宗鏡錄 88.13

88.13

Answer: If considered from the perspective of the true nature of consciousness-only, then the nature fuses all things; it does not even point to one, let alone divide into many. Yet, because the gateways of understanding, practice, realization, and entry are not without depth and shallowness—just as great space fundamentally has no difference, but in infancy one's view reaches only nearby, while after growing up one sees boundlessly; it is not that space has shortness or length, but that the eye itself has brightness or dimness. It is also like a great maṇi jewel: though pure while in the ore, without a skilled craftsman to work it artfully, how could it become a vessel? It is like Mount Sumeru: though an accumulation of jewels, without the sun's orb shining back upon it, how could it radiate light? It is also like drawing in space with a finger: it is a number without quantity, just as the mind measuring the dharmadhātu is a depth and shallowness that are not depth and shallowness. As the Huayan lun says: 'When it is said that a bodhisattva of the first ground has many hundreds of gates of Dharma-illumination and as a king transforms many hundreds of Buddha-worlds, while a bodhisattva of the second ground has many thousands of gates of Dharma-illumination and as a king transforms many thousands of Buddha-worlds, this is not like the provisional teachings having actual limitations. As with the aforementioned numbers of dharmas, they mutually penetrate and enter one another. It is also like a person drawing in space with a finger, making the count of hundreds of thousands of fine dust particles, and then wiping it clean with the hand; yet in that space there is neither increase nor decrease. Due to emotional estimation, one sees that space as having an increase or decrease in number. This sūtra is also like this: all the grounds established for bodhisattvas, and the increase and decrease of Dharma gates, are likewise thus. It is to bring all sentient beings to accomplishment, causing them to advance in cultivation. If all were uniformly level, there would be no mind to advance. Ordinary beings would have no mind to spur themselves to cultivate. Only when one arouses the mind to cultivate until reaching non-cultivation does one finally know that the ten thousand dharmas are without cultivation.' Furthermore, the bodhisattvas of the actual teaching: in attaining one, they attain all, because it accords with the absence of before and after within the substance of the Dharma, just as the lights and reflections of Indra's net mutually penetrate and enter one another without limits of before and after. It is also like hundreds of thousands of precious mirrors all facing a wondrous image: the reflections within each and every mirror enter one another, and their forms and images are completely equal. As in the stage of the Buddha-fruit, the bodhisattvas, because their fundamental wisdom of the dharmakāya arises from the nature, and because they newly realize this mind within the ten stages, all their Dharma gates and realms rely entirely upon the fundamental [nature]. Because substance and function are thoroughly encompassed and completely penetrate, they are again equal through the nature; that is, at that very moment they are equal. For there to be any other unequal dharmas would be impossible. It is also said: 'The practices of bodhisattvas from the ten abodes onward are all auxiliary paths, not the primary stage.' The intention is to clarify that to practice what is practiced is the auxiliary path; being without abiding and without practice, leaving to spontaneity the true self-substance, is named the primary fruition. If taken from the abode of the first arousing of the mind, with the fundamental wisdom of the signless Dharma-nature, not departing from the substance of non-action, one performs the myriad practices. The bodhisattva and the Buddha are originally equal in substance in cause and effect. If we distinguish the Buddha-fruit as non-action and non-cultivation, then from the bodhisattva's proper preparation onward, all is generally named the auxiliary path. Because movement and quiescence are unimpeded, the primary and the auxiliary are originally not different; they are a single Dharma gate. The distinctions must not be left undistinguished: substance and function are completely quiescent; the primary and the auxiliary are completely identical. This is precisely the gate of being completely different and completely identical; it can be understood if contemplated again through the gate of double mystery. Hearing this Dharma never heard before, one hears it without doubt: being completely different and completely identical, this realm is difficult to understand. The Buddha and ordinary beings each distinctly exist: this is the meaning of being completely different; therefore, the two views constantly persist. If they were completely identical, one would fall into stagnation in quiescence. In the principle of perfect fusion, phenomena and principle do not obstruct one another. If the Dharma gates are completely divided into two directions, that is the dharma of ordinary beings. If they are completely united into a single substance, that is the dharma of the two vehicles. Only through the sovereign mastery of principle and phenomena does the Way reside in the middle. To set one's mind on annihilating them is also impermissible; to use the mind to preserve them is also impermissible. This gate of practice of the auxiliary path and the