宗鏡錄 23.33

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.'