西方合論 5

English (machine translation) 5

Language: English

Indeed, nature is identical to characteristics, neither existent nor empty; the gates of principle and phenomena do not obstruct each other, and the expositions of negation and affirmation function mutually. To speak of non-existence is like the moon in the water or flowers in a mirror, not like the horn of a hare or the hair of a tortoise; to speak of existence is like the rising wind and moving clouds, not like the hardness of metal or the obstruction of stone. Therefore, if one clings to names and is attached to characteristics, one is an ordinary being with outflows; if one denies retribution and rejects causes, one is a non-Buddhist with the view of emptiness. In the dreamlike Buddha-lands, all vow for rebirth; the bubble-like sages and worthies, we vow together to gaze upon and revere. Speaking of truth and speaking of characteristics is like adding a sore to sound skin; declaring existence and declaring non-existence is like dropping snow onto a red-hot furnace. Here, based on ultimate truth, four gates are distinguished:

5.3

1. The gate of characteristics being identical to mind. 2. The gate of mind being identical to characteristics.

5.4

3. The gate of neither mind nor characteristics. 4. The gate of freedom from identity and freedom from negation.

5.5

First, the gateway that marks are mind itself: The Jingtu jingguan yaomen states: "A sūtra says: 'The mind encompasses empty space; its measure pervades worlds numerous as the sands [of the Ganges].' It also says: 'The mind is like a clever painter, producing the various five aggregates; among all things in the world, there is nothing that is not produced from the mind.' Therefore, the precious trees, precious ground, and precious ponds of the land of Sukhāvatī, the bodies of direct retribution of Amitābha and the ocean-like assembly, the thirty-two marks, and so forth, are all fundamentally possessed by our minds, and all created by our minds; they are not obtained from another, nor do they come from outside. Only one who can comprehend this can speak of contemplating the Buddha as mind itself. Thus the Guan jing says: 'The Buddha Tathāgatas are the dharmadhātu body, entering into the mental thoughts of all sentient beings.' Regarding the phrase down to 'the eighty minor marks,' Great Master Tiantai provided an explanation in two senses: first, explaining it in terms of the spiritual response and mutual communion; second, explaining it in terms of the correspondence of understanding and practice. Without the first explanation, the contemplation would not be a contemplation of the Buddha; without the second explanation, there would be a Buddha outside the mind. As for the explanation of 'this mind creates the Buddha, this mind is the Buddha,' speaking from the side of cultivating contemplation it is called 'the mind creates'; speaking from the side of fundamental possession it is called 'the mind is.' Its meaning pervades beginning and end, and by analogy it should be said: 'this mind creates the sun, this mind is the sun'; down to 'this mind creates Mahāsthāmaprāpta, this mind is Mahāsthāmaprāpta,' extending to the nine grades, wherein contemplation is cultivated in accord with the object, and none are not entirely so." It also says: "Contemplating the mind and contemplating the Buddha both pertain to illusory objects; the intent lies in realizing that illusion is itself reality, without needing to destroy illusion and only then reveal reality. Thus Jingxi said: 'How could the words "mind-only" refer only to the true mind? One must know that the mind of defilement is all-pervading. If you do not yet know that the mind of defilement is all-pervading, how can you completely understand that the form of saṃsāra is all-pervading? Why is form all-pervading? Because form is mind itself.' If so, one does not need to subsume the Buddha into the mind for it to be called contemplating the Buddha in terms of mind. Clarifying it in this way not only deeply captures the Buddha's intent, but also far surpasses ordinary sentiment." The Zongjing lu says: "One's own mind pervades all places. Therefore, if one sees another Buddha, that is one's own Buddha; without destroying the realms of self and other, there are only sentient beings of the one mind. It is like the mould on an image: if the mould is removed, one sees one's own Buddha and also sees the other Buddha. Why? Although one sees the other Buddha, it is one's own Buddha, because it is cast by oneself; nor does it destroy the other Buddha, because upon that fundamental substance, although the form of another Buddha is manifested, it is one's own objective aspect (nimittabhāga)." It also says: "One's own mind sympathetically manifests the Buddha's body coming to welcome [one]. The Buddha's body is eternally quiescent, without coming or going; the cognitive mind of sentient beings, relying on the superior power of the original Buddha's merit, has coming and going. It is like a face in a mirror, or acting within a dream. The form in the mirror is neither internal nor external; the substance in the dream is neither existent nor non-existent. It is merely one's own mind, having nothing to do with the Buddha's transformation. Hence we know that when pure karma is fully matured, the eyes behold the Buddha's body; when the evil fruit is about to be completed, the mind manifests the hells. It is like one of merit holding gravel and turning it into gold, while a person impoverished in karma turns gold into gravel. Gravel is not gold, yet gold appears; gold is not gravel, yet gravel arises. The arising of gold is merely the arising of the mind; the appearance of gravel proceeds solely from the mind. The transformation