宗鏡錄 24

English (machine translation) 24

Language: English

24.7 — 10 parts

24.1

Compiled by the Chan Master Zhijue, Yanshou, Abbot of Huiri Yongming Temple.

Question: If the fundamental principle of attaining Buddhahood is simply the one mind, why are the causes of Mañjuśrī's and Samantabhadra's practice stages further established, along with the fruits of the names and titles of Śākya[muni] and Maitreya, and even the Buddha lands of the ten directions, the miraculous manifestations, and the various Dharma gates?

24.3

Answer: These are names and stages where there are no names and stages; they are cause and fruit where there is no cause and fruit. It is citta that acts as the cause; it is citta that achieves the fruit. It is citta that designates the names; it is citta that establishes the stages. The Guan Puxian jing says: 'The cause of the Great Vehicle is none other than the true mark; the fruit of the Great Vehicle is also none other than the true mark.' The Commentary [Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa] says: 'First contemplating the true mark is called the cause; when contemplation is complete, it is called the fruit.' Therefore we know that beginning and end are both citta, and cause and fruit are identically realized. It is merely because people's faculties and capacities are not equal that what they see is not the same. If one used a single teaching to suit their capacities, they would never all equally achieve liberation. Thus, it is necessary to manifest individually to lead beings back to citta. Although various names are opened up, they are all the meaning of the one mind. If one goes against one's own citta and grasps at the superior and wondrous realms of external Buddha marks, that is distortion. Therefore, a verse in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: / 'If by majesty, physical form, or clan / one sees the Tamer among Men, / this is the distorted view of diseased eyes, / and such a person cannot know the supreme Dharma.' / Another verse says: / 'Even if for hundreds of thousands of kalpas / one constantly sees the Tathāgata, / if one does not rely on the real meaning / in contemplating the Savior of the World, / that person grasps at marks, / increases the net of delusion and confusion, / is bound in the prison of birth and death, / and, blind and benighted, does not see the Buddha.' / Why do they not see the Buddha? First, because they do not recognize their own citta; second, because they do not understand the concealed and the revealed. How so? The cause of sentient beings is concealed in original awakening; the fruit of the Buddhas is revealed in the dharmakāya. The original awakening in which the cause is concealed is the dharmakāya in which the fruit is revealed. When the fruit can accomplish the cause, it is the sentient beings of the Buddha; when the dharmakāya in which the fruit is revealed is the original awakening in which the cause is concealed, and the cause can bring about the fruit, it is the Buddha of sentient beings. Therefore it is said that the ordinary and the holy interpenetrate, and principle and phenomena mutually contain each other. As for what is called 'Śākyamuni': Śākya is translated here as 'able to be benevolent' (nengren); muni is translated here as 'silent' (jimo). 'Able to be benevolent' means that the nature of citta is boundless, containing and accommodating all things; 'silent' means that the substance of citta is fundamentally quiescent, undisturbed by movement or stillness. Hence he is named Śākyamuni; awakening to this is called 'Buddha'. As for Maitreya: this is translated here as 'the Compassionate One' (Cishi), which is the true compassion of the one mind. Because citta does not abide in its own nature, it rolls up and unrolls according with beings, responding and manifesting without fixed direction, accomplishing transformation without conditions; hence he is called the Compassionate One. As for Amitābha: this is translated here as 'Infinite Life' (Wuliangshou), which means taking conformity with principle as life; because the nature of the tathatā of the one mind is inexhaustible, he is called 'Infinite Life'. As for Akṣobhya: this is translated here as 'Immovable' (Budong), which means that the wondrous nature of the one mind is serenely immovable, incapable of being increased by the stage of wondrous awakening or decreased by the ground of avidyā; hence he is called 'Immovable'. As the Tripiṭaka [master] Ratnamati said: 'As for the homage of universally entering the dharmadhātu, it truly arises because the practitioner visualizes and contemplates that the dharmas of their own body and citta have, from the very beginning, never been separate from outside the bodies of the Buddhas of the dharmadhātu, nor are they inside the bodies of the Buddhas; nor are they outside of me, nor inside of me. Their self-nature is equal, fundamentally without increase or decrease. Now, when paying homage to one Buddha, it universally extends to all Buddhas. All the undefiled [qualities] of the stages and grounds of the triyāna: since my body is universal, following the Buddhas it is also universal, extending even to the dharmadhātu, the two realms of emptiness and existence, the two retributions of dependent and primary, and the adornments and offering utensils—all filling everywhere according to conditions, not departing from the dharmadhātu, unobstructed according to citta; all are dedicated as offerings, rejoiced in, and bowed to with the head. It is like hanging hundreds of thousands of mirrors in a single room: when a person looks into the mirrors, the mirrors all manifest their image. The pure Buddha bodies are more brilliant than those mirrors; they mutually interpenetrate, so that no mirror fails to illuminate and no reflection fails to appear. This is subsuming the other as the universal and entering the other as the particular. Since one body is like this, it extends to all the dharmadhātu: the bodies of the ordinary and the holy, and the utensils of offering, all assist in rejoicing, all identical in offering. Having known that my body is within the Buddha's body, how could one perversely and falsely commit evil karma, feeling no shame or remorse? Furthermore, since the virtues and functions of all Buddhas are equal, their names and titles are also equal. Whichever name is recited, no name is not fully encompassed. For instance, in reciting the single name of Amitābha Buddha and bowing to invoke him, all Buddhas are completely and fully present. In the Western lands he is called Amitābha Buddha; here he is called Infinite Life. How could there be any Buddha who does not have long life? Even if all Buddhas did not transform sentient beings, and only one Buddha transformed beings, the merit would return to the dharmadhātu; the virtues and functions of the dharmadhātu are universally complete. This is called the homage of universally entering the dharmadhātu.' The Laṅkāvatārasūtra says: 'The Buddha told Mahāmati: "Because of four equalities, the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha proclaimed such words among the great assembly: 'At that time I was Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, and Kāśyapa Buddha.' What are the four equalities? They are: equality of syllables, equality of words, equality of dharmas, and equality of bodies. These are called the four equalities." What is the meaning of equality? It is what is called having the same name, having the same brahma sound, having the same vehicle door, having the same true substance, and even having the same citta, the same wisdom, the same awakening, and the same path. Just as when Aṅgulimāla and Mañjuśrī traveled together throughout the ten directions, all the Buddhas of the ten directions whom they saw praised Śākya Buddha, saying: "He is my very body." Furthermore, the Lotus Sūtra clarifies that the Buddhas of the ten directions are all divided bodies of Śākya[muni]; thus Akṣobhya and Amitābha are all our original teacher, and our original teacher is none other than our citta. The commentary explains: 'Not only Amitābha and Akṣobhya, but the Buddhas of the ten directions are all our original teacher, suddenly manifested in the sāgaramudrā.' Furthermore, the divided bodies in the Lotus Sūtra have many pure lands; why did the Tathāgata not point to his own pure land, but instead direct people elsewhere to Amitābha['s Sukhāvatī] or [Akṣobhya's] Abhirati? Think about this! Hence we know that Bhadramukha, Amitābha, and the others are all our original teacher; what is there to wonder at? As for the name 'Bhadramukha': in the 'Duration of Life' chapter, passing beyond millions of asaṃkhyeya kṣetras, he is the Tathāgata of the ultimate Lotus-Supreme World. The verse in the sūtra says: / 'Or one sees the supremely wondrous Lotus kṣetra, / with the Tathāgata Bhadramukha abiding therein.' / If this were not praising our original teacher, for what purpose would another Tathāgata in another land be spoken of? Moreover, in the teaching of dhāraṇī (Esoteric Buddhism), it is also stated that the thirty-seven deities are all manifested by the one Buddha Vairocana. That is to say, the Tathāgata Vairocana in his inner citta realizes his own enjoyment and accomplishes the five wisdoms. From four of the wisdoms flow forth the four Tathāgatas: that is, from the Great Round Mirror Wisdom flows forth the Tathāgata Akṣobhya of the east; from the Equality Wisdom flows forth the Tathāgata Ratnasambhava of the south; from the Wondrous Contemplation Wisdom flows forth the Tathāgata Amitāyus of the west; and from the Accomplishing-What-Must-Be-Done Wisdom flows forth the Tathāgata Amoghasiddhi of the north. The Dharmadhātu Pure Wisdom corresponds to the Tathāgata Vairocana himself. As for the thirty-seven: the Tathāgatas of the five directions each have four great bodhisattvas to their left and right, making another twenty. That is, for the central Tathāgata Vairocana, the four great bodhisattvas are: first, Vajrapāramitā Bodhisattva; second, Ratnapāramitā Bodhisattva; third, Dharmapāramitā Bodhisattva; fourth, Karmapāramitā Bodhisattva. For the eastern Tathāgata Akṣobhya, the four bodhisattvas are: first, Vajrasattva Bodhisattva; second, Vajrarāja Bodhisattva; third, Vajrarāga Bodhisattva; fourth, Vajrasādhu Bodhisattva. For the southern Tathāgata Ratnasambhava, the four bodhisattvas are: first, Vajraratna; second, Vajratejas; third, Vajraketu; fourth, Vajrahāsa. For the western Tathāgata Amitāyus, also named Avalokiteśvararāja Tathāgata, the four bodhisattvas are: first, Vajradharma; second, Vajratīkṣṇa; third, Vajrahetu; fourth, Vajrabhāṣa. For the northern Tathāgata Amoghasiddhi, the four bodhisattvas are: first, Vajrakarma; second, Vajrarakṣa; third, Vajrayakṣa; fourth, Vajrasandhi. Together with the [five Buddhas] there are already twenty-five, and with the four attractions and eight offerings, there are therefore thirty-seven. The four attractions are: hook, lasso, chain, and bell. The eight offerings are: incense, flowers, lamp, ointment, garland, dance, song, and music. All have 'Vajra' above and 'Bodhisattva' below. Yet these thirty-seven deities each have a seed syllable, and all flow forth from the wisdom-function of our original teacher; this shares the same broad import with the sudden manifestation in the sāgaramudrā in the present Avataṃsaka Sūtra.

