宗鏡錄 26

English (machine translation) 26

Language: English

26.1

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

26.2

Now, as stated above, the subtle purport is difficult to hear. How can one suddenly cut off the citta of doubt and give rise to perfect faith?

Answer: That which is said to be difficult to believe is like a scripture scroll of a great trichiliocosm existing within a single speck of dust—people lack faith in it. The principle of the true mark is merely in one's mind, requiring no toil of searching far away; it is so near yet unrecognized, and when spoken of, it is not believed, which is why it is called difficult to believe. Therefore, one must possess great faith before fine doubts can be severed. This is the gate that is difficult to understand and difficult to enter, the dharma that is difficult to realize and difficult to know. It is like an infinite-bodied bodhisattva standing upon the point of a needle, or suspending Mount Sumeru from a thread inside the pore of a lotus root—it is the inconceivable within the inconceivable, the utterly profound and wondrous within the utterly profound and wondrous. For this reason, in the Lotus assembly, Śāriputra made three requests, and the fourfold assembly was startled and in doubt. Even among the five thousand who walked out, all were persons who had attained holy fruition; yet when they heard that in the buddha-lands of the ten directions there is only the ekayāna dharma, opening the provisional to reveal the real and pointing directly to one's own mind, they still harbored doubts, shook out their robes, and stood up to leave. How much more so for people of inferior capacity in the final dharma age, whose obscurations are already deep, whose views and afflictions are especially heavy, whose emotional dust still chokes them, and whose fire of desire still burns—how could they shoulder this great matter? Therefore, if one marvelously attains its gateway, attaining buddhahood is not separated from the present thought; but if one misses its purport, cultivating causes will merely exhaust one through many lifetimes in vain. It rests solely on the mind of faith; there is no other expedient. This is because it is the source of entering the path, the mother of merit. Hence an ancient sage said: 'For the discerning, virtue flourishes on that very day; for the benighted, hope is cut off through many lifetimes. For one who comprehends the purport, mountains are easy to move; for one who strays from the source, even a pennyweight is difficult to enter.' This Record of the Mirror of the Source does not differentiate between the inner path and outer paths, sharp faculties and dull faculties: all who see, hear, faithfully believe, and enter into it will instantaneously comprehend the one mind, complete and fulfilled in both principle and phenomena. As the Scripture of Complete Awakening says: 'Just as the great ocean does not reject small streams, so too even mosquitoes, gadflies, and asuras who drink its water all obtain full satisfaction.' As a verse in the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'Those whose profound mind has faithful understanding are always pure.' An ancient commentary says: 'Only when in accord with principle is it called a profound mind. If there were past defilement and present purity, then purity would have a beginning, and having a beginning it must have an end, which is not constant purity. Believing that kleśa is bodhi is truly constant purity. Because one generates the mind [for bodhi] in accord with the original nature, one is originally a buddha, with nothing further to advance toward. As if in empty space, where could one retreat to? Lamenting that sentient beings are confused about this, one gives rise to great compassion of the same substance; grieving that in the past they did not know, one vows to definitely realize it. Because there is compassion, one is not extinguished by the limit of non-existence; because there is wisdom, one is not moved by the limit of existence. Being neither moved nor extinguished, one enters directly into the middle way; this is called truly giving rise to the bodhi-mind.' It also says: 'Believing that the buddha's body and name are equal to sentient beings, one then knows that my name is like the buddha's name. Believing that the buddha's dharma-gates are established in accordance with suitability, one knows that my own delusive thoughts and the origin of suffering are also completely the dharma-gate. Believing that the light of the buddha's mental karma shines everywhere, one then knows that one's own mind is never unconscious. Thus all causes and effects, principle and phenomena, are possessed by sentient beings by nature. Just as if the nature is not gold or jade, even if carved it will not become a precious vessel; truly, because sentient beings encompass nature and virtue as their substance and take the ocean of wisdom as their source, it must be revealed to them.' Therefore, the Mañjuśrī Section of the Prajñā says: 'If one knows the nature of the self, one knows that there are no dharmas. If one knows that there are no dharmas, there are no realms. If there are no realms, there is nothing to rely upon. If there is nothing to rely upon, there is nowhere to abide.' Revealing in this way, faithfully entering in this way, is the true phrase and also the vajra phrase, because it is devoid of falsity and cannot be destroyed; hence it is so stated. As the Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra says: 'A true phrase is: as is one dharma, so are all dharmas; as are all dharmas, so is one dharma.' It also says: 'The mind of one sentient being and the minds of all sentient beings are entirely equal; this is called the vajra phrase.' From this we know that not a single dharma being obtainable is called deep faith, solid as vajra and indestructible. Within the mind of non-faith, one can see the Buddha. If there were a single dharma to be believed, that would be a wrong view; only when not believing in anything does it become true faith. As the Prajñāpāramitāsūtra says: 'If one is mindful of all dharmas, one is not mindful of the prajñāpāramitā. If one is not mindful of all dharmas, one is mindful of the prajñāpāramitā.' One who understands in this way can be said to deeply penetrate the true mark and skillfully explain the essentials of the Dharma. Therefore it is said: 'Not a single dharma being obtainable is called deeply penetrating the true mark.' As the verse in the Lotus Sūtra says: 'Among the past buddhas, / while in the world or after extinction, / if there were those who heard the Dharma, / not one failed to become a buddha. / The original vow of the buddhas: / "The buddha path that I practice, / I universally wish to cause sentient beings / also equally to obtain this path." / Although future buddhas / will speak of hundreds of thousands of myriads / of countless dharma-gates, / in truth it is for the ekayāna. / The buddhas, the two-footed honored ones, / know that dharmas are ever devoid of