Foreword
To New Edition
The first, and apparently the only published translation into
English of the Sutra of Wei Lang (Hui Neng) was completed by the late Mr. Wong
Mou-Lam in 1930, and published in the form of a 4to paper-covered book by the
Yu Ching Press of Shanghai. Copies were imported to London a few dozen at a time
by the Buddhist Lodge, London (now the Buddhist Society, London), until 1939,
when the remaining stock was brought to England and soon sold out. The demand,
however, has persisted; hence this new edition.
Three courses were open to
the present publishers, to republish the translation as it stood, with all its
imperfections, to prepare an entirely new translation, with commentary, or to
'polish up' the existing version without in any way altering the sense. As the
first seemed undesirable, and the second impracticable at the present time, the
third course was adopted.
As Mr. Wong Mou-Lam has since passed away, to the
great loss of Western scholarship, it has been impossible to invoke his approval
of the revisions made in his text. I have therefore scrupulously avoided any re-writing
or even paraphrasing, and knowing how many users of the Sutra had learnt whole
passages of its somewhat quaint phraseology by heart, I have confined myself to
the minimum of alterations.
A few words were so obviously incorrect, due to
the translator's imperfect knowledge of English, that I have substituted others
which I am sure he would have approved. I have improved the punctuation, sequence
of tenses, and certain awkward or clumsy phrasing, in the course of which I noted
how the translator's grasp of English improved as the work went on.
It will
be noticed how Mr. Wong Mou-Lam assisted his readers to grasp the meaning of certain
key terms, such as Prajna, Samadhi and dhyana, without offering any single English
term as a final equivalent. Sometimes he gives the Sankrit word with one English
meaning after it in brackets; later he gives a different English word with the
Sankrit term in brackets after it. Thus the meaning of the word is built up in
the reader's mind in part at least of its manifold complexity. Later in the work
he tends to leave the word untranslated, as though satisfied that the student
had learnt what it meant in the original. It may be helpful to remind readers
that the Sankrit term, Dhyana, was corrupted in China into Ch'an, and in Japan
into Zen.
On the rare occasions on which the actual meaning of a passage was
in doubt I have compared it with the late Mr. Dwight Goddard's version, which
first appeared in A Buddhist Bible, published by him at Thetford, Vermont, U.S.A.,
in 1932. This edition was admittedly only 'based upon' the translation of Mr.
Wong Mou-Lam, and though it was meant to be 'more readable,' it varies at times
from the original meanings as well as form, to my mind without adequate reason.
I have nevertheless found this edition of occasional assitance, and have incorporated
Mr. Goddard's valuable note on page 92.
I have somewhat shortened the original
Preface of Mr. Dih Ping Tsze, the translator's patron and inspirer, but left in
most of his valuable footnotes.
Mr. Alan Watts, the author of the Spirit of
Zen, and other works on Zen Buddhism, has pressed for the adoption of the Sixth
Patriarch's name as Hui Neng, instead of Wei Lang. It is true that he is so referred
to by such authorities as Professor D. T. Suzuki, but most Western students already
know the work as the Sutra of Wei Lang, and the translator used this dialect rendering
throughout the work. I have therefore kept to the name best known to Western readers,
adding the alternative rendering for those who know him better as Hui Neng. In
Japan he is known as Eno, or Yeno. [*]
Several scholars having pointed out
that my reading of "Vehicle" for "Gem or Treasure" in the
original title of the Suta was due to a misprint in the word provided, I have
taken the first opportunity to restore the original translation. I have likewise,
at the suggestion of the late Mr. A. J. Hamester of the Hague, who worked on the
MS with the late Ven. Fa Fang in Ceylon, altered the transcription of various
Sanskrit terms to accord with modern usage, and corrected a number of minor mistakes.
For the rest, this unique work, 'the only Sutra spoken by a native of China,'
may be left to speak for itself in the form in which Mr. Wong Mou-Lam gave it
us. May it play its part in guiding Western thought and action into the Middle
Way which leads to peace and to the heart's enlightenment.
Christmas Humphreys
December, 1952.
[*] Note: In this electronic edition, the Chinese proper
names have been changed into Pinyin, the Chinese romanization system used universally.
Exceptions include the names of the translator and the commentator.
Preface
It has long been my desire to have this Sutra translated into a European language
so that the message of Zen may be transmitted to the West. The idea obsessed me
unremittingly for nearly thirty years, as I could not find a translator to undertake
the work until I met Mr. Wong last spring. In an ecstacy of joy, I invited him
to stay in my house to translate this Sutra into English. Working on and off,
it took him nearly a year and a half to complete the translation. My desire is
now fulfilled, and may it prove to be one of the happiest events during the period
of the past twelve hundred years.
Now, since an attempt has been made to disseminate
this Good Law to the West, I look forward to the day when Europe and America will
produce a type of Zen follower whose quick understanding and spontaneous realization
in the solution of the 'Ultimate Problem' will be far superior to our Eastern
brethren. Thinking that I have connected the most favourable link with the Occidentals,
my happiness is beyond measure.
Dih Ping Tsze
Shanghai, March, 1930.
Translator's
Preface
This is an English translation of the Sutra Spoken by the Sixth Patriarch
on the High Seat of the Treasure of the Law (Nanjio's Catalogue No. 1525) which
records the sermons and the sayings of Wei Lang (638-713), the most famous Dhyana
Master of the Tang Dynasty. It may be of interest to note that of all the Chinese
works which have been canonized in the Tripitaka, this standard work of the Dhyana
School is the only one that bears the designation of 'Sutra,' a designation which
is reserved for the sermons of Lord Buddha and those of great Bodhisattvas. Hence,
it is not without justification to call it, as some one does, 'the only Sutra
spoken by a native of China.'
As it takes a poet to translate Virgil, the
translator keenly realizes how incompetent he is in tackling this difficult task,
since neither his knowledge of Buddhism nor his linguistic attainment qualifies
him for the work. He reluctantly agreed, however, to bring out an English version
of this Sutra, when urged to do so by his teacher, who admits the incompetence
of his pupil but still insists that the translation should be done for the following
reasons :-
(1) That in training himself as a translator for Buddhist work
in the future, this is a good excercise.
(2) That the translation may receive
the benefit of correction and revision from the hands of those who have better
qualifications, but not enough time to do the complete work themselves.
(3)
That, with due allowance for mistranslation, the book may still be useful to those
who cannot read the original, but who had mastered it so well in their previous
lives that they only need a paragraph or two, nay even a word or two, to refreah
their memory in order to bring back the valuable knowledge that they have now
forgotten.
On this understanding alone the translator undertakes the work,
and the result of his feeble attempt is now put before the public for what it
is worth. As the book stands, the translator knows to his sorrow that the greater
part of it will be jargon to readers who have had no previous knowledge of the
Dhyana School. May the day come soon when either the translator himself or some
other full-fledged Dhyana Master will bring out a new translation with copious
notes and explanations, so that the Sutra may be readable by all.
It is from
Dr. Ting Fo Po's edition that this translation is made. To this learned gentleman,
whose commentaries the translator has made free use of, and to other friends who
have given him valuable advice and liberal support he wished to express his deepest
gratitude.
"Pupil-Translator"
[Wong Mou-Lam]
Shanghai, November
21st, 1929
SUTRA SPOKEN BY
THE SIXTH PATRIARCH ON THE HIGH SEAT OF
"THE TREASURE OF THE LAW"
Chapter I. Autobiography
Once,
when the Patriarch had arrived at Bao Lin Monastery, Prefect Wei of Shao Zhou
and other officials went there to ask him to deliver public lectures on Buddhism
in the hall of Ta Fan Temple in the City (of Guangzhou).
In due course, there
were assembled (in the lecture hall) Prefect Wei, government officials and Confucian
scholars, about thirty each, and bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, Taoists and laymen, to
the number of about one thousand. After the Patriarch had taken his seat, the
congregation in a body paid him homage and asked him to preach on the fundamental
laws of Buddhism. Whereupon, His Holiness delivered the following address:--
Learned
Audience, our Essence of Mind (literally, self-nature) which is the seed or kernel
of enlightenment (Bodhi) is pure by nature, and by making use of this mind alone
we can reach Buddhahood directly. Now let me tell you something about my own life
and how I came into possession of the esoteric teaching of the Dhyana (or the
Zen) School.
My father, a native of Fan Yang, was dismissed from his official
post and banished to be a commoner in Xin Zhou in Guangdong. I was unlucky in
that my father died when I was very young, leaving my mother poor and miserable.
We moved to Guangzhou (Canton) and were then in very bad circumstances.
I
was selling firewood in the market one day, when one of my customers ordered some
to be brought to his shop. Upon delivery being made and payment received, I left
the shop, outside of which I found a man reciting a sutra. As soon as I heard
the text of this sutra my mind at once became enlightened. Thereupon I asked the
man the name of the book he was reciting and was told that it was the Diamond
Sutra (Vajracchedika or Diamond Cutter). I further enquired whence he came and
why he recited this particular sutra. He replied that he came from Dong Shan Monastery
in the Huang Mei District of Qi Zhou; that the Abbot in charge of this temple
was Hong Ren, the Fifth Patriarch; that there were about one thousand disciples
under him; and that when he went there to pay homage to the Patriarch, he attended
lectures on this sutra. He further told me that His Holiness used to encourage
the laity as well as the monks to recite this scripture, as by doing so they might
realize their own Essence of Mind, and thereby reach Buddhahood directly.
It
must be due to my good karma in past lives that I heard about this, and that I
was given ten taels for the maintenance of my mother by a man who advised me to
go to Huang Mei to interview the Fifth Patriarch. After arrangements had been
made for her, I left for Huang Mei, which took me less than thirty days to reach.
I then went to pay homage to the Patriarch, and was asked where I came from
and what I expected to get from him. I replied, "I am a commoner from Xin
Zhou of Guangdong. I have travelled far to pay you respect and I ask for nothing
but Buddhahood." "You are a native of Guangdong, a barbarian? How can
you expect to be a Buddha?" asked the Patriarch. I replied, "Although
there are northern men and southern men, north and south make no difference to
their Buddha-nature. A barbarian is different from Your Holiness physically, but
there is no difference in our Buddha-nature." He was going to speak further
to me, but the presence of other disciples made him stop short. He then ordered
me to join the crowd to work.
"May I tell Your Holiness," said I,
"that Prajna (transcendental Wisdom) often rises in my mind. When one does
not go astray from one's own Essence of Mind, one may be called the 'field of
merits'. I do not know what work Your Holiness would ask me to do."
"This
barbarian is too bright," he remarked. "Go to the stable and speak no
more." I then withdrew myself to the back yard and was told by a lay brother
to split firewood and to pound rice.
More than eight months after, the Patriarch
saw me one day and said, "I know your knowledge of Buddhism is very sound;
but I have to refrain from speaking to you lest evil doers should do you harm.
Do you understand?" "Yes, Sir, I do," I replied. "To avoid
people taking notice of me, I dare not go near your hall."
The Patriarch
one day assembled all his disciples and said to them, "The question of incessant
rebirth is a momentous one. Day after day, instead of trying to free yourselves
from this bitter sea of life and death, you seem to go after tainted merits only
(i.e. merits which will cause rebirth). Yet merits will be of no help, if your
Essence of Mind is obscured. Go and seek for Prajna (wisdom) in your own mind
and then write me a stanza (gatha) about it. He who understands what the Essence
of Mind is will be given the robe (the insignia of the Patriarchate) and the Dharma
(i.e. the esoteric teaching of the Dhyana school), and I shall make him the Sixth
Patriarch. Go away quickly. Delay not in writing the stanza, as deliberation is
quite unnecessary and of no use. The man who has realized the Essence of Mind
can speak of it at once, as soon as he is spoken to about it; and he cannot lose
sight of it, even when engaged in battle."
Having received this instruction,
the disciples withdrew and said to one another, "It is of no use for us to
concentrate our mind to write the stanza and submit it to His Holiness, since
the Patriarchate is bound to be won by Shen Xiu, our instructor. And if we write
perfunctorily, it will only be a waste of energy." Upon hearing this all
of them made up their minds not to write and said, "Why should we take the
trouble? Hereafter, we will simply follow our instructor, Shen Xiu, wherever he
goes, and look to him for guidance."
Meanwhile, Shen Xiu reasoned thus
with himself. "Considering that I am their teacher, none of them will take
part in the competition. I wonder whether I should write a stanza and submit it
to His Holiness. If I do not, how can the Patriarch know how deep or superficial
my knowledge is? If my object is to get the Dharma, my motive is a pure one. If
I were after the Patriarchate, then it would be bad. In that case, my mind would
be that of a worldling and my action would amount to robbing the Patriarch's holy
seat. But if I do not submit the stanza, I shall never have a chance of getting
the Dharma. A very difficult point to decide, indeed!"
In front of the
Patriarch's hall there were three corridors, the walls of which were to be painted
by a court artist, named Lu Zhen, with pictures from the Lankavatara (Sutra) depicting
the transfiguration of the assembly, and with scenes showing the genealogy of
the five Patriarchs for the information and veneration of the public.
When
Shen Xiu had composed his stanza he made several attempts to submit it to the
Patriarch; but as soon as he went near the hall his mind was so perturbed that
he sweated all over. He could not screw up courage to submit it, although in the
course of four days he made altogether thirteen attempts to do so.
Then he
suggested to himself, "It would be better for me to write it on the wall
of the corridor and let the Patriarch see it for himself. If he approves it, I
shall come out to pay homage, and tell him that it is done by me; but if he disapproves
it, then I shall have wasted several years in this mountain in receiving homage
from others which I by no means deserve! In that case, what progress have I made
in learning Buddhism?"
At 12 o'clock that night he went secretly with
a lamp to write the stanza on the wall of the south corridor, so that the Patriarch
might know what spiritual insight he had attained. The stanza read:
Our body
is the Bodhi-tree,
And our mind a mirror bright.
Carefully we wipe them
hour by hour,
And let no dust alight.
As soon as he had written it he left
at once for his room; so nobody knew what he had done. In his room he again pondered:
"When the Patriarch sees my stanza tomorrow and is pleased with it, I shall
be ready for the Dharma; but if he says that it is badly done, it will mean that
I am unfit for the Dharma, owing to the misdeeds in previous lives which thickly
becloud my mind. It is difficult to know what the Patriarch will say about it!"
In this vein he kept on thinking until dawn, as he could neither sleep nor sit
at ease.
But the Patriarch knew already that Shen Xiu had not entered the
door of enlightenment, and that he had not known the Essence of Mind.
In the
morning, he sent for Mr. Lu, the court artist, and went with him to the south
corridor to have the walls there painted with pictures. By chance, he saw the
stanza. "I am sorry to have troubled you to come so far," he said to
the artist. "The walls need not be painted now, as the Sutra says, 'All forms
or phenomena are transient and illusive.' It will be better to leave the stanza
here, so that people may study it and recite it. If they put its teaching into
actual practice, they will be saved from the misery of being born in these evil
realms of existence (gatis). The merit gained by one who practices it will be
great indeed!"
He then ordered incense to be burnt, and all his disciples
to pay homage to it and to recite it, so that they might realize the Essence of
Mind. After they had recited it, all of them exclaimed, "Well done!"
At midnight, the Patriarch sent for Shen Xiu to come to the hall, and asked
him whether the stanza was written by him or not. "It was, Sir," replied
Shen Xiu. "I dare not be so vain as to expect to get the Patriarchate, but
I wish Your Holiness would kindly tell me whether my stanza shows the least grain
of wisdom."
"Your stanza," replied the Patriarch, "shows
that you have not yet realized the Essence of Mind. So far you have reached the
'door of enlightenment', but you have not yet entered it. To seek for supreme
enlightenment with such an understanding as yours can hardly be successful.
"To
attain supreme enlightenment, one must be able to know spontaneously one's own
nature or Essence of Mind, which is neither created nor can it be annihilated.
From ksana to ksana (thought-moment to thought-moment), one should be able to
realize the Essence of Mind all the time. All things will then be free from restraint
(i.e., emancipated). Once the Tathata (Suchness, another name for the Essence
of Mind) is known, one will be free from delusion forever; and in all circumstances
one's mind will be in a state of 'Thusness'. Such a state of mind is absolute
Truth. If you can see things in such a frame of mind you will have known the Essence
of Mind, which is supreme enlightenment.
"You had better go back to think
it over again for couple of days, and then submit me another stanza. If your stanza
shows that you have entered the 'door of enlightenment', I will transmit you the
robe and the Dharma."
Shen Xiu made obeisance to the Patriarch and left.
For several days, he tried in vain to write another stanza. This upset his mind
so much that he was as ill at ease as if he were in a nightmare, and he could
find comfort neither in sitting nor in walking.
Two days after, it happened
that a young boy who was passing by the room where I was pounding rice recited
loudly the stanza written by Shen Xiu. As soon as I heard it, I knew at once that
the composer of it has not yet realized the Essence of Mind. For although I had
not been taught about it at that time, I already had a general idea of it.
"What
stanza is this?" I asked the boy. "You barbarian," he replied,
"don't you know about it? The Patriarch told his disciples that the question
of incessant rebirth was a momentous one, that those who wished to inherit his
robe and Dharma should write him a stanza, and that the one who had an understanding
of the Essence of Mind would get them and be made the sixth Patriarch. Elder Shen
Xiu wrote this 'Formless' Stanza on the wall of the south corridor and the Patriarch
told us to recite it. He also said that those who put its teaching into actual
practice would attain great merit, and be saved from the misery of being born
in the evil realms of existence."
I told the boy that I wished to recite
the stanza too, so that I might have an affinity with its teaching in future life.
I also told him that although I had been pounding rice there for eight months
I had never been to the hall, and that he would have to show me where the stanza
was to enable me to make obeisance to it.
The boy took me there and I asked
him to read it to me, as I am illiterate. A petty officer of the Jiang Zhou District
named Zhang Ri Yong, who happened to be there, read it out to me. When he had
finished reading I told him that I also had composed a stanza and asked him to
write it for me. "Extraordinary indeed," he exclaimed, "that you
also can compose a stanza!"
"Don't despise a beginner," said
I, "if you are a seeker of supreme enlightenment. You should know that the
lowest class may have the sharpest wit, while the highest may be in want of intelligence.
If you slight others, you commit a very great sin."
"Dictate your
stanza," said he. "I will take it down for you. But do not forget to
deliver me, should you succeed in getting the Dharma!" My stanza read:--
There is no Bodhi-tree,
Nor stand of a mirror bright.
Since all is
void,
Where can the dust alight?
When he had written this, all disciples
and others who were present were greatly surprised. Filled with admiration, they
said to one another, "How wonderful! No doubt we should not judge people
by appearance. How can it be that for so long we have made a Bodhisattva incarnate
work for us?"
Seeing that the crowd was overwhelmed with amazement, the
Patriarch rubbed off the stanza with his shoe, lest jealous ones should do me
injury. He expressed the opinion, which they took for granted, that the author
of this stanza had also not yet realized the Essence of Mind.
Next day the
Patriarch came secretly to the room where the rice was pounded. Seeing that I
was working there with a stone pestle, he said to me, "A seeker of the Path
risks his life for the Dharma. Should he not do so?" Then he asked, "Is
the rice ready?" "Ready long ago," I replied, "only waiting
for the sieve." He knocked the mortar thrice with his stick and left.
Knowing
what his message meant, in the third watch of the night I went to his room. Using
the robe as a screen so that none could see us, he expounded the Diamond Sutra
to me. When he came to the sentence, "One should use one's mind in such a
way that it will be free from any attachment,"[1] I at once became thoroughly
enlightened, and realized that all things in the universe are the Essence of Mind
itself.
"Who would have thought," I said to the Patriarch, "that
the Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure! Who would have thought that the Essence
of Mind is intrinsically free from becoming or annihilation! Who would have thought
that the Essence of Mind is intrinsically self-sufficient! Who would have thought
that the Essence of Mind is intrinsically free from change! Who would have thought
that all things are the manifestation of the Essence of Mind!"
Knowing
that I had realized the Essence of Mind, the Patriarch said, "For him who
does not know his own mind there is no use learning Buddhism. On the other hand,
if he knows his own mind and sees intuitively his own nature, he is a Hero, a
'Teacher of gods and men', 'Buddha'."
Thus, to the knowledge of no one,
the Dharma was transmitted to me at midnight, and consequently I became the inheritor
of the teaching of the 'Sudden' School as well as of the robe and the begging
bowl.
"You are now the Sixth Patriarch," said he. "Take good
care of yourself, and deliver as many sentient beings as possible. Spread and
preserve the teaching, and don't let it come to an end. Take note of my stanza:--
Sentient beings who sow the seeds of enlightenment
In the field of Causation
will reap the fruit of Buddhahood.
