宗鏡錄 89.11

89.11

Answer: "A sūtra states: 'Because all foolish common persons do not truly know the one dharmadhātu and do not truly see the one dharmadhātu, they give rise to the false view that the realm of sentient beings increases or the realm of sentient beings decreases.' Thus, it is solely because they do not truly comprehend the mind of the one dharmadhātu that they see increase and decrease. Furthermore, a sūtra states: 'Because a fixed characteristic of sentient beings cannot be apprehended.' Another sūtra states: 'Because the realm of sentient beings has no self-nature; because the realm of sentient beings is boundless.'

An ancient master said: 'In brief, the realm of sentient beings is like empty space. Suppose beings of boundless, superior spiritual powers were each to travel through empty space for boundless kalpas, seeking the boundary of space—it could never be exhausted. It is not that because it is not exhausted, it is not called traveling; nor is it that traveling causes one to attain its boundary. One should know that the principle of the Buddha delivering sentient beings here is also like this: it is not that because they should attain [awakening], it is caused to have an end; nor is it that because there is no end, one says there is or is not attainment.' Therefore, if one raises the objection that all sentient beings will become Buddhas, and thus, though sentient beings are numerous, there must doubtlessly be an ultimate exhaustion—this resolves it completely.

The Awakening of Faith explains the inconceivable mark of karma as the realm of the Buddhas. Why is it inconceivable? Because it is neither one nor different, neither existent nor non-existent, and cannot be determined by speech and thought or measured by emotional understanding; hence it is called the 'inconceivable mark of karma.' This inconceivable mark of karma means providing the spheres of the six sense faculties for sentient beings. The Ratnagotravibhāga states: 'The body of the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, is like empty space, without marks. For those of superior wisdom, it acts as the spheres of the six sense faculties: manifesting wonderful forms, emitting wondrous sounds, causing them to smell the fragrance of the Buddha's precepts, giving them the flavor of the Buddha's wondrous Dharma, causing them to experience the touch of samādhi, and causing them to know the profound and wondrous Dharma, constantly transforming sentient beings. This is the function of suchness (tathatā); hence it is called inconceivable karma.'

This function of original awakening is originally not dual with the minds of sentient beings. It is only because, when unenlightened, one drifts along with the stream, that the function does not manifest. When functioning, it manifests within their minds according with their faculties, without making the intention: 'I manifest distinctions.' Hence it is said that it spontaneously responds according to their faculties, and seeing it never fails to benefit. This is the characteristic of original awakening in accordance with defilement. Therefore, bodhisattvas can practice non-ways and penetrate the right way. If one enters the gate of the source mirror, the ultimate way, then defilement and purity depend on the mind, with neither wrong nor right. If one enters the gate of skillful means, the way of differentiation, then by the power of the bodhisattva's great compassion, they constantly practice without hindrance."