---
title: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論 · 續一問荅"
description: "靈峰蕅益大師宗論是明末高僧智旭的著作。明末佛教面臨內部僵化與外部挑戰，智旭大師立足天台宗，主張禪教律淨融合，回應時代弊病。該書匯集其書信、註疏與開示，系統闡述性相融通、淨土為歸的佛學思想，強調解行並進與實踐修行。作為中國佛教史上承先啟後的巨著，它深刻影響了後世漢傳佛教的發展，尤其對淨土宗的推廣貢獻卓著，被尊為淨土宗第九祖的智旭，其思想透過此論成為明清佛教的重要指南。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmgn46dbd0n5ik104elxd0ea0"
---

### 續一問荅

> Continued One Question and Answer

問：世之講者，謂初心仰信中道，不能頓觀，先用空假為方便者，性中雖具三因，而不相即，修中雖用三觀，而不同時，故名性橫修縱。又在因次第開發，在果一時同具，故名因縱果橫。惟圓教行人，初心便解三德祕藏，直以一心三觀，進破無明。初信任運斷見惑，見真諦；七信任運斷思，八、九、十信任運斷內外塵沙，見俗諦；初住分破一品無明，見中諦。破惑全用三觀，故非縱，惑斷不次而次，故非橫。今設一難，既全用三觀，次第見於三諦，仍是智橫斷縱，亦為修橫證縱，因橫果縱。設令極利根人，不住十信，竟超初住，乃至妙覺，亦只智斷俱橫，何得非縱橫並別邪？

> Question: Some teachers say that when beginners first embrace the Middle Way, they cannot perceive it directly and must first use Emptiness and Conventional Truth as expedient means. According to them, though the nature inherently contains the three causes, they are not identical with one another; though one uses the Three Contemplations in practice, they are not simultaneous. This is called “nature horizontal, practice vertical.” Furthermore, in cultivation they develop sequentially, while in realization they arise together, which is called “cause vertical, effect horizontal.” Only practitioners of the Perfect Teaching awaken from the very beginning to the three virtues of the Secret Treasury, and directly use the One-Mind Three Contemplations to advance and break through Ignorance. At the first stage of faith, they effortlessly cut off view-delusions and realize the truth of Emptiness; at the seventh stage, they effortlessly cut off thought-delusions; at the eighth, ninth, and tenth stages, they effortlessly cut off the inner and outer dust-like delusions and realize the truth of Conventionality; at the first stage of abiding, they partially break through a single layer of Ignorance and realize the Middle Truth. In breaking delusions, they wholly rely on the Three Contemplations, so it is not “vertical.” The delusions are cut one after another without being sequential, so it is not “horizontal.” Now a challenge is raised: Since the Three Contemplations are used fully, yet the three truths are realized in sequence, this is still “wisdom horizontal, delusion-cutting vertical.” It is also “practice horizontal, realization vertical,” “cause horizontal, effect vertical.” Even if a person of the sharpest faculties does not dwell in the ten stages of faith, but leaps directly into the first stage of abiding and proceeds all the way to the supreme enlightenment, this is still “wisdom and delusion-cutting both horizontal.” How can it avoid being considered a mix of the horizontal and vertical, or even separate from them?

