楞嚴經宗通

VII. REVEALING THAT THE NATURE OF SEEING IS NEITHER BORN NOR DESTROYED

Sutra: At that time, Ananda and the entire assembly, having heard the Buddha’s teaching, felt at ease in body and mind. They reflected that, from beginningless time until the present, they had lost their Fundamental Mind and mistakenly taken the shadows produced by discriminating among the objects before them to be real. Now that they had awakened, they were like an infant deprived of milk who suddenly encounters its loving mother. They joined their palms and bowed to the Buddha, hoping to hear the Tathagata disclose what was true and false, empty and real, within body and mind, and directly reveal, in the present moment, the two principles of birth and death and that which is neither born nor destroyed.

Commentary: Previously, it was said: “Seeing does not move; Seeing neither unfolds nor rolls itself up,” thereby clearly revealing the Nature that is neither born nor destroyed. Yet this unborn and undying Nature is presently found within this body subject to birth and death. The True Manifesting Nature is the fundamental basis that is neither born nor destroyed, while the Deluded Manifesting Nature is the fundamental basis of birth and death. Within this, emptiness and reality are difficult to distinguish clearly; therefore, they hoped the Tathagata would elucidate them.

In the past, Xue Jian asked the Sixth Patriarch: “The Chan worthies in the capital all say, ‘If one wishes to understand the Way, one must sit in meditation and cultivate samadhi. That anyone could attain liberation without relying upon meditative concentration is utterly impossible.’ I do not yet understand what the Master teaches concerning this.”

The Patriarch replied: “The Way is awakened to through the mind; how could it lie in sitting? The sutra says: ‘If one says that the Tathagata sits or reclines, that person practices a deviant path.’ Why is this so? He comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. Neither born nor destroyed—this is the Tathagata’s pure meditation. All dharmas are empty and quiescent—this is the Tathagata’s pure sitting. Ultimately there is nothing to realize; how much less could it depend upon sitting?”

Xue Jian said: “Brightness symbolizes wisdom, and darkness symbolizes affliction. If wisdom is not used to illuminate and destroy affliction, by what means can one transcend beginningless birth and death?”

The Patriarch said: “Affliction itself is bodhi; they are neither two nor different. If wisdom is used to illuminate and destroy affliction, that is the understanding of the Two Vehicles, the capacity of those who ride the sheep cart and the deer cart. Those of superior faculties and great wisdom are certainly not like this.”

Xue Jian asked: “What, then, is the understanding of the Mahayana?”

The Patriarch said: “Ordinary beings see illumination and ignorance as two. Those who are wise and have thoroughly realized them know that their Nature is nondual. This nondual Nature is the True Nature. This True Nature is not diminished in foolish ordinary beings, nor increased in sages and saints. It is not disturbed amid afflictions, nor does it become still and extinct in meditative concentration. It is neither annihilated nor eternal, neither coming nor going. It is not in the middle, nor does it abide within or without. It is neither born nor destroyed; its Nature and characteristics are suchness itself. Ever abiding and never changing—this is called the Way.”

Xue Jian asked: “How does the Master’s teaching of neither birth nor destruction differ from that of the non-Buddhist schools?”

The Patriarch said: “When the non-Buddhist schools speak of neither birth nor destruction, they use destruction to put an end to birth and use birth to reveal destruction. Thus, what is destroyed is regarded as not destroyed, and what is born is said to be unborn. When I speak of neither birth nor destruction, I mean that it has fundamentally never been born and is not now destroyed; therefore, it is not the same as the teaching of the non-Buddhist schools. If you wish to know the essential point of the mind, simply remain unattached to all good and evil. You will then naturally penetrate the pure essence of Mind, limpid and as it naturally is, perpetually quiescent, with wondrous functions inexhaustible.”

Through this instruction, Xue Jian suddenly attained awakening.

Here, in what presently appears to undergo birth and death, the True Nature that is neither born nor destroyed is clearly revealed. Were this not a matter shared between Buddhas, it could not have been disclosed so clearly.

Sutra: At that time, King Prasenajit rose and said to the Buddha: “Before I had the honor of hearing the Buddha’s instructions, I heard Katyayana and Vairatiputra both say, ‘When this body dies, it ceases entirely; this is called nirvana.’ Although I have now encountered the Buddha, doubts still remain within me. I pray that the Buddha will clearly explain how one can realize and know that this Mind is neither born nor destroyed. All those in the assembly who still have outflows also hope to hear this.”

The Buddha said: “Great King, your body is here before us. I now ask you: Is your fleshly body as enduring and indestructible as vajra, or does it change and disintegrate?”

“World-Honored One, this present body of mine will ultimately change and perish.”

The Buddha said: “Great King, you have never yet perished. How do you know that you must perish?”

Commentary: The World-Honored One’s words guide him step by step back to the Truth. Consider the question, “You have never yet perished. How do you know that you must perish?” A person of superior faculties and keen wisdom would immediately awaken: “The one who knows destruction has fundamentally never undergone birth or destruction,” and would at once realize the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

A monk asked Patriarch Yunju: “When one has just been born, why does one not know that there is being?”

He replied: “Because it was not born together with you.”

The monk asked: “What was it like before birth?”

He replied: “It has never been destroyed.”

The monk asked: “Where was it before birth?”

He replied: “There is a place that does not contain it.”

The monk asked: “Why does the person not undergo destruction?”

He replied: “That destruction cannot be apprehended.”

Observe Patriarch Yunju’s exchange: how could it be vague? One must understand the matter beyond before one can comprehend these words!

Sutra: “World-Honored One, although this impermanent body of mine, subject to change and decay, has not yet perished, I presently observe that it shifts and changes thought after thought, continuously and without pause, like fire gradually turning to ash and fading away. Because this ceaseless dissolution continues, I know with certainty that this body must eventually perish.”

The Buddha said: “So it is! Great King, you are now advanced in years. How does your present countenance compare with what it was in childhood?”

“World-Honored One, when I was a small child, my skin and flesh were smooth. When I reached adulthood, my vital energy and blood were abundant. Now, in old age, I become frailer with each passing day; my form is gaunt, my spirit weary, my hair white, and my skin wrinkled. I have not long to live. How could this compare with the vigor of my youth?”

The Buddha said: “Great King, your appearance could not have deteriorated all at once.”

The king replied: “World-Honored One, the changes have occurred subtly and imperceptibly, so I was unaware of them. The passing years have gradually brought me to this state. Why do I say so?

Although at twenty I was still called young, my face was already older than it had been at ten. At thirty, I had declined further than at twenty. Now I am sixty-two, and when I look back at the age of fifty, I see that I was then much stronger.

World-Honored One, I observe such subtle changes. Although this body has now grown feeble, I have described these changes in intervals of ten years. If I examine them more closely, however, the changes did not occur merely every ten years; in truth, they occurred year by year.

Nor did they occur merely year by year, but month by month; and not merely month by month, but day by day. Investigating this exhaustively and examining it closely, I see that from kshana to kshana, in the interval between every thought, it cannot remain still. Therefore, I know that this body must ultimately change and perish.”

The Buddha said: “Great King, you see that change and transformation continue without cease, and you clearly know that your body must perish. As you perish thought after thought in this way, do you know whether there is anything within your body that does not perish?”

Commentary: The illusory physical body must ultimately change and perish. The pure Dharma-body is fundamentally neither born nor destroyed. It is not that there is a separate Dharma-body apart from the physical body. The Dharma-body is like the great ocean, while the physical body is like a bubble upon the water. The bubble is born and destroyed, but the ocean water remains ever the same. For one of great awakening, “The illusory transformation, being without a body, is itself the Dharma-body.” Therefore, one should know that within the body there is that which never decays or perishes.

Patriarch Shitou composed this verse:

“Ask this hermitage: empty or not empty?

Empty or not empty, the master remains as ever”

Neither in South or North, nor East or West,

Its foundation firm and enduring—this is most important.”

(Ask whether this hermitage perishes or does not perish;

Perishing and not perishing—the host is originally present.

Dwelling neither in South or North, nor East or West,

Its foundation firm and enduring—this is regarded as foremost.)

Another verse says:

“Dwelling in this hermitage, cease forming interpretations.

Who flaunts its radiance, hoping someone will buy?

Turn the light around and shine it back, and at once you return;

The numinous root, vast and open, has neither front nor back.”

(Dwell in this hermitage and cease forming interpretations;

Who flaunts its radiance, vainly hoping someone will buy?

Turn the light around and shine it back, and at once you return;

The numinous root, vast and open, has neither orientation nor opposition.)

Alas! Everyone is inherently endowed with this nature that neither arises nor ceases; why, then, do they follow the current and chase the waves, unable to turn the light around and shine it back upon themselves?

Sutra: King Prasenajit joined his palms and said to the Buddha, “I truly do not know.”

The Buddha said, “I shall now reveal to you the nature that neither arises nor ceases. Great King! At what age did you first see the waters of the Ganges?”

The King replied, “When I was three years old, my mother took me to worship the deity Jivaka [the God of Longevity], and we passed by that river. At that time, I knew at once that it was the water of the Ganges.”

The Buddha said, “Great King, as you have said, ‘At twenty years of age I had declined compared with when I was ten,’ and now you have reached sixty; through years, months, days, and hours, thought after thought, you have undergone change. When you saw the waters of this river at the age of three, how were those waters when you were thirteen?”

The King replied, “They were just as they had been when I was three, exactly the same and no different; and now, at the age of sixty-two, they still appear no different.”

The Buddha said, “You now lament that your hair is white and your skin wrinkled. Your face must certainly be more wrinkled than it was in your youth. Yet is the seeing by which you now see the Ganges any older or younger than the seeing by which you saw the Ganges as a child?”

The King replied, “No, World-Honored One.”

The Buddha said, “Great King, although your face has become wrinkled, the nature of seeing has never become wrinkled. What wrinkles undergoes change, whereas what does not wrinkle does not change. What changes must cease, but that which does not change fundamentally neither arises nor ceases. How, then, could there be birth and death within it for you to undergo? Yet you still cite the words of Maskari and his followers, saying, ‘Once this body dies, it is utterly annihilated!’”

Upon hearing this teaching, the King believed and understood that after this body is relinquished, one passes from this life into another. Together with the great assembly, he leapt for joy, having attained what he had never experienced before.

Commentary: There were six non-Buddhist teachers:

First, Purana Kasyapa, who maintained that all dharmas neither arise nor cease.

Second, Maskari Gosaliputra, who maintained that although sentient beings experience suffering and happiness, these have no causes or conditions but simply occur naturally.

Third, Sanjaya Vairatiputra, who maintained that sentient beings follow destiny and, when the time matures, attain the Way; after completing eighty thousand kalpas, they naturally attain the Way.

Fourth, Ajita Kesakambala, who maintained that sentient beings presently undergo the retribution of suffering but afterward enjoy the bliss of nirvana.

Fifth, Kakuda Katyayana, who maintained that all dharmas both exist and do not exist.

Sixth, Nirgrantha Jnatiputra, who maintained that everything is determined by karma and cannot be escaped.

All of these are forms of the view of annihilation [The two views are of two kinds: the view of annihilation and the view of permanence.—The view of annihilation is the erroneous view that rigidly clings to the belief that the human body and mind are extinguished at death and that no further birth follows; that is, the view of nonexistence]. Although they also speak of neither arising nor ceasing, they speak of it only in opposition to arising and ceasing. Because an ox’s horns exist, they speak of the nonexistence of a rabbit’s horns. Since there is opposition, it ultimately still belongs to arising and ceasing.

If the seeing of the river remains unchanged, one may thereby glimpse the immutable true nature. Right amid what is presently seen to arise and cease, the nature that neither arises nor ceases is revealed. Thus one knows that within the body there presently exists that which is not subject to cessation. Although it is said that one leaves this life and passes into another, in truth there is cessation yet no cessation. How could the annihilationist view of the non-Buddhists possibly express this?

A monk asked Patriarch Zhaozhou, “My teacher said, ‘When the world is destroyed, this nature is not destroyed.’ What is this nature?”

Zhaozhou said, “The four great elements and the five skandhas.”

The monk asked, “Those are still subject to destruction. What is this nature?”

Zhaozhou said, “The four great elements and the five skandhas.”

Master Fayan said, “Is it one thing? Is it two things? Is it destroyed? Is it not destroyed? How should this be understood? Try to decide!”

A monk asked Patriarch Dasui, “When the kalpa fire burns everything and the great trichiliocosm is entirely destroyed, is That destroyed or not destroyed?”

Dasui replied, “Destroyed.”

The monk said, “If so, does it go along with it?”

Dasui said, “It goes along with it.”

Another monk asked Patriarch Longji, “When the kalpa fire burns everything and the great trichiliocosm is entirely destroyed, is That destroyed or not destroyed?”

Longji replied, “Not destroyed.”

The monk said, “Why is it not destroyed?”

Longji replied, “Because it is the same as the great trichiliocosm.”

Master Tiantong composed this verse:

“Destroyed, not destroyed—it goes along with it;

The realm of the great trichiliocosm is clear within the phrase.

Though no one binds or locks him, his head and feet are again entangled in vines.

Do you understand, or not?

The matter is perfectly clear; heed this careful injunction.

When you know the mind, bring it forth without deliberation;

Bring me along, and we must trade together.”

Dasui said it is destroyed; Longji said it is not destroyed. Is this one? Is it two? Longji said, “Because it is the same as the great trichiliocosm.” Dasui said, “It goes along with it!” This is still precisely the essential purport of Zhaozhou’s “four great elements and five skandhas.” When the world is destroyed, this nature is not destroyed. One must find the place of peace and security precisely within the four great elements and five skandhas!

VIII. REVEALING THE SOURCE OF INVERSION

Sutra: Ananda then rose from his seat, bowed to the Buddha, joined his palms, knelt upright, and said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, if this seeing and hearing truly neither arise nor cease, why does the World-Honored One say that we have all lost our true nature and act in an inverted, upside-down manner? I pray that the Buddha, out of compassion, will cleanse us of our defiling dust.”

At that time, the Tathagata extended his golden-hued arm, pointed his fingers downward, and said to Ananda, “As you now see my mudra hand [Mudra, also called the Auspicious Hand; that is, forming the seal of certainty (the Seal of Certainty)], is it upright or inverted?”

Ananda replied, “Worldly beings regard it as inverted, but I do not know which is upright and which is inverted.”

The Buddha said to Ananda, “If worldly people regard this as inverted, what do they regard as upright?”

Ananda said to the Buddha, “When the Tathagata raises his arm and points his cotton-soft hand upward into the air, that is called upright.”

The Buddha immediately raised his arm and said to Ananda, “Such inversion is merely an interchange of head and tail. Yet all worldly people multiply their inversions when they look and see. Now, by comparing your body with the Tathagata’s pure Dharma-body, we may clarify this: the Tathagata’s body is called right and universal knowledge, while the nature of your bodies is called inverted. Examine this carefully: your body and the Buddha’s body—where does that which is called inverted and upside down reside, such that it is called inversion?”

Commentary: The pure Dharma-body is the wondrous, luminous mind, utterly true. Seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing are what manifest [the functioning] within the wondrous mind. To recognize the root is upright; to pursue the branches is inverted. It is like bubbles arising from the sea: recognizing the sea is upright, while recognizing the bubbles is inverted.

The Buddha asked Ananda, “Now, when you see me lower my hand, is it upright or inverted?” At this point, he should simply have awakened vigorously within the very act of seeing itself: Which is upright, and which is inverted? He should not have distinguished upright from inverted by reference to the Tathagata’s hand.

When Subhuti sat quietly in a mountain cave and beheld the Dharma-body of the Tathagata without depending upon faculties or consciousness, that was called Right and Universal Knowledge. But if Ananda’s eye was directed toward the Tathagata’s hand, and he further distinguished upright from inverted in the hand, this was the activity of the six consciousnesses. Abandoning the root to follow the branches, he had already departed from the proper position; therefore, this is called the inverted, upside-down nature.

At first, Ananda regarded the lowered hand as inverted, but his words were still vague. When asked, “What do you take to be upright?” he regarded the raised hand as upright. Only then did it become clear that what Ananda called upright and inverted was merely a distinction based upon the hand, not a distinction made within seeing itself.

Such observation was already inverted. When the hand is lowered, its beginning and end accord with one another; it is originally upright, yet people of the world regard it as inverted! When the hand is raised, its beginning and end exchange places; it is originally inverted, yet people of the world regard it as upright!

Thus, within inverted observation, they superimpose yet another inversion! Therefore, through this comparison it is revealed that abandoning the pure Dharma-body and identifying with seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing is already inversion. If one further clings to seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing within the physical body as unborn and undying, and declares this to be upright rather than inverted, is this not to superimpose yet another inversion upon inversion?

A monk asked Master Dongshan, “Ordinarily, you instruct students to travel the bird’s path [The bird’s path indicates a stage at which the path of Chan cultivation becomes difficult: perilous and arduous like a bird’s path. It also indicates the stage of reaching a vast, boundless way, like the immense sky, and like a bird’s traces in empty space]. I do not yet understand—what is the bird’s path?”

Master Shan said, “Not encountering a single person.”

The monk asked, “How does one travel it?”

Master Shan said, “Precisely by harboring no private intention beneath one’s feet.”

The monk asked, “Is not traveling the bird’s path itself the Original Face [That which has always been before one’s eyes]?”

Master Shan said, “Acarya, why are you so utterly inverted?”

The monk asked, “Where is this student inverted?”

Master Shan said, “If you were not inverted, why would you mistake the servant for the master?”

The monk asked, “What is the Original Face?”

Master Shan said, “Not traveling the bird’s path.”

Master Danxia composed this verse:

“The ancient path, serene, rests against the Great Void;

The subtle way is still like crossing rugged ground.

Though not ascending the bird’s path is wondrous,

Upon later examination, one has already struck the road.”

(Cổ lộ tiêu nhiên ỷ Thái Hư

Hành huyền du thị thiệp kỳ khu

Bất đăng điểu đạo tuy vi diệu

Kiểm điểm tương lai dĩ xúc đồ).

Alas! The bird’s path is profound and subtle to such a degree, approaching the turning of meritorious effort into the Way, yet even the disciples of Dongshan’s school still regarded it as inverted. How much less could clearly perceptible seeing and hearing, which still bear coarse traces, be considered unborn and undying? How could they possibly be comparable to unsurpassed bodhi?

Sutra: At that time, Ananda and the entire assembly stared at the Buddha in astonishment, their eyes unblinking, not knowing where their bodies and minds were inverted.

The Buddha, moved by loving-kindness and compassion for Ananda and the assembly, spoke with an ocean-tide voice and proclaimed throughout the assembly: “Good sons, I have often taught that form and mind, all conditions and mental factors, and all dharmas that are objects of cognition appear from mind alone. Your body and your mind are both things that appear within the wondrous, luminous, perfectly true Mind. Why do you abandon the intrinsically wondrous, perfectly luminous, precious nature of mind and instead recognize delusion within that which is originally awakened?

“Delusion produces empty space. Within that deluded empty space, darkness congeals into form; form, mingling with false thought, takes shape as the body. A collection of conditions stirs within and races after external objects; then you take that dim and restless appearance to be the nature of mind. Once you mistakenly take that appearance to be the mind, you inevitably arrive at the error of deciding that the mind is inside the physical body, not knowing that this physical body, together with the mountains, rivers, empty space, earth, and everything outside it, are all things appearing within this wondrous, luminous, true Mind.

Commentary: Your body is the Appearance Aspect; your mind is the Seeing Aspect. The Appearance Aspect includes the faculties, sense objects, all dharmas that are objects of cognition, mountains, rivers, earth, light and darkness, form and emptiness, and everything else. The Seeing Aspect includes the eight consciousnesses and the fifty-one mental factors, wholesome and unwholesome karmic activity, deviance and correctness, causes and effects, and everything else. Both the Appearance Aspect and the Seeing Aspect flow forth from the Tathagata-garbha; therefore, it is said that they “appear from mind alone.” This Mind is originally wondrous and does not depend upon cultivation. How can one perceive this Original Wonder?

In terms of essence, it is called the Perfect, Wondrous, Luminous Mind. From the wondrous arises illumination; therefore, it is called Perfect.

In terms of function, it is called the Precious, Luminous, Wondrous Nature. The wondrous is present within illumination itself; therefore, it is called Precious.

Wondrous yet luminous, luminous yet wondrous, without the slightest trace of defilement—this is the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. All Appearance Aspects and Seeing Aspects are reflections appearing within the mirror of the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. Now, to forget this Original Wonder—the True Mind—and identify instead with seeing and hearing—the conscious mind—is like abandoning the mirror one originally possesses and identifying with the illusory reflections within it. Although there is awareness, in truth it is awareness within delusion; therefore, this is called delusion within awakening.

The passage from “recognize delusion within awakening...” through “then you take that dim and restless appearance to be the nature of mind” must be read in a single breath.

Delusion regarding the Wondrous, Luminous Nature becomes ignorance. From this ignorance [not knowing the Original Nature] arises inert emptiness; therefore, it is said, “Delusion produces empty space.” The object of transformation, which is inert emptiness, and that which transforms, which is ignorance, unite and transform into the four great elements, producing the external forms of the dependent retribution [the universe, worlds, and all worldly things upon which body and mind depend, produced in response to karma from previous lives].

The forms of the four great elements mingle with the mind’s false thoughts and transform into the internal forms of the direct retribution [the body with its faculties, produced in response to the causes of karma from previous lives—commonly called undergoing retribution] of sentient beings.

Thought means false thought; appearance means false form. When appearance and thought become the body, both the Seeing Aspect and the Appearance Aspect are complete; this is the eighth consciousness. “A collection of conditions stirs within” refers to the seventh consciousness. “Races after external objects” refers to the sixth consciousness. From this ignorance is transformed the dim and restless appearance mingled with conditioned sense objects, and one then recognizes it as one’s own mind—is this not delusion?

The wondrous, luminous True Mind is precisely the pure Dharma-body, extending vertically through the three periods [past, present, and future] and horizontally throughout the ten directions; how could it be confined within the body? As for this seeing and hearing, apart from the eyes there is no seeing, and away from the ears there is no hearing. To take them as the mind is the error of deciding that the mind is inside the physical body.

How could one know that this physical body, together with external things such as mountains, rivers, and the earth, are all things within this wondrous, luminous True Mind? Just as layer upon layer of images are all reflections within a mirror, so too are all these things. Therefore, recognizing the mirror is awakening within awakening and is called Right and Universal Knowledge.

Identifying with the reflections is delusion within awakening and is called the inverted nature.

Patriarch Changsha said, “If I were to do nothing but uphold Zen, the grass in the Dharma hall would grow a foot high! Having no other choice, I tell you: Throughout the worlds of the ten directions is the eye of the śramaṇa! Throughout the worlds of the ten directions is the whole body of the śramaṇa!

Throughout the worlds of the ten directions is one’s own radiance! Throughout the worlds of the ten directions, there is no one who is not oneself. I have often told you: The Buddhas of the three times, the Dharma Realm, and sentient beings are the radiance of Mahāprajñā.

Before that radiance shines forth, toward what place do all of you turn in order to know? Before the radiance shines forth, there is not even a trace of Buddhas or sentient beings; where, then, could these mountains, rivers, and lands be found?”

At that time, a monk asked, “What is the eye of the śramaṇa?”

The Patriarch said, “As far as the eye can see, one cannot get beyond it.”

He further said, “Becoming a Buddha or becoming a Patriarch, one cannot get beyond it! Revolving through the six paths, one cannot get beyond it!”

The monk said, “I still do not understand what it is that one cannot get beyond.”

The Patriarch said, “By day one sees the sun; by night one sees the stars.”

The monk asked, “This student does not understand.”

The Patriarch said, “Mount Sumeru is blue, and ever bluer still.”

Now say: Do these words of Patriarch Changsha indicate the originally luminous essence of consciousness, or the wondrous nature of precious luminosity? Distinguish them clearly!

Sutra: “It is like abandoning hundreds of thousands of vast, tranquil seas, recognizing only a single bubble, and taking it to be the entirety of all the waters throughout the great seas. You are people deluded in layer upon layer, no different from when I lower My arm. The Tathagata calls this pitiable.”

Commentary: To know that “the seeing of the river” truly neither arises nor ceases appears to be an awakening; yet to cling to this seeing of the river as existing within the physical body is delusion within awakening. To abandon the great ocean and recognize a bubble is already delusion; to go on to regard that bubble as the whole of the great ocean—is this not delusion within delusion?

To lose the True Nature and recognize seeing and hearing is already delusion; to go on to regard seeing and hearing as the nature that neither arises nor ceases—is this not delusion within delusion? To be deluded without awakening is only one layer of delusion. But to awaken and yet remain within delusion makes emotional attachment all the more deeply entrenched; is this not adding layer upon layer of delusion?

“When I lower My arm,” your seeing makes distinctions, which is already inverted. How much more so when beginning and end are interchanged and upright and inverted are confused—would this not be inversion many times over? Already dwelling within inversion, you nevertheless ask, “Why does the Blessed One say that we are inverted?” This is inversion within inversion. It is delusion within delusion! Therefore, He said, “You are people deluded in layer upon layer.”

National Preceptor Qin of Jingshan was sitting with National Preceptor Huizhong in the inner court of the imperial palace. Seeing the emperor arrive, he stood up.

The emperor said, “Master, why did you stand up?”

He said, “How could the benefactor see this poor monk by looking within the four deportments?”

The emperor was pleased.

On another occasion, Emperor Suzong asked National Preceptor Huizhong, “What Dharma did you attain at Caoxi?”

The Master replied, “Does Your Majesty see a wisp of cloud in empty space?”

The emperor replied, “I see it.”

The Master replied, “Drive a nail into it. Hang something upon it.”

The emperor again asked, “What are the Buddha’s ten bodies?”

The Master stood erect and said, “Do you understand?”

The emperor said, “I do not understand.”

The Master said, “Pass this old monk the pure-water vase.”

The emperor again asked, “What is the Samādhi of Noncontention?”

The Master said, “Benefactor, leap atop Vairocana’s crown and walk away.”

The emperor asked, “What does that mean?”

The Master said, “Do not recognize your own pure Dharma Body.”

The emperor questioned him again, but the Master did not even look at him. The emperor said, “I am the emperor of the Great Tang. Why does the Master not even look at me?”

The Master said, “Does the emperor see empty space?”

The emperor replied, “I see it.”

The Master said, “Does empty space blink its eyes and look at Your Majesty?”

Consider the indications given by these two Masters. One used the statement, “You cannot see this poor monk by looking within the four deportments”; the other used, “Does empty space blink its eyes and look at Your Majesty?” How could they ever have mistakenly taken it to be within the physical body? This seeing and the seeing of the river are as far apart as heaven and earth. It is worthy of being called, together with Subhūti’s seeing of the Buddha’s Dharma Body, Right and Universal Knowledge. In short, if thought is taken as knowing, the mind is not all-pervasive.

Aśvaghoṣa taught: “If the mind moves, it is not True Knowing. That moving characteristic is the arising of thought, which creates obstruction. When one is free from all obstructing thoughts, knowing becomes all-pervasive.”

IX. REJECTING THE CONDITION-CLINGING MIND TO REVEAL THAT THE NATURE OF SEEING CANNOT BE RETURNED ANYWHERE

Sutra: Ānanda respectfully listened to the Buddha’s compassionate instructions of deliverance. Weeping, he placed his palms together and said to the Buddha, “Although I have respectfully heard the Buddha’s wondrous voice and awakened to the wondrous, luminous source of mind as the perfect, ever-abiding ground of mind, my awakening to the Dharma utterance just spoken by the Buddha has presently come through the condition-clinging mind, thereby satisfying my aspiration. Having vaguely realized that mind, I still do not dare recognize it as the ground of mind that has existed from the beginning. I pray that the Buddha will take pity on me and proclaim the perfect voice, uprooting my doubts so that I may return to the unsurpassed path.”

The Buddha told Ānanda, “You still use the condition-clinging mind to hear the Dharma; therefore, that Dharma also becomes something conditioned upon and is not the attainment of the Dharma Nature. It is like a person pointing out the moon to another person with his finger. The other person should follow the finger and see the moon.

But if that person looks at the finger and takes it to be the substance of the moon, he loses not only the moon but also the finger. Why is this? Because he takes the finger that points to the moon to be the moon itself.

Not only does he lose the finger, but he also fails to distinguish brightness from darkness. Why is this? Because he takes the substance of the finger to be the moon’s luminous nature and does not understand the two natures of brightness and darkness.

You are just like this.”

Commentary: Ānanda awakened to the perfect, wondrous, luminous source of mind, which is intrinsically not an object of conditions. The ever-abiding ground of mind is originally the Master. Yet his present seeing of the Buddha and hearing of the Dharma still belonged to the deluded, condition-clinging mind; he did not yet know through what the fundamental ground of mind clearly knows. He did not dare say that it was precisely this; yet if he said that it existed apart from this, where would it presently be?

The Buddha was about to break through the error of the condition-clinging mind, so He first revealed that the Dharma being spoken was itself only an object of conditions. Therefore, the Buddha taught, “The Dharma you are now hearing is itself only an object of conditions; it is not the attainment of the Dharma Nature.” The Dharma is revealed so that one may see the Nature. Once the Nature is seen, the Dharma no longer has any use. The Diamond Sutra says, “It is like a raft. Even the Dharma should be relinquished, much more so what is not the Dharma.” Here, the analogy of the finger pointing at the moon is again used: once the moon is seen, the finger is forgotten. The analogies cited by the ancient worthies mostly accord with this passage.

There is a verse:

It is also said:

Su Dongpo wrote: “A blind man once asked what shape the sun had. Another person showed him by means of a bronze tray. The blind man struck it and heard a sound. On another day, when he heard the sound of a bell, he took it to be the sun!”

A monk asked Patriarch Fayan, “I will not ask about the finger; what is the moon?”

Patriarch Fayan said, “What is that finger about which you do not ask?”

Another monk asked, “I will not ask about the moon; what is the finger?”

Patriarch Fayan replied, “The moon.”

The monk said, “This student asked about the finger. Why did the Venerable answer, ‘The moon’?”

Patriarch Fayan said, “Because you asked about the finger.”

If one understands Fayan’s house style [the tradition of his lineage], then finger and moon are immediately revealed. Otherwise, one goes astray even when facing them directly.

Sutra: “If you take the discernment of the sound of my Dharma as your mind, then that mind, apart from discerning spoken sounds, should possess a discerning nature of its own. It is like a traveler lodging at an inn: he stays temporarily and then departs; he cannot remain there forever. The innkeeper, however, goes nowhere, and for that reason is called the master of the inn. It is the same here: if this truly were your Mind, it would go nowhere.

Commentary: The sound of the Dharma being spoken is the object of cognition. That object of cognition cannot be grasped as the True. The discernment of the sound of Dharma is the cognizing subject.

How could that cognizing subject be relied upon and regarded as the True? At the very moment Mind and Sound meet, clear discernment occurs, but that Discernment is only temporary, like a traveler. When Mind and Sound separate, the discernment entirely vanishes, yet the Nature of Discernment does not vanish.

This nature does not come into being through hearing the Dharma, nor does it cease to be through not hearing the Dharma; therefore, it is called the master. Only when one sees this can one be said to see the Nature. If one grasps the condition-clinging mind that hears the Dharma and takes it as one’s Self-Nature, that is like mistaking the traveler for the master.

Master Dadian [Venerable Dadian. He attained the essential teaching of Caoxi and became a Dharma successor of Patriarch Shitou. At Xiyouling in the western district, he established Ling Shan Chan Monastery at the foot of the mountain and transmitted the Dharma to more than a thousand disciples] initially studied under Patriarch Shitou.

The Patriarch asked, “What is your Mind?”

Master Dadian said, “That which perceives speech is it.”

Patriarch Shitou immediately shouted and drove him out.

After a week, Master Dadian asked, “What I said before was not it. Apart from that, what else is Mind?”

Patriarch Shitou said, “Set aside raising the eyebrows and blinking the eyes; bring Mind here!”

Master Dadian said, “There is no Mind that can be brought here.”

Patriarch Shitou said, “From the beginning there has been Mind; how can you say there is no Mind? To say there is no Mind is itself to slander the Dharma!”

Upon hearing this, Master Dadian attained great awakening.

One day, while standing in attendance upon Master Shitou, the Patriarch asked, “Are you a monk who investigates Chan, or a monk from some prefecture or district who cultivates Pure Practice [the Pure Land]?”

Dadian said, “I am a monk who investigates Chan.”

Patriarch Shitou asked, “What is Chan?”

Dadian replied, “Raising the eyebrows and blinking the eyes.”

Patriarch Shitou said, “Set aside raising the eyebrows and blinking the eyes, and present your Original Face for me to see!”

Dadian said, “Venerable, please set aside raising the eyebrows and blinking the eyes and examine it.”

Patriarch Shitou said, “I have set them aside.”

Dadian said, “I have already presented it.”

Patriarch Shitou said, “You have presented it, but what about my Mind?”

Dadian said, “It is no different from the Venerable.”

Patriarch Shitou said, “That has nothing to do with you.”

Dadian said, “Fundamentally, there is not a single thing.”

Patriarch Shitou said, “You too are not a thing.”

Dadian said, “Since there is no thing, it is precisely the True Thing.”

Patriarch Shitou said, “The True Thing cannot be apprehended. Since your mind has seen it thus, you must carefully preserve it.”

Shitou and his Dharma son repeatedly turned the matter over and examined it from every side, solely to ascertain the True Mind, which is fundamentally without anything that can be apprehended and is called the True Master.

Sutra: “Why, when apart from sound, is there no discerning nature? What I say applies not only to the mind that discerns sounds. Even the discernment of my appearance, when separated from visible forms, has no discerning nature.

“So it is with every kind of discernment, until none remains: neither Form nor Emptiness—the state that the deluded Kapila school takes to be the Primordial Principle. Yet apart from the conditions of dharmas, even that has no discerning nature. Thus, each aspect of your Mind-Nature has a place to which it returns; how could it be the master?”

Commentary: The discernment of sounds and the discernment of Form, Odor, Taste, Touch, and all sense objects are merely discerning images of the sense objects that appear before one. Why is it that, apart from those preceding objects, there is immediately no intrinsic nature of discernment? Even if all Seeing, Hearing, Awareness, and Knowing are extinguished until not even discernment remains, and within one preserves a secluded emptiness-of-emptiness—neither Form nor Emptiness—which non-Buddhist schools grasp as the Primordial Principle, this is still merely separation from perceptual objects, not separation from dharmas; it remains a discerning image of mental objects.

Why, then, is there no intrinsic nature of discernment apart from the conditions of dharmas? What exists by relying upon preceding sense objects ceases when separated from those objects. What exists by relying upon mental objects ceases when separated from those mental objects.

Each aspect of this discerning nature has a place to which it returns; how could it be the master? The one that moves [discernment of preceding sense objects] and the one that is still [discernment of mental objects] both belong to the reflections in a mirror: reflections have places to which they return, but the mirror has nowhere to return. Every coming and going belongs to the traveler.

The traveler returns, but the master has no place to which he returns. If one does not recognize the mirror but recognizes the reflection, does not recognize the master but takes the traveler to be the master, then one’s Mind-Nature is likewise subject to annihilation. What, then, could be taken as the Ever-Abiding True Mind?

Patriarch Dadian ascended the Dharma seat and taught: “All who study the Way must know the Original Mind of their own house. I often see students of the Way today merely take the raising of the eyebrows, the blinking of the eyes, a word spoken, or a moment of silence, and thereupon certify themselves, regarding these as the essential Mind. In truth, they have not yet understood.

I shall now explain it clearly for you; each of you should listen and receive it: simply cast away all immediate perceptions, conceptual thoughts, and deluded stirrings—that itself is the True Mind. Whether amid sense objects or while abiding in stillness, this Mind has absolutely no dealings or entanglements with them. Mind itself is Buddha; it does not await cultivation or correction.

Why is this? Responding to circumstances and illuminating accordingly, it functions naturally and at ease. When its functioning is fathomed to the utmost, it is fundamentally unapprehendable.

This is called Wondrous Functioning; precisely this is the Original Mind. You must carefully preserve it and must not treat it lightly.”

Patriarch Dadian clearly points out the true master—revealing far too much! From this, one can know that the True Mind is entirely distinct from the Primordial Principle of non-Buddhist schools.

The Samkhya school analyzes the universe into twenty-five principles. Apart from the Primordial Principle, which is neither Form, nor Emptiness, nor Mind, all the remaining principles fall within Form, Emptiness, and Mind.

The principle of intellect and ego-consciousness, the five cognitive faculties, the five faculties of action, the faculty of the equanimous mind, and the Spiritual Self all belong to Mind. The five sense objects and five great elements belong to Form. The element of space belongs to Emptiness.

The very first principle is called Primordial Nature and is conceived to be eternally existent. The twenty-fifth principle is called the Spiritual Self and is also held to be eternal. When the Spiritual Self contemplates its sacred sphere, Primordial Nature transforms into the remaining twenty-three principles for the Spiritual Self to employ. Wherever the self experiences and enjoys them, it is bound by objects and cannot attain liberation. If the self does not contemplate, the Primordial Principle does not transform; there is then no bondage, and the self is liberated. This is the central doctrine of that school.

Master Gaozi taught, “When you fail to understand words, do not seek it in the Mind. When you fail to understand it in the Mind, do not seek it in the vital energy.” This is clearly of one path with the Primordial Principle. Some call it Chan—what a grave error!

Sutra: Ananda said, “If every aspect of my Mind-Nature has a place to which it returns, why does the Wondrous, Luminous, Original Mind spoken of by the Tathagata have nowhere to return? I beseech the Buddha, out of compassion, to instruct me in this matter.”

The Buddha said to Ananda: “Take, for example, the Primordially Luminous Essence of Seeing with which you now see me. Although this seeing is not the Wondrous Luminous Essence of Mind [the True Mind], it is like a second moon, rather than the moon’s reflection upon water. You should listen carefully, for I shall now show you the meaning of that which cannot be returned.

“Ananda, this great lecture hall opens toward the east. When the sun rises, it is bright; at midnight, when there is no moon and clouds and mist obscure the sky, it is dark. Where there are doors, you see unobstructed passage; where there are walls, you see obstruction. Where distinctions can be made, you see conditioned forms. Where all is empty, there is only space. When dust rises, the scene becomes obscured; when the rain ceases and the sky clears, you again see purity and clarity.

“Ananda, you clearly observe all these changing appearances. I shall now return each one to its original cause. What is meant by ‘original cause’? Ananda, among these various changes, brightness is returned to the sun. Why is this so? Without the sun there would be no brightness. Since brightness belongs to the sun, it is returned to the sun. Darkness is returned to the moonless night. Unobstructed passage is returned to the doors. Obstruction is returned to the walls. Conditioned forms are returned to discrimination. Emptiness is returned to space. Obscurity is returned to dust, and luminous clarity is returned to the clear sky. Nothing whatsoever in the world lies outside these categories.

“But to what will you return the Seeing—the Luminous Nature of the Essence of Seeing—with which you perceive those eight phenomena? Why is this so? If you return it to brightness, then when brightness is absent you should be unable to see darkness. Although brightness, darkness, and the other phenomena differ from one another, the Seeing does not differ.

“Those things that can be returned are naturally not you. But if that which cannot be returned is not truly you, then who is it? Thus you should know that your Mind is originally wondrous, luminous, and pure. Yet you yourself, deluded, have cast aside your Fundamental Nature and consequently undergo cyclic birth and death, perpetually sinking and drowning. Therefore the Tathagata calls you truly pitiable!”

The Comprehensive Explanation: Discriminative seeing that engages conditioned sense-objects differs from the Primordially Luminous Essence of Seeing in terms of subject and object. The Primordially Luminous Essence of Seeing is distinguished from the Wondrous Luminous Essence of Mind in terms of essence and function. Thus, the Wondrous Luminous Essence of Mind is like the true moon; the Primordially Luminous Essence of Seeing is like a second moon seen when pressure is applied to the eye; and discriminative seeing that engages conditioned sense-objects is like the moon’s reflection in water.

Ultimately, within space there are only eight phenomena—brightness, darkness, openness, obstruction, and so forth—coming and going; hence it is said, “Nothing lies outside these categories.” This also bears a faint resemblance to the Eight Trigrams: clarity and obscurity are the emblems of Qian and Kun. Bright day and dark night are the emblems of Kan and Li. Openness and obstruction are the emblems of Gen and Dui. Discrimination belongs to movement and is the emblem of Zhen. The nature of space resembles wind and is therefore the emblem of Xun.

Within the human mind, moreover, “openness and obstruction” encompass both delusion and awakening. “Conditions, form, and space” encompass both existence and nonexistence. Turbidity and clarity encompass both worldly defilement and awakening.

Brightness and darkness encompass both sages and ordinary beings. All these are objects. Objects differ, but Seeing does not differ.

Whatever differs has a place to which it can be returned, whereas that which does not differ is originally unmoving in itself. Those things that can be returned are objects, are things, and are not you. That which is “your very self” and cannot be returned to things is Seeing, not a thing; it is your True Essence of Seeing.

What can be returned is called the guest; what can be returned nowhere is the host. If this is already true of the Primordially Luminous Essence of Seeing, how much more so of the True Mind, originally wondrous, luminous, and pure, which does not fall within seeing—the Host within the host. The Host within the host is the fundamental reality that neither arises nor ceases, which every person inherently possesses and which does not come from outside.

If one does not act as one’s own host but wanders about as a guest, it is because one fails to recognize the true moon and instead takes the moon’s reflection in water to be one’s own Mind. How then could one avoid drowning in birth and death?

