Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages
Page 3
TheT'angdynasty,consideredbymanytobetheculminationofChineseculture,
providedthebackdropforHui-Neng'slife.Duringthiseratremendousprogresswas
madeinthedevelopmentofChineseBuddhistteachingsandwritings.Legendhasit
that at the moment of Hui-Neng's birth, in Chou of Kwangtung, beams of light illuminatedtheairandtheroomwasblanketedwithanunusualfragrance.Atdawn,
twomysteriousmonksaresaidtohavepaidavisittothenewborn'sfather,instructing
himtogivehischildtheauspiciousnameofHui-Neng.Hischildhoodwasthatofa
simple, uneducated peasant. An illiterate wood-cutter, Hui-Neng was said to have attainedenlightenment(astoldintheaccompanyingselection)inamomentaryflash.
His teachings pro-vide immediate and direct insights regarding the nature of
awarenessatitsveryessence.
As a result of his sudden enlightenment while still a young man, Hui-Neng
inherited the title of Grand Master of Zen. That a simple man lacking name, fame, and riches was chosen for this appointment over others far more learned and
influentialwasathreattotheoldguard.Persecutedbythosewhowereenviousofhis
attainment,Hui-Nengfledtothemountains.Hedidnotreappearuntilhismiddle-age
years,atwhichtimeheresumedhismissionofspreadingtheknowledgeofZentothe
masses.Hismodeofexpressionwassimpleandtothepoint,placingthewisdomof
Zen within the reach of many who would have otherwise been excluded from such teachings. The disciples of Hui-Neng were many, including common folk and
Confucianscholarsalike.Itwasnotuncommonforhimtoofferteachingstoovera
thousandscholars,officials,monks,nuns,andlaypeopleatatime.
Instructing students and disciples to seek equanimity and under-standing of the true or essential nature, Hui-Neng cautioned against stagnation. He emphasized
humility rather than self-aggrandizement, detachment from thoughts, and remaining truetoone'sessentialnature.Shavingone'sheadandreceivingordinationasmonks
and nuns was fruitless without evenness of mind and straightforwardness of action.
The way to enlightenment or buddhahood, advised Hui-Neng, was through
purification of the mind and recognition of the Pure Land within the body. Rebirth 24
withoutenlightenment,hecounseled,isalongroad.Better,hetaught,torealizethe
“birthlessrealityofimmediacy.”
Hui-Nenghadatremendousimpactonrevitalizingthequietasceticismofhisown
BuddhistsectionandonthespreadofZeninChina.Hissuccessorswerenumerous,
andcountlessthoughtfulstudentscontinuetobenefitfromhisteachings.
ThisstoryistoldinfirstpersonbyHui-Nengaspartofwhatisknownasthe Altar Sutra.ItwastranslatedbyThomasClearyfromaversionbyamonknamedTsung-Pao that was compiled in 1291 from earlier sources, including a version from Hiu-Neng'sdisciple,Fahai.
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FROMILLITERATEWOODCUTTERTOSIXTHZENPATRIARCH
AFTER HAVING gotten my mother settled, I left right away and reached Huang-mei withinthirty-odddays.ThereIpaidrespectstotheFifthGrandMaster.
TheGrandMasterasked,“Whereareyoufrom,andwhatdoyouwant?”
Ireplied,“IamapeasantfromHsinProvinceinLing-nan.Ihavecomefromfar
awaytopaymyrespectstoyouonlybecauseIseektobeabuddha,nothingelse.”
TheGrandMastersaid,“Youareasoutherner,andanaborigine;howcanyoubea
buddha?”
Isaid,“Peoplemaybesouthernersornortherners,butthebuddha-natureoriginally
hasnosouthornorth.Asanaborigine,mysocialstatusisnotthesameasyours,but
whatdifferenceisthereinourbuddha-nature?”
TheGrandMasterwantedtotalkwithmemore,buthesawthathisfollowerswere
allaround,sohehadmedochoreswiththeworkers.
