顯密圓通成佛心要集 1.6

1.6

First, regarding the essentials of the exoteric teaching: Xianshou and Qingliang jointly classified the Tathāgata's lifelong teachings into five kinds: First is the Hīnayāna teaching, referring to over six hundred fascicles of sūtras such as the *Āgama*s and over six hundred fascicles of treatises such as the *Vibhāṣā*, which teach that all dharmas arise from causes and conditions, clarify that the three realms are unstable, realize the true principle of the emptiness of the person, cultivate practices for one's own benefit, and aspire to the fruits of the Hīnayāna. Second is the initial Mahāyāna teaching, which has two [aspects]: First, the Dharmalakṣaṇa school, referring to several dozen sūtras such as the *Sandhinirmocana* and *Buddhabhūmi*, and several hundred fascicles of treatises such as the *Yogācārabhūmi* and *Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi*, which teach that all dharmas are consciousness-only, realize the true principle of the two emptinesses, cultivate the six perfections and myriad practices, and head toward the Mahāyāna fruit of Buddhahood, among which the meaning of dharmalakṣaṇa is mostly discussed; second, the Signless school, referring to over a thousand fascicles of sūtras such as the various divisions of the *Prajñāpāramitā*, and several treatises such as the *Madhyamaka-śāstra*, *Śata-śāstra*, and *Dvādaśamukha-śāstra*, which teach that all dharmas are fundamentally empty, that beginningless deluded feelings falsely grasp them as existent, and that desiring to realize bodhi as something to be attained, one cultivates the myriad practices, among which the signless meaning of emptiness is mostly discussed. Both of these two schools are the entry gate to the Mahāyāna, and hence are called "initial"; "initial" means the beginning. Third is the final Ekayāna teaching, referring to over forty sūtras such as the *Lotus Sūtra* and *Nirvāṇa Sūtra*, and over ten treatises such as the *Ratnagotravibhāga* and *Buddhadhātu-śāstra*, which teach that all sentient beings possess the buddhadhātu, which from the beginning has been spiritually luminous and unobscured, clearly and constantly aware, but through beginningless delusion and inversion they do not realize it themselves; if one wishes to attain the fruit of Buddhahood, one must first realize one's own buddhadhātu, and only then, in accordance with [this] nature, cultivate the fundamentally possessed, immeasurable, wondrous practices. It discusses dharmatā extensively and is the teaching of the Mahāyāna that exhausts the principle; hence it is called "final"; "final" means exhausting. Fourth is the sudden Ekayāna teaching, referring to the texts of sūtras such as the *Laṅkāvatāra* and *Viśeṣacintibrahma-paripṛcchā*, and the Chan school transmitted by Bodhidharma, which teaches that all false marks are fundamentally empty and the true mind is fundamentally pure, originally without afflictions and fundamentally bodhi, and speaks solely of the true nature without relying on stages to attain Buddhahood; hence it is called "sudden." Fifth is the perfect teaching of the inconceivable vehicle, referring to the single sūtra of the *Avataṃsaka* and the single treatise of the *Daśabhūmika*, which fully speak of the Vairocana dharmadhātu and the ocean of Samantabhadra's practices, wherein all things, whether phenomenon or principle, cause or effect, the one contains all in endless layers upon layers; it completely subsumes all teachings, leaving no dharma unincluded, autonomous in accord with the nature without hindrance or obstruction, far surpassing partial expositions; hence it is called "perfect." Among these five teachings, the former are shallow and provisional, while the latter are deep and ultimate; if one views the preceding four in light of the perfect teaching, they are all provisional establishments made in response to capacities. (Here, discussing them provisionally in terms of relative opposition, it is said that the preceding four are provisional and the perfect teaching is ultimate. If one rigidly clings to the perfect teaching as ultimate while lacking the preceding four teachings, it would also not be complete and unimpeded. Only when all five teachings are transmitted together and both partial and perfect are praised in common is it sufficient to adapt to capacities. Below, because the practices of the preceding teachings are fully contained within the perfect teaching, they are not explained separately.) Now, relying on the perfect teaching for cultivation, it is briefly divided into two: first, awakening to the Vairocana dharmadhātu; second, cultivating the ocean of Samantabhadra's practices. First, regarding awakening to the Vairocana dharmadhātu: this refers to the one true unhindered dharmadhātu spoken of in the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra*, also called the one mind, within which are fundamentally contained the three realms of the world—(1. the vessel world, which refers to all lands; 2. the world of sentient beings, which refers to all sentient beings; 3. the world of enlightened