The Flower Sermon (Chinses=拈花微笑) was a unique sermon Buddha gave. It was unique because Buddha was speechless and did not speak until he was sure someone in the audience could understand his sermon before he spoke. The Flower Sermon carried the same meaning that Buddha delivered in Kalama Sutta: word-based knowledge is unhelpful in understanding and conveying the unchanging Truth. Instead, he wanted to demonstrate that the unchanging Truth can be delivered and understood wordlessly.
The Sūtra of Mahābrahma-deva-rāja’s Consulting the Buddha” (Chinese=大梵天王問佛决疑經) describes the Flower Sermon.
According to The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Brahma [alt. Mahabrahma] (Chinese=大梵天王) is “an Indian divinity who was adopted into the Buddhist pantheon as a protector of the teachings (Dharmapala (Chinese=護法) and king of the Bramaloka.”
Brahmaloka (Chinese=梵界), according to The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, is “in Sanskrit and Pali, the “Brahma World.” In the narrowest sense, brahmaloka refers to the first three (celestial realms) of the realms of subtle materiality.”
During the sermon, Brahma offered Buddha “auspicious flowers from heaven,” known in Sanskrit as “udumbara flower (Chinese=優曇婆羅花).” According to this article, “Volume 8 of the Buddhist scripture Huilin Phonetics and Interpretation (Chinese=一切經音義), “Udumbara is the product of ominous and supernatural phenomena; it is a celestial flower and does not exist in the mundane world. If a Tathagata or King of the Golden Wheel appears in the human world, these flowers will manifest due to their great virtue and blessings.” Having realized the highest level of enlightenment, our historical Shakyamuni Buddha is a Tathagata.
Brahma then asked Buddha, “The Exalted Buddha (Sanskrit=bhagavat; Chinese=世尊), you have been enlightened for more than fifty years and have preached and given myriad instructions for the benefit of all beings with the opportunity to hear. However, if there is any supreme Dharma you have yet to discuss, please proclaim them now, for me, for the bodhisattvas of end-times, and for all ordinary beings seeking to follow the Buddhist path.” (Chinese=世尊今佛。已成正覺五十年來。種種說法。種種教示。化度一切機類眾生。若有未說最上大法。為我及末世行菩薩人。欲行佛道凡夫眾生。布演宣說.”
Buddha accepted the flowers, picked them up, and held them. However, he did not speak. The whole assembly of his followers remained still, and all kept silent (Chinese=皆止默然).
That is, all but Mahakasyapa (Chinese=摩訶迦葉), who smiled a gentle smile (Chinese=破顏微笑) at Buddha.
Seeing the smile, Buddha immediately started to speak (“Chinese=佛即告言.”)
“Yes, It is so. I possess the true Dharma-eyes (Sanskrit=dharmacaksus; Chinese=正法眼藏) and knowledge of the wondrous Citta of Nirvana, the method to teach (Sanskrit=dharmapayaya; Chinese=法門), in subtle ways, the Dharma of the Ultimate Reality without form, using no words and separately outside the regular curriculum. (是也。我有正法眼藏涅槃妙心。实相无相微妙法门。不立文字。教外别传).”
Furthermore, Buddha continued, “For the transmission of the First Principle of Truth allowing ordinary beings to be enlightened, I entrust to Mahakasyapa today (凡夫成佛第一義諦。今方付屬摩訶迦葉).”
“After speaking, Buddha remained silent (Chinese=言已默然).”
If one ever wondered what Buddhism is, Buddha told you very clearly what he thought his role was: he teaches. Therefore, as discussed in a previous post, Buddhism should be considered Buddha’s education, not religion, philosophy, and science. Epistemology separates Buddhism from them and every other “-ism” in the world. While all other “-isms” use word-based knowledge, Buddha uses direct perception. None of them can deliver a wordless sermon and have it work.
In response to a request for supreme Dharma, Buddha mentioned Citta, Nirvana, and the Ultimate Reality.
As discussed in the previous post, one must, like Adyashanti, first become one with the enlightened Citta of the Ultimate Reality, the “experienced object” in enlightenment, to realize there is Nothing but Mentality. When this is accomplished, the enlightened must understand the ultimate wisdom that is free from the subject-subject distinction (grahyagrahakavikalpa) by understanding why there is Nothing but Mentality, i.e., why not Nothing but Materiality? To understand that, one must comprehend the true meaning of the Five Aggregates. To learn that, the enlightened must meditate more profoundly, as Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara did. Only then can one satisfy Buddha’s soteriological goal, finish the journey in the Buddhist path, and enter the final Nirvana.
Indeed, as requested, Buddha gave Brahma the supreme Dharma.
