宗鏡錄 82.9

82.9

答。此於能證智見有淺深。向無為法自生差別。涅槃疏云。佛性如世間道。有未行者。有欲行者。有正行者。有已行者。雖有未行等不同。不可言道有二。佛性亦爾。有未見。欲見。正見。已見。雖見不同。理無有二。諸佛同一法界。則理無二。是一塵無非法界。則事弗毫差。此即是所證一。若能證殊者。如藏通二教。只見空而不見不空。如尋夢得眠。若別圓二教。見不空中道之理。如尋夢得心。又別門猶執教道次第生起。若圓乘直了心性即今具足。又藏通以滅心為極果。頓皆圓乘。台教云。六識是緣因種。善惡並是六識起。七識是了因種。惑之與解。皆是七識。八識是正因種。無八識。則無生死涅槃。若此三種非佛種類。此外何處更有圓頓之法。二乘斷結。結盡便無佛慧之因。不能成一切種智。失了因種也。若除惡有善。惡盡則不能生一切善。豈有緣因種。若離生死入無餘涅槃。滅身不受生者。豈有正因種。所以圓覺經云。清淨慧菩薩白佛言。世尊。願為一切諸來法眾。重宣法王圓滿覺性。一切眾生。及諸菩薩。如來世尊。所證所得。云何差別。乃至佛言。善男子。圓覺自性。非性性有。循諸性起。無取無證。於實相中。實無菩薩及諸眾生。何以故。菩薩眾生。皆是幻化。幻化滅故。無取證者。譬如眼根不自見眼。性自平等。無平等者。眾生迷倒。未能除滅一切幻化。於滅未滅妄功用中。便顯差別。若得如來寂滅隨順。實無寂滅及寂滅者。善男子。一切眾生從無始來。由妄想我及愛我者。曾不自知念念生滅。故起憎愛耽著五欲。若遇善友。教令開悟。淨圓覺性。發明起滅。即知此生性自勞慮。若復有人勞慮永斷。得法界淨。即彼淨解為自障礙。故於圓覺而不自在。此名凡夫隨順覺性。善男子。一切菩薩見解為礙。雖斷解礙。猶住見覺。覺礙為礙而不自在。此名菩薩未入地者。隨順覺性。善男子。有照有覺。俱名障礙。是故菩薩常覺不住。照與照者。同時寂滅。譬如有人自斷其首。首已斷故。無能斷者。則以礙心自滅諸礙。礙已斷滅。無滅礙者。脩多羅教。如標月指。若復見月。了知所標畢竟非月。一切如來種種言說。開示菩薩。亦復如是。此名菩薩已入地者。隨順覺性。善男子。一切障礙。即究竟覺。得念失念。無非解脫。成法破法。皆名涅槃。智慧愚癡。通為般若。菩薩外道所成就法。同是菩提。無明真如。無異境界。諸戒定慧及婬怒癡。俱是梵行。眾生國土。同一法性。地獄天堂。皆為淨土。有性無性。齊成佛道。一切煩惱。畢竟解脫。法界海慧。照了諸相。猶如虛空。此名如來隨順覺性。善男子。但諸菩薩及末世眾生。居一切時。不起妄念。於諸妄心。亦不息滅。住妄想境。不加了知。於無了知。不辯真實。彼諸眾生聞是法門。信解受持。不生驚畏。是則名為隨順覺性。釋曰。居一切時。不起妄念者。念雖即空。不可故起。或串習而生。或接續而起。或覺前念非。別生後念改悔。總皆是病。但一坐之時。內外心不生。即是真如定。設有異境牽生。唯明正念。正念者。即一心本法。心境俱虛。了無所得。於諸妄心。亦不息滅者。即推初念不見起處。何須斷滅。不見起處。是名真滅。住妄想境。不加了知者。妄想內外諸境皆空。何須強生分別。則不取不捨。妙定相應。於無了知。不辯真實者。亦不住無分別。非實非虛。心無所寄。則得本之正宗。還原之妙性矣。

