真心直說 1.23

1.23

Someone asked: "When the deluded mind ceases, the true mind becomes manifest. That being so, where are the essence and function of the true mind right now?"
I answered: "The wondrous essence of the true mind pervades all places. Yongjia says: 'Not departing from the present place, it is constantly serene; seek it, and know that you cannot see it.' A sūtra says: 'Because it is of the nature of space, because it is constantly unmoving, because within the tathāgatagarbha there is no arising or ceasing.' Great Master Fayan said: 'Every place is the path of bodhi; every single thing is a grove of merit.' This is where the essence abides. The wondrous function of the true mind manifests in response to each resonance, like an echo in a valley. Fadeng said: 'From past to present it never falls; clearly it is right before one's eyes. A wisp of cloud arises from the evening valley; a lone crane descends from the distant sky.' Therefore, Master Yuan Huayan of Weifu said: 'The Buddhadharma is in daily activities, in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, in drinking tea and eating rice, and in speaking and asking questions. Yet when one acts, does things, stirs the mind, or moves a thought, it is again not it.' Hence, we know that the essence pervades all places and is capable of giving rise to all functions; but because the presence or absence of causes and conditions is indeterminate, the wondrous function is indeterminate—it is not that there is no wondrous function. Those who cultivate the mind and wish to enter the ocean of the unconditioned to cross over all saṃsāra must not be deluded about the whereabouts of the essence and function of the true mind."