[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016) › [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt) › 22 # 宗鏡錄 22 English (machine translation) 22 - **Language:** English ### [22.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.1) Compiled by Yanshou, Chan Master Zhijue, Abbot of Huiri Yongming Monastery. ### [22.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.2) Question: The true mind is formless, and its wondrous substance transcends characteristics. Why are there such things as the adornments of retribution and transformation \[bodies\]? ### [22.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.3) Answer: The dharmakāya of all buddhas is like genuine gold, and the major and minor marks are like gold ornaments. Using gold to make ornaments, substance and function are entirely identical. Manifesting form from the mind, nature and characteristics are non-dual. ### [22.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.4) As the Treatise on Awakening of Faith asks: 'If the dharmakāya of buddhas has no various distinct forms and marks, how can it manifest various forms?' ### [22.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.5) \[The Treatise\] replies: Because the dharmakāya is the true substance of form, it is able to manifest all kinds of forms. This means that from the very beginning, form and citta are non-dual. Because the original nature of form is itself the intrinsic nature of citta, it is named the jñānakāya. Because the original nature of citta is itself the intrinsic nature of form, it is named the dharmakāya. Relying on the dharmakāya, the physical form-bodies manifested by all tathāgatas pervade all places without interruption. Bodhisattvas of the ten directions, in accordance with their capacities and wishes, see immeasurable saṃbhogakāyas and immeasurable adorned lands, each distinct, not obstructing one another, and without cessation. This manifested form-body cannot be conceived by the citta, manas, or manovijñāna of any sentient being, because it is the sovereign and unfathomably profound function of tathatā. Therefore, we know that all manifested primary and secondary retributions, offerings and adornments, and boundless Buddha-activities all arise from the one mind. As the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'With all jeweled canopies born of pāramitās; all flower curtains born of the pure understanding of all Buddha-realms; all robes born of anutpattikadharmakṣānti; all bell-nets born of the unimpeded mind entering the adamantine Dharma; all solid incenses born of the mind understanding all dharmas to be like an illusion; all wondrous seats of the assembly of Buddhas born of the mind \[perceiving\] the tathāgata-seats that pervade all Buddha-realms; all jeweled banners born of the unflagging mind in making offerings to the Buddha; all jeweled palaces dwelt in by Buddhas born of the joyful mind understanding all dharmas to be like a dream; all clouds of jeweled lotuses born of unattached roots of virtue and unproduced roots of virtue; all clouds of solid incense; all clouds of flowers of boundless color; all clouds of wondrous robes of manifold colors; all clouds of boundless pure sandalwood incense; all clouds of wondrously adorned jeweled canopies; all clouds of burning incense; all clouds of wondrous garlands; all clouds of pure adornments—all pervading the dharmadhātu, surpassing the offerings of the devas, they made offerings to the Buddha. From each single body of those bodhisattvas, inexpressible hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of bodhisattvas came forth, all filling the dharmadhātu and the realm of space, their minds equal to the Buddhas of the three periods of time, because they arose from the unperverted Dharma.' The Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra says: 'At that time, Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, the tathāgata achieves equal and correct awakening, turns the wheel of the true Dharma, and enters great nirvāṇa. What should one know regarding the characteristics of these three?" The Buddha told Mañjuśrī: "Good son, you should know that these three all lack dual characteristics. That is to say, it is neither achieving equal and correct awakening nor not achieving equal and correct awakening; neither turning the wheel of the true Dharma nor not turning the wheel of the true Dharma; neither entering great nirvāṇa nor not entering great nirvāṇa. Why is this? Because the tathāgata's dharmakāya is definitively pure, and because the tathāgata's nirmāṇakāya is constantly manifested."' The commentary states: '"Neither achieving equal and correct awakening" is because the dharmakāya is definitively pure, free from the view of permanence, and enters the ultimate truth, and is not seen or heard by sentient beings. "Nor not achieving equal and correct awakening" is because the nirmāṇakāya is constantly manifested, free from the view of annihilation, and is framed in terms of conventional truth, appearing in accord with the minds of sentient beings whose capacities have matured.' Thus, although dharma and saṃbhoga are distinguished, the real and the transformed share a single boundary. Furthermore, the pervasion of the dharmakāya has two aspects: First, pervasion according to individual characteristics, because the dharmakāya pervades all large and small characteristics without destroying the characteristics. Second, perfectly integrated, all-encompassing pervasion, because the dharmakāya