釋摩訶般若波羅蜜經覺意三昧 1.4

1.4

Now, practitioners who wish to cross the great ocean of birth and death and reach the other shore of nirvāṇa must thoroughly comprehend the root of delusion and confusion, and know well the essential path to transcendence. The root of delusion and confusion is precisely the true limit of mind; the essential path to transcendence is reflective contemplation of the source of the mind. Knowing the true limit [of mind] is the direct cause Buddha-nature; reflective contemplation of the source of the mind is the revealing cause. Furthermore, these two causes subsume all dharmas exhaustively and completely. For example, within the pure empty space, the perfectly rounded sunlight serenely illumines. Yet this space and the sun are neither identical nor separate, neither abiding nor non-abiding. And the sun skillfully acts as the favorable condition for destroying darkness and the essential means for revealing space; although it dispels darkness and reveals space, space neither diminishes nor increases. In principle there is truly no diminution, yet inferring from phenomena, darkness and obstruction are permanently eliminated; its nature is indeed without increase, and the myriad phenomena contained within the realm of space are all manifested. And although this empty space is pure by nature, if there were no sunlight, darkness would arise; it is not because space is empty that it can eliminate darkness of itself. If darkness is to be eliminated, it must rely on sunlight. If the sun had no space, it would have no light and no illumination; if space had no sun, darkness would not dispel itself. Yet the nature of this darkness has neither coming nor going, and the substance and characteristics of the sun also neither arise nor cease. Only when there is the sun illuminating space do heaven and earth become thoroughly bright. The illumination of the empty nature of the mind by the sun of wisdom is also like this. Just as the sun is neither identical with space nor separate from empty space—if the sun were identical with space, how could empty space illumine? If the sun were separate from space, it should not illumine in dependence upon space—the sun of wisdom is also like this: it is neither identical with the empty nature of the mind, nor separate from the empty nature of the mind. If it were identical with the empty nature of the mind, it would not illumine through cultivation; if it were separate from the empty nature of the mind, cultivation would also be incapable of illumining. Just as the sun neither abides in space nor does not abide in space—because it does not abide in space, it can illumine all of space; because it is not that it does not abide in space, it ultimately does not fall into voidness—the sun of wisdom is also like this: profoundly contemplating the empty nature of the mind, it does not abide in the empty nature of the mind and can illumine all of emptiness; because it is not that it does not abide in emptiness, although it illumines all of emptiness, the mind of wisdom neither wavers nor retrogresses. Just as the sun can dispel darkness and reveal the characteristics of empty space, the sun of wisdom is also like this: it can dispel the darkness of ignorance and reveal the true reality of the mind. Just as although the sun dispels darkness and reveals the characteristics of empty space, space neither diminishes nor increases, the sun of wisdom is also like this: it can eliminate the darkness of ignorance and reveal the true reality of the mind, yet in the empty nature of the mind it neither increases nor decreases. Just as the sun does not diminish space nor increase space, yet can eliminate the darkness in space and reveal the myriad phenomena in the realm of space, the sun of wisdom is also like this: although it neither diminishes nor increases the empty nature of the mind, it can sever all afflictions, accomplish the myriad practices, and manifest all dharmas. Just as although space is pure, darkness arises because there is no sun, the nature of the mind is also like this: although originally pure, because there is no light of wisdom, delusion and confusion arise. Just as although space is pure, it cannot eliminate darkness of itself, and for darkness to be eliminated it must rely on sunlight, the empty nature of the mind is also like this: although originally pure, it cannot eliminate confusion of itself, and for confusion to be extinguished it must rely on the illumination of wisdom. Just as if the sun had no space there would be no light and no illumination, and if space had no sun darkness would ultimately never be eliminated, the sun of wisdom is also like this: if there were no empty nature of the mind, how could there be anything to illumine? If the empty nature of the mind lacked wisdom, delusion and confusion would ultimately never be severed. Just as darkness has neither going nor coming, and the sun neither arises nor ceases, understanding and confusion are also like this: to speak of 'dispelling confusion' is a conventional designation; the nature of confusion is non-existent, neither coming nor going, and in reality there is nothing to dispel. Although wisdom illumines universally, its nature is constantly quiescent, neither arising nor ceasing, and ultimately illumines nothing. Just as when there is a sun illuminating space, heaven and earth are thoroughly bright, so when one reflectively contemplates the empty nature of the mind, all worldly dharmas and all supramundane dharmas are radiantly and perfectly manifested. For this reason, wisdom illuminating the nature of the mind is spoken of as being like the sun in space. If one can trace these ten metaphors of space and sun to comprehend the characteristics of dharmas, and thereby enter the ocean of the awareness of mind, this is called discriminating the characteristics of dharmas.