It is pointless if the coal ball exists as a coal ball
throughout his life. The “coal ball,” in its coal-ball state, is illumined by
the “light of the inconceivable Vow-Power.” This “light of the inconceivable
Vow-Power” illumines thoroughly each corner of this coal ball, and penetrates
deeply even into its every single molecule. Unable to give out light and
intensity to such a degree, the “coal ball” is worth nothing.
The “wood shavings” carry the same maxim: “Ah, spring
breeze! The wood shavings for engraving the Buddha-statue” is equally excellent.*
The picture of wood shavings dancing in the spring breeze of the Primal Vow-Power
has a sense of unspeakable, lingering charm.
(*This refers to the place where the wooden Buddha
statues are engraved. To engrave a Buddha statue unneeded parts are carved thus
produces wood shaving. Because of the wood shaving there we have the Buddha
statue. Hence, the wood shaving that are flown by the spring breeze have been
kind to me, exist just for me.)
“The wood shavings
The wood shavings dancing in the spring breeze”
Master Shan-tao narrates the self-awareness of the “coal
ball” as,
“Firstly, one truly knows
oneself to be a foolish being full of blind passions, with scant roots of good,
transmigrating in the three realms and unable to emerge from this burning
house.” (Kyogyoshinsho II: 76)
At the same time, he
stated,
“Secondly, one truly
knows now, without so much as a single thought of doubt, that Amida's universal
Primal Vow decisively enables all to attain birth, including those who say the
Name even down to ten times, or even but hear it. ” (Kyogyoshinsho II: 76)
This Faith is called “twofold
deep conviction.” The “twofold deep conviction” is in chorus; it speaks of the
two facets of Faith or shinjin.
The true and real faith
(shinjitsu shinjin) of Jodo Shinshu
is the “twofold deep conviction.” From the “twofold deep conviction” are revealed
“the explication of the two rivers” and “the explication of the six syllables.”
To absorb the lesson of
our Master Shinran, it is imperative that we spend our efforts throughout our
entire life, fully realise the apprehension of the “mind that is single” of Vasubandhu
Bodhisattva, as well as the apprehension of the “twofold deep conviction” of
Master Shan-tao. In so doing, the path for birth in Pure Land (ojo) will be open to us.
We realise the fact that
the self-power hands of bombu cannot
acquire “the moon of the Vow-Power of the Great Compassionate Buddha-Wisdom.”
So, are we going to fall into hell? Falling into hell, of course; falling into
hell, of course! We bad eggs are pulled by our own created evil karma, sprawling
into hell. At that moment, “the call of the Primal Vow-Power” will be heard.
“Ah, how great the
Primal Vow-power is …Carry the hell on the back to the Pure Land”
Have you heard the
Primal Vow-Power? Who has heard of it? Can the ear of the bombu’s mind of self-power that is extremely murky hear “the sound
of the Primal Vow-Power that is pure and true and real”?
We cannot say that “I
have heard of it.” It is because outside “this coal ball of me” there is no
such “me” that exists. So, has the “coal ball” heard it? How can coal balls
have ears? No ears to hear and no “I” to hear; however, it can be heard. This
is beyond conception.
How great the Primal
Vow-Power is! It does not need you to exert greater strength in order to hear
it, and so that you can hear it.
“I
wobble around and am empty inside—
In
any case, I am a bad egg without a straight mind and stubborn.
Really,
nothing but a bad egg without a straight mind and stubborn.”
No
ears to hear and no I to hear; however, this reality can be heard. To think
carefully, this is just because of the Great Compassionate Power, the Great
Vow-Power, the Great Wisdom-Power and the Great Primal Vow-Power.
The “coal ball” can hear
the Primal Vow-Power; this is when the “coal ball” has been turned into a
mirror, unknowingly, and is made into a mirror. This must be the power of the
moon of the Primal Vow that reflects the moonlight of the Primal Vow on the
coal ball that has become a mirror. No ears to hear, no power to hear, no power
to acquire; this bombu of the coal
ball who is definitely destined for hell, is being notified to be “definitely destined
for hell,” at the same time, is being notified to be “definitely destined for
the Pure Land.” It is the moonlight of the Primal Vow-Power that enables us to
entrust reverently the “the moonlight of the Primal Vow-Power.” The great
compassionate Primal Vow-Power leaves us feeling so grateful, so grateful—limitlessly
grateful. The depth of the compassionate Buddha-Wisdom is bottomless.
“Hearing”
means reflected on our body and mind. Hearing “Namo Amida Butsu,” means “the
moonlight of the Great Compassionate of Namo Amida Butsu” is inconceivably
reflected on the mirror of this “coal ball” of me. It is the moonlight that
permeates our body and mind.
Though
the coal ball is made into a mirror, in the mirror there is a reflection of the
moonlight of Namo Amida Butsu. Have a look at the coal ball, which is fully permeated.
