靈峰蕅益大師宗論序
Preface to Master Ouyi's Collected Works
佛法無他，諦而已矣。諸佛說法，常依二諦。二諦即三諦也，即四諦也，即一切諦也，即一諦也，即無諦也。二諦如此，諸諦亦然。自心本具之法，非思議所行境界，皆不可說也。然有因緣，亦可得說。以要言之，無可說之諦，無不可說之諦，如是而已矣。不見此則無教，無教則行無由起，理無由顯，果無由剋。如是而言說，皆臆見也。見此，則為真實覺悟，有教有行理果，如是而言說，皆妙法也。自正像既遠，末世抑何言說之多哉？或見諦未全，則雜，中者如摩尼處瓦礫，不掩其光。不中，未免以一言誤天下萬世。或見諦未精則執，與之亦成一家言，奪之則無同異中見同見異，未免墮分河飲水之覆轍。或見諦未神妙則跡，抑揚建蕩，總不能為人解粘去縛，起必死沈痾。金錍既不在手，言言與目以明，言言增目之膜。至其下者，博而似雜，實全無所中也，戲論也。僻而似專，實非專家也，鬥諍法也。或蛇為龍，襲取神妙，非特跡而已也，罔之徒也。昔魔王害佛不得，誓曰：「當於後世，入佛法中，破壞佛法。」佛曰：「自壞耳，法可壞哉？」由是觀之，下者不足論，論其上，若而人自利，未入圓門，利他安得無弊？得失恆無端倪，利害潛相倚伏，欲裂大綱，令大地眾生，咸歸大處，苟非其人，道不虛行。唯靈峰蕅益大師之以言教也，徹悟心性全體，復深入不思議願輪。一切時，一切處，一切事中，悲智雙運，解行互融，實無一法可得，故無峻豎之門庭。實無一法不通不備，故無隔垣之音響。其發明三學，一以全性起修、全修在性為宗趣。全性起修，無實非權；全修在性，無權非實。非實非權，而權而實，其獨契法身向上，以一人開萬古欲絕之學，得非以是歟。嘗論之，師之三學，即一大事也。真律真教真禪，適還吾心之律教禪，適還先佛世尊之律教禪，師未曾有一言也。未曾有一言，故無雜也。律既為真律，教既為真教，則何同異、何大小，何律之不即教即禪，教之不即律即禪乎？禪既為真禪，則何分佛祖、何有宗支，何禪之不即律即教乎？是故唯精故不執，無非事事無礙法界，無諍三昧也。夫言不神妙，以雜與執也。不雜不執，則不自立宗。不自立宗，則縱橫變化，不可方物。是以師之言，盡脫窠臼，頓起膏肓，一歸於堂堂正正，如唐虞三代之禮樂，不俟干戈而天下太平也。識者謂末法以來，建大法幢、擊大法鼓，其味醇平、其道光明，唯師一人而已。師具開演二智，作廣略二說，一四句偈不為少，汗牛充棟不為多。諸疏外稿有七部，今輯為全書，以文為類，原在稿外別行者，亦以次收入。按三藏，凡高僧撰述，悉入阿毗曇論藏，而有二種，專釋一經者，曰釋論；概宗十二部經，自成名句文者，曰宗論。今以釋論收靈峰諸疏，而七部稿總以宗論收之，合十大卷，分三十八子卷。嗚呼，成時不肖，老人在日，不能實學不思議諦，如醉轉屋。今哲人雖逝，遺書尚存，敢不自淑，以報師恩於萬一。亦願凡遇是書者，勿離文字而說解脫，勿即文字而忘真月，但因是見諦，則離即雙超，圓契自心則不雜，圓收萬法則不執，圓說圓泯則不跡，千百世而後，必有其人，成時願先捨此身命以供之矣。抑更有慮焉，凡言之揣摹擬議而得者，亦可揣摹擬議而得之。若夫引商刻羽，不涉思議，非從真聞以起思修，則若雜若執若跡之禍，嘗伏於揣摹議擬之下而不覺。成時願與天下萬世之遇是書者，由博學審問慎思明辨，以階於篤行可也。補傳後二日，門人成時百拜撰。
The Buddha’s teaching is nothing other than truth. All Buddhas teach based on the Two Truths. The Two Truths are the Three Truths, the Four Truths, all truths, but also the One Truth, and even the absence of any fixed truth. The Two Truths are like this, and so are all truths. This truth is inherently present in one's own mind, beyond the realm of conceptual thinking, and cannot be spoken of directly. Yet, when conditions are right, it can be expressed. In short, there is no truth that can be spoken, and no truth that cannot be spoken—that’s all there is to it.
If one does not see this, there is no real teaching; without teaching, practice has no starting point, principles are not revealed, and results cannot be attained. Any words spoken without this insight are merely personal opinions. When one does see this, it is genuine awakening. Then there are teachings, practices, principles, and results. Words spoken from this state are all wonderful Dharma.
Since the ages of the True Dharma and the Semblance Dharma have passed, how full of talk this Age of Decline is! Some see the truth but not fully—their teaching becomes mixed, yet a jewel can still shine amidst rubble. Those middling cases may obscure the brilliance. Those who fail entirely may mislead the world for ages with a single error.
