宗鏡錄 23
English (machine translation) 23
- Language
- English
Contents
- 23.35 — 4 parts
23.1
Compiled by Yanshou, Chan Master Zhijue, Abbot of Huiri Yongming Monastery.
23.2
Now, the path of bodhi cannot be calculated or measured. Yet, in terms of expedient means for a given occasion, how could there be no pointing out? What is the characteristic of bodhi?
23.3
Answer: In terms of ultimate bodhi, its substance is eternally profound and quiescent. As the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa states: 'Quiescent cessation is bodhi, because it is free from all characteristics.' Yet through the characteristic of characterlessness, within the gate of expedient means, it is not without display, in order to make those who first generate the bodhicitta clear and free of confusion. As former masters said: 'Quiescence and illumination being non-dual is the characteristic of bodhi. It is just like a bright mirror: having no mind is its substance, and reflecting illumination is its function; united, they constitute its characteristic.' This is also the Chan school's function inherent in substance, naturally knowing, and the substance inherent in function, eternally quiescent: knowing and quiescence being non-dual is the characteristic of citta. It is also said: 'Principle and wisdom mutually encompass each other; because apart from principle there is no wisdom, and apart from wisdom there is no principle. It is like the brightness of a pearl: the pearl is the substance and the brightness is the function. Function does not depart from substance, and substance does not depart from function; brightness does not depart from the pearl, and the pearl does not depart from brightness.'
23.4
Question: Having thoughts is being a sentient being; being without thought is being a Buddha. How can you say that ordinary beings and āryas are equal?
23.5
Answer: Although sentient beings give rise to thoughts, they do not realize that thoughts are originally without thought, equal to the Buddha's non-thought, and they falsely fall into having thoughts. The Buddha has attained non-thought, knowing that thoughts are originally non-existent. Although sentient beings are presently in thoughts, the Buddha knows that thought is itself non-thought. In this way, the Buddha's non-thought is identical in meaning to the sentient being's non-thought. Furthermore, because sentient beings do not know that thought is empty, there seems to be a difference in how affairs are constituted from thoughts. If one truly comprehends that thought is empty, then with regard to objects of suffering and pleasure, one will not give rise to grasping or clinging. Why? Because objects are produced from thought; if citta is empty, how could there be objects? Since there are no objects, the bondage of characteristics is naturally eliminated. Subject and object both being empty, who could give rise to grasping? Since there is no grasping, saṃsāra naturally ceases to exist. As the Sūtra of Complete Enlightenment says: 'Knowing they are flowers in the sky, there is no transmigration, nor is there body or citta that undergoes that saṃsāra.'
23.6
Question: The doctrine that citta itself is Buddha is the true intention of Caoxi; the principle of seeing the nature and realizing the Way is the original intent of Vulture Peak. For those today whose faith cannot reach this and who say there is no immediate realization, we request that you provide guidance from the awakened ones of past and present.
23.7
Answer: If one sees directly, there is not a single person who is not a Buddha; if one does not believe, there is not a single Buddha who is not a person. Deluded, one is a sentient being who is always a Buddha; awakened, one immediately realizes the Buddha of sentient beings. Person and Buddha are not different; false views create disparity. Although delusion and awakening differ, the original nature is eternally one. For instance, in the past there was a Buddha named Abiding-in-Non-abiding, who made a vow that the sentient beings of his realm would become Buddhas on the same day and at the same time, and on that very day would enter extinction together. Again, before the Bhadrakalpa there was a Buddha named Samatā, who also vowed that the sentient beings of his realm and of the ten directions would also become Buddhas on the same day and enter extinction on that very day. As the Ratnakūṭa Sūtra says: 'At that time, the young maiden Vimaladattā again addressed Maudgalyāyana: "By virtue of these true words of mine, in a future age I shall attain Buddhahood, just like Śākyamuni Tathāgata today... If these words of mine are not false, let the bodies of this great assembly all become golden." When she had spoken these words, the entire assembly became golden.' Again, the Viśeṣacintibrahmaparipṛcchā Sūtra says: 'Bodhisattva Viśeṣacinti emitted jewelled light from his right palm, and all the fourfold assembly took on the Buddha's physical marks. Four bodhisattvas welled up from below, wishing to pay homage to the World-Honoured One, and made this vow: "Now the colour of this assembly has no difference; one should know that all phenomena are also like this. If these words are not false, we pray that Śākyamuni Tathāgata manifest a distinct sign so that we may pay homage." At that instant, Śākyamuni Tathāgata welled up to the height of seven tāla trees and sat upon a lion throne.' Furthermore, the Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra says: 'The Buddha said: "Those who cultivate the practice of bodhi, with respect to the various realms of the āryas, their substance is neither one nor different; not abandoning the conventional, not departing from the ultimate, relying on the dharmadhātu, they cultivate the practice of bodhi." At that time, the devī Supratiṣṭhitā addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, as stated above regarding the correct practice of bodhi, I shall now train in it." At that time, Brahmā Sahāmpati asked: "This practice of bodhi is difficult to cultivate. How do you now obtain mastery in the practice of bodhi?" The devī Supratiṣṭhitā said: "I now rely on this Dharma and dwell at ease. If these are true words, I vow that all the immeasurable, countless, boundless sentient beings in the five turbidities of the evil world will all attain the golden color and the thirty-two marks, being neither male nor female, seated on jeweled lotus flowers, and experiencing immeasurable joy..." When she had spoken these words, all sentient beings in the five turbidities of the evil world became entirely golden, endowed with the marks of a great person, neither male nor female, seated on jeweled lotus flowers, and experiencing immeasurable joy, just like the palace of the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven.' The commentary says: That 'with respect to the various realms of the āryas, their substance is neither one nor different' means that not abandoning the conventional is 'not one,' and not departing from the ultimate is 'not different.' If they were one, then conventional and ultimate would be destroyed; if they were different, then annihilation and permanence would result. Being neither annihilated nor permanent is precisely relying on the dharmadhātu; being neither ultimate nor conventional is called cultivating bodhi. Therefore she said, 'I rely on this Dharma and dwell at ease.' Thus the devī Supratiṣṭhitā awakened, and the substance of the five turbidities became the colour of true gold; Jambudvīpa was deluded, and the marks of a great person became bodies of evil karma. Hence we know that if one illuminates it with wisdom, worldly phenomena become the Buddha-Dharma; if one grasps it with emotional attachment, the Buddha-Dharma becomes worldly phenomena. The one citta is truly unmoving; the two views spontaneously create disparity. Within the very same single phenomenon, ordinary and holy understandings are distinctively formed. If one comprehends the substance that is neither male nor female, one presently possesses the thirty-two marks and sits on a jewelled lotus flower; if one clings to the form of being male or being female, one is eternally bound to the twenty-five states of existence, sinking into the ocean of avidyā. Therefore, we know that the reach of the power of faith and the utterance of true words can be verified; the gate of immediate realization instantly clarifies the Buddha of citta.
