Vimuktacandra's First Request, and Vajragarbha's Silence
Having named the ten grounds, Vajragarbha falls silent, leaving the assembly in doubt. Vimuktacandra Bodhisattva, sensing their confusion, presses him in five verses praising both teacher and listeners as fit for the teaching — only for Vajragarbha to answer with six verses of his own, explaining that this Dharma is too subtle, too easily misunderstood, and too hard even to believe, for silence to be broken so soon.
Vimuktacandra's Five Verses of Request
經曰：爾時金剛藏菩薩說諸菩薩十地名已，默然而住，不復分別。
是時一切菩薩眾聞說菩薩十地名已，咸皆渴仰欲聞解說，各作是念：何因何緣，是金剛藏菩薩說諸菩薩十地名已，默然而住不更解釋？時大菩薩眾中有菩薩名解脫月，知諸菩薩心深生疑已，即以偈頌問金剛藏菩薩曰：
「何故淨覺人， 念智功德具，
說諸上妙地， 有力不解釋？
決定此一切， 菩薩大名稱，
何故說地名， 而不演其義？
此眾皆樂聞， 佛子智無畏，
如是諸地義， 願為分別說。
此眾皆清淨， 離懈怠嚴淨，
安住堅固中， 功德智具足。
迭共相瞻住， 一切咸恭敬，
如蜂欲熟蜜， 如渴思甘露。」
論曰：何故默然住？欲令大眾渴仰請說故，復增菩薩尊敬法故。何故解脫月菩薩初請？彼眾上首故，餘問則亂眾調伏故。何故偈頌請？少字攝多義故，諸讚歎者多以偈頌故。此五偈說何等義？顯示說者聽者無諸過故，若有過者則不應說。是中顯示說者淨覺無過故，復顯聽者同法決定故、有樂聞故、復示餘者淨心故，又顯此眾皆堪聞法故，偈言迭共相瞻住故。云何歎說者？偈言：
「何故淨覺人， 念智功德具，
說諸上妙地， 有力不解釋？」
何故唯歎淨覺？淨覺是說因故。覺名覺觀。是口言行有淨說因，何故不說？歎淨覺有二種：一攝對治；二離諸過。是中念智具者，攝對治故。所治有二種：一者雜覺；二者雜覺因憶想分別故。念者四念處，對治雜覺故。智者真如無相智，對治雜覺因憶想分別故。餘者顯示離諸過。是過有三種，有三過者則不能說。何者為三？一慳嫉；二說法懈怠；三不樂說。慳者，其心悋法。嫉者，忌他勝智。功德具者，不瞋等功德具，示無初過故。說上地者，示無第二過故。有力者，示無第三過故。如是二種淨覺歎說者已，次歎聽者。
偈言：
「決定此一切， 菩薩大名稱，
何故說地名， 而不演其義？」
決定者，黠慧明了故。決定有三種：一、上決定，願大菩提故；二、名聞決定，他善敬重故；三、攝受決定，彼說者善知故。偈言：菩薩故、大名稱故、說地名故，如是次第應知。雖有決定堪受法器，心不欲聞亦不得說。偈言：
「此眾皆樂聞， 佛子智無畏，
如是諸地義， 願為分別說。」
決定者，是中有阿含決定非證決定，有非現前決定無現前決定。如是決定，法器不滿足故不能聽受，示現此眾具足決定故，能聽受偈言佛子智無畏故。智有二種：一證法故；二現受故。如是善知法器滿足請金剛藏，如是諸地義，願為分別說。已歎同法眾決定樂聞功德，次復歎異眾。
偈言：
「此眾皆清淨， 離懈怠嚴淨，
安住堅固中， 功德智具足。」
清淨者，不濁故。濁有六種，離此諸濁故言清淨。何者為六？一、不欲濁；二、威儀濁；三、蓋濁；四、異想濁，妬勝心破壞心故；五、不足功德濁，善根微少故，是故於彼說中心不樂住；六、癡濁。謂愚闇等故。此對治有六種不濁，安住堅固者，於所說法修行堅固。如是次第相對：離懈怠者，對不欲濁。嚴者，對威儀濁。淨者，對蓋濁。堅固者，對異想濁。功德具者，對不足功德濁。智具者，對癡濁。此六句示現是二偈顯同生眾淨，次一偈顯異生眾淨，後一偈顯二眾清淨。
偈言：
「迭共相瞻住， 一切咸恭敬，
如蜂欲熟蜜， 如渴思甘露。」
迭共相瞻者，示無雜染心故。咸恭敬者，示敬重法，非妬心故。下半偈喻敬法轉深。此偈迭共相瞻是總相，一切咸恭敬是別相。如是餘偈，初句總相，餘句別相，同異成壞如上所說。
Sūtra: At that time, once Vajragarbha Bodhisattva had spoken the names of the ten bodhisattva grounds, he fell silent and remained still, saying nothing further to distinguish them.
