Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (198)

The Three Doors of Liberation

Original text: 大王。诸根如幻。境界如梦。一切诸法。自性空寂。此名空解脱门。空无空相。名无相解脱门。若无相者。则无希求。名无愿解脱门。若能了知。三解脱门。与空共行。菩提先道。广大如法界。究竟如虚空。于此譬喻。当如是知。

   Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, the six faculties are all illusory manifestations, and all realms are like a dream; the self-nature of all dharmas is entirely empty and tranquil — this is called the door of liberation of emptiness. The door of liberation of emptiness also has no mark of emptiness; this is called the door of liberation of no-mark. If all dharmas have no mark, then we should no longer have any aspirations or longings; this is called the door of liberation of no-wishing. If we can ultimately and thoroughly understand that these three doors of liberation all proceed together with emptiness and are all empty, then the great bodhi path to nirvāṇa is as vast as the tathāgatagarbha dharmadhātu, and its ultimate nature is like empty space. Regarding such an analogy, we should understand it in this way.