Intentionally obstructing does not necessarily get it into the skin bag. Getting it into the skin bag is not necessarily intentionally obstructing. Intentionally means obstructing.
Know that this obstructing encompasses the practice of becoming free from the body. This is spoken of as get into. When the practice of becoming free from the body is fully encompassed, it is encompassed in self and others. This being so, do not easily say that a donkey comes before and a horse comes after [one follows after the other].
Thus, Yunju, High Ancestor, said, “When you study matters of buddha dharma, stop having your mind stuck on it.” In this way, you may have studied a portion of buddha dharma mistakenly for days and months, as a dog that gets buddha nature into the skin bag. Although it is intentionally obstructing, it is being buddha nature.
At the assembly of Changsha Jingcen, Government Secretary Zhu asked, “When an earthworm is cut in half, both heads [pieces] move. In which head is buddha nature?”
Changsha said, “No illusion.”
Zhu said, “What about moving?”
Changsha said, “Air and fire are not yet scattered.”
In regard to Zhu’s words, When an earthworm is cut in half, is it definite that the earthworm is in one piece before it is cut? It is not so in the everyday activities of buddha ancestors. An earthworm is not of one piece in origin, nor is it of two pieces after being cut. Thoroughly study the expressions “one” and “two.”
Both heads move. Were they one head before being cut? Is buddha going beyond buddha of one head? The words both heads have nothing to do with whether Zhu had understanding or not. Do not ignore this question. Is it that the separated pieces are actually of one head and there is another head somewhere else? In regard to move, “Move delusions in samadhi and pull them out with wisdom” are both move.
In which head is buddha nature? Ask, “When buddha nature is cut in half, where is the earthworm’s head?” Express this thoroughly.
Both heads move. In which head is buddha nature? Does it mean that buddha nature cannot abide if both heads move? Or, is Zhu asking in which motion buddha dharma abides while both heads move?
Changsha said, No illusion. What is the point? He cautions not to have illusion. Then, is he saying that there is no illusion when both heads move and that moving is not illusion? Does he simply mean that buddha nature has no illusion? Or, does he mean that there is no need to talk about buddha nature or both heads; there is just no illusion? Investigate his words thoroughly.
Zhu said, What about moving? Does he mean that moving adds another layer of buddha nature, or that what is moving is not buddha nature?
Changsha’s words Air and fire are not yet scattered must cause buddha nature to manifest. Is it buddha nature, air, or fire [that is manifested]? Do not say buddha nature emerges together with air and fire. Do not say that when one emerges, the others do not. Do not say that air and fire are no other than buddha nature.
Thus, Changsha did not say that an earthworm has buddha nature, nor did he say that an earthworm has no buddha nature. He just said No illusion, then Air and fire are not yet scattered. Fathom the vital activities of buddha dharma through his words. Quietly ponder his statement Air and fire are not yet scattered. What is the point of not yet scattered? Does he mean that air and fire are assembled, but the moment of their being scattered has not arrived? It is not so. Air and fire are not yet scattered means the Buddha expounds dharma. Not yet scattered air and fire means dharma expounds the Buddha.
This is the arrival of the moment when dharma is expounded [by the Buddha] in one sound. It is the arrival of the moment when expounding dharma is one sound. Dharma is one sound, because it is the dharma of one sound.
Also, to assume that buddha nature exists only at the time of birth [life] and not at the time of death is [a result of] the least learning and shallow understanding. At the moment of birth, there is buddha nature and there is beyond buddha nature. At the moment of death, there is buddha nature and there is beyond buddha nature.
If scattered and not yet scattered of air and fire is discussed, buddha nature is scattered and not yet scattered. At the time of scattered, there is buddha nature and there is beyond buddha nature. At the time of not yet scattered, there is buddha nature and there is beyond buddha nature. This being so, it is those outside the way who mistakenly believe that buddha nature does or does not exist according to whether something does or does not move, that the spirit does or does not exist according to whether one does or does not have consciousness, and that essential nature does or does not exist according to whether one does or does not know.
From beginningless time, many ignorant people mistook consciousness for buddha nature, the original person. It is totally laughable.
If we discuss buddha nature further, it should not be splattered with mud or wet with water [overexplained]—it is walls, tiles, and pebbles. In expressing beyond, what is buddha nature? Can you say in detail? [I say it is like a demon with] Three heads and eight arms.
Presented to the assembly of the Kosho Horin Monastery, Uji County, Yamashiro Province, on the fourteenth day, the tenth month, the second year of the Ninji Era [1241].
24
AWESOME PRESENCE OF ACTIVE BUDDHAS
BUDDHAS AT ALL times practice complete awesome presence; thus they are active buddhas. Active buddhas are neither reward-body buddhas nor incarnate-body buddhas, neither self-manifested buddhas nor buddhas manifested from others. Active buddhas are neither originally enlightened nor enlightened at some particular time, neither naturally enlightened nor without enlightenment. Such buddhas can never compare to active buddhas.
Know that buddhas in the buddha way do not wait for awakening. Active buddhas alone fully experience the vital process on the path of going beyond buddha. This is something that self-manifested buddhas have never dreamed of.
