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ROBE?
WHOEVER IS MASTER OF HIS OWN NATURE,
BRIGHT, CLEAR AND TRUE,
HE MAY INDEED WEAR THE ORANGE ROBE.
What he says about the yellow robe, I say about the orange robe: WHOEVER IS...BRIGHT, CLEAR AND TRUE, HE MAY INDEED WEAR THE ORANGE ROBE.
AES DHAMMO SANANTANO.
Enough for today.
The Dhammapada: The Way of the Buddha, Vol 1
Chapter #2
Chapter title: An empty chair
22 June 1979 am in Buddha Hall
Archive code: 7906220
ShortTitle: DHAM102
Audio: Yes
Video: No
Length: 108 mins
The first question:
Question 1
BELOVED MASTER,
AN EMPTY CHAIR
A SILENT HALL
AN INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHA --
HOW ELOQUENT!
HOW RARE!
Yes, Subhuti, that's the only way to introduce the Buddha to you. Silence is the only language he can be expressed in. Words are too profane, too inadequate, too limited. Only an empty space...utterly silent...can represent the being of a buddha.
There is a temple in Japan, absolutely empty, not even a statue of the Buddha in the temple, and it is known as a temple dedicated to Buddha. When visitors come and they ask, "Where is the Buddha? The temple is dedicated to him..." the priest laughs and he says, "This empty space, this silence -- this is Buddha!"
Stones cannot represent him, statues cannot represent him. Buddha is not a stone, not a statue. Buddha is not a form -- Buddha is a formless fragrance. Hence, it was not just accidental that ten days' silence preceded these talks on Buddha. That silence was the only possible preface.
Subhuti, you are right: "An empty chair...." Yes, only an empty chair can represent him. This chair is empty, and this man talking to you is empty. It is an empty space pouring itself into you. There is nobody within, just a silence.
Because you cannot understand silence, it has to be translated into language. It is because of your limitation that I have to speak; otherwise there is no need. Truth cannot be said, has never been said, will never be said. All scriptures talk about truth, go on talking about it, about and about,
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