23.8
Question: This still recounts the past and cites texts. What is the Buddha of the present moment?
23.9
Answer: Right now, as a single thought just arises, it is completely ungraspable and has no location; this is the past Buddha. The past does not exist, and the future is also empty; this is the future Buddha. Right now, thought after thought does not abide; this is the present Buddha. Only when a single thought arises, do not grasp it and do not sever it, do not seize it and do not abandon it; then the three periods of time leave no trace, and a single thought completely possesses the ten dharmadhātus—phenomena that are neither cause nor effect, yet are cause and effect. If one can comprehend in this way within a single thought, then thought after thought will correspond, thought after thought will achieve Buddhahood, ordinary beings and āryas will all be equal, and present and ancient will both be uniform. Therefore it is said: 'Clearly recognize the citta, lucidly see the Buddha; this Buddha is this citta, this citta is this Buddha. Thought after thought is the Buddha-citta, mind after mind is mindfulness of the Buddha. If you wish to achieve it early, restrain the citta with self-discipline; pure precepts and discipline purify the citta, and the pure citta is the Buddha. Aside from this citta-king, there is no other Buddha. If you wish to seek the myriad phenomena, do not be tainted by a single thing. Although the nature of citta is empty, it contains the true substance of reality. Entering this Dharma-gate, sit upright and become a Buddha.' In this way, all Buddhas of the ten directions share the same dharmakāya. If one wishes to exert effort outside of thought and seek the Buddha outside of citta, one immediately falls into other realms and will never attain it. Consequently, sentiments of before and after will arise, and the conditions of ordinary and holy will be produced; one will pass through kalpas in vain, expending effort to no purpose. Therefore, the Treatise on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'It is not as good as a single thought of dependently originated non-arising, which surpasses the provisional learning and views of the three vehicles.'
23.10
Question: That one attains Buddhahood in a single thought has already entered the gate of faith. How can one see [it] clearly and distinctly before one's eyes?
23.11
Answer: When there is nothing before one's eyes, that is truly seeing the Buddha. As in the Sūtra of Mañjuśrī's Circuit: because the sūtra speaks of Mañjuśrī going all around the rooms of five hundred monks, seeing them all in silent samādhi, it was named accordingly. Finally, he questioned Śāriputra in order to reveal the profound prajñā. He asked Śāriputra, saying, "At that time I saw you alone in a room, sitting cross-legged and subduing your body. Were you practicing seated meditation or not?" [Śāriputra] replied, "I was." [Mañjuśrī] challenged him, saying, "Was it to cause that which is not yet severed to be severed that you were practicing seated meditation?" and so forth. By this means he extensively revealed the principle and purport that nature is empty and without attainment. The five hundred monks arose from their seats, went before the World-Honoured One, and declared in a loud voice: "From this day forward, we will never again see Mañjuśrī's body, nor hear his name again! Such places ought to be quickly abandoned, and to all the dwelling places of Mañjuśrī we should also never go! Why is this? Because Mañjuśrī preaches kleśa and liberation as having a single characteristic," and so forth. Śāriputra bade Mañjuśrī resolve this for them. Mañjuśrī said, "Because in reality there is no Mañjuśrī to be attained. If in reality there is no Mañjuśrī to be attained, he also cannot be seen," and so forth, extensively preaching the Dharma. Four hundred monks had their outflows exhausted and attained the fruit; one hundred monks slandered him further, fell into hell, and later returned to attain the Way—all as extensively recounted therein. Therefore, non-seeing is true seeing; non-hearing is true hearing. Not seeing and not hearing Mañjuśrī is truly seeing and truly hearing Mañjuśrī. If one does not believe this teaching, though one gives rise to slander and falls into hell, because one has once heard it, one will ultimately perfume seeds and attain the Way; how much more so if one hears and believes it! Then the attainment of the Way is not separated [even] by a single thought. Thus we know that in the mirror of the source, there are none who see or hear who do not obtain benefit. Therefore the Ratnakūṭasūtra says: "The girl Abhayā said: 'Mahākāśyapa, all dharmas are eternally non-existent and cannot be shown. Therefore, Mahākāśyapa, all dharmas are non-existent. If dharmas are originally non-existent, how can that pure dharmadhātu be seen? Mahākāśyapa, if a good son or good daughter wishes to see the pure Tathāgata, they should properly purify their own citta.' At that time Mahākāśyapa said to Abhayā: 'How does one properly purify one's own citta?' The girl said: 'Mahākāśyapa, it is like the tathatā of one's own body and the tathatā of all dharmas. If one has faith in that, nothing is created and nothing is lost. It is thus that one sees one's own citta is pure.' Kāśyapa asked: 'What is the substance of one's own citta?' The girl said: 'Emptiness is its substance. If one realizes that emptiness, because one has faith in one's own body, one has faith in the emptiness of tathatā, because the nature of all dharmas is quiescent.'" It also says: "The Tathāgata is the realm of space; therefore space is itself the Tathāgata. Within this, there is not a single thing that can be discriminated." The Kuśalamūlasaṃparigrahasūtra says: "The suchness of all dharmas is the Tathāgata; the Tathāgata is the suchness of all dharmas. Therefore, World-Honoured One, having no place of abiding is the meaning of Tathāgata." Furthermore, the reward and transformation [bodies] are like shadows; empty, they have no coming or going. When the citta is pure, the Buddha appears, and so one says the Buddha comes, yet the Buddha does not come. When the citta is defiled, he does not appear, and so one says the Buddha departs, yet the Buddha does not depart. This is coming without coming, and departing without departing. Since the Buddha has neither coming nor going, the citta also has neither arising nor ceasing. Those who understand thus can see the true Buddha. Therefore the Vajracchedikāsūtra says: "If a person says that the Tathāgata comes, goes, sits, or lies down, this person does not understand the meaning of what I have said. A Tathāgata is one who comes from nowhere and goes nowhere; therefore he is called a Tathāgata." Thus we know that whether person or dharma, none depart from the path of the One Suchness. Thoroughly penetrating in this way, whatever confronts the six sense faculties is nothing other than seeing the Buddha of one's own nature, such-like. This takes non-seeing as true seeing, and seeing reality as the true Buddha. Master Zhao said: "What is the Buddha? He is indeed the appellation for the Great Awakening that exhausts principle and fulfills the nature." Master Sheng said: "Taking the seeing of reality as the Buddha." Such, then, is also named truly seeing the Way, and also named true offering.
