Entangling Vines Read online

  Dongpo (Tung-p’o, Tōba; 1037–1101; Case 237 n.), also known as Su Dongpo (Su Tung-p’o, So Tōba) or Su Shi (Su Shih, Soshoku), was a government official and literary figure with a particular interest in Zen. He is honored as one of the Eight Great Poets of the Tang and Song dynasties. In 1057, when he was just nineteen years old, he passed the highest-level government examination, and in 1060 entered the civil service. Criticism of certain government policies that he regarded as oppressive led to his dismissal to Huangzhou . There he built himself a hut on the east slope of a hill and took Dongpo , “East Slope,” as his “fancy name” . He appears to have enjoyed the rural life of Huangzhou, and it was there that he began Zen meditation. He was later recalled to the palace and rose to the position of president of the Board of Rites, but he again ran afoul of the authorities and was sent to the remote island of Hainan south of China. In 1101 he was recalled and restored to honor, but he died soon afterward.

  Dongshan Huikong (Tung-shan Hui-kong, Tōzan Ekū; 1096–1158; Case 19-2), also known as Xuefeng Huikong (Hsüeh-feng Hui-kong, Seppō Ekū), was a native of Fuzhou in modern Fujian , with the lay name Chen . Ordained at the age of fourteen, he studied under the master Letan Shanqing (1057–1142) in the Huanglong line of the Linji school. After succeeding to Shanqing’s Dharma he taught at the monastery on Mount Xuefeng in Fujian.

  Dongshan Liangjie (Tung-shan Liang-chieh, Tōzan Ryōkai; 807–69; Cases 109 n., 129, 155 n., 161, 264) was a native of Yuezhou , in present-day Zhejiang , with the family name Yu . Placed in a local temple as a boy, his ability was recognized (see Case 109 n.) and he was sent to study under Wuxie Lingmo (747–818), an heir of Mazu Daoyi. Liangjie later practiced under Nanquan Puyuan and Guishan Lingyou. Unable to penetrate the meaning of Nanyang Huizhong’s phrase “the preaching of Dharma by the sentientless” , Liangjie was advised by Guishan to meet Yunyan Tansheng (782–841). When Liangjie arrived at Yunyan’s monastery he asked, “Who can hear the insentient when they expound the Dharma?” Yunyan answered, “The insentient can.” Liangjie then asked, “Can the reverend priest hear it?” Yunyan replied, “If I did hear it, you wouldn’t hear my preaching of the Dharma.” “Why wouldn’t I hear it?” asked Liangjie. Yunyan held up his whisk and said, “Do you hear this?” “No, I don’t,” replied Liangjie. “If you can’t hear even my sermon, how can you hear the sermon of the insentient?” Liangjie then asked, “What sutra does the preaching of the insentient correspond to?” Yunyan answered, “Haven’t you seen the passage in the Amitābha Sutra, ‘The rivers, the birds, the trees, and the forests all chant the name of buddha, all chant the name of Dharma’?” At this Liangjie gained some insight, and recited the verse:

  How wonderful, how wonderful!

  The preaching of the sentientless is inconceivable!

  Listening with the ear, it is difficult to understand.

  Hearing with the eye, then you know it. (Miura and Sasaki 1966, p. 293)

  When Liangjie was taking his leave of Yunyan, he asked, “If someone asks me to describe you a hundred years from now, how should I respond?” Yunyan replied, “Say only, ‘Just this! This!’ In taking on this matter you must examine most closely.” Later, while crossing a stream, Liangjie saw his reflection in the water and suddenly understood Yunyan’s full meaning. He commented:

  Seeking it from others is forbidden, for thus it becomes farther and farther estranged. Now that I go my way entirely alone, there is nowhere I cannot meet it. Now it is just what I am, now I am not what it is. Thus must one understand, then one accords with the Truly So. (Miura and Sasaki 1966, p. 293)

  Liangjie traveled for several years visiting other masters, then took up residence on Mount Xinfeng for a time following the end of the Buddhist persecution under Emperor Wuzong (r. 814–46). Later he settled on Mount Dong in present-day Jiangxi and there instructed his many disciples. At the end of his life he was asked by a monk, “When the reverend priest is unwell, is there still someone who suffers no illness?” “There is,” answered Liangjie. The monk asked, “Does the one who suffers no illness look after the reverend priest?” Liangjie replied, “It is for me to look after him.” When asked how he did so, Liangjie said, “When I look, I see no illness.” Just before his death, it is said, he commented to his monks, “The hearts of the homeless should not rely on material things. This is true practice. Why grieve when death brings rest to this life of sorrow?” After serving a “fools’ feast” to chide his grieving followers for their attachment to him, he passed away in the sitting posture. His most famous teaching is that of the Five Ranks , later developed and systematized by his heir Caoshan Benji, together with whom Liangjie is considered cofounder of the Caodong school.

