宗鏡錄 2.3

2.3

答。一實諦中。雖無起盡。方便門內。有大因緣。故法華經偈云。諸法常無性。佛種從緣起。以萬法常無性。無不性空時。法爾能隨緣。隨緣不失性。且夫起教所由。因緣無量。古德略標。有其十種。一由法爾故。二願力故。三機感故。四為本故。五顯德故。六現位故。七開發故。八見聞故。九成行故。十得果故。今諸大菩薩所集唯識論等。大意有其二種。一為達萬法之正宗。破二空之邪執。二為斷煩惱所知之障。證解脫菩提之門。斯則自證法原本覺真地。不在文字句義敷揚。今為後學慕道之人。方便纂集。又自有二意。用表本懷。一為好略之人撮其樞要。精通的旨免覽繁文。二為執總之人不明別理。微細開演。性相圓通。截二種生死之根。躡一味菩提之道。仰群經之大旨。直了自心。遵諸聖之微言。頓開覺藏。去彼依通之見。破其邪執之情。深信正宗。令知月不在指。迴光返照。使見性不徇文。唯證相應。斯為本意。不可橫生知解。沒溺見河。於無得觀中。懷趣向之意。就真空理上。興取捨之心。率自胸襟。疑誤後學。須親見性。方曉斯宗。

Answer: Within the one real truth, although there is neither arising nor perishing, within the gate of expedient means, there are great causes and conditions. Thus a verse in the Lotus Sūtra says: / 'All phenomena are ever without intrinsic nature; / The buddha-seed arises from conditions.' / Because the myriad phenomena are ever without intrinsic nature, there is no time when their nature is not empty; of their very nature they are able to accord with conditions, and in according with conditions they do not lose their nature. Moreover, the reasons for the arising of the teachings have immeasurable causes and conditions. Ancient masters briefly marked ten of them: first, due to inherent nature; second, due to the power of vows; third, due to response to capacities; fourth, to serve as the root; fifth, to reveal virtues; sixth, to manifest the stages; seventh, to bring about development; eighth, for seeing and hearing; ninth, to accomplish practice; and tenth, to attain the fruit. Now, as for the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhiśāstra and other works compiled by the great bodhisattvas, their main import is of two kinds: first, to reach the correct source of the myriad phenomena and smash erroneous attachments to the two kinds of emptiness; second, to sever the obstacles of kleśa and of the knowable, and realize the gate of liberation and bodhi. This is the personal realization of the source of phenomena, the true ground of original awakening; it does not lie in the elaboration of words, phrases, and literal meanings. Now, as an expedient compilation for later students who aspire to the Way, this work also has two aims of its own, serving to express the original intent: first, for those fond of brevity, to grasp the essential pivot, so that thoroughly mastering the precise purport, they are spared having to read voluminous texts; second, for those clinging to the general who do not understand specific principles, to subtly analyze and unfold them so that nature and characteristics are completely interfused, cutting off the root of the two kinds of birth-and-death, treading the single-flavored path of bodhi, looking up to the great purport of the various sūtras to directly comprehend one's own citta, and honoring the subtle words of the sages to頓 open the treasury of awakening. Removing those views based on superficial understanding and smashing the feelings of erroneous attachment, it causes them to deeply believe in the correct source, makes them know that the moon is not the finger, and turns the light inward to reflect back, enabling them to see the nature without following after the text. Harmony with personal realization alone—this is the fundamental intent. One must not arbitrarily give rise to conceptual understanding and sink down in the river of views, harbor an intention of seeking attainment within the contemplation of non-attainment, or give rise to a mind of grasping and rejecting upon the principle of true emptiness, following one's own subjective whims and thereby misleading later students. One must personally see the nature; only then will one understand this source.