Buddhānandin

The Eighth Ancestor, Venerable Buddhanandi, encountered the Seventh Ancestor, Venerable Vasumitra, and said: 'I have come to debate the meaning with the Teacher.'

The Venerable One said: 'If one debates, it is not the meaning. The meaning is not debated. If one intends to debate the meaning, in the end it is not a debate of meaning.'The Teacher, knowing the Venerable One's meaning was superior, awakened to the principle of non-arising.

He was from the country of Kāmarūpa. His family name was Gautama. He had a fleshy protuberance on the crown of his head. His eloquence was swift and unimpeded.

The Seventh Ancestor, Venerable Vasumitra, traveling to spread the teaching, arrived in the country of Kāmarūpa and widely promoted the Buddha's work. The Teacher, before the jeweled seat, said to himself:

From the Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp: He was from the country of Kāmarūpa. His family name was Gautama. He had a fleshy protuberance on his crown, and his eloquence was swift and unimpeded. 'I am named Buddhanandi, and I now wish to debate the meaning with the Teacher.'The Venerable One said: 'If one debates, it is not the meaning. The meaning is not debated.'

Truly, the real meaning cannot be debated. The real debate also does not carry meaning. Therefore, where there is debate and meaning, it is neither meaning nor debate. Hence it is said: 'If one intends to debate the meaning, in the end it is not a debate of meaning.'In the end, there should not be a single dharma as meaning, nor a single dharma as debate.

Yet the Buddha does not have two kinds of speech. Therefore, to see the Buddha's speech is to see the Buddha's body. To see the Buddha's body is to realize the Buddha's tongue. Thus, even if one speaks of mind and object being non-dual, this is still not the true discourse. Even if one claims there is no change, this is still not the meaning. Therefore, even if one says there is nothing for words to express, and nothing for principle to reveal, this is still not penetrating the meaning. Even if one says nature is true and mind is correct, what kind of discourse is this? Yet even if one says both light and object vanish, this is still not the true discourse. Even if both light and object do not vanish, this is also not the meaning. Thus, speaking of guest and host, speaking of one and same, repeatedly this is not a discourse on meaning.

Arriving at this point, even if Manjushri Bodhisattva speaks of no words and no speech, this is not the true proclamation. Even if Vimalakirti Bodhisattva sits in silence, this is also not a discourse on meaning. At this place, even Manjushri still sees error, and Vimalakirti still says 'error'. How much more so for Shariputra, foremost in wisdom, and Mahamaudgalyayana, foremost in supernatural powers—they have not even dreamed of seeing this meaning. It is like a person blind from birth who cannot see objects. Yet the Buddha says: 'Buddha-nature is something not even known in the dreams of shravakas and pratyekabuddhas.'

(As stated in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Chapter on Tathagata Nature: 'Good man, such Buddha-nature can only be known by Buddhas; it is not within the reach of shravakas and pratyekabuddhas.')

Even a tenth-stage bodhisattva still mistakes a crane in the distance, wondering: 'Is that water? Is that a crane?'Even after careful consideration and thought, though they may see it as indeed a crane, it is still not certain.

(The same sutra, same chapter states: 'Good man, it is like a thirsty person walking in the wilderness who, confused and distressed, cannot discern whether it is water or trees. Until they observe carefully, they see it as a white crane and thicket. Good man, a tenth-stage bodhisattva's partial knowledge and vision of the Tathagata's nature is also like this.')

The same sutra, same chapter states: Good man, it is like a thirsty person walking in a wilderness. This person, confused and distressed, cannot discern whether it is water or trees. Before careful observation is complete, it appears as white herons and thickets. Good man, the bodhisattva of the ten abidings knowing and seeing a small part of the Tathagata-nature is also like this.

However, even the bodhisattvas of the ten stages do not yet see the Buddha-nature clearly.

(The same sutra and section state: Although bodhisattvas of the ten stages see the nature of the Tathagata within themselves, it is still not greatly clear.)

However, relying slightly on the Tathagata's teaching, they realize that there is a self-nature and rejoice, saying: 'For countless kalpas, wandering in the cycle of birth and death, I failed to discern this eternal reality because I was deluded by the notion of no-self.'

