Treasury of the True Dharma Eye

by Zen Master Dogen

  There is no self—no place to hide in the all-inclusive world. There is no other—just one straight rod of iron for myriad miles. Even as branches grow thus, there is only one vehicle of dharma in the entire world. Even as leaves fall thus, things abide in their conditions, and there is the aspect of the world as permanent. Thus, being wisdom and being no wisdom are like sun face and moon face [day and night of the same day].

  As he was a person of thusness, Huineng attained clarity. Later he went to Mount Huangmei and met Hongren, Zen Master Daman. Hongren then assigned him to work as a laborer. Huineng pounded rice day and night for eight months.

  Once, in the middle of the night, Hongren slipped into the pounding hut and asked Huineng, “Is the rice hulled now?”

  Huineng said, “Hulled but not yet sifted.”

  Hongren tapped the mortar with his cane three times. Huineng shuffled the rice three times. This is regarded as the moment when teacher and student merged. Although neither known by the self nor understood by others, the transmission of dharma and the transmission of the robe took place at this very moment of thusness.

  Once Shitou, Great Master Wuji of Mount Nanyue, was asked by Yaoshan, “I have a rough idea about the Three Vehicles and the Twelve Divisions of the scriptures. I have heard of the teaching from the south about directly pointing to the human mind, seeing through one’s nature, and becoming a buddha. I beg you, reverend, please give me your compassionate instruction.”

  This is a question by Yaoshan, who had previously been a lecturer. He was well versed in the Three Vehicles and the Twelve Divisions of the scriptures. Thus, he was not ignorant of buddha dharma. Long ago, there was no particular school of Buddhism, so studying the Three Vehicles and the Twelve Divisions of the scriptures was the only way. Nowadays, most people are dull and try to analyze buddha dharma by establishing various doctrines. This is not the buddha way of awakening with dharma.

  Shitou replied, “Thusness is ungraspable. Beyond thusness is ungraspable. Both thusness and beyond thusness are ungraspable. How about you?”

  This is Shitou’s statement for the benefit of Yaoshan. Indeed, as both thusness and beyond thusness are ungraspable, thusness is ungraspable, beyond thusness is ungraspable. Thusness is as it is. The function of this word is neither limited nor not limited.

  Study thusness as ungraspable. Inquire about ungraspability in thusness. This thusness, this ungraspability, is not merely concerned with buddha thoughts. Understanding is ungraspable. Enlightenment is ungraspable.

  Huineng, Zen Master Dajian of Mount Caoxi, once instructed Nanyue, who would later become Zen Master Dahui: “What is it that thus comes?”

  Study thoroughly his statement that all things are invariably what, as what is beyond doubt, beyond understanding, but, just what. Study thoroughly that the one thing is no other than what. What is not to be doubted. What thus comes.

  Presented to the assembly of the Kannondori Kosho Horin Monastery on the twenty-sixth day, the third month, the third year of the Ninji Era [1242].

  31A

  CONTINUOUS PRACTICE, PART ONE

  ON THE GREAT road of buddha ancestors there is always unsurpassable practice, continuous and sustained. It forms the circle of the way and is never cut off. Between aspiration, practice, enlightenment, and nirvana, there is not a moment’s gap; continuous practice is the circle of the way. This being so, continuous practice is undivided, not forced by you or others. The power of this continuous practice confirms you as well as others. It means your practice affects the entire earth and the entire sky in the ten directions. Although not noticed by others or by yourself, it is so.

  Accordingly, by the continuous practice of all buddhas and ancestors, your practice is actualized and your great road opens up. By your continuous practice, the continuous practice of all buddhas is actualized and the great road of all buddhas opens up. Your continuous practice creates the circle of the way. By this practice, buddha ancestors abide as buddha, not-abide as buddha, have buddha mind, and attain buddha without cutting off.

  Because of this practice, there are the sun, the moon, and stars. Because of this practice, there are the great earth and the open sky. Because of this practice, there are body, mind, and their environs. Because of this practice, there are the four great elements and the five skandhas. Continuous practice is not necessarily something people in the world love, but it should be the true place of return for everyone. Because of the continuous practice of all buddhas of the past, present, and future, all buddhas of the past, present, and future are actualized.

  The effect of such sustained practice is sometimes not hidden. Therefore, you aspire to practice. The effect is sometimes not apparent. Therefore, you may not see, hear, or know it. Understand that although it is not revealed, it is not hidden.

  As it is not divided by what is hidden, apparent, existent, or not existent, you may not notice the causal conditions that led you to be engaged in the practice that actualizes you at this very moment of unknowing. The reason you don’t see it is that becoming conscious of it is not anything remarkable. Investigate in detail that it is so because the causal condition [the aspiration] is no other than continuous practice, though continuous practice is not limited by the causal condition.

  Continuous practice that actualizes itself is no other than your continuous practice right now. The now of this practice is not originally possessed by the self. The now of this practice does not come and go, enter and depart. The word “now” does not exist before continuous practice. The moment when it is actualized is called now. This being so, your continuous practice of this day is a seed of all buddhas and the practice of all buddhas. All buddhas are actualized and sustained by your continuous practice.

