Treasury of the True Dharma Eye

by Zen Master Dogen

  Confucius and Laozi did not understand the world’s boundary and beyond boundary. They did not know and see what is broad and what is vast, and did not see an extremely minute form and know the length of a split second. On the other hand, the World-Honored One clearly saw an extremely minute form and knew the length of a split second. Thus, how can we regard him as equal to Confucius and Laozi? Confucius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Huizi are mere ordinary people. They cannot even come close to stream enterers of the Lesser Vehicles. How, then, can they come close to those who have attained the second or the third fruit, or to arhats who have attained the fourth fruit?

  Nevertheless, some students are ignorant enough to regard them as equal to buddhas. It is delusion on top of delusion. Not only do Confucius and Laozi not know the past, present, and future, as well as multiple eons, they also do not know a single thought and a single mind. They cannot be compared with the sun, the moon, or the sky. They cannot come close to the Four Great Deva Kings or all devas. To compare them with the World-Honored One is to confuse those in and beyond the worldly realm.

  The Biographies of Courtiers says:

  Xi, who became a courtier of Lord Zhou, was good at astronomy. Once, he saw an extraordinary sign in heaven. He went toward the east, looked, and found Laozi, whom he asked to write a book of over five thousand words. He himself also wrote a book of nine chapters and titled it Barrier Station Officer. It was written after the style of Laozi’s Teachings for Barbarians.

  Later, Laozi went west of the border and Xi wanted to accompany him. Laozi said, “If you really want to go with me, bring seven decapitated heads including those of your parents. Then you may go with me.”

  Without hesitation Xi followed his instruction. Later, the seven decapitated heads turned into the heads of boars.

  Regarding this, an ancient teacher [Zhanran] said:

  According to the custom of the common world, those who are dedicated to their parents honor even wooden statues of their parents. On the other hand, it is said that Laozi instructed a student and had him kill his parents. The basis of the Tathagata’s teaching is compassion; how can it be related to an upside-down teaching like Laozi’s?

  In the past there were groups of crooked people who regarded Laozi as equal to the Tathagata. Nowadays, there are foolish people who regard both Confucius and Laozi as equal to the World-Honored One. What a pity! Confucius and Laozi cannot come close to even wheel-turning kings who teach the world with ten types of wholesome actions. How can the Three Emperors and the Five Kings, decorated with seven treasures and guarded by one thousand soldiers, come close to the king of gold, silver, copper, and iron wheels, who transforms the worlds of the four directions and the billion worlds? Confucius and Laozi cannot even come close to them. For buddhas and ancestors of the past, present, and future, the basis of their teaching is dedication to parents, dharma teachers, and the three treasures, and making offerings to those who are sick and so forth. They have never made the murder of their parents the basis of teaching.

  In this way, the teaching of Laozi and buddha dharma are not one. It is inevitable for those who murder their parents to receive the effects of their actions and fall into hell in their next lifetime. Even if Laozi talked groundlessly about the void, those who harm their parents cannot help receiving these effects in their next lifetime.

  According to the [Jingde] Transmission of the Lamp, Huike, the Second Ancestor, would often lament: “The teachings of Confucius and Laozi are limited to manners and guidelines. The texts of Zhuangzi and the Ijing have not yet thoroughly explained the wondrous principle. These days I hear that Great Master Bodhidharma is staying at the Shaolin Monastery. As this man of deep understanding lives nearby, I would like to experience his profound teaching.”

  You in the present day should clearly know that the authentic transmission of buddha dharma in China is solely due to the power of Huike’s practice. Even if Bodhidharma came to China, buddha dharma would not have been transmitted without having Huike as the Second Ancestor. If Huike had not transmitted buddha dharma, there would have been no buddha dharma in China. Thus, Huike should not be regarded as similar to others.

  The [Jingde] Transmission of the Lamp says, “Monk Shenguang [Huike] was a man of extensive study. He lived near the Yi and Luo rivers, read a great number of books, and discussed the profound principle.”

  The extensive reading of Huike in the past and the extensive study of people in later times are different by far. Even after attaining dharma and receiving the robe, Huike did not say that his earlier understanding, the teachings of Confucius and Laozi are limited to manners and guidelines, had been a mistake. Know that Huike thoroughly understood that the teachings of Confucius and Laozi are not the same as buddha dharma. How should his remote descendants nowadays contradict their dharma grandfather and insist on the accord among Confucius and Laozi’s teachings with buddha dharma? Know that this is a wrong view. If you are a remote descendant of Huike, how can you accept theories by Zhengshou and others? As you are a descendant of Huike, do not speak of an accord of the Three Teachings.

  [According to Zhanran:]

  When the Tathagata was alive in this world, there was a man outside the way called Debate Power [Vivadabala]. Since he thought of himself as having an unmatchable capacity in debate, he called himself Debate Power. Having received a donation from five hundred members of the Vaishali Clan, he selected five hundred difficult questions with which to challenge the World-Honored One. He went to see the World-Honored One and asked, “Is the unsurpassable way one or many?”

