THE RELIGION OF THE SAMURAI

A STUDY OF ZEN PHILOSOPHY AND DISCIPLINE IN CHINA AND JAPAN

by
KAITEN NUKARIYA
Professor of Kei-O-Gi-Jiku University and of So-To-Shu Buddhist
College, Tokyo
!"
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
#$ The Southern and %orthern S&hools of Buddhis' #($ The )evelo*'ent and
)ifferentiation of Buddhis' #"$ The Ob+e&t of this Book is the ,-*laining of the
.ahayanisti& /ie0 of 1ife and the 2orld #3$ 4en holds a Uni5ue Position a'ong the
,stablished 6eligions of the 2orld #7$ The 8istori&al 9nti5uity of 4en #:$ The )enial of
S&ri*tural 9uthority by 4en #;$ The Pra&tisers of 4en hold the Buddha as their Prede&essor,
0hose S*iritual 1evel they 9i' to 9ttain #<$ The =&ono&lasti& 9ttitude of 4en #!$ 4en
9&tivity #>$ The Physi&al and .ental Training #$ The 8istori&al ='*ortan&e
CHAPTER I
HISTORY OF ZEN IN CHINA
? The Origin of 4en in =ndia (? The =ntrodu&tion of 4en into China by Bodhidhar'a "?
Bodhidhar'a and the ,'*eror 2u 3? Bodhidhar'a and his Su&&essor, the Se&ond Patriar&h
7? Bodhidhar'a@s )is&i*les and the Trans'ission of the 1a0 :? The Se&ond and the Third
Patriar&hs ;? The Aourth Patriar&h and the ,'*eror Tai Tsung <? The Aifth and the Si-th
Patriar&hs !? The S*iritual 9ttain'ent of the Si-th Patriar&h >? The Alight of the Si-th
Patriar&h ? The )evelo*'ent of the Southern and the %orthern S&hool of 4en (? The
.issionary 9&tivity of the Si-th Patriar&h "? The )is&i*les under the Si-th Patriar&h 3?
Three ='*ortant ,le'ents of 4en 7? )e&line of 4en
CHAPTER II
HISTORY OF ZEN IN JAPAN
? The ,stablish'ent of the 6in 4ai S&hool of 4en in Ja*an (? The =ntrodu&tion of the So To
S&hool of 4en "? The Chara&teristi&s of )o-gen, the Aounder of the Ja*anese So To Se&t 3?
The So&ial State of Ja*an 0hen 4en 0as ,stablished by ,i-sai and )o-gen 7? The
6ese'blan&e of the 4en .onk to the Sa'urai :? The 8onest Poverty of the 4en .onk and
the Sa'urai ;? The .anliness of the 4en .onk and the Sa'urai <? The Courage and
Co'*osure of .ind of the 4en .onk and the Sa'urai !? 4en and the 6egent Generals of the
8o-+o Period >? 4en after the )o0nfall of the 8o-+o 6egen&y ? 4en in the )ark 9ge (?
4en under the Toku-ga0a Shogunate "? 4en after the 6estoration
CHAPTER III
THE UNIVERSE IS THE SCRIPTURE OF ZEN
? S&ri*ture is no .ore than 2aste Pa*er (? %o %eed of the S&ri*tural 9uthority for 4en "?
The Usual ,-*lanation of the Canon 3? Sutras used by the 4en .asters 7? 9 Sutra ,5ual in
SiBe to the 2hole 2orld :< :? Great .en and %ature ;? The 9bsolute and 6eality are but an
9bstra&tion <? The Ser'on of the =nani'ate
CHAPTER IV
BUDDHA, THE UNIVERSAL SPIRIT
? The 9n&ient Buddhist Pantheon (? 4en is =&ono&lasti& "? Buddha is Unna'able 3? Buddha,
the Universal 1ife 7? 1ife and Change :? The Pessi'isti& /ie0 of 9n&ient 8indus ;?
8inayanis' and its )o&trine <? Change as seen by 4en !? 1ife and Change >? 1ife, Change,
and 8o*e ? ,verything is 1iving a&&ording to 4en (? The Creative Aor&e of %ature and
8u'anity "? Universal 1ife is Universal S*irit 3? Poeti&al =ntuition and 4en 7?
,nlightened Cons&iousness :? Buddha )0elling in the =ndividual .ind ,nlightened
Cons&iousness is not an =ntelle&tual =nsight <? Our Con&e*tion of Buddha is not Ainal !?
8o0 to 2orshi* Buddha
CHAPTER V
THE NATURE OF MAN
? .an is Good-natured a&&ording to .en&ius (? .an is Bad-natured a&&ording to Siun TsB "?
.an is both Good-natured and Bad-natured a&&ording to Can 8iung 3? .an is neither Good-
natured nor Bad-natured a&&ording to Su Shih 7? There is no .ortal 0ho is Purely .oral :?
There is no .ortal 0ho is %on-'oral or Purely =''oral ;? 2here, then, does the ,rror 1ieD
<, .an is not Good-natured nor Bad-natured, but Buddha natured !? The Parable of the
6obber Kih >? 2ang Cang .ing and a Thief ? The Bad are the Good in the ,gg (? The
Great Person and the S'all Person "? The Theory of Buddha-%ature ade5uately e-*lains the
,thi&al States of .an 3? Buddha-%ature is the Co''on Sour&e of .orals 7? The Parable
of a )runkard :? Shakya .uni and the Prodigal Son ;? The Parable of the .onk and the
Stu*id 2o'an <? @,a&h S'ile a 8y'n, ea&h Kindly 2ord a Prayer@
!? The 2orld is in the .aking (>? The Progress and 8o*e of 1ife (? The Better'ent of 1ife
((? The Buddha of .er&y
CHAPTER VI
ENLIGHTENMENT
? ,nlighten'ent is beyond )es&ri*tion and 9nalysis (? ,nlighten'ent ='*lies an =nsight
into the %ature of Self "? The =rrationality of the Belief of =''ortality 3? The ,-a'ination of
the %otion of Self 7? %ature is the .other of 9ll Things :? 6eal Self ;? The 90akening of the
=nner'ost 2isdo' <? 4en is not %ihilisti& !? 4en and =dealis' >? =dealis' is a Potent
.edi&ine for Self -Created .ental )isease ? =dealisti& S&e*ti&is' &on&erning Ob+e&tive
6eality (? =dealisti& S&e*ti&is' &on&erning 6eligion and .orality "? 9n =llusion
&on&erning 9**earan&e and 6eality 3? 2here does the 6oot of the =llusion 1ieD 7? Thing-
in-=tself 'eans Thing-Kno0erless :? The Aour 9lternatives and the Aive Categories ;?
Personalis' of B? P? Bo0ne <? 9ll the 2orlds in Ten )ire&tions are Buddha@s 8oly 1and
CHAPTER VII
LIFE
? ,*i&ureanis' and 1ife (? The ,rrors of Philoso*hi&al Pessi'ists and 6eligious O*ti'ists
"? The 1a0 of Balan&e 3? 1ife Consists in Confli&t 7? The .ystery of 1ife :? %ature favours
%othing in Parti&ular ;? The 1a0 of Balan&e in 1ife <? The 9**li&ation of the 1a0 of
Causation to .orals !? The 6etribution in the Past, the Present, and the Auture 1ife >? The
,ternal 1ife as taught by Professor .Dnsterberg ? 1ife in the Con&rete (? )iffi&ulties are
no .at&h for an O*ti'ist "? )o Thy Best and 1eave the 6est to Providen&e
CHAPTER VIII
THE TRAINING OF THE MIND AND THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION
? The .ethod of =nstru&tion ado*ted by 4en .asters (? The Airst Ste* in the .ental Training
"? The %e-t Ste* in the .ental Training 3? The Third Ste* in the .ental Training 7? 4aBen, or
the Sitting in .editation :? The Breathing ,-er&ise of the Cogi ;? Cal'ness of .ind <? 4aBen
and the Aorgetting of Self !? 4en and Su*ernatural Po0er >? True )hyana ? 1et Go of
Cour =dle Thoughts (? @The Aive 6anks of .erit@ "? @The Ten Pi&tures of the Co0herd@ 3?
4en and %irvana 7? %ature and 8er 1esson :? The Beatitude of 4en
APPENDIX
ORIGIN OF MAN
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
REFUTATION OF DELUSIVE AND PREJUDICED (DOCTRINE)
CHAPTER II
REFUTATION OF INCOMPLETE AND SUPERFICIAL (DOCTRINE)
? The )o&trine for .en and )evas (? The )o&trine of the 8inayanists "? The .ahayana
)o&trine of )har'alaksana 3? .ahayana )o&trine of the %ihilists
CHAPTER III
THE DIRECT EXPLANATION OF THE REAL ORIGIN
7? The ,kayana )o&trine that Tea&hes the Ulti'ate 6eality
CHAPTER IV
RECONCILIATION OF THE TEMPORARY WITH THE REAL DOCTRINE
INTRODUCTION
Buddhis' is geogra*hi&ally divided into t0o s&hoolsEA%FGHthe Southern, the older and
si'*ler, and the %orthern, the later and 'ore develo*ed faith? The for'er, based 'ainly on
the Pali te-tsEA%F(G is kno0n as 8inayanaEA%F"G #s'all vehi&le$, or the inferior do&trineI
0hile the latter, based on the various Sanskrit te-ts,E3G is kno0n as .ahayana #large vehi&le$,
or su*erior do&trine? The &hief tenets of the Southern S&hool are so 0ell kno0n to o&&idental
s&holars that they al'ost al0ays 'ean the Southern S&hool by the 0ord Buddhis'? But 0ith
regard to the %orthern S&hool very little is kno0n to the 2est, o0ing to the fa&t that 'ost of
its original te-ts 0ere lost, and that the tea&hings based on these te-ts are 0ritten in Chinese,
or Tibetan, or Ja*anese languages unfa'iliar to non-Buddhist investigators?
EA%FG The Southern S&hool has its adherents in Ceylon, Bur'a, Sia',
9nan, et&?I 0hile the %orthern S&hool is found in %e*al, China,
Ja*an, Tibet, et&?
EA%F(G They &hiefly &onsist of the Aour %ikayasJ #$ )igha %ikaya #)irghaga'as, translated
into Chinese by BuddhayaDas, 9?)? 3(-3"$I #($ .a++hi'a %ikaya #.adhya'aga'as,
translated into Chinese by Gauta'a Sanghadeva, 9?)? "!;-"!<$I #"$ Sanyutta %ikaya
#Sa'yuktaga'as, translated into Chinese by Gunabhadra, of the earlier Sung dynasty, 9?)?
3(> 3;!$I #3$ 9nguttara %ikaya #,kottaraga'as, translated into Chinese by )har'anandi,
9?)? "<3-"<7$? Out of these 8inayana books, the ,nglish translation of t0enty-three suttas
by 6hys )avids e-ist in @Sa&red Books of Buddhist,@ vols? ii?-iii?, and of seven suttas by the
sa'e author in @Sa&red Books of the ,ast,@ vol? -i?
EA%F"G The Southern Buddhists never &all their faith 8inayana, the na'e being an invention
of later Buddhists, 0ho &all their do&trine .ahayana in &ontradistin&tion to the earlier for'
of Buddhis'? 2e have to noti&e that the 0ord 8inayana fre5uently o&&urs in .ahayana
books, 0hile it does not in 8inayana books?
EA%F3G 9 &atalogue of the Buddhist Canon, K@-yuen-luh, gives the titles of <!; .ahayana
sutras, yet the 'ost i'*ortant books often 5uoted by %orthern Buddhist tea&hers a'ount to
little 'ore than t0enty? There e-ist the ,nglish translation of 1arger Sukhavati-vyuha-sutra,
S'aller Sukhavati-vyuha-sutra, /a+ra&&hedika-sutra, 1arger Pra+na-*ara'ita-hradya-sutra,
S'aller Pra+na-*ara'ita-hrdaya-sutra, by .a- .Dller, and 9'itayur-dhyana-sutra, by J?
Takakusu, in @Sa&red Books of the ,ast,@ vol? -li-? 9n ,nglish translation of Saddhar'a-
*undarika-sutra, by Kern, is given in @Sa&red Books of the ,ast,@ /ol? --i? Co'*are these
books 0ith @Outlines of .ahayana Buddhis',@ by )? SuBuki?
=t is hardly +ustifiable to &over the 0hole syste' of Buddhis' 0ith a single e*ithetEA%F7G
@*essi'isti&@ or @nihilisti&,@ be&ause Buddhis', having been ado*ted by savage tribes as 0ell
as &iviliBed nations, by 5uiet, enervated *eo*le as 0ell as by 0arlike, sturdy hordes, during
so'e t0enty-five hundred years, has develo*ed itself into beliefs 0idely divergent and even
dia'etri&ally o**osed? ,ven in Ja*an alone it has differentiated itself into thirteen 'ain se&ts
and forty-four sub-se&tsEA%F:G and is still in full vigour, though in other &ountries it has
already *assed its *ri'e? Thus Ja*an see's to be the best re*resentative of the Buddhist
&ountries 0here the 'a+ority of *eo*le abides by the guiding *rin&i*le of the %orthern
S&hool? To study her religion, therefore, is to *enetrate into .ahayanis', 0hi&h still lies an
une-*lored land for the 2estern 'inds? 9nd to investigate her faith is not to dig out the
re'ains of Buddhist faith that e-isted t0enty &enturies ago, but to tou&h the heart and soul of
.ahayanis' that enlivens its devotees at the *resent 'o'ent?
EA%F7G 8inayanis' is, generally s*eaking, in&lined to be *essi'isti&, but .ahayanis' in the
'ain holds the o*ti'isti& vie0 of life? %ihilis' is advo&ated in so'e .ahayana sutras, but
others set forth idealis' or realis'?
EA%F:G #$ The Ten )ai Se&t, in&luding three sub-se&tsI #($ The Shin Gon Se&t, in&luding
eleven sub-se&tsI #"$ The 6itsu Se&tI #3$ The 6in 4ai Se&t, in&luding fourteen sub-se&tsI #7$
The So To Se&tI #:$ The O Baku Se&tI #;$ The Jo )o Se&t, in&luding t0o sub-se&tsI #<$ The
Shin Se&t, in&luding ten sub-se&tsI #!$ The %i&hi 6en Se&t, in&luding nine sub-se&tsI #>$ The
Cu 4u %en Butsu Se&tI #$ The 8osso Se&tI #($ The Ke Gon Se&tI #"$ The Ji Se&t? Out of
these thirteen Buddhist se&ts, 6in 4ai, So To, and O Baku belong to 4en? Aor further
infor'ation, see @9 Short 8istory of the T0elve Ja*anese Buddhist Se&ts,@ by )r? B? %an+o?
The ob+e&t of this little book is to sho0 ho0 the .ahayanisti& vie0 of life and of the 0orld
differs 'arkedly fro' that of 8inayanis', 0hi&h is generally taken as Buddhis' by
o&&identals, to e-*lain ho0 the religion of Buddha has ada*ted itself to its environ'ent in the
Aar ,ast, and also to thro0 light on the e-isting state of the s*iritual life of 'odern Ja*an?
Aor this *ur*ose 0e have singled out of thirteen Ja*anese se&ts the 4en Se&t, EA%F;G not only
be&ause of the great influen&e it has e-er&ised on the nation, but be&ause of the uni5ue
*osition it holds a'ong the established religious syste's of the 0orld? =n the first *la&e, it is
as old as Buddhis' itself, or even older, for its 'ode of *ra&tising .editation has been
handed do0n 0ithout 'u&h alteration fro' *re-Buddhisti& re&luses of =ndiaI and it 'ay, on
that a&&ount, *rovide the student of &o'*arative religion 0ith an interesting sub+e&t for his
resear&h?
EA%F;G The 0ord 4en is the Sini&o-Ja*anese abbreviation of the Sanskrit )hyana, or
.editation? =t i'*lies the 0hole body of tea&hings and dis&i*line *e&uliar to a Buddhist se&t
no0 *o*ularly kno0n as the 4en Se&t?
=n the se&ond *la&e, in s*ite of its histori&al anti5uity, ideas entertained by its advo&ates are so
ne0 that they are in har'ony 0ith those of the %e0 BuddhistsIEA%F<G a&&ordingly the
state'ent of these ideas 'ay serve as an e-*lanation of the *resent 'ove'ent &ondu&ted by
young and able refor'ers of Ja*anese Buddhis'?
EA%F<G There e-ists a so&iety for'ed by 'en 0ho have broken 0ith the old &reeds of
Buddhis', and 0ho &all the'selves the %e0 Buddhists? =t has for its organ @The %e0
Buddhis',@ and is one of the influential religious so&ieties in Ja*an? 2e 'ean by the %e0
Buddhists, ho0ever, nu'erous edu&ated young 'en 0ho still adhere to Buddhist se&ts, and
are &arrying out a refor'ation?
Thirdly, Buddhist deno'inations, like non-Buddhist religions, lay stress on s&ri*tural
authorityI but 4en denoun&es it on the ground that 0ords or &hara&ters &an never ade5uately
e-*ress religious truth, 0hi&h &an only be realiBed by 'indI &onse5uently it &lai's that the
religious truth attained by Shakya .uni in his ,nlighten'ent has been handed do0n neither
by 0ord of 'outh nor by the letters of s&ri*tures, but fro' tea&her@s 'ind to dis&i*le@s
through the line of trans'ission until the *resent day? =t is an isolated instan&e in the 0hole
history of the 0orld@s religions that holy s&ri*tures are de&lared to be @no 'ore than
0asteEA%F!G *a*er by religionists, as done by 4en 'asters?
EA%F!G 1in Tsi 1uh #6in-Bai-roku$?
Aourthly, Buddhist as 0ell as non-Buddhist religions regard, 0ithout e-&e*tion, their
founders as su*erhu'an beings, but the *ra&tisers of 4en hold the Buddha as their
*rede&essor, 0hose s*iritual level they &onfidently ai' to attain? Aurther'ore, they liken one
0ho re'ains in the e-alted *osition of Buddhashi* to a 'an bound by a gold &hain, and *ity
his state of bondage? So'e of the' 0ent even so far as to de&lare Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
to be their servants and slaves?EA%F>G Su&h an attitude of religionists &an hardly be found in
any other religion?
EA%F>G KShakya and .aitreya,K says Go So, Kare servants to the other *erson? 2ho is that
other *ersonDK #4en-rin-rui-+u, /ol? i?, *? (<$?
Aifthly, although non-Buddhist *eo*le are used to &all Buddhis' idolatry, yet 4en &an never
be &alled so in the a&&e*ted sense of the ter', be&ause it, having a grand &on&e*tion of )eity,
is far fro' being a for' of idol-0orshi*I nay, it so'eti'es even took an i&ono&lasti& attitude
as is e-e'*lified by Tan 8ia, EA%FG 0ho 0ar'ed hi'self on a &old 'orning by 'aking a
fire of 0ooden statues? Therefore our e-*osition on this *oint 0ill sho0 the real state of
e-isting Buddhis', and serve to re'ove religious *re+udi&es entertained against it?
EA%FG 9 Chinese 4en tea&her, 0ell kno0n for his *e&uliarities, 0ho died in 9?)? <(3? Aor
the details of this ane&dote, see 4en-rin-rui-+u, /ol? i?, P? "!?
Si-thly, there is another &hara&teristi& of 4en, 0hi&h &annot be found in any other religion-
that is to say, its *e&uliar 'ode of e-*ressing *rofound religious insight by su&h a&tions as the
lifting u* of a hair-brush, or by the ta**ing of the &hair 0ith a staff, or by a loud out&ry, and
so forth? This 0ill give the student of religion a striking illustration of differentiated for's of
religion in its s&ale of evolution?
Besides these &hara&teristi&s, 4en is noted for its *hysi&al and 'ental training? That the daily
*ra&ti&e of 4aBenEA%F(G and the breathing e-er&ise re'arkably i'*roves one@s *hysi&al
&ondition is an established fa&t? 9nd history *roves that 'ost 4en 'asters en+oyed a long life
in s*ite of their e-tre'ely si'*le 'ode of living? =ts 'ental dis&i*line, ho0ever, is by far
'ore fruitful, and kee*s one@s 'ind in e5ui*oise, 'aking one neither *assionate nor
dis*assionate, neither senti'ental nor unintelligent, neither nervous nor senseless? =t is 0ell
kno0n as a &ure to all sorts of 'ental disease, o&&asioned by nervous disturban&e, as a
nourish'ent to the fatigued brain, and also as a sti'ulus to tor*or and sloth? =t is self-&ontrol,
as it is the subduing of su&h *erni&ious *assions as anger, +ealousy, hatred, and the like, and
the a0akening of noble e'otions su&h as sy'*athy, 'er&y, generosity, and 0hat not? =t is a
'ode of ,nlighten'ent, as it is the dis*elling of illusion and of doubt, and at the sa'e ti'e it
is the over&o'ing of egois', the destroying of 'ean desires, the u*lifting of the 'oral ideal,
and the dis&losing of inborn 0isdo'?
EA%F(G The sitting-in-'editation, for the full e-*lanation of 0hi&h see Cha*ter /===?
The histori&al i'*ortan&e of 4en &an hardly be e-aggerated? 9fter its introdu&tion into China
in the si-th &entury, 9?)?, it gre0 as&endant through the Sui #7!<-:;$ and the Tang dynasty
#:<-!>:$, and en+oyed greater *o*ularity than any other se&t of Buddhis' during the 0hole
*eriod of the Sung #!;:-(:$ and the Southern Sung dynasty #(;-":;$? =n these ti'es its
&o''anding influen&e be&a'e so irresistible that Confu&ianis', assi'ilating the Buddhist
tea&hings, es*e&ially those of 4en, into itself and &hanging its entire as*e&t, brought forth the
so-&alled S*e&ulative *hiloso*hy?EA%F"G 9nd in the .ing dynasty #":<-:7!$ the *rin&i*al
do&trines of 4en 0ere ado*ted by a &elebrated Confu&ian s&holar, 2ang Cang .ing,EA%F3G
0ho thereby founded a s&hool, through 0hi&h 4en e-er&ised *rofound influen&e on Chinese
and Ja*anese 'en of letters, states'en, and soldiers?
9s regards Ja*an, it 0as first introdu&ed into the island as the faith first for the Sa'urai or the
'ilitary &lass, and 'oulded the &hara&ters of 'any distinguished soldiers 0hose lives adorn
the *ages of her history? 9fter0ards it gradually found its 0ay to *ala&es as 0ell as to
&ottages through literature and art, and at last *er'eated through every fibre of the national
life? =t is 4en that 'odern Ja*an, es*e&ially after the 6usso-Ja*anese 2ar, has a&kno0ledged
as an ideal do&trine for her rising generation?
EA%F"G See @9 8istory of Chinese Philoso*hy,@ by 6yuki&hi ,ndo, and
9 8istory of Chinese Philoso*hy,@ by Gii&hi %akau&hi?
EA%F3G Aor the life of this distinguished s&holar and soldier #3;(-7(!$, see @9 )etailed
1ife of O Co .eiL by Take+iro Takase, and also @O-yo-'ei-shutsu-shin-sei-ran-roku?@
CHAPTER I
HISTORY OF ZEN IN CHINA
? Origin of 4en in =ndia?
To-day 4en as a living faith &an be found in its *ure for' only a'ong the Ja*anese
Buddhists? Cou &annot find it in the so-&alled Gos*el of Buddha any'ore than you &an find
Unitarianis' in the Pentateu&h, nor &an you find it in China and =ndia any 'ore than you &an
find life in fossils of bygone ages? =t is beyond all doubt that it &an be tra&ed ba&k to Shakya
.uni hi'self, nay, even to *re-Buddhisti& ti'es, be&ause Brah'ani& tea&hers *ra&tised
)hyana, or .editation,EA%F7G fro' earliest ti'es?
EA%F7G K=f a 0ise 'an hold his body 0ith its three *arts #&hest, ne&k, and head$ ere&t, and
turn his senses 0ith the 'ind to0ards the heart, he 0ill then in the boat of Brah'an &ross all
the torrents 0hi&h &ause fear?
KCo'*ressing his breathings let hi', 0ho has subdued all 'otions, breathe forth through the
nose 0ith the gentle breath? 1et the 0ise 'an 0ithout fail restrain his 'ind, that &hariot
yoked 0ith vi&ious horses?
K1et hi' *erfor' his e-er&ises in a *la&e level, *ure, free fro' *ebbles, fire, and dust,
delightful by its sounds, its 0ater, and bo0ersI not *ainful to the eye, and full of shelters and
eaves?
K2hen Coga, is being *erfor'ed, the for's 0hi&h &o'e first, *rodu&ing a**aritions in
Brah'an, are those of 'isty s'oke, sun, fire, 0ind, fire-flies, lightnings, and a &rystal 'oon?
K2hen, as earth, 0ater, light, heat, and ether arises, the fivefold 5uality of Coga takes *la&e,
then there is no longer illness, old age, or *ain for hi' 0ho has obtained a body *rodu&ed by
the fire of Coga?
The first results of Coga they &all lightness, healthiness, steadiness, a good &o'*le-ion, an
easy *ronun&iation, a s0eet odour, and slight e-&retions K#Cvet? U*anisad, ii? <-"$?
K2hen the five instru'ents of kno0ledge stand still together 0ith the 'ind, and 0hen the
intelle&t does not 'ove, that is &alled the highest state?
KThis, the fir' holding ba&k of the senses, is 0hat is &alled Coga?
8e 'ust be free fro' thoughtlessness then, for Coga &o'es and goesK
#Katha U*anisad, ii? >, $?
KThis is the rule for a&hieving it #viB?, &on&entration of the 'ind on the ob+e&t of 'editation$J
restraint of the breath, restraint of the senses, 'editation, fi-ed attention, investigation,
absor*tion-these are &alled the si-fold Coga? 2hen beholding by this Coga, be beholds the
gold-&oloured 'aker, the lord, the *erson, Brah'an, the &auseI then the sage, leaving behind
good and evil, 'akes everything #breath, organs of sense, body, et&?$ to be one in the 8ighest
=ndestru&tible #in the *ratyagat'an or Brah'an$ K #.aitr? U*anisad, vi? <$?
K9nd thus it has been else0hereJ There is the su*erior fi-ed attention #dharana$ for hi'-viB?,
if he *resses the ti* of the tongue do0n the *alate, and restrain the voi&e, 'ind, and breath, he
sees Brah'an by dis&ri'ination #taraka$? 9nd 0hen, after the &essation of 'ind, he sees his
o0n Self, s'aller than s'all, and shining as the 8ighest Self, then, having seen his Self as
the Self, he be&o'es Self-less, and be&ause he is Self-less, he is 0ithout li'it, 0ithout &ause,
absorbed in thought? This is the highest 'ysteryHviB?, final liberation K #.aitr? U*anisad, vi?
(>$?
9'rtab? U*anisad, <, des&ribes three 'odes of sitting-na'ely, the 1otus-seat #Pad'asana$,
the sitting 0ith legs bent underneathI the 'ysti& diagra' seat #Svastika$I and the aus*i&ious-
seat #Bhadrasana$IH0hile Coga&ikha dire&ts the &hoi&e of the 1otus-*osture, 0ith attention
&on&entrated on the ti* of the nose, hands and feet &losely +oined?
But Brah'ani& 4en 0as &arefully distinguished even by early BuddhistsEA%F:G as the
heterodo- 4en fro' that taught by the Buddha? Our 4en originated in the ,nlighten'ent of
Shakya .uni, 0hi&h took *la&e in his thirtieth year, 0hen he 0as sitting absorbed in
*rofound 'editation under the Bodhi Tree?
EA%F:G The anony'ous author of 1ankavatara-sutra distinguishes the heterodo- 4en fro'
the 8inayana 4en, the 8inayana 4en fro' the .ahayana 4en, and &alls the last by the na'e
of the Buddha@s 8oly 4en? The sutra is believed by 'any Buddhists, not 0ithout reason, to be
the e-*osition of that .ahayana do&trine 0hi&h 9&vaghosa restated in his Craddhot*ada-
&astra? The sutra 0as translated, first, into Chinese by Gunabbadra, in 9?)? 33"I se&ondly, by
Bodhiru&i in 9?)? 7"I and, thirdly, by Ciksanada in 9?)? ;>>-;>3? The book is fa'ous for
its *ro*he&y about %agdra+una, 0hi&h #a&&ording to )r? %an+o@s translation$ is as follo0sJ
K9fter the %irvana of the Tathagata,
There 0ill be a 'an in the future,
1isten to 'e &arefully, O .ahat'a,
9 'an 0ho 0ill hold 'y la0?
=n the great &ountry of South,
There 0ill be a venerable Bhiksu
The Bodhisattva %agar+una by na'e,
2ho 0ill destroy the vie0s of 9stikas and %astikas,
2ho 0ill *rea&h unto 'en 'y Cana,
The highest 1a0 of the .ahayana,
9nd 0ill attain to the Pra'udita-bhu'i?K
=t is said that then he a0oke to the *erfe&t truth and de&laredJ K9ll ani'ated and inani'ate
beings are ,nlightened at the sa'e ti'e?K 9&&ording to the traditionEA%F;G of this se&t
Shakya .uni trans'itted his 'ysterious do&trine fro' 'ind to 'ind to his oldest dis&i*le
.ahaka&ya*a at the asse'bly hold on the .ount of 8oly /ulture, and the latter 0as
a&kno0ledged as the first *atriar&h, 0ho, in turn, trans'itted the do&trine to 9nanda, the
se&ond *atriar&h, and so till Bodhidhar'a, the t0enty-eighthEA%F<G *atriar&h? 2e have little
to say about the histori&al value of this tradition, but it is 0orth 0hile to note that the list of
the na'es of these t0enty-eight *atriar&hs &ontains 'any e'inent s&holars of .ahayanis',
or the later develo*ed s&hool of Buddhis', su&h as 9&vaghosa,EA%F!G %agar+una,EA%F(>G
Kanadeva,EA%F(G and /asubhandhu?EA%F((G
EA%F;G The in&ident is related as follo0sJ 2hen the Buddha 0as at the asse'bly on the
.ount of 8oly /ulture, there &a'e a Brah'ara+a 0ho offered the Tea&her a golden flo0er,
and asked hi' to *rea&h the )har'a? The Buddha took the flo0er and held it aloft in his
hand, gaBing at it in *erfe&t silen&e? %one in the asse'bly &ould understand 0hat he 'eant,
e-&e*t the venerable .ahaka&ya*a, 0ho s'iled at the Tea&her? Then the Buddha saidJ K= have
the ,ye and Treasury of Good )har'a, %irvana, the 2onderful S*irit, 0hi&h = no0 hand
over to .ahaka&ya*a?K The book in 0hi&h this in&ident is des&ribed is entitled @Sutra on the
Great Brah'an King@s Muestioning Buddha to )is*el a )oubt,@ but there e-ists no original
te-t nor any Chinese translation in the Tri*itaka? =t is highly *robable that so'e early Chinese
4en s&holar of the Sung dynasty #9?)? !:>-(:$ fabri&ated the tradition, be&ause 2ang
%gan Shih #O-an-seki$, a *o0erful .inister under the ,'*eror Shan Tsung #Shin-so, 9?)?
>:<-><7$, is said to have seen the book in the ='*erial 1ibrary? There is, ho0ever, no
eviden&e, as far as 0e kno0, *ointing to the e-isten&e of the Sutra in China? =n Ja*an there
e-ists, in a for' of 'anus&ri*t, t0o different translations of that book, ke*t in se&ret
veneration by so'e 4en 'asters, 0hi&h have been *roved to be fi&titious by the *resent
0riter after his &lose e-a'ination of the &ontents? See the 9**endi- to his 4en-gaku-hi-han-
ron?
EA%F<G The follo0ing is the list of the na'es of the t0enty-eight *atriar&hsJ
? .ahaka&ya*a? (? 9nanda? "? Canavasu? 3? U*agu*ta? 7? )hrtaka? :? .i&&haka? ;?
/asu'itra? <? Buddhanandi? !? Buddha'itra? >? Par&va? ? Punyaya&as? (? 9&vaghosa? "?
Ka*i'ala? 3? %agar+una? 7? Kanadeva? :? 6ahulata? ;? Sa'ghanandi? <? Sa'ghaya&as?
!? Ku'arata? (>? Jayata? (? /asubandhu? ((? .anura? ("? 8aklanaya&as? (3? Si'ha? (7?
/a&asuta? (:? Punya'itra? (;? Pra+nyatara? (<? Bodhidhar'a?
The first t0enty-three *atriar&hs are e-a&tly the sa'e as those given in @The Sutra on the
%idana of trans'itting )har'a*itaka,@ translated in 9?)? 3;(? King Teh Ch0en Tang =uh
#Kei-toku-den-to-roku$, a fa'ous 4en history of China, gives t0o elaborate narratives about
the trans'ission of 6ight )har'a fro' tea&her to dis&i*le through these t0enty-eight
*atriar&hs, to be trusted 0ithout hesitation? =t 0ould not be diffi&ult for any s&holar of sense
to find these state'ents 0ere 'ade fro' the sa'e 'otive as that of the anony'ous author
0ho gives a short life, in )irghaga'a-sutra, of ea&h of the si- Buddhas, the *rede&essors of
Shakya .uni, if he &arefully &o'*are the list given above 0ith the lists of the *atriar&hs of
the Sarvastivada s&hool given by San Cin #So-yu died 9?)? 7<$ in his Chuh San Tsung Ki
#Shutsu-san Bo-ki$?
EA%F!G One of the founders of .ahayana Buddhis', 0ho flourished in the first &entury
9?)? There e-ists a life of his translated into Chinese by Ku'ara+iva in 9?)? 3>-3>!? The
'ost i'*ortant of his 0orks areJ .ahayana&raddhot*ada-&astra, .ahalankara-sutra-&astra,
Buddha-&aritakavya?
EA%F(>G The founder of the .adhya'ika s&hool of .ahayana Buddhis', 0ho lived in the
se&ond &entury 9?)? 9 life of his 0as translated into Chinese by Ku'ara+iva in 9?)? 3>-3>!?
T0enty-four books are as&ribed to hi', of 0hi&h .aha*ra+Na*ara'ita-&astra, .adhya'ika-
&astra, Pra+nyadi*a-&astra, )vada&anikaya-&astra, 9stada&aka&a-&astra, are 0ell kno0n?
EA%F(G So'eti'es &alled 9ryadeva, a su&&essor of %agar+una? 9 life of his 0as translated
into Chinese by Ku'ara+iva in 9?)? 3>-3>!? The follo0ing are his i'*ortant 0orksJ Cata-
&astra, @Castra by the Bodhisattva )eva on the refutation of four hereti&al 8inayana s&hools
'entioned in the 1ankatvatara-sutra@I @Castra by the Bodhisattva )eva on the e-*lanation of
the %irvana by t0enty 8inayana tea&hers 'entioned in the 1ankavatara-sutra?@
EA%F((G 9 younger brother of 9sa'ga, a fa'ous .ahayanist of the
fifth &entury 9?)? There are thirty-si- 0orks as&ribed to
/asubandhu, of 0hi&h )a&abhu'ika-&astra, 9*ari'itayus-sutra-&astra,
.aha*ari-nirvana-sutra-&astra, .ahayana-&atadhar'avidyadvara-&astra,
/idya-'atrasiddhi-trida&a-&astra, Bodhi&itto*adana-&astra,
Buddha-gotra-&astra, /idya'atrasiddhivin&atigatha-&astra,
.adhyantavibhaga-&astra, 9bhidhar'a-ko&a-&astra, Tarka-&astra, et&?,
are 0ell kno0n?
(? =ntrodu&tion of 4en into China by Bodhidhar'a?
9n e*o&h-'aking event took *la&e in the Buddhist history of China by Bodhidhar'a@s
&o'ing over fro' Southern =ndia to that &ountry in about 9?)? 7(>?EA%F("G =t 0as the
introdu&tion, not of the dead s&ri*tures, as 0as re*eatedly done before hi', but of a living
faith, not of any theoreti&al do&trine, but of *ra&ti&al ,nlighten'ent, not of the relies of
Buddha, but of the S*irit of Shakya .uniI so that Bodhidhar'a@s *osition as a re*resentative
of 4en 0as uni5ue? 8e 0as, ho0ever, not a 'issionary to be favourably re&eived by the
*ubli&? 8e see's to have behaved in a 0ay 5uite o**osite to that in 0hi&h a 'odern *astor
treats his flo&k? 2e i'agine hi' to have been a religious tea&her entirely different in every
*oint fro' a *o*ular Christian 'issionary of our age? The latter 0ould s'ile or try to s'ile at
every fa&e he ha**ens to see and 0ould talk so&iablyI 0hile the for'er 0ould not s'ile at
any fa&e, but 0ould stare at it 0ith the large glaring eyes that *enetrated to the inner'ost
soul? The latter 0ould kee* hi'self s&ru*ulously &lean, shaving, &o'bing, brushing,
*olishing, oiling, *erfu'ing, 0hile the for'er 0ould be entirely indifferent to his a**arel,
being al0ays &lad in a faded yello0 robe? The latter 0ould &o'*ose his ser'on 0ith a great
&are, 'aking use of rhetori&al art, and s*eak 0ith for&e and elegan&eI 0hile the for'er 0ould
sit as absolutely silent as the bear, and ki&k one off, if one should a**roa&h hi' 0ith idle
5uestions?
EA%F("G Buddhist historians differ in o*inion res*e&ting the date of
Bodhidhar'a@s a**earan&e in China? Co'*are Ch0en Aah Chan Tsung 1un
#)en bo sho +u ron$ and 80ui Cuen #,-gen$?
"? Bodhidhar'a and the ,'*eror 2u?
%o sooner had Bodhidhar'a landed at K0ang Cheu in Southern China than he 0as invited
by the ,'*erorEA%F(3G 2u, 0ho 0as an enthusiasti& Buddhist and good s&holar, to *ro&eed
to his &a*ital of Chin 1iang? 2hen he 0as re&eived in audien&e, 8is .a+esty asked hi'J K2e
have built te'*les, &o*ied holy s&ri*tures, ordered 'onks and nuns to be &onverted? =s there
any 'erit, 6everend Sir, in our &ondu&tDK The royal host, in all *robability, e-*e&ted a
s'ooth, flattering ans0er fro' the li*s of his ne0 guest, e-tolling his virtues, and *ro'ising
hi' heavenly re0ards, but the Blue-eyed Brah'in bluntly ans0eredJ K%o 'erit at all?K This
une-*e&ted re*ly 'ust have *ut the ,'*eror to sha'e and doubt in no s'all degree, 0ho
0as infor'ed si'*ly of the do&trines of the orthodo- Buddhist se&ts? @2hy not,@ he 'ight
have thought 0ithin hi'self, @0hy all this is futileD By 0hat authority does he de&lare all this
'eritlessD 2hat holy te-t &an be 5uoted to +ustify his assertionD 2hat is his vie0 in referen&e
to the different do&trines taught by Shakya .uniD 2hat does he hold as the first *rin&i*le of
Buddhis'D@ Thus thinking, he in5uiredJ K2hat is the holy truth, or the first *rin&i*leDK The
ans0er 0as no less astonishingJ KThat *rin&i*le trans&ends all? There is nothing holy?K
EA%F(3G The ,'*eror 2u #Bu-Tei$ of the 1iang dynasty, 0hose reign 0as 9?)? 7>(-73!?G
The &ro0ned &reature 0as &o'*letely at a loss to see 0hat the tea&her 'eant? Perha*s he
'ight have thoughtJ @2hy is nothing holyD 9re there not holy 'en, 8oly Truths, 8oly Paths
stated in the s&ri*turesD =s he hi'self not one of the holy 'enD@ KThen 0ho is that &onfronts
usDK asked the 'onar&h again? K= kno0 not, your 'a+esty,K 0as the la&oni& re*ly of
Bodhidhar'a, 0ho no0 sa0 that his ne0 faith 0as beyond the understanding of the ,'*eror?
The ele*hant &an hardly kee* &o'*any 0ith rabbits? The *etty orthodo-y &an by no 'eans
kee* *a&e 0ith the ele*hantine stride of 4en? %o 0onder that Bodhidhar'a left not only the
*ala&e of the ,'*eror 2u, but also the State of 1iang, and 0ent to the State of %orthern 2ei?
EA%F(7G There he s*ent nine years in the Shao 1inEA%F(:G .onastery, 'ostly sitting silent in
'editation 0ith his fa&e to the 0all, and earned for hi'self the a**ellation of @the 0all-gaBing
Brah'in?@ This na'e itself suggests that the signifi&an&e of his 'ission 0as not a**re&iated
by his &onte'*oraries? But neither he 0as nor they 0ere to bla'e, be&ause the lion@s
i'*ortan&e is a**re&iated only by the lion? 9 great *ersonage is no less great be&ause of his
un*o*ularity a'ong his fello0 'en, +ust as the great PangEA%F(;G is no less great be&ause of
his un*o*ularity a'ong the 0inged &reatures? Bodhidhar'a 0as not *o*ular to the degree
that he 0as envied by his &onte'*orary Buddhists, 0ho, as 0e are told by his biogra*hers,
atte'*ted to *oison hi' three ti'es,EA%F(<G but 0ithout su&&ess?
EA%F(7G %orthern Gi dynasty #9?)? "<:-7"3$?
EA%F(:G Sho-rin-+i, ere&ted by the ,'*eror 8iao .ing of %orthern 2ei
9?)? 3!;?
EA%F(;G Ch0ang-tsB in his fa'ous *arable &o'*ares a great sage 0ith the Pang, an
i'aginary bird of enor'ous siBe, 0ith its 0ings of ninety thousand 'iles? The bird is laughed
at by 0rens and s*arro0s be&ause of its e-&essive siBe?
EA%F(<G This re'inds us of %an Coh 80ui SB #%an-gaku-e-shi, died 9?)? 7;;$, 0ho is said
to have learned 4en under Bodhidhar'a? 8e says in his state'ent of a vo0 that he 0as
*oisoned three ti'es by those 0ho envied hi'?
3? Bodhidhar'a and his Su&&essor the Se&ond Patriar&h?
China 0as not, ho0ever, an un&ultivatedEA%F(!G land for the seed of
4enHnay, there had been 'any *ra&tisers of 4en before Bodhidhar'a?
EA%F(!G The translation of 8inayana 4en sutras first *aved the 0ay for our faith? Aourteen
4en sutras, in&luding su&h i'*ortant books as .ahana*anadhyana-sutra, )hyana&arya-
dhar'asany+nya-sutra, )hyana&arya-sa*tatri'&advarga-sutra, 0ere translated by %gan Shi
Kao #9n-sei-ko$ as early as 9?)? 3<-;>? Culla'argabhu'i-sutra 0as translated by K@ Cao
#Shi-yo$ in 9?)? <7I )har'atara-dhyana-sutra by Buddhabhadra in 9?)? "!<-3(I
)hyananisthitasa'adhi-dhar'a-*arygya-sutra by Ku'ara+iva in 9?)? 3>(I @9n 9bridged
1a0 on the ='*ortan&e of .editation@ by Ku'ara+iva in 9?)? 3>7I Pan&advara-dhyanasutra-
'aharthadhar'a by )har'a'itra in 9?)? 3(3-33? Aurther'ore, .ahayana books &losely
related to the do&trine of 4en 0ere not unkno0n to China before Bodhidhar'a? Pratyut*anna-
buddhasa''ukhavasthita-sa'adhi 0as translated by K@ 1eu Cia Chan #Shi-ru-ga-sen$ in
9?)? :3-<:I /i'alakirttinirde&a-sutra, 0hi&h is 'u&h used in 4en, by Ku'ara+iva in 9?)?
"<3-3(I 1ankavatara-sutra, 0hi&h is said to have been *ointed out by Bodhidhar'a as the
best e-*lanation of 4en, by Gunabhadra in 9?)? 3""I Saddhar'a-*undarika-sutra, in its
&o'*lete for', by Ku'ara+iva in 9?)? 3>:I 9vata'saka-sutra by Buddhabhadra in 9?)? 3<I
.aha*arinirvana-sutra by )har'araksa in 9?)? 3("?
=f 0e are not 'istaken, Ku'ara+iva, 0ho &a'e to China 9?)? "<3, 'ade a valuable
&ontribution to0ards the foundation of 4en in that &ountry, not 'erely through his translation
of 4en sutras above 'entioned, but by the edu&ation of his dis&i*les, su&h as Sang Chao #So-
+o, died 9?)? 33$, Sang Shang #So-sho, 0hose 0ritings undoubtedly influen&ed later 4en
tea&hers? 9 'ore i'*ortant *ersonage in the history of 4en *revious to the Blue-eyed
Brah'in is Buddhabhadra, a 0ell-kno0n 4en 'aster, 0ho &a'e over to China 9?)? 3>:? 8is
translation of )har'atara-dhyana-sutra #0hi&h is said to have been *rea&hed by
Bodhidhar'a hi'self 0hen he 0as in =ndia$ and that of 9vata'saka-sutra 'ay be said
0ithout e-aggeration to have laid the &orner-stone for 4en? 8e gave a &ourse of le&tures on
the 4en sutra for the first ti'e in China in 9?)? 3", and it 0as through his instru&tion that
'any native *ra&tisers of 4en 0ere *rodu&ed, of 0ho' Chi Cen #Chi-gon$ and 8uen Kao
#Gen-ko$ are 0ell kno0n? =n these days 4en should have been in the as&endant in =ndia,
be&ause al'ost all =ndian s&holars-at least those kno0n to us-0ere &alled 4en tea&hers-for
instan&e, Buddhabhadra, Buddhasena, )har'adhi, and so'e others 0ere all 4en s&holars?
Chinese Buddhist s&holars did no less than =ndian tea&hers to0ard the u*rising of 4en? The
fore'ost a'ong the' is 80ui Cuen #,-on, died 9?)? 33$, 0ho *ra&tised 4en by the
instru&tion of Buddhabhadra? 8e founded the So&iety of the 2hite 1otus, 0hi&h &o'*rised
eighteen e'inent s&holars of the age a'ong its 'e'bers, for the *ur*ose of *ra&tising
.editation and of adoring Buddha 9'itabha? 2e 'ust not forget that during the 2estern and
the ,astern Tsin #Shin$ dynasties #9?)? (:7-3(>$ both Taois' and Buddhis' gre0
*ros*erous to no s'all e-tent? 9nd China *rodu&ed, on the one hand, Taoists of an e&&entri&
ty*e, su&h as the Seven 2ise .en of the Ba'boo Aorest, 0hile she gave birth to 'any
re&luse-like 'en of letters, su&h as Tao Cuen .ing #To-yen-'ei, died 9?)? 3(;$ and so'e
others on the other? Besides there 0ere so'e s&holars 0ho studied Buddhis' in &onne&tion
0ith Taois' and Confu&ianis', and led a se&luded life? To the last &lass of s&holars belonged
Ch0en 8ih #8u dai shi$, kno0n as Ch0en the Great? 8e is said to have been a&&usto'ed to
0ear a Confu&ianist hat, a Buddhist robe, and Taoist shoes? =t 0as in 9?)? 7"3 that he
*resented a 'e'orial to the ,'*eror 2u, in 0hi&h he e-*lained the three grades of good?
KThe 8ighest Good &onsists,K says he, Kin the e'*tiness of 'ind and non-atta&h'ent?
Trans&enden&e is its &ause, and %irvana is its result? The .iddle Good &onsists in 'orality
and good ad'inistration? =t results in a *ea&eful and ha**y life in 8eaven and in ,arth? The
1o0est Good &onsists in love and *rote&tion of sentient beings?K Thus his idea of good, as the
reader 0ill see 0ithout diffi&ulty, is the result of a &o'*ro'ise of Taois' and Buddhis'? Sin
2ang .ing #Sin-o-'ei, On the .ind-King$, one of his 'aster*ie&es, together 0ith other
'inor *oe's, are still used as a te-tbook of 4en? This fa&t un'istakably *roves that Taoist
ele'ent found its 0ay into the &onstituents of 4en fro' its very outset in China?
9ll that he had to do 0as to 0ait for an earnest seeker after the s*irit of Shakya .uni?
Therefore he 0aited, and 0aited not in vain, for at last there &a'e a learned Confu&ianist,
Shang K0ang #Shin-ko$ by na'e, for the *ur*ose of finding the final solution of a *roble'
0hi&h troubled hi' so 'u&h that he had be&o'e dissatisfied 0ith Confu&ianis', as it had no
*ro*er diet for his no0 s*iritual hunger? Thus Shang K0ang 0as far fro' being one of those
half-hearted visitors 0ho kno&ked the door of Bodhidhar'a only for the sake of &uriosity?
But the silent 'aster 0as &autious enough to try the sin&erity of a ne0 visitor before
ad'itting hi' to the .editation 8all? 9&&ording to a biogra*hyEA%F">G of his, Shang K0ang
0as not allo0ed to enter the te'*le, and had to stand in the &ourtyard &overed dee* 0ith
sno0? 8is fir' resolution and earnest desire, ho0ever, ke*t hi' standing &ontinually on one
s*ot for seven days and nights 0ith beads of the froBen dro*s of tears on his breast? 9t last he
&ut off his left ar' 0ith a shar* knife, and *resented it before the infle-ible tea&her to sho0
his resolution to follo0 the 'aster even at the risk of his life? Thereu*on Bodhidhar'a
ad'itted hi' into the order as a dis&i*le fully 5ualified to be instru&ted in the highest do&trine
of .ahayanis'?
EA%F">G King Teh Ch0en Tang 1uh #Kei-toku-den-to-roku$, *ublished by Tao Cuen #)o-
gen$ 9?)? >>3, gives a detailed narrative &on&erning this in&ident as stated here, but earlier
historians tell us a different story about the 'utilation of Shang K0ang@s ar'? Co'*are Suh
Kas San Ch0en #4oku-ko-so-den$ and 80ui Cuen #,-gen$?
Our 'aster@s 'ethod of instru&tion 0as entirely different fro' that of ordinary instru&tors of
learning? 8e 0ould not e-*lain any *roble' to the learner, but si'*ly hel* hi' to get
enlightened by *utting hi' an abru*t but telling 5uestion? Shang K0ang, for instan&e, said to
Bodhidhar'a, *erha*s 0ith a sighJ K= have no *ea&e of 'ind? .ight = ask you, sir, to *a&ify
'y 'indDK KBring out your 'ind #that troubles you so 'u&h$,K re*lied the 'aster, Khere
before 'eO = shall *a&ify it?K K=t is i'*ossible for 'e,K said the dis&i*le, after a little
&onsideration, Kto seek out 'y 'ind #that troubles 'e so 'u&h$?K KThen,K e-&lai'ed
Bodhidhar'a, K= have *a&ified your 'ind?K 8ereon Shang K0ang 0as instantly ,nlightened?
This event is 0orthy of our noti&e, be&ause su&h a 'ode of instru&tion 0as ado*ted by all 4en
tea&hers after the first *atriar&h, and it be&a'e one of the &hara&teristi&s of 4en?
7? Bodhidhar'a@s )is&i*les and the Trans'ission of the 1a0?EA%F"G
EA%F"G Aor details, see Ch0en Tang 1uh and )en Ka 6oku, by Kei 4an?
9s for the life of Bodhidhar'a, )r? B? .atsu'oto@s @9 1ife of
Bodhidhar'a@ 'ay 0ell be re&o''ended to the reader?
Bodhidhar'a@s labour of nine years in China resulted in the initiation of a nu'ber of
dis&i*les, 0ho' so'e ti'e before his death he addressed as follo0sJ K%o0 the ti'e #of 'y
de*arture fro' this 0orld$ is at hand? Say, one and all, ho0 do you understand the 1a0DK Tao
Au #)o-fuku$ said in res*onse to thisJ KThe 1a0 does not lie in the letters #of the S&ri*tures$,
a&&ording to 'y vie0, nor is it se*arated fro' the', but it 0orks?K The .aster saidJ KThen
you have obtained 'y skin?K %e-t Tsung Chi #So-+i$, a nun, re*liedJ K9s 9nandaEA%F"(G sa0
the kingdo' of 9ksobhyaEA%F""G only on&e but not t0i&e, so = understand the 1a0K? The
'aster saidJ KThen you have attained to 'y flesh?K Then Tao Cuh #)o-iku$ re*liedJ KThe four
ele'entsEA%F"3G are unreal fro' the first, nor are the five aggregatesEA%F"7G really e-istent?
9ll is e'*tiness a&&ording to 'y vie0?K The 'aster saidJ KThen you have a&5uired 'y bone?K
1astly, 80ui Ko #,-ka$, 0hi&h 0as the Buddhist na'e given by Bodhidhar'a, to Shang
K0ang, 'ade a *olite bo0 to the tea&her and stood in his *la&e 0ithout a 0ord? KCou have
attained to 'y 'arro0?K So saying, Bodhidhar'a handed over the sa&red Ka&haya, EA%F":G
0hi&h he had brought fro' =ndia to 80ui Ko, as a sy'bol of the trans'ission of the 1a0,
and &reated hi' the Se&ond Patriar&h?
EA%F"(G 9 favourite dis&i*le of Shakya .uni, and the Third Patriar&h of 4en?
EA%F""G TheJ na'e 'eans = =''ovable,@ and re*resents the fir'ness of thought?
EA%F"3G ,arth, 0ater, fire, and air?
EA%F"7G #$ 6u*a, or for'I #($ /edana, or *er&e*tionI #"$ Sa'+nya, or &ons&iousnessI #3$
Kar'an #or Sa'skara$, or a&tionI #7$ /i+nyana, or kno0ledge?
EA%F":G The &leri&al &loak, 0hi&h is said to have been dark green? =t be&a'e an ob+e&t of
great veneration after the Si-th Patriar&h, 0ho abolished the *atriar&hal syste' and did not
hand the sy'bol over to su&&essors?
:? The Se&ond and the Third Patriar&hs?
9fter the death of the Airst Patriar&h, in 9?)? 7(<, 80ui Ko did his best to *ro*agate the ne0
faith over si-ty years? On one o&&asion a 'an suffering fro' so'e &hroni& disease &alled on
hi', and re5uested hi' in earnestJ KPray, 6everend Sir, be 'y &onfessor and grant 'e
absolution, for = suffer long fro' an in&urable disease?K KBring out your sin #if there be su&h a
thing as sin$,K re*lied the Se&ond Patriar&h, Khere before 'e? = shall grant you absolution?K K=t
is i'*ossible,K said the 'an after a short &onsideration, Kto seek out 'y sin?K KThen,K
e-&lai'ed the 'aster, K= have absolved you? 8en&eforth live u* to Buddha, )har'a, and
Sa'gha?KEA%F";G K= kno0, your reveren&e,K said the 'an, Kthat you belong to Sa'ghaI but
0hat are Buddha and )har'aDK KBuddha is .ind itself? .ind itself is )har'a? Buddha is
identi&al 0ith )har'a? So is Sa'gha?K KThen = understand,K re*lied the 'an, Kthere is no
su&h thing as sin 0ithin 'y body nor 0ithout it, nor any0here else? .ind is beyond and
above sin? =t is no other than Buddha and )har'a?K Thereu*on the Se&ond Patriar&h sa0 the
'an 0as 0ell 5ualified to be taught in the ne0 faith, and &onverted hi', giving hi' the na'e
of Sang Tsung #So-san$? 9fter t0o years@ instru&tion and dis&i*line, heEA%F"<G besto0ed on
Sang Tsung the Ka&haya handed do0n fro' Bodhidhar'a, and authoriBed hi' as the Third
Patriar&h? =t is by Sang Tsung that the do&trine of 4en 0as first redu&ed to 0riting by his
&o'*osition of Sin SinEA%F"!G .ing #Sin Bin-'ei, On Aaith and .ind$, a 'etri&al
e-*osition of the faith?
EA%F";G The so-&alled Three Treasures of the Buddha, the 1a0, and the Order?
EA%F"<G The Se&ond Patriar&h died in 9?)? 7!"Hthat is, si-ty-five years after the de*arture
of the Airst Patriar&h?
EA%F"!G 9 good 'any &o''entaries 0ere 0ritten on the book, and it is &onsidered as one of
the best books on 4en?
;? The Aourth Patriar&h and the ,'*eror Tai Tsung #Tai-so$?
The ThirdEA%F3>G Patriar&h 0as su&&eeded by Tao Sin #)o-shin$, 0ho being initiated at the
age of fourteen, 0as &reated the Aourth Patriar&h after nine years@ study and dis&i*line? Tao
Sin is said never to have gone to bed for 'ore than forty years of his *atriar&hal &areer?
EA%F3G =n 9?)? :3" the ,'*eror Tai Tsung #:(;-:3!$, kno0ing of his virtues, sent hi' a
s*e&ial 'essenger, re5uesting hi' to &all on 8is .a+esty at the *ala&e? But he de&lined the
invitation by a 'e'orial, saying that be 0as too aged and infir' to visit the august
*ersonage? The ,'*eror, desirous of seeing the re*uted *atriar&h, sent for hi' thri&e, but in
vain? Then the enraged 'onar&h ordered the 'essenger to behead the infle-ible 'onk, and
bring the head before the throne, in &ase he should disobey the order for the fourth ti'e? 9s
Tao Sin 0as told of the order of the ,'*eror, he stret&hed out his ne&k ready to be
de&a*itated? The ,'*eror, learning fro' the 'essenger 0hat had ha**ened, ad'ired all the
'ore the i'*erturbable *atriar&h, and besto0ed ri&h gifts u*on hi'? This e-a'*le of his 0as
follo0ed by later 4en 'asters, 0ho 0ould not &ondes&end to bend their knees before
te'*oral *o0er, and it be&a'e one of the &hara&teristi&s of 4en 'onks that they 0ould never
a**roa&h rulers and states'en for the sake of 0orldly fa'e and *rofit, 0hi&h they set at
naught?
EA%F3>G 8e died in 9?)? :>:, after his labour of thirteen years as the tea&her?
EA%F3G 8e died in 9?)? :7-that is, forty-five years after the death of the Third Patriar&h?
<? The Aifth and the Si-th Patriar&hs?
Tao Sin trans'itted the 1a0 to 8ung Jan #Ko-nin$, 0ho being edu&ated fro' infan&y,
distinguished hi'self as the 9bbot of the 80ang .ei .onastery at Ki Cheu? The Aifth
Patriar&h, a&&ording to his biogra*her, gathered about hi' seven hundred *u*ils, 0ho &a'e
fro' all 5uarters? Of these seven hundred *u*ils the venerable Shang Sin #Jin-shu$ 0as 'ost
noted for his learning and virtues, and he 'ight have be&o'e the legiti'ate su&&essor of
8ung Jan, had not the Ka&haya of Bodhidhar'a been &arried a0ay by a *oor far'er@s son of
Sin Cheu? 80ui %ang, the Si-th Patriar&h, see's to have been born a 4en tea&her? The
s*iritual light of Buddha first flashed in his 'ind 0hen he ha**ened to hear a 'onk re&iting a
sutra? On 5uestioning the 'onk, be learned that the book 0as /a+ra&&hedika-*ra+nya-
*ara'ita-sutra,EA%F3(G and that 8ung Jan, the 9bbot of the 80ang .ei .onastery, 0as used
to 'ake his dis&i*les re&ite the book that it 'ight hel* the' in their s*iritual dis&i*line?
8ereu*on he 'ade u* his 'ind to *ra&tise 4en, and &alled on 8ung Jan at the .onastery?
K2ho are you,K de'anded the Aifth Patriar&h, Kand 0hen&e have you &o'eDK K= a' a son of
the far'er,K re*lied the 'an, Kof Sin Cheu in the South of Ta Cu 1ing?K K2hat has brought
you hereDK asked the 'aster again? K= have no other *ur*ose than to attain to Buddhahood,K
ans0ered the 'an? KO, you, *eo*le of the South,K e-&lai'ed the *atriar&h, Kyou are not
endo0ed 0ith the nature of Buddha?K KThere 'ay be so'e differen&e bet0een the Southern
and the %orthern *eo*le,K ob+e&ted the 'an, Kbut ho0 &ould you distinguish one fro' the
other as to the nature of BuddhaDK The tea&her re&ogniBed a genius in the 'an, but he did not
ad'it the *ro'ising ne0&o'er into the order, so 80ui %ang had to stay in the .onastery for
eight 'onths as a *ounder of ri&e in order to 5ualify hi'self to be a 4en tea&her?
EA%F3(G The book 0as translated into Chinese by Ku'ara+iva in 9?)? "<3? 3;I also by
Bodhiru&i in 9?)? 7>!, and by Para'artha in 9?)? 7!(I then by 8iuen Tsang in 9?)? :3<?
.any &o''entaries have been 0ritten on it by the *ro'inent Buddhist authors of China and
Ja*an?
!? The S*iritual 9ttain'ent of the Si-th Patriar&h?
So'e ti'e before his death #in :;7 9?)?$ the Aifth Patriar&h announ&ed to all dis&i*les that
the S*irit of Shakya .uni is hard to realiBe, that they should e-*ress their o0n vie0s on it, on
&ondition that anyone 0ho &ould *rove his right realiBation should be given 0ith the Ka&haya
and &reated the Si-th Patriar&h? Then the venerable Sung Siu, the head of the seven hundred
dis&i*les, 0ho 0as &onsidered by his brothers to be the 'an entitled to the honour, &o'*osed
the follo0ing versesJ
KThe body is the Bodhi-tree?EA%F3"G
The 'ind is like a 'irror bright on its stand?
)ust it and 0i*e it fro' ti'e to ti'e,
1est it be di''ed by dust and dirt?K
EA%F3"G The idea e-*ressed by these lines is &lear enough? Body is likened to the Bodhi-tree,
under 0hi&h Shakya .uni attained to his su*re'e enlighten'entI for it is not in another body
in the future e-isten&e, but in this very body that one had to get enlightened? 9nd 'ind is *ure
and bright in its nature like a 'irror, but the dirt and dust of *assions and of lo0 desires often
*ollute and di' it? Therefore one should dust and 0i*e it fro' ti'e to ti'e in order to kee* it
bright?
9ll 0ho read these lines thought that the 0riter 0as 0orthy of the e-*e&ted re0ard, and the
Aifth Patriar&h also, a**re&iating the signifi&an&e of the verses, saidJ K=f 'en in the future
0ould *ra&tise 4en a&&ording to this vie0, they 0ould a&5uire an e-&ellent result?K 80ui
%ang, the ri&e-*ounder, hearing of the', ho0ever, se&retly re'arked that they are beautiful,
but hardly e-*ressive of the S*irit of Shakya .uni, and 0rote his o0n verses, 0hi&h ran as
follo0sJ
KThere is no Bodhi-tree,EA%F33G
%or is there a 'irror stand?
%othing e-ists fro' the first
2hat &an be di''ed by dust and dirtDK
EA%F33G These verses have often been 'isunderstood as e-*ressive of a nihilisti& vie0, but
the real 'eaning is anything but nihilisti&? .ind is *ure and bright in its essen&e? =t is al0ays
free fro' *assions and 'ean desires, +ust as the sun is al0ays bright, des*ite of &loud and
'ist that &over its fa&e? Therefore one 'ust get an insight into this essential nature of .ind,
and realiBe that one has no 'ean desires and *assions fro' the first, and also that there is no
tree of Bodhi nor the 'irror of ,nlighten'ent 0ithout hi', but they are 0ithin hi'?
Perha*s nobody ever drea'ed su&h an insignifi&ant fello0 as the ri&e-*ounder &ould sur*ass
the venerable s&holar in a religious insight, but the Aifth Patriar&h sa0 at on&e an ,nlightened
Soul e-*ressed in those linesI therefore he 'ade u* his 'ind to give the Ka&haya to the
0riter, in 0ho' he found a great s*iritual leader of future generations? But he did it se&retly
at 'idnight, lest so'e of the dis&i*les fro' envy do violen&e to 80ui %ang? 8e 0as,
'oreover, &autious enough to advise his su&&essor to leave the .onastery at on&e, and go
ba&k to the South, that the latter 'ight &on&eal his ,nlighten'ent until a ti'e 0ould &o'e for
his 'issionary a&tivities?
>? Alight of the Si-th Patriar&h?
On the follo0ing 'orning the ne0s of 0hat had ha**ened during the night fle0 fro' 'outh
to 'outh, and so'e of the enraged brothers atte'*ted to *ursue the 0orthy fugitive? The
fore'ost a'ong the', 80ui .ing #,-'yo$, overtook the Si-th Patriar&h at a 'ountain *ass
not very far fro' the .onastery? Then 80ui %ang, laying do0n the Ka&haya on a ro&k by the
road, addressed the *ursuerJ KThis is a 'ere sy'bol of the *atriar&hal authority, and it is not a
thing to be obtained by for&e? Take it along 0ith you, if you long for it?K U*on this 80ui
.ing, 0ho began to be asha'ed of his base a&t, tried to lift the Ka&haya, but in vain, for it
0as, as he felt, as heavy as the ro&k itself? 9t last he said to the Si-th Patriar&hJ K= have &o'e
here, 'y brother, not for the sake of this robe, but for the sake of the 1a0? Grant 'y hearty
desire of getting ,nlightened?K K=f you have &o'e for the 1a0,K re*lied 80ui %ang, Kyou
'ust *ut an end to all your struggles and longings? Think neither of good nor of evil #'ake
your 'ind *ure fro' all idle thoughts$, then see ho0 is, 80ui .ing, your original #'ental$
*hysiogno'yOK Being thus 5uestioned, .ing found in an instant the )ivine 1ight of Buddha
0ithin hi'self, and be&a'e a dis&i*le of the Si-th Patriar&h?
? The )evelo*'ent of the Southern and of the %orthern S&hool of 4en?
9fter the death of the Aifth Patriar&h the venerable Shang Siu, though not the legiti'ate
su&&essor of his 'aster, 0as not ina&tive in the *ro*agation of the faith, and gathered about
hi' a nu'ber of enthusiasti& ad'irers? This led to the foundation of the %orthern s&hool of
4en in o**osition to the Southern s&hool led by the Si-th Patriar&h? The ,'*ress Tseh Tien
2a 8eu,EA%F37G the real ruler of China at that ti'e, 0as an ad'irer of Shang Siu, and
*atroniBed his s&hool, 0hi&h nevertheless 'ade no further develo*'ent?
EA%F37G The ,'*eror Chung Tsung #Chu-so, 9?)? :<3-;>3$ 0as a no'inal sovereign, and
the ,'*ress 0as the real ruler fro' 9?)? :<3 to ;>7?
=n the 'ean0hile the Si-th Patriar&h, 0ho had gone to the South, arrived at the Aah Sing
.onastery in K0ang Cheu, 0here Cin Tsung #=n-shu$, the abbot, 0as giving le&tures on the
.ahayana sutras to a nu'ber of student 'onks? =t 0as to0ards evening that he ha**ened to
overhear t0o 'onks of the .onastery dis&ussing about the flag floating in air? One of the'
saidJ K=t is the 0ind that 'oves in reality, but not the flag?K K%o,K ob+e&ted the other, Kit is the
flag that 'oves in reality, but not the 0ind?K Thus ea&h of the' insisted on his o0n one-sided
vie0, and &a'e to no *ro*er &on&lusion? Then the Si-th Patriar&h introdu&ed hi'self and said
to the'J K=t is neither the 0ind nor the flag, but your 'ind that 'oves in reality?K Cin Tsung,
having heard these 0ords of the stranger, 0as greatly astonished, and thought the latter
should have been an e-traordinary *ersonage? 9nd 0hen he found the 'an to be the Si-th
Patriar&h of 4en, he and all his dis&i*les de&ided to follo0 4en under the 'aster?
Conse5uently 80ui %ang, still &lad like a lay'an, &hanged his &lothes, and began his
*atriar&hal &areer at that .onastery? This is the starting-*oint of the great develo*'ent of 4en
in China?
(? .issionary 9&tivity of the Si-th Patriar&h?
9s 0e have seen above, the Si-th Patriar&h 0as a great genius, and 'ay be +ustly &alled a
born 4en tea&her? 8e 0as a 'an of no erudition, being a *oor far'er, 0ho had served under
the Aifth Patriar&h as a ri&e-*ounder only for eight 'onths, but he &ould find a ne0 'eaning
in Buddhist ter's, and sho0 ho0 to a**ly it to *ra&ti&al life? On one o&&asion, for instan&e,
Aah Tah #8o-tatsu$, a 'onk 0ho had read over the Saddhar'a-*undarika-sutraEA%F3:G three
thousand ti'es, visited hi' to be instru&ted in 4en? K,ven if you read the sutra ten thousand
ti'es,K said the Si-th Patriar&h, 0ho &ould never read the te-t, Kit 0ill do you no good, if you
&annot gras* the s*irit of the sutra?K K= have si'*ly re&ited the book,K &onfessed the 'onk,
Kas it is 0ritten in &hara&ters? 8o0 &ould su&h a dull fello0 as = gras* its s*iritDK KThen re&ite
it on&e,K res*onded the 'asterI K= shall e-*lain its s*irit?K 8ereu*on Aah Tah began to re&ite
the sutra, and 0hen he read it until the end of the se&ond &ha*ter the tea&her sto**ed hi',
sayingJ KCou 'ay sto* there? %o0 = kno0 that this sutra 0as *rea&hed to sho0 the so-&alled
greatest ob+e&t of Shakya .uni@s a**earing on earth? That greatest ob+e&t 0as to have all
sentient beings ,nlightened +ust as 8e 8i'self?K =n this 0ay the Si-th Patriar&h gras*ed the
essentials of the .ahayana sutras, and freely 'ade use of the' as the e-*lanation of the
*ra&ti&al 5uestions about 4en?
EA%F3:G One of the 'ost noted .ahayana sutras, translated by )har'araksa #9?)? (<:$ and
by Ku'ara+iva #9?)? 3>:$? The reader has to note that the author states the essential do&trine
in the se&ond &ha*ter? See K Sa&red Books of the ,ast,K vol? --i?, **? ">-7!?
"? The )is&i*les under the Si-th Patriar&h?
So'e ti'e after this the Si-th Patriar&h settled hi'self do0n at the Pao 1in .onastery, better
kno0n as Tsao Ki Shan #So-kei-Ban$, in Shao Cheu, and it gro0 into a great &entre of 4en in
the Southern States? Under his instru&tion 'any e'inent 4en 'asters 5ualified the'selves as
1eaders of the Three 2orlds? 8e did not give the *atriar&hal sy'bol, the Ka&haya, to his
su&&essors, lest it 'ight &ause needless 5uarrels a'ong the brethren, as 0as e-*erien&ed by
hi'self? 8e only gave san&tion to his dis&i*les 0ho attained to ,nlighten'ent, and allo0ed
the' to tea&h 4en in a 'anner best suited to their o0n *ersonalities? Aor instan&e, 8uen Kioh
#Gen-kaku$, a s&holar of the Tien Tai do&trine,EA%F3;G 0ell kno0n as the Tea&her of Cung
KiaEA%F3<G #Co-ka$, re&eived a san&tion for his s*iritual attain'ent after e-&hanging a fe0
0ords 0ith the 'aster in their first intervie0, and 0as at on&e a&kno0ledged as a 4en tea&her?
2hen he rea&hed the Benith of his fa'e, he 0as *resented 0ith a &rystal bo0l together 0ith
ri&h gifts by the ,'*ress Tseh TienI and it 0as in 9?)? ;>7 that the ,'*eror Chung Tsung
invited hi' in vain to *ro&eed to the *ala&e, sin&e the latter follo0ed the e-a'*le of the
Aourth Patriar&h?
EA%F3;G The Tea&her of Tien Tai #Ten-dai, 9?)? 7"<-7!;$, the founder of the Buddhist se&t of
the sa'e na'e, 0as a great s&holar of originality? 8is do&trine and &riti&is' on the Tri*itaka
greatly influen&ed the 0hole of Buddhis' after hi'? 8is do&trine is briefly given in the
se&ond &ha*ter?
EA%F3<G 8is Ching Tao Ko #Sho-do-ka$, a beautiful 'etri&al e-*osition of 4en, is still read
by 'ost students of 4en?
9fter the deathEA%F3!G of the Si-th Patriar&h #9?)? ;"$, the Southern 4en 0as divided into
t0o s&hools, one being re*resented by Tsing Cuen #Sei-gen$, the other by %an Coh #%an-
gaku?$ Out of these t0o 'ain s&hools soon develo*ed the fiveEA%F7>G bran&hes of 4en, and
the faith 'ade a s*lendid *rogress? 9fter Tsing Cuen and %an Coh, one of the +unior dis&i*les
of the Si-th Patriar&h, 80ui Chung #,-&hu$, held an honourable *osition for si-teen years as
the s*iritual adviser to the ,'*eror Suh Tsung #9?)? ;7:;:($ and to the ,'*eror Tai Tsung
#9?)? ;:"-;;!$? These t0o ,'*erors 0ere enthusiasti& ad'irers of 4en, and ordered several
ti'es the Ka&haya of Bodhidhar'a to be brought into the *ala&e fro' the Pao 1in .onastery
that they 'ight do *ro*er ho'age to it? 2ithin so'e one hundred and thirty years after the
Si-th Patriar&h, 4en gained so great influen&e a'ong higher &lasses that at the ti'e of the
,'*eror Suen Tsung #9?)? <3;-<7!$ both the ,'*eror and his Pri'e .inister, Pei 8iu, 0ere
noted for the *ra&ti&e of 4en? =t 'ay be said that 4en had its golden age, beginning 0ith the
reign of the ,'*eror Suh Tsung, of the Tang dynasty, until the reign of the ,'*eror 8iao
Tsung #:"-<!$, 0ho 0as the greatest *atron of Buddhis' in the Southern Sung dynasty?
