24

AWESOME PRESENCE OF ACTIVE BUDDHAS

BUDDHAS AT ALL times practice complete awesome presence; thus they are active buddhas. Active buddhas are neither reward-body buddhas nor incarnate-body buddhas, neither self-manifested buddhas nor buddhas manifested from others. Active buddhas are neither originally enlightened nor enlightened at some particular time, neither naturally enlightened nor without enlightenment. Such buddhas can never compare to active buddhas.

Know that buddhas in the buddha way do not wait for awakening. Active buddhas alone fully experience the vital process on the path of going beyond buddha. This is something that self-manifested buddhas have never dreamed of.

Because active buddhas manifest awesome presence in every situation, they bring forth awesome presence with their body. Thus, their transformative function flows out in their speech, reaching throughout time, space, buddhas, and activities. Without being an active buddha, you cannot be liberated from bondage to buddha and bondage to dharma, and you will be pulled into the cult of buddha-demons and dharma-demons.

“Bondage to buddha” means being bound by the view that our perception and cognition of enlightenment is actually enlightenment. Experiencing such views even for a moment, you cannot expect to meet liberation, and you will remain mistaken.

Seeing enlightenment as nothing but enlightenment may appear as a view that corresponds to enlightenment. Who would imagine calling it a crooked view? But this is like tying yourself up without a rope. Becoming further and further bound up, the tree you are tied to will not topple, and the wisteria vine binding you will not wither. In vain you struggle inside a pit in the vicinity of buddha, without seeing this as a sickness of the dharma body or as a trap of the reward body.

Teachers of buddha dharma, such as scholars of the sutras and treatises who listen to the buddha way from afar, say that “to arouse a view of dharma nature within dharma nature is no other than ignorance.” These teachers talk about arousing a view of dharma nature without clarifying the bondage to dharma nature; they only accumulate the bondage of ignorance. They do not know about the bondage to dharma nature. Although this is regrettable, their awareness of the accumulation of the bondage of ignorance can be the seed for arousing the aspiration for enlightenment.

Now, active buddhas are never bound by such ties. This being so [it is said in the Lotus Sutra], “In the past I practiced the bodhisattva way and have attained this long life span, still now unexhausted, covering vast numbers of years.”

Know that it is not that the life span of the bodhisattva has continued without end only until now, or not that the life span of the Buddha has prevailed only in the past, but what is called vast numbers is a total, inclusive attainment. What is called still now is the total life span. Even if in the past I practiced is one solid piece of iron ten thousand miles long, it casts away hundreds of years vertically and horizontally.

This being so, practice-realization is neither existence nor beyond existence. Practice-realization is not defiled [divided]. Although there are hundreds, thousands, and myriads [of practice-realizations] in a place where there is no buddha and no person, practice-realization does not defile active buddhas. Thus, there is no division in the practice-realization of active buddhas. It is not that there is no separation of practice-realization, but that this nondefilement is not nonexistent.

Huineng of Caoxi [the Sixth Ancestor] said [to Nanyue], “This very nondefilement is what is attentively maintained by all buddhas. You are also like this. I am like this. All the ancestors in India are also like this.”

Because You are also like this, there are all buddhas. Because I am like this, there are all buddhas. Indeed, it is beyond me and beyond you. In this nondefilement, I as I am, attentively maintained by all buddhas, is the awesome presence of an active buddha. You as you are, attentively maintained by all buddhas, is the awesome presence of an active buddha.

Because I am like this, the teacher is excellent. Because you are also like this, the disciple is strong. The teacher’s excellence and disciple’s strength are the complete wisdom and practice of active buddhas. Penetrate What is attentively maintained by all buddhas, as well as I am like this and You are also like this.

Even if this statement by Huineng were not about “me,” how could it not be about “you”? What is attentively maintained by active buddhas, and what is thoroughly mastered by active buddhas, is like this. Thus, we know practice and realization are not concerned with essence or forms, roots or branches. While the everyday activities of active buddhas unfailingly allow buddhas to practice, active buddhas allow everyday activities to practice. This is to abandon your body for dharma, to abandon dharma for your body. This is to give up holding back your life, to hold on fully to your life. The awesome presence not only lets go of dharma for the sake of the dharma, it also lets go of dharma for the sake of mind. Do not forget that this letting go is unlimited.

