Treasury of the True Dharma Eye

by Zen Master Dogen

  In order to fathom the true meaning of the dharma, thoroughly study the ancestor’s teaching as a single great matter. Do not try to learn it through other vehicles. The thusness of reality and the true characteristics, true form, true function, true cause and effect of the dharma blossoms turning, had not existed or been spoken of before Huineng.

  What is spoken of as turned by dharma blossoms is your mind is deluded. Your mind is deluded is no other than turned by dharma blossoms. Thus, the deluded mind is turned by dharma blossoms. The meaning is that while the deluded mind is no other than all phenomena, reality is turned by dharma blossoms. To be turned in this way is neither to be rejoiced in nor sought after, neither to attain nor to arrive.

  This being so, dharma blossom turning is not two, not three. As there is only One Buddha Vehicle, and the dharma blossoms turning and being turned are, in reality, One Buddha Vehicle, one great matter, these are bits and pieces [of One Vehicle] alone. Thus, do not resent delusion. What you practice is the bodhisattva way, seeing buddhas through the original practice of the bodhisattva. Each unfolding of the teaching, each entering into enlightenment, is dharma blossoms turning.

  There is delusion in the burning house, delusion at the gate, delusion away from the gate, delusion in front of the gate, delusion inside the gate. Inside-the-gate, away-from-the-gate, as well as at-the-gate, and the burning house are actualized in delusion. This is the unfolding of the teaching and entering enlightenment on the white-ox cart.

  When you enter majestically, riding the white-ox cart, do you regard the ground as the place of entering, or do you see the burning house as the place of departing? Do you fully regard being at the gate as passing the gate?

  Know that the cart wheel turns the burning house, unfolds the teaching and enters enlightenment. The ground turns the burning house, unfolds the teaching, and enters enlightenment. At-the-gate turns the entire gate, unfolds the teaching, and enters enlightenment. Innumerable gates turn the one gate, unfold the teaching, and enter enlightenment. Each unfolding of the teaching and each entrance into enlightenment turns the innumerable gates, unfolds the teaching, and enters enlightenment. Turning unfolds the teaching and enters enlightenment inside the gate. Turning unfolds the teaching and enters enlightenment away from the gate. Turning of the ground inside the burning house unfolds the teaching and enters enlightenment.

  Thus, the burning house is beyond understanding, and the ground is beyond knowing. Who regards the turning of the three realms as the wheel of the One Vehicle? Who regards unfolding the teaching and entering enlightenment as going in and out of the gate? If you seek the cart wheel instead of the burning house, how many turnings will there be? If you desire the burning house and not the ground, how profound will it be? Do you fully understand the ground as the equanimity of Vulture Peak? Do you practice the evenness of the ground on Vulture Peak? Thoroughly engage in the practice to make “the place where sentient beings rejoice” into “my [the Buddha’s] indestructible Pure Land.”

  [The Lotus Sutra says,] “I wholeheartedly wish to see the Buddha.”

  Study thoroughly whether this I is you or other. There is attaining the way by sharing the [buddha] body, and there is attaining the way with the entire body.

  “Appearing together on Vulture Peak” took place because the Buddha’s body-and-mind was not held back. There is unfolding the teaching and entering enlightenment by “always being present and expounding dharma.” There is unfolding the teaching and entering enlightenment through “manifesting nirvana by skillful means.”

  Who has trust in understanding and trust in beyond understanding, when the Buddha says, “They do not see me, although I am close to them.”

  “The place filled with celestial beings” is the land of Shakyamuni Buddha and Vairochana Buddha—the land of eternal, serene light. Encompassing the four lands within ourselves, we abide in the buddha land of one thusness.

  When you see a speck of dust, it is not that you do not see the world of phenomena. When you realize the world of phenomena, it is not that you do not realize a speck of dust. When buddhas realize the world of phenomena, they do not keep you from realization. Wholesomeness is manifest in the beginning, middle, and end.