is markless, able to integrate all conditioned characteristics and encompass them completely into a single substance. The form-body is the pervasive function of the substance itself; the jñānakāya is cultivated and perfected like the pervasion of the substance. Thus, the ten bodies cast their shadows, scattering into the ten Buddha-lands; the single substance divides its light, yet remains unmoved within a single dust mote. The form-body is like the shadow of the sun, manifesting according to the world; the jñānakāya is like the light of the sun, shining down upon the dharmadhātu. Moreover, every sense faculty and every minor and major characteristic of the Buddha's body pervades the dharmadhātu, because all sense faculties share the same substance. If the eye is taken as the portal, all sense faculties, major and minor characteristics, and Buddha-lands without exception manifest within a single eye. As a sūtra says: 'Within the bodies of sentient beings there is the Tathāgata's eye, the Tathāgata's ear, and so on,' because the Buddha's dharmakāya and the nature of sentient beings have no separate substance; both arise from the lack of nature. Arising, they do not violate the real; generated due to the dharmadhātu, generation does not obstruct phenomena. Therefore, for all Buddhas, every world is a place of attaining bodhi. In terms of the true body, it pervasively encompasses in accord with the nature; in terms of the response body, it universally manifests according to capacities. Thus Vasubandhu says: 'Regarding the interpenetration of the extensive and the condensed: Buddhas have two kinds of bodies: first, the dharmatā-dharmakāya; second, the upāya-dharmakāya. Due to the dharmatā-dharmakāya, the upāya-dharmakāya is born; due to the upāya-dharmakāya, the dharmatā-dharmakāya is revealed. These two kinds of bodies are different yet inseparable, one yet not identical. Therefore, the extensive and the condensed interpenetrate. Because the dharmakāya is markless, it can leave nothing uncharacterized; therefore, the adornment of major and minor characteristics is itself the dharmakāya. Because the dharmakāya is without knowing, it can leave nothing unknown; therefore, all-aspect knowledge is itself true wisdom.' Hence the Huayan lun says: 'The dharmakāya and the major and minor characteristics are of a single limit, without distinction.' Master Xiao's preface to his commentary on the Treatise on Awakening of Faith says: 'Now, the fundamental nature of the Great Vehicle is serene and quiescent, clear and profoundly dark. Dark and darker still, how could it transcend the myriad images? Quiescent and more quiescent still, it yet abides in the discourses of the hundred schools. Being not beyond images, the five eyes cannot view its form; abiding within words, the four kinds of eloquence cannot describe its state.' This clarifies that the true substance is neither one with nor different from all dharmas. The preface to the commentary on the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'It conceals the true substance in the realm of the myriad transformations, and reveals virtuous characteristics at the gate of double darkness.' The subcommentary explains: 'This clarifies unimpededness, thus being neither one nor different from all dharmas.' As Master Zhao said: 'Is the Dao far away? Touch phenomena and it is real.' This also means substance is identical to the myriad transformations. Therefore, to say 'It conceals the true substance in the realm of the myriad transformations, and reveals virtuous characteristics at the gate of double darkness' clarifies that characteristics do not obstruct the substance. The 'double darkness' is the principle-substance itself, clarifying that virtuous characteristics reside solely upon the substance. If there were characteristics apart from the substance, those characteristics would not be profound and wondrous. The characteristics of supreme virtue are called 'virtuous characteristics.' The term 'double darkness' borrows the words of Laozi. Laozi said: 'Dark and darker still, the gate of all subtleties.' He treated both the named and the nameless alike as 'dark.' Master Heshang said: 'The dark is Heaven; within Heaven there is again Heaven.' Zhuangzi said: 'Heaven is the natural; then the natural is also the natural.' Relying on this, the myriad things are produced; hence it is called 'the gate of all subtleties.' Now in this Mirror of the Source, it is likewise: there is no dharma it does not gather, no virtue it does not possess; it can be called the utmost subtlety and hidden darkness of the mind! The Qingliang Subcommentary quotes a verse from the Avataṃsakasūtra: 'The Buddha takes the Dharma as his body, pure like space.' ### [22.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.6) It asks: Since the Buddha's body is known to be space, for what reason does it manifest in a golden color and so forth? How does it cause people to awaken to space? ### [22.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.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? ### [22.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.8) Question: If the mind has no intrinsic nature, its arising and ceasing are impermanent, and both its substance and function are empty, how does one generate practice? ### [22.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.9) Answer: Although its own substance is always empty, this does not destroy the causes and conditions of conditioned arising; and although there is no agent, how could the gateways of good and bad karma be negated? Therefore, the \*Treatise on the Mind King\* says: “Contemplating the Mind King of emptiness, / profound, wondrous, and hard to fathom, / formless and without marks, / yet possessing great spiritual power. / It can extinguish a thousand calamities / and accomplish myriad virtues. / Although its original nature is empty, / it can administer the norms and rules. / Looked at, it has no form; / called out to, it has a sound. / It is the general of the Great Dharma, / upholding the precepts and transmitting the sūtras. / Like saltiness in water, / or glue within paint, / it is definitely present, / yet its form is not seen. / The Mind King is also like this: / residing within the body, / going out and coming in through the gates of the face, / responding to things according to inclinations, / sovereign and unimpeded, / all that it undertakes is accomplished.” Qingliang's commentary explaining the sūtra says: “That the dharmadhātu is like an illusion means that the substance conforms to conditions. That all dharmas are like the limit of reality means that amidst phenomena there is quiescence. People of the world all maintain that the limit of reality is unchanging, yet maintain that all dharmas are impermanent. In principle and reality they are completely interfused: the characteristics of the world are precisely eternally abiding.” Yet ancient worthies sequentially resolved doubts with seven similes. The first doubt says: “Illusory fire in the world does not accomplish the function of burning. When the Buddha manifests to benefit beings, how could it be like an illusion?” It is explained: “Like a shadow, it also has the functions of conforming to the object and casting shade. How could it be real?” All dharma similes have three meanings: first, the meaning of completion through conditions; second, the meaning of having no reality; third, the meaning of having utility. The intended meaning takes up their lack of reality, and thus one does not attach \[to them\]. The second doubt says: “If the Buddha is like a shadow, why do bodhisattvas generate practice and seek him? Since the cause is not futile, how could the fruit not be real?” It is explained: “Like a dream. A dream also has three meanings: it lacks substance, it appears real, and it serves as a condition for waking—meaning that running in a dream causes one to awaken with a start. Bodhisattva practice is also like this: because of realizing principle it is empty; because avidyā is not yet exhausted it appears real; it can serve as a condition for the fruit of Buddhahood; striving vigorously without ceasing, one awakens with a breakthrough, like crossing a river in a dream.” The third doubt says: “If bodhisattva practice is like a dream, why do sūtras say ‘this is bodhisattva practice’ and ‘this is two-vehicle practice’?” It is explained: “Like an echo. Completed through conditions, it has no origin; it conforms to the size of the sound. The holy teachings are also like this: resonance with capacities has no origin; according to the capacity, different things are heard.” The fourth doubt says: “Fruit and practice may be so, but the unawakened world—this should be real.” It is explained: “Like a conjuration. Sustained by the spiritual power of mental karma, it is unreal yet has utility.” The fifth doubt says: “If all are like conjurations, why are there differentiated bodies?” It is explained: “Like illusions.” The sixth doubt says: “If bodies are like illusions, why are there different classes of recompense?” It is explained: “Like citta. Because citta is formless like an illusion, although like an illusion it is unfixed and has no self-nature, nevertheless appearing according to conditions, it can accomplish numerous goods.” As the \*Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra\* says: “The bodhisattva mahāsattva further reflects thus: ‘These conditioned arising dharmas do not destroy cause and effect. Although they are the dharma-nature of citta, lacking self-nature, lacking functioning, and lacking a ruler, yet these dharmas arise dependent on causes and conditions. According to what is desired, I shall accumulate roots of goodness. Having accumulated them, I will cultivate corresponding practices and never abandon this dharma-nature of citta.’ “Furthermore, Śāriputra, what is the mark of accumulation herein for a bodhisattva mahāsattva? Śāriputra, these bodhisattvas mahāsattvas contemplate thus: ‘The mark of accumulation is that the original nature of this citta is like an illusion or a conjuration; there is not a single dharma that can be given.’ It is the dharma-nature of citta, yet it can bestow gifts upon all sentient beings, dedicating the accumulation to adorn the Buddha lands. This is called the accumulation of roots of goodness. “Furthermore, Śāriputra, the original nature of this citta is like what is seen in a dream: its characteristics are tranquil. It is the dharma-nature of citta, yet it can accumulate the safeguarding of śīla, all dedicated to the exercise of spiritual powers. This is called the accumulation of roots of goodness. “Furthermore, Śāriputra, the original nature of this citta is like a mirage: ultimately extinguished. It is the dharma-nature of citta, yet it can cultivate all delightful powers of patience, dedicating the accumulation and practice to adorn bodhi. This is called the accumulation and practice of roots of goodness. “Furthermore, Śāriputra, the original