宗鏡錄 1.22

1.22

答。上根利智。宿習生知。纔看題目宗之一字。已全入佛智海中。永斷纖疑。頓明大旨。則一言無不略盡。攝之無有遺餘。若直覽至一百卷終。乃至恒沙義趣。龍宮寶藏。鷲嶺金文。則殊說更無異途。舒之遍周法界。以前略後廣。唯是一心。本卷末舒。皆同一際。終無異旨有隔前宗。都謂迷情妄興取捨。唯見紙墨文字。嫌卷軸多。但執寂默無言。欣為省要。皆是迷心徇境。背覺合塵。不窮動靜之本原。靡達一多之起處。偏生局見。唯懼多聞。如小乘之怖法空。似波旬之難眾善。以不達諸法真實性故。隨諸相轉。墮落有無。如大涅槃經云。若人聞說大涅槃一字一句。不作字相。不作句相。不作聞相。不作佛相。不作說相。如是義者。名無相相。釋曰。若云即文字無相。是常見。若云離文字無相。是斷見。又若執有相相。亦是常見。若執無相相。亦是斷見。但亡即離斷常。四句百非。一切諸見。其旨自現。當親現入宗鏡之時。何文言識智之能詮述乎。所以先德云。若覓經。了性真如無可聽。若覓法鷄足山間問迦葉。大士持衣在此山。無情不用求專甲。斯則豈可運見聞覺知之心。作文字句義之解。若明宗達性之者。雖廣披尋。尚不見一字之相。終不作言詮之解。以迷心作物者。生斯紙墨之見耳。故信心銘云。六塵不惡。還同正覺。智者無為。愚人自縛。如斯達者。則六塵皆是真宗。萬法無非妙理。何局於管見。而迷於大旨耶。豈知諸佛廣大境界。菩薩作用之門。所以大海龍王。置十千之問。釋迦文佛。開八萬勞生之門。普慧菩薩。申二百之疑。普賢大士答二千樂說之辯。如華嚴經普眼法門。假使有人以大海量墨。須彌聚筆。寫於此普眼法門。一品中一門。一門中一法。一法中一義。一義中一句。不得少分。何況能盡。又如大涅槃經中。佛言。我所覺了一切諸法。如因大地生草木等。為諸眾生所宣說者。如手中葉。只如已所說法。教溢龍宮。龍樹菩薩。暫看有一百洛叉。出在人間。於西天尚百分未及一。翻來東土。故不足言。豈況未所說法耶。斯乃無盡妙旨。非淺智所知。性起法門。何劣解能覽。燕雀焉測鴻鵠之志。井蛙寧識滄海之淵。如師子大哮吼。狸不能為。如香象所負擔。驢不能勝。如毘沙門寶。貧不能等。如金翅鳥飛。烏不能及。唯依情而起見。但逐物而意移。或說有而不涉空。或言空而不該有。或談略為多外之一。或立廣為一外之多。或離默而執言。或離言而求默。或據事外之理。或著理外之事。殊不能悟此自在圓宗。演廣非多。此是一中之多。標略非一。此是多中之一。談空不斷。斯乃即有之空。論有不常。斯乃即空之有。或有說亦得。此即默中說。或無說亦得。此即說中默。或理事相即亦得。此理是成事之理。此事是顯理之事。或理理相即亦得。以一如無二如。真性常融會。或事事相即亦得。此全理之事。一一無礙。或理事不即亦得。以全事之理非事。所依非能依。不隱真諦故。以全理之事非理。能依非所依。不壞俗諦故。斯則存泯一際。隱顯同時。如闡普眼之法門。皆是理中之義。似舒大千之經卷。非標心外之文。故經云。一法能生無量義。非聲聞緣覺之所知。不同但空孤調之詮。偏枯決定之見。今此無盡妙旨。標一法而眷屬隨生。圓滿性宗。舉一門。而諸門普會。非純非雜。不一不多。如五味和其羹。雜綵成其繡。眾寶成其藏。百藥成其丸。邊表融通。義味周足。搜微抉妙。盡宗鏡中。依正混融。因果無礙。人法無二初後同時。凡舉一門。皆能圓攝無盡法界。非內非外。不一不多。舒之則涉入重重。卷之則真門寂寂。如華嚴經中。師子座中。莊嚴具內。各出一佛世界塵數菩薩身雲。此是依正人法無礙。又如佛眉間出勝音等佛世界塵數菩薩。此是因果初後無礙。乃至剎土微塵。各各具無邊智德。毛孔身分。一一攝廣大法門。何故如是奇異難思。乃一心融即故爾。以要言之。但一切無邊差別佛事。皆不離無相真心而有。如華嚴經頌云。佛住甚深真法性。寂滅無相同虛空。而於第一實義中。示現種種所行事。所作利益眾生事。皆依法性而得有。相與無相無差別。入於究竟皆無相。又攝大乘論頌云。即諸三摩地。大師說為心。由心彩畫故。如所作事業。故知。凡聖所作。真俗緣生。此一念之心。剎那起時。即具三性三無性六義。謂一念之心。是緣起法。是依他起。情計有實。即是遍計所執。體。本空寂。即是圓成。即依三性說三無性。故六義具矣。若一念心起。具斯六義。即具一切法矣。以一切真俗萬法。不出三性三無性故。法性論云。凡在起滅。皆非性也。起無起性故。雖起而不常。滅無滅性。雖滅而不斷。如其有性。則陷於四見之網。又云。尋相以推性。見諸法之無性。尋性以求相。見諸法之無相。是以性相互推。悉皆無性。是以若執有性。墮四見之邪林。若了性空。歸一心之正道。故華嚴經云。自深入無自性真實法。亦令他入無自性真實法。心得安隱。以茲妙達。方入此宗。則物物冥真。言言契旨。若未親省。不發圓機。言之則乖宗。默之又致失。豈可以四句而取六情所知歟。但祖教並施。定慧雙照。自利利他。則無過矣。設有堅執己解。不信。佛言起自障心。絕他學路。今有十問以定紀綱。還得了了見性。如晝觀色。似文殊等不。還逢緣對境。見色聞聲。舉足下足。開眼合眼。悉得明宗。與道相應不。還覽一代時教。及從上祖師言句。聞深不怖。皆得諦了無疑不。還因差別問難。種種徵詰。能具四辯。盡決他疑不。還於一切時一切處。智照無滯。念念圓通。不見一法能為障礙。未曾一剎那中暫令間斷不。還於一切逆順好惡境界現前之時。不為間隔。盡識得破不。還於百法明門心境之內。一一得見微細體性根原起處。不為生死根塵之所惑亂不。還向四威儀中行住坐臥。欽承祗對。著衣喫飯。執作施為之時。一一辯得真實不。還聞說有佛無佛。有眾生無眾生。或讚或毀。或是或非。得一心不動不還聞差別之智。皆能明達。性相俱通。理事無滯。無有一法不鑒其原。乃至千聖出世。得不疑不。若實未得如是功。不可起過頭欺誑之心。生自許知足之意。直須廣披至教。博問先知。徹祖佛自性之原。到絕學無疑之地。此時方可歇學灰息遊心。或自辦則禪觀相應。或為他則方便開示。設不能遍參法界。廣究群經。但細看宗鏡之中。自然得入。此是諸法之要。趣道之門。如守母以識子。得本而知末。提綱而孔孔皆正。牽衣而縷縷俱來。又如以師子筋為琴絃。音聲一奏。一切餘絃悉皆斷壞。此宗鏡力。亦復如是。舉之而萬類沈光。顯之而諸門泯跡。以此一則。則破千途。何須苦涉關津。別生岐路。所以志公歌云。六賊和光同塵。無力大難推托。內發解空無相。大乘力能翻却。唯在玄覽得旨之時。可驗斯文究竟真實。

