英語訳
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…(the same as) waves? Since all dharmas of motion and change are necessarily impermanent, characteristics and nature are necessarily different. Could dharma-nature possibly be merely the nature of dharmas? If phenomena and principle were one-sidedly unified, could true suchness (tathatā) be a permanently abiding principle? Therefore, the Vijñaptimātratā-siddhi (Cheng weishi lun) states: "If different (from the dharma), true suchness would not be its real nature. If not different from this nature (of true suchness), (the dharma) should be impermanent." (text) Therefore, (dominant condition and true-suchness dependent origination) do not contradict.
Question: Why does our school not call true suchness a "seed"?
Answer: Seeds are necessarily dharmas that perish and are impermanent. If it were otherwise, the meaning of direct cause-and-condition could not be established. For this reason, conditioned seeds are established, and since these are the most proximate causes with respect to phenomenal results, they are determined to be cause-and-condition. True suchness is permanently abiding and lacks this meaning, so it is called "dominant condition." The relative weight between the two—how could there be any room for doubt about that?
Question: The various harmonizations being established now have only their meaning (their theoretical basis), but no clear textual evidence has yet been adduced. If there is no such text, would people believe it?
Answer: "Originally Buddha" refers to the originally self-nature pure nirvāṇa. Therefore, in the four nirvāṇas of the Vijñaptimātratā-siddhi, this principle is stated as follows: "First, originally self-nature pure nirvāṇa: the true suchness principle of all dharmas, though it has adventitious defilements, has a nature that is fundamentally pure, possesses immeasurable, subtle and wondrous virtues, is without birth, without extinction, clear like empty space, equally shared by all sentient beings, and is neither one nor different from all dharmas." (etc., text) Regarding the meaning of swift (completion of the path), in the same root commentary (Kuiji's Cheng weishi lun shuji), in the explanation of the practice of three incalculable eons, the text asks: "This time is long and distant—when will one attain Buddhahood?" And answers: "While in a dream one thinks many years have passed, as the Mahāyānasaṃgraha explains extensively." (text) The Mahāyānasaṃgraha states: "While in a dream one thinks a year has passed; upon awakening it is but a moment. Therefore even though time is immeasurable, it is contained within a single instant." (text) Regarding true suchness dependent origination: in many passages true suchness gives birth to all dharmas, and such texts are not limited to one. That is, the root commentary's explanation of the pure nirvāṇa by nature states: "Because it is the basis for virtues, it gives rise to virtues." (text)
【Lower Section】
There is no need to produce (references) exhaustively. Regarding the meaning of One Vehicle: in the original scripture (Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra), original treatise (Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra), Ornament (Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra), and Compendium (Mahāyānasaṃgraha), the explanations are as usual. Regarding the unobstructed interpenetration of phenomena and phenomena: in the Vijñaptimātratā-siddhi there are many clear texts. Explaining the four aspects (of consciousness), it says: "Neither identical nor separate—the principle of consciousness-only is established." (text) Explaining seeds and manifestations, it says: "This (seed) with the base-consciousness and its produced fruit is neither one nor different." (text) Explaining mental kings and mental factors, it says: "If approached from the ultimate standpoint, mental factors and mind are neither separate nor identical. This should also be understood to apply mutually among the various consciousnesses." (text) The unobstructedness of the eight consciousnesses is also in this text. Also stated separately: "The self-nature of the eight consciousnesses cannot be said to be definitively one... (and so on)... nor definitively different, because the scriptures teach that the eight consciousnesses are like water and waves, without difference; because if definitively different they should not have the nature of cause and effect; because like illusions they have no fixed nature." (etc., text) Regarding the unobstructedness of principle and principle, there is no need to investigate further. The seven suchnesses text of the original scripture and treatise, that all things are equal and inconceivable, and in the Vijñaptimātratā-siddhi and Yilin zhang (Forest of Meanings), the explanation that "each dharma has its own principle," the two gates of identity and difference being freely unobstructed—the unobstructedness of phenomena and principle is also the great guiding principle of this school. Before and after in the original scripture there are truly very many explanations. In the Paramārtha chapter, the clinging minds of lesser bodhisattvas regarding identity and difference are refuted, many wondrous principles are established, and various analogies are adduced. In the Dharma-characteristic chapter, the three self-natures are clarified, and analogies are likewise drawn. As for the text on consciousness-only in the original treatise, that goes without saying. It has been roughly cited above. The texts on emptiness, existence, and so forth also go without saying. I have only pointed to a few examples; they cannot be exhaustively treated. Based on these texts, the principle and meaning are manifest. What doubt could there be?
Question: Even if the holy teaching decisively prevails, there is still doubt. All the major and minor schools rely on the holy teachings. On what basis is this now considered superior virtue?
