Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (119 page)

A monk asked, “Why did the First Ancestor come from the west?”

Xingyan said, “I don’t deal with that question.”

A monk asked, “How can I sit in meditation like the ancestors did, so that there is no right or wrong?”

Xingyan said, “How are you sitting?”

Xingyan heard a dove call and said, “What’s that sound?”

The monk said, “A dove’s call.”

Xingyan said, “If you don’t want to give rise to limitless evil karma, then don’t slander the true Dharma of the Tathagatas.”

The governor of Jiangnan constructed the Baoci Monastery and called on Xingyan to assume the abbacy and expound the wisdom of the sect. [At the opening ceremony] a crowd of over two thousand gathered, and they had previously never heard Master Xingyan’s name.

Xingyan entered the hall and addressed the crowd, saying, “Today, heroes and eminencies have gathered here—a great crowd. Nothing has been left undone for the sake of the Buddhadharma. If you could see all this as mirroring [Buddha’s truth], then there would be no need for a speech. And yet, although fundamentally there is nothing to speak of, how can I remain silent?

“The myriad forms of the universe, the expansive source of all the buddhas—when revealed clearly, this is the ocean-seal of shining purity. Obscured, it is impassioned delusion and self-deception.

“Despite the demand for edification by the distinguished guests here, and the requests of those present of high standing, how dare I, in the midst of this dusty world, presume to expound on the most sublime; roll out things and forms; lay out and gather in phenomena; reveal birth and nonbirth; set out annihilation and nonannihilation; completely penetrate birth and death; and speak about eternal truth?

“If I speak falsely then shadows will be cast on a thousand paths. If I speak the truth, then the content of my talk will be empty, without any traces. Only by speaking in that way can I try to expose existence and nonexistence, birth and annihilation.”

CHONGSHOU QIZHOU

CHONGSHOU QIZHOU (d. 992) was a disciple of Fayan Wenyi and a Dharma heir of the Fayan lineage. Chongshou came from Quanzhou.

Chongshou entered the hall and ascended the seat.

A monk asked, “Everyone seeks to witness the first principle. What is the first principle?”

Chongshou said, “Why trouble to ask again?”

Then he also said, “If everyone wants to comprehend buddha nature, then look at temporal causation. What is temporal causation? When you monks go out of here today, will you have it or not? If not, then what makes you leave? If you have it, what is the first principle?

“Monks, the first principle is evident, so why belabor looking for it? The eternal light of buddha nature is in this manner clearly revealed, and all dharmas eternally abide. If you see that dharmas eternally abide, that is still not their true source. What is the true source of dharmas? Have you monks not heard that the ancients said, ‘A single person realizes truth and returns to the source, then the emptiness in the ten directions is extinguished’? Then is there a single dharma left to be understood? If the ancients thus put forth the alpha and omega of the great matter, then just act in accordance with it. Why belabor it with endless chatter? If anyone in the congregation doesn’t understand this, then say so.”

A monk asked, “The lamp of the Dharma eye is like personally seeing the Ju River. Today the empress dowager begs for her life. What is the lamp of Fayan [Dharma eye]?”
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Chongshou said, “Ask another question.”

A monk asked, “The ancients did not all see the same place. Please, Master, resolve this question.”

Chongshou said, “What place did the ancients see that wasn’t the same?”

A monk asked, “What is Buddha?”

Chongshou said, “What is Buddha?”

The monk asked, “What is understanding?”

Chongshou said, “Understanding is not understanding.”

TIANTAI DESHAO

TIANTAI DESHAO (891–972) was the principal disciple and Dharma heir of Fayan Wenyi. He was a native of Longchuan in Chu Province.
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He began his monastic life at Longgui (“Returning Dragon”) Temple, in his home province. At the age of eighteen he traveled to Kaiyuan Temple in Xinzhou, where he received ordination.