Because active buddhas manifest awesome presence in every situation, they bring forth awesome presence with their body. Thus, their transformative function flows out in their speech, reaching throughout time, space, buddhas, and activities. Without being an active buddha, you cannot be liberated from bondage to buddha and bondage to dharma, and you will be pulled into the cult of buddha-demons and dharma-demons.
“Bondage to buddha” means being bound by the view that our perception and cognition of enlightenment is actually enlightenment. Experiencing such views even for a moment, you cannot expect to meet liberation, and you will remain mistaken.
Seeing enlightenment as nothing but enlightenment may appear as a view that corresponds to enlightenment. Who would imagine calling it a crooked view? But this is like tying yourself up without a rope. Becoming further and further bound up, the tree you are tied to will not topple, and the wisteria vine binding you will not wither. In vain you struggle inside a pit in the vicinity of buddha, without seeing this as a sickness of the dharma body or as a trap of the reward body.
Teachers of buddha dharma, such as scholars of the sutras and treatises who listen to the buddha way from afar, say that “to arouse a view of dharma nature within dharma nature is no other than ignorance.” These teachers talk about arousing a view of dharma nature without clarifying the bondage to dharma nature; they only accumulate the bondage of ignorance. They do not know about the bondage to dharma nature. Although this is regrettable, their awareness of the accumulation of the bondage of ignorance can be the seed for arousing the aspiration for enlightenment.
Now, active buddhas are never bound by such ties. This being so [it is said in the Lotus Sutra], “In the past I practiced the bodhisattva way and have attained this long life span, still now unexhausted, covering vast numbers of years.”
Know that it is not that the life span of the bodhisattva has continued without end only until now, or not that the life span of the Buddha has prevailed only in the past, but what is called vast numbers is a total, inclusive attainment. What is called still now is the total life span. Even if in the past I practiced is one solid piece of iron ten thousa
nd miles long, it casts away hundreds of years vertically and horizontally.
This being so, practice-realization is neither existence nor beyond existence. Practice-realization is not defiled [divided]. Although there are hundreds, thousands, and myriads [of practice-realizations] in a place where there is no buddha and no person, practice-realization does not defile active buddhas. Thus, there is no division in the practice-realization of active buddhas. It is not that there is no separation of practice-realization, but that this nondefilement is not nonexistent.
Huineng of Caoxi [the Sixth Ancestor] said [to Nanyue], “This very nondefilement is what is attentively maintained by all buddhas. You are also like this. I am like this. All the ancestors in India are also like this.”
Because You are also like this, there are all buddhas. Because I am like this, there are all buddhas. Indeed, it is beyond me and beyond you. In this nondefilement, I as I am, attentively maintained by all buddhas, is the awesome presence of an active buddha. You as you are, attentively maintained by all buddhas, is the awesome presence of an active buddha.
Because I am like this, the teacher is excellent. Because you are also like this, the disciple is strong. The teacher’s excellence and disciple’s strength are the complete wisdom and practice of active buddhas. Penetrate What is attentively maintained by all buddhas, as well as I am like this and You are also like this.
Even if this statement by Huineng were not about “me,” how could it not be about “you”? What is attentively maintained by active buddhas, and what is thoroughly mastered by active buddhas, is like this. Thus, we know practice and realization are not concerned with essence or forms, roots or branches. While the everyday activities of active buddhas unfailingly allow buddhas to practice, active buddhas allow everyday activities to practice. This is to abandon your body for dharma, to abandon dharma for your body. This is to give up holding back your life, to hold on fully to your life. The awesome presence not only lets go of dharma for the sake of the dharma, it also lets go of dharma for the sake of mind. Do not forget that this letting go is unlimited.
Do not take up the buddha measure to measure and analyze the great way. The buddha measure is one step, just like an open blossom. Do not hold out the mind measure to grope for and deliberate about the awesome presence. The mind measure is a single face, like the world. The measure of a single blade of grass is clearly the measure of the buddha ancestor mind—one blade that recognizes the whereabouts of active buddhas.
Even if you recognize that one mind measure encompasses innumerable buddha measures, when you try to measure the active buddhas’ appearance by the motion and stillness of their visage, it is undoubtedly beyond measure. Since their conduct is beyond measure, measuring does not hit the mark, is not useful, and cannot be gauged.
Now, there is another point for investigating the awesome presence of active buddhas. When “Buddha is none other than the self” comes thus, the awesome presence of I am like this and You are also like this indicates “I alone know this.” Yet, the dropping away of “The buddhas in the ten directions are also like this” is not only the single avenue.
Accordingly, an old buddha [Hongzhi Zhengjiao] said, “Reach over to grasp what’s there, and bring its workings right here.”
When you take on sustaining this, all things, bodies, actions, and buddhas become intimate with you. These actions, things, bodies, and buddhas are simply covered [immersed] in acceptance. Because they are simply covered in acceptance, through acceptance they are just dropped off.
The covered eye is the radiance of one hundred grass tips; do not be swayed [into thinking] that it does not see one thing, does not see a single matter. The covered eye reaches this thing and that thing. Throughout journeys, while taking on coming and going, or while leaving and entering by the same gate, nothing is hidden in the entire world, and so the World-Honored One’s intimate language, intimate realization, intimate practice, and intimate entrustment are present.