To this age belong al'ost all the greatest 4en s&holarsEA%F7G of China?
EA%F3!G There e-ists 1uh Tan Aah Pao Tan King #6oku-so-ho-bo-dan-kyo$, a &olle&tion of
his ser'ons? =t is full of bold state'ents of 4en in its *urest for', and is entirely free fro'
a'biguous and enig'ati&al 0ords that en&u'ber later 4en books? =n &onse5uen&e it is 0idely
read by non-Buddhist s&holars in China and Ja*an? Both 80ui Chung #,-&hu$, a fa'ous
dis&i*le of the Si-th Patriar&h, and )o-gen, the founder of the Soto Se&t in Ja*an, deny the
authority of the book, and de&lare it to be 'isleading, be&ause of errors and *re+udi&es of the
&o'*ilers? Still, 0e believe it to be a &olle&tion of genuine se&tions given by the Si-th
Patriar&h, though there are so'e 'istakes in its histori&al narratives?
EA%F7>G #$ The Tsao Tung #So-to$ Se&t, founded by Tsing Cuen #died in 9?)? ;3>$ and his
su&&essorsI #($ the 1in Tsi #6in-4ai$ Se&t, founded by %an Coh #died in ;33$ and his
su&&essorsI #"$ the 2ei Can #Ci-gyo$ Se&t, founded by 2ei Shan #Ci-san, died in <7"$ and his
dis&i*le Cen Shan #Kyo-Ban, died in <!>$I #3$ the Cun .an #Un-'on$ Se&t, founded by Cun
.an #died in !3!$I #7$ the Pao Cen #8o-gen$ Se&t, founded by Pao Cen #died in !7<$?
EA%F7G )uring the Tang dynasty #9?)? :<-!>:$ China *rodu&ed, besides the Si-th
Patriar&h and his *ro'inent dis&i*les, su&h great 4en tea&hers as .a Tsu #Ba-so, died in ;<<$,
0ho is *robably the originator of the 4en 9&tivityI Shih Teu #Seki-to, died in ;!>$, the
re*uted author of Tsan Tung Ki #San-do-kai$, a 'etri&al 0riting on 4enI Poh Chang #8yaku-
+o, died <3$, 0ho first laid do0n regulations for the 4en .onasteryI 2ei Shan #Ci-san$,
Cang Shan #Kyo-Ban$, the founders of the 2ei Cang Se&tI 80ang Pah #O-baku, died in <7>$,
one of the founders of the 1in Tsi Se&t, and the author of Ch0en Sin Pao Cao, #)en-sin-ho-
yo$, one of the best 0orks on 4enI 1in Tsi #6in-Bai, died in <::$, the real founder of the 1in
Tsi Se&tI Tung Shan #To-Ban, died in <:!$, the real founder of the Tsao Tung Se&tI Tsao Shan
#So-Ban, died in !>$, a fa'ous dis&i*le of Tung ShanI Teh Shan #Toku-san, died in <:7$,
0ho 0as used to strike every 5uestioner 0ith his staffI Chang Sha #Cho-sha, died in <("$I
Chao Cheu #Jo-shu, died in <!;$I %an Tsuen #%an-sen, died in <"3$I 2u Ceh #.u-go, died in
<("$I 0ho is said to have re*lied, @90ay 0ith your idle thoughts,@ to every 5uestionerI Cun
Cen #Un-gan, died in <(!$I Coh Shan #Caku-san, died in <"3$I Ta .ei #Tai-bai, died in <"!$, a
noted re&luseI Ta TsB #)ai-+i, died in <:($I K0ei Aung #Kei-ho, died in <3$, the author of
@The Origin of .an,@ and other nu'erous 0orksI and Cun Ku #Un-go, died in !>($?
To the *eriod of the Aive )ynasties #9?)? !>;-!7!$ belong su&h tea&hers as Sueh Aung #Set-
*o, died in? !><$I 8uen Sha #Gen-sha, died in !><$I Cun .an #Un-'on, died in !3!$, the
founder of the Cun .an Se&tI Shen Cueh #4en-getsu, died in !($, a reno0ned 4en *oetI Pu
Tai #8o-tei, died in !:$, 0ell kno0n for his *e&uliaritiesI Chang King #Cho-kei, died in
!"($I %an Cuen #%an-in, died in !7($I Pao Cen #8o-gen, died in !7<$, the founder of the Pao
Cen Se&t? )uring the Sung dynasty #9?)? !:>-(:$ a**eared su&h tea&hers as Cang Ki #Co-
gi, died in >3!$, the founder of the Cang Ki S&hool of 4enI Sueh Teu #Set-&ho, died in
>7($, noted for *oeti&al 0orksI 80ang 1ung #O ryu, died in >:!$, the founder of the
80ang 1ung S&hool of 4enI 80ang 1in #Ko-rin, died in !<;$I TsB .ing #Ji-'yo, died in
>3>$I Teu Tsy #To-shi, died in ><"$I Au Cun #Au-yo, died in <$I 2u Tsu #Go-so, died in
>3$I Cung .ing #Co-'yo, died in !;7$, the author of Tsung King 1uh #Shu-kyo-roku$I Ki
Sung #Kai-su, died in >;$, a great 4en historian and author? =n the Southern Sung dynasty
#9?)? (;-(;!$ flourished su&h 'asters as Cuen 2u #,n-go, died in "7$, the author of
Pik Cen Tsih #8eki-gan-shu$I Chan 8ieh #Shin-ketsu, flourished in 7$I 8ung Chi #2an-
shi, died in 7;$, fa'ous for his *oeti&al 0orksI Ta 80ui #)ai-e, died in :"$, a noted
dis&i*le of Cuen 2uI 2an Sung #Ban-sho$, flourished in !"-!;$, the author of Tsung Cun
1uh #Sho-yo-roku$I Ju Tsing #%yo-+o$, died in ((<$, the tea&her to )o-gen, or the founder of
the So-to Se&t in Ja*an?
To this age belong al'ost all the e'inent 'en of letters,EA%F7(G states'en, 0arriors, and
artists 0ho 0ere kno0n as the *ra&tisers of 4en? To this age belongs the *rodu&tion of al'ost
all 4en books,EA%F7"G do&trinal and histori&al?
EA%F7(G 9'ong the great na'es of 4en believers the follo0ing are 'ost i'*ortantJ Pang
Cun #8o-on, flourished in ;<7-<>3$, 0hose 0hole fa'ily 0as *rofi&ient in 4enI Tsui Kiun
#Sai-gun, flourished in <>:-<(3$I 1uh Kang #6ik-ko$, a lay dis&i*le to %an TsunI Poh 1oh
Tien #8aku-raku-ten, died in <3;$, one of the greatest Chinese literary 'enI Pei 8iu #8ai-
kyu, flourished <(;-<7:$, the Pri'e .inister under the ,'*eror Suen Tsung, a lay dis&i*le to
80ang PahI 1i %gao #6i-ko, lived about <>:$, an author and s&holar 0ho *ra&tised 4en
under Coh ShanI Cu Chuh #U-teki, flourished ;<7-<>3$, a lo&al governor, a friend of Pang
CunI Cang Cih #Co-oku, flourished in !;:$, one of the greatest 0riters of his ageI Aan Chung
%gan #8an-&hu an, flourished >><->7($, an able states'an and s&holarI Au Pih #Au shitsu,
flourished >3-><"$, a 'inister under the ,'*eror Jan TsungI Chang Shang Cing #Cho-
sho-yei, ><:-(($, a Buddhist s&holar and a states'anI 80ang Ting Kien #Ko-tei-ken,
>:3->!3$, a great *oetI Su Shih #So-shoku, died in >$, a great 'an of letters, 0ell
kno0n as So-to-baI Su Cheh #So-tetsu, died in ($, a younger brother of So-to-ba, a s&holar
and 'inister under the ,'*eror Cheh TsungI Chang Kiu Ching #Cho-Kyu-sei, flourished
about "$, a s&holar and lay dis&i*le of Ta 80uiI Cang Kieh #Co-ketsu, flourished >;<-
><:$, a s&holar and states'an?
EA%F7"G Of do&trinal 4en books, besides Sin Sin .ing by the Third Patriar&h, and Aah Pao
Tan King by the Si-th Patriar&h, the follo0ing are of great i'*ortan&eJ
#$ Ching Tao Ko #Sho-do-ka$, by 8uen Kioh #Gen-kaku$? #($ Tsan Tung Ki #San-do-kai$, by
Shih Ten #Seki-to$? #"$ Pao King San .ei #8o-kyo-san-'ai$, by Tung Shan #To-Ban$? #3$
Ch0en Sin Pao Cao #)en-sin-ho-yo$, by 80ang Pah #O-baku$? #7$ Pih Cen Tsih #8eki-gan-
shu$, by Cuen 2u #,n-go$? #:$ 1in Tsi 1uh #6in-Bai-roku$, by 1in Tsi #6in-Bai$? #;$ Tsung
Cun 1uh #Sho-yo-roku$, by 2an Sung #Ban-sho$?
Of histori&al 4en books the follo0ing are of i'*ortan&eJ
#$ King teh Ch0en Tan-1uh #Kei-toku-den-to-roku$, *ublished in >>3 by Tao Cuen #)o-
gen$? #($ K0an Tang 1uh #Ko-to roku$, *ublished in >": by 1i Tsun Suh #6i-+un-kyoku$? #"$
Suh Tang 1uh #4oku-O-roku$, *ublished in > by 2ei Poh #=-haku$? #3$ 1ien Tang 1uh
#6en-O-roku$, *ublished in <" by 80ui 2ang #.ai-o$? #7$ Ching Tsung Ki #Sho-+u-ki$,
*ublished in >7< by Ki Sung #K0ai-su$? #:$ Pu Tang 1uh #Au-O-roku$, *ublished in (> by
Ching Sheu #Sho-+u$? #;$ 80ui Cuen #,-gen$, *ublished in (7( by Ta Ch0en #)ai-sen$? #<$
Sin Tang 1uh #Sin-2-roku$, *ublished in (<>-(!3 by Sui #4ui$? #!$ Suh Ch0en Tang 1uh
#4oku-den-to-roku$, by 2ang Siu #Bun-shu$? #>$ 80ui Cuen Suh 1ioh #,-gen-Boku-ryaku$,
by Tsing Chu #Jo-&hu$? #$ Ki Tang 1uh #Kei-to-roku$, by Cung Kioh #Co-kaku$?
3? Three ='*ortant ,le'ents of 4en?
To understand ho0 4en develo*ed during so'e four hundred years after the Si-th Patriar&h,
0e should kno0 that there are three i'*ortant ele'ents in 4en? The first of these is
te&hni&ally &alled the 4en %u'berHthe 'ethod of *ra&tising .editation by sitting &ross-
legged, of 0hi&h 0e shall treat later?EA%F73G This 'ethod is fully develo*ed by =ndian
tea&hers before Bodhidhar'a@s introdu&tion of 4en into China, therefore it under0ent little
&hange during this *eriod? The se&ond is the 4en )o&trine, 0hi&h 'ainly &onsists of =dealisti&
and Pantheisti& ideas of .ahayana Buddhis', but 0hi&h undoubtedly e'bra&es so'e tenets
of Taois'? Therefore, 4en is not a *ure =ndian faith, but rather of Chinese origin? The third is
the 4en 9&tivity, or the 'ode of e-*ression of 4en in a&tion, 0hi&h is entirely absent in any
other faith?
EA%F73G See Cha*ter /==?
=t 0as for the sake of this 4en 9&tivity that 80ang Pah gave a sla* three ti'es to the
,'*eror Suen TsungI that 1in Tsi so often burst out into a loud out&ry of 8oh #Katsu$I that
%an Tsuen killed a &at at a single stroke of his knife in the *resen&e of his dis&i*lesI and that
Teh Shan so fre5uently stru&k 5uestioners 0ith his staff?EA%F77G The 4en 9&tivity 0as
dis*layed by the Chinese tea&hers 'aking use of diverse things su&h as the staff, the
brushEA%F7:G of long hair, the 'irror, the rosary, the &u*, the *it&her, the flag, the 'oon, the
si&kle, the *lough, the bo0 and arro0, the ball, the bell, the dru', the &at, the dog, the du&k,
the earth0or'Hin short, any and everything that 0as fit for the o&&asion and &onvenient for
the *ur*ose? Thus 4en 9&tivity 0as of *ure Chinese origin, and it 0as develo*ed after the
Si-th Patriar&h?EA%F7;G Aor this reason the *eriod *revious to the Si-th Patriar&h 'ay be
&alled the 9ge of the 4en )o&trine, 0hile that *osterior to the sa'e 'aster, the 9ge of the
4en 9&tivity?
EA%F77G 9 long offi&ial staff #Shu-+o$ like the &rosier &arried by the abbot of the 'onastery?
EA%F7:G 9n orna'ental brush #8os-su$ often &arried by 4en tea&hers?
EA%F7;G The giving of a sla* 0as first tried by the Si-th Patriar&h, 0ho stru&k one of his
dis&i*les, kno0n as 8o Tseh #Ka-taku$, and it 0as very fre5uently resorted to by the later
'asters? The lifting u* of the brush 0as first tried by Tsing Cuen in an intervie0 0ith his
eldest dis&i*le, Shih Ten, and it be&a'e a fashion a'ong other tea&hers? The loud out&ry of
8oh 0as first 'ade use of by .a Tsu, the su&&essor of %an Coh? =n this 0ay the origin of the
4en 9&tivity &an easily be tra&ed to the Si-th Patriar&h and his dire&t dis&i*les? 9fter the Sung
dynasty Chinese 4en 'asters see' to have given undue 0eight to the 9&tivity, and negle&ted
the serious study of the do&trine? This brought out the degeneration severely re*roa&hed by
so'e of the Ja*anese 4en tea&hers?
7? )e&line of 4en?
The bloo'ing *ros*erity of 4en 0as over to0ards the end of the Southern Sung dynasty
#(;-(;!$, 0hen it began to fade, not being bitten by the frost of o**ression fro' 0ithout,
but being 0eakened by rottenness 0ithin? 9s early as the Sung dynasty #!:>-(:$ the
0orshi* of Buddha 9'itabhaEA%F7<G stealthily found its 0ay a'ong 4en believers, 0ho
&ould not fully realiBe the S*irit of Shakya .uni, and to satisfy these *eo*le the
a'alga'ation of the t0o faiths 0as atte'*ted by so'e 4en 'asters?EA%F7!G
EA%F7<G The faith is based on 1arger Sukhavati-vyuha, S'aller Sukhavati-vyuha, and
9'itayus-dhyana-sutra? =t 0as taught in =ndia by 9&vaghosa, %agariuna, and /asubandhu? =n
China 80ui Cuen #,-on, died in 9?)? 3:$, Tan 10an #)on-ran, died in 73($, Tao Choh #)o-
shaku$, and Shen Tao #4en-do$ #both of 0ho' lived about :>>-:7>$, &hiefly taught the
do&trine? =t 'ade an e-traordinary *rogress in Ja*an, and differentiated itself into several
se&ts, of 0hi&h Jodo Shu and Shin Shu are the strongest?
EA%F7!G =t is beyond all doubt that Poh 1oh Tien #8aku-raku-ten$ *ra&tised 4en, but at the
sa'e ti'e believed in 9'itabhaI so also Su Shih #So-shoku$, a 'ost noted 4en *ra&tiser,
0orshi**ed the sa'e Buddha, Cang Kieh #Co-keteu$, 0ho &arried a *i&ture of 9'itabha
0herever he 0ent and 0orshi**ed it, see's to have thought there is nothing in&o'*atible
bet0een 4en and his faith? The fore'ost of those 4en 'asters of the Sung dynasty that
atte'*ted the a'alga'ation is Cung .ing #Co-'yo, died in !;7$, 0ho re&on&iled 4en 0ith
the 0orshi* of 9'itabha in his 2an Shen Tung K0ei Tsih #.an-Ben-do-ki-shu$ and Si %gan
Can Shan Au #Sei-an-yo-sin-fu$? 8e 0as follo0ed by Tsing TsB #Jo-+i$ and Chan 8ieh #Shin-
ketsu, lived about 7$, the for'er of 0ho' 0rote K0ei Cuen Chih Chi #Ki-gen-+iki-shi$,
and the latter Tsing Tu Sin Cao #Jo-do-sin-yo$, in order to further the tenden&y? =n the Cuen
dynasty Chung Aung #Chu-ho, died in "("$ en&ouraged the adoration of 9'itabha, together
0ith the *ra&ti&e of 4en, in his *oeti&al &o'*osition #K0an-shu-+o-go$? =n the .ing dynasty
Cun Si #Un-sei, died in :7$, the author of Shen K0an Tseh Tsin #4en-k0an-saku-shin$ and
other nu'erous 0orks, 0riting a &o''entary on Sukhavati-vyuha-sutra, brought the
a'alga'ation to its height? Ku Shan #Ku-Ban, died in :7;$, a 4en historian and author, and
his *ro'inent dis&i*le 2ei 1in #,-rin$, a-e 0ell kno0n as the a'alga'ators? Cun .ing
de&lared that those 0ho *ra&tise 4en, but have no faith in 9'itabha, go astray in nine &ases
out of tenI that those 0ho do not *ra&tise 4en, but believe in 9'itabha, are saved, one and
allI that those 0ho *ra&tise 4en, and have the faith in 9'itabha, are like the tiger *rovided
0ith 0ingsI and that for those 0ho have no faith in 9'itabha, nor *ra&tise 4en, there e-ist
the iron floor and the &o**er *illars in 8ell? Ku Shan said that so'e *ra&tise 4en in order to
attain ,nlighten'ent, 0hile others *ray 9'itabha for salvationI that if they 0ere sin&ere and
diligent, both 0ill obtain the final beatitude? 2ei 1in also observedJ KTheoreti&ally = e'bra&e
4en, and *ra&ti&ally = 0orshi* 9'itabha?K ,-&hu, the author of 4en-to-nenbutsu #@On 4en and
the 2orshi* of 9'itabha@$, *oints out that one of the dire&t dis&i*les of the Si-th Patriar&h
favoured the faith of 9'itabha, but there is no trust0orthy eviden&e, as far as 0e kno0, that
*roves the e-isten&e of the a'alga'ation in the Tang dynasty?
This tenden&y steadily in&reasing 0ith ti'e brought out at length the *eriod of a'alga'ation
0hi&h &overed the Cuen #(<>-":;$ and the .ing dynasties #":<-:7!$, 0hen the *rayer
for 9'itabha 0as in every 'outh of 4en 'onks sitting in .editation? The *atrons of 4en
0ere not 0anting in the Cuen dynasty, for su&h a 0arlike 'onar&h as the ,'*eror Shi Tsu
#Sei-so$, (<>-(!3$ is kno0n to have *ra&tised 4en under the instru&tion of .iao Kao, and
his su&&essor Ching Tsung #(!7-">;$ to have trusted in Cih Shan,EA%F:>G a 4en tea&her of
re*utation at that ti'e? .oreover, 1in Ping Chung #6in-hei-&ha, died in (;3$, a *o0erful
'inister under Shi Tsu, 0ho did 'u&h to0ard the establish'ent of the ad'inistrative syste'
in that dynasty, had been a 4en 'onk, and never failed to *atroniBe his faith? 9nd in the .ing
dynasty the first ,'*eror Tai Tsu #":<-"!<$, having been a 4en 'onk, *rote&ted the se&t
0ith enthusias', and his e-a'*le 0as follo0ed by Tai Tsung #3>"-3(3$, 0hose s*iritual as
0ell as *oliti&al adviser 0as Tao Cen, a 4en 'onk of distin&tion? Thus 4en e-er&ised an
influen&e un*aralleled by any other faith throughout these ages? The life and energy of 4en,
ho0ever, 0as gone by the ignoble a'alga'ation, and even su&h great s&holars as Chung
Aung,EA%F:G Cung Si,EA%F:(G Cung Kioh,EA%F:"G 0ere not free fro' the over0hel'ing
influen&e of the age?
EA%F:>G The ,'*eror sent hi' to Ja*an in (!! 0ith so'e se&ret order, but he did nothing
*oliti&al, and stayed as a 4en tea&her until his death?
EA%F:G 9 'ost reno0ned 4en 'aster in the Cuen dynasty, 0ho' the
,'*eror Jan Tsung invited to visit the *ala&e, but in vain?
EA%F:(G 9n author noted for his learning and virtues, 0ho 0as rather a 0orshi**er of
9'itabha than a 4en 'onk?
EA%F:"G 9n author of volu'inous books, of 0hi&h Tung Shang Ku Cheh
#To-+o-ko-tetsu$ is 0ell kno0n?
2e are not, ho0ever, doing +usti&e to the tenden&y of a'alga'ation in these ti'es si'*ly to
bla'e it for its obno-ious results, be&ause it is beyond doubt that it brought forth 0holeso'e
fruits to the Chinese literature and *hiloso*hy? 2ho &an deny that this tenden&y brought the
S*e&ulativeEA%F:3G *hiloso*hy of the Sung dynasty to its &onsu''ation by the
a'alga'ation of Confu&ianis' 0ith Buddhis' es*e&ially 0ith 4en, to enable it to e-er&ise
long-standing influen&e on so&iety, and that this tenden&y also *rodu&ed 2ang Cang .ing,
EA%F:7G one of the greatest generals and s&holars that the 0orld has ever seen, 0hose
*hiloso*hy of Cons&ien&eEA%F::G still holds a uni5ue *osition in the history of hu'an
thoughtD 2ho &an deny further'ore that 2ang@s *hiloso*hy is 4en in the Confu&ian
ter'inologyD
EA%F:3G This 0ell-kno0n *hiloso*hy 0as first taught by Cheu .en Shuh #Shu-'o-shiku,
died in >;"$ in its definite for'? 8e is said to have been enlightened by the instru&tion of
80ui Tang, a &onte'*orary 4en 'aster? 8e 0as su&&eeded by Chang .ing Tao #Tei-'ei-do,
died in ><7$ and Chang = Ch0en #Tei-i-sen, died in >;$, t0o brothers, 0ho develo*ed the
*hiloso*hy in no s'all degree? 9nd it 0as &o'*leted by Chu TsB #Shu-shi, died in (>>$, a
&elebrated &o''entator of the Confu&ian &lassi&s? =t is 0orthy to note that these s&holars
*ra&tised .editation +ust as 4en 'onks? See @8istory of Chinese Philoso*hy@ #**? (7-(:!$,
by G? %akau&hi, and @8istory of )evelo*'ent of Chinese Thought,@ by 6? ,ndo?
EA%F:7G 8e 0as born in 3;(, and died in 7(!? 8is do&trine e-er&ised a 'ost fruitful
influen&e on 'any of the great Ja*anese 'inds, and undoubtedly has done 'u&h to the
*rogress of %e0 Ja*an?
EA%F::G See )en-shu-roku and O-ya-'ei-Ben-sho?
CHAPTER II
HISTORY OF ZEN IN JAPAN
? The ,stablish'ent of the 6in 4aiEA%F:;G S&hool of 4en in Ja*an?
EA%F:;G The 1in Tsi s&hool 0as started by %an Coh, a *ro'inent dis&i*le of the Si-th
Patriar&h, and &o'*leted by 1in Tsi or 6in 4ai?
The introdu&tion of 4en into the island e'*ire is dated as early as the seventh &enturyI
EA%F:<G but it 0as in ! that it 0as first established by ,i-sai, a 'an of bold, energeti&
nature? 8e &rossed the sea for China at the age of t0enty-eight in :<, after his *rofound
study of the 0hole Tri*itakaEA%F:!G for eight years in the 8i-yei .onasteryEA%F;>G the then
&entre of Ja*anese Buddhis'?
EA%F:<G 4en 0as first introdu&ed into Ja*an by )o sha #:(!-;>>$ as early as :7"-:7:, at the
ti'e 0hen the Aifth Patriar&h +ust entered his *atriar&hal &areer? )o-sho 0ent over to China in
:7", and 'et 0ith 8uen Tsang, the &elebrated and great s&holar, 0ho taught hi' the do&trine
of the )har'a-laksana? =t 0as 8uen Tsang 0ho advised )o-sho to study 4en under 80ui
.an #,-'an$? 9fter returning ho'e, he built a .editation 8all for the *ur*ose of *ra&tising
4en in the Gan-go 'onastery, %ara? Thus 4en 0as first trans*lanted into Ja*an by )o-sho,
but it took no root in the soil at that ti'e?
%e-t a Chinese 4en tea&her, = Kung #Gi-ku$, &a'e over to Ja*an in about <>, and under his
instru&tion the ,'*ress )anrin, a 'ost enthusiasti& Buddhist, 0as enlightened? She ere&ted a
'onastery na'ed )an-rin-+i, and a**ointed = Kung the abbot of it for the sake of *ro*agating
the faith? =t being of no *ur*ose, ho0ever, = Kung 0ent ba&k to China after so'e years?
Thirdly, Kaku-a in ; 0ent over to China, 0here he studied 4en under Auh 8ai #Buk-kai$,
0ho belonged to the Cang Ki #Co-gi$ s&hool, and &a'e ho'e after three years? Being
5uestioned by the ,'*eror Taka-kura #:!-<>$ about the do&trine of 4en, he uttered no
0ord, but took u* a flute and *layed on it? But his first note 0as too high to be &aught by the
ordinary ear, and 0as gone 0ithout *rodu&ing any e&ho in the &ourt nor in so&iety at large?
EA%F:!G The three divisions of the Buddhist &anon, viB?J
#$ Sutra-*itaka, or a &olle&tion of do&trinal books? #($ /inaya-*itaka, or a &olle&tion of 0orks
on dis&i*line? #"$ 9bhidhar'a-*itaka, or a &olle&tion of *hiloso*hi&al and e-*ository 0orks?
EA%F;>G The great 'onastery ere&ted in ;<< by Sai-&ho #;:;-<(($, the founder of the
Ja*anese Ten )ai Se&t, kno0n as )en Gyo )ai Shi?
9fter visiting holy *la&es and great 'onasteries, he &a'e ho'e, bringing 0ith hi' over thirty
different books on the do&trine of the Ten-)ai Se&t?EA%F;G This, instead of 5uen&hing,
added fuel to his burning desire for adventurous travel abroad? So he &rossed the sea over
again in <;, this ti'e intending to 'ake *ilgri'age to =ndiaI and no one &an tell 0hat
'ight have been the result if the Chinese authorities did not forbid hi' to &ross the border?
Thereon he turned his attention to the study of 4en, and after five years@ dis&i*line su&&eeded
in getting san&tion for his s*iritual attain'ent by the 8u %gan #Kio-an$, a noted 'aster of the
6in 4ai s&hool, the then abbot of the 'onastery of Tien Tung Shan #Ten-do-san$? 8is a&tive
*ro*aganda of 4en 0as &o''en&ed soon after his return in ! 0ith s*lendid su&&ess at a
ne0ly built te'*leEA%F;(G in the *rovin&e of Chiku-Ben? =n (>( Cori-iye, the Shogun, or the
real governor of the State at that ti'e, ere&ted the 'onastery of Ken-nin-+i in the &ity of Kyo-
to, and invited hi' to *ro&eed to the 'etro*olis? 9&&ordingly he settled hi'self do0n in that
te'*le, and taught 4en 0ith his &hara&teristi& a&tivity?
EA%F;G The se&t 0as na'ed after its founder in China, Chi = #7"<-7!;$, 0ho lived in the
'onastery of Tien Tai Shan #Ten-dai-san$, and 0as &alled the Great Tea&her of Tien Tai? =n
<>3 )en-gyo 0ent over to China by the ='*erial order, and re&eived the trans'ission of the
do&trine fro' Tao Sui #)o-sui$, a *atriar&h of the se&t? 9fter his return he ere&ted a 'onastery
on .ount 8i-yei, 0hi&h be&a'e the &entre of Buddhisti& learning?
EA%F;(G 8e ere&ted the 'onastery of Sho-fuku-+i in !7, 0hi&h is still *ros*ering?
This *rovoked the envy and 0rath of the Ten )ai and the Shin GonEA%F;"G tea&hers, 0ho
*resented 'e'orials to the ='*erial &ourt to *rotest against his *ro*agandis' of the ne0
faith? Taking advantage of the *rotests, ,i-sai 0rote a book entitled Ko-Ben-go-koku-ron
#@The Prote&tion of the State by the Pro*agation of 4en@$, and not only e-*lained his o0n
*osition, but e-*osed the ignoran&eEA%F;3G of the *rotestants? Thus at last his 'erit 0as
a**re&iated by the ,'*eror Tsu&hi-'ikado #!!-(>$, and he 0as *ro'oted to So Jo, the
highest rank in the Buddhist *riesthood, together 0ith the gift of a *ur*le robe in (>:? So'e
ti'e after this he 0ent to the &ity of Ka'a-kura, the *oliti&al &entre, being invited by Sane-
to'o, the Shogun, and laid the foundation of the so-&alled Ka'a-kura 4en, still *ros*ering at
the *resent 'o'ent?
EA%F;"G The Shin Gon or .antra Se&t is based on .ahavairo&anabhi-sa'bodhi-sutra,
/a+ra&ekhara-sutra, and other .antra-sutras? =t 0as established in China by /a+rabodhi and
his dis&i*le 9'oahava+ra, 0ho &a'e fro' =ndia in ;(>? Ku kai #;;3-<"7$, 0ell kno0n as Ko
Bo )ai Shi, 0ent to China in <>3, and re&eived the trans'ission of the do&trine fro' 80ui
K0o #Kei-ka$, a, dis&i*le of 9'oghava+ra? =n <>: he &a'e ba&k and *ro*agated the faith
al'ost all over the &ountry? Aor the detail see @9 Short 8istory of the T0elve Ja*anese
Buddhist Se&ts@ #&ha*? viii?$, by )r? %an+o?
EA%F;3G Sai-&ho, the founder of the Ja*anese Ten )ai Se&t, first learned the do&trine of the
%orthern S&hool of 4en under Gyo-hyo #died in ;!;$, and after0ards he *ursued the study of
the sa'e faith under Siao Jan in China? Therefore to o**ose the *ro*agation of 4en is, for
Ten )ai *riests, as 'u&h as to o**ose the founder of their o0n se&t?
(? The =ntrodu&tion of the So-To S&hoolEA%F;7G of 4en?
EA%F;7G This s&hool 0as started by Tsing-Cuen #Sei-gen$, an e'inent dis&i*le of the Si-th
Patriar&h, and &o'*leted by Tsing Shan #To-Ban$?
9lthough the 6in 4ai s&hool 0as, as 'entioned above, established by ,i-sai, yet he hi'self
0as not a *ure 4en tea&her, being a Ten )ai s&holar as 0ell as an e-*erien&ed *ra&tiser of
.antra? The first establish'ent of 4en in its *urest for' 0as done by )o-gen, no0 kno0n as
Jo Co )ai Shi? 1ike ,i-sai, he 0as ad'itted into the 8i-yei .onastery at an early age, and
devoted hi'self to the study of the Canon? 9s his s&ri*tural kno0ledge in&reased, he 0as
troubled by ine-*ressible doubts and fears, as is usual 0ith great religious tea&hers?
Conse5uently, one day he &onsulted his un&le, Ko-in, a distinguished Ten )ai s&holar, about
his troubles? The latter, being unable to satisfy hi', re&o''ended hi' ,i-sai, the founder of
the ne0 faith? But as ,i-sai died soon after0ards, he felt that he had no &o'*etent tea&her
left, and &rossed the sea for China, at the age of t0enty-four, in (("? There he 0as ad'itted
into the 'onastery of Tien Tung Shan #Ten-do-san$, and assigned the lo0est seat in the hall,
si'*ly be&ause be 0as a foreigner? 9gainst this affront he strongly *rotested? =n the Buddhist
&o''unity, he said, all 0ere brothers, and there 0as no differen&e of nationality? The only
0ay to rank the brethren 0as by seniority, and he therefore &lai'ed to o&&u*y his *ro*er
rank? %obody, ho0ever, lent an ear to the *oor ne0-&o'er@s *rotest, so he a**ealed t0i&e to
the Chinese ,'*eror %ing Tsung #!7-((3$, and by the ='*erial order he gained his
ob+e&t?
9fter four years@ study and dis&i*line, he 0as ,nlightened and a&kno0ledged as the su&&essor
by his 'aster Ju Tsing #%yo-+o died in ((<$, 0ho belonged to the Tsao Tung #So To$ s&hool?
8e &a'e ho'e in ((;, bringing 0ith hi' three i'*ortant 4en books?EA%F;:G So'e three
years he did 0hat Bodhidhar'a, the 2all-gaBing Brah'in, had done seven hundred years
before hi', retiring to a her'itage at Auka-kusa, not very far fro' Kyo-to? Just like
Bodhidhar'a, denoun&ing all 0orldly fa'e and gain, his attitude to0ard the 0orld 0as
dia'etri&ally o**osed to that of ,i-sai? 9s 0e have seen above, ,i-sai never shunned, but
rather sought the so&iety of the *o0erful and the ri&h, and 'ade for his goal by every 'eans?
But to the Sage of Auka-kusa, as )o-gen 0as &alled at that ti'e, *o'* and *o0er 0as the
'ost disgusting thing in the 0orld? Judging fro' his *oe's, be see's to have s*ent these
years &hiefly in 'editationI d0elling no0 on the transitoriness of life, no0 on the eternal
*ea&e of %irvanaI no0 on the vanities and 'iseries of the 0orldI no0 listening to the voi&es
of %ature a'ongst the hillsI no0 gaBing into the brooklet that 0as, as he thought, &arrying
a0ay his i'age refle&ted on it into the 0orld?
EA%F;:G #$ Pao King San .ei #8o-kyo-san-'ai, @Pre&ious .irror Sa'adhi@$, a 'etri&al
e-*osition of 4en, by Tung Shan #To-Ban, <>:-<:!$, one of the founders of the So To s&hool?
#($ 2u 2ei 8ien 8ueh #Go-i-ken-ketsu? @,-*lanation of the Aive Categories@$, by Tung Shan
and his dis&i*le Tsao Shan #So-Ban$? This book sho0s us ho0 4en 0as syste'ati&ally taught
by the authors? #"$ Pih Cen Tsih #8eki-gan-shu, @9 Colle&tion and Criti&al Treat'ent of
)ialogues@$, by Cuen 2u?
"? The Chara&teristi&s of )o-gen, the Aounder of the Ja*anese So To Se&t?
=n the 'eanti'e seekers after a ne0 truth gradually began to kno&k at his door, and his
her'itage 0as turned into a 'onastery, no0 kno0n as the Te'*le of Ko-sho-+i?EA%F;;G =t
0as at this ti'e that 'any Buddhist s&holars and 'en of 5uality gathered about hi' but the
'ore *o*ular he be&a'e the 'ore disgusting the *la&e be&a'e to hi'? 8is hearty desire 0as
to live in a solitude a'ong 'ountains, far distant fro' hu'an abodes, 0here none but falling
0aters and singing birds &ould disturb his delightful 'editation? Therefore he gladly a&&e*ted
the invitation of a feudal lord, and 0ent to the *rovin&e of ,&hi-Ben, 0here his ideal
'onastery 0as built, no0 kno0n as ,i-hei-+i?EA%F;<G
EA%F;;G =t 0as in this 'onastery #built in (":$ that 4en 0as first taught as an inde*endent
se&t, and that the .editation 8all 0as first o*ened in Ja*an? )o-gen lived in the 'onastery
for eleven years, and 0rote so'e of the i'*ortant books? 4a-Ben-gi #@The .ethod of
Pra&tising the Cross-legged .editation@$ 0as 0ritten soon after his return fro' China, and
Ben-do-0a and other essays follo0ed, 0hi&h are in&luded in his great 0ork, entitled Sho-bo-
gen-Bo$ #@The ,ye and Treasury of the 6ight 1a0@$?
EA%F;<G The 'onastery 0as built in (33 by Coshi-shige #8atano$, the feudal lord 0ho
invited )o-gen? 8e lived in ,i-hei-+i until his death, 0hi&h took *la&e in (7"? =t is still
flourishing as the head te'*le of the So To Se&t?
=n (3;, being re5uested by Toki-yori, the 6egent General #(3;-(:"$, he &a'e do0n to
Ka'a-kura, 0here he stayed half a year and 0ent ba&k to ,i-hei-+i? 9fter so'e ti'e Toki-
yori, to sho0 his gratitude for the 'aster, dre0 u* a &ertifi&ate granting a large tra&t of land as
the *ro*erty of ,i-hei-+i, and handed it over to Gen-'yo, a dis&i*le of )o-gen? The &arrier of
the &ertifi&ate 0as so *leased 0ith the donation that he dis*layed it to all his brethren and
*rodu&ed it before the 'aster, 0ho severely re*roa&hed hi' sayingJ KO, sha'e on thee,
0ret&hO Thou art -defiled by the desire of 0orldly ri&hes even to thy in'ost soul, +ust as
noodle is stained 0ith oil? Thou &anst not be *urified fro' it to all eternity? = a' afraid thou
0ilt bring sha'e on the 6ight 1a0?K On the s*ot Gen-'yo 0as de*rived of his holy robe and
e-&o''uni&ated? Aurther'ore, the 'aster ordered the @*olluted@ seat in the .editation 8all,
0here Gen-'yo 0as 0ont to sit, to be re'oved, and the @*olluted@ earth under the seat to be
dug out to the de*th of seven feet?
=n (7> the e--,'*eror Go-sa-ga #(3"-(3:$ sent a s*e&ial 'essenger t0i&e to the ,i-hei
'onastery to do honour to the 'aster 0ith the donation of a *ur*le robe, but he de&lined to
a&&e*t it? 9nd 0hen the 'ark of distin&tion 0as offered for the third ti'e, he a&&e*ted it,
e-*ressing his feelings by the follo0ing versesJ
K9lthough in ,i-hei@s vale the shallo0 0aters lea*,
Cet thri&e it &a'e, ='*erial favour dee*?
The 9*e 'ay s'ile and laugh the Crane
9t aged .onk in *ur*le as insane?K
8e 0as never seen *utting on the *ur*le robe, being al0ays &lad in bla&k, that 0as better
suited to his se&luded life?
3? The So&ial State of Ja*an 0hen 4en 0as established by ,i-sai and )o-gen?
%o0 0e have to observe the &ondition of the &ountry 0hen 4en 0as introdu&ed into Ja*an by
,i-sai and )o-gen? %obilities that had so long governed the island 0ere nobilities no 'ore?
,nervated by their lu-uries, effe'inated by their ease, 'ade insi*ient by their debau&hery,
they 0ere entirely *o0erless? 9ll that they *ossessed in reality 0as the no'inal rank and
hereditary birth? On the &ontrary, des*ised as the ignorant, sneered at as the u*start, *ut in
&onte'*t as the vulgar, the Sa'urai or 'ilitary &lass had everything in their hands? =t 0as the
ti'e 0hen Cori-to'oEA%F;!G #3<-!!$ &on5uered all over the e'*ire, and established the
Sa'urai Govern'ent at Ka'a-kura? =t 0as the ti'e 0hen even the e'*erors 0ere dethroned
or e-iled at 0ill by the Sa'urai? =t 0as the ti'e 0hen even the Buddhist 'onksEA%F<>G
fre5uently took u* ar's to for&e their 0ill? =t 0as the ti'e 0hen Ja*an@s inde*enden&e 0as
endangered by Kublai, the terror of the 0orld? =t 0as the ti'e 0hen the 0hole nation 0as full
of 'artial s*irit? =t is beyond doubt that to these rising Sa'urais, rude and si'*le, the
*hiloso*hi&al do&trines of Buddhis', re*resented by Ten )ai and Shin Gon, 0ere too
&o'*li&ated and too alien to their nature? But in 4en they &ould find so'ething &ongenial to
their nature, so'ething that tou&hed their &hord of sy'*athy, be&ause 4en 0as the do&trine of
&hivalry in a &ertain sense?
EA%F;!G The Sa'urai Govern'ent 0as first established by Corito'o, of the .ina'oto
fa'ily, in <:, and Ja*an 0as under the &ontrol of the 'ilitary &lass until <:;, 0hen the
*oliti&al *o0er 0as finally restored to the ='*erial house?
EA%F<>G They 0ere degenerated 'onks #0ho 0ere &alled 'onk-soldiers$, belonging to great
'onasteries su&h as ,n-ryaku-+i #8i-yei$, Ko-fuku-+i #at %ara$, .i-i-dera, et&?
7? The 6ese'blan&e of the 4en .onk to the Sa'urai?
1et us *oint out in brief the si'ilarities bet0een 4en and Ja*anese &hivalry? Airst, both the
Sa'urai and the 4en 'onk have to undergo a stri&t dis&i*line and endure *rivation 0ithout
&o'*laint? ,ven su&h a *ro'inent tea&her as ,i-sai, for e-a'*le, lived &ontentedly in su&h
needy &ir&u'stan&es that on one o&&asionEA%F<G he and his dis&i*les had nothing to eat for
several days? Aortunately, they 0ere re5uested by a believer to re&ite the S&ri*tures, and
*resented 0ith t0o rolls of silk? The hungry young 'onks, 0hose 'ouths 0atered already at
the e-*e&tation of a long-looked-for dinner, 0ere disa**ointed 0hen that silk 0as given to a
*oor 'an, 0ho &alled on ,i-sai to obtain so'e hel*? Aast &ontinued for a 0hole 0eek, 0hen
another *oor follo0 &a'e in and asked ,i-sai to give so'ething? 9t this ti'e, having nothing
to sho0 his substantial 'ark of sy'*athy to0ards the *oor, ,i-sai tore off the gilt glory of the
i'age of Buddha Bhe&a+ya and gave it? The young 'onks, bitten both by hunger and by
anger at this outrageous a&t to the ob+e&t of 0orshi*, 5uestioned ,i-sai by 0ay of re*roa&hJ
K=s it, sir, right for us Buddhists to de'olish the i'age of a BuddhaDK K2ell,K re*lied ,i-sai
*ro'*tly, KBuddha 0ould give even his o0n life for the sake of suffering *eo*le? 8o0 &ould
he be relu&tant to give his haloDK This ane&dote &learly sho0s us self-sa&rifi&e is of first
i'*ortan&e in the 4en dis&i*line?
EA%F<G The in&ident is told by )o-gen in his 4ui-'on-ki?
:? The 8onest Poverty of the 4en .onk and the Sa'urai?
Se&ondly, the so-&alled honest *overty is a &hara&teristi& of both the 4en 'onk and the
Sa'urai? To get ri&h by an ignoble 'eans is against the rules of Ja*anese &hivalry or
Bushido? The Sa'urai 0ould rather starve than to live by so'e e-*edient un0orthy of his
dignity? There are 'any instan&es, in the Ja*anese history, of Sa'urais 0ho 0ere really
starved to death in s*ite of their having a hundred *ie&es of gold &arefully *reserved to 'eet
the e-*enses at the ti'e of an e'ergen&yI hen&e the *roverbJ KThe fal&on 0ould not feed on
the ear of &orn, even if he should starve?K Si'ilarly, 0e kno0 of no &ase of 4en 'onks,
an&ient and 'odern, 0ho got ri&h by any ignoble 'eans? They 0ould rather fa&e *overty 0ith
gladness of heart? Au-gai, one of the 'ost distinguished 4en 'asters +ust before the
6estoration, su**orted 'any student 'onks in his 'onastery? They 0ere often too nu'erous
to be su**orted by his s&ant 'eans? This troubled his dis&i*le 'u&h 0hose duty it 0as to look
after the food-su**ly, as there 0as no other 'eans to 'eet the in&reased de'and than to
su**ly 0ith 0orse stuff? 9&&ordingly, one day the dis&i*le advised Au-gai not to ad'it ne0
students any 'ore into the 'onastery? Then the 'aster, 'aking no re*ly, lolled out his tongue
and saidJ K%o0 look into 'y 'outh, and tell if there be any tongue in it?K The *er*le-ed
dis&i*le ans0ered affir'atively? KThen don@t bother yourself about it? =f there be any tongue, =
&an taste any sort of food?K 8onest *overty 'ay, 0ithout e-aggeration, be &alled one of the
&hara&teristi&s of the Sa'urais and of the 4en 'onksI hen&e a *roverbJ KThe 4en 'onk has
no 'oney, 'oneyed .ontoEA%F<(G kno0s nothing?K
EA%F<(G The *riest belonging to Shin Shu, 0ho are generally ri&h?
;? The .anliness of the 4en .onk and of the Sa'urai?
Thirdly, both the 4en 'onk and the Sa'urai 0ere distinguished by their 'anliness and
dignity in 'anner, so'eti'es a'ounting to rudeness? This is due *artly to the hard dis&i*line
that they under0ent, and *artly to the 'ode of instru&tion? The follo0ing story,EA%F<"G
translated by .r? )? SuBuki, a friend of 'ine, 'ay 0ell e-e'*lify our state'entJ
EA%F<"G The Journal of the Pali Te-t So&iety, !>:-!>;?
2hen 6in-BaiEA%F<3G 0as assiduously a**lying hi'self to 4en dis&i*line under Obak
#8uang Po in Chinese, 0ho died <7>$, the head 'onk re&ogniBed his genius? One day the
'onk asked hi' ho0 long he had been in the 'onastery, to 0hi&h 6in-Bai re*liedJ @Three
years?@ The elder saidJ @8ave you ever a**roa&hed the 'aster and asked his instru&tion in
Buddhis'D@ 6in-Bai saidJ @= have never done this, for = did not kno0 0hat to ask?@ @2hy, you
'ight go to the 'aster and ask hi' 0hat is the essen&e of Buddhis'D@
EA%F<3G 1in Tsi, the founder of the 1in Tsi s&hool?
K6in-Bai, a&&ording to this advi&e, a**roa&hed Obak and re*eated the 5uestion, but before he
finished the 'aster gave hi' a sla*?
K2hen 6in-Bai &a'e ba&k, the elder asked ho0 the intervie0 0ent? Said 6in-BaiJ @Before =
&ould finish 'y 5uestion the 'aster sla**ed 'e, but = fail to gras* its 'eaning?@ The elder
saidJ @Cou go to hi' again and ask the sa'e 5uestion?@ 2hen he did so, he re&eived the sa'e
res*onse fro' the 'aster? But 6in-Bai 0as urged again to try it for the third ti'e, but the
out&o'e did not i'*rove?
K9t last he 0ent to the elder, and said @=n obedien&e to your kind suggestion, = have re*eated
'y 5uestion three ti'es, and been sla**ed three ti'es? = dee*ly regret that, o0ing to 'y
stu*idity, = a' unable to &o'*rehend the hidden 'eaning of all this? = shall leave this *la&e
and go so'e0here else?@ Said the elderJ @=f you 0ish to de*art, do not fail to go and see the
'aster to say hi' fare0ell?@
K=''ediately after this the elder sa0 the 'aster, and saidJ @That young novi&e, 0ho asked
about Buddhis' three ti'es, is a re'arkable fello0? 2hen he &o'es to take leave of you, be
so gra&ious as to dire&t hi' *ro*erly? 9fter a hard training, he 0ill *rove to be a great 'aster,
and, like a huge tree, he 0ill give a refreshing shelter to the 0orld?@
K2hen 6in-Bai &a'e to see the 'aster, the latter advised hi' not to go any0here else, but to
)ai-gu #Tai-yu$ of Kaoan, for he 0ould be able to instru&t hi' in the faith?
K6in-Bai 0ent to )ai-gu, 0ho asked hi' 0hen&e he &a'e? Being infor'ed that he 0as fro'
Obak, )ai-gu further in5uired 0hat instru&tion he had under the 'aster? 6in-Bai ans0eredJ @=
asked hi' three ti'es about the essen&e of Buddhis', and he sla**ed 'e three ti'es? But =
a' yet unable to see 0hether = had any fault or not?@ )ai-gu saidJ @Obak 0as tender-hearted
even as a dotard, and you are not 0arranted at all to &o'e over here and ask 'e 0hether
anything 0as faulty 0ith you?@
KBeing thus re*ri'anded, the signifi&ation of the 0hole affair suddenly da0ned u*on the
'ind of 6in-Bai, and he e-&lai'edJ @There is not 'u&h, after all, in the Buddhis' of Obak?@
2hereu*on )ai-gu took hold of hi', and saidJ @This ghostly good-for-nothing &reatureO 9
fe0 'inutes ago you &a'e to 'e and &o'*lainingly asked 0hat 0as 0rong 0ith you, and
no0 boldly de&lare that there is not 'u&h in the Buddhis' of Obak? 2hat is the reason of all
thisD S*eak out 5ui&kO s*eak out 5ui&kO@ =n res*onse to this, 6in-Bai softly stru&k three ti'es
his fist at the ribs of )ai-gu? The latter then released hi', sayingJ @Cour tea&her is Obak, and =
0ill have nothing to do 0ith you?@
K6in-Bai took leave of )ai-gu and &a'e ba&k to Obak, 0ho, on seeing hi' &o'e, e-&lai'edJ
@Aoolish fello0O 0hat does it avail you to &o'e and go all the ti'e like thisD@ 6in-Bai saidJ @=t
is all due to your doting kindness?@
K2hen, after the usual salutation, 6in-Bai stood by the side of Obak,
the latter asked hi' 0hen&e he had &o'e this ti'e? 6in-Bai ans0eredJ
K=n obedien&e to your kind instru&tion, = 0as 0ith )ai-gu? Then&e a'
= &o'e?@
9nd he related, being asked for further infor'ation, all that had ha**ened there?
KObak saidJ @9s soon as that fello0 sho0s hi'self u* here, = shall have to give hi' a good
thrashing?@ @Cou need not 0ait for hi' to &o'eI have it right this 'o'ent,@ 0as the re*lyI and
0ith this 6in-Bai gave his 'aster a sla* on the ba&k?
KObak saidJ @8o0 dares this lunati& &o'e into 'y *resen&e and *lay 0ith a tiger@s 0hiskersD@
6in-Bai then burst out into a 8o,EA%F<7G and Obak saidJ @9ttendant, &o'e and &arry this
lunati& a0ay to his &ell?@K
EA%F<7G 9 loud out&ry, fre5uently 'ade use of by 4en tea&hers, after 6in-Bai? =ts Chinese
*ronun&iation is @8oh,@ and *ronoun&ed @Katsu@ in Ja*anese, but @tsu@ is not audible?
<? The Courage and the Co'*osure of .ind of the 4en .onk and of the Sa'urai?
Aourthly, our Sa'urai en&ountered death, as is 0ell kno0n, 0ith unflin&hing &ourage? 8e
0ould never turn ba&k fro', but fight till his last 0ith his ene'y? To be &alled a &o0ard 0as
for hi' the dishonour 0orse than death itself? 9n in&ident about Tsu Cuen #So-gen$, 0ho
&a'e over to Ja*an in (<>, being invited by Toki-'uneEA%F<:G #8o-+o$, the 6egent
General, 0ell illustrates ho0 'u&h 4en 'onks rese'bled our Sa'urais? The event ha**ened
0hen he 0as in China, 0here the invading ar'y of Cuen s*read terror all over the &ountry?
So'e of the barbarians, 0ho &rossed the border of the State of 2an, broke into the 'onastery
of Tsu Cuen, and threatened to behead hi'? Then &al'ly sitting do0n, ready to 'eet his fate,
he &o'*osed the follo0ing verses
KThe heaven and earth afford 'e no shelter at allI
=@' glad, unreal are body and soul?
2el&o'e thy 0ea*on, O 0arrior of CuenO Thy trusty steel,
That flashes lightning, &uts the 0ind of S*ring, = feel?K
EA%F<:G 9 bold states'an and soldier, 0ho 0as the real ruler of
Ja*an (:3-(<"?
This re'inds us of Sang ChaoEA%F<;G #So-+o$, 0ho, on the verge of death by the vagabond@s
s0ord, e-*ressed his feelings in the follo0 linesJ
K=n body there e-ists no soul?
The 'ind is not real at all?
%o0 try on 'e thy flashing steel,
9s if it &uts the 0ind of S*ring, = feel?K
EA%F<;G The 'an 0as not a *ure 4en 'aster, being a dis&i*le of Ku'ara+iva, the founder of
the San 6on Se&t? This is a 'ost re'arkable eviden&e that 4en, es*e&ially the 6in 4an s&hool,
0as influen&ed by Ku'ara+iva and his dis&i*les? Aor the details of the ane&dote, see ,-gen?
The barbarians, 'oved by this &al' resolution and dignified air of Tsu Cuen, rightly su**osed
hi' to be no ordinary *ersonage, and left the 'onastery, doing no har' to hi'?
!? 4en and the 6egent Generals of the 8o-Jo Period?
%o 0onder, then, that the re*resentatives of the Sa'urai &lass, the 6egent Generals,
es*e&ially su&h able rulers as Toki-yori, Toki-'une, and others noted for their good
ad'inistration, of the 8o-+o *eriod #(>7-""($ greatly favoured 4en? They not only
*atroniBed the faith, building great te'*lesEA%F<<G and inviting best Chinese 4en
tea&hersEA%F<!G but also lived +ust as 4en 'onks, having the head shaven, 0earing a holy
robe, and *ra&tising &ross-legged .editation?
EA%F<<G To-fuku-+i, the head te'*le of a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai under the sa'e na'e, 0as
built in (3"? Ken-&ho-+i, the head te'*le of a subse&t of the 6in 4ai under the sa'e na'e,
0as built in (7"? ,n-gaku +i, the head te'*le of a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai under the sa'e
na'e, 0as built in (<(? %an-Ben-+i, the head te'*le of a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai under the
sa'e na'e, 0as ere&ted in "(:?
EA%F<!G Tao 1ung #)o-ryu$, kno0n as )ai-kaku 4en-+i, invited by Tokiyori, &a'e over to
Ja*an in (3:? 8e be&a'e the founder of Ken-&ho-+i-ha, a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai, and died in
(;<? Of his dis&i*les, Caku-o 0as 'ost noted, and Caku-o@s dis&i*le, Jaku-shitsu, be&a'e the
founder of Co-gen+i-ha, another sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai? Tsu Cuen #So-gen$, kno0n as Buk-
ko-koku-shi, invited by Toki-'une, &rossed the sea in (<>, be&a'e the founder of ,n-gaku-
+i-ha #a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai$, and died in (<:? Tsing Choh #Sei-setsu$, invited by Taka-
toki, &a'e in "(;, and died in ""!? Chu Tsun #So-shun$ &a'e in "", and died in "":?
Aan Sien #Bon-sen$ &a'e together 0ith Chu Tsun, and died in "3<? These 0ere the
*ro'inent Chinese tea&hers of that ti'e?
Toki-yori #(3;-(:"$, for instan&e, 0ho entered the 'onasti& life 0hile be 0as still the real
governor of the &ountry, led as si'*le a life, as is sho0n in his verse, 0hi&h ran as follo0sJ
K8igher than its bank the rivulet flo0sI
Greener than 'oss tiny grass gro0s?
%o one &all at 'y hu'ble &ottage on the ro&k,
But the gate by itself o*ens to the 2ind@s kno&k?K
Toki-yori attained to ,nlighten'ent by the instru&tion of )o-gen and )o-ryu, and breathed
his last &al'ly sitting &ross-legged, and e-*ressing his feelings in the follo0ing linesJ
KThirty-seven of years,
Kar'a 'irror stood highI
%o0 = break it to *ie&es,
Path of Great is then nigh?K
8is su&&essor, Toki-'une #(:3-(<"$, a bold states'an and soldier, 0as no less of a devoted
believer in 4en? T0i&e he beheaded the envoys sent by the great Chinese &on5ueror, Kublai,
0ho de'anded Ja*an should either surrender or be trodden under his foot? 9nd 0hen the
alar'ing ne0s of the Chinese 9r'ada@s a**roa&hing the land rea&hed hi', be is said to have
&alled on his tutor, Tsu Cuen, to re&eive the last instru&tion? K%o0, reverend sir,K said? he, Kan
i''inent *eril threatens the land?K K8o0 art thou going to en&ounter itDK asked the 'aster?
Then Toki-'une burst into a thundering Ka 0ith all his 'ight to sho0 his undaunted s*irit in
en&ountering the a**roa&hing ene'y? KO, the lion@s roarOK said Tsu Cuen?
KThou art a genuine lion? Go, and never turn ba&k?K Thus en&ouraged by the tea&her, the
6egent General sent out the defending ar'y, and su&&essfully res&ued the state fro' the
'outh of destru&tion, gaining a s*lendid vi&tory over the invaders, al'ost all of 0ho'
*erished in the 0estern seas?
>? 4en after the )o0nfall of the 8o-Jo 6egen&y?
To0ards the end of the 8o-Jo *eriod,EA%F!>G and after the do0nfall of the 6egen&y in """,
sanguinary battles 0ere fought bet0een the ='*erialists and the rebels? The for'er, brave and
faithful as they 0ere, being outnu'bered by the latter, *erished in the field one after another
for the sake of the ill-starred ,'*eror Go-dai-go #"!-""<$, 0hose eventful life ended in
an-iety and des*air?
EA%F!>G 9lthough 4en 0as first favoured by the 8o-+o 6egen&y and &hiefly *ros*ered at
Ka'a-kura, yet it ra*idly began to e-er&ise its influen&e on nobles and ,'*erors at Kyo-to?
This is 'ainly due to the a&tivity of ,n-ni, kno0n as Sho-=&hi-Koku-Shi #(>(-(<>$, 0ho
first earned 4en under Gyo-yu, a dis&i*le of ,i-sai, and after0ards 0ent to China, 0here he
0as ,nlightened under the instru&tion of 2u Chun, of the 'onastery of King Shan? 9fter his
return, .i&hi-iye #Au+i-0ara$, a *o0erful noble'an, ere&ted for hi' To-fuku-+i in (3", and
he be&a'e the founder of a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai, na'ed after that 'onastery? The ,'*eror
Go-saga #(3"-(3:$, an ad'irer of his, re&eived the .oral Pre&e*ts fro' hi'? One of his
dis&i*les, To-Ban, be&a'e the s*iritual adviser of the ,'*eror Aushi-'i #(<<-(!<$, and
another dis&i*le, .u k0an, 0as &reated the abbot of the 'onastery of %an-Ben-+i by the
,'*eror Ka'e-ya'a #(:>-(;3$, as the founder of a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai under the sa'e
na'e?
9nother tea&her 0ho gained lasting influen&e on the Court is %an-*o, kno0n as )ai-O-Koku-
Shi #("7-"><$, 0ho 0as a**ointed the abbot of the 'onastery of .an-+u-+i in Kyo to by
the ,'*eror Aushi-'i? One of his dis&i*les, Tsu-o, 0as the s*iritual adviser to both the
,'*eror 8ana-Bono #"><-"<$ and the ,'*eror Go-dai-go? 9nd another dis&i*le, .yo-
&ho, kno0n as )ai-To-Koku-Shi #(<(-"";$, also 0as ad'ired by the t0o ,'*erors, and
&reated the abbot of )ai-toku-+i, as the founder of a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai under the sa'e
na'e? =t 0as for .yo-&ho@s dis&i*le, Kan-Ban #(;; ":>$, that the ,'*eror 8ana-Bono
turned his deta&hed *ala&e into a 'onastery, na'ed .yo-shin-+i, the head te'*le of a sub-
se&t of the 6in 4ai under the sa'e na'e?
=t 0as at this ti'e that Ja*an gave birth to .asa-shige #Kusu-noki$, an able general and
ta&ti&ian of the ='*erialists, 0ho for the sake of the ,'*eror not only sa&rifi&ed hi'self and
his brother, but by his 0ill his son and his son@s su&&essor died for the sa'e &ause, boldly
atta&king the ene'y 0hose nu'ber 0as over0hel'ingly great? .asa-shige@s loyalty, 0isdo',
bravery, and *ruden&e are not 'erely uni5ue in the history of Ja*an, but *erha*s in the
history of 'an? The tragi& tale about his *arting 0ith his beloved son, and his bravery sho0n
at his last battle, never fail to ins*ire the Ja*anese 0ith herois'? 8e is the best s*e&i'en of
the Sa'urai &lass? 9&&ording to an old do&u'ent,EA%F!G this .asa-shige 0as the *ra&tiser
of 4en, and +ust before his last battle he &alled on Chu Tsun #So-shun$ to re&eive the final
instru&tion? K2hat have = to do 0hen death takes the *la&e of lifeDK asked .asa-shige? The
tea&her re*liedJ
KBe bold, at on&e &ut off both ties,
The dra0n s0ord glea's against the skies?K
Thus be&o'ing, as it 0ere, an indis*ensable dis&i*line for the
Sa'urai, 4en never &a'e to an end 0ith the 8o-+o *eriod, but gre0
'ore *ros*erous than before during the reignEA%F!(G of the ,'*eror
Go-dai-go, one of the 'ost enthusiasti& *atrons of the faith?
EA%F!G The event is detailed at length in a life of So-shun, but so'e historians sus*e&t it to
be fi&titious? This a0aits a further resear&h?
EA%F!(G 9s 0e have already 'entioned, )o-gen, the founder of the Ja*anese So To Se&t,
shunned the so&iety of the ri&h and the *o0erful, and led a se&luded life? =n &onse5uen&e his
se&t did not 'ake any ra*id *rogress until the Aourth Patriar&h of his line, Kei-Ban #(:<-
"(7$ 0ho, being of energeti& s*irit, s*read his faith 0ith re'arkable a&tivity, building 'any
large 'onasteries, of 0hi&h Co-ko-+i, in the *rovin&e of %o-to, So-+i-+i #near Cokoha'a$, one
of the head te'*les of the se&t, are 0ell kno0n? One of his dis&i*les, .ei ho #(;;-"7>$,
*ro*agated the faith in the northern *rovin&esI 0hile another dis&i*le, Ga-san #(;7-":7$,
being a greater &hara&ter, brought u* 'ore than thirty distinguished dis&i*les, of 0ho' Tai-
gen, Tsu-gen, .u-tan, )ai-tetsu, and Ji*-*o, are best kno0n? Tai-gen #died ";>$ and big
su&&essors *ro*agated the faith over the 'iddle *rovin&es, 0hile Tsu-gen #""(-"!$ and
his su&&essors s*read the se&t all over the north-eastern and south-0estern *rovin&es? Thus it
is 0orthy of our noti&e that 'ost of the 6in 4ai tea&hers &onfined their a&tivities 0ithin
Ka'akura and Kyo-to, 0hile the So To 'asters s*read the faith all over the &ountry?
The Shoguns of the 9shi-kaga *eriod #""<-7;"$ 0ere not less devoted to the faith than the
,'*erors 0ho su&&eeded the ,'*eror Go-dai-go? 9nd even Taka-u+i #""<-"7;$, the
notorious founder of the Shogunate, built a 'onastery and invited So-seki,EA%F!"G better
kno0n as .u-So-Koku-Shi, 0ho 0as res*e&ted as the tutor by the three su&&essive ,'*erors
after Go-dai-go? Taka-u+i@s e-a'*le 0as follo0ed by all su&&eeding Shoguns, and Shogun@s
e-a'*le 0as follo0ed by the feudal lords and their vassals? This resulted in the *ro*agation
of 4en throughout the &ountry? 2e &an easily i'agine ho0 4en 0as *ros*erous in these days
fro' the s*lendid 'onasteriesEA%F!3G built at this *eriod, su&h as the Golden 8all Te'*le
and the Silver 8all Te'*le that still adorn the fair &ity of Kyo-to?
EA%F!"G So-seki #(;:-"7$ 0as *erha*s the greatest 4en 'aster of the *eriod? Of
nu'erous 'onasteries built for hi', ,-rin-+i, in the *rovin&e of Kae, and Ten-ryu-+i, the head
te'*le of a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai under the sa'e na'e, are of i'*ortan&e? Out of over
seventy e'inent dis&i*les of his, Gi-do #":7-"<<$, the author of Ku-ge-shuI Shun-oku
#""-""<$, the founder of the 'onastery of So-koku-+i, the head te'*le of a sub-se&t of the
6in 4ai under the sa'e na'eI and 4ek-kai #"";-3>7$, author of Sho-ken-shu, are best
kno0n?
EA%F!3G .yo-shin-+i 0as built in ""; by the ,'*eror 8ana-BonoI Ten-ryu-+i 0as ere&ted by
Taka-u+i, the first Shogun of the *eriod, in "33I So-koku-+i by Cosh-i'itsu, the third
Shogun, in "<7I Kin-Kaku-+i, or Golden 8all Te'*le, by the sa'e Shogun, in "!;I Gin-
kaku-+i, or Silver 8all Te'*le, by Coshi-'asa, the eighth Shogun, in 3<>?
? 4en in the )ark 9ge?
The latter half of the 9shikaga *eriod 0as the age of ar's and bloodshed? ,very day the sun
shone on the glittering ar'our of 'ar&hing soldiers? ,very 0ind sighed over the lifeless
re'ains of the brave? ,very0here the din of battle resounded? Out of these fighting feudal
lords stood t0o &ha'*ions? ,a&h of the' distinguished hi'self as a veteran soldier and
ta&ti&ian? ,a&h of the' 0as kno0n as an e-*erien&ed *ra&tiser of 4en? One 0as 8aru-
nobuEA%F!7G #Take-da, died in 7;"$, better kno0n by his Buddhist na'e, Shin-gen? The
other 0as Teru-toraEA%F!:G #Uye-sugi, died in 7;<$, better kno0n by his Buddhist na'e,
Ken-shin? The &hara&ter of Shin-gen &an be i'agined fro' the fa&t that he never built any
&astle or &itadel or fortress to guard hi'self against his ene'y, but relied on his faithful
vassals and *eo*leI 0hile that of Ken-shin, fro' the fa&t that he *rovided his ene'y, Shin-
gen, 0ith salt 0hen the latter suffered fro' 0ant of it, o0ing to the &o0ardly stratage' of a
rival lord? The heroi& battles 0aged by these t0o great generals against ea&h other are the
flo0ers of the Ja*anese 0ar-history? Tradition has it that 0hen Shin-gen@s ar'y 0as *ut to
rout by the furious atta&ks of Ken-shin@s troo*s, and a single 0arrior 'ounted on a huge
&harger rode s0iftly as a s0ee*ing 0ind into Shin-gen@s head-5uarters, do0n &a'e a blo0 of
the heavy s0ord ai'ed at Shin-gen@s forehead, 0ith a 5uestion e-*ressed in the te&hni&al
ter's of 4enJ K2hat shalt thou do in su&h a state at su&h a 'o'entDK 8aving no ti'e to dra0
his s0ord, Shin-gen *arried it 0ith his 0ar-fan, ans0ering si'ultaneously in 4en 0ordsJ K9
flake of sno0 on the red-hot furna&eOK 8ad not his attendants &o'e to the res&ue Shin-gen@s
life 'ight have gone as @a flake of sno0 on the red-hot furna&e?@ 9fter0ards the horse'an 0as
kno0n to have been Ken-shin hi'self? This tradition sho0s us ho0 4en 0as *ra&ti&ally lived
by the Sa'urais of the )ark 9ge?
EA%F!7G Shin-gen *ra&tised 4en under the instru&tion of K0ai-sen, 0ho 0as burned to death
by %obu-naga #O-da$ in 7<(? See 8on-&ho-ko-so-den?
EA%F!:G Ken-shin learned 4en under Shu-ken, a So Ta 'aster? See
To-+o-ren-to-roku?
9lthough the *riests of other Buddhist se&ts had their share in these bloody affairs, as 0as
natural at su&h a ti'e, yet 4en 'onks stood aloof and si'*ly &ultivated their literature?
Conse5uently, 0hen all the *eo*le gre0 entirely ignorant at the end of the )ark 9ge, the 4en
'onks 0ere the only 'en of letters? %one &an deny this 'erit of their having *reserved
learning and *re*ared for its revival in the follo0ing *eriod?EA%F!;G
EA%F!;G 9fter the introdu&tion of 4en into Ja*an 'any i'*ortant
books 0ere 0ritten, and the follo0ing are &hief do&trinal 0orksJ
Ko-Ben-go-koku-ron, by ,i-saiI Sho bo-gen-BoI Gaku-do-yo-Bin-shuI
Au-k0an-Ba-Ben-giI ,i-hei-ko-roku, by )o-genI 4a-Ben-yo-Bin-kiI and
)en-ko-roku, by Kei-Ban?
(? 4en under the Toku-gana Shogunate?
Pea&e 0as at last restored by =ye-yasu, the founder of the Toku-gana Shogunate #:>"-<:;$?
)uring this *eriod the Shogunate gave &ountenan&e to Buddhis' on one hand,
a&kno0ledging it as the state religion, besto0ing ri&h *ro*erty to large 'onasteries, 'aking
*riests take rank over &o''on *eo*le, ordering every householder to build a Buddhist altar
in his houseI 0hile, on the other hand, it did everything to e-tir*ate Christianity, introdu&ed in
the *revious *eriod #733$? 9ll this *aralyBed the 'issionary s*irit of the Buddhists, and *ut
all the se&ts in dor'ant state? 9s for 4enEA%F!<G it 0as still favoured by feudal lords and
their vassals, and al'ost all *rovin&ial lords e'bra&ed the faith?
EA%F!<G The So To Se&t 0as not 0anting in &o'*etent tea&hers, for it 'ight take *ride in its
Ten-kei #:3<-:!!$, 0hose religious insight 0as unsur*assed by any other 'aster of the
ageI in its Shi getsu, 0ho 0as a &o''entator of various 4en books, and died ;:3I in its
.en-Ban #:<"-;:!$, 0hose indefatigable 0orks on the e-*osition of So To 4en are
invaluable indeedI and its Getsu-shu #:<-:!:$ and .an-Ban #:"7-;3$, to 0hose
labours the refor'ation of the faith is as&ribed? Si'ilarly, the 6in 4ai Se&t, in its Gu-do
#7;!-::$I in its =sshi #:><-:3:$I in its Taku-an #7;"-:37$, the favourite tutor of the
third Shogun, =ye-'itsuI in its 8aku-in #::;-;7$, the greatest of the 6in 4ai 'asters of the
day, to 0hose e-traordinary *ersonality and labour the revival of the se&t is dueI and its To-rei
#;(-;!($, a learned dis&i*le of 8aku-in? Of the i'*ortant 4en books 0ritten by these
'asters, 6o-+i-tan-kin, by Ten-keiI .en-Ban-ko-roku, by .en-BanI Ca-sen-k0an-0a, Soku-
ko-roku, K0ai-an-koku-go, Kei-so-doku-Bui, by 8aku-inI Shu-'on-'u-+in-to-ron, by To-rei,
are 0ell kno0n?
=t 0as about the 'iddle of this *eriod that the forty-seven vassals of 9ko dis*layed the s*irit
of the Sa'urai by their *erseveran&e, self-sa&rifi&e, and loyalty, taking vengean&e on the
ene'y of their de&eased lord? The leader of these 'en, the tragi& tales of 0ho' &an never be
told or heard 0ithout tears, 0as Coshi-o #O-ishi died ;>($, a believer of 4en,EA%F!!G and
his to'b in the &e'etery of the te'*le of Sen-gaku-+i, Tokyo, is daily visited by hundreds of
his ad'irers? .ost of the *rofessional s0ords'en for'ing a &lass in these days *ra&tised
4en? .une-noriEA%F>>G#Ca-gyu$, for instan&e, established his re*utation by the
&o'bination of 4en and the fen&ing art?
EA%F!!G See K4en Shu,K %o? 7?
EA%F>>G 8e is kno0n as Ta-+i'a, 0ho *ra&tised 4en under Taku-an?
The follo0ing story about Boku-den #Tsuka-hara$, a great s0ords'an, fully illustrates this
tenden&yJ
KOn a &ertain o&&asion Boku-den took a ferry to &ross over the Cabase in the *rovin&e of
O'i? There 0as a'ong the *assengers a Sa'urai, tall and s5uare-shouldered, a**arently an
e-*erien&ed fen&er? 8e behaved rudely to0ard the fello0-*assengers, and talked so 'u&h of
his o0n de-terity in the art that Boku-den, *rovoked by his brag, broke silen&e? @Cou see',
'y friend, to *ra&tise the art in order to &on5uer the ene'y, but = do it in order not to be
&on5uered,@ said Boku-den? @O 'onk,@ de'anded the 'an, as Boku-den 0as &lad like a 4en
'onk, @0hat s&hool of s0ords'anshi* do you belong toD@ 2ell, 'ine is the Con5uering-
ene'y-0ithout-fighting-s&hool?@ @)on@t tell a fib, old 'onk? =f you &ould &on5uer the ene'y
0ithout fighting, 0hat then is your s0ord forD@ @.y s0ord is not to kill, but to save,@ said
Boku-den, 'aking use of 4en *hrasesI @'y art is trans'itted fro' 'ind to 'ind?@ @%o0 then,
&o'e, 'onk,@ &hallenged the 'an, @let us see, right at this 'o'ent, 0ho is the vi&tor, you or =?@
The gauntlet 0as *i&ked u* 0ithout hesitation? @But 0e 'ust not fight,@ said Boku-den, @in the
ferry, lest the *assengers should be hurt? Conder a s'all island you see? There 0e shall de&ide
the &ontest?@ To this *ro*osal the 'an agreed, and the boat 0as *ulled to that island? %o
sooner had the boat rea&hed the shore than the 'an +u'*ed over to the land, and &riedJ @Co'e
on, 'onk, 5ui&k, 5ui&kO@ Boku-den, ho0ever, slo0ly rising, saidJ @)o not hasten to lose your
head? =t is a rule of 'y s&hool to *re*are slo0ly for fighting, kee*ing the soul in the
abdo'en?@ So saying he snat&hed the oar fro' the boat'an and ro0ed the boat ba&k to so'e
distan&e, leaving the 'an alone, 0ho, sta'*ing the ground 'adly, &ried outJ @O, you fly,
'onk, you &o0ard? Co'e, old 'onkO@ @%o0 listen,@ said Boku-den, @this is the se&ret art of the
Con5uering-ene'y-0ithout-fighting-s&hool? Be0are that you do not forget it, nor tell it to
anybody else?@ Thus, getting rid of the bra0ling fello0, Boku-den and his fello0-*assengers
safely landed on the o**osite shore?KEA%F>G The O Baku S&hool of 4en 0as introdu&ed by
Cin Cuen #=n-gen$ 0ho &rossed the sea in :73, a&&o'*anied by 'any able dis&i*les?
EA%F>(G The Shogunate gave hi' a tra&t of land at U+i, near Kyo-to, and in :7! he built
there a 'onastery noted for its Chinese style of ar&hite&ture, no0 kno0n as O-baku-san? The
tea&hers of the sa'e s&hoolEA%F>"G &a'e one after another fro' China, and 4enEA%F>3G
*e&uliar to the', flourished a short 0hile?
EA%F>G Shi-seki-shu-ran?
EA%F>(G =n-gen #:73-:;"$ &a'e over 0ith Ta-.ei #)ai-bi, died :;"$, 80ui 1in #,-rin
died :<$, Tuh Chan #)oku-tan, died ;>:$, and others? Aor the life of =n-genJ see 4oku-ko-
shu-den and Kaku-shu-ko-yo?
EA%F>"G Tsih Aei #Soku-hi died :;$, .uh %gan #.oku-an died :<3$,
Kao Tsuen #Ko-sen died :!7$, the author of Au-so-Ben-rin-so-bo-den,
To-koku-ko-so-den, and Sen-un-shu, are best kno0n?
EA%F>3G This is a sub-se&t of the 6in 4ai S&hool, as sho0n in the follo0ing tableJ
TABLE OF THE TRANSMISSION OF ZEN FROM CHINA TO JAPAN.
? Bodhidhar'a?
(? 80ui Ko #,-ka$?
"? San Tsang #So-san$?
3? Tao Sin #)o-shin$?
7? 8ung Jan #Ko nin$?
H-T8, %O6T8,6% S,CT
:? Shang Siu #Jin-shu$?
H-T8, SOUT8,6% S,CT
:? 80ui %ang #,-no$?
H-T8, 6=% 49= SC8OO1?
;? %an Coh #%an-gaku$?
H->? Gi-ku?
H-? 1in Tsi #6in-Bai$?
H-(? Cuen 2u #,n-go$?
H-((? Auh 8ai #Bukkai$?
H-(<? Kaku-a?
H-T8, O B9KU SC8OO1?
3(? =n-gen?
H-(7? 8ti %gan #Kyo-an$?
H-(:? ,i-sai?
H-T8, SO TO SC8OO1?
;? Tsing Cuen #Sei-gen$?
H-<? Shih Teu #Seki-to$?
H-? Tung Shan #To-Ban$?
H-("? Ju Tsing #%yo-+o$?
H-(3? )o-gen?
The O Baku S&hool is the a'alga'ation of 4en and the 0orshi* of 9'itabha, and different
fro' the other t0o s&hools? The statisti&s for ! give the follo0ing figuresJ
The %u'ber of Te'*lesJ
The So To S&hool 3,(77
The 6in 4ai S&hool :,(<
The O Baku S&hool 73:
The %u'ber of Tea&hersJ
The So To S&hool !,7;:
The 6in 4ai S&hool 3,7("
The O Baku S&hool "3!
=t 0as also in this *eriod that 4en gained a great influen&e on the *o*ular literature
&hara&teriBed by the shortest for' of *oeti&al &o'*osition? This 0as done through the genius
of Ba-sho,EA%F>7G a great literary 'an, re&luse and traveller, 0ho, as his 0ritings sho0 us,
'ade no s'all *rogress in the study of 4en? 9gain, it 0as 'ade use of by the tea&hers of
*o*ularEA%F>:G ethi&s, 0ho did a great deal in the edu&ation of the lo0er &lasses? =n this
0ay 4en and its *e&uliar taste gradually found its 0ay into the arts of *ea&e, su&h as
literature, fine art, tea-&ere'ony, &ookery, gardening, ar&hite&ture, and at last it has *er'eated
through every fibre of Ja*anese life?
EA%F>7G 8e #died :!3$ learned 4en under a &onte'*orary 4en 'aster #Bu&&ho$, and is
said to have been enlightened before his refor'ation of the *o*ular literature?
EA%F>:G The tea&hing 0as &alled Shin-gaku, or the @learning of 'ind?@ =t 0as first taught by
Bai-gan #=shi-da$, and is the re&on&iliation of Shintois' and Buddhis' 0ith Confu&ianis'?
Bai-gan and his su&&essors *ra&tised .editation, and 0ere enlightened in their o0n 0ay? )o-
ni #%aka-Ba0a, died <>"$ 'ade use of 4en 'ore than any other tea&her?
"? 4en after the 6estoration?
9fter the 6estoration of the .ei-+i #<:;$ the *o*ularity of 4en began to 0ane, and for so'e
thirty years re'ained in ina&tivityI but sin&e the 6usso-Ja*anese 2ar its revival has taken
*la&e? 9nd no0 it is looked u*on as an ideal faith, both for a nation full of ho*e and energy,
and for a *erson 0ho has to fight his o0n 0ay in the strife of life? Bushido, or the &ode of
&hivalry, should be observed not only by the soldier in the battle-field, but by every &itiBen in
the struggle for e-isten&e? =f a *erson be a *erson and not a beast, then he 'ust be a Sa'urai-
brave, generous, u*right, faithful, and 'anly, full of self-res*e&t and self-&onfiden&e, at the
sa'e ti'e full of the s*irit of self-sa&rifi&e? 2e &an find an in&arnation of Bushido in the late
General %ogi, the hero of Port 9rthur, 0ho, after the sa&rifi&e of his t0o sons for the &ountry
in the 6usso-Ja*anese 2ar, gave u* his o0n and his 0ife@s life for the sake of the de&eased
,'*eror? 8e died not in vain, as so'e 'ight think, be&ause his si'*li&ity, u*rightness,
loyalty, bravery, self-&ontrol, and self-sa&rifi&e, all &o'bined in his last a&t, surely ins*ire the
rising generation 0ith the s*irit of the Sa'urai to give birth to hundreds of %ogis? %o0 let us
see in the follo0ing &ha*ters 0hat 4en so &losely &onne&ted 0ith Bushido tea&hes us?
CHAPTER III
THE UNIVERSE IS THE SCRIPTURE[FN!"#$ OF ZEN
? S&ri*ture is no .ore than 2aste Pa*er?
EA%F>;G 4en is not based on any *arti&ular sutra, either of .ahayana or of 8inayana? There
are t0ofold Tri*itakas #or the three &olle&tions of the Buddhist s&ri*tures$-na'ely, the
.ahayana-tri*itaka and the 8inayana-tri*itaka? The for'er are the basis of the .ahayana, or
the higher and refor'ed Buddhis', full of *rofound 'eta*hysi&al reasoningsI 0hile the latter
for' that of the 8inayana, or the lo0er and early Buddhis', 0hi&h is si'*le and ethi&al
tea&hing? These t0ofold Tri*itakas are as follo0sJ
THE MAHAYANA%TRIPITAKA.
The Sutra Pitaka?-The Saddhar'a-*undarika-sutra,
Sa'dhi-nir'o&ana-sutra, 9vata'saka-sutra, Pra+nya*ara'ita-sutra,
9'itayus-sutra, .aha*arinirvana-sutra, et&?
The /inaya Pitaka?HBrah'a+ala-sutra, Bodhisattva-&aryanirde&a, et&?
The 9bhidhar'a Pitaka?H.aha*ra+nya*ara'ita-sutra, .ahayana-&raddhot*ada-&astra,
.adhya'aka-&astra, Coga&arya bhu'i-&astra, et&?
T8, 8=%9C9%9-T6=P=T9K9?
The Sutra Pitaka?H)irghaga'a, ,kottaraga'a, .adhya'aga'a,
Sa'yuktaga'a, et&?
The /inaya Pitaka?H)har'agu*ta-vinaya, .ahasa'ghika-vinaya,
Sarvastivada-vinaya, et&?
The 9bhidhar'a Pitaka?H)har'a-skandha-*ada, Sa'giti-*aryaya-*ada,
Jnyana*rasthana-&astra, 9bhidhar'a-kosa-&astra, et&?
The ter' @Tri*itaka,@ ho0ever, 0as not kno0n at the ti'e of Shakya .uni, and al'ost all of
the northern Buddhist re&ords agree in stating that the Tri*itaka 0as rehearsed and settled in
the sa'e year in 0hi&h the .uni died? .ahavansa also saysJ KThe book &alled 9bhidhar'a-
*itaka 0as &o'*iled, 0hi&h 0as *rea&hed to god, and 0as arranged in due order by 7>>
Budhu *riests?K But 0e believe that Shakya .uni@s tea&hing 0as kno0n to the early
Buddhists, not as Tri*itaka, but as /inaya and )har'a, and even at the ti'e of King 9&oka
#0ho as&ended the throne about (:! B?C?$ it 0as not &alled Tri*itaka, but )har'a, as 0e
have it in his ,di&ts? .ahayanists unani'ously assert the &o'*ilation of the Tri*itaka in the
first &oun&il of 6a+agrha, but they differ in o*inion as to the 5uestion 0ho rehearsed the
9bhidhar'aI not0ithstanding, they agree as for the other res*e&ts, as you see in the
follo0ingJ
The Sutra Pitaka, &o'*iled by 9nandaI the /inaya Pitaka, &o'*iled by
U*aliI the 9bhidhar'a Pitaka, &o'*iled by 9nandaHa&&ording to
%agar+una #.aha*ra+nya*ara'ita-&astra$?
The Sutra Pitaka, &o'*iled by 9nandaI the /inaya Pitaka, &o'*iled by
U*aliI the 9bhidhar'a Pitaka, &o'*iled by Ka&ya*a a&&ording to 8uen
Tsang #Ta-tan-si-yu-ki$?
The Sutra Pitaka, &o'*iled by 9nandaI the /inaya Pitaka, &o'*iled by
U*aliI the 9bhidhar'a Pitaka, &o'*iled by PurnaHa&&ording to
Para'artha #@9 Co''entary on the 8istory of the 8inayana S&hools@$?
The above-'entioned dis&re*an&y &learly betrays the un&ertainty of their assertions, and
gives us reason to dis&redit the &o'*ilation of 9bhidhar'a Pitaka at the first &oun&il?
Besides, +udging fro' the )har'a-gu*ta-vinaya and other re&ords, 0hi&h states that Purna
took no *art in the first &oun&il, and that he had different o*inions as to the a**li&ation of the
rules of dis&i*line fro' that of Ka&ya*a, there should be so'e errors in Para'artha@s
assertion? Of these three &olle&tions of the Sa&red 2ritings, the first t0o, or Sutra and /inaya,
of .ahayana, as 0ell as of 8i'ayana, are believed to be the dire&t tea&hings of Shakya .uni
hi'self, be&ause all the instru&tions are *ut in the 'outh of the .aster or san&tioned by hi'?
The .ahayanists, ho0ever, &o'*are the 8inayana do&trine 0ith a resting-*la&e on the road
for a traveller, 0hile the .ahayana do&trine 0ith his destination? 9ll the deno'inations of
Buddhis', 0ith a single e-&e*tion of 4en, are based on the authority of so'e *arti&ular
sa&red 0ritings? The Ten )ai Se&t, for instan&e, is based on Saddhar'a-*undarika-sutraI the
Jo )o Se&t on 1arger Sukhavati-vyuha, S'aller Sukhavati-vyuha, and 9'itayus-dhyana-
sutraI the Ke Gon Se&t on 9vata'saka-sutraI the 8osso Se&t on Sa'dhi-nir'o&ana-sutra?
4en is based on the highest s*iritual *lane attained by Shakya .uni hi'self? =t &an only be
realiBed by one 0ho has attained the sa'e *lane? To des&ribe it in full by 'eans of 0ords is
beyond the *o0er even of Gota'a hi'self? =t is for this reason that the author of
1ankavatara-sutra insists that Shakya .uni s*oke no 0ord through his long &areer of forty-
nine years as a religious tea&her, and that of .aha*ra+nya*ara'ita-sutraEA%F><G also
e-*ress the sa'e o*inion? The S&ri*ture is no 'ore nor less than the finger *ointing to the
'oon of Buddhahood? 2hen 0e re&ogniBe the 'oon and en+oy its benign beauty, the finger is
of no use? 9s the finger has no brightness 0hatever, so the S&ri*ture has no holiness
0hatever? The S&ri*ture is religious &urren&y re*resenting s*iritual 0ealth? =t does not 'atter
0hether 'oney be gold, or sea-shells, or &o0s? =t is a 'ere substitute? 2hat it stands for is of
*ara'ount i'*ortan&e? 90ay 0ith your stone-knifeO )o not 0at&h the stake against 0hi&h a
running hare on&e stru&k its head and died? )o not 0ait for another hare? 9nother 'ay not
&o'e for ever? )o not &ut the side of the boat out of 0hi&h you dro**ed your s0ord to 'ark
0here it sunk? The boat is ever 'oving on? The Canon is the 0indo0 through 0hi&h 0e
observe the grand s&enery of s*iritual nature? To hold &o''union dire&tly 0ith it 0e 'ust get
out of the 0indo0? =t is a 'ere stray fly that is al0ays buBBing 0ithin it, struggling to get out?
Those 0ho s*end 'ost of their lives in the study of the S&ri*tures, arguing and e-*laining
0ith hair-s*litting reasonings, and attain no higher *lane in s*irituality, are religious flies
good for nothing but their buBBing about the nonsensi&al te&hni&alities? =t is on this a&&ount
that 6in-Bai de&laredJEA%F>!G @The t0elve divisions of the Buddhist Canon are nothing
better than 0aste *a*er?@
EA%F><G .aha*ra+nya*ara'ita-sutra, vol? 3(7?
EA%F>!G 6in-Bai-roku?
(? %o %eed of the S&ri*tural 9uthority for 4en?
So'e O&&idental s&holars erroneously identify Buddhis' 0ith the *ri'itive faith of
8inayanis', and are in&lined to &all .ahayanis', a later develo*ed faith, a degenerated one?
=f the *ri'itive faith be &alled the genuine, as these s&holars think, and the later develo*ed
faith be the degenerated one, then the &hild should be &alled the genuine 'an and the gro0n-
u* *eo*le be the degenerated onesI si'ilarly, the *ri'itive so&iety 'ust be the genuine and
the 'odern &iviliBation be the degenerated one? So also the earliest 0ritings of the Old
Testa'ent should be genuine and the four Gos*els be degenerated? Beyond all doubt 4en
belongs to .ahayanis', yet this does not i'*ly that it de*ends on the s&ri*tural authority of
that s&hool, be&ause it does not trouble itself about the Canon 0hether it be 8inayana or
.ahayana, or 0hether it 0as dire&tly s*oken by Shakya .uni or 0ritten by so'e later
Buddhists? 4en is &o'*letely free fro' the fetters of old dog'as, dead &reeds, and
&onventions of stereoty*ed *ast, that &he&k the develo*'ent of a religious faith and *revent
the dis&overy of a ne0 truth? 4en needs no =n5uisition? =t never &o'*elled nor 0ill &o'*el
the &o'*ro'ise of a Galileo or a )es&artes? %o e-&o''uni&ation of a S*inoBa or the burning
of a Bruno is *ossible for 4en?
On a &ertain o&&asion Coh Shan #Caku-san$ did not *rea&h the do&trine for a long 0hile, and
0as re5uested to give a ser'on by his assistant tea&her, sayingJ K2ould your reveren&e
*rea&h the )har'a to your *u*ils, 0ho long thirst after your 'er&iful instru&tionDK KThen
ring the bell,K re*lied Coh Shan? The bell rang, and all the 'onks asse'bled in the 8all eager
to bear the ser'on? Coh Shan 0ent u* to the *ul*it and des&ended i''ediately 0ithout
saying a 0ord? KCou, reverend sir,K asked the assistant, K*ro'ised to deliver a ser'on a little
0hile ago? 2hy do you not *rea&hDK KSutras are taught by the Sutra tea&hers,K said the
'asterI KCastras are taught by the Castra tea&hers? %o 0onder that = say nothing?KEA%F>G
This little e*isode 0ill sho0 you that 4en is no fi-ed do&trine e'bodied in a Sutra or a
Castra, but a &onvi&tion or realiBation 0ithin us?
EA%F>G 4en-rin-rui-shu and ,-gen?
To 5uote another e-a'*le, an offi&er offered to Tung Shan #To-Ban$ *lenty of al's, and
re5uested hi' to re&ite the sa&red Canon? Tung Shan, rising fro' his &hair, 'ade a bo0
res*e&tfully to the offi&er, 0ho did the sa'e to the tea&her? Then Tung Shan 0ent round the
&hair, taking the offi&er 0ith hi', and 'aking a bo0 again to the offi&er, askedJ K)o you see
0hat = 'eanDK K%o, sir,K re*lied the other? K= have been re&iting the sa&red Canon, 0hy do
you not seeDKEA%FG Thus 4en does not regard S&ri*tures in bla&k and 0hite as its Canon,
for it takes to-days and to'orro0s of this a&tual life as its ins*ired *ages?
EA%FG 4en-rin-rui-sha and To-Ban-roku?
"? The Usual ,-*lanation of the Canon?
9n e'inent Chinese Buddhist s&holar, 0ell kno0n as Ten )ai )ai Shi #9?)? 7"<-7!;$,
arranged the 0hole *rea&hings of Shakya .uni in a &hronologi&al order in a&&ordan&e 0ith
his o0n religious theory, and observed that there 0ere the Aive Periods in the &areer of the
Buddha as a religious tea&her? 8e tried to e-*lain a0ay all the dis&re*an&ies and
&ontradi&tions, 0ith 0hi&h the Sa&red Books are en&u'bered, by arranging the Sutras in a
line of develo*'ent? 8is elu&idation 0as so 'inute and &lear, and his 'eta*hysi&al
reasonings so a&ute and &a*tivating, that his o*inion 0as universally a&&e*ted as an histori&al
truth, not 'erely by the Chinese, but also by the Ja*anese .ahayanists? 2e shall briefly state
here the so-&alled Aive Periods?
Shakya .uni attained to Buddhashi* in his thirtieth year, and sat 'otionless for seven days
under the Bodhi tree, absorbed in dee* 'editation, en+oying the first bliss of his
,nlighten'ent? =n the se&ond 0eek he *rea&hed his )har'a to the innu'erable 'ultitude of
Bodhisattvas,EA%F(G &elestial beings, and deities in the nine asse'blies held at seven
different *la&es? This is the origin of a fa'ous .ahayana book entitled Buddhavata'saka-
'ahavai*ulya-sutra? =n this book the Buddha set forth his *rofound 1a0 +ust as it 0as
dis&overed by his highly ,nlightened 'ind, 0ithout &onsidering the 'ental states of his
hearers? Conse5uently the ordinary hearers #or the Buddha@s i''ediate dis&i*les$ &ould not
understand the do&trine, and sat stu*efied as if they 0ere @deaf and du'b,@ 0hile the great
Bodhisattvas fully understood and realiBed the do&trine? This is &alled the first *eriod, 0hi&h
lasted only t0o or threeEA%F"G 0eeks?
EA%F(G Bodhisattva is an i'aginary *ersonage, or ideal saint, su*erior to 9rhat, or the
highest saint of 8inayanis'? The ter' @Bodhisattva@ 0as first a**lied to the Buddha before
his ,nlighten'ent, and after0ards 0as ado*ted by .ahayanists to 'ean the adherent of
.ahayanis' in &ontradistin&tion 0ith the Cravaka or hearers of 8inayanis'?
EA%F"G Bodhiru&i says to the effe&t that the *rea&hings in the first five asse'blies 0ere
'ade in the first 0eek, and the rest 0ere delivered in the se&ond 0eek? %agar+una says that
the Buddha s*oke no 0ord for fifty-seven days after his ,nlighten'ent? =t is said in
Saddhar'a-*undarika-sutra that after three 0eeks the Buddha *rea&hed at /aranasi, and it
says nothing res*e&ting 9vata'saka-sutra? Though there are divers o*inions about the
Buddha@s first ser'on and its date, all traditions agree in this that he s*ent so'e ti'e in
'editation, and then delivered the first ser'on to the five as&eti&s at /aranasi?
Thereu*on Shakya .uni, having dis&overed that ordinary bearers 0ere too ignorant to
believe in the .ahayana do&trine and a**re&iate the greatness of Buddhahood, thought it
ne&essary to 'odify his tea&hing so as to ad+ust it to the &a*a&ity of ordinary *eo*le? So he
0ent to /aranasi #or Benares$ and *rea&hed his 'odified do&trineHthat is, 8inayanis'? The
instru&tion given at that ti'e has been handed do0n to us as the four 9ga'as,EA%F3G or
the four %ikayas? This is &alled the se&ond *eriod, 0hi&h lasted about t0elve years? =t 0as at
the beginning of this *eriod that the Buddha &onverted the five as&eti&s,EA%F7G 0ho
be&a'e his dis&i*les? .ost of the Pravakas or the adherents of 8inayanis' 0ere &onverted
during this *eriod? They trained their hearts in a&&ordan&e 0ith the 'odified 1a0, learned the
four noble truths,EA%F:G and 0orked out their o0n salvation?
EA%F3G #$ 9nguttara, #($ .a++hi'a, #"$ )igha, #3$ Sa'yutta?
EA%F7G Kondanynya, /a**a, Baddiya, .ahanana, 9ssa+i?
EA%F:G The first is the sa&red truth of sufferingI the se&ond the truth of the origin of
sufferingHthat is, lust and desireI the third the sa&red truth of the e-tin&tion of sufferingI the
fourth the sa&red truth of the *ath that leads to the e-tin&tion of suffering? There are eight
noble *aths that lead to the e-tin&tion of sufferingHthat is, 6ight faith, 6ight resolve, 6ight
s*ee&h, 6ight a&tion, 6ight living, 6ight effort, 6ight thought, and 6ight 'editation?
The Buddha then having found his dis&i*les fir'ly adhering to 8inayanis' 0ithout kno0ing
that it 0as a 'odified and i'*erfe&t do&trine, he had to lead the' u* to a higher and *erfe&t
do&trine that he 'ight lead the' u* to Buddhahood? 2ith this ob+e&t in vie0 Shakya .uni
*rea&hed /i'alakirtti-nirde&a-sutraEA%F;G, 1ankavatara-sutra, and other sutras, in 0hi&h
he &o'*ared 8inayanis' 0ith .ahayanis', and des&ribed the latter in glo0ing ter's as a
dee* and *erfe&t 1a0, 0hilst he set forth the for'er at naught as a su*erfi&ial and i'*erfe&t
one? Thus he sho0ed his dis&i*les the inferiority of 8inayanis', and &aused the' to desire
for .ahayanis'? This is said to be the third *eriod, 0hi&h lasted so'e eight years?
EA%F;G This is one of the 'ost noted .ahayana books, and is said to be the best s*e&i'en
of the sutras belonging to this *eriod? =t is in this sutra that 'ost of Shakya@s e'inent
dis&i*les, kno0n as the adherents of 8inayanis', are astonished 0ith the *rofound 0isdo',
the elo5uent s*ee&h, and the su*ernatural *o0er of /i'alakirtti, a Bodhisattva, and &onfess
the inferiority of their faith? The author fre5uently introdu&es e*isodes in order to &onde'n
8inayanis', 'aking use of 'ira&les of his o0n invention?
The dis&i*les of the Buddha no0 understood that .ahayanis' 0as far su*erior to
8inayanis', but they thought the higher do&trine 0as only for Bodhisattvas and beyond their
understanding? Therefore they still adhered to the 'odified do&trine, though they did no
longer de&ry .ahayanis', 0hi&h they had no 'ind to *ra&tise? U*on this Shakya .uni
*rea&hed Pra+nya*ara'ita-sutrasEA%F<G in the si-teen asse'blies held at four different
*la&es, and taught the' .ahayanis' in detail in order to &ause the' to believe it and *ra&tise
it? Thus they be&a'e a0are that there 0as no definite de'ar&ation bet0een .ahayanis' and
8inayanis', and that they 'ight be&o'e .ahayanists? This is the fourth *eriod, 0hi&h lasted
about t0enty-t0o years? %o0, the Buddha, aged seventy-t0o, thought it 0as high ti'e to
*rea&h his long-&herished do&trine that all sentient beings &an attain to Su*re'e
,nlighten'entI so he *rea&hed Saddhar'a-*undarika-sutra, in 0hi&h he *ro*hesied 0hen
and 0here his dis&i*les should be&o'e Buddhas? =t 0as his greatest ob+e&t to &ause all
sentient beings to be ,nlightened and enable the' to en+oy the bliss of %irvana? =t 0as for
this that he had endured great *ain and hardshi*s through his *revious e-isten&es? =t 0as for
this that he had left his heavenly abode to a**ear on earth? =t 0as for this that he had *rea&hed
fro' ti'e to ti'e through his long &areer of forty-seven years? 8aving thus realiBed his great
ai', Shakya .uni had no0 to *re*are for his final de*arture, and *rea&hed .aha*arinirvana-
sutra in order to sho0 that all the ani'ated and inani'ate things 0ere endo0ed 0ith the sa'e
nature as his? 9fter this last instru&tion he *assed to eternity? This is &alled the fifth *eriod,
0hi&h lasted so'e eight years?
EA%F<G %agar+una@s do&trine de*ends 'ainly on these sutras?
These five *eriods above 'entioned &an s&ar&ely be &alled histori&al in the *ro*er sense of
the ter', yet they are ingeniously invented by Ten )ai )ai Shi to set the Buddhist S&ri*tures
in the order of do&trinal develo*'ent, and *la&e Saddhar'a-*undarika in the highest rank
a'ong the .ahayana books? 8is argu'ent, ho0ever dog'ati& and anti-histori&al in no s'all
degree, 0ould be not a little valuable for our reader, 0ho 0ants to kno0 the general *hase of
the Buddhist Canon, &onsisting of thousands of fas&i&les?
3? Sutras used by 4en .asters?
Ten )ai failed to e-*lain a0ay the dis&re*an&ies and &ontradi&tions of 0hi&h the Canon is
full, and often &ontradi&ted hi'self by the ignoring of histori&alEA%F!G fa&ts?
EA%F!G 1et us state our o0n o*inion on the sub+e&t in 5uestion? The foundation of
8inayanis' &onsists in the four %ikayas, or four 9ga'as, the 'ost i'*ortant books of that
s&hool? Besides the four 9ga'as, there e-ist in the Chinese Tri*itaka nu'erous books
translated by various authors, so'e of 0hi&h are e-tra&ts fro' 9ga'as, and so'e the lives of
the Buddha, 0hile others are entirely different sutras, a**arently of later date? Judging fro'
these sour&es, it see's to us that 'ost of Shakya .uni@s original tea&hings are e'bodied into
the four 9ga'as? But it is still a 'atter of un&ertainty that 0hether they are stated in 9ga'as
no0 e-tant +ust as they 0ere, for the Buddha@s *rea&hings 0ere rehearsed i''ediately after
the Buddha@s death in the first &oun&il held at 6a+agrha, yet not &onsigned to 0riting? They
0ere handed do0n by 'e'ory about one hundred years? Then the 'onks at /aisali
&o''itted the so-&alled Ten =ndulgen&es, infringing the rules of the Order, and 'aintained
that Shakya .uni had not &onde'ned the' in his *rea&hings? 9s there 0ere, ho0ever, no
0ritten sutras to dis*rove their assertion, the elders, su&h as Ca&a, 6evata, and others, 0ho
o**osed the =ndulgen&es, had to &onvoke the se&ond &oun&il of ;>> 'onks, in 0hi&h they
su&&eeded in getting the =ndulgen&es &onde'ned, and rehearsed the Buddha@s instru&tion for
the se&ond ti'e? ,ven in this &oun&il of /aisali 0e &annot find the fa&t that the .aster@s
*rea&hings 0ere redu&ed to 0riting? The de&isions of the ;>> elders 0ere not a&&e*ted by the
*arty of o**osition, 0ho held a se*arate &oun&il, and settled their o0n rules and do&trine?
Thus the sa'e do&trine of the Tea&her began to be differently stated and believed?
This being the first o*en s&his', one disru*tion after another took *la&e a'ong the
Buddhisti& Order? There 0ere 'any different s&hools of the Buddhists at the ti'e 0hen King
9&oka as&ended the throne #about (:! B?C?$, and the *atronage of the King dre0 a great
nu'ber of *agan as&eti&s into the Order, 0ho, though they dressed the'selves in the yello0
robes, yet still *reserved their religious vie0s in their original &olour? This naturally led the
Chur&h into &ontinual disturban&es and 'oral &orru*tion? =n the eighteenth year of 9&oka@s
reign the King su''oned the &oun&il of ,>>> 'onks at Patali*utra #Patna$, and settled the
orthodo- do&trine in order to kee* the )har'a *ure fro' hereti&al beliefs? 2e believe that
about this ti'e so'e of the Buddha@s *rea&hings 0ere redu&ed to 0riting, for the 'issionaries
des*at&hed by the King in the year follo0ing the &oun&il see' to have set out 0ith 0ritten
sutras? =n addition to this, so'e of the na'es of the *assages of the )har'a are given in the
Bharbra edi&t of the King, 0hi&h 0as addressed to the 'onks in .agadha? 2e do not
su**ose, ho0ever, that all the sutras 0ere 0ritten at on&e in these days, but that they 0ere
&o*ied do0n fro' 'e'ory one after another at different ti'es, be&ause so'e of the sutras
0ere *ut do0n in Ceylon :> years after the Coun&il of Patna?
=n the introdu&tory book of ,kottaraga'a #9nguttara %ikaya$, no0 e-tant in the Chinese
Tri*itaka, 0e noti&e the follo0ing *ointsJ #$ =t is 0ritten in a style 5uite different fro' that
of the original 9ga'a, but si'ilar to that of the su**le'entary books of the .ahayana sutrasI
#($ it states 9nanda@s &o'*ilation of the Tri*itaka after the death of the .asterI #"$ it refers to
the *ast Buddhas, the future Buddha .aitreya, and innu'erable BodhisattvasI #3$ it *raises
the *rofound do&trine of .ahayanis'? Aro' this 0e infer that the 9ga'a 0as *ut in the
*resent for' after the rise of the .ahayana S&hool, and handed do0n through the hand of
.ahasanghika s&holars, 0ho 0ere 'u&h in sy'*athy 0ith .ahayanis'?
9gain, the first book of )irghaga'a, #)igha %ikaya$, that des&ribes the line of Buddhas 0ho
a**eared before Shakya .uni, ado*ts the 0hole legend of Gota'a@s life as a &o''on 'ode
of all Buddhas a**earing on earthI 0hile the se&ond book narrates the death of Gota'a and
the distribution of his relies, and refers to Patali*utra, the ne0 &a*ital of 9&oka? This sho0s
us that the *resent 9ga'a is not of an earlier date than the third &entury B?C? Sa'yuktaga'a
#Sa'yutta %ikaya$ also gives a detailed a&&ount of 9&oka@s &onversion, and of his father
Bindusara? Aro' these eviden&es 0e 'ay safely infer that the 8inayana sutras 0ere *ut in the
*resent sha*e at different ti'es bet0een the third &entury B?C? and the first &entury 9?)? 2ith
regard to the .ahayana sutras 0e have little doubt about their being the 0ritings of the later
Buddhist refor'ers, even if they are *ut in the 'outh of Shakya .uni? They are entirely
different fro' the sutras of 8inayanis', and &annot be taken as the *rea&hings of one and the
sa'e *erson? The reader should noti&e the follo0ing *ointsJ
#$ Aour &oun&ils 0ere held for the rehearsal of the Tri*itaka na'ely, the first at 6a+agrha, in
the year of Shakya .uni@s deathI the se&ond at /aisali, so'e >> years after the BuddhaI the
third at the ti'e of King 9&oka, about ("7 years after the .asterI the fourth at the ti'e of
King Kanishka, the first &entury 9?)? But all these &oun&ils 0ere held to &o'*ile the
8inayana sutras, and nothing is kno0n of the rehearsal of the .ahayana books? So'e are of
o*inion that the first &oun&il 0as held 0ithin the Satta*anni &ave, near 6a+agrha, 0here the
8inayana Tri*itaka 0as rehearsed by 7>> 'onks, 0hile outside the &ave there asse'bled a
greater nu'ber of 'onks, 0ho 0ere not ad'itted into the &ave, and rehearsed the .ahayana
Tri*itaka? This o*inion, ho0ever, is based on no reliable sour&e?
#($ The =ndian orthodo- Buddhists of old de&lared that the .ahayana sutras 0ere the
fabri&ation of hereti&s or of the ,vil One, and not the tea&hings of the Buddha? =n re*ly to
this, the .ahayanists had to *rove that the .ahayana sutras 0ere &o'*iled by the dire&t
dis&i*les of the .asterI but even %agar+una &ould not vindi&ate the &o'*ilation of the
doubtful books, and said #in .aha*ra+nya*ara'ita-&astra$ that they 0ere &o'*iled by
9nanda and .an+u&ri, 0ith 'yriads of Bodhisattvas at the outside of the =ron .ountain
6ange, 0hi&h en&loses the earth? 9sanga also *roved #in .ahayanalankara-sutra-&astra$ 0ith
little su&&ess that .ahayanis' 0as the Buddha@s dire&t tea&hings? So'e 'ay 5uote
Bodhisattva-garbhastha-sutra in favour of the .ahayanaI but it is of no avail, as the sutra
itself is the 0ork of a later date?
#"$ 9lthough al'ost all of the .ahayana sutras, e-&e*ting 9vata'saka-sutra, treat of
8inayanis' as the i'*erfe&t do&trine taught in the first *art of the .aster@s &areer, yet not
'erely the 0hole life of Gota'a, but also events 0hi&h o&&urred after his death are narrated
in the 8inayana sutras? This sho0s that the .ahayana sutras 0ere &o'*osed after the
establish'ent of early Buddhis'?
#3$ The narratives given in the 8inayana sutras in referen&e to Shakya .uni see' to be based
on histori&al fa&ts, but those in the .ahayana books are full of 0onders and e-travagant
'ira&les far fro' fa&ts?
#7$ The 8inayana sutras retain the tra&es of their having been &lassified and &o'*iled as 0e
see in ,kottaraga'a, 0hile .ahayana books a**ear to have been &o'*osed one after another
by different authors at different ti'es, be&ause ea&h of the' strives to e-&el others, de&laring
itself to be the sutra of the highest do&trine, as 0e see in Saddhar'a-*undarika,
Sa'dhinir'o&ana, Suvarna*rabhasotta'ara+a, et&?
#:$ The dialogues in the 8inayana sutras are in general those bet0een the Buddha and his
dis&i*les, 0hile in the .ahayana books i'aginary beings &alled Bodhisattvas take the *la&e
of dis&i*les? .oreover, in so'e books no 'onks are 'entioned?
#;$ .ost of the .ahayana sutras de&lare that they the'selves *ossess those 'ysti& *o0ers
that *rote&t the reader or the o0ner fro' su&h evils as e*ide'i&, fa'ine, 0ar, et&?I but the
8inayana sutras are *ure fro' su&h beliefs?
#<$ The .ahayana sutras e-tol not only the 'erits of the reading, but the &o*ying of the
sutras? This unfailingly sho0s the fa&t that they 0ere not handed do0n by 'e'ory, as the
8inayana sutras, but 0ritten by their res*e&tive authors?
#!$ The 8inayana sutras 0ere 0ritten 0ith a *lain style in Pali, 0hile the .ahayana books,
0ith brilliant *hraseology, in Sanskrit?
#>$ The Buddha in the 8inayana sutras is little 'ore than a hu'an being, 0hile Buddha or
Tathagata in the .ahayana is a su*erhu'an being or Great )eity?
#$ The 'oral *re&e*ts of the 8inayana 0ere laid do0n by the .aster every ti'e 0hen his
dis&i*les a&ted inde&ently, 0hile those of the .ahayana books 0ere s*oken all at on&e by
Tathagata?
#($ So'e .ahayana sutras a**ear to be the e-aggeration or 'odifi&ation of 0hat 0as stated
in the 8inayana books, as 0e see in .aha*arinirvana-sutra?
#"$ =f 0e take both the 8inayana and the .ahayana as s*oken by one and the sa'e *erson,
0e &annot understand 0hy there are so 'any &ontradi&tory state'ents, as 0e see in the
follo0ingJ
#a$ 8istori&al Contradi&tions?HAor instan&e, 8inayana sutras are held to be the first ser'on
of the Buddha by the author of Saddhar'a-*undarika, 0hile 9vata'saka de&lares itself to be
the first ser'on? %agar+una holds that Pra+nya sutras are the first?
#b$ Contradi&tions as to the Person of the .aster?HAor instan&e, 9ga'as say the Buddha@s
body 0as 'arked 0ith thirty-t0o *e&uliarities, 0hile the .ahayana books enu'erate ninety-
seven *e&uliarities, or even innu'erable 'arks?
#&$ )o&trinal Contradi&tions?HAor instan&e, the 8inayana sutras *ut forth the *essi'isti&,
nihilisti& vie0 of life, 0hile the .ahayana books, as a rule, e-*ress the o*ti'isti&, idealisti&
vie0?
#3$ The 8inayana sutras say nothing of the .ahayana books, 0hile the latter al0ays
&o'*are their do&trine 0ith that of the for'er, and s*eak of it in &onte'*t? =t is &lear that the
na'e @8inayana@ 0as &oined by the .ahayanists, as there is no sutra 0hi&h &alls itself
@8inayana?@ =t is therefore evident that 0hen the 8inayana books took the *resent sha*e there
a**eared no .ahayana sutras?
#7$ The authors of the .ahayana sutras should have e-*e&ted the o**osition of the
8inayanists, be&ause they say not seldo' that there 'ight be so'e 0ho 0ould not believe in
and o**ose .ahayanis' as not being the Buddha@s tea&hing, but that of the ,vil One? They
say also that one 0ho 0ould venture to say the .ahayana books are fi&titious should fall into
8ell? Aor e-a'*le, the author of .aha*arinirvana-sutra saysJ K2i&ked Bhiksus 0ould say all
/ai*ulya .ahayana sutras are not s*oken by the Buddha, but by the ,vil One?K
#:$ There are eviden&es sho0ing that the .ahayana do&trine 0as develo*ed out of the
8inayana one?
#a$ The .ahayanists@ grand &on&e*tion of Tathagata is the natural develo*'ent of that of
those *rogressive 8inayanists 0ho belonged to the .ahasa'ghika S&hool, 0hi&h 0as for'ed
so'e one hundred years after the .aster? These 8inayanists 'aintained that the Buddha had
infinite *o0er, endless life, and li'itlessly great body? The author of .aha*arinirvana-sutra
also says that Buddha is i''ortal, his )har'a-kaya is infinite and eternal? The authors of
.ahayana-'ulagata-hrdayabhu'i-dhyana-sutra and of Suvarna*rabha-sotta'ara+a-sutra
enu'erate the Three Bodies of Buddha, 0hile the 0riter of 1ankavatara-sutra des&ribes the
Aour Bodies, and that of 9vata'saka-sutra the Ten Bodies of Tathagata?
#b$ 9&&ording to the 8inayana sutras, there are only four stages of saintshi*, but the
.ahasa'ghika S&hool in&reases the nu'ber and gives ten ste*s? So'e .ahayana sutras also
enu'erate the ten stages of Bodhisattva, 0hile others give forty-one or fifty t0o stages?
#&$ The 8i'ayana sutras na'e si- *ast Buddhas and one future Buddha .aitreya, 0hile the
.ahayana sutras na'e thirty-five, fifty-three, or three thousand Buddhas?
#d$ The 8inayana sutras give the na'es of si- /i+nyanas, 0hile the .ahayana books seven,
eight, or nine /i+nyanas?
#;$ Aor a fe0 &enturies after the Buddha 0e hear only of 8inayanis', but not of
.ahayanis', there being no .ahayana tea&her?
#<$ =n so'e .ahayana sutras #.ahavairo&anabhisa'bodhi-sutra, for e-a'*le$ Tathagata
/airo&ana takes the *la&e of Gota'a, and nothing is said of the latter?
#!$ The &ontents of the .ahayana sutras often *rove that they 0ere, &o'*osed, or re0ritten,
or so'e additions 0ere 'ade, long after the Buddha? Aor instan&e, .aha'aya-sutra says that
9&vaghosa 0ould refute hereti&al do&trines :>> years after the .aster, and %agar+una 0ould
advo&ate the )har'a ;>> years after Gota'a, 0hile 1ankavatara-sutra *ro*hesies that
%agar+una 0ould a**ear in South =ndia?
#(>$ The author of San-ron-gen-gi tells us .ahadeva, a leader of the .ahasa'ghika S&hool,
used .ahayana sutras, together 0ith the orthodo- Tri*itaka : after the Buddha? =t is,
ho0ever, doubtful that they e-isted at so early a date?
#($ .aha*ra+nya*ara'ita-&astra, as&ribed to %agar+una, refers to 'any .ahayana books,
0hi&h in&lude Saddhar'a-*undarika, /i'alakirtti-nirde&a, Sukhavati-vyuha,
.aha*ra+nya*ara'ita, Pratyut*anna-buddhasa''ukhavasthita-sa'adhi, et&? 8e 5uotes in his
)a&abhu'ivibhasa-&astra, .aha*arinirvana, )a&abhu'i, et&?
#(($ Sthira'ati, 0hose date is said to be earlier than %agar+una and later than 9&vaghosa,
tries to *rove that .ahayanis' 0as dire&tly taught by the .aster in his .ahayanavataraka-
&astra? 9nd .ahayanottaratantra-&astra, 0hi&h is as&ribed by so'e s&holars to hi', refers to
9vata'saka, /a+ra&&hedikka-*ra+nya*ara'ita, Saddhar'a*undarika, Cri'ala-devi-
si'hananda, et&?
#("$ Chi-leu-&ia-&hin, 0ho &a'e to China in 9?)? 3; or 9?)? :3, translated so'e *art of
.ahayana books kno0n as .aharatnakuta-sutra and .ahavai*ulya-'ahasanni*ata-sutra?
#(3$ 9n-shi-kao, 0ho &a'e to China in 9?)? 3<, translated su&h .ahayana books as
Sukhavati-vyaha, Candra-di*a-sa'adhi, et&?
#(7$ .atanga, 0ho &a'e to China in 9?)? :;, is said by his biogra*her to have been infor'ed
of both .ahayanis' and 8inayanis' to have given inter*retations to a noted .ahayana
book, entitled Suvarna*rabhasa?
#(:$ Sandhinir'o&ana-sutra is su**osed to be a 0ork of 9sanga not 0ithout reason, be&ause
9sanga@s do&trine is identi&al 0ith that of the sutra, and the sutra itself is &ontained in the
latter *art of Coga&aryabhu'i-&astra? The author divides the 0hole *rea&hings of the .aster
into the three *eriods that he 'ight *la&e the =dealisti& do&trine in the highest rank of the
.ahayana s&hools?
#(;$ 2e have every reason to believe that .ahayana sutras began to a**ear #*erha*s Pra+nya
sutras being the first$ early in the first &entury 9?)?, that 'ost of the i'*ortant books
a**eared before %agar+una, and that so'e of .antra sutras 0ere &o'*osed so late as the ti'e
of /a+rabodhi, 0ho &a'e to China in 9?)? ;!?
To say nothing of the strong o**osition raised by the Ja*anese s&holars,EA%F(>G su&h an
assu'*tion &an be 'et 0ith an assu'*tion of entirely o**osite nature, and the diffi&ulties &an
never be over&o'e? Aor 4en 'asters, therefore, these assu'*tions and reasonings are 'ere
5uibbles un0orthy of their attention?
EA%F(>G The fore'ost of the' 0as Chuki To'inaga #;33$, of 0hose life little is kno0n?
8e is said to have been a na'eless 'er&hant at Osaka? 8is Shutsu-+o-ko-go is the first great
0ork of higher &riti&is' on the Buddhist S&ri*tures?
To believe blindly in the S&ri*tures is one thing, and to be *ious is another? 8o0 often the
&hildish vie0s of Creation and of God in the S&ri*tures &on&ealed the light of s&ientifi&
truthsI ho0 often the blind believers of the' fettered the *rogress of &iviliBationI ho0 often
religious 'en *revented us fro' the realiBing of a ne0 truth, si'*ly be&ause it is against the
an&ient folk-lore in the Bible? %othing is 'ore absurd than the &onstant dread in 0hi&h
religious 'en, de&laring to 0orshi* God in truth and in s*irit, are ke*t at the s&ientifi&
dis&overy of ne0 fa&ts in&o'*atible 0ith the folk-lore? %othing is 'ore irreligious than to
*erse&ute the seekers of truth in order to kee* u* absurdities and su*erstitions of bygone ages?
%othing is 'ore inhu'an than the &o''ission of @devout &ruelty@ under the 'ask of love of
God and 'an? =s it not the 'isfortune, not only of Christianity, but of 0hole 'ankind, to have
the Bible en&u'bered 0ith legendary histories, stories of 'ira&les, and a &rude &os'ology,
0hi&h fro' ti'e to ti'e &o'e in &onfli&t 0ith s&ien&eD
The Buddhist S&ri*tures are also overloaded 0ith =ndian su*erstitions and a &rude &os'ology,
0hi&h *ass under the na'e of Buddhis'? 9&&ordingly, Buddhist s&holars have &onfused not
seldo' the do&trine of the Buddha 0ith these absurdities, and thought it i'*ious to abandon
the'? Kaiseki,EA%F(G for instan&e, 0as at a loss to distinguish Buddhis' fro' the =ndian
astrono'y, 0hi&h is utterly untenable in the fa&e of the fa&t? 8e ta-ed his reason to the ut'ost
to de'onstrate the =ndian theory and at the sa'e ti'e to refute the Co*erni&an theory? One
day he &alled on Ceki-doEA%F((G a &onte'*orary 4en 'aster, and e-*lained the
&onstru&tion of the Three 2orlds as des&ribed in the S&ri*tures, saying that Buddhis' 0ould
&o'e to naught if the theory of the Three 2orlds be overthro0n by the Co*erni&an? Then
Ceki-do e-&lai'edJ KBuddhis' ai's to destroy the Three 2orlds and to establish Buddha@s
8oly Kingdo' throughout the universe? 2hy do you 0aste your energy in the &onstru&tion of
the Three 2orldsDKEA%F("G
EA%F(G 9 learned Ja*anese Buddhist s&holar, 0ho died in <<(?
EA%F((G 9 fa'ous 4en 'aster, the abbot of the So-+i-+i .onastery, 0ho died in <;!?
EA%F("G Kin-sei-Ben-rin-gen-ko-roku?
=n this 0ay 4en does not trouble itself about unessentials of the S&ri*tures, on 0hi&h it never
de*ends for its authority? )o-gen, the founder of the Ja*anese So To Se&t, severely &onde'ns
#in his Sho-bo-gen-Bo$ the notions of the i'*urity of 0o'en in&ul&ated in the S&ri*tures? 8e
o*enly atta&ks those Chinese 'onks 0ho s0ore that they 0ould not see any 0o'an, and
ridi&ules those 0ho laid do0n rules *rohibiting 0o'en fro' getting a&&ess to 'onasteries? 9
4en 'aster 0as asked by a Sa'urai 0hether there 0as hell in sooth as taught in the
S&ri*tures? K= 'ust ask you,K re*lied he, Kbefore = give you an ans0er? Aor 0hat *ur*ose is
your 5uestionD 2hat business have you, a Sa'urai, 0ith a thing of that sortD 2hy do you
bother yourself about su&h an idle 5uestionD Surely you negle&t your duty and are engaged in
su&h a fruitless resear&h? )oes this not a'ount to your stealing the annual salary fro' your
lordDK The Sa'urai, offended not a little 0ith these rebukes, stared at the 'aster, ready to
dra0 his s0ord at another insult? Then the tea&her said s'ilinglyJ K%o0 you are in 8ell?
)on@t you seeDK
)oes, then, 4en use no s&ri*tureD To this 5uestion 0e ans0er both affir'atively and
negativelyJ negatively, be&ause 4en regards all sutras as a sort of *i&tured food 0hi&h has no
*o0er of a**easing s*iritual hungerI affir'atively, be&ause it freely 'akes use of the'
irres*e&tive of .ahayana or 8inayana? 4en 0ould not 'ake a bonfire of the S&ri*tures as
Cali*h O'ar did of the 9le-andrian library? 9 4en 'aster, having seen a Confu&ianist
burning his books on the thought that they 0ere rather a hindran&e to his s*iritual gro0th,
observedJ KCou had better burn your books in 'ind and heart, but not the books in bla&k and
0hite?KEA%F(3G
EA%F(3G Ukiyo-soshi?
9s even deadly *oison *roves to be 'edi&ine in the band of a good do&tor, so a heterodo-
do&trine antagonisti& to Buddhis' is used by the 4en tea&hers as a finger *ointing to the
*rin&i*le of 4en? But they as a rule resorted to 1ankavatara-sutra,EA%F(7G /a+ra&&hedika-
*ra+nya-*ara'ita-sutra,EA%F(:G /i'alakirtti-nirde&a-sutraEA%F(;G .ahavai*ulya-
*urnabuddha-sutraEA%F(<G .ababuddhosnisa-tathagata-guhyahetu-saksatkrta-*rasannatha-
sarvabhodhi sattva&arya-suranga'a-sutra,EA%F(!G .aha*ari-nirvana-sutra,EA%F">G
Saddhar'a-*undarika-sutra, 9vata'saka-sutra, and so forth?
EA%F(7G This book is the nearest a**roa&h to the do&trine of 4en, and is said to have been
*ointed out by Bodhidhar'a as the best book for the use of his follo0ers? See %an+o@s
Catalogue, %os? ;7, ;: ;;?
EA%F(:G The author of the sutra insists on the unreality of all things? The book 0as first
used by the Aifth Patriar&h, as 0e have seen in the first &ha*ter? See %an+o@s Catalogue, %os?
>, , (, ", 3, 7?
EA%F(;G The sutra agrees 0ith 4en in 'any res*e&ts, es*e&ially in its 'aintaining that the
highest truth &an only be realiBed in 'ind, and &annot be e-*ressed by 0ord of 'outh? See
%an+o@s Catalogue, %os? 33, 37, 3:, 3;, 3<, 3!?
EA%F(<G The sutra 0as translated into Chinese by Buddhatrata in the seventh &entury? The
author treats at length of Sa'adhi, and sets forth a do&trine si'ilar to 4en, so that the te-t
0as used by 'any Chinese 4enists? See %an+o@s Catalogue, %os? 3(; and :(!?
EA%F(!G The sutra 0as translated into Chinese by Para'iti and
.ika&akya, of the Tang dynasty #:<-!>;$? The author &on&eives
6eality as .ind or S*irit? The book belongs to the .antra &lass,
although it is 'u&h used by 4enists? See %an+o@s Catalogue, %o? 33:?
EA%F">G The author of the book sets forth his o0n &on&e*tion of
%irvana and of Buddha, and 'aintains that all beings are endo0ed 0ith
Buddha-nature? 8e also gives in detail an in&redible a&&ount about
Gota'a@s death?
7? 9 Sutra ,5ual in SiBe to the 2hole 2orld?
The holy 0rit that 4en 'asters ad'ire is not one of *ar&h'ent nor of *al'-leaves, nor in
bla&k and 0hite, but one 0ritten in heart and 'ind? On one o&&asion a King of ,astern =ndia
invited the venerable Pra+nyatara, the tea&her of Bodhidhar'a, and his dis&i*les to dinner at
his o0n *ala&e?
Ainding all the 'onks re&iting the sa&red sutras 0ith the single e-&e*tion of the 'aster, the
King 5uestioned Pra+nyataraJ K2hy do you not, reverend sir, re&ite the S&ri*tures as others
doDK K.y *oor self, your 'a+esty,K re*lied he, Kdoes not go out to the ob+e&ts of sense in 'y
e-*iration nor is it &onfined 0ithin body and 'ind in 'y ins*iration? Thus = &onstantly re&ite
hundreds, thousands, and 'illions of sa&red sutras?K =n like 'anner the ,'*eror 2u, of the
1iang dynasty, on&e re5uested Ch0en 8ih #Au )ai-shi$ to give a le&ture on the S&ri*tures?
Ch0en 0ent u*on the *latfor', stru&k the desk 0ith a blo&k of 0ood, and &a'e do0n? Pao
Chi #8o-shi$, a Buddhist tutor to the ,'*eror, asked the *er*le-ed 'onar&hJ K)oes your
1ordshi* understand hi'DK K%o,K ans0ered 8is .a+esty? KThe le&ture of the Great Tea&her is
over?K 9s it is &lear to you fro' these e-a'*les, 4en holds that the faith 'ust be based not on
the dead S&ri*tures, but on living fa&ts, that one 'ust turn over not the gilt *ages of the holy
0rit, but read bet0een the lines in the holy *ages of daily life, that Buddha 'ust be *rayed
not by 0ord of 'outh, but by a&tual deed and 0ork, and that one 'ust s*lit o*en, as the
author of 9vata'saka-sutra allegori&ally tells us, the s'allest grain of dirt to find therein a
sutra e5ual in siBe to the 0hole 0orld? KThe so-&alled sutra,K says )o-gen, K&overs the 0hole
universe? =t trans&ends ti'e and s*a&e? =t is 0ritten 0ith the &hara&ters of heaven, of 'an, of
beasts, of 9suras,EA%F"lG of hundreds of grass, and of thousands of trees? There are
&hara&ters, so'e long, so'e short, so'e round, so'e s5uare, so'e blue, so'e red, so'e
yello0, and so'e 0hite-in short, all the *heno'ena in the universe are the &hara&ters 0ith
0hi&h the sutra is 0ritten?K Shakya .uni read that sutra through the bright star illu'inating
the broad e-*anse of the 'orning skies, 0hen he sat in 'editation under the Bodhi Tree?
EA%F"lG The na'e of a de'on?
1ing Cun #6ei-un$ read it through the lovely flo0ers of a *ea&h-tree in s*ring after so'e
t0enty years of his resear&h for 1ight, and saidJ
K9 s&ore of years = looked for 1ightJ
There &a'e and 0ent 'any a s*ring and fall?
,@er sin&e the *ea&h blosso's &a'e in 'y sight,
= never doubt anything at all?K
8ian Cen #Kyo-gen$ read it through the noise of ba'boo, at 0hi&h he thre0 *ebbles? Su Shih
#So-shoku$ read it through a 0aterfall, one evening, and saidJ
KThe brook s*eaks forth the Tathagata@s 0ords divine,
The hills reveal 8is glorious for's that shine?K
:? Great .en and %ature?
9ll great 'en, 0hether they be *oets or s&ientists or religious 'en or *hiloso*hers, are not
'ere readers of books, but the *erusers of %ature? .en of erudition are often le-i&ons in flesh
and blood, but 'en of genius read bet0een the lines in the *ages of life? Kant, a 'an of no
great erudition, &ould a&&o'*lish in the theory of kno0ledge 0hat Co*erni&us did in
astrono'y? %e0ton found the la0 of gravitation not in a 0ritten *age, but in a falling a**le?
Unlettered Jesus realiBed truth beyond the &o'*rehension of 'any learned do&tors? Charles
)ar0in, 0hose theory &hanged the 0hole &urrent of the 0orld@s thought, 0as not a great
reader of books, but a &areful observer of fa&ts? Shakes*eare, the greatest of *oets, 0as the
greatest reader of %ature and life? 8e &ould hear the 'usi& even of heavenly bodies, and saidJ
KThere@s not the s'allest orb 0hi&h thou beholdest,
But in his 'otion like an angel sings?K
Ch0ang TsB #So-shi$, the greatest of Chinese *hiloso*hers, saysJ KThou kno0est the 'usi& of
'en, but not the 'usi& of the earth? Thou kno0est the 'usi& of the earth, but not the 'usi& of
the heaven?KEA%F"(G Goethe, *er&eiving a *rofound 'eaning in %ature, saysJ KAlo0ers are
the beautiful hierogly*hi&s of %ature 0ith 0hi&h she indi&ates ho0 'u&h she loves us?K
EA%F"(G Ch0ang TsB, vol? i?, *? >?
Son-tokuEA%F""G #%ino'iya$, a great e&ono'ist, 0ho, over&o'ing all diffi&ulties and
hardshi*s by 0hi&h he 0as beset fro' his &hildhood, edu&ated hi'self, saysJ KThe earth and
the heaven utter no 0ord, but they &easelessly re*eat the holy book un0ritten?K
EA%F""G One of the greatest self-'ade 'en in Ja*an, 0ho lived ;<;-<7:?
;? The 9bsolute and 6eality are but an 9bstra&tion?
9 grain of sand you, tra'*le u*on has a dee*er signifi&an&e than a series of le&tures by your
verbal *hiloso*her 0ho' you res*e&t? =t &ontains 0ithin itself the 0hole history of the earthI
it tells you 0hat it has seen sin&e the da0n of ti'eI 0hile your *hiloso*her si'*ly *lays on
abstra&t ter's and e'*ty 0ords? 2hat does his 9bsolute, or One, or Substan&e 'eanD 2hat
does his 6eality or Truth i'*lyD )o they denote or &onnote anythingD .ere na'eO 'ere
abstra&tionO One s&hool of *hiloso*hy after another has been established on logi&al subtletiesI
thousands of books have been 0ritten on these grand na'es and fair 'irages, 0hi&h vanish
the 'o'ent that your hand of e-*erien&e rea&hes after the'?
K)uke 80an,K says Ch0ang TsB,EA%F"3G Kseated above in his hall, 0asK #on&e$ reading a
book, and a 0heel0right, Phien, 0as 'aking a 0heel belo0 it? 1aying aside his ha''er and
&hisel, Phien 0ent u* the ste*s and saidJ @= venture to ask your Gra&e 0hat 0ords you are
readingD@ The duke saidJ @The 0ords of sages?@ @9re these sages aliveD@ Phien &ontinued? @They
are dead,@ 0as the re*ly? @Then,@ said the other, @0hat you, 'y 6uler, are reading is only the
dregs and sedi'ents of those old 'en?@ The duke saidJ
EA%F"3G Ch0ang TsB, vol? ii?, *? (3?
@8o0 should you, a 0heel0right, have anything to say about the book 0hi&h = a' readingD =f
you &an e-*lain yourself, very 0ellI if you &annot, you shall die?@ The 0heel0right saidJ @Cour
servant 0ill look at the thing fro' the *oint of vie0 of his o0n art? =n 'aking a 0heel, if =
*ro&eed gently, that is *leasant enough, but the 0ork'anshi* is not strongI if = *ro&eed
violently, that is toilso'e and the +oinings do not fit? =f the 'ove'ents of 'y hand are neither
#too$ gentle nor #too$ violent, the idea in 'y 'ind is realiBed? But = &annot tell #ho0 to do
this$ by 0ord of 'outhI there is a kna&k in it? = &annot tea&h the kna&k to 'y son, nor &an 'y
son learn it fro' 'e? Thus it is that = a' in 'y seventieth year, and a' #still$ 'aking 0heels
in 'y old age? But these an&ients, and 0hat it 0as not *ossible for the' to &onvey, are dead
and gone? So then 0hat you, 'y 6uler, are reading is but their dregs and sedi'ents?K 4en has
no business 0ith the dregs and sedi'ents of sages of yore?
<? The Ser'on of the =nani'ate?
The S&ri*ture of 4en is 0ritten 0ith fa&ts si'*le and fa'iliar, so si'*le and fa'iliar 0ith
everyday life that they es&a*e observation on that very a&&ount? The sun rises in the east? The
'oon sets in the 0est? 8igh is the 'ountain? )ee* is the sea? S*ring &o'es 0ith flo0ersI
su''er 0ith the &ool breeBeI autu'n 0ith the bright 'oonI 0inter 0ith the fakes of sno0?
These things, *erha*s too si'*le and too fa'iliar for ordinary observers to *ay attention to,
have had *rofound signifi&an&e for 4en? 1i %gao #6i-ko$ one day asked Coh Shan #Caku-
san$J K2hat is the 0ay to truthDK Coh Shan, *ointing to the sky and then to the *it&her beside
hi', saidJ KCou seeDK K%o, sir,K re*lied 1i %gao? KThe &loud is in the sky,K said Coh Shan,
Kand the 0ater in the *it&her?K 8uen Sha #Gen-sha$ one day 0ent u*on the *latfor' and 0as
ready to deliver a ser'on 0hen he heard a s0allo0 singing? K1isten,K said he, Kthat s'all bird
*rea&hes the essential do&trine and *ro&lai's the eternal truth?K Then he 0ent ba&k to his
roo', giving no ser'on?EA%F"7G
EA%F"7G )en-to-roku and ,-gen?
The letters of the al*habet, a, b, &, et&?, have no 'eaning 0hatever? They are but artifi&ial
signs, but 0hen s*elt they &an e-*ress any great idea that great thinkers 'ay for'? Trees,
grass, 'ountains, rivers, stars, 'oons, suns? These are the al*habets 0ith 0hi&h the 4en
S&ri*ture is 0ritten? ,ven a, b, &, et&?, 0hen s*elt, &an e-*ress any great idea? 2hy not, then,
these trees, grass, et&?, the al*habets of %ature 0hen they &o'*ose the /olu'e of the
UniverseD ,ven the 'eanest &lod of earth *ro&lai's the sa&red la0?
80ui ChungEA%F":G #,-&hu$ is said first to have given an e-*ression to the Ser'on of the
=nani'ate? K)o the inani'ate *rea&h the )o&trineDK asked a 'onk of 80ui Chung on one
o&&asion? KCes, they *rea&h elo5uently and in&essantly? There is no *ause in their orations,K
0as the re*ly? K2hy, then, do = not hear the'DK asked the other again? K,ven if you do not,
there are 'any others 0ho &an hear the'?K K2ho &an hear the'DK K9ll the sages hear and
understand the',K said 80ui Chung? Thus the Ser'on of the =nani'ate had been a favourite
to*i& of dis&ussion !>> years before Shakes*eare 0ho e-*ressed the si'ilar idea, sayingJ
K9nd this our life, e-e'*t fro' *ubli& haunt,
Ainds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Ser'ons in stones, and good in everything?K
EA%F":G 9 dire&t dis&i*le of the Si-th Patriar&h?
K8o0 0onderful is the Ser'on of the =nani'ate,K says Tung Shan #To-Ban$? KCou &annot hear
it through your ears, but you &an hear it through your eyes?K Cou should hear it through your
'ind@s eyes, through your heart@s eyes, through your in'ost soul@s eyes, not through your
intelle&t, not through your *er&e*tion, not through your kno0ledge, not through your logi&,
not through your 'eta*hysi&s? To understand it you have to divine, not to defineI you have to
observe, not to &al&ulateI you have to sy'*athiBe, not to analyBeI you have to see through,
not to &riti&iBeI you have not to e-*lain, but to feelI you have not to abstra&t, but to gras*I you
have to see all in ea&h, but not to kno0 all in allI you have to get dire&tly at the soul of things,
*enetrating their hard &rust of 'atter by your rays of the inner'ost &ons&iousness? KThe
falling leaves as 0ell as the bloo'ing flo0ers reveal to us the holy la0 of Buddha,K says a
Ja*anese 4enist?
Ce 0ho seek for *urity and *ea&e, go to %ature? She 0ill give you 'ore than ye ask? Ce 0ho
long for strength and *erseveran&e, go to %ature? She 0ill train and strengthen you? Ce 0ho
as*ire after an ideal, go to %ature? She 0ill hel* you in its realiBation? Ce 0ho yearn after
,nlighten'ent, go to %ature? She 0ill never fail to grant your re5uest?
CHAPTER IV
BUDDHA, THE UNIVERSAL SPIRIT
? The 9n&ient Buddhist Pantheon?
The an&ient Buddhist *antheon 0as full of deities or Buddhas, ",>>>EA%F";G in nu'ber, or
rather &ountless, and also of Bodhisattvas no less than Buddhas? %o0adays, ho0ever, in
every &hur&h of .ahayanis' one Buddha or another together 0ith so'e Bodhisattvas reigns
su*re'e as the sole ob+e&t of 0orshi*, 0hile other su*ernatural beings sink in oblivion? These
,nlightened Beings, regardless of their *ositions in the *antheon, 0ere generally regarded as
*ersons 0ho in their *ast lives &ultivated virtues, under0ent austerities, and various sorts of
*enan&e, and at length attained to a &o'*lete ,nlighten'ent, by virtue of 0hi&h they se&ured
not only *ea&e and eternal bliss, but a&5uired divers su*ernatural *o0ers, su&h as
&lairvoyan&e, &lairaudien&e, all-kno0ledge, and 0hat not? Therefore, it is natural that so'e
.ahayanistsEA%F"<G &a'e to believe that, if they should go through the sa'e &ourse of
dis&i*line and study, they &ould attain to the sa'e ,nlighten'ent and Bliss, or the sa'e
Buddhahood, 0hile other .ahayanistsEA%F"!G &a'e to believe in the do&trine that the
believer is saved and led u* to the eternal state of bliss, 0ithout undergoing these hard
dis&i*lines, by the *o0er of a Buddha kno0n as having boundless 'er&y and fatho'less
0isdo' 0ho' he invokes?
EA%F";G Trikal*a-trisahasra-buddhanra'a-sutra gives the na'es of ",>>> Buddhas, and
Buddhabhisita-buddhana'a-sutra enu'erates Buddhas and Bodhisattvas ,>!" in nu'ber?
See %an+o@s Catalogue, %os? 3>3, 3>7, 3>:, 3>;?
EA%F"<G Those 0ho believe in the do&trine of 8oly Path? See @9
8istory of the T0elve Ja*anese Buddhist Se&ts,@ **? >!-?
EA%F"!G Those 0ho believe in the do&trine of the Pure 1and?
(? 4en is =&ono&lasti&?
Aor the follo0ers of Bodhidhar'a, ho0ever, this &on&e*tion of Buddha see'ed too &rude to
be a&&e*ted unhesitatingly and the do&trine too 'u&h irrelevant 0ith and un&ongenial to
a&tual life? Sin&e 4en denoun&ed, as 0e have seen in the *revious &ha*ter, the s&ri*tural
authority, it is 5uite reasonable to have given u* this vie0 of Buddha in&ul&ated in the
.ahayana sutras, and to set at naught those statues and i'ages of su*ernatural beings ke*t in
veneration by the orthodo- Buddhists? Tan 8ia #Tan-ka$, a noted Chinese 4en 'aster, 0as
found 0ar'ing hi'self on a &old 'orning by the fire 'ade of a 0ooden statue of Buddha?
On another o&&asion he 0as found 'ounting astride the statue of a saint? Chao Chen #Jo-shu$
one day ha**ened to find 2ang Cuen #Bun-yen$ 0orshi**ing the Buddha in the te'*le, and
forth0ith stru&k hi' 0ith his staff? K=s there not anything good in the 0orshi**ing of the
BuddhaDK *rotested 2ang Cuen? Then the 'aster saidJ K%othing is better than anything
good?KEA%F3>G These e-a'*les fully illustrate 4en@s attitude to0ards the ob+e&ts of
Buddhist 0orshi*? 4en is not, nevertheless, i&ono&lasti& in the &o''only a&&e*ted sense of
the ter', nor is it idolatrous, as Christian 'issionaries are a*t to su**ose?
EA%F3>G 4en-rin-rui-shu?
4en is 'ore i&ono&lasti& than any of the Christian or the .oha''edan deno'inations in the
sense that it o**oses the a&&e*tan&e of the *etrified idea of )eity, so &onventional and for'al
that it &arries no inner &onvi&tion of the believers? Aaith dies out 0henever one &o'es to sti&k
to one@s fi-ed and i''utable idea of )eity, and to de&eive oneself, taking bigotry for genuine
faith? Aaith 'ust be living and gro0ing, and the living and gro0ing faith should assu'e no
fi-ed for'? =t 'ight see' for a su*erfi&ial observer to take a fi-ed for', as a running river
a**ears &onstant, though it goes through &easeless &hanges? The dead faith, i''utable and
&onventional, 'akes its e'bra&er a**ear religious and res*e&table, 0hile it arrests his
s*iritual gro0th? =t 'ight give its o0ner &o'fort and *ride, yet it at botto' *roves to be
fetters to his 'oral u*lifting? =t is on this a&&ount that 4en de&laresJ KBuddha is nothing but
s*iritual &hain or 'oral fetters,K and, K=f you re'e'ber even a na'e of Buddha, it 0ould
de*rive you of *urity of heart?K The &onventional or orthodo- idea of Buddha or )eity 'ight
see' s'ooth and fair, like a gold &hain, being *olished and ha''ered through generations
by religious golds'ithsI but it has too 'u&h fi-ity and frigidity to be 0orn by us?
KStrike off thy fetters, bonds that bind thee do0n
Of shining gold or darker, baser oreI
Kno0 slave is slave &aressed or 0hi**ed, not freeI
Aor fetters tho@ of gold, are not less strong to bind?K
HThe Song of the Sannyasin?
"? Buddha is Unna'able?
Give a definite na'e to )eity, 8e 0ould be no 'ore than 0hat the na'e i'*lies? The )eity
under the na'e of Brah'an ne&essarily differs fro' the Being under the a**ellation of
Jehovah, +ust as the 8indu differs fro' the Je0? =n like 'anner the Being designated by God
ne&essarily differs fro' One na'ed 9'itabha or fro' 8i' entitled 9llah? To give a na'e to
the )eity is to give 8i' tradition, nationality, li'itation, and fi-ity, and it never brings us
nearer to 8i'? 4en@s ob+e&t of 0orshi* &annot be na'ed and deter'ined as God, or Brah'an,
or 9'itabha, or Creator, or %ature, or 6eality, or Substan&e, or the like? %either Chinese nor
Ja*anese 'asters of 4en tried to give a definite na'e to their ob+e&t of adoration? They no0
&alled 8i' That One, no0 This One, no0 .ind, no0 Buddha, no0 Tathagata, no0 Certain
Thing, no0 the True, no0 )har'a-nature, no0 Buddha-nature, and so forth? Tung
ShanEA%F3G #To-Ban$ on a &ertain o&&asion de&lared it to be K9 Certain Thing that *illars
heaven above and su**orts the earth belo0I dark as la&5uer and undefinableI 'anifesting
itself through its a&tivities, yet not 0holly &o'*risable 0ithin the'?K So-keiEA%F3(G
e-*ressed it in the sa'e 0iseJ KThere e-ists a Certain Thing, bright as a 'irror, s*iritual as a
'ind, not sub+e&ted to gro0th nor to de&ay?K 8uen Sha #Gen-sha$ &o'*aring it 0ith a ge'
saysJ KThere e-ists a bright ge' illu'inating through the 0orlds in ten dire&tions by its
light?KEA%F3"G
EA%F3G Tung Shan 1uh #To-Ban-roku, @Sayings and )oings of Ta-Ban@$ is one of the best
4en books?
EA%F3(G So-kei, a Korean 4enist, 0hose 0ork entitled 4en-ke-ki-k0an is 0orthy of our
note as a re*resentation of Korean 4en?
EA%F3"G Sho-bo-gen-Bo?