23.12
Question: What is true offering?
23.13
Answer: A citta that tallies with the principle of suchness, devoid of the thought of seeing the Buddha, fully understanding one's own dharmakāya—this is true offering. The Ratnakūṭasūtra says: "As for the true offering, there is no thought of Buddha, nor any agent who can see the Buddha, let alone making an offering. If one would offer to the Buddha, one should offer to one's own body."
23.14
Question: How does one offer to one's own body?
23.15
Answer: If one abandons oneself to pursue dust-objects, that is called going against [it]. If one can turn the light around to reflect back, following in accord with tathatā, where object and wisdom merge in unison, that is true offering. Therefore the Vimalakīrtinirdeśasūtra says: "Without before and without after, making an offering simultaneously." This is to activate the intent that is without abandonment and without attainment, giving rise to the citta of the equality of the one limit; then throughout the ten directions one offers to all Tathāgatas, and sentient beings throughout the dharmadhātu are simultaneously moistened. Of such an offering, no giving is greater. Therefore the Ratnameghasūtra says: "Properly directing attention in accord with principle is itself making an offering to all Tathāgatas."
23.16
Question: What is properly directing attention in accord with principle?
23.17
Answer: Simply not directing attention to anything at all is true directing of attention. Because when one suddenly awakens to the one mind, there is no dharma that can be reflected upon. For this reason, the Buddhas of the ten directions realize citta and achieve the Way; hence it is called "in accord with principle." If one understands one's own citta and can accord with the Buddha's intent, that is itself offering to all Tathāgatas. If one does not rely on this awakening to citta in accord with principle, but acts following phenomenal activities and sees the Buddha outside citta, even if many kalpas pass, none of it will constitute a real and true offering, because it goes against what the Buddhas have instructed. As a verse in the Avataṃsakasūtra says: / Even if in thought after thought / One were to offer to immeasurable Buddhas, / If one does not know the true dharma, / It is not called an offering. / What is the true dharma? It is the purport of understanding that the tathatā of citta is unproduced. For this reason, the Viśeṣacintibrahmaparipṛcchāsūtra asks: "Who can make an offering to the Buddha?" The Buddha said: "One who can penetrate the limit of non-arising." The Mañjuśrīprajñāpāramitāsūtra says: The Buddha asked Mañjuśrī, "How do you make an offering to the Buddha?" He replied: "World-Honoured One, when the mental factors of an illusory person cease, then I make an offering to the Buddha." The Tiantai teaching says: "Offering to the Buddha is merely following in accord with the Buddha's words. Now, following the Buddha's teaching to cultivate the three contemplative cittas is itself offering to the Buddha. Because it shatters the five entrenchments and attains liberation, it is offering to the Dharma. When the principle of the three truths harmonizes, it is offering to the Saṅgha. Furthermore, the mental states of manifold practices assist the mind of contemplative wisdom—that is offering to the Buddha; the mind of contemplative wisdom unfolds the objective realm—that is offering to the Dharma; when objective realm and wisdom-mind harmonize, that is offering to the Saṅgha. This is the real and true offering, also called the Dharma offering." As the Haiyin [or Yihai] says: "It means that within the mind of non-arising, giving all precious jewels down to a minute dust mote can all subsume the dharmadhātu, and one makes an offering precisely with this dust mote of the dharmadhātu. This offering extends everywhere before all Tathāgatas of the three times; there are none before whom it is not manifested, and there are none of those Tathāgatas who do not receive it. Why is this? Because the dust mote is itself the dharmadhātu, and this principle corresponds to the Buddha's dharmadhātu. Therefore, reaching everywhere, it is named the vast offering, none of which passes in vain. What does it mean that none passes in vain? Because when citta penetrates, dharmas penetrate; when dharmas are pervasive, citta is pervasive. Because there is no place where principle is not seen, all is thoroughly penetrated; thus each and every act of attending upon [the Buddhas] is not in vain. Nor does this obstruct various offerings of incense, flowers, and the like, because internal and external are mind-only. To break attachments and reveal the source, therefore this was spoken." Furthermore, in the mind of correct contemplation, not only offerings, but even circumambulation, prostration, and all activities must be applied to oneself before one obtains their efficacy. As Tripiṭaka Master Ratnamati said: "As for cultivating sincere prostrations through correct contemplation, this explains prostrating oneself to the Buddha of one's own body, not directing oneself toward the Buddha of other realms or other bodies. Why is this? All sentient beings inherently possess the Buddha-nature, the equal original awakening. Following along with the dharmadhātu, dependent origination blazes forth. But because of delusion, they revere only other bodies, and falsely regard the Buddha-nature of their own bodies as evil. If one can reflect back on original awakening, then liberation has its appointed time. A sūtra says: 'Do not contemplate the Buddha, do not contemplate the Dharma, do not contemplate the Saṅgha, because one sees the equal correct dharma-nature of one's own body and other bodies.' Just as when traversing a distant path one must rely on one's own body, so if one wishes to see the Buddha-nature, one must contemplate one's own Buddha. The substance is the same and non-dual; this is named prostration through correct contemplation."
