Treasury of the True Dharma Eye

by Zen Master Dogen

  Then, the donor sits on a crossed-legged chair for the conclusion of the recitation. This chair is placed facing south near the pole to the north of the Sacred Monk. Or it is placed facing north near the pole in the opposite side. After the donor is seated, the monastery host makes a standing bow to the donor and takes a seat.

  It is possible to have the recitation of a gatha while the donor makes a greeting circuit. The gatha chanters’ seats can be either to the right or left of the Sacred Monk, according to circumstances. Fine incense, such as aloeswood, or incense sticks are inserted into the portable incense burner and burned. This incense is prepared by the donor. When the donor makes a circumambulation, the assembly of monks hold their hands in gassho.

  Next, the recitation honorarium is presented. The amount of the honorarium is decided by the donor. Sometimes materials such as cotton or fans are presented. This offering is delivered by the donor, a monastery officer, or an assistant worker. It is placed in front of each monk, not in the monk’s hand. Each monk receives it with a gassho.

  The honorarium can be presented at the midday meal on the day of recitation. In this case, after the donated meal, the head monk hits the umpan with a mallet once and distributes the honorarium.

  A sheet of paper on which the intention of the donation is written is posted on the pole north of the Sacred Monk.

  When you read a sutra in the monks’ hall, recite it in a soft voice rather than a spirited one. Or, open the sutra book and just look at the letters. It is not actually reading, but looking at the sutra.

  For such a ritual, hundreds and thousands of copies of sutras—such as the Diamond Sutra, the “Universal Gate” and “Blissful Practice” chapters of the Lotus Sutra, and the Suvarna Prabhasottama King Sutra—are kept in monasteries. Each monk reads a copy.

  After the recitation, the novices walk with the box or tray of sutra books in front of everyone’s seat. The monks return the books to it. When you take and return the book, you do gassho. That is: after gassho, you take the book, and after you return it, do gassho. Then everyone in gassho recites the dedication in a soft voice.

  For the recitation of a sutra in the communal area [the recitation hall] of the monastery, all the procedures—including the work of the director [of the monastery in this case], burning incense, bowing, the greeting circuit, and offering an honorarium—are the same as those for the recitation for a donor.

  If one of the monks becomes a donor and requests the assembly to recite a sutra, it will be the same as in the case for a lay donor. The procedures include burning incense, bowing, the greeting circuit, and offering an honorarium. The monastery host leads the donor just like a lay donor.

  A sutra is also recited for the time of celebration for the Emperor. If the Emperor’s birthday is the fifteenth day of the first month, the recitation begins on the fifteenth day of the twelfth month of the previous year, when no formal talk is offered.

  Two long sitting platforms are set up before the image of Shakyamuni Buddha in the buddha hall. The platforms are placed in parallel on the east and west sides. Between the platforms, tables are set up, on which sutra books are placed. The sutra can be the Diamond Sutra, the Virtuous King Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, the Most Excellent King Sutra, or the Suvarna Prabhasottama Sutra.

  A certain number of monks per day are assigned to conduct recitation in the buddha hall. Snacks are offered to these monks before the midday meal. Snacks can be a bowl of noodles and a bowl of warm food, or six or seven steamed cakes and a bowl of warm food. The steamed cakes are also served in a bowl, without chopsticks or a spoon. Monks take the snacks while they remain seated for recitation.

  The snacks are set on the tables for the sutra books, without using additional small tables. While snacks are eaten, the sutra books remain on the tables. After the snack is over, monks leave the seats one by one, rinse their mouths, and return to continue recitation.

  This recitation is done daily from the time of the morning meal to that of the midday meal. A drum is hit three times during the midday meal, signaling the end of recitation; those who have been chanting leave their seats.

  From the first day of recitation, a plaque reading “The practice place in celebration of the Emperor’s birthday” is hung under the east eave in front of the buddha hall. The plaque is yellow. Also, an intent of celebration is written on yellow paper mounted on a lattice panel. This plaque is posted on the eastern pole in the front area inside the buddha hall. The abbot’s name in two ideographs is written on a small red or white sheet of paper, which is pasted underneath the date on the plaque.

  Recitation is done in this way: On the day of the Emperor’s birthday the abbot ascends the teaching seat and offers words of celebration. This is an ancient custom that has not become outdated.

  Sometimes a monk aspires to recite a sutra. A monastery has a recitation hall in the communal area where recitation is practiced. It follows the guidelines presented above.

  Yaoshan, Great Master Hongdao, asked novice Gao, “Did you get it by reading a sutra or from personal guidance?”

  Gao said, “I didn’t get it by reading a sutra or from personal guidance.”

  Yaoshan said, “There are many who don’t read a sutra or receive personal guidance. How come they don’t get it?”

  Gao said, “I can’t say they don’t get it. Perhaps they don’t want to hit the mark.”

  While there are those who do or do not hit the mark in the house of buddha ancestors, reading a sutra and receiving personal instructions are essentials for everyday use.

  Presented to the assembly of the Kosho Horin Monastery, Uji County, Yamashiro Province, on the fifteenth day, the ninth month in autumn, the second year of the Ninji Era [1241].

  23

  BUDDHA NATURE

  SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA SAID, “Living beings all are buddha nature. The Tathagata is continuously abiding and not subject to change.”

  As this is the lion roar of our great teacher Shakyamuni turning the wheel of dharma, it is the top of the head and the eyeball of all buddhas and ancestors. It has been practiced for two thousand one hundred nineteen years (up to this day, the second year of the Ninji Era of Japan). It has been maintained by more than fifty generations of authentic heirs (up to Rujing, my late master, Priest Tiantong)—twenty-eight generations in India and twenty-three generations in China. Buddha ancestors of the ten directions have also maintained it.

  What is the meaning of the World-Honored One’s teaching? It is the turning dharma wheel of “What has thus come?”

  Living beings are also called “sentient beings,” “various beings,” or “various kinds.” The all are is none other than sentient beings and living beings.

  Thus, all are buddha nature. One form of all beings is sentient beings. At this very moment, the inside and outside of sentient beings are the all are of buddha nature. This understanding is not only the skin, flesh, bones, and marrow of a person-to-person transmission, but “You have attained my skin, flesh, bones, and marrow.”

  Know that the are of all are buddha nature is beyond are and are not. All are are the buddha words, the buddha tongue. They are the eyeball of buddha ancestors and the nostrils of patched-robed monks. The words all are are not limited to embryonic beings, original beings, inconceivable beings, or any other kind of beings. Furthermore, they do not mean causal beings or imaginary beings. All are are free from mind, object, essence, or aspects. This being so, the body, mind, and environs of Living beings all are [buddha nature] are not limited to the increasing power of action, imaginary causation, things as they are, or the practice realization of miraculous powers.

  If Living beings all have were so, actualizing the way by all sages, the enlightenment of all buddhas, and the eye of buddha ancestors would be [caused by] the increasing power of action, imaginary causation, and so forth. But it is not so. In the entire world, there is no extra speck of dust. Buddha nature is immediate, and there is no second person [nothing outside], just as it is said, “Cut t
hrough the original person beyond knowing; action consciousness continues without ceasing.” Buddha nature is not the being of imaginary causation, because “Nothing is hidden in the entire world.”

  “Nothing is hidden in the entire world” does not necessarily mean “The entire world is full of beings.” To say, “The entire world is self-existence” is a crooked view held by those outside the way. What is not hidden is not original beings, as it encompasses past and present. It is not an embryonic being, as it is not affected by even one speck of dust from outside. It is not a suddenly emerged being, as it is shared by all beings. It is not a beginningless being, as it is “What has thus come?” It is not an embryonic being, as “Everyday mind is the way.”

  Know that in the midst of all are, sentient beings are hard to find. If you thoroughly understand all are, all are will be penetrated and dropped off.

  Hearing the term “buddha nature,” many students mistakenly regard it as the self explained by Shrenika, a teacher outside the way. They think this because they have not met a true person, the true self, a true teacher. They mistakenly regard the conscious mind, which is caused by the movement of air and fire, as the awareness and understanding of buddha nature. But who says that buddha nature has awareness or understanding? Even though those who are aware or understand are buddhas, buddha nature is neither awareness nor understanding.

  Furthermore, the buddhas’ awareness, of which they speak, is not the same awareness they mistakenly regard as awareness. The movement of air and fire is not the cause of buddhas’ awareness. It is just that the awareness is one or two buddha faces, ancestor faces.

  A number of ancient masters and early sages went to India and returned to China to guide humans and devas. They have been as common as rice, flax, bamboo, and reeds from the time of the Han and Tang dynasties until the time of the present Song Dynasty. Many of them regard the movement of air and fire as the awareness of buddha nature. What a pity! They make this kind of mistake because their study of the way is coarse. Those who are mature, as well as beginners in studying the buddha way, should not fall into this.

  When you observe awareness, you know that awareness is not movement. When you observe movement, you know that movement is not thus. When you truly understand movement, you truly understand awareness. Studying “buddha” and “nature,” when you get one, you get the other.

  Buddha nature is no other than all are, because all are is buddha nature. All are is not a hundred broken pieces. All are is not a single rail of iron. As it is a held-up fist [something dynamic], it is not limited to large or small. When it is called buddha nature, it cannot be put shoulder to shoulder with all sages, it cannot be put shoulder to shoulder with buddha nature.

  Some people think that buddha nature is like seeds of grass and trees: when dharma rain is abundant, sprouts and stems grow; branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit mature; and their fruit contains seeds. Such a view is an assumption of ordinary people. If you come up with such an assumption, investigate thoroughly that each and every seed, flower, and fruit is itself pure mind.

  A fruit has seeds that are not visible but develop roots, stems, and so forth. The elements of the plants are not assembled from outside, but branches and twigs grow. Not limited to inside or outside, the growth of plants is not in vain, past and present. Thus, even if you take up the view of ordinary people, the roots, stems, branches, and leaves are the all are of buddha nature that rises and perishes simultaneously with all things.

