Purification
Vandana
Ti-Sarana
Shigu Seigan
Mon
On
Opening the Dharma
Maka
Hannya Haramita Shin Gyo (The Great Prajna-Paramita Heart Sutra)
SHO-
SAI MYO- KICHIJO- DARANI
First
Sutra Service Dedication
Early
Morning Service Dedication
To-Rei
Zenji: Bodhisattva's Vow
EMMEI
JIKKU KANNON GYO- (Ten Verse Kannon Sutra of Timeless Life)
Second
Sutra Service Dedication
Evening
Dedication
Song
of Zazen
Evening
Ceremony Dedication
The
Evening Message
Sesshin-Ending
Dedication
The
Three Vows of Refuge
The
Three Pure Precepts
The
Ten Grave Precepts
Verse
of the Rakusu
Jukai
Dedication
VERSE
OF THE HAN
Meal
Sutras
Verse
for Informal Meals
SHODOKA
Translations/revisions by Robert Aitken Roshi
December 1991
version
HTML version by Daniel Prosser (prosser@cs.umass.edu)
last updated
1/16/96
(The ascii version of this document can be acquired from a sub-directory
coombspapers via anonymous FTP on the node COOMBS.ANU.EDU.AU)
Last updated:
19 November 1993
The Zen Buddhist texts listed below have been translated
from Japanese by Robert Aitken Roshi of the Diamond Sangha Zen Buddhist Society,
Koko An, 2119 Kaloa Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA 96822. They supersede all earlier
versions and translations of the Daily Zen Sutras.
These texts are used in
several affiliated Zen centers and communities, including California Diamond
Sangha, Santa Rosa and Berkeley, USA (headed by John Tarrant Roshi); Sydney Zen
Center, Australia; and the Zen Group of Western Australia, Perth,
Australia.
All the evil karma, ever created by me since of old;
on account of my
beginningless greed, hatred and ignorance;
born of my conduct, speech and
thought;
I now confess openly and fully.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa.
I venerate the Sacred
One, the Great Sage, the Truly Enlightened One.
Buddham saranam gaccha-mi
I take refuge in the Buddha
Dhammam
saranam gaccha-mi
I take refuge in the Dharma
Sangham saranam
gaccha-mi.
I take refuge in the Sangha.
Shujo mu hen sei gan do
The many beings are numberless, I vow to save
them;
Bonno mu jin sei gan dan
Greed, hatred, and ignorance rise
endlessly, I vow to abandon them;
Ho mon mu ryo sei gan
gaku
Dharma gates are countless, I vow to wake to them;
Butsu do
mu jo sei gan jo
The Buddha's way is unsurpassed, I vow to embody it
fully.
The Dharma, incomparably profound and minutely subtle, is rarely
encountered, even in hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas; We now can see
it, listen to it, accept and hold it; May we completely realize the Tathagata's
true meaning.
KAN JI ZAI BO SA GYO- JIN HAN-NYA HA RA MI TA JI
Avalokiteshvara
Bodhisattva, practicing deep Prajna Paramita,
SHO- KEN GO ON KAI KU- DO
IS-SAI KU YAKU.
clearly saw that all five skandhas are empty, transforming
anguish and distress.
SHA RI SHI SHIKI FU I KU- KU- FU I SHIKI
Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form;
SHIKI SOKU ZE KU- KU- SOKU ZE SHIKI
form is exactly emptiness, emptiness
exactly form;
JU SO- GYO- SHIKI YAKU BU NYO ZE
sensation, perception,
mental reaction, consciousness are also like this.
SHA RI SHI ZE SHO HO- KU-
SO- FU SHO- FU METSU
Sha-riputra, all things are essentially empty-- not
born, not destroyed;
FU KU FU JO- FU ZO- FU GEN
not stained, not pure;
without loss, without gain.
ZE KO KU- CHU- MU SHIKI MU JU SO- GYO- SHIKI
Therefore in emptiness there is no form, no sensation, perception, mental
reaction, consciousness;
MU GEN-NI BI ZES-SHIN I
no eye, ear, nose,
tongue, body, mind,
MU SHIKI SHO- KO- MI SOKU HO-
no color, sound,
smell, taste, touch, object of thought;
MU GEN KAI NAI SHI MU I SHIKI KAI
no seeing and so on to no thinking;
MU MU MYO- YAKU MU MU MYO- JIN
no
ignorance and also no ending of ignorance,
NAI SHI MU RO- SHI YAKU MU RO- SHI
JIN
and so on to no old age and death,
and also no ending of old age and
death;
MU KU SHU METSU DO-Y
no anguish, cause of anguish, cessation,
path;
MU CHI YAKU MU TOKU I MU SHO TOK'KO
no wisdom and no attainment.
