inherent   in  communicating   certain   fundamental

　　   aspects  of  the  Dharma.  As  a preclude  to Ch'an,

　　   Buddhism in India already was exploring the rarefied

　　   realm   of   spiritual   experience　　 that   defied

　　   verbalization.　　 The   following　　 passage　　 from

　　   A.s.tasaahasrikaa  Praj~naapaaramitaa  outlines  the

　　   linguistic and conceptual liabilities  of discussing

　　   enlightenment:

　　   The  Enlightened   One  sets  forth   in  the  Great

　　   Ferryboat  (Mahaayaana);  but there is nothing  from

　　   which  he sets forth.  He starts  from the universe;

　　   but in truth  he starts  from  nowhere.  His boat is

　　   manned with all the perfections  (paaramitaas);  and

　　   is manned  by no one.  It will  find its supprot  on

　　   nothing whatsoever  and will find its support on the

　　   state  of  all-knowing, which  will  serve  it as  a

　　   non-support.  Moreover, no one has ever set forth in

　　   the Great ferryboat;  no one will ever set froth  in

　　   it, and no one  is setting forth in it now.  And why

　　   is

　　   ────────────

　　   (8) The Diamond Suutra, Charles Luk trans., included

　　　　  in the Bilingual  Buddhist  Series, Suutras  and

　　　　  Scriptures,  Vol.1   (Taipei,  Taiwan:  Buddhist

　　　　  Culture Service, 1962), p.132

　　   (9) Edward  Conze  notes: "For  four  centuries  the

　　　　  Scriptures  went  not  written  down,  and  only

　　　　  existed  in the memory  of the monks.  Like  the

　　　　  Brahmins, the Buddhists had a strong aversion to

　　　　  writing down religious knowledge." Buddhism: Its

　　　　  Essence and Development (New York: Harper & Row,

　　　　  1959), p.89.

　　　　　　　　　　　　  P.346

　　　　  this? Because neither the one setting  forth nor

　　　　  the goal for which he sets forth is to be found:

　　　　  therefore,  who  should  be  setting  forth, and

　　　　  whither? (10)

　　   This situation  created  quite a quandary  for those

　　   who  nonetheless  sought  to propagate  the  Dharma.

　　   Thus, the following guidelines were set forth:

　　　　  ‧Rely on the teaching, not the teacher.

　　　　  ‧Rely on the meaning, not the letter.

　　　　  ‧Rely on the definitive  meaning (nitaartha),