nature of citta is like the moon in the water: ultimately free from the marks of accumulation and practice. It is the dharma-nature of citta, yet it can generate all right exertions, dedicating them to mature measureless Buddha-dharmas. This is called the accumulation and practice of roots of goodness. “Furthermore, Śāriputra, the original nature of citta cannot be grasped, cannot be seen. It is the dharma-nature of citta, yet it can cultivate all dhyānas, vimokṣas, samādhis, and samāpattis, dedicating them to the supreme samādhis of the Buddhas. This is called the accumulation and practice of roots of goodness. “Furthermore, Śāriputra, contemplating this citta-nature, it is originally not of material form, invisible, without resistance, and cannot be cognized. It is the dharma-nature of citta, yet it can cultivate all wisdom of differentiated exposition of doctrinal phrases, dedicating it to consummate the wisdom of the Buddhas. This is called the accumulation and practice of roots of goodness. “Furthermore, Śāriputra, citta has no cognitive object, no arising, and no generation. It is the dharma-nature of citta, yet it can establish measureless wholesome dharmas and assimilate material forms. Such is called the accumulation and practice of roots of goodness. “Furthermore, Śāriputra, citta has no cause and no generation. It is the dharma-nature of citta, yet it can assimilate the causes of the factors of awakening. This is called the accumulation and practice of roots of goodness. “Furthermore, Śāriputra, citta-nature is separated from the six sense spheres and does not arise. It is the dharma-nature of citta, yet it can induce the citta produced by the causes of the sphere of bodhi. This is called the accumulation and practice of roots of goodness. “Śāriputra, this is what is called a bodhisattva mahāsattva, by relying on the prajñāpāramitā, contemplating in accord with citta regarding all minds, and cultivating the foundations of mindfulness. “Furthermore, Śāriputra, this bodhisattva mahāsattva, also relying on the prajñāpāramitā, contemplates in accord with citta in all states. In order to seek the realization of supreme spiritual powers, they bind their citta and cultivate the wisdom of spiritual powers. Having attained spiritual powers, with solely the one mind they can skillfully know all marks of citta. Having known them, they rely on the self-substance of citta to expound all dharmas.” It is also said: “The king of the Nirmāṇarati heaven addressed the Buddha, saying: ‘World-Honoured One, that limit of reality pervades all places; there is not a single dharma that is not the limit of reality. World-Honoured One, that which is called bodhi is also the limit of reality. World-Honoured One, what is bodhi? All dharmas are bodhi, because they are free from self-nature—down to the five deeds of immediate retribution, which are also bodhi. Why is this? Bodhi has no self-nature, and the five deeds of immediate retribution also have no self-nature. Therefore, the deeds of immediate retribution are also bodhi.’” Therefore, understanding that the original nature of citta is in its own substance unarisen, all dharmas are established from within the unarisen. Contemplating the citta of no nature, one expounds the teaching of no nature. Conforming to pure conditions, with no nature one achieves Buddhahood; conforming to defiled conditions, with no nature one becomes an ordinary being. Not the finest speck of dust is seen to briefly depart from the principle of emptiness of nature; not a single thought can violate the gateway of equality. Therefore, a verse in the \*Mahāprajñāpāramitāsūtra\* says: “An existent dharma does not bring about an existent dharma; / a nonexistent dharma does not bring about a nonexistent dharma. / An existent dharma does not bring about a nonexistent dharma; / a nonexistent dharma does not bring about an existent dharma.” Explanation: That existence does not bring about existence, and nonexistence does not bring about nonexistence, is because being of one substance, there is neither agent of accomplishment nor object accomplished. That existence does not bring about nonexistence, and nonexistence does not bring about existence, is because since they cannot accomplish themselves, how could they accomplish another? Thus we know each lacks its own substance, and they do not accomplish one another. The \*Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra\* says: “All dharmas are ultimately unarisen. All dharmas are without nature, without birth, without arising, and without emergence.” Therefore, conditions do not give rise to causes, and causes do not give rise to conditions. Self-nature does not give rise to self-nature, and other-nature does not give rise to other-nature. Self-nature does not give rise to other-nature, and other-nature does not give rise to self-nature. Therefore, it is said that all dharmas are in their self-nature unarisen. The \*Viśeṣacintibrahmaparipṛcchāsūtra\* says: “At that time, the bodhisattva Samantapuṣpa said to Śāriputra: ‘When you enter the cessation attainment (nirodhasamāpatti), can you hear the Dharma?’ He answered: ‘Good son, when entering the cessation attainment, there are no dual mental activities that can hear the Dharma.’ \[Samantapuṣpa asked:\] ‘Venerable Śāriputra, do you believe that all dharmas are in their self-nature utterly ceased?’ He answered: ‘Indeed, all dharmas have the characteristic of being in their self-nature utterly ceased. I believe this teaching.’ Samantapuṣpa said: ‘If so, then Śāriputra at all times cannot hear the Dharma. Why is this? Because all dharmas are constantly of the characteristic of being in their self-nature utterly ceased.’” Therefore, all dharmas are originally empty, being merely conditioned arising. When conditions assemble, they seem to exist; when conditions disperse, they seem to be nonexistent. Existence and nonexistence are solely due to causes and conditions; the ten thousand dharmas originally have no arising and ceasing. Just as when true gold is shaped by an artisan into a vessel, the substance of gold remains unchanged; just as when an empty valley resonates with an echo according to conditions, it does not violate the dharma-nature. As a verse says: “Like a person digging earth from a road, / who privately fashions it into an image; / foolish people say the image has been born, / while the wise say it is the road’s earth. / Later, when an official wishes to travel, / the image is again used to fill the road. / The image originally has no arising or ceasing; / the road is also neither new nor old.” Thus we know it is merely the one earth; arising and ceasing are solely causes and conditions. It is analogously like the one mind and the ten thousand dharmas, which have no before or after. Why is this? When digging the road to fashion the image, the earth does not decrease; when destroying the image to fill the road, the earth does not increase, because the original earth is not lost. It is like when Buddhahood is attained, citta does not increase; when being an ordinary person, citta does not decrease, because when citta follows conditions, it does not lose its self-nature. Furthermore, the arising of the image is merely arising from conditions; the ceasing of the image is solely ceasing through conditions, because the image has no self-substance. This is like attaining Buddhahood being merely arising from pure conditions, and being an ordinary person also being conditioned arising from defiled conditions, because ordinary and sage are originally unarisen. Thus we know that the ten thousand dharmas follow conditions and all lack self-nature; originally they have never arisen, and now they also do not cease. As Mañjuśrī’s verse on contemplating illusions says: “The manifold wholesome deeds of this assembly / have from the beginning never been performed. / All dharmas are also like this: / they are all equal to the prior limit.” Therefore, right when one acts, there is no action, because there is no agent; when one should act, one does not act, because there is no self-nature. Let the ten thousand dharmas crisscross at will, they are constantly equal to the state prior to birth. Even though the multitude of beings appear and vanish, they do not depart from the source of no nature. Furthermore, in ancient times there was Layman Pang, who instructed his daughter Lingzhao, saying: “I shall depart first; you may follow later. Wait specifically for midday, and you may shed this husk.” Lingzhao said: “Midday is already midday, but there is an eclipse of the solar essence.” The layman, wondering at this, went to the window himself. Thereupon Lingzhao suddenly ascended to her father’s seat and in a moment passed away while seated. The layman laughed and said: “Very sharp and nimble indeed! An illusory flower drops its shadow; a mirage rolls its waves. I spoke of it first, but I walk behind.” Thereupon he went to Minister Yu to act as the master of mourning, telling Minister Yu: “I only wish that you empty all that exists; be careful not to make real all that does not exist.” Having spoken, he passed away. This, too, does not fall into views of existence and nonexistence, wondrously attaining the purport of the unarisen. ### [22.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.10) Question: If bodhi is precisely one's own body and citta, why is it said in the teachings that bodhi cannot be obtained by body or citta? ### [22.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.11) Answer: Now, when it is said that the way of bodhi is identical to mind, this is the mind pure in its intrinsic nature, serenely unmoving; it is truly the true wisdom of markless correct awakening. Its way is subtle and profound, marvelously transcending ordinary objects. The astute have no way to admit it to their hearing; the wise have no way to exercise their understanding upon it; the eloquent have no way to frame words for it; the depictor has no way to figure its form. Because deluded people do not comprehend, they grasp at the form aggregate (rūpaskandha) as their own body and identify that which is able to know as their own mind. Therefore the sūtra says: 'The body is like grass and wood, having no conscious awareness; the mind is like an illusion, empty, false, and unreal.' Thus, to eliminate their grasping mind, it says: 'Bodhi cannot be attained through body or mind.' Bodhi is not a tangible object (spraṣṭavya), so it cannot be attained through the body; bodhi is not a mental object (dharmāyatana), so it cannot be attained through the mind. But for one who comprehends, one realizes that the aggregate-body is originally empty and the false mind has no marks. Because it is originally empty, the dharmakāya is always manifest; because it is markless, the true mind is not deficient. Revealing it in this way, the five aggregates are themselves bodhi; apart from this there is no bodhi. One cannot seek bodhi through bodhi, nor can one attain bodhi through bodhi. Mañjuśrī