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蘭溪道隆 Lanxi Daolong (1213-1278)
Posthumous name: Dajue Zen Master (大覺禅師 Daikaku Zenji in Japanese) by Emperor Go-Uda (後宇多天皇)
(Rōmaji:) Rankei Dōryū
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanxi_Daolong
Lanxi Daolong 蘭溪道隆 (J. Rankei Doryu; 1213–1278) was a native of the present-day Sichuan region of China. He entered temple life at the age of thirteen, studying under the masters Wuzhun Shifan 無準師範 (1177–1249), Chijue Daochong 癡絶道冲 (J., Chizetsu Dochu; 1169–1250), and others, and succeeding to the dharma of Wuming Huixing 無明慧性 (J., Mumyo Esho; 1162–1237). In 1246 he and several of his disciples came to Japan, first to the southern island of Kyushu and later, at the invitation of the regent Hojo Tokiyori 北条時頼 (1227–1263), to the city of Kamakura, the capital of the shogunate. There in 1253, under Tokiyori's patronage, he was named founding priest of Kencho-ji 建長寺, Japan's first true Rinzai Zen monastery. Later Lanxi moved to Kyoto and was appointed abbot of Kennin-ji, Yosai's part-Zen, part-Tendai temple that Lanxi reorganized as a center of pure Zen training. After returning to Kamakura he served again as abbot of Kencho-ji until, in 1265, he was falsely accused of spying for the Mongols and exiled for a time. He was later allowed to reside at Jufuku-ji and, just before his death, was reinstated to his position at Kencho-ji. Following his death he was granted the posthumous title Meditation Master Daikaku 大覺禪師, the first time anyone in Japan had received the “meditation master” title.
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Lanxi Daolong. (J. Rankei Dōryū; K. Nan’gye Toryung 蘭溪道隆) (1213–1278).
Chinese CHAN monk in the Mi’an collateral branch of the LINJI ZONG. Lanxi
was a native of Fujiang in present-day Sichuan province. At a young age, he
became a monk at the nearby monastery of Dacisi in Chengdu and later visited
the Chan masters WUZHUN SHIFAN (1178–1249) and Chijue Daochong (1169–
1250). Lanxi eventually became the disciple of Wuming Huixing (1162–1237),
who in turn was a disciple of the eminent Chan master Songyuan Chongyue
(1132–1202). In 1246, Lanxi departed for Japan, eventually arriving in Hakata
(present-day Kyūshū) with his disciple Yiweng Shaoren (1217–1281). At the
invitation of the powerful regent Hōjō Tokiyori (1227–1263), Lanxi served as
abbot of the monastery Jōrakuji in Kamakura. In 1253, Tokiyori completed the
construction of a large Zen monastery named KENCHŌJI in Kamakura and
appointed Lanxi its founding abbot (kaisan; C. KAISHAN). Lanxi soon had a large
following at Kenchōji where he trained students in the new SAṂGHA hall (C.
SENGTANG) according to the Chan monastic regulations (C. QINGGUI) that he
brought from China. In 1265, he received a decree to take up residence at the
powerful monastery of KENNINJI in Kyōto, but after three years in Kyōto, he
returned to Kenchōji. Lanxi also became the founding abbot of the temple of
Zenkōji in Kamakura. Retired emperor Kameyama (r. 1259–1274) bestowed
upon him the title Zen Master Daikaku (Great Enlightenment); Lanxi’s lineage in
Japan thus came to be known as the Daikaku branch of the Japanese Rinzai Zen
tradition.
重要文化財 「蘭渓道隆坐像」 鎌倉時代13世紀 神奈川･建長寺（通期展示）
蘭渓道隆 RANKEI DORYU's Death Poem
Died in 1278 at the age of sixty-six
In: Yoel Hoffmann: Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death. Tuttle Publishing. 1986.
Thirty years and more
I worked to nullify myself
Now I leap the leap of death.
The ground churns up
The skies spin round.
Zen Master Daikaku's Treatise on Sitting Meditation
Translated by Thomas F. Cleary
In: The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen, Grove Press, 1978. pp. 19-41.
