A Dharma Speech
On the Buddha's birthday, 1973, Seung Sahn Soen-sa gave the following Dharma speech at the Providence Zen Center:
"Long ago an eminent teacher said, 'Before the Buddha came to the Kapila Empire or was born of his mother, he had already saved all people from suffering.'
"This is having a thousand mouths, and yet not needing them. If you understand this, then you will understand that in the palm of your hand you hold the noses of all the eminent teachers from the distant past to the present. So you will first attain. If you do not understand, you should not speak, for that is only blood dripping. It is better for you to keep your mouth shut as spring passes.
"The Buddha sprang from the right side of his mother and took seven steps in each of the four directions. He then looked once each way, pointed one finger to the sky, and touched the ground with his other hand. He said, 'In the sky above and the sky below, only I am holy.'
"You must understand this speech and understand what this 'I' is. 'I' is empty. Empty is full. It has no name or form, and does not appear or disappear. All people and all things have it. So where does the Buddha come from?
"Long ago Zen Master Un-mun said, 'On the Buddha's birthday, as he sprang from the side of his mother, I hit him once and killed him, and fed him to a hungry dog. The whole world was at peace.'
"What the Buddha said on his birthday is wrong, so I will hit him thirty times. What Zen Master Un-mun said is also wrong, so I will hit him thirty times. What I just said is wrong, so I will hit myself thirty times.
"Where is the mistake?
"KATZ!!!
"Today is the Buddha's birthday, and outside white snow is falling."
After the Dharma speech, Soen-sa asked if there were any questions.
One student said, "Some people say the Buddha is a divine being, others say he was super-human, others say he was just a wise old man who understood a little more than most people. Who is Buddha?"
Soen-sa said, "How did you get here?"
"I walked."
"Why did you walk?"
"I don't have a car."
"A person drives a car. What is it that drove your body here?"
"I don't know."
"The mind that doesn't know is the Buddha."
"Then why do you celebrate Buddha's birthday?"
"Zen Master Un-mun said, 'On the Buddha's birthday, as he sprang from the side of his mother, I hit him once and killed him, and fed him to a hungry dog. The whole world was at peace.' Do you understand what this means?"
"No."
"This is the Buddha's teaching. When you understand it, you will understand why we celebrate his birthday."