Do not take up the buddha measure to measure and analyze the great way. The buddha measure is one step, just like an open blossom. Do not hold out the mind measure to grope for and deliberate about the awesome presence. The mind measure is a single face, like the world. The measure of a single blade of grass is clearly the measure of the buddha ancestor mind—one blade that recognizes the whereabouts of active buddhas.

Even if you recognize that one mind measure encompasses innumerable buddha measures, when you try to measure the active buddhas’ appearance by the motion and stillness of their visage, it is undoubtedly beyond measure. Since their conduct is beyond measure, measuring does not hit the mark, is not useful, and cannot be gauged.

Now, there is another point for investigating the awesome presence of active buddhas. When “Buddha is none other than the self” comes thus, the awesome presence of I am like this and You are also like this indicates “I alone know this.” Yet, the dropping away of “The buddhas in the ten directions are also like this” is not only the single avenue.

Accordingly, an old buddha [Hongzhi Zhengjiao] said, “Reach over to grasp what’s there, and bring its workings right here.”

When you take on sustaining this, all things, bodies, actions, and buddhas become intimate with you. These actions, things, bodies, and buddhas are simply covered [immersed] in acceptance. Because they are simply covered in acceptance, through acceptance they are just dropped off.

The covered eye is the radiance of one hundred grass tips; do not be swayed [into thinking] that it does not see one thing, does not see a single matter. The covered eye reaches this thing and that thing. Throughout journeys, while taking on coming and going, or while leaving and entering by the same gate, nothing is hidden in the entire world, and so the World-Honored One’s intimate language, intimate realization, intimate practice, and intimate entrustment are present.

Leaving the gate there is grass, entering the gate there is grass, though there is not a bit of grass for myriad miles. Such “entering” and “leaving” are not essential. Grasping by entering does not wait for the letting go of leaving; these are mere apparitions of blossoms in the sky.

Who would regard this apparition of blossoms in the sky as taking up a mistake and settling in with the mistake? Stepping forward misses, stepping backward misses, taking one step misses, taking two steps misses, and so there are mistakes upon mistakes.

Heaven and earth are far distant [due to our mistakes], and yet the ultimate way is not difficult. Thoroughly understand that in the awesome presence, and the presence of awe, the great way is wide open.

Know that upon emerging in birth, all emerge together on the way, and that upon entering death, all enter together on the way. From the head down to the tail, the awesome presence of rolling the pearl and of turning the jewel is manifested.

That which allows one part of a buddha’s awesome presence is the entire universe, the entire earth, as well as the entirety of birth and death, coming and going, of innumerable lands and lotus blossoms. Each of these innumerable lands and lotus blossoms is one part.

Students may think that “the entire universe” refers to this Southern Continent of Jambudvipa, or all the Four Continents. Some may think of it as China or Japan. Regarding “the entire earth,” they think it is one billion worlds, or simply one province or prefecture. When you examine “the entire earth” or “the entire universe,” investigate them three or five times without stopping, even though you already see them as vast.

Understanding these words [about the entire universe] is going beyond buddhas and ancestors by seeing that extremely large is small and extremely small is large. Although this seems like denying that there is any such thing as large or small, this [understanding] is the awesome presence of active buddhas.

Understand that the awesome presence of the entire universe and the awesome presence of the entire earth as revealed by buddhas and ancestors are the unhidden inclusive world. This is not only the unhidden inclusive world, but the awesome presence within a single active buddha.

In expounding the buddha way, womb birth and transformation birth are usually mentioned, but not moisture birth and egg birth. Furthermore, it has not even been dreamed that there could be births other than these four types. Even further, has it been seen, heard, or realized that there are these four types of birth beyond the four types of birth? In the great way of buddhas and ancestors, it has been intimately and explicitly transmitted that there are four types of birth beyond [the usual understanding of] these four types of birth. What groups of people have not heard, known, or clarified this understanding?

