宗鏡錄 34

English (machine translation) 34

Language: English

34.1

Compiled by Chan Master Zhijue, Yanshou, Abbot of Huiri Yongming Temple

34.2

Now, when both objects and consciousness are discarded and the realm of sentient beings is empty, what dharma do the Buddhas ultimately attain and realize?

Answer: All ordinary beings, because consciousness confronts objects, give rise to false attachments within saṃsāra and produce the four inversions of permanence and so forth. People of the two vehicles, falsely seeking liberation within nirvāṇa, produce the four inversions of impermanence and so forth. All the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, because both objects and consciousness are empty, are able to leave behind the eight inversions and attain the four pāramitās of true permanence, bliss, self, and purity. The Ratnagotravibhāga says: 'Relying on two kinds of dharmas, the Tathāgata's dharmakāya has the pāramitā of purity: first, original purity of intrinsic nature, because of shared characteristics; second, purity free from defilement, because of supreme characteristics. Relying on two kinds of dharmas, the Tathāgata's dharmakāya has the pāramitā of self: first, being far removed from the extremes of all non-Buddhists, by leaving behind the conceptual proliferation of a false self; second, being far removed from the extremes of all śrāvakas, by leaving behind the conceptual proliferation of no-self. Relying on two kinds of dharmas, the Tathāgata's body has the pāramitā of bliss: first, being far removed from all suffering; second, being far removed from all latent afflictive propensities (vāsanā). Relying on two kinds of dharmas, the Tathāgata's dharmakāya has the pāramitā of permanence: first, not extinguishing all conditioned activities, by leaving behind the extreme of the annihilationist view; second, not apprehending unconditioned nirvāṇa, by leaving behind the extreme of the eternalist view.' The Śrīmālādevīsūtra says: 'World-Honoured One, seeing conditioned processes as impermanent is an annihilationist view, not a right view. Seeing nirvāṇa as permanent is an eternalist view, not a right view. Due to the view of conceptual proliferation, one forms such views.' Therefore, the Tathāgata solely realizes the secret treasury of the four virtues of nirvāṇa.

34.4

Question: Since the sūtra says, 'Seeing conditioned processes as impermanent is an annihilationist view, not a right view; seeing nirvāṇa as permanent is an eternalist view, not a right view', why is it that in the teaching it is sometimes said there is no self, and sometimes said there is a self? Is this not contradictory?

34.5

Answer: Speaking of permanence and impermanence, self and no-self, are merely the forms of verbal traces; all are skillful means. Therefore the Zhaolun says: 'The Bodhisattva expounds the teaching of non-permanence amidst those who calculate permanence.' When the Buddha first appeared in the world, he wished immediately to speak the wondrous gate of complete permanence and the Buddha-nature of the true self. But because all non-Buddhists falsely grasped an ātman pervading the realms of the ten directions and gave rise to the eternalist view, if he had spoken of true permanence, bliss, self, and purity, he feared it would be confused with heterodox understandings. Thus, temporarily sweeping away the dust of emotional attachment, he spoke of impermanence, non-bliss, no-self, and impurity. Furthermore, the two vehicles and provisional bodhisattvas, not knowing the secret intent of the Buddhas, clung to the gate of skillful means and hastily sought realization, all abiding in the principle of no-self and taking it to be ultimate. The World-Honoured One, pitying their lack of comprehension, thereupon fully expounded permanence, bliss, self, and purity. If anyone, upon hearing this ultimate teaching, clearly sees the Buddha-nature of the true self—distinctly and without delusion across human beings, trees, insects, and dust—they do not even abide in the middle way, how much less could they be confused by the two views of permanence and impermanence, or self and no-self! But if, although hearing the names of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, they merely form intellectual interpretations of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, generating views according to words and remaining blind to their own true mind, then the medicine of self and no-self becomes the illness of self and no-self. Hence we know that the true self is difficult to discern; unless one realizes it, it cannot be illuminated. As the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra says: 'For example, two men were close friends: one was a prince, and the other was poor and base. These two men visited back and forth with each other. At that time, the poor man saw that the prince possessed an excellent knife, exceptionally clean and wondrous, and in his heart he coveted it. Later, the prince took this knife and fled to another country. Thereupon the poor man later lodged and slept at another's house, and in his sleep he babbled: "Knife, knife!" A bystander heard this and arrested him, taking him to the king. The king then asked: "You spoke of a knife; where did you get it?" The man answered the king in full with the matters above, [saying]: "Even if Your Majesty were now to butcher and carve my body and dismember my hands and feet, wishing to obtain the knife, it truly cannot be had. I was formerly on intimate terms with the prince and stayed together with him. Although I once saw it with my eyes, I never even dared to touch it with my hand, much less take it intentionally." The king asked again: "When you saw the knife, what was its appearance like?" He answered: "Great King, what I saw was like a ram's horn." Having heard this, the king smiled with joy and said to him: "You may now go wherever you wish; do not give rise to anxiety and fear. In my treasury there has never been such a knife, how much less could you have seen it beside the prince!" The king then asked his ministers: "Have you ever seen such a knife?" Having spoken, he passed away. Soon another son was established to succeed to the throne. He again asked the prime ministers: "Have you ever seen this knife in the royal treasury?" The ministers answered: "We have seen it." He asked again: "What was its shape like?" They answered: "Great King, like a ram's horn." The king said: "Where in my treasury could there be a knife of such an appearance?" In succession, four kings inspected, sought, and could not find it. Sometime later, the prince who had fled returned from the other country to his native land and became king again. Having ascended the throne, he asked the ministers: "Have you seen the knife?" They answered: "Great King, we have all seen it." He asked again: "What was its shape like?" They answered: "Great King, its colour was pure, like an utpala flower." Another answered: "Its shape was like a ram's horn." Another said: "Its colour was bright red, like a mass of fire." Another answered: "Like a black snake." The king laughed heartily [and said]: "None of you have seen the true appearance of my knife." Good sons, the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva is also like this: appearing in the world, he expounds the true characteristic of the self; having expounded it, he departs, just as the prince holding the pure, wondrous knife fled to another country. Foolish ordinary beings say: "Everything has a self, has a self", just as that poor man lodging in another's house babbled in his sleep: "Knife, knife!" Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas ask sentient beings: "What characteristic does the self have?" They answer: "I see the characteristic of the self to be as large as a thumb", or say "like a grain of rice", or "like a millet grain", and some say "the characteristic of the self resides in the heart, blazing like the sun." Sentient beings such as these do not know the characteristic of the self, just as the ministers did not know the characteristic of the knife. When the Bodhisattva speaks thus of the Dharma of the self, ordinary beings do not understand, generating various discriminations and falsely constructing the characteristic of a self, just as when asked about the characteristic of the knife, they answered that it was like a ram's horn. These ordinary beings give rise to false views in continuous succession. In order to sever such false views, the Tathāgata manifests and speaks of no-self, just as the prince said to the ministers: "In my treasury there is no such knife." Good sons, the true self spoken of today by the Tathāgata is named Buddha-nature. Such Buddha-nature is, in my Buddhadharma, likened to the pure knife. Good sons, if there is an ordinary person who can skillfully expound it, that is following the unsurpassed Buddhadharma. If there are those who can skillfully distinguish, accord with, and proclaim it, they should be known to bear the characteristics of a bodhisattva.'

