Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (156 page)

Jingyuan overheard a monk reading a teaching by Zen master Sixin that said, “Because enlightenment is realized in delusion, in enlightenment one recognizes the delusion within enlightenment and the enlightenment within delusion. When enlightenment and delusion are both forgotten, then one may establish all dharmas from this place that is without enlightenment and delusion.” When Jingyuan heard this he experienced doubt. But later, when he was hurrying to the Buddha hall, just as he pushed open the door he suddenly experienced vast enlightenment. He then became Yuanwu’s attendant, and during this time his great function and skill as a speaker became apparent. Yuanwu came to regard him as his primary assistant and presented him with a self-portrait, saying, “During my entire life I’ve only espoused ‘intractable Zen.’ When someone runs into it, it is like an iron wall. It’s like being snared in a trap with one’s feet cut off, and with the entire world closing in with pitch-like darkness. For years [the students] flail about without a knife [to cut their way out], or else they use a diamond hammer to smash birds’ nests. Finally, if they see my true face, in an instant they escape from ‘self’ and ‘other.’”

Zen master Jingyuan entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “When old Shakyamuni was born, he was really a laughingstock. With one hand he pointed at heaven and with the other he pointed at the earth, and then he said, ‘I alone am the honored one.’ Later, the great teacher Yunmen said, ‘If I had been there and seen that, then for the sake of peace in the world I would have beaten him to death and fed him to the dogs.’ There are people who don’t go along with that. But if we are going to honor the ancestors then we certainly honor Yunmen, right? So, what is it we honor about Yunmen? Not the killing part, right? Aren’t we glad he couldn’t do that?

“Today, assuming the abbacy here at Nanming, I must be lenient. If I’m not lenient, then people across the great earth will all have to beg for their lives. If the great matter before us cannot be grasped, then I’ll go with you all up to the Buddha hall and we’ll all take turns giving him a beating! Why? Because if you don’t hear the true Way, then acting against the rules is not a transgression.”

The master became ill. He invited Zen master Ying Anhua to come from the Western Hall Monastery and act as head monk. He gave him instructions about temple affairs as though everything was normal. He then formed his hand into a fist and passed away. After his cremation, it was found that among his sacred relics the flames did not consume his teeth, his tongue, and his right fist. His stupa was placed east of the temple in front of Liuyuan Cave. He was fifty-three years of age.

ZHU’AN SHIGUI

ZHU’AN SHIGUI (1083–1146) was a disciple of the great teacher Foyan. He came from the city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province. As a young man he entered Dazi (“Great Compassion”) Temple in Chengdu under a Buddhist teacher named Zongya. There he studied the Surangama Sutra. After five years, he set off as a yunshui, studying under various Buddhist teachers of his time. Eventually he came to Mt. Longmen, where he met Foyan. Shigui, already an experienced Zen student, demonstrated his understanding to his new teacher. Foyan advised him, “Your grasp of mind is thorough, but you must open your eyes and ears.” Shigui then assumed a temple post as director of the monks’ hall.

When Shigui was serving as Foyan’s attendant, he said, “What is it when questions and answers stop?”

Foyan said, “It’s like when you strike the hammer on the sounding board at the monk’s hall.”

Shigui didn’t understand what Foyan meant. That evening Foyan went to Shigui’s quarters and spoke with him. In the course of this conversation Shigui brought up their earlier conversation.

Foyan said, “Empty talk.”

Upon hearing this, Shigui experienced great enlightenment.

Around the year 1115, Shigui began teaching in Tianning. He remained there until about the year 1135, when, at the invitation of the emperor, he assumed the abbacy of Nengren Temple.

Shigui addressed the monks, saying, “Ten thousand years—a single thought. A single thought—ten thousand years. Rolling in the mud with your clothes on, washing your feet, and climbing into bed to sleep. The affairs of an eon are here before you. When the ocean surges with billowing waves, fools try to measure how big they are.”

Then, lifting his staff upright, Shigui said, “All of you here, you don’t have an entrance. You must have an entrance. And when you have an entrance, you must begin the path of the revealed body. But what is the path of the revealed body?”

After a long pause, Shigui said, “The heavy snow can’t crush the pine. The blowing wind moves not the moon.” Shigui then lowered his staff and left the hall.

Shigui entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “Before the ten thousand things come forth—your eyes see form. Your ears hear sounds—a talk in the hall. Above your head there is the bright sky. Your feet walk upon the ground. All of you only know that today is the first day of the fifth month. You really don’t know that the golden bird scurried away at midnight, or that the jade rabbit has climbed the sky east of the sea.”

Shigui then struck the meditation platform with his whisk, got down from the seat, and left the hall.

Shigui entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “Vast clarity, no awakening. If there are dharmas there is delusion. None of you can stand in that place. None of you can live in that place. If you stand there then there is danger. If you live there it is reckless. Grasping the meaning does not end the mystery. Speaking the words does not end the meaning. Using it does not end the function. If you’re clear on these three things, then wherever you are you’ll have no need for control, for everything will naturally reveal itself. You will have no need for concern, for everything will be naturally understood. But although it is thus, there is still a higher matter you must know. How long the rain before the sky clears? Ha!”