釋氏稽古略 3.216

3.216

National Preceptor Qingliang. Qingliang Grand Controller and National Preceptor Chengguan first appeared in the first year of the Wansuitongtian era under Empress Wu Zetian. By the time Shunzong was in the Eastern Palace as Crown Prince, he heard the Dharma, attained understanding, and inquired about the essentials of mind from the National Preceptor. The master answered him, stating in brief: "The supreme Way is rooted in one's mind; the Dharma of mind is rooted in non-abiding. The substance of the non-abiding mind is numinous awareness unobscured; its nature and characteristics are tranquil, containing all virtues and functions. Deluded regarding immediate perception, confusion and suffering proliferate; awakening to the true nature, emptiness and brightness become vast and thoroughly clear. Although this mind is the Buddha, only those who have realized it know it. Yet, if there is realization and knowing, the sun of wisdom sinks into the realm of being; if there is no illumination and no awakening, dark clouds obscure the gate of emptiness. If not a single thought arises, the boundaries of past and future are severed. The illuminating substance stands alone independently, and external objects and the self are both thus. Reaching straight to the source of mind, there is neither wisdom nor attainment. Yet delusion and awakening depend on each other; truth and falsehood are mutually relative. To seek the true while expelling the false is like fleeing a shadow and wearying the body. To realize that the false is identical to the true is like dwelling in the shade where the shadow vanishes. If one is without mind and forgets illumination, the myriad thoughts are completely cast away; if one accords with natural functioning in tranquil awareness, all practices are thereupon initiated. Give free rein to its departing and abiding; in quiet reflection recognize its source and flow. Speech and silence do not lose the profound subtlety; movement and stillness never depart from the Dharma realm. Speaking of cessation, both knowing and tranquility are extinguished; discussing contemplation, both tranquility and knowing are illuminated. In terms of realization, it cannot be shown to others; in expounding principle, unless realized it cannot be understood. Therefore, awakening to tranquility, there is no tranquility; true knowing has no knowing. With the one mind wherein knowing and tranquility are non-dual, one accords with the Middle Way in which both emptiness and existence are extinguished." In the fifth month of the fourth year of the Yuanhe era of the Emperor, an imperial decree ordered the relevant officials to cast an additional gold seal and bestowed upon National Preceptor Qingliang the title National Preceptor of the Monastic Controller to oversee the affairs of the Buddhist teaching. The Emperor asked the master, "What is meant by the Dharma realm expounded in the Avataṃsaka?" The master said, "The Dharma realm is the fundamental substance of the body and mind of sentient beings. From the origin, empty, bright, vast, and great, it is nothing other than the single true realm. It has no physical appearance, yet the great thousandfold world spreads out within it; it has no boundaries, yet it contains the myriad existences. Brightly shining between mind and eyes, its characteristics cannot be seen; brilliantly glowing within the dust of form, its principle cannot be divided. Without the eye of wisdom that penetrates all phenomena and the bright knowledge free from thoughts, one cannot see one's own mind possessed of such numinous penetration. Therefore, when the World-Honoured One first realized correct awakening, he praised, saying: 'How wondrous! All sentient beings fully possess the wisdom and virtuous marks of the Tathāgata, but because of妄想 [false thoughts] and attachments, they do not realize and attain them.' Thereupon, matching the nature of the Dharma realm, he expounded the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, entirely using true emptiness to select the refined, and merging phenomena and principle into an all-pervading and motionless tranquility." Listening to the profound discourse, the Emperor attained vast self-realization (Old Tang History, Master's Collected Works; he entered tranquility in the third year of the Kaicheng era).