Kill the Tathagata and Feed Him to the Dogs!
2006/7/9 17:51:50
Do not for a moment think that the title "Kill the Tathagata and Feed Him to the Dogs" shows any disrespect toward Buddhism. This kind of topic is not some modern invention either — the great Buddhist masters of old said such things more than once. This is surely the most extraordinary phenomenon in all human history. In all religions, politics, academia, and the like, nothing comparable has ever appeared anywhere else.
No faith, religion, or theory has ever seriously proclaimed that its king, core, lord, or equivalent should be killed and fed to the dogs. Especially those faiths, religions, and theories where a single utterance can send countless living beings into suffering and wars that rage for centuries — for them, this is utterly incomprehensible. Apart from Buddhism, you will absolutely never find the phenomenon of "Kill the Tathagata and Feed Him to the Dogs!" And Buddhism — is not Buddhism, not a religion, not a theory, not a practice, not a faith; it is called Buddhism.
In truth, there is nothing extraordinary about this, nothing that needs explaining. Yet some still insist on explaining it as something meant to shatter the shackles of the mind and other such explainable phrases — it seems they all deserve to be killed and fed to the dogs. Encountering a Buddha, kill the Buddha; encountering a demon, kill the demon. If one can kill but does not, then it's all just a game of madness. All that talk of "Buddha and self are one," "Buddha and demon are one" — it's all old-womanish pacifier-Zen, all deserving to be killed and fed to the dogs. Only a Bodhisattva of the Tenth Ground can become the Great Demon King — how can realms below the Tenth Ground even glimpse the Great Demon King's domain? Those who would subdue demons are merely grasping at empty shadows — truly pitiable.
The universe's battles and turmoil are but an ant's play. The stupidity of humankind lies not in debates over good and evil, but in hearts too narrow and vision too limited. Trying to peer at heaven through a pinhole without even knowing what realm they're looking at, and then presumptuously pronouncing on heaven — they're worse than frogs in a well. "Think neither good nor evil — at that very moment, what is your original face, Venerable Ming?" That old firewood-gatherer Lu was really being too much of an old busybody. Even being killed and fed to the dogs would have let old Lu get off too easy — just let him go then! However, without old Lu's compassionate heart or Yunmen's methods, anyone who recklessly speaks of "Kill the Tathagata and Feed Him to the Dogs!" — even pouring out the waters of ten trillion Ganges rivers would be futile defense, for karmic consequences are never wrong.
Better to first kill yourself and feed yourself to the dogs. If you can't even serve as dog food, then you really are good for nothing. And if you cannot even bear to be killed and fed to the dogs, then what's the point of saying "If I don't go to hell, who will?" Such a realm — how could those who generate a mind of "kill and feed to the dogs" at the mention of killing and feeding to the dogs possibly recognize it? That which can be killed will eventually be killed. The Tathagata — coming from nowhere, going to nowhere — what is there to kill? And what is there not to kill? Fools disturbing themselves — truly lamentable.
When you face any faith, first ask whether you can kill it and feed it to the dogs. A faith that cannot be killed and fed to the dogs is not worth believing in. Furthermore, a faith that can be believed in is not worth believing in. That which can be believed is believed because of the "can" — and since it's been believed, it can also be un-believed. So just kill it and feed it to the dogs! Faith — is not faith; it is called faith.
缠中说禅 2006/7/9 23:02:22
They all deserve to be killed and fed to the dogs!