宗鏡錄 41.31

41.31

Answer: To reveal the source and shatter attachments, one provisionally sweeps away the paths of learning and discussion, reaches the principle, and achieves integration; liberation is not apart from words and letters. The Lotus Sūtra says: 'If there are those with sharp faculties, clear and distinct wisdom, and extensive hearing and strong memory, then one may speak it to them.' In general, those who investigate the profound must possess two eyes: first, one's own eye, to clarify the source; second, the wisdom eye, to discern delusion. Therefore, the Chan lineage says: 'One who merely clarifies oneself but does not understand what is before one's eyes—such a person possesses only a single eye.' When principle is isolated and phenomena are sparse, one will never be fully penetrating. How could a single wing or a single wheel fly or convey anything? If one insists that one need only take a single blade and enter directly without extensive investigation, then after Sudhana first met Mañjuśrī and became enlightened, he should not have traveled everywhere through the dharmadhātu. Thus one knows that the initial and final minds are equal, and principle and practice are simultaneous. Therefore, when Sudhana's fruit of Buddhahood was perfected with Maitreya, Maitreya pointed him back to see his first friend, Mañjuśrī, again. As a virtuous predecessor said: 'The wondrous wisdom of Mañjuśrī is precisely the initial mind; the profound gate of Samantabhadra has never had a different substance.' Thus principle and phenomena merge equally into one principle, and the root and branch do not exceed an instant. How then could one cling to one and doubt many, suddenly bewildered about the dharmadhātu, discarding this and taking that, butchering empty space? Furthermore, if wisdom were considered wrong, then the great-wisdom Mañjuśrī should not be called the son of the Dharma King. If extensive hearing were an error, then the unlearned bhikṣu should not have become a denizen of hell. One must unite wisdom with extensive hearing, never clinging to the explanation and mistaking the finger [for the moon]; and one must broaden one's wisdom with extensive hearing, avoiding being narrow and facing a wall. Therefore it is said: 'Possessing wisdom without practice makes one a master of the state; possessing practice without wisdom makes one a function of the state; possessing both wisdom and practice makes one a treasure of the state; possessing neither wisdom nor practice makes one a thief of the state.' For this reason, wisdom must be learned, and practice must be cultivated. Lacking wisdom makes one an enemy of the Way; lacking practice makes one a thief of the state. One should know that the lock of names and characteristics is hard to open without the key of wisdom; the entanglements of emotional conceptualizations cannot be severed without the sword of wisdom. One must examine oneself, spur oneself on, and advance in cultivation. Therefore, how could one who has returned to complete penetration fall into views of cutting off speech? How could one who arouses bodhicitta generate a mind of annihilation? If one can directly understand one's own citta, that is precisely the single blade entering directly, which is the most concise and essential, because when one is understood, a thousand follow, gathering all phenomena without remainder. It is also the separate transmission outside the teachings; apart from this, there is nothing extraordinary. Furthermore, the main purport of this Mirror of the Source takes wondrous awakening and seeing the truth as its aim, not accepting relying on medium-level comprehension to make explanations conforming to texts. Since the Dharma is real, practice must accord with it; it lies only in knowing in one's citta and does not wait upon words. For those who do not yet understand, speech is also not cut off; for ultimate conformity, one must ultimately awaken for oneself. This is what the Buddhas of the ten directions have equally realized and equally taught, unchanging from ancient times to the present, the one-limit Dharma-gate. As a sūtra says: 'I do not see a single Buddha-land in which the Tathāgata does not preach this Dharma.' Therefore, the paths of the Buddhas are identical, and citta accords with principle mind after mind. Thus we know that apart from the Mirror of the Source, there is no Dharma to be taught, because wherever there are words and teachings, none depart from the nature of equality; ultimately there are not two. Therefore a sūtra says: 'Just as a great lion exerts all its strength when killing a perfumed elephant, and does the same when killing a hare without having thoughts of slighting it, the Buddhas and Tathāgatas are also like this: when expounding the Dharma for bodhisattvas and icchantikas, their functioning is not two.' Reverently contemplating the sage's intent, the reflections and admonitions are clearly apparent; how could one give rise to differentiated understandings within the supreme teaching of equality? How could one produce views of superior and inferior within the one true realm of sentient beings? If one enters into the Mirror of the Source, one will naturally avoid this fault. What is now recorded consists entirely of the sacred teachings of the ancient Buddhas, for which across immeasurable billions of kalpas they renounced countless bodies and lives, seeking this difficult-to-attain anuttarasaṃyaksambodhi Dharma for the sake of all sentient beings, entrusting it to the great bodhisattvas for those in the final age who seek unsurpassed bodhi. The thousand paths and different teachings together reveal the one mind. How could one be ungrateful and fail to believe and accept it? As the Da zhidu lun says: 'All Mahāyāna sūtras are called Dharma. Those seeking the Dharma herein transcribe, read, recite, and correctly recollect them. In this manner, to cure the mental afflictions of sentient beings, they gather all the medicines of the Dharma, not begrudging body or life. Just as Śākyamuni Buddha, when originally a bodhisattva named Dharmodgata, lived at a time when there was no Buddha and no wholesome words were heard; he sought the Dharma in the four directions with unflagging diligence, yet could not obtain it at all. At that time, Māra transformed into a brāhmaṇa and said to him: "I have a verse spoken by the Buddha. If you can use your skin as paper, your bones as a brush, and your blood as ink to transcribe this verse, I will give it to you." Dharmodgata immediately thought to himself: "I have lost my body countless times life after life without gaining this benefit." He then peeled off his skin, dried it in the sun, and wished to transcribe the verse, whereupon Māra vanished. At that time, a Buddha, knowing his resolved citta, sprang forth from below and preached the profound Dharma for him, and he immediately attained anutpattikadharmakṣānti. Furthermore, like Sadāprarudita practicing austerities to seek the Dharma, or the bodhisattva Śākyamuni driving five hundred nails into his body for the sake of seeking the Dharma, or King Suvarṇaprabhāsa cutting his body in five hundred places to serve as lamp wicks and throwing himself from cliffs into fires—through various difficult practices and austerities such as these, they sought the Dharma for the sake of sentient beings.' Thus we know that a good friend (kalyāṇamitra) is difficult to encounter. For instance, Brahmā dropping a mustard seed onto the tip of a needle in the lower realm is still easy, but meeting an enlightened master and companion on the path to hear the true Dharma is extremely difficult. Just as the ninety-six kinds of non-Buddhists in India all sought escape, yet because they met mistaken teachers, they instead sank into saṃsāra. Therefore the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra says: 'Endowed with four causes and conditions, one is able to realize the path to nirvāṇa: first, associating with good friends; second, hearing the true Dharma; third, contemplating according to principle; fourth, practicing as taught.' If one does not encounter a good friend, one cannot hear the supreme Dharma. Why? Because by hearing the true Dharma, one is able to contemplate, enter with faith, and practice with right mindfulness. Since there is such Dharma benefit, one should be earnestly reverent, give rise to the thought that it is rare to encounter, and crush the mind of conceit. Even upon encountering a scroll of scripture and hearing it, or through someone raising and showing it, if there is a point of awakening, that is my teacher. How much more so this Mirror of the Source, which records only the essential passages! It can truly be called sitting and investigating in dignified composure, knowing all under heaven without stepping out the door; easily accomplished and manifest, reaching the Dragon Palace without moving one's feet. Therefore the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'Good son, a good friend is like a loving mother, because he gives birth to the seed of Buddhahood; like a loving father, because he brings vast benefit; like a wet nurse, because he guards and protects one from doing evil; like a teacher, because he indicates what a bodhisattva learns; like a good guide, because he can show the path of the pāramitās; like a skilled physician, because he can cure the various illnesses of kleśas; like the Snow Mountains, because he augments all medicines of knowledge; like a brave general, because he exterminates all fright and fear; like a ferryman, because he leads one out of the torrent of saṃsāra; like a captain, because he brings one to the jewel island of wisdom. Good son, you should constantly contemplate all good friends with right mindfulness in this way. Furthermore, good son, when serving all good friends, you should give rise to a mind like the great earth, carrying heavy burdens without weariness; you should give rise to a mind like vajra, with firm and indestructible aspirations; you should give rise to a mind like the Iron Enclosing Mountains, unmoved by any sufferings; you should give rise to an attendant's mind, complying with all instructions; you should give rise to a disciple's mind, not disobeying any admonitions; you should give rise to a servant's mind, not wearying of any chores; you should give rise to a foster mother's mind, enduring all toil without complaining; you should give rise to a hired laborer's mind, obeying whatever instructions are given without dissent; you should give rise to a scavenger's mind, free from arrogance; you should give rise to a ripened crop's mind, able to bend low; you should give rise to a fine horse's mind, free from vicious nature; you should give rise to a great cart's mind, able to carry heavy loads; you should give rise to a tamed elephant's mind, always submissive; you should give rise to a Mount Sumeru mind, not tilting or shaking; you should give