The four types of regulating and rectifying bring about the illumination of perfect quiescence in one life. The five categories of preparatory practices train one’s uncontrolled physical, verbal, and mental actions. Though one experiences craving, one nevertheless can gain enlightenment concerning bodhi-wisdom. By contemplating [the cycle of] birth and death one is awakened to Nirvāṇa. One crosses over this realm of delusion on the raft of practice, and thus completes this doctrine. Where else can one seek the torch of wisdom [that illumines] this dark room? …

Q: What is the list of names [of the Four Samādhis]?
A: (1) The Constantly Sitting Samādhi; (2) the Constantly Walking Samādhi; (3) the Half-walking and Half-sitting Samādhi; and (4) the Neither-walking-nor-sitting Samādhi. …

Q: What is the interpretation of the names?

A: “Samādhi” refers to regulating, rectifying, and concentrating.

Q: What is regulated to justify calling it “regulating and rectifying”?

A: Physical, verbal, and mental [activity] are regulated and rectified.

Q: How do you know that “samādhi” means regulating and rectifying?

A: The Ta Chih tu lun says, “A good mind dwells in one place without moving. This is called samādhi.”

Q: What is the meaning of this treatise passage?

A: “One place” refers to the Dharma realm. In [the state of] cessation and contemplation one can concentrate without wavering. With these four practices as conditions, one contemplates the mind, and with these conditions one regulates and rectifies [physical, verbal, and mental activity]. Therefore it is called “samādhi.”

Q: What are the names of the Two Truths?

A: First, the mundane truth; and second, the real truth.

Q: What is the meaning of the mundane and real truths?

A: If one discusses the meaning succinctly, [one can say] merely that the crux of the nature of reality is the real truth, and the Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising of ignorance is the mundane truth. If [the meaning is] discussed extensively, there are seven categories of the Two Truths. Each of these categories of Two Truths also has three categories, so all together there are twenty-one [interpretations of] the Two Truths. If one utilizes the first category of the Two Truths, one can destroy all mistaken sayings and exhaust all attachments, as the fire at the end of an era burns up [everything] and does not leave even a mustard seed behind. How much more so [are the effective results of] expanding on the later interpretations of the Two Truths, which go beyond the limits of language and are not within the capacity of human feelings to fathom!

Q: If the Tripiṭaka Bodhisattva does retrogress, but the Bodhisattvas of the other Three Teachings do not, then why does it say in the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra that those in the Ten Stages are afraid of tigers, wolves, and lions?

A: If one is killed by an evil friend, one can fall into hell. If one is killed by an evil elephant, one does not fall into hell. Thus for [a Bodhisattva of] the Perfect Teaching to have a physical body means that he can ascend or transcend the Ten Stages within this life. This means that though one has already destroyed all passions and has no karma for falling into hell, one still has a physical body that cannot avoid evil beasts. The physical body of Bodhisattvas of the other Teachings cannot ascend the Ten Stages within one life.

The term “Two Truths” is mentioned in many Sūtras, but its principle is difficult to understand. The world is in an uproar and has debated this issue for a long time. A Sūtra [the Miao-sheng-ting Ching] says, “In the past the Buddha and Mañjuśrī had a dispute over the Two Truths, and they both fell into hell. It was not until the time of the Buddha Kāśyapa that their doubts were resolved satisfactorily.” If these two sages in their causal stages [previous to attaining Buddhahood] were unable to understand completely, how is it possible for people with strong emotional passions?

The real and mundane [truths] are difficult to know clearly. The Great Awakened One during his [stage of] causal practice disputed [with Mañjuśrī] over [the Two Truths as] emptiness or existence, for it is easy to be confused. The Hinayāna Arhats are still in the dark. Therefore during the Liang period (502-56) the interpretations of the Ch’eng shih lun were various, and during the Ch’en dynasty (557-89) there was no agreement about criticizing or supporting the Mūlamadhyamakakārika. Blind men stroke an elephant [and each reaches different conclusions], and blind children doubt [the existence of] a crane. Then there appeared the masters of Nan-yo and T’ien-t’ai, sages who were together on [Vulture] Peak [and heard the preaching of the Lotus Sutra directly]. [Chih-i] brought forth the Perfect Teaching and taught skillfully without stagnation. Seven levels [of the Two Truths] were classified; these were incorporated into five levels. All the treatises from the West [India] were mastered, and none of the virtuous people in the east could match him.

