宗本義
The Essential Meaning of the Teaching
宗本者，示其立論所宗有本也。以四論非一時作，論既成，乃以宗本義統之。蓋所宗本乎一心，以窮萬法迷悟凡聖之源也。如《起信》以一心為宗，有法有義，故曰宗本義。
The "Fundamental Principles" section explains the foundational tenets upon which the arguments are based. These four treatises were not composed at the same time; after each was completed, they were unified under the meaning of these fundamental principles. Essentially, what is taken as fundamental is the One Mind, through which the origins of all phenomena—delusion and awakening, ordinary beings and sages—are fully explored. Just as the *Awakening of Faith* takes the One Mind as its core, encompassing both the Dharma and its meaning, it is thus called the "Fundamental Principles."
本無、實相、法性、性空、緣會，一義耳。
Original Nature, True Reality, Dharma Nature, Inherent Emptiness, and Dependent Arising—these are all expressions of the same essential truth.
此標宗揀法，以為四論之本也。本無者，直指寂滅一心了無一法，離一切相、逈絕聖凡，故曰本無，非推之使無也。以一切諸法，皆一心隨緣之所變現。心本無生，但緣會而生，故曰緣會。以緣生諸法，本無實體，緣生故空，故曰性空。以全體真如所變，故曰法性。真如法性所成諸法，真如無相，故諸法本體寂滅，故曰實相。是以本無，為一心之體；緣會，為一心之用；實相、法性、性空，皆一心所成萬法之義，故曰一義耳。依一心法，立此四論，不遷當俗、不真當真；二諦為所觀之境，般若為能觀之心；三論為因，涅槃為果，故首為宗體。
This principle selects the essential teachings, forming the foundation of the Four Treatises.
**Original Non-Being** directly points to the tranquil, extinguished single mind, in which not a single dharma truly exists. It is apart from all appearances, utterly transcending the sacred and the ordinary. Thus it is called "Original Non-Being"—it is not something we reason into non-existence. All dharmas are merely manifestations produced by the single mind according to conditions. The mind is originally unproduced; it only arises when conditions meet. Thus it is called "Conditional Arising."
Since all dharmas produced by conditions lack inherent substance, they are empty by nature because they are conditionally produced. Thus it is called "Nature-Empty." Since they are entirely transformations of True Suchness, it is called "Dharma-Nature." The dharmas formed by True Suchness and Dharma-Nature—True Suchness being without characteristics—means the fundamental substance of all dharmas is tranquil and extinguished. Thus it is called "True Mark."
Therefore, **Original Non-Being** is the substance of the single mind. **Conditional Arising** is the function of the single mind. **True Mark, Dharma-Nature, and Nature-Empty** are all meanings describing the myriad dharmas formed by the single mind; thus they are said to be a single meaning. Based on the dharma of the single mind, these Four Treatises are established: "Non-Movement" corresponds to the conventional, "Not-True" corresponds to the true. The Two Truths are the object of contemplation, Prajñā (Wisdom) is the mind capable of contemplation. The Three Treatises are the cause, Nirvāṇa is the fruit. Therefore, this principle stands first as the fundamental doctrine.
何則(此徵起四論各有所宗)？一切諸法，緣會而生。
Why is this so?(This question arises because each of the four theories has its own basis.) All phenomena arise from the convergence of conditions.
此下標顯不遷宗體也。寂滅一心，本無諸法，本無今有，故曰緣會而生。
This section highlights the unchanging essence of the teaching. The one mind of still cessation originally has no phenomena. What originally did not exist now appears, so it is said to arise from the meeting of conditions.
緣會而生，則未生無有、緣離則滅。
Things arise when conditions come together. Before that arising, they did not exist. When conditions fall apart, they cease.
此顯心本不生，但是緣生，非心生也。以生本無生，故滅亦緣滅，非心滅也。不生不滅一心之義，於是乎顯矣。
This reveals that the mind is fundamentally unborn; it is conditions that arise, not the mind. Since arising is fundamentally non-arising, cessation is likewise the cessation of conditions, not the cessation of the mind. Thus the meaning of the one mind that is neither arising nor ceasing is made clear.
如其真有，有則無滅。
If something truly exists, then it cannot cease to exist.
此返顯緣生諸法非實有也。真，實也。若諸法果是實有，則不應隨緣散滅。今既隨緣滅，則法非實有矣。
This shows that all phenomena arising from causes and conditions are not truly real. "Truly" means really. If phenomena were truly real, they would not cease and disappear as conditions change. Since they do cease as conditions change, phenomena are not truly real.
