Shôyôroku (Book of Equanimity) 67
CASE 67
The Wisdom in the Kegon Sutra
By
Yamada Kôun
Instruction:
One speck of dust contains myriad phenomena,
One thought embraces three thousands worlds.
Then, how about a strong person who sustains the heaven and stands
upon the earth,
Or a wise and sharp fellow who understands the tail when the head is
mentioned?
Won’t that person turn his back against his own spirituality
And bury away the family treasure?
Case:
The Kegon Sutra says, “Now I see all living beings everywhere, and I see
that each of them possesses the wisdom and virtue of Tathagata. But because of
their delusions and attachments, they cannot realize it.”
Verse:
Like heaven it covers, like earth it sustains;
It makes lumps, it forms masses.
It prevails in the dharma world, which has no boundary,
It shatters the smallest particle, which has no inside.
Having exhausted all subtlety and minuteness,
Who can divide between going for and going against?
Buddhas and Ancestors come and expiate for the wrong that has been said.
Ask the Old Teacher Ô of Nansen:
Each and every person just eats a piece of vegetable.
On the Instruction:
The words found in today’s case are familiar to you all as the words quoted in the first
Shôyôroku (Book of Equanimity) 67
of the Introductory Lectures on Zen, the so-called Sôsan No Hanashi, presented for newcomers
at San’un Zendo. Although these words have been translated in various ways, the words we all
hear in the Introductory Lectures and the second line in today’s case are slightly different. I
understand that there are two or three translations of the Kegon (Huayen) Sutra from the
original into different languages. The version we are familiar with runs as follows: “Wonder of
wonders! Intrinsically all living beings are Buddhas, endowed with wisdom and virtue, but
because people’s minds have become inverted through delusive thinking they fail to perceive
this.” Although the translation is slightly different, it is saying the same thing. We turn now to
the Introduction.
One speck of dust contains myriad phenomena,
One thought embraces three thousands worlds. In his teisho on this koan,
Yasutani Roshi says that “one speck of dust” is just another word for “one mind” (isshin). You
would assume that dust refers to the things in the objective world, while Mind has to do with
the subjective world. But they are intrinsically one, and not two different things. When you say
“one speck of dust,” it includes both the subjective and the objective world. This is saying that
the entire phenomenal world is contained in a single grain of dust. It is a case of “all is one”
(issoku issai). This is the ultimate meaning of so-called Huayen Philosophy as set forth in the
Huayen Sutra. The whole of that philosophy extends out from this statement found in the first
line of the Introduction. It is not only the foundation of Huayen philosophy but of Buddhism
itself. This is “all is one, one is all.” Case 34 of this collection is the case entitled Fuketsu’s
Speck of Dust:
Fuketsu, giving instruction, said, “If one raises a speck of dust, the house and the
nation prosper. If one does not raise a speck of dust, they perish.”
As I mentioned when I gave a teisho on that other koan, to say “the house and the
nation prosper” means that the entire phenomenal world appears quite clearly. Our true reality
or true nature has two aspects: the aspect of having and the aspect of not having. The aspect of
not having is also known as “emptiness.” The aspect of having is also known as “form.” Recall
the words in the Heart Sutra: Form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form.
As I am always saying, if you take the back of my hand to be the world of phenomena, you can
say that the essential world is the inner side of the hand. Thus, if you raise a speck of dust, and
there is an idea in our head of having, then the entire phenomenal world is there before you.
But from the aspect of not having, where not a speck of dust is raised, “they perish.” In other
words, there is not a single thing; it is completely empty. Another interesting case in this
connection is Case 5 of the Blue Cliff Record (Seppô’s Grain of Rice):
Seppô, teaching the assembly, said, "When you pick up the whole earth in your fingers,
it's the size of a grain of rice. I cast it down before you. Like in a black lacquer bucket, you don't
recognize it any more. Beat the drum, call everyone to look for it!"
