respectful toward others — this is the way to take refuge within ourselves.
I have a stanza, the reciting and practising of which will at once dispel the delusions and expiate the sins accumulated dur- ing many kalpas. This is the stanza: — 512 SELECTIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES People under delusion accumulate tainted merit but tread not the Path.
They are under the illusion that to accumulate merit and to tread the Path are one and the same thing.
Their merit for alms-giving and offerings may be infi- nite.
But they fail to realise that the ultimate source of sin lies in the greed, hatred and infatuation within their own mind.
They expect to expiate their sin by the accumulation of merit, Without knowing that the felicities to be gained thereby in future lives.
Have nothing to do with expiation of sin.
If we get rid of the sin within our own mind Then it is a case of true repentance.
One who realises suddenly what constitutes true repent- ance in the Mahayana sense.
And who ceases to do evil and practises righteousness, is free from sin.
• • • Essence of Mind (Tathata) is the real Buddha, While heretical views and the three poisonous elements are Mara.
Enlightened by Right Views, we call forth the Buddha within us.
When our nature is dominated by the three poisonous elements, as the result of heretical views.
We are said to be possessed by Mara; But when Right Views free our minds of these poison elements, Mara will be transformed into a real Buddha.
A follower of the Path who keeps constant watch on his Mind-essence Is in the same class with the many Buddhas.
Our Patriarchs transmitted no other system but this of “Sudden Enlightenment.”
If you are seeking Dharmakaya, Search for it apart from the world of things and phe- nomena.
SUTRA SPOKEN BY THE SIXTH PATRIARCH 513 Then your mind will be pure and free.
Exert yourself in order to come face to face with Mind- essence and relax not; For death may come suddenly and put an end to your earthly existence.
Learned Audience: — All of you should recite this stanza and put it into practice. If you succeed in realising Essence of Mind, then you may think of yourselves as being in my pres- ence though you may be a thousand miles away. But should you be unable to do so, though we were face to face with each other, we would really be thousands of miles apart. In that case what is the use of your taking the trouble to come here from such a long distance? Take good care of yourselves. I bid you good-bye.
Chapter III Discourse on Prajna On the following day Prefect Wai asked the Patriarch to give another address. Having taken his seat, the Patriarch asked the assembly to first purify their minds (by a period of dhyana- silence) and then to join in reciting the Maha Prajna-paramita Sutra, after which he gave the following address: — Learned Audience: Prajna, the principle of wisdom, is in- herent in every one of us. It is because of the delusions under which our minds labor that we fail to realise its presence, and that we have to seek the advice and the guidance of the more highly enlightened before we can realise it In our mind’s Es- sence. You should know that as far as Buddha-nature is concerned, there is no difference between an enlightened man and an ignorant one. What makes the difference is that one realises it and the other is ignorant of it. Let me speak to you now about the Maha Prajna-paramita Sutra, so that each of you may attain wisdom. Listen carefully while I speak.
Learned Audience: There are many people who recite the word, Prajna, the whole day long, who do not seem to know 5 i4 SELECTIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES that Prajna is inherent in their own nature. The mere talking about food will not appease hunger, but that is the very thing these people are doing. We may talk about the “Doctrine of Voidness” for myriads of kalpas, but merely talking about it will not enable one to realise it in his Mind-essence, and the talking will serve no good purpose in the end.
The name, Maha Prajna-paramita, is Sanskrit and means, "great Wisdom to reach the opposite shore.” Now, what we ought to do with it is to carry it into practice with our mind; whether w.e recite it or do not recite it matters little. Mere re- citing without mental practice, may be likened to a phantasm, a magical delusion, a flash of lighting, or a dew-drop. On the other hand, if we do both, then our mind will be in accord with what we repeat orally. Our very self-nature is Buddha, and apart from this nature there is no other Buddha.
What is Maha? Maha means, “great.” The capacity of the mind is as great as that of space. It is infinite, it is neither round nor square, neither great nor small, neither green nor yellow, neither red nor white, neither above nor below, neither long nor short, neither angry nor happy, neither right nor wrong, neither good nor evil, neither first nor last. All Buddha- lands are as void as space. Intrinsically our transcendental nature is void and not a single dharma can be attained. It is the same with Mind-essence which is a state of the “voidness of non-voidity.”
