宗鏡錄 37.17

37.17

Answer: As the treatises say, burning the wick is not [done solely by] the first [flame], yet it is not separate from the first; it is not [done solely by] the last, yet it is not separate from the last. If one is complete in both wisdom and faith, on hearing that a single thought-moment is precisely it, one does not slander because of faith, and does not fear because of wisdom. Both beginning and end are correct. If one lacks faith, one exalts the sacred realm too high, [deeming it] beyond one's own share of wisdom. If one lacks wisdom, one gives rise to overweening pride (adhimāna), claiming oneself to be equal to the Buddha. Then both beginning and end are wrong. For this reason, one must know the six identities (ṣaḍavasthāḥ). They are: the identity in principle, the identity in name and words, the identity in contemplative practice, the identity in semblance, the identity in partial realization of truth, and the identity in the ultimate. These six identities begin with the ordinary person and end with the sage. Because they begin with the ordinary person, doubt and timidity are removed; because they end with the sage, pride and arrogance are eliminated. As for the identity in principle: a single thought-moment of mind is precisely the principle of the tathāgatagarbha. Because it is 'suchness' (tathā), it is empty; because it is 'storehouse' (garbha), it is provisional; because it is 'principle', it is the middle. Within the three wisdoms in a single mind, it is complete with the inconceivable. The three truths are one truth; they are neither three nor one. A single color, a single scent, all phenomena, and all minds are also like this. This is named bodhi as the identity in principle, and is also śamatha and vipaśyanā as the identity in principle. That which is precisely stillness is named śamatha; that which is precisely illumination is named vipaśyanā. As for the identity in name and words: although the principle is precisely it, one uses it daily without knowing it. Because one has not heard the three truths, one completely fails to recognize the Buddhadharma, like the eyes of cattle and sheep that do not comprehend the cardinal directions. Either from spiritual friends or from sutra scrolls, one hears the one true bodhi explained above; within names and words, one penetrates and understands it, knowing that all phenomena are precisely the Buddhadharma. This is bodhi as the identity in name and words, and is also śamatha and vipaśyanā in name and words. When one has not yet heard it, one runs and seeks everywhere; once one has heard it, the mind of seeking and grasping ceases—this is named śamatha. Solely having faith in the dharma-nature, without having faith in anything else—this is named vipaśyanā. As for the identity in contemplative practice: if one merely hears the names and speaks them with the mouth, it is like a worm gnawing wood that happens by chance to form characters; the worm does not know whether they are characters or not. Since one does not comprehend, how could it be bodhi? One must have the mind's contemplation clear and distinct, principle and wisdom corresponding, acting according to what one says, and saying according to what one acts. The Kuśalamūlasaṃparigrahasūtra says: 'Spoken words are called non-practice. I do not rely on words, but only practice bodhi in the mind.' This correspondence of mind and mouth is bodhi in contemplative practice. The commentary states: 'Evaluating wisdom arisen from hearing through four lines: being complete is like the eye obtaining [light]; illuminated by the sun, it is free of distortion.' Contemplative practice is also like this: although one has not yet tallied with the principle, the contemplating mind does not cease. Like the metaphor of shooting at the target in the Śūraṅgamasūtra, this is named bodhi in contemplative practice, and also named śamatha and vipaśyanā in contemplative practice. Constantly maintaining this mindfulness is named vipaśyanā; the cessation of other thoughts is named śamatha. Bodhi as the identity in semblance: because the more one contemplates the clearer it becomes, and the more one calms the stiller it becomes, like shooting close to the target, it is named contemplative wisdom in semblance. All worldly trades and livelihoods do not run contrary to it; whatever thoughts and calculations one has are all what previous Buddhas taught in the sutras, as spoken of in [the chapter on] the purification of the six sense faculties. Comprehensively subduing ignorance is named śamatha; wisdom resembling the middle [truth] is named vipaśyanā. As for the identity in partial realization of truth: through the power of semblance contemplation, one enters the stage of the copper wheel; for the first time one shatters ignorance, sees the Buddha-nature, opens the jewel storehouse, and reveals tathatā; this is named the abode of generating the aspiration [for awakening], up to virtual awakening. Ignorance becomes faint and thin, and wisdom turns more manifest. It is like the moon from the first day to the fourteenth day: light approaches fullness, and darkness approaches extinction. If there are beings who should be saved by a Buddha body, one accomplishes awakening through the eight aspects; if there are beings who should be saved by bodies of the nine realms of phenomena, one manifests through the universal gate, as taught extensively in the sutras. This is named bodhi as the identity in partial realization of truth, and also named śamatha and vipaśyanā as partial realization of truth, and partial realization of wisdom and severance. As for bodhi as the identity in the ultimate: virtual awakening transforms in a single turn, entering into marvelous awakening; the light of wisdom is fully perfected, no longer capable of