宗鏡錄 42.5.5

42.5.5

Even if one possesses great eloquence and supernormal powers, or engages in dhyāna and recitation for long kalpas, in the end one cannot escape this fault. If one penetrates this purport, then in whatever one does, raising a foot or lowering a foot, one naturally does not depart from the path of the one mind and nirvāṇa. As the Candrottarādārikāvyākaraṇasūtra states: Śāriputra said to the maiden Candrottarā, “Where do you wish to go now?” The maiden Candrottarā replied, “You ask where I wish to go now; I go just as Śāriputra goes—I go in just such a way.” Śāriputra replied to the maiden Candrottarā, “I now wish to enter the city of Vaiśālī, while you are just now coming out of it. Why do you say, ‘I go just as Śāriputra goes; I go in just such a way’?” Thereupon the maiden Candrottarā again replied to Śāriputra, “Well, Śāriputra, in raising a foot and lowering a foot, upon what does it depend?” Śāriputra said, “My raising a foot and lowering a foot both depend on empty space.” The maiden replied, “I too am like this: raising a foot and lowering a foot all depend on empty space, and the realm of empty space makes no distinction. Therefore I said that I also go as Śāriputra goes, going in just such a way.” The maiden said, “Śāriputra, let that be as it is. Now, what practice does Śāriputra practice?” Śāriputra said, “I practice in this way toward nirvāṇa.” The maiden Candrottarā said, “Śāriputra, do not all dharmas practice toward nirvāṇa? I now also practice toward it.” Śāriputra asked Candrottarā, “If all dharmas practice toward nirvāṇa, why do you not now enter extinction?” The maiden Candrottarā said, “Śāriputra, if one is toward nirvāṇa, then one does not enter extinction. Why is this? The practice of that nirvāṇa is neither born nor destroyed, cannot be seen, its substance is free from differentiation, and there is no one who can enter extinction.” To explain: That the practice of nirvāṇa is neither born nor destroyed means the unproduced of one's own citta. Even across thousands of paths of appearing and disappearing, it never departs from the gate of nirvāṇa; though ten thousand dharmas crisscross in full sway, how could they transcend the path of the unproduced? Therefore a verse in the Lotus Sūtra says: “The Buddha's sons abide in this ground, / which is the Buddha's own enjoyment; / they are constantly within it, / walking, sitting, and lying down.” What has been stated above may seem unpleasant to the ear, but the fundamental, correct intention is entirely to arouse and stimulate the mind. It is like the fire within a stone: if no one strikes it, for thousands or myriads of years it remains merely a stubborn rock and never functions as fire. As the Kongzi jiayu states: Confucius said, “Good medicine is bitter to the mouth yet benefits the disease; loyal words grate on the ear yet benefit conduct. Tang and Wu flourished through outspoken remonstrance; Jie and Zhou perished through subservient assent. A ruler without remonstrating ministers, a father without remonstrating sons, an elder brother without remonstrating younger brothers, a scholar without remonstrating friends—that there should be none with faults among them has never been the case. Therefore it is said: When the ruler errs, the minister rectifies it; when the father errs, the son rectifies it; when the elder brother errs, the younger brother rectifies it; when oneself errs, the friend rectifies it. Thus the state has no omens of peril and ruin, the family has no evil of rebellion and disorder, father and son, elder and younger brother suffer no estrangement, and friendship is never severed.” Now in the Mirror of the Source, although distressing and cutting words are widely cited, they are all to make instruments of future learners, universally causing them to reform evil and follow good, to admire the Way and advance in practice, so that the Buddha-land will have no subjects who turn their backs on the Way, and the Mahāyāna family will have no sons of wrong view. Thus, although bodhisattvas can benefit themselves, they also reprimand others, constantly acting as uninvited friends to sentient beings. Therefore the Śrīmālādevī-siṃhanāda-sūtra says: “Because of gathering in and subduing, the Buddha-Dharma is made to abide long.” For this reason Guishan composed his text of admonitions, none of which was not bitter to the mouth; and Vimalakīrti displayed the power of reproof, entirely shattering the clinging mind. If there are remonstrating friends within the Buddha-Dharma, companions studying the path of prajñā are guaranteed to have no faults. Hence the Book says, “He who speaks of my faults is my teacher; he who speaks of my merits is my thief.” It also says, “When three persons walk together, there is sure to be a teacher for me among them.” How much more so for inner study within the Buddha-Dharma, the excellent cause of world-transcendence—how could one not rely on an instructing master? Now, if within the access of assisting the path for initial faculties, the text of this Mirror of the Source deeply aids the power of contemplation, then direct realization will occur right under the words, and cultivated wisdom will be immediately accomplished. As it is said, “For the Tao, one decreases day by day; for learning, one increases day by day.” What is decreased is decreased in emotion and desire; what is increased is increased in understanding and insight. This is not like externalist heterodox masters or those who merely study the words of the Mahāyāna: though their mouths speak of emptiness, they do not decrease kleśas. This is not a proper penetration of the true Dharma; it is entirely an improper grasping of perverted emptiness. Only complete faculties that are vessels of the Dharma can have faith in and receive it. How lamentable are those whose defilements of wrong view are heavy, who do not believe even upon hearing it! As Que’s commentary states: “Passing through thousands of buddhas without being startled, lighting ten thousand lamps without dawning into day.” The explanation states: For sentient beings in the immeasurable worlds of the ten directions, the Buddha leaves home, accomplishes the Way, preaches the Dharma, and delivers sentient beings right within their bodies, yet sentient beings are entirely unaware of it. It is entirely due to avidyā obscuring the nature of original awakening, failing to know that it appears from within the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha is the eighth vijñāna of sentient beings. Hence it is said: “Passing through thousands of buddhas without being startled,” because they do not know that citta itself is the Buddha. Furthermore, it is like a drunken guest in a single room: though hundreds of thousands of lamps illuminate it, he does not awaken. This is an analogy for hearing the Dharma without recognizing its principle, unable to influence the spirit, entirely devoid of reflection and awakening. Therefore it is said: “Lighting ten thousand lamps without dawning into day.” “Dawning” means becoming bright. What serves as the lamp? Expedient wisdom is the lamp, illuminating and perceiving the cognitive sphere of citta.