六祖大師法寶壇經 1.26

1.26

“When it came to be the fifth watch (about 5:00 A.M.), the patriarch

knew that Shenxiu had not been able to enter the gate and had been unable

to see the self-nature. When morning came, Hongren called Auxiliary Lu to

come paint the lineage and episodes on the wall of the south corridor. Unex-

pectedly seeing the verse, he announced, ‘There is no need for you to paint

anything. I am sorry we have troubled you to come so far. The [Diamond]

Sutra says, “All that which has characteristics is false.” We should just leave

this verse here for people to recite. By cultivating in reliance upon this verse,

they will avoid falling into the unfortunate modes of existence. To cultivate

according to this verse will be greatly beneficial!’

“[Hongren then] commanded his followers to burn incense and do obeisance [to the verse, saying], ‘All who recite this verse will be able to see the nature.’ The followers recited it, all of them sighing at how excellent it was.

“But in the third watch [that night] the patriarch called Shenxiu into the hall and asked him, ‘Is the verse yours?’ Shenxiu said, ‘Yes, it is mine, but I am unable to seek the status of patriarch. I seek Your Reverence’s compassion. Do I have some small wisdom or not?’

“Hongren said, ‘When you composed this verse you had not seen the fundamental nature. You have come only as far as outside the gate; you have not yet come inside. With understanding such as this you will not be able to attain the unsurpassable bodhi. The unsurpassable bodhi is to be able, at these very words, to recognize your own fundamental mind and to see that your own fundamental nature is neither born nor extinguished. It is to see this naturally in every moment of thought and at all times: the myriad dharmas are without obstruction; the one is true and all are true. The myriad realms are naturally thuslike, and the thuslike mind is the true. If what you see is like this, then it is the self-nature of the unsurpassable bodhisattva.

“‘Go now, and meditate upon this for a day or two. Compose another verse and bring it to me. I will see from your verse whether you have been able to enter the gate and whether I should transmit to you the robe and Dharma.’ Shenxiu bowed and went out. But even after several days he was unable to create another verse. His mind was in a daze and his spirit was disturbed, as if he were in a dream, and he could take no pleasure in either walking or sitting.”

[Huineng continued,] “After a couple of days an acolyte passed by the hulling room reciting the verse. Upon hearing it, I immediately knew that [the author of] the verse had not seen the fundamental nature. Although I had never received any instruction, I had already recognized the great intention [of the sages], so I asked the acolyte, ‘What verse is it you’re reciting?’ The acolyte said, ‘What a [disgusting] hunter you are! Don’t you know that Great Master [Hongren] has said that life and death is the great concern for people of this world, and, wanting to transmit the robe and bowl, he commanded his followers to compose verses and show them to him? If there were one who was enlightened to the great intention, he would transmit the robe and Dharma and make that one the sixth patriarch. Elder Shenxiu wrote

a formless verse on the wall of the south corridor. Great Master [Hongren]

has commanded us all to recite it, [saying that] if we cultivate on the basis

of this verse, we will avoid falling into the unfortunate modes of existence,

that it will be very beneficial to cultivate on the basis of this verse!’

“I said, (One text has “I also want to recite this, in order to make cer-

tain my conditions for rebirth.”) ‘Holy One, I have been treading the pestle

here for more than eight months, and I’ve never even gone past the front of

the hall. I would like you to take me to this verse so that I might do obei-

sance to it.’ The acolyte took me to the verse so that I could do obeisance to

it. I said, ‘I am unable to read. Holy One, would you read it for me?’ At the

time Zhang Riyong, Administrative Aide of Jiangzhou, was there, and he

read [the verse] to me aloud.