Kaiin Zammai

All buddhas and patriarchs abide invariably in the samadhi of the ocean-seal. Within the swimming of this samadhi, there is a time of speaking, a time of realizing, and a time of practicing. The merit of walking on the sea has its own thoroughgoing practice. This is to walk on the sea as the deep practice at the ocean's floor. The wish to make the wandering through birth and death return to the source is not this heart-mind's activity. The penetration of barriers and breaking of nodes from of old, though originally the very faces of all buddhas and patriarchs, are themselves the morning assembly of the ocean-seal samadhi.

The Buddha says, "This body is formed solely by the assemblage of all dharmas. At the time of arising, it is only dharmas that arise; at the time of ceasing, it is only dharmas that cease. When these dharmas arise, one does not say, 'I arise.' When these dharmas cease, one does not say, 'I cease.' The preceding thought and the following thought, each thought does not await another. The preceding dharma and the following dharma, each dharma does not oppose another.

This is precisely what is called the samadhi of the ocean-seal."

One must thoroughly investigate and practice this Buddha Way. Attaining the Way and entering realization do not necessarily depend on extensive hearing or much speaking. The broad learning of extensive hearing may yet attain the Way through a four-line verse, while studying as vast as the Ganges sands ultimately enters realization through a single phrase. Moreover, the Way of now does not seek original enlightenment as a future goal, nor does it grasp initial enlightenment within the midst of realization.

While it is said that manifesting such things as original enlightenment is the merit of the Buddhas and Patriarchs, the Buddhas and Patriarchs are not constituted by various enlightenments like initial and original enlightenment. The time of the samadhi of the ocean-seal is precisely the time of all dharmas alone; it is the attainment of the Way by all dharmas alone. This time is called the synthesis of this body. The one integrated mark synthesized from all dharmas is precisely this body. It is not that this body is made into an integrated mark; it is the synthesis of all dharmas. The synthesis of this body is spoken of as this body.

At the time of arising, only dharmas arise. This arising of dharmas never leaves behind any trace of arising. Therefore, arising is not perception or knowledge; this is called 'not saying I arise.' In not saying 'I arise,' it is not that another person sees, hears, is aware of, knows, ponders, or discriminates this arising of dharmas. At the very moment of mutual seeing on the upward path, there is precisely the falling away of advantage in mutual seeing. Arising is necessarily the arrival of a season; because time is arising. What is this that is arising?

It must be 'arising is.' Since it is already arising that is time, there is no failing to fully manifest skin, flesh, bones, and marrow. Because arising is precisely the arising of synthesis, 'this body of arising' and 'my arising of arising' are solely all dharmas. It is not merely seeing and hearing as sound and form; it is all dharmas that are 'my arising,' it is 'my arising' that is not spoken. 'Not speaking' is not 'not expressing'; because expression is not verbal attainment, the time of arising is this dharma, not the twelve hours. This dharma is the time of arising, not the competitive arising of the triple world.

An ancient Buddha said, 'Suddenly, fire arises.' This arising, being without mutual dependence, is expressed as 'fire arises.' An ancient Buddha said, 'How is the time of ceaseless arising and perishing?' Thus, arising and perishing are 'my arising, my perishing,' yet they are ceaseless. This expression of 'ceaseless' should be acknowledged and affirmed, leaving it entirely to that.

This time of ceaseless arising and perishing is made continuous as the lifeblood of the Buddhas and Patriarchs. 'Ceaseless arising and perishing time' is 'Whose arising and perishing is this?' 'Whose arising and perishing is this?' refers to 'those who should be saved by this body,' 'immediately manifesting this body,' and 'thereby preaching the Dharma.' 'Past mind cannot be attained'; 'You have attained my marrow'; 'You have attained my bone'; because it is 'Whose arising and perishing?' When this dharma perishes, it does not say 'I perish.' Precisely the time of not saying 'I perish' is the time of this dharma perishing. Perishing is the perishing of dharmas. Although it is perishing, it must be dharmas.