This &ertain thing or being is too subli'e to be na'ed after a traditional or a national deity,
too s*iritual to be sy'boliBed by hu'an art, too full of life to be for'ulated in ter's of
'e&hani&al s&ien&e, too free to be rationaliBed by intelle&tual *hiloso*hy, too universal to be
*er&eived by bodily sensesI but everybody &an feel its irresistible *o0er, see its invisible
*resen&e, and tou&h its heart and soul 0ithin hi'self? KThis 'ysterious .ind,K says K0ei
Aung #Kei-ho$, Kis higher than the highest, dee*er than the dee*est, li'itless in all dire&tions?
There is no &entre in it? %o distin&tion of east and 0est, and above and belo0? =s it e'*tyD
Ces, but not e'*ty like s*a&e? 8as it a for'D Ces, but has no for' de*endent on another for
its e-isten&e? =s it intelligentD Ces, but not intelligent like your 'ind? =s it non-intelligentD
Ces, but not non-intelligent like trees and stone? =s it &ons&iousD Ces, but not &ons&ious like
you 0hen 0aking? =s it brightD Ces, but not bright like the sun or the 'oon?K To the 5uestion,
K2hat and 0ho is BuddhaDK Cuen 2u #,n-go$ re*liedJ K8old your tongueJ the 'outh is the
gate of evilsOK 0hile Pao Auh #8o-fuku$ ans0ered to the sa'e 5uestionJ K%o skill of art &an
*i&ture 8i'?K Thus Buddha is unna'able, indes&ribable, and indefinable, but 0e
*rovisionally &all 8i' Buddha?
3? Buddha, the Universal 1ife?
4en &on&eives Buddha as a Being, 0ho 'oves, stirs, ins*ires, enlivens, and vitaliBes
everything? 9&&ordingly, 0e 'ay &all 8i' the Universal 1ife in the sense that 8e is the
sour&e of all lives in the universe? This Universal 1ife, a&&ording to 4en, *illars the heaven,
su**orts the earth, glorifies the sun and 'oon, gives voi&e to thunder, tinges &louds, adorns
the *asture 0ith flo0ers, enri&hes the field 0ith harvest, gives ani'als beauty and strength?
Therefore, 4en de&lares even a dead &lod of earth to be i'bued 0ith the divine life, +ust as
1o0ell e-*resses a si'ilar idea 0hen he saysJ
K,very &lod feels a stir of 'ight,
9n instin&t 0ithin it that rea&hes and to0ers,
9nd gro*ing blindly above it for light,
Cli'bs to a soul in grass and flo0ers?K
One of our &onte'*orary 4enists 0ittily observed that @vegetables are the &hildren of earth,
that ani'als 0hi&h feed on vegetables are the grand-&hildren of earth, and that 'en 0ho
subsist on ani'als are the great-grand-&hildren of earth?@ =f there be no life in earth, ho0
&ould life &o'e out of itD =f there be no life, the sa'e as the ani'al@s life in the vegetables,
ho0 &ould ani'als sustain their lives feeding on vegetablesD =f there be no life si'ilar to ours
in ani'als, ho0 &ould 0e sustain our life by subsisting on the'D The *oet 'ust be in the
right, not only in his estheti&, but in his s&ientifi& *oint of vie0, in saying-
K= 'ust
Confess that = a' only dust?
But on&e a rose 0ithin 'e gre0I
=ts rootlets shot, its flo0erets fle0I
9nd all rose@s s0eetness rolled
Throughout the te-ture of 'y 'ouldI
9nd so it is that = i'*art
Perfu'e to the', 0hoever thou art?K
9s 0e 'en live and a&t, so do our arteriesI so does bloodI so do &or*us&les? 9s &ells and
*roto*las' live and a&t, so do ele'ents, 'ole&ules, and ato's? 9s ele'ents and ato's live
and a&t, so do &loudsI so does the earthI so does the o&ean, the .ilky 2ay, and the Solar
Syste'? 2hat is this life 0hi&h *ervades the grandest as 0ell as the 'inutest 0orks of
%ature, and 0hi&h 'ay fitly be said @greater than the greatest and s'aller than the s'allestD@
=t &annot be defined? =t &annot be sub+e&ted to e-a&t analysis? But it is dire&tly e-*erien&ed
and re&ogniBed 0ithin us, +ust as the beauty of the rose is to be *er&eived and en+oyed, but not
redu&ed to e-a&t analysis? 9t any rate, it is so'ething stirring, 'oving, a&ting and rea&ting
&ontinually? This so'ething 0hi&h &an be e-*erien&ed and felt and en+oyed dire&tly by every
one of us? This life of living *rin&i*le in the 'i&ro&os'os is identi&al 0ith that of the
'a&ro&os'os, and the Universal 1ife of the 'a&ro&os'os is the &o''on sour&e of all lives?
Therefore, the .aha*arinirvana-sutra saysJ
KTathagata #another na'e for Buddha$ gives life to all beings, +ust as the lake 9navata*ta
gives rise to the four great rivers?K KTathagata,K says the sa'e sutra, Kdivides his o0n body
into innu'erable bodies, and also restores an infinite nu'ber of bodies to one body? %o0 be
be&o'es &ities, villages, houses, 'ountains, rivers, and treesI no0 he has a large bodyI no0
he has a s'all bodyI no0 he be&o'es 'en, 0o'en, boys, and girls?K
7? 1ife and Change?
9 *e&uliar *hase of life is &hange 0hi&h a**ears in the for' of gro0th and de&ay? %obody
&an deny the transitoriness of life? One of our friends hu'orously observedJ K,verything in
the 0orld 'ay be doubtful to you, but it &an never be doubted that you 0ill die?K 1ife is like a
burning la'*? ,very 'inute its fla'e dies out and is rene0ed? 1ife is like a running strea'?
,very 'o'ent it *ushes on0ard? =f there be anything &onstant in this 0orld of &hange, it
should be &hange itself? =s it not +ust one ste* fro' rosy &hildhood to sno0y ageD =s it not +ust
one 'o'ent fro' the nu*tial song to the funeral-dirgeD 2ho &an live the sa'e 'o'ent
t0i&eD =n &o'*arison 0ith an organis', inorgani& 'atter a**ears to be &onstant and
&hangelessI but, in fa&t, it is e5ually sub+e&ted to &easeless alteration? ,very 'orning, looking
into the 'irror, you 0ill find your visage refle&ted in it +ust as it 0as on the *re&eding dayI so
also every 'orning, looking at the sun and the earth, you 0ill find the' refle&ted in your
retina +ust as they 0ere on the *revious 'orningI but the sun and the earth are no less
&hangeless than you? 2hy do the sun and the earth see' &hangeless and &onstant to youD
Only be&ause you yourself undergo &hange 'ore 5ui&kly than they? 2hen you look at the
&louds s0ee*ing a&ross the fa&e of the 'oon, they see' to be at rest, and the 'oon in ra*id
'otionI but, in fa&t, the &louds, as 0ell as the 'oon, in&essantly 'ove on?
S&ien&e 'ight 'aintain the 5uantitative &onstan&y of 'atter, but the so-&alled 'atter is 'ere
abstra&tion? To say 'atter is &hangeless is as 'u&h as to say ( is al0ays (, &hangeless and
&onstant, be&ause the arith'eti&al nu'ber is not 'ore abstra&t than the *hysiologi&al 'atter?
The 'oon a**ears standing still 0hen you look at her only a fe0 'o'ents? =n like 'anner
she see's to be free fro' &hange 0hen you look at her in your short s*an of life?
9strono'ers, nevertheless, &an tell you ho0 she sa0 her better days, and is no0 in her
0rinkles and 0hite hair?
:? Pessi'isti& /ie0 of the 9n&ient 8indus?
=n addition to this, the ne0 theory of 'atter has entirely over thro0n the old &on&e*tion of the
un&hanging ato's, and they are no0 regarded to be &o'*osed of 'agneti& for&es, ions, and
&or*us&les in in&essant 'otion? Therefore 0e have no inert 'atter in the &on&rete, no
un&hanging thing in the s*here of e-*erien&e, no &onstant organis' in the transient universe?
These &onsiderations often led 'any thinkers, an&ient and 'odern, to the *essi'isti& vie0 of
life? 2hat is the use of your e-ertion, they 0ould say, in a&&u'ulating 0ealth, 0hi&h is
doo'ed to 'elt a0ay in the t0inkling of an eyeD 2hat is the use of your striving after *o0er,
0hi&h is 'ore short-lived than a bubbleD 2hat is the use of your endeavour in the
refor'ation of so&iety, 0hi&h does not endure any longer than the &astle in the airD 8o0 do
kings differ fro' beggars in the eye of Transien&eD 8o0 do the ri&h differ fro' the *oor, ho0
the beautiful fro' the ugly, bo0 the young fro' the old, ho0 the good fro' the evil, ho0 the
lu&ky fro' the unlu&ky, ho0 the 0ise fro' the un0ise, in the &ourt of )eathD /ain is
a'bition? /ain is fa'e? /ain is *leasure? /ain are struggles and efforts? 9ll is in vain? 9n
an&ient 8indu thinkerEA%F33G saysJ
KO saint, 0hat is the use of the en+oy'ent of *leasures in this offensive, *ithless bodyHa
'ere 'ass of bones, skins, sine0s, 'arro0, and fleshD 2hat is the use of the en+oy'ent of
*leasures in this body, 0hi&h is assailed by lust, hatred, greed, delusion, fear, anguish,
+ealousy, se*aration fro' 0hat is loved, union 0ith 0hat is not loved, hunger, old age, death,
illness, grief, and other evilsD =n su&h a 0orld as this, 0hat is the use of the en+oy'ent of
*leasures, if he 0ho has fed on the' is to return to this 0orld again and againD =n this 0orld =
a' like a frog in a dry 0ell?K
EA%F33G .aitrayana U*anisad?
=t is this &onsideration on the transitoriness of life that led so'e
Taoist in China to *refer death to life, as e-*ressed in Ch0ang TsB
#Su-shi$JEA%F37G
K2hen K0ang-BBe 0ent to Khu, he sa0 an e'*ty skull, blea&hed indeed, but still retaining
its sha*e? Ta**ing it 0ith his horse-s0it&h, he asked it sayingJ @)id you, sir, in your greed of
life, fail in the lessons of reason and &o'e to thisD Or did you do so, in the servi&e of a
*erishing state, by the *unish'ent of an a-eD Or 0as it through your evil &ondu&t, refle&ting
disgra&e on your *arents and on your 0ife and &hildrenD Or 0as it through your hard
enduran&es of &old and hungerD Or 0as it that you had &o'*leted your ter' of lifeD@
K8aving given e-*ression to these 5uestions, he took u* the skull and 'ade a *illo0 of it, and
0ent to slee*? 9t 'idnight the skull a**eared to hi' in a drea', and saidJ @2hat you said to
'e 0as after the fashion of an orator? 9ll your 0ords 0ere about the entangle'ents of 'en in
their lifeti'e? There are none of those things after death? 2ould you like to hear 'e, sir, tell
you about deathD@ @= should,@ said K0ang-BBe, and the skull resu'edJ @=n death there are not
#the distin&tions of$ ruler above 'inister belo0? There are none of the *heno'ena of the four
seasons? Tran5uil and at ease, our years are those of heaven and earth? %o king in his &ourt
has greater en+oy'ent than 0e have?@ K0ang-BBe did not believe it, and saidJ @=f = &ould get
the 6uler of our )estiny to restore your body to life 0ith its bones and flesh and skin, and to
give you ba&k your father and 'other, your 0ife and &hildren, and all your village
a&5uaintan&es, 0ould you 0ish 'e to do soD@ The skull stared fi-edly at hi', and knitted its
bro0s and saidJ @8o0 should = &ast a0ay the en+oy'ent of 'y royal &ourt, and undertake
again the toils of life a'ong 'ankindD@K
EA%F37G @Ch0ang TsB,@ vol? vi?, *? ("?
;? 8inayanis' and its )o&trine?
The do&trine of Transien&e 0as the first entran&e gate of 8inayanis'? Transien&e never fails
to de*rive us of 0hat is dear and near to us? =t disa**oints us in our e-*e&tation and ho*e? =t
brings out grief, fear, anguish, and la'entation? =t s*reads terror and destru&tion a'ong
fa'ilies, &o''unities, nations, 'ankind? =t threatens 0ith *erdition the 0hole earth, the
0hole universe? Therefore it follo0s that life is full of disa**oint'ent, sufferings, and
'iseries, and that 'an is like @a frog in a dry 0ell?@ This is the do&trine &alled by the
8inayanists the 8oly Truth of Suffering?
9gain, 0hen Trans&ien&e on&e gets hold of our i'agination, 0e &an easily foresee ruins and
disasters in the very 'idst of *ros*erity and ha**iness, and also old age and ugliness in the
*ri'e and youth of beauty? =t gives rise 5uite naturally to the thought that body is a bag full of
*us and blood, a 'ere hea* of rotten flesh and broken *ie&es of bone, a de&aying &or*se
inhabited by innu'erable 'aggots? This is the do&trine &alled by the 8inayanists the 8oly
Truth of ='*urity?EA%F3:G
EA%F3:G .ahasa*ti*atthana Suttanta, ;, runs as follo0sJ K9nd, 'oreover, bhikkhu, a
brother, +ust as if he had been a body abandoned in the &harnel-field, dead for one, t0o, or
three days, s0ollen, turning bla&k and blue, and de&o'*osed, a**ly that *er&e*tion to this
very body #of his o0n$, refle&tingJ @This body, too, is even so &onstituted, is of su&h a nature,
has not got beyond that #fate$?@K
9nd, again, Transien&e holds its tyranni&al s0ay not only over the 'aterial but over the
s*iritual 0orld? 9t its tou&h 9t'an, or soul, is brought to nothing? By its &all )evas, or
&elestial beings, are 'ade to su&&u'b to death? =t follo0s, therefore, that to believe in 9t'an,
eternal and un&hanging, 0ould be a 0hi' of the ignorant? This is the do&trine &alled by the
8inayanists the 8oly Truth of %o-at'an?
=f, as said, there &ould be nothing free fro' Transien&e, Constan&y should be a gross 'istake
of the ignorantI if even gods have to die, ,ternity should be no 'ore than a stu*id drea' of
the vulgarI if all *heno'ena be flo0ing and &hanging, there &ould be no &onstant nou'ena
underlying the'? =t therefore follo0s that all things in the universe are e'*ty and unreal? This
is the do&trine &alled by the 8inayanists the 8oly Truth of Unreality? Thus 8inayana
Buddhis', starting fro' the do&trine of Transien&e, arrived at the *essi'isti& vie0 of life in
its e-tre'e for'?
<? Change as seen by 4en?
4en, like 8inayanis', does not deny the do&trine of Transien&e, but it has &o'e to a vie0
dia'etri&ally o**osite to that of the 8indus? Transien&e for 4en si'*ly 'eans &hange? =t is a
for' in 0hi&h life 'anifests itself? 2here there is life there is &hange or Transien&e? 2here
there is 'ore &hange there is 'ore vital a&tivity? Su**ose an absolutely &hangeless bodyJ it
'ust be absolutely lifeless? 9n eternally &hangeless life is e5uivalent to an eternally
&hangeless death? 2hy do 0e value the 'orning glory, 0hi&h fades in a fe0 hours, 'ore than
an artifi&ial glass flo0er, 0hi&h endures hundreds of yearsD 2hy do 0e *refer an ani'al life,
0hi&h *asses a0ay in a fe0 s&ores of years, to a vegetable life, 0hi&h &an e-ist thousands of
yearsD 2hy do 0e *riBe &hanging organis' 'ore than inorgani& 'atter, un&hanging and
&onstantD =f there be no &hange in the bright hues of a flo0er, it is as 0orthless as a stone? =f
there be no &hange in the song of a bird, it is as valueless as a 0histling 0ind? =f there be no
&hange in trees and grass, they are utterly unsuitable to be *lanted in a garden? %o0, then,
0hat is the use of our life, if it stand stillD 9s the 0ater of a running strea' is al0ays fresh
and 0holeso'e be&ause it does not sto* for a 'o'ent, so life is ever fresh and ne0 be&ause it
does not stand still, but ra*idly 'oves on fro' *arents to &hildren, fro' &hildren to
grand&hildren, fro' grand&hildren to great-grand&hildren, and flo0s on through generation
after generation, rene0ing itself &easelessly?
2e &an never deny the e-isten&e of old age and deathHnay, death is of &a*ital i'*ortan&e for
a &ontinuation of life, be&ause death &arries a0ay all the de&aying organis' in the 0ay of life?
But for it life 0ould be &hoked u* 0ith organi& rubbish? The only 0ay of life@s *ushing itself
on0ard or its rene0ing itself is its *rodu&ing of the young and getting rid of the old? =f there
be no old age nor death, life is not life, but death?
!? 1ife and Change?
Transfor'ation and &hange are the essential features of lifeI life is not transfor'ation nor
&hange itself, as Bergson see's to assu'e? =t is so'ething 0hi&h &o'es under our
observation through transfor'ation and &hange? There are, a'ong Buddhists as 0ell as
Christians, not a fe0 0ho &ovet &onstan&y and fi-ity of life, being allured by su&h s'ooth
na'es as eternal life, everlasting +oy, *er'anent *ea&e, and 0hat not? They have forgotten
that their souls &an never rest &ontent 0ith things 'onotonous? =f there be everlasting +oy for
their souls, it 'ust be *resented to the' through in&essant &hange? So also if there be eternal
life granted for their souls, it 'ust be given through &easeless alteration? 2hat is the
differen&e bet0een eternal life, fi-ed and &onstant, and eternal deathD 2hat is the differen&e
bet0een everlasting bliss, &hangeless and 'onotonous, and everlasting sufferingD =f
&onstan&y, instead of &hange, govern life, then ho*e or *leasure is absolutely i'*ossible?
Aortunately, ho0ever, life is not &onstant? =t &hanges and be&o'es? Pleasure arises through
&hange itself? .ere &hange of food or &lothes is often *leasing to us, 0hile the a**earan&e of
the sa'e thing t0i&e or thri&e, ho0ever *leasing it 'ay be, &auses us little *leasure? =t 0ill
be&o'e disgusting and tire us do0n, if it be *resented re*eatedly fro' ti'e to ti'e?
9n i'*ortant ele'ent in the *leasure 0e derive fro' so&ial 'eetings, fro' travels, fro'
sight-seeings, et&?, is nothing but &hange? ,ven intelle&tual *leasure &onsists 'ainly of
&hange? 9 dead, un&hanging abstra&t truth, ( and ( 'ake 3, e-&ites no interestI 0hile a
&hangeable, &on&rete truth, su&h as the )ar0inian theory of evolution, e-&ites a keen interest?
>? 1ife, Change, and 8o*e?
The do&trine of Trans&ien&e never drives us to the *essi'isti& vie0 of life? On the &ontrary, it
gives us an ine-haustible sour&e of *leasure and ho*e? 1et us ask youJ 9re you satisfied 0ith
the *resent state of thingsD )o you not sy'*athiBe 0ith *overty-stri&ken 'illions living side
by side 0ith 'illionaires saturated 0ith 0ealthD )o you not shed tears over those hunger-
bitten &hildren 0ho &o0er in the dark lanes of a great &ityD )o you not 0ish to *ut do0n the
stu*endous o**ressorH.ight-is-rightD )o you not 0ant to do a0ay 0ith the so-&alled
ar'oured *ea&e a'ong nationsD )o you not need to 'itigate the struggle for e-isten&e 'ore
sanguine than the 0ar of 0ea*onsD
1ife &hanges and is &hangeableI &onse5uently, has its future? 8o*e is therefore *ossible?
=ndividual develo*'ent, so&ial better'ent, international *ea&e, refor'ation of 'ankind in
general, &an be ho*ed? Our ideal, ho0ever un*ra&ti&al it 'ay see' at the first sight, &an be
realiBed? .oreover, the 0orld itself, too, is &hanging and &hangeable? =t reveals ne0 *hases
fro' ti'e to ti'e, and &an be 'oulded to subserve our *ur*ose? 2e 'ust not take life or the
0orld as &o'*leted and doo'ed as it is no0? %o fa&t verifies the belief that the 0orld 0as
ever &reated by so'e other *o0er and *redestined to be as it is no0? =t lives, a&ts, and
&hanges? =t is transfor'ing itself &ontinually, +ust as 0e are &hanging and be&o'ing? Thus the
do&trine of Transien&e su**lies us 0ith an ine-haustible sour&e of ho*e and &o'fort, leads us
into the living universe, and introdu&es us to the *resen&e of Universal 1ife or Buddha?
The reader 'ay easily understand ho0 4en &on&eives Buddha as the living *rin&i*le fro' the
follo0ing dialoguesJ K=s it true, sir,K asked a 'onk of Teu tsB #To-shi$, Kthat all the voi&es of
%ature are those of BuddhaDK KCes, &ertainly,K re*lied Teu tsB? K2hat is, reverend sir,K asked
a 'an of Chao Cheu #Jo-shu$, Kthe holy te'*le #of Buddha$DK K9n inno&ent girl,K re*lied the
tea&her? K2ho is the 'aster of the te'*leDK asked the other again? K9 baby in her 0o'b,K
0as the ans0er? K2hat is, sir,K asked a 'onk to Cen K0an #Cen-kan$, Kthe original body of
Buddha /airo&anaDKEA%F3;G KAet&h 'e a *it&her 0ith 0ater,K said the tea&her? The 'onk
did as he 0as ordered? KPut it ba&k in its *la&e,K said Cen K0an again?EA%F3<G
EA%F3;G 1iterally, 9ll =llu'inating Buddha, the highest of the
Trikayas? See ,itel, *? !(?
EA%F3<G 4en-rin-rui-shu?
? ,verything is 1iving a&&ording to 4en?
,verything alive has a strong innate tenden&y to *reserve itself, to assert itself, to *ush itself
for0ard, and to a&t on its environ'ent, &ons&iously or un&ons&iously? The innate, strong
tenden&y of the living is an undevelo*ed, but funda'ental, nature of S*irit or .ind? =t sho0s
itself first in inert 'atter as i'*enetrability, or affinity, or 'e&hani&al for&e? 6o&k has a
*o0erful tenden&y to *reserve itself? 9nd it is hard to &rush it? )ia'ond has a robust
tenden&y to assert itself? 9nd it *er'its nothing to destroy it? Salt has the sa'e strong
tenden&y, for its *arti&les a&t and rea&t by the'selves, and never &ease till its &rystals are
for'ed? Stea', too, should have the sa'e, be&ause it *ushes aside everything in its 0ay and
goes 0here it 0ill?
=n the eye of si'*le folks of old, 'ountains, rivers, trees, ser*ents, o-en, and eagles 0ere
e5ually full of lifeI hen&e the deifi&ation of the'? %o doubt it is irrational to believe in
ny'*hs, fairies, elves, and the like, yet still 0e 'ay say that 'ountains stand of their o0n
a&&ord, rivers run as they 0ill, +ust as 0e say that trees and grass turn their leaves to0ards the
sun of their o0n a&&ord? %either is it a 'ere figure of s*ee&h to say that thunder s*eaks and
hills res*ond, nor to des&ribe birds as singing and flo0ers as s'iling, nor to narrate 0inds as
'oaning and rain as 0ee*ing, nor to state lovers as looking at the 'oon, the 'oon as looking
at the', 0hen 0e observe s*iritual ele'ent in a&tivities of all this? 8ae&kel says, not 0ithout
reasonJ K= &annot i'agine the si'*le &he'i&al and *hysi&al for&es 0ithout attributing the
'ove'ent of 'aterial *arti&les to &ons&ious sensation?K The sa'e author says againJ K2e
'ay as&ribe the feeling of *leasure and *ain to all ato's, and so e-*lain the ele&tri& affinity
in &he'istry?K
(? The Creative Aor&e of %ature and 8u'anity?
The innate tenden&y of self-*reservation, 0hi&h 'anifests itself as 'e&hani&al for&e or
&he'i&al affinity in the inorgani& nature, unfolds itself as the desire of the *reservation of
s*e&ies in the vegetables and ani'als? See ho0 vegetables fertiliBe the'selves in a
&o'*li&ated 0ay, and ho0 they s*read their seeds far and 0ide in a 'ost 'ysterious 'anner?
9 far 'ore develo*ed for' of the sa'e desire is seen in the se-ual atta&h'ent and *arental
love of ani'als? 2ho does not kno0 that even the s'allest birds defend their young against
every ene'y 0ith self -sa&rifi&ing &ourage, and that they bring food 0hilst they the'selves
often starve and gro0 leanD =n hu'an beings 0e &an observe the various transfor'ations of
the self-sa'e desire? Aor instan&e, sorro0 or des*air is e-*erien&ed 0hen it is i'*ossibleI
anger, 0hen it is hindered by othersI +oy, 0hen it is fulfilledI fear, 0hen it is threatenedI
*leasure, 0hen it is fa&ilitated? 9lthough it 'anifests itself as the se-ual atta&h'ent and
*arental love in lo0er ani'als, yet its develo*ed for's, su&h as sy'*athy, loyalty,
benevolen&e, 'er&y, hu'anity, are observed in hu'an beings? 9gain, the &reative for&e in
inorgani& nature, in order to assert itself and a&t 'ore effe&tively, &reates the ger' of organi&
nature, and gradually as&ending the s&ale of evolution, develo*s the sense organs and the
nervous syste'I hen&e intelle&tual *o0ers, su&h as sensation, *er&e*tion, i'agination,
'e'ory, unfold the'selves? Thus the &reative for&e, e-erting itself gradually, 0idens its
s*here of a&tion, and ne&essitates the union of individuals into fa'ilies, &lans, tribes,
&o''unities, and nations? Aor the sake of this union and &o-o*eration they established
&usto's, ena&ted la0s, and instituted *oliti&al and edu&ational syste's? Aurther'ore, to
reinfor&e itself, it gave birth to languages and s&ien&esI and to enri&h itself, 'orality and
religion?
"? Universal 1ife is Universal S*irit?
These &onsiderations naturally lead us to see that Universal 1ife is not a blind vital for&e, but
Creative S*irit, or .ind, or Cons&iousness, 0hi&h unfolds itself in 'yriads of 0ays?
,verything in the universe, a&&ording to 4en, lives and a&ts, and at the sa'e ti'e dis&loses its
s*irit? To be alive is identi&ally the sa'e as to be s*iritual? 9s the *oet has his song, so does
the nightingale, so does the &ri&ket, so does the rivulet? 9s 0e are *leased or offended, so are
horses, so are dogs, so are s*arro0s, ants, earth0or's, and 'ushroo's? Si'*ler the body,
si'*ler its s*iritI 'ore &o'*li&ated the body, 'ore &o'*li&ated its s*irit? @.ind slu'bers in
the *ebble, drea's in the *lant, gathers energy in the ani'al, and a0akens to self-&ons&ious
dis&overy in the soul of 'an?@
=t is this Creative, Universal S*irit that sends forth 9urora to illu'inate the sky, that 'akes
)iana shed her benign rays and Qolus *lay on his har*, 0reathes s*ring 0ith flo0ers, that
&lothes autu'n 0ith gold, that indu&es *lants to *ut forth blosso's, that in&ites ani'als to be
energeti&, and that a0akens &ons&iousness in 'an? The author of .ahavai*ulya-
*urnabuddha-sutra e-*ressly states our idea 0hen he saysJ K.ountains, rivers, skies, the
earthJ all these are e'bra&ed in the True S*irit, enlightened and 'ysterious?K 6in-Bai also
saysJ KS*irit is for'less, but it *enetrates through the 0orld in the ten dire&tions?KEA%F3!G
The Si-th Patriar&h e-*resses the sa'e idea 'ore e-*li&itlyJ K2hat &reates the *heno'ena is
.indI 0hat trans&ends all the *heno'ena is Buddha?KEA%F7>G
EA%F3!G 6in-Bai-roku?
EA%F7>G 6oku-so-dan-kyo?
3? Poeti&al =ntuition and 4en?
Sin&e Universal 1ife or S*irit *er'eates the universe, the *oeti&al intuition of 'an never fails
to find it, and to delight in everything ty*i&al of that S*irit? KThe leaves of the *lantain,K says
a 4en *oet, Kunfold the'selves, hearing the voi&e of thunder? The flo0ers of the hollyho&k
turn to0ards the sun, looking at it all day long?K Jesus &ould see in the lily the Unseen Being
0ho &lothed it so lovely? 2ords0orth found the 'ost *rofound thing in all the 0orld to be the
universal s*iritual life, 0hi&h 'anifests itself 'ost dire&tly in nature, &lothed in its o0n
*ro*er dignity and *ea&e? KThrough every star,K says Carlyle, Kthrough every grass blade,
'ost through every soul, the glory of *resent God still bea's?K
=t is not only grandeur and subli'ity that indi&ate Universal 1ife, but s'allness and
&o''on*la&e do the sa'e? 9 sage of old a0akened to the faithEA%F7G 0hen he heard a
bell ringI another, 0hen he looked at the *ea&h blosso'I another, 0hen he heard the frogs
&roakingI and another, 0hen he sa0 his o0n for' refle&ted in a river? The 'inutest *arti&les
of dust for' a 0orld? The 'eanest grain of sand under our foot *ro&lai's a divine la0?
Therefore Teu TsB Jo-shi$, *ointing to a stone in front of his te'*le, saidJ K9ll the Buddhas of
the *ast, the *resent, and the future are living therein?KEA%F7(G
EA%F7G Both the Chinese and the Ja*anese history of 4en are full of su&h in&idents?
EA%F7(G 4en-rin-rui-shu and To-shi-go-roku?
7? ,nlightened Cons&iousness?
=n addition to these &onsiderations, 0hi&h 'ainly de*end on indire&t e-*erien&e, 0e &an have
dire&t e-*erien&e of life 0ithin us? =n the first *la&e, 0e e-*erien&e that our life is not a bare
'e&hani&al 'otion or &hange, but is a s*iritual, *ur*osive, and self-dire&ting for&e? =n the
se&ond *la&e, 0e dire&tly e-*erien&e that it kno0s, feels, and 0ills? =n the third *la&e, 0e
e-*erien&e that there e-ists so'e *o0er unifying the intelle&tual, e'otional, and volitional
a&tivities so as to 'ake life unifor' and rational? 1astly, 0e e-*erien&e that there lies dee*ly
rooted 0ithin us ,nlightened Cons&iousness, 0hi&h neither *sy&hologists treat of nor
*hiloso*hers believe in, but 0hi&h 4en tea&hers e-*ound 0ith strong &onvi&tion? ,nlightened
Cons&iousness is, a&&ording to 4en, the &entre of s*iritual life? =t is the 'ind of 'inds, and
the &ons&iousness of &ons&iousness? =t is the Universal S*irit a0akened in the hu'an 'ind? =t
is not the 'ind that feels +oy or sorro0I nor is it the 'ind that reasons and infersI nor is it the
'ind that fan&ies and drea'sI nor is it the 'ind that ho*es and fearsI nor is it the 'ind that
distinguishes good fro' evil? =t is ,nlightened Cons&iousness that holds &o''union 0ith
Universal S*irit or Buddha, and realiBes that individual lives are inse*arably united, and of
one and the sa'e nature 0ith Universal 1ife? =t is al0ays bright as a burnished 'irror, and
&annot be di''ed by doubt and ignoran&e? =t is ever *ure as a lotus flo0er, and &annot be
*olluted by the 'ud of evil and folly? 9lthough all sentient beings are endo0ed 0ith this
,nlightened Cons&iousness, they are not a0are of its e-isten&e, e-&e*ting 'en 0ho &an
dis&over it by the *ra&ti&e of .editation? ,nlightened &ons&iousness is often &alled Buddha-
nature, as it is the real nature of Universal S*irit? 4en tea&hers &o'*are it 0ith a *re&ious
stone ever fresh and *ure, even if it be buried in the hea*s of dust? =ts divine light &an never
be e-tinguished by doubt or fear, +ust as the sunlight &annot be destroyed by 'ist and &loud?
1et us 5uote a Chinese 4en *oet to see ho0 4en treats of itJEA%F7"G
K= have an i'age of Buddha,
The 0orldly *eo*le kno0 it not?
=t is not 'ade of &lay or &loth,
%or is it &arved out of 0ood,
%or is it 'oulded of earth nor of ashes?
%o artist &an *aint itI
%o robber &an steal it?
There it e-ists fro' da0n of ti'e?
=t@s &lean, although not s0e*t and 0i*ed?
9lthough it is but one,
)ivides itself to a hundred thousand 'illion for's?K
EA%F7"G See 4en-gaku-ho-ten?
:? Buddha )0elling in the =ndividual .ind?
,nlightened Cons&iousness in the individual 'ind a&5uires for its *ossessor, not a relative
kno0ledge of things as his intelle&t does, but the *rofoundest insight in referen&e to universal
brotherhood of all beings, and enables hi' to understand the absolute holiness of their nature,
and the highest goal for 0hi&h all of the' are 'aking? ,nlightened Cons&iousness on&e
a0akened 0ithin us serves as a guiding *rin&i*le, and leads us to ho*e, bliss, and lifeI
&onse5uently, it is &alled the .asterEA%F73G of both 'ind and body? So'eti'es it is &alled
the OriginalEA%F77G .ind, as it is the 'ind of 'inds? =t is Buddha d0elling in individuals?
Cou 'ight &all it God in 'an, if you like? The follo0ing dialogues all *oint to this single
ideaJ
On one o&&asion a but&her, 0ho 0as used to kill one thousand shee* a day, &a'e to Gota'a,
and, thro0ing do0n his but&her-knife, said K= a' one of the thousand Buddhas?K KCes,
really,K re*lied Gota'a? 9 'onk, 80ui Chao #,-&ha$ by na'e, asked Pao Cen #8o-gen$J
K2hat is BuddhaDK KCou are 80ui Chao,K re*lied the 'aster? The sa'e 5uestion 0as *ut to
Sheu Shan #Shu-Ban$, Chi .an #Chi-'on$, and Teu TsB #To-shi$, the first of 0ho' ans0eredJ
K9 bride 'ounts on a donkey and her 'other-in-la0 drives itIK and the se&ondJ K8e goes
barefooted, his sandals being 0orn outIK 0hile the third rose fro' his &hair and stood still
0ithout saying a 0ord? Ch0en 8ih #Au-kiu$ e-*lains this *oint in une5uivo&al ter'sJ K%ight
after night = slee* 0ith Buddha, and every 'orning = get u* 0ith 8i'? 8e a&&o'*anies 'e
0herever = go? 2hen = stand or sit, 0hen = s*eak or be 'ute, 0hen = a' out or in, 8e never
leaves 'e, even as a shado0 a&&o'*anies body? 2ould you kno0 0here 8e isD 1isten to that
voi&e and 0ord?KEA%F7:G
EA%F73G =t is often &alled the 1ord or .aster of 'ind?
EA%F77G 9nother na'e for Buddha is the Original .indK
#Ke&hi-'yaku-ron$?
EA%F7:G Aor su&h dialogues, see Sho-yo-roku, .u-'on-kan,
8eki-gan-shu? Au-kiu@s 0ords are re*eatedly 5uoted by 4en 'asters?
;? ,nlightened Cons&iousness is not an =ntelle&tual =nsight?
,nlightened Cons&iousness is not a bare intelle&tual insight, for it is full of beautiful
e'otions? =t loves, &aresses, e'bra&es, and at the sa'e ti'e estee's all beings, being ever
'er&iful to the'? =t has no ene'ies to &on5uer, no evil to fight 0ith, but &onstantly finds
friends to hel*, good to *ro'ote? =ts 0ar' heart beats in har'ony 0ith those of all fello0
beings? The author of Brah'a+ala-sutra fully e-*resses this idea as he saysJ K9ll 0o'en are
our 'othersI all 'en our fathersI all earth and 0ater our bodies in the *ast e-isten&esI all fire
and air our essen&e?K
Thus relying on our inner e-*erien&e, 0hi&h is the only dire&t 0ay of kno0ing Buddha, 0e
&on&eive 8i' as a Being 0ith *rofound 0isdo' and boundless 'er&y, 0ho loves all beings
as 8is &hildren, 0ho' 8e is fostering, bringing u*, guiding, and tea&hing? KThese three
0orlds are 8is, and all beings living in the' are 8is &hildren?KEA%F7;G KThe Blessed One is
the 'other of all sentient beings, and gives the' all the 'ilk of 'er&y?KEA%F7<G So'e
*eo*le na'ed 8i' 9bsolute, as 8e is all light, all ho*e, all 'er&y, and all 0isdo'I so'e,
8eaven, as 8e is high and enlightenedI so'e, God, as 8e is sa&red and 'ysteriousI so'e,
Truth, as 8e is true to 8i'selfI so'e, Buddha, as 8e is free fro' illusionI so'e, Creator, as
8e is the &reative for&e i''anent in the universeI so'e, Path, as 8e is the 2ay 0e 'ust
follo0I so'e, Unkno0able, as 8e is beyond relative kno0ledgeI so'e, Self, as 8e is the Self
of individual selves? 9ll these na'es are a**lied to one Being, 0ho' 0e designate by the
na'e of Universal 1ife or S*irit?
EA%F7;G Saddhar'a-*undarika-sutra?
EA%F7<G .aha*arinirvana-sutra?
<? Our Con&e*tion of Buddha is not Ainal?
8as, then, the divine nature of Universal S*irit been &o'*letely and e-haustively revealed in
our ,nlightened Cons&iousnessD To this 5uestion 0e should ans0er negatively, for, so far as
our li'ited e-*erien&e is &on&erned, Universal S*irit reveals itself as a Being 0ith *rofound
0isdo' and boundless 'er&yI this, nevertheless, does not i'*ly that the &on&e*tion is the
only *ossible and &o'*lete one? 2e should al0ays bear in 'ind that the 0orld is alive, and
&hanging, and 'oving? =t goes on to dis&lose a ne0 *hase, or to add a ne0 truth? The subtlest
logi& of old is a 'ere 5uibble of no0adays? The 'ira&les of yesterday are the &o''on*la&es
of to-day? %o0 theories are for'ed, ne0 dis&overies are 'ade, only to give their *la&es to
ne0er theories are dis&overies? %e0 ideals realiBed or ne0 desires satisfied are sure to
a0aken ne0er and stronger desires? %ot an instant life re'ains i''utable, but it rushes on,
a'*lifying and enri&hing itself fro' the da0n of ti'e to the end of eternity?
Therefore Universal 1ife 'ay in the future *ossibly unfold its ne0 s*iritual &ontent, yet
unkno0n to us be&ause it has refined, lifted u*, and develo*ed living beings fro' the a'Rba
to 'an, in&reasing the intelligen&e and range of individuals, until highly &iviliBed 'an
e'erge into the *lane of &ons&iousness-&ons&iousness of divine light in hi'? Thus to believe
in Buddha is to be &ontent and thankful for the gra&e of 8is, and to ho*e for the infinite
unfold'ent of 8is glories in 'an?
!? 8o0 to 2orshi* Buddha?
The author of /i'alakirtti-nirde&a-sutra 0ell e-*lains our attitude to0ards Buddha 0hen he
saysJ K2e ask Buddha for nothing? 2e ask )har'a for nothing? 2e ask Sa'gha for nothing?K
%othing 0e ask of Buddha? %o 0orldly su&&ess, no re0ards in the future life, no s*e&ial
blessing? 80ang Pah #O-baku$ saidJ K= si'*ly 0orshi* Buddha? = ask Buddha for nothing? =
ask )har'a for nothing? = ask Sa'gha for nothing?K Then a *rin&eEA%F7!G 5uestioned hi'J
KCou ask Buddha for nothing? Cou ask )har'a for nothing? Cou ask Sa'gha for nothing?
2hat, then, is the use of your 0orshi*DK The Prin&e earned a sla* as an ans0er to his
utilitarian 5uestion?EA%F:>G This in&ident 0ell illustrates that 0orshi*, as understood by
4en 'asters, is a *ure a&t of thanksgiving, or the o*ening of the grateful heartI in other
0ords, the dis&losing of ,nlightened Cons&iousness? 2e are living the very life of Buddha,
en+oying 8is blessing, and holding &o''union 0ith 8i' through s*ee&h, thought, and
a&tion? The earth is not @the vale of tears,@ but the glorious &reation of Universal S*iritI nor
'an @the *oor 'iserable sinner@ but the living altar of Buddha 8i'self? 2hatever 0e do, 0e
do 0ith grateful heart and *ure +oy san&tioned by ,nlightened Cons&iousnessI eating,
drinking, talking, 0alking, and every other 0ork of our daily life are the 0orshi* and
devotion? 2e agree 0ith .argaret Auller 0hen she saysJ K6everen&e the highestI have
*atien&e 0ith the lo0estI let this day@s *erfor'an&e of the 'eanest duty be thy religion? 9re
the stars too distantD Pi&k u* the *ebble that lies at thy feet, and fro' it learn all?K
EA%F7!G 9fter0ards the ,'*eror Suen Tsung #Sen-so$, of the Tang dynasty?
EA%F:>G Aor the details, see 8eki-gan-shu?
CHAPTER V
THE NATURE OF MAN
? .an is Good-natured a&&ording to .en&ius?EA%F:G
Oriental s&holars, es*e&ially the Chinese 'en of letters, see' to have taken so keen an
interest in the study of hu'an nature that they *ro*osed all the *ossible o*inions res*e&ting
the sub+e&t in 5uestion-na'ely, #$ 'an is good-naturedI #($ 'an is bad-naturedI #"$ 'an is
good-natured and bad-natured as 0ellI #3$ 'an is neither good-natured nor bad-natured? The
first of these o*inions 0as *ro*osed by a 'ost re*uted Confu&ianist s&holar, .en&ius, and his
follo0ers, and is still adhered to by the 'a+ority of the Ja*anese and the Chinese
Confu&ianists? .en&ius thought it as natural for 'an to do good as it is for the grass to be
green? @Su**ose a *erson has ha**ened,@ he 0ould say, @to find a &hild on the *oint of
tu'bling do0n into a dee* 0ell? 8e 0ould res&ue it even at the risk of his life, no 'atter ho0
'orally degenerated he 'ight be? 8e 0ould have no ti'e to &onsider that his a&t 'ight bring
hi' so'e re0ard fro' its *arents, or a good re*utation a'ong his friends and fello0-&itiBens?
8e 0ould do it barely out of his inborn good-nature?@ 9fter enu'erating so'e instan&es
si'ilar to this one, .en&ius &on&ludes that goodness is the funda'ental nature of 'an, even
if he is often &arried a0ay by his brutal dis*osition?
EA%F:G .en&ius #";(-(<( B?C?$ is regarded as the best e-*ounder of the do&trine of
Confu&ius? There e-ists a 0ell-kno0n 0ork of his, entitled after his o0n na'e? See @9
8istory of Chinese Philoso*hy,@ by 6? ,ndo, and also @9 8istory of Chinese Philoso*hy@ #**?
"<-7>$, by G? %akau&hi?
(? .an is Bad-natured a&&ording to Siun TsBEA%F:(G #Jun-shi$?
The 0eaknesses of .en&ius@s theory are fully e-*osed by another dia'etri&ally o**osed
theory *ro*ounded by Siun TsB #Jun-shi$ and his follo0ers? @.an is bad-natured,@ says Siun
TsB, @sin&e he has inborn lust, a**etite, and desire for 0ealth? 9s he has inborn lust and
a**etite, he is naturally given to inte'*eran&e and 0antonness? 9s he has inborn desire for
0ealth, he is naturally in&lined to 5uarrel and fight 0ith others for the sake of gain?@ 1eave
hi' 0ithout dis&i*line or &ulture, he 0ould not be a 0hit better than the beast? 8is virtuous
a&ts, su&h as &harity, honesty, *ro*riety, &hastity, truthfulness, are &ondu&t for&ed by the
tea&hings of an&ient sages against his natural in&lination? Therefore vi&es are &ongenial and
true to his nature, 0hile virtues alien and untrue to his funda'ental nature?
EA%F:(G Siun TsB@s date is later by so'e fifty years than .en&ius? Siun TsB gives the reason
0hy 'an seeks after 'orality, saying that 'an seeks 0hat he has not, and that he seeks after
'orality si'*ly be&ause he has not 'orality, +ust as the *oor seek ri&hes? See @9 8istory of
Chinese Philoso*hy@ #**? 7-:>$, by G? %akau&hi, and @9 8istory of )evelo*'ent of Chinese
Thought,@ by 6? ,ndo?
These t0o theories are not only far fro' thro0ing light on the 'oral state of 'an, but 0ra* it
in dee*er gloo'? 1et us raise a fe0 5uestions by 0ay of refutation? =f 'an@s funda'ental
nature be good, as .en&ius 'aintains, 0hy is it easy for hi' to be vi&ious 0ithout
instru&tion, 0hile he finds it hard to be virtuous even 0ith instru&tion? =f you &ontend that
good is 'an@s *ri'ary nature and evil the se&ondary one, 0hy is be so often over*o0ered by
the se&ondary natureD =f you ans0er saying that 'an is good-natured originally, but he
a&5uires the se&ondary nature through the struggle for e-isten&e, and it gradually gains *o0er
over the *ri'ary nature by 'eans of the sa'e &ause, then the *ri'itive tribes should be 'ore
virtuous than the highly &iviliBed nations, and &hildren than gro0nu* *eo*le? =s this not
&ontrary to fa&tD
=f, again, 'an@s nature is essentially bad, as Siun TsB holds, ho0 &an he &ultivate virtueD =f
you &ontend that an&ient sages invented so-&alled &ardinal virtues and in&ul&ated the' against
his natural in&lination, 0hy does he not give the' u*D =f vi&es be &ongenial and true to 'an@s
nature, but virtues be alien and untrue to hi', 0hy are virtues honoured by hi'D =f vi&es be
genuine and virtue a de&e*tion, as you think, 0hy do you &all the inventors of that de&eiving
art sagesD 8o0 0as it *ossible for 'an to do good before these sages@ a**earan&e on earthD
"? .an is both Good-natured and Bad-natured a&&ording to Can 8iungEA%F:"G #Co-yu$?
9&&ording to Cang 8iung and his follo0ers, good is no less real than evil, and evil is no 'ore
unreal than good? Therefore 'an 'ust be double-natured-that is, *artly good and *artly bad?
This is the reason 0hy the history of 'an is full of fiendish &ri'es, and, at the sa'e ti'e, it
abounds 0ith godly deeds? This is the reason 0hy 'ankind &o'*rises, on the one hand, a
So&rates, a Confu&ius, a Jesus, and, on the other, a %ero and a Kieh? This is the reason 0hy
0e find to-day a honest fello0 in hi' 0ho' 0e find a betrayer to-'orro0?
EA%F:"G Can 8iung #died 9?)? <$ is the re*uted author of Tai 8uen #Tai-gen$ and Aah Cen
#8o-gen$? 8is o*inion in referen&e to hu'an nature is found in Aah Cen?
This vie0 of 'an@s nature 'ight e-*lain our *resent 'oral state, yet it &alls forth 'any
5uestions bard to ans0er? =f this assertion be true, is it not a useless task to edu&ate 'an 0ith
the *ur*ose of 'aking hi' better and noblerD 8o0 &ould one e-tir*ate 'an@s bad nature
i'*lanted 0ithin hi' at his originD =f 'an be double-natured, ho0 did he &o'e to set good
over evilD 8o0 did he &o'e to &onsider that he ought to be good and ought not to be badD
8o0 &ould you establish the authority of 'oralityD
3? .an is neither Good-natured nor Bad-natured a&&ording to Su Shih #So-shoku$?EA%F:3G
The diffi&ulty 'ay be avoided by a theory given by Su Shih and other s&holars influen&ed by
Buddhis', 0hi&h 'aintains that 'an is neither good-natured nor bad-natured? 9&&ording to
this o*inion 'an is not 'oral nor i''oral by nature, but un'oral? 8e is 'orally a blank? 8e
is at a &rossroad, so to s*eak, of 'orality 0hen he is first born? 9s he is blank, he &an be dyed
bla&k or red? 9s he is at the &ross-road, he &an turn to the right or to the left? 8e is like fresh
0ater, 0hi&h has no flavour, and &an be 'ade s0eet or bitter by &ir&u'stan&es? =f 0e are not
'istaken, this theory, too, has to en&ounter insur'ountable diffi&ulties? 8o0 &ould it be
*ossible to 'ake the un'oral being 'oral or i''oralD 2e 'ight as 0ell try to get honey out
of sand as to get good or evil out of the blank nature? There &an be no fruit of good or evil
0here there is no seed of good or bad nature? Thus 0e find no satisfa&tory solution of the
*roble' at issue in these four theories *ro*osed by the Chinese s&holarsHthe first theory
being in&o'*etent to e-*lain the *roble' of hu'an de*ravityI the se&ond breaking do0n at
the origin of 'oralityI the third failing to e-*lain the *ossibility of 'oral &ultureI the fourth
being logi&ally self-&ontradi&tory?
EA%F:3G Su Shih #>3(->$, a great 'an of letters, *ra&tiser of
4en, noted for his *oeti&al 0orks?
7? There is no .ortal 0ho is Purely .oral?
By nature 'an should be either good or badI or he should be good as 0ell as badI or he
should be neither good nor bad? There &an be no alternative *ossible besides these four
*ro*ositions, none of 0hi&h &an be a&&e*ted as true? Then there 'ust be so'e 'is&on&e*tion
in the ter's of 0hi&h they &onsist? =t 0ould see' to so'e that the error &an be avoided by
li'iting the sense of the ter' @'an,@ saying so'e *ersons are good-natured, so'e *ersons are
bad-natured, so'e *ersons are good-natured and bad-natured as 0ell, and so'e *ersons are
neither good-natured nor bad-natured? There is no &ontradi&tion in these 'odified
*ro*ositions, but still they fail to e-*lain the ethi&al state of 'an? Su**osing the' all to be
true, let us assu'e that there are the four &lasses of *eo*leJ #$ Those 0ho are *urely 'oral
and have no i''oral dis*ositionI #($ those 0ho are half 'oral and half i''oralI #"$ those
0ho are neither 'oral nor i''oralI #3$ those 0ho are *urely i''oral and have no 'oral
dis*osition? Orthodo- Christians, believing in the sinlessness of Jesus, 0ould say he belongs
to the first &lass, 0hile .oha''edans and Buddhists, 0ho deify the founder of their
res*e&tive faith, 0ould in su&h &ase regard their founder as the *urely 'oral *ersonage? But
are your beliefs, 0e should ask, based on histori&al fa&tD Can you say that su&h traditional
and self-&ontradi&tory re&ords as the four gos*els are history in the stri&t sense of the ter'D
Can you assert that those traditions 0hi&h deify .oha''ed and Shakya are the state'ents of
bare fa&tsD =s not Jesus an abstra&tion and an ideal, entirely different fro' a &on&rete
&ar*enter@s son, 0ho fed on the sa'e kind of food, sheltered hi'self in the sa'e kind of
building, suffered fro' the sa'e kind of *ain, 0as fired by the sa'e kind of anger, stung by
the sa'e kind of lust as our o0nD Can you say the *erson 0ho fought 'any a sanguinary
battle, 0ho got through 'any &unning negotiations 0ith ene'ies and friends, 0ho *ersonally
e-*erien&ed the troubles of *olyga'y, 0as a *erson sinless and divineD 2e 'ight allo0 that
these an&ient sages are su*erhu'an and divine, then our &lassifi&ation has no business 0ith
the', be&ause they do not *ro*erly belong to 'ankind? %o0, then, 0ho &an *oint out any
sinless *erson in the *resent 0orldD =s it not a fa&t that the 'ore virtuous one gro0s the 'ore
sinful he feels hi'selfD =f there be any 'ortal, in the *ast, the *resent, and the future, 0ho
de&lares hi'self to be *ure and sinless, his very de&laration *roves that he is not highly
'oral? Therefore the e-isten&e of the first &lass of *eo*le is o*en to 5uestion?
:? There is no .ortal 0ho is %on-.oral or Purely =''oral?
The sa'e is the &ase 0ith the third and the fourth &lass of *eo*le 0ho are assu'ed as non-
'oral or *urely i''oral? There is no *erson, ho0ever 'orally degraded he 'ay be, but
reveals so'e good nature in his 0hole &ourse of life? =t is our daily e-*erien&e that 0e find a
faithful friend in the *erson even of a *i&k*o&ket, a loving father even in a burglar, and a kind
neighbour even in a 'urderer? Aaith, sy'*athy, friendshi*, love, loyalty, and generosity d0ell
not 'erely in *ala&es and &hur&hes, but also in brothels and gaols? On the other hand,
abhorrent vi&es and bloody &ri'es often find shelter under the silk hat, or the robe, or the
&oronet, or the &ro0n? 1ife 'ay fitly be &o'*ared 0ith a ro*e 'ade of 0hite and bla&k stra0,
and to se*arate one fro' the other is to destroy the ro*e itselfI so also life entirely
inde*endent of the duality of good and bad is no a&tual life? 2e 'ust a&kno0ledge, therefore,
that the third and the fourth *ro*ositions are in&onsistent 0ith our daily e-*erien&e of life,
and that only the se&ond *ro*osition re'ains, 0hi&h, as seen above, breaks do0n at the origin
of 'orality?
;? 2here, then, does the ,rror 1ieD
2here, then, does the error lie in the four *ossible *ro*ositions res*e&ting 'an@s natureD =t
lies not in their sub+e&t, but in the *redi&ate-that is to say, in the use of the ter's @good@ and
@bad?@ %o0 let us e-a'ine ho0 does good differ fro' bad? 9 good a&tion ever *ro'otes
interests in a s*here far 0ider than a bad a&tion? Both are the sa'e in their &ondu&ing to
hu'an interests, but differ in the e-tent in 0hi&h they a&hieve their end? =n other 0ords, both
good and bad a&tions are *erfor'ed for one end and the sa'e *ur*ose of *ro'oting hu'an
interests, but they differ fro' ea&h other as to the e-tent of interests? Aor instan&e, burglary is
evidently bad a&tion, and is &onde'ned every0hereI but the &a*turing of an ene'y@s *ro*erty
for the sake of one@s o0n tribe or &lan or nation is *raised as a 'eritorious &ondu&t? Both a&ts
are e-a&tly the sa'e in their *ro'oting interestsI but the for'er relates to the interests of a
single individual or of a single fa'ily, 0hile the latter to those of a tribe or a nation? =f the
for'er be bad on a&&ount of its ignoring others@ interests, the latter 'ust be also bad on
a&&ount of its ignoring the ene'y@s interests? .urder is &onsidered bad every0hereI but the
killing of thousands of 'en in a battle-field is *raised and honoured, be&ause the for'er is
*er*etrated to *ro'ote the *rivate interests, 0hile the latter those of the *ubli&? =f the for'er
be bad, be&ause of its &ruelty, the latter 'ust also be bad, be&ause of its inhu'anity?
The idea of good and bad, generally a&&e*ted by &o''on sense, 'ay be stated as follo0sJ
@9n a&tion is good 0hen it *ro'otes the interests of an individual or a fa'ilyI better 0hen it
*ro'otes those of a distri&t or a &ountryI best 0hen it *ro'otes those of the 0hole 0orld? 9n
a&tion is bad 0hen it infli&ts in+ury on another individual or another fa'ilyI 0orse 0hen it is
*re+udi&ial to a distri&t or a &ountryI 0orst 0hen it brings har' on the 0hole 0orld? Stri&tly
s*eaking, an a&tion is good 0hen it *ro'otes interests, 'aterial or s*iritual, as intended by
the a&tor in his 'otiveI and it is bad 0hen it in+ures interests, 'aterial or s*iritual, as intended
by the a&tor in his 'otive?@
9&&ording to this idea, generally a&&e*ted by &o''on sense, hu'an a&tions 'ay be
&lassified under four different headsJ #$ Purely good a&tionsI #($ *artly good and *artly bad
a&tionsI #"$ neither good nor bad a&tionsI #3$ *urely bad a&tions? Airst, *urely good a&tions
are those a&tions 0hi&h subserve and never hinder hu'an interests either 'aterial or s*iritual,
su&h as hu'anity and love of all beings? Se&ondly, *artly good and *artly bad a&tions are
those a&tions 0hi&h are both for and against hu'an interests, su&h as narro0 *atriotis' and
*re+udi&ed love? Thirdly, neither good nor bad a&tions are su&h a&tions as are neither for nor
against hu'an interestsHfor e-a'*le, an un&ons&ious a&t of a drea'er? 1astly, *urely bad
a&tions, 0hi&h are absolutely against hu'an interests, &annot be *ossible for 'an e-&e*t
sui&ide, be&ause every a&tion *ro'otes 'ore or less the interests, 'aterial or s*iritual, of the
individual agent or of so'eone else? ,ven su&h horrible &ri'es as ho'i&ide and *arri&ide are
intended to *ro'ote so'e interests, and &arry out in so'e 'easure their ai' 0hen
*erfor'ed? =t follo0s that 'an &annot be said to be good or bad in the stri&t sense of the
ter's as above defined, for there is no hu'an being 0ho does the first &lass of a&tions and
nothing else, nor is there any 'ortal 0ho does the fourth &lass of a&tions and nothing else?
.an 'ay be &alled good and bad, and at the sa'e ti'e be neither good nor bad, in that he
al0ays *erfor's the se&ond and the third &lass of a&tions? 9ll this, nevertheless, is a 'ore
*lay of 0ords? Thus 0e are driven to &on&lude that the &o''on-sense vie0 of hu'an nature
fails to gras* the real state of a&tual life?
<? .an is not Good-natured nor Bad-natured, but Buddha-natured?
2e have had already o&&asion to observe that 4en tea&hes Buddha-nature, 0hi&h all sentient
beings are endo0ed 0ith? The ter' @Buddha-nature,@EA%F:7G as a&&e*ted generally by
Buddhists, 'eans a latent and undevelo*ed nature, 0hi&h enables its o0ner to be&o'e
,nlightened 0hen it is develo*ed and brought to a&tuality?EA%F::G Therefore 'an,
a&&ording to 4en, is not good-natured nor bad-natured in the relative sense, as a&&e*ted
generally by &o''on sense, of these ter's, but Buddha-natured in the sense of non-duality?
9 good *erson #of &o''on sense$ differs fro' a bad *erson #of &o''on sense$, not in his
inborn Buddha-nature, but in the e-tent of his e-*ressing it in deeds? ,ven if 'en are e5ually
endo0ed 0ith that nature, yet their different states of develo*'ent do not allo0 the' to
e-*ress it to an e5ual e-tent in &ondu&t? Buddha-nature 'ay be &o'*ared 0ith the sun, and
individual 'ind 0ith the sky? Then an ,nlightened 'ind is like the sky in fair 0eather, 0hen
nothing *revents the bea's of the sunI 0hile an ignorant 'ind is like the sky in &loudy
0eather, 0hen the sun sheds faint lightI and an evil 'ind is like the sky in stor'y 0eather,
0hen the sun see's to be out of e-isten&e? =t &o'es under our daily observation that even a
robber or a 'urderer 'ay *rove to be a good father and a loving husband to his 0ife and
&hildren? 8e is an honest fello0 0hen he re'ains at ho'e? The sun of Buddha-nature gives
light 0ithin the 0all of his house, but 0ithout the house the darkness of foul &ri'es shrouds
hi'?
EA%F:7G Aor a detailed e-*lanation of Buddha-nature, see the &ha*ter entitled Buddha-
nature in Sho-bo-gen-Bo?
EA%F::G .aha*arinirvana-sutra 'ay be said to have been 0ritten for the *ur*ose of stating
this idea?
!? The Parable of the 6obber Kih?EA%F:;G
Ch0ang TsB #So-shi$ re'arks in a hu'orous 0ay to the follo0ing effe&tJ KThe follo0ers of
the great robber and 'urderer Kih asked hi' sayingJ @8as the robber also any 'oral
*rin&i*les in his *ro&eedingsD@ 8e re*liedJ @2hat *rofession is there 0hi&h has not its
*rin&i*lesD That the robber &o'es to the &on&lusion 0ithout 'istake that there are valuable
de*osits in an a*art'ent sho0s his 0isdo'I that he is the first to enter it sho0s his braveryI
that he 'akes an e5ual division of the *lunder sho0s his +usti&eI that he never betrays the
fello0-robbers sho0s his faithfulnessI and that he is generous to the follo0ers sho0s his
benevolen&e? 2ithout all these five 5ualities no one in the 0orld has ever attained to be&o'e
a great robber?@K The *arable &learly sho0s us Buddha-nature of the robber and 'urderer
e-*resses itself as 0isdo', bravery, +usti&e, faithfulness, and benevolen&e in his so&iety, and
that if he did the sa'e outside it, he 0ould not be a great robber but a great sage?
EA%F:;G The *arable is told for the *ur*ose of undervaluing Confu&ian do&trine, but the
author thereby a&&identally tou&hes hu'an nature? 2e do not 5uote it here 0ith the sa'e
*ur*ose as the author@s?
>? 2ang Cang .ing #O-yo-'ei$ and a Thief?
One evening 0hen 2ang 0as giving a le&ture to a nu'ber of students on his fa'ous do&trine
that all hu'an beings are endo0ed 0ith Cons&ien&e,EA%F:<G a thief broke into the house
and hid hi'self in the darkest &orner? Then 2ang de&lared aloud that every hu'an being is
born 0ith Cons&ien&e, and that even the thief 0ho had got into the house had Cons&ien&e +ust
as the sages of old? The burglar, overhearing these re'arks, &a'e out to ask the forgiveness
of the 'asterI sin&e there 0as no 0ay of es&a*e for hi', and he 0as half-naked, he &rou&hed
behind the students? 2ang@s 0illing forgiveness and &ordial treat'ent en&ouraged the 'an to
ask the 5uestion ho0 the tea&her &ould kno0 su&h a *oor 0ret&h as he 0as endo0ed 0ith
Cons&ien&e as the sages of old? 2ang re*liedJ K=t is your Cons&ien&e that 'akes you asha'ed
of your nakedness? Cou yourself are a sage, if you abstain fro' everything that 0ill *ut
sha'e on you?K 2e fir'ly believe that 2ang is *erfe&tly right in telling the thief that he 0as
not different in nature fro' the sages of old? =t is no e-aggeration? =t is a saving truth? =t is
also a 'ost effe&tive 0ay of saving 'en out of darkness of sin? 9ny thief &eases to be a thief
the 'o'ent he believes in his o0n Cons&ien&e, or Buddha-nature? Cou &an never &orre&t
&ri'inals by your severe re*roa&h or *unish'ent? Cou &an save the' only through your
sy'*athy and love, by 0hi&h you &all forth their inborn Buddha-nature? %othing &an *rodu&e
'ore *erni&ious effe&ts on &ri'inals than to treat the' as if they 0ere a different sort of
*eo*le and &onfir' the' in their &onvi&tion that they are bad-natured? 2e greatly regret that
even in a &iviliBed so&iety authorities negle&ting this saving truth are driving to *erdition
those &ri'inals under their &are, 0ho' it is their duty to save?
EA%F:<G =t is not &ons&ien&e in the ordinary sense of the ter'? =t is @'oral@ *rin&i*le,
a&&ording to 2ang, *ervading through the Universe? @=t e-*resses itself as Providen&e in
8eaven, as 'oral nature in 'an, and as 'e&hani&al la0s in things?@ The reader 0ill noti&e that
2ang@s Cons&ien&e is the nearest a**roa&h to Buddha-nature?
? The Bad are the Good in the ,gg?
This is not only the &ase 0ith a robber or a 'urderer, but also 0ith ordinary *eo*le? There are
'any 0ho are honest and good in their ho'esteads, but turn out to be base and dishonest folk
outside the'? Si'ilarly, there are those 0ho, having an enthusiasti& love of their lo&al distri&t,
a&t unla0fully against the interests of other distri&ts? They are u*right and honourable
gentle'en 0ithin the boundary of their o0n distri&t, but a gang of ras&als 0ithout it? So also
there are 'any 0ho are 2ashingtons and 2illia' Tells in their o0n, but at the sa'e ti'e
*irates and &annibals in the other &ountries? 9gain, there are not a fe0 *ersons 0ho, having
ra&ial *re+udi&es, 0ould not allo0 the rays of their Buddha-nature to *ass through a &oloured
skin? There are &iviliBed *ersons 0ho are hu'ane enough to love and estee' any hu'an
being as their brother, but so unfeeling that they think lo0er &reatures as their *ro*er food?
The highly enlightened *erson, ho0ever, &annot but sy'*athiBe 0ith hu'an beings and
lo0er &reatures as 0ell, as Shakya .uni felt all sentient beings to be his &hildren?
These *eo*le are e-a&tly the sa'e in their Buddha-nature, but a 0ide differen&e obtains
a'ong the' in the e-tent of their e-*ressing that nature in deeds? =f thieves and 'urderers be
&alled bad-natured, refor'ers and revolutionists should be &alled so? =f, on the other hand,
*atriotis' and loyalty be said to be good, treason and insurre&tion should like0ise be so?
Therefore it is evident that a so-&alled good *erson is none but one 0ho a&ts to *ro'ote 0ider
interests of life, and a so-&alled bad *erson is none but one 0ho a&ts to advan&e narro0er
ones? =n other 0ords, the bad are the good in the egg, so to s*eak, and the good are the bad on
the 0ing? 9s the bird in the egg is one and the sa'e as the bird on the 0ing, so the good in
the egg is entirely of the sa'e nature as the bad on the 0ing? To sho0 that hu'an nature
trans&ends the duality of good and evil, the author of 9vata'saka-sutra de&lares that @all
beings are endo0ed 0ith the 0isdo' and virtue of Tathagata?@ K0ei Aung #Kei-ho$ also saysJ
K9ll sentient beings have the 6eal S*irit of Original ,nlighten'ent #0ithin the'selves$? =t is
un&hanging and *ure? =t is eternally bright and &lear, and &ons&ious? =t is also na'ed Buddha-
nature, or Tathagata-garbha?K
(? The Great Person and S'all Person?
Aor these reasons 4en *ro*oses to &all 'an Buddha-natured or Good-natured in a sense
trans&endental to the duality of good and bad? =t &onveys no sense to &all so'e individuals
good in &ase there is no bad individual? Aor the sake of &onvenien&e, ho0ever, 4en &alls 'an
good, as is e-e'*lified by Shakya .uni, 0ho 0as 0ont to address his hearers as @good 'en
and 0o'en,@ and by the Si-th Patriar&h in China, 0ho &alled everybody @a good and 0ise
one?@ This does not i'*ly in the least that all hu'an beings are virtuous, sinless, and saintly-
nay, the 0orld is full of vi&es and &ri'es? =t is an undeniable fa&t that life is the 0arfare of
good against evil, and 'any a valiant hero has fallen in the fore'ost ranks? =t is &urious,
ho0ever, to noti&e that the &ha'*ions on the both sides are fighting for the sa'e &ause? There
&an be no single individual in the 0orld 0ho is fighting against his o0n &ause or interest, and
the only *ossible differen&e bet0een one *arty and the other &onsists in the e-tent of interests
0hi&h they fight for? So-&alled bad *ersons, 0ho are *ro*erly designated as @s'all *ersons@ by
Chinese and Ja*anese s&holars, e-*ress their Buddha-nature to a s'all e-tent 'ostly 0ithin
their o0n doors, 0hile so-&alled good *ersons, or @great *ersons@ as the Oriental s&holars &all
the', a&tualiBe their Buddha-nature to a large e-tent in the 0hole s*here of a &ountry, or of
the 0hole earth?
,nlightened Cons&iousness, or Buddha-nature, as 0e have seen in the *revious &ha*ter, is the
'ind of 'ind and the &ons&iousness of &ons&iousness, Universal S*irit a0akened in
individual 'inds, 0hi&h realiBes the universal brotherhood of all beings and the unity of
individual lives? =t is the real self, the guiding *rin&i*le, the Original Physiogno'yEA%F:!G
#nature$, as it is &alled by 4en, of 'an? This real self lies dor'ant under the threshold of
&ons&iousness in the 'inds of the &onfusedI &onse5uently, ea&h of the' is in&lined to regard
*etty individual as his self, and to e-ert hi'self to further the interests of the individual self
even at the &ost of those of the others? 8e is @the s'allest *erson@ in the 0orld, for his self is
redu&ed to the s'allest e-tent *ossible? So'e of the less &onfused identify their selves 0ith
their fa'ilies, and feel ha**y or unha**y in *ro*ortion as their fa'ilies are ha**y or
unha**y, for the sake of 0hi&h they sa&rifi&e the interests of other fa'ilies? On the other
hand, so'e of the 'ore enlightened unite their selves through love and &o'*assion 0ith their
0hole tribe or &ountry'en, and &onsider the rise or fall of the tribe or of the &ountry as their
o0n, and 0illingly sa&rifi&e their o0n lives, if need be, for the &ause of the tribe or the
&ountry? 2hen they are fully enlightened, they &an realiBe the unity of all sentient lives, and
be ever 'er&iful and hel*ful to0ards all &reatures? They are @the greatest *ersons@ on earth,
be&ause their selves are enlarged to the greatest e-tent *ossible?
EA%F:!G The e-*ression first o&&urs in 8o-bo-dan-kyo of the Si-th
Patriar&h, and is fre5uently used by later 4enists?
"? The Theory of Buddha-%ature ade5uately e-*lains the ,thi&al States of .an?
This theory of Buddha-nature enables us to get an insight into the origin of 'orality? The first
a0akening of Buddha-nature 0ithin 'an is the very beginning of 'orality, and 'an@s ethi&al
*rogress is the gradually 0idening e-*ression of that nature in &ondu&t? But for it 'orality is
i'*ossible for 'an? But for it not only 'oral &ulture or dis&i*line, but edu&ation and so&ial
i'*rove'ent 'ust be futile? 9gain, the theory ade5uately e-*lains the ethi&al fa&ts that the
standard of 'orality undergoes &hange in different ti'es and *la&es, that good and bad are so
inse*arably knit together, and that the bad at ti'es be&o'e good all on a sudden, and the
good gro0 bad 5uite une-*e&tedly? Airst, it goes 0ithout saying that the standard of 'orality
is raised +ust in *ro*ortion as Buddha-nature or real self e-tends and a'*lifies itself in
different ti'es and *la&es? Se&ondly, sin&e good is Buddha-nature a&tualiBed to a large e-tent,
and bad is also Buddha-nature a&tualiBed to a s'all e-tent, the e-isten&e of the for'er
*resu**oses that of the latter, and the 'ess of duality &an never be got rid of? Thirdly, the fa&t
that the bad be&o'e good under &ertain &ir&u'stan&es, and the good also be&o'e bad often
une-*e&tedly, &an hardly be e-*lained by the dualisti& theory, be&ause if good nature be so
arbitrarily turned into bad and bad nature into good, the distin&tion of good and bad nature
has no 'eaning 0hatever? 9&&ording to the theory of Buddha-nature, the fa&t that the good
be&o'e bad or the bad be&o'e good, does not i'*ly in the least a &hange of nature, but the
0idening or the narro0ing of its a&tualiBation? So that no 'atter ho0 'orally degenerated
one 'ay be, he &an u*lift hi'self to a high ethi&al *lane by the 0idening of his self, and at
the sa'e ti'e no 'atter ho0 'orally e-alted one 'ay be, he &an des&end to the level of the
brute by the narro0ing of his self? To be an angel or to be a devil rests 0ith one@s degrees of
enlighten'ent and free &hoi&e? This is 0hy su&h infinite varieties e-ist both a'ong the good
and the bad? This is 0hy the higher the *eak of enlighten'ent the *eo*le &li'b, the 'ore
0idely the vista of 'oral *ossibilities o*en before the'?
3? Buddha-%ature is the Co''on Sour&e of .orals?
Aurther'ore, Buddha-nature or real self, being the seat of love and the nu&leus of sin&erity,
for's the 0ar* and 0oof of all 'oral a&tions? 8e is an obedient son 0ho serves his *arents
0ith sin&erity and love? 8e is a loyal sub+e&t 0ho serves his 'aster 0ith sin&erity and love? 9
virtuous 0ife is she 0ho loves her husband 0ith her sin&ere heart? 9 trust0orthy friend is he
0ho kee*s &o'*any 0ith others 0ith sin&erity and love? 9 'an of righteousness is he 0ho
leads a life of sin&erity and love? Generous and hu'ane is he 0ho sy'*athiBes 0ith his
fello0-'en 0ith his sin&ere heart? /era&ity, &hastity, filial *iety, loyalty, righteousness,
generosity, hu'anity, and 0hat not-all-this is no other than Buddha-nature a**lied to various
relationshi*s of hu'an brotherhood? This is the &o''on sour&e, ever fresh and ine-haustible,
of 'orality that fosters and furthers the interests of all? To-+uEA%F;>G e-*resses the si'ilar
idea as follo0sJ
KThere e-ists the =ne-haustible Sour&e #of 'orality$ 0ithin 'e?
=t is an invaluable treasure?
=t is &alled Bright %ature of 'an?
=t is *eerless and sur*asses all +e0els?
The ai' of learning is to bring out this Bright %ature?
This is the best thing in the 0orld?
