宗鏡錄 39.7

39.7

Answer: The Separate is graded and separated, whereas the Perfect is complete in a single thought. Just as a mustard seed contains Mount Sumeru, it is therefore called inconceivable. In a single dust mote there is a scroll of scriptures of the great trichiliocosm; a wise person breaks open the dust mote and brings forth the scriptures. This is the single thought of ignorance-citta having defiled dharmas and having wisdom dharmas. The kleśas are evil dust, good dust, and indeterminate dust; breaking them open brings forth the dharmakāya, prajñā, and liberation. The Lotus Sūtra says: 'Such natures and characteristics are equal.' One realm, ten realms, hundreds of thousands of dharmadhātus—all are ultimately equal. Now, contemplate from where this citta of ignorance arises: Does it arise from ignorance? Does it arise from the dharmatā? Does it arise from both combined? Does it arise from their separation? Whether from self or from other, all four are ungraspable; this is called the liberation-gate of emptiness. Merely contemplate whether the nature of the citta is existent or non-existent, whether combined or separate, whether permanent or annihilated: the four inversions cannot be found; this is called the liberation-gate of signlessness. Merely consider whether this nature of the citta is real or conditioned, whether combined or separate: it is not produced by the four alternatives; this is called the liberation-gate of wishlessness. When there is no arising yet arising is spoken of, these are the natures and characteristics of the ten dharmadhātus. The nature of ignorance is precisely the real nature; it is also said that ignorance is precisely illumination, and illumination is also ungraspable. This is entering the Dharma-gate of non-duality. Sentient beings are merely deluded and inverted, failing to see the no-citta of the citta, so that illumination becomes ignorance. Furthermore, the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Not long afterward, the king fell ill again. The physician divined the king's illness and determined that he should drink milk.' The king represents the sentient beings of the eight inversions. His falling ill afterward means that the initial inversions were subdued, but later inversions arose; hence it says 'not long afterward.' That he definitely should drink milk means that the method of the four blooms should be bestowed. This is precisely the purport of the present [four] foundations of mindfulness. Again, it is like a person who smears a drum with poison and beats it amidst a crowd: those near die, while those far away do not die yet. Later, when the poison drum is beaten, both near and far die. The initial smearing was the four witherings, merely withering the portioned [saṃsāra]; hence it is said that they did not die yet. Now the four blooms are smeared, severing the root of ignorance; hence both near and far die. This is also the purport of the present four foundations of mindfulness. Again it says: 'Like a bird leaving its cage, it only just manages to escape the net; now both birds fly together, soaring high and departing far, free to go or stay.' This is precisely the purport of the present four foundations of mindfulness. Again it says: 'Initially withering saṃsāra, it could not illuminate the Buddha Dharma, could not awaken sentient beings, had no efficacy in the Buddha Dharma, and offered no benefit to sentient beings; hence it is called the withering twin trees.' Now, the Buddha Dharma is perfectly revealed, greatly benefiting sentient beings. All who have citta shall become buddhas: eight thousand śrāvakas attained the sight of the Buddha-nature, like an autumn harvest and winter storage bringing forth the great fruit. Hence it is said that the four blooms adorn the twin trees. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: '[The calf] is not allowed to eat dregs of wine or wheat chaff, does not run together in the same herd with a bull, is not kept on high plains, nor in low wet ground.' 'Low wet ground' refers to the four inversions of ordinary and heterodox views. 'High plains' refers to the four inversions of biased and one-sided views. 'Dregs of wine' is delusion; 'wheat chaff' is anger; 'a bull' is greed. Choosing the central plain, [the mother cow] settles her calf there. The Lotus Sūtra says: 'Honestly setting aside skillful means, / I preach only the unsurpassed Path.' And: 'After a long time, the dharmas of all buddhas / must ultimately expound the real truth.' The 'real truth' is neither saṃsāra nor nirvāṇa, without deviation or bias, without crookedness or inversion. 'O noble person! Showing the jewel formerly tied [in the garment].' 