宗鏡錄 18.25
English (machine translation) 18.25
- Language
- English
18.25.1
Answer: They do not together make up a single Buddha, nor does each separately become one. This principle is difficult to comprehend; let us try to cite an analogy to consider it. It is like Guoqing Monastery: it is the dharmadhātu. The monks residing in the monastery are the ancient Buddhas. A traveler from afar visiting temporarily is one who temporarily resonates with the Buddha. On a later day, out of admiration he shaves his head and is assigned to the monastery; Guoqing is then my monastery. The pine paths of the Five Peaks, the terraces, halls, chambers, and corridors—all are mine. Instantly I obtain their enjoyment, without diminishing what belongs to others; it becomes my home. It is not that each person separately constructs a monastery; nor is it like others dividing up a monastery. If it were divided, it would depart along with the person; but the ever-abiding dharmadhātu cannot be divided. This meaning comes from the Nirvāṇa Sūtra: for example, by the road there is a great tree; its shade is cool and refreshing, and anyone who comes receives it, with no one barring them and no one carrying it away. Since this has been sealed by the golden mouth [of the Buddha], it can be upheld and practiced. Furthermore, capacity and response are interrelated; when the conditions of resonance and response converge, one can see all boundless Buddha-activities. This is because the Buddha is the sovereign condition, with his vast compassionate vows and the power of his wholesome roots of benevolence; and sentient beings are the fruition of equal flow, responding through their utmost sincerity, seeing him when their faculties are mature. Yet in general, none of this goes beyond one's own mind. Like the manifestation of lions from the fingers, the drunken elephant bowing to the feet, the compassionate mother meeting her child, the blind thief gaining sight, the city turning into lapis lazuli, the rock being hoisted into empty space, the Śākya woman's sores healing, and Devadatta's illness being cured—all are the power of the wholesome roots of benevolence cultivated and perfumed through accumulated kalpas by our original teacher, causing all sentient beings to see them within their own minds. Such matters as those above can corroborate the present text. Therefore the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: The Buddha said: "Good son, when Devadatta instructed King Ajātaśatru to harm the Tathāgata, at that time I entered the great city of Rājagṛha, begging for food in sequential order. King Ajātaśatru then released the wild, intoxicated elephant Dhanapāla, intending to harm me and my disciples. Thereupon, in order to subdue the elephant Dhanapāla, I entered the absorption of loving-kindness, extended my hand and displayed it to him, whereupon five lions emerged from my five fingers. When the elephant saw this, fear arose in its mind, and it immediately evacuated its bowels, threw its whole body to the ground, and paid homage at my feet. Good son, at that time, at the tips of the five fingers of my hand there were in reality no lions; it was merely through the power of having cultivated the wholesome roots of benevolence that I caused him to be subdued. "Furthermore, good son, when I was about to enter nirvāṇa and had just set out toward the city of Kuśinagara, there were five hundred wrestlers along the road leveling, sweeping, and sprinkling it. In the middle of the road was a boulder; the crowd wished to lift and remove it, but with all their strength they could not. At that time I felt pity and gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness. Those wrestlers immediately saw me lift this great boulder with my big toe, hurl it into the sky, catch it again with my hand, place it on my right palm, blow on it so that it shattered into powder, and then bring it together again as before, causing the wrestlers' pride to subside. I then briefly expounded various essentials of the Dharma for them, causing them all to give rise to the mind of anuttarasaṃyaksaṃbodhi. Good son, at that time the Tathāgata in truth did not lift this great boulder with his toe, hold it in the sky, place it back on his right palm, blow on it to shatter it into powder, and restore it as it originally was. Good son, you should know that it was the power of the wholesome roots of benevolence that caused the wrestlers to see such things. "Furthermore, good son, in South India there is a great city named Śūrpāraka. In this city there was an elder named Ruci, who was a leader of the multitude and had already planted wholesome roots before immeasurable Buddhas of the past. Good son, in that great city all the people had faith in and submitted to heterodox paths, serving the Nirgranthas. At that time, wishing to deliver that elder, I traveled on foot from the city of Rājagṛha to that city, a distance of sixty-five yojanas between them along the road, wishing to transform and deliver those people. When those Nirgranthas heard that I was about to arrive at the city of Śūrpāraka, they had this thought: 'If the recluse Gautama arrives here, these people will surely abandon us and provide for us no longer; we will be impoverished and distressed—how will we sustain ourselves?' The Nirgranthas then dispersed in various directions and told the people of that city: 'The recluse Gautama now wishes to come here. But that recluse abandoned his father and mother, rushing about east and west; wherever he goes, he causes the land to fail to yield grain, the people to suffer famine, many to die, and emaciation and disease to follow one after another without