Bhadrapala, Battabara, 跋陀婆羅
An incarnation of Manjushri (see Manjushri-namasamgiti). Patron saint of bathing (in Japan).
Referenced in "Upholder of the Age Sutra" – Jise-kyō (持世経) as: "a bodhisattva who vowed to protect and propagate the Law in the age after Shakyamuni Buddha's death when the Buddha's teachings would perish. For this he was praised highly by Shakyamuni, who prophesied that he would enjoy immeasurable benefits."
Shurangama Sutra:
Bhadrapala and sixteen awakened lords who were his companions, arose from their seats and bowed at the Buddha's feet. He said to the Buddha:
We first heard the Dharma and left the home-life under King of Awesome Sound Buddha. Once, when it was time for the Sangha to bathe, I followed the custom and entered the bathhouse. Suddenly I awakened to the fact that water does not wash away the dust, nor does it cleanse the body. At that point, between the two, I became peaceful, and I attained the state of there being nothing at all.
To this day, I have never forgotten that past experience. Having left home with the Buddha, I have gone beyond learning. That Buddha named me Bhadrapala. Wonderful touch was revealed, and I accomplished the position of the Buddha's disciple.
The Buddha asks about perfect penetration. As I have been certified to it, touch is the superior means.
Case 78 of the Blue Cliff Record
In olden times there were sixteen bodhisattvas. When it was time for monks to wash, the bodhisattvas filed in to bathe. Suddenly they awakened to the basis of water. All of you Ch’an worthies, how will you understand their saying, “Subtle feeling reveals illumination, and we have achieved the station of sons of Buddha”? To realize this you too must be extremely piercing and penetrating.
Commentary
At the Surangama Assembly, Bhadrapala and the sixteen bodhisattvas all practiced pure conduct and each related the basis on which he had experienced the Dharma gate of perfect pervasiveness. This is numbered as one among twenty-five (kinds of) perfect pervasiveness. (They related that) when it was time for monks to bathe they had filed in to bathe and suddenly awakened to the basis of water. Since they didn’t wash off the dirt, and they didn’t wash their bodies, tell me, what did they wash? If you can understand, then, at peace within, you realize the absence of anything existing. Then a thousand or ten thousand will no longer be able to get near you. As it is said, “Absence of attainment is true wisdom; if there is something which is attained, this is just semblance wisdom.”
Haven’t you heard? Bodhidharma said to the Second Patriarch, “Bring out your mind and I will pacify it for you.” The Second Patriarch said, “When I search for my mind, I can’t find it.” This little bit here is the basic root of patchrobed monks’ lives. There's no need for so many complications: all that’s needed is to speak of suddenly awakening to the basis of water, and you spontaneously understand properly.
Since they didn’t wash off the dust, and they didn’t wash their bodies, tell me, what did they awaken to? When you get to this realm, nothing at all is applicable—even the word “Buddha” must be avoided. They said, “Subtle feeling reveals illumination, and we have achieved the station of sons of Buddha.” “Reveals” means “makes apparent.” The subtle feeling is illumination. Once you awaken to the subtle feeling, then you achieve the station of sons of Buddha, that is, you are in the stage of Buddhahood.”
People these days also go in to bathe, they also wash in water and feel it this way. Why then don’t they awaken? They are all confused and obstructed by the objects of the senses: they stick to their skins and cling to their bones. That’s why they can’t wake up immediately then and there. Here, if there’s nothing attained in washing or feeling or in the basis of water, then tell me, is this “Subtle feeling reveals illumination” or not? If here you can see directly, then this is “Subtle feeling reveals illumination, and we achieve the station of sons of Buddha.” People these days feel too, but do they perceive its subtlety? Subtle feeling is not ordinary feeling and feeler, where contact is considered feeling and separation is not.
When Hsuan Sha was crossing the mountains and stubbed his toe (thereupon awakening), when Te Shan hits—isn’t this subtle feeling? Although it is so, to realize this you must be extremely piercing and penetrating. If you just search on your body, what connection is there? If you are extremely piercing and penetrating, then what need is there to go in and wash? You will make the jewel king’s realm appear on the tip of a hair and turn the great Dharma Wheel in every speck of dust. If you can penetrate in one place, then you penetrate a thousand places, ten thousand places all at once. Don’t just hold onto a single nook or den—all places are the gates by which Avalokitesvara enters the truth.
For the Ancients too there was “awakening to the Path by hearing sounds, illuminating Mind by seeing forms.” If a single man awakens, this is the reason. But why did the sixteen bodhisattvas awaken at the same time? Because the Ancients practiced together and experienced together, awakened together and understood together.