The Collected Lectures of Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua
on The Sixth Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra

Lecture 29

Translated by the Buddhist Text Translation Society

Sutra:

"Good Knowing Advisors, did all of you not just say. 'I vow to take "across" the limitless living beings?' What does this mean? You should remember that it is not Hui Neng who takes them "across". Good Knowing Advisors, the “living beings" within your mind are deviant and confused thoughts, deceitful and false thoughts, unwholesome thoughts, jealous thoughts, vicious thoughts: all these thoughts are "living beings". The self-nature of each one of them must take itself "across." This is called true "crossing over".

Commentary:

Living beings are incalculable, but you must vow to save them, for it is not Hui Neng who takes them "across". These good and bad living beings exist within your own mind. The good ones seek unsurpassed Bodhi and produce the Bodhi mind, while the bad ones must still be saved. Think it over and ask yourself, "Have I saved the "living beings" within my own mind? Am I proper in attitude and honorable in conduct, or am I jealous, obstructive, and otherwise ignorant?"

The "living beings" within the mind are limitless, but our primary concern is with the deviant and confused "living beings" who should be taken across by means of proper wisdom, the deceitful and raise "living beings” who should be taken across by means of humility, and the unwhole "living beings" who should be taken "across" by means of goodness. If you find that you have these faults, vow to correct them, for if you do not they will drag you into the inescapable and endless misery of hell.

Respect takes jealous living beings "across". Although Bodhiruci was a Dharma Master, he envied other Dharma Masters and viciously tried to poison Bodhidharma. Such thoughts are "living beings", and you are making a serious mistake if you do not take them " across".

Sutra:

"What is meant by 'the self-nature taking itself 'across'?' It means take "across" by means of right views, the "living beings” of deviant views, affliction, and delusion that are within your own mind. Once you have right views, affliction, and delusion that are within your own mind. Once you have right views, use Prajna wisdom to destroy the “living beings” of delusion, confusion, and falsehood. Each one takes itself “across”. Enlightenment takes confusion “across”, wisdom takes delusion “across”, goodness takes evil “across”. Such “crossing” over is called true “crossing”.

Commentary:

      Use Prajna wisdom to destroy the living beings of delusion, confusion, and falsehood. Beat them to death! You ask, "But isn't that a violation of the precept against killing?" Here you may violate the precept, just a bit.  You are indeed hard to teach! When you break precepts you don't worry about breaking precepts, but when you do not break precepts you worry about breaking them.

Transform the evil beings within your nature so that the good ones may dwell undisturbed and at peace. You may kill them; you may beat them to death. Such "crossing" over is called true "crossing" over.

Sutra:

"Further, 'I vow to cut off the inexhaustible affliction.' This is to use your own self-nature's Prajna wisdom to cast out the vain and false thoughts of your mind."

Commentary:

Afflictions never end, but you must cut them off. Actually "cut off,” means "change", change your afflictions to Bodhi. Afflictions are Bodhi, and if you cut off all afflictions you cut off Bodhi. If you cut off all afflictions you would become a Buddha, and you don't want to do that just yet, do you? So leave just a hair's breadth of afflictions and transform the rest into Bodhi. Use genuine Prajna wisdom to get rid of affliction and cast out all vain, false, deviant, and ignorant thoughts.

Sutra:

"Further, ‘I vow to study the immeasurable Dharma doors.' You must see your own nature and always practice the right Dharma. This is called true study."

Commentary:

Recognize your mind, see your original nature, and always practice the right, not the wrong, Dharma. You may study the Buddhadharma in detail, but if you do not practice, it is not true study. True Buddhist study includes both study and practice; for example once having studied the Buddhadharma, those who used to smoke, drink, and take drugs no longer do so. They do not even eat meat! Those who were lazy and did nothing but sleep from morning to night and from night to morning, now read and translate Sutras, listen to lectures, and meditate vigorously without a thought of sleeping. If this were not true study, why would they choose to work so hard?

All living beings can "cross" themselves over. No one needs to take them "across".