Because it is dharmas, it is not adventitious defilements; because it is not adventitious defilements, it is undefiled. Just this undefiled is precisely all Buddhas and all Patriarchs. Saying 'You are also like this'—who would not be you? All prior and subsequent thoughts must be you. Saying 'I am also like this'—who would not be me? Because all prior and subsequent thoughts are me. This perishing is adorned with manifold skillful means. It is called the unsurpassed great nirvana; it is called 'deeming it death'; it is called 'grasping it as annihilation'; it is called 'making it an abode.' Such manifold skillful means are nevertheless the merit of perishing.

That there is 'not saying' in the season where perishing is 'I' and that there is 'not saying' in the season where arising is 'I'—though there may be a common birth in 'not saying,' it would not be a common death in 'not saying.' It is already the perishing of the prior dharma; it is the perishing of the subsequent dharma. It is the prior thought of dharmas; it is the subsequent thought of dharmas.

It is the prior and subsequent dharmas for the sake of dharmas; it is the prior and subsequent thoughts for the sake of dharmas. 'Not mutually dependent' is for the sake of dharmas; 'not mutually dependent' is dharmas acting. To make them 'not mutually opposed' and 'not mutually dependent' is an eighty or ninety percent expression. Where the four great elements and five aggregates of perishing are taken as skillful means, there is grasping and gathering. Where the four great elements and five aggregates of perishing are taken as the journey, there is advancing and mutual seeing.

At this time, 'the whole body is hands and eyes' is still insufficient; 'the entire body is hands and eyes' is still insufficient. Generally, perishing is the merit of the Buddhas and Patriarchs. That there is now expression as 'not mutually opposed' and expression as 'not mutually dependent' should be understood: arising is arising in beginning, middle, and end. 'Officially, not admitting a needle; privately, letting carriages and horses pass.' Perishing is not mutually dependent on beginning, middle, and end; it is not mutually opposed to them.

Even if arising dharmas suddenly occur at the place of perishing from of old, it is not the arising of perishing; it is the arising of dharmas. Because it is the arising of dharmas, it is a mark of non-opposition. Also, perishing and perishing are not mutually dependent, not mutually opposed. Perishing too is perishing in beginning, middle, and end; 'meeting, they are not picked out; raising the mind, one immediately knows there is.' Even if perishing suddenly occurs at the place of arising from of old, it is not the perishing of arising; it is the perishing of dharmas. Because it is the perishing of dharmas, it is non-mutual opposition. Whether it is the 'this is' of perishing or the 'this is' of arising, it is solely named 'all dharmas' by the samadhi of the ocean-seal. There is no lack of practice and verification in this 'is'; only this undefiled is named the samadhi of the ocean-seal. Samadhi is manifestation; it is expression.

It is the nighttime of 'reaching back to feel the pillow.' That the nighttime is thus 'reaching back to feel the pillow'—feeling the pillow is not merely for billions of eons; 'I, in the ocean, always and only proclaim the wonderful Dharma Flower Sutra.' Because it is 'not saying I arise,' it is 'I, in the ocean.' The front side is also the constant proclamation of 'one wave just moving, ten thousand waves follow'; the back side is also the wonderful Dharma Flower Sutra of 'ten thousand waves just moving, one wave follows.' Even if one were to roll and unroll a thousand-foot, ten-thousand-foot fishing line, one would regret that this is merely hanging straight down.

The so-called front side and back side are 'I, on the ocean surface.' It is like speaking of 'front head' and 'back head.' Speaking of 'front head' and 'back head' is putting a head on top of a head. In the ocean, there is no person; 'I, in the ocean' is not an abode for worldly people, not a beloved place for sages. I alone am in the ocean. This is solely the constant proclamation. This ocean does not belong to the middle, does not belong to inside or outside; it eternally abides proclaiming the Dharma Flower Sutra.

Although it does not dwell in east, west, south, or north, it is 'the full boat, empty, carrying the bright moon, returns.'