Inanimate objects void of Buddha-nature
Sow not and reap not.
He further said, "When the Patriarch Bodhidharma
first came to China, most Chinese had no confidence in him, and so this robe was
handed down as a testimony from one Patriarch to another. As to the Dharma, this
is transmitted from heart to heart, and the recipient must realize it by his own
efforts. From time immemorial it has been the practice for one Buddha to pass
to his successor the quintessence of the Dharma, and for one Patriarch to transmit
to another the esoteric teaching from heart to heart. As the robe may give cause
for dispute, you are the last one to inherit it. Should you hand it down to your
successor, your life would be in imminent danger. Now leave this place as quickly
as you can, lest someone should do you harm."
"Whither should I
go?" I asked. "At Huai you stop and at Hui you seclude yourself,"
he replied.
Upon receiving the robe and the begging bowl in the middle of
the night, I told the Patriarch that, being a Southerner, I did not know the mountain
tracks, and that it was impossible for me to get to the mouth of the river (to
catch a boat). "You need not worry," said he. "I will go with you."
He then accompanied me to Jiu Jiang, and there ordered me into a boat. As
he did the rowing himself, I asked him to sit down and let me handle the oar.
"It is only right for me to carry you across," he said (an allusion
to the sea of birth and death which one has to go across before the shore of Nirvana
can be reached). To this I replied, "While I am under illusion, it is for
you to get me across; but after enlightenment, I should cross it by myself. (Although
the term 'to go across' is the same, it is used differently in each case). As
I happen to be born on the frontier, even my speaking is incorrect in pronunciation,
(but in spite of this) I have had the honor to inherit the Dharma from you. Since
I am now enlightened, it is only right for me to cross the sea of birth and death
myself by realizing my own Essence of Mind."
"Quite so, quite so,"
he agreed. "Beginning from you, Buddhism (meaning the Dhyana School) will
become very popular. Three years after your departure from me I shall leave this
world. You may start on your journey now. Go as fast as you can towards the South.
Do not preach too soon, as Buddhism (of the Dhyana School) is not so easily spread."
After saying good-bye, I left him and walked towards the South. In about two
months' time, I reached the Ta Yu Mountain. There I noticed that several hundred
men were in pursuit of me with the intention of robbing me of my robe and begging
bowl.
Among them there was a monk named Hui Ming, whose lay surname was Chen.
He was a general of the fourth rank in lay life. His manner was rough and his
temper hot. Of all the pursuers, he was the most vigilant in search of me. When
he was about to overtake me, I threw the robe and begging bowl on a rock, saying,
"This robe is nothing but a symbol. What is the use of taking it away by
force?" (I then hid myself). When he got to the rock, he tried to pick them
up, but found he could not. Then he shouted out, "Lay Brother, Lay Brother,
(for the Patriarch had not yet formally joined the Order) I come for the Dharma,
not for the robe."
Whereupon I came out from my hiding place and squatted
on the rock. He made obeisance and said, "Lay Brother, preach to me, please."
"Since the object of your coming is the Dharma," said I, "refrain
from thinking of anything and keep your mind blank. I will then teach you."
When he had done this for a considerable time, I said, "When you are thinking
of neither good nor evil, what is at that particular moment, Venerable Sir, your
real nature (literally, original face)?"
As soon as he heard this he
at once became enlightened. But he further asked, "Apart from those esoteric
sayings and esoteric ideas handed down by the Patriarch from generation to generation,
are there any other esoteric teachings?" "What I can tell you is not
esoteric," I replied. "If you turn your light inwardly,[2] you will
find what is esoteric within you."
"In spite of my staying in Huang
Mei," said he, "I did not realize my self-nature. Now thanks to your
guidance, I know it as a water-drinker knows how hot or how cold the water is.
Lay Brother, you are now my teacher."
I replied, "If that is so,
then you and I are fellow disciples of the Fifth Patriarch. Take good care of
yourself."
In answering his question whither he should go thereafter,
I told him to stop at Yuan and to take up his abode in Meng. He paid homage and
departed.
Sometime after I reached Cao Xi. There the evil-doers again persecuted
me and I had to take refuge in Si Hui, where I stayed with a party of hunters
for a period as long as fifteen years.
Occasionally I preached to them in
a way that befitted their understanding. They used to put me to watch their nets,
but whenever I found living creatures therein I set them free. At meal times I
put vegetables in the pan in which they cooked their meat. Some of them questioned
me, and I explained to them that I would eat the vegetables only, after they had
been cooked with the meat.
One day I bethought myself that I ought not to
pass a secluded life all the time, and that it was high time for me to propagate
the Law. Accordingly I left there and went to the Fa Xing Temple in Canton.
At
that time Bhikkhu Yin Zung, Master of the Dharma, was lecturing on the Maha Parinirvana
Sutra in the Temple. It happened that one day, when a pennant was blown about
by the wind, two Bhikkhus entered into a dispute as to what it was that was in
motion, the wind or the pennant. As they could not settle their difference I submitted
to them that it was neither, and that what actually moved was their own mind.
The whole assembly was startled by what I said, and Bhikkhu Yin Zung invited me
to take a seat of honor and questioned me about various knotty points in the Sutras.
Seeing that my answers were precise and accurate, and that they showed something
more than book-knowledge, he said to me, "Lay Brother, you must be an extraordinary
man, I was told long ago that the inheritor of the Fifth Patriarch's robe and
Dharma had come to the South. Very likely you are the man."
To this I
politely assented. He immediately made obeisance and asked me to show the assembly
the robe and the begging bowl which I had inherited.
He further asked what
instructions I had when the Fifth Patriarch transmitted me the Dharma. "Apart
from a discussion on the realization of the Essence of Mind," I replied,
"he gave me no other instruction, nor did he refer to Dhyana and Emancipation."
"Why not?" he asked. "Because that would mean two ways," I
replied. "And there cannot be two ways in Buddhism. There is one way only."
He asked what was the only way. I replied, "The Maha Parinirvana Sutra
which you expound explains that Buddha-nature is the only way. For example, in
the Sutra Gao Gui De Wang, a Bodhisattva, asked Buddha whether or not those who
commit the four paragika (acts of gross misconduct), or the five deadly sins,
[3] and those who are icchantika (heretics) etc., would eradicate their 'element
of goodness' and their Buddha-nature. Buddha replied, 'There are two kinds of
'element of goodness', the eternal and the non-eternal. Since Buddha-nature is
neither eternal nor non-eternal, therefore their 'element of goodness' is not
eradicated. Now Buddhism is known as having no two ways. There are good ways and
evil ways, but since Buddha-nature is neither, therefore Buddhism is known as
having no two ways. From the point of view of ordinary folks, the component parts
of a personality (skandhas) and factors of consciousness (Dhatus) are two separate
things; but enlightened men understand that they are not dual in nature. Buddha-nature
is non-duality."
Bhikkhu Yin Zung was highly pleased with my answer.
Putting his two palms together as a sign of respect, he said, "My interpretation
of the Sutra is as worthless as a heap of debris, while your discourse is as valuable
as genuine gold." Subsequently he conducted the ceremony of hair-cutting
for me (i.e., the ceremony of Initiation into the Order) and asked me to accept
him as my pupil.
Thenceforth, under the Bodhi-tree I preached the teaching
of the Dong Shan School (the School of the Fourth and the Fifth Patriarchs, who
lived in Tung Shan).
Since the time when the Dharma was transmitted to me
in Dong Shan, I have gone through many hardships and my life often seemed to be
hanging by a thread. Today, I have had the honor of meeting you in this assembly,
and I must ascribe this to our good connection in previous kalpas (cyclic periods),
as well as to our common accumulated merits in making offerings to various Buddhas
in our past incarnations; otherwise, we should have had no chance of hearing the
above teaching of the 'Sudden' School, and thereby laying the foundation of our
future success in understanding the Dharma.
This teaching was handed down
from the past Patriarchs, and it is not a system of my own invention. Those who
wish to hear the teaching should first purify their own mind, and after hearing
it they should each clear up their own doubts in the same way as the Sages did
in the past."
At the end of the address, the assembly felt rejoiced,
made obeisance and departed.
Chapter
II. On Prajna
Next day Prefect Wei asked the Patriarch to give another address.
Thereupon, having taken his seat and asked the assembly to purify their mind collectively,
and to recite the 'Maha Prajnaparamita' Sutra, he gave the
following address:
--
Learned Audience, the Wisdom of Enlightenment is inherent in every one
of us. It is because of the delusion under which our mind works that we fail to
realize it ourselves, and that we have to seek the advice and the guidance of
enlightened ones before we can know our own Essence of Mind. You should know that
so far as Buddha-nature is concerned, there is no difference between an enlightened
man and an ignorant one. What makes the difference is that one realizes it, while
the other is ignorant of it. Now, let me talk to you about Maha Prajnaparamita,
so that each of you can attain wisdom.
Learned Audience, those who recite
the word 'Prajna' the whole day long do not seem to know that Prajna is inherent
in their own nature. But mere talking on food will not appease hunger, and this
is exactly the case with these people. We might talk on Sunyata (the Void) for
myriads of kalpas, but talking alone will not enable us to realize the Essence
of Mind, and it serves no purpose in the end.
The word 'Mahaprajnaparamita'
is Sanskrit, and means 'great wisdom to reach the opposite shore' (of the sea
of existence). What we have to do is to put it into practice with our mind; whether
we recite it or not does not matter. Mere reciting it without mental practice
may be likened to a phantasm, a magical delusion, a flash of lightning or a dewdrop.
On the other hand, if we do both, then our mind will be in accord with what we
repeat orally. Our very nature is Buddha, and apart from this nature there is
no other Buddha.
What is Maha? It means 'Great'. The capacity of the mind
is as great as that of space. It is infinite, neither round nor square, neither
great nor small, neither green nor yellow, neither red nor white, neither above
nor below, neither long nor short, neither angry nor happy, neither right nor
wrong, neither good nor evil, neither first nor last. All Buddha Ksetras (lands)
are as void as space. Intrinsically our transcendental nature is void and not
a single Dharma can be attained. It is the same with the Essence of Mind, which
is a state of 'Absolute Void' (i.e., the voidness of non-void).
Learned Audience,
when you hear me talk about the Void, do not at once fall into the idea of vacuity,
(because this involves the heresy of the doctrine of annihilation). It is of the
utmost importance that we should not fall into this idea, because when a man sits
quietly and keeps his mind blank he will abide in a state of 'Voidness of Indifference'.
Learned Audience, the illimitable Void of the universe is capable of holding
myriads of things of various shape and form, such as the sun, the moon, stars,
mountains, rivers, men, Dharmas pertaining to goodness or badness, deva planes,
hells, great oceans, and all the mountains of the Mahameru. Space takes in all
of these, and so does the voidness of our nature. We say that the Essence of Mind
is great because it embraces all things, since all things are within our nature.
When we see the goodness or the badness of other people we are not attracted by
it, nor repelled by it, nor attached to it; so that our attitude of mind is as
void as space. In this way, we say our mind is great. Therefore we call it 'Maha'.
Learned Audience, what the ignorant merely talk about, wise men put into actual
practice with their mind. There is also a class of foolish people who sit quietly
and try to keep their mind blank. They refrain from thinking of anything and call
themselves 'great'. On account of their heretical view we can hardly talk to them.
Learned Audience, you should know that the mind is very great in capacity,
since it pervades the whole Dharmadhatu (the sphere of the Law, i.e.,the Universe).
When we use it, we can know something of everything, and when we use it to its
full capacity we shall know all. All in one and one in all. When our mind works
without hindrance, and is at liberty to 'come' or to 'go', then it is in a state
of 'Prajna'.
Learned Audience, all Prajna comes from the Essence of Mind and
not from an exterior source. Have no mistaken notion about that. This is called
'Self-use of the True Nature'. Once the Tathata (Suchness, the Essence of Mind)
is known, one will be free from delusion forever.
Since the scope of the mind
is for great objects, we should not practice such trivial acts (as sitting quietly
with a blank mind). Do not talk about the 'Void' all day without practicing it
in the mind. One who does this may be likened to a self-styled king who is really
a commoner. Prajna can never be attained in this way, and those who behave like
this are
not my disciples.
Learned Audience, what is Prajna? It means
'Wisdom'. If at all times and at all places we steadily keep our thought free
from foolish desire, and act wisely on all occasions, then we are practicing Prajna.
One foolish notion is enough to shut off Prajna, while one wise thought will bring
it forth again. People in ignorance or under delusion do not see it; they talk
about it with their tongues, but in their mind they remain ignorant. They are
always saying that they practice Prajna, and they talk incessantly on 'Vacuity';
but they do not know the 'Absolute Void'. 'The Heart of Wisdom' is Prajna, which
has neither form nor characteristic. If we interpret it in this way, then indeed
it is the wisdom of Prajna.
What is Paramita? It is a Sanskrit word, meaning
'to the opposite shore'. Figuratively, it means 'above existence and non-existence'.
By clinging to sense objects, existence or non-existence arises like the up and
down of the billowy sea, and such a state is called metaphorically 'this shore';
while by non-attachment a state above existence and non-existence, like smoothly
running water is attained, and this is called 'the opposite shore'. This is why
it is called 'Paramita'.
Learned Audience, people under illusion recite the
'Mahaprajnaparamita' with their tongues, and while they are reciting it, erroneous
and evil thoughts arise. But if they put it into practice unremittingly, they
realize its 'true nature'. To know this Dharma is to know the Dharma of Prajna,
and to practice this is to practice Prajna. He who does not practice it is an
ordinary man. He who directs his mind to practice it even for one moment is
the equal of Buddha.
For ordinary man is Buddha, and Klesa (defilement) is
Bodhi (enlightenment). A foolish passing thought makes one an ordinary man, while
an enlightened second thought makes one a Buddha. A passing thought that clings
to sense-objects is Klesa, while a second thought that frees one from attachment
is Bodhi.
Learned Audience, the Mahaprajnaparamita is the most exalted, the
supreme, and the foremost. It neither stays, nor goes, nor comes. By means of
it Buddhas of the present, the past, and the future generations attain Buddhahood.
We should use this great wisdom to break up the five Skandhas [1] for to follow
such practice ensures the attainment of Buddhahood. The three poisonous elements
(greed, hatred and illusion) will then be turned into Sila (good conduct), Samadhi
and Prajna.
Learned Audience, in this system of mine one Prajna produces eight-four
thousand ways of wisdom, since there are that number of 'defilements' for us to
cope with; but when one is free from defilements, wisdom reveals itself, and will
not be separated from the Essence of Mind. Those who understand this Dharma will
be free from idle thoughts. To be free from being infatuated by one particular
thought, from clinging to desire, and from falsehood; to put one's own essence
of Tathata into operation; to use Prajna for contemplation, and to take an attitude
of neither indifference nor attachment towards all things - this is what is meant
by realizing one's own Essence of Mind for the attainment of Buddhahood.
Learned
Audience, if you wish to penetrate the deepest mystery of the Dharmadhatu and
the Samadhi of Prajna, you should practice Prajna by reciting and studying the
Vajracchedika (The Diamond) Sutra, which will enable you to realize the Essence
of Mind. You should know that the merit for studying this Sutra, as distinctly
set forth in the text, is immeasurable and illimitable, and cannot be enumerated
in details. This Sutra belongs to the highest School of Buddhism, and the Lord
Buddha delivered it specially for the very wise and quick-witted. If the less
wise and the slow-witted should hear about it they would doubt its credibility.
Why? For example, if it rained in Jambudvipa (the Southern Continent), through
the miracle of the celestial Naga, cities, towns, and villages would drift about
in the flood as if they were only leaves of the date tree. But should it rain
in the great ocean the level of the sea as a whole would not be affected by it.
When Mahayanists hear about the Vajracchedika their minds become enlightened;
they know that Prajna is immanent in their Essence of Mind and that they need
not rely on scriptural authority, since they can make use of their own wisdom
by constant practice of contemplation.
The Prajna immanent in the Essence
of Mind of every one may be likened to the rain, the moisture of which refreshes
every living thing, trees and plants as well as sentient beings. When rivers and
streams reach the sea, the water carried by them merges into one body; this is
another analogy. Learned Audience, when rain comes in a deluge, plants which are
not deep-rooted are washed away, and eventually they succumb. This is the case
with the slow-witted, when they hear about the teaching of the 'Sudden' School.
The Prajna immanent in them is exactly the same as that in the very wise man,
but they fail to enlighten themselves when the Dharma is made known to them. Why?
Because they are thickly veiled by erroneous views and deep-rooted defilements,
in the same way as the sun may be thickly veiled by a cloud and unable to show
his light until the wind blows the cloud away.
Prajna does not vary with different
persons; what makes the difference is whether one's mind is enlightened or deluded.
He who does not know his own Essence of Mind, and is under the delusion that Buddhahood
can be attained by outward religious rites is called the slow-witted. He who knows
the teaching of the 'Sudden' School and attaches no importance to rituals, and
whose mind functions always under right views, so that he is absolutely free from
defilements or contaminations, is said to have known his Essence of Mind.
Learned
Audience, the mind should be framed in such a way that it will be independent
of external or internal objects, at liberty to come or go, free from attachment
and thoroughly enlightened without the least beclouding. He who is able to do
this is of the same standard required by the Sutras of the Prajna School.
Learned
Audience, all Sutras and Scriptures of the Mahayana and Hinayana Schools, as well
as the twelve sections of the canonical writings, were provided to suit the different
needs and temperaments of various people. It is upon the principle that Prajna
is latent in every man that the doctrines expounded in these books are established.
If there were no human beings, there would be no Dharmas; hence we know that all
Dharmas are made for men, and that all Sutras owe their existence to the preachers.
Since some men are wise, the so-called superior men, and some are ignorant, the
so-called inferior men, the wise preach to the ignorant when the latter ask them
to do so. Through this the ignorant may attain sudden enlightenment, and their
mind thereby becomes illuminated. Then they are no longer different from the wise
men.
Learned Audience, without enlightenment there would be no difference
between a Buddha and other living beings; while a gleam of enlightenment is enough
to make any living being the equal of a Buddha. Since all Dharmas are immanent
in our mind there is no reason why we should not realize intuitively the real
nature of Tathata (Suchness). The Bodhisattva Sila Sutra says, "Our Essence
of Mind is intrinsically pure, and if we knew our mind and realized what our nature
is, all of us would attain Buddhahood." As the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra
says, "At once they become enlightened and regain their own mind."
Learned
Audience, when the Fifth Patriarch preached to me I became enlightened immediately
after he had spoken, and spontaneously realized the real nature of Tathata. For
this reason it is my particular object to propagate the teaching of this 'Sudden'
School, so that learners may find Bodhi at once and realize their true nature
by introspection of mind.
Should they fail to enlighten themselves, they should
ask the pious and learned Buddhists who understand the teaching of the Highest
School to show them the right way. It is an exalted position, the office of a
pious and learned Buddhist who guides others to realize the Essence of Mind. Through
his assistance one may be initiated into all meritorious Dharmas. The wisdom of
the past, the present and the future Buddhas as well as the teachings of the twelve
sections of the Canon are immanent in our mind; but in case we fail to enlighten
ourselves, we have to seek the guidance of the pious and learned ones. On the
other hand, those who enlighten themselves need no extraneous help. It is wrong
to insist upon the idea that without the advice of the pious and learned we cannot
obtain liberation. Why? Because it is by our innate wisdom that we enlighten ourselves,
and even the extraneous help and instructions of a pious and learned friend would
be of no use if we were deluded by false doctrines and erroneous views. Should
we introspect our mind with real Prajna, all erroneous views would be vanquished
in a moment, and as soon as we know the Essence of Mind we arrive immediately
at the Buddha stage.
Learned Audience, when we use Prajna for introspection
we are illumined within and without, and in a position to know our own mind. To
know our mind is to obtain liberation. To obtain liberation is to attain Samadhi
of Prajna, which is 'thoughtlessness'. What is 'thoughtlessness'? 'Thoughtlessness'
is to see and to know all Dharmas (things) with a mind free from attachment. When
in use it pervades everywhere, and yet it sticks nowhere. What we have to do is
to purify our mind so that the six Vijnanas (aspects of consciousness), in passing
through the six gates (sense organs) will neither be defiled by nor attached to
the six sense-objects. When our mind works freely without any hindrance, and is
at liberty to 'come' or to 'go', we attain Samadhi of Prajna, or liberation. Such
a state is called the function of 'thoughtlessness'. But to refrain from thinking
of anything, so that all thoughts are suppressed, is to be Dharma-ridden, and
this is an erroneous view.
