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To
describe Ch'an is not an easy task, for Ch'an is something that can
neither be talked about nor expressed in words. The moment language
is used to explain Ch'an, we are no longer dealing with its true
spirit. Ch'an is beyond all words, yet it cannot be left
unexpressed.
What
is the origin of Ch'an? Ch'an is the abbreviated form of the Chinese
transliteration of the Sanskrit term dhyana; it means quiet
contemplation. Originating in India, legend has it that during an
assembly on Vulture Peak (Grdhrakuta), the Buddha picked up a flower
and held it up to the assembly without saying a word. The millions
of celestial and human beings who were gathered at the assembly did
not understand what the Buddha meant, except for Mahakasyapa, who
smiled. Thus, Ch'an was imparted without utilizing any spoken or
written language: it was transmitted directly from mind to mind.
Later, Ch'an was introduced into China. During the time of the Sixth
Patriarch, Hui Neng, Ch'an flourished and developed into five
schools which became the mainstream of Chinese Buddhism.
What
is Ch'an? Ch'an Master Ch'ing Yuan said that Ch'an is our
"mind." This mind is not the one that discriminates and
recognizes things. It is our "true mind." This true mind
transcends all tangible existence, yet it manifests itself in all
existences in the universe. Even the very ordinary things in the
universe are full of the subtleties of Ch'an.
Ch'an
Master Pai Chang said that Ch'an is "everyday living." He
said that chopping firewood, carrying water, putting on clothes,
eating food, standing, and walking are all Ch'an. Ch'an is not
something mysterious. Ch'an is closely related to our daily life.
Therefore, every one of us can experience Ch'an.
Today,
the internal world of people is often in conflict with the external
world, and life becomes a burden and a nuisance for them. They
cannot delight in and seize the opportune moments of Ch'an in
everyday living. In contrast, Ch'an masters are very humorous and
interesting. With just a few sentences, they can relieve us of our
worries and troubles and thus guide us to true happiness. This
transformation to happiness is very much like turning on a huge
complex machine by simply pressing the start-button. No complicated
knowledge or repetitious thinking is required. The Ch'an state of
mind is very lively and vivacious.
What
is the value of Ch'an? When applied to everyday living, Ch'an adds
color. It expands our minds, enriches our lives, elevates our
character, helps us to perfect our morality, and leads us to the
state where we will be at perfect ease even when we are at the brink
of life and death. What then are the wonderful teachings that the
Ch'an masters have set down and passed on to us? How can we try to
understand the delight of Ch'an through the use of language?
I.
Have and Have Not
We
are accustomed to thinking that all existence can be differentiated
by names and related to in terms of duality. Actually, all things
cannot be divided into distinct halves. For example, most people
usually think that "have" and "have not" are two
opposing concepts: if one "has," then he cannot be in a
state of "not having"; if one "has not," then he
cannot be in a state of "having." To them,
"have" and "have not" cannot coexist. The speech
and behavior of Ch'an masters transcend the ordinary concepts of
"have" and "have not," embracing both of these
seemingly opposing concepts and reaching a higher level of
"have" and "have not." Their view is different
from that of ordinary people; if we approach such a way of thinking
with our customary knowledge, we will fail to truly understand the
Ch'an masters.
When
the Fifth Patriarch wanted to pass on the robe and bowl, symbols of
the Dharma, to a successor, he told each of his disciples to write a
verse by which he could judge who among them had realized Truth. The
robe and bowl would only be passed on to the one who had realized
Truth, and that person would become the Sixth Patriarch. His eldest
disciple, Shen Hsiu wrote the following verse:
The
body is a bodhi tree,
The mind is a mirror bright;
Always wipe it carefully,
So that dust does not alight.
After
seeing the verse, everyone praised Shen Hsiu, saying that his state
of mind was indeed superior. The Fifth Patriarch thought otherwise
and said, "Not bad, but the writer of this verse has not yet
seen the Way."
Hui
Neng, who worked in the rice mill, asked someone that night to write
his verse on the wall as well:
Bodhi
has nothing to do with trees,
And the mind is not a mirror bright
Since there was nothing to begin with,
How can dust alight?
After
seeing this verse, the Fifth Patriarch knew that Hui Neng had seen
the empty nature of all dharmas and had entered the Buddha's path.
So he passed on the robe and bowl of the Ch'an school lineage to Hui
Neng, who went on to become the Sixth Patriarch.
As
Shen Hsiu had a good grasp of the principles of Ch'an, was the
headmaster among the disciples of the Fifth Patriarch, and the Fifth
Patriarch had also instructed the other disciples to practice
according to Shen Hsiu's verse, everyone in the monastery expected
that Shen Hsiu would surely become the Sixth Patriarch. Instead, the
Fifth Patriarch chose Hui Neng, whom nobody had heard of before, as
his successor instead. Although Shen Hsiu had attained a high state
of cultivation, he was still confined to the mind of
"having," and his understanding of Ch'an was not yet
supreme. The ultimate path is one that integrates "have"
with emptiness (sunyata). This is the difference between the Ch'an
mind and the ordinary mind. It is only when we can transcend
"have" and "have not" that we can realize the
ultimate Ch'an mind and experience the wondrous truth of Ch'an.
Let
me illustrate with another well-known case in the history of Ch'an.
One day, someone asked Ch'an Master Chao Chou, "What does Chao
Chou mean?"
Chao
Chou answered, "East gate, south gate, west gate, north
gate."
This
answer seemed to be totally irrelevant, but in fact, this answer of
the four gates had a hidden meaning. It signified that the Ch'an of
Chao Chou was wide open and was not limited to any particular
school. Ch'an is not at all restricted by space.
Someone
asked Chao Chou, "Do dogs have a Buddha Nature?"
Chao
Chou replied, "Yes."
Another
person asked him the same question: "Do dogs have a Buddha
Nature?"
This
time Chao Chou answered, "No."
Why
did Ch'an Master Chao Chou give two different answers for the same
question? From the worldly point of view, this was rather
contradictory, but to Ch'an Master Chao Chou, this was a lively way
of teaching. When he said "yes," he meant that dogs have
the potential of becoming Buddhas. When he said "no," he
meant that dogs have not become Buddhas yet. When answering a
question, Ch'an masters are careful to determine the intention and
the state of mind of the person who asks the question before giving
the appropriate answer.
Emperor
Wu of the Liang Dynasty was one of the most devoted Buddhists in
Chinese history. During his reign, he built many temples, Buddha
statues, roads, and bridges. It was during this time that
Bodhidharma came from India to China to spread the Dharma. Emperor
Wu asked him, "I have done so many good deeds. What merits have
I accumulated?"
Bodhidharma
replied coolly, "No merits at all."
Emperor
Wu was not very pleased with this answer. He pressed again, but
Bodhidharma would not give him any further explanation. Eventually,
Bodhidharma left because he could not communicate with Emperor Wu.
Actually, how was it possible that the good deeds of Emperor Wu had
produced no merit? When Bodhidharma said, "No merits at
all," he meant that in the mind of a Ch'an master, there is no
such dualistic concept as "have" and "have not"
as experienced by the ordinary mind.
Ordinarily,
we perceive and differentiate things through our senses. For
example, when we look at a mountain or a river, we see it only as a
mountain or a river. After we start practicing Ch'an, we begin to
realize that all existence is illusive. At this point, the mountain
is no longer a mountain and the river is no longer a river. When we
have attained complete realization, all relative concepts of
"is" and "is not," "mind" and
"matter," have become integrated. At this point, the
mountain is again a mountain and the river is again a river. The
mind of Ch'an has become unified with the external environment. The
flowing sound of rivers becomes the wonderful Dharma. Green
mountains become Buddhas' pure bodies. The world of Ch'an is
limitless when the relative boundary of "have" and
"have not" is destroyed.
II.
Motion and Motionlessness
The
basic doctrine of Buddhism is the Three Dharma Seals, which says
that "All samskaras (composite things) are impermanent";
"All dharmas do not have a substantial self"; and
"Nirvana is perfect peace." The ultimate goal of studying
Buddhism is to attain the state of perfect peace, Nirvana.
This
"perfect peace" is different from the ordinary concept of
motionlessness. In our everyday life, when we say that a certain
object is in motion and another object is motionless, it is due to
the action of our mind. All phenomena are created by our mind.
