The Transmission to Mahakashyapa

Text

Once on Vulture Peak, the World-Honored One held up a flower before the assembly. All were silent. Only Mahakashyapa broke into a broad smile. The World-Honored One said, 'I possess the treasury of the true Dharma eye, the marvelous mind of nirvana, the true form of the formless, the subtle Dharma gate. It does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside the scriptures. I entrust it to Mahakashyapa.' Thus the lamp of the Dharma was transmitted for the first time. You must understand: what was transmitted was not something that can be put into words, nor is it something separate from words. Mahakashyapa's smile was not a sign of understanding—it was the thing itself.

license: public_domain