24.4

Question: If one relies on this meaning, would it not contradict the intention of equality (samatābhiprāya)? The intention of equality states: 'The saying that "he is me" is spoken relying on the intention of equality, not that he is literally my body.' How can you say they are all our original teacher?

24.5

Answer: The word 'equality' therein is simply one meaning. Yogācāra even says that among all sentient beings, some belong to multiple Buddhas, and multiple Buddhas jointly transform them as one Buddha; or if they belong to one Buddha, that Buddha can manifest as multiple bodies. The Tathāgatas of the ten directions are each and all like this. Here, precisely because one Buddha can become multiple bodies, our original teacher is praised on this basis.

24.6

For instance, a disciple asked the Great Master Fu: 'In all petitions and memorials addressed to the Buddha, why is only Śākya invoked, and Maitreya is not named?'

24.7.1

He replied: "The buddhas of the ten directions share one dharmakāya; why must there be two? Moreover, the three bodies and ten bodies are spoken of in accordance with function; judging by their fundamental nature, there is only one body. It is like a dark room yearning for light, which shines in accordance with the apertures: although the lights are manifold, that which is their origin is one—namely, the true dharmakāya. It also manifests in accordance with capacities, with different forms and marks. As a verse in the 'Manifestation' chapter says: / 'Just as the Brahmā King abides in his own palace, / Yet manifests universally throughout the three-thousandfold realms of Brahmā, / Seen by all humans and devas, / Without truly dividing his body to go to them; / The manifestation of the bodies of all buddhas is also like this: / Pervading all the ten directions without exception. / Their bodies are innumerable and incalculable, / Yet they neither divide their bodies nor make discriminations.' / Thus we know that it is not that another buddha's wisdom pervades oneself, but rather that one's own buddha-wisdom pervades others. Nor is it that one's own cause proceeds to another's fruit; originally, it is that another's fruit receives my cause. Thus cause and effect are simultaneous; ordinary and sage are of one boundary. For this reason, by understanding that there are no dual characteristics, one can transcend the realm of Māra; by not grasping a single dharma, one abides peacefully in the Buddha vehicle. If one grasps characteristics, one sinks into the ocean of the six entries; if one gives rise to thoughts, one casts oneself into the fortress of the five aggregates. These are all sentient beings following their discriminating feelings and giving rise to views of self and other; then the reflections divide into many moons, and their traces take on various forms. Not departing from the one true [reality], each manifests in the water of citta. Therefore Master Rong said: 'Not departing from the five aggregates, there is a buddha.' The sūtra says: 'As is citta, so is the buddha; as is the buddha, so are sentient beings.' It also says: 'To seek bodhi apart from citta is like heaven and earth; how could there be a sixteen-foot body? The body has no sixteen feet.' The *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitāsūtra* says: 'One does not take the body to be the buddha; one takes sarvākārajñatā to be the buddha. If the marks and signs were the buddha, a wheel-turning king would be one.' Now, for so many people, the buddha within their bodies—why do they not see it? Because of kleśas. The sūtra says: 'Sentient beings endowed with kleśas, though close, do not see; it is only inside the body, very close yet they do not see.' Furthermore, because we lack wisdom, we do not realize that within our inner garment there is a priceless jewel. As for 'citta', it means 'faith' [or 'verification']; that is, there is preceding consciousness, and dharmas operate following characteristics, so that kleśas are called consciousness, not citta. 