..续本文上一页s the method of coming forth [in the religious life], studies and practices, and becomes directed toward the incomparable right completed enlightenment. Hence the second refuge is not the highest one; it is the refuge with temporal limitation.

　　"Lord, when those sentient beings to be tamed by the Tathagata go to the Tathagata for refuge, they have faith flowing from the true nature (dharmata). Therefore, they also go to the Dharma and to the Samgha of monks for refuge. It is because of their faith flowing from true nature that they go for refuge to those two refuges. But when they for refuge to the Tathagata, they do not go for refuge by reason of faith flowing from true nature. Lord, the going to the Tathagata for refuge is the actual going for refuge. To the extent the other two goings for refuge are also actual, one must understand them as ultimately the same as going to the Tathagata for refuge. The reason is the Tathagata is not one thing, and the two refuges something else. Lord, the Tathagata is himself the three refuges. This is because the Dharma which teaches the path of One Vehicle is the speech of the Tathagata as Lord of bulls and is the Lion”s roar of the Tathagata which has the four kinds of confidence. It is also because, whatever the beliefs, they are furnished for the sake of the Mahayanaists by the Tathagata when he furnishes the means of both vehicles. When there is no terminology of two vehicles, this is the ultimate case where the One Vehicle is the genuine vehicle and incorporates the three vehicles.

　　6. The Boundless Noble Truths

　　"Lord, when the Disciples and the Self-Enlightened ones have their one [-sided] knowledge which initially comprehends the four Noble Truths, they eliminate a certain amount of static kinds [of defilement]. With that one [-sided] knowledge they realize directly the four merits of search and so on, and acutely discriminate the four objects according to their true nature. Lord, in the supramundane knowledge there is no progression of four knowledges and no progression of four meditative objects. The supramundane knowledge which is diamond-like is of nonprogressive nature. Lord, that being the case, all the Disciples and Self-Enlightened ones actually know the first kind of knowledge of the Noble Truths which eliminates static kinds [of defilement], but they do not have the second kind of knowledge of the Noble Truths for eliminating the static kinds. Lord, the Tathagata-Arhat-Samyaksambuddhas are outside the sensory domain of all Disciples and Self-Enlightened ones, and eliminate all the defilement-stores by inconceivable voidness knowledge. The ultimate knowledge which disintegrates the entire defilement-store is entitled ”Right Knowledge.” The first kind of knowledge of the Noble Truths is not the ultimate knowledge but is the knowledge on the way towards the incomparable right completed enlightenment.

　　"Lord, the meaning of ”Noble” does not apply to any of the Disciples or Self-Enlightened ones. Both have a measurable merit, and because their merit is ancillary to that [Truth] the Disciples and the Self-Enlightened ones are called ”Noble” (arya). The Noble Truths are not Truths belonging to the Disciples and the Self-Enlightened ones and are not merit belonging to them. Lord, these truths were first discovered by the Tathagata-Arhat-Samyaksambuddhas; and after being fully understood by them were revealed and taught to the world which is enclosed in t, he shell of nescience. That is the way one should understand the Noble Truths.

　　7. The Tathagatagarbha

　　"Lord, the explanation of the meaning of the Noble Truths should be considered to be profound and subtle, difficult to understand, incapable of being judged, and not in the domain of logic. It takes a wise man to appreciate i…

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