As these four types of birth are already known, how many types of death are there? Are there four types of death for the four types of birth, or are there two or three types of death? Are there five or six, one thousand, or ten thousand deaths? To have even a little doubt about this point is part of the inquiry.

Now, consider whether there are beings among these four types who only have birth without death. Are there any beings who only transmit death and do not transmit birth? Study whether or not there are beings who have birth alone or death without birth.

There are people who hear the phrase “beyond birth” but do not clarify it, ignoring their body-and-mind endeavor. This is extreme foolishness. They should be called beasts who cannot even reach the four categories of beings with the capacity for faith, for understanding dharma, or for sudden or gradual awakening. How is this so? Even though they hear the words “beyond birth,” they need to question the meaning. And they do not ask further about beyond buddha, beyond the way, beyond mind, beyond extinction, beyond “beyond birth,” beyond world of phenomena, beyond dharma nature, or beyond death. They are like oxen and horses who vainly think only of water and grass.

Know that birth-and-death is the activity of the buddha way; birth-and-death is the furnishings [essentials] of the buddha house. It is utilized when it needs to be utilized; it is fully clarified when it is clarified. Accordingly, all buddhas are clear about the implements of birth-and-death, and fully achieve their utilization. How can those who are ignorant of this realm of birth and death be called a person, or someone who has completed birth, or accomplished death? Do not believe that you are sunk in birth and death, or even think that you exist in birth and death. Do not blindly believe, or misunderstand, or disregard birth and death as merely birth and death.

Some people say that buddhas only appear in the human realm, and think that they do not appear in other realms or worlds. If that were true, all realms would have been human realms when the Buddha was alive. This is like saying that human buddhas alone are venerable ones. However, there must be buddhas in the deva realm as well as buddhas in the buddha realm. Those who think that buddhas appear only in the human realm have not yet entered the inner chamber of buddha ancestors.

An ancestor said, “Shakyamuni Buddha received transmission of the true dharma from Kashyapa Buddha, went to Tushita Heaven to teach, and still abides there.”

Indeed, know that Shakyamuni of the human realm spread the teaching through his manifestation of pari-nirvana, but Shakyamuni in the heavenly realm still abides there, teaching devas. Students should know that Shakyamuni of the human realm reveals infinitely varied expressions, actions, and teachings, auspiciously illuminating a portion of the human realm. It is foolish not to notice that Shakyamuni in the heavenly realm teaches in far more varied ways, in one thousand styles, in ten thousand gates.

Do not ignore that the essential meaning of the great way, transmitted authentically from buddha to buddha alone, goes beyond cutting off, and drops away what is beginningless and endless. It has been authentically transmitted only in the buddha way. This activity has never been known or heard of by other beings.

Where active buddhas teach, there are beings that are not limited to the four types of birth. There are realms not limited to heavenly beings, humans, or the world of phenomena. When you look into the awesome presence of active buddhas, do not use the eyes of heavenly beings or humans. Do not use the deluded thinking of heavenly beings or humans. Do not try to analyze it using human or heavenly faculties. Even bodhisattvas of the ten stages and three classes have not clarified this, so how could the analytical thinking of humans and devas reach it? When human calculation is small, knowledge is small. When a life span is fleeting, thinking is fleeting. Then, how is it possible to make calculations about the awesome presence of active buddhas?

This being so, do not accept as children of the Buddha any groups who regard mere human views as the buddha dharma, or who limit buddha dharma to human dharmas. They are merely sentient beings conditioned by karma who have not yet heard the dharma or practiced the way with body and mind. Neither their life, death, views, and learning, nor their walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, are in accord with dharma. Such kinds of beings have not been nurtured or benefited by dharma.

Active buddhas love neither original enlightenment nor acquired enlightenment, and neither possess nor do not possess enlightenment—this is true indeed.

Worldly people carry on deliberations about thinking and not thinking, having enlightenment or not having enlightenment, and fundamental or acquired enlightenment. These are merely worldly people’s categories, which have not been transmitted from buddha to buddha. The thinking of worldly people and the thinking of buddhas are completely different and cannot be compared. The original enlightenment discussed by worldly people and the original enlightenment actualized by buddhas are as far apart from each other as heaven and earth; they are beyond comparison. Even the deliberations of bodhisattvas of the ten stages or three classes do not match the expressions of buddhas. How can worldly people, vainly counting grains of sand, make accurate assessments?

