傳法正宗記 5

English (machine translation) 5

Language: English

5.1

Compiled by the monk Śramaṇa Qisong of Dongshan, Tengzhou, of the Song

Biography of the Twenty-Sixth Patriarch of India, the Venerable Punyamitra
Biography of the Twenty-Seventh Patriarch of India, the Venerable Prajñātāra
Biography of the Twenty-Eighth Patriarch of India, the Venerable Bodhidharma (Parts 1 and 2)

5.3

Biography of the Twenty-Sixth Patriarch of India, the Venerable Punyamitra

5.4

The Venerable Punyamitra was a native of Southern India. His clan was kṣatriya. His father, named Deśajit, was the king of that country; Mitra was the crown prince of Deśajit. At his birth, an extraordinary fragrance pervaded the palace, and the royal family marveled at it. Moreover, his innate nature was pure and fine, and from youth he revered Buddhist affairs. Earlier, when Vāśasita was converting and transforming that country, the Venerable One met with this circumstance, pleaded illness, begged to be relieved of his position as crown prince, and went forth from home under Vāśasita. The king granted permission. Vāśasita then shaved his head in the palace and assembled eminent monks to confer the full precepts upon him; the matter appears in the biography of Vāśasita. Soon after, he followed Vāśasita out of the palace and thus received the transmission of the Dharma. Later, he traveled and taught until he arrived in Eastern India. Prior to this, the king of that country, Kṣatriya, firmly believed in and honored a brahmacārin of the Long-Nail non-Buddhists. When the Venerable One entered the border, the followers of the non-Buddhists were troubled by it, and reported to their master, saying, "We have just learned that Punyamitra has entered the country. That man's path is superior; we fear our faction is not his equal. We should first plot to expel him." The non-Buddhist then requested to ascend a high place with the king, and looking westward, said to the king, "To the west there is an ominous vapor; a demon must have entered the border. Does the King see it?" The king said, "I do not see it. If so, what should be done?" The non-Buddhist said, "Wherever this demon goes, family and state will surely decline. However, in planning for the King, nothing is better than executing him." The king said, "I have not yet seen his fault; how could I bear to do so?" The non-Buddhist further brought forward a disciple skilled in incantations, saying, "His technique can move heaven and earth; this can ward off the demon." However, the Venerable One already knew of this pretext of observing vapors. He first cautioned his assembly, saying, "When I arrive at this city, there will surely be a minor calamity. Do not be frightened." When he met the king, the king indeed questioned him, saying, "Why have you come, Master?" The Venerable One said, "I have come wishing to deliver sentient beings." The king said, "By what Dharma will you deliver what kind of sentient beings?" He said, "According to their kind, I deliver them with the Dharma." The king said, "If someone possesses arts, does the Master dare to oppose him?" He said, "My Buddha-Dharma is supremely upright. Even heavenly demons are not enough to bring it down; how could there be demonic arts that I would not dare to confront?" Hearing his words, the non-Buddhists became even more infuriated. Performing their rites, they immediately conjured a great mountain congealed in the sky, about to crush the Venerable One. The Venerable One then pressed the ground with his finger; the earth shook, and none of the five hundred non-Buddhists could stand. The moved mountain instead loomed over their heads. The party of non-Buddhists was terrified. The Venerable One pressed the ground again; the earth became still, and the conjured mountain also vanished. The non-Buddhists all lined up, bowed, and repented their faults. The king also apologized to him, saying, "I did not recognize the Great Being, and thus caused fireflies to contend in brilliance with the sun and moon." At that time, the king had newly relocated his capital. On another day, he held a great vegetarian feast to inaugurate it, also to console the non-Buddhists, and wished for the Venerable One to participate in the gathering. The Venerable One at first did not comply. Slowly observing that the ground was about to cave in, he immediately went there with supernatural powers. The king saw him and said, "Has the Master indeed come?" He said, "I have not come to accept the offering; I only wish to save people." The king said, "Save them from what?" He said, "This land already belongs to a dragon. In an instant, it will collapse. If the assembly does not leave immediately, they will surely drown." Frightened, the king hastily arose, and the assembly departed from it. Before they had gone far, they reached a high plateau; looking back, the ground had indeed collapsed into an abyss, turning into a marsh. The king respected Mitra even more, immediately arranged an elephant carriage, and ordered the Venerable One to return with him to the old city. He then said, "Five days ago, I dreamed that a golden chain fell from mid-air and hung down to the ground; I then lifted it up. Is not today's event its verification?" The Venerable One also said to the king, "When I was about to arrive in this country in the past, I dreamed that a wondrous boy holding a jeweled parasol hurried after me. A sage must surely emerge in the King's realm to inherit the transmission of the Dharma successively." The king said, "How could our humble state have a consummate person?" He said, "Do not be modest, King; this will surely be verified." Prior to this, there was a brāhmaṇa's son in that country who had lost his parents in childhood and was solitary and unrestrained. He called himself Yingluo. The neighborhood could not fathom what kind of person he was. One day, he suddenly spoke an enigma, saying, "A divine man's foot treads on the earth; in the assembly one meets dragon and tiger. On this day, urge the king to come; the king will just follow him away." From then on, his comings and goings became even more irregular. When the carriage of the king and the Venerable One arrived at the east of the old city, this boy came especially to welcome them and bowed before the carriage. The Venerable One said to the king, "The so-called sage of the King's realm is this very person." The Venerable One then said to Yingluo, "Do you remember past events?" Yingluo said, "I recall that in the past, in the same Dharma assembly, the Venerable One expounded the Mahāprajñāpāramitā, while I recited the profound sūtras. As our conditions were destined to meet again, I therefore awaited you here." Mitra said to the king, "This child is Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva, who has descended his traces to be my Dharma heir. However, after him, two great beings will emerge again. One will first transform Southern India, and afterward his conditions will lie in Cīnasthāna; yet after nine years, he will return to his original country." The Venerable One then shaved his head and said to Yingluo, "Because formerly I spoke of prajñā and you spoke of sūtras, which brought about our meeting again today, it is fitting to take Prajñātāra as your name." By this time, Punyamitra had been teaching and converting in Eastern India for more than sixty years. One morning, he summoned Prajñātāra and told him, "In the past, the Tathāgata entrusted the Great Dharma-Eye Treasury, which was passed down until reaching me. I now transmit it to you. You should circulate it and not let it be severed. Listen to my gāthā:"