6eal ha**iness &an only be se&ured by it?K
Thus, in the first *la&e, 'oral &ondu&t, 0hi&h is nothing but the e-*ression of Buddha-nature
in a&tion, i'*lies the assertion of self and the furtheran&e of one@s interests? On this *oint is
based the half-truth of the ,goisti& theory? Se&ondly, it is invariably a&&o'*anied by a feeling
of *leasure or satisfa&tion 0hen it fulfils its end? This a&&idental &on&o'itan&e is 'istaken for
its essen&e by su*erfi&ial observers 0ho adhere to the 8edonisti& theory? Thirdly, it &ondu&es
to the furtheran&e of the 'aterial and s*iritual interests of 'an, and it led the Utilitarians to
the &onfusion of the result 0ith the &ause of 'orality? Aourthly, it involves the &ontrol or
sa&rifi&e of the lo0er and ignoble self of an individual in order to realiBe his higher and
nobler self? This gave rise to the half-truth of the 9s&eti& theory of 'orality?
EA%F;>G To-+u %aka-e #died 9?)? :3!$, the founder of the Ja*anese
2ang S&hool of Confu&ianis', kno0n as the Sage of O'i?
7? The Parable of a )runkard?
%o0 the 5uestion arises, =f all hu'an beings are endo0ed 0ith Buddha-nature, 0hy have
they not &o'e naturally to be ,nlightenedD To ans0er this 5uestion, the =ndian
.ahayanistsEA%F;G told the *arable of a drunkard 0ho forgets the *re&ious ge's *ut in his
o0n *o&ket by one of his friends? The 'an is drunk 0ith the *oisonous li5uor of selfishness,
led astray by the alluring sight of the sensual ob+e&ts, and goes 'ad 0ith anger, lust, and
folly? Thus he is in a state of 'oral *overty, entirely forgetting the *re&ious ge' of Buddha-
nature 0ithin hi'? To be in an honourable *osition in so&iety as the o0ner of that valuable
*ro*erty, he 'ust first get rid hi'self of the influen&e of the li5uor of self, and deta&h hi'self
fro' sensual ob+e&ts, gain &ontrol over his *assion, restore *ea&e and sin&erity to his 'ind,
and illu'ine his 0hole e-isten&e by his inborn divine light? Other0ise he has to re'ain in the
sa'e *light to all eternity?
EA%F;G .aha*arinirvana-sutra?
1ot us avail ourselves of another figure to e-*lain 'ore &learly the *oint at issue? Universal
S*irit 'ay fitly be likened to the universal 0ater, or 0ater &ir&ulating through the 0hole
earth? This universal 0ater e-ists every0here? =t e-ists in the tree? =t e-ists in the grass? =t
e-ists in the 'ountain? =t e-ists in the river? =t e-ists in the sea? =t e-ists in the air? =t e-ists in
the &loud? Thus 'an is not only surrounded by 0ater on all sides, but it *enetrates his very
body? But be &an never a**ease his thirst 0ithout drinking 0ater? =n like 'anner Universal
S*irit e-ists every0here? =t e-ists in the tree? =t e-ists in the grass? =t e-ists in the ground? =t
e-ists in the 'ountain? =t e-ists in the river? =t e-ists in the sea? =t e-ists in the bird? =t e-ists in
the beast? Thus 'an is not 'erely surrounded by S*irit on all sides, but it *er'eates through
his 0hole e-isten&e? But he &an never be ,nlightened unless he a0akens it 0ithin hi' by
'eans of .editation? To drink 0ater is to drink the universal 0aterI to a0aken Buddha-nature
is to be &ons&ious of Universal S*irit?
Therefore, to get ,nlightened 0e have to believe that all beings are Buddha-naturedHthat is,
absolutely good-natured in the sense that trans&ends the duality of good and bad? KOne day,K
to &ite an e-a'*le, KPan Shan #Ban-Ban$ ha**ened to *ass by a 'eat-sho*? 8e heard a
&usto'er sayingJ @Give 'e a *ound of fresh 'eat?@ To 0hi&h the sho*kee*er, *utting do0n his
knife, re*liedJ Certainly, sir? Could there be any 'eat that is not fresh in 'y sho*D@ Pan Shan,
hearing these re'arks, 0as ,nlightened at on&e?K
:? Shakya .uni and the Prodigal Son?
9 great trouble 0ith us is that 0e do not believe in half the good that 0e are born 0ith? 2e
are +ust like the only son of a 0ell-to-do, as the author of Saddhar'a-*undarika-
sutraEA%F;(G tells us, 0ho, being forgetful of his ri&h inheritan&e, leaves his ho'e and leads
a life of hand-to-'outh as a &oolie? 8o0 'iserable it is to see one, having no faith in his
noble endo0'ent, burying the *re&ious ge' of Buddha-nature into the foul rubbish of vi&es
and &ri'es, 0asting his e-&ellent genius in the e-ertion that is sure to disgra&e his na'e,
falling a *rey to bitter re'orse and doubt, and &asting hi'self a0ay into the +a0 of *erdition?
Shakya .uni, full of fatherly love to0ards all beings, looked 0ith &o'*assion on us, his
*rodigal son, and used every 'eans to restore the half-starved 'an to his ho'e? =t 0as for
this that he left the *ala&e and the beloved 0ife and son, *ra&tised his self-'ortifi&ation and
*rolonged .editation, attained to ,nlighten'ent, and *rea&hed )har'a for forty-nine yearsI
in other 0ords, all his strength and effort 0ere fo&ussed on that single ai', 0hi&h 0as to
bring the *rodigal son to his ri&h 'ansion of Buddha-nature? 8e taught not only by 0ords,
but by his o0n a&tual e-a'*le, that 'an has Buddha-nature, by the unfold'ent of 0hi&h he
&an save hi'self fro' the 'iseries of life and death, and bring hi'self to a higher real' than
gods? 2hen 0e are ,nlightened, or 0hen Universal S*irit a0akens 0ithin us, 0e o*en the
ine-haustible store of virtues and e-&ellen&ies, and &an freely 'ake use of the' at our 0ill?
EA%F;(G See @Sa&red Books of the ,ast,@ vol? --i?, &ha*? iv?, **? !<-<?
;? The Parable of the .onk and the Stu*id 2o'an?
The &onfused or unenlightened 'ay be &o'*ared 0ith a 'onk and a stu*id 0o'an in a
Ja*anese *arable 0hi&h runs as follo0sJ KOne evening a 'onk #0ho 0as used to have his
head shaved &lean$, getting drunk against the 'oral *re&e*ts, visited a 0o'an, kno0n as a
blo&khead, at her house? %o sooner had he got into her roo' than the fe'ale fell aslee* so
soundly that the 'onk &ould not 0ake her na*? Thereu*on he 'ade u* his 'ind to use every
*ossible 'eans to arouse her, and sear&hed and sear&hed all over the roo' for so'e
instru'ent that 0ould hel* hi' in his task of arousing her fro' death-like slu'ber?
Aortunately, he found a raBor in one of the dra0ers of her 'irror stand? 2ith it he gave a
stroke to her hair, but she did not stir a 0hit? Then &a'e another stroke, and she snored like
thunder? The third and fourth strokes &a'e, but 0ith no better result? 9nd at last her head 0as
shaven &lean, yet still she sle*t on? The ne-t 'orning 0hen she a0oke, she &ould not find her
visitor, the 'onk, as he had left the house in the *revious night? @2here is 'y visitor, 0here
'y dear 'onkD@ she &alled aloud, and 0aking in a state of so'na'bulation looked for hi' in
vain, re*eating the out&ry? 2hen at length her hand a&&identally tou&hed her shaven head, she
'istook it for that of her visitor, and e-&lai'edJ @8ere you are, 'y dear, 0here a' = 'yself
gone thenDK 9 great trouble 0ith the &onfused is their forgetting of real self or Buddha-nature,
and not kno0ing @0here it is gone?@ )uke %gai, of the State of 1u, on&e said to Confu&iusJ
KOne of 'y sub+e&ts, Sir, is so 'u&h forgetful that he forgot to take his 0ife 0hen be &hanged
his residen&e?K KThat is not 'u&h, 'y lord,K said the sage, Kthe ,'*erors KiehEA%F;"G and
CheuEA%F;3G forgot their o0n selves?KEA%F;7G
EA%F;"G The last ,'*eror of the 8a dynasty, notorious for his vi&es? 8is reign 0as <<-
;:; B?C?
EA%F;3G The last ,'*eror of the Cin dynasty, one of the 0orst des*ots? 8is reign 0as 73-
(( B?C?
EA%F;7G Ko-shi-ke-go?
<? @,a&h S'ile a 8y'n, ea&h Kindly 2ord a Prayer?@
The glorious sun of Buddha-nature shines in the Benith of ,nlightened Cons&iousness, but
'en still drea' a drea' of illusion? Bells and &lo&ks of the Universal Chur&h *ro&lai' the
da0n of Bodhi, yet 'en, drunk 0ith the li5uors of the Three PoisonsEA%F;:G Still slu'ber
in the darkness of sin? 1et us *ray to Buddha, in 0hose boso' 0e live, for the sake of our
o0n salvation? 1et us invoke Buddha, 0hose boundless 'er&y ever besets us, for the Sake of
+oy and *ea&e of all our fello0-beings? 1et us adore 8i' through our sy'*athy to0ards the
*oor, through our kindness sho0n to the suffering, through our thought of the subli'e and the
good?
KO brother 'an, fold to thy heart thy brotherI
2here *ity d0ells, the *ea&e of God is thereI
To 0orshi* rightly is to love ea&h other,
,a&h s'ile a hy'n, ea&h kindly 0ord a *rayer?K
H2hittier?
1et, then, your heart be so *ure that you 'ay not be un0orthy of the sunshine bea'ing u*on
you the light of Universal S*irit? 1et your thought be so noble that you 'ay deserve fair
flo0ers bloo'ing before you, re'inding you of 'er&iful Buddha? 1et your life be so good
that you 'ay not be asha'ed of yourself in the *resen&e of the Blessed One? This is the *iety
of .ahayanists, es*e&ially of 4enists?
EA%F;:G 1ust, anger, and folly?
!? The 2orld is in the .aking?
Our assertion is far fro' assu'ing that life is no0 &o'*lete, and is in its best state? On the
&ontrary, it is full of defe&ts and short&o'ings? 2e 'ust not be *uffed u* 0ith 'odern
&iviliBation, ho0ever great vi&tory it has s&ored for its side? Beyond all doubt 'an is still in
his &radle? 8e often stret&hes forth his hands to get at his higher ideal, yet is still satisfied
0ith 0orthless *laythings? =t is too glaring a fa&t to be overlooked by us that faith in religion
is dying out in the edu&ated &ir&les of so&iety, that insin&erity, &o0ardi&e, and double-tongue
are found holding high *ositions in al'ost ever &o''unity, that 1u&rese and ,BBeling are
looking do0n u*on the starving 'ultitude fro' their lu-urious *ala&e, that .a''on and
Ba&&hus are so'eti'es *reying on their living vi&ti's, that even religion often sides 0ith
Contention and *iety takes *art in Cruelty, that 9nar&hy is ever ready to s*ring on the
&ro0ned beings, that *hiloso*hy is dis*osed to turn the deaf ear to the *etition of *ea&e, 0hile
s&ien&e *rovides fuel for the fire of strife?
2as the golden age of 'an, then, over in the re'ote *astD =s the doo'sday &o'ing insteadD
)o you bear the tru'*et &allD )o you feel the earth tre'bleD %o, absolutely no, the golden
age is not *assed? =t is yet to &o'e? There are not a fe0 0ho think that the 0orld is in
&o'*letion, and the Creator has finished 8is 0ork? 2e 0itness, ho0ever, that 8e is still
0orking and 0orking, for a&tually 0e hear 8is ha''er-strokes resounding through heaven
above and earth beneath? )oes 8e not sho0 us ne0 'aterials for 8is buildingD )oes 8e not
give ne0 for's to 8is designD )oes 8e not sur*rise us 0ith novelties, e-traordinaries, and
'ysteriesD =n a 0ord, the 0orld is in *rogress, not in retrogression?
9 strea' does not run in a straight line? =t no0 turns to the right, no0 to the left, no0 lea*s
do0n a *re&i*i&e, no0 0aters ri&h fields, no0 runs ba&k to0ards its sour&eI but it is destined
to find its outlet in the o&ean? So it is 0ith the strea' of life? =t no0 lea*s do0n the *re&i*i&e
of revolution? %o0 it enri&hes the fertile field of &iviliBation? %o0 it e-*ands itself into a
glassy lake of *ea&e? %o0 it for's the dangerous 0hirl*ool of strife? But its &ourse is al0ays
to0ard the o&ean of ,nlighten'ent, in 0hi&h the ge's of e5uality and freedo', +e0els of
truth and beauty, and treasures of 0isdo' and bliss &an be had?
(>? The Progress and 8o*e of 1ife?
8o0 'any 'yriads of years have *assed sin&e the ger's of life first 'ade a**earan&e on
earth none &an tellI ho0 'any thousands of su''ers and 0inters it has taken to develo*
itself into higher ani'als, no s&ientist &an &al&ulate e-a&tly? Slo0ly but steadily it has taken
its s0erving &ourse, and as&ending sto* by ste* the series of evolution, has rea&hed at length
the *lane of the rational ani'al? 2e &annot tell ho0 'any billions of years it takes to develo*
ourselves and be&o'e beings higher than 'an hi'self, yet 0e fir'ly believe that it is
*ossible for us to take the sa'e unerring &ourse as the organi& ger's took in the *ast?
,-isting hu'anity is not the sa'e as *ri'itive one? =t is 5uite another ra&e? Our desires and
ho*es are entirely different fro' those of *ri'itive 'an? 2hat 0as gold for the' is no0 iron
for us? Our thoughts and beliefs are 0hat they never drea'ed of? Of our kno0ledge they had
al'ost none? That 0hi&h they ke*t in veneration 0e tra'*le under our feet? Things they
0orshi**ed as deities no0 serve us as our slaves? Things that troubled and tortured the' 0e
no0 turn into utilities? To say nothing of the &usto's and 'anners and 'ode of living 0hi&h
under0ent e-traordinary &hange, 0e are of a ra&e in body and 'ind other than the *ri'itive
forefathers of good old days? =n addition to this 0e have every reason to believe in the
better'ent of life? 1et us &ast a glan&e to the e-isting state of the 0orld? 2hile the Tur&o-
=talian 0ar 0as raising its fero&ious out&ry, the Chinese revolution lifted its head before the
tre'bling throne? 2ho &an tell 0hether another sanguinary affair 0ill not break out before
the Bulgarian bloodshed &o'es to an endD Still 0e believe that, as fire drives out fire, to
borro0 Shakes*eare@s *hrase, so 0ar is driving out 0ar? 9s an o&ean, 0hi&h se*arated t0o
nations in the *ast, serves to unite the' no0, so a 0ar, 0hi&h se*arated t0o *eo*le in the
*ast, brings the' to unity no0? =t goes 0ithout saying, that every nation groans under the
burden of &annons and 0arshi*s, and heartily desires *ea&e? %o nation &an 0illingly 0age
0ar against any other nation? =t is against the national &ons&ien&e? =t is no e-aggeration to say
the 0orld is 0holly the ear to hear the ne0s fro' the goddess of *ea&e? 9 ti'e 0ill surely
&o'e, if our *ur*ose be steady and our resolution fir', 0hen universal *ea&e 0ill be restored,
and Shakya .uni@s *re&e*t, @not to kill,@ 0ill be realiBed by all 'ankind?
(? The Better'ent of 1ife?
9gain, *eo*le no0adays see' to feel keenly the 0ound of the e&ono'i&al results of 0ar, but
they are unfeeling to its 'oral in+uries? 9s ele'ents have their affinities, as bodies have their
attra&tions, as &reatures have their instin&t to live together, so 'en have their inborn 'utual
love? @God divided 'an into 'en that they 'ight hel* ea&h other?@ Their strength lies in their
'utual hel*, their *leasure is in their 'utual love, and their *erfe&tion is in their giving and
re&eiving of alternate good? Therefore Shakya .uni saysJ KBe 'er&iful to all living beings?K
To take u* ar's against any other *erson is unla0ful for any individual? =t is the violation of
the universal la0 of life?
2e do not deny that there are not a fe0 0ho are so 0ret&hed that they re+oi&e in their &ri'es,
nor that there is any *erson but has 'ore or less stain on his &hara&ter, nor that the 'eans of
&o''itting &ri'es are 'ulti*lied in *ro*ortion as 'odern &iviliBation advan&esI yet still 0e
believe that our so&ial life is ever breaking do0n our 0olfish dis*osition that 0e inherited
fro' our brute an&estors, and edu&ation is ever 0earing out our &annibalisti& nature 0hi&h 0e
have in &o''on 0ith 0ild ani'als? On the one hand, the signs of so&ial 'orals are 'anifest
in every dire&tion, su&h as asylu's for or*hans, *oorhouses, houses of &orre&tion, lodgings
for the *enniless, asylu's for the *oor, free hos*itals, hos*itals for do'esti& ani'als,
so&ieties for the *revention of &ruelty to ani'als, s&hools for the blind and the du'b, asylu's
for the insane, and so forthI on the other hand, various dis&overies and inventions have been
'ade that 'ay &ontribute to the so&ial i'*rove'ent, su&h as the dis&overy of the S rays and
of radiu', the invention of the 0ireless telegra*h and that of the aero*lane and 0hat not?
Aurther'ore, s*iritual 0onders su&h as &lairvoyan&e, &lairaudien&e, tele*athy, et&?, re'ind us
of the *ossibilities of further s*iritual unfold'ent in 'an 0hi&h he never drea'ed of? Thus
life is gro0ing ri&her and nobler ste* by ste*, and be&o'ing 'ore and 'ore ho*eful as 0e
advan&e in the 2ay of Buddha?
((? The Buddha of .er&y?
.ilton saysJ
K/irtue 'ay be assailed, but never hurtI
Sur*rised by un+ust for&e, but not enthralled?
But evil on itself shall ba&k re&oil,
9nd 'i- no 'ore 0ith goodness? =f this fail,
The *illared fir'a'ent is rottenness,
9nd earth@s base built on stubble?K
The 0orld is built on the foundation of 'orality, 0hi&h is another na'e for Universal S*irit,
and 'oral order sustains it? 2e hu'an beings, &ons&iously or un&ons&iously, 0ere, are, and
0ill be at 0ork to bring the 0orld into *erfe&tion? This idea is allegori&ally e-*ressed in the
Buddhist sutra,EA%F;;G 0hi&h details the advent of a 'er&iful Buddha na'ed .aitreya in
the re'ote future? 9t that ti'e, it says, there 0ill be no stee* hills, no filthy *la&es, no
e*ide'i&, no fa'ine, no earth5uake, no stor', no 0ar, no revolution, no bloodshed, no
&ruelty, and no sufferingI the roads 0ill be *aved s'oothly, grass and trees al0ays bloo'ing,
birds ever singing, 'en &ontented and ha**yI all sentient beings 0ill 0orshi* the Buddha of
.er&y, a&&e*t 8is do&trine, and attain to ,nlighten'ent? This *ro*he&y 0ill be fulfilled,
a&&ording to the sutra, 7,:;>,>>>,>>> years after the death of Shakya .uni? This evidently
sho0s us that the .ahayanist@s ai' of life is to bring out 'an@s inborn light of Buddha-nature
to illu'ine the 0orld, to realiBe the universal brotherhood of all sentient beings, to attain to
,nlighten'ent, and to en+oy *ea&e and +oy to 0hi&h Universal S*irit leads us?
EA%F;;G See %an+o@s Catalogue, %os? (>3-(>!?
CHAPTER VI
ENLIGHTENMENT
? ,nlighten'ent is beyond )es&ri*tion and 9nalysis?
=n the foregoing &ha*ters 0e have had several o&&asions to refer to the &entral *roble' of 4en
or ,nlighten'ent, 0hose &ontent it is futile to atte'*t to e-*lain or analyBe? 2e 'ust not
e-*lain or analyBe it, be&ause by doing so 0e &annot but 'islead the reader? 2e &an as 0ell
re*resent ,nlighten'ent by 'eans of e-*lanation or analysis as 0e do *ersonality by
sna*shots or by anato'i&al o*erations? 9s our inner life, dire&tly e-*erien&ed 0ithin us, is
anything but the sha*e of the head, or the features of the fa&e, or the *osture of the body, so
,nlighten'ent e-*erien&ed by 4enists at the 'o'ent of their highest Sa'adhiEA%F;<G is
anything but the *sy&hologi&al analysis of 'ental *ro&ess, or the e*iste'ologi&al e-*lanation
of &ognition, or the *hiloso*hi&al generaliBation of &on&e*ts? ,nlighten'ent &an be realiBed
only by the ,nlightened, and baffles every atte'*t to des&ribe it, even by the ,nlightened
the'selves? The effort of the &onfused to guess at ,nlighten'ent is often likened by the
4enists to the effort of the blind 0ho feel an ele*hant to kno0 0hat it looks like? So'e of
the' 0ho ha**en to feel the trunk 0ould de&lare it is like a ro*e, but those 0ho ha**en to
feel the belly 0ould de&lare it is like a huge dru'I 0hile those 0ho ha**en to feel the feet
0ould de&lare it is like the trunk of a tree? But none of these &on+e&tures &an a**roa&h the
living ele*hant?
EA%F;<G 9bstra&t Conte'*lation, 0hi&h the 4enists distinguish fro' Sa'adhi, *ra&tised by
the Brah'ins? The author of @9n Outline of Buddhist Se&ts@ *oints out the distin&tion, sayingJ
KConte'*lation of outside religionists is *ra&tised 0ith the heterodo- vie0 that the lo0er
0orlds #the 0orlds for 'en, beasts, et&?$ are disgusting, but the u**er 0orlds #the 0orlds for
)evas$ are desirableI Conte'*lation of &o''on *eo*le #ordinary lay believers of Buddhis'$
is *ra&tised 0ith the belief in the la0 of Kar'a, and also 0ith disgust #for the lo0er 0orlds$
and desire #for the u**er 0orlds$I Conte'*lation of 8inayana is *ra&tised 0ith an insight into
the truth of 9nat'an #non-soul$I Conte'*lation of .ahayana is *ra&tised 0ith an insight of
Unreality of 9t'an #soul$ as 0ell as of )har'a #thing$I Conte'*lation of the highest
*erfe&tion is *ra&tised 0ith the vie0 that .ind is *ure in its nature, it is endo0ed 0ith
un*olluted 0isdo', free fro' *assion, and it is no other than Buddha hi'self?K
(? ,nlighten'ent i'*lies an =nsight into the %ature of Self?
2e &annot *ass over, ho0ever, this 0eighty *roble' 0ithout saying a 0ord? 2e shall try in
this &ha*ter to *resent ,nlighten'ent before the reader in a roundabout 0ay, +ust as the
*ainter gives the frag'entary sket&hes of a beautiful &ity, being unable to give even a bird@s-
eye vie0 of it? ,nlighten'ent, first of all, i'*lies an insight into the nature of Self? =t is an
e'an&i*ation of 'ind fro' illusion &on&erning Self? 9ll kinds of sin take root dee* in the
'is&on&e*tion of Self, and *utting forth the bran&hes of lust, anger, and folly, thro0 dark
shado0s on life? To e-tir*ate this 'is&on&e*tion Buddhis'EA%F;!G strongly denies the
e-isten&e of the individual soul as &on&eived by &o''on sense-that is, that un&hanging
s*iritual entity *rovided 0ith sight, hearing, tou&h, s'ell, feeling, thought, i'agination,
as*iration, et&?, 0hi&h survives the body? =t tea&hes us that there is no su&h thing as soul, and
that the notion of soul is a gross illusion? =t treats of body as a te'*oral 'aterial for' of life
doo'ed to be destroyed by death and redu&ed to its ele'ents again? =t 'aintains that 'ind is
also a te'*oral s*iritual for' of life, behind 0hi&h there is no i''utable soul?
EA%F;!G Both .ahayana and 8inayana Buddhis' tea&h the do&trine of 9nat'an, or %on-
self? =t is the denial of soul as &on&eived by &o''on sense, and of 9t'an as &on&eived by
=ndian heterodo- thinkers? So'e .ahayanists believe in the e-isten&e of real Self instead of
individual self, as 0e see in .aha*arinirvana-sutra, 0hose author saysJ KThere is real self in
non-self?K =t is 0orthy of note that the 8inayanists set forth Purity, Pleasure, 9t'an, and
,ternity, as the four great 'is&on&e*tions about life, 0hile the sa'e author regards the' as
the four great attributes of %irvana itself?
9n illusory 'ind tends either to regard body as Self and to yearn after its 'aterial interests,
or to believe 'ind de*endent on soul as ,go? Those 0ho are given to sensual *leasures,
&ons&iously or un&ons&iously, bold body to be the Self, and re'ain the life-long slave to the
ob+e&ts of sense? Those 0ho regard 'ind as de*endent on soul as the Self, on the other hand,
undervalue body as a 'ere tool 0ith 0hi&h the soul 0orks, and are in&lined to denoun&e life
as if un0orthy of living? 2e 'ust not undervalue body, nor 'ust 0e overesti'ate 'ind?
There is no 'ind isolated fro' body, nor is there any body se*arated fro' 'ind? ,very
a&tivity of 'ind *rodu&es &he'i&al and *hysiologi&al &hanges in the nerve-&entres, in the
organs, and eventually in the 0hole bodyI 0hile every a&tivity of body is sure to bring out the
&orres*onding &hange in the 'ental fun&tion, and eventually in the 0hole *ersonality? 2e
have the in0ard e-*erien&e of sorro0 0hen 0e have si'ultaneously the out0ard a**earan&e
of tears and of *allorI 0hen 0e have the out0ard a**earan&e of the fiery eyes and short
breath, 0e have si'ultaneously the in0ard feeling of anger? Thus body is 'ind observed
out0ardly in its relation to the sensesI 'ind is body in0ardly e-*erien&ed in its relation to
intros*e&tion? 2ho &an dra0 a stri&t line of de'ar&ation bet0een 'ind and bodyD 2e should
ad'it, so far as our *resent kno0ledge is &on&erned, that 'ind, the intangible, has been
for'ed to don a gar'ent of 'atter in order to be&o'e an intelligible e-isten&e at allI 'atter,
the solid, has faded under e-a'ination into for'lessness, as that of 'ind? 4en believes in the
identifi&ation of 'ind and body, as )o-genEA%F<>G saysJ KBody is identi&al 0ith 'indI
a**earan&e and reality are one and the sa'e thing?K Bergson denies the identifi&ation of 'ind
and body, sayingJEA%F<G K=t #e-*erien&e$ sho0s us the interde*enden&e of the 'ental and
the *hysi&al, the ne&essity of a &ertain &erebral substratu' for the *sy&hi&al state-nothing
'ore? Aro' the fa&t that t0o things are 'utually de*endent, it does not follo0 that they are
e5uivalent? Be&ause a &ertain s&re0 is ne&essary for a &ertain 'a&hine, be&ause the 'a&hine
0orks 0hen the s&re0 is there and sto*s 0hen the s&re0 is taken a0ay, 0e do not say that the
s&re0 is e5uivalent of the 'a&hine?K Bergson@s si'ile of a s&re0 and a 'a&hine is 5uite
inade5uate to sho0 the interde*enden&e of 'ind and body, be&ause the s&re0 does &ause the
'a&hine to 0ork, but the 'a&hine does not &ause the s&re0 to 0orkI so that their relation is
not interde*enden&e? On the &ontrary, body &auses 'ind to 0ork, and at the sa'e ti'e 'ind
&auses body to 0orkI so that their relation is *erfe&tly interde*endent, and the relation is not
that of an addition of 'ind to body, or of body to 'ind, as the s&re0 is added to the 'a&hine?
Bergson 'ust have &o'*ared the 0orking of the 'a&hine 0ith 'ind, and the 'a&hine itself
0ith body, if be 0anted to sho0 the real fa&t? .oreover, he is not right in asserting that Kfro'
the fa&t that t0o things are 'utually de*endent, it does not follo0 that they are e5uivalent,K
be&ause there are several kinds of interde*enden&e, in so'e of 0hi&h t0o things &an be
e5uivalent? Aor instan&e, bri&ks, 'utually de*endent in their for'ing an ar&h, &annot be
e5uivalent one 0ith anotherI but 0ater and 0aves, being 'utually de*endent, &an be
identified? =n like 'anner fire and heat, air and 0ind, a 'a&hine and its 0orking, 'ind and
body?EA%F<(G
EA%F<>G The 'aster strongly &onde'ns the i''ortality of the soul as the heterodo-
do&trine in his Sho-bo-gen-Bo? The sa'e argu'ent is found in .u-&hu-'on-do, by .u-so
Koku-shi?
EA%F<G @Creative ,volution,@ **? "73, "77?
EA%F<(G Bergson, arguing against the de*enden&e of the 'ind on brain, saysJ KThat there is
a &lose &onne&tion bet0een a state of &ons&iousness and the brain 0e do not dis*ute? But
there is also a &lose &onne&tion bet0een a &oat and the nail on 0hi&h it hangs, for if the nail is
*ulled out, the &oat 0ill fall to the ground? Shall 0e say, then, that the sha*e of the nail gave
the sha*e of the &oat, or in any 0ay &orres*onds to itD %o 'ore are 0e entitled to &on&lude,
be&ause the *sy&hi&al fa&t is hung on to a &erebral state, that there is any *arallelis' bet0een
the t0o series, *sy&hi&al and *hysiologi&al?K 2e have to ask, in 0hat res*e&ts does the
interrelation bet0een 'ind and body rese'ble the relation bet0een a &oat and a nailD
"? The =rrationality of the Belief of =''ortality?
O&&idental 'inds believe in a 'ysterious entity under the na'e of soul, +ust as =ndian
thinkers believe in the so-&alled subtle body entirely distin&t fro' the gross body of flesh and
blood? Soul, a&&ording to this belief, is an a&tive *rin&i*le that unites body and 'ind so as to
for' an har'onious 0hole of 'ental as 0ell as bodily a&tivities? 9nd it a&ts through the
instru'entality of the 'ind and body in the *resent life, and en+oys an eternal life beyond the
grave? =t is on this soul that individual i''ortality is based? =t is i''ortal Self? %o0, to say
nothing of the origin of soul, this long-entertained belief is hardly good for anything? =n the
first *la&e, it thro0s no light u*on the relation of 'ind and body, be&ause soul is an e'*ty
na'e for the unity of 'ind and body, and serves to e-*lain nothing? On the &ontrary, it adds
another 'ystery to the already 'ysterious relationshi*s bet0een 'atter and s*irit? Se&ondly,
soul should be &on&eived as a *sy&hi&al individual, sub+e&t to s*a&ial deter'inationsHbut
sin&e it has to be de*rived by death of its body 0hi&h individualiBes it, it 0ill &ease to be
individuality after death, to the disa**oint'ent of the believer? 8o0 &ould you think anything
*urely s*iritual and for'less e-isting 0ithout blending together 0ith other thingsD Thirdly, it
fails to gratify the desire, &herished by the believer, of en+oying eternal life, be&ause soul has
to lose its body, the sole i'*ortant 'ediu' through 0hi&h it 'ay en+oy life? Aourthly, soul is
taken as a sub+e&t 'atter to re&eive in the future life the re0ard or the *unish'ent fro' God
for our a&tions in this lifeI but the very idea of eternal *unish'ent is in&onsistent 0ith the
boundless love of God? Aifthly, it is beyond all doubt that soul is &on&eived as an entity,
0hi&h unifies various 'ental fa&ulties and e-ists as the foundation of individual *ersonality?
But the e-isten&e of su&h soul is 5uite in&o'*atible 0ith the 0ell-kno0n *athologi&al fa&t
that it is *ossible for the individual to have double or treble or 'ulti*le *ersonalities? Thus
the belief in the e-isten&e of soul &on&eived by the &o''on sense turns out not only to be
irrational, but a useless en&u'bran&e on the religious 'ind? Therefore 4en de&lares that there
is no su&h thing as soul, and that 'ind and body are one? 80ui Chung #Ce-&hu$, a fa'ous
dis&i*le of the Si-th Patriar&h in China, to 5uote an e-a'*le, one day asked a 'onkJ K2here
did you &o'e fro'DK K= &a'e, sir, fro' the South,K re*lied the 'an? K2hat do&trine do the
'asters of the South tea&hDK asked 80ui Chung again? KThey tea&h, sir, that body is 'ortal,
but 'ind is i''ortal,K 0as the ans0er? KThat,K said the 'aster, Kis the heterodo- do&trine of
the 9t'anOK K8o0 do you, sir,K 5uestioned the 'onk, Ktea&h about thatDK K= tea&h that the
body and 'ind are one,K 0as the re*ly?EA%F<"G
EA%F<"G Aor further e-*lanation, see Sho-bo-gen-Bo and
.u-&hu-'on-do?
Aiske, EA%F<3G in his argu'ent against 'aterialis', bla'es the denial of i''ortality,
sayingJ KThe 'aterialisti& assu'*tion that there is no su&h state of things, and that the life of
the soul ends a&&ordingly 0ith the life of the body, is *erha*s the 'ost &olossal instan&e of
baseless assu'*tion that is kno0n to the history of *hiloso*hy?K But 0e &an say 0ith e5ual
for&e that the &o''on-sense assu'*tion that the life of soul &ontinues beyond the grave is,
*erha*s, the 'ost &olossal instan&e of baseless assu'*tion that is kno0n to the history of
thought, be&ause, there being no s&ientifi& eviden&es that give &ountenan&e to the assu'*tion,
even the s*iritualists the'selves hesitate to assert the e-isten&e of a ghost or soul? 9gain
heEA%F<7G saysJ K2ith this illegiti'ate hy*othesis of annihilation the 'aterialist
transgresses the bounds of e-*erien&e 5uite as 0idely as the *oet 0ho sings of the %e0
Jerusale' 0ith its river of life and its street of gold? S&ientifi&ally s*eaking, there is not a
*arti&le of eviden&e for either vie0?K This is as 'u&h as to say there is not a *arti&le of
eviden&e, s&ientifi&ally s*eaking, for the &o''on-sense vie0 of soul, be&ause the *oet@s
des&ri*tion of the %e0 Jerusale' is nothing but the result of the &o''on-sense belief of
i''ortality?
EA%F<3G @The )estiny of .an,@ *? >?
EA%F<7G @The )estiny of .an,@ **? >, ?
3? The ,-a'ination of the %otion of Self?
The belief in i''ortality is based on the strong instin&t of self-*reservation that &alls forth an
insatiable longing for longevity? =t is another for' of egois', one of the reli&s of our brute
forefathers? 2e 'ust bear in 'ind that this illusion of the individual Self is the foundation on
0hi&h every for' of i''orality has its being? = &hallenge 'y readers to find in the 0hole
history of 'ankind any &ri'e not based on egois'? ,vil-doers have been as a rule *leasure-
hunters, 'oney-seekers, seekers after self-interests, &hara&teriBed by lust, folly, and &ruelty?
8as there been anyone 0ho &o''itted theft that he 'ight further the interests of his
villagersD 8as there been any *ara'our 0ho disgra&ed hi'self that lie 'ight hel* his
neighboursD 8as there been any traitor 0ho *erfor'ed the ignoble &ondu&t to *ro'ote the
0elfare of his o0n &ountry or so&iety at largeD
To get ,nlightened, therefore, 0e have to &orre&t, first of all, our notions &on&erning Self?
=ndividual body and 'ind are not the only i'*ortant &onstituents of Self? There are 'any
other indis*ensable ele'ents in the notion of Self? Aor instan&e, = have &o'e into e-isten&e as
another for' of 'y *arents? = a' theirs, and 'ay +ustly be &alled the rein&arnation of the'?
9nd again, 'y father is another for' of his *arentsI 'y 'other of hersI his and her *arents of
theirsI and ad infinitu'? =n brief, all 'y forefathers live and have their being in 'e? = &annot
hel*, therefore, thinking that 'y *hysi&al state is the result of the su' total of 'y good and
bad a&tions in the *ast lives = led in the *ersons of 'y forefathers, and of the influen&e =
re&eived thereinIEA%F<:G and that 'y *sy&hi&al state is the result of that 0hi&h = re&eived,
felt, i'agined, &on&eived, e-*erien&ed, and thought in 'y *ast e-isten&es in the *ersons of
'y an&estors?
EA%F<:G This is the la0 of Kar'a?
Besides this, 'y brothers, 'y sisters, 'y neighboursHnay, all 'y follo0-'en and fello0-
0o'en are no other than the rein&arnation of their *arents and forefathers, 0ho are also 'ine?
The sa'e blood invigorated the king as 0ell as the beggarI the sa'e nerve energiBed the
0hite as 0ell as the bla&k 'enI the sa'e &ons&iousness vitaliBed the 0ise as 0ell as the
un0ise? ='*ossible it is to &on&eive 'yself inde*endent of 'y fello0-'en and fello0-
0o'en, for they are 'ine and = a' theirsHthat is, = live and 'ove in the', and they live and
'ove in 'e?
=t is bare nonsense to say that = go to s&hool, not to be edu&ated as a 'e'ber of so&iety, but
si'*ly to gratify 'y individual desire for kno0ledgeI or that = 'ake a fortune, not to lead the
life of a 0ell-to-do in so&iety, but to satisfy 'y individual 'oney-loving instin&tI or that =
seek after truth, neither to do good to 'y &onte'*oraries nor to the future generations, but
only for 'y individual &uriosity or that = live neither to live 0ith 'y fa'ily nor 0ith 'y
friends nor 0ith anyone else, but to live 'y individual life? =t is as gross absurdity to say that
= a' an individual absolutely inde*endent of so&iety as to say = a' a husband 0ith no 0ife,
or = a' a son to no *arents? 2hatever = do dire&tly or indire&tly = &ontribute to the &o''on
fortune of 'anI 0hatever anyone else does dire&tly or indire&tly deter'ines 'y fate?
Therefore 0e 'ust realiBe that our Selves ne&essarily in&lude other 'e'bers of the
&o''unity, 0hile other 'e'bers@ Selves ne&essarily &o'*rehend us?
7? %ature is the .other of 9ll Things?
Aurther'ore, 'an has &o'e into e-isten&e out of %ature? 8e is her &hild? She *rovided hi'
food, rai'ent, and shelter? She nourishes hi', strengthens hi', and vitaliBes hi'? 9t the sa'e
ti'e she dis&i*lines, *unishes, and instru&ts hi'? 8is body is of her o0n for'ation, his
kno0ledge is of her o0n la0s, and his a&tivities are the res*onses to her o0n addresses to
hi'? .odern &iviliBation is said by so'e to be the &on5uest of 'an over %atureI but, in fa&t,
it is his faithful obedien&e to her? KBa&on truly said,K says ,u&ken,EA%F<;G Kthat to rule
nature 'an 'ust first serve her? 8e forgot to add that, as her ruler, he is still destined to go on
serving her?K She &an never be atta&ked by any being unless he a&ts in stri&t &onfor'ity to her
la0s? To a&&o'*lish anything against her la0 is as i'*ossible as to &at&h fishes in a forest, or
to 'ake bread of ro&k? 8o0 'any s*e&ies of ani'als have *erished o0ing to their inability to
follo0 her ste*sO 8o0 i''ense fortunes have been lost in vain fro' 'an@s ignoran&e of her
orderO 8o0 'any hu'an beings disa**eared on earth fro' their disobedien&e to her
unbending 0illO She is, nevertheless, true to those 0ho obey her rules? 8as not s&ien&e *roved
that she is truthfulD 8as not art found that she is beautifulD
EA%F<;G ,u&ken@s @Philoso*hy of 1ife,@ by 2? 6? 6oy&e Gibbon, *? 7?
8as not *hiloso*hy announ&ed that she is s*iritualD 8as not religion *ro&lai'ed that she is
goodD 9t all events, she is the 'other of all beings? She lives in all things and they live in her?
9ll that she *ossesses is theirs, and all that they 0ant she su**lies? 8er life is the sa'e
vitality that stirs all sentient beings? Ch0ang TsBEA%F<<G #So-shi$ is right 0hen he saysJ
K8eaven, ,arth, and = 0ere *rodu&ed together, and all things and = are one?K 9nd againJ K=f all
things be regarded 0ith love, 8eaven and ,arth are one 0ith 'e?K Sang Chao #So-+o$ also
saysJ K8eaven and ,arth are of the sa'e root as 0e? 9ll things in the 0orld are of one
substan&e 0ith .e?KEA%F<!G
EA%F<<G Ch0ang TsB, vol? i?, *? (>?
EA%F<!G This is a favourite sub+e&t of dis&ussion by 4enists?
:? 6eal Self?
=f there be no individual soul either in 'ind or body, 0here does *ersonality lieD 2hat is 6eal
SelfD 8o0 does it differ fro' soulD Self is living entity, not i''utable like soul, but 'utable
and ever-&hanging life, 0hi&h is body 0hen observed by senses, and 0hi&h is 'ind 0hen
e-*erien&ed by intros*e&tion? =t is not an entity lying behind 'ind and body, but life e-istent
as the union of body and 'ind? =t e-isted in our forefathers in the *ast, is e-isting in the
*resent, and 0ill e-ist in the future generations? =t also dis&loses itself to so'e 'easure in
vegetables and ani'als, and shado0s itself forth in inorgani& nature? =t is Cos'i& life and
Cos'i& s*irit, and at the sa'e ti'e individual life and individual s*irit? =t is one and the sa'e
life 0hi&h e'bra&es 'en and nature? =t is the self-e-istent, &reative, universal *rin&i*le that
'oves on fro' eternity to eternity? 9s su&h it is &alled .ind or Self by 4enists? Pan Shan
#Ban-Ban$ saysJ KThe 'oon of 'ind &o'*rehends all the universe in its light?K 9 'an asked
Chang Sha #Cho-sha$J K8o0 &an you turn the *heno'enal universe into Self DK K8o0 &an
you turn Self into the *heno'enal universeDK returned the 'aster?
2hen 0e get the insight into this Self, 0e are able to have the o*en sesa'e to the 'ysteries
of the universe, be&ause to kno0 the nature of a dro* of 0ater is to kno0 the nature of the
river, the lake, and the o&eanHnay, even of va*our, 'ist, and &loudI in other 0ords, to get an
insight into individual life is the key to the se&ret of Universal 1ife? 2e 'ust not &onfine Self
0ithin the *oor little *erson &alled body? That is the root of the *oorest and 'ost 'iserable
egois'? 2e should e-*and that egois' into fa'ily-egois', then into nation-egois', then into
ra&e-egois', then into hu'an-egois', then into living-being-egois', and lastly into
universe-egois', 0hi&h is not egois' at all? Thus 0e deny the i''ortality of soul as
&on&eived by &o''on sense, but assu'e i''ortality of the Great Soul, 0hi&h ani'ates,
vitaliBes, and s*iritualiBes all sentient beings? =t is 8inayana Buddhis' that first denied the
e-isten&e of at'an or Self so e'*hati&ally in&ul&ated in the U*anisads, and *aved the 0ay
for the general &on&e*tion of Universal Self, 0ith the eulogies of 0hi&h al'ost every *age of
.ahayana books is filled?
;? The 90akening of the =nner'ost 2isdo'?
8aving set ourselves free fro' the 'is&on&e*tion of Self, ne-t 0e 'ust a0aken our
inner'ost 0isdo', *ure and divine, &alled the .ind of Buddha,EA%F!>G or Bodhi,EA%F!G
or Pra+nyaEA%F!(G by 4en 'asters? =t is the divine light, the inner heaven, the key to all
'oral treasures, the &entre of thought and &ons&iousness, the sour&e of all influen&e and
*o0er, the seat of kindness, +usti&e, sy'*athy, i'*artial love, hu'anity, and 'er&y, the
'easure of all things? 2hen this inner'ost 0isdo' is fully a0akened, 0e are able to realiBe
that ea&h and everyone of us is identi&al in s*irit, in essen&e, in nature 0ith the universal life
or Buddha, that ea&h ever lives fa&e to fa&e 0ith Buddha, that ea&h is beset by the abundant
gra&e of the Blessed One, that 8e arouses his 'oral nature, that 8e o*ens his s*iritual eyes,
that 8e unfolds his ne0 &a*a&ity, that 8e a**oints his 'ission, and that life is not an o&ean of
birth, disease, old age, and death, nor the vale of tears, but the holy te'*le of Buddha, the
Pure 1and,EA%F!"G 0here be &an en+oy the bliss of %irvana?
EA%F!>G 4en is often &alled the Se&t of Buddha-'ind, as it lays stress on the a0akening of
the .ind of Buddha? The 0ords @the .ind of Buddha@ 0ere taken fro' a *assage in
1ankavatara-sutra?
EA%F!G That kno0ledge by 0hi&h one be&o'es enlightened?
EA%F!(G Su*re'e 0isdo'?
EA%F!"G Sukhavati, or the land of bliss?
Then our 'inds go through an entire revolution? 2e are no 'ore troubled by anger and
hatred, no 'ore bitten by envy and a'bition, no 'ore stung by sorro0 and &hagrin, no 'ore
over0hel'ed by 'elan&holy and des*air? %ot that 0e be&o'e *assionless or si'*ly
intelle&tual, but that 0e have *urified *assions, 0hi&h, instead of troubling us, ins*ire us 0ith
noble as*irations, su&h as anger and hatred against in+usti&e, &ruelty, and dishonesty, sorro0
and la'entation for hu'an frailty, 'irth and +oy for the 0elfare of follo0-beings, *ity and
sy'*athy for suffering &reatures? The sa'e &hange *urifies our intelle&t? S&e*ti&is' and
so*histry give 0ay to fir' &onvi&tionI &riti&is' and hy*othesis to right +udg'entI and
inferen&e and argu'ent to realiBation?
2hat 0e 'erely observed before 0e no0 tou&h 0ith heart as 0ell? 2hat 0e kne0 in relation
of differen&e before 0e no0 understand in relation of unity as 0ell? 8o0 things ha**en 0as
our &hief &on&ern before, but no0 0e &onsider as 0ell bo0 'u&h value they have? 2hat 0as
outside us before no0 &o'es 0ithin us? 2hat 0as dead and indifferent before gro0s no0
alive and lovable to us? 2hat 0as insignifi&ant and e'*ty before be&o'es no0 i'*ortant,
and has *rofound 'eaning? 2herever 0e go 0e find beautyI 0ho'ever 0e 'eet 0e find
goodI 0hatever 0e get 0e re&eive 0ith gratitude? This is the reason 0hy the 4enists not only
regarded all their fello0-beings as their benefa&tors, but felt gratitude even to0ards fuel and
0ater? The *resent 0riter kno0s a &onte'*orary 4enist 0ho 0ould not drink even a &u* of
0ater 0ithout first 'aking a salutation to it? Su&h an attitude of 4en to0ard things 'ay 0ell
be illustrated by the follo0ing e-a'*leJ Sueh Aung #Se*-*o$ and Kin Shan #Kin-Ban$, on&e
travelling through a 'ountainous distri&t, sa0 a leaf of the ra*e floating do0n the strea'?
Thereon Kin Shan saidJ K1et us go u*, dear brother, along the strea' that 0e 'ay find a sage
living u* on the 'ountain? = ho*e 0e shall find a good tea&her in hi'?K K%o,K re*lied Sueh
Aung, Kfor he &annot be a sage 0ho 0astes even a leaf of the ra*e? 8e 0ill be no good tea&her
for us?K
<? 4en is not %ihilisti&?
4en +udged fro' an&ient 4en 'asters@ a*horis's 'ay see', at the first sight, to be idealisti&
in an e-tre'e for', as they sayJ K.ind is BuddhaK or, KBuddha is .ind,K or, KThere is
nothing outside 'ind,K or, KThree 0orlds are of but one 'ind?K 9nd it 'ay also a**ear to be
nihilisti&, as they sayJ KThere has been nothing sin&e all eternity,K KBy illusion you see the
&astle of the Three 2orldsKI Kby ,nlighten'ent you see but e'*tiness in ten
dire&tions?KEA%F!3G =n reality, ho0ever, 4enEA%F!7G is neither idealisti& nor nihilisti&? 4en
'akes use of the nihilisti& idea of 8inayana Buddhis', and &alls its students@ attention to the
&hange and evanes&en&e of life and of the 0orld, first to destroy the error of i''utation, ne-t
to dis*el the atta&h'ent to the sensual ob+e&ts?
EA%F!3G These 0ords 0ere re*eatedly uttered by Chinese and Ja*anese 4enists of all ages?
Ch0en 8ih #Au-dai-shi$ e-*ressed this very idea in his Sin 2ang .ing #Shin-o-'ei$ at the
ti'e of Bodhidhar'a?
EA%F!7G The 6in-Bai tea&hers 'ostly 'ake use of the do&trine of unreality of all things, as
taught in Pra+nya-*ara'ita-sutras? 2e have to note that there are so'e differen&es bet0een
the .ahayana do&trine of unreality and the 8inayana do&trine of unreality?
=t is a 'isleading tenden&y of our intelle&t to &on&eive things as if they 0ere i''utable and
&onstant? =t often leaves &hanging and &on&rete individual ob+e&ts out of &onsideration, and
lays stress on the general, abstra&t, un&hanging as*e&t of things? =t is in&lined to be given to
generaliBation and abstra&tion? =t often looks not at this thing or at that thing, but at things in
general? =t loves to think not of a good thing nor of a bad thing, but of bad and good in the
abstra&t? This intelle&tual tenden&y hardens and *etrifies the living and gro0ing 0orld, and
leads us to take the universe as a thing dead, inert, and standing still? This error of i''utation
&an be &orre&ted by the do&trine of Trans&ien&e taught by 8inayana Buddhis'? But as
'edi&ine taken in an undue 5uantity turns into *oison, so the do&trine of Trans&ien&e drove
the 8inayanists to the sui&idal &on&lusion of nihilis'? 9 0ell-kno0n s&holar and believer of
4en, K0ei Aung #Kei-ha$ says in his refutation of nihilis'JEA%F!:G
K=f 'ind as 0ell as e-ternal ob+e&ts be unreal, 0ho is it that kno0s they are soD 9gain, if there
be nothing real in the universe, 0hat is it that &auses unreal ob+e&ts to a**earD 2e stand
0itness to the fa&t that there is no one of the unreal things on earth that is not 'ade to a**ear
by so'ething real? =f there be no 0ater of un&hanging fluidity, ho0 &an there be the unreal
and te'*orary for's of 0avesD =f there be no un&hanging 'irror, bright and &lean, bo0 &an
there be the various i'ages, unreal and te'*orary, refle&ted in itD =f 'ind as 0ell as e-ternal
ob+e&ts be nothing at all, no one &an tell 0hat it is that &auses these unreal a**earan&es?
Therefore this do&trine #of the unreality of all things$ &an never &learly dis&lose s*iritual
6eality? So that .ahabheri-haraka*arivarta-sutra saysJ K 9ll the sutras that tea&h the unreality
of things belong to the i'*erfe&t do&trine K #of the Shakya .uni$? .aha*ra+nya-*ara'ita-
sutra says The do&trine of unreality is the entran&e-gate of .ahayana?K
EA%F!:G See the a**endi-, &ha*? ii?, @The .ahayana )o&trine of
%ihilis'?@
!? 4en and =dealis'?
%e-t 4en 'akes use of =dealis' as e-*lained by the )har'alaksana S&hool of .ahayana
Buddhis'?EA%F!;G Aor instan&e, the Aourth Patriar&h saysJ K8undreds and thousands of
la0s originate 0ith 'ind? =nnu'erable 'ysterious virtues *ro&eed fro' the 'ental sour&e?K
%iu Teu #Go-Bu$ also saysJ K2hen 'ind arises, various things ariseI 0hen 'ind &eases to
e-ist, various things &ease to e-ist?K Tsao Shan #So-Ban$ &arried the *oint so far that he &ried
out, on hearing the bellJ K=t hurts, it *ains?K Then an attendant of his asked K2hat is the
'atterDK K=t is 'y 'ind,K said he, that is stru&k?KEA%F!<G
EA%F!;G 9**endi-, &ha*? ii?, @The .ahayana )o&trine of
)har'alaksana?@
EA%F!<G 4en-rin-rui-shu?
2e a&kno0ledge the truth of the follo0ing &onsiderationsJ There e-ists no &olour, nor sound,
nor odour in the ob+e&tive 0orld, but there are the vibrations of ether, or the undulations of
the air, or the sti'uli of the sensory nerves of s'ell? Colour is nothing but the translation of
the sti'uli into sensation by the o*ti&al nerves, so also sounds by the auditory, and odours by
the s'elling? Therefore nothing e-ists ob+e&tively e-a&tly as it is *er&eived by the senses, but
all are sub+e&tive? Take ele&tri&ity, for e-a'*le, it a**ears as light 0hen *er&eived through the
eyeI it a**ears as sound 0hen *er&eived through the earI it a**ears as taste 0hen *er&eived
through the tongueI but ele&tri&ity in reality is not light, nor sound, nor taste? Si'ilarly, the
'ountain is not high nor lo0I the river is not dee* nor shallo0I the house is not large nor
s'allI the day is not long nor shortI but they see' so through &o'*arison? =t is not ob+e&tive
reality that dis*lays the *heno'enal universe before us, but it is our 'ind that *lays an
i'*ortant *art? Su**ose that 0e have but one sense organ, the eye, then the 0hole universe
should &onsist of &olours and of &olours only? =f 0e su**ose 0e 0ere endo0ed 0ith the si-th
sense, 0hi&h entirely &ontradi&ts our five senses, then the 0hole 0orld 0ould be other0ise?
Besides, it is our reason that finds the la0 of &ause and effe&t in the ob+e&tive 0orld, that
dis&overed the la0 of unifor'ity in %ature, and that dis&loses s&ientifi& la0s in the universe
so as to for' a &os'os? So'e s&holars 'aintain that 0e &annot think of non-e-isten&e of
s*a&e, even if 0e &an leave out all ob+e&ts in itI nor &an 0e doubt the e-isten&e of ti'e, for
the e-isten&e of 'ind itself *resu**oses ti'e? Their very argu'ent, ho0ever, *roves the
sub+e&tivity of ti'e and s*a&e, be&ause, if they 0ere ob+e&tive, 0e should be able to think
the' non-e-istent, as 0e do 0ith other e-ternal ob+e&ts? ,ven s*a&e and ti'e, therefore are
no 'ore than sub+e&tive?
>? =dealis' is a Potent .edi&ine for Self-&reated .ental )isease?
=n so far as Buddhist idealis' refers to the 0orld of sense, in so far as it does not assu'e that
to to be kno0n is identi&al 0ith to be, in so far as it does not assert that the *heno'enal
universe is a drea' and a vision, 0e 'ay ad'it it as true? On the one hand, it serves us as a
*urifier of our hearts *olluted 0ith 'aterialisti& desires, and u*lifts us above the *lain of
sensualis'I on the other hand, it destroys su*erstitions 0hi&h as a rule arise fro' ignoran&e
and 0ant of the idealisti& &on&e*tion of things? =t is a la'entable fa&t that every &ountry is
full of su&h su*erstitions *eo*le as des&ribed by one of the %e0 Thought 0ritersJ @Tens of
thousands of 0o'en in this &ountry believe that if t0o *eo*le look in a 'irror at the sa'e
ti'e, or if one thanks the other for a *in, or if one gives a knife or a shar* instru'ent to a
friend, it 0ill break u* friendshi*? =f a young lady is *resented 0ith a thi'ble, she 0ill be an
old 'aid? So'e *eo*le think that after leaving a house it is unlu&ky to go ba&k after any
arti&le 0hi&h has been forgotten, and, if one is obliged to do so, one should sit do0n in a
&hair before going out againI that if a broo' tou&hes a *erson 0hile so'eone is s0ee*ing,
bad lu&k 0ill follo0I and that it is unlu&ky to &hange one@s *la&e at a table? 9 'an took an
o*al to a %e0 Cork +e0eller and asked hi' to buy it? 8e said that it had brought hi' nothing
but bad lu&k, that sin&e it had &o'e into his *ossession he had failed in business, that there
bad been 'u&h si&kness in his fa'ily, and all sorts of 'isfortune had befallen hi'? 8e
refused to kee* the &ursed thing any longer? The +e0eller e-a'ined the stone, and found that
it 0as not an o*al after all, but an i'itation?@
=dealis' is a 'ost *otent 'edi&ine for these self-&reated 'ental diseases? =t 0ill su&&essfully
drive a0ay devils and s*irits that fre5uent ignorant 'inds, +ust as Jesus did in the old days?
4en 'akes use of 'oral idealis' to e-tir*ate, root and bran&h, all su&h idle drea's and
*hantas'agoria of illusion and o*ens the 0ay to ,nlighten'ent?
? =dealisti& S&e*ti&is' &on&erning Ob+e&tive 6eality?
But e-tre'e =dealis' identifies @to be@ 0ith @to be kno0n,@ and assu'es all *heno'ena to be
ideas as illustrated in .ahayana-vidya'atra-siddhi-trida&a-&astraEA%F!!G and /idya'atra-
vin&ati-&astra,EA%F(>>G by /asubandhu? Then it ne&essarily *arts &o'*any 0ith 4en, 0hi&h
believes in Universal 1ife e-isting in everything instead of behind it? =dealis' sho0s us its
dark side in three s&e*ti& vie0sJ #$ s&e*ti&is' res*e&ting ob+e&tive realityI #($ s&e*ti&is'
res*e&ting religionI #"$ s&e*ti&is' res*e&ting 'orality?
EA%F!!G 9 *hiloso*hi&al 0ork on Buddhist idealis' by /asubandhu, translated into Chinese
by 8iuen Tsang in 9?)? :3<? There e-ists a fa'ous &o''entary on it, &o'*iled by
)har'a*ala, translated into Chinese by 8iuen Tsang in 9?)? :7!? See %an+o@s Catalogue,
%os? !; and (7?
EA%F(>>G 9 si'*ler 0ork on =dealis', translated into Chinese by 8iuen Tsang in 9?)? ::?
See %an+o@s Catalogue, %os? ("<, ("!, and (3>?
Airst it assu'es that things e-ist in so far as they are kno0n by us? =t is as a 'atter of &ourse
that if a tree e-ists at all, it is kno0n as having a trunk long or short, bran&hes large or s'all,
leaves green or yello0, flo0ers yello0 or *ur*le, et&?, all of 0hi&h are ideas? But it does not
i'*ly in the least that @to be kno0n@ is e5uivalent to @to be e-istent?@ 6ather 0e should say that
to be kno0n *resu**oses to be e-istent, for 0e &annot kno0 anything non-e-istent, even if
0e ad'it that the a-io's of logi& subsist? 9gain, a tree 'ay stand as ideas to a kno0er, but it
&an stand at the sa'e ti'e as a shelter in relation to so'e birds, as food in relation to so'e
inse&ts, as a 0orld in relation to so'e 'inute 0or's, as a kindred organis' to other
vegetables? 8o0 &ould you say that its relation to a kno0er is the only and funda'ental
relation for the e-isten&e of the treeD The disa**earan&e of its kno0er no 'ore affe&ts the tree
than of its feederI nor the a**earan&e of its kno0er affe&ts the tree any 'ore than that of
kindred vegetables?
,-tre'e idealis' erroneously &on&ludes that 0hat is really e-istent, or 0hat is dire&tly
*roved to be e-istent, is only our sensations, ideas, thoughtsI that the e-ternal 0orld is
nothing but the i'ages refle&ted on the 'irror of the 'ind, and that therefore ob+e&tive reality
of things is doubtful-nay, 'ore, they are unreal, illusory, and drea's? =f so, 0e &an no longer
distinguish the real fro' the visionaryI the 0aking fro' the drea'ingI the sane fro' the
insaneI the true fro' the untrue? 2hether life is real or an e'*ty drea', 0e are at a loss to
understand?
(? =dealisti& S&e*ti&is' &on&erning 6eligion and .orality?
Si'ilarly, it is the &ase 0ith religion and 'orality? =f 0e ad'it e-tre'e idealis' as true, there
&an be nothing ob+e&tively real? God is little 'ore than a 'ental i'age? 8e 'ust be a &reature
of 'ind instead of a Creator? 8e has no ob+e&tive reality? 8e is 0hen 0e think 8e is? 8e is not
0hen 0e think 8e is not? 8e is at the 'er&y of our thought? 8o0 'u&h 'ore unreal the 0orld
'ust be, 0hi&h is su**osed to have been &reated by an unreal GodO Providen&e, salvation,
and divine gra&eH0hat are theyD 9 bare drea' drea'ed in a drea'O
2hat is 'orality, thenD =t is sub+e&tive? =t has no ob+e&tive validity? 9 'oral &ondu&t highly
valued by our fathers is no0 held to be i''oral by us? =''oral a&ts no0 strongly denoun&ed
by us 'ay be regarded as 'oral by our *osterity? Good deeds of the savage are not
ne&essarily good in the eyes of the &iviliBed, nor evil a&ts of the Orientals are ne&essarily evil
before the fa&e of the O&&identals? =t follo0s, then, that there is no definite standard of
'orality in any *la&e at any ti'e?
=f 'orality be 'erely sub+e&tive, and there be no ob+e&tive standard, ho0 &an you distinguish
evil fro' goodD 8o0 &an you single out angels fro' a'ong devilsD 2as not So&rates a
&ri'inalD 2as not Jesus also a &ri'inalD 8o0 &ould you kno0 8i' to be a )ivine 'an
different fro' other &ri'inals 0ho 0ere &ru&ified 0ith 8i'D 2hat you honour 'ay = not
denoun&e as disgra&eD 2hat you hold as duty 'ay = not &onde'n as sinD ,very for' of
idealis' is doo'ed, after all, to end in su&h &onfusion and s&e*ti&is'? 2e &annot e'bra&e
radi&al idealis', 0hi&h holds these threefold s&e*ti&al vie0s in her 0o'b?
"? 9n =llusion &on&erning 9**earan&e and 6eality?
To get ,nlightened 0e 'ust ne-t dis*el an illusion res*e&ting a**earan&e and reality?
9&&ording? to &ertain religionists, all the *heno'ena of the universe are to su&&u'b to
&hange? 2orldly things one and all are evanes&ent? They are nought in the long run?
Sno0&a**ed 'ountains 'ay sink into the botto' of the dee*, 0hile the sands in the
fatho'less o&ean 'ay soar into the aBure sky at so'e ti'e or other? Bloo'ing flo0ers are
destined to fade and to bloo' again in the ne-t year? So destined are gro0ing trees, rising
generations, *ros*ering nations, glo0ing suns, 'oons, and stars? This, they 0ould say, is only
the &ase 0ith *heno'ena or a**earan&es, but not 0ith reality? Gro0th and de&ay, birth and
death, rise and fall, all these are the ebb and flo0 of a**earan&es in the o&ean of reality,
0hi&h is al0ays the sa'e? Alo0ers 'ay fade and be redu&ed to dust, yet out of that dust &o'e
flo0ers? Trees 'ay die out, yet they are re*rodu&ed so'e0here else? The ti'e 'ay &o'e
0hen the earth 0ill be&o'e a dead s*here 5uite unsuitable for hu'an habitation, and the
0hole of 'ankind 0ill *erishI yet 0ho kno0s that 0hether another earth 'ay not be
*rodu&ed as 'an@s ho'eD The sun 'ight have its beginning and end, stars, 'oons, theirs as
0ellI yet an infinite universe 0ould have no beginning nor end?
9gain, they say, 'utation is of the 0orld of sense or *heno'enal a**earan&es, but not of
reality? The for'er are the *hases of the latter sho0n to our senses? 9&&ordingly they are
al0ays li'ited and 'odified by our senses, +ust as i'ages are al0ays li'ited and 'odified by
the 'irror in 0hi&h they are refle&ted? On this a&&ount a**earan&es are sub+e&t to li'itations,
0hile reality is li'itless? 9nd it follo0s that the for'er are i'*erfe&t, 0hile the latter is
*erfe&tI that the for'er is transient, 0hile the latter is eternalI that the for'er is relative, 0hile
the latter is absoluteI that the for'er is 0orldly, 0hile the latter is holyI that the for'er is
kno0able, 0hile the latter is unkno0able?
These &onsiderations naturally lead us to an assertion that the 0orld of a**earan&es is
valueless, as it is li'ited, short-lived, i'*erfe&t, *ainful, sinful, ho*eless, and 'iserableI
0hile the real' of reality is to be as*ired for, as it is eternal, *erfe&t, &o'fortable, full of
ho*e, +oy, and *ea&e-hen&e the eternal divor&e of a**earan&e and reality? Su&h a vie0 of life
tends to 'ake one 'ini'iBe the value of 'an, to negle&t the *resent e-isten&e, and to yearn
after the future?
So'e religionists tell us that 0e 'en are hel*less, sinful, ho*eless, and 'iserable &reatures?
2orldly ri&hes, te'*oral honours, and so&ial *ositions-nay, even subli'ities and beauties of
the *resent e-isten&e, are to be ignored and des*ised? 2e have no need of &aring for those
things that *ass a0ay in a t0inkling 'o'ent? 2e 'ust *re*are for the future life 0hi&h is
eternal? 2e 'ust a&&u'ulate 0ealth for that e-isten&e? 2e 'ust endeavour to hold rank in it?
2e 'ust as*ire for the subli'ity and beauty and glory of that real'?
3? 2here does the 6oot of the =llusion 1ieD
%o0 let us e-a'ine 0here illusion lies hidden fro' the vie0 of these religionists? =t lies
dee*ly rooted in the 'is&onstru&tion of reality, gro0s u* into the illusive ideas of
a**earan&es, and thro0s its dark shado0 on life? The 'ost funda'ental error lies in their
&onstruing reality as so'ething unkno0able e-isting behind a**earan&es?
9&&ording to their o*inion, all that 0e kno0, or *er&eive, or feel, or i'agine about the 0orld,
is a**earan&es or *heno'ena, but not reality itself? 9**earan&es are @things kno0n as,@ but not
@things as they are?@ Thing-in-itself, or reality, lies behind a**earan&es *er'anently beyond
our ken? This is *robably the 'ost *rofound 'eta*hysi&al *it into 0hi&h *hiloso*hi&al 'inds
have ever fallen in their 0ay of s*e&ulation? Things a**ear, they 0ould say, as 0e see the'
through our li'ited sensesI but they 'ust *resent entirely different as*e&ts to those that differ
fro' ours, +ust as the vibration of ether a**ears to us as &olours, yet it *resents 5uite different
as*e&ts to the &olour-blind or to the *urblind? The *heno'enal universe is 0hat a**ears to the
hu'an 'ind, and in &ase our 'ental &onstitution undergoes &hange, it 0ould be &o'*letely
other0ise?
This argu'ent, ho0ever, is far fro' *roving that the reality is unkno0able, or that it lies
hidden behind a**earan&es or *resentations? Take, for instan&e, a reality 0hi&h a**ears as a
ray of the sun? 2hen it goes through a *ane of glass it a**ears to be &olourless, but it e-hibits
a beautiful s*e&tru' 0hen it *asses through a *ris'? Therefore you assu'e that a reality
a**earing as the rays of the sun is neither &olourless nor &oloured in itself, sin&e these
a**earan&es are 0holly due to the differen&e that obtains bet0een the *ane of glass and the
*ris'?
2e &ontend, ho0ever, that the fa&t does not *rove the e-isten&e of the reality na'ed the sun@s
ray beyond or behind the 0hite light, nor its e-isten&e beyond or behind the s*e&tru'? =t is
evident that the reality e-ists in 0hite light, and that it is kno0n as the 0hite light 0hen it
goes through a *ane of glassI and that the sa'e reality e-ists in the s*e&tru', and is kno0n as
the s*e&tru' 0hen it goes through the *ris'? The reality is kno0n as the 0hite light on the
one hand, and as the s*e&tru' on the other? =t is not unkno0able, but kno0able?
Su**ose that one and the sa'e reality e-hibits one as*e&t 0hen it stands in relation to another
ob+e&tI t0o as*e&ts 0hen it stands in relation in t0o different ob+e&tsI three as*e&ts 0hen it
stands in relation to three different ob+e&ts? The reality of one as*e&t never *roves the
unreality of another as*e&t, for all these three as*e&ts &an be e5ually real? 9 tree a**ears to us
as a vegetableI it a**ears to so'e birds as a shelterI and it a**ears to so'e 0or's as a food?
The reality of its as*e&t as a vegetable never *roves the unreality of its as*e&t as food, nor the
reality of its as*e&t as food dis*roves the reality of its as*e&t as shelter? The real tree does not
e-ist beyond or behind the vegetable? 2e &an rely u*on its reality, and 'ake use of it to a
fruitful result? 9t the sa'e ti'e, the birds &an rely on its reality as a shelter, and build their
nests in itI the 0or's, too, &an rely on its reality as food, and eat it-to their satisfa&tion? 9
reality 0hi&h a**ears to 'e as 'y 0ife 'ust a**ear to 'y son as his 'other, and never as his
0ife? But the sa'e real 0o'an is in the 0ife and in the 'otherI neither is unreal?
7? Thing-in-=tself 'eans Thing-Kno0erless?
8o0, then, did *hiloso*hers &o'e to &onsider reality to be unkno0able and hidden behind or
beyond a**earan&esD They investigated all the *ossible *resentations in different
relationshi*s, and *ut the' all aside as a**earan&es, and brooded on the thing-in-itself, shut
out fro' all *ossible relationshi*, and de&lared it unkno0able? Thing-in-itself 'eans thing
&ut off fro' all *ossible relationshi*s? To, *ut it in another 0ayJ thing-in-itself 'eans thing
de*rived of its relation to its kno0erHthat is to say, thing-kno0er-less? So that to de&lare
thing-in-itself unkno0able is as 'u&h as to de&lare thing-unkno0able unkno0ableI there is
no doubt about it, but 0hat does it *roveD
)e*rive yourself of all the *ossible relationshi*s, and see 0hat you are? Su**ose you are not
a son to your *arents, nor the husband to your 0ife, nor the father to your &hildren, nor a
relative to your kindred, nor a friend to your a&5uaintan&es, nor a tea&her to your students,
nor a &itiBen to your &ountry, nor an individual 'e'ber to your so&iety, nor a &reature to your
God, then you get you-in-yourself? %o0 ask yourself 0hat is you-in-yourselfD Cou &an never
ans0er the 5uestion? =t is unkno0able, +ust be&ause it is &ut off fro' all kno0able relations?
Can you thus *rove that you-in-yourself e-ist beyond or behind youD
=n like 'anner our universe a**ears to us hu'an beings as the *heno'enal 0orld or
*resentation? =t 'ight a**ear to other &reatures of a different 'ental &onstitution as so'ething
else? 2e &annot as&ertain ho0 it 'ight see' to )evas, to 9suras, to angels, and to the
9l'ighty, if there be su&h beings? 8o0ever different it 'ight see' to these beings, it does
not i'*ly that the *heno'enal 0orld is unreal, nor that the real' of reality is unkno0able?
@2ater,@ the =ndian tradition has it, @see's to 'an as a drink, as e'erald to )evas, as bloody
*us to Pretas, as houses to fishes?@ 2ater is not a 0hit less real be&ause of its see'ing as
houses to fishes, and fishes@ houses are not less real be&ause of its see'ing as e'erald to
)evas? There is nothing that *roves the unreality of it? =t is a gross illusion to &on&eive reality
as trans&endental to a**earan&es? 6eality e-ists as a**earan&es, and a**earan&es are reality
kno0n to hu'an beings? Cou &annot se*arate a**earan&es fro' reality, and hold out the latter
as the ob+e&t of as*iration at the &ost of the for'er? Cou 'ust a&kno0ledge that the so-&alled
real' of reality 0hi&h you as*ire after, and 0hi&h you seek for outside or behind the
*heno'enal universe, e-ists here on earth? 1et 4en tea&hers tell you that Kthe 0orld of birth
and death is the real' of %irvanaKI Kthe earth is the *ure land of Buddha?K
:? The Aour 9lternatives and the Aive Categories?