Nevertheless, there are many people who merely agree to the crooked, inverted views of worldly people or of those outside the way, and then mistakenly regard such views as the realm of buddhas. Buddhas say that the unwholesome roots of such people are deep and heavy, and they are to be pitied. However endless the unwholesome roots of such people may be, this tendency is their burden. For now, look into this and release it. Grasping such obstructions and involving yourself with them are not a good direction to pursue.

The awesome presence of active buddhas right now is beyond obstruction. Totally encompassed by buddhas, active buddhas are free from obstruction as they penetrate the vital path of being splattered by mud and soaked in water. Active buddhas transform devas in the heavenly realm and transform humans in the human realm. This is the power of opening blossoms and the power of the world arising. There has never been a gap in active buddhas’ transformative work. This being so, there is complete dropping of self and other, outstanding in coming and going.

Immediately going to and coming from Tushita Heaven, this is immediately Tushita Heaven. Immediately going to and coming from blissful ease, this is immediately blissful ease. This is immediate and complete dropping of Tushita Heaven, and this is immediate and complete dropping of blissful ease. This is the immediate crushing of blissful ease in Tushita Heaven into a hundred pieces. This is no other than the immediate grasping and letting go of blissful ease in Tushita Heaven. This is swallowing up everything in one gulp.

Know that this blissful ease in Tushita Heaven is no other than transmigration, coming and going, within heavenly halls and the Pure Land. Because this blissful ease is the practice of coming and going, one practices equally in heavenly halls and the Pure Land.

Because this is great enlightenment, it is equally great enlightenment [within heavenly halls and the Pure Land]. In great delusion, it is equally great delusion. This is simply the toes wiggling in the sandals [nothing special] for active buddhas. Sometimes it is the sound of a fart or the smell of shit throughout the single path [of active buddhas]. This is smelled with the nostrils, and heard with the ears, body, and practice. Further, there is a moment of attaining “my skin, flesh, bones, and marrow.” Beyond this, there is no practice attained from others.

In regard to freely penetrating the great way that completes birth and masters death, there is an ancient statement, “A great sage surrenders birth and death to the mind, surrenders birth and death to the body, surrenders birth and death to the way, surrenders birth and death to birth and death.” As this teaching is actualized without limitation in the past and present, the awesome presence of active buddhas is thoroughly practiced immediately.

The teaching of birth and death, body and mind, as the circle of the way is actualized at once. Thoroughly practicing, thoroughly clarifying, is not forced. It is just like recognizing the shadow of deluded thought and turning the light to shine within. The clarity of clarity beyond clarity prevails in the activity of buddhas. This is totally surrendering to practice.

To understand the meaning of totally surrendering, you should thoroughly investigate mind. In the steadfastness of thorough investigation, all phenomena are the unadorned clarity of mind. You know and understand that the three realms of desire, form, and formlessness are merely elaborate divisions of mind. Although your knowing and understanding are part of all phenomena, you actualize the home village of the self. This is no other than your everyday activity.

This being so, the continuous effort to grasp the point in phrases and to seek eloquence beyond words is to take hold beyond taking hold and to let go beyond letting go.

In this endeavor, what is birth? What is death? What are body and mind? What are giving and taking? What are surrendering and rejecting? Is there no encounter while entering and exiting the same gate? Is there hiding the body but exposing the horns within a single move? Do we understand from great deliberation, or know with considerate intention? Is this endeavor one bright pearl or the entire treasury of the sutras? Is it a single monk’s staff or a single layer of the face? Does this occur thirty years later or in myriad years within one moment? Examine this in detail, and make a detailed study of this examination. In this detailed examination, you hear sounds with your entire eye and see colors with your entire ear.

