It is like pouring water into the ocean and spreading it endlessly, or like transmitting the lamp and allowing it to shine ceaselessly. In thousands of millions of transmissions, the trunk and branches are one, breaking an eggshell by pecking from the inside and outside at once.
Day and night Mahakashyapa closely attended Shakyamuni Buddha, and spent his whole life intimately illuminated by the buddha face. How long this has been happening is beyond comprehension. Quietly and joyously reflect on this.
Thus, Mahakashyapa bowed formally to Shakyamuni Buddha’s face. Shakyamuni Buddha’s eyes were reflected in his eyes, and his eyes were reflected in Shakyamuni Buddha’s eyes. This is the buddha eye; this is the buddha face. It has been transmitted face to face without a generation’s gap until now. This is face-to-face transmission.
All these authentic heirs are the buddha face; each of them has received face-to-face transmission from the original buddha face. Bowing formally to this authentic face-to-face transmission is bowing to the Seven Original Buddhas, including Shakyamuni Buddha, and bowing and making offerings to Mahakashyapa and the rest of the twenty-eight Indian buddha ancestors.
The face and eyeball of buddha ancestors are like this. To see these buddha ancestors is to see the Seven Original Buddhas, including Shakyamuni Buddha. Exactly at this moment, buddha ancestors are intimately transmitting themselves.
A face-to-face-transmitting buddha transmits to a face-to-face-transmitting buddha. A face-to-face-transmitting buddha is transmitted from vine to vine, without being cut off. Such transmission is transmitted from eye to eye, with the eye open. It is transmitted from face to face, with the face revealed.
Face-to-face transmission is given and received in the presence of the buddha face. Mind is taken up, transmitted to mind, and received by mind. Body is manifested and transmitted to body. In other regions or countries, this is regarded as the original heritage. In China and eastward, there is face-to-face transmission only within the house of authentically transmitted buddha ancestors. Thus, the true eye that always sees the Tathagata anew has been transmitted.
At the time of bowing formally to Shakyamuni Buddha’s face, the fifty-one buddha ancestors and the Seven Original Buddhas are not present side by side or in one line. But it is face-to-face transmission among all the buddha ancestors at the same time. If you do not see in just one generation all the masters, you are not a disciple. If you do not see in just one generation all the disciples, you are not a master. Masters and disciples always see one another when transmitting and receiving dharma. This is the realization of the way, face-to-face transmission of the ancestral source. Thus, masters and disciples bring forth the luminous face of the Tathagata.
Accordingly, this face-to-face transmission is actualizing the face and continuing the transmission of Shakyamuni Buddha through thousands and thousands of years, or hundreds and billions of eons. When the World-Honored One, Mahakashyapa, and other members of the fifty-one buddha ancestors, and the Seven Original Buddhas appear, their shadows appear, their light appears, their bodies appear, and their minds appear. An invisible leg or a sharpened nose appears. Even without knowing one word or understanding half a phrase, the teacher sees the student from within, and the student lowers the top of the head; this is authentic face-to-face transmission.
Venerate this face-to-face transmission. If the traces of mind were only projected in the field of mind, they would not be of great value. However, if you receive face-to-face transmission by exchanging your face, and if you give face-to-face transmission by turning your head, the face skin is three inches thick and ten feet thin.
This face skin is the great round mirror of all buddhas. Because they have the great round mirror as their face skin, they are unmarred inside and outside. A great round mirror transmits to a great round mirror.
You who rightly transmit the true eye that directly sees Shakyamuni Buddha are more intimate with Shakyamuni Buddha than Shakyamuni Buddha is with himself. With this eye you see and bring forth numerous past and future Shakyamuni Buddhas. Therefore, in order to express adoration to Shakyamuni Buddha, you should profoundly venerate this authentic face-to-face transmission and with formal bows acknowledge the extreme rarity of meeting with it. This is to bow formally to the Tathagata and to be given face-to-face transmission by the Tathagata. You may wonder if it is the self that now sees the unchanging practice of authentic transmission of the face-to-face-transmitting tathagatas. Whether it is the self or other that sees this transmission, you should treasure and protect it.
