One-Taste

Conceit, half-baked insights, and the one-taste of all dharmas—that’s Chapter 4: "The Questions of Subhuti" in The Sutra That Explains the Profound Meaning (aka, Samdhinirmocana Sutra; below referred to as “the sutra”). Indeed, in combination with Woncheuk's exhaustive commentary, we are hard pressed to think of any other chapter of any other sutra that offers such a comprehensive and profound expression of the buddhadharma. 

With this essay, our intention is to give you a taste of this comprehensive profundity. 

Chapter 4: "The Questions of Subhuti" concludes the teaching focus of the first four chapters: i.e., rolling out the ultimate. It also concludes a theme present in this series of chapters, beginning with Chapter 2: "The Questions of Dharma Gushing Forth" (i.e., Dharmodgata)—dharma teacher conferences. First, the great Bodhisattva Dharma Gushing Forth attended a conference of non-Buddhist teachers and thereby confirmed that the ultimate cannot be discerned through analytic thinking. 

This was followed by Chapter 3: "The Questions of Wholesome Pure Wisdom" (i.e., Suvisuddhamati). The great Bodhisattva Wholesome Pure Wisdom attended a conference of Bodhisattvas who were at the stages of resolute practice, coursing deeply in the five spiritual faculties conducive to liberation (faith, perseverance, mindfulness, samadhi, and wisdom) and the three trainings (precepts, samadhi, and wisdom). But because these Bodhisattvas were attached to the stages they were in, rather than seeking the ultimate, they were also found wanting.

Now, in Chapter 4: "The Questions of Subhuti," we encounter noble practitioners living quietly in deep retreat. And they're experiencing direct insights into many of the key factors taught by the Buddha. You can probably guess how that turns out.

We’ll begin and end this post with a koan and Hakuin’s commentary that highlights the importance of the central issue of this chapter and the sutra. 

But first this note to regular readers

This summer we’ve been focusing on The Sutra That Explains the Profound Meaning, especially the early chapters that explore the nature of the ultimate. Meanwhile, Vine students and paid subscribers who attend our Sunday sessions have been diving deeply into the sutra’s Chapter 5: The Questions of Visalamati, or what Tenshin Anderson Roshi calls “The Psychological Dimension”—a system for understanding the mind, including unconscious processes, that is optimal for awakening. That work will continue through the end of August. 

As for our Ghost posts, at the end of August we’ll offer a summary of “The Psychological Dimension.” Then in September, we’ll turn to Chapter 8: The Questions of Avalokiteshvara, for an in-depth look at stopping and seeing while using one-taste as the basis of attention. 

Between now and then, we’ll be offering our reflections on a range of topics pertinent to devoted Zen training. We start off with a provocative post, “Your Birth Parents’ Rotting Red Flesh: The Meeting of Pivotal Zen Ancestors Rujing and Xutang.“ After that, we’ll examine what’s really necessary to awaken and undertake post-awakening training as a householder.