Jijuyu-zanmai

(Samadhi of The Self) by Menzan Zuiho Osho

Preface
An ancient master said ! "The literal meanin# of the name$ %airocana
&
is the uni'ersally
illuminatin# li#ht( This )ord has t)o connotations( One is that the Tatha#ata in)ardly illuminates the
true dharma-)orld )ith the li#ht of )isdom( This connotation is based on the conce*t action of self-
enjoyment (Jijuyu)
2
( The second is that the Tatha#ata out)ardly illuminates *eo*le and teaches them
)ith the li#ht of his body( This second connotation is based on the conce*t action of other-enjoyment(
(tajuyu).
This is the ori#in of the term Jijuyu-zanmai
3
( +e'ertheless the ancient master only tal,ed about
the Tatha#ata )ho has already entered buddhahood and did not say that the same 'irtue inherently
e-ists in the *ractice of ordinary sentient bein#s )ho are in the causal ran, for attainin# buddhahood(
This is because as a scholar of a teachin#- school
.
he )as cau#ht by the distinction bet)een the
Tatha#ata and sentient bein#s( The essence of the /uddhasand Patriarchs
0
is different(
1reat Master 2inzai3 said
!4f you )ant to become the same as the Patriarchs and the /uddhas do not see, anythin# outside(
The *ure li#ht of your mind is nothin# but the dharma-body of /uddha(!
Zen Master 5anshi
6
said
!4t emits 7i#ht and the #reat thousand-)orlds a**ear( 8ach and e'ery thin# in the )orld is nothin#
other than the realm of the Jijuyu of my self and its essential function(!
5e must ,ee* in mind that from medie'al times (the Son# 9uan# dynasty :hina &;th to &.th
:entury) the )ay of *ractice chan#ed and the essential function )as lost because *ractitioners
became dazzled by the *ractice of seein# ,oan-stories( <o#en the founder of 8iheiji monastery alone
)as not blinded and said
!8ihei ( 4 ) sometimes enter Jijuyu-zanmai( 8ach of you has to #ras* it and ma,e free use of it(!
=o) fortunate that )e can encounter the udumbara flo)er
>
bloomin# in the forest of falseness that
characterizes this decadent a#e( =o) can )e hel* but sho) our #ratitude and *ractice dili#ently(
January first the third year of 1enbun (&6?>)(
&( Zuih@ a *ractitioner of 5a,asa(&( %airocana is the *rinci*al /uddha in the Kegonkyo (Avatamsaka-
sutra)( This /uddha is considered to be sambhogakaya (hojin)( This is also the name of the *rinci*al /uddha in the
Dainichiky@ (ahavairocana sutra)( This /uddha is considered to be a dharmahaya (hosshin) in the sutra( 4n Ja*an this
/uddha is ,no)n as Dainichinyorai( The ori#inal meanin# of the Sans,rit )ord is somethin# )hich #litters or shines in
other )ords the sun and is a symbol of the limitless )isdom of the /uddha(
A( 2. Jijuyii means to recei'e the merit from oneBs *ractice and enjoy it by oneself( This is the o**osite of
tajuyu )hich is the /uddhaBs function of #i'in# the merit of his *ractice or enli#htenment to sentient bein#s in order to teach
them and lead them to *ractice(
?( 3.!anmai is Ja*anese *ronounciation of the Sans,rit )ord samadhi.
.( .( Teachin#-school is a term used by the Zen school to refer to other schools of /uddhism such as the
Tendai Ce#on Sanron or =osso schools since the teachin#s of these schools are based on certain scri*tures( 8-am*les are
the "otus-sutra on )hich the Tendai school is based and the Avatamsaka-sutra on )hich the Ce#on school is founded(
Practitioners of the Zen school feel that their *ractice is not based on any )ritten teachin#s and the boddha-mind is #ras*ed
directly throu#h *ractice(
0( 0( B/uddhas and PatriarchsB is a translation for the Ja*anese )ord busso. #utsu means a /uddha( So means
an ancestor or founder of a reli#ion or a school( 4n Zen *rominent masters )ho embodied the 5ay and transmitted the
buddha-dharma )ere called $oshi (ancestral master)( A**arently at some American Zen centers the )ord B*atriarchB is no
lon#er used because it is associated )ith the idea of *atriarchy( =o)e'er let me use it until 4 find an alternati'e(
D( D( 2inzai 1i#en (7inji 9i-uan) "E->D6$ )as the founder of the 2inzai
school of Zen in :hina(
6( 6( 5anshi Sh@#a,u (=on#zhi Zhen#jue) "&;F&-&&06$ )as a famous Zen
master in the Soto linea#e in Son# dynasty :hina( =e )as the abbot of Tendo (Tianton#) monastery )here <@#en later
*racticed )ith +yoj@ (2ujin#)( 5anshi *ut em*hasis on *racticin# zazen rather than ,oan-*ractice )hich )as *o*ular at that
time( =is style of *ractice )as called mokusho-zen (silent 4 illuminatin# zen)( <@#en res*ected 5anshi and *raised him as
5anshi kobutsu (the ancient buddha)(
>( >( 4t is said that the udumbara flo)er bloms only once in three thousand years( 4n /uddhist literature this is
used meta*horically to sho) the difficulty of encounterin# the /uddhaBs a**earance in the )orld(
F( F( 5a,asa is the name of a re#ion (*resently Gu,ui Prefecture) )here Menzan li'ed )hen he *ublished the
Jijuyu-!anmai.
Jijuyu-Zanmai
The teachin#s of the %athagata
F
&
found in the 'arious sutras
A
ha'e been classified as sudden and #radual *ro'isional and direct
?
(
These teachin#s contain 'arious ty*es of *reachin# since they )ere #i'en accordin# to the Hualities of
the *eo*le the /uddha tau#ht( The true enli#htenment
.
of the Tatha#ata is not manifested directly in
these sutras since they are *ro'isional teachin#s( Althou#h the /uddha e-*ressed his true mind in
some Mahayana
0
sutras in many cases the true teachin#s are no lon#er true because the
commentators of those sutras and commentaries
D
inter*ret-ed them )ith their ordinary discriminatin#
minds and intellectual understandin#
6
( That is )hy it is said in the !&h&ketsugiky&
>
that inter*retation
throu#h )ords stands a#ainst the /uddhas in the *ast *resent and future( Also in the 'y&gaky&
(
it is
said that the /uddha did not s*ea, e'en one )ord durin# the forty-nine years he tau#ht( Grom this it
should be clear that the true enli#htenment of the Tatha#ata can ne'er be #ras*ed by )ords or by
discrimination
&;
nor by the illusory mind
&&
of ordinary human bein#s(
5hen the /uddha )as on Mount 2y@ju
&A
)ith his one million students he *ic,ed u* a flo)er and
blin,ed and the %enerable Maha,asya*a
&?
smiled( At that time the Tatha#ata said to the assembly
!4 transmit the shobogenzo nehanmy&shin
&.
(the storehouse of the true dharma-eye the
incom*arable life in +ir'ana) to Maha,asya*a(!
&0
This nehanmyoshin is the Tatha#ataBs true enli#htenment )hich *receeds lan#ua#e discrimination
and illusoiy mind( This is also called the Jijuyu-zanmai )hich has been transmitted for fifty-one
#enerations from "the /uddha$ to /odhidharma in 4ndia do)n throu#h the Si-th Patriarch 8no
(=uinen#) in :hina and to 8ihei <@#en in Ja*an(
The simultaneous *ractice-enli#htenment
&D
of this samadhi is nothin# other than kekka)uza (full-
lotus sittin#)
&6
)hich )e *ractice today( Tentati'ely this samadhi is called zazen
&>
( The reason it is
referred to as zazen is as follo)sI /odhidharma
&F
came from 4ndia to :hina and sat facin# the )all at
Shorin Tem*le on Mt( Suzan for nine years( At that time *eo*le )ho did not understand that )hat he
)as *racticin# )as Jijuyu-zanmai that is the Tatha#ataBs $hobogenzo-*ehanmyoshin called him the
brahmana
2+
)ho *ractices zazen( The *osture of his *ractice )as similar to that of the dhyana of the
four sta#es and samadhi of the ei#ht sta#es
A&
described by the /uddhist scholars of the time( That is
)hy his *ractice )as commonly called zazen( :onseHuently his successors )ere called follo)ers of
the Zen school
AA
(
Ori#inally the $hobogenzo-nehanmyoshin, )hich has been directly transmitted throu#h the
/uddhas and Patriarchs
A?
)as not necessarily called zazen (sittin# meditation) ( Shall )e *ractice
only zen (dhyana or meditation) and ma,e it our sole *rinci*leE There is meditation amon# the si-
-aramitas and there is samadhi amon# the three basic /uddhist *ractices(
A.
Since this meditation
should be *racticed by all bodhisatt'as there is no reason to sin#le it out *articularly call it
shobogenzo-nehanmyoshin and transmit it( The *roof of this lies in the )ords of Master Se,ito
A0

!This dharma-#ate
AD
has been transmitted amon# /uddhas( 4t is not limited to dhyana dili#ence etc(
All that is necessary is to attain the buddha a)areness
A6
(!
Dhyana and dili#ence etc( is an abbre'iation for the si- -aramitas( This dharma-#ate has been
directly transmitted from /uddha to /uddha #eneration after #eneration( The /uddhaBs a)areness
called nehanmyoshin is *erfect and al)ays Huietly illuminatin# itself(
Therefore you must understand that Zen is just a *ro'isional name( Jijuyu-zanmai is shobo#enzo
nehanmyoshin and /uddhaBs )isdom i(e( Anuttara-Samya,-sambodhi
A>
( This is also called jintsu-
dai,omyozo (the storehouse of the #reat li#ht of )isdom)
AF
( 4t is also referred to as Muryo#isho-
zanmai (the samadhi of limitless meanin#s)
?;
=o,yo-zanmai (the Samadhi of the *recious mirror)
?&

Tojio-zanmai or Zanmai-o-zanmai (the ,in# of samadhis)! and /irushana-zo-zanmai (the samadhi of
%airocana /uddha symbolizin# the )hole uni'erse)
??
(
This is the be-all of the /uddhas and the end-all of the Patriarch sit( Jnderstand this clearly and
belie'e that this "Jijuyu-zanmai$ is shinjin-datsura,u datsura,u-shinjin (dro**in# off body and mind
body and mind dro**ed off)
?0
(
All of these terms ta,en from the 'arious teachin#s of the /uddhas and Patriarchs are names for
the zazen )e *ractice(
Althou#h a #reat many *eo*le *ractice zazen almost all of them *ractice in the )ay of ordinary
*eo*le =inayana *ractitioners
?;
or bodhisatt'as )ith *ro'isional Mahayana understandin#
?6
Those
)ho understand Jijuyu-zanmai as the true enli#htenment of all /uddhas are 'ery fe)(
That is )hy some hurry on their )ay to #ain enli#htenment by )restlin# )ith ,oans(! Some
stru##le )ithin themsel'es searchin# for the subject
?F
that sees and hearsSome try to rid themsel'es
of their delusory thou#hts in order to reach a *leasant *lace of no-mind no-thou#ht
.;
( Many other
methods of *racticin# zazen )ere ad'ocated by 'arious teachers in the Son# 9uan and Min#
dynasties in :hina
.&
( /ut it a**ears that fe)er than one in a hundred ,ne) the true samadhi
transmitted by the /uddhas and Patriarchs(
Coan *ractice started in Son# dynasty :hina( There )as no such *ractice durin# the time of
/odhidharma or 8no the Si-th Patriarch( The tradition of ,oan *ractice did not ori#inate )ith Sei#en
or +an#a,u
.A
( 4t )as established by and based on the biased ideas of the masters of the Son# dynasty(
Althou#h some ha'e said that ,oan *ractice )as started by Oba,u Ciun
.?
there is no basis for this( 4t
is nonsense to say that Oba,u su##ested to his students to learn the Mu ,oan of Joshu
..
(the anecdote
about a do#Bs buddha-nature) since Oba,u )as already dead )hen Joshu tal,ed about it( Also not all
,oans )ere created in order to encoura#e *eo*le to *ractice zazen(
Searchin# for the subject that sees and hears is also useless( The harder you loo, for the subject
the more you )ill tire of )astefully stru##lin# since )hat is see,in# and )hat is bein# sou#ht cannot
be se*arated( Jnderstand that your eyes cannot see themsel'es( Arousin# the mind to eliminate
illusory thou#hts is li,e *ourin# oil on a fire to e-tin#uish it( The fire )ill blaze )ith increased
stren#th(
There are many other )ays to *ractice zazen butamon# them the *ro*erly transmitted #enuine
)ay is not to be found( This is )hy <o#en Zenji criticized the !azenshin or !azenmei in the Keitoku-
Dentoroku and the Katai-.ut/roku etc.
01
, sayin# that none e-*ressed the 5ay )hich has been
*ro*erly transmitted( Many teachers both in :hina and Ja*an a**reciate the !azengi in the !ennen-
$hingi
02
)ritten by :horo Sosa,u (Zhan#lu Zon#ze)( +e'ertheless <o#en Zenji criticized it sayin#
that it )as not the )ay of =ya,ujo and that it had lost the essential *oint of the PatriarchsB teachin#s
.6
(
This !azengi is *resently incor*orated as the last *art of the $hiburoku
03
.
5hy did he abandon the #uidin# *rinci*le created by his *redecessors sayin# that their )ords
)ere not trueE Those teachers in medie'al times (Son# dynasty :hina) thou#ht that )e are all deluded
and that if )e *ractice zazen )e could #ain enli#htenment as a result of the *o)er accumulated by
zazen *ractice( They also thou#ht that after #ainin# enli#htenment there )ould be no further need to
*ractice zazen( They com*ared it to a boat )hich is no lon#er necessary once the other shore is
reached(
Peo*le in the *resent day often *ractice zazen in this manner( This is the attitude of ordinary
*eo*le =inayana *ractitioners and bodhisatt'as )ithin the *ro'isional Ma- hayana *ractice of zazen(
They as*ire to rid themsel'es of delusions and to #ain enli#htenmentK to eliminate illusory thou#hts
and to obtain the truth( This is nothin# but creatin# the ,arma of acce*tance and rejection( Such
anattitude is just another form of dualism in that one esca*es from one thin# and chases after another(
4f )e thin, this ,ind of *ractice is the same as that transmitted by the /uddhas and Patriarchs as the
Tatha#ataBs zanmai-o-zamnai or as /odhidharmaBs sittin# facin# the )all for nine years these also
become mere methods to rid oneself of delusions and to obtain enli#htenment( 5hat a *itiful 'ie)L
4n the last se'eral hundred years a #reat many ha'e adhered to this attitude both in :hina and
Ja*an( All mista,e a bro,en *iece of tile for #old or a fish eye for a je)el because they do not yet
clearly understand the essence of the #reat dharma(
The true zazen )hich has been transmitted by the /uddhas and Patriarchs is the Tatha#ataBs Jijuyu-
zanmai( 4t is the state in )hich the body and mind of *erfect nirvana al)ays abide *eacefully( 4n the
"otus-sutra the Tatha#ataB s zazen is called muryogisho-zanmai (the samadhi of infinite meanin#)( 4n
the aha-rajnya-sutra it is called t&ji-&-zanmai (the ,in# of samadhis)( 4t is referred to as zanmai-&-
zanmai in the Daihon-4annya-Ky&) and Zen master Tozan 2yo,ai
.F
named it h&ky&-zanmai (the
samadhi of the *recious mirror) ( Ob'iously zazen is not a *ractice for #ettin# rid of delusions and
#ainin# enli#htenment( 5hen the /uddha transmitted this zazen to the %enerable Maha,ashya*a he
called it sh&bdgenz&-nehanmy&shin( Se,ito e-*ressed it by sayin# !The heart of the 1reat Master in
4ndia has been transmitted intimately from *erson to *erson in both the8ast and the 5est(!
0;
T@zan
also said !The dharma of nyoze
0&
has been transmitted intimately throu#h the /uddhas and
Patriarchs(! This nehanmy&shin )as transmitted for t)enty-ei#ht #enerations ri#ht u* to /odhidharma
in 4ndia( This 1reat Master came to :hina and transmitted the same samadhi to the Second Patriarch
8,a
0A
( 5e must learn /odhidarmaBs teachin# thorou#hly 4 5hat is his teachin#E-- To li'e facin# the
)all un)a'erin#ly and to see that ordinary *eo*le and sa#es are one and the same
0?
( 5e must also
study carefully the )ords of the Second Patriarch !Al)ays be clearly a)are
0.
(!
The essence of their teachin#s )as transmitted throu#h t)enty-three #enerations u* to +yojo of
Mt( Tendo
00
of the Son# dynasty( 8ihei <o#en )ent to :hina *racticed under +yojo and recei'ed the
transmission of this jijuyu-zanmai( After he returned to Ja*an he ad'ocated this samadhi callin# it
shinjin-datsuraku datsuraku-shinjin (dro**in# off body and mind body and mind dro**ed off)( This
is another name for anuttarasamyaku-sambodhi (ultimate a)areness) ( This a)areness transcends the
ran,s of ordinary *eo*le =inayana the ten sta#es of bodhisatt'as and togaku
12
( Therefore it is said
!<irectly enter into the sta#e of the Tatha#ata( Just ta,e the essence do not )orry about triflin#
thin#s(!
The *ractice of the si- -aramitas of a bodhisatt'a and all of the ei#hty four thousand dharma-
#ates
06
"of the /uddha$ are )ithout e-ce*tion included in this jijuyu-zanmai( This is )hy it is said that
as soon as you clarify the Tatha#ata Zen
0>
the si- -aramitas and all other *ractices are com*lete
)ithin yourself
0F
( 4t is also said in another sutra that )hen you sit in the u*ri#ht *osture and are a)are
of reality all e'il is li,e frost or a dro* of de)--if you settle in this samadhi all e'il )ill disa**ear as
*rom*tly as frost or a dro* of de) disa**ears under the sun(
4n the $h5d5ka )e find the e-*ression !/ein# a)are of reality there is neither subject nor object
and )e are immediately released from the ,arma of the hell of incessant sufferin#
6;
(! 5hen you sit in
this samadhi you )ill enter directly into the realm of the Tatha#ata( Therefore this samadhi is
endo)ed )ith the limitless 'irtue of the roots of #oodness and the limitless obstructions of oneBs e'il
deeds caused by e'il ,arma )ill disa**ear )ithout a trace( As this samadhi is truly the incom*arable
#reat dharma-)heel
D&
and the *ractice of e'er #oin# beyond buddhahood
DA
it is beyond )ords and
discriminatin# thou#hts(
4f you )ere to encounter such a true-dharma in the infinite eons of transmi#ration in the rounds of
life-and- death e'en one day of your life )ould be more *recious than millions of years )ithout the
true-dharma( So de'ote yourself dili#ently to this samadhi cherishin# e'ery second(
+o) 4 )ill e-*lain in detail the )ay to clarify and rely on this samadhi( This is done sim*ly by not
cloudin# the li#ht
D?
of your Self( 5hen the li#ht of the Self is clear you follo) neither konchin
(dullness) nor sanran (distraction)
D.
(
The Third Patriarch said !5hen the cloudless li#ht illum- minates itself there is no need to ma,e
mental stru##le there is no )aste of ener#y(!
