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  Liang, Venerable (Liang, Ryō; n.d.; Case 238). It is uncertain who Venerable Liang is. Dōmae suggests that the name may refer to Wufeng Puliang (n.d.), a successor of Changlu Yingfu (n.d.) of the Yunmen school.

  Lingshu Rumin (Ling-shu Ju-min, Reiju Nyobin; d. 920; Case 164) was a native of Minchuan , present Fujian . After receiving ordination he studied under Changqing Lan’an. He became Changqing’s Dharma heir and went to Shaozhou , in present Guangdong , where he resided at the temple Lingshu yuan . Lingshu was credited with the supernatural ability to know the past and future. He didn’t appoint a head monk at Lingshu yuan for the first twenty years he was there. Then one day he told his monks to prepare for the arrival of the head monk. When Yunmen Wenyan arrived at the monastery later the same day he was immediately appointed to that position. Yunmen later became Rumin’s successor as abbot.

  Lingyun Zhiqin (Ling-yün Chih-ch’in, Reiun Shigon; 9th c.; Cases 8, 14) was a native of Changxi in Fuzhou , present-day Fujian . Little is known of his life, other than the fact that he studied under Guishan Lingyou, was designated one of that master’s forty-one Dharma heirs, and later resided at the monasteries on Mount Lingyun in Fuzhou and Mount Dagui in Tanzhou , present Hunan . Lingyun is perhaps best known in Zen circles for the story of his enlightenment at the sight of peach blossoms and his subsequent enlightenment verse (see Case 8).

  Linji Yixuan (Lin-chi I-hsüan, Rinzai Gigen; d. 866; Cases 32, 80, 84, 95 n., 122, 123, 141, 155, 159, 170 n., 173, 176, 177, 178, 180, 181, 187, 191 n., 192, 195, 197 n., 199, 207-1, 207-2, 208, 210, 218, 221, 224, 229, 239 n., 270-2, 272), founder of the Linji school of Chinese Zen, was a native of Nanhua in Cao , modern Shandong ; his family name was Ching . Little is known of his early life. After becoming a monk he devoted himself to studying the Tripitaka and became well versed in the sutras and commentaries. Seeking deeper understanding, he journeyed south to the monastery of Huangbo Xiyun in Jiangxi . The story of his early training there and his subsequent enlightenment is related in detail in Case 187. Linji stayed with Huangbo for another ten years after his enlightenment (for an incident that occurred during this time, see Case 192), then left on a long pilgrimage. He finally settled in Zhenzhou , present Hebei , at a small temple called Linji yuan . There he remained for ten years, teaching the relatively small number of students who gathered around him. Around 861 he left Zhenzhou and moved to the temple Guanyin si in Weifu , Hebei, where he lived in retirement until his death in 866. Linji was known for his forceful teaching methods employing the stick and the shout (see Case 178); many of his creative Zen doctrines became koans (see, for example, Cases 80, 141 n., 159, 176, 177, 181, 208, and 210). Through his student Xinghua Cunjiang, Linji founded the school that bears his name.

  Longqing Qingxian (Lung-ch’ing Ch’ing-hsien, Ryūkei Keikan; d. 1081; Case 10) was a native of Fuzhou ; his family name was Zhuo . He became a monk at the age of eleven and at twenty set out on a long pilgrimage. He eventually became a Dharma successor of Huanglong Huinan. He later resided at Longqing yuan on Mount Ren in Jizhou .

  Longtan Chongxin (Lung-t’an Ch’ung-hsin, Ryūtan Sōshin; 9th c.; Cases 128, 256) became a monk under Tianhuang Daowu and succeeded to his Dharma. He later went to Longtan in Lizhou , present-day Hunan , where he built himself a hermitage. Among his students was the great master Deshan Xuanjian, a contemporary of Linji Yixuan. Otherwise little is known of his life.