Learned Audience: when you hear me speak about the void, do not fall into the idea that I mean vacuity. It is of the ut- most importance that we should not fall into that idea, because then when a man sits quietly and keeps his mind blank he would be abiding in a state of the “voidness of indifference.” The illimitable void of the Universe is capable of holding myriads of things of various shapes and form, such as the sun and the moon, and the stars, worlds, mountains, rivers, rivulets, springs, woods, bushes, good men, bad men, laws pertaining to goodness and to badness, heavenly planes and hells, great oceans and all the mountains of Mahameru. Space takes in all these, and so does the voidness of our nature. We say that Es- sence of Mind is great because it embraces all things since all things are within our nature. When we see the goodness or the badness of other people, and are not attracted by it, nor re- pulsed by it, nor attached to it, then the attitude of our mind SUTRA SPOKEN BY THE SIXTH PATRIARCH 515 is as void as space. In that we see the greatness of our minds, therefore we call Mind-essence, Maha.
Learned Audience: When ignorant people have ideas they merely talk about them, but wise men keep them within their own minds and put them into practice. There is also a class of foolish people who sit quietly and try to keep their minds blank; they refrain from thinking of anything and then call themselves “great.” Concerning this heretical view, I have no patience to speak. You should know that the capacity of the mind is very great since it pervades the whole Universe wher- ever the domain of Law extends. When we use the mind we can consider everything; when we use Mind to its full capac- ity, we shall know all.
Prajna comes from Mind-essence and not from any exterior source. Do not have any mistaken notion about that. To cher- ish mistaken notions about that is to make a “selfish use of True Nature.” Once the “True Nature” of Mind-essence is realised, one will be forever free from delusion. Since the capacity of Mind is for great things, we should not busy it with trivial acts. (That is, the mind that can realise Mind- essence through the right practice of dhyana, ought not to be sitting quietly with a blank mind nor wasting its resources on idle talk.) Do not talk all day about “the void,” without practising it in the mind. One who does this may be likened to a self-styled king who is really a commoner. Prajna can never be attained in that way and those who act like that are not my disciples.
What is Prajna? It means. Transcendental Wisdom. If we steadily, at all times and in all places, keep our thoughts free from foolish desire and act wisely on all occasions, then we are practising the Paramita of Prajna. One foolish notion is enough to shut-off Prajna; one wise thought will bring it forth again. People in ignorance or under delusion do not see this; they talk about it with their tongue but in their mind they are ig- norant of it. They are always saying that they practice Prajna, and they talk incessantly about “vacuity,” but they have not realised the True Void. Prajna is Wisdom’s Heart; it has neither form nor characteristic. If we interpret it in this way, then it is, indeed, the Wisdom of Prajna.
What is Paramita? It is a Sanskrit word (commonly trans- lated, “ideal”) that means, “to the opposite shore.” Figura- 516 SELECTIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES tively it means, “beyond existence and non-existence.” By cling- ing to sense things, existence and non-existence are like the ups and downs of the billowy sea. Such a state, metaphorically is called, “this shore”; while beyond existence and non-existence there is a state characterised by non-attachment that has the undisturbed calmness of running water, that is called, “the op- posite shore.” This is why Prajna is called, Paramita.
Learned Audience: People under illusion recite the Maha Prajna-paramita with their tongue and, while they are reciting it, erroneous and evil thoughts arise; but if they put it into practice unremittingly they will come to realise its True Na- ture. To know this Dharma is to know the Law of Prajna; and to practice it is to practice Ideal Wisdom. He who does not practice it is an ordinary man; he who concentrates his mind on its practice, even if it be but for a moment only, he is the equal of Buddha. An ordinary man is Buddha! and de- filement is Enlightenment (Bodhi). A passing foolish thought makes one an ordinary man, while an enlightened thought makes one a Buddha. A passing thought that clings to sense- objects is defilement; a second thought that frees one from attachment is Enlightenment.
