宗鏡錄 27.4

27.4

Answer: The wondrousness of the ekayāna in our ancestral school relies solely on a single thought-moment of citta to illuminate the real and penetrate the conventional, thereby achieving unexcelled awakening; this is termed the 'bodhimaṇḍa'. Why is this? Illuminating the real leaves no principle ungathered, and penetrating the conventional leaves no phenomenon imperfect. Therefore the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra states: 'Knowing all phenomena in a single thought-moment is the bodhimaṇḍa, because it accomplishes all-knowledge.' Master Shen [Kumārajīva] explained: 'In the dharma of the two vehicles, one accomplishes the Way through thirty-four mind-moments. In the Mahāyāna, a single thought-moment brings resolute great awakening, endowed with all-knowledge.' Master Zhao explained: 'All-knowledge is the utmost of knowledge. Bright as the morning sun, it shines upon all darkness together; clear as a tranquil abyss, it reflects all images simultaneously. Having no knowing and yet leaving nothing unknown—is that not all-knowledge alone? Why is this? Wherever there is a [delimited] mind, there are bounds; where there are bounds, there are borders. Once borders take form, knowledge has limits. When knowledge has limits, that which it illuminates is not universal. The ultimate person has no [delimited] mind. Having no mind, there are no bounds; having no bounds, there are no borders. Once borders are absent, knowledge has no limits. When knowledge has no limits, that which it illuminates is boundless. Therefore, in a single thought-moment and at one time, one inevitably knows all phenomena.'

Furthermore, regarding the bodhimaṇḍa: the pervasive reality of the principle of true reality is the 'site' (maṇḍa); the thorough realization of the myriad practices is the 'Way' (bodhi). Thus there is nowhere the Way does not reach, and nowhere the site is not present. If one can harbor the bodhimaṇḍa within one's breast and cast off myriad entanglements outside one's person, then even though one's physical form dwells amid noisy tumult and one's footsteps neighbor worldly affairs, wherever one roams following movement is nothing other than the bodhimaṇḍa. Therefore the Chanyao jing states: 'The bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, I have heard that the Tathāgata sat at the bodhimaṇḍa. Where is the Way? Is it near or far, and can it be seen or not?" The Buddha said: "Good son, the dharmakāya is all-pervading; there is nowhere that is not a Buddha-land. In the worlds of the ten directions, the vihāra of the five skandhas is fundamentally empty and intrinsically detached; this itself is the bodhimaṇḍa. Why do you ask whether it is near or far? Good son, if one can awaken and understand that the Way is in body and citta, such a person is termed one who sees."' The Sarvadharmāpravṛttinirdeśa-sūtra states: 'Mañjuśrī said: "World-Honoured One, all sentient beings are themselves the bodhimaṇḍa; this is the characteristic of immobility." "Mañjuśrī, how is this matter called the characteristic of immobility?" "World-Honoured One, what meaning does 'bodhimaṇḍa' have?" "Mañjuśrī, the characteristic of all phenomena being extinguished and quiescent, without characteristic, without the characteristic of arising, without the characteristic of existence, and without the characteristic that can be grasped—this is called the meaning of bodhimaṇḍa." "World-Honoured One, do not all sentient beings enter this bodhimaṇḍa?" The Buddha said: "Just so, just so." "Therefore, World-Honoured One, all sentient beings are themselves the bodhimaṇḍa; this is called the characteristic of immobility."' A verse in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: / 'In this way, all rulers among men, / According with whatever realms they possess, / Completely awaken within a single thought-moment, / Yet do not abandon the practices of bodhi.' / Another sūtra states: 'A single kṣaṇa of citta awakens to all phenomena, ultimately without remainder; this is wondrous bodhi.'

Now, this also does not obstruct the bodhimaṇḍa of phenomenal forms. Because being identical with phenomena is eternally true, characteristics abide within non-characteristic; because there are no phenomena outside of principle, non-characteristic abides within characteristics. Furthermore, when non-characteristic abides within characteristics, concealment and manifestation are simultaneous; when characteristics abide within non-characteristic, emptiness and existence share one limit. The Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka-sūtra states: 'Although cultivating a pure land, their minds are equal, just like empty space; although walking in the bodhimaṇḍa, they comprehend that the three realms have no different characteristics.' This, then, is practicing phenomena without departing from principle, and illuminating principle without discarding phenomena. Phenomena and principle are unobstructed; their Way lies right in the middle. Therefore Upādhyāya Guan, based upon the gateway of the one mind, established ten pure lands, fulfilled ten kinds of tathāgata, sat at ten kinds of bodhimaṇḍa, and preached ten kinds of Dharma gates:

First, the Vajra Tathāgata, residing at the vajra bodhimaṇḍa, can preach the vajra Dharma gate. Using one's own citta's wisdom to see the nature of one's citta: this citta from the origin has forever been without characteristics, just like empty space, limpid and motionless. The citta of clear vision is named the Vajra Tathāgata. The vajra Dharma gate preached is as a sūtra verse states: / 'The bodhisattva's mind of wisdom / Is pure like empty space, / Without nature and without resting place, / Totally ungraspable.' / What is called the ten pure lands is as a sūtra states: 'The lands of the ten directions are all like empty space.'