D0
This is the 'ital *oint of the *ractice and enli#htenment
of this samadhi( !The cloudless li#ht illuminates itself! means the li#ht of the Self shines bri#htly(
!+ot to ma,e mental stru##le! means not to add the illusory mindBs discrimination to the reality( 5hen
you ma,e mental stru##le the li#ht becomes illusory mind and bri#htness becomes dar,ness( 4f you
do not ma,e mental stru##le the dar,ness itself becomes the Self illumination of the li#ht( This is
similar to the li#ht of a je)el illuminatin# the je)el itself( Gor e-am*le it is li,e the li#ht of the sun or
the moon illuminatin# e'erythin#-mountains and ri'ers human bein#s and do#s etc( eHually )ithout
differentiation or e'aluation( Also a mirror
DD
reflects e'erythin# )ithout botherin# to discriminate( 4n
this jijuyu-zanmai just ,ee* the li#ht "of the self$ unclouded )ithout bein# concerned )ith
discrimination of objects( This is the meanin# of 5anshi ZenjiBs e-*ression in his !azenshin.
26
!The be-all of /uddhas and the end-all of Patriarchs(
Cno)in# )ithout touchin# thin#s(
4lluminatin# )ithout facin# objects(!
D>
5hen you *ractice and learn the reality of zazen thorou#hly the frozen bloc,a#e of illusory mind
)ill naturally melt a)ay( 4f you thin, that you ha'e cut off illusory mind instead of sim*ly clarifyin#
ho) illusory mind melts illusory mind )ill come u* a#ain as thou#h you had cut thestem of a blade
of #rass or the trun, of a tree and left the root ali'e( This is 'ery natural(
Gor this reason( )hen you *ractice the buddha-dhama! j you must study and clarify the essence of
*ractice- enli#htenment of the /uddhas and Patriarchs under the #uidance of a true teacher to )hom
the dharma has been *ro*erly transmittedK other)ise you )ill be )astin# your time no matter ho)
lon# or hard you *ractice(
Mumyo (fundamental delusion)
6;
is called illusory mind( 4t is the source of the rounds of delusory
life-and- death
6&
from the immeasurable *ast( 4t is our discriminatin# mind )hich obstinately clin#s to
body mind the )orld and all thin#s as bein# the )ay )e ha'e *ercei'ed and reco#nized them until
no)( Gor e-am*le althou#h somethin# #ood is not al)ays #ood )e hold stubbornly to )hat )e thin,
is #ood( Somethin# e'il is not al)ays e'il yet )e become attached to our o)n jud#ement and ma,e it
a *reconce*tion( 8'en if you thin, somethin# is #ood others may thin, it is e'il( 8'en if you thin,
somethin# is e'il others may thin, it #ood( And e'en if both you and others thin, somethin# may be
#ood or e'il today fundamentally such jud#ements merely accord )ith illusory mind )hich manifests
itself in the form of oneBs o)n ,no)led#e 'ie)s and e-*eriences( This is true not only of our
jud#ements about #ood and e'il but also our 'ie)s about bein# and non-bein# hatred and lo'eM etc(((
All these differentiations re#ardin# all e-istance arise from illusory mind(
/irds fly in the s,y )ithout any trouble but fish cannot li'e in the s,y( Gish s)im freely in the
)ater thou#h birds )ill die in the )ater( Ma##ots do not thin, feces is filthy( A tademushi
62
does not
,no) bitterness( A fire mouse
6?
li'es in fire( There is a s*ecies of crab that li'es in 'ery hot )ater(
4llusory mind is the root of delusion that is stubborn attachment to a one-sided *oint of 'ie)
formed by our o)n conditioned *erce*tion based on *ersonal e-*eriences( Sufferin# in one )orld
may be comfort in another )orld( 4t is said that obser'in# the *rece*ts for a sravaka is brea,in# the
*rece*ts for a bodhisatt'a( 8ach li'in# bein# in the ten realms
6.
has its o)n 'ie) of e'erythin#( =o)
could their *ictures of the )orld *ossibly be the same EL Ori#inally all bein#s are outside of illusory
mind and are beyond e'aluation or differentiation( 9ou must realize this clearly and )ithout any
doubt(
There )as a #reat ,in# in 4ndia( Once he #athered a #rou* of blind *eo*le to#ether and had them
touch an ele*hant ( After they had touched the ele*hant the ,in# as,ed them !5hat is the sha*e of the
ele*hant E Tell me )hat you thin,(!
Amon# the blind *eo*le the one )ho had touched the ele*hantBs le# said !An ele*hant is
somethin# li,e a laHuered barrel(!
The one )ho had touched the tail said !An ele*hant is somethin# li,e a broom(!
The one )ho had touched the abdomen said !An ele*hant is somethin# li,e a bi# drum(!
The one )ho had touched the ear said !An ele*hant issomethin# li,e a dust *an(!
And the one )ho had touched the trun, said !An ele*hant is somethin# li,e a thic, ro*e(!
Then the ,in# said !=o) *itiful these blind *eo*le are L 8ach of them thin,s an ele*hant is
somethin# li,e this or that accordin# to their indi'idual e-*eriences of touchin# the different *arts of
the ele*hant( 4f they could see it as a )hole they )ould realize that their ideas are com*letely
different from the reality(!
This story a**ears in the *ehankyo .
61
+o) because *eo*le are blinded by illusory mind they cannot clearly and thorou#hly see the
reality of the )hole body of all thin#s( :onseHuently they 'ie) somethin# as #ood or e'il a bein# or
non-bein# ali'e or dead a sentient bein# or a /uddha( 4f their eyes )ere o*en ho)e'er they could
not hel* but realize that the ,no)led#e or *ers*ecti'e acHuired throu#h their *ersonal e-*eriences is
not the )hole of the reality(
Therefore no one can be free from delusions until illusory mind has been dro**ed off( +o matter
ho) dilli#ently one continues to do #ood deeds if these deeds are done )ith a blind mind the result
)ill be only a limited ha**iness in the )orld of human or hea'enly bein#s for such #ood deeds still
belon# to the defiled causation
6D
in thesi- realms of transmi#ration(
4t is said in the aha-rajna-aramita-sutra that e'en thou#h you *ractice the fi'e -aramitas (i(e(
#enerosity obser'in# the *rece*ts *atience dili#ence and meditation) all your *ractices remain
)ithin the realm of the defiled causation of human or hea'enly bein# unless you *ractice -rajna-
-aramita (
66
Such a *ractice is not that of annuttara-sammyak-sambodhi (ultimate a)areness)(
To *ractice -rajna--aramita means that the li#ht of the )isdom of jijuyu-zanmai illuminates and
dis*els the dar,ness of the i#norance of delusory thou#hts( 4f the li#ht of the Self is clear e'en a small
#ood deed is the *ractice of incom*arable a)areness since the deed is *erformed *rior to the arisin#
of illusory mind( Therefore you should not be concerned )ith anythin# but lea'in# behind illusory
mind cuttin# the root of delusions emittin# the li#ht of jijuyu-zanmai and o*enin# the eye of -rajna.
This is the /uddhaBs )isdom and also the true *ath of *racticin# the /uddha-5ay(
4n the "otus-sutra it is saidI !8'erythin# /uddhas do is for the instruction of bodhisatt'as( All that
they do is for just one *ur*ose that is to sho) sentient bein#s /uddhaBs )isdom and enable them to
see reality as a )hole(!
/uddhaBs )isdom means that /uddhas see and ,no) all thin#s )ithout delusory thou#hts(
Therefore /uddhasenable sentient bein#s to de*art from illusory mind and #ain )isdom eHual to their
o)n( This is the core of the teachin#s of all /uddhas in the *ast *resent and future this is also the
essence of the teachin#s of all Patriarchs in each and e'ery #eneration(
A #reat many *eo*le ho)e'er do not lea'e behind illusory mind nor o*en the eye of /uddhaBs
)isdom( They thin, that *racticin# the buddhadharma is studyin# the sutras )hich are records of the
/uddhaBs )isdom( This is a #reat mista,e( Gor e-am*le it does not hel* you at all to read a reci*e
)hen you are star'in#( An entire library of sutras is merely a collection of reci*es of the true taste of
reality( Gor more than .;; years after the buddhadharma )as introduced to :hina all the scholars
s*ent their time ar#uin# )ith each other about )hich reci*e )as better )ithout e'er tastin# reality(
8ach of them relied on a *erticular sutra or commentaries on the sutras ma,in# e'aluations as to
)hich reci*e )as inferior and )hich su*erior( +one of them ,ne) the true taste of the buddhadharma(
7ater /odhidharma transmitted the true taste and filled *eo*leBs em*ty stomachs enablin# them to
recei'e ultimate comfort (nir'ana)(
6>
This is nothin# other than the jijuyu-zanmai )hich is transmitted
directly from the Tath- a#ata to us(
The famous *hrase !<o not de*end on )ords! means that ar#uments about the Huality of the
reci*e is not hel*ful for freein# oneself from star'ation( Gor this reason /odhid-harma came to :hina
)ithout brin#in# any sutras settled *eacefully in this samadhi facin# the )all for nine years and
enablin# *eo*le to o*en their eyes to /uddhaBs )isdom( Once )e a**reciate the real taste of this
samadhi star'ation from the immeasurable *ast )ill be a**eased and you )ill not hun#er a#ain( The
true taste *ro*erly transmitted throu#h the /uddhas and Patriarchs is /uddhaBs )isdomK this is also
called shinjin-datsuraku (dro**in# off body and mind) that is understandin# thorou#hly that body
mind and )orld (time and s*ace) cannot be #ras*ed )ith the discriminatin# mind that reality is
outside of illusory mind and then releasin# the li#ht of the Self(
5e must closely e-amine the so-called human mind( The human mind manifests as an#er
i#norance or #reed
6F
( These three *oisonous minds may be di'ided into #ood and e'il( 5hen they
)or, in e'il )ays an#er brin#s about hell i#norance brin#s about the realm of animals and #reed
brin#s about the realm of hun#ry #hosts( 5hen they )or, in #ood )ays an#er brin#s about the realm
of the asura, #reed brin#s about the realm of human bein#s and i#norance brin#s about the realm of
hea'enly bein#s(
>;
Thus althou#h these are the functions of just one mind )e cannot say there is no
difference bet)een #ood and e'il( Althou#h #ood and e'il are t)o they are both brou#ht about by the
three *oisonous minds and they create the si- realms of transmi#ration( These si- realms are also
called the three )orlds(
>&
All these realms "of transmi#ration$ are includedin the functions of one
mind(
5hen the mind does not function the condition is ,no)n as mu,i! (neutral)( 4f you are attached to
this condition you )ill lea'e these three )orlds or si- realms of transmi#ration and become a non-
/uddhist or a =inayana *ractitioner( 9ou )ill ne'er be able to attain /uddhahood( This is because the
attitudes of such *eo*le are all limited by the emotions and thou#hts of illusory mind(
The one-mind )hich manifests either as unen (thou#ht-si- realms) or munen (no-thou#ht-not #ood
not e'il)
>?
must be somethin# )hich is beyond these conditions( 4t must be the li#ht )hich illuminates
e'ery)here and is ne'er clouded( As soon as you become clearly a)are of this li#ht you )ill be
released from the limitation of delusory thou#hts and the /uddhaBs )isdom )ill be realized( This is
called nehanmyo- shin (the mar'elous mind in +ir'ana)( This is nothin# other than jijuyu-zanmai(
Sha,yamuniBs si- years of sittin# /odhidharmaBs nine years of facin# the )all Zen master Tendo
+yojoBs shikantaza
30
7 all are e-am*les of the *ractice-enli#htenment of this samadhi(
Practice-enli#htenment beyond unen and munen can be com*ared to the function of a mirror( A
mirror reflects both beautiful and u#ly thin#s )ithout distin#uishin# them( This is the natural function
of a mirror( /ut the reflection )hich may be beautiful or u#ly is not the mirror itself( The reflection is
just a shado) of )hat is in front of the mirror(
4f you only see the distinction bet)een the #ood and e'il of unen (thou#ht) and thin, it is your
ori#inal mind
>0
it is the same as if you )ere to #ras* the reflection in the mirror and thin, it to be the
mirror itself( This is a mista,e( This analo#y admonishes you not to #et cau#ht u* in the distraction of
thou#hts( And yet if you thin, that munen (no- thou#ht) is your real mind and become attached to the
condition of no-thou#ht )here neither #ood nor e'il arises it is the same as thin,in# that )here no
reflection e-ists is the mirror itself and thus becomin# attached to the bac,side of the mirror( 4f the
mirror reflects nothin# it is the same as it )ere a *iece of stone or tile the function of the li#ht of the
mirror is lost( This analo#y admonishes you not to #et cau#ht u* in dullness or muki (no #ood no e'il
no-thou#ht)( As you ,no) neither the reflection nor the bac,side of the mirror is the essential
function of the mirror )hich li,e that of the li#ht illuminates itself clearly( 9ou must realize that the
/uddhaBs )isdom li,e a #reat and *erfect mirror
>D
is far beyond the dichotomy of thou#ht and no-
thou#ht( Gor e-am*le )hen you sit zazen if your mind does not arise and function and 4f you do not
see anythin# hear anythin# or feel any *ain or itchiness you just sta#nate in em*tiness( On the
contrary if you see or hear somethin# outside and thin, of it or feel *ain or itchiness you just
sta#nate in the distraction caused by the dichotomy of subject and object( /oth conditions are limited
by delusory thou#hts( Therefore the Third Patriarch said !+either follo) after objects nor d)ell in
em*tiness(!
>6
9ou must study this *oint closely and understand this clearly( Just illuminatin# color
sha*e and sound
>>
etc((( and not addin# any discrimination is the /uddhaBs )isdom(
The analo#y of the mirror ho)e'er is not *erfect( 1enerally )e use analo#ies for ma,in# it easier
to #ras* reality by com*arin# it to somethin# similar because )e are unable to sho) reality itself
directly( 9ou should understand that analo#ies are useful as far as they #o but that they do not sho)
reality as a )hole( Gor e-am*le )hen you are as,ed )hat the sun is li,e by a *erson )ho )as born
blind you mi#ht sho) him a metal basin to enable him to understand that the sha*e of the sun is
round and say that the sun is li,e this( The *erson may hit the basin and say !AhaL The sun ma,es a
#ood sound(! 9ou ha'e to be 'ery careful not to misinter*ret analo#ies or you )ill #o astray(
4 use the analo#y of the mirror just to sho) the relationshi* amon# nenki (arisin#-mind thou#ht)
>F

munen (no- thou#ht) and the li#ht beyond thou#ht and no-thou#ht( This analo#y cannot be a**lied to
the other details since the mirror and the reflections of both beauty or u#liness are se*arate and
reflections are caused by the objects in front of the mirror( /ut )hen our mind arises #ood e'il
hatred lo'e )hate'er are not se*arate from our o)n mind( +othin# comes from outside( The ori#inal
li#ht and our thou#hts are not t)o( This is )hy 4 said that the analo#y of the mirror )as not *erfect(
4n the 2y@#on,y@
(+
there is an e-*ression Kyakujin-bonn& (delusion is dust from outside)(
Ori#inal mind is li,e the ,ee*er of an inn and the 'arious ,inds of thou#hts are li,e 'isitors comin#
and #oin#( 5hen one 'isitior lea'es another one comes( 8ach 'isitor is different from the others(
Some belon# to hi#h society and others belon# to the lo)er class some are rich and others are *oor(
/ut the ,ee*er is al)ays the same( Or )hen sunli#ht streams into a room throu#h a )indo) and you
hit a stra) mat
F&
you )ill see dust risin# u* in clouds( After the dust settles there is nothin# but
em*ty s*ace( 4n this analo#y thou#hts are the risin# dust and ori#inal mind is the em*ty s*ace( Grom
ancient times there ha'e been many commentators )ho ha'e carelessly misinter*reted this analo#y(
They thou#ht that arisin#-mind is just kyakujin-bonno that is delusion is li,e a dust that stic,s to our
mind therefore munen-mushin (no-thou#ht no-mind) is our true or ori#inal mind( They insisted on
tryin# to eliminate thou#hts by force( This misinter*retation occurred because they did not understand
that analo#y does not e-*ress reality as a )hole(
There are a fe) old sayin#s as follo)s(
!+o-mind is yet a*art from reality(!
!The *ure *lace
FA
deludes *eo*le all the more(!
!8'en if you are li,e the blue s,y
F?
4 )ill hit you )ith a stic,(!
These sayin#s admonish us not to thin, that munen (no-thou#ht) is enli#htenment and to be
attached to such a condition
4t is a #reat mista,e to #ras* the human mind only )ith such analo#ies as a ,ee*er and customers
or as em*ty s*ace and the risin# dust )hich are se*arate from one another( Althou#h arisin#-mind is a
delusion it is nothin# but a sort of tem*oral form of the ori#inal mind( There is no ori#inal mind
se*arate from arisin#-mind Therefore )hen your mind is filled )ith an#er your body mind and the
)hole )orld becomes li,e a burnin# house
F.
( 5hen your mind is filled )ith com*assion your body
mind and the )hole )orld become *ure buddha-land
F0
(
A mon, as,ed Joshu !<oes a do# ha'e buddha-nature or notE! Joshu re*lied !+oL (MuL)(! The
mon, as,ed a#ain !4t is said that all sentient bein#s ha'e buddha-nature )hy does a do# not ha'e
buddha-natureE! Joshu said !4t is because a do# has ,armic nature(!4n the case of a do# body mind
and the )hole )orld is the realm of the do#Bs ,armic nature( So there is nothin# e-tra such as buddha-
nature
FD
( 4n the case of the Tatha#ata this ,armic nature is referred to as buddha-nature( That is )hy
)hen )e loo, from the deluded *oint of discrimination limited by illusory mind e'en the Tatha#ataBs
life )ith *erfect 'irtue seems li,e nothin# but a *art of transmi#ration in the cycle of life-and-death(
On the other hand )hen )e are illuminated by /uddhaBs )isdom all sentient bein#s in the si- realms
of transmi#ration are the eternal dharma-body
F6
of the Tatha#ata( 4n this sense delusion and a)areness
are oneK life-and-death and nir'ana are not se*arate( <o#en Zenji also said !There is no kyakujin
(dust se*arate from oursel'es) in the )hole uni'erse( There is no second *erson ri#ht here(!
