Jayata

The Twentieth Ancestor, Venerable Jayata, was instructed by the Nineteenth Ancestor, who said:

Although you have already faith in the three karmas, you have not yet understood that karma arises from delusion, delusion exists because of consciousness, consciousness depends on non-enlightenment, and non-enlightenment depends on the mind.

The mind is originally pure, without birth or extinction, without creation or action, without retribution or reward, without victory or defeat—utterly tranquil and luminously aware. If you enter this Dharma gate, you can be one with all buddhas. All good and evil, conditioned and unconditioned, are like dreams and illusions. Hearing these words, the master received the meaning and immediately awakened his latent wisdom.

He was a person from North India. His wisdom was profound and vast, and he guided countless beings.

According to the Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, he was a person from North India, with profound and vast wisdom guiding countless beings. At that time, in Central India, he met the Nineteenth Ancestor and asked:

My family’s parents have long had faith in the Three Jewels, yet they are constantly afflicted by illness. All their endeavors never go as wished. Meanwhile, my neighbors have long practiced the ways of outcasts, yet they are always strong and healthy, and all their actions succeed. What fortune do they have, and what fault do I bear? The Venerable said: Why should this be doubted? Moreover, the retribution of good and evil comes in three periods. Ordinary people, seeing the benevolent die young, the violent live long, the rebellious prosper, and the righteous meet misfortune, then claim there is no cause and effect, and that sin and fortune are empty. They truly do not know.

The influence follows without the slightest confusion; even if a hundred thousand kalpas pass, it does not diminish, and causes and conditions inevitably meet.

Upon hearing these words, the master immediately resolved his doubts. The Venerable said, 'Although you already have faith in the three karmas, you have not yet awakened your innate wisdom.'

Jingde Chuandeng Lu: My parents have long believed in the Three Jewels, yet they are often afflicted by illness. Everything they undertake does not go as intended. Meanwhile, my neighbor has long engaged in the work of a candala, yet he is always strong and healthy, and all his endeavors succeed. Why is he so fortunate, and why am I so unfortunate? The Venerable said, 'Why should this be doubted?'

Moreover, the retribution for good and evil comes in three periods. Ordinary people often see the benevolent die young and the violent live long, the rebellious prosper and the righteous suffer, and thus say there is no causality, that sin and merit are empty. They do not realize that influence follows without the slightest error. Even after a hundred thousand kalpas, it does not diminish. Upon hearing these words, Jayata immediately resolved his doubts. The Venerable said, 'Although you already have faith in the three karmas, you have not yet understood that karma arises from delusion, delusion arises from consciousness, consciousness depends on ignorance, ignorance depends on mind. Mind is originally pure, without birth or extinction, without creation or action, without retribution or reward, without victory or defeat. It is tranquil and luminous. If you enter this dharma gate, you can be one with all buddhas. All good and evil, conditioned and unconditioned, are like dreams and illusions.'Jayata, receiving these words, understood the meaning and awakened his innate wisdom. (The above story should be examined carefully by practitioners. It is said that although one has long believed in the Three Jewels, one is often afflicted by illness. Everything undertaken does not go as intended. Meanwhile, the neighbor has long engaged in the work of a candala, yet he is always strong and healthy, and all his endeavors succeed.

Upon reaching this point, I think: I have taken refuge in the Buddha dharma for many years. Relying on the power of the dharma, my body should always be free from illness, and my affairs should accord with my mind, yet nothing accords with my mind. My body is also afflicted by illness. What sin is this? The candala originally performs evil deeds, cultivating no good seeds at all. Yet, everything he encounters is auspicious, and his body is strong and healthy. What fortune is this?

People today think similarly. Even monastics have such thoughts, how much more so laypeople, who are all like this. It is said:

Why should you harbor doubt? Know that the retribution for good and evil manifests in three temporal modes. Generally, people of benevolence may meet an untimely death, while the violent may enjoy long life. Even those who commit grave offenses may encounter good fortune. Those deeply committed to righteousness, witnessing evil, fail to illuminate the past or comprehend the future. Deluded solely by present circumstances, they think there is no cause and effect, that sin and merit are empty. This is extreme foolishness. It is so because their learning of the Way is shallow.

