On one occasion, a monk called on Ma Tzu and asked him, “Who is the man who does not take all dharmas as his companions?”
Ma Tzu replied, “I will tell you this after you have swallowed all the water in the West River.”
Upon hearing this, the monk was instantaneously awakened, and he stayed for two years at Ma Tzu’s monastery.
At another time, Ma Tzu said, “Every dharma is the dharma of the mind, and every name is a name of the mind. All beings are born of the mind, and so mind is the foundation of all beings.
“As an example: the shadow of the moon reflected on the water has many shapes, but the real moon is not like that. Likewise there are various rivers, but the nature of the water is the same. Although there are myriad activities, there is no discrimination in the emptiness. Different things go through the different ways, but the liberated wisdom is one. All are based on one mind.
“Every dharma is based on the dharma of Buddha. Each dharma is instantly the dharma of realization, and the dharma of realization is, things being as they really are.
“All that come and go and have a rest, or sit and lie down, are the mysterious work, and they don’t need a process of time. The scriptures also say: ‘All around everywhere, instantaneously there are buddhas.’”
Ma Tzu continued, “Cultivation is of no use for the attainment of Tao. The only thing that one can do is to be free of defilement. When one’s mind is stained with thoughts of life and death, or deliberate action, that is defilement. The grasping of the truth is the function of everyday-mindedness.
“Everyday-mindedness is free from intentional action, free from concepts of right and wrong, taking and giving, the finite or the infinite…. All our daily activities – walking, standing, sitting, lying down – all response to situations, our dealings with circumstances as they arise: all this is Tao.”
Maneesha, care of Anando…. She is here – where else can she be? But she is hiding behind a migraine. You have to remember yesterday’s anecdote. Master Ma Tzu was hiding behind tiredness: “I am too tired to answer this question today. You go to Chizo.” The reality was that the question could not be answered. Chizo said, “I am suffering from severe headache. It is better you go to Hyakujo.” Hyakujo simply gave up the secret; he simply said, “I don’t know.”
The reason for Maneesha’s migraine is the question she has asked. When we come to the question, you will understand why she has a migraine.
The story she has brought:
On one occasion, a monk called on Ma Tzu and asked him, “Who is the man who does not take all dharmas as his companions?”
Ma Tzu himself was the man who had said, “I am only the witness. All dharmas are just objects, I witness them. For example: compassion arises in me – I am not compassion. I can see it arising just like smoke arises out of fire, or flames arise out of fire. But I am not it.”