34.6

Question: In the gate of equal emptiness and the great tenet of the one mind, since good and evil have no boundaries and both ordinary beings and sages are completely fulfilled, why then are the moistenings [of karma] differentiated, and suffering and pleasure unequal?

34.7

Answer: The myriad affairs are summoned by oneself; the single principle of mind-only is never deficient. Good and evil arise merely from one's own thoughts; how could karmic retributions be received from another? As Master Chuanao said: "It is only because there is evil karma within that demonic obstructers are outwardly stimulated; if good thoughts arise within, one outwardly encounters the Buddhas." Thus, good and evil depend on oneself; do they depend on others? For this reason, that Xishi loved the river and Momu disliked the mirror was truly foolishness. Furthermore, even a gentleman seeks [faults] in himself and does not blame Heaven or cast blame on other people; how much more so a bodhisattva! If one can have deep faith in this discourse, one can empty the mind, eliminate conceptualization, and suddenly enter the emptiness of phenomena. Therefore the Awakening of Faith says: "Some sentient beings lack the power of good roots, and are thus confused and disturbed by demons, non-Buddhists, ghosts, and spirits. If while seated [in meditation] these manifest terrifying forms, or manifest handsome and beautiful marks of men and women, one should contemplate that they are mind-only realms, and they will immediately vanish and ultimately cause no affliction." From this we know that the sage (sheng) is correctness (zheng). When the mind is correct, it is sage-like. Hence it is said: "A correct mind can ward off evil." It is like the sun and moon directly overhead in the sky: the grasses and trees cast no slanting shadows. From this we know that this mind is the dwelling of ordinary beings and sages, the source of sense organs and objects. It is only because ordinary beings grasp it as the ālayavijñāna that it becomes the cause of the suffering and affliction of birth and death. Sages realize it to be the tathāgatagarbha mind and receive the fruit of the eternal bliss of nirvāṇa. If one speaks of the ālayavijñāna, it has a name but no substance, because it exists through emotional grasping and is not ultimate. When one realizes sageliness, its name is immediately discarded. If one speaks of the tathāgatagarbha mind, it has both name and substance, because it is inherently existent and not grasped, and is uninterrupted into the bounds of the future. It is like making a bracelet out of gold: the characteristic of the bracelet is empty, while the substance of gold is exposed and evident. The tathāgatagarbha constitutes the ālaya: the characteristic of the ālaya is empty, while the tathāgatagarbha nature is manifest. Now, because sentient beings follow emotional grasping heavily, most recognize the ālaya and do not believe there is a tathāgatagarbha. Because of their lack of faith, they not only slight and despise it themselves, but also disparage and ruin others. The transgression of slandering the Dharma does not exceed this fault! Thought after thought they obscure the nature of the Tathāgata's dharmadhātu; step after step they create the causes of sentient beings' karmic fruits. Evil karma is renewed daily; conditions for suffering are unending. In a place of peace and security they give rise to thoughts of decay and vexation; within liberation they bring about the fruit of bondage. They receive bodies with flaming mouths and needle-thin throats, burned by the fires of hunger for kalpas. They assume forms covered with hair and bearing horns, tangled and ensnared by nets at every turn. Or they fall into the Avīci hell, embracing acute suffering and constantly situated on flaming wheels. Or they are born into the asura palaces, initiating fighting and disputes while knives and swords constantly rain down. Or they temporarily dwell in the human realm, where in an instant the eight sufferings boil together. Or they happen to dwell in heavenly palaces, where in a flash the five signs of decay drag them down. Long submerged in the three obstacles, they do not emerge from the four māras. All this is because they do not know the tathāgatagarbha mind and lose the wondrous nature of consciousness-only. Turning their backs on the true, compassionate Father, they hire themselves out in foreign lands; abandoning the King of Great Wisdom, they submit to other realms. For this reason, the Buddhas were alarmed and entered the burning house, and the ancestral master came from the west for this special purpose. They pointed to the true homecoming, yet [sentient beings] do not return; they showed the right view, yet [sentient beings] do not see. This is entirely because the places perfumed by the storehouse consciousness have been hardened since beginningless time: emotional grasping is as thick as ten thousand layers of icy cliffs, and the roots of doubt are as deep as a dark chamber of a thousand folds. Now, broadly searching the profound and subtle, not weary of voluminous texts, harmonizing the subtle words of a thousand sages, and thoroughly penetrating the secret explanations of a hundred lineages, there is not a single phenomenon that does not accord, capable of fulfilling the gate of filial piety and righteousness; there is not a single thought that is not harmonious, all becoming the path of non-contention. Then the six sense entrances are an empty village, where ultimately no person exists; within the cottage of the five aggregates, it is open, empty, and tranquil. Therefore, inwardly there is nothing to be done, and outwardly there is nothing to rely upon. Outwardly there is nothing to rely upon, so the myriad existents cannot bind one; inwardly there is nothing to be done, so a thousand thoughts cannot gallop away. One is thus able to pacify the Buddha's frontiers, without a single speck of dust stirring up disorder; and uphold the domain of the Dharma, without a single realm failing to submit. One can say that at this moment, one unites with the heavenly nature without any different lineage; today, father and son are established, belonging solely to our family tradition. As the Aṅgulimālīyasūtra says: "They constantly receive all pleasures among humans and devas, and their clan and caste are superior, all being complete. This is because they have heard and known that all sentient beings possess the Tathāgata's eternally abiding store. Furthermore, if those sentient beings in the past, future, or present among the five destinies lack limbs and joints, transmigrate through birth and death, and endure all sufferings, this is because they have slighted and disparaged the tathāgatagarbha."

