四明尊者教行錄 4.112

4.112

答：無情說法之言，其來尚矣。的論其要，難得其旨。汝問以清淨法性草木瓦礫立二法也，當知法性之外無別瓦木、瓦木之外無別法性，二非二也。故《華嚴》曰：法性遍在一切處，一切山河及國土，三世悉在無有餘，亦無形相而可得。此道若論有相，充塞太虛、包含法界。若論無相，一法不留、見聞不住。卷舒自在，體露堂堂。昔南陽忠國師答學者，以牆壁瓦礫為古佛心。不異此旨。若論說法，熾然常說，古今無間。《華嚴》之中，塵說、剎說、佛說、眾生說、三世一切說。若論聽受，十方齊說，十方齊聞。三世俱宣，三世俱聽。古人道：虛空問萬像，萬像答虛空。誰人親得聞，木叉了角童。又云：真說法時聲不現，正堂堂處沒却身。學人又問國師：無情說法誰人得聞？師曰：諸佛得聞。曰：眾生應無分耶？師曰：我為眾生說。曰：某甲聾瞽不聞，師應得聞。師曰：我亦不聞。曰：師既不聞，爭知無情說法？師曰：我若得聞，即齊諸佛，汝即不聞我所說法。曰：眾生畢竟得聞否？師曰：眾生若聞，即非眾生。國師之答稍有深致，識者知之。

Answer: The teaching that insentient beings expound the Dharma has an ancient pedigree. Strictly speaking of its essential meaning, its principle is hard to grasp. You pose your question by establishing two separate dharmas: the pure dharmatā, and the grass, trees, tiles, and gravel. You should understand that outside of dharmatā there are no separate tiles or trees, and outside of tiles and trees there is no separate dharmatā—the two are not two. Therefore the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'Dharmatā pervades all places, all mountains, rivers, and lands; it is fully present throughout the three periods of time without remainder, yet no form or appearance can be found.' If discussed in terms of having form, this Way fills the great void and encompasses the Dharma realm. If discussed in terms of formlessness, not a single dharma remains, nor does seeing or hearing abide. Expanding and contracting at will, its essence is magnificently manifest. Formerly, when National Preceptor Zhong of Nanyang answered an inquirer, he took walls, tiles, and gravel to be the mind of the ancient buddhas. This does not differ from that principle. If discussed in terms of expounding the Dharma, it blazes forth in constant exposition without interruption through past and present. Within the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, dust particles expound, kṣetras expound, buddhas expound, sentient beings expound, and all throughout the three periods of time expound. If discussed in terms of hearing and receiving, the ten directions expound simultaneously and the ten directions hear simultaneously. The three periods of time proclaim together, and the three periods of time listen together. An ancient said: 'Empty space questions the ten thousand phenomena; the ten thousand phenomena reply to empty space. Who is it that personally gets to hear it? The horned youth who has ended all bonds.' It also says: 'When the true Dharma is expounded, no sound appears; right where it is magnificent, the body is completely absent.' The student further asked the National Preceptor: 'When insentient beings expound the Dharma, who gets to hear it?' The Preceptor said: 'All buddhas get to hear it.' The student asked: 'Do sentient beings have no share in it?' The Preceptor said: 'I expound it for the sake of sentient beings.' The student said: 'I am deaf and blind and do not hear it; you, Preceptor, must get to hear it.' The Preceptor said: 'I do not hear it either.' The student said: 'Since you do not hear it, how do you know that insentient beings expound the Dharma?' The Preceptor said: 'If I got to hear it, I would be equal to the buddhas, and you would not hear the Dharma I expound.' The student said: 'Do sentient beings ultimately get to hear it or not?' The Preceptor said: 'If sentient beings heard it, they would not be sentient beings.' The National Preceptor's reply possesses profound import; those who understand recognize it.