宗鏡錄 79.27

79.27

Answer: Sentient and insentient beings each have two meanings. As for the birth and death of sentient beings: first, it is produced by the karmic power of sentient beings; second, it naturally arises from the nature of the dharmadhātu. As for the movement and turning of insentient beings: first, it is naturally so from the different dharmatās; second, it is the operation of dharma. As the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra says: The Buddha addressed Siṃhanāda Bodhisattva: "Good son, you say that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature, and that their attaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is like the lodestone [attracting iron]—excellent, excellent! Because there is the power of the cause and condition of Buddha-nature, they attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. If one says that there is no need to cultivate the noble path, this meaning is not correct. Good son, for instance, consider a man walking in a wilderness, exhausted with thirst, who comes upon a well. The well is extremely deep; although he does not see water, he should know it must be there. This person uses skillful means to search for it, and drawing it up with a jar and rope, he then sees it. Buddha-nature is also like this: although all sentient beings possess it, they must cultivate and accumulate the undefiled noble path, and only then do they attain seeing it. … Furthermore, for instance, when sentient beings create various karmas, whether good or evil, they are neither internal nor external. Such nature of karma is neither existent nor nonexistent, nor is it originally nonexistent and now existent; it does not emerge without cause; it is not that this one creates and this one receives, nor that this one creates and that one receives, nor that that one creates and that one receives; there is no creator and no receiver. When seasons and conditions harmonize, one obtains the retribution. The Buddha-nature of sentient beings is also like this: it is also not originally nonexistent and now existent, neither internal nor external, neither existent nor nonexistent, neither this nor that, not coming from another place, not without causes and conditions, nor is it that all sentient beings do not see it. There are bodhisattvas who, when the seasons, causes, and conditions harmonize, attain seeing it. As for 'seasons', it refers to the bodhisattva mahāsattvas of the ten abodes cultivating the eightfold noble path and attaining an equanimous mind toward all sentient beings; at that time they attain seeing it, which is not called 'creating'. Good son, what you said about being like a lodestone is not correct. Why? A stone does not attract iron. Why is this? Because it has no mind or karma. Good son, because a different dharma exists, a different dharma arises; because a different dharma is absent, a different dharma ceases and is destroyed; there is no creator and no destroyer. Good son, it is just as a fierce fire cannot burn firewood; when fire emerges and firewood is destroyed, it is called 'burning firewood'. Good son, for example, mallows and sunflowers turn following the sun; such mallows and sunflowers also have no reverent mind, no consciousness, and no karma; because of the different dharmatās, they turn on their own. Good son, for example, the plantain tree grows due to thunder; this tree has no ears, no citta, manas, or vijñāna; because a different dharma exists, a different dharma grows; because a different dharma is absent, a different dharma ceases and is destroyed. Good son, like the aśoka tree, when touched by a woman, blossoms burst forth; this tree has no mind and no tactile sensation; because a different dharma exists, a different dharma arises; because a different dharma is absent, a different dharma ceases and is destroyed. Good son, like an orange tree receiving a corpse, its fruit becomes plentiful; such an orange tree has no mind and no contact; because a different dharma exists, a different dharma becomes plentiful; because a different dharma is absent, a different dharma ceases and is destroyed. Good son, like the pomegranate tree, fertilized with brick, bone, and dung, its fruit flourishes abundantly; the pomegranate tree also has no mind or contact; because a different dharma exists, a different dharma arises; because a different dharma is absent, a different dharma ceases and is destroyed. Good son, the lodestone attracting iron is also like this: because a different dharma exists, a different dharma arises; because a different dharma is absent, a different dharma ceases and is destroyed. The Buddha-nature of sentient beings is also like this; it cannot attract anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Good son, ignorance cannot attract formations, nor can formations attract consciousness; yet it can be called ignorance conditioning formations, and formations conditioning consciousness. Whether there is a Buddha or no Buddha, the dharmadhātu constantly abides." Therefore, one knows that dharma by dharma lacks mind, and dust-object by dust-object is fundamentally quiescent. Quiescent, they constantly function; functioning, they are constantly quiescent. Dharmas lack mind yet follow conditions in forming and decaying; people lack mind yet all formations migrate and flow. Just as the plantain hears thunder and the mallow faces the sun, ignorance does not take hold of formations, and formations do not attract the conscious mind; thus, dharma and dharma do not reach one another, dharma and dharma do not know one another, dharma and dharma do not depend on one another, and dharma and dharma do not borrow from one another. They are all naturally so in their nature, because dharmas are like this. Therefore, the Vajrasamādhisūtra says: "Citta does not produce objects; objects do not produce citta. Why? Whatever objects are seen are only the seen citta." That is not reaching one another. A verse of the Avataṃsakasūtra says: "All dharmas have no activity, / Nor do they possess an intrinsic nature. / Therefore, all of them / Mutually do not know one another." That is not knowing one another. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: "All dharmas arise and cease without abiding, like an illusion, like lightning; all dharmas do not depend on one another, not even abiding for a single thought-moment." That is not depending on one another. The Baozang lun says: "Fire does not depend on the sun to be hot; wind does not depend on the moon to be cool. Hard rock stays in water; the celestial drum wanders in light. Light and dark are naturally so; dry and wet share the same quarter. If things do not even borrow from one another, how much less does the Dao?" That is not borrowing from one another. For instance, fire has heat as its nature, and wind has coolness as its nature; how could they rely on other conditions? The "celestial drum" is the sun; it constantly wanders in light, illuminating the four continents. When the sun rises, it is light; when the sun sets, it is dark; these are all naturally so, having nothing to do with deliberate creation. "Hard rock stays in water": although the stone stays in water, the water does not enter the stone; though in the same place, the stone is naturally dry and the water naturally wet. Therefore, one knows that dharma by dharma manifests the source, and dust-object by dust-object transcends dependence; then it is neither causes and conditions, nor is it spontaneous nature.