廬山蓮宗寶鑑 10.32

10.32

佛法者，出世間之道、無為之法也。《涅槃經》云「如來開發顯露清淨無翳，迷者不解謂是祕藏，智者了達即不名藏。」有等愚人妄說官法堂堂、佛法隱藏。偽撰一落索邪言，閉門傳度，謂之生死奧典，幻惑後人，至死不與人說。逗到臨時一場漏逗，大似貧兒得錫喚作黃金，明眼人前如何拈出？自不知非，反誇能會，正是瞞人更自瞞也。豈知佛說一切法為度一切心？蓋以眾生心體本來是一，用處不同，故說一切法也。祖師云「瓶盤釵釧，本是一金，名相不同，至體無二。」嗟乎末運，法出奸生，往往失其本體者多，是將新羅漆、高麗鍮間貨錯出，巧言令色瞞昧世人。一偽既行，百真莫辨。況愛小利者，上人鋪席不揀好惡，苟圖價廉好看易得，等閑被他將一團灰炭寒却眼孔，拕向黑地裏脫換去了。及至眼開，握著黃土也認不得，又何金鍮真偽之辨哉？癡人但得入手，貴乎密密珍藏以為奇貨，生怕人知。驀然撞著識者，為伊點破，始知分文不直。如斯之類比比皆是，只為愚暗福薄，眼裏無觔、麁心鹵莽，兼以不遇真正師匠以致然也。殊不知繞指精金從本來有，自非作家陶鎔痛下鉗鎚煆煉一回，轉見性柔金瑩燦然一塊，覿體全真，然後隨意作用，造成眾器，飛光散彩耀人心目，永無變色者。固知自餘，皆不足言矣，可不至寶哉？正信道流，切宜著眼。

The Buddha-Dharma is the world-transcending Way, the unconditioned Dharma. The Nirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'The Tathāgata reveals, exposes, purifies, and removes obstructions; the confused do not understand and call it a secret storehouse, while the wise comprehend it and so it is not called a storehouse.' There are certain foolish people who falsely claim that official law is open and imposing, while the Buddha-Dharma is hidden and concealed. Spurious and convoluted heterodox talk is fabricated and transmitted behind closed doors, called the 'secret canon of life and death', bewitching later people, swearing never to speak of it to others until death. When the critical moment arrives, it becomes a complete embarrassment—much like a poor child getting tin and calling it gold; how could they bring it out before someone with clear eyes? Not knowing their own errors, they instead boast of their competence; this is truly deceiving others and deceiving oneself even more. How can they not know that the Buddha preached all dharmas to deliver all minds? Because the mind-essence of sentient beings is originally one, yet its applications differ, he therefore spoke all dharmas. A patriarch said: 'Vases, dishes, hairpins, and bracelets are fundamentally one gold; their names and marks differ, but the ultimate essence is not two.' Alas, in the degenerate age, when laws appear, treachery arises; often, many lose their original essence. They mix Silla lacquer and Korean brass with goods in disarray, and with artful words and an insinuating appearance deceive the world. Once a single falsehood is accepted, a hundred truths cannot be distinguished. Furthermore, those who covet petty gain enter a shop without discerning good from bad; seeking only a low price, fine appearance, and easy acquisition, in an idle moment a lump of cold coal chills their eyes, and they are dragged off into the dark to have their goods swapped away. When their eyes open, holding yellow clay they cannot even recognize it—how could they distinguish between true gold and brass? Once the foolish get hold of it, they value it as a secret treasure and keep it as a rare commodity, terrified that others might know. Suddenly they run into someone who understands, who points out the truth to them, and only then do they learn it is not worth a single penny. Things of this kind are everywhere, all because through foolish darkness and meager merit, their eyes have no strength, their minds are coarse and hasty, and in addition they have not met a genuine master artisan—hence it comes to this. Little do they know that the pliable refined gold has existed from the very beginning. If it is not melted by a master artisan, forcefully subjected to the pincers and hammer, and smelted through, showing its nature to be supple and the gold sparkling as a radiant mass, with its substance wholly true, then afterward shaped at will to make various vessels, radiating light and scattering brilliance to dazzle human eyes and minds, it would never remain unfading in color. Indeed we know that all the rest is not worth speaking of; is this not the supreme treasure? Those who follow the Way with correct faith should pay careful attention to this.