傳法正宗記 5.37

5.37

He also said, "All the tribulations to come are fully preserved in these twelve lines. Although this is a far-reaching prophecy that cannot be witnessed in your single lifetime, one who attains the true divine eye will be able to see it directly." After Prajñātāra had passed into extinction, the Venerable One upheld his instructions and remained in his native country to devote himself to propagating the teachings. Formerly, the Venerable One and a monk named Buddhasena had both emerged from the school of Prajñātāra; hence, the two always treated each other with the etiquette of elder and younger brothers. At that time, both extensively proclaimed the Dharma. People of the time praised them, saying that they opened two gates of nectar. Just then, in that country there was a monk named Buddhavijaya, who rashly deviated from what had been transmitted to him and divided it into six schools, teaching separately in various places: the first was called the School of Having Marks; the second was called the School of Having No Marks; the third was called the School of Samādhi and Wisdom; the fourth was called the School of Preceptual Practice; the fifth was called the School of Non-Attainment; and the sixth was called the School of Serene Stillness. However, learners flocked to them in great numbers, and the disciples of each school were no fewer than several hundreds or thousands. The Venerable One often sighed deeply for them, saying, "Although this country has these six groups, their paths are neither great nor profoundly subtle. If I do not rectify them, how can those people attain liberation?" One day, he thereupon went to them using his spiritual powers. First, he visited the quarters of the School of Having Marks and questioned them, saying, "Among all marks, what is called the real mark?" The head of that group, named Sarvara, answered, "Not interchanging marks among all marks is called the real mark." He asked again, "If all marks do not interchange, when one clarifies the real mark, how should it be determined?" He replied, "Among all marks, there is truly no determination; all marks are themselves called the real." He asked again, "If the indeterminacy of all marks is called the real mark, as you are now undetermined, how should you attain it?" He replied, "I speak of indeterminacy: undetermined marks should explain all marks; their meaning is not so." He asked again, "You say indeterminacy should be the real mark; because it is both determined and undetermined, it is not the real mark." He replied, "Since determination is undetermined, it is not the real mark; knowing my error, it is undetermined and unalterable. What is called the real mark? Having altered and passed away, its meaning is also thus." He replied, "The unalterable must abide in non-abiding; therefore, the alteration of the real mark determines its meaning." He asked again, "The real mark does not alter; if it alters, it is not a mark. Between existence and non-existence, what is called the real mark?" Thereupon, Sarvara's mind suddenly resolved the doubt. Pointing with his finger into empty space, he instead asked the Venerable One, "The marks of this world can also become empty; can the power of this body resemble this?" The Venerable One said, "If you understand the real mark, you will see the unreal; if you comprehend the unreal, its form is also thus. One must not lose the substance of form within form, and abiding in non-marks does not obstruct existence. If you can understand in this way, it is called the real mark." Second, he visited the quarters of the School of Having No Marks and questioned them, saying, "You speak of having no marks; how should you verify it?" The head of that group, named Prati, came forward and replied, "I am called non-mark because the mind does not manifest." He asked again, "When your mark does not manifest, how should you understand it?" He replied, "I understand non-mark as the mind not grasping or discarding; at the time of understanding, there is also no one who encounters it." He asked again, "If the mind neither grasps nor discards among all existences and non-existences, and there is also no one who encounters it, who understands non-existence?" He replied, "When the Buddha enters samādhi, there is still nothing attained; how much more so with non-mark, that one should deliberately know it?" He asked again, "Since marks are not known, who speaks of existence or non-existence? If nothing is yet attained, what is called samādhi?" He replied, "I say there is no verification; verification is having nothing to verify. Because it is non-samādhi, I speak of samādhi." He asked again, "How should non-samādhi be understood? Since you do not verify, what is verified by non-verification?" Prati thereupon had a wondrous awakening, hurriedly rose to thank him. The Venerable One immediately bestowed a prediction upon him, saying, "Your realization of the fruit is not far off; however, when Māra arises in the country, you shall also subdue him." Third, he visited the quarters of the School of Samādhi and Wisdom and questioned them, saying, "Do you study samādhi and wisdom as one or as two?" The head of that group, named Bhāradvāja, came forward and replied, "This samādhi and wisdom of mine are neither one nor two." He asked again, "Since your samādhi and wisdom are neither one nor two, by what do you designate them as samādhi and wisdom?" He replied, "Abiding in samādhi, it is not samādhi; residing in wisdom, it is not wisdom. One is not one, and two is not two." He asked again, "When one is not one and two is not two, since they are not samādhi and wisdom, based on what are they samādhi and wisdom?" He replied, "Being neither one nor two, samādhi and wisdom can know; being neither samādhi nor wisdom, it can also be so." He asked again, "Since wisdom is not samādhi, how can it be known in this way? If neither one nor two, who is samādhi and who is wisdom?" Bhāradvāja was immediately broadly awakened, paying homage and submitting in heart. Fourth, he visited the quarters of the School of Preceptual Practice and questioned them, saying, "What do you take as precepts? What is called practice? And are these precepts and practice one or two?" The head of that group (name lost) came forward and replied, "One and two, two and one—both are produced by that. Relying on the teaching without defilement is called precepts and practice." He asked again, "Your speaking of relying on the teaching is itself having defilement. If one and two are both this, why speak of relying on the teaching? These two contradict each other and do not reach practice. If inner and outer are not clear, what is called precepts?" He replied, "I have inner and outer, which that [mind] already