It is taught in the buddha’s house that those who bow formally to the Eight Pagodas are liberated from the hindrances of unwholesome actions and experience the fruit of the way. These pagodas are the actualization of Shakyamuni Buddha’s way. They were built where he was born, where he turned the dharma wheel, attained the way, entered pari-nirvana, at the city of Kanyakubja, and at Amrapali Grove, thus completing the earth and the sky. They were built by way of sounds, smells, tastes, touchables, mental phenomena, and forms. The fruit of the way is realized by formally bowing to the Eight Pagodas. This is a common practice in India performed by laypeople and monks, by devas and human beings who devotedly make offerings and prostrations. These pagodas are equal to one volume of the scripture.
A buddha scripture is like this. Even beyond that, the practice of the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment and attaining the fruit of the way in each and every birth is actualized by allowing the trace of Shakyamuni Buddha’s practice throughout time. This is to prevail as the authentic way everywhere and to be clearly expressed in past and present.
Know that, although wind and rain wear them down, the Eight Pagodas, standing layer upon layer through numerous frosts and flowers, are not diminished in their merit, remaining in emptiness and form. Because of this, even if you have delusion and hindrance, when you practice the [fivefold] root, the [fivefold] power, the limbs of enlightenment, and the noble path, the power of the Eight Pagodas is still vital in your practice and realization.
The benefaction of Shakyamuni Buddha is like this. Even so, face-to-face transmission is incomparably greater than the Eight Pago-das. The thirty-seven wings of enlightenment are rooted in the buddha face, the buddha mind, the buddha body, the buddha way, the buddha nose, and the buddha tongue. The benefaction of the Eight Pagodas is also based on the buddha face and so forth. While practicing the vital path of penetration, you who study dharma should think deeply day and night about this and quietly rejoice.
Now, our country surpasses other countries and our way alone is unsurpassable. In other places there are not many people who are like us. The reason I say so is this: Although the teaching of the assembly on Vulture Peak has spread in the ten directions, still the Chinese masters are the only authentic heirs of the great master [Bodhidharma] of Shaolin, and only the descendants of the great master [Huineng] of Mount Caoxi have transmitted this dharma face to face up to the present.
This is a splendid opportunity for buddha dharma to freshly enter into mud and water. If you do not realize the fruit at this moment, when will you realize it? If you do not cut off delusion at this moment, when will you cut off delusion? If you do not become a buddha at this moment, when will you? If you do not sit as a buddha at this moment, when will you practice as an active buddha? Diligently examine this in detail.
Shakyamuni Buddha graciously entrusted and transmitted dharma face to face to Mahakashyapa, saying, I have the treasury of the true dharma eye. I entrust it to Mahakashyapa.
At the assembly of Mount Song, Bodhidharma said to Huike, who would later become the Second Ancestor, “You have attained my marrow.”
From this we know that entrusting the treasury of the true dharma eye and saying, “You have attained my marrow” is this very face-to-face transmission. At the exact moment of jumping beyond your ordinary bones and marrow, there is the buddha ancestor’s transmission face to face. The face-to-face transmission of great enlightenment, the face-to-face transmission of the min
d seal, is extraordinary. Transmission is never exhausted; there is never a lack of enlightenment.
Now, the great way of buddha ancestors is only giving and receiving face to face, receiving and giving face to face; there is nothing excessive and there is nothing lacking. Faithfully and joyously realize when your own face meets someone who has received this transmission face to face.
I, Dogen, first bowed formally to Rujing, my late master, Old Buddha Tiantong, and received transmission face to face on the first day of the fifth month, the first year of Baoqing Era of Great Song [1225], and was thereby allowed to enter the inner chamber. I was able to enact this face-to-face transmission by dropping away body and mind, and I have established this transmission in Japan.
Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province on the twentieth day, the tenth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].
POSTSCRIPT
Among those who had not heard or learned about the meaning of such face-to-face transmission in the buddha way, there was someone called Zen Master Chenggu, of the Jianfu Monastery in the Jingyou Era [1034–1038] during the reign of Emperor Ren of Great Song. He ascended the teaching seat and said:
Yunmen, Great Master Kuangzhen, is now present. Do you see him? If you do, you are the same as I. Do you see him? Do you see him? If you understand this immediately, you have got it; but do not boast.
This is like Huangbo, who, when he heard Baizhang present the story of great master Mazu’s shout, experienced great understanding. Then Baizhang asked him, “Are you great master Mazu’s heir or not?” Huangbo said, “I know the great master, but in a word, I haven’t seen him. If I inherit from him, I fear I will lose my descendants.”
Attention, everyone! Since it was already five years after the death of great master Mazu, Huangbo said that he had not seen him. Thus, we know that Huangbo’s view was incomplete. That is to say, he had only one eye. But I am not like that. I know great master Yunmen, and I have seen great master Yunmen. Therefore, I am great master Yunmen’s heir.
But more than one hundred years have passed since the death of Yunmen. Then, how can we say that I have personally seen him? Do you understand this? Those who have reached this state, I will approve. But those who have dim eyes will produce doubt and slander in their mind, so they cannot see and explain it. Those of you who have not seen, can you get it now? Please take care of yourselves.
Chenggu, admitting that you know great master Yunmen and have seen him, has great master Yunmen seen you or not? If great master Yunmen has not seen you, you cannot be great master Yunmen’s heir. Because great master Yunmen has not seen you, you cannot say that great master Yunmen has seen you. Thus, we know that you and great master Yunmen have not yet seen each other.
In the past, present, and future of the Seven Original Buddhas and all buddhas, which of the buddha ancestors have received dharma without the teacher and disciple seeing each other? Chenggu, you should not say that Huangbo’s view was incomplete. How can you evaluate Huangbo’s practice, and how can you evaluate Huangbo’s words? Huangbo was an authentic buddha; he thoroughly knew about dharma transmission. But you have never dreamed of the meaning of dharma transmission. Huangbo received dharma transmission from his teacher and he maintained the dharma of this ancestor. Huangbo met and saw his teacher. But you have neither seen a teacher nor known an ancestor. You neither know the self nor see the self. No teacher has seen you, and your eye as a teacher has not yet opened. The truth is that your view is incomplete, your succession of dharma is incomplete.
Chenggu, do you understand that great master Yunmen is a dharma descendant of Huangbo? How can you evaluate the words of Baizhang and Huangbo? You cannot even evaluate the words of Yunmen. The words of Baizhang and Huangbo are presented by those who are able to study and are evaluated by those who have directly experienced dropping away. But you do not study and you do not experience dropping away; you do not understand and you cannot evaluate it.
You say that Huangbo did not receive dharma from great master Ma [Mazu] although it was less than five years since great master Ma’s death. Your understanding is not worth a laugh. If you are to receive dharma, you will receive it only after innumerable eons. If not, you will not receive it after half a day or even after a moment. You are a totally ignorant fool who has not yet seen the sunface moonface [various aspects] of the buddha way.
You say that you are great master Yunmen’s heir although more than one hundred years have passed since the death of Yunmen. Have you received dharma from Yunmen because you have monumental power? You are as ignorant as a three-year-old child. Does this mean that someone who receives dharma from Yunmen one thousand years later will have a power ten times as great as yours?
