宗鏡錄 20.9

20.9

Answer: The citta is fundamentally pure; its traces are also pure, its substance is also pure, and its function is also pure. Because apart from the one mind there is no other purity, erroneous defilements cannot defile it, and true dharmas cannot purify it. Why is this? Apart from citta there is no different dharma—how could there be a defilement capable of defiling it? Nor is there any true dharma apart from citta—how could there be a purity capable of purifying it? Thus, a blade cannot cut itself, and a finger cannot touch itself. A verse in the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra says:
'It has been said that the nature of citta is pure,
yet it is defiled by adventitious dust.
Not apart from the tathatā of citta
is there another pure nature of citta.'
Not apart from the tathatā of citta is there another citta—namely, the dependent characteristic (paratantralakṣaṇa)—that is spoken of as intrinsically pure. In this, one should know that the tathatā of citta is spoken of as citta, and this very citta is spoken of as intrinsically pure. This citta is precisely the amalavijñāna. Furthermore, as for all sentient beings who have not yet seen the nature: although hidden by adventitious dust and buried by the five aggregates, no matter how they transmigrate back and forth through birth and death, its nature is not obscured. If they meet a good spiritual friend to uncover and open it, it will ultimately become manifest of itself. Because it is the supramundane, eternally abiding jewel of the citta, how could the mundane dharmas of impermanence, decay, and arising and ceasing cause it to fall into ruin? It is like the store of gold in the poor woman's room, which, though not yet excavated, does not shift; like the precious pearl on the champion's forehead, which, no matter how it sinks during combat, is ever-present; like the medicinal flavor in the Himalayan bamboo tube, which, though briefly flowing forth, constantly endures; like the diamond beneath the great earth, which, even if chiselled and bored, is not destroyed. Therefore, the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra states:
'Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, from this day forth, I have finally attained right view. World-Honoured One, before this, all of us were called people of wrong view. World-Honoured One, does the self exist in the twenty-five states of existence, or not?"
The Buddha said: "Good man, the self is the meaning of the tathāgatagarbha. All sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature—this is the meaning of the self. This meaning of the self has from the beginning always been covered by immeasurable kleśas; therefore, sentient beings have been unable to see it. Good man, it is like a poor woman in whose house is a store of abundant real gold, yet no one in the household, great or small, knows of it. Then an extraordinary man, skilled in knowing expedient means, says to the poor woman: 'I will now hire you; you may weed out the overgrown grass for me.' The woman then replies: 'I cannot. If you can show my son the store of gold, only then will I quickly work for you.' The man again says: 'I know the expedient means and can show your son.' The woman replies: 'No one in my house, great or small, even knows of it, so how could you know?' The man again says: 'I truly am able now.' The woman replies: 'I also wish to see it; please show it to me.' That man then digs out the store of real gold in her house. Having seen it, the woman gives rise to joy in her mind, conceives a notion of wonder, and reveres that man. Good man, the Buddha-nature of sentient beings is also like this: all sentient beings cannot see it, just as the poor person did not know of that jewel store. Good man, I now universally show all sentient beings that whatever Buddha-nature they possess is covered over by the kleśas—just as that poor person, having a store of real gold, could not see it. Today the Tathāgata universally shows sentient beings the jewel store of all awakenings—namely, the Buddha-nature—and when sentient beings have seen this, their minds give rise to joy, and they take refuge in and revere the Tathāgata. The one skilled in expedient means is the Tathāgata; the poor woman is all immeasurable sentient beings; the store of real gold is the Buddha-nature.
