宗鏡錄 81.3

81.3

Answer: If we speak of adornment, it is nothing other than the two activities of merit and wisdom. Among the six pāramitās, the first five are the karma of meritorious virtue, and the final prajñā is the karma of wisdom. Among the first five karmas of meritorious virtue, the single gate of dhyāna-concentration is the utmost pivot. This was explained broadly earlier; now it will be stated once again. The single gate of dhyāna-concentration compiled in this Mirror of the Source is expounded purely according to the source; among all concentrations it is acclaimed as the foremost. It is named the King Samādhi, universally gathering the various gates, encompassing the origins of practice, and crowning the ocean of wisdom. It is also named the concentration of no-mind, because it accords with the Way. It is also named the inconceivable concentration, because emotional perception and wisdom are beyond dualistic relativity. It is also named the tathatā samādhi, because it is the root of the myriad practices. It is also named the one-practice samādhi, because a single thought is the dharmadhātu. It is also named the vajra samādhi, because it is constantly unshakable. It is also named the dharma-nature samādhi, because it is eternally changeless. The ocean of wisdom-radiance and the measureless contemplative practices of all Buddhas are all born from this. If one does not embody this principle, it is not the wisdom of a Buddha. By means of this Buddha-wisdom, one realizes this fundamental principle: the principle does not depend on illumination but is naturally understood; wisdom must rely on principle to accomplish illumination. As for the original enlightenment nature-wisdom, its nature is naturally understood; by means of the equality-nature wisdom, one understands the fundamental nature. Therefore we know that the principle has neither rise nor fall, but is silent illumination and spiritual awareness. Broadening it depends on the person; awakenings have earlier and later, and persons have their share of illumination. Efficacy arises from the principle; if one loses the principle, one loses illumination. One must see this principle, only then becoming a Buddha. This principle is simply the one mind, universally including the myriad existences. Sudden awakening and sudden cultivation have no further gradual steps. For those who do not yet understand and have not entered, many gates are divided out within the dharma of the one mind, and its meanings are expounded like the Ganges' sands, even unto infinity. Therefore a gāthā in the Lotus Sūtra says: 'Those of little wisdom delight in lesser dharmas / and do not believe they themselves can become Buddhas; / therefore, by expedient means, / I discriminatively preach the various fruits.' For this reason, that faith in mind is Buddha rarely meets with receptive capacity. It is the fundamental purpose for which all Buddhas appeared in the world, the correct intention of the ancestral masters coming from the west. From ancient times, when past virtuous ones once heard the words 'the immediate mind is Buddha', the root of doubt was completely severed at once: some, wishing to transmit the lamp to future successors, then sat in the bodhimaṇḍa; others, delighting in quenching [mental ash] and freeing their minds, dwelt in deep araṇyas. As for those whose obstructions are dense and faith is thin, who only think of rushing outward in search—those who follow another's mind are like parrots, and those who borrow another's eyes are like jellyfish: as soon as non-faith arises, a mind of slander springs up. Now I broadly cite, comprehensively investigate, probe subtleties, and summarize essentials, hoping to verify and accomplish future students so that they are determined and free from doubt, suddenly awakening to their own minds, which is the wondrous track for becoming a Buddha. If we speak of the benefit of the Dharma, its merit is boundless; space may be measured, but this purport can never be exhausted. Therefore the Tiantai teaching says: 'If a person wishes to attain all Buddha dharmas, marks and signs, deportment, voices of preaching the Dharma, and ten-directional fearlessness, they should practice this one-practice samādhi. Diligently practicing without remiss, they will be able to enter it. Like a maṇi jewel, as it is polished, so it radiates light, realizing inconceivable merit.' As for the one-practice samādhi: one binds the object to the dharmadhātu; in one thought is the dharmadhātu; one has faith that all dharmas are Buddha dharmas, without before or after, without any further boundaries; one dwells where Buddhas dwell, dwelling as all Buddhas dwell, resting peacefully in the quiescent dharmadhātu, within the secret treasury. Then principle is nowhere unfulfilled, and phenomena are nowhere deficient. Therefore it is called secret, and also named dhāraṇī. In ultimate refuge, it benefits both self and others. Why does it benefit both? Because of equality. Why is it equal? Because of marklessness. As a gāthā in the Sūtra on Entering the Buddha's Realm says: 'Entering the various markless concentrations, / one sees all dharmas as quiescent; / because one constantly enters equality, / one reverently pays homage to that which has nothing to be observed.' Furthermore, all dharmas have phenomena and have principle; they possess substance and possess function; one must not cling to one side, running contrary to this complete vehicle. Taking the concentration of self-nature as principle and utilizing the concentration induced [by practice] as phenomena: because of phenomena, principle is revealed, and principle is then manifest; because of principle, phenomena are accomplished, and phenomena are then complete. With the true principle of nature and the empty phenomena of characteristics, substance and function mutually penetrate, concealed and manifest at the same time, proceeding in twin without obstruction, able to accord with the mirror of the source. If one only cultivates phenomenal concentration, one merely accumulates worldly dhyāna; although it is called cultivation, it still gives rise to evil thoughts. Because one does not restrain the ground of intention and has not severed its origin, one is refined and polished over long kalpas only to sink back into the paths of suffering. Therefore the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra says: 'Although all ordinary beings guard their bodies and minds, they still give rise to three kinds of evil thoughts. The three evil thoughts are thoughts of desire, thoughts of malice, and thoughts of harm. Because of covetous desire, anger and malice arise; due to anger and malice, they then commit injury.' Now, cultivating practice toward the Way is originally to transcend the mud of the five desires; conversely seeking profit, support, fame, and reputation is like treading on ground with venomous serpents. Even persons who cultivate dhyāna-concentration and mind-guarding are still broken and destroyed by external conditions, vitarka, and vicāra—how much more so persons who indulge their emotions and are dissolute! Therefore know that day and night they are