  Thus, realization is reality right now. Even shocks, doubts, fears, and frights are none other than reality right now. However, with buddha knowledge it is different; seeing a speck of dust is different from sitting within a speck of dust. Even when you sit in the world of phenomena, it is not broad. Even when you sit in a speck of dust, it is not narrow. If you are not fully present, you do not fully sit. If you are fully present, you are free of how large or narrow it is where you are. Thus, you have thoroughly experienced the essential unfolding of dharma blossoms.

  Is it that the manifestation and essence of your practice now originates in the world of phenomena or in a speck of dust? Have no shocks and doubts, no fears or frights. Just this turning of dharma blossoms is the original practice, deep and wide. In seeing the speck of dust and seeing the world of phenomena, there is no attempt to create or measure. Even those who attempt to create or measure do so in accordance with dharma blossoms.

  When you hear the words “unfold the teaching and enter enlightenment,” understand that the buddhas want sentient beings to do so. “Opening the buddha wisdom” is the dharma blossoms turning; this is “manifesting buddha wisdom.” “Realizing buddha wisdom” is the dharma blossoms turning; this is entering buddha wisdom. “Manifesting buddha wisdom” is the dharma blossoms turning; this is realizing buddha wisdom.

  This is the dharma blossoms turning, opening the teaching and entering enlightenment; each is a way of thorough practice. Truly the buddha tathagatas’ realization of wisdom is turning broad and profound dharma blossoms. Giving a prediction of enlightenment is the unfolding of the buddha wisdom by the self. It is not the dharma blossoms turning to be given to others. This is what is meant by the words When your mind is deluded, it is turned by the dharma blossoms.

  When your mind is enlightened, you turn the dharma blossoms means that you turn the dharma blossoms. That is to say, when the dharma blossoms fully turn you, you are empowered to turn the dharma blossoms. While the original turning never stops, you return to turn the dharma blossoms. While the donkey [delusion] has not left, the horse [enlightenment] has arrived. This is the single great matter manifesting here and now.

  Although bodhisattvas who emerge from the earth into myriad worlds are the great sages of timeless dharma blossoms, still they emerge now turned by themselves and turned by others. Do not regard emerging from the earth alone as turning the dharma blossoms. Regard emerging from the sky also as turning the dharma blossoms. Know with buddha wisdom that bodhisattvas emerge not only from the earth or the sky, but also from the dharma blossoms.

  At the moment of dharma blossoming, invariably the parent is young and the child is old. It is not that the child is not a child and the parent is not a parent. Yet, you need to learn that the child [you] is indeed old and the parent [dharma] is truly young. Do not be like those who lack trust and are startled by this statement. What is usually distrusted is that now is a moment of dharma blossoming. Nevertheless, trust and turn the dharma blossoms as “in the time of the Buddha.” Turned by the unfolding of the teaching and by entering enlightenment, bodhisattvas emerge from the earth. Turned by buddha wisdom, bodhisattvas emerge from the earth.

  At the moment of turning the dharma blossoms there is the enlightened mind of the dharma blossoms, there are the dharma blossoms of enlightened mind. They are below and above in the air. What is below or above in the air is none other than the turning of the dharma blossoms. This is the Buddha’s timeless life span.

  Turn the dharma blossoms [of understanding] that the Buddha’s life span, the dharma blossoms, the world of phenomena, and the mind are actualized below and above in the air. Thus, below and above are nothing but the manifestation of the turning of the dharma blossoms.

  Sometimes the dharma blossoms are turned
into three types of herbs, and sometimes they are turned into two types of trees. Do not wait to possess enlightenment. Do not wonder about not possessing enlightenment. To turn the self and aspire to enlightenment is to be in the southern buddha land. To attain the way is to join the Vulture Peak assembly of the southern buddha land. To be on Vulture Peak is itself to turn the dharma blossoms. There are assemblies in the air of buddha lands in the ten directions. They are embodiments of the turning of the dharma blossoms. Thus, the dharma blossoms of the buddha lands in the ten directions are turned. There is not a gap for even a speck of dust.

  “Form is emptiness” is the turning of dharma blossoms, beyond coming and beyond going. “Emptiness is form” is the turning of dharma blossoms, beyond birth and beyond death. This is not only when the Buddha was in the world and when he has passed away.

  That another person is intimate with you is that you are intimate with the person. To express respect is to give a gift like a pearl hidden in the hair or sewn into the robe [as told in the Lotus Sutra]. Thoroughly examine such moments [as dharma blossoms turning].

  There is the turning of the dharma blossoms actualizing a jeweled tower five hundred yojana high in front of the Buddha [Shakyamuni]. There is the turning of the dharma blossoms actualizing the Buddha [Prabhutaratna] sitting in a tower two hundred yojana wide. There is the turning of the dharma blossoms actualizing bodhisattvas emerging from the ground and abiding in the air, when mind is without hindrance and form is without hindrance. There is the turning of the dharma blossoms actualizing bodhisattvas emerging from the sky and abiding in the ground, while immersed in the eye and immersed in the body. There is Vulture Peak in the tower, and a jeweled tower in Vulture Peak. The jeweled tower stands in the air. The air is air as the jeweled tower. The ancient buddha [Prabhutaratna] sits side by side with the Vulture Peak Buddha [Shakyamuni] in the tower, and the Vulture Peak Buddha enters realization for the Buddha in the tower.

  The Vulture Peak Buddha turns the dharma blossoms with body, mind, and the whole environs. Emerging on Vulture Peak means the buddha in the tower manifests, remaining in the ancient buddha land and timelessly passing away. When you investigate emerging and entering, do not follow commonplace ideas or the interpretations of those in the Two Lesser Vehicles. Just study the turning of the dharma blossoms. Timelessly passing away is magnificient realization embodied by the Buddha. It is not limited to inside the tower, in front of the buddha, the treasure stupa, empty space, the world of phenomena, or Vulture Peak. It is not limited to half a realm or the entire realm. It is not limited to the condition of phenomena. It is just beyond thinking.

  There is the turning of dharma blossoms, manifesting a buddha body and expounding dharma, manifesting this body and expounding dharma. There is the turning of dharma blossoms manifesting as Devadatta, and there is the turning of dharma blossoms by saying, “You may leave this assembly if you wish.” Do not assume the time you wait [for the Buddha] with joined hands gazing upward to be sixty short eons. You may call the time of wholehearted waiting innumerable eons, yet you cannot measure buddha wisdom. You cannot equate the duration of wholehearted waiting to the size of buddha wisdom.

  Do not assume that this turning of dharma blossoms is limited to the path of a bodhisattva’s original practice. At the assembly of the lotus blossoms, there is the act of turning dharma blossoms—“Today the Tathagata expounds the Great Vehicle.” Dharma blossoms are dharma blossoms right now, beyond perception and knowledge, beyond knowing and understanding. Thus, innumerable eons are one hairbreadth moment of the turning of dharma blossoms. It is a straightforward expression of the Buddha’s incalculable life span.

  It has been several hundred years since the Lotus Sutra was transmitted and started turning the dharma blossoms in China. Many people have written commentaries. Some of them have been outstanding teachers. But no one has attained and activated the essence of turning the lotus blossoms like Huineng, Old Buddha, High Ancestor of Caoxi. To hear it now and encounter it now is an ancient buddha meeting an ancient buddha. Are we not in the land of an ancient buddha?

  Rejoice! From eon to eon there have been dharma blossoms. From day to night there have been dharma blossoms. As dharma blossoms have been active from eon to eon, from day to night, whether your body and mind are strong or weak, they are dharma blossoms. Such blossoms are a rare treasure, radiant light, a practice place, broad and vast, great and timeless. When your mind is deluded, you are turned by the dharma blossoms. When your mind is enlightened, you turn the dharma blossoms. Indeed, this is dharma blossoms turning dharma blossoms.

  [Let me repeat:] When your mind is deluded, you are turned by the dharma blossoms. When your mind is enlightened, you turn the dharma blossoms. When you thoroughly experience this, it is dharma blossoms turning dharma blossoms.

  To honor and dedicate yourself to this teaching is no other than dharma blossoms turning dharma blossoms.

