英語訳
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Why is this so? Because nature and characteristics are not separate from each other, and this is the true bodhisattva path. The forty-two worthies and sages are precisely the distinctions within empty nature, the wisdom seal of Tathāgatagarbha emerging from obstructions. After seeing the truth, both characteristics and reality transform together. Though traversing various positions, the positions have no position-characteristics; though passing through many kalpas, the kalpas are free from kalpa-characteristics. In unobstructed interfusion, moments and kalpas meld together. This is called the true bodhisattva positions. The distinctions between sudden and gradual can only be fathomed by Buddha-wisdom. Why? Because all sentient beings have been transmigrating in birth and death since beginningless time, and their faculties, desires, seed-natures, causes and conditions, faith and understanding, thickness or thinness of afflictions, and abundance or scarcity of good roots cannot be known. Therefore, in various sutras and treatises, those that explain sequential gradual stages are the positional maṇḍala of Tathāgatagarbha's manifestation in emerging from obstructions, the royal path for bodhisattvas to reach the great bodhi fruit. Those that explain sudden awakening and transcendent entry either reveal the principle of nature-characteristic interfusion, or mark the great capacities whose roots matured in past lives, who need not follow the traces of progressing from ground to ground. If we discuss actual bodhisattva practice, the two paths of direct advancement and mind-turning are as explained in sutras and treatises. Question: All ordinary beings and sages completely share one Tathāgatagarbha nature. Concealing it becomes delusion; manifesting it becomes awakening. The deluded separate themselves - the principle does not separate. The lost lose themselves - the nature is not lost. Between sage and ordinary there is only one separating emotion. Why then must one traverse so many kalpas and undergo such painful cultivation? Answer: All sentient beings since beginningless time have vast three delusions, thick false attachments, and habitual energies deeply covering this nature. Like the previous analogy of one bright pearl wrapped in three layers, also like gold in ore, like water mixed with filth, the defilements of two obstructions pervade throughout the dharma realm. Therefore, without practicing the six perfections and myriad practices within the realm of dharma-realm's two truths, and cultivating the four immeasurables and
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four means of gathering within all sentient beings, there is no way to reveal one's own vast pure nature. Therefore, the six seed-natures and forty-two positions, passing through three incalculable kalpas, are established as the fixed measure. However, after the seed-nature stage, the wisdom, elimination, practices, positions, cultivation, and time periods are all inconceivable mysterious realms beyond what ordinary fools can fathom. Ten-faith bodhisattvas should only know and hear the coarse characteristics of reflected images, arousing superior joy and desire for the path of worthies and sages. People in the declining final age have increasingly shallow capacities, falsely boasting of sudden accomplishment, scorning actual practice, using their own false emotions to calculate sage realms. This is exactly like vinegar gnats discussing the great roc, or summer insects debating layered ice. It is both laughable and painful. Nanshan deeply grieved over this problem; in his commentaries he repeatedly distinguished the three contemplations and three practices to judge the scope of their application, frequently warning against not knowing one's own stage and position while presumptuously claiming the status of superior sages. In the Pure Mind Admonishing Contemplation, he separately opened one chapter to present this principle - this should be investigated.
Generally, those who aspire to seek the Mahāyāna tend to fall into two types of error. First, their own capacity being narrow and inferior, hearing that the holy dharma is extremely precious and the kalpa-count extremely distant, they hesitate and shrink back, thinking that the enterprises of worthies and sages are beyond their reach, finally becoming negligent and forgetful without aspiring minds. Second, they misunderstand the dharma-gates of sudden teaching and perfect teaching, falsely abandoning the stages of gradual cultivation and realization, willfully constructing boundless rampant explanations, destroying and confusing the models of nature and characteristics, etc. Of these two errors, the former is insufficient but still forgivable. The latter is a great transgression with particularly enormous fault. What they say seems very lofty and superior, but their intent is extremely base and vulgar. Moreover, riding on this error, they generate many faults. That the Buddha-dharma declines and perishes because of this is painful. Tiantai said: "The superior positions of all sages cannot be fathomed by ordinary beings. How can they be falsely explained?
