英語訳
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This is that text.
Question: Using this text, how does it establish its own position?
Answer: Saying "there is no essence of Two Vehicle nirvana" discriminates that there are no separate second principles. It is clearly known that it breaks the two, not the three.
Question: The treatise states: "Yet the sutra already says: 'I established this expedient means to enable entry into Buddha wisdom.'" What does this mean?
Answer: This is the second piece of evidence.
Question: How does it serve as evidence?
Answer: Expedient means refers to the provisional nirvana of the Two Vehicles. Buddha wisdom refers to the real wisdom of the One Vehicle. If it were said that the three are broken, then among the three, Mahayana would also be what is broken. Why would it say "enable entry into Buddha wisdom"? The Xuanzan commentary explains: "Initially establishing the two provisional [vehicles] is to ultimately enable entry into Buddha wisdom and dwelling in the One Vehicle." Therefore it can serve as evidence and establish its own position. The Water Commentary states: "The intention is to prove that the three are not discriminated against. This is because it is the third Buddha Vehicle."
Question: The treatise states: "Also, within the burning house, three carts were promised, but after exiting the gate, only the ox cart was given." What does this mean?
Answer: This is the third piece of evidence.
Question: How does it serve as evidence?
Answer: The three carts refer to the種智 (seed wisdom) of the three vehicles. The gate refers to the teachings of the three vehicles. The children of the three vehicles heard the teaching that outside the burning house of the three realms, there are carts of the seed wisdom of the three vehicles with which to play. Using the teaching as a gate, after exiting the burning house, only the ox cart of Mahayana wisdom is given, not the two carts of sheep and deer. It is clearly known that one is taught to discriminate the second principles. If one were taught to break the three, then the ox cart would also be what is broken. Why would it say the ox cart is given? To give it without essence - would this not be deception? Therefore it can serve as evidence to establish its own position.
Question: The treatise states: "Also hiring him to remove dung, after twenty years, provisionally naming him as son." What does this mean?
Answer: This is the fourth piece of evidence.
Question: How does it serve as evidence?
Answer: This is text from the parable of the poor son in the Chapter on Faith and Understanding.
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The sutra text is widely scattered, so the meaning is extracted and quoted. "Him" refers to the poor son. "Hiring" is a word of persuasion and inducement. "Removing dung" means causing the elimination of afflictions. "Twenty years" is a metaphor for the Two Vehicle stages. Each fully possesses the ten dharma practices and ten courses of action without outflows. "Provisionally naming as son" refers to Two Vehicle people initially entering sagehood and attaining the first fruit, etc., called "provisionally naming as son." Now here the text "after twenty years" serves as evidence. The meaning is: provisionally naming as son for twenty years reveals the provisional meaning of the Two Vehicles. It is clearly known that one is taught to discriminate separate second principles, not that one is taught to discriminate the three. If the three were broken, thirty years should be mentioned.
Question: The treatise states: "Therefore the Two Vehicle practitioners are the later true sons, the cause for entrusting family affairs." What does this mean?
Answer: This explains the previously quoted sutra text "after twenty years, provisionally naming as son" and establishes its own position. "Later true sons" refers to when they turn their minds toward the Great [Vehicle] and become bodhisattvas. "Family affairs" refers to the present One Vehicle, which is the one great matter of the Buddha's family. Therefore it is called "family affairs." "Cause" refers to Two Vehicle practices. The Water Commentary states: "Saying 'cause for entrusting family affairs' means cause is precisely the Two Vehicles. The Two Vehicles are what takes, and family affairs are what is taken. What is taken is one, what takes is two. If the three were broken, then the family affairs that are taken should also be nonexistent."
Question: The treatise states: "Also using the one of fruition to discriminate the three of causation. There are immediately two discriminations: first, using principle to discriminate teaching; second, using fruition to discriminate causation." What does this mean?
Answer: In explaining "called one due to discrimination," there are further two meanings: first, using the real one to discriminate the provisional two meanings; second, using the one of fruition to discriminate the three of causation meanings. Above, the meaning of using the real one to discriminate the provisional two was first clarified. This text now clarifies the meaning of using the one of fruition to discriminate the three of causation.