'O come and go! The jewel cache is close at hand.' Therefore, manifesting the traces from the origin, together with the retinue of the dharmakāya, concealing the real and displaying the provisional, hiding the high and setting out the low, they jointly transform sentient beings, demonstrating the correct path, secretly maintaining the inner while externally manifesting, revealing and uncovering so that they may enter the marvelous—this is precisely these four foundations of mindfulness. What is called 'four' is an inconceivable number: one is identical to the immeasurable, and the immeasurable is identical to one. Each and every one is the dharmadhātu, fully endowed with the three truths, encompassing all dharmas; outside the dharmadhātu there are no further dharmas. The dharmadhātu has no dharmadhātu, yet is fully endowed with the dharmadhātu; although there are no dharmas, it is fully endowed with all dharmas. This is an inconceivable number. In the Avataṃsaka it says: 'A single dust mote contains all dust motes and all dharmas; in a single thought it contains all thoughts and all dharmas.' Dust is form, and thought is citta; form and citta are merely different names for the foundations of mindfulness. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: 'The four foundations of mindfulness are precisely the Mahāyāna; the Mahāyāna is precisely the four foundations of mindfulness.' Within a single foundation of mindfulness, there is no duality and no distinction with the other three foundations of mindfulness. All dharmas converge upon the four foundations of mindfulness; this converging does not surpass them. Since the foundations of mindfulness are themselves ungraspable, how could there be converging or not converging? This also shares the inconceivable purport. The Samantabhadra-dhyāna Sūtra says: 'Contemplating that the citta has no citta, and that dharmas do not abide in dharmas, is called the great repentance.' Contemplating the citta being so, contemplating form is also like this. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'The Buddha-nature is also one, not one, not not-one, and not not-not-one.' 'Also one' means that all sentient beings are of the One Vehicle. 'Not one' means that the three vehicles are taught. 'Not one and not not-one' means that numbers and non-numbers are not determinate. Therefore one should know that with the number four, it cannot be determined; it is precisely the inconceivable four. Furthermore, if one does not practice the Path relying on the four foundations of mindfulness within the mirror of the source, even if one possesses intellectual understanding and engages in cultivation, it will all become heterodox paths. Therefore it is said: 'If one lacks mindfulness and wisdom, all practices are not the Buddha Dharma and one is not a practitioner of the Path.' All have shaved their heads in vain, like herdsmen; they wear dyed robes in vain, like wooden banners. Although they hold the bowl and tin staff, they are like the begging gear of a sick person; although they read and recite the sūtras, they are like a blind person reciting a poem; although they bow and prostrate, they are like a pestle going up and down; although they erect buildings, they are plying a trade and performing hired labor; planting trees and trading goods, they sink into saṃsāra, entangling themselves like silkworms in cocoons, with no time of liberation. Relinquishing their bodies, lives, and wealth, it can only be called 'giving' (dāna), not a pāramitā. Although they maintain the precepts, they do not escape [the rebirth of] dogs and chickens. Although they are vigorous, their vigor lacks grace and beauty. Although they sit in meditation, they are like stump-like logs. Although they have knowledge and understanding, it is frenzied and crazed wisdom; they constantly remain on this shore and never reach the other shore. Not subduing attachment and views, not breaking the grasping of characteristics, they cannot enter the aids to the Path, do not belong to the stages of the worthy and noble, do not accomplish the four withered trees, and it is not a pāramitā. Why is this? Because they lack mindfulness and wisdom. For mindfulness and wisdom can break the deviant and manifest the correct. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'The milk medicine of the old physician was actually poison. It was like an insect eating wood, accidentally forming characters; the insect did not know whether they were characters or not. There was a new physician coming from a distant land who understood the eight methods, namely the four witherings and the four blooms; with the new four witherings he broke the old milk.' The Lotus Sūtra says: 'The great fire arose from four sides'—this is precisely the purport. Hence, with the eight distinct methods he breaks the deluded paths of the eight inversions; through the marvelous gate of the one mind, he enters the sarvākārajñatā of the One Vehicle."