Since there is nothing to attain,
BO DAI SAT-TA E HAN-NYA HA RA MI TA
KO
the Bodhisattva lives by Prajna Paramita,
SHIM-MU KEI GE MU KEI GE KO
MU U KU FU
with no hindrance in the mind; no hindrance and therefore no fear;
ON RI IS-SAI TEN DO- MU SO- KU GYO- NE HAN
far beyond delusive thinking,
right here is Nirvana.
SAN ZE SHO BUTSU E HAN-NYA HA RA MI TA KO
All
Buddhas of past, present, and future live by Prajna Paramita
TOKU A NOKU TA
RA SAM-MYAKU SAM-BO DAI
attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
KO CHI HAN-NYA
HA RA MI TA
Therefore know that Prajna Paramita
ZE DAI JIN SHU ZE DAI MYO-
SHU
is the great sacred mantra, the great vivid mantra,
ZE MU JO- SHU ZE
MU TO- TO- SHU
the unsurpassed mantra, the supreme mantra,
NO- JO IS-SAI
KU SHIN JITSU FU KO
which completely removes all anguish.
This is truth
not mere formality.
KO SETSU HAN-MYA HA RA MI TA SHU
Therefore set forth
the Prajna Paramita mantra,
SOKU SETSU SHU WATSU
set forth this mantra
and proclaim:
GYA TEI GYA TEI HA RA GYA TEI HARA SO- GYA TEI
BO JI SOWA KA
HAN-NYA SHIN GYO
Gate gate paragate parasamgate Bodhi sva-ha-!
(repeat 3 times)
NO MO SAN MAN DA MOTO NAN
OHA RA CHI KOTO SHA SONO NAN
TO JI TO EN GYA
GYA GYA KI GYA KI UN NUN
SHIFU RA SHIFU RA HARA SHIFU RA HARA SHIFU RA
CHISHU SA CHISHU SA SHUSHI RI SHUSHI RI
SOHA JA SOHA JA SEN CHI GYA SHIRI
E SOMO KO
Buddha nature pervades the whole universe, existing right here
now.
With our reciting of Maka Hannya Haramita Shin Gyo-
(The Great
Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra) and the Sho- Sai Myo- Kichijo- Darani,
let
us unite with:
The Ancient Seven Buddhas, Dai Osho-,
Shakyamuni Buddha,
Dai Osho-,
Bodhidharma, Dai Osho-,
To-zan Ryo-kai, Dai Osho-,
Do-gen
Kigen, Dai Osho-,
Keizan Jo-kin, Dai Osho-,
Dai'un Sogaku, Dai
Osho-,
Haku'un Ryo-ko-, Dai Osho-,
Ko-un Zenshin, Dai Osho-;
all
founding teachers, past, present, future, Dai Osho-,
let true Dharma
continue, Sangha relations become complete:
All Buddhas throughout space and
time,
all Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas,
the great Prajna Paramita.
Our words ring out through space beyond the stars; their virtue and
compassion echo back from all the many beings;
we recite the Maka Hanya
Haramita Shin Gyo- (Prajna-Paramita Heart Sutra) and the Sho- Sai Myo- Kichijo-
Darani for renewal of the Buddha-mind in fields and forests, homes and streets,
throughout the world, in grateful thanks to all our many guides along the
ancient way;
All Buddhas throught space and time;
all Bodhisattvas,
Mahasattvas;
the great Prajna Paramita.
Leader: I am only a simple disciple, but I offer these
respectful words:
Assembly: When I regard the true nature of the
many dharmas, I find them all to be sacred forms of the Tathagata's never-
failing essence. Each particle of matter, each moment, is no other than the
Tathagata's inexpressible radiance.
With this realization, our virtuous
ancestors gave tender care to beasts and birds with compassionate minds and
hearts. Among us, in our own daily lives, who is not reverently grateful for the
protections of life: food, drink, and clothing! Though they are inanimate
things, they are nonetheless the warm flesh and blood, the merciful incarnations
of Buddha.
All the more, we can be especially sympathetic and affectionate
with foolish people, particularly with someone who becomes a sworn enemy and
persecutes us with abusive language. That very abuse conveys the Buddha's
boundless loving-kindness. It is a compassionate device to liberate us entirely
from the mean-spirited delusions we have built up with our wrongful conduct from
the beginningless past.
With our open response to such abuse we completely
relinquish ourselves, and the most profound and pure faith arises. At the peak
of each thought a lotus flower opens, and on each flower there is revealed a
Buddha. Everywhere is the Pure Land in its beauty. We see fully the Tathagata's
radiant light right where we are.
May we retain this mind and extend it
throughout the world so that we and all beings become mature in Buddha's
wisdom.
(repeat 7 times)
KANZEON
Kanzeon!
NAMU BUTSU
I
venerate the Buddha;
YO BUTSU U IN
with the Buddha I have my source,
YO
BUTSU U EN
with the Buddha I have affinity--
BUP-PO- SO- EN
affinity
with Buddha, Dharma, Sangha,
JO- RAKU GA JO-
constancy, ease, the self,
and purity.
CHO- NEN KANZEON
Mornings my thought is Kanzeon,
BO- NEN
KANZEON
evenings my thought is Kanzeon,
NEN NEN JU- SHIN KI
thought
after thought arises in mind,
NEN NEN FU RI SHIN.
thought after thought is
not separate from mind.
The Buddha and his teachers and his many sons and daughters
turn the
Dharma wheel to show the wisdom of the stones and clouds;
we dedicate the
virtues of reciting To-Rei Zenji's
Bodhisattvas's Vow and the Emmei Jikku
Kannon Gyo- to:
Cho-ro- Nyogen, Dai Osho-,
Hannya Gempo-, Dai
Osho-,
Mitta So-en, Dai Osho-,
and to our relatives and companions of the
past who rest in deepest samadhi;
All Buddhas throughout space and
time;
all Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas;
the great Prajna Paramita.
Infinite realms of light and dark convey the Buddha Mind; birds and trees
and stars and we ourselves come forth in perfect harmony;
we recite our gatha
and our sutra for the many beings of the world;
in grateful thanks to all our
many guides along the ancient way:
All Buddhas throught space and time
all
Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas;
the great Prajna Paramita.
(Dharma poem by Hakuin Ekaku [1685-1768]. Read as part of the
ceremony at the end of the day during during sesshin.)
All beings by nature are Buddha,
as ice by nature is water;
apart from
water there is no ice,
apart from beings no Buddha.
How sad that people
ignore the near
and search for truth afar,
like someone in the midst of
water
crying out in thirst,
like a child of a wealthy home
wandering
among the poor.
Lost on dark paths of ignorance
we wander through the six
worlds,
from dark path to dark path we wander,
when shall we be freed from
birth and death?
For this the zazen of the Mahayana
deserves the highest
praise:
offerings, precepts, paramitas,
Nembutsu, atonement,
training--
the many other virtues--
all rise within zazen.
Even those
with proud attainments
wipe away immeasurable crimes--
where are all the
dark paths then?
the Pure Land itself is not far.
Those who hear this
truth even once
and listen with a grateful heart,
treasuring it, revering
it,
gain blessings without end.
Much more, if you dedicate yourself
and
confirm your own self-nature--
that self-nature is no nature--
you are far
beyond mere argument.
The oneness of cause and effect is clear,
not two,
not three, the path is put right;
with form that is no form
going and
coming--never astray,
with thought that is no thought
singing and dancing
are the voice of the Law.
Boundless and free is the sky of samadhi,
bright
the full moon of wisdom,
truly is anything missing now?
Nirvana is here,
before your eyes,
this very place is the Lotus Land,
this very body the
Buddha.
The sky of samadhi and the moonlight of wisdom
form the temple of our
practice;
our friends and family members guide us
as we walk the ancient
path;
we dedicate the virtues of reciting Hakuin Zenji's Song of Zazen
to:
Rinzai Gigen Dai Osho-
Hakuin Ekaku Dai Osho-
and to the guardians
of the Dharma and the protectors of our sacred hall;
All Buddhas throughout
space and time;
all Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas;
the great Prajna
Paramita.
(Called out from just outside the do-jo- during the ceremony at the
end of each day of sesshin.)
I beg to urge you everyone:
life and death is a grave matter;
all
things pass quickly away.
Each of you must be completely alert;
never
neglectful, never indulgent.
In the purity and clarity of the Dharmakaya, in the fullness and perfection
of the Sambogkaya, in the infinite variety of the Nirmanakaya, we dedicate our
sesshin and our reciting of Maka Hannya Haramita Shin Gyo- to:
The Ancient
Seven Buddhas, Dai Osho-,
Shakyamuni Buddha, Dai Osho-,
All Founding
Teachers, past, present, future, Dai Osho-;
and for the enlightenment of
bushes and grasses and the many beings of the world;
All Buddhas throught
space and time;
all Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas;
the great Prajna
Paramita.