A monk asked Patriarch Caoshan: “An ancient worthy said, ‘Throughout the entire great earth there is only this one person.’ I do not yet know who that person is.”

Master Caoshan said: “There cannot be a second moon.”

The monk asked: “What is the second moon?”

Master Caoshan said: “That is for you, venerable brother, to determine!”

The monk asked: “Then what is the first moon?”

Master Caoshan said: “Danger!”

This single word, “Danger!” sufficiently reveals that Patriarch Caoshan dared not lose the Originally So Nature and undergo cyclic existence. It is a most intimate point.

Master Baozi Wensui frequently studied the Surangama Sutra. When he met Patriarch Fayan, he related how his own way of living accorded perfectly with the purport of the sutra. Patriarch Fayan said: “Does the Surangama Sutra not contain the doctrine of the ‘Eight Returns’?”

Master Sui replied: “Yes, it does.”

The Patriarch asked: “To what is brightness returned?”

He replied: “Brightness is returned to the sun.”

The Patriarch asked: “To what is the sun returned?”

Master Sui stood bewildered and could not answer. From then on, he revered the Patriarch and sought instruction from him.

Thus we know that the matter of the Host within the host is not a place that annotations and commentaries can reach.

Master Duan Shizi recited:

“The teaching of the Eight Returns has long been raised;

Since ancient times, the patriarchal masters have each dissected it.

Even if one can return what is returnable and reach what cannot be returned,

It is still like a shrimp that cannot leap free of the dipper.”

(The teaching of the Eight Returns—how long has it been raised?

Since ancient times, the masters of the lineage have each analyzed it.

Even if one can return what is returnable and reach the time of no return,

It is still like a shrimp tethered, unable to escape the dipper.)

X. DISTINGUISHING SENSE-OBJECTS IN PARTICULAR TO REVEAL THE NATURE OF SEEING

Sutra: Ananda said: “Although I know that this Nature of Seeing cannot be returned anywhere, how can I know that it is my True Nature?”

The Buddha said to Ananda: “I shall now ask you this: at present, you have not yet attained the pure, undefiled fruition of the Path. It is only through the Buddha’s spiritual power that you can see the realm of the First Dhyana without obstruction. Aniruddha sees Jambudvipa as clearly as one sees an amalaka fruit in the palm of one’s hand. The bodhisattvas see hundreds of thousands of worlds. The Tathagatas of the ten directions exhaustively perceive pure lands as numerous as motes of dust, and there is nowhere they do not see. Ordinary beings, however, can see clearly no farther than a few inches before them.

“Ananda, let you and me now look upon the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings and, in between, survey everywhere all beings that move through water, upon land, and through the air. Although there are many differing appearances of brightness and darkness, none of them is anything other than a sense-object before you, distinguished and obstructive. There, you should distinguish between yourself and things. I now ask you to examine all that is seen and determine: what is your Self-Essence, and what is the appearance of an object?

“Ananda, to the utmost extent of your vision, the sun and moon are objects and are not you. Likewise, even the seven encircling ranges of Golden Mountains—although, when surveyed throughout, they possess various kinds of radiance—are still objects and are not you. Continue examining in sequence: gathering clouds, flying birds, moving wind, rising dust, trees and plants, mountains and rivers, grass and debris, people and other beings—all are objects and are not you.

“Ananda, although those objects, whether distant or near, differ from one another, all are seen by your pure Essence of Seeing. Thus, although those objects differ, the Nature of Seeing does not differ. This wondrous, luminous essence is truly your Nature of Seeing.”

Commentary: At first, Ananda asked why the Wondrously Luminous Original Mind could not be returned anywhere. The Buddha saw that this True Mind left no trace and was difficult to reveal, so, as an expedient means, he relied upon the luminous source of the essence of seeing to disclose it. The essence of seeing is very close to the True Mind, just as the second moon is very close to the real moon. Yet this seeing is also delusive and must likewise be returned; only the real moon, which symbolizes the True Nature, cannot be returned.

A later passage says, “When seeing involves the characteristic of seeing, that seeing is not true seeing.” Does this not mean that this seeing can also be returned? Although Ananda knew that the essence of seeing could not be returned and had awakened to the meaning of the second moon, he again asked, “How can I know that this is my True Nature?” He wished to verify the meaning of the first moon: by what expedient could this nature that cannot be returned now enable him to know and trust it for himself? The Buddha still used the essence of seeing to distinguish and reveal this: what is seen is an object; that which sees is you. Objects differ, but seeing does not differ. That which does not differ is the essence of seeing, the seeing itself.

The phrase “pure seeing” means that although one relies upon the pure faculty of sight—the eyes—to see the four great elements, seeing also arises from the originally pure essential nature. Because it is not produced through fabrication, it is naturally wondrous and luminously illuminating; this is called the Nature of Seeing. Since the essence of seeing is your True Seeing, is not the Nature of Seeing your True Nature? Therefore it is said, “This wondrously luminous essence is indeed your Nature of Seeing.”

Fundamentally, there is only one Nature. Yet the purity of seeing is not equal in all beings; differences arise according to whether one has penetrated the Nature completely or has not.

The Buddha-eye reaches throughout the ten directions to pure lands of the Tathagatas as numerous as motes of dust, and there is nowhere it does not see. The Dharma-eye, the eye of the bodhisattvas, sees hundreds of thousands of worlds. The Wisdom-eye is like that of Subhuti, who saw the Buddha’s Dharma-body.

The Heavenly-eye is like that of Aniruddha, who saw Jambudvipa as clearly as an amalaka fruit in the palm of his hand. The Fleshly-eye, that of ordinary beings, sees no farther than a few spans. Ananda had not yet attained the purity free from outflows, but through the Buddha’s spiritual power he saw the realm of the First Dhyana; thus, while possessing the Fleshly-eye, he gained the Heavenly-eye.

What the five kinds of eyes see is not the same, yet seeing itself is not two; hence it is said to be “without difference.” Only when one attains the Buddha-eye and completely penetrates lands as numerous as motes of dust is the function of the Nature of Seeing perfectly fulfilled.

A monk asked Chan Master Yunmen, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West?”

The Master replied, “All day long, looking at the mountains.”

Master Touzi composed this verse:

“Calmly the monk asks the venerable master;

It seems he receives a single phrase transmitted from Shaoyang.

All day long, looking at the mountains—the immortal’s path is revealed.

Deep in the night an ape cries; the moon lies beyond the eaves.”

Now tell me: does “All day long, looking at the mountains” indicate seeing, or does it indicate the Nature of Seeing? How is it to be understood in relation to “the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West”?

Master Yunjü Zhi said: “The originally pure Nature is serene and still, without the slightest movement. It belongs neither to being nor nonbeing and lies beyond grasping and rejecting. Its essential nature is utterly clear and fundamentally so of itself. To see it distinctly in this way is called seeing the Nature. The Nature is Buddha, and Buddha is the Nature; hence it is said, ‘See the Nature and become a Buddha.’

Question: “The Nature is originally pure and belongs neither to being nor nonbeing; why, then, is there still seeing?”

Answer: “Seeing without anything seen.”

Question: “Since there is nothing seen, how can there still be a Nature?”

Answer: “Even the locus of seeing does not exist.”

Question: “If so, who is it that sees when seeing occurs?”

Answer: “There is no person who sees.”

Question: “Ultimately, how is it?”

Answer: “Through false reckoning, one assumes that things exist; thereupon subject and object arise, and this is called delusion. From that delusive seeing, discriminating knowledge is produced, and one immediately falls into birth and death. For one who clearly sees and knows, there is no such thing. All day long one sees, yet has never seen. When one searches for its name, locus, substance, or characteristics, none can be found. When subject and object are both utterly extinguished, this is called seeing the Nature.”

Question: “Does this Nature pervade every place?”

Answer: “There is nowhere it does not pervade.”

Question: “Do ordinary beings possess it fully?”

Answer: “Since it has been said that there is nowhere it does not pervade, how could ordinary beings not possess it fully?”

Question: “Why are Buddhas and bodhisattvas not bound by birth and death, while ordinary beings alone are fettered by this suffering? How, then, can it be said to pervade all?”

Answer: “Right within this pure Nature, ordinary beings falsely perceive a subject and an object, and thus fall into birth and death. Buddhas and bodhisattvas clearly know that within the pure self-nature there is neither being nor nonbeing, and therefore they do not establish subject and object.”

Question: “If this is so, are there those who understand and those who do not?”

Answer: “Even understanding itself cannot be obtained; how could there be a person who understands?”

Question: “What is the ultimate principle?”

Answer: “I shall state the essential principle. You should know that within the pure Nature there is neither being nor nonbeing, neither ordinary beings nor sages; nor is there anyone who understands or anyone who does not understand. ‘Ordinary being’ and ‘sage’ are both merely names. If one follows names and gives rise to discriminating knowledge, one immediately falls into birth and death. If one knows that all things are merely provisional names and are not real, then there is nothing that bears a name.”

He further said: “This is the ultimate, final point: to suppose that I understand while another does not is a grave illness. To perceive ordinary beings and sages, defilement and purity, is also a grave illness. To give rise to the thought that ordinary beings and sages do not exist is, in turn, to deny cause and effect. To perceive a pure Nature in which one can abide is also a grave illness. To give rise to the view that there is no abiding is likewise a grave illness. Thus, within the pure Nature, without destroying expedient application, one activates and exercises compassion. The place where such compassionate activity is carried out is wholly the pure Nature; hence it is said, ‘See the Nature and become a Buddha.’”

The foregoing teaching of Patriarch Yunjü closely accords with the sutra’s statement, “Seeing the Nature comes through leaving behind the characteristic of seeing”; therefore it has been quoted in full.

Sutra: “If seeing were an object, then you should also be able to see my seeing. If you say that when we both see an object, you are seeing my seeing, then when I do not see, why can you not see where I do not see? If you say that you can see my not seeing, then my not seeing has no characteristic for you to see. But if you cannot see where I do not see, then seeing is naturally not an object; how could it not be you?”

Commentary: The Buddha was indeed bringing forth Ananda’s own idea: the world is like a lantern mounted upon a post; everything has a name and a characteristic. Thus Ananda asked, “What object is this luminous original essence of seeing? Please enable me to know it.” The Buddha then prompted him, saying, “When I see the incense stand, what do you do?”

Ananda said, “I also see the incense stand; thus I see what the Buddha sees.”

The Buddha said, “When I see the incense stand, that is easy for you to know. But when I do not see the incense stand, what then?”

Ananda replied, “I also do not see the incense stand; thus I see the Buddha’s not seeing.”

The Buddha said, “You say that when you do not see, you know it yourself. But how could you know the not seeing of another person?”

When the ancients arrived at That, they could only know it for themselves; they could not speak of it to another! Just as the World-Honored One said, “When I do not see, it is like an antelope hanging its horns from a tree: sound, traces, and all tidings are utterly cut off. Where will you seek it?”

Master Xuedou composed this verse:

“The entire elephant, the original ox—all are blind to it;

From time immemorial they have created karma, all cast in the same mold.

If now you wish to meet the Old Yellow-Head [the Buddha],

The Buddha-land’s motes of dust are right along the road.”

Master Xuedou presented the eye of the Teaching, and his verse speaks only of seeing the Buddha. Master Tiantong deeply realized the meaning of the sutra, and his verse points directly to True Seeing.

The verse says:

“When the ocean’s last drop has dried and empty space is filled to overflowing,

The monk’s nostrils are long, the Ancient Buddha’s tongue cut short.

As the melody passes through nine modulations, the jadeen substance changes once;

Meeting face-to-face right there—who recognizes him?

Only then does one believe that this person has no companion.”

This case is the occasion for a two-tiered koan; though developed to the utmost, it still expresses only half!

Sutra: “Furthermore, if seeing were an object, then while you were seeing an object, once you had seen that object, the object should also see you. Thus substance and nature would become intermingled, and neither you nor I nor the whole world could be established.

“Ananda, when you see, it is precisely you and certainly not I. Since that all-pervading Nature of Seeing is none other than you, who else could it be? Why do you still doubt your own True Nature? Is your nature inherently untrue, so that you cling to me and seek the truth from me?”

Commentary: The Combined Treatise says, “The meaning of this passage of the sutra arises from the single question, ‘How can I know that this is my True Nature?’ Therefore, the Blessed One revealed the characteristic of non-seeing so that he might clearly understand the True Nature and cease seeking it within discrimination.”

Master Ashvaghosha said, “All Tathagatas are the Dharma-body, because there is no seeing of this and that, difference or sameness.” Therefore, the sutra says, “If you see what is not seen, naturally it is not the other person’s characteristic of non-seeing.” Saying “it is not the other person’s” means that it is merely Ananda’s characteristic of non-seeing, not the Blessed One’s non-seeing. Thus, Ananda cannot see what the Blessed One does not see; only the Blessed One can see it.

Therefore, the sutra says, “If you cannot see what I do not see, then your seeing is not an object.” “Not an object” does not refer to the Blessed One’s seeing, but only to Ananda’s characteristic of non-seeing. If the Blessed One also saw Ananda’s seeing and Ananda also saw the Blessed One’s seeing, then the pure Nature of Seeing would become an object with form and appearance. Therefore, it is said, “Substance and nature would become confused, and nothing could be established.” The place of non-seeing is the fundamental ground and can never be seen.

It is like planting a tree and then digging up its roots every day to inspect them—how could the tree survive?

The Great Master Fu composed this verse:

“There is something preceding heaven and earth,

Originally quiescent and without form.

It can be sovereign over the myriad appearances,

And does not decline with the four seasons.”

This verse clearly points out the True Nature, which is not something seeing can reach. This is indeed the first moon; it is not merely the luminous source of the essence of seeing alone that cannot be seen.

The meaning of this passage of the sutra is extremely subtle and wondrous. There is nowhere that it does not reveal the wondrous luminous essence, which truly is your Nature of Seeing. Why does it say, “This seeing is you and not an object”?

Seeing is said not to be an object because, if seeing were an object, you could see my seeing. Yet you certainly cannot see my seeing. If you say that when you and I see together, you are seeing my seeing, then while I see, you may see that seeing.

But when I do not see, you should still be able to see it; why could you not? If you say that when I see, you see that seeing, and when I do not see, you see the non-seeing, and you take this to mean that you see what I do not see, then you yourself do not see it—how can you claim to see my characteristic of non-seeing? If you wish to take my characteristic of non-seeing as what you see, clearly that is a characteristic of seeing, not a characteristic of non-seeing.

You certainly cannot see that place of non-seeing. Since the place of non-seeing cannot be seen, neither can seeing be seen when we see together. Since neither seeing nor non-seeing can be pointed out, my seeing is clearly not an object.

Since my seeing is not an object, your seeing clearly cannot be an object either. Since your seeing is not an object, it does not belong to objects; why, then, is it not you? Thus, what cannot be seen is used to demonstrate clearly that seeing is not an object. If it could be seen, then seeing itself would be an object; how could it be sovereign over the myriad appearances and establish the world? Therefore, the Formless is what manifests forms, and that which is Not an Object is what can know objects.

Since my seeing and your seeing are not objects, they have no boundaries adjoining one another; they pervade the Dharma-realm, without deficiency or excess anywhere. Sentient and insentient beings are both established through it; this is called the True Nature. If that nature were not truly you, then seeing should not belong to you either. Yet clearly the seeing is yours and not mine. Why, then, do you doubt its truth and cling to me to seek the Real? Even if I could give it to you, it would not be your own Reality.

A monk asked Chan Master Shanglan Chao, “What is Shanglan’s fundamental matter?”

Patriarch Lan said, “It is not borrowed from the thousand sages. How could it be sought among the myriad things?”

The monk asked, “If it is neither borrowed nor sought, then what is it like?”

Patriarch Lan said, “It cannot be grasped. Can you, Acharya, bring it forth from within your hand?”

Patriarch Danxia composed this verse:

“One expanse of numinous luminosity is originally wondrous and perfect;

Within it there is neither upright nor inclined.

The jewel peak and auspicious grasses have neither root nor base;

Without awaiting the Lord of Spring, their colors are naturally fresh.”

(Nhất phiến Linh Minh bổn diệu viên

Cá trung phi chánh diệc phi thiên

Bửu phong thoại thảo vô căn đế

Bất đải Xuân Công sắc tự tiền).

Awakening to this, one knows that the True Nature is originally no object. Being no object, it is not intermingled. Because it is not intermingled, things and self share the same source, whole and naturally complete. Whatever is sought and obtained from another is not it.

Sutra: Ananda said to the Buddha, “Blessed One, if that Nature of Seeing is truly me and no one else, then when I accompany the Tathagata to view the jeweled palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings and to look upon the sun and moon, this seeing pervades the entire Saha world. When I return to the pure abode, I see only the grounds of the monastery; and when I purify my mind in a side chamber, I see only that single chamber. Blessed One, the substance of this seeing originally pervades an entire world. Yet now, inside this chamber, it sees only this one chamber. Has seeing contracted from great to small, or have the walls of the chamber divided and severed it? I do not now understand the meaning of this. I beseech the Blessed One compassionately to explain it clearly to me.”

The Buddha said to Ananda: “Everything in the world—within and without, great and small—belongs to the objective phenomena before you; you should not say that Seeing contracts or expands. It is like seeing space as square within a square vessel. I ask you further: Is the square space within that square vessel definitively square or not definitively square? If it were definitively square, then when a round vessel replaced it, the space should not become round! If it were not definitive, then within the square vessel there should be no square space! You say that you do not know whence this meaning arises; the meaning is simply so—whence else could it arise?

“Ananda, if you wish to enter into that which is neither square nor round, you need only remove the squareness of the vessel, for the substance of space is originally not square. You should not say that the square appearance of space must also be removed!

“Again, as you asked: When you enter a room, does Seeing draw itself in and become smaller? Then, when you raise your eyes to look at the sun, do you pull Seeing outward until it reaches the sun? If walls built around a house divide Seeing and sever it, then when a small hole is bored through the wall, why do you not see the place where Seeing has been joined back together? That reasoning is incorrect!

“From beginningless time, all sentient beings have mistaken themselves for things, losing their Original Mind and being turned about by objects. Therefore, within these circumstances, they see what is great and what is small. If they can turn objects around, they are the same as the Tathagata, their body and mind perfect and luminous. This is the Immovable Bodhimanda: upon the tip of a single hair, the lands of the ten directions are completely contained.”

Commentary: Ananda said, “The all-pervading Nature of Seeing is truly myself and no one else. Thus, what I see should be the same as the Buddha Eye. Why, then, when I look at the sun and moon does Seeing pervade the Saha world, yet now, inside this house, it merely fills one room?

This means that Seeing contracts and expands, varying in greatness and smallness; why say that it does not differ?” He did not understand that greatness and smallness arise from the objective phenomena before him and have nothing to do with the Nature of Seeing. It is like squareness and roundness, which come from the vessel and have nothing to do with space. When space is viewed within a vessel, it seems to possess square or round characteristics.

Simply remove the vessel, and no squareness or roundness can be pointed out in space. When Seeing is examined in relation to objective phenomena, it seems to possess the characteristics of contraction and expansion. Simply depart from the objective phenomena, and originally no contraction or expansion can be found in the Nature of Seeing.

Seeing that turns in accordance with objective phenomena is like examining space not within the great void itself, but by looking at it inside a vessel.

Therefore, to see greatness and smallness amid these circumstances is to mistake oneself for things. But if one can turn objects around, then all form is the Buddha’s Form, and every act of seeing is the Buddha’s Seeing. Once body and mind become open, empty, and radiant, objects no longer obstruct them; hence it is said that body and mind are perfect and luminous. Within that perfection, one is all: upon the tip of a single hair, the lands of the ten directions are completely contained. Is this not the same as the Buddha Eye?

A monk asked Master Huangbo: “It has been said that the Nature is Seeing and Seeing is the Nature. If the Nature is originally unobstructed and without limits, why can one not see through an intervening object? Again, in empty space, why can one see what is near but not what is far away?”

Patriarch Huangbo said: “You have falsely produced a deviant view. When an object intervenes, you say there is no seeing; when no object obstructs you, you say there is seeing. You then conclude that the Nature is subject to obstruction.

You truly understand nothing at all. The Nature is neither seeing nor not-seeing. The Dharma also is neither seeing nor not-seeing.

For one who sees the Nature, what place is not one’s own Original Nature? Therefore, the six destinies, the four kinds of birth, mountains, rivers, and the great earth are all my pure and luminous Nature. Thus it is said: to see form is precisely to see Mind.

Form and Mind are not two. It is only because one grasps appearances that seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing arise. Only after removing the object before you do you consider that there is Seeing; this is to fall into the interpretation of the practitioners of the Two Vehicles, who rely upon seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing.

To say that in empty space one can see what is near but cannot see what is far belongs to non-Buddhist teachings. It is perfectly clear that the Way is neither within nor without, neither near nor far. Being too near to be seen—this is the Nature of the myriad phenomena.

If even what is exceedingly near cannot be seen, how could saying, ‘Because it is far away, it cannot be seen,’ have any meaning?”

