景德傳燈錄 28.6.4

28.6.4

"Merely do not defile your own nature—that is practice. Do not deceive yourself—that is practice. When the great functioning manifests before you, that is the unexcelled Dharmakāya." Again it was asked: "Is there evil within the nature?" The Master said: "Herein even good is not established." [The questioner] said: "When neither good nor evil is established, where is the mind applied?" The Master said: "Applying the mind with the mind is great inversion." [The questioner] asked: "What is it that is correct?" The Master said: "There is no 'what,' nor is there anything that is correct." Someone asked: "If someone rides a boat and the bottom of the boat pierces and kills snails and clams, does the person incur sin, or does the boat bear the blame?" The Master said: "Both the person and the boat are without mind; the sin rests entirely with you. For instance, when a gale breaks a tree and takes life, there is neither an agent nor a recipient. Throughout the world, there is nowhere that sentient beings do not experience suffering." A monk asked: "Regarding gestures relying on emotion, gestures pointing to objects, gestures of speech and silence, up to gestures such as raising eyebrows and moving eyes—how can they all be penetrated and integrated in a single thought?" The Master said: "There are no affairs outside the nature. For one whose functioning is wondrous, movement and stillness are both wondrous. For one whose mind is true, speech and silence are entirely true. For one who comprehends the Way, walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are all the Way. It is because of delusion regarding one's own nature that myriad confusions arise here." Again it was asked: "How is it that dharmas have a guiding principle?" The Master said: "According to whatever is established, there are diverse meanings. Mañjuśrī established all dharmas upon the root of non-abiding." [The questioner] said: "Is it not identical to empty space?" The Master said: "Are you afraid of being identical to empty space?" He said: "I am afraid." The Master said: "That which understands fear is not identical to empty space." Again it was asked: "How can one understand that which words cannot reach?" The Master said: "Right now as you are speaking, where do you doubt it cannot reach?" Over ten senior monks together asked: "A sutra says that the Buddhadharma can be destroyed. We do not know whether the Buddhadharma can be destroyed or not?" The Master said: "Ordinary persons and non-Buddhists say that the Buddhadharma can be destroyed; followers of the two vehicles say that it cannot be destroyed. Within my true Dharma, there are neither of these two views. If one speaks of the true Dharma, not only ordinary persons and non-Buddhists, but even followers of the two vehicles who have not reached the Buddha-stage are evil persons." Again it was asked: "Do real dharmas, illusory dharmas, empty dharmas, and non-empty dharmas each have their own lineage-nature?" The Master said: "Although dharmas have no lineage-nature, they manifest according to things. When the mind is illusory, all are illusory; if there were a single dharma that is not illusory, illusion would have a fixed nature. When the mind is empty, all are empty; if there were a single dharma that is not empty, the meaning of emptiness could not be established. When deluded, people chase after dharmas; when enlightened, dharmas stem from people. Just as the myriad phenomena reach their limit in emptiness, the hundred rivers and myriad streams reach their limit in the sea, and all worthy ones and sages reach their limit in the Buddha, so the twelve divisions of scriptures, the five divisions of Vinaya, and the treatises of the five Vedas reach their limit in the mind. The mind is the wondrous root of dhāraṇī, the vast source of all dharmas; it is also named the treasury of great wisdom and non-abiding nirvāṇa. The hundreds, thousands, and ten thousands of names are all merely different appellations for the mind." Again it was asked: "What is illusion?" The Master said: "Illusion has no fixed mark, like a whirling circle of fire, like a Gandharva city, like a mechanical wooden marionette, like a mirage, like flowers in the sky—none of them are real dharmas." Again it was asked: "What is called the great illusionist?" The Master said: "The mind is called the great illusionist. The body is the great illusion city. Names and marks are the great illusion clothing and food. Throughout worlds numerous as the sands of the Ganges, there are no affairs outside illusion. Ordinary persons do not recognize illusion, and in every place are deluded by illusory karma. Śrāvakas fear illusory realms, obscure their minds, and enter quiescence. Bodhisattvas recognize illusory dharmas, understand the essential nature of illusion, and are not bound by any names and marks. The Buddha is the great illusionist: he turns the great illusory Dharma wheel, attains the great illusory nirvāṇa, transforms illusory arising and ceasing into non-arising and non-ceasing, and transforms defiled lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges into the pure Dharma realm." A monk asked: "Why do you not allow reciting the sutras, calling it 'guest talk'?" The Master said: "It is like a parrot that only imitates human speech but does not understand human intent. The sutras transmit the Buddha's intent; not grasping the Buddha's intent while merely chanting is being an imitator of words. Therefore, it is not permitted." [The monk] asked: "Can there be another intent apart from written words and speech?" The Master said: "Your speaking like this is also imitating words." [The monk] asked: "Since both are words, why specifically disallow it?" The Master said: "Listen attentively now; the sutra has a clear text: 'What I speak is speech of meaning, not written words; what sentient beings speak is speech of written words, not meaning.' One who grasps the meaning transcends superficial words; one who realizes the principle goes beyond written words. The Dharma surpasses words and letters; why seek it within a few sentences? Therefore, one who brings forth the resolve for bodhi grasps the meaning and forgets the words, realizes the principle and leaves behind the teaching—just as catching the fish, one forgets the trap; catching the hare, one forgets the snare." A Dharma master asked: "Is mindfulness of the Buddha the Mahāyāna with marks? What is the Chan master's view?" The Master said: "Even marklessness is not yet the Mahāyāna, how much less having marks? A sutra says: 'For ordinary persons who grasp at marks, one speaks according to what is appropriate.'" Again it was asked: "I vow to be born in the Pure Land; is there really a Pure Land or not?" The Master said: "A sutra says: 'If one wishes to attain a pure land, one should purify one's mind; as one's mind is purified, the Buddha land is purified.' If the mind is pure, wherever one is, it is all the Pure Land. For example, one born into a royal family is certain to inherit the royal domain; giving rise to the mind directed toward the Buddha Way is being born into a pure Buddha land. If the mind is not pure, wherever one is born is a defiled land. Purity and defilement depend on the mind, not on the land." Again it was asked: "I often hear speaking of the Way; who can see it?" The Master said: "One who possesses the wisdom eye can see it." [The questioner] said: "I delight greatly in the Mahāyāna; how can I learn it?" The Master said: "Awaken, and you will attain it; do not awaken, and you will not attain it." [The questioner] asked: "How can one attain awakening?" The Master said: "Just observe clearly." [The questioner] said: "What is it like?" The Master said: "There is nothing it resembles." [The questioner] said: "It must be ultimate emptiness." The Master said: "Emptiness has no ultimacy." [The questioner] said: "It must be existence." The Master said: "It exists, yet without marks." [The questioner] said: "What if one does not awaken?" The Master said: "You do not awaken on your own, Great Virtuous; no one else obstructs you." Someone asked: "Is the Buddhadharma within the three periods of time?" The Master said: "Presently it is formless, not outside them; its practical function is inexhaustible, not within them. In between there is no place to abide; the three periods of time cannot be apprehended." [The questioner] said: "These words are very confusing." The Master said: "Right at the moment you speak the word 'confusing', is it inside or outside?" [The questioner] said: "This disciple searches inside and outside, and there is no trace." The Master said: "If there is no trace, you clearly know the previous words were not confusing." [The questioner] asked: "How can one become a Buddha?" The Master said: "This mind is Buddha; this mind creates Buddha." [The questioner] asked: "When sentient beings enter hell, does the Buddha-nature enter as well?" The Master said: "Right now when doing evil, is there still good?" [The questioner] said: "No." The Master said: