The Real Mark in Every Sūtra and Practice

Next, clarifying the perfect teaching's own gate for entering the real: first, distinguishing the perfect gate; next, clarifying the perfect contemplation.

The Tripiṭaka teaching's own gate, discussed above, extinguishes real form to lead through to the truth — failing to grasp this gives rise to much dispute; the embodying gate takes illusory form itself as leading through to the truth, showing people a dharma free of contention; the distinct teaching's own gate embodies the extinguishing of birth-and-death's own form, sequentially extinguishing the dharma-nature's own form to lead through to the middle — failing to grasp this, too, gives rise to much dispute; the perfect teaching's own gate takes birth-and-death's own form as itself the dharma-nature's own form, this same dharma-nature's own form itself leading through to the middle, showing people a dharma free of contention — hence the text says, "the unsurpassed path," and again, "yet practices the profound and wondrous path" — precisely this same sense.

The two gates discussed above do not lead through to the middle, and need no further distinguishing here. The distinct and perfect teachings' own two kinds both lead through to the middle. Discussing their sameness and difference, this is briefly treated under ten senses: first, merged or unmerged; second, identical with the dharma or not identical with the dharma; third, clarifying the buddha's own wisdom versus wisdom that is not the buddha's own; fourth, clarifying sequential practice versus non-sequential practice; fifth, clarifying severing-that-still-severs versus severing-that-does-not-sever the afflictions; sixth, clarifying the real stage versus the non-real stage; seventh, the fruit permitted freely versus the fruit not permitted freely; eighth, perfect exposition versus non-perfect exposition; ninth, in terms of difficult questions; tenth, in terms of illustration. Examining these same ten senses, the sameness and difference of the eight gates may be clearly recognized.

First, clarifying merged or unmerged: the distinct teaching's own four gates, in what they rely upon, fix wondrous being and good form as decisively determined, having nothing to do with emptiness; and fix ultimate emptiness as decisively determined, having nothing to do with existence — and so on, likewise, for the gate of neither emptiness nor existence. The four gates, taken sequentially and separately, each lead through only within its own particular division.

For one who fails to grasp this, taking up a fixed mark and clinging to it, this resembles the claim that "the same nature is the real," and comes dangerously close to "the primordial darkness first gives rise to awareness," and so on. The Tripiṭaka's own gate of existence, discussed earlier, has already broken through the non-Buddhist outsiders' own deviant conceptions entirely beforehand; the three gates of emptiness and the rest that follow break through relatively little further deviance; and the shared teaching's own skillful four gates break through the Tripiṭaka's own clumsiness; and the distinct teaching's own gate breaks through the shared teaching's own remaining proximity to it, no longer shared even with the two lesser vehicles — how much more so, then, could it possibly be confused with the non-Buddhist outsiders' own "primordial darkness" and their claim to "wondrous being"! Wondrous being, distinguished into its four gates by way of the tathāgatagarbha, how could it possibly be the same as the Nirgrantha's own "real nature"? It is like the uncut jade of Zhou and the uncut jade of Zheng — sharing an identical name, yet differing utterly in substance, as far apart as the noble and the base, heaven from earth. Students of the Dilun school in recent times, turning against the path and reverting to worldly ways, secretly borrow this very sense, stealthily seeking refuge in Zhuangzi and Laozi, mixing gold together with mere stone — causing, as a result, the deviant and the correct to become thoroughly confused, so that the blind and benighted can no longer tell one river's own waters from another's. If one grasps the true sense of these same four gates, distinguishing the true from the false with precision, no such theft can ever occur.

Yet, though the distinct teaching's own gate makes fixed, definite statements, and disputes of this kind arise, this is still the very domain of every buddha's own state, which the two lesser vehicles do not know — how, then, could it possibly be the same as the non-Buddhist outsiders?

The perfect teaching's own gate, empty, merged, and subtle, cannot be fixed or clung to at all: speaking of existence, it is never cut off from non-existence, discussing non-existence in terms of existence itself; speaking of non-existence, it is never cut off from existence, discussing existence in terms of non-existence itself. Existence and non-existence are not two, with no fixed, determinate mark at all, provisionally lodging itself within "existence" merely as a starting point for speech. And this very gate of existence is, moreover, itself the other three gates as well — one gate being immeasurable gates, immeasurable gates being one gate, neither one nor four, four being one and one being four — this, precisely, is the mark of the perfect teaching's own gate.

Again, further clarifying merged or unmerged in terms of breaking-through and gathering-together. If it breaks through the non-Buddhist outsiders' own deviant views, but does not break through the two lesser vehicles' own deviant crookedness, nor break through the Mahāyāna's own skillful means, and if the gathering-together is not perfect — as when, within the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, the ordinary being caught in reversal and repetition is gathered in, while the śrāvaka is not; the companions of worldly toil and affliction are gathered in as the Tathāgata's own seed, yet the unconditioned who have already entered the correct stage cannot themselves fall into reversal and repetition; the evil person of birth-and-death, afflicted with every evil dharma, is, alike, gathered in, while the two lesser vehicles' own wholesome dharmas, the sages of the four fruits, are not gathered in. Again, within the Perfection of Wisdom teachings, clarifying that the two lesser vehicles' own practice — the applications of mindfulness, the factors of the path — are all, alike, the Mahāyāna; craving and desire, ignorance, views and craving, and the rest, are all, alike, the Mahāyāna; wholesome and evil dharmas are, every one, gathered in. Yet the evil person and the two lesser vehicles' own persons and the rest are not gathered in, their own future buddhahood left undistinguished — this is precisely what belongs to the distinct teaching's own gate.

As for the perfect breaking-through: from the distinct teaching downward, all of it is merely skillful means. Hence Kāśyapa himself breaks through his own former position, saying: "Before this very moment, all of us were, alike, named persons of deviant view." Having already called them persons of deviant view, there is, then, no perfect and correct dharma of the path present in them at all — and hence both person and dharma alike are broken through. If the distinct teaching's own person and dharma are treated this way, how much more so the person and dharma of the thatched hut! If the two lesser vehicles are treated this way, how much more so the person and dharma of the ordinary being! This, then, is the perfect breaking-through, holding nothing back at all.

As for the perfect gathering-together: it gathers in every ordinary being's own multitude, still attached to dharmas — "every one of you shall, without exception, attain buddhahood," "I dare not look down upon any one of you." Even Devadatta, guilty of the five heinous deeds, is granted his own prediction; nāgas and beasts, too, are granted their own predictions — how much more so, then, the two lesser vehicles and bodhisattvas! "Every worldly occupation and productive undertaking is never at odds with the real mark itself" — this is gathering in every evil dharma. "What you yourselves have practiced is itself the bodhisattva path" — even the two lesser vehicles of the analytical dharma are, thereby, gathered in, how much more so the shared or the distinct teachings! "You are truly my own children, and I am your father" — there is no person and no dharma that is not, thereby, gathered in, all of it, alike, merged and made wondrous — this is precisely what belongs to the perfect teaching's own gate.

Again, further clarifying perfect versus non-perfect in terms of the sequence of the sūtra's own text: if the unmerged gate is clarified first, this speaks of the stage before the bodhisattva grounds; and if the unmerged gate is clarified afterward, yet spoken of as having realized merging, this speaks of what comes later still. Or, if the gate of realized merging is clarified first, this speaks of what comes later still; and if the unmerged gate is clarified afterward, this speaks of the stage before the grounds — all such cases belong to the distinct teaching's own gate. If the merged gate is clarified first, its realization likewise merged, this speaks of what comes after the ten faiths; and if unmerged realization is clarified afterward, this speaks of the stage before the ten abidings. Or, if unmerged realization is clarified first, this speaks of the stage before the abidings; and if merged realization is clarified afterward, this speaks of what comes after the faiths — all such cases belong, instead, to the perfect teaching's own gate, and so on.

