宗鏡錄 32.15

32.15

Answer: If you grasp this nature as definitely spontaneous, you must be able to demonstrate presently that there is a principle of spontaneity. Now, as for the original nature, what phenomenon does it take as its self-substance? As the Śūraṅgamasūtra states, the Buddha told Ānanda: 'I have now given you such expedient explanations and spoken to you of the truth, yet you still have not awakened and mistakenly think it is spontaneous. You must clearly distinguish what spontaneous substance it has. Examine this wondrous, bright seeing: what does it take as its own self? Does this seeing take light as its self, or darkness as its self, or emptiness as its self, or obstruction as its self? Ānanda, if it took light as its self, it should not see darkness. If it took emptiness as its self-substance, it should not see obstruction. In this way, even if it took all the characteristics of darkness and so forth as its self, then at the time of light, the nature of seeing would be cut off and annihilated—how could it see light?' Hence we know that the eternal nature does not arise following conditions. If it took illusory dharmas like light and darkness as its self-substance, then when the conditions of light, darkness, and so forth dispersed, this nature should be cut off and annihilated accordingly.