Learned Audience, those who understand the way
of 'thoughtlessness' will know everything, will have the experience all Buddhas
have had, and attain Buddhahood. In the future, if an initiate of my School should
make a vow in company with his fellow-disciples to devote his whole life without
retrogression to the practice of the teachings of this 'Sudden' School, in the
same spirit as that for serving Buddha, he would reach without failure the Path
of Holiness. (To the right men) he should transmit from heart to heart the instructions
handed down from one Patriarch to another; and no attempt should be made to conceal
the orthodox teaching. To those who belong to other schools, and whose views and
objects are different from ours, the Dharma should not be transmitted, since it
will be anything but good for them. This step is taken lest ignorant persons who
cannot understand our system should make slanderous remarks about it and thereby
annihilate their seed of Buddha-nature for hundreds of Kalpas and thousands of
incarnations. Learned Audience, I have a 'formless' stanza for you all to recite.
Both laity and monks should put its teaching into practice, without which it would
be useless to remember my words alone. Listen to this stanza:--
A master of
the Buddhist Canon as well as of the teaching of the Dhyana School
May be
likened unto the blazing sun sitting high in his meridian tower.
Such a man
would teach nothing but the Dharma for realizing the Essence of Mind,
And
his object in coming to this world would be to vanquish the heretical sects.
We
can hardly classify the Dharmas into 'Sudden' and 'Gradual',
But some men
will attain enlightenment much quicker than others.
For example, this system
for realizing the Essence of Mind
Is above the comprehension of the ignorant.
We may explain it in ten thousand ways,
But all those explanations may
be traced back to one principle.
To illumine our gloomy tabernacle, which
is stained by defilement,
We should constantly set up the Light of Wisdom.
Erroneous views keep us in defilement
While right views remove us from
it,
But when we are in a position to discard both of them
We are then
absolutely pure.
Bodhi is immanent in our Essence of Mind,
An attempt
to look for it elsewhere is erroneous.
Within our impure mind the pure one
is to be found,
And once our mind is set right, we are free from the three
kinds of beclouding (defilement, evil karma, and expiation in evil realms of existence).
If we are treading the Path of Enlightenment
We need not be worried by
stumbling-blocks.
Provided we keep a constant eye on our own faults
We
cannot go astray from the right path.
Since every species of life has its
own way of salvation
They will not interfere with or be antagonistic to one
another.
But if we leave our own path and seek some other way of salvation
We shall not find it,
And though we plod on till death overtakes us
We
shall find only penitence in the end.
If you wish to find the true way
Right
action will lead you to it directly;
But if you do not strive for Buddhahood
You will grope in the dark and never find it.
He who treads the Path in
earnest
Sees not the mistakes of the world;
If we find fault with others
We ourselves are also in the wrong.
When other people are in the wrong,
we should ignore it,
For it is wrong for us to find fault.
By getting
rid of the habit of fault-finding
We cut off a source of defilement.
When
neither hatred nor love disturb our mind
Serenely we sleep.
Those who
intend to be the teachers of others
Should themselves be skilled in the various
expedients which lead others to enlightenment.
When the disciple is free from
all doubts
It indicates that his Essence of Mind has been found.
The Kingdom
of Buddha is in this world,
Within which enlightenment is to be sought.
To
seek enlightenment by separating from this world
Is as absurd as to search
for a rabbit's horn.
Right views are called 'transcendental';
Erroneous
views are called 'worldly'.
When all views, right or erroneous, are discarded
Then the essence of Bodhi appears.
This stanza is for the 'Sudden' School.
It is also called the 'Big Ship of Dharma' (for sailing across the ocean of
existence).
Kalpa after Kalpa a man may be under delusion,
But once enlightened
it takes him only a moment to attain Buddhahood.
Before conclusion, the Patriarch
added, "Now, in this Ta Fan Temple, I have addressed you on the teaching
of the 'Sudden' School. May all sentient beings of the Dharmadhatu instantly understand
the Law and attain Buddhahood."
After hearing what the Patriarch said,
the Prefect Wei, government officials, Taoists and laymen were all enlightened.
They made obeisance in a body and exclaimed unanimously, "Well done! Well
done! Who would have expected that a Buddha was born in Guangdong?"
Chapter III. Questions and
Answers
One day Prefect Wei entertained the Patriarch and asked him to preach
to a big gathering. At the end of the feast, Prefect Wei asked him to mount the
pulpit (to which the Patriarch consented). After bowing twice reverently, in company
with other officials, scholars, and commoners, Prefect Wei said, "I have
heard what Your Holiness preached. It is really so deep that it is beyond our
mind and speech, and I have certain doubts which I hope you will clear up for
me." "If you have any doubts," replied the Patriarch, "please
ask, and I will explain."
"What you preach are the fundamental principles
taught by Bodhidharma, are they not?" "Yes," replied the Patriarch.
"I was told," said Prefect Wei, "that at Bodhidharma's first interview
with Emperor Wu of Liang he was asked what merits the Emperor would get for the
work of his life in building temples, allowing new monks to be ordained (royal
consent was necessary at that time), giving alms and entertaining the Order; and
his reply was that these would bring no merits ar all. Now, I cannot understand
why he gave such an answer. Will you please explain."
"These would
bring no merits," replied the Patriarch. "Don't doubt the words of the
Sage. Emperor Wu's mind was under an erroneous impression, and he did not know
the orthodox teaching. Such deeds as building temples, allowing new monks to be
ordained, giving alms and entertaining the Order will bring you only felicities,
which should not be taken for merits. Merits are to be found within the Dharmakaya,
and they have nothing to do with practices for attaining felicities."
The
Patriarch went on, "Realization of the Essence of Mind is Gong (good deserts),
and equality is De (good quality). When our mental activity works without any
impediment, so that we are in a position to know constantly the true state and
the mysterious functioning of our own mind, we are said to have acquired Gong
De (merits). Within, to keep the mind in a humble mood is Gong; and without, to
behave oneself according to propriety is De. That all things are the manifestation
of the Essence of Mind is Gong, and that the quintessence of mind is free from
idle thoughts is De. Not to go astray from the Essence of Mind is , and not to
pollute the mind in using it is De. If you seek for merits within the Dharmakaya,
and do what I have just said, what you acquire will be real merits. He who works
for merits does not slight others; and on all occasions he treats everybody with
respect. He who is in the habit of looking down upon others has not got rid of
the erroneous idea of a self, which indicates his lack of Gong. Because of his
egotism and his habitual contempt for all others, he knows not the real Essence
of Mind; and this shows his lack of De. Learned Audience, when our mental activity
works without interruption, then it is Gong; and when our mind functions in a
straightforward manner, then it is De. To train our own mind is Gong, and to train
our own body is De. Learned Audience, merits should be sought within the Essence
of Mind and they cannot be acquired by almsgiving, entertaining the monks, etc.
We should therefore distinguish between felicities and merits. There is nothing
wrong in what our Patriarch said. It is Emperor Wu himself who did not know the
true way."
Prefect Wei then asked the next question, "I notice that
it is a common practice for monks and laymen to recite the name of Amitabha with
the hope of being born in the Pure Land of the West. To clear up my doubts, will
you please tell me whether it is possible for them to be born there or not."
"Listen to me carefully, Sir," replied the Patriarch, "and
I will explain. According to the Sutra spoken by the Bhagavat in Shravasti City
for leading people to the Pure Land of the West, it is quite clear that the Pure
Land is not far from here, for the distance in mileage is 108,000, which really
represents the 'ten evils' and 'eight errors' within us. To those of inferior
mentality certainly it is far away, but to superior men we may say that it is
quite near. Although the Dharma is uniform, men vary in their mentality. Because
they differ from one another in their degree of enlightenment or ignorance, therefore
some understand the Law quicker than others. While ignorant men recite the name
of Amitabha and pray to be born in the Pure Land, the enlightened purify their
mind, for, as the Buddha said, 'When the mind is pure, the Buddha Land is simultaneously
pure.'
"Although you are a native of the East, if your mind is pure you
are sinless. One the other hand, even if you were a native of the West an impure
mind could not free you from sin, When the people of the East commit a sin, they
recite the name of Amitabha and pray to be born in the West; but in the case of
sinners who are natives of the West, where should they pray to be born? Ordinary
men and ignorant people understand neither the Essence of Mind nor the Pure Land
within themselves, so they wish to be born in the East or the West. But to the
enlightened everywhere is the same. As the Buddha said, 'No matter where they
happen to be, they are always happy and comfortable.'
"Sir, if your mind
is free from evil the West is not far from here; but difficult indeed it would
be for one whose heart is impure to be born there by invoking Amitabha!
"Now,
I advise you, Learned Audience, first to do away with the 'ten evils'; then we
shall have travelled one hundred thousand miles. For the next step, do away with
the 'eight errors', and this will mean another eight thousand miles traversed.
If we can realize the Essence of Mind at all times and behave in a straightforward
manner on all occasions, in the twinkling of an eye we may reach the Pure Land
and there see Amitabha.
"If you only put into practice the ten good deeds,
there would be no necessity for you to be born there. On the other hand, if you
do not do away with the 'ten evils' in your mind, which Buddha will take you there?
If you understand the Birthless Doctrine (which puts an end to the cycle of birth
and death) of the 'Sudden' School, it takes you only a moment to see the West.
If you do not understand, how can you reach there by reciting the name of Amitabha,
as the distance is so far?
"Now, how would you like it if I were to shift
the Pure Land to your presence this very moment, so that all of you might see
it?" The congregation made obeisance and replied, "If we might see the
Pure Land here there would be no necessity for us to desire to be born there.
Will Your Holiness kindly let us see it by having it removed here."
The
Patriarch said, "Sirs, this physical body of ours is a city. Our eyes, ears,
nose and tongue are the gates. There are five external gates, while the internal
one is ideation. The mind is the ground. The Essence of Mind is the King who lives
in the domain of the mind. While the Essence of Mind is in, the King is in, and
our body and mind exist. When the Essence of Mind is out, there is no King and
our body and mind decay. We should work for Buddhahood within the Essence of Mind,
and we should not look for it apart from ourselves. He who is kept in ignorance
of his Essence of Mind is an ordinary being. He who is enlightened in his Essence
of Mind is a Buddha. To be merciful is Avalokitesvara (one of the two principal
Bodhisattvas of the Pure Land). To take pleasure in almsgiving is Mahasthama (the
other Bodhisattva). Competence for a pure life is Sakyamuni (one of the titles
of Gautama Buddha). Equality and straightforwardness is Amitabha. The idea of
a self or that of a being is Mount Meru. A depraved mind is the ocean. Klesa (defilement)
is the billow. Wickedness is the evil dragon. Falsehood is the devil. The wearisome
sense objects are the aquatic animals. Greed and hatred are the hells. Ignorance
and infatuation are the brutes.
"Learned Audience, if you constantly
perform the ten good deeds, paradise will appear to you at once. When you get
rid of the idea of a self and that of a being, Mount Meru will topple. When the
mind is no longer depraved, the ocean (of existence) will be dried up. When you
are free from klesa, billows and waves (of the ocean of existence) will calm down.
When wickedness is alien to you, fish and evil dragons will die out.
"Within
the domain of our mind, there is a Tathagata of Enlightenment who sends forth
a powerful light which illumines externally the six gates (of sensation) and purifies
them. This light is strong enough to pierce through the six Kama Heavens (heavens
of desire); and when it is turned inwardly it eliminates at once the three poisonous
elements, purges away our sins which might lead us to the hells or other evil
realms, and enlightens us thoroughly within and without, so that we are no different
from those born in the Pure Land of the West. Now, if we do not train ourselves
up to this standard, how can we reach the Pure Land?"
Having heard what
the Patriarch said, the congregation knew their Essence of Mind very clearly.
They made obeisance and exclaimed in one voice, "Well done!" They also
chanted, "May all the sentient beings of this Universe who have heard this
sermon at once understand it intuitively."
The Patriarch added, "Learned
Audience, those who wish to train themselves (spiritually) may do so at home.
It is quite unnecessary for them to stay in monasteries. Those who train themselves
at home may be likened unto a native of the East who is kind-hearted, while those
who stay in monasteries but neglect their work differ not from a native of the
West who is evil in heart. So far as the mind is pure, it is the 'Western Pure
Land of one's own Essence of Mind'."
Prefect Wei asked, "How should
we train ourselves at home? Will you please teach us."
The Patriarch
replied, "I will give you a 'formless' stanza. If you put its teaching into
practice you will be in the same position as those who live with me permanently.
On the other hand, if you do not practice it, what progress can you make in the
spiritual path, even though you cut your hair and leave home for good (i.e., join
the Order)? The stanza reads:--
For a fair mind, observation of precepts (Sila)
is unnecessary.
For straightforward behavior, practice in Dhyana (contemplation)
may be dispensed with.
On the principle of gratefulness, we support our parents
and serve them filially.
On the principle of righteousness, the superior and
the inferior stand for each other (in time of need).
On the principle of mutual
desire to please, the senior and junior are on affectionate terms.
On the
principle of forbearance, we do not quarrel even in the midst of a hostile crowd.
If we can persevere till fire can be obtained through rubbing a piece of wood,
Then the red lotus (the Buddha-nature) will shoot out from the black mire
(the unenlightened state).
That which is of bitter taste is bound to be good
medicine.
That which sounds unpleasant to the ear is certainly frank advice.
By amending our mistakes, we get wisdom.
By defending our faults, we betray
an unsound mind.
In our daily life we should always practice altruism,
But
Buddhahood is not to be attained by giving away money as charity. Bodhi is to
be found within our own mind,
And there is no necessity to look for mysticism
from without.
Hearers of this stanza who put its teaching into actual practice
Will find paradise in their very presence.
The Patriarch added, "Learned
Audience, all of you should put into practice what is taught in this stanza, so
that you can realize the Essence of Mind and attain Buddhahood directly. The Dharma
waits for no one. I am going back to Cai Xi, so the assembly may now break up.
If you have any questions, you may come there to put them."
At this juncture
Prefect Wei, the government officials, pious men, and devout ladies who were present
were all enlightened. Faithfully they accepted the teaching and put it into practice.
Chapter IV. Samadhi and
Prajna
The Patriarch on another occasion preached to the assembly as follows:--
Learned Audience, in my system Samadhi and Prajna are fundamental. But do
not be under the wrong impression that these two are independent of each other,
for they are inseparably united and are not two entities. Samadhi is the quintessence
of Prajna, while Prajna is the activity of Samadhi. At the very moment that we
attain Prajna, Samadhi is therewith; and vice versa. If you understand this principle,
you understand the equilibrium of Samadhi and Prajna. A disciple should not think
that there is a distinction between 'Samadhi begets Prajna' and 'Prajna begets
Samadhi'. To hold such an opinion would imply that there are two characteristics
in the Dharma.
For one whose tongue is ready with good words but whose heart
is impure, Samadhi and Prajna are useless, because they do not balance each other.
On the other hand, when we are good in mind as well as in words, and when our
outward appearance and our inner feelings harmonize with each other, then it is
a case of equilibrium of Samadhi and Prajna.
Argument is unnecessary for an
enlightened disciple. To argue whether Prajna or Samadhi comes first would put
one in the same position as those who are under delusion. Argument implies a desire
to win, strengthens egotism, and ties us to the belief in the idea of 'a self,
a being, a living being, and a person'.
Learned Audience, to what are Samadhi
and Prajna analogous? They are analogous to a lamp and its light. With the lamp,
there is light. Without it, it would be darkness. The lamp is the quintessence
of the light and the light is the expression of the lamp. In name they are two
things, but in substance they are one and the same. It is the same case with Samadhi
and Prajna.
On another occasion the Patriarch preached to the assembly as
follows:--
Learned Audience, to practice the 'Samadhi of Specific Mode' is
to make it a rule to be straightforward on all occasions -- no matter whether
we are walking, standing, sitting or reclining. The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra
says, "Straightforwardness is the holy place, the Pure Land." Don't
let your mind be crooked and practice straightforwardness with your lips only.
We should practice straightforwardness and should not attach ourselves to anything.
People under delusion believe obstinately in Dharmalaksana (things and form) and
so they are stubborn in having their own way of interpreting the 'Samadhi of Specific
Mode', which they define as 'sitting quietly and continuously without letting
any idea arise in the mind'. Such an interpretation would rank us with inanimate
objects, and is a stumbling block to the right Path which must be kept open. Should
we free our mind from attachment to all 'things', the Path becomes clear; otherwise,
we put ourselves under restraint.[5] If that interpretation 'sitting quietly and
continuously, etc.' be correct, why on one occasion was Sariputra reprimanded
by Vimalakirti for sitting quietly in the wood? [6]
Learned Audience, some
teachers of meditation instruct their disciples to keep a watch on their mind
for tranquility, so that it will cease from activity. Henceforth the disciples
give up all exertion of mind. Ignorant persons become insane from having too much
confidence in such instruction. Such cases are not rare, and it is a great mistake
to teach others to do this.
(On another occasion) the Patriarch addressed
the assembly as follows:--
In orthodox Buddhism the distinction between the
'Sudden' School and the 'Gradual' School does not really exist; the only difference
is that by nature some men are quick-witted, while others are dull in understanding.
Those who are enlightened realize the truth in a sudden, while those who are under
delusion have to train themselves gradually. But such a difference will disappear
when we know our own mind and realize our own nature. Therefore these terms, gradual
and sudden, are more apparent than real.
Learned Audience, it has been the
tradition of our school to take 'Idea-lessness' as our object, 'Non-objectivity'
as our basis, and 'Non-attachment' as our fundamental principle. 'Idea-lessness'
means not to be carried away by any particular idea in the exercise of the mental
faculty. 'Non-objectivity' means not to be absorbed by objects when in contact
with objects. 'Non-attachment' is the characteristic of our Essence of Mind.
All
things -- good or bad, beautiful or ugly -- should be treated as void. Even in
time of disputes and quarrels we should treat our intimates and our enemies alike
and never think of retaliation. In the exercise of our thinking faculty, let the
past be dead. If we allow our thoughts, past, present, and future, to link up
in a series, we put ourselves under restraint. On the other hand, if we never
let our mind attach to anything, we shall gain emancipation. For this reason,
we take 'Non-attachment' as our fundamental principle.
To free ourselves from
absorption in external objects is called 'Non-objectivity'. When we are in a position
to do so, the nature of Dharma will be pure. For this reason, we take 'Non-objectivity'
as our basis.
To keep our mind free from defilement under all circumstances
is called 'Idea-lessness'. Our mind should stand aloof from circumstances, and
on no account should we allow them to influence the function of our mind. But
it is a great mistake to suppress our mind from all thinking; for even if we succeed
in getting rid of all thoughts, and die immediately thereafter, still we shall
be reincarnated elsewhere. Mark this, treaders of the Path. It is bad enough for
a man to commit blunders from not knowing the meaning of the Law, but how much
worse would it be to encourage others to follow suit? Being deluded, he sees not
and in addition he blasphemes the Buddhist Canon. Therefore we take 'Idea-lessness'
as our object.
Learned Audience, let me explain more fully why we take 'Idea-lessness'
as our object. It is because there is a type of man under delusion who boasts
of the realization of the Essence of Mind; but being carried away by circumstances,
ideas rise in his mind, followed by erroneous views which are the source of all
sorts of false notions and defilements. In the Essence of Mind (which is the embodiment
of void), there is intrinsically nothing to be attained. To say that there is
attainment, and to talk thoughtlessly on merits or demerits are erroneous views
and defilements. For this reason we take 'Idea-lessness' as the object of our
School.
Learned Audience, (in 'Idea-lessness') what should we get rid of and
what should we fix our mind on? We should get rid of the 'pairs of opposites'
and all defiling conceptions. We should fix our mind on the true nature of Tathata
(Suchness), for Tathata is the quintessence of idea, and idea is the result of
the activity of Tathata.
It is the positive essence of Tathata -- not the
sense organs -- which gives rise to 'idea'. Tathata bears its own attribute, and
therefore it can give rise to 'idea'. Without Tathata the sense organs and the
sense objects would perish immediately. Learned Audience, because it is the attribute
of Tathata which gives rise to 'idea', our sense organs -- in spite of their functioning
in seeing, hearing, touching, knowing, etc. -- need not be tainted or defiled
in all circumstances, and our true nature may be 'Self-manifested' all the time.
Therefore the Sutra says, "He who is an adept in the discrimination of various
Dharmalakshana (things and phenomena) will be immovably installed in the 'First
Principle' (i.e., the blissful abiding place of the Holy, or Nirvana)."