At that time, once every bodhisattva in the assembly had heard the names of the ten bodhisattva grounds, all of them longed to hear them expounded, and each thought to himself: "For what cause, and through what condition, has Vajragarbha Bodhisattva, having spoken the names of the ten bodhisattva grounds, fallen silent and remained still, without explaining them further?" At that time, among the great assembly of bodhisattvas, there was a bodhisattva named Vimuktacandra, who, knowing that a deep doubt had arisen in the bodhisattvas' minds, then addressed Vajragarbha Bodhisattva in verse, saying:
"Why does this man of pure awakening, complete in mindfulness, wisdom, and merit, having spoken of these supreme and sublime grounds, though capable, not explain them?
These bodhisattvas of great renown are all of them resolute — why, having spoken the names of the grounds, do you not set forth their meaning?
This assembly all delights to hear it, O son of the Buddha, fearless in wisdom — please, for the sake of these very grounds, discriminate and expound them.
This assembly is entirely pure, free of indolence, dignified and pure, abiding firmly and steadfastly, complete in merit and wisdom.
Gazing upon one another, all of them full of reverence, like bees eager for ripened honey, like the thirsty longing for sweet nectar."
Commentary: Why did he remain silent and still? So as to cause the great assembly to long for the teaching and request it, and further so as to increase the bodhisattvas' reverence for the Dharma. Why did Vimuktacandra Bodhisattva request first? Because he was foremost among the assembly; had others asked, it would have disturbed the well-ordered assembly. Why did he request in verse? Because few words hold much meaning, and every act of praise is mostly done in verse. What meaning do these five verses convey? They make manifest that both teacher and listeners are free of every fault — for were there any fault, the teaching ought not to be given. Herein it is made manifest that the teacher's pure awakening is without fault; further, that the listeners are resolute in the same Dharma, that they delight to hear it, and further that the rest of the assembly has a pure mind; and further, that this whole assembly is capable of hearing the Dharma — as the verse says, "gazing upon one another." How does the verse praise the teacher? The verse says:
"Why does this man of pure awakening, complete in mindfulness, wisdom, and merit, having spoken of these supreme and sublime grounds, though capable, not explain them?"
Why does the verse praise only his pure awakening? Because pure awakening is the very cause of speaking. "Awakening" means seeing and reflecting. Since this is the cause of a pure act of speech through the mouth, why does he not speak? Praising pure awakening is of two kinds: first, encompassing the counteracting of hindrances; second, being free of every fault. Here, "complete in mindfulness and wisdom" refers to encompassing the counteracting. What is counteracted is of two kinds: first, mixed awakening; second, the causes of mixed awakening, which are recollection and discriminating thought. "Mindfulness" is the four foundations of mindfulness, which counteract mixed awakening. "Wisdom" is the signless wisdom of suchness, which counteracts the causes of mixed awakening, recollection and discriminating thought. The rest makes manifest freedom from every fault. These faults are of three kinds, and one possessing any of the three would be unable to teach. What are the three? First, stinginess and envy; second, indolence in teaching the Dharma; third, no delight in teaching. Stinginess means a mind that begrudges the Dharma. Envy means resenting another's superior wisdom. "Complete in merit" — being complete in the merit of freedom from anger and the like — shows he is free of the first fault. "Speaking of the supreme grounds" shows he is free of the second fault. "Capable" shows he is free of the third fault. Having thus praised the teacher through these two kinds of pure awakening, the verse next praises the listeners.