increase; this is named the fruit of bodhi. The severance of great nirvāṇa has nothing further to sever; this is named the fruit of fruits. Virtual awakening does not penetrate it; only a Buddha can penetrate it. Beyond the letter cha, there is no path that can be spoken; therefore it is named ultimate bodhi, and also named ultimate śamatha and vipaśyanā. When ancient masters explained the six identities according to the four teachings: if the Tripiṭaka teaching clings to form as existing, it applies the cause of clumsy deliverance through analysis and breakage, culminating in the fruit of mere emptiness and ash-like annihilation. The common teaching clings to form and mind as empty; it understands the principle of arising through conditions without inherent nature, yet misses the principle of the middle path that is not empty. The separate teaching holds that the ten realms of phenomena arise from mind; the mind only has the nature in principle capable of producing the ten realms, but does not yet inherently possess the causes and fruits of the ten realms. Just as from the earth all grasses and trees are born, it merely produces the ten realms sequentially from the one mind. In the perfect teaching, the mind inherently possesses the ten realms of phenomena; it does not depend on a producer and that which is produced, nor is there a before and after. Just a single thought-moment is the ten realms; just the ten realms are a single thought-moment. At all times, in all places, in all phenomena, in thought-moment after thought-moment the substance is constantly complete and perfect. The myriad virtues as numerous as dust and sand are not lacking in the least; the eighty thousand defilements and karmas are not eradicated in the least. One does not say that the Buddha is the supreme sage at the summit of fruition whom I have not realized, nor does one say that ordinary beings are vile and defiled below whom I must abandon. Comprehensively surveying the dharmadhātu, it resides entirely within a single thought-moment of the mind, like a single round pearl, lucid and clear. Complete understanding is free of any further vitarka and vicāra; progressing in cultivation, one also sees neither ordinary nor holy, neither grasping nor rejecting, and discriminating false thoughts are completely exhausted. Because a person of initial perfect faith has not yet attained purity, their kleśas have thicknesses and thinnesses, their habit-energies have shallowness and depth, discriminations are hard to forget, and grasping conditions easily arises. The mind is frivolous and contemplation is shallow; delusions are heavy and sense-objects are strong. Within the remedies, the six identities are therefore distinguished. For this reason, the original substance of the mind-nature of an ordinary person is truly equal to the supreme sages. But the ordinary person cannot constantly employ the original; following sense-objects they generate mind, discriminating and calculating in thousands of differences and myriads of distinctions. Although in the human destiny, their mind is mostly unfixed, sometimes generating the mind of the hells, sometimes generating the mind of hungry ghosts or animals, not to mention the wholesome destinies of humans and devas, and not to mention the noble paths of the three vehicles. How could beginningless false habit-energies be eliminated all at once? Although they have understanding, they cannot constantly illuminate; therefore they are ordinary beings. If saṃsāra is precisely nirvāṇa and kleśa is precisely bodhi, this is the identity in principle. If one can temporarily illuminate the true principle, one instantly sits on the Buddha seat, realizes the Buddha body, and employs the Buddhadharma. When this single thought-moment is perfectly manifest, one does not see the Buddhas of the ten directions as different from this body and this thought-moment of mine. Having understanding without yet cultivating is the identity in name and words. Having measure and degree in thought is named the identity in contemplative practice. Thought resembling the objective realm is named the identity in semblance. The objective realm entering thought is named the identity in partial realization of truth. Neither objective realm nor thought is named the identity in the ultimate. Although the six are constantly one, what is ordinary and what is sacred? Although the one is constantly six, ordinary and sacred are far apart as heaven. Furthermore, because six is constantly one, it is called 'identity'; because one is constantly six, beginning and end are not uniform. When contemplating mindfulness, it is neither one nor six. Again, for example, obtaining gold without leaving the poor woman's house is 'identity'. The poor woman obtaining gold and becoming rich can serve as a metaphor for sentient beings being precisely Buddhas. In taking the gold there is a sequence—how could it not be six? Weeding out the dirty grass is contemplative practice subduing delusion. Digging the earth near the gold, seeming to see an object yet not clearly—how is this not semblance? Gathering a portion—how is this not partial realization of truth? Entirely obtaining and enjoying it, the woman rejoices—how is this not the ultimate? Therefore, having頓-awakened to the source, one must again match words and actions. Having obtained original purity, one must also attain purity free from defilement. As a verse in the Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra states: 'Far removed from all defilements, pure and without defilement like reality, that mind can produce great light: this is named the ratnolkā-dhāraṇī.' It also states: 'If there is someone who does not perceive any objective realms, nor their own objective realm, such a person can achieve subdual.'