宗鏡錄 19.17

19.17

答。佛性與一切眾生共有。所證是一。能證有前後。是故諸佛成道。我等輪迴。前後約時。性無本末。如昔人云。法身一相。瞻仰異容。正教無偏。說聽殊旨。故攝論偈云。眾生罪不現。如月於破器。遍滿諸世間。由法光如日。釋云。如破器中。水不得住。水不住故。月則不現。如是有情身中。無有奢摩他水。佛月不現。佛雖不現。然遍一切施作佛事。譬如日光。遍滿世間作諸佛事。成熟有情。又如今己眼不明者。皆為執著凡聖。有所繫故。如萬迴和尚歌云。黑白兩亡開佛眼。不繫一法出蓮叢。真空不壞靈智性。妙用恒常無作功。聖智本來成佛道。寂光非照自圓通。

Answer: The Buddha-nature is possessed in common with all sentient beings. That which is realized is one; those who can realize it have earlier and later. Therefore, all Buddhas attain the Way while we transmigrate; earlier and later are in terms of time, while the nature has neither root nor branch. As the ancients said: 'The dharmakāya has a single characteristic; those who gaze up at it have different appearances. The correct teaching is without bias; those who preach and listen have distinct purposes.' Therefore, a verse in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'Due to the faults of sentient beings, it does not appear, / Like the moon in a broken vessel. / Pervading all worlds, / It is like the sun due to its light of Dharma.' The commentary explains: 'Just as in a broken vessel water cannot remain, and because the water does not remain the moon does not appear, so too in the bodies of sentient beings there is no water of śamatha, and the Buddha-moon does not appear. Although the Buddha does not appear, nevertheless, pervading everywhere, he performs Buddha-work. For example, the light of the sun pervades the world, performing all kinds of work and ripening sentient beings.' Furthermore, as for those whose own eyes are not clear today, it is all because of clinging to ordinary beings and sages and having attachments. As Venerable Wanhui's song says: 'When black and white are both forgotten, the Buddha-eye opens; / Unattached to any phenomenon, one emerges from the lotus thicket. / True emptiness does not destroy the nature of spiritual wisdom; / Its marvelous function is constant, without contrived effort. / Noble wisdom originally accomplishes the Buddha Way; / The light of quiescence, without illuminating, is spontaneously completely penetrating.'