宗鏡錄 25.2

25.2

Now, the teachings of the entire period of the Buddha’s lifetime, the definitive sūtras—though their titles differ and what they express varies—all point to the import of the one mind; ultimately there are no texts outside of consciousness. Whatever single word is uttered, it all returns to the mirror of the source; horizontally spanning the dharmadhātu, all are identical to this explanation.

For example, what is called the *Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra* [Lotus Sūtra]: the "sublime Dharma" (*saddharma*) is precisely the absolute, true mind; hence it is called "sublime." The "lotus flower" (*puṇḍarīka*) takes as its meaning rising out of the water without clinging; that is, it is a metaphor for the nature of the mind: flowing along with the current and falling into the ordinary, it is not defiled by impurities; turning against the current and emerging from the dust, it does not cling to purity. The same comparison applies all the way through the seven metaphors below.

The "burning house" is precisely the substance of the eighth consciousness, which gives rise to the fire of the four inversions and the eight sufferings, burning the body of the three realms and the five aggregates. The "ghosts and spirits" correspond to the sharp fetters—the peripheral and deviant forms of various views. The "birds and beasts" symbolize the dull fetters—the root and secondary afflictions (kleśa and upakleśa). Extending to all scriptural teachings and immeasurable Dharma gates—whether explained through metaphors, through causes and conditions, broadly or briefly, horizontally or vertically—all of their names, characteristics, sentences, and meanings are phenomena of the mind king and mental factors (citta and caitta).

If one is deluded about a single thought-moment of the mind and clings to external objects, giving rise to attachment everywhere, this is the meaning of entering the burning house. If one awakens to a single thought-moment of the mind and thoroughly penetrates everything as nothing other than the true characteristic [of reality], this is the meaning of exiting the burning house. Whenever afflictions arise, there is a place where karma remains; this is precisely bondage, precisely saṃsāra. If one understands that the nature of afflictions is empty and that there is no place for karma, this is precisely liberation, precisely attaining the Way.

As the *Viśeṣacintibrahmaparipṛcchāsūtra* states:
> The Buddha said: "When I sat at the site of enlightenment, I attained only the ultimate emptiness of the afflictions arising from inversion. Because there is nothing to attain, it is attained; because there is nothing to know, it is known."

As it is said, not attaining a single dharma, one is then given the prophecy [of buddhahood]—such is this import.

As for the text of the dharma and its metaphor in the "Faith and Understanding" chapter: the "elder" is precisely the mind king; the "destitute son" is precisely false thoughts. As soon as a single thought arises, the five aggregates arise together; turning one's back on awakening and uniting with the dust is called "abandoning the father." Wandering destitute through the five destinies is styled "fifty years." "Returning home" is returning to the root and restoring the source. "Bequeathing the wealth" is awakening to the mind and receiving the prophecy. The three grasses and two trees together converge in the one mind; transforming and erecting the thatched hut precisely reveals the true reality; the fastened jewel points to the buddha-nature within the bosom; digging a well produces the wisdom-spring of the mind ground.

Furthermore, as stated in the "Avalokiteśvara" chapter:
> "If across a great trichiliocosm filled with enemy bandits..."

This refers to sentient beings' sharp and dull afflictions of the ten fetters, which everywhere disturb and harass practitioners, and are called "enemy bandits." If one encounters favorable circumstances and gives rise to soft bandits, this is a flower-tipped arrow shooting the body. If one encounters adverse conditions and gives rise to strong bandits, this is a poisoned arrow piercing the heart. When the view-bandits of the sharp fetters are everywhere, it is as the sūtra says:
> "Everywhere there are chimera, mountain-ogres, and water-sprites,"

because people grasp at dharmas based on words and give rise to views everywhere. When the grudge-bearing afflictions of the dull fetters are everywhere, it is as the sūtra says:
> "All the evil insects crisscross and scurry about,"

because encountering objects with the eyes, adverse and favorable conditions race together, with hatred and love in every thought-moment, stirring fetters everywhere.

