宗鏡錄 82.3

82.3

Answer: The dharma-nature being quiescent is called śamatha (calming). Being quiescent yet ever-illuminating is called vipaśyanā (contemplation). There is no contemplator or contemplated; it is simply a single dharma. If we speak comprehensively of the Tiantai teachings, there are two kinds of calming and contemplation: first, relative calming and contemplation; second, absolute calming and contemplation. The former is clumsy crossing; the latter is skillful crossing. As for relative calming and contemplation, there are three calmings and three contemplations. The three calmings are: first, the meaning of ceasing; second, the meaning of stopping; third, the meaning of stopping what does not stop. The three contemplations are: first, the meaning of contemplation penetrating; second, the meaning of contemplation reaching; third, the meaning of contemplating what is not contemplated. As for absolute calming and contemplation, there are three calmings and three contemplations. The three calmings are: first, the calming that realizes the true; second, the calming that accords with conditions through skillful means; third, the calming that puts an end to distinctions between the two extremes. The three contemplations are: first, entering emptiness from conventional designations, which is called the contemplation of the two truths; second, entering conventional designations from emptiness, which is called the contemplation of equality; third, using the two contemplations as the path of skillful means to gain entry into the middle path, doubly illuminating the two truths so that thought after thought is quiescent and extinguished, naturally flowing into the ocean of sarvajñā, which is called the contemplation of the middle path as supreme truth. What is now clarified in the Mirror of the Source solely discusses the principle of the one mind's perfect and sudden [nature]. As for the characteristics of the perfect and sudden calming and contemplation: when calming takes the truth as its object, then a single truth is three truths; when the truth is bound to calming, then a single calming is three calmings. For example, just as the three characteristics exist in a single thought-moment of citta, though it is a single thought-moment of citta, there are three characteristics. Calming and truth are also like this: the dharma that is calmed, though one, is three; the mind that can calm, though three, is one. When contemplation contemplates the object, then a single object is three objects; when the object arouses contemplation, then a single contemplation is three contemplations. It is like the three eyes on the face of Maheśvara: though there are three eyes, it is a single face. Contemplation and object are also like this: the three of contemplation are just one; the arousing of the one is three—inconceivable. It is neither provisional nor real, neither superior nor inferior, neither before nor after, neither combined nor distinct, neither large nor small. Therefore the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā says: 'Dharmas arisen from causes and conditions / Are identical to emptiness, conventional designation, and the middle.' Moreover, just as the Vajracchedikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra says: 'For example, it is like a person who has eyes, when the sunlight brightly shines, seeing various colors. If the eye saw on its own, it would not need the sun. If there were no colors, then although there were the sun and eyes, nothing would be seen.' These three dharmas are not at different times and not separated from one another. The eyes are an analogy for calming; the sun is an analogy for contemplation; the object is an analogy for colors. These three dharmas are neither before nor after; when speaking of three at one time, speaking of one within three is also like this. If one understands this meaning, one understands the characteristics of calming and contemplation in the perfect and sudden teaching. How could it merely be three-one and one-three? All the preceding meanings are within the one mind. What are their characteristics? Realizing that the upside-down delusions of avidyā are themselves the truth of the real mark is called 'calming that realizes the true'. This real mark pervades all places; according with conditions and encountering objects, one settles the mind in unmovingness, which is called 'calming that accords with conditions through skillful means'. Putting to rest the quietude and distraction of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa is called 'calming that puts an end to the two extremes'. Realizing that all conventionalities are entirely empty, and that emptiness is itself the real mark, is called 'the contemplation of entering emptiness'. When one reaches this emptiness, the contemplation merges with the middle path, and one can know the characteristics of worldly phenomena of arising and ceasing, seeing them as they truly are, which is called 'the contemplation of entering conventional designations'. Such wisdom of emptiness is itself the middle path, non-dual and undivided, which is called 'the contemplation of the middle path'. At the time of realizing the true, the bedrock, sand, and gravel of the five entrenchments are put to rest in a single thought-moment, which is called 'the meaning of ceasing'. When the mind takes the