Leaving the gate there is grass, entering the gate there is grass, though there is not a bit of grass for myriad miles. Such “entering” and “leaving” are not essential. Grasping by entering does not wait for the letting go of leaving; these are mere apparitions of blossoms in the sky.
Who would regard this apparition of blossoms in the sky as taking up a mistake and settling in with the mistake? Stepping forward misses, stepping backward misses, taking one step misses, taking two steps misses, and so there are mistakes upon mistakes.
Heaven and earth are far distant [due to our mistakes], and yet the ultimate way is not difficult. Thoroughly understand that in the awesome presence, and the presence of awe, the great way is wide open.
Know that upon emerging in birth, all emerge together on the way, and that upon entering death, all enter together on the way. From the head down to the tail, the awesome presence of rolling the pearl and of turning the jewel is manifested.
That which allows one part of a buddha’s awesome presence is the entire universe, the entire earth, as well as the entirety of birth and death, coming and going, of innumerable lands and lotus blossoms. Each of these innumerable lands and lotus blossoms is one part.
Students may think that “the entire universe” refers to this Southern Continent of Jambudvipa, or all the Four Continents. Some may think of it as China or Japan. Regarding “the entire earth,” they think it is one billion worlds, or simply one province or prefecture. When you examine “the entire earth” or “the entire universe,” investigate them three or five times without stopping, even though you already see them as vast.
Understanding these words [about the entire universe] is going beyond buddhas and ancestors by seeing that extremely large is small and extremely small is large. Although this seems like denying that there is any such thing as large or small, this [understanding] is the awesome presence of active buddhas.
Understand that the awesome presence of the entire universe and the awesome presence of the entire earth as revealed by buddhas and ancestors are the unhidden inclusive world. This is not only the unhidden inclusive world, but the awesome presence within a single active buddha.
In expounding the buddha way, womb birth and transformation birth are usually mentioned, but not moisture birth and egg birth. Furthermore, it has not even been dreamed that there could be births other than these four types. Even further, has it been seen, heard, or realized that there are these four types of birth beyond the four types of birth? In the great way of buddhas and ancestors, it has been intimately and explicitly transmitted that there are four types of birth beyond [the usual understanding of] these four types of birth. What groups of people have not heard, known, or clarified this understanding?
As these four types of birth are already known, how many types of death are there? Are there four types of death for the four types of birth, or are there two or three types of death? Are there five or six, one thousand, or ten thousand deaths? To have even a little doubt about this point is part of the inquiry.
Now, consider whether there are beings among these four types who only have birth without death. Are there any beings who only transmit death and do not transmit birth? Study whether or not there are beings who have birth alone or death without birth.
There are people who hear the phrase “beyond birth” but do not clarify it, ignoring their body-and-mind endeavor. This is extreme foolishness. They should be called beasts who cannot even reach the four categories of beings with the capacity for faith, for understanding dharma, or for sudden or gradual awakening. How is this so? Even though they hear the words “beyond birth,” they need to question the meaning. And they do not ask further about beyond buddha, beyond the way, beyond mind, beyond extinction, beyond “beyond birth,” beyond world of phenomena, beyond dharma nature, or beyond death. They are like oxen and horses who vainly think only of water and grass.
Know that birth-and-death is the activity of the buddha way; birth-and-death is the furnishings [essentials] of the buddha house.
It is utilized when it needs to be utilized; it is fully clarified when it is clarified. Accordingly, all buddhas are clear about the implements of birth-and-death, and fully achieve their utilization. How can those who are ignorant of this realm of birth and death be called a person, or someone who has completed birth, or accomplished death? Do not believe that you are sunk in birth and death, or even think that you exist in birth and death. Do not blindly believe, or misunderstand, or disregard birth and death as merely birth and death.
Some people say that buddhas only appear in the human realm, and think that they do not appear in other realms or worlds. If that were true, all realms would have been human realms when the Buddha was alive. This is like saying that human buddhas alone are venerable ones. However, there must be buddhas in the deva realm as well as buddhas in the buddha realm. Those who think that buddhas appear only in the human realm have not yet entered the inner chamber of buddha ancestors.
An ancestor said, “Shakyamuni Buddha received transmission of the true dharma from Kashyapa Buddha, went to Tushita Heaven to teach, and still abides there.”
Indeed, know that Shakyamuni of the human realm spread the teaching through his manifestation of pari-nirvana, but Shakyamuni in the heavenly realm still abides there, teaching devas. Students should know that Shakyamuni of the human realm reveals infinitely varied expressions, actions, and teachings, auspiciously illuminating a portion of the human realm. It is foolish not to notice that Shakyamuni in the heavenly realm teaches in far more varied ways, in one thousand styles, in ten thousand gates.
Do not ignore that the essential meaning of the great way, transmitted authentically from buddha to buddha alone, goes beyond cutting off, and drops away what is beginningless and endless. It has been authentically transmitted only in the buddha way. This activity has never been known or heard of by other beings.
Treasury of the True Dharma Eye Page 38
