宗鏡錄 73.33

73.33

答。非有非無。何者。若言是有。一身內外地水火風。各各性空。未曾聚散。所以無生之生。可說為。生。無滅之滅。可說為滅。如菴提遮女師子吼了義經云。若能明知地水火風四緣畢竟未曾自得有所和合。而能隨其所宜有所說者。是為生義。乃至若能明知地水火風畢竟不自得有所散壞。而能隨其所宜有所說者。是為死義。若言是無。以染淨真如不守自性。不覺隨緣。起幻生滅。故云法身流轉五道。號曰眾生。如上所明。凡聖二種生死。須知生死中道。方離斷常。是以生之無生。真性湛然。無生之生。業果宛然。真性湛然。不可執常。業果宛然。不可執斷。又復諸佛出世。尚如空華亂生亂滅。況眾生顛倒生死。但如妄夢。如狂醉。豈是實耶。融大師云。一切凡聖。三塗已上。種智已還。皆妄想謂有。並是夢中。如人夢中見在地獄。種種方便求脫。浪生辛苦。但抖擻令覺。即一切事盡。無。如今並是夢中所作。還受夢報。又如狂醉之人。恒隨物轉。所以一切眾生。飲無明酒。臥五住地。長劫惛然。孰有醒者。忽得見性之時。如同醉醒。如經偈云。譬如惛醉人。酒消然後醒。得佛無上體。是我真法身。又若入宗鏡中。頓明實性。反觀世間生死。名相虛誑。猶如兒戲。復似技人。然雖改換千差。一性宛然不動。如草堂和尚偈云。樂兒本是一形軀。乍作官人乍作奴。名目服章雖改變。始終奴主了無殊。

Answer: It is neither existent nor non-existent. Why is that? If one says it is existent, earth, water, fire, and wind inside and outside one's body are each empty of inherent nature and have never gathered or dispersed. Therefore, the arising of the unarisen can be spoken of as "arising," and the cessation of the unceasing can be spoken of as "cessation." As the Sutra of the Lion's Roar of the Ultimate Meaning by the Girl Andijā says: "If one can clearly understand that the four conditions of earth, water, fire, and wind have ultimately never obtained any combination of their own, and yet can speak in accordance with what is appropriate, this is the meaning of arising. ... Up to, if one can clearly understand that earth, water, fire, and wind ultimately do not obtain any dispersion or destruction of their own, and yet can speak in accordance with what is appropriate, this is the meaning of death." If one says it is non-existent, it is because defiled and pure tathatā does not abide by its own nature, but unconsciously accords with conditions to give rise to illusory arising and ceasing; hence it is said that when the dharmakāya transmigration through the five destinies, it is called "sentient beings." As explained above regarding the two kinds of birth and death of ordinary beings and noble ones, one must understand the Middle Way of birth and death; only then does one leave behind annihilation and permanence. Thus, the unarisenness of arising is such that the true nature is clear and tranquil; the arising of the unarisen is such that karmic fruits are vividly apparent. That the true nature is clear and tranquil means one cannot grasp at permanence; that karmic fruits are vividly apparent means one cannot grasp at annihilation. Furthermore, the appearance of the Buddhas in the world is still like sky-flowers erratically arising and erratically ceasing; how much more so the inverted birth and death of sentient beings, which is merely like a false dream or like mad intoxication—how could it be real? Master Rong said: "For all ordinary beings and noble ones, from the three destinies on up to sarvākārajñatā on down, all imagine [phenomena] to exist; they are all within a dream. Just as someone in a dream sees themselves in hell and seeks escape through various expedients, vainly generating toil and bitterness, but if they just shake themselves awake, all those matters come to an end and are non-existent; so too all actions done now are within a dream, and dream-retributions are received in return. Furthermore, it is like a mad, drunken person who constantly turns following objects. Therefore, all sentient beings drink the wine of avidyā, lie upon the five abodes of affliction, and remain dazed for long kalpas—who is awake? When one suddenly comes to see the nature, it is like awakening from drunkenness. As a sutra verse says: 'Just like a dazed and drunken person / Who awakens after the wine wears off, / Attaining the unsurpassed body of the Buddha, / Which is my true dharmakāya.' Also, if one enters into the mirror of the source, one suddenly illuminates the true nature; looking back upon worldly birth and death, names and characteristics are deceptive and false, just like children's play or like actors. Although their transformations are of a thousand differences, the one nature is vividly unmoved. As the verse by Venerable Caotang says: 'The entertainer was originally a single body, / Suddenly acting as an official, suddenly as a slave. / Although names and garments change, / From beginning to end, slave and master are not different at all.'"