真心直說 1.19

1.19

Someone asked: "If the true mind in delusion is an ordinary person, how can one emerge from delusion and become a sage?"
It was answered: "An ancient said: 'The place where deluded mind is absent is bodhi; saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are originally equal.' A sūtra says: 'Because the illusory body of those sentient beings ceases, the illusory mind also ceases; because the illusory mind ceases, the illusory dust also ceases; because the illusory dust ceases, illusory cessation also ceases; because illusory cessation ceases, non-illusion does not cease. It is like polishing a mirror: when the grime is exhausted, the clarity appears.' Yongjia also said: 'The mind is the sense-root, dharmas are the dust; both kinds are like smudges on a mirror. When grime and smudges are exhausted, light only then appears; when mind and dharmas are both forgotten, nature is truly real.' This is emerging from delusion and becoming real."
Someone asked: "Master Zhuang said: 'As for the mind, its heat scorches like fire; its cold congeals like ice. Its swiftness, in the span of bending and lifting the head, twice strokes beyond the four seas. In its resting, it is deep and tranquil; in its motion, it hangs high in the heavens. Is it not only the human mind that is like this?' This was Master Zhuang first explaining that the mind of ordinary people cannot be regulated and subdued like this. It is not known by what method the patriarchal school regulates the deluded mind."
It was answered: "It regulates the deluded mind with the method of no-mind."
Someone asked: "If a person has no mind, they would be the same as grass and trees. Concerning the teaching of no-mind, please offer an upāya."
It was answered: "What is now called 'no-mind' does not mean that the absence of the essence of the mind is called no-mind; it is merely that the absence of objects in the mind is called no-mind. It is like speaking of an empty bottle: the absence of objects within the bottle is called an empty bottle, not that the absence of the bottle's essence is called an empty bottle. Therefore, a patriarch said: 'If you are only free of affairs in the mind, and free of mind in affairs, naturally it will be empty and numinous, tranquil and wondrous.' This is the purport of this mind. Relying on this, it is by having no deluded mind, not having no wondrous function of the true mind. The various masters of the past have spoken of performing the practice of no-mind in different ways. Now, summarizing the broad meaning, ten kinds are briefly clarified:
First is 'awareness and observation'. This means that when performing practice, one ordinarily cuts off thought and guards against thoughts arising. As soon as a single thought arises, one immediately breaks it through with awareness. When deluded thought is broken through by awareness, subsequent thoughts do not arise. Even this wisdom of awareness need not be used. When delusion and awareness are both forgotten, it is called no-mind. Therefore a patriarch said: 'Do not fear thoughts arising; only fear awareness being slow.' Furthermore, a verse says: 'No need to seek the real; only cease views.' This is the practice of quelling delusion.
Second is 'resting'. This means that when performing practice, one does not think of good and does not think of evil. When the mind arises, immediately let it rest; when meeting conditions, immediately desist. An ancient said: 'Go like a single strip of white silk; go like cold ashes; go like an incense burner in an ancient temple.' Straightforwardly making it devoid of the slightest trace, free from discrimination, like an idiot, like a dunce—only then will there be a slight degree of accord. This is the practice of resting the deluded mind.
Third is 'eradicating the mind and retaining the object'. This means that when performing practice, all deluded thoughts are entirely quelled; not paying attention to external objects, one merely puts one's own mind to rest. When the deluded mind has already been put to rest, what harm is there in having objects? This is precisely the ancient's dharma gate of 'taking away the person and not taking away the object'. Hence a saying goes: 'Everywhere there are fragrant grasses; the whole city has no old friends.' Furthermore, Layman Pang said: 'Just have no mind regarding the myriad things; what harm if the myriad things constantly surround you?' This is the practice of quelling delusion by eradicating the mind and retaining the object.
Fourth is 'eradicating the object and retaining the mind'. This means that when performing practice, one contemplates all internal and external objects as empty and tranquil, retaining only the one mind standing solitary and independent. Therefore, an ancient said: 'Do not make companions with the myriad dharmas; do not pair up with the various dusts.' If the mind clings to objects, the mind is delusion; now that there are no objects, what delusion could there be? The true mind illuminates alone, without obstructing the Way. This is precisely the ancient's 'taking away the object and not taking away the person'. Hence a saying goes: 'In the upper garden, the flowers have already fallen; carts and horses still crowd the road.' Another says: 'Where are the three thousand swordsmen now? Solely the plan of Zhuang Zhou brings peace.' This is the practice of quelling delusion by eradicating the object and retaining the mind.
Fifth is 'eradicating both mind and object'. This means that when performing practice, one first empties and tranquillizes external objects, and next extinguishes the internal mind. Since both internal and external, mind and object, are tranquil, whence could delusion ultimately arise? Therefore Guanxi said: 'In the ten directions there are no walls; on the four sides there are also no gates; bare and naked, clean and exposed.' This is precisely the patriarch's dharma gate of 'taking away both person and object'. Hence a saying goes: 'Clouds disperse and water flows away; silently, heaven and earth are empty.' Another says: 'Neither person nor ox is seen; this is precisely the time of the bright moon.' This is the practice of quelling delusion by eradicating both mind and object.
Sixth is 'retaining both object and mind'. This means that when performing practice, the mind abides in the mind's place and the object abides in the object's place. When mind and object sometimes confront each other, the mind does not grasp the object, and the object does not encroach upon the mind; neither reaches the other. Naturally, deluded thoughts do not arise, and there is no obstruction to the Way. Therefore, a sūtra says: 'These dharmas abide in dharma positions; the characteristics of the world are permanently abiding.' This is precisely the patriarch's dharma gate of 'taking away neither person nor object'. Hence a saying goes: 'A piece of moon rises from the sea; how many families go up to their towers?' Another says: 'The mountain flowers, thousands and myriads of blossoms; the wandering traveler knows not to return.' This is the practice of extinguishing delusion by retaining both object and mind.
Seventh is 'inner and outer as the total essence'. This means that when performing practice, the mountains, rivers, great earth, sun, moon, stars, and planets, inner body and outer environment, all dharmas are identical with the essence of the true mind, serene, empty, and luminous, without the slightest difference. The great trichiliocosm is forged into a single whole; from what place could a deluded mind still be obtained? Therefore Master Zhao said: 'Heaven and earth share the same root with me; the myriad things are of the same essence as me.' This is the practice of extinguishing delusion through inner and outer as the total essence.
Eighth is 'inner and outer as the total function'. This means that when performing practice, one contemplates all inner and outer, body, mind, physical environment, and dharmas, as well as all active functioning and practical conduct, entirely as the wondrous function of the true mind. As soon as any mental thought arises, it is precisely the wondrous function appearing manifest. Since everything is the wondrous function, in what place could a deluded mind be settled? Therefore Yongjia said: 'The true nature of ignorance is buddhadhātu; the illusory empty body is the dharmakāya.' Master Zhi's Song of the Twelve Hours says: 'At daybreak, yin: within crazy mechanisms lies concealed the body of the person of the Way. Sitting and lying down, not knowing it was originally the Way, merely busy, suffering hardship.' This is the practice of quelling delusion through inner and outer as the total function.
Ninth is 'function is essence; essence is function'. This means that when performing practice, although one is darkly merged with the true essence in a single flavor of empty tranquility, within it is secretly harbored numinous luminosity: this is essence being function. Within numinous luminosity is secretly harbored empty tranquility: this is function being essence. Therefore Yongjia said: 'Lucid and tranquil is right; lucid with false conceptualization is wrong. Tranquil and lucid is right; avyākṛta and tranquil is wrong.' Since avyākṛta is not tolerated within tranquility, and wild thoughts are not used within lucidity, how could any deluded mind arise? This is the practice of extinguishing delusion where essence is function and function is essence.
Tenth is 'penetrating beyond essence and function'. This means that when performing practice, one does not distinguish inner from outer, nor does one discern east, west, south, or north. One takes the four directions and eight sides merely as a single great gate of liberation, perfectly round, essence and function undivided, without the slightest leakage. The entire body is forged into a single whole; whence could delusion arise? An ancient said: 'The entire body has no seams; above and below, completely round.' This is the practice of extinguishing delusion by penetrating beyond essence and function.
The above ten kinds of methods for performing practice need not all be used. If one only accomplishes the practice of a single gate, delusion will naturally be extinguished and the true mind will immediately appear. In accord with your capacity and past habits, whichever dharma you have had an affinity with, immediately practice it. This practice is the effort of non-effort, not the exertion of a purposeful mind. Because this dharma gate of resting the deluded mind is of the utmost importance, it is explained at greater length without being considered wordy."