Question 3:
In the Platform Sutra, the Sixth Patriarch stated，"Those living in the East who commit transgressions, recite the Buddha's name seeking rebirth in the West. Where do those transgressors living in the West seek rebirth, when they recite the Buddha's name? Thus, we should only aim at eliminating transgressions. What need is there to recite the Buddha's name seeking rebirth?
Answer:
The Sixth Patriarch and high-ranking Zen Masters were intent on teaching the Mind only doctrine. Thus, all of their words were based on these tenets, pointing directly to the Self-Nature, with the mind as the center. What the Patriarch was really saying is that if the mind is pure, even though we are in the Saha World, we are emancipated and free. If the mind is impure, even in the Pure Land we are still subject to the sufferings of Birth and Death. In truth, for the Pure Land cultivator who understands the Dharma, the Patriarch's words serve only to urge him on, encouraging him to recite the Buddha's name to the level of purity of mind, devoid of all attachment to forms. The Patriarch did not reject the act of reciting the Buddha's name to seek rebirth. Buddha Sakyamuni, the Buddhas of the ten directions, the great Bodhisattvas and the Patriarchs all recommended seeking rebirth in the Pure Land. The two foremost Indian Zen Patriarchs, Asvaghosha and Nagarjuna, both recommended the Pure Land method. Nagarjuna himself, according to the Lankavatara Sutra, was enlightened to the preliminary Bodhisattva stage of "extreme Joy," and was reborn in the Pure Land.
If the Sixth Patriarch had truly intended to reject Buddha Recitation, he would have been criticizing and rejecting Buddha Sakyamuni, the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas and the Patriarchs, including the very precursors who established his own Zen School, the Patriarchs Asvaghosha and Nagarjuna. How can that be? Therefore, if we were to misunderstand the Sixth Patriarch's words and use those very words to deprecate Buddha Recitation, we would be slandering and sowing the seeds of injustice toward him.
Moreover, every method has two aspects, noumenon (principle) and phenomena. The above quotation from the Sixth Patriarch is at the level of principle. We must also consider the phenomenal aspect of the path to liberation. Let us restate the question. "Those who commit transgressions in the secular world seek refuge in temples and pagodas, where they cut their hair, become vegetarians, and keep the precepts, looking for a place of purity and tranquillity in order to cultivate. Where do those living in temples and pagodas who transgress go to cultivate?" If we base ourselves only at the level of principle and follow the above argument, then can such actions as entering the monastic life, being vegetarian, and keeping the precepts, including Buddha, Sutra and Mantra Recitation as well as meditation, all be mistakes?
The Pure Land method is similar. In truth, people in the East do not recite the Buddha's name seeking rebirth in the West merely because they have committed transgressions; rather, they do so precisely to take advantage of the excellent conditions of that Land to cultivate and swiftly attain the level of No-Birth and liberation. This is also the goal pursued by those who have committed many bad deeds but who now repent and recite the Buddha's name.
Moreover, the inhabitants of the Western Pure Land cannot commit transgressions because, once reborn, they are surrounded by Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and "morally superior beings." Around them are birds singing the Dharma and music expounding the sutras, while they are free from such daily worries as food, clothing, disease, calamities, hatred and resentment. Thus, they can only progress along the path of cultivation. Where are the conditions for creating bad karma?
In conclusion, we should understand the Sixth Patriarch's words as an explanation and exhortation based exclusively on pure principle or nature. We should not misunderstand them and use them to reject phenomena and marks. In view of the above, Pure Land cultivators should redouble their efforts and practice to the point of emptiness of mind. Only then will they be in accord with the intent of the Patriarch.
