真心直說 1.15

1.15

Someone asked: "As for the essence and function of the true mind, is it not known whether they are one or different?"
It was answered: "In terms of characteristics, they are not one; in terms of nature, they are not different. Therefore, this essence and function are neither one nor different. How is this known to be so? Let us attempt to discuss it. The wondrous essence is unmoving, transcends all duality, and is free from all characteristics; unless one has penetrated the nature and verified it, one cannot fathom its principle. The wondrous function accords with conditions and responds to the myriad kinds [of beings], falsely establishing empty characteristics as though having form. In terms of this having characteristics and lacking characteristics, they are not one. Furthermore, function arises from essence, and function does not depart from essence; essence can give rise to function, and essence does not depart from function. In terms of this principle of not departing from one another, they are not different. It is like water taking wetness as its essence, because the essence has no movement; waves take motion as their characteristic, because they arise due to the wind. In terms of the nature of water and the characteristic of waves, moving and unmoving, they are not one. Yet outside of waves there is no water, and outside of water there are no waves; the wet nature is one, so they are not different. By analogy to this, the identity and difference of essence and function can be understood."