  By not sustaining your continuous practice, you would be excluding buddhas, not nurturing buddhas, excluding continuous practice, not being born and dying simultaneously with all buddhas, and not studying and practicing with all buddhas. Blossoms opening and leaves falling now are the actualization of continuous practice. Polishing a mirror or breaking a mirror is no other than this practice.

  Even if you might try to ignore it in order to hide a crooked intention and escape from it, this ignoring would also be continuous practice. To go off here and there looking for continuous practice appears similar to the aspiration for it. But it is like leaving behind the treasure at the home of your true parent and wandering poor in another land. Wandering through wind and water at the risk of your life, you should not discard the treasure of your own parent. While you were searching in this way, the dharma treasure would be missed. This being so, continuous practice should not slacken even for a moment.

  Compassionate Father, Great Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, was engaged in continuous practice in the deep mountains from the time he was nineteen years old. At age thirty, after practicing continuously, he attained the way simultaneously with all sentient beings on the great earth. Until he was eighty years old, his practice was sustained in mountains, forests, and monasteries. He did not return to the palace nor did he claim any property. He wore the same robes and held the same bowls throughout his lifetime. From the time he began teaching he was not alone even for a day or for an hour. He did not reject offerings from humans and devas. He was patient with the criticism of people outside the way. Wearing the pure robes and begging for food, the Buddha’s lifetime of teaching was nothing but continuous practice.

  Mahakashyapa, the Eighth Ancestor [after the Seven Original Buddhas], is Shakyamuni Buddha’s heir. Throughout his lifetime he was engaged without negligence in the twelve ascetic practices: (1) Not to accept invitations from people, to practice begging daily, and not to receive money as an alternative for food. (2) To stay on mountains and not in villages or towns. (3) Not to ask for or accept clothing, but to take clothing from the dead in cemeteries, and dye and sew the cloth for robes. (4) To take shelter under a tree in the field. (5) To have one meal a day, which is called sangha asanika. (6) Not to lie down day or night, but to practice w
alking meditation and sleep sitting up, which is called “sangha naishadika.” (7) To own three robes and nothing more and not to lie down with a robe on. (8) To live in cemeteries rather than in monasteries or houses; to sit zazen and seek the way while gazing at skeletons. (9) To seek out a solitary place, with no desire to lie down with or to be close to others. (10) To eat fruit before the meal and not after. (11) To sit in an open space and not to desire to sleep under a tree or in a house. (12) Not to eat meat or cream and not to rub the body with flax oil.

  These are called the twelve ascetic practices. Venerable Mahakashyapa did not turn back or deviate from them throughout his lifetime. Even after authentically receiving the Tathagata’s treasury of the true dharma eye, he did not retire from these practices.

  Once the Buddha said, “You are old now. You should eat like the rest of the monks.”

  Mahakashyapa said, “If I had not encountered the Tathagata, I would have remained a self-enlightened buddha, living in mountains and forests. Fortunately, I have met the Tathagata. This is a beneficent gift of dharma. So, I cannot forgo my ascetic practice and eat like the rest of the monks.”

  The Tathagata admired his determination. At another time Mahakashyapa looked exhausted because of his ascetic practices, and the monks looked down on him. Then the Tathagata graciously called Mahakashyapa up to him and offered him half of his seat. Thus, Mahakashyapa sat on the Tathagata’s seat. Know that Mahakashyapa was the most senior monk in the assembly of the Buddha. It is impossible to list all the practices he did in his lifetime.

  Venerable Parshva, who would later become the Tenth Ancestor, did not lay himself down on his side to sleep throughout his lifetime. Although he started his practice in his eighties, he soon received the great dharma, one to one. As he did not waste a moment, within three years he received the true eye of complete enlightenment.

  Parshva was in his mother’s womb for sixty years and was born with long, gray hair. As he had a vow not to lay himself down on his side to sleep, he was called Venerable Undefiled Sides. In order to pick up a sutra in the dark, he would radiate his inner light, an ability he had from birth.

  When Parshva was about to give up his household and wear a monk’s robe at the age of eighty, a young boy in the town criticized him, saying, “You are ignorant. What you are going to do doesn’t make sense. Monks maintain two types of practice: learning samadhi and chanting. You are too old and frail to learn these things. You will only confuse the pure stream and eat monks’ food in vain.”

  Hearing this criticism, he thanked the boy and reaffirmed his vow: “Until I master the Tripitaka, become free of desires in the three realms, achieve the six miraculous powers, and attain the eight types of emancipation, I will not lie down on my side.”

  After that he did not skip even one day of contemplation while walking, sitting, and standing. During the day he studied the teachings and at night he practiced tranquil concentration. After three years he mastered the Tripitaka. He became free of desires in the three realms and attained proficiency in the three types of knowledge.