Second, the Liberation Tathāgata, residing at the unattached bodhimaṇḍa, can preach the unattached Dharma gate. The characteristics of all conditioned and unconditioned phenomena all emerge from citta; there is none that is not citta. What can emerge from one's own citta itself lacks substance and characteristics; how could the various phenomena emerging dependent on citta have real substance? Since substance and characteristics are of one flavor and without distinction, what could there be to attach to? This is named the Liberation Tathāgata. The unattached Dharma gate preached is as a treatise says: 'Because all phenomena arise from citta, all discriminations are discriminations of one's own citta. Citta does not see citta, and there is no characteristic that can be grasped.'

Third, the Prajñā Tathāgata, residing at the non-abiding bodhimaṇḍa, can preach the non-abiding Dharma gate. A sūtra says: 'Entering into the three worlds, the place where one's own body abides and whatever place one seeks forever lack intrinsic nature, and therefore one cannot attain the characteristic of abiding.' Therefore it should be known that all characteristics are phenomena of one non-abiding; when according with conditions, characteristics are mutually identical and mutually interfused. From the root of non-abiding, all phenomena are established. The citta that can comprehend non-abiding is named the Prajñā Tathāgata, constantly preaching the non-abiding Dharma gate.

Fourth, the Mahāyāna Tathāgata, at the unobstructed bodhimaṇḍa, preaches the unobstructed Dharma gate. For example, empty space is motionless, yet brings forth all forms; though it brings forth all forms, they are not outside of empty space. Form is produced solely by space; form and space are unobstructed, interfused without two characteristics. Cultivating citta is also like this: principle and phenomena are unobstructed. Principle is citta; phenomena are the body. From the origin onward, form and citta have not been two. Such non-obstruction of body and citta is named the Mahāyāna Tathāgata, preaching the unobstructed Dharma gate.

Fifth, the Bodhi Tathāgata, residing at the signless bodhimaṇḍa, can preach the signless Dharma gate. A sūtra states: 'The four great elements have no master, and the body also has no self. That which is detached from the characteristics of grasper and grasped is named the Buddha-body.' When such contemplation of citta is uninterrupted, wherever the contemplative citta functions is completely endowed with true reality; this is named the Bodhi Tathāgata, because all sentient beings are themselves the characteristic of bodhi.

Sixth, the Reality Tathāgata, residing at the boundless bodhimaṇḍa, can preach the reality Dharma gate. That is, when seeing a small object with one's own eyes, the characteristic of that object enters into the eye; that object is extremely minute, but because it has no interior, it contains the great characteristics of the external-less dharmadhātu. By this one knows that when a single kṣaṇa of citta sees an object's characteristic, within the citta of the subsequent thought-moment there is no characteristic of that object. Since the former citta and subsequent thought-moment are both one's own citta, one clearly knows that without moving the measure of a dust mote, it pervades the dharmadhātu; thus the true reality of one's own citta pervades all places. A sūtra says: 'To instigate karma and have activity is Māra's work. When the six sense faculties have no progression and do not engage in phenomena, this is called equal vigor.'

Seventh, the Tathatā Tathāgata, residing at the eternally abiding bodhimaṇḍa, can preach the eternally abiding Dharma gate. The contemplative citta roams throughout the dust-mote lands, limpid and profoundly quiescent. This profoundly quiescent citta tallies with conditions without losing its original substance. For this reason, to the end of future limits, meeting conditions it is eternally motionless; therefore it is named the eternally abiding Dharma. As a sūtra states: 'All conditioned and unconditioned phenomena, whether Buddhas exist or do not exist, are eternally abiding in nature and characteristics, without alteration.'

Eighth, the Dharmadhātu Tathāgata, residing at the dharmadhātu bodhimaṇḍa, can preach the dharmadhātu Dharma gate. 'Dharma' is the citta of true reality; 'dhātu' is the various lands produced in dependence upon this citta. For example, the various things produced by the great ocean are all nothing other than the ocean. All phenomena are produced from the citta of true reality, and are all nothing other than citta. Therefore it should be known that the forms seen by the eyes and the sounds heard by the ears are all true Dharma, because all phenomena are solely one Dharma. As a sūtra states: 'Because all phenomena have solely one characteristic.'