Q: What if one interprets the Five Flavors with regard to this classification of crude and subtle?

A: The Milk Teaching includes two interpretations of conditioned co-arising, one crude and one subtle. The Cream Teaching is just one crude interpretation. The Curds Teaching includes three crude interpretations and one subtle interpretation. The Butter Teaching includes two crude interpretations and one subtle interpretation. The Lotus Ghee [Teaching] merely expounds one subtle interpretation. Thus I have given a summary of the main ideas. Details are in the original text [the Fa-hua hsüan-i].

Q: Craving and enlightenment, and delusion and awakening, are distinct. Is it not careless [to emphasize] the relative aspect of their meaning?

A: A distinction is made between delusion and awakening with regard to conditions, but since they are [fundamentally] unchanging, the essence of the defiled and of the pure are one. Therefore it is said that craving and enlightenment, and the cycle of birth and death and Nirvāṇa, are identical.

Q: This Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising consists of how many causes and how many results?

A: There are two causes from the past, five results of the present, three causes from the present, and two results of the future.

Q: What are the two causes from the past and so forth?

A: The two causes from the past are (1) ignorance and (2) volitional activity. The five results of the present are (1) consciousness, (2) name and form, (3) the six senses, (4) contact, and (5) experience. The three causes from the present are (1) passion, (2) attachment, and (3) existence. The two results of the future are (1) rebirth and (2) decay and death.

Q: What is the meaning of the passage quoted from the Saddharma-smṛtyupasthāna Sūtra that speaks of “distributing the five colors”?

A: The combination of ignorance with the most evil activity arouses the conditioned co-arising of the hellish realm, like painting with the color black. The combination of ignorance with middling evil activity arouses the conditioned co-arising of the realm of beasts, like painting with the color red. The combination of ignorance with lesser evil activity arouses the conditioned co-arising of the realm of hungry spirits, like painting with the color blue. The combination of ignorance with lesser good activity arouses the conditioned co-arising of the realm of the asuras, like painting with the color yellow. The combination of ignorance with middling good activities arouses the conditioned co-arising of the realm of human beings, like painting with the color white. The combination of ignorance with the best good activity arouses the conditioned co-arising of the realm of gods, like painting with the most superior white color. The analogy of the five colors has this meaning. The arousing of these six destinies should be known as having these causes.

Q: Is there any textual evidence for these four interpretations of Conditioned Co-arising?

A: The Saddharma-smṛtyupasthāna Sūtra says that an artist paints all shapes by distributing the five colors. There are incalculable beautiful and ugly pictures. The basis for these images is discovered in the hand of the artist. The Ying lo Ching says that ignorance is the condition for volitional activity. Thus the Twelvefold [Links of Conditioned Co-arising] arise, and so forth until rebirth, [which is] the condition for decay and death, and thus the Twelvefold [Links of Conditioned Co-arising] arise again. This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising conceptually understood as arising and perishing. The Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra says, “The essential mark of ignorance is that of fundamentally lacking self[-nature]; it has existence only as the confluence of deluded conceptualizations concerning that which conditionally co-arises. … Thus I explain it, and I call it ignorance. Volitional activity, consciousness, name and form, the six senses, contact, experience, passion, attachment, existence, rebirth, decay and death, deluded sorrows, multifarious suffering, and karmic deeds are beyond conceptual understanding. The cycle of birth and death is limitless; revolving transmigration never rests. Fundamentally there is no arising, nor is there any confluence of immoral thoughts or creation of mental activity.” This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising conceptually understood as neither arising nor perishing. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says, “The mind, like a skillful painter, creates the various aggregates. In all the world there is nothing that does not follow the creations of the mind.” The Ratnagotravibhāga says, “There are four obstacles for those who dwell in the undefiled realm: conditions, marks, rebirth, and destruction. ‘Conditions’ refers to fundamental ignorance, which becomes the condition for volitional activity. ‘Marks’ refers to the combination of ignorance and volitional activity, which causes further rebirth. ‘Rebirth’ refers to the combination of fundamental ignorance and undefiled deeds, which causes the rebirth of the three types of mind-born bodies. ‘Destruction’ refers to the three types of mind-born bodies as the conditions for birth and death, which is an inconceivable transformation.” This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising beyond conceptual understanding yet arising and perishing. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says, “Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising is called the Buddha nature.” This is evidence for Twelvefold Conditioned Co-arising as beyond conceptual understanding and neither arising nor perishing.