The Buddha's Afflictions

A devotee asked Chan Master Zhaozhou Congshen, "Does the Buddha have afflictions?"

"He does!"

"But how can that be? The Buddha is liberated — how could he still have afflictions?"

"Because you have not yet crossed over."

"And if, after I practice and cross over, will the Buddha still have afflictions?"

"He does!"

"But I've already crossed over — so why does the Buddha still have them?"

"Because beings still remain."

"If beings can never all be saved, is the Buddha forever caught in affliction, with no way beyond?"

"He has already gone beyond. There is no affliction."

"But beings have not all been saved — why, then, is the Buddha free of affliction?"

Zhaozhou said, "Within the Buddha's own nature, every being has already crossed over."

At these words, the devotee seemed to awaken to something.

The afflictions of ordinary beings arise from ignorance and delusive thought. The Buddha's afflictions arise from compassion. His freedom from affliction is spoken from prajna. Dear reader — do you have afflictions? Do yours arise from compassion? From prajna? Or from ignorance and delusive thought?