The Intermingling of the Primary Elements
“Purna, you have asked why the elements of water and fire do not overcome each other and how the elements of emptiness and earth can contain each other, given that the primary elements (water, fire, earth and wind) are intermingling with each other throughout the Dharma Realm while being incompatible with each other.
“Take for instance the space, Purna, the essential attribute of which is the absence of anything, yet it does not prevent everything from manifesting in it. The sky is bright when the sun is shining, and dark when clouds gather. It’s unsettled when there is wind, refreshed after rain, hazy in mist, obscure in dust-storm, and reflected when above clear water. Do you suppose such a variety of transient forms are created by the circumstances or do they come from space?
“If these phenomena arise from the circumstances, that the brightness of the sky – for example, is created by the sun, then we should see identical sunlight everywhere throughout the ten directions when the sun shines, instead of seeing the sun as a distinct round object in the sky. If, on the other hand, the brightness of the sky comes from space, then why the sky turns dark when there are clouds or fog? Therefore, we can say the brightness comes neither from space nor from the sun, yet it is no different from the sun and space.
“Looking into any form, we will find that fundamentally they are empty and cannot be pinpointed. Trying to inquire about their mutual hindrance is like expecting unreal flowers in the air to produce fruits.
“Looking into the nature of anything, however, we will find that it is essentially true Bodhi. Since the wondrous Bodhi Mind is fundamentally neither water nor fire, it’s nonsense to question whether Bodhi Mind is compatible with Bodhi Mind.
富樓那。又汝問言：地水火風，本性圓融，周遍法界。疑水火性不相陵滅。又徵虛空及諸大地，俱遍法界，不合相容。富樓那。譬如虛空，體非群相，而不拒彼諸相發揮。所以者何。富樓那。彼太虛空，日照則明，雲屯則暗，風搖則動，霽澄則清，氣凝則濁，土積成霾，水澄成映。於意云何。如是殊方諸有為相，為因彼生，為復空有。若彼所生。富樓那。且日照時，既是日明，十方世界同為日色，云何空中更見圓日。若是空明，空應自照云何中宵雲霧之時，不生光耀。當知是明，非日非空，不異空日。觀相元妄，無可指陳。猶邀空華，結為空果。云何詰其相陵滅義。觀性元真，唯妙覺明。妙覺明心，先非水火。云何復問不相容者。真妙覺明亦復如是。
“Within this emptiness and enlightenment, if you give rise to karmic illusion of any sort, it will manifest. Earth, water, fire, and wind, if you give rise to each of them separately, they will manifest separately. If you give rise to them at the same time, they will manifest at the same time. What does it mean by ‘at the same time’, Purna? For instance, two men walking in opposite directions can both see the sun reflected in water, even though there is just one sun in the sky and one person is going eastward while the other westward. Don’t ask how it is possible, for revolving in illusions only deepens your confusion – nothing about reality can be established from them.
“Purna, all phenomena in the Tathagata Store are ultimately false, but if you mistakenly think that form and emptiness are incompatible and cannot coexist, it will manifest this way throughout the Dharma Realm. Within it the wind is moving and emptiness is still, and the sun is bright while clouds are dark. Because of their ignorance, beings give rise to wearisome dualistic thoughts and dusty worldly views, hence the world of perceived objects and conditioned phenomena appears accordingly.
“The enlightened ones, on the other hand, only find the Matrix of the Buddha to be wondrous brightness that illumines throughout the entire Dharma Realm, for the Buddha Nature – which is never decreasing nor increasing, is one with the Tathagata Store. Within the union, one is infinitely all and all is one; small is great and great is identical with small. And the Bodhimanda is unmoving yet pervading the ten directions. The body as well contains the ten directions and infinite emptiness. On the tip of a hair you can find magnificent Buddha-lands. Seated in each dust mote, the Buddha turns the great Dharma Wheel. Because the enlightened ones are freed from delusions and united with enlightenment, so the ultimate suchness – this wonderfully bright Buddha Nature – manifests itself.
“This original Tathagata Store is the perfect Buddha Mind. It is not the ordinary worldly mind, neither is it space, earth, water, wind, or fire. It is not the eye-faculty, not the ear-faculty, not the nose-faculty, not the tongue-faculty, not the body-faculty, and not the cognition-faculty. Neither is it forms, nor sounds, nor smells, nor tastes, nor touches, and nor dharmas. It is not the eye-consciousness either, nor the mind-consciousness, nor any other consciousnesses.
“Neither is it understanding or ignorance, nor the ending of ignorance. It is not aging or death either, nor is it the ending of old age and death. It is not suffering, not the accumulated causes of suffering, not the ending of suffering, and not the path to the ending of suffering. Neither is it wisdom or the attainment of wisdom.
