宗鏡錄 22.7

22.7

Answer: There are three meanings: First, although the substance is devoid of characteristics, it manifests characteristics for the sake of beings, because it is fitting for beings to see them; it is simply in accord with the intentions of others. Second, if it did not manifest characteristics, how could it cause people to awaken to the unconditioned? Just as without relying on words, how could the principle beyond words be revealed? Third, when it says "like empty space," it refers to its purity and marklessness, not that one seeks it apart from characteristics. Characteristics are themselves the unconditioned, because they do not contravene emptiness. A sūtra verse states: "The Buddha abides in the profound, true Dharma-nature, / Quiescent, markless, identical to empty space; / Yet within the supreme primary reality, / He manifests all manner of deeds performed." This single verse completely encompasses the preceding three meanings. The Zhaolun states: "Function is quiescence; quiescence is function. Function and quiescence are identical in substance, emerging together with different names; there is no quiescence devoid of function that acts as the master of function." Quiescence and function are originally of one substance; emerging together from principle, they merely have different names. It does not mean that apart from function there is a separate quiescence that serves as the master of function. Therefore it is said: "The substance of prajñā is neither existent nor nonexistent. Being empty, it does not lose its illumination; illuminating, it does not lose its emptiness." Hence it is said: "Without moving from equal enlightenment, he establishes all dharmas." Just as a mirror reflects images, being empty, it does not lose its illumination; like the sun traversing the sky, illuminating, it does not lose its emptiness. Moreover, without moving from equal enlightenment, he establishes all dharmas—this is being quiescent yet constantly functioning. Without destroying dependent origination, he contemplates the true mark—this is functioning yet constantly quiescent. These thousands of differences and myriad functions, distinct characteristics and different names, all emerge together from the substance of the one true citta. Therefore it is also said: "The sūtra praises the Sage as doing nothing, yet leaving nothing undone. Because he does nothing, although active he is quiescent; because he leaves nothing undone, although quiescent he is active. Because although quiescent he is active, things cannot be made one; because although active he is quiescent, things cannot be made two. Because things cannot be made two, the more he is active, the more he is quiescent; because things cannot be made one, the more he is quiescent, the more he is active. The Dharma-nature being thus, activity and quiescence are difficult to measure. How could one make his quiescence one and his activity two? Therefore, names cannot name it, and characteristics cannot characterize it." It also says: "Therefore the Sage collects his subtle mechanism before omens appear, and conceals his dark operations after transformation has taken place. Comprehending the six directions with a mirror-like mind, he unifies past and future into a single substance. Ancient and modern interpenetrate, beginning and end are the same; penetrating the root and exhausting the branches, nothing is dual with it. Immense and profoundly equal, this is called nirvāṇa." Thus the Sage's subtle mechanism perceives in advance the subtle stirrings of the future and things before their signs appear; his dark operations encompass the conditions of the past that have already transformed. Then the mirror of the mind can illuminate all things across the ten directions and the three times without remainder. Present, past, going, and coming, beginning, end, root, and branch—none does not share the substance of the one citta without duality. Therefore, the Ru fo jingjie jing states: "The Tathāgata truly knows the prior limit, the intermediate limit, and the posterior limit. Just as the prior limit of that dharma is unarisen, its future limit does not go, and its present limit does not abide; he truly knows the footprints of that dharma. As with one dharma, all dharmas are also thus; as with all dharmas, one dharma is also thus. Mañjuśrī, yet 'one' and 'many' cannot be apprehended." Hence we know that sentient beings and the Buddha share the same adornment, the same loving mind, and the same substance of compassion. As the Zhufa wuxing jing states: "Mañjuśrī said: 'All sentient beings achieve great compassion; this is called the unmoving characteristic.' [The Buddha asked:] 'Mañjuśrī, why is this called the unmoving characteristic?' [Mañjuśrī replied:] 'World-Honoured One, all sentient beings have the characteristic of being unarisen and uncreated; all enter into the Tathāgata's equal Dharma and do not depart from the nature of great compassion. Because there is no differentiation