Answer: Those of superior faculties and sharp intelligence, who possess innate knowledge from past cultivation, enter completely into the ocean of the Buddha's wisdom the very moment they see the single word 'Source' in the title. Eternally severing the subtlest doubts, they are immediately enlightened to the great purport; thus in a single word nothing is omitted, and when subsumed, nothing remains left out. Even if one were to read directly through to the end of the hundred fascicles, or even to the meanings and doctrines numerous as the sands of the Ganges, the treasure-house of the Dragon Palace, or the golden texts of Vulture Peak, their varied explanations would not follow different paths; when unfolded, they completely pervade the dharmadhātu. For the brevity of the beginning and the breadth of the end are solely the one mind; its fundamental rolling up and its resultant unfolding are all on the same horizon. In the end, there is no different purport that stands apart from the preceding source.

Yet deluded sentiments arbitrarily give rise to acceptance and rejection: seeing only paper, ink, and written words, they dislike the abundance of fascicles; or merely clinging to silence and speechlessness, they delight in what they consider concise and essential. These are all cases of being deluded about the mind and chasing after objects, turning their backs on awakening to unite with dust. Failing to fathom the original source of movement and stillness, and never comprehending the origin of the one and the many, they give rise to biased, narrow views and merely fear extensive learning—like the Hinayāna fearing the emptiness of dharmas, or like Pāpīyān hating manifold good deeds. Because they do not comprehend the true nature of all dharmas, they revolve along with various characteristics and fall into [the extremes of] existence and non-existence.

As the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra states: 'If someone hears a single word or a single phrase of the Mahāparinirvāṇa taught, and does not form the characteristic of a word, does not form the characteristic of a phrase, does not form the characteristic of hearing, does not form the characteristic of a Buddha, and does not form the characteristic of preaching—such a meaning is called the characteristic of the signless.'

Explanation: If one says that signlessness is identical with words, this is the view of eternalism. If one says that signlessness is separate from words, this is the view of annihilationism. Furthermore, if one clings to a characteristic that possesses signs, this is also eternalism; if one clings to a characteristic that lacks signs, this is also annihilationism. Only when one extinguishes identity and difference, annihilation and permanence, the four propositions and the hundred negations, and all varied views, will the purport manifest naturally. When one directly enters the mirror of the source in person, how could any written words, consciousness, or intellect be able to explain or describe it?

Therefore, a past virtuous one said: 'If you seek the sūtras, fully understanding the nature of tathatā, there is nothing to be heard. If you seek the Dharma, go amidst Mount Kukkuṭapāda and ask Kāśyapa. The Great Being upholds the robe on this mountain; insentient beings have no need to seek him specifically.' This being so, how could one use a mind of seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing to formulate interpretations based on words, phrases, and literal meanings? If one understands the source and penetrates the nature, even though one extensively unfolds and searches through them, one still does not see the characteristic of a single word, and never formulates interpretations based on verbal explanation. It is only because those who are deluded about the mind turn it into an object that they produce such views of paper and ink. Hence the Xinxin ming states: 'The six dusts are not bad; they are rather the same as right awakening. The wise practice non-action; the foolish bind themselves.' For those who have reached this realization, the six dusts are all the true source, and the myriad dharmas are nothing other than the marvelous principle. Why restrict oneself to a narrow perspective and be deluded about the great purport?

How could they know the vast realm of all Buddhas and the gateway of the bodhisattvas' functions? For this reason, Sāgara the Dragon King posed ten thousand questions; Śākyamuni Buddha opened eighty thousand gateways for toil-worn beings; Bodhisattva Samantamati raised two hundred doubts; and the Great Being Samantabhadra answered with two thousand eloquent expositions. As in the Universal Eye teaching of the Avataṃsakasūtra: even if a person were to take ink the size of the great ocean and brushes gathered like Mount Sumeru to write of this Universal Eye teaching—just one gateway within a single chapter, one dharma within that one gateway, one meaning within that one dharma, and one phrase within that one meaning—they could not complete even a tiny fraction, let alone exhaust it entirely! Furthermore, as in the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra, the Buddha said: 'The dharmas I have awakened to are like the grasses and trees grown from the great earth; what I have preached for sentient beings is like the leaves in my hand.' Even regarding the teachings already preached, their doctrine overflows the Dragon Palace; when Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna briefly inspected them, there were one hundred lakṣas of them. What has emerged into the human realm does not amount to even one hundredth part of what exists in India; as for what has been translated into this Eastern Land, it is certainly not worth mentioning. How much less so the teachings not yet preached?

These inexhaustible, marvelous purports are not something shallow wisdom can know; how could an inferior understanding peruse the gateway of nature-origination? How could a swallow or a sparrow measure the aspiration of a great swan? How could a frog in a well know the depths of the vast ocean? The great roar of a lion is something a wildcat cannot produce; the burden carried by a fragrant elephant is something a donkey cannot bear; the treasures of Vaiśravaṇa are something the poor cannot equal; the flight of a garuḍa is something a crow cannot match. One merely gives rise to views based on emotion and shifts one's mind following external objects: either speaking of existence without touching upon emptiness, or speaking of emptiness without encompassing existence; or asserting brevity as one outside of the many, or establishing breadth as the many outside of the one; or departing from silence to cling to speech, or departing from speech to seek silence; or relying on principle apart from phenomena, or attaching to phenomena apart from principle.