F>
4n both :hina and Ja*an from medie'al times to the *resent there ha'e been innumerable teachers
of Zen )ho ne'er learned about reality from a true teacher( They mista,enly thou#ht that anihilatin#
thou#hts in the mind is the authentic *ractice of the buddha-dharma( This is because they #ras*ed only
the surface meanin# of the )ords and held on to one-sided 'ie)s( Althou#h one mind may become the
three *oisonous minds and the three *oisonous minds may brin# about the si- realms of #ood or e'il
all of them are only *ro'isional conditions )ithin our mind( There is no reason to banish them(
+e'ertheless )hen our mind is #ood )e become stiffened by #ood intention and attached to the
limited results of the three #ood realms( :onseHuently )e become blind to the li#ht )hich is beyond
#oodness( 5hen our mind is e'il )e become stiffened by e'il intention and *ulled by the results of
the three e'il realms( :onseHuently )e suffer and cannot be a)are of the li#ht )hich is beyond e'il(
5hen )e are in the condition of no-thou#ht )e sta#nate there because )e thin, it a desirable sta#e of
mind( :onseHuently )e become li,e =inayana or non-/uddhist *ractitioners )ho ne'er #ain
buddhahood( 5e fail to realize the li#ht beyond no-thou#ht( 5hen )e transcend the dichotomies of
#ood and e'il thou#ht and no-thou#ht and emit the li#ht of the Self settlin# beyond discrimination
)e )ill not sta#nate in #oodness thou#h our mind be #ood( +or )ill )e attach oursel'es to e'il or to
the sta#e of no-thou#ht e'en thou#h our mind be in that condition( Therefore e'en )hen our mind
becomes e'il if the li#ht of beyond-thou#ht! is emitted e'il mind )ill be dro**ed off immediately
and there )ill be only the li#ht of the Self( This is the )ay to lead *eo*le in the three e'il realms to
annuttara-sammyak-sambodhi (ultimate a)areness)( The same occurs to the *eo*le d)ellin# in the
three #ood realms too and allo)s them to ste* o'er into ultimate a)areness( Also non- /uddhists or
=inayana *ractitioners in the condition of no-thou#ht can directly enter into ultimate a)areness in the
same manner( This is called the #reat li#ht /uddhaBs )isdom or -rajna -aramita( This is also ,no)n
as radiatin# li#ht from the middle of the forehead in the mury5gisho- zanmai (samadhi of
immeasurable meanin#)( !anmai-5-zanmai (the ,in# of samadhis) or #irushanaz5-zanmai (the
storehouse samadhi of %airocana) are also other names referrin# to jijuyu-zanmai(
5hen the Tatha#ata *reached the aha-rajna-aramita- sutra he )as sittin# in zazen( This )as
called t5ji-5-zanmai( 4n the Daihon-hannyakyo it is referred to as zanmai-5-zanmai( 5hen the
/uddha settled ultimately in this samadhi radiatin# the #reat li#ht from his )hole body and
illuminatin# the )orld in the ten directions sentient bein#s )ere released from the sufferin# of the
ei#ht cold and ei#ht hot hellsK bein#s in the animal realm )ere released from i#norance hun#ry #hosts
for#ot their *ain from star'ation the asuras moderated their arro#ance and fi#htin# s*irit human
bein#s for#ot the burdens of their fi'e or ei#ht sufferin#s
&;;
hea'enly bein#s for#ot the sufferin#s
resultin# from the fi'e omens of their decre*itude before death
&;&
the sravakas and -ratyekabuddhas
ali,e aroused bodhi-mind
&;A
all bodhisatt'as com*leted the si- -aramitas and the )orld of all the
/uddhas rene)ed the #randure of 'irtue( 5ithout fail e'eryone )ho encountered this li#ht attained
ultimate a)areness( The benefit from the li#ht of this zanmai-o- zanmai is 'ast in this )ay( This is
described in the si- hundred 'olumes of the aha-rajna-aramita-sutra.
5hen the Tatha#ata *reached the "otus-sutra
8+3
he )as sittin# in zazen( This )as called
muryogisho-zanmai (the samadhi of immeasurable meanin#s)( 5hen he )as in this samadhi he
radiated the #reat li#ht from the middle of his forehead and illuminated the )orld in the ten directions(
All )orlds from the avid hell to the hi#hest hea'en )ere in the li#ht the same as the li#ht of )isdom
mentioned in the aha-rajna-aramita-sutra( 5ithout e-ce*tion all bein#s in this li#ht attained
buddhahood( Gor this reason e'en <e'adatta
&;.
)ho committed the fi'e cardinal sins and fell into
hell )as #i'en a *rediction by the /uddha that he )ould attain buddhahood and be called Tatha#ata(
And the dra#on dau#hter thou#h she )as an animal attained budd- hahood in the Southern S*otless
5orld(
&;0
4f this )as true for sentient bein#s in the three e'il realms it is beyond Huestion that bein#s
in the three #ood realms can attain buddhahood( Gor this reason the /uddha *redicted that e'en those
)ho read only one *hrase or 'erse )ould attain buddhahood )ithout fail( That is because they recei'e
the su*reme function of *erfect 'irtue of the li#ht of this samad- hi( This is described in the "otus
$utra. uryogisho-zanmai and zanmai-&-zanmai are different names for zazen )hich )e *ractice
today and )hich has been directly transmitted throu#h the /uddhas and Patriarchs(
The distinction of the ten realms
&;D
as either #ood or e'il is deri'ed from illusory mind since )e
are cau#ht u* by discrimination caused by illusory mind and fabricate the border bet)een each realm
definin# one as su*erior to another or one as #ood and another as e'il( +o) the Tatha#ata settles
*eacefully in the buddhahood )hich transcends thou#hts and discrimination radiates the #reat li#ht of
'irtue and illuminates all sentient bein#s in the ten realms )ho are cau#ht by thou#hts and
discrimination( Therefore sentient bein#s in each of the ten realms )ill be released from the
limitation of their o)n realm and realize buddha-bodhi (the /uddhaBs a)areness)( This is li,e frozen
sno) on the hi#h mountains )hich melts )hen it is illuminated by the s*rin# sun( Thus in the "otus-
sutra it is said that this dharma cannot be #ras*ed by thou#hts and discrimination( This means that
only a /uddha to#ether )ith a/uddha can fathom the reality of the )hole dharma(
&;6
This samadhi )as transmitted from the Tatha#ata to the %enerable Maha,asya*a face to face then
transmitted throu#h t)enty-ei#ht #enerations u* to the #reat master /odhidharma "in 4ndia$( Gurther
it )as intimately transmitted for fifty-one #enerations from the /uddha u* to 8ihei <o#en( This is the
9-zanmai (the ,in# of samadhis) )hich has been *assed do)n hand to hand throu#h the /uddhas and
Patriarchs(
Since this samadhi cannot be #ras*ed by discriminatory thou#hts no commentators on the sutras
and other scri*tures )ho only try to inter*ret the meanin# of the )ords can fathom it e'en in a dream
no matter ho) intelli#ent they are( Only )hen )e sit zazen in our daily life are our eyes o*ened to the
reality outside of the domain of thou#hts and discrimination
;
5e just illuminate our thou#hts )hich
moment by moment come u* and #o a)ay refrain from fabricatin# ado*tion or rejection and hatred
or lo'e( As )ith the Tatha#ata )hat )e do in our zazen is e-*ressed as radiatin# the #reat li#ht
illuminatin# the )hole )orld of the ten directions and releasin# all sentient bein#s from sufferin#(
Gurthermore our *ractice-enli#htenmnent of this samadhi is in the sta#e of cause
&;>
)hile the
Tatha#ataBs d)ellin# in this samadhi is in the sta#e of effect
&;F
( 5ithin the sta#e of cause )e actualize
the effect and )ithin the sta#e of effect the Tatha#ata com*letes the cause( Therefore cause and
effect are not t)o
&&;
and are beyond the ar#ument of )hether they are the same or different( They are
beyond thou#ht and discrimination( They are called the cause of /uddha and the effect of /uddha(
This is also )hat the e-*ression !head is ri#ht tail is ri#ht!
&&&
means( Therefore our *ractice of zazen
is the same as the Tatha#ataBs samadhi( The samadhi of the Tatha#ata is nothin# other than our zazen(
There is no difference bet)een them at all( There is not the sli#htest distinction of su*erior or inferior
bet)een them( An ancient master
&&A
said !The dharma-body of the Tatha#ata enters into my o)n
nature my nature becomes one )ith the Tatha#ata( The first sta#e com*letely contains all sta#es "of
bodhisatt'as and /uddhas$( 4t is neither body mind nor acti'ities( 4n an instant ei#hty-thousand
dharma #ates are com*letedK in a t)in,lin# the three ,al*as
&&?
*ass a)ay(! This e-*resses the same
idea(
+ot only the #reat master /odhidharmaBs facin# the )all but also the sittin# zazen of all the
Patriarchs of each #eneration is not a bit different from the Tatha#ataBs o-zanmai (the ,in# of
samadhis)( 5anshi Zenji e-*ressed this in his !azenshin. ! "Zazen is$ the be-all of /uddhas and the
end-all of Patriarchs(! 8ihei <o#en e-*ressed this as follo)sI
B!That )hich directly #oes beyond the )hole )orld is kekka)uza (full-lotus sittin#)( 4t is )hat is
most 'enerable in the house of the /uddhas and Patriarchs( Only this *ractice transcends the *innacle
of the /uddhas and Patriarchs(!
5e must understand that this is the culmination of the /uddha-5ay and the unsur*assable samadhi
)hich is continuously #oin# beyond( Gor this reason all /uddhas in the )orld of the ten directions and
in the *ast *resent and future al)ays d)ell in zazen( 5e must understand that there are no other
teachin#s or *ractice su*erior to zazen( This is the essential meanin# of *racticin# and actualizin# the
zanmai-&-zanmat as the shobogenzo-nehanmyoshin )hich is beyond illusory mind and )hich has
been *ro*erly transmitted by /uddhas and Patriarchs(
Nuestion
&&.
I
4f )e must emit the li#ht and o*en our eyes to the reality )hich is beyond arisin#-mind (thou#hts)
and no-mind (no- thou#ht) ( then do )e anihilate the #ood and bad functions of the three *oisonous
minds E 8-*lain this in detail 4
2e*lyI
4t is false to thin, that you ha'e com*letely rid yourself of the three *oisonous minds since such a
thin# is im*ossible( 9ou thin, this )ay because you sta#nate in em*tiness and remain attached to the
state of no-thou#ht( 4f so you )ill ne'er attain buddhahood( 8'en if one attains the state of no-
thou#ht such a *ractitioner )ith =inayana attitude )ill ne'er attain buddhahood unlesD he chan#es
his as*iration
&&>
( Althou#h non-/uddhist *ractitioners may remain )ithout color and form (materials)
for ei#hty ,al*as finally they )ill fall bac, into the samsaric realms of duality because the result of
such a *ractice is limited( 8'erythin# made u* by illusory mind is limited( Only the /uddha-5ay is
limitless because it is not fabricated and is outside of illusory mind( The e-*ression ori#inal-face
&&D
means that )hich is not artificially fabricated(
The three *oisonous minds arise )ithin the functions of one-mind( This one-mind creates the three
#ood realms if it is *ulled by #oodness and it creates the three e'il realms
&&6
if it is *ulled by e'il( Or
#reed creates the realm of desire an#er creates the realm of form and i#norance creates the realm of
no-form( This is the )ay that the )orld as circumstances and the )orld of sentient bein#s
&&>
as the si-
realms in )hich )e #o u* and fall do)n (transmi#ration) are fabricated( $ravakas and
-ratyekabuddhas are fri#htened by this transmi#ration and try to eliminate the three *oisonous minds
)hich are the basic causes of transmi#ration in order not to be reborn in the three )orlds of desire
form and no-form( ( They call this de*art from life-and-death
&&F
( /ut this is not the same as bein# free
from life-and-death as is the emanci*ation
&A;
of the Tatha#ata(
The )ay of #reat bodhisatt'as is different( The basis of transmi#ration is nothin# other than our
o)n mind( Gurthermore )hen )e clearly illuminate
&A&
our mind and realize that this mind is nothin#
but a *hantom and that )e cannot #ras* the mind by thou#hts or discrimination usin# conce*ts such
as e-istence or non-e-istence
&AA
)e no lon#er try to either anihilate mind nor nurture it( 4nstead )e
sim*ly illuminate it )ithout addin# thou#hts or discrimination( 5hen )e just illuminate our mind
)ithout addin# thou#hts and discrimination the three *oisonous minds of an#er #reed and i#norance
also ha'e the nature of bein# Bdro**ed off
&A?
K that is of bein# beyond discrimination and bein#
un#ras*able( "The three *oisonus minds$ are not a bit different from the eternal dharma-body of the
Tatha#ata(
5hen )e thorou#hly realize that the three *oisonous minds are nothin# but the eternal dharma-
body of the Tatha#ata it becomes ob'ious that all sentient bein#s transmi#ratin# in the si- realms also
ha'e the nature of this eternal dharma-body and lac, nothin#( Since )e understand this reality )e
arouse bodhi-mind and 'o) to lead all sentient bein#s to the eternal dharma-body of the Tatha#ata (
This is carryin# out the *ractice-enli#htenment of a bodhisatt'a(
The threefold *ure *rece*ts to be obser'ed by bodhisatt'as
&A.
are *racticin# all #ood deeds
,ee*in# all *rece*ts (refrainin# from e'il deeds) and benefittin# all li'in# bein#s( %o)in# to do all
#ood deeds )ithout e-ce*tion is called sh5zenb5kai. The #reedy mind of ordinary *eo*le is
transformed and functions differently in this *ractice( %o)in# to refrain from e'il deeds is called
sh5ritsugi-,ai( The an#ry mind of ordinary *eo*le is transformed and )or,s differently in this
*ractice( %o)in# to release innumerable bein#s from sufferin# by transferrin#
&A0
the merit from the
*ractice of refrainin# from e'il deeds and doin# all #ood deeds to innumerable sentient bein#s )ithout
e-ce*tion is called sh&shuj&kai. The i#norant mind of ordinary *eo*le is transformed and acts
differently in this *ractice( As bodhisatt'as )e must continue the *ractice-enli#htenment of these
three *ure *rece*ts until )e com*lete ultimate a)areness( And )hen ha'in# attained buddhahood
these three are called the three 'irtues
&AD
of the Tatha#ata that is the 'irtue of )isdom )hich brea,s
all i#norance and actualizes ultimate a)areness the 'irtue of e-haustin# all delusions )hich
actualizes ultilmate nir'ana and the 'irtue of com*assion )hich releases all sentient bein#s( These
three are also referred to as the three buddha-bodies (dharma-body re)ard-body and corres*ondin#-
body)
&A6
( All of them are different as*ects of the eternal dharma-body of the Tatha#ata(
Therefore one-mind creates all the different realms de*endin# u*on the )ay it is used( Some fall
into the three e'il realms because their minds function in an e'il )ay( Some rise to the three #ood
realms because their mind )or,s in a #ood )ay( And some try to #et out of all these realms because
they hate them and attain "the state of$ no-thou#ht( Ginally there are some )ho use their minds and
all realms )here'er they are for the *ractice of the three*ure *rece*ts( All of them ha'e different
names sim*ly because their )ays of usin# one-mind are different(
The sravakas and -ratyekabuddhas )ho do not understand reality are afraid of the three *oisonous
minds and the three )orlds and are attached to the sta#e of no-thou#ht (no #ood no e'il)( Precisely
for this reason they turn a)ay from the *ractice of the three *ure *rece*ts and the three *erfect
'irtues and lose the *ossibility to attain buddhahood(
Gor e-am*le astrin#ent *ersimmons
&A>
become 'ery s)eet after ha'in# been dried( 4f )e try to
sHueeze out the astrin#ency the *ersimmons )ill ne'er become s)eet( Thus the astrin#ency of the
three *oisonous minds becomes the s)eetness of the three 'irtues( The sravakas and -ratyekabuddhas
cannot *roduce the s)eetness of the three 'irtues because they try to sHueeze out the astrin#ency of
the three *oisonous minds(
At this *oint )e must understand thorou#hly that body mind and the )orld (time and s*ace) are
all one( Only if illusory mind is dro**ed off )ill body mind and )orld not be se*arate from one
another( Gundamentally there is only one uni'ersal dharma )orld in )hich all thin#s *ermeate each
other( There is an old sayin# )hich e-*resses this idea( !8'en a little *erce*tion adds somethin# e-tra
"to the reality$(!
This )orld consists of the fi'e elements earth )ater fire )ind ami s*ace( +ot only the )orld
but also the human body consists of these fi'e elements( /ody heat is the fire element moisture is the
)ater element bones are the earth element mo'ement is the )ind element and all the abo'e are
based on the s*ace element( 5e can say the same in the case of our mindK an#er bein# the fire
element desire the )ater element i#norance the earth element *leasure the )ind element and the
traceless a**earance and disa**earance of all the abo'e the s*ace element( J*on encounterin#
objects one-mind becomes the fi'e elements of our minds since illusory mind does not dro*( Our
body consistin# of these fi'e elements is *roduced because )e are *ulled by the conciousness )hich
consists of the fi'e elements ( The )orld of these elements is *roduced because our body and mind are
*roduced in this manner( 4t is our illusory mind that creates them (body mind and the )orld)(
Gor this reason 2inzai said !<oubt in your mind becomes earth and you )ill be obstructed by it(
<esire in your mind becomes )ater and you )ill dro)n in it( An#er in your mind becomes fire and
you )ill be burned by it *leasure in your mind becomes )ind and you )ill be caried a)ay by it(!
&AF
Therefore )hen you emit the ori#inal li#ht )hich is beyond the dimension of thou#ht
&?;
and
illuminate illusory mind then body mind and the )orld becomes the %air- ocana Tatha#ata( This is
the meanin# behind the sayin# !5hen the li#ht Huietly illuminates the )hole uni'erseordinary
bein#s and all other li'in# bein#s are just one family( !
%et if )e add 'arious ,inds of discrimination onto reality by our illusory mind and lay
*reconce*tions u*on distinction then )e are a*t to thin, that mind is se*arate from body and *roceed
to fabricate an e#o
&?&
as found in the non-/uddhist *hiloso*hies( Or if )e thin, that our body is
somethin# se*arate from the )orld )e shall fall into the )ay of the sra'a,as and -ratyekabuddhas.
Gurthermore )e may come to assume that the mind is lar#e and the )orld is small( 5e fall into "one
of the si-ty-t)o biased 'ie)s$ that is thin,in# our e#o is lar#e and material is small( Or )e may thin,
that our body is born and then dies or a**ears and then disa**ears but that our mind is eternal or that
our body )ill disa**ear but the )orld )ill remain after our death( All of these 'ie)s arise because )e
do not understand reality that body mind and the )orld are born simultaneousl'( 5hen )e die bod'
mind and the )orld disa**ear simultaneously( 5hen )e transcend life-and- death all of them
transcend life-and-death to#ether( 5hen )e affirm and follo) the *rinci*le of #ro)th and decline
then body mind and the )orld )ill affirm and follo) this *rinci*le simultaneously(
A mon, as,ed Joshu !4t said that e'en )hen the )hole uni'erse utterly disinte#rates this nature
)ill not brea, a*art( 5hat is this indestructible nature
Joshu re*lied( !4t is the four elements and the fi'ea##re#ates(!
The mon, as,ed a#ain !/ut these disinte#rate( 5hat is the indestructible natureE!
JOshu re*lied a#ain !The four elements and the fi'e a##re#ates L!
&?A
A mon, as,ed <aizui
&??
!4t is said that )hen ka:-agni
&?.
occurs all three thousand )orlds )ill fall
a*art( 5ill buddha-nature also fall a*art E!
<aizui said !9es it )ill(!
The mon, then as,ed <aizui a#ain !<oes that mean that buddha-nature also follo)s the *rinci*le
of a**earance and disa**earance E
<aizui said !9es it doesL!
7ater another mon, as,ed the same Huestion to Shuzanshu
&?0
( =e re*lied !+o buddha-nature )ill
ne'er brea, a*art(!
The mon, as,ed !5hy )ill it not brea, a*art E!
Shuzanshu re*lied !/ecause buddha-nature is not se*arate from all the thousand )orlds(!