Isaidtohim,“Myownmindalwaysproduceswisdom.Notbeingalienatedfrom
one's own essential nature is itself a field of blessings. What work would you have medo?”
The Grand Master said, “This aborigine is very sharp! Don't say any more. Go workinthemill.”
So I retired to a back building, where a worker had me splitting firewood and poundingrice.Ispentovereightmonthsatthis,whentheGrandMastersawmeone
dayandsaid,“Ithinkyourinsightisreliable,butIwasafraidbadpeoplewouldharm
you,soIdidn'ttalktoyou.Doyourealizethis?”
I said, “I do know your intention. That is why I didn't dare walk in front of the auditorium,lestonebecareless.”
OnedaytheGrandMastercalledallhisdisciplestohimandsaid,“Itellyou,for
peopleinthisworldthematterofbirthanddeathisserious.Youlotjustseekfieldsof blessingsalldaylong,anddonotseektogetoutoftheoceanofmiseryofbirthand
death.
“Ifyourownnatureisconfused,howcanblessingssaveyou?Leteachofyoulook
into your own wisdom, grasp the insightful nature of your own basic mind, and compose a verse to show me. If you have understood the great meaning, I will bequeathtoyoutherobeandtheteaching,andmakeyoutheSixthGrandMaster.
Other people hearing this all set their minds to rest, saying, “We will rely on MasterShen-hsiuafterthis;whybothertocomposeaverse?”
Shen-hsiureflected,“Thereasontheotherswon'tpresentversesisthatIamtheir
mentor.Imustcomposeaversetopresenttotheteacher—ifIdonotpresentaverse,
howwilltheteacherknowthedepthorshallownessoftheinsightandunder-standing
withinmymind?Ifmyintentioninpresentingaverseistoseektheteaching,thenit
isgood;ifitistoseektherankofGrandMaster,thatisbad—itwouldbethesameas
theordinarymentality.Howwoulditbedifferentfromusurpingtherankofasage?If
I do not present a verse, I'll never get the teaching. This is very difficult, very difficult.”
In front of the Fifth Grand Master's auditorium was a hallway three rooms long, 26
where they were going to have an artist paint a mural of the projection of the Lankavatara-sutra and the succession of the five Grand Masters of Ch'an. After Shen-hsiu had composed his verse, several times he got as far as the front of the auditoriumintendingtopresentit,buteachtimehefeltfaintandbrokeoutinasweat.
Unable to bring himself to present his verse, over a period of four days he made thirteenunsuccessfulattempts.
FinallyShen-hsiuthought,“ItwouldbebetterifIwrotetheverseinthehallway,
where the teacher can see it. If the teacher says it is good, I will respectfully come forthanddeclareittobemycomposition.Ifhesaysitwon'tdo,Ihavebeenwasting
years in the mountains accepting respect from others—what further path would I practice?”Thatnight,inthemiddleofthenight,lettingnooneknow,hetookalamp
andwrotehisverseonthewallofthesouthhallway,presentinghisinsight.
Theversesaid,
Thebodyisthetreeofenlightenment,
Themindislikeaclearmirror-stand.
Polishitdiligentlytimeandagain,
Notlettingitgatherdust.
Having written this, Shen-hsiu went back to his room, totally undetected by
anyone.
hadnotreceivedinstruction,Ialreadyknewthemainidea,soIaskedtheboy,“What
verseisthatyou'rechanting?”
The boy said, “You aborigine! Don't you know that the Grand Master said for people in this world the matter of birth and death is serious—if they want to get transmission of the robe and the teaching, he had the disciples compose verses. If anyonehasrealizedthegreatmeaning,hewilltransmittherobeandtheteachingand
make him the Sixth Grand Master. The senior monk Shen-hsiu wrote this formless verseonthewallofthesouthhallway;theGrandMasterhadeveryonememorizeit,
sayingthatifoneputsthisverseintopracticeonewillavoidfallingintoevilways,
andifoneputsthisverseintopracticeonewillgaingreatbenefit.”
Isaid,“Ihavebeenherepoundingriceforovereightmonths,andhaveneverbeen
totheauditorium.Pleasetakemetowheretheverseis,soIcanpaymyrespects.”
