禪源諸詮集都序 1.16.1

1.16.1

上來十意理例昭然。 但細對詳禪之三宗教之三種。 如經斗稱足定淺深。 先敘禪門。 後以教證。 禪三宗者。 一息妄修心宗。 二泯絕無寄宗。 三直顯心性宗。 教三種者。 一密意依性說相教。 二密意破相顯性教。 三顯示真心即性教。 右此三教如次同前三宗相對一一證之。 然後總會為一味。 今且先敘禪宗。 初息妄修心宗者。 說眾生雖本有佛性。 而無始無明覆之不見故輪迴生死。 諸佛已斷妄想故見性了了。 出離生死神通自在。 當知凡聖功用不同。 外境內心各有分限。 故須依師言教背境觀心息滅妄念。 念盡即覺悟無所不知。 如鏡昏塵。 須勤勤拂拭。 塵盡明現即無所不照。 又須明解趣入禪境方便。 遠離憒鬧住閑靜處。 調身調息跏趺宴默。 舌拄上腭心注一境。 南侁北秀保唐宣什等門下。 皆此類也。 牛頭天台惠稠求那等。 進趣方便迹即大同。 見解即別。 二泯絕無寄宗者。 說凡聖等法。 皆如夢幻都無所有。 本來空寂非今始無。 即此達無之智亦不可得。 平等法界無佛。 無眾生。 法界亦是假名。 心既不有。 誰言法界無修不修無佛不佛。 設有一法勝過涅槃。 我說亦如夢幻。 無法可拘無佛可作。 凡有所作皆是迷妄。 如此了達本來無事。 心無所寄方免顛倒。 始名解脫。 石頭牛頭下至徑山。 皆示此理。 便令心行與此相應。 不令滯情於一法上。 日久功至塵習自亡。 則於怨親苦樂一切無礙。 因此便有。 一類道士儒生閑僧汎參禪理者。 皆說此言。 便為臻極不知此宗。 不但以此言為法。 荷澤江西天台等門下亦說此理。 然非所宗。 三直顯心性宗者。 說一切諸法若有若空皆唯真性。 真性無相無為。 體非一切。 謂非凡非聖非因非果非善非惡等。 然即體之用而能造作種種。 謂能凡能聖現色現相等。 於中指示心性。 復有二類。 一云。 即今能語言動作貪嗔慈忍造善惡受苦樂等。 即汝佛性。 即此本來是佛。 除此無別佛也。 了此天真自然。 故不可起心修道。 道即是心。 不可將心還修於心。 惡亦是心。 不可將心還斷於心。 不斷不修任運自在。 方名解脫。 性如虛空不增不減。 何假添補。 但隨時隨處息業。 養神聖胎增長。 顯發自然神妙。 此即是為真悟真修真證也。 二云諸法如夢。 諸聖同說。 故妄念本寂塵境本空。 空寂之心靈知不昧。 即此空寂之知。 是汝真性。 任迷任悟心本自知。 不藉緣生不因境起。 知之一字眾妙之門。 由無始迷之故。 妄執身心為我起貪嗔等念。 若得善友開示。 頓悟空寂之知。 知且無念無形。 誰為我相人相。 覺諸相空心自無念。 念起即覺。 覺之即無修行妙門唯在此也。 故雖備修萬行。 唯以無念為宗。 但得無念知見。 則愛惡自然淡泊。 悲智自然增明。 罪業自然斷除。 功行自然增進。 既了諸相非相。 自然無修之修。 煩惱盡時生死即絕。 生滅滅已。 寂照現前應用無窮。 名之為佛。 然此兩家皆會相歸性。 故同一宗。 然上三宗中。 復有遵教慢教。 隨相毀相。 拒外難之門戶。 接外眾之善巧。 教弟子之儀軌。 種種不同。 皆是二利行門各隨其便。 亦無所失。 但所宗之理即不合有二。 故須約佛和會也。 次下判佛教總為三種者。 一密意依性說相教（佛見三界六道悉是真性之相。 但是眾生迷性而起。 無別自體。 故云依性。 然根鈍者卒難開悟。 故且隨他所見境相說法漸度。 故云說相說。 未彰顯故云密意也）此一教中自有三類。 一人天因果教。 說善惡業報令知因果不差。 懼三途苦求人天樂。 修施戒禪定等一切善行。 得生人道天道乃至色界無色界。 此名人天教。 二說斷惑滅苦樂教。 說三界不安皆如火宅之苦。 令斷業惑之集。 修道證滅以隨機故。 所說法數一向差別。

The above ten intentions have principles and examples that are abundantly clear. One need only carefully and thoroughly compare the three schools of dhyāna with the three types of doctrinal teachings: like the standard bushel and scale, they suffice to determine what is shallow and what is profound. I shall first narrate the gates of dhyāna, and later corroborate them with the doctrinal teachings.