It is still a coal ball, but at the same time, it is also Namo Amida Butsu. On
top of that, though it existed as a coal ball, it is fully imbued with the mind
of compassion of the Tatagatha, as well as the shine of the Buddha-Wisdom. This
is called “oneness of a Buddha and a foolish (ordinary) being.” Amida Buddha’s
benevolence, which is beyond conception, allows a “coal ball” to be born in the
Pure Land; this is the wonder of all wonders.
When
we speak of “hearing,” it is in fact the “Buddha-Mind” that hears the “Buddha-Mind,”
“the Primal Vow-Power” hears “the Primal Vow-Power”; through “Namo Amida Butsu”
we are able to hear “Namo Amida Butsu.” The Primal Vow-Power of Namo Amida Butsu,
the Dharma of Namo Amida Butsu of the Primal Vow-Power is so precious, truly inconceivable
and making people feel very much indebted.
This
mind, with solemnity and high adulation, accepts with reverence that the “non-duality
of the absolute Dharma (that saves)” is the “non-duality of the absolute objects
(that are saved)”; therefore, it is shinjin,
the “Adamantine Mind.” In the Rokuyosho
or “Essence of the Kyogyoshinsho”『六要鈔』it is explained that “the practice (of the Buddha—non-duality
of the absolute Dharma) and the faith (of sentient beings—non-duality of the
absolute object), is the oneness of the Dharma that saves and the objects that
are saved.
This is the “ki-ho
itai” that Jodo Shinshu speaks about. This is also the theory of salvation
of Amida Nyorai. “The oneness of Buddha and ordinary beings” is the benefit of shinjin or Pure Faith. “The nonduality
of Buddha and ordinary beings” is the prospect of the realm of absoluteness, penetrated with the
Buddha’s perception and sight, when birth is realized.
Many people complain that “peace of mind (anjin) cannot be attained regardless of
how much Buddha-Dharma I have heard.” This is a matter of course when you are
looking undecidedly at both sides, hell and the Pure Land, and iffy about “Would
I really be going to hell? Will I really be going to the Pure Land?”
Speaking of anjin,
when your mind is not fixed at one place, anjin
would not possibly come about, and that’s why we say, “Entrust single-heartedly
and wholeheartedly to Amida Buddha.” Speaking of “single-heartedly and wholeheartedly,”
because it is difficult to be “single-hearted and wholehearted” it changes into
“double-heartedly and waveringly.” Therefore, your mind is unable to be at
peace (anjin) and not determined.
“One thought-moment of faith” refers to “the mind that is single and undivided.”
If you want to be settled with peace of mind (anjin) there is a way. It is that your
mind must be resolute, “No matter what I do, I am always hell-destined.” With
that, you will find peace of mind. If you believe deeply that “no matter how
and what, it is always that we rely on the path of the Primal Vow-Power, and are
born definitely in the Pure Land,” then this is the Great Anjin.
There are people asking that, “we are decidedly hell-destined
versus we will definitely be born in the Pure Land, in fact are two contradictory
things; how can we put them together at one point and think synchronously?”
This mental state is “to use our brain to think on how the two contradictory
things can compromise one another.” This kind of mentality has already fallen
prey to the speculative knowledge and logic senses of human beings. This is rejected.
“No matter what we are decidedly hell-destined.” Believing
this profoundly, how can one conceive that from within “it is decidedly hell-destined”
the “Primal Vow-Power” is revealed?
The Primal Vow-Power is inconceivable, therefore shinjin is also inconceivable. The contradictory
things, though in this paradoxical situation, nonetheless never make one feel
that it is actually contradictory; on the contrary it makes one feel the Great
Peace (anjin). The power and working
of the Buddha’s Wisdom is incomprehensible. Shinjin
is truly incomprehensible.
The “Faith of the object to be saved” is not thorough,
the “Faith of the Dharma that saves” therefore will also not be thorough.
Similarly, the “Faith of the Dharma that saves” is not thorough, the “Faith of
the object to be saved” therefore is also not thorough. To make these
contradictory viewpoints reach an even greater contradiction and at the same
time mutually complimentary can bring about great peace of mind. The
insignificant skill of bombu is
completely impractical. It is the sole working and power of the Buddha-Wisdom
that illumines pervasively, brought about by the Primal Vow-Power. This is
truly inconceivable.
“Coal ball” refers to this “I” who is the object
to be saved. Speaking from the perspective of wisdom, do we have the wisdom to
become a Buddha? Speaking from the perspective of cultivation, such as “the
eight-fold path” and “six paramitas,”
are we able to practice one of them? Even if you do sitting zazen, can it remove your karma in your
whole life? Can one such enlightening zazen
you perform last you for a minute?
Speaking of compassion, can you part from the thought
of “my most beautiful body” for just one minute? Isn’t this just “me” who
cannot do anything, practically as useless as the worm on a yam? That’s why we
are called “coal ball.”