Sutra:

"Further, 'I vow to realize the supreme Buddha Way, and with a humble mind, to always practice what is true and proper. Being separated from confusion and enlightenment, I always give rise to Prajna.' Casting out the true and the false, you then see the nature and realize the Buddha Way at the very moment of speaking. Always be mindful; cultivate the Dharma which possesses the power of this vow."

Commentary:

These are the four basic vows, which all Bodhisattvas should, make. (See VBS # 24.)

As to the humble mind, the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra says,

The Buddha told "Ground-Store" (Ksitigarbha) Bodhisattva, 'Perhaps there are kings of countries in Jambudvipa, or noblemen, great ministers, great elders, great Ksatriyas, great Brahmans and so forth who encounter the tired, the poor, and those who are hunchbacked, crippled, dumb, mute, deaf, stupid, or eyeless, as well as all others who are incomplete. Perhaps these kings and great men will wish to give and will be able to do so with great compassion, a humble heart, and a smile. Perhaps they give personally with their own hands or arrange for others to give, using gentle words and sympathetic speech. Such kings and others will obtain blessings comparable to the meritorious virtue of giving to as many Buddhas as grains of sand in one hundred Ganges Rivers.'

Vow to realize the unsurpassed path!

A ten thousand-story building is built from the ground up. Once a person told an illogical tale. "In New York," he said, "the skyscrapers are not built from the ground up, but are build in empty space. They build the roof first." Everyone bled their brains trying to figure out how a building could be built in empty space but no one could. When I was in New York I saw that the buildings were, in face, built from the ground up. His story was nothing but a false rumor.

Another person said, "America is indeed beautiful! The American clouds are not like clouds in other countries. They are multicolored and entwined like garlands! The American moon is triangular and the American sun is square!" Do you believe this?

To realize Buddhahood, one must begin from the ground up, with a humble mind. Do not brag, "Look at me!" Practice the true and proper Dharma with a contrite heart and modest manner.

Separating from confusion and enlightenment...You say, "Being separated from confusion is all right, but how can one possibly be separated from enlightenment?" This refers to deviant enlightenment, not right enlightenment. Those with deviant enlightenment are slow to understand the Buddhadharma, but they don't need to be taught how to gamble or take drugs.  They can do that on their own. You should be separated from such evil enlightenment. The text here does not say that you should leave right enlightenment.

You always give rise to Prajna. Away from deviant enlightenment, you give rise to wisdom, understanding, and enlightenment and constantly produce Prajna.

Casting out the true and the false, you see the Buddha nature and realize the Buddha Way at the very moment of speaking. The truth, which you cast aside, is relative, not actual. Once rid of the true and the false, the original true suchness nature becomes manifest. You cannot say this nature is either true or false. Truth exists because there is falsehood and falsehood because there is truth. The true nature, however, is neither true nor false. The Surangama Sutra says,

"Just falseness manifests all truth;

The false and true both are false."

Truth not postulated, falseness is originally empty.

Existence and non-existence both rejected: what is not empty,                     make empty.

Real truth has no opposite.”

Always be mindful; cultivate the Dharma, which possesses the power of this vow. Having made these vows, you may practice. Cultivate them in every thought.

Sutra:

"Good Knowing Advisors, now that you have made the four vast vows, I_ will transmit the markless triple refuge precepts. Good Knowing Advisors, take refuge with the enlightened, the honored, the doubly complete. Take refuge with the right, the honored, which is apart from desire. Take refuge with the pure, the honored among the multitudes."

One should be mindful of the body as impure.

Commentary:

Take refuge with the Buddha; the Buddha is enlightened. Enlightenment is just Buddha; Buddha is just enlightenment. The Buddha is doubly complete because he has perfected both blessings and wisdom.

Take refuge with the Dharma; the Dharma is right and proper. Do not take refuge with deviant teachings, heavenly demons, or heterodox religions.  Take refuge with the genuine Buddhadharma, which is the honored apart from desire.

      Everyone has desire, and it actually kills people. Why don't we realize Buddhahood? It is because of desire and greed, hate, and stupidity, which accompany it. One studies the Buddhadharma in order to leave desire and cut off love. This absence of lust is the honored, which is apart from desire.

