Although elements disappear all of a sudden where past elements appeared, it is not that appearing turns into disappearing, but that elements disappear. Because elements disappear completely, they are neither sequential nor aligned.
Whether it is just appearing or just disappearing, in ocean mudra samadhi, all elements are as they are. It is not that there is no practice and realization, it is just that they are not divided. This is called ocean mudra samadhi.
Samadhi is actualization; it is expression. It is the time of night when a hand is reaching back, groping for a pillow. When the hand reaches back for a pillow at night, this groping is not limited to thousands and millions of eons, but is [as the Buddha says in the Lotus Sutra] “I am always in the ocean expounding the wondrous Lotus Sutra.”
The Buddha said, I do not say “I” appear. This means, I am always in the ocean. From his front side the Buddha always teaches, “When one wave moves, thousands of waves follow.” From his back he teaches the Lotus Sutra, expounding “When thousands of waves move, one wave follows.” Even if you cast a one-thousand-foot or a ten-thousand-foot fishing line, regrettably it only goes straight down. Both front and back spoken of here are I am in the ocean. They are just like the front and back of the head. The front and back of the head means placing one head on top of another.
It is not that there is a person in the ocean. The ocean of “I am in the ocean” is not an abode of people in the world. It is not where sages love to be. It is just “I am alone in the ocean.” Thus, the Buddha said, I am always in the ocean expounding.
This ocean does not belong to inside, outside, or in-between. It is just I am always expounding the Lotus Sutra. The Buddha does not abide in the east, west, south, or north. The whole boat is empty; it returns full of moonlight. This return is a true place of settling. Who could call it stagnant water? It is actualized in the ultimate dimensions of the buddha dharma. This is called the mudra of water mudra.
Let me speak further. It is the mudra of emptiness. It is the mudra of mud. The water mudra of water is not necessarily the mudra of ocean. Going beyond is the mudra of ocean mudra. This is called ocean mudra, water mudra, mud mudra, and mind mudra. By transmitting the mind mudra, you mudra [form] water, you mudra mud, you mudra emptiness.
Caoshan, Great Master Yuanzheng, was asked by a monk, “From the scriptures we learn that an ocean does not retain corpses. What is the ocean?”
Caoshan said, “That which contains myriad things.”
The monk said, “The ocean does not keep corpses. Why?”
Caoshan said, “Those who have stopped breathing do not remain as they are.”
The monk said, “The ocean contains myriad things, but those who have stopped breathing do not remain as they are. Why?”
Caoshan said, “Myriad things stop breathing when they don’t function anymore.”
Caoshan, a dharma brother of Yunju, was right on the mark of Dongshan’s teaching. From the scriptures we learn refers to the correct teaching of buddha ancestors. It is not the teaching of ordinary sages, nor is it a lesser teaching of the buddha dharma.
The ocean that does not retain corpses is not the open water, an enclosed sea, or even one of the Eight Seas. This is not what the monk asked Caoshan. The monk understands what is not the ocean as the ocean, but also understands the ocean as the ocean.
A sea is not the ocean. The ocean is not necessarily an abyss of water with eight powers or nine trenches of salt water; the ocean is where all elements come together. It is not limited to deep water. This being so, the monk’s question What is the ocean? refers to an ocean that is not known by humans and devas. The one who asked this question wanted to shake up fixed views.
Not retaining corpses is [as Puhua said], “When brightness arises, meet it with brightness; when darkness arises, meet it with darkness.” A corpse is as indestructible as ash, meaning [as Fachang said], “through countless springs, there is no change of mind.” A corpse such as this has not been seen before; therefore it is unknown.
Caoshan’s words That which contains myriad things indicates the deep ocean. The point of his words is not about one thing that contains myriad things but about just containing myriad things. He did not merely mean that the deep ocean contains myriad things, but that what contains myriad things is nothing other than the deep ocean.
