宗鏡錄 83.13

83.13

Answer: One enters solely through the gate of arising and ceasing, proceeding directly to the place of awakening, realizing correct enlightenment without moving from defilement. The Awakening of Faith states: 'Furthermore, in order to cause sentient beings to enter the gate of tathatā from the gate of the mind arising and ceasing, they are made to contemplate characteristics such as form as all failing to be established. How do they fail to be established? It means analyzing coarse form gradually down to subtle dust motes, and further analyzing these subtle dust motes by spatial direction. Therefore, whether coarse or fine, all forms are merely images of discriminatory false mind, genuinely having no existence at all. Investigating the remaining aggregates gradually down to a single kṣaṇa, their distinctive characteristics are not one. Unconditioned dharmas are also like this: apart from the dharmadhātu, they ultimately cannot be found. All dharmas throughout the ten directions should be known to be completely like this. Just as a confused person takes east for west, yet the direction in fact does not change, sentient beings are also like this: because of the delusion of avidyā, they take the mind to be moving, yet it is in fact unmoved. If one knows that the moving mind is non-arising and non-ceasing, one immediately gains entry into the gate of tathatā.' As for the meaning of the two truths above, one must not exclusively interpret them as one, nor must one exclusively interpret them as two. Thus, the Chapter on the Two Truths in the Benevolent King Sūtra states: 'At that time King Prasenajit said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, within the ultimate truth is there the conventional truth or not? If one says there is not, wisdom should not be twofold. If one says there is, wisdom should not be single. How is it regarding the meaning of one and two?" The Buddha said: "Great King, in the past within the teaching of King Dragon Radiance Buddha, you already inquired about this meaning. I now have nothing to preach, and you now have nothing to hear. No-preaching and no-hearing: this is precisely named the meaning of one and the meaning of two. Now listen attentively; I shall preach it for you." At that time the World-Honoured One spoke the verses: / "The characteristicless ultimate truth: / Its substance is not made by self or other. / Causes and conditions exist like an illusion, / Neither are they made by self or other. / The dharma-nature is originally natureless; / The ultimate truth is empty like tathatā. / Whatever dharmas exist as illusory existence, / Exist through the collection of the three designations. / The truth of non-existence is genuinely non-existent; / Quiescent cessation is ultimate emptiness. / Dharmas exist through causes and conditions; / Such is the meaning of existence and non-existence. / Existence and non-existence are originally two, / Just like the two horns of an ox. / Illuminating understanding sees that they are not two; / The two truths are constantly not identical. / The understanding mind sees that they are not two; / Seeking two, they cannot be found. / It is not said that the two truths are one; / One also cannot be found. / In understanding it is always naturally one; / In truth it is always naturally two. / Comprehending this one and two, / One truly enters the ultimate truth. / Conventional truth arises through illusory transformation, / Like flowers in empty space, / Like a shadow, like a wheel of floating hairs; / Through causes and conditions it exists as illusion. / Illusions perceive illusions; / The foolish call them illusory truth. / An illusionist perceives illusory dharmas: / Both truth and illusion are completely absent. / If one comprehends such dharmas, / One understands the meaning of one and two. / Universally throughout all dharmas, / One should contemplate in this way."' Therefore, when the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra uses the metaphor of two birds wandering together, saṃsāra is both eternal and impermanent, and nirvāṇa is also like this. Being below and being above, flying together and resting together, phenomena are immediately principle, and principle is immediately phenomena. The two truths are immediately the Middle, and the Middle is immediately the two truths. It is not two and Middle, yet it is two and Middle; thus the meaning of wandering together is established. The two birds are mandarin ducks, flying together and resting together. Flying together compares to dual illumination; resting together compares to dual negation. It is also substance and function, principle and phenomena, neither identical nor separate.