Part 10-2
“Subhuti, what do you think? Do Bodhisattvas adorn the Buddha-land?” “No, World Honoured One, because adorning the Buddha-land is not adornment, but it is just called adornment.”
Commentary:
The Buddha-land, another name of the Pure land which means the true-Self, is so perfect that it leaves nothing to be desired. That is, adding something else to it, removing something from it, or changing it to make it look better is not adorning but dirtying it. The truth is that it is impossible to change the Buddha-land. No matter how hard we may struggle to change it, we cannot change it in the least. To be sure that we can change, or have changed it for good, or for bad, is to be deluded by the illusions created by us.
True adornment means to realise that this world in which we are living now is no other than the Buddha-land. In fact, we sentient beings are deluded into thinking that we are drowning in the ocean of suffering because we cannot see things as they are whilst we are actually in the Buddha-land. That is, we cannot feel how beautiful and perfect this world is since we are deluded by words and forms and can’t see things as they are. Failing to see things as they are like this is referred to as dirtying the Buddha-land. To realise that this world is the Buddha-land by seeing things as they are is to adorn the Buddha-land. This is why adorning the Buddha-land is not adornment, but it is just called adornment.
Student: “How can I adorn Buddha-land?”
Master: “Don’t move even your fingertips.”
Student: “Why, sir?”
Master: “Adoring it is dirtying it.”
Student: “How holy and perfect is it?”
Master: “‘Holy’ and ‘perfect’ are rather dirt that defiles it.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
Zen Fools 