Sesshin Sesshō

Zen Master Sōmitsu of Shinsan and Master Gohon of Dōzan were walking together. Master Gohon pointed to a side temple and said, "Inside, someone is discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature." Master Sōmitsu, his elder, asked, "Who is it?" Master Gohon said, "Because of the Elder's one question, I have directly attained death to the full." Master Sōmitsu, his elder, said, "Who is the one who discourses on mind and discourses on nature?" Master Gohon said, "Within death, attaining life." Discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature is the great foundation of the Buddha Way; it is from this that all buddhas and ancestors are actualized.

Without discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature, there is no turning of the wondrous dharma wheel, and there is no arousing the mind and practicing. Sentient beings of the great earth would not simultaneously accomplish the Way; all living beings would be without buddha-nature. Holding up a flower and blinking is discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature; breaking into a smile is discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature.

Bowing and standing in one's place is discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature; the Ancestor's entry into Liang is discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature; transmitting the robe at midnight is discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature. Raising the staff—this is discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature; holding the whisk sideways—this is discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature. Generally speaking, all the meritorious deeds of all buddhas and ancestors are entirely this discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature.

There is the ordinary discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature; there is the discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature of walls, tiles, and pebbles. The principle "When mind arises, all dharmas arise" is actualized; the principle "When mind perishes, all dharmas perish" is actualized. Yet, it is the time for mind's discourse; it is the time for nature's discourse. Nevertheless, mediocre people who do not penetrate mind and do not reach nature are benighted and do not know discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature; they do not know discussing the profound and discussing the wondrous.

They say one should not be on the buddhas' and ancestors' Way; they teach that one should not be on it. Because they do not know discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature as discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature, they think of discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature as discoursing on mind and discoursing on nature. This is solely because they do not discern the passage and obstruction of the great Way.

Later, the Chan master Dahui Zonggao of Mount Jing said, "People nowadays are slow to attain the Way because they are fond of speaking about mind and nature, and fond of discussing the profound and the wondrous. Only when they completely cast aside both mind and nature and completely forget both the profound and the wondrous, at the time when the two forms do not arise, do they realize and accord." This statement shows he does not yet know the scriptures of the buddhas and ancestors, and has not heard the teachings of the buddhas and ancestors.

Therefore, knowing only that mind is merely thought, perception, reflection, and consciousness, and because he has not studied that thought, perception, reflection, and consciousness are also mind, he speaks in this way. Falsely assuming that nature is merely clear, tranquil, serene, and still, he does not know the existence or non-existence of buddha-nature and dharma-nature; because he has not yet even dreamt of such nature, his view of the Buddha-Dharma is thus biased. The mind spoken of by the buddhas and ancestors is skin, flesh, bones, and marrow.

The nature maintained by the buddhas and ancestors is the bamboo staff and the walking stick. The profound realized by the buddhas and ancestors is the pillar and the lantern. The wondrous raised and pointed out by the buddhas and ancestors is knowledge, views, understanding, and discernment. The buddhas and ancestors are truly buddhas and ancestors because from the very beginning they listen to, speak of, practice, and realize this mind and nature. They maintain and study this profound and wondrous. One who is like this is called a descendant in the study of the buddhas and ancestors. If one is not like this, it is not studying the Way.

Therefore, attaining the Way is not attaining the Way; the time of not attaining the Way is not not attaining the Way. At the time of attainment or non-attainment, both are missed. Even if, as you say, one forgets both mind and nature, this is a part that allows the speaking of mind to exist—a tiny part among hundreds of thousands of millions of parts. To say one has cast aside both the profound and the wondrous is a part that allows the discussion of the profound to exist.

If one does not study this pivotal point and speaks carelessly of forgetting, it is like thinking one has let go of one's hand, or knowing one has escaped one's body. One has not yet liberated oneself from the limited capacity of the Lesser Vehicle; how could one reach the deep profundity of the Great Vehicle, much less know the pivotal point of going beyond? It is difficult to say one has partaken of the tea and rice of the buddhas and ancestors. To attend a teacher and practice diligently is precisely to thoroughly investigate speaking of mind and speaking of nature at the very time when body and mind are suchness; it is to investigate thoroughly before and after the body. There is nothing else, nothing two or three things.

At that time, the First Patriarch said to the Second Patriarch, "You must simply cease all external conditions and inwardly have no panting; when the mind is like a wall, you can enter the Way." The Second Patriarch expounded variously on mind and nature, but none of it accorded with realization. One day, he suddenly understood.

