妙法蓮華經玄義 2.42

2.42

Third, concerning the extensive explanation of the dharma of the mind: How could the dharmas explained previously be distinct from the mind? It is only that the dharmas of sentient beings are too broad and the Buddha-Dharma is too high, making them difficult for beginners. However, since the mind, the Buddha, and sentient beings—these three are without difference—simply contemplating one's own mind makes it easy. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra states: "All sentient beings possess three kinds of concentration. The superior concentration is the buddha-nature." Being able to contemplate the nature of the mind is called superior concentration. Because the superior can subsume the inferior, it gathers in the dharmas of sentient beings. The Avataṃsaka-sūtra states: "Roam the mind in the dharma realm like empty space, and one will know the sphere of all buddhas." The dharma realm is the middle; empty space is emptiness; the mind and the Buddha are the provisional. When these three are complete, that is the sphere of the buddhas. This is contemplating the mind, which still contains the Buddha-Dharma. Furthermore, roaming the mind in the dharma realm means: observing sense faculties and sense objects facing one another, when a single thought-moment of mind arises, it must belong to one of the ten realms; if it belongs to one realm, it immediately contains the hundred realms and thousand dharmas. Within a single thought-moment, they are fully complete. This mind, like a conjurer, in the course of a day and a night constantly creates various sentient beings, various five aggregates, and various lands—namely, the provisional and real lands of the hells up to the provisional and real lands of the Buddha realm. Practitioners should choose for themselves which path to follow. Furthermore, regarding "like empty space": contemplating that the mind arises of itself, the mind would not need to rely on conditions; if it relies on conditions to exist, the mind has no power to arise [independently]. If the mind has no power to arise, conditions also have no arising power. When mind and conditions each lack [arising], how could they have it in combination? If combination is unattainable, they do not arise when separated. Since there is not even a single arising, how could there be the hundred realms and thousand dharmas? Because the mind is empty, everything arising from the mind is empty, and this emptiness is also empty. If emptiness is not empty, by touching upon emptiness a provisional designation is established, and the provisional is also not provisional; with neither provisional nor empty, it is ultimately pure. Furthermore, regarding the sphere of the buddhas: above, it is equal to the Buddha-Dharma; below, it is equal to the dharmas of sentient beings. Furthermore, regarding the dharma of the mind: the mind, the Buddha, and sentient beings—these three are without difference; this is called the dharma of the mind.