'Manas' means 'recollection': recollecting and conceptualizing preceding objects gives rise to delusion; these are all deluded consciousness, having nothing to do with citta. Citta is neither existent nor non-existent; existence and non-existence do not taint it. Citta is neither defiled nor pure; defilement and purity do not soil it. Up to deluded or awakened, ordinary or sage, walking, coming, going, or staying—all are deluded consciousness and not citta. Citta fundamentally is unproduced, and now also does not cease. If one knows one's own citta to be like this, the buddha is also thus. Therefore it is said: 'The straight mind is the bodhimanda, because it is free of falsity.' The sūtra says: 'Such is the body of the world; the bodies of the buddhas are also thus. Completely knowing its self-nature: this is called a buddha.' Therefore one body and immeasurable bodies all share the same buddha-substance, because their principle of naturelessness is identical. For this reason, Master Zhi said: 'At the hour of eating, avidyā originally is the body of Śākya. Sitting and lying, not knowing it is originally the Way—why rush about in haste enduring bitter toil?' The *Huayan siji* says: 'From "Thus have I heard" onwards, up to everything in all sūtras—the assemblies of bodhisattvas, the assemblies of śrāvakas, the ornaments, flowers, banners, streamers, canopies, the seven precious jewels, and the like—all arise from the Tathāgata's pure karma, or are designated by names of dharmas or names of clouds; all are matters within the pure citta. Mañjuśrī is sentient beings' actively operating discriminating citta. Samantabhadra is sentient beings' citta of karmic action amid worldly toil. Avalokiteśvara is sentient beings' citta of great compassion. Mahāsthāmaprāpta is sentient beings' citta of resolve and wisdom. As the *Avataṃsakasūtra* says: "Mañjuśrī in all places": although Mañjuśrī comes from the east, he is immediately in all places, because he is the body of the dharmadhātu and unmoving wisdom. Meeting an object, it is understood; the six sense organs and three karmas are all Mañjuśrī. The substance of true reality is all-pervading; the myriad images densely arrayed are nothing other than prajñā. Where is there a single place that is not Mañjuśrī?' The *Vimalakīrti Commentary* says: 'Bodhisattva Samādhivaśavartirāja: using the three contemplations in one mind, being able to contemplate the citta-nature, is called supreme samādhi. Attaining this supreme samādhi, one attains mastery over all conventional and ultimate dhyānas and samādhis, like a king. Bodhisattva Ratnarāśi: through the three contemplations in one mind, correctly contemplating that although the citta-nature is empty, it is fully endowed with the collection of dharma-jewels of myriad practices; therefore he is named Ratnarāśi. Bodhisattva Vicitrasaṃbhava: contemplating that citta is unproduced, then all dharmas are unproduced; prajñā wonderfully arises. Therefore the sūtra says: "Form is not produced; prajñā is produced." Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara: the *Qing Guanyin jing* says: "Contemplate the pulse of the heart, focusing the thought in one place; then one sees Avalokiteśvara." For bodhisattvas such as these, in accordance with pointing out one contemplation gate, they are distinctively labeled with a bodhisattva's name to guide beings back to citta. If one person completely possesses all contemplation gates, then the names are mutually interchangeable; this is equality of syllables, equality of words, equality of bodies, and equality of dharmas. Because all dharmas are originally nameless, that they have names without names is all because they arise from citta; citta is names. Those who are able to understand like this will see all bodhisattvas and buddhas within the correctly contemplating citta. Up to the ten great disciples among the śrāvakas, they are all the ten wholesome mental factors of one's own citta.' It also says: 'The ten mental factors: a verse from the Abhidharma of the Tripiṭaka teachings says: / "Saṃjñā, chanda, sparśa, prajñā, / Smṛti, cetanā, and adhimokṣa, / Manaskāra towards sense objects, / Samādhi together with vedanā; / These caitasikas are common to the entire ground." / Assisting the mind-king, they give rise to all states of mind. The mental factors are like a state having ten ministers who together assist a single ruler. If the ruler and ministers together practice what is not the Way, the people in the state will all do evil. If ruler and ministers assist one another to practice proper governance, the people in the state will all possess the Way. Now sentient beings have a mind-king, common to the ten mental factors. If thought is unwholesome, then immeasurable unwholesome, kleśa-laden mental factors will arise. If the mind-king and the ten factors assist one another in thinking wholesome thoughts, then immeasurable wholesome mental factors of merit and wisdom will arise. Furthermore, the mind-king is the master, and the ten factors are the ten disciples. If master and disciple together commit evil, they will transform all people into doing evil; if master and disciple together perform good...'