The verse says:
"These bodhisattvas of great renown are all of them resolute — why, having spoken the names of the grounds, do you not set forth their meaning?"
"Resolute" means keen and clear in wisdom. Resoluteness is of three kinds: first, supreme resoluteness, because they vow for great enlightenment; second, resoluteness through renown, because others rightly revere them; third, resoluteness in receiving, because the teacher himself knows this well. The verse's order — "bodhisattvas," then "great renown," then "having spoken the names of the grounds" — should be understood in just this sequence. Yet even though they are resolute and are fit vessels for the Dharma, if their minds do not wish to hear it, still it should not be taught. The verse says:
"This assembly all delights to hear it, O son of the Buddha, fearless in wisdom — please, for the sake of these very grounds, discriminate and expound them."
Here, "resolute" includes resoluteness in scriptural transmission that is not yet resoluteness in realization, and includes resoluteness that is not yet immediately present as well as resoluteness that is immediately present. Given such resoluteness, were the vessel of the Dharma not yet complete, they would be unable to receive the teaching by listening — but the verse shows that this assembly, being complete in resoluteness, is able to receive it by listening, as the verse says, "a son of the Buddha, fearless in wisdom." Wisdom is of two kinds: first, realizing the Dharma; second, receiving it directly. Thus, knowing well that the vessel of the Dharma is complete, they request of Vajragarbha: "for the sake of these very grounds, please discriminate and expound them." Having now praised the assembly of the same Dharma for their resolute delight in hearing it, the verse next praises the rest of the assembly.
"This assembly is entirely pure, free of indolence, dignified and pure, abiding firmly and steadfastly, complete in merit and wisdom."
"Pure" means free of turbidity. Turbidity is of six kinds; being free of these turbidities is what is meant by "pure." What are the six? First, the turbidity of no desire for the Dharma; second, the turbidity of poor deportment; third, the turbidity of the five hindrances; fourth, the turbidity of divergent thought, meaning a mind of envy toward the superior and a mind bent on destruction; fifth, the turbidity of insufficient merit, meaning that one's roots of goodness are meager, and so one's mind does not delight in dwelling within the teaching; sixth, the turbidity of delusion, meaning ignorance and obscurity and the like. Counteracting these are six kinds of freedom from turbidity: "abiding firmly and steadfastly" means being firm in cultivating the Dharma that is taught. The correspondence, in order, is as follows: "free of indolence" counters the turbidity of no desire; "dignified" counters the turbidity of deportment; "pure" counters the turbidity of the hindrances; "steadfastly" counters the turbidity of divergent thought; "complete in merit" counters the turbidity of insufficient merit; "complete in wisdom" counters the turbidity of delusion. These six phrases are made manifest in two verses: the first shows the purity of the assembly born alongside Vajragarbha in this same existence; the next single verse shows the purity of the assembly born otherwise; and the last verse shows the purity of both assemblies together.
The verse says:
"Gazing upon one another, all of them full of reverence, like bees eager for ripened honey, like the thirsty longing for sweet nectar."
"Gazing upon one another" shows they are free of any defiled or mixed mind. "All of them full of reverence" shows their reverence for the Dharma is without any trace of envy. The latter half of the verse illustrates how their reverence for the Dharma grows ever deeper. In this verse, "gazing upon one another" is the universal aspect, and "all of them full of reverence" is the particular aspect. So too with the other verses: the first line is the universal aspect, the remaining lines the particular aspect, with sameness, difference, formation, and disintegration to be understood as explained above.