said: 'I do not seek bodhi. Why is that? Because bodhi is myself, and I am bodhi.' The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra says: 'Non-contemplation is bodhi, because it is free of all conditions.' When bodhi is not an objective realm to be contemplated, then there is no mind capable of conditioning it. When the objective realm contemplated is empty, that is the real-mark bodhi; when the conditioning mind is tranquil, that is the intrinsic-nature bodhi. The Mahāprajñāpāramitāsūtra says: 'Nāgaśrī said: "Is there anyone who can realize bodhi?" Mañjuśrī said: "There are also those who can realize it." Nāgaśrī said: "Who is the one who realizes it?" Mañjuśrī said: "If one is free from names, designations, and conventional speech, that one can realize it." Nāgaśrī said: "Since that one is such, how can they realize it?" Mañjuśrī said: "Their mind has no arising; they do not keep bodhi or the seat of awakening in mind, nor do they pity all sentient beings. With an unmanifest mind, a non-seeing mind, and the like, they are able to realize unsurpassed, complete awakening." Nāgaśrī said: "If so, Venerable One, with what mind and the like should one attain bodhi?" Mañjuśrī said: "I have no objective toward which to proceed, nor am I one who can proceed; I have nothing whatsoever to learn, nor will I in the future go to the bodhi tree, sit on the vajrāsana, realize great bodhi, turn the wondrous wheel of Dharma, and rescue \[beings from\] birth and death. Why is that? All phenomena are unmoving, indestructible, ungraspable, and ultimately empty and tranquil. With such a mind of non-proceeding and the like, I shall attain bodhi." Nāgaśrī said: "What the Venerable One has said is all based on the ultimate truth, causing sentient beings to have faith in and understand this teaching, and to be liberated from kleśas. If sentient beings are liberated from kleśas, they will ultimately be able to break the snare-net of Māra." Mañjuśrī said: "The snare-net of Māra cannot be broken. Why is that? Māra is not different from an augmentative designation for bodhi. Why is that? The natures of both Māra and the armies of Māra do not exist at all; they are utterly unobtainable. Therefore I say that Māra is not different from an augmentative designation for bodhi." Nāgaśrī said: "What is called bodhi?" Mañjuśrī said: "What is called bodhi pervades all times, places, and all phenomena. Just like space, it is utterly without obstruction, nowhere not present throughout times, places, and phenomena. Bodhi is also like this: being unobstructed, it pervades all times, places, and phenomena. Such bodhi is supreme. Which bodhi do you now wish to realize?" Nāgaśrī said: "I wish to realize the unsurpassed." Mañjuśrī said: "You should now rectify \[the notion of\] unsurpassed bodhi—it is not a phenomenon that can be realized. If you wish to realize it, you engage in conceptual proliferation. Why is that? Unsurpassed bodhi is free of marks and tranquil. If you now wish to grasp it, that constitutes conceptual proliferation. For example, if someone were to say: 'I will cause an illusory person to sit on the seat of awakening and realize illusory unsurpassed, complete awakening,' such words would be utter conceptual proliferation. If an illusory person is already unobtainable, how could one cause him to realize illusory great bodhi? An illusion toward illusory phenomena is neither united nor separated, neither grasped nor abandoned; their intrinsic natures are both empty. The Buddha, the World-Honoured One, taught that all phenomena are indistinguishable and like illusory occurrences. Now, in wishing to realize unsurpassed bodhi, would you not be discriminating illusory phenomena? Yet all phenomena can neither be grasped nor abandoned; they have neither formation nor destruction. It is not that a phenomenon can engage in creation or destruction regarding another phenomenon; nor can a phenomenon engage in combination or separation regarding another phenomenon. Why is that? Because all phenomena are neither united nor separated, their intrinsic natures are all empty, free from 'I' and 'mine', equal to the realm of space, beyond description and demonstration, beyond praise and disparagement, neither high nor low, without decrease or increase, unimaginable, beyond conceptual proliferation, originally empty and tranquil in their fundamental nature, all ultimately empty, like illusions and dreams, without counterpart or comparison. How could one give rise to a discriminating mind regarding them?" Nāgaśrī said: "Excellent, Venerable One! By means of this, I will now definitely attain bodhi. Why is that? Because the Venerable One has expounded the profound Dharma for me." Mañjuśrī said: "Just now, I have never expounded anything for you, whether explicit or implicit, profound or shallow. How could I cause you to be able to attain bodhi? Why is that? The intrinsic nature of all phenomena cannot be spoken of. That you consider me to have spoken profound Dharma is engaging in conceptual proliferation. Indeed, I am truly not an expounder, and the intrinsic nature of all phenomena also cannot be spoken of. It is like someone saying: 'I can explain the characteristics of consciousness of an illusory person, claiming that an illusory person's consciousness has such-and-such distinctions.' By saying this, he harms his own truthful words. Why is that? An illusory person cannot even be recognized \[as real\], let alone possess characteristics of consciousness! Now you say