This is the second installment of seven with my new translation of the Treatise. Brackets indicate material inserted by me as the English translator to aid the reader. GW
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TREATISE on the GREAT VEHICLE’S
AROUSING of FAITH
<>For Meeting 3 Discussion<>
[THREE:] THE NEXT PART ARTICULATING THE EXPLANATIONS
In the Part of the Explanations there are three kinds.
What is said to be the three?
That which is first reveals the correct meaning.
That which is second are antidotes for grasping at perverted views.
That which is third distinguishes the characteristics of the initiation and the destination of the Way.
[SECTION ONE: Revealing the Correct Meaning].
[I. The Two Gates of the One Mind]
That which reveals the correct meaning is based on the Dharma of the One Mind with two kinds of gates. What are said to be for the two?
That which is first is the Gate of the Mind’s True Suchness.
That which is second is the Gate of the Mind’s birth and extinction.
Indeed, the two kinds of gates in every case each fully include everything.
Why is this meaning stated?
Because it means the two gates are not mutually separate.
[A. The Gate of the Mind’s True Suchness]
That which is the Mind’s True Suchness is exactly the characteristic of the great unity of the One Dharma-realm and the Dharma Gate’s essence. That which is designated the Nature of the Mind is unborn and undying. There is differentiation of all the various things only by relying on erroneous recollecting. If one is free from erroneous recollecting, then one is without the whole objective realm of characteristics. This is because all things have already come from the root free from the characteristics of verbal expressions, free from the characteristics of names and words, and free from the characteristics of the mind’s conditions, and in the absolute equality they are without the transformations of existence and are unable to be destroyed. Because there is only the One Mind, it is called “True Suchness.”
[1 The True Suchness of Verbal Expression]
By considering all verbal expressions to be provisional they are called “unreal,” yet because of following deluded thinking one is unable to get it. In that which is the True Suchness of words, likewise, there are no characteristics of existence. Designating the limit of verbal expressions causes words to banish words. Here, in the essence of True Suchness, there is no existence able to be banished because of considering all things to be completely True; likewise, nothing is able to be established because of considering all things in all cases as identical with Suchness. One should know that, because all things are unable to be articulated and unable to be thought, they are called “the activity of True Suchness.”
[Q&A]
A question says, “If that which is Suchness is the meaning, then why do the various multitudes of beings equally say ‘to accord with and be capable of gaining entry’?”
The
answer says, “If one knows all things, even if articulating.
there is nothing that has the capability to articulate or that can articulate,
and even if thinking, likewise there is nothing capable of thought or that can
be thought. This is called ‘to accord
with.’ If one is free from thought, this
is called ‘the activity of gaining entry’.”
[2 Two Kinds of Meanings for Verbal Expression]
The next in reply, for that which is True Suchness when depending on the discriminations of verbal expressions there are two kinds of meaning. What is said to be the two?
That which is first is the “emptiness” of the reality of Suchness, because the usage means the capability of the ultimate manifestation of reality.
That which is second is the “non-emptiness” of the reality of Suchness, because the usage means it has its own essence that fully possesses the meritorious virtue of the non-out-flowing nature.
[a. Wherein is Declared Emptiness]
Where that which is declared is emptiness, it is because it has already come from the root unrelated to every stained thing. It is designated free from the discrimination of the characteristics of all things, because the usage means there is no unreality of the Mind’s thoughts.
One should know that one’s own nature of True Suchness neither has characteristics, nor has no characteristics, nor doesn’t have characteristics, nor doesn’t have no characteristics, nor both has and hasn’t characteristics, and neither has a single characteristic, nor different characteristics, nor not a single characteristic, nor not different characteristics, nor both a single and different characteristics.
For as far as a summary articulation: in dependence, all the multitude of beings use having a deluded mind to discriminate from thought-moment to thought-moment;
because in all cases it is un-interrelated, it is articulated as emptiness; and if one is free from the reality of deluded mind it is because there is nothing that can be emptied.
[b. Wherein is Declared Non-emptiness]
That which is actually declared non-emptiness is because it is already manifest that the essence of things is empty and without falseness, so immediately the True Mind is the constant, persistent, changeless, and pure fulfillment of the Dharma. For that reason, it is called “non-emptiness.”
Likewise, there are no characteristics of existence that may be grasped; because by means of being free from thoughts (linian) the objective realm only confirms the mutual responsiveness (of characteristics).
