Micchaka

The Sixth Ancestor, Venerable Micchaka. The Fifth Ancestor instructed him, saying: 'The Buddha said that cultivating immortality and studying the lesser path is like being pulled by a rope. You should know for yourself: if you abandon the lesser stream and suddenly return to the great ocean, you will realize the unborn.'Hearing this, the master awakened in accord.

The master was from Central India.

He was the leader of eight thousand ascetics. One day, leading his assembly, he paid homage to Venerable Dhītika and said: 'Long ago, my teacher and I were both born in the Brahma Heaven. I met the ascetic Asita and received from him the ascetic methods of pulling a chariot, making it unable to proceed. My teacher met a disciple of the Ten-Powered One and cultivated meditation. From then on, our karmic retributions diverged, our paths became different, and already six kalpas have passed.'The Venerable said: 'Fragmented, accumulating kalpas—truly so, not false. Now, you should abandon the wrong and return to the right, thereby entering the Buddha Vehicle.'The master said: 'Long ago, the ascetic Asita bestowed a prediction upon me, saying: "After six kalpas, you should meet a fellow student and realize the fruit of no outflows." Is our meeting now not due to past causes? I beseech the Reverend, with compassion, to enable my liberation.'

The Venerable then had him leave home and receive the full precepts. The remaining ascetics initially gave rise to arrogance. At that time, the Venerable displayed great spiritual powers. The assembly of ascetics,

thereupon all aroused the mind of bodhi and left home together.

Hearing the master's wonderful verse, Dhītika paid homage and upheld it. Later he came to Central India. In that country there were eight thousand great ascetics, with Micchaka as their leader. Hearing the Venerable had arrived, he led the assembly to pay homage. He said to the Venerable: 'Long ago I was born in the Brahma Heaven together with my teacher. I met the ascetic Asita, who bestowed upon me the methods of immortality. My teacher met a disciple of the Ten-Powered One and cultivated meditation. From then on, our karmic retributions diverged, our paths became different, and already six kalpas have passed.'The Venerable said: 'Fragmented, accumulating kalpas—truly so, not false. Now you should abandon the wrong and return to the right, thereby entering the Buddha Vehicle.'Micchaka said: 'Long ago, the ascetic Asita bestowed a prediction upon me, saying: "After six kalpas, you should meet a fellow student and obtain the fruit of no outflows." Is our meeting now not due to past causes? I beseech the Teacher, with compassion, to enable my liberation.'The Venerable immediately ordained him and had the sages confer the precepts. The remaining ascetics initially gave rise to arrogance. The Venerable displayed great spiritual powers. Thereupon they all aroused the mind of bodhi and left home together. Thus the eight thousand ascetics became eight thousand bhikṣus, wishing to follow and leave home together. The Venerable instructed them, saying: 'The Buddha said that cultivating immortality and studying the lesser path is...'Hearing this, the master awakened in accord.

Although one may learn immortality and attain long life, and acquire wondrous supernatural powers, one merely passes through eighty thousand kalpas of the past and eighty thousand kalpas of the future. One does not see beyond the far reaches of past and future. Although one may cultivate the state of neither perception nor non-perception and enter the samadhi of no-mind, alas, one is born in the Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception, becoming a long-lived deity. Although one may lose the physical body, there still remains the flow of karmic consciousness. One cannot meet the Buddha, nor can one penetrate the Way. When that karmic consciousness exhausts its retribution, one falls back into the Avici Hell. Thus it is like being bound and entangled by a rope. Ultimately, there is no liberation.

Practitioners of the Lesser Vehicle, although they may realize the first fruition, the second fruition, the third fruition, the fourth fruition, or become Pratyekabuddhas, still this is cultivation and practice within body and mind, and practice of the Way within delusion and enlightenment. Therefore, a holy one of the first fruition passes through eighty thousand kalpas before first becoming a beginner bodhisattva. A holy one of the second fruition passes through sixty thousand kalpas before

first becoming a beginner bodhisattva. A holy one of the third fruition passes through forty thousand kalpas before first becoming a beginner bodhisattva. A holy one who is a Pratyekabuddha passes through ten thousand kalpas before entering the bodhisattva path. Although good causes eventually lead to this, alas, because of this, the karma of cyclic existence is still not severed. This too is like being pulled and dragged by a rope. They are not originally liberated people.

Indeed, although one may break through the eighty-eight bonds of views and thoughts, and the immeasurable delusions as numerous as grains of sand, leaving not a single speck of dust,

and although there is not a single hair's breadth of delusion, it is merely conditioned meritorious work, and ultimately not the unconditioned fruition of Buddhahood. Therefore, returning to the origin and reverting to the source, the practice of the Way that awaits enlightenment, all are of this kind.

Although there is not a speck of confusion, it is merely conditioned, meritorious activity, and ultimately not the unconditioned fruit of Buddhahood. Therefore, return to the origin, revert to the source. The practice of the Way, which awaits awakening and then acts, is entirely of this kind.

