Buddha crossing a predestined person: Dharma and wisdom in life

Chapter 8: A Clash at the Head——If you don’t write about it, you will pass it on outside the classroom (2)
Sengcan and Huike, one for physical health and the other for peace of mind, were both blocked by emptiness.Before Seng Can met his second ancestor, he was always haunted by a sense of guilt, so he fell ill.Now I know that the so-called sense of guilt is nothing but the flow of thoughts, and once the thoughts disappear, I will be liberated, so the disease has gradually recovered.According to records, the second patriarch passed on the Dharma after the third patriarch, mixed with the secular world, haunted singing houses and restaurants, and was later killed by his enemies.

master and apprentice slap

Zen Master Linji bid farewell to his teacher, Zen Master Huangbo, and prepared to study elsewhere.

Zen Master Huangbo asked, "Where are you going?"

Zen Master Linji replied: "Either go to Henan, or go to Hebei."

Chan Master Huangbo punched Chan Master Linji on the spot, and Chan Master Linji grabbed Huangbo and slapped him back.After Zen Master Huangbo was beaten, he laughed loudly and called the waiter, "Go and bring me the Zen tablet and scripture table of Master Baizhang!"

Zen Master Linji also shouted: "That being said, the fire cannot burn. Go ahead and kill yourself. From now on, you must stop the mouths of the world!"

Later, Chan Master Weishan Lingyou questioned Chan Master Yangshan about this matter, "Are Linji's words and deeds betraying Master Huangbo?"

Yang Shan: "That's not the case."

Wei Shan: "How do you see it?"

Yang Shan: "Only those who know kindness know how to repay kindness."

Wei Shan: "Among the ancient sages, did anything similar happen?"

Yang Shan: "Yes, it's just that the time is very far away, I don't want to describe it to the teacher."

Wei Shan smiled and said, "You won't have to worry about running out of food in the future!"

■Sentiment——

In the history of Buddhism, the Chan Dharma inherited by Huangbo Xiyun and Zen Master Linji Yixuan is called Linji Zong; the Zen Dharma inherited by Zen Master Weishan Lingyou and Yangshan Huiji is called Weiyang Zong. They are both disciples or disciples of Zen Master Baizhang Huaihai. Pass on to disciples again.Weishan was older than both Huangbo and Linji, and his sects were not the same, yet he was able to praise Huangbo and Linji again and again.

Who is Wubit real person
Once, Linji said in a Dharma meeting: "Among your red meat groups, there is a real person without a title who often comes and goes in front of you. If you haven't experienced this fact, try it!"

At this time, a monk came out and asked, "Who is this Wubit real person?"

Immediately Linji jumped off the Zen bed, grabbed the monk and said, "Say it, say it!"

When the monk was hesitating and didn't know how to answer, Linji pushed him away and said, "What a shameless real person!"

After speaking, he went back to his room.

■Sentiment——

Linji grasps with his bare hands what is directly presented to all of us human beings—the Wuwei Zhenren, which is the original nature.No literal explanation of it will ever bring us to our own nature.The more you explain it, the farther it gets away from you.It's as if you're trying to catch your own shadow.You chase it behind, and it runs forward at the same speed.

The focus of Linji's thoughts lies in "the real person without a position".He emphasized the need to believe in oneself, but this self is not a short-lived individual or form, but a true self that is immortal, transcends time and space, and is one with Tao.A man who has only a short-lived physical ego is a slave.Once he realizes that he is the real person in his heart, he can be at ease and become a Buddha.When the monk asked, he regarded Wuwei Daoist as some kind of strange person, but he didn't think about his true self at all.In fact, if a person regards a false self as his self, it is tantamount to making himself lifeless and worthless like dry shit.

