[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016) › 20.9 # 宗鏡錄 20.9 宗鏡錄 20.9 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [20.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.20.9) 答心本清淨。迹亦清淨。體亦清淨。用亦清淨。以不離一心。別有清淨。以妄塵不能染。真法不能淨。何者。離心無異法。豈有染能染耶。亦離心無真法。豈有淨能淨耶。則刀不能自割。指不能自觸。大莊嚴論偈云。已說心性淨。而為客塵染。不離心真如。別有心性淨。不離心之真如。別有異心。謂依他相。說。為自性清淨。此中應知。說心真如。名之為心。即說此心。為自性清淨。此心即是阿摩羅識。又一切眾生。未見性者。雖客塵所隱。五陰所埋。任經生死往來。其性不昧。或遇善友開發。終自顯明。以是出世間常住心寶。豈世間無常敗壞生滅之法。而能墮壞。如貧女室中金藏。雖未掘而匪移。若力士額上寶珠。任鬪沒而常在。猶雪山筩中藥味。暫流出而恒存。如大地底下金剛。縱穿斵而不壞。是以大涅槃經云。迦葉菩薩白佛言。世尊。我從今日。始得正見。世尊。自是之前。我等悉名邪見之人。世尊。二十五有。有我。不也。佛言。善男子。我者。即是如來藏義。一切眾生。悉有佛性。即是我義。如是我義。從本已來。常為無量煩惱所覆。是故眾生不能得見。善男子。如貧女人。舍內多真金之藏。家人大小。無有知者。時有異人。善知方便。語貧女人。我今雇汝。汝可為我耘除草穢。女即答言。我不能也。汝若能示我子金藏。然後乃當速為汝作。是人復言。我知方便。能示汝子。女人答言。我家大小。尚自不知。況汝能知。是人復言。我今審能。女人答言。我亦欲見并可示我。是人即於其家。掘出真金之藏。女人見已。心生歡喜。生奇特想。宗仰是人。善男子。眾生佛性。亦復如是。一切眾生。不能得見。如彼寶藏。貧人不知。善男子。我今普示一切眾生。所有佛性。為諸煩惱之所覆蔽。如彼貧人。有真金藏。不能得見。如來今日。普示眾生諸覺寶藏。所謂佛性。而諸眾生。見是事已。心生歡喜。歸仰如來。善方便者。即是如來。貧女人者。即是一切無量眾生。真金藏者。即佛性也。乃至譬如王家。有大力士。其人眉間有金剛珠。與餘力士。角力相撲。而彼力士。以頭觝觸。其額上珠。尋沒膚中。都不自知。是珠所在。其處有瘡。即命良醫。欲自療治。時有明醫。善知方藥。即如是瘡。因珠入體。是珠入皮。即便停住。是時良醫。尋問力士。卿額上珠。為何所在。力士驚答。大師醫王。我額上珠。乃無去耶。是珠今者。為何所在。將非幻化。憂愁啼哭。是時良醫。慰喻力士。汝今不應生大愁苦。汝因鬪時。寶珠入體。今在皮裏。影現於外。汝曹鬪時。瞋恚毒盛。珠陷入體。故不自知。是時力士。不信醫言。若在皮裏。膿血不淨。何緣不出。若在筋裏。不應可見。汝今云何欺誑於我。時醫執鏡。以照其面。珠在鏡中。明了顯現。力士見已。心懷驚怪。生奇特想。善男子。一切眾生。亦復如是。不能親近善知識故。雖有佛性。皆不能見。而為貪婬。瞋恚愚癡。之所覆蔽。故墮地獄。畜生。餓鬼。阿脩羅旃陀羅。剎利婆羅門毘舍首陀。生如是等種種家中。因心所起種種業緣。雖受人身。聾盲瘖瘂。拘躄癃跛。於二十五有。受諸果報。貪婬瞋恚愚癡覆心。不知佛性。如彼力士。寶珠在體。謂呼失去。眾生亦爾。不知親近善知識故。不識如來微密寶藏。修學無我。喻如非聖。雖說有我。亦復不知我之真性。我諸弟子。亦復如是。不知親近善知識故。修學無我。亦復不知無我之處。尚自不知無我真性。況復能知有我真性。善男子。如來如是。說諸眾生。皆有佛性。喻如良醫示彼力士。金剛寶珠。是諸眾生。為諸無量億煩惱等之所覆蔽。不識佛性。若盡煩惱。爾時乃得證知了了。如彼力士。於明鏡中。見其寶珠。善男子。如來祕藏。如是無量不可思議。復次善男子。譬如雪山。有一味藥。名曰樂味。其味極甜。在深叢下。人無能見。有人聞香。即知其地。當有是藥。過去往世。有轉輪王。於此雪山。為此藥故。在在處處。造作木筩。以接是藥。是藥熟時。從地流出。集木筩中。其味真正。王既沒已。其後是藥。或醋或鹹。或甜或苦。或辛或淡。如是一味。隨其流處有種種異。是藥真味。停留在山。猶如滿月。凡人薄福。雖以钁斸。加功困苦。而不能得。復有聖王。出現於世。以福因緣。即得是藥真正之味。善男子。如來祕藏。其味亦爾。為諸煩惱叢林所覆。無明眾生不能得見。一味藥者。喻如佛性。以煩惱故。出種種味。所謂地獄。畜生。餓鬼。天人男女。非男非女。剎利。婆羅門毘舍首陀。佛性雄猛。難可沮壞。是故無有能殺害者。若有殺者。則斷佛性。如是佛性。終不可斷。性若可斷。無有是處。如我性者。即是如來祕密之藏。如是祕藏。一切無能同沮壞燒滅。雖不可壞。然不可見。若得成就阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。爾乃證知。以是因緣。無能殺者。迦葉菩薩。復白佛言。世尊。若無殺者。應當無有不善之業。佛告迦葉。實殺生。何以故。善男子。眾生佛性。住五陰中。若壞五陰。名曰殺生。若有殺生。即墮惡趣。以業因緣。而有剎利。婆羅門等毘舍首陀。及旃陀羅。若男若女。非男非女。二十五有差別之相。流轉生死。非聖之人。橫計於我。大小諸相。猶若稗子。或言如豆。乃至拇指。如是種種妄生憶想。妄想之相。無有真實。出世我相。名為佛性。如是計我。是名最善。復次善男子。譬如有人。善知伏藏。即取利钁斸地直下。磐石沙礫。直過無難。唯至金剛。不能穿徹。夫金剛者。所有刀斧不能沮壞。善男子。眾生佛性。亦復如是。一切論者。天魔波旬。及諸人天。所不能壞。五陰之相。即是起作。起作之相。喻若石沙。可穿可壞。佛性者。喻如金剛。不可沮壞。以是義故。壞五陰者。名為殺生。善男子。必定當知佛法。如是不可思議。是知雖有佛性。久翳塵勞。須以止觀熏修。乃得明淨。如貧女得藏中之寶。猶力士見鏡裏之珠。方親悟自心妙覺圓滿。又如何行於止觀。得契真修。但了能觀之心。所觀之境。各各性離。即妄心自息。此名為止。常作此觀。不失其照。故名為觀。斯則即止即觀。即觀即止。無能所觀。是名止觀。如先德云。法性寂然名止。寂而常照名觀。非能所觀。有其二事。所以華嚴經頌云。若有欲知佛境界。當淨其意如虛空。遠離妄想及諸取。令心所向。皆無礙。疏釋云。一離妄取。如彼淨空無雲翳故。斯即真止。二觸境無滯。如彼淨空無障礙故。斯即真觀。此觀。不作意以照境。則所照無涯。此止。體性離而息妄故。諸趣皆寂。若斯則不拂不瑩。而自淨矣。無淨之淨。乃冥契法原。不修之修。則闇蹈佛境矣。故知唯一心真智。是我本身。湛然常存。現前明淨。自然以智慧嘴。啄破無明㲉。飛出三界。自在無礙。此時方得見性了然。更有何法而堪比對。如丹霞孤寂吟云。不迷須有不迷心。看時淺淺用時深。此箇真珠若採事。豈同樵客負黃金。黃金烹鍊轉為新。此珠含光未示人。了則毛端吞巨海。始知大地一微塵。 > Answer: The citta is fundamentally pure; its traces are also pure, its substance is also pure, and its function is also pure. Because apart from the one mind there is no other purity, erroneous defilements cannot defile it, and true dharmas cannot purify it. Why is this? Apart from citta there is no different dharma—how could there be a defilement capable of defiling it? Nor is there any true dharma apart from citta—how could there be a purity capable of purifying it? Thus, a blade cannot cut itself, and a finger cannot touch itself. A verse in the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra says: > 'It has been said that the nature of citta is pure, > yet it is defiled by adventitious dust. > Not apart from the tathatā of citta > is there another pure nature of citta.' > Not apart from the tathatā of citta is there another