Vast Emptiness, Nothing Holy

Text

Emperor Wu of Liang asked Bodhidharma, "I have built temples and ordained monks. What merit have I gained?" Bodhidharma said, "No merit at all." The emperor asked, "What is the first principle of the holy teaching?" Bodhidharma said, "Vast emptiness, nothing holy." The emperor asked, "Who is this standing before me?" Bodhidharma said, "I don't know." The emperor did not understand. Bodhidharma crossed the Yangtze River and went on to the kingdom of Wei.

license: public_domain

Attribution

• Speaker
  Bodhidharma

Lineage: Early Chan

By Bodhidharma

• Bodhidharma Pacifies The Mindkoan
• A Special Transmission Outside the Scripturessaying
• Chop Wood, Carry Waterproverb
• No Meritproverb
• Vast Emptiness, Nothing Holyproverb

From Traditional Zen Encounter Dialogues

• My Mind Is Not at Peace
• Thinking of Not-Thinking
• Not Knowing Is Most Intimate
• The Boat Monk's Transmission
• The Sound of Bamboo
• Ordinary Mind Is the Way
• Nanquan Kills the Cat
• Wash Your Bowl
• The Oak Tree in the Garden
• This Very Mind Is Buddha

Sources

• contentWikisource — English-language free library

  Jingde Chuandenglu, Bodhidharma chapter; Blue Cliff Record, Case 1

  Traditional Zen Encounter Dialogues: Vast Emptiness, Nothing Holy