Sitting meditation is the method of great liberation; all
the teachings flow forth from this, myriad practices are
mastered this way . Supernormal powers, knowledge,
wisdom and virtue all arise from here, the path of life of
humans and gods opens herein; all the buddhas have
entered and left by this door, bodhisattvas practicing it
have entered this door, disciples and self-enlightened
ones are still only halfway there, while outsiders,
though they practice, do not enter the right path.
Whatever esoteric or exoteric schools do not practice
this do not have anyone who realizes the way of
buddhahood."What does it mean that sitting meditation is the
root source of all the teachings?"Meditation is the inner mind of the enlightened
ones, discipline is their outer character, doctrine is their
speech, Buddha remembrance is the invocation of
Buddha's name-all come from the enlightened mind of
the buddhas; therefore it is considered fundamental."The method of meditation is formless and thought-
less; spiritual qualities are not obvious, and there is no
proof of seeing reality-so how can we believe in
this?"Your own mind and the enlightened mind are one-
is that not spiritual quality? If you don't know your own
mind, on whom can you call for witness and proof?
Other than the identity of mind and Buddha, what
proof do you seek?"How can the ability to cultivate the teaching of one
mind compare to myriad practices cultivating myriad
virtues?"When you suddenly awaken to the pure clear
meditation of those who realize thusness, the six
transcendences and myriad practices are complete
within your body; thus the one practice of meditation
includes all practices. Haven't you heard it said that the
three realms are only one mind, that outside of mind
there is nothing else? Even if you do cultivate myriad
practices, if you don't know the mind you cannot realize
enlightenment; and how can there be any way to fulfilI
the way of the Buddha if you don't realize enlight-
enment?"How should we practice this method? Even if we
practice we are not sure of attaining enlightenment and
fulfilling buddhahood; and if it is uncertain, even if we
do practice, what is the benefit?"This school is an exceedingly deep and subtle
teaching; once you have heard it, it becomes an
excellent cause for enlightenment for all time. An
ancient. said, "Those who hear this, even if they don't
believe, have blessings greater than humans or gods;
those who study even without attainment eventually
reach buddhahood." This teaching is the school of the
enlightened mind; the enlightened mind itself basically
has no delusion or enlightenment. This is actually the
subtle art of those who realize thusness; even if you
don't become enlightened, when you sit once in medita-
tion you are a buddha for that sitting; when you sit for a
day in meditation you are a buddha for a day; when you
sit in meditation all your life, you are a buddha all your
life. The same is true of the future; one who can have
faith in this is someone with great potential."If so, I can practice, too; how should I rest my
mind, how should I use my mind?"The enlightened mind has no attachment to ap-
pearances; detachment from appearances is the charac-
ter of reality. Among the four modes of conduct-
walking, standing, sitting, and lying-sitting is consid-
ered to be stable and tranquil. This means sitting
straight and contemplating the characteristics of reality."Please explain in detail the meaning of sitting
straight and contemplating reality."Sitting straight means sitting cross-legged as the
Buddhas do; contemplating reality means sitting medi-
tation-forming the symbol of absorption in the cos-
mos,* body and mind unmoving, eyes half-open,
watching over the tip of the nose, you should see all
compounded things as like dreams, illusions, bubbles,
shadows; don't get hung up in thought about them."Crossing the legs and making the symbol with the
hands is the comportment of the realized ones, but why
keep the eyes half-open, watching over the tip of the
nose?"When the eyes are open and you can see for a
distance, your mind can be distracted by the profusion*Left palm up, left hand on right palm, thumbtips joined to form
a circle, symbol of the body of reality with no lack or excess,
beginningless and endless, perfect and complete as a sphere.of objects; yet if you close your eyes, you fall into a
state of darkness and oblivion, and your mind is not
clear. When your eyes are half-open, your thoughts
don't race; mind and body are one thusness . When you
examine clearly, the afflictions of birth and death cannot
be approached-this is called fulfilling buddhahood
right where you are, the meaning of great capacity and
great function."Though I hear what you say, it's still hard to really
believe. Only by accumulating the virtues of reading
and reciting scriptures and spells, fasting, discipline,
and recitation of Buddha names, can we have something
to rely on; how can there be anything special about
peaceful meditation without doing anything?"Such doubt is called activity causing birth and death;
such doubt is called affliction. Practicing everything
without any sense of attainment is called the exceed-
ingly profound transcendent wisdom; this wisdom can
cut off the source of birth and death, like a sharp sword.
