宗鏡錄 28.12

28.12

答離心無說。離說無心。舒則恒沙法門。卷則一心妙旨。微塵經卷。盡大千而未展全文。普眼法門。竭大海。而不書一偈。如忉利天鼓。演莫測之真詮。雷音寶林。說無生之妙偈。安養國內。水鳥皆談苦空。華藏海中。雲臺盡敷圓旨。所以華嚴經云。譬如諸天有大法鼓。名為覺悟。若諸天子行放逸時。於虛空中。出聲告言。汝等當知。一切欲樂。皆悉無常。虛妄顛倒。須臾變壞。但誑愚夫。令其戀著。汝莫放逸。若放逸者。墮諸惡趣。後悔無及。放逸諸天。聞此音已。生大憂怖。捨自宮中所有欲樂。詣天王所求法行道。佛子。彼天鼓音無主無作。無起無滅。而能利益無量眾生。阿彌陀經云。復次。舍利弗。彼國常有種種奇妙雜色之鳥。白鶴。孔雀。鸚鵡。舍利。迦陵頻伽。共命之鳥。是諸眾鳥晝夜六時出和雅音。其音演暢五根五力。七菩提分。八聖道分。如是等法。其土眾生。聞如是音已。皆悉念佛念法念僧。斯則皆是頓悟。自心。更無餘法。此一心法界。是諸經通體故。如來所說十二分教。親從大悲。心中之所流出。大悲心從後得智。後得智從根本智。根本智從清淨法界流出。即是本原。更無所從。無有法。離於法界而有。此一心門。是一字中王。亦名一語。亦名一句。思益經云。如佛所說。汝等集會。當行二事。若聖說法。若聖默然。何謂說法。何謂默然。答言。若說法。不違佛。不違法。不違僧。是名說法。若知法即是佛。離相即是法。無為即是僧。是名聖默然。又善男子。因四念處而有所說。名聖說法。於一切法無所憶念。名聖默然。斯正說時心契法理。即不說耳。明非緘口名不說也。如入佛境界經云。佛言。文殊師利。諸佛如來。無有。人見。無有人聞。無有人現在供養。無有人未來供養。文殊師利。諸佛如來。不說諸法一。不說諸法多。文殊師利。諸佛如來。不證菩提。諸佛如來。不依一法得名。亦非多法得名。文殊師利。諸佛如來。不見諸法。不聞諸法。不念諸法。不知諸法。不覺諸法。文殊師利。諸佛如來。不說一法。不示諸法。瓔珞經云。以一句偈。訓誨八萬四千國邑。大集經偈云。無量智者佛真子。數如十方微塵等。於無量劫諮問佛。不盡如來一字義。又云。能以一字入一切法。為眾生說。是名般若波羅蜜無涯際。總持經云。是般若波羅蜜一語。能答萬億之心。首楞嚴三昧經云。文殊言。若人得聞一句之法。即解其中千萬句義。百千萬劫敷演解說。智慧辯才不可窮盡。是名多聞。大涅槃經云。若見如來常不說法。是名具足多聞。又云。寧願少聞多解義理。不願多聞於義不了。即是入此宗鏡。一解千從。雖廣引文。只證此義。上根一覽已斷纖疑。中下再披方能具信。對根故爾。非法合然。所以勝天王般若經云。佛復告善思惟菩薩言。賢德天子。已於過去無量百千億劫修習陀羅尼門。窮劫說法。亦無終盡。善思惟菩薩白佛言。世尊。何等陀羅尼。佛言。善男子。名眾法不入陀羅尼。善男子。此陀羅尼過諸文字。言不能入。心不能量。內外眾法皆不可得。善男子。無有少法能入此者。故名眾法不入陀羅尼。何以故。此法平等。無有高下。亦無出入。無一文字從外來入。亦無一字從此法出。又無一字住此法中。亦無文字共相見者。亦不分別法與非法。是諸文字。說亦不減。不說無增。從本以來。無起造者。無壞滅者。善男子。如文字。心亦如是。如心。一切法亦如是。何以故。法離言語。亦離思量。本無生滅。故無出入。是名眾法不入陀羅尼。若能通達此法門者。辯才無盡。何以故。通達不斷無盡法故。善男子。能入虛空者。則能入此陀羅尼門。華嚴出現品云。佛子。菩薩摩訶薩。應知如來音聲遍至。普遍無量諸音聲故。應知如來音聲。隨其心樂。皆令歡喜。說法明了故。應知如來音聲。隨其信解。皆令歡喜。心得清涼故。應知如來音聲。化不失時。所應聞者無不聞故。應知如來音聲無生滅。如呼響故。應知如來音聲無主。修習一切業所起故。應知如來音聲甚深。難可度量故。應知如來音聲無邪曲。法界所生故。應知如來音聲無斷絕。普入法界故。應知如來音聲無變易。至於究竟故。佛子。菩薩摩訶薩。應知。如來音聲。非量非無量。非主非無主。非示非無示。疏釋云。收上十聲。要不出三。約相則廣無量。約體則無主宰。約用則有顯示。今並雙非。以顯中道。謂莫窮其邊。故非量。隨機隨時。有聞不聞。故非無量。多緣集。故非有主。純一法界生故。非無主。當體無生。故無能示。巧顯義理。故非無示。更以四句。明體用無礙。謂一以用從體。由體無不在故。能令上十類聲。皆遍一切。非唯遍聲。亦遍一切時處眾生如來。法界等。雖復於色等皆遍。恒不雜亂。若不等遍。則音非圓。若由等遍失其音曲。則圓非音。今不壞曲而等遍。不動遍而差韻。方成圓音。二以體從用。其一一音皆具含真性。三用即體故。上十類聲皆不可得。唯第一義永離所執故。法螺恒震。妙音常寂。名寂靜音。如空谷響。有而即虛。若不即虛。非但失於一音。亦不得圓融自在。四體即用故。寂而恒宣。若天鼓無心而應一切。長風隨竅。萬吹不同。若不遍同。非。但失於能圓。亦非真一。故經云。一切眾生種種語言。皆悉不離如來法輪。何以故。言音實相。即法輪故。是以眾生言音。皆不出虛空性。以性無不在。則法輪遍一切處。無有間斷。止觀云。觀心攝一切教者。毘婆沙論云。心能為一切法作名。若無心。則無一切名字。當知世出世名字。悉從心起。若觀心僻越。順無明流。則有一切諸惡教起。所謂僧佉衛世。九十五種邪見教生。亦有諸善教起。五行六甲。陰陽八卦。五經子史。世智無道名教。皆從心起。云何出世名教。皆從心起。寶性論云。有一大經卷。如三千大千世界大。記大千界事。如中。如小。四天下三界等大者。皆記其事。在一微塵中。一塵既然。一切塵亦爾。一人出世。以淨天眼。見此大經卷。而作是念。云何大經在微塵內。而不饒益一切眾生。即以方便。破出此經。以益於他。如來無礙智慧經卷。具在眾生身中。顛倒覆之。不信不見。佛教眾生修八聖道。破一切虛妄。見已智慧與如來等。此約微塵附有為喻。又約空為喻者。發菩提心論云。譬如有人。見佛法滅。以如來十二部經。仰書虛空。宛然具足。一切眾生。無有知者。久久之後。更有一人。遊行於空。見經咄嗟。云何眾生不知不見。即便寫取。示導眾生。云何寫經。謂令眾生修八正道。破虛空等。修有多種。若觀心因緣生滅無常。修八正道者。即寫三藏之經。若觀心因緣即空。修八聖道。即寫通教之經。若觀心分別校計有無量種。凡夫二乘所不能測。法眼菩薩乃能見之。是修無量八正道。即寫別教之經。若觀心即是佛性。圓修八正道。即寫中道之經。明一切法悉出心中。心即大乘。心即佛性。自見已智慧與如來等。又觀心即假即中者。即攝華嚴之經。若觀心因緣生法生滅者。即攝三藏四阿含教如乳之經。若觀心即空者。即攝共般若如酪之經。若其觀心因緣生法。即空即假即中者。即攝方等生酥之經。若但用即空即假即中者。即攝大品熟酥之經。若用即中觀心者。即攝法華開佛知見大事正直醍醐之經。若用四句相即觀心。即有涅槃同見佛性醍醐之經。又若觀因緣。又觀因緣即是佛性。佛性即是如來。是名乳中殺人。若觀析空。又觀析空即是佛性。佛性即是如來。是名酪中殺人。若觀即空。又觀即空即是佛性。是名生酥殺人。若觀假名。又觀假名即是佛性。是為熟酥殺人。若觀即中。又觀即中即是佛性。是名醍醐殺人。今通言殺人者。取二死已斷。三道清淨。名為殺人。是名止觀攝不定教。又心攝諸教有二。一者。一切眾生心中。具足一切法門。如來明審照其心法。按彼心說。無量教法從心而出。二者。如來往昔曾作觀心。偏圓具足。依此心觀為眾生說。教化弟子。令學如來破塵出卷。仰寫空經。故有一切經教。一心止觀攝盡。華嚴經頌云。若欲三千大千界。教化一切諸群生。如雲廣布無不及。隨其根欲悉令喜。毛端佛眾無有數。眾生心樂亦無極。悉應其心與法門。一切法界皆如是。華嚴演義云。至聖垂誥。鏡一心之玄極。大士弘闡。燭微言之幽致。雖忘懷於詮旨之域。而浩汗於文義之海。蓋欲寄象繫之迹。窮無盡之趣矣。故知非言無以立其文。非文無以廣其義。非義無以窮其玄。夫得其玄者。則宗鏡無盡之旨矣。旨既無盡。不說不知。今為未知者言。不為已知者說。脫或諸宗異執。見解差殊。或空有相非。大小各諍。斯乃不窮理本。強說異同。入宗鏡中。勝負但息。如析金枝段段俱金。猶截瓊枝。寸寸是寶。

Answer: Apart from the citta, there is no preaching; apart from preaching, there is no citta. Unfurled, it is the Dharma gates like the sands of the Ganges; rolled up, it is the wondrous purport of the one mind. A scroll of scripture within a dust mote fills the great chiliocosm yet fails to fully display the complete text; the Dharma gate of the Universal Eye exhausts the great ocean, yet does not write a single gāthā. It is like the celestial drum of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven delivering an unfathomable, true exposition; or the precious forest of thunderous sound preaching wondrous gāthās of the unarisen. Within the Realm of Peaceful Sustenance, the water and birds all discourse on suffering and emptiness; within the ocean of the Flower Store, the cloud pavilions all lay out the consummate purport.

Therefore the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'For example, among the devas there is a great Dharma drum named "Awakening." When the sons of the devas indulge in heedlessness, a voice sounds forth from empty space, saying to them: "You should know that all sensual pleasures are entirely impermanent, false, and inverted; in an instant they alter and disintegrate, merely deceiving fools and causing them to be attached. Do not be heedless! If you are heedless, you will fall into the evil destinies, and regrets will be of no avail!" When the heedless devas hear this sound, they give rise to great anguish and fear, renounce all the sensual pleasures within their palaces, and go to the celestial king to seek the Dharma and practice the Path. Children of the Buddha, that sound of the celestial drum has no master and no maker, no arising and no ceasing; yet it can benefit immeasurable sentient beings.'

The Amitābha-sūtra says: 'Furthermore, Śāriputra, in that land there are always various wonderful birds of diverse colors: white cranes, peacocks, parrots, śārikās, kalaviṅkas, and jīvañjīvakas. Day and night throughout the six periods of the day, these many birds send forth harmonious and elegant sounds. Their sounds proclaim and expound the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of bodhi, the eightfold noble path—such teachings as these. When sentient beings of that land hear such sounds, they all become mindful of the Buddha, mindful of the Dharma, and mindful of the Saṅgha.'

These are entirely the sudden awakening to one’s own citta; there is no other dharma whatsoever. Because this one mind dharmadhātu is the common substance of all sūtras, the twelve divisions of teaching spoken by the Tathāgata flow directly out from within the mind of great compassion. The mind of great compassion flows from the subsequently acquired wisdom; the subsequently acquired wisdom flows from fundamental wisdom; fundamental wisdom flows from the pure dharmadhātu. That is the fundamental origin, and there is nothing further from which it originates. There is no dharma that exists apart from the dharmadhātu.

This one mind gate is the king of a single letter; it is also called a single word; it is also called a single sentence. The Viśeṣacintibrahma-paripṛcchā-sūtra says: 'As the Buddha said: "When you assemble, you should practice two things: either noble discourse on Dharma, or noble silence." What is called preaching the Dharma? What is called silence? The reply is: "If preaching the Dharma does not contradict the Buddha, does not contradict the Dharma, and does not contradict the Saṅgha, this is called preaching the Dharma. If one knows that phenomena are themselves the Buddha, that freedom from characteristics is itself the Dharma, and that the unconditioned is itself the Saṅgha, this is called noble silence." Furthermore, "Good sons, preaching based on the four stations of mindfulness is called noble discourse on Dharma; having no recollective thought regarding all phenomena is called noble silence."' Here, at the very time of speaking, the mind accords with the principle of phenomena, which is precisely not speaking. It clearly does not mean that keeping the mouth closed is called not speaking.

As the Sarvabuddhaviṣayāvatārajñānālokālaṃkāra-sūtra says: 'The Buddha said: "Mañjuśrī, as for the Buddhas and Tathāgatas, no person has seen them, no person has heard them, no person makes offerings to them in the present, and no person will make offerings to them in the future. Mañjuśrī, the Buddhas and Tathāgatas do not say that phenomena are one, nor do they say that phenomena are many. Mañjuśrī, the Buddhas and Tathāgatas do not realize bodhi. The Buddhas and Tathāgatas do not attain their name relying on one dharma, nor do they attain their name relying on many dharmas. Mañjuśrī, the Buddhas and Tathāgatas do not see dharmas, do not hear dharmas, do not recall dharmas, do not know dharmas, and are not conscious of dharmas. Mañjuśrī, the Buddhas and Tathāgatas do not preach a single dharma, nor do they indicate dharmas."'

The Benye yingluo jing says: 'With a single line of gāthā, he instructs eighty-four thousand countries and cities.'

A gāthā of the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra says: 'True children of the Buddha possessing immeasurable wisdom, / equal in number to the dust motes of the ten directions, / inquiring of the Buddha for immeasurable eons, / cannot exhaust the meaning of a single letter of the Tathāgata.' It also says: 'Being able, by means of a single letter, to enter into all dharmas and preach them for sentient beings is called the boundless prajñāpāramitā.'

The Dhāraṇī-sūtra says: 'This single word of prajñāpāramitā can answer myriad kotis of minds.'

The Śūraṅgamasamādhi-sūtra says: 'Mañjuśrī said: "If a person gets to hear the Dharma of a single phrase, he immediately understands the meaning of thousands and myriads of phrases therein. Expounding and explaining it for hundreds of thousands of myriads of eons, his wisdom and eloquence cannot be exhausted. This is called having learned much."'

The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'If one sees that the Tathāgata constantly does not preach the Dharma, this is called being fully endowed with having learned much.' It also says: 'It is preferable to hear little and understand much of the meaning and principle, rather than to hear much and not comprehend the meaning.'

This is precisely entering this mirror of the source: when one is understood, a thousand follow. Although texts are extensively cited, they merely substantiate this principle. Those of superior faculties, upon a single glance, have already severed the slightest doubt; those of intermediate and inferior faculties must consult it again and again before they can possess full faith. This is because of the faculties; it is not that the Dharma itself is inherently like this.