Whentheboyhadledmetotheversetopayrespects,Isaid,“Iamilliterate;please
readitforme.”AtthattimethelieutenantmilitaryinspectorofChiangProvincewas
there,amannamedChang Chih-yung; he read the verse aloud. After I'd heard it, I saidIhadaversetoo,andaskedthelieutenantinspectortowriteitforme.
Thelieutenant inspector said,“How extraordinary that youtoo would composea
verse!”
I said to the lieutenant inspector, “If you want to learn supreme enlightenment, don't slight beginners. A person of the lowliest rank may have the very highest knowledge, while a person of the highest rank may lack practical wisdom. If you slightpeople,youwillhavedoneincalculablewrong.”
Thelieutenantinspectorsaid,“Reciteyourverse,andIwillwriteitforyou.Ifyou
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attaintheteaching,youshouldliberateme.Don'tforgetthesewords.”
Myversewentthisway:
Enlightenmentoriginallyhasnotree,
Andaclearmirrorisnotastand.
Originallythere'snotasinglething—
Wherecandustbeattracted?
After this verse had been written down, the whole community was amazed, and
everyonewondered.Theysaidtoeachother,“Howodd!Youcan'ttellaboutpeople
by their appearance! How could we have employed him, a living bodhisattva, as a servantforsolong?”
Seeing the surprise and wonder of the crowd, the Grand Master feared someone mightdomeharm,soheerasedtheversewithhisshoeandsaid,“Thisisstillnotyet
perceptionofessence.”
Everyone thought it was so, but the next day the Grand Master surreptitiously came to the mill, where he saw me pounding rice, a stone at my waist. He said,
“PeoplewhoseektheWayforgettheirbodiesforthesakeoftheteaching;willhebe
likethis?”Thenheaskedme,“Isthericereadyyet?”
Ireplied,“Thericehasbeenreadyforalongtime,butitstillwantssifting.”
The Grand Master knocked the mortar three times with his cane. Immediately
understandingtheGrandMaster'smeaning,Iwenttohisroomatthethirdwatch[in
themiddleofthenight].Usinghisvestmentasascreensonoonecouldseeus,he
explainedthe DiamondSutratome.Whenhecametothepointwhereitsays,“You should activate the mind without dwelling on anything,” at these words I had the overwhelmingrealizationthatallthingsarenotapartfrominherentnature.
IthensaidtotheGrandMaster,“Whowouldhaveexpectedthatinherentnatureis
originally intrinsically pure? Who would have expected that inherent nature is originally unborn and undying? Who would have expected that inherent nature is originally complete in itself? Who would have expected that inherent nature is originally immovable? Who would have expected that inherent nature can produce myriadthings?”
KnowingIhadrealizedoriginalnature,theGrandMastersaidtome,“Ifonedoes
notdiscerntheoriginalmind,itisofnobenefittostudytheteaching.Ifyoudiscern yourownoriginalmindandseeyourownoriginalessentialnature,youarewhatthey
callagreatman,ateacherofhumansandangels,abuddha.”
Ireceivedtheteachinginthemiddleofthenight,unbeknownsttoanyone.Hethen
handedonthedoctrineofimmediacy,aswellasthebowlandrobe,saying,“Youare
the sixth-generation Grand Master. Be conscientious and spiritually liberate beings everywhere,popularizingtheteachingsothatitwillnotdieoutinthefuture.Listen
tomyverse:
“Thosewithsenseplantseeds;
Thefruitsgrowfromtheground.
Sincethereisnoseedwithoutsense,
Thereisnonature,nolife.”
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TheGrandMasteralsosaid,“WhenthegreatteacherBodhi-dharmafirstcameto thislandalongtimeago,peopledidnotyetbelieveinhim,sohehandedonthisrobe
asanembodimentoffaith,andithasbeeninheritedthroughthegenerations.Asfor
the teaching, it is transmitted mind to mind, enabling all to awaken themselves and understandthemselves.