To practice virtue in hopes of reward is the illusion of
ordinary folk; bodhisattvas do not seek for the resulting
rewards as they cultivate roots of virtue, because they
cultivate goodness for the sake of impartial love and
compassion, and thus it becomes sustenance for en-
lightenment. As for those who seek rewards as they
cultivate virtue and attain the lesser reward of humanity
or godhood, this is surely the work of birth and death."Without accumulating virtue and good qualities,
how can one become a Buddha, in whom myriad virtues
are complete?"It takes three incalculable eons to attain buddha-
hood by accumulating virtue and good qualities, but if
you practice the way of unity of cause and effect, you
realize buddhahood in , one lifetime. Someone who
illumines his own mind and awakens to his real nature
sees that he himself is originally Buddha, not now
attaining buddhahood for the first time."Do those who realize buddhahood by seeing reality
not depend on cause and effect? Should they not
cultivate virtue?"Although those who realize buddhahood by seeing
their true nature may cultivate virtue, they do it for
others' benefit, not for rewards. Because they teach and
transform sentient beings, they teach cause and effect;
because they know they have no personal gain, they do
not depend on merit-they have no mind at all."What is no mind? If there is no mind at all, who
sees reality, who awakens to the way? And who can
expound the way to teach?"No mind means that there is no deluded, foolish
mind; it does not mean there is no mind to discern false
from true. If one doesn't think of sentient beings,
doesn't long for Buddhas either, doesn't think of
illusion or seek enlightenment, doesn't go along with
the honor of others, does not hope for fame, profit,
support or reputation, does not shrink from attacks
from those who are resentful or hostile, and does not
add any discriminating thoughts about any good or evil,
one is called a mindless wayfarer. Thus is it said, "The
path is mindless of union with man, a mindless man
unites with the way.""Are there differences of more or less merit in
fasting, observing the precepts, reading and reciting
scriptures and spells, and chanting Buddha names?"Eating once a day removes greed for food and
results in great blessings and virtue in the coming life.
Morality and discipline is also to stop bad states of
mind and produce a good mental state; those with good
minds live in human and heavenly realms, in the
highest estates. Since those who read the scriptures and
spells protect and maintain the teachings of the en-
lightened ones, these people will have great knowledge
and wisdom in the coming life. Extolling their names is
taking refuge in the Buddhas, so in the coming life one
will surely be born in a Buddha land. No mind is the
Buddha mind; the qualities of this enlightened mind
cannot be reached by words or thought-it is truly
inconceivable."Such roots of goodness as these each have their
merit, undoubtedly, but what is the virtue of mindless-
ness?"Learning the standards of conduct of the Buddha,
transmitting the sayings of the Buddha, and extolling
the names of the Buddha have merit, so mindless
wayfarers must also have merit; if you say no mind has
no merit, then other practices cannot have any merit
either. All roots of virtue and good qualities are
conditional, whether they be heavenly or humanly
mundane; no mind is immediate witness of the path of
enlightenment, so its merit cannot be adequately ex-
pressed in words-really it is the condition of the one
great matter; the afflictions of birth and death die away
of themselves, mind and body are one thusness-this is
what it is. How can there be any doubt about the
immediate mind realizing buddhahood? That is why
someone in ancient times said, "To make offerings to
the Buddhas of the three times cannot compare to
making offerings to one mindless wayfarer . " Actually
this is the sphere which only an enlightened one can
communicate to an enlightened one; ordinary people,
disciples, and self-enlightened ones cannot fathom it."The scriptures do not speak of no mind, nor do
they praise it; by what school of teaching do you esteem
this?"Various scriptures have not failed to speak of it;
some say "the path of words ends," some say "it cannot
be explained," or "ultimate emptiness," or "the condi-
tion of the one great matter." And also they say that all
things are quiescent and dead-Shakymuni shut his
room Vimalakirti closed his mouth. Does this not point,
to no mind? Because the phantomlike bodhisattvas
already have experiential knowledge of this, the Buddha
does not preach it to them, and he does not teach it to
seekers of sainthood and self-enlightenment because
they could hardly attain it. That is why it says in the
Lotus of Reality scripture, "Do not expound this
scripture in the presence of ignorant people." That's
what this means. Although there are eighty-four thou-
sand entrances to the truth in the teachings, they do not
go beyond matter and emptiness. Everything that has
form and characteristics is matter, body; that which
does not show any form is all empty. Because the body
has form, it is called material; and because the mind is
formless, it is called empty. All the scriptures do not go
beyond these two things: matter and emptiness. They
can't explain the sphere of no mind, so they don't extol
this matter. Because words cannot reach it, it is called
the special transmission outside of doctrine."Is this body then to be considered illusion? Can it
The body of four gross elements (fire, water, earth,
be considered enlightenment? And what is the mind?
