念佛三昧寶王論 3.11

3.11

I reply: How far apart are principle and phenomena? Previously I explained the principle that is identical to phenomena; now I explain the phenomena that are identical to principle. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra* says: 'For people of dull faculties, the Buddha spoke of all dharmas as empty and quiescent, because their movements give rise to grasping views; for people of sharp faculties, he spoke of the major and minor marks of all buddhas, just as a lotus is not defiled by dust.' Thus Subhūti, foremost in understanding emptiness among the Hīnayāna, was without name and without mark; yet when he received the prediction of his future attainment of buddhahood, his title was the Tathāgata Name-and-Mark. If one is not of the Great Vehicle, one constantly fears that sound, fragrance, taste, and touch will take advantage of one; having no time even to flee, how would one dare to stroll in the gardens of names and marks? Having penetrated names and marks, he therefore obtained the Buddha's prediction. Speaking of the gate of phenomena: the Buddha arises from the mind, which is simply the non-thought of the pratyutpanna; when the ultimate realm issues from oneself, the Lotus comes spontaneously without haste. 'A mind that has nothing to be mindful of' cuts off all chaotic thoughts; 'yet cultivating buddha-mindfulness' skillfully thinks upon one buddha. Thus the *Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra* says: 'If a person learns archery, with long practice he becomes skillful; later, even without deliberate mind, every arrow shot hits the mark. If a person wishes to enter the one-practice samādhi, let him follow the direction of a buddha, exclusively recite his name in thought after thought continuously, and right within thought he will see the buddhas of the three times. Just like practicing archery, once perfected, without deliberate mind every shot hits the mark.' Is this not non-thought? Why so? Therefore the *Bhadrapāla* says: 'Mindfully persevere without resting, and the Buddha will manifest.' The *Yingluo jing* says: 'The Path is called one mind; many thoughts are not the Path.' The *Dhyāna-samādhi Sūtra* says: 'When a bodhisattva sits in meditation, he is not mindful of anything at all; he is mindful only of one buddha, like the golden king of Mount Sumeru in the cool, clear ocean, and he is mindful of the dharmakāya of merits in the same way.'