5.5

The true nature is the mind-ground treasury,
Without head and without tail.
Responding to conditions, it transforms things;
As an expedient, it is called wisdom.

5.6

Having transmitted the Dharma, the Venerable One said to the king, "Receiving the state's generous offerings, how could I not feel grateful? But my converting conditions are almost exhausted, and I cannot long cling to your benevolence and virtue. I am about to depart. May the King take good care of himself." The king wept as if having lost his own parent. The Venerable One then transformed his form upon his seat in the royal palace like the sun, and after a short while restored it. Displaying the eighteen transformations, he incinerated himself with the fire of samādhi. Golden relics rained down. The king later built a golden stūpa to enshrine them. That time corresponded to the era of Emperor Xiaowu of the Eastern Jin.

5.7

Biography of the Twenty-Seventh Patriarch of India, the Venerable Prajñātāra

5.8

The Venerable Prajñātāra was a native of eastern Tianzhu, belonging to the Brahmin caste. Having lost his parents at an early age, he lived alone and fended for himself, wandering through neighborhoods and villages. People of the time simply called him the 'Necklace Boy'. Whenever someone ordered him to do labor, he never refused the hard work and never discussed payment. Someone asked him, 'What is your surname?' He replied, 'I have the same surname as you.' Another asked, 'Why do you walk so fast?' He replied, 'Why do you walk so slow?' No one could fathom the reason for this. It happened that his king, Dṛḍha, along with Puṇyamitra, was returning by chariot to his old city. The Venerable [Prajñātāra] thereupon came out from the east and approached the front of his chariot, recounting their past conditions. At this point, the Venerable's traces became greatly evident. Mitra immediately took him to the royal palace. Later, he ordained him, assembled eminent monks, and administered the full precepts to him, whereupon the Venerable's body emitted an extraordinary radiance. Before long, Mitra indeed entrusted the Dharma-eye to him, allowing him to travel and teach freely. When the Venerable arrived in southern Tianzhu, the king of that realm, Sugandha, summoned him with reverence into the palace and made an offering of a precious jewel to him. Earlier, the king had three sons, each of whose aspirations lay in a different practice. The eldest was named Candraviśuddhitāra, who was fond of practicing the recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi; the second was named Puṇyatāra, who was fond of cultivating meritorious deeds; the third was named Bodhitāra, who was fond of penetrating Buddhist principles and took world-transcendence as his mission. At this point, Sugandha ordered them all to come out and pay homage to the Venerable. Seeing that all three sons loved virtue, the Venerable wished to test the depth of their wisdom, so he presented the jewel offered by the king and had each discern it, asking: 'Is there anything in the world superior to this jewel?' The first, Candraviśuddhitāra, said, 'This precious jewel is supreme; nothing in the world surpasses it. Who could possess it except our royal family?' The second, Puṇyatāra, spoke likewise. The third, Bodhitāra, said, 'This jewel is a worldly treasure, insufficient to be considered supreme. Among all treasures, the Dharma-treasure is supreme. This is worldly light; among all lights, the light of wisdom is supreme. This is worldly brightness; among all brightnesses, the brightness of the mind is supreme. Moreover, the radiance of this jewel cannot illuminate itself; it requires the light of wisdom to discern it. Once it is clearly discerned, one knows it is a jewel; once one knows it is a jewel, one understands it to be a treasure. If one understands its treasure, the treasure does not treasure itself; if one discerns the jewel, the jewel does not jewel itself. That the jewel does not jewel itself means that one must rely on the jewel of wisdom to discern the worldly jewel; that the treasure does not treasure itself means that one must rely on the treasure of wisdom to understand the Dharma-treasure. Thus, when my master has the Way, his treasure becomes manifest; when sentient beings have the Way, the treasure of their minds is likewise so.' The Venerable praised his talent and eloquence, and asked again, 'Among all things, what thing is formless?' He replied, 'Among all things, non-arising is formless.' He asked again, 'Among all things, what thing is the highest?' He replied, 'Among all things, self-pride is the highest.' He asked again, 'Among all things, what thing is the greatest?' He replied, 'Among all things, the Dharma-nature is the greatest.' The Venerable rejoiced silently, recognizing him as a great Dharma vessel who would certainly become his heir. Later, when Bodhitāra's father fell critically ill, he would continually grasp at empty space with his hands, and even his attendants could not stop him. Bodhitāra therefore asked the Venerable, 'My father devoted himself to goodness and promoted merit; normally, no one's mind was like his. Now, stricken with illness, he is delirious and grasping at empty space with his hands. I fear this is not an auspicious end. Why is the retribution so contrary? I am very perplexed by this. If the Venerable can indeed explain it, I wish to leave household life under you.' The Venerable said, 'This is what corresponds to his karma. Yet all beings have karma, and even the sages of the three vehicles cannot avoid it; it is just that their karma is good or evil. The Buddha said that when a person has achieved the utmost virtue, upon his death, if his retribution is to be born in heaven, heavenly radiance will descend like pulled strands of patterned silk, wishing the dying one to grasp it, whereupon the spirit ascends with it. That its light shines forth in alternating five colors indicates that his destination is the heavenly realm. Now your father grasps at something with his hands; this too is retribution of rebirth in heaven. It is also a clear sign of his good deeds, not an inauspicious end. However, as he nears his end, heavenly music and extraordinary flowers will appear in response.' Soon it was as he had spoken. When the king died, the two sons wailed and lamented bitterly, but Bodhitāra sat upright and silent at the mourning hall, not rising all morning. His two elder brothers found it strange and asked the Venerable about it. The Venerable said, 'This boy has entered samādhi and is observing something. He will rise on his own in seven days; do not be alarmed.' When Bodhitāra emerged from samādhi, he said to his two brothers, 'I wished to see where our father went, but saw nothing else; I only saw a sun brightly illuminating heaven and earth.' After his father was buried, Bodhitāra indeed told his two elder brothers, requesting to leave household life under the Venerable. The Venerable, knowing that his conditions for the Way were mature and could not be hindered, took him as his disciple and conferred a Dharma name on him. After a long time, he entrusted the Dharma to him, saying: 'The great Dharma-eye treasury of the Tathāgata has been transmitted down to you now. Transmit it well, and do not let it be severed. Listen to my verse:'