Maha Prajna-paramita! The Great Transcendental-Wisdom Ideal, supreme, most exalted, foremost. It neither stays, nor goes, nor comes. By it Buddhas of the present, the past and future generations attain Buddhahood. We should use this Per- fect Wisdom to break up the five bundles of aggregates that make up our personality, and thus get rid of the pollutions and contaminations. To follow such a practice ensures the attainment of Buddhahood. The three poisonous elements (greed, anger and infatuation) will then be turned into good conduct (sila) and self-realisation (samadhi) and wisdom {Prajna). When one is free from defilement, Wisdom reveals itself steadily and cannot be distinguished from Mind-essence. Those- who understand this Dharma will be free from idle thoughts. To be free from discriminations, from clinging to desires, from illusions; to set free one’s true nature; to use Prajna for contemplation; to take an attitude of neither indif- ference nor attachment towards all things — that is what is meant by realising one’s true Essence of Mind and (in its per- fection) is the attainment of Buddhahood.
Learned Audience: If you wish to penetrate the deepest SUTRA SPOKEN BY THE SIXTH PATRIARCH 517 mystery of the Dharma-world and experience the deepest reali- zation (samadhi) of Prajna, you should practice Prajna by reciting and studying the Diamond Sutra (the Vajracchedika) which will enable you to realize Essence of Mind. You should know that the merit for studying this Sutra is distinctly set forth in the text in laudatory terms; it is immeasurable and illimitable and cannot be enumerated in detail. This Sutra ex- pounds the highest thought of Buddhism and our Lord Buddha delivered it specially for the very wise and quick-witted. The less wise and the slow-witted doubt its credibility. Why? For example: When it rains through the power of the celestial Naga on the plains of India, cities, towns and villages are drifted about as if they were only leaves of the date tree; but should it rain on the great ocean, the level of the seas of the whole world would not be affected by it. When the followers of the highest school of Mahayana 'study the Diamond Sutra, their minds become enlightened as they realize that Prajna is imma- nent in their own Mind-essence. Since they have their own access to highest wisdom through the constant practice of con- centration and contemplation (dhyana and samadhi) they realize that they no longer need to rely on scriptural authority.
The Prajna immanent in the minds of every one may be likened to the rain, the moisture of which refreshes every living thing, trees and plants as well as sentient creatures. When rivers and streams reach the sea, the water carried by them merges into the one body, which is a good analogy. When rain falls in a deluge, plants which are not deep-rooted are washed away and eventually they perish. It is the same with the slow- witted when they hear about the teachings of the “Sudden School.” The Prajna immanent in them is exactly the same as that in very wise men, but when the Dharma is made known to them they fail to enlighten themselves. Why is it? It is because their minds are thickly veiled by erroneous views and deeply rooted infections, just as the sun is often thickly veiled by clouds and unable to show its splendor until the wind blows the clouds away. Prajna does not vary with different persons; what makes the seeming difference is the question whether one’s mind is enlightened or is beclouded. He who does not realize his own Mind-essence, and rests under the delusion that Buddhahood can be attained by outward religious rites, is rightly called the slow-witted. He who knows the teachings of 518 SELECTIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES the “Sudden School,” and who attaches no importance to ritual, and whose mind always functions under right views so that he is absolutely free of defilement and contamination, such an one may be said to have realized his Mind-essence.
Learned Audience: The mind should be framed in such a way that it will be independent of external and internal things, at liberty to come and go, free from attachment, thoroughly enlightened, without the least obscuration. He whose mind is thus framed is able to measure up to the standard of the Prajna Sutras. The sutras and the scriptures of both the Ma- hayana and the Hinayana, as well as the twelve sections of the canonical writings, were provided to suit the different needs and temperaments of various people. It is upon the principle that Prajna is latent in every man that the doctrines expounded in these scriptures are established. If there were no human be- ings, there would be no teachings; hence we know that all teachings are made for man and that all the Sutras owe their existence to preachers. Some men are wise, the so called supe- rior men, and some are ignorant, the so called inferior men; the wise preach to the ignorant when they are asked to do so. Through this the ignorant may attain sudden enlightenment and their minds will become illuminated thereby; then they are no longer different from wise men. This does not mean that without enlightenment a man is in a class with human beings different from Buddhahood. The opposite is the truth, he has always been in the same class with Buddhas from the begin- ning. Ignorance does not separate him from Buddhahood, it only obscures his realization of his true Buddha nature.
A gleam of enlightenment is enough to make a living being the equal of a Buddha. Since all truth (Dharmas) is immanent in our minds, there is no reason why we should not realize in- tuitively the real nature of Mind-essence ( tathata ). The Bodhi- sattva Sila Sutra says, “Our Essence of Mind is intrinsically pure; if we knew our mind perfectly and realized what our self- nature truly is, all of us would attain Buddhahood.” The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra says, “At once they become enlight- ened and regain their true mind.”
When the Fifth Patriarch preached to me I became enlight- ened immediately after he had spoken and spontaneously I realized the real nature of Mind-essence (tathata). For this reason it is my particular object to propagate the teaching of SUTRA SPOKEN BY THE SIXTH PATRIARCH 5x9 the “Sudden” School so that learners may know enlightenment at once and realize their true nature by introspection of mind. Should they fail to enlighten themselves they ought to ask some very pious and learned Buddhist who understands the teachings of this highest school to show them the right way. The office of a pious and learned Buddhist who guides others to realize Essence of Mind, is an exalted position. Through his assistance one may be initiated into all meritorious Dharmas. The wisdom of Buddhas, past, present and future, as well as the teachings of the twelve sections of the canon are immanent in the mind, but in case we fail to enlighten ourselves, we have to seek the guidance of the pious and learned. On the other hand those who enlighten themselves need no extraneous help. It is wrong to insist upon the idea that we cannot obtain liber- ation without the assistance of the pious and learned. It is by our innate wisdom that we enlighten ourselves, and even the extraneous help and instruction of a pious and learned friend would be of no use so long as one is deluded by false doctrines and erroneous views. As we introspect our minds with Prajna, all erroneous views will disappear of themselves, and just as soon as we realize Essence of Mind we will immediately arrive at the Buddha stage.
When we use Prajna for introspection we are illuminated within and without and are in position to know our own na- ture. To realize our own nature is to obtain fundamental lib- eration. To obtain liberation is to attain the Samadhi of Prajna, which is intuitive insight. What is intuitive insight? Intuitive insight to see and to realize all dharmas (things as well as truths) with a mind free from attachment. In action Prajna is everywhere present yet it “sticks” nowhere. What we have to do is to so purify the mind that the six aspects of consciousness (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, mentation) in passing through their six sense-gates will neither be defiled by nor attached to their six sense-objects. When our mind works freely without .any hindrance and is at liberty “to come” or “to go,” then we have attained the intuitive insight pf Prajna, which is emanci- pation. To enable one to attain such a mental state of freedom is the function of intuitive insight. To refrain from thinking of anything, in the sense that all mental activity is suppressed, is to be Dharma-ridden; this is an extremely erroneous view. (Discriminative thought which leads to desire and attachment.
520 SELECTIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES or to aversion and defilement, is to be controlled in the interests of intuitive thought which leads to self-realization and freedom.)
Those who understand the way of intuitive insight will know everything; they will have the experience that all the Buddhas have had, and they will attain Buddhahood. In the future, if an initiate of my school should make a vow in com- pany with his fellow-disciples to devote his whole life without retrogression to the practice and commemoration of the teach- ings of this “Sudden” School, in the same spirit as if he were serving the Buddha, he would attain without failure the Path that leads to Bodhisattvahood and Buddhahood. He should transmit from heart the instructions handed down from one Patriarch to another, and no attempt should be made to conceal the orthodox teaching.
Learned Audience: I have a Stanza for all of you to recite. Both laity and monks should put its teachings into practice, without which it would be useless to remember the words alone. Listen to this stanza: — A master of the Buddhist canon As well as the teachings of the Dhyana school Should teach nothing but the Dharma for realizing Es- sence of Mind.
We can hardly classify dharmas into “sudden” and “gradual,” But some men will attain enlightenment quicker than others.
For example: this system for realizing Essence of Mind Is beyond the comprehension of the ignorant.
We may explain it in ten thousand ways.
But all these explanations may be traced back to one principle.
To illumine our gloomy mind, stained by defilement, We should constantly set up the Sun of Wisdom. Erroneous views keep us in defilement.
But right views remove us far from it.
But when we are in a position to discard both defile- ment and purity Then are we absolutely free.
Bodhi is immanent in our Mind-essence; Any attempt to look for it elsewhere is foolish.
