宗鏡錄 78.37

78.37

Answer: The Buddha asked the Nirgrantha: 'The sentient beings of the three realms such as Mātaṅga—have you ever heard how they died? Were they killed by bodily karma, or were they killed by mental karma?' The Nirgrantha said: 'Gautama, I once heard of old that through the rishi's mind of anger, he killed all those sentient beings by mental karma.' The Buddha said: 'By this my thesis is established: the three realms are citta-only, and there is no bodily or vocal karma. Why is this? Just as worldly people say, "Thieves burned the mountain forests, villages, and towns," but do not say, "Fire burned them." This meaning is likewise so: it is solely dependent on citta that wholesome and unwholesome karma are accomplished. Therefore a verse says: / "All phenomena take citta as their root, / All phenomena take citta as foremost; / Apart from citta there are no phenomena, / Body and speech are merely nominal expressions of citta." / The Tattvasiddhi-śāstra states: "If there were karma apart from citta, non-sentient things would also possess demerit and merit. If a wind collapsed a mountain and harmed sentient beings, the wind should have demerit. If it blew fragrant flowers so that they fell upon a stupa or monastery, it should also have merit. But this cannot be so. Therefore we know that apart from citta there is neither demerit nor merit." / Based on this textual evidence, demerit and merit are grounded in citta, and there is no bodily or vocal karma. What is called bodily and vocal karma is merely nominal; in reality it is mental karma, spoken of under the names of body and speech. The Huayan Huiyi states: 'Whenever there is seeing of self and seeing of other, all are the self-manifestation of a deluded mind. Why is this? As when seeing another wielding a sword to kill oneself, one should know that both other and self are produced from oneself, because apart from the mind that sees for itself, there is neither self nor other. Not only are self and other false manifestations of citta, but the swords and clubs wielded are also one's own citta. Why is this? Because apart from citta there are no actual swords or clubs. What is seen to be wielded consists only of the six sense-objects. Because one does not recognize the manifestations of one's own citta, upon seeing killing one is alarmed and frightened. If one realizes that it is only one's own citta, even if killing occurs, who worries and who fears? All arise due to the deluded mind, and therefore various things exist; the deluded mind ceases, and therefore various things cease to exist. Having recognized that they are merely false manifestations of citta, and that citta does not see citta, then both object and self are destroyed, and sorrow and joy are entirely stilled. Furthermore, acts of killing in a dream are likewise so. As it is said: "The worldly realm is ever like a dream, / Where existence and non-existence cannot be found." / The Ghanavyūhasūtra states: "Internal and external objects, / The realms traversed by citta, / Are all consciousness alone, / Perceived through confusion and delusion. / Herein there is no self, / Nor is there anything belonging to a self. / The killer, the killed, / The killing, and the instruments of killing— / All are objects of manovijñāna, / Discriminated in this way based on the ālayavijñāna."'"