宗鏡錄 80.25

80.25

Answer: Although sentient beings possess the direct cause (pradhāna-hetu), they lack the contributory conditions (pratyaya) and revealing cause (vyañjaka-hetu). Therefore, the *Sūtra of Complete Enlightenment* states: “To discern complete enlightenment before having transcended saṃsāra means that the very nature of complete enlightenment shares in that transmigration. To expect to escape saṃsāra in this way is impossible.” Hence, an ancient virtuous one wrote in verse: “The perfectly accomplished nature sinks into the ocean of consciousness; / Transmigrating like drifting tumbleweed.” Thus, tathatā and original enlightenment do not keep to their self-nature; because they are without a fixed nature, they merely revolve according to conditions. As it is said: “The dharmakāya transmigrates through the five destinies, and is therefore termed ‘sentient beings’.” One must stimulate it with skillful means, aid it with the illumination of wisdom, and assist it with good conditions; only when one sees it clearly does one escape the bondage of cognitive objects. As the commentary on the *Treatise on the Awakening of Faith* states: “Now, both the true and the false are spoken of in reliance on the one dharmadhātu-citta. For this citta originally possesses substance and function. The substance that is identical with function is entirely empty and quiescent; the function that is identical with substance is clearly aware. Because of delusion from time without beginning, in what is empty and quiescent, the sense-bases, body, and sense-objects firmly appear; and in what is aware, differentiated associations and thoughts profusely arise. Therefore the *Zhaolun* says: ‘The dharmakāya is hidden within the physical shell; true wisdom is concealed inside discursive thought.’ Yet the physical shell and discursive thoughts are fundamentally empty in substance; the empty, quiescent awareness is fundamentally unchanging. The unchanging truth fundamentally accords with conditions; the falsehood whose substance is empty fundamentally accomplishes phenomena. This is not due to deliberate contrivance; it is naturally so by the nature of dharmas.” The body and mind of sentient beings are currently just like this. It is precisely in reference to this meaning that the characteristics of defiled and pure conditions are clarified. The *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* states: “The Buddha addressed [him]: ‘Good son, as you have said, if an icchantika possesses the Buddha-nature, why does it not ward off the offenses of the hells? Good son, within an icchantika there is no Buddha-nature. Good son, it is like a king who hears the sound of a lute (kuṅghou). The sound is pure and wonderful, and his mind becomes attached to it; he rejoices in it and loves it, having no thought of parting from it. He then asked his minister: “Where does such a wonderful sound come from?” The minister answered: “Such a wonderful sound comes from the lute.” The king spoke again: “Bring that sound here!” At that time, the minister brought the lute and placed it before the king, saying: “Great King, you should know that this is the sound.” The king said to the lute: “Produce the sound! Produce the sound!” But the sound of the lute did not come forth. Then the Great King severed its strings, yet the sound still did not come forth. He took its leather and wood and tore them all apart, searching for the sound, but could not find it at all. Then the Great King was angered at the minister and said: “Why did you utter such a falsehood?” The minister addressed the king: “Obtaining sound is not done in this way. Only through a multitude of conditions and skillful means does the sound come forth.” The Buddha-nature of sentient beings is also like this: it has no abiding place. Through skillful means it can be seen; because it can be seen, one attains anuttarāsamyaksambodhi. As for icchantikas, because they do not see the Buddha-nature, how could they ward off the offenses of the three evil destinies? Good son, if an icchantika believes that there is the Buddha-nature, you should know that such a person will not go to the three evil destinies, and is also no longer called an icchantika. Because they do not believe that they themselves possess the Buddha-nature, they fall into the three evil destinies, and are therefore called icchantikas.’” Thus we know that although all sentient beings possess the direct cause, failing to obtain the revealing cause, they vainly sink into birth and death. Because they do not know, they resign themselves to being called base ordinary mortals; because they have not heard, they do not draw close to good spiritual friends. Their eye of wisdom being constantly deluded, how could they have the revealing cause? Constantly habituating evil conditions, how could they accomplish the root of good? Now, for those who have not heard, we broadly search the secret treasury to inspire faith; for those who do not know, we point directly to the source of the mind so that they may understand without obstruction; for those who have already heard, wisdom is brought forth and nourished by myriad goods; for those who already know, they preserve it single-mindedly, perfecting principle and practice. Possessing such profound benefit, how could one begrudge the length of the text? We universally hope that future sages will broadly and respectfully transmit it.