Question: The treatise's
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author originally refuted those ancient masters who said "teaching one to break three." Yet why does it now say "using the one of fruition to discriminate the three of causation"? Is this not self-contradiction?
Answer: This latter meaning now provisionally accords with the ancients. However, examining its meaning, it differs greatly from the ancients.
Question: How do we know it accords with the ancients?
Answer: The Water Commentary states: "Saying 'also the one of fruition, etc.' means the commentary author says: 'I only break the two, not the three. If the ancients necessarily want to achieve breaking the three, I also have this question and also have this principle. [This is] provisionally accommodating the ancients.'"
Question: Then what is the meaning of the text about using the one of fruition to discriminate the three of causation?
Answer: Regarding the four dharmas of teaching, principle, practice, and fruition, causation and fruition are distinguished. Teaching and practice are causation; principle and fruition are fruition. Therefore there are two pairs: First, using principle to discriminate teaching. In the forty years before, teachings had three vehicles. At the Lotus assembly, principle has only one. Therefore using the present one principle to discriminate the past three teachings. Second, using fruition to discriminate practice. In the forty years before, practice had three vehicles. At the Lotus assembly, fruition has only one. Therefore using the present one fruition to discriminate the past three practices. The Water Commentary states: "Three causes, one fruition - different paths with same destination. Three teachings, one principle - a hundred [streams] converging to one destination." The Compendium Commentary states: "Teaching becomes the cause of principle; practice becomes the cause of fruition. Therefore principle and fruition are both fruition; teaching and practice are both causation. Discriminating those teachings and practices, principle and fruition are called one."
Question: How does this meaning differ from the ancient masters?
Answer: Ancient masters like Huayan established a separate One Vehicle outside the three vehicles, saying "teaching one to break three." The present meaning is not so. Therefore it says "differs from the ancients." (The ancient masters' position will be fully known below.)
Question: For those of fixed Two Vehicle nature, is there this meaning of using the one of fruition to discriminate the three of causation?
Answer: Yes. Therefore the Water Commentary states: "If looking toward fixed nature, [they are] limited to their own vehicle's
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teaching, principle, practice, and fruition, with no mutual three and one. Spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums each have their fragrance. However, looking toward the Great [Vehicle], that vehicle is also not ultimate. Therefore these two discriminations exist. The commentary specifically explains according to unfixed nature."
The commentary's meaning is: regarding their own vehicle's scope, this meaning does not exist. This is the commentary's intention. However, regarding discriminating and breaking that fruition, this meaning of two discriminations can partially exist. I now think the commentary author's deep intention also penetrates to fixed nature. This can be known below.
Question: The treatise states: "What you practice is the bodhisattva path." What does this mean?
Answer: This is text quoted to prove the above-mentioned meaning of using fruition to discriminate causation.
Question: By quoting this text, how does it prove that meaning?
Answer: "What you practice" refers to Two Vehicle practices, naming them as causation. "This is the bodhisattva path" refers to One Vehicle fruition, naming it as fruition. Since it already says "this is the bodhisattva path," it is therefore known. Because there are no Two Vehicle practices, this text is quoted to establish the meaning of using fruition to discriminate causation.
Question: How is it called one due to breaking distinctions?
Answer: The treatise states: "Called one due to breaking distinctions means: The Two Vehicles do not know that the two are expedient means, and they cling to Two Vehicle fruition, taking it as the true ultimate. Now it is taught that the two nirvanas are merely transformation cities, and the two bodhis are merely what the provisional teachings of sheep and deer carts established. They are not the true supreme ultimate of the bodhi and nirvana attained and realized by those two fruitions. Breaking their emotional attachment that there are ultimate two fruitions, therefore teaching it as one." The meaning is: The Two Vehicles take what was established by expedient means as the Two Vehicle fruitions as ultimate fruition. Therefore it is now taught: the nirvana you realized is like a transformation city without real essence; the bodhi you attained is like sheep and deer carts without real essence. They are merely established by expedient means for entering the Mahayana. To break their attachment to ultimate Two Vehicle fruition, the One Vehicle is taught. This is called "called one due to breaking distinctions."