The Need to Sever Dualistic Attachments
Many similar doubts remain concerning the Pure Land method. This is because cultivators are still attached to "duality," and have not reconciled essence and marks, existence and non-existence, noumenon and phenomena. That is why they use essence to reject marks, noumenon to reject phenomena, Emptiness to reject Existence, and vice versa, thus creating disputes, doubts and perplexity. Little do they suspect that there is mutual identity between noumenon and phenomena. That is, phenomena are noumenon, noumenon is phenomena. If we divide them and consider them separately, phenomena are not true phenomena, noumenon is not true noumenon. This is true also of essence and marks, existence and non-existence and other dualistic dharmas. For this reason, the Vimalakirti Sutra speaks of the non-dual method to destroy this attachment. Non-dual means reconciling all things, penetrating into their very nature; it does not mean "one." This is the true realm of "Mind-Only." Any other doctrine based on the Dharma Doors of Existence or Emptiness is merely an expedient for teaching purposes.
The sutras say, "To tire of and abandon "conditioned" virtues is the action of demons. Yet, to be greedy and attached to transcendental, unconditioned virtues is also demonic action." Ancient sages have also said that "Conditioned dharmas, while illusory, cannot be abandoned if we are to attain the Way. Although unconditioned dharmas are true, if we become attached to them, our wisdom-nature will not be comprehensive." These words clearly demonstrate that, on the path to Enlightenment, unconditioned and conditioned dharmas, noumenon and phenomena are inseparable.
It is also stated in the Treatise on the Middle Way that, "Because common sentient beings grasp at external forms, the sutras destroy them with the truth of Emptiness. If as soon as they are free of the disease of attachment to Existence they fall into the error of grasping at Emptiness, there is no medicine that can help them." As the Prajna Paramita Truth of Emptiness sounds lofty and miraculous, when educated people read of this literature, they usually get caught up in the error of "speaking on the level of principle" about everything and look down on those who follow form and marks in their practice. Thus, they create the karma of arrogance and self-importance. While they mouth the Truth of Emptiness, their actions are entirely in the realm of Existence, as exemplified by the following couplet:
Above, their mouths speak about the totally wonderful,
Below, their feet do not part with even a mote of dust.
In the past, high-ranking spiritual teachers often used the Truth of Emptiness to cure the disease of attachment to Existence. However, the achievements of these masters were genuine, and their teachings were adapted to the capacities and circumstances of the recipients, bringing them actual benefits. This can be seen from the stories which follow.
There was once a Zen Master who cultivated with extreme diligence. He usually slept in a sitting position rather than lying down, and hardly rested much at all. However, despite engaging in ascetic practices for many years, he still had not become enlightened to the Way. One day, a novice of unknown provenance sought permission to join the Order. This novice was habitually lazy, to the point where he would often remain in bed even after the bell announcing the early prayer session had been rung. Informed of this, the Master summoned him and scolded him in the following terms, "How is it that you have joined the Order but are still so lazy as to be always lying down? Don't you remember what the rules of discipline say: 'Remaining in bed and failing to arise after hearing the bell will bring the future retribution of rebirth as a snake?"' The novice replied, "You said, Master, that I often lie down and therefore will become a snake. How about you, who are attached to the sitting posture, you will be reborn a toad. What can you ever hope to awaken to?" Immediately after this exchange, the novice disappeared. However, the Master had awakened. As the story goes, the novice was in fact a Bodhisattva, who had assumed the appearance of a novice in order to enlighten the Master.
There is also the story of a well-known Elder Master who sat astride the neck of a statue of the Buddha, splitting and burning wooden Buddhas in order to destroy the concept of attachment to the Buddhas; or the anecdote of Master Fa Ta, who, having recited the Lotus Sutra three thousand times, prostrated himself without touching his head to the ground, and was reprimanded by the Sixth Patriarch for not having severed his attachment to the Dharma and to merit and virtue [Platform Sutra]; or the story of Master Pei T'a, who, upon achieving the Great Freedom Samadhi, wrote the names of the Bodhisattvas Manjusri and Samantabhadra on his underwear, to destroy the concept of attachment to the Sangha.