~
(The Assembly Response is from a traditional Soto Zen Buddhist work that was revised by Do-gen Kigen under the title, Kyo-ju-kaimon, Doctrine of Jukai. Initiates take turns reading their vows, beginning with the one sitting at the left-front corner facing the altar. With each response they repeat the traditional vow, and then they read the words they have composed as their own vow.)
Roshi: The Three Vows of Refuge.
Assembly: The Great Precepts of all the Buddhas have been maintained
and protected by all the Buddhas. Buddhas hand them down to Buddhas, and
Ancestral Teachers hand them down to Ancestral Teachers. Acceptance and
observance of the Precepts transcends past, present, and future, and form the
perfect accord in realization between teacher and disciple, continuing through
all ages.
Our great teacher Shakyamuni Buddha imparted them to Mahakashyapa, and Mahakashyapa transmitted them to Ananda. Already the Precepts have passed through many generations in direct succession, reaching down to the present head of this temple.
Now, receiving the Great Precepts, I vow to requite my deep obligation to the Buddhas and Ancestral Teachers. I pledge to establish these Precepts as essential teachings for human beings and other beings so that all will inherit the wisdom of the Buddha.
Roshi: I take refuge in the Buddha.
Initiate:: I take refuge in the Buddha....
Roshi: I take refuge in the Dharma.
Initiate:: I take refuge in the Dharma....
Roshi: I take refuge in the Sangha.
Initiate:: I take refuge in the Sangha....
(The Assembly responses are from the
Kyo-ju-kaimon.)
Roshi: The Three Pure Precepts.
I vow to
maintain the Precepts.
Initiate:: I vow to maintain the Precepts....
Assembly: This is the cave whence all dharmas of all Buddhas
arise.
Roshi: I vow to practice all good dharmas.
Initiate:: I vow to practice all good dharmas....
Assembly: This is the path of fulfilled enlightenment.
Roshi: I vow to save the many beings.
Initiate:: I vow to save the many beings....
Assembly: Transcending profane and holy, I liberate myself and
others.
(The first Assembly Responses to the Precepts are comments attributed
to Bodhidharma from the book, I-hsin Chieh-men (Isshin Kaimon, The Precepts of
One Mind), and the second is from the Kyo-ju-kaimon.)
Roshi: The Ten Grave Precepts.
I take up the Way of Not Killing.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the realm of the
everlasting Dharma, not giving rise to the idea of killing is called the Precept
of Not Killing.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Killing....
Assembly: The Buddha seed grows in accordance with not taking life.
Transmit the life of Buddha's wisdom and do not kill.
Roshi: I take up the Way of Not Stealing.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the realm of the
unattainable Dharma, not having thoughts of gaining is called the Precept of Not
Stealing.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Stealing....
Assembly: The self and things of the world are just as they are. The
gate of emancipation is open.
Roshi: I take up the Way of Not Misusing Sex.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the realm of the
ungilded Dharma, not creating a veneer of attachment is called the Precept of
Not Misusing Sex.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Misusing Sex....
Assembly: The Three Wheels are pure and clear. When you have nothing
to desire, you follow the way of all Buddhas.
Roshi: I take up the Way of Not Speaking Falsely.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the realm of the
inexplicable Dharma, not preaching a single word is called the Precept of Not
Speaking Falsely.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Speaking Falsely....
Assembly: The Dharma wheel turns from the beginning. There is
neither surplus nor lack. The whole universe is moistened with nectar, and the
truth is ready to harvest.
Roshi: I take up the Way of Not Giving or Taking Drugs.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the realm of the
intrinsically pure Dharma, not giving rise to delusions is called the Precept of
Not Giving or Taking Drugs.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Giving or Taking Drugs....
Assembly: Drugs are not brought in yet. Don't let them invade. That
is the great light.
Roshi: I take up the Way of Not Discussing Faults of Others.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the realm of the
flawless Dharma, not expounding upon error is called the Precept of Not
Discussing Faults of Others.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Discussing Faults of Others....
Assembly: In the Buddha Dharma, there is one path, one Dharma, one
realization, one practice. Don't permit fault- finding. Don't permit haphazard
talk.
Roshi: I take up the Way of Not Praising Myself while Abusing Others.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the realm of the
equitable Dharma, not dwelling upon I against you is called the Precept of Not
Praising Myself while Abusing Others.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Praising Myself while Abusing
Others....
Assembly: Buddhas and Ancestral Teachers realize the empty sky and
the great earth. When they manifest the noble body, there is neither inside nor
outside in emptiness. When they manifest the Dharma body, there is not even a
bit of earth on the ground.
Roshi: I take up the Way of Not Sparing the Dharma Assets.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the genuine,
all-pervading Dharma, not being stingy about a single thing is called the
Precept of Not Sparing the Dharma Assets.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Sparing the Dharma Assets....