nature, / that the buddha-seed arises from conditions; / therefore they preach the ekayāna. / These dharmas abide in their dharma-positions; / the worldly characteristics are ever-abiding. / Having known this at the place of awakening, / the Guides skillfully and expediently preach it. / Worshiped by gods and humans, / present buddhas of the ten directions, / their numbers like the sands of the Ganges, / appear in the world; / in order to bring peace and comfort to sentient beings, / they also speak such Dharma. / Knowing the foremost tranquil extinction, / through the power of expedients, / although showing various paths, / in truth they are for the buddha vehicle.' The explanation says: The fundamental master, with the mark of his tongue extending up to the Brahmā heaven, expounded true words, emitted the light from his white curl for eighteen thousand [worlds], and revealed marvelous and rare omens, up to the earth shaking in six ways, the heavens raining down the four flowers, and the sounds of coughing and snapping fingers being heard throughout the ten lands. The hundreds of thousands of buddha-worlds were harmoniously merged into one path. He brought forth the awakened kings of the three times to expound this purport together, and entrusted it to the great beings of the ten directions to manifest this source together. Therefore, searching thoroughly in the ten directions, there is no other dharma. In terms of position, it is the most real position; in terms of verbal explanation, it is the foremost explanation. It can be called the ultimate destination, the locus of true practice. If one merely reads and recites it with a resolute mind, the spiritual responses are inconceivable: the pores will produce the fragrance of red sandalwood, and the surface of the tongue will take on the color of a red lotus. How much more so if one understands with faith, awakens, enters, and practices as taught! In terms of offerings, the merit exceeds that of an Annually Encompassing Knower; in terms of the place traversed, a tathāgata stupa can be erected there. With such a great matter, who would not take refuge in it? Except for worthless people, it is indeed difficult to believe and accept. Furthermore, as the verse in the Chapter on Supernatural Powers says: 'Because after the Buddha's extinction, / for those who can uphold this sūtra, / all buddhas are filled with joy / and manifest limitless supernatural powers. / For the sake of entrusting this sūtra, / praising those who accept and uphold it / throughout limitless kalpas, / they still cannot finish. / The merit of this person / is limitless and without end, / like the empty space of the ten directions, / whose boundary cannot be attained. / Those who can uphold this sūtra / are those who have already seen me, / and also seen Prabhūtaratna Buddha, / as well as all the emanations.' Therefore, one knows that realizing this single hair's breadth of spiritual wisdom has a measure exceeding the inexhaustible great void; it is like seeing the boundaries of the ten directions far away through the chink of a window. He manifests supernatural powers to entrust it, fearing this text would fall into oblivion; he gives rise to joy to praise it, solely honoring this purport. Now, together with the faithful who have affinity, these people who encounter this correct teaching, reflecting on our former lives, our obstacles were deep and defilements heavy: when the buddhas appeared in the world, we did not see their white curl's light; nor did we take part in the fine banquet or personally hear the correct Dharma. Reflecting again on past vows, we have a slight good cause, so in the final dharma age we happen upon this bequeathed teaching. Having rejoiced in encountering it, yet feeling pity for those who have not heard, I have thus briefly set forth the essential teachings and shown them universally to later students. It can be called the true taste of ghee, yet people remain unaware and unconscious; the marvelous gate of sweet dew, yet they do not inquire or believe. Such a great loss is truly startling to the heart! Therefore, the Chapter on Easy Practice says: 'The Buddha told Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva: "In the subsequent final age, when the Dharma is about to perish, if there is one who upholds this Lotus Sūtra, toward those at home and those who have left home, he should give rise to the mind of great benevolence; toward those who are not bodhisattvas, he should give rise to the mind of great compassion. He should think thus: 'Such people suffer a great loss! When the Tathāgata expediently preaches the Dharma according to suitability, they do not hear, do not know, do not perceive, do not inquire, and do not believe or understand. Although those people do not inquire, believe, or understand this sūtra, when I attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, wherever they may be, through supernatural power and the power of wisdom, I will guide them and cause them to abide in this Dharma.'"' The explanation says: Giving rise to the mind of great benevolence among the fourfold assembly of those at home and those who have left home is revealing the Tathāgata's expedient gate of the one mind; benevolence can give joy, causing them all to believe and enter, together realizing the joy of the four virtues of Mahāparinirvāṇa. Giving rise to the mind of great compassion toward those who are not bodhisattvas refers to those of outer paths with wrong views who do not produce correct faith; compassion can pull out suffering, which is revealing the Tathāgata's liberation gate of the one mind, causing them all to awaken and understand, eternally pulling out the suffering of the two deaths: fragmented birth-and-death and change birth-and-death. If later on this Record of the Mirror of the Source meets those with affinity and faithful minds, they may forget fatigue day and night, diligently reading and turning the pages, taking awakening as their limit, and never crying of toil. Therefore, the great bodhisattvas all reflect that in the past, drifting in the bitter sea, they performed non-beneficial deeds, losing countless bodies with no benefit at all; and today they still abide in the midst of evil karma of birth-and-death, all because in past lives their wondrous practice was not diligent. Now encountering this correct canon, it can be called practicing while sitting; relying only on the majestic spiritual power of the Three Jewels and the support of the buddhas, free from all difficulties, one may early attain the opening of the mind, extending universally to all sentient beings in the entire dharmadhātu so that they all share this awakening—this is the vow! One must know that the complete school is rarely encountered, like a mustard seed thrown onto the point of a needle; the correct Dharma is difficult to hear, like a blind turtle meeting a hole in floating wood. If not for past cultivation of the vehicle's seed and long accumulation of good roots, how could one happen upon this text and