Recognized or not, myriad things are just myriad things. Encountering the buddha face and the ancestor face is nothing other than fully recognizing myriad things as myriad things. Because myriad things are all-inclusive, you do not merely stand atop the highest peak or travel along the bottom of the deepest ocean. Being all-inclusive is just like this; letting go is just like that. What is called the ocean of buddha nature or Vairochana’s ocean storehouse is just myriad things. Although the ocean surface is invisible, there is no doubt about the practice of swimming in it.
Duofu described a grove of bamboo as “one or two stalks are bent and three or four stalks are leaning.” Although he referred to myriad things, why did he not say, “One thousand or ten thousand stalks are bent”? Why did he not say, “one thousand or ten thousand groves”? Do not forget that a grove of bamboo is like that. This is what is meant by Caoshan’s words That which contains myriad things.
The monk’s statement, Those who have stopped breathing do not remain as they are. Why? appears to be a question, but it is actually an understanding of what it is. When doubt arises, just encounter doubt. In investigating thusness, the monk said, Those who have stopped breathing do not remain as they are. Why? and The ocean does not retain corpses. Why? This is the meaning of his words: The ocean contains myriad things, but those who have stopped breathing do not remain as they are. Why? Know that containing does not allow things to remain as they are. Containing is not-retaining. Even if myriad things were nothing but corpses, for ten thousand years the ocean would never retain them unchanged. The old monk, who does not remain the same, makes his move.
Caoshan’s words, Myriad things stop breathing when they don’t function anymore mean that even if myriad things do or do not stop breathing, they do not remain as they are. Even if corpses are corpses, the practice of being one with myriad things should be able to contain them; the practice should be all-containing. In the past and future of myriad things, there is a function that goes beyond not-breathing.
This is the blind leading the blind. The meaning of the blind leading the blind is that a blind one leads a blind one [teacher and student merge]; blind ones lead blind ones. When blind ones lead blind ones, all things are contained. Containing contains all things.
In the great way of going beyond, no endeavor is complete without being one with myriad things. This is ocean mudra samadhi.
Written at the Kannondori Kosho Horin Monastery on the twentieth day, the fourth month, the third year of the Ninji Era [1242].
33
CONFIRMATION
THE GREAT WAY uniquely transmitted by buddhas and ancestors is confirmation. Those who have not studied buddhas and ancestors have never dreamed of it.
At the time of confirmation, even those who have not aroused the aspiration for enlightenment are confirmed. Those with no buddha nature are confirmed; those with buddha nature are confirmed. Body is confirmed, no-body is confirmed. All buddhas are confirmed. All buddhas maintain the confirmation of all buddhas.
Do not assume that you become a buddha after attaining confirmation; do not suppose that you attain confirmation after becoming a buddha. At the time of confirmation there is becoming a buddha; at the time of confirmation there is practice.
Accordingly, all buddhas have confirmation; buddhas going beyond buddhas have confirmation. The self is confirmed. Body and mind are confirmed. When you complete study and fully understand confirmation, you fulfill your study and fully understand the buddha way.
Before having the body, there is confirmation. After having the body, there is confirmation. There is confirmation that is recognized by the self, and there is confirmation that is no
t recognized by the self. There is confirmation recognized by others, and there is confirmation not recognized by others.
Know that confirmation actualizes the self. Confirmation is the self of actualization. Thus, what has been directly transmitted between buddha and buddha, between ancestor and ancestor, is none other than confirmation. There is not a single thing that is not confirmation. How can it be otherwise for mountains, rivers, earth, Mount Sumeru, or great oceans? There is not one, or a half of the third child of Zhang, or the fourth child of Li [an ordinary person] who is without confirmation.
Confirmation studied thoroughly in this way is speaking one phrase, hearing one phrase; beyond understanding of one phrase, understanding of one phrase; practicing and discoursing. Confirmation causes walking backward, walking forward. Sitting and wearing a robe at this moment could not be actualized without authentic confirmation. Because actualizing is putting the robe on your head and joining your palms together, actualizing is confirmation.
The Buddha said:
There are many kinds of confirmation. Briefly speaking, there are eight kinds: confirmation known to oneself but not to others; confirmation known to everyone but not to oneself; confirmation known to oneself and everyone; confirmation not known to oneself or to anyone else; confirmation recognized by those who are nearby but not by those who are distant; confirmation recognized by those distant but not by those nearby; confirmation recognized by both those nearby and those distant; and confirmation recognized by neither those nearby nor those distant.
Thus, do not think that confirmation is only known to the spirit of this present skin-bag body. Do not say that a person who is not enlightened should not be easily confirmed. It is usually thought in the world that a person is confirmed when the merit of the practice is complete and becoming a buddha is determined; but it is not so in the buddha way. Following a master and hearing one phrase, or following a sutra and learning one phrase, is itself attaining confirmation, because it is the original practice of all buddhas and because it is a wholesome root of a hundred grasses.
When confirmation is expressed, those who attain confirmation are all people in the ultimate realm. Know that even one particle of dust is unsurpassable; even one particle of dust is going beyond itself. How could confirmation not be one particle of dust? How could confirmation not be one thing? How could confirmation not be myriad things? How could confirmation not be practice and enlightenment? How could confirmation not be buddhas and ancestors? How could confirmation not be pursuit and endeavor of the way? How could confirmation not be great enlightenment and great delusion?
Confirmation is “When my essential teaching reaches you, it will vigorously rise in the world.” Confirmation is “You are like this; I am like this.” Confirmation is a guidepost. Confirmation is beyond your knowledge. Confirmation is the face breaking into a smile. Confirmation is the coming and going of birth and death.
Confirmation is the entire world of the ten directions. Confirmation is “The whole world is not hidden.”
Xuansha, who would later be Great Master Zongyi, once accompanied Xuefeng. Xuefeng pointed to the ground in front of him and said, “This piece of rice field would be a good spot for a seamless tower.”
Xuansha said, “How high would it be?”
Xuefeng just looked up and down.
Xuansha said, “You do not lack the meritorious reward of human and heavenly beings. However, master, you have not dreamed of the confirmation on Vulture Peak.”
Xuefeng said, “How about you?”
Xuansha said, “Seven or eight feet.”
Xuansha’s words However, master, you have not dreamed of the confirmation on Vulture Peak do not mean that Xuefeng was not confirmed on Vulture Peak, nor do they mean that Xuefeng was confirmed on Vulture Peak. It means that Xuefeng has not dreamed of the confirmation on Vulture Peak.
The confirmation on Vulture Peak is said from a lofty perspective. It is “I have the treasury of the true dharma eye, the wondrous heart of nirvana. I now entrust it to Mahakashyapa.”
Know that in the simultaneous practice of the moment when Qingyuan confirms Shitou, Mahakashyapa is also comfirmed by Qingyuan. Qingyuan also gives Shakyamuni confirmation. So, it is clear that for each buddha and ancestor there is entrustment of the treasury of the true dharma eye.
In this way Huineng confirmed Qingyuan. When Qingyuan is confirmed by Huineng, Qingyuan becomes Qingyuan by this confirmation. At this moment, the practice of Huineng and other ancestors is directly actualized and realized by Qingyuan’s confirmation. This is called “One hundred grasses are bright and clear, buddha ancestors’ minds are bright and clear.” This being so, how can buddha ancestors not be one hundred grasses? How can one hundred grasses not be you or myself?
Do not stupidly assume that what you have is always known to you, or seen by you. It is not so. Things you know are not necessarily your possessions. Your possessions are not necessarily what you see or what you know. Therefore, do not consider that whatever diverges from your knowledge or thought is not your possession. In particular, confirmation on Vulture Peak means Shakyamuni Buddha’s confirmation. This confirmation has been confirmed to Shakyamuni Buddha by Shakyamuni Buddha. Someone who is not in accord with this way is not confirmed.
