景德傳燈錄 9.45.3

9.45.3

What is called 'meditation and wisdom illuminating and functioning distinctly, tranquilly, and alertly,' seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing, are all interpretations made on objects. It is acceptable to speak this way temporarily for people of middling and lower capacities. If one wishes to realize it personally, one must not make such an interpretation at all. They are entirely bondages to objects. Where the Dharma sinks, it sinks into the realm of existence. If one merely does not form a view of existence regarding all phenomena, one then sees the Dharma. Ever since the Great Master Bodhidharma came to China, he spoke only of the one nature and transmitted only the one Dharma. Using Buddha to transmit Buddha, he spoke of no other Buddha; using Dharma to transmit Dharma, he spoke of no other Dharma. The Dharma is the ineffable Dharma; the Buddha is the ungraspable Buddha. It is simply the fundamentally pure mind. Only this one matter is true; the other two are not real. Prajñā is wisdom; this wisdom is the very basis of signlessness. Ordinary beings do not incline toward the Way; they merely indulge the six passions and thus travel through the six destinies. Even after studying the Way, if in a single thought one conceptualizes birth and death, one immediately falls into the paths of the māras. If in a single thought one gives rise to views, one immediately falls into the paths of non-Buddhists. If seeing that there is arising, one tends toward its cessation, one immediately falls into the śrāvaka path. If not seeing arising, one sees only cessation, that is the pratyekabuddha path. Phenomena originally do not arise and now do not cease. One gives rise to no dualistic views, neither disliking nor delighting. All phenomena are solely the one mind; only then is it the Buddha Vehicle. Ordinary people all give rise to mind by chasing after objects, the mind following delights and dislikes. If you wish to be without objects, you should forget the mind. When the mind is forgotten, objects are empty; when objects are empty, the mind is extinguished. If without forgetting the mind you try to eliminate objects, objects cannot be eliminated, and you will only increase confusion and disturbance. Therefore, the ten thousand phenomena are mind alone, and the mind also cannot be apprehended. What else then should you seek? Those who study the Dharma of prajñā do not see a single phenomenon to be apprehended, and sever thoughts of the three vehicles. There is only the one reality, which cannot be attained or realized. Those who say, 'I am able to realize it, I am able to attain it,' are all arrogant people of overweening pride. Those at the assembly of the Lotus Sūtra who shook their garments and walked away were all of this sort. Thus the Buddha said, 'Regarding bodhi, I in truth attained nothing.' It is just silent communion. If ordinary people wish to cultivate and realize, they need only observe that the five aggregates are all empty and the four great elements are without a self. The true mind is without marks, neither going nor coming. At birth, nature also does not come; at death, nature also does not go. Tranquil and completely quiescent, mind and objects are as one. If one can directly and suddenly understand in this way, unconstrained by the three times, one is then a person who has transcended the world. Under no circumstances may there be the slightest inclination [toward anything]. If one sees good manifestations, with Buddhas coming to welcome one, and various [signs] appearing, have no mind to follow them. If one sees bad manifestations of various kinds appearing, have no mind of fear either. Simply forget the mind by oneself to be identical with the dharmadhātu, and you will attain autonomy. What is spoken of as the 'conjured city' refers to the two vehicles, the ten stages, and up to equal enlightenment and wondrous enlightenment; all are teachings provisionally established to guide [beings], and all are conjured cities. What is spoken of as the 'place of jewels' is the jewel of the true mind, the original Buddha, one's own nature. This jewel does not belong to emotional reckonings and cannot be established. There is no Buddha and no sentient beings, no agent and no object. Where could there be a city? If it is asked: 'Since this is a conjured city, where is the place of jewels?' The place of jewels cannot be pointed to. If pointed to, it would be an objective place of jewels and not the true place. Hence it is said: 'It is simply near.' That 'it is near' cannot be expressed in fixed terms; one must simply directly realize and commune with it, and that is it. An icchantika is one whose faith is incomplete. All sentient beings of the six destinies, and even the two vehicles who do not believe in the fruit of Buddhahood, are all called icchantikas who have severed good roots. Bodhisattvas who deeply believe in the Buddhadharma and see neither a Great Vehicle nor a Small Vehicle, but that Buddhas and sentient beings share the identical Dharma-nature, are called icchantikas of good roots. In general, those who awaken through spoken teachings are called śrāvakas; those who awaken through observing causes and conditions are called pratyekabuddhas. If one does not awaken within one's own mind, even if one reaches Buddhahood, it is also called a śrāvaka Buddha. Students of the Way who awaken upon phenomena and do not awaken upon the mind, though they cultivate for kalpas, will ultimately not be the original Buddha. If one does not awaken in mind but awakens upon phenomena, this is to disdain the mind and value phenomena, thereby chasing after clods and forgetting the original mind. Therefore, simply accord with the original mind and do not seek phenomena; mind is phenomena. Ordinary people often say that objects obstruct the mind and that facts obstruct principle, constantly desiring to flee objects to pacify the mind, and set aside facts to preserve principle. They do not know that it is mind that obstructs objects and principle that obstructs facts. Only make the mind empty, and objects become empty of themselves; only make principle quiescent, and facts become quiescent of themselves. Do not apply the mind topsy-turvy. Ordinary people are mostly unwilling to empty their minds, fearing falling into emptiness, not knowing that their own minds are originally empty. The foolish eliminate facts but do not eliminate the mind; the wise eliminate the mind but do not eliminate facts. The bodhisattva's mind is like space: everything is entirely relinquished, and with regard to the merits and virtues created, there is no greedy attachment. However, relinquishment has three grades: relinquishing entirely the internal and external, body and mind, like empty space with nothing grasped or attached to, and thereafter responding to things according to circumstances, forgetting both subject and object—this is called the great relinquishment. If on the one hand one practices the Way and bestows virtue, and on the other hand relinquishes in turn without expecting reward in mind—this is called the middling relinquishment. If one extensively cultivates various good deeds with expectations, but upon hearing the Dharma understands emptiness and consequently does not cling—this is called the lesser relinquishment. The great relinquishment is like a torch held in front: there is no longer delusion or awakening. The middling relinquishment is like a torch held at the side: it is sometimes bright and sometimes dark. The lesser relinquishment is like a torch held behind: one does not see pits and traps. Therefore, the bodhisattva's mind is like empty space, completely relinquishing everything. The past mind cannot be apprehended: this is relinquishing the past. The present mind cannot be apprehended: this is relinquishing the present. The future mind cannot be apprehended: this is relinquishing the future. This is what is meant by 'completely relinquishing the three times.' Ever since the Tathāgata entrusted the Dharma to Kāśyapa, mind has been sealed with mind, mind and mind not differing. If the seal is applied to space, the seal does not form an inscription; if the seal is applied to objects, the seal does not form the Dharma. Therefore, with mind sealing mind, mind and mind do not differ. Both the one that can seal and that which is sealed are difficult to accord with; hence, those who attain it are few. Yet mind is no-mind, and attainment is non-attainment. The Buddha has three bodies. The Dharma body speaks the Dharma of one's own nature's spiritual efficacy. The reward body speaks all pure Dharmas. The transformation body speaks the Dharma of the six perfections and the myriad practices. When the Dharma body expounds the Dharma, it is not by means of spoken language, sounds, physical forms, or written words; there is nothing expounded and nothing realized—it is simply the spiritual efficacy of one's own nature. Thus it is said: 'That there is no Dharma to expound is called expounding the Dharma.' The reward body and transformation body both manifest according to capacities and conditions; the Dharmas they expound also respond to conditions and accord with faculties to gather and transform beings. None of these is the true Dharma. Hence it is said: 'The reward and transformation are not the true Buddha, nor are they the expounder of the Dharma.' What is referred to as 'the same single pure brightness divided into the six harmonies':