宗鏡錄 23.37

23.37

Answer: Entering the contemplation of the real means contemplating the reality of all phenomena. Once a single phenomenon is [known to be] real, the ten thousand phenomena are all likewise; thus, one being real, all are real. Just as knowing that the nature of honey is sweet means that all honey is sweet, one need not rely on many contemplation gates, but simply comprehend a single inconceivable phenomenon, and naturally it horizontally pervades the dharmadhātu, all sharing this same principle. Those of superior capacity take one look and sweep everything away without remainder. It is like a master physician treating illness: seeing the grass boys dance, all ailments are dispelled; furthermore, directly hearing his words, the sickness is cured of itself. What need then to feel the pulse or wait further to administer a prescription? Again, it is like a superior physician taking non-medicine as medicine, a mediocre physician taking medicine as medicine, and an inferior physician turning medicine into non-medicine. As for taking non-medicine as medicine, it is like saying there is not a single thing that is not medicine: whatever grass is plucked becomes [medicine]; how could one speak of being medicine or non-medicine? It is like walking on non-paths and thereby penetrating the Buddha-path, directly [turning] kleśas to achieve bodhi; all worldly phenomena are purely the Buddha Dharma. As for taking medicine as medicine, it means giving medicine in response to the illness, curing it right away: using monkshood to treat wind, dried tangerine peel to dispel qi, and so forth. It is like observing people's faculties to impart the Dharma without missing the proper time: for those with much discursive thought, cultivating the contemplation of counting the breath; for those with much lust, cultivating the contemplation of impurity, and so forth. As for turning medicine into non-medicine, it means failing to recognize the root of the illness and instead worsening the disease. It is like a Dharma preacher failing to suit the listeners' capacities, so that those of shallow capacity give rise to a slanderous mind, and the inferior laugh out loud upon hearing it. The sublime flavor of ghee is the rarest marvel in the world; meeting such people, it turns instead into poison. For people of the highest capacities, as soon as they awaken to the source, they do not wait upon words. Therefore the ancient sages said: 'When a superior person sees my poem, he holds it with a face full of smiles; when Yang Xiu saw [the riddle] of the young maiden, at a single glance he knew its marvel.' But if hindrances and veils are deep and thick, and one's faculties and thoughts are hesitant and sluggish, one must undergo the contemplation gates in full, counteracting the seeds and active manifestations [of defilements], like modifying, compounding, and ingesting medicine before the illness is cured. The Tiantai teachings, in consideration of middling and inferior faculties, set forth the contemplation methods of the ten vehicles in full. Yet although ten are present, they are not separate from the single gate. As the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra says: Expounding the contemplation of entering reality means the contemplation methods of the ten vehicles. First is the inconceivable object. This is the one real four noble truths: namely, that the suffering truth of birth-and-death is inconceivable, being at once empty, provisional, and middle. Being at once empty, it is the purity of expedient means; being at once provisional, it is the round purity; being at once middle, it is the natural purity. The three purities obtained within the one mind are called great nirvāṇa. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśasūtra says: 'All sentient beings are themselves great nirvāṇa; therefore it is called the inconceivable four noble truths. It cannot be extinguished again.' This suffering truth of birth-and-death is the uncreated truth of cessation, and is also the truths of origination and path. The truth of origination of kleśas is inconceivable, being at once empty, provisional, and middle. Being at once empty, it is called the knowledge of all; being at once provisional, it is called the knowledge of the aspects of the path; being at once middle, it is called the knowledge of all aspects. The three knowledges obtained within the one mind are called great prajñā. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśasūtra says: 'All sentient beings are themselves the characteristics of bodhi, and cannot be attained again.' This origination of kleśas is the uncreated truth of the path, and is also suffering and cessation; therefore it is called the inconceivable one real four noble truths. It is also true, wholesome, and wondrous form. Why? Birth-and-death is at once empty, hence called true; birth-and-death is at once provisional, hence called wholesome; birth-and-death is at once middle, hence called wondrous. This is called the inconceivable object of the gate of existence. Second is generating the true and correct mind. All sentient beings are themselves great nirvāṇa: why do they perversely take suffering for joy? Thereupon one gives rise to great compassion and raises two vows: to cross over those not yet crossed over, and to sever [defilements] in those who have not yet severed them. All kleśas are themselves bodhi: why are they so foolish and benighted as to consider the path to be wrong? Thereupon one gives rise to great benevolence and raises two vows: to cause those who do not know to know, and to cause those who have not attained to attain. With unconditioned benevolence and compassion, and pure vows, by the power of the wholesome root of benevolence, one spontaneously attracts and gathers all sentient beings. Third is settling the mind. Having accomplished bodily understanding and fulfilled the generation of the mind, how could one merely stand by the pond watching