金光明經玄義 2.17

2.17

Next, regarding observing the mind as the Suvarṇaprabhāsa of the three virtues: attentively observing a single thought-moment as identical to emptiness, identical to the provisional, and identical to the middle. Because it is identical to emptiness, when one is empty, all are empty; there is no provisional and no middle that is not empty. Emptiness without accumulation is called a storehouse; because the storehouse is complete, it is called a virtue. Because it is identical to the provisional, when one is provisional, all are provisional; there is no emptiness and no middle that is not provisional. The provisional gathering all phenomena is also called a storehouse; because the storehouse is complete, it is called a virtue. Because it is identical to the middle, when one is the middle, all are the middle; there is no emptiness and no provisional that is not the middle. The middle gathering all phenomena is also called a storehouse; because the storehouse is complete, it is designated as a virtue. Although it is said that within the one there is the immeasurable, and within the immeasurable there is the one, understanding that they mutually arise, arising reciprocally, is not real. The wise have no fear; one should know that the one is not few, the many are not numerous; neither one nor many, yet not losing the one and the many, inconceivable, neither vertical nor horizontal, neither combined nor separate. Because the buddhas take identity with the middle as their substance, it is called the dharmakāya; because they take identity with emptiness as their life, it is called prajñā; because they take identity with the provisional as their power, it is called vimokṣa. Each and every one is permanence, bliss, self, and purity without lack or diminishment; hence they are designated as the three virtues. Each and every one is the dharmadhātu, containing much within; hence it is designated as the secret storehouse. Therefore, the Vimalakīrti-sūtra states: “The vimokṣa of the buddhas should be sought within the mental activities of all sentient beings.” One should know that one's own mind is like this, and sentient beings are like this; since both that and this are like this, the buddhas are also like this. The mind, the buddhas, and sentient beings—these three are without distinction. For one who grasps this meaning, identity with the middle is gold, identity with emptiness is light, and identity with the provisional is radiance. This is observing the mind as the Suvarṇaprabhāsa of the three virtues. The six identities are as before. In the world, there are practitioners of emptiness who cling to their foolish emptiness, not according with the sūtras of the Buddha. Hearing this contemplation of the mind, they raise an objection, saying: “If observing the mind is the dharmakāya, it should be equal in all contact. Why give rise to reverence toward sūtras and images, yet contempt toward paper and wood? Since reverence and contempt differ, it is not equal; because it is not equal, the meaning of dharmakāya is not established. Since there is no equality, equal wisdom is not established, and thus there is no saṃbhogakāya. Unable to use this to transform others, the meaning of nirmāṇakāya is not established. It is not like my seeing sūtras, images, paper, and wood as equally and identically all suchness, which is called the dharmakāya; possessing this equal wisdom is the saṃbhogakāya; using this wisdom to transform others is the nirmāṇakāya. My trikāya meanings are all established; what need is there for your contemplation of the mind?” If one encounters this objection, one should counter it and reply with three points: First, you claim that seeing paper, wood, sūtras, and images as equal is suchness; why then do you revere the wooden images in the ancestral shrines of the seven generations, and give rise to awe and respect toward the emperor's edicts and tallies, while giving rise to flippancy, contempt, fear, and disrespect toward the Buddha's sūtras and images? Since various proclivities arise and churn in disorder, where is the meaning of an equal dharmakāya? Second, toward teachers and fellow students of your own affiliation you give rise to affection and protectiveness, while toward different teachers and different students you give rise to contempt and anger; affection and contempt arise from delusion, with the three poisons blazing and various evils becoming even more severe—how could there still be a saṃbhogakāya of wisdom? Third, you indulge in foolish emptiness without wisdom or expedients; you cannot even please human sentiments, much less accord with the ultimate principle! Vainglorious and attached to yourself, you are a person of overweening pride. Into whichever [abyss] your teacher fell, you also fall along with him, the poisonous air penetrating deeply. How could you transform others with this deviant air? Where else would the nirmāṇakāya that harmonizes with the light be found? As an ordinary person, I merely contemplate the true aspect of suchness in this way; in order to reveal this true aspect, I revere sūtras and images so that wisdom is not bound, and I cause immeasurable people to venerate the good and discard the evil so that expedients are not bound. How could this be the same as yours?