middle path as its object and enters into the wisdom of the real mark, this is called 'the meaning of stopping'. The nature of the real mark is itself 'the meaning of neither stopping nor not stopping'. Furthermore, this single thought-moment can pierce the five entrenchments and reach the real mark. The real mark is not contemplation, nor is it non-contemplation. Meanings such as these are simply within a single thought-moment of citta: without moving from the true limit, there are various distinctions. The sūtra says: 'Skillfully able to distinguish the characteristics of all dharmas, yet unmoved in the supreme truth.' Though there are many names, they are all merely the single dharma of prajñā. The Buddha spoke of various names: all names are perfect, and all meanings are also perfect. The relative and the absolute matching the substance are inconceivable. Because they are inconceivable, there is no obstruction. Because there is no obstruction, they are complete without deficiency. This is the characteristic of the perfect and sudden teaching revealing the substance of calming and contemplation. Furthermore, the three calmings and three contemplations are the cause; the obtained three wisdoms and three eyes are the fruit. The three wisdoms are: sarvajñā (all-knowledge), mārgākārajñatā (knowledge of the aspects of the path), and sarvākārajñatā (knowledge of all aspects). The three eyes are: the wisdom eye, the dharma eye, and the buddha eye. If we speak of the eye and wisdom in the one mind: the eye is itself wisdom, and wisdom is itself the eye. Because of the eye, one speaks of seeing; because of wisdom, one speaks of knowing. Knowing is itself seeing, and seeing is itself knowing. The buddha eye is endowed with the five eyes; the buddha wisdom is endowed with the three wisdoms. It is the king of samādhis: all samādhis enter into it. The Śūraṅgama samādhi subsumes all samādhis. Although the Tathāgata possesses the five eyes, in reality they are not divided; based simply on a single eye, it is fully endowed with five functions and can illuminate five objects. Why is this? The buddha eye can also illuminate coarse forms, as seen by humans, and also surpasses what is seen by humans; this is called the fleshly eye. It can also illuminate subtle forms, as seen by devas, and also surpasses what is seen by devas; this is called the divine eye. Comprehending the emptiness of coarse and subtle forms, as seen by the two vehicles, is called the wisdom eye. Illuminating and comprehending conventional designations without error, as seen by bodhisattvas, is called the dharma eye. Seeing the real mark in all dharmas is called the buddha eye. One should know that the buddha eye illuminates completely without omission. Therefore the sūtra says: 'Fully endowed with the five eyes, one achieves bodhi, eternally serving as father and mother to the three realms.' As for it being called solely the buddha eye: when the many streams enter the ocean, they lose their original names; it is not that the four functions do not exist. The buddha wisdom illuminating emptiness, as seen by the two vehicles, is called sarvajñā. The buddha wisdom illuminating conventionalities, as seen by bodhisattvas, is called mārgākārajñatā. The buddha wisdom illuminating emptiness, conventionality, and the middle, seeing the real mark in all of them, is called sarvākārajñatā. Therefore it is said that the three wisdoms are attained within the one mind. Hence we know that the three eyes produced by the three calmings of the one mind see the inconceivable three truths. Because this seeing is attained from calming, it receives the name 'eye'. The three wisdoms produced by the three contemplations of the one mind know the inconceivable three objects. Because this wisdom is attained from contemplation, it receives the name 'wisdom'. Object and truth are merely different terms for left and right; seeing and knowing are distinct names for eyes and vision, and should not be spoken of separately. Although there is the threefold explanation of three calmings and three contemplations, in truth it is simply a single inconceivable dharma. It is also said: as for skillfully settling the mind, one uses contemplation and calming to settle it in the dharma-nature. The foolish delusion of avidyā is originally the dharma-nature. Because of foolish delusion, the dharma-nature turns into avidyā. It is like sleep coming and transforming the mind into various dreams; though arising and ceasing upside down like a whirling firebrand, one does not believe in the arising and ceasing of delusion, but only believes that this mind is simply the dharma-nature. Arising is the arising of the dharma-nature; ceasing is the ceasing of the dharma-nature. One realizes that in truth there is neither arising nor ceasing, and that calling it arising and ceasing is false. One binds dharma-nature with dharma-nature; one is mindful of dharma-nature with dharma-nature; it is constantly dharma-nature, and there is no time that is not dharma-nature. Once the comprehension is achieved, one cannot find false thoughts, nor can one find dharma-nature. Returning to the source and reverting to the origin, the dharmadhātu is entirely quiescent; this is called calming. As for contemplation: one contemplates that the mind of avidyā is equal to the dharma-nature and originally empty. For example, at the end of