達磨大師悟性論
Great Master Bodhidharma's Treatise on Awakening the Nature
夫道者。以寂滅為體。脩者。以離相為宗。故經云。寂滅是菩提。滅諸相故。佛者覺也。人有覺心。得菩提道。故名為佛。經云。離一切諸相。即名諸佛。是知有相是無相之相。不可以眼見。唯可以智知。若聞此法者。生一念信心。此人以發大乘超三界。三界者。貪嗔癡是。返貪嗔癡。為戒定慧。即名超三界。然貪嗔癡亦無實性。但據眾生而言矣。若能返照。了了見貪嗔癡性即是佛性。貪嗔癡外。更無別有佛性。經云。諸佛從本來。常處於三毒。長養於白法。而成於世尊。三毒者。貪嗔癡也。言大乘最上乘者。皆是菩薩所行之處。無所不乘。亦無所乘。終日乘未甞乘。此為佛乘。經云。無乘為佛乘也。若人知六根不實。五蘊假名。遍體求之。必無定處。當知此人解佛語。經云。五蘊窟宅名禪院。內照開解。即大乘門。可不明哉。不憶一切法。乃名為禪定。若了此言者。行住坐臥皆禪定。知心是空。名為見佛。何以故。十方諸佛皆以無心。不見於心。名為見佛。捨身不恡。名大布施。離諸動定。名大坐禪。何以故。凡夫一向動。小乘一向定。謂出過凡夫小乘之坐禪。名大坐禪。若作此會者。一切諸相不求自解。一切諸病不治自差。此皆大禪定力。凡將心求法者為迷。不將心求法者為悟。不著文字名解脫。不染六塵名護法。出離生死名出家。不受後有名得道。不生妄想名涅槃。不處無明為大智慧。無煩惱處名般涅槃。無心相處名為彼岸。迷時有此岸。若悟時無此岸。何以故。為凡夫一向住此。若覺最上乘者。心不住此。亦不住彼。故能離於此彼岸也。若見彼岸異於此岸。此人之心。已得無禪定。煩惱名眾生。悟解名菩提。亦不一不異。只隔具迷悟耳。迷時有世間可出。悟時無世間可出。平等法中。不見凡夫異於聖人。經云。平等法者。凡夫不能入。聖人不能行。平等法者。唯有大菩薩。與諸佛如來行也。若見生異於死。動異於靜。皆名不平等。不見煩惱異於涅槃。是名平等。何以故。煩惱與涅槃。同是一性空故。是以小乘人妄斷煩惱。妄入涅槃。為涅槃所滯。菩薩知煩惱性空。即不離空。故常在涅槃。涅槃者。涅而不生。槃而不死。出離生死。出般涅槃。心無去來。即入涅槃。是知涅槃即是空心。諸佛入涅槃者。為在無妄想處。菩薩入道場者。即是無煩惱處。空閑處者。即是無貪嗔癡也。貪為欲界。嗔為色界。癡為無色界。若一念心生。即入三界。一念心滅。即出三界。是知三界生滅。萬法有無。皆由一心。凡言一法者。似破瓦石竹木無情之物。若知心是假名。無有實體。即知自家之心亦是非有。亦是非無。何以故。凡夫一向生心。名為有。小乘一向滅心。名為無。菩薩與佛。未曾生心。未曾滅心。名為非有非無心。非有非無心。此名為中道。是知持心學法。則心法俱迷。不持心學法。則心法俱悟。凡迷者迷於悟。悟者悟於迷。正見之人。知心空無。即超迷悟。無有迷悟。始名正解正見。色不自色。由心故色。心不自心。由色故心。是知心色兩相俱生滅。有者有於無。無者無於有。是名真見。夫真見者。無所不見。亦無所見。見滿十方。未曾有見。何以故。無所見故。見無見故。見非見故。凡夫所見。皆名妄想。若寂滅無見。始名真見。心境相對。見生於中。若內不起心。則外不生境。境心俱淨。乃名為真見。作此解時。乃名正見。不見一切法。乃名得道。不解一切法。乃名解法。何以故。見與不見。俱不見故。解與不解。俱不解故。無見之見。乃名真見。無解之解。乃名大解。夫正見者。非直見於見。亦乃見於不見。真解者。非直解於解。亦乃解於無解。凡有所解。皆名不解。無所解者。始名正解。解與不解。俱非解也。經云。不捨智慧名愚癡。以心為空。解與不解俱是真。以心為有。解與不解俱是妄。若解時法逐人。若不解時人逐法。若法逐於人。則非法成法。若人逐於法。則法成非法。若人逐於法。則法皆妄。若法逐於人。則法皆真。