佛祖統紀 22.6

22.6

Jingxi's Zhiguan yili states: "The Mahāsattva of Dongyang had reached the rank of equal enlightenment, yet he still took the three contemplations and the four operations as his essential mind-teaching. Therefore, his poem 'Alone' says:
'Alone and refined,'
(Master Yuanying of Caotang commented in line: "This means the three thousand realms are exquisite; the Dharma realm stands alone, its substance refined and marvelous.")
'its reality is beyond voice and name.'
(The marvelous substance of the three thousand is originally beyond verbal teachings and names.)
'The three contemplations in one mind harmonize the ten thousand categories;'
(The three contemplations are the three thousand. The three thousand are emptiness, provisionality, and the middle. It is just a single thought-moment; if one realizes the three thousand, it naturally encompasses the ten thousand categories. One is all, all is one, neither one nor all, yet one and all. The aspect of harmonious fusion can be known from this.)
'where could thickets of brambles arise?'
(The defilements, samsara, and cause and effect of the nine realms are the brambles. The causes, effects, and myriad virtuous adornments of the Buddha realm are the forest. Good and evil tower up, yet both return to a single characteristic. The single characteristic is characterless; hence it says 'where could they arise?' This verifies the contemplation of the principle of true suchness.)
'Alone I act;'
(Arising the four operations of the ten realms, and investigating them with the four propositions; hence it says 'act.')
'I ask what my mind clings to.'
(These are words raising the question.)
'Investigating the four operations, none has ever arisen;'
(This is the actual application of contemplation.)
'how could a thousand tangles and myriad burdens bind me?'
(This is the completion of contemplation. How could the causes and effects of good and evil in the ten realms bind one? This verifies the contemplation of phenomena in consciousness-only.)
Furthermore, the three contemplations originally stem from the Yingluo [jing]. The Mahāsattva one birth away from Buddhahood received them directly from the golden mouth. Therefore we know that the teachings of our lineage received their transmission from Buddhist sūtras from afar, and moreover they correspond to the Mahāsattva as if tally to bond."
(The two rolls of the Lesser Yingluo jing: the first roll clarifies the sequential three contemplations, meaning the contemplation of entering emptiness from provisionality, and the contemplation of entering provisionality from emptiness. These two contemplations serve as expedients to enter the contemplation of the primary truth of the middle way. The second roll clarifies the perfect three contemplations, stating that the Buddha explained for Bodhisattva Jingshou the three contemplations, the Dharma realm, and the intrinsically pure nature of all Buddhas, and so on. Since the three contemplations were spoken by the Buddha, and the Mahāsattva received them directly from the golden mouth, our lineage's establishment derives from the Buddha's preaching from afar, and also accords with the three contemplations spoken by the Mahāsattva).