Shakyamuni Buddha

Main Case

Shakyamuni Buddha, seeing the morning star, awakened to the Way and said, 'I, together with all sentient beings of the great earth, have simultaneously attained the Way.'

The Circumstances

Now, Shakyamuni Buddha was of the solar lineage in Western India. At nineteen years old, he left the city at midnight and cut off his hair at Mount Dandaka. From that time onward, he practiced austerities for six years. Finally, seated upon the Vajra Seat, with spiderwebs between his eyebrows and a magpie's nest atop his head, he pierced the reed seat and dwelled unmoving, sitting upright for six years.

At the age of thirty, on the eighth day of the twelfth month, when the morning star appeared, he suddenly awakened to the Way. At the first lion's roar, these words were spoken.

From that time onward, for forty-nine years, there was not a single day he dwelled alone, nor a moment he did not expound the dharma for the assembly. He lacked neither robe nor bowl. Over three hundred and sixty assemblies, he expounded the dharma according to the time. Finally, he entrusted the True Dharma Eye Treasury to Mahakashyapa. It has been transmitted down to the present day. Truly, it has spread through the three lands of India, China, and Japan, and the practice of the True Dharma takes this as its root.

His entire life's conduct serves as the model for his disciples. Even if endowed with the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics, he invariably takes the form of an old bhikshu, no different from ordinary people. Therefore, from his time in the world onward, throughout the three periods of the True, Semblance, and Final Dharma, those who revere his dharma practices emulate the Buddha's form, adopt the Buddha's way of life, and in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, never prioritize themselves even for a moment.

Emulate the Buddha's form, adopt the Buddha's way of life. As stated in the Chan Yuan Qing Gui: 'Imitate the Buddha's form, uphold the Buddha's precepts, attain the Buddha's way of life—this is no small matter.'Buddhas and ancestors, singly transmitted, have come, and the true dharma has never been severed. Now, the causes and conditions are clearly pointed out. Even if the forty-nine years and over three hundred sixty assemblies differ in their pointing and speaking, the various causes, conditions, parables, and discourses do not exceed this principle.

Do not exceed this principle.

[Raised]

What is called 'I'is not Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha also arises from this 'I.'Not only does Shakyamuni Buddha arise; all sentient beings of the great earth also arise from this. When the main net is lifted, all the meshes are lifted; when Shakyamuni Buddha attains the Way, all sentient beings of the great earth also attain the Way. Not only do all sentient beings of the great earth attain the Way; all buddhas of the three times also attain the Way. Even so, regarding Shakyamuni Buddha, there is no thought of attaining the Way. Do not see Shakyamuni Buddha outside of all sentient beings of the great earth. Even if mountains, rivers, the great earth, and all phenomena are vast and dense, none can escape the eye of Gautama. You, all people, also stand within the eye of Gautama. Not only do you stand; you are now exchanged with all present people. Moreover, Gautama's eye becomes a flesh ball, and each person's whole body stands like a sheer cliff ten thousand fathoms high. Therefore, from ancient times to the present, the clear eye,

Therefore, from ancient times to the present, the clear eye,

Do not think that the multitudes are distinct. The multitudes are precisely the eye of Gautama, and Gautama is precisely the entire body of the multitudes. If it is thus, what shall we call the principle of attaining the Way?

Do not, even for a moment, put oneself first. This is the principle that surpasses. The so-called 'I'—in Shakyamuni Buddha, there is no thought of attaining the Way. In Shakyamuni Buddha's attainment of the Way, there is no thought. The eyes of Gautama have been exchanged for the multitudes of today. The eyeball of Gautama has become a lump of flesh. I ask you, assembly: Does Gautama attain the Way together with the multitudes, or do the multitudes attain the Way together with Gautama? If you say the multitudes attain the Way together with Gautama, or Gautama attains the Way together with the multitudes, it is entirely not Gautama's attainment of the Way. Therefore, it cannot be taken as the principle of attaining the Way. If you wish to intimately realize the principle of attaining the Way, you should sweep away Gautama and the multitudes all at once, and quickly know the 'I'. The 'I'that is 'with'is all sentient beings of the great earth. The 'with'that is 'I'is not this old fellow Gautama. Examine carefully, deliberate carefully; you should clarify the 'I'and know the 'with'.

Even if you clarify the 'I', if you do not clarify the 'with', you also lose one eye.

Nevertheless, the 'I'and the 'with'are not one, nor are they two. Precisely, your skin, flesh, bones, and marrow are all 'with'. The master within the house is the 'I'. It does not carry skin, flesh, bones, and marrow; it does not carry the four great elements and the five aggregates. Ultimately speaking, if you wish to recognize the deathless person in the hut, how could you be apart from this present skin bag? Therefore, you cannot form an assembly with all sentient beings of the great earth.

The distinct multitudes... lose one eye... Even though spring, summer, autumn, and winter come in succession, and mountains, rivers, and the great earth differ with the seasons, know that this is because the old fellow Gautama raises his eyebrows and blinks his eyes, and thus, within the myriad phenomena, the body alone is revealed. To set aside the myriad phenomena or not to set aside the myriad phenomena? Dharma Eye said, 'What is there to speak of setting aside or not setting aside?'Also, Earth Store said, 'What shall we call the myriad phenomena?'Therefore, investigating horizontally and vertically, penetrating everywhere in all directions, you should clarify Gautama's place of awakening and realize your own attainment of the Way.

Your skin, flesh, bones, and marrow are all 'with'... It does not carry the four great elements and the five aggregates... If you wish to recognize the deathless person in the hut, how could you be apart from this present skin bag?... Regarding such a koan, examine it carefully, and let each point flow out from your own breast. Do not rely on the phrases of past buddhas or present-day people. On the day of the next request for instruction, you should present your understanding and speak the principle.

The Dharma Eye said, 'What talk of pushing aside or not pushing aside?'The Earth Treasury said, 'What do you call the myriad phenomena?'This is such a koan. This mountain monk also wishes to attach humble words below this case. Do you all wish to hear?

Eulogy on the Ancient

A single branch splendidly emerges from an old plum tree. Thorns and brambles, with time, come to build upon it.

Seeing a single branch of plum.