法界圖記叢髓錄 2.75

2.75

Fa's Record says: 'Just like the difference between awakening and dreaming, sleeping and waking': For example, two people share a single bed. One person from the very beginning does not sleep; therefore, seeking the dream across the three times, in the first time it cannot be found, and the middle and last are also like this. The other person sleeps throughout the night; therefore, across the three times he is constantly dreaming. In this way, in terms of the One Vehicle's severing obstacles and attaining Buddhahood, totally taking the other as oneself, one is constantly awake, and thus from the very beginning does not sleep; totally taking oneself as the other, one is constantly dreaming, and thus perpetually unawakened. Therefore, those of the three vehicles who sever obstacles fail to reach the unsevered places, while the One Vehicle reaches and severs the unsevered places. What the Buddhas of the three vehicles fail to sever are the obstacles of sentient beings outside their own continuum. The place reached and severed by the Buddhas of the One Vehicle is the obstacles of the ocean of sentient beings realized by oneself. All sentient beings today generating the aspiration, severing obstacles, and cultivating realization are precisely the inexhaustible gate-virtues of the Buddhas. As for 'the true principle that the real mark of all dharmas neither increases nor decreases': since sentient beings and Buddhas share the single bed of dharmatā, although we speak of sentient beings, there is nothing lacking or left over; although we speak of Buddhas, there is nothing added or eliminated. Regarding 'principle and principle are mutually identical', etc.: the first three lines are the 'identical' gate; the latter line is the 'middle' gate. Question: When principle and principle are mutually identical, are the two emptineses juxtaposed? Answer: They are not juxtaposed. Question: If so, are they not mutually identical? Answer: Because they are mutually identical, they are not juxtaposed.