The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch Teisho Volume One Sogenji, Japan 2009 Shodo Harada Shodo Harada Table of Contents The Platform Sutra Introduction 11 Chapter One: Autobiography 21 Chapter Two: On Prajna 57 Goso Gunin guides Eno across the Yangtze river 99 Index 100 d Osesshin Os e s s h i n , 2000-09, d a y O n e 11 d a y t w O 13 d a y t h r e e 16 d a y f O u r 21 d a y f i v e 24 d a y s i x 28 d a y s e v e n 32 Os e s s h i n 2001-02, d a y O n e 36 d a y t w O 41 d a y t h r e e 44 d a y f O u r 48 d a y f i v e 52 d a y s i x 57 d a y s e v e n 64 Os e s s h i n 2001-09, d a y O n e 68 d a y t w O 74 d a y t h r e e 77 d a y f O u r 81 d a y f i v e 84 d a y s i x 88 d a y s e v e n 92 Table of Calligraphy Buddha-nature knows no north or south 27 There is no Bodhi-tree 36 Nor stand of a mirror bright 37 Since all is void, where can the dust alight? 38 Arouse the mind that abides in no place 39 Think not good, think not evil 46 Without thinking, without form, and also without location 55 Buddha Nature is inherent in every one of us 58 Prajna is inherent in one’s own nature 61 The capacity of mind is as great as that of space 63 All in one and one in all 67 Romanized Japanese Titles Bussho moto nan boku nashi 27 Bodai moto ju nashi 36 Meikyo mata dai ni arazu 37 Honrai mu ichi motsu 38 Ō mu shojū ni shō go shin 39 Fu shi zen fu shi aku 46 Mu nen mu so mata mu jū 55 Bussho onozukara mochi iru issai no shin 58 Hannya wa jisho yori shozu 61 Shin ro kōdai kokū no gotoshi 63 Issai soku ichi, Ichi soku issai 67 List of Kanji 佛性本無南北 27 菩提本無樹 36 明鏡亦非臺 37 本来無一物 38 応無所住而生其心 39 不思善不思悪 46 無住無往亦無来 55 眞性自用一切眞 58 般若従自性而生 61 心量広大如虚空 63 一切即一一即一切 67 Editor’s Preface This is Volume one of a multi-volume series of teisho on The Dharma Jewel of the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. The teisho were given by Harada Shodo-roshi at Tahoma Monastery [Tahoma-san Sogen-ji], Whidbey Island, WA, U.S.A. The teisho in this volume were given during the Osesshin of September 2000, February 2001, and September 2001. The English translation of the text, beginning with Chapter one, is from The Sutra of Hui-neng, translated by A. F. Price and Wong Mou-lam. The Introduction is translated by Daichi Zenni, as it is not included in the print edition. A slightly different edition based on the same translation can be found online at: http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/huineng/content.html Opening up the Dharma Treasure, the Sixth’s Patriarch’s true marrow, The One Drop of Sogen quenches ours and all descendents’ thirst. From the origin, not one thing! To realize this, throwing away our bodies completely! To actualize this path, to clarify it ultimately, We offer our most sincere mind in gratitude for Buddha’s grace. Opening the Teisho on the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch September 2000 Introduction Sutra: The mysterious Path, ancient and profound, cannot Osesshin, 2000-09, day one be known with thought. From today we will be reading together This mysterious Path—the teaching outside the Sixth Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform of words and phrases—is the source of the Sutra. Precepts. “Direct pointing to Mind, becoming There are many translations and versions of Buddha,” realizing that Mind which is not in this sutra. It was the Sixth Patriarch’s disciple any way different from the Mind to which the Hokei who first wrote this sutra down, but Buddha was awakened—this is the mysterious since that original was written, so many Path. We cannot know this through thoughts had copied it over and over. Not having the and words and mentation, but only through printing possibilities we have today, people direct perception. If we learn it only with would copy by hand what was useful and words, it is not the actualized truth, it is not necessarily copy it completely. Aurel Stein not the truth to which the Sixth Patriarch found the Tokui version in the caves at Tonko; is referring here. Leaving words behind, we this is thought to be the most complete, and further and further realize the way of Mind this is the version which is most frequently and awaken the radiance. used today. Priest Tokui lived in the town of In our daily life we read books and listen to Zuio in the Kokin area of China. Tokui added words and understand mentally. But as we an introduction or a preface to this sutra, and clean and cook we aren’t doing it with a head it is with this we will begin our study of the full of thoughts, or it is not true cooking or sutra. cleaning. We forget our bodies completely, The Sixth Patriarch is the sixth successor after absorbed in our cooking and cleaning, and Bodhidharma. The official title of his sutra is let go of the ideas about it. We go further and The Dharma Jewel of the Platform Sutra of further into the experiencing of it, and then the Sixth Patriarch, and this title represents we suddenly realize we have come to know the deepest truth of this sutra. It is called The this cooking and cleaning directly; we haven’t Platform Sutra because it was given at the been thinking about our physical body nor same platform where the Sixth Patriarch in have we been full of thoughts. In the zendo, his later years received the Precepts—these if we sleep or if we sit full of thinking or are Precepts which help us live a clear-minded fuzzy and hazy, this is not true zazen. To sit daily life. with not even a space for a thought to enter is what is true zazen. Without this clarity in our life we get easily confused, and so we join together here in Sutra: Accordingly, on Vulture Peak, the osesshin, getting up at the same time, not Buddha shared his seat with his able just doing whatever we feel like. According to disciple, and then held up a flower. rules we all move in unison. Without having Like the passing of flame to flame, to decide anything, we go to the zendo, mind imprints mind; on Vulture we do zazen, we go to meals—keeping the Peak, the Buddha held out a flower. same rhythm, eating the same meals, letting go of our narrow, individual choices and On Vulture Peak, the Buddha held out a flower, small-minded opinions. We learn to live and Makakasho smiled, and the Buddha said, “I move in accordance with the Precepts. The have the true Dharma eye, the marvelous platform where these rules were taught and Mind of nirvana, the true form of the formless given is where the Sixth Patriarch also taught and the subtle Dharma gate, independent of this sutra. It is called a sutra because, like the words and transmitted beyond doctrine. This Buddha’s teaching, it is guiding us to the I have entrusted to Makakasho.” The Buddha truth, guiding us to let go of our egoistic, was teaching in Shaie Koku where there was caught places. This truth is the essence of this a famous tower at that time. He told Kasho title. Sonja to share his seat, to sit down in the Introduction: 11 same place with him, meaning by that that onto it, then that is not zazen. Here we are their understanding was one and the same, in the year 2000, the 8th of September, 1:50 that it matched perfectly. p.m. If not here, then where are we—unless we are sleeping and totally out of it, or When a teacher teaches his disciple it is for this thinking about being someplace else? It’s clear understanding to be the same as that not about trying to invent or produce a awakening at which the Buddha said, “How particular state of mind, but about opening wondrous! How wondrous! All beings are up so completely right here, right now, that from the origin endowed with this same clear there is nothing to be added at all. At the Mind to which I have just awakened!” In this beginning we are unripe, and want to close awakening there is no rational understanding our eyes and fade away. But we cannot do or mental complexity remaining; it was that zazen in this way; we can easily mistake this same essence of Mind of the Buddha that for being empty. Rather, to do susokkan, or Makakasho knew, or the Buddha would not counting of the breaths. As well, it is not have shared his seat with him. “I have the just about counting numbers, but to count true Dharma eye, the marvelous Mind of clearly—also in your mother tongue when nirvana, the true form of the formless and you do it—and so your whole body is doing the subtle Dharma gate independent of this counting.