以此而推，故知雖今現有，有而性常自空。性常自空，故謂之性空。
以此緣生緣滅而觀諸法，則知雖今現有而非實有，以體常自空。體常自空，故義說性空。
性空故，故曰法性。
諸法實性即是真如，真如性空，以真如性現成諸法，法法全真。良由真如性空，故諸法性空，稱為法性。
法性如是，故曰實相。
諸法之性全體真如，真如之相本自無相，法性如如、寂滅離相，故曰實相。
實相自無，非推之使無，故名本無。
實相乃真如實體，今既隨緣成一切法，則法法皆真。若觀法法全真，則了無一法可當情者，斯則不待推測使無，則法本無也。萬法本無，又何有一毫可轉動哉？以此而觀諸法，則不遷之旨昭昭心目矣。上明不遷宗本。
言不有不無者(此標不真空宗本也)，不如有見常見之有，邪見斷見之無耳。
此標立論所破之執也。不如，猶不比也。凡夫外道定執諸法是實有，確執諸法為斷滅之無，政在所破。但以不字破之，故曰不有不無。
若以有為有，則以無為無。
此出計也。若以諸法為實有，則墮常見。若以諸法為實無，則墮斷見。
夫不存無以觀法者，可謂識法實相矣。
此示正觀也。存無下應添一「有」字。言不存有無二見以觀法，可謂識法之實相矣。以有無二見，顛倒見也。
雖觀有而無所取相，然則法相為無相之相，聖人之心為住無所住矣。
此出觀益也。謂離有無二見以觀諸法，則法法寂然，故法雖有而不取相。不取法相，則當體如如，故相即為無相之相矣。諸相無相、寂滅性空，斯則所觀之境空。境空則心自寂，故聖人之心為無住之住，此心空也。心境俱空，於何不寂？
三乘等觀性空而得道也。性空者，謂諸法實相也。見法實相，故云正觀。若其異者，便為邪觀。設二乘不見此理，則顛倒也。
此約法以顯能觀之人也。三乘之人，同觀性空而得道果。然此諸法性空即是實相，能見諸法實相方為正觀。設使二乘不見此理，則同凡夫顛倒矣。此單約諸法盡皆實相。二乘所見偏空，亦是實相性空；若不是實相性空，何以得證道果？意謂法一人異。故下難明。
是以三乘觀法無異，但心有大小為差耳。
此明法一人異也。伏難。難曰：既三乘同見一法，何以證果有差？答曰：其實三乘觀法無異，但為心有大小，故證果有差耳。足知法本是一，但人心大小有異，故所證果不同，以取不取相故耳，非法異也。正若三獸渡河，河本是一，但三獸大小不同，故所履淺深不一，斯乃獸三而河非三也。詳夫立論之意，蓋以不遷當俗、不真當真，二諦為所觀之境、般若為能觀之智，境智為因、涅槃為果。其三乘乃能修之人，故介宗本之中，良有以也。
漚和般若者，大慧之稱也。
此標般若無知宗本也。梵云漚和，此云方便。般若，此云智慧。以有方便之智，乃稱大慧；若無方便，但名孤慧。故所取偏空，非大慧也。前二論，真俗二諦當所觀之境，今漚和般若為能觀之心。雙照二諦，不取有無、不墮二邊，故云大慧。
諸法實相，謂之般若；能不形證，漚和功也。適化眾生，謂之漚和；不染塵累，般若力也。
此釋大慧之義也。能見諸法實相，是謂般若。雖觀空而不取證，仍起方便度生之事，是仗漚和之功也。適化眾生乃方便之事，雖涉生死，不被塵勞所累，全仗般若之力也。是以菩薩觀空而萬行沸騰，涉有而一道清淨。《淨名》云：「無方便慧縛，有方便慧解。無慧方便縛，有慧方便解。」雙照二諦，不取有無之相，故能出空入假而無礙，故云大慧。
然則般若之門觀空、漚和之門涉有。涉有未始迷虗，故常處有而不染；不厭有而觀空，故觀空而不證。是謂一念之力權慧具矣。一念之力權慧具矣，好思，歷然可解。
此重明不證不染之義也。以般若唯照空、漚和唯涉有，以涉有而不迷虗，是仗般若之力，故處有而不染；以不厭有而觀空，故觀空而不取證，是仗漚和之功也。斯則空有不異之二諦、權實不二之一心，同時雙照，存泯無礙，故曰一念之力權慧具矣。好思歷然可解者，勉其用心觀照分明，則心境歷然、權實並顯，當不勞而妙契矣。
泥洹盡諦者，直結盡而已，則生死永滅，故謂盡耳。無復別有一盡處耳。
此標涅槃無名宗本也。言泥洹，亦名涅槃。稱為盡諦者，直是煩惱結盡而已。所謂五住究盡，故二死永亡。是生死永滅，名為盡耳。非復別有一盡處可歸，亦非實有一名可稱也，故曰涅槃無名。四論所宗，一心為本。謂不有不無之二諦，以非知不知之觀照，證不生不滅之一心。因果冥會，妙契環中，宗本之義盡乎是矣。