The three types of karmic retribution are: First, retribution experienced in the present life. When one performs good or evil deeds in this life, the retribution is received within this very lifetime. This is called 'retribution experienced in the present life.'Second, retribution experienced in the next life. Deeds performed in this life yield their fruit in the following life. The five grave offenses and the seven serious transgressions inevitably receive retribution in the next life. Third, retribution experienced in subsequent lives. Karmic causes created in this life bear fruit in the third, fourth life, or even after countless lives. Thus, although one may receive present good fortune due to past good karma, the present results may differ due to the influence of past actions.

It is said that those with purely good or evil karmic causes experience purely good or evil results in this life. Those with mixed karma receive mixed results. Furthermore, through the power of practicing the Buddha Dharma, heavy karma can be transformed into light retribution, and light karma can be eradicated in the present. It is said that heavy suffering due to evil causes from past kalpas, which should be experienced in the future, can, through the power of present practice, be received lightly in this life. One may be afflicted by illness, encounter disagreeable matters, or find one's words disparaged by others. All these are instances of receiving future heavy suffering lightly in the present. Therefore, the power of practicing the Buddha Dharma is truly reliable. Retribution from deeds performed in the distant past can all be made light if one courageously and diligently advances. However, even as a student who has to some extent understood the Way, one may receive a bad reputation, face unsatisfactory endeavors, or lack physical vigor. One should consider this as transforming the heavy into the light. Even if others despise you, never hold resentment. Even if others slander you, never blame them. Even if those who slander you are further honored, do not feel aversion. Your practice will increase daily, and past karma will diminish moment by moment.

Nevertheless, you must carefully investigate and practice. Although you now believe in the three types of karma, you do not yet know the root of karma. Karma means the distinction between good and evil retribution, the difference in the status of ordinary beings and sages. The three realms, six paths, four modes of birth, and nine types of existence are all karmic retribution. This karma arises from delusion. Delusion means hating and loving what should not be hated or loved, affirming and denying what should not be affirmed or denied. Its confusion is knowing what is not male as male,

knowing what is not female as female, separating self and other. Its non-awareness is not knowing one's own root source, not knowing the birthplace of all dharmas, losing wisdom in all situations. This is called ignorance.

This has no deliberation and is free from conditioning dust. This mind is originally pure and does not oppose other conditions. The single alteration of this mind is called non-awareness. If one awakens to and knows this non-awareness, one's own mind is originally pure. If one clearly realizes that one's own nature is intrinsically luminous like this, then ignorance is immediately destroyed, the twelvefold chain of dependent origination ultimately becomes empty, and the four modes of birth and six paths swiftly perish. Everyone's original mind is like this. Therefore, there is no separation of birth and death, no categories of fabrication. Hence, there is no hatred or love, no increase or decrease. It is merely serene and luminous.

O virtuous ones, if you wish to see your original mind, put down all affairs, rest from all conditions, think not of good or evil, and for a while, fix your eyes on the tip of your nose and look toward your original mind. When the one mind is tranquil, all appearances vanish completely. Since the root ignorance is already broken, the branches and leaves of karmic retribution do not exist. Therefore, do not dwell in the place of non-discrimination, do not be bound at the moment beyond thought. It is not permanent, it is not impermanent, it is not ignorant, it is not pure. There is no separation from the buddhas, no distinction from sentient beings. Only upon reaching the field of pristine, luminous, and perfect clarity can one become a true monk of original nature. If it is thus, you will be identical to all buddhas.

Upon reaching this, all conditioned and unconditioned phenomena are exhausted like a dream or illusion. Though you try to grasp it, your hand is empty;

though you try to see it, your eyes are not bound. Having reached this field, one clarifies the principle that even the buddhas have not yet appeared in the world, and attains the place where sentient beings have not yet fallen into delusion. If a student has not yet reached this field, even if they pay homage to the buddhas throughout the twelve hours and regulate body and mind in the four dignified postures, it is merely a superior fruit among humans and devas,

a karmic retribution with outflows. It is like a shadow following a form. Though it exists, it is not real. Therefore, everyone, exert your vital energy and clarify your original mind.

Following the example, I add humble words. Do you wish to hear?

The Yuzhang tree has always grown from within emptiness. Its branches, leaves, roots, and stem flourish beyond the clouds.

Later, he moved to Dongshan in Gao'an, Yuzhang, becoming its first patriarch. (T 2004.48.258b7-8). Branches, leaves, roots, and stems flourish beyond the clouds.