[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大慧普覺禪師語錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a) › 18.4 # 大慧普覺禪師語錄 18.4 大慧普覺禪師語錄 18.4 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [18.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.18.4) 孫通判請普說，師云：「說法不應時，總是非時語，所以道：『未離兜率已降王宮，未出母胎度人已畢。』李長者著《華嚴論》，乃云：『此經決定是佛成道十日後說，初於正覺山前從定而起，因見明星忽然悟道，便見自己本來面目。』信知時節若至，其理自彰。妙喜常思，無盡居士這一箇人，不知幾百生中學般若來，今生如此得大受用，所註《清淨海眼經》，說八成就，謂如是我聞一時佛在，云『理無不如之謂是，事無不是之謂如。』自來不曾有人如此說，蓋為他見徹釋迦老子骨髓，所以取之左右逢其源。佛初生下，一手指天一手指地云：『天上天下唯我獨尊。』所以云：『三界獨尊之謂我。』所謂我者非人我之我，如孟子所謂萬物皆備於我也。心洞十方之謂聞，蓋世間人，皆以耳聞一切音聲，唯普賢菩薩乃以心聞，故經云：『心聞洞十方，生于大因力。』多之所宗之謂一，且如現前一千大眾，從首座數起，自一而之百，自百而之千，所以言：『一者多之所宗也。』一之所起之謂時，這箇時便是妙心居士請妙喜為大眾說法之時也。當知此時能該括十方三世乃至塵沙諸佛，六道四生，若凡若聖，若草若木，若有情若無情。」乃以拂子擊禪床一下云：「盡向這裏成等正覺，無出此時也。又云：『始覺合本之謂佛。』言以如今始覺合於本覺。往往邪師輩，以無言默然為始覺，以威音王那畔為本覺，固非此理。既非此理，何者是覺？若全是覺，豈更有迷？若謂無迷，爭奈釋迦老子於明星現時，忽然便覺知得自家本命元辰，元來在這裏。所以言：『因始覺而合本覺。』如禪和家，忽然摸著鼻孔，便是這箇道理，然此事人人分上無不具足。昨日因與妙心居士，說令叔尚書文章學問可謂儒林宗工，但聞於此道，自以為難。往往士大夫，只知所謂佛者，千劫學威儀萬劫修相好，乃至三大阿僧祇劫修而後成，云何博地凡夫，現行無明，為富貴所折困，何時與道相應？纔作是念，便是於心意識中，推出一座須彌山，一障障了道眼，不能明見本地風光本來面目，正所謂所知不是障，是障障所知。近世士大夫，多作此見，如韓子蒼與某在臨川，鼻孔廝拄著半年，亦不自信，每言：『此一段事，吾輩但知歸向則可，如何便要入手？』亦是自作障難。或者更錯會先佛所言：『大通智勝佛，十劫坐道場，佛法不現前，不得成佛道。』謂佛道之難成如此。殊不知，一念普觀無量劫，無去無來亦無住，如是了知三世事，超諸方便成十力。釋迦老子纔瞥地後，便言：『奇哉一切眾生，具有如來智慧德相，但以妄想執著，而不證得。』所謂妄想執著者，正說著今時士大夫病痛。先德所以指示：一切人脚跟下，無不圓成，無不具足。故有父不可以傳子，臣不可以獻君之說，蓋使自證自悟，匪從人得，所以不壞假名而談實相，肇法師云：『寂兮寥兮，寬兮廓兮，分兮別兮，上則有君，下則有臣，父子親其居，尊卑異其位，起教敘其因，然後國分其界，人部其家，各守其位。』豈非是法住法位，世間相常住者耶？佛不云乎：『應以佛身得度者，即現佛身而為說法，應以宰官身乃至長者、居士、婆羅門、比丘、比丘尼身得度者，悉現其身而為說法。』又曰：『應眼時若千日，萬象不能逃影質；應耳時若幽谷，大小音聲無不足。』法門既如此殊勝，奈何學者多不向此時節領覽，乃爾自生退屈，正是不信自殊勝，甘為下劣人。若是靈利漢，便向這裏提得去，方知道，一塵纔起大地全收，一毛頭師子百億毛頭現，千頭萬頭但識取一頭。且那箇是一頭？不見南臺和尚聞版聲有頌云：『善哉三下版，知識盡來參，既善知時節，吾今不再三。』」復以拂子擊禪床一下云：「適來所謂盡向這裏成等正覺，是真實義，所以韶國師云：『如來於一切處或等正覺，於刀山劍樹上成等正覺，於鑊湯鑪炭裏成等正覺，於棒下成等正覺，於喝下成等正覺。』然雖如是，如人飲水，冷煖自知。豈不見，善財童子至毘盧遮那大樓閣前，舉體投地，從地而起，作是念言：『此大樓閣，是解空無相無願者之所住處，是於一切法無分別者之所住處，是行一劫入一切劫、以一切劫入一劫而不壞其相者之所住處，是以一佛入一切佛、以一切佛入一佛而不壞其相者之所住處，乃至不著一切世間窟宅者之所住處。』何謂世間窟宅？便是於無上道自作障難者。若執一切世間窟宅不能捨離，則吾輩所謂長老者亦莫住院，一向杜絕世故，乃可得行此道，如此則是壞世間相而談實相，何道之有？常愛東坡為文章，庶幾達道者也，縱使未至於道，而語言三昧實近之矣。人謂是五祖戒和尚後身，而不知以何因緣中忘此意？第亦暫時不著便者。觀其作維摩畫像讚，從始至終不死在言下，其詞曰：『我觀眾工工一師，人持一藥療一病，風勞欲寒氣欲煖，肺肝胃腎更相剋，挾方儲藥如丘山，卒無一藥堪施用。』有大醫王拊掌笑，謝遣眾工病隨愈。言其醫王遣去眾，醫曰：『爾輩用藥，都無是處。』眾工既去，其病隨愈。或問醫王：『君以何藥而病損乎？』曰：『不出眾工之所用者，但彼不善用耳。』故曰：『問大醫王以何藥，還是眾工所用者。我觀三十二菩薩，各以意談不二門，而維摩詰默無語，三十二義一時墮，我觀此義亦不墮，維摩初不離是說。』這箇雖是死蛇解弄却活，若彼三十二人所論真箇負墮時，即是無言勝有言，情知古人之意決不如此，所以立箇喻云：『譬如油蠟作燈燭，不以火點終不明，忽見默然無語處，三十二說皆光焰。佛子若讀《維摩經》，當作是念為正念。我觀維摩方丈室，能受九百萬菩薩，三萬二千師子座，皆悉容受不迫窄。』經中所載，此是維摩居士不思議大解脫神通之力，所以借座燈王、取飯香積，斷取妙喜世界如陶家輪，如持鍼鋒舉一棗葉，蓋真實之理，不可以智知，不可以識識，故曰：『又能分布一鉢飯，饜飽十方無量眾，斷取妙喜佛世界，如持鍼鋒一棗葉，云是菩薩不思議，住大解脫神通力。我觀石子一處士，麻鞵破帽露兩肘，能使筆端出維摩，神力又過維摩詰。若言此畫無實相，毘耶城中亦非實，佛子若見維摩像，應作是觀為正觀。』此是東坡說底禪，豈不是言語到？若非前世熏習得來，爭解恁麼道？所以妙喜之意，亦欲尚書公於此事信得及。妙心居士請持此語，歸舉似令叔，恐因妙喜之言，直下信得及，異日忽然噴地一發，便乃截生死流，據祖佛位，做箇出世間沒量大人，始不負妙喜相期之意。妙心居士近日畫得入定觀音，且以妙喜昔年所作讚題其上，蓋在衡陽時，因道友藺庭彥所請，當時信意一筆寫成。與維摩讚，言語雖不同，大意相似，曰：『世間種種音聲相，眾以耳聽非目覩，一切音聲須以耳聽，觀音却以眼觀。』故曰唯此大士眼能觀。如何見得？曰：『瞑目諦觀為佛事。』到這裏便轉了，曰：『於眼境界無所取。』眼境界既取不得，即眼界寂滅；眼界既寂滅，不可耳界不寂滅，所以云：『耳鼻舌身意亦然，善哉心洞十方空，六根互顯如是義。』觀音菩薩以眼聞，而普賢菩薩以心聞，即此是互顯之義。所謂互顯者，眼處作耳處佛事，耳處作鼻處佛事，鼻處作舌處佛事，舌處作身處佛事，身處作意處佛事，於意界中作無量無邊廣大佛事，得恁麼受用自在了，眼依舊觀色，耳依舊聽聲，乃至鼻舌身意，一一依本分，故曰：『眼色耳聲鼻嗅香，身觸意思無差別。』適來所謂是法住法位，世間相常住是也。『當以此觀如是觀，取此為實成妄想。』到這裏又轉了，曰：『若離妄想取實法，展轉惑亂失本心，本心既失隨顛倒，不見大士妙色身。』云何顛倒？眼見色隨色轉，耳聞聲隨聲轉，是謂眾生顛倒迷己逐物，以逐物故不見大士妙色身。無眼耳鼻舌身意，此乃教有明文，眼耳鼻等既無其體，互顯之義依何而立？故曰：『互顯之義亦寂滅，亦無大士妙色身，亦無種種音聲相，佛子能作如是觀，永離世間生死苦。』大凡文字須教說得行，若說不行不成文章。適來因論時節因緣，所以說善財方立于樓閣之前，早已讚歡許多殊勝之事，然未能得入，乃白彌勒菩薩言：『唯願大聖開樓閣門，令我得入。』時彌勒菩薩前詣樓閣，彈指出聲，其門即開，命善財入，善財心喜，入已還閉。閉時如何，便是觀音入流亡所底消息。然後善財於樓閣中，見百億四天下，百億兜率陀天，一一皆有彌勒菩薩，降神誕生，遊行七步，觀察十方，現為童子，居處宮殿，為一切智，出家苦行，降伏諸魔，成等正覺，梵王勸請，轉正法輪，升天宮殿而演說法，劫數壽量，眾會莊嚴，所淨國土，所修行願，住持教法，皆悉不同。善財非但見彌勒菩薩一周佛事，又自見其身在彼一切諸如來所，亦見於彼一切眾會一切佛事，以海印三昧一印印定，更無秋毫以為透漏。既見如是無量殊勝一切莊嚴自在境界已，彌勒菩薩即攝神力入樓閣中，又彈指作聲，告善財言：『善男子起，法性如是，此是菩薩知諸法智因緣，聚集所現之相，如是自性，如幻如夢，如影如像，悉不成就。』爾時善財聞彈指聲，從三昧起，於此時節，忽然打失布袋，然後彌勒示以如上境界，無有去處，亦無住處，非寂非常，遠離一切。」師召大眾云：「既是來無所從，去無所至，則雲門大師手中扇子𨁝跳上三十三天，築著帝釋鼻孔，東海鯉魚打一棒，雨似盆傾，又有甚麼過？當知這箇時節，具無量廣大智慧門，無量神通門，無量言詞門，無量可不說又不可說一切佛菩薩自在受用門。諸人若能如是信如是入，方知先聖道：『過去一切劫，安置未來今，未來現在劫，回置過去世。』」乃喝一喝云：「若不喝住打葛藤，直到明朝。」擊禪床下座。 > At the request of Vice Prefect Sun for a general sermon, the Master said: “Preaching the Dharma out of season is invariably unseasonal talk. Therefore it is said: ‘Before leaving Tuṣita he had already descended to the royal palace; before emerging from his mother's womb he had already finished liberating people.’ Elder Li wrote the \*Huayan Treatise\*, stating: ‘This sūtra was definitely preached ten days after the Buddha attained enlightenment, when he first arose from concentration before the Mountain of True Awakening. Seeing the morning star, he suddenly awakened to the Way, immediately beholding his own original face.’ Know for certain that when the time arrives, the principle naturally reveals itself. I, Miaoxi, often reflect that Layman Wujin, having studied prajñā across who knows how many hundreds of lifetimes, has achieved such immense practical functioning in this present life! In his commentary on the \*Qingjing haiyan jing\*, expounding the eight fulfillments, concerning ‘Thus have I heard, at one time the Buddha was dwelling...’, he said: ‘Principle having nothing not thus (ru) is called “thus” (shi); phenomena having nothing not right (shi) is called “right” (ru).’ Never before had anyone spoken like this; it was because he penetrated to the marrow of Old Man Śākyamuni that he could draw freely from either side and encounter the source. When the Buddha was first born, pointing one hand to heaven and one hand to earth, he said: ‘Above heaven and below heaven, I alone am revered.’ Hence it is said: ‘The solely revered of the three realms is called “I”.’ What is called ‘I’ is not the ‘I’ of person and self, just as Mencius said, ‘All things are fully present within me.’ The mind penetrating the ten directions is called ‘heard.’ For worldly people hear all sounds with their ears, but only Bodhisattva Samantabhadra hears with his mind. Thus the sūtra says: ‘The mind hearing penetrates the ten directions, born of the power of great causal conditions.’ The foundation of the many is called ‘one.’ Consider the present great assembly of one thousand monks: counting from the head monk, from one to one hundred, and from one hundred to one thousand. Hence it is said: ‘One is that which the many take as their foundation.’ The arising of the one is called ‘time.’ This ‘time’ is precisely the time when Layman Miaoxin requests Miaoxi to preach the Dharma for the great assembly. You should know that this time is able to encompass the ten directions and the three times, even as many as dust motes and sands of buddhas, the six destinies and four modes of birth, ordinary beings and sages, grasses and trees, sentient and insentient.” He then struck the meditation platform once with his fly-whisk and said: “All realize equal, perfect enlightenment right here; nothing exceeds this time. Furthermore, it is said: ‘Initial enlightenment merging with the original is called “Buddha”.’ This means that present initial enlightenment merges with original enlightenment. Often, heretical teachers regard wordless silence as initial enlightenment, and the other side of King of Awesome Voice as original enlightenment—which is certainly not this principle. Since this is not the principle, what is awakening? If all is awakening, how could there still be delusion? If you say there is no delusion, how is it that when the morning star appeared, Old Man Śākyamuni suddenly realized and knew his own true destiny, that originally it was right here? Thus it is said: ‘Due to initial enlightenment, it merges with original enlightenment.’ Like Chan practitioners suddenly grasping their own nostrils, this is the very principle. Yet this matter is fully present without deficiency in everyone. Yesterday, while speaking with Layman Miaoxin, I mentioned that his uncle the Minister's writings and scholarship can be called an exemplar among the literati, but when it comes to hearing of this Way, he considers it difficult for himself. Often literati only know that a so-called Buddha practiced deportment for a thousand kalpas, cultivated the marks of excellence for ten thousand kalpas, and only attained it after three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas of cultivation. They think: ‘How can an ordinary mortal walking the earth, active in ignorance and trapped by wealth and status, ever accord with the Way?’ The moment they form this thought, they push forward a Mount Sumeru within their mental consciousness, obstructing the eye of the Way with a single barrier, unable to clearly see the scenery of their native place and their original face. This is precisely what is meant by: ‘The known is not an obstacle; it is the obstacle that obstructs the known.’ Modern literati mostly hold this view. For instance, Han Zicang and I were together in Linchuan, our nostrils pressed against each other for half a year, yet he still lacked self-confidence, often saying: ‘Regarding this matter, our sort need only know to take refuge in it; how could we actually enter into it?’ This too is creating one’s own obstacles and difficulties. Or others mistakenly understand the ancient Buddha's words: ‘Great Penetrating Wisdom Excellence Buddha sat at the place of awakening for ten kalpas, yet the Buddha Dharma did not appear before him, and he could not attain the Buddha Way,’ claiming that attaining the Buddha Way is this difficult. Little do they realize: ‘In a single thought, comprehensively observing boundless kalpas, without coming, without going, and without abiding; understanding the matters of the three periods of time like this, transcending all expedients, one realizes the ten powers.’ The moment Old Man Śākyamuni caught a glimpse, he said: ‘Miraculous! All sentient beings possess the wisdom and virtuous characteristics of the Tathāgata, but because of delusive thoughts and attachments, they do not realize it.’ What is called delusive thoughts and attachments speaks directly to the illness of today’s literati. This is why former sages pointed out: under everyone’s heels, it is completely fulfilled, lacking nothing. Hence there is the saying: ‘A father cannot pass it to his son, nor can a minister present it to his ruler.’ It must be self-verified and self-awakened; it cannot be obtained from others. Therefore, without destroying conventional designations, true reality is discussed. Master Sengzhao said: ‘Serene and desolate, vast and spacious, divided and distinct. Above there is the ruler, below there is the minister; father and son dwell together in intimacy; noble and lowly hold different stations. Teachings are instituted and their origins explained; then countries delineate their borders, people reside in their families, and each keeps to their station.’ Is this not ‘the Dharma abides in its Dharma position; the characteristics of the world are permanently abiding’? Does not the Buddha say: ‘To those who should be liberated by the body of a Buddha, he manifests the body of a Buddha and preaches the Dharma; to those who should be liberated by the body of an official, even up to the body of an elder, layman, brāhmaṇa, monk, or nun, he manifests all their bodies and preaches the Dharma’? And he also said: ‘When responding to the eye, it is like a thousand suns, and the myriad phenomena cannot hide their shadows or forms; when responding to the ear, it is like a deep valley, and loud or soft sounds are all fully received.’ Since the Dharma gate is so sublime, why do practitioners mostly fail to comprehend it at this time, but instead withdraw and feel discouraged, precisely because they do not believe in their own excellence and willingly make themselves inferior people? If one is a sharp fellow, taking it up right here, one will then know: ‘A single speck of dust arises and the great earth is completely embraced; a lion on a single tip of hair appears on a hundred million tips of hair; among a thousand heads and ten thousand heads, just recognize a single head.’ And what is that single head? Have you not seen Master Nantai, upon hearing the clapper sound, make a verse saying: ‘Excellent is the striking of the clapper three times; / The spiritual teachers all come to inquire. / Since they skillfully know the season and time, / I will not repeat it a second or third time.’?” He again struck the meditation platform once with his fly-whisk and said: “What was just said about all realizing equal, perfect enlightenment right here is the true meaning. Therefore National Teacher Deshao said: ‘The Tathāgata realizes equal, perfect enlightenment everywhere: he realizes equal, perfect enlightenment on mountains of knives and trees of swords; he realizes equal, perfect enlightenment in boiling cauldrons and burning coals; he realizes equal, perfect enlightenment under the blow of the staff; he realizes equal, perfect enlightenment under the shout.’ Yet although it is like this, like a person drinking water, one knows for oneself whether it is cold or warm. Have you not seen: when the youth Sudhana arrived before the Great Pavilion of Vairocana, he threw his whole body to the ground, rose from the ground, and thought: ‘This great pavilion is the dwelling place of those who understand emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; it is the dwelling place of those who make no distinctions regarding all phenomena; it is the dwelling place of those who practice entering all kalpas in a single kalpa and entering a single kalpa with all kalpas without destroying their characteristics; it is the dwelling place of those who enter all buddhas with a single buddha and enter a single buddha with all buddhas without destroying their characteristics; ... it is the dwelling place of those who do not cling to any worldly dens and dwellings.’ What is called ‘worldly dens and dwellings’? It is precisely creating obstacles and difficulties for oneself regarding the unexcelled Way. If one clings to all worldly dens and dwellings and cannot let them go, then we so-called elders should not reside in monasteries either, but should entirely cut off worldly affairs in order to practice this Way. If so, that would be destroying worldly characteristics to speak of true reality—what Way would there be? I have always loved Dongpo’s writings; he was close to being one who attained the Way. Even if he did not fully arrive at the Way, his samādhi of words was truly close to it. People say he was the rebirth of Master Jie of Wuzu, yet they do not know through what circumstances he forgot this intention midway; it was merely that he was temporarily out of advantage. Looking at his eulogy on the portrait of Vimalakīrti, from beginning to end he was not trapped under words. His text says: ‘I observe many craftsmen serving a single master, / Each holding a medicine to treat a disease: / Wind exhaustion wants cold, energy wants warmth, / Lungs, liver, stomach, and kidneys overcoming one another; / Prescriptions and stored medicines piled like mounds and mountains, / Yet in the end not a single medicine is fit to be applied.’ A great medicine king claps his hands and laughs, / Dismissing the craftsmen, and the disease is immediately cured. That is to say, the medicine king dismissed the physicians, saying: ‘Your use of medicine is entirely without merit.’ Once the craftsmen left, the disease was cured. Someone asked the medicine king: ‘With what medicine did you relieve the illness?’ He said: ‘It does not go beyond what the craftsmen used; they merely did not use it well.’ Thus it says: ‘Ask the great medicine king what medicine was used: / It was still what the craftsmen used. / I observe the thirty-two bodhisattvas, / Each expressing the non-dual gate through conception, / While Vimalakīrti remained silent without words, / And the thirty-two meanings collapsed all at once. / I observe that this meaning did not collapse either: / Vimalakīrti from the start never departed from this exposition.’ Although this is playing with a dead snake to make it come alive, if the discourse of those thirty-two people had truly been defeated, then wordlessness would surpass having words. One clearly knows the ancients' intent was definitely not like this. Therefore he established an analogy, saying: ‘Just as lamp oil and wax make lamps and candles, / Without lighting them with fire they will never be bright; / Suddenly seeing the place of silent wordlessness, / The thirty-two expositions all blaze with light. / If disciples of the Buddha read the \*Vimalakīrti Sūtra\*, / They should take this thought as right mindfulness. / I observe Vimalakīrti’s ten-foot-square room: / It can accommodate nine million bodhisattvas / And thirty-two thousand lion seats, / All accommodated without being cramped.’ Recorded in the sūtra, this is Layman Vimalakīrti's power of inconceivable great liberation and spiritual penetrations, which is why he borrowed seats from King of Lamps, brought food from Fragrance Accumulated, and severed and took the world of Abhirati like a potter’s wheel, or like holding a needle’s point to lift a jujube leaf. True reality cannot be known through intellect, nor discerned through consciousness. Thus it says: ‘Furthermore, he could distribute a single bowl of rice / To satisfy boundless assemblies in the ten directions, / Severing and taking the Buddha world of Abhirati / Like lifting a jujube leaf on the tip of a needle; / Saying this is the bodhisattva's inconceivable / Power of spiritual penetrations dwelling in great liberation. / I observe Recluse Shi, / In hemp shoes and torn hat with both elbows exposed, / Able to make Vimalakīrti emerge from the tip of his brush; / His spiritual power surpasses even Vimalakīrti. / If you say this painting lacks real characteristics, / Inside the city of Vaiśālī was not real either. / If disciples of the Buddha see the portrait of Vimalakīrti, / They should take this contemplation as right contemplation.’ This is the Chan that Dongpo spoke of; did his words not reach it? If not perfumed and practiced in previous lives, how could he speak like this? Therefore Miaoxi’s intent is also to have the Minister have complete faith in this matter. Layman Miaoxin, please take these words and relate them to your uncle; perhaps through Miaoxi's words, he may directly have faith, and one day suddenly erupting with a burst, he will cut off the flow of birth and death, take the seat of buddhas and patriarchs, and become an immeasurable great person transcending the world, thereby not failing Miaoxi’s expectations. Layman Miaoxin recently painted Guanyin entering samādhi, and inscribed upon it a eulogy Miaoxi composed in past years. That was when I was in Hengyang, requested by my fellow practitioner Lin Tingyan; at that time I wrote it in one stroke following my inspiration. Although the words differ from the Vimalakīrti eulogy, the general meaning is similar. It says: ‘The various signs of sounds in the world / Are heard by the multitude with their ears, not seen with their eyes; / All sounds must be heard with ears, / But Guanyin perceives them with the eyes.’ Hence it is said that only this Great Being can perceive with the eyes. How is this seen? It says: ‘Closing the eyes and contemplating carefully is performing the Buddha's work.’ Reaching here, it turns, saying: ‘Taking nothing in the sphere of the eyes.’ Since the sphere of the eyes cannot be taken, the eye-sphere is extinguished in stillness; since the eye-sphere is extinguished in stillness, the ear-sphere cannot fail to be extinguished in stillness. Therefore it is said: ‘Ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are also like this; / Excellent is the mind penetrating the emptiness of the ten directions, / The six sense faculties mutually manifesting this meaning.’ Bodhisattva Guanyin hears with the eyes, while Bodhisattva Samantabhadra hears with the mind; this is precisely the meaning of mutual manifestation. What is called mutual manifestation is: performing the Buddha's work of the ear at the eye; performing the Buddha's work of the nose at the ear; performing the Buddha's work of the tongue at the nose; performing the Buddha's work of the body at the tongue; performing the Buddha's work of the mind at the body; and within the mind-sphere performing boundless, vast Buddha works. Having attained such functional freedom, the eyes still observe forms, the ears still listen to sounds, and down to the nose, tongue, body, and mind, each abides in its proper role. Thus it is said: ‘Eye to form, ear to sound, nose smelling fragrance, / Body tactile and mind thought have no distinction.’ This is what was mentioned earlier: ‘the Dharma abides in its Dharma position; the characteristics of the world are permanently abiding.’ ‘One should contemplate like this with this contemplation; / Taking this as real becomes delusive thought.’ Reaching here, it turns again, saying: ‘If one departs from delusive thoughts to grasp a real dharma, / One becomes increasingly confused and loses the original mind; / Once the original mind is lost, one follows inversions, / And does not see the Great Being’s wondrous form body.’ What is inversion? When the eyes see form, one turns along with form; when the ears hear sound, one turns along with sound. This is called sentient beings’ inversion, losing oneself and chasing after objects; because of chasing after objects, one does not see the Great Being’s wondrous form body. Having no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind—this has clear textual authority in the teachings. Since eyes, ears, and the rest have no substance, upon what can the meaning of mutual manifestation be established? Thus it is said: ‘The meaning of mutual manifestation is also extinguished in stillness; / There is also no wondrous form body of the Great Being, / Nor are there the various signs of sounds; / If disciples of the Buddha can make such a contemplation, / They will forever leave the suffering of birth and death in the world.’ Generally speaking, writing must be made to work; if it does not work, it does not constitute literature. Just before, because of discussing seasonal causes and conditions, I spoke of how when Sudhana was standing before the pavilion, he had already praised many sublime matters, yet had not been able to enter. He addressed Bodhisattva Maitreya, saying: ‘I only pray that the Great Sage will open the door of the pavilion and let me enter.’ Then Bodhisattva Maitreya stepped forward to the pavilion and snapped his fingers, making a sound; the door immediately opened, and he bade Sudhana enter. Sudhana’s heart rejoiced; once he entered, it closed again. How was it when it closed? It was the news of Guanyin entering the flow and forgetting the object. Then, inside the pavilion, Sudhana saw a hundred million four-continents and a hundred million Tuṣita heavens, each having Bodhisattva Maitreya descending his spirit and taking birth, taking seven steps, observing the ten directions, manifesting as a youth dwelling in palaces, for the sake of all-knowledge leaving home to practice austerities, subduing the demons, attaining equal, perfect enlightenment, requested by the Brahmā kings to turn the wheel of the true Dharma, and ascending to heavenly palaces to expound the Dharma—the number of kalpas, lifespan, adornment of assemblies, purified lands, practiced vows, and sustained teachings were all different. Sudhana not only saw Bodhisattva Maitreya’s entire cycle of Buddha works, but also saw his own body in the presence of all those Tathāgatas, and also saw himself in all those assemblies and all Buddha works, sealed by the ocean-seal samādhi with a single seal, without the slightest leak. Having seen such immeasurable, sublime, adorned, and sovereign realms, Bodhisattva Maitreya withdrew his spiritual power, entered the pavilion, snapped his fingers again with a sound, and told Sudhana: ‘Noble son, arise! The nature of dharmas is like this. This is the mark manifested by the assembly of a bodhisattva’s causes and conditions of the wisdom that knows all dharmas; such self-nature is like an illusion, like a dream, like a shadow, like an image, none of it truly established.’ At that time Sudhana heard the sound of the finger-snap and arose from samādhi. At this time, he suddenly dropped his cloth bag. Then Maitreya showed him that the above realms have no place of departure and no place of abiding, being neither quiet nor permanent, far removed from all things.” The Master addressed the assembly, saying: “Since there is no place from which it comes and no place to which it goes, then when Great Master Yunmen’s handheld fan leapt up to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven and bumped into Indra's nostrils, striking the carp of the Eastern Sea with a blow so that rain poured down like basins, what fault could there be? You should know that this season and time is endowed with boundless gates of vast wisdom, boundless gates of spiritual penetrations, boundless gates of verbal expression, and boundless gates of sovereign enjoyment of all buddhas and bodhisattvas that can be spoken of yet cannot be spoken of. If you people can have faith like this and enter like this, only then will you know what the ancient sage said: ‘All past kalpas / Are placed in the future and present; / Future and present kalpas / Are placed back into the past.’ ” He then gave a shout and said: “If I do not shout to stop spinning entanglements, it will go on until tomorrow morning.” Striking the meditation platform, he stepped down from his seat. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 18.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.18.3) - [Next: 18.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.18.5) - [Up: 18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.18) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a~en-mt.18.4) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (2) - [大方廣佛華嚴經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.avatamsaka*zh-siksananda.79.4) — Classical Chinese - [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.38.7.3) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.18.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.18.4) · Pramāṇa