宗鏡錄 25.4

25.4

Answer: "Because nature is non-nature. It is like an image entering a mirror: the image remains as it originally was while appearing within the mirror; the mirror remains as it originally was while containing many images; both neither increase nor decrease. Because of having no nature, in a single thought-moment one enters the inconceivable abodes of all worlds. Therefore, the merits of the mind-store are boundless." Or, what is called the Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitāsūtra is the immobility of the original mind, compared to a vajra; the true wisdom of prajñā is the wondrous nature of the spiritual terrace. Realizing this, one immediately reaches the other shore of nirvāṇa; being ignorant of this, one abides in the deluded ford of birth and death. As for what is stated in the text, that "one should produce the mind that has no place of abiding": to give rise to a thought is precisely to abide and attach; if the mind does not arise, the myriad dharmas are unborn. Then the mind pervades all places, and all places pervade the mind. Realizing it in this manner, one suddenly enters one's own source. Thus it is said: "Wherever this scripture is found, there is a Buddha," because the pervading of the mind is the pervading of phenomena, and because phenomena are the Buddha; because the penetration of wisdom is the penetration of the objective realm, and because the objective realm is the mind. As the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: "The body of the Tathāgata's perfect awakening is ultimately free of arising and ceasing; as a single pore pervades the dharmadhātu, all pores are likewise so. You should know that there is not the slightest place empty of the Buddha's body. Why is this? Because when the Tathāgata attains perfect awakening, there is nowhere he does not reach." Therefore, if one does not awaken to one's own mind pervading all places, one sees phenomena outside the mind, falling into inversion and saṃsāra—how could one be called an all-knower who has become a Sugata? As the scripture says: "Whatever has characteristics is entirely empty and false; if one sees all characteristics as non-characteristics, one sees the Tathāgata." Because if the slightest hair-tip arises, it entirely falls into seeing and hearing and is born from discrimination, none of it being real. If one does not realize that having no characteristics is itself having characteristics, one is an ordinary being who grasps at characteristics; if one realizes that characteristics are themselves non-characteristics, one becomes the greatly awakened one of mind-only. One can neither grasp at characteristics to seek awakening, nor depart from characteristics to contemplate the real: neither identical nor separate, the nature of awakening appears of itself. It is also said: "All Buddhas and all Buddhas' dharmas of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi come forth from this scripture," because all Tathāgatas of the ten directions and the three times awaken to the mind and become Buddhas, and even the Three Jewels and the Four Noble Truths all come forth from the mind: awakening to this is called Buddha; taking this as a model is called Dharma; being in harmony with this is called Saṅgha. The *Explication of the Source of the Diamond Sutra* says: "The Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitāsūtra is the gate through which all Tathāgatas awaken to the mind. Realizing that the deluded mind of avidyā is the true mind of wondrous wisdom—this is called awakening to the mind. The scripture says: 'The past mind cannot be apprehended; the present mind cannot be apprehended; the future mind cannot be apprehended.' Awakening to the fact that the deluded mind of the three times cannot be apprehended while the true mind exists—this is called awakening to the mind." The *Treatise on Prajñā Not Destroying Conventional Designations* says: "'If a bodhisattva's mind does not abide in dharmas while practicing giving, it is like a person with eyes when the sun shines brightly, seeing all kinds of forms.' 'Like a person with eyes' means obtaining anutpattikadharmakṣānti; 'the sun shines brightly' means decisively and completely knowing the lack of nature of all dharmas; 'seeing all kinds of forms' means awakening to all dharmas being neither arising nor ceasing, neither annihilated nor eternal, neither one nor different, neither coming nor going out, having nothing to be apprehended, and so forth. A bodhisattva practicing the giving of non-abiding in this way quickly accomplishes perfect awakening and attains great nirvāṇa." In explanation: How does practicing the giving of non-abiding quickly realize bodhi? It is because one realizes that all dharmas are the mind's own nature; not abiding in dharmas, stillness and illumination are boundless, accomplishing the bodhi that meets the eyes and obtaining the samādhi that appears before one. If one abides in a single dharma, one is detained by the objective realm, loses the light of mental wisdom, and enters the darkness of ignorance. The *Meaning of the Diamond Sutra* says: "Constantly seeing one's own nature, thought after thought not departing from it—therefore it says 'the Buddha was present.' When directly seeing the nature, kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges are just like the present moment; therefore it is called 'at that time.' Knowing that the mind is the Buddha is precisely the Buddha's entrustment. Understanding that with regard to dharmas one should practice giving without abiding: in the lands of the ten directions there is only the one vehicle dharma, which is simply the one mind. Mind is dharma, and dharma is mind—in what further dharma could one abide? Therefore it says 'not abiding.' If there were any dharma to be apprehended separate from the mind, the grasping mind would arise and abide in the characteristics of dharmas; this would be a person without