24.7.2

...then they transform all people to cultivate good. The mind-king and the ten mental factor phenomena are also like this. Therefore, this sūtra says: 'The disciples are the multitudes of defilements, which turn according to the intention.' Now, all sentient beings possess the mind-king and the ten universal mental factor phenomena. If they encounter heavenly māras and non-Buddhists with their discourses of craving and discourses of views, they immediately give rise to various kleśas and wander in saṃsāra, just as if transformed by an evil ruler, evil ministers, an evil master, and evil disciples. Now the Buddha is the Dharma King, and the ten disciples are the Dharma ministers; that is, they are the master of the true Dharma and the disciples of the true Dharma. Using wisdom-practice and conduct-practice, they practice the true Dharma and together transform sentient beings. As for the mind-king and the ten universal mental factor phenomena: if sentient beings faithfully accept them and cultivate wisdom-practice, then the various kleśas of discourses of views are extinguished, and all the immeasurable good mental factor phenomena of the path of seeing are accomplished. If sentient beings faithfully accept them and cultivate conduct-practice, then all the unwholesome mental factor phenomena of heavenly māras and saṃsāra are broken, and the immeasurable good mental factor phenomena of the path of cultivation are accomplished. Therefore, a sūtra says: 'If the mind-king is upright, then the six ministers will not be corrupt.' Furthermore, these ten factors are themselves ten Dharma approaches, all capable of leading into nirvāṇa. At first, one takes the ten factors as seeds; cultivating from this, one eventually attains the realization of the Way, just as a tree of embrace-breadth begins from a tiny sprout. Now the Dharma King wishes to transform all sentient beings with the teachings of the half and full; he must first accord with their desires. Therefore, this sūtra says: 'First pull them with the hook of desire, and later cause them to enter the Buddha's wisdom.' Now, as for the ten disciples each propagating one Dharma: people gather according to kind, and things divide into groups; according to their desires, they each use one practice and Dharma approach to gather them as retinue. Although each holds one Dharma approach, how could they ever fail to possess the ten virtues? Just as with the ten mental factors: whenever one arises, the ten factors immediately arise along with it; although one factor is used to assume the name, in truth there are ten factors. Matching them specifically to the ten disciples: First, the factor of saṃjñā corresponds to Pūrṇa. His factor of saṃjñā was especially predominant, and he entered the Way through saṃjñā; therefore, among the śrāvaka disciples, he is foremost in explaining the Dharma. The *Tattvasiddhiśāstra* says: 'Consciousness apprehends real dharmas; saṃjñā apprehends conventional designations.' Pūrṇa used the factor of saṃjñā clearly and distinctly, and therefore was able to distinguish names and characteristics without obstruction, his eloquence unhindered; among those who explain the Dharma, he is the most foremost. The factor of chanda corresponds to Mahākāśyapa. Because he entered the Way by using the factor of wholesome chanda, among all disciples, he is foremost in dhūta [practices]. For all wholesome dharmas, chanda is the root. Kāśyapa cut off worldly glory and set his aspiration on the essentials of renunciation, delighting in mountain forests; this is the arising of the mind of wholesome chanda, abandoning the evil desires of the world. Further delight corresponds to Kātyāyana. He immediately gave rise to this factor, examining and investigating doctrinal principles to enter the Way; therefore, among the śrāvakas, he is foremost in debate. In questions and answers back and forth, mutually interpenetrating, his debate of principles was inexhaustible, without obstruction or deficiency; because he specifically cultivated the factor of further delight, he was able to be like this. The factor of prajñā corresponds to Śāriputra. Because he entered the Way by using the factor of prajñā, among all śrāvakas, he is foremost in wisdom, the general of the Dharma wheel. The factor of smṛti corresponds to Upāli. He entered the Way by using smṛti to uphold the Vinaya; among all śrāvakas, he is foremost in upholding the Vinaya. Remembering and maintaining without forgetting is called smṛti. Upāli, facing conditions with body and speech, weighed light and heavy without forgetfulness or loss; he was supreme in upholding the Vinaya. The factor of cetanā corresponds to Rāhula. Because of secret practices he entered the Way; among all śrāvakas, he is foremost in esoteric practices. The aggregate of saṃskāra is precisely the factor of cetanā. If the factor of cetanā is sharp, one cultivates various practices of precepts and conceals merits; he was supreme in esoteric practices. Liberation corresponds to Subhūti. Because he used this factor and Dharma to cultivate the liberation of emptiness and enter the Way, among all śrāvakas, he is foremost in understanding emptiness. With the samādhi of non-dispute, aloof and uniquely liberated, he did not vie with things. Attention to the realm and the factor of smṛti correspond to Aniruddha. Because he lost his eyes, the Buddha caused him to give rise to this factor and cultivate the divine eye to enter the Way; therefore, among the śrāvakas, he is foremost in the divine eye. Now, cultivating the divine eye must rely on abiding the mind in conditions of the realm, taking the marks of the light of the sun, moon, and stars to cultivate, bringing forth the supernormal knowledge of the divine eye. The factor of samādhi corresponds to Maudgalyāyana. His factor of concentration was especially sharp, and he cultivated this concentration to advance on the Way; therefore, among all śrāvakas, he is foremost in dhyāna concentration. The factor of vedanā corresponds to Ānanda. Because his factor of vedanā was strong and sharp, he listened to, received, and retained [the teachings] to enter the Way; therefore, among all śrāvakas, he is foremost in erudition and dhāraṇī. 'Vedanā' is commonly said to be reception, taking receiving and experiencing as its meaning; this factor clearly and distinctly receives and upholds the Buddhadharma, like an intact vessel holding water. These ten factor disciples together assist the Tathāgata, adorning the teachings of the half and full, and the four witherings and four flourishings, leading sentient beings into the Middle Way, seeing the Buddha-nature, and abiding in great nirvāṇa—which is precisely abiding in inconceivable liberation. Thus one knows that whether real practices of self-benefit or provisional approaches of benefiting others, whether master or disciple, whether teaching or contemplation, they never go beyond the Dharma approaches of sentient beings' mental factors. One by one they equally return to the mirror of the source, up to all spoken principles, stages of practice, and cultivations; all are citta, and there is none not encompassed. This is because all speech arises from the mind of vitarka and vicāra, all practices arise from the mind of cetanā, and all doctrinal principles arise from the mind of prajñā. Furthermore, the mind-king is the Buddha jewel; the mental factors are the Saṅgha jewel; and the ultimate reality of what is cognized, where there is neither king nor factors, is the Dharma jewel. Skillfully entering ultimate reality, the power and function of king and factors are fully complete. That citta and mental factors do not function is therefore called practicing the perfection of prajñā. The *Samantabhadra Contemplation* says: 'Contemplating citta, there is no citta; phenomena do not abide in phenomena. My citta is naturally empty; offenses and blessings have no master.' This is precisely having neither citta nor factors, which is called correct contemplation. If these defilements of mental factors are not exhausted, contemplation is not finished. Therefore, a sūtra says: 'If sentient beings are not delivered, I will not accomplish correct awakening.' This is precisely what it means. If one can understand like this, there is not a single Buddha or bodhisattva name, nor a single Dharma approach, that does not appear in the mind of correct contemplation. Therefore, the *Lotus Sūtra* says: 'If there is someone who believes what you say, then they see me.'

