禪源諸詮集都序 2.2.3

2.2.3

Moreover, having first expounded the vehicle of humans and devas, the Hīnayāna, and up to the phenomenal marks of dharmas (all the above being the first teaching), and the refutation of phenomenal marks (the second teaching), one waits until their capacities have matured before finally expounding the definitive meaning for them—that is, sūtras such as the Lotus and the Nirvāṇa (this and the following sudden teaching that adapts to capacity combine to form the third teaching. Its suddenness of pedagogical format comprehensively subsumes the three classes. As for the classification of teachings into three periods or five periods by ancient and modern masters of the Western Regions and this land, these are merely one category of gradual teaching and do not subsume the Avataṃsaka-sūtra and so forth). As for the sudden, there are again two kinds: first, the sudden that adapts to capacity; second, the sudden of pedagogical format. As for the sudden that adapts to capacity, when encountering ordinary beings of the highest capacity and sharpest faculties, one directly indicates the true Dharma; upon hearing it, they suddenly awaken and are entirely identical with the fruit of buddhahood, just as the Avataṃsaka states that at the moment of first generating the mind [for bodhi], one immediately attains anuttarā bodhi, and the Perfect Awakening Sūtra states that when the practice of contemplation is perfected, one immediately achieves the buddha path. Yet only then does one enter the gates of practice in the preceding two teachings, gradually eliminating ordinary habits and gradually revealing holy virtues, like a violent wind agitating the great ocean so that it cannot reflect images: if the wind suddenly ceases, the waves gradually subside, and the reflections gradually appear (the wind is a metaphor for deluded passions; the ocean is a metaphor for the nature of mind; the waves are a metaphor for afflictions; the reflections are a metaphor for functional qualities; they are matched one by one in the Awakening of Faith). This refers to a portion of the Avataṃsaka, as well as more than twenty sūtras such as the Perfect Awakening, the Śūraṅgama, the Ghanavyūha, the Śrīmālā, and the Tathāgatagarbha. Expounded whenever an appropriate capacity is met, without fixed order of earlier or later, it is completely identical with the third Chan school, which directly reveals the nature of mind. Second, the sudden of pedagogical format means that when the Buddha first attained the path, for those of superior faculties whose conditions from past lives had matured, he suddenly expounded all at once the nature and phenomenal marks, principle and phenomena, the myriad delusions of sentient beings, the myriad practices of bodhisattvas, the stages of the worthy and the holy, and the myriad virtues of all buddhas. The cause encompasses the ocean of fruition—upon first generating the mind, one attains bodhi; the fruition penetrates the source of the cause—even when fulfilling the stages, one is still called a bodhisattva. This belongs solely to the single Avataṃsaka-sūtra and the Daśabhūmika-śāstra, and is named the round and sudden teaching; the others are not fully equipped with it. (Earlier, I set forth an external objection saying that sudden awakening to achieve buddhahood contradicts the sūtras; I have now resolved it here.) What is expounded in it is that all dharmas are the confirmed dharmas of the complete one mind, and the one mind is the one mind of the complete array of all dharmas. Nature and phenomenal marks are interfused, and the one and the many are unobstructed. Therefore, all buddhas and sentient beings interpenetrate, pure lands and defiled lands are harmoniously integrated, every dharma mutually encompasses one another, and every dust mote contains worlds. Mutual entering and mutual identity are unobstructed and fused; equipped with the ten profound gates, layer upon layer without end, it is called the unobstructed dharmadhātu. The above sudden and gradual are expounded in reference to the Buddha's teachings. If expounded in reference to the practitioner's capacity regarding awakening and cultivation, the meaning is again different. As described earlier among the various schools, some say that first, due to the completion of gradual cultivation, one suddenly has a breakthrough awakening (just as in chopping a tree, it is hewn chip by chip gradually and falls all at once, or like traveling far to the capital city, walking step by step gradually and arriving suddenly in one day). Some say that on account of sudden cultivation, one gradually awakens (like a person learning archery: the sudden is that with each arrow one directly focuses attention on hitting the mark; the gradual is that only after a long time does one gradually get closer and gradually hit the mark; this speaks of suddenly cultivating by directing the mind, not that the practice and merit are suddenly completed). Some say that on account of gradual cultivation, one gradually awakens (like ascending a nine-storied