Therefore, all virtuous ones, do not cling to nothingness either. Fear falling into the same category as the heretics of empty annihilation. Do not dwell in the empty kalpa of the primordial sound. This too resembles a dead person whose spirit does not disperse. Do not think of retaining the empty flowers of deluded phenomena to reach the true original nature. On the contrary, this resembles the sages who cut off ignorance and realize the Middle Way. Raising clouds where there are none, producing flaws where there are none. It is like a destitute son wandering in another land. It is the impoverished guest of ignorant intoxication.

Consider this: who are you, that you speak of before birth and after death? Further, what past, future, or present do you hold? Since time immemorial, not a single moment has been mistaken. From birth to death, it is precisely thus. However, if you do not once strike through it, you will merely be deluded by sense faculties and objects, one who does not know oneself. You neglect what is right before your eyes. Therefore, you do not know where body and mind arise from, nor do you discern where the myriad phenomena flow out from; without reason you think to sweep them away, without reason you wish to seek them. Because it is like this, the Buddha was compelled to trouble himself by appearing in the world, and the Patriarchs earnestly handed down their admonitions. Though they admonished thus and extended their hands, still deluded by their own knowledge and views, some speak of 'not knowing,'some speak of 'not distinguishing.'It is not truly ignorance, nor is it intimate covering. Are you not merely dwelling in the midst of thinking and calculation, unable to discern right from wrong? You people, you respond when called, you arrive when pointed to. This is not born from contrived thought, nor does it arise from conscious knowing; it is precisely your true master. This master,

has no face or features, no body or form. Yet it moves and acts without ceasing. Depending on this, this mind arises. This is called the body. Since this body appears, the four great elements and five aggregates, the eighty-four thousand pores, the three hundred sixty joints, combine to form your single body. It is like the radiance of jade, like sound carrying an echo.

Therefore, in coming to life and going to death, not a single moment is lacking, not a single moment is extra. Such birth and extinction,

though born, have no beginning of birth; though dying, leave no trace of death. It is just like waves arising in the ocean without leaving a mark, and yet the waves do not perish. Though they go and go, they never go to another place; they are merely the ocean's activity, as great waves and small waves arise and do not vanish.

Your mind is also like this. It moves and acts without ceasing. Therefore, it manifests as skin, flesh, bones, and marrow; it functions as the four great elements and five aggregates. It also manifests as peach blossoms and green bamboo; it awakens and realizes as attaining the Way and clarifying the mind. Sounds and forms are distinguished, seeing and hearing differ; it is used in putting on clothes and eating meals, it is employed in speech and deeds.

Though they separate, it is not a dharma of discrimination. Though they manifest and are manifested, they do not abide in form or appearance.

Just as a magician performs various illusions, or as various forms arise within a dream.

Though myriad images transform and change endlessly within a mirror, they are all but this single mirror.

If one does not know it thus, but vainly cultivates immortality or studies lesser ways, there will be no time of liberation. All people are originally unbound—why seek anew to be freed? Delusion and enlightenment are fundamentally nonexistent; bondage and liberation have from the outset been transcended. Is this not the unborn? Is this not the great ocean? Where is there any small stream? Every dust-particle universe, every minute dust-particle universe, is entirely the dharma-ocean. Streams and torrents, rivers swirling and eddying—all are but ripples upon the ocean's surface. Yet there is no small stream to discard, no great ocean to grasp.

Therefore, obstacles naturally fell away. Former views were at once transformed. He abandoned immortality and left home.

This was the ripening of past causes and conditions.

Yet all of you have thus investigated, coming and going, and your minds and words have become one. Truly, it is like meeting a close friend who is a close friend, nodding to your own self. Together you swim in the ocean of nature, not separated for even a moment. If you are truly inspired in this way, then it is because a karmic connection from the past is manifesting.

Do you not see? Master Ma said, 'All beings, from countless kalpas, have never left the samadhi of the dharma nature. They are always within the samadhi of the dharma nature while putting on clothes, eating meals, conversing and responding, using the six senses, and performing all actions—all of this is the dharma nature.'Hearing such words, one should not understand that there are beings within the dharma nature. To speak of dharma nature and to speak of beings is like speaking of water and waves. Therefore, depending on the words, we speak of water and speak of waves—how could they be many different kinds?

From 'The Extensive Record of Chan Master Mazu Daoyi': To speak of enlightenment to the deluded. Since originally there is no delusion, enlightenment also is not established. All beings, from countless kalpas, have never left the samadhi of the dharma nature. They are always within the samadhi of the dharma nature while putting on clothes, eating meals, conversing and responding, using the six senses, and performing all actions—all of this is the dharma nature. Not understanding how to return to the source, they follow names and chase appearances. Deluded feelings arise falsely, creating all kinds of karma. If in one thought they can return to this very moment, and also speak of breaking through causes and conditions, there is further a humble verse. Assembly, do you wish to hear?

Even if there were autumn waters reaching the sky, pure and clear, how could they compare to the hazy moon of a spring night? Most people want clarity and purity, but sweeping away and sweeping again, the mind is not yet empty.

Even if there is autumn water, pure and reaching the heavens, How can it compare to the hazy moon on a spring night? People mostly desire clarity and purity, Sweeping away and sweeping again, the mind is not yet empty.