法界圖記叢髓錄 2.4

2.4

Fa's Record states: Regarding "provisionally taking one gate to reveal the meaning of pratītyasamutpāda": this points to the true nature. Question: Why not explain the dharmatā, but directly analyze the true nature? Answer: Because that realization aspect cannot be pointed out. Regarding "The Great Sage, gathering sentient beings..." and so forth: it is like a drunk person who, seeing a tree stump in the courtyard, takes it to be an actual ghost. In the same way, sentient beings are deluded about their twelve links of existence—which are themselves the substance of the profound true nature—and imagine them to be phenomena of saṃsāra. Therefore, the Great Sage aroused great compassion, enabling them to come to know that the twelve links of existence are themselves the substance of the profound true nature. Hence it is said: "causing all sentient beings to know that phenomena are non-existent, and through phenomena to converge with the principle." Does the Great Sage see both the stump and the ghost? Answer: Yes. As the text below says: "Because the Sage conforms to diseased eyes, he speaks of sky-flowers." What objection could there be? Therefore we know he sees both. Regarding "The Treatise states: 'Individual characteristics...'" and so forth: "individual characteristic" points to one's own body. Regarding "retribution characteristic": when it is merely form, it is not retribution; when it is merely mind, it is also not retribution. It is taking this mind embracing impure form that constitutes the retribution characteristic. Regarding "name-and-form": the four non-material skandhas are formless, dark and vast; without names they would not appear, hence they are called "name." Because the characteristic of form is coarse, its actual substance is called "form." Another explanation: when it is merely mind, a name cannot be established; when it is merely form, a name is also not established. It is solely the initial moment when this mind grasps impure form, designating it a human body or designating it a horse's body, that is called "name-and-form." Regarding "born together with the ālaya-vijñāna": one seeking rebirth in the intermediate state takes the seed-store ālaya-vijñāna and is born, just like a person holding items in a bag, carrying them into water, or carrying them into fire, going as he pleases. The fundamental consciousness is like a field; ignorance and formations are like sowing seeds; the seeds sown are the seeds that give birth to the five fruits. The two links of craving and grasping are like soil and water. The link of existence is that which can produce: the karma of birth, old age, and death. Birth, old age, and death are the produced fruits. Question: Are the five fruits seeds? Answer: The five fruits are not seeds; they are merely seeds that can produce five kinds. Question: What are the seeds of the five fruits? Answer: The seeds of the three natures within the ālaya-vijñāna. These seeds reside in the position of the third link, consciousness; therefore, these seeds are collectively termed "consciousness." Regarding "in the soil of the three realms, sprouts emerge again": this is the place where all sages arouse their most profound, great compassionate sorrow. "Again" means having gone and coming again; because one goes and comes again, it is said to be "again." Regarding "the characteristic of its cause": "its cause" is the ālaya-vijñāna; "characteristic" is name-and-form. Regarding "the sequential characteristics of its fruits": within this there are six links. Regarding "these two show emptiness" and so forth: investigating in terms of form, form has no suffering of illness; investigating in terms of mind, mind has no suffering of illness. Thus, being without knowing and without sensing, their self-substance is without self. Regarding "not counted among sentient beings": only when form and mind unite can one take rebirth in various places. If form and mind are separated and there is only form, rebirth cannot be taken; hence it is said: "not counted among sentient beings." Regarding "constitutes the perfected nature": a single dust mote has no self-nature, because it takes all phenomena as its self-nature. There is not a single phenomenon that is not the nature of a single dust mote; therefore it is said to constitute the perfected nature. This dust mote is itself the substance of the ocean seal; hence it is called "true nature." Regarding "conforming to the contemplation of conventional truth..." and so forth: it is like water taking in all images; because this is benefiting oneself, it is the ultimate truth; water then manifesting the images again, because this is benefiting others, is conventional truth. Therefore, if one conforms to the conventional, one can enter the ultimate. Because the outward-facing meaning of the ultimate truth constitutes the conventional truth's twelve links of dependent origination, conforming to the contemplation of conventional truth leads straight into the ultimate truth.