  The Buddha said, “If you want to understand buddha nature, you should intimately observe cause and effect over time. When the time is ripe, buddha nature manifests.”

  The words to understand buddha nature do not only mean to know but also to practice it, to realize it, to expound it, and to let go of it. Expounding it, practicing it, realizing it, letting go of it, missing it, and not missing it are all cause and effect over time.

  You observe cause and effect over time through observation of cause and effect over time. You observe it with a whisk, a staff, and so forth. However, you may observe it through the wisdom of desire, the wisdom of beyond desire, original enlightenment, embryonic enlightenment, no-enlightenment, or true enlightenment.

  Intimately observe is not limited to observing, being observed, correct observation, or wrong observation; it is intimately observe. As it is intimate observing, it is not self-observation or other’s observation. Intimate observing is cause and effect as they are over time, and it is beyond cause and effect. It is buddha nature as it is. It is becoming free of the body of buddha nature. It is buddha and buddha as they are, [buddha] nature and nature as they are.

  Hearing the words when the time is ripe, many people both in the past and present have thought that it means we should wait until buddha nature manifests in the future; that as a result of practice we will eventually encounter the time when buddha nature manifests; and that when the time is not ripe, buddha nature will not manifest even if we inquire about dharma from a teacher and endeavor in the practice of the way. They think in this way and stay in the [secular] world of red dust fruitlessly while keeping a monk’s appearance. Such people appear to be those outside of the way who believe in spontaneous enlightenment.

  The words If you want to understand buddha nature mean “if you want to understand buddha nature immediately.” Observe cause and effect over time means “You should know cause and effect over time.” You should intimately observe cause and effect over time means that if you want to know buddha nature, it is no other than knowing cause and effect over time. When the time is ripe means that the time has already arrived. How can we doubt it? A time of doubting also is a time when buddha nature is present to the self.

  Know that when the time is ripe means that the twelve hours of the day are not passed in vain. When the time is is like saying “when the time has arrived.” “When the time has arrived” is not the arrival of buddha nature. Thus, when the time has arrived, buddha nature is already actualized. This principle is self-evident. Generally, there is no time when the time has not yet arrived; there is no buddha nature that is not actualized.

  Venerable Ashvaghosha, the Twelfth Ancestor, explained the ocean of buddha nature to Kapimala, the Thirteenth Ancestor, to be: “Mountains, rivers, and the great earth—all depend on it. Various samadhis and the six miraculous powers emerge from it.”

  Thus, mountains, rivers, and the great earth are all the ocean of buddha nature. All depend on it means that at the very moment when they depend on it, they are mountains, rivers, and the great earth. Know that the form of the ocean of buddha nature is like this. It is not concerned with inside, outside, or in between. This being so, to see mountains and rivers is to see buddha nature; to see buddha nature is to see the fins of a donkey and the beak of a horse. All depend on means to totally depend on. Thus, you understand and go beyond understanding.

  Ashvaghosha said, Various samadhis and the six miraculous powers emerge from it. Know that the “emerging” and “not yet emerging” of various samadhis equally depend on buddha nature; the emerging of the six miraculous powers from here and not here all depend on buddha nature.

  The six miraculous powers are not those taught in the Agama School. The six is the realization of the six miraculous powers of three three before and three three after [countless]. So, do not think that the six miraculous powers are limited to the one hundred grasses bright and clear and the mind of buddha ancestors bright and clear. Even though you may be limited by the thought of the six miraculous powers, you are immersed in the vastness of the ocean of buddha nature.

  Hongren, the Fifth Chinese Ancestor, Zen Master Daman, was from Huangmei, Qi Region. He was born without a father. He acquired the way when he was young. In his earlier life he had been growing pine trees on West Mountain in Qi Region when he met Daoxin, the Fourth Ancestor, who was traveling through the region. Daoxin said to him, “I want to transmit dharma to you. But you are too old. I will wait for you until you return.”

  Hongren a
greed. He entered the body of a daughter of the Zhou family and was reborn through her. After he was born, he was cast away into the brackish water of the harbor. But a spirit guarded him from harm for seven days. He was rescued by someone and was brought up until he was seven years old, when he saw Daoxin on the street in Huangmei.

  Daoxin said to himself, “This is a little child, but his appearance is extraordinary, not like any other.” So he said to Hongren, “What is your name?”

  Hongren said, “I have a name, but it is not an ordinary name.”

  “What is it?”

  Hongren said, “It is buddha nature.”

  Daoxin said, “You have no buddha nature.”

  Hongren said, “As buddha nature is empty, you say I have no buddha nature.”

  Realizing that Hongren was a dharma vessel, Daoxin asked him to be his attendant and later entrusted him with the treasury of the true dharma eye. Hongren lived on the East Mountain of Huangmei and circulated the profound wind [teaching].

  Thus, when we study the dialogue of these ancestors, Daoxin’s words What is your name? have significance. In ancient times people would ask others what country and which family they were from. It means “You must have come from a certain family.” It is just like saying, “You are like this. I am like this.”

  Hongren’s words I have a name, but it is not an ordinary name mean that to have this name is to have no ordinary name. An ordinary name is not it.