between affliction and compassion, therefore all sentient beings achieve great compassion; this is called the unmoving characteristic.'" Hence we know that the ten thousand dharmas are unmoving—how could compassion and affliction be divided? The One True does not shift—who distinguishes defilement from purity? Although adornments are manifested, they are all like the sāgaramudrā. As the ancient masters said: It is like the ocean of fragrance being calm and settled, profoundly unmoving, such that the forms and bodily images within the four continents all cast their imprinted patterns within it, like a seal stamping an impression; it is also like ten thousand acres of clear waves beneath a cloudless, clear sky, where the arrays of stars and the moon appear simultaneously with brilliance, neither coming nor going, neither existent nor nonexistent, neither one nor different. In the Tathāgata's ocean of wisdom, the waves of consciousness do not arise; it is calm, settled, and pure, supremely bright and supremely quiet, manifesting without mental intention and all at once the thoughts, faculties, and desires of all sentient beings. Their thoughts, faculties, and desires are all contained within this wisdom, just as the ocean holds images. Therefore a sūtra verse states: "As the ocean universally manifests the bodies of sentient beings, / It is for this reason named the great ocean; / Bodhi universally imprints all mental activities, / Therefore the Correctly Awakened One is called immeasurable." Not only does wisdom manifest things and mind; based on this wisdom, it also manifests all at once the myriad forms, universally responding to all categories [of beings]. The verse in the "Chapter on the Worthy Leader" states: "He may manifest the forms of young boys and young girls, / Gods, nāgas, and asuras, / Up to mahoragas and the like; / According to what they delight in, he causes them all to see. / The forms of sentient beings are each different; / Their karmic activities and voices are also immeasurable. / All such things he is able to manifest / Through the awesome spiritual power of the sāgaramudrā-samādhi." Through the power of this sāgaramudrā-samādhi, all is manifested all at once. Because sentient beings do not understand, the Buddha, by his power of skillful means, leaves behind the traces of teachings. Therefore the ancients said: "The arising of Buddhas is due to sentient beings being deluded about reality; their preaching of the Dharma is to reveal the true reality. Without moving from the true limit, establishing all dharmas—then nature cannot be destroyed; without destroying provisional names, preaching the true mark—then characteristics cannot be destroyed." Thus, the heavenly Māras, non-Buddhists, and the like are all the Dharma-seal, and therefore none can destroy them. If even the five heinous acts and the four māras are the seal of the dharmadhātu, how could the uncontaminated pure wisdom and the marks and signs of the One True ever obstruct the wondrous import of the true mark? Therefore, the Huayan jing verse states: "Pure gates of compassion, as numerous as dust motes in worlds, / Jointly produce a single wondrous mark of the Tathāgata; / Every single mark is likewise so; / Therefore those who see them never tire of looking." A verse in the Lotus Sūtra states: "Deeply comprehending the characteristics of sin and blessing, / He illuminates universally across the ten directions. / The wondrous and pure dharmakāya / Is endowed with the thirty-two marks." Thus the dharmakāya is the seal of all dharmas; not a single dharma lies outside the pattern of this seal. The Tiantai teachings state: As the Wuxing jing says, "The five heinous acts are themselves bodhi; bodhi is itself the five heinous acts." The heinous acts and bodhi do not depart from the nature of citta, and hence they have no dual characteristics. Since their substance is not dual, it cannot be destroyed, for the heinous acts originally have no intrinsic nature. Suffering is itself the true mark, and the two māras of the aggregates and death are the seal of the dharmadhātu. Kleśa is itself the true mark, and the kleśa-māra is the seal of the dharmadhātu. Karma is itself the true mark, and the heavenly māra is the seal of the dharmadhātu. Since the māras are themselves the seal, how could the seal destroy the seal? The Dazhidulun states: There was a bodhisattva who taught someone to cultivate emptiness and cut off all thoughts. Later, the moment a single thought of an existent mind arose, he was disturbed by māra; he then recalled the emptiness he originally cultivated, and the māra was destroyed for him. If cultivating emptiness is still like this, how much more so when one contemplates that they are themselves the seal of the dharmadhātu! Hence we know that when the mind conceives existence, there is bondage; when the mind is free of existence, there is liberation. If one thoroughly understands the mind, what bondage or liberation could there be?