“And it is none of the six perfections (generosity, discipline, endurance, dedication, meditation, wisdom). It is not even the Buddhahood, the Arhathood, the One Universal and Truthful Wisdom. It is not Nirvana either, nor Eternity, nor Bliss, nor True Self, nor Purity. It is not anything else, be it worldly or world-transcending.
“To be none of the above is what the Matrix of the Buddha Mind is. It is the One Non-dualistic Mind that truly understands and inherently knows.
“Although it is not, at the same time it also is. The Buddha Mind is the distinction-making mind, it is emptiness, it is earth, it is water, it is wind, and it is fire. It is the eye-faculty, the ear-faculty, the nose-faculty, the tongue-faculty, the body-faculty, and the cognition-faculty.
“It is forms, it is sounds, it is odors, it is flavors, it is touches, and it is all dharmas. It is the eye-consciousness as well as the ear-consciousness, and all other consciousnesses. It is both enlightenment and ignorance, as well as the ending of ignorance. It is old age and death, as well as the ending of old age and death. It is suffering, the accumulation of the causes to suffering, the ending of suffering, and the path to the ending of suffering. It is both wisdom and attainment.
“It is all of the six perfections – generosity, discipline, endurance, dedication, meditation, and wisdom. It is everything, including the Buddhahood, the Arhathood, the Ultimate Realization. It is the great Nirvana, Eternity, Bliss, True Self, and Purity. It simply covers everything mundane and everything transcendent.
“To be all of the above is what the Matrix of the Buddha Mind is. It is the One All-inclusive Mind that truly understands and inherently knows. It is apart from ‘is’ or ‘is not’, yet meanwhile it also is and is not.
“How could worldly beings in the three realms of existence possibly fathom such supreme Bodhi of the Tathagata? Not even world-transcending Hearers of the Teaching or the Solitary Sages could understand, if they use the distinction-making mind to speculate or the worldly language to interpret.
“Although lutes, harps, and mandolins can generate nice sounds, without being played by skilled fingers it wouldn’t be truly affecting to you and all others. In the same way, all beings inherently have the perfect Buddha Mind. Follow my pointing finger, your Ocean Symbol will radiate, and you will attain the Samadhi State. Go with your own shifting mind though, even just for a mere moment, you’re instantly taken over by mundane concerns. It is simply because you are not diligent enough to pursue the Supreme Path but only fond of the Lesser Vehicle, and so you are stuck with little progress.”
汝以空明，則有空現。地水火風，各各發明，則各各現。若俱發明，則有俱現。云何俱現。富樓那。如一水中現於日影。兩人同觀水中之日，東西各行，則各有日隨二人去。一東一西，先無準的。不應難言，此日是一，云何各行。各日既雙，云何現一。宛轉虛妄，無可憑據。富樓那。汝以色空相傾相奪於如來藏。而如來藏隨為色空。周遍法界。是故於中，風動空澄，日明雲暗，眾生迷悶，背覺合塵，故發塵勞，有世間相。我以妙明不滅不生合如來藏。而如來藏唯妙覺明圓照法界。是故於中，一為無量，無量為一。小中現大，大中現小。不動道場，遍十方界。身含十方無盡虛空。於一毛端現寶王剎。坐微塵裏轉大法輪。滅塵合覺，故發真如妙覺明性。而如來藏本妙圓心。非心非空。非地非水。非風非火。非眼非耳鼻舌身意。非色非聲香味觸法。非眼識界，如是乃至非意識界。非明無明，明無明盡。如是乃至非老非死，非老死盡。非苦非集非滅非道。非智非得。非檀那，非尸羅，非毗梨耶，非羼提，非禪那，非般剌若，非波羅密多。如是乃至非怛闥阿竭，非阿羅訶，三耶三菩。非大涅槃。非常非樂非我非淨。以是俱非世出世故。即如來藏元明心妙。即心即空。即地即水。即風即火。即眼即耳鼻舌身意。即色即聲香味觸法。即眼識界，如是乃至即意識界。即明無明，明無明盡。如是乃至即老即死，即老死盡。即苦即集即滅即道。即智即得。即檀那，即尸羅，即毗梨耶，即羼提，即禪那，即般剌若，即波羅密多。如是乃至即怛闥阿竭，即阿羅訶，三耶三菩。即大涅槃。即常即樂即我即淨。以是俱即世出世故。即如來藏妙明心元，離即離非，是即非即。如何世間三有眾生，及出世間聲聞緣覺，以所知心測度如來無上菩提，用世語言入佛知見。譬如琴瑟箜篌琵琶，雖有妙音，若無妙指終不能發汝與眾生，亦復如是。寶覺真心各各圓滿。如我按指，海印發光。汝暫舉心，塵勞先起。由不勤求無上覺道，愛念小乘，得少為足。
Buddha Mind 