Chapter
V. Dhyana
The Patriarch (one day) preached to the assembly as follows:--
In
our system of meditation, we neither dwell upon the mind (in contradistinction
to the Essence of Mind) nor upon purity. Nor do we approve of non-activity. As
to dwelling upon the mind, the mind is primarily delusive; and when we realize
that it is only a phantasm there is no need to dwell on it. As to dwelling upon
purity, our nature is intrinsically pure; and so far as we get rid of all delusive
'idea' there will be nothing but purity in our nature, for it is the delusive
idea that obscures Tathata (Suchness). If we direct our mind to dwell upon purity
we are only creating another delusion, the delusion of purity. Since delusion
has no abiding place, it is delusive to dwell upon it. Purity has neither shape
nor form; but some people go so far as to invent the 'Form of Purity', and treat
it as a problem for solution. Holding such an opinion, these people are purity-ridden,
and their Essence of Mind is thereby obscured.
Learned Audience, those who
train themselves for 'imperturbability' should, in their contact with all types
of men, ignore the faults of others. They should be indifferent to others' merit
or demerit, good or evil, for such an attitude accords with the 'imperturbability
of the Essence of Mind'. Learned Audience, a man unenlightened may be unperturbed
physically, but as soon as he opens his mouth he criticizes others and talks about
their merits or demerits, ability or weakness, good or evil; thus he deviates
from the right course. On the other hand, to dwell upon our own mind or upon purity
is also a stumbling-block in the Path.
The Patriarch on another occasion preached
to the assembly as follows:--
Learned Audience, what is sitting for meditation?
In our School, to sit means to gain absolute freedom and to be mentally unperturbed
in all outward circumstances, be they good or otherwise. To meditate means to
realize inwardly the imperturbability of the Essence of Mind.
Learned Audience,
what are Dhyana and Samadhi? Dhyana means to be free from attachment to all outer
objects, and Samadhi means to attain inner peace. If we are attached to outer
objects, our inner mind will be perturbed. When we are free from attachment to
all outer objects, the mind will be in peace. Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically
pure, and the reason why we are perturbed is because we allow ourselves to be
carried away by the circumstances we are in. He who is able to keep his mind unperturbed,
irrespective of circumstances, has attained Samadhi.
To be free from attachment
to all outer objects is Dhyana, and to attain inner peace is Samadhi. When we
are in a position to deal with Dhyana and to keep our inner mind in Samadhi, then
we are said to have attained Dhyana and Samadhi. The Bodhisattva Sila Sutra says,
"Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure." Learned Audience, let us
realize this for ourselves at all times. Let us train ourselves, practice it by
ourselves, and attain Buddhahood by our own effort.
Chapter
VI. On Repentance
Once there was a big gathering of scholars and commoners
from Guangzhou, Shao Zhou, and other places to wait upon the Patriarch to preach
to them. Seeing this, the Patriarch mounted the pulpit and delivered the following
address:--
In Buddhism, we should start from our Essence of Mind. At all times
let us purify our own mind from one Ksana to another, tread the Path by our own
efforts, realize our own Dharmakaya, realize the Buddha in our own mind, and deliver
ourselves by a personal observance of Silas; then your visit will not have been
in vain. Since all of you have come from afar, the fact of our meeting here shows
that there is a good affinity between us. Now let us sit down in the Indian fashion,
and I will give you the 'Formless' Repentence.
When they had sat down, the
Patriarch continued:-- The first is the Sila Incense, which means that our mind
is free from taints of misdeeds, evil jealousy, avarice, anger, spoliation, and
hatred. The second is the Samadhi Incense, which means that our mind is unperturbed
in all circumstances, favorable or unfavorable. The third is the Prajna Incense,
which means that our mind is free from all impediments, that we constantly introspect
our Essence of Mind with wisdom, that we refrain from doing all kinds of evil
deeds, that although we do all kinds of good acts, yet we do not let our mind
become attached to (the fruits) of such actions, and that we are respectful towards
our superiors, considerate to our inferiors, and sympathetic to the destitute
and the poor. The fourth is the Incense of Liberation, this means that our mind
is in such an absolutely free state that it clings to nothing and concerns itself
neither with good nor evil. The fifth is the Incense of 'Knowledge obtained on
the Attainment of Liberation.' When our mind clings to neither good nor evil we
should take care not to let it dwell upon vacuity, or remain in a state of inertia.
Rather should we enlarge our study and broaden our knowledge, so that we can know
our own mind, understand thoroughly the principles of Buddhism, be congenial to
others in our dealings with them, get rid of the idea of 'self' and that of 'being',
and realize that up to the time when we attain Bodhi the 'true nature' (or Essence
of Mind) is always immutable. Such, then, is the Incense of 'Knowledge obtained
on the Attainment of Liberation.' This five-fold Incense fumigates us from within,
and we should not look for it from without.
Now I will give you the 'Formless'
Repentance which will expiate our sins committed in our present, past, and future
lives, and purify our Karmas of thought, word and deed.
Learned Audience,
please follow me and repeat together what I say.
May we, disciples so and
so, be always free from the taints of ignorance and delusion. We repent of all
our sins and evil deeds committed under delusion or in ignorance. May they be
expiated at once and may they never arise again.
May we be always free from
the taints of arrogance and dishonesty (Sathya). We repent of all our arrogant
behavior and dishonest dealings in the past. May they be expiated at once and
may they never arise again.
May we be always free from the taints of envy
and jealousy. We repent of all our sins and evil deeds committed in an envious
or jealous spirit. May they be expiated at once and may they never arise again.
Learned Audience, this is what we call 'Formless Chan Hui' (repentance). Now
what is the meaning of Chan and Hui (Ksamayati)? Chan refers to the repentance
of past sins. To repent of all our past sins and evil deeds committed under delusion,
ignorance, arrogance, dishonesty, jealousy, or envy, etc., so as to put an end
to all of them is called Chan. Hui refers to that part of repentance concerning
our future conduct. Having realized the nature of our transgression (we make a
vow) that hereafter we will put an end to all kinds of evil committed under delusion,
ignorance, arrogance, dishonesty, jealousy, or envy, and that we shall never sin
again. This is Hui.
On account of ignorance and delusion, common people do
not realize that in repentance they have not only to feel sorry for their past
sins but also to refrain from sinning in the future. Since they take no heed of
their future conduct they commit new sins before the past are expiated. How can
we call this 'repentance'?
Learned Audience, having repented of our sins we
will take the following four All-embracing Vows:--
We vow to deliver an infinite
number of sentient beings of our mind. [7]
We vow to get rid of the innumerable
defilements in our own mind.
We vow to learn the countless systems in Dharma
of our Essence of Mind.
We vow to attain the Supreme Buddhahood of our Essence
of Mind.
Learned Audience, all of us have now declared that we vow to deliver
an infinite number of sentient beings; but what does that mean? It does not mean
that I, Hui Neng, am going to deliver them. And who are these sentient beings
within our mind? They are the delusive mind, the deceitful mind, the evil mind,
and such like minds -- all these are sentient beings. Each of them has to deliver
himself by means of his own Essence of Mind. Then the deliverance is genuine.
Now, what does it mean to deliver oneself by one's own Essence of Mind? It
means the deliverance of the ignorant, the delusive, and the vexatious beings
within our own mind by means of Right Views. With the aid of Right Views and Prajna-Wisdom
the barriers raised by these ignorant and delusive beings may be broken down;
so that each of them is in a position to deliver himself by his own efforts. Let
the fallacious be delivered by rightness; the deluded by enlightenment; the ignorant
by wisdom; and the malevolent by benevolence. Such is genuine deliverance.
As
to the vow, 'We vow to get rid of the innumerable evil passions in the mind,'
it refers to the substitution of our unreliable and illusive thinking faculty
by the Prajna-Wisdom of our Essence of Mind.
As to the vow, 'We vow to learn
countless systems of Dharmas,' it may be remarked that there will be no true learning
until we have seen face to face our Essence of Mind, and until we conform to the
orthodox Dharma on all occasions.
As to the vow, 'We vow to attain Supreme
Buddhahood,' when we are able to bend our mind to follow the true and orthodox
Dharma on all occasions, and when Prajna always rises in our mind, so that we
can hold aloof from enlightenment as well as from ignorance, and do away with
truth as well as falsehood, then we may consider ourselves as having realized
the Buddha-nature, or in other words, as having attained Buddhahood.
Learned
Audience, we should always bear in mind that we are treading the Path; for thereby
strength will be added to our vows. Now, since all of us have taken these four
All-embracing Vows, let me teach you the 'Formless Three-fold Guidance':--
We
take 'Enlightenment' as our Guide, because it is the culmination of both Punya
(merit) and Prajna (wisdom).
We take 'Orthodoxy' (Dharma) as our Guide, because
it is the best way to get rid of desire.
We take 'Purity' as our Guide, because
it is the noblest quality of mankind.
Hereafter, let the Enlightened One be
our teacher; on no account should we accept Mara (the personification of evil)
or any heretic as our guide. This we should testify to ourselves by constantly
appealing to the 'Three Gems' of our Essence of Mind, in which, Learned Audience,
I advise you to take refuge. They are:--
Buddha, which stands for Enlightenment.
Dharma, which stands for Orthodoxy.
Sangha, (the Order) which stands for
Purity.
To let our mind take refuge in 'Enlightenment', so that evil and delusive
notions do not arise, desire decreases, discontent is unknown, and lust and greed
no longer bind, this is the culmination of Punya and Prajna.
To let our mind
take refuge in 'Orthodoxy' so that we are always free from wrong views (for without
wrong views there would be no egotism, arrogance, or craving), this is the best
way to get rid of desire.
To let our mind take refuge in 'Purity' so that
no matter in what circumstances it may be it will not be contaminated by wearisome
sense-objects, craving and desire, this is the noblest quality of mankind.
To
practice the Threefold Guidance in the way above mentioned means to take refuge
in oneself (i.e., in one's own Essence of Mind). Ignorant persons take the Threefold
Guidance day and night but do not understand it. If they say they take refuge
in Buddha, do they know where He is? Yet if they cannot see Buddha, how can they
take refuge in Him? Does not such an assertion amount to a lie?
Learned Audience,
each of you should consider and examine this point for yourself, and let not your
energy be misapplied. The Sutra distinctly says that we should take refuge in
the Buddha within ourselves; it does not suggest that we should take refuge in
other Buddhas. (Moreover), if we do not take refuge in the Buddha within ourselves,
there is no other place for us to retreat.
Having cleared up this point, let
each of us take refuge in the 'Three Gems' within our mind. Within, we should
control our mind; without, we should be respectful towards others -- this is the
way to take refuge within ourselves.
Learned Audience, since all of you have
taken the 'Three-fold Guidance' I am going to speak to you on the Trikaya (three
'bodies') of the Buddha of our Essence of Mind, so that you can see these three
bodies and realize clearly the Essence of Mind. Please listen carefully and repeat
this after me:--
With our physical body, we take refuge in the Pure Dharmakaya
(Essence-body) of Buddha.
With our physical body, we take refuge in the Perfect
Sambhogakaya (Manifestation body) of Buddha.
With our physical body, we take
refuge in the Myriad Nirmanakaya (Incarnation-bodies) of Buddha.
Learned Audience,
our physical body may be likened unto an inn (i.e., a temporary abode), so we
cannot take refuge there. Within our Essence of Mind these Trikaya of Buddha are
to be found, and they are common to everybody. Because the mind (of an ordinary
man) labors under delusions, he knows not his own inner nature; and the result
is that he ignores the Trikaya within himself, (erroneously believing) that they
are to be sought from without. Please listen, and I will show you that within
yourself you will find the Trikaya which, being the manifestation of the Essence
of Mind, are not to be sought from without.
Now, what is the Pure Dharmakaya?
Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure; all things are only its manifestations,
and good deeds and evil deeds are only the result of good thoughts and evil thoughts
respectively. Thus, within the Essence of Mind all things (are intrinsically pure),
like the azure of the sky and the radiance of the sun and the moon which, when
obscured by passing clouds, may appear as if their brightness has been dimmed;
but as soon as the clouds are blown way, brightness reappears and all objects
are fully illuminated. Learned Audience, our evil habits may be likened unto the
clouds; while sagacity and wisdom (Prajna), are the sun and moon respectively.
When we attach ourselves to outer objects, our Essence of Mind is clouded by wanton
thoughts which prevent our Sagacity and Wisdom from sending forth their light.
But should we be fortunate enough to find learned and pious teachers to make known
to us the Orthodox Dharma, then we may with our own efforts do away with ignorance
and delusion, so that we are enlightened both within and without, and the (true
nature) of all things manifests itself within our Essence of Mind. This is what
happens to those who have seen face to face the Essence of Mind, and this is what
is called the Pure Dharmakaya of Buddha.
Learned Audience, to take refuge
in a true Buddha is to take refuge in our own Essence of Mind. He who does so
should remove from his Essence of Mind the evil mind, the jealous mind, the flattering
and crooked mind, egotism, deceit and falsehood, contemptuousness, snobbishness,
fallacious views, arrogance, and all other evils that may arise at any time. To
take refuge in ourself is to be constantly on the alert for our own mistakes,
and to refrain from criticism of others' merits or faults. He who is humble and
meek on all occasions and is polite to everybody has thoroughly realized his Essence
of Mind, so thoroughly that his Path is free from further obstacles. This is the
way to take refuge in ourself.
What is the Perfect Sambhogakaya? Let us take
the illustration of a lamp. Even as the light of a lamp can break up darkness
which has been there for a thousand years, so a spark of Wisdom can do away with
ignorance which has lasted for ages. We need not bother about the past, for the
past is gone and irrecoverable. What demands our attention is the future; so let
our thoughts from Ksana to Ksana be clear and round, and let use see face to face
our Essence of Mind. Good and evil are opposite to each other, but their quintessence
cannot be dualistic. This non-dualistic nature is called the true nature (i.e.,
the absolute reality) which can neither be contaminated by evil nor affected by
good. This is what is called the Sambhogakaya of Buddha.
One single evil thought
from our Essence of Mind will spoil the good merits accumulated in aeons of time,
while a good thought from that same source can expiate all our sins, though they
are as many as the grains of sand in the Ganges. To realize our own Essence of
Mind from Ksana to Ksana without intermission until we attain Supreme Enlightenment,
so that we are perpetually in a state of Right Mindfulness, is the Sambhogakaya.
Now, what is the Myriad Nirmanakaya? When we subject ourselves to the least
discrimination of particularization, transformation takes place; otherwise, all
things remain as void as space, as they inherently are. By dwelling our mind on
evil things, hell arises. By dwelling our mind on good acts, paradise appears.
Dragons and snakes are the transformation of venomous hatred, while Bodhisattvas
are mercy personified. The upper regions are Prajna crystallized, while the underworld
is only another form assumed by ignorance and infatuation. Numerous indeed are
the transformations of the Essence of Mind! People under delusion awake not and
understand not; always they bend their minds on evil, and as a rule practice evil.
But should they turn their minds from evil to righteousness, even for a moment,
Prajna would instantly arise. This is what is called the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha
of the Essence of Mind.
Learned Audience, the Dharmakaya is intrinsically
self-sufficient. To see face to face from Ksana to Ksana our own Essence of Mind
is the Sambhogakaya of Buddha. To dwell our mind on the Sambhogakaya (so that
Wisdom or Prajna arises) is the Nirmanakaya. To attain enlightenment by our own
efforts and to practice by ourself the goodness inherent in our Essence of Mind
is a genuine case of 'Taking Refuge'. Our physical body, consisting of flesh and
skin, etc., is nothing more than a tenement, (for temporary use only), so we do
not take refuge therein. But let us realize the Trikaya of our Essence of Mind,
and we shall know the Buddha of our Essence of Mind.
I have a 'Formless' stanza,
the reciting and practicing of which will at once dispel the delusions and expiate
the sins accumulated in numerous Kalpas. This is the stanza:--
People under
delusion accumulate tainted merits but do not tread the Path.
They are under
the impression that to accumulate merits and to tread the Path are one and the
same thing.
Though their merits for alms-giving and offerings are infinite,
(They do not realize that) the ultimate source of sin lies in the three poisonous
elements (i.e., greed, anger and illusion) within their own mind.
They expect
to expiate their sins by accumulating merit
Without knowing that felicities
obtained in future lives have nothing to do with the expiation of sins.
Why
not get rid of the sin within our own mind,
For this is true repentance (within
our Essence of Mind)?
(A sinner) who realizes suddenly what constitutes true
repentance according to the Mahayana School,
And who ceases from doing evil
and practices righteousness is free from sin.
A treader of the Path who keeps
a constant watch on his Essence of Mind
May be classified in the same group
as the various Buddhas.
Our Patriarchs transmitted no other system of Law
but this 'Sudden' one.
May all followers of it see face to face their Essence
of Mind and be at once with the Buddhas.
If you are going to look for Dharmakaya
See it above Dharmalaksana (phenomena), and then your Mind will be pure.
Exert
yourself in order to see face to face the Essence of Mind and relax not,
For
death may come suddenly and put an abrupt end to your earthly existence.
Those
who understand the Mahayana teaching and are thus able to realize the Essence
of Mind
Should reverently put their palms together (as a sign of respect)
and fervently seek for the Dharmakaya.
The Patriarch then added:--
practice.
Should you realize your Essence of Mind after reciting it, you may consider yourself
to be always in my presence, though actually you are a thousand miles away, but
should you be unable to do so, then, though we are face to face, we are really
a thousand miles apart. In that case, what is the use of taking the trouble to
come here from so far away? Take good care of yourselves. Good-bye.
The whole
assembly, after hearing what the Patriarch had said, became enlightened. In a
very happy mood, they accepted his teaching and put it into practice.
Chapter
VII. Temperament and Circumstances
(Instructions given according to the disciples'
temperament and to the circumstances of the case)
Upon the Patriarch's return
to the village of Cao Hou in Shao Zhou from Huang Mei, where the Dharma had been
transmitted to him, he was still an unknown figure, and it was a Confucian scholar
named Liu Zhi Lue who gave him a warm welcome. Zhi Lue happened to have an aunt
named Wu Jin Chang who was a Bhikkhuni (a female member of the Order), and used
to recite the Maha-Parinirvana Sutra. After hearing the recitation for only a
short while the Patriarch grasped its profound meaning and began to explain it
to her. Whereupon, she picked up the book and asked him the meaning of certain
words.
"I am illiterate," he replied, "but if you wish to know
the purport of this work, please ask." "How can you grasp the meaning
of the text," she rejoined, "when you do not even know the words?"
To this he replied, "The profundity of the teachings of the various Buddhas
has nothing to do with the written language."
This answer surprised her
very much, and realizing that he was no ordinary Bhikkhu, she made it widely known
to the pious elders of the village. "This is a holy man," she said,
"we should ask him to stay, and get his permission to supply him food and
lodging."
Whereupon, a descendant of Marquis Wu of the Wei Dynasty, named
Cao Shu Liang, came one afternoon with other villagers to tender homage to the
Patriarch. The historical Bao Lin monastery, devastated by war at the end of the
Sui Dynasty, was then reduced to a heap of ruins, but on the old site they rebuilt
it and asked the Patriarch to stay there. Before long, it became a very famous
monastery.
After being there for nine months his wicked enemies traced him
and persecuted him again. Thereupon he took refuge in a nearby hill. The villains
then set fire to the wood (where he was hiding), but he escaped by making his
way to a rock. This rock, which has since been known as the 'Rock of Refuge',
has thereon the knee-prints of the Patriarch in the squatting position and also
the impressions of the texture of his gown.
Recollecting the instruction of
his master, the Fifth Patriarch, that he should stop at Huai and seclude himself
at Hui, he made these two districts his places of retreat.
Bhikkhu
Fa Hai, a native of Qu Jiang of Shao Zhou, in his first interview with the Patriarch
asked the meaning of the well-known saying, 'What mind
is, Buddha is.' The
Patriarch replied, "To let
not a passing thought rise up is 'mind'. To
let not the coming thought be
annihilated is Buddha. To manifest all kinds
of phenomena is 'mind'. To be
free from all forms (i.e., to realize the unreality
of phenomena) is Buddha.
If I were to give you a full explanation, the topic
could not be exhausted
even if I took up the whole of one Kalpa. So listen
to my stanza:--
Prajna is 'What mind is',
Samadhi is 'What Buddha is'.
In practicing Prajna and Samadhi, let each keep pace with the other;
Then
our thoughts will be pure.
This teaching can be understood
Only through
the 'habit of practice'.
Samadhi functions, but inherently it does not become.
The orthodox teaching is to practice Prajna as well as Samadhi.
After hearing
what the Patriarch had said, Fa Hai was at once enlightened. He praised the Patriarch
with the following stanza:--
'What mind is, Buddha is' is true indeed!
But
I humiliate myself by not understanding it.
Now I know the principal cause
of Prajna and Samadhi,
Both of which I shall practice to set me free from
all forms.
Bhikkhu Fa Da, a native
of Hung Zhou, who joined the Order at the early age of seven, used to recite the
Saddharma Pundarika Sutra (Lotus of the Good Law Sutra.) When he came to pay homage
to the Patriarch, he failed to lower his head to the ground. For his abbreviated
courtesy the Patriarch reproved him, saying, "If you object to lower your
head to the ground, would it not be better do away with salutation entirely? There
must be something in your mind that makes you so puffed up. Tell me what you do
in your daily exercise."
"Recite the Saddharma Pundarika Sutra,"
replied Fa Da. "I have read the whole text three thousand times."
"Had
you grasped the meaning of the Sutra," remarked the Patriarch, "you
would not have assumed such a lofty bearing, even if you had read it ten thousand
times. Had you grasped it, you would be treading the same Path as mine. What you
have accomplished has already made you conceited, and moreover, you do not seem
to realize that this is wrong. Listen to my stanza:--
Since the object of
ceremony is to curb arrogance
Why did you fail to lower your head to the ground?
'To believe in a self' is the source of sin,
But 'to treat all attainment
as void' attains merit incomparable!
The Patriarch then asked for his name,
and upon being told that his name was Fa Da (meaning Understanding the Law), he
remarked, "Your name is Fa Da, but you have not yet understood the Law."
He concluded by uttering another stanza:--
Your name is Fa Da.
Diligently
and steadily you recite the Sutra.
Lip-repetition of the text goes by the
pronunciation only,
But he whose mind is enlightened by grasping the meaning
is a Bodhisattva indeed!
On account of Pratyaya (conditions producing phenomena)
which may be traced to our past lives
I will explain this to you.
If you
only believe that Buddha speaks no words,
Then the Lotus will blossom in your
mouth.
Having heard this stanza, Fa Da became remorseful and apologized to
the Patriarch. He added, "Hereafter, I will be humble and polite on all occasions.
As I do not quite understand the meaning of the Sutra I recite, I am doubtful
as to its proper interpretation. With your profound knowledge and high wisdom,
will you kindly give me a short explanation?"
The Patriarch replied,
"Fa Da, the Law is quite clear; it is only your mind that is not clear. The
Sutra is free from doubtful passages; it is only your mind that makes them doubtful.
In reciting the Sutra, do you know its principal object?"
"How can
I know, Sir," replied Fa Da, "since I am so dull and stupid? All I know
is how to recite it word by word."
The Patriarch then said, "Will
you please recite the Sutra, as I cannot read it myself. I will then explain its
meaning to you."
Fa Da recited the Sutra, but when he came to the chapter
entitled 'Parables' the Patriarch stopped him, saying, "The key-note of this
Sutra is to set forth the aim and object of a Buddha's incarnation in this world.
Though parables and illustrations are numerous in this book, none of them goes
beyond this pivotal point. Now, what is that object? What is that aim? The Sutra
says, 'It is for a sole object, a sole aim, verily a lofty object and a lofty
aim that the Buddha appears in this world.' Now that sole object, that sole aim,
that lofty object, that lofty aim referred to is the 'sight' of Buddha-Knowledge.
"Common people attach themselves to objects without; and within, they
fall into the wrong idea of 'Vacuity'. When they are able to free themselves from
attachment to objects when in contact with objects, and to free themselves from
the fallacious view of annihilation on the doctrine of 'Void' they will be free
from delusions within and from illusions without. He who understands this and
whose mind is thus enlightened in an instant is said to have opened his eyes for
the sight of Buddha-Knowledge.
"The word 'Buddha' is equivalent to 'Enlightenment',
which may be dealt with (as in the Sutra) under four heads:
To open the eyes
for the sight of Enlightenment-knowledge.
To show the sight of Enlightenment-knowledge.
To awake to the sight of Enlightenment-knowledge.
To be firmly established
in the Enlightenment-knowledge.
"Should we be able, upon being taught,
to grasp and understand thoroughly the teaching of Enlightenment-knowledge, then
our inherent quality or true nature, i.e., the Enlightenment-knowledge, would
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 all because you happen to find in the Sutra this passage,
'To open the eyes for the sight of Buddha-knowledge, to show the sight of Buddha-knowledge,
etc.' Such a misinterpretation would amount to slandering Buddha and blaspheming
the Sutra. Since he is a Buddha, he is already in possession of this Enlightenment-knowledge
and there is no occasion for himself 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 by 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. Seeing this, our Lord Buddha had to rise from his Samadhi in order
to exhort them with earnest preaching of various kinds to suppress their desires
and to refrain from seeking happiness from without, so that they might become
the equals of Buddha. For this reason the Sutra says, 'To open the eyes for the
sight of Buddha-knowledge, etc.'
"I advise people constantly to open
their eyes for the Buddha-knowledge within their mind. 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, egotistic,
offensive to men and
destructive to inanimate objects. Thus, they open their
eyes for the 'Common-people-knowledge'. Should they rectify their heart, so that
wisdom arises perpetually, the mind would be under introspection, and evil doing
replaced by the practice of good; then they would initiate themselves into the
Buddha-knowledge.
"You should therefore from Ksana to Ksana open your
eyes, not for 'Common-people-knowledge' but for Buddha-knowledge, which is super-mundane,
while the former is worldly. On the other hand, if you stick to the arbitrary
concept that mere recitation (of the Sutra) as a daily exercise is good enough,
then you are infatuated like the yak by its own tail." (Yaks are known to
have a very high opinion of their own tails.)
Fa Da then said, "If that
is so, we have only to know the meaning of the Sutra and there would be no necessity
for us to recite it. Is that right, Sir?"
"There is nothing wrong
in the Sutra," replied the Patriarch, "so that you should refrain from
reciting it. Whether sutra-reciting will enlighten you or not, or benefit you
or not, all depends on yourself. He who recites the Sutra with the tongue and
puts its teaching into actual practice with his mind 'turns round' the Sutra.
He who recites it without putting it into practice is 'turned round' by the Sutra.
Listen to my stanza:--
When our mind is under delusion, the Saddharma Pundarika
Sutra 'turns us round'.
With an enlightened mind we 'turn round' the Sutra
instead.
To recite the Sutra for a considerable time without knowing its principal
object
Indicates that you are a stranger to its meaning.
The correct way
to recite the Sutra is without holding any arbitrary belief;
Otherwise, it
is wrong.
He who is above 'Affirmative' and 'Negative'
Rides permanently
in the White Bullock Cart (the Vehicle of Buddha)."
Having heard this
stanza, Fa Da was enlightened and moved to tears. "It is quite true,"
he exclaimed, "that heretofore I was unable to 'turn round' the Sutra. It
was rather the Sutra that 'turned' me round."
He then raised another
point. "The Sutra says, 'From Sravakas (disciples) up to Bodhisattvas, even
if they were to speculate with combined efforts they would be unable to comprehend
the Buddha-knowledge.' But you, Sir, give me to understand that if an ordinary
man realizes his own mind, he is said to have attained the Buddha-knowledge. I
am afraid, Sir, that with the exception of those gifted with superior mental dispositions,
others may doubt your remark. Furthermore, three kinds of Carts are mentioned
in the Sutra, namely, Carts yoked with goats (i.e., the vehicle of Sravakas),
Carts yoked with deers (the vehicle of Pratyeka Buddhas), and Carts yoked with
bullocks (the vehicle of Bodhisattvas). How are these to be distinguished from
the White Bullock Carts?"
The Patriarch replied, "The Sutra is quite
plain on this point; it is you who misunderstand it. The reason why Sravakas,
Pratyeka Buddhas and Bodhisattvas cannot comprehend the Buddha-knowledge is because
they speculate on it. They may combine their efforts to speculate, but the more
they speculate, the farther they are from the truth. It was to ordinary men, not
to other Buddhas, that Buddha Gautama preached this Sutra. As for those who cannot
accept the doctrine he expounded, he let them leave the assembly. You do not seem
to know that since we are already riding in the White Bullock Cart (the vehicle
of Buddhas), there is no necessity for us to go out to look for the other three
vehicles. Moreover, the Sutra tells you plainly that there is only the Buddha
Vehicle, and that there are no other vehicles, such as the second or the third.
It is for the sake of this sole vehicle that Buddha had to preach to us with innumerable
skilful devices, using various reasons and arguments, parables and illustrations,
etc. Why can you not understand that the other three vehicles are makeshifts,
for the past only; while the sole vehicle, the Buddha Vehicle, is the ultimate,
meant for the present?
"The Sutra teaches you to dispense with the makeshifts
and to resort to the ultimate. Having resorted to the ultimate, you will find
that even the name 'ultimate' disappears. You should appreciate that you are the
sole owner of these valuables and they are entirely subject to your disposal.[8]
When you are free from the arbitrary conception that they are the father's, or
the son's, or that they are at so and so's disposal, you may be said to have learned
the right way to recite the Sutra. In that case from Kalpa to Kalpa the Sutra
will be in your hand, and from morning to night you will be reciting the Sutra
all the time."
Being thus awakened, Fa Da praised the Patriarch, in a
transport of great joy, with the following stanza:--
The delusion that I have
attained great merits by reciting the Sutra three thousand times over
Is all
dispelled by an utterance of the Master of Cao Xi (i.e., the Patriarch).
He
who has not understood the object of a Buddha's incarnation in this world
Is
unable to suppress the wild passions accumulated in many lives.
The three
vehicles yoked by goat, deer and bullock respectively, are makeshifts only,
While
the three stages, Preliminary, Intermediate, and Final, in which the orthodox
Dharma is expounded, are well set out, indeed!
How few appreciate that within
the burning house itself (i.e.,mundane existence)
The King of Dharma is to
be found!
The Patriarch then told him that henceforth he might call himself
a 'Sutra-reciting Bhikkhu'. After that interview, Fa Da was able to grasp the
profound meaning of Buddhism, yet he continued to recite the Sutra as before.
Bhikkhu Zhi Tong, a native of Shou
Zhou of An Feng had read the Lankavatara Sutra a thousand times, but he could
not understand the meaning of Trikaya and the four Prajnas. Thereupon, he called
on the Patriarch for an interpretation.
"As to the Three Bodies,"
explained the Patriarch, "the pure Dharmakaya is your (essential) nature;
the perfect Sambhogakaya is your wisdom; and myriad Nirmanakayas are your actions.
If you deal with these Three Bodies apart from the Essence of Mind, there would
be 'bodies without wisdom'. If you realize that these Three Bodies have no positive
essence of their own (because they are only the properties of the Essence of Mind)
you attain the Bodhi of the four Prajnas. Listen to my stanza:--
The Three
Bodies are inherent in our Essence of Mind,
By development of which the four
Prajnas are manifested.
Thus, without shutting your eyes and your ears to
keep away from the external world
You may reach Buddhahood directly.
Now
that I have made this plain to you
Believe it firmly, and you will be free
from delusions forever.
Follow not those who seek Enlightenment from without;
These people talk about Bodhi all the time (but they never find it).
"May
I know something about the four Prajnas?" asked Zhi Tong. "If you understand
the Three Bodies," replied the Patriarch, "you should understand the
four Prajnas as well; so your question is unnecessary. If you deal with the four
Prajnas apart from the Three Bodies, there will be Prajnas without bodies, in
which case they would not be Prajnas."
The Patriarch then uttered another
stanza:--
The Mirror-like Wisdom is pure by nature.
The Equality Wisdom
frees the mind from all impediments.
The All-Discerning Wisdom sees things
intuitively without going through the process of reasoning.
The All-Performing
Wisdom has the same characteristics as the Mirror-like Wisdom.
The first five
vijnanas (consciousness dependent respectively upon the five sense organs) and
the Alaya vijnana (Storage or Universal consciousness) are 'transmuted' to Prajna
in the Buddha stage; while the Klista-Mano vijnana (soiled-mind consciousness
or self-consciousness) and the Mano vijnana (thinking consciousness), are transmuted
in the Bodhisattva stage. [9]
These so called 'transmutations of vijnana'
are only changes of appellations and not a change of substance. [10]
When
you are able to free yourself entirely from attachment to sense-objects at the
time these so-called 'transmutations' take place, you will forever abide in the
repeatedly-arising Naga (dragon) Samadhi.
(Upon hearing this), Zhi Tong realized
suddenly the Prajna of his Essence of Mind and submitted the following stanza
to the Patriarch:--
Intrinsically, the three Bodies are within our Essence
of Mind.
When our mind is enlightened the four Prajnas will appear therein.
When Bodies and Prajnas absolutely identify with each other
We shall be
able to respond (in accordance with their temperaments and dispositions) to the
appeals of all beings, no matter what forms they may assume.
To start by seeking
for Trikaya and the four Prajnas is to take an entirely wrong course (for being
inherent in us they are to be realized and not to be sought).
To try to 'grasp'
or 'confine' them is to go against their intrinsic nature.
Through you, Sir,
I am now able to grasp the profundity of their meaning,
And henceforth I may
discard forever their false and arbitrary names. (Note: Having grasped the spirit
of a doctrine, one may dispense with the names used therein, since all names are
makeshifts only).
Bhikkhu Zhi Chang,
a native of Gui Xi of Xin Zhou, joined the Order in his childhood, and was very
zealous in his efforts to realize the Essence of Mind. One day, he came to pay
homage to the Patriarch, and was asked by the latter whence and why he came.
"I
have recently been to the White Cliff Mountain in Hong Zhou," replied he,
"to interview the Master Da Tong, who was good enough to teach me how to
realize the Essence of Mind and thereby attain Buddhahood. But as I still have
some doubts, I have travelled far to pay you respect. Will you kindly clear them
up for me, Sir."
"What instruction did he give you?" asked
the Patriarch.
"After staying there for three months without being given
any instruction, and being zealous for the Dharma, I went alone to his chamber
one night and asked him what was my Essence of Mind. 'Do you see the illimitable
void?' he asked. 'Yes, I do,' I replied. Then he asked me whether the void had
any particular form, and when I said that the void is formless and therefore cannot
have any particular form, he said, 'Your Essence of Mind is exactly like the void.
To realize that nothing can be seen is 'Right View.' To realize that nothing is
knowable is 'True Knowledge.' To realize that it is neither green nor yellow,
neither long nor short, that it is pure by nature, that its quintessence is perfect
and clear, 'is to realize the Essence of Mind and thereby attain Buddhahood,'
which is also called the Buddha-knowledge.' As I do not quite understand his teaching,
will you please enlighten me, Sir."
"His teaching indicates,"
said the Patriarch, "that he still retains the arbitrary concepts of 'Views'
and 'Knowledge,' and this explains why he fails to make it clear to you. Listen
to my stanza:--
To realize that nothing can be seen but to retain the concept
of 'Invisibility'
Is like the surface of the sun obscured by passing clouds.
To realize that nothing is knowable but to retain the concept of 'Unknowability'
May be likened to a clear sky disfigured by a lightning flash.
To let
these arbitrary concepts rise spontaneously in your mind
Indicates that you
have misidentified the Essence of Mind, and that you have not yet found the skilful
means to realize it.
If you realize for one moment that these arbitrary concepts
are wrong,
Your own spiritual light will shine forth permanently.
Having
heard this Zhi Chang at once felt that his mind was enlightened. Thereupon, he
submitted the following stanza to the Patriarch:--
To allow the concepts of
'Invisibility' and 'Unknowability' to rise in the mind
Is to seek Bodhi without
freeing oneself from the concepts of phenomena.
He who is puffed up by the
slightest impression, 'I am now enlightened,'
Is no better than he was when
under delusion.
Had I not put myself at the feet of the Patriarch
I should
have been bewildered without knowing the right way to go.
One day, Zhi Chang
asked the Patriarch, "Buddha preached the doctrine of 'Three Vehicles' and
also that of a 'Supreme Vehicle'. As I do not understand this, will you please
explain?"
The Patriarch replied, "(In trying to understand these),
you should introspect your own mind and act independently of outward Dharmalaksana
(things and phenomena). The distinction of these four vehicles does not exist
in the Dharma itself but in the differentiation of people's minds. To see, to
hear, and to recite the Sutra is the Small vehicle. To know the Dharma and to
understand its meaning is the Middle vehicle. To put the Dharma into actual practice
is the Great Vehicle. To understand thoroughly all Dharmas, to have absorbed them
completely, to be free from all attachments, to be above Dharmalaksana, and to
be in possession of nothing, is the Supreme Vehicle.
"Since the word
'Yana' (vehicle) implies 'motion' (i.e., putting into practice), argument on this
point is quite unnecessary. All depends on self-practice, so you need not ask
me any more. (But I
may remind you that) at all times the Essence of Mind
is in a state of 'Thusness'."
Zhi Chang made obeisance and thanked the
Patriarch. Henceforth, he acted as his attendant until the death of the Master.
Bhikkhu Zhi Dao, a native of Nan
Hai of Guang Dong, came to the Patriarch for instruction, saying, "Since
I joined the Order I have read the Maha Parinirvana Sutra for more than ten years,
but I have not yet grasped its main idea. Will you please teach me?"
"Which
part of it do you not understand?" asked the Patriarch.
"It is about
this part, Sir, that I am doubtful: 'All things are impermanent, and so they belong
to the Dharma of becoming and cessation (i.e., Samskrita Dharma). When both becoming
and cessation cease to operate, the bliss of Perfect Rest and Cessation of Changes
(i.e., Nirvana) arises.'"
"What makes you doubt?" asked the
Patriarch.
"All beings have two bodies -- the physical body and the Dharmakaya,"
replied Zhi Dao. "The former is impermanent; it exists and dies. The latter
is permanent; it knows not and feels not. Now the Sutra says, 'When both Becoming
and Cessation cease to operate, the bliss of perfect rest and cessation of changes
arises.' I do not know which body ceases to exist and which body enjoys the bliss.
It cannot be the physical body that enjoys, because when it dies the four Mahabhutas
(material elements i.e., earth, water, fire and air) will disintegrate, and disintegration
is pure suffering, the very opposite of bliss. If it is the Dharmakaya that ceases
to exist, it would be in the same state as 'inanimate' objects, such as grass,
trees, stones etc.; who will then be the enjoyer?
"Moreover, Dharma-nature
is the quintessence of 'Becoming and Cessation', which manifests as the five Skandhas
(Rupa, Vedana, Samjna, Samskara and Vijnana). That is to say, with one quintessence
there are five functions. The process of 'Becoming and Cessation' is everlasting.
When function or operation arises from the quintessence, it becomes; when the
operation or function is absorbed back into the quintessence, it ceases to exist.
If reincarnation is admitted, there would be no 'Cessation of Changes', as in
the case of sentient beings. If reincarnation is out of the question, then things
will remain forever in a state of lifeless quintessence, like inanimate objects.
If this is so, then under the limitations and restrictions of Nirvana even existence
will be impossible to all beings; what enjoyment could there be?"
"You
are a son of Gina (i.e., a son of Buddha, or a bhikkhu)," said the Patriarch,
"so why do you adopt the fallacious views of Eternalism and Annihilationism
held by the heretics, and criticize the teaching of the Supreme Vehicle?
"Your
argument implies that apart from the physical body there is a Law body (Dharmakaya);
and that 'Perfect Rest' and 'Cessation of Changes' may be sought apart from 'Becoming
and Cessation'. Further, from the statement, 'Nirvana is everlasting joy,' you
infer that there must be somebody to play the part of the enjoyer.
"Now
it is exactly these fallacious views that make people crave for sensate existence
and indulge in worldly pleasure. It is for these people, the victims of ignorance,
who identify the union of five skandhas as the 'self', and regard all other things
as 'not-self' (literally, outer sense objects); who crave for individual existence
and have an aversion to death; who drift about in the whirlpool of life and death
without realizing the hollowness of mundane existence, which is only a dream or
an illusion; who commit themselves to unnecessary suffering by binding themselves
to the wheel of re-birth; who mistake the state of everlasting joy of Nirvana
for a mode of suffering, and who are always after sensual pleasure; it is for
these people that the compassionate Buddha preached the real bliss of Nirvana.
"At any one moment, Nirvana has neither the phenomenon of becoming, nor
that of Cessation, nor even the ceasing of operation of Becoming and Cessation.
It is the manifestation of 'Perfect Rest and Cessation of Changes', but at the
time of manifestation there is not even a concept of manifestation; so it is called
the 'Everlasting Joy' which has neither enjoyer nor non-enjoyer.
"There
is no such thing as 'one quintessence and five functions' (as you allege), and
you are slandering Buddha and blaspheming the Law when you state that under such
limitation and restriction of Nirvana existence is impossible to all beings. Listen
to my stanza:--
The Supreme Maha Parinirvana
Is perfect, permanent, calm,
and illuminating.
Common people and ignorant ones miscall it death,
While
heretics hold arbitrarily that it is annihilation.
Those who belong to the
Sravaka Vehicle or the Pratyeka Buddha Vehicle
Regard it as 'Non-action'.
All these are mere intellectual speculations,
And form the basis of the
sixty-two fallacious views.
Since they are mere fictitious names invented
for the occasion
They have nothing to do with the Absolute Truth.
