鐔津文集 2.7

2.7

Mind must reach the utmost; reaching the utmost, it must transform. That which transforms is consciousness; that which is utmost is suchness. Suchness is that which makes the myriad things wondrous; consciousness is that which renders the myriad things turbulent and distinct. Transformation is the incipient movement; the utmost is the foundation of the wondrous. Under heaven, nothing lacks a foundation; under heaven, nothing lacks movement. Therefore, the myriad things emerge from transformation and enter into transformation; the myriad things arise from the utmost and return to the utmost. The transformations of the myriad things are manifested in the emotions; the utmost of all under heaven resides in nature. Through the emotions, one can distinguish the changes and transformations of the myriad things; through nature, one can observe the great wonder of all under heaven. Those adept with emotions and nature can discuss the sage's teaching and Way. The myriad things sharing the same numinous awareness is called the mind; that which the sage treads is called the Way. The Way has that which is great and that which is small; the mind has that which is good and that which is evil. Good and evil have the thick and the thin; greatness and smallness have the gradual and the profound. Thus there are great sages, secondary sages, and lesser sages; there are heaven, humans, asuras, ghosts and spirits, the shelled and feathered classes, and the ways of hell. The multitude of living beings emerges from the one mind; the sages diverge from the one Way. The extremities of greatness and smallness in the sage must not go unexamined; the reasons for good and evil among the multitude of living beings must not go disregarded. How could mind and the Way be different? Using the sage and the multitude of living beings, we merely mark a provisional distinction, calling it 'the Way' and calling it 'the mind.' How great and utmost is the mind! In the unseen, it surpasses ghosts and spirits; in luminosity, it surpasses the sun and moon. Its vastness encompasses heaven and earth; its subtlety penetrates neighboring space. Dark yet not dark, it is therefore supremely dark; bright yet not bright, it is therefore supremely bright. Great yet not great, it is therefore peerlessly great; subtle yet not subtle, it is therefore supremely subtle. It renders the sun and moon bright, it renders ghosts and spirits numinous, and it marvels at heaven, earth, and the three realms. Does it exist? Does it not exist? It is as if neither existent nor non-existent, as if not neither existent nor non-existent. Can this be described or reached by words? It cannot be explained through absolute, arcane comprehension. To attain it is a matter of an instant; to err from it is a matter of a hair's breadth. This can be known with those who have reached the utmost, but cannot be spoken of with mere students. Because it is difficult to illuminate and difficult to reach, the sage created various teachings: speaking of it, defining it, explaining it, rectifying it. Although they are manifold and numerous, they all desire that people do not stray; yet students remain benighted. Now, those under heaven who speak indistinctly of the mind speak of it without detail and understand it without precision; if they merely grasp conscious awareness and claim to have attained the purport and Way together with the sage, are they not far off indeed?