(The same sutra and section state: The ten-stage bodhisattvas still cannot see all of the Buddha-nature; but once the Tathagata explains it, they immediately glimpse it slightly. Having gained this glimpse, these great bodhisattvas all exclaim: 'How wondrous! World-Honored One, we have been transmigrating through countless births and deaths, constantly deluded by the notion of no-self.')

However, even if one speaks of cutting off seeing and hearing, forgetting body and mind, avoiding confusion and awakening, or separating from defilement and purity—one cannot even dream of seeing this truth. Therefore, do not seek it in emptiness; do not seek it in form. How much less should one seek it in Buddha or seek it in ancestors!

Yet, all you virtuous ones, from the vast kalpas of the past until today, how many times have you passed through birth and death? How many times have body and mind arisen and ceased? Perhaps you think: 'This coming and going of birth and death is but a dream illusion, a deluded thought.'It is especially laughable—what kind of talk is this? Moreover, is there anyone who undergoes birth and death? What can be called the true human body? What can be called a dream illusion? Therefore, one should not meet with the false, nor meet with the true. If one meets with the false or meets with the true, upon reaching this point, from beginning to end it is not so. Therefore, this matter must be thoroughly investigated to attain it. Do not idly speculate about emptiness or correctness, imagining that to be such a place. Even if you clarify it as smooth as water, pure and clean, like the undefiled sky, you still have not illuminated this point. Master Dongshan, after studying under Guishan and Yunyan, suddenly participated with all dharmas, and though his whole body expounded the dharma, there was still something incomplete. Therefore, Yunyan consoled him again, saying: 'You must carefully undertake this matter.'Because of this, some doubt still remained, and he temporarily took leave of Yunyan to go elsewhere. While crossing a river, he saw his reflection and immediately grasped this matter, composing a verse saying:

Be careful not to seek it elsewhere, for that leads far away from oneself. Now I go alone, yet everywhere I meet it. It is now precisely myself, but I am not it. One must understand it in this way to accord with suchness.

Understanding thus, he ultimately became Yunyan's true heir and the root of the Dong school. Yet this is not merely about comprehending the whole body expounding the Dharma. Pillars and lanterns, every speck of dust, every moment, every dharma—all expound it. Even if one says they comprehend all teachings of the three times, there remains an unreached place beyond consolation.

How much more so when people today, within their limited knowledge, comprehend 'mind is Buddha'or 'body is Buddha,'or do not comprehend 'what is the Buddha Way?'They merely see spring flowers bloom and autumn leaves scatter, thinking 'dharmas abide in their dharma positions'—this is laughable. If Buddhadharma were like this, why would Śākyamuni have appeared in the world or Bodhidharma come from the West? Yet from Śākyamuni through the ancestral teachers in China, there is no distinction within the Buddha-ancestor rank. Who among them was not greatly awakened? If people always take textual interpretations as meaning and argument, how many Buddha-ancestors would there be? Therefore, discard that, penetrate this place thoroughly, and attain being Buddha-ancestor yourself. Thus, the ancestral teachers'Way particularly requires great awakening and great penetration—otherwise, one is not that person.

Therefore, do not dwell in pure clarity without a speck, nor dwell in empty space's brightness. Hence, Master Chuanzi said:

Directly, one must hide the body where there are no traces; where there are no traces, do not hide the body.

I spent thirty years at Yaoshan solely clarifying this matter. Pure clarity without a speck is not where to hide the body. Even if one says 'both light and realm are forgotten,'still do not hide here. There is no place to speak of past and present, nothing to discuss delusion and enlightenment. When penetrating thoroughly like this, the ten directions have no walls falling, the four sides have no gates. Everywhere is stripped bare, revealing purity. Therefore, one must greatly be careful and meticulous. Do not be hasty.

This morning, I intend to expound this karmic connection. Do you wish to hear it?

Subhuti and Vimalakirti spoke of what is not yet attained; Mahamaudgalyayana and Shariputra saw as if blind. If one truly desires to grasp this meaning, when is the taste of salt ever not precisely so?

From the 'Wudeng Huiyuan': In the future, you must directly hide yourself where there are no traces; where there are no traces, do not hide yourself. For thirty years at Yaoshan, I...