Only
those of super-eminent mind
Can understand thoroughly what Nirvana is, and
take up the attitude of neither attachment nor indifference towards it.[11]
They
know that five Skandhas
And the so-called 'ego' arising from the union of
these Skandhas, Together with all external objects and forms
And the various
phenomena of sound and voice
Are equally unreal, like a dream or an illusion.
They make no discrimination between a sage and an ordinary man.
Nor do
they have any arbitrary concept on Nirvana.
They are above 'Affirmation' and
'Negation' and they break the barrier of the past, the present, and the future.
They use their sense organs, when occasion requires,
But the concept of
'Using' does not arise. They may particularize on all sorts of things, But the
concept of 'Particularization' does not arise.
Even during the cataclysmic
fire at the end of a Kalpa, when ocean-beds are burnt dry,
Or during the blowing
of the catastrophic wind when one mountain topples on another,
The real and
everlasting bliss of 'Perfect Rest' and 'Cessation of Changes'
Of Nirvana
remains in the same state and changes not.
Here I am trying to describe to
you something which is ineffable
So that you may get rid of your fallacious
views.
But if you do not interpret my words literally
You may perhaps
learn a wee bit of the meaning of Nirvana!
Having heard this stanza, Zhi Dao
was highly enlightened. In a rapturous
mood, he made obeisance and departed.
Bhikkhu Xing Si, a Dhyana Master,
was born at An Cheng of Zhi Zhou of a Liu family. Upon hearing that the preaching
of the Patriarch had enlightened a great number of people, he at once came to
Cao Xi to tender him homage, and ask him this question:
"What should
a learner direct his mind to, so that his attainment cannot be rated by the (usual)
'Stages of Progress'?"
"What work have you been doing?" asked
the Patriarch.
"Even the Noble Truths taught by various Buddhas I have
not anything to do with," replied Xing Si.
"What Stage of Progress
are you in?" asked the Patriarch.
"What Stage of Progress can there
be, when I refuse to have anything to do with even the Noble Truths?" he
retorted.
His repartee commanded the great respect of the Patriarch who made
him leader of the assembly.
One day the Patriarch told him that he should
propagate the Law in his own district, so that the teaching might not come to
an end. Thereupon he returned to Qing Yuan Mountain in his native district. The
Dharma having been transmitted to him, he spread it widely and thus perpetuated
the teaching of his Master. Upon his death, the posthumous title 'Dhyana Master
Hung Ji' was conferred on him.
Bhikkhu
Huai Rang, a Dhyana Master, was born of a Du family in Jin Zhou.
Upon his
first visit to 'National Teacher' Hui An of Sung Shan Mountain, he was directed
by the latter to go to Cao Xi to interview the Patriarch.
Upon his arrival,
and after the usual salutation, he was asked by the Patriarch whence he came.
"From Sung Shan," replied he.
"What thing is it (that comes)?
How did it come?" asked the Patriarch.
"To say that it is similar
to a certain thing is wrong," he retorted.
"Is it attainable by
training?" asked the Patriarch.
"It is not impossible to attain
it by training; but it is quite impossible to pollute it," he replied.
Thereupon,
the Patriarch exclaimed, "It is exactly this unpolluted thing that all Buddhas
take good care of. It is so for you, and it is so for me as well. Patriarch Prajnatara
of India foretold that under your feet a colt [12] would rush forth and trample
on the people of the whole world. I need not interpret this oracle too soon, as
the answer should be found within your mind."
Being thereby enlightened,
Huai Rang realized intuitively what the Patriarch had said. Henceforth, he became
his attendant for a period of fifteen years; and day by day his knowledge of Buddhism
got deeper and deeper. Afterwards, he made his home in Heng Shan where he spread
widely the teaching of the Patriarch. Upon his death, the posthumous title, "Dhyana
Master Da Hui (Great Wisdom) was conferred on him by imperial edict.
Dhyana
Master Xuan Jue of Yong Jia was born of a Dai family in Wen Zhou. As a youth,
he studied Sutras and Shastras and was well-versed in the teaching of Samatha
(inhibition or quietude) and Vipasyana (contemplation or discernment) of the Tian
Tai School. Through the reading of the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra he realized intuitively
the mystery of his own mind.
A disciple of the Patriarch by the name of Xuan
Ce happened to pay him a visit. During the course of a long discussion, Xuan Ce
noticed that the utterance of his friend agreed virtually with the sayings of
the various Patriarchs. Thereupon he asked, "May I know the name of your
teacher who transmitted the Dharma to you?"
"I had teachers to instruct
me," replied Xuan Jue, "when I studied the Sutras and the Shastras of
the Vaipulya section. But afterwards it was through the reading of the Vimalakirti
Nirdesa Sutra that I realized the significance of the Buddhacitta (the Dhyana)
School; and in this respect I have not yet had any teacher to verify and confirm
my knowledge."
"Before the time of Bhismagarjitasvara Raja Buddha,"
Xuan Ce remarked, "it was possible (to dispense with the service of a teacher);
but since that time, he who attains enlightenment without the aid and the confirmation
of a teacher is a natural heretic."
"Will you, Sir, kindly act as
my testifier," asked Xuan Jue.
"My words carry no weight,"
replied his friend, "but in Cao Xi there is the Sixth Patriarch, to whom
visitors in great numbers come from all directions with the common object of having
the Dharma transmitted to them. Should you wish to go there, I shall be pleased
to accompany you."
In due course they arrived at Cao Xi and interviewed
the Patriarch. Having circumambulated the Patriarch thrice, Xuan Jue stood still
(i.e.,without making obeisance to the Master) with the Khakkharam (the Buddhist
staff) in his hand.
(For his discourtesy), the Patriarch made the following
remark: "As a Sramana (Buddhist monk) is the embodiment of three thousand
moral precepts and eighty thousand minor disciplinary rules, I wonder where you
come from and what makes you so conceited."
"The question of incessant
rebirths is a momentous one," replied he, "and as death may come at
any moment (I have no time to waste on ceremony)."
"Why do you not
realize the principle of 'Birthlessness', and thus solve the problem of transiency
in life?" the Patriarch retorted.
Thereupon Xuan Jue remarked, "To
realize the Essence of Mind is to be free from rebirths; and once this problem
is solved, the question of transiency no longer exists."
"That is
so, that is so," the Patriarch agreed.
At this stage, Xuan Jue gave in
and made obeisance in full ceremony.
After a short while he bid the Patriarch
adieu.
"You are going away too quickly, aren't you?" asked the Patriarch.
"How can there be 'quickness' when motion intrinsically exists not?"
he retorted.
"Who knows that motion exists not?" asked the Patriarch.
"I hope you, Sir, will not particularize," he observed.
The
Patriarch commended him for his thorough grasp of the notion of 'Birthlessness';
but Xuan Jue remarked, "Is there a 'notion' in 'Birthlessness'?"
"Without
a notion, who can particularize?" asked the Patriarch in turn.
"That
which particularizes is not a notion," replied Xuan Jue.
"Well said!"
exclaimed the Patriarch. He then asked Xuan Jue to delay his departure and spend
a night there. Henceforth Xuan Jue was known to his contemporaries as the 'enlightened
one who had spent a night with the Patriarch'.
Afterwards, he wrote the famous
work, 'A Song on Spiritual Attainment', which circulates widely. His posthumous
title is 'Grand Master Wu Xiang'
(He who is above form or phenomena), and
he was also called by his contemporaries 'Dhyana Master Zhen Jue' (He who is really
enlightened).
Bhikkhu Zhi Huang,
a follower of the Dhyana School, after his consultation with the Fifth Patriarch
(as to the progress of his work) considered himself as having attained Samadhi.
For twenty years he confined himself in a small temple and kept up the position
all the time.
Xuan Ce, a disciple of the Sixth Patriarch on a meditation journey
to the northern bank of Huang He, heard about him and called at his temple.
"What
are you doing here?" asked Xuan Ce.
"I am abiding in Samadhi,"
replied his friend, Zhi Huang.
"Abiding in Samadhi, did you say?"
observed Xuan Ce. "I wish to know whether you are doing it consciously or
unconsciously. For if you are doing it unconsciously, it would mean that it is
possible for all inanimate objects such as earthenware, stones, trees, and weeds,
to attain Samadhi. On the other hand, if you are doing it consciously, than all
animate objects or sentient beings would be in Samadhi also."
"When
I am in Samadhi," observed Zhi Huang, "I know neither consciousness
nor unconsciousness."
"If that is the case," said Xuan Ce,
"it is perpetual Samadhi; in which state there is neither abiding nor leaving.
That state which you can abide in or leave off is not the great Samadhi."
Zhi Huang was dumbfounded. After a long while, he asked, "May I know
who is your teacher?"
"My teacher is the Sixth Patriarch of Cao
Xi," replied Xuan Ce.
"How does he define Dhyana and Samadhi?"
Zhi Huang asked.
"According to his teaching," replied Xuan Ce, "the
Dharmakaya is perfect and serene; its quintessence and its function are in a state
of Thusness. The five Skandhas (aggregates) are intrinsically void and the six
sense-objects are non-existent. There is neither abiding nor leaving in Samadhi.
There is neither quietude nor perturbation. The nature of dhyana is non-abiding,
so
we should get above the state of 'abiding in the calmness of dhyana'. The
nature of Dhyana is uncreative, so we should get above the notion of 'creating
a state of Dhyana'. The state of the mind may be likened unto space, but (it is
infinite) and so it is without the limitations of the latter."
Having
heard this, Zhi Huang went immediately to Cao Xi to interview the Patriarch. Upon
being asked whence he came, he told the Patriarch in detail the conversation he
had had with Xuan Ce.
"What Xuan Ce said is quite right," said the
Patriarch. Let your mind be in a state such as that of the illimitable void, but
do not attach it to the idea of 'vacuity'. Let it function freely. Whether you
are in activity or at rest, let your mind abide nowhere. Forget the discrimination
between a sage and an ordinary man. Ignore the distinction of subject and object.
Let the Essence of Mind and all phenomenal objects be in a state of Thusness.
Then you will be in Samadhi all the time."
Zhi Huang was thereby fully
enlightened. What he had considered for the past twenty years as an attainment
now vanished. On that night inhabitants of He Bei (the northern bank of the Yellow
River) heard a voice in the air to the effect that Dhyana Master Zhi Huang had
on that day gained enlightenment.
Some time after Zhi Huang bid the Patriarch
adieu and returned to He Bei, where he taught a great number of men and women,
monks as well as the laity.
A Bhikkhu once asked the Patriarch what sort of man could obtain the keynote of the teaching of Huang Mei (the Fifth Patriarch). "He who understands the Buddha Dharma can get it," replied the Patriarch. "Have you, Sir, got it then?" asked the Bhikkhu. "I do not understand the Buddha Dharma," was his reply.
One day the Patriarch wanted
to wash the robe which he had inherited, but could find no good stream for the
purpose. Thereupon he walked to a place about five miles from the rear of the
monastery, where he noticed that plants and trees grew profusely and the environment
gave an air of good omen. He shook his staff (which makes a tinkling noise, as
rings are attached to the top of it) and stuck it in the ground. Immediately water
spurted out and before long a pool was formed.
While he was kneeling down
on a rock to wash the robe, a Bhikkhu suddenly appeared before him and tendered
him homage.
"My name is Fang Bian," said he, "and I am a native
of Sichuan. When I was in South India I met Patriarch Bodhidharma, who instructed
me to return to China. 'The Womb of the Orthodox Dharma,' said he, 'together with
the robe which I inherited from Mahakasyapa have now been transmitted to the Sixth
Patriarch, who is now in Cao Xi of Shao Zhou. Go there to have a look at them
and to pay your respect to the Patriarch.' After a long voyage, I have arrived.
May I see the robe and begging bowl you inherited?"
Having shown him
the two relics, the Patriarch asked him what line of work he was taking up. "I
am pretty good at sculptural work," replied he. "Let me see some of
your work then," demanded the Patriarch.
Fang Bian was confounded at
the time, but after a few days he was able to complete a life-like statue of the
Patriarch, about seven inches high, a masterpiece of sculpture.
(Upon seeing
the statue), the Patriarch laughed and said to Fang Bian, "You know something
about the nature of sculptural work, but you do not seem to know the nature of
Buddha." He then stretched forth his hand to rub the crown of Fang Bian (the
Buddhist way of blessing) and declared, "You shall forever be a 'field of
merit' for human and celestial beings."
In addition, the Patriarch rewarded
his service with a robe, which Fang Bian divided into three parts, one for dressing
the statue, one for himself, and one for burying in the ground after covering
it up with palm leaves. (When the burial took place) he took a vow to the effect
that by the time the robe was exhumed he would be reincarnated as the abbot of
the monastery, and also that he would undertake to renovate the shrine and the
building.
A Bhikkhu quoted the
following Gatha (stanza) composed by Dhyana Master Wo Lun:--
Wo Lun has ways
and means
To insulate the mind from all thoughts.
When circumstances do
not react on the mind
The Bodhi tree (symbol of wisdom) will grow steadily.
Hearing
this, the Patriarch said, "This stanza indicates that the composer of it
has not yet fully realized the Essence of Mind. To put its teaching into practice
(would gain no liberation), but bind oneself more tightly." Thereupon, he
showed the Bhikkhu the following stanza of his own:--
Hui Neng has no ways
and means
To insulate the mind from all thoughts.
Circumstances often
react on my mind;
And I wonder how can the Bodhi tree grow?
(Note. In
the last line, the Patriarch challenged the statement that "the Bodhi tree
will grow," as Bodhi neither increases nor decreases.)
Chapter
VIII. The Sudden School and the Gradual School
While the Patriarch was living
in Bao Lin Monastery, the Grand Master Shen Xiu was preaching in Yu Quan Monastery
of Jing Nan. At that time the two Schools, that of Hui Neng of the South and Shen
Xiu of the North, flourished side by side. As the two Schools were distinguished
from each other by the names "Sudden" (the South) and "Gradual"
(the North), the question which sect they should follow baffled certain Buddhist
scholars (of that time).
(Seeing this), the Patriarch addressed the assembly
as follows:--
"So far as the Dharma is concerned, there can be only one
School. (If a distinction exists) it exists in the fact that the founder of one
school is a northern man, while the other is a Southerner. While there is only
one Dharma, some disciples realize it more quickly than others. The reason why
the names 'Sudden' and 'Gradual' are given is that some disciples are superior
to others in mental dispositions. So far as the Dharma is concerned, the distinction
of 'Sudden' and 'Gradual' does not exist."
(In spite of what the Patriarch
had said,) the followers of Shen Xiu used to criticize the Patriarch. They discredited
him by saying that as he was illiterate he could not distinguish himself in any
respect.
Shen Xiu himself, on the other hand, admitted that he was inferior
to the Patriarch, that the Patriarch attained wisdom without the aid of a teacher,
and that he understood thoroughly the teaching of the Mahayana School. "Moreover,"
he added, "my teacher, the Fifth Patriarch, would not have transmitted to
him the robe and the bowl without good cause. I regret that, owing to the patronage
of the state, which I by no means deserve, I am unable to travel far to receive
instructions from him personally. (But) you men should go to Cao Xi to consult
him."
One day he said to his disciple, Zhi Cheng, "You are intelligent
and bright. On my behalf, you may go to Cao Xi to attend the lectures there. Try
your best to remember what you learn, so that upon your return you may repeat
it to me."
Acting on his teacher's instruction, Zhi Cheng went to Cao
Xi. Without telling whence he came he joined the crowd there to call on the Patriarch.
"Someone has hidden himself here to plagiarize my lecture," said
the Patriarch to the assembly. Thereupon, Zhi Cheng came out, made obeisance,
and told the Patriarch what his mission was.
"You come from Yu Quan Monastery,
do you?" asked the Patriarch. "You must be a spy."
"No,
I am not," replied Zhi Cheng.
"Why not?" asked the Patriarch.
"If I had not told you," said Zhi Cheng, "I would be a spy.
Since I have told you all about it, I am not."
"How does your teacher
instruct his disciples?" asked the Patriarch.
"He tells us to meditate
on purity, to keep up the sitting position all the time and not to lie down,"
replied Zhi Cheng.
"To meditate on purity," said the Patriarch,
"is an infirmity and not Dhyana. To restrict oneself to the sitting position
all the time is unprofitable. Listen to my stanza:--
A living man sits and
does not lie down (all the time),
While a dead man lies down and does not
sit.
On this physical body of ours
Why should we impose the task of squatting?"
Making
obeisance a second time, Zhi Cheng remarked, "Though I have studied Buddhism
for nine years under the Grand Master Shen Xiu, my mind has not yet been awakened
for enlightenment. But as soon as you speak to me my mind is enlightened. As the
question of incessant rebirths is a momentous one, please take pity on me and
give me further instruction."
"I understand," said the Patriarch,
"that your teacher gives his disciples instructions on Sila (disciplinary
rules), Dhyana (meditation), and Prajna (Wisdom). Please tell me how he defines
these terms."
"According to his teaching," replied Zhi Cheng,
"to refrain from all evil actions is Sila, to practice whatever is good is
Prajna, and to purify one's own mind is Dhyana. This is the way he teaches us.
May I know your system?"
"If I tell you," said the Patriarch,
"that I have a system of Law to transmit to others, I am cheating you. What
I do to my disciples is to liberate them from their own bondage with such devices
as the case may need. To use a name which is nothing but a makeshift, this (state
of liberation) may be called Samadhi. The way your master teaches Sila, Dhyana,
and Prajna is wonderful; but my exposition is different."
"How can
it be different, Sir," asked Zhi Cheng, "when there is only one form
of Sila, Dhyana and Prajna?"
"The teaching of your master,"
replied the Patriarch, "is for the followers of the Mahayana School, while
mine is for those of the Supreme School. The fact that some realize the Dharma
more quickly and deeply than others accounts for the difference in the interpretation.
You may listen, and see if my instruction is the same as his. In expounding the
Law, I do not deviate from the authority of the Essence of Mind (i.e., I speak
what I realize intuitively). To speak otherwise would indicate that the expositor's
Essence of Mind is under obscuration and that he can touch the phenomenal side
of the Law only. The true teaching of Sila, Dhyana and Prajna should be based
on the principle that the function of all things derives from the Essence of Mind.
Listen to my stanza:--
To free the mind from all impurity is the Sila of the
Essence of Mind.
To free the mind from all disturbance is the Dhyana of the
Essence of Mind.
That which neither increases nor decreases is the Vajra (Diamond,
used as a symbol for the Essence of Mind);
'Coming' and 'going' are different
phases of Samadhi."
Having heard this, Zhi Cheng apologized (for having
asked a foolish question) and thanked the Patriarch for his instruction. He then
submitted the following stanza:--
The 'Self' is nothing but a phantasm created
by the union of five Skandhas,
And a phantasm can have nothing to do with
absolute reality.
To hold that there is a Tathata (Suchness) for us to aim
at or to return to
Is another example of 'Impure Dharma'.
(Note: For Pure
Law is above concept and speech)
Approving what he said in his stanza, the
Patriarch said to him again, "The teaching of your master on Sila, Dhyana
and Prajna applies to wise men of the inferior type, while mine to those of the
superior type. He who realizes the Essence of Mind may dispense with such doctrines
as Bodhi, Nirvana, and 'Knowledge of Emancipation'. Only those who do not possess
a single system of Law can formulate all systems of Law, and only those who can
understand the meaning (of this paradox) may use such terms. It makes no difference
to those who have realized the Essence of Mind whether they formulate all systems
of Law or dispense with all of them. They are at liberty to 'come' or to 'go'
(i.e., they may remain in or leave this world at their own free will). They are
free from obstacles or impediments. They take appropriate actions as circumstances
require. They give suitable answers according to the temperament of the enquirer.
They see that all Nirmanakayas are one with the Essence of Mind. They attain liberation,
psychic powers (Siddhi) and Samadhi, which enable them to perform the arduous
task of universal salvation as easily as if they were only playing. Such are the
men who have realized the Essence of Mind!"
"By what principle are
we guided in dispensing with all systems of Law?" was Zhi Cheng's next question.
"When our Essence of Mind is free from impurity, infatuations and disturbances,"
replied the Patriarch, "when we introspect our mind from moment to moment
with Prajna, and when we do not cling to things and phenomenal objects we are
free and liberated. Why should we formulate any system of Law when our goal can
be reached no matter whether we turn to the right or to the left? Since it is
with our own efforts that we realize the Essence of Mind, and since the realization
and the practice of the Law are both done instantaneously, and not gradually or
stage by stage, the formulation of any system of Law is unnecessary. As all Dharmas
are intrinsically Nirvanic, how can there be gradation in them?"
Zhi
Cheng made obeisance and volunteered to be an attendant of the Patriarch. In that
capacity, he served both day and night.