Patriarch Jingqing asked a monk: “What is that sound outside the gate?”

The monk replied: “The sound of raindrops.”

Master Qing said: “Sentient beings are inverted; they mistake themselves and pursue objects.”

The monk asked: “What about you, Venerable Master?”

Master Qing said: “I come close to not mistaking myself.”

The monk asked: “What is the essential meaning of coming close to not mistaking yourself?”

Master Qing said: “Emerging from the body is still relatively easy; expressing it with the whole substance—how difficult!”

Master Xuedou versified:

“The hall is still; the sound of raindrops.

The monk finds it difficult to reply.

If you say he had entered the stream,

Why, as before, did he not understand?

Understand, not understand?

South Mountain and North Mountain turn beneath the downpour.”

This may well be called never concealing anything throughout the Dharma-realm.

A monk asked Patriarch Guyin Tong: “If one can turn objects around, one is the same as the Tathagata. The myriad appearances are objects; how can they be turned around?”

Master Tong replied: “After eating, be utterly without conscious intent. If there is conscious intent, you are being turned about by objects.”

Another monk asked National Teacher Shao: “What does it mean that turning objects around is to be the same as the Tathagata?”

Master Shao replied: “What do you call an object?”

The monk said: “If so, then is this being the same as the Tathagata?”

Master Shao said: “Do not howl like a jackal! The moment you conceptualize and compare what it means to be the same as the Tathagata, you are already thousands and tens of thousands of miles away!”

A monk asked Patriarch Zhaozhou: “How should one apply the mind throughout the twelve periods of the day?”

Master Zhou said: “You are ordered about by the twelve periods; this old monk orders the twelve periods about.”

That is the true turning of objects.

Master Baiyun Duan versified:

“If one can turn objects around, one is the Tathagata;

Spring is warm, and mountain flowers everywhere bloom.

There still remains a pair of withered hands

That have never lightly danced the Three Terraces.”

(Nhược năng chuyển vật tức Như Lai

Xuân noãn sơn hoa xứ xứ khai

Tự hữu nhất song cùng tưởng thủ

Bất tằng dung dị vũ tam đài).

Master Zhenru Zhe versified:

“If one can turn objects around, one is the Tathagata;

Every gate stands open, and Sudhana appears.

In lanes of willow and flower, they display their dancing play;

Drunk along the nine thoroughfares, they sleep upon terraces.”

(Nghược năng chuyển vật tức Như Lai

Xứ xứ môn khai kiến Thiện Tài

Hoa liễu hạng trung trình vũ hý

Cửu cù thừa túy ngọa lâu đài).

Upon the tip of a single hair, the lands of the ten directions are completely contained. Through the Buddha Eye, the world is certainly revealed as entirely true; but can sentient beings be like this?

Li Bo, the Prefect of Jiangzhou, asked Patriarch Guizong: “The scriptures say, ‘Mount Sumeru contains a mustard seed,’ and I do not doubt this. But when they say, ‘A mustard seed contains Mount Sumeru,’ is that not a falsehood?”

Master Zong said: “People say that the Prefect has read ten thousand volumes. Is that true?”

He replied: “It is.”

Master Zong said: “From head to foot, your body is only about the size of a coconut. Where, then, are the ten thousand volumes kept?”

Li Bo merely bowed his head.

From this we may infer: how could the capacity of sentient beings’ minds differ from that of the Tathagata?

Section 3: The Buddha Reveals the Nature of Seeing Beyond the Meanings of “Is” and “Is Not”

I. DOUBTING THAT THE NATURE OF SEEING APPEARS BEFORE THE EYES

Sutra: Ananda said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, if this seeing—the essence of seeing—is truly my wondrous nature, then that true nature is now appearing before my eyes. If this seeing is truly me, then what are my present body and mind? Yet this body and mind can indeed discriminate, whereas that seeing makes no separate discrimination concerning my body. If it is truly my mind, causing me now to see, then the nature of seeing is truly me, while this body is not me. How would that differ from the Tathagata’s earlier challenge that ‘an object could see me’? I beseech the Buddha, out of great compassion, to reveal this to those who have not yet awakened.”

Commentary: The preceding passage spoke of “taking objects to be oneself”; this passage speaks of “being deluded about oneself and taking oneself to be an object.” Previously, “amid the false, the true was distinguished”: one’s own self was called an object. Here, “the true is merged with the false,” so among the myriad things, there is nothing that is not oneself. When “amid the false, the true is distinguished,” and self and objects are said to be different, one can still discern the distinction.

But when one reaches the point of “merging the true with the false” and says that self and objects are alike, it is truly difficult to understand. Therefore Ananda said, “If one can turn objects around, one is the same as the Tathagata.” Thus, this seeing pervades the Dharma-realm, and the mountains and rivers that are seen are all my wondrous nature, are they not? Now this wondrous nature is displayed before me.

If the seeing before me is already my true nature, then what is this additional body and mind? If one says that the body and mind are not the nature, the body and mind still presently know and discern with perfect clarity. If one says that everything displayed before me is the nature, then that seeing cannot distinguish my body.

If one says that this seeing is formless, wholly of one substance with objects, and is indeed my original mind, responding whenever there is a stimulus and enabling me now to see, then the nature of seeing is truly me and fills everything before me; yet why should there still be this solitary, inert, and uncomprehending body that is not me? How would this differ from the Tathagata’s earlier challenge: “You see objects, so objects should also see you”? This seeing would then also be outside—how could it be called my true nature?

According to Ananda’s understanding, it seems that he had secretly glimpsed quiescent cessation manifest before him. Yet because his view of self had not been eliminated and the light had not penetrated freely, there still vaguely appeared to be objects before him. Thus, he could not yet merge “self and objects” or completely dissolve “right and wrong.”

Patriarch Shitou, while reading the Zhao Lun, came to the passage: “To unite the myriad things as oneself belongs only to a sage. Because there is no self, there is nowhere that is not oneself! The Dharma-body has no form or image; where could there be self and other? The round mirror shines wondrously amid empty space, and the myriad things marvelously appear of themselves. Even the mirror of wisdom is not a single thing; how could one speak of coming and going?”

How sublime these words are!

Later, a monk asked Patriarch Changsha, “How can mountains, rivers, and the lands be turned back into oneself?”

Patriarch Sha said, “How can oneself be turned into mountains, rivers, and the lands?”

The monk said, “Reverend Sir, I do not understand.”

Patriarch Sha said:

“Below the city walls of Hunan, the people delight in being sustained.

Rice is cheap, firewood abundant—enough for all four quarters.”

The monk had nothing to say. The Master then instructed him with a verse:

“Who says the rivers and mountains turn?

Toward whom do rivers and mountains turn?

Perfect penetration has no two sides;

The Dharma-nature originally has nowhere to return.”

(Thùy vấn sơn hà chuyển

Sơn hà chuyển hướng thùy

Viên thông vô lưỡng bạn

Pháp Tánh bổn vô quy).

If, upon reading the words of these two venerable masters, one can raise the very doubt that Ananda raised, the ice will shatter and melt away.

II. REVEALING THAT NOTHING IS THE SEEING ITSELF

Sutra: The Buddha told Ananda, “You now say that ‘the seeing is before your eyes,’ but this assertion is incorrect. If it were truly before your eyes and you truly saw it, then that seeing—the essence of seeing—would have a location and could not be impossible to point out. Now you and I are seated in the Jeta Grove, looking throughout the grove, at the streams, halls, and walkways; above, as far as the sun and moon; and before us, facing the Ganges River.

Now, from before my lion’s seat, raise your hand and point out the various forms and appearances: where there is cool stillness is the grove; what is bright is the sun; what obstructs is a wall; what is open and unobstructed is empty space; and so on, down to grasses, trees, and the finest particles, differing in size. Whatever possesses form can be directly pointed out. Thus, if the seeing truly appears before your eyes, use your hand to point out precisely what the seeing is.

Ananda, you should know: if empty space were the seeing, then empty space would have become seeing—what, then, would be empty space? If an object were the seeing, then the object would have become seeing—what, then, would be the object? Analyze the myriad appearances in minute detail, separate out the pure, luminous seeing, and point it out to me as clearly and unmistakably as you point out those objects.”

Ananda said to the Buddha, “Now, from within this lecture hall, I gaze into the distance as far as the Ganges River and upward as far as the sun and moon. When I raise my hand and point, and direct my eyes to look, everything that can be pointed out is an object; nothing is the seeing. World-Honored One, as the Buddha has taught, not only can beginners with outflows and shravakas such as ourselves not point out the seeing among the phenomena of the myriad things, but even the bodhisattvas cannot point out the seeing among them and establish a separate self-nature apart from all objects.”

The Buddha said, “So it is, so it is!”

III. REVEALING THAT NOTHING LIES OUTSIDE THE NATURE OF SEEING

The Buddha again told Ananda, “As you have said, there is no seeing that has a separate self-nature apart from all objects; thus, among all the objects that can be pointed out, none is the seeing. Now I ask you again: as you and the Tathagata sit in the Jeta Grove and look once more at the garden and grove, extending as far as the sun and moon, with their many differing forms and appearances, there is surely no seeing that you can point out. Then investigate among these objects: what is not the seeing?”

Ananda replied, “Indeed, as I look throughout this Jeta Grove, I do not know what within it is not the seeing. Why is this? If a tree were not the seeing, how could the tree be seen? Yet if the tree were the seeing, how could it still be a tree? Likewise, if empty space were not the seeing, how could empty space be seen? Yet if empty space were itself the seeing, how could it still be empty space? As I reflect further and investigate the myriad things in minute detail, there is truly nothing that is not the seeing.”

The Buddha said, “So it is, so it is!”

Commentary: Ananda already knew that “everything that can be pointed out is an object; nothing is the seeing.” Thus, from our body and mind to the mountains and rivers outside, no separate nature of seeing can be pointed out. Why, then, did he say, “Now this wondrous nature appears before me”? Furthermore, he already knew that “among the myriad appearances, there is nothing that is not the seeing.” Thus, from our body and mind to the mountains and rivers outside, there is nothing that is not the nature of seeing. Why, then, did he still ask, “The nature of seeing is truly me, while the body is not me”?

The World-Honored One therefore caused him to elucidate this for himself, so that his previous doubt would immediately dissolve.

Long ago, Head-Seat Zizhao asked Master Fayan, “Reverend Master, when you opened the Dharma hall, whose Dharma succession did you carry on?”

Patriarch Fayan replied, “Master Dizang’s.”

Master Zhao said, “You have greatly failed your former master, Changqing!”

Patriarch Fayan said, “I do not understand one of Master Changqing’s turning words.”

Master Zhao said, “Why do you not ask?”

Patriarch Fayan asked: “What is the meaning of ‘Amid the myriad phenomena, the solitary body stands revealed’ [Vạn tượng chi trung độc lộ thân]?”

Master Zhao immediately held his fly-whisk upright.

Patriarch Fayan said: “That is what you learned from Master Changqing; but what is Head Seat Zhao’s own understanding?”

Master Zhao was unable to speak.

Patriarch Fayan said: “As for ‘Amid the myriad phenomena, the solitary body stands revealed,’ does this reject the myriad phenomena or not reject the myriad phenomena?”

Master Zhao replied: “It does not reject them.”

Patriarch Fayan said: “Two things!”

He asked those around him, and they all said: “It rejects the myriad phenomena.”

Patriarch Fayan said: “‘Amid the myriad phenomena, the solitary body stands revealed’—a talisman for expelling ghosts!”

Later, Elder Zifang also arrived from Changqing.

Patriarch Fayan again brought up this saying. Master Zifang also held up his fly-whisk.

Patriarch Fayan said: “If it is like this, then there is still something to dispute!”

Master Fang said: “What is the Venerable Master’s honored meaning?”

Patriarch Fayan replied: “What do you call the myriad phenomena?”

Master Fang said: “The ancients did not reject the myriad phenomena!”

Patriarch Fayan said: “‘Amid the myriad phenomena, the solitary body stands revealed.’ Why speak of rejecting or not rejecting?”

Master Zifang suddenly awakened to Patriarch Fayan’s earlier words.

This kind of pivotal encounter was originally attained at Master Dizang’s place; how could it not be said to express Master Dizang’s Dharma!

At first, Patriarch Fayan, together with Masters Shaoxiu and Fajin, went to Master Dizang. As they sat warming themselves, they discussed the Zhao Lun. When they came to the sentence, “Heaven and earth share the same root with me,” Master Dizang asked: “Are the mountains, rivers, and great earth the same as the Elder’s own self, or are they different?”

Master Fayan replied: “Different.”

Patriarch Dizang raised two fingers.

Master Fayan said: “The same.”

Patriarch Dizang again raised two fingers, then stood up and departed.

When the snow ceased, the three took their leave to return home.

Patriarch Dizang accompanied them to the gate and then said: “Ordinarily, Elder, you often say, ‘The three realms are mind-only; the myriad dharmas are consciousness-only.’” He then pointed to a stone slab in the courtyard and asked: “Try to tell me: Is that stone slab inside the mind or outside the mind?”

Master Fayan said: “Inside the mind.”

Patriarch Dizang said: “For what reason does a traveling practitioner carry a stone slab around in his mind?”

Master Fayan was driven into an impasse and could not answer. He therefore cast down his robe upon the mat and stayed to seek a decisive clarification. For more than a month, he presented his understanding day after day, explaining the principle of the Way.

Patriarch Dizang said: “The Buddha-Dharma is not like this.”

Master Fayan said: “I have exhausted words and gone beyond all principles.”

Patriarch Dizang said: “When discussing the Buddha-Dharma, everything is already fully manifest.”

At these words, Master Fayan attained great awakening. Only then did he realize that what he had learned from Master Changqing had not yet reached the ultimate point.

Master Tiantong versified:

“Leaving thought: seeing the Buddha;

Sweeping away dust: the sutra appears.

The family Dharma is already manifest—

Who would establish a separate school?

The moon glides with the boat; the clear river lies still.

Spring follows the tips of grass in traces of fresh green.

Rejecting, not rejecting—listen carefully!

Though the three paths are overgrown, one may return at once;

The pines and chrysanthemums of old are fragrant still.”

(Ly niệm kiến Phật

Phá trần xuất kinh

Hiện thành gia pháp

Thùy lập môn đình

Nguyệt trục chu hành giang luyện tịnh

Xuân thùy thảo thượng thiên ngấn thanh

Bác, bất bác thinh đinh ninh

Tam kính tựu hoang quy tiện đắc

Cựu thời tùng cúc thượng phương hình).

Take this koan together with the passage of scripture above and turn them over again and again until their flavor is perfectly clear; then you will no longer know whether Guo Xiang [the commentator on Zhuangzi’s Nanhua Scripture] is explaining Zhuangzi, or Zhuangzi is explaining Guo Xiang.

Sutra: At that time, those in the great assembly who had not yet realized the fruit of the state Beyond Learning heard the Buddha speak thus. Bewildered and unable to understand the beginning and end of this meaning, they all became frightened at once and lost all ground on which to rely.

The Tathagata knew that the minds of the assembly were confused. Moved by compassion, he consoled Ananda and the assembly, saying: “Good sons, the Unsurpassed Dharma King speaks words that are truly real: he speaks in accord with the nature of True Suchness, without deceit or falsehood. His words are not the four kinds of reckless, evasive ‘immortal’ arguments of Makkhali’s group. You should reflect carefully and not disappoint my compassionate concern for you.”

Commentary: What does it mean that they were “bewildered and unable to understand the beginning and end of this meaning”? Earlier, it was said, “Seeing is not an object.” Later, it was said, “Seeing is not not an object.” The former is precisely “the True Nature appearing before one”; the latter is precisely “that which cannot be pointed out.” Therefore, they were bewildered and lost all ground on which to rely.

“Words that are truly real,” and so forth, refers to the five kinds of speech in the Vajra Prajnaparamita:

– The Buddha’s true speech is shared with the Two Vehicles;

– The Buddha’s real speech is shared with the bodhisattvas;

– The Buddha’s speech of Suchness is shared with neither bodhisattvas nor the Two Vehicles;

– The Buddha’s speech is without reality;

– The Buddha’s speech is without falsehood.

Because it is without falsehood, it contains no deceitful words; because it is without reality, there are no differing words. Since their seeing was not yet decisive, it was said, “There is no difference.” This is merely a concise way of saying that there is no false speech.

The Vibhasha Treatise says: “Non-Buddhist practitioners regard heaven as eternally abiding and call it Immortal. They maintain that if they answer without confusion, they will be born in that heavenly realm. If they truly do not know but answer hastily, they fear that they will fall into evasion [deceit and confusion]. Therefore, when questioned, they reply with secret words that need not be stated here. Or else they answer indeterminately. The Buddha rebuked them, saying: ‘This is indeed evasion.’”

On one occasion, a non-Buddhist practitioner asked the World-Honored One: “What Dharma did you teach yesterday?”

The Buddha replied: “I taught the fixed Dharma.”

The non-Buddhist practitioner asked again: “What Dharma do you teach today?”

He replied: “The unfixed Dharma.”

The non-Buddhist practitioner said: “Yesterday you taught the fixed Dharma; why do you teach the unfixed Dharma today?”

The Buddha said: “Yesterday it was fixed; today it is not fixed.”

Tell me: Did these words of the World-Honored One accord with the nature of True Suchness, or were they evasive? Investigate this!

IV. MANJUSHRI REVERENTLY ASKS THE BUDDHA TO CLARIFY THE TWO MEANINGS

Sutra: At that time, Manjushri, Prince of the Dharma, moved by compassion for the fourfold assembly, rose from his seat amid the great assembly, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, joined his palms respectfully, and addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One, this great assembly has not awakened to the two meanings of Is and Is Not that the Tathagata has elucidated concerning seeing and the visible objects of form and emptiness.

World-Honored One, if the forms and appearances of the objective dusts of form and emptiness presently before our eyes are themselves seeing, then they ought to be capable of being pointed out. If they are not seeing, then they ought to be invisible. The assembly now does not understand where this meaning leads, and so they have become frightened.

This is not because their wholesome roots from former lives are deficient. We reverently beseech the Tathagata, out of compassion, to clarify this fully: What fundamentally are these objects and this seeing, that within them there are no meanings of Is or Is Not?”

The Buddha told Manjushri and the entire assembly: “When the Tathagatas of the ten directions and the great bodhisattvas abide in their self-abiding samadhi, seeing, what is seen, and all appearances produced by thought are like flowers seen in empty space, fundamentally without existence. Seeing and all that is seen are, in their entirety, originally the luminous, pure, wondrous essence of bodhi. How, then, could there be either Is or Is Not within it?”

Commentary: Mañjuśrī was the teacher of seven Buddhas of the past and was well versed in expounding Tathagata Chan; therefore, he asked the World-Honored One to elucidate what the various phenomena and Seeing fundamentally are. Earlier, the World-Honored One had taught, “Why do you not understand that the physical body, together with mountains, rivers, space, and the great earth, are all phenomena within this Wondrously Luminous True Mind?” He had already thrown the gate wide open and revealed it plainly—what more remained to be said?

Yet within this, when the myriad phenomena are rejected, there arises the Not; when the myriad phenomena are not rejected, there arises the Is. The two characteristics of Is and Is Not are exceedingly subtle. Only the true Seeing that directly embodies unsurpassed bodhi provides a way of escape.

This luminous, wondrously pure Mind-Nature is precisely the bodhisattva’s self-abiding samādhi. Within this self-samadhi, one is entirely free from sense faculties and sense objects; therefore, both Seeing and what is seen are unobtainable.

Form and emptiness serve as conditions for Seeing, and so forth until perceptual characteristics serve as conditions for the mind; these belong to the six sense objects. Seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing belong to the six consciousnesses. In realizing bodhi, not only is the object empty, but the subject is empty as well.

Therefore, it is said, “Fundamentally, there is nothing whatsoever”: both subject and object are empty. Seeing and what is seen are presently quiescent. This itself is the wondrously luminous and pure essence of bodhi, beyond discussion and admitting no discrimination.

“All-knowledge is pure, without duality and without division into two, because it is neither separate nor cut off” [Great Prajnaparamita Sutra]—this is what is meant. How could discrimination arise therein, so that one might say, “This truly is Seeing; this is not Seeing”? If one forcibly gives rise to Is or Is Not, it is like diseased eyes falsely seeing flowers in space.

What bearing could that possibly have upon the True Nature of bodhi?

When Master Shishuang first visited Patriarch Daowu, he asked, “What is meant by ‘Whatever meets the eye is bodhi’?”

Patriarch Wu immediately called, “Śrāmaṇera!”

The śrāmaṇera answered, “Yes.”

The Patriarch said, “Add some water to the pure-water vase!”

After a long while, he again asked Master Shishuang, “What did you just ask?”

Just as Master Shishuang was about to speak, Patriarch Wu turned and returned to the abbot’s quarters.

Master Shishuang was thereby awakened.

Patriarch Danxia composed this verse:

“Letting go and turning back—how skillfully he works the pivotal device!