wisdom, which refers to all noble ones)—and the four dharmadhātus—(1. the dharmadhātu of phenomena; 2. the dharmadhātu of principle; 3. the dharmadhātu of unhindered phenomenon and principle; 4. the dharmadhātu of unhindered phenomenon and phenomenon)—and all defiled and pure dharmas; not a single dharma exists outside this dharmadhātu. This is the fundamental true mind of all ordinary beings and noble ones. (It is also the fundamental true body.) Generally speaking, there are two kinds of true mind: first, the true mind of the shared teaching; second, the true mind of the distinct teaching. Within the shared teaching, there are again two kinds: first, the true mind of the final teaching; second, the true mind of the sudden teaching. First, regarding the true mind of the final teaching, the *Śūraṅgama Sūtra* says: "You should know that empty space is produced within your mind like a patch of cloud dotting the great pure sky, how much more so all the worlds within space!" (One's own true mind is like the great pure sky, and the empty space of the ten directions is compared to a single patch of cloud; thus one knows that the true mind is exceedingly vast and empty space is exceedingly small. If empty space is already so small compared to the true mind, how much more so all the worlds within empty space!) It also says: "Space arises within the Great Awakening / like a bubble emerging on the sea; / the defiled worlds, like specks of dust, / all arise relying upon space." (The Great Awakening is an alternative name for the true mind. The true mind is vast like the great ocean; empty space is minuscule like a floating bubble; how much more so all the lands that arise relying upon empty space! When compared to the true mind, they are the smallest of the small.) It also says: "The true mind is pervasive and perfect, encompassing the ten directions; looking back at the body born of parents, it is like a speck of dust blown within the empty space of the ten directions, existing or not existing." It also says: "You do not know that the physical body, and outside it extending to the mountains, rivers, empty space, and the great earth, are all things within the wondrously luminous true mind." It also says: "All things existing in all worlds are just the wondrously luminous true mind of bodhi." (Since it says they are "just the wondrously luminous true mind of bodhi," worldly dharmas do not possess an essence separate from the true mind; thus one knows that all empty space, the great earth, the sentient and the insentient throughout the entire dharmadhātu are entirely of one flavor, the wondrously luminous true mind, serenely pure, neither increasing nor decreasing.) All sentient beings from beginningless time have lost sight of this mind, falsely taking the four elements to be the body and conditions of conceptual thought to be the mind. This is like ignoring hundreds of thousands of clear great oceans and acknowledging only a single small floating bubble. (If one realizes that the body of the four elements and the mind of conceptual thought are conditioned arisings without nature and are entirely the true mind, it is like realizing that the floating bubble is conditionally arisen without an essence and is entirely sea water. Recently, Confucian scholars who seldom read Buddhist scriptures have heard of this vast true mind and remained utterly confused and incredulous. I promptly gave an analogy, saying: "This was personally spoken by the Tathāgata; it is merely that your own mind is deluded and upside down and does not see it—how can you not believe it? For instance, the secular book *Zhuangzi* says: 'In the Northern Ocean there is a fish named the kun; the size of the kun is unknown, several thousand li. It transforms into a bird named the peng; the back of the peng is unknown, several thousand li. When it rouses and takes flight, its wings are like clouds hanging from the sky. When it is about to migrate to the Southern Ocean, the water is struck for three thousand li, and it spirals up upon the whirlwind for ninety thousand li.' *Liezi* says: 'How could the world know of the existence of such a creature? Great Yu traveled and saw it, Boyi knew and named it, and Yijian heard of and recorded it. Can one, because one's own eyes have not personally witnessed it, not believe that such a creature exists?' If secular books describe tangible creatures in such a manner, how much more so the formless true mind spoken of by the Tathāgata? The *Ratnagotravibhāga* says: 'Those who dwell in caves do not know the vast openness of the universe'—this is precisely the meaning.") Next, regarding the one mind of the sudden teaching: this refers to the non-dual one mind, completely filled with purity and admitting no other; all false marks are fundamentally nonexistent, and the non-dual true mind is fundamentally pure. The *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* says: "The dharma-nature is fundamentally empty and tranquil, / without grasping and without viewing; / the emptiness of nature is just the Buddha, / and cannot be conceptualized." The *Awakening of Faith* says: "All dharmas from the beginning are free from marks of speech, free from marks of names, and free from marks of mental conditioning; they are ultimately equal, without alteration, indestructible, and are only the one mind; hence it is called tathatā." In the preceding final teaching, following the delusions of sentient beings, it spoke of having physical bodies, mountains, rivers, empty space, the great earth, and worldly dharmas, in order to make sentient beings turn away from falsehood and return to truth, realizing that the physical body, mountains, rivers, empty space, the great earth, and worldly dharmas are entirely of one flavor, the wondrously luminous true mind. Now in the sudden teaching, there are fundamentally no physical body, mountains, rivers, empty space, the great earth, or worldly dharmas; fundamentally there is only the one flavor of the non-dual true mind. Therefore Qingliang said: "It does not speak of dharmalakṣaṇa at all, but only clarifies the true nature; thus one knows that pervading the dharmadhātu, it is fundamentally of one flavor, the non-dual true mind, quiescent and pure, neither arising nor ceasing, neither increasing nor decreasing." If one wishes to easily understand this pervading the dharmadhātu, it is compared to a single brilliantly clear, perfectly round jewel, radiantly pure, without shadow or image, without inside or outside. Qingliang said: "The body of illumination stands independently; object and self are as one." Bodhidharma said: "My Dharma uses mind to transmit mind, not establishing words; it is precisely this mind that is transmitted." Caoxi said: "The bright mirror is fundamentally pure; how could it depend on wiping away dust?" It is also this mind. All sentient beings, from beginningless time, not understanding this mind, falsely see various marks, like a diseased eye mistakenly seeing flowers in the sky. The *Sūtra of Complete Enlightenment* says: "Falsely grasping the four elements as the marks of one's own body, and the conditioned shadows of the six sense objects as the marks of one's own mind, is like a diseased eye seeing flowers in the sky." (If one realizes that the true mind fundamentally lacks all marks, it is like empty space fundamentally lacking flowers. The *Sūtra of Complete Enlightenment* says: "When the Tathāgata was on the causal ground cultivating complete enlightenment, knowing that these are flowers in the sky, there was no transmigration, nor was there a body or mind undergoing birth and death; they are not nonexistent because they were made so, but because their fundamental nature is nonexistent." Now, in the sudden teaching, the analogy of flowers in the sky is extremely pertinent. In our time, monastics and laypeople who follow Chan are extremely numerous, but when it comes to disclosing this mind, most do not grasp its spirit; it is like Lord Ye who loved dragons—when a real dragon appeared before him, he was terrified and would not look at it. If one has not awakened to this mind, it is not true Chan; therefore, if one wishes to cultivate Chan practice, one must first realize this one mind.) Second, regarding the one mind of the distinct teaching: this refers to the one true unhindered great dharmadhātu mind, which contains the three realms of the world and possesses the four dharmadhātus; completely this and completely that without obstruction, one knows that it encompasses the dharmadhātu and perfectly enfolds the ten directions, being entirely the one true great dharmadhātu mind. Within this one true great dharmadhātu, all that exists, whether ordinary or noble, principle or phenomenon, whatever single dharma one brings up is entirely the great dharmadhātu mind, up to bringing up merely a single speck of dust, it is entirely the great dharmadhātu mind. The *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* says: "In all the dust of the Lotus Store World, / within each and every speck of dust the dharmadhātu is seen." Furthermore, since a single speck of dust is already the great dharmadhātu mind, within the great dharmadhātu of this single speck of dust, if one again brings up a single speck of dust, it is also entirely the great dharmadhātu mind; whether horizontally or vertically, bringing it up in layers upon layers, every layer is the great dharmadhātu mind. Therefore Great Master Qingliang, in his commentary on the "Daśabhūmika Chapter" of the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra*, spoke of the one mind of Indra's net without end. All sentient beings, from beginningless time, in delusion and falsehood do not know that the endless dharmadhātu is their own body and mind, within which are fundamentally possessed the merits of forms and mind of Indra's net without end, which are equal to the body and mind of Vairocana; instead, they invert their own unhindered Buddha's body and mind, grasping them as a defiled sentient being. This is like a gold-wheel-turning sage king ruling over the four continents, endowed with body and wisdom and peerlessly rich and joyful, who suddenly falls asleep