24.7.3

…[I] also see you, as well as the saṅgha of monks and all the bodhisattvas. Why is this? Hearing the sūtra, the citta believes without doubt; to awaken to this clear and pure citta of faith is precisely to see the Buddha. When the mental factor (caitta) of prajñā is distinct and clear, that is seeing Śāriputra. When all mental factors are distinct and clear, that is seeing the assembly of monks. When the citta of loving-kindness and compassion is pure, that is seeing the bodhisattvas. Venerable Huangbo said: 'All buddhas and all sentient beings are solely the one mind; there is no other dharma besides it. The awakened citta is it: this one mind alone is the Buddha; to see this citta is to see the Buddha. The Buddha is precisely the citta; the citta is precisely sentient beings; sentient beings are precisely the Buddha; the Buddha is precisely the citta. When being a sentient being, this citta does not decrease; when being a Buddha, this citta does not increase. Just awaken to the one mind, and there is not the slightest dharma to be obtained; this is the true Buddha. Mañjuśrī corresponds to the principle of true emptiness without obstruction; Samantabhadra corresponds to the inexhaustible practice that transcends characteristics. What all great bodhisattvas represent, everyone possesses; it is not separate from the one mind. To awaken to it is it. If one can only be without citta (mind-less), that is the ultimate. If practitioners of the Way do not immediately become without citta, though they practice for accumulated kalpas, in the end they will not accomplish the Way. It is not as good as recognizing one's own fundamental dharma right under the words. This dharma is citta; outside of citta there is no dharma. Cut off all deliberation; hence it is said: "The path of speech is cut off, and the place of citta's movement is extinguished." This citta is the fundamentally pure Buddha. The squirming and crawling beasts are of one identical substance with buddhas and bodhisattvas; it is only because of false thoughts and discrimination that they create various karmic fruits. On the fundamental Buddha there is truly not a single thing: open, unobstructed, tranquil, brilliantly wondrous, peaceful and joyful—nothing more. Just recognize the fundamental citta in seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing; yet the fundamental citta does not belong to seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing, nor is it separate from seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing. Simply do not generate views on seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing, nor seek the citta apart from seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing. It is neither identical nor separate, neither abiding nor attached. When worldly people hear the path that all buddhas transmit the citta-dharma, they assume that apart from citta there is another dharma that can be realized and attained, and thereupon use citta to seek dharma, not knowing that citta is dharma and dharma is citta. One cannot use citta to further seek citta; passing through thousands of kalpas, there will never be a day of attainment. It is not as good as being without citta right now, which is the fundamental dharma.' Even leaving the household does not go beyond the ground of a single thought-moment of citta. Thus, the gāthā of Venerable Xiangyan says: 'Always seeking to leave the household, / yet not understanding the name "leaving the household." / Rising and sitting are just ordinary; / there is nothing superior in the least.' Because outside of citta there is no separate dharma of leaving the household, what superior realm could there be to seek? Therefore, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra says: 'Without benefit and without merit: this is called leaving the household.' Thus, Ānanda had not awakened to this source, but merely looked upon the Tathāgata's superior characteristics and sought to leave the household bodily; he subsequently repented, saying: 'Although my body has left the household, my citta has not entered the Way.' The Tiantai teachings state: 'Contemplate the single thought-moment of citta as pure like empty space, unobstructed by the shackles of the two extremes; equal great prajñā, without abiding and without attachment: this is called leaving the household. Sustaining the dharmakāya and the life of wisdom by oneself through the middle contemplation is called being a mendicant (bhikṣu). Contemplating the five abiding kleśas as bodhi is called destroying evil. All extremes and inversions being nothing other than the Middle Way is scaring Māra.' The verse of Tiantai Shide says: 'Non-anger is keeping precepts; / purity of citta is leaving the household. / My nature unites with yours; / all dharmas are without difference.' For someone who has left the dust, the citta does not depend on things; hence a sūtra says: 'Leaving the household is unconstrained and vast, just like empty space.' Master Zhi's song says: 'Under the words, seeking nothing, without a location, / for the time being is called a home-leaver.' Therefore, a predecessor of virtue said: 'If you have awakened to this matter, just wear clothes and eat food in accord with the times, moving freely at ease.' Therefore, one knows that this matter is known only to oneself; there are no other skillful means. Hence it is said: 'Every drink and every peck has its assigned portion.' How could it not be that awakening to citta is leaving the household, not attained through external affairs? It is also said: 'Contemplating that within each citta, both king and factors are fully present. For the sake of accomplishing contemplation, the mind-king and mental factors assist each other to attain awakening. Either one enters the Way through the factor of samjñā (conception), or one enters the Way through the factor of chanda (desire); according to what is appropriate, the mind-king and mental factors attack together, transforming and taking the cittas of dusty afflictions to perform Buddha-work. When one performs this contemplation without awakening, the contemplative practice is like milk. If one brings forth uncontaminated contemplative practice, it is like curd. If one shatters the delusions as numerous as sands of dust, it is like raw and cooked butter. If the contemplation shatters avidyā, it is like ghee. When reaching ghee, the work of the king and factors is complete.' A gāthā in the Mahāratnakūṭa-sūtra says: 'When the Tathāgata contemplates sentient beings / who are established in the Dharma, / because their citta can know citta, / they are true Buddha-sons.' Therefore, it is said that they are born from the Buddha's mouth, born by transformation from the Dharma. Because they know citta, all dharma-gates are as if in the palm of their hand; for those who do not yet know, they provide skillful explanations to cause them all to believe and enter. Within this Mirror of the Source, there is not a single dharma that is not a Buddha-work. Regarding eating and drinking as Buddha-work, the Commentary on Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: 'One who is equal with respect to dharmas is also equal with respect to food. As the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra says: "All dharmas tend toward flavor; this tendency is unsurpassable. Since flavor is still unobtainable, how could there be tending or non-tending?" Now it says that all dharmas tend toward flavor, and flavor is food. One should know that food is the inconceivable dharmadhātu. Because food contains and embraces all dharmas, all dharmas do not go beyond the dharmadhātu of food. If food exists, all dharmas exist. If food does not exist, all dharmas do not exist. Now, because food is inconceivable, it is not even seen as existent; how could there be tending? It is not even seen as non-existent; how could there be non-tending? If, in contemplating food, one sees neither tending nor non-tending, this is the Middle Way samādhi, called the food of true Dharma-joy and dhyāna-delight. Being able to thoroughly penetrate the dharmas of tending and non-tending is illuminating both of the two truths, obtaining the food of Dharma-joy and dhyāna-delight of the two-truths samādhi: this is called equality of food. That all dharmas are also equal means that all dharmas tend toward the skandhas, āyatanas, and dhātus, up to sarvākārajñatā. Because the skandhas, āyatanas, dhātus, and sarvākārajñatā are unobtainable, how could there be tending or non-tending? And that they are fully and distinctly endowed with tending and non-tending means that all dharmas possess the principle of the three truths, as explained in the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa.'

24.7.4

In a single kṣaṇa, there is the metaphor of the three characteristics: arising, abiding, and cessation. Furthermore, it is like the fragrant rice of the Buddha land of Fragrance Accumulation (Gandhahastin / Sarvagandhasugandhadharā). A sūtra says: 'For one endowed with the merits of inexhaustible morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, the leftovers of what is eaten can never be exhausted.' Since the principle of the one mind's tathatā is inexhaustible, and by the function of perfuming that nurtures the fivefold dharmakāya, its own substance is empty of nature and an unconditioned, wondrous function—how could it ever be exhausted? It also says: 'If those who have not yet generated the aspiration for the Mahāyāna eat this rice, it is only digested once they generate the aspiration. If those who have already generated the aspiration eat this rice, it is only digested once they attain the anutpattikadharmakṣānti. If those who have already attained the anutpattikadharmakṣānti eat this rice, it is only digested once they reach the stage of being bound to one life [before awakening]. Just as there is a medicine called Superior Flavor: whoever takes it, all poisons in their body are eliminated, and only then is it digested. This rice is just like that: it eliminates all the poisons of the kleśas, and only then is it digested.' This is like the great bodhisattvas: although they cast off lives and take rebirth, in their subsequent bodies there are seeds within their consciousness. When the seeds encounter conditions, the fragrant rice arises again, continuous and unbroken, flowing up to the first bhūmi; then, generating the outflow-free mind, they sever delusion and realize the true, which is termed 'digestion'—it is not that the rice being consumed and destroyed is termed 'digestion.' Therefore, we know that for whoever eats this rice, what phenomenon is not digested? It also says: 'Bodhisattvas of that land enter the discipline upon smelling the fragrance, immediately obtaining the samādhi of the treasury of all virtues. For those who attain this samādhi, all merits of a bodhisattva are completely fulfilled.' Therefore, if one enters the dharmadhātu through fragrance, one's own body is itself the World of Multitudinous Fragrances, and one's own mind is itself the Fragrance Accumulation Tathāgata. Innumerable merits are perfected within the one mind; for one who awakens to and enters this, what need is there to seek externally? If it is thus for the sensory realm of fragrance, it is also the same for the eighteen dhātus: all are abodes of the spirit, and all are places for attaining the Way. As Ānanda said to the Buddha: 'It is unprecedented, World-Honoured One! This fragrant rice can perform Buddha-work.' The Buddha said: 'So it is, so it is, Ānanda. There are Buddha lands that perform Buddha-work through the light of the Buddha; some perform Buddha-work through bodhisattvas; some perform Buddha-work through emanations created by the Buddha; some perform Buddha-work through the Bodhi Tree; some perform Buddha-work through the Buddha's robes and bedding; some perform Buddha-work through food and drink; some perform Buddha-work through gardens, groves, and watchtowers; some perform Buddha-work through the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor signs; some perform Buddha-work through the Buddha's body; some perform Buddha-work through empty space, so that through this condition sentient beings can enter the practice of discipline; some perform Buddha-work through such metaphors as dreams, illusions, shadows, echoes, images in a mirror, the moon in water, or a mirage in the heat; some perform Buddha-work through sounds, spoken words, and written letters; and there are pure Buddha lands that perform Buddha-work through stillness, wordlessness, silence, lack of demonstration and discernment, and non-action and non-fabrication. In this way, Ānanda, all the deportment, movements, and actions of the Buddhas are nothing other than Buddha-work. Ānanda, there are these four māras and the eighty-four thousand doors of kleśas by which sentient beings are wearied; the Buddhas use precisely these dharmas to perform Buddha-work. This is called entering the dharma-door of all Buddhas. When a bodhisattva enters this door, if they see all pure and fine Buddha lands, they do not take delight in them, nor are they greedy or arrogant; if they see all impure Buddha lands, they do not feel distressed, nor are they obstructed or despondent. They merely generate a pure mind toward the Buddhas, with joy and reverence, [regarding it as] unprecedented. The merits of the Buddhas and Tathāgatas are equal; yet in order to teach and transform sentient beings, they manifest different Buddha lands. Ānanda, you see that the lands of the Buddhas are various, yet empty space is not various; likewise, you see that the physical bodies of the Buddhas are various, yet their unobstructed wisdom is not various.' Furthermore, in the Avataṃsakasūtra, the upāsikā Samantagambhīrāṭā attained the bodhisattva liberation-door of the inexhaustible treasury of blessings and virtue: she was able, from such a single small vessel, in accordance with the various desires and pleasures of sentient beings, to bring forth and fully satisfy them with various delicious foods and drinks, extending even to the east, where in worlds as numerous as the dust motes of ineffable-ineffable Buddha lands, all bodhisattvas bound to one life, having eaten her food, all sat in the bodhimaṇḍa under the Bodhi Tree, subjugated the realm of māras, and attained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. As in the east, so too in the south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, the zenith, and the nadir. Furthermore, the householder Vidvān attained the liberation-door of the treasury of blessings and virtue that manifests at will: at that time, knowing that the assembly was universally gathered, the householder focused his mind for a moment and looked up into empty space; whatever they required all fell from space, completely satisfying the entire great assembly. Then he further expounded various dharmas for them: to those who were satisfied by receiving delicious food, he expounded the practices of accumulating various blessings and virtues, the practice of leaving poverty behind, the practice of knowing all phenomena, the practice of accomplishing the food of dharma joy and dhyāna delight, the practice of cultivating and perfecting all marks and signs, the practice of increasing and accomplishing that which is difficult to subdue, the practice of skillfully penetrating the unsurpassed food, and the practice of accomplishing inexhaustible great majestic power to subdue the adversaries of māra; to those who were satisfied by receiving fine drink, he expounded the Dharma for them, causing them to abandon attachment to birth and death and enter the flavor of the Buddha's Dharma, and so forth. Now, from within the upāsikā's vessel and from the householder Vidvān's empty sky, boundless delicacies emerged at will, and numerous fine foods rained down through focused mindfulness: all who came seeking had their needs met; those who received them fully realized the dharma-doors; and those who ate them all achieved the wondrous Way. It may indeed be said that there is not a single dust mote that does not fully possess Buddha-work, nor a single phenomenon that does not completely fulfill the orthodox source. Yet in accordance with the minds of sentient beings, corresponding to the measure of what they know, things manifest in following their karma, and what is seen differs: non-Buddhists see it as nature (svabhāva); ordinary beings see it as birth and death; śrāvakas see it as the four truths; pratyekabuddhas see it as conditioned origination; minor bodhisattvas see it as mere emptiness; great bodhisattvas see it as the Middle Way; and the Buddhas see it as the real mark. If one enters the mirror of the source, all views melt together. As for visible matter being Buddha-work:

