Treasury of the True Dharma Eye

by Zen Master Dogen

  Bodhisattva Shakyamuni met and made offerings to seventy-five thousand Buddhas in the first set of uncountable eons, when his name was Shakyamuni at first and Ratnachuda at the end. He met and made offerings to seventy-six thousand Buddhas in the second set of uncountable eons, when his name was Ratnachuda at first and Dipankara at the end. He met and made offerings to seventy-seven thousand Buddhas in the third set of uncountable eons, when his name was Dipankara at first and Vipashyin at the end. While he was practicing actions that nurture different types of effects, he met and made offerings to six Buddhas in ninety-one eons. His name was Vipashyin at first and Kashyapa at the end.

  In making offerings during these three sets of uncountable eons, Bodhisattva Shakyamuni did not spare his own body and life, nor did he spare his nation, palace, wife, children, seven treasures, men, and women [followers]. It is beyond ordinary thinking. He made offerings sometimes by filling a silver bowl with golden millet, and sometimes by filling a gold and silver bowl with the millet of seven treasures. He made offerings of red beans, sandalwood, aloeswood, and flowers from both water and land. He made offerings to Dipankara Buddha of five stalks of blue lotus flowers purchased for five hundred coins, and of deerskin robes.

  Making offerings to buddhas does not mean providing buddhas with what they need. It is dedicating moments of your life to buddhas without wasting any moment. What use can buddhas make even if gold and silver are offered? What benefit can buddhas receive if incense and flowers are offered? However, buddhas receive the offerings with great compassion to help increase the merit of sentient beings.

  According to chapter 22 of the Maha Pari-nirvana Sutra, the Buddha said:

  Good people, in my vision of a past life, countless and boundless trillion eons ago, there was a world called Saha. There was a buddha called Shakyamuni Tathagata, Worthy of Offering, True Encompassing Knower, Clear Walker, Well Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassable Warrior, Excellent Tamer, Teacher of Humans and Devas, and Buddha, the World-Honored One. This Buddha expounded the Maha Pari-nirvana Sutra for various beings. At that time, while at a good friend’s place, I heard that the Buddha was expounding this sutra. I rejoiced and wanted to make offerings.

  Since I was poor and had nothing where I lived, I wanted to be hired, but unfortunately no one wanted to hire me. On my way home I met someone and said, “I want to offer myself. Will you please hire me?”

  The man said, “No one can bear the work in my house. But if you are willing to do it, I will hire you.”

  I asked, “What kind of work is it?”

  The man replied, “I have a very bad disease. My doctor says the cure is to eat three ounces of human flesh every day. If you agree to give me three ounces of your flesh every day, I will give you five coins.”

  Hearing this, I rejoiced and said to the man, “Please give me the money and let me have seven days. When I am done with what I need to do, I will get to work.”

  The man said, “Seven days are not possible. If you want to do this, I will let you have one day.”

  Good people, I got the money, went to the Buddha, bowed at his feet by putting my head to the ground, and offered him all of my possessions. After doing this I sincerely listened to the sutra. Although I heard the sutra, I was stupid and could only receive this verse:

  The Tathagata realizes nirvana.

  Forever he becomes free from birth and death.

  If you listen with utmost sincerity,

  you will attain immeasurable bliss.

  After receiving this verse, I went to the sick man’s house.

  Good people, although I gave three ounces of my flesh to the sick man every day, my mind was concentrated on this verse and I did not feel pain. This continued every day until a month had passed.

  Good people, because of this endeavor, the man was cured. I was healed and did not possess a single scar. Furthermore, I aroused the aspiration for unsurpassable, complete enlightenment.

  The power of one verse is like this. How much more so if you completely receive the sutra and chant it? Seeing that this sutra has such power, I further aroused the aspiration for enlightenment, and vowed to attain the buddha way and be called Shakyamuni Buddha in the future.

  Good people, because of the power of my connection to this verse, I am moved to expound this sutra in this assembly of devas and humans.

  Good people, as you see in this story, the Maha Pari-nirvana Sutra is beyond thinking and brings forth immeasurable, boundless merit. This sutra is a storehouse of very profound secrets of all buddha tathagatas.

  The bodhisattva who offered himself became Shakyamuni Buddha in the next life. According to other sutras, this was the beginning of the first set of uncountable eons when the bodhisattva made offerings to the ancient Shakyamuni Buddha. The bodhisattva was a slate roofer and his name was Mahaprabha. In venerating the ancient Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples, he made three kinds of offerings: grass cushions, sugar water, and candles. He also made a vow: “May my land, title, long span of life, and disciples all be equal to the present Shakyamuni Buddha.” This vow has been fulfilled to the present day.

  Thus, when you make offerings to the Buddha, don’t say you are poor, and don’t say your family is poor. To offer oneself and make offerings is the true dharma of Great Master Shakyamuni. Who will not rejoice for him? For this practice, he met a master who took three ounces of flesh from him daily. This is something other people could not have endured, however advanced their practice might be. But with the help of the deep aspiration to make offerings, he was able to receive this merit.

