ALL IS ONE AND ALL IS DIFFERENT

ALL IS ONE AND ALL IS DIFFERENT

Ozmo Piedmont, PhD

In the scripture Sandokai it is written:

From West to East, unseen,

Flowed out the Mind of India’s greatest sage and,

To the source kept true as an unsullied stream is clear. 

Although by wit and dullness the True Way is varied,

Yet it has no Patriarch of South or North.

The Sandokai is a poem describing how individual beings are connected to the universe.  It is a poem of affirmation which inspires our faith.  This poem is as respected as the actual sutra teachings directly from the Buddha himself, since the teaching it contains is of such importance.  It was written in the 9th century of our common era by Sekito Kisenn, the eighth Chinese ancestor after Bodhidharma.  It makes reference to the Truth that revealed itself when Shakyamuni first saw the morning star shining brightly in the sky.  It is the moment of the Great Awakening, that which continues to awaken from the Buddha’s time to the present day in each one of us.   It is the awakening to the direct Truth as the source of wisdom that is found in the Infinite, or the Cosmic Buddha.  The Buddha awakened to the fact that he is a direct channel to this source of pure spiritual water of the universe.  He felt the flowing of this water throughout his being.  We too are awakening to this source, to this pure water of wisdom.  In fact, it is our only authentic purpose in this life.  Each time that we sit down to meditate, we are directly experiencing this source, and beginning to channel this pure water to the world in our own lives.  We begin to realize that each moment is perfect in itself.  It is not necessary to look elsewhere beyond that which presents itself right here in front of us.  It isn’t important whether we experience it quickly or slowly, or if we consider ourselves or others as intelligent, witty, or dull.  We shouldn’t judge others or compare ourselves to their progress, whether it be better or worse, faster or slower.  It neither is important if one is a member of one school Buddhism or spirituality as opposed to another. There really is no single right school or approach, neither is there any one Ancestor from the north or the south.  The only real authority is the most Supreme, the Infinite, that which one finds in the Immaculacy of Emptiness and which manifests itself in all forms.  This source is absolutely pure always, therefore, there is no way it can be stained or debased.  Nevertheless, one must still practice spiritually using the scriptures and the religious traditions, which guide us in the direction to an encounter with the Infinite, otherwise known as Enlightenment.  We awaken to the fact that we are flowing in this divine water in every moment, channeling it through our bodies, our minds, and later to the entire world.  All schools and forms are revealing this.  Instead of rejecting one or another form, one should appreciate that all are complementary teachings aiming at revealing the Truth.   In this way, one can celebrate differences, as much in the appreciation of the various paths of spiritual practice, as well as those differences that arise within each individual.    The Sandokai is showing us how to be a part of this divine Oneness while at the same time learning to be a unique individual.  It is the same idea that is found in the last precept of the Kyojukaimon where it explains the meaning of “Do not defame the three treasures”, saying that: “To produce something by ourselves, without copying others, is to become an example to the world, and the merit of doing such a thing is to become the origin of all wisdom.  Do not criticize, accept everything.”   We are encouraged to keep ourselves open accepting to the experience of the most intimate of all things, the Source itself, the Infinite, the Buddha Nature in all.  All is part and expression of this Infinite.  At the same time each thing is individual, expressing the Infinite in its own particular and unique way.  Each one of us is channeling this pure water to others.  To be authentic to ones true identity, to be unique in all the universe, and at the same time One with all, is the great discovery we can make.  The Cosmic Buddha is our guide and inspiration.  All is part of this One of the Infinite.  There is nothing to reject, because all of us are expressions of That.  Nor do we have to reject the ego, because the ego is also a part of the Infinite.  We must only awaken to our true identity, thus allowing the ego to become an instrument of the Divine for channeling wisdom, peace, and harmony to us, through us, and to all the world.

Bibliography

Morgan, Daishin.  Buddha Recognizes Buddha. Throssel Hole Press: Northumberland, United Kingdom, 2010.

Shasta Abbey.  Zen Training.  A Special Issue of The Journal of Shasta Abbey. Vol. XIII, May-August 1982.  Mt. Shasta, CA., 1983.