Master Caoshan Yuanzheng was asked by a monk, "I have heard it taught that the great ocean does not harbor a corpse. What is this ocean?" The master said, "It embraces all things." The monk said, "Why then does it not harbor a corpse?" The master said, "That which has lost its vital breath does not adhere." The monk said, "Since it embraces all things, why does that which has lost its vital breath not adhere?" The master said, "All things are not its function; it is the loss of vital breath." This Caoshan was a brother disciple under Yunju. The essential point of Dongshan's school is truly present here.

Now, the phrase "I have heard it taught" refers to the true teaching of the buddhas and ancestors. It is not the teaching of ordinary or holy beings, nor is it a lesser teaching attached to the Buddha-dharma. "The great ocean does not harbor a corpse." The so-called great ocean is not the inner sea or outer sea, nor should it be considered the eight seas or the like. These are not what practitioners doubt. It is not only that one recognizes what is not the ocean as the ocean, but that one recognizes what is the ocean as the ocean.

Even if one forcefully makes it the ocean, it cannot be called the great ocean. The great ocean is not necessarily the deep abyss of water possessing the eight virtues; the great ocean is not necessarily the nine abysses of salt water and the like. All dharmas are composite. Is the great ocean necessarily only deep water? Therefore, to ask "What is the ocean?" is to speak of the ocean because the great ocean is not yet known by humans and gods. One who asks this seeks to stir attachment to the ocean.

"Does not harbor a corpse"—"does not harbor" means "when brightness comes, strike brightness; when darkness comes, strike darkness." "Corpse" is dead ashes, "though spring comes many times, the mind does not change." "Corpse" is something no one has ever seen. That is why it is unknown. The master's saying "embraces all things" speaks of the ocean. What the essential point expresses is not that some one thing embraces all things; "embraces" is "all things." It is not that the great ocean embraces all things. To speak of "embraces all things" is precisely the great ocean. Though we do not know it as something, provisionally it is all things.

Even meeting the face of the Buddha or the face of the ancestor is provisionally a mistaken recognition of all things. When it is embracing, even a mountain is not merely standing on the highest peak; even water is not merely walking in the deepest sea. Gathering is like this; releasing is like this. The ocean of Buddha-nature, the ocean-store of Vairocana—these are simply all things. Though the ocean's surface is unseen, there is no doubt or attachment in the practice of swimming. For example, when Duofu spoke of a clump of bamboo—"one stalk, two stalks are bent; three stalks, four stalks are slanted"—even if it is a practice that mistakenly loses all things, why has no one yet said "a thousand bends, ten thousand bends"? Why has no one yet said "a thousand clumps, ten thousand clumps"? One must not forget the principle that a single clump of bamboo is like this. Caoshan's speaking of "embraces all things" is itself still all things.

The monk's saying "Why does that which has lost its vital breath not adhere?" is the face of mistaken doubt and attachment; it must be "What is this mind-activity?" When one has always doubted this fellow, one only meets the one who has always doubted this fellow. Where is the "Why does that which has lost its vital breath not adhere?" It is "Why does it not harbor a corpse?" Right here is "Since it embraces all things, why does that which has lost its vital breath not adhere?" Know that embracing is not adhering; embracing is not harboring. Even if all things are a corpse, "not harboring" must be directly for ten thousand years. "Not adhering" is this old monk's single move.

Caoshan said, "All things are not its function; it is the loss of vital breath." This means: whether all things have lost vital breath or have not lost vital breath, they are "not adhering." Even if a corpse is a corpse, if there is a practice that studies together with all things, it should be embraced; it is embracing. The former and latter paths of all things have their function; this is not the loss of vital breath.

This is the so-called "one blind man leads many blind men." The principle of one blind man leading many blind men is further: one blind man leads one blind man; many blind men lead many blind men. When many blind men lead many blind men, "embraces all things" embraces "embraces all things." Furthermore, even on the great road, that which is not all things has not yet manifested its effort; it is the samadhi of the ocean-seal.

The thirteenth volume of the Shobogenzo, the ocean-seal samadhi of the treasury of the true dharma eye.

On the twentieth day of the first month of summer in the third year of Ninji, the cyclical year mizunoe-tora, this was recorded at Kannon-dori Kosho Horin-ji; in the first year of Kangen, the cyclical year mizunoto-u, it was copied by Kaijo.