無心論一卷
Treatise on No-Mind, Volume One
釋菩提達摩製
Bodhidharma's Composition
夫至理無言。要假言而顯理。大道無相為接麁而見形。今且假立二人共談無心之論矣 弟子問和尚曰。有心無心 答曰。無心問曰。既云無心。誰能見聞覺知。誰知無心答曰。還是無心既見聞覺知。還是無心能知無心 問曰。既若無心。即合無有見聞覺知。云何得有見聞覺知 答曰。我雖無心能見能聞能覺能知 問曰。既能見聞覺知。即是有心。那得稱無 答曰。只是見聞覺知。即是無心。何處更離見聞覺知別有無心。我今恐汝不解。一一為汝解說。令汝得悟真理。假如見終日見由為無見。見亦無心。聞終日聞由為無聞。聞亦無心。覺終日覺由為無覺。覺亦無心。知終日知由為無知。知亦無心終日造作。作亦無作。作亦無心。故云見聞覺知總是無心 問曰。若為能得知是無心 答曰。汝但子細推求看。心作何相貌。其心復可得。是心不是心。為復在內為復在外為復在中間。如是三處推求覓心了不可得。乃至於一切處求覓亦不可得。當知即是無心 問曰。和尚既云一切處總是無心。即合無有罪福。何故眾生輪迴六聚生死不斷。
The ultimate principle is beyond words, yet words are needed to reveal the principle. The great Way is without form, yet it manifests through coarse appearances to be seen. Now let us provisionally establish two persons to discuss the doctrine of no-mind.
The disciple asked the master: “Is there mind or no-mind?”
The master answered: “No-mind.”
The disciple asked: “Since you speak of no-mind, who then sees, hears, feels, and knows? Who knows this no-mind?”
The master answered: “It is still no-mind. Though there is seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing, it is still no-mind that knows no-mind.”
The disciple asked: “If there is truly no-mind, then there should be no seeing, hearing, feeling, or knowing. How then can there be seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing?”
The master answered: “Although I have no-mind, I am able to see, hear, feel, and know.”
The disciple asked: “Since you are able to see, hear, feel, and know, that means there is mind. How then can it be called no-mind?”
The master answered: “Precisely this seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing is no-mind. Where apart from seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing is there a separate no-mind? Now I fear you do not understand, so I will explain to you one by one, enabling you to awaken to the true principle. Suppose seeing: seeing all day long is yet no-seeing; seeing is also no-mind. Hearing all day long is yet no-hearing; hearing is also no-mind. Feeling all day long is yet no-feeling; feeling is also no-mind. Knowing all day long is yet no-knowing; knowing is also no-mind. Creating all day long, creating is also no-creating; creating is also no-mind. Therefore it is said: seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing are altogether no-mind.”
The disciple asked: “How can one know that it is no-mind?”
The master answered: “You must carefully investigate and look: what form and characteristics does mind have? Can this mind be obtained? Is this mind mind or not? Is it within, is it without, or is it in between? Investigating and seeking the mind in these three places, it cannot be found at all. Even seeking it in all places, it cannot be found. You should know that this is no-mind.”
The disciple asked: “Master, since you say that in all places there is always no-mind, then there should be no sin or merit. Why then do sentient beings revolve in the six destinies, their cycle of birth and death unbroken?”