  Now we hear the Tathagata’s true dharma. This is to receive a share of the bodhisattva’s past practice of scarifying his flesh. This verse of four lines cannot be purchased with five coins. This is what those buddhas and this buddha have realized without regard to receiving or letting go of birth for countless, boundless eons. Indeed, this verse has unthinkable power. Disciples of the dharma left by the Buddha should deeply bow to, receive, and maintain it. The Tathagata explained the power of this verse in this way. This teaching is, indeed, vast and profound.

  The Lotus Sutra says:

  If you venerate and make offerings of flowers, incense, banners, and a canopy to a jeweled or painted image of the Buddha in a stupa; if you make offerings of all the exquisite sounds by having musicians hit the drums, blow the horns and flutes, and play the harp and double hand-bells; or if you praise virtues of the Buddha by singing with joy; even a small sound can lead any of you to attain the buddha way. If, even with a scattered mind, you make offerings of a flower to a painted image of the Buddha, you will immediately see countless buddhas. Or, if you make offerings of bowing, just joining your palms together, raising one hand, or lowering your head to a painted image of the Buddha, you will soon see countless buddhas, attain unsurpassable enlightenment, and widely awaken countless beings.

  This is the skull and eyeball of buddhas in the past, present, and future. Seeing a wise person and wanting to be like that, you should exert your power and endeavor to make offerings. Do not waste moments in your life.

  Shitou, Great Master Wuji, said, “Do not vainly pass your time.”

  All those who practice this virtue become buddhas. This is the same for the past, present, and future. There are not two or three different ways for this. Attaining the effect of becoming a buddha through the cause of making offerings to buddhas is like this.

  Ancestor Nagarjuna said, “If you want the effect of being a buddha, recite one verse of praise, chant one refuge, burn a pinch of incense, or offer one flower. Even with such a small practice, you will certainly become a buddha.”

  Even if this had been spoken only by Ancestor Nagarjuna Bodhisattva, you should venerate it. But, he authentically transmitted and expounded great master Shakyamuni Buddha’s words. With great fortune we now climb on the treasure mountain of the buddha way, enter the treasure ocean of the buddha way, and acquire the treasure. Rejoice in this more than anything else. This is the effect of making o
fferings to buddhas for vast eons. Do not doubt that you will certainly become a buddha. It is determined. What Shakyamuni Buddha explained was also like this.

  [Ancestor Nagarjuna also said,] “A small cause can bring forth a large effect. A small condition can bring forth a large result. If you seek the buddha way, recite one verse of praise, chant one refuge, and burn a pinch of incense, then you will certainly become a buddha. Furthermore, if you learn and understand that the reality of all things is not beyond birth, beyond death, beyond beyond birth, beyond beyond death, and practice the act of causation, you will never miss it.”

  This is a clear teaching of the World-Honored One, authentically transmitted by Ancestor Nagarjuna. This golden expression of truth has been authentically transmitted and received. As this was a statement by Nagarjuna, it could not be compared to the statements of other teachers. Thus, you have encountered an authentic transmission and spreading of the World-Honored One’s teaching. Rejoice. Do not compare this sacred teaching to the false statements of mediocre teachers in China.

  [According to the Treatise on Realization of Great Wisdom:]

  Ancestor Nagarjuna said, “Because buddhas venerate the dharma, they make offerings to the dharma and regard it as the teacher. How is it so? Because, all buddhas in the past, present, and future regard the reality of all phenomena as the teacher.”

  He was asked, “How come buddhas don’t make offerings to the dharma within themselves, but make offerings to the dharma outside themselves?”

  Nagarjuna replied, “Because they follow the convention of the world. If monks want to make offerings to the dharma treasure, they do not make offerings to the dharma within themselves, but they make offerings to other people’s maintaining, knowing, and understanding of dharma. Buddhas are also like this. Although there is dharma within them, they make offerings to dharma in other buddhas.”

  He was asked, “Since the Buddha doesn’t want to receive benefaction, why do we make offerings to him?”

  Nagarjuna replied, “For countless eons the Buddha has conducted various meritorious deeds and practiced wholesome actions without seeking reward. Because we venerate his merit, we make offerings.”

  When the Buddha was in this world, there was a blind monk. Without seeing, he used his hands to sew a robe. When a thread came off from the needle, he said to himself, “Who is going to benefit me by threading the needle?”

  Then the Buddha went to him and said to the blind monk, “I love beneficial merit. So, let me thread the needle for you.”

  Noticing that the voice was the Buddha’s, the blind monk quickly put on his robe, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and said, “The Buddha is complete with merit. How come you say you love beneficial merit?”

  The Buddha said, “Although I am already complete with merit, I deeply understand the cause, effect, and power of merit. The reason why I excel most among all sentient beings is because of this merit. Therefore, I love beneficial merit.”

  After praising merit for the sake of this blind monk, the Buddha spontaneously expounded dharma. Then the monk attained the pure dharma eye and also became able to see with his eyes.

