弘明集 5.14

5.14

Most people consider that corporeal form and spirit are extinguished together, illumination and consciousness both exhausted. Can what Heaven has made so be spoken of in terms of a single lifetime? They have already taken the Duke of Zhou and Confucius as the ultimate, and benevolence, righteousness, and ritual teachings have first tied their hearts, while the root of the spirit's brightness is cut off and left unspoken. Thus what their feelings embody does not extend beyond corporeal form. When the Buddha proclaimed the ultimate words, they were long indifferent and disbelieving. Having fallen into the confusion of youth, I resolved to rescue myself from drowning. Looking upward, I investigated the profound purport and scrutinized the essentials of the spirit. I realized that principle is subtler than corporeal form, and spirit is more marvelous than principle. Relying on images to convey the mind, I roughly raise its proofs, hoping to mirror it for those who are about to awaken, and thereby perform a service for those mired in confusion.