The three schools of dhyāna are:
1. The school of pacifying delusion and cultivating the mind;
2. The school of absolute extinction and non-reliance;
3. The school of directly revealing the nature of mind.

The three types of doctrinal teachings are:
1. The teaching that relies on the nature to explain phenomenal marks through implicit intent;
2. The teaching that refutes phenomenal marks to reveal the nature through implicit intent;
3. The teaching that explicitly reveals the true mind as the nature.

The three doctrinal teachings on the right, in corresponding order to the preceding three schools, are paired with and corroborate them one by one. Afterwards, they will be synthesized into a single taste. For now, I shall first narrate the schools of Chan.

First, the school of pacifying delusion and cultivating the mind: It says that although sentient beings originally possess the buddhadhātu, beginningless avidyā veils it so that they do not see it, and thus they transmigrate in saṃsāra. The Buddhas have already severed vikalpa and therefore clearly perceive the nature; having transcended saṃsāra, their spiritual powers are unconstrained. One should know that the functions of the ordinary and the holy are not the same; the external objects and the internal mind each have their boundaries. Therefore, one must rely on the spoken instructions of a master to turn away from objects, contemplate the mind, and pacify and extinguish vikalpa. When thoughts are exhausted, one awakens and has nothing that is not known. Just like a mirror darkened with dust, which must be diligently wiped and polished: when the dust is gone, its brightness appears, and there is nothing it does not reflect. Furthermore, one must clearly understand the upāya for entering the realm of dhyāna: staying far away from turmoil and abiding in a quiet place; regulating the body and regulating the breath; sitting cross-legged in silent contemplation; pressing the tongue against the palate; and focusing the mind on a single object. The lineages of Nan Shen, Bei Xiu, Baotang, Xuanshi, and others are all of this kind. As for Niutou, Tiantai, Huichou, and Guṇa[bhadra], their traces in practicing upāya are largely the same, but their understanding is different.

Second, the school of absolute extinction and non-reliance: It says that all phenomena, ordinary and holy alike, are like dreams and illusions, having nothing whatsoever that exists. They are originally empty and quiescent, not merely becoming nonexistent now. Even this wisdom that penetrates nonexistence cannot be attained. In the equal dharmadhātu, there is no Buddha and no sentient beings; even “dharmadhātu” is merely a provisional designation. Since the mind does not exist, who speaks of a dharmadhātu? There is no cultivation and no non-cultivation, no Buddha and no non-Buddha. Even if there were a phenomenon surpassing nirvāṇa, I would say it too is like a dream or an illusion. There is no phenomenon to be bound by, and no Buddha to be made. Anything that is contrived is entirely delusion. Comprehending thus that fundamentally nothing is the matter, the mind has nothing upon which to rely, and only then does one escape inversion; only then is it named vimokṣa. From Shitou and Niutou down to Jingshan, all demonstrate this principle, directly causing mental conduct to accord with this and not allowing the feelings to cling to a single phenomenon. With time and consummate practice, dust-like habits naturally vanish, and then with regard to foes and kin, suffering and joy, one is completely unobstructed in all things. Consequently, there is a class of Daoists, Confucian scholars, and idle monks who superficially delve into Chan principles; they all utter these words, taking them to be the ultimate, unaware that this school does not merely take these words to be the Dharma. The lineages of Heze, Jiangxi, Tiantai, and others also speak of this principle, yet it is not what they take as primary.

