Teachings From Ancient Vietnamese Zen Masters – 136
55 The Highest
The highest class person practices the teachings of inaction.
The second class person cultivates blessedness and wisdom.
The third class person does good and avoids evil.
The fourth class person is proficient in the Three Baskets of Buddhist
Scriptures.
TUONG QUANG (1741 – 1830)
(COMMENT: Who could step into the realm of inaction -- the profound
mind of Nirvana? Was that Venerable Mahakasyapa, who smiled when
Buddha twirled a flower before the assembly of monks, and in another
occurrence was invited by Buddha to share the seat?
This Zen poem divides practicing Buddhists into four groups: the
highest class are those who drop all things, transcend all good and evil;
second are those who practice the Bodhisattva Way, cultivate both
blessedness and wisdom; third are those who practice the normal way –
doing good and avoiding evil; and fourth are those who memorize
Buddhist Scriptures and don’t practice the Buddha’s teachings.
We should ask the following question here: who has gone beyond both
good and evil?
In The Dhammapada, Buddha says in verse 39 that the person who
drops all good and evil has no fear at all, in verse 97 that the person
who destroys causes for all good and evil is the ultimate human, in
verse 126 that the person who does not cling to all good and evil
attains Nirvana, in verse 267 that the person who throws out all good
and evil is called a monk, and in verse 412 that the person who
transcends the ties of all good and evil is called by Buddha a brahman.
Just be compassionate, do good deeds, and see that nobody has ever
done anything and that nothing has ever been done.)
