真心直說 1.11

1.11

Someone asked: As for the true mind, its names are now known; what is its essence like? I answered: The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra says: "Prajñā has no mark of existence and no mark of arising and ceasing." The Dàshéng qǐxìn lùn says: "As for the self-essence of tathatā, in all ordinary beings, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and all Buddhas, it does not increase or decrease; it does not arise in the prior limit nor cease in the posterior limit, but is ultimately eternal and constant. From the beginning, its nature is inherently replete with all merits and virtues." According to these sūtras and treatises, the original essence of the true mind transcends cause and effect and runs through ancient and modern times. It does not establish the ordinary and the holy, and is without any dualities. It is like empty space, pervading everywhere; its wondrous essence is profoundly tranquil, cutting off all conceptual proliferations. It neither arises nor ceases, is neither existent nor non-existent; motionless and unshakable, it is limpidly ever-abiding. It is called the "master of former days," named "the person beyond the kalpa of the Sound of Majesty," and also named "oneself before the empty kalpa." It is a single level bosom, without the slightest flaw or blemish. All mountains, rivers, the great earth, plants, trees, thickets, forests, and myriad phenomena; defiled and pure dharmas—all emerge from within it. Therefore the Yuanjue jing says: "Good sons, the unsurpassed Dharma King has a great dhāraṇī-gate named perfect awakening, from which flow forth all pure tathatā, bodhi, nirvāṇa, and pāramitā to instruct bodhisattvas." Guifeng said: "As for this mind, it is soaringly empty and wondrously pure, brightly shining and spiritually luminous. Having no going and no coming, it secretly connects the three periods of time; being neither inside nor outside, it thoroughly penetrates the ten directions. Neither ceasing nor arising, how could the four mountains harm it? Free from nature and free from marks, how could the five colors blind it?" Therefore Yongming's Weixin jue says: "Now, as for this mind, it universally gathers the myriad wonders and spiritual beings, acting as the king of the myriad dharmas; the three vehicles and five natures secretly return to it, acting as the mother of the thousand sages. Solitarily revered and solitarily noble, without compare and without equal, it is truly the source of the Great Path and the essential key of the true Dharma. Believing in it, the bodhisattvas of the three periods of time learn together—for they learn this mind; the Buddhas of the three periods of time together realize it—for they realize this mind; the great repository of the canon's teachings expounds and reveals it—for it reveals this mind; all sentient beings are deluded and confused—for they are deluded about this mind; all practitioners awaken—for they awaken to this mind; all the patriarchs transmit it to each other—for they transmit this mind; patch-robed monks throughout the world travel and inquire—for they inquire into this mind. Reaching this mind, then every single thing is right, and each phenomenon is fully manifest; deluded about this mind, then everywhere is topsy-turvy, and every thought is foolish and mad." This essence is the buddhadhātu originally possessed by all sentient beings, the root and source from which all worlds are produced. Therefore the Bhagavat remained silent on Vulture Peak, Subhūti forgot words under the cliff, Bodhidharma sat facing the wall at Shaoshi, and the Vimalakīrti kept silent in Vaiśālī; all of them elucidated this wondrous essence of the mind. Therefore, those who first enter the patriarchs' gate must first recognize this essence of the mind.