is me—whence come the gold and the gravel?" The Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says: "A clever and skillful painter takes various colors: he takes white to make white, red to make red, yellow to make yellow; if he takes pigeon-color, it becomes pigeon-color; he takes black to make black. The painter that is mental karma is also like this. In relation to white, taking white, among devas and humans it becomes white. What is the meaning of 'white'? Because it is unstained by the impurities of defilements such as desire, it is therefore called white. Furthermore, the painter that is mental karma, taking red color, can make red among devas and humans. What is the meaning of 'red'? That is to say, loving sounds, tastes, tangibles, odors, and sights. Furthermore, the painter that is mental karma, taking yellow color, can make yellow in the animal realm. What is the meaning of 'yellow'? Mutually drinking blood and eating flesh, through greed, anger, and delusion killing and harming each other, hence it is called yellow. Furthermore, the painter that is mental karma takes pigeon-color, and clinging to objects and observing, creates the defiled pigeon-color in the preta realm. What is the meaning of 'pigeon'? Their bodies are like trees in a forest burned by fire, afflicted by hunger and thirst, oppressed by various sufferings. Furthermore, the painter that is mental karma, taking black color, paints black in the hells. What is the meaning of 'black'? Because of black karma, they are born in the hells where there are black iron walls, being burned and bound, obtaining black-colored bodies. In this way, down to the painter that is mental karma skillfully preparing the colors of dhyāna, clinging to objects that are bright and pure, like that painter skillfully preparing colors and painting fine forms—all are one's own mind, not made by another. Therefore, one should know that the painter that is mental karma, painting the Pure Land with purely pure colors, is also like this." Furthermore, as stated in the Pratyutpannasamādhi-sūtra: "A bodhisattva who attains this samādhi sits right here and sees Amitābha Buddha. For instance, suppose someone hears that in the city of Vaiśālī there is a courtesan named Āmrapālī, in the country of Śrāvastī there is a courtesan named Sumanā, and in the city of Rājagṛha there is a courtesan named Utpalavarṇā. There are three men, each hearing people praise these three women as incomparably beautiful, who day and night concentrate their thoughts, their minds attached and not letting go; then in a dream, they dream of engaging in intimacy with them. Upon waking, they reflect: 'That woman did not come, nor did I go, yet the act of intimacy was accomplished.' Because of this they awaken: 'Are all dharmas like this?' They go and tell the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla, and the bodhisattva replies: 'All dharmas are truly thus; all are born from thought.' Explaining this in various ways for the three men, the three men immediately attained the stage of non-retrogression. A bodhisattva in this land hears of Amitābha Buddha and repeatedly remembers him; through this remembrance, he sees Amitābha Buddha. For example, if a man travels far away to another province or land and longs for his native home, his household, relatives, and property, that man, in a dream, returns to his old home, sees his household and relatives, and joyfully speaks with them; having seen them in his dream, upon waking he tells his acquaintances: 'I returned to my old home and saw my household and relatives.' The bodhisattva is like this: toward whichever direction he hears a Buddha's name, he constantly remembers that direction wishing to see the Buddha, and the bodhisattva sees the Buddha in every case. For example, when a monk contemplates the bones of a corpse placed before him, sometimes he contemplates them as blue, sometimes as white, sometimes as red, sometimes as black; there is no one who brought those bones, nor are there such bones, nor is there any place from which they came—they are made by the mind. The bodhisattva is like this: toward whichever direction he wishes to see a Buddha, he sees him. Why? He upholds the Buddha's majestic spiritual power, upholds the power of the Buddha's samādhi, and upholds the power of his own original merit; through these three factors he is able to see the Buddha. For example, suppose a young person, handsome and refined, takes a clean vessel filled with fine sesame oil or clean water, or a newly polished mirror, or flawless crystal, and there looks at himself, seeing his own reflection entirely. Why? Because it is bright and pure, he sees his own reflection; the reflection does not come out from inside, nor does it enter from outside. A bodhisattva, with an excellently pure mind, sees all Buddhas at will. Having seen them, he rejoices and reflects: 'Where has the Buddha come from? My body has also not gone anywhere.' He immediately knows that the Buddha has come from nowhere, and that I too have gone nowhere. He further reflects: 'Whatever exists in the three realms is made by the mind. Why? In accord with what the mind remembers, all is seen. With the mind one sees the Buddha, with the mind one makes the Buddha; the mind is itself the Buddha, the mind is itself my body. The mind does not know itself, nor does it see itself.'" If one grasps the marks of the mind, all is without wisdom; the mind is also deceptive and false, all arising from ignorance. Relying on these marks of the mind, one enters directly into the true mark of all dharmas. Therefore, one should know that seeing a Buddha outside the mind is precisely the realm of Māra. Why? Because outside the mind, not a single dharma can be found.