Huiyuan expands the treatise's own two reasons for Vajragarbha's silence into five, and is explicit that the base text only states the first two directly while leaving the remaining three implicit in the narrative that follows: 汎解嘿意，具有五種：一、欲令大眾渴仰請法；二、欲使諸佛咸皆共請，以顯法重，增眾尊敬；三、為使諸佛加被聽者，於說能受；四、為使諸佛教已說儀，令物生信；五、欲因嘿令其眾請，得顯地法寂滅離言 — "generally explained, the intent behind his silence has five aspects: first, to cause the great assembly to long for the teaching and request it; second, to cause the buddhas themselves to join in the request, so as to display the Dharma's weight and increase the assembly's reverence; third, to allow the buddhas to empower the listeners, so that they become capable of receiving the teaching; fourth, to allow the buddhas to sanction the manner of teaching once it begins, so that people give rise to faith; and fifth, through silence, to cause the assembly's own request to make manifest that the Dharma of the grounds is, in its essence, still and beyond words." Huiyuan traces the underlying principle to a single line he returns to elsewhere in the commentary: 不請自說，無由得顯法之尊重 — "to teach unrequested, of one's own accord, gives no way of making the Dharma's own weight manifest." The silence is not reluctance but design — a single narrative device engineered to produce, in sequence, Vimuktacandra's request, the assembly's joint request, and finally the buddhas' own request, each stage adding a further layer of solicited, rather than volunteered, authority to the teaching before it is ever given.
On why Vimuktacandra specifically is the one to speak first, Huiyuan gives a structural rather than personal reason: 彼解脫月是眾上首，知眾有疑，為之啟請…餘問則亂 — "Vimuktacandra is foremost among the assembly; knowing the assembly holds a doubt, he raises the request on their behalf… were others to ask as well, it would disturb the assembly's order." He further analyzes the five verses' own internal division with some precision: the first verse alone praises Vajragarbha as a fit teacher, clearing the assembly's doubt over whether he is capable of speaking at all; the remaining four praise the listeners as a fit audience, clearing their doubt over whether they themselves are capable of hearing it — with the first two of those four addressed to what Huiyuan calls the "assembly born alongside" Vajragarbha in this same existence (already advanced enough to share his own realization) and the third to the "assembly born otherwise" (bodhisattvas who have not yet reached that same attainment), before a final verse unites both groups under one closing image. Every verse, on this reading, is doing exactly one piece of persuasive work — never ornament for its own sake, even where the imagery (bees drawn to honey, the thirsty craving nectar) reads as purely poetic on first glance.
Vajragarbha's Answer: Why This Dharma Cannot Yet Be Spoken
偈曰：
大智無所畏， 金剛藏聞已，
欲令大眾悅， 即時說頌曰：
「難第一希有， 菩薩所行示，
地事分別上， 諸佛之根本。
微難見離念， 非心地難得，
境界智無漏， 若聞則迷悶。
持心如金剛， 深信佛智慧，
心地無我智， 能聞智微細。
如彩畫虛空， 如虛空風相，
智如是分別， 難見佛無漏。
