Entangling Vines Read online

  Although Sengzhao was not a member of the Zen school, in several of his treatises he speaks of the importance of an intuitive awakening to the ineffable truth, and his affinity for the standpoint of Zen is obvious. His work has always been deeply admired by Zen masters, and his words appear in several koans.

  Shangu (Shan-ku, Sankoku; 1050–1110; Case 18) is the style of the poet Huang Tingjian (Huang T’ing-chien, Kō Teiken). Giles says:

  A native of…Kiangsi, who graduated as chin shih and entered the public service, rising to high office in the Imperial Academy and Grand Secretariat. When his mother was seized with illness, he watched her for a whole year without leaving her bedside or even taking off his clothes; and at her death he mourned so bitterly that he himself fell ill and nearly lost his life. For this he has been placed among the twenty-four examples of filial piety. In consequence of his fearless tongue his official career was somewhat chequered; but he was greatly distinguished as a poet and calligraphist, and was ranked as one of the Four Great Scholars of the empire… He was fond of Buddhist speculations, and gave himself the sobriquet of [Shangu Daoren]. (1939, pp. 338–39)

  Shending Hongyin (Shen-ting Hong-yin, Shintei Kōin; 10–11th c.; Case 174) was a native of Xiangzhou , modern Hubei ; his family name was Hu . After receiving ordination he entered the assembly under Shoushan Shengnian and eventually succeeded to his Dharma. He later resided on Mount Shending in Tanzhou , in present Hunan .

  Shexian Guixing (She-hsien Kuei-hsing, Sekken Kisei; 10–11th c.; Case 134) was a native of Jizhou in present Hebei ; his family name was Jia . He became a monk and took the full precepts at the temple Baoshou yuan in Yizhou . Later he embarked on a long pilgrimage south, eventually joining the assembly under the Linji master Shoushan Shengnian in Ruzhou , part of modern Hebei . After receiving transmission from Shoushan he resided at the temple Guangjiao yuan on Mount Bao’an , also in Ruzhou.

  Shishuang Chuyuan (Shih-shuang Ch’u-yüan, Sekisō Soen; 986–1039; Cases 25, 106, 140, 146, 147, 156, 172, 173, 174, 183-1, 183-2, 189, 245), commonly referred to in Zen texts by his posthumous title Ciming (Tz’u-ming, Jimyō), was a native of Quanzhou in what is presently Guangxi ; his family name was Li . At the age of twenty-two he became a monk at the temple Yinjing si on Mount Xiang , and he later joined the assembly under Fenyang Shanzhao. For two years Fenyang refused to let Shishuang into his room for instruction and constantly berated him. When finally Shishuang complained, Fenyang berated him even more severely; when Shishuang tried to respond, the master put his hand over Shishuang’s mouth. With this Shishuang had a deep awakening. He stayed with Fenyang for another seven years. Although Shishuang was somewhat eccentric in his behavior he is said to have been an exceptionally serious practitioner. According to the Encouraging Study of the Zen Barriers , Shishuang trained day and night, jabbing himself in the leg with an awl whenever he felt sleepy during evening meditation. His devotion earned him the nickname “Lion of West River.”

  After receiving Dharma transmission, Shishuang served as abbot of a number of temples, including Guangli yuan on Mount Nanyuan , Chongsheng si on Mount Shishuang , Fuyan yuan on Mount Nanyue , and Xinghua yuan in Tanzhou . Although Shishuang died at the relatively young age of fifty-three, he was an extremely influential teacher who left over fifty Dharma heirs. Of special importance for Zen history are Yangqi Fanghui and Huanglong Huinan, who started the Yangqi and Huanglong teaching lines, the two main traditions of Linji Zen.

  Shishuang Qingzhu (Shih-shuang Ch’ing-chu, Sekisō Keisho; 807–88; Cases 25 n., 69, 161, 220 n.) was a native of Xinkan in Jizhou , present Jiangxi ; his family name was Chen . At age thirteen he became a monk under Xishan Shaojian in Hongzhou , present Jiangxi, and at twenty-three he took the full precepts at Mount Song . After studying the vinaya he went to the monasteries of Guishan Lingyou on Mount Gui and Daowu Yuanzhi on Mount Daowu . After succeeding to Daowu’s Dharma he lived unknown among the ordinary people. Finally he was sought out by Dongshan Liangjie and persuaded to serve as the second abbot of the temple Chongsheng si on Mount Shishuang , following Daci Huanzhong (780–862). Shishuang taught the Dharma there for over twenty years, with a special stress on the approach to practice that came to be known as “silent illumination Zen” . Shishuang’s monks, instructed never to lie down, sat for so long every day that, it is said, they resembled rows of dead tree stumps. “Cease and stop,” he taught. “One thought—ten-thousand years. Be like a cold incense burner in an abandoned temple.” The austerity of Shishuang’s style of Zen reflected the simplicity of his life. When the Tang emperor Xizong (r. 874–89), hearing of the master, attempted to confer upon him a purple robe, Shishuang declined the honor.

