Dhṛtaka

The Fifth Ancestor, Venerable Dhitika, said:

One who leaves home life has no self because of selflessness, and has no possession of self because of selflessness. Since the mind neither arises nor ceases, this is the eternal Way. All Buddhas are also eternal. The mind has no form or characteristics; its essence is likewise. Venerable Upagupta said: 'You shall greatly awaken, and your own mind will be thoroughly penetrated.'

The master then greatly awakened.

The master was a person from the kingdom of Magadha. At the time of his birth, his father dreamed of a golden sun emerging from the house, illuminating heaven and earth. Before him was a great mountain, adorned with various jewels. From the mountain peak, a spring gushed forth, flowing abundantly in all directions. When the master first visited Venerable Upagupta, he spoke of this matter. Venerable Upagupta explained it for him, saying: 'The great mountain is my body. The gushing spring is your wisdom manifesting, and the Dharma is inexhaustible. The sun emerging from the house is the sign of your present entry into the Way. Illuminating heaven and earth is your wisdom surpassing all.'The master was originally named Gandhahasti (Fragrant Elephant), and therefore changed to his present name. In Sanskrit, it is called Dhitika, and here it is called Penetrating True Measure.

The master, having heard the explanation, spoke a verse, saying: 'Majestic is the seven-jeweled mountain. Constantly issuing the spring of wisdom. Turning back, it becomes the true flavor of Dharma. Able to liberate all who have affinity.'Venerable Upagupta also spoke a verse, saying: 'My Dharma is transmitted to you. You shall manifest great wisdom. The golden sun emerges from the house. Illuminating heaven and earth.'

The Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp: 'One who leaves home life has no self because of selflessness. Having no self because of selflessness means the mind neither arises nor ceases. The mind neither arising nor ceasing is the eternal Way. All Buddhas are also eternal. The mind has no form or characteristics; its essence is likewise.'The Venerable said: 'You shall greatly awaken, and the mind will naturally be thoroughly penetrated.'(The Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp: He was a person from the kingdom of Magadha. At the time of his birth, his father dreamed of a golden sun emerging from the house, illuminating heaven and earth.

Before him stood a great mountain adorned with various treasures. From its peak, a spring gushed forth, flowing abundantly in all four directions. Later, he met the Venerable Upagupta, who explained: 'The treasure mountain is my body. The gushing spring is the inexhaustibility of the Dharma. The sun emerging from the house signifies your entry onto the path. Illuminating heaven and earth signifies your surpassing wisdom.'The Venerable's original name was Fragrant Assembly; the master thus changed it to his present name. In Sanskrit, it is Dhitika, meaning 'penetrating true measure.'Hearing the master's words, Dhitika was filled with joy and leapt with delight, reciting a verse: 'Majestic seven-treasure mountain, constantly issuing a spring of wisdom,'

'Turning back, it becomes the true flavor of Dharma, able to ferry across all beings with karmic ties.'The Venerable Upagupta also spoke a verse: 'My Dharma I transmit to you, you shall manifest great wisdom; The golden sun emerges from the house, illuminating heaven and earth.'From then on, the master paid homage and followed him, eventually seeking to leave home. Upagupta asked: 'You aspire to seek leaving home. Is it the leaving home of the body, or the leaving home of the mind?'The master said: 'I have come seeking to leave home, not for the sake of body or mind.'Upagupta said:

'Not for the sake of body or mind, then who is it that leaves home?'The master said: 'Leaving home is precisely...'The master then experienced great awakening.

Truly, this leaving home reveals the self of no-self. Therefore, it cannot be discerned in terms of body or mind.

This self of no-self is precisely the constant Way. It cannot be measured by birth and extinction. Therefore, it is not the Buddhas, nor sentient beings, much less the four great elements, the five aggregates, the three realms, or the six paths. Therefore, the mind has no form or characteristics.

Even if there is seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing, ultimately it is neither coming nor going, neither movement nor stillness. Seeing in this way is precisely one who has attained knowledge of the mind. Yet this can still be called understanding through hearing.

Therefore, although Dhitika understood in this way, Upagupta pointed and said, 'You must greatly awaken, and your mind will naturally penetrate.'It is like the emperor's seal being affixed to goods for trade. When the royal seal is inscribed, it is not poison, it is not doubt. Nor is it public property, therefore people come to use it. The way of teacher and disciple, their mutual accord, is like this.

Even if it is said that there is no principle not penetrated, no way not clarified, one must greatly awaken to begin to attain it. If one does not greatly awaken even once, one merely becomes a guest of intellectual understanding, and ultimately does not penetrate the mind-ground. Therefore, one has not yet escaped the views of Buddha and Dharma. When will one ever escape self-bondage and bondage by others?

Thus, even if in forty-nine years of teaching, not a single word is omitted, and among the three vehicles and five vehicles, not a single dharma is mistaken, if one has not greatly awakened even once, it is difficult to approve one as a true monk. Therefore, even if one lectures on a thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises, makes Buddhas appear, shakes the great earth, and causes heavenly flowers to rain down profusely, this is still the understanding of a lecturer, not yet that of a true monk of original character.

Thus, one should not interpret 'the three realms are only mind,'nor 'the true aspect of all dharmas,'nor 'all beings have Buddha-nature,'nor 'ultimate emptiness and quiescence.'The true aspect is still constrained by particulars. Total emptiness is the same as falling into emptiness. 'All have'resembles a spiritual nature. 'Only mind'has not yet escaped awareness and knowledge. Therefore, if someone wishing to seek this matter seeks it within a thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises, alas, they are one who abandons their father and flees.

Therefore, when one fully opens one's own treasure store and brings forth the entire canon, one will find that the sacred teachings are naturally one's own possession. If one does not realize it in this way, all Buddhas and patriarchs are your enemies. Therefore it is said, 'What demon made you leave home? What demon made you wander on pilgrimage? If you can speak, you die under the staff. If you cannot speak, you also die under the staff.'For this reason it is said, 'Leaving home is not for the sake of body and mind.'Although one may understand thus,

one is still not a true monk of original character. Only when pointed out again can one greatly awaken and attain penetration. Therefore, all you virtuous ones, carefully practice the way, diligently exert effort. Do not rely on texts to understand meaning. Do not rely on awareness to discern spirituality. Utterly destroy the whole world, the earth, the ordinary and the sage, the dependent and the primary, and...

Though moving back and forth, there is not a single thread of obstruction; though entering and exiting above and below, there is not a speck of separation. Yet one carves a cave in emptiness, stirs waves on level ground, and beholds the Buddha's face.

Recognizing awakening and illuminating the mind, the gourd vine entwines around the gourd seed. Revolving a single orb of luminous pearl, one knows there is a matter in the innermost sanctum of the Buddhas and ancestors—only then can one attain it.

I intend to dare attach humble words to the recent causal connection. Do you wish to hear?

To obtain the marrow, one must know the place of attainment clearly. Even the wheelwright Bian had an untransmittable marvel.