宗鏡錄 85.3

85.3

Answer: The greater or lesser number seen all arises from thoughts. When the mind is narrow, one sees few buddhas; when the mind is vast, it perceives many forms. Expansion and contraction depend on citta; opening and closing rest with oneself. Apart from citta, there is truly nothing to be attained. The Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra says: 'Kauṇḍinya again had this thought: "How shall I be able to see the buddhas?" At that time, in whichever direction he looked, he saw buddhas everywhere. When he looked much, he saw many; when he looked little, he saw few. Having seen them, he again thought: "The World-Honoured Buddhas have nowhere from which they come, and departing they go nowhere. I see that the three realms are citta, and this citta depends on the body. Following my vitarka and vicāra, when I wish to see many, I see many; when I wish to see few, I see few. The Tathāgata Buddhas are just my citta. Why? Because they are seen in accordance with citta. Citta is my body, and the body is empty space. Dependent on vitarka and vicāra, I see immeasurable buddhas. By means of the discerning mind, I see buddhas and know buddhas. Citta does not see citta; citta does not know citta. I observe that the nature of the dharmadhātu has no solidity. All dharmas are produced from the causes and conditions of vitarka and vicāra. Therefore the dharmatā is empty space, and the nature of empty space is likewise like emptiness. Dependent on this citta, I see empty space of blue, yellow, red, white, and variegated colors. Having performed spiritual transformations, what is seen is like the wind, devoid of reality. This is called the dhāraṇī of truly-so shared with ordinary persons."' It also says: 'Furthermore, Bhadrapāla, just as a person in the prime of youth, with dignified features, wishing to observe whether his own appearance is fine or poor, handsome or ugly, then takes a vessel filled with clear oil, or holds pure water, or takes crystal, or grasps a bright mirror, and using these four things observes the reflection of his own face, whether good or bad, beautiful or ugly, clearly apparent. Bhadrapāla, what do you think? When the image he sees appears in these four places—oil, water, crystal, and bright mirror—does it exist beforehand?' Bhadrapāla replied: 'No.' 'Could it be fundamentally non-existent?' He replied: 'No.' 'Is it inside?' He replied: 'No.' 'Could it be outside?' He replied: 'No, World-Honoured One. Only because those things—oil, water, crystal, and mirror—are clear and bright, without turbidity or dross, and his form is in front, does that image appear accordingly. Yet that appearing image does not come out from the four things, nor does it come from another place; it does not exist spontaneously, nor is it made by a person. One should know that that image has nowhere from which it comes, nor anywhere to which it goes; it neither arises nor ceases, and has no abiding place.' When Bhadrapāla had replied thus, the Buddha said: 'Bhadrapāla, so it is, so it is! Just as you have said, when the objects are pure, the form is bright and clear, and the reflection appears of itself without requiring much effort. The bodhisattva is also like this: with one mind thinking skillfully, he sees the tathāgatas; having seen them, he abides; having abided, he inquires into the meaning; having understood with joy, he then contemplates again: "Where do these buddhas now come from, and from where has this body of mine emerged?" He observes that those tathāgatas ultimately have no place from which they come and no place to which they go. My body is also like this: it fundamentally has no point of emergence, so how could it return? He should further reflect thus: "Now these three realms are only existent as citta. Why? Following those thoughts of citta, one returns to seeing one's own citta. Now I see buddhas from citta; my citta makes buddhas; my citta is buddha; my citta is the Tathāgata; my citta is my body. My citta sees buddhas. Citta does not know citta; citta does not see citta. When citta has thoughts, it becomes saṃsāra; when citta is free from thoughts, it is nirvāṇa. Dharmas are not real; they arise conditioned by conceptualization. When what is thought is stilled, the thinking [subject] is also empty." Bhadrapāla, you should know that all bodhisattvas attain great bodhi by relying on this samādhi.' The Śūraṅgamasūtra says: 'Accord with the minds of sentient beings and respond to their capacity of knowledge.' An ancient commentary says: 'They appear where the faculties of sentient beings are ripe. "The capacity of knowledge" is the differentiated objects of sentient beings. Thus one knows that within a single dust-mote of a dharma-object, it equally pervades the dharmadhātu. For an infinitesimal dust-mote lacks own-nature; its own-nature is empty space, empty space is true emptiness, and true emptiness is original enlightenment. Hence one knows that the Tathāgata constantly preaches the wondrous Dharma for immeasurable sentient beings within a single pore. Thus one knows that all pores and dust-motes also do not go beyond me. If one only understands the dharma of a single dust-mote, one can count dust-motes equal to the dharmadhātu. For this reason the Tathāgata can know the number of drops of water in the four great oceans, and knows the weight in pounds of the great earth and Mount Sumeru. All of this comes from observing this single body, and on this single body observing a single hair, knowing in both cases that they lack own-nature. Merely observing within a single pore, it truly has no own-nature, and a single pore is also unobtainable. The unobtainable place pervades the dharmadhātu; this is knowing all-knowledge. Therefore the Xinxin ming says: "One is all, / All is one. / If you can only be like this, / What worry about not finishing?" If one can thus thoroughly realize that a single dust-mote and a single hair have no own-nature and are only manifested by citta, then one knows that all dharmas are completely so, with no other substance. Because all sentient beings follow dust-motes and cling to views, not penetrating a single dharma, the various dust-motes naturally obstruct them. The Treatise on the Avataṃsaka says: "Speaking in terms of reality, within the dwelling of initial resolve, like a single drop of water entering ocean water, it entirely shares the ocean's substance, and all dragons, fish, and jewel treasuries are contained within it. For the sake of teaching and transforming sentient beings, the teaching nets, fish-traps, and methods cannot fail to be complete. When recorded and inscribed on bamboo and silk in words, there seems to be a sequence of earlier and later meanings. Those who realize the Way must examine it clearly, like holding a precious mirror that universally confronts ten thousand images." It also says in verse: / 'Limitless wisdom and compassion accomplish the Buddha's virtues; / The Buddha accomplishes the ten grounds through wisdom and compassion, / And turns back to accomplish the various stages through the ten grounds. / The five stages of preparatory practice, earlier and later, / Arise without departing from the wisdom and compassion of the ten grounds. / Therefore the initial resolve of the ten grounds— / Resolving the mind, one immediately enters the wisdom of the ten grounds. / Although the expedients of the five stages differ, / It is only to mature the wisdom of the ten grounds. / Just as a swift bird flying through empty space / Does not cease traveling yet reaches nowhere, / And just as fish and dragons roam through water / Without ceasing to roam constantly yet never departing from water, / Such are the differences in the practices of the five stages: / They do not cease to be differentiated yet never depart from wisdom. / Whatever differences of days, months, and years there may be, / By the seal of the Dharma of wisdom they have no difference. / The substance of wisdom is neither formed nor destroyed, / To clarify that the various stages remove habitual tendencies. / Understanding habits and non-habits, compassionate practice is completed; / Ten thousand practices constantly flourish with unconditioned wisdom.'