* means refer to the notes on the chapter.
(number) means refer to the specific note on the sentence
1
Mountains and waters right now are the actualization of the
ancient Buddha way. Each, abiding in its phenomenal expression,*
realizes completeness. Because mountains and waters have been
active since before the Empty Eon,* they are alive at this
moment. Because they have been the self* since before form arose
they are emancipation realization.
2
Because mountains are high and broad, the way of riding the
clouds is always reached in the mountains; the inconceivable
power of soaring in the wind comes freely from the mountains. (2)
3
Priest Daokai of Mt. Furong said to the assembly, "The green
mountains are always walking; a stone woman gives birth to a
child at night." (3) Mountains do not lack the qualities of
mountains. Therefore they always abide in ease and always walk.
You should examine in detail this quality of the mountains
walking. Mountains' walking is just like human walking. (4)
Accordingly, do not doubt mountains' walking even though it does
not look the same as human walking. The Buddha ancestors' words
point to walking. This is fundamental understanding. You should
penetrate these words.
4
Because green mountains walk, they are permanent. (5) Although
they walk more swiftly than the wind, someone in the mountains
does not realize or understand it. "In the mountains"
means the blossoming of the entire world.* People outside the
mountains do not realize or understand the mountains walking.
Those without eyes to see mountains cannot realize,
understand, see, or hear this as it is. If you doubt mountains'
walking, you do not know your own walking; it is not that you do
not walk, but that you do not know or understand your own
walking. Since you do not know your walking, you should fully
know the green mountains' walking. Green mountains are neither
sentient nor insentient. You are neither
sentient nor insentient. (6) At this moment, you cannot doubt the
green mountains' walking.
5
You should study the green mountains, using numerous worlds as
your standard. You should clearly examine the green mountains'
walking and your own walking. You should also examine walking
backward and backward walking* and investigate the fact that
walking forward and backward has never stopped since the very
moment before form arose, since the time of the King of the Empty
Eon*.
6
Green mountains master walking and eastern mountains master
traveling on water. (7) Accordingly, these activities are a
mountain's practice. Keep its own form, without changing body and
mind, a mountain always practices in every place. Don't slander
by saying that a green mountain cannot walk and an eastern
mountains cannot travel on water. When your
understanding is shallow, you doubt the phrase, "Green
mountains are walking." Wen your learning is immature, you
are shocked by the words "flowing mountains." Without
full understanding even the words "flowing water," you
drown in small views and narrow understanding. Yet the
characteristics of mountains manifest their form (8) and
life-force. (9) There is walking, there is flowing, and there is
a moment when a mountain gives birth to a mountains child.
Because mountains are Buddha ancestors, Buddha ancestors appear
in this way. (9) Even if you see mountains as grass, trees,
earth, rocks, or walls, do not take this seriously or worry about
it; it is not complete realization. Even if there is a moment
when you view mountains as the seven treasures* shining, this is
not the true source. Even if you understand mountains as the
realm where all Buddhas practice, this understanding is not
something to be attached to. Even if you have the highest
understanding
of mountains as all Buddhas' inconceivable qualities, the truth
is not only this. These are conditioned views. This is not the
understanding of the Buddha ancestors, but just looking through a
bamboo tube at the corner of the sky. Turning an object and
turning the mind (10) is rejected by the great sage. Explaining
the mind and explaining true nature (11) is not agreeable to
Buddha ancestors. Seeing into mind and seeing into true nature
(12) is the activity of people outside the way. Set words and
phrases are not the words of liberation. There is something free
from all of these understandings: "Green mountains are
always walking," and "Eastern mountains travel on
water." You should study this in detail.
7
"A stone woman gives birth to a child at night" means
that the moment when a barren woman gives birth to a child is
called "night."* There are male stones, female stones,
and nonmale nonfemale stones. (13) They are placed in the sky and
in the earth and are called heavenly stones and earthly stones.
These are explained in the ordinary world, but not many people
actually know about it. You should understand the meaning of
giving birth to a child. At the moment of giving birth to a
child, is the mother separate from the child? You should study
not only that you become a mother when your child is born, but
also that you become a child. (14) This is the actualization of
giving birth in practice-realization. You should study and
investigate this thoroughly.
8
Great Master Kuangzhen of Yunmen said, "Eastern mountains
travel on water." (15) The reason these words were brought
forth is that all mountains are eastern mountains, and all
eastern mountains travel on water. Because of this, Nine
Mountains,* Mt. Sumeru,* and other mountains appear and have
practice realization. These are called "eastern
mountains." But could Yunmen penetrate the skin, flesh,
bones, and marrow of the eastern mountains and their vital
practice-realization?
9
Now in Great Song China there are careless fellows who form
groups; they cannot be set straight by the few true masters. They
say that the statement, "The eastern mountains travel on
water," or Nanquan's story of a sickle,* is illogical; what
they mean is that any words having to do with logical thought are
not Buddha ancestors' Zen stories, and that only illogical
stories are Buddha ancestors' expressions. In this way they
consider Huangbo's staff and Linji's shout as being beyond logic
and unconcerned with thought; they regard these as great
enlightenments that precede the arising of form. "Ancient
masters used expedient phrases, which are beyond understanding,
to slash entangled vines."*: People who say this have never
seen a true master and they have no eye of understanding. They
are immature, foolish fellows not even worth
discussing. In China these last two or three hundred years, there
have been many groups of bald-headed rascals. What a pity! The
great road of Buddha ancestors is crumbling. People who hold this
view are not even as good as listeners of the Small Vehicles* and
are more foolish than those outside the way. They are neither lay
people nor monks, neither human
nor heavenly beings. They are more stupid than animals who learn
the Buddha way. The illogical stories mentioned by you
bald-headed fellows are only illogical for you, not for Buddha
ancestors. Even though you do not understand, you should not
neglect studying the Buddha ancestors' path of understanding.
Even if it is beyond understanding in the end, your present
understanding is off the mark. I have personally seen and heard
many people like this in Song China. How sad that they do not
know about the phrases of logical thought, or penetrating logical
thought in the phrases and stories! When I laughed at the them in
China, thy had no response and remained silent. Their idea about
illogical words is only a
distorted view. Even if there is no teacher to show you the
original truth, your belief in spontaneous enlightenment is
heretical.
10
You should know that "eastern mountains traveling on
water" is the bones and marrow of the Buddha ancestors. All
waters appear at the foot of the eastern mountains. Accordingly,
all mountains ride on clouds and walk in the sky. Above all
waters are all mountains. Walking beyond and walking within are
both done on water. All mountains walk with their toes on all
waters and splash there. Thus in walking there are seven paths
vertical and eight paths horizontal.* This is
practice-realization.
11
Water is neither strong nor weak, neither wet nor dry, neither
moving no still, neither cold nor hot, neither existent nor
non-existent, neither deluded nor enlightened. When water
solidifies, it is harder than a diamond. Who can crack it? When
water melts, it is gentler than milk. Who can destroy it? Do not
doubt that these are the characteristics water manifests. You
should reflect on the moment when you see the water of the ten
directions as the water of the ten directions. This is not just
studying the moment when human and heavenly beings see water;
this is studying the moment when water sees water. This is a
complete understanding. You should go forward and backward and
leap beyond the vital path where other fathoms other.
12
All beings do not see mountains and waters in the same way. (16)
Some beings see water as a jeweled ornament, but they do not
regard jeweled ornaments as water. What in the human realm
corresponds to their water? We only see their jeweled ornaments
as water. Some beings see water as wondrous blossoms, but they do
not use blossoms as water. Hungry ghosts see water as raging fire
or pus and blood. Dragons see water as a palace or a pavilion.
