Infinite Mirror (eBook)

From Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi Several Buddhist works have been written in the form of songs or poems. Perhaps the most famous is the Song of Enlightenment. A teaching written in verse is easily communicated to others. Verse helps the reader absorb material quickly and thoroughly. In the Ts'ao-tung sect, the Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhiwas used to transmit the Dharma from master to disciple. People whowanted to follow the teachings and practice the methods of theTs'ao-tung sect were given this song to study and memorize. Now we will enter the song. The first two lines: It is this very Dharma The Buddha and Patriarchs secretly transmitted. Thefirst two lines state that the Dharma is transmitted in private. It isnot a public announcement. It is similar to two people having a codethat they and only they understand. The first historic transmissionoccured between Sakyamuni Buddha and his disciple, Mahakasyapa. Aftergiving a sermon to his senior disciples, Sakyamuni Buddha picked up aflower and held it silently before the assembly. All the monks exceptone were mystified. Mahakasyapa alone understood the Buddha's meaning,and he smiled in response. Thus, Sakyamuni transmitted the Dharma toMahakasyapa, the first patriarch. In turn, Mahakasyapa transmitted theDharma to his successor, and so on, generation after generation to thepresent. The Dharma that is transmitted is precisely this precious mirror samadhi- true nature. It is secret in that it is known only by enlightenedBuddhists, patriarchs, and masters. Only the master and the disciple towhom it is being transmitted are aware of it. Those who do not fullyunderstand the Dharma have no idea of what is happening. Sakyamunilifts a flower, Mahakasyapa smiles, and the Dharma is transmitted. Noone else understands. According to the sutras, however,Buddhadharma is innate in all sentient beings. It does not have to begiven to us by the Buddha. It does not have to be passed from master todisciple. The Ch'an sect maintains that nothing is transmitted. Dharmais within us, so there is no need for transmission. What, then, is thetransmission referred to in the first two lines of the Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi?It is true that there is a formal ritual, where something is given ortransmitted, but it is only a ritual. Nothing is really given by amaster to his disciple. The ritual is simply an affirmation that themaster and disciple have come to the same understanding. The master isgiving his seal of approval. An analogy would be the diploma astudent receives upon graduation. It represents the student'seducation: it affirms that the student has attended school for acertain period of time and has passed the examinations. But the diplomahas no intrinsic value. It is not knowledge. It is a symbol. During theT'ang dynasty, a scholar wrote an article about teachers and masters,which said that their functions are to transmit the path or the truth,to teach the students the proper course of work and study, and finally,to help students in their removal of doubt. Later, during the Mingdynasty, Master Ou-i, a Buddhist monk, commented on the article. Hesaid that a teacher does indeed possess the latter two functions, thatof teaching a proper course and removing doubt, but one person does nottransmit the Buddha path to another person. The path exists everywhere:in ashes, in clay, in hair. Where then is this path, this Tao? Isit in clay pots and fireplaces? Is it in your hair? Does it mean thepath shrinks when you get a haircut? What about me, I'm bald? If you went...