天台八教大意 1.35

1.35

First, speaking of 'joyful conformity': it means joyful conformity with the wondrous Dharma. The Dharma is the dharma of the mind as well as the dharmas of sentient beings and buddhas. This Dharma is just the mind; this mind is just the Dharma. The three are without distinction; ordinary and sagely are identical in suchness. Suchness is just the real mark; the real mark universally marks the hundred realms and three thousand [realms]; the hundred realms and three thousand [realms] are nothing other than the real mark. Hence the sūtra says: 'The real mark of all dharmas' refers precisely to the expedient and real dharmas of all buddhas, namely the suchness of appearance, nature, substance, power, and so forth, which is the hundred realms and three thousand [realms]. The substance of the wondrous mind is inherently complete; what is complete does not go beyond the mind. Just as the substance of gold inherently completes all vessels, yet the completeness does not go beyond the gold; hence it is called the 'inherently complete mind.' Because of this, it is wondrous. The wondrous mind is the object; the wondrous wisdom is the contemplation. Contemplation and object are non-dual, capable of both illuminating and occluding. What is called the object inherently contains the three truths: the inherently complete mind is emptiness, which is the object of the ultimate truth; the inherently complete mind is provisionality, which is the object of the conventional truth; the inherently complete mind is the middle, which is the truth of the Middle Way supreme meaning. Knowing the ultimate is the contemplation of emptiness; knowing the conventional is the contemplation of provisionality; knowing the middle is the contemplation of the Middle Way. The constant object is formless; constant wisdom is without condition; conditioning without condition, there is none that is not the three contemplations. Having appearances while formless, the three truths are distinctly present. Knowing this at the initial mind, rejoicing for oneself and rejoicing for others is therefore called joyful conformity; this is the fiftieth person. Hearing the preaching at the beginning of the assembly is the head of the five grades; contemplation and mindfulness are uninterrupted, hence there is a distinction. In each and every grade, the five repentances are taken as fundamental; thus when Maitreya was on the causal stage he had no other ascetic practices, but only cultivated the five repentances through the six periods of day and night without ceasing for an instant, thereby accomplishing equal and right awakening.