六祖大師法寶壇經 1.153

1.153

On the third day of the eighth month in the guichou year, the second year of the Xiantian era (in the twelfth month of this year the era name was changed to Kaiyuan), the Great Master, having finished the noon meal at Guon Temple, addressed his disciples: "Each of you take your seat according to rank; I am taking leave of you." Fahai said: "Upādhyāya! What teaching do you leave so that deluded people of future generations may see the buddha-nature?" The Master said: "Listen carefully! Deluded people of future generations, if they recognize sentient beings, that very recognition is the buddha-nature; if they do not recognize sentient beings, they will seek the Buddha for myriad kalpas and find him difficult to meet. Now I teach you: recognize the sentient beings of your own mind, and see the buddha-nature of your own mind. If you wish to seek to see the Buddha, merely recognize sentient beings. It is only that sentient beings are deluded about the Buddha, not that the Buddha is deluded about sentient beings. If one's svabhāva is awakened, sentient beings are the Buddha; if one's svabhāva is deluded, the Buddha is sentient beings. When one's svabhāva is impartial, sentient beings are the Buddha; when one's svabhāva is crooked and perilous, the Buddha is sentient beings. If your minds are treacherous and crooked, then the Buddha is among sentient beings; if in a single thought it is impartial and upright, then sentient beings attain buddhahood. My mind has its own Buddha; one's own Buddha is the true Buddha. If oneself does not have the Buddha-mind, where can the true Buddha be sought? Your own mind is the Buddha; have no further doubts. Outside there is not a single thing that can be established; all the myriad dharmas are born from the original mind. Therefore the sūtra says: 'When the mind arises, all dharmas arise; when the mind ceases, all dharmas cease.' Now I leave a verse to take leave of you, named the 'Verse on the True Buddha of Svabhāva.' If people of future generations understand the meaning of this verse, they will see their own original mind and attain the Buddha Path on their own. The verse says: