Compendium of the Five Lamps

[The demon] said, "The Great Dragon is the King of Trees; his name is Nagarjuna original: 龍樹 (Longshu) — 'Dragon-Tree.' He is one of the most important philosophers in Buddhist history. He constantly preaches the Dharma to the dragon host, and I also listen and receive his teachings." The Patriarch then led his followers to that place. Nagarjuna came out to welcome them, saying, "This deep mountain is a lonely and quiet place, the dwelling of dragons and pythons. Why has the Great Virtuous and Supreme One deigned to direct his divine footsteps here?"

The Patriarch replied, "I am no 'Supreme One'; I come only to visit a sage."

Nagarjuna thought to himself, "Is this master one who has attained the 'Determined Nature' A state of irreversible enlightenment and clarified the 'Eye of the Way'? Is he a Great Sage who succeeds the True Vehicle?"

The Patriarch said, "Though you speak in your heart, I already know it through my mind. Simply prepare to leave the household life; why worry whether I am a Sage or not?"

Hearing this, Nagarjuna repented and thanked him. The Patriarch immediately ordained him, and five hundred members of the dragon host also received the full precepts. The Patriarch then announced: "I now entrust to you the Tathagata's original: 如來 (Rulai) — 'The One Who Has Thus Come,' a title for the Buddha Treasury of the True Dharma Eye original: 正法眼藏 (Zhengfayanzang) — the core essence of the Buddha's realization passed from master to disciple. Listen closely to this verse:

Neither hidden nor manifest,
The Dharma spoken is the true reality.
Realizing this law of hidden and manifest,
One is neither foolish nor wise.

After the Dharma was entrusted, the Patriarch manifested divine transformations, and a fire consumed his body. Nagarjuna collected the five-colored relics original: 舎利 (Sarira) — crystalline remains found among the ashes of spiritual masters and built a stupa A commemorative monument for them. This occurred in the 41st year of King Nan of Zhou approx. 274 BCE, a year of the Water-Dragon (Ren-Chen).

The Fourteenth Patriarch, the Venerable Nagarjuna

The Patriarch was a native of Western India. He was also known as "Dragon Victory." After receiving the Dharma from the Venerable Kapimala, he traveled to Southern India. The people of that country mostly believed in the pursuit of "merit" Performing good deeds to gain a better rebirth. The Patriarch preached the Dharma to them, but they said to one another, "Humanity's pursuit of merit is the most important thing in the world. You speak of 'Buddha-nature' The innate potential for enlightenment in all beings, but who can see it?"

The Patriarch replied, "If you wish to see Buddha-nature, you must first remove your arrogance."

The people asked, "Is Buddha-nature large or small?"

The Patriarch answered, "It is neither large nor small, neither broad nor narrow. It has no merit and no retribution; it does not die and is not born."

Hearing this superior reasoning, they all turned away from their initial beliefs. The Patriarch then manifested his "Sovereign Body" upon his seat, appearing like the disc of a full moon. The entire assembly heard only the sound of the Dharma but could not see the Patriarch’s physical form.

Among the assembly was the son of an elder named Kanadeva. He said to the crowd, "Do you recognize this sign?"

The crowd replied, "Our eyes have never seen it; how could we identify it?"

Kanadeva said, "This is the Venerable one manifesting the essence of Buddha-nature to show us. How do I know this? Because the 'Signless Samadhi' A deep state of meditation free from external appearances has a form like the full moon. The meaning of Buddha-nature is vast, empty, and luminous."

When he finished speaking, the moon-like form vanished. The Patriarch returned to his original seat and recited a verse:

The body manifests the image of the full moon,
To represent the substance of all Buddhas.
Preaching the Dharma without a physical form,
To demonstrate that it is not a matter of sound or color.

Hearing this verse, the assembly suddenly awakened to the "unborn" The realization that reality is beyond the cycle of birth and death. They all wished to leave the household life to seek liberation. The Patriarch shaved their heads and commanded various sages to grant them the full precepts.

In that country, there were previously more than five thousand "outsiders" Non-Buddhists who practiced great illusions and magic. Kanadeva led them to look up to the Patriarch, who converted them all, leading them to take refuge in the Triple Gem. The Patriarch also composed the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, the Middle Way Treatise, and the Twelve Gate Treatise, leaving them to the world.

Later, he told his head disciple, Kanadeva: "The Tathagata's Treasury of the True Dharma Eye is now entrusted to you. Listen to my verse:

To clarify the law of hidden and manifest,
One then speaks of the principle of liberation.
Regarding the Dharma, the heart does not seek proof,
It feels neither anger nor joy.

After the transmission, he entered the "Moon-Wheel Samadhi" and widely displayed divine transformations. He then returned to his seat, sitting in still and quiet meditation until he passed away. Kanadeva and the fourfold assembly Monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen together built a precious stupa to bury him. This was in the 35th year of the First Emperor of Qin approx. 212 BCE, a year of the Earth-Ox (Ji-Chou).

The Fifteenth Patriarch, the Venerable Kanadeva

The Patriarch was a native of Southern India, from the Vishala family. Initially, he sought the "merit" of worldly deeds and was also...