This “coal ball” exists as a charcoal ball but forgets
itself as a coal ball. We live a life full of passion: greed, anger and ignorance,
giving rise to evil thoughts and offences committed just like strong wind and
torrential rain; they keep blowing and coming down. We do not even have the
power to hear the Buddha-Dharma, no ears can hear—this is the real picture of
this condition of ours—“inferior sentient beings of all foolishness” and “completely
down and out.” That’s why we are called “coal ball.”
In Jodo Shinshu, there are three focal points:
1.
What is the
condition of me as an object to be saved?
2.
What is the kind
of Tathagata that saves us?
3.
What kind of
medicine is used by the Tathagata to save me?
These are the three main points; they are the crux of
the matter. With these three points, if one of them is lacking, it will be
impossible to save this “coal ball” of a bombu.
Hence, if we did not think from the depths of our
heart that this object to be saved of myself is a coal ball, we would not
accept deeply and reverently this rare and honored panacea. At the same
juncture, we would not know to pay our respect to the Tathagata and to be grateful,
and would be likewise oblivious to the fact that the Tathagata is the
Compassionate Parent.
Master Tao-cho says, “The listeners of the Buddha-Dharma
should regard themselves as the severely sick men. They should regard the
Tathagata and the virtuous teachers as the great physician-king. They should regard
the medicine that cures their diseases as wondrous elixir.”(I will explain
the prescribed method of preaching and hearing the Dharma according to various
Mahayana sutras. The Great Assembly Sutra says: The preacher of the Dharma
should think of himself as the physician-king intent on eliminating pains; he
should consider the Dharma preached to be nectar or manda. )
In the latter part of the “Chapter on Shinjin” from
the Kyogyoshinsho is written, “Kasyapa,
there are three kinds of people in the world who are hard to cure: those who
slander the great vehicle, those who commit the five grave offenses, and those
who lack the seed of Buddhahood (icchantika).
These three sicknesses are the most severe in the world; they cannot be treated
by sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, or bodhisattvas.”
“Here we see, from the true teaching of the Great
Sage, that when the three types of beings difficult to save - those afflicted
with the three kinds of sickness difficult to cure - entrust themselves to the
universal Vow of great compassion and take refuge in the ocean of shinjin that
is [Amida's] benefiting others, the Buddha is filled with pity for them and
heals them, commiserates with and cures them. It is like the wondrous medicine
called manda curing all illness. Beings of the defiled world - the multitudes
possessed of corruptions and evil - should seek and think on the diamondlike,
indestructible true mind. They should hold steadfast to the Primal Vow, which
is the wondrous medicine called manda. Reflect on this.”
“Five grave offenses,” “slandering the Great Vehicle,”
and icchantika—to whom are these
directed? You must not go without thoughtfully reflecting on this. Shinran
Shonin accedes to this being his reality. If even the Shonin has projected such
an attitude, how much more bombu like
us who live in this Last Dharma Age! We, in reality, are severely sick men—the “three
kinds of people in the world who are hard to cure.” That we can hardly contemplate
this reality even more signifies the fact that we really are a “coal ball.”
Hence I said,
“I
wobble around and am empty inside—
In
any case, I am a bad egg without a straight mind and stubborn.
Really,
nothing but a bad egg without a straight mind and stubborn.”
Spending
twenty years of diligent cultivation on Mt. Hiei brought Shinran Shonin to a
deep self-awareness that:
“The
aspiration for enlightenment through self-power taught in the Path of Sages
Is
beyond our minds and words;
We
foolish beings ever sinking in transmigration -
How
could we awaken it?”
(Hymns
of the Dharma-Ages, no. 16)
“When
I consider deeply the Vow of Amida, which arose from five kalpas of profound thought, I realize that it was entirely for the
sake of myself alone! Then how I am filled with gratitude for the Primal Vow,
in which Amida resolved to save me, though I am burdened with such heavy
karma.”
“I
know nothing at all of good or evil. For if I could know thoroughly, as Amida
Tathagata knows, that an act was good, then I would know good. If I could know
thoroughly, as the Tathagata knows, that an act was evil, then I would know
evil. But with a foolish being full of blind passions, in this fleeting world-
this burning house- all matters without exception are empty and false, totally
without truth and sincerity. The nembutsu (Namo Amida Butsu) alone is true and
real.”
The
above passages are the self-realization of the “coal ball” and celebration over
the inconceivable working of the Vow-Power that is inconceivable.
Standing
in front of the mirror of the true and pure of the Tathagata, regardless of
what kind of a virtuous person you may be, you are just a “coal ball.” Though
being a “coal ball,” the person who acquires shinjin shares the feelings of “deep gratefulness,” “hard to come
by,” and “shame”; and they will owe everything they have got to the benevolence
of sentient beings and will be tactful enough to not bring people troubles. This
is called the personality of shinjin.
From
the virtue of shinjin, the doer of shinjin will naturally abide by
morality.
(Therefore
a true religionist is definitely a moralist and Shakyamuni Buddha is the
representative, that his personality and morality are naturally united.)
No comments:
Post a Comment