我念佛智慧， 第一世難知，
難信希有法， 是故我默然。」
論曰：此初偈中，欲令大眾悅是總，正詶答相。詶答有二種：一、堪詶答；二、不怯弱詶答。偈言大智故、無所畏故，離不堪答、離不正答，此二示現自他無過故。何者是正答相？此法難說復難聞故。云何難說？偈言：
「難第一希有， 菩薩所行示，
地事分別上， 諸佛之根本。」
難者，難得故。難有二種：一、最難；二、未曾有難。偈言第一故、希有故，此二示現所說難。何者是難？偈言「菩薩所行示，地事分別上」。菩薩行者，是出世間智。示者，顯示故。地事者，謂諸地菩薩行事。分別上者，說勝故。何者菩薩行？偈言「諸佛之根本，佛者覺佛智」故。已說難說，復說所以難。何者是難？彼菩薩行事義住，不可如是說。云何彼義住？偈言：
「微難見離念， 非心地難得，
境界智無漏， 若聞則迷悶。」
此偈中難得者是總，餘者是別。難得者，難證故。是難得有四種：一、微難得；二、難見難得；三、離念難得；四、非心地難得。微難得者，非聞慧境界故，麁事不須思惟。難見難得者，非思慧境界故。離念難得者，非世間修慧境界故，示現三界心心數法分別世間修道智非境界故。非心地難得者，示現報生善得修道智非境界故。此示現心境界者，是心地此誰境界？偈言「智境界」。何者是智？見實義故。何故非餘境界？無漏故。無漏者，出世間義，是義非世間智境界，如是甚深義、如是可解、如是不可說。若聞則迷悶者，云何迷悶？隨聞取著故。聞者即聞，非是不聞。已辯難說，復顯難聞。
偈言：
「持心如金剛， 深信佛智慧，
心地無我智， 能聞智微細。」
如金剛者，堅如金剛。堅有二種：一、決定信堅；二、證得堅。此三句示現堅者是總，餘者是別。云何深信佛智慧？唯佛所知，非我境界。佛菩提無邊，佛化眾生所說法門種種信故。何者是心地？云何無我智？心地者，隨心所受三界中報，又隨心所行一切境界亦名心地。無我智者有二種：我空、法空，如實知故。能聞智微細者，難知。如是微細，如前所說。復以譬喻顯微細義，偈言：
「如彩畫虛空， 如虛空風相，
智如是分別， 難見佛無漏。」
此偈示現如空中畫色如壁，是中不住故不可見。如空中風如樹葉，是中不住故不可見。此動作者，非不空中有是二事。如是虛空處、事不可說處，是畫、風如說，以非自性不可得見，是不住故，以其客故，非不於中有此言說，如是佛智言說顯示地校量勝分別難見。畫者，喻名字句身。何以故，依相說故。風者，以喻音聲。說者，以此二事說。聽者，以此二事聞。若如是可說、如是可聞、如是難見，何故不說？
「我念佛智慧， 第一世難知，
難信希有法， 是故我默然。」
難知者，難證故。難信者，難生決定心故。此偈示現有證有信、可說可聞；世間難得證信，故我不說。
經曰：爾時解脫月菩薩聞說此已，請金剛藏菩薩言：佛子！是大菩薩善淨眾集，善清淨深心、善清淨諸念、善集諸行、多親近諸佛、善集助道法、具足無量功德、離癡疑悔無有染污。善住深心信，於佛法中不隨他教。善哉佛子！敷演此義，是諸菩薩於是深法皆能證知。
Great in wisdom and fearless, Vajragarbha, having heard this, wishing to gladden the great assembly, then spoke these verses, saying:
"It is difficult — supreme and rare — to display what a bodhisattva practices; the matter of the grounds, when discriminated, is supreme, the very root of every buddha.
Subtle, hard to see, free of thought, hard to attain — not a domain of the ordinary mind; a domain of undefiled wisdom — to hear of it would only bring confusion.
One must hold the mind firm as vajra, deeply believing in a buddha's wisdom; in the domain of mind, the wisdom of no-self — only then can one hear this subtle wisdom.
Like a painting upon empty space, like the mark of wind within emptiness — wisdom discriminates in just this way; hard indeed to see a buddha's undefiled state.
I reflect that a buddha's wisdom is, above all, hard for the world to know; hard to believe, a rare and wondrous Dharma — and this is why I remain silent."
Commentary: In this first verse, "wishing to gladden the great assembly" is the universal aspect — the very mark of a correct reply. A correct reply is of two kinds: first, being capable of replying; second, replying without timidity. The verse's "great in wisdom" and "fearless" show, respectively, freedom from the fault of being incapable of replying and freedom from the fault of an incorrect reply — these two making manifest that neither he nor the assembly is at fault. What, then, is the mark of a correct reply? It is that this Dharma is difficult to teach and, further, difficult to hear. How is it difficult to teach? The verse says:
"It is difficult — supreme and rare — to display what a bodhisattva practices; the matter of the grounds, when discriminated, is supreme, the very root of every buddha."
