心真如門
心真如者即是一法界、大総相法門体。所謂心性不生不滅。一切諸法唯依妄念而有差別、若離心念則無一切境界之相。是故一切法、従本已来、離言説相、離名字相、離心縁相、畢寛平等、無有変異、不可破壊、唯是一心、故名真如。以一切言説仮名無実、但随妄念、不可得故、言真如者亦無有相、謂言説之極、因言遺言。此真如体無有可遣、以一切法悉皆真故、亦無可立、以一切法皆同如故。当知、一切法不可説、不可念故、名為真如。
問曰、若如是義者、諸衆生等云何随順、而能得人。
答曰、若知一切法難説、無有能説可説、雛念、亦無能念可念、是名随順、若離於念、名為得人。復次、真如者、依言説分別、有二種義。云何為二。一者如実空、以能究竟顕実故。二者如実不空、以有自体具足無漏性功徳故。
The Mind in Terms of the Absolute
The Mind in terms of the Absolute is the one World of Reality (dharmadhatu) and the essence of all phases of existence in their totality.
That which is called "the essential nature of the Mind" is unborn and is imperishable. It is only through illusions that all things come to be differentiated. If one is freed from illusions, then to him there will be no appearances (lakshana) of objects regarded as absolutely independent existences; therefore all things from the beginning transcend all forms of verbalization, description, and conceptualization and are, in the final analysis, undifferentiated, free from alteration, and indestructible. They are only of the One Mind; hence the name Suchness. All explanations by words are provisional and without validity, for they are merely used in accordance with illusions and are incapable of denoting Suchness.
The term Suchness likewise has no attributes which can be verbally specified. The term Suchness is, so to speak, the limit of verbalization wherein a word is used to put an end to words. But the essence of Suchness itself cannot be put an end to, for all things in their Absolute aspect are real; nor is there anything which needs to be pointed out as real, for all things are equally in the state of Suchness. It should be understood that all things are incapable of being verbally explained or thought of; hence the name Suchness.
Question: If such is the meaning of the principle of Mahayana, how is it possible for men to conform themselves to and enter into it?
Answer: If they understand that, concerning all things, though they are spoken of, there is neither that which speaks, nor that which can be spoken of, and though they are thought of, there is neither that which thinks, nor that which can be thought of, then they are said to have conformed to it. And when they are freed from their thoughts, they are said to have entered into it.
Next, Suchness has two aspects if predicated in words. One is that it is truly empty (sunya), for this aspect can, in the final sense, reveal what is real. The other is that it is truly nonempty (a-sunya), for its essence itself is endowed with undefiled and excellent qualities.
1. 空真如
所言空者、従本已来、一切染法不相応故、謂離一切法差別之相、以無虚妄、心念故。
当知、真如自性非有相、非無相、非非有相、非非無相、非有無倶相、非一相、非異相、非非一相、非非異相、非一異倶相、乃至、総説、依一切衆生以有妄心、念念分別、皆不相応故、説為空。若離妄心、実無可空故。
Truly Empty
Suchness is empty because from the beginning it has never been related to any defiled states of existence, it is free from all marks of individual distinction of things, and it has nothing to do with thoughts conceived by a deluded mind.
It should be understood that the essential nature of Suchness is neither with marks nor without marks; neither not with marks nor not without marks; nor is it both with and without marks simultaneously; it is neither with a single mark nor with different marks; neither not with a single mark nor not with different marks; nor is it both with a single and with different marks simultaneously.
In short, since all unenlightened men discriminate with their deluded minds from moment to moment, they are alienated from Suchness; hence, the definition "empty"; but once they are free from their deluded minds, they will find that there is nothing to be negated.
2. 不空真如
所言不空者、已顕法体空無妄故、即是真心。常恒不変浄法満足故名不空、亦無有相可取、以離念境界唯証相応故。
Truly Nonempty
Since it has been made clear that the essence of all things is empty, i.e., devoid of illusions, the true Mind is eternal, permanent, immutable, pure, and self-sufficient; therefore, it is called "nonempty". And also there is no trace of particular marks to be noted in it, as it is the sphere that transcends thoughts and is in harmony with enlightenment alone.