23.18
Question: If there are no characteristics outside citta, and no citta outside characteristics, and such complete penetration is called true offering, why is it taught in the scriptures that offering to the Buddhas yields immeasurable merit?
23.19
Answer: As has already been said above: when one truly understands the one mind, principle and phenomena are unhindered. Why rigidly cling to doubts about the object and doubts about citta? Therefore the Vimalakīrtinirdeśasūtra says: "Each saw the World-Honoured One right before them." A verse in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra says: / Gandharvas and kiṃnaras / Each offered to their own Buddha. / The first patriarch of Niutou explained: "As when contemplating greed, one sees the nature of greed; greed is itself sentient beings. Awakening to the wisdom of the nature of greed is itself the Buddha. The greedy sentient beings themselves see the Buddha before them. All [cases] are like this." Furthermore, "each offered to their own Buddha" means that within each and every Dharma-door, each person illuminates it for themselves; properly directing attention in accord with principle is itself each offering to the Buddha. Even if there are offerings of incense and flowers as phenomenal practices, a sūtra says: "The Buddhas of the ten directions manifest in response to the capacities [of beings]." Since they appear in response to resonance, how could they depart from one's own citta? Just as the four assemblies and eight classes of beings on Vulture Peak each saw the Buddha differently according to their faculties, capacities, and mental thoughts—as the dragons saw a great dragon king, the ghosts saw a great ghost king, and so forth—the exposition that there is no dharma outside citta has both textual authority and principle, whereas the view of clinging to form outside emptiness has neither principle nor textual authority. Suppose there are people of vicious intellect and deviant views, who harbor doubt and lack faith, intending to set forth wild explanations and forcibly seeking to dismantle it: this is like using a single mosquito's proboscis intending to drink up the great ocean's water, or like using the claws of ten fingers wishing to destroy the wondrously high mountain [of Meru]. This exposition of ours of the complete and sudden, the principle of tathatā, is like a knife cutting water, or the wind blowing against light: they will merely wear out their spirits in vain, and on the contrary incur deep blame.
23.20
Question: The analysis above has clearly elucidated the doctrinal principle, yet this is still a forced explanation based on the expedient means of others. How can one presently realize it in person for oneself and come to see the Buddha of one's own citta?
23.21
Answer: You should examine and question yourself.
23.22
Question: How does one examine and question?
23.23
Answer: If you still seek it through others, how could there ever be an end? If you wish to sever the slightest doubt, you must arrive there in person.
23.24
Question: Is there not the power of external assistance to give rise to the mind of wisdom-illumination from within oneself?
23.25
Answer: There is neither principal nor auxiliary, neither self nor other. If you seek wisdom by means of wisdom, it turns into an intellectual understanding; intellectual understanding goes against the perfect source. If you give rise to an illuminating mind, illumination immediately establishes an object; following illumination, you lose the purport. These are all phenomenal displays that do not tally with this source. If you understand the true mind, naturally with no-mind you unite with the Way. When you unite with the Way, the path of speech is cut off. With no-mind, object and wisdom are both idle. As Layman Pang's verse says: / Mount Sumeru collapses, the Five Peaks crumble, / The great ocean dries up, the ten directions are empty. / Heaven and earth are still contained inside the tip of a hair; / Sun and moon are yet concealed within the ūrṇā mark. / This is the son of [the sage] Nadi from the Western Country / Manifesting illness, not rising, displaying spiritual powers. / Wondrous Virtue opened his mouth to ask about non-duality; / Forgetting words and entering the principle reveals the true source.
23.26
Question: As stated above, the purport that citta is itself the Buddha is already abundantly clear. Yet, as past worthies of the Chan lineage have said from of old: "Now one must know the birthplace of the Buddhas of the ten directions; merely knowing that there is a Buddha will not allow one to attain Buddhahood." What is the birthplace of all Buddhas?
23.27
Answer: / The stone cow gives birth to an elephant calf; / The wooden maiden is pregnant with an infant. / From within these the Buddhas emerge / At the time they first achieve the Way.
23.28
Question: Since sentient beings have already achieved [it], and principle and phenomena are completely fulfilled, why then do all Buddhas appear in the world and further transform sentient beings?