"Difficult" means hard to attain. Difficulty is of two kinds: first, the most difficult; second, the difficulty of what has never before occurred. The verse's "supreme" and "rare" make manifest, respectively, these two difficulties in what is to be taught. What, then, is this difficulty? The verse says, "to display what a bodhisattva practices; the matter of the grounds, when discriminated, is supreme." "What a bodhisattva practices" is supramundane wisdom. "To display" means to make manifest. "The matter of the grounds" refers to the deeds of bodhisattva practice at every ground. "Discriminated, is supreme" means it is spoken of as supreme. What, then, is a bodhisattva's practice? The verse says, "the very root of every buddha" — for a buddha is one who has awakened to a buddha's wisdom. Having now explained why it is difficult to teach, the verse further explains the reason for this difficulty. What, then, is this difficulty? It is that the very meaning in which a bodhisattva's practice and deeds abide cannot be taught just as it is. How does that meaning abide? The verse says:
"Subtle, hard to see, free of thought, hard to attain — not a domain of the ordinary mind; a domain of undefiled wisdom — to hear of it would only bring confusion."
In this verse, "hard to attain" is the universal aspect, and the rest are the particular aspects. "Hard to attain" means hard to realize. This hard-to-attain quality is of four kinds: first, subtly hard to attain; second, hard to see and hard to attain; third, free of thought and hard to attain; fourth, not a domain of the ordinary mind and hard to attain. "Subtly hard to attain" means it is not a domain reached by the wisdom of hearing, since it is not a coarse matter requiring mere reflection. "Hard to see and hard to attain" means it is not a domain reached by the wisdom of reflection. "Free of thought and hard to attain" means it is not a domain reached by the wisdom of worldly cultivation, showing that the wisdom which discriminates the mind and mental factors of the three realms through worldly cultivation of the path is not this domain. "Not a domain of the ordinary mind and hard to attain" shows that even the wisdom of the cultivated path well attained through the maturation of past karma is not this domain. As for what shows the domain of mind — whose domain of mind is this? The verse says, "a domain of wisdom." What, then, is this wisdom? It is that which sees the true meaning. Why is it not any other domain? Because it is undefiled. "Undefiled" means the meaning of the supramundane; this meaning is not a domain of worldly wisdom — a meaning this profound, and while it can be understood, cannot be spoken. As for "to hear of it would only bring confusion" — how does confusion arise? Through grasping at whatever one hears. "To hear" means genuinely to hear — not that it is not heard at all. Having now explained why it is difficult to teach, the verse further makes manifest why it is difficult to hear.
The verse says:
"One must hold the mind firm as vajra, deeply believing in a buddha's wisdom; in the domain of mind, the wisdom of no-self — only then can one hear this subtle wisdom."
"Firm as vajra" means as solid as vajra. This firmness is of two kinds: first, firm resolute faith; second, firm realization. In these three lines, "firm" is the universal aspect, and the rest are the particular aspects. What is meant by "deeply believing in a buddha's wisdom"? It is known only by a buddha, and is not within my own domain. A buddha's enlightenment is boundless, and one believes in the manifold Dharma-gates a buddha teaches in transforming sentient beings. What, then, is "the domain of mind"? And what is "the wisdom of no-self"? "The domain of mind" refers to whatever retribution the mind undergoes within the three realms, and also to whatever object-realm the mind engages with — both are called "the domain of mind." "The wisdom of no-self" is of two kinds: the emptiness of self and the emptiness of dharmas, known truly as they are. "Only then can one hear this subtle wisdom" means it is hard to know. Its subtlety is as explained above. The verse further illustrates the meaning of this subtlety with a simile:
"Like a painting upon empty space, like the mark of wind within emptiness — wisdom discriminates in just this way; hard indeed to see a buddha's undefiled state."
This verse shows that, just as a painted image within empty space does not appear as it would upon a wall — because it does not abide there, it cannot be seen — so too the wind within empty space does not appear as it would upon a leaf — because it does not abide there, it cannot be seen. Yet this is not to say that these two things, movement and coloration, do not exist at all within emptiness. Just so, within this place that is like empty space, this matter that cannot be spoken, the painting and the wind can still be spoken of, even though, having no fixed nature of their own, they cannot themselves be apprehended — precisely because they do not abide, being merely adventitious — and this is not to say that there is no speaking of them at all. In just this way, speech about a buddha's wisdom makes manifest that, when the grounds are compared and measured, they are supreme, and, when discriminated, hard to see. "Painting" is a metaphor for the body of names and phrases; why is this? Because it is spoken of in dependence on a mark. "Wind" is a metaphor for spoken sound. "To speak" is to speak by means of these two things; "to hear" is to hear by means of these two things. If it can thus be spoken, and thus be heard, yet is thus hard to see, why then does he not speak?