"There is a merchant leader": this is the mind king. "Leading various merchants": these are the six consciousnesses, such as the eye [consciousness]. "Merchants" has the meaning of trading rare jewels: if the eye-merchant is traded away by the dust of forms, it barters away the rare jewel of the eye's own-nature; if the ear-merchant is traded away by the dust of sounds, it barters away the rare jewel of the ear's own-nature, and so forth. "Carrying heavy treasures" means all possess the buddha-nature. "Passing through a perilous road" refers to the perilous existence of the three realms and the deluded fords of the six destinies.

"One among them called out": this is the mental sense-faculty (manas) being able to generate discriminations of following thoughts and reckoning, constantly leading the five sense faculties into good and evil. "Good sons, do not be afraid. You should single-mindedly recite the name of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. This bodhisattva can bestow fearlessness upon sentient beings. If you recite the name, you will immediately be liberated from these enemy bandits": if one understands the one mind, there are no external objects. The eye is not plundered by form, up to the intellect is not plundered by dharmas—that is, liberation right where one is.

Therefore, a verse in the *Avataṃsakasūtra* says:
> "In one, understand the immeasurable; / in the immeasurable, understand the one. / Understanding their mutual arising, / one will achieve fearlessness."

This means that within the one mind, one is able to understand that the ten thousand dharmas mutually arise and mutually cease without any own-nature; the ten thousand objects are all empty, so one is not terrified by them. This is "bestowing fearlessness upon sentient beings." From these enemy bandits of sense faculties and dusts, one is instantly liberated.

"The merchants heard this and all together cried out: 'Homage to Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva!' Because they recited the name, they were immediately liberated": the six sense faculties all converging in the one mind is "all together crying out." As soon as one understands mind-only, the various objects naturally cease; this is "because they recited the name, they were immediately liberated." Because there are no dharmas to counter, neither joy nor sorrow arises. Hence, the "Expedient Means" chapter says:
> "In the Buddha lands of the ten directions, there is only the Dharma of the One Vehicle."

As the *Fahua mingxiang* says: The sūtra states, "Form is nirvāṇa; feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are nirvāṇa." Here it is also like this: form is the Lotus; feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are the Lotus. The sūtra states: "Form is neither defiled nor pure. When form arises, prajñā arises. The nature of form is subtle and tenuous, called sublime form." Substance inherently free from provisional designations is called Dharma. Form is without dust or defilement, which is metaphorically compared to the lotus. The nature of writing is empty, which is termed the sūtra. "Sūtra" takes body and mind as its meaning. The Tathāgata resides in the aggregates and realms; the aggregates and realms are precisely suchness—what difference could there be?

Briefly unifying beginning and end is taken as the core of the mind; opening the path of the mind is called the preface. When the awakened mind is about to unfold and thoroughly realizes original emptiness, this is awakening to the Buddha’s knowledge and vision. When one form is quiescently extinguished, all forms are also like this; all sounds are also like this. This is the Buddhas of the ten directions simultaneously expounding the Lotus. "All dharmas from their very origin are constantly of quiescently extinguished characteristics"—what kind of dharmas are these? They are all eye-dharmas, up to mind-dharmas; body and mind are both quiescently extinguished. Disciples of the Buddha, practicing this path of quiescence and extinction, are precisely the Buddha. Therefore, ancient masters said: "Sublime Dharma is the substance of the Tathāgata's numinous wisdom."

Alternatively, it is called the *Mahāvaipulyabuddhāvataṃsakasūtra*. "Great, vast, and broad" (*mahāvaipulya*) is the Dharma realized by the one mind. "Buddha-adornment" (*buddhāvataṃsaka*) is the person capable of realizing it through the one mind. Integrating the object into the subject, person and Dharma merge; all are the one mind. "Great" is the greatness of the substance of true suchness (tathatā) of the one mind of ordinary beings and sages, because the nature of true suchness pervades all places. "Square" [broad] is the greatness of the characteristics of true suchness, being able to fully possess the untainted qualities of its nature. "Vast" is the greatness of the function of true suchness, being able to produce all worldly and transworldly wholesome roots.