  Parshva was in his mother’s womb for sixty years before his birth. Did he seek the way in the womb? Eighty years after his birth, he left his household to study the way. It was one hundred and forty years after he was conceived. Although outstanding, he was older and more frail than anyone else. In the womb he was old and after birth he was old. However, he did not mind people’s criticism and had unrelenting determination. That is why after only three years his endeavor to attain the way was fulfilled. Upon seeing him and being inspired by him, how could we be slack in our endeavor? Do not be hindered by old age and frailty.

  Birth is hard to fathom. Is this birth or not? Is this old age or not? The views of water by four types of beings vary. We should just focus our aspiration and endeavor on the practice of the way. We should understand that the practice of the way is no other than seeing into birth and death, yet our practice is not bound by birth and death.

  It is extremely foolish of people nowadays to put aside the endeavor of the way when they become fifty or sixty years old, even seventy or eighty. If we are concerned about how many months and years we have lived, this is merely a limited human view, which has nothing to do with the study of the way. Do not consider whether you are in your prime or old and frail. Single-mindedly aspire to study and master the way, standing shoulder to shoulder with Parshva. Do not look back or cling to a heap of dust in the graveyard. If you do not have single-minded aspiration and are not awakened, who would pity you? Practice to see directly just as you would add eyeballs to a skeleton lying in the wilderness.

  Huineng, who would later become the Sixth Chinese Ancestor, was a woodcutter from Xin Region, who could hardly be called learned. He lost his father when very young and was brought up by his old mother. He worked as a woodcutter to support her. Upon hearing a phrase from a sutra at the crossroads in town, he left his mother and set out in search of dharma. He was a great vessel, rare for any time, an outstanding practitioner of the way. Separating from his loving mother must have been more difficult than cutting off his own arm; setting aside his filial obligation was not lightly done.

  Throwing himself into Hongren’s assembly on Mount Huangmei, Huineng pounded rice day and night for eight months without sleep or rest. He received the authentic transmission of the robe and bowl at midnight. After being entrusted with the dharma he continued to pound rice for eight years, traveling with a grinding stone on his back. Even after he emerged in the world and expounded dharma to awaken people, he did not neglect this grinding stone. His continuous practice was rare in the world.

  Mazu of Jianxi did zazen for twenty years and received the intimate seal from Nanyue. Thus, Mazu, when expounding dharma and saving people, did not say anything that might discourage anyone from practicing zazen. Whenever new students arrived, he would allow them to intimately receive the mind seal. He was always the first one to engage in communal work and was not lax even when he was old. The current school of Linji is descended from Mazu.

  Yunyan and Daowu both studied with Yaoshan. Together they made a vow to study single-mindedly without laying their sides on the platform for forty years.

  Yunyan transmitted dharma to Dongshan, who would later become Great Master Wuben. Dongshan said, “Twenty years ago I wanted to be just one piece, and I have been engaged in zazen ever since.”

  Nowadays this statement is widely acclaimed.

  Yunju, who would later become Great Master Hongjiao, was always served food by a heavenly being when he was living in his hermitage called Sanfeng [Three Peak] Hut. During that time, Yunju went to study with Dongshan, under whose teaching he settled the great matter of the way and returned to his hut. When the heavenly being brought food again, he looked for Yunju for three days but could not see him. Without depending on heavenly offerings, Yunju was fully dedicating himself to the great way. Ponder his aspiration for practice.

  From the time he was the attendant to Mazu until he died, Baizhang, who would later become Zen Master Dazhi, did not let a single day pass without working for the assembly or for others. He graciously gave us the model of “A day of no work is a day of no eating.” When Baizhang was old, he labored just like those in their prime. The assembly was concerned about him, but he did not stop working. At last some students hid the tools from him during the work period. He refused to eat that day, expressing his regret that he could not join the assembly’s communal work. This is Baizhang’s exemplification of “A day of no work is a day of no eating.” The wind of the Linji School, which is now widely spread in Song China, as well as the wind of other schools, represents the continuous practice of Baizhang’s profound teaching.

  When Priest Jingqing was abbot of his monastery, he was so inconspicuous that the deities of the region never saw his face, nor did they even hear about him.

  Sanping, who would later become Zen Master Yizhong, used to receive meals that were delivered by devas. After encountering his teacher Dadian, Sanping
could no longer be found by the devas.

  Changqing Da’an was called the Second Guishan. He said, “I lived on Mount Gui for twenty years. I ate Mount Gui’s rice and shit Mount Gui’s shit. I was not studying the words of Ancestor Guishan [Ling-you] but was just taming a water buffalo, wandering around all day long.”

  Know that raising a single water buffalo is the sustained practice of living on Mount Gui for twenty years. Ancestor Guishan had studied in the assembly of Baizhang. Quietly think about and remember Changqing’s activities of those twenty years. There are many who study Guishan’s words, but the continuous practice of not studying the words of Ancestor Guishan is rare.

  Zhaozhou, Priest Congsen, who would later become Great Master Zhenji of the Guanyin Monastery, first aroused the way-seeking mind at the age of sixty-one. He traveled around, carrying a water gourd and a staff with metal rings on top. He kept telling himself, “I will inquire about dharma of anyone who excels me, even a seven-year-old child. I will teach dharma to anyone who has less understanding, even a hundred-year-old.”