修華嚴奧旨妄盡還源觀 1.34

1.34

Next is gathering function to return to essence and entering the five gates of cessation. The five gates of cessation mean that relying on the previous practices capable of performing the four virtues, the marks themselves are immediately empty, and with marks exhausted and the mind clear, one cultivates cessation. That which is called 'entering' means that nature and marks are both obliterated, the essence pervades the dharma-realm, and entering without marks of entering is called 'entering'. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'The Tathāgata's profound sphere, its measure equals space; all sentient beings enter, yet in truth there is nowhere entered.' Furthermore, based on the *Tathāgatagocaranirdeśa-sūtra*, it says: 'Entering samādhis of signlessness, one sees all dharmas as quiescent. Because of constantly entering equality, I pay homage to that which has no contemplation.' This is because all sentient beings originally never fail to be within the Tathāgata's sphere; there is nothing more that could be entered. Just as when a person is lost, he takes east to be west; when he awakens, west is itself east, and there is no separate east that can be entered. Because sentient beings are lost, they think delusion can be abandoned and truth can be entered; when they awaken, delusion is itself truth, and there is no separate truth that can be entered. This meaning is also like this: entering without entering, hence it is called 'entering'. Why? Entering and not entering are originally equal, being the identical dharma-realm. The Awakening of Faith says: 'If there are sentient beings who can contemplate thoughtlessness,' this is called entering the gate of tathatā.