personally receive it? One should rejoice and bear the Buddha's compassionate grace. Therefore, ancients either valued the teaching and made light of wealth, paying gold like a marketplace, or forgot their bodies for the sake of the Dharma, standing in the snow of a secluded courtyard. Furthermore, gold is floating wealth outside the body—how could it match the ultimate teaching? Life is the karmic recompense of a single period—how could it equal the true explanation? Therefore, because of hearing the profound prajñā sūtra, it serves as the vehicle's seed, whereby one attains urgency in the vehicle, constantly listening to the wondrous sound. One may make a seat of one's body and lamps of one's flesh, taking refuge and making offerings, using skin as paper and bones as brushes to transcribe, accept, and uphold it. As the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra says: 'The Buddha said: "Good sons, one who is lax in the vehicle is called truly lax; one who is lax in the precepts is not called lax. A bodhisattva-mahāsattva who is not negligent in his mind toward this Great Vehicle—this is called his fundamental precept. For the sake of protecting the correct Dharma, he bathes himself with the water of the Great Vehicle. Therefore, although a bodhisattva may manifest breaking the precepts, he is not called lax."' The Zhiguan says: 'As for those who are urgent in precepts but lax in the vehicle: their external precepts are strict and urgent, not violating the slightest hair, but regarding the three kinds of mind-contemplation, they have no understanding at all. Because of being urgent in precepts, they receive birth among humans and gods, or follow along to the dhyāna Brahmā worlds, indulging in the joy of samādhi. Although there is a buddha in the world preaching the Dharma to deliver people, there is utterly no benefit for them. Even if they happen to encounter [him], they cannot understand. The whole country of Cīna is unaware and unconscious; of the three hundred million of Śrāvastī, [a third] neither hear nor see. The gods who cling to pleasure and those born in difficult places do not come to listen and receive—this is the meaning. For example, a bound prisoner may seek out powerful people with wealth and goods to prolong the days and months, hoping to encounter an amnesty. Being among humans and gods is also like this: hoping that a good friend will transform and guide them to cultivate the vehicle, they will then be able to attain liberation. If among humans and gods they do not cultivate the vehicle, when their karmic retribution is exhausted, they will fall back into the three bad destinations; even if hundreds of thousands of buddhas appear, in the end they will not attain the Path. If they are lax in both principle and phenomena, they will eternally plunge into Niraya, losing the karmic retribution of humans and gods; their spirit will be benighted and blocked, with no time of attaining the Path, turning and sinking, unable to be delivered. Therefore, know that abiding in a secular family, confined in the prison of the three realms without seeking a single thought of departure, is like an unrestrained prisoner. One must be born into the Tathāgata's family, meet good friends, listen to the correct Dharma, ponder in accord with principle, practice both external precepts and rational vehicle together, and illuminate both; both bodily discipline and mental wisdom should be cultivated and upheld together. Because the precepts are urgent, one receives the body of a human or god; because the vehicle is urgent, one inherits the seat of the patriarchs and buddhas. Only in this way will one harmonize with the original vow and not fail one's initial aspiration; one can accord above with the compassionate wind and sympathize below with compassionate yearning. A good opportunity is difficult to meet, and I fear that conditions may go awry; I earnestly urge all the worthy not to have regrets later. Furthermore, the texts recorded in this Mirror of the Source of mine are only for people of the highest faculties, not to enter the hands of other sentient beings. It is solely to ensure that the buddha-seed is not severed, to let them hear what has not been heard, to vow to repay compassionate grace, and not to leave the original vow abandoned. If one is involved in fame and gain, this capacity is not being addressed. As an ancient worthy explained concerning the capacities addressed by the Avataṃsaka teaching, five exclusions determine those who are not vessels: First, those who contravene truth are not vessels: that is, those who do not give rise to the bodhi-mind and do not seek departure, but rely upon this sūtra to seek fame and gain, adorning the self and person. The sūtra is not a condition for them, so they are not its vessels. The sūtra says: "Preaching the Dharma for fame and gain is the work of Māra." It also says: "Preaching the Dharma with impurity leads to falling into evil paths," etc. Second, those who turn their backs on the correct are not vessels: that is, those who falsely manifest a great mind and hypocritically feign wrong goodness, which immediately ruins [rebirth as] humans and gods and distantly contravenes becoming a buddha, falling into the Avīci hell to suffer torment for many kalpas. The sūtra says: "Forgetting the bodhi-mind while cultivating good roots is the work of Māra." Third, those who deviate from the real are not vessels: that is, although not false or hypocritical, they grasp sūtra passages according to their own attached views, thus causing the ultimate teaching that transcends ordinary sentiment not to enter their minds at all; hence they become non-vessels. The Commentary on the Daśabhūmika says: "Hearing, one makes an understanding of hearing, but does not attain non-hearing." It is also like the five faults of grasping meaning according to sound, etc. These upper three positions are all the realms of common and foolish sentient beings. The sūtra says: "This sūtra does not enter the hands of all other sentient beings, except for bodhisattvas." Truly, because this sūtra is not a condition for sentient beings' saṃsāric transmigration, it does not enter their hands. Fourth, those of narrow and inferior [capacity] are not vessels: that is, all those of the two vehicles who lack a vast mind are also not vessels for this. The sūtra says: "None of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas hear this sūtra, much less accept and uphold it." Fifth, those who cling to the provisional are not vessels: that is, bodhisattvas of the shared teachings of the three vehicles who practice according to their own schools and have not yet completed the first asaṃkhyeya [kalpa] are also not vessels for this. The sūtra says: "Although bodhisattva-mahāsattvas for countless billions of nayuta kalpas practice the six pāramitās and cultivate the aids to the path, if they have not heard this sūtra, or although hearing it do not faithfully accept, uphold, and accord with it, such ones are still merely nominal bodhisattvas."

