宗鏡錄 18.11

18.11

Answer: If one grasps mind and objects as real, and persons and dharmas as non-empty, even though one practices through myriad kalpas, one will ultimately never realize the fruit of the Way. If one suddenly awakens to selflessness and penetrates deeply into the emptiness of things, then both subject and object vanish together; what would there be that is not realized? It is like fine dust scattered in a fierce gale, or a light skiff following a swift current. One need only fear failing to have faith in the one mind and giving rise to difficulties and obstacles oneself. If one enters the mirror of the source, wherever one goes, what is not complied with? Take, for example, the Bodhisattva Śūra: even though he committed sexual misconduct, he still awakened to non-arising. The nun Prakṛti had no intention to cultivate, yet she also realized the fruit of the Way. How much more so for one who faithfully understands the teaching of the Ekayāna and clearly comprehends one's own mind—how could there be no attainment?

Some may wonder: "Must one not sever the kleśas?"

I explain: Simply observe with certitude that killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying arise from the one mind; right where they are, they are tranquil—why would they still need to be severed? Therefore, if one simply understands the one mind, naturally the myriad objects are like illusions. Why? Because all dharmas are produced illusion-like from the mind. Since the mind is formless, how could dharmas have characteristics? Thus the verse of the Acārya Gaocheng says:
"Preaching the teachings originally exhausted the principle of signlessness,
Yet extensive reading originally does not recognize the mind.
Recognize the mind! Understand objects!
Recognizing the mind and understanding objects, the river of dhyāna is calm.
If one can understand objects, one immediately recognizes the mind;
The myriad dharmas are all like the reflections of the Gandharva city."

The nun Prakṛti was Mātaṅgī. The Śūraṅgamasūtra states that the Buddha said to Ānanda: "Mātaṅgī was still an outcaste woman, with no intention to cultivate; aided secretly by spiritual power, she quickly realized the state beyond learning. How could you śrāvakas in the assembly, seeking the supreme yāna, not be determined to attain Buddhahood? It is like scattering dust in a favorable wind—what danger or hardship is there?"

The Sūtra on Purifying Karmic Hindrances states: At that time, there was a monk named Vimalaprabha who entered the city of Vaiśālī to beg for food in succession. Because he did not know, he entered a courtesan's house. When Vimalaprabha had entered her house, the courtesan gave rise to a defiled thought and reflected: "I will surely die now unless I engage in sexual intercourse with this monk. If he does not comply with me, I will lose my life." Having had this thought, she immediately closed the door and said to the monk, "I wish to engage in sexual intercourse with the Venerable One. If you do not comply with me, I will surely die."

Then Vimalaprabha said to the courtesan, "Stop, elder sister! I must not commit such an act now. Why? I must uphold the precepts laid down by the Buddha. I would rather give up my body and life than violate this precept."

At that time, the courtesan further reflected: "I will now use incantations and herbal drugs to make this monk engage in sexual intercourse with me." She said to the monk, "I cannot now cause you to regress and violate the prohibitory precepts. Just accept the food I offer." She then entered inside the house, cast an incantation over the food, and threw it into the monk's bowl. By the power of the incantation, the monk immediately lost right mindfulness, gave rise to a lustful mind, and it gradually intensified. The courtesan, seeing the change in the monk's facial expression, immediately stepped forward, took his hand, and engaged in sexual intercourse with him. At that time, the monk felt mutual desire and pleasure with that courtesan. Having committed sexual intercourse, he took the begged food and returned to the monastery. Upon arriving at the monastery, he was seized with great distress and remorse, his whole body burning with fever: "Alas! Why did I destroy this body of great precepts? I should not now receive the offerings of others' faith. I am now a precept-breaker and will fall into hell!"