Answer: What we are now establishing is based exclusively on the doctrinal tenets (宗義), not on (the authority of) the teachings per se. That is, the doctrinal tenets established by the Dharma-characteristics school are detailed in the holy teachings, established as valid by both ourselves and others. What is
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disputed is simply the matter of provisional and definitive (teachings). What other schools establish is detailed in the holy teachings, but what they alone discuss we do not accept. The teachings on which they rely we are all capable of harmonizing. We take all of it and bring it back to our own school's real (teaching). Is this not then superior to others? The fixed views of lesser schools contradict the teachings on which they rely and are unable to even begin arguing (their case). How could they compare? Therefore it should be said: when we dispute with others, (it is about) whether (something) is or is not in the holy teachings; when others dispute with us, (it is about) whether the holy teachings are provisional or definitive. Not accepting a teaching and arguing, versus accepting a teaching and arguing—the difference between these two is hardly equal, is it? However, when I say (something) is "not in the holy teachings," I do not mean that the dharma-gate of right view free from clinging is also not within what the holy teachings expound. If one has already freed oneself from clinging, then self and other harmonize and blend, and all school tenets are without dispute. That is: a One Vehicle (teaching) that does not harm the (doctrine of) five natures, and a one-moment (enlightenment teaching) that does not slander the (doctrine of) three incalculable eons, and so forth. What is thereby rejected can be understood by contrast.
Question: Even if the meaning of the holy teaching is definitively established, if it is a provisional teaching, what virtue does it have?
Answer: One should respond in return: Even if the meaning you establish is what you yourself cling to, if it is not in the teachings, what virtue does it have? If someone says, "Who says it is not in the teachings?" one can equally say, "Who says it is a provisional teaching?" Comparing the two sides, one should consider which is superior. Furthermore, once the meaning of the holy teaching is already definitively established, the meaning of the definitive teaching naturally becomes established as well. Why? Because all Buddha-words are true, and clinging erroneously to (them as) provisional teaching is false speech. Even when spoken to guide sentient beings according to their capacities, all (teachings) have the real (meaning) underlying them. Even the scriptures of the Hīnayāna still teach according to the complete (teaching). Even the hidden teaching of emptiness still expresses the real aspect. How much more so for the ultimately complete and definitive teaching! The place where it is taught, the teacher, the questioners and respondents (对揚), and the principles and meanings are all as in the excerpts above. What more need be said? If one still clings to viewing (these teachings) as fictitious provisional (teachings), one fears that all the Tathāgatas are not truthful speakers. Even if there are various harmonizing interpretations, they should be compared and measured against the school that maintains all (teachings) are real.
【Lower Section】
In that case, the boundless teachings of all Buddhas—whether partially or fully—all expound our school's (teaching). The partial ones are the various hidden (esoteric) teachings; the full ones are the definitive scriptures. Among the vast variety of major and minor (teachings), not one is left out. In the Hīnayāna, the definitive assertion of real birth and extinction, the establishment of unconditioned dharmas as separate entities, and so forth; and in the Mahāyāna, the negation of dharmas as empty, the one-sided clinging to permanent abiding, and so forth—all of these are the biased views of scholars' own subjective minds, not something that exists as such in the Buddha's speech. The true Buddha-speech only ever constantly proclaims: "dharmas are like illusory aggregates, with conventional arising and conventional ceasing (the students of the Hīnayāna are confused by this and take it as real); originally without self-nature, without arising, without ceasing (the followers of Bhāvaviveka cling to this and negate everything); neither existent nor non-existent, yet existent and yet non-existent, neither identical nor separate—the dharma of non-duality (the later students of other schools cling to this and take a one-sided identity)." Before and after are equal, with no change whatsoever. Yet within this, following what is appropriate for each sentient being's capacity, sometimes not yet clear, (the teaching) provisionally expounds one gate; sometimes exhaustively manifests, complete and perfect, and so forth—being unequal—which is how the distinction of three periods of teaching arises. It is entirely not the case that there are fictitious provisional teachings. Even if only one gate is provisionally explained, how could that be untrue? Even if not completely clear, all (such teachings) are real. By virtue of this meaning, the non-definitive teachings expound one partial aspect of our school's doctrine, while the manifest definitive teachings already expound the complete wondrous principle of our school. Though partial and full differ, none fall outside our school. With such unobstructed comprehension of the entire body of teachings across a single Buddha's lifetime, there is nothing whatsoever that contradicts (our school). This is what is brought about by the ultimately complete and final dharma-gate of establishing the three non-natures based on the three natures. If one does not study this, how can one attain this understanding? Why not study it, and instead remain amid apparently contradictory dharmas, laboring in the Buddha's words to divide them into the fictitious and the real? This is precisely the deep intention (密意 mìyì) which Vairocana (Lochana Buddha), in the Lotus Treasury World, revealed and explained to the great bodhisattvas such as Śārdvatīputra (Shèngyi-shēng, 勝義生) and others. Drawing on various analogies such as Viśvabhadra (毘湿縛), a variegated painted ground, melted butter, and empty space, (the text) elaborately and in detail...