  Shishuang Xingkong (Shih-shuang Hsing-k’ung, Sekisō Shōkū; n.d.; Case 65). Little is known of the life of this figure, other than that he was a Dharma successor of Baizhang Huaihai and that he resided on Mount Shishuang in Tanzhou , present Hunan .

  Shitou Xiqian (Shih-t’ou Hsi-ch’ien, Sekitō Kisen; 700–791; Cases 125 n., 272), one of the central figures in the development of Chinese Zen, was a native of Gaoyao in Duanzhou , present Guangdong ; his family name was Chen . He is described in the traditional literature as an unusually self-assured child who would destroy shrines to the malevolent deities worshipped in his region and release the oxen offered for sacrifice. At the age of twelve he went to nearby Caoxi and met the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, under whom he became a monk and practiced meditation until the great master’s death the following year (713). In 728 he took the full commandments on Mount Luofu in present Guangdong, and soon afterward went to Mount Qingyuan in Jizhou , present Jiangxi , to join the assembly under Huineng’s Dharma heir Qingyuan Xingsi (d. 740). Upon Shitou’s appearance, Qingyuan commented, “Though horned creatures in my assembly are many, one unicorn is enough” (the unicorn in China is an auspicious creature whose appearance foretells an extraordinary event). In 742, after receiving Qingyuan’s sanction, Shitou went to reside at the temple Nan si , on Mount Heng , part of Mount Nanyue in Hunan . On top of a large flat rock to the east of the temple he built a hermitage where he sat in meditation, thus acquiring his name Shitou, meaning “on top of the rock.” Shitou taught there until 764, when he went to Liangduan in Tanzhou , in present Hunan. Some sources indicate that he later returned to Mount Heng. Shitou left a number of important heirs, foremost among whom were Yaoshan Weiyen (745/50–828/34) and Tianhuang Daowu. From his line arose three of the Five Houses of Chinese Zen: the Caodong , Yunmen , and Fayan . The nature of Shitou’s teachings can be seen in the following passage:

  This very Mind, just this is Buddha. Mind, Buddha and sentient beings, perfect wisdom and the defiling passions—these are but different names for one and the same substance. All of you must know your own Mind-essence, know that its substance is apart from extinction and permanence, and that its nature is neither stained nor pure; know that it is absolutely still and completely whole, and that [in it] secular and sacred are exactly the same; know that its responding to circumstances is limitless, and that it is apart from mind and consciousness. The Three Worlds and the Six Ways [of Transmigration] are only appearances [produced by] your own mind, like reflections of the moon in water, or images seen in a mirror. How can [this Mind] be subject to birth and death? If you know this well, you will lack for nothing. (Miura and Sasaki 1966, p. 301)

  Shoukuo (Shou-k’uo, Shukaku; ca. 9–10th c.; Case 205) was the personal attendant of Xinghua Cunjiang and succeeded to his Dharma. He appears in several koans; otherwise little is known of him.

  Shoushan Shengnian (Shou-shan Sheng-nien, Shuzan Shōnen; 926–93; Cases 58, 124, 133 n., 134, 270-1, 270-2) was a native of Laizhou in what is presently Shandong ; his family name was Di . After becoming a monk at a local temple named Nanchan yuan he entered the assembly under Fengxue Yanzhao at the temple Guanghui si in Yingzhou . At the time Fengxue was convinced that with him (Fengxue) the Dharma lineage of Linji was destined to come to an end. When he expressed this conviction to Shoushan one day,
the latter asked if he had no disciples worthy of succeeding him. Fengxue replied that, despite the great capabilities of some of his students, none had yet seen self-nature. Shoushan suggested that he pursue the matter further. The ensuing incident, in which Fengxue recognized Shoushan’s understanding, is recorded in Case 124.

  Shoushan subsequently went to the district of Ruzhou and lived on Mount Shou , from which he derived his name. Later he served as abbot at the temple Guangjiao yuan on Mount Bao’an , in modern Hebei . Although Shoushan does not stand out like the giants of Tang-dynasty Zen, it was in large part through him that the Linji-school lineage survived the turbulent period that followed the end of the Tang period.

  Shouzhou Liangsui (Shou-chou Liang-sui, Jushū Ryōsui; n.d.; Case 167). Little is known of Shouzhou other than the fact that he was a successor of Magu Baotie and was active as a Zen master in the Shouzhou region of present-day Anhui .

  Shuangshan Yuan (Shuang-shan Yüan, Sōsan Gen; n.d.; Case 30) was from Fuzhou in present-day Fujian ; his family name was Zheng . He succeeded to the Dharma of a certain Yinjing Zhirou in the lineage of Mian Xianjie.

  Shūhō Myōchō (1282–1338; Cases 107, 144, 169, 225), best known by his title Daitō Kokushi , was a Japanese monk born in Harima (present-day Osaka ); his family name was Urakami . He was ordained at Enkyō-ji on Mount Shosha at age eleven and studied Tendai doctrine. In 1301 he became a student of Kōhō Kennichi (1241–1316) at Manju-ji in Kamakura, then in 1304 began practice under Nanpo Jōmyō in Kyoto. He accompanied Nanpo to Kamakura when the master was appointed abbot of Kenchō-ji in 1308. Just ten days after arriving there Myōchō had a breakthrough with “Yunmen’s ‘Barrier,’” Case 8 of the Blue Cliff Record.

  After Nanpo died several months later Shūhō returned to Kyoto and commenced the “twenty years of practice” that Nanpo had enjoined upon him after his enlightenment. Zen legend has it that he spent this time living with the beggars under the Gojō Bridge near the center of the city and that Emperor Hanazono (r. 1308–18), deciding to find him, went to the area and started handing out melons. When he saw an unusual looking beggar he said, “Take this melon without using your hands.” “Give it to me without using your hands,” the beggar replied, and the emperor knew this was Shūhō. The historical facts are rather less romantic. Although Shūhō’s “twenty years of practice” would have lasted until 1328 after his departure from Kamakura in 1308, it is known that already in 1316 he was lecturing before Emperor Hanazono. Shūhō’s years of seclusion were spent primarily at the small temples Ungo-ji and Daitoku-ji in Kyoto.

  In 1325 a great debate, known as the Shōchū Debate, was held between representatives of the older established sects and the Zen school. Shūhō’s performance on this occasion is said to have been so compelling that his chief opponent, a Tendai monk named Gen’e (d. 1350), converted to Zen and became Shūhō’s student.

  Daitoku-ji was enlarged for Shūhō with the support of both Emperor Go-Daigo (r. 1318–39) and the Cloistered Emperor Hanazono (now Shūhō’s disciple). Shūhō resided at Daitoku-ji and taught there for the rest of his life, lecturing also at the imperial court. Shūhō had never been able to sit in the full lotus position because of a crippled leg, but at the end of his life he forced himself into the position, breaking his leg and staining his robe with blood. He died in the sitting posture after writing the following poem:

  The Blown Hair [Sword] is always burnished.

  When the wheel of free activity turns,

  The empty void gnashes its teeth.

  (Miura and Sasaki 1966, p. 234)

  Shūhō was second in the Ōtōkan lineage, after his teacher Nanpo Jōmyō (Daiō Kokushi ) and prior to his disciple Kanzan Egen (see p. 10, above). This lineage includes every Rinzai Zen master in Japan today.

  Shui’an Shiyi (Shui-an Shih-i, Sui’an Shi’ichi; 1107–76; Case 109) was a native of Dongyang in Wuzhou , in modern Zhejiang ; his lay name was Ma . After receiving ordination as a monk at age sixteen he trained in Zen under the Caodong master Huizhao Qingyu (1078–1140) and the Yangqi-line Linji master Shanguo Yue’an (1079–1152) before joining the assembly under Fozhi Duanyu (1085–1150) at Xichan si . After succeeding to Fozhi’s Dharma he taught at Ciyun si and a succession of other temples.

  Shushan Guangren (Shu-shan Kuang-jen, Sozan Kōnin; 837–909; Cases 32, 132), also known as Shushan Kuangren (Su-shan K’uang-jen, Sozan Kyōnin), was a native of Ganyang in Luling , in present-day Jiangxi ; his lay name was Li . He studied doctrine at Donglin si on Mount Lu but became dissatisfied and set out on a pilgrimage that took him to Xianglin Chengyuan before he finally joined the assembly under Dongshan Liangjie. After Dongshan’s death Shushan visited a number of famous Zen masters, including Guishan Lingyou, Yunmen Wenyan, and Jiashan Shanhui, then went to Mount Su in Fuzhou , in present Jiangxi, where he spent the rest of his life.

