宗鏡錄 10.17

10.17

Answer: Simply not moving the one mind and not abiding in phenomena, having no realization of subject and object and putting an end to the mind of intellectual understanding—this is the faith of no-faith, the entry of no-entry. The two emptynesses of person and phenomena [are realized]; citta and its object are both tranquil. As Mañjuśrī said in the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra: 'Binding conditions to the dharmadhātu, one-mindfully focusing on the dharmadhātu, not moving the dharmadhātu. Knowing the true dharmadhātu, one should not waver.' This means that if one says 'I enter the dharmadhātu,' one has already moved the dharmadhātu. When subject and object are both extinguished, the characteristic of entering is thereby quieted. Therefore, not moving the dharmadhātu is entering the dharmadhātu. The Mahāyāna Thousand-Bowl Great King of Teachings Sūtra says: 'By what skillful means does one attain experiential entry into the contemplation of naturelessness? A bodhisattva must first contemplate and illuminate his own mind: its fundamental nature is serene and quiet. Awakened and entering into the concentration of cessation, he attains the nature of mind and consciousness and experientially sees purity—solely clear, solely pure. He experientially sees the noble nature: self-nature is suchness, a single path of serenity and quietude. Awakened to and penetrating the fundamental origin, turning the illumination back he sees purity—solely illuminating, solely lustrous; solely lustrous, solely pure; solely serene, solely noble. This is then called a bodhisattva's attainment of entry into unmoved nirvāṇa and the contemplation of naturelessness.' Therefore we know that if there is a subject of realization, then there is a person; if there is an object of realization, then there is a phenomenon. Because there is only the one true dharmadhātu, there are no phenomena outside the mind; one cannot use the dharmadhātu to further realize the dharmadhātu. As the Meaning of Non-Arising says: 'As a sūtra states, Śāriputra praised the monks, saying: "You now abide in the field of merit." The monks said: "Great Master, even the World-Honoured One cannot digest offerings, how much less could we?" The Great Master explained, saying: "This means that the Buddha does not abide in being a buddha; then there is no Buddha, nor is there a field of merit that can digest offerings. This is precisely a person who is a true field of merit. If a buddha abided in being a buddha, then there would be a buddha, and there would also be a field of merit that could digest offerings; this would not be a true field of merit." By analogy to this, if one abides in spiritual penetrations and wisdom, then there is wisdom, but this is not true wisdom. If there is nowhere one abides, only then is there truly wisdom.' Furthermore, the commentary on the Viśeṣacintibrahmaparipṛcchā Sūtra explains: 'Because apart from the dharmadhātu there is no other person who receives offerings, for that dharmadhātu is originally pure.' For this reason, this record cuts away superficial ornamentation and speaks only of the real and true; not relying on words and letters, it directly reveals the source of the mind. As the Samantabhadra Contemplation Sūtra says: 'Formerly on Vulture Peak, the path of the One Reality was expounded.' Also, a verse in the Ratnagotravibhāga says: 'Though devoid of skillful words, / if it only has the true meaning, / that Dharma should be received and maintained, / like taking gold and discarding stone. / The wondrous meaning is like true gold; / clever words are like tile and stone. / Relying on the name and not on the meaning, / that person is blind with avidyā.' If one personally sees the nature and enters into the mirror of the source, this is the Dharma-gate of self-confidence, decisively free of doubt. Then the sun could be made cold and the moon could be made hot, yet even through a thousand divergent paths of different teachings, it could never be altered. As the Great Lamp-Torch Dhāraṇī Sūtra says: 'The Buddha said: Kauśika, disciples of the Tathāgata see all the worlds as like illusions and apparitions, without any net of doubt. Why is that? Because they believe in the Tathāgata and personally see the Dharma themselves. Therefore they have confidence in themselves, not merely believing others. Why is that? If a person of the world has already seen for himself, that person will never again adopt another's words. Kauśika, suppose a person is naked, walking along the road. If someone were to say to the crowd: "This person is extraordinary, his body covered in brocade robes." Kauśika, what do you think? Though he has said so, would the rest of the people believe these words or not?' 'No, World-Honoured One. Why is that? Because they have seen it with their own eyes.' 'The Buddha said: Just so, just so, Kauśika. All disciples of the buddhas, the tathāgatas, because they have seen the Dharma for themselves, do not adopt others' words; its meaning is also like this.' Explanation: If one sees one's own Dharma, what Dharma is not one's own? Whether ordinary or noble, whether right or wrong, whatever can be pointed out and stated never goes beyond the boundary of one's own mind. Only one who has such faith reaches the origin of phenomena. As the Dharmadhātuprakṛty-asambhedanirdeśa Sūtra says: 'The Buddha further said to Mañjuśrī: "Do you know the limit of reality?" Mañjuśrī said: "Just so, World-Honoured One, I know the limit of reality." The Buddha said: "Mañjuśrī, what is called the limit of reality?" Mañjuśrī said: "World-Honoured One, where there is the limit of 'mine', that is the limit of reality. All limits of ordinary beings, that is the limit of reality. Both karma and retribution, all phenomena whatsoever, are all the limit of reality. World-Honoured One, if one believes like this, that is true faith. World-Honoured One, if one believes in inverted views, that is right faith. Whether practice or non-practice, that is right practice. Why is that? Because 'right' and 'not right' are merely conventional expressions and are unobtainable."' Hence we know that if one believes in the true meaning of mind-only, one is not turned by words. Hearing of the deep, one is not terrified; hearing of the shallow, one does not doubt; hearing of what is neither deep nor shallow, one is not confused. As the Qingliang Yanyi says: 'Hearing of the deep without terror: this is the great, profound meaning, namely emptiness. Hearing emptiness spoken of, one supposes it is identical to annihilation, which therefore causes people to be terrified. Hence the Pañcaviṃśati says: "Since it is neither previously existent nor subsequently non-existent, its self-nature is constantly empty; do not produce alarm and terror." Hearing of the shallow without doubting: the shallow refers to engagement with phenomenal affairs, where skillful means have many gates, which causes doubts. Now knowing that they accord with what is appropriate, what is there to doubt? Hearing of what is neither deep nor shallow: this means having no point of reliance, causing body and mind to be clear and still; knowing that not deep is wondrous existence, and not shallow is true emptiness. Detaching from the characteristics of body and mind, only then is one courageous and capable of reaching this realm.' Moreover, these three phrases are also the three contemplations: the first is emptiness, the next is the provisional, and the last is the middle way. When the three phrases are heard simultaneously and all understood in a single thought, then the three contemplations are in the one mind; what doubt could not be dispelled?