宗鏡錄 24.7.6

24.7.6

According to the above explanation, one only then understands the sūtras spoken by the Buddha to be identical to the view of Vimalakīrti, not like that of the two vehicles who merely see the liberation of emptiness. The Lotus Sūtra says: 'Merely departing from delusion is called liberation; in reality, they have not yet attained universal liberation.' If one has attained universal liberation, how could there be a single phenomenon that is not a Buddha-work? As for the Bodhi tree performing Buddha-works: this tree's color and fragrance are subtle and wonderful, and it also emits the sound of the Dharma; those who see, hear, smell, or touch it all awaken to the noble path. As for clothing and bedding performing Buddha-works: formerly, a king of Jambudvīpa obtained the Buddha's kaṣāya and hung it atop a high banner to show it to the people of the country. Those who had illnesses beheld it, took refuge, and were all cured of their illnesses; they generated the bodhicitta and thereby awakened to the path. The Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra says: 'At that time, five hundred great śrāvakas each took the uttarāsaṅga worn on their own bodies and offered it to Ākāśagarbha. Having offered the robes, with one voice they spoke these words: "If there are sentient beings who profoundly generate the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, they will swiftly obtain excellent benefits, and within such a treasury of the Dharma of great wisdom, they will not fall outside of it." The robes offered immediately disappeared. Then the śrāvakas asked Ākāśagarbha: "Where did the robes go?" Ākāśagarbha replied: "They have entered into my treasury."' The Kuśalamūlasaṃparigraha Sūtra says: 'The Buddha said: "I shall now manifest the power of supernormal faculties to cause the bodhisattvas to know their own vows, generate the intention and practice the path, purify Buddha lands, mature sentient beings, and when they attain Buddhahood, their realms will be adorned and pure, with such numbers of śrāvakas and bodhisattvas, expounding the true Dharma and liberating people in such ways, with such lifespans and Buddha-Dharmas, with such bodily features and noble marks, with such correct conduct, and after their parinirvāṇa, the Dharma will abide for such lengths of time." He caused the bodhisattvas each to see such matters within their robes, enabling them to sever their doubts.' And further, a verse says: 'Because the Buddha entered samādhi, / he caused me to obtain this eye / and all dhāraṇī doors, / penetrating everywhere into all dharmas.' Thus we know that attaining Buddhahood and liberating sentient beings are not separate from within one's own body and citta, down to the phenomena one enjoys and uses. As the Mahāyāna Thousand-Bowl Great Teaching King Sūtra says: '"Look sideways into the lapis lazuli bowl in the hand of the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī to see what characteristics are there." Mahākāśyapa then arose from his seat, prostrated with his head to the ground before the World-Honoured One, and went. Mahākāśyapa then made obeisance with his head to the ground before Mañjuśrī, and looked into the bowl. He then saw within the bowl ten billion three-thousand-great-thousand worlds, ten billion formless realms, ten billion form realms, ten billion six desire realms, ten billion Mount Sumerus, ten billion four continents, ten billion southern Jambudvīpas, ten billion Sahā worlds, ten billion Śākyamuni Tathāgatas, ten billion thousand-armed thousand-bowl Mañjuśrī Bodhisattvas, and ten billion Kāśyapas. Within Mañjuśrī's bowl were ten billion worlds, and within the worlds were ten billion Mahākāśyapas, each facing Mañjuśrī, inquiring about the meaning of the Mahāyāna Dharma.' As for empty space performing Buddha-works: as when Mañjuśrī obliterated material forms and manifested the characteristic of empty space to transform King Ajātaśatru, who thereby attained awakening to the path. Furthermore, as in the great assembly when Ākāśagarbha arrived, he purely manifested the characteristic of empty space. The sūtra says: 'The Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha said to Ānanda: "Venerable, I have realized and known this through my own body; therefore, as I have realized and known, I am able to speak in this way. Why? My body is empty space itself. By means of empty space I realize and know all dharmas, which are sealed by the seal of empty space."' Furthermore, as the Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha took empty space as his treasury, raining down upon immeasurable asaṃkhyeya worlds in the ten directions precious jewels, food, drink, and clothing. Therefore a verse says: 'Because empty space has no height, / lowness is also unobtainable; / all dharmas are also like this: / their nature is without high or low.' Another verse says: 'The Bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha / has obtained the treasury of empty space; / fully satisfying all sentient beings, / this treasury is inexhaustible.' As for the gates of the kleśas performing Buddha-works: as the sūtra says, 'The kleśas are the place of enlightenment (bodhimaṇḍa), because one knows them as they truly are.' The Benevolent Kings Sūtra says: 'When sentient beings have not yet attained Buddhahood, bodhi is kleśa. When sentient beings attain Buddhahood, kleśa is bodhi.' Just as an inferior physician turns medicine into non-medicine, while a superior physician uses non-medicine as medicine, sentient beings turn the mind of the Buddhas into the gate of defilement, while the Buddhas use the mind of sentient beings to accomplish the path of bodhi. It is also like a person of merit holding a stone and turning it to gold, while one destitute through karma turns gold into stone. Dharmas have no fixed characteristics; turning and shifting depend on the mind. The path is beyond names and words; the principle is without alteration. For example, the eye, form, and so on—each completely possesses the ten dharmadhātus. In the Unwinking World, staring fixedly allows one to attain anutpattikadharmakṣānti; thus the eye is the dharmadhātu. Seeing a flower wither and awakening to impermanence allows one to realize the fruit of a pratyekabuddha; thus form is the dharmadhātu. Therefore, the sūtra says: 'A bodhisattva has a crown that illuminates the Dharma-nature; when wearing this crown, all dharmas appear directly in the mind.' All affairs are also like this. Furthermore, a wheel-turning sage king possesses a jewel-couch; when the sage king sits upon it, he is able to abandon desire and attain the four dhyānas. Even though jade maidens see him, it is as though beholding a Buddha image, and desirous minds do not arise. Therefore, form is what is created, and the mind is what can create. There has never been a single phenomenon that is not my mind. If one is deluded about what is created, it becomes worldly dust; if one awakens to what can create, it becomes the wondrous purport. Furthermore, striking a skull to produce a sound, one knows the past good, evil, life, and death of that person; thus sound is the dharmadhātu. From this we know that when directly contemplating the fundamental principle, principle completely possesses all dharmas. If one lacks wondrous contemplation, one uses it daily without knowing it. If one can completely understand it, one sees that all the myriad dharmas completely possess the one mind's inconceivable principle of the perfect and sudden. Therefore Master Zhao said: 'Is the sage far away? Embody him, and one is spiritual. Is the Way far away? Touch affairs, and they are true.' This can truly be called the source where citta and objects are both unified. If one attains the brightness of the mirror of the source, it illuminates spontaneously, and whether form or citta, there is nothing it does not penetrate. Therefore, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'All these offerings...'