Vasumitra

The Seventh Ancestor, Venerable Vasumitra, placed a wine vessel before Venerable Micchaka, bowed, and stood. The Venerable asked, 'Is this my vessel, or is it your vessel?'The Master pondered. The Venerable said, 'If it is my vessel, it is your originally endowed nature. If it is your vessel, my dharma you shall receive.'Hearing this, the Master greatly awakened to the unborn original nature.

The Master was a person of North India. His clan name was Bharadvaja. He always wore pure robes. Carrying a wine vessel in hand, he wandered through villages, sometimes chanting, sometimes whistling. People called him mad.

If it is my vessel, it is your originally endowed nature. His name and surname were not revealed. However, Venerable Micchaka, traveling to teach, arrived in the country of North India. Looking upon the city ramparts, he saw golden auspicious clouds rising. The Venerable said to his disciples, 'This is the aura of a person of the Way; there must be a great being who will become my dharma successor.'

Before the words were finished, the Master immediately arrived, and then asked, saying,

Traveling and teaching, he arrived in the northern land of India. Looking upon the city walls, he saw a golden auspicious cloud rising. The Venerable One said to his disciples, 'This is the aura of a practitioner of the Way. There must be a great being who will become my Dharma heir.'

Before his words were finished, the master immediately arrived and then asked, saying,

The Record of the Transmission of the Lamp states: He was from the country of Northern India. His family name was Bharadvaja. He always wore pure robes and carried a wine vessel, wandering through villages and towns. Sometimes he chanted, sometimes he wandered. He traveled to Northern India. Seeing golden auspicious clouds above the city battlements, he sighed and said: 'This is the aura of a practitioner. Surely there is a great being who will be my dharma successor.'

The master then placed the wine vessel before the Venerable Micchaka. Thereupon, he greatly awakened to the unborn original nature.

At that moment, the wine vessel suddenly vanished. The Venerable again said: 'You should try to state your own name and family. I will later reveal the original cause.'The master spoke a verse in reply: 'From immeasurable kalpas, I have come to be born in this land. My original family name is Bharadvaja, my name is Vasumitra.'Then the Venerable revealed: 'My teacher Dhrtaka said: The World-Honored One once traveled in Northern India and told Ananda: In this land, three hundred years after my nirvana, there will be a sage. His family name is Bharadvaja, his name is Vasumitra. And among the Chan patriarchs...'

'I come from immeasurable kalpas, arriving to be born in this land. My original family name is Bharadvaja, my name is Vasumitra.'The master said: 'My teacher Dhrtaka said: The World-Honored One once traveled in Northern India and told Ananda: In this land, three hundred years after my nirvana, there will be a sage. His family name is Bharadvaja, his name is Vasumitra. And among the Chan patriarchs, he will attain the seventh position. The World-Honored One predicted you. You should leave home.'He then set down the vessel, bowed to the master, stood to the side and said: 'I recall in a past kalpa I once acted as a donor, offering a jeweled seat to a tathagata. That buddha predicted of me:'

'You, in the Saha world during the teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha... will attain the seventh position.'The World-Honored One predicted you. You should leave home.'Hearing this, the master said: 'I recall in a past kalpa I once acted as a donor, offering a jeweled seat to a tathagata. That buddha predicted of me: You, in the Saha world during the teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha,'

'will continue the holy position.'Because of this, he finally ranked as the seventh patriarch.

Before the Master arrived at the Venerable One's place, he never abandoned the wine vessel he carried throughout the twelve hours. This truly manifests the standard. This vessel is needed in the morning, needed in the evening—its use is unobstructed. This truly manifests its nature as a vessel.

Based on this, at the very beginning of his study, he asked: 'Do you recognize the thing in my hand?'Even if one realizes that mind is the Way and clearly understands that the body is Buddha, this is still a defiled vessel. If it is a defiled vessel, it will surely be defeated by purity.

Though spanning past and present, meet it. Though fully equipped for the future, know it. All are defiled vessels. What past can be spoken of? What present can be spoken of? What can be called beginning? What can be called end? Such views will surely be defeated by purity. Hearing the ultimate principle, the Master immediately set down the wine vessel. This manifests the standard of returning to the Venerable One.

The Analects records Zigong asking about benevolence. Confucius said: 'The artisan who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools. Residing in this state, serve its worthy ministers, befriend its benevolent scholars.'The Buddha said in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra: 'Excellent, excellent! Good man, you ask well. Buddha-nature is like space—neither past, nor future, nor present. All beings have three kinds of bodies: past, future, and present. Beings will fully attain the adorned pure body and see Buddha-nature.'Therefore he asked: 'Is this my vessel or your vessel?'This is already beyond theories of past and present, transcending views of coming and going. Arriving at this moment, is it me or you? Considering that it is neither me nor you, he then showed it and said: 'If it is my vessel, it is your original nature. Thus it is not Maitreya's vessel. If it is your vessel, my dharma should be received by you. Thus it is not Vashumitra's vessel. It is neither my vessel nor your vessel. Therefore the vessel is not a vessel. Thus the vessel immediately disappears.'

This entire causal circumstance from beginning to end cannot be known by ordinary people now. Even if one comes studying and goes studying, reaching where all Buddhas and ancestral teachers exhaust their efforts cannot reach, this is still a defiled vessel. It will surely be defeated by purity. The truly pure one does not even establish purity. Therefore the vessel is not established either. Thus the Way of teacher and disciple mutually accords. Because the path is unobstructed, my dharma should be received by you. Because it is your original nature, no dharma is received from another, no dharma is given to another. When one thoroughly investigates thus, it may be called teacher, may be called disciple. Thus the disciple ascends upon the teacher's head, the teacher descends beneath the disciple's feet. At this time, there are no two things, no analysis—therefore it is difficult to call it a vessel.

Then the vessel disappears—this manifests the standard of penetrating this Way.

If one arrives at this field today, it is no longer the former body and mind. Therefore, it is difficult to speak of spanning past and present. How much less can one speak of birth and death, coming and going, or of preserving skin, flesh, bones, and marrow? Truly, this is a single expanse of empty solidity, ultimately without front or back, without inside or outside.

Today, I will again don humble words and wish to present the recent circumstances. Assembly, do you wish to hear?

The frosty dawn bell rings as it is struck. Within this, there is fundamentally no need for empty sound.