..续本文上一页y of ”true-nature” will have an opportunity to manifest itself. You should not misinterpret the text and come to the conclusion that Buddha-knowledge is something special to Buddha and not common to us, just because you happen to find in the Sutra these passages: ”To open the eyes for the sight of Buddha-knowledge,” ”To see the sight of Buddha-knowledge, etc.” Such a misinterpretation would be slandering Buddha and blaspheming the Sutra. Since one is (potentially) a Buddha, he is already in possession of this Enlightenment-knowledge, and there is no occasion for him to open his eyes for it. You should therefore accept the interpretation that Buddha-knowledge is the Buddha-knowledge of your own mind and not that of any other Buddha.
"Being infatuated with sense-objects and thereby shutting themselves from their own light, all sentient beings, tormented by outer circumstances and inner vexations, act voluntarily as slaves to their own desires.
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[paragraph continues] Seeing this, our Lord Buddha took the trouble of” rising from his Samadhi in order to exhort them by earnest preaching of various kinds to suppress their desires and to refrain from seeking happiness from without, so that they may enter into their rights of Buddhahood. For this reason the Sutra says, ”To open the eyes for Buddha-knowledge etc.” I advise people to thus constantly open their eyes for the Buddha-knowledge within their own minds. But in their perversity they commit sins under delusion and ignorance; they are kind in words but wicked in mind; they are greedy, malignant, jealous, crooked, flattering, egoistic, offensive to men and destructive to inanimate objects. Thus they open their eyes to ”common-people-knowledge” instead. Should they rectify their heart so that wisdom rises spontaneously, the mind is under introspection and the practice of doing good takes the place of evil. Thus they would initiate themselves into Buddha-knowledge.
"You should, therefore, from one momentary sensation to another, open your eyes, not for ”common-people-knowledge,” which is worldly, but for the Buddha-knowledge that is supra-mundane. On the other hand, if you stick to the arbitrary concept that mere recitation as a daily exercise is good enough, then you are infatuated, like the yak by its own tail."
Fat-tat then said: "If that is so, then we only have to know the meaning of the Sutra and there will be no further necessity for reciting it. Is that right, Sir
" The Patriarch replied, "There is nothing wrong with the Sutra that you need to refrain from reciting it. Whether sutra-reciting will enlighten you or not, or
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benefit you or not, all depends upon yourself. He who recites the Sutra with his tongue and puts its teachings into actual practice with his mind, masters the Sutra. Listen to this stanza:
"When our mind is under delusion, the Saddhama Pundarika Sutra is our master.
When our mind is enlightened, we are the master of the Sutra.
To recite the Sutra for a long time without knowing its principal object
Indicates that one is a stranger to its meaning.
To recite the Sutra without holding any arbitrary belief, is the correct way;
To do otherwise is wrong.
He whose mind is above ”affirmation” and ”negation”
Rides permanently in the ”Buddha-vehicle.”"
* * *
Having heard this stanza, Fat-tat was enlightened and was unconsciously moved to tears. "it is quite true," he exclaimed, "heretofore I have been unable to master the Sutra, rather it has been my master."
Fat-tat then raised another difficulty. "The Sutra says, ”From various disciples up to Bodhisattva, though they were to speculate with their combined effort, they would be unable to comprehend Buddha-knowledge.” But you, Sir, give me to understand that if an ordinary man realises …
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