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Contents
25. COMMON CHARACTERISTIC OF
INTEGRATION OF ALL DHARMAS IN
CULTIVATION
- COMMON CHARACTERISTIC OF
INTEGRATION OF ALL DHARMAS IN
CULTIVATION
In practice, the aforementioned methods of cultivation differ from one
another, but in essence, they are one and the same, since every Dharma deals
with the momentary thoughts of the mind. Moreover, the mind is fundamentally
undifferentiated. But should we think this mountain isn't so high as
that one, consequently our belief in the Dharma in question would be
wavering and our effort of cultivation would be deteriorating. As the common
characteristic of integration of all Dharmas is an important aspect of
cultivation, a word of explanation is necessary for our understanding.
25.1 Mind is the Key Point
Among these four Dharmas, the Ch'an Meditation, Looking Into the
Mind, Name-Reciting and the Tantric Practice, let us find
out the area of their common characteristic. The Ch'an Practice calls for
looking into the mind and the latter, in turn, requires
single-minded concentration on thought as the former does. In other words,
the moment you are doing the Ch'an Meditation, it involves looking
within (Kuan); Kuan also involves Nien (thought). Apart
from meditation, there is no thought, and apart from thought, there is no
meditation. In short, meditation and thought are
interchangeable and indivisible. All these four verbs, look,
recite, meditate and Hsueh (cultivate), refer to the
mind that is the subject of cultivation. The
so-called Ch'an (Dhyana) corresponds to the True Mind. The
True Mind is Buddha, the triple Tantric Mystics of all Buddhas
which are inseparable from the Enlightened Mind. All these four nouns refer
to the mind as the object of cultivation. In view of
the above explanation, it may be seen that though the four Dharmas are called
by different names, yet in essence of cultivation, they are fundamentally
identical.
25.2 Manifestation of Self Nature of Mind
is the Way
25.2.1 Ch'an Versus Tien Tai
Next, as the self-nature of the mind embraces the Three Dogmas
of the Noumenal, the Phenomenal and the Mean and is inseparable
from both the subject and the object of cultivation of any Dharma,
cultivation of the self-nature necessarily involves the Three Meditations
of the Void, the Unreal and the Mean. If we practise the Dharma
of Non-Being, we should understand that in reality, the Profound
Non-Being is not void; if we do by the Dharma of Being, the Profound
Being is non-being. It is because things come into being by causation
that their self-nature is said to be void. Inversely speaking, it
is because their self-nature is void that it is possible for them
to come into being by causation. From this standpoint, it holds
true with every Dharma that the more void, the more being, and the
more being, the more void. The two are integrated, interrelated
and mutually dependent, and ultimately return to the Mean. Thus,
Master Yung Ming says: "Regarding the nature of
form, function is inseparable from substance; as to the form of
nature, substance is inseparable from function." In a Gatha
on Three Thousand Dharma Doors on Being, Chan Kuan says:
"The Inconceivable Unreal does not lean to the
Unreal but is fundamentally inherent in everything. The True Void,
complete, perfect and all-embracing, is neither Void, nor merely
Void nor merely Mean."
Dhyana Master Hsu Yun says: "The so-called Hau
Tou is the ante-thought, but as soon as the thought arises, it becomes
after thought." Again, he says: "To look
inward all the time upon that very thing which is neither created
nor destructed (Self-Nature) may be said to be identical with
looking into the Hau Tou." To look into the mind is to meditate
on this neither created nor destructed Self-Nature with attention
and concentration, so much as that the three Meditations may be
freely and fully manifested right on the spot. Thus, the manifestation
of the three Meditations is also the manifestation of the three
Dogmas of Self-Nature.
From this standpoint, the Ch'an practice and the Tien Tai's Chih-Kuan
Method are fundamentally the same.
25.2.2 Pure Land Versus Ch'an
Also, the so-called Pure Land may be said to be identical with
the pure Self-Mind, for the moment mind is detached from thought,
it turns to be the Pure Land. The Virmirakirtinedesa Sutra says:
"Po Chi, you should realize, a straight mind is the Pure Land of Bodhisattvas,
for when they become Buddhas, they never offer sentient beings any
inducement that the latter may be born in their Buddhalands. A Profound
Mind is also the Pure Land of Bodhissattvas, for when they become
Buddhas, their Buddhalands are where the Mahayanists will be born".
According to the Recorded Sayings of Ch'an Mirror, "The
Self-Mind is all-pervading. If you see a Buddha, this means that
you can see your own Buddha." That which is Fundamentally
Unborn is existent but its existence does not alter the fact that
it is Fundamentally Unborn. So, Ch'an may be said to be the Ch'an
of the Pure Land, and The Pure Land may also be said to be the Pure
Land of Ch'an. From this point of view, Dhyana and Name-Reciting
are in common with each other.
25.2.3 Pure Land Versus Tien Tai
It may be reiterated that in reciting the Buddha, the substance of that which
is capable of reciting, is fundamentally still and void, whileas the Buddha,
the object of recitation, is also immaterial and formless. This is the aspect
of the Void; in reciting, though the subject and the object of recitation are
void, yet both of them exist. This is the aspect of the Unreal. In reciting,
while both the subject and the object are void, yet they are existent; and
inversely speaking, while they are existent, yet they are void. Thus, the
Void and the Unreal depend upon each other and influence each other. This is
the aspect of the Mean. Thus, from Dhyana Master Wan Ning's saying "By reciting the Buddha, one enters the three Dharma Doors
(Meditations)". It may be seen that the Dharma of Name-reciting and
Looking into the Mind stand on the common ground.