5.9

"In the ground of the mind grow all seeds; / Through phenomenal events principles emerge again. / When fruits are fulfilled, bodhi is perfected; / When the flower opens, the world arises."

5.10

Thereupon, Prajñātāra extended his left and right hands from his seat, each emitting more than seventy rays of five-colored auspicious light. Soon, he soared into the sky to a height of seven tāla trees, and consumed himself with the fire of transformation. Golden relic-grains rained down beyond count. The fourfold assembly collected them, and together with King Candraviśuddha of that kingdom, erected a stūpa to enshrine them. This was during the time of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song dynasty. (Calculated from Bodhidharma's coming to the East sixty-seven years later, this should correspond to the first year of the Xiaojian era of the Song, the jiawu year.)

5.11

Commentary: The Chu sanzang ji ji speaks of 'Puṇyatāra', while here it says 'Prajñātāra'; it also speaks of 'Puṇyamitra', while here it says 'Punyamitra'. Why the discrepancy? It is said: This is merely a slight shift in Sanskrit pronunciation, resulting from variations in translation. Yet among all the patriarchs, Prajñātāra uniquely spoke many prophecies, which were later largely verified. Is it not that, because the Dharma would flourish greatly in China after him, he wished to make a record of it? Or did he intend to show that the sage's mind possesses far-reaching foreknowledge?

5.12

Biography of the Twenty-eighth Patriarch of Tianzhu, the Venerable Bodhidharma, Part One

5.13

The Venerable Bodhidharma was a native of southern Tianzhu, belonging to the kṣatriya caste. Originally named Bodhitāra, he was also called Dharmatrāta. His father, named Sugandha, was the king of that realm, and Bodhidharma was the king's third son. Naturally lofty and superior by nature from birth, he was exceptionally peerless. Although living at home, the sons were already capable of turning toward Buddhist principles. When Prajñātāra preached the Dharma at the royal palace, he met him. Soon, when answering Prajñātāra's inquiry about the meaning of the jewel, his talent and eloquence shone forth with clear discernment that accorded with principles. Prajñātāra marveled at him and silently recognized him as a Dharma vessel. When his father passed away, he took leave of his brothers and left household life under Prajñātāra, saying: 'I have never cared for royal status, and wish to benefit beings with the Dharma. Yet having found no teacher, I have waited for a long time. Now meeting the Venerable, my determination to leave household life is set. I pray you receive me with compassion and wisdom.' Prajñātāra accepted his homage and shaved his head, saying: 'When you entered samādhi earlier, you were in the samādhi of solar brilliance. You have already attained universal insight into all dharmas; now it is fitting to name you Bodhidharma.' He assembled holy monks to confer the full precepts upon him. At that moment, the earth shook three times, and the bright moon appeared by day. The Venerable soon attained the fruit [of enlightenment]. From then on, the customs of that kingdom called him Dharmatrāta, or Prince Bodhi. He then served his master for more than forty years, after which Prajñātāra entrusted the Dharma to him, further instructing the Venerable: 'For now, teach in this kingdom. Later, in Cīnasthāna, you will have great causal affinity. However, you must wait until sixty-seven years after my nirvāṇa before you may go east. If you go hastily, I fear you will wither under the sun.' Having received his instruction, the Venerable asked Prajñātāra again: 'If I go east, will there be difficulties in that land after a thousand years? Will I find a great Dharma vessel to succeed our way?' Prajñātāra said, 'Where the Dharma goes, those seeking the Dharma will be as plentiful as rice, hemp, bamboo, and reeds, beyond count. Yet in that realm, sixty-odd years after my nirvāṇa, a difficulty will surely arise with the water-patterned cloth; skillfully subdue it. But when you arrive in the south there, you must not stay immediately, for their ruler currently delights in conditioned acts, and I fear he will not believe you. Listen to my verse:'

5.14

"Traveling the road, crossing water, you will encounter a sheep; / Alone and solitary, you will cross the river in secret. / Under the sun, pitiable are the two elephants and horses; / Two tender cassia branches will flourish for long."

5.15

The Venerable asked again, 'May I hear of what happens beyond this?' Prajñātāra replied, 'One hundred and five years after my nirvāṇa, there will be another minor difficulty.' And he spoke a verse:

5.16

"Though fortunate within the heart, outside it is disastrous; / The monk's cell below the river has an unbefitting name. / Encountering a poisonous dragon, a martial son is born; / Suddenly meeting a small mouse, silence is boundless."