a kalpa, all false thoughts, good and bad below, are like empty space, non-dual and undivided. Again, it is like at the end of a kalpa, from the ground up to the first dhyāna, all is blazing fire; just as in the manifestation shown by Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva, everything is empty space; or as in the manifestation shown by Sāgaramati Tathāgata, everything is water. Whenever the slightest thought arises, that which is thought of is in every case identical to emptiness, and emptiness is also ungraspable—just as fire from wood can burn fuel and also burns itself. The dharmadhātu is clearly illuminated, entirely in great brightness; this is called contemplation. As for the calming spoken of above, even the dharma-nature cannot be found, let alone false thoughts. As for the contemplation spoken of, even emptiness cannot be found, let alone existent dharmas. Then existence and non-existence are both quiescent, and defilement and purity are both fused; only then is the ultimate calming and contemplation of the one mind accomplished. Furthermore, as for absolute calming and contemplation: it cuts off all horizontal and vertical relations, cuts off all conceptual thought, cuts off all teachings and contemplations, so that none arise at all; hence it is called calming. Calming is also ungraspable. Contemplation merges with the object of suchness; since the object is quiescent and pure, and there is not even purity, how could there be contemplation? Worldly people explain the meaning of 'absolute' based on various verbal expressions, but ultimately fail to cut off [relativity]. If one grasps the meaning and forgets the words, mental activities are also severed. Following wisdom in marvelous awakening, there are no further distinctions. Distinctions that take principle as an object are all called relative. When true wisdom unfolds, it cuts off all these relations: cutting off is in turn cut off, all dharmas do not depend on one another, and even for a single thought-moment there is no abiding. This is precisely the meaning. The Fuxing ji says: 'If the doors of non-arising are ten-thousandfold, yet are solely the one mind, this is because it is difficult for someone cultivating contemplation to position the mind; therefore, grasping and showing the correct intention is called the one mind.' This precisely clarifies the one-mind door of non-arising. 'Furthermore, since in thought-moment after thought-moment calming and contemplation are present before one, based on these thoughts of the mind, it is called sentient beings. Why? Grasping all the preceding, whether horizontal or vertical, once one enters the one mind, whenever a single thought arises, it is not apart from the self; the self is just sentient beings. Comprehending that the mind in thought-moment after thought-moment is both quiescent and illuminating: being quiescent, it is called calming; being illuminating, it is called contemplation. Since the one mind is like this, all minds are by analogy the same. Calming and contemplation are the cause; the eyes and wisdom are the fruit. In each and every thought-moment, there is nothing that is not calming, contemplation, eye, and wisdom.' As for the three and the one above: if there were three that could be three, it would become differentiation; if there were one that could be one, it would become non-differentiation. If differentiated, one loses non-differentiation; if non-differentiated, one loses differentiation. Opening the one into three loses the one; combining the three into one loses the three. It is now clarified that this is not so: the former three are still the present one; the present one is still the former three. Opening into three does not lose the one; combining into one does not lose the three. This is just differentiation being non-differentiation, and non-differentiation being differentiation. If one grasps this meaning, [one sees that] there is no basis for dharmas existing in the three times as 'originally existing but now non-existent'; one should also similarly say that there is basis for dharmas existing in the three times as 'originally non-existent but now existing'. Impermanence and non-impermanence, object and wisdom, cause and effect—all follow this analogy. 'The former three are still the present one; the present one is still the former three' means: without moving from it, the nature of sentient beings can accomplish the nature of all buddhas; it is also opening the provisional from the real and converging the provisional back into the real; it is also cause and effect being simultaneous, and delusion and awakening being of the same limit. Therefore it is said: 'What you all practice is the bodhisattva path; all sentient beings are the characteristic of nirvāṇa.' Furthermore, it is said that the one mind is three contemplations, and the three contemplations are the one mind. If the three contemplations are the one mind, it is spoken of vertically; if the one mind is three contemplations, it is spoken of horizontally. Now, not being vertical, it is not one; not being horizontal, it is not three. Three-one and one-three are merely meanings upon the true mind; one must not rigidly cling to an understanding of being one, being three, or being neither three nor one. This is because the source is not a numerical quantity, and the path transcends names and words.