BUDDHIST MASTER DESCRIBES MERIT

Quote from the Platform Sutra by Zen Master Huineng. Translated by Thomas Cleary.

One day Governor Wei held a banquet for the Master. After the banquet, the governor asked the Master to give a lecture. Along with the officials, gentry, and commoners, he bowed again with a serious expression and asked,
I have heard your teaching, and it is truly inconceivable. Now I have a few doubts, which I wish you would be so compassionate as to resolve for me.
The Master said, If you have any doubts, then ask, and I will explain for you.
Governor Wei asked, Isn’t what you teach the basic message of Great Master Bodhid- harma?
The Master replied It is.
Governor Wei said, [have heard that when Bodhidharma first tried to teach Emperor Wu of Liang, the emperor asked, “All my life I have been building temples, ordaining monks, giving alms and charitable meals: what virtue have I achieved?” Bodhidharma said, “In reality, no virtue is achieved.” I do not understand the principle of this; please explain to me.

The Master said, There really is no virtue achieved; do not doubt the words of the ancient sage. Emperor Wu’s mind was wrong and he did not recog- nize true teaching. Building temples, ordaining monks, giving alms and charitable meals, is called seeking blessings. Blessings them- selves cannot be considered virtue achieved. Virtue is in the embodiment of qualities, not in cultivating blessings.

Seeing essential nature is achievement, equanimity is virtue. Not stagnating moment to moment, always seeing the real true subtle functions of the original nature, is called achievement and virtue. Inward humility is achievement, outward courtesy is virtue. Estab- lishing myriad truths in your own nature is achievement; the mind being essentially detached from thoughts is virtue. Not departing from one’s own essential nature is achievement; acting adaptively without being affected is virtue. If you seek the body of qualities of achievement and virtue, just act on this. That is real achievement and virtue.

People who cultivate achievement and virtue do not slight anyone in their hearts, always acting with respect for all. If you always slight people in your heart and are constantly egotistic, then you have no achievement yourself. When your nature is false and not genuine, then you have no virtue yourself, because of egotistic self-aggran- dizement and habitually slighting everyone.

Good friends, continuity moment to moment is achievement, bal- ance and directness of mental activity is virtue. Refining your own nature is achievement; refining your own person is virtue.

Good friends, achievement and virtue must be seen within your own nature; they are not to be sought through almsgiving and dona- tions. That is why blessings and virtues are different. Emperor Wu did not know the true principle—it was not our spiritual ancestor who was mistaken.