There is also the saying that the maximum corresponds to the minimum. Seppô says
that the entire universe is contained in a grain of rice. Unless you grasp the world of emptiness,
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you will not really understand this statement. To grasp the world of emptiness is to realize
satori. It is not just a conceptual theory; you have to really grasp it in experience. Dôgen Zenji
refers to this as „body and mind fallen away“ (shinjin-datsuraku). Unless you realize this, you
haven’t realized the basic matter. The first line from today’s Instruction (one speck of dust
contains myriad phenomena) says the same thing.
One thought embraces three thousands worlds. “One thought” (ichinen)
means the present mind. It is the mind by which I am now speaking like this. That single
thought contains the three thousand worlds, which means the entire universe. This is Tendai
Philosophy, as opposed to the first line, which, as I said, is an expression of Huayen Philosophy.
The Tendai School of Buddhism finds its philosophy in the Lotus Sutra, also known as the
Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law. The “three thousand worlds” can be understood as meaning
the objective world. There is also the expression “in a single thought, ten-thousand thoughts”
(ichinen-mannen). In other words, in a single thought is contained all thoughts. From a
psychological standpoint, a single thought contains all thoughts. And if we see this from an
objective standpoint we can say, “one thought embraces three thousand worlds.” This is
another way of saying, “all is one, one is all.” This is the basis, the fundamental point of
Buddhism.
Then, how about a strong person who sustains the heaven and stands
upon the earth? A “strong person who sustains the heaven and stands upon the earth” is the
same as the one who says, “In the heavens above and beneath the heavens, I alone am
honored.” There is also the expression, “no other person in the entire universe” (kenkon
daininin nashi) or “I attain the way simultaneously with all beings” (ware to shujô to dôji in
jôdôsu). This is what these lines are referring to. Although most people are not aware of it, this
is the truth about each and every one of us. Each of us is: “In the heavens above and beneath
the heavens, I alone am honored.” But unless you realize it, you don’t know it. Realizing it is
knowing that it has always been so.
Or a wise and sharp fellow who understands the tail when the head is
mentioned?
Although the matter of “head” and “tail” also appears in the koan, here it is a bit
different. It’s the same as “needing only to hear one part in ten to know the whole ten.” You
could understand this as someone who has a sharp intellectual understanding of the matter of
“in the heavens above and beneath the heavens, I alone am honored.” It’s the same as saying
“clarifying three when one is raised.”
Won’t that person turn his back against his own spirituality
And bury away the family treasure? In other words, won’t he go against his own
essence of “in the heavens above and beneath the heavens, I alone am honored”? The
Introduction is asking if even such a bright person will go against his own essence that is one
with the universe. Unless he has realized that fact, he turns his back on his own true nature.
Then it is as if he has “buried away the family treasure” and is unable to use that treasure. The
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Introduction is urging us to reflect on this matter. Most people bury away their own treasure.
Please recall the koan from the Miscellaneous Koans: “The treasure store will open of itself,
and you may enjoy it freely.”
When you realize enlightenment, the door of your treasure storehouse opens of itself,
and you can make free use of the treasures therein. This is possible when you open your mind’s
eye. In the situation portrayed in the Introduction, however, one remains unable to do so. It
urges us to reflect on whether there are not persons who are “sitting on a gold mine” and don’t
realize it.
On the Case:
The Kegon Sutra says, “Now I see all living beings everywhere, and I see
that each of them possesses the wisdom and virtue of Tathagata.” These are the
words of Shakyamuni Buddha upon his great enlightenment. He says that all sentient beings
possess “the wisdom and virtue of Tathagata.” Tathagata (Japanese: Nyorai) is another name
for Buddha. He says that they have the same wisdom and virtue as Buddha. But what actually
is “the wisdom and virtue of Tathagata”? We could explain it in terms of the fraction I am
always citing. Each thing in the phenomenal world (for example, a finger) appears in the
phenomenal world. At the same time, however, it has the essence of being zero and infinite.
This is what is meant by “the wisdom and virtue of Tathagata.” Its essence is zero and infinite.
As I am always saying, there is a line between the numerator and the fraction in the fraction.