Assembly: One phrase, one verse--that is the ten thousand things and
one hundred grasses; one dharma, one realization-- that is all Buddhas and
Ancestral Teachers. Therefore from the beginning, there has been no stinginess
at all.
Roshi: I take up the way of not indulging in anger.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the realm of the
selfless Dharma, not contriving reality for the self is called the Precept of
Not Indulging in Anger.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Indulging in Anger....
Assembly: Not advancing, not retreating, not real, not empty. There
is an ocean of bright clouds. There is an ocean of solemn clouds.
Roshi: I take up the Way of Not Defaming the Three Treasures.
Assembly: Self-nature is subtle and mysterious. In the realm of the
One, not holding dualistic concepts of ordinary beings and sages is called the
Precept of Not Defaming the Three Treasures.
Initiate:: I take up the Way of Not Defaming the Three
Treasures....
Assembly: The teisho of the actual body is the harbor and the weir.
This is the most important thing in the world. Its virtue finds its home in the
ocean of essential nature. It is beyond explanation. We just accept it with
respect and gratitude.
(Recited by the assembly at dawn when the priests put on the kesa, their
ceremonial robe, and lay people their rakusu, the small apron-like garment that
symbolizes the Buddha's robe. It is also murmured privately when putting on the
garment at other times.)
I wear the robe of liberation,
the formless field of benefaction,
the
teachings of the Tathagata,
saving all the many beings.
At Magadha, at this very place,
Deep into the sacred ground,
high
into the empty sky,
broadly shading living things
the tree of wisdom
thrives
by rain and soil and sunshine
and by your loving care that we
maintain.
We dedicate the Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra, our ceremony of Jukai
and ourselves to you, Shakyamuni Buddha Dai Osho-,
we celebrate your sacred
presence,
your boundless understanding, and your love.
Let your true
Dharma continue,
and your Sangha relations become complete.
All Buddhas
throughout space and time;
all Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas,
the great Prajna
Paramita.
(Incised on the han at Koko An)
Completely freed from yes and no;
great emptiness charged within;
no
questions, no answers;
like a fish, like a fool.
Buddha, born at Kapilavastu,
Attained the Way at Magadha,
Preaced at
Varanashi,
Entered Nirvana at Kushinagara.
Now as we spread the bowls of
the Buddha Tathagatha we make our vows together with all beings; we and this
food and our eating are vacant,
We take refuge in the Three Treasures,
Remembering our many honored
guides
with gratitude for their gifts of wisdom.
Vairochana, pure and clear Dharmakaya Buddha; Lochana, full and complete
Sambogakaya Buddha; Shakyamuni, infinitely varied Nirmanakaya Buddha; Maitreya,
Buddha still to be born;
All Buddhas Everywhere, past, present, future;
Mahayana Lotus of the Subtle Law Sutra
Manjushri, Great Wisdom Bodhisattva;
Samantabhadra, Great Action Bodhisattva; Avalokiteshvara, Great Compassion
Bodhisattva; all venerated Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, the Great Prajna
Paramita.
Porridge is effective in ten ways
To aid the student of Zen.
No limit
to the good result,
Consummating eternal happiness.
These three virtues and six flavors
Are offered to the Buddha and
Sangha;
May all being of the universe
Share alike this
nourishment.
First, we consider in detail the merit of this food and remember how it came
to us;
Second, we evaluate our own virtue and practice, Lacking or complete,
as we receive this offering;
Third, we are careful about greed, hatred, and
ignorance, to guard our minds and to free ourselves from error;
Fourth, we
take this good medicine to save our bodies from emaciation;
Fifth, we accept
this food to achieve the Way of the Buddha.
Oh, all you hungry ghosts
We now offer this food to you;
May all of you
everywhere
Share it with us together.
The first portion is for the Three Treasures,
The second is for the Four
Blessings
he third is for the Six Paths;
Together with all we take this
food.
The first taste is to cut off all evil
The second is to practice all
good,
The third is to save all beingsl
May we all attain the Way of the
Buddha.
We wash our bowls in this water;
It has the flavor of ambrosial dew;
We
offer it to all hungry ghosts;
May all be filled and satisfied.
The world is like an empty sky;
The lotus does not adhere to waterl
Oue
minds surpass that in purity;
We bow in veneration to the most exalted
one.
(This may be a translation of a Far Eastern gatha. There are several English variations.)
We venerate the Three Treasures
and are thankful for this meal,
the
work of many people
and the sharing of other forms of life.
(Ch. - Cheng-Tao-Ko) "Song of Enlightenment", by Yung-chieh Hsuan-chueh
(J. - Yoka Genkaku) 655 - 713 AD. English translation by Robert Aitken.
There is the leisurely one,
Walking the Tao, beyond philosophy,
Not
avoiding fantasy, not seeking truth.
The real nature of ignorance is the
Buddha-nature itself;
The empty delusory body is the very body of the
Dharma.
When the Dharma body awakens completely,
There is nothing at all.
The
source of our self-nature
Is the Buddha of innocent truth.
Mental and
physical reactions come and go
Like clouds in the empty sky;
Greed,
hatred, and ignorance appear and disappear
Like bubbles on the surface of the
sea.
When we realize actuality,
There is no distinction between mind and
thing
And the path to hell instantly vanishes.
If this is a lie to fool
the world,
My tongue may be cut out forever.
Once we awaken to the Tathagata-Zen,
The six noble deeds and the ten
thousand good actions
Are already complete within us.
In our dream we see
the six levels of illusion clearly;
After we awaken the whole universe is
empty.
No bad fortune, no good fortune, no loss, no gain;
Never seek such things
in eternal serenity.
For years the dusty mirror has gone uncleaned,
Now
let us polish it completely, once and for all.
Who has no-thought? Who is not-born?
If we are truly not-born,
We are
not un-born either.
Ask a robot if this is not so.
How can we realize
ourselves
By virtuous deeds or by seeking the Buddha?
Release your hold on earth, water, fire, wind;
Drink and eat as you wish
in eternal serenity.
All things are transient and completely empty;
This
is the great enlightenment of the Tathagata.
Transience, emptiness and enlightenment --
These are the ultimate truths
of Buddhism;
Keeping and teaching them is true Sangha devotion.
If you
don`t agree, please ask me about it.
Cut out directly the root of it all,
--
This is the very point of the Buddha-seal.
I can't respond to any
concern about leaves and branches.
People do not recognize the Mani-jewel.
Living intimately within the
Tathagata-garbha,
It operates our sight, hearing, smell, taste, sensation,
awareness;
And all of these are empty, yet not empty.
The rays shining from this perfect Mani-jewel
Have the form of no form at
all.
Clarify the five eyes and develop the five powers;
This is not
intellectual work, -- just realize, just know.
It is not difficult to see
images in a mirror,
But who can take hold of the moon in the water?
Always working alone, always walking alone,
The enlightened one walks the
free way of Nirvana
With melody that is old and clear in spirit
And
naturally elegant in style,
But with body that is tough and bony,
Passing
unnoticed in the world.
We know that Shakya's sons and daughters
Are poor in body, but not in the
Tao.
In their poverty, they always wear ragged clothing,
But they have the
jewel of no price treasured within.
This jewel of no price can never be used up
Though they spend it freely to
help people they meet.
Dharmakaya, Sambogakaya, Nirmanakaya,
And the four
kinds of wisdom
Are all contained within.
The eight kinds of emancipation
and the six universal powers
Are all impressed on the ground of their
mind.
The best student goes directly to the ultimate,
The others are very
learned but their faith is uncertain.
Remove the dirty garments from your own
mind;
Why should you show off your outward striving?
Some may slander, some may abuse;
They try to set fire to the heavens with
a torch
And end by merely tiring themselves out.
I hear their scandal as
though it were ambrosial truth;
Immediately everything melts
And I enter
the place beyond thought and words.
When I consider the virtue of abusive words,
I find the scandal-monger is
my good teacher.
If we do not become angry at gossip,
We have no need for
powerful endurance and compassion.
To be mature in Zen is to be mature in
expression,
And full-moon brilliance of dhyana and prajna
Does not
stagnate in emptiness.
Not only can I take hold of complete enlightenment by
myself,
But all Buddha-bodies, like sands of the Ganges,
Can become
awakened in exactly the some way.
The incomparable lion-roar of doctrine
Shatters the brains of the one
hundred kinds of animals.
Even the king of elephants will run away,
forgetting his pride;
Only the heavenly dragon listens calmly, with pure
delight.
I wandered over rivers and seas, crossing mountains and streams,
Visiting
teachers, asking about the Way in personal interviews;
Since I recognized the
Sixth Founding Teacher at Ts'ao Ch'i,
I know what is beyond the relativity of
birth and death.
Walking is Zen, sitting is Zen;
Speaking or silent, active or quiet, the
essence is at peace.
Even facing the sword of death, our mind is
unmoved;
Even drinking poison, our mind is quiet.
Our teacher, Shakyamuni, met Dipankara Buddha
And for many eons he trained
as Kshanti, the ascetic.
Many births, many deaths;
I am serene in this
cycle,--there is no end to it.
