英語訳
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incomparable quiescence." (text) The Profound Praise of the Heart Sutra says: "Dharma transcends intellectual explanation. What is empty and what exists? To correspond to beings' capacities and eliminate their ailments, existence and emptiness are provisionally explained." (text) The Laṅkāvatāra Sutra says: "Because it transcends mind-corresponding substances, because it is the realm of inner realization and noble conduct, this is called the characteristic of dharma-buddha teaching." (text) The Prajñā Treatise says: "Response and transformation [bodies] are not the true Buddha, nor are they teachers of dharma. Teaching dharma does not grasp subject and object; without teaching, it transcends verbal characteristics." (text) Our school's founders established dharma-body teaching based on these passages. Such texts appear in many places, not just one—all belong to this gate. Therefore, regarding the middle way, there are generally two levels. The general principles in treatises like the Abbreviated Chapters make this meaning clear.
Seventh, next on the excellence that all teachings are real. Because of the above principles, all teachings are real. All teachings of the buddhas of past, present, and future are still entirely true. How much more so for the teachings of one lifetime? There is not a single word that is not real teaching. Though the first two periods, in order to guide gradual practitioners, did not clearly explain the three natures etc., their words do not contradict and their meaning is entirely the middle way. The existence of the first period is precisely dependent and perfected existence. The emptiness of the second period is precisely the emptiness of the imagined. How could this be false expedient means? Buddha never spoke of partial existence or partial emptiness. Views of existence and emptiness are merely errors of the recipients. Therefore sudden awakening practitioners, hearing all teachings, all awaken to the middle way. Even gradual awakening practitioners, having heard the third period and then recalling the first two, also [understand them as] the middle way. The immeasurable doctrinal gates such as one vehicle and five natures should also be understood accordingly. All have real meaning with absolutely no falsity. Through this, once the subtle principle of the mutual dependence of three natures and no-nature is revealed, all the myriad different doctrinal paths harmoniously merge. Therefore this subtle definitive teaching pervades all non-definitive teachings, making them all middle way definitive teachings. For this reason, the No-Self-Nature chapter of our base sutra extensively cites various analogies to explain this meaning in detail. Is this not profoundly subtle? Could there be anything difficult to reconcile that should be abandoned as false? Therefore in our school Buddha has no false teachings, yet other later followers slander our
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teaching as Buddha's empty words. How can this be tolerated? Lamentable, lamentable! May [you] realize fruition consciousness-only and save such deluded people.
Eighth, next on the excellence of extremely profound principle manifestation. The true characteristic of all dharmas cannot be proclaimed in words. One must take non-verbal expression as most profound. However, if nothing is said, people do not know it. Transmitting without words, people are mostly confused and deluded. Yet if it is verbalized, it definitely deviates from the true. Teaching through words also often leads to delusion. In what skillful means should one dwell to enter principle without error? Here our school provides precisely this skillful means. Why? Because it discusses the nature and characteristics of all dharmas as consciousness-only, exhaustively investigates the correct principle of inconceivable dependent origination, breaks false attachments to existence, non-existence, and both-neither, and enters the realm of one reality that transcends verbal explanation. Illusory phenomenal characteristics, though appearing differentiated, do not contradict non-duality. Therefore it can explain phenomenal characteristics while manifesting dharma-nature, and manifest dharma-nature while understanding phenomenal characteristics. Through this, students do not fall into evil views, and practitioners thereby quickly develop true wisdom. Because causal principle is explained in detail. Because inner realization beyond language is completely unmoved. Not teaching yet able to teach, teaching yet able to not teach. As the secret essential for manifesting principle, what teaching compares to this?
That [verse] "dharmas arisen from causes and conditions, I teach are precisely emptiness" expresses the profound principle of the middle way. What dharma are those causes and conditions? "All conditioned dharmas are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows"—this is the mysterious gate of principle-contemplation. What meaning does "like dreams" have? Exhaustively investigating this is what our school most strives for.