relief. Gautama is a vagrant who brings only evil rākṣasas and spirits as his retinue; fatherless, motherless, solitary and destitute people come to inquire of him and become his disciples. What he teaches speaks purely of emptiness; wherever he goes, there is never any peace or joy.' When those people heard this, they harbored fear, bowed their heads to the ground in homage at the feet of the Nirgranthas, and said: 'Great teachers, what plan should we devise now?' The Nirgranthas replied: 'The recluse Gautama by nature loves groves, forests, flowing springs, and clear waters; if there are any outside, they ought to be destroyed. You should go out of the city together, wherever such things exist, and cut them all down completely, leaving none behind. In flowing springs, wells, and ponds, deposit filth and feces. Firmly bolt the city gates, let each equip their weapons, guard the ramparts, and vigilantly maintain your defense. If he should come, do not let him advance. If he does not advance, you will be secure. We shall also perform various arts to cause that Gautama to retrace his path and depart.' Having heard these words, those people respectfully assented and carried them out: cutting down trees, polluting all waters, equipping weapons, and firmly defending themselves. Good son, when I arrived at that city at that time, I did not see any trees, groves, or forests; I saw only the people equipped with weapons, guarding themselves upon the walls. Having seen this, I immediately felt pity and directed a mind of loving-kindness toward them: all the trees grew back as they originally were, and grew even further, and the remaining trees were beyond count; the rivers, ponds, springs, and wells became filled with pure water, like blue lapis lazuli."
18.25.2
produced diverse flowers completely covering over it, transforming its city walls into deep blue lapis lazuli. The people within the city were all able to see through clearly to me and the great assembly. The gates opened of themselves, with none able to hinder them. The weapons they had arrayed turned into assorted flowers. With the elder Ruci as their leader, the people accompanied one another and went to where the Buddha was. I then taught them various essential dharmas, causing all of those people to generate the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Good sons, at that time I did not truly conjure various trees, pure flowing waters, overflowing rivers and ponds, nor transform their native city into deep blue lapis lazuli, nor cause those people to see clearly through to me, open their city gates, or turn weapons into flowers. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which could cause those people to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, in the city of Śrāvastī there was a brahmin woman of the Vāsiṣṭha clan who had only an only son whom she loved deeply. When he contracted an illness and died, the woman's grief pierced her heart like poison; she was driven mad and lost her sanity. Naked without shame, she wandered about the four crossroads weeping and wailing, crying out, 'Child, child, where have you gone?' She traversed the cities and towns without fatigue. Yet this woman had already planted roots of virtue under past buddhas. Good sons, I gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness and pity toward this woman. At that time the woman was then able to see me, and immediately conceiving the thought that I was her child, she regained her original mind, came forward to embrace my body, and kissed my mouth. I then told my attendant Ānanda, 'You may take robes and give them to this woman.' After giving her robes, I preached various essential dharmas for her. Hearing the Dharma, the woman rejoiced exceedingly and generated the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Good sons, at that time I was truly not her child, nor was she my mother, nor was there any embracing. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which caused that woman to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, in the city of Vārāṇasī there was an upāsikā named Mahāsenadattā, who had already planted roots of goodness under past buddhas of immeasurable light. For ninety days of the summer, this upāsikā invited the saṅgha of monks and offered them medicines. At that time, one monk among the assembly was stricken with a grave illness. When a skilled physician examined him, [the physician stated that] he required meat as medicine: if he could obtain meat, the illness could be cured; if he could not obtain meat, his life would not be preserved. When the upāsikā heard these words of the physician, she immediately took gold and went throughout the marketplaces, crying out, 'Who has meat for sale? I will buy it with gold. If anyone has meat, I will give an equal amount of gold.' Having searched throughout the city, she was unable to obtain any. This upāsikā then took a knife, cut the flesh from her own thigh, minced it to make a broth, seasoned it with various spices, and sent it to the sick monk. After taking it, the monk's illness was cured. The upāsikā, tormented by the suffering of the wound beyond endurance, called out, 'Namo Buddhāya! Namo Buddhāya!' At that time, I was in the city of Śrāvastī. Hearing her voice, I gave rise to great loving-kindness toward this woman. The woman immediately saw me holding fine medicine, which I applied to her wound so that it joined back together as before. I then preached various dharmas for her. Hearing the Dharma, she rejoiced and generated the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Good sons, at that time I did not truly go to the city of Vārāṇasī to apply medicine to this upāsikā's wound. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which caused that woman to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, that evil man Devadatta was greedy and insatiable. Because he consumed a large amount of ghee, his head ached and his belly swelled, causing him great agony beyond endurance. He called out, 'Namo Buddhāya! Namo Buddhāya!' At that time I was staying in the city of Ujjayinī. Hearing his voice, I gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness. Devadatta then immediately saw me go to where he was, rub his head and belly with my hand, and give him salt broth to drink. Having drunk it, he recovered. Good sons, I did not truly go to where Devadatta was to rub his head and belly, nor give him broth to drink. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which caused Devadatta to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, in the kingdom of Kośala there was a band of robbers, five hundred in number, who pillaged in gangs and caused immense harm. King Prasenajit, troubled by their violence, dispatched soldiers to watch for and capture them. Once captured, their eyes were gouged out, and they were cast out beneath a dark, dense forest. These robbers had already planted many roots of virtue under past buddhas. Having lost their eyes and experiencing great agony, each cried out, 'Namo Buddhāya! Namo Buddhāya! We now have no one to rescue or protect us!' and they wept and wailed. At that time I was staying in the Jeta Grove vihāra. Hearing their cries, I gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness. Then a cool breeze blew various fragrant medicines from Mount Gandhamādana, filling their eye sockets, and immediately their eyes were restored, no different from before. When the robbers opened their eyes, they saw the Tathāgata standing right before them, expounding the Dharma for them. Having heard the Dharma, the robbers generated the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Good sons, at that time I did not truly make the wind blow various fragrant medicines from Mount Gandhamādana, nor stand before those people to expound the Dharma for them. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which caused that band of robbers to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, Prince Virūḍhaka, out of foolishness, deposed his father the king and set himself up as ruler. Harboring an old grudge, he slaughtered many of the Śākya clan, taking twelve thousand Śākya women, cutting off their ears and noses, severing their hands and feet, and casting them into pits and moats. At that time, these women suffered agony and cried out, 'Namo Buddhāya! Namo Buddhāya! We now have no one to rescue or protect us!' and wailed loudly. These women,
18.25.3
"[They] had already planted roots of goodness under former buddhas. At that time, I was in the Bamboo Grove, and hearing their cries, I immediately gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness. Those women then saw me arrive in the city of Kapilavastu, wash their sores with water, and apply medicine to them, whereupon their agony was immediately removed, and their ears, noses, hands, and feet were restored to their original state. I then briefly expounded the essentials of the Dharma to them, causing them all to give rise to the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, and at the place of the bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī they went forth from the household and received the complete precepts. Good son, at that time the Tathāgata in truth did not go to the city of Kapilavastu, wash their sores with water, or apply medicine to stop their pain. Good son, you should know that all this was through the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which enabled those women to see such things. The mind of compassion and sympathetic joy is likewise also like this. Good son, for this reason, when bodhisattva-mahāsattvas cultivate the contemplation of loving-kindness, it is real and not false. Good son, the immeasurable is inconceivable; that which bodhisattvas practice is inconceivable; that which buddhas practice is also inconceivable; and this Mahāyāna scripture, the Great Nirvāṇa Sūtra, is also inconceivable.'
Using this clear text, it can serve as a genuine proof. Thus we know that all the defiled and pure phenomena of the three realms and nine states of existence do not go beyond the citta of the sentient beings of the dharmadhātu. It is just like a painter who paints all kinds of scenes; the painter that is the citta is also like this.
Therefore the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthānasūtra states: 'Furthermore, that bhikṣu contemplates thus: How is it that sentient beings have various forms and various characteristics, have various destinies and various bases? Furthermore, he contemplates that they have various minds, various bases, various convictions, and various karmas. These various forms, various characteristics, various destinies, and various bases are like a clever and skillful painter or his apprentice who inspects a fine, flat, firm, and smooth ground. Having obtained this ground, with various pigments and various mixed colours, whether fine or base, he produces according to his mind such forms and characteristics. The painter of mind and karma, or his apprentice, is also like this: on the fine, flat, firm, and smooth ground of karmic retribution—the ground and realm of saṃsāra—according to his understanding he produces various forms and characteristics, various destinies, and various bases. The painter of mind and karma through karma makes sentient beings.