Then Vimalaprabha spoke to the monks, his fellow practitioners of the brahma-conduct, saying: "I have now broken the precepts. I am no śramaṇa and will surely go to hell." The monks asked Vimalaprabha, "By what cause and condition did you break this precept?" Vimalaprabha related the matter in full. Then his fellow students said to Vimalaprabha, "Benevolent one, you should know that here there is a bodhisattva-mahāsattva named Mañjuśrī who has attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, who is well able to eradicate the sin of breaking precepts and also cause sentient beings to be free from all hindrances and entanglements. We will now go together with you to the place of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Mañjuśrī to dispel your distress and remorse."

Vimalaprabha had still not eaten. Together with the monks, he went to the place of Mañjuśrī, the Dharma Prince. Having arrived, they inquired after him, made offerings, and paid reverence, and then related the above matter in full to Mañjuśrī. Mañjuśrī said to Vimalaprabha, "Eat for now. Having eaten, we should go together to the Tathāgata's place and ask the Tathāgata about this matter. Whatever the Buddha says, we shall uphold together." After the monk had eaten, he went with Mañjuśrī to the Buddha's place. Having arrived, they bowed their heads to the Buddha's feet and sat to one side. At that time, the monk Vimalaprabha was fearful at heart and did not dare to question the Buddha. Thereupon Mañjuśrī arose from his seat, adjusted his robes, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and reported the above matter in full to the World-Honoured One.

At that time, the World-Honoured One asked Vimalaprabha, "Is this truly so with you?" He replied, "It is truly so." The Buddha asked the monk, "Did you originally have the mind intending to commit sexual misconduct?" He replied, "No." The Buddha asked the monk, "If you originally had no such mind, how did you commit it?" The monk replied, "Only later did I give rise to a lustful mind." "So then, monk, was it the mind that committed lust?" He replied, "So it was." The Buddha asked the monk, "Have I not often said that because the mind is defiled, sentient beings are defiled, and because the mind is pure, sentient beings are pure?" He replied, "So it is." The Buddha asked the monk, "What do you think? When you experienced lust in a dream, was the mind aware of it?" He replied, "It was aware." The Buddha asked the monk, "When you previously committed lust, was it not likewise through the mind being aware of it?" He replied, "So it is." "If so, monk, what difference is there between committing lust while awake and in a dream?" The monk replied, "There is no difference between committing lust while awake and in a dream."

The Buddha said, "What do you think? Did I not say earlier that all dharmas are like a dream?" He replied, "So it is." The Buddha said, "What do you think? Are dharmas that are like a dream real?" He replied, "No." The Buddha asked the monk, "What do you think? Are both the waking mind and the dreaming mind real?" "No, World-Honoured One." The Buddha asked the monk, "If they are not real, are they existent dharmas?" "No, World-Honoured One." The Buddha asked the monk, "What do you think? Do uncreated dharmas have arising?" "No, World-Honoured One." The Buddha asked the monk, "If dharmas have no arising, do they have cessation, bondage, or liberation?" "No, World-Honoured One." The Buddha asked the monk, "What do you think? Since unarisen dharmas do not exist at all, could there be a falling into the three evil paths?"

The Buddha told the monk, "All dharmas are originally pure in nature. Yet ordinary beings, childish and devoid of wisdom, regarding dharmas that do not exist, do not know them as such; thus they falsely give rise to conceptual discrimination, and on account of conceptual discrimination, they fall into the three evil paths." He further told the monk, "Dharmas are without reality, yet display various things to be done. It is for the sake of ordinary beings attached to rāga, dveṣa, and moha that dharmas are conceptually discriminated; because they do not know them as such, they are not real." He further told the monk, "Dharmas are deceptive, like a mirage. Dharmas are like a dream; being inherently sovereign, they attain purity. Dharmas are ultimately like the moon in the water, like foam and bubbles. Dharmas are tranquil, without the afflictions of old age, sickness, and death. Dharmas cannot be grasped; not being material dharmas, they cannot be seen. Dharmas are without accumulation, like empty space. Dharmas are without nature, transcending all natures. Dharmas are profound, transcending delusions. Dharmas are vast, without location. Dharmas have no doing, being ultimately tranquil. Dharmas have no reliance, their objects being empty. Dharmas have no root, being utterly empty. Dharmas are free from hindrances and entanglements, for the kleśas and saṃyojanas cannot be found. Dharmas are free from blaze, for their nature is unarisen." And so forth, down to: At that time, Vimalaprabha, hearing this Dharma expounded, felt joy in his heart, sorrow and delight intermingling. Shedding tears, he pressed his hands together with palms joined, single-mindedly gazed upon the Buddha, and spoke a gāthā:
"Splendid, World-Honoured One of great merit,
To whom all devas and mortals turn for refuge!
Well awakened to all supreme, wondrous dharmas,
I bow my head to the one who can sever all painful practices."

