六祖大師法寶壇經 1.138

1.138

On the day of the Shangyuan Festival in the first year of the Shenlong era, Empress Zetian and Emperor Zhongzong issued an edict saying: 'We invited the two masters Huian and Shenxiu to be provided for in the palace. In the leisure left by the myriad affairs of state, We have constantly examined the One Vehicle. The two masters demurred, saying: "In the south there is Chan Master Huineng, who was secretly transmitted the robe and Dharma by the Great Master Hongren, transmitting the Buddha's mind-seal. You may invite him to inquire." Now We dispatch the palace attendant Xue Jian to gallop with the edict to welcome and invite you; We hope the Master will compassionately consider this and quickly come to the capital.' The Master presented a memorial declining on grounds of illness, wishing to end his days among the forests and foothills. Xue Jian said: 'The Chan worthies in the capital all say: "If one wishes to understand the Way, one must sit in meditation and cultivate concentration. That one could attain liberation without relying on dhyāna-concentration has never occurred." I do not know how it is with the Dharma taught by the Master.' The Master said: 'The Way is awakened through the mind; how could it depend on sitting? A scripture says: "If someone says that the Tathāgata either sits or lies down, this person walks a crooked path." Why? He comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. Having neither birth nor cessation is the Tathāgata's pure dhyāna; that all phenomena are empty and quiescent is the Tathāgata's pure sitting. Since in the end there is nothing to realize, how much less could there be sitting?' Jian said: 'When your disciple returns to the capital, the Sovereign will certainly ask. May the Master in your compassion indicate the essentials of mind, so that I may transmit them to report to the two palaces and to practitioners of the Way in the capital. It is like one lamp igniting hundreds of thousands of lamps: all that is dark becomes bright, and brightness upon brightness is never exhausted.' The Master said: 'The Way has neither light nor dark; light and dark have the meaning of alternation. That brightness upon brightness is never exhausted is also something that has an end, because their names are established in mutual dependence. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra says: "The Dharma has no comparison, because it has no mutual dependence."' Jian said: 'Light is an analogy for wisdom; dark is an analogy for defilement. If a practitioner of the Way does not illuminate and break through defilements with wisdom, by what can beginningless birth and death be escaped?' The Master said: 'Defilement is none other than bodhi; they are not two, not distinct. If one illuminates and breaks through defilements with wisdom, this is the view of the two vehicles, the capacity of sheep, deer, and the like. Those of supreme wisdom and great roots are completely unlike this.' Jian said: 'What is the view of the Mahāyāna?' The Master said: 'Ordinary beings see light and ignorance as two; the wise comprehend that their nature is not two. The nature of non-duality is none other than the real nature. As for the real nature, in ordinary, foolish people it is not diminished; in worthies and sages it is not increased. Dwelling among defilements it is not disordered; abiding in dhyāna-concentration it is not quiescent. It is neither cut off nor permanent; it neither comes nor goes; it is not in the middle nor inside or outside; it neither arises nor ceases; its nature and characteristics are tathatā, permanently abiding without changing—this is called the Way.' Jian said: 'The Master speaks of neither arising nor ceasing; how does this differ from non-Buddhists?' The Master said: 'What non-Buddhists speak of as neither arising nor ceasing uses cessation to stop arising, and uses arising to reveal cessation; cessation is still not non-cessation, and arising is spoken of as non-arising. What I speak of as neither arising nor ceasing is originally unarisen, and now also unceasing; therefore it is not the same as non-Buddhists. If you wish to know the essentials of mind, simply do not think about any good or evil, and you will naturally enter the pure mind-essence, clear, still, constantly quiescent, with wondrous functioning numerous as the sands of the Ganges.' Jian received the instruction and was suddenly greatly awakened. Bowing in farewell, he returned to the palace and memorialized the Master's words to the throne.