"Buddha" is the unconditioned ocean of fruition of the one mind. "Flower" [avataṃsaka] is the causal gate of the myriad practices of the one mind. "Adornment" is the adornment of the sublime function of the one mind. "Sūtra" is the inexhaustible sublime principle of the true suchness of the one mind, like the scroll emerging from the crushed mote of dust, or the text written looking up into empty space. Down to the eighty fascicles, all the prose and short verses, every single character and word—like the fifty-three spiritual friends seen by Sudhana, whether humans or spirits, male or female—each and every one is a Dharma gate realized stage by stage by one's own mind.

As for the Three Vehicles, they speak of understanding but not practice, like reciting a person's name without knowing the person. If it is the principle of the One Vehicle of this Mirror of the Source, speaking it is itself practice and understanding, like seeing their face: without speaking their name, one naturally knows them. Sometimes it is explained by relying on events; sometimes it is explained by establishing analogies. In what is explained in the Mahāyāna, relying on events to reveal the Dharma means using different events to reveal different dharmas; mostly, one event represents one dharma, such as a room representing compassion or clothing representing patience. Now, it is made clear that a single event is both the Dharma and the person, both the dependent and the primary [retribution], endowed with inexhaustible virtues. In accordance with a single event, it embraces the inexhaustible; since it accords with the nature to be an event, how could an event have an end? Arising characteristics from the real, how could characteristics be exhausted?

Moreover, the teachings expounded by the Three Vehicles only use distinct teachings to interpret distinct meanings, so when one attains the principle, one forgets the teaching. If one enters this Perfect School, then the teaching is itself the meaning, because as soon as a single dharma arises, all the boundless ten thousand dharmas simultaneously and fully correspond. Outside of this single dharma, there are no other dharmas. Therefore, the sūtra says: "Knowing that all dharmas emerge from a single dharma, one is able to distinguish and explain them respectively, because the various meanings of all dharmas are ultimately a single meaning." Because the one mind can give rise to all the myriad dharmas, unfolding boundless meanings and directions, when expanded, it fills the dharmadhātu; gathering back the various dharmas and meanings, they return to the one mind. Without moving the one mind, it expounds all meanings; without destroying all meanings, it reveals the one mind.

Being rolled up, it is constantly unfolded: "The Tathāgata, in a single utterance, expounds the boundless ocean of sūtras." Being unfolded, it is constantly rolled up: "The inexhaustible ocean of all Dharma gates gathers together within the bodhimaṇḍa of a single dharma." Just as the four subtle elements of grasses and trees arise from the earth and return to the earth in extinction, and like billows and waves surging up, arise depending on water and return to the water's source. Hence, a sūtra verse says:
> "The Buddha's wisdom penetrates cleanly without obstruction; / in a single thought-moment, it universally knows the dharmas of the three times. / They all arise from causes and conditions of the mind and consciousness; / arising and ceasing, impermanent, without own-nature."

Therefore, Qingliang's commentary says: "The *Avataṃsakasūtra* is unified solely as the one true dharmadhātu; that is to say, completely encompassing all existents, it is precisely the one mind."

Alternatively, it is called the *Vimalakīrtisūtra*. Here [in Chinese] it is translated as "Pure Name" (*Jingming*), which is precisely the intrinsically pure mind of all sentient beings. This mind is pure of itself without being filtered, and bright of itself without being polished; it is not defiled when dwelling among the ordinary, nor is it purified when among the sages; hence it is called "intrinsically pure." As for what is called "name," because the mind has no physical form, it only has a name.

What is explained in the text—gathering the vastness of the four oceans into a single pore; fitting the height and breadth of Mount Sumeru inside a mustard seed; flying the Buddha lands across the ten directions without moving from their original place; casting the trichiliocosm beyond the world without sentient beings knowing; suspending the sun and moon on the tip of a fine hair; manifesting offerings within the body; holding the flames of the kalpa-fire in the belly while the burning continues as before; inhaling the winds of the ten directions into the mouth without the body being harmed—these are all transformations of one's own mind: without moving, far and near are suddenly distinguished; a single thought-moment encompasses everything, and without obstruction, the large and small enter one another.