“Sinceoldentimes,thebuddhashaveonlycommunicatedtheoriginalreality;the
teachershaveintimatelyimpartedtheoriginalmind.Therobeisaboneofcontention;
letitstopwithyouandnotbepassedon.Ifyouweretopassonthisrobe,yourlife
would be in danger. You must go away immediately, for I fear people may harm you.”
Iasked,“WhereshouldIgo?”
TheGrandMastersaid,“StopwhenyoumeetHuai;hibernatewhenyouencounter
Hui.”
Taking the robe and bowl in the middle of the night, I said, “I am originally a southerner,unfamiliarwiththemountainroadshere.HowcanIgetouttothemouth
oftheriver?”
TheFifthGrandMastersaid,“Don'tworry.I'lltakeyoutheremyself.”TheGrand
Master than took me right to Nine River Station, where he had me get onto a boat.
TheFifthGrandMasterhimselftookuptheoarsandrowed.
IaskedtheGrandMastertositdownandletmerow,buthesaid,“Itisappropriate
thatIferryyouacross.”
I said, “When people are at a loss, the guide ferries them over; when one is enlightened,oneferriesoneselfover.”
The Grand Master said, “So it is. It is so. Hereafter Buddhism will become very popular through you. Three years after you go, I will depart from this world. Now youshouldgo;makeyourwaytotheSouth.Itisbetternottospeakouttooquickly;
itishardtopromoteBuddhism.”
AfterIhadbadefarewellandlefttheGrandMaster,Isetoutsouthward.
Fromthe AltarSutrabyHui-Neng,SixthGrandMasterofZen.
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THREE
YESHETSOGYAL
757-817,TIBET
YESHETSOGYAL,whosenamemeans“OceanofPrimordialWisdom,”isconsidered
tobethemotherofTibetanBuddhism.Sheisbestknownforherroleasconsortand
biographer of Padmasambhava (Lotus-Born), the Vajrayana Buddhist guru who is
credited with bringing Buddhism from India to Tibet. This great woman, however, deservestoberecognizedforherownprofoundspiritualattainments.Inadditionto
being a historical figure, Yeshe Tsogyal's story has been mythologized over the centuriesandshehasassumedthestatusofadeity,theQueenofGreatBliss.
In the mundane world, Yeshe Tsogyal was the young wife of Emperor Trisong
Detsen, who invited Padmasambhava to teach and build monasteries in Tibet.
However,shehadnointerestinmarriedlifeintheemperor'sharem,andsoughtonly
spiritualwealthandexperiences.WhenYesheTsogyalbecamethestudentandtantric
consortoftheIndianspiritualteacher,quiteascandaleruptedattheemperor'scourt, andshewasforcedintoexile.
Keith Dowman, in his book Sky Dancer, relates the story of her first tantric encounterwiththeLotus-BornLord:
I,thegirlTsogyel,sankbeneathmundaneappearances,andhavingslippedinto
thenakednessofpurepleasure,Ianointedmymandalaofdelightwiththefive
sacredsubstances,andmadefurtherpetition:
BuddhaHeroofPurePleasure,doasyouwill.
GuruandLordofPurePleasure,
Withtrueenergyandjoy,Iimploreyoutoinject
Theseedintotheinnermandala.
AndIwillguardthesecretofthemethodwithmylife.
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YESHETSOGYEL
Then with three fingers stirring the pollen dust of the lotus, I offered my mandala to the mandala of the Guru's Body with an intense snake-like dance.
The mandala of dynamic space having gathered into itself the nature of the
GreatPemaHerukahimselfbymeansofthehookofthelowermember'sfocal
point,theAbsoluteHeruka,hismagnificentflamingvajrainastateofrapacity
and violent abuse, his wrinkles uncreased, projecting his full emanation, took command of the lotus throne with a roar of scornful laughter that flooded
appearanceswithglory,transmutingthemintopurepleasure.Thusherevealed
tometheMandalaoftheBlazingSunofRadiantInnerSpace,conferringpower
uponme.
Throughout her life, Yeshe Tsogyal wandered and performed advanced spiritual