Bhikkhu
Zhi Che, whose secular name was Zhang Xing Chang, was a native of Kiangxi. As
a young man, he was fond of chivalric exploits.
Since the two Dhyana Schools,
Hui Neng of the South and Shen Xiu of the North, flourished side by side, a strong
sectarian feeling ran high on the part of the disciples, in spite of the tolerant
spirit shown by the two masters, who hardly knew what egotism was. Calling their
own teacher, Shen Xiu, the Sixth Patriarch on no better authority than their own,
the followers of the Northern School were jealous of the rightful owner of that
title whose claim, supported by the inherited robe, was too well known to be ignored.
(So in order to get rid of the rival teacher) they sent Zhang Xing Chang (who
was then a layman) to murder the Patriarch.
With his psychic power of mind-reading
the Patriarch was able to know of the plot beforehand. (Making ready for the coming
of the murderer), he put ten taels by the side of his own seat. Zhang duly arrived,
and one evening entered the Patriarch's room to carry out the murder. With outstretched
neck the Patriarch waited for the fatal blow. Thrice did Zhang cut, (but) not
a single wound was thereby inflicted! The Patriarch then addressed him as follows:--
"A straight sword is not crooked,
While a crooked one is not straight.
I owe you money only;
But life I do not owe."
The surprise was
too great for Zhang; he fell into a swoon and did not revive for a considerable
time. Remorseful and penitent, he asked for mercy and volunteered to join the
Order at once. Handing him the money, the Patriarch said, "You had better
not remain here, lest my followers should do you harm. Come to see me in disguise
some other time, and I will take good care of you."
As directed, Zhang
ran away the same night. Subsequently, he joined the Order ubder a certain Bhikkhu.
Upon being fully ordained, proved himself to be a very diligent monk.
One
day, recollecting what the Patriarch had said, he took the long journey to see
him and to tender him homage. "Why do you come so late?" asked the Patriarch.
"I have been thinking of you all the time."
"Since that day
you so graciously pardoned my crime," said Zhang, "I have become a Bhikkhu
and have studied Buddhism diligently. Yet I find it difficult to requite you adequately
unless I can show my gratitude by spreading the Law for the deliverance of sentient
beings. In studying the Maha Parinirvana Sutra, which I read very often, I cannot
understand the meaning of 'Eternal' and 'Not Eternal'. Will you, Sir, kindly give
me a short explanation."
"What is not eternal is the Buddha-nature,"
replied the Patriarch, "and what is eternal is the discriminating mind together
with all meritorious and demeritorious Dharmas."
"Your explanation,
Sir, contradicts the Sutra," said Zhang.
"I dare not, since I inherit
the 'Heart-Seal' of Lord Buddha," replied the Patriarch.
"According
to the Sutra," said Zhang, "the Buddha-nature is eternal, while all
meritorious and demeritorious Dharmas, including the Bodhi-citta (the Wisdom-heart)
are not eternal. As you hold otherwise, is this not a contradiction? Your explanation
has now intensified my doubts and perplexities."
"On one occasion,"
replied the Patriarch, "I had Bhikkhuni Wu jin-Zang recite to me the whole
book of the Maha Parinirvana Sutra, so that I could explain it to her. Every word
and every meaning I explained on that occasion agreed with the text. As to the
explanation I give you now, it likewise differs not from the text."
"As
my capacity for understanding is a poor one," observed Zhang, "will
you kindly explain to me more fully and more clearly."
"Don't you
understand?" said the Patriarch. "If Buddha-nature is eternal, it would
be of no use to talk about meritorious and demeritorious Dharmas; and until the
end of a Kalpa no one would arouse the Bodhi-citta. Therefore, when I say 'Not-Eternal'
it is exactly what Lord Buddha meant for 'Truly Eternal'. Again, if all Dharmas
are not eternal, then every thing or object would have a nature of its own (i.e.,
positive essence) to suffer death and birth. In that case, it would mean that
the Essence of Mind which is truly eternal does not pervade everywhere. Therefore
when I say 'Eternal' it is exactly what Lord Buddha meant by 'Truly Not-Eternal'.
"Because ordinary men and heretics believe in 'heretical eternalism'
(i.e., they believe in the eternity of soul and of the world), and because Sravakas
(aspirants to arhatship) mistake the eternity of Nirvana as something not eternal,
eight upside-down notions arise.[14] In order to refute these one-sided views,
Lord Buddha preached exoterically in the Maha Parinirvana Sutra the 'Ultimate
Doctrine' of Buddhist teaching, i.e., true eternity, true happiness, true self
and true purity.
"In following slavishly the wording of the Sutra, you
have ignored the spirit of the text. In assuming that what perishes is non-eternal
and that what is fixed and immutable is eternal, you have misinterpreted Lord
Buddha's dying instruction (contained in the Maha Parinirvana Sutra) which is
perfect, profound, and complete. You may read the Sutra a thousand times but you
will get no benefit out of it."
All of a sudden Zhang awoke to full enlightenment,
and submitted the following stanza to the Patriarch:--
In order to refute
the bigoted belief of 'Non-eternity'
Lord Buddha preached the 'Eternal Nature'.
He who does not know that such preaching is only a skilful device
May
be likened to the child who picks up pebbles and calls them gems.
Without
effort on my part
The Buddha-nature manifests itself.
This is due neither
to the instruction of my teacher
Nor to any attainment of my own.
"You
have now thoroughly realized (the Essence of Mind)," commended the Patriarch,
"and hereafter you should name yourself Zhi Che (to realize thoroughly)."
Zhi Che thanked the Patriarch, made obeisance, and departed.
(Note. - The Buddha's
object is to get rid of bigoted belief in any form. He would preach 'Non-eternity'
to believers of Eternalism; and preach 'neither Eternity nor Non-eternity' to
those who believe in both.)
A thirteen-year-old
boy named Shen Hui, who was born of a Gao family of Xiang Yang, came from Yu Quan
Monastery to tender homage to the Patriarch.
"My learned friend,"
said the Patriarch, "it must be hard for you to undertake such a long journey.
But can you tell me what is the 'fundamental principle'? If you can, you know
the owner (i.e., the Essence of Mind). Try
to say something, please."
"Non-attachment is the fundamental principle, and to know the owner is
to realize (the Essence of Mind)," replied Shen Hui.
"This Samanera
(novice) is fit for nothing but to talk loosely," reproved the Patriarch.
Thereupon Shen Hui asked the Patriarch, "In your meditation, Sir, do
you see (your Essence of Mind) or not?"
Striking him three blows with
his staff, the Patriarch asked him whether he felt pain or not. "Painful
and not painful," replied Shen Hui. "I see and I see not," retorted
the Patriarch.
"How is it that you see and see not?" asked Shen
Hui.
"What I see is my own faults," replied the Patriarch. "What
I do not see is the good, the evil, the merit and the demerit of others. That
is why I see and I see not. Now tell me what you mean by 'painful and not painful'.
If you feel no pain, you would be as a piece of wood or stone. On the other hand,
should you feel pain, and anger of hatred is thereby aroused, you would be in
the same position as an ordinary man.
"The 'Seeing' and 'not Seeing'
you referred to are a pair of opposites; while 'painful' and 'not painful' belong
to that category of Dharma which becomes and ceases (i.e., Samskrita Dharma, conditioned
or caused elements). Without having realized your own Essence of Mind, you dare
to hoodwink others."
Shen Hui apologized, made obeisance, and thanked
the Patriarch for his instruction.
Addressing him again the Patriarch said,
"If you are under delusion and cannot realize your Essence of Mind, you should
seek the advice of a pious and learned friend. When your mind is enlightened,
you will know the Essence of Mind, and then you may tread the Path the right way.
Now you are under delusion, and do not know your Essence of Mind. Yet you dare
to ask whether I know my Essence of Mind or not. If I do, I realize it myself,
but the fact that I know it cannot help you from being under delusion. Similarly,
if you know your Essence of Mind your knowing would be of no use to me. Instead
of asking others, why not see it for yourself and know it for yourself?"
Making obeisance more than a hundred times, Shen Hui again expressed regret
and asked the Patriarch to forgive him. (Henceforth) he worked diligently as the
Patriarch's attendant.
Addressing the assembly one day, the Patriarch said,
"I have an article which has no head, no name nor appellation, no front and
no back. Do any of you know it?"
Stepping out from the crowd, Shen Hui
replied, "It is the source of all Buddhas, and the Buddha-nature of Shen
Hui."
"I have told you already that it is without name and appellation,
and yet you call it 'Source of Buddhas' and 'Buddha-nature'," reproved the
Patriarch. "Even if you confine yourself in a mat shed for further study
(as is the wont of the Bhikkhus), you will be a Dhyana scholar of secondhand knowledge
only (i.e., knowledge from books and verbal authority instead of Knowledge obtained
intuitively).
After the death of the Patriarch, Shen Hui left for Loyang,
where he spread widely the teaching of the Sudden School. The popular work entitled
'An Explicit Treatise on Dhyana Teaching' was written by him. He is generally
known by the name Dhyana Master He Ze (the name of his monastery).
Seeing
that many questions were put to him in bad faith by followers of various Schools,
and that a great number of such questioners had gathered around him, the Patriarch
addressed them out of compassion as follows:--
"A treader of the Path
should do away with all thoughts, good as well as evil ones. It is merely as an
expedient that the Essence of Mind is so called; it cannot really be named by
any name. This 'non-dual nature' is called the 'true nature', upon which all Dharma
systems of teaching are based. One should realize the Essence of Mind as soon
as one is spoken to about it."
Upon hearing this, every one made obeisance
and asked the Patriarch to allow them to be his disciples.
Chapter
IX. Royal Patronage
An edict dated the 15th day of the first Moon of the first
year of Shen Long, issued by the Empress Dowager Ze Tian and the Emperor Zhong
Zung ran as follows:--
"Since we invited Grand Masters Hui An and Shen
Xiu to stay in the palace to receive our offerings, we have studied the 'Buddha
Vehicle' under them whenever we could find time after attending to our imperial
duties. Out of sheer modesty, these two Masters recommended that we should seek
the advice of Dhyana Master Hui Neng of the South, who has esoterically inherited
the Dharma and the robe of the Fifth Patriarch as well as the 'Heart Seal' of
Lord Buddha.
"We hereby send Eunuch Xue Jian as the courier of this Edict
to invite His Holiness to come, and trust His Holiness will graciously favor us
with an early visit to the capital, etc., etc."
On the ground of illness,
the Patriarch sent a reply to decline the royal invitation and asked to be allowed
to spend his remaining years in the "forest'.
"Dhyana experts in
the capital," said Xue Jian (when interviewing the Patriarch), "unanimously
advise people to meditate in the sitting position to attain Samadhi. They say
that this is the only way to realize the Norm, and that it is impossible for anyone
to obtain liberation without going through meditation exercises. May I know your
way of teaching, Sir?"
"The Norm is to be realized by the mind,"
replied the Patriarch, "and does not depend on the sitting position. The
Vajracchedika (Diamond) Sutra says that it is wrong 'for anyone to assert that
the Tathagata comes or goes, sits or reclines.' Why? Because the Tathagata's 'Dhyana
of Purity' implies neither coming from anywhere nor going to anywhere, neither
becoming nor causing to be. All Dharmas are calm and void, and such is the Tathagata's
'Seat of Purity'. Strictly speaking, there is even no such thing as 'attainment';
why then should we bother ourselves about the sitting position?"
"Upon
my return," said Xue Jian, "Their Majesties will certainly ask me to
make a report. Will you, Sir, kindly give me some essential hints on your teaching,
so that I can make them known not only to Their Majesties, but also to all Buddhist
scholars in the capital? As the flame of one lamp may kindle hundreds or thousands
of others, so the ignorant will be enlightened (by your teaching), and light will
produce light without end."
"The Norm implies neither light nor
darkness," replied the Patriarch. "Light and darkness signify the idea
of alternation. (It is not correct to say) that light will produce light without
end, because there is an end, since light and darkness are a pair of opposites.
The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra says, 'The Norm has no comparison, since it is not
a relative term'."
"Light signifies wisdom," argued Xue Jian,
"and darkness signifies Klesa (defilement). If a treader of the Path does
not break up Klesa with the force of wisdom, how is he going to free himself from
the 'wheel of birth
and death', which is beginningless?"
"Klesa
is Bodhi," rejoined the Patriarch. "The two are the same and not different.
To break up Klesa with wisdom is the teaching of the Sravaka (aspirant to Arhatship)
School and the Pratyeka Buddha School, the followers of which are of the 'Goat
Vehicle' and 'Deer Vehicle' standard respectively. To those of superior mental
dispositions such teaching would be of no use at all."
"What then,
is the teaching of the Mahayana School?" asked Xue Jian.
"From the
point of view of ordinary men," replied the Patriarch, "enlightenment
and ignorance are two separate things. Wise men who realize thoroughly the Essence
of Mind know that they are of the same nature. This same nature or non-dual nature
is what is called the 'real nature', which neither decreases in the case of ordinary
men and ignorant persons, nor increases in the case of the enlightened sage; which
is not disturbed in a state of annoyance, nor calm in a state of Samadhi. It is
neither eternal nor non-eternal; it neither goes nor comes; it is not to be found
in the exterior, nor in the interior, nor in the space between the two. It is
above existence and non-existence; its nature and its phenomena are always in
a state of 'Thusness'; it is permanent and immutable. Such is the Norm."
Xue Jian asked, "You say that it is above existence and non-existence.
How then do you differentiate it from the teaching of the heretics who teach the
same thing?"
"In the teaching of the heretics," replied the
Patriarch, "'non-existence' means the end of 'existence', while 'existence'
is used in contrast with 'non-existence'. What they mean by 'non-existence' is
not actually annihilation and what they call 'existence' does not really exist.
What I mean by 'above existence and non-existence' is this; intrinsically it exists
not, and at the present moment it is not annihilated. Such is the difference between
my teaching and that of the heretics.
"If you wish to know the essential
points of my teaching, you should free yourself from all thoughts, good ones as
well as bad; then your mind will be in a state of purity, calm and serene all
the time, and its usefulness as manifold as the grains of sand in the Ganges."
The preaching of the Patriarch suddenly awoke Xue Jian to full enlightenment.
He made obeisance and bid the Patriarch adieu. Upon his return to the palace,
he reported what the Patriarch had said to Their Majesties.
In that same year,
on the third day of the ninth Moon, an edict was issued commending the Patriarch
in the following terms:--
"On the ground of old age and poor health,
the Patriarch declined our invitation to come to the capital. Devoting his life
to the practice of Buddhism for our benefit, he is indeed the 'field of merit'
of the nation. Like Vimalakirti, who recuperated in Vaisali, he widely spreads
the Mahayana teaching, transmits the doctrine of the Dhyana School, and expounds
the system of 'Non-dual' Law.
"Through the medium of Xue Jian, to whom
the Patriarch has imparted the 'Buddha-knowledge', we are fortunate enough to
have a chance to understand for ourselves the teaching of the Supreme Vehicle.
This must be due to our accumulated merits and our 'root of goodness' planted
in past lives; otherwise, we should not be the contemporaries of His Holiness.
"
In appreciation of the graciousness of the Patriarch, we present to
him herewith a Mo Na robe [15] and a crystal bowl. The Prefect of Shao Chou is
hereby ordered to renovate his monastery and to convert his old residence into
a temple which is to be named 'Guo En' (State Munificence). By royal favor, etc.,
etc."
Chapter X.
His Final Instructions
One day the Patriarch sent for his disciples, Fa Hai,
Zhi Cheng, Fa Da, Shen Hui, Zhi Chang, Zhi Tong, Zhi Che, Zhi Dao, Fa Zhen, Fa
Ru, etc., and addressed them as follows:--
"You men are different from
the common lot. After my entering into Parinirvana, each of you will be the Dhyana
Master of a certain district. I am, therefore, going to give you some hints on
preaching, so that when doing so, you may keep up the tradition of our School.
"First mention the three categories of Dharmas, and then the thirty-six
'pairs of opposites' in the activities (of the Essence of Mind). Then teach how
to avoid the two extremes of 'coming in' or 'going out'. In all preaching, stray
not from the Essence of Mind. Whenever a man puts a question to you, answer him
in antonyms, so that a 'pair of opposites' will be formed. (For example), 'coming'
and 'going' are the reciprocal cause of each other; when the interdependence of
the two is entirely done away with there would be, in the absolute sense, neither
'coming' nor 'going'.
"The three categories of Dharmas are:--
Skandhas
(aggregates),
Ayatanas (places or spheres of meeting),
Dhatus (factors
of consciousness).
The five Skandhas are:--
Rupa (matter), Vedana (sensation),
Samjna (perception), Samskara (tendencies
of mind), and Vijnana (consciousness).
The
twelve Ayatanas are:--
Six Sense Objects (external)
Six Sense Organs (internal)
Object
of sight Organ of sight
Object of hearing Organ of hearing
Object of smell
Organ of smell
Object of taste Organ of taste
Object of touch Organ of touch
Object
of thought Organ of thought
The eighteen Dhatus are:
The six sense objects,
six sense organs and six recipient vijnanas.
"Since the Essence of Mind
is the embodiment of all Dharmas, it is called the Repository Consciousness (Alaya).
But as soon as the process of thinking or reasoning is started, the Essence of
Mind is transmuted into (various) vijnanas. When the six recipient vijnanas come
into being, they perceive the six sense objects through the six 'doors' (of sense).
Thus, the functioning of the eighteen dhatus derive their impetus from the Essence
of Mind. Whether they function with an evil tendency or a good one depends upon
what mood -- good or evil -- the Essence of Mind is in. Evil functioning is that
of a common man, while good functioning is that of a Buddha. It is because there
are 'pairs of opposites' inherent in the Essence of Mind that the functioning
of the eighteen dhatus derive their impetus.
"The thirty-six 'Pairs of
opposites' are:--
Five external inanimate ones: Heaven and earth, sun and
moon, light and darkness, positive element and negative element, fire and water.
Twelve Dharmalaksana (phenomenal objects): Speech and Dharma, affirmation
and negation, matter and non-matter, form and without form, taints (asravas) and
absence of taint, matter and void, motion and quiescence, purity and impurity,
ordinary people and sages, the Sangha and the laity, the aged and the young, the
big and the small.
Nineteen pairs denoting the functioning of the Essence
of Mind: Long and short, good and evil, infatuated and enlightened, ignorant and
wise, perturbed and calm, merciful and wicked, abstinent (Sila) and indulgent,
straight and crooked, full and empty, steep and level, Klesa and Bodhi, permanent
and transient, compassionate and cruel, happy and angry, generous and mean, forward
and backward, existent and non-existent, Dharmakaya and physical body, Sambhogakaya
and Nirmanakaya.
"He who knows how to use these thirty-six pairs realizes
the all-pervading principle which goes through the teaching of all Sutras. Whether
he is 'coming in' or 'going out', he is able to avoid the two extremes.
"In
the functioning of the Essence of Mind and in conversation with others, outwardly
we should free ourselves from attachment to objects, whence come contact with
objects; and inwardly, with regard to the teaching of the 'Void,' we should free
ourselves from the idea of Nihilism. To believe in the reality of objects or in
Nihilism would result in deep-rooted fallacious views or intensified ignorance
respectively.
"A bigoted believer in Nihilism blasphemes against the
Sutras on the ground that literature (i.e., the Buddhist Scriptures) is unnecessary
(for the study of Buddhism). If that were so, then neither would it be right for
us
to speak, since speech forms the substance of literature. He would also
argue that in the direct method (literally, the straight Path) literature is discarded.
But does he appreciate that the two words 'is discarded' are also literature?
Upon hearing others speak of Sutras, such a man would criticize the speakers as
'addicted to scriptural authority'. It is bad enough for him to confine this mistaken
notion to himself, but in addition, he blasphemes against the Buddhist scriptures.
You men should know that it is a serious offence to speak ill of the Sutras, for
the consequence is grave indeed!
"He who believes in the reality of outward
objects tries to seek the form (from without) by practicing a certain system of
doctrine. He may furnish spacious lecture-halls for the discussion of Realism
or Nihilism, but such a man will not for numerous Kalpas realize the Essence of
Mind.
"We should tread the Path according to the teaching of the Law,
and not keep our mind in a state of indolence, thereby creating obstacles to the
understanding of the Norm. To preach or to hear the Law without practicing it
would give occasion for the arising of heretical views. Hence, we should tread
the Path according to the teaching of the Law, and in the dissemination of the
Dharma we should not be influenced by the concept of the reality of objects.
"If
you understand what I say, and make use of it in preaching, in practice, and in
your daily life, you will grasp the distinguishing feature of our School.
"Whenever
a question is put to you, answer it in the negative if it is an affirmative one;
and vice versa. If you are asked about an ordinary man, tell the enquirer something
about a sage; and vice versa. From the correlation or interdependence of the two
opposites the doctrine of the 'Mean' may be grasped. If all other questions are
answered in this manner, you will not be far away from the truth.
"(Let
me explain more fully). Suppose someone asks you what is darkness, answer him
thus: Light is the Hetu (root condition) and darkness is the pratyaya (Conditions
which bring about any given phenomenon). When light disappears, darkness is the
consequence. The two are in contrast to each other. From the correlation or interdependence
of the two the doctrine of the 'Mean' arises.
"In this way all other
questions are to be answered. To ensure the perpetuation of the aim and object
of our School in the transmission of the Dharma to your successors, this instruction
should be handed down from one generation to another."
In the 7th Moon
of the year of Ren Zi, the first year of Tai Ji or Yan He Era, the Patriarch sent
some of his disciples to Xin Zhou to have a shrine (stupa) built within the Guo
En monastery, with instructions that the work should be completed as soon as possible.
Next year, when summer was well-nigh spent, the stupa was duly completed.
On
the 1st day of the 7th Moon, the Patriarch assembled his disciples and addressed
them as follows:--
"I am going to leave this world by the 8th Moon. Should
you have any doubts (on the doctrine) please ask me in time, so that I can clear
them up for you. You may find no one to teach you after my departure."
The
sad news moved Fa Hai and other disciples to tears. Shen Hui, on the other hand,
remained unperturbed. Commending him, the Patriarch said, "Young Master Shen
Hui is the only one here who has attained that state of mind which sees no difference
in good or evil, knows neither sorrow nor happiness, and is unmoved by praise
or blame. After so many years' training in this mountain, what progress have you
made? What are you crying for now? Are you worrying for me because I do not know
whither I shall go? But I do know; otherwise I could not tell you beforehand what
will happen. What makes you cry is that you don't know whither I am going. If
you did, there would be no occasion for you to cry. In Suchness (Tathata) there
is neither coming nor going, neither becoming nor cessation. Sit down, all of
you, and let me read you a stanza on reality and illusion, and on Motion and Quietude.
Read it, and your opinion will accord with mine. Practice it, and you will grasp
the aim and object of our School."
The assembly made obeisance and asked
the Patriarch to let them hear the stanza, which read as follows:--
In all
things there is nothing real,
And so we should free ourselves from the concept
of the reality of objects.
He who believes in the reality of objects
Is
bound by this very concept, which is entirely illusive.
He who realizes the
'Reality' (i.e.,Essence of Mind) within himself
Knows that the 'True Mind'
is to be sought apart from false phenomena.
If one's mind is bound by illusive
phenomena
Where is Reality to be found, when all phenomena are unreal?
Sentient
beings are mobile;
Inanimate objects are stationary.
He who trains himself
by exercise to be motionless
(Gets no benefit) other than making himself as
still as an inanimate object.
Should you the find true type Immobility
There
is Immobility within Activity.
Immobility alone (like that of inanimate objects)
is immobility (and not Dhyana),
And in inanimate objects the seed of Buddhahood
is not to be found.
He who is adept in the discrimination of various Dharmalaksana
Abides immovably in the 'First Principle' (Nirvana).
Thus are all things
to be perceived,
And this is the functioning of Tathata (Suchness).
Treaders
of the Path,
Exert yourself and take heed
That as followers of the Mahayana
School
You do not embrace that sort of knowledge
Which binds you to the
wheel of birth and death.
With those who are sympathetic
Let us have discussion
on Buddhism.
As for those whose point of view differs from ours
Let us
treat them politely and thus make them happy.
(But) disputes are alien to
our School,
For they are incompatible with its doctrine.
To be bigoted
and to argue with others in disregard of this rule
Is to subjects one's Essence
of Mind to the bitterness of mundane existence.
Having heard this stanza, the
assembly made obeisance in a body. In accordance with the wishes of the Patriarch,
they concentrated their minds to put the stanza into actual practice, and refrained
from religious controversy.
Seeing that the Patriarch would pass away in the
near future, the head Monk, Fa Hai, after prostrating himself twice asked, "Sir,
upon your entering Nirvana, who will be the inheritor of the robe and the Dharma?"
"All my sermons," replied the Patriarch, "from the time I preached
in Da Fan monastery, may be copied out for circulation in a volume to be entitled
'Sutra Spoken on the High Seat of the Treasure of the Law'. (Dharmaratha) Take
good care of it and hand it down from one generation to another for the salvation
of all sentient beings. He who preaches in accordance with its teachings preaches
the Orthodox Dharma.
"So much for the Dharma. As to transmission of the
robe, this practice is to be discontinued. Why? Because you all have implicit
faith in my teaching, and being free from all doubts you are able to carry out
the lofty object of our School. Furthermore, according to the implied meaning
of the stanza by Bodhidharma, the first Patriarch, on Dharma transmission, the
robe need not be handed down to posterity. The stanza reads:--
The object
of my coming to this land (i.e., China)
Is to transmit the Dharma for the
deliverance of those under delusion.
In five petals the flowers will be complete.
Thereafter, the fruit will come to bearing naturally.
The Patriarch added,
"Learned Audience, purify your minds and listen to me. He who wishes to attain
the All-knowing Knowledge of a Buddha should know the 'Samadhi of Specific Object'
and the 'Samadhi of Specific Mode'. In all circumstances we should free ourselves
from attachment to objects, and our attitude towards them should be neutral and
indifferent. Let neither success nor failure, neither profit nor loss, worry us.
Let us be calm and serene, modest and accommodating, simple and dispassionate.
Such is the 'Samadhi of Specific Object'. On all occasions, whether we are standing,
walking, sitting or reclining, let us be absolutely straightforward. Then, remaining
in our sanctuary, and without the least movement, we shall virtually be in the
Kingdom of Pure Land. Such is the 'Samadhi of Specific Mode'.
"He who
is complete with these two forms of Samadhi may be likened to the ground with
seeds sown therein. Covered up in the mud, the seeds receive nourishment therefrom
and grow until the fruit comes into bearing.
"My preaching to you now
may be likened to the seasonable rain which brings moisture to a vast area of
land. The Buddha-nature within you may be likened to the seed which, being moistened
by the rain, will grow rapidly. He who carries out my instructions will certainly
attain Bodhi. He who follows my teaching will certainly attain the superb fruit
(of Buddhahood). Listen to my stanza:--
Buddha-seeds latent in our mind
Will
sprout upon the coming of the all-pervading rain.
The 'flower' of the doctrine
having been intuitively grasped,
One is bound to reap the fruit of Enlightenment.
Then
he added, "The Dharma is non-dual and so is the mind. The Path is pure and
above all forms. I warn you not to use those exercises for meditation on quietude
or for keeping the mind a blank. The mind is by nature pure, so there is nothing
for us to crave for or give up. Do your best, each of you, and go wherever circumstances
lead."
Thereupon the disciples made obeisance and withdrew.
On
the 8th day of the 7th Moon, the Patriarch gave a sudden order to his disciples
to get ready a boat for his going back to Xin Zhou (his native place). In a body
they entreated him earnestly and pitifully to stay.
"It is only natural
that I should go," said the Patriarch, "for death is the inevitable
outcome of birth, and even the various Buddhas who appear in this world have to
go through an earthly death before entering Parinirvana. There can be no exception
for my physical body, which must be laid down somewhere."
"After
your visit to Xin Zhou," entreated the assembly, "please return here
sooner or later."
"Fallen leaves go back to where the root is, and
when I first came, mouth I had not," replied the Patriarch.
Then they
asked, "To whom, Sir, do you transmit the Womb of the Dharma Eye?"
"Men
of principle will get it, and those who are mind-less will understand it."
They further asked, "Will any calamity befall you hereafter?"
"Five
or six years after my death," replied the Patriarch, "a man will come
to cut off my head. I have made the following prophecy of which please take note:--
To the top of the parent's head, offerings are made,
For the mouth must
be fed.
When the calamity of 'Man' befalls,
Yang and Liu will be the officials.
He
added, "Seventy years after my departure two Bodhisattvas from the East,
one a layman and the other a monk, will preach contemporaneously, disseminate
the Law widely, establish our School on a firm basis, renovate our monasteries
and transmit the doctrine to numerous promising successors."
"Can
you let us know for how many generations the Dharma has been transmitted, from
the appearance of the earliest Buddha up to now?" asked the disciples.
"The
Buddhas who have appeared in this world are too many to be counted," replied
the Patriarch. "But let us start from the last seven Buddhas. They are:--
Of the last Kalpa, the Alamkarakalpa: Buddha Vipassin, Buddha Sikhin, Buddha
Vessabhu.
Of the present Kalpa (the Bhadrakalpa): Buddha Kakusundha, Buddha
Konagamana, Buddha Kassapa, Buddha Gautama (Sakyamuni).
"From the Buddha
Sakyamuni, the Law was transmitted to the:
1st Patriarch Arya Mahakasyapa
(It was then in turn transmitted to)
2nd Patriarch Arya Ananda
3rd Patriarch
Arya Sanavasa
4th Patriarch Arya Upagupta
5th Patriarch Arya Dhritaka
6th Patriarch Arya Michaka
7th Patriarch Arya Vasumitra
8th Patriarch
Arya Buddhanandi
9th Patriarch Arya Buddhamitra
10th Patriarch Arya Parsva
11th Patriarch Arya Punyayasas
12th Patriarch Bodhisattva Asvaghosa
13th
Patriarch Arya Kapimala
14th Patriarch Bodhisattva Nagarjuna
15th Patriarch
Kanadeva
16th Patriarch Arya Rahulata
17th Patriarch Arya Sanghanandi
18th Patriarch Arya Sangayasas
19th Patriarch Arya Kumarata
20th Patriarch
Arya Jayata
21st Patriarch Arya Vasubandhu
22nd Patriarch Arya Manura
23rd Patriarch Arya Haklenayasas
24th Patriarch Arya Sinha
25th Patriarch
Arya Vasiastia
26th Patriarch Arya Punyamitra
27th Patriarch Arya Prajnatara
28th Patriarch Arya Bodhidharma (the first Patriarch in China)
29th Patriarch
Grand Master Hui Ke
30th Patriarch Grand Master Seng Can
31st Patriarch
Grand Master Dao Xin
32nd Patriarch Grand Master Hung Ren
And I am the
33rd Patriarch (i.e.,the 6th Patriarch in China). Thus, by pupillary, the Dharma
was handed down from one Patriarch to another. Hereafter, you men should in turn
transmit it to posterity by passing it on from one generation to another, so that
the tradition may be maintained.
On
the 3rd day of the 8th Moon of the year of Kui Chou, the second Year of Xian Tian
Era (A.D. 713), after taking food at the Guo En Monastery, the Patriarch addressed
his disciples as follows:--
"Please sit down, for I am going to say good-bye."
Thereupon Fa Hai spoke to the Patriarch, "Sir, will you please leave
to posterity definite instructions whereby people under delusion may realize the
Buddha nature."
"It is not impossible," replied the Patriarch,
"for these men to realize the Buddha-nature, provided they acquaint themselves
with the nature of ordinary sentient beings. But to seek Buddhahood without such
knowledge would be in vain even if one shall spend aeons of time in the search.
"Now, let me show you how to get acquainted with the nature of the sentient
beings within your mind, and thereby realize the Buddha-nature latent in you.
Knowing Buddha means nothing else than knowing sentient beings, for the latter
ignore that they are potential Buddhas, whereas a Buddha sees no difference between
himself and other beings. When sentient beings realize the Essence of Mind, they
are Buddhas. If a Buddha is under delusion in his Essence of Mind, he is then
an ordinary being. Purity in the Essence of Mind makes ordinary beings Buddhas.
Impurity in the Essence of Mind reverts even a Buddha to an ordinari being. When
your mind is crooked or depraved, you are ordinary beings with Buddha-nature latent
in you. On the other hand, when you direct your mind to purity and straightforwardness
even for one moment, you are a Buddha.
"Within our mind there is a Buddha,
and that Buddha within is the real Buddha. If Buddha is not to be sought within
our mind, where shall we find the real Buddha? Doubt not that Buddha is within
your mind, apart from which nothing can exist. Since all things or phenomena are
the production of our mind, the Sutra says, 'When mental activity begins, various
things come into being; when mental activity ceases, they too cease to exist.'
In parting from you, let me leave you a stanza entitled 'The Real Buddha of the
Essence of Mind'. People of future generations who understand its meaning will
realize the Essence of Mind and attain Buddhahood. It reads:--
The Essence
of Mind or Tathata (Suchness) is the real Buddha,
While heretical views and
the three poisonous elements are Mara.
Enlightened by Right Views, we call
forth the Buddha within us.
When our nature is dominated by the three poisonous
elements,
We are said to be possessed by Mara;
But when Right Views eliminate
from our mind these poisonous elements,
Mara will be transformed into a real
Buddha.
The Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya and the Nirmanakaya --
These
three Bodies emanate from one (i.e., the Essence of Mind).
He who is able
to realize this fact intuitively
Has sown the seed, and will reap the fruit
of Enlightenment.
It is from the Nirmanakaya that our 'Pure Nature' emanates;
Within the former the latter is to be found.
Guided by 'Pure Nature,'
the Nirmanakaya treads the Right Path,
And will some day attain to the Sambhogakaya,
perfect and infinite.
'Pure Nature' is an outgrowth of our sensual instincts;
By getting rid of sensuality, we attain the Pure Dharmakaya.
When our
temperament is such that we are no longer the slaves of the five sense-objects,
And when we have realized the Essence of Mind even for one moment only, then
Truth is known to us.
Should we be so fortunate as to be the followers of
the Sudden School in this life,
In a sudden we shall see the Bhagavat of our
Essence of Mind.
He who seeks the Buddha (from without) by practicing certain
doctrines
Knows not where the real Buddha is to be found.
He who is able
to realize the Truth within his own mind
Has sown the seed of Buddhahood.
He who has not realized the Essence of Mind and seeks the Buddha from without
Is a fool motivated by wrong desires.
I have hereby left to posterity
the teaching of the Sudden School
For the salvation of all sentient beings
who care to practice it.
Hear me, ye future disciples!
Your time will
have been badly wasted if you neglect to put this teaching into practice.
Having
recited the stanza, he added, "Take good care of yourselves. After my passing
away, do not follow the worldly tradition, and cry or lament. Neither should messages
of condolence be accepted, nor mourning be worn. These things are contrary to
the Orthodox Teaching, and he who does them is not my disciple. What you should
do is to know your own mind and realize your own Buddha-nature, which neither
rests nor moves, neither becomes nor ceases to be, neither comes nor goes, neither
affirms nor denies, neither stays nor departs. Lest your mind should be under
delusion and thus fail to
catch my meaning, I repeat this to you to enable
you to realize your Essence of Mind. After my death, if you carry out my instructions
and practice them accordingly, my being away from you will make no difference.
On the other hand, if you go against my teaching, no benefit would be obtained,
even if I
continued to stay here."
Then he uttered another stanza:--
Imperturbable and serene, the ideal man practices no virtue.
Self-possessed
and dispassionate, he commits no sin.
Calm and silent, he gives up seeing
and hearing.
Even and upright, his mind abides nowhere.
Having uttered
the stanza, he sat reverently until the third watch of the night. Then he said
abruptly to his disciples, "I am going now," and in a sudden passed
away. A peculiar fragrance pervaded his room, and a lunar rainbow appeared which
seemed to join up earth and sky. The trees in the wood turned white, and birds
and beasts cried mournfully.
In the 11th Moon of that year the question of
the Patriarch's resting place gave rise to a dispute among the government officials
of Guang Zhou, Shao Zhou and Xin Zhou, each party being anxious to have the remains
of the Patriarch removed to its own district. The Patriarch's disciples, together
with other Bhikkhus and laymen, took part in the controversy. Being unable to
come to any settlement among themselves, they burnt incense and prayed to the
Patriarch to indicate by the direction of the drift of the smoke the place which
he himself would choose. As the smoke turned directly to Cao Xi, the shrine (in
which the body was kept) together with the inherited robe and bowl was accordingly
taken back there on the 13th day of the 11th Moon.
Next year, on the 25th
day of the 7th Moon, the body was taken out of the shrine, and Fang Bian, a disciple
of the Patriarch, plastered it with incense-clay. Recollecting the Patriarch's
prediction that someone would take away his head, the disciples, as a matter of
precaution, strengthened his neck by wrapping it with iron sheets and lacquered
cloth before the body was placed in the stupa. Suddenly, a flash of white light
rushed out from the stupa, went straight towards the sky, and did not disperse
until three days after. The incident was duly reported to the Throne by the officials
of Shao Zhou District. By imperial order, tablets were erected to record the life
of the Patriarch.
The Patriarch inherited the robe when he was 24, had his
hair shaved (i.e., was ordained) at 39, and died at the age of 76. For thirty-seven
years he preached for the benefit of all sentient beings. Forty-three of his disciples
inherited the Dharma, and by his express consent became his successors, while
those who attained enlightenment and thereby got out of the rut of the ordinary
man were too numerous to be counted.
The robe transmitted by Bodhidharma as
the insignia of Patriarchship, the Mo Na robe and the crystal bowl presented by
Emperor Zhong Zong, the Patriarch's statue made by Fang Bian, and other sacred
articles, were put in charge of the keeper of the stupa. They were to be kept
permanently in Bao Lin Monastery to guard the welfare of the temple. The Sutra
spoken by the Patriarch was published and circulated to make known the principles
and objects of the Dharma School. All these steps were taken for the prosperity
of the 'Three Gems' (i.e., Buddha, Law, and Order) as well as for the general
welfare of all sentient beings.
(End of the Sutra)
Appendix
by Ling Tao, the Stupa Keeper
At midnight of the 3rd day of the 8th Moon of
the Year of Ren Xu, in the 10th year of the Kai Yuan Era, noises similar to those
made by the dragging of an iron chain were heard within the stupa in which the
Patriarch's remains were enshrined. Awakened by the alarm, the Bhikkhus saw a
man in mourning run out from the pagoda. Subsequently, they found that injuries
had been inflicted on the Patriarch's neck. Reports were duly made to Prefect
Liu Wu Tian and Magistrate Yang Kan. Upon receiving the complaint they made a
vigilant search for the culprit, who five days after was arrested in Shi Jiao
Village and sent to Shao Zhou for trial.
He stated that his name was Zhang
Jing Man, a native of Liang of Ru Zhou, and that in Kai Yuan Monastery of Hong
Zhou he had received two thousand cash from a Xin Lo (a state in Korea) Bhikkhu
named Jin Da Bei, who ordered him to steal the Patriarch's head to be sent back
to Korea for veneration.
Having taken this statement Prefect Liu reserved
judgement and went personnaly to Cao Xi to consult the Patriarch's senior disciple,
Ling Tao, as to the adequate sentence to be passed. Ling Tao said, "According
to the law of the state, the death sentence should be passed. But as mercy is
the keynote of Buddhism, which teaches that kindred and enemies should be treated
alike, coupled with the fact that religious veneration is the motive of the crime,
the offender may be pardoned." Much impressed, Prefect Liu exclaimed, "Now
I begin to realize how liberal and broad-minded the Buddhists are!" The prisoner
was accordingly set free.
Emperor Su Zong, who wished to do veneration to
the Patriarch's robe and bowl, sent an ambassador to Cao Xi to escort them with
due respect to the royal palace. They were kept there until the 1st year of Yong
Tai, when emperor Dai Zong had a dream in the night of the 5th day of the 5th
Moon that the Patriarch asked him to return the relics. On the 7th day of the
same moon, the following edict addressed to Yang Jian was issued:
"Whereas
His Majesty dreamt that Dhyana Master Hui Neng asked for the restitution of the
inherited robe and bowl, Marshal Zhen Guo ('Pillar of State', a title of honor)
Liu Chong Jing is hereby detailed to convey them with due reverence to Cao Xi.
These relics are regarded by His Majesty as state valuables, and you are directed
to store them properly in Bao Lin Monastery and give express orders to the Bhikkhus,
who had received personal instructions from the Patriarch, to exercise special
care for their protection, so that no loss or breakage may be suffered."
Thereafter, the relics were stolen several times, but on each occasion they
were recovered before the thief could run away far.
Emperor Xian Zong conferred
on the Patriarch the Posthumous title 'Da Jian' (the great mirror, ot the great
seer) and wrote the epigraph 'Yuan He Ling Zhao' (Harmonious spirit shines forth
divinely) for the stupa.
Other biographical materials are to be found in the
tablets recording the life of the Patriarch written by Chancellor Wang Wei, Prefect
Liu Zong Yuan, Prefect Liu Yu Xi, and others, all of the Tang Dynasty.