摩訶止觀 7.9

7.9

Now one should weave the horizontal into the vertical to examine obstruction and opening. As in entering emptiness from provisionality to break through the various views and thoughts: the simple, compound, complete, and ineffable views, and the nine times nine, eighty-one thoughts. Such afflictions are fundamentally defiled; they increase afflictions and obstruct practitioners—how could one abruptly cling to them, asserting this or denying that? They give rise to defiling karma, causing one to fall into birth-and-death; one perceives only suffering and origination and does not perceive path and cessation. Since one does not recognize the four truths within views and thoughts, not knowing this matter is called "avidyā," down to old age and death. Only constructing conditioned arising, avidyā is not extinguished. Because it is not extinguished, one clings firmly and cannot let go, remaining only on this shore and not reaching the other shore. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: "When a child is hungry, he takes fruit from within dung; a wise person scolds him, and he is ashamed and remorseful." Losing the pure Dharma is called "obstruction." If toward various views, the mind momentarily arises, knowing they have no svabhāva or reality, are impermanent, and have no master; when inversions are broken, there is no karma, and without karma there is no fruit—this is called the "path," and because of the path there is cessation. If one recognizes the four truths, there is no avidyā, nor is there old age and death. Because conditioned arising is dismantled, one renounces all existences and arrives at the other shore. One should apply this intention through each and every mind, through each and every subjective capacity, and through each and every objective realm. If the three obstructions arise, break them to make them open; if these are the three openings, nurture them to bring them to completion.