  Shushan was short, earning him the disparaging nickname “Uncle Dwarf” , but he is said to have had a keen mind, eloquent tongue, and perceptive eye. Several of the stories about him display a cunning side to his personality, such as the following one, related in the entry on Caoshan Benji in the Biographies of Monks of the Zen School :

  Knowing that Dongshan was about to transmit his Dharma to Benji, Uncle Dwarf secretly crawled under the Master’s rope-bottomed chair…. Dongshan was unaware of this. At midnight the Master handed to Benji the Jeweled-mirror Samadhi, the Secret of the Five Ranks, and the Three Kinds of Leakage, previously given him by his master Yunyan Tansheng. When the transmission was completed, Benji bowed twice and hurried out. Uncle Dwarf now stuck out his head and bawled, “Dongshan’s Zen is in the palm of my hand!” Dongshan was greatly astonished, and said, “Stealing the Dharma by using the dirtiest of means will avail you nothing.” (Miura and Sasaki 1966, pp. 286–87; adapted. X 79:492b)

  Shushan nevertheless became a genuine heir of Dongshan, listed in all of the lineage charts. As a teacher himself he produced four Dharma heirs.

  Sixin Wuxin (Ssu-hsin Wu-hsin, Shishin Goshin; 1043–1114; Case 18) was a native of Qujiang in present Guangdong ; his family name was Huang . He entered the temple Fotuo yuan as a youth and studied under a priest named Dexiu (n.d.). Later he went on pilgrimage, and in 1075 he joined the assembly at Huanglong si under Huitang Zuxin, in the Huanglong line of Linji Zen. While on pilgrimage he heard a clap of thunder and was enlightened; returning to Huitang, he said, “Everyone in the world has attained Zen, they just haven’t realized it.” After succeeding to Huitang’s Dharma, Wuxin remained at Huanglong si for some time, then left again on pilgrimage. He lectured at Yunyan si in 1092, then moved to Cuiyan si in 1097. In 1111 he returned to Huanglong si, where he died three years later.

  Songshan Hui’an (Sung-shan Hui-an, Sūzan Ean; 582–709; Case 118), also known as Lao’an , Dao’an , or Da’an , was one of the sixteen great disciples of the Fifth Patriarch, Hongren. A native of Zhijiang in Jingzhou , modern Hubei , his lay name was Wei . It is said that during a large irrigation project in the early seventh century Huian managed to save many workers on the verge of starvation by begging food for them. Emperor Yang (r. 605–18) summoned him to the court, but Hui’an avoided the honor by moving to Mount Taihe . During the Zhenguan era (627–49) he studied under Hongren and eventually succeeded to his Dharma. He was summoned by Emperor Gaozong (r. 650–83), but he went instead to Mount Song in Jingzhou. There he remained, teaching the many students who gathered around him, including Nanyue Huairang. In 706 Emperor Zhongzong (r. 705–10) honored him with a purple robe. He died in 709 at the age of 127.

  Songyuan Chongyue (Sung-yüan Ch’ung-yüeh, Shōgen Sūgaku; 1132–1202; Cases 95, 142, 207-2, 228) was a native of Longquan in Chuzhou , modern Zhejiang ; his family name was Wu . Although he wished to become a monk from the time he was a child, it was only at the age of twenty-three that he entered the temple Daming si and took the five novice precepts. At first he studied under a certain Lingshi Miao , then sought instruction from Dahui Zonggao and Ying’an Tanhua. In 1163 he was or
dained at Bailian Jingshe , then visited various teachers in the region. Following further study under the Dahui-line master Muan Anyong (?–1173) in Min , he entered the monastery of Mian Xianjie at Mount Xi in Zhejiang, and eventually succeeded to that master’s Dharma. He first lectured at Chengzhao Chanyuan in Pingjiangfu , modern Jiangsu . He subsequently resided in a number of important temples and was the founder of Xianqin Baoci si .

  Sudhana (Shancai Tongzi , Shan-ts’ai T’ung-tzu, Zenzai Dōshi; Cases 88 n., 89, 201) is the legendary hero of the “Chapter on Entering the Dharma Realm” and “Chapter on the Activities of Samantabhadra” of the Avataṁsaka Sutra, which are among the most popular Buddhist writings in East Asia. They describe the epic search for enlightenment by Sudhana, who, under the guidance of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, visits fifty-three teachers. His pilgrimage finally takes him to the bodhisattva Maitreya, who is to be the buddha of the future. Maitreya finds him worthy to enter the tower of Vairocana Buddha (buddha as a manifestation of the dharmakāya), where Sudhana experiences all of the various Dharma realms (dharmadhatu). Sudhana is finally brought to the full realization of bodhisattvahood through the teaching of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.

  T

  Taihang Kebin (T’ai-hang K’o-pin, Taikō Kokuhin; ca. 9th c.; Case 130) was a Dharma heir of Xinghua Cunjiang. While under Xinghua he served as weina , the monk in charge of supervising the personnel and work of the monastery. After training under Xinghua he resided on Mount Taihang for a time, then returned to Xinghua’s temple to serve as his successor.

  Taizong (T’ai-tsung, Taisō; 939–97; Case 260), also known as Zhao Kuangyi (Chao K’uang-i, Jō Kyōgi), was the second emperor of the Song dynasty. Giles writes: