宗鏡錄 37.17

37.17

答。如論云。焦炷非初。不離初。非後。不離後。若智信具足。聞一念即是。信故不謗。智故不懼。初後皆是。若無信。高推聖境。非己智分。若無智。起增上慢。謂己均佛。初後俱非。為此事故。須知六即。謂理即．名字即．觀行即．相似即．分真即．究竟即。此六即者。始凡終聖。始凡故。除疑怯。終聖故。除慢大。理即者。一念心即如來藏理。如故即空。藏故即假。理故即中。三智一心中。具不可思議。三諦一諦。非三非一。一色一香。一切法。一切心。亦復如。是。名為理即菩提。亦是理即止觀。即寂名止。即照名觀。名字即者。理雖即是。日用不知。以未聞三諦。全不識佛法。如牛羊眼。不解方隅。或從知識。或從經卷。聞上所說一實菩提。於名字中通達解了。知一切法皆是佛法。是為名字即菩提。亦是名字止觀。若未聞時。處處馳求。既得聞已。攀覓心息。名止。但信法性。不信其諸。名為觀。觀行即者。若但聞名口說。如蟲食木。偶得成字。是蟲不知是字非字。既不通達。寧是菩提。必須心觀明了。理慧相應。所行如所言。所言如所行。華首云。言說名不行。我不以言說。但心行菩提。此心口相應。是觀行菩提。釋論云。四句評聞慧。具足。如眼得。日照了無僻。觀行亦如是。雖未契理。觀心不息。如首楞嚴中射的喻。是名觀行菩提。亦名觀行止觀。恒作此想名觀。餘想息名止。相似即菩提者。以其逾觀逾明。逾止逾寂。如射隣的。名相似觀慧。一切世間治生產業。不相違背。所有思想籌量。皆是先佛經中所說。如六根清淨中說。圓伏無明名止。似中慧名觀。分真即者。因相似觀力。入銅輪位。初破無明。見佛性。開寶藏。顯真如。名發心住。乃至等覺。無明微薄。智慧轉著。如從初月。至十四日月。光垂圓。闇垂盡。若人應以佛身得度者。即八相成道。應以九法界身得度者。以普門示現。如經廣說。是名分真菩提。亦名分真止觀。分真智斷。究竟即菩提者。等覺一轉。入于妙覺。智光圓滿。不復可增。名菩提果。大涅槃斷。更無可斷。名果果。等覺不通。唯佛能通。過茶無道可說。故名究竟菩提。亦名究竟止觀。古德約四教明六即者。若藏教執色為有。施拙度破析之因。成但空灰斷之果。通教執色心是空。了緣生無性之宗。失中道不空之理。別教從心生十法界。心但有能生十界之理性。未即便具十界之因果。如從地。生一切草木。但從一心。次第生十界也。圓教。心具十法界。不待能所生。亦無前後際。只一念是十界。只十界是一念。一切時。一切處。一切法。念念中體常圓滿。塵沙萬德。不欠少一分。八萬惑業。不除斷一分。不謂佛是果頭極聖。我未證得。不謂凡是底下穢濁。我應捨離。總覽法界。在一念心頭。如一圓珠瑩徹。明白。圓解。更無覺觀。進修。亦不見有凡聖。取捨。分別妄念悉盡也。以初圓信人。未得純淨。煩惱有厚薄。習氣有淺深。分別難忘。攀緣易起。心浮觀淺。惑重境強。於對治之中。故分六即。是以凡夫心性本體。實齊上聖。但凡夫未能常用本。隨境生心。分別計校。千差萬別。雖在人道。心多不定。或發地獄心。或發餓鬼畜生心。何況人天善道。何況三乘聖道。無始妄習。何能頓遣。雖有見解。未能常照。故是凡也。若生死即涅槃。煩惱即菩提。是理即。若能暫照諦理。即坐佛座。證佛身。用佛法。當此一念圓現時。不見十方佛。異我此身此念也。解而未修。是名字即。念有分數。名觀行即。念似於境。名相似即。境入於念。名分真即。無境無念。名究竟即。雖六常一。何凡何聖。雖一常六。凡聖天絕。又六而常一故言即。一而常六。故初後不齊。當觀念時。非一非六。又譬如不離貧女家得金。即也。貧女得金即富。可喻眾生即佛。取金有次第。豈非六乎。耘除草穢。觀行伏惑也。掘土近金。似見物未分明。豈非相似。收得一分。豈非分真。盡得受用。女人歡喜。豈非究竟耶。是以頓悟宗已。復須言行相應。既得本清淨。又須離垢清淨。如大集經偈云。遠離一切諸煩惱。清淨無垢猶真實。其心能作大光明。是名寶炬陀羅尼。又云。若有不覺一切境界。及自境界。如是之人。則能調伏。

Answer: As the treatises say, burning the wick is not [done solely by] the first [flame], yet it is not separate from the first; it is not [done solely by] the last, yet it is not separate from the last. If one is complete in both wisdom and faith, on hearing that a single thought-moment is precisely it, one does not slander because of faith, and does not fear because of wisdom. Both beginning and end are correct. If one lacks faith, one exalts the sacred realm too high, [deeming it] beyond one's own share of wisdom. If one lacks wisdom, one gives rise to overweening pride (adhimāna), claiming oneself to be equal to the Buddha. Then both beginning and end are wrong. For this reason, one must know the six identities (ṣaḍavasthāḥ). They are: the identity in principle, the identity in name and words, the identity in contemplative practice, the identity in semblance, the identity in partial realization of truth, and the identity in the ultimate. These six identities begin with the ordinary person and end with the sage. Because they begin with the ordinary person, doubt and timidity are removed; because they end with the sage, pride and arrogance are eliminated. As for the identity in principle: a single thought-moment of mind is precisely the principle of the tathāgatagarbha. Because it is 'suchness' (tathā), it is empty; because it is 'storehouse' (garbha), it is provisional; because it is 'principle', it is the middle. Within the three wisdoms in a single mind, it is complete with the inconceivable. The three truths are one truth; they are neither three nor one. A single color, a single scent, all phenomena, and all minds are also like this. This is named bodhi as the identity in principle, and is also śamatha and vipaśyanā as the identity in principle. That which is precisely stillness is named śamatha; that which is precisely illumination is named vipaśyanā. As for the identity in name and words: although the principle is precisely it, one uses it daily without knowing it. Because one has not heard the three truths, one completely fails to recognize the Buddhadharma, like the eyes of cattle and sheep that do not comprehend the cardinal directions. Either from spiritual friends or from sutra scrolls, one hears the one true bodhi explained above; within names and words, one penetrates and understands it, knowing that all phenomena are precisely the Buddhadharma. This is bodhi as the identity in name and words, and is also śamatha and vipaśyanā in name and words. When one has not yet heard it, one runs and seeks everywhere; once one has heard it, the mind of seeking and grasping ceases—this is named śamatha. Solely having faith in the dharma-nature, without having faith in anything else—this is named vipaśyanā. As for the identity in contemplative practice: if one merely hears the names and speaks them with the mouth, it is like a worm gnawing wood that happens by chance to form characters; the worm does not know whether they are characters or not. Since one does not comprehend, how could it be bodhi? One must have the mind's contemplation clear and distinct, principle and wisdom corresponding, acting according to what one says, and saying according to what one acts. The Kuśalamūlasaṃparigrahasūtra says: 'Spoken words are called non-practice. I do not rely on words, but only practice bodhi in the mind.' This correspondence of mind and mouth is bodhi in contemplative practice. The commentary states: 'Evaluating wisdom arisen from hearing through four lines: being complete is like the eye obtaining [light]; illuminated by the sun, it is free of distortion.' Contemplative practice is also like this: although one has not yet tallied with the principle, the contemplating mind does not cease. Like the metaphor of shooting at the target in the Śūraṅgamasūtra, this is named bodhi in contemplative practice, and also named śamatha and vipaśyanā in contemplative practice. Constantly maintaining this mindfulness is named vipaśyanā; the cessation of other thoughts is named śamatha. Bodhi as the identity in semblance: because the more one contemplates the clearer it becomes, and the more one calms the stiller it becomes, like shooting close to the target, it is named contemplative wisdom in semblance. All worldly trades and livelihoods do not run contrary to it; whatever thoughts and calculations one has are all what previous Buddhas taught in the sutras, as spoken of in [the chapter on] the purification of the six sense faculties. Comprehensively subduing ignorance is named śamatha; wisdom resembling the middle [truth] is named vipaśyanā. As for the identity in partial realization of truth: through the power of semblance contemplation, one enters the stage of the copper wheel; for the first time one shatters ignorance, sees the Buddha-nature, opens the jewel storehouse, and reveals tathatā; this is named the abode of generating the aspiration [for awakening], up to virtual awakening. Ignorance becomes faint and thin, and wisdom turns more manifest. It is like the moon from the first day to the fourteenth day: light approaches fullness, and darkness approaches extinction. If there are beings who should be saved by a Buddha body, one accomplishes awakening through the eight aspects; if there are beings who should be saved by bodies of the nine realms of phenomena, one manifests through the universal gate, as taught extensively in the sutras. This is named bodhi as the identity in partial realization of truth, and also named śamatha and vipaśyanā as partial realization of truth, and partial realization of wisdom and severance. As for bodhi as the identity in the ultimate: virtual awakening transforms in a single turn, entering into marvelous awakening; the light of wisdom is fully perfected, no longer capable of increase; this is named the fruit of bodhi. The severance of great nirvāṇa has nothing further to sever; this is named the fruit of fruits. Virtual awakening does not penetrate it; only a Buddha can penetrate it. Beyond the letter cha, there is no path that can be spoken; therefore it is named ultimate bodhi, and also named ultimate śamatha and vipaśyanā. When ancient masters explained the six identities according to the four teachings: if the Tripiṭaka teaching clings to form as existing, it applies the cause of clumsy deliverance through analysis and breakage, culminating in the fruit of mere emptiness and ash-like annihilation. The common teaching clings to form and mind as empty; it understands the principle of arising through conditions without inherent nature, yet misses the principle of the middle path that is not empty. The separate teaching holds that the ten realms of phenomena arise from mind; the mind only has the nature in principle capable of producing the ten realms, but does not yet inherently possess the causes and fruits of the ten realms. Just as from the earth all grasses and trees are born, it merely produces the ten realms sequentially from the one mind. In the perfect teaching, the mind inherently possesses the ten realms of phenomena; it does not depend on a producer and that which is produced, nor is there a before and after. Just a single thought-moment is the