Crying just now, laughing now

Baizhang Huaihai is a disciple of Mazu Daoyi who taught the Dharma. He served Daoyi for 16 years and was approved.After Daoyi's death, Huaihai lived in Daxiong Mountain and said that Daxiong Mountain was high and straight, so it was also called Baizhang Mountain, and Baizhang Huaihai got its name from this.Baizhang Huaihai's enlightenment had a relationship with twisting his nose. During Huaihai's third year of service with Mazu, one day he accompanied Mazu on a trip, and when he heard wild ducks calling, Mazu asked, "What's the sound?"

Huaihai replied, "The sound of wild ducks."

After a while, Mazu asked, "Where did the voice go?"

Huaihai replied without thinking, "It flew over."

Ma Zu turned his head and grabbed Huaihai's nose and twisted it hard, Huaihai cried out in pain, Ma Zu said, "Let's fly over!"

Huaihai understood on the spot.After returning to the dormitory, Huai Hai burst into tears, his roommate was surprised, but he couldn't find out why, so he had to ask Ma Zu for instructions.Mazu said: "He is the one who has enlightened, you go ask him yourself."

The same room went back to the dormitory and said to Huaihai: "The master said that you have enlightened, and asked us to ask you ourselves."

Huaihai laughed loudly, and asked in the same room, "I cried so sadly just now, why are you laughing again now?"

Huaihai replied, "I was crying just now, now I'm laughing!"

Perhaps because Baizhang's comprehension came through suffering, his Zen style was very solid. Compared with other Zen masters at that time, he might be the one who emphasized the most on personal practice.Baizhang is also very strict in training his disciples.

Shan Ling first visited Baizhang, and Baizhang asked, "Who?"

Shanling said: "It's me, so-and-so."

Baizhang pointed to the charcoal basin and said, "Pull out the basin to see if there is still fire?"

Shan Ling pulled it out with a stick, and replied, "No more."

Baizhang got up to pull it out himself, pulled out a little spark from the depths, held it up to the mountain and said, "You said no, what is this?"

The mountain spirit was enlightened and thanked Baizhang.

The next day, Shan Ling followed Baizhang into the mountain to work, and Baizhang asked, "Can you make fire?"

Shan said, "Yes."

Baizhang asked, "Where is it?"

Shanling picked up a piece of firewood, blew it twice and handed it to Baizhang.

Baizhang said coldly: "Occasionally the answer is correct."

■Sentiment——

In this koan, Baizhang emphasizes that students must exert their strength to participate in Zen, and that the Zen state must be solid, and they should not be passed by like a dragonfly on water.

Do dogs have Buddha nature?

Zhaozhou, the descendant of Matsu from another generation, was born in Shandong with the common surname Hao, and he became a monk when he was young.

A monk asked, "Does a dog have Buddha-nature?"

Zhaozhou replied: "No."

The monk then asked: "All the Buddhas, down to the ants, all have Buddha-nature. Why do you say there are no dogs?"

The monk looked like he was fighting for the dog.

Zhaozhou replied, "Because dogs have knowledge of karma."

In another koan, when a monk asked whether a dog had Buddha-nature, Zhaozhou replied yes.

The monk asked: "Since you have Buddha nature, how can you get into the dog's fur?"

Zhaozhou replied calmly, "Knowingly committed the crime."

■Sentiment——

In Zhaozhou's view, whether a dog has Buddha-nature is completely unrelated to Buddha-nature, but people sometimes call it Buddha-nature for convenience, and sometimes call it karma-knowledge. In fact, they are all the same, but in different states. That's all.

Where did Nanquan go after his death?
Pang Yun (originally a student of Confucianism) asked Ma Zu: "What kind of person is a person who does not keep company with ten thousand dharmas?"

Mazu replied, "I'll tell you when you've sucked up all the water in the West River."

A monk asked Chan Master Jingling of Changsha, "Where did Nanquan go after his death?"

Jingling replied: "When Shi Shi was a novice, he once visited the Sixth Patriarch."

The monk said, "I'm not asking Shitou to see the Sixth Patriarch. I'm asking where will Nanquan go after his death?"

Jingling replied, "About this, teach you to think for yourself."

