Compendium of the Five Lamps

...and one who provided purity original: 資淨 (Zi Jing) — likely referring to Vasumitra’s appearance or a name he used before ordination said: “Master, do you recognize me?”

The Patriarch Micchaka, the Sixth Patriarch replied: “I do not recognize you, for 'recognizing' is not the true 'I' A Zen teaching suggesting that the true self is beyond the labels and perceptions we use to 'recognize' things.” He further said to him: “Try to state your own name, and I will later reveal your original cause.”

The man replied with a verse:

“From countless eons past, until my birth in this land,
My original clan was the Bharadvaja, and my name is Vasumitra.”

The Patriarch said: “My master Dhitika told me that the World-Honored One The Buddha once traveled through Northern India and said to Ananda: ‘In this country, three hundred years after my extinction, there will be a sage of the Bharadvaja clan named Vasumitra. He will be the seventh in the lineage of Zen Patriarchs.’ The World-Honored One prophesied of you; you should leave the household life.”

Vasumitra then set down his vessel He was known for carrying a wine vessel, which led others to think he was a madman, bowed to the Master, and standing to one side, said: “I remember in past eons, I was once a benefactor who offered a precious throne to a Tathagata A title for a Buddha, meaning 'One who has thus come'. That Buddha prophesied to me: ‘During the Auspicious Eon Auspicious Eon (Bhadrakalpa): The current cosmic age in which one thousand Buddhas are said to appear, within the teachings of Shakyamuni, you shall propagate the supreme doctrine.’ This matches your words; I pray for your guidance toward liberation.”

The Patriarch then shaved his head and administered the full monastic precepts. He announced: “The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye (Zhengfayan Zang): The essence of the Buddha’s realization and the authority of the lineage is now entrusted to you; do not let it be severed.” He then spoke a verse:

“With no mind, there is nothing to be gained;
What is spoken of as ‘attained’ is not the true Dharma.
If you realize that the mind is not a ‘thing,’
Only then do you understand the Dharma of the Mind-Mind.”

After the Patriarch finished the verse, he entered the Lion-Exertion Samadhi (Shishi Fenxun Sanmei): A state of deep meditation characterized by fearless and powerful spiritual energy. He leaped into the empty sky to the height of seven tala trees A species of palm tree used as a measurement of height, then returned to his seat, where he transformed into fire and cremated himself. Vasumitra collected the sacred bones, stored them in a casket of the seven treasures, and built a stupa for them. This occurred in the seventeenth year of King Xiang of Zhou, a Jia-Shen year approximately 635 BCE.

The Seventh Patriarch, the Venerable Vasumitra was a native of Northern India, of the Bharadvaja clan. He always wore clean clothes and carried a wine vessel, wandering through the local neighborhoods, sometimes humming and sometimes whistling. People thought he was mad. But when he met the Venerable Micchaka and heard the prophecy of the Tathagata, he reflected on his past lives, threw away his vessel, and became a monk. He received the Dharma and traveled to the Kingdom of Kamara, where he performed many Buddhist works.

While he was at his Dharma seat, a wise man appeared and declared: “My name is Buddhanandi, and I have come to debate the meaning of truth with the Master.”

The Patriarch said: “Virtuous one, to debate is not the meaning; the meaning is not to be debated. If you intend to debate the meaning, it will ultimately not be the meaning of the debate.”

Buddhanandi realized the Master’s superior wisdom and submitted in his heart. He said: “I wish to seek the Path and taste the flavor of the nectar A metaphor for the Buddha's teachings which grant immortality/liberation.” The Patriarch then ordained him and gave him the full precepts, saying: “The Tathagata’s Treasury of the True Dharma Eye I now entrust to you; you must protect and uphold it.” He spoke a verse:

“The mind is like the realm of empty space;
It manifests the Dharma which is equal to empty space.
When one realizes the nature of empty space,
There is neither ‘this’ nor ‘not-this’ A state beyond dualistic judgments of right and wrong.”

As he entered the Samadhi of the Compassionate Heart (Cixin Sanmei), the King of the Heavens, the Lord of Gods, and various celestial beings all came to pay him respects and spoke a verse:

“Among the many holy patriarchs of the Auspicious Eon,
You hold the seventh position.
Venerable one, out of pity for us,
Please preach to us the ground of the Buddha.”

The Venerable One rose from his meditation and told the assembly: “The Dharma I have attained is not something that 'exists.' If you wish to know the ground of the Buddha, it is beyond both existence and non-existence.” Having spoken, he returned to his meditation and manifested the sign of Nirvana original: 涅槃 (Niepan) — the final passing away of an enlightened being. Buddhanandi built a seven-jeweled stupa at his seat to bury his entire body. This was the nineteenth year of King Ding of Zhou, a Xin-Wei year approximately 587 BCE.

The Eighth Patriarch, the Venerable Buddhanandi was a native of the Kingdom of Kamara, of the Gautama clan. He had a fleshy protuberance original: 肉髻 (rouji) — the ushnisha, one of the 32 marks of a Buddha, signifying great wisdom on the crown of his head and possessed unobstructed eloquence. He first met Vasumitra, became a monk, and received his teachings. Later, he led followers to propagate the teachings in the Kingdom of Tiga, at Vaishali...