5.6

Second, the gateway that mind is marks itself: because all dharmas are ultimately empty, therefore there are all dharmas; if dharmas had a determined intrinsic nature, nothing would be established. The Prajñā-sūtra says: "If dharmas were not empty, there would be neither path nor fruit." The Dharmapada says: "The bodhisattva blazes with activity to establish [things] within ultimate emptiness." The Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: "A bodhisattva mahāsattva completely understands that his own body and sentient beings are fundamentally quiescent, yet diligently cultivates merit and wisdom without satiety; he is forever free from desire regarding all realms of objects, yet constantly delights in gazing upon and serving the bodily forms of the Buddhas; he knows that Buddha lands are all like empty space, yet constantly adorns the Buddha realms." For this reason, bodhisattvas delight in cultivating the Pure Land.

5.7

The Qunyi lun states: "Question: 'Buddha lands are also all empty, and sentient beings are viewed like the fifth great element; how can one grasp at existent marks, abandoning this [world] to be born in that [one]?' Answer: 'The Buddhas preach the Dharma without departing from the two truths. A sūtra says: "Accomplishing all dharmas, yet free from the marks of all dharmas." "Accomplishing all dharmas" refers to all dharmas of conventional truth; "free from all dharmas" refers to the signlessness of the ultimate truth. It also says: "Though knowing that Buddha lands and sentient beings are empty, one constantly cultivates Pure Land practices to teach and transform the multitudes of beings." You have only seen the teachings that speak of the fully perfected nature (pariniṣpanna-lakṣaṇa) and the passages that refute the imagined nature (parikalpita) as ultimately empty and non-existent, but you do not believe the teachings on the dependent nature (paratantra-svabhāva) of causes and conditions; this is to be a person who does not believe in cause and effect, preaching the mark of annihilation regarding all dharmas, which is the wrong view of non-Buddhists.'"