26.4

Question: The Yingluo jing and other texts state that one completes the practice of the ten faiths through cultivating for ten thousand kalpas; why is it that here, even after immeasurable koṭis of kalpas, one still does not believe in this sūtra?

26.5

Answer: It is because they only cultivated faith and the like within the stages of progressive practice, and had not yet heard or believed in these universally merging ten faiths of Samantabhadra, wherein one subsumes all. Therefore, one should know that if one does not encounter this text, one expends effort in vain for accumulated eons; yet the moment one hears this principle, one immediately enters perfect penetration. So long as one is not involved among the aforementioned five types of non-receptacles, one forever solidifies the buddha-seed of the ekayāna. It can be attained by the hand; it can be transmitted by the mind. I earnestly urge future worthy ones not to lose the benefit of the Dharma. Moreover, if in the past one had heard this Dharma but could not yet enter into faith, it was through the perfuming power of the Dharma that doubts initially arose. If one had never heard it, doubt would never arise in the end. As the Introduction to the Mahāyāna (Ru dacheng lun) says: 'A person of meager merit does not produce doubt. One who can produce doubt will certainly shatter all states of existence.' Thus, sentient beings attached to existence do so entirely because of defiled conditioning, just as a light feather is unfixed, its defilement or purity following conditions; just as raw silk absorbs dye, taking on blue or yellow at will. All of this is due to the power of hearing and perfuming, by which each enters the gates of the triyāna. How much more so when one hears within the Mirror of the Source: one swiftly brings forth the seed of the ekayāna. As long as one has a mind, whatever is perfumed is brought to completion. The Huayan Treatise says: 'Just as all the wells and springs in the world have the ocean as their substance, if people drink from them, they all attain the taste of the ocean—of one substance, without difference—yet according to the power of their karma alone do they obtain a salty flavor. This sūtra is also like this: if there are sentient beings of great mind who hear, uphold, and enter into faith, they immediately attain the tathāgata's dharmakāya and buddha-nature, the flavor of great compassion and wisdom. An icchantika is incapable of this; yet the tathāgata's wisdom-nature constantly acts as a generative cause.' Therefore, know that those endowed with the root of great faith become buddhas upon hearing it; those who do not believe are icchantikas. Yet, although they do not believe, it still perfumes their seed; thus it is said that the tathāgata's wisdom-nature constantly acts as a generative cause. Therefore, a gāthā of the Lotus Sūtra says: 'If there are those who hear the Dharma, / not one fails to become a buddha.' In ancient times, a mud-dwelling frog heard the Dharma and was born in heaven; a stable elephant listened to a sūtra and reformed its evil; a monk attained the fruit through joking; a woman realized emptiness through contemplation. How much more so when hearing the purely perfect and sudden teaching within the Mirror of the Source! As the Shanjian lü lun says: Anciently, when the Buddha was in the world, he went to the edge of the Kāla pool in the country of Campā to preach the Dharma for the assembly. At that time, in that pool, there was a frog. Hearing the sound of the Buddha preaching the Dharma by the pool, it immediately came out of the pool and went beneath the roots of grass to listen to the Buddha preaching the Dharma. At that time, there was a man grazing cattle with a staff. Seeing the Buddha seated, preaching the Dharma for the assembly, he went to the Buddha's place wishing to hear the Dharma, and planted his staff into the ground, mistakenly striking the frog's head. The frog immediately died and was born in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. Due to its karmic reward of merit, its palace was twelve yojanas in length and breadth, and it enjoyed pleasures with the heavenly maidens. It then rode its palace to the Buddha's place and bowed its head to his feet. The Buddha, knowing, deliberately asked: 'Who are you, suddenly bowing at my feet? Your supernatural powers and radiant light, your major and minor marks are peerless, illuminating this entire place.' The frog deva then answered with a gāthā: 'In the past I had the body of a frog, / searching for food in the water. / Hearing the sound of the Buddha preaching the Dharma, / I came out beneath the roots of grass. / A cowherd came holding a staff / to listen to the Dharma; / the staff struck and pierced my head, / and at death I was born in heaven.' The Buddha used the gāthā spoken by the frog-man to preach the Dharma for the fourfold assembly. At that time, eighty-four thousand people in the assembly all attained the track of the Path, and the frog deva attained the fruit of srotāpanna and departed with a smile. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: Anciently, a king did not build an elephant stable at a monastery because this king had an elephant capable of resisting an enemy state. Whenever there were enemies, it would be adorned with armor and weapons, and it was always victorious. Later, the enemy states were all terrified, and for a long time there were no enemies; thus, a stable was built in a monastery to keep it. For a long time, hearing the saṅgha's bowing and chanting, its mind was perfumed, and it became docile and gentle by nature. Later, when troops of a neighboring country invaded, the elephant was equipped to resist them, but it refused to fight at all. The king was sorrowful, fearing the ruin of his state. A wise minister told the king: 'This elephant has stayed in the monastery for a long time, seeing and hearing good deeds, and has been transformed by them. It should be placed in a slaughterhouse and made to constantly see slaughter.' Before long, its evil mind arose again. If it is so even with beasts, how much more so with humans! Approaching the good makes one good; approaching the evil makes one evil. Therefore, in Confucian texts as well, the gentleman is enjoined to be cautious about what he is conditioned by. Now, if one hears the Mirror of the Source, it perfumes and brings forth the ekayāna, vast and immeasurable, of unending beneficial merit. The Za baozang jing says: 'The Buddha's Dharma is broad and vast, its deliverance boundless. Whoever seeks the Path with an earnest mind never fails to attain the fruit; even in joking, the merit is not in vain.' For instance, in ancient times there was an old monk, aged and decrepit, of dull and obstructed mental faculties. Seeing various young monks preaching the Dharma in various ways and hearing them speak of the four fruits, his mind gave rise to admiration and longing. He said to the young monks: 'You are intelligent; please bestow the four fruits upon me.' The young monks sneered and said to him: 'We have the four fruits, but we must have good food before we give them to you.' Hearing these words, the old monk rejoiced and immediately prepared various dishes and delicacies, inviting the young monks to eat. Having finished eating together, they directed each other to make fun of the old monk, saying to him: 'Venerable, sit in a corner of this room, and we will give you a fruit.' Hearing this, the old monk rejoiced and sat as told. The young monks then struck him on the head with a leather ball and said to him: 'This is the fruit of srotāpanna.' The old monk, having heard this, concentrated his thoughts without distraction, and immediately attained the first fruit. The young monks made fun of him again, saying: 'Although we gave you the fruit of srotāpanna, you still have seven births and seven deaths. Move to another corner, and next we will give you the fruit of sakṛdāgāmin.' Because the old monk had attained the first fruit, his mind progressed even further, and he moved his seat again. The young monks again struck his head with the ball and said to him: 'We give you the second fruit.' The old monk applied single-minded mindfulness even more, and immediately realized the second fruit. The young monks made fun of him again, saying: 'Now you have attained the fruit of sakṛdāgāmin, but you still face the difficulty of returning to birth and death. If you move your seat again, we will give you the fruit of anāgāmin.' The old monk moved his seat as told. The young monks again struck him with the ball and said to him: 'We now give you the third fruit.' Hearing this, the old monk rejoiced, redoubled his earnest mind, and immediately realized the fruit of anāgāmin. The young monks made fun of him again, saying: 'Now you have attained the fruit of non-returning, yet you still receive a body with outflows in the form and formless realms, impermanent and subject to decay, every thought being suffering. If you move your seat again, next we will give you the fruit of arhat.' The old monk moved his seat as told. The young monks again struck his head with the leather ball and said to him: 'We now give you that fourth fruit.' The old monk contemplated with one mind, and immediately realized the fruit of arhat. Having attained the four fruits, he was overjoyed. He prepared various delicacies and various fragrant flowers to offer to the monks to repay their kindness. He discussed the factors of enlightenment and undefiled virtues with the young monks, but the young monks' words were faltering and obstructed. Only then did the old monk say to them: 'I have already realized the fruit of arhat.' Hearing his words, the young monks all apologized and repented for their previous sin of playing pranks. Therefore, practitioners should be mindful of goodness; even playful jokes yield real results, how much more so an earnest mind! Also, the Za baozang jing says: In ancient times, there was a woman of keen intelligence and wisdom who had deep faith in the Three Jewels. In the order of the saṅgha, she would always invite a monk to her house for offerings. Later, an old monk's turn came to visit her house. He was aged, of dull faculties, and had no learning at all. When the vegetarian meal was finished, the woman earnestly requested him to preach the Dharma, spreading a seat before him and closing her eyes in quiet contemplation. The monk, knowing himself that he did not understand how to preach the Dharma, took advantage of her closed eyes, abandoned her, and ran back to the monastery. However, this woman earnestly contemplated conditioned dharmas as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking autonomy; observing with a deep mind, she immediately attained the fruit of srotāpanna. Having attained the fruit, she went to the monastery to seek him out, wishing to repay his kindness. But this monk, knowing full well that he had abandoned her and fled, felt redoubled shame and hid himself even further. Yet this woman sought him earnestly without ceasing, so he finally showed himself. Seeing