四明十義書 1.67

1.67

且如心性之名，《妙玄》及《釋籤》定判屬因，為初心所觀之境，故云佛法太高、眾生太廣，初心為難。心佛及眾生，是三無差別，觀心則易。是則諸佛亦有心、眾生亦有心。若隨淨緣作佛界心，則高遠難觀；若隨諸染緣作一切眾生心，則廣散難觀。故輒取一分染緣熏起，自己即今剎那陰等之心依之顯性也。是則隨緣不變之性，攝佛攝生、亦高亦廣；不變隨緣之心，非佛非生、不高不廣。近而且要，是故初心最可託之修觀也。

Now take the name "mind-nature": the Miaoxuan and the Shiqian decisively judge that it pertains to the causal stage, serving as the object of contemplation for beginners. Thus it says: "The Buddha-dharma is too lofty; sentient beings are too vast; for beginners this is difficult. The mind, the Buddha, and sentient beings—these three are without distinction; contemplating the mind is easy." This means that the Buddhas also have mind, and sentient beings also have mind. If it follows pure conditions to form the mind of the Buddha realm, it is lofty, distant, and difficult to contemplate; if it follows various defiled conditions to form the minds of all sentient beings, it is vast, dispersed, and difficult to contemplate. Therefore, one simply takes a portion of the mind of the present momentary aggregates and so forth, perfumed and aroused by defiled conditions, and relying upon it reveals the nature. Thus, the nature that follows conditions without changing encompasses the Buddhas and encompasses sentient beings, being both lofty and vast; the mind that, unchanging, follows conditions is neither Buddha nor sentient beings, being neither lofty nor vast. Being proximate and essential, it is therefore the most suitable for beginners to rely upon in cultivating contemplation.