答曰。眾生迷妄。於無心中而妄生心。造種種業。妄執為有。足可致使輪迴六趣生死不斷。譬有人於暗中見杌為鬼見繩為蛇便生恐怖。眾生妄執亦復如是。於無心中妄執有心造種種業。而實無不輪迴六趣。如是眾生若遇大善知識教令坐禪覺悟無心。一切業障盡皆銷滅生死即斷。譬如暗中日光一照而暗皆盡。若悟無心。一切罪滅亦復如是 問曰。弟子愚昧心猶未了審。一切處六根所用者應 答曰。語種種施為煩惱菩提生死涅槃定無心否 答曰。定是無心。只為眾生妄執有心即有一切煩惱生死菩提涅槃。若覺無心即無一切煩惱生死涅槃。是故如來為有心者說有生死。菩提對煩惱得名。涅槃者對生死得名。此皆對治之法。若無心可得。即煩惱菩提亦不可得。乃至生死涅槃亦不可得問曰。菩提涅槃既不可得。過去諸佛皆得菩提。此謂可乎 答曰。但以世諦文字之言得。於真諦實無可得。故維摩經云。菩提者不可以身得不可以心得。又金剛經云。無有少法可得。諸佛如來但以不可得而得。當知有心即一切有無心一切無 問曰。和尚既云於一切處盡皆無心。木石亦無心。豈不同於木石乎 答曰。而我無心心不同木石。何以故。譬如天鼓。雖復無心自然出種種妙法教化眾生。又如如意珠。雖復無心自然能作種種變現。而我無心亦復如是。雖復無心善能覺了諸法實相具真般若三身自在應用無妨。故寶積經云。以無心意而現行。豈同木石乎。夫無心者即真心也。真心者即無心也 問曰。今於心中作若為修行 答曰。但於一切事上覺了。無心即是修行。更不別有修行。故知無心即一切。寂滅即無心也 弟子於是忽然大悟。始知心外無物物外無心。舉止動用皆得自在。斷諸疑網更無罣礙。即起作禮。而銘無心乃為頌曰。
Answer: Sentient beings are deluded and confused. Within non-mind, they falsely give rise to mind, create all kinds of karma, and mistakenly cling to it as real. This is sufficient to cause them to revolve through the six destinies, with birth and death unceasing. It is like a person in the dark who sees a stump as a ghost or a rope as a snake, and thus gives rise to terror. The mistaken clinging of sentient beings is also like this. Within non-mind, they mistakenly cling to having a mind and create all kinds of karma. Yet in reality, there is no one revolving through the six destinies. If such sentient beings encounter a great good spiritual friend who instructs them to sit in meditation and awaken to non-mind, then all karmic obstructions are entirely extinguished and birth and death are immediately cut off. It is like when sunlight shines in the dark, the darkness is all gone. If one awakens to non-mind, the extinction of all offenses is also like this.
Question: This disciple is foolish and dim; the mind is still not fully clear. I ask: In all places, in the functions of the six sense faculties, is it appropriate...
Answer: Speaking of all kinds of activities, afflictions, bodhi, birth and death, and nirvana—are they definitely non-mind or not?
Answer: They are definitely non-mind. It is only because sentient beings mistakenly cling to having a mind that there are all afflictions, birth and death, bodhi, and nirvana. If one awakens to non-mind, then there are no afflictions, birth and death, or nirvana. Therefore, the Tathāgata, for those who have mind, speaks of having birth and death. Bodhi gets its name in opposition to afflictions. Nirvana gets its name in opposition to birth and death. These are all remedial methods. If there is no mind to be obtained, then afflictions and bodhi also cannot be obtained, and even birth and death and nirvana also cannot be obtained.
Question: Since bodhi and nirvana cannot be obtained, does this mean that all past buddhas obtained bodhi? Is this acceptable?
Answer: It is only in terms of worldly convention and verbal expressions that there is obtaining. In terms of ultimate truth, there is truly nothing to be obtained. Therefore, the *Vimalakīrti Sūtra* says: "Bodhi is not to be attained by the body, nor is it to be attained by the mind." Also, the *Diamond Sūtra* says: "There is not the slightest dharma to be obtained." The buddhas, the tathāgatas, simply take what cannot be obtained and obtain it. You should know: having mind means all exists; non-mind means all does not exist.
Question: Since the master says that in all places there is entirely non-mind, and wood and stone also have no mind, is this not the same as wood and stone?
Answer: Yet my non-mind is not the same as wood and stone. Why? For example, like the divine drum: although it has no mind, it naturally produces all kinds of wonderful dharmas to teach and transform sentient beings. Also, like the wish-fulfilling jewel: although it has no mind, it can naturally perform all kinds of transformations. My non-mind is also like this. Although it is non-mind, it is well able to awaken to and fully understand the true reality of all dharmas, possessing true prajñā, with the three bodies free and functioning without hindrance. Therefore, the *Ratnakūṭa Sūtra* says: "With a mind of non-mind, one manifests activity." How could it be the same as wood and stone? Now, non-mind is precisely the true mind. The true mind is precisely non-mind.
Question: Now, within the mind, how should one practice?
Answer: Simply, in regard to all matters, awaken to and understand non-mind—that is practice. There is no other separate practice. Therefore, know that non-mind is all-inclusive. Quiescent extinction is non-mind.
Then the disciple suddenly experienced great awakening. For the first time he knew that outside the mind there are no things, and outside things there is no mind. All actions, movements, and functions were attained in freedom. All doubt-nets were cut off, with no further hindrances or attachments. He immediately arose, made obeisance, and inscribed "Non-Mind" as a verse, saying:
心神向寂 無色無形 覩之不見
聽之無聲 似暗非暗 如明不明
捨之不滅 取之無生
The mind-spirit tends toward stillness, without color, without form; gazing, one does not see it.
