宗鏡錄 23.17

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."