南宗頓教最上大乘摩訶般若波羅蜜經六祖惠能大師於韶州大梵寺施法壇經 1.43

1.43

The Prefect bowed and asked again: "This disciple sees monks and laity frequently reciting Amitābha Buddha, aspiring to be reborn in the West. I ask the Upādhyāya to say: will they attain rebirth there or not? I hope you will resolve this doubt for me." The Master said: "Prefect, listen; Huineng will explain it for you. When the Bhagavat was in Śrāvastī, he spoke of the Western Land to guide and convert people. The scriptural text is clear: it is not far from here; it was only spoken for those of inferior capacity. Speaking of it as near or speaking of it as far is only according to higher wisdom. People are of two kinds, but the Dharma is not of two types. Delusion and awakening differ; seeing is either slow or rapid. Deluded people recite the Buddha's name to be born there, while the awakened purify their own minds. Therefore the Buddha said: 'As their minds are purified, so is the Buddha-land purified.' Prefect! In the East, if one merely purifies the mind, there is no sin; in the West, if the mind is not pure, there is fault. Deluded people wish to be born in the East or the West, but for the awakened, wherever they are, it is all the same. If the mind-ground is only free from impurity, the West is not far from here; if the mind gives rise to an impure mind, it will be difficult to attain rebirth by reciting the Buddha's name. Removing the ten evils is traveling a hundred thousand [li]; being free of the eight wrongs is crossing eight thousand [li]. If you simply practice the straightforward mind, you arrive in the snap of a finger. Prefect! If you merely practice the ten virtues, why would you need to further aspire to be reborn there? If you do not cut off the mind of the ten evils, what Buddha will come to welcome you? If you awaken to the sudden Dharma of non-arising, seeing the West takes only a kṣaṇa; if you do not awaken to the sudden teaching of the Mahāyāna, the road to rebirth through reciting the Buddha's name is far—how could you reach it?" The Sixth Patriarch said: "Huineng will move the West for the Prefect in a kṣaṇa, so that you see it right before your eyes. Does the Prefect wish to see it?" The Prefect bowed: "If I can see it here, why would I need to be reborn there? I pray the Upādhyāya will be compassionate and manifest the West for me; that would be wonderful!" The Master said: "Look at the West together! When there is no doubt, then disperse!" The great assembly was astonished and did not know what was happening. The Master said: "Assembly! Assembly! Listen attentively! For worldly people, one's own physical body is a city, and the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body are the city gates. Outwardly there are five gates, and inwardly there is the gate of the mind (manas). The mind is the ground, and the nature is the king. When the nature is present, the king is present; when the nature departs, the king is gone. When the nature is present, body and mind survive; when the nature departs, body and mind decay. The Buddha is made by one's own-nature; do not seek outside the body. When the own-nature is deluded, the Buddha is a sentient being; when the own-nature is awakened, sentient beings are the Buddha. Compassion is Avalokiteśvara, joy and equanimity are Mahāsthāmaprāpta, the ability to purify is Śākyamuni, and being straightforward is Maitreya. Self and others are Mount Sumeru, the crooked mind is the ocean waters, kleśas are the waves, poisonous minds are evil dragons, defiling afflictions are fish and turtles, delusions are ghosts and spirits, the three poisons are hells, ignorance is the animals, and the ten virtues are the heavens. Without self and others, Mount Sumeru naturally collapses; remove the crooked mind, and the ocean waters dry up; when kleśas are gone, the waves cease; when poisonous harm is eliminated, the fish and dragons perish. On the ground of one's own mind, the Tathāgata of awakening-nature emits the radiant light of great prajñā, illuminating the six gates into purity, illuminating and shattering the heavens of the six desires; when it illuminates below and the three poisons are removed, the hells instantly vanish, and within and without it is clear and transparent, no different from the West. Without practicing in this way, how could you reach there?" Those below the seat, hearing this discourse, praised it with voices reaching to the heavens; all those who had been deluded saw it clearly on the spot. The Prefect bowed and praised: "Excellent! Excellent! I universally vow that all sentient beings in the dharmadhātu who hear this will awaken and understand at once!"