"I reflect that a buddha's wisdom is, above all, hard for the world to know; hard to believe, a rare and wondrous Dharma — and this is why I remain silent."
"Hard to know" means hard to realize. "Hard to believe" means it is hard to give rise to a resolute mind about it. This verse shows that, although it can be realized and can be believed, can be spoken and can be heard, it is nonetheless hard for the world to attain realization and belief in it — and this is why I do not speak.
Sūtra: At that time, once Vimuktacandra Bodhisattva had heard this spoken, he requested of Vajragarbha Bodhisattva, saying: "Son of the Buddha! This great assembly of bodhisattvas is well and purely gathered — their deep minds well purified, their every thought well purified, their every practice well gathered, having drawn near to many buddhas, having well gathered the dharmas that assist the path, complete in boundless merit, free of delusion, doubt, and regret, without any defilement. Well abiding in the faith of a deep mind, they do not follow another's teaching within the Buddha-dharma. Excellent, son of the Buddha! Set forth this meaning fully — for these bodhisattvas are all capable of realizing this profound Dharma."
Huiyuan reads Vajragarbha's six verses as a single, tightly nested argument rather than six independent points, and lays out its logic in three steps. The first verse states the thesis directly — this Dharma is both 難說 ("difficult to teach") and 難聞 ("difficult to hear"). The second and third verses unpack why it is difficult to teach: it is difficult in two senses at once, 最難 ("the most difficult") and 未曾有難 ("the difficulty of what has never before occurred"), and that difficulty is itself grounded in a further difficulty — the meaning in which a bodhisattva's practice abides cannot be taught 如是 ("just as it is"), broken down into four grades of hard-to-attain running from what mere hearing could reach to what not even a fully mature cultivated wisdom can reach. The fourth and fifth verses then unpack why it is difficult to hear, culminating in the painting-in-space and wind-in-emptiness images — read carefully, Huiyuan insists these two similes are not illustrating that the Dharma is simply unreal or unspeakable, but something more exact: 以其客故，非不於中有此言說 — "because these things are merely adventitious, [their not abiding] does not mean there is no speaking of them at all." A painting cannot be seen suspended in space the way it can on a wall, and wind cannot be seen the way its motion shows in a leaf — but neither claim is that the painting or the wind do not exist. The Dharma of the grounds, on this reading, is exactly this kind of real-but-unfixed thing: sayable, hearable, and yet impossible to pin down the way an ordinary object can be.
Huiyuan closes by naming what the whole six-verse reply is actually accomplishing, against a reader's likely first impression that Vajragarbha is simply refusing to teach: 此偈示現有證有信、可說可聞；世間難得證信，故我不說 — "this verse shows that, although it can be realized and can be believed, can be spoken and can be heard, it is nonetheless hard for the world to attain realization and belief in it — and this is why I do not speak." The refusal is not a claim that the Dharma is unteachable in principle; every one of the four capacities a teaching normally requires — to be realized, believed, spoken, and heard — is affirmed as genuinely possible here. What is being tested, before Vajragarbha will go further, is whether this particular assembly has actually met that bar — which is exactly the question Vimuktacandra's second request, closing this section, sets out to answer on the assembly's behalf.
Part 3 Complete
This closes Part 3: the assembly's doubt at Vajragarbha's silence, Vimuktacandra's first five verses of request praising both teacher and listeners, and Vajragarbha's own six verses explaining that this Dharma is difficult both to teach and to hear — closing with Vimuktacandra's second appeal, now praising the assembly's purity directly in prose rather than verse. Part 4 turns to Vajragarbha's second refusal, and Vimuktacandra's still more insistent third request.
Continue to Part 4 — The Second Refusal, and the Third Request →