Tiantai's commentary states:
> "Fitting the height and breadth of Sumeru inside a mustard seed without increase or decrease, the original appearance of Mount Sumeru, king of mountains, remains as before, yet the Four Heavenly Kings and the Trāyastriṃśa gods are unaware and unconscious of where they have entered. Only those who should be saved see Sumeru enter into the mustard seed. This is named the inconceivable liberation Dharma gate. Furthermore, putting the waters of the four great oceans into a single hair-pore does not disturb the fish, softshell turtles, sea turtles, gavials, and other aquatic creatures, while the original appearance of those great oceans remains as before; the dragons, ghosts, spirits, asuras, and so forth are unaware and unconscious of where they have entered, and to these sentient beings there is also no disturbance. This reveals the great function of the inconceivable. Precisely because real wisdom unites with the true nature, one is able to possess this unfathomable function."

This is just as a verse in the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says:
> "When mercury is blended with real gold, / it can coat various colored images. / When merit is blended with the dharmakāya, / it responds and manifests everywhere."

If the height and breadth of Sumeru are placed inside a mustard seed without increase or decrease, without crowding, and without [sentient beings] being aware or conscious, then those who possess inconceivable liberation, while dwelling in the realm of dependent retribution, attain mastery. This meaning is difficult to understand. One master said: "Spiritual power can do this." Now we say: the inconceivable nature is not created by devas, humans, asuras, or buddhas; how could spiritual power do this? Another master said: "The small has no characteristic of smallness; the large has no characteristic of largeness; therefore, they can enter each other." Now we say: the small is small, the large is large; if they are small and large by own-nature, they could not enter each other. If small is large and large is small, since they would be small and large by other-nature, how could they enter? Now it is explained: The *Avataṃsakasūtra* reveals that a single mote of dust contains the sūtra scrolls of a trichiliocosm; contemplating sentient beings' single thought-moment of ignorance, it is precisely the Tathāgata's mind. If one sees this mind, one can put Sumeru into a mustard seed without mutual hindrance. The various inconceivable matters below, though explained for an exhaustive kalpa, cannot be exhausted; they are all of this intent.

Why is this so? This sūtra says: "The liberation of all buddhas should be sought within the mental activities of sentient beings." If one contemplates the mental activities of sentient beings and attains the liberation of all buddhas, dwelling in this liberation, one can manifest such various inconceivable matters. Why is this so? The various expedient teachings explain that the two vehicles attain the liberation of the partial truth of principle, which is conceivable liberation, like obtaining a glass bead that cannot rain jewels. The Mahāyāna Perfect Teaching explains that the bodhisattva's liberation of the true nature of the middle way's perfect truth is inconceivable liberation, like obtaining a wish-fulfilling jewel that can rain the treasures of a trichiliocosm.

Seeing the true nature of the mental activities of sentient beings, one attains the true nature of the mustard seed and Sumeru; it is one suchness, without two suchnesses. If one attains the smallness of the true nature of the mustard seed, it can contain the largeness of Sumeru; if one attains the true nature of Sumeru, then the largeness of Sumeru does not hinder the smallness of the mustard seed. Raising this one meaning, the various matters below can be understood by analogy. As for saying that the sentient beings within are unaware, and only those who are to be saved can see it: since sentient beings do not see the principle of the true nature of the small and large, how could they be aware or know? Those who have the capacity to attain salvation immediately see this matter. Moreover, if one can contemplate this true nature and enter the stage of practice-identity or resemblance-identity, because of this, one will certainly attain the Tathāgata's extinction; hence it is said, "only then can they see it." Thus, the *Lotus Sūtra*, explaining the purification of the six sense faculties, says: "Only oneself alone clearly understands; other people do not see it."

