英語訳
【Right Page】
place. The World-Honored One, in the past second period, only for those who set forth to cultivate the Mahāyāna, relying on "all dharmas are without self-nature, unborn and unceasing, originally tranquil, nirvāṇa by nature," turned the wheel of true dharma with concealed characteristics. Though it was even more wondrous and extremely rare, the dharma-wheel turned at that time was also qualified, had room for acceptance, and was still of incomplete meaning. This is the resting place for various disputes.
The World-Honored One, in the present third period, universally for those who set forth toward all vehicles, relying on the natureless nature of "all dharmas are without self-nature, unborn and unceasing, originally tranquil, nirvāṇa by nature," turned the wheel of true dharma with manifest characteristics. This is supremely wondrous and most rare. Now the dharma-wheel turned by the World-Honored One is supreme, without room for acceptance, and is truly of complete meaning. It is not a resting place for various disputes.
Now, relying on this sūtra and the Yogācāra treatises, we establish the teaching as threefold. Since this is the text of one sūtra in one place, and not the meaning of different places, we use this to establish the periods.
These are the three periods of the Tathāgata's teachings. If we base this on teaching periods: initially at Deer Park he expounded the Āgamas with the teaching of the Four Noble Truths. Relying on this teaching period, one hundred-plus years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, the twenty Hīnayāna schools emerged to transmit the dharma separately, and there were teachings. The Abhidharmamahāvibhāṣā, Abhidharmakośa, Abhidharma-nyāyānusāra and other treatises are these. At that time, sentient beings were only attached to the teaching of existence, did not understand dharma-emptiness, were attached to Hīnayāna, and did not seek the great stage.
Next, the Buddha at Vulture Peak expounded the Mahāprajñāpāramitā teaching of emptiness, emptying the two grasping. He broke the previous attachment to existence and extensively explained dharma-emptiness. Relying on this period's teaching, five hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, Nāgārjuna, Āryadeva and other great masters appeared in the world, composed treatises, and transmitted the emptiness teaching. The Madhyamaka-śāstra, Śata-śāstra, Dvādaśamukha-śāstra and others are these. At that time, sentient beings were only attached to emptiness teaching, did not awaken to the middle way, had fallen into partial emptiness, and did not accord with correct principle.
【Lower Section】
Later, the Buddha at the Seven-Jewel Palace expounded "the three realms are consciousness-only," causing beings to leave both existence and emptiness and accord with middle-way principle. He eliminated the two grasping external to mind, breaking the initial attachment to existence, and established the one mind within consciousness to eliminate the later view of emptiness. Thereupon Maitreya, Asaṅga, Vasubandhu and other great masters appeared in the world, composed treatises, and deeply expounded middle-way teaching. These are the Yogācārabhūmi, Mahāyāna-saṃgraha, Abhidharma-samuccaya, Vijñānavāda treatises and others.
Question: That Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra represents the original teacher Śākyamuni's complete rational explanation, and this Yogācāra treatise represents the future guide Maitreya's ultimate teaching. What intention establishes the teaching in three periods?
Answer: Since these are the ultimate teachings of past masters and future worthies, as well as the supreme words of present and future, we dare not make judgmental comparisons but only have sincere faith and respect. We rely solely on the transmission of Master Ji of the Mahāyāna to述べる its essentials.
That is, various ordinary beings create evil karma, from beginningless time deludedly grasping at self-existence, not understanding the absence of self, deeply submerged in the river of craving, revolving in the sea of ignorance. Therefore the Buddha initially expounded the dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truths, causing them to know self-emptiness while maintaining the existence of dharmas. Kauṇḍinya and others first attained the Way. Having heard of dharma-existence and realized the emptiness of all selves, they immediately grasped all dharmas as truly existent, became attached to the small fruit, and did not seek the great stage.
The Buddha, as skillful means, later expounded dharma-emptiness to break and eliminate attachment to existence. Therefore in the next period he expounded the Mahāprajñāpāramitā, saying "the original nature of all dharmas is empty." Subhūti and others turned their minds toward the great. Having heard the concealed verbal teaching of dharma-emptiness, they immediately rejected all dharma-characteristics and natures as completely nonexistent, asking what should be cultivated and what should be abandoned. To eliminate this, the Buddha again expounded consciousness-only, three-natures teachings and others. Bodhisattva Paramārthasamudgata believed, understood, and practiced, [realizing] that imagined construction is without [substance], self and dharmas are both eliminated, dependent-other and perfected are clearly seen, and conventional and ultimate both exist.
【Left Page】
Question: Regarding the words "imagined construction is without"—what is there to be without? Regarding the words "dependent-other and perfected exist"—what is there to exist? Yet those words say "without" while these words say "exist"?
Answer: "Without" means there is nothing to be without, so we say "without." "Exist" means there is something existing, so we say "exist."
Question: "Without" and "exist" are already comprehensive terms. How do they reveal the middle?
Answer: Saying "exist" while existing can also be called "without"—because imagined construction is without in conventional and ultimate. Saying "without" while without can also be called "exist"—because the two kinds of self and dharmas appear to deluded perception.
Question: If so, why do we say "without" and "exist"?
Answer: To cause elimination of the grasped self and dharmas, establishing "without"; leaving grasping and relying on designation, conventional and ultimate are called "exist."
Question: If so, since self and dharmas already transcend emptiness and existence, and conventional and ultimate already transcend existence and emptiness, they are equally beyond language. How do we rely on the emptiness of self and dharmas to prove the existence of conventional and ultimate?
Answer: Falsely designating self and dharmas is neither without nor not-without—they appear to deluded perception, but based on essence they are without. Falsely designating conventional and ultimate is neither existent nor not-existent—they don't accord with deluded feelings, and in essence are not without.
Question: If so, self and dharmas are beyond language yet rely on designation to "exist"; do conventional and ultimate also transcend language yet leave grasping to be "without"?
Answer: This meaning is not so. To obstruct different attachments they are beyond language—existing without elimination. To abandon deluded feelings they are beyond language—eliminating without preserving. Since self and dharmas are without, both are grasping and all are eliminated. Since conventional and ultimate exist, all that leave grasping are preserved.
Question: If so, though speaking of "existence-nonexistence," those without grasping all awaken; if speaking of "nonexistence-existence" while having grasping, do all become deluded?
Answer: Exactly so. Therefore we should speak of the four propositions of delusion—raising the four propositions, all are wrong. The four propositions of awakening—raising the four propositions, all are correct.
【Lower Section】
Question: If so, how does Prajñāpāramitā eliminate grasping, and how does Saṃdhinirmocana abandon partiality?
Answer: Expounding that objective self and dharmas are empty to break the initial grasping at existence is the Prajñāpāramitā school. Showing that mind's conventional and ultimate exist to eliminate the subsequent grasping at emptiness is the Saṃdhinirmocana's purport. Thus existence-emptiness is already eliminated, and emptiness-existence does not remain.
Question: If so, what do those with partial views become deluded about? What do those of the middle way awaken to?
Answer: Initially hearing existence expounded, they immediately generate slander toward emptiness. Later hearing emptiness expounded, through arrogance they slander existence. This is the fault of partial views. The teaching of neither existence nor emptiness—the middle—is the virtue of the middle way.
Question: Already knowing the meaning of the three-period established teaching, the Buddha's exposition of various teachings has distinctions of earlier and later. Which is the earlier teaching and which is the later teaching?
Answer: Relying on temporal sequence does not establish teaching periods. Now relying on the shallow and deep of principle, and also on beings' entry into the Way, we judge teaching periods and establish three periods—not based on before and after.
Question: What is the sage's intention?
Answer: Regarding principle and beings gradually entering the Way, the great arises from the small, so there are the before and after of the three periods' various teachings. For those who enter the Way not gradually, the great does not depend on the small, so there is no before and after of the three periods' various teachings. It's simply that for sudden and gradual there are no separate teachings.
Question: The Avataṃsaka-sūtra was the Buddha's first teaching upon appearing in the world, directed at Samantabhadra's spiritual capacity; the Testament Sūtra was the Buddha's final teaching before death, directed at Hīnayāna faculties. Isn't this sudden teaching for great faculties, and gradual teaching for small capacities?
Answer: This is not so. The Avataṃsaka...