宗鏡錄 23.31

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.