Enlightened Masters of the past, with their high level of practice and achievement, could teach the Dharma according to the times and conditions. Moreover, the practitioners of the time included individuals of the highest capacities, so that the teaching of Emptiness was often fruitful. Today, the majority are of low and moderate capacity. In our teaching, we should harmonize theory and practice, nature and marks, so as not to engender doubts, and to keep the Bodhi Mind of the cultivators from retrogressing ... Since the majority of practitioners cannot enter directly into the sphere of True Emptiness in one step, if we reject external forms we would bring on the calamity of "prematurely destroying the boat before stepping onto the shore." How, then, could they escape drowning?
One more point to bear in mind: if we speak about the Truth of Emptiness without having attained that stage (or at least reached a certain level of achievement in our practice) we certainly cannot convert others but will only end up in useless arguments and disputes.
A few years ago, this author witnessed the following occurrence: a young monk versed in the Buddha Dharma was staying at a certain temple to lecture on the sutras. The abbot, who was advanced in age, was diligent in his daily recitation, but used to traditional ways of worship. He took a dislike to the young monk and his free, progressive ways and said to him, "You are teaching and urging people to follow the Way, yet you yourself have never been seen to recite a single sutra nor the Buddha's name. Under these circumstances, how can you serve as a model of cultivation for the Four-Fold Assembly?" The young monk replied, "There are many ways to cultivate. It is not necessary to follow appearances, reciting the sutras and the Buddha's name day and night, as you do, Master, to qualify as a cultivator. The Diamond Sutra states:
Who sees Me by form,
Who sees Me in sound,
Perverted are his footsteps upon the Way;
For he cannot perceive the Tathagata.
(translation by A. F. Price, "The Diamond Sutra," p. 65. In The Diamond Sutra & The Sutra of Hui Neng. Boston, Ma: Shambhala, 1969.)
"Take the Sixth Patriarch, who recited neither the sutras nor the Buddha's name, yet attained Enlightenment and became a Patriarch." The abbot at a loss for words, remained silent.
In truth, the abbot was guilty of attachment to appearances and forms; the young monk, on the other hand, while mouthing abstruse principles, actually practiced neither meditation nor recitation. Therefore, he was not only unable to enlighten the abbot, he irritated him unnecessarily.
Of the two types of attachments, to Existence and to Emptiness, the latter is very dangerous. Both the Lankavatara and the Esoteric Adornment Sutras state:
"It is better to be attached to Existence, though the attachment may be as great as Mount Sumeru, than to be attached to Emptiness, though the attachment may be as small as a mustard seed."
Attachment to "Existence" leads to mindfulness of cause and effect, wariness of transgressions and fear of breaking the precepts, as well as to Buddha and Sutra Recitation and performance of good deeds. Although these actions are bound to forms and not free and liberated, they are all conducive to merits, virtue and good roots. On the other hand, if we are attached to Emptiness without having attained True Emptiness, but refuse to follow forms and cultivate merit and virtue, we will certainly sink in the cycle of Birth and Death.
This author, knowing himself to be filled with karmic obstructions and being of low capacity, has no desire to discuss lofty doctrinal questions, lest his practice not be in accord with his words, thus creating the karma of false speech. However, with a sincere mind, wishing people to eliminate doubts and believe in Buddha Recitation, he has reluctantly provided some explanations. He always compares himself to a handicapped person sitting at the crossroads; although he himself cannot walk, he strives to show others the way, reminding passersby to avoid the dangerous paths and follow the wide, even and peaceful way. He certainly would never entertain the ambition to engage in discussions designed to separate the important from the trivial, or the true from the false.
related post: Caveats: Demons of the Mind (excerpts p.196-221)
Source Of Information:
《Pure Land Buddhism (Dialogues with Ancient Masters)》, translated with annotations by Master Thich Thien Tam, printed and donated for free distribution by: The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation (11F, 55, Hang Chow South Road Sec 1, Taipei, Taiwan), printed in February 2023.
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment