[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016) › [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt) › 45.2.3 # 宗鏡錄 45.2.3 English (machine translation) 45.2.3 - **Language:** English ### [45.2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.45.2.3) appear in the world. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa states: 'He removed everything, leaving only a single bed.' This signifies removing the existence of the deluded mind; external objects are fundamentally empty. Because when citta exists dharmas exist, and when citta is empty objects are empty, the Awakening of Faith says: 'Therefore, one should know that all characteristic marks of realms in the world are established relying on sentient beings' avidyā and deluded thoughts. Like reflections in a mirror, they have no obtain-able substance; they transform solely from the falsely conceptualising citta. Because when citta arises, various dharmas arise; when citta ceases, various dharmas cease.' Therefore, if one only attains no-citta, objects will naturally not appear. Since there is no duality, how could adversity or favourability arise? Due to adverse conditions, dveṣa and vexations arise like powerful thieves invading the bosom; due to favourable conditions, arrows of attachment and desire shoot into the body. These can agitate the citta, which is why it is called 'unsettled.' Now if there is no-citta, being untroubled and free of concerns, the myriad activities will instantly arrive without disturbing one's spirit, and a thousand difficulties will confront one without intruding upon one's thoughts. Thus Ānanda grasped at existence without basis, ending in bewilderment in the seven places; the Second Patriarch realised non-existence and was naturally at peace, attaining the Way at a single word. If one does not directly comprehend the purport of no-citta, then although one applies antidotes and subdues \[the mind\], the characteristics of being unsettled will constantly appear before one. If one comprehends no-citta, one is unobstructed wherever one goes: eliminating even a single speck of dust to stand as an opposite, what need is there for the effort of casting away and clearing out? Not a single thought generating emotional attachment, there is no reliance on the power of forgetting conditions. Furthermore, in terms of teaching, no-citta has two aspects: first, settling into clarity to render it non-existent; second, being fundamentally non-existent in its very substance. 'Settling into clarity to render it non-existent' means restraining thoughts and resting in dhyāna, eliminating vitarka and vicāra, emptying the bosom and quieting thoughts, gradually arriving at the subtle. 'Being fundamentally non-existent in its very substance' means directly comprehending non-arising, because the point where a single thought arises cannot be found. A sūtra says: 'When a single thought first arises, it has no initial characteristic—this is true mindful protection.' The Baocang lun states: 'Now, one who is detached has no body; one who is subtle has no citta. Because one has no body, one has a great body; because one has no citta, one has a great citta. Because of the great citta, wisdom encompasses the myriad things; because of the great body, responsive manifestations are boundlessly complete. Therefore, those who grasp the body as a body lose its great responsiveness; those who grasp the citta as citta lose its great wisdom. Hence across the thousands of sūtras and ten thousand treatises, none fail to speak of detaching from body and citta and breaking attachments, only then entering the real. For example, a goldsmith smelts the ore to extract the gold, only then fashioning it into vessels. If one has a body, there are bodily obstructions; because there are bodily obstructions, the dharmakāya is hidden within the physical husk. If one has a citta, there are mental obstructions; because there are mental obstructions, true wisdom is hidden within thoughts and reflections. Thus the Great Way is blocked, the wondrous principle sinks into concealment, the six spirits are internally disordered, and the six external objects are conditioned, causing anxiety day and night without cessation. Now, those who do not observe their citta do not see its subtlety; those who do not observe their body do not see its detachment. If one does not see their detachment and subtlety, one loses the essentials of the Way. Therefore a sūtra says: "The Buddha taught that no body is called the great body"; the citta is also like this.' This is called breaking the provisional to return to the real, converging the artificial to return to the true. Just as a goldsmith smelts the ore to extract gold before it becomes a vessel, destroying characteristics and blending them together to enter the great furnace—the 'great furnace' refers to the Great Way. Within this furnace of the Great Way, transformation is inexhaustible, pouring forth the myriad sources; whether forming or decaying, its substance neither increases nor decreases. Hence a sūtra says: 'Whether there is a Buddha or no Buddha, the nature and characteristics permanently abide.' What is called 'blending characteristics' is only for ordinary fools who cling to characteristics and fear the unconditioned. The reason characteristics are taught is for those non-Buddhists who cling to the absence of characteristics and fear existence. The reason the Middle Way is taught is to make existence of characteristics and absence of characteristics non-dual. These all break attachments and remove doubts; the words do not exhaust the principle. If there is a person who comprehends that characteristics and the absence of characteristics are equal and non-dual, without grasping or discarding, without that or this, and without an intermediate, then without relying on the words of sages, the principle naturally penetrates. As described above, having a citta forms an obstruction. If one is without citta, one naturally accords with the Way—that is, leaving behind the deluded mind, the true citta remains unmoving. As the Shi moheyan lun states: 'Regarding "detaching from the characteristics of mental conditioning": the measures of citta are ten. First, the eye-consciousness citta; second, the ear-consciousness citta; third, the nose-consciousness citta; fourth, the tongue-consciousness citta; fifth, the body-consciousness citta; sixth, the manovijñāna citta; seventh, the manas citta; eighth, the ālayavijñāna citta; ninth, the multiple-and-one-consciousness citta; tenth, the each-and-every-consciousness citta. Among these ten, the first nine kinds of citta do not condition the true principle; the latter one citta is able to condition the true principle and take it as its sphere. Now, based on the first nine, it is stated thus: "detaching from the characteristics of mental conditioning." In original sūtras it is stated thus: "The profound true substance is not the sphere of anything else; it takes only what it relies upon and conditions as its sphere."' The Laṅkāvatārasūtra says: 'What is not a measure of citta, I call a measure of citta.' This means that by using 'non-measure of citta,' one dispels the measure of citta. If one takes 'non-measure of citta' to be correct, this itself is a measure of citta. Now, saying that 'non-measure of citta is itself the inconceivable measure of citta' is because it does not obstruct the measure of citta. As the Avataṃsakasūtra says: 'The bodhisattva abides in this inconceivable'—this is the non-measure of citta; 'in it, conceivability cannot be exhausted'—this is the measure of citta. Because the two characteristics mutually identify and cancel each other out, conceiving and non-conceiving are both quiescent. It also says: 'Showing the arising of citta where there is no citta.' Many people misunderstand this, taking the sentient to be insentient, and the insentient to be sentient. If one clings to 'showing the arising of citta where there is no citta' as meaning the insentient becomes sentient, since it says 'showing arising,' it is not that what is truly insentient becomes sentient. The Mahāratnakūṭasūtra says: 'The Buddha said: "Mañjuśrī, do you enter the inconceivable samādhi?" Mañjuśrī said: "No, World-Honoured One. I am myself inconceivable, and I do not see any citta capable of conceiving; how could one say that I enter the inconceivable samādhi? When I first generated the mind, I wished to enter this concentration, but now as I reflect, there is truly no characteristic of citta that enters samādhi. Like a person learning archery: with long practice, he becomes skilled. - [Previous: 45.2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.45.2.2) - [Next: 45.2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.45.2.4) - [Up: 45.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.45.2) ## Linked texts (1) - [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.45.2.3) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.45.2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.45.2.3) · Pramāṇa