  Longya Judun (Lung-ya Chü-tun, Ryūge Kodon; 835–923; Case 155) was a native of Nancheng in Fuzhou , present-day Jiangxi ; his lay name was Guo . He entered the temple Mantian si at the age of fourteen. After receiving the full precepts on Mount Song he set off on pilgrimage, visiting many of the leading masters of the time and eventually choosing as his teacher the Caodong master Dongshan Liangjie. Judun set off again on pilgrimage after succeeding to Liangjie’s Dharma, meeting, among others, Linji Yixuan and Cuiwei Wuxue (9th c.), with whom he had the exchanges related in Case 155 n. Judun eventually became abbot at Miaoji Chanyuan on Mount Longya in Hunan , where there were always at least five hundred monks under him.

  Judun was noted for his poems, many of which survive in works like the Poems of Venerable Longya Judun and the Jingde-Era Record of the Transmission of the Lamp. His title is Zen Master Zhengkong .

  Lu Gen (Lu Ken, Riku Kō; c. 765–c. 835; Case 209), from the district of Wu in modern Jiangsu , went by the style of Jingshan . Although already in his mid-forties when he passed the government examinations in 808, he held a number of provincial posts, including, in his later years, the governorship of Xuanzhou and Xizhou in the province of Anhui , while simultaneously serving as head of the Bureau of Censors. In 828, during his tenure as governor of Xuanzhou, he met Nanquan Puyuan and asked him to teach in the city; he became Puyuan’s student and eventually his Dharma successor. A number of exchanges between Lu and his teacher remain in the Zen records. One example is:

  Lu asked the master, “Once a man raised a goose in a bottle. The goose grew larger and it became impossible to get it out. The man wished to free the goose without breaking the bottle nor hurting the bird. Reverend Sir, how would you do so?” Nanquan called, “Your Honor!” “Yes,” replied Lu. “It’s out!’ said Nanquan. At this the governor gained some degree of insight. (T 51:279b)

  Luopu Yuan’an (Lo-p’u Yüan-an, Rakuho Gen’an; 834–98; Case 119) was a native of Linyou , present Shanxi ; his family name was Dan . At the age of twenty he became a monk at the local temple Huai’en si , then left on pilgrimage. He studied under the masters Cuiwei Wuxue (9th c.), Linji Yixuan (whom he served as attendant), and Jiashan Shanhui. After succeeding to Jiashan’s Dharma he resided on Mount Luopu (also written ) in Lizhou , Hunan , then at Suxi in Langzhou . He was highly regarded as a teacher, attracting students from all over China. Several well-known incidents in the Record of Linji involve Luopu’s exchanges with Linji and other masters. The following example is typical:

  The master heard that Deshan of the second generation said, “Thirty blows if you can speak; thirty blows if you can’t.” The master told Luopu to go and ask Deshan, “‘Why thirty blows to one who can speak?’ Wait until he hits at you, then grab his stick and give him a jab. See what he does then.” When Luopu reached Deshan’s place he questioned him as instructed. Deshan hit at him. Luopu seized the stick and gave Deshan a jab with it. Deshan went back to his quarters. Luopu returned and told Linji what had taken place. “I’ve always held wonder for that fellow,” the master said. “Be that as it may, did you understand Deshan?” Luopu hesitated. The master hit him. (Sasaki 2009, pp. 300–301)

  Luoshan Daoxian (Lo-shan T’ao-hsien, Razan Dōkan; 9th c.; Case 132) was a native of Changxi in Puzhou , present-day Fujian ; his family name was Chen . He entered the monkhood at the temple on Mount Gui and, after receiving the full precepts, set out on an extended pilgrimage during which he visited various masters, among them Shishuang Qingzhu. He finally attained peace of mind under Yantou Quanhuo in Ezhou , present Hunan . After succeeding to Yantou’s Dharma, Daoxian went to Mount Wutai in Shanxi , where he stayed for several years. Later he was invited to live at the temple on Mount Luo by the prince of Min in Fuzhou. There he taught until his death. He was awarded the title Great Master Fabao .

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  Ma Fang (Ma Fang, Ba Hō; n.d.; Case 179) was a government official (Administrator of Chengde Military Prefecture) and author of the Preface to the Record of Linji. Nothing else is known of his life.

  Magu Baotie (Ma-ku Pao-t’ieh, Mayoku Hōtetsu; 8th c.; Cases 131, 167). Magu was a Dharma heir of Mazu Daoyi, and resided on Mount Magu in Puzhou , modern Shanxi . Little else is known of him beyond the incidents recorded in koan collections.

  Mahākāśyapa (Mohe Jiashe , Mo-ho Chia-she, Makakashō; Cases 95, 135, 136, 213 n.) was one of the Ten Great Disciples of Śākyamuni and was renowned for his ascetic practices. He is said to have been the son of a Brahman family and to have married despite a strong desire to become a renunciant. This desire was shared by his wife, and, after several years of
celibate married life, the two left home to become seekers. Soon afterward Mahākāśyapa met the Buddha and asked to become his disciple. It is said that a mere eight days after joining the sangha he attained arhatship. The Buddha had great confidence in Mahākāśyapa’s accomplishments, to the point of occasionally asking Mahākāśyapa to preach in his stead. Following the demise of the Buddha he assumed leadership of the sangha and convened the First Council to collect and systematize the Buddha’s teachings. He is honored as the first ancestor of Indian Zen (see Case 135 for the incident in which the Buddha transmitted his Dharma to Mahākāśyapa) and is said to have named Ānanda as his successor.

  Maitreya (Mile , Mi-le, Miroku; Cases 3, 82, 213) is the buddha of the next world age. He is to be born, according to various traditions, anywhere from 30,000 years to 5,670,000,000 years from the time of Śākyamuni’s death. At present he is said to reside in Tushita Heaven, the fourth of the six heavens in the realm of desire, practicing samadhi and teaching the Dharma to the heavenly beings until his rebirth in the world as the next buddha.

  Mañjuśrī (Wenshu , Wen-shu, Monju; Cases 12 n., 17 n., 24, 48, 72, 87, 133, 159, 181 n., 191 n., 198, 201, 212) is the Mahayana bodhisattva representative of prajñā wisdom. His name is translated into Chinese as Miaode , “Marvelous Virtue.” He often appears as one of the two bodhisattva attendants of Śākyamuni Buddha, together with Samantabhadra, and is usually shown holding a scroll (symbolizing wisdom) or a sword (symbolizing the cutting off of delusion). In China, Mañjuśrī is said to dwell on Mount Wutai in Shanxi.

  Manora, or Manorhita, Manorata (Monaluo , Mo-na-la, Manura; Case 27) is traditionally regarded as the twenty-second ancestor of Indian Zen. Manora was the crown prince of the land of Nadī, but he renounced the kingdom to become a monk when he encountered the great Buddhist philosopher Vasubandhu (the twenty-first ancestor of Indian Zen). After succeeding to Vasubandhu’s Dharma he was active in western India, promoting the Mahayana and refuting Hinayana teachings. Later he went to the land of Tokhāra, where he transmitted the Dharma to Haklenayaśas, the twenty-third ancestor.

  Maudgalyāyana (Mulian , Mu-lien, Mokuren; Cases 97, 133) was one of the Ten Great Disciples of Śākyamuni and was renowned as the greatest in supernatural powers. The son of a Brahman family in the village of Kolita, he and his childhood friend Śariputra became disciples of the non-Buddhist philosopher Sanjaya Belatthiputta. One day Śariputra encountered a disciple of the Buddha and was so impressed by his demeanor and words that he and Maudgalyāyana decided to join the Buddhist sangha. This they did together with 250 of Sanjaya’s disciples. Maudgalyāyana was murdered by enemies of the Buddha shortly before the death of the Buddha himself.