Third, the school of directly revealing the nature of mind: It says that all phenomena, whether existent or empty, are solely the true nature. The true nature has no marks and is unconditioned; its substance is not any phenomenon—meaning it is neither ordinary nor holy, neither cause nor effect, neither good nor evil, and so forth. Yet it is the function of this substance that can produce all kinds of things—meaning it can become ordinary or holy, manifest form, manifest marks, and so forth. In pointing out the nature of mind within this, there are further two types:

The first says: That which right now is able to speak, act, give rise to greed and anger, show compassion and patience, generate good and evil, and experience suffering and joy—this is precisely your buddhadhātu. This very thing is fundamentally Buddha; apart from this, there is no other Buddha. Having understood this inherent spontaneity, one must not arouse the mind to cultivate the Way. The Way is precisely the mind; one cannot use the mind to cultivate the mind in return. Evil is also the mind; one cannot use the mind to sever the mind in return. Neither severing nor cultivating, letting things take their natural course in unconstrained freedom—only this is called vimokṣa. The nature is like empty space, neither increasing nor decreasing; why rely on additions or supplements? Simply at all times and in all places put an end to karmic activity and nourish the spirit; the holy embryo will grow, manifesting the natural and divine wonder. This, then, is true awakening, true cultivation, and true realization.

The second says: All phenomena are like a dream—this is spoken in common by all the holy ones. Therefore, vikalpa is fundamentally quiescent, and dust-like objects are fundamentally empty. The empty and quiescent mind possesses numinous awareness that is never obscured. This very empty, quiescent awareness is your true nature. Whether deluded or awakened, the mind is fundamentally aware of itself; it is not born dependent on conditions, nor does it arise due to objects. The single word “awareness” is the gateway of all wonders. Because of beginningless delusion, one falsely grasps body and mind as a self, giving rise to thoughts of greed, anger, and the like. If one obtains the instruction of a good friend, one suddenly awakens to this empty and quiescent awareness. Awareness is moreover without thought and without form; who could be the mark of a self or the mark of another? Awakening to the emptiness of all marks, the mind is naturally free from thoughts. When a thought arises, one immediately becomes aware of it; upon being aware of it, it ceases to exist. The wondrous gateway of cultivation lies solely in this. Therefore, although one fully cultivates the myriad practices, one takes only nirvikalpa as the essential. Once one attains the knowledge and vision of nirvikalpa, love and aversion will naturally become faint; compassion and wisdom will naturally increase and brighten; sinful karma will naturally be severed and eliminated; and meritorious practice will naturally advance. Having understood that all marks are not marks, there is naturally the cultivation of non-cultivation. When afflictions are exhausted, saṃsāra is completely severed. Once arising and ceasing have ceased, quiescent illumination becomes manifest, its responsive function inexhaustible: this is named “Buddha.”

Yet both of these two groups integrate phenomenal marks into the nature, and thus belong to the same school. However, within the three schools above, there are further differences: adhering to teachings or showing disdain for teachings; following phenomenal marks or destroying phenomenal marks; methods of fending off external challenges; skill-in-means for receiving external assemblies; and liturgical models for instructing disciples—various and diverse, these are all gates of practice for the two benefits, each following what is expedient, and nothing is amiss. But the principle that is held as primary must not be dual; hence it is necessary to bring them into harmony on the basis of the Buddha.

Next, the judgment of the Buddhist teachings in general into three types:
1. The teaching that relies on the nature to explain phenomenal marks through implicit intent (The Buddha saw that the three realms and the six destinies are all marks of the true nature. But because sentient beings arise from delusion regarding the nature, having no separate entity of their own, it is said to “rely on the nature.” However, those of dull faculties are hard to awaken abruptly; therefore, accommodating the objective marks that they perceive, he preached the Dharma to save them gradually, and thus it is called “explaining phenomenal marks.” Because it was not yet openly revealed, it is called “through implicit intent”). Within this one teaching, there are naturally three categories:
First, the teaching of cause and effect for humans and devas. It speaks of the retributions of good and evil karma to make them understand that cause and effect do not err, to make them fear the suffering of the three evil destinies and seek the bliss of humans and devas, and to cultivate giving, morality, dhyāna-concentration, and all other good practices, whereby they attain rebirth in the human realm, deva realms, or even the form and formless realms. This is called the teaching of humans and devas.
Second, the teaching of severing delusion to extinguish suffering and attain joy. It states that the three realms are unpeaceful, all having the suffering of a burning house, prompting them to sever the accumulation of karma and delusion and cultivate the Way to realize cessation; because it accommodates their faculties, the dharmas enumerated and explained are exclusively distinct.