Examining the general outline of nature and characteristics: evolving consciousness and foundational consciousness mutually serve as causes and conditions—this is the root source of defiled dependent origination. Birth-death cause and effect has no hidden aspects here. Beginningless undefiled mutually arising seeds are the profound
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foundation of pure dharma dependent origination. The path and fruit of bodhi use this to eliminate delusion. Without these true proximate causes and conditions, all dharmas could not arise. If one does not believe this, one fears falling into views of spontaneity and causelessness. Yet not studying this while discussing causal dharmas—how could this be called ultimate?
Next, mental functions develop four divisions, and object-realms divide into three categories. This is precisely the inner treasury of consciousness-only. Without discerning this profound and subtle meaning, how could one know self-mind transformation and manifestation? If one does not believe this, one fears becoming attached to the characteristics of external objects appearing to consciousness. If one does not study this, understanding texts about dream-like [reality]—how could this be called exhausting principle?
This consciousness-only is precisely the source of that dependent origination. This dependent origination is precisely the source of that consciousness-only. If apart from self-mind one perfumes seeds and maintains seeds, all principles become unattainable. If apart from causes and conditions one transforms into object-realms and cognizes object-realms, again all principles become unattainable. Thus and thus: seeds produce manifest activities, manifest activities perfume seeds, seeds produce seeds. Three kinds of causes and conditions flow continuously like lamp flames. Perceiving aspects cognize objective aspects, self-awareness cognizes perceiving aspects, the latter two aspects mutually cognize. Four-aspect causal functions are distinct like bright pearls. Generally, karmic activities produced by mind-kings and mental factors, the substance and function of what can perfume, proximate and distant dual objects, general and particular dual characteristics, up to the three paths equally transforming, three cognitions conditioning four [aspects], etc.—various subtle, wonderful, extraordinary, inconceivable understandings and principles unfold endlessly without any obstruction. Illusory and false with nothing to be attached to. What is endless—identity and separation are both thus. What is unattached—emptiness and existence are both so. Identity and separation both violate the principle of dependent origination. Emptiness and existence are all characteristics of external objects. Having transcended identity and separation, one also transcends emptiness and existence. Both affirming and negating propositions—why retain any? Having transcended the four propositions, all characteristics become quiescent. What dharma is illuminated above this? Without words one naturally knows,
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without thinking one naturally accords. This is called consciousness-only suchness. At that time true wisdom has absolutely nothing attained—neither existence nor non-existence, yet existence yet non-existence. In subsequent attainment wisdom, one provisionally relies on verbal explanation to discuss this. Three natures, no-nature, eight consciousnesses, mind-kings and mental factors—illusory like dreams, the nature and characteristics of one school. Is this not wondrous? Is this not ultimate? What person of correct view would not believe and study this?
However, those who neither believe nor study arbitrarily favor non-duality, misunderstand non-obstruction, sometimes erect banners of excessive pride considering themselves positions of myriad virtues and honored status, sometimes raise waves of the love-river considering this the profound mystery of one school. This comes from personally mishearing and also personally misspeaking. Students of our school, up to the present time, have not heard such meaningless inverted views. This is because [they] universally rely on the essential techniques of nature-characteristics analysis for determining orthodoxy and heterodoxy with clarity.
Though phenomena also transcend language and cannot be explained, being non-existent yet resembling existence, they can somewhat accommodate verbal dependence. Therefore provisionally establishing them can manifest true nature. Taking ultimate meaning as most extremely true, below ultimate meaning are shallow ultimate meanings, etc. Is this not where the intent lies?
If so, profoundly discussing the correct principle of dependent origination without disturbing dharma-nature, directly addressing beings' minds—what fault is there? Why mock lightly? Still, others, deluded about nature and characteristics, slander our virtues; we establish nature and characteristics and submit to their criticisms. Who is right and who is wrong? Think quietly and thoroughly. If you still disparage this and reject the various subtle phenomenal characteristics, since you already slander all-knowing wisdom, how can you attain buddhahood?
Essentials of Transmission of Reasonable Mahāyāna, Volume One