The Sixth Case

Monday Night Meditation continues this evening, and we are now up to the 6th case of The Gateless Gate.

Once when the World-Honoured One, in ancient times, was upon Vulture's Peak, he held up a flower before the congregation of monks. At this time all were silent and only the Venerable Mahakasyapa smiled. The World-Honoured One said, “I have the Eye of the True Law, the secret Essence of Nirvana, the Formless Form, the Mysterious Law-Gate. Without relying upon words and letters, beyond all teaching as a special transmission, I pass all this on to Mahakasyapa."

Naturally, this brings up several questions.  Supposing that at the time all the monks had smiled, how would the “eye of the True Law” have been handed on? Or if Mahakasyapa had not smiled, how would it have been handed on?  If we say that it could have been handed on in either case, what’s the point of the Venerable one's smile?  If you say that it couldn’t, why did Buddha say he had passed it on to Mahakasyapa?