坐禪三昧經 2.93

2.93

Answer: "Your words do not correspond with the Dharma. Why is this? If you say that no dharmas exist, why do you then say that both are inversions? That all things are empty and without anything existing is the reality that is not inverted. If I were to refute permanence and cling to impermanence, my teaching would be refutable and untrue. I had the inversion of permanence, and in order to refute it, I contemplated impermanence. Why is this? Because the power of impermanence can refute permanence, just as poison can counteract other poisons, and just as medicine removes an illness and the medicine also departs along with it; one should know that the medicine is wondrous because it can remove the illness. If the medicine does not depart, later on the medicine itself becomes the illness; this is just like that! If one clings to the dharma of impermanence, it should indeed be refuted, because it is not real. But I do not grasp at the dharma of impermanence, so how could it be refuted? The Buddha said: 'Among the four noble truths, duḥkha is called truly duḥkha—who could make it pleasant? The cause of duḥkha is a true cause—who could make it a non-cause? The cessation of duḥkha is a true cessation—who could make it non-cessation? The path to cessation is a true path—who could make it a non-path? Just as the sun might perhaps be made cold, the moon might perhaps be made hot, and the wind might be made motionless, these four noble truths can never be moved or changed.' In the Mahāyāna, you have failed to understand, merely clinging to the sound of words. In the Mahāyāna, the true mark of dharmas—the true mark cannot be refuted and has no maker. If it could be refuted or made, it would not be the Mahāyāna. It is like the newly born moon: on the first and second days, its emergence is extremely subtle; a person with clear eyes can see it and points it out to someone who cannot see it. This person who cannot see it merely looks at the finger and misses the moon. The clear-sighted person says: 'Foolish man! Why do you merely look at my finger? The finger is a condition for [seeing] the moon; the finger is not that moon.' You are just like this! The sound of words is not the true mark; it merely uses conventional words to express the real principle. You, moreover, cling to the sound of words, remaining blind to the true mark."