Secondly, the essence of the Sutra –
All the Great Vehicle sutras take Absolute Reality as their essential nature. The nature of the Mind present in our very thought-moment is neither internal, external, nor in-between. It is neither past, present, nor future. It is neither blue, yellow, nor white. Nor is it long, short, square, or round. And nor is it scent, taste, tactile sensation, or mental object.
Though sought, it cannot be found, yet one cannot say it does not exist. It creates the hundred realms and thousand “suchnesses”, yet one cannot say it exists. It transcends all discursive thought, discrimination, language, and written symbols; yet discursive thought, discrimination, language, and symbols possess no self-nature apart from it.
In short, Absolute Reality is transcending all forms yet also embodying all phenomena. Because it transcends, it is formless; because it embodies, it is not without form. Thus, for lack of a better way to put it, it is called “Absolute Reality” (or True Reality, Real Mark, Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind …)
The essence of Absolute Reality is neither merely still nor merely alert; rather, it is both watchful stillness and quietful awareness. Provisionally, watchful stillness is termed the “Land of Eternal Quiescence and Light”, while quietful awareness is termed the “Pure Dharma Body”. Also, watchful stillness is called “Dharma Body”, and quietful awareness is called “Reward Body”. Again, the quiescence and awareness of inherent nature is “Dharma Body”, while the quiescence and awareness of cultivated virtue is “Reward Body”. Moreover, the watchful stillness of cultivated virtue is the “Body of Enjoyment” (Sambhogakaya), while the quietful awareness of cultivated virtue is the “Body of Manifestation” (Nirmanakaya).
In Absolute Reality, quietfulness and watchfulness are not two, body and land are not two, what is inherent and what is cultivated are not two, true essence and manifested form are not two – simply, everything is Absolute Reality. Absolute Reality is neither two nor not two.
Therefore, its entire essence acts as both our surrounding environment as well as our very body, as both the Dharma Body as well as the Reward Body, as both self as well as others. Thus, even the speaker and the spoken, the savior and the saved, the believer and the object of belief, the vower and the object of vow, the upholder and the object upheld, the ability to be born in the Pure Land and the birth itself, the ability to praise the Buddhas and the Buddhas who are praised – all bear the true seal of Absolute Reality. (Thus, the true essence of all the Great Vehicle scriptures is Absolute Reality itself.)
第二辨體。大乘經皆以實相為正體。吾人現前一念心性，不在內，不在外，不在中間。非過去，非現在，非未來。非青黃赤白，長短方圓。非香，非味，非觸，非法。覓之了不可得，而不可言其無。具造百界千如，而不可言其有。離一切緣慮分別，語言文字相。而緣慮分別，語言文字，非離此別有自性。要之離一切相，即一切法。離故無相，即故無不相，不得已強名實相。實相之體，非寂非照，而復寂而恒照，照而恒寂。照而寂，強名常寂光土。寂而照，強名清淨法身。又照寂強名法身，寂照強名報身。又性德寂照名法身，修德寂照名報身。又修德照寂名受用身，修德寂照名應化身。寂照不二，身土不二，性修不二，真應不二，無非實相。實相無二，亦無不二。是故舉體作依作正，作法作報，作自作他。乃至能說所說，能度所度，能信所信，能願所願，能持所持，能生所生，能讚所讚，無非實相正印之所印也。