unconditioned gate of the fruition-virtue of the primary wisdom are united in substance without duality; yet the rules and norms within phenomena must not be left unseparated. Because of their substance and function, they cannot be purely and entirely different. Take complete identity as complete difference; take complete difference as complete identity. One cannot have complete difference without complete identity, nor complete identity without complete difference. If one is confused about these two gates of identity and difference, one's wisdom will lack sovereign mastery. Furthermore, the sūtra says: 'Wisdom enters the three times, and all are equal.' This clarifies that wisdom can accord with the conventional. Saying that it 'enters the three times' means that the substance of the conventional is fundamentally true; hence it is called 'equal.' Comprehended through the six characteristics—general, particular, identical, different, formed, and destroyed—being general is being completely particular; being particular is being completely general; being identical is being fully different; being different is being constantly identical; being formed is being fully destroyed; being destroyed is being fully formed. All of these are not bound by emotional attachments to oneness or difference, both or neither, existence or non-existence, permanence or impermanence, arising or ceasing characteristics. Because of this, the Tathāgata's principle, wisdom, substance, function, dependent, and primary [retributions] are all sovereignly masteries. They can be seen when illuminated by the great wisdom of the power of non-thought of the self-substance. Therefore, if a person of the highest faculties suddenly comprehends mind as empty and enters into the true nature of consciousness-only, active manifestations, residual habits, and seeds all perish together; then what need is there to establish further stages and positions? It is only for those of middling and lower faculties: some have faith based on conditions, some have correct faith, some have understanding and awakening, and some have realization and awakening. Their faculties and capacities are not equal, and their views and understandings are different; within the effort of delusion, depths and shallownesses are distinguished. Although they clearly know and through faith enter consciousness-only, where mind and objects are both empty, because subtle thoughts are not exhausted and they have not been able to eliminate them entirely, through bit-by-bit refining, in the midst of ascending and progressing, there are differences in stages and positions. Because the sense faculties, dusts, and five aggregates are subtle and difficult to eradicate, only when one exhausts the aggregate of consciousness does one transcend stages and positions, being completely without anything to attain, completely perfected at the ultimate, like a precious moon contained within pure lapis lazuli. As the Śūraṅgamasūtra says: 'The Buddha told Ānanda and the great assembly: You should know that the twelve classes of living beings in the world of outflows have a fundamentally enlightened, wonderfully bright, completely enlightened mental substance that is not two and not different from the Buddhas of the ten directions. Because of your delusional thoughts, confusing principle into fault, ignorance and attachment arise; arising, they spread in confusion everywhere; thus there is the nature of space. The transformations of confusion do not cease; thus worlds arise. Then these dust-mote lands of the ten directions that are not without outflows are all established by confused and obstinate delusional thoughts. You should know that space is born within your mind just like a wisp of cloud dotting the great pure sky; how much more so are the various worlds within space! If even one among you discovers the true and returns to the source, this space of the ten directions will all dissolve away; how could the lands within space not crack and split?' Next is the text on dissolving the five aggregates. As the sūtra says: 'The source of these five aggregates arises in overlapping layers. Arising is due to consciousness; cessation is eliminated starting from form. In principle there is sudden awakening, and riding upon awakening, they are simultaneously dissolved; in practice they are not suddenly eliminated, but are exhausted according to sequence.' The text on exhausting the aggregate of form says: 'The Buddha told Ānanda: You should know that as you sit in the place of the Way, dissolving all thoughts, if those thoughts are exhausted, then all the keen brightness devoid of thoughts will not shift in movement or stillness, and remembering and forgetting will be as one. You should abide here and enter samādhi. Like a person with clear eyes dwelling in great darkness, the keen nature is wonderfully pure, yet the mind has not yet emitted light: this is named the region of the aggregate of form. If the eyes are bright and clear, the ten directions wide open, without any further darkness, this is named the exhaustion of the aggregate of form. This person can then transcend the kalpa turbidity. Contemplating its cause, obstinate delusional thought is its root.' The text on exhausting the aggregate of sensation says: 'The Buddha told Ānanda: When that good man cultivating samādhi, within śamatha, has exhausted the aggregate of form, he sees the mind of all Buddhas like an image appearing in a bright mirror; he seems to have attained something, yet cannot use it. It is like a person afflicted with nightmare: his hands and feet are intact, his seeing and hearing are not confused, yet his mind is touched by an external evil and cannot move: this is named the region of the aggregate of sensation. If the affliction of the nightmare ceases, his mind leaves his body, turns back to view his own face, and goes and stays at will without any further hindrance: this is named the exhaustion of the aggregate of sensation. This person can then transcend the view turbidity. Contemplating its cause, illusory and bright delusional thought is its root.' The text on exhausting the aggregate of conception says: 'The Buddha told Ānanda: When that good man cultivating samādhi has exhausted the aggregate of sensation, although his outflows are not yet exhausted, his mind leaves its physical form like a bird emerging from a cage; he has already been able to accomplish, from an ordinary body, passing through the bodhisattva's sixty holy stages, attaining a mind-made body, going wherever he pleases without obstruction. It is like a person in deep sleep talking in his sleep; although that person has no other conscious knowledge, his words have already formed rhythmic cadence and order, causing those who are not asleep to all understand his words: this is named the region of the aggregate of conception. If moving thoughts are exhausted and floating thoughts eliminated, it is like wiping away dust and dirt from the enlightened, bright mind; a single category of birth and death is completely illuminated from beginning to end: this is named the exhaustion of the aggregate of conception. This person can then transcend the kleśa turbidity. Contemplating its cause,融通 delusional thought is its root.' The text on exhausting the aggregate of volition says: 'The Buddha told Ānanda: When that good man cultivating samādhi has exhausted the aggregate of conception, that person's ordinary dreams and thoughts are eliminated; waking and sleeping are constantly one; the enlightened brightness is empty and serene, just like a clear sky, without any further coarse shadows of previous dust-objects. Contemplating all the world's great earth, mountains, and rivers is like a mirror reflecting brightness: coming, there is no sticking; passing, there is no trace; receptively reflecting and responding, completely devoid of old habits. There is only a single keen reality; the root and source of arising and ceasing are disclosed from this. He sees the twelve classes of living beings in the ten directions, entirely exhausting their kinds; although he has not yet penetrated the thread of each of their life origins, he sees the common basis of life like a mirage, shimmering and clear yet agitated, serving as the ultimate pivot for the floating sense-organs and dusts: this is named the region of the aggregate of volition. If this clear, agitated, shimmering original nature, after a long time, becomes fundamentally clear, once it clarifies the original habits, like ripples ceasing to turn into clear water, this is named the exhaustion of the aggregate of volition. This person can then transcend the sentient-being turbidity. Contemplating its cause, hidden delusional thought is its root.' The text on exhausting the aggregate of consciousness says: 'The Buddha told Ānanda: When that good man cultivating samādhi has exhausted the aggregate of volition, the subtle, clear agitation of all worldly natures and the common basis of life suddenly break and tear apart; the deep, fine threads, the pudgala, and the deep veins repaying karma are suspended and cut off from mutual resonance. In the heaven of nirvāṇa, he is about to have a great bright awakening, like a rooster awaiting dawn, glancing at the eastern quarter where there is already a fine light. The six faculties are empty and serene, no longer coursing outward; internally, all is purely bright, entering where there is nothing to enter. He deeply penetrates the original causes of receiving life among the twelve classes in the ten directions; contemplating the cause and grasping the source, the various classes are not summoned. In the realms of the ten directions, he has already attained their commonality; the fine light does not sink, revealing the hidden secret: this is named the region of the aggregate of consciousness. If, within the attained commonality among the assembled summons, he wears away the six gates, uniting and opening them to accomplishment, seeing and hearing communicate with their neighbors, mutually functioning in purity; the worlds of the ten directions, together with his body and mind, are like vaiḍūrya, brightly penetrating inside and out: this is named the exhaustion of the aggregate of consciousness. This person can then transcend the life turbidity. Contemplating its cause, boundless, empty, inverted delusional thought is its root.' Furthermore, if the aggregate of consciousness is exhausted, then your present sense faculties will function interchangeably; from this interchangeable functioning, one can enter the bodhisattva's vajra dry-wisdom stage. The perfectly bright, keen mind manifests transformations within it, like a precious moon contained within pure lapis lazuli. In this way, one then transcends the ten faiths, the ten abodes, the ten practices, the ten dedications, the four preparatory minds, the vajra ten grounds traversed by bodhisattvas, and the perfectly bright equal enlightenment, entering the Tathāgata's ocean of wondrous adornment, perfecting bodhi, and returning to having nothing to attain.