廬山蓮宗寶鑑 10.18

10.18

The Vajracchedikā-sūtra says: "When the Tathāgata speaks of an integrated composite, it is not an integrated composite; it is called an integrated composite." This is truly because the nature of worldly people is muddled and confused; joining with the dust-realms, it is not an integrated composite. The wise clearly see their own true mind; turning their backs on dust and uniting with awakening, their single thought of an awakened mind joins with the true-emptiness dharmadhātu of all the Buddhas of the ten directions—this is the principle of an integrated composite. Yongjia said, "My nature joins together with the Tathāgata." Yet ordinary people do not awaken to this principle; greedily attached to phenomenal forms, they cling to them obstinately in delusion, their affective mind and consciousness joining with mountains, rivers, the great earth, walls, tiles, and rubble. Obscuring the true emptiness of the nature of principle, it is [in truth] not so. The Sixth Patriarch said: "If the mind has attainments, it is not an integrated composite; if the mind is without attainments, it is an integrated composite." This is it. Nowadays, there are foolish people who do not understand the Buddha's teaching and, sitting within our tradition, falsely claim that husband and wife are an integrated composite. This is an error! For their passions arise and cut off wisdom; their thoughts change and their bodily forms differ; their karmic burdens and miseries are profound; they turn their backs on causes and are blind to effects; they pervert the sacred scriptures and defile the gate of the teachings. How could the orthodox lineage of pure karma tolerate such talk? True practitioners of the path should by all means firmly uphold right faith, exclusively recite [the name of] Amitābha, and in a single thought take hold of no characteristics. When the internal mind and external objects are clearly one and the same, they will naturally accord in secret with the true principle. Therefore, Chan Master Foguo Qin instructed the assembly: "During all twelve hours of the day, do not see Buddhas above, do not see sentient beings below; outside, do not see mountains, rivers, and the great earth; inside, do not see seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing. Forge the good, bad, long, and short into a single piece; bring forth each and every one, and there will be no divergent views whatsoever." With this, the principle of an integrated composite becomes vividly clear. It may be said: the sun may grow cold and the moon may grow hot, yet the hordes of Māra cannot destroy the true exposition. This is truly the thoroughfare for walking the path, the correct instruction for awakening to the school.