是以聖人亦不將心求法。亦不將法求心。亦不將心求心。亦不將法求法。所以心不生法。法不生心。心法兩寂。故常為在定。眾生心生則佛法滅。眾生心滅則佛法生。心生則真法滅。心滅則真法生。已知一切法各各不相屬。是名得道人。知心不屬一切法。此人常在道場。迷時有罪。解時無罪。何以故。罪性空故。若迷時無罪見罪。若解時即罪非罪。何以故。罪無處所故。經云。諸法無性。真用莫疑。疑即成罪。何以故。罪因疑惑而生。若作此解者。前世罪業即為消滅。迷時六識五陰皆是煩惱生死法。悟時六識五陰皆是涅槃無生死法。脩道人不外求道。何以故。知心是道。若得心時。無心可得。若得道時。無道可得。若言將心求道得者。皆名邪見。迷時有佛有法。悟無佛無法。何以故。悟即是佛法。夫脩道者。身滅道成。亦如甲折樹。生此業報身。念念無常。無一定法。但隨念修之。亦不得厭生死。亦不得愛生死。但念念之中。不得妄想。則生證有餘涅槃。死入無生法忍。眼見色時。不染於色。耳聞聲時。不染於聲。皆解脫也。眼不著色。眼為禪門。耳不著聲。耳為禪門。總而言。見色有見色性不著。常解脫。見色相者常繫縛。不為煩惱所繫縛者。即名解脫。更無別解脫。善觀色者。色不生心。心不生色。即色與心俱清淨。無妄想時。一心是一佛國。有妄想時。一心是一地獄。眾生造作妄想。以心生心。故常在地獄。菩薩觀察妄想。不以心生心。常在佛國。若不以心生心。則心心入空。念念歸靜。從一佛國。至一佛國。若以心生心。則心心不靜。念念歸動。從一地獄。歷一地獄。若一念心起。則有善惡二業。有天堂地獄。若一念心不起。即無善惡二業。亦無天堂地獄。為體非有非無。在凡即有。在聖即無。聖人無其心。故胸臆空洞。與天同量。此已下並是大道中證。非小乘及凡夫境界也。心得涅槃時。即不見有涅槃。何以故。心是涅槃。若心外更見涅槃。此名著邪見也。一切煩惱為如來種心。為因煩惱而得智慧。只可道煩惱生如來。不可得道煩惱是如來。故身心為田疇。煩惱為種子。智慧為萠牙。如來喻於穀也。佛在心中。如香在樹中。煩惱若盡。佛從心出。朽腐若盡。香從樹出。即知樹外無香。心外無佛。若樹外有香。即是他香。心外有佛。即是佗佛。心中有三毒者。是名國土穢惡。心中無三毒者。是名國土清淨。經云。若使國土不淨。穢惡充滿。諸佛世尊於中出者。無有此事。不淨穢惡者。即無明三毒是。諸佛世尊者。即清淨覺悟心是。一切言語無非佛法。若能無其所言。而盡日言是道。若能有其所言。即終日默而非道。是故如來言不乘默。默不乘言。言不離默。悟此言默者。皆在三昧。若知時而言。言亦解脫。若不知時而默。默亦繫縛。是故言若離相。言亦名解脫。默若著相。默即是繫縛。夫文字者。本性解脫。文字不能就繫縛。繫縛自本來未就文字。法無高下。若見高下非法也。非法為筏。是法為人筏者。人乘其筏者。即得渡於非法。則是法也。若世俗言。即有男女貴賤。以道言之。即無男女貴賤。以是天女悟道。不變女形。車匿解真。寧移賤稱乎。此盖非男女貴賤。皆由一相也。天女於十二年中求女相。了不可得。即知於十二年中求男相。亦不可得。十二年者。即十二入是也。離心無佛。離佛無心。亦如離水無氷。亦如離氷無水。凡言離心者。非是遠離於心。但使不著心相。經云。不見相名為見佛。即是離心相也。離佛無心者。言佛從心出。心能生佛。然佛從心生。而心未甞生於佛。亦如魚生於水。水不生於魚。欲觀於魚。未見魚。而先見水。欲觀佛者。未見佛。而先見心。即知已見魚者忘於水。已見佛者忘於心。若不忘於心。尚為心所惑。若不忘於水。尚被水所迷。眾生與菩提。亦如氷之與水。為三毒所燒。即名眾生。為三解脫所淨。即名菩提。為三冬所凍。即名為氷。為三夏所消。即名為水。若捨却冰。即無別水。若棄却眾生。則無別菩提。明知氷性即是水性。水性即是氷性。眾生性者。即菩提性也。眾生與菩提同一性。亦如烏頭與附子共根耳。但時節不同。迷異境故。有眾生菩提二名矣。