5.17

He asked again, 'Will there be more events after this?' Prajñātāra replied, 'Towards the end of one hundred and sixty years after my nirvāṇa, there will again be a minor difficulty, arising from father and son in succession. Its momentum will not last long, perhaps three to five years.' And he spoke a verse:

5.18

"On the road one suddenly encounters deep water; / Leisurely seeing a tiger, one also meets a pig. / Though the small ox has horns, / When the dragon of Qingxi emerges, it must inevitably yield."

5.19

He asked again, 'Will a bodhisattva who is a Dharma vessel appear after this?' Prajñātāra spoke another verse:

5.20

"Though Cīnasthāna is vast, there is no separate road; / One must rely on the steps of nephews and grandsons. / A golden rooster knows how to carry a single grain of rice, / To make offerings to the arhat monks of the ten directions."

5.21

He said further, 'This will be fulfilled three hundred and thirty years after my nirvāṇa.' He asked again, 'After this, will there be anyone in the Buddha-Dharma who understands this meaning and is skilled in discerning it?' Prajñātāra said, 'Between three hundred and eighty years after my nirvāṇa, there will be a monk who studies in secret and applies it openly.' And he spoke a verse:

5.22

"In the eighth month, the autumn vessel makes a sound in flight; / Immense fortune brings auspiciousness, the bird is not alarmed. / In a ruined bosom, a rooster attends the assembly again; / Hands holding dragons and snakes between the two pillars."

5.23

He also spoke a verse:

5.24

"The traveler's woven hat is temporarily taken off; / Within written words, temporarily a small form. / The elephant of the Eastern Sea returns wearing the robe on the right; / Receiving grace in two places, neither is light."

5.25

He also spoke a verse:

5.26

"The sun and moon move together, yet you do not stir; / The young man without a cap ascends the mountain. / Further bestowing a single peak to add to the green ridge; / Only when the king teaches people to recognize it is the name first known."

5.27

He said further, 'A great vessel will appear; meeting clouds, he will ascend. What need have I to worry?' The Venerable asked again, 'Yet after this person, will there be another difficulty?' Prajñātāra said, 'During the period of four hundred and sixty years after my nirvāṇa, there will be a naked man who wishes to carry out demonic deeds.' And he spoke a verse:

5.28

"On a high ridge meeting a person who takes off his clothes again; / Though the small snake is venomous, it can do no harm. / Right inside the well bottom, looking at heaven is close; / A tiny novice monk skillfully handles the great capacity."

5.29

He said further, 'Remember these words. When the minor difficulty is verified, a black-robed boy will surely resolve it well.' The Venerable asked again, 'Will there be difficulties after this?' Prajñātāra said, 'Just six hundred years after my nirvāṇa, a barren tree will cause obstruction. Yet although the difficulty arises, when two people appear, it will naturally become calm.' And he spoke a verse:

5.30

"Though the great waves are high, they are not worth noting; / The ordinary tree of a hundred years grows dry branches. / One bird flies south, then returns to the north; / Two people go east, then return to the west."

5.31

He said further, 'A white-robed upādhyāya will preach immeasurable Dharma; if you see this prophecy, return and do not turn toward it.' He asked again, 'Will there be difficulties after this?' Prajñātāra said, 'Between two thousand and eight hundred years after my nirvāṇa, four dragons will raise this single difficulty, yet it will not be great. You should know this.' And he spoke a verse:

5.32

"Pitiable is the bright moon alone facing the sky; / Four young dragons each disperse. / East, west, south, and north, scurrying away; / The sun rises level, illuminating boundlessly."

5.33

He also spoke a verse:

5.34

"These prophetic words of mine:
Long waist and short legs,
Joining palms toward Heaven,
Turning the head and losing the companion;
The body wears red clothing,
Yet it is also like plain white silk;
Standing before the eyes,
Yet as if unseen;
Contemplate it well:
When the water is clear, the moon appears."

5.35

The Venerable One asked again, "After this, will there be further adversities?"
Prajñātāra replied again, "In the three thousand years after my parinirvāṇa, there will be twelve adversities in all, among which there will be nine great adversities. I will record them all in a single gāthā." The gāthā said:

5.36

"A bird comes up into the high hall wishing to flourish;
White clouds enter the earth, their color still clear.
In heaven the golden dragon, the sun and moon are bright;
Are the seawater of the Eastern Sea and the rivers clear or not?
Hands hold up a vermilion wheel, heavy and then light;
Though having no mind or eyes, turning ever alert;
Lacking ears and eyes, yet skilled in observing and hearing;
The physical body originally non-existent, empty forms exist.
Not speaking of surname or style, but verifying the name;
Intent on seeking the scroll, mistakenly opening the sūtra;
The mouth speaks of favor and blessing, the mind is devoid of feeling;
Now going, now coming, the body never ceases."