terrace: as the feet step gradually higher, what is seen is gradually farther; hence someone said: 'Desiring to exhaust the thousand-mile view, climb yet one more flight of stairs'). These all speak of awakening through realization. Some say that one must first suddenly awaken, and only then can one gradually cultivate; this refers to awakening through understanding (in terms of severing hindrances, it is like the sun suddenly rising and the frost and dew gradually dissipating; in terms of accomplishing virtues, it is like an infant being born, who suddenly possesses four limbs and six sense faculties, but whose resolve, spirit, and accomplishments are established only gradually). Therefore the Avataṃsaka states: 'At the time of first generating the mind, one immediately realizes correct awakening'; thereafter, the three grades of the worthy and the ten ranks of the holy cultivate and realize in sequence. If one cultivates without having awakened, it is not true cultivation (simply because practices that do not flow from the real cannot correspond to the real; how could any practice of cultivating the real not arise from the real? Therefore that sūtra states that if one has not heard this Dharma expounded, even if one cultivates the six pāramitās for many kalpas, one ultimately cannot realize the real). Some speak of sudden awakening and sudden cultivation; this refers to those of the highest wisdom and faculty whose inclinations and desires are both superior (because their faculties are superior, they awaken; because their desires are superior, they cultivate). Hearing once, they understand a thousand things and attain the great dhāraṇī; not a single thought arises, and the intervals before and after are severed (severing hindrances is like cutting a skein of silk: ten thousand threads are severed at once; cultivating virtues is like dyeing a skein of silk: ten thousand threads take on color at once. Heze said: 'Seeing the substance of nirvikalpa, one does not follow objects in arising.' He also said: 'When a single thought corresponds with the original nature, one is endowed with virtues numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and the eighty-four thousand pāramitā gates function together at once'). The three karmas of such a person are distinctly clear only to themselves, unseen by others (the Vajrasamādhi-sūtra says: 'With the empty mind unmoved, one possesses the six pāramitās.' The Lotus Sūtra also says: 'The eyes and ears born of parents thoroughly see the three-thousandfold world,' and so forth). In terms of actual historical deeds, it is exemplified by Master Rong of Niutou and his kind. This approach has two senses: if one cultivates on account of awakening, it is awakening through understanding; if one awakens on account of cultivation, it is awakening through realization. However, all the above are discussed only in reference to the present life; if traced back far into past lives, there is only the gradual and no sudden. What is seen suddenly today is already the manifestation of gradual perfuming over many lives. Some say that the Dharma has neither sudden nor gradual, but sudden and gradual reside in the capacity; this principle is indeed true, and naturally goes without saying. Originally, we were only discussing capacity; who said the substance of the Dharma has sudden and gradual? The import of the doctrines contains these many gates, and each gate has its point, not being a forced contrivance. Moreover, the Laṅkāvatāra's four graduals and four suddens (whose meaning is similar to gradual cultivation and sudden awakening)—I do not dare elaborate on these here. Lately I have observed contemporaries in their discussions merely having the words 'sudden' and 'gradual' without analyzing them at all. In terms of teaching, there are the sudden and gradual of pedagogical format, and the sudden and gradual of responding to capacity. In terms of persons, there are the sudden and gradual of instructional upāyas, the sudden and gradual of faculties' awakening and entry, and the sudden and gradual of generating the intention and practicing cultivation. Among these, merely saying 'first sudden awakening, then gradual cultivation' seems contradictory. For those who wish to end their doubts: do they not see the sunlight suddenly emerging and the frost and dew gradually dissipating; the infant suddenly born (the four limbs and six sense faculties immediately complete), but the resolve and spirit gradually established (the flesh, physical frame, achievements, and skills all being gradually formed); the violent wind suddenly ceasing and the waves gradually subsiding; the noble and worthy status suddenly attained, but the rites and music gradually studied (like a descendant of high nobility who, fell into ruin during childhood turmoil and became a slave, having naturally never known of nobility; when times become peaceful and the parents find him, that very day his whole person is a noble, yet his conduct, deportment, departures, and approaches cannot be changed all at once)?