宗鏡錄 30.3.4

30.3.4

欲破他邪。 則立自立他。 見邪見正。 如卸甲入陣。 棄火焚畬。 欲破敵下種。 無有是處。 但能守護自心。 即是護持正法。 亦是普念十方一切如來。 自心護法既爾。 轉化他心亦然。 則正外無邪。 云何說破。 邪外無正。 云何說持。 如是通明。 真護正法。 乃至圓滿具足一切法門。 所以首楞嚴經偈云。 將此深心奉塵剎。 是則名為報佛恩。 大集經云。 眼識於色。 是名非法。 若能遠離。 是名護法。 故知善攝諸根。 不為六塵所侵者。 可謂真護法矣。 法集經云。 菩薩不須守護諸法。 世尊。 若菩薩但能善護自心。 是菩薩善護自心故。 則能成就諸佛妙法。 乃至見自心如幻。 如是見諸法如幻。 而心非內非外。 二中間可得。 如是見一切法。 見即如心。 無於色相。 不可得示。 不可得見。 無於形礙。 不可執捉。 不照不住。 見一切諸法。 其相如是。 若能如是見者。 是菩薩則能得於平等之心。 以得平等心故。 如是菩薩不復更得於法。 以平等外無差別法。 了差別法即平等故。 若入此平等法門。 則知一切法皆悉性空。 不生愛著。 即是無非捨身命處耳。 亦是成道處。 亦是轉法輪處。 亦是度生處。 亦是入滅處。 亦是究竟報恩處。 亦是成滿大願處。 亦是萬行具足處。 何者。 如云萬物得地而生。 萬行得理而成者。 理即心也。 或行孝思。 或輸忠烈。 靡不由心者哉。 如則天朝。 孟景休。 丁母憂。 哀毀迨至滅性。 有弟景褘在襁褓。 景休自乳之。 乳謂之溢。 又畢搆。 為吏部尚書。 初丁繼母蕭氏憂。 盧氏二妹。 俱在襁褓。 搆親乳之。 乃至成長。 斯則孝行之所感。 乳出於心。 非定男女之體也。

one wishes to destroy the deviance of others, then one establishes oneself and establishes others, and sees deviance and sees correctness. This is like taking off one's armor to enter the battle line, or abandoning fire when burning a slash-and-burn field: to wish to defeat the enemy or sow the seeds is impossible. Merely being able to guard and protect one's own citta is itself protecting and maintaining the true Dharma, and is also universally being mindful of all Tathāgatas of the ten directions. Since protecting the Dharma through one's own citta is like this, transforming other minds is likewise so. Then outside of the correct there is no deviance: how could one speak of destroying it? Outside of the deviant there is no correctness: how could one speak of maintaining it? Thoroughly illuminating it in this way is truly protecting the true Dharma, up to perfectly fulfilling all Dharma gates. Therefore a verse in the Śūraṅgamasūtra says: 'I offer this deep citta to the dust-mote lands; / this is called repaying the Buddha's kindness.' The Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra says: 'Visual consciousness with regard to form is called non-Dharma; if one can stay far away from it, this is called protecting the Dharma.' Thus we know that those who skillfully restrain the sense faculties and are not invaded by the six dusts can be called true protectors of the Dharma. The Dharmasaṃgītisūtra says: 'Bodhisattvas do not need to guard and protect all dharmas. World-Honoured One, if a bodhisattva can only skillfully protect his own citta, because this bodhisattva skillfully protects his own citta, he can accomplish the wondrous dharmas of all Buddhas, up to seeing his own citta as like an illusion. Thus seeing all dharmas as like an illusion, citta is neither internal nor external, nor can it be found between the two. Seeing all dharmas in this way, seeing is just like citta: without form or characteristic, it cannot be shown, cannot be seen, has no physical obstruction, cannot be grasped, neither illuminates nor abides. Seeing all dharmas, their characteristics are like this. If one can see in this way, this bodhisattva can attain the mind of equanimity. Because of attaining the mind of equanimity, such a bodhisattva no longer attains dharmas, because outside of equanimity there are no differentiated dharmas, realizing that differentiated dharmas are themselves equanimity.' If one enters this Dharma gate of equanimity, one knows that all dharmas are entirely empty of nature and does not give rise to affectionate attachment. This is nothing other than the place where one abandons body and life; it is also the place where one realizes the way, the place where one turns the wheel of Dharma, the place where one delivers beings, the place where one enters cessation, the place where one ultimately repays kindness, the place where one fulfills the great vows, and the place where the ten thousand practices are fully provided. Why so? As it is said, 'The ten thousand things arise by obtaining the earth, and the ten thousand practices are accomplished by obtaining principle'—principle is citta. Whether one practices filial devotion or renders loyalty and courage, is there anything that does not stem from citta? For example, during the reign of Zetian, Meng Jingxiu observed mourning for his mother, grieving and emaciating himself almost to the point of perishing. He had a younger brother, Jingwei, who was an infant in swaddling clothes; Jingxiu suckled him himself, and his milk overflowed. Again, Bi Gou, who served as Minister of Personnel, initially observed mourning for his stepmother, Lady Xiao. Two younger sisters by the Lu family were both in swaddling clothes; Gou personally suckled them until they grew up. These are resonances brought about by filial conduct: milk came forth from citta; it is not fixed to the physical body of male or female.