23.29
Answer: Sentient beings do not understand in this way, which is why they must be transformed. Therefore a sūtra says: 'They all share one nature, namely no-nature. Great compassion continues unbroken, delivering sentient beings.' According to different approaches, there are various distinctions: viewed in terms of the approach of attaining Buddhahood, all have already attained it. Because they share one and the same no-nature, it is naturally accomplished. The delusive nature is originally empty; sentient beings are fundamentally Buddhas. The true nature cannot be grasped; it is not newly accomplished now. Therefore all are accomplished. Since each and every thing lacks a nature of its own, the knowledge of all aspects is accomplished. Realizing this identical substance, one gives rise to great compassion. Once attained, it is forever constant, hence it is said to 'continue unbroken.' Solely because they do not know no-nature, teaching and transforming them never ceases. Although the reward and transformation bodies are manifested, the substance of Dharma does not shift. Like a mani jewel responding to colors, manifold forms appear while its original substance does not move; like an empty valley echoing sounds, myriad reverberations ring forth while the place of their arising has no mind. Not clinging to self and other, how could one see the characteristic of sentient beings? Fundamentally there is no appearing or disappearing, constantly merging with the source of the Great Awakening. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'The Buddha's body has no birth, / yet is able to manifest birth; / the Dharma-nature is like empty space, / and the Buddhas abide within it.' It also says in verse: 'Without substance and without an abiding place, / also no birth can be found; / without characteristics and without form, / all that manifests is like a reflection.' The Viśeṣacintibrahmaparipṛcchā Sūtra says: 'Mahākāśyapa said: "Good man, a magically created person is free from self-characteristics, has no difference or distinction, and has no aspiration. Are you also like this? If you are like this, how can you benefit immeasurable sentient beings?" Jālinīprabha said: "The nature of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi is the nature of all sentient beings. The nature of all sentient beings is the illusory nature. The illusory nature is the nature of all dharmas. In these dharmas, I see neither benefit nor non-benefit."' It also says: 'Bodhisattva Jālinīprabha addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, if there is a bodhisattva who aspires to the benefit of merit and generates the bodhicitta, this is not called generating the Great Vehicle. Why is this? All dharmas have no benefit of merit, because there is no counter-abode. If there are sentient beings to be delivered and one seeks the benefit of merit, this is seeing dharmas outside the mind and completely failing to recognize the mind. How could this be called generating the mind of the Great Vehicle? Because with the mind of absolute transcendence, there is no counter-abode."' As the Laṅkāvatārasūtra says: 'The Buddha said to the non-Buddhists: "If you can thoroughly understand that dharmas such as existence and non-existence are all seen by one's own mind, do not produce discrimination, do not grasp external objects, and abide in your own place. To abide in one's own place means not giving rise. Not giving rise to what? Not giving rise to discrimination. This is my Dharma, not what you possess."' 'My Dharma' is simply the mind of sentient beings. Because they do not know it and do not believe it, they alienate themselves from it, so that even though it exists, it is the same as non-existent. Therefore, the Patriarch came from the West solely to point directly to sentient beings and make them realize what they have of themselves, abruptly entering the true source where ordinary persons and sages are equal. As the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra of the Heavenly King Suvikrānta says: 'When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practices the prajñāpāramitā, his mind becomes subtle and he reflects thus: "The worldly realm is a blazing mass of great fire—namely, the fire of lust, the smoke of anger, and the darkness of delusion. How shall I cause all sentient beings to attain liberation? If one can penetrate the equality of all dharmas, that is called liberation. Knowing dharmas as they truly are is like an illusory appearance; observing causes and conditions skillfully, yet without discrimination."' Therefore, if one wishes to discard the inferior and approach the superior, detesting difference and rejoicing in identity, desiring to place ordinary persons and sages in the same rank and make defilement and purity equal, there is no such possibility. Simply clarifying the mirror of the source, the ten thousand dharmas naturally become uniform: this is the meaning of ultimate liberation from the burning house of the three realms, and also the meaning of abiding together with the children in the secret storehouse. As it is said: 'If one uses uniformity to make uniform what is not uniform, it is not yet uniform. If one uses uniformity to make uniform what is already uniform, it is not yet uniform. I have heard that he who is good at making all under heaven uniform makes all under heaven uniform by means of what is not uniform.' Why must one level the peaks and fill the chasms before there is flatness, or lengthen the duck's legs and shorten the crane's before they are equal? Hence we know that simply realizing that each and every dharma is 'suchness,' there is natural equality; then the green pine and the green fragrant-grass show no shortness or length, and the soaring roc and the flitting fly naturally forget greatness and smallness. As the Zhao lun says: 'Therefore, when the sūtras say that all dharmas are not different, how could it mean lengthening the duck's legs and shortening the crane's, or leveling the peaks and filling the ravines, and only then having no difference? It is truly because they are not different within difference; therefore, though different, they are not different.' Further, the sūtra says: 'Prajñā and all dharmas have neither a single characteristic nor different characteristics.' This is truly reliable. The Nanhua jing of Zhuangzi says: 'What is long is not in surplus; what is short is not deficient. Therefore, though the duck's legs are short, lengthening them causes grief; though the crane's legs are long, cutting them causes sadness. Thus, what is naturally long is not to be cut, and what is naturally short is not to be lengthened.' This clarifies that though object and wisdom are different, they are identical; they do not wait to become identical before they are identical. If one can comprehend the two approaches of identity and difference as stated above, then whether Buddhas appear in the world or do not appear, whether sentient beings can be delivered or cannot be delivered, and even whether there is existence or non-existence, high or low, all doubts will be completely cut off. If one clings to identity, one stagnates in quietude; if one clings to difference, one splits into two. Being confused about these two approaches of identity and difference, in both cases wisdom lacks sovereignty. The Jingang bianzong says: 'Because there is a mirror, the images of men and women appear within it; because there is the dharmakāya, it can respond, manifest, and go everywhere. Solely because there are fundamentally no images in the mirror, it is able to manifest the images of men and women. The Buddha's body fundamentally has no body, so it is able to manifest all bodies.' According to the capacities and responses of sentient beings, causeless compassion spontaneously responds. If there were definitively a body, it would be an obstruction. The Zhao lun says: 'The Buddha is neither heavenly being nor human, yet can be a heavenly being and can be a human.' Therefore, all bodhisattvas take non-attainment as their expedient means, able to enter the illusory net of boundless defilements. Because there is no dharma outside the mind, one can accomplish the wisdom of non-attainment. If outside the mind there were the least trace of anything to be attained, how could one accomplish causeless compassion and identical-substance transformation? Because the mirror of the source is clear, it can broadly illuminate the world. Observing birth is like a barren woman conceiving a child; observing abiding is like the surging waves of a mirage; observing change is like the myriad transformations of floating clouds; observing death is like wild flowers withering into the sky. Therefore, deeply penetrating non-birth, knowing that all are without self, empty birth and empty cessation, illusory falling and illusory rising, sympathizing with those deluded fools who are blind without the eye of wisdom, one then generates the illumination of wisdom without a maker, opens the dāna gate of non-relinquishment, upholds the precept mind of the emptiness of self-nature, possesses the vigor of non-arising, perfects the forbearance of dharmas without injury, cultivates the dhyāna gate of non-abiding, realizes no-body yet is adorned with major and minor marks, penetrates wordlessness yet possesses comprehensive eloquence, roams playfully in the world of the emptiness of nature, establishes a bodhimaṇḍa of the water-moon, arranges offerings like an illusion, makes offerings to the Sugata who is like an echo, practices extensively the myriad deeds of sky-flowers, acts out the delivery-gates of valley echoes, subdues the māra army of mirror-images, performs on a grand scale the Buddha-work within a dream, delivers broadly the sentient beings who are like magical creations, and together realizes the bodhi of tranquil cessation.
