金剛三昧經論 1.5

1.5

Regarding unfolding and explaining the ten gates as its tenet: it means increasing from one gate up to ten gates. What is the single gate? Within the one mind a single thought stirs; in accordance with the single reality one cultivates the single practice, enters the One Vehicle, abides in the single path, and uses the single awakening to awaken to the single taste. What is the two-gate? Not abiding on the two shores so as to dismiss the two assemblies; not clinging to the two selves so as to depart from the two extremes; penetrating the two emptinesses so as not to fall into the two vehicles; mutually merging the two truths so as not to contravene the two entries. The three-gate is: taking refuge oneself in the three Buddhas and receiving the three sets of precepts; according with the three great truths and obtaining the three liberations; equal awakening in the three grounds, wondrous awakening in the three bodies; entering the aggregation of threefold emptiness, extinguishing the mind of the three realms of existence. The four-gate is: cultivating the four right exertions, entering the four bases of psychic power, the four great causal conditions and powers, the four deportments constantly benefiting [beings], transcending the four dhyānas, staying far away from the four slanders, and having the four cognitions flow forth within the ground of the four vast vows. The five-gate is: in the birth of the five aggregates, possessing fifty evils, and therefore planting the five roots and nurturing the five powers; traversing the five oceans of emptiness, treading the five equal stages, obtaining the five pure dharmas, and crossing over the sentient beings of the five destinies, and so forth. What are the gates of six, seven, eight, nine, and so on? Fully cultivating the six pāramitās, eternally eliminating the six sense-entrances; practicing the seven limbs of awakening, extinguishing the seven items of meaning; the ocean of the eight consciousnesses becoming serene, the flow of the ninth consciousness becoming pure; from the initial ten faiths up to the ten grounds, the hundred practices fully prepared, the ten thousand virtues fully perfected. Such various gates constitute the tenet of this sūtra. They are all in the sūtra text, and will be explained at their places in the text. However, these latter nine gates all enter into the single gate, and the single gate contains the nine, not departing from the single contemplation. Therefore, unfolded, it does not add one; synthesized, it does not subtract ten. Being neither increased nor decreased is its essential tenet.