Some beings see water as the seven treasures or a wish-granting
jewel. Some beings see water as a forest or a wall. Some see it
as the Dharma nature of pure liberation, the true human body, or
as the form of body and essence of mind. Human beings see water
as water. Water is seen as dead or alive depending on causes and
conditions. Thus the views of all beings are not the same. You
should question this matter now. Are there many ways to see one
thing, or is it a mistake to see many forms as one thing? You
should pursue this beyond the limit of pursuit. Accordingly,
endeavors in practice-realization of
the way are not limited to one or two kinds. The ultimate realm
has one thousand kinds and ten thousand ways. When we think about
the meaning of this, it seems that there is water for various
beings but there is no original water-there is no water common to
all types of beings. But water for these various kinds of beings
does not depend on mind or body,
does not arise from actions, does not depend on self or other.
Water's freedom depends only on water. Therefore, water is not
just earth, water, fire, wind, space, or consciousness. Water is
not blue, yellow, red, white, or black. Water is not forms,
sounds, smells, tastes, touchables, or mind-objects. But water as
earth, water, fire, wind, and space realizes itself. For this
reason, it is difficult to say who is creating this land and
palace right now or how such things are being created. To say
that the world is resting on the wheel of space or on the wheel
of wind is not the truth of the self or the truth of others.
Such a statement is based only on a small view. People speak this
way because they think that it must be impossible to exist
without having a place on which to rest.
13
Buddha said, "All things are ultimately liberated. There is
nowhere that they abide." (17) You should know that even
though all things are liberated and not tied to anything, they
abide in their own phenomenal expression. However, when most
human beings see water they only see that it flows unceasingly.
This is a limited human view; there are actually
many kinds of flowing. Water flows on the earth, in the sky,
upward, and downward. It can flow around a single curve or into
bottomless abysses. When it rises it becomes clouds. When it
descends it forms abysses.
14
Wenzi said, "The path of water is such that when it rises to
the sky, it becomes raindrops; when it falls to the ground, it
becomes rivers." (18) Even a secular person can speak this
way. You who call yourselves descendants of Buddha ancestors
should feel ashamed of being more ignorant than an ordinary
person. The path of water is not noticed by
water, but is realized by water. It is not unnoticed by water,
but is realized by water. "When it rises to the sky, it
becomes single raindrops" means that water rises to the
heavens and skies everywhere and forms raindrops. Raindrops vary
according to the different worlds. To say that there are places
water does not reach is the teaching of the listeners of the
Small Vehicle or the mistaken teaching of people outside the way.
Water exists inside fire and inside mind, thought, and
ideas. Water also exists within the wisdom of realizing Buddha
nature. "When it falls to the ground, it becomes river"
means that when water reaches the ground it turns into rivers.
The essence of rivers becomes wise people. Now ordinary fools and
mediocre people think that water is always in rivers or oceans,
but this not so. Rivers and oceans exist in water. Accordingly,
even where there is not a river or an ocean, there is water. It
is just that when water falls down to the ground, it manifests
the characteristics of rivers and oceans. Also do not think that
where water forms rivers or oceans there is no world and there is
no Buddha land. Even in a drop of water innumerable Buddha lands
appear. Therefore it is not a question of whether there is only
water in the Buddha land or a Buddha land in the water. The
existence of water is not concerned with past, future, present,
or the phenomenal world. Yet water is actualization of the
fundamental point. Where Buddha ancestors reach, water never
fails to appear. Because of this, Buddha ancestors always take up
water and make it their body and mind, make it their thought.
15
In this way, the words "Water does not rise" are not
found in scriptures inside or outside of Buddhism. The path of
water runs upward and downward and in all directions. However,
one Buddhist sutra does say, "Fire and air go upward, earth
and water go downward." (19) This "upward" and
"downward" require examination. You should examine them
from the Buddhist point of view. Although you use the word
"downward" to describe the direction of earth and
water, earth and water do not actually go downward. In the same
way, the direction fire and air go is called "upward."