Actually, phenomena themselves do not make the distinction of being
in motion or being motionless. What makes the distinction of being
is the clinging in our minds that is caused by delusion. If we can
free ourselves from this clinging, our mind will then be at peace
and everything will be in harmony.
After
Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch, received the robe and bowl from the
Fifth Patriarch, he went into hiding for fifteen years before he
started to teach. One day, when he came to a temple, he saw two
people having an argument in front of a banner. They were arguing
about why the banner was moving. The one said, "If there is no
wind, how can the banner move? Thus, it is the wind that is in
motion." The other said, "If the banner does not move, how
do you know that the wind is blowing? Therefore, it is the banner
that is moving." In the meantime, Hui Neng listened patiently
to their argument. Finally he said to them, "Please don't argue
anymore. Neither the wind nor the banner is moving. It is your mind
that is moving." From this exchange, we can see how Ch'an
masters look at the world: they look within themselves rather than
dwell on the superficial appearance of phenomena. After all,
phenomena exist in a transient and fragmented manner.
Differentiation arises in our minds because of the stirring of our
thoughts. When our minds are tranquil, objects are not capable of
making distinctions on their own. However, when our minds are
stirred, we differentiate phenomena, causing distinction and
separation between ourselves and others. Therefore, the key to
realizing the state wherein motion and motionlessness are in harmony
and no longer differentiated lies in whether we have indeed
eliminated all the discrimination arising out of perceived
differences. In this way we can reach perfect peace.
Emperor
Hsien Tsung of the T'ang Dynasty was a very devoted Buddhist and
wanted to send someone traveling to Feng Hsiang to bring back some
of the relics of the Buddha. Yu Han, a government official, tried to
dissuade the emperor from such an undertaking. Hsien Tsung was very
angry at Yu Han and demoted him to the post of provincial governor
of Ch'ao Chou.
Ch'ao
Chou was located in the southern part of China, which was not very
civilized at that time. However, a well-educated and highly
cultivated monk called Ch'an Master Ta Tien was living there. He was
highly respected by the local people.
Being
a well-educated Confucian scholar, Yu Han was very proud of himself
and, of course, looked down upon the Ch'an Master. However, since
there was no one else living around Ch'ao Chou with whom he could
have intelligent discourse, he reluctantly went to visit the Ch'an
Master. When Yu Han arrived at the temple, the Ch'an Master was in
meditation. Yu Han did not want to disturb him, so he decided to
stand to the side and wait. After a long time, the Ch'an Master was
still motionless. Yu Han started to become impatient. Seeing this,
the Ch'an Master's disciple whispered to his master, "First,
influence through meditative concentration, then eradicate
[arrogance] through wisdom."
This
was said to the Ch'an Master but, in fact, it was meant for Yu Han.
What the disciple was indirectly saying to Yu Han was: The Master's
meditation is a wordless teaching for you; he is testing your
patience. The moment you succeed in passing his test, he will use
his words of wisdom to rid you of your arrogance. At this point, Yu
Han was convinced that the Ch'an Master's erudition and cultivation
were profound, indeed. They eventually became very good friends.
From
the above examples, we can see that in the minds of Ch'an masters,
motion and motionlessness are united as one. This understanding is
reflected in the way they teach. In the course of their teaching,
Ch'an masters sometimes instruct through silence and at other times
through powerful preaching, like the roar of a lion. Every single
movement of a Ch'an master is full of subtleties of Ch'an—be it a
short, gentle reminder or a forceful rebuke; an advance or a retreat
in stance; a question or an answer; a frown or a smile; the drinking
of tea or the eating of rice. To most of us, our everyday living
experiences tend to convince us that motion and motionlessness are
two distinct states. However, motion and motionlessness as realized
through the meditative concentration of Ch'an are indeed unified,
perfectly free, and natural.
III.
Practice and Understanding
Some
people say that Buddhism is a philosophy. This is a correct
assessment from an intellectual point of view; however, the real
essence of Buddhism is practice. Truth can be realized only through
practice.