SUTRA SPOKEN BY THE SIXTH PATRIARCH 521 Within our defiled minds, purity is to be found, And once our mind is set right, we are free from the bonds Of defilement, of evil karma, of expiation.
If we are treading the Path of Enlightenment, We need not be worried by stumbling-blocks.
If we keep an eye constantly on our own faults.
We cannot go far astray from the right path.
Every species of life has its own way of salvation; They will not be antagonistic one to another.
If we leave our own path and seek for another way Of salvation, we shall never find it.
Though we plod on till death overtake us We shall find only penitence at the end.
If one wishes to find the true way, Right action will lead him to it directly.
If one has not a mind to aim at Buddhahood, One will grope in the dark and never find it.
He who treads the Path in earnest Sees not the mistakes of the world.
If we find fault with others, We ourselves are also in the wrong; When other people are in the wrong we should ignore it; It is wrong for one to find fault with others.
By getting rid of the habit of fault-finding.
We get rid of one source of defilement.
When neither hatred nor love disturb the mind.
Serene and restful is our sleep.
Those who intend to be teachers of others Should themselves be skillful in the various expedients that lead to enlightenment.
When the disciple is free from all doubts Then it indicates that his Mind-essence is unclouded.
This world is the Buddha-world Within which enlightenment may be sought.
To seek enlightenment by separating from this world Is as foolish as to search for a rabbit’s horn.
Right views are called “transcendental,” Erroneous views are called “worldly,” But when all views, both right and erroneous, are dis- carded.
528 SELECTIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES Then the essence of Wisdom manifests itself.
Kalpa after kalpa a man may be under illusion.
But once enlightened, it takes him but a moment to attain Buddhahood.
* * * After hearing what the Patriarch had to say. Prefect Wai, the government officials, Taoists, monks, and laymen, were all enlightened. They made obeisance in a body and exclaimed unanimously, “Well donel Well done! Who would have ex- pected that a Buddha would be born in Kwongtung?”
Chapter IV Discourse on Dhyana and Samadhi The Patriarch, on another occasion, addressed the assembly as follows: — Learned Audience: Samadhi and Prajna are fundamental. But you must not be under the wrong impression that they are independent of each other, for they are not two entities, they are inseparably united. Samadhi is the quintessence of Prajna, while Prajna is the activity of Samadhi.
At the very moment Prajna is realized, Samadhi is simul- taneously attained. At the very moment that Samadhi is realized, Prajna is attained. A disciple should not think that there is a distinction between first comes Samadhi, then comes Prajna, and first comes Prajna, then comes Samadhi. To think that way would imply succession and cause and effect, whereas, they are simultaneous. For one whose tongue is ready with good words but whose heart is impure, Samadhi and Prajna are useless because they are not in balance. On the other hand, when one is good in mind as well as in word, and when the outward appearance and inner feelings are in harmony with each other, then Samadhi and Prajna are in balance.
To an enlightened disciple (who has realized Prajna in Samadhi) discussion about it is unnecessary. To argue about Prajna or Samadhi as to which comes first, places one in the SUTRA SPOKEN BY THE SIXTH PATRIARCH 523 pme position with those who are under delusion. Argument implies a desire to win, it strengthens egoism, it binds one to belief in the idea of “a self, a being, a living being and a person. But we may liken Samadhi and Prajna to a glowing lamp and its light: with the glowing lamp there is light; with- out it there is darkness. Light is the quintessence of the glow- ing lamp, the glowing lamp is the expression of light. In name they are two things, but in reality they are one and the same. It is the same with Samadhi and Prajna.
The Patriarch continued: To practice samadhi is to make it a rule to have the mind in concentrated attention on all occa- sions (that is, not to let the mind wander from the thing in hand),— no matter what we are doing, walking, standing, sitting or reclining. The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra says: “Straight- forwardnesses the holy place, the Pure Land.” Do not let your mind be “crooked” and try to be straightforward with your lips only. People should practice straightforwardness but should not attach themselves to anything. People under delusion believe obstinately that there is a substance behind appearances and so they are stubborn in holding to their own way of interpreting the samadhi of specific mode, which they define as, “sitting quietly and continuously without letting any idea arise in the mind/ Such an interpretation would class us with inanimate objects; it is a stumbling-block to the right Path and the Path should be kept open. How can we block the Path? By attach- ment to any definite thought; if we free our minds from attach- ments, the Path will be clear, otherwise we are in bondage. If that practice of “sitting quietly without letting any idea arise in the mind,” is correct, why on one occasion was Saraputra reprimanded by Vimalakirti for sitting quietly in the forest? (That is, it is not thinking that blocks the Path, but attach- ment to definite thoughts.)