5.8

Furthermore, the Shiyi lun says: “Now, as for neither arising nor ceasing: within conditions of arising, all phenomena combine and do not abide by their own svabhāva; seeking an essence of arising is also impossible. When this arising arises, it comes from nowhere; therefore it is called non-arising. When all phenomena disperse, they do not abide by their own svabhāva; when this dispersal ceases, it goes nowhere; therefore it is said to be unceasing. It is not that apart from arising and ceasing through causes and conditions there is another non-arising and non-ceasing, nor is it that not seeking rebirth in the Pure Land is called anutpāda. A verse says: ‘Phenomena that arise from causes and conditions, / I declare to be emptiness itself; / they are also conventional designations, / and are also the meaning of the Middle Way.’ It also says: ‘Phenomena do not arise from themselves, / nor do they arise from another, / nor from both, nor without a cause; / therefore they are declared to be unarisen.’ It also says: ‘Just as when someone builds a palace or a chamber, / if he relies on empty ground, he proceeds at will without hindrance; / but if he relies on empty space, he can never accomplish it.’ When the Buddhas teach the Dharma, they always rely on the two truths, expounding the true mark of all phenomena without destroying conventional designations. The wise person ardently seeks rebirth in the Pure Land while realizing that the essence of arising cannot be found—this is true anutpāda; this is what is meant by ‘because the mind is pure, the Buddha-land is pure.’ The foolish are bound by ‘arising’: hearing of arising, they understand it as arising; hearing of anutpāda, they understand it as non-arising. They do not know that arising is itself non-arising, and non-arising is itself arising. Not comprehending this principle, they randomly imagine right and wrong, becoming angry at others who seek rebirth in the Pure Land—what great slander!” Changlu said: “Taking arising to be arising is the error of the eternalist view; taking non-arising to be non-arising is the confusion of the annihilationist view. That which arises yet is unarisen, and is unarisen yet arises, is the ultimate truth.” Yongming said: “The nature that is identical to marks: function does not depart from essence. The marks that are identical to the nature: essence does not depart from function. If you wish to praise the nature, that is just praising the marks; if you wish to disparage the marks, that is merely disparaging the nature.” Tianru said: “The nature can manifest marks: non-arising is itself arising. Marks are manifested by the nature: arising is itself non-arising.” Thus, amid the soundless sound, wind rustles the branches and water murmurs; within formless form, there are jewelled trees and balustrades. How could this be the same as the inert emptiness of flying ash and extinguished smoke, or the demonic hordes who reject cause and effect!

5.9

Third, the approach of neither mind nor marks: The Vibhāṣā-śāstra explains that a newly resolved bodhisattva first practices buddhānusmṛti on the Buddha's physical marks—the essence of the marks, the karma of the marks, the fruition of the marks, and the function of the marks—attaining inferior power; next, he contemplates the Buddha's mind of the forty unshared dharmas, attaining medium power; next, he contemplates the Buddha of the true mark, attaining superior power, not clinging to either the form body or the Dharma body. A verse says: “He does not crave or cling to the form body, / nor does he cling to the Dharma body; / he thoroughly knows that all phenomena / are eternally quiescent like empty space.”

5.10

The Ratnagotravibhāga says: “Relying on the meaning of the Buddha: A sūtra says: ‘The Buddha addressed Ānanda, saying: “The Tathāgata is not a visible phenomenon.”’ Therefore, the eye consciousness cannot see him. Relying on the meaning of the Dharma: A sūtra says: ‘What is called the Dharma is not a matter that can be spoken.’ Therefore, it is not something heard by the ear consciousness. Relying on the meaning of the Saṅgha: A sūtra says: ‘What is called the Saṅgha is designated as unconditioned.’ Therefore, it cannot be offered to, bowed to, or praised with body and mind.”

5.11

The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra says: “A bodhisattva-mahāsattva does not practice buddhānusmṛti through form, nor through feeling, perception, volitional formations, or consciousness, because the svabhāva of all phenomena is empty. He should not practice buddhānusmṛti through the thirty-two marks or the eighty minor marks; he should not practice buddhānusmṛti through morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, or the knowledge and vision of liberation; he does not practice buddhānusmṛti through the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unhindered knowledges, or the eighteen unshared dharmas. Why is this? Because the svabhāva of all these phenomena is empty. Since svabhāva is empty, there is nothing to be mindful of; because there is nothing to be mindful of, this is buddhānusmṛti.”

5.12

The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: “If a bodhisattva grasps at marks and makes distinctions regarding past Buddhas when dedicating [merit], this is not called dedication. Why is this? Having marks is one extreme, and being without marks is another extreme; leaving these two extremes and practicing the Middle Way is the true mark of all Buddhas. Therefore, it is said that all past Buddhas fall into the categories of marks; if one does not grasp at marks and categories when dedicating [merit], this is non-delusion.”

