宗鏡錄 85.32

85.32

釋云。差別相者。是汝遍計妄情所作。本來無實。如依病眼妄見空華。故云皆依妄念。而有差別。疑者又云。以何得知依妄念生。釋云。以諸聖人離妄念故。盡無其境。即驗此境定從妄生。又若此境非妄。定實有者。聖人不見。應是迷倒。凡夫既見。應是覺悟。如不見空華是病眼。返結準之。故若離於念。即無差別也。所執本空。故真心不動。由此一切諸法。皆即真如。斯則會妄顯真。可絕疑矣。如首楞嚴經云。佛告阿難。我非勅汝執為非心。但汝於心微細揣摩。若離前塵有分別性。即真汝心。若分別性離塵無體。斯則前塵分別影事。昔人有簡金頌云。君不見。澄清麗水出黃金。逐浪隨波永被沈。有幸得逢良鑒者。披砂細揀暫知音。因此遂蒙皇上寵。直入瓊樓寶篋中。一練一明光照耀。一迴掌上一迴欽。以此塵沙含妙寶。故喻眾生覺照心。眾生無始沈三有。元來流浪被境侵。對塵恰似真如慧。離境元無照體心。迷即一真名二體。只為群生不照心。若能對境常真照。隨塵離境一般心。如來今日除分別。意遣眾生妄習心。但除妄習存終始。真照何妄不真心。

The explanation says: ‘Characteristics of distinction are produced by your pervasive conceptualizing and delusional passions; originally they have no reality, just like mistakenly seeing sky-flowers relying on diseased eyes. Therefore it says that all rely on delusional thoughts to have distinctions.’ The doubter also says: ‘By what is it known that they are born relying on delusional thoughts?’ The explanation says: ‘Because the sages are free from delusional thoughts, their objects are completely absent; this verifies that these objects definitely arise from delusion. Furthermore, if these objects were not delusional but definitely truly existent, then if the sages do not see them, they should be confused and inverted; and since ordinary beings see them, they should be awakened. This would be like saying that not seeing sky-flowers is diseased eyes; turn it around to conclude and judge by this. Therefore, if one is free from thoughts, there are no distinctions.’ What is attached to is fundamentally empty, so the true mind is unmoving. Because of this, all dharmas are immediately tathatā. This, then, resolves the delusional to reveal the real, and can cut off doubt. As the Śūraṅgama Sūtra says: ‘The Buddha addressed Ānanda: “I am not ordering you to grasp this as not being citta. But examine citta with subtle contemplation: if apart from the objective dust before you it still has a distinguishing nature, that is truly your citta; if the distinguishing nature has no substance apart from dust, this is merely a shadow-event of the distinguishing of the objective dust before you.”’ An ancient composed a verse on refining gold: ‘Do you not see: / The clear waters of the Li River yield yellow gold, / Following the breakers and drifting with the waves, it is forever submerged. / If fortunate enough to encounter one of fine discernment, / Parting the sand and meticulously sifting it, one briefly finds an appreciative friend. / Because of this, it then receives the Emperor’s favor, / Entering directly into jade pavilions and jeweled caskets. / With each smelting and each purification, its radiance shines brightly; / Each time it is placed on the palm, each time it commands veneration. / Because this dust and sand contain the wondrous gem, / It is used as a metaphor for sentient beings’ mind of awareness and illumination. / Sentient beings have from beginningless time been submerged in the three realms of existence, / Originally drifting and being invaded by external realms. / Facing the dust, it is just like the wisdom of tathatā; / Apart from the realm, there is originally no mind of illuminating substance. / In delusion, the one real is called two substances, / Merely because the multitude of beings do not illuminate citta. / If one can always truly illuminate when facing realms, / Following dust or apart from realms, it is the same citta. / The Tathāgata today eliminates distinctions, / Intending to dispel sentient beings’ mind of delusional habit. / Just remove delusional habit while preserving beginning and end; / In true illumination, what delusion is not the true mind?’”