Mahakasyapa (Chinese=摩诃迦叶), according to this article, “was one of the principal disciples of Gautama Buddha. He is regarded in Buddhism as an enlightened disciple, being foremost in ascetic practice. Mahākāśyapa assumed leadership of the monastic community following the paranirvāṇa of the Buddha, presiding over the First Buddhist Council. He was considered to be the first patriarch in a number of early Buddhist schools and continued to have an important role as a patriarch in the Chan and Zen traditions. In Buddhist texts, he assumed many identities, that of a renunciant saint, a lawgiver, and an anti-establishment figure, but also a “guarantor of future justice” in the time of Maitreya, the future Buddha—he has been described as “both the anchorite and the friend of mankind, even of the outcast.”
So, what did Mahakasyapa understand from Buddha’s wordless sermon?
Having already been enlightened, Mahakasyapa understood that no one could understand Citta, Nirvana, and the Ultimate Reality through word-based knowledge. Instead, they must be directly perceived.
So, when Mahakasyapa smiled gently at Buddha, he showed Buddha his understanding. When Buddha smiled back, he knew his message was delivered and understood. Consequently, by immediately giving Mahakasyapa the responsibility to transmit The First Principle of Truth, Buddha hinted to Mahakasyapa that he should teach others The First Principle of Truth the same way he relayed the message to him, wordlessly.
In India, Mahakasyapa’s lineage was passed from Mahakasyapa on to several others before reaching Bodhidharma (Chinese=菩提達摩), “a legendary Buddhist monk, who lived during the 5th or 6th century.”
Bodhidharma eventually traveled to China, bringing with him the teachings of Buddha, including that of Chan Buddhism. Therefore, while Bodhidharma is regarded as the “28th patriarch in a line of descent from Mahakasyapa,” he is considered the first patriarch of Chan Buddhism in China.
Chan Buddhism (Chinese=禪), “is one of the major forms of East Asian Buddhism, which originated in China around the fifth or sixth century and was then transmitted from China into Korea (as Korean Seon), Japan (as Japanese Zen), and Vietnam (as Vietnamese Thiền). In the West, this form of Buddhism is most commonly known by the Japanese name of “Zen.” Furthermore, “Chan emphasizes direct insight into the nature of reality.”
However, in China, Bodhidharma faced a big obstacle when he faced Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty (Chinese=梁武帝). The Emperor was a devout Buddhist who had built many Buddhist temples, printed Buddhist sutras, and supported many monks when Bodhidharma met him. The Emperor was incredibly proud of how much he did for Buddhism.
During Bodhidharma’s first audition in the palace, the Emperor boasted of his work and asked the Bodhidharma, “for all that I have done, how much spiritual virtue can I get (Chinese=我做了這些事有多少功德)?” To which Bodhidharma responded, “No spiritual virtue at all (Chinese=並無功德).”
Buddhism distinguishes two types of virtue: spiritual (guna) and blessed (punya). The difference lies in the intention of the benefactor. Understanding this distinction can deepen one’s comprehension of Buddhist principles and their application in daily life.
For example, suppose a benefactor such as Emperor Wu does magnanimous deeds intending to get personal rewards, such as fame, power, adorations, etc. In that case, the person will get blessings when his magnanimous deeds fructify upon the right conditions. While being blessed is good and can fructify into a better life in the future, they are not good enough to escape the endless cycles of the samsara of determinative birth and death. Guna, which is someone doing magnanimous deeds without considering personal benefits, is needed for that.
Therefore, Buddha teaches that anyone doing benevolent deeds must do so willingly and naturally without self-benefiting intentions to acquire meritorious virtues. Again, the emphasis is on keeping the mind pure and doing magnanimous deeds willingly and naturally without selfish intentions.
The Emperor, however, was not pleased with Bodhidharma’s response and subsequently denied him his royal support.
Bodhidharma then traveled to Mount Song (Chinese=嵩山), home to the Shaolin Temple, famous for its kung-fus. There, Bodhidharma meditated for nine years while facing a wall. Subsequently, besides being known as the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu, Mount Song is also recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism.
However, not all was lost, as Bodhidharma did find a successor in Dazu Hui Ke (Chinese=大祖慧可), who succeeded Bodhidharma’s lineage and became the Second Patriarch of Chan Buddhism. From Dazu Hui-Ke, the Chan lineage continued until the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, Dajian Hui-Neng (Chinese=大鑒惠能), a central figure in Chan Buddhism, known for his Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, or simply as Platform Sutra. We will use Dharma Master Hui-Neng’s enlightenment experience to verify the disappearance of the universe, as discussed in the last post, and the consummate intrinsic nature of the Ultimate Reality.
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