  Mazu Daoyi (Ma-tsu Tao-i, Baso Dōitsu; 709–88; Cases 5, 23, 53, 78, 103 n., 123, 139, 170 n., 182, 221, 234 n., 252) was a native of Hanzhou in Sichuan ; his family name was Ma . He is said to have had eyes like a tiger, a tongue long enough to cover his nose, feet with wheel-shaped marks on their soles, and a gait like that of a bull. After mastering the standard educational studies by the age of nine he entered the temple Luohan si in Hanzhou. After receiving ordination and the precepts he practiced meditation on Mount Changsong in Yizhou , present Sichuan, and Mount Mingyue in Jingzhou , modern Hubei . He was sought out there by the master Nanyue Huairang; the story of their encounter is related in Case 139. Nanyue’s sole Dharma heir, Mazu went on to become one of the greatest teachers in Tang-dynasty Zen, developing many of the training methods—such as use of the shout and the stick—subsequently employed by masters to shake monks out of their ordinary consciousness. For a typical example of Mazu’s teaching style, see Case 182.

  The Zen records list 139 Dharma heirs for Mazu, the most historically important of whom was Baizhang Huaihai, the founder of the Zen monastic system and teacher of Huangbo Xiyun. Other eminent disciples included Nanquan Puyuan and Damei Fachang.

  Mian Xianjie (Mi-an Hsien-chieh, Mittan Kanketsu; 1118–86; Cases 22-2, 30, 113 n.) was a native of Fuqing in Fuzhou , present-day Fujian ; his family name was Zheng . He traveled widely visiting teachers, finally receiving transmission from the Linji Yangqi-line master Ying’an Tanhua. He subsequently served as priest at a number of temples, including the great monasteries at Mount Jing , Mount Lingyin , and Mount Tiantong . As the successor of Ying’an and the teacher of Songyuan Chongyue, he is in the line from which all present-day Japanese Rinzai Zen masters descend.

  Mingzhao Deqian (Ming-chao Te-ch’ien, Myōshō Tokken; ca. 9–10th c.; Case 32). Nothing is known of Deqian’s life until he joined the assembly under Luoshan Daoxian, whose Dharma successor he became. He served as head monk at Zhizhe si in Wuzhou , present-day Zhejiang , and later resided at Mount Mingzhao , where he taught monks, nuns, and laypeople for over forty years. He was also known as Duganlong , “One-eyed Dragon,” because he was blind in one eye.

  Musō Soseki (1275–1351; Cases 170 n., 225), an early Japanese Zen priest best known by his title National Teacher Musō , was a native of Ise , in present Mie Prefecture. When Musō was three his family moved to Kai (present Yamanashi Prefecture). Soseki first studied the esoteric teachings of the Tendai school at the temple Heien-ji , not far from his home. Despairing of resolving the question of birth-and-death through rituals and doctrinal studies, he turned to Zen, training under Muin Enban (1230–1307), Yishan Yining (J., Issan Ichinei; 1247–1317), and others before meeting Kōhō Kennichi (1241–1316). After a decisive awakening experience during a solitary retreat in eastern Japan he was recognized as a Dharma successor by Kōhō. He refined his understanding for twenty more years, practicing in remote mountain hermitages, until summoned to the capital in 1325 by Emperor Go-Daigo (r. 1318–39) to serve as abbot of Nanzen-ji . After a year he returned to eastern Japan for further practice. In 1333 he was again summoned to Kyoto to assume the abbacy of Rinsen-ji and to serve another year as abbot of Nanzen-ji. He was sought out as an advisor and meditation teacher by emperors, military leaders, and hundreds of ordained and lay followers for the remainder of his life. He also founded a number of temples in Kyoto and elsewhere, prominent among them being Zuisen-ji , Tōji-in , and Tenryū-ji . Musō was important in the development of Japanese Buddhist culture, particularly literature and garden design. He was a dedicated meditation master as well; the monastic rule that he established at Rinsen-ji was one of the earliest such codes in Japan.