Listening, one hears no sound; like darkness yet not dark, like brightness yet not bright.
Abandoning it, it does not cease; grasping it, it is not born.
大即廓周法界 小即毛竭不停
煩惱混之不濁 涅槃澄之不清
真如本無分別 能辯有情無情
收之一切不立 散之普遍含靈
妙神非知所測 正覓絕於修行
滅則不見其懷 生則不見其成
大道寂號無相 萬像窈號無名
如斯運用自在 總是無心之精
Vast, it encompasses the entire Dharma Realm; minute, it never ceases in a single hair. Afflictions cannot muddy it; Nirvana cannot clarify it. True Suchness is originally without distinction; it can discern sentient and insentient beings. Gathered, it does not establish anything; dispersed, it universally contains the spiritual. Its wondrous spirit cannot be fathomed by knowledge; true seeking is severed from cultivation. When extinguished, its embrace is not seen; when arising, its completion is not seen. The Great Way, quiescent, is called formless; the myriad appearances, profound, are called nameless. Thus functioning with perfect freedom—it is always the essence of no-mind.
和尚又告曰。諸般若中以無心般若而為最上故維摩經云。以無心意無受行。而悉摧伏外道。又法鼓經。若知無心可得。法即不可得。罪福亦不可得。生死涅槃亦不可得。乃至一切盡不可得。不可得亦不可得。乃為頌曰。
The monk further declared: Among all prajñās, the prajñā of no-mind is considered the supreme. Thus the Vimalakīrti Sūtra states: With no thought, no intention, and no grasping action, one completely subdues all non-Buddhist paths. Moreover, the Dharma Drum Sūtra says: If one realizes that no-mind can be attained, then the Dharma also cannot be attained; neither good nor evil karma can be attained; neither saṃsāra nor nirvāṇa can be attained—indeed, all things ultimately cannot be attained. Even "cannot be attained" cannot be attained. Then it is proclaimed in verse:
昔日迷時為有心 爾時悟罷了無心
雖復無心能照用 照用常寂即如如
In the past, when deluded, there was a mind; Now, when awakened, there is no mind at all. Though without mind, it can illuminate and function— This illuminating function, ever tranquil, is Suchness.
重曰。
Again, I say:
無心無照亦無用 無照無用即無為
此是如來真法界 不同菩薩為辟支
Without mind, without illumination, and without function, Without illumination, without function, is non-action. This is the true Dharma-realm of the Tathāgata, Not the same as the bodhisattva or the pratyekabuddha.
言無心者即無妄相心也。
Words without mind means being without the mind of false appearances.
又問。何名為太上 答曰。太者大也。上者高也。窮高之妙理故云太上也。又太者通泰之位也。三界之天雖有延康之壽福盡。是故終輪迴六趣。未足為太。十住菩薩雖出離生死。而妙理未極。亦未為太。十住修心妄有入無。又無其無有雙遣不妄中道。亦未為太。又忘中道三處都盡。位皆妙覺。菩薩雖遣三處。不能無其所妙。亦未為太。又忘其妙則佛道至極。則無所存。無存思則無思慮。兼妄心智永息。覺照俱盡。寂然無為。此名為太也。太是理極之義。上是無等色。故云太上。即之佛如來之別名也。
Question: What is meant by the Supreme?
Answer: Supreme means great, and above means high. It refers to the ultimate subtle principle of reaching the highest, thus it is called the Supreme. Moreover, Supreme signifies the state of thorough liberation. Although the heavens of the three realms possess longevity and blessings that extend through kalpas, when these merits are exhausted, they still revolve within the six destinies, which cannot be considered Supreme. The ten-stage bodhisattvas, though transcending birth and death, have not yet fully realized the ultimate subtle principle, so they too are not yet Supreme. The ten-stage practitioners cultivate the mind, transforming delusion into emptiness, yet even emptiness itself is emptied, and both are relinquished without clinging to the middle way—this still is not Supreme. Furthermore, when even the middle way is forgotten, and all three states are completely exhausted, one reaches the stage of wondrous enlightenment. Although bodhisattvas relinquish these three states, they cannot be without that which is wondrous, so they are still not Supreme. When even the wondrous is forgotten, then the ultimate Buddha path is attained, where nothing remains. With nothing remaining, there is no thought or deliberation; both deluded mind and wisdom permanently cease, awareness and illumination are fully exhausted, and one abides in serene non-action. This is called the Supreme. Supreme is the meaning of the ultimate principle; above is the peerless state. Therefore it is called the Supreme, which is another name for the Buddha Tathāgata.
無心論一卷
Treatise on No-Mind, Volume One