It is one of the great and noble tasks of those who are sincerely upon the Dharma Path is to kill the Buddha. Now, how is it possible that those Masters who respect the Buddha and the teachings that have led to an advanced understanding of the true importance of human experiences declare this?
Here the Buddha image is cut into the tree roots, but the task here is to be able to see the Buddha head without distinction from the roots.
We can begin with Buddha's own statements from the Diamond Sutra:
Part III.
"Nevertheless, when a vast uncountable, unmeasuable number of beings have been liberated it is thus certain that no being has been liberated.
"Why is that so, Subhuti?
"It is because no Bodhisattva who is a real Bodhisattava embraces the idea of an Ego Identity, of a personality, of a being, or of a separate individual."
We must then say with certainty that in this sense Buddha has no Ego Identity, no existence as a personality, no actual being, and is certainly not a separate individual. Buddha then, as we normally think of Buddha as a person distinct from ourselves, does not exist. If he does exist in that way in our minds then we must kill him off.
But there he was, eating, sleeping, walking around and teaching. He was real and had a body. While we may kill off his individuality and see him as a part of all humanity as one with all living things, in a certain manner his body was there.
Yet in Part V he declares.
"Subhuti, what do you think? Does one have to recognise the Tathagata by any material characteristics?
"No, honored by the world: the Tathagata cannot be recognized by any material characteristics. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has said that the material characteristics are not, in and of themslves, material characteristics."
Buddha said: "Subhuti, whatever material characteristics there are are a fraud; but he who perceives that all the characteristics are really no-characteristics, perceives the Tathagata."
Okay, if we take him at his word then we can certainly conceptually, although perhaps only mentally at the moment, kill off the idea of his having a physical body.
And of couse, we have to then admit that we too fit in that same Pandora's box.
But what about his teachings?
We can determine Buddha through his teachings, can't we?
Part VII.
"Subhuti, what do you think? Has the Tathagata reached the Consummation of the Incomparable Awakening ? Has the Tathagata then to enunciate teachings?"
Subhuti replied: "As that is understood the Buddha has not formed a Truth called the Consummation of the Incomparable Awakening. What is more, the Tathagata has not formed teachings that can be enunciated. For what reason? Because the Tathagata has said that the Truth is un-containable and un-expressable. And that is not all."
This Principle is the foundation of the different systems of every Sage.
Those with a quick grasp of words and intelligence can gather what Buddha is really saying. But they really grasp little, for they are a far cry from penetrating understanding with the direct experiences.
So intellectually we can say that neither Buddha nor anyone else is an individual; that all material characteristics are not what they appear to be and that Buddha attained no teachings and thus can pass nothing on.
So what are we trying to understand his NON-TEACHINGS for?
It is only when we see the EMPTINESS of Buddha's teaching and discover that beyond the apparent Teachings there are Direct Experiences which transpose those apparent teachings into APPARENT NON-TEACHINGS in such a manner that the Direct Experiences are "Neither teachings nor Non- teachings."
Let us make this all clear in a manner that is digestible.
When you understand all the principles of Buddha's teachings, at a level that is more profound than the words expressing them, then you will really have "Killed the Buddha."
That does not mean that you must assault the mountains of Chan and Dao, but that you explore the caves at the base of the mountains where the true Dharma Treasures exist, hidden within the rocks and fallen soil.
So let us explore those caves, remembering that you can only KILL OFF the Buddha by a penetrating understanding, not by an intellect that is cognitive, nor by logical or lateral thinking, and certainly not by chattering about the Dharma like a parrot nor performing useless dogma or ceremony.
Neither can it be achieved by sitting with an empty mind, nor concentrating with the idea of maintaining calmness and eliminating suffering, nor meditating with the contented smile of a clown convincing oneself that the resulting temporary satisfaction is what Buddha Dharma is all about.
EXPLORING THE CAVES