There are, a&&ording to 4en, the four &lasses of religious and *hiloso*hi&al vie0s, te&hni&ally
&alled the Aour 9lternatives,EA%F(>G of life and of the 0orld? The first is @the de*rivation of
sub+e&t and the non-de*rivation of ob+e&t@ that is to say, the denial of sub+e&t, or 'ind, or
9t'an, or soul, and the non-denial of ob+e&t, or 'atter, or thingsHa vie0 0hi&h denies the
reality of 'ind and asserts the e-isten&e of things? Su&h a vie0 0as held by a &ertain s&hool
of 8inayanis', &alled Sarvastivada, and still is held by so'e *hiloso*hers &alled 'aterialists
or naturalists? The se&ond is the @de*rivation of ob+e&t and the non-de*rivation of sub+e&t@H
that is to say, the denial of ob+e&t, or 'atter, or things, and the non-denial of sub+e&t, or 'ind,
or s*irit-a vie0 0hi&h denies the reality of 'aterial ob+e&t, and asserts the e-isten&e of s*irit
or ideas? Su&h a vie0 0as held by the )har'alaksana S&hool of .ahayanis', and is still held
by so'e *hiloso*hers &alled idealists? The third is @the de*rivation of both sub+e&t and
ob+e&t@Hthat is to say, the denial of both sub+e&t or s*irit, and of ob+e&t or 'atter-a vie0
0hi&h denies the reality of both *hysi&al and 'ental *heno'ena, and asserts the e-isten&e of
reality that trans&ends the *heno'enal universe? Su&h a vie0 0as held by the .adhya'ika
S&hool of .ahayanis', and is still held by so'e religionists and *hiloso*hers of the *resent
day? The fourth is @the non-de*rivation of both sub+e&t and ob+e&t@Hthat is to say, the non-
denial of sub+e&t and ob+e&tHa vie0 0hi&h holds 'ind and body as one and the sa'e reality?
.ind, a&&ording to this vie0, is reality e-*erien&ed in0ardly by intros*e&tion, and body is
the selfsa'e reality observed out0ardly by senses? They are one reality and one life? There
also e-ist other *ersons and other beings belonging to the sa'e life and realityI &onse5uently
all things share in one reality, and life in &o''on 0ith ea&h other? This reality or life is not
trans&endental to 'ind and body, or to s*irit and 'atter, but is the unity of the'? =n other
0ords, this *heno'enal 0orld of ours is the real' of reality? This vie0 0as held by the
9vata'saka S&hool of .ahayanis', and is still held by 4enists? Thus 4en is not 'aterialisti&,
nor idealisti&, nor nihilisti&, but realisti& and 'onisti& in its vie0 of the 0orld?
EA%F(>G Shi-rya-ken in Ja*anese, the &lassifi&ation 'ostly 'ade use of by 'asters of the
6in 4ai S&hool of 4en? Aor the details, see Ki-gai-k0an, by K? 2atanabe?
There are so'e s&holars that erroneously 'aintain that 4en is based on the do&trine of
unreality of all things e-*ounded by Ku'ara+iva and his follo0ers? Ko-ben,EA%F(>(G kno0n
as .yo-ye Sho-nin, said :>> years agoJ KCang Shan #Kyo-Ban$ asked 2ei Shan #=-san$J @2hat
shall 0e do 0hen hundreds, thousands, and 'illions of things beset us all at on&eD@ @The blue
are not the yello0,@ re*lied 2ei Shan, @the long are not the short? ,verything is in its o0n
*la&e? =t has no business 0ith you?@ 2ei Shan 0as a great 4en 'aster? 8e did not tea&h the
unreality of all things? 2ho &an say that 4en is nihilisti&DK
EA%F(>(G 9 0ell-kno0n s&holar #;"-("($ of the 9nata'saka S&hool of .ahayanis'?
Besides the Aour 9lternatives, 4en uses the Aive CategoriesEA%F(>"G in order to e-*lain the
relation bet0een reality and *heno'ena? The first is @6elativity in 9bsolute,@ 0hi&h 'eans
that the universe a**ears to be &onsisting in relativities, o0ing to our relative kno0ledgeI but
these relativities are based on absolute reality? The se&ond is @9bsolute in 6elativity,@ 0hi&h
'eans 9bsolute 6eality does not re'ain ina&tive, but 'anifests itself as relative *heno'ena?
The third is @6elativity out of 9bsolute,@ 0hi&h 'eans 9bsolute 6eality is all in all, and
relative *heno'ena &o'e out of it as its se&ondary and subordinate for's? The fourth is
@9bsolute u* to 6elativity,@ 0hi&h 'eans relative *heno'ena al0ays *lay an i'*ortant *art
on the stage of the 0orldI it is through these *heno'ena that 9bsolute 6eality &o'es to be
understood? The fifth is the @Union of both 9bsolute and 6elativity,@ 0hi&h 'eans 9bsolute
6eality is not funda'ental or essential to relative *heno'ena, nor relative *heno'ena
subordinate or se&ondary to 9bsolute 6ealityHthat is to say, they are one and the sa'e
&os'i& life, 9bsolute 6eality being that life e-*erien&ed in0ardly by intuition, 0hile relative
*heno'ena are the sa'e life out0ardly observed by senses? The first four Categories are
taught to *re*are the student@s 'ind for the a&&e*tan&e of the last one, 0hi&h reveals the 'ost
*rofound truth?
EA%F(>"G Go-i in Ja*anese, 'ostly used by the So-To S&hool of 4en?
The detailed e-*lanation is given in Go-i-ken-ketsu?
;? Personalis' of B? P? Bo0ne?
B? P? Bo0neEA%F(>3G saysJ They #*heno'ena$ are not *hanto's or illusions, nor are they
'asks of a ba&k-lying reality 0hi&h is trying to *eer through the'?K KThe antithesis,K he
&ontinues,EA%F(>7G Kof *heno'ena and nou'ena rests on the fan&y that there is so'ething
that rests behind *heno'ena 0hi&h 0e ought to *er&eive but &annot, be&ause the 'asking
*heno'ena thrusts itself bet0een the reality and us?K Just so far 0e agree 0ith Bo0ne, but 0e
think he is 'istaken in shar*ly distinguishing bet0een body and self, sayingJEA%F(>:G K2e
ourselves are invisible? The *hysi&al organis' is only an instru'ent for e-*ressing and
'anifesting the inner life, but the living self is never seen?K K8u'an for',K he argues,
EA%F(>;G Kas an ob+e&t in s*a&e a*art fro' our e-*erien&e of it as the instru'ent and
e-*ression of *ersonal life, 0ould have little beauty or attra&tionI and 0hen it is des&ribed in
anato'i&al ter's, there is nothing in it that 0e should desire it? The se&ret of its beauty and
its value lies in the invisible real'?K KThe sa'e is true,K he says again, Kof literature? =t does
not e-ist in s*a&e, or in ti'e, or in books, or in libraries ? ? ? all that &ould be found there
0ould be bla&k 'arks on a 0hite *a*er, and &olle&tions of these bound together in various
for's, 0hi&h 0ould be all the eyes &ould see? But this 0ould not be literature, for literature
has its e-isten&e only in 'ind and for 'ind as an e-*ression of 'ind, and it is si'*ly
i'*ossible and 'eaningless in abstra&tion fro' 'ind?K KOur hu'an historyKHhe gives
another illustrationEA%F(><GHKnever e-isted in s*a&e, and never &ould so e-ist? =f so'e
visitor fro' .ars should &o'e to the earth and look at all that goes on in s*a&e in &onne&tion
0ith hu'an beings, he 0ould never get any hint of its real signifi&an&e? 8e 0ould be
&onfined to integrations and dissi*ations of 'atter and 'otion? 8e &ould des&ribe the 'asses
and grou*ing of 'aterial things, but in all this be 0ould get no suggestion of the inner life
0hi&h gives signifi&an&e to it all? 9s &on&eivably a bird 'ight sit on a telegra*h instru'ent
and be&o'e fully a0are of the &li&ks of the 'a&hine 0ithout any sus*i&ion of the e-isten&e or
'eaning of the 'essage, or a dog &ould see all that eye &an see in a book yet 0ithout any hint
of its 'eaning, or a savage &ould gaBe at the *rinted s&ore of an o*era 0ithout ever
sus*e&ting its 'usi&al i'*ort, so this su**osed visitor 0ould be absolutely &ut off by an
i'*assable gulf fro' the real seat and signifi&an&e of hu'an history? The great dra'a of life,
0ith its likes and dislikes, its loves and hates, its a'bitions and strivings, and 'anifold ideas,
ins*irations, as*irations, is absolutely foreign to s*a&e, and &ould never in any 0ay be
dis&overed in s*a&e? So hu'an history has its seat in the invisible?K
EA%F(>3G @Personalis',@ *? !3?
EA%F(>7G =bid?, *? !7?
EA%F(>:G =bid?, *? (:<?
EA%F(>;G =bid?, *? (;?
EA%F(><G @Personalis',@ **? (;(, (;"?
=n the first *la&e, Bo0ne@s &on&e*tion of the *hysi&al organis' as but an instru'ent for the
e-*ression of the inner, *ersonal life, +ust as the telegra*hi& a**aratus is the instru'ent for
the e-*ression of 'essages, is erroneous, be&ause body is not a 'ere instru'ent of inner
*ersonal life, but an essential &onstituent of it? 2ho &an deny that one@s *hysi&al &onditions
deter'ine one@s &hara&ter or *ersonalityD 2ho &an overlook the fa&t that one@s bodily
&onditions *ositively a&t u*on one@s *ersonal lifeD There is no *hysi&al organis' 0hi&h
re'ains as a 'ere *assive 'e&hani&al instru'ent of inner life 0ithin the 0orld of e-*erien&e?
.oreover, individuality, or *ersonality, or self, or inner life, 0hatever you 'ay &all it,
&on&eived as absolutely inde*endent of *hysi&al &ondition, is sheer abstra&tion? There is no
su&h &on&rete *ersonality or individuality 0ithin our e-*erien&e?
=n the se&ond *la&e, he &on&eives the *hysi&al organis' si'*ly as a 'ark or sy'bol, and
inner *ersonal life as the thing 'arked or sy'boliBedI so he &o'*ares *hysi&al for's 0ith
*a*er, ty*es, books, and libraries, and inner life, 0ith literature? =n so doing he overlooks the
essential and inse*arable &onne&tion bet0een the *hysi&al organis' and inner life, be&ause
there is no essential inse*arable &onne&tion bet0een a 'ark or sy'bol and the thing 'arked
or sy'boliBed? The thing 'ay ado*t any other 'ark or sy'bol? The bla&k 'arks on the 0hite
*a*er, to use his figure, are not essential to literature? 1iterature 'ay be e-*ressed by singing,
or by s*ee&h, or by a series of *i&tures? But is there inner life e-*ressed, or *ossible to be
e-*ressed, in any other for' save *hysi&al organis'D 2e 'ust therefore a&kno0ledge that
inner life is identi&al 0ith *hysi&al organis', and that reality is one and the sa'e as
a**earan&e?
<? 9ll the 2orlds in Ten )ire&tions are Buddha@s 8oly 1and?
2e are to resu'e this *roble' in the follo0ing &ha*ter? Suffi&e it to say for the *resent it is
the la0 of Universal 1ife that 'anifoldness is in unity, and unity is in 'anifoldnessI
differen&e is in agree'ent, and agree'ent in differen&eI &onfli&tion is in har'ony, and
har'ony in &onfli&tionI *arts are in the 0hole, and the 0hole is in *artsI &onstan&y is in
&hange, and &hange in &onstan&yI good is in bad, and bad in goodI integration is in
disintegration, and disintegration is in integrationI *ea&e is in disturban&e, and disturban&e in
*ea&e? 2e &an find so'ething &elestial a'ong the earthly? 2e &an noti&e so'ething glorious
in the 'idst of the base and degenerated?
@There are nettles every0here, but are not s'ooth, green grasses 'ore &o''on stillD@ Can
you re&ogniBe so'ething a0e-ins*iring in the rise and fall of nationsD Can you not re&ogniBe
so'ething undisturbed and *ea&eful a'ong disturban&e and troubleD 8as not even grass
so'e 'eaningD )oes not even a stone tell the 'ystery of 1ifeD )oes not the i''utable la0
of good s0ay over hu'an affairs after all, as Tennyson says-
K= &an but trust that good shall fall
9t last-far off-at last, to all?K
8as not ea&h of us a light 0ithin hi', 0hatever degrees of lustre there 'ay beD 2as
2ashington in the 0rong 0hen he saidJ K1abour to kee* alive in your heart that little s*ark of
&elestial fire &alled &ons&ien&e?K
2e are sure that 0e &an realiBe the &elestial bliss in this very 0orld, if 0e kee* alive the
,nlightened Cons&iousness, of 0hi&h Bodhidhar'a and his follo0ers sho0ed the e-a'*le?
@9ll the 0orlds in ten dire&tions are Buddha@s 8oly 1andsO@ That 1and of Bliss and Glory
e-ists above us, under us, around us, 0ithin us, 0ithout us, if 0e o*en our eyes to see?
@%irvana is in life itself,@ if 0e en+oy it 0ith ad'iration and love? K1ife and death are the life
of Buddha,K says )o-gen? ,very0here the ,lysian gates stand o*en, if 0e do not shut the'
u* by ourselves? Shall 0e starve ourselves refusing to a&&e*t the ri&h bounty 0hi&h the
Blessed 1ife offers to usD Shall 0e *erish in the darkness of s&e*ti&is', shutting our eyes to
the light of TathagataD Shall 0e suffer fro' innu'erable *ains in the self-&reated hell 0here
re'orse, +ealousy, and hatred feed the fire of angerD 1et us *ray to Buddha, not in 0ord only,
but in the deed of generosity and toleran&e, in the &hara&ter noble and loving, and in the
*ersonality subli'e and good? 1et us *ray to Buddha to save us fro' the hell of greed and
folly, to deliver us fro' the thraldo' of te'*tation? 1et us @enter the 8oly of 8olies in
ad'iration and 0onder?@
CHAPTER VII
LIFE
? ,*i&ureanis' and 1ife?
There are a good 'any *eo*le al0ays buoyant in s*irit and 'irthful in a**earan&e as if born
o*ti'ists? There are also no fe0er *ersons &onstantly &restfallen and gloo'y as if born
*essi'ists? The for'er, ho0ever, 'ay lose their buoyan&y and sink dee* in des*air if they are
in adverse &ir&u'stan&es? The latter, too, 'ay regain their brightness and gro0 e-ultant if
they are under *ros*erous &onditions? 9s there is no evil ho0ever s'all but 'ay &ause hi' to
groan under it, 0ho has his heart undis&i*lined, so there is no &ala'ity ho0ever great but
'ay &ause hi' to des*air, 0ho has his feelings in &ontrol? 9 laughing &hild 0ould &ry, a
&rying &hild 0ould laugh, 0ithout a suffi&ient &ause? @=t &an be teased or ti&kled into
anything?@ 9 gro0n-u* &hild is he 0ho &annot hold s0ay over his *assions?
8e should die a slave to his heart, 0hi&h is 0ay0ard and blind, if he be indulgent to it? =t is of
&a*ital i'*ortan&e for us to dis&i*line the heart,EA%F(>!G other0ise it 0ill dis&i*line us?
Passions are like legs? They should be guided by the eye of reason? %o 0ise ser*ent is led by
its tail, so no 0ise 'an is led by his *assion? Passions that &o'e first are often trea&herous
and lead us astray? 2e 'ust guard ourselves against the'? =n order to gratify the' there arise
'ean desires-the desires to *lease sight, hearing, s'ell, taste, and tou&h? These five desires
are ever *ursuing or, rather, driving us? 2e 'ust not s*end our 0hole lives in *ursuit of those
'irage-like ob+e&ts 0hi&h gratify our sensual desires? 2hen 0e gratify one desire, 0e are
silly enough to fan&y that 0e have realiBed true ha**iness? But one desire gratified begets
another stronger and 'ore insatiable? Thirst allayed 0ith salt 0ater be&o'es 'ore intense
than ever?
EA%F(>!G Co'*are Gaku-do-yo-+in-shu, &ha*? i?, and 4en-k0an-saku shin?
Shakya .uni &o'*ared an ,*i&urean 0ith a dog &he0ing a dry bone, 'istaking the blood out
of a 0ound in his 'outh for that of the bone? The author of .aha*arinirvana-sutraEA%F(>G
has a *arable to the follo0ing effe&tJ @On&e u*on a ti'e a hunter skilled in &at&hing 'onkeys
alive 0ent into the 0ood? 8e *ut so'ething very sti&ky on the ground, and hid hi'self
a'ong the bushes? By-and-by a 'onkey &a'e out to see 0hat it 0as, and su**osing it to be
so'ething eatable, tried to feed on it? =t stu&k to the *oor &reature@s snout so fir'ly that he
&ould not shake it off? Then he atte'*ted to tear it off 0ith both his *a0s, 0hi&h also stu&k to
it? Thereu*on he strove to ki&k it off 0ith both his hind-legs, 0hi&h 0ere &aught too? Then the
hunter &a'e out, and thrusting his sti&k through bet0een the *a0s and hind-legs of the
vi&ti', and thus &arrying it on his shoulder, 0ent ho'e?@ =n like 'anner an ,*i&urean #the
'onkey$, allured by the ob+e&ts of sense #so'ething sti&ky$, sti&ks to the five desires #the
snout and the four li'bs$, and being &aught by Te'*tation #the hunter$, loses his life of
2isdo'?
EA%F(>G The sutra translated by 80ui Cen and 80ui K0an, 9?)? 3(3-37"?
2e are no 'ore than a s*e&ies of 'onkeys, as evolutionists hold? %ot a fe0 testify to this
truth by their being &aught by 'eans of @so'ething eatable?@ 2e abolished slavery and &all
ourselves &iviliBed nations? 8ave 0e not, nevertheless, hundreds of life-long slaves to &igars
a'ong usD 8ave 0e not thousands of life-long slaves to s*irits a'ong usD 8ave 0e not
hundreds of thousands of life-long slaves to gold a'ong usD 8ave 0e not 'yriads of lifelong
slaves to vanity a'ong usD These slaves are in&redibly loyal to, and in&essantly 0ork for,
their 'asters, 0ho in turn besto0 on the' in&urable diseases, *overty, &hagrin, and
disa**oint'ent?
9 *oor *u**y 0ith an e'*ty &an tied to his tail, Tho'as Carlyle 0ittily observes, ran and ran
on, frightened by the noise of the &an? The 'ore ra*idly he ran, the 'ore loudly it rang, and at
last he fell e-hausted of running? 2as it not ty*i&al of a so-&alled great 'an of the 0orldD
/anity tied an e'*ty &an of fa'e to his tail, the hollo0 noise of 0hi&h drives hi' through life
until he falls to rise no 'ore? .iserableO
%either these 'en of the 0orld nor Buddhist as&eti&s &an be o*ti'ists? The latter rigorously
deny the'selves sensual gratifi&ations, and kee* the'selves aloof fro' all ob+e&ts of
*leasure? Aor the' to be *leased is e5uivalent to sin, and to laugh, to be &ursed? They 0ould
rather tou&h an adder@s head than a *ie&e of 'oney?EA%F(G They 0ould rather thro0
the'selves into a fiery furna&e than to &o'e in &onta&t 0ith the other se-? Body for the' is a
bag full of blood and *usIEA%F((G life, an idle, or rather evil, drea'? /egetarianis' and
&eliba&y are their holy *rivileges? 1ife is un0orthy of havingI to *ut an end to it is their
deliveran&e?EA%F("G Su&h a vie0 of life is hardly 0orth our refutation?
EA%F(G Su&h is the *re&e*t taught in the /inaya of 8inayanists?
EA%F((G See .ahasati*tthana Suttanta, (-"?
EA%F("G This is the logi&al &on&lusion of 8inayanis'?
(? The ,rrors of Philoso*hi&al Pessi'ists and 6eligious O*ti'ists?
Philoso*hi&al *essi'istsEA%F(3G 'aintain that there are on earth 'any 'ore &auses of *ain
than of *leasureI and that *ain e-ists *ositively, but *leasure is a 'ere absen&e of *ain
be&ause 0e are &ons&ious of si&kness but not of healthI of loss, but not of *ossession? On the
&ontrary, religious o*ti'ists insist that there 'ust not be any evil in God@s universe, that evil
has no inde*endent nature, but si'*ly denotes a *rivation of goodHthat is, evil is null, is
nought, is silen&e i'*lying sound?@
EA%F(3G S&ho*enhauer, @The 2orld as 2ill and =dea@ #6? B? 8aldane and J? Ke'*@s
translation, vol? iii?, **? "<3-"<:$I 8art'an, @Philoso*hy of the Un&ons&iousness@ #2? C?
Cou*land@s translation, vol? iii?, **? (-!$?
%o 'atter 0hat these one-sided observers@ o*inion 'ay be, 0e are &ertain that 0e e-*erien&e
good as 0ell as evil, and feel *ain and *leasure as 0ell? %either &an 0e alleviate the real
sufferings of the si&k by telling the' that si&kness is no other than the absen&e of health, nor
&an 0e 'ake the *oor a 0hit ri&her by telling the' that *overty is a 'ere absen&e of ri&hes?
8o0 &ould 0e save the dying by *ersuading the' that death is a bare *rivation of lifeD =s it
*ossible to dis*irit the ha**y by telling the' that ha**iness is unreal, or 'ake the fortunate
'iserable by telling the' that fortune has no ob+e&tive reality, or to 'ake one 0el&o'e evil
by telling one that it is only the absen&e of goodD
Cou 'ust ad'it there are no definite e-ternal &auses of *ain nor those of *leasure, for one
and the sa'e thing &auses *ain at one ti'e and *leasure at another? 9 &ause of delight to one
*erson turns out to be that of aversion to another? 9 dying 'iser 'ight revive at the sight of
gold, yet a )iogenes 0ould *ass 0ithout noti&ing it? Cigars and 0ine are blessed gifts of
heaven to the inte'*erate,EA%F(7G but a&&ursed *oison to the te'*erate? So'e 'ight en+oy
a long life, but others 0ould heartily desire to &urtail it? So'e 'ight groan under a slight
indis*osition, 0hile others 0ould 0histle a0ay a life of serious disease? 9n ,*i&ure 'ight be
taken *risoner by *overty, yet an ,*i&tetus 0ould fearlessly fa&e and van5uish hi'? 8o0,
then, do you distinguish the real &ause of *ain fro' that of *leasureD 8o0 do you kno0 the
&auses of one are 'ore nu'erous than the &auses of the otherD
EA%F(7G The author of 8an Shu #Kan Sho$ &alls s*irits the gift of
8eaven?
,-*ose ther'o'eters of several kinds to one and the sa'e te'*erature? One 0ill indi&ate,
say, :>T, another as high as >>T, another as lo0 as 7T? ,-*ose the ther'o'eters of hu'an
sensibilities, 0hi&h are of 'yriads of different kinds, to one and the sa'e te'*erature of
environ'ent? %one of the' 0ill indi&ate the sa'e degrees? =n one and the sa'e &li'ate,
0hi&h 0e think 'oderate, the ,ski'o 0ould be 0ashed 0ith *ers*iration, 0hile the 8indu
0ould shudder 0ith &old? Si'ilarly, under one and the sa'e &ir&u'stan&e so'e 'ight be
e-tre'ely 'iserable and think it unbearable, yet others 0ould be &ontented and ha**y?
Therefore 0e 'ay safely &on&lude that there are no definite e-ternal &auses of *ain and
*leasure, and that there 'ust be internal &auses 0hi&h 'odify the e-ternal?
"? The 1a0 of Balan&e?
%ature governs the 0orld 0ith her la0 of balan&e? She *uts things ever in *airs,EA%F(:G and
leaves nothing in isolation? Positives stand in o**osition to negatives, a&tives to *assives,
'ales to fe'ales, and so on? Thus 0e get the ebb in o**osition to the flood tideI the
&entrifugal for&e to the &entri*etalI attra&tion to re*ulsionI gro0th to de&ayI to-in to antito-inI
light to shadeI a&tion to rea&tionI unity to varietyI day to nightI the ani'ate to the inani'ate?
1ook at our o0n bodiesJ the right eye is *la&ed side by side 0ith the leftI the left shoulder
0ith the rightI the right lung 0ith the leftI the left he'is*here of the brain 0ith that of the
rightI and so forth?
EA%F(:G 4enists &all the' @*airs of o**osites?@
=t holds good also in hu'an affairsJ advantage is al0ays a&&o'*anied by disadvantageI loss
by gainI &onvenien&e by in&onvenien&eI good by evilI rise by fallI *ros*erity by adversityI
virtue by vi&eI beauty by defor'ityI *ain by *leasureI youth by old ageI life by death? @9
handso'e young lady of 5uality,@ a *arable in .aha*arinirvana-sutra tells us, @0ho &arries
0ith her an i''ense treasure is ever a&&o'*anied by her sister, an ugly 0o'an in rags, 0ho
destroys everything 0ithin her rea&h? =f 0e 0in the for'er, 0e 'ust also get the latter?@ 9s
*essi'ists sho0 intense dislike to0ards the latter and forget the for'er, so o*ti'ists ad'ire
the for'er so 'u&h that they are indifferent to the latter?
3? 1ife Consists in Confli&t?
1ife &onsists in &onfli&t? So long as 'an re'ains a so&ial ani'al he &annot live in isolation?
9ll individual ho*es and as*irations de*end on so&iety? So&iety is refle&ted in the individual,
and the individual in so&iety? =n s*ite of this, his inborn free 0ill and love of liberty seek to
break a0ay fro' so&ial ties? 8e is also a 'oral ani'al, and endo0ed 0ith love and sy'*athy?
8e loves his fello0-beings, and 0ould fain *ro'ote their 0elfareI but he 'ust be engaged in
&onstant struggle against the' for e-isten&e? 8e sy'*athiBes even 0ith ani'als inferior to
hi', and heartily 0ishes to *rote&t the'I yet he is doo'ed to destroy their lives day and
night? 8e has 'any a noble as*iration, and often soars aloft by the 0ings of i'agination into
the real' of the idealI still his 'aterial desires drag hi' do0n to the earth? 8e lives on day by
day to &ontinue his life, but he is unfailingly a**roa&hing death at every 'o'ent?
The 'ore he se&ures ne0 *leasure, s*iritual or 'aterial, the 'ore he in&urs *ain not yet
e-*erien&ed? One evil re'oved only gives *la&e to anotherI one advantage gained soon
*roves itself a disadvantage? 8is very reason is the &ause of his doubt and sus*i&ionI his
intelle&t, 0ith 0hi&h he 0ants to kno0 everything, de&lares itself to be in&a*able of kno0ing
anything in its real stateI his finer sensibility, 0hi&h is the sole sour&e of finer *leasure, has to
e-*erien&e finer suffering? The 'ore he asserts hi'self, the 'ore he has to sa&rifi&e hi'self?
These &onfli&tions *robably led Kant to &all life Ka trial ti'e, 0herein 'ost su&&u'b, and in
0hi&h even the best does not re+oi&e in his life?K K.en betake the'selves,K says Ai&hte, Kto
the &hase after feli&ity? ? ? ? But as soon as they 0ithdra0 into the'selves and ask the'selves,
@9' = no0 ha**yD@ the re*ly &o'es distin&tly fro' the de*th of their soul, @Oh noI thou art
still +ust as e'*ty and destitute as beforeO@ ? ? ? They 0ill in the future life +ust as vainly seek
blessedness as they have sought it in the *resent life?K
=t is not 0ithout reason that the *essi'isti& 'inds &a'e to &on&lude that @the unrest of
un&easing 0illing and desiring by 0hi&h every &reature is goaded is in itself unblessedness,@
and that @ea&h &reature is in &onstant danger, &onstant agitation, and the 0hole, 0ith its
restless, 'eaningless 'otion, is a tragedy of the 'ost *iteous kind?@ @9 &reature like the
&arnivorous ani'al, 0ho &annot e-ist at all 0ithout &ontinually destroying and tearing others,
'ay not feel its brutality, but 'an, 0ho has to *rey on other sentient beings like the
&arnivorous, is intelligent enough, as hard fate 0ould have it, to kno0 and feel his o0n brutal
living?@ 8e 'ust be the 'ost 'iserable of all &reatures, for he is 'ost &ons&ious of his o0n
'isery? Aurther'ore, @he e-*erien&es not only the 'isfortunes 0hi&h a&tually befall hi', but
in i'agination he goes through every *ossibility of evil?@ Therefore none, fro' great kings
and e'*erors do0n to na'eless beggars, &an be free fro' &ares and an-ieties, 0hi&h @ever flit
around the' like ghosts?@
7? The .ystery of 1ife?
Thus far 0e have *ointed out the inevitable &onfli&tions in life in order to *re*are ourselves
for an insight into the de*th of life? 2e are far fro' being *essi'isti&, for 0e believe that life
&onsists in &onfli&tion, but that &onfli&tion does not end in &onfli&tion, but in a ne0 for' of
har'ony? 8o*e &o'es to &onfli&t 0ith fear, and is often threatened 0ith losing its hold on
'indI then it rene0s its life and takes root still dee*er than before? Pea&e is often disturbed
0ith 0ars, but then it gains a still fir'er ground than ever? 8a**iness is driven out of 'ind by
'elan&holy, then it is re-enfor&ed by favourable &onditions and returns 0ith double strength?
S*irit is dragged do0n by 'atter fro' its ideal heaven, then, in&ited by sha'e, it tries a
higher flight? Good is o**osed by evil, then it gathers 'ore strength and van5uishes its foe?
Truth is &louded by falsehood, then it issues forth 0ith its greater light? 1iberty is endangered
by tyranny, then it overthro0s it 0ith a s*lendid su&&ess?
.anifoldness stands out boldly against unityI differen&e against agree'entI *arti&ularity
against generalityI individuality against so&iety? .anifoldness, nevertheless, instead of
annihilating, enri&hes unityI differen&e, instead of destroying agree'ent, gives it varietyI
*arti&ularities, instead of *utting an end to generality, in&rease its &ontentI individuals, instead
of breaking the har'ony of so&iety, strengthen the *o0er of it?
Thus @Universal 1ife does not s0allo0 u* 'anifoldness nor e-tinguish differen&es, but it is
the only 'eans of bringing to its full develo*'ent the detailed &ontent of realityI in
*arti&ular, it does not abolish the great o**ositions of life and 0orld, but takes the' u* into
itself and brings the' into fruitful relations 0ith ea&h other?@ Therefore @our life is a
'ysterious blending of freedo' and ne&essity, *o0er and li'itation, &a*ri&e and la0I yet
these o**osites are &onstantly seeking and finding a 'utual ad+ust'ent?@
:? %ature Aavours %othing in Parti&ular?
There is another *oint of vie0 of life, 0hi&h gave the *resent 0riter no s'all &ontent'ent,
and 0hi&h he believes 0ould &ure one of *essi'isti& &o'*laint? Buddha, or Universal 1ife
&on&eived by 4en, is not like a &a*ri&ious des*ot, 0ho a&ts not seldo' against his o0n la0s?
8is 'anifestation as sho0n in the ,nlightened Cons&iousness is la0ful, i'*artial, and
rational? Buddhists believe that even Shakya .uni hi'self 0as not free fro' the la0 of
retribution, 0hi&h in&ludes, in our o*inion, the la0 of balan&e and that of &ausation?
%o0 let us briefly e-a'ine ho0 the la0 of balan&e holds its s0ay over life and the 0orld?
2hen the Cakravartin, a&&ording to an =ndian legend, the universal 'onar&h, 0ould &o'e to
govern the earth, a 0heel 0ould also a**ear as one of his treasures, and go on rolling all over
the 0orld, 'aking everything level and s'ooth? Buddha is the s*iritual Cakravartin, 0hose
0heel is the 0heel of the la0 of balan&e, 0ith 0hi&h he governs all things e5ually and
i'*artially? Airst let us observe the si'*lest &ases 0here the la0 of balan&e holds good? Aour
'en &an finish in three days the sa'e a'ount of 0ork as is done by three 'en in four days?
The in&rease in the nu'ber of 'en &auses the de&rease in that of days, the de&rease in the
nu'ber of 'en &auses the in&rease in that of days, the result being al0ays the sa'e? Si'ilarly
the in&rease in the shar*ness of a knife is al0ays a&&o'*anied by a de&rease in its durability,
and the in&rease of durability by a de&rease of shar*ness? The 'ore beautiful flo0ers gro0,
the uglier their fruits be&o'eI the *rettier the fruits gro0, the si'*ler be&o'e their flo0ers? @9
strong soldier is ready to dieI a strong tree is easy to be brokenI hard leather is easy to be torn?
But the soft tongue survives the hard teeth?@ 8orned &reatures are destitute of tusks, the shar*-
tusked &reatures la&k horns? 2inged ani'als are not endo0ed 0ith *a0s, and handed ani'als
are *rovided 0ith no 0ings? Birds of beautiful *lu'age have no s0eet voi&e, and s0eet-
voi&ed songsters no feathers of bright &olours? The finer in 5uality, the s'aller in 5uantity,
and bulkier in siBe, the &oarser in nature?
%ature favours nothing in *arti&ular? So everything has its advantage and disadvantage as
0ell? 2hat one gains on the one hand one loses on the other? The o- is &o'*etent in dra0ing
a heavy &art, but he is absolutely in&o'*etent in &at&hing 'i&e? 9 shovel is fit for digging,
but not for ear-*i&king? 9ero*lanes are good for aviation, but not for navigation? Silk0or's
feed on 'ulberry leaves and 'ake silk fro' it, but they &an do nothing 0ith other leaves?
Thus everything has its o0n use or a 'ission a**ointed by %atureI and if 0e take advantage
of it, nothing is useless, but if not, all are useless? @The ne&k of the &rane 'ay see' too long
to so'e idle on-lookers, but there is no sur*lus in it? The li'bs of the tortoise 'ay a**ear too
short, but there is no short&o'ing in the'?@ The &enti*ede, having a hundred li'bs, &an find
no useless feetI the ser*ent, having no foot, feels no 0ant?
;? The 1a0 of Balan&e in 1ife?
=t is also the &ase 0ith hu'an affairs? So&ial *ositions high or lo0, o&&u*ations s*iritual or
te'*oral, 0ork rough or gentle, edu&ation *erfe&t or i'*erfe&t, &ir&u'stan&es needy or
o*ulent, ea&h has its o0n advantage as 0ell as disadvantage? The higher the *osition the
graver the res*onsibilities, the lo0er the rank the lighter the obligation? The dire&tor of a large
bank &an never be so &areless as his errand-boy 0ho 'ay sto* on the street to thro0 a stone at
a s*arro0I nor &an the 'anager of a large *lantation have as good a ti'e on a rainy day as his
day-labourers 0ho s*end it in ga'bling? The a&&u'ulation of 0ealth is al0ays a&&o'*anied
by its evilsI no 6oths&hild nor 6o&kefeller &an be ha**ier than a *oor *edlar?
9 'other of 'any &hildren 'ay be troubled by her noisy little ones and envy her sterile
friend, 0ho in turn 'ay &o'*lain of her lonelinessI but if they balan&e 0hat they gain 0ith
0hat they lose, they 0ill find the both sides are e5ual? The la0 of balan&e stri&tly forbids
one@s 'ono*oly of ha**iness? =t a**lies its s&or*ion 0hi* to anyone 0ho is given to
*leasures? Joy in e-tre'ity lives ne-t door to e-&eeding sorro0? K2here there is 'u&h light,K
says Goethe, Kshado0 is dee*?K 9ge, 0ithered and dis&onsolate, lurks under the skirts of
bloo'ing youth? The &elebration of birthday is follo0ed by the &o''e'oration of death?
.arriage 'ight be su**osed to be the lu&kiest event in one@s life, but the 0ido0@s tears and
the or*han@s sufferings also 'ight be its out&o'e? But for the for'er the latter &an never be?
The death of *arents is indeed the unlu&kiest event in the son@s life, but it 'ay result in the
latter@s inheritan&e of an estate, 0hi&h is by no 'eans unlu&ky? The disease of a &hild 'ay
&ause its *arents grief, but it is a 'atter of &ourse that it lessens the burden of their livelihood?
1ife has its *leasures, but also its *ains? )eath has no *leasure of life, but also none of its
*ain? So that if 0e balan&e their s'iles and tears, life and death are e5ual? =t is not 0ise for us,
therefore, to &o''it sui&ide 0hile the ter's of our life still re'ain, nor to fear death 0hen
there is no 0ay of avoiding it?
9gain, the la0 of balan&e does not allo0 anyone to take the lion@s share of nature@s gifts?
Beauty in fa&e is a&&o'*anied by defor'ity in &hara&ter? =ntelligen&e is often un&o'bined
0ith virtue? KAair girls are destined to be unfortunate,K says a Ja*anese *roverb, Kand 'en of
ability to be si&kly?K K8e 'akes no friend 0ho never 'akes a foe?K K8onesty is ne-t to
idio&y?K K.en of genius,K says 1ongfello0, Kare often dull and inert in so&ietyI as the blaBing
'eteor 0hen it des&ends to earth is only a stone?K 8onour and sha'e go hand in hand?
Kno0ledge and virtue live in *overty, 0hile ill health and disease are in'ates of lu-ury?
,very 'isfortune begets so'e sort of fortune, 0hile every good lu&k gives birth to so'e sort
of bad lu&k? ,very *ros*erity never fails to so0 seeds of adversity, 0hile every fall never fails
to bring about so'e kind of rise? 2e 'ust not, then, des*air in days of frost and sno0,
re'inding ourselves of sunshine and flo0ers that follo0 the'I nor 'ust 0e be thoughtless in
days of youth and health, kee*ing in 'ind old age and ill health that are in the rear of the'?
=n brief, all, fro' &ro0ns and &oronets do0n to rags and begging bo0ls, have their o0n
ha**iness and share heavenly gra&e alike?
<? The 9**li&ation of the 1a0 of Causation to .orals?
9lthough it 'ay be needless to state here the la0 of &ausation at any length, yet it is not
e5ually needless to say a fe0 0ords about its a**li&ation to 'orals as the la0 of retribution,
0hi&h is a 'atter of dis*ute even a'ong Buddhist s&holars? The kernel of the idea is very
si'*le-like seed, like fruitI like &ause, like effe&tI like a&tion, like influen&eHnothing 'ore?
9s fresh air strengthens and i'*ure air &hokes us, so good &ondu&t brings about good
&onse5uen&e, and bad &ondu&t does other0ise?EA%F(;G
EA%F(;G 4en lays 'u&h stress on this la0? See Shu-sho-gi and
,i-hei-ka-kun, by )o-gen?
Over against these generaliBations 0e raise no ob+e&tion, but there are 'any &ases, in
*ra&ti&al life, of doubtful nature? 9n a&t of &harity, for e-a'*le, 'ight do others so'e sort of
da'age, as is often the &ase 0ith the giving of al's to the *oor, 0hi&h 'ay *rodu&e the
undesirable &onse5uen&e of en&ouraging beggary? 9n a&t of love 'ight *rodu&e an in+urious
effe&t, as the 'other@s love often s*oils her &hildren? So'eEA%F(<G 'ay think these are
&ases of good &ause and bad effe&t? 2e have, ho0ever, to analyBe these &auses and effe&ts in
order to find in 0hat relation they stand? =n the first &ase the good a&tion of al'sgiving
*rodu&es the good effe&t of lessening the sufferings of the *oor, 0ho should be thankful for
their benefa&tor? The giver is re0arded in his turn by the *ea&e and satisfa&tion of his
&ons&ien&e? The *oor, ho0ever, 0hen used to being given al's are in&lined to gro0 laBy and
live by 'eans of begging? Therefore the real &ause of the bad effe&t is the thoughtlessness of
both the giver and the given, but not &harity itself? =n the se&ond &ase the 'other@s love and
kindness *rodu&e a good effe&t on her and her &hildren, 'aking the' all ha**y, and enabling
the' to en+oy the *leasure of the s0eet ho'eI yet &arelessness and folly on the *art of the
'other and ingratitude on the *art of the &hildren 'ay bring about the bad effe&t?
EA%F(<G )r? 8? Kato see's to have thought that good &ause 'ay bring out bad effe&t 0hen
he atta&ked Buddhis' on this *oint?
8istory is full of nu'erous &ases in 0hi&h good *ersons 0ere so unfortunate as to die a
'iserable death or to live in e-tre'e *overty, side by side 0ith those &ases in 0hi&h bad
*eo*le lived in health and *ros*erity, en+oying a long life? 8aving these &ases in vie0, so'e
are of the o*inion that there is no la0 of retribution as believed by the Buddhists? 9nd even
a'ong the Buddhist s&holars the'selves there are so'e 0ho think of the la0 of retribution as
an ideal, and not as a la0 governing life? This is *robably due to their 'isunderstanding of
the histori&al fa&ts? There is no reason be&ause he is good and honourable that he should be
0ealthy or healthyI nor is there any reason be&ause he is bad that he should be *oor or si&kly?
To be good is one thing, and to be healthy or ri&h is another? So also to be bad is one thing,
9nd to be *oor and si&k is another? The good are not ne&essarily the ri&h or the healthy, nor
are the bad ne&essarily the si&k or the *oor? 8ealth 'ust be se&ured by the stri&t observan&e
of hygieni& rules, and not by the kee*ing of ethi&al *re&e*tsI nor &an 0ealth ever be
a&&u'ulated by bare 'orality, but by e&ono'i&al and industrial a&tivity? The 'oral &ondu&t
of a good *erson has no res*onsibility for his ill health or *overtyI so also the i''oral a&tion
of a bad *erson has no &on&ern 0ith his 0ealth or health? Cou should not &onfuse the 'oral
0ith the *hysi&al la0, sin&e the for'er belongs only to hu'an life, 0hile the latter to the
*hysi&al 0orld?
The good are re0arded 'orally, not *hysi&allyI their o0n virtues, honours, 'ental *ea&e, and
satisfa&tion are a'*le &o'*ensation for their goodness? Confu&ius, for e-a'*le, 0as never
ri&h nor high in rankI he 0as, nevertheless, 'orally re0arded 0ith his virtues, honours, and
the *ea&e of 'ind? The follo0ing a&&ount of hi',EA%F(!G though not stri&tly histori&al, 0ell
e-*lains his state of 'ind in the days of 'isfortuneJ
K2hen Confu&ius 0as redu&ed to e-tre'e distress bet0een Khan and 4hai, for seven days he
had no &ooked 'eat to eat, but only so'e sou* of &oarse vegetables 0ithout any ri&e in it? 8is
&ountenan&e 0ore the a**earan&e of great e-haustion, and yet be ke*t *laying on his lute and
singing inside the house? Cen 8ui #0as outside$ sele&ting the vegetables, 0hile 4Be 1u and
4Be Kung 0ere talking together, and said to hi'J @The 'aster has t0i&e been driven fro' 1uI
he had to flee fro' 2eiI the tree beneath 0hi&h he rested 0as &ut do0n in SungI he 0as
redu&ed to e-tre'e distress in Shang and KauI he is held in a state of siege here bet0een
Khan and 4haiI anyone 0ho kills hi' 0ill be held guiltlessI there is no *rohibition against
'aking hi' a *risoner? 9nd yet he kee*s *laying and singing, thru''ing his lute 0ithout
&easing? Can a su*erior 'an be 0ithout the feeling of sha'e to su&h an e-tent as thisD@ Cen
8ui gave the' no re*ly, but 0ent in and told #their 0ords$ to Confu&ius, 0ho *ushed aside
his lute and saidJ @Cu and 4hBe are s'all 'en? Call the' here, and = 0ill e-*lain the thing to
the'?@
EA%F(!G The a&&ount is given by Ch0ang TsB in his book, vol? -viii?, *? ;?
K2hen they &a'e in, 4Be 1u saidJ @Cour *resent &ondition 'ay be &alled one of e-tre'e
distressO@ Confu&ius re*liedJ @2hat 0ords are theseD 2hen the su*erior 'an has free &ourse
0ith his *rin&i*les, that is 0hat 0e &all his su&&essI 0hen su&h &ourse is denied, that is 0hat
0e &all his failure? %o0 = hold in 'y e'bra&e the *rin&i*les of righteousness and
benevolen&e, and 0ith the' 'eet the evils of a disordered ageI 0here is the *roof of 'y
being in e-tre'e distressD Therefore, looking in0ards and e-a'ining 'yself, = have no
diffi&ulties about 'y *rin&i*lesI though = en&ounter su&h diffi&ulties #as the *resent$, = do not
lose 'y virtue? =t is 0hen 0inter@s &old is &o'e, and the hoar-frost and sno0 are falling, that
0e kno0 the vegetative *o0er of the *ine and &y*ress? This distress bet0een Khan and 4hai
is fortunate for 'e?@ 8e then took ba&k his lute so that it e'itted a t0anging sound, and began
to *lay and sing? #9t the sa'e ti'e$ 4Be 1u hurriedly seiBed a shield and began to dan&e,
0hile 4Be Kung saidJ @= did not kno0 #before$ the height of heaven nor the de*th of earthO@K
Thus the good are unfailingly re0arded 0ith their o0n virtue, and the 0holeso'e
&onse5uen&es of their a&tions on so&iety at large? 9nd the bad are inevitably re&o'*ensed
0ith their o0n vi&es, and the in+urious effe&ts of their a&tions on their fello0-beings? This is
the unshaken &onvi&tion of hu'anity, *ast, *resent, and future? =t is the *ith and 'arro0 of
our 'oral ideal? =t is the &rystalliBation of ethi&al truths, distilled through long e-*erien&es
fro' ti'e i''e'orial to this day? 2e &an safely a**rove ,d0in 9rnold, as he saysJ
K1o = as hid seed shoots after rainless years,
So good and evil, *ains and *leasures, hates
9nd loves, and all dead deeds &o'e forth again,
Bearing bright leaves, or dark, s0eet fruit or sour?K
1ongfello0 also saysJ
K%o a&tion, 0hether foul or fair,
=s ever done, but it leaves so'e0here
9 re&ord-as a blessing or a &urse?K
!? 6etributionEA%F((>G in the Past, the Present, and the Auture 1ife?
Then a 5uestion suggests itselfJ =f there be no soul that survives body #as sho0n in the
*re&eding &ha*ter$, 0ho 0ill re&eive the retributions of our a&tions in the *resent lifeD To
ans0er this 5uestion, 0e have to restate our &onvi&tion that life is one and the sa'eI in other
0ords, the hu'an beings for' one life or one selfHthat is to say, our an&estors in the *ast
for'ed 'an@s *ast life? 2e ourselves no0 for' 'an@s *resent life, and our *osterity 0ill for'
the future life? Beyond all doubt, all a&tions of 'an in the *ast have brought their fruits on the
*resent &onditions of 'an, and all a&tions of the *resent 'an are sure to influen&e the
&onditions of the future 'an? To *ut it in another 0ay, 0e no0 rea* the fruits of 0hat 0e
so0ed in our *ast life #or 0hen 0e lived as our fathers$, and again shall rea* the fruits of
0hat 0e no0 so0 in our future life #or 0hen 0e shall live as our *osterity$?
There is no e-&e*tion to this rigorous la0 of retribution, and 0e take it as the 0ill of Buddha
to leave no a&tion 0ithout being retributed? Thus it is Buddha hi'self 0ho kindles our in0ard
fire to save ourselves fro' sin and &ri'es? 2e 'ust *urge out all the stains in our hearts,
obeying Buddha@s &o''and audible in the inner'ost self of ours? =t is the great 'er&y of 8is
that, ho0ever sinful, su*erstitious, 0ay0ard, and thoughtless, 0e have still a light 0ithin us
0hi&h is divine in its nature? 2hen that light shines forth, all sorts of sin are destroyed at
on&e? 2hat is our sin, after allD =t is nothing but illusion or error originating in ignoran&e and
folly? 8o0 true it is, as an =ndian .ahayanist de&lares, that @all frost and the de0dro*s of sin
disa**ear in the sunshine of 0isdo'O@EA%F((G ,ven if 0e 'ight be i'*risoned in the
botto'less bell, yet let on&e the 1ight of Buddha shine u*on us, it 0ould be &hanged into
heaven? Therefore the author of .ahakarunika-sutraEA%F(((G saysJ K2hen = &li'b the
'ountain *lanted 0ith s0ords, they 0ould break under 'y tread? 2hen = sail on the sea of
blood, it 0ill be dried u*? 2hen = arrive at 8ades, they 0ill be ruined at on&e?K
EA%F((>G The retribution &annot be e-*lained by the do&trine of the trans'igration of the
soul, for it is in&o'*atible 0ith the funda'ental do&trine of non-soul? See
9bhidhar'a'ahavibhasa-&astra, vol? &-iv?
EA%F((G Sa'antabhadra-dhyana-sutra?
EA%F(((G %an+o@s Catalogue, %o? ;?
>? The ,ternal 1ife as taught by Professor .unsterberg?
So'e *hiloso*hi&al *essi'ists undervalue life si'*ly be&ause it is sub+e&t to li'itation? They
as&ribe all evils to that &ondition, forgetting that 0ithout li'itation life is a 'ere blank?
Su**ose our sight &ould see all things at on&e, then sight has no value nor use for us, be&ause
it is life@s *ur*ose to &hoose to see one thing or another out of 'anyI and if all things be
*resent at on&e before us through sight, it is of no *ur*ose? The sa'e is true of intelle&t,
bearing, s'ell, tou&h, feeling, and 0ill? =f they be li'itless, they &ease to be useful for us?
=ndividuality ne&essarily i'*lies li'itation, hen&e if there be no li'itation in the 0orld, then
there is no roo' for individuality? 1ife 0ithout death is no life at all?
Professor 8ugo .unsterberg finds no value, so it see's to 'e, in @su&h life as beginning 0ith
birth and ending 0ith death?@ 8e saysJEA%F(("G K.y life as a &ausal syste' of *hysi&al and
*sy&hologi&al *ro&esses, 0hi&h lies s*read out in ti'e bet0een the dates of 'y birth and of
'y death, 0ill &o'e to an end 0ith 'y last breathI to &ontinue it, to 'ake it go on till the
earth falls into the sun, or a billion ti'es longer, 0ould be 0ithout any value, as that kind of
life 0hi&h is nothing but the 'e&hani&al o&&urren&e of *hysiologi&al and *sy&hologi&al
*heno'ena had as su&h no ulti'ate value for 'e or for you, or for anyone, at any ti'e? But
'y real life, as a syste' of interrelated-0ill-attitudes, has nothing before or after be&ause it is
beyond ti'e? =t is inde*endent of birth and death be&ause it &annot be related to biologi&al
eventsI it is not born, and 0ill not dieI it is i''ortalI all *ossible thinkable ti'e is en&losed in
itI it is eternal?K
EA%F(("G @The ,ternal 1ife,@ *? (:?
Professor .unsterberg tries to distinguish shar*ly life as the &ausal syste' of *hysiologi&al
and *sy&hologi&al *ro&esses, and life as a syste' of interrelated-0ill-attitudes, and denoun&es
the for'er as fleeting and valueless, in order to *riBe the latter as eternal and of absolute
value? 8o0 &ould he, ho0ever, su&&eed in his task unless he has t0o or three lives, as so'e
ani'als are believed to haveD =s it not one and the sa'e life that is treated on the one hand by
s&ien&e as a syste' of *hysiologi&al and *sy&hologi&al *ro&esses, and is &on&eived on the
other by the Professor hi'self as a syste' of interrelated-0ill-attitudesD =t is true that s&ien&e
treats of life as it is observed in ti'e, s*a&e, and &ausality, and it esti'ates it of no value,
sin&e to esti'ate the value of things is no business of s&ien&e? The sa'e life observed as a
syste' of interrelated-0ill-attitudes is inde*endent of ti'e, s*a&e, and &ausality as he affir's?
One and the sa'e life in&ludes both *hases, the differen&e being in the *oints of vie0 of the
observers?
1ife as observed only fro' the s&ientifi& *oint of vie0 is bare abstra&tionI it is not &on&rete
lifeI nor is life as observed only in the interrelated-0ill-attitude *oint of vie0 the 0hole of
life? Both are abstra&tions? Con&rete life in&ludes both *hases? .oreover, Professor
.unsterberg sees life in the relationshi* entirely inde*endent-of ti'e, s*a&e, and &ausality,
sayingJ K=f you agree or disagree 0ith the latest a&t of the 6ussian CBar, the only signifi&ant
relation 0hi&h e-ists bet0een hi' and you has nothing to do 0ith the naturalisti& fa&t that
geogra*hi&ally @an o&ean lies bet0een youI and if you are really a student of Plato, your only
i'*ortant relation to the Greek *hiloso*her has nothing to do 0ith the other naturalisti& fa&t
that biologi&ally t0o thousand years lie bet0een youKI and de&lares life #seen fro' that *oint
of vie0$ to be i''ortal and eternal? This is as 'u&h as to say that life, 0hen seen in the
relationshi* inde*endent of ti'e and s*a&e, is inde*endent of ti'e and s*a&e-that is,
i''ortal and eternal? =s it not 'ere tautologyD 8e is in the right in insisting that life &an be
seen fro' the s&ientifi& *oint of vie0 as a syste' of *hysiologi&al and *sy&hologi&al
*ro&esses, and at the sa'e ti'e as a syste' of interrelated-0ill-attitudes inde*endent of ti'e
and s*a&e? But he &annot by that 'eans *rove the e-isten&e of &on&rete individual life 0hi&h
is eternal and i''ortal, be&ause that 0hi&h is inde*endent of ti'e and s*a&e is the
relationshi* in 0hi&h he observes life, but not life itself? Therefore 0e have to noti&e that life
held by Professor .unsterberg to be eternal and i''ortal is 5uite a different thing fro' the
eternal life or i''ortality of soul believed by &o''on sense?
? 1ife in the Con&rete?
1ife in the &on&rete, 0hi&h 0e are living, greatly differs fro' life in the abstra&t, 0hi&h e-ists
only in the &lass-roo'? =t is not eternalI it is fleetingI it is full of an-ieties, *ains, struggles,
brutalities, disa**oint'ents, and &ala'ities? 2e love life, ho0ever, -not only for its
s'oothness, but for its roughnessI not only for its *leasure, but for its *ainI not only for its
ho*e, but for its fearI not only for its flo0ers, but for its frost and sno0? 9s =ssaiEA%F((3G
#Sato$ has a*tly *ut itJ KPros*erity is like s*ring, in 0hi&h 0e have green leaves and flo0ers
0herever 0e goI 0hile adversity is like 0inter, in 0hi&h 0e have sno0 and i&e? S*ring, of
&ourse, *leases usI 0inter, too, dis*leases us not?K 9dversity is salt to our lives, as it kee*s
the' fro' &orru*tion, no 'atter ho0 bitter to taste it 0ay be? =t is the best sti'ulus to body
and 'ind, sin&e it brings forth latent energy that 'ay re'ain dor'ant but for it? .ost *eo*le
hunt after *leasure, look for good lu&k, hunger after su&&ess, and &o'*lain of *ain, ill-lu&k,
and failure? =t does not o&&ur to the' that @they 0ho 'ake good lu&k a god are all unlu&ky
'en,@ as George ,liot has 0isely observed? Pleasure &eases to be *leasure 0hen 0e attain to
itI another sort of *leasure dis*lays itself to te'*t us? =t is a 'irage, it be&kons to us to lead us
astray? 2hen an over0hel'ing 'isfortune looks us in the fa&e, our latent *o0er is sure to be
aroused to gra**le 0ith it? ,ven deli&ate girls e-ert the *o0er of giants at the ti'e of
e'ergen&yI even robbers or 'urderers are found to be kind and generous 0hen 0e are
thro0n into a &o''on disaster? Troubles and diffi&ulties &all forth our divine for&e, 0hi&h
lies dee*er than the ordinary fa&ulties, and 0hi&h 0e never before drea'ed 0e *ossessed?
EA%F((3G 9 noted s&holar #;;(-<7!$ and author, 0ho belonged to the
2ang S&hool of Confu&ianis'? See Gen-shi-roku?
(? )iffi&ulties are no .at&h for the O*ti'ist?
8o0 &an 0e su**ose that 0e, the &hildren of Buddha, are *ut at the 'er&y of *etty troubles,
or intended to be &rushed by obsta&lesD 9re 0e not endo0ed 0ith inner for&e to fight
su&&essfully against obsta&les and diffi&ulties, and to 0rest tro*hies of glory fro' hardshi*sD
9re 0e to be slaves to the vi&issitudes of fortuneD 9re 0e doo'ed to be vi&ti's for the +a0s
of the environ'entD =t is not e-ternal obsta&les the'selves, but our inner fear and doubt that
*rove to be the stu'bling-blo&ks in the *ath to su&&essI not 'aterial loss, but ti'idity and
hesitation that ruin us for ever?
)iffi&ulties are no 'at&h for the o*ti'ist, 0ho does not fly fro' the', but 0el&o'es the'?
8e has a 'ental *ris' 0hi&h &an se*arate the insi*id 0hite light of e-isten&e into bright
hues? 8e has a 'ental al&he'y by 0hi&h he &an *rodu&e golden instru&tion out of the dross
of failure? 8e has a s*iritual 'agi& 0hi&h 'akes the ne&tar of +oy out of the tears of sorro0?
8e has a &lairvoyant eye that &an *er&eive the e-isten&e of ho*e through the iron 0alls of
des*air? Pros*erity tends to 'ake one forget the gra&e of Buddha, but adversity brings forth
one@s religious &onvi&tion? Christ on the &ross 0as 'ore Christ than Jesus at the table? 1uther
at 0ar 0ith the Po*e 0as 'ore 1uther than he at *ea&e? %i&hi-renEA%F((7G laid the
foundation of his &hur&h 0hen s0ord and s&e*tre threatened hi' 0ith death? Shin-
ranEA%F((:G and 8en-enEA%F((;G established their res*e&tive faiths 0hen they 0ere e-iled?
2hen they 0ere e-iled, they &o'*lained not, resented not, regretted not, re*ented not,
la'ented not, but &ontentedly and +oyously they 'et 0ith their inevitable &ala'ity and
&on5uered it? 8o-nen is said to have been still 'ore +oyous and &ontented 0hen be bad
suffered fro' a serious disease, be&ause he had the &onvi&tion that his desired end 0as at
hand?
EA%F((7G The founder #(((-(<($ of the %i&hi 6en Se&t, 0ho 0as e-iled in (; to the
=sland of Sado? Aor the history and do&trine of the Se&t, see = 9 Short 8istory of the T0elve
Ja*anese Buddhist Se&ts,@ by B? %an+o, **? "(-3;?
EA%F((:G The founder #;"-(:($ of the Shin Se&t, 0ho 0as banished to the *rovin&e of
,e&higo in (>;? See %an+o@s @8istory,@ **? ((-"?
EA%F((;G The founder #" (($ of the Jo )o Se&t, 0ho 0as e-iled to the =sland of Tosa in
(>;? See %an+o@s @8istory,@ **? >3-"?
9 Chinese 'onk, , K0ai by na'e, one day seated hi'self in a 5uiet *la&e a'ong hills and
*ra&tised )hyana? %one 0as there to disturb the &al' en+oy'ent of his 'editation? The
genius of the hill 0as so 'u&h stung by his envy that he 'ade u* his 'ind to break by
sur*rise the 'ental serenity of the 'onk? 8aving su**osed nothing ordinary 0ould be
effe&tive, he a**eared all on a sudden before the 'an, assu'ing the frightful for' of a
headless 'onster? , K0ai being disturbed not a 0hit, &al'ly eyed the 'onster, and observed
0ith a s'ileJ KThou hast no head, 'onsterO 8o0 ha**y thou shouldst be, for thou art in no
danger of losing thy head, nor of suffering fro' heada&heOK
2ere 0e born headless, should 0e not be ha**y, as 0e have to suffer fro' no heada&heD
2ere 0e born eyeless, should 0e not be ha**y, as 0e are in no danger of suffering fro' eye
diseaseD 8o Ki =&hi,EA%F((<G a great blind s&holar, 0as one evening giving a le&ture, 0ithout
kno0ing that the light had been *ut out by the 0ind? 2hen his *u*ils re5uested hi' to sto*
for a 'o'ent, he re'arked 0ith a s'ileJ K2hy, ho0 in&onvenient are your eyesOK 2here
there is &ontent'ent, there is Paradise?
EA%F((<G 8ana0a #;3:-<($, 0ho *ublished Gun-sho-rui-Bu in ;<(?
"? )o Thy Best and 1eave the 6est to Providen&e?
There is another *oint of vie0 0hi&h enables us to en+oy life? =t is si'*ly this, that everything
is *la&ed in the &ondition best for itself, as it is the su' total of the &onse5uen&es of its
a&tions and rea&tions sin&e the da0n of ti'e? Take, for instan&e, the 'inutest grains of dirt
that are regarded by us the 0orst, lifeless, valueless, 'indless, inert 'atter? They are *la&ed in
their best &ondition, no 'atter ho0 *oor and 0orthless they 'ay see'? They &an never
be&o'e a thing higher nor lo0er than they? To be the grains of dirt is best for the'? But for
these 'inute 'i&ro&os's, 0hi&h, flying in the air, refle&t the sunbea's, 0e &ould have no
aBure sky? =t is they that s&atter the sun@s rays in 'id-air and send the' into our roo's? =t is
also these grains of dirt that for' the nu&lei of raindro*s and bring seasonable rain? Thus they
are not things 0orthless and good for nothing, but have a hidden i'*ort and *ur*ose in their
e-isten&e? 8ad they 'ind to think, heart to feel, they should be &ontented and ha**y 0ith
their *resent &ondition?
Take, for another e-a'*le, the flo0ers of the 'orning glory? They bloo' and s'ile every
'orning, fade and die in a fe0 hours? 8o0 fleeting and e*he'eral their lives areO But it is
that short life itself that 'akes the' frail, deli&ate, and lovely? They &o'e forth all at on&e as
bright and beautiful as a rainbo0 or as the %orthern light, and disa**ear like drea's? This is
the best &ondition for the', be&ause, if they last for days together, the 'orning glory shall no
longer be the 'orning glory? =t is so 0ith the &herry-tree that *uts forth the loveliest flo0ers
and bears bitter fruits? =t is so 0ith the a**le-tree, 0hi&h bears the s0eetest of fruits and has
ugly blosso's? =t is so 0ith ani'als and 'en? ,a&h of the' is *la&ed in the &ondition best for
his a**ointed 'ission?
The ne0ly-born baby su&ks, slee*s, and &ries? =t &an do no 'ore nor less? =s it not best for it
to do soD 2hen it attained to its boyhood, he goes to s&hool and is ad'itted to the first-year
&lass? 8e &annot be *ut in a higher nor lo0er &lass? =t is best for hi' to be the first-year &lass
student? 2hen his s&hool edu&ation is over, he 'ay get a *osition in so&iety a&&ording to his
abilities, or 'ay lead a 'iserable life o0ing to his failure of so'e sort or other? =n any &ase he
is in a *osition best for his s*e&ial 'ission ordained by Providen&e or the 8u'-total of the
fruits of his a&tions and rea&tions sin&e all eternity? 8e should be &ontented and ha**y, and do
0hat is right 0ith 'ight and 'ain? )is&ontent and ve-ation only 'ake hi' 'ore 0orthy of
his ruin Therefore our *ositions, no 'atter, ho0 high or lo0, no 'atter ho0 favourable or
unfavourable our environ'ent, 0e are to be &heerful? K)o thy best and leave the rest to
Providen&e,K says a Chinese adage? 1ongfello0 also saysJ
K)o thy bestI that is best?
1eave unto thy 1ord the rest?K
CHAPTER VIII
THE TRAINING OF THE MIND AND THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION
? The .ethod of =nstru&tion 9do*ted by 4en .asters?
Thus far 0e have des&ribed the do&trine of 4en in&ul&ated by both Chinese and Ja*anese
'asters, and in this &ha*ter 0e *ro*ose to sket&h the *ra&ti&e of 'ental training and the
'ethod of *ra&tising )hyana or .editation? 4en tea&hers never instru&t their *u*ils by 'eans
of e-*lanation or argu'ent, but urge the' to solve by the'selves through the *ra&ti&e of
.editation su&h *roble's asH@2hat is BuddhaD@ 2hat is selfD@ @2hat is the s*irit of
Bodhidhar'aD@ @2hat is life and deathD@ @2hat is the real nature of 'indD@ and so on? Ten
Sh0ai #To-sotsu$, for instan&e, 0as 0ont to *ut three 5uestionsEA%F((!G to the follo0ing
effe&tJ #$ Cour study and dis&i*line ai' at the understanding of the real nature of 'ind?
2here does the real nature of 'ind e-istD #($ 2hen you understand the real nature of 'ind,
you are free fro' birth and death? 8o0 &an you be saved 0hen you are at the verge of deathD
#"$ 2hen you are free fro' birth and death, you kno0 0here you go after death? 2here do
you go 0hen your body is redu&ed to ele'entsD The *u*ils are not re5uested to e-*ress their
solution of these *roble's in the for' of a theory or an argu'ent, but to sho0 ho0 they have
gras*ed the *rofound 'eaning i'*lied in these *roble's, ho0 they have established their
&onvi&tion, and ho0 they &an &arry out 0hat they gras*ed in their daily life?
EA%F((!G The fa'ous three diffi&ult 5uestions, kno0n as the Three
Gates of Teu Sh0ai #To Sotsu San K0an$, 0ho died in >!? See .u .on
K0an, -lvii?
9 Chinese 4en 'asterEA%F(">G tells us that the 'ethod of instru&tion ado*ted by 4en 'ay
a*tly be &o'*ared 0ith that of an old burglar 0ho taught his son the art of burglary? The
burglar one evening said to his little son, 0ho' he desired to instru&t in the se&ret of his
tradeJ K2ould you not, 'y dear boy, be a great burglar like 'yselfDK KCes, father,K re*lied the
*ro'ising young 'an?K KCo'e 0ith 'e, then? = 0ill tea&h you the art?K So saying, the 'an
0ent out, follo0ed by his son? Ainding a ri&h 'ansion in a &ertain village, the veteran burglar
'ade a hole in the 0all that surrounded it? Through that hole they &re*t into the yard, and
o*ening a 0indo0 0ith &o'*lete ease broke into the house, 0here they found a huge bo-
fir'ly lo&ked u* as if its &ontents 0ere very valuable arti&les? The old 'an &la**ed his hands
at the lo&k, 0hi&h, strange to tell, unfastened itself? Then he re'oved the &over and told his
son to get into it and *i&k u* treasures as fast as he &ould? %o sooner had the boy entered the
bo- than the father re*la&ed the &over and lo&ked it u*? 8e then e-&lai'ed at the to* of his
voi&eJ KThiefO thiefO thiefO thiefOK Thus, having aroused the in'ates, he 0ent out 0ithout
taking anything? 9ll the house 0as in utter &onfusion for a 0hileI but finding nothing stolen,
they 0ent to bed again? The boy sat holding his breath a short 0hileI but 'aking u* his 'ind
to get out of his narro0 *rison, began to s&rat&h the botto' of the bo- 0ith his finger-nails?
The servant of the house, listening to the noise, su**osed it to be a 'ouse gna0ing at the
inside of the bo-I so she &a'e out, la'* in hand, and unlo&ked it? On re'oving the &over, she
0as greatly sur*rised to find the boy instead of a little 'ouse, and gave alar'? =n the
'eanti'e the boy got out of the bo- and 0ent do0n into the yard, hotly *ursued by the
*eo*le? 8e ran as fast as *ossible to0ard the 0ell, *i&ked u* a large stone, thre0 it do0n into
it, and hid hi'self a'ong the bushes? The *ursuers, thinking the thief fell into the 0ell,
asse'bled around it, and 0ere looking into it, 0hile the boy &re*t out unnoti&ed through the
hole and 0ent ho'e in safety? Thus the burglar taught his son ho0 to rid hi'self of
over0hel'ing diffi&ulties by his o0n effortsI so also 4en tea&hers tea&h their *u*ils ho0 to
over&o'e diffi&ulties that beset the' on all sides and 0ork out salvation by the'selves?
EA%F(">G 2u Tsu #Go So$, the tea&her of Cuen 2u #,n Go$?
(? The Airst Ste* in the .ental Training?
So'e of the old 4en 'asters are said to have attained to su*re'e ,nlighten'ent after the
*ra&ti&e of .editation for one 0eek, so'e for one day, so'e for a s&ore of years, and so'e
for a fe0 'onths? The *ra&ti&e of .editation, ho0ever, is not si'*ly a 'eans for
,nlighten'ent, as is usually su**osed, but also it is the en+oy'ent of %irvana, or the
beatitude of 4en? =t is a 'atter, of &ourse, that 0e have fully to understand the do&trine of
4en, and that 0e have to go through the 'ental training *e&uliar to 4en in order to be
,nlightened?
The first ste* in the 'ental training is to be&o'e the 'aster of e-ternal things? 8e 0ho is
addi&ted to 0orldly *leasures, ho0ever learned or ignorant he 'ay be, ho0ever high or lo0
his so&ial *osition 'ay be, is a servant to 'ere things? 8e &annot ada*t the e-ternal 0orld to
his o0n end, but he ada*ts hi'self to it? 8e is &onstantly e'*loyed, ordered, driven by
sensual ob+e&ts? =nstead of taking *ossession of 0ealth, he is *ossessed by 0ealth? =nstead of
drinking li5uors, he is s0allo0ed u* by his li5uors? Balls and 'usi& bid hi' to run 'ad?
Ga'es and sho0s order hi' not to stay at ho'e? 8ouses, furniture, *i&tures, 0at&hes, &hains,
hats, bonnets, rings, bra&elets, shoesHin short, everything has a 0ord to &o''and hi'? 8o0
&an su&h a *erson be the 'aster of thingsD To Ju #%a-kae$ saysJ KThere is a great +ail, not a
+ail for &ri'inals, that &ontains the 0orld in it? Aa'e, gain, *ride, and bigotry for' its four
0alls? Those 0ho are &onfined in it fall a *rey to sorro0 and sigh for ever?K
To be the ruler of things 0e have first to shut u* all our senses, and turn the &urrents of
thoughts in0ard, and see ourselves as the &entre of the 0orld, and 'editate that 0e are the
beings of highest intelligen&eI that Buddha never *uts us at the 'er&y of natural for&esI that
the earth is in our *ossessionI that everything on earth is to be 'ade use of for our noble
endsI that fire, 0ater, air, grass, trees, rivers, hills, thunder, &loud, stars, the 'oon, the sun, are
at our &o''andI that 0e are the la0-givers of the natural *heno'enaI that 0e are the 'akers
of the *heno'enal 0orldI that it is 0e that a**oint a 'ission through life, and deter'ine the
fate of 'an?
"? The %e-t Ste* in the .ental Training?
=n the ne-t *la&e 0e have to strive to be the 'aster of our bodies? 2ith 'ost of the
unenlightened, body holds absolute &ontrol over Self? ,very order of the for'er has to be
faithfully obeyed by the latter? ,ven if Self revolts against the tyranny of body, it is easily
tra'*led do0n under the brutal hoofs of bodily *assion? Aor e-a'*le, Self 0ants to be
te'*erate for the sake of health, and 0ould fain *ass by the resort for drinking, but body
0ould for&e Self into it? Self at ti'es lays do0n a stri&t dieteti& rule for hi'self, but body
0ould threaten Self to a&t against both the letter and s*irit of the rule? %o0 Self as*ires to get
on a higher *la&e a'ong sages, but body *ulls Self do0n to the *ave'ent of 'asses? %o0
Self *ro*oses to give so'e 'oney to the *oor, but body &loses the *urse tightly? %o0 Self
ad'ires divine beauty, but body &o'*els hi' to *refer sensuality? 9gain, Self likes s*iritual
liberty, but body &onfines hi' in its dungeons?
Therefore, to get ,nlightened, 0e 'ust establish the authority of Self over the 0hole body?
2e 'ust use our bodies as 0e use our &lothes in order to a&&o'*lish our noble *ur*oses? 1et
us &o''and body not to shudder under a &old sho0er-bath in in&le'ent 0eather, not to be
nervous fro' slee*less nights, not to be si&k 0ith any sort of food, not to groan under a
surgeon@s knife, not to su&&u'b even if 0e stand a 0hole day in the 'idsu''er sun, not to
break do0n under any for' of disease, not to be e-&ited in the thi&k of battlefieldHin brief,
0e have to &ontrol our body as 0e 0ill?
Sit in a 5uiet *la&e and 'editate in i'agination that body is no 'ore bondage to you, that it is
your 'a&hine for your 0ork of life, that you are not flesh, that you are the governor of it, that
you &an use it at *leasure, and that it al0ays obeys your order faithfully? ='agine body as
se*arated fro' you? 2hen it &ries out, sto* it instantly, as a 'other does her baby? 2hen it
disobeys you, &orre&t it by dis&i*line, as a 'aster does his *u*il? 2hen it is 0anton, ta'e it
do0n, as a horse-breaker does his 0ild horse? 2hen it is si&k, *res&ribe to it, as a do&tor does
to his *atient? ='agine that you are not a bit in+ured, even if it strea's bloodI that you are
entirely safe, even if it is dro0ned in 0ater or burned by fire?