■Sentiment——

Whether Shitou met the Sixth Patriarch when he was young does not seem to have any internal connection with where Nanquan went after his death.Nanquan was Jingling's teacher, and the monk naturally asked where his teacher had gone in the end.Judging from the laws of general logic, Jing Ling's answer is not an answer at all. What about the phrase "teach yourself to think"? From this, it is clear that Zen is one thing and logic is another.To expect Zen to give us some kind of logically consistent, intellectually clear explanation is to completely misunderstand the meaning of Zen.

what is zen

A monk asked who the Buddha was, and the master pointed to the Buddha statue in the Buddhist hall without any explanation or argument.

A monk asked, "What is the heart?"

Master replied: "Heart".

The monk said again, "Master, I don't understand."

Master immediately replied, "I don't understand either."

On another occasion, a monk was troubled by the question of immortality and asked, "How can one avoid the bondage of life and death?"

The master replied, "Where are you?"

Someone asked: "What is the fundamental teaching of the Buddha?"

Master said, "The wind from this fan is cool enough."

Someone asked Zhaozhou: "What is Zen?"

He replied: "Today is cloudy, I don't want to answer".

To the same question, Cloud Gate's answer is "this".Another time, he wasn't sure at all, saying, "Nothing to say."

■Sentiment——

Usually, Zen masters never waste time answering questions and don't like to make any arguments at all.Their answers are often short and definitive, following the questions like lightning.

Since the definitions given by the Zen masters to Buddha, Zen, and mind are so, then, what do they think these have to do with the so-called enlightenment theory in Buddhist scriptures? Are they looking at it from the perspective of the Langa Sutra or the Prajna Paramita Sutra? What about Zen? No, Zen has its own way, and the Chinese do not hesitate to abandon the Indian way.

Enlightenment has nothing to do with learning

Zen Master Xiangyan is a disciple of Baizhang Wen Huaihai.After Baizhang died, he went to see Weishan Lingyou, who was Baizhang's great disciple.

Wei Shan asked him: "I heard that you answered ten questions at Baizhang Master's place, and you answered ten questions after ten questions. This is your cleverness, but understanding the way of Zen in this way will definitely produce rationality and grasp of concepts. This is not very useful. Maybe you have realized the way of Zen. Tell me, the root of life and death is the root of your parents before you were born, and let me hear it."

Such a question, Xiangyan didn't know what to answer.

Back in his room, Xiangyan searched through the articles he read on weekdays and the notes on the teacher's quotations, but he couldn't find a word to answer.So I went back to Weishan and begged him to explain it.

But Wei Shan said: "I really don't have anything to teach you. If I do this, you will laugh at me and scold me in the future. What's more, what I can teach you is mine, not yours."

Xiangyan is disappointed and thinks that Senior Brother treats him badly.In the end, I decided to burn the writings that did not contribute to spiritual well-being, and I decided to retire completely from this world and live a simple and lonely life in accordance with the Buddhist precepts.He said: "Since Buddhism is so difficult to understand and there are so few opportunities to ask others for advice, what is the use of studying Buddhism? From now on, I will become a walking monk so as not to enslave my mind."

So he bid farewell to Weishan, and built a hut next to the tomb of Zen Master Huizhong, the master of Nanyang.

One day, when he was weeding, sweeping the floor, throwing rubble and hitting bamboo to make a sound, he suddenly realized.The question Wei Shan raised is now very clear, and he is infinitely delighted.Only now did I realize the kindness that Wei Shan did not reveal to him that day.Because if Wei Shan had told him the truth that day, what happened at this moment would not have happened.

The following is the eulogy he composed immediately after enlightenment.From this eulogy, we can understand his concept of enlightenment:

One hit and forget,
Not to mention practice,
Moving the ancient road,
Don't fall into a quiet machine,
nowhere to be seen,
Sensual and majestic,
Those who have attained the Way in all directions,
Xian Yan got on the plane.