The
real spirit of Buddhism will be lost if we limit ourselves only to
the study of the doctrines and neglect the religious practice of
Buddhism. To a genuine Buddhist, to carry on intellectual
discussions of Buddhism in the absence of practice is only a form of
frivolous debate and should be avoided. If one treats Buddhism
merely as a philosophy, one will never experience the essence of
Buddhism. This is because in Buddhism, understanding and practice
are equally emphasized. In the Ch'an school, what is important is
experience from actual practice, and not a reliance on written or
spoken language.
In
the Ch'an school, cultivation and realization of the Way are
personal endeavors. To whatever extent one cultivates, one is that
much closer to awakening. If one dwells on theory alone or simply
parrots what one has heard, then one will not realize any results.
It is like leading a thirsty horse to water; if the horse refuses to
drink, it will eventually die of thirst. Similarly, all the
teachings in Buddhist sutras serve as a compass for guiding us
toward truth. After we understand them, we need to practice
accordingly in order to taste the sweet dew of the Dharma for
ourselves. Therefore the following saying reminds us that practicing
is "like drinking water¾ only you will know for yourself
whether it is cold or warm." If we want to truly understand
Buddhism and Ch'an, it is up to us to practice personally and attain
realization. No one else can tell us what Buddhism and Ch'an truly
are.
How
do the Ch'an masters practice and attain realization? They attain
realization by living in the community of the Sangha and practicing
in every waking moment of their daily life. The virtuous ones of the
past always said, "Gathering firewood and carrying water are
all Ch'an." In our everyday life, we can practice while putting
on our clothes, eating our meals, waking, sleeping, and even going
to the bathroom.
The
beginning of the Diamond Sutra describes how the Buddha led a life
of prajna as he put on his robe, carried his bowl, and went on his
alms round. Just like all of us, enlightened persons have to put on
clothes and eat food; however, they do it in a markedly different
way from the rest of us. Thus it is said that Buddhism is not to be
found outside of the mundane world.
We
often foster the misconception that we have to go deep into the
mountains or wilderness to practice and attain realization.
Actually, we do not need to isolate ourselves from the community in
order to practice. If we can extinguish the fires of hatred in our
hearts and minds, then every environment in which we find ourselves
will be a cool, comfortable place. We can even practice right in the
midst of the noisiest marketplace.
If
we have a thorough understanding of the teachings of Buddhism and if
we practice accordingly, we will be able to make twice the progress
with half the effort. For example, a basic teaching of Buddhism is
Conditioned Genesis, which means that all existing phenomena for
this universe arise due to the coming together of the appropriate
causes and conditions and will cease to exist when the necessary
causes and conditions are no longer present. There is no such thing
as a creator of the universe; in order to shape the events in our
lives, it is up to us to put in the requited efforts.
From
the teaching of Conditioned Genesis, we can infer that all beings
are equal and have the Buddha Nature. All beings have the potential
of becoming Buddhas. The process leading to the fruition of this
potential is dependent upon the determination and practice of the
individual. Our own actions determine our future. Thus, correct
understanding and diligent practice of this Buddhist teaching will
help us to develop a progressive and positive outlook on life.
From
the teaching of Conditioned Genesis, we can also infer that this
universe is a harmonious unity. All phenomena and all beings are
interdependent. With this understanding, we can easily see how
self-centeredness is contradictory to harmony and why the
distinction of self versus others should be abolished. In order to
live in harmony with others, we should direct our care and help
toward others and not be centered on ourselves.
IV.
Purity and Impurity
Nature
itself does not make any distinction between purity and impurity, or
prettiness and ugliness. It is our subjective likes and dislikes
that makes the distinction. It says in the Vimalakirti Sutra,
"When one's mind is pure, the land will be pure." Ordinary
minds, however, are clouded by the "five dusts" (the
objects that are perceived by the five senses) and deluded by the
outward appearance of all phenomena, preventing the pure nature of
all dharmas from being seen. The minds of realized Ch'an masters are
pure and unobstructed. Their minds are the Buddha Mind, and they can
see the real nature of all things. To them, there is no difference
between good and evil, beauty and ugliness, or right and wrong.
While an ordinary being sees the world as corrupt and impure, Ch'an
masters see the world as a pure Buddha land.
