■Book 200 - Pages of Enlightenment
■Written by Master Sheng-yen Lu
■Chapter seven
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I wrote the following verse:
Namo the buddhas of pristine innate nature,
The genuine essence of no defilement or obscuration.
Spread true Buddhist teachings life after life,
Deliver beings and receive predictions of Buddhahood time after time.
This verse is a song of enlightenment. It contains dharma for ordinary daily living, and dharma to transcend the world. There is the purity of innate nature, absence of defilement and obscuration, dissemination of genuine Buddhist teachings, and deliverance of sentient beings life after life. The meaning of this verse is “having what it takes.”
Shakyamuni Buddha said, “All sentient beings have what it takes. But, they cannot achieve enlightenment because of their obscuring hindrances.” What are these obscuring hindrances? They are dissonant emotions, habitual tendencies, belief in the inherent existence of self, holding the belief that things are real, hindrances of worldly knowledge of differentiating what is seemingly real, and the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance.
When all these obscuring hindrances are completely severed, the Buddha-nature that has always been there will emerge. That is enlightenment. Buddha-nature is still there even if you don't achieve enlightenment. Buddha-nature is also there when you do achieve enlightenment (this is no gain and no loss).
Many people separate nirvana and transmigration in cyclical existence into two different entities. They say Buddha-nature is nirvana and obscuring hindrances cause transmigration in cyclical existence. They say transmigration exists because of the Six Roots, Six Defilements, and Six Consciousness. They say transmigration exists in the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness, and it even exists in rage, jealousy, hatred, and delusion.
Yet I say, submerge these elements of obscuring hindrances into nirvana. Wise beings should remain in cyclical existence, skillfully transforming transmigration into nirvana. This kind of nirvana is the dharma of ordinary daily living and also the dharma to transcend the world.
There are three meanings in my explanation:
1.Purification.
2.Innately possessing what it takes.
3.Transmigration and nirvana are one and the same.
In Zen Buddhism, many Zen masters have triggered enlightenment in their students by summoning them to assemble for teachings. The masters stayed silent after the students convened, then disbanded the assembly. After the assembly had been dissolved, the Zen masters would call the students to assemble once again. At the very moment that students turned their heads, the Zen masters inquired, “What is it?”
Students of great capacity would then immediately achieve enlightenment after being confronted in this way.
My guidance is:
Assembling is transmigration.
Disbanding is nirvana.
What is it?
What is it? What is it? What is it? What is it? What is it? Do you know?
Buddha-nature has always been there.
When every one of the obscuring hindrances is severed,
Buddha-nature is revealed.
That is enlightenment.
Even if you don't achieve enlightenment,
Buddha-nature is still there.
If you achieve enlightenment,
Buddha-nature is also there.
This is precisely no gain and no loss.