Answer: This is because there are depths and shallows in the cognitive vision that realizes, which naturally gives rise to distinctions with respect to unconditioned phenomena. The Nirvāṇa Commentary says: "The Buddha-nature is like a worldly road. There are those who have not walked it, those who wish to walk it, those who are walking it, and those who have already walked it. Although there are differences such as not having walked it and so forth, one cannot say that there are two roads. The Buddha-nature is also like this. There are those who have not seen it, those who wish to see it, those who are seeing it, and those who have already seen it. Although the seeing differs, in principle there are not two. All Buddhas share the same dharmadhātu, so in principle there are not two. That a single dust-mote is nothing other than the dharmadhātu means that in terms of phenomena there is not the slightest discrepancy." This is the unity of what is realized. As for differences in that which realizes: in teachings such as the Tripiṭaka and Shared teachings, one sees only emptiness and does not see non-emptiness, like searching for a dream and finding sleep. In teachings such as the Distinct and Complete teachings, one sees the principle of the non-empty Middle Way, like searching for a dream and finding the mind. Moreover, the Distinct approach still clings to the sequential arising of the doctrinal path, whereas the Complete vehicle directly penetrates the mind-nature as fully complete right now. Furthermore, the Tripiṭaka and Shared teachings take the extinction of the mind as the ultimate fruit, [whereas] the sudden [teachings] all belong to the Complete vehicle. The Tiantai teaching says: "The six consciousnesses are the seeds of the contributory cause; both good and evil arise from the six consciousnesses. The seventh consciousness is the seed of the disclosing cause; both delusion and understanding are the seventh consciousness. The eighth consciousness is the seed of the direct cause; without the eighth consciousness, there would be no saṃsāra or nirvāṇa. If these three kinds [of seeds] were not of the Buddha-lineage, where else outside them would there be a complete and sudden Dharma? When the two vehicles sever the saṃyojanas, once the saṃyojanas are exhausted there is no longer a cause for the Buddha's wisdom, and they cannot accomplish sarvākārajñatā; they lose the seed of the disclosing cause. If one eliminates evil and has good, once evil is exhausted one cannot give rise to all good; how could there be the seed of the contributory cause? If one departs from saṃsāra and enters nirvāṇa without remainder, extinguishing the body and not receiving rebirth, how could there be the seed of the direct cause?" Therefore the Perfect Enlightenment Sūtra says: "The Bodhisattva Viśuddhaprabha said to the Buddha: 'World-Honoured One, we pray that for the sake of the assembly of the Dharma who have come, you will once more proclaim the completely fulfilled awakened nature of the Dharma King. What are the differences in what is realized and attained by all sentient beings, the bodhisattvas, and the Tathāgata, the World-Honoured One?'... up to where the Buddha said: 'Good sons, the intrinsic nature of perfect enlightenment is not an existence of natures upon natures; arising in accord with all natures, it is without grasping and without realization. Within the true characteristic, there are truly no bodhisattvas and no sentient beings. Why is this? Bodhisattvas and sentient beings are all illusory transformations. Because illusory transformations are extinguished, there is no one who grasps or realizes. For example, the visual faculty does not see the eye itself. Its nature is naturally impartial, and there is no one who is impartial. Sentient beings are deluded and inverted, unable to eradicate all illusory transformations. In their false exertion between extinction and non-extinction, distinctions are thereby manifested. If one attains the Tathāgata's accord with quiescence, in truth there is neither quiescence nor one who is quiescent. Good sons, from beginningless time all sentient beings, on account of falsely conceiving a self and cherishing what belongs to the self, have never known for themselves that thoughts arise and cease in every instant; therefore they give rise to hatred and love, and indulge in the five desires. If they meet a good friend who instructs them to awaken to the pure nature of perfect enlightenment, revealing its arising and ceasing, they immediately know that this life is of its own nature toil and distress. If there is a person who severs toil and distress forever and attains the purity of the dharmadhātu, that very understanding of purity becomes an obstruction to them; therefore they are not at ease with respect to perfect enlightenment. This is called ordinary beings according with the awakened nature. Good sons, all bodhisattvas take understanding as an obstruction; although they sever the obstruction of understanding, they still abide in the perception of awakening. The obstruction of awakening becomes an obstruction, and they are not at ease. This is called bodhisattvas who have not entered the bhūmis according with the awakened nature. Good sons, having illumination and having awakening are both called obstructions. Therefore, the bodhisattva constantly awakens without abiding; illumination and the illuminator are simultaneously quiescent. For example, like a person cutting off their own head: once the head is cut off, there is no one who can cut it off. Thus by using the obstructed mind one eliminates all obstructions; once the obstructions are extinguished, there is no one who extinguishes the obstructions. The sūtra teachings are like a finger pointing at the moon: if one sees the moon, one thoroughly knows that what points is ultimately not the moon. The various spoken teachings of all Tathāgatas expounded to bodhisattvas are also like this. This is called bodhisattvas who have entered the bhūmis according with the awakened nature. Good sons, all obstructions are themselves ultimate awakening. Retaining mindfulness or losing mindfulness are nothing other than liberation. Establishing dharmas or destroying dharmas are both called nirvāṇa. Wisdom and foolishness are both prajñā. The dharmas accomplished by bodhisattvas and non-Buddhists are equally bodhi. Avidyā and tathatā are not different realms. All morality, concentration, and wisdom, as well as lust, anger, and delusion, are all the brahma-practice. Sentient beings and lands share the same dharma-nature. Hells and heavens are all pure lands. Having nature and lacking nature alike accomplish the Buddha path. All kleśas are ultimately liberated. The oceanic wisdom of the dharmadhātu clearly illuminates all characteristics just like empty space. This is called the Tathāgata according with the awakened nature. Good sons, if bodhisattvas and sentient beings in the final age, dwelling in all times, do not give rise to false thoughts, do not extinguish false minds, do not add intellectual understanding when abiding in realms of false conception, and do not discern reality in non-understanding—when those sentient beings hear this Dharma gate, believe, understand, accept, and uphold it, and do not give rise to alarm or fear, this is called according with the awakened nature.'" Explanation: "Dwelling in all times, not giving rise to false thoughts": although thoughts are themselves empty, they must not be deliberately aroused. Whether they arise through habituation, or arise in succession, or whether one realizes the previous thought was wrong and separately gives rise to a subsequent thought of repentance—all of these are sicknesses. If, during a single period of sitting, the internal and external mind does not arise, that is the samādhi of tathatā. Even if an external realm pulls and generates [thought], merely clarify right mindfulness. Right mindfulness is the fundamental dharma of the one mind; mind and realm are both empty, completely without anything to be attained. "Do not extinguish false minds": that is, when tracing the initial thought, one does not see where it arose; why would one need to sever and extinguish it? Not seeing where it arose is called true extinction. "Do not add intellectual understanding when abiding in realms of false conception": the internal and external realms of false conception are all empty; why should one forcefully generate discrimination? Then neither grasping nor rejecting, one accords with wondrous samādhi. "Do not discern reality in non-understanding": one also does not abide in non-discrimination; neither real nor unreal, the mind has nowhere to rest. Then one attains the correct source of the origin and the wondrous nature of returning to the source.