是以蛇化為龍。不改其鱗。凡變為聖。不改其面。但知心者智內照。身者戒外真。眾生度佛。佛度眾生。是名平等。眾生度佛者。煩惱生悟解。佛度眾生者。悟解滅煩惱。是知非無煩惱。非無悟解。是知非煩惱無以生悟解。非悟解無以滅煩惱。若迷時佛度眾生。若悟時眾生度佛。何以故。佛不自成。皆由眾生度故。諸佛以無明為父。貪愛為母。無明貪愛皆是眾生別名也。眾生與無明。亦如左掌與右掌。更無別也。迷時在此岸。悟時在彼岸。若知心空不見相。則離迷悟。既離迷悟亦無彼岸。如來不在此岸。亦不在彼岸。不在中流。中流者小乘人也。此岸者凡夫也。彼岸菩提也。佛有三身者。化身報身法身。化身亦云應身。若眾生常作善時即化身。現脩智慧時即報身。現覺無為即法身。常現飛騰十方隨宜救濟者。化身佛也。若斷惑即是是雪山成道。報身佛也。無言無說無作無得湛然常住。法身佛也。若論至理。一佛尚無。何得有三。此謂三身者。但據人智也。人有上中下說。下智之人妄奧。福力也。妄見化身佛。中智之人妄斷煩惱。妄見報身佛。上智之人妄證菩提。妄見法身佛。上上智之人內照圓寂。明心即佛。不待心而得佛智。知三身與萬法。皆不可取不可說。此即解脫心。成於大道。經云。佛不說法。不度眾生。不證菩提。此之謂矣。眾生造業。業不造眾生。今世造業。後世受報。無有脫時。唯有至人。於此身中。不造諸業。故不受報。經云。諸業不造。自然得道。豈虗言哉。人能造業。業不能造人。人若造業。業與人俱生。人若不造業。業與人俱滅。是知業由人造。人由業生。人若不造業。即業無由生人也。亦如人能弘道。道不能弘人。今之凡夫。往往造業。妄說無報。豈至少不苦哉。若以至少而理前心。造後心報。何有脫時。若前心不造。即後心無報。復安妄見業報。經云。雖信有佛。言佛苦行。是名邪見。雖信有佛。言佛有金鏘馬麥之報。是名信不具足。是名一闡提。解聖法名為聖人。解凡法者。名為凡夫。但能捨凡法就聖法。即凡夫成聖人矣。世間愚人。但欲遠求聖人。不信慧解之心。為聖人也。經云。無智人中。莫說此經。經云。心也法也。無智之人。不信此心解法成於聖人。但欲遠外求學愛慕空中佛像光明香色等事。皆墮邪見。失心狂亂。經云。若見諸相非相。即見如來。八萬四千法門。盡由一心而起。若心相內淨。由如虗空。即出離身心內。八萬四千煩惱。為病本也。凡夫當生憂死。飽臨愁飢。皆名大惑。所以聖人不謀其前。不慮其後。無戀當今。念念歸道。若未悟此大理者。即須早求人天之善。無令兩失。
The Way, in its essence, is stillness and extinction. The practice is based on letting go of appearances. Therefore, the sutra says: "Stillness and extinction is enlightenment, for it extinguishes all appearances." Buddha means 'awakened one.' When a person has an awakened mind and attains the path of enlightenment, they are called a Buddha. The sutra says: "To be apart from all appearances is to be called all Buddhas." From this, we know that appearances are the appearance of no-appearance. They cannot be seen with the eyes; they can only be known with wisdom.
If, upon hearing this teaching, a person gives rise to a single moment of faith, this person has already set forth on the Great Vehicle, transcending the Three Realms. The Three Realms are greed, anger, and delusion. To turn away from greed, anger, and delusion is to practice morality, concentration, and wisdom. This is called transcending the Three Realms. However, greed, anger, and delusion also have no true nature of their own; they are spoken of only in relation to sentient beings. If one can turn the light of awareness inward, clearly seeing that the nature of greed, anger, and delusion is precisely Buddha-nature—that apart from greed, anger, and delusion there is no other Buddha-nature—then one understands. The sutra says: "All Buddhas, from the very beginning, have always abided in the three poisons, nurturing the white dharma, and thus became World-Honored Ones." The three poisons are greed, anger, and delusion.
Speaking of the Great Vehicle and the Supreme Vehicle: these are the domains practiced by bodhisattvas. There is nothing that is not a vehicle, yet there is also nothing that is ridden. Riding all day long, yet never having ridden—this is the Buddha Vehicle. The sutra says: "The no-vehicle is the Buddha Vehicle."
If a person knows that the six sense faculties are not real, that the five aggregates are provisional names, and searches everywhere for a fixed place for them without finding one, you should know this person understands the Buddha's words. The sutra says: "The cave-dwelling of the five aggregates is called the meditation hall." When inward illumination brings understanding, that is the gate of the Great Vehicle. How can this not be clear?
Not recalling any dharma is called meditation. If one truly understands these words, then walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are all meditation. Knowing the mind is empty is called seeing the Buddha. Why? Because all Buddhas of the ten directions are without mind; not seeing a mind is called seeing the Buddha. Giving up the body without regret is called great generosity. Being apart from all movement and stillness is called great seated meditation. Why? Ordinary people are always moving; followers of the Lesser Vehicle are always still. The meditation that goes beyond both ordinary people and followers of the Lesser Vehicle is called great seated meditation.
If one comprehends this, then all appearances resolve themselves without seeking, and all illnesses cure themselves without treatment. This is all due to the power of great meditative concentration.
Those who use the mind to seek the Dharma are confused. Those who do not use the mind to seek the Dharma are awakened. Not clinging to words is called liberation. Not being stained by the six dusts is called protecting the Dharma. Leaving birth and death behind is called leaving home. Not receiving a future existence is called attaining the Way. Not giving rise to false thoughts is called nirvana. Not abiding in ignorance is called great wisdom. The place without afflictions is called parinirvana. The state without mind-appearances is called the Other Shore. When confused, there is this shore. When awakened, there is no this shore. Why? Because ordinary people constantly dwell here. Those who awaken to the Supreme Vehicle do not dwell here, nor do they dwell there. Therefore, they are apart from both this shore and the other shore. If one sees the other shore as different from this shore, this person's mind has already fallen into non-meditation.
