宗鏡錄 81.5

81.5

Answer: If one does not rely on the one mind, those who seek the Great Vehicle will have endless doubts. An ancient worthy said: Those who seek the Great Vehicle have two doubts. Is the substance of the Great Vehicle's dharma one, or is it many? If it is one, then there are no different dharmas; because there are no different dharmas, there are no sentient beings—for whose sake would a bodhisattva give rise to vast vows? If it is many dharmas, then they are not one substance; because they are not one substance, self and other are distinct—how could great compassion of identical substance arise? Due to this doubt and confusion, they are unable to generate the mind [of bodhi]. Now, in order to dispel these two doubts, the dharma of the one mind is established, opening the two gates of tathatā and arising-and-ceasing, substance and function. Establishing the dharma of the one mind dispels the first doubt, clarifying that the Great Vehicle dharma is solely the one mind; outside the one mind, there are no other dharmas. There is only ignorance deluding one's own one mind, giving rise to waves that transmigrate through the six destinies. Although the waves of the six destinies arise, they do not go beyond the ocean of the one mind. Truly, because the one mind moves to make the six destinies, one can give rise to vast vows. Because the six destinies do not go beyond the one mind, one can give rise to great compassion of identical substance. Thus, by relying on the one mind, one can dispel the two doubts, be able to generate the great mind, and fully accomplish the Buddha Path. The Huayan yanyi ji states: Explaining the contemplation of the Tathāgata's dharmakāya, one first contemplates the arising of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's subtle practices and vows. Next, one should empower body and mind with the three mysteries; then one can enter Mañjuśrī's ocean of great wisdom. However, at the very beginning of practice, in an empty and quiet place, one gathers mindfulness and settles the mind, closes the eyes, straightens the body, and sits cross-legged. One moves the mind to universally encompass boundless oceans of kṣetras, clearly contemplating all tathāgatas of the three times, and before each and every buddha and bodhisattva, diligently and reverently makes prostrations and circumambulates. Furthermore, with ocean-clouds of various offerings, one offers them to all such holy assemblies. Having made vast offerings, one should again contemplate one's own mind: the mind is originally unborn, perfected in its own nature, its bright illumination shining everywhere like empty space. Again, one should deeply give rise to thoughts of compassion, pitying sentient beings who do not understand their own mind and transmigrate through the various realms: 'I shall universally transform and rescue them, causing them to awaken, completely without remainder.' Again, one should contemplate that one's own mind, the minds of all sentient beings, and the minds of all buddhas are originally without difference, being equal in a single characteristic, accomplishing great bodhi, crystalline and pure, expansive and omnipresent, fully bright and luminous, forming a great moon disc whose measure equals empty space, without any boundary. Therefore, defiled and pure realms, great and small dharma gates, up to the six pāramitās and myriad practices, all appear from the minds of ordinary beings and sages. Hence the sūtra says: 'Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, with undefiled minds, manifestly see the unconditioned tathatā dharmadhātu; with sovereign minds, they manifest birth in the three realms in order to teach and transform those sentient beings.' Also, a sūtra says: 'Relying on their own false, defiled mind, sentient beings are defiled; relying on their own naturally pure mind, sentient beings are pure.' The Sarvadharmāpravṛttinirdeśasūtra states: 'Although praising the generation of the bodhi-mind, they know that the nature of mind is itself bodhi. Although praising Mahāyāna sūtras, they know that all dharmas are the great characteristic. Although speaking of the bodhisattva path, they do not make distinctions between arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and buddhas. Although praising giving, they penetrate the equal characteristic of giving. Although praising the observation of precepts, they understand that all dharmas are equally the nature of precepts. Although praising patience, they know the unarisen, unceasing, and inexhaustible characteristic of all dharmas. Although praising vigor, they know the uninitiated and unpracticed characteristic of all dharmas. Although praising dhyāna concentration in various ways, they know the constantly concentrated characteristic of all dharmas. Although praising wisdom in various ways, they understand the true nature of wisdom. Although speaking of the faults of greedy desire, they do not see any dharma that can be craved. Although speaking of the faults of anger, they do not see any dharma that can be resented. Although speaking of the faults of folly, they know that all dharmas are free from folly and obstruction. Although showing sentient beings the suffering of fear of falling into the three evil paths, they do not apprehend the characteristics of hells, hungry ghosts, or animals.' Such bodhisattvas, although speaking through the power of expedient means in accordance with what sentient beings can faithfully understand, themselves faithfully understand the dharma of a single characteristic. Therefore, know that there are no dharmas outside the mind, remaining unmoved in the primary truth. For those who do not yet believe, although they speak of various paths through the power of expedient means, it is truly for the One Vehicle. Therefore, Prajñā says that all dharmas are the Mahāyāna, and none fail to convey [beings]. The Viśeṣacintā states: Understanding all dharmas is the omnipresent practice of bodhisattvas. The Huayan states: Entering the dharmadhātu without moving from the Jetavana. The Vimalakīrti states: In a single thought, knowing all dharmas to be the site of awakening. Therefore, know that a single dharma is fully complete, leaving nothing unincluded; this may be called perfecting bodhi and accomplishing the Buddha Path. Even when seeing realms while sitting in meditation and various demonic occurrences arise, simply understanding the one mind causes the realms to naturally vanish. This may be called the marvelous technique for subduing māras, the efficacious prescription for curing delusion: without straining the mental spirit, one peacefully enters the path. The Awakening of Faith says: 'Those who cultivate śamatha abide in a quiet place, sit cross-legged, straighten the body, and correct their intention. They do not rely on breath, do not rely on physical form, do not rely on empty space, do not rely on earth, water, fire, or wind, and even do not rely on seeing, hearing, perceiving, or knowing. All conceptualizing thoughts are eliminated, and even the thought of elimination is dispelled, because all dharmas are unborn, unceasing, and without characteristics. The previous mind relies on the object to abandon the object; the subsequent thought relies on the mind to again abandon the mind. Because the mind runs after external objects, one gathers it to abide within the internal mind; later, one further transcends the mind, not grasping at mental characteristics, because apart from tathatā, nothing can be apprehended. Up to when demonic events appear before one, one reflects that all of them are thoughts, which vanish in an instant; distancing from all characteristics, one enters the samādhi of tathatā. When mental characteristics are separated from, true characteristics also vanish.' The Da cheng qi xin lun shu explains: 'Whether true or false, they are merely realms of direct perception of one's own false mind, without reality; hence there is nothing to cling to. Furthermore, whether true or false, they are all the one tathatā, all the one dharmakāya, without difference; hence they are not cut off.' Therefore, simply understanding the one mind and not forgetting correct mindfulness causes all realms to naturally vanish. This may be called severing [them] at the very thought—how could it require laborious practice? This is the exact purport from the West, the correct source of all buddhas. Complete faith and complete cultivation are not like provisional and gradual [teachings]: one immediately gains power, like a lion seizing a man, or like a treasure vessel of a king accomplished in a single strike. It may be called equally bestowing the high and broad great carriage, all granting the Tathāgata's equal nirvāṇa—how could it be the same as the dharmas relished by the impoverished, the inferior vehicles? If someone does not believe in this correct meaning of the Mirror of the Source, but instead falls into perverse thoughts, following the provisional and clinging to expedient means while remaining deluded about the real and true, it is like trading gold for brass, or exchanging a phoenix for a mountain pheasant. Such blind fools err in having no eyes. It is like a man of old riding a horse with a golden sash at his waist: seeing someone riding a donkey wearing a donkey's braided strap, he asked, 'Which of these is valuable?' That person replied, 'The donkey's strap is extremely valuable,' and so he traded it. Those who abandon the correct Dharma for sights and sounds are just like this.