34.8

Question: If one merely understands the one mind and does not seek the myriad dharmas, perpetuating the Three Jewels and practicing oneself to transform others, can one attain the stage of complete and wondrous awakening?

34.9

Answer: When the awakened mind does not change, the vision and knowledge of the Buddha are opened. When the vision and knowledge of the Buddha are opened, there is nothing hidden that is not perceived. The characteristic of non-duality is what the Buddha eye sees; the path of the one reality is what the Buddha wisdom knows. It completely illuminates the limits of the dharmadhātu and penetrates the bottom of the true source. Above, it accomplishes the Buddhas; below, it transforms sentient beings. None fail to rely on this, benefiting both self and others. Those who wish to cultivate correctly, if they do not return to the Mirror of the Source, all fall into perverse cultivation, or remain stagnant in the provisional and lesser vehicles. This correct meaning of the Mirror of the Source: all Buddhas of the ten directions in the past have already completed their complete cultivation through this; all Buddhas of the present are completing it through this; all Buddhas of the future will complete it through this. All bodhisattvas of the past have already studied it; all bodhisattvas of the present are currently studying it; all bodhisattvas of the future will study it. Therefore, the Awakening of Faith clarifies that one must first maintain right mindfulness on the phenomenon of tathatā. The Shibiji chao says: "All gates of practice arise from tathatā. Because it is the source of practice, a practice that does not flow from the real has no way to tally with the real. How could there be any practice that tallies with the real that does not arise from the real? This is indeed the root among the dharmas to be believed." Therefore, what the myriad conditions arise from is tathatā; what is entered by harmonizing conditions is tathatā. When a bodhisattva generates the mind [of awakening], they first contemplate tathatā; when a bodhisattva arouses faith, they also first have faith in tathatā; what a bodhisattva practices also accords with and tallies with tathatā.

34.10

Question again: What is the characteristic of having faith in tathatā?

