宗鏡錄 45.24

45.24

Answer: That is not so. Just like a maṇi jewel whose intrinsic nature is bright and clean: if it is in dirt and ore, even if someone diligently remembers it but does not employ skillful means or apply effort, wishing to attain its purity, it can never be attained. The dharma of tathatā is also like this: although its substance is bright and clean, fully endowed with virtues, it is defiled by boundless adventitious dust. Even if someone diligently remembers it but does not employ skillful means and does not cultivate all practices, wishing to attain its purity, there is ultimately no principle by which it can be attained. Therefore, one must gather all good practices and save all sentient beings, departing from those boundless defilements of adventitious dust to manifest the true dharma. The Commentary on the Awakening of Faith says: 'First, the straightforward citta that rightly contemplates the dharma of tathatā: this citta is equitable; there is no other branch, so how could there be any crookedness? This is the root of the other two practices. Second, the profound citta: this has the meaning of exhausting the source. If a single good is incomplete, there is no way to return to the source; returning to the source necessarily requires all myriad practices. Hence it says "delighting in gathering all good practices"; this is the root of practices for self-benefit. The great compassionate citta has the meaning of universal salvation; hence it says "wishing to pull out the suffering of sentient beings"; this is the root of practices for benefiting others.' Furthermore, this first straightforward citta, which solely contemplates the dharma of tathatā rightly, is the source and the root; arising from this, the profound citta and the great compassionate citta are the practices. Moreover, this straightforward citta is unfolded into ten cittas: first, the vast citta, meaning the vow to contemplate all dharmas as all being suchness; second, the extremely deep citta, meaning the vow to contemplate tathatā, requiring that one exhaust its very bedrock; third, the skillful means citta, meaning seeking and discerning the skillful means for approaching the real; fourth, the firm citta, meaning that even if one encounters extreme suffering or pleasure, this contemplating citta does not abandon it; fifth, the uninterrupted citta, meaning that in contemplating this true principle, one does not feel the time long even unto the exhaustion of the future; sixth, the subduing citta, meaning that if mindfulness is lost and kleśas temporarily arise, one immediately becomes aware and subdues them completely, causing the contemplating citta to continue; seventh, the clever citta, meaning that contemplating the true principle does not hinder the skillful cultivation of the myriad practices in accordance with phenomena; eighth, the non-dual citta, meaning that the myriad practices following phenomena and the single flavour of the true principle are integrated without duality; ninth, the unhindered citta, meaning that since principle and phenomena are complete and integrated without duality, phenomena, which are entirely principle, are furthermore caused to mutually identify and enter into one another; tenth, the round and luminous citta, meaning the sudden contemplation of the dharmadhātu, completely one and completely many, simultaneously manifesting without obstruction or hindrance. These ten cittas are fully endowed with principle and practice. Moreover, without principle, one cannot guide practice; without practice, one cannot accomplish principle. It can be said that in relying on the principle of tathatā, one accomplishes the practice of tathatā; not a single dharma can go beyond the nature and characteristics of vijñaptimātra. Thus we know that the one mind is the nature of the ten thousand dharmas, and the ten thousand dharmas are the characteristics of the one mind. Characteristics are the characteristics of nature, which is the many within the one. Nature is the nature of characteristics, which is the one within the many. If one does not understand nature, one also does not understand characteristics, and those characteristics are false. If one does not recognise characteristics, one also does not recognise nature, and that nature is isolated. One must penetrate both nature and characteristics; only then can one benefit both oneself and others. As the Śūraṅgamasūtra says: 'Illusory falsity is called characteristic; its nature is truly the luminous substance of wondrous awakening.' Therefore, if one clings biasedly to characteristics, one falls into falsity; if one rigidly relies on nature, one sinks into emptiness. Now, nature and characteristics are integrated and flowing, and the real and false interpenetrate; not falling into views of annihilation or permanence, one can accomplish the inexhaustible source. Thus we know that if one wishes to deeply reach the source of dharmas and wonderfully fathom the Buddha's intent, without superior faculties one cannot reach it; how could inferior capacities penetrate it? Therefore a verse in the Lotus Sūtra says: 'Such great fruit and retribution, / and various meanings of nature and characteristics, / only I and the Buddhas of the ten directions / can know these matters.' Furthermore, round and luminous understanding is the eyes, and correspondence between practice and understanding is the feet. Eyes and feet assisting each other, principle and practice supporting one another, one can head toward the realm of nirvāṇa and arrive at the cool pool. If samādhi and prajñā have not been perfumed, it is like a maṇi jewel hidden in ore; if nature and characteristics are not distinguished, it is like an ancient mirror unpolished. Wishing for rain of jewels or examining one's countenance, there is no such possibility. Once the wish-fulfilling jewel is purified and the mirror of citta just becomes bright, if one further perfumes and cultivates with the myriad practices, it becomes increasingly luminous and clean. As the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'Disciples of the Buddha, just as a goldsmith skillfully refines gold, repeatedly placing it in the fire, making it increasingly bright and pure, compliant, perfected, and usable at will; the bodhisattva is also like this: making offerings to all Buddhas and teaching sentient beings are all for cultivating the pure dharmas of the grounds, and all roots of goodness are dedicated to the ground of omniscience, becoming increasingly bright and pure, compliant, perfected, and usable at will.' Although polished and refined through the myriad practices, these are all practices of one's own dharma. As the ancient virtuous one said: 'All Buddha-deeds and boundless gates of transformation are all carried out based on the integration and transformation of one's own dharma.' That is, within one's own citta there is the greatness of the substance of tathatā; understanding its substance today brings forth the dharmakāya. Because within citta there is the greatness of the characteristics of tathatā; comprehending it today brings forth the sambhogakāya. Because within citta there is the greatness of the function of tathatā; cultivating it today brings forth the nirmāṇakāya. Even the ten pāramitās and all myriad practices as numerous as dust and sand are only brought forth from within one's own citta; not a single dharma has ever been attained or a single practice carried out outside citta. If one says that there is something newly attained from outside, that is the preaching of Māra kings and non-Buddhists.