These three masters to#ether sho) us that body mind and the )orld are all one( 5hen )e tal,
about destruction K body mind and the )orld fall a*art all at the same time( There is no sooner or
later( 5hen )e tal, about non- destruction neither body mind nor the )orld fall a*art( Therefore
)hen )e say e'erythin# follo)s the *rinci*le of a**earance and disa**earance mind and the )orld
follo)s in accord )ith this *rinci*le in the same )ay( The ori#inal face of body mind and the )orld
is beyond any definition deri'ed from thou#ht and discrimination such as bein# destroyed not bein#
destroyed follo)in# or transcendin# the *rinci*le of a**earance and disa**earance etc((
Gor this reason )hen e'erythin# is clearly illuminated by the li#ht of the /uddhaBs a)areness
beyond thou#ht and discrimination and )hen body mind and the )orld (mountains ri'ers and the
#reat earth) are not considered as e-istin# se*arately there is no distinction bet)een inside and
outside (subject and object)( There is no se*aration )hate'er bet)een body mind and the )orld( 4t is
li,e air mi-ed )ith air or )ater mi-ed )ith )ater(
There is an old sayin# )hich e-*resses this same meanin#( !4f one truly realizes the mind there is
not one inch of e-tra land on the #reat earth(! 5e can eHually say that if one truly realizes the earth
there )ill not be an inch of thou#ht in our mind( That is )hy Sha,yamuni on attainin# the 5ay said
!The earth li'in# bein#s and non-li'in#-bein#s and 4 ha'e all attainned the 5ay at the same time(!
This also e-*resses the reality of body mind and the )orld bein# just one(
+e-t )e must belie'e in the *rinci*le of cause and effect
&?D
( :ause is a seed effect is a fruit( 5e
cannot har'est e##*lants if )e *lant #ourd seeds( 1ood causes al)ays brin# forth #ood effects e'il
causes al)ays brin# forth bad effects( This occurs )ithout e-ce*tion( This is a 'ital *oint )hich
distin#uishes buddha-dharma from other *hiloso*hies since only the Tatha#ata clearly sa) the
*rinci*le of causality( Other *hiliso*hiers did not ,no) of cause and effect( The teachin#s of
:onfucius
&?6
and 7ao-tze
&?>
do not mention cause and effect( They tau#ht only about the *rinci*le in
the )orld of ordinary *eo*le( :auses and effects do not come from outside all are brou#ht about from
our o)n acti'ities
&?F
( 9et *eo*le )ho are not a)are of cause-and-effect do not belie'e the effects e'en
thou#h they see the causes(
Gor e-am*le if you #o to a country )here they do not ha'e *o**ies and sho) them a *o**y seed
tellin# them that this small seed contains hu#e flo)ers of bri#ht #olden hues and more than a thousand
seeds of the same size no one )ill belie'e you( 4t is natural to doubt this since e'en if you brea, the
seed o*en there )ill be no flo)ers or seeds( /ut *eo*le )ho li'e in a country )here there are
*o**ies and are used to seein# lar#e flo)ers and many seeds comin# out of one seed year after year
)ill lau#h at *eo*le )ho do not beliel'e it is so thin,in# them stu*idL +on-/uddhist *hiloso*hers in
4ndia or :onfucius or 7ao-tze in :hina )ho did not understand cause-and-effect are the same as the
*eo*le )ho do not belie'e that *o**y flo)ers are contained in one small *o**y seed( The reason the
/uddha tau#ht cause-and-effect is that he sa) the flo)ers and seeds )ithin one seed(
The /uddha tau#ht us not to committ e'il deeds because of the *rinci*le of cause-and-effect( =e
)arned us to refrainfrom
&.;
e'il deeds because doin# e'il )ill brin# about e'il effects and )e )ill
suffer from them( The /uddha encoura#ed us to do e'erythin# #ood because if )e do #ood )e )ill
be born in a #ood *lace and s*end a comfortable life(
Althou#h the cause may be as tiny as a *o**y seed the effect )ill manifest as a lar#e fruit( An e'il
cause of a small deed )ill brin# about the lar#e effect of sufferin#( Therefore )e must carefully
refrain from committin# e'en a small e'il deed( A #ood cause of a small deed )ill brin# about the
#reat effect of *leasure( Therefore )e must encoura#e oursel'es to carry out #ood deeds(
9et this does not mean that )e should sho) hatred to)ard *eo*le )ho do somethin# e'il and turn
our bac, on them( 4f )e hate them and run from them )e cannot sa'e those in the three e'il realms of
hell-d)ellers hun#ry #hosts or animals( 5e must understand that e'il is just a bubble or a shado)
unsubstantial and cannot be jud#ed by thou#ht or discrimination( Therefore )e must not hate e'il
much less li,e it( This is called Brefrainin# from e'il deedsB(
Also #oodness is li,e a dream or a *hantom and cannot be #ras*ed by thou#ht or discrimination(
5e should not li,e #oodness and become attached to it( +ot e'en li,in# and bein# attached to
#oodness much less should )e disli,e it( This is called Bdoin# e'erythin# #oodB( 5e must be free from
discrimination bet)een #ood arid e'il refrain from e'il deeds and encoura#e oursel'es to do
e'erythin# #ood(
Jnderstandin# this and refrainin# from e'il deeds is sh&ritsugikai (the second of the three *ure
bodhisatt'a *rece*ts) ( This is the cause of the Tatha#ataBs 'irtue of brea,in# all delusions as )ell as
the cause of the dharma- body( <oin# e'erythin# #ood is shozenbokai (the first of the three
bodhisatt'a *rece*ts)( This is the cause of the re)ard-body (sambhogakaya)( 4f )e transfer the merit
of refrainin# from e'il deeds and of doin# #ood deeds to all li'in# bein#s this transferin# is
shoshujokai (the third of the three *ure bodhisatt'a *rece*ts)( This is the cause of the Tatha#ataBs
'irtue of com*assion as )ell as the cause of the corres*ondin#-body (nirmanakaya)( 5hen )e
*ractice these three *ure *rece*ts )ithout bein# attached to illusory mind the three are not three one
is not one( A cause is not a cause an effect is not an effect( There is no sooner or later( Only /uddhaBs
)isdom can clarify this( 5e must be free from our thou#ht and discrimination(
+e-t )e must understand the *rinci*le of the three times of ,arma
&.&
as the relationshi* bet)een
causes and effects( The first is Jungengo the second is junji-go, and the third is jungog&. Jungengo
means to recei'e the effect in this life from causes made in this life either #ood or e'il( 4t is li,e
*lantin# cucumbers or e##*lants and har'estin# them in the same year( Junjigo means to recei'e the
effect in the ne-t life from causes made in this life( 4t is li,e *lantin# )heat this year and har'estin# it
in the follo)in# year( Jungog& means to recei'e the effect in the third or fourth or hundredth or
thousandth life after the causes made in the *resent life( 4t is li,e *lantin# a *each a chestnut a *ear
or a *ersimmon tree and har'estin# the fruit many years later( Gor this reason e'en if you do
somethin# #ood in this life bad thin#s may ha**en to you( Gor e-am*le :onfucius )as brou#ht to a
standstill because he )as encircled by the army of :hin and Sai
&.A
( 1an,ai
&.?
a disci*le of :onfucius
died youn#( Prince =i,an
&..
)as rented at the chest( This ha**ened because the effects from causes
made in the *resent life could not manifest until the effects from the causes made in the *ast had been
e-hausted( After the effects from bad ,arma accumulated in the *ast ha'e been e-hausted the effects
from the #ood ,arma in the *resent life )ill be actualized( 1ood thin#s may ha**en to us e'en if )e
do e'il deeds in the *resent life( Gor e-am*le the first em*eror of Shin
&.0
became the em*eror des*ite
his cruel deeds and the famous thief Tose,i
&.D
enjoyed lon#e'ity( These occurred because bad effects
could not become manifest until the effects from #ood causes made in the *ast had been e-hausted(
After the effects from the #ood causes in the *ast ha'e been e-hausted )e must certainly suffer from
the bad effects( 1ood or e'il causes in a *re'ious life brin# out the effects in this life and #ood or bad
causes in this life )ill result in the effects in a future life( This is-called junjigo )e may recei'e #ood
effects in the *resent life from a #ood cause in this life( Gor e-am*le <ai-shun
&.6
came to the throne
from his status as a commoner( 5e may recei'e a bad effect in the *resent life from an e'il cause
made in this life( Gor e-am*le the 8m*eror Cetsu
&.>
of the Ca dynasty and 8m*eror :hu
&.F
of the 4n
dynasty lost their *ositions due to their e'il deeds( These thin#s ha**en before our eyes( 5e should
ha'e no Huestion about this( This is called Jungeng&.
/oth #ood and e'il causes ha'e limitationsK therefore )e recei'e limited effects( =ell and hea'en
also ha'e limitations( This is because these actions are caused by the limited illusory mind( 4f you
emit /uddhaBs )isdom and refrain from e'il deeds and carry out #ood )ithout thou#ht and
discrimination follo) in accord )ith your nature and loo, beyond limitations all your deeds )ill
result in the effects of ultimate a)areness and com*lete *erfect 'irtue( Therefore *racticin# the si-
-aramitas and carryin# out countless #ood deeds are jungog& and )hen buddhahood is attained the
effects )ill manifest themsel'es simultaneously( Gor this reason )e must arouse dee* faith in the
*rinci*le of cause-and-effect(
4n the follo)in# section 4 ha'e collected Huotations about zazen from <o#en ZenjiBs )ritin#s and
)ould li,e them to form the standard of *ractice-enli#htenment( Please study them carefully(
4n the follo)in# section 4 ha'e collected Huotations about zazen from <o#en ZenjiBs )ritin#s and
)ould li,e them to form the standard of *ractice-enli#htenment( Please study them carefully(
The 8ssential Teachin#s on Zazen from <o#en ZenjiBs 5ritin#s
&( 8. ;.rom $hobogenzo-#end&<a=
81+
All /uddha-Tatha#atas ali,e solely ha'e been transmittin# the #enuine dharma from one to another
and actualizin# the incom*arable a)areness( Gor this there has been an e-cellent )ay )hich is
su*reme and absolute( This 5ay has been transmitted )ithout de'iation only from /uddha to /uddha(
The criterion of this dharma is JijuyP-zanmai( Gor d)ellin# and dis*ortin# oneself freely in this
samadhi( *racticin# zazen in the ri#ht *osture is the true #ate(
&( 2. ;.rom $hobogenz& #end&<a=
Gor all the Patriarchs and /uddhas )ho ha'e been d)ellin# in and maintainin# the buddha-
dharma( *racticin# *ro*er sittin# in jijuyu-zanmai has been the true )ay to actualize enli#htenment(
/oth in 4ndia and :hina those )ho ha'e attained enli#htemnent ha'e been follo)in# this )ay of
*ractice( This is because each teacher and each disci*le has been intimately transmittin# this #enuine
5ay recei'in# and maintainin# the true s*irit of *ractice(
Accordin# to the tradition unmista,enly handed do)n the buddha-dharma )hich has been
sin#ularly and directly transmitted( is su*reme beyond com*arison( Grom the time you be#in to
*ractice it under a teacher "the s*ecial *ractices of$ incense burnin# bo)in# chantin# nenbutsu as
)ell as the *ractices of re*entence or of readin# sutras are unnecessary( Sim*ly *ractice zazen
dro**in# off body and mind(
If one shows the buddha-seal with one's whole body and mind, and sits properly in this
samadhi even for a short time, everything in the whole world becomes the buddha- seal, and all
space in the whole universe becomes enlightenment.
&( 3. ;.rom $hobogenzo #endo<a=
[Question:]
s for the practice of !a!en" those who have not yet reali!ed the buddha-dharma must attain
enlightenment through practicing the #ay of !a!en. #hat can those who have already clarified
the true buddha-dharma e$pect from practicing !a!en%&
['eply:]
lthough it is said that one should not relate dreams to a fool, nor give oars to a woodcutter, I
will give you further instruction. (our view that practice and enlightenment are not one is
heretical. In the teachings of the buddha-dharma, practice and enlightenment are one and the
same. )ince this is the practice of enlightenment, the beginner's practice of the #ay itself is the
whole of original enlightenment. *herefore, when instructions about the attitude toward
practice are given+ it is said that you should not e$pect enlightenment apart from practice. *his
is because the practice itself is original enlightenment being directly pointed out. )ince it is the
enlightenment of practice, enlightenment is endless " since it is the practice of enlightenment.
practice is beginningless. *herefore, both Shakamuni- ,uddha and the -enerable .aha/asyapa
were absorbed and animated by this practice of enlightenment. Great .aster ,odhidharma and
0n1 the )i$th 2atriarch were also pulled and turned around by this practice of enlightenment.
*he way of dwelling in and maintaining the buddha-dharma has always been li/e this.
/y nature *ractice cannot be se*arated from enli#htenment. Gortunately undi'ided #enuine
*ractice has already been transmitted to us( Our *ractice of the 5ay as be#inners. attains undi'ided
ori#inal enli#htenment on the ground of absolute reality( 5e must ,no) that in order not to defile
enli#htenment )hich is inse*arable from *ractice. /uddhas and Patriarchs constantly ur#e us not to let
u* in our *ractice( 5hen )e let #o of #enuine *ractice ori#inal enli#htenment fills our hands K )hen
)e become free from ori#inal enli#htenment( #enuine *ractice is carried on throu#hout our )hole
body(
&( 4. [Shobogenzo Zanmai-o-zanmai]
151
That )hich directly #oes beyond the )hole )orld is kekka)uza (sittin# in full-lotus)( 4t is )hat is
most 'enerable in the house of the /uddhas and Patriarchs( That )hich ,ic,s a)ay the heads of non-
/uddhists and demons and enables us to be inhabitants of the innermost room of the house of the
/uddhas and Patriarchs is kekka)uza( Only this *ractice transcends the *innacle of the /uddhas and
Patriarchs( Therefore the /uddhas and Patriarchs ha'e been *racticin# zazen alone )ithout *ursuin#
anythin# else(
5e must ,no) that the )hole )orld of zazen and the )hole )orld of other thin#s are totally
different( 2ealizin# this )e must clarify and affirm the arousin# of bodhi-mind *ractice a)areness
and nir'ana of the /uddhas and Patriarchs (
At the 'ery time )e are doin# zazen )e must study )hether the )hole )orld is 'ertical or
horizontal( 5hen )e are actually sittin# just )hat is zazenE 4s it an animated acti'ityE 4s it li,e the
'i#orous actions of a fishE 4s it thin,in# or not-thin,in#E 4s it an action or a non-actionE <o )e sit in
the sittin# or in our body and mind E Or do )e sit dro**in#-off sittin# in the seated body and mind or
is sittin# yet somethin# elseE 5e ha'e to study these and other innumerable details "re#ardin# zazen$(
5e must *ractice kekka)uza of the body( 5e must *ractice kekka)uza of the mind( 5e must *ractice
kekka)uza of dro**in# off body and mind(
My late teacher Tendo +yojo the ancient /uddha
&0A
said !Practicin# zazen is dro**in# off body
and mind( 9ou can attain this throu#h the *ractice of shikantaza alone( The *ractices of incense
burnin# bo)in# nenbutsu re*entence or of readin# the sutras are not necessary(!
4n the last se'eral hundred years my late teacher alone #ou#ed out the eyes of the /uddhas and
Patriarchs and sat therein( Ge) masters in :hina ha'e been eHual to him( Ge) *eo*le ha'e clarified
the fact that sittin# is the buddha- dharma itself that the buddha-dharma is nothin# but sittin#( 8'en
thou#h some ha'e understood throu#h e-*eriences that sittin# is the buddha-dharma none ha'e
,no)n that sittin# is just sittin#( Much less ha'e there been any )ho ha'e maintained the buddha-
dharma just as the buddha- dharma(
Therefore there is sittin# of the mind )hich is different from sittin# of the body( There is sittin#
of the body )hich is different from sittin# of the mind( There is sittin# of dro**in#-off body and
mind )hich is different from sittin# of dro**in#-off body and mind( 1ras*in# this corres*onds to the
*ractice and understandin# of the /uddhas and Patriarchs( 9ou must ,ee* hold of memory
ima#ination and contem*lation( 9ou must study thorou#hly intellect 'olition and consciousness(
Sha,yamuni /uddha said to his Assembly
!4f you sit in kekka)uza samadhi is actualized in your body and mind( The 'irtue of zazen is
res*ected by all *eo*le( 4t is li,e the sun illuminatin# the )orld( Slee*iness and lassitude )hich
obscure the mind are remo'ed( The body becomes li#htK neither tired nor )eary( The a)areness is also
clear and tranHuil( Serene sittin# is li,e a dra#on lyin# coiled u*( Seein# e'en a *aintin# of one sittin#
in kekka)uza the <e'il- ,in# becomes fri#htened( =o) much more fearful )ill he be if he sees a
*erson a)a,ened to the 5ay actually sittin# serenely and immo'ably(! Therefore e'en the <e'il-
,in# )ill be astonished distressed and fri#htened )hene'er he sees so much as a *aintin# of one
sittin# in kekka)uza. 4t #oes )ithout sayin# that the merit of an actual *erson sittin# in zazen is
immeasurable( Therefore sittin# in our e'ery day life is itself unlimitted ha*iness and 'irtue( 4t is for
this reason that Sha,yamuni /uddha told the Assembly to sit in kekka)uza. +e-t the Tatha#ata tau#ht
his disci*les to sit in the follo)in# )ay(
!+on-buddhist *ractitioners ha'e sou#ht the )ay by 'arious *ractices such as continually standin#
on ti*toe or constantly standin# or *uttin# oneBs le#s on oneBs shoulders( Such ri#id and narro)
minds )ill sin, into a sea of falsehood( Such *ostures are unstable and uncomfortable( Therefore the
/uddha teaches his disci*les to sit in kekka)uza ,ee*in# the body u*ri#ht(
4f oneBs body is strai#ht oneBs mind is easily strai#htened too( 4f one sits ,ee*in# oneBs body
u*ri#ht oneBs mind does not become dull( The mind is u*ri#ht the intention is ri#ht and one is not
entan#le in thou#hts( One must be a)are )hen oneBs mind runs around in distraction or )hen oneBs
body leans or s)ays and allo) both (body and mind) to return to sittin# u*ri#ht( Actualize and enter
samadhi bein# a)are of the 'arious ,inds of )anderin# thou#hts and distractions( Practice in this )ay
and realize and enter the ,in# of samadhis(!
+o) )e must understand clearly that kekka)uza itself is the ,in# of samadhis( Kekka)uza itself is
realizin# and enterin# this samadhi( All other samadhis are the attendants of this ,in# of samadhis(
Kekka)uza is strai#ht body strai#ht mind strai#ht body and mind the /uddhas and Patriarchs
themsel'es *ractice-enli#htenment itself the essence of buddha-dharma and the life-blood "of
/uddha$ itself(B
5e sit in kekka)uza )ith this human s,in flesh bones and marro) actualizin# the ,in# of
samadhis( Sha,yamuni /uddha al)ays u*held and maintained kekka)uza. =e intimately transmitted
kekka)uza to his disci*les and tau#ht it to lay *eo*le( This is the mind-seal )hich has been
transmitted throu#h the se'en /uddhas
&0?
( 5hile Sha- ,yamuni /uddha sat in kekka)uza under the
bodhi-tree a *eriod of fifty or si-ty ka:-as immeasurable ka:-as *assed(=is sittin# for t)enty-one
days or his occasional sittin# in kekka)uza itself )as nothin# but turnin# the )heel of #enuine dharma(
This is the essence of the teachin#s of his )hole lifetime( 4t is *erfect lac,in# nothin#( Kekka)uza is
"the essence of$ all of the sutras( This is )hen /uddha sees /uddha( At the 'ery moment of sittin#
sentient bein#s attain buddhahood(
The Girst Patriarch /odhidharma came to :hina from 4ndia and sat zazen at Shorin tem*le in the
crossed le# *osture facin# the )all for nine years( Since then the essence of the buddha-dharma has
*enetrated throu#hout :hina( The life-blood of /oddhidharma is nothin# but kekka)uza( /efore the
Girst Patriarch came to :hina *eo*le in the 8ast did not ,no) kekka)uza. 4t )as after he came from
the 5est that it became ,no)n(
Therefore li'in# in a communuty of *ractitioners (sorin) sittin# in kekka)uza )holeheartedly day
and ni#ht *ursuin# nothin# else for oneBs )hole lifetime is the ,in# of samadhis(
&( 1. ;.rom $hobogenzo zazenshin=
810
5hen the 1reat Master 9a,usan Codo
&00
)as sittin# a certain mon, as,ed him( !)hat do you
thin, of )hen you sit(!
The master re*lied !4 thin, of not-thin,in#(!
The mon, sa,ed !=o) do you thin, of not-thin,in#E!
The master said !/eyond-thin,in#(!
2ealizin# these )ords of the 1reat Master )e must learn and recei'e the *ro*er transmission of
immo'able sittin#( This is the )ay to *ractice the immo'able sittin# )hich has been transmitted in the
/uddha-5ay( Althou#h 9a,usan )as not the only one )ho mentioned Bthin,in# in immo'able sittin#BK
his )ords are most e-cellent(
5hat he said )as Bthin,in# of not-thin,in#B( Thin,in# is the s,in flesh bones and marro) "of
zazen$ not- thin,in# is also the s,in flesh bones and marro) "of zazen$(
5hat the mon, as,ed )as !ho) to thin, of not- thin,in#B( Truly Bnot-thin,in#B has been discussed
from ancient times but )e ha'e to Huestion ho)-to-thin,( 5e cannot say that there is no thin,in# in
immo'able sittin#( Gor )hat reason can )e not realize the infinite *rofoundity of immo'able sittin# E
4f )e are not e-tremely stu*id )e are ca*able of Huestionin# and thin,in# about it(
The 1reat Master said !/eyond-thin,in#(! Since it is clear that )e use beyond-thin,in# )hene'er
)e thin, of not-thin,in# )e use beyond-thin,in#( There is a B)hoB in beyond-thin,in#( That B)hoB
u*holds the self( 8'en thou#h the one )ho is sittin# immo'ably is the self the immo'able sittin# is
not limited to thin,in#( 4mmo'able sittin# is just immo'able sittin#(
Althou#h immo'able sittin# is immo'able sittin# ho) it is *ossible for immo'able sittin# to thin,
of immo'able sittin#E Therefore immo'able sittin# cannot be fathomed by /uddha by
enli#htenment or by intellect(
4mmo'able sittin# had been directly transmitted in this manner for thirty-si- #enerations from
Sha,yamuni /uddha to 9a,usan( 5hen )e trace bac, to the ori#in from 9a,usan )e find Sha,amuni
/uddha thirty-si- #enerations before( 4n this *ro*er transmission there is thin,-of-not- thin,in# from
the outset(
+e'ertheless these days some careless stu*id *eo*le say !Practice zazen and eliminate the
thou#hts in your mind( This is the tranHuil sta#e "of enli#htenment$( Q This 'ie) is beneath e'en the
'ie)s of the =inayana *ractitioners it is inferior to the teachin#s of human and hea'enly bein#s(
Those )ho hold this 'ie) cannot be called the students of the buddha-dharma( 4n recent :hina there
are many such *ractitioners( 4t is really sad that the 5ay of the Patriarchs falls into ruin(
There is another ,ind of *eo*le insistin# that the *ractice of zazen is im*ortant for be#inners( 4t is
not necessarily the *ractice for /uddhas and Patriarchs( 5al,in# is Zen( Sittin# is Zen( Therefore
)hether s*ea,in# or bein# silent )hether actin# standin# still or )hene'er the true-self is al)ays at
ease( <o not be concerned )ith the *resent *ractice of zazen( Many of the descendants of 2inzai hold
this sort of 'ie)( They say so because they ha'e not correctly recei'ed the true life of the buddha-
dharma( 5hat is be#innerBs mind E 5hat is not be#innerBs mind E 5hat do you mean )hen you say
be#inners E 9ou must ,no) that for true study of the 5ay you definitely ha'e to *ractice zazen
")ithout bein# concerned )hether you are a be#inner or an e-*erienced *ractitioner$(
The essential *oint in doin# so is to *ractice /uddha )ithout see,in# to become /uddha( Since
*racticin#- /uddha is not becomin# /uddha a#ain the ,oan manifests itself in *ractice( Since the
body ")hich is *racticin# zazen$ is already /uddha it does not become /uddha( 5hen )e brea, our
limited 'ie)s sittin#-/uddha is not accom*anied )ith becomin#-/uddha( At this 'ery time )ith the
*o)er inherent from thousands of years you can #o freely into both buddhahood and the realm of
demons( All actions such as #oin# ahead and comin# bac, fill both the tiniest crac, as )ell as the
broadest 'alley
&0D
(
&( 2. ;.rom $hobogenzo !azenshin=
Althou#h this has continued from the ancient *ast there are fe) )ho ,no) )hat zazen really is( 4n
*resent day :hina amon# the abbots of the #reat monasteries there are many )ho do not understand
zazen or do not e'en study it( One cannot say none but 'ery fe) )ho clearly understand zazen(
:ertainly in e'ery monastery there is a schedule for zazen( Zazen is re#arded as the most im*ortant
*ractice for the abbots and other mon,s( To encoura#e their students abbots recommend the *ractice
of zazen( And yet fe) of them really understand ")hat zazen is$(
Therefore from the ancient *ast to the *resent there ha'e been a fe) masters )ho )rote such
)or,s as the !azen met (+otes on Zazen) the !azengi (4nstruction on Zazen) and the !azenshin (The
Acu*uncture-needle of Zazen)( Amon# these )ritin#s the !azenmei and Zazen#i are no #ood at all(
The !azenshin does not clearly describe the true meanin# of zazen *ractice( These )ere )ritten by
*eo*le )ho did not understand nor solely transmit zazen( The !azenshin is in the Keitoku-Dent&roku,
!azenmei and others are in the Katai-)utoroku.
4t is 'ery sad that althou#h these masters s*ent their )hole li'es in 'arious monasteries they did
not de'ote themsel'es to *racticin# zazen( Their sittin# )as not their o)n self their *ractice did not
in'ol'e encounterin# their o)n self( This is not because zazen did not a#ree )ith their body and mind
but because they did not as*ire to truly *ractice zazen they )ere carelessly into-icated by delusions(
4n their )ritin#s )e only find that they encoura#ed *eo*le to return to ori#inal tranHuilty( The
*ractice that they em*hasized )as meanin#lessly to sto* thin,in# and become still( Their )ay of
*ractice is inferior to the ste*-by-ste* *ractice )hich is accom*lished by contem*lation "of truth$
trainin# of mind #ainin# re)ard and *acifyin# the mind( Their 'ie) is no match for the *hiloso*hy of
*ractice throu#h the ten sta#es of the bodhisatt'a(
=o) )as it *ossible for them to transmit the zazen of the /uddhas and Patriarchs( Those )ritin#s
)ere mista,enly com*iled or com*osed by the scholars in the Son# dynasty in :hina( Students today
should not read them(
The !azenshin )ritten by Zen Master 5anshi ShO#a,u the abbot of TendO Ceito,uji monastery on
Taiha,u san mountain in the 1reat Son# :hina is the only )or, )hich e-*resses the true teachin#s of
the /uddhas and Patriarchs on zazen( =is is the true !azenshin. =e e-*ressed the essence of zazen
com*letely( The Master )as a li#ht )hich illuminates the )hole dharma-)orld( =e is a true Patiarch
amon# the /uddhas and Patriarchs in the *ast and *resent( /uddhas in each #eneration are led by this
!azenshin. Patriarchs in the *ast and *resent actualized themsel'es throu#h this !azenshin. =is
!azenshin is as follo)sI
The /e-all of the /uddhas and end-all of the Patriarchs (
Cno)in# )ithout touchin# thin#s( 4lluminatin# )hthout facin# objects( Cno)in# )ithout touchin#
thin#s )isdom is by nature incons*icuous(
4lluminatin# )ithout facin# objects illumination is by nature subtle(
The )isdom )hich is by nature incons*icuous ne'er has discriminati'e thou#hts(
The illumination )hich is by nature subtle ne'er has the sli#htest se*aration(
The )isdom )hich ne'er has discriminati'e thou#hts has no dichotomy but sees oneness( The
illumination )hich ne'er has the sli#htest se*aration has no attachment but e'ident( The )ater is
clear to the bottom a fish is s)immin# deliberately(
The s,y is infinitely 'ast a bird is flyin# far a)ay(
The !azenshin )ritten by the Zen Master 5anshi is li,e this( Amon# the *rominent masters in the
*ast he alone )rote such !azenshin. Thou#h made to e-*ress the reality of zazen none e'en o'er a
s*an of one or t)o lifetimes e-*ressed it li,e this !azenshin does( There is nothin# else any)here(
This is the only true !azenshin.
5hen my late master #a'e a lecture in the dharma hall he often said that 5anshi )as the ancient
/uddha (kobut- su)( =e ne'er called any one else by that name( 4f one has the eye to discern *eo*le
one is able to a**reciate e'en the /uddhas and Patriarchs( 5e truly ,no) that there is a /uddha-
Patriarch amon# the descendants of Tozan( +o) ei#hty some years ha'e *assed since 5anshi *assed
a)ay( On readin# his !azenshin 4 )rote my o)n( Today is March &> of the third year of +inji
(&A.A)( Only ei#hty-fi'e years *assed since the day 5anshi *assed a)ay on October > the t)enty-
se'enth year of Sho,o (&&06)( My !azenshin is as follo)s(
The /e-all of the /uddhas and end-all of the Patriarchs(
/ein# actualized )ithin not-thin,in#(
/ein# formed )ithin non-de*endence( /ein# actualized )ithin not-thin,in# the actualization is by
nature intimate(
/ein# formed )ithin non-de*endence the formation is by nature e'ident( The intimate
actualization ne'er has defilement( The e'ident manifestation ne'er has distinction( 4ntimateness
)ithout defilement is bein# emanci*ated )ithout relyin# on anythin#( :learness beyond distinction is
*ractice )ithout aimin# at it(
The )ater is clear to the earth a fish is s)immin# li,e a fish(
The s,y is 'ast and e-tends to the hea'en a bird is flyin# li,e a bird( Althou#h 4 donBt mean to say
that 5anshiBs !azenshin does not fully e-*ress the reality of zazen 4 should )rite as 4 ha'e abo'e( The
descendants of the /uddhas and Patriarchs must study and *ractice zazen as the 'ital matter( Zazen is
the true-seal of the sin#le-transmission(
&( . [!rom Sh"b"genz"-Zuimonki # 1-1]
15
Since bein# the /uddhaBs child is follo)in# the /uddhaB s teachin#s and reachin# buddhahood
directly )e must de'ote oursel'es to follo)in# the teachin#s and *ut all our effort into the *ractice of
the 5ay( The true *ractice )hich is in accordance )ith the teachin#s is nothin# but shikantaza (just
sittin#) )hich is the essence of the life in this sorin (monastery) today( Thin, this o'er dee*ly(
&( 3. ;.rom $hobogenzo-!uimonki >:-2=
Practitioners of the 5ay certainly ou#ht to maintain =ya,ujoBs re#ulations( The form of
maintainin# the re#ulations is recei'in# and obser'in# the *rece*ts and *racticin# zazen etc(( The
meanin# of recitin# the Prece*t Sutra day and ni#ht and obser'in# the *rece*ts sin#le-mindedly is
nothin# other than *racticin# shikantaza and follo)in# the acti'ities of the ancient masters( 5hen )e
sit zazen )hat *rece*t is not obser'ed )hat merit is not actualized E The )ays of *ractice carried on
by the ancient masters ha'e a *rofound meanin#( 5ithout holdin# on to *ersonal *references )e
should #o alon# )ith the assembly and *ractice in accordance )ith those )ays(
&( (. ;.rom $hobogenzo-!uimonki> 8-80=
4t de*ends u*on oneBs character or ca*ability ho)e'er u* to no) it is zazen )hich has been
handed do)n and concentrated on in the communities of the Patriarchs( This *ractice is suitable for all
*eo*le and can be *racticed by those of su*erior mediocre or inferior ca*abilities( 5hen 4 )as in
:hina in the assembly of my late master Tendo +yojo 4 sat zazen day and ni#ht after 4 heard this
truth(
&( 8+. ;.rom $hobogenzo-!uimonki> 2-22=
4s the 5ay attained throu#h mind or bodyE 4n the teachin#-schools it is said that since body and
mind are not se*arate the 5ay is attained throu#h the body( 9et it is not clear that )e attain the 5ay
throu#h the body because they say !since! body and mind are not se*arate( 4n Zen the 5ay is
attained throu#h both body and mind(
As lon# as )e only thin, about the buddha-dharma )ith our minds the 5ay )ill ne'er be #ras*ed
e'en in a thousand lifetimes or a myriad of eons( 5hen )e let #o of our minds and cast aside our
'ie)s and understandin# the 5ay )ill be actualized( Gor e-am*le one sa#e clarified true mind )hen
he sa) *each blossoms and another realized the 5ay )hen he heard the sound of tile hittin# bamboo(
They attained the 5ay throu#h their bodies( Therefore )hen )e com*letely cast aside our thou#hts
and 'ie)s and *ractice shikantaza )e )ill become intimate )ith the 5ay( Gor this reason the 5ay is
doubtlessly attained throu#h the body( This is 5hy 4 encoura#e you to *ractice zazen )holeheartedly(
&( 88. ;.rom $hobogenzo-!uimonki> 1-23=
The most 'ital concern in learnin# the 5ay is to *ractice zazen( 4n :hina many *eo*le attained the
5ay entirely throu#h the *o)er of zazen( 4f one concentrates on *racticin# zazen continuously e'en
an i#norant *erson )ho does not understand a sin#le Huestion can be su*erior to an intelli#ent *erson
)ho has been studyin# for a lon# time( Therefore *ractitioners must *ractice shikantaza
)holeheartedly )ithout concernin# themsel'es )ith other thin#s( The 5ay of the /uddhas and
Patriarchs is nothin# but zazen( <o not *ursue anythin# else(
&( 82. ;$hobogenzo !azengi=
813
Sanzen
&0F
is zazen(
A Huiet *lace is most suitable for doin# zazen( Place a thic, mat on the floor( <o not allo) drafts
or mist to enter the room( <o not allo) rain or de) to lea, in( Protect the *lace )here you sitK ,ee* it
in a #ood condition( Ancient sa#es sat on the diamond seat
&D;
or on a lar#e roc,( They all laid #rass
thic,ly and sat on it( Cee* the *lace )here you sit )ell-lit( 4t should be dar, neither durin# the day nor
at ni#ht( 4t is essential that it be )arm in )inter and cool in summer(
7et #o of all relations and set all affairs at rest( /ein# #ood is not-thin,in#K bein# e'il is not-
thin,in#( (Zazen) has nothin# to do )ith the function of intellect 'olition or consciousness nor )ith
memory ima#ination or contem*lation ( <o not see, to become a /uddha( /e free from the
discrimination of sittin# and lyin# do)n( /e moderate in drin,in# and eatin#( <o not sHuander your
time( /e as ea#er to do zazen as you )ould be to e-tin#uish a fire u*on your head( The Gifth Patriarch
on Mt( Obai
&D&
*racticed nothin# but zazen(
5hen you do zazen )ear a kesa
822
, and use a za)u
823
. The za)u should not e-tend com*letely under
your le#s but should be *laced just under your buttoc,s so that your le#s are on the zaniku
820
and
your s*ine is on the zafu( This is the )ay that the /uddhas and Patriarchs sit )hen they do zazen(
9ou may sit in either hanka)uza (half-lotus) or kekka)uza (full-lotus)( 5hen you sit in kekka)uza
*ut your ri#ht foot on your left thi#h and *ut your left foot on your ri#ht thi#h( The line of your toes
should be e'en )ith the outer line of your thi#hs( 5hen you sit in hanka)uza just *ut your left foot on
your ri#ht thi#h( Cee* your clothin# loose but neat( Put your ri#ht hand *alm u* on your left foot(
And your left hand *alm u* on your ri#ht *alm( The ti*s of your thumbs should be li#htly touchin#(
Position your hands as abo'e and *ut them close to your body( The ti*s of your thumbs should be just
in front of your na'el(
Sit u*ri#ht in the *ro*er *osition( 7ean neither to the left nor to the ri#ht neither for)ard nor
bac,)ard(
9our ears should be in line )ith your shouldersK your nose in line )ith your na'el( Place your
ton#ue a#ainst the roof of your mouth( /reath throu#h your nose( 9our li*s and ja) should be closed(
Cee* your eyes o*en but neither too )idely nor too narro)ly( Adjust your body and mind in this )ayK
then e-hale fully and ta,e a breath(
Sit stably in samadhi( Thin, of not-thin,in#( =o) do you thin, of not-thin,in#E /eyond-thin,in#(
This is the )ay of doin# zazen in accord )ith the dharma(
Zazen is not learnin# "ste*-by-ste*$ meditation( 2ather zazen itself is the dharma-#ate of #reat
*eace-and-joy (nirvana)( 4t is undefiled *ractice-enli#htenment(
Jijuyu-zanmai - The 8nd
5hen 4 li'ed in the )estern *art of Ja*an (Cyushu)
&D0
there )ere some lay *eo*le )ho earnestly
studied and *racticed zazen )hich is the be-all and end-all of the /uddhas and Patriarchs( They
)anted to read the )ords of the ancient masters as a #uide for their *ractice-enli#htenment( Since they
could not read :hinese 4 )anted to #i'e them a Ja*anese te-t( 4 loo,ed throu#h 'arious te-ts )ritten
by Ja*anese masters both ancient and contem*orary yet none of them )ere in accord )ith <o#en
ZenjiBs teachin#s( Gor this reason 4 )rote the Jijuyu-!anmai and offered it to them( 4n the
$hobogenzo #endo<a, <o#en Zenji said that lay *eo*le should also *ractice zazen and that #ainin#
the 5ay has nothin# to do )ith bein# a mon, or lay *erson( 4t de*ends solely on the as*iration of the
*ractitioner( 5e should res*ectfully follo) his teachin#(
This summer a fe) friends came from Sanshu (eastern Aichi Prefecture) and hel*ed me durin# the
summer *ractice *eriod( They read the manuscri*t and recommended that 4 *ublish it( So 4 collected
some of <@#en ZenjiBs )ritin#s (on zazen) and added them to my o)n )ritin#( 4 ho*e this )ill be
hel*ful for lay *eo*le in their *ractice(
%he second year o) ?enbun during the season o) the orchids ;$e-tember 23, 8636=
%he abbot o) Kuinji in @akasa
enzan !uiho
&( 3. %athagata is one of the ten e*ithets for the /uddha( The literal meanin# of the )ord is Bthus comeB(
Mahayana /uddhists inter*reted this as the one )ho comes from (or has #one to) suchness (tathata) the one )ho
embodies the true reality and teaches it to li'in# bein#s( This does not necessarily refer to the /uddha Sha,yamuni(
4t is thou#ht that there are an infinite number of %athagatas in the *ast *resent and future(
A( 4. /uddhist scri*tures in )hich the /uddhaBs teachin#s are recorded(
?( 5. 5hen /uddhism )as introduced into :hina :hinese /uddhist scholars classified /uddhist scri*tures
and systematized them because they recei'ed 4ndian scri*tures that came from different traditions( Sudden and
#radual teachin#s *ro'isonal and direct teachin#s are t)o e-am*les of such classifications( The sudden teachin#s
Rton,yo) )ere thou#ht to sho) reality )ithout ste*s( 4n the Tendai school the Ce#on,y@ (A'atamsa,a-sutra) )as
called a sudden teachin#( The #radual teachin#s (zenkyo) )ere *reached for the #radual ad'ancement from a lo)er
le'el to a hi#her one(
The *ro'isional teachin#s igonkyo) are e-*ounded *ro'isionally to those )ho are not yet ready to understand the
true teachin#s( The direct teachin#s AJikkyo) are the true Mahayana teachin#s )hich directly sho) reality(
&( 6. The Ja*anese )ord Menzan used is honsho )hich means true or ori#inal enli#htenment( 4n the
$hobogenzo-#end&<a <o#en used the e-*ression honsho-myoshu (ori#inal-enli#htenment #enuine- *ractice) (
A( 7. Mahayana (daijo) means the #reat 'ehicle( The teachin#s )hich con'ey all li'in# bein#s to buddhahood(
The o**osite is =inayana (shoj)))( This is also called the 'ehicle of the bodhisatt'a (bosatsujo). The Mahayana
sutras )ere be#an to be created around the first or second century /(:( about three or four hundred years after the
death of Sha,yamuni /uddha(
?( 8. $astra, Abidharma, or B-adesa belon# to a #enre of /uddhist scri*tures )hich are commentaries on the
sutras or *hiloso*hical )ritin#s by /uddhist scholars( One of the three cate#ories of /uddhist scri*tures (%ri-
-itaka).