'Furthermore, as for the various pigments: taking white, he makes white; taking red, he makes red; taking yellow, he makes yellow; if he takes dove-colour, it becomes dove-colour; taking black, he makes black. The painter of mind and karma is also like this: conditioning white, he takes white, and among devas and humans it becomes white colour. What is the meaning of "white"? It is not defiled by the stains of the outflows such as desire; therefore it is called white colour. Furthermore, the painter of mind and karma takes red pigment, and among devas and humans can make red colour. What is the meaning of "red"? It refers to attachment to sounds, tastes, touches, scents, and sights, painting the garment of contemplation. Furthermore, the painter of mind and karma takes yellow pigment, and in the animal destiny can make yellow colour. What is the meaning of "yellow"? They mutually drink each other's blood and devour each other's flesh; through desire, dveṣa, and moha they further kill and harm one another; therefore it is called yellow colour. Furthermore, the painter of mind and karma takes dove-colour pigment, and by grasping and contemplating, makes the soiled dove-colour in the hungry ghost destiny. What is the meaning of "dove-colour"? Their bodies are like trees in a forest burned by fire, distressed by hunger and thirst and pressed by various sufferings; it is sustained by the envious mind of the painter of mind and karma and covered by the darkness of moha. Furthermore, the painter of mind and karma takes black pigment, and in the hells paints black colour. What is the meaning of "black"? Because of black karma, they are born in the hells where there are black iron walls, and being burned and bound, they obtain black bodies, developing various diseases, bodies tormented by hunger and thirst, and pressed by immeasurable sufferings. All this is their own karma, not made by another.
'Furthermore, that bhikṣu contemplates these three realms and five destinies, the five pigments, the painted garment of saṃsāra, abiding in the three grounds—namely, the ground of the desire realm, and the grounds of form and formlessness. The painter of mind and karma indulges in sexual desire, grasping at and painting the various forms of the desire realm; relying on form as a basis, there are twenty kinds. Taking the four dhyānas free from desire as the paintbrush, relying on the sixteen grounds as the place to be painted, he makes the form realm. Leaving behind the samāpattis conditioning the form realm and conditioning the formless realm, he paints the four places. The painter of mind and karma extensively paints such a great garment of the three realms.
'Furthermore, that bhikṣu contemplates this painter of mind and karma: the body is like the vessel of pigments; desire, dveṣa, and moha are taken as the firmness [of the vessel]; the mind that grasps at conditions is like a ladder; the faculties are like paintbrushes; external objects—sounds, touches, tastes, sights, and various scents—are like the various pigments; saṃsāra is like the ground; wisdom is like the light; diligently generating vīrya is similar to the hand; sentient beings are like the painting; supernormal powers are like those immeasurable forms and attires; and the immeasurable varieties of karmic retribution born are like the completion of the painting.
'Furthermore, that bhikṣu, relying on dhyāna, contemplates that the painter of mind and karma has distinct principles: Just as that painter does not become weary, prepares pigments well so that each is bright and pure, knows fine brushes well, and paints fine colours, the painter of mind and karma is also like this: he does not become weary, and if he cultivates dhyāna-concentration, he prepares the pigments of dhyāna well; his grasping at conditions is bright and pure, like the brilliance of pigments; the master of cultivating the Path is like a fine and good brush; knowing the higher and lower levels of dhyāna is like skillful knowing; adopting and discarding is like not being weary. Such a painter of mind and karma in dhyāna-concentration paints that ground of dhyāna like those fine colours.
'Furthermore, if this painter of mind and karma becomes weary, then he paints unvirtuously: in the places of the destinies of hells, hungry ghosts, and animals, with conditions of shared karma, he takes an iron pestle as a brush and unvirtuous pigments to paint unfit beings—namely, hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals; such colours are paintings of unfine colours.'"