  The World-Honored One said, “The unsurpassable way is one.”

  Debate Power said, “Each of our teachers speaks of the unsurpassable way. Those outside the way all regard their own teachings as correct and put down others’. In this manner they speak of right and wrong. Thus, there are many ways.”

  By that time the World-Honored One had taught Migasisa and helped him to realize the fruit of no more learning. Migasisa was standing near the Buddha. Buddha asked Debate Power, “Among the many ways, who is the most advanced?”

  Debate Power said, “Migasisa is.”

  The Buddha said, “If Migasisa is the most advanced, how come he gave up his own way, became my disciple, and entered into my way?”

  Debate Power understood, was fully ashamed, made bows, took refuge, and entered the way.

  Then, the Buddha expounded the principle with a verse:

  All are attached to their own teachings,

  calling theirs unsurpassable,

  claiming they are right and others are wrong.

  But none of their teachings are unsurpassable.

  They go into debate

  trying to clarify the meaning of nirvana,

  speaking of right and wrong,

  while agonizing in competition.

  The winners fall into the pit of pride

  and the losers fall into the hell of agony.

  So, wise ones are not stuck

  to either side.

  Debate Power, you should know

  the teaching for my disciples

  is neither false nor true;

  which do you seek?

  If you want to destroy my discourse

  there is no way to do it,

  and no wisdom can clarify it;

  you will end up destroying yourself.

  The golden words of the World-Honored One are like this. Ignorant sentient beings in China should not go against the Buddha’s teaching and say that there are ways that are equal to buddha dharma. That would be slandering the Buddha and slandering the dharma. India’s Migasisa, Vivadabala (Debate Power), or Brahman Dirghanakha, or Brahman Shrenika were people of extensive studies. There has not been anyone like that in China. Confucius and Laozi cannot be compared with them.

  These Brahmans all gave up their own paths and took refuge in the buddha way. Even those who listen to the comparison between buddha dharma and common people like Confucius and Laozi will be at fault. Furthe
rmore, even arhats and pratyeka-buddhas will be bodhisattvas in the end, and none of them will remain in the Lesser Vehicles. How can you regard Confucius and Laozi, who have not yet entered the buddha way, as equal to buddhas? This is a greatly crooked view.

  The fact that the Tathagata, the World-Honored One, is far beyond all beings, has been known and honored by buddha tathagatas, great bodhisattvas, Brahma, and Indra. This has been known by the twenty-eight ancestors in India and the six early ancestors in China. All those who have the ability to study know this. Those who are born in this later time should not accept the insane theory of the accord of the Three Teachings advocated by ignorant people of the Song Dynasty, which is the result of a lack of study.

  Copied from a draft [by Dogen] during the practice period of the seventh year of the Kencho Era [1255]. Ejo.

  92

  ONLY A BUDDHA AND A BUDDHA

  BUDDHA DHARMA CANNOT be known by a person. For this reason, since olden times no ordinary person has realized buddha dharma; no practitioner of the Lesser Vehicles has mastered buddha dharma. Because it is realized by buddhas alone, it is said [in the Lotus Sutra], “Only a buddha and a buddha can thoroughly master it.”

  When you realize buddha dharma, you do not think, “This is realization just as I expected.” Even if you think so, realization inevitably differs from your expectation. Realization is not like your conception of it. Accordingly, realization cannot take place as previously conceived. When you realize buddha dharma, you do not consider how realization came about. Reflect on this: what you think one way or another before realization is not a help for realization.

  Although realization is not like any of the thoughts preceding it, this is not because such thoughts were actually bad and could not be realization. Past thoughts in themselves were already realization. But since you were seeking elsewhere, you thought and said that thoughts cannot be realization.

  However, it is worth noticing that what you think one way or another is not a help for realization. For this reason, you become cautious not to be small-minded. Indeed, if realization came forth by the power of your prior thoughts, it would not be trustworthy.

  Realization does not depend on thoughts, but comes forth far beyond them; realization is helped only by the power of realization itself. Know that then there is no delusion, and there is no realization.

  When you have unsurpassed wisdom, you are called a buddha. When a buddha has unsurpassed wisdom, it is called unsurpassed wisdom. Not to know what it is like on this path is foolish. What is it like being undivided? To be undivided does not mean that you try forcefully to exclude intention or discrimination, or that you establish a state beyond intention. Being undivided cannot be intended or discriminated at all.

  Being undivided is like meeting a person and not considering what the person looks like. Also, it is like not wishing for more color or brightness when viewing flowers or the moon.

  Spring has the feeling of spring, and autumn has the look of autumn; there is no escaping it. So when you want spring or autumn to be different from what it is, notice that it can only be as it is. Or, when you want to keep spring or autumn as it is, reflect that it has no unchanging nature.

  That which is accumulated is without self, and no mental activity has self. The reason is that not one of the four great elements or the five skandhas can be understood as self or identified as self. Therefore, the form of the flowers or the moon in your mind should not be understood as being self, even though you may think it is self. Still, when you clarify that there is nothing to be disliked or longed for, then the original face is revealed by your practice of the way.

  A teacher of old said:

  Although the entire universe is nothing but the dharma body of the self, you should not be hindered by the dharma body. If you are hindered by the dharma body, you will not be able to turn freely, no matter how hard you may try. But there should be a way to be free from hindrance. What, then, is the way for all people to be free from hindrance? If you cannot say clearly how to free all people, you will soon lose even the life of the dharma body and sink in the ocean of suffering for a long time.

  If you are asked in this way, how can you answer so as to keep the dharma body alive and avoid sinking in the ocean of suffering?

  In this case, say, “The entire universe is the dharma body of the self.” If you say that the entire universe is the dharma body of the self, still, words cannot express it. When words cannot express it, would you understand that there is nothing to be said? Without words, ancient buddhas said something.

  There is birth in death, and there is death in birth. Death is entirely death, and birth is entirely birth. This is so not because you make it so, but because dharma is like this. This being so, when a buddha turns the dharma wheel, there is insight such as this and expression such as this. Know that it is also like this when a buddha manifests a [buddha] body and awakens sentient beings. This is called “awareness beyond birth.”

  “A buddha manifests a body and awakens sentient beings” means that awakening sentient beings is itself the manifestation of the buddha body. In the midst of awakening sentient beings, do not pursue manifestation. Seeing manifestation, do not doubt awakening.

  Understand that in the midst of awakening sentient beings, the buddha dharma is totally experienced. Explain it and actualize it this way. Know that it is the same with manifestation and having the buddha body.

  This is so because a buddha manifests a buddha body and awakens sentient beings. This principle is clarified from the morning of attaining the way until the evening of pari-nirvana; it is expounded freely, without words getting in the way.

  An ancient buddha said:

  The entire earth is the true human body.

  The entire earth is the gate of liberation.

  The entire earth is the single eye of Vairochana.

  The entire earth is the dharma body of the self.

  The true human body means your own true body. Know that the entire earth is your own true body, which is not a temporary body.

  If someone asks you why we do not usually notice this, say, “Just reflect within yourself that the entire earth is the true human body.” Or say, “The entire earth is the true human body—you already know this.”

  Also, The entire earth is the gate of liberation means that you are not at all entangled or captivated. What is called the entire earth is intimate—not divided from the moment, the ages, mind, and words. This limitless and boundless experience is the entire earth. Even if you seek to enter or go through this gate of liberation, it cannot be done. How is this so? Reflect on the question raised. If you intend to seek outside what it is, nothing will be attained.

  The entire earth is the single eye of Vairochana means that buddhas have a single eye. Do not suppose that a buddha’s eye is like those of human beings.

  Human beings have two eyes, but when you say “the human eye,” you don’t say “two eyes” or “three eyes.” Those who study the teaching should not understand that “the eye of a buddha,” “the eye of dharma,” or “the celestial eye” is like the two eyes of human beings. To believe that it is like human eyes is lamentable. Understand now that there is only a buddha’s single eye, which is itself the entire earth.

  A buddha may have one thousand eyes or myriad eyes. But at present it is said that the entire earth is the single eye. Thus, it is not mistaken to say that this eye is one of many eyes of a buddha, just as it is not mistaken to understand that a buddha has only one eye. A buddha, indeed, has many kinds of eyes—three eyes, one thousand eyes, or eighty-four thousand eyes. Do not be surprised to hear that there are eyes such as these.

  Also, learn that the entire earth is itself the dharma body.

  To seek to know the self is always the wish of living beings. However, those who see the true self are rare. Only buddhas know the true self. People outside the way regard what is not the self as the self. On the other hand, what buddhas call the self is the entire earth. Thus, there is
never an entire earth that is not the self, with or without our knowing it. On this matter, refer to the words of the ancient buddhas.

  Long ago a monk asked a master, “When hundreds, thousands, or myriads of objects come all at once, what should be done?”

  The master replied, “Don’t try to control them.”

  What he means is that in whatever way objects come, do not try to change them. Whatever comes is the buddha dharma, not objects at all. Do not understand the master’s reply as merely a brilliant admonition, but realize that it is the truth. Even if you try to control what comes, it cannot be controlled.

  An ancient buddha said, “Mountains, rivers, and earth are born at the same moment with each person. All buddhas of the past, present, and future are practicing together with each person.”

  If we look at mountains, rivers, and earth when a person is born, this person’s birth does not seem to be bringing forth additional mountains, rivers, and earth on top of the existing ones. Yet, the ancient buddha’s words should not be a mistake. How should we understand this? Even if you do not understand it, do not ignore it, but be determined to understand it. Since these words are already expounded, listen to them. Listen until you understand.