Treasury of the True Dharma Eye
Page 98
Thus, make sure that you don’t mistakenly fall into such crooked paths. Do not take refuge in any practices that are similar to these.
Human birth is difficult to acquire and buddha dharma is rarely encountered. Do not spend your life in the company of demons and waste many lifetimes among those who have crooked views. This would be deplorable. Instead, immediately take refuge in the three treasures of buddha, dharma, and sangha, and not only be liberated from all suffering but also attain enlightenment.
The Rarity Sutra says, “Even if you guided the four worlds and the six deva realms of desire, and helped all beings there to attain the arhat fruit, the merit could not be compared with that of helping one person take refuge in the three treasures.”
The four worlds means the Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern Continents. The Northern Continent is where the teaching of the Three Vehicles cannot reach. To teach beings there and help them to become arhats would be an extraordinary thing. The merit, however, is not even close to the merit of teaching and helping one person to take refuge in the three treasures. Also, the six heavenly realms of devas are where there are few who attain the way. Even if you would help them to attain the four fruits, it cannot compare with the great and deep merit of helping one person take refuge in the three treasures.
The Ekottarika says:
The king of Tushita Heaven showed the five signs of decay and was about to be reborn as a boar. Indra heard his desperate voice, called to him, and said, “You should take refuge in the three treasures.” The king followed his teaching and escaped being reborn as a boar.
Shakyamuni Buddha said in a verse:
By taking refuge in the buddha,
beings will not fall into the three unwholesome realms.
Free from desire, abiding in human or deva realms,
they will reach nirvana.
This king took refuge in the three treasures and was born in a wealthy man’s family. He left his household and achieved the state beyond study. In this way, the merit of taking refuge in the three treasures is immeasurable and boundless.
[The Great Collection of Sutras says:]
When the World-Honored One was alive, two billion six hundred million hungry dragons went to see him, all shedding tears like rain, and said, “We beg you to rescue us, World-Honored One of great compassion. Upon reflection, we realize that although we left the household and entered buddha dharma in our past lives, because of various unwholesome deeds we have remained in the three unwholesome realms for immeasurable eons. Then, due to other causes, we were born in the dragon realm and have been suffering a great deal.”
The Buddha said to the dragons, “You should immediately take refuge in all three treasures and practice wholesomeness single-heartedly. As a result, you will be able to meet the final buddha named Ruchi Buddha in this present kalpa. Your sins will disappear during this buddha’s time.”
Upon hearing these words, all the dragons received and maintained the three treasures with utmost sincerity until their lives ended.
Thus, when the Buddha rescued the dragons, he used no other methods or techniques than just presenting the three treasures. Although in their past lives these dragons had left the household and received the three treasures, because of their unwholesome karma they became hungry dragons and there was no other way for the Buddha than to offer them refuge in the three treasures.
Know that the merit of taking refuge in the three treasures is venerable, unsurpassable, inconceivable, and profound. The World-Honored One already proved this. Sentient beings should receive them with trust.
Without having the dragons chant the names of buddhas in the ten directions, the World-Honored One just encouraged them to take refuge in the three treasures. Who can fathom the depth of his intention? Thus, sentient beings nowadays should immediately take refuge in the three treasures instead of chanting various buddhas’ names. Do not miss this great merit through stupidity and ignorance.
[The Great Collection of Sutras says:]
Among these dragons, there was a blind female dragon whose mouth looked like excrement, rotten and full of insects. Her body was eaten all over by mosquitoes and flies; it shed blood and pus from their bites. She smelled disgusting and it was impossible for others to be near her.
Seeing the dragon suffering so much, the World-Honored One asked with great compassion, “Sister, how come you have such an unwholesome body? What did you do in your past life?”
The dragon replied, “World-Honored One, I have all kinds of suffering which does not stop even for a moment. It’s beyond description. When I reflect on the past three billion six hundred million years, for one hundred thousand years during that time I was among unwholesome dragons and received pain day and night without end. I remember that ninety-one kalpas ago I was a nun in the dharma of Vipashyin Buddha, but I thought of carnal affairs even more than a drunkard would. Although I was a home leaver, I could not follow the dharma. I would spread a mat in the temple and often engaged in impure conduct. In satisfaction of my desire, I had much carnal pleasure. Also, I was greedy for possessions and undeservedly received excessive donations from believers. Because of all this, I have been continuously in the three unwholesome realms and have received all kinds of burning tortures. Even after ninety-one kalpas I cannot receive a deva body.”
The Buddha inquired further, “Then, after this kalpa is over, what are you going to be born into?”
Hearing these words, the dragon said, “As the result of this past karma, even if I were to be born into a better world, when that karma is exhausted, a wind of unwholesome karma will blow, and I will be born in this place once again.” Then the dragon said, “Great compassionate World-Honored One, please, please save me.”