citta—namely, the dependent characteristic (paratantralakṣaṇa)—that is spoken of as intrinsically pure. In this, one should know that the tathatā of citta is spoken of as citta, and this very citta is spoken of as intrinsically pure. This citta is precisely the amalavijñāna. Furthermore, as for all sentient beings who have not yet seen the nature: although hidden by adventitious dust and buried by the five aggregates, no matter how they transmigrate back and forth through birth and death, its nature is not obscured. If they meet a good spiritual friend to uncover and open it, it will ultimately become manifest of itself. Because it is the supramundane, eternally abiding jewel of the citta, how could the mundane dharmas of impermanence, decay, and arising and ceasing cause it to fall into ruin? It is like the store of gold in the poor woman's room, which, though not yet excavated, does not shift; like the precious pearl on the champion's forehead, which, no matter how it sinks during combat, is ever-present; like the medicinal flavor in the Himalayan bamboo tube, which, though briefly flowing forth, constantly endures; like the diamond beneath the great earth, which, even if chiselled and bored, is not destroyed. Therefore, the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra states: > 'Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, from this day forth, I have finally attained right view. World-Honoured One, before this, all of us were called people of wrong view. World-Honoured One, does the self exist in the twenty-five states of existence, or not?" > The Buddha said: "Good man, the self is the meaning of the tathāgatagarbha. All sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature—this is the meaning of the self. This meaning of the self has from the beginning always been covered by immeasurable kleśas; therefore, sentient beings have been unable to see it. Good man, it is like a poor woman in whose house is a store of abundant real gold, yet no one in the household, great or small, knows of it. Then an extraordinary man, skilled in knowing expedient means, says to the poor woman: 'I will now hire you; you may weed out the overgrown grass for me.' The woman then replies: 'I cannot. If you can show my son the store of gold, only then will I quickly work for you.' The man again says: 'I know the expedient means and can show your son.' The woman replies: 'No one in my house, great or small, even knows of it, so how could you know?' The man again says: 'I truly am able now.' The woman replies: 'I also wish to see it; please show it to me.' That man then digs out the store of real gold in her house. Having seen it, the woman gives rise to joy in her mind, conceives a notion of wonder, and reveres that man. Good man, the Buddha-nature of sentient beings is also like this: all sentient beings cannot see it, just as the poor person did not know of that jewel store. Good man, I now universally show all sentient beings that whatever Buddha-nature they possess is covered over by the kleśas—just as that poor person, having a store of real gold, could not see it. Today the Tathāgata universally shows sentient beings the jewel store of all awakenings—namely, the Buddha-nature—and when sentient beings have seen this, their minds give rise to joy, and they take refuge in and revere the Tathāgata. The one skilled in expedient means is the Tathāgata; the poor woman is all immeasurable sentient beings; the store of real gold is the Buddha-nature. > Furthermore, it is like a royal household having a mighty wrestler. Between this man's eyebrows is a diamond pearl. He wrestles and grapples with another wrestler, and that wrestler butts him with his head. The pearl