Take refuge with the Sangha; the Sangha is pure, that is, "pure fields of merit." True, genuine cultivators should maintain the precept against handling money. Without money, you are pure; with money you are dirty.  Members of the Sangha who truly wish to cultivate should stay away from money.

On the other hand, without money you cannot nourish the Way, you cannot cultivate. Although you need money you should not be attached to it and depend on it, thinking all day, "Who has several million in the bank? I'll go and beg from him to build a temple or a school, or perhaps to print an edition of the Tripitaka as a meritorious activity." Have you forgotten that you are just depending on conditions and profit-seeking?

While in Manchuria money and I parted company for a short period. I never touched money for a good reason. In the temple where I left home there were as many as forty or fifty bhiksus, and sometimes as few as ten. When I arrived, the Abbot was out begging and none of the bhiksus knew me. "I know the Abbot," I said, and they welcomed me.

After leaving home I practiced austerities, but not the ones you practice. You type, translate Sutras, and meditate, but in the large rural temples there was a lot of outside work to be done. Sweeping the courtyard alone took an hour. My first job was to clean the toilets, not flush toilets, but pit toilets; every day the waste had to be removed because the cultivators did not want to smell the odor. They gave this work to me because I had just left home and had not yet cut off my attachments to smells. I did it every day and did not mind it too much.

I got up at two in the morning to prepare the hall for services. When it snowed I swept the walkways so that they were clear at four when everyone else got up. When the Abbot returned and saw me he said, "So you have come!"

"Yes," I said, "I have."

When I had formally left home, he called a meeting, wishing to elect me as manager, a position second only to the Abbot. (When the Abbot retires, the manager becomes the new Abbot.) Everyone objected. "He has just left home," they said, "How can he possibly be manager!"

"Very well," said the Abbot. "Let's go before Wei T'o Bodhisattva and draw names," Oddly enough, they drew three times and my name came up each time. No one said a word because I had been elected by Wei T'o Bodhisattva himself. Later, when the Abbot wanted to make me an administrator, I said, "All right, but I will not touch money. Other people must handle and count it. That is my price."

Unusual things happened while I held this precept. Whenever I went to the train station, I would sit and wait for someone who knew me to come and offer to buy me a ticket. If no one came I just waited, but strangely enough, whenever I went to the station, someone came to buy me a ticket.

If you don't handle money you are pure. If you keep even one cent, you are unclean. Take refuge with the Sangha, the purest, highest, and most venerable position among men—-the honored among the multitudes.

Sutra:

"'From this day forward, we call enlightenment our master and will never again take refuge with deviant demons or outside religions. We constantly enlighten ourselves by means of the Triple Jewel of our own self—nature.'

      “Good Knowing Advisors, I exhort you all to take refuge with the Triple Jewel of your own nature: the Buddha is enlightenment; the Dharma is what is right; and the Sangha is pure.

"When your mind takes refuge with enlightenment, deviant confusion does not arise. Desire decreases, so that you know contentment and are able to be separate from wealth and form. This is called the honored, the doubly complete."

Commentary:

To decrease desire, it is not enough to be a vegetarian and to read Sutras. You must cut off all sexual desire:

If thoughts of lust are not expelled,
            The dust can never be excelled.

Unless you rid yourself of sexual desire you will never get out of the Triple World: the world of desire; the world of form; and the formless world.  Contentment means not being greedy. Dying of poverty, dying of starvation, no matter what the difficulty, you are never greedy.

...able to separate from wealth and form. Do you see how clearly it says that you should not covet wealth, beauty, or fame? This is to be doubly complete, perfect in blessings and wisdom.

Sutra:

"When your own mind takes refuge with the right view, there are no longer any deviant views. Because there are none, there is no self, no others, no arrogance, greed, love, or attachment. This is called the honored that is apart from desire.

"When your own mind takes refuge with the pure, in all states of defilement, desire, and love, your self-nature is not stained by attachment.  This is called the honored among the multitudes."

Commentary:

States of defilement refers to all social and political situations.  You should not be molded by the society, but rather transform it. Teach living beings; do not be taught by them. Once, when I noticed one of my students had been talking on the phone for over an hour, I asked her what she was doing. "I'm trying to convert my boyfriend to Buddhism," she said.

"Really?" I said, "what is he now?"

"He's a Catholic," she replied.

"Be careful he doesn't convert you,” I said. "His belief in Catholicism is firm. Take care that he does not take you 'across'."  Sure enough, not long afterward she ran off, and what she believes, whether she saved others or was saved by them, is unknown.

The non-defilement of the self-nature is called the honored among the multitudes. Living beings are all defiled. If you wish to be an exceptional individual you must leave desire. To separate from desire is to be a great hero and true student of the Buddhadharma. Unless you correct your faults, what little Buddhadharma you do know is useless.

Sutra:

"If you cultivate this practice, you take refuge with yourself.

"Common men cannot understand this and so, from morning to night, they take the triple refuge precepts. They say they take refuge with the Buddha, but where is the Buddha? If they cannot see the Buddha, how can they return to him? Their talk is absurd."

Commentary:

      Ordinary people do not understand the principle of taking refuge. Some constantly say, "I take refuge with the Buddha," Jut where is the Buddha? If you have never seen the Buddha, then how can you take refuge with him? If you say, "I have seen him!" you are lying.

Sutra:

"Good Knowing Advisors, each of you examine himself. Do not mistakenly use the mind. The Sutra clearly states that you should take refuge with your own Buddha, not with some other Buddha. If you do not take refuge with the Buddha in yourself, there is no one on whom you can rely."

Commentary:

The Sutra tells you to take refuge with your own Buddha, not with some other Buddha. The Buddha of your self-nature is always present, but you didn't know this because you never had the instruction of a Good Knowing Advisor. Now that you have taken refuge you should be clear about your self-nature's Buddha.

Sutra:

"Now that you are self-awakened, you should each take refuge with the Triple Jewel of your own mind."

Commentary:

Take refuge with enlightenment.

Take refuge with what is right.

Take refuge with the pure.

Take refuge with enlightenment and don't do foolish deeds.

Take refuge with what is right, and don't do what is wrong.

Take refuge with the pure, and don't do what is defiled.

Take refuge with the Triple Jewel within your own mind.

Sutra:

      "Inwardly regulate the mind and nature; outwardly respect others. This is to take refuge with yourself."

Commentary:

If you really understand Buddhadharma you will respect not just your relatives and friends, but everyone, even people you don't know. You must not see a person, slap him, and then throw mud in his face. You must be the most respectful toward those who act worst toward you. This is a fundamental responsibility of students of Buddhism. You should say, "I have been unkind to you, but you haven't been bad to me."

"Well," I reply, "you certainly haven't been inconsiderate of me, how could I be unkind to you?" Isn't this wonderful? It's just to take refuge with the Triple Jewel of your self-nature.

Sutra:

"Good Knowing Advisors, now that you have taken refuge with the Triple Jewel, you should listen carefully while I explain to you the three bodies of a single substance, the self-nature of Buddha so that you see the three bodies and become completely enlightened regarding your own self-nature.

"Repeat after me.

‘I take refuge with the clear, pure Dharma
      body Buddha within my own body.

I take refuge with the hundred thousand myriad Transformation
            bodies of the Buddha within my own body.

I take refuge with the complete and full Reward body Buddha
            within my own body.

"Good Knowing Advisors, the form body is an inn; it cannot be returned to. The three bodies of the Buddha within the self-nature of worldly men, but because they are confused, they do not see the nature within and so seek the three bodies of_ he Tathagata on the outside. They do not see that the three bodies of the Buddha are within their own body."

Commentary:

Your physical body is like a house. You must not take refuge in it; rather take refuge with your own self-nature. Each one of you has the three Buddha bodies within himself but you don't know it because you are too deluded.

Sutra:

"Listen to what I say. It can cause you to see the three bodies of your own self-nature within your own body. The three bodies of the Buddha arise from your self—nature and are not obtained from outside."

