宗鏡錄 69.33.4

69.33.4

[When] you look around with your eyes, their gaze encompasses everything, yet like reflections in a mirror, it makes no separate analysis. Your consciousness in their midst successively marks and designates: 'This is Mañjuśrī; this is Pūrṇa; this is Maudgalyāyana; this is Subhūti; this is Śāriputra.' Does this cognizing consciousness arise from seeing? Does it arise from appearances? Does it arise from empty space? Or does it emerge abruptly without any cause? Ānanda, if the nature of your consciousness were to arise from seeing: if there were no light or dark, nor form or void, these four definitely being absent, there would originally be no seeing of yours. When even the nature of seeing does not exist, from what could consciousness arise? If the nature of your consciousness were to arise from appearances and not from seeing, then since you would see neither light nor dark, and light and dark were not observed, there would be no form or void. When those appearances do not even exist, from what could consciousness arise? If it arose from empty space, it would be neither appearance nor seeing. Being not seeing, it would lack discernment and naturally could not know light, dark, form, or void; being not appearance, conditions would be extinguished, and seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing would have nowhere to be established. Placed between these two negatives, if it were void, it would be identical to nothingness; if it were existent, it would not be the same as physical things. Even if your consciousness were to arise, what would it seek to discern? If it emerged abruptly without any cause, why do you not distinguish the bright moon at midday? Examine this even more minutely; scrutinize it subtly and carefully. Seeing relies on your pupils; appearances are referred to the objective realm before you. What can be given shape becomes existent; what lacks shape becomes non-existent. From what do such conditions for consciousness arise? Consciousness is active while seeing is still; they are neither blended nor combined. Hearing, listening, feeling, and knowing are also like this. The conditions for consciousness cannot arise of themselves from nowhere. If this conscious mind originally comes from nowhere, you should know that the discriminating seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing are fully perfect and serene, their nature having no source of origin. Together with earth, water, fire, and wind, they are collectively called the seven elements. Their natures are truly harmonious and merged, all being the tathāgatagarbha, fundamentally without arising or ceasing. Ānanda, your mind is coarse and superficial, and fails to realize that the manifests and cognitions of seeing and hearing are fundamentally the tathāgatagarbha. You should observe this conscious mind of the six places: is it identical or different? Is it empty or existent? Is it neither identical nor different? Is it neither empty nor existent? Originally, you did not know that within the tathāgatagarbha, the nature of consciousness is luminous knowing, and the luminosity of awakening is the true consciousness, wonderfully awake, tranquil, and serene, completely pervading the dharmadhātu, containing and emitting the ten directions of emptiness—how could it have a fixed location? It manifests according to karma. Worldly people in their ignorance mistake it for causes and conditions or a spontaneous nature; these are all the discriminations and reckonings of the conscious mind. They are mere words, completely devoid of real meaning.' Explanation: This refutes the nature of the consciousness element. Carefully examining the Buddha's intent, it fundamentally accords with the unarisen. But because sentient beings are solely deluded by false consciousness, with their turbid and agitated nature they give rise to parikalpita (imaginative construction) within the source of awakening, follow defiled conditions, and submerge the pariniṣpanna (consummated nature) in the sea of consciousness. Asleep in the dream-house of the three realms, through a single awakening they still do not sober up through dust-eons. Forming phantom bodies of the four great elements, their arising and ceasing cannot be counted even by the sands of the Ganges. Now, examining this consciousness, it decidedly has no substance. Arising from conditions, all accords with the unarisen. When investigated through the four propositions, it naturally contains a subtle principle. 'Does this cognizing consciousness arise from seeing?' If there were no light, dark, form, or void, there would originally be no nature of seeing. When even the nature of seeing does not exist, from what could consciousness arise? This refutes arising from self. 'Does it arise from appearances?' If it did not arise from seeing, then it would not see dark or light. When light and dark are not observed, there is no form or void. When those appearances do not even exist, from what could consciousness arise? This refutes arising from other. Having obtained neither the nature of seeing oneself nor the contemplation of other appearances, self and other being unreal, there is no combination. Therefore it examines: 'Seeing relies on your pupils; appearances are referred to the objective realm before you. What can be given shape becomes existent; what lacks shape becomes non-existent. From what do such conditions for consciousness arise? Consciousness is active while seeing is still; they are neither blended nor combined. Hearing, listening, feeling, and knowing are also like this.' Because the active and the still conflict with each other, functionally they cannot combine. This refutes arising from both. 'Does it arise from empty space? Or does it emerge abruptly without any cause?' If it arose from empty space, it would be neither appearance nor seeing; even if your consciousness were to arise, what would it seek to discern? If it emerged abruptly without any cause, why do you not distinguish the bright moon at midday? The sun belongs to the morning light; the moon holds the yin spirit. Their times, hours, and moments have not shifted from past to present; each has its cause. Without a cause, nothing exists. This refutes uncaused arising. As soon as the four propositions are emptied, all hundred negations are completely eliminated. Then all clinging to false reckonings—internal causes and external conditions, the blending of mind and matching of realm, uncaused spontaneity, and so forth—these dust-like passions of delusion are all devoid of real meaning. The traces and shadows of mad flowers are entirely unreal; why wait for what is untrue? The words and expressions of conceptual proliferation suddenly cease, and intellectual understanding completely dissolves. Since the nature of empty space is merged, how could the substance of the six elements exist? For the earth element has no self-nature, being formed of the four disks; the water element has no self-nature, congealing and flowing without fixity; the fire element has no self-nature, lodging in various conditions; the wind element has no self-nature, displaying motion by adhering to things; the space element has no self-nature, deriving its name in contrast to form; the nature of seeing depends on conditions, existing through harmony and combination; and the nature of consciousness has no substance, being unreal just like a phantom. Furthermore, as for the fire element having no self-nature: as the Śūraṅgamasūtra says, 'The nature of fire is true emptiness.' An ancient commentary explains: 'Nature' is the nature of original awakening; 'fire' is the fire of original awakening. Both are transformations of sentient beings' minds. For example, when the mind of the sixth consciousness grows hot, the entire body becomes cramped; if it is transformed and arisen from within the eighth consciousness, it pervades and is identical to the dharmadhātu. Awakening to the nature of the dharmadhātu, all is fire transformed within my own mind. For instance, Dharma Master Chonghui of the Western Capital, during the fourth year of the Dali era, contended with Daoists in the capital and was able to enter fire without being burned; this was through seeking the power of Avalokiteśvara. How much more so for one's own realization! After attaining realization, entering even into the hells, one will not be burned. Present worldly fire manifests according to place, responding to the karma of sentient beings, greater or lesser as intended. For example, when dragons fight, they also generate fire that burns forests and marshes, down to the lightning-fire in the clouds. And when a person's lustful mind flares up, fire burns celestial shrines. All arise from the fire of the mind. Because the mind is agitated, fire arises; if only the mind does not move, one will not be burned.