They are utterly unable to awaken to this unhindered, perfect source: elaborating broadly is not 'many,' for this is the many within the one; indicating briefly is not 'one,' for this is the one within the many. Discussing emptiness does not sever, for this is the emptiness that is identical with existence; debating existence is not permanent, for this is the existence that is identical with emptiness. Either having speech is permissible, which is speech within silence; or having no speech is permissible, which is silence within speech. Or the mutual identity of principle and phenomena is permissible, for this principle is the principle that accomplishes phenomena, and these phenomena are the phenomena that manifest principle. Or the mutual identity of principle and principle is permissible, because the single suchness has no second suchness, and the true nature is constantly blended and unified. Or the mutual identity of phenomena and phenomena is permissible, for these phenomena that are entirely principle are individually unobstructed. Or the non-identity of principle and phenomena is permissible, because the principle that is entirely phenomena is not phenomena, the supported is not the supporting, so that the ultimate truth is not obscured; and because the phenomena that are entirely principle are not principle, the supporting is not the supported, so that conventional truth is not destroyed. Thus preservation and elimination share the same horizon, and concealing and revealing occur simultaneously. Just as expounding the gateway of the Universal Eye consists entirely of the meanings within the principle, so unrolling the sūtra scroll of the great trichiliocosm does not indicate texts outside the mind.

Hence a sūtra states: 'A single dharma can produce immeasurable meanings, which is not something that śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas can know.' It is not like the explanations of mere emptiness and solitary isolation, or biased, rigid determinations. Now, in this inexhaustible, marvelous purport, when one dharma is indicated, its retinue arises along with it; in the complete and perfect nature-source, when one gateway is raised, all gateways universally assemble. It is neither pure nor mixed, neither one nor many—just as five flavors blend to make a soup, mixed colors form an embroidery, numerous jewels constitute a treasury, or a hundred medicines make a pill. Boundary and surface blend and penetrate; meaning and flavor are completely fulfilled. Seeking out the subtle and selecting the marvelous are completely realized within the mirror of the source. Dependent and primary [retributions] are blended and merged; cause and effect are unobstructed; person and dharma are non-dual; beginning and end are simultaneous. Whenever a single gateway is raised, it can completely subsume the inexhaustible dharmadhātu: neither internal nor external, neither one nor many. Unfold it, and interpenetration is manifold; roll it up, and the true gateway is utterly serene.

As in the Avataṃsakasūtra, where from within the lion throne and amidst the ornaments, clouds of bodhisattva bodies as numerous as the dust motes of a buddha-world each emerge: this is the non-obstruction of dependent and primary, person and dharma. Furthermore, as bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes of a buddha-world such as Utkṛṣṭasvara emerge from between the Buddha's eyebrows: this is the non-obstruction of cause and effect, beginning and end. And even down to the minute dust motes of the lands, each individually possesses boundless wisdom and virtue; each pore and bodily part subsumes vast gateways of the Dharma. Why is it so wondrous and inconceivable? It is precisely because the one mind blends and is identical [with all]. In short, all boundless, differentiated buddha-activities exist solely without departing from the signless true mind.

As a verse in the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'The Buddha abides in the profound, true dharma-nature, tranquil, signless, and like empty space; yet within the primary, true meaning, he manifests various actions that he performs. The activities performed to benefit sentient beings all exist by relying on the dharma-nature. Signs and the signless have no differentiation; entering into the ultimate, all are signless.'

Also, a verse in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha states: 'All these samādhis are called the mind by the Great Master; because of the mind's painting, they are like the deeds that are performed.'

Therefore we know that all actions of ordinary beings and sages, and all conditions arising in the ultimate and conventional, when this single thought of mind arises in a kṣaṇa, immediately possess the six meanings of the three natures and the three non-natures. That is, a single thought of mind is a dependently arisen dharma, which is the other-dependent [nature]; the emotional clinging to it as real is the imagined [nature]; its substance, originally empty and tranquil, is the consummate [nature]. Relying on the three natures, the three non-natures are explained; hence the six meanings are complete. If a single thought of mind arises possessing these six meanings, it immediately possesses all dharmas, because all the myriad dharmas of the ultimate and conventional do not go beyond the three natures and three non-natures.