[B. The Gate of the Mind’s
Birth and Extinction]
That which is the mind’s birth and extinction depends on the Inner Tathagata (tathagatagarbha), and for that reason there is the mind of birth and extinction that is designated as the unborn and the unextinguished, together with the combining of birth and extinction as neither one nor different and is called “the doing of the Storehouse Consciousness” (alayavijnana).
[1. Birth and Extinction as the Doing of the Storehouse Consciousness]
This consciousness has two kinds of meaning: the capability of containing all things (i.e., the storehouse aspect of alaya) and giving birth to all things (i.e., the womb aspect of garbha). What are said to be the two?
That which is first is the meaning of enlightenment.
That which is second is the meaning of non-enlightenment.
[a. Wherein is Declared the Meaning of Enlightenment]
That which is actually declared the meaning of enlightenment designates the essence of mind free from thought. That which is the characteristic of “free from thought” is equal to the realm of space, and there is nowhere that it is not omnipresent.
[(1) The Original-Enlightenment of the Dharmakaya]
The oneness of the Dharma-realm is exactly the Tathagata’s universal Dharma-body. On this basis, the Dharma-body is articulated and called “original-enlightenment.”
Because why?
[(a) The Pairing of Original-Enlightenment and Originating-Enlightenment]
That which is the meaning of original-enlightenment is paired with the articulation of the meaning of originating-enlightenment, and by this means, that which is originating-enlightenment is exactly the same as original-enlightenment.
[(b) The Originating-Enlightenment
Depends on Original Enlightenment]
That which is the meaning of originating-enlightenment is because it depends on original-enlightenment, nevertheless there is non-enlightenment. Because it depends on non-enlightenment to be articulated, there is originating-enlightenment.
Again, by means of
enlightenment, the fountainhead of mind is therefore called “ultimate-enlightenment,”
and by non-enlightenment, the fountainhead of mind therefore isn’t ultimate
enlightenment.
Why is this meaning stated? Because by such enlightenment, the common people know their prior thinking aroused evil and they are able to rest subsequent thinking by directing that these [evil thoughts] do not arise. Because even though it is repeatedly called “enlightenment,” actually it is non-enlightenment.
[(c) Three aspects of originating enlightenment.]
Like the two vehicles’ knowing (jnana) by contemplation (vipasyanya) and the idea that first blossoms into the ranks of the bodhisattvas (i.e., bodhicitta), the enlightenment with the characteristics of the difference of thoughts and the non-difference of thoughts is called “resemblance-enlightenment,” because it uses renouncing the crude parts of attachment to the discrimination of characteristics.
Like the ranks of the Dharmakaya bodhisattvas, the enlightenment with the characteristics of the abiding of thought and the non-abiding of thought, because it uses being free from the discriminations of the characteristics of coarse thinking, is called “approximate-enlightenment.”
Like the utmost Bodhisattva stage corresponding to the fulfillment of skillful means in a single thought, the enlightenment with the characteristics of the beginning mind arousing the beginningless mind, because it uses being far removed from the subtlest of thoughts and is able to perceive the nature of mind, the mind that is exactly always abiding, is called “ultimate-enlightenment.”
[(d) Originating Enlightenment in No-thought]
For this reason, the sutra articulates, “Because, in the multitude of beings, if there are those who are able to contemplate no-thought, accordingly they become turned toward Buddha-knowing (buddhajnana).”
Furthermore, as to that which aroused
in the mind, there does not exist a
beginning characteristic that can be known, and yet that which is declared ‘to know the beginning characteristic’ exactly
designates no-thought. For this reason, all the multitude of beings are not
called “being enlightened,” because by following the continuity of thought after thought coming
from the root, they have never been free from thought and they articulate
beginningless ignorance.
If those who gain no-thought consequently know the mind’s characteristics of birth, abiding, transforming, and extinction, then because they use the grade of no-thought, truly there is no existence of difference from originating-enlightenment. Since the four characteristics [of birth, abiding, transforming, and extinction] are simultaneous, then there is in each and every case no standing on their own, and because they equally and universally come from the root, they are one and the same with enlightenment.
[(2) Two
Characteristics of Original-Enlightenment From the View of Discrimination]
Next in reply, as original-enlightenment submits to being stained, discrimination gives birth to two kinds of characteristics, and together, those and original enlightenment are not separate from each other.
