Treasury of the True Dharma Eye

by Zen Master Dogen

  People seek wealth, profit, fame,

  and desire comfortable clothes and furniture.

  Such pleasure is not true comfort,

  wanting profit brings no satisfaction.

  While begging food in a patched robe,

  in motion or stillness the mind is always unified.

  The eye of wisdom observes the reality of all things.

  Within various dharma gates, all equally enter this insight.

  The wisdom of understanding is serene,

  incomparable in the three realms.

  In this way we know that maintaining the home leaver’s precepts is very easy.

  Also, if you leave the household and maintain the precepts, you attain immeasurable wholesome merit, which is fulfilled. For this reason, laypeople should leave the household and receive all of the [home leaver’s] precepts.

  On the other hand, leaving the household is difficult from the beginning.

  Once Brahmans of the Jambudvipa World asked Shariputra, “What is most difficult in the buddha dharma?”

  Shariputra said, “Leaving the household is most difficult.”

  They asked, “What is difficult about being a home leaver?”

  Shariputra said, “Enjoying the life of a home leaver is difficult.”

  They asked, “What is difficult in enjoying the life of a home leaver?”

  Shariputra said, “Practicing all types of wholesome deeds is difficult. That is why it is good to leave the household.”

  Now, when someone leaves the household, the Demon King says in lamentation, “This person wants to reduce the urge of desire, will certainly attain nirvana, and will join a group of the sangha treasure.”

  Again, even if those who have left the household in the buddha dharma break the precepts and commit a crime, they can be liberated after the crime is over. It is like a story told in the Sutra on the Former Birth of Nun Utpalavarna:

  [Nagarjuna continues:] At the time when the Buddha was in this world, Nun Utpalavarna attained six miraculous powers and became an arhat. She visited noble householders and talked about the life of home leavers. She encouraged noble women to become nuns.

  They said, ‘‘We are young and beautiful. It would be hard to keep the precepts.”

  Utpalavarna said, “It’s all right to break the precepts. Leave the household first.”

  The women said, “If we break the precepts, we will fall into hell. How can we do that?”

  Utpalavarna said, “Then go ahead and fall into hell.”

  They laughed and said, “We would be punished in hell. How can we allow ourselves to fall into hell?”

  Utpalavarna said, “Reflecting on my former life, I was an entertainer, putting on various costumes and speaking memorized lines. Once I put on a nun’s clothes for a joke. As a result of this action, I was reborn as a nun at the time of Kashyapa Buddha. Because of my high status and proper conduct, I grew arrogant and broke a precept. I fell into hell and experienced various punishments. In my next birth I met Shakyamuni Buddha, left the household, attained six miraculous powers, and became an arhat. From this I know that if you leave the household and receive precepts, even if you break a precept, you can become an arhat because of the merit of the precepts you received. But you cannot attain the way if you only create unwholesome deeds without receiving the precepts. I was once a criminal falling in and out of hell. If a mere criminal dies and enters hell, no merit has been attained. So, you should know that even if you break a precept, you can receive the fruit of the way.

  Also, when the Buddha was at Jeta Grove, a drunken Brahman went up to him and requested that he be made a monk. The Buddha asked Ananda to shave the Brahman’s head and let him put on a dharma robe. When the Brahman became sober, he was so shocked he had become a monk that he ran away.

  The disciples asked the Buddha, “Why did you make that Brahman a monk?”

  The Buddha said, “He would otherwise never have the aspiration for leaving the household, even for immeasurable eons. He aroused a faint aspiration because he was drunk. Due to such causes and conditions, he will leave the household and attain the way in the future. The merit of these causes and conditions and leaving the household is immeasurable.

  Thus, holding the five precepts as a layperson does not equal leaving the household. [Thus said Nagarjuna.]

  The World-Honored One allowed a drunk Brahman to leave the household and receive the precepts. He regarded this as planting the first seed for attaining the way. From this we clearly know that since olden times sentient beings without the merit of leaving the household have not been able to attain enlightenment—the buddha fruit—for a long time. Because this Brahman was drunk, he aroused a faint aspiration, had his head shaved, received the precepts, and became a monk. Although he became sober soon after that, he could preserve his merit and nurture the wholesome root of attaining the way. This is the golden admonition that expresses the World-Honored One’s profound intention, the original meaning of the emergence of the Tathagata into this world.

  All sentient beings should clearly receive this teaching with trust and practice it in the past, present, and future. Indeed, arousing the aspiration and attaining the way always take place in one moment. This Brahman’s merit of momentarily leaving the household is like this. How much more so is the limited and unlimited merit for a human being who leaves the household and receives the precepts! How can the merit be less than that of this drunken Brahman?

  One of the wheel-turning kings emerged when he was over eighty thousand years old and, decorated with seven treasures, presided over the Four Continents. These continents were like a Pure Land. The kings’ pleasure cannot be described in words. It is said that one of the kings presided over a billion worlds. There are wheels made of gold, silver, copper, and iron for presiding over one, two, three, or four continents. The bodies of those who turn these wheels are not defiled by the ten unwholesome actions.

