宗鏡錄 81.7

81.7

Answer: What is called "arousing" is actually having nothing to arouse. Never is there bodhi apart from the mind, nor is there mind apart from bodhi. The *Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra* says: "Within bodhi, mind cannot be found; within mind, bodhi cannot be found either. Apart from bodhi, mind cannot be found; apart from mind, bodhi cannot be found either." It further says that if one claims to see that there is bodhi and grasps it as an attainment, one should know that such persons are arrogant (abhimānika). If one can have faith and understanding like this, only then is one a person who truly arouses bodhi. The *Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra* says: "If a bodhisattva knows that the mind's nature is itself bodhi and can arouse the great bodhicitta, this is called a bodhisattva." Moreover, Bodhisattva Anutpāda says: "Knowing that all phenomena have nothing to arouse, one arouses the bodhicitta." However, in the tathatā that is realized, there is no wisdom outside of suchness, yet it can arouse wondrous wisdom; there is no suchness outside of wisdom. Illuminating both and negating both, neither preserved nor obliterated: they are non-dual and yet dual, so that principle and wisdom seem distinct; they are dual and yet non-dual, so that subject and object are both quiescent. This, then, is the bodhi of the one mind, the root of the myriad practices. Once one can penetrate this, benefiting others is natural. When one exercises great compassion of the same substance, how could there be subject and object? Through the expedient means of non-attainment, who establishes self and other? The *Mohe zhiguan* says: "One who arouses the true and upright bodhicitta has already deeply recognized the inconceivable object. Knowing that one suffering is all suffering, one grieves for oneself over past suffering that arose from delusion: indulging in crude, vile sights and sounds, letting loose body, speech, and mind, committing unwholesome karma, revolving in the evil destinies, and suffering various burning afflictions. Body afflicted, mind afflicted, one brought harm upon oneself. And now one is again entangled in the cocoon of craving and harmed by the lamp of delusion. For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, how painful it has been! Even if one wishes to abandon the three evil paths and delights in the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, practicing merit with a mind attached to appearances, it is like bartering in a marketplace: on the contrary, it adds further guilt. It is like a fish entering the mouth of a trap, or a moth rushing into a flame. With wild scheming and perverse cunning, the more one is deluded, the further one strays. Being thirsty, one drinks more saltwater; bound by dragon's whiskers, one suffers more pain upon entering the water; strapped with rawhide, it tightens all the more when facing the sun; blind, one enters a thorn forest; drowning, one plunges into a whirlpool. Holding a blade or embracing a torch, how could the pain be described? The tiger's tail and the serpent's head inspire dread and trembling. Thinking thus of oneself, one grieves for others as well. Suppose someone escapes by a narrow road, rebelling from an enemy country: having undergone all kinds of hardship, fainting and reviving, they arrive at an impoverished village, hire themselves out for daily wages, lodge in a thatched hut, refuse to go forward, delight in menial tasks, and are devoid of faith and understanding. How lamentable, how strange! Pondering both oneself and others, choked with grief for oneself and others, one immediately gives rise to great compassion and raises two vows: 'Sentient beings are boundless, I vow to deliver them; afflictions are boundless, I vow to cut them off.' Although knowing that sentient beings are like empty space, one vows to deliver sentient beings who are like empty space. Although knowing that afflictions are non-existent, one vows to cut off afflictions that are non-existent. Although knowing that sentient beings are extremely numerous, one delivers the many, many sentient beings. Although knowing that afflictions have no boundary or bottom, one cuts off bottomless afflictions. Although knowing that the suchness of sentient beings is like the suchness of the buddhas, one delivers sentient beings who are like the suchness of the buddhas. Although knowing that afflictions are identical to the real mark, one cuts off afflictions that are identical to the real mark. Why? If one only removes the cause of suffering and the fruit of suffering, this vow is mixed with poison; therefore one must contemplate emptiness. If one contemplates emptiness exclusively, then one sees no sentient beings to deliver; this is called being attached to emptiness, which the buddhas cannot convert. If one exclusively sees sentient beings to deliver, one falls into the great compassion of craving and views, which is not the path of liberation. Now, being neither poisoned nor false, it is called 'true'; being neither on the side of emptiness nor on the side of existence, it is called 'upright'. Like a bird flying through the sky, it never dwells in the sky; although it does not dwell in the sky, its tracks cannot be traced. Delivering while empty, empty while delivering: therefore one vows to contend with empty space. Thus it is called truly and uprightly arousing the bodhicitta—this is what it means. Furthermore, recognizing the inconceivable mind, one joyful mind is all joyful minds. Although I and sentient beings sought joy in the past, we did not know the causes of joy: like clutching broken tiles and rubble and calling them wish-fulfilling jewels, or mistakenly pointing at the glow of a firefly and calling it the sun and moon. Only now do we begin to understand. Therefore one gives rise to great loving-kindness and raises two vows: 'Dharma gates are immeasurable, I vow to know them; the Buddha path is supreme, I vow to attain it.' Although knowing that the Dharma gates are eternally quiescent like space, one vows to practice that which is eternally quiescent like space. Although knowing that bodhi is non-existent, within non-existence I nevertheless seek it. Although knowing that the Dharma gates are like space and non-existent, one vows to paint and adorn empty space. Although knowing that the Buddha path is neither accomplished nor to be accomplished, it is like planting a tree in empty space, causing it to blossom and bear fruit. Although knowing that the Dharma gates and the Buddha fruit are neither to be cultivated nor not to be cultivated, one cultivates; neither to be realized nor to be attained, through non-realization and non-attainment one realizes and attains. This is named 'true' because it is not false or poisoned, and named 'upright' because it is neither empty nor involved with views and craving. Such loving-kindness, compassion, and vows, together with the inconceivable object and wisdom, are neither before nor after, but arise simultaneously together. Loving-kindness and compassion are wisdom; wisdom is loving-kindness and compassion. Devoid of conditions and devoid of thoughts, they universally cover all, spontaneously removing suffering and naturally granting joy. Unlike poison, unlike bare emptiness, and unlike craving and views: this is the meaning of truly and uprightly arousing the bodhicitta."