5.37

He also said, "All the tribulations to come are fully preserved in these twelve lines. Although this is a far-reaching prophecy that cannot be witnessed in your single lifetime, one who attains the true divine eye will be able to see it directly." After Prajñātāra had passed into extinction, the Venerable One upheld his instructions and remained in his native country to devote himself to propagating the teachings. Formerly, the Venerable One and a monk named Buddhasena had both emerged from the school of Prajñātāra; hence, the two always treated each other with the etiquette of elder and younger brothers. At that time, both extensively proclaimed the Dharma. People of the time praised them, saying that they opened two gates of nectar. Just then, in that country there was a monk named Buddhavijaya, who rashly deviated from what had been transmitted to him and divided it into six schools, teaching separately in various places: the first was called the School of Having Marks; the second was called the School of Having No Marks; the third was called the School of Samādhi and Wisdom; the fourth was called the School of Preceptual Practice; the fifth was called the School of Non-Attainment; and the sixth was called the School of Serene Stillness. However, learners flocked to them in great numbers, and the disciples of each school were no fewer than several hundreds or thousands. The Venerable One often sighed deeply for them, saying, "Although this country has these six groups, their paths are neither great nor profoundly subtle. If I do not rectify them, how can those people attain liberation?" One day, he thereupon went to them using his spiritual powers. First, he visited the quarters of the School of Having Marks and questioned them, saying, "Among all marks, what is called the real mark?" The head of that group, named Sarvara, answered, "Not interchanging marks among all marks is called the real mark." He asked again, "If all marks do not interchange, when one clarifies the real mark, how should it be determined?" He replied, "Among all marks, there is truly no determination; all marks are themselves called the real." He asked again, "If the indeterminacy of all marks is called the real mark, as you are now undetermined, how should you attain it?" He replied, "I speak of indeterminacy: undetermined marks should explain all marks; their meaning is not so." He asked again, "You say indeterminacy should be the real mark; because it is both determined and undetermined, it is not the real mark." He replied, "Since determination is undetermined, it is not the real mark; knowing my error, it is undetermined and unalterable. What is called the real mark? Having altered and passed away, its meaning is also thus." He replied, "The unalterable must abide in non-abiding; therefore, the alteration of the real mark determines its meaning." He asked again, "The real mark does not alter; if it alters, it is not a mark. Between existence and non-existence, what is called the real mark?" Thereupon, Sarvara's mind suddenly resolved the doubt. Pointing with his finger into empty space, he instead asked the Venerable One, "The marks of this world can also become empty; can the power of this body resemble this?" The Venerable One said, "If you understand the real mark, you will see the unreal; if you comprehend the unreal, its form is also thus. One must not lose the substance of form within form, and abiding in non-marks does not obstruct existence. If you can understand in this way, it is called the real mark." Second, he visited the quarters of the School of Having No Marks and questioned them, saying, "You speak of having no marks; how should you verify it?" The head of that group, named Prati, came forward and replied, "I am called non-mark because the mind does not manifest." He asked again, "When your mark does not manifest, how should you understand it?" He replied, "I understand non-mark as the mind not grasping or discarding; at the time of understanding, there is also no one who encounters it." He asked again, "If the mind neither grasps nor discards among all existences and non-existences, and there is also no one who encounters it, who understands non-existence?" He replied, "When the Buddha enters samādhi, there is still nothing attained; how much more so with non-mark, that one should deliberately know it?" He asked again, "Since marks are not known, who speaks of existence or non-existence? If nothing is yet attained, what is called samādhi?" He replied, "I say there is no verification; verification is having nothing to verify. Because it is non-samādhi, I speak of samādhi." He asked again, "How should non-samādhi be understood? Since you do not verify, what is verified by non-verification?" Prati thereupon had a wondrous awakening, hurriedly rose to thank him. The Venerable One immediately bestowed a prediction upon him, saying, "Your realization of the fruit is not far off; however, when Māra arises in the country, you shall also subdue him." Third, he visited the quarters of the School of Samādhi and Wisdom and questioned them, saying, "Do you study samādhi and wisdom as one or as two?" The head of that group, named Bhāradvāja, came forward and replied, "This samādhi and wisdom of mine are neither one nor two." He asked again, "Since your samādhi and wisdom are neither one nor two, by what do you designate them as samādhi and wisdom?" He replied, "Abiding in samādhi, it is not samādhi; residing in wisdom, it is not wisdom. One is not one, and two is not two." He asked again, "When one is not one and two is not two, since they are not samādhi and wisdom, based on what are they samādhi and wisdom?" He replied, "Being neither one nor two, samādhi and wisdom can know; being neither samādhi nor wisdom, it can also be so." He asked again, "Since wisdom is not samādhi, how can it be known in this way? If neither one nor two, who is samādhi and who is wisdom?" Bhāradvāja was immediately broadly awakened, paying homage and submitting in heart. Fourth, he visited the quarters of the School of Preceptual Practice and questioned them, saying, "What do you take as precepts? What is called practice? And are these precepts and practice one or two?" The head of that group (name lost) came forward and replied, "One and two, two and one—both are produced by that. Relying on the teaching without defilement is called precepts and practice." He asked again, "Your speaking of relying on the teaching is itself having defilement. If one and two are both this, why speak of relying on the teaching? These two contradict each other and do not reach practice. If inner and outer are not clear, what is called precepts?" He replied, "I have inner and outer, which that [mind] already