  Dongshan Shouchu (Tung-shan Shou-ch’u, Tōzan Shusho; 910–90; Cases 62, 188, 189, 198) was a native of Shanxi with the family name Fu . He received ordination at sixteen and studied the vinaya before studying under Yunmen Wenyan. The story of his enlightenment is related in Case 188. He is known for his distinction between “dead words” (those that rely on discursive thinking) and “living words” (those not limited by reason). He resided on Mount Dong in present-day Hubei (a different Mount Dong from that of Dongshan Liangjie, which is located in present Jiangxi ).

  Doushuai Congyue (Tou-shuai Ts’ung-yüeh, Tosotsu Jūetsu; 1044–91; Cases 7, 140) was a native of Qianzhou in modern Jiangxi ; his family name was Yu . He became a monk at the age of fifteen and studied under several masters, but despite (or because of) his unusual intelligence he found it difficult to accept guidance. After sharp criticism from Yungai Shouzhi (1025–1115) he reconsidered his attitude and went to study under Zhenjing Kewen. He received transmission from Kewen and went to Mount Luyuan in present-day Hunan . After several years of teaching there he had the encounter with the old monk Qingsu, described in Case 140; following this he practiced under Qingsu until he received the master’s sanction. At the invitation of the governor of Hongzhou he lectured at Mount Doushuai from 1089 until his death two years later.

  F

  Fan Yanzhi (Fan Yen-chih, Han Enshi; n.d.; Case 10) was a reclusive successor of Huanglong Huinan. He was also known as Layman Qingyi .

  Fayan Wenyi (Fa-yen Wen-i, Hōgen Mon’eki; 885–958; Cases 9, 36, 58 n., 67, 99, 194) was a native of Yuhang in Zhejiang ; his family name was Lu . He entered the temple at the age of seven and spent his early years mastering the teachings of the Confucian classics and Buddhist sutras, devoting particular attention to the Avataṁsaka Sutra. After taking the full precepts he studied Zen under Changqing Huileng. Later, while on pilgrimage, Fayan took shelter during a storm in the monastery of Luohan Guichen (869–928), who asked him why he was on pilgrimage. “I don’t know,” answered Wenyi, to which Luohan responded, “Not-knowing is closest!” When Fayan was about to leave after the snowstorm, he and the abbot had the following exchange:

  “You say that the three realms are nothing but Mind, and all dharmas nothing but Consciousness. Now tell me, is that stone out there in the courtyard within your mind or outside your mind?” “Within my mind,” [Fayan] replied. At this the abbot said, “Oh you wanderer, what makes it so necessary for you to travel with a stone on your mind?” (X 83:643b; Wu 1996, p. 233)

  Fayan remained at Luohan’s monastery, subjecting himself to Luohan’s strict rejection of conceptual interpretations. After succeeding to Luohan’s Dharma Fayan served as abbot of several temples, including Bao’en Chansi , and produced sixty-three Dharma heirs. Fayan used his great learning to emphasize not only transcendent enlightenment but also its practical expression in the religious life. When a monk asked what the ancient buddhas are, Fayan replied, “Right now there’s nothing to reject!” When asked about the mind of the ancient buddhas he answered, “From it flow compassion and true equanimity.” Fayan is recognized as the founder of the Fayan school of Zen, which flourished for several generations before being absorbed by the school of Linji.

  Fayun Gao (Fa-yun Kao, Hōun Kō; n.d.; Case 150) was a successor of Zhenjing Kewen and reside
d at the temple Fayun si in Dongjing .