Others see the truth but not precisely—they become attached to their views. Even when accepted, their teachings remain one-sided. When rejected, they create differences where none exist, falling into the old mistake of splitting the river and drinking from separate streams.
Still others see the truth but not with divine subtlety—they leave traces. Their rising and falling, praising and condemning, cannot free people from their bonds or cure their deadly spiritual diseases. Without the skill to remove thorns from eyes, their words add more clouds to the vision instead of clarity. At the lowest level, some accumulate vast knowledge without understanding—this is mere frivolous talk. Some cling stubbornly to one-sided views—this is not genuine expertise but a teaching of conflict. Some mistake a snake for a dragon, imitating the profound and mysterious—this is not just leaving traces but trickery and deception.
Long ago, when the demon king failed to harm the Buddha, he swore: "In future ages, I will enter the Buddha’s teaching and destroy it." The Buddha replied: "You would only destroy yourself—how could the Dharma be destroyed?" From this we see that the lowest kinds of talk are not worth discussing. As for the higher ones, if people only seek their own benefit without entering the perfect teaching, how can they benefit others without causing harm? Gain and loss are often indiscernible, and benefit and danger intertwine in hidden ways. If we want to tear down the barriers and lead all beings to the ultimate refuge, the path cannot be walked casually without the right person.
Only Master Ou Yi of Lingfeng truly taught through words. He had a thorough awakening to the whole nature of the mind and had deeply entered the inconceivable realm of the compassionate vow. In every moment, in every situation, and in all matters, he cultivated compassion and wisdom simultaneously, integrating understanding and practice. He had no fixed teaching or rigid method. Through him, every teaching was accessible and complete. He expressed the Three Learnings (precepts, teachings, and meditation) with the principle that the entire nature gives rise to practice, and all practice returns to the nature. When the whole nature gives rise to practice, the ultimate is present in the conventional; when all practice returns to the nature, the conventional is the ultimate. Neither ultimate nor conventional, yet both conventional and ultimate. In this way, he alone awakened to the supreme state of the Dharma-body, reopening for countless ages a path of learning that was nearly lost.
In summary, the Master’s Three Learnings are one great matter. His true precepts, true teachings, and true meditation are simply the return to the precepts, teachings, and meditation inherent in our own minds—the original precepts, teachings, and meditation of the Buddhas. The Master added not a single word of his own. Because he added nothing, his teaching was free from mixing. Since his precepts were true precepts and his teachings were true teachings, what differences are there between schools or between great and small? How could precepts not include both teachings and meditation? How could teachings not include both precepts and meditation? Since his meditation was true meditation, what distinction remains between Buddhas and patriarchs? Can meditation be separate from precepts and teachings? Thus, because his teaching was precise, it was free from attachment; it was the realm of unobstructed interpenetration—the samadhi of non-contention.
Words lack divine subtlety because of mixing and attachment. When there is no mixing or attachment, there is no need to establish one’s own school. Without establishing a school, one can move freely and change in boundless ways. Therefore, the Master’s words broke free from all conventions, curing the deepest spiritual illnesses and leading everything back to perfect clarity. Like the rites and music of ancient sage-kings, his teaching brought peace without the need for battle. Wise people say that in this Dharma-ending age, only this Master built the great Dharma banner, beat the great Dharma drum, with teaching so pure and balanced, so bright and true.
The Master possessed the wisdom to elaborate and the wisdom to summarize. He could explain a single four-line verse without making it too brief, or fill volumes without being excessive. Besides his commentaries, he left seven collections of writings. Now they are compiled into a complete set, organized by literary genre. Works that were published separately are also included. According to the Tripitaka, writings of eminent monks belong to the Abhidharma section. Those that explain a single sutra are called "commentarial treatises," while those that draw from all twelve divisions of the scriptures to form their own teachings are called "systematic treatises." Here, the Master’s commentaries are gathered as commentarial treatises, and the seven collections are compiled as a systematic treatise, forming a total of ten volumes, divided into thirty-eight sub-volumes.
Alas, when the Master was still alive, I was unfilial—I could not truly learn the inconceivable truth and was like a drunkard spinning around a house. Now though the sage has passed, his writings remain. I must strive to cultivate myself and repay even a fraction of the Master’s kindness. I also hope that everyone who encounters these writings will not cling to words while pursuing liberation, nor ignore words while mistaking the finger for the moon. Instead, through these words, may they see the truth directly. Then they will transcend both attachment to and rejection of words, perfectly realize their own mind without mixing, encompass all teachings without attachment, and speak the truth without leaving traces. Even after countless ages, such a person will surely appear. I, Chengshi, am willing to offer my life right now to support them.
But I also have a concern. Words that are reached by reasoning and copying can also be understood by reasoning and copying alone. But when one reaches the realm beyond thought and words—only through true hearing can one then contemplate and cultivate. Otherwise, the dangers of mixing, attachment, and leaving traces hide beneath the surface of imitation and speculation without being noticed. Therefore, I only hope that all who encounter these writings in this and future ages may first study broadly, question carefully, think deeply, and discriminate clearly, so that they may gradually reach sincere practice. Written by the disciple Chengshi, two days after writing the supplement.