Further, opening the single eye of a monk is going beyond phenomena before one’s eyes, going beyond objects before one’s eyes. There is the composure of smiling and blinking. This is the moment of the awesome presence of an active buddha. Not pulled by things or pulling things, not creating or producing causal conditions, not original nature or dharma nature, not abiding in one’s conditions, not original being, and not merely accepting any of these as suchness—this is simply the awesome presence of an active buddha.

This being so, the fluctuating circumstances of the body and phenomena are left to the mind and phenomena. For now, the awesome presence of dropping off birth and dropping off death is solely surrendered to buddha. Thus, there is an understanding: “All things are inseparable from mind, and the three realms are inseparable from mind.” Further, in an expression that goes beyond, there is a statement that “inseparable from mind” is called “walls and pebbles.” Where there is nothing inseparable from mind, there are no walls and pebbles.

The point is that the awesome presence of active buddhas is entrusted to the mind, phenomena, and the body. This awesome presence cannot be reached through the understandings of acquired enlightenment or original enlightenment. Furthermore, how can it be reached by those outside the way, those in the Two Vehicles, or bodhisattvas of the three classes or ten stages?

This awesome presence is not comprehended by any person, and is beyond comprehension on any level. However lively it may be, each branch is just as it is. Is it one long piece of iron? Is it both ends of a worm moving? One long piece of iron is neither long nor short; both ends moving are neither self nor other.

When the power of unrolling the matter and hurling insightful flashes is put into practice, the awesomeness encompasses all things, and the eye becomes lofty through the entire world. There is illumination that is not hindered by taking in or letting go. It is the monks’ hall, the buddha hall, the kitchen, or the monastery gate. Further, there is illumination that does not take in or let go. It is also the monks’ hall, the buddha hall, the kitchen, or the monastery gate.

Moreover, there is an eye that penetrates the ten directions and receives the entire earth. This eye is in front of the mind and behind the mind. Such an eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind have the dazzling power of illumination. Thus, there are buddhas in the past, present, and future who maintain what is beyond knowing, and there are cats and white oxen who launch the insightful response of already knowing. This is grabbing the ox’s nose and having an eye. This expresses the dharma of active buddhas and allows the dharma of active buddhas.

Xuefeng, Great Master Zhenjiao, said to the assembly, “The buddhas in the past, present, and future abide in flames and turn the great dharma wheel.”

Xuansha, who would later become Great Master Zongyi, said in response, “As flames expound dharma to all the buddhas in the past, present, and future, all the buddhas remain standing and listen.”

Keqin, Zen Master Yuanwu, later commented on their words: “One says the monkey is white; the other says it is black. They hurl insightful flashes at each other; spirits emerge and demons vanish. Blazing flames in the spreading sky are buddhas expounding dharma; the spreading sky in blazing flames is dharma expounding buddhas. Amid the winds, these two masters cut apart the tangle of twining vines and with a single statement crush Vimalakirti in his silence.”

Now, buddhas in the past, present, and future means all buddhas. Active buddhas are all buddhas in the past, present, and future. All buddhas in the ten directions are none other than these buddhas in the three times. Expounding fully, buddhas speak like this throughout the past, present, and future. If you want to inquire about the active buddhas, they are exactly the buddhas in the past, present, and future. With or without knowing, they are none other than active buddhas as all buddhas in the three times.

This being so, the three ancient buddhas—Xuefeng, Xuansha, and Keqin—spoke like this to express their understanding of buddhas in the three times.

Study the meaning of Xuefeng’s statement The buddhas in the past, present, and future abide in flames and turn the great dharma wheel. The practice place of the buddhas in the three times turning the dharma wheel is invariably inside flames. Inside flames is always buddhas’ place of practice. Teachers of sutras and commentaries have never heard this, and those outside the way, or in the Two Lesser Vehicles, cannot know it. Know that the flames around all buddhas are not the same as the flames of other beings. Shed light on whether or not other beings are within flames.

Study how the buddhas in the three times transform beings within flames. When they abide within flames, are the flames and buddhas intimate or are they separate? Are the buddhas and their surroundings integrated or are they independent? Are they of one piece or divided?

In turning the great dharma wheel there is turning the self, turning insightful flashes. This is unrolling the matter and hurling insightful flashes, turning dharma and dharma turning. This is called turning the dharma wheel.

