Part 10-1
The Buddha said to Subhuti, “What do you think—did I, the Realised One gain any kind of Dharma when I, the Realised One was with the Dipankara Buddha in the past?” “No, World Honoured One. You, the Realised One really did not gain any Dharma from the Dipankara Buddha.”
Commentary:
The purpose of Buddha’s teaching is to realise that the essence of all things is Emptiness. As stated in Section 8-3, “What is called the Buddha dharma is not the Buddha dharma; it is merely named the Buddha dharma.” All things appear different only because of the names we conveniently assign to them. In essence, everything is one. This oneness is called ‘Non-duality’ ‘the true-Self’ ‘Emptiness’ or ‘the Buddha’. We must realise that we are all essentially one Buddha.
Sakyamuni Buddha and Dipankara Buddha are not separate entities; they are merely different names for the same single true-Self. This cannot be divided, given, received, or stolen. This is why Subhuti said that Sakyamuni Buddha did not actually obtain any Dharma from Dipankara Buddha.
What, then, is the meaning of the Buddha transmitting the Dharma to Mahakasyapa?
When Buddha held up a flower, Mahakasyapa alone smiled. Buddha said, “I possess the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye… I now entrust it to Mahakasyapa.” By lifting the flower, Buddha was showing the true-Self: My act of moving like this is the function of the true-Self. Kasyapa responded by smiling: My smile is also the function of Buddha-nature. Buddha’s words were expedient means to confirm Kasyapa’s realisation and to show the assembly that his very speech was also the function of true-Self. He did not give something to Kasyapa; he revealed the inherent nature through their interaction.
After Buddha’s passing, Ananda asked Kasyapa, “Did the World-Honoured One transmit anything else to you besides the golden robe?”
Kasyapa called out, “Ananda!”
Ananda replied, “Yes!”
Kasyapa said, “Knock down the flagpole at the gate.”
Through this, Ananda realised that true-Self is something everyone possesses—it cannot be handed over or taken away.
Before enlightenment, there is a Buddha to see, but after enlightenment, one realises they are one with the Buddha. As the ancient masters said, “Now that I finally meet you, I see you are not you,” they realised that the Buddha they sought was themselves.
Disciple: “What did the Buddha want to show people?”
Master: “What you and I are showing to each other right now.”
The Buddha transmits to Kasyapa
Dharma that was never obtained
What is the Dharma not obtained,
And what is the Dharma transmitted?
The blame belongs to the Buddha,
But the calamity belongs to sentient beings.
Koan:
When Bodhisattva Vasubandhu descended from Maitreya’s Palace, Bodhisattva Asanga asked, “The Sutras say that 400 years in the human world is but one day and night in Maitreya’s Palace, and that Maitreya Buddha enables 50 billion heavenly beings to realise the true-Self at once. I wonder, what kind of Dharma does Maitreya preach?”
Vasubandhu replied, “He preaches only this one Dharma. It is just that his Brahma-voice is so clear and beautiful that people love to hear it.”
Question: What is this one Dharma mentioned by Vasubandhu?
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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