5.13

The Buddhapiṭaka-sūtra says: “Seeing the true mark of all phenomena is called seeing the Buddha. What is called the true mark of all phenomena? It is that all phenomena are ultimately empty and non-existent; through these ultimately empty and non-existent phenomena, one practices buddhānusmṛti.” And further: “Moreover, one who practices buddhānusmṛti is free from all conceptions: conceptions do not arise, the mind is without distinction, without names, without hindrances, without desire and without attainment, not giving rise to initial or sustained thought. Why is this? Śāriputra! All conceptions that arise according to what is thought of are all wrong views. Śāriputra! Accordance with non-existence, without initial or sustained thought, without arising and without ceasing—one who thoroughly penetrates this is called one who practices buddhānusmṛti. In such mindfulness, there is no greed and no attachment, no adversity and no accord, no name and no conception. Śāriputra! Absence of conception and absence of words is truly called buddhānusmṛti; herein there is not even the subtlest thought, how much less the coarse karma of body, speech, and mind! There is no locus for karma of body, speech, and mind, no grasping and no gathering, no dispute and no litigation, no mindfulness and no distinction; empty, quiescent, and without nature, extinguishing all initial and sustained thought—this is called buddhānusmṛti. Śāriputra! If a person accomplishes such mindfulness, if he wishes to overturn the earth of the four continents, he can overturn it at will, and can also subdue hundreds of thousands of koṭis of Māras, how much more so base ignorance, which arises from empty and deceptive conditions and has no determinate mark! This Dharma is thus without conception and without conceptual proliferation, without arising and without ceasing, ineffable and beyond distinction, without darkness and without light, beyond the measure of Māra and his subjects. It is only by means of conventional discourse that there is any instruction, saying: ‘When you practice buddhānusmṛti, do not grasp at small conceptions, do not generate conceptual proliferation, and do not make distinctions. Why is this? All these phenomena are empty, devoid of essence, cannot be made an object of thought, and have one mark, namely the markless—this is called true buddhānusmṛti.’”

5.14

Furthermore, the Mohe zhiguan, in clarifying the samādhi of buddhānusmṛti, states how one should be mindful: “Should one again contemplate: ‘Shall I attain the Buddha through the mind? Shall I attain the Buddha through the body? The Buddha is not attained by using the mind, nor is he attained by using the body. One does not attain the Buddha's form through the mind, nor does one attain the Buddha's mind through form. Why is this? As for the mind, the Buddha has no mind; as for form, the Buddha has no form; therefore one does not attain sambodhi by using form or mind.’ The Buddha's form is already exhausted, up to consciousness is already exhausted; what the Buddha spoke of as exhausted is unknown to the foolish, but clearly understood by the wise. One does not attain the Buddha through body and speech, nor does one attain the Buddha through wisdom. Why is this? Wisdom, when sought, cannot be found; the self, when sought, is completely impossible to find, nor is there anything seen; all phenomena originally do not exist, destroying the source and cutting off the root.” If one contemplates in this manner, it is called the approach of the buddhānusmṛti of the true mark, and is also called the absolute approach.