.( 9. The Ja*anese )ord is chige flflSS )hich means understandin# throu#h ,no)led#e or intellection )ithout
actual e-*erience or *ractice(
0( :. The !ohoketsugikyo is the name of a sutra thou#ht to be com*osed in :hina( This sutra is sometimes
Huoted by Tendai scholars(
D( ;. The 'yogakyo is a translation of the "ankavatara-sutra. This sentence is often Huoted by Zen masters(
6( 3<. <iscrimination is a translation of the Ja*anese )ord )unbetsu. Cika:-a in Sans,rit( 4t is the function of the
mind )hen it thin,s about conce*tualizes measures and jud#es objects( 4t is usually used in a ne#ati'e sense in
/uddhism(
>( 33. 4llusory mind is a translation of joshiki( Jo means li'in# bein#s )hich ha'e emotion and conciousness
mind or thou#hts( $hiki means conciousness or *erce*tion( J5shiki is an im*ortant term freHuently used by
Menzan in this *iece( 4t indicates the basic cause of delusions in the same sense as the term mumyo a'idya in s,t()
dar,ness of the mind or i#norance( 4 translated this term as emotion-thou#ht in $hikantaza (*ublished by the Cyoto
SOtO Zen :enter &F>0)( This is a combination of emotion and discriminatin# thou#hts that *re'ent human bein#s
from seein# reality as it is( This is considered to be the cause of e#ocentric 'ie)s(
F( 34. S,t( 1rdhra,uta !%ulture Pea,! the name of a mountain in Ma#adha 4ndia( 4t is said that the /uddha
*reached the "otus-sutra and other Mahayana sutras there( 4t is also said that dharma- transmission from the
/uddha to Maha,ashya*a too, *lace on this mountain(
&;( 35. Maha,asha*a )as one of the ten #reat disci*les of the /uddha( Accordin# to the Zen tradition
Maha,asya*a succeeded the /uddha and became the Girst Patriarch in 4ndia(
&&( 36. $h5b5 means true dharma absolute reality or the teachin#s on reality( ?en means eye )hich is a symbol
of the )isdom to reflect e'erythin# as it is( !o means a storehouse )hich indicates that the true dharma includes
all bein#s( Thus $h5b5genz5 means the )isdom to see the )orld )ithout *reconce*tions or *rejudice( 4n the
$h5b5genz5-sho, the oldest commentary of <O#enBs $h5b5genz5 it is said that this (sh5b5genz5) is itself the name
of the buddha-dharma( *ehanmy5shin means e-cellent mind in +ir'ana or in other )ords the buddha-mind(
&A( 37. This story ori#inally a**eared in the Daibonten-o- monbutsuketsugiky5 yet this sutra is thou#ht to ha'e
been com*osed in :hina( 4n the Zen tradition after the Son# dynasty in :hina this sutra )as thou#ht to be the
e'idence of the first dharma-transmission( (The D th case of the umonkan). &D Practice-enli#htenment is a
translation of the Ja*anese )ord shusho( $hu is *ractice sho is enli#htenment( Jsually *ractice is thou#ht of as the
means and enli#htenment as the result( /ut <o#enBs basic idea is that *ractice and enli#htenment are one (shusho-
itto or shusho-ichinyo).
&?( 38. Actually sittin# in kekka)uza is the foundation of all
&.( 39. <o#enBs teachin#s( See the $hobogenzo !anmai-o-zanmai( The main *oint Menzan trys to ma,e in this
*assa#e is that zazen is not a *ractice )hich em*loys human desire as a means to #ain enli#htenment rather the
*ractice of zazen itself is enli#htenment( 4n actual sittin# there is no distinction bet)een delusion and
enli#htenmentK ordinary human bein#s and /uddha and so on( Therefore the /uddhaBs sittin# and our *ractice of
zazen are not different( 4n our *ractice the 'irtues of the /uddha are already actualized( Our zazen is not a trainin#
to im*ro'e oursel'es or to #ain some re)ard( 5e sit only for the sa,e of sittin#( 5e should not e'en see, to
become a /uddha( This is the meanin# of <0#enBs shikantaza (just sittin#)(
&0( 3:. Zazen literally means sittin#-meditation( /ut accordin# to <o#en zazen is not a method of meditation(
4n the .ukan-zazengi he said !The zazen )hich 4 am tal,in# about is not learnin# "ste*-by- ste*$ meditation( 4t is
sim*ly the dharma-#ate of *eace and joy (nir'ana)( 4t is the *ractice-enli#htenment of the ultimate 5ay (bodhi)( 4n
doin# zazen the Coan manifests itselfK it cannot be ensnared(!
And in the $hobogenzo-!uimonki <o#en said !Sittin# itself is the *ractice of the /uddha( Sittin# itself is not-
doin#( 4t is nothin# but the true form of the Self( A*art from this there is nothin# to see, as the buddha-dharma(!
Therefore zazen is not a means to #ain enli#htenment or to become a /uddha( Zazen is the *racticce of no-
see,in# no-#ainin#( This is the reason Sa)a,i Codo 2oshi said !5hat is the use of doin# zazenE!TZazen is #ood
for nothin#(TJnless you hear more than enou#h of that and you just do )hat is #ood for nothin# )holeheartedly
your *ractice is rea::y #ood for nothin#(!
&( 3;. /odaidaruma in Ja*anese( =e )as the T)enty-ei#hth Patriarch in 4ndia( Since he came to :hina and
transmitted Zen he )as called the Girst Patriarch of :hinese Zen( Traditionally the life of /odhidharma is based
on his bio#ra*hy in the Keitoku-Dentoroku but recent scholars ha'e been tryin# to disco'er the historical truth of
his life by studyin# older te-ts concerned )ith Zen in :hina( Accordin# to the Keitoku-dentoroku /odhidharma
)as born in the southern *art of 4ndia as the third son of a ,in#( =e became a disci*le of =annyadara and recei'ed
dharma-transmission from him( =e came to :hina in 0A6 A(<(( Girst he met the 8m*eror /u (5u) of the 2yo
(7ian) dynasty( Since the em*eror could not understand the meanin# behind /odhidhar- maBs )ords /odhidharma
left the country and )ent to Shorinji (Shaolinsi) in the country of 1i (5ei) dynasty( Gor nine years /odhidharma
sat there facin# the )all(
A( 4<. #aramon in Ja*anese( /rahmana )as the name of the hi#hest caste in the 4ndian caste system( 4n :hina
it seems that some *riests )ho came from 4ndia )ere called by this name(
?( 43. The :hinese )ord Dhan (Zen) came from the sound of the Sans,rit )ord dhyana( The four sta#es of
meditation in the realm of form (ru*a-dhatu) )hich com*rises *art of hea'en )here bein#s ha'e neither se-ual
desire nor other a**etites and there are only fine ty*es of matter are called $hizen( Addin# the four sta#es of
meditation in the realm of no-form (aru*a-dhatu) )here no material element e-ists and bein#s enjoy only
meditati'e states the ei#ht sta#es are called hachijo.
.( 44. !ensE in Ja*anese( <o#en disli,ed use of the name zenshu and said in $hobogenzo-#utsudo (/uddha-
5ay) !Therefore the 'irtue and the essence of the /uddha-5ay ha'e been transmitted )ithout losin# the smallest
bit( 4t )as transmitted thousands of miles from 4ndia to :hina and for more than t)o thousand years from the time
of the /uddha until today( Peo*le )ho do not ,no) this mista,enly call shobogenzo-nehanmy&shin )hich has
been correctly transmitted amon# the /uddhas and Patriarchs ZenshP( They call the Patriarchs Zen-Patriarchs(
They call *ractitioners Zen mon,s or Zen students( They call themsel'es follo)ers of Zen( These are branches and
lea'es deri'ed from the root of a biased 'ie)( 4n 4ndia and :hina from ancient times until the *resent "the
dharma$ has ne'er been called Zenshu. Those )ho use the name for their schools are demons )ho destroy the
/uddha-5ay( They are the foes of the /uddhas and Patriarchs(!
<o#en also refused to call his linea#e $&t&-shu (Soto school)( 4n the same cha*ter of the $h&b&genz& he said !The
1reat Master Tozan (<onshan) )as the fourth #eneration dharma-successor of Sei#en (Nin#yuan)( =e correctly
transmitted shtib?genz/ and o*ened the eye of nohanmy&shin (buddha-mind)( There )as nothin# else to transmit
there )as nothin# else to hold as the truth( The 1reat Master ne'er told his assembly that they should call
themsel'es $&t&--shu. Since there )ere no foolish *eo*le amon# his students no one called themsel'es %&zan-shu
much less $oto-shu.F
&( 45. 4n the $h&b&genz&-$hoh&jiss& (The True Gorm of All /ein#s) <@#en said !The manifestation of the
/uddhas and Patriarchs is the manifestation of the ultimate reality(! So( to be a /uddha or a Patriarch has nothin#
to do )ith sectarianism or institutionalism(
A( 46. The si- -aramitas are the si- ty*es of *ractice for a bodhisatt'a that is( )use (dana--aramita.
#enerosity) jikai (si :a--a ramtta obser'in# *rece*ts) ninniku (ksanti--ammita *erse'erance) sh&jin
(virya-ammita, ma,in# effort) zenj& (dhyana--aramita( meditation) and chie (-rajna--aramita( )isdom)( The
three main /uddhist *ractices (sangaku) are kaigaku (si:a obser'in# *rece*ts) JGgaku samadhi, meditation) and
egaku (-rajna, )isdom)( <@#en discussed this *roblem in the $hobogenzo-#endo<a>
!Samadhi is included as one of the three basic *ractices( Also dhyana is one of the si- *aramitas( /oth of them are
learned by all bodhisatt'as from the time they first arouse bodhi-mind and are *racticed by both re#ardless of their
su*eriority or inferiority( The zazen )hich you are tal,in# about no) must be one of them( 5hy do you say that
the #enuine dharma of the Tatha#ata is concentrated in this *racticeE!
!This Huestion arises from your callin# $hobogenzo the su*reme and #reat dharma and the one-#reat-matter of the
Tatha#ata the !enshE.
9ou must ,no) that the name !enshE ori#inated in :hina( There )asnBt any such term in 4ndia( 5hen the 1reat
Master /odhidharma )as sittin# facin# the )all for nine years at ShUrin tem*le on Mt( SVzan *eo*le both mon,s
and laymen did not ,no) the true-dharma of the /uddha and called him the /rahmana )ho concentrated on
zazen( After)ard e'ery Patriarch #eneration after #eneration *racticed zazen e-clusi'ely( Seein# this
uninformed laymen con- fusedlly called it !azenshH )ithout ,no)in# )hy( These days omittin# !a, *eo*le call it
!enshH. 4t is clear from the sayin#s of the Patriarchs that *ractice must not be eHuated )ith dhyana (meditation) or
samadhi of the si- -aramitas or three basic *ractices(!
&( 47. Se,itU Cisen (Shitou WiHian) "6;;-6F;$ )as a disci*le of Sei#en 1yUshi Nuin#yuan Win#si)( =is
dharma *oem $andokai ($antongIi) is still chanted in Zen monasteries(
A( 48. <harma-#ate is a translation of hJmon( )hich means /uddhaBs teachin#s on reality( 4t is called a #ate
because throu#h the teachin#s li'in# bein#s can a)a,en from delusions and enter miruma.
4&mon refers to a school or a sect because it is a #ate to the /uddhaBs teachin#s(
&( 49. This is a translation of busshi-chiken. Dhi means intellection and ken means a 'ie)( Jsually this term is
used in a ne#ati'e sense for *ersonal 'ie)s or o*inions based on discrimination( /ut )hen it is used in bussi-
chi,en or butsu-chi,en (/uddhaBs chi-,en) Q it means a)areness based on -rajna ()isdom )ithout
discrimination) ( The ori#inal Sans,rit is buddha-dharsana(
A( 4:. /uddhaBs su*reme enli#htenment(
?( 4;. Dai-k&my&z& means the #reat )isdom of the /uddhaBs enli#htenment( 4t is so called because the
/uddhaBs )isdom brea,s throu#h the dar,ness of i#norance and emits the li#ht of %athata( This is the name for the
true-mind of the self(
.( 5<. 4n the ury&giky& one *art of the three Gold 7otus Sutra the /uddha entered mury&gisho-zanmai
(ananta-nirdesa--ratisthanam-nama-samadhih)( That is the samadhi of formless reality from )hich infinite
meanin#s emer#e( 4t is samadhi that lac,s #ainin#-mind(
0( 53. 4oky&-zanmai is the title of the dharma *oem )ritten by Tozan 2yo,ai (<onshan 7ian#jie)( This is
chanted in Ja*anese Zen monasteries today(
D( 54. %&ji&-zanmai and zanmai-&-zanmai are different translations of the same Sans,rit )ord( This samadhi is
mentioned in the aha-rajna-aramita-sutra. !anmai-&-zanmai a**ears in the Daibon hannyaky& )hich is a
different renderin# of the aha-rajna--aramita-sutra.
6( 55. This is the samadhi that a**ears in the Kegonky& (Avatamsaka- sutra)( Menzan enumerated the names of
samadhi to illustrate that those samadhi mentioned in the 'arious sutras are merely different names for our zazen(
>( 56. This sentence is Huoted from 5anshiBs !azenshin (The Acu*uncture-needle of Zazen)( The be-all and
end-all is a translation of yo,i and ,iyo and means the essence or the most im*ortant *oint(
F( 57. This is ori#inally Tendo +yojo (Tianton# 2ujin#)Bs e-*ression recorded in <o#enBs 4okyoki. <o#en often
used it in his )ritin#s( 4n the $hobogenzo-?enjokoan( <o#en said !To study /uddha-)ay is to study the self( To
study the self is to for#et the self( To for#et the self is to be enli#htened by the myriad dharma( To be enli#htened
by the myriad dharma is to dro* off body and mind of self and others(!
&;( 58. The )ord Menzan used here is nijo )hich means the t)o 'ehicles that is t)o ,inds of *racitioners such
as shomon skravaha) and engIku (-ratyekabuddha). $homon ori#inally means a *erson )ho has heard the 'oice of
the /uddha and later came to mean a follo)er of =inayana one )ho contem*lates the Gour Gold +oble Truth to
#ain enli#htenment( Kngaku refers to a *erson )ho attains enli#htenment by obser'in# the *rinci*le of T)el'e
:ausations juni-innen) by himself )ithout the #uidance of a teacher and )ho does not teach others( /oth )ere
criticized from the 'ie) *oint of Mahayana and called =inayana (small 'ehicles) because of a lac, of com*assion
to )or, for the sal'ation of others(
&&( 59. ?onjo or gon-daij& is the *ro'isional teachin#s in Mahayana( This is the o**osite of jitsu-daij& (true
Mahayana) (
&A( 5:. Koan (:itera::y means a #o'ernment decree or *ublic ordinance )hich all *eo*le must follo)( 4n Zen it
refers to the truth )hich all students must study and follo)( S*ecifically k&an are records of deeds and sayin#s of
*rominent masters )hich eL-ress reality and )inch students should study and emulate( 7ater ,oan <ere com*iled
)ith commentaries into collections such as the 4ekiganroku (the /lue :liff 2ecord) $h&y&roku (the 2ecord o)
8Huanimity) Mumon,an (the 1ateless 1ate) and a**reciated as Zes litera- ture( 4n the Son# dynasty :hina (from
the &; th to the &. th :enturies) ,oan be#an to be used as objects of meditation for #ainin# enli#htenment(
es*ecially in the 2inzai tradition( <o#en did not deny the 'alue of ,oan as a fin#er )hich *oints at the moon but
he refused to use ,oan as a means to attain enli#htenment or kensho e-*eriences( 2ather he used this )ord as a
term for absolute reality as in the ?enj&-k&an.
&?( 5;. $hujinko in Ja*anese( This usually refers to the true self as buddha-nature( /ut )e should not #ras* it as
a ,ind of substance( There are senses such as seein# hearin# and so on but no e#o as a subject )hich e-*eriences
those senses( 8#olessness is the basic teachin# of the /uddha(
&.( 6<. unen (no-thou#ht) and mushin (no-mind)( Peo*le usually associate zazen )ith concentration of mind
and thin, it a sta#e of no-thou#ht no-mind( <o#enBs and MenzanBs intentions )ere to sho) that zazen is not so
sim*le( To be e#oless does not sim*ly mean to be thou#htless or to ne#ate the functions of the senses(
&0( 63. Son# "FD;-&A6F$ 9uan "&A6&-&?D>$ Min# "&?D>- &DDA$(
&D( 64. Sei#en 1yoshi (Nin#yuan Win#si) "E-6.;$ and +an#a,u 8jo (+anyue =uairan#) "D66-6..$( /oth of them
)ere dharma successors of the Si-th-Patriarch( The Soto 2inzai and other schools of Zen de'elo*ed from their
linea#es(
&6( 65. Oba,u Ciun (=uan#bo Wiyun) "E->0;$ )as a disci*le of =ya,ujo 8,ai (/aizhan# =uihai) and the teacher
of 2inzai 1i#en (7inji 9i-uan)(
&>( 66. Joshu Jushin (Zhaozhou :on#shen) "66>->F0$( A mon, as,ed Joshu !=as a do# buddha-nature or notE!
Joshu re*lied !9es 4t has( (J)!
