宗鏡錄 94.7

94.7

寶積經云。一切法虛妄如夢。以唯念故。又云。自為洲渚。自為歸處。法為洲渚。法為歸處。無別洲渚。無別歸處。釋曰。起信論云。所言法者。即眾生心。故知所向皆心。豈有歸處。住自境界。無別方所。法華經偈云。又復不行。上中下法。有為無為。實不實法。亦不分別。是男是女。不得諸法。不知不見。是則名為菩薩行處。一切諸法。空無所有。無有常住。亦無起滅。是名智者。所親近處。顛倒分別。諸法有無。是實非實。是生非生。在於閑處。修攝其心。安住不動。如須彌山。觀一切法。皆無所有。猶如虛空。無有堅固。不生不出。不動不退。常住一相。是名近處。釋曰。若入一心一相之門。尚無常住之法。豈有起滅之緣。自然不動如山。心安如海。可謂菩薩行處。諸佛所居矣。故華嚴經頌云。法性如虛空。諸佛於中住。

The Ratnakūṭa Sūtra says: "All phenomena are false and deceptive like a dream, because they are only thoughts." It also says: "Be an island unto oneself, be a refuge unto oneself; let the Dharma be an island, let the Dharma be a refuge; there is no other island, no other refuge." Explication: The Awakening of Faith says: "That which is called 'Dharma' is precisely the citta of sentient beings." Thus we know that wherever one turns is citta; how could there be an external refuge? Abiding in one's own sphere, there is no other location. A verse in the Lotus Sūtra says: / "Furthermore, they do not practice / Superior, middling, or inferior phenomena, / Conditioned or unconditioned, / Real or unreal phenomena; / Nor do they discriminate / Whether it is male or female; / Gaining no phenomena, / Neither knowing nor seeing— / This is named the realm of a bodhisattva's practice. / All phenomena / Are empty and have nothing existing, / Having no permanence, / And also no arising or ceasing— / This is named the place / Approached by the wise. / Invertedly discriminating / Whether phenomena exist or do not exist, / Whether they are real or unreal, / Whether they are born or unborn; / In a secluded place, / Cultivating and collecting their citta, / Abiding peacefully and unmoving, / Like Mount Sumeru; / Contemplating all phenomena / As completely non-existent, / Just like empty space, / Devoid of solidity, / Unborn, unproduced, / Unmoving, unregressing, / Constantly abiding in the one characteristic— / This is named the place of approach." Explication: If one enters the gate of the one mind and one characteristic, there is not even any permanent phenomenon; how could there be conditions of arising and ceasing? Naturally unmoving like a mountain, the citta is peaceful as the ocean. It can indeed be called the realm of a bodhisattva's practice and the dwelling place of all buddhas. Therefore a verse in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: / "The nature of phenomena is like empty space; / The buddhas abide within it."