宗鏡錄 94.7

94.7

The Ratnakūṭa Sūtra says: "All phenomena are false and deceptive like a dream, because they are only thoughts." It also says: "Be an island unto oneself, be a refuge unto oneself; let the Dharma be an island, let the Dharma be a refuge; there is no other island, no other refuge." Explication: The Awakening of Faith says: "That which is called 'Dharma' is precisely the citta of sentient beings." Thus we know that wherever one turns is citta; how could there be an external refuge? Abiding in one's own sphere, there is no other location. A verse in the Lotus Sūtra says: / "Furthermore, they do not practice / Superior, middling, or inferior phenomena, / Conditioned or unconditioned, / Real or unreal phenomena; / Nor do they discriminate / Whether it is male or female; / Gaining no phenomena, / Neither knowing nor seeing— / This is named the realm of a bodhisattva's practice. / All phenomena / Are empty and have nothing existing, / Having no permanence, / And also no arising or ceasing— / This is named the place / Approached by the wise. / Invertedly discriminating / Whether phenomena exist or do not exist, / Whether they are real or unreal, / Whether they are born or unborn; / In a secluded place, / Cultivating and collecting their citta, / Abiding peacefully and unmoving, / Like Mount Sumeru; / Contemplating all phenomena / As completely non-existent, / Just like empty space, / Devoid of solidity, / Unborn, unproduced, / Unmoving, unregressing, / Constantly abiding in the one characteristic— / This is named the place of approach." Explication: If one enters the gate of the one mind and one characteristic, there is not even any permanent phenomenon; how could there be conditions of arising and ceasing? Naturally unmoving like a mountain, the citta is peaceful as the ocean. It can indeed be called the realm of a bodhisattva's practice and the dwelling place of all buddhas. Therefore a verse in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: / "The nature of phenomena is like empty space; / The buddhas abide within it."