Some teachers of concentration instructed their disciples to keep a watch on their minds and secure tranquillity by the cessation of all thought, and henceforth their disciples gave up all effort to concentrate the mind and ignorant persons who did not understand the distinction became insane from trying to carry out the instruction literally. Such cases are not rare and it is a great mistake to teach the practice.
It ^ has been the tradition of our school to make “non-ob- jectivity” as our basis, “idea-lessness” as our object, and “non- 524 SELECTIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES attachment” as our fundamental principle. “Non-objectivity” means, not to be absorbed in objects when in contact with ob- jects; “idea-lessness” means, not to be carried away by any particular idea in our exercise of the mental faculty; (“non- attachment” means, not to cherish any desire for or aversion to any particular thing or idea). “Non-attachment” is the char- acteristic of Mind-essence.
We should treat all things — good or bad, beautiful or ugly — as void (of any self-substance). Even in time of dispute and quarrel, we should treat intimates and enemies alike and never think of retaliation. In the thinking faculty, let the past be dead. If we allow our thoughts, past, present and future, to become linked up into a series, we put ourselves under restraint. On the other hand, if we never let our mind become attached at any time to any thing, we gain emancipation. For this rea- son we make “non-attachment” our fundamental principle.
To free ourselves from dependence upon externals is called, “non-objectivity.” In as far as we are in position to do this, the path of the Dharma is free. That is why we make “non- objectivity” our basis.
To keep our mind free from defilement under all circum- stances is called “idea-lessness.” Our mind should always stand aloof and on no account should we allow circumstances to in- fluence the functioning of the mind. It is a great mistake to suppress all thinking. Even if we succeed, and die immediately thereafter, still, there is rebirth. Mark this, pilgrims of the Path! It is bad enough for a man to commit blunders by cherishing false ideas of the Dharma, how much worse to teach others. Being deluded, he is blind himself, and in addition he misrepresents and puts to shame the Buddhist scriptures. There- fore we make “idea-lessness” our object.
There is a type of man who is under delusion who boasts of his realization of Mind-essence; but being influenced by circum- stances ideas rise in his mind, followed by erroneous views, which in turn become the source of attachment and defilement. In Essence of Mind, intrinsically, there is nothing to be attained. To boast of attainment and to talk foolishly of merits and demerits is erroneous and defiling. For this reason we make “idea-lessness” the object of our school.
(If “idea-lessness” is not the cessation of all thought) what ideas should we get rid of, and on what ideas should we focus SUTRA SPOKEN BY THE SIXTH PATRIARCH 525 our mind? We should get rid of all “pairs of opposites” of all conceptions of goodness and badness (that is, of all discrimi- native thinking). We should focus our mind on the true na- ture of reality. (The word used is “Tathata,” which means, “True Nature,” or Mind-essence, or Prajna, or “Oneness,” or “Suchness,” or anything else that is ultimate.) Tathata (con- sidered as the ultimate “suchness” of Mind-essence) is the quintessence of “idea”; “idea” is the manifestation of Tathata. It is the function of Tathata to give rise to “ideas.” It is not the sense-organs that do so. Tathata (considered as the Intel- lective Principle) reproduces its own attribute, therefore, it can give rise to “idea.” Without Tathata, sense-organs and sense- objects would disappear immediately. Because it is an attribute to Tathata to give rise to ideas, our sense-organs, in spite of their functioning in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and knowing, are not tainted and defiled under all circumstances. (It is the cherishing of “attachments” that defiles.) Our true- nature is “self-manifesting” all the time. (The Path to self- realization of Mind-essence through Samadhi and Prajna is present to all, even though for some it may be blocked for a time by “attachments.”) Therefore, the Sutra says: “He who is an adept in appreciation of that which lies behind things and phenomena, is established upon the Ultimate Principle (Prajna).