The sūtra says: "Furthermore, placing the waters of the four great oceans into a single hair-pore" refers to attaining mastery in the primary retribution. If one understands that the inconceivable true nature of the ocean water is precisely the inconceivable true nature of a single hair, one can put the ocean water into a single hair-pore without hindrance or harm to the body of primary retribution.

The *Fuxing ji* explains:
> "Taking it temporarily in terms of what arises in a single thought-moment of the mind, it is therefore called small. This very single thought-moment is fully endowed with all the buddhadharmas of the dharmakāya; this is being able to contain the largeness of Sumeru. The large and small are constantly pervasive; principle and phenomena are unhindered; phenomena and principle are originally mutually identical. Therefore, without cutting off afflictions, one enters nirvāṇa; this only points to the ordinary person's single thought-moment of the mind, fully endowed with the inconceivable substance of the dharmakāya, originally mutually inherent."

Therefore, people in the expedient teachings are deluded about the inconceivable principle of mutual inherence; even if they hear of the eternal abiding, their understanding and delusion branch apart. Hence, along the path of the Separate Teaching, divergent understandings are still maintained; only in the Perfect Teaching are beginning and end one suchness. Therefore, the five-part dharmakāya does not exceed the ordinary frame. Hence it is said: "If you wish to see the Tathāgata's mind, just contemplate the mind of sentient beings." Then "buddhas" and "sentient beings" are names; the mind constantly tallies with the purport. "Conscious" and "insentient" are designations; dharmas originally share the same source. Recognizing names and designations, mundane truth generates distinctions; contemplating the essential nature, the gate of the real is uniform.

The "Merits of the Dharma Master" chapter of the *Lotus Sūtra* states:
> "The bodhisattva in a pure body / sees all that exists in the world; / only oneself alone clearly understands, / other people do not see it."

An ancient commentary explains:
> "Why do they not see? It is simply because they have the characteristic of a self. Without a self, one sees the nature; understanding the emptiness of both person and dharmas, the true mind naturally manifests, which is the pure body. Within the true mind, all the realms existing in the world manifest therein."

Hence, the *Śūraṅgamasūtra* says: "What all dharmas produce is only what the mind manifests." Being empty of nature and without a companion is called "alone." If one grasps at the aggregates, realms, and sense fields, one is called "other people"; covered by the aggregates, they do not see their own-nature.

Layman Pang's verse says:
> "The layman originally has no sickness; / in his ten-foot-square room, he now manifests an ailment. / He only worries about those of the Two Vehicles, / who cling to phenomena and cannot get out. / Therefore he rebukes defiled food, / and purely expounds the pāramitās. / A single bowl of rice from above / keeps its aroma full for seven days. / Without relying on the light of sun and moon, / the mind king illuminates this room. / Mañjuśrī inquires about non-duality; / forgetting words, the work naturally finishes. / Since the past was like this, / the present is still the same one. / If one can penetrate this principle, / without seeking, all become buddhas."

The *Niutou Jingming siji* says:
> "The sūtra explains that within a single hair-pore, one sees Māyā's body; in Māyā's womb, she walks immeasurable steps, as wide as ineffable dust-mote worlds, walking immeasurable steps in a single day. What kind of Dharma gate is this? It is also explained as the room containing thirty-two thousand lion seats; it is also explained as Sumeru entering a mustard seed. In the *Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra*, it is explained as a lotus fiber suspending Mount Sumeru. In the *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitāsūtra*, it is explained as the name of the Boundless Body Bodhisattva on the tip of a needle. It is only one meaning; with one understanding, a thousand follow. One should seek it within the mental activities of contemplative wisdom; if one looks at it in terms of phenomenal characteristics, one will never grasp it."

The sūtra says: "This is named the inconceivable liberation Dharma gate," making clear that all dharmas are liberated in their very substance. Because form is great, prajñā is great; form is like empty space, and the ten thousand dharmas are likewise. Therefore, know that whatever all buddhas have expounded, though spoken in terms of phenomena, all clarify the source right through the characteristics; ultimately there is no other meaning. Hence the *Lotus Sūtra* says: "Searching in the ten directions, there is no other vehicle"; it only takes the one Dharma as the source.