宗鏡錄 17.3

17.3

Answer: The essential principle of attaining Buddhahood does not pertain to time or kalpas. Teachings of slowness or speed belong to expedient means. Therefore, the Awakening of Faith clarifies that for vigorous sentient beings, attaining Buddhahood lies in a single thought-moment; for indolent ones, obtaining the fruit requires completing three asaṃkhyeya kalpas. Statements merely describing traces of the teaching all constitute expedient means. The Commentary on the Śūraṅgamasūtra states: "'Kalpa' has the meaning of a division of time. That there are formation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness is entirely induced by the false views of sentient beings. When false views stir, they externally induce the wind-mandala. Due to the arising of craving, they externally induce the water-mandala. Due to the grasping mind, they externally induce the earth-mandala. Due to the agitation of seeking, they externally induce the fire-mandala. Due to the four great elements, the six sense faculties arise. Because the six sense faculties arise, the six dust-objects are seen. Because the six dust-objects are seen, there are divisions of time. If one realizes the single thought-moment of the deluded mind that is the root of ignorance, one then knows that the three realms born from the mind are completely non-existent. Furthermore, time is established based on objects; since objects are already originally empty, time naturally has no substance of its own. Why must one further discuss the number of kalpas? If in just a single thought-moment one severs ignorance, why rely on traversing asaṃkhyeya kalpas?" For this reason, the Śūraṅgamasūtra states: "With the illusion-like samādhi, in the snap of a finger one transcends the stage of no-learning." It also states: "Conceptions of characteristics are dust; emotional consciousness is defilement. When both are left far behind, your Dharma-eye will immediately become pure and clear—how could you not attain unsurpassed awareness?" The Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment states: "Knowing illusion is detachment, without applying expedient means; detachment from illusion is enlightenment, without any gradual sequence." Therefore, we know that long and short kalpas come from a single thought-moment; the three vehicles' striving toward the fruit are all matters within a dream, whereas speaking of awakening, none involve many kalpas. Therefore, the Lotus Sūtra expanded half a day into fifty minor kalpas, and the Vimalakīrtisūtra expanded seven days into a kalpa. Also, as the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra states, the butcher Guṅga killed a thousand sheep a day; after he later generated the aspiration [for enlightenment], the Buddha said he would attain Buddhahood in the Bhadrakalpa. The great bodhisattvas and arhats doubted, saying, 'For us to attain Buddhahood requires distant kalpas; why should Guṅga attain Buddhahood beforehand?' The Buddha said, 'To one who wishes to attain it early, I grant it early; to one who wishes to attain it distantly, I grant it distantly.' If one頓見 [suddenly sees] the true nature, one attains Buddhahood in a single thought-moment. Therefore, we know that faculties differ in sharpness and dullness, and slowness or speed lies with oneself. It can be verified that when the mind arises, dharmas arise; when the mind ceases, dharmas cease. Because in the three realms there are no separate dharmas—they are merely made by the one mind. All sensory realms arise from the stirring of thought. If thought does not arise, realms originally have no substance. Returning to investigate the stirring of thought, thought too is empty and tranquil. One then knows that at the time of delusion there is nothing lost, and at the time of awakening there is nothing gained, because the non-abiding true mind neither increases nor decreases. As the Śūraṅgamasūtra states, the Buddha said: "Pūrṇa, have you not heard of Yajñadatta in the city of Śrāvastī? Suddenly one morning he looked at his face in a mirror and loved the head in the mirror, with its eyebrows and eyes clearly visible; he reproached his own head for not seeing its face and eyes, took it to be a goblin, and ran madly about without reason. What do you think? For what reason did this man run madly about without cause?" Pūrṇa said: "That man's mind was mad; there was no other reason." The Buddha said: "Wondrous enlightenment is luminous and perfect, originally perfectly luminous and wondrous. Since it is called delusion, how could it have a cause? If it had a cause, how could it be called delusion? From various false thoughts, they cause each other in turn; accumulating delusion upon delusion, they traverse dust-kalpas. Although the Buddha elucidates it, they still cannot turn back. Such causes of delusion arise of themselves due to delusion. Recognizing delusion has no cause, delusion has nothing upon which to rely. Since it does not even have arising, what could you wish to extinguish? One who attains bodhi is like an awake person speaking of matters in a dream: even if his mind is sharp and bright, by what causes and conditions could he grasp the objects in the dream? How much less so when there is no cause, and it is originally non-existent! Just like that Yajñadatta in the city: could there be any cause or condition for his self-frightened running away with his head? When the madness suddenly ceased, his head did not come from outside; even when the madness had not yet ceased, what was lost? Pūrṇa, such is the nature of delusion; by what cause could it exist? If you simply do not follow the three kinds of continuity of distinguishing worldly karma and its results, and sentient beings—because the three conditions are severed, the three causes do not arise. Then the Yajñadatta in your mind, his mad nature, will naturally cease. Cessation is bodhi. The supremely pure and luminous mind originally pervades the dharmadhātu; it is not obtained from another. Why rely on laborious toil, the crucial joints of practice and realization?" An ancient commentary states: "'The head is without gain or loss': the head is an analogy for the true nature. When one is deluded by ignorance, the nature is not lost; when ignorance ceases, it is not separately obtained. 'Cessation is bodhi': simply awakening to the original substance, the five direct-perception consciousnesses and all myriad practices are entirely complete—this is bodhi." As the Nirvāṇasūtra states: "All sentient beings originally have attained Buddhahood; the uncontaminated nature of wisdom is originally complete in itself." Moreover, "sudden" gets its name in contrast to "gradual"; both are called expedient means. An ancient commentary states: "If one relies on speaking of the sudden, it is also an expedient mean. If one says both gradual and sudden are right, one also slanders the Buddha; if one says both are not right, one also slanders the Buddha. Therefore, on the substance of original enlightenment, it is free from sudden and gradual, free from words and speech. Where could there be the names of 'sudden' and 'gradual'? When the sixth consciousness stirs, there is discrimination; when it does not stir, it equally pervades the dharmadhātu. The five direct-perception consciousnesses and the rest: each and every sense faculty pervades the dharmadhātu. When the eye sees matter, matter is ungraspable, and is fundamentally equal to the dharmadhātu." The Lotus Sūtra states: "These dharmas abide in their dharma-positions; worldly characteristics are eternally abiding." One then knows that all worldly characteristics are originally eternally abiding. What stage of practice can know this? Only the Buddha knew it at the bodhimaṇḍa, and the Guide spoke it as an expedient mean because sentient beings are deluded and do not know it. If they knew, there would be no need to speak it further. Only then does one know that whatever is spoken belongs to expedient means.