Afflictions are called sentient beings. Awakened understanding is called enlightenment. They are neither the same nor different; they are only separated by the presence or absence of confusion. When confused, there is a world to leave. When awakened, there is no world to leave. In the Dharma of equality, one does not see ordinary people as different from sages. The sutra says: "The Dharma of equality cannot be entered by ordinary people, nor practiced by sages. The Dharma of equality is practiced only by great bodhisattvas and all Buddhas, the Thus Come Ones." If one sees life as different from death, movement as different from stillness, this is called inequality. Not seeing afflictions as different from nirvana is called equality. Why? Because afflictions and nirvana are both of the same empty nature. Therefore, followers of the Lesser Vehicle mistakenly try to cut off afflictions and mistakenly enter nirvana, becoming stuck in nirvana. Bodhisattvas know the nature of afflictions is empty, and thus do not depart from emptiness; therefore, they constantly abide in nirvana.
Nirvana means: 'Nir' is not being born; 'vana' is not dying. Leaving birth and death, one emerges into nirvana. When the mind has no coming or going, one enters nirvana. Thus we know nirvana is the empty mind. All Buddhas enter nirvana by abiding in the place without false thoughts. Bodhisattvas enter the place of practice, which is the place without afflictions. A place of solitude is a place without greed, anger, or delusion.
Greed belongs to the Realm of Desire. Anger belongs to the Realm of Form. Delusion belongs to the Formless Realm. If a single thought-mind arises, one enters the Three Realms. If a single thought-mind ceases, one leaves the Three Realms. Thus we know the arising and ceasing of the Three Realms, the existence and non-existence of all dharmas, all come from the one mind.
Generally speaking, when we talk about a 'dharma,' it seems like broken tiles, stones, bamboo, or wood—insentient things. If you know the mind is a provisional name, without a real substance, then you know your own mind is also neither existent nor non-existent. Why? Ordinary people constantly give rise to mind; this is called 'existent.' Followers of the Lesser Vehicle constantly extinguish mind; this is called 'non-existent.' Bodhisattvas and Buddhas have never given rise to mind, nor have they ever extinguished mind; this is called the mind that is 'neither existent nor non-existent.' The mind that is neither existent nor non-existent is called the Middle Way.
Thus we know: if one grasps the mind to study the Dharma, then both mind and Dharma are confused. If one does not grasp the mind to study the Dharma, then both mind and Dharma are awakened. The confused are confused about awakening. The awakened are awakened about confusion. Those with correct view know the mind is empty and non-existent, thereby transcending confusion and awakening. Having no confusion or awakening is called correct understanding and correct view.
Form is not form by itself; it is form because of the mind. Mind is not mind by itself; it is mind because of form. Thus we know that both mind and form arise and cease together. What exists exists in relation to non-existence; what is non-existent is non-existent in relation to existence. This is called true seeing.
True seeing is: there is nothing it does not see, yet there is also nothing it sees. Its seeing fills the ten directions, yet it has never seen anything. Why? Because there is nothing to see. Seeing without seeing. Seeing is not seeing. What ordinary people see are all called false thoughts. Only the stillness and extinction where there is no seeing is called true seeing. When mind and objects confront each other, seeing arises between them. If inwardly the mind does not arise, then outwardly objects do not appear. When both object and mind are pure, this is called true seeing. Understanding this is called correct view.
Not seeing any dharma is called attaining the Way. Not understanding any dharma is called understanding the Dharma. Why? Because seeing and not seeing are both not seeing. Understanding and not understanding are both not understanding. The seeing of no-seeing is called true seeing. The understanding of no-understanding is called great understanding.
Correct view is not only seeing seeing, but also seeing not-seeing. True understanding is not only understanding understanding, but also understanding no-understanding. All that is understood is called not-understanding. That which is not understood at all is called correct understanding. Understanding and not-understanding are both not understanding.
The sutra says: "Not abandoning wisdom is called foolishness." If one takes the mind to be empty, then both understanding and not-understanding are true. If one takes the mind to be existent, then both understanding and not-understanding are false.