--Continued on page 10—

LAST CHANCE!

During the summer of 1972 the Sino-American Buddhist Association, Gold Mountain Dhyana Monastery, and Vajra Bodhi Sea Publications will jointly sponsor three separate Sutra-Study and Meditation Sessions, each five weeks long. During these sessions daily explanations of major Buddhist texts will be made. Complementing the Sutra study will be approximately five hours of meditation every day in addition to the chanting of Sutras and Mantras. You still have time to make the final session which will be held from August 19th through September 22nd, 1972. The closing date for registration for the final session is August 12th, 1972.

There is no better way to introduce yourself to Buddhism and the path of cultivation than by attending one of these sessions. Following the instructions of Sakyamuni Buddha, the combination of Sutra study, meditation, and recitation will bring about a deep understanding of both the principles and the practice of the Buddhadharma.

For further information call or write the Sino-American Buddhist Association, Gold Mountain Dhyana Monastery, 1731 15th Street, San Francisco, 94103. Telephone: (415) 621-5202.

Commentary:

      They come from your own self-nature, not from the outside.

Lecture 30

Sutra:

      “What is the clear, pure Dharma body Buddha? Worldly man’s nature is basically clear and pure, and the ten thousand dharmas are produced from their self-nature. Giving consideration to evil affairs produces evil actions and consideration to good affairs produces good actions. Thus all dharmas exist within our own self-nature. The sky is always clear and the sun and moon are always bright, so that even if they are obscured by floating clouds, above the clouds it is bright and be low it is dark. But if suddenly the wind blows scattering the clouds, above and below there is brightness and the ten thousand forms appear. The worldly man's nature constantly drifts like those clouds in the sky.

" Good Knowing Advisors, intelligence and wisdom are constantly bright, but if you become attached to external states the floating clouds of false thought cover your self—nature so that it cannot shine."

Commentary:

Break through the clouds of illusion! It is just because you have not broken through them that you are deluded and have no great wisdom.

Sutra:

      "If you meet a Good Knowing Advisor and hear the true and right Dharma, cast out your own confusion and falseness, then inside and out there will be penetrating brightness and within your self-nature all the ten thousand dharmas will appear."

Commentary:

If you do away with troubles and ignorance and listen to a Clear—eyed Advisor's explanation of the orthodox Teaching, your nature will cause all the dharmas to be manifested, like a luminous crystal.

Sutra:

"Men who see their own nature are just like this."

Commentary:

Men who see their own nature and know their original mind are like a clear sky:

The heart calm,
                     All worries gone away;
      The mind still,
                     Heaven has no clouds.

When your heart is upset there is chaos, but when your mind is calm and resolved, everything is auspicious.

The pure heart like the moon in water;
            The quiet mind like a cloudless sky.
            True wealth: the mind stopped, and thought cut off;
      True field of blessing: all passions put to an end.

You must end your delusion and greed, still the mind and cut off thought. This is true wealth. Truly wealthy people are not greedy, but the greedy people are all poor. They have a little money but they are never satisfied.

The passions are just selfish desires and without them you are a true field of merit.

Sutra:

"This is called the clear, pure Dharma body Buddha.

"Good Knowing Advisors, when your own mind takes refuge with the self-nature it takes refuge with the true Buddha. To take refuge is to rid one's self—nature of thoughts of unwholesomeness, jealousy, flattery, egotism, deceit, contempt, pride, deviant views, conceit, and all other unwholesome activities which may arise at any time. "

Commentary:

If you turn the light around and reverse the illumination, you take refuge with the true Buddha. Be careful not to envy others. Would you like to know why you are so deluded? It is because in past lives, life after life, you envied others; you envied their intelligence, and so now you are stupid; you envied their talent and so now you have none. You were jealous then and now you are inferior.

You should not be devious and indirect. Get rid of egoism: "I, I, me, myself, everything revolved around ME!" You should not be deceitful, full of self-importance, and contemptuous of others.