Second, identical with the dharma or not identical with the dharma: if the gate of existence is taught such that this "existence" is not birth-and-death's own existence, but, departing beyond birth-and-death, discusses separately a true, good, wondrous being — and the gate of emptiness, departing beyond the two lesser vehicles' own truth, discusses separately an ultimate emptiness — and so on, likewise, for the gate of neither existence nor non-existence — this is the mark of the distinct teaching's own four gates. If, as the gate of existence, birth-and-death's own existence is itself the real mark's own existence, every dharma tending toward existence, existence itself being the dharma-realm, with no further dharma to discuss beyond the dharma-realm at all; birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, and nirvāṇa is itself birth-and-death, with no duality and no distinction — the gate of existence is here raised merely as a starting point, yet in reality complete with every dharma, perfectly interpenetrating and unobstructed — this is named the gate of existence. The remaining three gates are exactly the same — this same dharma of birth-and-death is the mark of the perfect teaching's own four gates. Again, whether being identical with the dharma pervades fully or not pervades fully determines the perfect versus the distinct mark, following the same pattern of distinction as before, and so on, in terms of whether the five dwelling-grounds of affliction are pervaded fully or not. Again, whether identical with the dharma or not identical with the dharma comes first or comes later determines the distinct versus the perfect mark, exactly as distinguished before, and so on.

Third, in terms of the buddha's own wisdom versus wisdom that is not the buddha's own: if, as the gate of existence, one distinguishes the wisdom that knows all things, thoroughly penetrating the dharma of emptiness, and distinguishes the wisdom of the paths, illuminating every buddha-dharma numerous as the sands of the Ganges — differentiated and distinct from one another — this is the bodhisattva's own wisdom, and is the mark of the distinct teaching's own four gates. If, as the gate of existence, one distinguishes the wisdom knowing all modes, complete with the five eyes, perfectly illuminating the dharma-realm's own correct and universal knowing — this is precisely every buddha's own wisdom, and is the mark of the perfect teaching's own four gates. Again, whether the distinct teaching's own gate teaches the perfect wisdom, or the perfect teaching's own gate teaches the distinct wisdom, coming first or coming later, distinguishing the distinct from the perfect mark, follows the same pattern as before, and so on. Again, whether the distinct teaching's own gate realizes the perfect wisdom, or the perfect teaching's own gate realizes the distinct wisdom, coming first or coming later, distinguishing the distinct from the perfect, follows the same distinction as before, and so on.

Fourth, in terms of sequential or non-sequential: if, taking the gate of existence, one relies upon this gate to cultivate practice, gradually advancing through distinct stages, proceeding from the subtle to the manifest, unable, within a single practice, to already possess immeasurable practices at once — and so on, likewise, for the gate of neither emptiness nor existence — this is the mark of the distinct teaching's own four gates. If, taking the gate of existence, every dharma tends toward the gate of existence, and, relying upon this gate to cultivate practice, every practice likewise tends toward the practice of existence, a single practice being immeasurable practices, named the pervading practice — and so on, likewise, for the gate of neither emptiness nor existence — this is the mark of the perfect teaching's own four gates. Again, whether the distinct teaching's own gate teaches the perfect practice, or the perfect teaching's own gate teaches the distinct practice, coming first or coming later, distinguishing the distinct from the perfect, follows the same pattern as before, and so on.

Fifth, in terms of severing-that-severs or severing-that-does-not-sever: the ultimate principle itself is empty and without substance, ignorance's own essential nature fundamentally never having existed at all — what need, then, is there for wisdom? Understanding and delusion both already being non-existent, what use could there possibly be for "perfect" or "distinct" at all? The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Who, then, possesses wisdom? Who, then, possesses affliction?" The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: "The very nature of lust, anger, and delusion is itself liberation," and again, "without severing delusion and craving, illumination and liberation arise" — this, then, does not discuss severing or not-severing at all. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: "When it is dark, there is ignorance; when it is light, there is no darkness. When there is wisdom, then there is no affliction" — this uses wisdom to sever affliction.

If, as the distinct teaching's own gate of existence, one for the most part fixes definite divisions and cuts them apart, gradually and sequentially severing away the five dwelling-grounds of affliction — this is precisely a discursive, conceivable severing through wisdom, and so on, likewise, for the remaining three gates — this is the mark of the distinct teaching's own four gates. If, as the perfect teaching's own gate of existence, understanding and delusion are not two, for the most part clarifying severing-that-does-not-sever, the five dwelling-grounds of affliction all alike inconceivable — this is precisely an inconceivable severing, and so on, likewise, for the remaining three gates — this is the mark of the perfect teaching's own four gates.

Again, whether the perfect teaching's own gate teaches severing, or the distinct teaching's own gate teaches severing-that-does-not-sever, coming first or coming later, distinguishing the distinct from the perfect mark, follows the same pattern already explained, and so on.

Sixth, in terms of the real stage versus the non-real stage: if, as the gate of existence, one clarifies severing the views and thought within the three realms, distinguishing the stages of the thirty minds; severing the views, thought, and ignorance beyond the three realms, distinguishing the stages of the ten grounds; the final mind of equal enlightenment severing ignorance to its very exhaustion; wondrous enlightenment's own eternal fruit, entirely free of entanglement, with nothing further to do — this, however, takes another household's own cause as one's own household's own fruit, all of it merely skillful means, not the real stage at all. The remaining three gates are largely the same, with only minor differences — all of these, too, are the mark of the distinct teaching's own four gates.

If, as the gate of existence, from the very first arousing of the intent, the three contemplations are practiced within a single mind, severing the afflictions within the three realms; perfectly subduing the ignorance beyond the three realms, distinguishing the stage of the ten faiths, advancing to arouse true wisdom; perfectly severing the views, thought, and ignorance beyond the three realms, distinguishing the stage of the forty minds; the final mind of equal enlightenment, ignorance forever exhausted; wondrous enlightenment, entirely free of entanglement — this is the ultimate, truly real stage, and so on, likewise, for the remaining three gates — this is named the mark of the perfect teaching's own four gates. Again, whether the distinct teaching's own gate teaches the real stage, or the perfect teaching's own gate teaches the non-real stage; whether the distinct teaching's own gate realizes the real stage, or the perfect teaching's own gate realizes the non-real stage; coming first or coming later — all of this follows the same distinction as before, and so on.

Seventh, in terms of the fruit permitted freely or the fruit not permitted freely: if, as the gate of existence, one realizes the fruit through this gate, the three virtues stand vertically and horizontally with respect to one another — saying that the Dharma-body is inherently already present, prajñā is accomplished only through cultivation, and liberation is completed only at the very end. Not only is the fruit's own virtue thus accomplished in a fixed sequence, the cause itself is likewise confined within its own limits. As the Dilun masters say: at the initial ground, the pāramitā of giving is already complete — this is not to say the remaining pāramitās are not cultivated at all, but that, according to one's own capacity and portion, giving alone reaches completion at the initial ground, not extending through to the higher grounds. That the remaining dharmas are only partially possessed, not yet complete, is a doctrine that still leaves something remaining — the remaining three gates are exactly the same — this is the mark of the distinct teaching's own four gates.

If, as the gate of existence, one realizes the fruit through this gate, the three virtues are complete all at once, neither vertical nor horizontal, and the cause, too, is exactly the same — a single Dharma-gate already complete with every Dharma-gate, leading through directly to the ground of buddhahood itself. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: "From the very first ground onward, the merit of every ground is already complete." The Larger Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra says: "The very first letter 'a' is already complete with the merit of all forty-one letters." The remaining three gates are exactly the same — this is the mark of the perfect teaching's own four gates. Again, whether the distinct teaching's own gate teaches the fruit as not permitted freely, or the perfect teaching's own gate teaches the fruit as permitted freely, coming first or coming later, distinguishing the perfect from the distinct mark, follows the same pattern as before, and so on.

Eighth, in terms of perfect exposition or non-perfect exposition: if, as the gate of existence, the gate itself is not perfectly merged, merging only one or two of the other gates — its opening section merely gestures one-sidedly toward what follows; its middle section expounds the unmerged, non-identical bodhisattva's own wisdom, even down to one-sided illustrations and the rest; its closing section, likewise, concludes with the unmerged, non-identical, and the rest — the remaining three gates are exactly the same — this is the mark of the distinct teaching's own four gates. If, as the gate of existence, a single gate is itself the other three gates at once — its opening section gestures perfectly toward what follows; its middle section expounds the merged, identical buddha's own wisdom, even down to perfect illustrations and the rest; its closing section concludes by establishing the merged, identical, and the rest — the remaining three gates are exactly the same — this is the mark of the perfect teaching's own four gates. Again, whether the distinct teaching's own gate expounds the perfect, or the perfect teaching's own gate expounds the distinct, coming first or coming later, distinguishing the distinct from the perfect mark, follows the same pattern as before, and so on.

Ninth, in terms of questions and answers: if the sense clarified through the gate of existence has not yet distinguished perfect from distinct, one must seek out the questions and answers, examining and verifying, and thereby, of oneself, see the perfect and the distinct's own respective aims — the remaining three gates are exactly the same, and so on.

Tenth, in terms of illustration: throughout the various gates, from beginning to end, sometimes gold, silver, or precious treasure is raised as an illustration; sometimes the wish-fulfilling jewel, the sun, or the moon is raised as an illustration; sometimes matched to the distinct teaching's own sense, sometimes matched to the perfect teaching's own sense — the mark of the perfect and the distinct thereby reveals itself, and so on.

Here, by means of these same ten senses, surveying broadly through the various sūtras, the perfect and the distinct gates are thereby made brilliantly clear.

Again, in terms of the Five Flavors, distinguishing their relative number: the milk teaching has two kinds of fourfold gates; the cream teaching has one kind of fourfold gate; the curdled-butter teaching has four kinds of fourfold gates; the clarified-butter teaching has three kinds of fourfold gates; this present sūtra has one kind of fourfold gate, and so on.

As for this present sūtra's own ten senses: "contemplating every dharma as empty, as the real mark itself," decisively resolving the śrāvaka's own dharma, being the king of every sūtra, opening the gate of skillful means — this is merging the ordinary being, the lesser, and the great persons and dharmas together. "Every worldly occupation and productive undertaking is never at odds with the real mark itself" — this is precisely the hired servant who is, in fact, the elder's own son — this is the sense of being identical with the dharma. "Opening, showing, awakening, and entering the Buddha's own knowledge and vision" — what ought now to be accomplished is solely the Buddha's own wisdom — this is precisely the buddha's own wisdom. "Wearing the Tathāgata's own robe, sitting upon his own seat, entering his own room, and the rest" — this is precisely non-sequential practice, not severing the five desires and yet purifying every faculty. "Again, passing beyond five hundred yojanas" — this is precisely the sense of severing-that-does-not-sever. "The five ranks" and "the six purified faculties," "riding the jeweled vehicle and roaming the four directions" — this is precisely the real stage. "The Buddha himself abides in the Great Vehicle, adorned with the power of concentration and wisdom, and by means of this delivers sentient beings" — this is precisely the fruit made freely so. "With palms joined and a reverent mind, wishing to hear the complete and perfect path" — this is precisely the perfect exposition preceding the present buddha's own teaching-text. "The sense of the real mark of all dharmas has already been taught for your sake" — this is precisely the perfect exposition following the former buddha's own teaching-text. "Prajñākūṭa" and "the dragon girl" — question and answer revealing the perfect. "The wheel-turning king's own crown-jewel" and "this cart, high and broad" — both, alike, are perfect illustrations. The ten senses being thus complete, the perfect gate is made manifest!

The merged gate's own fourfold mark shall now be stated. Where it says, "the Buddha's own wisdom is subtle and supreme," and again, "by means of the Tathāgata's own wisdom, I behold that vast, distant time as though it were the present" — wisdom knowing the wondrous dharma is the gate of existence. "Every dharma is empty, constantly bearing the mark of quiescent extinction, ultimately returning to emptiness" — this is the gate of emptiness. "Every dharma is constantly without any fixed nature of its own, the buddha's own seed arising from conditions" — this is the gate of both emptiness and existence. "Neither the same nor different, neither empty nor real, doubly negating and setting both aside at once" — this is the gate of neither emptiness nor existence.

The fourfold mark marking out the gates, the ten senses distinguishing them — one thereby knows that this present sūtra clarifies the perfect teaching's own four gates, and so on.

Second, clarifying the contemplation that enters the real: having already, above, come to know the perfect teaching's own four gates, one now, relying upon the gate of existence, cultivates contemplation, and this contemplation, too, is treated under ten senses, and so on.

Set against the twelve discursive, conceivable gates discussed previously, this is named the inconceivable object, and the inconceivable object is precisely the one real Four Noble Truths. That is: the truth of the suffering of birth-and-death, inconceivable, is at once empty, at once provisional, and at once the middle. Being at once empty, it is the purity of expedient means; being at once provisional, it is perfect purity; being at once the middle, it is the purity of nature — these three purities, attained within a single mind, are named great nirvāṇa. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says, "Every sentient being is itself great nirvāṇa" — hence this is named the inconceivable Four Noble Truths. Unable to be extinguished any further, this same truth of the suffering of birth-and-death is itself the unconditioned cessation, and is likewise the arising and the path. The truth of the arising of affliction, inconceivable, is at once empty, at once provisional, and at once the middle. Being at once empty, it is named the wisdom that knows all things; being at once provisional, it is named the wisdom of the paths; being at once the middle, it is the wisdom knowing all modes — these three kinds of wisdom, attained within a single mind, are named great prajñā. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says, "Every sentient being is itself the mark of bodhi, unable to be attained any further" — this same arising of affliction is itself the unconditioned truth of the path, and is likewise the cessation of suffering, hence this is named the inconceivable one real Four Noble Truths. This is likewise true, good, wondrous form. Why is this? Birth-and-death, being at once empty, is named "true"; birth-and-death, being at once provisional, is named "good"; birth-and-death, being at once the middle, is named "wondrous" — this is named the gate of existence's own inconceivable object.

Second, arousing the true and correct aspiration: every sentient being is itself great nirvāṇa — how, then, could there be such inverted confusion, taking bliss for suffering? One thereby gives rise to great compassion, raising up two vows: to deliver those not yet delivered, to sever what is not yet severed for them. Every affliction is itself bodhi — how, then, could there be such foolish darkness, taking the path for what is not the path? One thereby gives rise to great loving-kindness, raising up two further vows: to cause those who do not yet know to know, and those who have not yet attained to attain. Loving-kindness and compassion with no object, vows pure and undefiled, the power of this wholesome root of loving-kindness spontaneously draws in and gathers every sentient being.

Third, settling the mind: having already embodied and understood this fully, the aspiration already complete, how could one simply stand at the pond's edge admiring the fish, unwilling to knot a net, or pack provisions and bind one's own legs, sitting at ease without ever setting out? The essential point of cultivating practice lies entirely in concentration and wisdom. It is comparable to yin and yang harmoniously adjusted, so that the ten thousand things flourish and bear fruit — should rain and drought fall out of proper measure, how could scorching and rot possibly fail to arise? If a cart's two wheels are evenly balanced, this same vehicle is able to travel; with both wings complete, one is fit to soar in flight. Embodying birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa is named concentration; penetrating affliction as itself bodhi is named wisdom. Within a single mind, skillfully cultivating concentration and wisdom, one is thereby complete with every practice.

Fourth, thoroughly breaking through the dharma: by means of this same wondrous wisdom, like a vajra axe, whatever it is aimed at is shattered; like the sun unclouded by any haze, whatever it shines upon is made bright. If birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, both segmented birth-and-death and transformational birth-and-death — the truth of suffering — are, alike, broken through; if affliction is itself bodhi, both the four and the fifth dwelling-grounds of affliction — the truth of arising — are, alike, broken through. Yet, though it is thus able to break through, there is, in reality, nothing that is broken through at all. Why is this? Because birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, there is, in truth, nothing to break through.

Fifth, recognizing passage and obstruction: it is like the treasured general in command of an army, taking and relinquishing exactly as fitting, pacifying the strong and comforting the weak. Knowing birth-and-death's own faults and afflictions is named obstruction; knowing it as itself nirvāṇa is named passage. Affliction's own turmoil and disturbance is named obstruction; knowing it as itself bodhi is named passage. From the very beginning, with the non-Buddhist outsiders' own four views, all the way to the perfect teaching's own four gates, one must recognize passage and obstruction throughout — clinging at every single node is itself obstruction; losing oneself in the wondrous at every single node is named passage. If one fails to recognize the smooth and the perilous within every dharma, not only does one's own practice of the path fail to advance, one also loses the very treasure one carries.

