宗鏡錄 100.11

100.11

Shi Daoshi says: "The four dhyānas have no image; the three masteries are all empty. The thousand Buddhas leave different traces, but their one cognition and citta are the same." Upādhyāya Chengguan's Commentary on the Avataṃsaka says: "The preceding gates, extending even to the inexhaustible, do not depart from the one mind. The one mind is itself the dharmadhātu. Therefore the Awakening of Faith says: 'That which is called Dharma refers to the citta of sentient beings.' The substance of citta is itself 'Great'; the fundamental cognition of citta is itself 'Square and Vast' (vaipulya); contemplating citta to arouse practice is itself 'Flower Adornment' (avataṃsaka); awakening to the nature and characteristics of citta is itself 'Buddha.' Awakening does not come from without; it is entirely identical to that which is awakened. Therefore, principle and cognition are not distinct. When principle and cognition mutually depose and shape each other, and both are extinguished in quiescent illumination, then every thought is the ocean of nature of the Avataṃsaka; then thing and self are both tathatā, obliterated into equality. For those who have not yet understood, it causes them to understand their own citta. If one knows that contacting things is entirely citta, only then will one understand the nature of citta. Thus the Chapter on Pure Conduct says: 'Knowing that all dharmas are the intrinsic nature of citta itself, one accomplishes the body of wisdom without awakening by another.' However, practitioners of the Dharma today mostly abandon the internal to seek externally, while practitioners of Chan are fond of eliminating conditions to illuminate internally. Both are biased attachments, both lingering at the two extremes. Since citta and realm are suchness (tathatā), they are equal and unobstructed. In the past, someone polished two mirrors, lit a single lamp, and placed an image [between them]: the layers of light crisscrossed, and Buddhas were inexhaustible. One sees that citta and realm mutually illuminate, and fundamental cognition enters both: within citta one awakens to the inexhaustible realm; on the realm one understands the inconceivable citta. Citta and realm are manifold; cognitive illumination resides therein. Moreover, identifying with citta, one understands the Buddha of the objective realm; identifying with the realm, one sees the Tathāgata of mind-only. Citta and Buddha are manifold, yet the nature of fundamental awakening is one. When neither can be apprehended, citta and realm are both eliminated; when illumination cannot be exhausted, principle and cognition interpenetrate. Since citta and realm are like this, realm faces realm, and thought investigates thought: the myriad transformations in their profusion are all one consistent reality. Only corresponding with verification is termed the Buddha-Avataṃsaka." In explanation: "People today only understand that 'citta itself is Buddha' and 'this citta makes Buddha'; they do not know that 'the objective realm itself is Buddha' and 'this objective realm makes Buddha.' Now it is clarified that tathatā is taken as Buddha: citta and realm are both tathatā. If the tathatā of citta is Buddha, how could the tathatā of realm not be? Furthermore, citta has the nature of citta, and citta can make Buddha; realm has the nature of citta, so how could it not make Buddha? When citta subsumes the realm, one sees the Buddha within citta: this is the Buddha of the objective realm. When the realm subsumes citta, one sees the Buddha within the realm: this is the Tathāgata of mind-only. The Brocade Crown of the Avataṃsaka says: 'If one interprets the Great Vaipulya Buddha Avataṃsaka Sūtra through the contemplation of citta, in terms of the teachings explaining the meanings there are many gates; but if they are not subsumed into the one mind, what do they have to do with me? That which is called "Great" is itself the substance of citta; the substance of citta is boundless, hence it is called "Great." "Square" is the characteristic of citta; its characteristic is endowed with dharmas of virtuous characteristics, hence it is called "Square." "Vast" is the function of citta; citta possesses a function that accords with substance. "Buddha" is the fruit of citta; the place of citta's liberation is called "Buddha." "Flower" is the cause of citta; the practices elicited by citta are likened to a "Flower." "Adornment" is the merit of citta; citta's ability to skillfully adorn is termed "Adornment." "Sūtra" is the teaching of citta; citta gives rise to names and words to express and reveal this principle, hence it is called "Sūtra." Yet this single word citta, though not all things, can become all things.' Contemplation means that within the three greats the four dharmadhātus are contained; corresponding to those four dhātus, four contemplations are formed. Dharmas are fundamentally like this, therefore one contemplates according to the Dharma. If one awakens and understands according to this, thought after thought is itself the Avataṃsaka dharmadhātu; thought after thought is itself the Vairocana dharmadhātu."