Date: 05/18/2024 05/19/2024
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Otto Huang
Dharma Talk
Between the Black Ox and the White Ox
Once, the Venerable Shariputra and the Venerable Mahakotthita were dwelling together on the Vulture Peak mountain, northeast of the capital of the Magadha kingdom, Rajagaha.
One evening, after concluding his meditation session, Venerable Mahakotthitawent to see Venerable Shariputra. After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, Venerable Mahakotthita asked:
“Friend Shariputra! Is it the eye that binds to what it sees, or is it what is seen that binds to the eye? Similarly, with the ear and sounds, the nose and smells, the tongue and tastes, the body and touch, the mind and its objects, which binds to which?”
“Friend Mahakotthita! I say it is neither the eye that binds to what it sees nor what is seen that binds to the eye; the same goes for the ear and sounds, the nose and smells, the tongue and tastes, the body and touch, the mind and its objects. None binds to the other; rather, it is the craving that arises from these interactions that binds them.
Friend Mahakotthita! It’s like tying a black ox and a white ox side by side to pull a cart. If someone asks, ‘Is it the black ox binding the white ox, or the white ox binding the black ox?’ would such a question be appropriate?”
“Oh! It would not be appropriate, friend Shariputra! Because it is neither the black ox binding the white ox nor the white ox binding the black ox, but the yoke and ropes between the two oxen that bind them.”
“Exactly, friend Mahakotthita! It is neither the eye that binds to what it sees nor what is seen that binds to the eye; the same for the ear and sounds, the nose and smells, the tongue and tastes, the body and touch, the mind and its objects. None of these bind to the other; it is the craving that arises from these conditions that binds them.
Friend Mahakotthita! If it were the eye that binds to what it sees, or what is seen that binds to the eye; if it were the ear and sounds, the nose and smells, the tongue and tastes, the body and touch, the mind and its objects binding to each other, then we would have no way to practice, and the Blessed One would not be able to teach us to practice for the cessation of suffering.
Friend Mahakotthita! The Blessed One sees what is agreeable and what is disagreeable, without arising craving, unlike ordinary people who, upon seeing what is agreeable or disagreeable, give rise to the craving of wanting or not wanting. Therefore, the Blessed One said: one should eliminate craving! When craving is eliminated, then the mind is liberated. Seeing with the eye is such, as is hearing with the ear, smelling with the nose, tasting with the tongue, touching with the body, and cognizing with the mind: one should eliminate craving! When craving is eliminated, the mind is liberated.”
