宗鏡錄 93.3.2

93.3.2

understanding conditioned dharmas.
If one knows both natures are the same,
one will surely be an honored one among humans.
A Buddha does not see bodhi,
nor does he see Buddha-dharmas.
Because he does not cling to dharmas,
he conquers Māra and realizes the Buddha Way.
If you wish to liberate sentient beings,
do not discriminate their nature.
All sentient beings
are identically in nirvāṇa.
If one can see thus,
then one will attain buddhahood.
One whose mind is not quiet and still,
yet manifests a quiet, still appearance,
among devas and humans
is a great thief.
Such a person has no bodhi,
nor any Buddha-dharmas.
If one forms such an aspiration as:
'I shall become a Buddha,'
such an ordinary being
is dragged by the power of avidyā.
Buddha-dharmas are profoundly pure;
their metaphor is like empty space.
Within this there is nothing to grasp,
nor is there anything to discard.
A Buddha does not attain the Buddha Way,
nor does he liberate sentient beings.
Ordinary beings forcefully discriminate,
making a Buddha who liberates sentient beings.
Such a person, from Buddha-dharmas,
is exceptionally far removed.
If one sees sentient beings suffering,
then one is a sufferer oneself.
Sentient beings have no sentient beings,
yet we say there are sentient beings.
Abiding in the mark of sentient beings,
one does not have bodhi.
If someone sees that sentient beings
are ultimate liberation,
free of lust, anger, and delusion,
know that this person is a general of the world.
If someone sees sentient beings
and does not see non-sentient beings,
they do not attain the reality of Buddha-dharmas.
Buddhas share the nature of sentient beings;
if one can know thus,
one is a general of the world."
And so forth, until, when he preached these verses of the Dharma, thirty thousand sons of devas attained anutpattikadharmakṣānti, and eighteen thousand people attained the liberation of the destruction of the āsravas. Thereupon the earth split open, and the monk Śreṣṭhamati fell into the great hell. Due to the causes and conditions of this karmic obstruction and transgression, for hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas, he underwent diverse bitter torments in the great hell. Emerging from the hell, for seven hundred and forty thousand lives he was constantly slandered. For several hundreds of thousands of kalpas, he did not even hear the name of a Buddha. From that time onward, he again happened to meet Buddhas and left household life to study the Path, yet lacked aspiration and joy. For six hundred and twenty thousand lives, he constantly returned from the Path to secular life. Also, due to the residual transgression of the karmic obstruction, for several hundreds of thousands of lives his sense faculties were dull and dim. "World-Honoured One, that Dharma Master Prasannendriya has now, over a hundred thousand koṭis of Buddha lands to the east, in a land named Ratnavyūha, attained anuttarāsamyaksaṃbodhi within it, titled King of Supremely Radiant and Mighty Virtue Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha, currently residing there. That monk Śreṣṭhamati is my present self. World-Honoured One, when I had not yet entered such an approach to the characteristics of dharmas, I underwent such suffering—the suffering of discrimination and the suffering of inversion. Therefore, if one generates the mind of a bodhisattva, or generates the mind of the Hīnayāna, and does not wish to arouse such transgressions of karmic obstruction, nor wish to undergo such suffering and affliction, one must not oppose and reject the Buddha-Dharma. There is no place where anger and delusion can arise." The Buddha said to Mañjuśrī, "Having heard these verses, what benefit did you obtain?" "World-Honoured One, after I exhausted these transgressions of karmic obstruction, due to the causes and conditions of hearing these verses, wherever I was born, I had sharp faculties and wisdom, attained deep Dharma-kṣānti, and skillfully expounded the profound Dharma." "Mañjuśrī, through whose power are you able to remember the causes and conditions of such sinful karma over immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas?" "World-Honoured One, whatever the bodhisattvas recall, expound, and reflect upon is entirely the supernatural power of the Buddha. Why? All dharmas come forth from the Buddha." Thus we know that if one does not believe in the principle of true reality expounded in the Record of the Mirror of the Source, one will be like the monk Śreṣṭhamati, whose spirit sank and suffered the great agony of the earth splitting open. If one has faith in such teachings, one will be like Mañjuśrī, whose wisdom articulated the wondrous eloquence of the profound Dharma. Faith and slander bring mutual retributions; cause and effect do not err. We universally encourage future sages: you should deeply believe and accept it. If one speaks of the blessings of faith in prajñā, they are extensively detailed in the previous text. Now, expounding the sins of slandering the Vaipulya teachings, we briefly cite true evidence. As the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra extensively explains the sin of slandering the Dharma: one falls from this realm into the Avīci Hell. When this realm's kalpa is destroyed and the sin is still not exhausted, one is transferred to an Avīci Hell in another realm. When that other realm again undergoes kalpa destruction and the sin is still not ended, one is transferred again to another realm. Wandering thus through the ten directions, each of the ten directions undergoing the end of a kalpa, one is reborn back into the Avīci Hell of this land. Even if a thousand Buddhas appear in the world, saving them is still difficult. If one wished to describe the bodies they receive, those who hear it would vomit hot blood and die; therefore, when Subhūti requested that the bodies they receive be described, the Buddha ultimately did not speak of it. Furthermore, the celestial sons of the hells in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and the fourfold assembly that despised Sadāparibhūta in the Lotus Sūtra all disbelieved and completely fell into Avīci. If anyone hears this, they should be frightened and terrified, taking it as a mirror and admonition to universally enlighten the mass of the ignorant. Next, explaining those who receive retribution in the present life for faith and slander: First, explaining those who have faith: In the Tang dynasty, the Śramaṇa Huixuan, whose lay surname was Dong, lived in Xiangyang. He left household life at a young age and listened to the Three Treatises. At first he resided at Guangfu Monastery, living on the mountain summit. Drawing water was laborious. In the morning he intended to go to another monastery. At night he saw a divine man, ten feet in height, wearing a purple robe, who bowed with his head to Xuan's feet and said, "Please remain here and constantly lecture on Mahāyāna sūtras; do not be anxious on account of the Hīnayāna. That Hīnayāna is like a high mountain without water: it cannot benefit people. The Mahāyāna sūtras are like a great ocean. Since residing on this mountain, many Buddhas have appeared in the world. If one person recites and explains the Mahāyāna, it can cause their dwelling place to be filled with the radiance of precious jewels and their retinue to flourish. If there is Hīnayāna, the former matters will all be lost. I only wish you will propagate and uphold it, not disappointing what is hoped for. If the Dharma Master needs water, this is easily obtained. On the eighth day of the coming month, you will certainly obtain it. I will personally go to the great spring at Mount Cimu in Jiannan and invite a dragon king to depart." Having spoken, he disappeared. Just on the night of the seventh day of the coming month, a great wind suddenly arose, coming from the southwest, with thunder claps and torrential rain. They saw only a clear spring, fragrant and delicious. The entire congregation rejoiced. When the monk passed away, the dragon spring gradually dried up. Faith serving as a benefit is of this kind. Second, explaining those who slander: The Buddha Treasure Sūtra states: 'In the future age, there will be monks...'