DHARMA SPRING

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The great Way is a single Absence-gate
here on a thousand roads of Presence
Once through this gateway, you wander
all heaven and earth in a single stride

Boundless wind and moon – the eye within eyes,
inexhaustible heaven and earth – the light beyond light.
The willow dark, the flower bright – ten thousand houses;
knock on any door – someone will answer.

Introductory verses of The Gateless Gateway and The Blue Cliff Record (respectively), by Wumen and Yuanwu (respectively), using the translations of David Hinton and Joan Sutherland/John Tarrant (respectively)

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From the beginning
   the crooked tree
      was no good for a lordly dwelling
how could anyone
   expect the nobles
      to use it for their gates
Now it's been thrown out
   onto the shore
      of this harbor village
handy for the fishermen
   to sit on
      while they're fishing

-Muso Soseki

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It’s as fleeting as a cloud
It’s as still as a valley
It’s the salt in the water
It’s the dye in color
It’s the mist that soaks your clothes unseen
It’s the flower that falls to the earth unheard

-Stonehouse

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One day the Tibetan yogi Milarepa returned to his cave after gathering firewood, finding it had been completely taken over by demons while he was gone. They were everywhere! Eating his food, reading his books, sleeping in his bed. “I have got to get rid of them!” he thought, lunging toward them, chasing after them, trying forcefully to get them out of his cave. But the demons were entirely unfazed. In fact, the more he chased them, the more comfortable and settled they seemed to be.

Realizing his efforts to run them out had failed miserably, Milarepa opted for a new approach and decided he would try teaching them the dharma. If chasing them out didn’t work, then maybe hearing such teachings would change their minds and get them to go. So, he took his seat and began speaking about existence and nonexistence, compassion and kindness, the nature of impermanence, and other essential matters of the Way. After speaking for a while he paused and looked around, only to see that all the demons were still there, simply staring at him with their huge, bulging eyes. Not a single one had gone away. A long, heavy sigh came out of Milarepa as he realized these demons could not be forced or manipulated into leaving, and it suddenly occurred to him: perhaps he could learn something from them.

Milarepa stood up and walked slowly around the room, looking deeply into the eyes of each demon and bowing. He eventually made his way back to his seat and said, with all sincerity, “It looks like we’re going to be here together for a while. I open myself to whatever you have to teach me.” At that moment, all of the demons disappeared.

Well, almost all.

One huge and especially fierce demon remained, eyes aflame, nostrils flaring, fangs dripping. They gazed at one another for a time, then Milarepa walked over to this demon and offered himself completely, holding nothing back, placing his head in the demon’s mouth and saying, “Eat me if you wish.” At this, the fierce demon stood up and made a deep bow, vanishing into the air.

_________

The night before his enlightenment, the Buddha engaged in the utmost struggle with the Demon God Mara, who attacked Siddhartha with everything he had: lust, greed, anger, doubt, and more.. But Siddhartha did not succumb, and Mara was defeated. Having failed, on the morning of the Buddha’s enlightenment, Mara left, distraught and in disarray.

Yet, it seems Mara was only temporarily discouraged, and he continued to show up in the Buddha’s life as time went on, always keeping a safe distance, near enough to be noticed but not apprehended.

One day, however, he came upon a cave in which the Buddha was meditating and headed directly toward it, only to be stopped by Ananda, the Buddha’s attendant. Ananda had made a vow to protect the Buddha, so he was quite fierce as he engaged with Mara, stomping and yelling and demanding that he leave and never return.

Hearing all the commotion, the Buddha called out, “Ananda, what’s going on out there?”

“It’s Mara, the Evil One. He has returned and is intent on causing you harm, so I am driving him away.”

The Buddha walked to the opening of the cave, smiling, and said, “Mara, my old friend, so good to see you. Please, come have some tea.”

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I don’t know where the temple is,
lost many miles among cloudy peaks.
In the ancient forest there is no human path.
A bell in the deep mountain—where is it from?
A brook hiccups through the steep rocks
and sunlight chills the green pines.
In faint twilight, where an empty pond curves,
meditation, taming poisonous dragons.

-Wang Wei,  Passing Hidden Fragrance Temple

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Recently the world has been in confusion and dispersion, and there is little one can do about it. In times like this, there is only the effort of meditation and investigation that is the most skillful thing to do, since there is nothing else that one can do; one can still achieve a mindset that is open, and there one can see clearly one’s original face and achieve a great inner ease. When others are like the waves hitting up against the heavens, we can remain profound and imperturbable.

-Qiyuan Xinggang (an excerpt from a letter to her aunt)

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   Panshan addressed the assembly, saying, "The moon of mind is solitary and perfect, its light swallowing the myriad forms. Its light does not illuminate realms, for realms do not exist. But when light and realms are both gone, what is it that remains?"
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   Baofu brought up for consideration Panshan’s statement, "When all illuminated realms are gone, what is it that remains?" and Dongshan’s statement, "When all illuminated realms are undiminished, what else is there?"
   He then said, "According to what was expounded by these two worthies, there is something left over that isn’t annihilated."
   He then asked Changqing, "What would you say now to exterminate it?"
   Changqing was silent for a long time.
   Baofu said, "You are seeking speaking strategies in a mountain spirit's cave."
   Changqing asked, "Then what would you say?"
   Baofu said, "Both hands on the plow, water above the knees."

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   Baofu brought up for consideration Panshan’s statement, "When all illuminated realms are gone, what is it that remains?" and Dongshan’s statement, "When all illuminated realms are undiminished, what else is there?"
   He then said, "According to what was expounded by these two worthies, there is something left over that isn’t annihilated."
   He then asked Changqing, "What would you say now to exterminate it?"
   Changqing was silent for a long time.
   Baofu said, "You are seeking speaking strategies in a mountain spirit's cave."
   Changqing asked, "Then what would you say?"
   Baofu said, "Both hands on the plow, water above the knees."

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Here's a talk from June 2017, during which the koan below is explored, including its connection with an experience we had with a thief, resulting in a strangely genuine sense of gratitude and appreciation:

   Hoshan taught, "Studying—we call that 'hearing'; completing study is called 'getting nearer'. Going beyond both of these is what we mean by 'truly going beyond'."
   A student stepped out of the assembly and asked, "What is truly going beyond?"
  Hoshan replied, "Knowing how to beat the drum."
  The student asked again, "What is true inquiry?"
  "Knowing how to beat the drum."
   The student asked, "I'm not asking about 'just mind, just buddha'. What is 'not mind, not buddha'?"
   "Knowing how to beat the drum."
   The student again asked, "When it comes from the ancients, how do we welcome it?"
   "Knowing how to beat the drum."

Blue Cliff Record, Case 44

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The ogre outside shoves the door
the ogre inside holds it fast
dripping sweat from head to tail
battling for their lives
they keep it up throughout the night
until at last when the dawn appears
their laughter fills the early light —
they were friends from the first

-Hakuin Ekaku

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