Meaning.
Fourth, establishing practice: In the Mahā Śamatha-Vipaśyanā, the twenty-five dharmas serve as expedients, and the ten vehicle contemplation methods serve as correct cultivation. Vehicle means the three tracks. The track of true nature is the one real, true suchness, tathāgatagarbha nature.