宗鏡錄 97.36

97.36

The verse of transmission of the Dharma by the twenty-seventh patriarch, the Venerable Prajñātāra, says: / "The mind-ground gives rise to all seeds; / Due to phenomena, it is also due to principle. / When the fruit is complete, bodhi is perfected; / When the flower blooms, the world arises." / The Venerable Prajñābodhi of Western India converted the King of Heterodox Views by manifesting supernatural powers and riding a cloud to the front of the king's palace. At that time, the great king asked the one riding the cloud, saying: "Are you heterodox, or are you orthodox?" The Venerable Prajñābodhi replied, saying: "I am neither heterodox nor orthodox, but have come to rectify the heterodox. Great king, if you are orthodox, then for me there is neither heterodox nor orthodox." The king asked again, saying: "What is the Buddha?" Prajñābodhi said: "Seeing the nature is the Buddha." The king said: "Does the master see the nature or not?" Prajñābodhi said: "I see the buddha-nature." The king said: "Where is the nature?" Prajñābodhi said: "The nature is in functioning." The king said: "What functioning is this? I do not see it now." Prajñābodhi said: "It functions right now, but the king himself does not recognize it." The king said: "Since what the master sees is said to have functioning, does it exist within me or not?" Prajñābodhi said: "If the king functions, what is present is entirely it; if the king does not function, its substance is also difficult to see." The king said: "If it is functioning, in how many places does it appear?" The master said: "When it comes forth in functioning, it has eight [aspects]." Standing tall on the cloud-crest, he told him in verse: / "In the womb, it is called the body; / In the world, it is called a person; / In the eye, it is called seeing; / In the ear, it is called hearing; / In the nose, it distinguishes scents; / In the mouth, it engages in discourse; / In the hands, it grasps and holds; / In the feet, it runs and travels. / Manifesting everywhere, it completely encompasses the dharmadhātu; / Withdrawn, it does not exceed a minute dust mote. / Those who understand know it is the buddha-nature; / Those who do not understand call it the soul."