Since I abruptly realized the unborn,
I have had no reason for joy or
sorrow
At any honor or disgrace.
I have entered the deep mountains to silence and beauty;
In a profound
valley beneath high cliffs,
I sit under the old pine trees.
Zazen in my
rustic cottage
Is peaceful, lonely, and truly comfortable.
When you truly awaken,
You have no formal merit.
In the multiplicity of
the relative world,
You cannot find such freedom.
Self-centered merit
brings the joy of heaven itself,
But it is like shooting an arrow at the
sky;
When the force is exhausted, it falls to the earth,
And then
everything goes wrong.
Why should this be better
Than the true way of the absolute,
Directly
penetrating the ground of Tathagata?
Just take hold of the source
And never mind the branches.
It is like a
treasure-moon
Enclosed in a beautiful emerald.
Now I understand this
Mani-jewel
And my gain is the gain of everyone endlessly.
The moon shines on the river,
The wind blows through the pines,--
Whose
providence is this long beautiful evening?
The Buddha-nature jewel of
morality
Is impressed on the ground of my mind,
And my robe is the dew,
the fog, the cloud, and the mist.
A bowl once calmed dragons
And a staff separated fighting tigers;
The
rings on this staff jingle musically.
The form of these expressions is not to
be taken lightly;
The treasure-staff of the Tathagata
Has left traces for
us to follow.
The awakened one does not seek truth--
Does not cut off delusion.
Truth
and delusion are both vacant and without form,
But this no-form is neither
empty nor not empty;
It is the truly real form of the Tathagata.
The mind-mirror is clear, so there are no obstacles.
Its brilliance
illuminates the universe
To the depths and in every grain of
sand.
Multitudinous things of the cosmos
Are all reflected in the
mind,
And this full clarity is beyond inner and outer.
To live in nothingness is to ignore cause and effect;
This chaos leads
only to disaster.
The one who clings to vacancy, rejecting the world of
things,
Escapes from drowning but leaps into fire.
Holding truth and rejecting delusion--
These are but skillful
lies.
Students who do zazen by such lies
Love thievery in their own
children.
They miss the Dharma-treasure;
They lose accumulated power;
And this
disaster follows directly upon dualistic thinking.
So Zen is the complete
realization of mind,
The complete cutting off of delusion,
The power of
wise vision penetrating directly to the unborn.
Students of vigorous will hold the sword of wisdom;
The prajna edge is a
diamond flame.
It not only cuts off useless knowledge,
But also
exterminates delusions.
They roar with Dharma-thunder;
They strike the Dharma-drum;
They spread
clouds of love, and pour ambrosial rain.
Their giant footsteps nourish
limitless beings;
Sravaka, Pratyeka, Bodhisattva--all are
enlightened;
Five kinds of human nature all are emancipated.
High in the Himalayas, only fei-ni grass grows.
Here cows produce pure and
delicious milk,
And this food I continually enjoy.
One complete nature
passes to all natures;
One universal Dharma encloses all Dharmas.
One moon is reflected in many waters;
All the water-moons are from the one
moon.
The Dharma-body of all Buddhas has entered my own nature, And my nature
becomes one with the Tathagata.
One level completely contains all levels;
It is not matter, mind nor
activity.
In an instant eighty-thousand teachings are fulfilled;
In a
twinkling the evil of eons is destroyed.
All categories are no category;
What relation have have these to my
insight?
Beyond praise, beyond blame, --
Like space itself it has no
bounds.
Right here it is eternally full and serene,
If you search elsewhere, you
cannot see it.
You cannot grasp it, you cannot reject it;
In the midst of
not gaining,
In that condition you gain it.
It speaks in silence,
In speech you hear its silence.
The great way has
opened and there are no obstacles.
If someone asks, what is your sect
And
how do you understand it?
I reply, the power of tremendous prajna.
People say it is positive;
People say it is negative;
But they do not
know.
A smooth road, a rough road --
Even heaven cannot imagine.
I have
continued my zazen for many eons;
I do not say this to confuse you.
I raise the Dharma-banner and set forth our teaching;
It is the clear
doctrine of the Buddha
vWhich I found with my teacher, Hui
Neng,
Mahakashyapa became the Buddha-successor,
Received the lamp and
passed it on.
Twenty-eight generations of teachers in India,
Then over
seas and rivers to our land
Bodhi Dharma came as our own first
founder,
And his robe, as we all know, passed through six teachers
here,
And how many generations to come may gain the path,
No one
knows.
The truth is not set forth;
The false is basically vacant.