Let me rescue you now. Study these words: Baizhang said, Are you great master Mazu’s heir? This does not mean that Huangbo was asked to inherit dharma from great master Mazu. You should now study these words of the combating lion. By studying the story of a black tortoise climbing up a tree backward, you should investigate the vital way of moving forward and moving backward. Upon inheriting dharma there is this kind of study. Huangbo’s words I fear I will lose my descendants cannot be evaluated by you. Do you understand what he meant by my and descendants? You must examine this in detail; the meaning is already manifested, and nothing is hidden.
However, someone called Weibai, Zen Master Fuguo, ignorant of the dharma heritage of buddha ancestors, listed Chenggu as a dharma heir of Yunmen. It is a mistake. Those who study the way later should not naively think that Chenggu had mastered the way.
Chenggu, if dharma heritage can be attained through literature as you imply, do all those who reach understanding by reading sutras receive dharma from Shakyamuni Buddha? It is never so. Understanding by sutras always requires an authentic master’s seal of approval.
Your words show that you have not yet read the recorded sayings of Yunmen. Only those who have seen Yunmen’s words have received dharma from Yunmen. But you have not yet seen Yunmen with your own eyes; you have not yet seen the self with your own eyes. You have not seen Yunmen with Yunmen’s eyes; you have not seen the self with Yunmen’s eyes.
There are many people like you who have not thoroughly studied. Continually buy straw sandals and seek an authentic master from whom to receive dharma. You should not say that you have received dharma from great master Yunmen. If you do so, you will enter the stream of those outside the way. Even Baizhang would be mistaken if he talked like you.
58
RULES FOR ZAZEN
PRACTICING ZEN IS zazen. For zazen, a quiet place is suitable. Lay out a thick mat. Do not let in drafts or smoke, rain or dew. Protect and maintain the place that contains your body. There are examples from the past of sitting on a diamond seat and sitting on a flat stone covered with a thick layer of grass. Day or night, the place of sitting should not be dark; it should be kept warm in winter and cool in summer.
Set aside all involvements and let the myriad things rest. Zazen is not thinking of good, not thinking of bad. It is not conscious endeavor. It is not introspection. Do not desire to become a buddha. Let sitting or lying down drop away. Be moderate in eating and drinking. Mindful of the passing of time, engage yourself in zazen as though saving your head from fire. On Mount Huangmei, Hongren, the Fifth Ancestor, practiced zazen to the exclusion of all other activities.
When sitting zazen, wear the kashaya and use a round cushion. The cushion should not be placed all the way under the legs, but only under the buttocks. In this way the crossed legs rest on the [soft] mat and the backbone is supported with the round cushion. This is the method used by all buddha ancestors for zazen.
Sit either in the half-lotus position or in the full-lotus position. For the full-lotus put the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh. The toes should lie along the thighs, not extending beyond. For the half-lotus position, simply put the left foot on the right thigh.
Loosen your robes and arran
ge them in an orderly way. Place the right hand on the left foot and the left hand on the right hand, with the ends of the thumbs lightly touching each other. With the hands in this position, place them close to the body so that the joined thumb-tips are at the navel.
Straighten your body and sit upright. Do not lean to the left or right; do not bend forward or backward. Your ears should be in line with your shoulders, and your nose in line with your navel.
Rest your tongue against the roof of your mouth, and breathe through your nose. Lips and teeth should be closed. Eyes should be open, neither too wide, nor too narrow. Having adjusted body and mind in this manner, take a breath and exhale fully.
Sit solidly in samadhi and think not-thinking. How do you think not-thinking? Beyond thinking. This is the art of zazen.
Zazen is not learning to do concentration. It is the dharma gate of great ease and joy. It is undivided practice-realization.
Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province, in the eleventh month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].
59
PLUM BLOSSOMS
RUJING, MY LATE master, Old Buddha Tiantong, was the thirtieth abbot of the Tiantong Jingde Monastery, renowned Mount Taibai, Qingyuan Prefecture, Great Song. He ascended the teaching seat and said to the assembly:
Tiantong’s first phrase of midwinter:
Old plum tree bent and gnarled
Treasury of the True Dharma Eye Page 71