■Sentiment——

Why did Chan Master Xiangyan have such profound knowledge but still not be able to realize the Tao?Because learning has nothing to do with enlightenment.Even, the deeper the knowledge, the farther away from the Tao.Because learning is rational, but Zen is beyond reason.Therefore, working hard on learning is like seeking fish from a tree, and you will get nothing.Therefore, Xiangyan later gave up learning and returned to daily life. It was the sound of living life (debris hitting bamboo) that made him realize his epiphany.

Since Zen is a living fact, there is Zen only when we grasp the living fact.If the appeal to reason comes directly from life, then this appeal to reason is also practical and alive.Otherwise, any literary achievement or theoretical analysis cannot be used in meditation.

"I am not deaf"

Once, someone asked Shoushan: "An old Zen master said that there is a unique language. If we understand this unique language, we will wipe away the sins of countless kalpas. What is this unique language?"

Shoushan replied, "It's right under your nose!"

The monk asked again: "What is the meaning of it?"

The Zen master finally said, "That's all I can say."

Once again, when someone asked Zhao Zhou about the "First Word", he coughed.

So the monk said, "Isn't that right?"

Zhaozhou replied, "Ah, isn't an old man even allowed to cough?"

Another time, a monk asked Zhaozhou: "What is the only language?"

Zhaozhou asked him back, "What did you say?"

The monk asked him again: "What is the only language?"

So Zhaozhou said slowly, "You have turned it into two."

A monk asked Zhaozhou, "Can you describe the essence of Dao in one sentence?"

Zhaozhou didn't give him any special answer, just said: "Yes."

Of course the monk didn't understand the meaning of this answer, so he asked Zhaozhou again.

Zhaozhou replied loudly, "I'm not deaf!"

■Sentiment——

Please see how irrelevant the answers of Shoushan and Zhaozhou are to the questions people ask!But this is the characteristic of Zen, and this is where Zen transcends logic and the control and misinterpretation of ideas.Zen does not believe in reason, does not rely on reasoning methods, but uses its own principled way to deal with problems.

Empty-handed hoe

Master Fu said:
empty-handed hoe,
Ride a buffalo on foot.

people pass on the bridge,
The bridge does not flow.

■Sentiment——

These four sentences sound completely unreasonable, but in fact Zen is full of such vivid and unreasonable words. "Flowers are not red, and willows are not green" is one of the most famous sayings uttered by Zen masters, and it is considered to be exactly the same as the affirmation "flowers are red and willows are green".If we put it in a logical way, it would go like this: "A is both A and not-A."

In this way, we can say that I am me and you are me.Thus, heaven is hell, and God is the devil. How shocking is this Zen statement to the devout orthodox Christian!Zhang San drinks and Li Si is a little drunk.The silent and thunderous Vimalakīrti claimed that he was sick because all of his kind were sick.We must say that all wise and loving people are the embodiment of the great contradiction of the universe.

practice without speaking

In order to practice, four monks participated in the "non-speaking practice" of Zen Buddhism.

Among the four monks, three of them have relatively high morality, and only one has relatively shallow morality.Since lamps must be lit for cultivation, the monks with the lowest level of practice are responsible for lighting the lamps.

After the "practice without talking" started, the four monks sat cross-legged and practiced around the lamp.After several hours, all four were silent.Because this is "practicing without speaking", no one speaks out, which is a very normal phenomenon.

The oil in the oil lamp burned less and less, and it was about to dry up. The monk in charge of the lamp was very anxious when he saw this.At this time, a gust of wind suddenly blew, and the lights swayed left and right by the wind, and almost went out.

The monk Guandeng couldn't bear it any longer. He yelled, "Oops! The fire is about to go out." The other three monks, who had closed their eyes and meditated, remained silent.Hearing monk Guan Deng's cry, the second monk who was walking above him immediately reprimanded him, saying, "What's your name! We're doing 'non-speaking practice', how can we speak?"

