宗鏡錄 24.7.7

24.7.7

All are accomplished by the unexcelled citta and sealed by the unconditioned Dharma. Just as in the Lotus Treasury World (padmagarbha-lokadhātu), mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees all perform Buddha-work. When Sudhana saw, heard, sensed, and knew, he fully entered the dharmadhātu; thus one knows that all phenomena are the Buddha-Dharma, and all are the radiance of the mirror of the source, leaving no trace of a single dust-mote. The commentary (*Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*) states: "It is not by destroying forms that one attains the path of equality. It is by contemplating that forms are not different [from emptiness] that one is able to equal the Great Vehicle. It is like light and dark being joined together, yet you do not see it, supposing that light and dark are different. If you wish to know its meaning, it is like the light of the sun: furthermore, when the sun rises, the darkness does not retreat to the ten directions; darkness is ever-present with nowhere to go. Light is also like this, joined together with darkness. Samsara is joined with the Path; the Path is itself samsara. Therefore, samsara is like darkness, and the Great Path is like light. One does not remove darkness to become light, nor does one perturb samsara to be the Path."

Apparitional beings performing Buddha-work is like the Buddha Śuśānta leaving apparitional Buddhas behind to deliver sentient beings. The *Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra* states: "At that time, an apparitional monk said to Śāriputra: 'Venerable One, did your mind perhaps think that I at present am different from you?' Śāriputra said: 'No, monk. Why is this? The Tathāgata always teaches that all phenomena are entirely like illusions. As the Tathāgata teaches, I too am like an illusion. Venerable One, if someone is able to make offerings to the Tathāgata, that is identical to making offerings to an apparition without any difference.' Then Śāriputra addressed the Bodhisattva Ineffable, saying: 'Good son, who entered this apparition and now speaks in this manner?' [The bodhisattva said:] 'Venerable One, like an image in a mirror, who is inside it so that an image appears?' [Śāriputra said:] 'Good son, there is no one inside it; it is simply due to the pure causes and conditions of the four great elements that an image appears.' [The bodhisattva said:] 'Venerable One, apparitions are also like this: because the dharmatā is pure, it can make this speech.' [Śāriputra said:] 'Good son, if so, why are all sentient beings unable to expound in this way?' [The bodhisattva said:] 'Venerable One, behind the back of the mirror, both are not separate from the mirror; why does no image appear?' [Śāriputra said:] 'Good son, it is because the four great elements on the back of the mirror are not clear and pure.' [The bodhisattva said:] 'Venerable One, sentient beings are also like this; because they cannot purify the nature of the dharmadhātu, they are unable to expound.'"

Silence and wordlessness performing Buddha-work refers to revealing the wheel of the mind. Although there is no speech, it does not impede having the joy of tranquility. If it were not joyful, how could it be said to perform Buddha-work? If the Buddha did not reveal the mind, even the ten stages would not know it; if he reveals the mind, even crawling insects can know it. One should know that this is the meaning of revealing the mind. Here also, having no teaching and no demonstration is used as Buddha-work, just as Vimalakīrti stopped his mouth and Mañjuśrī praised him. Furthermore, as the *Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra* states: "Purity, tranquility, radiance, and non-contention: these four dharmas equally enter into one realm, one dharma, and one phrase. These four dharmas are nirvāṇa itself. Because they are distant from kleśas, they are called 'purity.' Because they are completely pure, they are called 'tranquility.' Because they are without darkness, they are called 'radiance.' Because they cannot be spoken of, they are called 'non-contention.' For this reason it is said: 'Śākyamuni Tathāgata remained silent without preaching.'" Therefore, whether speaking or silent, moving or still, there is nothing that is not Buddha-work.

Hence a previous worthy said: "The cloud terrace and precious net both express wondrous sounds; the pores of the skin and the radiance of light are all able to preach the Dharma. In the Fragrant Accumulation world, eating fragrant rice manifests samādhi; in the Buddha Land of Utmost Bliss, listening to the wind in the branches perfects right mindfulness. Strings and pipes can transmit the mind; a meeting of eyes can preserve the Way. Since speech, silence, looking, and blinking all preach, then seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing all listen. If one can obtain the Dharma and tally with the spirit, why must it depend on speech? Just as conveying intention through a zither to the King of Qin allowed escape from Jing Ke's hands, and Xiangru tuning [his zither] for Wenjun's daughter ultimately won her following his chariot; Śakra has ministers of Dharma-music, and Aśvaghoṣa had the skill of the *rāṣṭrapāla*—these are all strings and pipes transmitting the mind. As for 'a meeting of eyes preserving the Way', *Zhuangzi* states: 'The Master wished to see Wenbo Xuezi. For a long time he did not see him. When they met, they were completely silent without a word. When they came out, Zilu wondered and asked: "The Master has long wished to see Wenbo Xuezi; why were you completely silent without a word?" The Master said: "With a man like this, when our eyes meet the Way is preserved; there is no room for sounds."'"

As for the cloud terrace preaching the Dharma, the *Avataṃsakasūtra* states: "In empty space, a terrace of great radiant cloud nets was formed. At that time, from within the terrace of light, by the spiritual power of the Buddhas, verses were spoken: 'The Buddha is peerless, like empty space, possessing the ten powers and immeasurable supreme merit. The most supreme among mortals, the foremost in the world, the Dharma of the Lion of the Śākyas is bestowed upon them.'"

As for the precious net preaching the Dharma, the *Avataṃsakasūtra* states: "Its lion throne had maṇi jewels for its terrace and lotuses for its net... and further, sustained by the spiritual power of the Buddhas, it expounded the vast realm of the Tathāgata."

As for pores of the skin preaching the Dharma, the chapter "Entering the Dharmadhātu" states: "Bodhisattvas as numerous as the fine dust motes in seas of worlds all came toward the Buddha's place, emerging from all the pores of his skin, speaking clouds of voices in the oceanic languages of all sentient beings."

As for radiance preaching the Dharma, the chapter "Manifestation of Signs" states: "At that time, from the radiance of the bodhisattvas, sounds were simultaneously emitted, uttering this verse: 'From all the radiances wondrous sounds come forth, pervading all lands in the ten directions, expounding the merits of the Buddha's sons, able to enter the wondrous Path of bodhi.'"

Even adverse and favorable, good and evil, are nothing other than Buddha-work. For example, progressing from the two vehicles up to the Buddha is favorable practice; proceeding from the hells up to Māra the King of Evil is adverse practice. Furthermore, it is like Śākyamuni performing pure good while Devadatta performed pure evil; Śāriputra possessing sincere faith while Sunakṣatra was stubbornly unfaithful, and so forth. Beauty and ugliness share the same destination; there is nothing that is not Buddha-work. Hence the sūtra states: "The equal, true dharmadhātu cannot be practiced or reached by the Buddhas." It also says: "The actual ground of reality cannot be practiced or reached by the great King Māra." Because Buddhas and Māras both do not go beyond the gate of the dharmadhātu and the ground of the actual limit, because it is this single dharma. If there were practicing and reaching, there would be persons and dharmas existing outside the dharmadhātu, forming dualistic views. Therefore, the *Śūraṅgamasamādhisūtra* states: