緇門警訓 1.63

1.63

Now, as for seated meditation: rectify the mind and correct the intentions, purify oneself and empty the mind. Cross the legs in the lotus posture, withdraw the gaze and turn the hearing inward. Remain alert and unconfused, perpetually free from torpor and restlessness. Even if recollections arise, completely cast them aside. Facing the state of stillness and concentration, contemplate attentively with right mindfulness. Know that sitting is this mind, and turning the illumination inward is this mind. That which knows existence, non-existence, center, extremes, inside, and outside is the mind. This mind is empty yet aware, quiescent yet illuminating, perfectly bright and clear, not falling into annihilation or permanence. Its numinous awareness is brilliantly evident, distinguished from falsehood. Now, seeing practitioners who sit with effort yet do not awaken, the illness arises from clinging to conceptualization, their feelings adhering to partiality and bias, straying from and going against the correct cause, vainly following stopping and producing. The error of non-awakening lies precisely in this. If one gathers and purifies a single thought, secretly tallying with the unarisen, the mirror of wisdom opens wide and the flowers of the mind suddenly bloom. Boundless attachments and clingings are wiped away right where they stand; what was unclarified through accumulated aeons suddenly opens up in an instant. It is like suddenly remembering what was forgotten, like a sudden recovery from illness. Internally, a joyful mind arises, knowing of oneself that one will become a Buddha, realizing immediately that outside one's own mind there is no other Buddha. Thereafter, one increases practice in accord with awakening and verifies through practice. The source of verification and awakening—these three are without distinction. This is called the samādhi of one understanding and one practice, and is also called the path of effortless functioning. Then one can turn objects without departing from sense-faculties and sense-objects, picking them up as the hand pleases, distinguishing between host and guest. The eyes of heaven and earth are purified, past and present unfolded anew. Before one's very eyes, numinous functioning naturally tallies. Therefore Vimalakīrti said: "Not rising from the concentration of cessation, yet displaying all deportments—this is quiet sitting." However, one should know that when the water is clear the moon appears, and when the mirror is clean its light is complete. For those who study the Way, seated meditation is the essential. If it were not so, one would revolve on the long path, submerged in the four forms of birth; with an aching nose and a pained heart, it would be difficult to remain silent. I have briefly written an outline to assist in uncovering the true source. If you truly do not abandon practice, you will join in tallying with it.