緇門警訓 4.28

4.28

As for the manifest maintenance triratna: human beings can propagate the Way, transmitting benevolence across ten thousand years. The Way relies on humans to be propagated, and the three dharmas have their roles established thereby. Consequently, generation after generation it has been raised up, and place after place it has been transmitted and propagated. Without the saṅgha to promote it, the Buddha's Dharma would remain submerged. For instance, Emperor Wu of the Han was in his prime when he first heard the name of the Buddha, but since the saṅgha had not yet transmitted it, the inception of its lineage was exhausted right there. When Emperor Xianzong opened the Dharma by seeking it afar in India, it brought about the arrival of Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna to proclaim and spread the vocal teachings, developing living beings, bringing undertakings to fruition, and inspiring faith and refuge in their hearts. This truly relied on the labor of exposition and indeed depended on the power of external forms; this is called the saṅgharatna. The words and phrases spoken have expressing the principle as their priority; if not for written words, the principle provides no means to attain awakening. Thus we have names and teachings, the conditions of speaking and hearing; this is called the dharmaratna. This principle is profound and abstruse, imperceptible to anyone other than a sage. Although the sage has departed, his images are erected; this is called the buddharatna. It is only because the merits of living beings are shallow that they could not meet the fountainhead of transformation; yet having a slight reserve of merit, they still encounter the bequeathed Dharma. The substance of this triratna is conditioned, fully endowed with defilements, and insufficient to be presented with respect; nevertheless, it is that upon which the jewel of principle relies and abides. If there are those who can venerate it, following its form they will transcend conditioned existence. Just as when a worldly king's envoy patrols the provinces, one does not make distinctions based on his physical form, and so the respect paid is uniform. A sūtra states: 'Just as in the world gold is the supreme treasure when silver exists, but when there is no silver, brass is also called priceless,' so the respect paid to the latter-day triratna is equal to that paid to the true one. If one does not pay respect now, there will be no other way to show veneration. Where would one cast one's heart, and upon what would one base one's refuge? Therefore, one should physically revere the sacred forms while maintaining the true principle in one's mind; the meaning of guiding conditions and establishing transformations reaches its peak here. A sūtra states: 'Making an image even the size of a barley grain yields immeasurable merit,' because it is a vessel of the Dharmakāya. A treatise says: 'Metal, wood, earth, and stone are by nature insentient; yet because an image is made, those who revere or defame it naturally reap sin or merit.' All of these manifest the Dharmakāya, causing its function to be boundless. Therefore, they cause aspiring practitioners who face these sacred forms to stream with tears without exception and unconsciously redouble their respect. It is only because the true form has already passed away that one merely sees the bequeathed traces; just as when visiting an ancestral temple, solemn sorrow naturally arises. Raising one's eyes, one is struck with emotion, as if the Buddha were present without doubt. Today I am also like this: the Compassionate Honored One has long departed, leaving behind only the images. To guide my haughty banner of arrogance, I must bow down, embrace his feet, and perform homage as if facing his true form, listening to him preach the Dharma. That I do not see or hear him now is because my mind lacks faith. How is this known? Merely through what the mind intends, the traidhātuka is still constructed; how could this single hall remain inert and unmoved? The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: 'The buddhas constantly emit light and preach the Dharma, yet because of sentient beings' sins, they do not see them face to face.' This being so for one image, the rest of the images follow this example. Trees, stones, mountains, and forests are established in accordance with forms, guiding my mind's path not to stray beyond the sacred deportment."