宗鏡錄 15.3.1

15.3.1

Answer: It is not that they do not possess them, but merely that sentient beings are unaware of them. Therefore, the Huayan tradition states: "The buddhas realize the substance of sentient beings and use the function of sentient beings." Hence Master Zhigong’s song says:
"The sun declines, yet within the mind-ground,
When has one ever settled the definitive meaning?
Other lineages' writings have closeness and distance;
Do not exert effort seeking a definitive import.
Let things be as they will, free and unbound, cutting off all taboos;
Constantly dwelling among humans, yet not abiding in the worldly realm.
Function is originally found amidst sounds and forms;
Ordinary persons fail to understand and struggle over reckonings."
For example, a student once asked Master Da'an, "What is the supernatural power of the buddhas?" The master asked, "Where did you come from?" He replied, "I came from Jiangxi." The master said, "Are you not speaking falsehoods?" He replied, "I would never speak falsely." The student asked again, "What is supernatural power?" The master said, "Truly, a false statement!" All of these can serve as verification: it is entirely because they are unaware of what is functioning right before them in their daily use. The buddhas take the causes of the three great aspects—substance, characteristic, and function—of the tathatā within the citta of sentient beings to be the fruits of the three bodies: dharmakāya, sambhogakāya, and nirmāṇakāya. How could one further discuss whether they possess them or not? If at present one has truly not yet apprehended it, it is merely that it is not produced by a productive cause, but is only made known by a revelatory cause. The Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra states: "A productive cause is like clay making a pot; a revelatory cause is like a lamp illuminating an object." If the lamp of wisdom has just shone, ordinary persons and noble ones are as one; but if one observes it through conceptual understanding, the real and the conventional seem distinct. However, worldly people mostly grasp at phenomenal characteristics and are confused about the real principle. Therefore, the Lotus Sūtra says: "For ordinary persons who grasp at characteristics, it is expounded according to what is appropriate." The Diamond Sūtra says: "It is only ordinary persons who greedily cling to these things." Therefore, all sūtras and treatises shatter such clingings to phenomenal characteristics of body and citta in sentient beings. As the "Chapter on Transcending the Subtle" in the Baozang lun says:
"As for sūtras and treatises, none fail to accommodate those ordinary sentiments and shatter their cognitive capacities. All kinds of expedient means do not abide in forms and affairs. If one does not abide in forms and affairs, then there is no need for all verbal explanations and transcending the subtle. Therefore, a sūtra says: 'Dharma is expounded according to what is appropriate; its purport is difficult to understand.' Although various vehicles are taught, they are all provisional adaptations, expedient means, and dharmas supporting the path. Yet they are not ultimate liberation or nirvāṇa. Just as someone might paint various forms and produce various sounds in empty space, yet that empty space actually has no different characteristics, receiving, absorbing, or undergoing changes; so one should know that the transformation bodies of the buddhas and their preaching of the Dharma are also like this: within the limit of reality, there is neither oneness nor difference at all. Thus heaven and earth unite and separate; empty space joins the subtle; myriad things stir and act; transformation is non-active (asaṃskṛta). Within the spiritual there is wisdom, and within wisdom there are powers. There are five kinds of powers and three kinds of wisdom. What are the five kinds of powers? The first is the power of the Way; the second is supernatural power; the third is dependent power; the fourth is karmic-retribution power; the fifth is demonic power. Demonic power: the transformations of old foxes, the magical alterations of wood and stone spirits, or possessing human spirits with strange cleverness—this is called demonic power. What is karmic-retribution power? Ghosts and spirits knowing beforehand, the transformations of the devas, the intermediate existence understanding birth, and divine dragons concealing themselves and transforming—this is called karmic-retribution power. What is dependent power? Knowing through relying on dharmic arts, functioning through depending on the body, traveling by riding talismans, and the magical transformations of medicines and elixirs—this is called dependent power. What is supernatural power? Quieting the mind to illuminate objects, remembering past lives, and various forms of discrimination all following the power of concentration—this is called supernatural power. What is the power of the Way? Responding to things without a mind, transforming myriad existences through conditions, like the moon in water or flowers in the sky, reflections and images without a master—this is called the power of the Way. What are the three wisdoms? The first is true wisdom; the second is inner wisdom; the third is outer wisdom. What is outer wisdom? It refers to discerning the sense faculties and doors, recognizing dust-realms, being broadly versed in past and present, and penetrating all conventional affairs—this is called outer wisdom. What is inner wisdom? Awakening to avidyā oneself, cutting off kleśas, with the mental citta quiescent and extinguished without remainder—this is called inner wisdom. What is true wisdom? The substance understands that there are no things, originally quiescent, penetrating without boundary, where purity and defilement are non-dual—hence it is called true wisdom. True wisdom and the power of the Way cannot be designated by names. All others that exist are heterodox and spurious. What is spurious is untrue; what is heterodox is unaligned. Perplexed and chaotic thoughts arise, confusing the original nature. Thus, deeply understanding how to transcend the subtle and penetrating those existences, the self-nature is originally true, transcending all categories. Wisdom has the heterodox and the aligned; powers have the true and the spurious. Unless the eye of Dharma is sharp and clear, they are difficult to discern. Therefore, the worldly mostly believe in the heterodox and spurious, and seldom believe in the aligned and true. The Great Teaching declines in practice, while the Small Vehicle is employed at present. Thus one knows that the wondrous principle is difficult to manifest."
Baizhang’s Extensive Sayings state:
"Responding to things according to form, manifesting across all destinies, transcending the 'I' and 'mine'—this still belongs to minor function, included within the gate of buddha-affairs. As for the great function: the great body is concealed in the formless; the great sound is hidden in the soundless."
Layman Pang’s gāthā says:
"Worldly people mostly value gold;
I love a moment of tranquility.
Much gold confuses human minds;
In tranquility, one sees the nature of tathatā.
When the citta penetrates, dharmas also penetrate;
The eighteen cut off all traces of movement.
Just let your own citta be unimpeded;
Why worry that the spirit lacks powers?"
Only one who understands like this enters the mirror of the source. All actions taken enter the practice of the vinaya, naturally accomplishing all buddha-affairs. As the Vimalakīrti Private Notes state:
"Those who can enter the practice of the vinaya are like the chapter on Upāli; this is called upholding the vinaya, and this is called skillful understanding. Sitting upright without need to busy oneself preparing offering requisites, yet constantly performing buddha-affairs, seeking it within mental conduct."
The above are all explained in terms of the function of nature and the penetration of citta, not in terms of phenomenal events. Or, where various masters speak by including phenomenal events, some say that sentient beings are endowed with it in principle while buddhas are complete in it in phenomenal reality; some say that sentient beings are at the stage of cause while buddhas have realized the fruit; some say that sentient beings are obscured by adventitious defilements while buddhas have exhausted both seeds and actual manifestations; some say that sentient beings are separated by false views while the buddhas' five eyes are completely penetrating. Furthermore, the Tiantai teaching mostly explains in terms of trace and origin, clarifying the non-duality of ordinary persons and noble ones and discerning the cause and fruit of sentient beings and buddhas. Thus Dharma Master Sengzhao said: "Although the origin and the traces are different, they are an inconceivable unity." Therefore, the Venerable Zhanran...