心真如者即是一法界、大総相法門体。所謂心性不生不滅。一切諸法唯依妄念而有差別、若離心念則無一切境界之相。是故一切法、従本已来、離言説相、離名字相、離心縁相、畢寛平等、無有変異、不可破壊、唯是一心、故名真如。以一切言説仮名無実、但随妄念、不可得故、言真如者亦無有相、謂言説之極、因言遺言。此真如体無有可遣、以一切法悉皆真故、亦無可立、以一切法皆同如故。当知、一切法不可説、不可念故、名為真如。
問曰、若如是義者、諸衆生等云何随順、而能得人。
答曰、若知一切法難説、無有能説可説、雛念、亦無能念可念、是名随順、若離於念、名為得人。復次、真如者、依言説分別、有二種義。云何為二。一者如実空、以能究竟顕実故。二者如実不空、以有自体具足無漏性功徳故。
The Mind in Terms of the Absolute
The Mind in terms of the Absolute is the one World of Reality (dharmadhatu) and the essence of all phases of existence in their totality.
That which is called "the essential nature of the Mind" is unborn and is imperishable. It is only through illusions that all things come to be differentiated. If one is freed from illusions, then to him there will be no appearances (lakshana) of objects regarded as absolutely independent existences; therefore all things from the beginning transcend all forms of verbalization, description, and conceptualization and are, in the final analysis, undifferentiated, free from alteration, and indestructible. They are only of the One Mind; hence the name Suchness. All explanations by words are provisional and without validity, for they are merely used in accordance with illusions and are incapable of denoting Suchness.
The term Suchness likewise has no attributes which can be verbally specified. The term Suchness is, so to speak, the limit of verbalization wherein a word is used to put an end to words. But the essence of Suchness itself cannot be put an end to, for all things in their Absolute aspect are real; nor is there anything which needs to be pointed out as real, for all things are equally in the state of Suchness. It should be understood that all things are incapable of being verbally explained or thought of; hence the name Suchness.
Question: If such is the meaning of the principle of Mahayana, how is it possible for men to conform themselves to and enter into it?
Answer: If they understand that, concerning all things, though they are spoken of, there is neither that which speaks, nor that which can be spoken of, and though they are thought of, there is neither that which thinks, nor that which can be thought of, then they are said to have conformed to it. And when they are freed from their thoughts, they are said to have entered into it.
Next, Suchness has two aspects if predicated in words. One is that it is truly empty (sunya), for this aspect can, in the final sense, reveal what is real. The other is that it is truly nonempty (a-sunya), for its essence itself is endowed with undefiled and excellent qualities.
1. 空真如
所言空者、従本已来、一切染法不相応故、謂離一切法差別之相、以無虚妄、心念故。
当知、真如自性非有相、非無相、非非有相、非非無相、非有無倶相、非一相、非異相、非非一相、非非異相、非一異倶相、乃至、総説、依一切衆生以有妄心、念念分別、皆不相応故、説為空。若離妄心、実無可空故。
Truly Empty
Suchness is empty because from the beginning it has never been related to any defiled states of existence, it is free from all marks of individual distinction of things, and it has nothing to do with thoughts conceived by a deluded mind.
It should be understood that the essential nature of Suchness is neither with marks nor without marks; neither not with marks nor not without marks; nor is it both with and without marks simultaneously; it is neither with a single mark nor with different marks; neither not with a single mark nor not with different marks; nor is it both with a single and with different marks simultaneously.
In short, since all unenlightened men discriminate with their deluded minds from moment to moment, they are alienated from Suchness; hence, the definition "empty"; but once they are free from their deluded minds, they will find that there is nothing to be negated.
2. 不空真如
所言不空者、已顕法体空無妄故、即是真心。常恒不変浄法満足故名不空、亦無有相可取、以離念境界唯証相応故。
Truly Nonempty
Since it has been made clear that the essence of all things is empty, i.e., devoid of illusions, the true Mind is eternal, permanent, immutable, pure, and self-sufficient; therefore, it is called "nonempty". And also there is no trace of particular marks to be noted in it, as it is the sphere that transcends thoughts and is in harmony with enlightenment alone.