constantly burned by the fire of kleśas and desires, and harmed by the bandit-enemies of vitarka and vicāra. Thus Udraka Rāmaputra, with worldly wisdom, suppressed the delusions of the lower planes, attained the concentration of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, and possessed the five supernormal knowledges. The contemporary ruler revered him and invited him to the palace for offerings. Every time Udraka Rāmaputra came and went, he rode his supernormal knowledges to attend the palace offerings. The king, being out on an inspection tour, ordered his beloved daughter to offer to Rāmaputra according to the previous protocol. The royal daughter respectfully and delicately received his feet and paid homage. Udraka Rāmaputra touched the daughter's body and hands; due to this, greed arose, thoughts of desire were produced, and he subsequently lost his supernormal knowledges. Having finished his meal, he deceitfully devised a different plan, saying to the royal daughter: 'Previously, whenever I came and went, I always rode supernormal knowledges. The people of the state wished to pay respect, but had no way to see me. Now, having finished eating, I wish to walk back so that all the people in the country may see me.' The royal daughter, taking this to be true, escorted him out of the pavilion gates, and he walked on foot back to the mountain. Having lost his supernormal knowledges, his feelings were vexed and discontented. Sitting upright in the forest groves, he purified his resolve to settle in dhyāna. In the forest, birds chirped with clamorous noise and disturbances; for a long time he could not attain concentration. He moved near a pond to settle and seek dhyāna; the fish swimming in the pond startled and disturbed his dhyāna thoughts, and again he could not attain concentration. Due to this, anger arose, thoughts of malice were produced, and he then made an evil vow: 'May I, in my future life, assume the body of a winged otter, going up into trees to harm birds and entering water to eat fish, repaying the enmity of fish and birds, swearing never to let them go!' Due to this, thoughts of harm then arose and manifested. Again he moved to a different place, dedicated his resolve to practicing dhyāna, and after a long time attained concentration, realizing the samādhi of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as before. After his life ended, he was born in the heaven of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, subject to karma experienced in the next life, receiving the vipāka fruit for eighty thousand great kalpas. When the eighty thousand kalpas were fulfilled, subject to karma experienced in subsequent lives, he fulfilled his former evil vow and was born in the desire realm with the body of an otter, also called the body of a flying leopard-cat. Wherever he went, he completely devoured all living things traversing water, land, and air. Therefore a sūtra says: 'Although one severs kleśas and is born in the station of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, one still falls back into the three evil paths'—which is this meaning. Therefore one must first enter the mirror of the source and master the one mind as the root of the myriad practices; only then, when merit and wisdom adorn [oneself], will one not waste the journey of effort and will never regress. If one attains its purport, great wisdom is fully illuminated; if one attains its phenomenal aspect, great function is accomplished. Like the lion's pounce, it matures the sentient beings of the dharmadhātu; like the elephant king's turning, it inspires the conscious beings of the ten directions. Therefore the Huayan Treatise says: 'The lion-sprint samādhi universally identifies with the thoughts and notions of all sentient beings in the worlds of the ten directions, functioning to mature them; functioning greatly without contrivance is the meaning of sprinting.' Entering the mirror of the source, all things are completely round, and outside the mirror not a single dharma can be attained. As the Sūtra of the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching says: 'Therefore all of you should properly restrain the mind; restraining it in one place, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. If you do not restrain the mind, there is no possibility [of success].' As soon as a single thought arises, birth and death are like smoke: boarding the boat of the five aggregates and six sense entrances, one constructs the dens and dwellings of the twelve classes [of beings]. For instance, from a single deluded thought, the twelve classes are formed. Sense organs and dusts face each other, consciousness is generated, and karma is created. Conditioned by form, there is emotion; when seeing, conception arises. On these two dharmas of emotion and conception, each gives rise to four marks: from emotion arise (1) possessing form, (2) without form, (3) neither possessing form, and (4) nor without form; from conception arise (1) possessing conception, (2) without conception, (3) neither possessing conception, and (4) nor without conception. Womb-born beings exist due to emotion; egg-born beings are born of conception; the joining of emotion and conception makes moisture-born beings; the parting of emotion and conception makes apparitional transformation. Without form upon emotion is void, dispersed, dissolved, and sunk; without conception upon conception is earth, wood, stumps, and stakes. Although these two belong to the insentient, they are both transformed from consciousness. If a single thought does not arise, all classes are severed. Therefore the Inscription on Faith in Mind says: 'If the mind does not differentiate, the myriad dharmas are one suchness; if the eyes do not sleep, all dreams are naturally removed.' It is also said: 'For instance, moving the eyes can shake still water; because of tired eyes observing water, one sees the water moving. If the eyes do not blink, the pond water does not shake. If deluded views are removed, there are also no marks of the generation and destruction of grasses and trees.' If raising the eyes one sees form, it is due to the presence of the form aggregate; raising the body one experiences pain and pleasure, due to the presence of the feeling aggregate; raising the mind there is immediate distraction, due to the presence of the perception aggregate; raising the eyes one sees arising and ceasing, due to the presence of the formations aggregate; the place of pure brightness, still and unshaken, is the consciousness aggregate. Furthermore, if one knows all over when pierced by a needle throughout the body, without carrying discrimination, this is the consciousness aggregate; if there is sequential discrimination, then it is the remaining consciousnesses' aggregate. Therefore know that as soon as a single thought arises, the five aggregates are born together; when subtle consciousness is not yet extinguished, the six dusts are not destroyed. If the lamp of the meaning of consciousness-only constantly shines, how could delusion arise? If the wisdom-mirror of the one mind is eternally bright, the purport will never be obscured.