Kanadeva and the Bowl Of Water

Keizan's commentary

The teacher was from southern India and belonged to the Viśāla clan. At first he sought meritorious works and also delighted in debate. After Venerable Nāgārjuna obtained the Dharma, he traveled to teach in southern India. People there mostly believed in meritorious works. Hearing him teach the wondrous Dharma, they told one another, “Among human beings meritorious works are foremost in the world. He speaks idly of buddha-nature—who can see it?” Nāgārjuna said, “If you wish to see buddha-nature, first remove self-conceit.” One of them asked, “Is buddha-nature large or small?” Nāgārjuna said, “Buddha-nature is neither large nor small, neither broad nor narrow. It has no merit and no reward, does not die and is not born.” Hearing that his principle prevailed, they all turned their beginner's minds around. Among them was Kāṇadeva, a person of great wisdom. He called on the great being Nāgārjuna, continuing through the present case to “met in delighted accord.” Nāgārjuna immediately gave him half the seat, exactly like Mahākāśyapa at Vulture Peak. He then taught him the Dharma. Without rising from his seat, Nāgārjuna manifested the form of a full moon-disc. The teacher told the assembly, “The venerable one is displaying the form of buddha-nature to show it to us. How do we know? Formless samādhi is shaped like the full moon, and the meaning of buddha-nature is open, empty, and bright.” As soon as he had spoken, the moon-disc vanished. Nāgārjuna resumed his original seat and spoke a verse: The body displays the form of the round moon To express the body of all buddhas. Teaching Dharma has no shape; Its function is distinguished as neither sound nor color.² Because it is this way, teacher and heir are difficult to divide, and the lifeline immediately passes through. The encounter just given is no ordinary one. They accorded with the way at their first meeting. Nāgārjuna did not speak one word, and Kāṇadeva did not ask one question. Teacher and heir are therefore hard to maintain. How could guest and host be divided? For this reason Kāṇadeva especially raised and expounded his style until it was called the Deva school throughout the five regions of India. It is like snow heaped in a silver bowl or a white heron hidden in moonlight. Because it is like this, at their first meeting Nāgārjuna had a full bowl of water placed before the seat.³ How could it preserve front and back, inside and outside? The bowl was already full to fullness, finally without lack or deficiency. Its still water was empty and bright, transparent and wholly pure, filling everything with numinous clarity. Kāṇadeva therefore dropped in one needle and accorded. It must penetrate through bottom and crown, without straight or partial. Arriving here, teacher and heir are hard to divide. Though similar, they are not equal; though mingled, they leave no trace. Raising the brows and blinking manifest this matter. Seeing color and hearing sound express it. Thus there is no sound or color that can be named and no seeing or hearing that must be discarded. Round, bright, and formless, it is like clear water open and empty. It passes through numinous principle, like the moment one seeks the divine point of a blade. Everywhere the point comes exposed, bright and clear, penetrating heart. Water flows through, pierces mountains, and floods heaven. A needle pierces a cloth bag and skewers a mustard seed. Yet the water is never broken by things. How could it make a scar? The needle is harder than anything else, surpassing even diamond. How could such needle and water be other things? They are precisely your body and heart. When swallowed completely, there is only this one needle. When spat out completely, it is again clear water. The way between teacher and heir therefore penetrates, entirely without self or other. The lifeline passes through and is openly bright. At that time it cannot be contained in the ten directions. It is exactly like a gourd vine winding around a gourd. Climbing here and climbing there, it is only self-heart.⁴ Yet even if all of you have recognized the clear water, directly touch it closely and clarify that there is a needle at the bottom. If you swallow it carelessly, it may tear your throat. Even so, do not form two kinds of understanding. Simply swallow it all and spit it all out; consider it closely. Even if you perceive it as clean, white, empty, and harmonious, it must possess an openness that penetrates completely and an adamantine firmness. The three calamities of water, fire, and wind cannot invade it, and the kalpas of formation, stability, destruction, and emptiness cannot shift it. To disclose this encounter, I have another humble verse. Great assembly, do you wish to hear it?