Part 13-6
“Subhuti, suppose good men and good women give as many lives as the grains of sand in the Ganges River in charity. If someone accepts and holds even a four-line verse of this Sutra and explains it to others, his blessings would be much more.”
Commentary:
The reason why the same message is repeated across various sections (parts 8-1, 11-2, 12) is that to truly receive, uphold, and explain even a single four-line verse to others signifies the ultimate goal of Buddhism, Enlightenment. It means reaching a state where you are no longer deceived by words and forms, where everything you see and hear—including your own voice—is perceived as the sermon of the True Buddha. Achieving such a state, you can realise that as many lives as the grains of sand in the Ganges River are also empty.
To see all things as they are, one must first look at the scriptures themselves without being deceived by language. Ancient masters warned that if you understand the Sutras only through words, the scriptures become the speech of Mara, and you become an enemy of the Buddha. They compared linguistic interpretation to groping at a fence without ever entering the house. They urged, “Smash the fence!” and said, “Hanging onto a branch over a cliff is nothing special; only the one who lets go of the branch is a true person of stature.” These metaphors serve as stern rebukes to those who cling to the written letters.
We usually think of a “four-line verse” as a specific verse made of four phrases. However, in part 13-3, the Buddha says, “The Buddha has never taught any Dharma.” How do we reconcile this with the command to “uphold and teach the four-line verse”?
The statement ‘The Buddha has never taught any Dharma’ means that the core of his teaching does not reside in the words themselves. The true four-line verse is the wordless word—the message the Buddha pointed to through speech but could not capture in speech. This is also called the straight word. We must be able to hear and transmit this word beyond words, which is the Dharma (the true-Self). Ancient masters would say that words are merely the vessel that carries the Dharma, not the Dharma itself. To understand the teachings only through language is like licking and sucking the outside of a bowl without ever tasting the food inside.
According to the Buddha’s true teaching, a four-line verse is not a four-line verse, but is merely named so. Realising that even the blessings spoken of by the Buddha are not blessings but merely named so—that is the true blessing.
Disciple: “What is the four-line verse?”
Master: “There is no merit in preaching the four-line verse.”
Disciple: “Why do you deny the Buddha’s words that the merit of preaching it is great?”
Master: “You are still licking the bowl.”
The four-line verse:
A letter of pardon to escape the prison of illusions.
Dogs carry it in their mouths, and birds transmit it,
Yet those who truly receive it are rare.
Koan:
Suksang said during a sermon to the assembly, “You must know the one phrase that is transmitted separately outside the scriptures.”
A monk came forward and asked, “What is that one phrase transmitted outside the teachings?”
Suksang replied, “It is not a phrase.” Yunmen added, “Only when it is not a phrase is it truly a phrase.”
Question 1: What are the meanings of Suksang’s “It is not a phrase” and Yunmen’s “Only when it is not a phrase is it truly a phrase”?
Question 2: What is the phrase that is not a phrase?
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
Zen Fools 