5.15

Fourth, regarding the gate of being free from identity and free from difference, Yongming said: “If one grasps and asserts inner power, that is production from self-nature; if one asserts other-power, that becomes production from other-nature; if one says the capacities and the response meet, that is production from common nature; if one says it is neither cause nor condition, that is production without a cause. These are all obstructive attachments that have not entered complete perfection.” One should know that the Buddha's power is difficult to conceive, its profound efficacy hard to fathom. For example, when a woman touches the aśoka tree, flowers burst forth for her; this tree is without sensation of touch, yet not without sensation of touch. The inconceivable touch of mindfulness of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas is also like this. Again, it is like the flowers that grow on elephant tusks on account of thunder: the tusk is not an ear, so how could it hear? If it has no hearing, how could flowers grow? Furthermore, if thunder could produce flowers, they ought to appear on all things. The inconceivable sound-dust of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas is also like this. Again, it is like a brave warrior who mistook a stone for a tiger, and his arrow penetrated to the fletching; the arrow could not conquer the stone, nor could the stone receive the arrow. The inconceivable vigor of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas is also like this. Again, it is like a person traveling far who lodged alone in an empty house. In the night there was a demon carrying a dead man, who came and set it before him. There was another demon following closely behind, shouting in rage: “That is my possession!” The first demon said: “I brought it myself!” The second demon said: “Truly it was I who carried it!” The two demons each grabbed an arm and fought over it. The former demon said: “There is a person here who can be asked.” The latter demon then asked: “Who carried it here?” The person reflected: “The two demons are extremely powerful. If I tell a lie I will die; how much better to speak the truth!” So he said: “The former demon carried it.” The latter demon was greatly enraged, seized the person's arm, tore it off, and threw it to the ground. The former demon took one arm of the dead man and attached it, and it immediately adhered. In this manner both arms, both legs, the head, and the torso—his entire body was exchanged. Thereupon the two demons together ate the exchanged human body, wiped their mouths, and departed. The person reflected: “With my own eyes I saw my body completely eaten by the demons. Now this body of mine is entirely the flesh of another.” Thereupon at all times he regarded it as another's body: even toward the five desires he had no greedy attachment, thinking, “Since it is another's body, it should not be indulged”; even toward his wife and children he gave rise to no defilement, thinking, “Since it is another's body, it should not be defiled”; even toward various reprimands, bitter insults, and humiliations, he accepted them all submissively, thinking, “Since it is another's body, there is no more arrogance.” Later, he suddenly reasoned to himself: “If it is another's, there should be no ‘I’; if it is not another's, another's body is present now. Herein it is neither another nor not another, neither I nor not I; ‘I’ also cannot be found, and ‘another’ also cannot be found. From the very beginning, it has always been like this.” He immediately realized that all phenomena being “I” or “not I” are merely false conceptualizations. The inconceivable power of contemplation of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, seeing the self and other of the Buddha, is also like this. Again, it is like the poor man Shangqiu Kai, who believed the words of the rich man: he entered fire without being burned, entered water without drowning, and jumped from high places without breaking a bone; even according with various deceitful words, he obtained real treasures. And yet this poor man had no other art. The inconceivable desire of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, obtaining the king of buddha-jewels, is also like this. Again, it is like an empty valley producing an echo in response to a sound: this echo does not come from the emptiness, does not come from the valley, and does not come from the sound. If it came from the emptiness, the emptiness should always have an echo; if it came from the valley, it should echo at all times; if it came from the sound, when one shouts on level ground, this echo should also carry; nor does it come from combination, nor from causes and conditions, nor from nature. The inconceivable characteristics of sound of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, neither coming nor going, are also like this. Again, it is like an illusionist who conjured the elder's beloved horse into a small jar: the jar did not become larger, yet the horse pranced as usual; after the elder prepared food for them, the horse was tied to the post as before. The inconceivable illusory methods of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, transforming and manifesting buddha-lands, are also like this. Again, it is like the haṭaka medicine: if a person obtains it, with one ounce of it he transforms a thousand ounces of copper entirely into real gold; it is not that the thousand ounces of copper can transform this medicine. The inconceivable great elixir of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, transmuting the defiled into the pure, is also like this. Again, it is like a person who obtains the añjana medicine and applies it to his eyes: though he walks among people, people do not see him. The inconceivable power of the medicine of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, attaining an unproduced body in thought-moment after thought-moment of birth, is also like this. Again, it is like the unconquerable incense: if it is smeared on a drum, when its sound rings out, all enemy armies retreat and disperse of their own accord; again, the wheel-turning king has an incense named Ocean Treasury: if one pellet is burned, the king and his fourfold army all soar into the empty sky. The inconceivable incense of right mindfulness of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, subduing the demonic armies and transcending the traidhātuka, is also like this. Therefore one should know that the samādhi of buddhānusmṛti is inconceivable! It is inconceivable like the pore of Samantabhadra; inconceivable like the womb of Lady Māyā; inconceivable like the ten-foot room of Vimalakīrti; inconceivable like the small vessel of the upāsikā Guṇavati. Why is this? Because all phenomena are inconceivable. If there were even a hair's breadth that could be conceived, it would not be the nature-ocean of the dharmadhātu. What was spoken of above as mind, as object, as with-characteristics, and as without-characteristics—these are all conceivable phenomena. If one enters this inconceivable liberation, one knows that all discriminative buddhānusmṛti is entirely conceptual proliferation.

5.16

Comprehensive Treatise on the Western Land, Fascicle Five (End)

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西方合論 — Classical Chinese