knows. Having attained penetration, this is itself precepts and practice. If one speaks of contradiction, both are right and both are wrong; when one speaks of purity, that is both precepts and practice." He asked again, "If both are right and both are wrong, why speak of purity? Since penetration is attained, why talk of inner and outer?" The leader immediately realized his error, bowed in gratitude, and proclaimed his fortune. Fifth, he visited the quarters of the School of Non-Attainment and questioned them, saying, "You speak of non-attainment; in non-attainment, what is attained? Since nothing is attained, there is also no attainment to be attained." The head of that group, named Ratnaviśuddha, came forward and replied, "I speak of non-attainment as not having non-attainment to attain; when speaking of attainment to be attained, non-attainment is also attained." He asked again, "Since attainment is non-attainment, attainment is also non-attainment. Since you speak of attaining attainment, what does attaining attain?" He replied, "Seeing attainment as non-attainment, non-attainment is attainment; if one sees non-attainment, it is called attaining attainment." He asked again, "Since attainment is non-attainment, non-attainment has no attainment. Since nothing is attained, what attainment should be attained?" Ratnaviśuddha thereupon clearly awakened. Sixth, he visited the quarters of the School of Serene Stillness and questioned them, saying, "What do you call serenity? How can there be stillness?" The head of that group (name lost) came forward and replied, "This mind being unmoved is called serenity; being undefiled among all things is called stillness." He asked again, "If the original mind is not serene, it must depend on serenity to be serene; since it is now already serene, what use is serene stillness?" He replied, "All dharmas are originally empty; because emptiness is empty, being empty of that emptiness is called serene stillness." He asked again, "Emptiness being empty through emptiness, all dharmas are also thus. Serene stillness is devoid of marks; what is stillness and what is serenity?" The leader's argument collapsed, and he thereupon showed great reverence. From then on, all six groups honored him as their master, and the Venerable One's reputation for the Way spread even further. Among the scholars of the five regions of India, there was none who did not flock to him in abundance. Soon after, he encountered the king of that country, named Dṛṣṭiviparyaya, who was in fact the son of the former king Candradhara and Bodhidharma's nephew. He rashly gave rise to heterodox views, slandering the Buddha-Dharma, saying, "My ancestors were all deluded by the Buddha-Dharma and did not attain rectitude. Now, how could what I do follow in their footsteps?" He then created great hardships for the teaching. The Venerable One took pity on him, saying, "This child disgraces our ancestral line and gives rise to evil intentions. How could this bring blessing to the family and state? I must teach him." He then recalled that in the former School of Having No Marks there were two worthy ones who could be sent to convert him. However, the first, named Prati, had his spiritual power nearly complete and had an affinity with the king; the second, named Zongsheng, though skilled in eloquent debate, had not yet perfected his western virtue and karmic practice. Just as he was deliberating whom to send, the six groups suddenly each thought, "Great Master Bodhidharma has long possessed holy wisdom. Now that there is adversity for the Dharma, will he perhaps rescue it?" The Venerable One immediately knew this and snapped his fingers in response. The multitude was all astonished and said, "This is the signal from our Great Master! We should go to him together." Those who possessed spiritual powers each gathered their groups, and in a short while all arrived, arranging themselves in homage beneath his seat. The Venerable One said, "The king currently brings adversity upon us; although it is like a single speck of dust, it arises to obstruct the realm of the Buddha. Which of you can brush it away?" Zongsheng suddenly stepped forward first and said, "Although my virtue is meager, I wish to go and resolve it." The Venerable One said, "Although you are quick-witted in debate, your power in the Way is not yet superior; I fear you will not be able to subdue the king." Zongsheng did not heed his words and insisted on going himself to see the king. At first, he debated with him using the two truths of the ultimate and conventional, and his words were entirely unyielding. But when the king asked, "Where is the Dharma that you now understand?" Zongsheng said, "When the king governs and transforms, it should accord with his Way. Where is the Way possessed by the king?" The king said, "My possession of the Way is to eliminate heterodox teachings; what is to be subdued by your possession of the Dharma?" The Venerable One knew from afar that Zongsheng was at a loss for words, and said to Prati, "Zongsheng disregarded my words and will now certainly yield to the king. You should go quickly to assist him." Prati received the command and, swiftly rising with his spiritual power, went directly to the king's palace. While the king and Zongsheng were still challenging each other, he suddenly saw Prati arriving riding on a cloud. The king arose in astonishment and asked, "Is the one soaring through empty space heterodox or orthodox?" Prati replied, "I am neither heterodox nor orthodox, but have come to rectify the heterodox. If the king's mind is orthodox, I have neither heterodoxy nor orthodoxy." Although the king's words were confounded, his arrogance was not yet spent; he immediately banished Zongsheng to the mountains. Prati said to him, "Since the king possesses the Way, why expel a śramaṇa? Although I lack understanding, I welcome the king to question me." The king asked in a stern voice, "What is the Buddha?" Prati said, "Seeing one's nature is the Buddha." The king said, "Does the Master see the nature?" He replied, "I see the Buddha-nature." The king said, "Where is the nature?" He replied, "The nature is in functioning." The king said, "What is this functioning? I do not see it now." He replied, "It is functioning right now, but the king himself does not see it." The king said, "Is it in me or not?" He replied, "If the king functions, there is none of it that is not; if the king does not use it, its substance is also difficult to see." The king said, "When it is functioning, in what places does it manifest?" He replied, "If it manifests in the world, there are eight such places." The king said, "Please explain those eight manifestations for me." Prati then recited a gāthā, saying:

