Having Transmitted the Dharma to Someone,
He Appears to Enter Nirvana
After that there was a third, fourth, fifth, and
sixth time. Each of those six times, he ingested the poison. One day,
Patriarch Bodhidharma said to Dharma Master Shen Guang, "I came
to China because I saw people and other beings with a propensity for
the Great Vehicle. That is why I brought the Great Vehicle
Buddhadharma to China. Now I have already transmitted the Dharma to
someone who will continue the line. I am not going to stay here any
longer. I am ready to die now."
Great Master Hui Ke (Dharma Master Shen Guang)
asked Patriarch Bodhidharma, "In India, did you transmit the
Dharma to your disciples? Did you also give the robe and the bowl as
certification?"
"I transmitted the Dharma in India,"
replied Bodhidharma, "but I did not use the robe and the bowl as
a token of faith. That is because the people of India are
straightforward. When they cultivate and attain the fruition, they
know they must be certified. If no one certifies them, they do not
say, 'I have attained the Way! I have certified to the fruition! I
have given proof to Arhatship! I am a Bodhisattva!' They do not speak
like that. People there are upright and straight.
"Chinese people, however, are different. In
China there are many beings with a propensity for the Great Vehicle,
but there are also many people who lie. Having not yet cultivated to
successful completion, such people claim to have the Way. Having not
yet certified to the fruition, such people claim to be certified
sages. That is why the robe and bowl must be used here as a token of
certification. Therefore I will transmit the robe and bowl to prove
that you have received the transmission. Guard them well and take
care."
With the transmission of the Dharma from
Patriarch Bodhidharma, Dharma Master Shen Guang received the name Hui
Ke, which means "Able Wisdom," evidence that his wisdom was
truly up to the task; it was sufficient. Dharma Master Shen Guang,
that is, Great Master Hui Ke, listened to Patriarch Bodhidharma's
instructions and thereupon understood the Dharma transmission he had
received.