Therefore the Suvikrāntavikramiparipṛcchā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra says: 'The Buddha again addressed the Bodhisattva Suvicintita: "The Deva Son Bhadraguṇa has already cultivated the dhāraṇī gate in the past for immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of eons; even if he preached the Dharma for an entire eon, it would never end." Bodhisattva Suvicintita said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, what kind of dhāraṇī is it?" The Buddha said: "Good son, it is called the Non-entry of All Dharmas Dhāraṇī. Good son, this dhāraṇī transcends all letters and words; speech cannot enter it, and the mind cannot measure it. All dharmas, internal and external, are ungraspable. Good son, there is not the least dharma that can enter this; hence it is called the Non-entry of All Dharmas Dhāraṇī. Why is this? This dharma is equal, without high or low, and without exiting or entering. Not a single letter enters from the outside, nor does a single letter emerge from this dharma. Furthermore, not a single letter abides within this dharma, nor do any letters mutually see one another. Neither does it discriminate between the dharma and the non-dharma. These letters do not decrease when spoken, nor do they increase when not spoken. From the beginning, there has been no producer and no destroyer. Good son, as with letters, so it is with citta; as with citta, so it is with all dharmas. Why is this? Dharmas are free from speech and free from thinking; fundamentally without arising and ceasing, there is therefore no exiting or entering. This is called the Non-entry of All Dharmas Dhāraṇī. If one can penetrate this Dharma gate, their eloquence will be inexhaustible. Why is this? Because they penetrate the uninterrupted and inexhaustible Dharma. Good son, one who can enter empty space can enter this dhāraṇī gate."'

The Chapter on the Manifestation of the Tathāgata in the Avataṃsaka says: 'Children of the Buddha, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should know that the Tathāgata’s voice is all-pervading, because it universally reaches immeasurable voices. They should know that the Tathāgata’s voice brings joy according to their mental wishes, because it preaches the Dharma clearly. They should know that the Tathāgata’s voice brings joy according to their faith and understanding, because their minds attain clarity and coolness. They should know that the Tathāgata’s voice does not miss its opportune time in converting, because all who should hear never fail to hear. They should know that the Tathāgata’s voice is without arising or ceasing, like an echo. They should know that the Tathāgata’s voice is without a master, because it is produced by the cultivation of all deeds. They should know that the Tathāgata’s voice is extremely profound, difficult to measure. They should know that the Tathāgata’s voice is without crookedness, being born of the dharmadhātu. They should know that the Tathāgata’s voice is without interruption, universally entering the dharmadhātu. They should know that the Tathāgata’s voice is without alteration, reaching to the ultimate. Children of the Buddha, bodhisattva mahāsattvas should know that the Tathāgata’s voice is neither limited nor unlimited, neither having a master nor lacking a master, neither demonstrating nor not demonstrating.'

The commentary explains: 'To subsume the ten voices above, they essentially do not go beyond three: in terms of characteristics, it is broad and immeasurable; in terms of substance, it lacks a directing agent; in terms of function, it has manifestation. Now both are negated to reveal the Middle Way. That is to say, because its boundaries cannot be exhausted, it is "not limited"; because according to capacity and time, there is hearing and not hearing, it is "not unlimited." Because it is an aggregation of many conditions, it is "not having a master"; because it is born of the pure single dharmadhātu, it is "not lacking a master." Because its very substance is unarisen, there is "nothing capable of demonstrating"; because it skillfully manifests the meaning and principle, it is "not not demonstrating."

Furthermore, four propositions are used to clarify the unhindered nature of substance and function. First, by following substance from function: since the substance is nowhere absent, it can cause the above ten kinds of voices to universally pervade everything; not only do they pervade voices, but they also pervade all times, places, sentient beings, Tathāgatas, the dharmadhātu, and so forth. Although they universally pervade forms and the like, they are constantly unconfused. If they did not equally pervade, then the voice would not be consummate; if by equally pervading they lost their melodic cadence, then the consummate would not be a voice. Now, without destroying cadence, it equally pervades, and without altering its pervasion, it varies in melody; only then does it become a consummate voice.

Second, by following function from substance: each and every sound completely contains the true nature.