,-Shun, a *u*il and sister of 6yo-an,EA%F("G a fa'ous Ja*anese 'aster, burned herself
&al'ly sitting &ross-legged on a *ile of fire0ood 0hi&h &onsu'ed her? She attained to the
&o'*lete 'astery of her body? So&rates@ self 0as never *oisoned, even if his *erson 0as
destroyed by the veno' he took? 9braha' 1in&oln hi'self stood unhar'ed, even if his body
0as laid lo0 by the assassin? .asa-shige 0as 5uite safe, even if his body 0as he0ed by the
traitors@ s0ords? Those 'artyrs that sang at the stake to the *raise of God &ould never be
burned, even if their bodies 0ere redu&ed to ashes, nor those seekers after truth 0ho 0ere
killed by ignoran&e and su*erstition? =s it not a great *ity to see a 'an endo0ed 0ith divine
s*irit and *o0er easily u*set by a bit of heada&he, or &rying as a &hild under a surgeon@s
knife, or a*t to give u* the ghost at the &o'ing of little danger, or tre'bling through a little
&old, or easily laid lo0 by a bit of indis*osition, or yielding to trivial te'*tationD
EA%F("G 6yo an #,-'yo, died 3$, the founder of the 'onastery of
Sai-+o-+i, near the &ity of Oda0ara? See To-+o-ren-to-roku?
=t is no easy 'atter to be the di&tator of body? =t is not a 'atter of theory, but of *ra&ti&e? Cou
'ust train your body that you 'ay enable it to bear any sort of suffering, and to stand
unflin&hed in the fa&e of hardshi*? =t is for this that So-raiEA%F("(G #Ogiu$ laid hi'self on a
sheet of stra0-'at s*read on the ground in the &oldest nights of 0inter, or 0as used to go u*
and do0n the roof of his house, having hi'self &lad in heavy ar'our? =t is for this that an&ient
Ja*anese soldiers led e-tre'ely si'*le lives, and that they often held the 'eeting-of-
*erseveran&e,EA%F(""G in 0hi&h they e-*osed the'selves to the &oldest 0eather in 0inter or
to the hottest 0eather in su''er? =t is for this that Katsu 90a *ra&tised fen&ing in the 'iddle
of night in a dee* forest?EA%F("3G
EA%F("(G One of the greatest s&holars of the Tokuga0a *eriod, 0ho died in ;(<? See ,tsu-
0a-bun-ko?
EA%F(""G The soldiers of the Tokuga0a *eriod 0ere used to hold su&h a 'eeting?
EA%F("3G Kai-shu-gen-ko-roku?
Ki-saburo, although he 0as a 'ere outla0, having his left ar' half &ut at the elbo0 in a
5uarrel, ordered his servant to &ut it off 0ith a sa0, and during the o*eration he &ould &al'ly
sit talking and laughing 0ith his friends? 8iko-kuro #Takaya'a$,EA%F("7G a Ja*anese loyalist
of note, one evening ha**ened to &o'e to a bridge 0here t0o robbers 0ere lying in 0ait for
hi'? They lay fully stret&hing the'selves, ea&h 0ith his head in the 'iddle of the bridge, that
he 'ight not *ass a&ross it 0ithout tou&hing the'? 8iko-kuro 0as not e-&ited nor
disheartened, but &al'ly a**roa&hed the vagabonds and *assed the bridge, treading u*on
their heads, 0hi&h a&t so frightened the' that they took to their heels 0ithout doing any har'
to hi'?EA%F(":G
EA%F("7G 9 0ell-kno0n loyalist in the Tokuga0a *eriod, 0ho died in ;!"?
EA%F(":G ,tsu-0a-bun-ko?
The history of 4en is full of the ane&dotes that sho0 4en *riests 0ere the lords of their
bodies? 8ere 0e 5uote a single e-a'*le by 0ay of illustrationJ Ta 80ui #)ai-ye$, on&e
having had a boil on his hi*, sent for a do&tor, 0ho told hi' that it 0as fatal, that he 'ust not
sit in .editation as usual? Then Ta 80ui said to the *hysi&ianJ K= 'ust sit in .editation 0ith
all 'y 'ight during 'y re'aining days, for if your diagnosis be not 'istaken, = shall die
before long?K 8e sat day and night in &onstant .editation, 5uite forgetful of his boil, 0hi&h
0as broken and gone by itself?EA%F(";G
EA%F(";G Sho-bo-gen-Bo-Bui-'on-ki, by )o-gen?
3? The Third Ste* in the .ental Training?
To be the lord of 'ind is 'ore essential to ,nlighten'ent, 0hi&h, in a sense, is the &learing
a0ay of illusions, the *utting out of 'ean desires and *assions, and the a0akening of the
inner'ost 0isdo'? 8e alone &an attain to real ha**iness 0ho has *erfe&t &ontrol over his
*assions tending to disturb the e5uilibriu' of his 'ind? Su&h *assions as anger, hatred,
+ealousy, sorro0, 0orry, grudge, and fear al0ays untune one@s 'ood and break the har'ony
of one@s 'ind? They *oison one@s body, not in a figurative, but in a literal sense of the 0ord?
Obno-ious *assions on&e aroused never fail to bring about the *hysiologi&al &hange in the
nerves, in the organs, and eventually in the 0hole &onstitution, and leave those in+urious
i'*ressions that 'ake one 'ore liable to *assions of si'ilar nature?
2e do not 'ean, ho0ever, that 0e ought to be &old and *assionless, as the 'ost an&ient
8inayanists 0ere used to be? Su&h an attitude has been bla'ed by 4en 'asters? K2hat is the
best 0ay of living for us 'onksDK asked a 'onk to Cun Ku #Un-go$, 0ho re*liedJ KCou had
better live a'ong 'ountains?K Then the 'onk bo0ed *olitely to the tea&her, 0ho 5uestionedJ
K8o0 did you understand 'eDK K.onks, as = understood,K ans0ered the 'an, Kought to kee*
their hearts as i''ovable as 'ountains, not being 'oved either by good or by evil, either by
birth or by death, either by *ros*erity or by adversity?K 8ereu*on Cun Ku stru&k the 'onk
0ith his sti&k and saidJ KCou forsake the 2ay of the old sages, and 0ill bring 'y follo0ers to
*erditionOK Then, turning to another 'onk, in5uiredJ K8o0 did you understand 'eDK K.onks,
as = understand,K re*lied the 'an, Kought to shut their eyes to attra&tive sights and &lose their
ears to 'usi&al notes?K KCou, too,K e-&lai'ed Cun Ka, Kforsake the 2ay of the old sages, and
0ill bring 'y follo0ers to *erditionOK 9n old 0o'an, to 5uote another e-a'*le re*eatedly
told by 4en 'asters, used to give food and &lothing to a 'onk for a s&ore of years? One day
she instru&ted a young girl to e'bra&e and ask hi'J K8o0 do you feel no0DK K9 lifeless
tree,K re*lied the 'onk &oolly, Kstands on &old ro&k? There is no 0ar'th, as if in the &oldest
season of the year?K The 'atron, being told of this, observedJ KOh that = have 'ade offerings
to su&h a vulgar fello0 for t0enty yearsOK She for&ed the 'onk to leave the te'*le and
redu&ed it to ashes?EA%F("<G
EA%F("<G These instan&es are 5uoted fro' 4en-rin-rui-shu?
=f you 0ant to se&ure )hyana, let go of your an-ieties and failures in the *astI let bygones be
bygonesI &ast aside en'ity, sha'e, and trouble, never ad'it the' into your brainI let *ass the
i'agination and anti&i*ation of future hardshi*s and sufferingsI let go of all your annoyan&es,
ve-ations, doubts, 'elan&holies, that i'*ede your s*eed in the ra&e of the struggle for
e-isten&e? 9s the 'iser sets his heart on 0orthless dross and a&&u'ulates it, so an
unenlightened *erson &lings to 0orthless 'ental dross and s*iritual rubbish, and 'akes his
'ind a dust-hea*? So'e *eo*le &onstantly d0ell on the 'inute details of their unfortunate
&ir&u'stan&es, to 'ake the'selves 'ore unfortunate than they really areI so'e go over and
over again the sy'*to's of their disease to think the'selves into serious illnessI and so'e
a&tually bring evils on the' by having the' &onstantly in vie0 and 0aiting for the'? 9 'an
asked Poh Chang #8yaku-+o$J K8o0 shall = learn the 1a0DK K,at 0hen you are hungry,K
re*lied the tea&herI K slee* 0hen you are tired? Peo*le do not si'*ly eat at table, but think of
hundreds of thingsI they do not si'*ly slee* in bed, but think of thousands of
things?KEA%F("!G
EA%F("!G ,-gen and )en-to-roku?
9 ridi&ulous thing it is, in fa&t, that 'an or 0o'an, endo0ed 0ith the sa'e nature as
Buddha@s, born the lord of all 'aterial ob+e&ts, is ever u*set by *etty &ares, haunted by the
fearful *hanto's of his or her o0n &reation, and burning u* his or her energy in a fit of
*assion, 0asting his or her vitality for the sake of foolish or insignifi&ant things?
=t is a 'an 0ho &an kee* the balan&e of his 'ind under any &ir&u'stan&es, 0ho &an be &al'
and serene in the hottest strife of life, that is 0orthy of su&&ess, re0ard, res*e&t, and
re*utation, for he is the 'aster of 'en? =t 0as at the age of forty-seven that 2ang Cang
.ingEA%F(3>G #O-yo-'ei$ 0on a s*lendid vi&tory over the rebel ar'y 0hi&h threatened the
throne of the .ing dynasty? )uring that 0arfare 2ang 0as giving a &ourse of le&tures to a
nu'ber of students at the head5uarters of the ar'y, of 0hi&h he 0as the Co''ander-in-
&hief? 9t the very outset of the battle a 'essenger brought hi' the ne0s of defeat of the
fore'ost ranks? 9ll the students 0ere terror-stri&ken and gre0 *ale at the unfortunate tidings,
but the tea&her 0as not a 0hit disturbed by it? So'e ti'e after another 'essenger brought in
the ne0s of &o'*lete rout of the ene'y? 9ll the students, enra*tured, stood u* and &heered,
but he 0as as &ool as before, and did not break off le&turing? Thus the *ra&tiser of 4en has so
*erfe&t &ontrol over his heart that he &an kee* *resen&e of 'ind under an i'*ending danger,
even in the *resen&e of death itself?
EA%F(3>G The founder of the 2ang S&hool of Confu&ianis', a *ra&tiser of .editation, 0ho
0as born in 3;(, and died at the age of fifty-seven in 7(!?
=t 0as at the age of t0enty-three that 8aku-in got on board a boat bound for the ,astern
Provin&es, 0hi&h 'et 0ith a te'*est and 0as al'ost 0re&ked? 9ll the *assengers 0ere laid
lo0 0ith fear and fatigue, but 8aku-in en+oyed a 5uiet slee* during the stor', as if he 0ere
lying on a &o'fortable bed? =t 0as in the fifth of .ei-+i era that )oku-onEA%F(3G lived for
so'e ti'e in the &ity of Tokyo, 0ho' so'e Christian Bealots atte'*ted to 'urder? One day
he 'et 0ith a fe0 young 'en e5ui**ed 0ith s0ords at the gate of his te'*le? K2e 0ant to
see )oku-onI go and tell hi',K said they to the *riest? K= a' )oku-on,K re*lied he &al'ly,
K0ho' you 0ant to see, gentle'en? 2hat &an = do for youDK K2e have &o'e to ask you a
favourI 0e are ChristiansI 0e 0ant your hoary head?K So saying they 0ere ready to atta&k
hi', 0ho, s'iling, re*liedJ K9ll right, gentle'en? Behead 'e forth0ith, if you *lease?K
Sur*rised by this une-*e&ted boldness on the *art of the *riest, they turned ba&k 0ithout
har'ing even a hair of the old Buddhist?EA%F(3(G
EA%F(3G )oku On #Ogino$, a distinguished 4en 'aster, an abbot of
So-koku-+i, 0ho 0as born in <<, and died in <!7?
EA%F(3(G Kin-sei-Ben-rin-gen-ko-roku, by )? .ori?
These tea&hers &ould through long *ra&ti&e &onstantly kee* their 'inds buoyant, &asting aside
useless en&u'bran&es of idle thoughtsI bright, driving off the dark &loud of 'elan&holyI
tran5uil, *utting do0n turbulent 0aves of *assionI *ure, &leaning a0ay the dust and ashes of
illusionI and serene, brushing off the &ob0ebs of doubt and fear? The only 'eans of se&uring
all this is to realiBe the &ons&ious union 0ith the Universal 1ife through the ,nlightened
Cons&iousness, 0hi&h &an be a0akened by dint of )hyana?
7? 4aBen, or the Sitting in .editation?
8abit &o'es out of *ra&ti&e, and for's &hara&ter by degrees, and eventually 0orks out
destiny? Therefore 0e 'ust *ra&ti&ally so0 o*ti'is', and habitually nourish it in order to
rea* the blissful fruit of ,nlighten'ent? The sole 'eans of se&uring 'ental &al'ness is the
*ra&ti&e of 4aBen, or the sitting in .editation? This 'ethod 0as kno0n in =ndia as Coga as
early as the U*anisad *eriod, and develo*ed by the follo0ers of the Coga syste'?EA%F(3"G
But Buddhists shar*ly distinguished 4aBen fro' Coga, and have the 'ethod *e&uliar to
the'selves? Kei-BanEA%F(33G des&ribes the 'ethod to the follo0ing effe&tJ @Se&ure a 5uiet
roo' neither e-tre'ely light nor e-tre'ely dark, neither very 0ar' nor very &old, a roo', if
you &an, in the Buddhist te'*le lo&ated in a beautiful 'ountainous distri&t? Cou should not
*ra&tise 4aBen in a *la&e 0here a &onflagration or a flood or robbers 'ay be likely to disturb
you, nor should you sit in a *la&e &lose by the sea or drinking-sho*s or brothel-houses, or the
houses of 0ido0s and of 'aidens or buildings for 'usi&, nor should you live in &lose
*ro-i'ity to the *la&e fre5uented by kings, 'inisters, *o0erful states'en, a'bitious or
insin&ere *ersons? Cou 'ust not sit in .editation in a 0indy or very high *la&e lest you
should get ill? Be sure not to let the 0ind or s'oke get into your roo', not to e-*ose it to rain
and stor'? Kee* your roo' &lean? Kee* it not too light by day nor too dark by night? Kee* it
0ar' in 0inter and &ool in su''er? )o not sit leaning against a 0all, or a &hair, or a s&reen?
Cou 'ust not 0ear soiled &lothes or beautiful &lothes, for the for'er are the &ause of illness,
0hile the latter the &ause of atta&h'ent? 9void the Three =nsuffi&ien&ies-that is to say,
insuffi&ient &lothes, insuffi&ient food, and insuffi&ient slee*? 9bstain fro' all sorts of
un&ooked or hard or s*oiled or un&lean food, and also fro' very deli&ious dishes, be&ause the
for'er &ause troubles in your ali'entary &anal, 0hile the latter &ause you to &ovet after diet?
,at and drink +ust too a**ease your hunger and thirst, never 'ind 0hether the food be tasty or
not? Take your 'eals regularly and *un&tually, and never sit in .editation i''ediately after
any 'eal? )o not *ra&tise )hyana soon after you have taken a heavy dinner, lest you should
get si&k thereby? Sesa'e, barley, &orn, *otatoes, 'ilk, and the like are the best 'aterial for
your food? Are5uently 0ash your eyes, fa&e, hands, and feet, and kee* the' &ool and &lean?
EA%F(3"G See Coga Sutra 0ith the Co''entary of Bho+a 6a+a #translated by 6a+endralala
.itra$, **? >(->3?
EA%F(33G Kei-Ban #Jo-kin$, the founder of So-+i-+i, the head te'*le of the So To Se&t of 4en,
0ho died at the age of fifty-eight in "(7? 8e sets forth the do&trine of 4en and the 'ethod of
*ra&tising 4aBen in his fa'ous 0ork, entitled 4a-Ben-yo-+in-ki?
@There are t0o *ostures in 4aBenHthat is to say, the &rossed-leg sitting, and the half &rossed-
leg sitting? Seat yourself on a thi&k &ushion, *utting it right under your haun&h? Kee* your
body so ere&t that the ti* of the nose and the navel are in one *er*endi&ular line, and both ears
and shoulders are in the sa'e *lane? Then *la&e the right foot u*on the left thigh, the left foot
on the right thigh, so as the legs &o'e a&ross ea&h other? %e-t *ut your right hand 0ith the
*al' u*0ard on the left foot, and your left hand on the right *al' 0ith the to*s of both the
thu'bs tou&hing ea&h other? This is the *osture &alled the &rossed-leg sitting? Cou 'ay si'*ly
*la&e the left foot u*on the right thigh, the *osition of the hands being the sa'e as in the
&ross-legged sitting? This *osture is na'ed the half &rossed-leg sitting?@
@)o not shut your eyes, kee* the' al0ays o*en during 0hole .editation? )o not breathe
through the 'outhI *ress your tongue against the roof of the 'outh, *utting the u**er li*s and
teeth together 0ith the lo0er? S0ell your abdo'en so as to hold the breath in the bellyI
breathe rhyth'i&ally through the nose, kee*ing a 'easured ti'e for ins*iration and
e-*iration? Count for so'e ti'e either the ins*iring or the e-*iring breaths fro' one to ten,
then beginning 0ith one again? Con&entrate your attention on your breaths going in and out as
if you are the sentinel standing at the gate of the nostrils? =f you do so'e 'istake in &ounting,
or be forgetful of the breath, it is evident that your 'ind is distra&ted?@
Ch0ang TsB see's to have noti&ed that the har'ony of breathing is ty*i&al of the har'ony of
'ind, sin&e he saysJ KThe true 'en of old did not drea' 0hen they sle*t? Their breathing
&a'e dee* and silently? The breathing of true 'en &o'es #even$ fro' his heels, 0hile 'en
generally breathe #only$ fro' their throats?KEA%F(37G 9t any rate, the &ounting of breaths is
an e-*edient for &al'ing do0n of 'ind, and elaborate rules are given in the 4en Sutra,
EA%F(3:G but Chinese and Ja*anese 4en 'asters do not lay so 'u&h stress on this *oint as
=ndian tea&hers?
EA%F(37G Ch0ang TsB, vol? iii?, *? (?
EA%F(3:G )har'atara-dhyana-sutra?
:? The Breathing ,-er&ise of the Cogi?
Breathing e-er&ise is one of the *ra&ti&es of Coga, and so'e0hat si'ilar in its 'ethod and
end to those of 4en? 2e 5uote hereEA%F(3;G Cogi 6a'a&haraka to sho0 ho0 'odern Cogis
*ra&tise itJ K#$ Stand or sit ere&t? Breathing through the nostrils, inhale steadily, first filling
the lo0er *art of the lungs, 0hi&h is a&&o'*lished by bringing into *lay the dia*hrag',
0hi&h, des&ending, e-erts a gentle *ressure on the abdo'inal organs, *ushing for0ard the
front 0alls of the abdo'en? Then fill the 'iddle *art of the lungs, *ushing out the lo0er ribs,
breastbone, and &hest? Then fill the higher *ortion of the lungs, *rotruding the u**er &hest,
thus lifting the &hest, in&luding the u**er si- or seven *airs of ribs? =n the final 'ove'ent the
lo0er *art of the abdo'en 0ill be slightly dra0n in, 0hi&h 'ove'ent gives the lungs a
su**ort, and also hel*s to fill the highest *art of the lungs? 9t the first reading it 'ay a**ear
that this breath &onsists of three distin&t 'ove'ents? This, ho0ever, is not the &orre&t idea?
The inhalation is &ontinuous, the entire &hest &avity fro' the lo0er dia*hrag' to the highest
*oint of the &hest in the region of the &ollar-bone being e-*anded 0ith a unifor' 'ove'ent?
9void a +erking series of inhalations, and strive to attain a steady, &ontinuous a&tion? Pra&ti&e
0ill soon over&o'e the tenden&y to divide the inhalation into three 'ove'ents, and 0ill
result in a unifor' &ontinuous breath? Cou 0ill be able to &o'*lete the inhalation in a &ou*le
of se&onds after a little *ra&ti&e? #($ 6etain the breath a fe0 se&onds? #"$ ,-hale 5uite slo0ly,
holding the &hest in a fir' *osition, and dra0ing the abdo'en in a little and lifting it u*0ard
slo0ly as the air leaves the lungs? 2hen the air is entirely e-haled, rela- the &hest and
abdo'en? 9 little *ra&ti&e 0ill render this *art of e-er&ise easy, and the 'ove'ent on&e
a&5uired 0ill be after0ards *erfor'ed al'ost auto'ati&ally?K
EA%F(3;G 8atha Coga, **? (, "?
;? Cal'ness of .ind?
The Cogi breathing above 'entioned is fit rather for *hysi&al e-er&ise than for 'ental
balan&e, and it 0ill be benefi&ial if you take that e-er&ise before or after .editation? Ja*anese
'asters 'ostly bold it very i'*ortant to *ush for0ard? The lo0est *art of the abdo'en
during 4aBen, and they are right so far as the *resent 0riter@s *ersonal e-*erien&es go?
@=f you feel your 'ind distra&ted, look at the ti* of the noseI never lose sight of it for so'e
ti'e, or look at your o0n *al', and let not your 'ind go out of it, or gaBe at one s*ot before
you?@ This 0ill greatly hel* you in restoring the e5uilibriu' of your 'ind? Ch0ang
TsBEA%F(3<G thought that &al'ness of 'ind is essential to sages, and saidJ KThe stillness of
the sages does not belong to the' as a &onse5uen&e of their skilful abilityI all things are not
able to disturb their 'indsI it is on this a&&ount that they are still? 2hen 0ater is still, its
&learness sho0s the beard and eyebro0s #of hi' 0ho looks into it$? =t is a *erfe&t level, and
the greatest artifi&er takes his rule fro' it? Su&h is the &learness of still 0ater, and ho0 'u&h
greater is that of the hu'an s*iritD The still 'ind of the sage is the 'irror of heaven and
earth, the glass of all things?K
Aorget all 0orldly &on&erns, e-*el all &ares and an-ieties, let go of *assions and desires, give
u* ideas and thoughts, set your 'ind at liberty absolutely, and 'ake it as &lear as a burnished
'irror? Thus let flo0 your ine-haustible fountain of *urity, let o*en your inesti'able treasure
of virtue, bring forth your inner hidden nature of goodness, dis&lose your inner'ost divine
0isdo', and 0aken your ,nlightened Cons&iousness to see Universal 1ife 0ithin you?
K4aBen enables the *ra&tiser,K says Kei-Ban,EA%F(3!G Kto o*en u* his 'ind, to see his o0n
nature, to be&o'e &ons&ious of 'ysteriously *ure and bright s*irit, or eternal light 0ithin
hi'?K
EA%F(3<G Ch0ang TsB, vol? v?, *? 7?
EA%F(3!G 4a-Ben-yo-+in-ki?
On&e be&o'e &ons&ious of )ivine 1ife 0ithin you, yon &an see it in your brethren, no 'atter
ho0 different they 'ay be in &ir&u'stan&es, in abilities, in &hara&ters, in nationalities, in
language, in religion, and in ra&e? Cou &an see it in ani'als, vegetables, and 'inerals, no
'atter ho0 diverse they 'ay be in for', no 'atter ho0 0ild and fero&ious so'e 'ay see'
in nature, no 'atter ho0 unfeeling in heart so'e 'ay see', no 'atter ho0 devoid of
intelligen&e so'e 'ay a**ear, no 'atter ho0 insignifi&ant so'e 'ay be, no 'atter ho0
si'*le in &onstru&tion so'e 'ay be, no 'atter ho0 lifeless so'e 'ay see'? Cou &an see that
the 0hole universe is ,nlightened and *enetrated by )ivine 1ife?
<? 4aBen and the Aorgetting of Self?
4aBen is a 'ost effe&tual 'eans of destroying selfishness, the root of all Sin, folly, vi&e, and
evil, sin&e it enables us to see that every being is endo0ed 0ith divine s*irituality in &o''on
0ith 'en? =t is selfishness that thro0s dark shado0s on life, +ust as it is not the sun but the
body that thro0s shado0 before it? =t is the self-sa'e selfishness that gave rise to the belief in
the i''ortality of soul, in s*ite of its irrationality, foolishness, and su*erstition? =ndividual
self should be a *oor 'iserable thing if it 0ere not essentially &onne&ted 0ith the Universal
1ife? 2e &an al0ays en+oy *ure ha**iness 0hen 0e are united 0ith nature, 5uite forgetful of
our *oor self? 2hen you look, for e-a'*le, into the s'iling fa&e of a *retty baby, and s'ile
0ith it, or listen to the s0eet 'elody of a songster and sing 0ith it, you &o'*letely forget
your *oor self at that enra*tured 'o'ent? But your feelings of beauty and ha**iness are for
ever gone 0hen you resu'e your self, and begin to &onsider the' after your o0n selfish
ideas? To forget self and identify it 0ith nature is to break do0n its li'itation and to set it at
liberty? To break do0n *etty selfishness and e-tend it into Universal Self is to unfetter and
deliver it fro' bondage? =t therefore follo0s that salvation &an be se&ured not by the
&ontinuation of individuality in another life, but by the realiBation of one@s union 0ith
Universal 1ife, 0hi&h is i''ortal, free, li'itless, eternal, and bliss itself? This is easily
effe&ted by 4aBen?
!? 4en and Su*ernatural Po0er?
CogaEA%F(7>G &lai's that various su*ernatural *o0ers &an be a&5uired by .editation, but
4en does not 'ake any su&h absurd &lai's? =t rather disdains those 0ho are believed to have
a&5uired su*ernatural *o0ers by the *ra&ti&e of austerities? The follo0ing traditions &learly
sho0 this s*iritJ K2hen Aah Cung #8o-yu$ lived in .ount %iu TeuEA%F(7G #Go-Bu-san$ he
used to re&eive every 'orning the offerings of flo0ers fro' hundreds of birds, and 0as
believed to have su*ernatural *o0ers? But after his ,nlighten'ent by the instru&tion of the
Aourth Patriar&h, the birds &eased to 'ake offering, be&ause be be&a'e a being too divine to
be seen by inferior ani'als?K K80ang Pah #O-baku$, one day going u* .ount Tien Tai #Ten-
dai-san$, 0hi&h 0as believed to have been inhabited by 9rhats 0ith su*ernatural *o0ers, 'et
0ith a 'onk 0hose eyes e'itted strange light? They 0ent along the *ass talking 0ith ea&h
other for a short 0hile until they &a'e to a river roaring 0ith torrent? There being no bridge,
the 'aster bad to sto* at the shoreI but his &o'*anion &rossed the river 0alking on the 0ater
and be&koned to 80ang Pah to follo0 hi'? Thereu*on 80ang Pah saidJ @=f = kne0 thou art an
9rhat, = 0ould have doubled you u* before thou got over thereO@ The 'onk then understood
the s*iritual attain'ent of 80ang Pah, and *raised hi' as a true .ahayanist?K KOn one
o&&asion Cang Shan #Kyo-Ban$ sa0 a stranger 'onk flying through the air? 2hen that 'onk
&a'e do0n and a**roa&hed hi' 0ith a res*e&tful salutation, he askedJ @2here art thou fro'D
@,arly this 'orning,@ re*lied the other, @= set out fro' =ndia?@ @2hy,@ said the tea&her, @art thou
so lateD@ @= sto**ed,@ res*onded the 'an, @several ti'es to look at beautiful s&eneries?@ Thou
'ayst have su*ernatural *o0ers,@ e-&lai'ed Cang Shan, @yet thou 'ust give ba&k the S*irit of
Buddha to 'e?@ Then the 'onk *raised Cang Shan sayingJ @= have &o'e over to China in order
to 0orshi* .any+u&ri,EA%F(7(G and 'et une-*e&tedly 0ith .inor Shakya,@ and, after giving
the 'aster so'e *al' leaves he brought fro' =ndia, 0ent ba&k through the air?@KEA%F(7"G
EA%F(7>G @Coga 9*horis's of Patany+ali,@ &ha*? iii?
EA%F(7G 9 *ro'inent dis&i*le of the Aourth Patriar&h, the founder of the %iu Teu S&hool
#Go-Bu-Ben$ of 4en, 0ho died in 9?)? :;7?
EA%F(7(G .any+u&ri is a legendary Bodhisattva, 0ho be&a'e an ob+e&t of 0orshi* of so'e
.ahayanists? 8e is treated as a *ersonifi&ation of trans&endental 0isdo'?
EA%F(7"G 80ui Cuen #,-gen$ and Sho-bo-gen-Bo?
=t is 5uite reasonable that 4enists distinguish su*ernatural *o0ers fro' s*iritual u*lifting, the
for'er an a&5uire'ent of )evas, or of 9suras, or of 9rhats, or of even ani'als, and the latter
as a nobler a&&o'*lish'ent attained only by the *ra&tisers of .ahayanis'? .oreover, they
use the ter' su*ernatural *o0er in a 'eaning entirely different fro' the original one? 1in Tsi
#6in-Bai$ says, for instan&eJ KThere are si- su*ernatural *o0ers of BuddhaJ 8e is free fro'
the te'*tation of for', living in the 0orld of for'I 8e is free fro' the te'*tation of sound,
living in the 0orld of soundI 8e is free fro' the te'*tation of s'ell, living in the 0orld of
s'ellI 8e is free fro' the te'*tation of taste, living in the 0orld of tasteI 8e is free fro' the
te'*tation of )har'a,EA%F(73G living in the 0orld of )har'a? These are si- su*ernatural
*o0ers?KEA%F(77G
EA%F(73G The things or ob+e&ts, not of sense, but of 'ind?
EA%F(77G 1in Tsi 1uh #6in-Bai-roku$?
So'eti'es 4enists use the ter' as if it 'eant 0hat 0e &all 4en 9&tivity, or the free dis*lay of
4en in a&tion, as you see in the follo0ing e-a'*les? Tung Shan #To-4an$ 0as on one
o&&asion attending on his tea&her Cun Cen #Un-gan$, 0ho askedJ K2hat are your su*ernatural
*o0ersDK Tung Shan, saying nothing, &las*ed his hands on his breast, and stood u* before
Cun Cen? K8o0 do you dis*lay your su*ernatural *o0ersDK 5uestioned the tea&her again?
Then Tung Shan said fare0ell and 0ent out? 2ei Shan #,-san$ one day 0as taking a na*, and
seeing his dis&i*le Cang Shan #Kyo-Ban$ &o'ing into the roo', turned his fa&e to0ards the
0all? KCou need not, Sir,K said Cang Shan, Kstand on &ere'ony, as = a' your dis&i*le?K 2ei
Shan see'ed to try to get u*, so Cang Shan 0ent outI but 2ei Shan &alled hi' ba&k and saidJ
K= shall tell you of a drea' = drea'ed?K The other in&lined his head as if to listen? K%o0,K said
2ei Shan, Kdivine 'y fortune by the drea'?K Thereu*on Cang Shan fet&hed a basin of 0ater
and a to0el and gave the' to the 'aster, 0ho 0ashed his fa&e thereby? By-and-by 8iang Cen
#Kyo-gen$ &a'e in, to 0ho' 2ei Shan saidJ K2e dis*layed su*ernatural *o0ers a 'o'ent
ago? =t 0as not su&h su*ernatural *o0ers as are sho0n by 8inayanists?K K= kno0 it, Sir,K
re*lied the other, Kthough = 0as do0n belo0?K KSay, then, 0hat it 0as,K de'anded the 'aster?
Then 8iang Cen 'ade tea and gave a &u* to 2ei Shan, 0ho *raised the t0o dis&i*les, sayingJ
KCou sur*ass Pari*utraEA%F(7:G and .audgalyayanaEA%F(7;G in your 0isdo' and
su*ernatural *o0ers?KEA%F(7<G
EA%F(7:G One of the *ro'inent dis&i*les of Shakya .uni, 0ho be&a'e fa'ous for his
0isdo'?
EA%F(7;G One of the e'inent dis&i*les of Shakya .uni, noted for his su*ernatural *o0ers?
EA%F(7<G 4en-rin-rui-sku?
9gain, an&ient 4enists did not &lai' that there 0as any 'ysterious ele'ent in their s*iritual
attain'ent, as )o-gen saysEA%F(7!G une5uivo&ally res*e&ting his ,nlighten'entJ K=
re&ogniBed only that 'y eyes are *la&ed &ross0ise above the nose that stands length0ise, and
that = 0as not de&eived by others? = &a'e ho'e fro' China 0ith nothing in 'y hand? There is
nothing 'ysterious in Buddhis'? Ti'e *asses as it is natural, the sun rising in the east, and
the 'oon setting into the 0est?K
EA%F(7!G ,i-hei-ko-roku?
>? True )hyana?
To sit in .editation is not the only 'ethod of *ra&tising 4aBen? K2e *ra&tise )hyana in
sitting, in standing, and in 0alking,K says one of the Ja*anese 4enists? 1in Tsi #6in-4ai$ also
saysJ KTo &on&entrate one@s 'ind, or to dislike noisy *la&es, and seek only for stillness, is the
&hara&teristi& of heterodo- )hyana?K =t is easy to kee* self-*ossession in a *la&e of
tran5uillity, yet it is by no 'eans easy to kee* 'ind undisturbed a'id the bivoua& of a&tual
life? =t is true )hyana that 'akes our 'ind sunny 0hile the stor's of strife rage around us? =t
is true )hyana that se&ures the har'ony of heart, 0hile the surges of struggle toss us
violently? =t is true )hyana that 'akes us bloo' and s'ile, 0hile the 0inter of life &ovets us
0ith frost and sno0?
K=dle thoughts &o'e and go over unenlightened 'inds si- hundred and fifty ti'es in a sna* of
one@s fingers,K 0rites an =ndian tea&her,EA%F(:>G Kand thirteen hundred 'illion ti'es every
t0enty-four hours?K This 'ight be an e-aggeration, yet 0e &annot but a&kno0ledge that one
idle thought after another &easelessly bubbles u* in the strea' of &ons&iousness? K)hyana is
the letting go,K &ontinues the 0riterHKthat is to say, the letting go of the thirteen hundred
'illion of idle thoughts?K The very root of these thirteen hundred 'illion idle thoughts is an
illusion about one@s self? 8e is indeed the *oorest &reature, even if he be in heaven, 0ho
thinks hi'self *oor? On the &ontrary, he is an angel 0ho thinks hi'self ho*eful and ha**y,
even though he be in hell? KPray deliver 'e,K said a sinner to Sang Tsung #So-san$?EA%F(:G
K2ho ties you u*DK 0as the re*ly? Cou tie yourself u* day and night 0ith the fine thread of
idle thoughts, and build a &o&oon of environ'ent fro' 0hi&h you have no 0ay of es&a*e?
@There is no ro*e, yet you i'agine yourself bound?@ 2ho &ould *ut fetters on your 'ind but
your 'ind itselfD 2ho &ould &hain your 0ill but your o0n 0illD 2ho &ould blind your
s*iritual eyes, unless you yourself shut the' u*D 2ho &ould *revent you fro' en+oying
'oral food, unless you yourself refuse to eatD KThere are 'any,K said Sueh Aung #Se*-*o$ on
one o&&asion, K0ho starve in s*ite of their sitting in a large basket full of vi&tuals? There are
'any 0ho thirst in s*ite of seating the'selves on the shore of a sea?K KCes, Sir,K re*lied 8uen
Sha #Gen-sha$, Kthere are 'any 0ho starve in s*ite of *utting their heads into the basket full
of vi&tuals? There are 'any 0ho thirst in s*ite of *utting their heads into the 0aters of the
sea?KEA%F(:(G 2ho &ould &heer hi' u* 0ho abandons hi'self to self-&reated 'iseryD 2ho
&ould save hi' 0ho denies his o0n salvationD
EA%F(:>G The introdu&tion to 9na*ana-sutra by Khin San 80ui, 0ho &a'e to China 9?)?
(3?
EA%F(:G The Third Patriar&h?
EA%F(:(G 80ui Cuen #,-gen$?
? 1et Go of your =dle Thoughts?EA%F(:"G
EA%F(:"G 9 fa'ous 4enist, .u-go-koku-shi, is said to have re*lied to every 5uestioner,
sayingJ K1et go of your idle thoughts?K
9 Brah'in, having troubled hi'self a long 0hile 0ith referen&e to the *roble' of life and of
the 0orld, 0ent out to &all on Shakya .uni that he 'ight be instru&ted by the .aster? 8e got
so'e beautiful flo0ers to offer the' as a *resent to the .uni, and *ro&eeded to the *la&e
0here 8e 0as addressing his dis&i*les and believers? %o sooner had he &o'e in sight of the
.aster than he read in his 'ien the struggles going on 0ithin hi'? K1et go of that,K said the
.uni to the Brah'in, 0ho 0as going to offer the flo0ers in both his hands? 8e dro**ed on
the ground the flo0ers in his right hand, but still holding those in his left? K1et go of that,K
de'anded the .aster, and the Brah'in dro**ed the flo0ers in his left hand rather relu&tantly?
K1et go of that, = say,K the .uni &o''anded againI but the Brah'in, having nothing to let go
of, askedJ K2hat shall = let go of, 6everend SirD = have nothing in 'y hands, you kno0?K K1et
go of that, you have neither in your right nor in your left band, but in the 'iddle?K U*on these
0ords of the .uni a light &a'e into the sufferer@s 'ind, and he 0ent ho'e satisfied and in
+oy?EA%F(:3G K%ot to atta&h to all things is )hyana,K 0rites an an&ient 4enist, Kand if you
understand this, going out, staying in, sitting, and lying are in )hyana?K Therefore allo0 not
your 'ind to be a re&e*ta&le for the dust of so&iety, or the ashes of life, or rags and 0aste
*a*er of the 0orld? Cou bear too 'u&h burden u*on your shoulders 0ith 0hi&h you have
nothing to do?
EA%F(:3G @Sutra on the Brah'a&arin Bla&k-fa'ily,@ translated into
Chinese by K@ Khien, of the 2u dynasty #9?)? (((-(<>$?
1earn the lesson of forgetfulness, and forget all that troubles you, de*rives you of sound
slee*, and 0rites 0rinkles on your forehead? 2ang Cang .ing, at the age of seventeen or so,
is said to have forgotten the day @on 0hi&h he 0as to be 'arried to a handso'e young lady,
daughter of a 'an of high *osition? =t 0as the afternoon of the very day on 0hi&h their
nu*tials had to be held that he 0ent out to take a 0alk? 2ithout any definite *ur*ose he 0ent
into a te'*le in the neighbourhood, and there he found a re&luse a**arently very old 0ith
0hite hair, but young in &ountenan&e like a &hild? The 'an 0as sitting absorbed in
.editation? There 0as so'ething e-tre'ely &al' and serene in that old 'an@s look and
bearing that attra&ted the young s&holar@s attention? Muestioning hi' as to his na'e, age, and
birth*la&e, 2ang found that the venerable 'an had en+oyed a life so e-traordinarily long that
he forgot his na'e and age, but that he had youthful energy so abundantly that be &ould talk
0ith a voi&e sounding as a large bell? Being asked by 2ang the se&ret of longevity, the 'an
re*liedJ KThere is no se&ret in itI = 'erely ke*t 'y 'ind &al' and *ea&eful?K Aurther, he
e-*lained the 'ethod of .editation a&&ording to Taois' and Buddhis'? Thereu*on 2ang sat
fa&e to fa&e 0ith the old 'an and began to *ra&tise .editation, utterly forgetful of his bride
and nu*tial &ere'ony? The sun began to &ast his slanting rays on the 0all of the te'*le, and
they sat 'otionlessI t0ilight &a'e over the', and night 0ra**ed the' 0ith her sable shroud,
and they sat as still as t0o 'arble statuesI 'idnight, da0n, at last the 'orning sun rose to
find the' still in their reverie? The father of the bride, 0ho had started a sear&h during the
night, found to his sur*rise the bridegroo' absorbed in .editation on the follo0ing day?
EA%F(:7G
EA%F(:7G O-yo-'ei-shutsu-shin-sei-ran-roku?
=t 0as at the age of forty-seven that 2ang gained a great vi&tory over the rebel ar'y, and
0rote to a friend sayingJ K=t is so easy to gain a vi&tory over the rebels fortifying the'selves
a'ong the 'ountains, yet it is not so 0ith those rebels living in our 'ind?KEA%F(::G Tsai
Kiun .u #Sai-kun-bo$ is said to have had an e-&eedingly long and beautiful beard, and 0hen
asked by the ,'*eror, 0ho re&eived hi' in audien&e, 0hether he should slee* 0ith his beard
on the &o'forters or beneath the', be &ould not ans0er, sin&e he had never kno0n ho0 he
did? Being distra&ted by this 5uestion, he 0ent ho'e and tried to find out ho0 he had been
used to 'anage his beard in bed? Airst he *ut his beard on the &o'forters and vainly tried to
slee*I then he *ut it beneath the &o'forters and thought it all right? %evertheless, he 0as all
the 'ore disturbed by it? So then, *utting on the &o'forters, no0 *utting it beneath the', he
tried to slee* all night long, but in vain? Cou 'ust therefore forget your 'ental beard that
annoys you all the ti'e?
EA%F(::G =bid?
.en of longevity never &arried troubles to their beds? =t is a 0ell-kno0n fa&t that 4ui-o #Shi-
ga$EA%F(:;G en+oyed robust health at the age of over one hundred years? One day, being
asked 0hether there is any se&ret of longevity, he re*lied affir'atively, and said to the
5uestionerJ KKee* your 'ind and body *ure for t0o 0eeks, abstaining fro' any sort of
i'*urity, then = shall tell you of the se&ret?K The 'an did as 0as *res&ribed, and &a'e again
to be instru&ted in the se&ret? 4ui-o saidJ K%o0 = 'ight tell you, but be &autious to kee*
yourself *ure another 0eek so as to 5ualify yourself to learn the se&ret?K 2hen that 0eek 0as
over the old 'an saidJ K%o0 = 'ight tell you, but 0ill you be so &areful as to kee* yourself
*ure three days 'ore in order to 5ualify yourself to re&eive the se&retDK The 'an did as he
0as ordered, and re5uested the instru&tion? Thereu*on 4ui-o took the 'an to his *rivate roo'
and softly 0his*ered, 0ith his 'outh &lose to the ear of the 'anJ KKee* the se&ret = tell you
no0, even at the &ost of your life? =t is this-don@t be *assionate? That is all?KEA%F(:<G
EA%F(:;G This fa'ous old 'an died in 9?)? ;">?
EA%F(:<G Se-+i-hyaku-dan?
(? @The Aive 6anks of .erit?@
Thus far 0e have stated ho0 to train our body and 'ind a&&ording to the general rules and
&usto's established by 4enists? 9nd here 0e shall des&ribe the different stages of 'ental
u*lifting through 0hi&h the student of 4en has to go? They are te&hni&ally &alled @The Aive
6anks of .erit?@EA%F(:!G The first stage is &alled the 6ank of Turning,EA%F(;>G in 0hi&h
the student @turns@ his 'ind fro' the e-ternal ob+e&ts of sense to0ards the inner ,nlightened
Cons&iousness? 8e gives u* all 'ean desires and as*ires to s*iritual elevation? 8e be&o'es
a0are that he is not doo'ed to be the slave of 'aterial things, and strives to &on5uer over
the'? ,nlightened Cons&iousness is likened to the King, and it is &alled the .ind-King, 0hile
the student 0ho no0 turns to0ards the King is likened to &o''on *eo*le? Therefore in this
first stage the student is in the rank of &o''on *eo*le?
EA%F(:!G Ko-kun-go-i? Aor further details, see So-to-ni-shi-roku?
EA%F(:<G Ko in Ja*anese?
The se&ond stage is &alled the 6ank of Servi&e,EA%F(;G in 0hi&h the student distinguishes
hi'self by his loyalty to the .ind-King, and be&o'es a &ourtier to @serve@ hi'? 8e is in
&onstant @servi&e@ to the King, attending hi' 0ith obedien&e and love, and al0ays fearing to
offend hi'? Thus the student in this stage is ever &areful not to negle&t rules and *re&e*ts laid
do0n by the sages, and endeavours to u*lift hi'self in s*irituality by his fidelity? The third
stage is &alled the 6ank of .erit,EA%F(;(G in 0hi&h the student distinguishes hi'self by his
@'eritorious@ a&ts of &on5uering over the rebel ar'y of *assion 0hi&h rises against the .ind-
King? %o0, his rank is not the rank of a &ourtier, but the rank of a general? =n other 0ords, his
duty is not only to kee* rules and instru&tions of the sages, but to sub+ugate his o0n *assion
and establish 'oral order in the 'ental kingdo'?
EA%F(;G Bu in Ja*anese?
EA%F(;(G Ko in Ja*anese?
The fourth stage is &alled the 6ank of Co-o*erative .erit,EA%F(;"G in 0hi&h the student @&o-
o*erates@ 0ith other *ersons in order to &o'*lete his 'erit? %o0, he is not &o'*ared 0ith a
general 0ho &on5uers his foe, but 0ith the *ri'e-'inister 0ho &o-o*erates 0ith other
offi&ials to the benefit of the *eo*le? Thus the student in this stage is not satisfied 0ith his
o0n &on5uest of *assion, but seeks after s*iritual u*lifting by 'eans of e-tending his
kindness and sy'*athy to his fello0-'en?
EA%F(;"G Gu-ko in Ja*anese?
The fifth stage is &alled the 6ank of .erit-over-.erit,EA%F(;3G 0hi&h 'eans the rank of
'eritless-'erit? This is the rank of the King hi'self? The King does nothing 'eritorious,
be&ause all the govern'ental 0orks are done by his 'inisters and sub+e&ts? 9ll that he has to
do is to kee* his inborn dignity and sit high on his throne? Therefore his &ondu&t is 'eritless,
but all the 'eritorious a&ts of his sub+e&ts are done through his authority? )oing nothing, he
does everything? 2ithout any 'erit, he gets all 'erits? Thus the student in this stage no 'ore
strives to kee* *re&e*ts, but his doings are naturally in a&&ord 0ith the'? %o 'ore he as*ires
for s*iritual elevation, but his, heart is naturally *ure fro' 'aterial desires? %o 'ore he
'akes an effort to van5uish his *assion, but no *assion disturbs hi'? %o 'ore he feels it his
duty to do good to others, but he is naturally good and 'er&iful? %o 'ore he sits in )hyana,
but he naturally lives in )hyana at all ti'es? =t is in this fifth stage that the student is enabled
to identify his Self 0ith the .ind-King or ,nlightened Cons&iousness, and to abide in *erfe&t
bliss?
EA%F(;3G Ko-ko in Ja*anese?
"? @The Ten Pi&tures of the Co0herd?@EA%F(;7G
EA%F(;7G The *i&tures 0ere dra0n by K0oh %gan #Kaku-an$, a Chinese
4enist? Aor the details, see 4en-gaku-ho-ten?
Besides these Aive 6anks of .erit, 4enists 'ake use of the Ten Pi&tures of the Co0herd, in
order to sho0 the different stages of 'ental training through 0hi&h the student of 4en has to
go? So'e *oe's 0ere 0ritten by Chinese and Ja*anese tea&hers on ea&h of these *i&tures by
0ay of e-*lanation, but they are too a'biguous to be translated into ,nglish, and 0e rest
&ontent 0ith the translation of a single Ja*anese *oe' on ea&h of the ten *i&tures, 0hi&h are
as follo0sJ
The first *i&ture, &alled @the Sear&hing of the Co0,@ re*resents the &o0herd 0andering in the
0ilderness 0ith a vague ho*e of finding his lost &o0 that is running 0ild out of his sight? The
reader 0ill noti&e that the &o0 is likened to the 'ind of the student and the &o0herd to the
student hi'self?
K= do not see 'y &o0,
But trees and grass,
9nd hear the e'*ty &ries
Of &i&adas?K
The se&ond *i&ture, &alled @the Ainding of the Co0@s Tra&ks,@ re*resents the &o0herd tra&ing
the &o0 0ith the sure ho*e of restoring her, having found her tra&ks on the ground?
KThe grove is dee*, and so
=s 'y desire?
8o0 glad = a', O loO
= see her tra&ks?K
The third *i&ture, &alled @the Ainding out of the Co0,@ re*resents the &o0herd slo0ly
a**roa&hing the &o0 fro' a distan&e?
K8er loud and 0ild 'ooing
8as led 'e hereI
= see her for' afar,
1ike a dark shado0?K
The fourth @*i&ture, &alled @the Cat&hing of the Co0,@ re*resents the &o0herd &at&hing hold of
the &o0, 0ho struggles to break loose fro' hi'?
K9lasO it@s hard to kee*
The &o0 = &aught?
She tries to run and lea*
9nd sna* the &ord?K
The fifth *i&ture, &alled @the Ta'ing of the Co0,@ re*resents the &o0herd *a&ifying the &o0,
giving her grass and 0ater?
K=@' glad the &o0 so 0ild
=s ta'ed and 'ild?
She follo0s 'e, as if
She 0ere 'y shado0?K
The si-th *i&ture, &alled @the Going 8o'e 6iding on the Co0,@
re*resents the &o0herd *laying on a flute, riding on the &o0?
KSlo0ly the &louds return
To their o0n hill,
Aloating along the skies
So &al' and still?
The seventh *i&ture, &alled @the Aorgetting of the Co0 and the 6e'e'bering of the .an,@
re*resents the &o0herd looking at the beautiful s&enery surrounding his &ottage?
KThe &o0 goes out by day
9nd &o'es by night?
= &are for her in no 0ay,
But all is right?K
The eighth *i&ture, &alled @the Aorgetting of the Co0 and of the
.an,@ re*resents a large e'*ty &ir&le?
KThere@s no &o0herd nor &o0
2ithin the *enI
%o 'oon of truth nor &louds
Of doubt in 'en?K
The ninth *i&ture, &alled @the 6eturning to the 6oot and Sour&e,@ re*resents a beautiful
lands&a*e full of lovely trees in full blosso'?
KThere is no dyer of hills,
Cet they are greenI
So flo0ers s'ile, and titter rills
9t their o0n 0ills?K
The tenth *i&ture, &alled @the Going into the City 0ith O*en 8ands,@ re*resents a s'iling
'onk, gourd in hand, talking 0ith a 'an 0ho looks like a *edlar?
KThe &ares for body 'ake
That body *ineI
1et go of &ares and thoughts,
O &hild of 'ineOK
These Ten Pi&tures of the Co0herd &orres*ond in 'eaning to the Aive 6anks of .erit above
stated, even if there is a slight differen&e, as is sho0n in the follo0ing tableJ
THE FIVE RANKS.&%THE TEN PICTURES.
? The 6ank of TurningH-? The Sear&hing of the Co0?
(? The Ainding of the Co0@s Tra&ks?
(? The 6ank of Servi&eH-"? The Ainding of the Co0?
3? The Cat&hing of the Co0?
"? The 6ank of .eritH-7? The Ta'ing of the Co0?
:? The Going 8o'e, 6iding on the Co0?
3? The 6ank of Co-o*erative .eritH-!? The 6eturning to the 6oot and Sour&e? >? The
Going into the City 0ith O*en 8ands?
7? The 6ank of .erit-over-.eritH-;? The Aorgetting of the Co0 and the 6e'e'bering of
the .an? <? The Aorgetting of the Co0 and of the .an?
3? 4en and %irvana?
The beatitude of 4en is %irvana, not in the 8inayanisti& sense of the ter', but in the sense
*e&uliar to the faith? %irvana literally 'eans e-tin&tion or annihilationI hen&e the e-tin&tion
of life or the annihilation of individuality? To 4en, ho0ever, it 'eans the state of e-tin&tion of
*ain and the annihilation of sin? 4en never looks for the realiBation of its beatitude in a *la&e
like heaven, nor believes in the real' of 6eality trans&endental of the *heno'enal universe,
nor gives &ountenan&e to the su*erstition of =''ortality, nor does it hold the 0orld is the best
of all *ossible 0orlds, nor &on&eives life si'*ly as blessing? =t is in this life, full of
short&o'ings, 'isery, and sufferings, that 4en ho*es to realiBe its beatitude? =t is in this
0orld, i'*erfe&t, &hanging, and 'oving, that 4en finds the )ivine 1ight it 0orshi*s? =t is in
this *heno'enal universe of li'itation and relativity that 4en ai's to attain to highest
%irvana? K2e s*eak,K says the author of /i'alakirtti-nirde&a-sutra, Kof the transitoriness of
body, but not of the desire of the %irvana or destru&tion of it?K KParanirvana,K a&&ording to the
author of 1ankavatarasutra, Kis neither death nor destru&tion, but bliss, freedo', and *urity?K
K%irvana,K says Kiai 80an,EA%F(;:G K'eans the e-tin&tion of *ain or the &rossing over of
the sea of life and death? =t denotes the real *er'anent state of s*iritual attain'ent? =t does not
signify destru&tion or annihilation? =t denotes the belief in the great root of life and s*irit?K =t
is %irvana of 4en to en+oy bliss for all sufferings of life? =t is %irvana of 4en to be serene in
'ind for all disturban&es of a&tual e-isten&e? =t is %irvana of 4en to be in the &ons&ious union
0ith Universal 1ife or Buddha through ,nlighten'ent?
EA%F(;:G 9 &o''entator of Saddhar'a-*undarika-sutra?
7? %ature and her 1esson?
%ature offers us ne&tar and a'brosia every day, and every0here 0e go the rose and lily a0ait
us? KS*ring visits us 'en,K says Gu-do,EA%F(;;G Kher 'er&y is great? ,very blosso' holds
out the i'age of Tathagata?K K2hat is the s*iritual body of Buddha 0ho is i''ortal and
divineDK asked a 'an to Ta 1un #)ai-ryu$, 0ho instantly re*liedJ KThe flo0ers &over the
'ountain 0ith golden bro&ade? The 0aters tinge the rivulets 0ith heavenly blue?K KUniverse
is the 0hole body of TathagataI observed )o-gen? KThe 0orlds in ten dire&tions, the earth,
grass, trees, 0alls, fen&es, tiles, *ebbles-in a 0ord, all the ani'ated and inani'ate ob+e&ts
*artake of the Buddha-nature? Thereby, those 0ho *artake in the benefit of the 2ind and
2ater that rise out of the' are, all of the', hel*ed by the 'ysterious influen&e of Buddha,
and sho0 forth ,nlighten'ent?KEA%F(;<G
EA%F(;;G One of the distinguished 4enists in the Tokuga0a *eriod, 0ho died in ::?
EA%F(;<G Sho-bo gen-Bo?
Thus you &an attain to highest bliss through your &ons&ious union 0ith Buddha? %othing &an
disturb your *ea&e, 0hen you &an en+oy *ea&e in the 'idst of disturban&esI nothing &an &ause
you to suffer, 0hen you 0el&o'e 'isfortunes and hardshi*s in order to train and strengthen
your &hara&terI nothing &an te'*t you to &o''it sin, 0hen you are &onstantly ready to listen
to the ser'on given by everything around youI nothing &an distress you, 0hen you 'ake the
0orld the holy te'*le of Buddha? This is the state of %irvana 0hi&h everyone believing in
Buddha 'ay se&ure?
:? The Beatitude of 4en?
2e are far fro' denying, as already sho0n in the foregoing &ha*ters, the e-isten&e of
troubles, *ains, diseases, sorro0s, deaths in life? Our bliss &onsists in seeing the fragrant rose
of )ivine 'er&y a'ong the thorns of 0orldly trouble, in finding the fair oasis of Buddha@s
0isdo' in the desert of 'isfortunes, in getting the 0holeso'e bal' of 8is love in the
see'ing *oison of *ain, in gathering the s0eet honey of 8is s*irit even in the sting of
horrible death?
8istory testifies to the truth that it is 'isery that tea&hes 'en 'ore than ha**iness, that it is
*overty that strengthens the' 'ore than 0ealth, that it is adversity that 'oulds &hara&ter
'ore than *ros*erity, that it is disease and death that &all forth the inner life 'ore than health
and long life? 9t least, no one &an be blind to the fa&t that good and evil have an e5ual share
in for'ing the &hara&ter and 0orking out the destiny of 'an? ,ven su&h a great *essi'ist as
S&ho*enhauer saysJ K9s our bodily fra'e 0ould burst asunder if the *ressure of at'os*here
0ere re'oved, so if the lives of 'en 0ere relieved of all need, hardshi*, and adversity, if
everything they took in hand 0ere su&&essful, they 0ould be so s0ollen 0ith arrogan&e ? ? ?
that they 0ould *resent the s*e&ta&le of unbridled folly? 9 shi* 0ithout ballast is unstable,
and 0ill not go straight?K Therefore let us 'ake our shi* of life go straight 0ith its ballast of
'iseries and hardshi*s, over 0hi&h 0e gain &ontrol?
The believer in Buddha is thankful to hi', not only for the sunshine of life, but also for its
0ind, rain, sno0, thunder, and lightning, be&ause 8e gives us nothing in vain? 8isa-nobu
#Ko-ya'a$ 0as, *erha*s, one of the ha**iest *ersons that Ja*an ever *rodu&ed, si'*ly
be&ause he 0as ever thankful to the .er&iful One? One day he 0ent out 0ithout an u'brella
and 'et 0ith a sho0er? 8urrying u* to go ho'e, he stu'bled and fell, 0ounding both his
legs? 9s he rose u*, he 0as overheard to sayJ KThank heaven?K 9nd being asked 0hy he 0as
so thankful, re*liedJ K= got both 'y legs hurt, but, thank heaven, they 0ere not broken?K On
another o&&asion he lost &ons&iousness, having been ki&ked violently by a 0ild horse? 2hen
he &a'e to hi'self, he e-&lai'edJ KThank heaven,K in hearty +oy? Being asked the reason 0hy
he 0as so +oyful, he ans0eredJ K= have really given u* 'y ghost, but, thank heaven, = have
es&a*ed death after all?KEA%F(;!G 9 *erson in su&h a state of 'ind &an do anything 0ith heart
and 'ight? 2hatever he does is an a&t of thanks for the gra&e of Buddha, and he does it, not
as his duty, but as the overflo0ing of his gratitude 0hi&h lie hi'self &annot &he&k? 8ere
e-ists the for'ation of &hara&ter? 8ere e-ist real ha**iness and +oy? 8ere e-ists the realiBation
of %irvana?
EA%F(;!G Ki-+in-den?
.ost *eo*le regard death as the greatest of evils, only be&ause they fear death? They fear
death only be&ause they have the instin&t of self-*reservation? 8ereu*on *essi'isti&
*hiloso*hy and religion *ro*ose to attain to %irvana by the e-tin&tion of 2ill-to-live, or by
the total annihilation of life? But this is as 'u&h as to *ro*ose death as the final &ure to a
*atient? ,lie .et&hnikoff *ro*oses, in his @%ature of .an,@ another &ure, sayingJ @=f 'an &ould
only &ontrive to live long enoughHsay, for one hundred and forty yearsHa natural desire for
e-tin&tion 0ould take the *la&e of the instin&t for self-*reservation, and the &all of death
0ould then har'oniously satisfy his legiti'ate &raving of a ri*e old age?@ 2hy, 0e 'ust ask,
do you trouble yourself so 'u&h about deathD =s there any instan&e of an individual 0ho
es&a*ed it in the 0hole history of 'ankindD =f there be no 0ay of es&a*e, 0hy do you trouble
yourself about itD Can you &ause things to fall off the earth against the la0 of gravitationD =s
there any e-a'*le of an individual ob+e&t that es&a*ed the govern'ent of that la0 in the
0hole history of the 0orldD 2hy, then, do you trouble yourself about itD =t is no less silly to
trouble yourself about death than you do about gravitation? Can you realiBe that death, 0hi&h
you have yet no i''ediate e-*erien&e of, is the greatest of evilD 2e dare to de&lare death to
be one of the blessings 0hi&h 0e have to be thankful for? )eath is the s&avenger of the 0orldI
it s0ee*s a0ay all uselessness, staleness, and &orru*tion fro' the 0orld, and kee*s life &lean
and ever no0? 2hen you are of no use for the 0orld it &o'es u*on you, re'oves you to
oblivion in order to relieve life of useless en&u'bran&e? The strea' of e-isten&e should be
ke*t running, other0ise it 0ould be&o'e *utrid? =f old lives 0ere to sto* the running strea' it
0ould stand still, and &onse5uently be&o'e filthy, *oisoned, and 0orthless? Su**ose there
0ere only births and no deaths? The earth has to be *a&ked 0ith 'en and 0o'en, 0ho are
doo'ed to live to all eternity, +ostling, &olliding, bu'*ing, tra'*ling ea&h other, and vainly
struggling to get out of the Bla&k 8ole of the earth? Thanks to death 0e are not in the Bla&k
8oleO
Only birth and no death is far 0orse than only death and no birth? KThe dead,K says Ch0ang
TsB, Khave no tyranni&al king about, no slavish sub+e&t to 'eetI no &hange of seasons
overtakes the'? The heaven and the earth take the *la&es of S*ring and 9utu'n? The king or
e'*eror of a great nation &annot be ha**ier than they?K 8o0 0ould you be if death should
never overtake you 0hen ugly de&re*itude 'akes you blind and deaf, bodily and 'entally,
and de*rives you of all *ossible *leasuresD 8o0 0ould you be if you should not die 0hen
your body is broken to *ie&es or terribly burned by an a&&identHsay, by a violent earth5uake
follo0ed by a great &onflagrationD Just i'agine Satan, i''ortal Satan, thro0n do0n by the
ire of God into 8ell@s fiery gulf, rolling hi'self in dreadful torture to the end of ti'e? Cou
&annot but &on&lude that it is only death 0hi&h relieves you of e-tre'e sufferings, in&urable
diseases, and it is one of the blessings you ought to be thankful for?
The believer of Buddha is thankful even for death itself, the 0hi&h is the sole 'eans of
&on5uering death? =f he be thankful even for death, ho0 'u&h 'ore for the rest of thingsO 8e
&an find a 'eaning in every for' of life? 8e &an *er&eive a blessing in every &hange of
fortune? 8e &an a&kno0ledge a 'ission for every individual? 8e &an live in &ontent'ent and
+oy under any &onditions? Therefore 1in Tsi #6in-Bai$ saysJ K9ll the Buddhas 'ight a**ear
before 'e and = 0ould not be glad? 9ll the Three 6egionsEA%F(<>G and 8ells 'ight suddenly
*resent the'selves before 'e, and = 0ould not fear? ? ? ? 8e #an ,nlightened *erson$ 'ight get
into the fire, and it 0ould not burn hi'? 8e 'ight get into 0ater, and it 0ould not dro0n hi'?
8e 'ight be born in 8ell, and he 0ould be ha**y as if he 0ere in a fair garden? 8e 'ight be
born a'ong Pretas and beasts, and he 0ould not suffer fro' *ain? 8o0 &an he be soD
Be&ause he &an en+oy everything?@EA%F(<G
EA%F(<>G #$ %araka, or 8ellI #($ Pretas, or hungry de'onsI #"$ beasts?
EA%F(<G 1in Tsi 1uk #6in-Bai-roku$?
APPENDIX
ORIGIN OF MAN
(GEN%NIN%RON)
BY
KWEI FUNG TSUNG MIH
THE SEVENTH PATRIARCH OF THE KEGON SECT
TRANSLATED BY
KAITEN NUKARIYA
PREFACE
Tsung .ih #Shu-.itsu, 9?)? ;;3-<3$, the author of Cuen Jan 1un #@Origin of .an@$, one of
the greatest s&holars that China ever *rodu&ed, 0as born in a Confu&ianist fa'ily of the State
of K0o Cheu? 8aving been &onverted by Tao Cuen #)o-yen$, a noted *riest of the 4en Se&t,
he 0as kno0n at the age of t0enty-nine as a *ro'inent 'e'ber of that se&t, and be&a'e the
,leventh Patriar&h after Bodhidhar'a, the Airst Patriar&h of the se&t, 0ho had &o'e over to
China fro' =ndia about 9?)? 7(>? So'e years after he studied under Chino, K0an #Cho-
k0an$ the *hiloso*hi&al do&trine of the 9vata'saka S&hool, no0 kno0n in Ja*an as the
Kegon Se&t, and distinguished hi'self as the Seventh Patriar&h of that s&hool? =n 9?)? <"7 he
0as re&eived in audien&e by the ,'*eror 2an Tsung, 0ho 5uestioned hi' in a general 0ay
about the Buddhist do&trines, and besto0ed u*on hi' the honourable title of Great /irtuous
Tea&her, together 0ith abundant gifts? The author *rodu&ed over ninety volu'es of books,
0hi&h in&lude a &o''entary on 9vata'saka-sutra, one on Purnabuddha-sutra-*rasannartha-
sutra, and 'any others? Cuen Jan 1un is one of the shortest of his essays, but it &ontains all
the essential do&trines, res*e&ting the origin of life and of the universe, 0hi&h are found in
Taois', Confu&ianis', 8inayanis', and .ahayanis'? 8o0 i'*ortant a *osition it holds
a'ong the Buddhist books &an be 0ell i'agined fro' the fa&t that over t0enty &o''entaries
0ere 0ritten on it both by the Chinese and the Ja*anese Buddhist s&holars? =t is said that a
short essay under the sa'e title by a noted &onte'*orary Confu&ianist s&holar, 8an Tui Chi
#Kan-tai-shi, 0ho flourished <>"-<("$, suggested to hi' to 0rite a book in order to 'ake
&lear to the *ubli& the Buddhist vie0 on the sa'e sub+e&t? Thus be entitled the book @Origin of
.an,@ in s*ite of his treating of the origin of life and of the universe? Throughout the 0hole
book o&&ur &ou*led senten&es, &onsisting 'ostly of the sa'e nu'ber of Chinese &hara&ters,
and &onse5uently 0hile one senten&e is too la&oni&, the other is overladen 0ith su*erfluous
0ords, *ut in to 'ake the right nu'ber in the balan&ed grou* of &hara&ters? =n addition to
this, the te-t is full of too &on&ise *hrases, and often of a'biguous ones, as it is intended to
state as briefly as *ossible all the i'*ortant do&trines of the Buddhist as 0ell as of the outside
s&hools? On this a&&ount the author hi'self 0rote a fe0 notes on the *assages that lie thought
it ne&essary to e-*lain? The reader 0ill find these notes beginning 0ith @9@ *ut by the
translator to distinguish the' fro' his o0n?
K. N.
ORIGIN OF MAN[FN'('$
INTRODUCTION
9ll ani'ated beings that live #under the sun$ have an origin, 0hile ea&h of inani'ate things,
&ountless in nu'ber, o0es its e-isten&e to so'e sour&e?EA%F(<"G There &an never be #any
being nor$ any thing that has #no origin, as there &an be no$ bran&h 0hi&h has no root? 8o0
&ould 'an, the 'ost s*iritual of the Three Po0ersEA%F(<3G e-ist 0ithout an originD
EA%F(<(G The author treats the origin of life and of the universe, but the book 0as entitled as
0e have seen in the *refa&e?
EA%F(<"G The sa'e idea and e-*ression are found in Tao Teh King
#)o-toku-kyo$, by 1ao TsB #6o-shi, :>3-7(( B?C?$?
EA%F(<3G The Three Po0ers are-#$ 8eaven, that has the *o0er of revolutionI #($ ,arth, that
has the *o0er of *rodu&tionI and #"$ .an, that has the *o0er of thought?
#=t is said$,EA%F(<7G 'oreover, that that 0hi&h kno0s others is intelle&t, and that that 0hi&h
kno0s itself is 0isdo'? %o0 if =, being born a'ong 'en, kno0 not 0hen&e = &a'e #into this
life$, ho0 &ould = kno0 0hither = a' going in the after-lifeD 8o0 &ould = understand all
hu'an affairs, an&ient and 'odern, in the 0orldD So, for so'e s&ores of years = learned under
'any different tutors, and read e-tensively #not only$ the Buddhist #but also$ outside books?
By that 'eans = tried to tra&e 'y Self, and never sto**ed 'y resear&h till = attained, as = had
e-*e&ted, to its origin?
EA%F(<7G The senten&e is a dire&t 5uotation of Tao Teh King?
Confu&ianists and Taoists of our age, nevertheless, 'erely kno0 that our nearest origin is the
father or the grandfather, as 0e are des&ended fro' the', and they fro' their fathers in
su&&ession? #They say$ that the re'otest #origin$ is the undefinable #*ri'ordial$ GasEA%F(<:G
in the state of &haosI that it s*lit itself into the t0o #different$ *rin&i*les of the Positive and
the %egativeI that the t0o brought forth the Three Po0ers of 8eaven, ,arth, and .an, 0hi&h
#in their turn$ *rodu&ed all other thingsI that 'an as 0ell as other things originated in the Gas?
EA%F(<:G Su&h a state'ent &on&erning the &reation of the universe as the one here given is
found in = King #,eki-kyo$? The *ri'ordial substan&e is not e-a&tly @gas,@ but 0e 'ay
&on&eive it as being so'ething like a nebula?
#So'e$EA%F(<;G Buddhists, #ho0ever$, 'aintain si'*ly that the nearest #origin$ is Kar'a,
EA%F(<<G as 0e 0ere born a'ong 'en as the results of the Kar'a that 0e had *rodu&ed in
the *ast e-isten&esI and that the re'otest #origin$ is the 9laya-vi+nyana,EA%F(<!G #be&ause$
our Kar'a is brought forth by illusion, and #illusion by atta&h'ent$, and so forth, in one
0ord, the 9laya is the origin of life? 9lthough all of #these s&holars$ &lai' that they have
already gras*ed the ulti'ate truth, yet not in fa&t?
EA%F(<;G %ot all Buddhists, but so'e of the', are 'eant here-that is, 8inayanists and
)har'a-laksanists?
EA%F(<<G 9&&ording to 8inayanists, Kar'a #a&tion$ is that 'oral ger' 0hi&h survives death
and &ontinues in trans'igration? =t 'ay be &on&eived as so'ething like an energy, by the
influen&e of 0hi&h beings undergo 'ete'*sy&hosis?
EA%F(<!G 9&&ording to the )har'a-laksana Se&t, 9laya-vi+nyana #re&e*ta&le-kno0ledge$ is
the s*iritual Substan&e 0hi&h holds the @seeds@ or *otentialities of all things?
Confu&ius, 1ao TsB, and Shakya, ho0ever, 0ere all the 0isest of sages? ,a&h of the' gave his
tea&hings in a 0ay different fro' the other t0o, that they 'ight 'eet the s*iritual needs of his
ti'e and fit to the &a*a&ities of 'en? #So that$ the Buddhist and the outside do&trines, ea&h
su**le'enting the other, have done good to the 'ultitude? They 0ere all #intended$ to
en&ourage thousands of virtuous a&ts by e-*laining the 0hole &hain of &ausality? They 0ere
#also intended$ to investigate thousands of things, and thro0 light on the beginning and on the
end of their evolution? 9lthough all these do&trines #'ight$ ans0er the *ur*ose of the sages,
yet there 'ust be so'e tea&hings that 0ould be te'*orary,EA%F(!>G 0hile others 0ould be
eternal? The first t0o faiths are 'erely te'*orary, 0hile Buddhis' in&ludes both the
te'*orary and the eternal? 2e 'ay a&t a&&ording to the *re&e*ts of these three faiths, 0hi&h
ai' at the *ea&e and 0elfare #of 'an$, in so far as they en&ourage thousands of virtuous a&ts
by giving 0arning against evil and re&o''ending good? #But$ Buddhis' #alone$ is altogether
*erfe&t and best of all, in investigating thousands of things and in tra&ing the' ba&k to their
first &ause, in order to a&5uire thorough understanding of the natures of things and to attain to
the ulti'ate truth?
EA%F(!>G The te'*orary do&trine 'eans the tea&hing *rea&hed by Shakya .uni to 'eet the
te'*orary needs of the hearers? The ter' is al0ays used in &ontrast 0ith the real or eternal
do&trine?
,a&h of our &onte'*orary s&holars, nevertheless, adheres to one s&hool of the #above
'entioned$ tea&hings? 9nd there are so'e #even$ a'ong the Buddhists 0ho 'istake the
te'*orary for the eternal do&trine? =n &onse5uen&e they are never su&&essful in tra&ing
8eaven, ,arth, .an, and other things ba&k to their Airst Cause? But = a' no0 #going to sho0
ho0$ to infer an Ulti'ate Cause for thousands of things, not only fro' the Buddhist, but fro'
outsiders@ tea&hings? Airst = shall treat of the su*erfi&ial do&trines, and then of the *rofound,
#in order to$ free the follo0ers of the te'*orary faiths fro' those #*re+udi&es that *rove to be$
obstru&tions in their 0ay to the truth, and enable the' to attain to the Ulti'ate 6eality?
9fter0ards = shall *oint out, a&&ording to the *erfe&t do&trine, ho0 things evolved the'selves
through one stage after another out of the Airst Cause #in order to$ 'ake the in&o'*lete
do&trines fuse into the &o'*lete one, and to enable the follo0ers to e-*lain the *heno'enal
universe?EA%F(!G
EA%F(!G 9? @That is, 8eaven, ,arth, .an, and other things?@
This essay is entitled @Origin of .an,@ and it &onsists of the #follo0ing$ four &ha*tersJ #$
6efutation of )elusive and Pre+udi&ed #)o&trine$I #($ 6efutation of =n&o'*lete and
Su*erfi&ial #)o&trine$I #"$ )ire&t ,-*lanation of the 6eal OriginI #3$ 6e&on&iliation of the
Te'*orary 0ith the ,ternal )o&trine?
CHAPTER I
REFUTATION OF DELUSIVE AND PREJUDICED (DOCTRINE)[FN')'$
9&&ording to Confu&ianis'EA%F(!"G and Taois' all sorts of beings, su&h as 'en and beasts,
0ere born out of and brought u* by the #so-&alled$ Great Path of ,'*tiness?EA%F(!3G That is
to say, the Path by the o*eration of its o0n la0 gave rise naturally to the *ri'ordial Gas, and
that Gas *rodu&ed 8eaven and ,arth, 0hi&h #in their turn$ brought forth thousands of things?
9&&ordingly the 0ise and the un0ise, the high and the lo0, the ri&h and the *oor, the ha**y
and the 'iserable, are *redestined to be so by the heavenly flat, and are at the 'er&y of Ti'e
and Providen&e? Therefore they #'ust$ &o'e ba&k after death to 8eaven and ,arth, fro'
0hi&h #in turn$ they return to the #Path$ of ,'*tiness? The 'ain *ur*ose of theseEA%F(!7G
#t0o$ outside tea&hings is si'*ly to establish 'orals 0ith regard to bodily a&tions, but not to
tra&e life to its Airst Cause? They tell of nothing beyond the *heno'enal universe in their
e-*lanation of thousands of things? Though they *oint out the Great Path as the origin, yet
they never e-*lain in detail #0hat is$ the dire&t, and #0hat$ the indire&t &ause of the
*heno'enal universe, or ho0 it 0as &reated, or ho0 it 0ill be destroyed, ho0 life &a'e forth,
0hither it 0ill go, #0hat is$ good, #0hat$ evil? Therefore the follo0ers of these do&trines
adhere to the' as the *erfe&t tea&hings 0ithout kno0ing that they are 'erely te'*orary?
EA%F(!(G 9? @Those of Confu&ianists and Taoists?@
EA%F(!"G Confu&ianists are not of e-a&tly the sa'e o*inion as Taoists res*e&ting the
&reation? The Great Path here 'entioned refers e-&lusively to Taois'?
EA%F(!3G The Great Path of ,'*tiness, 8u 2u Ta Tao, is the te&hni&al na'e for the Taoist
&on&e*tion of the 9bsolute? =t is so'ething e-istent in an undevelo*ed state before the
&reation of the *heno'enal universe? 9&&ording to Tao Teh King, it is @self-e-istent,
un&hangeable, all-*ervading, and the 'other of all things? =t is unna'able, but it is so'eti'es
&alled the Path or the Great?@ =t is also &alled the ,'*tiness, as it is entirely devoid of relative
a&tivities?
EA%F(!7G Confu&ianis' 'ainly treats of ethi&al *roble's, but Taois' is noted for its
'eta*hysi&al s*e&ulation?
%o0 = #shall$ raise, in brief, a fe0 5uestions to *oint out their 0eaknesses? =f everything in
the universe, as they say, &a'e out of the Great Path of ,'*tiness, that Great Path itself
should be the &ause of #not only$ of 0isdo', #but$ of folly, #not only$ of life, #but$ of death? =t
ought to be the sour&e of *ros*erity #as 0ell as$ of adversity, of fortune #as 0ell as$ of
'isfortune? =f this origin e-ist #as it is su**osed$ to all eternity, it 'ust be *ossible neither to
re'ove follies, villainies, &ala'ities, and 0ars, nor to *ro'ote 0isdo', good, ha**iness, and
0elfare? Of 0hat use #then$ are the tea&hings of 1ao TsB and Ch0ang TsBDEA%F(!:G The
Path, besides, should have reared the tiger and the 0olf, given birth to KiehEA%F(!;G and
Cheu,EA%F(!<G &aused the *re'ature deaths of CenEA%F(!!G and Jan,EA%F">>G and *la&ed
=EA%F">G and TsiEA%F">(G in their 'ost la'entable &ondition? 8o0 &ould it be &alled a
noble #*ath$D
EA%F(!:G One of the greatest Taoist *hiloso*hers, and the author of the book entitled after his
na'e? 8e flourished ""!-"(; B?C?
EA%F(!;G The last ,'*eror of the 8ia dynasty, notorious for his vi&es? 8is reign 0as <<-
;:; B?C?
EA%F(!<G The last ,'*eror of the Cin dynasty, one of the 0orst des*ots? 8is reign 0as 73-
(( B?C?
EA%F(!!G Cen 80ui #Gan-kai, 73-3<" B?C?$, a 'ost beloved dis&i*le of Confu&ius, kno0n
as a 0ise and virtuous s&holar?
EA%F">>G Jan Poh %iu #4en-*ak-giu, 7(- ? ? ? B?C?$, a *ro'inent dis&i*le, of Confu&ius,
distinguished for his virtues?
EA%F">G Poh = #8aku-i$, the elder brother of Tsi, 0ho distinguished hi'self by his faith and
0isdo' at the do0nfall of the Cin dynasty?
EA%F">(G Shuh Tsi #Shiku Sei$, the brother of =, 0ith 0ho' he shared the sa'e fate?
9gain, if, as they say, thousands of things &ould &o'e naturally into e-isten&e 0ithout dire&t
or indire&t &auses, they should &o'e forth in all *la&es 0here there are neither dire&t nor
indire&t &auses? Aor instan&e, a stone 0ould bring forth grass, 0hile grass 0ould give birth to
'an, and 'an 0ould beget beasts, et&? =n addition to this they 0ould &o'e out all at the sa'e
ti'e, nothing being *rodu&ed before or after the others? They 0ould &o'e into e-isten&e all at
the sa'e 'o'ent, nothing being *rodu&ed sooner or later than the others? Pea&e and 0elfare
'ight be se&ured 0ithout the hel* of the 0ise and the good? 8u'anity and righteousness
'ight be a&5uired 0ithout instru&tion and study? One 'ight even be&o'e an i''ortal
geniusEA%F">"G 0ithout taking the 'ira&ulous 'edi&ine? 2hy did 1ao TsB, Ch0ang TsB,
Cheu KungEA%F">3G and Confu&ius do su&h a useless task as to found their do&trines and lay
do0n the *re&e*ts for 'enD
EA%F">"G )egenerated Taoists 'aintained that they &ould *re*are a &ertain 'ira&ulous
draught, by the taking of 0hi&h one &ould be&o'e i''ortal?
EA%F">3G Cheu Kung #Shu-ko$, a 'ost noted states'an and s&holar, the younger brother of
the ,'*eror 2u #((-: B?C?$, the founder of the Chen dynasty?
9gain, if all things, as they say, 0ere 'ade of the *ri'ordial Gas #0hi&h has no feeling nor
0ill$, ho0 &ould an infant, +ust born of the Gas, 0ho had never learned to think, or love, or
hate, or to be naughty, or 0ilful #even begin to think or feel$D =f, as they 'ay ans0er, the
infant as soon as it 0as born &ould 5uite naturally love or hate, et&?, as it 0ished, it &ould #as
0ell$ gain the Aive /irtuesEA%F">7G and the Si- 9&5uire'ents,EA%F">:G as it 0ished? 2hy
does it 0ait for so'e dire&t or indire&t &auses #to gain its kno0ledge$, and to a&5uire the'
through study and instru&tionD
EA%F">7G #$ 8u'anity, #($ U*rightness, #"$ Pro*riety, #3$ 2isdo', #7$ Sin&erity?
EA%F">:G #$ 6eading, #($ 9rith'eti&, #"$ ,ti5uette, #3$ 9r&hery, #7$ 8orse'anshi*, #:$
.usi&?
9gain, they 'ight say life suddenly &a'e into e-isten&e, it being for'ed of the Gas, and
suddenly goes to naught #at death$, the Gas being dis*ersed? 2hat, then, are the s*irits of the
dead #0hi&h they believe in$D Besides, there are in history so'e instan&es of
*ersonsEA%F">;G 0ho &ould see through *revious e-isten&es, or of *ersonsEA%F"><G 0ho
re&olle&ted the events in their *ast lives? Therefore 0e kno0 that the *resent is the
&ontinuation of the *ast life, and that it did not &o'e into e-isten&e on a sudden by the
for'ation of a Gas? 9gain, there are so'e histori&al fa&tsEA%F">!G *roving that the
su*ernatural *o0ers of s*irits 0ill not be lost? Thus 0e kno0 that life is not to be suddenly
redu&ed to naught after death by the dis*ersion of the Gas? Therefore #'atters &on&erning$
sa&rifi&es, servi&es, and su**li&ations #to the s*irits$ are 'entioned in the sa&red books?
EA%F">G ,ven 'ore than thatO 9re there not so'e instan&es, an&ient and 'odern, of *ersons
0ho revived after death to tell the 'atters &on&erning the unseen 0orld, or 0hoEA%F"G
a**eared to 'ove the hearts of their 0ives and &hildren a 0hile after death, or 0hoEA%F"(G
took vengean&e #on the ene'y$, or 0hoEA%F""G returned favours #to their friends$D
EA%F">;G 9&&ording to Tsin Shu, a 'an, Pao Tsing by na'e, told his *arents, 0hen he 0as
five years, that he had been in the *revious life a son to 1i, an inhabitant of Kuh Cang, and
that he had fallen into the 0ell and died? Thereu*on the *arents &alled on 1i, and found, to
their astonish'ent, that the boy@s state'ent 0as a&tually &oin&ident 0ith the fa&t?
EA%F"><G Can 8u, a native of Tsin Chen, re&olle&ted, at the age of five, that he had been a
son to the ne-t-door neighbour, and that he had left his ring under a 'ulberry-tree &lose by
the fen&e of the house? Thereu*on he 0ent 0ith his nurse and su&&essfully restored it, to the
astonish'ent of the 0hole fa'ily?
EA%F">!G 9ll the an&ient sages of China believed in s*irits, and *ro*itiated the' by
sa&rifi&es?
EA%F">G The sa&red books of Confu&ianis', Shu King and 1i Ki?
EA%F"G Pang Shang, the Prin&e of Tsi, is said to have a**eared after his death?
EA%F"(G Poh Ciu, of Ching, is said to have be&o'e an e*ide'i& s*irit to take vengean&e on
his ene'ies?
EA%F""G 9&&ording to Tso Ch0en #Sa-den$, 0hen 2ei 2u, a General of Tsin, fought 0ith
Tu 80ui, the dead father of his &on&ubine a**eared, and *revented the 'ar&h of the ene'y in
order to return favours done to hi'?
The outside s&holars 'ight ask, by 0ay of ob+e&tion, if one live as a s*irit after death, the
s*irits of the *ast 0ould fill u* streets and roads, and be seen by 'enI and 0hy are there no
eye-0itnessesD = say in re*ly that #as$ there are the Si- 2orldsEA%F"3G for the dead, they do
not ne&essarily live in the 0orld of s*irits? #,ven as s*irits$ they 'ust die and be born again
a'ong 'en or other beings? 8o0 &an the s*irits of the *ast al0ays live in a &ro0dD
.oreover, if #as you say$ 'an 0as born of #*ri'ordial$ Gas 0hi&h gave rise to 8eaven and
,arth, and 0hi&h 0as un&ons&ious fro' the very beginning, ho0 &ould he be &ons&ious all on
a sudden after his birthD 2hy are trees and grass 0hi&h 0ere also for'ed of the sa'e Gas
un&ons&iousD 9gain, if, #as you say$, the ri&h and the *oor, the high and the lo0, the 0ise and
the un0ise, the good and the bad, the ha**y and the unha**y, the lu&ky and the unlu&ky, are
*redestinated alike by heavenly de&ree, 0hy are so 'any destined by heaven to be *oor and
so fe0 to be ri&hD 2hy so 'any to be lo0 and so fe0 to be highD =n short, 0hy are so 'any
destined to be unlu&ky and so fe0 to be lu&kyD
EA%F"3G #$ The heaven, or the 0orld for )evasI #($ the earth, or the 0orld for 'enI #"$ the
0orld for 9surasI #3$ the 0orld for PetrasI #7$ the 0orld for beastsI #:$ hell?
=f it be the 0ill of 8eaven to bless so li'ited a nu'ber of *ersons at all, and to &urse so 'any,
0hy is 8eaven so *artialD ,ven 'ore than thatO 9re there not 'any 0ho hold a high *osition
0ithout any 'eritorious &ondu&t, 0hile so'e are *la&ed in a lo0 one in s*ite of their kee*ing
to #the rules of$ &ondu&tD 9re there not 'any 0ho are ri&h 0ithout any virtues, 0hile so'e
are *oor in s*ite of their virtuesD 9re there not the un+ust 0ho are fortunate, 0hile the +ust are
unfortunateD 9re there not the hu'ane, 0ho die young, 0hile the inhu'an en+oy long livesD
=n short, the righteous #are doo'ed$ to *erish, 0hile the unrighteous *ros*erO Thus #0e 'ust
infer$ that all this de*ends on the heavenly 0ill, 0hi&h &auses the unrighteous to *ros*er and
the righteous to *erish? 8o0 &an there be re0ard for the good #as it is taught in your sa&red
books$,EA%F"7G that 8eaven blesses the good and sho0s gra&e to the hu'bleD 8o0 &an
there be *unish'ent for the bad #as it is taught in your holy books$,EA%F":G that 8eaven
&urses the evil and infli&ts *unish'ent on the *roudD
EA%F"7G Shu King and = King?
EA%F":G =bid?
9gain, if even all su&h evils as 0ars, trea&heries, and rebellions de*end on the heavenly 0ill,
those Sages 0ould be in the 0rong 0ho, in the state'ent of their tea&hing, &ensure or &hastise
'en, but not 8eaven or the heavenly 0ill? Therefore, even if ShiEA%F";G is full of re*roofs
against 'alad'inistration, 0hile ShuEA%F"<G of eulogies for the reigns of the 0isest
'onar&hs-even if Pro*rietyEA%F"!G is re&o''ended as a 'ost effe&tual 'eans of &reating
*ea&e bet0een the governors and the governed, 0hile .usi&EA%F"(>G #is re&o''ended as a
'eans of$ a'eliorating the &usto's and 'anners of the *eo*leHstill, they &an hardly be said
to realiBe the 2ill on 8igh or to &onfor' to the 0ishes of the Creator? 8en&e you 'ust
a&kno0ledge that those 0ho devote the'selves to the study of these do&trines are not able to
tra&e 'an to his origin?
EA%F";G Shu King, a fa'ous book of odes?
EA%F"<G Shu King, the re&ords of the ad'inistrations of the 0isest 'onar&hs of old?
EA%F"!G 1i Ki, the book on *ro*rieties and eti5uette?
EA%F"(>G =t is said in 8iao King that 'usi& is the best 'eans to i'*rove &usto's and
'anners?
CHAPTER II
REFUTATION OF INCOMPLETE AND SUPERFICIAL (DOCTRINE)[FN*'!$
There are in the Buddhist do&trines, to state briefly, the five grades #of develo*'ent$,
beginning 0ith the 'ost su*erfi&ial, and ending 0ith the 'ost *rofound tea&hings? #They are
as follo0sJ$ #$ The )o&trine for .en and )evasI #($ the )o&trine of the 8inayanistsI #"$ the
.ahayana )o&trine of )har'a-laksanaI #3$ the .ahayana )o&trine of the %ihilistsEA%F"((GI
#7$ the ,kaydna )o&trine that tea&hes the Ulti'ate 6eality?EA%F"("G
EA%F"(G 9? @The i'*erfe&t do&trines taught by the Buddha?@
EA%F"((G 9? @These first four do&trines are treated of in this &ha*ter?@
EA%F"("G 9? @This is 'entioned in the third &ha*ter?@
? The )o&trine for .en and )evas?
The Buddha, to 'eet te'*orarily the s*iritual needs of the uninitiated, *rea&hed a do&trine
&on&erning good or bad Kar'a as the &ause, and its retribution as the effe&t, in the three
e-isten&es #of the *ast, the *resent, and the future$? That is, one 0ho &o''its the tenfold
sinEA%F"(3G 'ust be reborn after death in hell, 0hen these sins are of the highest gradeI
EA%F"(7G a'ong Pretas,EA%F"(:G 0hen of the 'iddle gradeI and a'ong ani'als, 0hen of
the lo0est grade?
EA%F"(3G #$ Taking life, #($ theft, #"$ adultery, #3$ lying, #7$ e-aggeration, #:$ abuse, #;$
a'biguous talk, #<$ &oveting, #!$ 'ali&e, #>$ unbelief?
EA%F"(7G There are three grades in ea&h of the tenfold sin? Aor instan&e, the taking of the life
of a Buddha, or of a sage, or of a *arent, et&?, is of the highest gradeI 0hile to kill fello0-'en
is of the 'iddleI and to kill beasts and birds, et&?, is of the lo0est? 9gain, to kill any being
0ith *leasure is of the highest gradeI 0hile to re*ent after killing is of the 'iddleI and killing
by 'istake is of the lo0est?
EA%F"(:G 8ungry s*irits?
Therefore the Buddha for a te'*orary *ur*ose 'ade these #uninitiated$ observe the Aive
Pre&e*ts si'ilar to the Aive /irtuesEA%F"(;G of the outside do&trine, in order to enable the'
to es&a*e the three #0orst$ StatesEA%F"(<G of ,-isten&e, and to be reborn a'ong 'en? #8e
also taught that$ those 0ho &ultivateEA%F"(!G the tenfold virtueEA%F"">G of the highest
grade, and 0ho give al's, and kee* the *re&e*ts, and so forth, are to be born in the Si-
Celestial 6eal's of Ka'aEA%F""G 0hile those 0ho *ra&tise the AourEA%F""(G )hyanas, the
,ight Sa'adhis,EA%F"""G are to be reborn in the heavenly 0orlds of 6u*aEA%F""3G and
9ru*a? Aor this reason this do&trine is &alled the do&trine for 'en and )evas? 9&&ording to
this do&trine Kar'a is the origin of life?EA%F""7G
EA%F"(;G The five &ardinal virtues of Confu&ianis' are 5uite si'ilar to the five *re&e*ts of
Buddhis', as 0e see by this tableJ
VIRTUES.&%PRECEPTS.
? 8u'anity?H-? %ot to take life? (? U*rightness?H-(? %ot to steal? "? Pro*riety?H-"? %ot to
be adulterous? 3? 2isdo'?H-3? %ot to get drunk? 7? Sin&erity?H-7? %ot to lie?
EA%F"(<G #$ 8ell, #($ Pretas, #"$ Beasts?
EA%F"(!G 9? @The Buddhist *re&e*ts are different fro' the Confu&ian tea&hings in the for' of
e-*ression, but they agree in their 0arning against the evil and in en&ouraging the good? The
'oral &ondu&t of the Buddhist &an be se&ured by the &ultivation of the five virtues of
hu'anity, u*rightness, et&?, as though *eo*le in this &ountry hold u* their hands +oined in the
res*e&table salutation, 0hile the sa'e ob+e&t is attained by those of The Aan, 0ho stand 0ith
their bands hanging do0n? %ot to kill is hu'anity? %ot to steal is u*rightness? %ot to be
adulterous is *ro*riety? %ot to lie is sin&erity? %ot to drink s*irits nor eat 'eat is to in&rease
0isdo', kee*ing 'ind *ure?@
EA%F"">G #$ %ot to take life, #($ not to steal, #"$ not to be adulterous, #3$ not to lie, #7$ not to
e-aggerate, #:$ not to abuse, #;$ not to talk a'biguously, #<$ not to &ovet, #!$ not to be
'ali&ious, #>$ not to unbelieve?
EA%F""G Ka'a-loka, the 0orld of desire, is the first of the Three 2orlds? =t &onsists of the
earth and the si- heavenly 0orlds, all the inhabitants of 0hi&h are sub+e&t to sensual desires?
EA%F""(G The Buddhists taught the four )hyanas, or the four different degrees of abstra&t
&onte'*lation, by 0hi&h the 'ind &ould free itself fro' all sub+e&tive and ob+e&tive
tra''els, until it rea&hed a state of absolute absen&e of un&on&entrated thought? The *ra&tiser
of the four )hyanas 0ould be born in the four regions of the 6u*a-lokas in a&&ordan&e 0ith
his s*iritual state?
EA%F"""G %a'ely, the above-'entioned four degrees of &onte'*lation, and other four dee*er
e&stati& 'editations? The *ra&tiser of the latter 0ould be born in the four s*iritual regions of
9ru*a-loka in a&&ordan&e 0ith his state of abstra&tion?
EA%F""3G 6u*a-loka, the 0orld of for', is the se&ond of the Three 2orlds? =t &onsists of
eighteen heavens, 0hi&h 0ere divided into four regions? The first )hyana region &o'*rised
the first three of the eighteen heavens, the se&ond )hyana region the ne-t three, the third
)hyana region the follo0ing three, and the fourth )hyana region the re'aining nine?
9ru*a-loka, the 0orld of for'lessness, is the third of the Three 2orlds? =t &onsists of four
heavens? The first is &alled @the heaven of unli'ited s*a&e,@ the se&ond @the heaven of
unli'ited kno0ledge,@ the third @the heaven of absolute non-e-isten&e,@ the fourth @the heaven
of neither &ons&iousness nor un&ons&iousness?@
9? @%one of heavens, or of hells, or of the 0orlds of s*irits, is 'entioned in the title of this
book, be&ause these 0orlds are entirely different fro' ours, and absolutely beyond the sight
and hearing? Ordinary *eo*le kno0 not even the *heno'ena a&tually o&&urring before the'I
ho0 &ould they understand the unseenD So = entitled it si'*ly, KThe Origin of .an K in
agree'ent 0ith the 0orldly tea&hings? %o0 that = treat, ho0ever, of the Buddhist do&trine, it
is reasonable to enu'erate these 0orlds in full?@
EA%F""7G 9? @But there are three sorts of Kar'asJ #$ The bad, #($ the good, #"$ the
i''ovable? There are the three *eriods for retributionJ #$ =n this life, #($ in the ne-t life, #"$
in so'e re'ote future life?@
%o0 let 'e raise so'e 5uestions by 0ay of ob+e&tion? Granting that one has to be born in the
Aive States of ,-isten&esEA%F"":G by virtue of Kar'a *rodu&ed #in *revious lives$, is it not
doubtful 0ho is the author of Kar'a, and 0ho the re&i*ient of its &onse5uen&esD =f it 'ight
be said that the eyes, ears, hands, and feet *rodu&e Kar'a, then the eyes, ears, hands, and feet
of a ne0ly-dead *erson are still as they 0ere? So 0hy do they not see and hear and thus
*rodu&e Kar'aD
EA%F"":G The states ofH#$ heavenly beings, #($ 'en, #"$ beings in hell, #3$ hungry s*irits,
#7$ beasts?
=f it be said that it is the 'ind that *rodu&es Kar'a #= ask$, 0hat is the 'indD =f you 'ean the
heart, the heart is a 'aterial thing, and is lo&ated 0ithin the body? 8o0 &an it, by &o'ing
5ui&kly into the eyes and ears, distinguish the *leasing fro' the disgusting in e-ternal
ob+e&tsD =f there be no distin&tion bet0een the *leasing and the disgusting, 0hy does it a&&e*t
the one or re+e&t the otherD
Besides, the heart is as 'u&h 'aterial and i'*enetrable as the eyes, ears, hands, and feet?
8o0, then, &an the heart 0ithin freely *ass to the organs of sense 0ithoutD 8o0 &an this one
*ut the others in 'otion, or &o''uni&ate 0ith the', in order to &o-o*erate in *rodu&ing
Kar'aD =f it be said that only su&h *assions as +oy, anger, love, and hatred a&t through the
body and the 'outh and enable the' to *rodu&e Kar'a, #= should say$ those *assionsH+oy,
anger, and the restHare too transitory, and &o'e and go in a 'o'ent? They have no
Substan&e #behind their a**earan&es$? 2hat, then, is the &hief agent that *rodu&es Kar'aD
=t 'ight be said that 0e should not seek after #the author of Kar'a$ by taking 'ind and body
se*arately #as 0e have +ust done$, be&ause body and 'ind, as a 0hole, &on+ointly *rodu&e
Kar'a? 2ho, then, after the destru&tion of body by death, 0ould re&eive the retribution #in
the for'$ of *ain or of *leasureD
=f it be assu'ed that another body is to &o'e into e-isten&e after death, then the body and
'ind of the *resent life, &o''itting sins or &ultivating virtues, 0ould &ause another body and
'ind in the future 0hi&h 0ould suffer fro' the *ains or en+oy the *leasures? 9&&ordingly,
those 0ho &ultivate virtues 0ould be e-tre'ely unlu&ky, 0hile those 0ho &o''it sins very
lu&ky? 8o0 &an the divine la0 of &ausality be so unreasonableD Therefore 0e #'ust$
a&kno0ledge that those 0ho 'erely follo0 this do&trine are far fro' a thorough
understanding of the origin of life, though they believe in the theory of Kar'a?
(? The )o&trine of the 8inayanists?
This do&trine tells us that #both$ the body, that is for'ed of 'atter, and the 'ind, that thinks
and refle&ts, &ontinually e-ist fro' eternity to eternity, being destroyed and re&reated by
'eans of dire&t or indire&t &auses, +ust as the 0ater of a river glides &ontinually, or the fla'e
of a la'* kee*s burning &onstantly? .ind and body unite the'selves te'*orarily, and see'
to be one and &hangeless? The &o''on *eo*le, ignorant of all this, are atta&hed to #the t0o
&o'bined$ as being 9t'an?EA%F"";G
EA%F"";G 9t'an 'eans ego, or self, on 0hi&h individuality is based?
Aor the sake of this 9t'an, 0hi&h they hold to be the 'ost *re&ious thing #in the 0orld$, they
are sub+e&t to the Three Poisons Of lust,EA%F""<G anger,EA%F""!G and folly,EA%F"3>G 0hi&h
#in their turn$ give i'*ulse to the 0ill and bring forth Kar'a of all kinds through s*ee&h and
a&tion? Kar'a being thus *rodu&ed, no one &an evade its effe&ts? Conse5uently all 'ust be
bornEA%F"3G in the Aive States of ,-isten&e either to suffer *ain or to en+oy *leasureI so'e
are born in the higher *la&es, 0hile others in the lo0er of the Three 2orlds?EA%F"3(G
EA%F""<G 9? @The *assion that &ovets fa'e and gain to kee* oneself in *ros*erity?@
EA%F""!G 9? @The *assion against disagreeable things, for fear of their infli&ting in+uries on
oneself?@
EA%F"3>G 9? @2rong thoughts and inferen&es?@
EA%F"3G 9? @)ifferent sorts of beings are born by virtue of the individualiBing Kar'a?@
EA%F"3(G 9? @2orlds are *rodu&ed by virtue of the Kar'a &o''on to all beings that live in
the'?@
2hen born #in the future lives$ they are atta&hed again to the body #and 'ind$ as 9t'an, and
be&o'e sub+e&t to lust and the other t0o *assions? Kar'a is again *rodu&ed by the', and
they have to re&eive its inevitable results? #Thus$ body undergoes birth, old age, disease,
death, and is reborn after deathI 0hile the 0orld *asses through the stages of for'ation,
e-isten&e, destru&tion, and e'*tiness, and is re-for'ed again after e'*tiness? Kal*a after
Kal*aEA%F"3"G #*asses by$, life after life #&o'es on$, and the &ir&le of &ontinuous rebirths
kno0s no beginning nor end, and rese'bles the *ulley for dra0ing 0ater fro' the 0ell?
EA%F"33G
EA%F"3"G Kal*a, a 'undane &y&le, is not re&koned by 'onths and years? lt is a *eriod during
0hi&h a *hysi&al universe is for'ed to the 'o'ent 0hen another is *ut into its *la&e?
9? KThe follo0ing verses des&ribe ho0 the 0orld 0as first &reated in the *eriod of e'*tinessJ
9 strong 0ind began to blo0 through e'*ty s*a&e? =ts length and breadth 0ere infinite? =t 0as
: lakhs thi&k, and so strong that it &ould not be &ut even 0ith a dia'ond? =ts na'e 0as the
0orld-su**orting-0ind? The golden &louds of 9bhasvara heaven #the si-th of eighteen
heavens of the 6u*a-loka$ &overed all the skies of the Three Thousand 2orlds? )o0n &a'e
the heavy rain, ea&h dro* being as large as the a-le of a 0aggon? The 0ater stood on the 0ind
that &he&ked its running do0n? =t 0as lakhs dee*? The first layer 0as 'ade of ada'ant #by
the &ongealing 0ater$? Gradually the &loud *oured do0n the rain and filled it? Airst the
Brah'a-ra+a 0orlds, ne-t the Ca'a-heaven #the third of si- heavens of the Ka'a loka$, 0ere
'ade? The *ure 0ater rose u*, driven by the 0ind, and Su'eru, #the &entral 'ountain, or a-is
of the universe$ and the seven &on&entri& &ir&les of 'ountains, and so on, 0ere for'ed? Out
of dirty sedi'ents the 'ountains, the four &ontinents, the hells, o&eans, and outer ring of
'ountains, 0ere 'ade? This is &alled the for'ation of the universe? The ti'e of one =n&rease
and one )e&rease #hu'an life is in&reased fro' > to <3,>>> years, in&reasing by one year at
every one hundred yearsI then it is de&reased fro' <3,>>> to > years, de&reasing by one year
at every one hundred years$ ela*sed? =n short, those beings in the se&ond region of 6u*a-loka,
0hose good Kar'a had s*ent its for&e, &a'e do0n on the earth? 9t first there 0ere the @earth
bread@ and the 0ild vine for the'? 9fter0ards they &ould not &o'*letely digest ri&e, and
began to e-&rete and to urinate? Thus 'en 0ere differentiated fro' 0o'en? They divided the
&ultivated land a'ong the'? Chiefs 0ere ele&tedI assistants and sub+e&ts 0ere sought outI
hen&e different &lasses of *eo*le? 9 *eriod of nineteen =n&reases and )e&reases ela*sed?
9dded to the above-'entioned *eriod, it a'ounted to t0enty =n&reases and )e&reases? This is
&alled the Kal*a of the for'ation of the universe?
K%o0 let us dis&uss this *oint? The Kal*a of ,'*tiness is 0hat the Taoist &alls the Path of
,'*tiness? The Path or the 6eality, ho0ever, is not e'*ty, but bright, trans&endental,
s*iritual, and o'ni*resent? 1ao TsB, led by his 'istaken idea, &alled the Kal*a of ,'*tiness
the PathI other0ise he did so for the te'*orary *ur*ose of denoun&ing 0orldly desires? The
0ind in the e'*ty s*a&e is 0hat the Taoist &alls the undefinable Gas in the state of Chaos?
Therefore 1ao TsB said, @The Path brings forth one?@ The golden &louds, the first of all
*hysi&al ob+e&ts, is #0hat the Confu&ianist &alls$ the Airst Prin&i*le? The rain-0ater standing
#on the 0ind$ is the *rodu&tion of the %egative Prin&i*le? The Positive, united 0ith the
%egative, brought forth the *heno'enal universe? The Brah'a-ra+a-loka, the Su'eru, and
others, are 0hat they &all the 8eaven? The dirty 0aters and sedi'ent are the ,arth? So 1ao
TsB said, @One *rodu&es t0o?@ Those in the se&ond region of the 6u*ra-loka, 0hose good
Kar'a had s*ent its for&e, &a'e do0n u*on the earth and be&a'e hu'an beings? Therefore
1ao TsB said, @The t0o *rodu&e three?@ Thus the Three Po0ers 0ere &o'*leted? The earth-
bread and different &lasses of *eo*le, and so on, are the so-&alled @*rodu&tion of thousands of
things by the Three?@ This 0as the ti'e 0hen *eo*le lived in eaves or 0andered in the
0ilderness, and kne0 not the use of fire? 9s it belongs to the re'ote *ast of the *rehistori&
age, *revious to the reigns of the first three ,'*erors, the traditions handed do0n to us are
neither &lear nor &ertain? .any errors &re*t into the' one generation after another, and
&onse5uently no one of the state'ents given in the various 0orks of s&holars agrees 0ith
another? Besides, 0hen the Buddhist books e-*lain the for'ation of the Three Thousand
2orlds, they do not &onfine the'selves 'erely 0ithin the li'its of this &ountry? 8en&e their
re&ords are entirely different fro' those of the outsiders #0hi&h are &onfined to China$?
K@,-isten&e@ 'eans the Kal*a of ,-isten&e that lasts t0enty =n&reases and )e&reases?
@)estru&tion@ 'eans the Kal*a of )estru&tion that lasts also t0enty =n&reases and )e&reases?
)uring the first nineteen =n&reases and )e&reases living beings are destroyedI 0hile in the
last 0orlds are de'olished through the three *eriods of distress #$ the *eriod of 0ater, #($
the *eriod of fire, #"$ the *eriod of 0ind? @,'*tiness@ 'eans the Kal*a of ,'*tiness, during
0hi&h no beings nor 0orlds e-ist? This Kal*a also lasts t0enty =n&reases and )e&reases?K
EA%F"33G 9? @Taoists 'erely kno0 that there 0as one Kal*a of ,'*tiness before the
for'ation of this *resent universe, and *oint out the ,'*tiness, the Chaos, the *ri'ordial
Gas, and the rest, na'ing the' as the first or the beginningless? But they do not kno0 that the
universe had already gone through 'yriads of &y&les of Kal*as of for'ation, e-isten&e,
destru&tion, and e'*tiness? Thus even the 'ost su*erfi&ial of the 8inayana do&trines far
e-&els the 'ost *rofound of the outside do&trines?@
9ll this is due to =gnoran&e 0hi&h does not understand that no bodily e-isten&e, by its very
nature, &an be 9t'an? The reason 0hy it is not 9t'an is this, that its for'ation is, after all,
due to the union of 'atter and 'ind? %o0 #let us$ e-a'ine and analyBe #'ind and body$?
.atter &onsists of the four ele'ents of earth, 0ater, fire, and 0ind, 0hile 'ind &onsists of the
four aggregates of *er&e*tion,EA%F"37G &ons&iousness,EA%F"3:G &on&e*tion,EA%F"3;G and
kno0ledge?EA%F"3<G
EA%F"37G 9? @=t re&eives both the agreeable and the disagreeable i'*ressions fro' 0ithout?@ =t
is Cedana, the se&ond of the five Skandhas, or aggregates?
EA%F"3:G 9? @=t *er&eives the for's of e-ternal ob+e&ts?@ =t is
Sa'+nya, na'e, the third of the five aggregates?
EA%F"3;G 9? @=t a&ts, one idea &hanging after another?@ =t is
Sa'skara, the fourth of the five aggregates?
EA%F"3<G 9? @=t re&ogniBes?@ =t is /i+nyana, the last of the five aggregates?
=f all #these ele'ents$ be taken as 9t'an, there 'ust be eight 9t'ans #for ea&h *erson$? .ore
than thatO There are 'any different things, even in the ele'ent of earth? %o0, there are three
hundred and si-ty bones, ea&h one distin&t fro' the other? %o one is the sa'e as any other,
either of the skin, hair, 'us&les, the liver, the heart, the s*leen, and the kidneys? Aurther'ore,
there are a great 'any 'ental 5ualities ea&h different fro' the others? Sight is different fro'
hearing? Joy is not the sa'e as anger? =f 0e enu'erate the', in short, one after another, there
are eighty thousand *assions?EA%F"3!G
EA%F"3!G ,ighty thousand si'*ly 'eans a great 'any?
9s things are thus so innu'erable, none &an tell 0hi&h of these #0ithout 'istake$ is to be
taken as the 9t'an? =n &ase all be taken as the 9t'an, there 'ust be hundreds and thousands
of 9t'ans, a'ong 0hi&h there 0ould be as 'any &onfli&ts and disturban&es as there are
'asters living in the one #house of$ body? 9s there e-ists no body nor 'ind se*arated fro'
these things, one &an never find the 9t'an, even if he seeks for it over and over again?
8ereu*on anyone understands that this life #of ours$ is no 'ore than the te'*orary union of
nu'erous ele'ents #'ental and *hysi&al$? Originally there is no 9t'an to distinguish one
being fro' another? Aor 0hose sake, then, should he be lustful or angryD Aor 0hose sake
should he take life,EA%F"7>G or &o''it theft, or give al's, or kee* *re&e*tsD #Thus thinking$
at length he sets his 'ind free fro' the virtues and vi&es sub+e&ted to the *assionsEA%F"7G
of the Three 2orlds, and abides in the dis&ri'inative insight into #the nature of$ the
9nat'anEA%F"7(G only? By 'eans of that dis&ri'inative insight he 'akes hi'self *ure fro'
lust, and the other #t0o *assions$ *uts an end to various sorts of Kar'a, and realiBes the
BhutatathataEA%F"7"G of 9nat'an? =n brief, he attains to the State of 9rhat,EA%F"73G has his
body redu&ed to ashes, his intelligen&e annihilated, and entirely gets rid of sufferings?
EA%F"7>G 9? @8e understands the truth of 'isery?@ The truth of )uhkha, or 'isery, is the first
of the four %oble Satyas, or Truths, that ought to be realiBed by the 8inayanists? 9&&ording to
the 8inayana do&trine, 'isery is a ne&essary &on&o'itant of sentient life?@
EA%F"7G 9? @8e destroys Sa'udaya?@ The truth of Sa'udaya, or a&&u'ulation, the se&ond of
the four Satyas, 'eans that 'isery is a&&u'ulated or *rodu&ed by *assions? This truth should
be realiBed by the re'oval of *assions?
EA%F"7(G 9? @This is the truth of .arga?@ The truth of .arga, or Path, is the fourth of the four
Satyas? There are the eight right Paths that lead to the e-tin&tion of *assionsI #$ 6ight vie0
#to dis&ern truth$, #($ right thought #or *urity of 0ill and thought$, #"$ right s*ee&h #free fro'
nonsense and errors$, #3$ right a&tion, #7$ right diligen&e, #:$ right 'editation, #;$ right
'e'ory, #<$ right livelihood?
EA%F"7"G 9? @This is the truth of %irodha?@ %irodha, or destru&tion, the third of the four
Satyas, 'eans the e-tin&tion of *assions? Bhutatathati of 9nat'an 'eans the truth of the non
e-isten&e of 9t'a or soul, and is the ai' and end of the 8inayanist *hiloso*hy?
EA%F"73G 9rhat, the Killer of thieves #i?e?, *assions$, 'eans one 0ho &on5uered his *assions?
=t 'eans, se&ondly, one 0ho is e-e'*ted fro' birth, or one 0ho is free fro' trans'igration?
Thirdly, it 'eans one deserving 0orshi*? So the 9rhat is the highest sage 0ho has attained to
%irvana by the destru&tion of all *assions?
9&&ording to the do&trine of this s&hool the t0o aggregates, 'aterial and s*iritual, together
0ith lust, anger, and folly, are the origin of ourselves and of the 0orld in 0hi&h 0e live?
There e-ists nothing else, either in the *ast or in the future, that &an be regarded as the origin?
%o0 let us say #a fe0 0ords$ by 0ay of refutation? That 0hi&h #al0ays$ stands as the origin
of life, birth after birth, generation after generation, should e-ist by itself 0ithout &essation?
Cet the Aive /i+nyanasEA%F"77G &ease to *erfor' their fun&tions 0hen they la&k *ro*er
&onditions, #0hile$ the .ano-vi+nyanaEA%F"7:G is lost at ti'es #in un&ons&iousness$? There
are none of those four #'aterial$ ele'ents in the heavenly 0orlds of 9ru*a? 8o0, then, is life
sustained there and ke*t u* in &ontinuous birth after birthD Therefore 0e kno0 that those 0ho
devote the'selves to the study of this do&trine also &annot tra&e life to its origin?
EA%F"77G 9? @The &onditions are the =ndriyas and the /isayas, et&?@ =ndriyas are organs of
sense, and /isayas are ob+e&ts on 0hi&h the sense a&ts? Aive /i+nyanas areH#$ The sense of
sight, #($ the sense of hearing, #"$ the sense of s'ell, #3$ the sense of taste, #7$ the sense of
tou&h?
EA%F"7:G .ano-vi+nyana is the 'ind itself, and the last of the si- /i+nyanas of the 8inayana
do&trine? 9? @#Aor instan&e$, in a state of tran&e, in dee* slu'ber, in %irodha-sa'a*atti #0here
no thought e-ists$, in 9sa'+nyi-sa'a*atti #in 0hi&h no &ons&iousness e-ists$, and in
9vrhaloka #the thirteenth of Brah'alokas$?
"? The .ahayana )o&trine of )har'alaksana?EA%F"7;G
This do&trine tells us that fro' ti'e i''e'orial all sentient beings naturally have eight
different /i+nyanasEA%F"7<G and the eighth, 9laya-vi+nyana,EA%F"7!G is the origin of the'?
#That is$, the 9laya suddenly brings forth the @seeds@EA%F":>G of living beings and of the
0orld in 0hi&h they live, and through transfor'ation gives rise to the seven /i+nyanas? ,a&h
of the' &auses e-ternal ob+e&ts on 0hi&h it a&ts to take for' and a**ear? =n reality there is
nothing e-ternally e-istent? 8o0, then, does 9laya give rise to the' through transfor'ationD
Be&ause, as this do&trine tells us, 0e habitually for' the erroneous idea that 9t'an and
e-ternal ob+e&ts e-ist in reality, and it a&ts u*on 9laya and leaves its i'*ressionsEA%F":G
there? Conse5uently, 0hen /i+nyanas are a0akened, these i'*ressions #or the seed-ideas$
transfor' and *resent the'selves #before the 'ind@s eye$ 9t'an and e-ternal ob+e&ts?
EA%F"7;G This s&hool studies in the 'ain the nature of things
#)har'a$, and 0as so na'ed? The do&trine is based on
9vata'saka-sutra and Sa'dhi-nir'o&ana-sutra, and 0as syste'atiBed by
9sa'ga and /asu-bandhu? The latter@s book,
/idya'atra-siddhi-&astra-karika, is held to be the best authoritative
0ork of the s&hool?
EA%F"7<G #$ The sense of sightI #($ the sense of hearingI #"$ the sense of s'ellI #3$ the sense
of tasteI #7$ the sense of tou&hI #:$ .ano-vi+nyana #lit?, 'ind-kno0ledge$, or the *er&e*tive
fa&ultyI #;$ Klista-'ano-vi+nyana #lit?, soiled-'ind-kno0ledge$, or an intros*e&tive fa&ultyI
#<$ 9laya-vi+nyana #lit?, re&e*ta&le-kno0ledge$, or ulti'ate-'ind-substan&e?
EA%F"7!G The first seven /i+nyanas de*end on the 9laya, 0hi&h is said to hold all the @seeds@
of *hysi&al and 'ental ob+e&ts?
EA%F":>G This s&hool is an e-tre'e for' of =dealis', and 'aintains that nothing se*arated
fro' the 9laya &an e-ist e-ternally? The 'ind-substan&e, fro' the first, holds the seed ideas
of everything, and they see' to the non-enlightened 'ind to be the e-ternal universe, but are
no other than the transfor'ation of the seed-ideas? The five senses, and the .ano-vi+nyana
a&ting on the', take the' for e-ternal ob+e&ts really e-istent, 0hile the seventh /i+nyana
'istakes the eighth for 9t'an?
EA%F":G The non-enlightened 'ind, habitually thinking that 9t'an and e-ternal ob+e&ts
e-ist, leaves the i'*ression of the seed-ideas on its o0n 9laya?
Then the si-th and the seventhEA%F":(G /i+nyana veiled 0ith 9vidya, d0elling on the',
'istake the' for real 9t'an and the real e-ternal ob+e&ts? This #error$ 'ay be &o'*ared 0ith
one diseasedEA%F":"G in the eye, 0ho i'agines that he sees various things #floating in the
air$ on a&&ount of his illnessI or 0ith a drea'erEA%F":3G 0hose fan&iful thoughts assu'e
various for's of e-ternal ob+e&ts, and *resent the'selves before hi'? 2hile in the drea' he
fan&ies that there e-ist e-ternal ob+e&ts in reality, but on a0akening he finds that they are
nothing other than the transfor'ation of his drea'ing thoughts?
EA%F":(G 9vidya, or ignoran&e, 0hi&h 'istakes the illusory *heno'ena for realities?
EA%F":"G 9? @9 *erson 0ith a serious disease sees the vision of strange &olours, 'en, and
things in his tran&e?@
EA%F":3G 9? @That a drea'er fan&ies he sees things is 0ell kno0n to everybody?@
So are our lives? They are no other than the transfor'ation of the /i+nyanasI but in
&onse5uen&e of illusion, 0e take the' for the 9t'an and e-ternal ob+e&ts e-isting in reality?
Aro' these erroneous ideas arise delusive thoughts that lead to the *rodu&tion of Kar'aI
hen&e the round-of rebirth to ti'e 0ithout end?EA%F":7G 2hen 0e understand these reasons,
0e &an realiBe the fa&t that our lives are nothing but transfor'ations of the /i+nyanas, and
that the #eighth$ /i+nyana is the origin?EA%F"::G
EA%F":7G 9? @9s it 0as detailed above?@
EA%F"::G 9? @9n i'*erfe&t do&trine, 0hi&h is refuted later?@
3? .ahayana )o&trine of the %ihilists?
This do&trine dis*roves #both$ the .ahayana and the 8inayana do&trines above 'entioned
that adhere to )har'a-laksana, and suggestively dis&loses the truth of Trans&endental 6eality
0hi&h is to be treated later?EA%F":;G 1et 'e state, first of all, 0hat it 0ould say in the
refutation of )har'a-laksana?
EA%F":;G 9? KThe nihilisti& do&trine is stated not only in the various Pra+nya-sutras #the
books having Pra+nya-*ara'ita in their titles$, but also in al'ost all .ahayana sutras? The
above-'entioned three do&trines 0ere *rea&hed #by the Buddha$ in the three su&&essive
*eriods? But this do&trine 0as not *rea&hed at any *arti&ular *eriodI it 0as intended to
destroy at any ti'e the atta&h'ent to the *heno'enal ob+e&ts? Therefore %agar+una tells us
that there are t0o sorts of Pra+nyas, the Co''on and the S*e&ial? The Pravakas #lit?, hearers$
and the Pratyekabuddhas #lit?, singly enlightened ones$, or the 8inayanists, &ould hear and
believe in, 0ith the Bodhisattvas or the .ahayanists, the Co''on Pra+nya, as it 0as intended
to destroy their atta&h'ent to the e-ternal ob+e&ts? Bodhisattvas alone &ould understand the
S*e&ial Pra+nya, as it se&retly revealed the Buddha nature, or the 9bsolute? ,a&h of the t0o
great =ndian tea&hers, Pilabhadra and Jnyana*rabha, divided the 0hole tea&hings of the
Buddha into three *eriods? #9&&ording to Pilabhadra, 9?)? :(7, tea&her of 8iuen Tsang, the
Buddha first *rea&hed the do&trine of @e-isten&e@ to the effe&t that every living being is unreal,
but things are real? 9ll the 8inayana sutras belong to this *eriod? %e-t the Buddha *rea&hed
the do&trine of the 'iddle *ath, in Sa'dhi-nir'o&ana-sutra and others, to the effe&t that all
the *heno'enal universe is unreal, but that the 'ental substan&e is real? 9&&ording to
Jnyana*rabha, the Buddha first *rea&hed the do&trine of e-isten&e, ne-t that of the e-isten&e
of 'ental substan&e, and lastly that of unreality?$ One says the do&trine of unreality 0as
*rea&hed before that of )har'a-laksana, 0hile the others say it 0as *rea&hed after? 8ere =
ado*t the latters@ o*inion?K
=f the e-ternal ob+e&ts 0hi&h are transfor'ed are unreal, ho0 &an the /i+nyana, the
transfor'er, be realD =f you say the latter is really e-istent, but not the for'er,EA%F":<G then
#you assu'e that$ the drea'ing 'ind #0hi&h is &o'*ared 0ith 9laya-vi+nyana$ is entirely
different fro' the ob+e&ts seen in the drea' #0hi&h are &o'*ared 0ith e-ternal ob+e&ts$? =f
they are entirely different, you ought not to identify the drea' 0ith the things drea'ed, nor to
identify the things drea'ed 0ith the drea' itself? =n other 0ords, they ought to have se*arate
e-isten&es? #9nd$ 0hen you a0ake your drea' 'ay disa**ear, but the things drea'ed 0ould
re'ain?
EA%F":<G 9? @=n the follo0ing senten&es = refute it, 'aking use of the si'ile of the drea'?@
9gain, if #you say$ that the things drea'ed are not identi&al 0ith the drea', then they 0ould
be really e-istent things? =f the drea' is not the sa'e as the things drea'ed, in 0hat other
for' does it a**ear to youD Therefore you 'ust a&kno0ledge that there is every reason to
believe that both the drea'ing 'ind and the things drea'ed are e5ually unreal, and that
nothing e-ists in reality, though it see's to you as if there 0ere a seer, and a seen, in a drea'?
Thus those /i+nyanas also 0ould be unreal, be&ause all of the' are not self-e-istent realities,
their e-isten&e being te'*orary, and de*endent u*on various &onditions?
KThere is nothing,K #the author of$ .adhya'ika-&astraEA%F":!G says, Kthat ever &a'e into
e-isten&e 0ithout dire&t and indire&t &auses? Therefore there is anything that is not unreal in
the 0orld?K 8e says againJ KThings *rodu&ed through dire&t and indire&t &auses = de&lare to
be the very things 0hi&h are unreal?K #The author of$ Craddhotdada-&astraEA%F";>G saysJ
K9ll things in the universe *resent the'selves in different for's only on a&&ount of false
ideas? =f se*arated fro' the #false$ ideas and thoughts, no for's of those e-ternal ob+e&ts
e-ist?K K9ll the *hysi&al for's #as&ribed to Buddha$,K says #the author of$ a sutra,EA%F";G
Kare false and unreal? The beings that trans&end all for's are &alled Buddhas?KEA%F";(G
Conse5uently you 'ust a&kno0ledge that 'ind as 0ell as e-ternal ob+e&ts are unreal? This is
the eternal truth of the .ahayana do&trine? 2e are driven to the &on&lusion that unreality is
the origin of life, if 0e tra&e it ba&k a&&ording to this do&trine?
EA%F":!G The *rin&i*al te-tbook of the .adhya'ika S&hool, by
%agar+una and %ilanetra, translated into Chinese #9?)? 3>!$ by
Ku'ara+iva?
EA%F";>G 9 0ell-kno0n .ahayana book as&ribed to 9&vaghosa, translated into Chinese by
Para'artha? There e-ists an ,nglish translation by )? SuBuki?
EA%F";G /a+ra&&hedha-*ra+nya-*ara'ita-sutra, of 0hi&h there e-ist three Chinese
translations?
EA%F";(G 9? @Si'ilar *assages are found in every book of the
.ahayana Tri*itaka?@
%o0 let us say #a fe0 0ords$ to refute this do&trine also? =f 'ind as 0ell as e-ternal ob+e&ts
be unreal, 0ho is it that kno0s they are soD 9gain, if there be nothing real in the universe,
0hat is it that &auses unreal ob+e&ts to a**earD 2e stand 0itness to the fa&t there is no one of
the unreal things on earth that is not 'ade to a**ear by so'ething real? =f there be no 0ater of
un&hanging fluidity,EA%F";"G ho0 &an there be the unreal and te'*orary for's of 0avesD =f
there be no un&hanging 'irror, bright and &lean, ho0 &an there be various i'ages, unreal and
te'*orary, refle&ted in itD =t is true in sooth that the drea'ing 'ind as 0ell as the things
drea'ed, as said above, are e5ually unreal, but does not that unreal drea' ne&essarily
*resu**ose the e-isten&e of so'e #real$ slee*ersD
EA%F";"G The 9bsolute is &o'*ared 0ith the o&ean, and the *heno'enal universe 0ith the
0aves?
%o0, if both 'ind and e-ternal ob+e&ts, as de&lared above, be nothing at all, no- one &an tell
0hat it is that &auses these unreal a**earan&es? Therefore this do&trine, 0e kno0, si'*ly
serves to refute the erroneous theory held by those 0ho are *assionately atta&hed to )har'a-
laksana, but never &learly dis&loses s*iritual 6eality? So that .ahabheri-haraka*arivarta-
sutraEA%F";3G says as follo0sJ K9ll the sutras that tea&h the unreality of things belong to an
i'*erfe&t do&trine #of the Buddha$? .aha*ra+nya-*ara'ita-sutraEA%F";7G saysJ KThe
do&trine of unreality is the first entran&e-gate to .ahayanis'?K
EA%F";3G The book 0as translated into Chinese by Gunabhadra, 9?)? 3(>-3;!?
EA%F";7G This is not the dire&t 5uotation fro' the sutra translated by 8iuen Tsang? The
0ords are found in .aha*ra+nya-*ara'ita-sutra, the &o''entary on the sutra by %agar+una?
2hen the above-'entioned four do&trines are &o'*ared 0ith one another in the order of
su&&ession, ea&h is 'ore *rofound than the *re&eding? They are &alled the su*erfi&ial,
*rovided that the follo0er, learning the' a short 0hile, kno0s the' by hi'self to be
i'*erfe&tI #but$ if he adheres to the' as *erfe&t, these sa'e #do&trines$ are &alled in&o'*lete?
They are #thus$ said to be su*erfi&ial and in&o'*lete 0ith regard to the follo0er?
CHAPTER III
THE DIRECT EXPLANATION OF THE REAL ORIGIN[FN*#+$
7? The ,kayana )o&trine that Tea&hes the Ulti'ate 6eality?
This do&trine tea&hes us that all sentient beings have the 6eal S*iritEA%F";;G of Original
,nlighten'ent #0ithin the'selves$? Aro' ti'e i''e'orial it is un&hanging and *ure? =t is
eternally bright, and &lear, and &ons&ious? =t is also na'ed the Buddha-nature, or Tathagata-
garbha?EA%F";<G 9s it is, ho0ever, veiled by illusion fro' ti'e 0ithout beginning, #sentient
beings$ are not &ons&ious of its e-isten&e, and think that the nature 0ithin the'selves are
degenerated? Conse5uently they are given to bodily *leasures, and *rodu&ing Kar'a, suffer
fro' birth and death? The great ,nlightened One, having &o'*assion on the', taught that
everything in the universe is unreal? 8e *ointed out that the 6eal S*irit of .ysterious
,nlighten'ent #0ithin the'$ is *ure and e-a&tly the sa'e as that of Buddha? Therefore he
says in 9vata'saka-sutraEA%F";!GJ KThere are no sentient beings, the &hildren of Buddha,
0ho are not endo0ed 0ith 0isdo' of TathagataIEA%F"<>G but they &annot attain to
,nlighten'ent si'*ly be&ause of illusion and atta&h'ent? 2hen they are free fro' illusion,
the Universal =ntelligen&e,EA%F"<G the %atural =ntelligen&e,EA%F"<(G the Uni'*eded
=ntelligen&e,EA%F"<"G 0ill be dis&losed #in their 'inds$?K
EA%F";:G 9? @The *erfe&t do&trine, in 0hi&h eternal truth is taught by the Buddha?@
EA%F";;G The ulti'ate reality is &on&eived by the .ahayanist as an entity self-e-istent,
o'ni*resent, s*iritual, i'*ersonal, free fro' all illusions? =t 'ay be regarded as so'ething
like the universal and enlightened soul?
EA%F";<G Tathagata@s 0o'b, Tathagata being another na'e for Buddha?
EA%F";!G The book 0as translated into Chinese by Buddhabhadra, 9?)? 3<-3(>?
EA%F"<>G The highest e*ithet of the Buddha, 'eaning one 0ho &o'es into the 0orld like the
&o'ing of his *rede&essors?
EA%F"<G The all-kno0ing 0isdo' that is a&5uired by ,nlighten'ent?
EA%F"<(G The inborn 0isdo' of the Original ,nlighten'ent?
EA%F"<"G The 0isdo' that is a&5uired by the union of ,nlighten'ent 0ith the Original
,nlighten'ent?
Then he tells a *arable of a single grain of 'inute dustEA%F"<3G &ontaining large volu'es of
Sutra, e5ual in di'ension of the Great Chilio&os'os?EA%F"<7G The grain is &o'*ared 0ith a
sentient being, and the Sutra 0ith the 0isdo' of Buddha? 9gain he says laterJEA%F"<:G
KOn&e Tathagata, having observed every sort of sentient beings all over the universe, said as
follo0sJ @2onderful, ho0 0onderfulO That these various sentient beings, endo0ed 0ith the
0isdo' of Tathagata, are not &ons&ious of it be&ause of their errors and illusionsO = shall tea&h
the' the sa&red truth and 'ake the' free fro' illusion for ever? = shall #thus$ enable the' to
find by the'selves the Great 2isdo' of Tathagatha 0ithin the' and 'ake the' e5ual to
Buddha?@
EA%F"<3G One of the fa'ous *arables in the sutra?
EA%F"<7G 9&&ording to the Buddhist literature, one universe &o'*rises one sun, one 'oon,
one &entral 'ountain or Su'eru, four &ontinents, et&? One thousand of these universes for'
the S'all Thousand 2orldsI one thousand of the S'all Thousand 2orlds for' the .iddle
Thousand 2orldsI and the Great Thousand 2orlds, or Great Chilio&os'os, &o'*rises one
thousand of the .iddle Thousand 2orlds?
EA%F"<:G This is not an e-a&t 5uotation of the sutra?
1et 'e say #a fe0 0ords$ about this do&trine by 0ay of &riti&is'? So 'any Kal*as 0e s*ent
never 'eeting 0ith this true do&trine, and kne0 not ho0 to tra&e our life ba&k to its origin?
8aving been atta&hed to nothing but the unreal out0ard for's, 0e 0illingly a&kno0ledged
ourselves to be a &o''on herd of lo0ly beings? So'e regarded the'selves as beasts, #0hile$
others as 'en?
But no0, tra&ing life to its origin a&&ording to the highest do&trine, 0e have fully understood
that 0e ourselves 0ere originally Buddhas? Therefore 0e should a&t in &onfor'ity to
Buddha@s #a&tion$, and kee* our 'ind in har'ony 0ith his? 1ot us betake ourselves on&e
'ore to the sour&e of ,nlightened S*irit, restoring ourselves to the original Buddhahood? 1et
us &ut off the bond of atta&h'ent, and re'ove the illusion that &o''on *eo*le are habitually
given to?
=llusion being destroyed,EA%F"<;G the 0ill to destroy it is also re'oved, and at last there
re'ains nothing to be done #e-&e*t &o'*lete *ea&e and +oy$? This naturally results in
,nlighten'ent, 0hose *ra&ti&al uses are as innu'erable as the grains of sand in the Ganges?
This state is &alled Buddhahood? 2e should kno0 that the illusory as 0ell as the ,nlightened
are originally of one and the sa'e 6eal S*irit? 8o0 great, ho0 e-&ellent, is the do&trine that
tra&es 'an to su&h an originOEA%F"<<G
EA%F"<;G The *assage o&&urs in Tao Teh King?
EA%F"<<G 9? @9lthough all of the above-'entioned five do&trines 0ere *rea&hed by the
Buddha 8i'self, yet there are so'e that belong to the Sudden, 0hile others to the Gradual,
Tea&hings? =f there 0ere *ersons of the 'iddle or the lo0est grade of understanding, 8e first
taught the 'ost su*erfi&ial do&trine, then the less su*erfi&ial, and KGraduallyK led the' u* to
the *rofound? 9t the outset of 8is &areer as a tea&her 8e *rea&hed the first do&trine to enable
the' to give u* evil and abide by goodI ne-t 8e *rea&hed the se&ond and the third do&trine
that they 'ight re'ove the Pollution and attain to the PurityI and, lastly, 8e *rea&hed the
fourth and the fifth do&trine to destroy their atta&h'ent to unreal for's, and to sho0 the
Ulti'ate 6eality? #Thus$ 8e redu&ed #all$ the te'*orary do&trines into the eternal one, and
taught the' ho0 to *ra&tise the 1a0 a&&ording to the eternal and attain to Buddhahood?
@=f there is a *erson of the highest grade of understanding, he 'ay first of all learn the 'ost
*rofound, ne-t the less *rofound, and, lastly, the 'ost su*erfi&ial do&trine-that is, he 'ay at
the outset &o'e KSuddenlyK to the understanding of the One 6eality of True S*irit, as it is
taught in the fifth do&trine? 2hen the S*iritual 6eality is dis&losed before his 'ind@s eye, he
'ay naturally see that it originally trans&ends all a**earan&es 0hi&h are unreal, and that
unrealities a**ear on a&&ount of illusion, their e-isten&e de*ending on 6eality? Then he 'ust
give u* evil, *ra&tise good, *ut a0ay unrealities by the 0isdo' of ,nlighten'ent, and redu&e
the' to 6eality? 2hen unrealities are all gone, and 6eality alone re'ains &o'*lete, he is
&alled the )har'a-kaya-Buddha?@
CHAPTER IV
RECONCILIATION OF THE TEMPORARY WITH THE REAL
DOCTRINE[FN*()$
,/,% if 6eality is the origin of life, there 'ust be in all *robability so'e &auses for its
&o'ing into e-isten&e, as it &annot suddenly assu'e the for' of body by a&&ident? =n the
*re&eding &ha*ters = have refuted the first four do&trines, 'erely be&ause they are i'*erfe&t,
and in this &ha*ter = shall re&on&ile the te'*orary 0ith the eternal do&trine? =n short, = shall
sho0 that even Confu&ianis' is in the right?EA%F"!>G That is to say, fro' the beginning there
e-ists 6eality #0ithin all beings$, 0hi&h is one and s*iritual? =t &an never be &reated nor
destroyed? =t does not in&rease nor de&rease itself? =t is sub+e&t to neither &hange nor de&ay?
Sentient beings, slu'bering in #the night of$ illusion fro' ti'e i''e'orial, are not
&ons&ious of its e-isten&e? 9s it is hidden and veiled, it is na'ed Tathagata-garbha?EA%F"!G
On this Tathagata-garbha the 'ental *heno'ena that are sub+e&t to gro0th and de&ay de*end?
6eal S*irit, as is stated #in the 9&vaghosa@s Pastra$, that trans&ends &reation and destru&tion,
is united 0ith illusion, 0hi&h is sub+e&t to &reation and destru&tionI and the one is not
absolutely the sa'e as nor different fro' the other? This union #0ith illusion$ has the t0o
sides of enlighten'ent and non -enlighten'ent,@ and is &alled 9laya-vi+nyana? Be&ause of
non-enlighten'ent,EA%F"!(G it first arouses itself, and for's so'e ideas? This a&tivity of the
/i+nyana is na'ed @the state of Kar'a?EA%F"!"G Aurther'ore, sin&e one does not understand
that these ideas are unreal fro' the beginning, they transfor' the'selves into the sub+e&t
#0ithin$ and the ob+e&t #0ithout$, into the seer and the seen? One is at a loss ho0 to
understand that these e-ternal ob+e&ts are no 'ore than the &reation of his o0n delusive 'ind,
and believes the' to be really e-istent? This is &alled the erroneous belief in the e-isten&e of
e-ternal ob+e&ts?EA%F"!3G =n &onse5uen&e of these erroneous beliefs, he distinguishes Self
and non-self, and at last for's the erroneous belief of 9t'an? Sin&e he is atta&hed to the for'
of the Self, he yearns after various ob+e&ts agreeable to the sense for the sake of the good of
his Self? 8e is offended, #ho0ever$, 0ith various disagreeable ob+e&ts, and is afraid of the
in+uries and troubles 0hi&h they bring on hi'? #Thus$ his foolish *assionsEA%F"!7G are
strengthened ste* by ste*?
EA%F"<!G 9? @The do&trines refuted above are re&on&iled 0ith the real do&trine in this &ha*ter?
They are all in the right in their *ointing to the true origin?@
EA%F"!>G 9? @The first se&tion states the fifth do&trine that reveals the 6eality, and the
state'ents in the follo0ing se&tions are the sa'e as the other do&trines, as sho0n in the
notes?@
EA%F"!G 9? @The follo0ing state'ent is si'ilar to the fourth do&trine e-*lained above in the
refutation of the *heno'enal e-isten&e sub+e&t to gro0th and de&ay?@ Co'*are Praddhot*ada-
&astra?
EA%F"!(G 9? @The follo0ing state'ent is si'ilar to the do&trine of
)har'a-laksana?@
EA%F"!"G 8ere Kar'a si'*ly 'eans an a&tive stateI it should be distinguished fro' Kar'a,
*rodu&ed by a&tions?
EA%F"!3G 9? @The follo0ing state'ent is si'ilar to the se&ond do&trine, or 8inayanis'?@
EA%F"!7G 9? @The follo0ing state'ent is si'ilar to the first do&trine for 'en and )evas?@
Thus #on one hand$ the souls of those 0ho &o''itted the &ri'es of killing, stealing, and so
on, are born, by the influen&e of the bad Kar'a, in hell, or a'ong Pretas, or a'ong beasts, or
else0here? On the other hand, the souls of those 0ho, being afraid of su&h sufferings, or
being good-natured, gave al's, ke*t *re&e*ts, and so on, undergo 9ntarabhavaEA%F"!:G by
the influen&e of the good Khar'a, enter into the 0o'b of their 'others?EA%F"!;G
EA%F"!:G The s*iritual e-isten&e bet0een this and another life?
EA%F"!;G 9? @The follo0ing state'ent is si'ilar to Confu&ianis' and
Taois'?@
There they are endo0ed 0ith the #so-&alled$ Gas, or 'aterial #for body$?EA%F"!<G The Gas
first &onsists of four ele'entsEA%F"!!G and it gradually for's various sense-organs? The
'ind first &onsists of the four aggregates,EA%F3>>G and it gradually for's various /i+nyanas?
9fter the 0hole &ourse of ten 'onths they are born and &alled 'en? These are our *resent
bodies and 'inds? Therefore 0e 'ust kno0 that body and 'ind has ea&h its o0n origin, and
that the t0o, being united, for' one hu'an being? They are born a'ong )evas and 9suras,
and so on in a 'anner al'ost si'ilar to this?
EA%F"!<G 9? @This har'oniBes 0ith the outside o*inion that Gas is the origin?@
EA%F"!!G #$ ,arth, #($ 0ater, #"$ fire, #3$ air?
EA%F3>>G #$ Per&e*tion, #($ &ons&iousness, #"$ &on&e*tion, #3$ kno0ledge?
Though 0e are born a'ong 'en by virtue of @the generaliBing Kar'a,@EA%F3>G yet, by the
influen&e of @the *arti&ulariBing Kar'a,@EA%F3>(G so'e are *la&ed in a high rank, 0hile
others in a lo0I so'e are *oor, 0hile others ri&hI so'e en+oy a long life, 0hile others die in
youthI so'e are si&kly, 0hile others healthyI so'e are rising, 0hile others are fallingI so'e
suffer fro' *ains, 0hile others en+oy *leasures? Aor instan&e, reveren&e or indolen&e in the
*revious e-isten&e, 0orking as the &ause, brings forth high birth or lo0 in the *resent as the
effe&t? So also benevolen&e in the *ast results in long life in the *resentI the taking of life, a
short lifeI the giving of al's, ri&hness, 'iserliness, Poverty? There are so 'any *arti&ular
&ases of retribution that &annot be 'entioned in detail? 8en&e there are so'e 0ho ha**en to
be unfortunate, doing no evil, 0hile others fortunate, doing no good in the *resent life? So
also so'e en+oy a long life, in s*ite of their inhu'an &ondu&tI 0hile others die young, in s*ite
of their taking no life, and so forth? 9s all this is *redestinated by @the *arti&ulariBing Kar'a@
*rodu&ed in the *ast, it 0ould see' to o&&ur naturally, 5uite inde*endent of one@s a&tions in
the *resent life? Outside s&holars ignorant of the *revious e-isten&es, relying si'*ly on their
observations, believe it to be nothing 'ore than natural?EA%F3>"G
EA%F3>G The Kar'a that deter'ines different &lasses of beings, su&h as 'en, beasts, Pretas,
et&?
EA%F3>(G The Kar'a that deter'ines the *arti&ular state of an individual in the 0orld?
EA%F3>"G 9? @This har'oniBes 0ith the outside o*inion that everything o&&urs naturally?@
Besides, there are so'e 0ho &ultivated virtues in the earlier, and &o''itted &ri'es in the
later, stages of their *ast e-isten&esI 0hile others 0ere vi&ious in youth, and virtuous in old
age? =n &onse5uen&e, so'e are ha**y in youth, being ri&h and noble, but unha**y in old age,
being *oor and lo0 in the *resent lifeI 0hile others lead *oor and 'iserable lives 0hen
young, but gro0 ri&h and noble 0hen old, and so on? 8en&e outside s&holars &o'e to believe
that one@s *ros*erity or adversity 'erely de*ends on a heavenly de&ree?EA%F3>3G
EA%F3>3G 9? @This har'oniBes 0ith the outside o*inion that everything de*ends on
*roviden&e?@
The body 0ith 0hi&h 'an is endo0ed, 0hen tra&ed ste* by ste* to its origin, *roves to be
nothing but one *ri'ordial Gas in its undevelo*ed state? 9nd the 'ind 0ith 0hi&h 'an
thinks, 0hen tra&ed ste* by ste* to its sour&e, *roves to be nothing but the One 6eal S*irit? To
tell the truth, there e-ists nothing outside of S*irit, and even the Pri'ordial Gas is also a
'ode of it, for it is one of the e-ternal ob+e&ts *ro+e&ted by the above-stated /i+nyanas, and is
one of the 'ental i'ages of 9laya, out of 0hose idea, 0hen it is in the state of Kar'a, &o'e
both the sub+e&t and the ob+e&t? 9s the sub+e&t develo*ed itself, the feebler ideas gro0
stronger ste* by ste*, and for' erroneous beliefs that end in the *rodu&tion of Kar'a?
EA%F3>7G Si'ilarly, the ob+e&t in&reases in siBe, the finer ob+e&ts gro0 gradually grosser, and
gives rise to unreal things that end in the for'ationEA%F3>:G of 8eaven and ,arth? 2hen
Kar'a is ri*e enough, one is endo0ed by father and 'other 0ith s*er' and ovu', 0hi&h,
united 0ith his &ons&iousness under the influen&e of Kar'a, &o'*letes a hu'an for'?
EA%F3>7G 9? @9s above stated?@
EA%F3>:G 9? K=n the beginning, a&&ording to the outside s&hool, there 0as @the great
&hangeableness,@ 0hi&h under0ent fivefold evolutions, and brought out the Aive Prin&i*les?
Out of that Prin&i*le, 0hi&h they &all the Great Path of %ature, &a'e the t0o subordinate
*rin&i*les of the Positive and the %egative? They see' to e-*lain the Ulti'ate 6eality, but the
Path, in fa&t, no 'ore than the @*er&eiving division@ of the 9laya? The so-&alled *ri'ordial
Gas see's to be the first idea in the a0akening 9laya, but it is a 'ere e-ternal ob+e&t?K
9&&ording to this vie0 #of )har'alaksana$, things brought forth through the transfor'ations
of 9laya and the other /i+nyanas are divided into t0o *artsI one *art #re'aining$, united 0ith
9laya and the other /i+nyanas, be&o'es 'an, 0hile the other, be&o'ing se*arated fro'
the', be&o'es 8eaven, ,arth, 'ountains, rivers, &ountries, and to0ns? #Thus$ 'an is the
out&o'e of the union of the t0oI this is the reason 0hy he alone of the Three Po0ers is
s*iritual? This 0as taught by the BuddhaEA%F3>;G hi'self 0hen he stated that there e-isted
t0o different kinds of the four ele'entsHthe internal and the e-ternal?
EA%F3>;G 6atnakuta-sutra #D$, translated into Chinese by Jnyanagu*ta?
9lasO O ye half-edu&ated s&holars 0ho adhere to i'*erfe&t do&trines, ea&h of 0hi&h &onfli&ts
0ith anotherO Ce that seek after truth, if ye 0ould attain to Buddhahood, &learly understand
0hi&h is the subtler and 0hi&h is the grosser #for' of illusive ideas$, 0hi&h is the originator
and 0hi&h is the originated? #Then$ give ye u* the originated and return ye to the originator,
and to refle&t on the S*irit, the Sour&e #of all$? 2hen the grosser is e-ter'inated and the
subtler re'oved, the 0onderful 0isdo' of s*irit is dis&losed, and nothing is beyond its
understanding? This is &alled the )har'a-sa'bhoga-kaya? =t &an of itself transfor' itself and
a**ear a'ong 'en in nu'berless 0ays? This is &alled the %ir'ana-kaya of Buddha?
EA%F3><G
EA%F3><G ,very Buddha has three bodiesJ #$ )har'a-kaya, or s*iritual bodyI #($
Sa'bhoga-kaya, or the body of &o'*ensationI #"$ %ir'ana-kaya, or the body &a*able of
transfor'ation?
THE END.