The Buddha scooped up water with his hands and said, “I call this wish-granting water. I will speak the truth to you. In the past I gave up my life in order to save a dove. I had no doubt and did not hold on to myself with the mind of self-clinging. If what I say to you is true, all your unwholesome sickness will be healed.”
Then, the World-Honored One put the water in his mouth and sprayed it over the blind dragon’s body. Instantly, all her sickness was healed.
The dragon said to the Buddha, “I wish to take refuge in the three treasures from you.”
Thus, the World-Honored One gave her refuge in the three treasures.
This dragon had been a nun in the dharma of Vipashyin Buddha. Although she had broken the precepts, she was familiar with buddha dharma. Seeing Shakyamuni Buddha in person, she asked for and took refuge in the three treasures. This is certainly nurturing the wholesome root.
The benefaction of seeing the Buddha undoubtedly depends on taking refuge in the three treasures. Even though you are not a blind dragon and do not have an animal body, if you have not encountered the Tathagata and taken refuge in the three treasures, you are far away from seeing the Buddha; you should be pitied.
The World-Honored One himself gives refuge in the three treasures. Know that the merit of taking refuge in the three treasures is both profound and immeasurable.
Indra bowed to a wild fox and took refuge in the three treasures. This is all due to the unequaled merit of taking refuge in the three treasures.
When the Buddha was at the Banyan Grove in Kapilavastu, Mahanaman of the Shakya Clan came to him and said, “What is a layperson?”
The Buddha said, “If a good man or a good woman whose senses are open takes refuge in the three treasures, the person is called a layperson.”
Mahanaman said, “What is a partial layperson?”
The Buddha said, “Mahanaman, one who takes refuge in the three treasures and receives even one precept [receiving the five precepts in stages], that person is called a partial layperson.”
Thus, in becoming a disciple of the Buddha, you take refuge in the three treasures. Whatever precept you receive, you take refuge in the three treasures and then receive other precepts. In this way, you receive the precepts as a result of tak
ing refuge in the three treasures.
According to the Dharmapada [the Sanskrit version of the Dhammapada]:
Long ago Indra knew that he was about to die and be reborn as a donkey. He was worried and thought the Buddha, World-Honored One, alone could save him from his trouble. So, he went to the Buddha, prostrated, and took refuge in him. His life ended before he stood up and he entered a donkey’s womb. Then the donkey broke her bit, went into a potter’s house, and destroyed many pots. Getting angry, the potter hit the donkey and harmed her womb. Indra thus regained his life.
The Buddha said, “Your sins have ended as you took refuge in the three treasures at the end of your life.”
Hearing this, Indra attained the first fruit [becoming a sage, a stream enterer].
No one equals the Buddha, World-Honored One, for relieving the suffering in the world. This is why Indra rushed to see him. While he was prostrating, his life ended and he entered a donkey’s womb. With the merit of taking refuge in the Buddha, the donkey’s bit was broken and she destroyed pots in the potter’s house. The owner of the pots hit her, injuring her body and breaking open her womb. Thus, Indra returned to his body. Hearing the Buddha’s words, he received the first fruit. This is due to the merit of taking refuge in the three treasures.
In this way, to be free from the suffering of the world and realize unsurpassable enlightenment is undoubtedly due to the merit of taking refuge in the three treasures. With the power of taking refuge in the three treasures, Indra not only became free from the three unwholesome realms, but he also returned to his body. He not only received the reward of being in the deva realm, he also became a sage, a stream enterer. Indeed, the ocean of merit of the three treasures is immeasurable and boundless.
When the World-Honored One was alive, humans and devas had great fortune. What can humans and devas do during the last set of five hundred years after the Tathagata’s pari-nirvana [the period of decline of the dharma]? However, the Tathagata’s images, relics, and so on are still present in the world. By taking refuge in them, you can still receive merit.
According to the Unprecedented Causation Sutra:
The Buddha said, “I recall that innumerable kalpas ago, on Mount Shita in the great country of Vimana, a wild fox was chased by a hungry lion. While running, the fox fell into a well and could not get out. After three days, when he was ready to die, he settled his mind and said in a verse:
Due to misfortune, I suffer today
and am about to die inside this well.
All things are impermanent.
It would have been better if I had been eaten by the lion.
I take refuge in the buddhas of the ten directions.
Please know that my mind is selfless and pure.
When Indra heard the fox calling out the buddhas’ names, he was shocked, thought of ancient buddhas, and said to himself, “I am on my own without a teacher, immersed in the five desires and drowning in them.”
He flew down to the well together with eighty thousand devas to talk with the fox. Seeing the fox unsuccessfully trying to climb out from the bottom of the well, Indra inquired, “Does a sage not have skillful means? I see a fox, but you must be a bodhisattva with something valuable to teach. Would you please expound essential dharma for us devas?”