The Phenomenal world does not actually exist in terms of up,
down, or the cardinal directions. It is tentatively designated
according to the directions in which the four great elements,*
five great elements,* or six great elements* go. The Heaven of No
Thought*
should not be regarded as upward nor the Avichi Hell* as
downward. The Avichi Hell is the entire phenomenal world; the
Heaven of No Thought is the entire phenomenal world.
16
Now when dragons and fish see water as a palace, it is just like
human beings seeing a palace. They do not think it flows. If an
outsider tells them, "What you see as a palace is running
water," the dragons and fish will be astonished, just as we
are when we hear the words, "Mountains flow."
Nevertheless, there maybe some dragons and fish who understand
that the columns and pillars of palaces and pavilions are flowing
water. You should reflect and consider the meaning of this. If
you do not learn to be free from your superficial views, you will
not be free from the body and mind of an ordinary person. Then
you will not understand the land of Buddha ancestors, or even the
land or the palace of ordinary people. Now human beings well know
as water what is in the ocean and what is in the river, but they
do not know what dragons and fish see as water and use as water.
Do not foolishly suppose that what we see as water is used as
water by all other beings. Do not foolishly suppose that what we
see as water is used as water by all other beings. You who study
with Buddhas should not be limited to human views when you are
studying water. You should study how you view the water used by
Buddha ancestors. You should study whether there is water or no
water in the house of Buddha ancestors.
17
Mountains have been the abode of great sages from the limitless
past to the limitless present. Wise people and sages all have
mountains as their inner chamber, as their body and mind. Because
of wise people and sages, mountains appear. You may think that in
mountains many wise people and great sages are assembled. But
after entering the mountains, not a
single person meets another. (20) There is just the activity of
the mountains. There is no trace of anyone having entered the
mountains. When you see mountains from the ordinary world, and
when you meet mountains while in mountains, the mountains' head
and eye are viewed quite differently. Your idea or view of
mountains not flowing is not the same as the view of dragons and
fish. Human and heavenly beings have attained a position
concerning their own worlds which other beings either doubt or do
not doubt. You should not just remain bewildered and skeptical
when you hear the words, "Mountains flow"; but together
with Buddha ancestors you should study these words. When you take
one view you see mountains flowing, and when you take another
view, mountains are not flowing. One time mountains are flowing,
another time they are not flowing. If you do not fully understand
this, you do not understand the true Dharma wheel of the
Tathagata. AN ancient Buddha said, "If you do not wish to
incur the cause for Unceasing Hell,* do not slander the true
Dharma wheel of the Tathagata." (21) You should carve these
words on your skin, flesh, bones, and marrow; on your body, mind,
and environs; on emptiness and on form. They are already carved
on trees and rocks, on fields and villages.
18
Although mountains belong to the nation, mountains belong to the
people who love them. When mountains love their master, such a
virtuous sage or wise person enters the mountains. Since
mountains belong to the sages and wise people living there, trees
and rocks become abundant and birds and animals are inspired.
This is so because the sages and wise people extend their virtue.
You should know it as a fact that mountains are fond of wise
people and sages. Many rulers have visited mountains to pay
homage to wise people or to ask for instruction from great sages.
These have been important events in the past and present. At such
times these rulers treat the sages as teachers, disregarding the
protocol of the usual world. The imperial power has no authority
over the wise people in the mountains. Mountains are apart from
the human world. At the time the Yellow Emperor visited Mt.
Kongdong to pay homage to Guangcheng, he walked on his knees,
touched his forehead to the ground, and asked for instruction.
(22) When Shakyamuni Buddha left his father's palace and entered
the mountains, his father the king did not resent the mountains,
nor was he suspicious of those who taught the prince in the
mountains. The twelve years of Shakyamuni Buddha's practice of
the way were mostly spent in the mountains, and his attainment of
the way occurred in the mountains. Thus even his father, a
wheel-turning king, did not wield authority over the mountains.
You should know that mountains are not the realm of human beings
nor the realm of heavenly beings. Do not view mountains from the
scale of human thought. If you do not judge mountains' flowing by
the human understanding of flowing, you will not doubt mountains'
flowing and not-flowing.