that I expound profound Dharma to cause you to realize and attain unsurpassed bodhi—it is just the same. Because all phenomena are like illusory occurrences, ultimately empty of nature, they cannot even be known, let alone expounded. Therefore, the nature of all sentient beings is itself markless, equal bodhi. Within one's intrinsic nature, how could there be the distinction between a realizer and that which is realized? As the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra says: 'To awaken to the intrinsic nature of phenomena as free from all discrimination is bodhi.' Another sūtra says: 'All practices have something affirmed. Having nothing affirmed is bodhi.' Why? If there is something affirmed, then an objective realm of realization is established, and there arises a mind capable of realizing it. Where both subject and object are exhausted, that is named great awakening. The meaning of great awakening is solely awakening to one's own mind. As the Mahāvairocanābhisaṃbodhisūtra says: 'At that time, Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva addressed the Buddha again, saying: "World-Honoured One, who seeks sarvajñatā? Who attains correct awakening as bodhi? Who gives rise to all-knowledge-wisdom?" The Buddha said: "Lord of Secrets, one's own mind seeks bodhi and sarvajñatā. Why is that? Because its fundamental nature is pure. Mind is neither inside, nor outside, nor between the two; mind is unobtainable. … If one wishes to know bodhi, one should know one's own mind in this way."' The Zhuangyan putixin jing says: 'The Buddha said: "The bodhicitta is neither existent nor produced, and is free from written words. Bodhi is simply mind; mind is simply sentient beings. If one can understand in this way, this is called a bodhisattva cultivating the bodhicitta."' Thus, outside mind there is no bodhi—what is there to seek? Outside bodhi there is no mind—what is there to attain? As the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'One knows that for all phenomena, formlessness is form, and form is formlessness; non-discrimination is discrimination, and discrimination is non-discrimination; non-existence is existence, and existence is non-existence; non-action is action, and action is non-action; non-explanation is explanation, and explanation is non-explanation; it is inconceivable. One knows that mind is equal to bodhi, and knows that bodhi is equal to mind; mind and bodhi are equal to sentient beings.' And a verse says: 'Though one exhausts the bounds of the future / roaming through all buddha-lands, / if one does not seek this wondrous Dharma, / one will never attain bodhi.' Therefore know that because the Dharma of the mind is wondrous, its immediate substance is just it. If one seeks externally from afar, one loses the true way. Hence it is said: 'Sudhana traveled everywhere visiting various spiritual friends, yet did not step outside the Śāla Grove; Maitreya attained the merit of becoming a buddha in one lifetime, yet did not depart from the unarisen nature-ocean of a single thought.' Therefore the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra says: 'If Maitreya attains anuttarāsamyaksaṃbodhi, all sentient beings should also attain it. Why is that? All sentient beings are identical to the mark of bodhi. If Maitreya enters parinirvāṇa, all sentient beings should also enter parinirvāṇa. Why is that? The buddhas know that all sentient beings are ultimately tranquil, which is identical to the mark of nirvāṇa, and do not perish again.' Therefore know that what has already been accomplished is not accomplished again; what is already extinguished is not extinguished again. For the sake of those who do not yet know, it is expediently said to be accomplished, and expediently said to be extinguished. If one clings to expedients, one loses the fundamental source. As the Da zhuangyan famen jing says: 'At that time, Mañjuśrī spoke to the Golden-Coloured Woman, saying: "Thus the substance and nature of the five aggregates is identical to the substance and nature of bodhi; the substance and nature of bodhi is identical to the substance and nature of all buddhas. Just as the substance and nature of the five aggregates in your body is identical to the substance and nature of all buddhas, the substance and nature of all buddhas is identical to the substance and nature of the five aggregates of all sentient beings. Therefore I say that your body is itself bodhi. Furthermore, awakening to the five aggregates is called awakening to bodhi. Why is that? It is not apart from the five aggregates that a buddha attains bodhi, nor is it apart from bodhi that a buddha awakens to the five aggregates. By this expedient, know that all sentient beings are all identical with bodhi, and bodhi is also identical with all sentient beings. Therefore I say that your body is itself bodhi."' The Mahāratnakūṭasūtra says: 'Bodhi is called the equality of mind, because nothing arises. Bodhi is called the equality of sentient beings, because fundamentally there is no arising. … Bodhi is like this in nature and marks. If one holds desires and pursuits regarding this Dharma, one merely exhausts oneself in vain. Why is that? A bodhisattva should practice in accordance with the nature of bodhi. Being able to practice in this way is called correct practice.' A verse in the Viśeṣacintabrahmaparipṛcchāsūtra says: 'A bodhisattva, not destroying form, / generates the aspiration and practice of bodhicitta; / knowing that form is itself bodhi, / this