宗鏡錄 30.3.4

30.3.4

one wishes to destroy the deviance of others, then one establishes oneself and establishes others, and sees deviance and sees correctness. This is like taking off one's armor to enter the battle line, or abandoning fire when burning a slash-and-burn field: to wish to defeat the enemy or sow the seeds is impossible. Merely being able to guard and protect one's own citta is itself protecting and maintaining the true Dharma, and is also universally being mindful of all Tathāgatas of the ten directions. Since protecting the Dharma through one's own citta is like this, transforming other minds is likewise so. Then outside of the correct there is no deviance: how could one speak of destroying it? Outside of the deviant there is no correctness: how could one speak of maintaining it? Thoroughly illuminating it in this way is truly protecting the true Dharma, up to perfectly fulfilling all Dharma gates. Therefore a verse in the Śūraṅgamasūtra says: 'I offer this deep citta to the dust-mote lands; / this is called repaying the Buddha's kindness.' The Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra says: 'Visual consciousness with regard to form is called non-Dharma; if one can stay far away from it, this is called protecting the Dharma.' Thus we know that those who skillfully restrain the sense faculties and are not invaded by the six dusts can be called true protectors of the Dharma. The Dharmasaṃgītisūtra says: 'Bodhisattvas do not need to guard and protect all dharmas. World-Honoured One, if a bodhisattva can only skillfully protect his own citta, because this bodhisattva skillfully protects his own citta, he can accomplish the wondrous dharmas of all Buddhas, up to seeing his own citta as like an illusion. Thus seeing all dharmas as like an illusion, citta is neither internal nor external, nor can it be found between the two. Seeing all dharmas in this way, seeing is just like citta: without form or characteristic, it cannot be shown, cannot be seen, has no physical obstruction, cannot be grasped, neither illuminates nor abides. Seeing all dharmas, their characteristics are like this. If one can see in this way, this bodhisattva can attain the mind of equanimity. Because of attaining the mind of equanimity, such a bodhisattva no longer attains dharmas, because outside of equanimity there are no differentiated dharmas, realizing that differentiated dharmas are themselves equanimity.' If one enters this Dharma gate of equanimity, one knows that all dharmas are entirely empty of nature and does not give rise to affectionate attachment. This is nothing other than the place where one abandons body and life; it is also the place where one realizes the way, the place where one turns the wheel of Dharma, the place where one delivers beings, the place where one enters cessation, the place where one ultimately repays kindness, the place where one fulfills the great vows, and the place where the ten thousand practices are fully provided. Why so? As it is said, 'The ten thousand things arise by obtaining the earth, and the ten thousand practices are accomplished by obtaining principle'—principle is citta. Whether one practices filial devotion or renders loyalty and courage, is there anything that does not stem from citta? For example, during the reign of Zetian, Meng Jingxiu observed mourning for his mother, grieving and emaciating himself almost to the point of perishing. He had a younger brother, Jingwei, who was an infant in swaddling clothes; Jingxiu suckled him himself, and his milk overflowed. Again, Bi Gou, who served as Minister of Personnel, initially observed mourning for his stepmother, Lady Xiao. Two younger sisters by the Lu family were both in swaddling clothes; Gou personally suckled them until they grew up. These are resonances brought about by filial conduct: milk came forth from citta; it is not fixed to the physical body of male or female.