  This was written and given to Zen person Etatsu to celebrate his home leaving and entry into the practice of the way, during the summer practice period in the second year of the Ninji Era [1241]. Shaving the head is a good thing. To shave the head over and over again makes a true home leaver. Today’s home leaving is the natural fruit of the natural power of dharma blossoms turning in the past. The dharma blossoms of this moment will certainly bear fruit as dharma blossoms in the future. They are not Shakyamuni’s dharma blossoms, nor all buddhas’ dharma blossoms, but the dharma blossoms’ dharma blossoms. Every day the turning of the dharma blossoms is as it is, beyond perception, beyond knowledge. Dharma blossoms emerge at this moment, beyond knowing, beyond understanding. Past moments are your breathing in and breathing out. Present moments are your breathing in and breathing out. Treasure these moments as dharma blossoms, wondrous and inconceivable. Monk Dogen, who has transmitted dharma from China, founder of the Kannondori Kosho Horin Monastery.

  19

  UNGRASPABLE MIND

  SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA SAYS, “The past mind is ungraspable. The present mind is ungraspable. The future mind is ungraspable.”

  This has been a point of study by buddha ancestors who have gouged out the caves and baskets [limited dualistic views] from what is ungraspable in the past, present, and future. They have used the caves and baskets of the self to do so.

  This self is ungraspable mind. Thinking and discerning at this very moment is ungraspable mind. The entire body that utilizes the twelve hours of a day is ungraspable mind.

  Buddha ancestors understood mind that is ungraspable from the time they entered the inner chambers [of their masters]. Without entering the inner chambers, there would not have been questioning, answering, seeing, and hearing about ungraspable mind. This is not even dreamed of by those who are masters of sutras and treaties, or by shravakas and pratyeka-buddhas.

  Here is a familiar example:

  Deshan Xuanjian was proclaiming that he had mastered the Diamond Sutra, calling himself Diamond King Chou. He claimed that he was particularly familiar with Xinlong’s commentary. He had collected twelve bundles of commentaries. It appeared that he was incomparable. However, he was merely a descendant of dharma teachers of letters

  Once, hearing about the unsurpassable dharma transmitted heir to heir in the south, Deshan felt very competitive. He learned about the assembly of Longtan, Zen Master Chongxin, so he crossed mountains and rivers carrying his books to meet him. On his way he stopped to catch his breath and saw an old woman.

  Deshan said to her, “What do you do?”

  The old woman said, “I sell rice cakes.”

  Deshan said, “Please sell me some.”

  The old woman said, “What will you do with them, reverend?”

  Deshan said, “I will eat them to refresh myself.”

  The old woman said, “What are you carrying?”

  Deshan said, “Haven’t you heard of me? I am Diamond King Chou. I specialize in the Diamond Sutra. There is no part of it I haven’t mastered. These are important commentaries on the sut
ra.”

  The old woman said, “May I ask you a question?”

  Deshan said, “Of course, ask me anything.”

  The old woman said, “I was told that the Diamond Sutra says, ‘The past mind is ungraspable. The present mind is ungraspable. The future mind is ungraspable.’ With which mind will you satisfy your hunger with these cakes? If you can answer, I will give you some cakes. Otherwise, I will not.”

  Dumbfounded, Deshan was unable to answer. The old woman flapped her sleeves and went away without giving Deshan any rice cakes.

  How regrettable! The king of commentators, who wrote commentaries on hundreds of scrolls, a lecturer for decades, was so easily defeated by a humble old woman with a single question. There is great difference between those who have entered an authentic teacher’s chamber and received transmission, and those who have not.

  Deshan said to himself, “A painted rice cake does not satisfy hunger.” He is now known as a dharma heir of Longtan.

  Reflecting on this story, it is clear that Deshan had not clarified the matter. Even after meeting Longtan, he must have feared the old woman. He was an immature student and not an old buddha going beyond realization.

  Although the old woman shut him up, we cannot say whether she was a person of true understanding. It is possible that she had heard of ungraspable mind and asked this question, thinking that mind is ineffable.

  If Deshan had been fully awakened, he would have been able to respond and discern whether or not the old woman was a person of true understanding. But since Deshan was not yet Deshan, we do not know or see through the old woman’s understanding.