Within ordinary sounds, wisdom raises musket and banner.

Asked again, just as he would answer, he returns to the abbot’s quarters;

That phrase, perfectly clear, leaves no room for doubt.”

If you wish to understand the principle of “No Doubt,” you must ask Master Shishuang!

Later, a monk asked Patriarch Shishuang, “Though only inches apart, why can I not see the Master’s face?”

From behind the window, Patriarch Shuang declared, “My Way pervades everywhere and has never been concealed!”

The monk then brought this matter to Patriarch Xuefeng and asked, “What is the meaning of ‘Pervading everywhere and never concealed’?”

Patriarch Feng replied, “Where is there anything that is not Shishuang?”

When Patriarch Shuang heard this, he said, “That old fellow has seized upon something that will quickly bring about his death!”

When Patriarch Feng heard this, he said, “This old monk’s fault lay solely in the superfluous word ‘is,’ which led people into the cave of conceptual interpretation. Fortunately, Shishuang dissected and laid it bare.”

Within the space of a single hair’s breadth, who but one possessing the eye could possibly discern it?

V. THE NATURE OF SEEING IS NEITHER IS NOR IS NOT

Sutra: “Mañjuśrī, I now ask you: As you yourself are Mañjuśrī, is there yet some Mañjuśrī who is Mañjuśrī?”

“World-Honored One, so it is! I truly am Mañjuśrī; there is nothing else that is Mañjuśrī. Why is this? If there were yet something that is Mañjuśrī, there would be two Mañjuśrīs. Yet, as I am now, it is not that I am not Mañjuśrī. Truly, within this there are no two characteristics of Is and Is Not.”

Commentary: The statement “I truly am Mañjuśrī” answers the first meaning, revealing the wondrously luminous and pure Mind-Essence of bodhi.

The statement “There is nothing else that is Mañjuśrī” answers the second meaning, breaking attachment to form and emptiness as being Seeing.

The statement “It is not that I am not Mañjuśrī” answers the third meaning, breaking attachment to form and emptiness as not being Seeing.

If one says, “Form and emptiness are True Seeing,” one is thereby distinguishing the true on the basis of the deluded. Consequently, in relation to the True that is without delusion, two meanings arise. Therefore, it is said: If there were something that is Mañjuśrī, there would be two Mañjuśrīs.

If one says, “Form and emptiness are not True Seeing,” nevertheless the entirety of deluded phenomena is the true. Therefore, it is said, “As I am now, it is not that there is no Mañjuśrī.”

Patriarch Luopu addressed the assembly: “Today there is a matter I wish to ask you about. If you say it Is, you are placing another head atop your head. If you say it Is Not, you are cutting off your head and seeking to live.”

The First Seat said, “The green mountains constantly lift their feet; beneath the sun, no lamp is kindled.”

Patriarch Pu said, “What occasion is this for speaking such words?”

At that time, Senior Monk Yan replied, “Apart from these two paths, Venerable Master, please do not ask!”

Patriarch Pu said, “That has not yet hit the mark. Speak again!”

Master Yan replied, “If I, Yan, were to follow along, the speaking would be inexhaustible!”

Patriarch Pu said, “I do not care whether you are exhaustive or inexhaustible!”

He replied, “Whether Yan follows or does not follow rests solely with the Venerable Master.”

Patriarch Pu then ceased.

Master Xushan composed this verse:

“It is a pillar, yet the pillar is not seen;

It is not a pillar, yet the pillar is not seen.

Once Is and Is Not have both been cast away,

Within Is and Is Not, please make use of it.”

(Shi zhu bu jian zhu

Fei zhu bu jian zhu

Shi Fei yu qu liao

Shi Fei li jin shou.)

If one penetrates and escapes through the two cases above, Is and Is Not can both dissolve completely!

Long ago, Master Fenggan intended to make a pilgrimage to Mount Wutai. He asked Masters Hanshan and Shide, “If you accompany me to visit Wutai, you are of the same stream as I; if you do not accompany me to visit Wutai, you are not of the same stream as I!”

Master Hanshan asked, “Why are you going to Wutai?”

Master Fenggan replied, “To pay homage to Mañjuśrī.”

Master Hanshan said, “You are not of the same stream as I.”

Master Fenggan went alone to Wutai. There he encountered an old man and asked, “Are you not Mañjuśrī?”

The old man replied, “Could there be two Mañjuśrīs?”

The Master bowed in homage, but before he could rise, the old man suddenly vanished from sight.

Speaking on his behalf, Patriarch Zhaozhou said, “Mañjuśrī, Mañjuśrī, and yet another Mañjuśrī! Three times during the summer retreat, Venerable Kāśyapa sought to strike the gavel and expel him. Just as he raised the mallet, he saw hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, and millions of Mañjuśrīs. Venerable Kāśyapa exhausted all his spiritual powers, yet could not bring down the mallet. The World-Honored One then asked Venerable Kāśyapa, ‘Which Mañjuśrī do you intend to expel?’ Venerable Kāśyapa could not answer.”

Patriarch Tiantong raised the case, saying, “That golden-hued ascetic [Kāśyapa] had resolve but no courage. He should simply have carried out the command to the utmost! Never mind the hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, and millions of Mañjuśrīs—even that yellow-faced old Gautama should have been expelled! Had he been able to act in this way, he would not only have raised aloft the True Wind, but would also have enabled later generations to know that the disciples of us monks cannot say that he was unable to obstruct the Buddhas and Patriarchs!”

Splendid! Splendid! One should indeed see it in this way. Then even the wondrously luminous and pure Mind-Essence of bodhi has nowhere to cling—how could the two characteristics of Is and Is Not possibly exist?

Sutra: The Buddha said, “The wondrously luminous Nature of Seeing, together with the various phenomena of emptiness and sense objects, is likewise so. Fundamentally, it is the perfectly luminous, wondrously pure True Mind of unsurpassed bodhi, yet it is mistakenly taken to be form and emptiness, and even the various kinds of seeing and hearing. It is like a second moon. Of those two moons, which is the true moon and which is not the moon? Mañjuśrī! There is only one true moon; within it there is inherently neither that which Is the moon nor that which Is Not the moon!”

Commentary: The statement, “It is originally the True Mind of unsurpassed bodhi, perfectly luminous, wondrous, and pure, yet one mistakenly takes it to be form, emptiness, and the various kinds of seeing and hearing,” and the statement in the preceding passage, “Delusion becomes emptiness; within that deluded emptiness, darkness congeals into form. Form mingles with false thinking, and thought takes this appearance as the body.

Conditions gather and stir within, while one races after external objects; then one takes this dim and restless appearance to be the mind-nature,” describe the same arising: both result from taking false thinking as the object of veneration. False thinking is the root of the illness, like seeing things after rubbing one’s eyes. Originally there is the one True Mind, wondrous and luminous; but when one looks through the discriminating vision of false thinking, there arise the seeing of form and emptiness and the hearing and seeing of things.

Could this false seeing and what is falsely seen possess an intrinsic nature apart from the True Mind? Once they are called form, emptiness, hearing, and seeing, they are already far removed from the True Mind. It is like the one true moon: when one uses the discriminating vision produced by rubbing one’s eyes, one speaks of a second moon.

Could this second moon possess an intrinsic nature apart from the true moon? Once it is called a second moon, it is already far removed from the true moon. Therefore, if one falsely speculates and gropes amid form, emptiness, hearing, and seeing, it will not do to declare that form, emptiness, hearing, and seeing are the True Mind, nor will it do to declare that they are not the True Mind.

Seeking the true by means of the false, the true turns along with the false! Likewise, if one falsely calculates and gropes about the second moon, it will not do to declare it to be the moon, nor will it do to declare it not to be the moon. Seeking the moon through eye-rubbing, the moon shifts along with the rubbing of the eyes!

This Mind is originally true, but it changes through following false thinking. The moon is originally real, but it shifts because the eyes are rubbed. Simply put an end to false thinking, and only the one perfectly luminous, wondrous Mind-Essence remains; when neither form nor emptiness nor seeing and hearing are perceived, how could “is” and “is not” be established? Simply cease rubbing the eyes, and there is solely the one moon, just as it has always been. Where could there be a second moon that is either “is not” or “is”?

This is precisely what the preceding passage means by, “I am truly Manjusri... Within it, there genuinely are no two characteristics of ‘is’ and ‘is not’”; hence this passage says, “It is likewise so.”

Once, Master Yunyan was sweeping the courtyard.

Patriarch Daowu said, “That is far too trivial a matter.”

Yunyan said, “You should know that there is that which is not trivial.”

Patriarch Daowu said, “If so, then there is a second moon.”

Master Yunyan raised the broom and said, “Which moon is this?”

Patriarch Daowu then stopped and went away.

Patriarch Xuansha commented separately, “It is indeed the second moon!”

Patriarch Changqing said, “Someone has turned the broom around and covered your face with it—what more mischief can you make?”

Patriarch Sha then stopped.

Patriarch Yunmen said, “When I see a servant, I am attentive.”

Master Tiantong composed a verse:

“Relying on each other thus reveals the gateway;

Attaining its function, one responds aptly and at ease.

Before the elephant-bone cliff, the snake’s hand dances;

Knowing what he did when young, in old age he feels ashamed.”

Patriarch Xuefeng once instructed the assembly, “On South Mountain there is a biebi snake [a soft-shelled turtle with a snake’s nostrils]; all of you must examine it carefully.”

Patriarch Yunmen took his staff, threw it down before him, and made a show of fright.

Is this not precisely, “When I see a servant, I am attentive”? How is it any different from Patriarch Yunyan raising the broom? Hence it is said, “In old age he feels ashamed.”

One day, Chan Master Xiyuan Zang personally heated water for his bath. A monk asked, “Why not have a novice do it?”

Patriarch Yuan clapped his hands three times.

The monk related this to Patriarch Caoshan. Patriarch Shan said, “That hand-clapping contains within it the extraordinary affair of Xiyuan. Juzhi’s One-Finger Chan was likewise something he could not bear to accept merely on the basis of taking it up.”

The monk further asked, “Was Xiyuan’s hand-clapping not an affair on the side of the son and servant [male and female slaves]?”

Patriarch Shan said, “Yes.”

The monk asked, “Is there also an affair beyond and above [pointing from the branch to the root]?”

Patriarch Shan said, “There is.”

The monk asked, “What is the affair beyond and above?”

Patriarch Shan said, “That thing—the son and servant.”

Observe how these venerable masters raised and presented the matter. They feared only that people would take “the servant to be the master” and fall into the interpretation of the second moon.

Sutra: “Therefore, when you now discern that the various kinds of seeing and the objects of perception are all false thinking, you cannot indicate within them what ‘is’ or ‘is not.’ Yet because all of them are the wondrous, luminous, discerning True Mind, you can be enabled to transcend all meanings of what can and cannot be indicated.”

Commentary: If one has not yet seen the Nature, the Nature remains within seeing and is likewise called the essence of seeing. Replete with every kind of false and discriminating thought, how could one transcend “is” and “is not”? If one sees the Nature, the Nature is released beyond seeing and is therefore no longer called seeing, hearing, awareness, or knowing. All discrimination is empty, and thus one transcends what can and cannot be indicated.

The statement, “You cannot indicate within them the meanings of ‘is’ and ‘is not,’” is like the second moon: which one is the moon, and which one is not the moon?

The statement, “Therefore, you can be enabled to transcend what can and cannot be indicated,” is like the one true moon, within which there is naturally neither real nor false.

An object is that which can be indicated, as the preceding passage says, “Whatever can be indicated is an object.” Seeing cannot be indicated anywhere, as the preceding passage says, “But it is not seeing.” Although Ananda could discern the two meanings, “The objects before one are not seeing,” and, “The objects before one are seeing,” he remained bound by “is” and “is not” and could not break free. This was also because he did not know where the meaning of this teaching returns—namely, seeing the Nature.

If one sees the perfectly luminous and wondrous True Nature, which is originally and eternally awakened, then seeing and what is seen fundamentally have no existence; where could there be anything to “indicate”? This seeing and what is seen are fundamentally the luminous, pure, and wondrous bodhi Mind-Essence; where, then, could anything be incapable of being indicated? Within that Essence of bodhi, there is nothing called “is” or “is not.” This alone is the path of liberation. The word “transcend” in the original text is deeply meaningful. One can transcend only through this point; hence the sutra says, “Therefore,” indicating that one must enter the seeing of the Nature before one can transcend.

A monk asked Patriarch Shaoshan, “Where right and wrong do not reach, is there still a phrase for discussion?”

The Patriarch replied, “There is.”

The monk asked, “What is that phrase?”

Patriarch Shan said, “A wisp of white cloud does not reveal an ugly appearance.”

Patriarch Tiantong raised this, saying, “Shielding the entire body, it does not offend dignity. Abandoning one’s position and withdrawing, one lends support from the side. One must act with subtle adaptability. Where can Shaoshan’s form be seen? If you would exert yourself fully to seek the father, turn within there!”

Patriarch Dongshan’s verse says:

“The green mountain is father to the white cloud;

The white cloud is child to the green mountain.

The white cloud leans upon it all day long;

The green mountain has never known.”

(Qingshan baiyun fu

Baiyun qingshan er

Baiyun zhongri yi

Qingshan zong buzhi)

Patriarch Shaoshan’s statement, “A wisp of white cloud does not reveal an ugly appearance,” is originally this.

A monk asked the attendant Gufeng Qian, “What is continuity on the outside?”

Master Feng said, “Not relying on the affairs within another person’s house.”

The monk asked, “What is continuity on the inside?”

He replied, “If you would seek the father, turn within there!”

Master Tiantong said: “Exert yourself fully in seeking the father; turn inward toward that place—it is originally right here.”

Master Touzi also chanted:

“White clouds have never reached the mountain peak;

Eyes filled with mist and sunset haze behold a myriad scenes.

One coldly chanted line bears the tune of a thousand ages;

Amid ten thousand layers of blue-green, the new moon rises.”

You should know that the wondrous, luminous Nature is eternally Awakened, transcending both Is and Is Not, like the first moon. One must thoroughly realize the essential principle of the Caodong School to attain this subtle and wondrous place.

Section 4: Refuting the Doctrines of Causes and Conditions and Spontaneity

I. DOUBTING THAT THE MIND-NATURE IS SPONTANEOUS, LIKE A DIVINE SELF

Sutra: Ananda addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One, it is indeed as the Dharma King [the Buddha] has taught: the Awareness Conditioned by Objects [the Mind-Nature] pervades the worlds throughout the ten directions, is still and clear, eternally abiding, and by nature is neither born nor destroyed. How does this differ from the doctrine of the Primal Principle taught by the Brahmin Kapila and his followers [non-Buddhist practitioners], or from the doctrine of a True Self pervading the ten directions taught by the various non-Buddhist ash-headed ascetics [Hinayana arhats.

They either enter the Fire Samadhi—sitting in meditation until death and using the fire of that practice to consume the consciousness destined for rebirth and the karma of samsara—or have their bodies cremated upon a funeral pyre, so that the physical body is consumed and reduced to ashes]?

“The World-Honored One also once expounded this meaning on Mount Lanka for the bodhisattva Mahamati and the others: those non-Buddhists commonly speak of Spontaneity, whereas I speak of Causes and Conditions, which are not within the scope of their understanding. Now, when I contemplate this Nature of Awareness, I see that it is spontaneous, neither born nor destroyed, and far removed from all delusive inversion. It seems to be neither Causes and Conditions nor the Spontaneity taught by them.

“I pray that the Buddha will reveal how we may avoid falling into wrong views and attain the true, wondrous, luminous, awakened Mind-Nature.”

Commentary: What non-Buddhists call the Primal Principle is a substance neither born nor destroyed. They say that there is a Divine Self pervading the ten directions, but they merely take the Eighth Consciousness as their doctrine. They attain only the dim and obscure flavor of pleasure, not the wondrous functioning of the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. Since there is a Divine Self, there remains the very root of birth and death; how could this be the True Causal Ground?

The True Causal Ground spoken of by the Buddha is the Truth of the Ultimate Meaning: taking that which is neither born nor destroyed as the causal ground of cultivation. It is not the conventional principle of causes and conditions.

Ananda had only just come to believe this when doubt suddenly arose, and he said, “It seems to be neither Causes and Conditions nor the Spontaneity taught by non-Buddhists.” Yet he still regarded the Nature of Awareness as spontaneous, saying that because it is free from the two characteristics of Is and Is Not, is still and clear, and eternally abiding, it is therefore called Spontaneous. Previously, he clung to the Seeing of the River [Seeing the River: see Volume I, Part II] as neither born nor destroyed, which already showed that he had not reached the root.

Now the “Nature apart from seeing” is pointed out, and he takes that to be Spontaneous; this is even further from transcendence. Therefore, he beseeched the World-Honored One for instruction so that he might avoid falling into the delusive and inverted wrong views of the doctrines of Spontaneity and Causes and Conditions.

Master Cen of Changsha had a monk ask Venerable Hui: “What was it like before you met Nanquan?”

Master Hui remained silent for a long while.

The monk asked: “What was it like after you met him?”

Master Hui said: “There could be nothing separate!”

The monk returned and reported this to Master Changsha. Master Sha said:

“Atop the hundred-foot pole, one has gained a seat;

Though one has entered, it is still not the Real.

Atop the hundred-foot pole, one must take another step;

Throughout the worlds of the ten directions, the whole body appears.”

(Atop the hundred-foot pole sits the person;

Though entry has been gained, it is not the Real.

Atop the hundred-foot pole, one must advance a step;

Throughout the worlds of the ten directions, the whole body appears.)

The monk asked: “How does one take a step from the top of a hundred-foot pole?”

Master Sha replied: “The mountains of Langzhou, the rivers of Lizhou.”

The monk said: “Yes, but I do not understand.”

Master Sha said: “The four seas and five lakes are governed and watched over by the king.”

Master Tiantong chanted:

“One cockcrow shatters the jade person’s dream [the jade person];

Looking back upon life, all forms are equal.

News comes: spring thunder rouses the insects to emerge;

Peach and plum trees speak no words, yet paths form naturally beneath them.

When the season arrives, strive to plow;

Who minds that the spring fields’ mud rises above the shins?”

It is like people gathering to sit in a clean place, unable to descend into water or mud. To act freely in every direction would then be to oppose birth and death. Therefore, although there is entry, it is not genuine. What non-Buddhists call the Primal Principle is generally something like this.

Master Changsha said: “Throughout the worlds of the ten directions, the whole body appears. Non-Buddhists also say that there is a Divine Self pervading the ten directions. Where do they differ? Investigate this!”

II. SHOWING THAT IT IS NOT SPONTANEITY

Sutra: The Buddha told Ananda: “I have now skillfully revealed the truth and instructed you in this way, yet you still have not awakened and mistakenly take it to be Spontaneity!

“Ananda, if it truly is Spontaneity, you should be able to indicate clearly the essential nature of that Spontaneity. Examine this wondrously luminous seeing: what does it take as its own substance? Does this seeing take brightness as its own substance? Does it take darkness as its own substance? Does it take space as its own substance? Does it take obstruction as its own substance?

“Ananda, if brightness were its own substance, it should not see darkness! If it took space as its own substance, it should not see obstruction. And likewise, if it took the characteristic of darkness as its own substance, then when brightness appeared, the Nature of Seeing should cease to exist; how, then, could it still see brightness?”

Commentary: To speak of Spontaneity is to say that the substance itself remains inherently as it is, eternally abiding and unchanging. Does this wondrously luminous Nature of Seeing take seeing brightness as Spontaneity? Does it take seeing darkness as Spontaneity? Does it take seeing space as Spontaneity? Does it take seeing obstruction as Spontaneity? If it spontaneously saw Brightness, it should not see Darkness! If it spontaneously saw space, it should not see obstruction! If it changed according to conditions, its Substance would not be Spontaneous.

Someone might say that seeing itself is the substance of Spontaneity, while brightness, darkness, space, and obstruction are seen according to conditions; would this not be Spontaneity? Yet suppose there were no brightness, darkness, space, or obstruction—where could seeing function? What is called Spontaneity would then amount only to annihilation.

Here, the point being refuted is merely that Spontaneity cannot be taken as the Nature of Seeing; it is not being said that the Nature of Seeing arises from brightness, darkness, space, or obstruction. If we discuss where it arises from, although the Nature of Seeing does not arise from brightness, darkness, space, or obstruction, it nevertheless flows forth from the Fundamental Awareness that is Wondrously Luminous. But then, what does that Fundamental Awareness that is Wondrously Luminous take as its own substance? Truly, once the mouth is opened, nothing can be said!

When Master Shishuang first stayed with Master Guishan, he worked as a rice-pounder. One day, while he was sifting rice, Master Guishan said: “Do not let the donors’ offerings fall and be wasted.”

He replied: “None has fallen or been wasted.”

Master Guishan picked up a grain of rice from the ground and said: “You say none has fallen or been wasted; then what is this?”

Master Shishuang could not answer.

Master Guishan continued: “Do not belittle this single grain of rice. Hundreds of thousands of grains are all born from this one grain.”

Master Shishuang said: “Hundreds of thousands of grains are born from that one grain, but it is not yet clear from where that one grain is born.”

Master Guishan laughed heartily and returned to the abbot’s quarters.

That evening, Master Guishan ascended the Dharma hall and said: “Great assembly, there is a worm in the grain of rice; look carefully!”

Alas! The intrinsic substance of that which gives rise to this cannot be found! Where, then, can the name Spontaneity be established? Therefore, to call it Spontaneity is incorrect!

III. DOUBTING THAT IT IS CAUSES AND CONDITIONS

Sutra: Ananda said, “Surely the nature of this wondrous seeing is not spontaneous. I now understand that it is said to arise from causes and conditions, yet my mind still does not clearly comprehend. I ask the Tathagata: how can this principle accord with the nature of causes and conditions?”

Commentary: Ananda had often heard the World-Honored One use causes and conditions to refute spontaneity. Since this nature of seeing was not spontaneous, it must therefore belong to causes and conditions. He then became doubtful about the meaning of causes and conditions: they are impermanent, subject to arising and ceasing; when this exists, that does not; their substance is neither permanent nor all-pervading.

How, then, could they be the same as the ever-abiding, still, and clear nature of awakening? Their modes of activity contradict each other, so how could this accord with the nature of causes and conditions? This doubt is extremely subtle.

The Treatise on the Middle Way says: “Nothing arises from conditions. Nothing ceases according to conditions. Arising is merely the arising of dharmas.

Ceasing is merely the ceasing of dharmas.” It is like tracing characters upon water: they have never truly arisen or ceased. How, then, does this accord with the nature of causes and conditions?

Chan Master Bao’en Ming often cited the inscription on Master Xuefeng’s stupa and asked the elder adepts: “Whatever exists through conditions ultimately undergoes formation and destruction. Whatever does not exist through conditions endures throughout the kalpas. Set endurance and destruction both aside! Where is Xuefeng today?”

Master Fayan alone said, “Right now, this is formation, and this is destruction!”

The elder adepts of that time were unable to reply.

How could this matter be fathomed through shallow understanding?

IV. THE NATURE OF SEEING IS NOT CAUSES AND CONDITIONS AND TRANSCENDS ALL NAMES AND CHARACTERISTICS

Sutra: The Buddha said, “You speak of causes and conditions. Let me ask you: you now see because of seeing, and the nature of seeing is presently manifest. Does this seeing exist because of light? Does it exist because of darkness? Does it exist because of emptiness? Does it exist because of obstruction?

“Ananda, if seeing existed because of light, you should not be able to see darkness. If it existed because of darkness, you should not be able to see light. The same reasoning applies to its existing because of emptiness or because of obstruction, just as it does to light and darkness.

“Furthermore, Ananda, does this seeing depend upon light in order to see? Does it depend upon darkness in order to see? Does it depend upon emptiness in order to see, or does it depend upon obstruction in order to see? Ananda, if it depended upon emptiness in order to see, it should not be able to see obstruction. If it depended upon obstruction in order to see, it should not be able to see emptiness. The same reasoning applies to its depending upon light or darkness, just as it does to emptiness and obstruction.

“Therefore, you should know that this wondrously luminous essence of awakening is neither a cause nor a condition; neither is it spontaneous nor non-spontaneous. There is neither ‘not’ nor ‘not not,’ neither ‘is’ nor ‘is not.’ Transcending all characteristics, it is precisely all dharmas. How can you now give rise to thought within it and attempt to discriminate it by means of the worldly names and characteristics of frivolous theorizing? It is like trying to grasp emptiness with your hand: you merely weary yourself further. How could emptiness ever allow itself to be grasped by you?”

Commentary: Depending upon an object is a cause; accompanying an object is a condition. A cause is near, while a condition is remote; therefore, they are divided into two approaches. One may say that the presently manifest nature of seeing is revealed through openness and obstruction, but one cannot say that the nature of seeing exists because of light, darkness, openness, and obstruction. One may say that the nature of seeing functions in relation to light, darkness, openness, and obstruction, but one cannot say that the nature of seeing arises in dependence upon light, darkness, openness, and obstruction.

Therefore, to speak of causes and conditions is erroneous. Why is this so?

The wondrously luminous essence of awakening originally has no shape or characteristics. If one calls it causes and conditions or spontaneity, it already belongs to the characteristics of causes and conditions or the characteristics of spontaneity. Thus, the initial statement, “It is neither a cause nor a condition, nor is it spontaneous,” is intended to eliminate characteristics.

Yet the negation of characteristics still remains within it. Next, the statement, “It is neither without causes and conditions nor without spontaneity,” is intended to eliminate the negation of characteristics. Yet the negation of the negation of characteristics still remains within it.

Finally, it is said, “There is neither ‘not’ nor ‘not not,’ neither ‘is’ nor ‘is not.’” This is the place that both affirmation and negation fail to reach. It permits no discussion and admits no conceptual calculation; it is precisely the true characteristic of the wondrously luminous essence of awakening.

All such characteristics of affirmation and negation are discriminations falsely projected by deluded cognition. The wondrously luminous fundamental essence originally contains no such thing; hence it is said to “transcend all characteristics.” Once falsely projected, deluded discrimination has been left behind, there is the perfectly accomplished true essence, manifesting directly wherever one encounters it. Therefore, it is said to be “precisely all dharmas.”

An ancient worthy said, “Merely leave behind deluded conditions, and there is the Thus-Thus Buddha.” This refers to this very point.

Long ago, Patriarch Shushan went to Patriarch Guishan’s dwelling and asked, “My teacher said, ‘The phrase of existence and the phrase of nonexistence are like a vine clinging to a tree. If the tree suddenly falls and the vine withers, where does the phrase return?’”

Patriarch Guishan laughed loudly, “Ha, ha!”

Shushan said, “I bought cloth to make shoes and traveled four thousand miles to come here. The Venerable should not make sport of me.”

Patriarch Guishan called to his attendant, “Bring the money and return it to this senior monk.”

He then instructed him, “Later, a one-eyed dragon will clarify this for you.”

Later, Master Shushan went to Patriarch Mingzhao and related the former incident.

Patriarch Mingzhao said, “It may be said that Master Guishan was correct from head to tail; it is only that he did not meet one who understood him!”

Master Shushan then asked, “When the tree falls and the vine withers, where does the phrase return?”

Patriarch Mingzhao said, “It makes Guishan laugh anew.”

At these words, Master Shushan awakened and said, “So Guishan’s laughter did indeed contain a blade!”

Master Tiantong composed this verse:

“The vine withers, the tree falls—he questions Guishan;

Laughing loudly, ‘Ha, ha!’—how could this be taken lightly?

Within the laughter is a keen blade—see if you can discern it;

No path for thought or speech—the pivotal mechanism is cut off.”

(Teng ku shu dao wen Guishan

Da xiao he he qi deng xian

Xiao li you dao kong de po

Yan si wu lu jue ji guan.)

At that point, Patriarch Guishan merely laughed loudly, “Ha, ha!” from beginning to end, like the imprint made by a single seal.

When Master Shushan said, “Within the laughter is a blade!” he thereby seized emptiness.

Patriarch Shigong asked Master Xitang, “Can you grasp emptiness?”

Master Xitang replied, “I can grasp it.”

Patriarch Shigong said, “How do you grasp it?”

Master Xitang reached out his hand and clutched at empty space.

Patriarch Shigong said, “You do not know how to grasp it!”

Master Xitang asked in return, “How do you grasp it, elder Dharma brother?”

Patriarch Shigong seized Master Xitang by the nose and pulled him along.

Master Xitang endured the pain and said, “This great ferocious demon is pulling a person’s nostrils!” He immediately tried to escape.

Patriarch Shigong said, “Only in this way can emptiness be grasped.”

Thus, to grasp emptiness through the names and characteristics of frivolous theorizing—alas, how difficult! How difficult!

V. REFUTING CAUSES AND CONDITIONS AND SPONTANEITY

Sutra: Ananda said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, if the wondrous nature of awakening is indeed neither a cause nor a condition, why does the World-Honored One often instruct the bhiksus that the nature of seeing requires four conditions: emptiness, light, the conscious mind, and the eye? What does this mean?”

The Buddha said, “Ananda, what I said concerned the worldly characteristics of causes and conditions; it did not concern the ultimate truth. Ananda, let me ask you further: when people of the world say, ‘I can see,’ what is called seeing? And what is called not seeing?”

Ananda said, “People in the world see all kinds of forms by means of the light of the sun, the moon, and lamps, and this they call seeing. If these three kinds of light are absent, they cannot see.”

“Ananda! If, when there is no light, you call it not seeing, then you should not see darkness. If you do see darkness, then it is merely that light is absent; how could that be not seeing? Ananda, if, while it is dark, you call it not seeing because you do not see light, then when it is light and you do not see the appearance of darkness, that too should be called not seeing. Thus both light and darkness would be called not seeing. But since light and darkness merely displace one another, while your Nature of Seeing is never absent within them, you should know that in both light and darkness there is seeing. Why, then, do you say there is no seeing?”

Commentary: Here, the Blessed One first refutes the worldly notion of causes and conditions, and afterward reveals the Truth of the First Principle. The world supposes that seeing arises because of the light of the sun, the moon, and lamps. Yet when the light of the sun, moon, and lamps is absent, it is not that seeing is absent; one still sees darkness just as one sees light. Light and darkness themselves belong to the objective sense-objects before us, whereas the Essential Seeing is fundamentally neither born nor extinguished. Thus it is said, “Even worldly seeing is neither cause nor condition”; how much more so when one advances to this point!

Chan Master Jiufeng Qian received the mind-seal from Patriarch Shishuang. A monk asked him, “The sutra says that seeing is formed only when the three conditions of light are complete. Before the three conditions arise, is seeing formed or not?”

Patriarch Qian said, “Conditions differ, but seeing suffers no deficiency.”

The monk asked, “Since it suffers no deficiency, why can one not see objects in darkness?”

Patriarch Qian said, “Although you do not see objects, how could it be that you do not see darkness?”

The monk asked, “When entirely apart from the three conditions, what is the state of True Seeing?”

Patriarch Qian said, “Encircling the entire earth, the sun is black as black lacquer.”

In Master Shitou’s Cantong Qi are the lines:

This accords precisely with the purport here. Truly, this is not something on the same level as light and darkness; one must have the eye to discern it.

VI. DIRECTLY REVEALING THE NATURE OF SEEING

Sutra: “Therefore, Ananda, you should now know this: When you see light, the seeing is not the light. When you see darkness, the seeing is not the darkness. When you see emptiness, the seeing is not the emptiness. When you see obstruction, the seeing is not the obstruction. Once these four principles have been established, you should further know: When seeing sees seeing, that seeing is not the Nature of Seeing. Seeing remains beyond seeing; seeing cannot reach it. (Jian jian zhi shi, jian fei shi jian. Jian you li jian, jian bu neng ji.)

“How, then, can you still speak of the characteristics of causes and conditions, spontaneity, or combination?”

Commentary: Here the Blessed One reveals the Truth of the First Principle, what is called the Wondrous Path of Bodhi. Seeing and the conditions of seeing comprise five meanings: light, darkness, emptiness, and obstruction are four; the conditions of seeing and Essential Seeing together constitute one kind of deluded seeing. At this point, the Blessed One distinguishes Essential Seeing from the four things—light, darkness, emptiness, and obstruction.

From these four meanings, he demonstrates clearly that seeing exists of itself, apart from conditioned sense-objects. Right here he further distinguishes the True Seeing—the Nature of Seeing—which illuminates Essential Seeing and which seeing itself cannot equal or attain. This is the first moon; therefore, seeing still remains deluded.

Ah! Since True Seeing is apart even from every characteristic of seeing, where could there be the slightest trace or shadow by which one might imitate it? Would not speaking of causes and conditions, spontaneity, or combination be delusion?

Patriarch Baizhang asked a monk, “Do you see?”

The monk replied, “Yes, I see.”

Patriarch Baizhang said, “What is it like after seeing?”

The monk replied, “Seeing has no duality.”

Patriarch Baizhang said, “To say that seeing has no duality means not using seeing to see That Which Originally Sees. If That Which Originally Sees were again to see, would the former seeing be correct, or would the latter seeing be correct? As it is said, ‘When seeing sees seeing, that is not True Seeing. Seeing remains beyond all characteristics of seeing; that seeing is transcendent. [Jian jian zhi shi, jian fei shi jian. Jian you li jian, jian bu neng ji.]’ Therefore, when one does not practice the dharma of seeing, does not practice the dharma of hearing, and does not practice the dharma of awakening, the Buddhas immediately confer a prediction of buddhahood.”

Furthermore, the Ratnakuta Sutra says, “The Dharma-body cannot be sought through seeing, hearing, awareness, or knowing. It is not seen by the physical eye, for it has no form. It is not seen by the divine eye, for it is free from delusion. It is not seen by the wisdom eye, for it is apart from characteristics. It is not seen by the Dharma-eye, for it is apart from all conditioned formations. It is not seen by the Buddha-eye, for it is apart from all consciousness. If one does not produce any such kinds of seeing, that is called the seeing of the Buddha.”

Long ago, when Chan Master Shaolong first met Patriarch Changlu, he attained a general understanding. Someone brought him the Recorded Sayings of Master Yuanwu. After reading them, he sighed and said, “Thinking of something sour makes the mouth water. Although my innards have not yet been washed clean, this has already filled me with delight. My only regret is that I have not yet met him face-to-face and spoken with him.”

He then took leave of Master Changlu and went to Master Zhandang. He first stayed as a guest with Master Huanglong and inquired of Patriarch Zixin; afterward, he went to pay respects to Master Yuanwu.

One day, during a private interview, Master Yuanwu said, “When seeing sees seeing, that seeing is not True Seeing. Seeing remains beyond seeing; that seeing is transcendent.”

He then raised his hand and said, “Do you see?”

Master Shaolong said, “I see.”

Patriarch Yuanwu said, “You have placed another head atop your head!”

Upon hearing this, Master Shaolong immediately awakened in accord with the truth.

Patriarch Yuanwu shouted, “What do you see?”

Shaolong replied, “Dense bamboo does not hinder the water from flowing through.”

Patriarch Yuanwu approved and appointed him to oversee the sutra repository.

Someone asked Master Yuanwu, “Shaolong is so frail; how can he manage it?”

He replied, “That is a sleeping tiger!”

Chan Master Deshan Juan ascended the Dharma hall and taught, “When seeing sees seeing, that is not True Seeing. Seeing remains beyond seeing; that seeing is transcendent.”

He then shouted, “The leviathan drinks the ocean dry, revealing a branch of coral.”

Suddenly, a monk stepped forward from the assembly and said, “Elder, cease speaking of dreams; only then will I allow that you have half an eye.”

At this line—“When seeing sees seeing...” —the ancients all saw the moon by means of the pointing finger. A single pill of the immortals transforms mortal bones; truly, it is no easy matter!

Sutra: “You shravakas are narrow-minded and unlearned and cannot penetrate the pure True Characteristic. I now exhort you to contemplate this well and not grow lax upon the Wondrous Path of Bodhi.”

Commentary: Everyone inherently possesses the pure True Characteristic. Why, then, are the shravakas unable to penetrate it? It is because they cling to attachments. The discriminating consciousness that clings to attachments everywhere encounters conditions and follows them. Only prajna cannot be made its object. Therefore, out of compassion, the Blessed One exhorted them to contemplate well. One must, within seeing, be free from seeing and realize Wondrous Bodhi. This is precisely that which seeing cannot reach.

Patriarch Jiashan said, “Before your eyes there is no dharma. What is before your eyes is meaning; it is not that a dharma is before your eyes. This is not a place that the ears and eyes can reach. Subtly accord with this point.”

Patriarch Tiantong commented, “Old Jiashan has torn open his cloth bag and cast its precious jewels before you. At that very moment, what will you do? Only when one does not pick up lost property on the road is one praised as a noble person.”

Even such a marvelous critical phrase as this is not permitted to be retained within the breast. Truly, this reaches the point where seeing is free from seeing.

Section 5: Revealing False Seeing

I. A REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTION THAT THE NATURE OF SEEING DOES NOT DEPEND UPON SEEING

Sutra: Ananda addressed the Buddha, saying, “World-Honored One, although the World-Honored One has instructed us concerning causes and conditions, spontaneity, the characteristics of combination, and non-combination, my mind has still not awakened. Now, upon hearing the Buddha teach that the nature of seeing does not depend upon seeing, I have become even more confused.

“I humbly pray that the Buddha, out of compassion, will bestow upon me the eye of great wisdom and reveal to us the luminous and pure awakened mind.”

Having said this, he wept, bowed down, and reverently awaited the teaching.

At that time, the World-Honored One, taking pity upon Ananda and the entire great assembly, was about to reveal the Dharma of the Great Comprehensive Retention—the Dharani—and the samadhis that constitute the wondrous path of cultivation. He therefore said to Ananda, “Although you possess a powerful memory, it has merely increased your extensive learning; as for the subtle and profound contemplation of shamatha, your mind has not yet understood it. Listen attentively now. I shall distinguish and reveal it for you, thereby also enabling those with outflows in future ages to attain the fruit of bodhi.”

Commentary: Quiescent yet perpetually illuminating, it can therefore clearly discern that the essence of seeing is false. Illuminating yet perpetually quiescent, one therefore knows: “The nature of seeing is not seeing itself.” Unless one daily integrates the three contemplations [emptiness, provisional existence, and the Middle], this point is not easily understood.

Master Shimen Yunhui worked in the garden at Patriarch Qinglin’s monastery.

One day, while he was standing in attendance, the Patriarch asked, “What did you do today?”

He replied, “I planted vegetables.”

Patriarch Lin said, “Throughout the Dharma-realm, all is the body of the Buddha. Where do you turn to plant them?”

The Master replied, “The golden plow does not stir the earth; the numinous sprouts arise in their place.”

Patriarch Lin was delighted.

The next day, Patriarch Qinglin entered the garden and called, “Acharya Yun!”

Master Yun answered, “Yes.”

Patriarch Lin said, “Plant another shadowless tree and leave it for later generations to see.”

Master Yun said, “If it is a shadowless tree, how could it consent to being planted?”

Patriarch Lin said, “If it does not consent to being planted, leave it there! Have you ever seen its branches and leaves?”

He replied, “I have never seen them.”

Patriarch Lin said, “Since you have never seen them, how do you know it does not consent to being planted?”

He replied, “Precisely because it has never seen, it does not consent to being planted.”

Patriarch Lin said, “Just so, just so.”

If one awakens to the nature of seeing as separate from every characteristic of seeing, then from where could all the causes and conditions, spontaneity, and combinations established through seeing arise?

At first, Chan Master Zhiju asked Patriarch Caoshan Benji, “The ancients supported people from beyond the boundary. How is this student to comprehend it?”

Patriarch Shan replied, “Take one step back and you immediately become yourself; among tens of thousands, not one is lost!”

At these words, Chan Master Zhiju’s conceptual understanding completely dissolved, and he took his leave. Afterward, he traveled everywhere to study and practice.

One day, while he was reading a sutra, a monk asked, “The mind of a Chan monk does not retain even a single letter; how could he study extensively?”

He replied, “Written characters differ, but the essence of the myriad dharmas is fundamentally empty. When deluded, every sentence is a sore. When awakened, every word is prajna. If one neither grasps nor rejects, how could that impair the Perfect Wholeness?”

Therefore, if one possesses a prodigious memory and extensive learning as Master Zhiju did, what could not be accomplished?

II. REVEALING THE TWO KINDS OF FALSE SEEING

Sutra: “Ananda, the revolving of all sentient beings within the world is due to two inverted and discriminating forms of false seeing. They arise directly from the nature of mind and revolve in accordance with karma. What are these two forms of false seeing? The first is sentient beings’ false seeing arising from individual karma. The second is sentient beings’ false seeing arising from a shared portion.

Commentary: Because the essence of seeing is about to be shown clearly as false, the two forms of false seeing—individual karma and shared portion—are employed to reveal it. Once the falsehood of individual karma is understood, the falsehood of shared portion can be inferred. Once shared portion is known to be false, the falsehood of the essence of seeing can be inferred. When one knows that the essence of seeing is false, one immediately understands that the nature of seeing is not false. When this point is thoroughly comprehended, one can naturally penetrate without further doubt that the nature of seeing is not seeing itself.

Seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing are all equally false and inverted, so why is only seeing elucidated? Earlier it was said, “The fault that causes you to revolve in cyclic existence lies with the mind and the eyes.” Thus, of all the ways one drifts and races after forms, seeing is the most difficult to remedy.