  I was told this story in an evening talk by Rujing, my late master. Later, I compared it with the Treatise on Realization of Great Wisdom. The admonition by Rujing, the dharma transmitting ancestor, had been correct with nothing lacking. This passage is found in the tenth chapter of the Treatise on Realization of Great Wisdom. Thus, it is clear that all buddhas regard the reality of all phenomena as their great teacher. Shakyamuni Buddha also realized the permanent dharma of all buddhas.

  To regard the reality of all phenomena as their great teacher means to venerate and make offerings to the three treasures—buddha, dharma, and sangha. Buddhas in countless eons accumulate a great deal of merit—the wholesome root—without seeking reward, and only venerate and make offerings. Even after the Buddha reached the rank of having enlightenment—the buddha fruit—still he loved minor merits, and so he threaded the needle of a blind monk. If you want to clarify the merit of the buddha fruit, this story clearly demonstrates it.

  In this way, the merit of enlightenment—the buddha fruit—and the principle of the reality of all phenomena are not like what ordinary people nowadays think they are. They think that creating unwholesomeness is the reality of all phenomena and that only those who are greedy for attainment can reach the buddha fruit of enlightenment. Those who have such a crooked view may know about eighty thousand eons but will not be able to escape the view of original eons and declined eons. How can they understand the reality of all phenomena, which is thoroughly understood by “only a buddha and a buddha”? The reason is that what is thoroughly understood by “only a buddha and a buddha” is the reality of all phenomena.

  There are ten types of offerings:

  Offerings to the Buddha himself; offerings to a chaitya [place of veneration] for the Buddha; offerings to the Buddha himself and to a chaitya for the Buddha; offerings to the invisible Buddha and to a chaitya for the Buddha; offerings by yourself; offerings you have others make; offerings of materials; excellent offerings; unstained offerings; and offerings of the ultimate way.

  The first type of offering is for the physical form of the Buddha.

  The second type of offering to the Buddha is for a chaitya [sacred site] of the Buddha. They are called chaitya offerings.

  The Great Sangha Precepts says, “A place of veneration where the relics are enshrined is called a stupa. A place of veneration where relics are not enshrined is called a chaitya. Sometimes both of these are called a chaitya. These are also called thuba in Sanskrit.

  In China, chaitya is translated as a “square tomb” or “sacred shrine.” The Agama Sutra uses the term chaitya.

  What are called a stupa and a chaitya appear to be the same thing. But Nanyue Huisi says in his Method of the Lotus Samadhi Repentance, “Wholeheartedly I venerate all the relics, sacred images, chaityas, wondrous stupas, Prabhutaratna Tathagata, whose entire body is a stupa treasure.” From here it is possible to assume that chaityas and wondrous stupas are different, just as relics and sacred images are.

  It is said in chapter 33 of the Great Sangha Precepts:

  In regard to the way of building a stupa, once the Buddha lived in the country of Kaushala and was traveling. A Brahman who was plowing saw the Buddha passing by, pushed his cane onto the soil, and bowed to the Buddha.

  The World-Honored One smiled. Then the monks asked, “Please tell us why you smiled.”

  The Buddha replied, “This Brahman just bowed to two World-Honored Ones.”

  The monks said, “Why two buddhas?”

  The Buddha replied, “When he bowed to me, there was a stupa of Kashyapa Buddha below his cane.”

  The monks said, “We would like to see the Kashyapa Buddha’s stupa.”

  The Buddha said, “Follow this Brahman and look under the ground.”

  So, the monks dug up the ground and looked for the tower under the guidance of the Brahman. When they found it, the World-Honored One allowed a seven-treasure stupa of Kashyapa Buddha to appear. It was one yojana high and half a yojana wide.

  Seeing this, the Brahman said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, my family name is Kashyapa. This is my Kashyapa stupa.”

  The World-Honored One went to the Brahman’s house and started building a stupa of Kashyapa Buddha.

  Then, monks said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, may we bring some dirt?”

  “Yes, you may.” Then the Buddha spoke this verse:

  Transporting hundreds of cartfuls of genuine gold

  and making offerings do not equal

  bringing a lump of dirt with a venerating heart

  to build a stupa for the Buddha.

  After this, the Buddha completed a stupa of Kashyapa Buddha. Its ground story was square with a railing around it. The two stories above it were round with the roof joints sticking out from the four sides. Banners and canopies stood above these stories, and the wheel of space [
symbolizing one of the five great elements] was added on top.

  The Buddha said, “This is how to build a stupa.” Then, the Buddha bowed respectfully to Kashyapa Buddha of the past.

  The monks said, “World-Honored One, may we also bow?”

  “Yes.” And the Buddha said this verse:

  Transporting hundreds of cartfuls of genuine gold

  and making offerings do not equal

  respectfully bowing to a buddha tower

  with a single wholesome heart.

  Hearing that the World-Honored One had built a stupa, people in the world brought incense and flowers and gave them to him. The Buddha received them and respectfully offered them to the tower of Kashyapa Buddha of the past.

  The monks said, “May we make offerings?”

  “Yes.” And the Buddha recited this verse: