Case 57 never ends, and so our Karma leads us to Case 58, The Dharma Sutra's Reviling ...
The Diamond Sutra Teaches two seemingly contradictory (but are they?) messages on Karma. One, that Karma (our volitional actions and their effects in this life and, perhaps, lives to come) are empty to the eye of Wisdom that can so perceive ...
"All conditioned Dharmas
are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows,
Like dew drops and a lightning flash,
Contemplate them thus."
And yet here, we find the Sutra advising that we may suffer in this life because of the debt of past Karma. Also, our present actions of goodness in this life can help extinguish our debt of Karma.
In these two simultaneously true, yet seemingly conflicting, views on Karma, this Koan resonates with another Koan in the Book of Serenity that we earlier met ... No. 8, the Fox Koan ... and you might have a look back there:
The reference to "Enyadata" in the Verse is to an old story of a deluded person (also called "Yajnadata") who, in ignorance, believes his own head is missing (a case for Oliver Sachs?).
The reference to "Hasoda" is also to a tale of someone freed from the delusion of their own making ... Yamada Roshi comments ...
Question: Karma is empty. Yet, in your life, what intentional actions on your part delude and trap you in ignorance? Is your own greed, anger and divisive thinking causing you to fall into your own little hells?
Also, can you experience how Karma and all our little heavens and hells are Empty too?
Gassho, J
SatToday
The Diamond Sutra Teaches two seemingly contradictory (but are they?) messages on Karma. One, that Karma (our volitional actions and their effects in this life and, perhaps, lives to come) are empty to the eye of Wisdom that can so perceive ...
"All conditioned Dharmas
are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows,
Like dew drops and a lightning flash,
Contemplate them thus."
And yet here, we find the Sutra advising that we may suffer in this life because of the debt of past Karma. Also, our present actions of goodness in this life can help extinguish our debt of Karma.
In these two simultaneously true, yet seemingly conflicting, views on Karma, this Koan resonates with another Koan in the Book of Serenity that we earlier met ... No. 8, the Fox Koan ... and you might have a look back there:
CASE 8 - Hyakujo's (Pai-chang's) Fox
A Zen Teacher claims that, in Great Enlightenment, one is free of Karmic effects, life and death, rebirth. In return, upon his death, he find himself trapped in a fox's body for 500 rebirths. Payback!
The trapped fox (in the guise of an old man) then hears from another Teacher that, in Great Enlightenment, one does -not- evade and cannot ignore Karmic effects, life and death, rebirth.
Upon so hearing, the fox attains Great Enlightenment, is freed from further rebirth as a fox, perhaps from all rebirths, Karmic effects, life and death!
The fellow denying Karma and rebirth is thus trapped in Karma and Rebirth, while upon hearing that even an enlightenment master -cannot- escape Karma and rebirth, he seems to escape Karma and rebirth. Sure sounds like a "not-damned-damned if you do, damned-not-damned if you don't" situation!
Or (I suggest to you) this is another case of Zen Masters speaking out of "both sides of the no sided mouth". Perhaps, despite seeming quite opposite, both ways are True at once depending on the perspective (and dropping of perspectives).
For example ...
http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...ANIMITY-Case-8
A Zen Teacher claims that, in Great Enlightenment, one is free of Karmic effects, life and death, rebirth. In return, upon his death, he find himself trapped in a fox's body for 500 rebirths. Payback!
The trapped fox (in the guise of an old man) then hears from another Teacher that, in Great Enlightenment, one does -not- evade and cannot ignore Karmic effects, life and death, rebirth.
Upon so hearing, the fox attains Great Enlightenment, is freed from further rebirth as a fox, perhaps from all rebirths, Karmic effects, life and death!
The fellow denying Karma and rebirth is thus trapped in Karma and Rebirth, while upon hearing that even an enlightenment master -cannot- escape Karma and rebirth, he seems to escape Karma and rebirth. Sure sounds like a "not-damned-damned if you do, damned-not-damned if you don't" situation!
Or (I suggest to you) this is another case of Zen Masters speaking out of "both sides of the no sided mouth". Perhaps, despite seeming quite opposite, both ways are True at once depending on the perspective (and dropping of perspectives).
For example ...
http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...ANIMITY-Case-8
The Shurangama Sutra relates the story of Yajnadatta, the mad man of Shravasti, who one day looked in the mirror and noticed that the person reflected in it had a head. At that point, he lost his reason and said, 'How come that person has a head and I don't? Where has my head gone?' He then ran wildly through the streets asking everyone he met, 'Have you seen my head? Where has it gone?'
He accosted everyone he met, yet no one knew what he was doing. 'He already has a head,' they said. 'What's he looking for another one for?'
He accosted everyone he met, yet no one knew what he was doing. 'He already has a head,' they said. 'What's he looking for another one for?'
Once there was the mountain Sûzan which had a small shrine with an oven where
the mountain deity was worshiped. However, out of fears that the mountain deity would harm
the inhabitants of the village, they offered sheep and chickens in the oven to the god. But there
was a monk who struck the little shrine three times with his staff and said, “This oven is
composed of mud and brick—where does the holiness come from, where does the spirit arise,
that you burn living creatures?” This is pointing to how the content is empty.
Then he hit the oven three times again, whereupon it fell apart. To say “where does the
holiness come from, where does the spirit arise” means that the content is empty. That evening,
a man appeared wearing a blue robe and a crown. He said, “I was originally the spirit of the
shrine. For a long time I have been subject to the consequences of karma; today, having heard
your explanation of birthlessness, I am free from this place and born in heaven. I just came to
offer thanks.” To speak of “birthlessness” is to realize that it is empty. This is what this line of
the verse is referring to. The name Hasôda means “oven breaker,” referring to how he hit the
oven three times, causing it to collapse. But what is the oven? It is our concepts and thoughts.
http://www.sanbo-zen.org/shoyoroku_58.pdf
the mountain deity was worshiped. However, out of fears that the mountain deity would harm
the inhabitants of the village, they offered sheep and chickens in the oven to the god. But there
was a monk who struck the little shrine three times with his staff and said, “This oven is
composed of mud and brick—where does the holiness come from, where does the spirit arise,
that you burn living creatures?” This is pointing to how the content is empty.
Then he hit the oven three times again, whereupon it fell apart. To say “where does the
holiness come from, where does the spirit arise” means that the content is empty. That evening,
a man appeared wearing a blue robe and a crown. He said, “I was originally the spirit of the
shrine. For a long time I have been subject to the consequences of karma; today, having heard
your explanation of birthlessness, I am free from this place and born in heaven. I just came to
offer thanks.” To speak of “birthlessness” is to realize that it is empty. This is what this line of
the verse is referring to. The name Hasôda means “oven breaker,” referring to how he hit the
oven three times, causing it to collapse. But what is the oven? It is our concepts and thoughts.
http://www.sanbo-zen.org/shoyoroku_58.pdf
Also, can you experience how Karma and all our little heavens and hells are Empty too?
Gassho, J
SatToday
and the link to the article on "suchness", it really helped me to better understand it and its relationship to emptiness. I too will bookmark it!
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