Even if the entire great earth is entirely in flames, there must be the dharma wheel turning the flame wheel, the dharma wheel turning all buddhas, the dharma wheel turning the dharma wheel, and the dharma wheel turning past, present, and future.

This being so, flames are the great practice place of all buddhas turning the dharma wheel. If you try to assess this with the measurements of realms, time, human capacity, or ordinary or sacred, you cannot hit the mark. Because it cannot be assessed by these calculations, all buddhas in the three times abide in flames and turn the great dharma wheel. As they are called all buddhas in the three times, they go beyond these measurements. Because it is the practice place of buddhas in the three times turning the dharma wheel, there are flames. Because there are flames, it is the practice place of all buddhas.

Xuansha said, As flames expound dharma to all the buddhas in the past, present, and future, all the buddhas remain standing and listen. You may hear this statement and say that Xuansha’s words are a more complete utterance than Xuefeng’s words, but it is not necessarily so. Know that Xuefeng’s statement is different from Xuansha’s. That is, Xuefeng speaks about the place where all buddhas in the three times turn the great dharma wheel, while Xuansha speaks about all buddhas in the three times listening to the dharma.

Xuefeng’s statement is indeed about turning the dharma, but he does not actually discuss listening or not listening to dharma at the place of turning dharma. Thus, it does not sound as if turning the dharma is always listening to the dharma. Moreover, Xuefeng in his teaching did not say that buddhas in the three times expound dharma for the sake of flames. Nor did he say that buddhas in the three times turn the great dharma wheel for the sake of the buddhas in the three times, nor that flames turn the great dharma wheel for the sake of the flames. Is there any difference between the words turning the dharma wheel and turning the great dharma wheel? Turning the dharma wheel is not limited to expounding the dharma. Isn’t expounding the dharma necessarily for the sake of others? Thus, it is not that the words of Xuefeng have not exhausted the meaning of the words that he should have said.

Definitely study in detail Xuefeng’s words abiding in flames and turning the great dharma wheel. Don’t be confused by Xuansha’s words.

Penetrating Xuefeng’s statement awesomely presents the awesome presence of buddhas. The flames that contain the buddhas in the three times prevail not only in one or two limitless worlds of phenomena, and do not merely fill one or two particles of dust. In an attempt to discern the great dharma wheel’s turning, do not measure it as large or small, wide or narrow. Turning the great dharma wheel is neither for the self nor for others, neither for expounding nor for listening.

Xuansha said, As flames expound dharma to all the buddhas in the past, present, and future, all the buddhas remain standing and listen. Although he said flames expound dharma to the buddhas in the three times, he did not say that flames turn the dharma wheel. Furthermore, he did not say that buddhas in the three times turn the dharma wheel. Although all buddhas in the three times remain standing and listening, how can the flames turn the dharma wheel of the buddhas in the three times? Do the flames that expound dharma for the buddhas in the three times also turn the great dharma wheel or not? Xuansha did not say that turning the dharma wheel occurs at this moment. He did not say that the dharma wheel does not turn. However, it might be supposed that Xuansha carelessly interpreted the turning of the dharma wheel as expounding the dharma wheel. If so, he did not yet comprehend the statement of Xuefeng.

Xuansha knew that when flames expound dharma for the buddhas in the three times, the buddhas all remain standing and listen to the dharma. However, he did not realize that where the flames turn the dharma wheel, the flames remain standing and listen to the dharma. He did not say that where the flames turn the dharma wheel, the flames altogether turn the dharma wheel. All buddhas of the three times listening to the dharma are the dharma of all buddhas, which is not dependent on others. Do not consider the flames as dharma, as buddha, or even as flames. Indeed, do not ignore the statements of this master and his disciple. This is to say that they are not only red-bearded barbarians, but that they are barbarians with red beards.

Although Xuansha’s words are like this, there is something you should study with great effort. Without regard to the limited views of the Great Vehicle or Lesser Vehicles held by teachers of sutras and treatises, just study the true characteristics that have been authentically transmitted from buddha to buddha, ancestor to ancestor.

All the buddhas remain standing and listen. This is not limited to the views of the Great Vehicle or Lesser Vehicle. Teachers of sutras and treatises only know that buddhas expound dharma in response to the readiness of those who hear it. But they do not say that buddhas listen to the dharma, that buddhas practice, and that buddhas accomplish buddhahood.

Regarding Xuansha’s words, All the buddhas remain standing and listen, this is the essence and experience of buddhas’ listening. Do not regard the capacity to expound the dharma as superior, and the capacity to listen to the dharma as inferior. If those who speak are venerable, those who listen are venerable as well.

Shakyamuni Buddha said, “To expound this Lotus Sutra is to see me. To expound it for the sake of even one person is difficult.”

Thus, being able to expound the dharma is to see Shakyamuni Buddha, because to see me is itself Shakyamuni Buddha.

The Buddha also said, “After I pass away, to listen to and to accept this sutra, and to inquire into its meaning, will be quite difficult.”

Know that it is equally difficult to listen to and accept this sutra. Expounding and listening are not a matter of superior or inferior. Even if those who remain standing and listening are the most venerable buddhas, nevertheless they remain and listen to dharma, because all buddhas of the three times remain and listen to dharma. As the fruit of buddhahood is already present, they do not listen to dharma to achieve buddhahood; as [Xuansha] indicated, they are already buddhas of the three times.

Know that the buddhas in the three times are buddhas who remain and listen to the dharma expounded by flames. The transformative function of this single phrase cannot be traced in a linear manner. If you try to trace it, the arrowhead and the shaft will crush each other. Flames definitely expound dharma for the buddhas of the three times. With bits and pieces of red heart, an iron tree blossoms and the world becomes fragrant. Let me ask: When buddhas remain standing and listen to the flames expound dharma, ultimately what is it that is actualized? This is wisdom surpassing the master, wisdom equaling the master. Further, there are buddhas in the three times investigating the inner sanctum of master and disciple.

Keqin’s words The monkey is white do not conflict with the other monkey’s being black. Thus, [Keqin comments that] Xuefeng and Xuansha hurl insightful flashes at each other as spirits emerge and demons vanish. Although there is a path that Xuefeng travels together with Xuansha, yet does not enter together with Xuansha, is it the case that the flames are all buddhas, or that all buddhas are the flames? Xuansha’s mind interchanges black and white, emerging and vanishing like spirits and demons, while Xuefeng’s voice and form do not remain in the realm of black and white. Further, see that Xuansha’s statement is just right, beyond just right; and Xuefeng’s statement takes it up and releases it.

Keqin has a statement that is not the same as Xuansha’s and not the same as Xuefeng’s: Blazing flames in the spreading sky are buddhas expounding dharma; the spreading sky in blazing flames is dharma expounding buddhas. This statement has been truly an illumination for those who have studied ever since. Even if you do not notice the blazing flames, if you are covered by the spreading sky, you have your share and others have theirs. Wherever the entire sky covers, there are always blazing flames. Even though you dislike these blazing flames and look somewhere else, how could it be otherwise?

Rejoice! Although your skin bag was born far from the sages, and although this moment is distant from the sages, you have encountered the transforming guidance of the spreading sky that can still be heard. Although buddhas expounding dharma has been heard, how many layers of ignorance we have suffered from because of not having heard the statement dharma expounding buddhas! Accordingly, it is simply that all buddhas in the three times are expounded by dharma throughout the three times, and all dharmas in the three times are expounded by buddhas throughout the three times.

It is the spreading sky alone that cuts apart the tangle of twining vines amid the winds. A single statement crushes both Vimalakirti and those who are not Vimalakirti, and nothing remains.

Thus, dharma expounds buddha, dharma practices buddha, dharma verifies buddha. Buddha expounds dharma, buddha practices buddha, buddha makes buddha. This is all the awesome presence of active buddhas. Throughout heaven and earth, throughout past and present, what they have attained is not insignificant, what they have clarified is not to be utilized casually.

Written in the middle of the tenth month, the second year of the Ninji Era [1241], at the Kannondori Horin Monastery by Monk Dogen.