There is no hindrance in confirming someone who is already confirmed, and nothing extra is added in confirming someone who has not been confirmed. Having nothing lacking or extra is the way all buddha ancestors are confirmed by all buddha ancestors.
In this regard, an ancient buddha said:
From olden times to now, raising the whisk clarifies east and west.
The great meaning is subtle and not easy to grasp.
Without a teacher transmitting it,
what profound words can you see?
In studying Xuansha’s asking the height of the seamless tower, there needs to be an answer to, How high would it be? It was not five hundred or eighty thousand yojana. Nor did it exclude looking up and down.
Xuansha said, You do not lack the meritorious reward of human and heavenly beings. But showing the height of the seamless tower by looking up and down is not Shakyamuni Buddha’s confirmation. To attain Shakyamuni Buddha’s confirmation is to say, Seven or eight feet. To examine Shakyamuni Buddha’s true confirmation is accomplished by the words Seven or eight feet.
Whether the words Seven or eight feet are right or not, confirmation was accomplished by Xuefeng, and confirmation was accomplished by Xuansha. Still further, you should bring up the confirmation and speak of the height of the seamless tower. To speak about buddha dharma by bringing up what is not confirmation is not true expression.
When the self understands, hears, and speaks the true self, invariably the fundamental point is actualized by confirmation. Confirmation itself brings forth the effort that is manifested simultaneously with confirmation. In order to fully actualize confirmation, countless buddhas and ancestors have realized authentic awakening. The power realized by confirmation brings forth all buddhas. For this reason it is said, “Only because of one great matter [all buddhas] appear.” The meaning is that, while going beyond, no-self never fails to attain confirmation of no-self. In this way, all buddhas attain confirmation of all buddhas.
Now, confirmation is given and accepted by raising one hand, raising two hands, raising one thousand hands and eyes. Confirmation is actualized by taking up an udumbara blossom or a brocade robe. These are not forced but are natural activities of confirmation. There is confirmation attained from inside, confirmation attained from outside. For thoroughly studying the meaning of inside and outside, study about confirmation. Study of the way of confirmation is one rod of iron ten thousand miles long. Sitting like a rock in confirmation is one moment that is myriad years.
An ancient buddha said, “Successively attaining buddhahood, [buddhas] continuing to confirm.”
Attaining buddhahood spoken of here is always successively. As part of successively you attain buddhahood. Confirmation turns t
his attaining buddhahood. This turning keeps on continuously, moving on to the next turning. It continues happening. This happening is making. This making is not the making of a limited body, a limited situation, a limited thought, or a limited mind.
Thoroughly investigate making or not making a situation in terms of turning. Thoroughly investigate making or not making in terms of turning.
All buddhas and ancestors who appear now are turned by making. The coming of the five buddhas and six ancestors from India has been turned by making.
Furthermore, drawing water and carrying firewood have been turned. The appearance of “mind itself is buddha” has been turned. The pari-nirvana of “mind itself is buddha” is not just one or two rare pari-nirvanas. Make countless pari-nirvanas countless pari-nirvanas. Make countless attainings of the way countless attainings of the way. Make countless forms of the Buddha countless forms of the Buddha. This is successively attaining buddhahood and successively attaining pari-nirvana. It is successively attaining confirmation, successively attaining turning.
Turning is not originally existent, but just seven penetrations and eight masteries. To see and meet each face of the buddhas and ancestors is successively. Even if you try to escape, there is no gap in the turning of buddhas and ancestors’ confirmation.
An ancient buddha said, “I now hear from the Buddha about the magnificent confirmation and about receiving it continuously; my body and mind fully rejoice.”
Magnificent confirmation is always I now hear from the Buddha. Receiving it continuously is my body and mind fully rejoice. Continuously means I now. It is not concerned with self and other in the past, present, and future. It is just hearing from the Buddha and not hearing from others. It is not delusion or enlightenment, not sentient beings, not grass, trees, or countries, but it is hearing from the Buddha. It is magnificent confirmation. It is continuously receiving.
Treasury of the True Dharma Eye Page 52