Furthermore, the Buddha told Mañjuśrī: In the past there was a Buddha named Vimalaprabha. At that time there was a monk named Śūra who entered the city of Durjaya, begging for food in succession. He arrived at an elder's house. In that family there was a daughter of upright and beautiful appearance. Seeing Śūra, she gave rise to defiled attachment, and even used illness as a pretext to invite Śūra to preach the Dharma. Afterward, Śūra went to her house frequently and became increasingly intimate with her; having met frequently, he lost right mindfulness and gave rise to a lustful mind. He then engaged in sexual intercourse with that girl. His mind became infatuated, and his visits were frequent. At that time, the girl's husband, seeing this monk visiting frequently, gave rise to suspicion and anger in his heart, and devised an expedient means wishing to end his life. The monk Śūra, having heard of this matter, took poison, gave it to the girl, and said to her, "If you truly care for me, you can take this poison to kill your husband." The elder's daughter then mixed the poison into the food and ordered her maidservant: "Take this food and serve it to my husband." When the husband had eaten the food, he immediately died.

At that time, Śūra, hearing that he had died, gave rise to great remorse in his heart and reflected: "What I have done now is a great and heavy evil. How can I be called a monk? I have committed sexual intercourse and also taken a human life. Being like this now, where can I turn for refuge?" He gave rise to great distress: "If my life ends, I will fall into the evil paths. Who can relieve me of such suffering?" Because of this matter, he ran in terror from one monastery to another, his robes falling to the ground, saying: "Alas! How terrible! I am now a being of hell!"

At that time, there was a monastery named Himu, in which there was a bodhisattva named Vighuṣṭara. The monk Śūra went into his room and threw his whole body to the ground. Then that bodhisattva asked Śūra, "Why have you thrown your body to the ground?" He replied, "O Venerable, I am now a being of hell." He asked again, "Who has made you a person of hell?" Śūra replied, "I have committed a great sin, violating the precept against sexual misconduct and also taking a human life." Then that bodhisattva said to Śūra, "Monk, do not fear. I have the power now to bestow fearlessness upon you." At that time, Śūra, hearing that bodhisattva's voice bestowing fearlessness, gave rise to joy in his heart, leaping with boundless delight.

Then the Bodhisattva Vighuṣṭara immediately lifted Śūra from the ground, took him by his right hand, led him to another place, and sat among the trees of the forest. The Bodhisattva Vighuṣṭara then entered the realm of all buddhas, the wondrous gate of the Mahāyāna, the Tathāgata-ratnamudrā-samādhi. Having entered the samādhi, he manifested from his body immeasurable buddha-bodies, all of golden color, with the thirty-two marks, filling the forest trees. At that time, all the buddhas in unison spoke this gāthā:
"All dharmas are like reflections in a mirror,
And also like the moon in the water.
The foolish and deluded minds of ordinary beings
Discriminate moha, dveṣa, and rāga."
And so forth, down to:
"All dharmas are constantly signless,
Tranquil and without root,
Boundless and ungraspable;
The nature of desire is also like this."

At that time, twenty thousand devaputras in the forest, who had come to the Bodhisattva Vighuṣṭara to listen to the Dharma, heard this gāthā expounded and immediately attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas.