宗鏡錄 86.3

86.3

Answer: The one mind is the true characteristic of all phenomena; it is also the true nature of all phenomena. Yet all phenomena are themselves the true characteristic, and the true characteristic is itself all phenomena. Manifested from the mind, their nature and characteristics are completely identical. Traces are manifested based upon the fundamental, and principle and phenomena are not different. Just as when a multitude of waves surge, the water’s substance is ever exposed—subsuming waves into water, no wave is not exhausted—so too, though the manifold phenomena seemingly arise, the nature of mind is ever manifest; subsuming phenomena into mind, no phenomenon is not empty. The *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā-sūtra* says: "One does not see a single phenomenon that falls outside the dharmatā." It also says: "All phenomena converge in form; beyond this convergence they do not go." For instance, the Tiantai teaching, explaining the teaching of cause and effect of the ten dharmadhātus and ten suchnesses in the *Lotus Sūtra* as being all created solely by mind, states that the mind is endowed with all phenomena. All phenomena are simply the ten suchnesses. The ten suchnesses are: such characteristics, such nature, such substance, such power, such activity, such causes, such conditions, such effects, such retributions, and such ultimate equality of beginning and end. Regarding 'such characteristics': characteristics pertain to the exterior, which can be observed and distinguished. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: "Because they are easily known, they are called characteristics." As with the difference between the characteristics of water and fire, they are easily known. Just as a person's facial complexion possesses all signs of fortune or misfortune, by observing the outer characteristics one knows the interior. In the past, the physiognomy of Sun [Quan] and Liu [Bei] was evident, while that of Lord Cao [Cao] was hidden; the physiognomist wept aloud [knowing that] the realm would be divided into three and the common people would suffer calamity. If one says there are characteristics, the ignorant do not know them; if one says there are no characteristics, the diviner understands them thoroughly. One should follow the skilled physiognomist and believe that the exterior of a human face is endowed with all characteristics. The mind is also like this, endowed with all characteristics: the characteristics of sentient beings are hidden, while the characteristics of Maitreya are manifest; the Tathāgata knows them well, and therefore prophesies for both the distant and near future. Those unskilled in contemplation do not believe that the mind is endowed with all characteristics; one should follow those who contemplate reality as it is and believe that the mind is endowed with all characteristics. Regarding 'such nature': nature pertains to the interior; what is immutable is called nature. Furthermore, nature means natural share, which has the sense of distinct categories; each part is different, and each is immutable. For instance, fire has heat as its nature, water has wetness as its nature, and so forth. Immutability concerns principle; categories concern phenomenal matters. Furthermore, nature is the true nature; the true nature is the principle-nature, which is supremely real without fault—merely another name for the buddha-nature of the one mind. Again, the *Wuxing jing* says: "Called the immovable nature"—which has the meaning of immutability. Now, explaining that the internal nature is immutable, it is like the nature of fire within bamboo: though invisible, one cannot say it does not exist; the drill-man and dry grass burn everything completely. The mind is also like this: endowed with the nature of all five aggregates, though invisible, one cannot say it does not exist; seen with the eye of wisdom, it is endowed with all natures. Regarding 'such substance': substance means the primary material entity; the aggregates and sense-fields of these ten dharmadhātus all take form and mind as their substance and entity. Regarding 'such power': it has the meaning of capability. Just as the king's champion possesses thousands of skills, yet because of sickness one says he has none, but when his sickness is cured his use appears, so too is the mind: it is endowed with the ten powers of the Tathāgata, but because of the sickness of kleśas it cannot operate; contemplating it as it is, it is endowed with all powers. Regarding 'such activity': it has the meaning of operation and establishment. If separated from the mind, nothing further can be done; therefore, we know that the mind is endowed with all activities. Regarding 'such causes': attracting an effect is cause, which is also called karma. The karma of the ten dharmadhātus arises from the mind; as long as there is mind, all karmas are complete; if there is no mind, there are no karmas, because all karmas—wholesome and unwholesome, ordinary and noble—are created solely by mind. Regarding 'such conditions': condition means circumstance and reason; that which aids karma has the meaning of a condition. Avidyā, craving, and so forth, are able to moisten karma—that is, the mind serves as the condition, because apart from the mind conditions do not arise. Regarding 'such effects': attainment is the effect. If one's own mind creates goodness, it attains a pleasant effect; if one's own mind creates evil, it attains a painful effect. Regarding 'such retributions': recompensing the cause is retribution. When a single thought of the mind is correct, a wondrous retribution is paid in return; when a single thought of the mind is errant, an inferior fruit imperceptibly manifests—just as when the wind is gentle the sound accords, and when the form is straight the shadow is upright. Thus errancy and correctness lie in the mind; gain and loss depend on oneself. Characteristics are the beginning, and retribution is the end. Beginning and end all enter into conditioned arising; because of conditioned arising, they are empty, and thus empty is equal. Characteristics are merely words, and retributions are also merely words; all are provisional designations, and thus provisional is equal. Furthermore, characteristics are non-characteristics; non-characteristics yet characteristics; neither characteristics nor non-characteristics. Retributions are also like this. Each and every one enters the boundary of reality as it is, and thus the middle is equal. If in the three bad paths [they take] the manifestation of suffering as their characteristic, the definite mass of evil as their nature, the destruction of form and mind as their substance, ascending blade-mountains and entering cauldrons as their power, generating the ten unwholesome deeds as their activity, outflowing unwholesome karma as their cause, craving, grasping, and so forth, as their conditions, the fruit of evil habits as their effect, the three bad destinies as their retribution, and ignorance from beginning to end as their equality; up to the category of bodhisattvas and buddhas, who take circumstantial causes as their characteristic, clarifying causes as their nature, direct causes as their substance, the four universal vows as their power, the six pāramitās and myriad practices as their activity, the adornment of wisdom as their cause, the adornment of merit as their condition, sambodhi as their effect, great nirvāṇa as their retribution, and wisdom as the guide from beginning to end as their equality: therefore we know that the ten realms and ten suchnesses, wholesome and unwholesome causes and conditions, ordinary and noble effects and retributions, are all the one mind, and ultimately there is no separate phenomenon. This is the compassionate father of those who generate the mind of ultimate bodhi, the guide of those crossing the wilderness of false birth and death, the bridge for transforming from an ordinary person into a sage, and the path for converging the conventional into the real. For example, it is like heavenly music that produces various sounds in accordance with the thoughts of sentient beings, and like a maṇi jewel that rains down various treasures according to what is wished. This mind is inexhaustible; how could its pregnancy of phenomena ever end? If even physical phenomena are like this, how could the true spirit be inferior?