Saint Butsudanandai
Eighth Zen Transmission of Light
It is not necessarily a well-known point that the originator of all Buddhism and the Soto Zen Buddhist line of Patriarchs and Ancestors, Shakyamuni Buddha himself, received the teachings and the transmission of the Way through others who came before him also seeking the Way. But it is in the writings of the Buddha where this practice of long sentences used to capture indefinable concepts seems to have originated in Zen. It is said in The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light, written by the Master Keizan Zenji, that it is a mistake to look upon Shakyamuni Buddha as standing out from the rest of humanity in his realization of enlightenment. Although the Buddha’s incarnation marks the beginning of the formal religion and scriptures of Buddhism, ascetics sought the way from beginningless time. Through the practice of extremes in wealth and subsequent asceticism, he was able to awaken to the middle way which is the foundation stone of all Buddhism.
Keizan Zenji and Reverend Master Abbess Jiyu Kennett
When Shasta Abbey Zen Buddhist Monastery decided to undertake the task of translating The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light recorded by the Great Master Keizan Zenji in the 1300’s, they assumed the average person would not understand it. It was initially intended for members of the Zen Buddhist priesthood engaging in serious and intensive training of the mind. It was understood that some of these Zen Aphorisms would make no sense to a Western born reader. It would require a penetration of sorts into the true core of what Zen is.
Master Keizan Zenji, born in Fukui Prefecture in 1267, would probably have been surprised to find his work administered in many languages to a lay population. The Sankon-Zazen-Setsu, Denkoroku are just two of the great works attributed to the Master Zenji. Most of the religious ceremonies still used today in Soto Zen tradition were penned by him.
The Moment of Enlightenment
The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light has the profound task of keeping for all eternity the records of the moment between Master and Disciple wherein the Master and current ancestor prepares the new disciple to take the torch of the Way to the next generation. Each moment is unique and profound.
Saint Butsudanandai, The Eighth Ancestor
“Upon meeting Bashumitsu, Butsudanandai said, ‘My reason for coming here today is to debate with you as to what ‘Truth’ is.’ Bashumitsu responded, ‘Good sir, when there is a debate, then there is no TRUTH; where there is TRUTH, then there is nothing to debate. If you propose to debate as to what TRUTH is, then there cannot be a debate.’ Realizing that Bashumitsu’s TRUTH had bested him, Butsudunandai awoke to the principle of the UNBORN.” The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light.
Butsudanandai’s name means ‘He Who is the Joy of the Buddha’s.’ He was from Kamala and belonged to the same clan as the Buddha, the Gautama clan. Both Shakyamuni Buddha and Busudanandai had fleshly protrusions on the top of their head. Butsudunandai was well known for his debating skills before his enlightenment, but his process changed afterwards. Reverend Priest Tozan wrote about Butsudunandai, “Truly I should not seek for the TRUTH from others for then IT will be far from me. Now I am going alone. Everywhere I am able to meet HIM; HE is ME now, I am not HIM. When we understand this, we are instantaneously with the TRUTH.”
“Subhuti and Vimalakirti
did not reach IT through their conversations
And Moggallana and Shariputra saw IT as though blind.
If anyone personally wishes
To understand the meaning of this,
When will a pinch of salt to season the experience
not be suitable?”
Keizan Zenji summarizes the teaching of Butsudanandai
Sources: The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light – Keizan Zenji, Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery
Mt. Shasta
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