| 英文摘要 |
In the chapter on the “Entry into the Dharma Gate of Non-duality” in the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, Vimalakīrti responded to Mañjuśrī's query of “What does it mean for a Bodhisattva to have entered the Dharma Gate of Non-duality?” with complete silence. Judging from the linguistic format of the dialogue between Vimalakīrti and Mañjuśrī, seemingly, the reason why Vimalakīrti kept silent was because he was making a statement without using actual speech. Vimalakīrti utterly extinguished Mañjuśrī's remaining discrimination between what he knew and saw when he was making a statement with words and saying words about silence. However, if we were to think that one must do without language after seeing Vimalakīrti's example of silence and come to the point of complete speechlessness and thoughtlessness in order to realize entry into the dharma gate of non-duality, another duality is being created. This new duality of “speech” and “speechlessness” as well as “non-duality” and “non non-duality” is thus created after the attachment to speech is removed.
In the “Entry into the Dharma Gate of Non-duality” chapter, thirty one Bodhisattvas, Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti expressed their interpretation of Bodhisattva's entry into the dharma gate of non-duality by interpretive discourse, using words to express words and utter silence respectively. The author considers Vimalakīrti's utter silence and Mañjuśrī's using words to describe speechlessness to have different formats but point to the same meaning of “not having to do with speech.” And thus in this regard, the two of them came to the same destination through variant routes.
As for the complete silence on the part of Vimalakīrti, it is considered to be from a higher state than Mañjuśrī's use of words. This is simply because that he was making a statement without actual words. At the same time, speech and liberation are two unrelated matters, even if all speech is abolished, liberation is not necessarily accomplished. Thus Vimalakīrti expressed himself without words in proclaiming that “entry into the dharma gate of non-duality” is in the realm of neither speechlessness nor speech.
In fact, the chapter on “Observing Sentient Beings” from the same sutra has clearly expressed the stance of Vimalakīrtinirdeśa concerning spoken and written words: so long as one is not attached to the false names represented by spoken and written words, and views both the falsity and purity in them, then spoken and written words will not obstruct attainment of liberation.
From looking at the process of explication in the chapter on “Entry into the Dharma Gate of Non-duality” in steps, all these great people were using words to teach and give examples of the state of non-duality by following their own specific understanding and utilizing certain concepts. Mañjuśrī's addendum allowed the meaning of “entry into the dharma gate of non-duality” to not stick to the individual mark of liberation pointed out by Bodhisattvas, and also explicitly expressed the important principle that “entry into the dharma gate of non-duality goes beyond all forms and speech.” Lastly, Vimalakīrti's silence is a combination of not using words and not using speechlessness. His silence in fact manifested the wisdom state and middle way of what is beyond the inside and outside of speech or the have or not have of speech. This silence can be seen as a natural exhibition of Vimalakīrti's actual realization of the middle way of non-duality.
Another point to be emphasized is that the fact that Vimalakīrti's silence was able to receive complete admiration from Mañjuśrī and the other Bodhisattvas, is due to his timely and skillful means of demonstrating non-duality in delineating the coarseness and subtlety as well as the high and low states of having speech and speechlessness. It is not basing on the high and low states of realization and thus using silence only to completely abolish speech. |
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