Third, because function is substance: the above ten kinds of voices are all ungraspable; only the ultimate truth is eternally free from attachment. Therefore, the Dharma conch constantly resounds, and the wondrous sound is ever tranquil—this is called the tranquil sound. Like an echo in an empty valley, it exists and yet is immediately empty. If it were not immediately empty, not only would the single voice be lost, but consummate harmony and freedom would not be attained.

Fourth, because substance is function: being tranquil, it constantly proclaims. Like the celestial drum which has no mind yet responds to everything; or the long wind that follows apertures, with ten thousand blowings all different. If it were not universally identical, not only would it lose the capacity to be consummate, it would also not be the truly single. Therefore the sūtra says: "The diverse languages of all sentient beings are entirely inseparable from the Tathāgata's wheel of Dharma. Why is this? Because the real mark of vocal sounds is itself the wheel of Dharma." For this reason, the vocal sounds of sentient beings do not go beyond the nature of empty space; since the nature is nowhere absent, the wheel of Dharma is present in all places without interruption.'

The Zhiguan says: 'Contemplating the mind subsumes all teachings. The Vibhāṣā-śāstra says: "The mind can create names for all phenomena. If there were no mind, there would be no names whatsoever." One should know that worldly and world-transcending names all arise from the mind. If the contemplation of the mind is deviant and follows the flow of ignorance, then all evil teachings arise: namely, the Sāṃkhya, Vaiśeṣika, and the ninety-five kinds of heterodox teachings are born. Various good teachings also arise: the Five Phases, the Six Jia, yin-yang and the eight trigrams, the Five Classics, philosophers, and histories—the worldly wisdom and doctrinally untaught names and teachings all arise from the mind.

How do world-transcending names and teachings all arise from the mind? The Ratnagotravibhāga says: "There is a great scripture scroll as large as the great trichiliocosm, recording the events of the chiliocosm; just as it records those as large as the medium [chiliocosm], the small [chiliocosm], the four continents, and the three realms. It resides within a single dust mote. As with one mote, so it is with all motes. A person appears in the world and, with the pure divine eye, sees this great scripture scroll and thinks: 'Why is this great scripture within a dust mote and not benefiting all sentient beings?' Thereupon, by expedient means, he breaks open this dust mote and brings forth this scripture to benefit others." The scroll of the Tathāgata's unhindered wisdom is completely present within the bodies of sentient beings; obscured by inversions, they neither believe nor see it. The Buddha teaches sentient beings to cultivate the eightfold noble path to destroy all falsity; upon seeing it, their wisdom is equal to that of the Tathāgata. This uses a dust mote adhering to existence as an analogy.

Furthermore, using empty space as an analogy: the Bodhicitta-śāstra says: "For example, a person sees the Buddha-Dharma perish; using the Tathāgata's twelve divisions of scripture, he writes them upward upon empty space, perfectly and completely, yet not a single sentient being knows of it. After a long time, another person travels through empty space, sees the scripture, and sighs: 'Why do sentient beings neither know nor see this?' He immediately copies it down and reveals and guides sentient beings with it." What is copying the scripture? It refers to causing sentient beings to cultivate the eightfold noble path and break open empty space, and so forth.

Cultivation has many varieties. If one contemplates that the mind’s conditioned arising and ceasing is impermanent and cultivates the eightfold noble path, this is copying the scriptures of the Tripiṭaka. If one contemplates that the mind’s conditioned arising is immediately empty and cultivates the eightfold noble path, this is copying the scriptures of the shared teaching. If one contemplates that the mind's distinctions and reckonings are of immeasurable kinds, unmeasurable by ordinary people and the two vehicles, and seen only by bodhisattvas with the Dharma eye, this is cultivating the immeasurable eightfold noble path, which is copying the scriptures of the distinct teaching. If one contemplates that the mind is itself the Buddha-nature and cultivates the eightfold noble path in a consummate manner, this is copying the scriptures of the Middle Way. It clarifies that all phenomena emerge from within the mind: the mind is the Mahāyāna, the mind is the Buddha-nature, and one sees that one's own wisdom is equal to that of the Tathāgata.

