宗鏡錄 80.21

80.21

The answer states: 'Precisely because this dharmakāya is the substance of form, it can manifest in form. That is to say, from the beginning, form and citta have been non-dual. Because the nature of form is precisely wisdom, the substance of form has no shape and is called the wisdom-body. Because the nature of wisdom is precisely form, it is called the dharmakāya, omnipresent in all places.' Now we take the meaning of the mutual identity and mutual fusion of the two natures to explain it, that is all. The Baimen yihai says: 'To awaken to the dust-objects and all dharmas as lacking self-nature from conditions is called the buddha-nature. The sūtra says: "The buddha-seed of the three times takes non-nature as its nature. Anywhere, following the comprehension of non-nature, that is precisely the buddha-nature." It does not exist because of sentient beings, nor is it absent because of insentient things. Now, when speaking solely of sentient beings, this is to admonish people everywhere to become vessels, constantly seeing clearly in a single hair or minute tip that all principles and phenomena are nothing other than the tathāgata-nature; this is to open up the merits of the arising of the tathāgata-nature, and is called the buddha-nature.' From this we know that the six destinies and four modes of birth, the mountains, rivers, and the great earth, sentient and insentient, all share the same one nature. It is as the World-Honoured One proclaimed three times in his final instruction, the chapter on 'Exhausting All Responses and Returning to the Source'. Moreover, the sūtra says: 'At that time, after the World-Honoured One had entered the various dhyānas in direct and reverse order, he universally addressed the great assembly: "With my profound prajñā, I have universally contemplated the three realms, all the six destinies, the various mountains and the great ocean, and the living beings of the great earth. Such three realms are fundamentally free in their nature, completely quiescent, identical to the characteristic of empty space, without name and without consciousness, forever cutting off all existences, originally equal without thoughts of high or low, without seeing and without hearing, without perceiving and without knowing, unable to be bound, unable to be liberated, without sentient beings, without lifespan, neither born nor arising, neither exhausting nor ceasing, neither worldly nor unworldly. Both nirvāṇa and saṃsāra are ungraspable, because the two limits are equal, equal to all dharmas. Dwelling in leisure and abiding in stillness, without anything to put into operation, an ultimate establishment is utterly ungraspable. Acting from non-abiding dharmas and the dharma-nature, cutting off all characteristics, there is completely nothing at all. The characteristics of dharmas are like this. One who knows this is called a supramundane person; not knowing this matter is called the beginning of saṃsāra. You in the great assembly should sever avidyā and extinguish the beginning of saṃsāra." He also addressed the great assembly again: "With my mahāprajñā, I have universally contemplated the sentient and insentient of the three realms, all persons and dharmas; they are all utterly ultimate, without one who is bound, without one who is liberated, without lord and without reliance, unable to be grasped or held, neither departing from the three realms nor entering into the various existences, originally pure, without defilement, without kleśa, equal to empty space, neither equal nor unequal; exhausting all moving thoughts, conceptual citta ceases. Such characteristics of dharmas are called great nirvāṇa. Truly seeing this dharma is called liberation; ordinary beings who do not know it are said to have avidyā." Having spoken these words, he entered the leap-over dhyāna again, emerging from the first dhyāna up to entering the cessation absorption, and emerging from the cessation absorption down to entering the first dhyāna. Having thus entered the leap-over dhyāna in direct and reverse order, he again addressed the great assembly: "With my buddha-eye, I have universally contemplated all dharmas of the three realms: the original limit of avidyā is fundamentally liberated in its nature. Seeking it in the ten directions, it is completely ungraspable; because the root is non-existent, the dependent branches and leaves are all liberated. Because avidyā is liberated, up to old age and death are all liberated. Due to these causes and conditions, I now abide in the light of constant extinction and quiescence, which is called great nirvāṇa."' As for the inconceivable text of the three proclamations from the true, compassionate Father's vast, great mind of compassion above, if anyone encounters this teaching, they should break their bones for pens, peel their skin for paper, and pierce their blood for ink to copy it down, never forgetting it even for a brief moment, nor losing illumination for a single kṣaṇa. Moreover, as the first passage says: 'Universally contemplate the three realms, all the six destinies, the various mountains and the great ocean, and the living beings of the great earth. Such three realms are fundamentally free in their nature, completely quiescent.' The second passage says: 'Universally contemplate the sentient and insentient of the three realms, all persons and dharmas; they are all utterly ultimate.' The third passage says: 'Universally contemplate all dharmas of the three realms: the original nature of avidyā is fundamentally liberated in its nature.' Therefore, throughout the entire dharmadhātu and across all the ten directions, whether sentient or insentient, whether possessing nature or lacking nature, the mountains, rivers, the great earth, grasses, mustard seeds, humans, and animals do not exist within the three realms, do not depart from the three realms, do not follow saṃsāra, and do not abide in nirvāṇa; all are identical with the wondrous nature of the one-mind tathatā. Believing and understanding in this way, one enters the ekayāna suddenly. There is no other secret text that can surpass this principle. Any explanation apart from this is an expedient arrangement, enticing, guiding, and supporting beings so that all return to the mirror of the source.