Put both
existence and non-existence aside,
Then even non-vacancy is vacant,
The
twenty kinds of vacancy have no basis,
And the oneness of the
Tathagata-being
Is naturally sameness.
Mind is the base, phenomena are dust;
Yet both are like a flaw in the
mirror.
When the flaw is brushed aside,
The light begins to shine.
When
both mind and phenomena are forgotten,
Then we become naturally
genuine.
Ah, the degenerate materialistic world!
People are unhappy; they find
self-control difficult.
In the centuries since Shakyamuni, false views are
deep,
Demons are strong, the Dharma is weak, disturbances are many.
People hear the Buddha's doctrine of immediacy,
And if they accept it, the
demons will be crushed
As easily as a roofing tile.
But they cannot
accept, what a pity!
Your mind is the source of action;
Your body is the agent of
calamity;
No pity nor blame to anyone else.
If you don't seek an
invitation to hell,
Never slander the Tathagata's true teaching.
In the sandalwood forest, there is no other tree.
Only the lion lives in
such deep luxuriant woods,
Wandering freely in a state of peace.
Other
animals and birds stay far away.
Just baby lions follow the parent,
And three-year-olds already roar
loudly.
How can the jackal pursue the king of the Dharma
Even with a
hundred-thousand demonic arts?
The Buddha's doctrine of directness
Is not a matter for human
emotion.
If you doubt this or feel uncertain,
Then you must discuss it
with me.
This is not the free rein of a mountain monk's ego.
I fear your
training may lead to wrong views
Of permanent soul or complete
extinction.
Being is not being; non-being is not non-being;
Miss this rule by a
hair,
And you are off by a thousand miles.
Understanding it, the
dragon-child abruptly attains Buddhahood;
Misunderstanding it, the greatest
scholar falls into hell.
From my youth I piled studies upon studies,
In sutras and sastras I
searched and researched,
Classifying terms and forms, oblivious to
fatigue.
I entered the sea to count the sands in vain
And then the
Tathagata scolded me kindly
As I read "What profit in counting your
neighbor's treasure?"
My work had been scattered and entirely useless,
For
years I was dust blown by the wind.
If the seed-nature is wrong, misunderstandings arise,
And the Buddha's
doctrine of immediacy cannot be attained.
Shravaka and Pratyeka students may
study earnestly
But they lack aspiration.
Others may be very
clever,
But they lack prajna.
Stupid ones, childish ones,
They suppose there is something in an empty
fist.
They mistake the pointing finger for the moon.
They are idle
dreamers lost in form and sensation.
Not supposing something is the Tathagata.
This is truly called Kwan-Yin,
the Bodhisattva who sees freely.
When awakened we find karmic hindrances
fundamentally empty.
But when not awakened, we must repay all our
debts.
The hungry are served a king's repast,
And they cannot eat.
The sick
meet the king of doctors;
Why don't they recover?
The practice of Zen in
this greedy world --
This is the power of wise vision.
The lotus lives in
the midst of the fire;
It is never destroyed.
Pradhanashura broke the gravest precepts;
But he went on to realize the
unborn.
The Buddhahood he attained in that moment
Lives with us now in our
time.
The incomparable lion roar of the doctrine!
How sad that people are
stubbornly ignorant;
Just knowing that crime blocks enlightenment,
Not
seeing the secret of the Tathagata teaching.
Two monks were guilty of murder and carnality.
Their leader, Upali, had
the light of a glow-worm;
He just added to their guilt.
Vimalakirti
cleared their doubts at once
As sunshine melts the frost and snow.
The remarkable power of emancipation
Works wonders innumerable as the
sands of the Ganges.
To this we offer clothing, food, bedding,
medicine.
Ten thousand pieces of gold are not sufficient;
Though you break
your body
And your bones become powder, --
This is not enough for
repayment.
One vivid word surpasses millions of years of practice.
The King of the Dharma deserves our highest respect.
Tathagatas,
innumerable as sands of the Ganges,
All prove this fact by their
attainment.
Now I know what the Mani-jewel is:
Those who believe this will
gain it accordingly.
When we see truly, there is nothing at all.
There is no person; there is
no Buddha.
Innumerable things of the universe
Are just bubbles on the
sea.
Wise sages are all like flashes of lightning
However the burning iron ring revolves around my head,
With bright
completeness of dhyana and prajna
I never lose my equanimity.
If the sun
becomes cold, and the moon hot,
Evil cannot shatter the truth.
The
carriage of the elephant moves like a mountain,
How can the mantis block the
road?
The great elephant does not loiter on the rabbit's path.
Great
enlightenment is not concerned with details.
Don't belittle the sky by
looking through a pipe.
If you still don't understand,
I will settle it
for you.