Sixth, skillfully recognizing the factors of the path: contemplating birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa, the ten dharma-realms' own birth-and-death, the aggregate of form, is neither pure nor impure, even down to the aggregate of consciousness being neither permanent nor impermanent. Being able to break through the eight inverted views, this is precisely the dharma-nature's own four applications of mindfulness, within which the factors of the path, the three liberations, and every dharma are complete. Again, knowing nirvāṇa as itself birth-and-death manifests the four withered trees; knowing birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa manifests the four flourishing trees; knowing birth-and-death and nirvāṇa as not two is precisely the one real truth, neither withered nor flourishing, abiding in great nirvāṇa.

Seventh, skillfully cultivating the antidote: if the correct path meets with many obstructions, one ought to rely upon the auxiliary path — contemplating birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa remedies the obstruction of retribution; contemplating affliction as itself bodhi remedies the obstruction of karma and the obstruction of affliction.

Eighth, skillfully knowing the sequence of stages: the dharma of birth-and-death, fundamentally already itself nirvāṇa, is nirvāṇa in principle. Understanding and knowing birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa is nirvāṇa in name. Diligently contemplating birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa is nirvāṇa in contemplative practice. Wholesome roots and merit arising is nirvāṇa in resemblance. True and real wisdom arising is nirvāṇa in a portion of the truth. Reaching the very bottom of birth-and-death is nirvāṇa in the ultimate. Contemplating affliction as itself bodhi follows exactly this same pattern.

Ninth, skillfully remaining patient: able to remain settled before every inward and outward obstruction, whether forceful or subtle, without one's own contemplating mind being destroyed. If one contemplates birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa, one is not moved or destroyed by the objects of the aggregates, the sense-fields, meditative states, illness, karma, demons, dhyāna, the two lesser vehicles, or the bodhisattva. If one contemplates affliction as itself bodhi, one is not moved or destroyed by the objects of every view or of overweening pride.

Tenth, no attachment to the Dharma: having already passed through every obstruction and difficulty, the root of the path is thereby established, and every merit arises. Contemplating birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa, the merit of every dhyāna and samādhi thereby arises. Contemplating affliction as itself bodhi, every dhāraṇī, fearlessness, and the prajñās unshared with others thereby arise. Contemplating birth-and-death and nirvāṇa as not two, the Dharma-body's own real mark thereby arises. Merit of resemblance, arising in accordance with principle, gives rise to joy, and, following this same joy, an attachment to the Dharma of the path may arise, named "attachment to the Dharma" — neither advancing nor retreating, this is named "falling at the summit." Should this attachment arise, it ought to be swiftly extinguished; once this attachment is extinguished, ignorance is broken through, the Buddha's own knowledge and vision is opened, and the essence of the real mark is realized. Contemplating birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa, liberation is thereby realized; affliction as itself bodhi, prajñā is thereby realized; these two, being not two, the Dharma-body is thereby realized. A single body that is also immeasurable bodies, an unsurpassed heap of treasure, the perfect wish-fulfilling jewel, every dharma complete — this is named entering the real through the gate of existence, realizing the sūtra's own essence. The remaining three gates are exactly the same.

These same ten kinds of contemplation are already complete within the sūtra's own text. "This dharma cannot be shown; the very mark of speech itself is quiescent and extinguished; every other kind of sentient being is unable to attain any understanding of it" — and, again, "my own dharma is wondrous and difficult to conceive" — this is precisely the inconceivable object. Arousing great loving-kindness toward every sentient being, and great compassion toward those who are not yet bodhisattvas — "when I attain the threefold bodhi, I shall, by the power of spiritual transformation and the power of wisdom, draw them in, causing them to abide within this same dharma" — this is precisely the correct arousing of the aspiration. "The Buddha himself abides in the Great Vehicle, adorned with the power of concentration and wisdom in accordance with the dharma he has attained" — this is precisely settling the mind within these same two dharmas, accomplishing both oneself and others. "Breaking through the existent, the Dharma-king" — this is precisely thoroughly breaking through the dharma. Again, just as the light of sun and moon is able to remove every darkness and obscurity, "this person, walking through the world, is able to break through sentient beings' own darkness" — this, too, is thoroughly breaking through the dharma. "There is a single guide, leading the multitude along, his mind clear and resolute, delivering everyone from every peril amid dangerous terrain" — this is skillfully recognizing passage and obstruction. Vimalagarbha and Vimalanetra, skillfully cultivating the thirty-seven factors and every pāramitā — this is precisely these same two senses at once. Advancing the path while diminishing birth, roaming through the four directions — this is precisely recognizing the sequence of stages. Abiding securely, unmoved, like the summit of Mount Sumeru, wearing the Tathāgata's own robe — this is precisely remaining patient. Though hearing these various sounds, listening to them without becoming attached — his own mind, equal across all six faculties, is, every one, spoken of as pure in exactly this way, and, again, spoken of as the true and pure great Dharma — this is precisely no attachment to the Dharma arising. These same ten kinds of contemplation, scattered throughout the sūtra's own text, are not recognized by most people — here, their number is gathered together, entering the gate of existence as the contemplation, and, extending likewise to the remaining three gates, largely the same with only minor differences, the ten contemplations entering the real are exactly the same as well.

Again, the sense of these same ten contemplations is not something that emerges solely from this present sūtra alone — both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sūtras and treatises are, every one, already furnished with this same sense. It is like Mount Malaya, which produces nothing but pure sandalwood — this is certainly not something recorded in the non-Buddhist outsiders' own four Vedic canons, nor in the writings of Zhuangzi and Laozi of this land. People of the world all, alike, lecture on and read these same texts, and yet, facing the very text itself, fail to recognize this — if one wishes to study the path, one is left with no skillful means at all. How sorrowful this is! Knowing only how to milk the cow, without understanding how to drill and shake to draw forth the sap in the first place! If one recognizes these same ten senses, one may, with respect to the Hīnayāna's own four gates, alike make use of them to enter the truth, and, with respect to the Mahāyāna's own four gates, alike make use of them to enter the real — and, having already entered the real, it is like eating a gruel of milk, with nothing further needed. Whether the half wish-fulfilling jewel or the whole wish-fulfilling jewel, given freely to all — though this gift is thus made, one sees no one who makes light of their own life and holds the path in high regard, diligently applying their own mind to its cultivation and practice. Neither receiving it nor making use of it, what benefit could such an idle gift possibly bring? I myself feel regret over this — though it may bring no benefit now, it nonetheless serves as the cause of the poison-drum's own effect; should one wish to know this matter in complete detail, it is treated fully in the Mohe Zhiguan, and so on.

Third, clarifying coarse and wondrous across the various gates: this is treated in two parts: first, judging coarse and wondrous in terms of the agent and the object led-through; second, judging coarse and wondrous in terms of the various gates themselves.

The agent and the object led-through are treated as four propositions: the gate itself is named the agent that leads through; the principle is what is led through. There is a case where the agent that leads through is coarse, and what is led through is likewise coarse; a case where the agent is wondrous while what is led through is coarse; a case where the agent is coarse while what is led through is wondrous; and a case where the agent is wondrous and what is led through is likewise wondrous.

The Tripiṭaka's own four gates, sustaining themselves upon concrete matters, shallow and near at hand, are accordingly coarse as the agent; expounding only the one-sided real, what is led through is likewise coarse. The shared teaching's own four gates, the Mahāyāna's own embodying dharma, skillfully crossing over as things truly are, are accordingly wondrous as the agent; yet the three vehicles' own one-sided realization means what is led through is coarse. The distinct teaching's own four gates, the teaching's own path of skillful means, are accordingly coarse as the agent; expounding entry into the perfect real, what is led through is wondrous. The perfect teaching's own four gates, the realized path's own real teaching, are accordingly wondrous as the agent; being real precisely within phenomena themselves, what is led through is likewise wondrous.

Again, there is a case of both the agent and the object accompanied by coarseness — this is the curdled-butter teaching. A case of neither accompanied by coarseness — this is the milk teaching. A case where the object alone is accompanied by coarseness while the agent is not — this is the clarified-butter teaching. A case where the agent alone is accompanied by coarseness while the object is not — this is the perfect teaching receiving the shared or the distinct teaching, and likewise every gate discussed within the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra.

Question: The sūtra says, "there is but a single gate, and, moreover, it is narrow and small" — is this "narrow and small" spoken of because it is coarse, or is it spoken of even though it is wondrous?