him, the woman explained in full the causes and conditions of receiving the fruit of the Path, presenting offerings to repay his kindness. Hearing this, the old monk felt great shame, deeply reproached himself, and likewise attained the fruit of srotāpanna. Therefore, practitioners should seek the Dharma with an earnest and sincere mind. If one has an earnest mind, what one seeks will certainly be realized. As for the holy fruits attained above, did someone preach profound and wondrous Dharma to them beforehand? It was all self-awakening, realized from the mind. This verifies the Mirror of the Source; those who have penetrated it have no doubt. As the Dacheng bensheng xindi guan jing says: 'The Buddha said: "I now expound the wondrous Dharma of the mind-ground to guide sentient beings and cause them to enter the Buddha's wisdom. Such wondrous Dharma is expounded by the buddha-tathāgatas only after immeasurable eons have passed... By these causes and conditions, it is difficult to see and difficult to hear—the correct path of bodhi, the Dharma-gate of the mind-ground. If there is a good man or good woman who hears this wondrous Dharma, and it passes through their ears for only an instant, and they collect their thoughts to observe the mind, it perfumes into the seed of unsurpassed great bodhi; before long, they will sit upon the diamond throne under the king of bodhi trees and attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi."' The 'Ten Grounds' chapter of the Huayan sūtra says: 'Vajragarbha Bodhisattva said: "Sons of the Buddha, this scripture of the Dharma-gate of bodhisattva practice gathers all kinds of merit of sarvākārajñatā. If sentient beings have not planted good roots, it cannot be heard." Vimukticandra Bodhisattva said: "Having heard this Dharma-gate, how much merit does one attain?" Vajragarbha Bodhisattva said: "As much merit as is gathered by sarvākārajñatā, such is the merit of hearing this Dharma-gate. Why is this? Without having heard this meritorious Dharma-gate, one cannot faithfully understand, accept, uphold, read, and recite it, let alone vigorously cultivate it according to the teaching. Therefore, you should know that one must first hear this Dharma-gate of practicing the merit of sarvākārajñatā before one can faithfully understand, accept, uphold, and cultivate it, and thereafter reach the ground of sarvākārajñatā."' Therefore, know that if one does not hear this inconceivable, vastly majestic, perfect, and sudden Dharma-gate, by what means could one cultivate and swiftly realize the fruit of great nirvāṇa—the ultimate ekayāna, permanence, bliss, self, and purity? Because sentient beings abide in the indeterminate group, when they hear the small they cultivate the small, and when they encounter the provisional they practice the provisional; not encountering this text, they incur a great loss. What is gathered here brings exceedingly manifold benefits. Even if one hears it and does not cultivate, it still forms a seed; how much more so for those who hear, reflect, and cultivate! As an ancient master of virtue said: 'Now, if you want direct understanding, simply do not grasp any characteristics, and that will be enough; there are no other words. "Buddha" has the meaning of one's own mind; it is also called the "Path"; it is also said to mean "awakening." Awakening is the nature of luminous awareness. Right now, self-reflection, speaking, responding to conditions, receiving things, raising the eyebrows, moving the eyes, moving the hands, and moving the feet are all one's own nature of luminous awareness; they are also the mind. The mind is the Path; the Path is the Buddha; the Buddha is chan. The single character chan cannot be fathomed by worldlings. If one knows that all dharmas arise from the mind, one should not cling. Clinging is not knowing. If one does not see the original nature, the twelve divisions of the canon are set forth in vain.' Therefore, know that because the mind is clarified through teaching, why cling to literal words? Furthermore, teaching arises from the mind, and the mind is established through teaching. Apart from the mind there is no teaching; apart from teaching there is no mind. How could there be a teaching apart from the mind that one could cling to? Therefore, the Commentary on Vijñaptimātra says: 'In the gate of the sudden teaching, the great does not arise from the small; there is no sequential order of the three periods. That is, in the Huayan Sūtra, expounding only one mind was the very first preaching immediately after the initial realization of the Path.' It also says: 'All foolish worldlings, from beginningless time, due to the power of causes and conditions of false discrimination, cling to there definitely being real graspers and grasped apart from the mind. The Tathāgata, with great compassion, gave them the amṛta-dharma to drink, severing their deluded, frenzied minds, abandoning clinging to emptiness and existence, and realizing the true, definitive meaning. In the Huayan and other sūtras, it is expounded that all dharmas are consciousness-only. Therefore, the Buddha, having realized vijñaptimātra, expounded the sūtra of the one mind to cause them to cultivate in reliance upon it.' The commentary explains: 'Vasubandhu composed verses to establish the Buddha's sūtras, causing all scholars to understand that the ten thousand dharmas are not separate from the mind; thus the principle of the Mahāyāna middle way is revealed.' From this, know that faith in the perfect middle—this faith is difficult to achieve.