Ananda was beguiled by the woman Matangi. Yet it was not the woman Matangi who beguiled Ananda; rather, Ananda’s own false seeing created the illness. Moreover, this circulating false seeing belongs to arising and ceasing, whereas true seeing cannot be returned anywhere and remains still, clear, and abiding. Thus, when the seeing of a blind person beholds forms, forms are not objects of desire! When the seeing that beholds darkness beholds light, seeing itself fundamentally possesses neither light nor darkness. If one reaches directly to the source of all seeing, one thoroughly understands that no seeing can reach the nature of seeing. Where, then, could there still be the error of revolving in cyclic existence?

Long ago, Patriarch Guishan asked Master Yangshan, “The sentient beings throughout the great earth possess a vast and indistinct karmic consciousness that fundamentally has neither root nor basis. How can you know whether it exists or does not exist?”

Yangshan replied, “This Huiji has a means of examining it.”

At that moment, a monk was passing before them. Master Yangshan called, “Acharya!”

The monk turned his head.

Yangshan said, “Venerable Master, this is precisely the vast and indistinct karmic consciousness that has neither root nor basis.”

Patriarch Guishan said, “This truly is one drop of lion’s milk dissolving six pecks of donkey’s milk!”

Master Tiantong versified:

“One call—turning your head, do you know me or not?

The sparse net of moonlight bends again into a hook.

The precious child worth a thousand pieces of gold has just wandered away;

Lost at the end of the road, he will surely know sorrow.”

This case may indeed be called false seeing arising from individual karma!

Minister Chen Cao was on an upper story with his fellow officials when they saw several monks approaching.

One official said, “Those people approaching are all itinerant monks.”

Chen Cao said, “They are not.”

The official asked, “How do you know they are not?”

Cao said, “Wait until they arrive, and we shall examine them.”

A short while later, the monks arrived before the building. Cao suddenly shouted, “Venerables!”

All the monks raised their heads.

He then said to the officials, “They do not believe in the Way.”

The officials were bewildered.

Master Tiantong commented, “Minister Chen brought it forth clearly to their faces; he could not deceive Master Changlu in the slightest!”

This case may well be called false seeing arising from a shared portion! But if, among those monks, there had been one who did not turn his head upon hearing the shout, Master Yangshan would surely have had to tear out his tongue, and Chen Cao would have had to apologize.

Sutra: “What is false seeing arising from individual karma?”

“Ananda, suppose that the eyes of a person in the world are afflicted with a red film. At night, when he looks at a lamp, he sees a separate, five-colored circular halo surrounding it. What do you think? Is the luminous circular halo appearing around the lamp a form belonging to the lamp, or a form belonging to seeing?

“Ananda, if it were a form belonging to the lamp, why would those whose eyes are not afflicted fail to see it, while only the person with afflicted eyes sees the circular halo? If it were a form belonging to seeing, then seeing itself would have become form. What, then, would you call that which the person with afflicted eyes sees as a circular halo?

“Furthermore, Ananda, if that circular halo existed independently apart from the lamp, then screens, curtains, tables, and chairs should also have circular halos. If it existed independently apart from seeing, then it should not be visible. Why, then, does the person with afflicted eyes see that circular halo?

“Therefore, you should know that the actual form is in the lamp, while seeing, being diseased, produces the circular halo. Both the circular halo and the seeing that perceives the circular halo are products of the diseased eye. Yet that which is aware of the diseased eye is fundamentally not diseased.

“Ultimately, you should not say that the circular halo is either the lamp or seeing, because within this matter the circular halo arises neither from the lamp nor from seeing. It is like a second moon: it is neither the real moon nor a reflection of the moon. Why is this? The second moon appears because the eyes have been rubbed. Therefore, wise people should not seek to determine whether the source of the moon produced by rubbing the eyes is form or not form, whether it is apart from seeing or not apart from seeing. The circular halo is the same: it is produced by an affliction of the eyes. One cannot even designate what is the lamp and what is seeing; how much less can one discriminate that the circular halo is not the lamp or is not seeing?

Commentary: Since the sutra is about to reveal that the Nature of Seeing is not seeing, it uses afflicted eyes as an analogy. The diseased seeing of afflicted eyes falsely perceives a circular halo. How could someone whose eyes are unafflicted see such a halo?

The affliction of the eyes is a disease, but that which is aware of the diseased eyes has never been diseased. This serves as an analogy for seeing—the Essence of Seeing—which is false and therefore falsely perceives mental and objective phenomena. The Nature of Seeing is not false and therefore does not perceive mental and objective phenomena as existing.

Thus, seeing is false, but the Nature of Seeing has never been false. If, upon falsely perceiving mental and objective phenomena, one further gives rise to views concerning causes and conditions, spontaneity, right and wrong, one is just like a person with afflicted eyes who sees a circular halo and then seeks the source from which it arose!

To regard that dazzling halo as the lamp or as seeing is to say that the circular halo exists because of the lamp or because of seeing: this is the doctrine of causes and conditions.

To regard that dazzling halo as neither the lamp nor seeing is to say that the circular halo exists independently, apart from the lamp and apart from seeing: this is the doctrine of spontaneity.

Since it is neither causes and conditions nor spontaneity, the circular halo exists solely because the eyes are afflicted.

Seeing a circular halo because of afflicted eyes and seeing a second moon because of rubbing the eyes are both the same disease of seeing. If one investigates whether the second moon arises from form or from seeing, or whether it is apart from form or apart from seeing, how truly deluded that would be! Likewise, if one says that the circular halo is the lamp or seeing, or that it is neither the lamp nor seeing, could one be called wise?

In both cases, once one clearly knows them to be false, even an investigation into the doctrines of causes and conditions and spontaneity cannot establish them. How much less, in the Fundamental Enlightenment of the Luminous Mind—which is neither afflicted eyes nor rubbed eyes and in which there is fundamentally neither a circular form nor a second moon—could one falsely establish the three kinds of frivolous discourse concerning causes and conditions, spontaneity, and so forth?

Therefore, to discuss seeing in terms of causes and conditions, spontaneity, or combination is still merely to remain within the disease of afflicted eyes. The wise do not do so, for this is the False Seeing of Individual Karma.

Master Guishan saw a wildfire and asked Daowu, “Do you see the fire?”

Daowu replied, “Yes, I see it.”

Master Guishan asked, “From where does it arise?”

Daowu said, “Set aside all matters of walking, standing, lying down, and sitting; Master, please put a separate question to me.”

Master Guishan remained silent.

Master Fojian raised the case, saying:

Blazing, blazing, the wildfire—

Everyone sees it.

Only Daowu

Sees it in an utterly different way.

Master Xianglin Yuan was clearing weeds when a monk said, “Look! Someone’s house has caught fire.”

Master Yuan said, “Where is the fire?”

The monk said, “Do you not see it?”

Master Yuan said, “I do not see it.”

The monk said, “You blind old man!”

At that time, everyone in the assembly said, “Senior Monk Yuan has lost!”

Later, when Mingjiao Kuan heard of the exchange, he sighed, “Only my elder brother Yuan could have done that.”

How vastly different this Seeing is! It never departs from the Right Position [the eternally abiding Self-Mind]. How could the worldly Essence of Seeing, which is like a disease of afflicted eyes, compare with it?

On another occasion, Master Guishan asked Daowu, “Where have you come from?”

Daowu replied, “I have returned from visiting the sick.”

Master Guishan asked, “How many people were sick?”

He replied, “There were sick people, and there were people who were not sick.”

Master Guishan asked, “Is the person who is not sick the Ascetic Zhi?”

Master Daowu said, “Even if you could say so, it would have nothing to do with the matter.”

At the phrase “It would have nothing to do with the matter,” Master Tiantong composed this verse:

“What wondrous medicine has ever passed the lips?

The divine physician cannot take it in hand.

As though it exists [‘as though it exists’: if it remains...], yet it is fundamentally not nonexistent;

Utterly empty [‘utterly empty’: void...], yet it is fundamentally not existent.

Unextinguished, it is born; never lost, it receives.

It wholly transcends the time before Buddha Awesome Voice;

It walks alone after the Empty Kalpa.

When peaceful and settled, heaven covers and earth supports;

When turning in motion, the hare runs and the crow flies.”

(Diệu dược hà tằng quá khẩu

Thần y mạc năng trốc thủ

Nhược Tồn dã cừ bổn phi vô

Chí Hư dã cừ bổn phi hữu

Bất Diệt nhi sanh, bất vong nhi thọ

Toàn siêu Oai Âm chi tiền

Độc bộ Kiếp Không chi hậu

Thành bình dã thiên cái địa kình

Vận chuyển dã ô phi thố tẩu)

This case uproots the very source of disease within True Seeing. Sickness and freedom from sickness have nothing whatsoever to do with it; how much less is there any discrimination between afflicted and unafflicted eyes!

Sutra: “What is the False Seeing of Collective Karma?

“Ananda, in this continent of Jambudvipa, apart from the waters of the great seas, the land comprises three thousand continents. The great central continent, extending from east to west, contains as many as two thousand three hundred great countries. As for the other small continents within the seas, some contain two hundred or three hundred countries, while others contain ten or twenty, or even thirty, forty, or fifty countries.

“Ananda, suppose that among them there is a small continent containing only two countries, and that the people of one country alone collectively experience adverse conditions. The beings in that country will see all kinds of inauspicious phenomena. They may see two suns or two moons, or even many other ominous signs, such as halos, eclipses, secondary halos, dark arches, comets, shooting stars, flying lights, streaming lights, rings beside the sun, and red and multicolored rainbows. Only that country sees them; the beings in the neighboring country neither see nor hear of them.”

Commentary: The Combined Treatise says: “A halo is vapor surrounding the sun. An obscuration is an inauspicious sign affecting the sun or moon. A secondary halo and a broken halo are inauspicious vapors near the sun. Hui is a comet. Bo is a kind of comet. Fei is a flying star, a kind of star that flies upward from below. Liu is a falling star, a kind of star that falls downward from above. Fu is supporting vapor, vapor that appears to carry the sun upon its back. Er is ear-shaped vapor, vapor beside the sun resembling an ear. Hong and Ni are rainbows: the bright one is called Hong, and the dark one is called Ni.”

The Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals records: In the sixth year of the reign of Duke Ai, in the state of Chu there was an omen of a cloud resembling a red crow that embraced the sun and flew about for three days. The king sent someone to consult the Grand Astrologer of Zhou. The Grand Astrologer said: “It portends something concerning the king himself.” Master Du Yu further commented: “The sun is the sovereign of humankind. When an uncanny vapor embraces it, the omen concerns the sovereign. Since it was seen only in the state of Chu, the rulers of other states were unaffected!”

In the twenty-sixth year of Duke Zhao of Lu, in the first [eleventh] month, a comet appeared in the state of Qi. The Marquis of Qi ordered prayers and supplications to be performed.

Master Yanzi said: “It is useless; to act thus is superstition. The Way of Heaven does not change. Since there cannot be two decrees, what purpose can prayers serve? The Way of Heaven produces a comet in order to dispel defiling vapors. If the ruler has no defiled virtue, what need is there to pray? But if his virtue is defiled, how could prayer avail?” Master Du Yu further commented: “It was seen only in the state of Qi; the state of Lu did not see it.”

The two passages above verify the statement in the sutra: “Within a single continent there may be only two countries. If the people of one country alone collectively experience evil conditions, the beings in that country will see inauspicious phenomena.” This is indeed perfectly clear.

The evil conditions that evoke corresponding responses comprise fixed karma and unfixed karma. Fixed karma cannot be avoided. Unfixed karma can be changed.

For example, the Twenty-third Patriarch, the Venerable Haklena [Laklena is the Sanskrit sound; Hak is the Chinese sound. After the venerable was born, a flock of cranes, drawn by affection, followed him in flight, and so he was thus named], knew beforehand that the Twenty-fourth Patriarch, the Venerable Simha, would meet with disaster. One day, the Patriarch suddenly pointed toward the northeast and asked: “What is that atmospheric sign?”

Patriarch Simha replied: “I see vapor like a white rainbow pervading heaven and earth, with five currents of black vapor running crosswise through it.”

The Patriarch said: “What does that omen signify?”

Venerable Simha replied: “I do not know.”

The Patriarch instructed him: “Fifty years after my passing, calamity will arise in Northern India and reach your own person.”

Later, the Venerable Simha was indeed killed by the king of Kashmir. The king’s right arm spontaneously fell to the ground, and seven days later he died. Crown Prince Guangshou lamented: “Why did my royal father bring this calamity upon himself?” At that time, an immortal of White Elephant Mountain, deeply versed in cause and effect, fully related to the Crown Prince the events of past lives, thereby freeing him from the net of doubt. This is what is meant by fixed karma that cannot be avoided.

Duke Jing of Song was fearful because he was afflicted by the planet Mars, and summoned Master Ziwei to consult him.

Master Ziwei said: “Affliction by Mars is an omen of Heaven’s punishment. The calamity will befall Your Majesty personally, but it can be transferred to the prime minister.”

Duke Jing said: “The prime minister is charged with sustaining the state. It would be improper to transfer the calamity to him and cause his death. Let me bear it myself.”

Master Ziwei said: “It can be transferred to the people.”

The ruler replied: “If the people die, over whom would I rule? Let me alone die.”

Master Ziwei said: “It can be transferred to the year’s harvest.”

The ruler replied: “If the year brings famine, the people will starve to death. If a ruler seeks to kill his people so that he himself may live, who would still regard me as their ruler? It must be that my allotted life has come to an end. You should say no more.”

Master Ziwei hurriedly knelt, bowed, and submitted: “This humble subject begs to congratulate Your Majesty. Though Heaven is high above, it hears what occurs below. The ruler has spoken humane words three times, so Heaven will surely reward him three times. Tonight the planet will surely shift its position, and the ruler’s life will be prolonged by twenty-one years.”

Duke Jing said: “How do you know this?”

Master Ziwei replied: “The ruler has performed three virtuous deeds and will therefore be rewarded three times; thus, the planet will shift three times. Each shift represents seven years; three shifts make twenty-one years. Therefore, Your Majesty’s life will be prolonged by twenty-one years. If I am wrong, this humble subject begs to suffer death.”

The ruler assented.

That night, the planet shifted three times, just as Master Ziwei had said. This is what is meant by unfixed karma that can be transformed.

In sum, how could fixed and unfixed karma add anything to or subtract anything from the Self-Nature? They too are like illusions. If one clings to illusions as real, it is solely because of deluded seeing.

Section 6: Clarifying the Meaning That the Nature of Seeing Is Not Seeing, Perfecting Bodhi

Sutra: “Ananda, I shall now bring these two matters together, comparing them reciprocally, in order to clarify them.

“Ananda, consider the beings with the distorted seeing of individual karma who see a circular shadow appear around a lamp. Although it seems to be an external object, it is actually produced by that person’s diseased eyes. The eye disease causes the visual impairment; it is not created by visible form. Yet the seeing that perceives the visual impairment itself is entirely free of any fault in seeing.

“By comparison, at present, when you use your eyes to see mountains, rivers, lands, and all beings, all these are produced by the disease of seeing that has existed since beginningless time. Seeing and what is seen appear as though they were external objects, but in truth they are merely the visual impairment—the appearance of a seeing subject and seen objects within enlightened luminosity.

“All seeing and knowing are the disease of the eyes, whereas the fundamentally enlightened, luminous mind that penetrates all conditions is originally free of this disease. Knowing and what is known are both the disease of the eyes, whereas fundamental enlightenment does not lie within that disease. This is the Nature of Seeing that eternally sees; how could it be called seeing, hearing, awareness, or knowing?

“Therefore, when you now see me, see yourself, and see the ten classes of beings in the world, all of this is diseased seeing; it is not the true Seeing that perceives the disease of the eyes. That true Nature of Seeing has never been diseased; therefore, it is no longer called seeing.

Commentary: When the circular shadow is compared with the external object; the diseased eye with the disease of seeing; impaired seeing with enlightened luminosity [the alaya consciousness while it still contains defilement]; and the seeing that perceives the eye disease with the nature of fundamental enlightenment [the alaya consciousness when it no longer contains defilement, called the immaculate consciousness], everything becomes clear.

Although the wording and meaning are intricate, every passage elucidates that seeing is a disease of the eyes, whereas the Nature of Seeing that eternally sees has never been diseased. Seeing and what is seen arise through the conjunction of the sense faculty and its object; thus mountains, rivers, lands, and beings appear, just as external objects appear before the eyes. In truth, they are only like the circular shadow seen around a lamp.

Since the circular shadow is not created by visible form, all the foregoing things are likewise not created by external objects. They originate in our enlightened luminosity deludedly perceiving objects of cognition, just as a diseased eye gives rise to the appearance of a circular shadow.

This luminous awareness falsely perceives; because of luminosity, it establishes an object, and then clings conditionally to external objects: this is the disease of cataracts. But the fundamentally awakened luminous mind, which does not fall into any location, constantly aware of the arising characteristics of all conditions and not pursuing those conditions in cyclic wandering, has never been afflicted by cataracts. Thus, one should know that because our luminous awareness takes the objects before it as conditions, it forms the object of awareness.

The object of awareness is the disease of cataracts, whereas the nature of fundamental awakening is truly constant knowing. The fundamentally awakened luminous mind, constantly and clearly knowing the cataracts, knows that the cataracts are a disease; being originally free and sovereign, how could it fall into cataracts? To say, “Both the knowing and the known are the disease of cataracts,” means that when our luminous awareness sees an object to be taken as a condition, that itself is the disease of cataracts, arising through taking that knowing and known as conditions.

To say, “Fundamental awakening is not within the disease of cataracts,” means that it accords with the fundamentally awakened luminous mind, which constantly and clearly knows all conditions yet has no disease of cataracts; abiding where the coarse, defiling objects have not yet arisen, it does not fall into the cataracts of the realm of consciousness. This is not the realm of seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing; therefore, it is said, “This is truly the nature of seeing that perpetually sees; how could it be called seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing?”

If one takes the activities of seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing to be the nature, this is no different from taking a cataract-afflicted eye to be a clear, pure eye. How could that possibly be coherent?

Master Sanping composed this verse:

“Just this seeing and hearing are not seeing and hearing;

There are absolutely no sounds or forms to present to you.

If within this you understand, there is nothing at all;

Why need essence and function be distinguished or not distinguished?”

(Chỉ thử kiến văn phi kiến văn

Vô dư Thanh, Sắc khả trình quân

Cá trung nhược liễu toàn vô sự

Thể, Dụng hà phòng phân, bất phân).

Patriarch Yunmen raised this and said: “Regarding ‘Just this seeing and hearing are not seeing and hearing’: what is called seeing and hearing? Regarding ‘There are absolutely no sounds or forms to present to you’: what sounds or forms are there at the mouth? Regarding ‘If within this you understand, there is nothing at all’: what affair could there be? Regarding ‘Why need essence and function be distinguished or not distinguished?’: are words the essence, or is the essence words?”

He then raised his staff and said: “The staff is the essence and the lantern is the function. Is that distinguishing or not distinguishing? Have you not heard it said, ‘The purity of omniscience’?”

Later, Master Baiyun Duan raised this and said: “Yunmen merely knew how to follow a pattern in drawing eyebrows; perfect penetration is not like that!”

“Regarding ‘Just this seeing and hearing are not seeing and hearing; there are absolutely no sounds or forms to present to you’: the eye is the eye, and the ear is the ear!

“Regarding ‘If within this you understand, there is nothing at all; why need essence and function be distinguished or not distinguished?’: Four or five hundred willow branches in the lanes; two or three thousand places of song in the towers.”

Master Tiantong chanted:

“Truly meeting, yet without interaction;

The six gates stand wide open, the four roads leave no trace.

Throughout the realm there is radiance; through the whole body, neither before nor after.

A strand of thread is not entangled in the shuttle’s affairs;

Splendid flowers range freely, bearing a singular meaning.”

Master Sanping also had a separate verse:

“Seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing are originally without cause;

Their very essence is wondrous emptiness, beyond falsehood and true.

Seeing characteristics, one produces no karma of delusion or craving;

Utterly empty, wholly exhausted: the body of Shakyamuni.”

Furthermore, Patriarch Huichao instructed the assembly from the Dharma seat: “Venerable Ones, seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing are not seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing. Do you comprehend? I have already explained it very clearly to you Venerable Ones, but I must wait until you awaken!”

The passages above may be brought together as a commentary on this section of the sutra.

Sutra: “Ananda, the shared false seeing of those beings, when compared with the individual karmic false seeing of a single person, is such that one person’s diseased eyes are analogous to that entire country.

“The halos seen by the person with diseased eyes arise falsely because of the cataracts in the eyes; while the ominous signs appearing throughout that country arise from the shared evil conditions created by its beings. Both arise from false seeing beginninglessly produced.

“By inference, the three thousand continents in Jambudvipa, together with the four great seas, the Saha world, and even all the conditioned realms throughout the ten directions and the beings dwelling within them, all exist within the wondrous unconditioned mind. Yet because of the disease of false conditions, seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing arise falsely through conjunction and cease falsely through conjunction. If one leaves behind these diseased conditions of conjunction and non-conjunction, the causes of birth and death are thereby extinguished and reversed, and the essence of bodhi—unborn and undying—is perfectly fulfilled. This is the originally pure mind, the ever-abiding fundamental awakening from time immemorial.