Answer: This sense ought to be applied broadly, and cannot be confined to any single gate alone. Why is this? The Tripiṭaka's own four gates, meeting different faculties with differing teachings, are accordingly spoken of as four; being alike the Buddha's own teaching, they are spoken of as one. Each gate's own skillful means differs, hence spoken of as four; all alike tending toward nirvāṇa, hence spoken of as one. What is led through follows from the agent that leads through, hence spoken of as four; the agent that leads through converges upon what is led through, hence spoken of as one. That there is no bodhi within the written word itself is narrowness discussed in terms of the teaching; it is comparable to a narrow path that admits no two persons walking abreast — this is narrowness discussed in terms of practice. That the teaching-gate and the practice-gate both find the truth difficult to encounter is narrowness discussed in terms of principle, and so on.

The shared teaching is exactly the same: meeting different conditions with differing teachings, hence four; being alike the Buddha's own teaching, hence one. The methods of contemplation differ, hence four; all alike tending toward no-generation, hence one. What is led through follows the agent, hence four; the agent follows what is led through, hence one. The shared teaching, being real precisely within phenomena themselves, has bodhi already present within the written word itself — contemplating good and evil alike, neither can be found — this is precisely "walking abreast," and narrowness is not discussed in these terms here; it is only that the teaching-gate and the contemplation-gate find the real principle difficult to encounter, and hence principle alone is named narrow, and so on.

The distinct teaching's own four gates are exactly the same: taught for the sake of four kinds of faculty, hence four; being alike the Buddha's own teaching, hence one. The contemplation entering the real differs, hence four; all alike tending toward the one real, hence one. What is led through follows the agent, hence four; the agent converges upon what is led through, hence one. That birth-and-death is not identical with nirvāṇa makes the teaching narrow; that affliction is not identical with bodhi makes the practice narrow. That the teaching-gate and the practice-gate find principle difficult to encounter is named narrowness discussed in terms of principle.

The perfect teaching's own four gates are exactly the same: meeting four kinds of faculty, hence four; all alike the Buddha's own word, hence one. The contemplation entering the real differs, hence four; the four contemplations all tend toward the real, hence one. Taking up the gate as naming the principle, hence four; the principle answering to the gate, hence one. Within this teaching, birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, and so the teaching is not narrow; affliction is itself bodhi, and so the practice is not narrow. Yet this teaching's own contemplation, too, finds principle difficult to encounter, and hence principle alone is named narrow. If one follows the sūtra's own text, "there is but a single gate, and, moreover, it is narrow and small," this speaks correctly of the gate of teaching and practice, finding principle difficult to encounter — hence it is spoken of as narrow.

Here, opening up this single phrase, it applies differently in different places — how, then, could one possibly cling fixedly to a single reading of the text alone? If one grasps this same sense, coarse and wondrous become clear of themselves, and so on.

Second, judging coarse and wondrous in terms of the various gates themselves: first, clarifying that the Tripiṭaka's own four gates are all, alike, agents that lead through — clinging to any one of the four gates alike becomes an obstruction, and their accomplishment or failure, coarseness or wondrousness, admits of no superiority or inferiority between them at all. This, then, cannot be judged one-sidedly. Speaking in terms of the dharma itself: existence adheres to the conventional, and entering the path by means of it is clumsy; emptiness leans toward the truth, and entering the path by means of it is skillful. Hence the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says, "For those of dull faculty, the emptiness of the person is taught; for those of sharp faculty, the emptiness of dharmas is taught" — precisely this same sense. The gate of both existence and non-existence, measured against what came before, is skillful; measured against what follows, is clumsy; the gate of neither existence nor non-existence is, then, the skillful one. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says, "One who is half existent and half non-existent is named a person of dull faculty" — this judges coarse and wondrous in terms of the four gates' own dharma. Here, in terms of what suits a given faculty and disposition: if the gate of existence suits one, the gate of existence succeeds, and the remaining three gates fail; if the gate of non-existence suits one, the gate of non-existence succeeds, and the remaining three fail; and so on, likewise, for the fourth gate. If, with respect to any single gate, all four siddhāntas are attained, this is, in every case, named success; if the four siddhāntas are lost, this is, in every case, named failure. Returning to any single gate: meeting one's own desire is gain, running contrary to one's own inclination is loss; being fitting is gain, being unfitting is loss; curing the illness is gain, failing to cure it is loss; seeing the truth of ultimate meaning is gain, failing to see it is loss. Handed down, there is success and failure — in terms of this, coarse and wondrous may be discussed. Again, judging coarse and wondrous in terms of the ten contemplations: contemplating the causal object correctly is gain, the object being deviant and skewed is loss; arousing the true and correct aspiration is gain, failing to do so is loss; settling the mind and attaining its proper place is gain, settling the mind unevenly is loss; thoroughly breaking through the dharma is gain, failing to do so thoroughly is loss; knowing passage and obstruction is gain, failing to know them is loss; and so on, down to no attachment to the Dharma of the path arising being gain, and attachment to the Dharma of the path arising being loss. If a single gate's own ten dharmas are all accomplished, this gate is thereby wondrous, and the remaining gates are coarse; if the remaining gates' own ten dharmas are accomplished while this one gate's own are not, then this one is coarse, and the remaining gates are wondrous, and so on.

As for the shared teaching's own four gates, coarse and wondrous: the shared truth itself is one alone, and this one cannot be spoken of at all — what form of comparison could there even be by which coarse and wondrous might be discussed? Yet, in terms of meeting a given faculty and teaching the gate accordingly, superiority and inferiority are indeed present, and the depth or shallowness of the four gates may be judged exactly as explained within the Tripiṭaka teaching. Again, in terms of each single gate: if the teaching given meets and gathers in the four siddhāntas' own faculties, this is named wondrous; if it runs contrary to the four faculties, this is named coarse. If, within each single gate's own ten contemplations and cultivated practice, phrase after phrase attains its proper place, this is named wondrous; phrase after phrase failing to attain its proper place, this is named coarse. Being coarse, one is thereby burned by the fire on all four sides, unable to enter the cooling pond; differing from this, one is named wondrous.

As for the distinct teaching's own four gates, coarse and wondrous: discussed in terms of the mark of the dharma itself, the gate of existence, adhering to concrete matters, is accordingly coarse; the gate of emptiness, leaning toward principle, is accordingly wondrous. The gate of emptiness, being principle alone, is accordingly coarse; the gate of both emptiness and existence, leading through by both at once, is accordingly wondrous. The gate of both emptiness and existence, both alike still present, is accordingly coarse; the gate of neither emptiness nor existence, setting both aside at once, is accordingly wondrous. Yet, in terms of a given faculty and condition, this is not so: the gate of existence, matching one's own desire, is accordingly wondrous, while the remaining three gates, not matching one's own desire, are accordingly coarse; the gate of existence, being fitting, is accordingly wondrous, while the remaining three gates, not being fitting, are accordingly coarse; the gate of existence, corresponding to the evil at hand, is accordingly wondrous, while the remaining three gates, not corresponding to it, are accordingly coarse; the gate of existence, seeing the truth of ultimate meaning, is accordingly wondrous, while the remaining three gates, not seeing the truth of ultimate meaning, are accordingly coarse. The remaining three gates are exactly the same.

Again, recognizing the gate of existence's own object of true, good, wondrous form is named the tinduka fruit; failing to recognize the object is named the kālakā fruit. Correctly arousing the aspiration is named the tinduka fruit; incorrectly arousing the aspiration is named the kālakā fruit. Settling the mind through concentration and wisdom is named the tinduka fruit; failing to settle these same two dharmas is named the kālakā fruit. Thoroughly breaking through every dharma is named the tinduka fruit; breaking through the dharma incompletely is named the kālakā fruit. Skillfully recognizing passage and obstruction is named the tinduka fruit; failing to recognize passage and obstruction is named the kālakā fruit. Cultivating the thirty-seven factors is named the tinduka fruit; failing to cultivate the factors of the path is named the kālakā fruit. Skillfully understanding the antidote is named the tinduka fruit; failing to skillfully apply the antidote is named the kālakā fruit. Skillfully knowing the sequence of stages is named the tinduka fruit; failing to recognize the sequence of stages is named the kālakā fruit. Remaining patient, unmoved, is named the tinduka fruit; being unable to remain patient is named the kālakā fruit. Being without attachment to the Dharma of the path is named the tinduka fruit; attachment to the Dharma of the path arising is named the kālakā fruit. The kālakā fruit's own portion amounts to nine parts, while the tinduka fruit's own portion amounts to but a single part. If the ten contemplations are all accomplished, this is ten full parts of tinduka, and all ten contemplations are wondrous. If nine parts are kālakā, the kālakā portion alone is coarse; the single part that is tinduka is alone wondrous. A thousand catties of folded flowers do not equal a single tael of genuine gold — hence coarse and wondrous are judged accordingly by this same measure. This being so for the gate of existence, the remaining three gates are exactly the same.

As for the perfect teaching's own four gates, all alike are wondrous, without any coarseness at all. Why is this? The gate of existence is itself the dharma-realm, gathering in every dharma inconceivably, being itself every dharma — how much more so, then, the remaining three gates! The gate of emptiness is itself the dharma-realm, gathering in every dharma — how much more so, then, the remaining three gates! The remaining two are exactly the same, the mark of every dharma equal throughout, with no superiority or inferiority remaining at all. If this is so, then there is, in fact, no difference among the four gates at all — it is only that, according with each faculty, meeting differing conditions, four accounts are given, like four fingers pointing at a single moon, the moon being one and the pointing fingers four. Why is this? It is because sentient beings, life after life, have become habituated to these same four gates, and, through this habituation, their own natures have formed accordingly — formerly, within the four gates, reasoning to overturn ignorance, this became the nature of wisdom-faculty.

Formerly, within the four gates, cultivating good to overturn evil karma, this became the nature of merit-faculty; the causes and conditions of merit and wisdom draw forth, in the present, name-and-form, contact, and sensation, each, according to its own former habituation, giving rise to craving and grasping — these are the ten dharmas that form the sentient being of perfect nature. Their desires and delights differing, the remedy fitting to each differs accordingly; the Buddha's own wisdom, clearly discerning, illuminates each faculty without any error. By means of the mundane siddhānta, meeting the four kinds of nature and desire, these same four gates are taught; by means of the individual siddhānta, the four kinds of good are given rise to; by means of the therapeutic siddhānta, their own four kinds of clinging are remedied; by means of the siddhānta of ultimate meaning, all four kinds of persons are caused to see the principle. Without these four causes and conditions present, the Buddha does not teach the Dharma at all. Since the conditions are thus not uniform, they are briefly stated as four, all of them being the correct and direct setting-aside of skillful means, teaching solely the unsurpassed path. The gates' own mark perfectly interpenetrating, all four gates alike are wondrous.

This, in terms of the teaching-gate itself, further judges coarse and wondrous. Why is this? If one fails to grasp the sense of the four siddhāntas, who could possibly reconcile and harmonize the various treatises' own disputes and contentions? As with the Dilun school's own northern and southern paths, joined further by the rise of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha school, each claiming itself alone to be true, mutually rejecting and excluding one another, causing each to fall into a position of defeat — if one fails to grasp the sense here, all four gates alike are lost. Yet the perfect teaching's own gate, merged and pure, its teaching still empty and profound, dissolves and resolves every sūtra and treatise — what contention could possibly fail to be put to rest? If one wishes to enter the path, what gate would fail to lead through? At the moment of awakening to principle, how could there possibly remain any "four" to speak of? At the time of cultivating practice, how could there possibly be any obstruction? Yet the four gates' own obstructions differ in weight. The distinct teaching's own gates remain separated from one another — for one already awakened, there is no discord; for one not yet awakened, dispute arises, and the clinging involved is exceedingly heavy, comparable to a dull horse that moves only once struck with a painful blow. The perfect teaching's own gate, empty and profound, even before awakening, carries only a light clinging, comparable to a swift horse that moves the very moment it sees the shadow of the whip. A clinging as light as this, even if the benefit of ultimate meaning has not yet been attained, does not lose the benefit of the three remaining siddhāntas. Hence the Treatise says: these four siddhāntas are, every one, real and not empty. Why is this? Being the mundane siddhānta, it is real; and so on, even to being the siddhānta of seeing ultimate meaning, it too is real. Though all alike are real, their reality has both depth and shallowness, and all alike are also empty. Why is this? As when the gate of existence teaches the mundane siddhānta: with respect to delight and desire, it is real; with respect to the rest, it is empty. The gate of existence's giving rise to good is real; with respect to the rest, it is empty. The gate of existence's breaking through evil is real; with respect to the rest, it is empty. The gate of existence's seeing ultimate meaning is real; with respect to the rest, it is empty. And so on, likewise, for the remaining three gates. The gate of existence's three siddhāntas are real with respect to the mundane, yet empty with respect to ultimate meaning; the one siddhānta of ultimate meaning is real with respect to ultimate meaning, yet empty with respect to the mundane — being real, it is accordingly wondrous; being empty, it is accordingly coarse, and this may be elaborated broadly, and so on.

If this coarse and wondrous distinction is applied to the Five Flavors: the milk teaching has eight gates, four coarse and four wondrous, yet what is led through is, in every case, wondrous. The cream teaching's own four gates are all coarse, and the principle, too, is coarse. The curdled-butter teaching has sixteen gates: twelve are coarse, four are wondrous; what is led through by two teachings is coarse, and by two is wondrous. The clarified-butter teaching has twelve gates: eight are coarse, four are wondrous; one principle is coarse, one principle is wondrous. The Lotus Sūtra's own four gates are all wondrous, and its one principle, too, is wondrous. Every śrāvaka, up to this point, has had gate and principle both alike coarse; only upon reaching this Lotus Sūtra do gate and principle become merged and wondrous. The bodhisattva is not fixed in this respect — some already have gate and principle merged and wondrous within the vaipulya or Perfection of Wisdom teachings; the most dull-witted among them are the same as the two lesser vehicles. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra has sixteen gates: twelve are coarse, four are wondrous, yet what is led through is, in every case, wondrous. Why is this? Every gate discussed previously, coarse or wondrous, each leads through while still retaining a provisional principle. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra is not so: within every dharma without exception, the nature of peace and bliss is entirely present, every sentient being possessing buddha-nature, with no provisional principle remaining at all — only the one wondrous principle, and yet, further retaining the coarse gates, taken as skillful means toward this same wondrous principle, all alike clarified as entering the real. As when a brahmin asks: "Since the cause is impermanent, how could the fruit possibly be permanent?" — the Buddha answers by turning the question back upon him, and so on. One thereby knows that, just as the hundred rivers all converge upon the sea, every gate converges upon the real — the real principle being urgently pressing, merging is thus required; yet, to draw in and receive dull faculties, the coarse skillful means are still retained. The Lotus Sūtra breaks and subdues the provisional gate and principle, like the great Ganges river of golden sand, with no further winding or bending left at all. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra gathers in and receives, still permitting the provisional gate, each suited to its own cause and condition — what is retained and what is set aside thus differ between them. Yet, just as gold-bearing sand and the hundred rivers alike, in the end, reach the very same sea without distinction, and so on.

Fourth, opening the coarse gates to reveal the wondrous gates.

Question: The Mūlamadhyamakakārikā first clarifies the Mahāyāna's own gate, and only afterward clarifies the two lesser vehicles' own gate. Why, here, is the lesser gate clarified first, and the great gate clarified only afterward?

Answer: The Mūlamadhyamakakārikā addresses the people of its own time, whose affliction lay in views already fixed and formed — hence it first sweeps these away with the great teaching, and only afterward shows the gate that enters the truth. This present sūtra no longer addresses the affliction of fixed views — its hearers merely dwell within the thatched hut — and so it must first open the gate of skillful means, showing the perfect real mark; hence the lesser gate is listed first, and the great gate clarified only afterward. Opening and breaking-through, each suited to its own proper occasion, each carries its own particular excellence.

As for the Lotus Sūtra's own teaching after this point, there is no need for any further opening; as for the Lotus Sūtra's own teaching before this point, wherever gate and principle have already entered the wondrous, what further remains to be opened? Or, though gate and principle may already be wondrous, the person may not yet be wondrous. Where gate and principle are already wondrous, no further opening is needed; where gate, or principle, or the person themselves is not yet wondrous, this must now be opened. That is: opening every craving, view, and affliction as itself bodhi — hence it says, "contemplating every dharma as empty, as the real mark itself." Opening every instance of birth-and-death as itself nirvāṇa — hence it says, "the mark of the world constantly abides." Opening every ordinary person as itself a wondrous person — hence it says, "every sentient being is, without exception, my own child." Opening every teaching born of craving and views as itself the Buddha-dharma — hence it says, "whether expounding worldly scriptures, or worldly occupation and productive undertaking, all of it is never at odds with the real mark itself." Opening every sentient being as itself the wondrous principle — hence it says, "in order to cause sentient beings to open the Buddha's own knowledge and vision" — showing, awakening, and entering are exactly the same. Opening every Hīnayāna dharma as itself the wondrous dharma — hence it says, "decisively resolving the śrāvaka's own dharma, this being the king of every sūtra." Opening every śrāvaka teaching — hence it says, "the Buddha, formerly, before the bodhisattvas, disparaged the śrāvakas, and yet the Buddha, in reality, always taught and transformed by means of the Mahāyāna." Opening every śrāvaka practice as itself wondrous practice — hence it says, "what you yourselves have practiced is itself the bodhisattva path." Opening every śrāvaka principle as itself the wondrous principle — hence it says, "opening the gate of skillful means, showing the true and real mark." Opening every bodhisattva not yet brought to the wondrous, now, every one, attaining the perfect — hence it says, "the bodhisattvas, hearing this dharma, have had every net of doubt entirely removed."

The distinct teaching has its own single kind of bodhisattva; the Tripiṭaka, too, has its own single kind of bodhisattva; the shared teaching has its own single kind of bodhisattva — whatever has not yet been decisively resolved is, here, every one, opened and revealed. Whether gate or principle, there is nothing that does not enter the wondrous — this is named opening the provisional to reveal the real, resolving the coarse to make it wondrous, and so on.

Fifth, the real mark as the essence made for every sūtra, this, in turn, treated under five senses: first, this present sūtra's own essence under various differing names; second, every sūtra's own essence under various differing names; third, distinguishing the peripheral from the correct; fourth, distinguishing this sūtra from other sūtras; fifth, coarse and wondrous, opening the coarse to reveal the wondrous.

First, as for this sūtra's own essence, named the same or differently from one place to another: the "Introduction" chapter says, "The present buddha has emitted this radiant light, thereby helping to bring forth the sense of the real mark." And again: "The sense of the real mark of all dharmas has already been taught for your sake." The "Skillful Means" chapter's own broad exposition says: "every buddha's own one great cause and condition," "opening the Buddha's own knowledge and vision," "the unsurpassed path," "the seal of the real mark," and the rest. Within "Parable," "the great cart" illustrates the one Great Vehicle. Within "Faith and Understanding," it is named "entrusting the household's own estate." Within "Medicinal Herbs," it is named "the ground of the wisdom that knows all things," "the most real matter." Within "The Conjured City," it is named "the place of the real." Within "Bestowing the Prediction," it is named "the tied jewel." Within "Teacher of the Dharma," it is named the secret and profound treasury. Within "The Jeweled Stūpa," it is named "the equal, great wisdom." Within "Peaceful Practices," it is named "the real mark." Within "Life Span," it is named "neither the same nor different." Within the "Spiritual Powers" chapter, "the treasury of secret essentials." Within "Gadgadasvara," it is named "the samādhi of manifesting every form of body." Within "Avalokiteśvara's Universal Gate," it is named "the universal gate." Within "Samantabhadra's Encouragement," it is named "planting every root of virtue."

Names of this kind, differing one from another, likewise differ in their own sense: the principle being ultimately true and real, taking the real as its own mark, it is accordingly named "the real mark." Numinous knowing, quiescent illumination, it is named "the Buddha's own knowledge and vision." Every buddha of the three time-periods makes use of this alone for both their own practice and the transformation of others, hence it is called "the great cause and condition." Empty and pervasive, it is named "the path." Correctly settling every dharma, it is named "the seal of the real mark." Carrying and conveying, it is named "the vehicle." Accomplishing the buddha's own undertaking, it is named "the household's own estate." What every dharma depends upon, hence it is named "the ground of wisdom." The very source of every dharma, hence it is named "the place of treasure." Perfect and wondrous, difficult to conceive, hence it is called "the jeweled gem." Accumulating nothing at all, and yet containing every dharma, it is named "the secret treasury." Its own secret essential, penetrating without obstruction, it is named "the equal, great wisdom." Excluding both extremes, it is named "neither the same nor different." Its own wondrous form, sovereign and free, hence it is called "the samādhi of manifesting every form." The very source by which one enters the real, hence it is named "the universal gate." Every dharma arising by means of it, hence it is called "the root of virtue." Names and senses of this kind, though differing, share the identical essence — the real mark — already explained above, and so on.

Second, every sūtra's own essence under various differing names.

Question: The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says, "without the seal of the real mark, it is what a demon has spoken." Here, discussing the real mark as usable as the essence — if other sūtras do not do so, ought they, then, to be considered a demon's own word?

Answer: Not so. Every sūtra's own differing names — whether true, good, wondrous form, or ultimate emptiness, or the tathāgatagarbha, or the middle way, and the rest — these various, differing names cannot all be listed in full, yet all, alike, are separate designations for the real mark, all, alike, the correct seal, each proclaimed supreme, precisely because of this same real seal. Should one lose sight of this same sense, this would not be the Buddhadharma at all — hence it is said that every sūtra's own essence is the same.

Third, distinguishing the peripheral from the correct: every sūtra, whether the half-teaching or the full teaching, whether Hīnayāna or Mahāyāna, differs in this respect, and its own essence has both a peripheral and a correct aspect. The correct is precisely the real mark; the peripheral is precisely the one-sided real. The one-sided real, at times, contains the real mark within it; the real mark, at times, carries the one-sided real together with it, and both are commonly called "the real mark." Hence the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā says, "the real mark is attained jointly by three kinds of persons" — this joint attainment refers precisely to the one-sided real. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says, "the śrāvaka's own person sees only emptiness" — this emptiness is precisely the peripheral. "The wise one sees both emptiness and non-emptiness" — this non-emptiness is precisely the correct. This present sūtra says, "we, in former days, alike entered the dharma-nature" — this dharma-nature is precisely the peripheral. "Today, abiding securely within real wisdom" — this real wisdom is precisely the correct. The Hīnayāna's own three dharma-seals are this same peripheral; the shared teaching, carrying the peripheral together with it, clarifies the correct; the distinct and the perfect teachings clarify only the correct, and discuss the peripheral no further.

In terms of the Five Flavors: the milk teaching discusses only the correct; the cream teaching discusses only the peripheral; the curdled-butter and clarified-butter teachings carry both the peripheral and the correct together; the ghee alone discusses only the correct.

Again, the correct real mark carries many names, and, within these very names, the peripheral and the correct, too, may further be discussed: the Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra takes the self-nature's own purity as the correct, and its other names as the peripheral; the Avataṃsaka Sūtra takes the Dharma-body as the correct; the Perfection of Wisdom teachings take the wisdom knowing all modes as the correct; the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra takes buddha-nature as the correct; this present sūtra takes the real mark, the one vehicle, as the correct, and its other names as the peripheral. This, then, is discussing peripheral and correct in terms of what is, in itself, neither peripheral nor correct — peripheral and correct alike being, every one, this same sūtra's own essence, and so on.

Fourth, distinguishing this sūtra from other sūtras: what came before distinguished the distinct and perfect teachings' own two dharmas under differing names; here, further, in general terms, both Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna are distinguished under four propositions: sometimes name, sense, and essence are the same as this present sūtra's own; sometimes name, sense, and essence differ from this present sūtra's own; sometimes name and sense are the same as this present sūtra's own while essence differs; sometimes name and sense differ from this present sūtra's own while essence is the same.

Within the Tripiṭaka teaching, if its own name and essence are called "the real mark," this is a case of name and sense the same as this present sūtra's own while essence differs. If it is not named "the real mark," this is a case of name, sense, and essence all differing from this present sūtra's own. Only these two propositions apply here; the remaining two do not occur. The shared teaching, naming the real mark as its own essence, this is a case of name and sense the same while essence differs; if it does not take up this same name, then name, sense, and essence all differ. If the shared teaching's own gate leads distantly through to the middle way, then name, sense, and essence are all the same, or name and sense differ while essence is the same. The distinct teaching, measured against the perfect teaching's own four propositions, is distinguished exactly as in "one dharma under many names," and so on.