The mon, as,ed !4f so )hy did he #et into such a s,in ba# "of do#Bs body$ E!
Joshu said !/ecause the do# follo)s the *rinci*le of causality on *ur*ose(!
Another mon, as,ed !=as a do# buddha-nature or notE!
Joshu said !+o it hasnBt (Mu)(!
The mon, as,ed !4t is said that all li'in# bein#s ha'e buddha- nature( 5hy is only the do# )ithout buddha-
natureE!
Joshu re*lied !/ecause the do# has ,armic-conciousness(!
&( 67. Keitoku-Dentoroku (Jin#de-:huanden#lu the 2ecord of the Transmission of the <harma-lam*) consists
of ?; 'olumes com*iled by 8ian <o#en (9on#an <aoyuan) in &;;. A(<(
Katai-.utoroku (Jiatai-Puden#lu the 2ecord of the Jni'ersal <harma-lam*) consists of ?; 'olumes com*iled by
2aian Cochu (7eian Wuzhon#) in &A;. A(<(
There is a #enre of :hinese Zen literature )hich is called toshi (the history of the dharma-lam*)( These are
collections of bio#ra*hies and sayin#s of :hinese Zen masters and records of the dharma succession of the 'arious
linea#es )ithin the Zen tradition( Since there are fi'e )or,s Keitoku-dentdroku, %ensho-kotoroku, Kenchuseikoku-
zokut&roku, 'ent&-ey& and Katai-)ut&roku they are called ?otoroku (the fi'e records of the dharma-lam*)( The
!azengi (4nstruction for Practicin# Zazen) !azenshin (The Acu*uncture +eedle of Zazen) and !azenmei (+otes
on Zazen) are *arts of those records in )hich the meanin# of zazen alon# )ith *oints for *racticin# zazen are
discussed(
&( 68. !ennen-shingi (:hanyuan-Nin##ui) consists of ten 'olumes containin# the re#ulations of a Zen
monastery com*iled by :horo Sosa,u (Zhan#lu Zon#ze) in &&;? A.D. Sosa,u com*iled the !ennen-shingi
because the older re#ulations com*iled by =ya,ujd 8,ai (/aizhan# =uihai) had been lost(
A( 69. 4n .ukanzazengi-$enjutsuyuraisho (The 2easons for 5ritin# the Gu,anuuen#i) <@#en )rote as follo)sI
!Zen master =ya,uj@ established the Zen monastery and follo)ed /odhidharmaBs )ay of *ractice(
9et it )as not the same )ay as those )ho *receeded him( Zen students should understand this and not be
confused( There is a !azengi in the !ennen-shingi( 4t follo)s Zen master =ya,ujoBs )ay( /ut master Sosa,u added
some of his o)n o*inions( Therefore there are Huite a fe) mista,es and the essential meanin# is lost( 4f *eo*le do
not #ras* the meanin# beyond the )ords they mi#ht misunderstand the true )ay of zazen(!
&( 6:. A collection of four Zen te-ts com*iled by a certain *riest in Ja*an durin# the Cama,ura or Muromachi
*eriod( $hiburoku consists of The Third PatriarchBs $hinjinmei (Win-inmin# +otes on /elie'in# Mind) 9o,a
1en,a,u (9on#jia Wuanjue)Bs $hodoka (Zhen#dao#e Son# of 8nli#htenment of the 5ay) Ca,uan Shion (Cuoan
Shiyuan)Bs Jugyuzu (The O-herdin# Pictures) and :horo Sosa,uBs !azengi.
A( 6;. Tozan 2yo,ai (<on#shan 7ian#jie) ">;6->DF$ )as the founder of the :hinese Soto school(
?( 7<. This is a Huotation from Se,it@Bs $andokai (Santon#Hi)(
.( 73. *yoze literally means Bli,e thisB or BthusB that is suchness as-it-is- ness or tathata( This is a Huotation
from TozanBs 4okyo-zanmai (/aojin#-sanmei)(
0( 74. 8,a (=ui,o) ".>6-0F?$(
D( 75. ?yoju-hekikan and #onsh&-%&itsu, These *hrases are Huoted from the *inyu-$higy&ron (The T)o
8ntrances and the Gour Practices) )hich is considered to be the oldest manuscri*t of /odhidharmaBs sayin#s(
6( 76. This *hrase is found in a dialo#ue bet)een /odhidharma and 8,a from the Keitoku-Dent&roku(
/odhidharma said !Out)ardly sto* en#a#in# in any affairs and in)ardly do not #ras* )ith your mind( 5hen
your mind is li,e a )all you )ill be able to enter the 5ay(!
8,a said !4 ha'e already sto**ed en#a#in# in outside affairs(! /odhidharma said !=a'e you not destroyed your
mindE! 8,a said !+o 4 ha'enBt(! /odhidharma said !=o) do you ,no) thatE! 8,a said !4 am al)ays clearly
a)are(!
&( 77. Tend@ +yoj@ (Tianton# 2ujin#) "&&D?-&AA>$ )as the teacher of <@#en( <@#en *racticed )ith +yoj@ for
about t)o and half years )hile +yoj@ )as the abbot of Tend@ monastery( <@#en freHuently described and *raised
+yojoBs strict )ay of *ractice(
A( 78. 4n the Mahayana sutras it is said that a bodhisatt'a attains buddha- hood after he *ro#reses throu#h fifty
t)o ste*s( 8s*ecially from the forty-first to the fiftieth ste*s are called the Ten Sta#es (jHchi) of a bodhisatt'a( The
fifty-first is called togaku (eHual enli#htenment)(
?( 79. The ei#hty four thousand dharma-#ates refers to all the teachin#s of the /uddha( B8i#hty four thousandB
refers to an infinite number(
.( 7:. *yorai zen (Tatha#ata-zen) is used to distin#uish :hinese Zen from other ,inds of /uddhist meditation(
4t refers to Zen *racticed by the Tatha#ata or Zen transmitted from the Tatha#ata( 4t )as also called $oshi-!en (Zen
of the Patriarch) because it )as transmitted by the Girst Patriarch /odhidharma(
0( 7;. This is a Huotation from $hod&ka (Zhen#dao#e the Son# of 8nli#htenment of the 5ay) )ritten by 9@,a
1en,a,u (9on#ji Wuanjue) a disci*le of the Si-th Patriarch(
D( 8<. The )orst hell is called abijigoku (avid in Sans,rit) )here hell d)ellers suffer from incessant *ain(
Peo*le )ho commit the fi'e heinous sins (,illin# oneBs father ,illin# oneBs mother ,illin# an arhat causin# the
/uddhaBs body to bleed and causin# disunity in the san#ha() )ill be destined for avid-hell(
6( 83. <harma-)heel is a translation for horin (dharma-cakra in Sans,rit) and refers to the /uddhaBs teachin#s(
The )ord )heel has t)o meanin#s firstly the /uddhaBs teachin#s are com*ared to an em*erorBs )ea*on because
they crush all the e'ils committed by human bein#s( Secondly the teachin#s are li,e a )heel )hich is turnin# and
mo'in# endlessly from one *erson to another(
>( 84. This is a translation for the e-*ression butsu ktijti, )hich means e'er #oin# beyond /uddha( 4n the
Shobo#enzo-/utsu,ojoji( <o#en said( ! That )hich is called the matter of e'er #oin# beyond M /uddha is seein#
/uddha after ha'in# reached buddhahood!
4n the $h&b&genz&-?enj&k&an <o#en said( !5hen /uddhas are truly /uddhas they do not *ercei'e that they are
/uddhas( +e'ertheless they are real /uddhas and #o on actualizin# /uddha(!
This means that /uddha is not an indi'idual but is actualized only by the concrete actions of *ractice( 5e should
not attach oursel'es e'en to buddhahood( This is the reason <o#en said in the .ukan-zazengi that )e should not
see, to become /uddha( And in the $h&b&genz&-!azenshin he said that sittin#-/uddha (zazen) is ,illin# /uddha(
&( 85. The li#ht is a translation of k&my&, a symbol of the )isdom of /uddhas and boddhisatt'as )hich brea,s
throu#h the dar,ness of i#norance and illuminates reality(
A( 86. Konchin is a condition of mindK bein# hea'y bein# de*ressed bein# in lo) s*irits feelin# lo) etc(
$anmn is also a condition of mindK bein# *ulled by 'arious thou#hts and losin# stability( 4n the .ukan-zazengi
<o#en said !9ou must ,no) that true dharma manifests itself in zazen and that first of all dullness and
distraction are struc, do)n(!
?( 87. The Third Patriarch )as called Canchi Sosan (Jianzhi Sen#can) "E-D;D$( +othin# is ,no)n about his life(
This is a Huotation from the $hinjinmei (MinLinming).
.( 88. A mirror is often used as a mete*hor for )isdom or the functions of /uddha-nature(
0( 89. 5anshi Sh@#a,u (=on#zhi Zhen#jue) &;F6-&&06$ )as a contem*orary of <aie SBo,o (<ahui Zon##ao)
"&;>F-&&DF$ )ho ad'ocated ,oan *ractice and criticized the Soto )ay of *ractice callin# it Ba false Zen of silent
illuminationB (mo,usho-jazen)( 5anshi )rote the okushomei in )hich he used this e-*ression *ositi'ely and
clarified the essence of okush&-!en (silent-illumination Zen)( Mo,usho-Zen )as called shikantaza by <o#en(
D( 8:. This sho)s that zazen transcends the dichotomies such as subject- object body-mind delusion-
enli#htenment(
6( 8;. /uddha-dharma means the truth or reality to )hich the /uddha a)a,ened the teachin#s )hich sho) us
reality and the la) or morality )hich brin#s life in accord )hth reality or the teachin#s(
>( 9<. umyo (a'idya in s,t() means the dar,ness of mind the basic i#norance of human bein#s )hich *re'ents
us from seein# reality as it is( 4t is the source of e#ocentricity( The first item of the t)el'e lin,s of cause and effect
)hich e-*lain the ori#in of the condition of birth-and-death(
F( 93. 7ife-and-death is a translation of shoji( This indicates the )orld of delusion in )hich deluded bein#s are
transmi#ratin# that is samsara(
&;( 94. A tademushi is an insect )hich eats tade (smart)eed) )hich is famous for its bitter taste( There is a
Ja*anese *ro'erb( %ade kuu mushimo sukizuki (there is a bu# )hich feeds on smart)eed) )hich means that there is
no accountin# for taste(
&&( 95. Jn,no)n(
&A( 96. This is a term used in the Tendai school( The ten realms consist of the si- realms in samsara (the hell the
realms of hun#ry-#hosts animals fi#htin# s*irits (asura) human bein#s and hea'enly bein#s() and the realms of
the sravakas, -ratyekabuddhas bodhisatt'as and the /uddhas( The si- realms are the )orlds of deluded bein#s
and the other four are those of sa#es( 4n the Tendai teachin#s it is said that each of the ten realms includes the other
nine(
&?( 97. This is not an e-act Huotation but the story about the blind *eo*le and an ele*hant a**ears in the ele'enth
cha*ter of the Daihatsunehan- ,y@ (Maha*arinir'anasutra)( This story is used in order to sho) that the 'ie)s of
blind *eo*le do not re*resent reality as a )hole yet they *oint to a *art of reality( 8ach *art or *artial 'ie) is not
the ele*hant itself but there is no ele*hant a*art from those 'ie)s( There is no reality se*arate from indi'idual
e-*eriences but each conce*tion formed by such e-*eriences is not reality itself(
&.( 98. <efiled causation is a translation of uro no inga. Bro means somethin# lea,in# and refers to deluded
desire( <efilement deri'es from attachment to e#ocentric life( Nnga is cause and effect(
&0( 99. The Sans,rit )ord -aramito means crossin# o'er sal'ation reachin# the other shore (+ir'ana) the
attainment of emanci*ation the com*letion of *ractice( Prajna*aramita means *erfect )isdom or com*letion of
)isdom( The ultimate )isdom is seein# reality as it is )ithout discrimination( So this cannot be a ,ind of
intellection or *erce*tion( 2ather )hen )e let #o of our thou#hts in zazen )e are free from *reconce*tions
*rejudice or ready-made 'alue system( 5hat Menzan )ants to say is that our sittin# *ractice is the *ractice of
*rajna and the *erfection of ultimate )isdom(
&D( 9:. /uddhism )as first introduced into :hina about the first :entury /(:( And accordin# to the Zen
tradition /odhidharma came to :hina in 0A6 A(<( 4t too, se'eral centuries for :hinese /uddhists to translate
study and systematize the )hole library of the 'arious sutras and other scri*tures and in the *rocess established a
:hinese understandin# of /uddhism( 4n the Zen tradition *ractitioners insisted that they did not rely on any
*articular scri*ture but on the direct transmission of /uddhaBs mind( This attitude of not relyin# on te-ts )as
connected )ith the mo'ement of establishin# their o)n :hinese /uddhism(
&6( 9;. 1reed (tonyoku), an#er (shinni), and i#norance (guchi) are called the three *oisonous minds because
they cause mental sufferin# and brin# about 'arious e'il deeds )hich *re'ent us from *ractice and seein# thin#s as
they are( They are the causes of samsara leadin# to the creation of the si- realms(
&>( :<. Menzan inter*rets the transmi#ration in the si- realms as the mental attitudes and conditions of human
bein#s instead of reincarnation after death(
&F( :3. $angai in Ja*anese( Ookkai, kamadhatu in s,t() is the realm of desire )here human bein#s li'e bein#
*ulled only by #reed and se-ual desire( $hikikai (ru-a-dhatu) is the realm )here human bein#s are free from
se-ual desire and other desires and there are only fine materials( ushikikai (aru-a-dhatu in s,t() is a realm of no-
form )here no materials e-ist and meditati'e states are enjoyed(
A;( :4. uki is somethin# )hich is neither #ood nor e'il but neutral( A deed )hich is neutral does not brin#
about any effect(
A&( :5. Bnen is a condition )here one has discriminatin# thou#hts to)ard objects( unen is the condition in
)hich oneBs mind does not )or, and no thou#hts arise( Jsually Bnen is used in a ne#ati'e sense as a conditon of
deluded human mind and munen (no thou#ht) is used *ositi'ely as a condition bein# free from discrimination (
/ut here Menzan used both in a ne#ati'e sense to sho) that our zazen should transcends both conditions(
AA( :6. $hikantaza literally means just sittin#( This is one of the most im*ortant )ords in <o#enBs teachin#s(
Ori#inally shi,antaza )as an e-*ression coined by <o#enBs teacher Tendo +yojo( Mention of shi,antaza can be
found in <o#enBs =o,yo,i a record of his *ersonal notes on his stay )ith +yojo in :hina( +yojo said !$anzen is
dro**in# off body and mind( 4ncense burnin# bo)in# chantin# nenbutsu as )ell as re*entance or readin# sutras
are unnecessary( Just (shi,an) *ractice sittin#(!
$hikantaza may ha'e t)o connotations one is to e-clusi'ely *ractice zazen another is to just sit and lea'e
e'erythin# u* to the zazen *osture )ithout tryin# to concentrate or calm oneBs mind contem*late somethin# or
stru##le )ith a ,oan(
&( :7. Ori#inal mind is a translation of honshin )hich means ori#inal and real mind *rior to se*aration bet)een
subject and object that is the true nature of the self(
A( :8. Daienky?chi is the /uddhaBs )isdom )hich reflects e'erythin# as it is( This )isdom is )ithout
defilement or distortion caused by e#ocentric 'ie)s(
?( :9. This is a Huotation from the Shinjinmei (Win-inmin#)( The ori#inal )ord for em*tiness is Cunin )hich is
a ,ind of 'ie) or sta#e of mind to see that the three )orlds are full of sufferin# yet these are em*ty so there is no
need to )orry(
.( ::. :olor and sound re*resent the si- objects of the si- sense-or#ans that is (&) Shi,i (ru*a) color and
sha*eK (A) sho (sabda) soundK (?) ,o (#andha) ordorK (.) mi (rasa) tasteK (0) so,u (s*rasta'ya) touch or feelin#K
(D) ho (dharma) objects of the mind(
0( :;. +en,in means arisin# thou#ht )hich is the same as unen(
D( ;<. 2yO#on,yO is a translation of the Suram#ama-samadhi-nirdesa-sutra in )hich the Mahayana *ractice of
samadhi is e-*lained(
6( ;3. Tatami in Ja*anese( Tatami are thic, stra) mats laid on the floor inside Ja*anese houses(
>( ;4. JOchi means a condition )ithout defilement of desire or discrimination( This sayin# means that the desire
to attain such a condition is itself caused by delusions(
F( ;5. The blue s,y also indicates a condition )ithout any clouds of thou#hts( Peo*le often thin, that such a
condition is enli#htenment attained by the *ractice of zazen( 5hat Menzan says in this *iece is that our *ractice
should not be a means to accom*lish such a sta#e of mind(
&;( ;6. A burnin# house is a meta*hor for the three )orlds full of delusion desire *ain and sufferin#( Peo*le are
li,e children joyfully *layin# in the burnin# house( This meta*hor is found in the "otos-sutra
&&( ;7. The land )ithout defilement of delusion and desire in )hich enli#htened /uddhas and bodhisatt'as
d)ell(
&A( ;8. /uddha-nature is a translation of bussho( This is usually used as the *otential to become a /uddha( The
sans,rit )ord dharmatP (hossh&) is the reality of all bein#s and #uddhatP (bussh&) is the reality of sentient bein#s(
Therefore buddha-nature is not *otential but the reality or /uddha itself(
&?( ;9. <harma-body is a translation of hosshin (dhanna-kaya) )hich means the body of ultimate reality one of
the three bodies of the /uddha(
&.( ;:. Second-*erson (daininin) means someone other than that *erson( This refers to the reality beyond the
dichotomy of self and others( This is a Huotation from the $h&b&genz&-#ussh& (/uddha- nature).
&0( ;;. The )ord Menzan used is hishiryo( This )ord a**eared in the $hinjinmei by Sosan the Third Patriarch( 4t
)as used as a key )ord for e-*ressin# the reality of zazen in a con'ersation bet)een Zen master 9a,usan 4#en and
one of his students( <o#en Huoted the dialo#ue in the .ukan-zazengi and )rote his o)n commentary in the
$h2b2genz2-!azenshin.
&D( 3<<. The )ive sufferin#s are the sufferin#s accom*anyin# oneBs birth, the sufferin# of a#in# the sufferin# of
illness the sufferin# of death and the sufferin# of se*aratin# from those one lo'es( The ei#ht sufferin#s include the
fi'e sufferin#s in addition to the sufferin# of meetin# those one hates the sufferin# of not #ettin# )hat one see,s
and the sufferin# accom*anyin# the #ro)th of oneBs mind and body(
&6( 3<3. Since hea'enly bein#s in /uddhism are still in the sta#e of trans- mi#ration they ha'e to fall do)n from
the hea'en )hen the fi'e omens a**ear( The omens are I (&) the flo)ers in the headdress )itherK (A) s)eatin#
under the armsK (?) clothes becomin# dirtyK (.) the body emittin# a bad smellK (0) and a disinclination to ta,e oneBs
o)n seat(
&>( 3<4. #odaishin in Ja*anese #odhi-citta in Sans,rit( An abbre'iation for Annutara-samyak-sambodhi-Ditta.
The mind )hich as*ires to *ractice the /uddha-5ay and )or, for the sal'ation of others( See the first cha*ter of
the ?akudo-y&jinshu.
&F( 3<5. The full name of the sutra is $addharma--undarika-sutra (the Sutra of the 7otus Glo)er of True
<harma)(
A;( 3<6. <e'adatta )as a brother of Ananda and a cousin of Sha,yamuni and became one of his disci*les( 4t is
said that he attem*ted to ta,e o'er the leadershi* of the /uddhist san#ha and tried to ,ill the /uddha for that
*ur*ose( The /uddhaBs *rediction a**ears in the cha*ter of Devadatta of the "otus-sutra.
A&( 3<7. This story also a**ears in the cha*ter of Devadatta of the "otus- sutra.
AA( 3<8. The ten realms are hell realms of hun#ry #hosts animals asura, human bein#s hea'enly bein#s
sra'a,as *ratye,abuddhas bod- hisatt'as and /uddhas(
A?( 3<9. This sentence is Huoted from the cha*ter of %act)u:ness in the "otus-sutra.
A.( 3<:. The sta#e of cause is a translation for Nn-i, the *eriod of *ractice or trainin# before attainin#
enli#htenment and buddhahood( This is the sta#e of a bodhisatt'a )ho is *racticin# see,in# the )ay to)ard
buddhahood(
A0( 3<;. The sta#e of effect is a translation for kachi )hich means the sta#e of buddhahood attained as the result
of bodhisatt'a *ractice(
AD( 33<. Nnga)uni is one of the ideas in ten not-t)o (Ji--unimon) that is body and mind outside and inside cause
and effect defilement and *urity *erson and circumstance self and others etc( are not t)o( 5hen )e read these
*hrases )e should be careful about that not-t)o also means not-one at the same time( The basis of these ideas is
Mahayana *hyloso*hy of sunyata (em*tiness) 4
A6( 333. This is a translation for the e-*ression !zushin-bishin )hich means bein# ri#ht from the be#innin# to the
end(
A>( 334. This is a Huotation from the $h&d&ka (the Son# of 8nli#htenment) by 9@,a 1en,a,u (9on#jia Wuanjue)(
AF( 335. The ori#inal )ord used here is san#i,X )hich is an abbre'iation of sandai-asU#i,U Bthree #reat
innumerable ,al*asB( Cal*a means an immeasurably lon# *eriod of timeK aeon( 4ts len#th is meta*horically
e-*lained for instance as the *eriod reHuired for one to em*ty a city full of *o**y seeds by ta,in# a)ay one seed
e'ery three years( The sans,rit )ord asamkhya means countless and is the unit for a hi#h number( Accordin# to
some sutras it ta,es three innumerable ,al*as for a bodhisatt'a to com*lete the *ractices necessary to become a
/uddha( Therefore this sentence means that one can attain buddhahood immediately )ithout lon# time of *ractice(
?;( 336. =ere Menzan raises the Huestion and in the re*ly discusses the *ractitionerBs attitude to)ards life based
cm zazen *ractice(
?&( 337. The Ja*anese e-*ression eshin means to turn oneBs mind to the /uddha-5ay( 4n the "otus-sutra there is
an e-*ression esh&k&dai )hich means to turn oneBs mind from =inayana to)ard Mahay ana that is( from the
attitude of *ractice for the sa,e of attainin# oneBs *ersonal sal'ation to)ard the attitude of *ractice based on the
reality before se*aration bet)een self and others( Menzan here considers that to *ractice in order to eliminate
delusi'e thou#hts and become no-mind is the =inayana attitude because such *ractice itself is based on
discrimination or ado*tion and rejection(
?A( 338. Ori#inal-face (homrai no menmoku) im*lies the true self the true nature of the self( Jsually )e )ear
'arious mas,s (*ersona) in our daily li'in# in the society accordin# to our o)n self-ima#e or social status or
ocu*ation( And )e sim*ly belie'e that is our )hich is merely a *roduct of our thou#hts( To *ractice zazen is to let
#o of such self-ima#es(
??( 339. The three #ood realms are the realms of asura human bein#s and hea'enly bein#s( The three e'il realms
are hell( the realm of hun#ry #hosts and the realm of animals(
?.( 33:. Kistken and shuj&seken in Ja*anese( Ci means a container( Se,en means the )orld( 4n /uddhist
*hiloso*hy the )orld is classified into these t)o elements( One is kiseken as a container or a circumstance of
human bein#s and the other is shujoseken the )orld of human bein#s )hich is the ten realms (the si- realms of
samsara, sravaka, -ratyekabuddha, bodhisattva, and #uddha)( Some say shuj&seken im*lies the first nine realms
and the realm of the /uddha is different( 4n this *iece it seems that Menzan a**lys this )ord only to the si-
realms(
?0( 33;. The Ja*anese e-*ression is shoji-shutsuri sh&ji means life-and-death shutsuri means to #et out( to a*art
or to lea'e so to #et free from the blindness of delusion and desire( $hutsuri is also used to become a mon, or a
nun lea'in# oneBs )orldly home and enter the family of the /uddha(
?D( 34<. The Ja*anese )ord is gedatsu )hich means to be released from sufferin# based on delusions and desires
and become free( S*iritual liberation(
?6( 343. $h&ken in Ja*anese 'ya'olo,ayati in Sans,rit( The literal meanin# of the :hinese characters is to
illuminate and see thorou#hly( This is used in the aha-rajna-aramita-hrdaya-sutra (4annya-skingyo) as follo)sI
!5hen the /odhisatt'a A'alo,ites'ara )as en#a#ed in the *ractice of the dee* Prajna*aramita( he *ercei'ed that
there are the fi'e S,andhas( and these he sa) in their self-nature to be em*ty(! (translated by <(T( Suzu,i)
?>( 344. This means our mind is em*ty( As Menzan mentioned abo'e the ten realms are created by one-mind
and yet )e should not thin, that the one-mind has some ,ind of substance( Mahayana /uddhism is based on the
*hiloso*hy of em*tiness (,it in Ja*anese sunyata in Sans,rit) of both subject and objects( 4n order to e-*lain
em*tiness )hich cannot be #ras*ed by conce*ts /uddhist *hiloso*hers use 'arious terms such as tathata true-self
one-mind ori#inal-face dharma-body of the /uddha buddha-mind etc( 5e must be careful not to #ras* these
terms as a ,ind of substantial e-istance(
?F( 345. Since it is em*ty it can be dro**ed off( To be dro**ed off is a translation of the Ja*anese )ord datsura,u
)hich means to be released or liberated(
.;( 346. The threefold *ure *rece*ts is a translation for sanjuj@,ai(
a( a( Shoritsu#i,ai the *rece*t of a'oidin# all e'il deeds( This includes the ten major *rece*ts and
the forty-ei#ht minor *rece*ts mentioned in the /onmo,yo (/rahma-net sutra)( The ten major *rece*ts areI not to
,ill or induce others to ,illK not to steal or ma,e others stealK not to en#a#e in or ma,e others en#a#e in se-ual
intercourse K not to lie or ma,e others lieK not to sell or ma,e others sell into-icatin# liHuorsK not to tal, of or ma,e
others tal, of faults of a bodhisatt'a mon, or nunK not to *raise oneself and abuse others or ma,e others do soK not
to be mean or ma,e others be meanK not to #i'e 'ent to an#er and treat others harshly or ma,e others do so and not
to abuse or ma,e others abuse the three treasures (i(e( /uddha dharma and San#ha)(
b( b. $h&zenb&kai the *rece*t of doin# all #ood deeds accordin# to the buddha-dharmaK and (?)
$h&shuj&kaik, the *rece*t of embracin# and benefittin# li'in# bein#s( The first t)o are for benefittin# one self and
the last one is for benefittin# others )ith com*assion(
c( 347. To transfer is a translation for e,o to offer the merit or 'irtue of oneBs #ood deeds to others so that they
may attain the /uddha-5ay( 4n the thou#hts of transmi#ration the effect of ones deeds (,arma) ha'e to be recei'ed
indi'idually by oneself( There is no *ossibility to be released from the cycle of causality by hel* from others(
Mahayana /uddhism *uts em*hasis on transcendin# the cycle of transmi#ration )ithin the si- realms by the
)isdom of em*tiness( And this transferin# is also *ossible because of the em*tiness of all thin#s that is the
transcendency of indi'iduality( So em*tiness and e#olessness is the basis of our *ractice to be released from
e#ocentricity and to )or, for others(
d( 348. The three 'irtues (santoku) areI ontoku the 'irtue of benefittin# li'in# bein#s Qdantoku, the 'irtue of
brea,in# all delusions and desiresK and chitoku the 'irtue of illuminatin# the reality )ith )isdom(
e( 349. The three bodies (sanshin) areI hoshin (dharma-kaya), the body of the ultimate reality )hich is beyond
all formsK hojin (sambhoga-kaya) the body of a /uddha recei'ed as the result of his meritorious *ractices as a
bodhisatt'aK &jin (nirmana-kaya) a body of a /uddha manifested to corres*ond to the different needs and
ca*acities of li'in# bein#s in order to lead them to attain buddhahood(
f( 34:. A *ersimmon is a *o*ular fruit in Ja*an( There are t)o ,inds of *ersimmons( One ,ind becomes s)eet
)hen it ri*en( Another ,ind of *ersimmons ne'er become s)eet on the trees but )hen it is s,inned and dried
becomes 'ery s)eet( Peo*le eat them durin# )inter as a snac,(
#( 34;. This is a Huotation from the 'inzairoku (7inji-lu)( 2inzai continued !4f you #ras* this thorou#hly you
)ill not be turned around by the objects but use them )here'er you are(!
h( 35<. =ishiryo in Ja*anese(
i( 353. 8#o is a translation of shinga, atman in Sans,rit )hich is thou#ht as the substance of oneBs self(
j( 354. 4n the J&shEroku (Zhaozhoulu) the collection of sayin#s of Zhaozhou :on#shen this dialo#ue is as
follo)sI Joshu told the assembly !/efore the )orld a**earred this nature had already been there( 5hen the )orld
utterly disinte#rates this nature )ill not brea, a*art(!
A mon, as,ed !5hat is that nature E! Joshu re*lied !The fi'e a##re#ates and four elements(! The mon, as,ed
a#ain !/ut these disinte#rate( 5hat is the indestructable nature E!
Joshu re*lied !The four elements and fi'e a##re#ates(!
a( 355. <aizui =oshin (<asui Gazhen) ">?.-F&F$( This dialo#ue is the t)enty ninth case of the 4ekiganroku and
the thirtieth case of the $hoyoroku.
b( 356. Ka:-agni is a Sans,rit )ord for goka )hich is the fire at the end of the ,al*a of destruction( 4n the
/uddhist cosmolo#y it is said that the uni'erse has a cycle of four *eriods the ,al*a of creation in )hich the
uni'erse is formed the ,al*a of sustenance in )hich the uni'erse maintains its com*lete system the ,al*a of
destruction in )hich the uni'erse is destroyed by a #reat fire and the ,al*a of em*tiness( The duration of each
*eriod is t)enty small ,al*as(
c( 357. Shuzanshu is the nic,name of 2yusai Shoshu (7on#ji Shao-iu) "E-E$( This dialo#ue also a**ears
in the thirtieth case of the $hoyoroku.
d( 358. 4n the $hobogenzo Jinshin-inga (<ee* Gaith in :ause and 8ffect) <o#en said !The *rinci*le of cause-
and-effect is clear and is ne'er *artial to anyone( One )ho does e'il thin#s falls into e'il realms and one )ho does
#ood thin#s rises to #ood realms( 4f cause-and-effect is ne#ated and does not function no /uddha a**ears in this
)orld the Patriarch ne'er comes from the 5est( Girst of all no li'in# bein#s could see the /uddha and listen to the
dharma( The *rinci*le of cause-and-effect )as not understood by :onfucius or 7ao-tze only the /uddhas and
Patriarchs clarified and transmitted it( Students in the decadent a#e because of lac, of #ood fortune are not able to
encounter a true teacher and hear the true dharma( This is )hy they can not understand cause-and-effect( 4f you
ne#ate cause-and-effect you )ill recei'e a lot of sufferin#( 8'en if one has no faults other than ne#ation of cause-
and-effect the *oison of this mista,en 'ie) )ill brin# about terrible sufferin#( Therefore students if you arouse
bodhi-mind and )ish to re*ay the #ratitude for the 'ast com*assion of the /uddhas and Patriarchs immediately
understand the *rinci*le of cause-and-effect(!
e( 359. Coshi "00&-.6F$ one of the most famous *hiloso*hers in :hina the founder of :onfucianism(
f( 35:. 2oshi "E-E around .th century /(:($ is re#arded as the founder of Taoism(
#( 35;. $ago in Ja*anese )hich literally means ma,in# ,arma by doin# somethin# throu#h body and mind
)hich is the cause of *ainful or joyful effects accordin# to the nature of the deeds(
h( 36<. This *hrase is *ic,ed u* from the 'erse of the *rece*ts of the se'en /uddhas as a #uide to the /uddhist
)ay of life( The 'erse is as follo)s( !2efrain from all e'il carry out all #ood *urify your o)n mindK this is the
teachin# of all /uddhas(
i( 363. The three times of ,arma (maturin# and brin#in# about its effect)( The three different *eriods desi#nate
)hen #ood or bad ,arma done in the *resent life matures( They areI jungengo, re)ard or retribution of ,arma in
the *resent lifeK junjigo, re)ard or retribution of ,arma in the ne-t life K and jungogo, re)ard or retribution of
,arma in a life after the ne-t( 4n the $hobogenzo-$anjigo <o#en said !5hen )e learn and *ractice the )ay of the
/uddhas and Patriarchs from the outset )e must clearly understand this *rinci*le of the three times of retribution
of ,arma( Other)ise many of us fall into e'il 'ie)s( +ot only that but )e )ill also #o do)n to the e'il realms and
recei'e sufferin# for a lon# *eriod of time( Jnless )e continue to carry out #oodness )e )ill lose many of our
'irtues )e )ill be obstructed in the )ay of a)areness( =o) re#rettable this isL!
j( 364. :onfucius and his disci*les stayed at the border of :hin (:hen) and Sai (:ai)( 5hen they )ere to lea'e
there for the country of S@ (:hu) they )ere encircled in a field by the army of :hin and Sai *re'entin# them from
#oin#( They ran out of food and many of them became sic, from star'ation( At the time one of the disci*les as,ed
:onfucius !<oes a )iseman also ha'e such an insurmountable difficultyE! :onfucius re*lied B9es of course a
)iseman has hard times( /ut he does not become u*set li,e a timid one(!
,( 365. 1an,ai (9anhun) "0A&-.F; (.>&) /(:($( One of the most im*ortant disci*les of :onfucius( Thou#h he
)as *oor he de'oted himself into studyin#( =e )as so intelli#ent that )hen he heard one he understood ten( =e
)as re#arded as the most 'irtuous *erson( =e died youn# )hen he )as thirty-t)o (some say forty-one) years old(
l( 366. Prince =i,an (/i#an) )as a loyal minister of the 4n (9in) dynasty( =e )as the uncle of the ,in# :hu
(Zhou) )ho )as ,no)n as a tyrant( Since he tried to dissuade the ,in# from doin# 'iolent deeds he )as rent at the
chest and ,illed(
m( 367. Shi,@tei (Shihuan#di) "E-A&; /(:($ )as the first em*eror of the Shin (Nin) dynasty )ho )as famous for
buildin# the 1reat 5all and for cruel deeds((
n( 368. T@se,i (<aozhi) "E-E$ )as a le#endary thief )ho had se'eral thousand men under his command(
o( 369. <aishun (<ashun) "E-E$ )as a le#endary :hinese em*eror he )as #i'en the throne from the em*eror
1yo (9ao) because of his 'irtue(
*( 36:. The em*eror Cetsu (Jie) )as the last em*eror of the Ca (Wia) dynasty(
H( 36;. The em*eror :hP (Zhou) )as the last em*eror of the 4n (9in) dynasty( Cetsu and :hP )ere re#arded as
the re*resentati'es of :hinese tyrannical em*erors(B
r( 37<. #end&<a (Tal, on the Practice of the 5ay) is the first 'olume of the ninety-fi'e 'olume edition of the
$h&b&genz&. 4t )as )ritten in Cyoto in &A?& )hen <o#en )as thirty-t)o-years old( 4n #end&<a <o#en e-*lains
the fundamental im*ortance of *racticin# zazen and recommends zazen to those see,in# the true 5ay both mon,s
and lay *eo*le(
s( 373. This is one of the 'olumes of the $h&b&genz& )ritten in &A.. at 9oshimine-dera )here <o#en and his
disci*les stayed durin# <aibutsuji (later renamed 8iheiji) )as under construction( The meanin# of the title is !the
samadhi )hich is the ,in# of all samadhis!(
t( 374. The ancient /uddha is a translation for kobutsu. 4n the Sh@b@#enz@ out of res*ect <o#en called Joshu
5anshi and Tendo kobutsu.
u( 375. Accordin# to the /uddhist le#end there )ere se'en /uddhas in the *ast the se'enth of )hom )as
Sha,yamuni /uddha(
'( 376. This is one of the 'olumes of the $hobogenzo )ritten at Coshoji in &A.A )hen <o#en )as forty three
years old( =e left Cyoto to #o to 8chizen (*resently Gu,ui Prefecture) in the ne-t year( The meanin# of the title is
the accu*uncture-needle of zazen "to heal$ human sic,ness that is delusions or the accu*uncture-needle to heal
sic,ness caused by mista,enly *racticed zazen(
)( 377. 9a,usan 4#en (9aoshan 5eiyan) "60&->?.$ )as one of the disci*les of Se,ito Cisen (Shitou Wi#ian)(
C@d@ (=on#dao) )as his honorific name #i'en by the em*eror(
-( 378. To fulfill both a crac, or a 'alley means it *ermeates into both small *lace and 'acant s*ace( 4n other
)ords the deeds are uni'ersal(
y( 379. Sh@b@#enz@-Zuimon,i is a collection of <o#enBs informal dharma tal, recorded by his dharma successor
8jo(
z( 37:. This is one of the 'olumes of the $h&b&genz& )ritten in &A.? in the year )hen <U#en left Cyoto for
8chizen( 5hile the .ukan-zazengi is )ritten in :hinese this !azengi is )ritten in Ja*anese(
aa( 37;. $anzen usually means to 'isit a master and *ractice )ith him or to ha'e a *ersonal inter'ie) )ith the
teacher( Accordin# to <U#en ho)e'er sanzen is sittin# zazen itself(
bb( 38<. This is a reference to the *lace under the bodhi-tree )here Sha,yamuni /uddha sat )hen he com*leted
the 5ay(
cc( 383. Mt( Ybai (=on#mei) is )here the monastery of the Gifth Patriarch CUnin (=on#ren) "D>>-6D&$ )as
located( <o#enBs reference to him is intended to indicate that just sittin# is the fundamental *ractice( The Gifth
Patriarch re*resents the time before the di'ision of Zen into the +orthern and Southern schools SUtU and 2inzai
etc((
dd( 384. Kasaya in Sans,rit( A sur*lice )hich /uddhist mon,s )ear o'er their robes( 4t symbolizes the /uddhaBs
robe(
ee( 385. !a)u is a round cushion *ac,ed )ith ,a*o, on )hich )e sit )hen )e *ractice zazen(
ff( 386. !aniku is a thic, sHuare mat(
##( 387. Once Menzan )as the abbot of ZenjUji in =i#o (*resently Cumamoto Prefecture)(