The denominator is expressed by a circle, which is zero, in which we find the figure eight on its
side as the symbol for infinity. This expresses our own true nature. In the numerator you can
put anything from the phenomenal world. Whatever it is, it is the numerator of a fraction
whose denominator is zero. We make a division into numerator and denominator for the sake of
explanation, but actually they are one. Unless you clearly grasp this aspect of the denominator,
you do not really know the true fact. What does “zero” mean? It means it cannot be grasped by
our senses. It cannot be caught in the net of our perception. You might wonder if there is such a
thing, but I can assure you that there is. Consider your own mind. “What is Mind?” That is a
major question, not only in the world of Zen, but for humanity in general. It is because there is
a mind that I can speak like this now and you can hear my words or see me. It is because of
mind that you can imagine all sorts of things or think all sorts of ideas. We human beings can
imagine truly wonderful things. But it is the mind that is thinking. Nevertheless, materialists
or natural scientists might assume that it is the brain cells that are thinking. Or they might
think it is the cells composing the ears that are hearing. They assume that is the one who is
hearing. However, the brain cells themselves have no ability to hear. They are just a tool we use
to hear, much like a more refined form of a computer. Nevertheless, the computer itself has no
ability to hear or think. It is the result of our operating the computer freely. As I am always
saying, if the brain cells had the ability to hear, it would be possible to hear when sleeping.
Why don’t we hear other people’s voices when we are sleeping? Who is actually sleeping? It is
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not the brain cells that are sleeping. It is the one who uses the brain cells to hear that is
sleeping. This is known as Mind. This mind has many wondrous, limitless capabilities.
Nevertheless, it cannot be caught in the net of our five senses. It is not possible with them to
grasp the mind. This is the reason for referring to it as “zero.” But if you ask if it is like a
vacuum, that is not the case. It is empty while simultaneously possessing limitless capabilities.
In the words of the Heart Sutra, it is emptiness. You have to grasp this in actual experience to
know how things really are. And when you grasp it, you realize that each thing in the
phenomenal world is zero and infinite. To express this in terms of the denominator is to express
that it is one. Although we make a provisional separation into numerator and denominator,
they are actually one. These words of the case must be examined in the dokusan room.
Recently I lead a sesshin for one week. I had my own room and the attendant brought
me fruit and other things to my room. When I got up in the morning, I found ants all over the
fruit. That’s certainly a case of the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagatha! And when I clapped
my hands, those little creatures scurried away. That, too, is a case of the wisdom of the
Tathagatha. In their scurrying is inherent limitless wisdom. I looked at them for a while and
wondered how this was all possible. Some people might say, “God made them.” If that’s true, I
would like to see the workshop where God made them, otherwise I won’t believe it. They would
probably say I was lacking in faith. I cannot believe it because I haven’t seen him doing it, but I
also can’t say with certainty that he didn’t make them! When we arrive at this juncture, our
human wisdom is no match. We simply don’t know how such a thing is possible. Or consider
how millions of people are born and then die. They do not die but go to the next world where
they continue their practice. This is not a matter of five or ten years. We’re talking in terms of
billions of years. What wonderful creatures would emerge from such a long period of practice?
In Buddhism we say that the number of Buddhas is equal to the number of grains of sand on
the banks of the Ganges River. It remains uncountable. This is a matter of course, considering
that our life does not end with this life but continues on without end. At any rate, as I watched
those ants I thought that this is what we mean by the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagatha.
The other day when I went to the toilet in my house, I found a centipede that had fallen into
the toilet and, despite his many legs, was unable to crawl out again. That, too, is a case of the
wisdom and virtue of the Tathagatha. Feeling it would be wrong to kill it, I picked it up with a
pair of chopsticks and put it in the garden.
“Now I see all living beings everywhere, and I see that each of them
possesses the wisdom and virtue of Tathagata. But because of their delusions
and attachments, they cannot realize it.” It is because our heads are filled with all sorts
of ideas and thoughts that we fail to realize. In other words, all living beings are endowed with
exactly the same wisdom and virtue as the Buddha, which is complete and lacking in nothing.
For example, we cannot think up those many legs of the centipede, no matter how many
computers or robots we might develop. How is such a creature possible? We are all perfect,
absolute and limitless existences lacking nothing. But our conceptual minds prevent us from
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realizing that. The root of those thoughts is dualistic opposition between subject and object,
although there is intrinsically no such standoff. When a newborn baby is hungry it simply cries
“wah-wah!” But as it grows and becomes aware of its environment, the idea of a separate self
emerges in opposition to others. Although this is an illusion, we all think that it is the truth.