on his forehead immediately sinks into his flesh, and he does not know at all where the pearl is. There is a wound in that place, so he summons an excellent physician, wishing to treat himself. At that time, an insightful physician, well-versed in prescriptions and medicines, sees that the wound is due to the pearl entering the body. When the pearl entered the skin, it came to rest there. The excellent physician then asks the wrestler: 'Sir, where is the pearl on your forehead?' The wrestler replies in alarm: 'Great Master, King of Physicians, has the pearl on my forehead gone missing? Where is that pearl now? Could it be an illusion?' and weeps in distress. At that time, the excellent physician consoles the wrestler: 'You should not give rise to great sorrow and suffering now. When you fought, the precious pearl entered your body; it is now under the skin, and its image is visible on the outside. When you were fighting, the poison of wrath was intense, and the pearl sank into your body, so you did not know it.' At that time, the wrestler does not believe the physician's words: 'If it is under the skin, where pus and blood are impure, why does it not come out? If it is inside the sinews, it should not be visible. Why do you now deceive me?' Then the physician takes a mirror to reflect his face; the pearl is clearly and distinctly visible in the mirror. Having seen it, the wrestler feels amazement and conceives a notion of wonder. Good man, all sentient beings are also like this: because they cannot draw near to a good spiritual friend, although they possess the Buddha-nature, none can see it, and they are covered over by lust, wrath, and folly. Therefore, they fall into the hells, animals, hungry ghosts, asuras, caṇḍālas, kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, being born into such various families. Because of the various karmic conditions arisen from the citta, although they receive a human body, they may be deaf, blind, mute, crippled, or lame, receiving various retributions in the twenty-five states of existence. Lust, wrath, and folly cover their minds, so they do not know the Buddha-nature—just as that wrestler, with the precious pearl in his body, thought he had lost it. Sentient beings are also like this: because they do not know to draw near to a good spiritual friend, they do not recognize the subtle and secret jewel store of the Tathāgata, and practicing the learning of non-self, they are like non-nobles. Although it is said that there is a self, they also do not know the true nature of the self. My disciples are also like this: because they do not know to draw near to a good spiritual friend, in practicing the learning of non-self, they also do not know the locus of non-self; since they do not even know the true nature of non-self, how much less could they know the true nature of having a self? Good man, the Tathāgata in this way says that all sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature, just as the excellent physician showed that wrestler the diamond pearl. These sentient beings are covered over by immeasurable billions of kleśas and do not recognize the Buddha-nature. If their kleśas are exhausted, then they will clearly realize and know it, just as that wrestler saw his precious pearl in the clear mirror. Good man, the Tathāgata's secret store is immeasurable and inconceivable like this. > Furthermore, good man, it is like the Himalayas, where there is a medicinal herb of one flavor named 'Delightful Flavor'. Its flavor is extremely sweet; growing under deep thickets, no one can see it. Some people smell its fragrance and then know that in this ground there must be this herb. In past ages, there was a