宗鏡錄 17.27

17.27

Answer: These questions and challenges all arise from falsely seeing a realm of sentient beings; hence one falsely raises this challenge. The Buzeng bujian jing says: 'Those of great wrong view see that the realm of sentient beings increases, or see that the realm of sentient beings decreases. Because they do not know the one dharmadhātu in accordance with reality, they give rise to views of increase and decrease regarding the realm of sentient beings.' The meaning of the sūtra is that even if all sentient beings simultaneously attained buddhahood, the buddha-realm would not increase, and the realm of sentient beings would not decrease. Thus the sūtra says: 'Sentient beings are the dharmakāya; the dharmakāya is sentient beings. Sentient beings and dharmakāya are identical in meaning and different in name.' An explanation says: 'Consider by way of comparison that the realm of sentient beings is like the realm of empty space. Suppose a single bird flies in empty space, going from west to east for hundreds of thousands of years; in the end one can never say the east is near and the west is far. Why? Because empty space has no boundaries. Nor can one say it does not fly at all, because the effort is not in vain. One should know that the principle here is also like this. It is not that there is parinirvāṇa causing an end, nor is it that lacking an end there is no parinirvāṇa. Therefore the realm of sentient beings is extremely profound and vast; it is an object known exclusively by the tathāgata's knowledge. One must not hastily, with a deranged mind, measure and calculate it to give rise to views of increase and decrease. Just as the realm of empty space, though without boundaries, does not obstruct the flight of a bird, so likewise the realm of sentient beings, though inexhaustible, does not impede parinirvāṇa. So long as one does not give rise to views of increase and decrease, or sentiments of rejecting and grasping, the wings of wisdom soar high, unimpeded in true emptiness.' As the commentary on the Huayan explains: the sūtra says, 'The Buddha's wisdom is vast, equal to empty space'—the wisdom of measure contains and pervades; the wisdom of principle enters through realization without discrimination. Thus great empty space contains all forms, but forms cannot contain great empty space; great empty space does not discriminate forms, yet forms differentiate empty space. This illustrates that self and phenomena cannot contain the Buddha's wisdom, but the Buddha's wisdom can contain self and phenomena. Those who have self and phenomena discriminate the Tathāgata; that which is the Tathāgata does not discriminate self and phenomena. In the second metaphor of pervasion: the wondrously observing wisdom knows everywhere without exception—this is the meaning of pervasion. The wisdom that accomplishes tasks perfectly realizes everything without remainder—this is the meaning of conforming entry. The sūtra gāthā says: / 'The Buddha's wisdom is vast, equal to empty space, / Pervading the minds of all sentient beings'— / this is pervasion in substance; / 'Fully understanding all worldly false conceptualizations'— / this is said in terms of pervasion in knowing; / it also says: / 'Attaining a mind equal in measure to all phenomena'— / this is said in terms of pervasion in realization; / because the nature of wisdom is completely identical to the nature of form, this is said in terms of pervasion in principle. How does it enter everywhere? By not destroying subject and object, because there is realization and knowing. The sūtra gāthā says: / 'Into all the worldly lands / It enters everywhere in accordance; / The body of wisdom has no form, / And cannot be seen by them.' / Because it conforms to suchness, entering is non-entering; therefore it is said to be equal. Thus empty space pervades and enters lands, but lands do not pervade and enter empty space. Where there is a land, there must be empty space; where there is empty space, there may be no land. Empty space, in relation to lands, conforms and enters equally; lands, in relation to empty space, inherently have this and that. Empty space may be compared to the Buddha's wisdom; lands may be compared to the three times. Where the three times exist, the Buddha's wisdom must be within them; where the Buddha's wisdom knows, the three times may lack substance. The Buddha's wisdom, in relation to the three times, conforms and enters equally; the three times, in relation to the Buddha's wisdom, inherently have beginning and end. This is still spoken from the perspective of being two while not-two. If it is non-dual while dual, lands and empty space, the three times and the Buddha's wisdom, because they share the same nature, all enter each other. Bringing up one completely gathers [all]; pervasion is also like this. When the three realms are harmoniously fused, the path of words and thoughts is severed; therefore the Buddha's wisdom is called inconceivable. The Daji jing says: 'Mañjuśrī said: "World-Honoured One, if the Tathāgata sits under the Bodhi tree, the Tathāgata, the World-Honoured One, would have two characteristics: first, the Tathāgata; second, the Bodhi tree. The Tathāgata, the World-Honoured One, is already free from the two characteristics." The Buddha said: "Good man, bodhi, sentient beings, and all phenomena-natures are equal and without distinction, of one taste and one nature. When the Tathāgata sits under the Bodhi tree, he sees phenomena such as this; therefore it is called attaining bodhi. I do not see at all that apart from bodhi there is another phenomenon. I see that all phenomena are entirely equal, and this equality does not enter into enumeration; therefore equality is called unobstructed."' Furthermore, in this Dharma-gate, bringing up one completely gathers the dharmadhātu. For example, if one takes the eye as the gate, the sense faculties, marks, and signs, as well as the buddha-lands, are all manifested within a single eye; and so it is up to the six sense faculties, a single dust particle, and a single hair-pore. As it is said, within the body of Vairocana are fully possessed the sentient beings of the three paths and six destinies, and so forth. This means that one body contains all bodies, and one body pervades all bodies; entering is manifold, containing and pervading without obstruction. As a gāthā in the Avataṃsakasūtra says: / 'There is a firm and solid body, / Seen within all dust particles; / Unarisen and without characteristics, / Manifesting universally throughout all lands.'