eyes. Therefore it is called the supreme, foremost, and rare dharma. One who cultivates this dharma achieves Buddhahood in the present lifetime. The ten directions unite into a single characteristic; seeing all Buddhas and all sentient beings, fundamentally there is no distinction; seeing the events of the three times, they appear like a snap of the fingers. How is this not a rare dharma?" Furthermore, as stated in the various definitive scriptures, the assemblies listening to the Dharma who "come from beyond worlds as numerous as the sands of the ten directions" simply mean that awakening to the mind is "coming." If one is deluded about this source, one is far away outside other realms. As the *Treatise on the Avataṃsaka* says: "Those who come from beyond worlds as numerous as the dust motes of ten Buddha lands illuminates that entering from delusion into faith is therefore called 'coming.' As for saying that in that world there is a Buddha named Immovable Wisdom: this is to clarify that the Buddha of Immovable Wisdom is the fundamental wisdom shared by ordinary beings and sages of the ten directions. Being clear on this, the wisdom can give rise to the mind of faith; therefore it is called 'coming.' This Buddha of Immovable Wisdom is constantly possessed by all sentient beings of themselves. If one grasps at characteristics and follows delusion, the dust-defilements and hindrances are unending; if in a single thought-moment one awakens to delusion and realizes characteristics, it is as pure as empty space. It is only in accordance with delusion that it is called 'outside,' and in the locus of awakening that it is called 'coming.' Yet in reality, Buddha lands fundamentally have no hindrances of distance or proximity, internal or external, nor is there any going or coming. Boundless Buddha lands do not exceed the surface of a hair-pore or a dust mote. Now positing distance and proximity is intended to cause beginners in faith to have vast minds; therefore it says they come from that world. Furthermore, it clarifies entering from delusion into awakening; therefore it is called 'coming.'" Therefore, upon entering the mirror of the source, principle dictates that study ceases. The teachings of the hundred masters can be clarified by a single teaching; the origins of the myriad transformations can be encompassed by a single word. Or, as when Fragrance Accumulated says, "Here there are worlds of forty-two Ganges rivers," this is simply passing through the forty-two stages of mind-ground dharma gates. Or, as when it says that scattering flowers and necklaces formed a jeweled dais of four pillars in the air, this is the nirvāṇa of the four virtues of the one mind—permanence, bliss, self, and purity. Therefore the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: "These flower canopies and the like are all brought forth by anutpattikadharmakṣānti." Or, when the Buddha says, "The Deer King at that time was my own body," this brings together past and present, clarifying the single-realm dharma of one's own mind. Or, whenever in the teachings a voice resounds from the sky making an announcement and, upon hearing it, doubt is stilled, these are all sudden awakenings to one's own mind, not another objective realm. Or, the Lotus Sutra's moving gods and humans to other lands is the threefold transformation of the mind-field. Or, Vimalakīrti's bringing Abhirati to this world is clarifying the pure in the midst of the defiled. Or, a ten-foot chamber accommodating high seats; a jeweled canopy displaying the great chiliocosm; having already entered parinirvāṇa before leaving Tuṣita; ascending to Trāyastriṃśa without rising from beneath the king of trees; clasping hands for immeasurable kalpas; climbing the pavilion and seeing the causes of the three times; Śākyamuni emitting clouds of bodhisattva bodies from between his brows; Samantabhadra's hair-pores displaying the gates of all Buddhas' realms; a small vessel yielding boundless delicacies; gazing up at the sky raining down inexhaustible precious gems; without moving from this place, sitting in bodhimaṇḍas everywhere; the jeweled dwellings of ten lands uniting into a single land; hearing the sutra for fifty small kalpas as if it were a single kṣaṇa; displaying supernormal powers over seven days and stretching them into a great kalpa—up to dharma-aggregates numerous as the sands of the Ganges and immeasurable portals of meaning: pointing out one serves as an example for all, none exceeding the dharma of one's own mind. Hence we know that whatever bodhisattvas do in accordance with the world expresses the one mind. Therefore the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa-sūtra says: "Without abandoning the dharmas of the path, they manifest the affairs of ordinary beings." As the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: "In a single thought-moment in all places manifesting the accomplishment of perfect awakening for all sentient beings—this is the bodhisattva's garden and forest, because the dharmakāya completely pervades all worlds throughout empty space." It also says: "Disporting freely in all bodhisattva practices and supernormal powers—this is the bodhisattva's palace, because they skillfully disport in the various dhyānas, liberations, samādhis, and wisdoms." Therefore, direct retribution and dependent retribution all become the Buddha Dharma. Thus the *Private Notes on the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa* says: "Bringing Abhirati to this land clarifies the non-duality of pure and defiled. Although that realm comes and enters this land, it neither increases nor decreases, its fundamental nature remaining as it ever was; although it comes, it is ultimately immovable. What does this mean? Reflect well on it yourself." Hence we know that the operation of the myriad dharmas, concealed or revealed, coming or going, whether phenomenon or principle, does not depart from the one true mind.