wheel-turning king who, for the sake of this herb, made wooden tubes everywhere in these Himalayas to collect this herb. When this herb matured, it flowed out from the ground and gathered in the wooden tubes; its flavor was genuine. After the king passed away, thereafter this herb became sour or salty, sweet or bitter, pungent or bland. Thus this single flavor had various differences according to where it flowed. The true flavor of this herb remained on the mountain, like the full moon. Ordinary people of meager merit, though wielding hoes and laboring bitterly, could not obtain it. Then a holy king appeared in the world, and by the causes and conditions of merit, he immediately obtained the genuine flavor of this herb. Good man, the Tathāgata's secret store is also like this in its flavor: covered by the thicket of kleśas, sentient beings of avidyā cannot see it. The herb of one flavor is an analogy for the Buddha-nature. Because of kleśas, it produces various flavors—namely, hells, animals, hungry ghosts, devas, humans, male, female, non-male and non-female, kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, vaiśyas, and śūdras. The Buddha-nature is valorous and difficult to destroy; therefore, there is none who can kill it. If there were one who could kill it, that would sever the Buddha-nature. Such a Buddha-nature can ultimately never be severed; if the nature could be severed, that would be impossible. What is the nature of the self is precisely the secret store of the Tathāgata. Such a secret store cannot be destroyed or burned away by anyone. Although it cannot be destroyed, it cannot be seen. Only when one succeeds in attaining anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi will one then realize and know it. Due to this reason, none can kill it." > Bodhisattva Kāśyapa again said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, if there is no killer, there should be no unwholesome karma." > The Buddha told Kāśyapa: "There truly is the killing of living beings. Why? Good man, the Buddha-nature of sentient beings abides within the five aggregates. If one destroys the five aggregates, this is called killing living beings. If one kills living beings, one immediately falls into evil destinies. Due to karmic causes and conditions, there are kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, vaiśyas, śūdras, and caṇḍālas, male or female, non-male or non-female, the differentiated characteristics of the twenty-five states of existence, transmigrating through birth and death. Non-noble people falsely cling to a self, taking various characteristics, great or small, like a panicum seed, or saying it is like a bean, up to the size of a thumb. In these various ways they falsely give rise to conceptualizations; the characteristics of false conceptualizations have no reality. The supramundane characteristic of the self is called the Buddha-nature; to cling to the self in this way is called the most excellent. > Furthermore, good man, it is like someone who knows hidden treasures well: he takes a sharp hoe and digs straight down into the ground; boulders, sand, and gravel are passed through without difficulty, and only when he reaches diamond can he not pierce through. As for diamond, no knife or axe can destroy it. Good man, the Buddha-nature of sentient beings is also like this: all debaters, the heavenly Māra Pāpīyas, and humans and devas cannot destroy it. The characteristics of the five aggregates are precisely created things; the characteristics of created things are like stones and sand, which can be pierced and destroyed. The Buddha-nature is like diamond, which cannot be destroyed. For this reason, destroying the five aggregates is called