萬善同歸集 2.36

2.36

答：「諸佛了幻，方能度幻眾生；菩薩明空，是以從空建立。《涅槃經》云：『佛言：「一切諸法皆如幻相，如來在中以方便力，無所染著。何以故？諸佛法爾。」』《中論》云：『以有空義故，一切法得成。』是以頓如種子已包；漸似芽莖旋發。又如見九層之臺，則可頓見；要須躡階而後得昇。頓了心性，即心是佛，無性不具；而須積功，遍修萬行。又如磨鏡，一時遍磨，明淨有漸。萬行頓修，悟則漸勝，此名圓漸，非是漸圓。亦是無位中位；無行中行。是以徹果該因，從微至著，皆須慈善根力，乃能自利利他。故九層之臺成於始簣，千里之程託於初步；滔滔之水起於濫觴，森森之樹生於毫末。道不遺於小行；暗弗拒於初明。故一句染神，歷劫不朽；一善入心，萬世匪忘。《涅槃經》云：『佛說：「修一善心，破百種惡；如少金剛，能壞須彌；亦如少火，能燒一切；如少毒藥，能害眾生。少善亦爾，能破大惡。」』《日摩尼寶經》云：『佛告迦葉菩薩：「我觀眾生，雖後數千巨億萬劫，在欲愛中，為罪所覆；若聞佛經，一反念善，罪即消盡。」』《大智度論》云：『如來成道時，有十種微笑，而觀世間。有小因大果，小緣大報：如求佛道，讚一偈、一稱南無佛、燒一捻香，必得作佛。何況聞知諸法實相，不生不滅，不不生不不滅，而行因緣，業亦不失，以是故笑。』」

Answer: "Only when Buddhas comprehend illusion can they liberate illusory sentient beings; because bodhisattvas understand emptiness, they establish [practices] from emptiness. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'The Buddha said: "All phenomena are like illusory marks; the Tathāgata dwells among them by the power of upāya without any attachment. Why is this? Such is the nature of all Buddhas."' The Madhyamakaśāstra says: 'Because the meaning of emptiness exists, all phenomena can be accomplished.' Therefore, the sudden is like the seed already containing [the whole plant]; the gradual is like the sprout and stem successively emerging. Furthermore, it is like seeing a nine-tiered terrace: one can see it all at once, but one must climb step by step before reaching the top. One suddenly realizes the nature of mind—that the mind itself is Buddha and lacks no inherent nature—yet one must accumulate merit and universally cultivate the myriad practices. Again, it is like polishing a mirror: one polishes it all over at once, yet its brightness and clarity appear gradually. Cultivating the myriad practices suddenly, awakening gradually surpasses [previous stages]; this is termed 'perfect-gradual', not 'gradual-perfect'. It is also 'stages within the stageless' and 'practices within the practiceless'. Therefore, completely reaching the fruit embraces the cause; progressing from the subtle to the manifest requires the power of compassionate roots of goodness to benefit both oneself and others. Hence, a nine-tiered terrace is completed from the initial basket of earth, and a journey of a thousand li relies on the first step. Rushing waters arise from a cup-filling trickle, and towering forests grow from tiny sprouts. The Way does not discard small practices, nor does darkness reject the first ray of light. Thus, a single phrase that imbues the spirit remains indestructible across kalpas; a single good act entering the heart is not forgotten for ten thousand lifetimes. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'The Buddha said: "Cultivating a single good mind shatters a hundred kinds of evil. It is like a tiny diamond that can destroy Mount Sumeru; it is also like a small spark of fire that can burn everything; it is like a little poison that can harm sentient beings. A small good act is likewise: it can destroy great evil."' The Sūtra of the Sun Mani Jewel says: 'The Buddha told the bodhisattva Kāśyapa: "I observe that although sentient beings remain amid desire and love for thousands of billions of kalpas, covered by sins, if they hear a Buddhist sūtra and turn their thoughts once toward goodness, their sins are instantly extinguished."' The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'When the Tathāgata attained the Way, he regarded the world with ten kinds of smiles. There are small causes that bring great fruits, and minor conditions that bring great retributions: such as seeking the Buddha Way by praising a single gāthā, chanting namo buddhāya once, or burning a single pinch of incense—they will surely attain Buddhahood. How much more so for those who hear and know that the dharmatā of all phenomena is neither arising nor ceasing, neither non-arising nor non-ceasing, yet practice causes and conditions without losing their karma! It is for this reason that he smiled.'"