  Muzhou Daozong (Mu-chou Tao-tsung, Bokujū Dōshō; 8–9th c.; Case 221), also known as Daoming (Tao-ming, Dōmyō), was a native of Jiangnan ; his family name was Chen . After studying the vinaya he entered the assembly under Huangbo Xiyun, whose Dharma heir he became. He then lived at Longxing si in Muzhou , in present-day Zhejiang , teaching an assembly of a hundred monks. He later left the monastery and lived in a house with his mother, supporting himself by weaving sandals and thus acquiring the nickname Chen Puxie , “Rush-sandal Chen.” He became something of an eccentric recluse, refusing to meet the monks who came for instruction and treating those who persisted with great severity. Among those who knocked on his gate was the great Yunmen Wenyan; for the encounter between the two that occasioned Yunmen’s enlightenment, see the entry for Yunmen.

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  Nāgārjuna (Longshu ; Lung-shu, Ryūju; 150–250?; Case 228), one of the greatest Buddhist philosophers, is honored as the fourteenth ancestor of Indian Zen. According to certain of the traditional accounts, he was a South Indian Brahman who became a sage teaching dragons in the mountains (the word nāgā means “serpent” or “dragon”; arjuna refers to a type of tree). One day he met Kapimala, the thirteenth Indian Zen ancestor, and wondered about the depth of the master’s understanding. Kapimala said:

  “I know what you are wondering.… Your duty is to renounce the world, not to bother yourself about how much knowledge someone else has.” Hearing this, Nāgārjuna confessed his error. Then the Master liberated him and all of his 500 dragon congregation. (Ogata 1990, pp. 25–26)

  Later Nāgārjuna traveled about India collecting Mahayana texts; legend
has it that he obtained the most profound teachings in caves near the palace of the Dragon King under the sea. His commentaries systematized the śūnyatā philosophy of the prajñāpāramitā texts and laid the foundation for the Middle Way doctrine of the Madhyamaka school. He is honored as an ancestor not only of the Zen school but of all the Mahayana schools. Chief among his works is the Mūla-madhyamaka-kārikā (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way ), which presents the essentials of his thought in twenty-seven chapters.

  Nalakūvara (Nazha , Na-cha, Nata; Cases 46-2, 261) is a legendary figure said to have been the eldest of the five children of the Indian god Vaiśravaṇa. He has five heads and eight arms, is immensely strong, and serves as a tutelary deity of Buddhism. Zen legend has it that he returned his flesh and bones to his parents, then, manifesting his true body, preached the Dharma to them.

  Nanpo Jōmyō (1235–1309; Cases 61, 225 n.) was a native of Abe in Suruga , present Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan; his family name was Fujiwara . He entered the monkhood at age fifteen and began Zen training at eighteen at Kenchō-ji in Kamakura , present Kanagawa Prefecture. In 1259, after a number of years of practice under the Chinese master Lanxi Daolong (J., Rankei Dōryū; 1213–78), the founder of Kenchō-ji, he sailed for China to study under Xutang Zhiyu. He received Xutang’s seal of transmission in 1265 and returned to Kamakura in 1267. In 1270, after several more years of practice with his former teacher Lanxi, he assumed the abbacy of Kōtoku-ji in the city of Chikuzen , on the island of Kyūshū . Three years later he became priest of Sōfuku-ji in nearby Dazaifu , and he taught there for thirty-three years. In 1304 he was summoned to Kyoto and, one year later, appointed abbot of Manjū-ji . In 1308 he moved once again to Kamakura at the request of the shogun to become abbot of Kenchō-ji, where he taught until his death on 8 February 1309. He received the imperial title National Teacher Enzū Daiō . Daiō Kokushi, as he is now generally called, was the first of the three masters—Daiō, Daitō, and Kanzan Egen—who established the Ōtōkan lineage. This lineage, through Hakuin Ekaku, presently includes every Rinzai Zen master in Japan.