  A wheel-turning king is filled with such privileges. When he finds a strand of white hair on his head, he gives the throne to his crown prince and immediately leaves the household. He puts on a kashaya, practices in a mountain or forest, and when his life ends, is invariably reborn in the world of the Brahma King. The white strand of his hair is put into a silver box treasured at his palace. This is transmitted to the next wheel-turning king. When the next wheel-turning king becomes old, he does the same as the previous king.

  The life span of a wheel-turning king after leaving the household is so long that it cannot be compared to that of humans in our time. It is said that the life span of a wheel-turning king is over eighty thousand years and his body is equipped with the thirty-two marks, to which people today cannot come close. However, seeing white hair and knowing the impermanence of life, a wheel-turning king leaves the household without fail and practices the way in order to engage in pure conduct and accomplish merit.

  Kings nowadays are not like the wheel-turning kings. If they waste the passage of time in greed without leaving the household, they may regret it in the next lifetime. Furthermore, this is a small country in a remote land, where there is a king who lacks the virtue of a king. People are greedy without end. If they leave the household and practice the way, all devas will protect them with delight. The dragon god will revere and guard them. The buddha eye of all buddhas will clearly confirm them with joy.

  Without having faith, the courtesan put on a nun’s robe for a joke. She was perhaps at minor fault for this action, but with the power of wearing this robe she encountered the buddha dharma in her next life-time. A nun’s robe means a kashaya. As a result of wearing a kashaya for a joke, she left the household, received the precepts, and became a nun called Utpalavarna at the time of Kashyapa Buddha. Although she broke precepts and fell into hell for punishment, her merit did not perish, and finally she encountered Shakyamuni Buddha. She saw the Buddha, listened to the dharma, aroused the aspiration for enlightenment, and practiced. Thus, she became free from the three realms and became a grea
t arhat. She had mastered the six miraculous powers, including the three extraordinary types of knowledge. She was certainly unsurpassable in the way.

  If so, the growing merit of those who have trust from the beginning and receive a kashaya with the pure heart of faith for the sole sake of unsurpassable enlightenment should be more immediate than the merit of this courtesan. Even further, the merit of those who arouse the aspiration for enlightenment, leave the household, and receive the precepts for the sake of unsurpassable enlightenment should be immeasurable. Without having a human body, it is rare to achieve this merit.

  Although there are a great number of bodhisattvas and ancestors, whether they are householders or home leavers in India and China, none of them come close to Ancestor Nagarjuna. He particularly took up the stories of the drunken Brahman and the courtesan to encourage sentient beings to leave the household and receive the precepts. Ancestor Nagarjuna’s enlightenment was predicted by the golden mouth of the World-Honored One.

  The World-Honored One said, “There are four most excellent occurrences in the Southern Continent. They are: seeing the Buddha, hearing the dharma, leaving the household, and attaining the way.”

  Know clearly that these four most excellent occurrences surpass the activities in the Northern Continent and in all deva worlds. Now, led by the root power of wholesome actions in past lives, you have received the most excellent body [human body]. Rejoice, leave the household, and receive the precepts. Do not waste your most excellent body and leave the dewdroplike life to the wind of impermanence. If, birth after birth, you live as a home leaver, your merit and virtue will accumulate.

  The World-Honored One said:

  In buddha dharma, the effect of leaving the household is wondrous. The merit of building a stupa of seven treasures, as high as the Heaven of Thirty-three Devas, is not as large as the merit of leaving the household. The reason is that an evil, stupid person can destroy a stupa of seven treasures but cannot destroy the merit of leaving the household. This being so, if you teach men and women, let go of servants, pardon criminals, and let yourself leave the household—entering the way—the merit is immeasurable.

  Thus, the World-Honored One let the amounts of merit be known and compared them. Shrivaddhi heard this, and, although he was one hundred twenty years old and frail, he determined to leave the house-hold and receive the precepts. He sat on a seat lower than youths, practiced, and became a great arhat.

  Know that, through causes and conditions, a human body in this lifetime is a temporary assemblage of the four great elements and the five skandhas. It always contains eight sufferings. Further, it is born and perishes moment by moment without ceasing. It is born and perishes at each of the sixty-five moments contained within one finger snap, but because of ignorance we don’t notice it. There are six billion, four hundred million, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred eighty moments in a day and night, and the five skandhas are born and perish at each moment, but we don’t notice it. What a pity that although we are born and perish at each moment, we don’t notice it! The amount of births and deaths at each moment is known only by the Buddha—the World-Honored One—and Shariputra. There are many other sages, but none of them know it. With this law of birth and death in each moment, sentient beings create wholesome and unwholesome actions. Also, with this law of birth and death in each moment, sentient beings arouse the aspiration for enlightenment and attain the way.

  What is born and perishes in this way is the human body. Even if you cling to it, it will not stay where it is. Since olden times there has not been a single person who clung to the body and made it stay. Thus, the human body does not belong to the self. Yet, if you turn around, leave the household, and receive the precepts, you realize unsurpassable, complete enlightenment, realized by buddhas of the past, present, and future, which is the indestructible diamond buddha fruit. Who among the wise would not joyously seek this?

  This being so, all the eight children of the Chandra Surya Pradipa Buddha in the past gave up their monarchy of ruling the world of the four directions and left the household.

  All sixteen children of Maha Abhijna Jnana Abhibhu Buddha also left the household. When this buddha was in samadhi, he expounded the Lotus Sutra for all beings, and now he is a tathagata of the ten directions. All the eight trillion beings led by the wheel-turning king, the father of this buddha, saw the king’s sixteen children leave the household and asked the king for permission to leave the household. The king gave all of them permission to do so.

  Also, King Shubhavyuha’s two children, as well as his father and queen, all left the household.

  Know that when great sages emerge it is an authentic custom for them to leave the household. No one can say that they do so out of ignorance. If you learn that they leave the household out of their wisdom, you should wish to do the same.

  In this present time span of Shakyamuni Buddha, Rahula, Ananda, and others all left the household. One thousand, or it is also said twenty thousand, members of the Shakya Clan also left the household. Their actions are indeed excellent precedents. From the Five Monks to Subhadra [the Buddha’s first disciples to the last], those who took refuge in the Buddha all left the household. Know that the virtue is immeasurable.

  This being so, if people care about their children and their grandchildren, let them leave the household as soon as possible. If they care about their parents, encourage them to leave the household.

  Thus, it is said in a verse:

  If there had been no past world,

  there would have been no past buddhas.

  If there had been no past buddhas,

  there would have been no home leaving

  and precept receiving.

  This is a verse of all buddha tathagatas. It denies the negation of the past world spoken of by those outside the way. So, know that home leaving and precept receiving are the dharma of all buddhas in the past. As we have the fortune of encountering the time of home leaving and precept receiving, which are the wondrous dharma of all buddhas, how could we wastefully miss the opportunity to leave home and receive precepts? It would be difficult to understand the hindrance to doing so. Attaining the highest merit with the lowliest body is the highest achievement in the Jambudvipa World or in the three realms. Do not fail to leave the household and receive the precepts before the Jambudvipa’s human body perishes.

  Ancient sages said [in the Abhidharma Mahashastra Treatise]:

  Even if they break the precepts, those who have left the household excel householders who maintain the precepts. For this reason, the kindness of those who expound a sutra and encourage others to leave the household is difficult to repay. Those who encourage others to leave the household help them practice venerable actions. The reward they receive excels that of King Yama, the Wheel-Turning King, and Indra. For this reason, the kindness of those who expound a sutra and encourage others to leave the household is difficult to repay. Encouraging others to receive the precepts of supporting the dharma [lay practice] is not as valuable. To stay in laity is not recommended in sutras.

  In this way, know that even if they break the precepts, those who have left the household excel householders who maintain the precepts. Taking refuge in the Buddha, leaving the household, and receiving the precepts are always excellent. The reward for encouraging others to leave the household excels that of King Yama, the Wheel-Turning King, and Indra. Even common people or untouchables who have left the house-hold excel the nobles. They even excel King Yama, the Wheel-Turning King, and Indra. Receiving lay precepts is not like this. Therefore, leave the household.

  Know that the immeasurable teachings of the World-Honored One were extensively collected by the World-Honored One and the five hundred great arhats [in the Abhidharma Mahashastra Treatise]. From this we know, indeed, that principles are clear in the buddha dharma. Ordinary teachers of recent times cannot fathom one arhat’s wisdom, three types of extraordinary knowledge, or six miraculous powers. Then, how can they understand the wisdom of the five hun
dred arhats? Although these arhats knew what ordinary teachers of recent times didn’t know, saw what they didn’t see, and mastered what they didn’t master, it is not that the arhats didn’t know what ordinary teachers of recent times know. Therefore, do not compare the ignorant and foolish theory of these ordinary teachers with the words of arhats and three types of outstanding knowledge.

  The Abhidharma Mahashastra Treatise says in chapter 120, “Even those who have aroused the aspiration for enlightenment and left the house-hold are called sages. How much more so is it true of those who have attained the dharma of patience?”

  Know in this way that those who have aroused the aspiration for enlightenment and left the household are called sages.

  Among the five hundred great vows of Shakyamuni Buddha, his one hundred thirty-seventh vow says, “May I attain a true awakening in the future and may people who want to leave the household in my dharma have no hindrance—such as being lazy, forgetful, crazy, arrogant, lacking reverence and wisdom, being driven by many desires, or having scattered minds. Until this is achieved, I will not be fully awakened.”

  His one hundred thirty-eighth vow says, “May I attain a true awakening in the future, and may women who want to leave the household in my dharma, study the way, and receive the great precepts accomplish their wishes. Until this is achieved, I will not be fully awakened.”