宗鏡錄 23.35.1

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.'