These guidelines are the life vein of buddha ancestors, the eyeball of monks. Those who are outside the way do not know them. Heavenly demons do not bear them. Only children of the Buddha receive transmission of them. The officer in charge of the kitchen should understand these guidelines clearly and not ignore them.
Instructed by Dogen, Founding Monk.
POSTSCRIPT
To the officers of the Eihei Monastery: From now on, if you happen to receive meal offerings from donors to the monastery, hold them until the following day. However, noodles, cakes, and various kinds of gruel should be distributed in the evening. These are medicinal snacks [supper] in the assemblies of buddha ancestors. There are excellent precedents for such practice in Great Song China. Just as the Tathagata permitted the wearing of double clothes in the Snow Mountains [Himalayas], medicinal snacks during the time of snow are permitted in this monastery.
Founding monk of the Eihei Monastery, Kigen [Dogen].
83
LEAVING THE HOUSEHOLD
THE GUIDELINES FOR Zen Monasteries says:
It is taught that all buddhas in the past, present, and future leave the household and attain the way. The twenty-eight ancestors in India and the six early ancestors in China who transmitted the Buddha’s mind seal were all monks. They are distinguished in the three realms by strictly observing the precepts. Thus, precepts are primary for practicing Zen in pursuit of the way. How can one become a buddha ancestor without becoming free from faults and preventing wrongdoing?
In preparation for receiving the precepts you should have three types of robes, eating bowls and utensils, and new and purified clothes. If new clothes are not available, use freshly washed clothes. Do not borrow clothes or eating bowls for stepping onto the platform to receive the precepts. Concentrate your mind and do not be concerned with other matters. To take a form of the Buddha, to embody the precepts of the Buddha, and to acquire what the Buddha received are not a trifle. You should not be casual about it. If you borrow someone’s robes and bowls, you do not actually receive the precepts, even if you step onto the platform and receive them. Without actually receiving the precepts, you will be one without precepts, mistakenly associated with the gate of emptiness [buddha dharma] and falsely accepting faithful donations.
Beginning practitioners may not be familiar with the guidelines. Without a teacher’s advice, they may make such mistakes. So, here is some advice. Keep it in mind.
If you have already received the bhikshu precepts, receive the bodhisattva precepts. This is the beginning of entering the dharma.
Clearly know that the attainment of the way by all buddhas and ancestors is only accomplished by leaving the household and receiving the precepts. The life vein of all buddhas and ancestors is no other than leaving the household and receiving the precepts. None of those who have not left the household are buddha ancestors. To meet a buddha and to meet an ancestor is to leave the household and receive the precepts.
Mahakashyapa followed the World-Honored One, aspired to leave the household, and expressed hope to awaken all beings.
The World-Honored One said, “Come, monk.”
Then, Mahakashyapa’s hair dropped all by itself and a kashaya wrapped around his body.
This is an excellent example of leaving the household and receiving the precepts when one studied with the Buddha and hoped to liberate all beings.
The Maha Prajna Paramita Sutra quotes the Buddha, the World-Honored One, in its third fascicle:
Some bodhisattvas, great beings, may think in this way:
“Someday I will abandon my country and my position, and leave my household. On that day I will attain unsurpassable, complete enlightenment and turn the dharma wheel. I will help innumerable sentient beings to become free from dust and defilement and give rise to a pure dharma eye. I will also help innumerable sentient beings to keep transforming delusion and attain unsurpassable, complete enlightenment without remitting.”
If such bodhisattvas, great beings, want to fulfill such a vow, they should study the manifestation of prajna.
In this way, unsurpassable enlightenment is fulfilled at the moment you leave the household and receive the precepts. It is not fulfilled other than on this day.
Thus, you take up the day of leaving the household and actualize the day of attaining unsurpassable enlightenment. Taking up the day of attaining unsurpassable enlightenment is the day of leaving the household.
To turn cartwheels on the day of leaving the household is to turn the wondrous dharma wheel. This leaving the household makes innumerable sentient beings unremitting in unsurpassable enlightenment.
Know that to fulfill benefiting the self and benefiting the other and to be unremitting in unsurpassable enlightenment are leaving the house-hold and receiving the precepts. Attaining unsurpassable enlightenment in turn actualizes the day of leaving the household.
Know that the day of leaving the household goes beyond one or many. On the day of leaving the household, you practice and realize countless eons. On the day of leaving the household, you cross over the boundless ocean of eons and turn the wondrous dharma wheel.
The day of leaving the household is not the length of a mealtime. It is not sixty small eons. It goes beyond the past, present, and future. It drops away from the top of the head. The day of leaving the household goes beyond the day of leaving the household. This being so, by crushing baskets and traps, the day of leaving the household becomes the day of leaving the household. The day of attaining the way becomes the day of attaining the way.
The Treatise on Realization of Great Wisdom says in its thirteenth fascicle:
When the Buddha was at Jeta Grove, there was a drunken Brahman. He went to see the Buddha and asked him to make him a monk. The Buddha told his monks to shave the Brahman’s head and let him wear a buddha robe. When the man became sober, he was shocked to see himself turned into a monk, so he ran away.
The monks asked the Buddha, “Why did you allow that drunken Brahman to become a monk? When he saw what you had done, he ran away.”
The Buddha said, “That Brahman would never intend to leave the household even for innumerable eons. But, because he aroused a faint aspiration when he was drunk, due to such causes and conditions he will leave the household and attain the way in the future.
“In this way, there are a variety of causes and conditions for leaving the household. Breaking the precepts as a home leaver is better than keeping them as a layperson. You cannot experience emancipation by keeping the precepts as a layperson.”
Thus, the essence of the Buddha’s teaching is clear. His teaching makes home leaving primary. Those who have not left the household are not in buddha dharma. When the Tathagata was living in the world, a number of those outside the way wanted to give up their wrong paths and take refuge in him, so first they asked his permission to leave the household.
The Tathagata would accept them by saying, “Come, monk.” And when he asked his monks to shave their heads and faces, helping them to leave the household and receive the precepts, the procedure of leaving the household and receiving the precepts was immediately complete.
Know that when Mahakashyapa accepted the Buddha’s teaching in his body and mind, his hair dropped spontaneously from his head and his body was wrapped by a kashaya. Without the permission of buddhas, his hair and beard would not have been shaved off, his body would not have been wrapped by the kashaya, and he would not have received the precepts. Thus, leaving the household and receiving the precepts are no other than being personally given the prediction of enlightenment by buddha tathagatas.
Shakyamuni Buddha said:
Good people, the Tathagata, seeing that sentient beings pursue minor matters, being thin in their virtue and heavy in their defilement, tells them, “I left the household when I was young and attained unsurpassable, complete enlightenment. Truly, I have been a buddha for a long time. I teach sentient beings with skillful means and speak in this way for the sake of letting them enter the
buddha way.”
Thus, I have been a buddha for a long time is because I left the household when I was young. Unsurpassable, complete enlightenment is I left the household when I was young. When the Buddha says I left the household when I was young, sentient beings who pursue minor matters, being thin in their virtue and heavy in their defilement, follow the Buddha and leave the household when they are young.
When sentient beings see, hear, and study the Buddha’s words I left the household when I was young, they encounter the Buddha’s unsurpassable, complete enlightenment. When the Buddha awakens sentient beings thin in their virtue and heavy in their defilement, he tells them, I left the household when I was young and I attained unsurpassable, complete enlightenment.
Even though this is so, ask, “How much is the merit of leaving the household?”
If someone asks in this way, say, “To the top of the head.”
Presented to the assembly of the Eihei Monastery, Echizen Province, on the fifteenth day, the ninth month, the fourth year of the Kangen Era [1246].
84
EIGHT AWAKENINGS OF GREAT BEINGS
ALL BUDDHAS ARE great beings. What great beings practice is called the eight awakenings. Practicing these awakenings is the basis for nirvana. This is the last teaching of our original teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, which he gave on the night he entered pari-nirvana.
[The Buddha’s Pari-nirvana Admonition Outline Sutra (Buddha’s Willed Teaching Sutra) says:]
The first awakening is to have few desires. To refrain from widely coveting the objects of the five-sense desires is called “few desires.”
The Buddha said, “Monks, know that people who have many desires intensely seek fame and gain; therefore they suffer a great deal. Those who have few desires do not seek fame and gain and are free from them, so they are without such troubles. Having few desires is itself worth-while. It is even more so because it creates various merits: Those who have few desires need not flatter to gain others’ favor. Those who have few desires are not compelled by their sense organs; they have a serene mind and do not worry because they are satisfied with what they have and do not have a sense of lack. Those who have few desires experience nirvana. This is called ‘few desires.’”
The second awakening is to know how much is enough. Even if you already have something, you set a limit for yourself for using it, so you should know how much is enough.
The Buddha said, “Monks, if you want to be free from suffering, you should contemplate knowing how much is enough. By knowing it, you are in the place of enjoyment and peacefulness. If you know how much is enough, you are content even when you sleep on the ground. If you don’t know it, you are discontent even when you are in heaven. You can feel rich even if you are poor. You can feel poor even if you have much wealth. You may be constantly compelled by the five-sense desires and pitied by those who know how much is enough. This is called ‘to know how much is enough.’”
The third awakening is to enjoy serenity. This is to be away from noise and confusion, and stay alone in a quiet place. Thus, it is called “to enjoy serenity in seclusion.”
The Buddha said, “Monks, if you want to have the joy of serene nondoing, you should be away from the crowds and stay alone in a quiet place. A still place is what Indra and other devas revere. By leaving behind your relations as well as others’, and by living in a quiet place, you may contemplate the conditions of suffering. If you are attached to the crowds, you will receive suffering, just like a tree that attracts a great many birds and gets killed by them. If you are bound by worldly matters, you will drown in troubles, just like an old elephant who is stuck in a swamp and cannot get out. This is called ‘to enjoy serenity in seclusion.’”