With deviant views, no matter what state you encounter, you evaluate it improperly and go off in the wrong direction. Deviant views are easy to come by.

Sutra:

      "Always seeing your own transgressions and not speaking of other's faults is taking refuge. With a humble mind, always practicing respect for all is just seeing the nature and penetrating without further obstruction.  This is taking refuge.

"What is the perfect, full Reward body (Sambhoga Kaya) body (Buddha)?  Just as one lamp can dispense the darkness of a thousand years, one thought of wisdom can destroy ten thousand years of delusion."

Commentary:

If you wish to take refuge, see your own faults and quit talking about other people. Criticism is yin and praise is yang.

When you put forth wisdom, not just ten thousand years, but ten thousand great kalpas of delusion are wiped away.

Sutra:

"Do not think of the past: it is gone and can never be recovered.  Think always of the future and in every thought, perfect and clear see your own original nature. Although good and evil differ, the original nature is non-dual. The non-dual nature is called the real nature. The real nature undefiled by good or evil is called the perfect, full Reward body (Sambhoga Kaya) Buddha."

Commentary:

Do not regret the past or be anxious about the future. "What am I going to do next?" you ask. If you plant good causes, you reap good results; if you plant bad causes, you reap bad results...do good things, good things happen; do bad things, bad things happen. Therefore your thoughts should be proper, perfectly lucid and brilliant, not deviant, selfish, self-seeking, obstructive and jealous. If you do not fear that others will be better than you, it may be that you are a little better than they. But if you fear that they will surpass you, then they are all better than you.

The good and evil natures within the self—nature differ but the self—nature is non-dual. The non-dual suchness self—nature is the real nature. Yung Chia wrote in his "Song of Enlightenment":

"Ignorance and the real nature are just the Buddha nature;

Illusory transformations and the empty body are just the Dharma body."

In the original real nature there is no good or evil.

It is purely perfect and solitarily wonderful, far reaching in
its penetration and broad in understanding.

Sutra:

      "The self-nature giving rise to one evil thought destroys ten thousand kalpas of good causes. The self-nature giving rise to one good thought ends evils as many as grains of sand. in the Ganges River. To reach the unsurpassed Bodhi directly, see it for yourself in every thought and do not lose the original thought. This is called the Reward body (Buddha)."

Commentary:

One vicious thought, such as Bodhiruci's desire to poison Bodhidharma, destroys ten thousand kalpas of good acts, whereas one good thought melts away evil karma as great as the number of grains of sand in the Ganges. One good thought is a cause for realizing Buddhahood and one bad thought is a cause for going to hell. If you would like to know whether you are going to become a Buddha or go to hell, take a look at what kind of thoughts you have.

To arrive at Buddhahood directly, see it for yourself in every thought, understand your own mind and see your original nature. Do not lose the original thought, the true thought, the true nature. This is called the Reward body Buddha.

Sutra:

      "What are the hundred thousand myriad Transformation body (Nirvana Kaya) (Buddhas)? If there is no thought about the ten thousand dharmas, then your nature is basically like emptiness, but in one calculated thought, there is transformation. Evil thoughts transform into hell-beings, good thoughts into heavenly beings (i.e. gods, devas). Viciousness transforms into dragons and snakes, compassion into Bodhisattvas. Wisdom transforms into the upper realms and delusion into the lower regions. The transformations of the self- nature are extremely many, and yet the confused man cannot awaken to this, continually giving rise to evil and walking evil paths. Direct a_single thought to goodness and wisdom is produced. This is called your self—nature's Transformation body Buddha."

Commentary:

Having discussed the perfect full Reward body, which lacks nothing and has nothing in excess, which obtains nothing and loses nothing and is neither defiled nor immaculate, increasing or decreasing, male or female, good or evil, but which is perfect Bodhi that returns to non-attainment, the Sixth Patriarch asked, 'What are the hundred thousand myriad transformation bodies'"

"We have one body," you say, "how can we have a hundred thousand myriad bodies? What do the Buddha's transformation bodies have to do with me?"

These transformation bodies are just a hundred thousand myriad thoughts and calculations. Sakyamuni Buddha can transform into a Buddha, a Bodhi saliva, an Arhat, Pratyekabuddha, a god, man, asura, hell-being, animal or hungry ghost, for there is not a single place where he does not appear.

You might also say that you and I have a hundred thousand myriad transformation bodies. I have taken a hundred thousand myriad disciples and all of them imitate their teacher in cultivation. They see their teacher eating only once a day and say, "I'm going to do that, too!" I tell them, "I never stick out my hand and beg. I don't depend on situations and neither should you. If no one makes offerings to me and I die, that's just fine."

The disciples say, "All right! Even if we starve to death we will not be dependent on situations.

Because they copy me, they are my transformation bodies. In the future you will have transformation bodies, too. If you have a good style you will have a hundred thousand myriad good transformation bodies. But if you have an evil ghostly style you will have that many ghostly transformation bodies.

If there is no thought about the ten thousand dharmas, your nature is basically like emptiness...

One thought un-produced
            The entire substance manifests.

If you do not give rise to a single thought, your original Buddha nature appears. But can you not produce that one thought? Are you without false thinking? Are you not thinking, "What will I eat tomorrow? What time will I get to bed tonight?" or, "I'm thirsty. I think I'll have a cup of tea."

Without false thinking you are a Buddha. But if you can't cut off your false thinking, you must not claim to be a Buddha, you must cultivate the Way. If you have not cultivated and say, "Hey! I'm Buddha!" you are just a dog of a Buddha. You can't simply say, "Everyone is Buddha," you have to cultivate and realize Buddhahood. Without cultivation, people are people, animals are animals, and dogs are dogs. But do not be offended by this for dogs have the Buddha nature. They have to cultivate, that's all.

Six roots suddenly move:
            A covering of clouds.

When you see something and think, "How beautiful!" or hear something and think, "Music!" you are being influenced by states and covered by "clouds". Using the six sense organs, the six sense objects, and the six consciousnesses in this way, you cover yourself with clouds.

Evil thoughts transform into hell...Suppose you think, "How can I get famous? How can I succeed? I'll start a war and murder people and then I'll set fires and loot the streets."

...good thoughts into heaven. "Oh, "you say, "I want to help people.  You have no money? Here is a million to help you get by." Or you think, "No one makes offerings to the Americans who have left home. I will make an offering!" Don't wait for America, such an affluent nation, to allow its new Buddhist clergy to starve to death; transform into the heavens.

Viciousness transforms into dragons and snakes, compassion into Bodhisattvas. Wisdom transforms into the upper realms and delusion into the lower regions. With intelligence, you go up, but if you are stupid, you fall.

The Superior Man mounts on high.
            The petty man travels a lower road.

The transformations of the self-nature are extremely many, and yet the confused man cannot awaken to this and continually gives rise to evil, walking evil paths. The confused person's every thought is evil: "That man mistreats me! I'm going to ruin him!" The Great Master Shen Hsiu constantly walked evil paths; he was always sending hired killers after the Sixth Patriarch.

Direct a single thought to goodness and wisdom is produced. This is called the self-nature's Transformation body.

      Do you understand? If you do, you are a Good Knowing Advisor; if you don't you're an evil knowing advisor. Wouldn't you rather be a Good Knowing Advisor?

Notes:

⁵⁸The particle ch'ieh is here freely rendered as "You should remember..." in order to emphasize the fact that it is not the Patriarch who crosses over living beings.

⁵⁹T.412, p. 786b:19. This important Sutra along with the Master's commentary translated by Disciple Bhiksu. Heng Ching in cooperation with the Buddhist Text Translation Society will soon be appearing in VBS.

⁶⁰T. 945, p.124c: 13

⁶¹This refers to the vow found in the ching hung "pure conduct" chapter of the Avatamsaka Sutra: "I take refuge with the Buddha, vowing that living beings comprehend the great Way and put forth the supreme mind." T 278, p. 430c:27.

⁶²"Still" and "quiet" render ting, the character used for samadhi, concentration". Ting is cultivated by means of Dhyana meditation. See Roll 27.