5.38

"In the womb it becomes the body;
Living in the world, it is the person.
In the eyes it is called seeing;
In the ears it is called hearing.
In the nose it distinguishes fragrance;
In the mouth it engages in discussion.
In the hands it grasps and holds;
In the feet it moves and runs.
Manifested everywhere, it encompasses worlds as numerous as sands;
Withdrawn and gathered, it resides in a single speck of dust.
Those who recognize it know it is the Buddha-nature;
Those who do not recognize it call it the spirit-soul."

5.39

The king awakened to his words and immediately repented and apologized for his past wrongs. He thereupon radically changed his resolve and sought to hear the essentials of the Dharma from Prajñātāra, serving him in discussion for a total of three months. Meanwhile, Zongsheng, having been exiled to the mountains, was moved to reflect: "Only at eighty did I attain right view. In my practice over these past twenty years, when confronted with hardship I was still unable to protect the Dharma. Though I have now reached a hundred years of age, why would it not be better to die?" He then cast himself down from a high cliff. Suddenly a divine being raised a long hand, caught him, and placed him upon a rock, his body completely unharmed. Zongsheng said: "Unworthy to have left home, I was unable to curb the king's wrong intentions and uphold the great Dharma. Death was indeed what I deserved. What divine grace has brought about this rescue? I beg for a word to reveal the karmic reason." The divine being then spoke a verse:

5.40

"The master’s life has spanned a hundred years; / At eighty, you committed wrongs. / It was because you drew close to the sovereign / That you perfumed your practice and entered the Way. / Although endowed with a little wisdom, / You held greatly to self and other; / Toward the worthy ones you encountered, / You never gave rise to cherished respect. / After twenty years of meritorious deeds, / Your mind was still not tranquil. / Through cleverness and condescension / You were brought to this pass. / To suffer the king’s disrespect / Was the karmic retribution thus incurred. / If from now on you are neither remiss nor negligent, / Before long you will accomplish extraordinary wisdom. / All sages preserve this in mind, / And the Tathāgata does so likewise."

5.41

Hearing the spirit’s verse, Zongsheng reproached himself, resolved all the more to cultivate vigorously, and vowed never to leave the mountains for the rest of his life. At that time, the king asked Prajñātāra: "The Venerable One possesses such eloquence and wisdom; who, indeed, was your teacher?" Prajñātāra said: "The master under whom I left home was the Tripiṭaka Master Wu-sha-suo of the Śāla Monastery. The teacher from whom I received the Dharma and went forth into the world was the king’s uncle, Bodhidharma." Hearing Bodhidharma named, the king was greatly astonished and said: "My uncle is still alive? Alas, I was unequal to my burden, wrongly suppressed the sacred teachings, and brought trouble upon my venerable uncle!" He at once issued an edict to welcome him. The Venerable One and the envoy soon arrived at the royal palace. The king wept, bowed, and could not rise. The Venerable One immediately expounded the Dharma for him to repent his faults. The king then dispatched an envoy with an imperial decree for Zongsheng. The envoy reported: "Zongsheng was shamed by his exile, threw himself from a cliff, and has long been dead." The king grew even more grieved and asked the Venerable One: "Zongsheng’s death was indeed my fault. By what means can my venerable uncle absolve me of this sin?" The Venerable One said: "Zongsheng is not dead; he is merely sitting in quiet meditation upon a crag. You need only go fetch him, and you will surely bring him back." The envoy went, and indeed saw him and conveyed the king's intention of having already welcomed Bodhidharma. Zongsheng declined and would not comply with the order. Knowing this, the Venerable One said to the king: "He cannot yet be raised up; he will come only if commanded a second time." Taking his leave of the king, the Venerable One returned to his dwelling and said: "The king should cultivate even more merit; before long, I fear an illness will arise." Just seven days after the Venerable One left, the king indeed contracted a grave illness that the state physicians could not cure. The royal kinsmen and close ministers, seeing that what Bodhidharma had predicted had come to pass, believed he could surely save him. The king immediately sent an envoy to earnestly entreat him, and the Venerable One came again. By that time, Zongsheng had already arrived in response to the decree. Prajñātāra also came to inquire after the king on account of his illness. The two śramaṇas then petitioned the Venerable One: "The king’s illness is already critical. Will he live or die? What expedient means does the Great Master have to save him?" The Venerable One then left his seat, examined the king’s body with his hand, and said to the two śramaṇas: "If he dies, he will certainly fall into the evil destinies." The two śramaṇas said: "How is this verified?" He said: "I have just perceived it by examining the states of the five aggregates." The two śramaṇas said: "The Great Master’s power in the Way is extraordinary; what meritorious deeds can be generated for him so that he may be spared this suffering?" The Venerable One then had the crown prince and powerful ministers declare a general amnesty for prisoners and release living creatures on a wide scale. The Venerable One also ordered incense to be burned to repent his transgressions. Shortly thereafter, the king’s illness indeed abated, and he gradually regained awareness of worldly affairs. He said to his attendants: "I just dreamed of a giant python, extraordinarily long. At first it spewed fire that pressed close and scorched my body. Soon a tall man caught it with his left hand and threw it into an open wilderness. I immediately felt cool and refreshed, whereupon I was able to rise, gallop, and rush out of an iron gate. With that, I suddenly awoke." With the king’s illness pacified, he was even more devoted to his uncle. At this time, Bodhidharma had been transforming and guiding that country for over sixty years. Thinking to follow his master’s instructions, he planned to journey east. He immediately went by supernatural power to take his leave of Prajñātāra’s stūpa and shrine, and then returned to the royal palace to bid farewell. The king soon learned that the disciples of the six sects also wished to come and take their leave. The Venerable One then went to the residence of each group, manifested himself seated upon a jeweled lotus, and expounded the Dharma to all of them to comfort and settle them. Afterward, he said to the king: "My karmic affinity with the Land of Cīna has now ripened; I am now going east. Take good care of your person and safeguard your family and country." The king wept and said: "Why did heaven not protect me, causing my venerable uncle to depart?" Unable to detain him, the king prepared his provisions and loaded them onto a large ship. On the following day, the king personally led his relatives and ministers to see him off at the seashore. The people of the realm who watched all wept.