  Fengxue Yanzhao (Feng-hsüeh Yen-chao, Fuketsu Enshō; 896–973; Cases 81, 124, 185, 192, 197) was a native of Yuhang in Zhejiang ; his family name was Liu . Upon failing to pass the civil-service examinations he became a monk, first studying the doctrines of the Lotus Sutra and practicing Tiantai śamatha-vipaśyanā meditation. He first studied Zen under Jingqing Daofu in Zhejiang, then under Shoukuo at Huayan yuan in Xiangzhou (present Hubei ), and finally under Nanyuan Huiyong in the province of Henan . Under Nanyuan’s strict guidance Yanzhao, initially quite proud of his understanding, attained a deeper awakening. After succeeding to Nanyuan’s Dharma he set out on pilgrimage again, eventually taking up residence at Fengxue si , an abandoned temple on Mount Fengxue in Ruzhou , present Henan. Zen tradition holds that he thereby fulfilled the prophecy about the Linji school’s future made by Yangshan Huiji to Guishan Lingyou (see Case 192, note 2). Yanzhao lived alone at Fengxue si for nearly ten years, after which a number of students gathered around him. In this remote area they avoided the social disturbances that marked the end of the Tang dynasty. In 951 he moved to Guanghui si , a new temple built for him by the local prefect of Yingzhou , and taught there for twenty years. Yanzhao is of central importance in the history of the Linji school, as it was through him that the teachings of the lineage were transmitted to later generations. The most important of Yanzhao’s heirs was Shoushan Shengnian.

  Fenyang Shanzhao (Fen-yang Shan-chao, Fun’yō Zenshō; 947–1024; Cases 174, 229, 255) was a native of Taiyuan , in present Shanxi ; his lay name was Yu . Shanzhao traveled extensively and visited many teachers (seventy-one, according to Zen tradition) before joining the assembly under Shoushan Shengnian. After succeeding to Shoushan’s Dharma he became priest of the temple Taizi yuan on Mount Fenyang , in Fenzhou in present Shanxi. There he remained for the rest of his life teaching and engaging in the literary work that was to make him a central figure in the development of the koan as a method of Zen instruction. Shanzhao added his own verses to koans to help create a genre that was to find its highest expression in the Blue Cliff Record and other great works of Zen literature in the Song dynasty. Perhaps because many of the masters under whom he trained during his long pilgrimage were of the Caodong school, he became the first Linji master to employ the Caodong school’s Five Ranks system. Through his heir Shishuang Chuyuan (Ciming) the Linji teachings were transmitted to later generations.

  Fenzhou Wuye (Fen-chou Wu-yeh, Funshū Mugō; 760–821; Case 74) was a native of Shangluo in Shangzhou , in present-day Shanxi ; his family name was Du . From the age of nine he studied the Mahayana sutras at Kaiyuan si ; it was said that he could memorize the texts, five lines at a time, at a single reading. He received ordination at the age of twelve and the full precepts at the age of twenty. He was well-versed in the vinaya and often lectured on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sutra.

  Hearing of Mazu Daoyi, Wuye went to visit him. The master, noting Wuye’s imposing appearance and voice, remarked, “An impressive buddha hall, but no buddha inside.” Wuye knelt down and said, “I have studied and understood the teachings of the Three Vehicles, but I have not yet understood the Zen teaching that mind, just as it is, is buddha.” Mazu replied, “It is the very mind that has not yet understood—there is nothing else.” Wuye questioned further, “What is the secretly transmitted mind-seal that the Patriarch brought from the West?” Mazu replied, “Virtuous monk, you’re becoming annoying; go now and come again some other time.” As Wuye stepped out Mazu called, “Virtuous monk!” When Wuye looked around Mazu said, “What is that!” Wuye understood and bowed to Mazu. Mazu said, “This stupid oaf! What’s all this bowing about?”

  Later Wuye traveled to Mount Tiantai , the memorial tower of the Sixth Patriarch, and other sacred places. At Jinge si in Qingliang he studied the Tripitaka. He finally settled at Kaiyuan si in Xihe , where he taught the Dharma for twenty years. He was repeatedly invited to the imperial court, but he always declined on grounds of ill health. Finally agreeing to go, he bathed, shaved his head, and called his disciples, saying:

  This nature of yours that sees, hears, perceives, and knows is the same age as empty space, and is neither born nor annihilated. All states are originally void, and there is not a single thing to be obtained. The deluded do not understand this and are deceived by phenomena, thus undergoing rebirth endlessly. Know that mind-nature is from the very beginning; it is not produced, and, like a diamond, it cannot be destroyed. All phenomena are like shadows and echoes, lacking in essence. Thus the [Avataṁsaka] Sutra says, “Only this one is true; the other two are not.” If you are always aware that everything is void, then there is nothing to engage. This is the way the buddhas use their minds. Strive always to practice this. (T 51:257b)

  The master then died in the sitting position. He was given the honorary title National Teacher Dada .