ten realms; just the ten realms are a single thought-moment. At all times, in all places, in all phenomena, in thought-moment after thought-moment the substance is constantly complete and perfect. The myriad virtues as numerous as dust and sand are not lacking in the least; the eighty thousand defilements and karmas are not eradicated in the least. One does not say that the Buddha is the supreme sage at the summit of fruition whom I have not realized, nor does one say that ordinary beings are vile and defiled below whom I must abandon. Comprehensively surveying the dharmadhātu, it resides entirely within a single thought-moment of the mind, like a single round pearl, lucid and clear. Complete understanding is free of any further vitarka and vicāra; progressing in cultivation, one also sees neither ordinary nor holy, neither grasping nor rejecting, and discriminating false thoughts are completely exhausted. Because a person of initial perfect faith has not yet attained purity, their kleśas have thicknesses and thinnesses, their habit-energies have shallowness and depth, discriminations are hard to forget, and grasping conditions easily arises. The mind is frivolous and contemplation is shallow; delusions are heavy and sense-objects are strong. Within the remedies, the six identities are therefore distinguished. For this reason, the original substance of the mind-nature of an ordinary person is truly equal to the supreme sages. But the ordinary person cannot constantly employ the original; following sense-objects they generate mind, discriminating and calculating in thousands of differences and myriads of distinctions. Although in the human destiny, their mind is mostly unfixed, sometimes generating the mind of the hells, sometimes generating the mind of hungry ghosts or animals, not to mention the wholesome destinies of humans and devas, and not to mention the noble paths of the three vehicles. How could beginningless false habit-energies be eliminated all at once? Although they have understanding, they cannot constantly illuminate; therefore they are ordinary beings. If saṃsāra is precisely nirvāṇa and kleśa is precisely bodhi, this is the identity in principle. If one can temporarily illuminate the true principle, one instantly sits on the Buddha seat, realizes the Buddha body, and employs the Buddhadharma. When this single thought-moment is perfectly manifest, one does not see the Buddhas of the ten directions as different from this body and this thought-moment of mine. Having understanding without yet cultivating is the identity in name and words. Having measure and degree in thought is named the identity in contemplative practice. Thought resembling the objective realm is named the identity in semblance. The objective realm entering thought is named the identity in partial realization of truth. Neither objective realm nor thought is named the identity in the ultimate. Although the six are constantly one, what is ordinary and what is sacred? Although the one is constantly six, ordinary and sacred are far apart as heaven. Furthermore, because six is constantly one, it is called 'identity'; because one is constantly six, beginning and end are not uniform. When contemplating mindfulness, it is neither one nor six. Again, for example, obtaining gold without leaving the poor woman's house is 'identity'. The poor woman obtaining gold and becoming rich can serve as a metaphor for sentient beings being precisely Buddhas. In taking the gold there is a sequence—how could it not be six? Weeding out the dirty grass is contemplative practice subduing delusion. Digging the earth near the gold, seeming to see an object yet not clearly—how is this not semblance? Gathering a portion—how is this not partial realization of truth? Entirely obtaining and enjoying it, the woman rejoices—how is this not the ultimate? Therefore, having頓-awakened to the source, one must again match words and actions. Having obtained original purity, one must also attain purity free from defilement. As a verse in the Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra states: 'Far removed from all defilements, pure and without defilement like reality, that mind can produce great light: this is named the ratnolkā-dhāraṇī.' It also states: 'If there is someone who does not perceive any objective realms, nor their own objective realm, such a person can achieve subdual.'