Bodhidharma speaking with Huike on Good and Evil

The Nirvana Sutra says: “All sentient beings have buddha-nature. Because it is covered over by ignorance, they are not set free. Buddha-nature is enlightenment. When it is aware of itself and its awareness is completely illuminated apart from what covers it, this is called liberation.”

Thus we know that all forms of good have enlightenment as their root: the tree of all merits appears based on the root of enlightenment. The fruit of nirvana is formed from this. Contemplating mind like this can indeed be called complete comprehension.

Huike also asked: You have just stated that all the merits of the enlightenment nature of True Thusness depend on enlightenment as their root. I wonder, what is the root for all the forms of evil of the mind of ignorance?

Bodhidharma answered: Though the mind of ignorance has eighty four thousand afflictions, sentiments, desires, and uncountable evils, in essence, they all have the three poisons as their root. The three poisons are greed, anger, and ignorance. The mind of these three poisons of itself inherently includes all forms of evil.

It is like a great tree: though there is one root, the branches and leaves it gives life to are numberless. Each of the three poisons as a root gives birth to evil deeds even more prolifically. These three poisons become three poisons from a single fundamental essence.

They are sure to manifest the six sense faculties, also called the six thieves. The six thieves are the six consciousnesses: they are called six thieves because they go in and out via the sense faculties becoming attached to the myriad objects and forming evil deeds, which block off the body of True Thusness.

All sentient beings are plunged into ignorance and confusion by these three poisons and six thieves. Body and mind sink down into birth and death and revolve through the six planes of existence, receiving all kinds of suffering and affliction. It is like a river that starts from a small spring: since the flow from the source is unbroken, it can extend its waves for thousands of miles. If a person cuts off the root source, then the many streams all stop.

Those who seek liberation must be able to transform the three poisons into the three forms of pure discipline, and transform the six thieves into the six paramitas, thereby spontaneously leaving behind forever all forms of suffering.

Source:

Zen Dawn: Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang By: J.C. Cleary 2001

Jungle_Toad's commentary

This conversation began with Bodhidharma claiming that contemplating mind takes in all other practices. He discusses mind as the root of all phenomena, everything (good or evil) grows out from that. But beginning from enlightenment, he then moves from this place of liberation backwards, to regrow his tree with the 3 poisons (greed, anger, and ignorance) transformed into 3 pure disciplines (I am unsure of this, but I think it refers to Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.) And the 6 thieves (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mental thought) are transformed into the 6 paramitas (often translated as generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom).

I found this passage interesting because he seems to be using his liberation beyond good and evil to return to a place of good actions with less suffering from greed, anger, and ignorance.

Submitted January 22, 2020 at 03:06AM by jungle_toad https://ift.tt/2NPBFwB