and dreams that he is an ant; in the state of the dream, he only acknowledges himself as an ant, unaware that he is originally a wheel-turning king. (The Buddha of the endless dharmadhātu is difficult to illustrate by worldly analogies; here it merely illustrates the meaning of being deluded about the true and grasping the false, as the wise should know.) Therefore, if one seeks to achieve the ultimate fruit of Buddhahood, one must emphatically awaken to this Vairocana dharmadhātu. If one has not awakened to this dharmadhātu, even if one cultivates the myriad practices for many kalpas, it will be in vain and toil for oneself; one cannot be called a genuine bodhisattva, nor can one be born into the family of the Tathāgata. Thus the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* says: "If one does not understand one's own mind, / how can one know the right path? / Through inverted wisdom, / one increases all evils." Qingliang said: "If one does not rely on this awakening, what one does is not real. While considering it cultivation, it has all along been compounding karma." (This one mind of the endless dharmadhātu is rarely known by people; of those who know it, few believe; of those who believe, few understand; and of those who understand, it is difficult to reach this realm. For this reason, bodhisattvas of many kalpas do not believe and do not understand, and senior śrāvakas are like the blind and the deaf. Those who possess long-cultivated perfect faculties should fix their attention here; if one can hold faith and awakening in one's bosom, on that very day one will be born into the Buddha's family. Fearing that people may find it hard to believe, I now cite a comparable example: as the *Fayuan zhulin* says, "A magician was walking on a road and saw a porter carrying a load, upon which was a basket capable of holding a little over a sheng. He said to the porter, 'I am exhausted from walking and wish to lodge inside your basket, if you would kindly permit it.' Suspecting he was a madman, the porter replied, 'You may enter as you wish.' The magician then jumped into the basket. The basket was not large, nor was the magician small, yet carrying him along, the porter did not feel him heavy. After traveling several tens of li, the porter stopped under a tree to eat, and invited the magician to eat with him. The magician said, 'I have my own food and drink.' The porter looked and saw various utensils, food, and drink in the basket. The magician told the porter, 'I wish to eat with my wife.' From his mouth he then spat out a woman of exceedingly beautiful appearance, and the two ate together. Having eaten, the husband fell asleep. The woman told the porter, 'I have another lover who wants to come and eat with me; if my husband wakes up, please do not tell him.' The woman then brought a man out of her mouth to eat with her; the three in the basket were not cramped at all. After a long while, the husband moved his body, about to wake up. The lover told the porter, 'I am leaving now.' The woman then put the lover into her mouth, and the utensils, food, and drink into her mouth as well. When the husband woke up, he again put the woman into his mouth, and so on." If even worldly petty arts are so capable of containing layer upon layer without hindrance, how much more so the unhindered dharmadhātu of Vairocana! One must carefully believe it and reflectively understand it, and not push the noble realm up too high and waste one's life in vain.) Next, regarding cultivating the ocean of Samantabhadra's practices: having attained awakening to the unhindered dharmadhātu within one's fundamental mind, within which are fundamentally possessed the marks and hallmarks numbering as many as the dust motes of ten Lotus Store Worlds, and the endless spiritual powers and merits of Indra's net, which are not at all different from those of the Buddhas of the ten directions. However, due to beginningless rigid attachments and false passions, habituation has formed a nature that is hard to exhaust suddenly, with the result that one cannot fully obtain the autonomous enjoyment of one's own spiritual powers and merits. Therefore, one must conform to one's own Vairocana dharmadhātu and cultivate the fundamentally possessed ocean of Samantabhadra's practices, so that the endless functions quickly become manifest. The *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* says: "Those who cultivate this Dharma expend little effort and quickly attain bodhi." Although the ocean of Samantabhadra's practices is vast and boundless—(the gates of practice spoken of throughout the entire canon are all the practices of the *Avataṃsaka* Samantabhadra, merely flowing forth in adaptation to provisional and shallow capacities)—now, regarding contemplative practice, five gates are briefly shown: 1. the contemplation of all dharmas as like dreams and illusions; 2. the contemplation of tathatā beyond marks; 3. the contemplation of unhindered phenomenon and principle; 4. the contemplation of Indra's net without end; 5. the contemplation of the unhindered dharmadhātu.