Ninth, the Dharmatā Tathāgata, residing at the dharmatā bodhimaṇḍa, preaches the dharmatā Dharma gate. Not dividing the phenomena of ordinary and noble, good and evil, is named 'nature'. In the sameness of this undivided dharmadhātu of phenomena, it is multifold and inexhaustible; within the one, one understands the immeasurable, because dharmatā is inexhaustible. That by which one knows they are all inexhaustible is: when seeking by entering each and every condition within the dharmadhātu, to the end of future limits nothing can be attained.

Tenth, the Nirvāṇa Tathāgata, residing at the quiescent-extinction bodhimaṇḍa, can preach the quiescent-extinction Dharma gate. All phenomena are nirvāṇa. A person who can attain this meaning sees quiescent-extinction phenomena in the midst of activities; without departing from saṃsāra, they constantly attain nirvāṇa; without abandoning the impermanent body, they constantly attain the eternal body. A sūtra states: 'Sentient beings are tathatā; all phenomena are tathatā. Tathatā has no arising; tathatā has no ceasing.' By this meaning, raising a foot or lowering a foot does not depart from the bodhimaṇḍa; in thought-moment after thought-moment, one constantly performs Buddha-work. Thus we know that penetrating a single thought-moment, phenomenon after phenomenon is universally complete; clearly understanding the one mind, gateway after gateway is fully endowed. Then boundless Buddha-work does not go beyond a single dust mote.

Furthermore, the wisdom-body universally sits at the dharmatā bodhimaṇḍa; the dharmakāya sits at the bodhimaṇḍa through non-sitting; the Dharma-gate body peacefully sits at the myriad-practices bodhimaṇḍa; the phantom-transformation body peacefully sits at the water-moon bodhimaṇḍa. As for the wisdom-body: it is Dharma; nature is that which is realized; because the realizing wisdom rests in principle, the place of realizing principle is the site of attaining the Way. As for the dharmakāya: since the dharmakāya has no grasper or grasped, it is said to be 'non-sitting'; the sitting of non-sitting, limpidly and peacefully abiding, is called sitting at the bodhimaṇḍa. As for the Dharma-gate body: as it is said that giving is the bodhimaṇḍa because one does not look for reward, and so forth, taking the myriad practices as the place of attaining the Way is itself the bodhimaṇḍa. As for the phantom-transformation body: the Nirvāṇa-sūtra states, 'My present body is a phantom-transformation body'; then the place where the Way is attained is like the moon in the water. Therefore an ancient said: 'Cultivating the myriad practices of sky-flowers, peacefully sitting at the water-moon bodhimaṇḍa, subduing the mirror-image heavenly māras, realizing and accomplishing the dream-like Buddha-fruit.' The meaning is that whether causes or fruits, all arise from conditions, like dreams and illusions. Therefore, whether real or illusory, all are the one mind, because the real is the nature of citta, and the illusory is the characteristic of citta. When, due to understanding the falsity of characteristics, one sees the nature of one's own citta, that is the place of attaining the Way, and is therefore called the bodhimaṇḍa. For one who understands like this, between raising and lowering [a foot], there is nowhere that is not the bodhimaṇḍa. Then thought-moment after thought-moment accomplishes the inexhaustible Dharma gates, and thought-moment after thought-moment realizes the Lotus Samādhi.

As explained in the Tiantai teachings, the Lotus Samādhi is none other than the four ones: oneness of principle, oneness of teaching, oneness of practice, and oneness of person. Contemplating the three truths in one mind is oneness of principle. The three contemplations in one mind is oneness of practice. The one who performs the contemplation is oneness of person. That which can express the object of contemplation is oneness of teaching. Furthermore, the dharmakāya is oneness of principle; prajñā is oneness of teaching; liberation is oneness of practice; the combination of the three dharmas into a nominal designation is oneness of person—which is the tathāgata of contemplative practice. According to the six identities, stage by stage there are the four ones; within a single thought-moment, thought-moment after thought-moment has the four ones; a single color or a single fragrance is nothing other than the four ones. Performing such contemplation and practice, what phenomenon is not the Lotus Samādhi? Why is this? Because teaching and principle are what citta expresses, and person and practice are what citta performs. Because together they do not go beyond the one mind, it is said that dust mote after dust mote, thought-moment after thought-moment, all are the Lotus Samādhi.