Mahākāśyapa

The First Ancestor, the Venerable Mahakashyapa. When the World-Honored One held up a flower and blinked, Kashyapa broke into a subtle smile. The World-Honored One said, 'I possess the treasury of the true dharma eye, the wondrous mind of nirvana, and I entrust it to Mahakashyapa.'

The Venerable Mahakashyapa was born into a Brahmin family. In Sanskrit, he is called Kashyapa; here he is known as the Venerable Light-Drinker. When the Venerable One was born, golden light filled the room, and all the light entered his mouth, hence he was called Light-Drinker. His body was golden in color, adorned with the thirty-one marks of excellence. Only the ushnisha and the white curl between his eyebrows were lacking.

All the light entered the Venerable One's mouth, hence he was called Light-Drinker. At the foot of the Many-Children Stupa, he first encountered the World-Honored One. When the World-Honored One said, 'Welcome, bhikshu,'his beard and hair immediately fell away, and the kasaya draped itself over his body. Thereupon, the treasury of the true dharma eye was entrusted to him. He practiced the twelve dhuta ascetic disciplines, never wasting a single moment throughout the twelve periods of the day.

However, seeing his ugly appearance and coarse robes, the entire assembly found it strange. Because of this, at every dharma assembly, Shakyamuni Buddha would share his seat and place Kashyapa upon it. Thus, he became the foremost elder in the assemblies. Yet,

He was not merely the foremost elder in Shakyamuni Buddha's assembly alone. He was also the irreversible foremost elder in the assemblies of all past buddhas. Know that he is an ancient buddha. Do not merely rank him among the shravaka disciples.

Then, at the assembly on Vulture Peak before eighty thousand beings, the World-Honored One held up a flower and blinked. None understood his mind, and all remained silent. At that moment, Mahakashyapa alone broke into a subtle smile. The World-Honored One said, 'I possess the treasury of the true dharma eye, the wondrous mind of nirvana, the perfectly bright and formless dharma gate, and I fully entrust it all to Mahakashyapa.'

The so-called flower-holding of that time has been transmitted singly from ancestor to ancestor, never carelessly letting outsiders know. Therefore, it is not something known by sutra masters or treatise masters, nor by many Zen masters. Truly know this: know that you do not know its true point.

Even so, such a kōan is not a kōan from the assembly on Vulture Peak. It is the words spoken when the transmission was entrusted before the Many-Children Stūpa. What is recorded in the Transmission of the Lamp and the Universal Lamp records is not said to be from the assembly on Vulture Peak. When the Dharma was first entrusted, there was such a form.

Therefore, unless one is a patriarch who transmits the Buddha-Mind Seal, one does not know the moment of that flower-holding, nor does one clarify it. All you virtuous Zen practitioners, investigate thoroughly, see thoroughly, know why Mahākāśyapa is Mahākāśyapa, clarify why Śākyamuni is Śākyamuni, and deeply transmit the perfectly wondrous Way singly.

Set aside the flower-holding for a moment; you should all clarify what his blinking meant. When you all ordinarily raise your eyebrows or blink, this too is identical, not separated by a single hair's breadth, to Gautama's holding up the flower and blinking. When you speak, smile, or laugh, it is completely no different, not a hair's breadth apart, from Mahākāśyapa's breaking into a smile.

However, if you do not clarify the one who raised his eyebrows and blinked, then in the Western Heaven there is Śākyamuni and Kāśyapa, and within your own mind there is skin, flesh, bones, and marrow; these many eye-flowers, these numerous floating specks, have never been liberated since countless kalpas past, and will also sink into confusion for kalpas to come.

If once you recognize that original master, then Mahākāśyapa would indeed be able to move his finger within your sandals. Do you not know? At the place where Gautama raised his eyebrows and blinked, Gautama himself was completely extinguished. At the place where Kāśyapa broke into a smile, Kāśyapa himself attained awakening. Is this not 'I have it'? The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye has instead been entrusted to oneself. Therefore, one should not call it Kāśyapa, nor call it Śākyamuni. Never has a single dharma been given to another; never has a single dharma been received by a person. This is called the True Dharma. To manifest it, he held up a flower to show the unchanging, and broke into a smile to show the eternal. In this way, master and disciple see each other, and the lifeblood flows.

I possess the treasury of the true dharma eye. With perfectly clear understanding, without engaging in mental discrimination, correctly severing the root of thought, he entered the Kukkutapada Mountain, awaiting from afar the descent of Maitreya. Therefore, Mahakasyapa has not yet entered nirvana. All of you, if you closely study the Way and thoroughly investigate with care, not only is Kasyapa not extinguished, but Sakyamuni is also eternally abiding. Therefore, all of you, directly pointing and single transmission from before you were born, pervading the ancient and pervading the present, striking and bumping. Therefore, do not yearn for the past of two thousand years ago. Just urgently practice the Way today, and Kasyapa would not have entered Kukkutapada Mountain, but would indeed be able to appear in the land of Japan. Therefore, Sakyamuni's flesh-body is still warm, and Kasyapa's smile would again be fresh.

If you reach such a state, then you will succeed Kasyapa, and Kasyapa will receive from you. Not only from the Seven Buddhas to you, but you will indeed become the ancestral teacher of the Seven Buddhas. Without beginning or end, transcending ancient and present, this is precisely the treasury of the true dharma eye being entrusted and existing. Accordingly, Sakyamuni also received the entrustment from Kasyapa and now abides in the Tusita Heaven. You also, at the assembly on Vulture Peak, abide unchanging.

Do you not see it said: 'Constantly abiding on Vulture Peak, and in all other dwelling places, when the great fire burns at the end of the kalpa, this land of mine remains peaceful and secure,'

and 'devas and humans constantly fill it.'Not only is the assembly on Vulture Peak called a dwelling place; how could India, China, and this country also be excluded? The true dharma of the Tathagata circulates without lacking even a single hair. If so, this assembly should be the assembly on Vulture Peak. Vulture Peak is this assembly.

Constantly abiding on Vulture Peak, and in all other dwelling places.

When beings see the kalpa ending, burned by the great fire,

In this land of ours, there is peace and security; gods and humans constantly fill it. It is only due to people's diligence or lack thereof that the Buddhas appear and disappear, rising and sinking. Even today, if one earnestly engages in practice and thoroughly penetrates the details, Shakyamuni Buddha directly manifests in the world. It is solely because you yourselves are not clear that Shakyamuni Buddha entered nirvana in ancient times. You are already children of the Buddha. How could you kill the Buddha? Therefore, urgently engage in practice and swiftly meet the compassionate father. In ordinary life, the old man Shakyamuni walks, stands, sits, and lies down together with you; he speaks and serves together with you, never parting for even a moment. If in this lifetime you do not see that old man, all of you would be unfilial people, despite being called children of the Buddha. If you are unfilial, not even the hands of a thousand Buddhas could reach you.

Today, descendants of the Great Vehicle, there is humble speech wishing to point out and explain such principles. Do you all wish to hear?

One should know that deep within the cloudy valley, there are further spiritual pines enduring the winter's cold.

The Analects, Book IX: The Master said, 'Only when the year grows cold do we know that the pine and the cypress are the last to fade.'