宗鏡錄 18.25.3

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.'"