34.11

Answer: Not having faith in all dharmas is the mark of having faith in tathatā. For within the principle of tathatā, there are originally no dharmas. If one sees dharmas as existing, this is having faith in dharmas and not having faith in tathatā. Therefore, for those without the causes and conditions of having long planted the seeds of the vast bodhi of the ekayāna, it is exceedingly difficult to arouse faith in an instant. Thus the ancestral master's verse says: 'When great conditions unite with faith, / One may enter the mirror of the source'—from this one knows it is no small condition. As the Laṅkāvatārasūtra says: 'At that time the World-Honoured One told the Bodhisattva Mahāmati: "Those who embrace the Great Vehicle embrace all buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas. Those who embrace all buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas embrace all sentient beings. Those who embrace all sentient beings embrace the True Dharma. Those who embrace the True Dharma keep the lineage of the buddhas unbroken. When the lineage of the buddhas is unbroken, one can fully understand and obtain the supreme entrance. Knowing and obtaining the supreme entrance, bodhisattva mahāsattvas constantly obtain transformation births to establish the Great Vehicle, with the power of the ten masteries manifest diverse forms and figures, penetrate the characteristics of the forms, species, desires, and kleśas of sentient beings, and teach the Dharma in accord with reality. 'In accord with reality' means without divergence. 'In accord with reality' means without marks of coming or going; all fabrications cease—this is called 'in accord with reality'."' It also says: 'The Buddha said: "Just awaken to what is directly perceived by one's own citta, and conceptual fabrications will not arise; one will be peaceful and happy, and worldly affairs will cease forever." "Peaceful and happy" means quiet, wondrous, and constant. "Worldly affairs will cease forever" means that cognitive graspings have already been severed. This can be called encountering the complete treasure-trove and abruptly cutting off all desires, arriving at constant and joyful nirvāṇa with nowhere further to go. At this boundary between ordinary and sage, it is like reaching one's homeland, having fully reached the root as the support for both delusion and awakening.' The Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra says: 'The vajra treasure-trove has neither lack nor diminution.' A verse in the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'Diverse transformations of measureless power, / Equal to the fine dust of all worlds— / Desiring to comprehend that all arise from citta, / A bodhisattva with this first brings forth the resolve.' The 'Chapter on the Original Limit' in the Baozang lun says: 'Therefore the original limit is nameless, and gives names to the nameless; the original limit is markless, and gives names to the markless. Once names and marks are established, deceptive delusion then arises; the principle of the true unity sinks, and the source of the Way and its affairs become hidden. Therefore, the uncarved block of the nameless universally penetrates all things; it cannot be named or designated, it exceeds limits and boundaries, and is of one substance without duality. Thus a sūtra says: "The manifold array and the myriad images / Are sealed by a single dharma"—that is, the original limit. Yet the principle of the original limit has neither self nor other, is neither one nor different, contains the single pneumas, and encompasses all existents. If there is a person whose self-nature is pure, who is born holding to the one and within has no conceptual fabrications, they are called a sage. Yet within the true limit, there is no dharma of a sage that differs by so much as a speck of dust. If there is a person whose self-nature is pure, who is born holding to the one and within has conceptual fabrications, being naturally turbid and disordered, they are called an ordinary person. Yet within the true limit, there is no dharma of an ordinary person that differs by so much as a speck of dust. Thus a sūtra says: "The Buddha-nature is equal, vast and difficult to measure; ordinary and sage are non-dual, and all is complete." It is fully present in grasses and trees, pervasively present in ants, and even in specks of dust and tips of hairs, there is none that is not born holding to the one. Therefore it is said: "If one can comprehend the one, myriad affairs are completed." Therefore sentient beings all ride upon the one and are born; hence it is called the "one vehicle" (ekayāna). If one is deluded, then there are differences; if one is awakened, then there is oneness. Hence it is said: "The prior thought is ordinary, the subsequent thought is sage." It is also said: "In a single thought, one knows all dharmas." Therefore one is all, and all is one. Hence it is said: "By means of the dharma of the one, efficacy is accomplished in the myriad images." Thus a sūtra says: "If all has citta, it is deluded; if all has no citta, it pervades the ten directions." Therefore the true one is the myriad differences, and the myriad differences are the true one. Just as when the ocean surges with a thousand waves, the thousand waves are just the ocean; in all of them there is no difference. Even to the myriad things being born holding to the one, those myriad things are also the one. Why is this? Because the root is one, the branches have no difference. For example, when sandalwood produces sandalwood branches, they are not of the toon tree. Thus a verse in the Lotus Sūtra says: "In the buddha-lands of the ten directions, / There is only the dharma of the one vehicle." The one vehicle is just the one mind. All the myriad existents and the empty space of the ten directions are all manifested from the seeds of the one mind of tathatā. Just as sandalwood produces sandalwood branches and orchids produce orchid leaves, even to the root and branches, the middle and the edges, there are no different characteristics. Therefore it is said: "One is all, all is one." If one can be like this, what worry is there that all will not be completed? If one can be completely and perfectly penetrating like this, there are no further uncomprehended dharmas beyond this; then there is no principle that is not illuminated, and no affair that is not exhausted. For a single dharma can accomplish all dharmas. As the commentary on the Avataṃsakasūtra says: "If one enters this contemplation method, then wisdom corresponds with citta. Therefore the cause is studied from citta, the fruit is accomplished by citta, objects are manifested from citta, and understanding arises from citta. States and supernormal powers are citta, power and functional operations are citta, manifest distinctions are citta, and what is obtained through discernment is citta. Even seeking good spiritual friends and going to buddha-lands are all citta. There is nothing obtained outside of citta—what doubt can there be?" Therefore know that when citta is defiled, the marks of the Sahā world appear; when citta is pure, the Lotus Treasury encompasses space. Revolving, the wheel of consciousness constantly turns; interwoven, it never leaves the net of citta. Thus Sāgaradhvaja, without rising from quietude, broadly enacted the gates of buddha-deeds of the ten directions; Sudhana, without leaving the place of the Way, traversed all the dharmas of the one hundred and ten cities. Therefore Mañjuśrī is just the wondrous prajñā that one's own citta can realize. When Sudhana reached Maitreya, after the buddhahood of the one mind was perfected, he was sent back to see Mañjuśrī; when the causal stage was on the verge of its culmination, he was made to look back at the source of citta, which is without difference, because not a single thought had ever moved. The reason why upon visiting Mañjuśrī again he did not see his form was simply because he comprehended the empty prajñā of his own citta; this was truly seeing Mañjuśrī. Samantabhadra is the inexhaustible wondrous practice of the dharmadhātu realized by one's own citta. Although Sudhana visited good spiritual friends throughout the dharmadhātu, when he wished to see Samantabhadra, without relying on another's direction, right at the place of the initial assembly and original attainment, before the Tathāgata's seat, he aroused the thought to seek him and immediately saw him with that thought. Samantabhadra, before the Tathāgata, had never moved from the start. This precisely reveals that contemplating citta is seeing this wondrous mark: seeing, hearing, realizing, and entering through beholding the mark before one is just seeing citta. Therefore, Samantabhadra's bodily mark is like empty space, pervading all places. Hence, when Bodhisattva Samantacakṣus and others entered hundreds of thousands of samādhis seeking Samantabhadra, they could not find him, merely because they thought to separate from thoughts to enter absorption and detest objects to seek the true, unaware that every speck of dust is Mañjuśrī and every thought is Samantabhadra. Therefore, the single person of Sudhana wielded compassion and wisdom to broadly span the ten directions horizontally, and cultivated vows and practices to exhaust the three times vertically. From beginning to end, cause fulfilled and fruit rounded, he clearly manifested the one mind as an exemplar. Comprehensively gathering all, newly practicing bodhisattvas and all contemplation practitioners must emulate this cultivation. Apart from this contemplation of citta, there is no other supreme practice. Even with the six pāramitās and myriad practices, if one does not comprehend one's own citta, they all become provisional and gradual; their fruit returns to production and cessation, and their retribution is among humans and devas. If one can employ citta, blessing and wisdom are inexhaustible. As the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "Bodhisattva mahāsattvas, knowing the true mark of all dharmas, neither grasp nor abandon, and destroy nothing; practicing the unobtainable prajñāpāramitā, with a mind of great compassion they turn back to cultivate practices of blessing. The initial gate of the practices of blessing is first to practice giving. When a bodhisattva practices the prajñāpāramitā, their wisdom is clear and sharp, and they are able to distinguish the blessings of giving. Although the given objects may be the same, whether the blessings and virtues are many or few depends on the superiority or inferiority of the mind. For example, Śāriputra offered a single bowl of food to the Buddha, and the Buddha immediately gave it away to a dog and asked Śāriputra: 'You gave food to me, and I gave food to a dog—who obtains greater blessings?' Śāriputra said: 'As I understand the meaning of the Buddha's Dharma, the Buddha giving to the dog obtains greater blessings.' Śāriputra's wisdom was the highest among all humans, and the Buddha's field of blessing was the foremost, yet it was not equal to the Buddha giving to a dog—a wretched field—obtaining exceedingly vast blessings. By this we know that great blessings arise from the mind and do not depend on the field. Śāriputra, by a thousand million times, could not equal the Buddha's mind."

34.12

Question: According to your explanation, one obtains many blessings because the field of blessing is wondrous, yet Śāriputra's giving to the Buddha did not obtain great blessings.

34.13

I reply: Although a fertile field yields great merit, it is still not equal to the citta. Why is this? The citta is the inner master, while the field is an external matter. A verse in the Pusa benyuan jing says: 'When one practices giving with wisdom, / though the field of merit be impure, / if one can give rise to a vast citta, / the resulting retribution is boundless.' Therefore, one knows that merit arises from the citta and does not issue from the field. Specially inviting five hundred arhats is not as good as [giving to] a single ordinary monk in regular sequence. Why? Because with an impartial citta the merit is superior, while with a citta that grasps and rejects the merit is meager. Thus, superiority and inferiority stem from the citta; how could they reside in the field? The teaching of giving being so, the six pāramitās and myriad practices are also like this. For this reason, the Qingliang chao says: 'The cause encompasses the ocean of fruition; the fruition penetrates the origin of the cause.' Because the ultimate fruition stems from initial faith, and faith arises based on original wisdom, now [at the stage of fruition] it does not depart from original wisdom. Thus, by means of the cause one accomplishes the fruition, and one gathers in the fruition to requite the cause. However, there are two kinds of cause: first, in terms of what is originally possessed, because the nature-virtues [as numerous as] the sands of the Ganges—faith, understanding, practice, vows, and so on—are all fully complete; second, in terms of what is arisen through cultivation, meaning that based on the virtue of original faith one arouses the citta of faith, and based on the virtue of original understanding one arouses the citta of understanding. As the Qixin lun says: 'Because one knows that the dharmatā is free of parsimony and greed, one accords with it and practices the dāna-pāramitā,' and so on. Each and every one that is arisen through cultivation carries what is originally possessed, and both together arrive at the fruition. In the uninterrupted path, all is completely fulfilled all at once; in the path of liberation, cause and fruition interpenetrate, which is called 'attaining the fruition.' The fruition also has two aspects: first, the originally possessed bodhi and nirvāṇa, because original enlightenment is completely possessed by the entire Buddha-nature; second, the bodhi now realized through cultivation, because of initial enlightenment. Initial enlightenment is identical to the original; there is no longer any difference between initial and original, which is called 'ultimate enlightenment.' Thus, the two fruitions are unimpeded. However, since the two causes originally arise from the substance of original enlightenment, the two causes and the original fruition are unimpeded. Since initial enlightenment is already identical to original enlightenment, the fruition is entirely identical to the two causes. Thus, the two causes and the two fruitions interpenetrate. Therefore, 'the cause encompasses the ocean of fruition; the fruition penetrates the origin of the cause.' Furthermore, at the moment of first arousing the citta [of bodhi], one immediately accomplishes correct enlightenment—this is the cause encompassing the fruition; although one has attained the Buddha path, one does not abandon the bodhisattva practices—this is the fruition penetrating the cause. The Huayan lun says: 'When Sudhana aroused the citta in a single thought, subject and object were suddenly obliterated, and he understood the nature of the three periods of time; this nature transcends past and present. Awakened to his own citta, he was originally a buddha; he did not accomplish correct enlightenment, nor did he realize bodhi. In the nature and characteristics of body and citta, there is neither realizer nor cultivator; it is neither accomplished nor destroyed, originally just as it is. Moving or still in accord with conditions, it does not destroy existence or nonexistence. All practices performed arise solely from wisdom.' The purport of this Mirror of the Source is what is known by skillful wisdom, and what is believed by a vast citta. As the Huayan jing says: 'Knowing that the diverse objects of all sentient beings are solely of one characteristic, all are unattainable. All phenomena are like this, [known by] adamantine skillful wisdom.' For this reason, from the stage of the ultimate sage of marvelous enlightenment above, through the gate of practice of bodhisattvas of great provisional manifestation in the middle, down to the ground of birth and death of the lowliest ordinary persons below, all are the identical one mind; there is neither high nor low. Confused about it, one falls of oneself; awakened to it, one ascends at once. Confusion and awakening seem distinct, but the true citta never alters. An ancient worthy said: 'If one does not mirror the square inch [of the citta], one vainly betrays the spiritual nature.' It is also said: 'If one is not clear about oneself, one vainly receives the customary things.' Providing an exposition such as this does not betray those of prior capacity: one holds the true sword of the royal treasury and obtains the correct flavor of the Snow Mountains. Those who realize, understand, believe, and enter it directly inherit the jewel king; those who see, hear, and rejoice in accord can accomplish the seed of buddhahood. This kindness is difficult to repay; do not regard it as ordinary. Even if one were to bear it on one's shoulders and carry it on one's head through kalpas [as numerous as] dust and sand, one still could not repay the kindness of a single phrase. Look up and contemplate those who sought the Dharma in ancient times: Śākyamuni and others, who threw their bodies into a great fire, stood on one foot in a deep forest, split their bones and gouged their flesh, flayed their skin and drew their blood; as well as Sadāprarudita going east to seek [the Dharma], Sudhana going south to search, the Medicine King burning his arm, and King Universal Brightness having his head cut off. All of these were people who knew kindness and repaid virtue, knights who forgot their bodies for the Dharma. Now I urge later students to give rise to a profound and earnest citta; do not demean yourselves and vainly squander your days and hours.

34.14

Question: The wonderfully luminous true citta is the secret purport of the King of Enlightenment. Although its principle is perfect and sudden, correct understanding is difficult to achieve. We further hope for a skillful gate to confirm anew future faith.

34.15

Answer: Previously I have already cited doctrinal explanations; now I will further illuminate it with metaphors. In this Mirror of the Source, the one mind is the self-nature of all phenomena. It is like a single pearl having eighty-four thousand apertures: entering one aperture fully encompasses the substance of the pearl. It is like the single moon casting its reflection on all waters: each and every reflection is never separate from the lunar disk. It is also like splitting white sandalwood: piece by piece, its original fragrance does not differ; it is like issuing the ordinance of green spring: everywhere the springtime colors are identical. Thus, one phenomenon clarifies the citta, and the ten thousand conditions are like pointing to the palm of one's hand. With the doctrine and metaphors clear and luminous, doubts can be dispelled.

34.16

Question: In general, when raising the source, one directly presents the correct meaning. Why is it necessary to cite metaphors and extensively present elaborate texts?

34.17

Answer: For those who have not directly and suddenly awakened, there must be skillful means. As the Fangbian xin lun says: 'Regarding metaphors, when the ordinary person and the sage share the same understanding, then one may speak. As when one says: "The arising and movement of this citta is like a swift wind." Because all ordinary persons know that wind moves, they then can resolve and understand that the citta is flighty and restless. If they did not know it, it could not serve as a metaphor.'

34.18

Question: Why not only state the correct meaning instead of stating metaphors as well?

34.19

Answer: In general, stating a metaphor is done to illuminate the correct meaning. It is also said: 'Whenever one wishes to establish a proposition, one should rely on four kinds of knowing and seeing. What are the four? First, direct perception; second, inference; third, knowledge by metaphor; fourth, following scriptural teachings.' Furthermore, the Lotus Sūtra says: 'The wise can attain understanding through metaphors.' Now we only seek for correct understanding to be perfectly luminous, without debating doctrinal explanation or metaphorical explanation. If one does not awaken to the Way, one vainly clings to the transcendence of words. What is spoken here are all words that raise the source and proclaim the Way, explanations that reach the utmost wonder and fathom the origin. As it is said: 'Ten thousand sentences of superficial words are not equal to one phrase of marvelous principle; a thousand varieties of fish eyes are not equal to an inch-wide luminous pearl.' Now, 'one phrase of marvelous principle' is precisely the words of the Mirror of the Source. These words cannot be debated yet they naturally penetrate; they cannot be explicated yet they naturally resolve. Therefore it is said: 'Good words do not dispute; disputatious words are not good.'

34.20

Question: The Buddha's intent opened sudden and gradual teachings, and the Chan gate divided into northern and southern lineages. On which doctrinal and Chan lineage does this current exposition rely?

34.21

Answer: This treatise sees the nature and illuminates the citta; it does not extensively divide lineages or classify teachings. It directly singles out and enters straightforwardly, with sudden awakening and complete cultivation. Nor does it depart from the trap and fish-snare to seek liberation, yet it ultimately does not cling to words and letters to lose the fundamental source. In terms of doctrine, it is the Huayan, which is the text showing the vastness of the one mind. In terms of the source, it is Bodhidharma, which is the purport directly revealing the nature of the citta of sentient beings. For example, Chan Master Zongmi established three lineages and three teachings, harmonizing and unifying the patriarchal lineages and scriptural teachings so that they merge in a single realm. The three lineages of Chan are: 1. the lineage of ceasing delusion and cultivating the citta; 2. the lineage of complete obliteration without resting place; 3. the lineage of directly revealing the nature of the citta. The three kinds of teachings are: 1. the teaching of speaking of characteristics based on the nature with esoteric intent; 2. the teaching of refuting characteristics to reveal the nature with esoteric intent; 3. the teaching of showing that the true citta is itself the nature. First, to narrate the Chan lineages. First, the lineage of ceasing delusion and cultivating the citta says that although sentient beings originally possess the Buddha-nature, beginningless avidyā conceals it so that it is not seen; therefore they transmigrate in birth and death. Because the buddhas have already severed妄想, they clearly see the nature, transcend birth and death, and possess sovereign spiritual penetrations. One should know that the functioning of ordinary persons and sages is not the same: because external objects stem from the citta, each has their own boundaries and limits. Therefore, one must turn one's back on objects and contemplate the citta, extinguishing delusional thoughts. When thoughts are exhausted, one awakens, and there is nothing one does not know. It is like dust dimming a mirror: when the dust is exhausted, the clarity appears. One must cultivate Chan contemplation, remain far from noise and clamor, harmonize breath and harmonize body, and focus the citta on a single object, and so forth. Second, the lineage of complete obliteration without resting place says that phenomena such as ordinary and sagely are all like dreams and illusions, completely nonexistent, originally empty and tranquil, not newly nonexistent today. Even this wisdom that comprehends nonexistence cannot be attained. In the equal dharmadhātu, there is neither buddha nor sentient beings. 'Dharmadhātu' is also a provisional designation; since the citta does not exist, who speaks of a dharmadhātu? There is neither cultivation nor non-cultivation, neither buddha nor non-buddha. Even if there were a phenomenon surpassing nirvāṇa, I say it is also like a dream and an illusion. There is no phenomenon to be constrained by, no buddha to be made. Whatever is done is entirely delusion and falsity. Only when one comprehends that there is originally nothing at all, and the citta has no resting place, does one avoid inversion and begin to be called liberated. Third, the lineage of directly revealing the nature of the citta says that all phenomena, whether existent or empty, are solely the true nature, unconditioned and devoid of characteristics. Its substance is not any phenomenon, meaning it is neither ordinary nor sagely; yet the function of this substance means it can be ordinary or sagely, and so forth. Within this, pointing out the nature of the citta has two further types. The first says: That which right now can speak, act, give rise to greed, anger, compassion, or patience, create good and evil, and experience suffering and joy, is your Buddha-nature; this is originally a buddha, and apart from this there is no other buddha. Comprehending this natural genuineness, one must not give rise to a citta to cultivate the Way. The Way is the citta. The nature is like empty space, neither increasing nor decreasing. Just at any time and in any place, cease activity and nourish the spirit, and it will be naturally divine and marvelous. This is true awakening. The second says: All phenomena are like dreams, as all sages together say; delusional thoughts are originally tranquil, and dust-objects are originally empty. The originally empty citta has a spiritual awareness that is never dark; this very empty and tranquil awareness is your true nature. Whether one is confused or awakened, the citta originally knows of itself; it does not depend on conditions to arise, nor is it produced on account of objects. The single word 'awareness' is the gateway of all wonders. If one suddenly awakens to this empty and tranquil awareness, since this awareness is thoughtless and formless, who forms the characteristic of a self or the characteristic of a person? Awakening to the emptiness of all characteristics, the citta is naturally free of thought. When a thought arises, one is immediately aware of it; once aware of it, it is nonexistent. The marvelous gate of cultivation lies solely here. The above two explanations both integrate characteristics into the nature; therefore they belong to the same lineage. Next, the three kinds of Buddha's teachings. First, the teaching of speaking of characteristics based on the nature with esoteric intent: the Buddha taught that the three realms and six destinies are all characteristics of the true nature, but they only arise because sentient beings are confused about the nature, having no separate self-substance; therefore it is said to be 'based on the nature.' However, those with dull faculties are originally difficult to awaken, so he provisionally followed the objective characteristics they saw and taught the Dharma to gradually save them; therefore it is said to be 'speaking of characteristics.' Because the explanation was not yet made manifest, it is called 'esoteric intent.' Within this single teaching, there are three types: 1. the teaching of causes and fruitions of humans and devas, speaking of the retribution of good and evil karma to make them know cause and effect; 2. the teaching of severing delusion and extinguishing suffering, speaking of the lack of security in the three realms as all being the suffering of a burning house, causing them to sever the accumulation of karma and delusion, and cultivate the Way to realize cessation, and so forth; 3. the teaching of using consciousness to refute objects, speaking of the above phenomena of arising and ceasing as not concerning tathatā, but being solely the eight kinds of consciousness naturally possessed by sentient beings from beginningless time. Among them, the eighth consciousness is the root, which suddenly transforms into the sense organs, body, container world, and seeds, which then turn to produce the seven consciousnesses, each capable of transforming and manifesting its own cognized objects. Outside these eight consciousnesses, there are no real phenomena at all.