The
Ch'an state of mind is not something that one can either feign or
argue about. Once, Ch'an Master Chao Chou made a bet with his
disciple Wen Yen. Whoever could compare himself to the lowest and
most worthless thing would be the winner.
Ch'an
Master Chao Chou said, " I am a donkey."
Wen
Yen said, "I am the rear end of the donkey."
Chao
Chou said, "I am the excrement of the donkey."
Wen
Yen said, "I am the maggot inside the excrement."
Ch'an
Master Chao Chou was stumped and could not continue, but asked,
"What are you doing in the excrement?"
Wen
Yen answered, "I am cooling myself off from the summer
heat!"
As
the minds of Ch'an masters are pure, they are at ease even at places
that we considered the filthiest. To them, everywhere is a pure
land; therefore, they can feel free wherever they go.
One
day, Ch'an Master Yi Hsiu went out with his disciple. The two came
to the shore of a river where a woman stood, hesitating to cross the
fast flowing water. Out of compassion, Ch'an Master Yi Hsiu carried
the woman across the river on his back. Having done so, he
eventually forgot about the matter. His disciple, however, was
bothered by his master's act of carrying a woman on his back. One
day, the disciple said to Ch'an Master Yi Hsiu, "Master,
something has been on my mind for several months and has been
bothering me. Can you help me to solve this problem?"
Ch'an
Master Yi Hsiu asked, "Oh! What is it?"
The
disciple said, "You always teach us to keep our distance from
women. But several months ago, you carried a woman across the river.
Is this not contradictory to your own teaching?"
After
hearing this, Ch'an Master Yi Hsiu exclaimed, "Ah! I only
carried that woman from one side of the river to the other and left
her there, but you, poor fellow, have been carrying her around in
your mind for several months!"
From
this story, we can see that the state of mind of Ch'an masters is
open and undiscriminating. Ch'an masters do not discriminate between
the pure and the filthy, the male and the female. They understand
that the mind, the Buddha, and all beings are equal.
V.
The Practice of Ch'an
I
have talked to you about Ch'an for a long time today. I wonder
whether you have been able to taste a little of the wonderful flavor
of Ch'an. However, Ch'an is not something that can be experienced
through mere words; it needs to be practiced. I would like to give
you some suggestions on how to practice Ch'an.
A.
Investigate Ch'an through doubt
In
other religions, there is no room for doubt; one has to believe
unconditionally. But Ch'an encourages one to begin with doubt. A
little doubt will lead to a little realization. A great doubt will
lead to a great realization. Without doubt, there will be no
realization.
B.
Seek realization through contemplation
Once
doubts are aroused, one needs to contemplate them in order to attain
realization. Kung-an and hua-tou such as "What was one's
original face before being given birth by one's parents?"
"Do dogs have the Buddha Nature?" and "Who is
reciting Buddha's name?" are devised to arouse the doubts of
the Ch'an practitioner. Diligent contemplation of kung-an and
hua-tou will eventually lead to realization.
C.
Study Ch'an by questioning
When
contemplating hua-tou, the most important thing is to keep
questioning until realization is attained. It is like trying to
catch a thief; one has to keep pursuing without letting up. For
example, when contemplating "Who is reciting Buddha's
name?" one can ask, "Is it the mind that is
reciting?" "Who is the mind?" "If the mind is
me, then it is the mouth that is reciting Buddha's name not
me?" "If the mouth is me, then is the body that makes
prostrations to the Buddha not me?" "If the body is me,
then are the eyes that pay respect to the statue of the Buddha not
me?" If one pursues such inquiry, complete realization will be
attained..
D.
Realize Ch'an through personal experience
In
order to practice Ch'an, one has to start with doubting,
contemplating and questioning, but the final and most important
stage is the personal experience of Ch'an. Ch'an is not something
that is expressed in words nor contemplated with our hearts and
minds; in fact, we have to let go of all these to experience Ch'an.
Realization is a state of mind that cannot be described with words.
Ch'an can only be experienced by those who have attained it.
Have
you ever listened to a rippling brook? That is the sound of Ch'an!
Have you ever looked at the green leaves of a willow? That is the
color of Ch'an! Have you ever seen the heart of a lotus blossom?
That is the mind of Ch'an! Through today's talk, I hope you can find
your mind of Ch'an. Thank you.
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