四明尊者教行錄 1.73

1.73

Having summoned and invited the Three Jewels and the myriad spirits above to descend upon the bodhimaṇḍa and jointly assist in the goodness of the precepts: you should know that these precepts make no distinction between men and women; ordinary persons and sages assemble universally, the unseen and the manifest share alike; even animals, if they only understand the Dharma master's words, are all able to receive them. Unlike the Small Vehicle which lasts only for the duration of one's physical life, these bodhisattva precepts, once received today, extend straight until buddhahood without ever being lost. Below, we shall further turn the assembly away from the heterodox and toward the correct, conferring the Dharma of taking the three refuges. You should know that the Three Jewels are the field of reverence for all sentient beings; if one can with utmost sincerity revere and turn toward them, one can generate all good dharmas and merits. However, there are many kinds of Three Jewels: first, the Three Jewels of worldly maintenance; second, the Three Jewels of distinct characteristics; third, the Three Jewels of one identical essence. As for worldly maintenance: clay shrines, sculpted images, and paintings are the Buddha Jewel; yellow scrolls and red rollers are the Dharma Jewel; shaving the hair and dyeing the robes are the Saṅgha Jewel. As for distinct characteristics: cultivating, realizing, and matching the wonderful awakening fruition-virtue in the Dharma, reward, and manifest response bodies is called the Buddha Jewel; the spoken eighty-four thousand Dharma stores and the twelve divisions of scriptures are called the Dharma Jewel; the sages and worthies of the three vehicles from equal awakening on down are called the Saṅgha Jewel. As for the one identical essence: from the buddhas above down to wriggling insects below, none lacks these Three Jewels. What is called the wonderful substance of true reality is three while being one, named the secret treasury; like earthly treasures and rarities, they are all generally called 'jewels'. The inherent awakened nature possessed by all of you right now is the Buddha Jewel; this nature's unstained purity is the Dharma Jewel; this nature's gentle harmony without dispute is the Saṅgha Jewel. Now I urge you all not to disparage yourselves: every person inherently possesses this principle; each and every one can attain buddhahood. Because the Tathāgata cultivated and realized these Three Jewels of one identical essence, he was able to exercise great spiritual penetrations and perform various buddha-works. These Three Jewels are within your own bodies, like water congealed into ice. To discard ice to seek water is impossible; if you wish to melt the ice, you should skilfully apply expedient means. If you intend to advance toward the Buddhist fruition, it cannot be accomplished without cultivation. Now that you have awakened to and recognized this substance, directly turn toward this jewel to take refuge.