荅：別教諦觀，名縱橫並別者，以不達三觀只是一心，三諦只是一境，一心法爾三觀，一境宛具三諦。如君與將相，只是一國，雖只一國，宛具三人。而一君二臣，君臣之義不明，並別之局必立。並則成橫，別則成縱，致使性修隔別，因果不齊。圓人了一心之體，即不思議中。此心能破凡聖情解，即名為空；此心能立聖凡道理，即名為假；了一境之體，即第一義諦。此境本非遍計所執，即名為真；此境本是依他所現，即名為俗。初心解此三德祕藏，直以一心三觀，圓破三惑。而初心斷見惑時，就破惑處名為空觀，見真諦處即名妙假。然未破時，全以真諦為見惑，既破後，全以見惑為真諦。如水成冰，冰還成水，冰之與水，同一溼性。見惑真諦，亦復如是。體即法界，無可破立，是名中觀。故知非破非立，而論破立，說名空假；正破正立，元無破立，說名為中。如邊方擾亂，猛將出征，兆庶歸投，賢相撫慰，究而論之，只是王土王民耳。所用只一觀而三觀，那得云橫？所見即一諦而三諦，乃即俗即中之真，永異偏真，那得云縱？十信見俗，初住見中，亦復如是。能破雖全用三觀，而仍以一觀為主，故非並非橫。所見雖任運次第，而一一諦無非三諦，故非別非縱。以例性中雖具三因，然緣了無功，同名正因，故非縱橫並別。如家國無事，非無將相，然將相不顯其能，但聞國主之名也。修因之中，全賴緣了，然緣了威權，正因所賜，故亦非縱橫並別。如命將命相，皆由聖主，然聖主不居其功，咸稱將相之力。至果位中，雖三德同時圓顯，然仍以法身為主，亦非縱橫並別。以般若、解脫，元法身之所本有，非新得故。如三人同享太平，然將相元是舊臣，仍奉舊主，無伐無施也。又將專武，君相非無武備，故三觀皆破一切法。相專文，君將非無文略，故三觀皆立一切法。主專統御，將相非無君德，故三觀皆統一切法。儻三人各止一德，雖互相統順，仍為縱為別。儻三人不相統順，雖各具全德，仍為橫為並，皆不可喻於圓觀。儻唯一人獨具三德，而無將相，雖總無縱橫並別，不成國法，尤不可喻於圓觀。儻三人各具德，又相統順，而非其境界，妄欲破立撫御，亦不可喻於圓觀。今所破所立所統，皆自心現量境界故，思之思之。又此亦片喻，非全喻也。以堯舜治局九州，中諦統一切法，豎窮橫遍，無少許性相能出中諦外故。又堯舜令民安於至治，不能使人人盡為堯舜。中觀證一切法，無一微塵一剎那不全攬中道全體，不全具中道大用，各各豎窮橫遍，難思議也。儒云：聖人不知不能，堯舜猶病。意顯此道，唯佛能盡。又云：道不遠人，下學上達。意顯標心，不離此宗，是謂入門同而到家別，教道別而教意同，吾言益不誣矣。