If one understands, then dharmas follow the person. If one does not understand, then the person follows dharmas. If dharmas follow the person, then what is not-dharma becomes dharma. If the person follows dharmas, then dharma becomes not-dharma. If the person follows dharmas, then all dharmas are false. If dharmas follow the person, then all dharmas are true. Therefore, sages neither use the mind to seek the Dharma, nor use the Dharma to seek the mind. They neither use the mind to seek the mind, nor use the Dharma to seek the Dharma. Consequently, mind does not give rise to dharmas, and dharmas do not give rise to mind. Mind and dharmas are both still; therefore, they are constantly in samadhi.
When sentient beings' minds arise, the Buddha-Dharma is extinguished. When sentient beings' minds cease, the Buddha-Dharma arises. When the mind arises, true dharmas are extinguished. When the mind ceases, true dharmas arise.
If one knows all dharmas are not connected to each other, this is called one who has attained the Way. Knowing the mind is not connected to any dharma, this person constantly abides in the place of practice.
When confused, there is offense. When understanding, there is no offense. Why? Because the nature of offense is empty. If, when confused, one sees offense where there is no offense, then when understanding, that offense is not an offense. Why? Because offense has no location. The sutra says: "All dharmas have no nature; do not doubt their true function. Doubt becomes offense." Why? Because offense arises from doubt and confusion. If one understands this, the karmic offenses of past lives are immediately destroyed.
When confused, the six consciousnesses and five aggregates are all dharmas of affliction and birth-and-death. When awakened, the six consciousnesses and five aggregates are all dharmas of nirvana without birth-and-death.
Those who cultivate the Way do not seek it outwardly. Why? Because they know the mind is the Way. When you attain the mind, there is no mind to attain. When you attain the Way, there is no Way to attain. To say you can use the mind to seek and attain the Way is all wrong view.
When confused, there is Buddha and there is Dharma. When awakened, there is no Buddha and no Dharma. Why? Because awakening itself is the Buddha-Dharma.
Those who cultivate the Way: when the body perishes, the Way is accomplished. It is like a cicada shedding its shell. This karmic retribution body, thought-moment after thought-moment, is impermanent. There is no fixed dharma. One simply cultivates in accordance with each thought. One should not dislike birth and death, nor should one love birth and death. Simply, within each thought-moment, do not give rise to false thoughts. Then, while alive, one realizes the nirvana with residue; at death, one enters the patient endurance of the birthless.
When the eye sees form, do not be stained by form. When the ear hears sound, do not be stained by sound. This is all liberation. The eye not clinging to form—the eye is the gate of meditation. The ear not clinging to sound—the ear is the gate of meditation. In summary: seeing form, one sees the nature of form without clinging—constantly liberated. Seeing the appearance of form—constantly bound. Not being bound by afflictions is called liberation. There is no other liberation.
One who skillfully contemplates form: form does not give rise to mind, mind does not give rise to form. Then both form and mind are pure.
When there are no false thoughts, one mind is one Buddha-land. When there are false thoughts, one mind is one hell. Sentient beings create false thoughts, using mind to give rise to mind; therefore, they are constantly in hell. Bodhisattvas observe false thoughts but do not use mind to give rise to mind; therefore, they are constantly in Buddha-lands.
If one does not use mind to give rise to mind, then mind after mind enters emptiness, thought after thought returns to stillness, going from one Buddha-land to another Buddha-land. If one uses mind to give rise to mind, then mind after mind is not still, thought after thought returns to movement, going from one hell through another hell.
If a single thought-mind arises, then there are the two karmas of good and evil, and there are heavens and hells. If a single thought-mind does not arise, then there are no two karmas of good and evil, and there are no heavens or hells. Its essence is neither existent nor non-existent. For ordinary people, it exists. For sages, it is non-existent. Sages have no such mind; therefore, their hearts are empty and vast, equal to the sky.
