宗鏡錄 18.9

18.9

答。若了此心。即是天真佛。不說成與不成。若說成佛。是助語。亦是增語。圓覺經云。一切如來。妙圓覺心。本無菩提。及與涅槃。亦無成佛。及不成佛。無妄輪迴。及非輪迴等。釋曰。本無菩提。及與涅槃者。此是二轉依號。亦是住觀語。轉煩惱。故立菩提之號。轉生死。故得涅槃之名。若了煩惱性空。生死本寂。既無所轉之相。亦無能轉之名。無不成佛者。無妄輪迴。亦無成佛者。無非輪迴。唯妙圓覺心。更無所有。如今只恐。不得宗鏡之光。若得其光。則自然入圓覺門。普照法界。所以先德云。飛錫若登故國路。莫愁天下不聞聲。龐居士頌云。十方來一會。各自學無為。此是選佛處。心通及第歸。如是則自然應念登科。隨處及第。何須受記。而待揚名者乎。如昔人歌云。不坐禪。不持律。妙覺心珠白如日。當體虛玄一物無。阿誰承受燃燈佛。

Answer: If one clearly understands this citta, it is precisely the naturally genuine Buddha; one does not speak of attaining or not attaining [buddhahood]. If one speaks of attaining buddhahood, this is an auxiliary term, and also an exaggerated term. The Scripture of Complete Enlightenment says: 'Within the wondrous completely enlightened citta of all tathāgatas, there is fundamentally neither bodhi nor nirvāṇa, nor is there attaining buddhahood or not attaining buddhahood, nor delusional saṃsāra or non-saṃsāra, and so forth.' Explanation: 'Fundamentally neither bodhi nor nirvāṇa'—these are names for the two kinds of transformation of the basis (āśrayaparivṛtti), and are also terms for abiding in contemplation. Transforming kleśa, one therefore establishes the designation of bodhi; transforming birth and death, one therefore obtains the name of nirvāṇa. If one clearly understands that the nature of kleśa is empty and birth and death are fundamentally quiescent, then since there is no characteristic of that which is transformed, neither is there any name for that which is able to transform. 'Nor not attaining buddhahood' means there is no delusional saṃsāra; 'nor attaining buddhahood' means there is no non-saṃsāra. There is solely the wondrous completely enlightened citta, and nothing else besides. At present, one fears only not obtaining the illumination of the mirror of the source; if one obtains its illumination, one will naturally enter the gate of complete enlightenment and universally illuminate the dharmadhātu. Therefore an ancient worthy said: 'If the flying staff treads the path to the homeland, / Worry not that under heaven no sound will be heard.' Layman Pang's verse says: / 'From the ten directions they gather as one assembly, / Each learning the unconditioned. / This is the venue for selecting buddhas; / When the citta penetrates, one passes the examination and returns.' / In this way, one naturally passes the examination in response to a single thought and graduates everywhere; why must one receive a prediction and wait to spread one's fame? As an ancient song says: / 'Not sitting in dhyāna, not upholding the Vinaya, / The wish-fulfilling pearl of wondrous enlightenment is white as the sun. / Its intrinsic substance is empty and mysterious, without a single thing; / Who is there to receive [a prediction from] Dīpaṃkara Buddha?'