○第三明宗者，前雖顯體，但是理性。理性平等，含生共有。雖復指冰即水，不復他求。欲得飲用，仍須融泮。又如雖有虗空，必須梁柱綱紀一屋，方得受用。此屋若無棟宇，終被風日雨露所侵。一切眾生，枉于法性空中，受諸苦惱，亦復如是。故顯體之後，即須明宗。宗者，修行之綱領，會體之急務也。提綱則眾目齊張，挈領則襟袖畢至。如湯消冰，法性之水斯現。如棟成屋，秘藏之室可居。今經以二種觀道為宗：一者唯心識觀，二者真如實觀。唯心識觀者，知唯妄念，無實境界，念亦生滅，無暫時住，從是當得色寂三昧。真如實觀者，思惟心性，無生無滅，不住見聞覺知，永離一切分別之想，展轉能入心寂三昧。夫一實境界，非色非心，無明不了，妄成二法，猶如揑目妄見二月。依于妄心分別妄色，由于妄色顯示妄心，故心與色為增上緣，色亦與心為所緣緣。若知色惟心現，心外無色，是為唯心識觀，能得色寂三昧，色寂則心亦寂矣。若知心但有名，本無生滅，是為真如實觀，能得心寂三昧，心寂則色亦寂矣。若知色心本寂，則是觀行即佛。從此習信奢摩他觀心，及信毗婆舍那觀心，止觀雙運，能入一行三昧，見佛無數，發深廣行心，住堅信位，則是相似即佛。乃至成就無生忍者，則是分證即佛。若除一切諸障，無明夢盡，則是究竟即佛。是知始從名字，終至究竟，唯依一實境界而修二觀，唯依二觀而證一實境界，可謂一乘因果圓頓妙宗矣。三、明宗竟。
Third: Clarifying the Essential Teaching. Although the essence has been revealed above, it pertains only to the realm of principle. The realm of principle is equal and universal, shared by all living beings. It is like pointing to ice and saying it is water—no need to seek elsewhere. But if you want to drink it, you must still melt it. Or again, even though space exists, you must have beams and pillars to frame a house before you can use it. If the house has no roof, it will ultimately be invaded by wind, sun, and rain. All living beings, trapped within the emptiness of the Dharma-nature and suffering various afflictions, are just like this. Therefore, after revealing the essence, one must clarify the essential teaching. The essential teaching is the guiding principle of spiritual practice—the urgent task of realizing the essence. Lift the main rope and all the net's meshes open; pull the collar and the whole garment follows. Like hot water melting ice, the water of Dharma-nature appears. Like beams forming a house, the chamber of hidden treasure can be inhabited. This scripture takes two kinds of contemplation as its essential teaching: first, contemplation of mind-only consciousness; second, contemplation of true suchness.
Contemplation of mind-only consciousness means knowing that there are only deluded thoughts, with no real objects. Thoughts themselves arise and cease, never abiding even momentarily. From this, one attains the samadhi of quiescent form. Contemplation of true suchness means reflecting on the nature of mind—neither arising nor ceasing, not dwelling in seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing, forever free from all discriminatory thoughts—and gradually entering the samadhi of quiescent mind.
Now, the one true realm is neither form nor mind. Because ignorance fails to understand this, it deludedly splits into two phenomena—like pressing the eyes and deludedly seeing two moons. Based on deluded mind, deluded form is discriminated; through deluded form, deluded mind is revealed. Thus mind and form serve as mutually reinforcing conditions: form acts as the objective condition for mind, and mind acts as the dominating condition for form. If one knows that form is merely mind manifested, and that outside mind there is no form, this is the contemplation of mind-only consciousness, which enables one to attain the samadhi of quiescent form. When form is quiescent, mind is also quiescent. If one knows that mind is merely a name, fundamentally neither arising nor ceasing, this is the contemplation of true suchness, which enables one to attain the samadhi of quiescent mind. When mind is quiescent, form is also quiescent. If one knows that form and mind are fundamentally quiescent, this is the stage of "contemplation and practice, which is itself Buddhahood." From here, cultivating faith in the contemplation of calm abiding and faith in the contemplation of special insight, with calm abiding and special insight operating together, one can enter the samadhi of single practice, see countless Buddhas, generate the resolve for profound and vast practice, and abide in the stage of firm faith—this is the stage of "resemblance, which is itself Buddhahood." Eventually, accomplishing the acceptance of non-arising is the stage of "partial realization, which is itself Buddhahood." If one eliminates all obstructions and the dream of ignorance ends completely, this is the stage of "ultimate, which is itself Buddhahood." Thus we know: from beginning as a mere name to ultimately reaching the ultimate, one relies solely on the one true realm to cultivate the two contemplations, and relies solely on the two contemplations to realize the one true realm. This can be called the perfect and sudden wondrous essential teaching of the One Vehicle's cause and effect. Third: Clarifying the Essential Teaching is complete.