宗鏡錄 17.7

17.7

答。法身如來。本無生滅。從真起化。接引迷根。以化即真。真應一際。即不來不去。隨應物心。又化體即真。說無來去。從真流化。現有往還。即不來相而來。不見相而見也。不來而來。似水月之頓呈。不見而見。猶行雲之忽現。

Answer: The dharmakāya Tathāgata originally has no arising or ceasing; from truth it raises transformations to receive and guide the deluded faculties. Because transformation is precisely truth, truth and response are of one limit: thus there is no coming and no going, responding according to the minds of beings. Furthermore, the substance of transformation is precisely truth, so it is said to have no coming or going; flowing from truth into transformation, it appears as departing and returning. That is, it comes with the characteristic of not coming, and is seen with the characteristic of not seeing. Coming without coming is like the moon in water suddenly presenting itself; seeing without seeing is like floating clouds abruptly appearing.