Traced through the Five Flavors: the milk teaching has two kinds where name and sense are the same, and two kinds where name and sense differ while essence is the same. The cream teaching follows the same pattern as before, and so on. The curdled-butter and clarified-butter teachings are as before, and so on. Within the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, there are four kinds where name and sense differ, and where name and sense are the same, and yet the essence, in every case, is the same — the single buddha-nature admitting of no distinction at all, and so on.

Fifth, coarse and wondrous: as for the differing names of the peripheral and the correct within the correct real mark itself, these differing names, differing in sense, yet share an identical essence from the very start — here, there is no coarse or wondrous at all. Yet, taking the peripheral alone is coarse; the peripheral containing the correct within it, or the correct carrying the peripheral together with it, are, taken at face value, likewise coarse; only the correct alone is wondrous.

The Tripiṭaka and shared teachings, name the same and sense the same while essence differs, are, throughout, coarse. The distinct teaching's own name and sense are sometimes the same, sometimes differing; where the teaching-gate differs, this is coarse; where the essence is the same, this is wondrous; where name and sense are the same, or name and sense differ, while the essence is the same, this, too, is wondrous. Traced through the Five Flavors, coarse and wondrous may thereby be known. As for opening the coarse: this is precisely opening the peripheral. Sometimes opening the peripheral teaching as itself the correct teaching — "the Buddha, formerly, before the bodhisattvas, disparaged the śrāvakas, and yet the Buddha, in reality, always taught and transformed by means of the Mahāyāna." Sometimes opening the peripheral practice as itself the correct practice — "what you yourselves have practiced is itself the bodhisattva path." Sometimes opening the peripheral person as itself the correct person — the hired servant's own wage for a single day's work is, in fact, the elder's own son. Sometimes opening the peripheral essence as itself the correct essence — "opening the gate of skillful means, showing the true and real mark"; afterward, seeing this same impoverished man, showing him the jewel tied within his own robe. Deeply contemplating the peripheral principle is itself the correct principle. Everything, without exception, is wondrous, with no coarseness left to set against it at all — this is precisely the sūtra's own correct intent.

Sixth, the essence of every practice, this, in turn, treated under four senses: first, practice's own sameness and difference; second, cultivating practice in accordance with the sūtras; third, coarse and wondrous; fourth, opening the coarse.

As for practice's own sameness and difference: receiving the teaching and establishing practice never proceeds beyond faith and the dharma. The one of dull faculties, gaining understanding by means of hearing, establishes practice from this understanding, and is accordingly named "the one who follows through faith." The one of sharp faculties, reasoning for oneself and gaining understanding, establishes practice from this understanding, and is accordingly named "the one who follows through the dharma." These two kinds of practice run through all Four Teachings. The Tripiṭaka's own faith and dharma take the peripheral real mark as their essence. The shared teaching's own faith and dharma take the peripheral containing the correct as their essence. The distinct teaching's own faith and dharma take the correct as their essence. The perfect teaching's own faith and dharma likewise take the correct as their essence. If practice is discussed horizontally, this is precisely the various pāramitās, loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, and the rest, each teaching discussing its own essence accordingly. If every horizontal and vertical practice possesses this essence, then, the root once established, the path arises from it. If the essence possesses practice, then the essence is manifested only by means of this same practice. To clarify further the perfect teaching's own vertical practice: the five ranks and the six purified faculties take the resemblance of the correct as their essence; from the initial abiding through equal enlightenment, all alike take the true and correct as their essence. As for horizontal practice: as the Larger Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra says, every dharma is the Mahāyāna, taking the ungraspable — precisely because it is ungraspable — as itself the correct real mark. This present sūtra's own text says, "grasping no dharma at all, whether existent or non-existent," and "bestowing upon every child, equally, a single great cart" — precisely this same sense. The young brahmin student, upon seeing the buddha Dīpaṃkara, attained the forbearance of the dharma of no-generation — his practice thereby possessed the true essence. The Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says, "giving without dwelling on any mark, like a person with eyes, seeing every kind of form" — this, too, carries this same sense. Where vertical practice possesses this essence, the cart is thereby tall; where horizontal practice possesses this essence, the cart is thereby broad — tall and broad, carrying greatly, its own pace even and level, as swift as the wind, and so on.

Second, cultivating practice in accordance with the sūtras: the two practices of faith and the dharma discussed before are broad in their own scope and lenient in their own timing, sometimes extending across countless eons, comparable to a prolonged siege. If, relying upon the various sūtras' own particular clarification of practice, one fixes a definite day and sets a strict schedule, this is comparable to a fierce, concentrated assault. If one practices simply following the concrete matter at hand, this practice has no essence to it; if one practices following principle, causing this same wisdom of emptiness to correspond with the practice, able thereby to break through immeasurable sins that obstruct the path, and able to attain the forbearance of the dharma of no-generation — this practice possesses the essence. The various sūtras' own particular practices are indeed many; briefly stated, there are four: namely, the practice of constant walking, the practice of constant sitting, the practice of half-walking-and-half-sitting, and the practice of neither walking nor sitting. Each of these practices has its own concrete method, the body diligently exerting itself, all alike taking the correct contemplation of the real mark as their essence. Thought after thought without interruption, pure as empty space — the full account of the sense of this contemplation is given within the Mohe Zhiguan.

Yet the Hīnayāna's own precept-treasury does not permit confession of grave offenses, while the sūtra-treasury causes one who has committed a grave offense to be mindful of the Buddha's own body — this being mindful of the Buddha's body is itself being mindful of emptiness — and it, too, is furnished with methods such as constant walking and the rest, yet takes the one-sided emptiness as its own essence. The shared teaching likewise clarifies methods such as constant walking and the rest, yet takes the emptiness that is at once form as its own essence. The distinct teaching's own practice proceeds sequentially, stage by stage; the perfect teaching's own practice is empty and merged — yet both alike take the correct real mark as their essence. Tracing these same four practices through the Five Flavors, discussing the essence of their own method, the sense may thereby be inferred and understood.

Third, coarse and wondrous: the Tripiṭaka and shared teachings' own faith and dharma, true and resembling, whether horizontal or vertical practice, take the peripheral real mark as their own essence — both essence and practice alike are coarse. The distinct teaching's own faith and dharma, true and resembling, whether horizontal or vertical practice, though relying upon the distinct teaching's own gate, take the correct real mark as their essence — the cause being impermanent, and yet the fruit being permanent, the practice is coarse while the essence is wondrous. The perfect teaching's own faith and dharma, true and resembling, whether horizontal or vertical, relying upon the perfect teaching's own gate and correct essence, both essence and practice alike are wondrous. Traced through the Five Flavors, coarse and wondrous may thereby be clarified and known, and so on.

As for the various sūtras' own methods, such as constant walking and the rest: taking the peripheral as the essence, both essence and practice alike are coarse; taking the correct as the essence, the practice is coarse while the essence is wondrous; both essence and practice alike wondrous follows the same pattern as before, and may thereby be known. Traced through the Five Flavors, this, too, may be understood, and so on.

Fourth, opening the coarse: opening the Tripiṭaka's own two practices of faith and the dharma is likewise decisively resolving the śrāvaka's own dharma, this being the king of every sūtra. "Having heard it, they contemplated it with careful attention, and thereby drew near the unsurpassed path" — hearing is precisely following through faith, and contemplation is precisely following through the dharma; both, drawing near the unsurpassed path, are precisely the Mahāyāna's own markless practice, drawing near the truth itself. As for opening horizontal practice: "bowing the head, or raising a hand, or humming a tune with a distracted mind — all have already accomplished the buddha-path." The Tripiṭaka teaching is the shallowest of all, and yet, even it, once opened, becomes wondrous — how much more so, then, the shared and distinct teachings, and the rest, which may be understood by the same sense. As for opening the methods relying upon the Hīnayāna's own constant walking and the rest: even the smallest, most minor good is such that not a single instance fails to accomplish buddhahood, which may likewise be understood by this same sense, and so on.