  Foguo . See Yuanwu Keqin.

  Fojian Huiqin (Fo-chien Hui-ch’in, Bukkan Egon; 1059–1117; Case 77) was a native of Shuzhou , in present-day Anhui ; his family name was Wang . After succeeding to the Dharma of Wuzu Fayan he resided at the temple Xingguo si , on Mount Taiping in Shuzhou. Along with Foyan Qingyuan and Yuanwu Keqin, he is regarded as one of the “Three Buddhas” of Wuzu Fayan, as all three had the character , “buddha,” in their name or title. In 1111, at the command of the imperial court, he became abbot of Zhihai si , in the city of Dongdu . Later he moved to Mount Jiang .

  Fori Qisong (Fo-jih Ch’i-sung, Butsunichi Kaisū; 1007–72; Case 238) was a native of Tengzhou , in present-day Guangxi ; his family name was Li . He entered the temple at the age of seven and received ordination at thirteen. Embarking on pilgrimage at nineteen, he studied under Shending Hongyin before entering the assembly under Dongshan Xiaocong (10–11th c.), whose successor he eventually became. He later served as abbot of Lingyin si . He argued against Confucian critics of Buddhism, stressing the commonality of the respective traditions’ teachings. In response to Tiantai-school attacks on the authenticity of the Zen tradition he wrote the Record of the Transmission of the Dharma in the True School (T 51:2078), an account of the transmission from Śākyamuni through the twenty-eight Indian ancestors, the first six Chinese ancestors, and the masters of the Five Schools. Two other works written for the same purpose were the Definitive Chart of the Ancestry for the Transmission of the Dharma in the True School (T 51:2079) and the Treatise on the Transmission of the Dharma in the True School (T 51:2080).

  Foyan Qingyuan (Fo-yen Ch’ing-yüan, Butsugen Seion; 1067–1120; Cases 77, 221, 266) was a native of Shu , present-day Sichuan ; his family name was Li . After receiving the precepts at the age of fourteen, Qingyuan devoted himself to the study of the vinaya and the Lotus Sutra. One day he encountered a passage in the Lotus Sutra that his teacher could not explain: “This Law is not something that can be understood through pondering or analysis” (Watson 1993b, p. 31; T 9:7a). Realizing the limits of doctrinal study, he turned to the practice of Zen. After visiting several masters he joined the assembly under Wuzu Fayan, whose Dharma heir he eventually became. He later lectured at Tianning Wanshou si in Shuzhou , present-day Anhui, and resided at Longmen si , also in Shuzhou, and at Baoshan si in Hezhou . He received a purple robe and the honorary name Zen Master Foyan from Deng Xunwu .

  Fu Dashi (Fu Ta-shih, Fu Daishi; 497–569; Case 80) is the title of Fu Xi , a Buddhist layman who lived in the Yiwu district of present-day Zhejiang . He married at the age of sixteen and had two sons. He was a fisherman until, in his early twenties, he heard a mendicant foreign monk (who some say was Bodhidharma) preach the Buddhist teachings. Deeply moved, Fu gave up fishing and became a farmer. Living with his family in a small hut under two sala trees on nearby Mount Song , he cultivated his fields during the day and at night engaged in meditative practices. He described his lifestyle as follows: “With empty hands I hold a hoe, while walking I ride a water buffalo; a man walks over a bridge—the bridge flows, the water does not.”

  Fu took the name Shanhui Dashi (“Goo
d Wisdom Bodhisattva”) and devoted his life to practice, teaching, and compassionate works. During the Datong era (527–29) the area in which he lived was stricken by famine; to obtain money for food Fu sold all his fields, and he even convinced his wife and sons to sell themselves into slavery (they were released several months later).

  In 534 he sent a letter to Emperor Wu of Liang (r. 502–49) and in 534 was summoned to Nanking by the emperor for an audience. In Nanking he lectured on the sutras, much impressing the emperor. In 539 Fu returned to his old home and established the temple Shuanglin si on Mount Song. In 548 he again sold his property, went without food, and vowed to immolate himself in order to end the suffering of the people during the disorders accompanying the fall of the Liang dynasty. He was dissuaded by his many followers from self-immolation, but several years later, during another famine, he labored in the fields and gathered wild foods to feed the hungry. All the time he continued his own ascetic practices and held large religious gatherings for his followers.