■Book 200 - Pages of Enlightenment
■Written by Master Sheng-yen Lu
■Chapter thirty-seven
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wrote the word “equality” five times for the title of this chapter to sing the praise that Mahavairocana Tathagata is marvelous; Aksobhya Tathagata is marvelous; Ratnasambhava Tathagata is marvelous; Amitabha Tathagata is marvelous; and Amoghasiddhi Tathagata is marvelous. They are the embodiment of the five kinds of wisdoms: the Wisdom of Ultimate Reality, the Great Mirror-like Wisdom, the Wisdom of Equality in Nature, the Wisdom of Discerning Awareness, and the All-accomplishing Wisdom.
These five wisdoms represent five kinds of realizations: Purity, vajra, essence, dharma, and karma. The end results are the equality of the inconceivable purity; the equality of the inconceivable vajra; the equality of the inconceivable essence of doctrines; the equality of the inconceivable dharma; and the equality of the inconceivable karma.
All sentient beings possess the innate purity; all sentient beings are absolutely indestructible [vajra]; all sentient beings fully possess the essence of the same value; all sentient beings have equality in their intrinsic natures; and all sentient beings innately are one.
These are my realizations of purity, vajra, essence, dharma, and karma. In the end, all differentiations are innately without differentiation. This is the absolute realization.
I am reminded of the reason that Mahavairocana Tathagata formed the Supreme Wisdom Mudra. The Supreme Wisdom Mudra is formed by the right hand holding the left hand's index finger, with the right thumb on the top of the left index finger, joining the left and right hands together. This is mutual equality, equality, equality, equality, and equality. Having expressed it this way, I think that those students with great capacity should have grasped the meaning. Yet, the students with less capacity may still be confused.
Aye, how should I phrase this?
Everyone should carefully reflect on Zen Master Benkong's verse:
Heart is the body of innate nature,
Innate nature is the application of the heart.
Heart and innate nature are one and the same,
What difference is there between them?
Myriad external appearances obscured the origin,
Just too difficult for one to comprehend.
The past and present ordinary and noble beings,
Are no different than illusions and dreams.
I used the nature of the nose to guide a monk:
I asked the monk, “What is your nose for?”
He replied, “To smell.”
I inquired, “If you cover your nose, does the fragrance still exist?”
He replied, “I won't be able to smell it.”
I asked, “Does the fragrance still exist?”
He answered, “It is still there.”
I told him that it doesn't matter whether he has a nose or not, or whether he is able to smell or not, the fragrance is still there. If you have some realizations, please write an essay on the topic of “What is differentiation? What is non-differentiation?”
