So the ancestral teachers from time immemorial who had great vision did not approve people easily. Look at Fayan’s succession, for example. In his time he found many people, but I’ve never heard of any who continued his lineage generation after generation.1 As for the school of Linji, from Xinghua and Nanyuan on, successors to their Dharma numbered only one or two in each case.2 It’s not that they lacked ability and couldn’t liberate people; it was that they didn’t approve people easily because their own powers were beyond other people. The likes of those nowadays who think big bustling congregations and flourishing temple establishments constitute a great prospering of Buddhism are truly ridiculous.
However, when it comes to the expedients with which the masters reached out, and the strategic adaptations of operations, you must seek within your own working application—do not seek from the words of others. Yantou said, “If you want to broadcast the Great Doctrine someday, let it all flow from your own heart to cover heaven and earth for others.”
Please communicate in this way to seek successors to transmit it to the future so it will not die out. Buddhism is in peril, like piled eggs, and may become extinct.
Suppose people are traveling in a wilderness and wild wind and violent rain extinguish their lamps, but then there is an individual whose only fear is that his lamp will go out, and shields it with his body left and right, paying no attention to anything else. The true lamp of Zen is like this: if you don’t enable one or two authentic successors to perpetuate this true lamp, on what will descendants of later generations rely? Once their lamp in the wilderness in the dark of night goes out, nothing can keep it going. Everyone will get lost and won’t even be able to see where they are. How can we not be sad?
Now then, for all the methods of the various schools, including the meditations and concentrations, liberations, insights, powers of elocution, seeing nature, realizing enlightenment, and all essential processes, there are scriptures and treatises, histories and writings, that clearly explain them. Even without actual transmission you can understand them on your own and attain them on your own. But when it comes to the transcendental bit of our Zen school, without learning from a teacher you can’t master its subtleties.
How sad! Once Zen dies out, all Buddhism in the land will collapse.
Heaven and earth may be wide, but there is no other sun or moon. The rise or ruin of a nation depends on the leaders. Now if Buddhism declines and dies, the way of secular leadership will also be in danger. As I see Buddhism in the present time, nobody attains the Way. They just act as protectors of the nation, insofar as such virtues as they have all create blessings. When Buddhism is corrupted, and it is hard to learn the authentic Dharma, everyone puts forth their own opinions, and controversies rage.
For example, those who keep precepts and practice asceticism, mistakenly seeing merit, often experience human or celestial bliss thereby. Those who recite the name of a Buddha craving pleasure are therefore born in prosperous families. There are celestial pure lands; there are pure lands of ghost and spirit beings; there are pure lands of all tribes and communities. Those who seek rebirth wrongly, not relying on the right road, mostly don’t get beyond these.
The Shingon, Tendai, and other paths of sages have no preeminent adepts or enlightened teachers,3 so they just stick to the written word and do not look into the meaning of the scriptures. Instead, contention, conflict, egoism, and ignorance increase activities that lead to hell. Even if there are genuine practitioners, they still don’t get out of aberrant views.
When it comes to our Zen school, you can’t find a single individual who’s genuinely right. Everyone falls into the views of the two vehicles or outsiders,4 yet without being aware or cognizant of it themselves.
So learned gentlemen each study the ideas of their own sects to guide people; compared to their confused teaching, it would be better if there were no teaching at all. Why? It’s one thing to be mistaken yourself; but you might lead any number of innocent people into false ways. That is truly lamentable!
At present I cannot avoid talking in these terms simply because I fear the collapse of Buddhism and the extinction of the sun of wisdom. That is why I am forced to draw distinctions, to convey this information to all people. Our true teaching does not make an issue of whether one is a monk or a layperson, a male or a female; it does not choose between the aristocrat and the commoner or the old and the young. It’s not a question of great or small faculties, or of being smart or slow. As long as they have a great heart, ultimately none fail to succeed.
So believe deeply in this Dharma and urgently seek liberation. Set out as best you can; don’t talk about the distance of the journey. The Combined Treatise on the Flower Ornament says,
To whom is the teaching of this scripture entrusted? This scripture’s teaching is entrusted to ordinary people with great hearts.
The scripture says, “The teaching of this scripture does not come into the hands of other people.” To interpret, “other people” means the three vehicles and outsiders who are attached to human or celestial conditions, as well as those who seek transcendental bliss. Why? This scripture does not admit bodhisattvas of the three vehicles; even with the six spiritual powers they still cannot hear the scripture and develop faith; how much the less the two vehicles and outsiders on human and celestial paths!
The scripture says, “Only true offspring of the King of Dharma, born in the family of those who arrive at reality, that is to say, ordinary people with great hearts, are able to believe and realize it.” “Born in the family of those who arrive at reality” does not mean the great bodhisattvas already born in the family of Buddha. The Dharma is always expounded to living beings: if there are no greathearted ordinary people to believe and realize it, then this is not called entrusting, and not called circulation, because there is no one believing and no one attaining enlightenment. The scripture says, “But for these offspring, this scripture would perish.” Were it not so, why would Buddha be concerned about this scripture perishing when the great bodhisattvas already born in the family of Buddha are already as numerous as atoms in infinite oceans of buddha worlds? Since he is not thinking about the great bodhisattvas who have already been born in the family of Buddha, obviously he must be thinking of ordinary people who are greathearted; it’s not for those who are already among the sages. So we should recognize that this scripture is entrusted to ordinary people with great hearts.
This truth of ours is also like this, entrusted to all ordinary people with great hearts. “A great heart” means the capacity to believe this teaching—this is called a great heart. As for those who do not believe this teaching, even if they have the six spiritual powers, radiate great light, and complete countless holy paths, they are, after all, still small-minded people. They cannot be born in the family of Buddha, so they cannot carry out the practices of bodhisattvas.
Therefore the scripture says,
Children of Buddha, even if there are bodhisattvas who practice the six ways of transcendence for countless millions of aeons and cultivate the various elements of enlightenment, if they have never heard of this teaching of inconceivable great virtue of those who arrive at reality, or if they hear at some times but do not believe, do not understand, do not follow, and do not enter it, they cannot be called real, true bodhisattvas, because they cannot be born in the family of Buddha. If they get to hear this teaching of infinite, inconceivable, unhindered, unobstructed knowledge and insight of those who arrive at reality, and, having heard, believe in it, follow it, understand it, and enter into it, know that these people will be born in the family of those who arrive at reality, accord with all the states of those who arrive at reality, and embody all the principles of bodhisattvas.
What does it mean to be born in the family of those who arrive at reality? Differentiated refined practice after enlightenment is the father; the basic great knowledge of seeing nature is the mother: when a single thought of faith is conceived between them, one is already in the womb
of arrival at reality. From here on it’s not a question of whether the road is long or short; setting out and progressively practicing, studying as thoroughly as possible, is all the process of “pregnancy.” When the time comes that the work is complete, this is called coming to term. The various states that appear at this time are signs that the baby is about to emerge from the womb. If students keep on seeking without fixation on states that appear, one day realization will take place. This is called birth in the family of those who arrive at reality.
It is like the case of a newborn prince, whose intellect and ability are not yet like those of his father, the king; but his essential characteristics and all the nobility of his lineage are no different from his father, the king. Even the intelligent and capable officials and ministers of state cannot but respect him. So it is with the true heirs of those who arrive at reality, the kings of Dharma; their knowledge, eloquence, liberation, and spiritual capacities may not be comparable to Buddha, but clearly they are endowed with the essential characteristics of the Buddhas. Clearly they are fully imbued with the traits of the Buddhas. The nature of their knowledge, the nature of their eloquence, the nature of their liberation, the great expedients and great radiance of spiritual powers, great kindness, and great compassion, are no different from the Buddhas. Even bodhisattvas and arhats with liberation and spiritual powers cannot but honor them. Isn’t that a pleasure?
Those who in the meantime get confused by visionary states, and conceive various views, are like miscarriages; they can never develop the subtle body of Buddha, except those who return to the true teaching, believe and enter into it, cultivate and realize it.
What does it mean to undertake the practice of bodhisattvas? It means not stopping at seeing nature, but using the verbal teachings of Buddhas and Masters for a hundred refinements, a thousand temperings, passing through any number of impenetrable barriers, transmitting the Zen masters’ bit of progressive transcendence, helping up the fallen way of truth, upholding this attainment for the universal benefit of the future, so that the sun of wisdom will not die out. This is called bodhisattva practice.
It is like a prince gradually learning practical wisdom and the use of power, to succeed to his father’s throne and disseminate instructions that will bring security to the world. And he also makes his own heir competent to succeed to his position. And on and on, one succeeding to another, for the eternal benefit of the nation. If he does not do this, even with a royal lineage he is the same as a commoner and ultimately benefits no one. If Zen monks linger in the principle of seeing nature and do not undertake bodhisattva practice, even if they have realized enlightenment, what use can they make of it?
You people should know this for a fact; this is an established principle, about which there can ultimately be no doubt. So you can cultivate initiation and birth in the family of those who arrive at reality in this way. Even those whose power of faith is not yet sufficient and whose power on the path is not yet full, if they develop pure faith deeply on arriving here, all of them are already in the womb of arrival at reality. Once in the womb, is there any reason they won’t be born? Excepting only the miscarriages who fall into false views in the process, the rest all become true progeny of the Buddhas and Zen masters. Therefore scripture says, “Even hearing without believing still becomes a seed of faith; how much the more conceiving deep-seated pure faith!”
Those who get the human body, compared to those who lose the human body, are as the dirt on a fingernail compared to the entire earth. Now that you have been fortunate enough to have a human body, which is so rare, why don’t you listen to this true teaching? Again and again, because you don’t fear birth and death and you don’t understand cause and effect, you just pursue immediate objects endlessly, without thinking about what happens after physical existence. When you’re seeking material wealth for your own benefit, in your terms, is it not because you fear being afflicted by hunger and cold? Why are you not afraid of the afflictions of retribution? When you employ all sorts of expedients, craving for a profitable living, in your terms, is it not that you love the pleasures of aristocrats? Why do you not seek the pleasure of liberation?
What a shame! All people, religious and secular, give up the root and pursue the branches. They have no dignity at all.
Some, under the compulsions of psychological afflictions, argue over the beautiful and the ugly, unrestrained in their behavior, with no limit to the evil they’ll do, heedless of the fact that the afflictions only bamboozle body and mind.5
Some, under the compulsions of clothing and food, argue over the fine and the coarse, killing and stealing, with no limit to the evil they’ll do, heedless of the fact that gold and grain are only for supporting self and others.
Some, under the compulsion of power and position, argue over high and low, greedy and wrathful, with no limit to the evil they’ll do, heedless of the fact that power and position are only for governing society as a whole.
Some, under the compulsion of literature, argue over right and wrong, proud and jealous, with no limit to the evil they’ll do, heedless of the fact that literature is only for reviewing past and present.
Some, under the compulsion of scriptural doctrines, debate which are deep and which shallow, contentious and egotistical, with no limit to the evil they’ll do, heedless of the fact that scriptural doctrines only illustrate enlightened qualities.
Some, under the compulsion of Zen, debate over deviation and orthodoxy, ensnared by views and deluded by doctrine, with no limit to the evil they’ll do, heedless of the fact that Zen is only a matter of doubting sayings.
All of them fail to return to the root, because they mistakenly pursue present objects. Going on and on this way ultimately makes them fall into the states of hells, hungry ghosts, and animals. Cause and effect are evident, like shadow following form. But if your mind is straightforward, without deviousness, then what difficulty is there to Buddhism?
Therefore the Heroic Progress Scripture says,
Now if you wish to cultivate supreme enlightenment and really discover the nature of illumination, you should reply to my questions with a straightforward mind. All in the ten directions who arrive at reality leave birth and death by the same path, all by means of a straightforward mind. As long as mind and speech are straightforward, then all the way through the stages there is never any deviation.
It is just because students do not rely on the straightforward mind that they erroneously produce judgments and do not find out the deep meaning. This is why there are so many obstacles. If they set out with a straightforward mind, attend teachers with a straightforward mind, read the verbal teachings of Buddhas and Masters with a straightforward mind, study Zen and work on the path with a straightforward mind, the ignorant practice while ignorant, the stubborn practice while stubborn, those with lesser faculties practice with lesser faculties, those with many illnesses practice with many illnesses, the young practice while young, the old practice while old, the poor and the rich and the noble and the common practice while poor or rich or noble or common, the busy practice while busy: What is so is considered so, what is not is considered not; success is considered success, failure is considered failure, attainment is considered attainment, not yet having attained is considered not yet having attained. Nothing is covered up. The terms right and wrong are not heard; the terms gain and loss are not heard. Those who have arrived are real in arrival; those who have not yet arrived are real in not having arrived. Thus knowledge and ignorance, affliction and enlightenment, are all real truth, all in accord with the true Dharma.
It’s not a matter of stopping at this affirmation; the point is not to lose the opportunity to progress and discover enlightenment by this means, penetrating naturally without belaboring the mind.
Now I also have ten principles to indicate to students how to apply the mind. Please examine them thoroughly.
Vows of compassion—deep and serious
Willpower—above and beyond
Per
ceptive capacity—broad and great
The mirror of knowledge—high and clear
Seeing the Way—transcendent attainment
Practical application—lucid and sure
Human feelings—shut off
Worldly thoughts—let go
Repentance—intense
Doubt—thoroughgoing
Constantly test your own mind with these ten principles. If you can trust these principles and put them into practice, everything will be accomplished as easily as pointing to the palm of your hand.
The Buddhas of past, present, and future attain true enlightenment and initiate bodhisattvas by seeing nature alone, so you need to see nature first.
All living beings—bodhisattvas and disciples, people of all races and nations, all philosophies and religions, all occupational classes, all ages, religious and secular, male and female, eunuch and hermaphrodite, gigolo and harlot, the handicapped, incorrigibles, even other species, monsters and ghouls, ghosts, beasts, and denizens of hells, if they can believe in this teaching and can practice it, progressing as best they can, attaining realization as best they can, I now explicitly predict they will certainly attain buddhahood, whether in this life or the next.
Even if they believe but don’t practice, it still becomes a seed of buddhahood; and in the future each and every one will become a Buddha. Even hearing without believing still creates powerful associations that will eventually produce deep-rooted pure faith in the true Dharma in the future.
Past bodhisattvas attained buddhahood by this means; present bodhisattvas attain buddhahood by this means; future bodhisattvas will attain buddhahood by this means. This is the straight and true highway of practice of all Buddhas.
The Undying Lamp of Zen Page 12