23.30
Question: The absolute true mind fundamentally has neither name nor characteristic. How does it attain Buddhahood, and also become a sentient being? If you say that these provisional names are established in conformity with worldly conventions, by virtue of what dharmas are they established?
23.31
Answer: In the principle of the ultimate reality, fundamentally no ordinary person or sage can be found. It is because all sentient beings are deluded about the principle of no-nature; because of having no nature, they unconsciously give rise to delusion, and within the true emptiness, falsely establish names and characteristics; therefore they are called 'ordinary persons.' Realizing that names and characteristics are empty, one is then called a 'sage.' The titles of ordinary person and sage are established based on the five dharmas; like illusions, names and characteristics are not real. Moreover, an illusion is made by magical arts, and bodily form exists due to karma; both magical arts and karma are provisional, and bodily form and illusion are alike empty. Both possess the designations of delusion and enlightenment, but fundamentally lack the substance of ordinary person and sage. Regarding the five dharmas, the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra says: 'First, name; second, characteristic; third, false discrimination; fourth, correct wisdom; fifth, tathatā.' An ancient commentary says: 'The three dharmas of name, characteristic, and false discrimination make up the ordinary person; correct wisdom and tathatā make up the sage.' Name, characteristic, and false discrimination are the dharmas of an ordinary person. The two dharmas of name and characteristic are the ordinary person's cognitive objects. The single dharma of false discrimination is the ordinary person's six consciousnesses, which arise deludedly clinging to matters and conditioning objects; hence it is called false discrimination. A sūtra verse says: 'Not understanding mind and conditions, / two false discriminations are produced.' Correct wisdom and tathatā are the dharmas of a sage. Correct wisdom is the sage's diamond-like antidote, the outflow-free wisdom that cultivates through conditions and severs delusion; it is also called the wisdom capable of awakening. Tathatā is the principle realized within the sage's mind. Tathatā is substance, and correct wisdom is function. What is different has never been different; what is identical has never been identical. That which is identical is tathatā; that which is different is correct wisdom. Correct wisdom is constantly active, so obstacles arise and cease; tathatā is the constant substance, so it has neither arising nor ceasing. Substance and function are unimpeded, which is the inconceivable, real meaning of the dharmadhātu. Furthermore, because the ordinary person's mind is deluded and does not penetrate the emptiness of names and characteristics, they falsely calculate them as existent. Being deluded about existence and not seeing it as empty is called 'false.' Giving rise to thoughts from this falsity is called 'discrimination.' Correct wisdom means awakening to and knowing that names and characteristics are originally empty and tranquil; because of knowing emptiness, false discrimination naturally ceases. When delusion ceases and one returns to the true, the principle is revealed distinctly, correct wisdom appears before one, and names and characteristics are not established; hence it is called correct wisdom. A sūtra verse says: 'Understanding mind and cognitive objects, / false discrimination does not arise again.' Tathatā is so named because the mind-nature of this very correct wisdom is true. Therefore we know that it is simply one dharma: within non-existence, grasping at existence makes an ordinary person; penetrating that existence is fundamentally empty makes a sage. Not only the five dharmas, but even dharmas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, their meanings emerge boundlessly, while the principle is always of a single path. This path of mind-only is the very sphere of practice of the Tathāgatas, because at every step it treads upon the emptiness of dharmas; it is also the sphere of the Mahāyāna, because thought after thought there is nothing to be attained. As the Lokadharaparipṛcchā Sūtra says: 'The Buddha said: "Good sons, therefore I say that all dharmas are the sphere of practice of the Tathāgatas. The sphere of practice of the Tathāgatas is the sphere of non-practice. Why is this? As for the sphere of practice of all dharmas, there is no dharma in it that can be practiced; therefore it is called the sphere of non-practice."' The Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā-śuddha-deva Sūtra says: 'Mañjuśrī said: "In the past, I hoped for dharmas, sought an empty place, roamed in solitary dwellings, limited my desires and knew contentment, taking few desires as an attainment, unable to recognize that all dharmas are empty and the mind is without clinging. Only then can it be called sitting in quiet contemplation in a peaceful place and abiding in the dharmadhātu."' Commentary: If one penetrates the two emptinesses of persons and dharmas and sees the true nature of consciousness-only, one is constantly in samādhi, abiding in the true dharmadhātu.
23.32
Question: Why is it said that entering this mirror of the source, with a single thought of resonance, one sees the path rapidly, surpassing kalpas of time?
23.33
Answer: There is truly this principle, and worldly metaphors can make it known. If one does not directly and suddenly awaken to one's own mind, completely fulfilled in merit and virtue, one vainly seeks outside the mind, traversing kalpas in vain. If one can reflect within, it is like a ship encountering a favorable wind: in a single thought-moment all is fully accomplished, and what is done meets no obstruction. As the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'For example, it is like a person in the great ocean who boards a ship wishing to cross over. If he gets a favorable wind, within a moment he can cross immeasurable yojanas. If he does not get one, then although he stays long, passing immeasurable years, he does not depart from the original place; sometimes the ship is destroyed, and he drowns in the water and dies. Sentient beings are like this: in the great ocean of foolishness, birth, and death, they board the ship of all conditioned actions. If they happen to encounter the fierce wind of the Mahāparinirvāṇa, they can swiftly reach the shore of the unsurpassed Way. If they do not encounter it, they will long wander through immeasurable births and deaths, or at times be destroyed and fall into the hells, animals, and hungry ghosts.' Therefore, we know that without encountering the wind of the Source Mirror, the ship of conditioned actions will ultimately be unable to swiftly cross the waves of birth and death and go straight to the shore of nirvāṇa. Having this great benefit, collecting widely is without toil. I only entrust it to future worthies to transmit it in succession. As the Dharmapada says: 'A good friend has great merit and virtue; he can cause you, amidst rāga, dveṣa, moha, false views, the five desires, the five hindrances, and all afflictive toils, to establish the Buddhadharma without giving rise to a single mind, obtaining great merit and virtue. For example, it is like a person who takes a sturdy ship to cross the great ocean, reaching the other shore without moving body or mind.' Therefore, we know that entering into the Source Mirror, the ordinary is the sage; this may be called entering nirvāṇa without cutting off kleśas, and purifying all sense faculties without cutting off the five desires. Thus the Huayan lun says: 'At the initial stage of the ten abodes, by means of unconditioned samādhi, one's own substance corresponds to the real. The adventitious defilements of kleśas originally have no substantial nature; there is only the real substance and function, free from rāga, dveṣa, and moha. Spontaneously, this is Buddha. Therefore, corresponding in a single thought-moment is a Buddha for a single thought-moment; corresponding for a single day is a Buddha for a single day.' In this Record of the Mirror of the Source, it has been subtly and elaborately explained from beginning to end, pointing directly to each and every point. See it and one sees it immediately; it does not lie in deliberate thinking. The moment one has faith and enters, principle and practice are both complete, and one will never again give rise to evil conduct, as if having the slightest doubt. If it were not like this, how could it be called complete and sudden? Because one understands that there are no objects outside the mind, in thought after thought one returns to the Source; what illusion could deceive? Therefore the Baocang lun says: 'Everything is like an illusion, and its illusion is not real. Knowing the illusion to be an illusion, preserve the real and embrace the One.' Furthermore, for instance, a student asked Venerable Damei: 'The Master always says that the spiritual nature stands alone and independent. This student does not recognize it; I beg the Master to indicate it.' He answered: 'Who instructed you to ask?' The student asked: 'Could it be that the one asking is precisely it?' He answered: 'If it were not it, who is it that could ask like this?' The student asked: 'The spiritual nature is not sound and form. The Master indicated that the one asking is the spiritual nature, but this student only recognizes sound and form, not the true nature. I beg the Master to indicate: how can I come to recognize it?' He answered: 'For example, it is like a great treasure store in which all jewels are fully present. A person of superior merit sees it and directly grasps the bright moon pearl; one of meager merit only sees copper, iron, and the like. It is not that there are no jewels in the treasury, nor is it that the master of the treasury does not give them. Now I say to you: nature is not sound and form, but you only see sound and form; I too have no fault. Do you know? This spiritual nature cannot be burned by fire, cannot be drowned by water, in an instant can reach a thousand or ten thousand miles, and mountains, rivers, and stone walls cannot obstruct it. Right now, your raising eyebrows, moving eyes, snapping fingers, clearing the throat, and mumbling questions and answers with your mouth—all of this is this nature. It is called the Great Way, always present before your eyes. Although before your eyes, it is difficult to see. If you doubt and do not faithfully accept it, you will destroy the Dharma and fall into the evil destinies. If one is of superior capacity, upon hearing these words one immediately understands, never again performing any evil; this is called once received, never retrogressing, eternally tranquil. One of middling capacity draws close to good friends, draws near to the wise, repeatedly hears the explanation, and before long also understands. If one is of inferior capacity, though told a thousand or ten thousand times, originally does not understand; though remembering a little, it is like wrapping a bright pearl in tattered cloth: stepping out the door, it is dropped and lost. Do you know? The Buddha Way is not far; turning the mind is it. If awakened, it is an instant; if unawakened, an eternity of kalpas as sands of the Ganges.'
23.34
Question: Does this One Mind Source, the Way to Buddhahood, still require progressing through stages of cultivation and realization?
23.35.1
Answer: This non-abiding true mind is truly impossible to cultivate, impossible to realize, and impossible to obtain. Why is this? Because it does not grasp a fruit, it cannot be realized; because it does not cling to dharmas, it cannot be obtained; because it is not an engineered dharma, it cannot be cultivated. Being fundamentally pure without need of polishing, it is naturally accomplished by dharma-nature. If we speak of stages, they pertain to the practice-gate of conventional truth, yet without deviating from principle. Discussing stages within that which has no stages, one must not give rise to the rigid clinging to existence or non-existence. The sūtras explain the differences of the ten grounds like bird tracks in the sky. If in terms of the gateway of perfect fusion, in tranquil tathatā, what sequence could there be? If in terms of the gateway of graduated arrangement, in counteracting habit-energies, ascent and progress are not absent. Furthermore, defiled and pure stages and levels are all distinguished according to conventional designations; thus, while seemingly dividing ranks, they do not destroy the One Mind. For example, the stage of sentient beings is like an earthenware vessel; the stage of bodhisattvas is like a silver vessel; the stage of all Buddhas is like a golden vessel. Although the capacities of the three types of vessels—earthenware, silver, and gold—differ, the space inside each and every vessel is pervasive, equal, and without distinction. Space illustrates the principle of equality of the One Mind and dharmakāya; the various vessels illustrate the differences in ranks of faculties, capacities, and stages. The Way is fundamentally without difference, but according to practice there are differences. Now, when discussing practice and understanding, the sudden and gradual differ. Manifesting kleśas have depths and shallows, and perfumed habit-energies have thicknesses and thinnesses; one cannot take a single view, for it rests with each individual. When karma is light, it is easy to round out; when hindrances are deep, they are hard to sever. Just as a bodhisattva who ascends to the eighth ground personally realizes anutpattikadharmakṣānti and views all dharmas as of the nature of space, this is still a gradual realization of no-mind. Arriving at the tenth ground, there are still two kinds of foolishness. Entering the stage of equal enlightenment, a fraction of avidyā is still unexhausted; like slight smoke, it still requires repentance. Moreover, if one has not personally abided in samādhi, one does not believe that there are no dharmas outside the mind, just as one suffering from cataracts does not believe there are no flowers in the sky. With discriminating wisdom, the understanding mind is not eliminated; merely conditioning other objects, one has not abided in one's own stage. As the Śūraṅgamasūtra says: 'The Tathāgatas of the ten directions and the great bodhisattvas, in their personally abided samādhi, see that the seeing, the conditions of seeing, and the marks of what is conceptualized are like sky flowers, fundamentally non-existent.' What are called great bodhisattvas are those from the eighth ground and above. If an eighth-ground bodhisattva still sees a pure land outside the mind, conditioning principle with wisdom, this is not called personally abiding. If a tenth-ground bodhisattva, although not seeing objects outside the mind, still has the two habits of form and mind. Therefore, a verse says: 'Only the Buddha alone upholds the pure precepts; / all the rest are called precept-breakers.' Therefore, we know that only upon entering the ultimate Ekayāna gate of the Source Mirror is one truly called upholding the precepts, truly called seeing the Way. Furthermore, knowledge and vision are fourfold: first, knowing without seeing, from the first ground to the ninth ground; second, seeing without knowing, which is the tenth ground; third, both seeing and knowing, which is the Buddha alone; fourth, neither seeing nor knowing, which is ordinary beings before the grounds, and so on. If one can directly achieve no-mind, its measure surpassing the bounds of space, what need is there to further traverse the stairs? If one has not suddenly united with no-mind, and in a single thought there is deviation, one must directly cure it with the Buddha's knowledge and vision. Thereafter, the five kṣāntis clarify correct cultivation, and the six identifications sift out unearned pretense; thus one avoids falling into overweening pride and ultimately fulfills the complete Buddha-yāna. If one enters into the Source Mirror, one becomes a universal capacity, the Bodhisattva-yāna, the inconceivable vehicle; relying on the universal gate Dharma, one stage is all stages. Just as Sudhana in a single lifetime was endowed with the five stages and so forth, all are mutually gathered by universal dharma. This capacity of Samantabhadra sees all that is seen and hears all that is heard; it is the realm of the Universal Eye. That the universal dharmas mutually gather is because there are no dharmas outside the mind, hence it is called universal. All practices and stages are within the mind; how could they not mutually gather? In the gateway of graduated arrangement, depths and shallows seem to be distinguished. Moreover, the Xuanyi ge says: 'The forty-two stages of the Perfect Teaching share the identical true principle; when discussed with regard to wisdom, brightness and dimness are consequently distinguished. Great space is one; as the sun travels through the sky, it has midday and dawn. Ascending the abodes in the Perfect Teaching is like a ship entering the sea, like the sun roaming through space. Wisdom is completely unengineered, and practice is also unconditioned; moment by moment the wind of the Way naturally advances.' As the Zhiguan says: 'Entering the true source of the Buddha to avoid falling into perverse inversions, a person who initially gives rise to perfect faith must clarify the ten methods of contemplation. The ten methods of contemplation are: first, contemplating the inconceivable realm; second, generating the true and genuine bodhicitta; third, skillfully settling śamatha and vipaśyanā; fourth, thoroughly breaking down all dharmas; fifth, skillfully recognizing the unobstructed and obstructed; sixth, harmonizing the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment; seventh, auxiliary methods that counteract and open up; eighth, skillfully knowing the ranks of stages; ninth, patiently enduring the two thieves of strong and soft; tenth, not giving rise to Dharma-attachment that conforms to the Way. Being unconfused like this, one only then enters the Perfect Vehicle.' Furthermore, the initial single thought-moment of faith and understanding can accomplish the five ranks. The Tiantai teaching says: 'If a person has planted deeply in past lives, or meets a good friend, or from sūtra scrolls comes to completely hear the wondrous principle, namely that one dharma is all dharmas, all dharmas are one dharma, neither one nor all, inconceivable; giving rise to perfect faith and understanding, he believes that within the One Mind the ten dharmadhātus are contained, just as a single particle of dust contains a canon of sūtras of a great trichiliocosm. Wishing to hear this mind and cultivate perfect practice—perfect practice means one practice is all practices, briefly stated as ten: namely, recognizing that a single thought-moment of mind is equally complete, inconceivable; lamenting one's own torpor, compassion reaches all; furthermore, knowing that this mind is ever tranquil and ever illuminating, using the tranquil and illuminating mind to break down all dharmas as empty, as provisional, and as the middle; furthermore, recognizing the One Mind and all minds, whether unobstructed or obstructed, being able in this mind to be fully endowed with the factors of the Way and attain the path of bodhi; furthermore, understanding the primary and auxiliary practices of this mind; furthermore, recognizing one's own mind and the minds of ordinary beings and sages; furthermore, settling the mind to be unmoving, not falling, not retrogressing, and not scattering; although recognizing the immeasurable virtues of the One Mind, not giving rise to defiled attachment. When the ten minds are accomplished, to state the essentials: in thought after thought, the mind completely corresponds with all pāramitās. This is named the initial stage of rejoicing in the Perfect Teaching. Cultivating fully the ten dharmas from this point onward, one attains entry into the abode of the initial aspiration of the Perfect Teaching.'
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- 宗鏡錄 — Classical Chinese