killing living beings. Good man, you must definitely know that the Buddha-Dharma is inconceivable like this.' > From this we know that although we have the Buddha-nature, it has long been dimmed by worldly defilements; we must use śamatha and vipaśyanā to perfume and cultivate it, and only then will it attain clarity and purity. Like the poor woman obtaining the treasure in the storehouse, or the wrestler seeing the pearl in the mirror, one only then personally awakens to one's own citta's wondrous awakening, fully perfected. Furthermore, how does one practice śamatha and vipaśyanā so as to accord with true cultivation? Simply realize that the mind capable of contemplating and the object contemplated are each free from intrinsic nature; then the erroneous mind ceases of itself—this is called śamatha. Constantly maintaining this contemplation without losing its illumination is called vipaśyanā. Thus śamatha is immediately vipaśyanā, and vipaśyanā is immediately śamatha; there is neither subject nor object of contemplation—this is called śamatha-vipaśyanā. As an ancient worthy said: 'The quiescence of dharma-nature is called śamatha; quiescent yet constantly illuminating is called vipaśyanā.' It is not that the subject and object of contemplation are two different things. Therefore, a verse in the Avataṃsakasūtra says: > 'If one wishes to know the Buddha's realm, > one should purify one's thought like empty space, > departing from false conceptualizations and all graspings, > causing whatever the mind directs toward to be unimpeded.' > The commentary explains: 'First, departing from false grasping is like that pure sky having no clouds or haze; this is true śamatha. Second, encountering objects without obstruction is like that pure sky having no hindrance; this is true vipaśyanā. This vipaśyanā does not deliberately form an intention to illuminate objects, so what is illuminated is boundless; this śamatha, because its substance is free from nature and ceases falsehood, makes all destinies quiescent. If it is like this, then without brushing or polishing, it is naturally pure. The purity of non-purity mysteriously accords with the source of dharmas; the cultivation of non-cultivation silently treads into the Buddha's realm.' > Therefore we know that the true wisdom of the one mind alone is our own fundamental body, serenely ever-present and presently manifest in clarity and purity. Naturally, with the beak of wisdom, it pecks open the shell of avidyā, flies out of the three realms, free and unimpeded. Only at this time does one come to see the nature clearly. What other dharma could possibly compare with it? As the 'Song of Solitary Quiescence' by Danxia says: > 'Without delusion, there must be the undeluded citta; > When observed it seems shallow, but when applied it is deep. > If this true pearl is gathered, > How could it be like a woodcutter carrying yellow gold? > When yellow gold is smelted, it turns anew; > This pearl contains its radiance, not yet shown to others. > Once understood, the tip of a hair swallows the great ocean; > Only then does one know that the great earth is a single dust mote.' > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 20.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.20.8) - [Next: 20.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.20.10) - [Up: 20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.20) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.20.9) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [妙法蓮華經玄贊](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.3.162) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.20.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.20.9) · Pramāṇa