Huihai, Simple Wayfarer

After a time, one of the monks asked, ‘What Dharma does the master propagate in order to ferry people across to the other shore?'

‘This simple wayfarer has never known a Dharma with which to ferry people across,' answered the master.

‘All the Chan family are like this,' he responded.

‘What Dharma does the worthy one propagate to ferry people across?' asked the master.

‘Lecturing on the Diamond Sūtra,' replied the monk.

‘How many times?' asked the master.

‘More than twenty,' replied the monk.

‘Who delivered this sutra ?' asked the master.

‘The master jests,' said the monk in a contentious voice, ‘does he not know that it was the Buddha?'

‘If it were said that is was the Tathāgata who propagated the Dharma then that would be slandering the Buddha. Such a man does not understand the meaning of what I said. If it is said that the Buddha did not deliver this sutra, then that is slandering the sutra . Please give your view then, Worthy One.'

There was no reply.

The master continued, ‘A sutra says, “Seeing me through form, seeking me through hearing, such a one goes contrary to the Way and cannot see the Tathāgata.” So tell me, Worthy One, what is the Tathāgata?'

‘I am still in the dark regarding this,' answered the monk.

‘Having never once been awakened, what is it that is said to be still in the dark?' asked the master.

‘May the master please explain,' the monk replied.

‘The venerable monk has lectured more than twenty times and still does not know the meaning of Tathāgata!'

The monk bowed again and said, ‘Would that the master deign explain it.'

The master said, ‘The Tathāgata is the ultimate reality of all dharmas. How could this be forgotten?'

‘It is the ultimate reality of all dharmas', repeated the monk.

‘Oh, Venerable Monk!' said the master, ‘is this so or is it not so?'

‘The sutra clearly affirms it, so how could it not be so?' countered the monk. ‘Is the venerable monk not also thus?' asked the master.

‘Yes,' said the monk.

‘And trees and stones, are they not thus?' asked the master.

‘Yes,' came the reply.

‘And is not the thusness of the venerable monk and the thusness of trees and stones the same?' asked the master.

‘They are not two,' replied the monk.

‘Then what is the difference between the venerable monk and trees and stones?' asked the master.

The monk had no reply. After a pause he then asked, ‘How is the Great Nirvāna obtained?'

‘Do not make karma leading to birth and death,' replied the master.

‘What is the karma of birth and death?' asked the monk.

‘Seeking for Great Nirvāna is the karma of birth and death. Rejecting defilements and grasping purity is the karma of birth and death. To have obtained, to have experienced, is the karma of birth and death. Not to have renounced the way of restraint is the karma of birth and death,' said the master.

‘How does one obtain liberation?' asked the monk.

‘From the beginning there is no bondage, so there is no use in searching for liberation. Direct functioning is the peerless,' said the master.

‘A Chan master such as this is truly said to be rare!' The monk bowed and departed.

Submitted February 01, 2019 at 12:58AM by NorthStarIV http://bit.ly/2Shw7hH