The basis of illusion and enlightenment, it should be
known. And is the mind inside the body or outside the
body? Where does it come from?"
air) and five clusters (matter, sensation, perception,
coordination, consciousness) fills the universe; all sen-
tient beings are the foundation. Causes and conditions
interact to form physical bodies-this is called birth.
When the results of the causes and conditions change
and die out, then the four elements disperse-this is
called death. In form and characteristics there are
ordinary people and saints; in the essence of mind there
is no delusion or enlightenment. Even so, we provi-
sionally define the deluded as sentient beings and the
enlightened as the buddhas. Delusion and enlighten-
ment just depend on the deceiving mind-in the real
mind there is no illusion or enlightenment. Sentient
beings and buddhas are basically deluded or en-
lightened on the basis of one mind; when you com-
prehend its true nature, then ultimately there is no
distinction between ordinary man and saint. Therefore
the Surangama scripture says, "The perfect illumination
of inconceivable reality is beyond names and symbols;
there are no original world or sentient beings.""If there is fundamentally no illusion in the nature
of mind, where do illusions come from?"When false thoughts arise, illusion comes along, and
because of illusion, afflictions are born. When errant
thoughts cease, then illusion goes; and when illusion
goes away, afflictions also die out. Afflictions are things
of life, seeds of birth and death. Enlightenment is the
way to extinction. If you take peace and quiet to be
bliss, all things are afflictions; but when you are
enlightened, all things are enlightenment. People of the
world do not understand this basis of delusion and
enlightenment; they suppress thoughts of birth and
death and think that this is the nonbirth of a single
thought, and also consider this mindlessness-but these
are still thoughts of birth and death, not mindlessness,
not quiescence. When you try to stop thought by
thought, birth and death continue.'Those of the lesser vehicle fall into the principle of
emptiness and so don't know mindlessness; can
bodhisattvas of the great vehicle attain this no mind?"Through the (highest) tenth stage, bodhisattvas still
have two kinds of obstruction-confusion and knowl-
edge; therefore they do not realize no mind. The
obstruction of confusion means that bodhisattvas up to
the seventh stage still have conscious seeking for truth,
and that becomes a barrier. Up to the tenth stage, they
have conscious shining awareness, which thus becomes
a barrier. When they reach the stage of complete
enlightenment, they merge with this no mind."Since even bodhisattvas through the tenth stage do
not know this, how can beginning students merge with
no mind?"The great vehicle is inconceivable, directly cutting
off the root source of a thought; there are those who
awaken to it immediately. In the doctrinal schools they
set up three stages of sagehood and ten stages of
sainthood for those of dull faculties and potential; there
are people of sharp faculties who immediately become
truly awake when they are first inspired and directly
attain buddhahood. Merging with no mind when reach-
ing the tenth stage of bodhisattvahood and true en-
lightenment is no different in principle from the no
mind we speak of now in seeing the true nature and
realizing buddhahood."In seeing real nature and realizing buddhahood,
what is the way, what is real nature, and how does the
seer see? Can it be known by knowledge? Can it be seen
by the eye?"Knowledge attained by studying scriptures and
treatises is discriminating knowledge from seeing, hear-
ing, discerning, knowing; this practice does not need
such knowledge. Turning the light around to shine
back, knowing and seeing fundamentally inherent na-
ture, is called the eye of wisdom; after seeing nature,
seeing, hearing, discernment and knowledge may then
be put to use."In knowing and seeing one's own fundamental
inherent nature, the knowing and seeing can be known,
but what about inherent nature itself?"Because all sentient beings have a fundamental
nature, it supports their own bodies; this real nature has
never been born, never dies, has no form or shape, is
permanent and unchanging-this is called fundamental
inherent nature. Since this inherent nature is the same
as that of all buddhas, it is called Buddha nature. The
three treasures (buddhas, their teachings, their commu-
nities) and six kinds of sentient beings (humans, gods,
ghosts, animals, titans, hell beings) all have this nature
as their basis, whence come to be myriad things."What is turning the light around to shine back?"
