VI. The Teaching-Body That Can Expound 六、能诠教体
Coauthored by Teacher Qi and His Junior Disciple | 2018-06-23 | Download | AI assisted translation
| “诠”就是诠释、解释、表达的意思。“能诠教体”就是“能够表达教义的载体”，略分十门： |
“Quan” means to expound, explain, or express. “The vehicle that can articulate the teaching” refers to a vehicle capable of expressing doctrinal meaning. It may be broadly divided into ten gates: |
| 一、名句能诠门。名句就是文字，以文字为“能诠教体”，就是用一行行的文字为载体来表达教义。 |
1. The Gate of Names and Sentences as That Which Articulates. Names and sentences are written words. To take written words as “the vehicle that can articulate the teaching” is to use lines of text as a vehicle for expressing doctrine. |
| 二、言声诠表门。这是说“以音声为佛事”，也就是以语言等声音来表达。 |
2. The Gate of Speech and Sound as Expression. This refers to “using sound as Buddha-work”—that is, expressing doctrine through such sounds as speech. |
| 三、声名合诠门。既有声音，也有文字。比如，带有字幕的录音开示，其“能诠教体”就是“声名合诠”。 |
3. The Gate of the Joint Articulation of Sound and Names. This includes both sound and written words. For example, in a recorded teaching accompanied by subtitles, the “vehicle that can articulate the teaching” is the “joint articulation of sound and names.” |
| 四、声名俱绝门。音声文字，当相即空。以无所有故，终日说法，亦未尝说。“也大奇，也大奇，无情说法不思议！” |
4. The Gate in Which Both Sound and Names Are Absent. Sound and written words are empty in their very appearance. Because there is nothing whatsoever, one may teach the Dharma all day long and yet never have taught it. “How wondrous, how wondrous! It is inconceivable that the insentient expound the Dharma!” |
| 五、通摄所诠门。“能诠”是文字，“所诠”是义理。义因文显，虽然“能诠”性空如幻，却能通摄所诠。 |
5. The Gate That Comprehensively Includes What Is Articulated. That which articulates is words; that which is articulated is doctrinal meaning. Meaning becomes manifest through words. Although that which articulates is empty in nature and illusory, it can nonetheless comprehensively include what is articulated. |
| 六、遍该诸法门。不但语言文字，即使色、香、味、触、默然等，都是“能诠教体”。如维摩之“默然”。 |
6. The Gate Encompassing All Dharmas. Not only speech and written words, but even form, scent, taste, touch, silence, and so forth are all “vehicles that can articulate the teaching.” An example is Vimalakīrti’s “silence.” |
| 七、缘起唯心门。以上所说诸教体，都是应缘而起、唯心所现，所以都是以“识”为体。 |
7. The Gate of Dependent Arising as Mind-Only. All the vehicles of teaching discussed above arise in response to conditions and are manifestations of mind alone; therefore, they all take consciousness as their basis. |
| 八、会虚归实门。“会虚归实”就是“会相归性”。相虚未尝不尽，性实未尝不显，所以相即是性。“山河大地是如来。” |
8. The Gate of Returning from the Illusory to the Real. “Returning from the illusory to the real” means “returning from appearances to nature.” Illusory appearances are never exhausted, and true nature is never not manifest; therefore, appearances are precisely nature. “Mountains, rivers, and the great earth are the Tathāgata.” |
| 九、性相无碍门。假相有为而不碍如如。真性无为而不妨妙用。相即性，性即相，相不坏性，性不改相，性相无碍。 |
9. The Gate of Nonobstruction Between Nature and Appearance. Conditioned, provisional appearances do not obstruct suchness. Unconditioned true nature does not hinder wondrous functioning. Appearance is nature, and nature is appearance; appearance does not destroy nature, and nature does not alter appearance. Nature and appearance are nonobstructive. |
| 十、圆明具德门。真性平等，虚相差别。随缘不变，不变随缘。真不异俗，俗不异真。至此，“能诠教体”圆明无碍，具足一切功德。 |
10. The Gate of Perfect Luminosity Endowed with Virtues. True nature is equal, while illusory appearances differ. It remains unchanged while according with conditions, and accords with conditions while remaining unchanged. The true is not other than the conventional, and the conventional is not other than the true. At this point, “the vehicle that can articulate the teaching” is perfectly luminous and unobstructed, endowed with every merit and virtue. |
| 那么，今天我们探索《楞伽经》，其“能诠教体”具有哪些门呢？经文是文字，已摄第一门。我们在这里用语言来表达，也摄第二门。如此逐门加以甄别，结论就是十门遍摄。 |
So, as we explore the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra today, which of these gates does its “vehicle that can articulate the teaching” possess? The sūtra text consists of written words, so it already encompasses the first gate. Here we use speech to express it, so it also encompasses the second gate. Examining it gate by gate in this way, the conclusion is that all ten gates are comprehensively included. |