knows. Having attained penetration, this is itself precepts and practice. If one speaks of contradiction, both are right and both are wrong; when one speaks of purity, that is both precepts and practice." He asked again, "If both are right and both are wrong, why speak of purity? Since penetration is attained, why talk of inner and outer?" The leader immediately realized his error, bowed in gratitude, and proclaimed his fortune. Fifth, he visited the quarters of the School of Non-Attainment and questioned them, saying, "You speak of non-attainment; in non-attainment, what is attained? Since nothing is attained, there is also no attainment to be attained." The head of that group, named Ratnaviśuddha, came forward and replied, "I speak of non-attainment as not having non-attainment to attain; when speaking of attainment to be attained, non-attainment is also attained." He asked again, "Since attainment is non-attainment, attainment is also non-attainment. Since you speak of attaining attainment, what does attaining attain?" He replied, "Seeing attainment as non-attainment, non-attainment is attainment; if one sees non-attainment, it is called attaining attainment." He asked again, "Since attainment is non-attainment, non-attainment has no attainment. Since nothing is attained, what attainment should be attained?" Ratnaviśuddha thereupon clearly awakened. Sixth, he visited the quarters of the School of Serene Stillness and questioned them, saying, "What do you call serenity? How can there be stillness?" The head of that group (name lost) came forward and replied, "This mind being unmoved is called serenity; being undefiled among all things is called stillness." He asked again, "If the original mind is not serene, it must depend on serenity to be serene; since it is now already serene, what use is serene stillness?" He replied, "All dharmas are originally empty; because emptiness is empty, being empty of that emptiness is called serene stillness." He asked again, "Emptiness being empty through emptiness, all dharmas are also thus. Serene stillness is devoid of marks; what is stillness and what is serenity?" The leader's argument collapsed, and he thereupon showed great reverence. From then on, all six groups honored him as their master, and the Venerable One's reputation for the Way spread even further. Among the scholars of the five regions of India, there was none who did not flock to him in abundance. Soon after, he encountered the king of that country, named Dṛṣṭiviparyaya, who was in fact the son of the former king Candradhara and Bodhidharma's nephew. He rashly gave rise to heterodox views, slandering the Buddha-Dharma, saying, "My ancestors were all deluded by the Buddha-Dharma and did not attain rectitude. Now, how could what I do follow in their footsteps?" He then created great hardships for the teaching. The Venerable One took pity on him, saying, "This child disgraces our ancestral line and gives rise to evil intentions. How could this bring blessing to the family and state? I must teach him." He then recalled that in the former School of Having No Marks there were two worthy ones who could be sent to convert him. However, the first, named Prati, had his spiritual power nearly complete and had an affinity with the king; the second, named Zongsheng, though skilled in eloquent debate, had not yet perfected his western virtue and karmic practice. Just as he was deliberating whom to send, the six groups suddenly each thought, "Great Master Bodhidharma has long possessed holy wisdom. Now that there is adversity for the Dharma, will he perhaps rescue it?" The Venerable One immediately knew this and snapped his fingers in response. The multitude was all astonished and said, "This is the signal from our Great Master! We should go to him together." Those who possessed spiritual powers each gathered their groups, and in a short while all arrived, arranging themselves in homage beneath his seat. The Venerable One said, "The king currently brings adversity upon us; although it is like a single speck of dust, it arises to obstruct the realm of the Buddha. Which of you can brush it away?" Zongsheng suddenly stepped forward first and said, "Although my virtue is meager, I wish to go and resolve it." The Venerable One said, "Although you are quick-witted in debate, your power in the Way is not yet superior; I fear you will not be able to subdue the king." Zongsheng did not heed his words and insisted on going himself to see the king. At first, he debated with him using the two truths of the ultimate and conventional, and his words were entirely unyielding. But when the king asked, "Where is the Dharma that you now understand?" Zongsheng said, "When the king governs and transforms, it should accord with his Way. Where is the Way possessed by the king?" The king said, "My possession of the Way is to eliminate heterodox teachings; what is to be subdued by your possession of the Dharma?" The Venerable One knew from afar that Zongsheng was at a loss for words, and said to Prati, "Zongsheng disregarded my words and will now certainly yield to the king. You should go quickly to assist him." Prati received the command and, swiftly rising with his spiritual power, went directly to the king's palace. While the king and Zongsheng were still challenging each other, he suddenly saw Prati arriving riding on a cloud. The king arose in astonishment and asked, "Is the one soaring through empty space heterodox or orthodox?" Prati replied, "I am neither heterodox nor orthodox, but have come to rectify the heterodox. If the king's mind is orthodox, I have neither heterodoxy nor orthodoxy." Although the king's words were confounded, his arrogance was not yet spent; he immediately banished Zongsheng to the mountains. Prati said to him, "Since the king possesses the Way, why expel a śramaṇa? Although I lack understanding, I welcome the king to question me." The king asked in a stern voice, "What is the Buddha?" Prati said, "Seeing one's nature is the Buddha." The king said, "Does the Master see the nature?" He replied, "I see the Buddha-nature." The king said, "Where is the nature?" He replied, "The nature is in functioning." The king said, "What is this functioning? I do not see it now." He replied, "It is functioning right now, but the king himself does not see it." The king said, "Is it in me or not?" He replied, "If the king functions, there is none of it that is not; if the king does not use it, its substance is also difficult to see." The king said, "When it is functioning, in what places does it manifest?" He replied, "If it manifests in the world, there are eight such places." The king said, "Please explain those eight manifestations for me." Prati then recited a gāthā, saying: