宗鏡錄 80.7

80.7

答。如佛說。觀無生從有生得脫。依無為從有為得脫。雖觀無生法無。而可作因緣。無為亦爾。變化雖空。亦能生心因緣。復次空不以不見為空。以其無實用故言空。以是故言諸法如化。故知一切法。皆從心生。悉如幻化。雖幻化不實。亦可作善惡之因緣。受昇沈之報應。不可生於斷見。但了體虛。莫生取捨。

Answer: As the Buddha said, contemplating non-arising, one attains liberation from the arisen; relying on the unconditioned, one attains liberation from the conditioned. Although one contemplates the unarisen phenomenon as non-existent, it can serve as a cause and condition; the unconditioned is also like this. Although transformations are empty, they can also serve as the causes and conditions that generate mind. Furthermore, emptiness does not mean empty because it is not seen; it is called empty because it lacks real functional utility. For this reason, it is said that all phenomena are like transformations. Therefore, we know that all phenomena are produced from the mind and are all like illusions and transformations. Although illusions and transformations are not real, they can also serve as the causes and conditions of good and evil, and receive the retributions of ascent and descent. One must not give rise to the view of annihilation; merely realize that the substance is empty, and do not generate grasping or rejecting.