The Faxing lun states: 'Whatever is in arising and ceasing is entirely without nature. Because arising has no nature of arising, though it arises, it is not permanent; because ceasing has no nature of ceasing, though it ceases, it is not severed. If they had a nature, one would fall into the net of the four views.' It also says: 'Investigating characteristics to deduce the nature, one sees the non-nature of all dharmas; investigating the nature to seek characteristics, one sees the signlessness of all dharmas. Thus when nature and characteristics are deduced from each other, both are entirely without nature.' Therefore, if one clings to having a nature, one falls into the perverse thicket of the four views; if one understands that nature is empty, one returns to the right path of the one mind. Hence the Avataṃsakasūtra states: 'Having personally entered deeply into the true dharma without self-nature, one also causes others to enter into the true dharma without self-nature, so that their minds attain peace and stability.'

Only with this marvelous penetration can one enter this source; then each and every thing accords with the real, and each and every word tallies with the purport. If one has not personally realized this and does not activate the perfect capacity, speaking of it goes against the source, while keeping silent also incurs error. How could one grasp with the four propositions that which is known by the six sense faculties? But if the teachings of the patriarchs are applied together, concentration and wisdom illuminate simultaneously, benefiting oneself and benefiting others, then there is no fault.

Suppose there are those who firmly cling to their own understanding, do not believe the Buddha's words, give rise to a mind of self-obstruction, and cut off the path of learning for others. Now there are ten questions to establish the guidelines:

Can you clearly see the nature as if observing form by daylight, like Mañjuśrī and the others?

When encountering conditions and confronting objects, seeing forms and hearing sounds, raising your feet and lowering your feet, opening your eyes and closing your eyes, can you in all cases understand the source and accord with the Way?

When perusing the teachings of the Buddha's entire lifetime and the words and phrases of the patriarchs from the past, hearing the profound without fear, can you thoroughly understand them all without doubt?

When faced with diverse inquiries and various interrogations, can you possess the four analytical knowledges and resolve all the doubts of others?

At all times and in all places, is the illumination of your wisdom unobstructed, completely penetrating in thought after thought, not seeing a single dharma that can act as an obstruction, and never allowing even a momentary interruption for a single kṣaṇa?

When all agreeable and disagreeable, good and bad realms manifest before you, are they unable to create separation, and can you thoroughly see through them all?

Within the minds and objects of the hundred dharmas that open the gate of understanding, can you see the subtle substance, nature, root, and origin of each and every one, without being confused and disordered by the roots and dusts of birth and death?

Within the four deportments of walking, standing, sitting, and reclining, when reverently serving and responding, wearing clothes and eating food, or engaging in actions and tasks, can you discern the truth in each and every one?

When hearing it said that there are Buddhas or no Buddhas, that there are sentient beings or no sentient beings, whether praised or slandered, affirmed or negated, can you remain with the one mind unmoved?

When hearing of differentiated wisdoms, can you clearly penetrate them all, thoroughly comprehending both nature and characteristics, without obstruction between principle and phenomena, with no dharma whose origin you fail to illuminate, even so far as having no doubt if a thousand sages were to appear in the world?

If in truth you have not yet attained such efficacy, you must not give rise to an arrogant and deceptive mind, or generate an attitude of self-satisfied complacency. You must simply unfold the supreme teaching extensively, inquire broadly of those with prior knowledge, penetrate to the origin of the self-nature of the Buddhas and patriarchs, and reach the ground beyond study where there is no doubt. Only at this time may you cease your study and quiet your wandering mind; then either you accomplish it for yourself so that Chan and contemplation correspond, or you provide skillful explanations for others.

Even if you cannot visit all places in the dharmadhātu or extensively investigate the various sūtras, simply examine carefully within this mirror of the source, and you will naturally gain entry. This is the essential summary of all dharmas, the gateway for approaching the Way. It is like keeping hold of the mother to recognize the child, or grasping the root to know the branches; raise the headrope of the net, and every mesh becomes straight; pull the garment, and every thread follows along. It is also like using the sinews of a lion for lute strings: once the sound is played, all other strings break to pieces. The power of this mirror of the source is likewise: hold it up, and the myriad kinds sink in light; reveal it, and all gateways obliterate their traces. By this single principle, a thousand paths are shattered; what need is there to painfully traverse mountain passes and river crossings, or produce divergent tracks elsewhere?

Therefore Master Baozhi's song says: 'The six thieves harmonize their light and mingle with dust; being powerless, it is exceedingly difficult to push them away. When the understanding of emptiness and signlessness arises within, the power of the Mahāyāna can overturn them.' It is only when one profoundly contemplates and attains the purport that the ultimate reality of this text can be verified.