念佛三昧寶王論 3.7

3.7

I reply: Regarding the teaching of non-thought, many people weep at the crossroads; without refined and precise investigation, one may still fear losing one's way. I shall now distinguish it by means of the gates of principle and phenomena. Speaking of the gate of principle, it is true non-thought. An explanation says: 'Both being and non-being are fundamentally non-existent in this very thought! Why is this? The Buddha arises from thought, and mind itself is the Buddha; just as a blade does not cut itself and a finger does not touch itself, the Buddha is not a buddha of itself, and the mind is not a mind of itself. How could one establish mind outside of the Buddha, or establish the Buddha outside of mind? Since the Buddha is not existent, how could the mind be existent? Buddha-mindfulness without mind—its meaning is clear!' Therefore, worldly people say that buddha-mindfulness entails thought, whereas I say that buddha-mindfulness is non-thought. What further confusion could there be? Moreover, thought is itself emptiness—how could there be thought? Emptiness is not the extinction of thought—how could there be non-thought? The nature of thought is inherently empty—how could there be arising and ceasing? Furthermore, 'a mind that has nothing to be mindful of' is due to having no place of abiding; 'yet cultivating buddha-mindfulness' is to give rise to that mind. 'A mind that has nothing to be mindful of' proceeds from the root of non-abiding; 'yet cultivating buddha-mindfulness' establishes all phenomena. 'A mind that has nothing to be mindful of' means that thought is itself empty; 'yet cultivating buddha-mindfulness' means that emptiness is itself thought. Existence that is not different [from emptiness]—this clarifies the Middle Way! Dual quiescence is called śamatha; dual illumination is called vipaśyanā. When calm and discernment are not balanced, it is not correct contemplation. How could it obtain the name of samādhi? Now, illuminating yet ever quiescent, it is a mind that has nothing to be mindful of; quiescent yet ever illuminating, one cultivates buddha-mindfulness. The Tathāgata's realization of the samādhi of quiescence and illumination is the ultimate stage of the buddha-mindfulness samādhi. Therefore it is clear that this samādhi can generate the King of Śūraṅgama and the Lion's Roar samādhis! As the verse on breaking through marks in the *Bodhisattva-buddhānusmṛti-samādhi Sūtra* says: