注大乘入楞伽經 1.9

1.9

Elucidation of the title. The place where the sūtra was spoken is called Laṅkā, which here is translated as 'difficult to go to.' That is to say, it is composed of numerous jewels, radiant as the sun and moon, and is inhabited by yakṣas who wander through space. This citadel is upon the summit of Mount Malaya; the mountain is precipitous, looking down upon the great ocean, with no gates on its sides; only those who have attained spiritual penetrations are capable of ascending and going there. This symbolizes the mind-ground Dharma-gate: only those who have no mind and no attainment are able to enter it. Looking down upon the great ocean symbolizes that the ocean of the mind is originally pure, yet turned by the wind of external objects, the waves of consciousness billow and churn. Wishing to make clear that when one penetrates the emptiness of realm and mind, the ocean itself is tranquil; when both mind and realm are tranquil, there is nothing not illuminated, just as when the great ocean is windless, the sun, moon, and array of stars are vividly clear. This sūtra is addressed directly to those of superior faculties, suddenly expounding that the karmavijñāna of seeds is the tathāgatagarbha. This is in order to differ from those of the two vehicles who extinguish consciousness to tend toward quiescence, and also to differ from the bodhisattvas of the provisional teachings who practice emptiness and have an excess of emptiness. It directly illuminates that the substance of consciousness in its fundamental nature is entirely real, and directly makes clear that the substance of consciousness itself becomes the function of wisdom. Just as when that great ocean is windless, the images of objects are clear, the Dharma-gate of the ocean of the mind is likewise also like this. As for the word 'sūtra', the Sanskrit sound is sūtra, which here is translated as 'accordant scripture' (qijing). 'Accordant' means according with the Dharma and according with the capacity [of beings]. If it accords only with the Dharma, then the Dharma will not respond to capacity; if it accords only with capacity, then capacity will not reach the Dharma. 'Sūtra' means constant; it takes stringing together and embracing as its meaning, showing that what is spoken by past sages and later sages is universally so, hence it is called constant; it holds fast the true principle without forgetting, hence it is called stringing together; it gathers all living beings and instructs them, hence it is called embracing. It is also said: 'Just as in weaving there is the warp (jing), making the woof (wei) into cloth depends on the person.'