The Undying Lamp of Zen
Page 16
19. “Seer of the Sound of the World” is one way the name of the supernal bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was translated. The “Greatly Empowered One” refers to the supernal bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta. These two bodhisattvas are envisioned as the main assistants of Amitabha (Amida) Buddha in the Land of Bliss.
20. Honen (1133–1212) is revered as the founder of the Japanese Pure Land school called Jodo Shu. Several Pure Land schools branched off from the Jodo Shu, including the Jodo Shin Shu, or Shinshu for short, the largest of all Japanese Buddhist sects, founded by Honen’s disciple Shinran (1173–1262).
21. “Ultimate Bliss” is the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit Sukhavati, “Blissful,” which is the name of Amida Buddha’s pure land.
22. This refers to the Pure Land expedient, which contains its own prescription.
23. That is, they imitate out of respect, so even though they aren’t enlightened, they are not entirely unrestrained.
24. For the Sandhinirmocana-sutra, one of the two main scriptural sources of Hosso, see Buddhist Yoga.
25. On Tendai meditation, see Stopping and Seeing.
26. On Kegon meditation, see Entry into the Realm of Reality.
27. This refers to the endless infinitude of the realm of reality, pervaded by the same principles.
28. The main mandalas containing the Shingon teachings are called the vajra, or diamond, mandala and the womb mandala, or the diamond and womb realms of reality. The diamond generally corresponds to the phenomenal, the womb to the noumenal.
29. The eras of the true teaching and imitation teaching are said to have lasted five hundred years each, while the terminal age is supposed to last for ten thousand years. It is not really known when Nagarjuna lived, but some place him in the first century B.C.E., some in the first century C.E. He is considered a virtual second Buddha, a patriarch of Tantric Shingon Buddhism as well as Zen, Three Treatise, Tendai, and Pure Land schools. See The Ecstasy of Enlightenment for the roles of emptiness, mind, and self-realization in the so-called sahaja or “natural” school of esoteric Buddhism.
30. This comment refers to the times; the comparison of religions is not made in terms of superiority but complexity. The idea is that the more the times deteriorate, the more “medicines” are needed, but even though Buddhism has a larger inventory of expedients than the other ways as generally known, it is still proving hard to produce the desired effects.
31. “The Shrine” refers to the Shinto shrine at Ise, associated with the imperial house.
32. This is the name of Emperor Suinin, who is supposed to have been the tenth emperor, reigning from 29 B.C.E. to 70 C.E. Ancient tombs are not accessible to shed light on the historicity of this emperor.
33. This is parenthetical in the original. The other parenthetical notes relate Shinto to Buddhism and Confucianism. The medium, whose name means “Princess of Yamato,” was the fourth daughter of Emperor Suinin. Yamato was the name of the ancient state that came to rule Japan and so is also used as a literary name for Japan.
34. That is to say, by their own religion. Although this is represented as a revelation of ancient times, it was written after Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism were already in Japan.
35. That is, Buddhism.
36. The creator of earth.
37. The sun goddess.
38. “The magic citadel” is a pejorative metaphor for nirvana.
39. Japanese society was at this time controlled by a caste system constructed to limit the scope of individual and collective experience, knowledge, and initiative. Torei’s advocacy of monasticism may be understood in this context of social rigor and stagnation under military rule and hereditary caste, as well as admittedly widespread monastic decadence and official and popular mistrust of monks. It may also be connected, perhaps unconsciously, to his own sickliness. The tendency to promote monasticism as a form of elitism increased as a defensive measure with the restoration of state Shinto and official antagonism to Buddhism in the Meiji era, already foreshadowed in Torei’s work a century earlier.
40. This is a simile from the Lotus-sutra, very commonly used in Zen writings, criticizing the followers of the lesser vehicles for not realizing their own intrinsic buddha-nature.
41. Zen Master Dahui used to prescribe saving mental energy as a Zen exercise, and this is also a key to Taoist healing.
Appendix
ON PRACTICE
The work of right mindfulness is the unsurpassed practice. If you have the work of right mindfulness, you don’t get stuck on formal practices and are not concerned with dignified manners. In principle and in fact, sitting and walking, right and wrong, action and repose, truth and untruth, in the world and beyond the world, all that’s necessary is not losing right mindfulness.
Now tell me, what precisely is the principle of right mindfulness? Practicing meditation and cultivating concentration is the gist of the work, seeing nature and witnessing the Way is the gist of the work, the interlocking of differentiation is the gist of the work, the one road of progressive transcendence is the gist of the work. The Buddhas of all times only realize the gist of the work of right mindfulness; the masters throughout history have only transmitted the gist of the work of right mindfulness. The five periods and eight doctrines only expound the gist of the work of right mindfulness. The old examples of koans only discuss the gist of the work of right mindfulness.
There is coarse and there is fine, there is shallow and there is deep, there is far and there is near, there is raw and there is ripe. Beginners must make sure; the experienced need to be thorough and precise.
So it is that our school only esteems the work of right mindfulness and does not esteem models of conduct or forms of practice. Why? When right mindfulness is continuous, there is nothing else on your mind; when right mindfulness is continuous, it doesn’t differ wherever you are. You completely forget objects before you. This is what Yongjia meant by “seeing the mountains, you forget the Way; seeing the Way, you forget the mountains.”
Many of the empty-headed “Zennists” of the last age vaunt their own views; instead of basing it on whether or not the work of right mindfulness is continuous, just because they consider manners and forms to be minor practices, they mistakenly regard license and abandon to be living liberation, freedom, and ease. They all say, “Manners and forms are lesser-vehicle practice; in the school of patch-robe monks, why be bound to forms of practice?” With this, they do their best to provide themselves with objects of enjoyment, form cliques, and seek associates. Unrestrained in their license and abandon, they discard the dignities of monks and blend in with secular styles; disdaining religious talks, they prefer miscellaneous conversation. Losing the work mentally, they strive for amusement. Inside, they lounge around; abroad, they act mad. In extreme cases they frequent the doors of song and dance, go to the brothels and bars; behaving eccentrically, they consider this the transcendental Way of Zen. How miserable! How miserable!
Even if you don’t offend, how can the actions you see and hear of be inconsequential? Inwardly compelled by craving, perverted views manifest outwardly, ruining the spiritual body, losing the sense of the Way, and instead spoiling novices, getting them to continue these decadent ways as well. Therefore the dignity of Buddhism is all gone, and the shining example of monkhood has disappeared. Faithful patrons withdraw because of this, while people with perverted ideas increase because of this. They slander the true teaching and demean those of lofty character. Jade is crushed along with rock; gold is scrapped with base metal.
I have heard that in ancient times there was a devil king who promised the Buddha, “Some day I will enter your house, wear your clothes, eat your food, study your path, and expound your doctrine in order to destroy your teaching.” Those words have already been proved.
Living liberation is not such a principle. An ancient said, “Kill off the living person, and only then will you see the living person; if you want to attain life, you must seek it in death.” This means that when right
mindfulness is continuous, you still don’t consider it enough when the nature of reality becomes apparent. When right mindfulness is continuous and you cultivate the path to complete maturity, you still don’t consider that enough. When right mindfulness is continuous and you go beyond the Buddhas and Patriarchs, when you get here, you are free to act unconventionally or conventionally as expedient, giving and taking independently. When you let go, even rubble radiates light; when you hold still, the whole universe loses color.
When you get here, what coarse and fine or deep and shallow can you talk about? When you get here, what raw and ripe or near and far can you discuss? Even Buddha Dharma isn’t there; how can there be a mundane world? Even body and mind are forgotten—where do you see manners and formalities?
When study reaches this, it is called the realm of living liberation, untrammeled and free, clear and unencumbered. Therefore the reasons students don’t get caught up in concern with manners and forms is so they won’t lose the work of right mindfulness. The reason fully developed people have no manners or formalities is that when right mindfulness is present, one forgets manners and formalities.
If your right mindfulness is present, and continues moment to moment, in movement you forget movement, in stillness you forget stillness. In the midst of objects you forget objects; in your mind you forget mind. Undivided by movement and stillness, undivided by good and bad, undivided by pain and pleasure, undivided by affliction and enlightenment, undivided by heaven and hell, those who arrive at this undivided state no longer mind anything and no longer seek anything. Since they don’t seek anything, what indulgence can there be?
Now it’s one thing to relinquish manners and formalities, but what about only indulging in license? Scripture says, “Even the Dharma is to be relinquished; how much more its contrary.” Once you’re undivided, you shouldn’t indulge in anything; if you do, that’s not being undivided. If you’re not yet undivided, you should repent—what leisure do you have to indulge your feelings and let your mind go, idly enjoying amusement?
Those who are capable of being undivided no longer seek anything for themselves; their only quest is to liberate the living. They do not indulge themselves; their only indulgence is to liberate the living. They do not act for themselves; they only act to liberate the living. They have no thought for themselves; their only thought is to liberate the living.
Why? Because they themselves have attained an undivided state, whereas all people have not arrived at this realm; with great compassion they magically produce expedients for everyone. All their practices, all their discourses, are for the multitude of the living, not themselves. Indeed, if you want to become undivided out of craving to be seen and heard, this is impossible.
Therefore the wise just stick to maintaining the practice of the work of right mindfulness. Don’t stick to any fixations at all. Don’t lose right mindfulness wherever you are, and the experience of liberation will naturally come about. When it does, and you see without missing anything, you cannot find anywhere to fixate.
When you get here, then what good state is there to stir your mind and belabor your body, put forth your hands and move your feet, such as could pacify your religious sense? Wrong, wrong! Right where everyone stands there is this unsurpassed practice; let genuine students of the mystery try to discern.
REFERENCES
SCRIPTURES
Buddhist Yoga. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1995.
Dhammapada: The Sayings of Buddha. Translated by Thomas Cleary. New York: Bantam Books, 1995.
The Flower Ornament Scripture. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1993.
The Sutra of Hui-neng: Grand Master of Zen. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1998.
Zen and the Art of Insight. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1999.
KOAN COLLECTIONS
The Blue Cliff Record. Translated by Thomas and J. C. Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1977.
Book of Serenity. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2005.
Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2000.
Transmission of Light. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2002.
Unlocking the Zen Koan. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1997.
WRITINGS AND SAYINGS OF ZEN MASTERS
Dream Conversations: On Buddhism and Zen. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1994.
The Five Houses of Zen. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1997.
Instant Zen: Waking Up in the Present. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Berkeley, North Atlantic Books, 1994.
Kensho: The Heart of Zen. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1997.
The Original Face. Translated by Thomas Cleary. New York: Grove Press, 1978.
The Pocket Zen Reader. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1999.
Record of Things Heard. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boulder, Colo.: Prajna Press, 1980.
Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui. Translated by J. C. Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2006.
Teachings of Zen. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1998.
Timeless Spring. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Tokyo: Weatherhill, 1980.
Zen Antics. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1993.
Zen Dawn. Translated by J. C. Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2001.
Zen Essence. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1988.
Zen Lessons. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1989.
Zen Letters. Translated by J. C. and Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2001.
ESOTERIC BUDDHISM
The Ecstasy of Enlightenment. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1998.
Twilight Goddess. By Thomas Cleary and Sartaz Aziz. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2000.
TENDAI BUDDHISM
The Buddhist I Ching. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1987.
Stopping and Seeing. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1997.
KEGON BUDDHISM
Entry into the Inconceivable. By Thomas Cleary. Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1983.
Entry into the Realm of Reality. By Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1989.
ZEN AND JAPANESE CULTURE
The Japanese Art of War. By Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1991.
Samurai Wisdom. By Thomas Cleary. North Clarendon, Vt.: Tuttle Publishing, 2009.
The Soul of the Samurai. By Thomas Cleary. North Clarendon, Vt.: Tuttle Publishing, 2004.
Training the Samurai Mind. By Thomas Cleary. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2008.
ALSO BY THOMAS CLEARY
Awakening to the Tao
The Book of Balance and Harmony
The Inner Teachings of Taoism
Sex, Health, and Long Life: Manuals of Taoist Practice
The Taoist I Ching
Taoist Meditation
Vitality, Energy, Spirit
Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries
For more information please visit www.shambhala.com.
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