He indeed reported to the First Patriarch, saying, "This disciple has now for the first time ceased all conditions." The First Patriarch, knowing he had already awakened, did not press him further, but only said, "Do you not become annihilated?" The Second Patriarch said, "No." The First Patriarch said, "How is it for you?" The Second Patriarch said, "It is clearly, constantly knowing; therefore, words cannot reach it." The First Patriarch said, "This is precisely the mind-essence transmitted by all the buddhas and ancestors from the past.

Now that you have attained it, you must guard and maintain it well." Regarding this story, some have doubts and cling to it, while others raise it and point to it. This is one story from the circumstances of the Second Patriarch's attendance upon and study under the First Patriarch.

When the Second Patriarch earnestly expounded on mind and nature, at first they did not accord. Gradually, through accumulating merit and virtue, he finally attained the Way of the First Patriarch. The foolish think that when the Second Patriarch first expounded on mind and nature, it did not accord, and the fault lay in the expounding on mind and nature. They think that later, by abandoning the expounding on mind and nature, he attained accord. They speak thus because they have not thoroughly investigated the Way of "when the mind is like a wall, you can enter the Way." This is particularly difficult to distinguish for students of the Way. Why is this?

After arousing the mind for enlightenment and embarking on the practice of the buddha-way, when one earnestly practices difficult practices, even though one practices, not one in a hundred actions hits the mark. Nevertheless, through either following a teacher or following the sutras, one gradually manages to hit the mark. The present one hit is the power of the past hundred misses; it is the seasoned veteran of the hundred misses. Hearing the teaching, practicing the Way, and attaining verification are all like this.

Although yesterday's expounding on mind and nature was a hundred misses, the hundred misses of yesterday's expounding on mind and nature instantly become today's one hit. At the initial stage of practicing the buddha-way, even if one is unskilled and has not penetrated it, there is no attaining the buddha-way by abandoning the buddha-way and taking another path. Those who have not reached the beginning and end of buddha-way practice find this principle of blockage and penetration difficult to clarify. The buddha-way is the buddha-way at the time of initial aspiration; it is the buddha-way at the time of perfect enlightenment; it is the buddha-way at the beginning, middle, and end.

For example, for one traveling ten thousand miles, the first step is within the thousand miles, and the thousandth step is also within the thousand miles. Although the first step and the thousandth step are different, they are the same in being within the thousand miles. Yet, the most foolish think that the time of studying the buddha-way is not yet arriving at the buddha-way, and only the time of the fruition is the buddha-way.

They speak thus because they do not know raising the Way and speaking the Way, do not know raising the Way and practicing the Way, and do not know raising the Way and verifying the Way. They speak thus because they learn that deluded people practice the buddha-way and greatly awaken, but do not know or hear that undeluded people also practice the buddha-way and greatly awaken. One must not study believing that verification means only the deluded person's first great awakening. The deluded also greatly awaken, the awakened also greatly awaken, the unawakened also greatly awaken, the undeluded also greatly awaken, and the verified also verify. Therefore, expounding on mind and nature is the straightforwardness of the buddha-way. Since Reverend Gō does not reach this principle, his saying one must not expound on mind and nature is not in accord with the principle of the buddha-way. In the present Great Song nation, there is none who equals Reverend Gō.

The Great Ancestor Wuben Dashi, as the sole honored one among all ancestors, thoroughly penetrated the principle of speaking of mind and speaking of nature. Ancestral teachers from various quarters who have not yet penetrated this have no way of expressing it as in the present occasion.

It is said that when the Elder Monk Mi and the Great Master were walking along, pointing to a side hall, he said, "Inside, there is a person speaking of mind and speaking of nature." This expression, since the Great Ancestor's appearance in the world, has necessarily been authentically transmitted by his Dharma descendants as the ancestral style; it is not something heard or seen even in the dreams of other schools. How much less could they know the way of grasping it even in dreams? Only the legitimate heirs have authentically transmitted it. If this principle is not authentically transmitted, how could one reach the source of the Buddha Way? The principle now is that inside or outside, where there is a person, there is speaking of mind and speaking of nature. It is speaking of mind on the surface and inside; it is speaking of nature on the surface and inside.

This must be investigated through practice. There is no speaking now that is apart from nature; there is no mind yet that is apart from speaking. "Buddha-nature" is all speaking. "No Buddha-nature" is all speaking. Even if one says they study that nature is Buddha-nature, if they do not study "having Buddha-nature," it is not learning the Way; if they do not study "lacking Buddha-nature," it is not investigation. To study that speaking is nature—this is the legitimate descendant of the Buddhas and ancestors. To believe and accept that nature is speaking—this is the Buddhas and ancestors of the legitimate descendants.

To express that mind is agitated and nature is tranquil is a heretical view. To express that nature is clear and serene, and characteristics are transient is a heretical view. In the Buddha Way, studying mind and studying nature is not like this. In the Buddha Way, practicing mind and practicing nature is not the same as heretics. In the Buddha Way, clarifying mind and clarifying nature, heretics cannot have a share.

In the Buddha Way, there is speaking of mind and speaking of nature where there is a person; there is speaking of mind and speaking of nature where there is no person. There is not speaking of mind and not speaking of nature where there is a person; there is not speaking of mind and not speaking of nature where there is no person. There is speaking of mind and not yet speaking of mind; there is speaking of nature and not yet speaking of nature. If one does not study speaking of mind when there is no person, it is a state where speaking of mind has not arrived. If one does not study speaking of mind when there is a person, it is a state where speaking of mind has not arrived.

It is to study speaking of mind with no person, to study no person speaking of mind, to study speaking of mind as a person, to study a person speaking of mind. Although Linji's expression of exertion is merely the "person of no rank," he has not yet expressed the "person of rank." Investigation that is attached to this, expression that is attached to this, has not yet manifested; it should be called a state of not yet arriving, not yet penetrating.

Since speaking of mind and speaking of nature is speaking of Buddha and speaking of ancestors, it should be mutually seen at the ear, it should be mutually seen at the eye. Incidentally, Elder Monk Mi said, "Who is this?" In causing this expression to manifest, Elder Monk Mi should earlier rely on this expression, and later rely on this expression. "Who is this?" is the speaking of mind and speaking of nature of "Where?" Therefore, when "Who is this?" is expressed, when "Who is this?" is taken up in thought—that is precisely speaking of mind and speaking of nature. This speaking of mind and speaking of nature is something that fellows from other quarters have never known.

Because they forget the child and take the thief, they recognize the thief and take it as the child. The Great Master said, "Because of the Elder's one question, I directly attained death to the full ten parts." Many mediocre practitioners hearing this Way think that the person speaking of mind and speaking of nature, when asked "Who is this?" must directly attain death to the full ten parts.

The reason is that the words "Who is this?" mean facing each other yet not recognizing, completely without seeing anything, therefore it must be a dead phrase. It is not necessarily so. This speaking of mind and speaking of nature—those who penetrate it are rare. Death to the full ten parts is not death to one or two parts; therefore it is death to the full ten parts. At the very moment of being questioned, who would say this is not covering heaven and covering earth? Illuminating the past is cut off at the boundary. Illuminating the present is cut off at the boundary. Illuminating the future is cut off at the boundary.

Illuminating the very moment of being questioned is cut off at the boundary. Elder Monk Mi said, "Who is the one speaking of mind and speaking of nature?" The earlier "Who is this?" and the present "Who is this?"—even if the name is Zhang San, the person is Li Si. The Great Master said, "Within death, attaining life." This "within death"—if one thinks it directly points to "directly attaining death," and directly points to "the one speaking of mind and speaking of nature" as "Who is this?"—it is not expressing it arbitrarily.

There may be investigation that understands "Who is this?" excludes the person speaking of mind and speaking of nature, and does not necessarily expect death to the full ten parts. The Great Master's saying "within death, attaining life" is the visible and audible presence of a person speaking of mind and speaking of nature. Furthermore, it may be one or two parts within the death to the full ten parts. Even if life is complete life, it is not death transforming and appearing as life. It is only the head and tail of "attaining life" dropping off. Generally, in the Buddha Way and the Ancestral Way, there is such speaking of mind and speaking of nature that is investigated.

Furthermore, at times, one dies the death of ten parts and manifests the living activity of attaining life. Know that from the Tang Dynasty to the present day, many pitiful ones, unclear that speaking of mind and speaking of nature is the Buddha Way, and darkened regarding the speaking of mind and speaking of nature of teaching, practice, and realization, engage in wild talk and confused speech. They should be saved, whether their body is first or after.

For the sake of the Way, know that speaking of mind and speaking of nature is the essential pivot of the Seven Buddhas and Ancestral Teachers.