fish, unwilling to weave a net, pack provisions, bind one's legs, and instead sit quietly without walking? The essentials of cultivation do not go beyond concentration and wisdom. For example, when yin and yang are harmoniously balanced, the myriad things flourish and bear fruit; if rain and drought are unseasonable, scorched and rotten, how could anything grow? If the two wheels are balanced and even, the vehicle can transport; if the two wings are complete, it is fit to soar. Realizing that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa is called concentration; comprehending that kleśas are themselves bodhi is called wisdom. Skillfully cultivating concentration and wisdom within the one mind, one fulfills all practices. Fourth is universally shattering phenomena. Using this wondrous wisdom, like a vajra axe, whatever it strikes is shattered; like an unclouded eye, wherever it looks is luminous. If birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, the suffering truths of both fragmentary and transformative [birth-and-death] are shattered. If kleśas are themselves bodhi, the origination truths of both the four abodes and the five abodes are shattered. Although able to shatter, there is also nothing shattered. Why? Because birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, there is nothing shattered. Fifth is recognizing the open and the blocked. Like a master of weapons, one takes and discards appropriately, pacifying the strong and comforting the weak. Knowing the faults of birth-and-death is called blocked; [knowing] that it is itself nirvāṇa is called open. Knowing the confusion of kleśas is called blocked; [knowing] that it is itself bodhi is called open. From the four views of heterodox paths up to the four gates of the round teaching, in all of them one recognizes the open and the blocked. Grasping at each successive stage is blocked; the fading away and vanishing of each successive stage is called open. If one does not recognize the level and dangerous paths of phenomena, not only will practice not advance, but one will also lose the precious treasure. Sixth is skillfully knowing the factors of the path. Contemplating that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, the rūpa-skandha of birth-and-death across the ten realms is neither pure nor impure; up to the vijñāna-skandha, it is neither permanent nor impermanent. Being able to shatter the eight inversions, these are the four applications of mindfulness of the dharma-nature. Within the applications of mindfulness, the factors of the path, the three liberations, and all phenomena are fully contained. Furthermore, knowing that nirvāṇa is itself birth-and-death reveals the four withered trees; knowing that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa reveals the four blooming trees; knowing that birth-and-death and nirvāṇa are non-dual is the one real truth, neither withered nor blooming, abiding in great nirvāṇa. Seventh is skillfully cultivating counteractions. If there are many hindrances on the correct path, one must rely on supporting paths: contemplating that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa counteracts retribution hindrances; contemplating that kleśas are themselves bodhi counteracts karmic hindrances and kleśa hindrances. Eighth is skillfully knowing the sequential stages. The phenomenon of birth-and-death is fundamentally nirvāṇa: this is nirvāṇa in principle. Understanding and knowing that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa is nominal nirvāṇa. Diligently contemplating that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa is the nirvāṇa of contemplative practice. When the merit of wholesome roots arises, this is the nirvāṇa of resemblance. When true wisdom arises, this is the nirvāṇa of partial realization. Reaching the very bottom of birth-and-death is ultimate nirvāṇa. Contemplating that kleśas are themselves bodhi is also like this. Ninth is skillfully bearing with patience. One is able to patiently endure both external and internal, strong and mild hindrances, without destroying the contemplating mind. If one contemplates that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, one is not moved or destroyed by the realms of skandhas and āyatanas, sickness, karma, māras, dhyāna, the two vehicles, bodhisattvas, and so forth. If one contemplates that kleśas are themselves bodhi, one is not moved by the realms of various views and arrogance. Tenth is being free from attachment to the Dharma. Having passed through hindrances and difficulties, the roots of the path are established, and all virtues arise. Because of contemplating that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, the virtues of all dhyānas and samādhis arise. Because of contemplating that kleśas are themselves bodhi, all dhāraṇīs, fearlessnesses, unshared dharmas, and prajñās arise. Because of contemplating that birth-and-death and nirvāṇa are non-dual, the dharmakāya and true characteristic arise. Resemblance virtues arise in accordance with principle; joy arises, and attachment to the Dharma in accord with the path arises—this is called attachment to the Dharma. Neither advancing nor retreating, this is called falling from the peak. If this attachment arises, it must be swiftly extinguished. When this attachment has been extinguished, avidyā is shattered, the Buddha's knowledge and vision are opened, and the substance of the true characteristic is realized. Because of contemplating that birth-and-death is itself nirvāṇa, one realizes liberation; because kleśas are themselves bodhi, one realizes prajñā; these two being non-dual, one realizes the dharmakāya. One body is immeasurable bodies, an unsurpassed heap of jewels, a wish-fulfilling jewel, complete with all phenomena. This is called entering reality through the gate of existence and realizing the substance of the sūtra. The other three gates are also like this, up to traversing all Dharma-gates, which is also like this.