What are said to be the two? That which is first is the characteristic of the purity of knowing; and that which is second is the characteristic of the karmic-activity of the inconceivable.
That which is the characteristic of pure knowing designates relying on the Dharma’s power to scent. Because thus is truth cultivated and practiced, there is fulfillment of skillful means. Because the characteristic of combining-consciousness is broken up and the characteristic of continuity-mind is extinguished, there is revealed the Dharma-body’s clear and pure knowing.
What is said to be the meaning of this? Using every characteristic of mind and consciousness in all cases is/are ignorance, the characteristics of ignorance are not separate from the enlightened nature, neither able to be destroyed nor unable to be destroyed.
Like the water of the great ocean with the cause of wind stirring the waves, the characteristic of water and the characteristic of wind are not separate from each other. Nevertheless the nature of water is unmoving. Because, if the wind rests and is extinguished then the characteristic of motion is extinguished, yet the nature of wetness is not destroyed. So it is that with the cause of ignorance as the moving wind, the characteristics of both mind and ignorance are shapelessness and are not separate from each other. Nevertheless, the nature of mind is unmoving. Because if ignorance is extinguished then continuity is extinguished, yet the nature of knowing is not destroyed.
[(b) The Activity of the Inconceivable]
That which is the characteristic of the karmic-activity of the inconceivable relies on the ability of pure knowing to regard all objective realms as excellently marvelous, because it actually designates the continually uninterrupted characteristic of immeasurable virtuous merit that accords with the multitude of beings and spontaneously corresponds to every kind of root and then perceives the attained benefits.
[(3) Four Comparisons of Enlightenment to a Mirror]
Next in reply, for that which are characteristics of the essence of enlightenment there are four kinds of great meaning to be compared with the equality of space and likened to a clear mirror.
What are said to be the four?
[(a) The Mirror’s True Emptiness]
That which is first is like the true emptiness of the mirror far removed from every characteristic of the objective realm of the mind, because there is no thing that is able to manifest nor is the reflection of enlightenment the meaning.
[(b) The Mirror’s True Non-emptiness]
That which is second is the primary cause that scents the mirror and designates what is like its true non-emptiness, that does not exit and does not enter; that is not lost and is not destroyed, the always abiding One Mind, because by it everything is in fact the nature of true reality. Furthermore, every stained thing actually cannot be stained, because the essence of knowing is unmoving and provides the multitude of beings with the smoke of having no outflows.
[(c) The Mirror’s Obstructions and Clarity]
That which is third are the things coming forth separately in the mirror and designates things as non-empty, because “coming forth” are the obstructions of afflictions and the obstructions of knowledge and “separately” are the characteristics of combinations clear, pure, and brilliant.
[(d) The Mirror’s Universal Reflections]
That which is fourth are the conditions that scent the mirror because they designate relying on things coming forth separately and because they universally (omnipresent) reflect the mind of the multitude of beings to allow the cultivation of good roots according to what thought reveals.<><><>
Links:
Today is 2/07/22 and you can still join the Study Group by using the Eventbrite sign up.
EventLink: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/238083432957
Study Group Schedule
#1. 1/27 – Table of Contents, with historical introduction and overview of the scope and outline, with reference to the provenance controversies and translation issues regarding title and faith.
#2. 2/03 – Translation: The First Part “Articulating the Causes and Conditions,” and the Second Part “Articulating the Meanings Set Forth.”
#3. 2/10 – Translation 2/7: The Third Part “Articulating the Explanations,” Section One to One.I.B.1.a.#4. 2/17 - The first part of Part Three was so full of the focus on True Suchness that we added another meeting. Therefore, Meeting 4 took up the second part of the Meeting 3 translation.
#5. 2/24 – Translation 3/7: The Third Part “Articulating the Explanations,” Section One.I.B.1.b. to 2.b.
#6 3/03 – Translation 4/7: The Third Part “Articulating the Explanations,” Section One, I,B.3.
#7. 3/10 – Translation 5/7: The Third Part “Articulating the Explanations,” Section One, II. and Section Two.
#8. 3/17 – Translation 6/7: The Third Part “Articulating the Explanations,” Section Three.
#9. 3/24 – Translation 7/7: The Fourth Part “Articulating Faith in Mind and Cultivating Practice.” and the Fifth Part “Articulating and Exhorting the Benefits of Cultivation.”
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