Furthermore, it is like a royal household having a mighty wrestler. Between this man's eyebrows is a diamond pearl. He wrestles and grapples with another wrestler, and that wrestler butts him with his head. The pearl on his forehead immediately sinks into his flesh, and he does not know at all where the pearl is. There is a wound in that place, so he summons an excellent physician, wishing to treat himself. At that time, an insightful physician, well-versed in prescriptions and medicines, sees that the wound is due to the pearl entering the body. When the pearl entered the skin, it came to rest there. The excellent physician then asks the wrestler: 'Sir, where is the pearl on your forehead?' The wrestler replies in alarm: 'Great Master, King of Physicians, has the pearl on my forehead gone missing? Where is that pearl now? Could it be an illusion?' and weeps in distress. At that time, the excellent physician consoles the wrestler: 'You should not give rise to great sorrow and suffering now. When you fought, the precious pearl entered your body; it is now under the skin, and its image is visible on the outside. When you were fighting, the poison of wrath was intense, and the pearl sank into your body, so you did not know it.' At that time, the wrestler does not believe the physician's words: 'If it is under the skin, where pus and blood are impure, why does it not come out? If it is inside the sinews, it should not be visible. Why do you now deceive me?' Then the physician takes a mirror to reflect his face; the pearl is clearly and distinctly visible in the mirror. Having seen it, the wrestler feels amazement and conceives a notion of wonder. Good man, all sentient beings are also like this: because they cannot draw near to a good spiritual friend, although they possess the Buddha-nature, none can see it, and they are covered over by lust, wrath, and folly. Therefore, they fall into the hells, animals, hungry ghosts, asuras, caṇḍālas, kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, being born into such various families. Because of the various karmic conditions arisen from the citta, although they receive a human body, they may be deaf, blind, mute, crippled, or lame, receiving various retributions in the twenty-five states of existence. Lust, wrath, and folly cover their minds, so they do not know the Buddha-nature—just as that wrestler, with the precious pearl in his body, thought he had lost it. Sentient beings are also like this: because they do not know to draw near to a good spiritual friend, they do not recognize the subtle and secret jewel store of the Tathāgata, and practicing the learning of non-self, they are like non-nobles. Although it is said that there is a self, they also do not know the true nature of the self. My disciples are also like this: because they do not know to draw near to a good spiritual friend, in practicing the learning of non-self, they also do not know the locus of non-self; since they do not even know the true nature of non-self, how much less could they know the true nature of having a self? Good man, the Tathāgata in this way says that all sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature, just as the excellent physician showed that wrestler the diamond pearl. These sentient beings are covered over by immeasurable billions of kleśas and do not recognize the Buddha-nature. If their kleśas are exhausted, then they will clearly realize and know it, just as that wrestler saw his precious pearl in the clear mirror. Good man, the Tathāgata's secret store is immeasurable and inconceivable like this.
Furthermore, good man, it is like the Himalayas, where there is a medicinal herb of one flavor named 'Delightful Flavor'. Its flavor is extremely sweet; growing under deep thickets, no one can see it. Some people smell its fragrance and then know that in this ground there must be this herb. In past ages, there was a wheel-turning king who, for the sake of this herb, made wooden tubes everywhere in these Himalayas to collect this herb. When this herb matured, it flowed out from the ground and gathered in the wooden tubes; its flavor was genuine. After the king passed away, thereafter this herb became sour or salty, sweet or bitter, pungent or bland. Thus this single flavor had various differences according to where it flowed. The true flavor of this herb remained on the mountain, like the full moon. Ordinary people of meager merit, though wielding hoes and laboring bitterly, could not obtain it. Then a holy king appeared in the world, and by the causes and conditions of merit, he immediately obtained the genuine flavor of this herb. Good man, the Tathāgata's secret store is also like this in its flavor: covered by the thicket of kleśas, sentient beings of avidyā cannot see it. The herb of one flavor is an analogy for the Buddha-nature. Because of kleśas, it produces various flavors—namely, hells, animals, hungry ghosts, devas, humans, male, female, non-male and non-female, kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, vaiśyas, and śūdras. The Buddha-nature is valorous and difficult to destroy; therefore, there is none who can kill it. If there were one who could kill it, that would sever the Buddha-nature. Such a Buddha-nature can ultimately never be severed; if the nature could be severed, that would be impossible. What is the nature of the self is precisely the secret store of the Tathāgata. Such a secret store cannot be destroyed or burned away by anyone. Although it cannot be destroyed, it cannot be seen. Only when one succeeds in attaining anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi will one then realize and know it. Due to this reason, none can kill it."
Bodhisattva Kāśyapa again said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, if there is no killer, there should be no unwholesome karma."
