宗鏡錄 43.9

43.9

Answer: In recent times, those who succeed one another do not consult the ancient teachings; they rely exclusively on their own personal views and do not accord with the perfect explanations. Some claim awakening through conceptual understanding and emotional transmission; or if they obtain absorption, they cling to ignorance and have dark realization. Therefore later students make errors and do not receive the transmission from teachers. In the teachings of the former sages, each of these has already been analyzed and refuted. As for what was said about 'being unattached in all places': Ānanda knew far in advance that in the Dharma-ending age people would all fall into this foolishness; in the Śūraṅgama assembly, he manifested doubt and gave rise to attachment, and the unexcelled King of Awakening personally scolded and refuted it. The Śūraṅgamasūtra says: Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying: 'World-Honoured One, formerly I saw the Buddha, together with the four great disciples Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Subhūti, Pūrṇa, and Śāriputra, turning the wheel of the Dharma together. You constantly said that the cognitive and discerning nature of mind is neither inside nor outside nor in between—it is nowhere at all; being unattached to anything is named mind. Then would my lack of attachment be named mind or not?' The Buddha told Ānanda: 'You say that the cognitive and discerning nature of mind is nowhere at all. The mundane world's empty space, water, land, flying creatures, and all forms of things are named everything. Does that to which you are unattached exist or not? If it does not exist, it is the same as tortoise hair or rabbit horns; how could there be non-attachment? If there is non-attachment, it cannot be called non-existent. Without characteristics it is non-existent; if it is not non-existent, it has characteristics. If characteristics exist, then it is present; how could there be non-attachment? Therefore you should know: to say that non-attachment to everything is named the cognitive mind is without basis.' Furthermore, what was spoken of as 'freely roaming and giving oneself over to conditions' is still counted among the four defects in the Sutra of Complete Enlightenment. The Sūtra of Complete Enlightenment says: 'Good sons, the wondrous Dharma realized by that good spiritual friend should be free from the four defects. What are the four defects? The first is the defect of action: if a person speaks like this: "In my fundamental mind I practice various actions, wishing to seek complete enlightenment"—because that nature of complete enlightenment cannot be attained by action, this is called a defect. The second is the defect of letting go: if a person speaks like this: "We now do not cut off saṃsāra, nor do we seek nirvāṇa; regarding nirvāṇa and saṃsāra, we have no thoughts of arising or ceasing; we let everything be and accord with the nature of various dharmas, wishing to seek complete enlightenment"—because that nature of complete enlightenment does not exist through letting go, this is called a defect. The third is the defect of stopping: if a person speaks like this: "My own mind now permanently stills all thoughts, attaining the tranquil equality of all natures, wishing to seek complete enlightenment"—because that nature of complete enlightenment does not tally with stopping, this is called a defect. The fourth is the defect of extinction: if a person speaks like this: "I now permanently cut off all kleśas, and body and mind are ultimately empty and non-existent; how much more so for the false realms of faculties and dusts, which are all permanently tranquil, wishing to seek complete enlightenment"—because that nature of complete enlightenment is not a characteristic of tranquility, this is called a defect. Those who are free from the four defects will know purity. To practice this contemplation is called right contemplation; if one practices another contemplation, it is called wrong contemplation.' As stated above, not only does forming an understanding of non-attachment and letting oneself be guided by conditions fall into wrong contemplation, but even giving rise to a mind of tranquil and hidden accord still abides in the conceptual domain.