24.7.5

For instance, King Bimbisāra, because the Buddha emitted five-colored light from his mouth to illuminate the crown of his head, later realized the fruit of anāgāmin. Or again, like Ratnakūṭa and the other five hundred elders, seeing the Buddha's pure land, realized the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattikadharmakṣānti). This is [the case of] beholding form. As for the sense-datum of fragrance performing the Buddha-work: it is that the fragrant rice universally perfumed the great trichiliocosm as well as the desire and form realms, and all the devas, smelling the fragrance, entered the room. Furthermore, burning incense means that one shines forth with the fire of wisdom, because the myriad practices are universally pervasive. Anointing incense means blending it with the water of pure nature to adorn the dharmakāya. Powdered incense means using vajra-wisdom to shatter [all things] so that they lack real substance. Furthermore, like the meditations on compassion or on the impure that eradicate all evils, just as benzoin can ward off evil and heterodoxy, right view and wisdom leave no evil uneradicated. Furthermore, the ten wholesome actions and the like generate the fragrance of joy, like aloeswood and sandalwood; that is, gathering in faculties and capacities, practicing generosity to delight oneself and others, and so forth. As for the sense-datum of flavor performing the Buddha-work: those who eat this rice are physically tranquil and happy, just as in the Land of Joyful Adornment. As for the sense-datum of touch performing the Buddha-work: '[When he] stroked me with his hand, how joyful it was!' As for light performing the Buddha-work: the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Those who encounter this light have all kleśas completely eliminated.' Now, emitting light is nothing other than the light of the wisdom of the one mind, because it can illuminate the nature of the myriad dharmas, whereby one does not follow sense-objects and fall into their foolish darkness. As the Ocean of Meaning states: 'To reveal light means that when seeing the phenomenon and principle of the tathatā of the dharmadhātu of dust-objects, they are manifested clearly and distinctly. This is the illumination of the light of wisdom. If there is no light of wisdom, then principle and phenomena will not be revealed. Just seeing dharmas is itself the light. Because the merit of accumulated wisdom is complete, therefore emitting a single light leaves nothing in the dharmadhātu unrevealed. Constantly observing all dharmadhātus is emitting light to illuminate everything.' This light of the mirror of the source is precisely the ūrṇā-light of all buddhas, universally illuminating the dharmadhātu. As the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'Between the brows of the Tathāgata there is the mark of a great man, named the Cloud of Light Pervading the Dharmadhātu, adorned with maṇi gem blossoms, emitting great light endowed with the colors of many gems, like the sun and the moon, thoroughly transparent and pure. Its light universally illuminates the lands of the ten directions, manifesting within them all buddha-bodies, and further emitting wondrous sounds proclaiming all dharmas.' The Lotus Sūtra says: '[The Buddha] emitted a single ūrṇā-light illuminating eighteen thousand buddha lands; within the light were seen all the bodhisattvas' adornments of the six pāramitās, the good and ugly retributions of sentient beings, and so forth.' It also says: '[He] emitted a pure light, illuminating immeasurable lands.' The Mahāyāna Sūtra of the Contemplation of the Mind-Ground in Past Lives says: 'At that time, in the assembly there was a bodhisattva named Lion's Roar. Beholding the Tathāgata emit a golden light, he gazed in the four directions at the ocean-like assembly, raised a great voice, and spoke these words: [...] "Up to: by this cause and condition, the Tathāgata will soon arise from samādhi and shall expound for us the wondrous Mahāyāna Dharma of the gate of contemplation of the mind-ground. I announce to the great assembly: [regarding] the immeasurable blissful happiness of all humans and devas, quickly seek world-transcending anuttarāsamyaksaṃbodhi! Why is this? Today the World-Honoured One, from within his chest, emits a golden light, and wherever it illuminates becomes golden. What the Buddha displays is profoundly deep in purport; all worldly śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, exhausting their thought and reckoning, are unable to know it. You ordinary people do not contemplate your own mind; therefore you drift in the ocean of saṃsāra. The buddhas and bodhisattvas, because they can contemplate the mind, cross over the ocean of saṃsāra and arrive at the other shore. For the tathāgatas of the three times, the Dharma is entirely like this. The emission of this light is not without cause and condition."' Explanation: The golden light represents the source that is spoken of. Just as Mañjuśrī's dwelling-place and the southern face of Mount Sumeru are all of one single color, without any different tint, as the Ratnakaraṇḍa Sūtra says: 'Mañjuśrī said: "Venerable Subhūti, just as the places illuminated by the light of Mount Sumeru, King of Mountains, are all of one single color, namely golden; just so, Subhūti, the light of prajñā illuminates all saṃyojanas so that they are all of one single color, namely the color of the Buddha-Dharma."' This color of the mind can be said to be brighter than the sun and moon, its measure surpassing the great void; it illuminates and embraces, leaving no obscurity unexhausted. Therefore the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: 'If, for the dark worlds and the places between each world where the light of the sun, moon, and so forth does not illuminate, one would produce light, one should train in the prajñāpāramitā.' The Ratnakūṭa Sūtra says: 'I have a light named Non-arising; those who hold its name attain non-attainment.' The Treatise on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'The chapter "Awakening through Light" is to cause the faithful mind, through the light of its own mind, to awaken to and illuminate all the endless great trichiliocosms in all worlds, which altogether are the Buddha's realm, and oneself is also identical and equal to it. Following the light with the mind, it illuminates them one by one. Mind and object merge into one, and inner and outer views perish. After the initial great trichiliocosm, next turning again to the east as the head, the light reaches ten trichiliocosms in the eastern direction, illuminating a hundred great trichiliocosms. Thus, through the ten tiers of the ten directions, multiplied and redoubled, circling around, the ten directions are completely illuminated. Body and mind are of one single nature, unobstructed and universally pervasive, identical to the Buddha's realm. Intending each one, one observes like this, and then seals it with the samādhi of effortless skillful means. One enters the initial mind of the ten abodes, is born into the tathāgata's household of wisdom, and becomes a true son of the Dharma King of tathāgata wisdom. It is just as illuminated by the light, fully explained as in the sūtra. One must not assume that it is the Buddha's light and that oneself has no share in it. One must personally use the light of one's own mind like the Buddha's light, opening and awakening one's mind, completely illuminating the dharmadhātu.' The Avataṃsaka Commentary states: 'In the causal stage, distinguishing dharma-characteristics and decisively comprehending the true principle leaves neither principle nor phenomena lacking and does not diminish the Buddha-Dharma; therefore in a single thought one fully understands many gates. Hence, emitting a single light completely fulfills merit and wisdom.' The Nirvāṇa Commentary states: 'Emitting light to illuminate Mañjuśrī means seeing the form and knowing the mind; Mañjuśrī beheld the light and thereupon understood the Buddha's intention.' The Private Notes on the Vimalakīrti states: 'Sometimes light performs the Buddha-work. Why is it like this? Its substance pervades empty space and is identical to the dharmadhātu. Beasts and ants, sentient and insentient beings, are all sons of the Buddha. This is precisely the Dharma of liberation; it is precisely Mount Sumeru entering a mustard seed.'

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宗鏡錄 — Classical Chinese