宗鏡錄 9.11

9.11

Answer: This is the realm realized by the holy wisdom of self-awakening, unteachable wisdom, and innate wisdom; it is not awakened through another. At the moment of personal realization, the Dharma manifests from the citta and does not come from outside; therefore, there is no teacher. By tallying with it, one can spontaneously attain anuttarā bodhi. The Laṅkāvatārasūtra states: "Mahāmati addressed the Buddha, saying: 'World-Honoured One, if one is skilled in the characteristics of the holy wisdom of self-awakening and the Ekayāna, I and the other bodhisattvas, being skilled in the characteristics of the holy wisdom of self-awakening and the Ekayāna, will penetrate the Buddhadharma without depending on another.'" Another sūtra states: "Śāriputra further asked: 'For what reason do the worthy ones make this statement: "From this day forward, we do not take the Buddha as our holy teacher"?' The bhikṣus replied: 'From this day forward, we are sovereign on our own ground, not in another country; we take refuge in ourselves, not taking refuge in another person to be our teacher and master, nor employing another teacher. For this reason, we previously said we do not take the Buddha as our holy teacher.' And so forth, down to: 'Thereupon the World-Honoured One praised the bhikṣus: "Excellent, excellent! Those who have nothing to attain regarding all dharmas have truly attained."'" This can only be known by oneself; only then does one see the real. Therefore, the thousand sages clasp their hands, and calculations cannot succeed. As a sūtra verse says: / "Words expound all dharmas, / But cannot reveal the real. / Only in equality can it be seen; / As with the Dharma, the Buddha is also thus." / Therefore, the Song of Yongjia says: / "Not departing from the immediate place, it is ever tranquil; / If you seek it, know that it cannot be seen." / Moreover, an ancient worthy's gāthā says: / "No need to trouble yourself asking a master; / The citta-king should know for itself." / This is the true illumination that has no illumination, the true knowledge that has no knowledge. Why is this? If there is illumination, there is an objective counterpart; hence it is said, "Following illumination, one loses the source." If there is knowledge, it is obstructed by knowledge; hence it is said, "The Dharma is free from seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing." As the Xin xin ming says: / "Vertical and horizontal without illumination, / It is most wondrous. / Knowing dharmas is without knowledge; / Having no knowledge, one knows the essential." / For one who penetrates this essential, there is not a single dharma that can be identical, not a single dharma that can be different, not a single dharma that can be right, and not a single dharma that can be wrong; so what need is there to seek understanding externally? An ancient worthy's song says: / "The ancients valued righteousness, not gold; / The melody was high, few joined in, and there was no connoisseur. / Scholars today are still like this: / In speech, silence, movement, and application, their traces are hard to find. / What is lamentable are those in worldly divergent paths, / Straining their minds in vain all day on rugged terrain. / Unwilling to take the flat sandalwood path, / They insist on climbing up to seek the chūn tree forest. / The poor son abandons his father and flees far away, / Yet cuts off discerning ears in his original home. / The poor woman has a priceless jewel within her house, / Yet uses small scales to buy another's gold." / Therefore the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra states: "It is like a flat, level road on which all sentient beings walk without obstruction. Along the road there is a tree whose shade is cool and refreshing; travelers pause beneath it to rest their carriages. Yet the tree's shade is permanent and unchanging, neither dissipating nor destroyed, and with no one who can take it away." The road is an analogy for the holy path; the shade is an analogy for the Buddha-nature. Therefore, if one penetrates this source and returns to one's own ground, could the treasury of jewels within the chamber come from outside? The bright pearl inside the garment is not obtained from another. If one can disclose the secret treasury, one attains the glory of immediate enjoyment; trading the miraculous pearl, one brings an end to the suffering of poverty accumulated over eons. Without counting another's jewels, how could one pursue their quest? Then the treasury of wisdom that enriches oneself is inexhaustible, and the Dharma-wealth that benefits others is boundless.