18.25.4
As is explained at length above. Explanation: Thus, a painter moves the mind of skill or clumsiness and holds a brush of the five colours, sketching out all manner of fine and coarse images upon a level and flat ground; just so, sentient beings are endowed with minds of delusion or wisdom and wield the brush of the three karmas, painting all matters of suffering and joy upon the ground of good and evil. Furthermore, a worldly painter can only paint the form aggregate (rūpaskandha), whereas the mind painter can paint all five aggregates (pañcaskandha). Again, a worldly painting is not durable: when the colour fades, the image is destroyed; the mind's painting endures through long kalpas: though the body perishes, the karma is not lost. Again, a worldly painting is very easy to understand: beauty and ugliness can both be seen; the mind's painting is extremely difficult to investigate: its retributions cannot be known. As a verse in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthānasūtra says: / 'What is created by all karma / Surpasses a skillful painter. / The karma-painter among the gods / Creates all kinds of pleasurable retributions. / Various colours / Can be counted when directly observed; / Karma of the mind spreads multiple colours, / Whose number cannot be known. / If the wall is destroyed, the painting perishes: / The two are extinguished at the same time. / But when the body is destroyed and dies, / The painting of karma cannot be lost. / Just as a single painter / Produces various ornaments, / So too does the one mind / Produce various karmas. / When the radiant colours of the five pigments appear, / Seeing them gives rise to attachment and pleasure; / The painting of the five sense-faculties is also like this: / In accordance with karma, there is birth and death. / Just as a worldly skilled painter / Can be seen in the present, / The painter of the mind is subtle: / He cannot be seen at all. / Painting shapes of beauty and ugliness, / He causes various images to appear on the wall; / Karma of the mind is also like this: / It can produce good and evil retributions. / Day and night, this mind / Thinks and ponders without ever stopping; / In this way, karma follows the mind, / Constantly accompanying it and never parting. / Through wind, dust, smoke, clouds, and heat, / The colours of a painting are destroyed; / But unless good is abandoned and bad is not maintained, / Only then are the various karmas lost.' / Furthermore, according to the Pratyutpannasamādhisūtra, seeing the Buddha has roughly four similes: First, the dream simile: just as what is seen in a dream is produced from conceptual differentiation, so seeing all buddhas arises from one's own mind. Second, the water-reflection simile: water is a simile for the nature of the mind; thus, the moon-reflection of the Buddha is entirely an entity within the true mind of sentient beings. Mind and Buddha interpenetrate: it is solely the true mind. Third, the illusion simile: one's own mind is like the art of illusion, and all buddhas are like what is produced by illusion; this means that only because there is a phenomenon capable of illusion is an illusory matter formed: without the mind capable of mindfulness, there is no Buddha to be seen. Fourth, the echo simile: just as an empty valley produces an echo following a sound, so through understanding one's own mind, one sees the Buddha following upon thought. Among the above four similes, the first directly illustrates mind-only; the second, being mind-only, is therefore empty; the third, being mind-only, is therefore provisional; the fourth, being mind-only, is therefore the middle. Furthermore, the dream simile illustrates neither coming nor going; the reflection simile illustrates neither exiting nor entering; the illusion simile illustrates neither existing nor not existing; the echo simile illustrates neither uniting nor separating. As a verse in the sūtra says: / 'The mind does not know the mind; / The mind does not see the mind. / When the mind has ideation, it is delusion; / When it has no ideation, it is nirvāṇa. / These phenomena are not durable; / They are always established upon mindfulness. / Those who see emptiness through understanding / Have no conceptual thoughts at all.' / Explanation: If the mind were to see the mind itself, then the prior mind would be the seer and the Buddha would be the seen. A knife does not cut itself; a finger does not touch itself. How could one's own mind turn back and see one's own mind? Grasping and grasped are not distinct; seeing and characteristics are thus terminated. Therefore, the sūtra says: 'When the mind has ideation, it is delusion.' If there is no ideation, then the mind merges with the Buddha of the nature, and thinking and seeking are forever terminated. The above concerns sentient beings' own minds inducing appearances. Next, the power of the causal vows of all buddhas and bodhisattvas manifests transformative teachings without interruption. Therefore, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśasūtra says: 'Although displaying the realization of complete enlightenment, they do not abandon the bodhisattva path.' Although awakening to 'the mind itself is Buddha' and immediately accomplishing bodhi, yet because sentient beings have not realized it, they extensively cultivate meritorious karma to guide those who have not heard, causing all to open up understanding and return together to this ground. As the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'Although capable of accomplishing anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi in a single thought, yet for the sake of sentient beings, they practice the bodhisattva conduct throughout immeasurable kalpas without resting. This is the mount-like sovereign mind.' It also says: 'Sons of the Buddha! The bodhisattva mahāsattva also generates this thought: “Anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi has the mind as its foundation. If the mind is pure, then one can consummate all wholesome roots and will definitely attain mastery over the Buddha's bodhi. If wishing to accomplish anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, one accomplishes it immediately at will. If wishing to eradicate all conditions of grasping and abide in the unilateral path, I can also attain it. Yet I do not eradicate them; because I wish to culminate the Buddha's bodhi, I also do not immediately realize unexcelled bodhi. Why? In order to fulfill the original vows, exhaust all worlds, practice the bodhisattva conduct, and transform sentient beings.” This is the ninth, the vajra-like Mahāyāna mind of vow.' By the above comparisons and similes, faith is verified without doubt; then the Buddha Way is established at once, not derived from the instruction of others. In the end, one does not give rise to any other thought, but solely purifies the one mind itself. This may be called according with the Buddha's original intention and attaining the correct meaning of the teaching.
Linked texts (1)
- 宗鏡錄 — Classical Chinese