What follows from here onward are all verifications within the Great Way, not the realms of the Lesser Vehicle or ordinary people.
When the mind attains nirvana, one does not see that there is nirvana. Why? Because the mind is nirvana. If, outside the mind, one further sees nirvana, this is clinging to wrong view.
All afflictions are the seed of the Thus Come One. It is because of afflictions that one attains wisdom. One can only say afflictions give rise to the Thus Come One; one cannot say afflictions are the Thus Come One. Therefore, body and mind are the field, afflictions are the seeds, wisdom is the sprout, and the Thus Come One is likened to the grain.
The Buddha is within the mind, like fragrance is within a tree. When afflictions are exhausted, the Buddha emerges from the mind. When decay is exhausted, fragrance emerges from the tree. Thus we know there is no fragrance outside the tree, and no Buddha outside the mind. If there is fragrance outside the tree, it is the fragrance of another. If there is a Buddha outside the mind, it is the Buddha of another.
If there are the three poisons within the mind, this is called a defiled and evil land. If there are no three poisons within the mind, this is called a pure land. The sutra says: "If a land is impure, filled with defilement and evil, and a Buddha, a World-Honored One, were to emerge from it—such a thing is impossible." Impurity, defilement, and evil refer to ignorance and the three poisons. Buddhas, World-Honored Ones, refer to the pure awakened mind.
All speech is none other than the Buddha-Dharma. If one can be without that which is spoken, then speaking all day is the Way. If one has that which is spoken, then being silent all day is not the Way. Therefore, for the Thus Come One, speech does not rely on silence, silence does not rely on speech; speech does not depart from silence. One who awakens to this speech and silence abides in samadhi. If one knows the time and speaks, speech is also liberation. If one does not know the time and is silent, silence is also bondage. Therefore, if speech is apart from appearances, speech is also called liberation. If silence clings to appearances, silence is bondage.
Written words, in their nature, are liberation. Words cannot create bondage; bondage, from the very beginning, has never relied on words.
The Dharma has no high or low. To see high and low is not the Dharma. What is not-Dharma is the raft; what is Dharma is the person. The person who rides the raft can cross over what is not-Dharma; then that becomes Dharma.
In worldly terms, there are men and women, noble and base. In terms of the Way, there are no men and women, noble and base. Therefore, when a heavenly maiden awakened to the Way, she did not change her female form. When Chandaka understood the truth, did his lowly status change? This is because it is not a matter of male/female or noble/base; all come from the one appearance. The heavenly maiden sought a female appearance for twelve years but could not find it. Then she knew that seeking a male appearance for twelve years would also be impossible. The 'twelve years' refer to the twelve sense fields.
Apart from mind, there is no Buddha. Apart from Buddha, there is no mind. It is also like apart from water there is no ice, and apart from ice there is no water. Generally, 'apart from mind' does not mean distancing oneself from the mind; it only means not clinging to the appearance of mind. The sutra says: "Not seeing appearances is called seeing the Buddha." This is being apart from the appearance of mind. 'Apart from Buddha there is no mind' means the Buddha arises from the mind; the mind can give birth to the Buddha. However, although the Buddha arises from the mind, the mind has never given birth to the Buddha. It is also like fish are born from water, but water is not born from fish. If you want to observe fish, before seeing the fish, you first see the water. If you want to observe the Buddha, before seeing the Buddha, you first see the mind. Thus we know: one who has already seen the fish forgets the water. One who has already seen the Buddha forgets the mind. If one does not forget the mind, one is still deluded by the mind. If one does not forget the water, one is still confused by the water.
Sentient beings and enlightenment are also like ice and water. Burned by the three poisons, they are called sentient beings. Purified by the three liberations, they are called enlightenment. Frozen by the three winters, it is called ice. Melted by the three summers, it is called water. If you discard the ice, there is no other water. If you abandon sentient beings, there is no other enlightenment. Clearly, the nature of ice is the nature of water; the nature of water is the nature of ice. The nature of sentient beings is the nature of enlightenment. Sentient beings and enlightenment share the same nature, just as aconite and monkshood share the same root. It is only due to different seasons and confusion about different realms that there are the two names 'sentient beings' and 'enlightenment.'