Illumining outward things, one's own light is turned
back to shine on the inner self. The mind is bright as
the light of sun and moon, immeasurable and bound-
less, shining on all inner and outer lands; where the
light does not reach is dark-this is called the ghost den
on the black mountain, the abode of all ghosts, which
can hurt people, The mind phenomenon is also like
this; the light of knowledge of the mind essence is
infinite and boundless and illumines all things; where
the light does not reach is called the shadow world of
ignorance, the clusters and elements, the abode of all
afflictions, which can harm people. The knowing mind
is the light, errant thoughts are shadows; the light
illumining things is called shining, and when the mind
and thoughts do not range over things but are turned
toward the original nature, this is called "turning the , .
light around to shine back." It is also called "panoramic
illumination"; illumining the whole of the immediate
substance, it is where neither delusion nor enlighten-
ment have ever appeared. Nowadays people think of
basic mind by means of errant thoughts and consider
afflictions enjoyable-when will they ever escape birth
and death?"The essence of sitting meditation is the nonproduc-
tion of a single thought; trying to stop thought by
thought is like washing blood with blood-what should
we do?"The non production of a single thought is what is
known as the original essence of the mind. It is not
stopping thought, yet it is also not not stopping thought;
it is just the nonproduction of a single thought. If you
merge with this original essence, this is called the
realization of thusness of the reality of things. Thus,
even sitting meditation is no use here-there is no
illusion, no enlightenment, so how could there . be
thoughts? If you do not know this original. essence, you
cannot help but produce thoughts; even if you suppress
them so they don't arise, this is all still ignorance. It is
like a rock lying on the grass; before long the grass will
grow again. You should work on meditation most
meticulously and carefully; don't take it easy."Some say we should turn to the point where not a
single thought is born; what about this?"The nonproduction of a single thought is an expres-
sion referring to complete absence of any signs of birth,
extinction, going, or coming. Birth and death come from
the mind; if you don't know where thoughts come from,
you cannot know the root of birth and death . Sentient
beings are constantly afflicted by lustful, angry, foolish
thoughts which compel them, making them turn away
from their inherent nature . If the clouds of delusive
thought clear, the moon of the nature of mind appears;
the thoughts you hated before then becomes knowledge
and wisdom, and you can use these thoughts to talk
about reality and teach sentient beings. An ancient said,
"You people are used by the twenty-four hours; I make
use of the twenty-four hours.""You say that when sitting in meditation, it is wrong
when thoughts arise, yet wrong to stop them - so then
what?"Before you have seen reality, creating and stopping
"Even if thoughts arise, they have no reality of their
thoughts are both wrong; when it says in the Buddhist
scriptures sometimes not to create false ideas, and
sometimes it says not to cease and pass away, these are
words to let us know of the fundamental reality. If you
know fundamental reality, then cultivation of practice is
not necessary; when the disease of illusion and delusion
is removed, then there is no more use for cures . Even so,
when the diseases of delusive feelings arise, then you
need the cure of cultivation of practice. Thoughts
arising is the disease; not continuing is the medicine.
own; what is wrong?"Even though they have no reality of their own, as
soon as they arise you go wrong; it's like things in a
dream - when you awaken you realize they were unreal;
were you not mistaken? That which makes mistakes
and produces dreams is sentient beings' false views; one
day if they hear the teaching of enlightenment and are
inspired with faith, this is much better. Even so, those
who do not have a really genuine aspiration for
enlightenment do not realize the errors of their minds
because their application of effort is not careful; even
though from time to time they suppress small thoughts,
they are not aware of the big thoughts. If you do not cut
off the root source, even if you have some affinity with
the way, it will be impossible to escape birth and death."The sixth patriarch said, 'Do not think any good or
bad at all.' To have no thoughts about good or bad
surely is the essential point of sitting meditation; what
are little thoughts and big thoughts?""Do not think any good or bad at all" are words that
cut directly; not only in sitting meditation are they to be
applied. If you reach this state, walking, standing,
sitting, and lying down are all meditation; no need to
cling to the form of sitting . A patriarch said, "Walking
is also meditation; sitting is also meditation; speaking,
silent, active or still, the body is peaceful." One of the
Buddha's discourses says we are always in it, walking
around, sitting, and lying down. Little thoughts are
thoughts that suddenly arise about what is before you.
Big thoughts are thoughts of things like greed, hatred,
folly, false views, conceit, jealousy, name and fame,
profit, and support. When sitting in meditation, those
whose wills are weak may keep back little thoughts, but
such evil thoughts as these [big ones J will remain
unawares in their minds. These are called big thoughts.
Giving up these big bad thoughts is called directly
cutting off the root source; when you cut off the root
source, afflictions become enlightenment, folly becomes
wisdom , the three poisons become the three bodies of
pure discipline, ignorance becomes the objective reality
of great knowledge-need we speak of little thoughts?
Buddha said, "If you can transform things, then they are
the same as those who realize thusness." That's what
this means. If you can transform things, don't be
transformed by things." 'If you can transform things, you are the same as
those who realize thusness' - what are things, what is
transformation?"Things are everything; transformation is complete
liberation. Transforming things means that your mind is
immutable in the midst of all things, turning back to
fundamental nature, objects do not hinder the mind,
heavenly demons , ghosts and spirits, afflictions, birth
and death cannot overcome you . This is called trans-
forming things . The essential point to watch is not to
shift your mind onto things. Even views of Buddha and
Dharma should be cut off, to say nothing of false
thoughts; although the cutting mind seems like the
thinking mind, this is right thought, and right thought is
called wise thought. This is the knowledge and wisdom
which enters into right seeing."It is clear that afflictions and enlightenment come
from the mind, but just where do they begin?"Seeing forms, hearing sounds, smelling odors, tast-
ing flavors, sensing feelings, cognizing phenomena, are
the functions of the powers of the six faculties; among
these sense fields, that which distinguishes good and
bad, discriminates false and true, is wisdom. Herein to
set up others and self, producing love and hate , all are
wrong views; development of attachment to forms
based on these wrong views is called delusion , and from
this delusion arise matter, sensation, perception, coordi-
nation, and consciousness-the five clusters-this is
called affliction. Because sentient beings' physical bod-
ies are built of afflictions, they indulge in murder, theft,
adultery, falsehood, and other evil actions, and even-
tually degenerate into the three evil ways [hell fiends,
hungry ghosts, animals]. All this comes from wrong
thoughts; as soon as these wrong thoughts arise, if you
can turn them right around toward fundamental reality,
then you can attain mindlessness. Once you rest in no
mind, then the five clusters become the five-element
body of reality of those who come to realize thusness.