The fourth awakening is diligent effort. It is to engage ceaselessly in wholesome practices. That is why it is called “diligent effort.” It is refinement without mixing in other activities. You keep going forward without turning back.
The Buddha said, “Monks, if you make diligent effort, nothing is too difficult. That is why you should do so. It is like a thread of water piercing through a rock by constantly dripping. If your mind continues to slacken, it is like taking a break from hitting stones before they spark; you can’t get fire that way. What I am speaking of is ‘diligent effort.’”
The fifth awakening is not neglecting mindfulness. It is also called maintaining right mindfulness. This helps you to guard the dharma so you won’t lose it. It is called “to maintain right mindfulness” or “not to neglect mindfulness.”
The Buddha said, “Monks, for seeking a good teacher and good protection, there is nothing like not neglecting mindfulness. If you practice this, robbers of desire cannot enter you. Therefore, you should always maintain mindfulness in yourself. If you lose it, you will lose all merits. When your mindfulness is solid, you will not be harmed even if you go into the midst of the robbers of the five-sense desires. It is like wearing armor and going into a battlefield, so there is nothing to be afraid of. It is called “not to neglect mindfulness.”
The sixth awakening is to practice meditation. To abide in dharma without being confused is called “stability in meditation.”
The Buddha said, “Monks, if you gather your mind, it will abide in stability. Then, you will understand the birth and death of all things in the world. You will continue to endeavor in practicing various aspects of meditation. When you have stability, your mind will not be scattered. It is like a house where water is used sparsely, or an embankment that holds water. You practitioners are like this. Because you have the water of wisdom, you practice stability and the water of wisdom is not wasted. This is called ‘stability in meditation.’”
The seventh awakening is “to cultivate wisdom.” It is to listen, contemplate, practice, and have realization.
The Buddha said, “Monks, if you have wisdom, you are free from greed. You will always reflect on yourself and avoid mistakes. Thus, you will attain liberation in the dharma I am speaking of. If you don’t have wisdom, you will be neither a follower of the way nor a lay supporter of it, and there will be no name to describe you. Indeed, wisdom is a reliable vessel to bring you across the ocean of old age, sickness, and death. It is a bright lamp that illuminates in the darkness of ignorance. It is an excellent medicine for all who are sick. It is a sharp ax to cut down the tree of delusion. Thus, you can deepen awakening through the wisdom of listening, contemplation, and practice. If you are illuminated with wisdom, even if you use your physical eyes, you will have clear insight. This is called ‘to cultivate wisdom.’”
The eighth awakening is not to be engaged in hollow discussions. It is to experience realization and be free from discriminatory thinking, with the thorough understanding of the reality of all things. It is called “not to be engaged in hollow discussions.”
The Buddha said, “Monks, if you get into hollow discussions, your mind will be scattered. Then, you will be unable to attain liberation even if you have left the household. So, you should immediately leave behind a scattered mind and hollow discussions. If you wish to attain the joy of serenity, you need to cure the sickness of hollow discussions. This is called ‘not to be engaged in hollow discussions.’”
These are the eight awakenings. Each awakening contains all eight, thus there are sixty-four awakenings. When awakenings are practiced thoroughly, their number is countless. When they are practiced in summary, there are sixty-four.
These are the last words of the Great Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, the ultimate admonition of the Mahayana teaching. He said at midnight of the fifteenth day of the second month, “Monks, always endeavor wholeheartedly to search for the way of liberation. All things in the world, whether they are in motion or not, are insecure and bound to decay. Now, all of you be still and do not speak. Time is passing and I am going to cross over. This is my last admonition to you.” Without expounding dharma any further, the Buddha entered pari-nirvana.
All disciples of the Buddha should study this teaching. Those who don’t
learn or know about it are not his disciples. Indeed, this is the Tathagata’s treasury of the true dharma eye, the wondrous heart of nirvana. However, there are many who do not know about this teaching, as there are few who have studied it. Many may have been confused by demons, and those who have few wholesome conditions from the past do not have the opportunity to see or hear this teaching.
In the Ages of True Dharma and Imitation Dharma, all disciples of the Buddha knew about this teaching and practiced it. But nowadays, less than one or two out of a thousand monks seem to know about it. How regrettable! The world has declined since those times. While the true dharma prevails in the billion worlds and the Buddha’s pure teaching is still intact, you should immediately practice it without negligence.
It is rare to encounter the buddha dharma even in the span of countless eons. A human body is difficult to attain. A human body in the Three Continents of the world is preferable. A human body in the Southern Continent, Jambudvipa, is particularly so, as it can have the chance to see the Buddha, hear the dharma, leave the household, and attain the way. But those who entered nirvana and died before the pari-nirvana of the Tathagata could not learn and practice these eight awakenings of great beings.
Treasury of the True Dharma Eye Page 90