19
On the other hand, from ancient times wise people and sages have
often lived near water. When they live near water they catch
fish, catch human beings, and catch the way. For long these have
been genuine activities in water. Furthermore there is catching
the self, catching catching, being caught by catching, and being
caught by the way. Priest Decheng abruptly left Mt. Yao and lived
on the river. (23) There he produced a successor, the wise sage
of the Huating. Is this not catching a fish, catching a person,
catching water, or catching the self? The disciple seeing Decheng
is Decheng. Decheng guiding his disciple is his disciple.
20
It is not only that there is water in the world, but there is a
world in water. It is not just in water. There is also a world of
sentient beings in clouds. There is a world of sentient beings in
the air. There is a world of sentient beings in fire. There is a
world of sentient beings on earth. There is a world of sentient
beings in the phenomenal world. There is a world of sentient
beings in a blade of grass.* There is a world of sentient beings
in one staff.* Wherever there is a world of sentient beings,
there is a world of Buddha ancestors. You should thoroughly
examine the meaning of this.
21
Therefore water is the true dragon's* palace. It is not flowing
downward. To consider water as only flowing is to slander water
with the word "flowing." This would be the same as
insisting that water does not flow. Water is only the true
thusness* of water. Water is water's complete virtue; it is not
flowing. When you investigate the flowing of a handful of water
and the not-flowing of it, full mastery of all things is
immediately present.
22
There are mountains hidden in treasures. There are mountains
hidden in swamps. There are mountains hidden in the sky. There
are mountains hidden in mountains. There are mountains hidden in
hiddenness. This is complete understanding. An ancient Buddha
said, "Mountains are mountains, waters are waters."
These words do not mean mountains are
mountains; they mean mountains are mountains. Therefore
investigate mountains thoroughly. When you investigate mountains
thoroughly, this is the work of the mountains. Such mountains and
waters of themselves become wise persons and sages.
Notes:
1. Mountains and waters are viewed as a sutra, or actual
expression of the Buddha's enlightenment.
2. "Riding the clouds" and "following the
wind" represent the state of freedom in meditation.
3. Jiatai Record of the Universal Lamps, Chap 3
4. In the realm of nonduality, mountains and human beings are not
separate.
5. In the realm of wholeness, one's experience goes beyond the
limited span of time.
6. Here again the experience in meditation of the wholeness of
mountains and human beings is indicated.
7. From a nondualistic viewpoint, mountains have inconceivable
function beyond stillness and motion.
8. Form: gyomo, literally forms and names.
9. Because the enlightenment is manifested in mountains, Buddha
ancestors appear.
10. This expression usually means to be free from bondage of
object and mind, but in this case the duality of object and mind
where one is not completely free is suggested.
11. This means explaining mind and true nature separately. In
other cases Dogen uses this phrase in the sense that explaining
mind is itself an expression of Buddha nature.
12. The ultimate understanding of a Buddha mind (kenshin) and
that of Buddha nature (kensho). But in this case Dogen criticizes
viewing a Buddha mind or Buddha nature as fixed or substantial.
13. In China there are legends in which men became stons and
stones became women (Record of Extraordinary Stories).
14. The teacher and his disciple are one upon transmitting
Dharma.
15. Extensive Record of Yunment, Zen Master Kangzhen, chap. 1
16. Four views on water.
17. Great Treasure Heap Sutra, chap. 87
18. Suvarna Prabhasottama Sutra, cha. 1.
19. In the inner chamber of Buddha ancestors there is no self and
others.
20. "Song of the realization of the way" by Yongjia
Xuanjue.
21. Zhuangzi (Chuangtzu) chap. 4.
22. Chuanzi Decheng.
At the hour of the Rat, eighteenth day, tenth month, first
year of Ninji {1240}, this was taught to the assembly at
Kannondori Kosho Horin Monastery.
Translated by Arnold Kotler and Kazuaki Tanahashi