The Buddha told Kāśyapa: "There truly is the killing of living beings. Why? Good man, the Buddha-nature of sentient beings abides within the five aggregates. If one destroys the five aggregates, this is called killing living beings. If one kills living beings, one immediately falls into evil destinies. Due to karmic causes and conditions, there are kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, vaiśyas, śūdras, and caṇḍālas, male or female, non-male or non-female, the differentiated characteristics of the twenty-five states of existence, transmigrating through birth and death. Non-noble people falsely cling to a self, taking various characteristics, great or small, like a panicum seed, or saying it is like a bean, up to the size of a thumb. In these various ways they falsely give rise to conceptualizations; the characteristics of false conceptualizations have no reality. The supramundane characteristic of the self is called the Buddha-nature; to cling to the self in this way is called the most excellent.
Furthermore, good man, it is like someone who knows hidden treasures well: he takes a sharp hoe and digs straight down into the ground; boulders, sand, and gravel are passed through without difficulty, and only when he reaches diamond can he not pierce through. As for diamond, no knife or axe can destroy it. Good man, the Buddha-nature of sentient beings is also like this: all debaters, the heavenly Māra Pāpīyas, and humans and devas cannot destroy it. The characteristics of the five aggregates are precisely created things; the characteristics of created things are like stones and sand, which can be pierced and destroyed. The Buddha-nature is like diamond, which cannot be destroyed. For this reason, destroying the five aggregates is called killing living beings. Good man, you must definitely know that the Buddha-Dharma is inconceivable like this.'
From this we know that although we have the Buddha-nature, it has long been dimmed by worldly defilements; we must use śamatha and vipaśyanā to perfume and cultivate it, and only then will it attain clarity and purity. Like the poor woman obtaining the treasure in the storehouse, or the wrestler seeing the pearl in the mirror, one only then personally awakens to one's own citta's wondrous awakening, fully perfected. Furthermore, how does one practice śamatha and vipaśyanā so as to accord with true cultivation? Simply realize that the mind capable of contemplating and the object contemplated are each free from intrinsic nature; then the erroneous mind ceases of itself—this is called śamatha. Constantly maintaining this contemplation without losing its illumination is called vipaśyanā. Thus śamatha is immediately vipaśyanā, and vipaśyanā is immediately śamatha; there is neither subject nor object of contemplation—this is called śamatha-vipaśyanā. As an ancient worthy said: 'The quiescence of dharma-nature is called śamatha; quiescent yet constantly illuminating is called vipaśyanā.' It is not that the subject and object of contemplation are two different things. Therefore, a verse in the Avataṃsakasūtra says:
'If one wishes to know the Buddha's realm,
one should purify one's thought like empty space,
departing from false conceptualizations and all graspings,
causing whatever the mind directs toward to be unimpeded.'
The commentary explains: 'First, departing from false grasping is like that pure sky having no clouds or haze; this is true śamatha. Second, encountering objects without obstruction is like that pure sky having no hindrance; this is true vipaśyanā. This vipaśyanā does not deliberately form an intention to illuminate objects, so what is illuminated is boundless; this śamatha, because its substance is free from nature and ceases falsehood, makes all destinies quiescent. If it is like this, then without brushing or polishing, it is naturally pure. The purity of non-purity mysteriously accords with the source of dharmas; the cultivation of non-cultivation silently treads into the Buddha's realm.'
Therefore we know that the true wisdom of the one mind alone is our own fundamental body, serenely ever-present and presently manifest in clarity and purity. Naturally, with the beak of wisdom, it pecks open the shell of avidyā, flies out of the three realms, free and unimpeded. Only at this time does one come to see the nature clearly. What other dharma could possibly compare with it? As the 'Song of Solitary Quiescence' by Danxia says:
'Without delusion, there must be the undeluded citta;
When observed it seems shallow, but when applied it is deep.
If this true pearl is gathered,
How could it be like a woodcutter carrying yellow gold?
When yellow gold is smelted, it turns anew;
This pearl contains its radiance, not yet shown to others.
Once understood, the tip of a hair swallows the great ocean;
Only then does one know that the great earth is a single dust mote.'