5.42

Biography of the Venerable Bodhidharma, the Twenty-eighth Patriarch in India, Part Two

5.43

When Bodhidharma came east, it took a total of three years before he first arrived in Panyu, which was on the twenty-first day of the ninth month in the gengzi year, the first year of Putong of Emperor Wu of the Liang. (Some say it was the dingwei year, the eighth year of Putong. Xiao Ang, the inspector of the prefecture, reported the matter to the throne. [The Chuandeng lu and various old accounts all say that Bodhidharma arrived in the Liang during the eighth year of Putong. Now, examining the historical records, Putong reached only up to the seventh year; only in Wang You's long chronological tables of the cyclical years is an eighth year recorded, which is questionable. Moreover, they all state that Xiao Ang reported Bodhidharma's matter to the throne, but upon investigating Ang's biography, there is no mention of his serving as the regional inspector of Guangzhou. Only Ang's nephew, Xiao Li, served as the regional inspector of this prefecture at that time. It is feared that past chroniclers mistakenly took Li to be Ang. Since previous chroniclers of the national edition saw no fault in this, I dare not excise it arbitrarily, but preserve the doubt for now.]) Bodhidharma was immediately summoned to the capital. On the first day of the eleventh month of that year, he arrived in Jianye. The imperial carriage came out to welcome him back to the palace, and an imperial decree invited the Venerable One to sit beside the emperor in the main hall. The emperor then asked: "I have built temples, copied sutras, and ordained vast numbers of monks and nuns. What merit must I have?" The Venerable One said: "No merit." The emperor asked: "Why is there no merit?" He replied: "These are merely minor fruits of humans and devas, causes subject to defilements. Like a shadow following a form, though they exist, they are not real." The emperor asked: "What is true merit?" He replied: "Pure wisdom is wondrously round, its essence inherently empty and quiescent. Such merit cannot be sought through worldly means." The emperor asked again: "What is the primary truth of the noble truths?" He replied: "Vast and void, with nothing noble." The emperor asked: "Who is facing Us?" He replied: "I do not know." The emperor did not understand, and the audience ended. The Venerable One knew that the karmic conditions did not accord. He secretly departed Liang across the river on the nineteenth day, and on the twenty-third day went north toward the territory of Wei. Soon he arrived in the city of Luo; this was the first year of Zhengguang of Emperor Xiaoming of the Later Wei. At first he stayed at Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song, spending the entire day silently sitting facing a wall. The assembly could not fathom why he did so, and worldly people simply considered him the wall-contemplating Brahmin monk. Before long, there was a śramaṇa in Luoyang named Shenguang. He was broad-minded and moved freely in the world, and people also regarded him as unfathomable. When he heard of the Venerable One's august demeanor, he said: "A consummate person is here; I will go and take him as my master." Although Shenguang served him with complete propriety, the Venerable One never spoke to him. Shenguang was moved to reflect: "In ancient times, those who sought the Way forgot their very bodies; how can I now compare to even one ten-thousandth of them?" That evening, a heavy snow fell. Shenguang stood on the steps, and by dawn the snow reached past his knees. The Venerable One looked back at Shenguang and said: "Standing in the snow, what do you seek?" Shenguang wept and reported: "My only wish is that the upādhyāya, with great compassion and wisdom, open the gate of sweet dew and broadly deliver our kind." The Venerable One said to him: "The supreme, wondrous Way of all Buddhas cannot be attained even through vast eons of diligent striving, practicing what is difficult to practice and enduring what is difficult to endure. How could one presume to seek the great Dharma through such trifling toil and petty effort?" Hearing this admonition, Shenguang secretly severed his left arm with a blade and placed it before him. The Venerable One then asked Shenguang: "When all Buddhas initially sought the Way, they forgot their bodies for the Dharma. Now that you have severed your arm before me, what you seek may also be granted." Shenguang asked again: "My mind is not yet at peace; I beg the master to pacify it for me." The Venerable One said: "Bring your mind here, and I will pacify it for you." He said: "Searching for my mind, it is completely unobtainable." Bodhidharma replied: "I have pacified your mind for you." Thereupon Shenguang had an awakening. The Venerable One then changed his name to Huike. From then on, students placed their faith in him, and both monks and laypeople flocked to the Venerable One like the swaying of grass. His reputation having spread, it came to the ears of the Wei court. Emperor Xiaoming summoned him three times, but he did not stir; the emperor held him in high esteem and consequently bestowed upon him two mana robes and a quantity of gold and silver vessels. The Venerable One declined them all three times, but the emperor eventually conferred them upon him. After he had resided in Wei for nine years, the Venerable One suddenly said to his disciples one day: "The time for my return to the west has arrived. You should each express your attainment." At that time, one named Daofu spoke first, saying: "As I see it, neither clinging to words nor separating from words is the function of the Way." The Venerable One said: "You have attained my skin." A nun named Zongchi said: "As I understand it now, it is like Ānanda's sight of the land of Akṣobhya Buddha: seen once, it is never seen again." The Venerable One said: "You have attained my flesh." One named Daoyu said: "The four great elements are fundamentally empty, and the five aggregates do not exist. As I see it, there is not a single dharma to be attained; the path of words is cut off, and the place of mental activity is extinguished." The Venerable One said: "You have attained my bones." When Huike stepped forward, bowed, and returned to his place standing, the Venerable One said: "You have attained my marrow." Soon after, he instructed him: "Formerly, the Tathāgata entrusted the Great Dharma-eye to Mahākāśyapa, and it has been transmitted successively down to me. I now entrust it to you; you should transmit it without letting it be severed. I also bestow upon you this saṃghāṭī and precious bowl as the token of faith in the Dharma. I only fear that future generations, seeing that you received it from me, a foreigner, will not believe in your lineage transmission. You should keep this as verification to determine its principle and purpose. However, two hundred years after my passing, the transmission of the robe and bowl will cease, while the Dharma will flourish greatly. At that time, those who know the Way will be many, but those who practice the Way will be few; those who speak of principle will be many, but those who awaken to principle will be few. Nevertheless, those who secretly penetrate and intimately realize it will number more than tens of millions. Strive to make it known and do not slight those who are not yet awakened. Listen to my verse:

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傳法正宗記 — Classical Chinese