The fox looked up and replied, “You are the king of devas but do not behave well. The dharma teacher is down here and you are up there. You are asking for essential dharma without expressing respect. The dharma water is pure and capable of saving beings. Why do you regard yourself as higher?”
Hearing this, Indra was greatly ashamed, while the accompanying devas were surprised and said in laughter, “The king of devas came down with no effect.”
Indra said to them, “Don’t be surprised. I have been stubborn and without virtue. I need to ask about essential dharma.” Then, he hung down his celestial robe, picked up the fox, and got him out. The devas prepared the food of nectar for the fox, who took it and regained vitality. Unexpectedly meeting good fortune in the midst of calamity, the fox rejoiced immeasurably and expounded essential dharma for Indra and devas.
This is called the story of Indra taking an animal as a teacher. In this way we clearly learn that the names of buddha, dharma, and sangha are rarely heard. Thus, Indra took the fox as his teacher.
With the help of our wholesome deeds in past lives, we have a chance day and night to encounter and hear the names of the three treasures and the dharma left by the Tathagata. Such an opportunity does not recede in the course of time. This is the essential dharma.
Even the demon Papiyas takes refuge in the three treasures and escapes disaster. How much more so will others who arouse effort and accumulate merit by taking refuge in the three treasures!
In the practice of the way by children of the Buddha, people always pay respect to and invoke the three treasures in the ten directions, burn incense, sprinkle flowers, and engage in various practices. This is an ancient path and the authentic practice of buddha ancestors. Know that any practice that does not depend upon taking refuge in the three treasures is the way of outsiders, or that of demons.
The dharma of buddhas and ancestors always begins with taking refuge in the three treasures.
Copying of this draft written by Dogen, my late master, was completed on a day of the summer practice period in the seventh year of the Kencho Era [1255]. Dogen could not make revised and final manuscripts. He would have made some additions and deletions in the process of editing. Since this is no longer possible, I have preserved his draft. Ejo.
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IDENTIFYING WITH CAUSE AND EFFECT
EVERY TIME BAIZHANG, Zen Master Dazhi, gave a dharma talk, an old man would come to listen. He usually left after the talk, but one day he remained behind. Baizhang asked, “Who is there?”
The man said, “I am not actually a human being. I lived and taught on this mountain at the time of Kashyapa Buddha. One day a student asked me, ‘Does a person who practices completely still fall into cause and effect?’ I said to him, ‘No, such a person does not fall into cause and effect.’ Because I said this, I was made to be reborn as a wild fox for five hundred lifetimes. Reverend master, please say a turning word for me and free me from this wild fox body.” Then he asked Baizhang, “Does a person who practices completely still fall into cause and effect?”
Baizhang said, “Do not ignore cause and effect.”
Immediately the man had great realization. Bowing, he said, “I am now liberated from the body of a wild fox. I will stay in the mountain behind the monastery. Master, could you perform the usual services for a deceased monk for me?”
Baizhang asked the practice coordinator to inform the assembly that a funeral service for a monk would be held after the midday meal. The monks asked each other, “What’s going on? Everyone is well; there is no one sick in the Nirvana Hall.”
After their meal, Baizhang led the assembly to a large rock behind the monastery and showed them a dead fox at the rock’s base. Following the customary procedure, they cremated the body.
That evening during his lecture in the dharma hall, Baizhang talked about what had happened that day.
Huangbo asked him, “A teacher of old gave a wrong answer and became a wild fox for five hundred lifetimes. What if he hadn’t given a wrong answer?”
Baizhang said, “Come closer and I will tell you.”
Huangbo went closer and slapped Baizhang’s face.
Laughing, Baizhang clapped his hands and said, “I thought it was only barbarians who had red beards. But you too have a red beard!”
This story is in the Tiansheng Extensive Record of the Lamp. Still, students do not understand the principle of causation and mistakenly deny cause and effect. What a pity! Things are deteriorating and the ancestral way has degenerated. Those who say does not fall into cause and effect deny causation, thereby falling into the lower realms. Those who say Do not ignore cause and effect clearly identify with cause and effect. When people hear about ident
ifying with cause and effect, they are freed from the lower realms. Do not try to escape this. Do not doubt this. Many contemporaries who consider themselves students of Zen deny causation. How do we know? They confuse not ignore with not fall into. Thus, we know that they deny cause and effect.
Venerable Kumaralabdha, the Nineteenth Ancestor in India, said:
We see both wholesome and unwholesome results in the three periods. Ordinary folks deny cause and effect when they see kind, fair-minded people suffer and die young, while violent and unjust people prosper into old age. Such ordinary folks say that neither crimes nor beneficial acts bring consequences. They do not realize that the consequences of our actions follow us for one hundred, one thousand, or ten thousand eons.