Explanation: It is easy to use cataract-afflicted eyes to reveal falsity, but difficult to use ominous signs to reveal falsity; therefore, individual karma is used as an analogy for shared participation. Moreover, the falsity of the ominous signs within shared participation is still easy to recognize, whereas it is truly difficult to believe that all conditioned lands are diseased false conditions. Therefore, what is easy is used to infer what is difficult.

Although the mountains, rivers, lands, and the ten classes of beings seen in the world belong to falsity, they are all equally the wondrous unconditioned mind. To call it wondrous means that it is an object yet not an object, an appearance yet not an appearance. Only because one turns one’s back on awakening and unites with defiling objects does it become conditioned.

When conditioned, one is turned by objects and is thereby like an eye afflicted by cataracts. But if one turns away from defiling objects and unites with awakening, one is originally unconditioned. Being unconditioned, one can turn objects and is thus like an eye without cataracts.

There is the same luminous awareness, yet the unconditioned is the originally pure mind and the ever-abiding fundamental awakening, whereas the conditioned fails to recognize the true and pursues the false, wandering through birth and death, falsely arising through conjunction and falsely ceasing through conjunction. This accords with the preceding passage: “Right within it, further arising occurs, and through karma one undergoes cyclic turning.” The true and the false are originally conjoined, but the false is discussed separately because suchness is within afflictions.

The characteristics of conjunction are the wandering through the three realms. The characteristics of non-conjunction are the non-arising-and-ceasing and naturalistic views clung to by non-Buddhist schools. These two kinds of conditions—conjunction and non-conjunction—are precisely the roots and causes of birth and death; both are inverted false seeing.

If false seeing dissolves, only the single fundamental awakening remains. It is like the dissolution of cataracts, after which only the purely clear eye remains. How could that not be the perfectly complete, unborn and undying nature of bodhi?

Only upon reaching that complete bodhi can one believe that “Seeing is apart from seeing; that seeing is transcendent.”

Patriarch Xuansha instructed the assembly from the Dharma seat: “Now I ask you: what matter are you taking responsibility for? In what world do you establish your body and sustain your life? Can you discern it? If you cannot discern it, you are like someone who rubs his eyes and produces flowers in the sky, seeing nothing but false phenomena. Do you understand this? Everything you now see before your eyes—mountains, rivers, the earth, form, emptiness, light, darkness, and the myriad things—is nothing but frenzied flowers born of weary strain. All these must be called inverted knowledge and views.

“Those who have left the household life must understand the mind and penetrate the source before they may be called shramanas. You have now shaved your heads and donned robes, assuming the appearance of shramanas, and thus you have a share in benefiting yourselves and others. Yet now you see only pitch darkness; you cannot even save yourselves, much less liberate others?”

“Good people, the karmic affinity with the Buddhadharma is a great matter; do not take it lightly, gathering together to engage in idle chatter and merely pass the days. Time is difficult to obtain—what a pity for great men! Why do you not examine yourselves and look to see what this is? This alone is the Ancestral Vehicle transmitted from ancient times, the lineage of the Buddha’s Crown. Because you are unable to receive it, I provisionally offer this exhortation: You must follow through the gate of Kasyapa and continue in his footsteps, suddenly transcending all.

“This one gate utterly transcends ordinary beings and sages, cause and effect; it surpasses Vairocana Buddha’s Oceanic World of Wondrous Adornment and surpasses all the skillful Dharma gates of Sakyamuni Buddha. Right here is eternity: it does not allow you to obtain a single thing from which to give rise to views. Why do you not urgently verify it for yourselves? Then there will be no need to say, ‘I must wait two or three kalpas to accumulate wholesome karma.’

“Good people, what sort of matter is the Ancestral Vehicle? It cannot be attained through your efforts at cultivation and adornment; even possessing the knowledge of others’ minds and the knowledge of past lives cannot enable you to attain it. Do you understand?

“When Sakyamuni appeared in the world, he performed countless displays of wondrous transformations and playful manifestations, pouring forth the teachings of the Twelve Periods like water and establishing an entire field of Buddha-work. Yet with regard to this Dharma gate, not one bit of that can be used; not even a hair’s breadth of skill can be applied! Do you understand?

Being together within a dream, even speaking is merely talking in one’s sleep. A sramana does not emerge into the world and does not participate in the affairs of the dream, because he clearly knows. Do you understand?

One who clearly realizes this is a person of Great Liberation and Great Thorough Awakening. Therefore, one transcends ordinary beings and surpasses sages, escapes birth and leaves death behind, departs from cause and effect, surpasses Vairocana and goes beyond Sakyamuni, and is not deceived by ordinary beings and sages or by cause and effect. Wherever one goes, no one can fathom one.

Do you understand it this way?

“Do not remain attached to the net of affection and craving within birth and death, dragged and hauled away by the hooks of wholesome and unwholesome karma, without the least freedom. Even if you refine body and mind until they resemble empty space, and even if you reach the unmoving state of clear, pristine luminosity, you still have not escaped the skandha of consciousness. The ancients likened this to a swiftly flowing current: because its rapid flow is not perceived, it is mistakenly regarded as still.

If you cultivate in this way and expect to escape the realm of samsara, it is impossible; you will still be subject to samsara as before. Therefore it is said, ‘All formations are impermanent.’ Seeing that even the attainments of the Three Vehicles are like this, you should be fearful. Without the Eye of the Way, nothing is ultimate.

How could this compare with an ordinary being standing on bare ground, who, without employing even a hair’s breadth of effort, immediately and suddenly transcends all? Do you clearly know where to devote all your mental strength? What more do you seek?

I exhort you! It is right here, waiting for you! It does not require you to intensify your cultivation and training!

If you do not do so now, for what time will you wait? Can you accept this?”

He then descended from the Dharma seat.

Patriarch Xuansha awakened to the Mind-Ground while reading the Surangama Sutra. Every word he uttered and every breath he exhaled accorded with this sutra. If one enters through faith at this very point, one immediately and perfectly fulfills the ever-abiding bodhi of original enlightenment. What deluded view could still remain as an illness?

Sutra: “Ananda, although you have realized that wondrous, luminous original enlightenment is fundamentally neither causally conditioned nor spontaneous, you still do not understand that original enlightenment such as this is neither produced through conjunction nor through non-conjunction.

“Ananda, I shall now again question you concerning the objects before you. Because you still take all the causally conditioned conjunctions of worldly deluded thought and thereby suspect that realization of the bodhi-mind also arises through conjunction, tell me: Does your present wondrous, pure seeing mingle with brightness? Does it mingle with darkness?

Does it mingle with openness, or does it mingle with obstruction? If it mingles with brightness, then as you now see brightness, where within the manifest brightness does it intermingle with seeing? Seeing and brightness can each be clearly discerned, but what form does their intermingling assume?

If brightness is not seeing, how can brightness be seen? If brightness itself is seeing, how can seeing be seen? If seeing pervades everywhere, what place remains where it could mingle with brightness?

If brightness pervades everywhere, it should not be able to mingle with seeing. Since seeing differs from brightness, their intermingling would necessarily destroy the defining nature of brightness. If seeing entered brightness and destroyed the nature of brightness, then to say that it mingles with brightness would be meaningless.

The same applies to darkness, openness, and obstruction.

“Furthermore, Ananda, does your present wondrous, pure seeing conjoin with brightness, with darkness, with openness, or with obstruction? If it conjoins with brightness, then when darkness comes, brightness has disappeared. Since that seeing does not conjoin with darkness, how could it see darkness? If, while seeing darkness, it does not conjoin with darkness, then when it conjoins with brightness it should not see brightness! And if it does not see brightness, how could it conjoin with brightness and clearly know that brightness is not darkness? The same applies to darkness, openness, and obstruction.”

Commentary: As for wondrous, luminous original enlightenment being neither causally conditioned nor spontaneous, Ananda had previously gained a preliminary understanding that it seemed to be neither causally conditioned nor spontaneous, yet he still maintained that when the three worldly conditions pertaining to light come together, seeing is produced. He still suspected that realization of the bodhi-mind must arise through conjunction.

That worldly seeing not only sees brightness but also sees darkness clearly shows that it does not depend upon conditions. How much more so does the bodhi of original enlightenment, which is fundamentally ever-abiding and apart from every kind of seeing! How could it be called a conjunction?

To speak of mingling is like water mingling with earth, blended together so that they cannot be distinguished. How, then, could seeing mingle with brightness, darkness, openness, and obstruction? Seeing belongs to the sentient, while the object belongs to the insentient; the two can clearly be distinguished.

If the two mingled together, what form would they create? Seeing perceives brightness, so it might appear that they can intermingle. But brightness cannot see itself; only seeing can perceive it.

Thus, the two certainly cannot intermingle. If they could intermingle, there would necessarily have to be some place they did not pervade. Yet seeing, which is the perceiving aspect, and that which is seen, which is the objective aspect, are each complete and pervade the entire Dharma realm.

What place remains where they could mingle? Supposing they could intermingle, once seeing had mingled with the object, where would seeing remain? And once the objective appearance had mingled with seeing, it could no longer be called an objective appearance.

Seeing and the appearance that is seen must be distinct; therefore, they cannot mingle.

To speak of Conjoining is like a lid fitting together with its box: they depend upon one another and are not separate. Yet how could seeing now conjoin with the objects before it—brightness, darkness, openness, and obstruction? For if it conjoined with brightness, it could not see darkness.

Since it does not conjoin with darkness and yet can see darkness, it likewise must not conjoin with brightness in order to see brightness. But if it conjoined with brightness, it would not see brightness! Since it could not see brightness, they could not be said to conjoin; how, then, could it conjoin with brightness?

Knowing that brightness is not darkness, neither the seeing of brightness nor the seeing of darkness can conjoin with its object. Seeing is necessarily distinct from the objects before it and cannot conjoin with them.

Since this Essence of Seeing is none of brightness, darkness, openness, or obstruction, it is therefore said to be Pure. Yet there is no brightness, darkness, openness, or obstruction that is not seeing, and it is therefore called Wondrous. The Essence of Seeing is said to be Wondrous and Pure because it is the pure faculty of sight, uninvolved with delusive objects and not produced through Combination and Conjunction. How much less could the Nature of Seeing—which is inherently Enlightenment, utterly pure and utterly wondrous—exist through a combination and conjunction of faculty and object?

Patriarch Zhangjing ascended the hall and said: “When the Ultimate Principle is reached, words are forgotten, but people of the world do not understand. They force themselves to cultivate external matters and regard this as spiritual practice. They do not know that the Self-Nature is originally uninvolved with objective phenomena; this is the Wondrous Dharma Gate of Great Liberation.

Inherently there is the mirror of constant awareness, undefiled and unobstructed. That Radiance has never been obscured; from beginningless time until now it has never changed. It is like the sun, illuminating both near and far.

Although it reaches all forms and appearances, it does not combine with any of them. Spiritually Wondrous and Solitarily Luminous, it does not depend upon training. Only because people do not know this do they cling to appearances.

It is no different from rubbing one’s eyes and seeing flowers in empty space, toiling fruitlessly through many lifetimes and kalpas. If one immediately turns the illumination back upon itself, there is no second person to be found! Would not all this contriving and arranging of one thing or another only diminish the True Mark?”

The Daoist of the Empty Chamber, Zhitong, attained awakening upon reading the Contemplation of the Dharma Realm and composed two verses:

Verse One:

Vast within the dusty world, one Suchness in essence;

Vertically and horizontally interwoven, it bears Vairocana’s seal.

Entirely waves are water, yet waves are not water;

Entirely water becomes waves, while water remains itself!

(Hạo hạo trần trung thể Nhất Như

Tung hoành giao hỗ ấn Tỳ Lô

Toàn ba thị thủy, ba phi thủy

Toàn thủy thành ba, thủy tự thù).

This is the meaning of Not Combining and Conjoining.

Verse Two:

Self and things are originally not different;

Layer upon layer, mirror and reflections are the same.

Radiantly clear, transcending host and guest;

Perfectly evident, penetrating True Emptiness.

One Essence encompasses the myriad dharmas;

Within Indra’s jeweled net, they enter one another.

Layer upon layer, without end;

Movement and stillness are originally perfectly interfused.

(Vật ngã nguyên vô dị

Sum la cảnh tượng đồng

Minh minh siêu chủ bạn

Liễu liễu triệt Chơn Không

Nhất Thể hàm đa pháp

Giao tham đế võng trung

Trùng trùng vô tận xứ

Động tĩnh tất viên thông).

This, in turn, is the meaning of Not Not Combining and Conjoining.

Sutra: Ananda said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One, as I understand it, does this Mind-Nature not Combine and Conjoin with objective phenomena and mental thoughts?”

The Buddha said: “Now you say again that the Nature of Awareness does not Combine and Conjoin. Let me ask you: Regarding this Wondrous Seeing that you call noncombining, does it not combine with brightness, not combine with darkness, not combine with openness, or not combine with obstruction? If it does not combine with brightness, there must be a boundary between seeing and brightness. Now examine carefully: Where is brightness? Where is seeing? From what point could a boundary be drawn between seeing and brightness? Ananda, if within the boundary of brightness there were certainly no seeing, the two would not come into contact. Seeing itself would not know where brightness was, so how could a boundary be established? It is the same with darkness, openness, and obstruction.

“Again, regarding this seeing that you call nonconjoining, does it not conjoin with brightness, not conjoin with darkness, not conjoin with openness, or not conjoin with obstruction? If it does not conjoin with brightness, then seeing and brightness must be contrary in nature, just as the ear and brightness are entirely unrelated. If so, seeing would not know where brightness was; how, then, could one distinguish the principle of Conjoining or Not Conjoining? It is the same with darkness, openness, and obstruction.

Explanation: Ananda’s doubt concerning Not Combining and Conjoining arose because the two dharmas of the True and the Delusive appeared unable to enter one another, for he was not yet able to comprehend the perfect interfusion of the True and the Delusive as one.

Provisionally speaking of Noncombination, seeing and brightness would have to possess a boundary. Provisionally speaking of Nonconjunction, seeing and brightness would have to be opposed in nature and appearance. Yet neither is so; therefore, one should know that this is not Not Combining and Conjoining.

In the preceding passage, Ananda said, “It is impossible, among the appearances of the myriad things before me, to distinguish a separate self-nature belonging to seeing apart from all things.” This is similar to the present passage. Not Combining and Conjoining is spoken of from the wondrous purity of seeing; because it is pure, it admits no intermingling. Not Not Combining and Conjoining is spoken of specifically from the Wondrousness of seeing; because it is Wondrous, there is nowhere it is not present.

The Ocean of Meanings of the Hundred Gates says: “To penetrate Non-arising is to understand that Objective Phenomena are the Conditions of Mind and Mind is the Cause of Objective Phenomena. Only when causes and conditions unite do illusory appearances arise. Because they arise from conditions, they have No Self-Nature. Why is this so? Because objective phenomena cannot serve as their own conditions but must await mind. Mind cannot by itself constitute mind but must await the conditions of objective phenomena. Because they exist in mutual dependence, they cannot be fixed or determinate. Therefore, Conditioned Arising is itself Non-arising; it is not by abandoning Conditioned Arising that one speaks of Non-arising.”

Patriarch Shaoxian ascended the hall and said: “Roll it, and nothing sticks to it; strike it, and it does not break; expose it to the sun, and it does not dry; soak it in water, and it does not rot. It simply hangs in the midst of the Great Void, leaving those with cold eyes to look on from beside it.”

Venerable Pishou was warming himself by the fire.

Daowu asked: “What are you doing?”

Patriarch Shou said: “Uniting.”

Daowu said: “If so, does one become liberated right there?”

Patriarch Shou said: “How long ago did that become separated?”

Daowu flicked his sleeves and departed.

One day, Daowu returned from outside. Patriarch Pishou asked: “Where have you come from?”

Daowu replied: “From nearby.”

Patriarch Shou said: “Why use a sieve to winnow those two pieces of hide?”

Daowu said: “To borrow them.”

Patriarch Shou said: “If he has them, he can lend them to you; but if he does not, then what?”

Daowu said: “It is only because he has them that I borrow them.”

Considering how the venerable adepts raised and expounded the matter in this way, does that Origin of Wondrous Awareness Combine and Conjoin with objective conditions and mental thoughts, or does it not Combine and Conjoin? One must have the eye to discern it!

Section 7: Summation into the Tathagata-garbha

I. SUMMARY

Sutra: “Ananda, you still do not know that all the illusory manifestations of the perceived objects before you arise wherever they arise and perish wherever they perish. Because illusion is born of deluded thought, they are spoken of as characteristics, whereas their true nature is the wondrously aware, luminous essence. Thus, even the five skandhas, the six entrances, the twelve ayatanas, and the eighteen dhatus are all such that:

• When causes and conditions come together, they seemingly arise;
• When causes and conditions separate, they seemingly perish.

You utterly fail to realize that arising, perishing, coming, and going are fundamentally the ever-abiding, wondrously luminous, unmoving, all-pervading nature of the Tathagata-garbha—the wondrous nature of True Suchness. Within that true and eternal nature, any search for the characteristics of coming, going, delusion, awakening, birth, or death will ultimately fail to find them.

Penetrating Commentary: Here the Sudden Gate is directly revealed, opening the path of wondrous bodhi: it is precisely amid the illusory phenomena of the floating sense-dusts that True Suchness is realized. “Within the true and eternal nature, any search for the characteristics of coming, going, delusion, awakening, birth, or death will ultimately fail to find them.”

The various skandhas, entrances, ayatanas, and dhatus possess only illusory and delusive characteristics. Illusion has no nature of its own; it is established in dependence upon the Real, like cataract-flowers appearing in empty space—the entire substance of those flowers is empty space. It is also like waves arising upon water—the waves in their entirety are water.

Therefore, the sutra says, “Their true nature is the wondrously aware, luminous essence.” This essence is precisely the Dharmakaya. Because it inherently contains immeasurable merits, it is called the Tathagata-garbha. Because it fundamentally neither comes nor goes, it is called Ever-Abiding.

Because it has fundamentally never been deluded, it is called Wondrously Luminous. Because it fundamentally neither arises nor perishes, it is called Unmoving. Because it is inherently complete, it is said to be All-Pervading and Perfectly Encompassing.

Since it is solely Ever-Abiding, coming and going cannot be apprehended. Since it is solely Wondrously Luminous, delusion and awakening cannot be apprehended. Since it is solely Unmoving, birth and death cannot be apprehended.

Since it is solely All-Pervading, it is True and Eternal.

What is called here the wondrous nature of True Suchness is, in truth, that in which “from the beginning, not a single thing exists.”

A monk asked Patriarch Huangbo, “This student does not understand. How does the Venerable Master instruct people?”

Patriarch Huangbo said, “I have not a single thing at all. Since ancient times until now, I have never brought out a single thing to give anyone. Since beginningless time, merely because others have given you instructions, you have sought accord and sought understanding and awakening.

In that case, do not both teacher and disciple fall under the king’s punishment? You need only know that when not a single thought receives anything, there is no body of feeling. When not a single thought conceives anything, there is no body of perception.

When there is absolutely no following after fabrication, there is no body of formations. When there is no thinking, comparison, or discrimination, there is no body of consciousness. The instant you now give rise to a single thought, the cycle of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination is immediately present: ignorance conditions formations, both cause and effect; and even old age and death are likewise both cause and effect.

“Therefore, the youth Sudhana visited one hundred and ten places in search of spiritual benefactors; he was merely seeking within the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. At last he met Maitreya. Maitreya in turn directed him to meet Manjushri.

That Manjushri is precisely your own fundamental ground of ignorance. If each successive thought is regarded as distinct and you seek spiritual benefactors outwardly, then the moment a thought arises, it perishes, and the moment it perishes, it arises again. For this reason, you bhikshus undergo birth, old age, sickness, and death.

Repaying causes and requiting effects from time immemorial is precisely the arising and perishing of the five aggregates. The five aggregates are the five skandhas. When not a single thought arises, the eighteen dhatus are immediately empty; this very body is the flower and fruit of bodhi, and this very mind is prajna.

If there is any place of abiding or attachment, then this very body is a corpse, also called a ghost guarding a corpse.”

Do these words of Patriarch Huangbo not illuminate the sutra passage, “Because illusion is born of deluded thought, they are spoken of as characteristics, whereas their true nature is precisely the wondrously aware, luminous essence”?

Haoyue, a patron who made offerings, asked Patriarch Changsha, “‘Once awakened, karmic obstructions are fundamentally empty. Before awakening, old debts must indeed be repaid’ [Song of Realizing the Way]. Why, then, did the Venerable Patriarch Simha and the Second Patriarch Huike have to repay old debts?”

Patriarch Sha said, “Virtuous One, you do not know Fundamental Emptiness [that which has fundamentally been empty from the beginning].”

He asked, “What is Fundamental Emptiness?”