“The lecture of Hannyashin sutra” by Kakushyo Takagami the 3ed

‘Form is Emptiness’

21) I remembered the haiku written by Nagao Ogasawara.

Sãriputta, look, ‘emptiness is form’ in full bloom. 

This haiku is a complete expression of the verse of Hannyashin sutra. And I will introduce it today. Needless to say This simple verse expresses skillfully, the word of emptiness what Hannniyashin sutra powerfully teaches with earnestly effort is not definitely simply meaning like as hollowness or nothing. 

22) Without understanding Karma, you cannot grasp emptiness. By the way, I first said Sãriputta. Of course, this is the personal name. He was called the most superior who getting wisdom among Buddha’s disciples. He was a Brahma　monk in the first place and was a famous for being a Buddha’s disciple with a marvelous motive. While walking in the town of Rãjagrha, Sãriputta happened to meet with Asvajit, a disciple of Buddha. And he heard the amazing truth from Asvajit.

It is that ‘All reasons rise from Karma. Buddha teaches that Karma.’ We may hear it as a commonplace and mediocre words. But the great scholar Sãriputta listened to the words of Karma, just like the footsteps of a valley in the sky.

23) I think, we should reaffirm the idea of Buddhism, 

which has been the source of Japanese spiritual resources for 1300 years, especially the thought of Karma that is the origin of Buddhist thought. Karma, it is a very old word, a common word. However, that is definitely true.

24) To understand ‘Dependent origination’ means to understand Buddhism. I think, it is definitely true. Gautama Siddhartha realized the principles and truths of ‘Dependent origination’ by himself, so, he finally became Buddha. That is the fact that Buddha achieved enlightenment under The Bo Tree actually.

Buddha first discovered a common eternal truth that everything rises from ‘Dependent origination’. Hence, the principle of ‘Dependent origination’   was nothing creation by Buddha newly. 

Buddha was not creator of ‘Dependent origination’ but one who discovered it. 

25) ‘Dependent origination’ means the relationship between cause, chance, and result. It is called Engi in Japanese. Namely, cause means the factor, the force to the result. Chance means an indirect force to helps the cause and produces the result.

For example, there is a grain of rice seed. In this case, a grain of rice is the cause namely. By the way, by putting on it on your desk, there is only just a grain forever. But, if seeding it into the farm, adding something force like as rain, water, sunlight, fertilizes, a grain of rice be up to plentiful ear of rice in fall. This is the relationship between ‘Dependent origination and result’

26) The stumbled stone is a small relationship. Even those who swing their sleeves together are related in another world. But it is not a reason or theory. It is not about thinking and becoming true. It does not mean thinking or not thinking, whether it is a Buddhist theory or not. This is definitely true. Fact and the truths are eloquence above all.

27) Today never exist without yesterday by no means. Today does not simply exist apart from yesterday. Today is not just today, is carrying yesterday on its back and holding tomorrow in its arms.

Anyway, not everything in our world exists independently, but there is a limitless relationship like as vertical and horizontal actually. Therefore, I stand at the intersection of infinite space and eternal time.

28） Why was the inventor of metro, Isambard・K・Brunel able to dig the bottom of the Thames. He was inspired by a shipworm digging a timber. He had done completely digging the bottom of the Thames. This was called an impossible digging by human ability.

There doesn’t seem to be no relationship between the Metro and a shipworm on the surface. But they have deep relationship together. Everything made by ‘Dependent origination’, Five components, the formation by harmonizing matter and mind, etc., the world doesn’t have continued to exist forever as one. Everything is constantly changing and moving.

29) According to Buddhism, everything is called ‘U’ in Japanese. Everything is temporary and momentary. Anyway, there is nothing eternal and immortal being. The cherry blossoms which have bloomed and germinated will soon be scattered. It will be a completely dead tree. There are scattered cherry blossoms, the rest of cherry blossoms, and finally both scattered cherry blossoms. 

30) One day the mountain monk asked Ikkyu oshyo.

‘You mentioned the Buddhist Dharma. Where is the Buddhist Dharma?’

So, Ikkyu answered immediately. 

‘It is in your breast.’

Upon hearing that, he took the dagger from his pocket, pushed and rebelled.

‘Show me.‘

The witty Ikkyu responded immediately after returning the poem.

Cherry blossoms bloom every year in Yoshino. 

Cut them out to see the existing cherry blossoms.

The mountain monk bravely did it, but finally gave up, became a disciple of Ikkyu at last.

31) Looking for in a heavy snowstorm, there is nothing cherry blossoms. This is ‘the form is emptiness’ as it is. It looks like dead trees, however, the branches of the cherry bloom with a smile coming in the spring fog. This is ‘emptiness is form’ namely. In any circumstances it is wrong to think that you will exist forever and say emptiness from the beginning and deny everything.

32) One who feels terrible waste to a paper dropping on the passage is excellently recognized economically value from the beginning as understanding Buddhist Dharma. 

It is a matter, how to hold your mind. In short, is the material more value than the mind, or is the spirits more value than the materials? Does material dominate the mind, or does the mind dominate material? Do we spend money or does money use us?

33） Acting right and practicing the middle way is a necessary matter in every world and time. If the correct human life is provided by right seeing, then we must have a clear understanding of what the right seeing is. Anyway, even if living in physic poverty, let us live in mental rich life at least.

34) By appreciating karmic tenet and Karmic philosophy, even if living in poverty, we want to live in rich life at least. Wishing to do conduct in pure, right, firmly on the earth. I think, one who commit himself to the tenet of Karma and appreciate emptiness of Hannya is just the man of the taking the middle way. A living Avalokitesvara will born from such men, absolutely.

Translated by Giken Yoshitomi

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