This is called "abiding nowhere, yet activating the
mind." Using your mind in this way is the great
function of cultivation of practice."Someone who has long developed accomplishment
at sitting meditation and whose work is pure and
mature should not have any afflictions or delusion in his
mind; how can those who are just beginning to cultivate
practice put an end to afflictions?"Don't despise afflictions, just purify your mind. An
ancient said, "To study the way you must be made of
iron; lay hold of the mind and it's settled. Directly
approaching unexcelled enlightenment, don't worry
about any right or wrong." Laying hold of the mind
means judging if the mind is in a proper state or not;
those who know their minds' errors are wise ones, and
those with wisdom should not be deluded. It is like
taking a lamp into a dark cave where sunlight or
moonlight has never come in; the old darkness doesn't
go outside, but suddenly it becomes light inside. With
the light of wisdom, the darkness of ignorance and
affliction don't have to go away to be gone. At night the
sky is dark, but when the sunlight comes out, the sky
becomes daylight. The mind is also like this; illusion is
darkness, enlightenment is light-when the light of
wisdom shines, the darkness of afflictions suddenly
turns light. Enlightenment is not something separate."Illumining the darkness of afflictions depends on
the light of wisdom; without wisdom there can be no
enlightenment, so how can we attain this wisdom?"Your own light of wisdom is clear and bright of
itself, but when obscured by false ideas you lose this,
and therefore create illusions. It is like when someone
dreams; whatever it is seems to appear real, but after
awakening there is not a single thing. Dreamlike
illusions are seen to be originally nonexistent once you
have awakened. Because sentient beings are deluded,
they take the false for the true."If enlightenment means suddenly realizing some-
thing you didn't know before, then can one know things
of the past and future?"When false views are all ended and the great dream
suddenly wakes and you know the enlightened nature
by seeing it, this is called great enlightenment, great
penetration; such as this cannot be fathomed by dis-
criminating thought. Knowing past and future events is
a power of superknowledge and depends on effective
power from cultivation and practice; it cannot be called
great enlightenment. Heavenly devils, ghosts and spir-
its, outsiders and sorcerers all have supernormal pow-
ers, which are attributes attained by past practice of
hardships and austerity. But although they have such
attributes, they don't give up their false ideas and don't
enter the way of the enlightened ones."If those who awaken to the way and realize the
truth do not have supernormal powers, what useful
qualities do they have?"Because this mind is made of past follies and
delusions, even in people who see reality and realize
buddhahood, superpowers are not manifest. Even so,
when enlightened, you transcend the fields of senses,
cut off birth and death; so you naturally have super-
powers and their inconceivable use, but these are not
the powers of heavenly demons and outsiders, which
have attachments. One who is vastly and greatly
enlightened immediately realizes the. way of the en-
lightened ones without passing through three immea-
surable aeons; why specially talk about supernormal
powers besides this?"Is there any difference between 'seeing reality and
realizing buddhahood' and 'this very mind is Buddha'?"'This very mind is Buddha' indicates that there is no
Buddha outside of mind; one who can realize the
meaning of this directly is sharp. This is also pointed
out by the saying "not mind, not Buddha . " Those who
see reality and realize buddhahood know their own
nature by direct seeing and cut off the root of life of
sentience, clearly realize the perfect illumination of
inconceivable real nature, so there is no birth and death,
no afflictions-this is provisionally termed realizing
buddhahood. Buddhahood is enlightenment, realizing
you have never been deluded. Although there is no
difference, it seems that there are differences among
entry ways; that is why there are two expressions."If real nature is permanent and unchanging, the
same in sentient beings as in buddhas, doesn't the fact
that deluded sentient beings have the pains of birth and
death mean that you can't say they are equal to
buddhas?"Equality is illumined by knowledge and wisdom,
not seen by ignorant folly. The words and expressions
of the ancestral teachers are tiles to knock on the door;
when you have not yet entered the door, then the saying
"seeing reality, fulfill buddhahood" is the ultimate.
Once you have entered this door, you detach from all
characteristics; so realizing buddhahood, too, involves
no attainment."The exoteric and esoteric Buddhist schools all have
The buddhas and bodhisattvas make it their task to
guidelines; teaching, principle, knowledge, detachment,
practice, station, cause, effect; disciples of the two
vehicles cultivate the four stages of meditation and eight
absorptions, are free from calamities caused by fire,
water, and wind, empty matter, sensation, perception,
coordination, and consciousness, and enter extinction
without remainder. Bodhisattvas maintain three bodies
of pure precepts, cultivate myriad practices out of great
love and compassion, pass through the three stages of
sagehood and ten ranks of holiness, cut off inner and
outer afflictions. If where there are no afflictions is the
sphere of buddhahood, why have the buddhas of the
three times left the real world of true thusness and come
to the realm of desire where there is birth and death?"
