The Marvelous Mind of Nirvana in the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: A Special Transmission Beyond the Teachings

At the assembly on Vulture Peak, the World-Honored One held up a flower offered by a celestial being and smiled faintly at the assembly of disciples. The multitude of humans and celestials were perplexed, save for Mahakasyapa, who responded with a smile. With his flesh eye, divine eye, Dharma eye, and Buddha eye, the World-Honored One perceived Mahakasyapa's sudden awakening to the Chan mind and declared: "I possess the treasury of the true Dharma eye, the wondrous mind of nirvana, the formless true reality, and now I entrust it to Mahakasyapa." This confirmed Mahakasyapa's enlightenment, and thus he became the first patriarch of the Chan school in the Saha world.

The wondrous mind of nirvana refers to the true mind and inherent nature of every sentient being. It eternally abides in nirvana, subtly manifesting the present Dharma, and is the truest Dharma aspect. Yet this Dharma aspect lacks any worldly form—it is devoid of form, sound, scent, taste, touch, or mental phenomena. Due to the obscuration of ignorance, the seven consciousnesses of sentient beings fail to recognize this wondrous mind of nirvana. In this kōan, not only is the World-Honored One's wondrous mind of nirvana constantly revealed, but Mahakasyapa's wondrous mind of nirvana is also constantly revealed, and even the wondrous minds of nirvana belonging to the countless humans and celestials in the assembly are constantly revealed. Alas, sentient beings simply fail to recognize it! Their minds are obstructed by ignorance, their spiritual wisdom cannot unfold, and their eye of wisdom fails to manifest. What can be done?

Only Mahakasyapa proved worthy as the Buddha's foremost disciple, understanding the Buddha's mind. When he saw the Buddha holding up a flower before the assembly, his eye of wisdom pierced through the Buddha's wondrous, luminous mind, and thus he smiled. His own wondrous, luminous mind was also perceived by the Buddha. Between master and disciple, there was a silent communion of minds, a mutual understanding without words or letters. The wondrous Dharma of Chan was transmitted right before the wide-open eyes of the assembly. The subsequent passage, the World-Honored One's declaration "I possess the wondrous mind of nirvana...", serves as a supplement.

Why can the Dharma of Chan be transmitted separately from the teachings? Because the wondrous mind and Dharma being transmitted cannot be confined to words and letters—that would diminish their wonder. The wonder of the wondrous mind lies in its ability to function within all dharmas, without discrimination. The wondrous mind and Dharma transcend words and letters; they operate on all levels and are present everywhere. Where is it not present? In purity and defilement, in sound and silence, in words and wordlessness—it is vividly manifest in all dharmas.

For forty-nine years, the World-Honored One used words and language to expound the Tripitaka and the twelve divisions of scriptures, everywhere revealing the wondrous mind of nirvana. This is the doctrinal gate, the gate of principle, yet it remains somewhat circuitous. This time, the World-Honored One demonstrated to the assembly the most direct, straightforward, and expedient method—pointing directly to the mind, not uttering a single word, merely holding up a flower before the assembly. Alas! The assembly was utterly perplexed! They wondered, "What is this about? What medicine is the World-Honored One brewing?" They could not comprehend. Mahakasyapa, without thinking, suddenly awakened—this was an awakening through the mental faculty (manas). Intellectual understanding is gradual, for the intellect must think! Whatever arises from thinking is unreal. Patriarchs would strike down such intellectual interpretations with a single blow—what worth is there in emotional reasoning and conceptual understanding? The Dharma transmitted separately from the teachings is swift and decisive; it allows no time for thought. By the time you think, the wild goose has long flown away, the ship has sailed, and the opportunity is lost. Who dares to hesitate, scratching their head or fidgeting at such a moment? A single blow is warranted—what place is this for your endless deliberation, your weighing of pros and cons? Those unfit for the Way deserve to be struck down without mercy.

What does "the treasury of the true Dharma eye" mean? Only this eye is truly upright; all other eyes are unrighteous—subject to birth and death, obscured by ignorance and afflictions, incapable of independence, always relying on external supports—they are certainly unrighteous. "Treasury" means that which contains and stores. The wondrous mind of nirvana contains the seeds of all dharmas, capable of generating all phenomena; the myriad dharmas are encompassed within it. This is truly wondrous—creating something from nothing, manifesting the illusory world for sentient beings to cling to and depend upon.