By: Dainin Katagiri Roshi
Anything you think about Buddha-nature is just some idea in your mind. But Buddha-nature is not something we can grasp. In this sense, there is no Buddha-nature.
We want to know if Buddha-nature exists or not. But no matter how long we discuss it, there is no end to the subject. What is there to say about Buddha-nature? Nothing. The same is true of whatever aspect of human life you pick up: finally there is nothing to say.
A monk once asked his master, “What is the essence of Buddhism?” The master said, “Step forward from the top of a hundred-foot pole.”
How can we go forward from the top of the pole? We will die. Can we go backward? No, we cannot. What, then, does it mean to step forward from the top of a hundred-foot pole?
Though we are not always conscious of it, we actually face this question daily. As we do become aware of it, we finally ask ourselves, What is life? But there is nothing to say. Just silence. This silence is Buddha-nature, or Suchness, or Emptiness.
Though everyone experiences this silence, we usually don’t notice it because our minds are very busy. Sooner or later, though, we all realize its presence. But then we ask, “What is this silence? How can I speak of it? Do I just keep my mouth shut?” No, I don’t think so. Even if you don’t say anythng, there is still a problem. Silence—Buddha-nature—is not something apart from your life. It compels you to speak. That is why the Zen master had to peak. He had to say something. He had to speak from that silence—from Buddha-nature.
When you really understand your life—when you really understand what makes it possible for all beings to exist—there is nothing to say. You just keep silent. But still you have to do something. This is why I always tell you to keep your mouth shut and act with true heart. Buddha-nature is the state of your life as you stand atop a hundred-foot pole. You have to do something. Take one step.
From: You Have to Say Something: Manifesting Zen Insight. Dainin Katagiri Roshi (1928-1990) was one of the pioneers who brought Soto Zen to America. in 1965, he came to San Francisco to assist Suzuki Roshi at the Shokoji Soto Zen Mission. Subsequently, he helped establish the San Francisco Zen Center. In 1972, he moved to Minnesota, where he founded the Minnesota Zen Center.