A warrior asked Suzuki Shosan, "They say the law of Buddha and the law of the world
are like the two wheels of a chariot. But nothing would be lacking in
the world even without Buddhism. Why liken them to two wheels of a
chariot?”
Shosan
replied, ‘The law of Buddha and the law of the world are not two
separate things. According to a saying of Buddha, if you can enter
the world successfully there is nothing more to leaving the world.
“Whether
Buddhism or worldly law, there is nothing more than reasoning
correctly, acting justly, and practicing honesty.
“There
are differences in depth of honesty. Not twisting reason, preserving
justice, correctness in social relations, not crossing people, not
being egotistical - these constitute honesty in the worldly sense.
This is a way into the deep via the shallow.
“Honesty
in the context of Buddhism means realizing that all conditioned
phenomena are illusions, and using the original reality-body in its
natural state. This is true honesty.
“The
fact is that the ordinary people are very sick patients, while the
Buddha is a very great physician. Ordinary people ought to recognize
sickness first. In the ignorant mind that fluctuates, there is the
sickness of delusion, there are sicknesses of greed and false views,
there are sicknesses of weakness and injustice. Based on the mind
infected by the three poisons, there are diseases of eighty-four
thousand afflictions. Getting rid of this mind is called Buddhism.
How is this any different from worldly law?
“People
who attain the Way know the principle of fundamental emptiness, use
principle and duty as a forge to temper this mind day and night, get
rid of the residue of impurities, make it a pure unhindered
mind-sword, cut through the root of selfish and obsessive thoughts,
overcome all thoughts, surmount everything, and are unfazed by
anything, unborn and undying. These are called people of the Way.
“Now,
then, ordinary people are those who take the falsehood of illusions
to be true, produce a selfish mind attached to what has form, develop
greedy, angry, and ignorant thoughts, create all sorts of afflictions
and lose their basic mind, always distracted, overcome by thoughts as
they occur, racking their brains and belaboring their bodies, without
buoyancy of mind, vainly passing the time benighted, alienated from
themselves and fixated on things. This is called the mind of ordinary
people.
‘That
being so, you should know the different terms for the original mind.
It is called the adamantine actuality, the indestructible body of
reality, This mind is not hung up on things; it is unafraid,
unshakable, undismayed, unfazed, undisturbed, and unchanged, master
of all. Those who realize this and use it effectively are called
great; they are said to have iron guts, and to have attained the Way.
People like this are not obstructed by myriad thoughts; able to let
go of all things, they are very independent.
“However,
people who would practice the Way of Buddha will be unable to succeed
unless they have an intrepid mind first. It is impossible to gain
access to the Way of Buddha with a weak mind. If you are not
rigorously observant and do not practice vigorously, you will
experience misery along with those afflictions.
“One
who overcomes all things with a firm mind is called a wayfarer. One
who has thoughts fixated on appearances, is burdened by everything,
and so suffers misery is called an ordinary person.
“So
people who work up the courage of violence with an afflicted mind may
have the force to’ break through iron walls for the moment, but
violence ‘eventually comes to an end. The mind of a strong person,
being immovable, does not change. If men who are warriors cultivate
this, why would they not attain a strong mind?
“Even people of outstanding heroism, when the killing demon
of impermanence comes lose their usual power,
their ferocity, and ability to exert any effort. When they try to
open their eyes they cannot see anything; their ears can't hear, their
tongues shrivel and can't speak. When the killing demon enters
the heart and destroys the internal organs, breathing becomes difficult, pain invades their bodies, and under it they become unable to overcome and kill the demon of impermanence, unable to bear the
great hardships of the mountain of death, drowning in the river between here
and the afterlife, shamed at the court of the king of death, falling
forever into the three evils and four dispositions, disgraced
generation to generation, lifetime after lifetime, as self and as
other, unable to escape.
Would you say this disgrace is insignificant
because shallow people don’t know of it ? Even in the illusory human society disgrace is nothing to take lightly; how much
the more so is eternal disgrace ?
“Can
someone ignorant of this logic be called someone who knows principle
or embodies justice? Think ahead before you act.
If
you know the principle, you should fear it. If you embody justice,
use the fierce and firm mind-sword to cut down the enemy of birth and
death and live in great peace.”
Somehow, this story reminds me of the - probably apocryphal - episode of the viper coming upon Takuan Soho and Miyamoto Musashi meditating together.
How about that ?