The third monk was furious when he heard the sound. He scolded the second monk and said, "Don't you talk too? It's too disrespectful."

The fourth monk with the highest morality began to sit silently.But after a while, he opened his eyes and looked down upon the other three monks and said, "Only I didn't speak."

■Sentiment——

The four monks who participated in the "non-talking practice" all spoke one after another for the sake of a lamp; the funniest thing is that when the three monks who "got the Tao" accused others of "talking", they didn't know that they were also talking. Made the mistake of "talking".

mustard seed nasumi

Bailudong Academy is the first complete academy in the history of our country.The Li Bo brothers of the Tang Dynasty once lived in seclusion here to study.Li Bo has a white deer, which is with him all day long, so he is called Mr. White Deer.Later, Li Bo became the governor of Jiangzhou.Pavilions, platforms and pavilions are built here, mountain springs are dredged, and flowers and trees are planted, making it a tourist attraction.

When Li Bo was the governor of Jiangzhou, he once asked Zen Master Zhichang: "The Buddhist scriptures say 'mustard seeds mustard mustard mustard mustard mustard mustard mustard mustard Naxumi mustard mustard' is a mystery. How can a small mustard seed hold such a big one?" What about Mount Sumeru? It’s a lie.”

Zen Master Zhichang laughed when he heard the words, and asked, "It is said that you have read more than ten thousand books and are called Li Wanjuan. Is this true?"

"Of course! Of course! I don't just read tens of thousands of volumes?" Li Bo looked complacent.

"Then where are the thousands of books you have read?"

Li Bo pointed to his head and said, "It's all here!"

Zen Master Zhichang said: "Strange, I think your head is only as big as a coconut, so how did you put those ten thousand books into your little head? Could it be that you are also deceiving people?"

■Sentiment——

Buddhism says: "One flower, one world", which means that there is a world in a flower, which is the same as "mustard seed Nasumi".Why do you say that?From the perspective of Buddhism, there is actually no one law in the whole world, and everything is empty: flowers are empty, mustard seeds are empty, sumeru is empty, and the world is also empty!Kong and Kong are together, of course it doesn't matter who can save the other.Only the Buddha nature is the real existence, and this Buddha nature is our heart.Therefore, when we observe flowers and mustard seeds with our hearts, what we are facing is a world, and this world is our heart in the final analysis!Our hearts are always free. They can be as small as mustard seeds or as big as Sumeru.

red bamboo

It is said that someone asked a Zen master who was good at painting bamboo to draw a banner with bamboo forest as the content.The artist agreed and tried his best to draw a picture, but the whole bamboo forest was red.

When the benefactor saw the painting, he was amazed by the special skills in completing the painting, and ran to the artist's residence and said to him, "Master, I'm here to thank you for painting this painting for me, but why did you paint the bamboo forest in red?"

The master said: "So, what color do you want to paint?"

The benefactor replied: "Of course it is painted in black."

The painter said, "Have you ever seen black leaf bamboo?"

■Sentiment——

When a person is used to seeing things a certain way, it is difficult to change the attitude and start in a new direction.The true color of bamboo is neither black, nor red, nor green, nor any other color known to us.Maybe red, maybe black.Who knows?An imagined contradiction may turn out not to be a contradiction at all.

What does Huangmei mean?

A monk asked the sixth patriarch Huineng: "Who will get the meaning of the yellow plum?"

Huangmei is the name of the mountain, and the fifth patriarch Hongren often lived here.Everyone knows that the Sixth Patriarch Huineng practiced Zen under Hongren's school and was passed on the mantle.Therefore, this question is not a question of seeking facts, but contains a hidden purpose.The Sixth Patriarch's answer was: "Those who know the Dharma will gain it."

The monk asked again: "Does the monk still need it?"

The Sixth Patriarch replied, "I don't know Buddhism."

The monk asked again, "Why don't you know Buddhism?"

His answer was still: "I don't know Buddhism."

■Sentiment——

(End of this chapter)