We see something that is intrinsically one as dualistic. I was just talking about Mind, but
another aspect we can consider is the aspect of life. As I am often saying, I have a right hand
and a left hand, a right foot and a left foot. They are in opposition to each other from the
standpoint of the phenomenal world. But from the standpoint of my life, they are not two. We
cannot deny that there is life. From the standpoint of that life, they are truly one. Usually we
only see the dualistic world of phenomena. Actually, however, it is one. It is important to grasp
this fact in actual experience. Modern science only considers the phenomenal world appearing
on the surface, pursuing its examination of those phenomena without ceasing. This could be
called a specialty of the Western spirit. Eastern persons, including the Japanese, have not been
very adept at this. Nevertheless, the Western spirit does not turn inward to examine the one
who is looking. It only looks outward while failing to turn its attention to the one who is looking.
Psychology is also basically concerned with objectified phenomena of the mind or psyche. The
real problem, however, is discovering the one who is examining. It’s like the eye trying to see
itself. The true mind cannot become the object of natural science, because it considers the one
who is pursuing that search. To grasp that one in actual experience is known as satori. That’s
why I feel that our present civilization is only authentic by half. When you look at the various
developments in the world, you see so many standoffs and conflicts. Outstanding statespersons
know that such a situation cannot continue since it would mean the demise of humanity. So
they get together at summit meetings in efforts to somehow find a solution to these disputes.
Nevertheless, they are not aware of the world of oneness, although they are doing their best to
find solutions. It is only zazen that can make us aware of this world of oneness. Many of you are
practicing with the koan Mu. In the beginning stages it is as if you are practicing Mu, as if you
were pursuing Mu. There is still a duality, still a separation between you and Mu. So I tell
people to forget themselves in the practice of Mu, I tell them not to lose hold of Mu. In the
process of practicing Mu, you forget yourself in Mu, you melt into Mu. You become one with Mu.
This is known as the “samadhi of Mu” (muji-zammai). You become Mu itself. And when the
separation between you and Mu disappears completely, you suddenly realize. Although you had
been living up to then in a world of dualistic opposition, you suddenly “jump into” the world of
oneness. This is the true world. It is certainly not just a groundless concept. It is a most solemn
reality.
As for life, although it is invisible, it is a most solemn reality. It is not just the life in
our body, it is the life that extends out and fills the entire universe. You can think of this as Mu.
It is only then that a true view of our life here can establish itself. Otherwise you cannot attain
true peace of mind. To say “because of their delusions and attachments, they cannot realize it,”
means they have not realized it in satori. The “delusions and attachments” come from this
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illusion of a dualistic standoff. If you become one with Mu and open the eye of satori, you
realize clearly. Since I am always saying this, all of you are familiar with it by now.
On the Verse:
Like heaven it covers, like earth it sustains. Yasutani Roshi says this is the
same as saying “covering earth and heaven.” Just like heaven covers everything, our true
nature, which is empty and infinite, covers everything. The earth sustains everything. Because
our true self is empty, it sustains everything.
It makes lumps, it forms masses. Although it is empty, it can make lumps and
form masses. From the phenomenal standpoint there are lumps and masses, but from the
essential standpoint there is nothing at all. It can be a stone, or a piece of iron or a piece of
copper.
It prevails in the dharma world, which has no boundary. That means it
extends out to pervade the entire universe. This is referring to our own essential nature. The
universe is truly boundless. Nevertheless, there is the theory of Einstein that the universe is
actually limited. We had been assuming that the universe is limitless. But Einstein has proved
with the aid of mathematics that the universe is actually limited, a great achievement. To put
it in simple terms, let’s assume that you travel in a straight line in any direction in the
universe. You assume that you can continue on forever and never reach the end. Even if you
were to travel at the speed of light, it would still take millions or billions of years. Einstein,
however, says that at some point you would arrive back at where you came from. This is his
reason for saying that the universe is limited. For, if it were really unlimited, the light emitted
would never return. Einstein maintains that the light would return to the same place at some
point, thus proposing that the universe is limited and offering the proof for it in mathematical
theorems.
It shatters the smallest particle, which has no inside. The original words
translated here as “smallest particle” are “rinkyo” which literally means “next to nothing.” So it
is in pounding this “next to nothing” that it truly becomes nothing. Take the example of
subatomic particles. Physicists tell us that even those particles have a structure, although it is
truly “next to nothing,” close to zero. Nevertheless, as long as there is even a slight
“something,” it still belongs to the world of form. It’s a matter of “pounding it down” so it
becomes truly zero. In the world of zero, there is no inside, much less an outside. This expresses
the essential world.
Having exhausted all subtlety and minuteness,
Who can divide between going for and going against? To say it exhausts all
subtlety and minuteness is like talking about “the Dharma, infinitely profound and subtle.” In
other words, it is an extremely profound and subtle description of the dharma. Nevertheless, as
long as it is still an explanation or description, it is not the real thing. No matter how subtle
and profound, because it is a concept or idea, you have to exhaust it so that it disappears. It’s a
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matter of cutting off or exhausting that profound and subtle description of the dharma. And
when that happens, there is neither front nor back. This is producing the world of not a single
thing. The Buddhas and patriarchs appear and offer all sorts of explanations:
Buddhas and Ancestors come and expiate for the wrong that has been
said. It is said that the Buddha preached for 49 years but never said a word. It is said that the
Buddha preached every day and created karma in the past life. In order to expiate this, he
preaches from morning to evening. In Zen it is said that we create a debt in past lives by
speaking too much and now we speak fervently to repay that debt. And if you still do not
understand upon hearing those words, what then?
Ask the Old Teacher Ô of Nansen:
Each and every person just eats a piece of vegetable. Nansen Fugen Zenji
was also known as Wang (Japanese: Ô) Roshi since Wang was his family name before becoming
a monk. Among Nansen’s fellow monks was Sakuzan Chiken Zenji, who was quite a monk in
his own right. When the two monks were engaged one day in samu (working meditation), they
were requested to separate bracken from vegetables in the garden. Nansen picked up a stalk of
bracken and said, “This would be fine for an offering.” He also said that everyone should be
allowed to eat his or her fill. This is a very Zen-like conversation. When Nansen held up the
piece of bracken, he showed the entire universe and said that everyone should be allowed to eat
his or her fill. But then Sakuzan said, “He wouldn’t take notice of a feast of a hundred
delicacies, let alone this.” The “he” in this statement means Sakuzan himself. This is like
saying that delicious food has little attraction for a man who has had his fill. In other words, for
a person who has reached perfect peace of mind, even the best sermon is not interesting. He
feels no need to listen. He is saying in effect, “I am already full and can’t eat another bite.”
Nansen said in reply, “Even so, everyone should taste it before they’ll realize.” Sakuzan, with
his statement, is expressing the so-called “wisdom of (observing the ultimate) equality (of all
things)” (byôdôshôchi). This is the world of “not a single thing.” Whatever you bring, he
produces the essential world. But just the wisdom of equality is not enough. There is also the
world of the “wisdom of wonderful discernment” (myôkanzatchi). Everyone has a different way
of savoring the true fact and you have to let him or her taste it in his or her own way. This is a
very important point. For example, I am receiving you all one by one in dokusan. There is no
doubt that each person who enters the dokusan room is Buddha and there’s no denying that.
There is absolutely no chance of anyone slipping from the seat of their intrinsic Buddhahood.
That sums up the entire matter, at least from the standpoint of the wisdom of equality (byôdôshôchi). Each person possesses Buddha nature; each person is Buddha himself or herself. But
from the phenomenal point of view, each person has different problems and sufferings. If I were
to treat each person exactly the same, it would be of no aid to anyone. I have to inquire into the
sufferings and problems of each individual. This is what is meant by Nansen’s statement:
“Even so, everyone should taste it before they’ll realize.” Each should savor it deeply himself or
herself. Are they acquainted with it or not?
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