is called practicing bodhi. / As with form, so it is with bodhi; / equally entering the mark of suchness, / not destroying the nature of phenomena: / this is called practicing bodhi. / Not destroying the nature of phenomena / is precisely the meaning of bodhi; / within this meaning of bodhi, / there is also no bodhi. / Correctly practicing the ultimate truth: / this is called practicing bodhi.' The Yingluo jing says: 'As for the dwelling of generating the aspiration, this person begins from being fully bound, not yet knowing the Three Jewels, and so forth, until, encountering the teaching of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, giving rise to a single thought, they thereupon have faith and generate the bodhicitta.' Since it says starting from an ordinary worldling's very first aspiration, we clearly know that this generating of aspiration encompasses both the beginning and the end. ### [22.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.12) Question: Since this is the initial \[stage\], how can it already possess the subsequent stages of practice and the virtues of Samantabhadra? ### [22.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22.13) Ancient masters explained this through two general approaches: First, the approach of progressive gradation, meaning from subtle to manifest, from shallow to deep, successively following one another to ascend to the other shore. Second, the approach of complete interpenetration and comprehensive subsumption, meaning that a single stage completely contains all stages, as taught in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, and also as in the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra and others, where a single practice completely contains all practices. Within this, there are two approaches: first, the approach of the mutual conditionality of dependent origination; second, the approach of the interpenetration and subsumption of the dharmadhātu. In the former, all stages from beginning to end and the ocean of boundless practices are comprehensively gathered into a single dependent origination, constituting the virtue of Samantabhadra's practice. This is truly because, looking mutually at the various conditions, there are roughly two meanings: First, in terms of function: because of mutual dependence, there are the meanings of having efficacy and lacking efficacy; therefore, they can mutually encompass and mutually penetrate one another. Second, in terms of substance: because of mutual production, there are the meanings of having substantiality and lacking substantiality; therefore, they can be mutually identical and mutually equivalent. Furthermore, there are two kinds of bodhi: first, that which is pure by nature; second, that which is completely pure. That which arises from conditions is the completely pure. The completely pure is again twofold: first, explaining dependent origination, because myriad practices serve as conditions; second, explaining nature-origination, as it is entirely the manifestation of the virtues of the pure nature of tathatā. Moreover, dependent origination lacks own-nature, being itself pure by nature. As a verse in the Lotus Sūtra states: 'The Buddhas, the Most Honoured of Two-legged Beings, / Know that phenomena are eternally devoid of own-nature. / The Buddha-seed arises from conditions; / Therefore they teach the meaning of the One Vehicle.' Furthermore, there are two meanings: first, in terms of the progressive expansion and succession; second, in terms of the unobstructed expansion and contraction of complete interpenetration. As when Sudhana met the ṛṣi and held his hand, passing through incalculable kalpas in the presence of each Buddha; thus we know that length and shortness of duration are difficult to conceive, specifically arising from this. As Bodhisattva Xian首 \[Bhadraśrī\] said: 'To have faith in the Great Vehicle is still relatively easy; / To be able to have faith in this teaching is doubly difficult.' Because the initial mind already completely possesses all virtues, it is difficult to believe. Moreover, even if in a dream one is frightened and terrified into generating the bodhicitta, one is still called a great bodhisattva mahāsattva, how much more so generating it through correct faith, generating it through illumination! As the 'Tathāgatanature Chapter' of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Bodhisattva Kāśyapa addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, how can one who has not yet generated the bodhicitta obtain the cause of bodhi?" The Buddha told Kāśyapa: "If there is someone who hears this Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra and says, 'I have no need to generate the bodhicitta,' slandering the true Dharma, this person will then see the image of a rākṣasa in a dream and feel terror in his citta. The rākṣasa will say: 'Hey, good man! If you do not generate the bodhicitta now, I will sever your life.' This person will be panicked and afraid, and upon waking will immediately generate the bodhicitta. When this person's life ends, whether in the three miserable destinies or among humans and devas, he will continuously recall the bodhicitta. You should know that this person is a great bodhisattva mahāsattva."' _First 13 of 18 passages. [Read on](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22)_ ## Linked texts (1) - [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.22.1) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.22) · Pramāṇa