Mountains & Waters Sutra

Eihei Dogen (13th Century)

Mountains and waters right now are the actualization of the ancient Buddha way. Each,

abiding in their 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.

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)

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." 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.

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.

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.

Green mountains master walking and eastern mountains master traveling on water. (7)

Accordingly, these activities are a mountain's practice. Keep its own form, withoutchanging 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." When 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.

"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.

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?

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 mountainstravel 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 them in China, they 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 bodyand 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.