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Roughly knowing the general meaning is to break practitioners' pride and conceit, also to interpret scriptural passages and guide beings toward rare aspiration. One should not one-sidedly grasp and argue about right and wrong." He also said: "Though ignorance has no substantial existence, being non-existent yet existing, it is not without grades. Generally dividing roughly makes forty-two grades, yet those grades are limitless and boundless. The Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra says: 'The categories of ignorance are extremely numerous. Therefore everywhere it explains samādhis that break ignorance.'" He also said: "Positions such as these should not be narrowly grasped with ordinary feelings. They cannot be expressed by ordinary minds. The Avataṃsaka says: 'The various grounds cannot be explained, how much less demonstrated to people,'" etc. These various passages are acupuncture and moxibustion to counter pride.
The above five categories are where students most easily fall into deviation. In the Tang dynasty era, three falls arose competitively, damaging and harming the true dharma: namely the perfect-sudden fall, the "beyond" fall, and the name-and-characteristic fall. Nanshan deeply lamented the decline of true dharma and established these five categories to correct those three falls - namely the first, second, fourth and fifth correct the first two falls, while the third category disciplines the name-and-characteristic fall. These five categories are the moats and ramparts protecting the true dharma. They are admirable. Someone asks: "The analysis of the five categories each has logical proof and scriptural proof - they cannot but be trusted and used. However, analyzing these five categories as the patriarch's intention - what is that purpose?" Answer: "Excellent question! Please carefully read the biography of Vinaya Master Xuan in the Song Monks' Biographies, paying attention and pondering deeply. Then you will clearly understand that these five categories are Nanshan's true intention. Nanshan analyzed these five gates intending to restore the pure transformation of the Tathāgata's time in the world and the five masters of different periods to the semblance and final dharma age. Regrettably, after the master's passing, there was no one who inherited his orthodox tradition. After the Song dynasty,
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his path transformed, like gold changing to brass - very similar in appearance but completely not the genuine thing. This caused later people to consider Nanshan merely a diligent vinaya master propagating the discipline." 《marginal note: ji》 Therefore, one can only occasionally express sighs and laments. Second, the distinction of various gates. Within this, it divides into five: first, classification of teachings; second, lineage transmission; third, doctrinal purport; fourth, root and branches; fifth, cultivation. First, classification of teachings has two aspects: first, according to the Shijiao Commentary; second, according to the Precept Commentary. First, according to the Shijiao Commentary: in the seventh of ten gates, it judges by transformative practice, taking the Vinaya collection as encompassing practice-teaching. Second, according to the Precept Commentary: first it excerpts ancient schools, then establishes correct doctrine. Within establishing correct doctrine, it uses the three wheels to judge the traces of one lifetime's transformation. The three wheels are: manifesting spiritual powers, expounding dharma, and mindfulness. If the capacity is sharp, then manifesting powers and expounding dharma through seeing sacred traces. If the capacity is medium or inferior, then necessarily relying on mindfulness. Mindfulness penetrates both phenomena and principle. Phenomena means precepts and discipline; principle means meditation and wisdom. This precept-study is encompassed by mindful transmission 《marginal note: etc.》. Precepts are precisely the two holdings of restraint and performance, purifying body and speech, subduing the three poisons. Meditation has three types: first, worldly meditation; second, supramundane meditation; third, supra-supramundane supreme meditation. When various meditations manifest, spiritual wisdom naturally develops. Wisdom also has three types: first, nature-emptiness wisdom; second, characteristic-emptiness wisdom; third, middle way wisdom. The various vinaya collections precisely explain precepts and discipline; the Āgama sutras and Mahāyāna sutras of the universal equal period precisely explain meditation and wisdom. Because Nanshan wanted to proclaim the equal-flowing teachings of the dharma realm and specifically bestow the benefits of universal-gate responsive capacity, he took as his foundation the vinaya of monastic learning and the common track of the Buddha-gate, while for arousing faith, opening understanding, establishing practice, confirming realization, etc., he comprehensively drew from the Āgama sutras and universal equal Mahāyāna sutras as his basis, not one-sidedly grasping only the vinaya.