26.6

As the Commentary on the Awakening of Faith says in a question: "If this faith is said to be fundamentally existent, why are sentient beings sunk in delusion? If it is fundamentally non-existent, upon what is it generated?"

26.7

Answer: "This faith is originally neither existent nor non-existent. Because it is not existent, sentient beings are sunk in delusion. Because it is not non-existent, upon encountering conditions it arises at once. If it were said to be definitively non-existent, what could be generated? If it were said to be definitively existent, why rely on causes and conditions?" However, what was explained above is stated in terms of the causes and conditions of delusion and awakening. If we discuss this faith, one must not believe in any dharmas, and only then can it become faith. Nor is it neither existent nor non-existent. Why? Because sentient beings are unawakened: seeming to be deluded yet not deluded, because their true nature does not sink, it is not not existent; with a single thought returning to the origin: seeming to be awakened yet not awakened, because it is not newly attained, it is not not non-existent. Therefore it is said: "Faith arising from one's own citta still has faith in one's own citta." Furthermore, why is this citta difficult to believe? Because the Tathāgata's substance of original awakening is the very citta of sentient beings. The Buddhas and bodhisattvas cannot see it, because the Tathāgata's substance of original awakening is free from the characteristics of seeing. One should know that the citta of sentient beings is subtle and dense, and likewise cannot be seen. The Large Sūtra says: "When the Buddha observes the citta of sentient beings, the five eyes cannot see it, because it is devoid of the characteristics of self, other, grasper, and grasped." An ancient poem says: "Though the sea dries up, its bottom is finally seen; / When a person dies, one still does not know their mind." It also says: "Acquaintances fill the world; / How many can truly know one's heart?" For this reason, the profound purport of the Mirror of the Source, the wondrous gate of the one mind, cannot be observed without great wisdom, and cannot be believed without great faculties. Observing it, one immediately equals the Buddha's wisdom; believing it, one immediately enters perfect penetration. One need only have earnest resolve without doubt, and its accomplishment will surely be attained. As Guanzi said: "Where profit lies, though it be a mountain of a thousand fathoms, there is nowhere men will not climb; beneath a deep spring, there is nowhere men will not enter. Merchants ply their trade, doubling their journeys day and night, continuing through darkness, not considering a thousand li far, because profit lies before them. Fishermen go out to sea, the ocean water a hundred fathoms deep, braving the surging waves and gushing currents, staying out night after night, because profit lies in the water." These are merely the worldly resolves of striving bitterly in pursuit of profit. If one firmly seeks the supreme Way, forgetting fatigue morning and evening, not seeking outward with an empty mind and purified thoughts, sitting quietly in a secluded room, folding the hands and calming the spirit—the profit lies in the citta. Just as where profit lies, in seeking it one never fails to obtain it, how much more so with the Way lying in the citta—by believing in it, there is nothing one does not attain! Hence we know that words of exemplary instruction must not be cast aside even for a moment; they can be carved into bone, written upon the sash, dyed into the spirit, and perfumed into consciousness. Thus King Zhuang of Chu made light of a state of a thousand chariots while esteeming a single word from Shenshu; Fan Xian looked down on ten thousand mu of fields while valuing a brief remark from a boatman. If those who establish families and found states still made light of valuables and esteemed words, how much less could one treat lightly or neglect the Mirror of the Source, where under its words one accords with the unproduced, and hearing it one accomplishes the Great Way!

26.8

Question: "If the one mind is endowed with real nature and both ordinary and sage are empty designations, why is it that when one is an ordinary being, one is ablaze with fetters to all states of existence, and on the day one realizes sagehood, one is suddenly liberated into true emptiness? From this we know that these are not merely designations, but that these matters truly exist."

26.9

Answer: Although these matters exist, they are like events within a dream; even if these names exist, none of them are names that obtain actual entities. Thus we know that both dream and waking are empty, and both name and substance are tranquil. As the Private Notes on the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: "Characteristics of phenomena being as such, how could they be spoken of? If spoken of, then it is said that there is a dharma that can be attained; retaining dharmas and forming interpretations is still the karma of birth and death. Now it is only intended that sentient beings eliminate all views. In this, 'view' has no other meaning, nor is there any ingenious explanation. Just as when a person dreams at night of all kinds of things seen, by the time they awake, there is not a single thing at all. It is the same now: within the false dream, it is said that the ten thousand dharmas exist; if one awakens to their nature, ultimately not a single thing can be attained. In this, there is also neither one who can speak and show, nor one who can hear and attain." For this reason, ordinary beings do not fall onto the stage of ordinary beings—the place of delusion is entirely empty; the Buddhas do not realize the gate of tathatā—at the time of awakening there is nothing attained. Thus one does not see a single dharma that can be severed, and there is no gate from which birth and death are exited; one does not see a single dharma that can be accomplished, and there is no road on which bodhi can be entered. The Viśeṣacintabrahmaparipṛcchā-sūtra says: "The Buddhas appear in the world not to cause sentient beings to exit birth and death and enter nirvāṇa, but merely to deliver them from the two views of birth and death and nirvāṇa." The Ratnakaraṇḍaka-sūtra says: "Mañjuśrī said: 'Venerable Kāśyapa, just as when a person has a fever, this person speaks all kinds of false utterances: is there any heavenly demon or ghost possessing them?' 'There is a great, clear physician who gives that person ghee to drink, and the fever is cured, and they cease to speak falsely: does any heavenly demon or ghost depart from them?' Kāśyapa replied: 'No.' '...and so forth, up to: In this way, the fever of worldly inversions has the notion of a self where there is no self; having abided in the notion of self, one transmigrates in birth and death. Therefore the Tathāgata appears in the world, and in accordance with their forms and colors and the Dharma gates they should understand, knowing and understanding the notion of self, severing inversions, expounds the Dharma for those sentient beings. Having heard the Dharma, they eliminate all notions and have no clinging; having known and understood notions, they cross over the currents and arrive at the other shore, which is called nirvāṇa. In this, is there any self, sentient being, life, nourished one, person, or human being that can be brought to nirvāṇa?' Kāśyapa replied: 'No.' Mañjuśrī said: 'For this benefit, the Tathāgata appears in the world only to reveal the characteristic of equality, not for arising, not for ceasing, but only for knowing and understanding that kleśas are not real.'" Explanation: As for the Tathāgata appearing in the world only to reveal the characteristic of equality: grasping at false suffering and seeking to be free from it, looking up to the measure of the sage and wishing to cultivate it—these are all the actions of a false self and the discriminations of emotional consciousness. Therefore, the Great Hero leaves his traces only to point to the correct source, breaking the false self to reveal the gate of the true self, and censuring emotional consciousness to return to the path of pure consciousness. The true self and pure consciousness are the very characteristic of equality. Because pure consciousness cuts off discrimination, the true self has no grasping sentiment. Because discrimination is cut off, distinctions naturally vanish; because there is no grasping sentiment, equality naturally manifests. The Śūraṅgamasūtra says: "Due to the wild confusion of your mind-nature from beginningless time, knowledge and views falsely arise; this arising of falsity does not cease, and fatigued seeing gives rise to defilements—just as when the eyeballs are fatigued, there appear illusory flowers, which arise confusedly from the pure, clear essence without a cause. All the world's mountains, rivers, and great earth, birth and death, and nirvāṇa, are all nothing but the inverted floral characteristics of wild fatigue." The Large Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: "The Buddha said: 'Subhūti, all dharmas have non-arising and non-action as their destination. Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas cannot surpass such a destination. Why? Because within non-arising and non-action, destination and non-destination cannot be obtained.'" The Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra says: "The Buddha said: 'If there is a bodhisattva who accomplishes natural wisdom and skillful means and seeks bodhi, within these five aggregates, for the sake of truly awakening, they seek bodhi. This bodhisattva knows that form is impermanent and practices giving, and so forth up to feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are also like this. Knowing that consciousness is impermanent, one should practice giving; knowing consciousness is suffering, knowing consciousness is non-self, knowing consciousness is dull, knowing consciousness is without wisdom, knowing consciousness is like an illusion, knowing consciousness is like a mirage, knowing consciousness is like the moon in the water, knowing consciousness is like a dream, knowing consciousness is like a shadow, knowing consciousness is like an echo, knowing consciousness is like a whirling firebrand, knowing consciousness is without self, knowing consciousness is without sentient beings, knowing consciousness is without life, knowing consciousness is without a person, knowing consciousness is without a master, knowing consciousness is without a nourished one, knowing consciousness is like space, knowing consciousness is without characteristics, knowing consciousness is without wish, knowing consciousness is without action, knowing consciousness is without birth, knowing consciousness is without arising, knowing consciousness is without departure, knowing consciousness is without form, knowing consciousness is quiescent, knowing consciousness is detached, knowing consciousness is without end, knowing consciousness is without accomplishment, knowing consciousness is equal to empty space, and so forth up to knowing consciousness is like the nature of nirvāṇa, one practices giving. When the bodhisattva practices giving in this way, because giving is detached, they know consciousness is also detached. Because consciousness is detached, they know giving is also detached. Because consciousness and giving are detached, they know vows are also detached. Because vows are detached, they know consciousness, giving, and vows are also detached. Because consciousness, giving, and vows are detached, they know bodhi is also detached. Because bodhi is detached, knowing consciousness, giving, and vows are detached, they know that all dharmas share the nature of bodhi. Good son, this is the bodhisattva's supramundane dānapāramitā.'" It is because consciousness is empty that all the ten thousand dharmas of the ordinary and sage are empty. By understanding this emptiness, one is only then able to practice unsurpassed bodhi and fully equip the ten pāramitās; then compassion and wisdom are perfected, and the two benefits are without defect. Being equipped with this compassion and wisdom, what is accomplished? Because the Buddha-seed is not severed. When the Buddha-seed is not severed, what are its characteristics? It refers to accomplishing the three virtues: rescuing and protecting sentient beings accomplishes the virtue of grace; eternally severing kleśas accomplishes the virtue of abandonment; and fully knowing all formations accomplishes the virtue of wisdom. For this reason, entering this Mirror of the Source, movement and rest are citta alone; there is not a single dharma that can be destroyed. As the Ākāśagarbhabodhisattvapṛcchā-sūtra says: "For example, it is like sentient beings moving through the sky, and that sky is not destroyed; in this way, all sentient beings move within tathatā, and that tathatā is not broken or destroyed. The bodhisattva is like this: through wisdom, with regard to form and phenomena, they seal them with tathatā, not causing interruption or destruction within tathatā. This is the bodhisattva using the Tathāgata's seal to seal tathatā, due to uninterrupted skillful wisdom."

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宗鏡錄 — Classical Chinese