25.2.4 Tantra Versus Pure Land
Mantras, the True Words of Dharmakaya Tathagata, are one of the
triple mystical yogic practices of the Esoteric Sect. Nevertheless,
they are also used by Buddhists of the various Exoteric Sects, as
seen from the fact that some well-known Mantras such as the Great
Compassion Dharani, the Wish to be born in the Pure Land
of Amitabha Buddha Mantra, The Surangama Mantra and
others may rightly claim to be as popular with Buddhists of the
Pure Land Sect as the Dharma of Name-Repetition. Furthermore, the
Pure Land Sect's Meditation on the Trinity of the Western Paradise
may be said to be in line with the Tantric Meditation on Shakyamuni
Buddha, as verified by the fact that Amitabha Buddha and Avalokitsvara
Bodhisattva, the principal Entity of worship, are as much venerated
by Buddhists of the Pure Land Sect as by those of Tantric Buddhism.
25.2.5 Tantra Versus Ch'an & Tien Tai
In the Ch'an practice, the Buddha Amita's Mudra (Seal) (with the
right palm put on the left one and the two thumbs conjoined each
other to form a straight line, this is called the Buddha's Seal,
also called the Meditation Seal of All Buddhas of the Ten Directions)
is generally used to intensify concentration during the Ch'an practice.
The yogic practice of the four Forms of Tantric Mandolas (Moho,
Samadha, Dharma and Karma) is to meditate from the Void to the Profound
Unreal (the Unreal that is both the Void and the Mean is called
the Profound Unreal) and then to converge both the Void and the
Unreal into the Mean. If one, irrespective of his sect, meditates
with Prajnaparamita on the pure Bodhi as often as possible, he will
enter and realize the Fundamentally Unborn in due time. Again,
the perfect and complete Severance (meaning elimination)
and Heart of Hearts of the Tantric practices also have something
in common with Ch'an. As shown in the above, despite their difference
in ritual performance, the Exoteric and the Esoteric Sects, however,
are in common with each other so far as the fundamental way of cultivation
is concerned.
25.3 Practice of Samadhi
The practice of Samadhi may be differentiated in three ways:
- To recite Self-Buddha only,
- to recite Other-Buddha only, and
- to recite both Self-Buddha and other-Buddha.
25.3.1 Reciting Self-Buddhas Only
Looking into the mind and the Ch'an practice, where the six sense-organs
are their objects of meditation, and the Profound Observing Wisdom
and the corresponding mind are respectively their subjects of meditation,
may be cited as examples of reciting the Self-Buddha only. In both
practices, if we are aware of every momentary thought, we can see
that it is beyond time and space, neither existent nor non-existent,
neither created nor destructed, fundamentally immanent and at par
with all Buddhas. If meritorious deeds are accumulated from time
to time, the five fundamental conditions of delusions and passions
will be overcome, the six sense-organs will become pure and free
from defilement, ignorance will be eliminated, and the profound
Treasuries of the triple mystic virtues of Prajna, Deliverance and
Dharmakaya (the threefold aspects of the substance, form and function
of the self-nature) will be all realized. The Mahaparamita-prajna
Sutra says: "Mahahisattvas do not recite the Buddha's name with form, with feeling,
with conception, with pre-disposition and with consciousness, because
the self-nature of everything is void." It is because the
self-nature of everything is void, there is nothing to recite. This
may be called Reciting the Buddha.
25.3.2 Reciting Other-Buddha Only
According to the practice of the Pure Land Sect, it may be called reciting the Other-Buddha. If the six sense-data, held
under control by the Sixth Consciousness, concentrate intensely on the
recitation, the form or other things of Amitabha Buddha, then what one sees
is nothing, but the Dharma of Buddha.
25.3.3 Reciting Both Self-Buddha and Other-Buddha
The combined practices of Ch'an Meditation and the Pure Land Sect's
Name-Reciting Method are an example of the third category of recitation of
both the Self-Buddha and Other-Buddha. According to this Dharma, with broad
and thorough understanding of the Truth that Buddhahood is immanent in
everyone and that mind, Buddha and sentient beings, self and others, the
direct retributions of one's previous life and the consequences of past deeds
of this life are fundamentally identical and not dualistic, and then with
merits derived from the Buddha Virtues, one should be able to manifest the
fundamental immanent Buddha-Nature at the opportune time. The Tantric
practice, another example of the third category of recitation, is to
coordinate and integrate the practitioner's triple mystical activities with
one another. When this is done, the blissful protecting power of the Honored
One of the Nichirin Sect and the fundamental Buddha-Nature inherent in the
practiser will be integrated and mutually adaptable to each other. Through
the physical body of the latter, the virtues of all Buddhas will become
manifestable. From the above, we can see that the Name-Reciting Method
corresponds practically with the Dharma of every Buddhist Sect. This is the
reason why the Pure Land Sect always makes strong and popular appeal to
Buddhists everywhere.
25.4 Every Dharma is Perfect and
Complete
In the light of the above explanation, it is clear that we may take up any
Dharma for practice as long as it is agreeable to our interest and
inclination. Since every Dharma is perfect and complete, therefore in the
course of cultivation, we should not think of changing from one Dharma to
another, nor should we think that a certain Dharma may be superior or inferior
to the others. As no medicine may be called good or bad as long as it can
cure. Likewise, no Dharma may be said to be high or low, as long as it is
adaptable to its followers.
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