宗鏡錄 14.9

14.9

Answer: The present Record of the Mirror of the Source discusses precisely this meaning. Because citta merges with the nature-Buddha, principle harmonizes with true emptiness; how could one falsely seek a superior realm outside citta following other things? As the Huayan Commentary says: 'If one penetrates true emptiness, one does not even produce good, how much less evil? If emptiness is wrongly expounded, taking it to be vast and without anything, or saying it is unobstructed so there is no harm in creating evil—if one truly knows emptiness, good accords with principle; fearing the arising of agitation, one does not even give rise to the thought of admiring good, and since evil goes against principle by following false passions, how could it be done? If it is said that non-obstruction does not obstruct the creation of evil, why does non-obstruction not fail to obstruct the cultivation of good and the severing of evil? If in wearying of cultivating good dharmas one still fears having an attached citta, why does one not fear attachment when giving free rein to passion in creating evil? It is clearly known that such are sentient beings of wrong views and evil.' And even with entering principle to contemplate the Buddha, one still fears giving rise to thought; if one further generates karmic thinking, it especially violates the ultimate principle. Therefore the Laṅkāvatārasūtra states: 'The Buddha told Mahāmati: That which the former sages knew was transmitted successively: false imagination is without nature. Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, in a solitary and quiet place, observe with self-realization without relying on others; transcending views and false imagination, they ascend higher and higher, entering the Tathāgata stage: this is called the characteristic of the noble wisdom of self-realization.' And it also says: 'All are without nirvāṇa; there is no Buddha of nirvāṇa, nor is there any Buddha-nirvāṇa. They are far removed from awakening and what is awakened.' What is awakened is the characteristic; the awakening subject is the view. Being far removed from awakening and what is awakened is called the noble wisdom of self-realization, because Buddhahood is attained where subject and object are obliterated. Now, if knowledge is limited and learned externally from others, one may wish to exhaust the ocean of prajñā, but can never reach its source. It is like casting a pint of salt into the Gaṅgā: the water has no salty taste, and those who drink it do not notice. If one illuminates internally and attains clarity, penetrating to the bottom of the source of dharmas, there is no principle not illuminated, and no phenomenon not encompassed. As a sūtra says: 'The Buddha said: Residing in the dharma of no-thought, I attained such a golden-colored body, the thirty-two marks, and radiated great light, illuminating worlds without remainder.'