rise to a faithful dog's mind, not harming its master; you should give rise to a caṇḍāla's mind, free from arrogance; you should give rise to a cow's mind, free from fierce anger; you should give rise to a boat's mind, crossing back and forth without weariness; you should give rise to a bridge's mind, ferrying across and forgetting fatigue; you should give rise to a filial son's mind, respectfully accommodating expressions; you should give rise to a prince's mind, obeying instructions.' Therefore, through a person one hears the Dharma; through the Dharma one awakens to the Way; through the Way one cultivates; and through cultivation one becomes a Buddha. How could one be arrogant and not comply with the teachings? Thus the World-Honoured One said: 'That I have now attained Buddhahood is initially all due to the conditions of encountering good friends.' Take, for example, the non-Buddhist Subhadra: if he had not met Śākyamuni at the end, by what means could he have abandoned the heterodox and returned to the orthodox? Therefore the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra says: 'The Buddha said: "Subhadra, benevolent one, if one attained the Way by undergoing austerities, all beasts should attain the Way. Therefore, one should first tame the citta, not tame the body. For this reason, in my sūtras I say: 'Hew down this forest, do not hew down the trees.' Why? Fear arises from the forest, not from the trees. If you wish to tame the body, you must first tame the citta. The citta is compared to the forest, and the body is compared to the trees." Subhadra said: "World-Honoured One, I have already tamed the citta first." The Buddha said: "Good son, how have you been able to tame the citta first?" Subhadra said: "World-Honoured One, I previously contemplated: 'Desire is impermanent, without pleasure, and without purity.' I viewed form as permanent, pleasant, and pure. Having made this contemplation, the saṃyojanas of the desire realm were severed, and I attained the sphere of form. Therefore it is called first taming the citta. Furthermore, I contemplated form: 'Form is impermanent, like a boil, like a sore, like poison, like an arrow.' I saw the formless realm as permanent, pure, and quiescent. Having contemplated thus, the saṃyojanas of the form realm were exhausted, and I attained the formless sphere. Therefore it is called first taming the citta. Next, I contemplated ideation as impermanent, like a boil, a sore, poison, an arrow. Having contemplated thus, I attained the sphere of neither-ideation-nor-non-ideation. This neither-ideation-nor-non-ideation is all-knowledge, quiescent and pure, without falling, eternal, and unchanging. Therefore I am able to tame the citta." The Buddha said: "Good son, how are you able to tame the citta? What you have now attained as the samādhi of neither-ideation-nor-non-ideation is still called ideation. Nirvāṇa is non-ideation; how can you say you have attained nirvāṇa? Good son, you were previously able to reproach coarse ideations; why do you now cherish subtle ideation and fail to reproach it? This sphere of neither-ideation-nor-non-ideation is still called ideation, like a boil, like a sore, like poison, like an arrow. Good son, your teacher Udraka Rāmaputra, though of sharp faculties and clever, was still unable to sever this sphere of neither-ideation-nor-non-ideation and received an evil body; how much less can others!" [Subhadra said:] "World-Honoured One, how can one sever all realms of existence?" The Buddha said: "Good son, if one contemplates the real ideation, that person can sever all realms of existence." Subhadra said: "World-Honoured One, what is called real ideation?" "Good son, ideation of non-ideation is called real ideation." "World-Honoured One, what is called ideation of non-ideation?" "Good son, all phenomena are without self-characteristic, other-characteristic, or self-and-other-characteristic; without uncaused characteristic; without active characteristic; without passive characteristic; without agent characteristic; without recipient characteristic; without Dharma or non-Dharma characteristic; without male or female characteristic; without person characteristic; without fine particle characteristic; without season characteristic; without unconditioned self-characteristic; without unconditioned other-characteristic; without unconditioned self-and-other-characteristic; without characteristic of existence; without characteristic of non-existence; without characteristic of arising; without characteristic of an ariser; without cause characteristic; without cause-of-cause characteristic; without effect characteristic; without effect-of-effect characteristic; without day or night characteristic; without light or dark characteristic; without seeing characteristic; without seer characteristic; without hearing characteristic; without hearer characteristic; without cognizing characteristic; without cognizer characteristic; without bodhi characteristic; without characteristic of an attainer of bodhi; without karma characteristic; without karma-master characteristic; without kleśa characteristic; without kleśa-master characteristic. Good son, the place where such characteristics are extinguished is called real ideation. Good son, all phenomena are false and deceptive; the place where they are extinguished is called real ideation. It is called the dharmadhātu, called ultimate wisdom, called ultimate truth, called ultimate emptiness."