Therefore, when a snake transforms into a dragon, its scales do not change. When an ordinary person becomes a sage, their face does not change. One only needs to know: the mind is wisdom illuminating inwardly; the body is morality manifesting outwardly.
Sentient beings liberate the Buddha; the Buddha liberates sentient beings. This is called equality. 'Sentient beings liberate the Buddha' means afflictions give rise to awakened understanding. 'The Buddha liberates sentient beings' means awakened understanding extinguishes afflictions. Thus we know it is not that there are no afflictions, nor that there is no awakened understanding. We know that without afflictions, awakened understanding cannot arise. Without awakened understanding, afflictions cannot be extinguished.
If confused, the Buddha liberates sentient beings. If awakened, sentient beings liberate the Buddha. Why? The Buddha does not accomplish himself; all are liberated by sentient beings. All Buddhas take ignorance as father and craving as mother. Ignorance and craving are both other names for sentient beings. Sentient beings and ignorance are also like the left palm and the right palm—there is no difference.
When confused, one is
夜坐偈云。
一更端坐結跏趺 怡神寂照泯同虗
曠劫由來不生滅 何須生滅滅無餘
一切諸法皆如幻 本性自空那用除
若識心性非形像 湛然不動自真如
二更凝神轉明淨 不起憶想同真性
森羅萬像併歸空 更執有空還是病
諸法本自非空有 凡夫妄想論邪正
若能不二其居懷 誰道即凡非是聖
三更心淨等虗空 遍滿十方無不通
山河石壁無能障 恒沙世界在其中
世界本性真如性 亦無無性即含融
非但諸佛能如此 有情之類並皆同
四更無滅亦無生 量與虗空法界平
無去無來無起滅 非有非無非暗明
不起諸見如來見 無名可名真佛名
唯有悟者應能識 未會眾生由若盲
五更般若照無邊 不起一念歷三千
欲見真如平等性 慎勿生心即目前
妙理玄奧非心測 不用尋逐令疲極
若能無念即真求 更若有求還不識
First Watch: Sitting cross-legged in meditation, Calming the spirit, merging with emptiness. From beginningless time, no birth or death, Why seek to end birth and death entirely? All phenomena are like illusions, Their nature empty from the start—what is there to remove? If you realize mind's nature is without form, Serene and unmoving, it is true suchness.
Second Watch: Focused mind grows clear and bright, Without thoughts or concepts, aligned with true nature. All phenomena return to emptiness, Yet clinging to emptiness is still a sickness. Phenomena are neither empty nor existent, Ordinary people argue right and wrong in delusion. If you can hold non-duality in your heart, Who says the ordinary is not the sage?
Third Watch: Mind purified, equal to space, Pervading all directions without obstruction. Mountains, rivers, stone walls cannot hinder it, Countless worlds are contained within. The nature of all worlds is true suchness, Neither existent nor non-existent, all merging as one. Not only Buddhas are like this, All sentient beings are the same.
Fourth Watch: No cessation, no arising, Equal to the vastness of space and the Dharma realm. No coming, no going, no beginning or end, Neither existent nor non-existent, neither dark nor bright. Without views, yet seeing as the Tathagata sees, No name can name the true Buddha's name. Only the awakened can recognize this, Unenlightened beings remain as if blind.
Fifth Watch: Prajna wisdom illuminates boundlessly, Without a single thought, encompassing the three thousand realms. To see the equal nature of true suchness, Be careful not to give rise to thoughts—it is right before you. Profound truth is beyond the mind's grasp, Do not exhaust yourself seeking it. If you can be without seeking, that is true seeking, If you still seek, you have not yet understood.
達磨大師悟性論(終)
Great Master Dharma's Treatise on Awakening the Nature