help sentient beings; if they do not help sentient beings,
they are not buddhas or bodhisattvas-as long as those
of the three vehicles do not help sentient beings, in the
great vehicle this is called entering the deep pit of
liberation. Bodhisattvas, in the three stages of sagehood
and ten ranks of holy ones, cultivate practice and
advance further into the multiplying hidden gates; ~n
order to save sentient beings, they leave the blissful
land of silent light and come to the miserable world of
five corruptions to make trees of enlightenment. High
meadows on dry ground do not produce lotuses; it is
the mud of the low swamps that gives birth to lotus
blossoms. A farmer who sows and reaps cannot plant
crops on clear dry ground-putting dirty manure into
wet mud, he plants rice seeds there, and with the proper
basis and conditions, when the time comes and the
sun's energy quickens them, sweet rain wets them,
sprouts grow, roots and stems, branches and leaves
flourish in profusion and grain ripens; when the
farmer's work is done, he sing songs of peace and
tranquillity. The appearance of the buddhas in the
world is also like this; in the clear blue vastness of the
sky, you cannot construct a teaching of enlightenment,
so they put on dirty old ragged clothes in this defiled
evil world of five corruptions to invite and guide
sentient beings afflicted with evil doings by explaining
the truth to them in accordance with their state and
potential to understand, planting seeds of the true basis;
when the time for the casual connections comes, the sun
of wisdom shines, the breeze of compassion fans, the
rain of truth refreshes, ambrosia descends, the sprouts
of the way appear, the branches, leaves, roots, and
stems flourish and grow, producing trees of enlighten-
ment, causing flowers of perfect enlightenment to
bloom and producing the fruit of inconceivable en-
lightenment, transforming and guiding, to perfect ful-
fillment, extolling the inconceivable state of eternal bliss
of nirvana.People of the way are like a tree blood body; putting
the manure of the six sense fields on the ground,
planting the seeds of living awareness, replanting the
sprouts of physical bodies, sending forth shoots of
inherent knowledge, producing the roots of mind and
thoughts, growing the stems of conception and imagina-
tion, bringing forth branches of conscious spirit, sprout-
ing leaves of emotions and desires, producing roots and
trunk of pleasure, opening flowers of knowledge and
vision, producing the fruit of enlightenment. When the
work of the way is done, they sing the song of
mindlessness.Ordinary people are also like trees; on the thin soil
of folly and delusion putting the manure of greed and
lust, planting seeds of ignorance, transplanting shoots of
the five clusters, producing buds of active habitual
consciousness, growing roots of attachment and stems
of the sense of others and self, bringing forth branches
of flattery and deceit, sprouting leaves of jealousy and
envy, creating trees of affliction, causing flowers of
infatuation to bloom, forming fruits of the three poi-
sons. When the tasks of fame and profit are done, they
sing the songs of desires.Now tell me: are these three kinds of trees any
better or worse than each other? If there is anyone who
can pull them out by the roots with a single hand and
plant them on the ground where there is no light or
shade and make a shadow less tree, he must be someone
of great power, who has the same root as heaven and
earth, the same body as myriad things. But tell me: who
is this, what is he? If you say he is a Buddha, heaven and
earth are far apart.
PDF: Daikaku (1213-1279)
Chapter 31. In: The roaring stream : a new Zen reader / edited by Nelson Foster and Jack Shoemaker, 1996
Our selections from Daikaku are drawn from Trevor Leggett, Zex
and the Ways (Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1987), pp. 58-61, 77,
362 THE ROARING STREAM
and 78-79. Leggett provided some of the information for our introductory note;
we relied also on Collcutt, Five Mountains: The Rinzai Zen Monastic Institution
in Medieval Japan (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981), pp. 65-68, and
Dumoulin, Zen Buddhism: A History, vol. 2 (New York: Macmillan Publishing
Company, 1988), pp. 32-34. The passages quoted in the introduction are from
Collcutt, pp. 66-68, except for the poem on brush-talk, which is translated by
Kenneth Kraft in his Eloguent Zen: Datto and Early Japanese Zen (Honolulu:
University of Hawaii, 1992), p. 53. For more of Daikaku’s writing, see his Zen
manual in question-and-answer format, the Zazenron, in both Leggett, pp.
43-57, and Thomas Cleary, The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen (New
York: Grove Press, 1978), pp. 19-41.