34.22

Question: How do they transform?

34.23

Answer: Due to the force of the perfuming of the discrimination of self and dharmas, when the various consciousnesses arise, they transform into semblances of self and dharmas. Because they are veiled by ignorance, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses grasp these based on those conditions as a real self and real dharmas. It is like a dreaming person: due to the force of the dream, the mind appears in the likeness of various external sense objects. While dreaming, one grasps them as truly existent external things; only upon waking does one know they were transformed solely by the dream. The forms of this body of ours and the external world are also like this: they are transformed by consciousness alone. Because of delusion, one grasps them as having a self and external objects. Having awakened to the fact that there are originally no self and no dharmas and that there is only mind and consciousness, one then relies on this wisdom of the two emptinesses to cultivate the contemplation of consciousness-only and practices such as the six pāramitās and the four means of embracing. Gradually subduing and severing the two hindrances of affliction and the knowable, one realizes the tathatā revealed by the two emptinesses. With the ten grounds perfected, one transforms the eight consciousnesses into the four wisdoms of bodhi. With the hindrances to tathatā exhausted, one achieves the fruit of the dharmatā-kāya and great nirvāṇa. This third [approach] uses consciousness to break through external objects, and it coincides and accords with the meditation gate's Source of Quelling Delusion and Cultivating the Mind. Because one knows that external objects are all empty, one does not cultivate external marks of phenomenal matters, but solely quells delusion and cultivates the mind: quelling the delusion of self and dharmas, and cultivating the mind of consciousness-only. Second, the Teaching that Implicitly Refutes Marks to Reveal the Nature: Based on the true and definitive meaning, deluded grasping is originally empty, so there is nothing further to refute; and the undefiled dharmas are the marvelous functions of the true nature according with conditions, never severed, so they too should not be refuted. Yet solely because a class of sentient beings grasps false marks which obstruct the real nature of tathatā, making profound awakening difficult to attain, the Buddha provisionally rebuked and refuted everything—without distinguishing good and evil, defiled and pure, nature and mark. Because the true nature and marvelous functions are not non-existent, yet he called them non-existent, it is termed 'implicit intention'. Moreover, the intention lies in revealing the nature, while the words refute marks; because the intention is not manifest in the words, it is called 'implicit'. This teaching states: since the objects transformed in the previous teaching are all false, how could the transforming consciousness alone be real? Mind and objects are mutually dependent; being empty, they seem to exist. Furthermore, the mind does not arise in isolation: relying on objects, it only then arises; and objects do not arise of themselves: depending on the mind, they manifest. When the mind ceases as objects fade, and objects vanish as the mind becomes empty, it is because all depend on multiple conditions and lack an intrinsic nature. For this reason, among all dharmas, there is none that is not empty; all appearances are false. Therefore, within emptiness there are no five skandhas, six sense bases, conditions, or four noble truths; there is no wisdom and no attainment; saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are equally like an illusion. This teaching is entirely identical with the meditation gate's Source of Total Cessation without Reliance. Third, the Teaching that Directly Shows the True Mind to Be the Nature: It directly reveals that one's own mind is precisely the true nature. It is not revealed with reference to phenomenal marks, nor is it revealed with reference to refuting marks; hence it is called 'being the nature'. It is not a matter of expedient or concealed intent; hence it is called 'shows'. This teaching states: all sentient beings possess an empty and quiescent true mind, which from beginningless time is originally pure in its own nature, luminously clear and unobscured, distinctly and constantly knowing, and permanently abiding without extinction until the end of the future. It is called the Buddha-nature, it is also called the tathāgatagarbha, and it is also called the mind-ground. What Bodhidharma transmitted is this mind.

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宗鏡錄 — Classical Chinese