> Answer: In the Distinct Teaching, the insight into truth and the contemplation of reality are described as separate and intertwined, because they fail to realize that the three contemplations are simply one mind, and the three truths are simply one reality. The mind naturally encompasses the three contemplations, while a single reality fully embodies the three truths. This is like a ruler and his generals and ministers: they all belong to one nation, and though it is just one nation, it includes three distinct individuals. Yet with one ruler and two ministers, the relationship between ruler and subjects is unclear, leading to a structure of separation and interweaving. Interweaving makes it horizontal, while separation makes it vertical, causing a disconnect between nature and cultivation, and the cause and result to be uneven. A person of perfect teaching understands the essence of one mind, which is the inconceivable Middle. This mind can destroy the emotional attachments of ordinary and holy beings — this is called Emptiness. This mind can establish the principles of ordinary and holy beings — this is called Conventionality. Understanding the essence of one reality is the Ultimate Truth. This reality is fundamentally free from the grasping of false imagination, hence it is called the True. This reality is fundamentally manifest based on dependent origination, hence it is called the Conventional. For a beginner, realizing this threefold secret treasury directly through the one-mind three contemplations perfectly destroys the three delusions. When the beginner cuts off the delusion of views, the point of cutting off is called the Contemplation of Emptiness; the point of seeing the True Truth is called the Wondrous Conventionality. But before cutting off, the True Truth was entirely the delusion of views; after cutting off, the delusion of views becomes entirely the True Truth. This is like water becoming ice, and ice returning to water — ice and water share the same wet nature. The relationship between the delusion of views and the True Truth is the same. Their essence is the Dharma Realm, beyond both destruction and establishment — this is called the Middle Contemplation. Thus we know that it is not about destruction or establishment, yet we speak of destruction and establishment, and name it Emptiness and Conventionality. It is precisely destruction and establishment, yet originally there is no destruction or establishment, and we call this the Middle. This is like a border region in turmoil, with a fierce general dispatched to subdue it, and the common people flocking to the support of a virtuous minister who pacifies them. Ultimately, they are all just the ruler's territory and the ruler's people. The practice uses one contemplation yet encompasses three contemplations — how could it be called horizontal? What is seen is one truth yet encompasses three truths — it is a True that is also Conventional and Middle, eternally different from the one-sided True — how could it be called vertical? The ten faiths see the Conventional, and the first dwelling sees the Middle, likewise. Though the power of destruction fully uses the three contemplations, it still takes one contemplation as primary, so it is neither separate nor horizontal. Though what is seen arises in sequence according to conditions, each truth is none other than the three truths, so it is neither distinct nor vertical. Similarly, though nature inherently contains the three causes, without the functions of the conditional cause and the completion cause, they are all identical to the direct cause — hence not vertical, horizontal, separate, or intertwined. This is like a nation at peace: though generals and ministers exist, their abilities are not displayed, and only the name of the ruler is known. In the cultivation of the cause, it fully relies on the conditional and completion causes, yet the authority of the conditional and completion causes is granted by the direct cause — so again it is not vertical, horizontal, separate, or intertwined. This is like appointing generals and ministers, all done by the sage ruler, yet the sage ruler does not claim credit, and instead all praise is given to the generals and ministers. At the fruition stage, though the three virtues are simultaneously and perfectly revealed, the Dharma Body still takes precedence — so it is not vertical, horizontal, separate, or intertwined. This is because wisdom and liberation are inherently possessed by the Dharma Body, not newly acquired. This is like three people enjoying peace together, but the generals and ministers are originally old ministers who still serve the old ruler, claiming no merit and exercising no authority. Moreover, the general specializes in military affairs, but the ruler and minister are not without martial preparedness — thus the three contemplations all destroy all dharmas. The minister specializes in civil affairs, but the ruler and general are not without cultural strategy — thus the three contemplations all establish all dharmas. The ruler specializes in governance, but the general and minister are not without the ruler's virtue — thus the three contemplations all encompass all dharmas. If each of three people were limited to one function alone, though they coordinate and obey each other, it would still be vertical and distinct. If the three people did not coordinate and obey each other, though each possessed the complete function, it would still be horizontal and separate — neither would serve as an analogy for perfect contemplation. If there were only one person possessing all three functions yet lacking generals and ministers, though there would be no vertical, horizontal, separate, or interwoven pattern, it would not constitute a state system, much less serve as an analogy for perfect contemplation. If each of three people possessed the functions yet coordinated and obeyed each other, but it was not within their proper realm, and they recklessly tried to destroy, establish, and govern, it would also not serve as an analogy for perfect contemplation. What is now destroyed, established, and governed are all realms of one's own mind — think deeply on this. Furthermore, this is merely a partial analogy, not a complete one. Because Yao and Shun governed only the Nine Regions, while the Middle Truth encompasses all dharmas, reaching vertically through all time and horizontally throughout all space, with not a single nature or characteristic existing outside the Middle Truth. Moreover, Yao and Shun could make the people abide in perfect peace, but could not make everyone become Yao and Shun. The Middle Contemplation realizes all dharmas: there is not a single dust mote or an instant that does not fully partake of the entire substance of the Middle Way, or that does not fully possess the great function of the Middle Way. Each and every one reaches vertically through all time and horizontally throughout all space — this is inconceivable. Confucians say: "The sage does not know and cannot do; even Yao and Shun found this difficult." This indicates that this path can only be fully realized by the Buddha. They also say: "The Way is not far from people; study what is lowly and you will reach what is lofty." This indicates that the aim, without leaving this school, is to say that the entrance is the same but the arrival differs; the teachings are distinct but the intention is the same. My words are indeed not untrue.