Furthermore, if one contemplates that the mind is simultaneously provisional and middle, it subsumes the scriptures of the Avataṃsaka. If one contemplates the arising and ceasing of phenomena conditioned by the mind, it subsumes the scriptures like milk of the Tripiṭaka and the four Āgama teachings. If one contemplates the mind as immediately empty, it subsumes the scriptures like curds of the shared prajñā. If one contemplates that phenomena conditionally arisen from the mind are immediately empty, immediately provisional, and immediately middle, it subsumes the scriptures like fresh butter of the vaipulya. If one solely employs the immediately empty, immediately provisional, and immediately middle, it subsumes the scriptures like clarified butter of the Large Perfection of Wisdom. If one employs the immediately middle to contemplate the mind, it subsumes the scriptures like ghee of the Lotus Sūtra, which opens the Buddha's knowledge and vision for the one great cause directly and uprightly. If one employs the contemplation of the fourfold propositions' mutual identity on the mind, it has the scriptures like ghee of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, where all equally see the Buddha-nature.

Furthermore, if one contemplates conditioned arising, and also contemplates conditioned arising as Buddha-nature, and Buddha-nature as Tathāgata, this is called "killing someone within milk." If one contemplates analytical emptiness, and also contemplates analytical emptiness as Buddha-nature, and Buddha-nature as Tathāgata, this is called "killing someone within curds." If one contemplates immediate emptiness, and also contemplates immediate emptiness as Buddha-nature, this is called "killing someone within fresh butter." If one contemplates provisional naming, and also contemplates provisional naming as Buddha-nature, this is called "killing someone within clarified butter." If one contemplates the immediately middle, and also contemplates the immediately middle as Buddha-nature, this is called "killing someone within ghee." Here, speaking generally of "killing someone," it refers to having severed the two types of death and purified the three paths; this is termed "killing someone." This is called the cessation and contemplation subsuming the indeterminate teaching.

Furthermore, the mind's subsumption of the various teachings has two aspects. First, all Dharma gates are fully present within the minds of all sentient beings; the Tathāgata clearly and thoroughly illuminates their mental phenomena, and preaches according to their minds, so that immeasurable teachings emerge from the mind. Second, the Tathāgata in the past once practiced mind contemplation, fully endowed with both partial and consummate aspects; relying on this mind contemplation, he preached for sentient beings, instructing and transforming his disciples to emulate the Tathāgata in breaking the dust mote to bring forth the scroll, and writing the scripture on empty space. Therefore, all scriptures and teachings are completely subsumed by the one mind's cessation and contemplation.

A gāthā in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'If one wishes, in the great trichiliocosm, / to teach and transform all flocks of sentient beings, / like clouds spreading broadly, nothing is unreached; / according to their capacities and desires, all are gladdened. / The Buddha assemblies on the tip of a hair are countless, / and the inclinations of sentient beings' minds are also infinite; / he responds to all their minds and grants them Dharma gates— / all dharmadhātus are entirely like this.'

The Huayan yanyi says: 'The utmost sage handed down proclamations, mirroring the profound ultimate of the one mind; the great beings broadly expounded them, illuminating the hidden depths of the subtle words. Although they forgot attachments in the realm of signifier and signified, they were vast and boundless in the ocean of text and meaning. This was merely desiring to rely on the traces of images and hexagram texts to exhaust the inexhaustible purport! Therefore we know: without speech, there is no way to establish its text; without text, there is no way to broaden its meaning; without meaning, there is no way to exhaust its profundity. Indeed, one who attains its profundity attains the inexhaustible purport of the mirror of the source! Since the purport is inexhaustible, if it is not spoken, it will not be known. Now, it is spoken for those who do not yet know, not for those who already know.

If by chance the different tenets adhere to divergent views, and their understandings differ—or emptiness and existence negate one another, or the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna dispute among themselves—this is merely failing to exhaust the fundamental principle and arbitrarily speaking of sameness and difference. When entering the mirror of the source, victory and defeat simply cease. It is like breaking a golden branch: every section is gold; or like cutting a bough of jade: every inch is a jewel.'