Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (118 page)

GUIZONG CEZHEN

GUIZONG CEZHEN (n.d.) was a disciple of Fayan Wenyi. He came from Caozhou. Few other details about Guizong’s life are available in the classical records.

Guizong’s initial encounter with Zen master Fayan Wenyi is classically cited as an example of the Fayan school’s teaching on inherent enlightenment. When a student comprehends this teaching, it is said to be like “two arrowhead points striking each other in midflight, where words and meaning unite in function.”
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Guizong’s first Dharma name was “Huichao” [“Surpassing Wisdom”].

Upon first meeting Fayan, he asked, “Surpassing Wisdom inquires of the master, what is Buddha?”

Fayan said, “You are Surpassing Wisdom.”

At these words Guizong entered enlightenment.

When Guizong assumed the position of abbot, he addressed the monks, saying, “Zen Worthies! If you want to hear and witness the wisdom of enlightenment, there is only one way to do so. But if you realize it in this manner, is it witnessing and hearing the wisdom of enlightenment or is it
not
witnessing and hearing enlightenment? Do you understand? I’ll explain it to you when you are enlightened. You’ve been standing too long! Take care!”

A monk asked Zen master Guizong, “What is Buddha?”

Guizong said, “When I tell you it becomes something else.”

A monk asked, “What is Guizong’s realm?”

Guizong said, “It’s ‘what do you see?’”

The monk then asked, “Who is the person in the middle of this realm?”

Guizong said, “Go!”

A monk asked, “The king has commanded that you expound Dharma without resorting to what can be seen or heard. Master, quickly speak!”

Guizong said, “Casual conversation.”

The monk said, “What is the master’s meaning?”

Guizong said, “Talking gibberish again.”

A monk said, “In the scriptures there is the passage, ‘When this deep mind pays honor to the ten thousand worlds, this is known as “repaying Buddha’s compassion.”’ I don’t ask you about ‘ten thousand worlds,’ but tell me, what is ‘repaying Buddha’s compassion’?”

Guizong said, “If you are thus, that is ‘repaying Buddha’s compassion.’”

A monk asked, “Inanimate objects expound the Dharma and the great earth hears it. But when the lion roars, then what?”

Guizong said, “Do you hear it?”

The monk said, “In that case it’s the same as inanimate objects.”

Guizong said, “You understand it well!”

A monk asked, “The ancients held that the essential teaching does not depart from sights and sounds. I’d like to know what the master holds as the essential teaching?”

Guizong said, “This is a very good question.”

The monk said, “Do you regard the essential teaching as ‘conditional causation’?”

Guizong said, “Don’t talk gibberish.”

BAOCI XINGYAN

BAOCI XINGYAN (n.d.) was a disciple of Fayan Wenyi. Xingyan came from Quanzhou. He assumed the abbacy of Baoci Monastery in Jiangnan (modern Nanjing).

Xingyan entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “Everywhere there are monks on pilgrimage who practice good and perform the observances. When they reach a monastery, they put down their water jug and bowl. You can just call what they are doing ‘following the bodhisattva way.’ Why come here to hear some pointless talk? As for ‘true thusness’ and ‘nirvana’—there’s no good time to speak of them.

“Still, the ancients had a way of talking about it. They said it’s like spying a treasure in the sand. Clearing away the rocks and pebbles the pure gold itself shines forth. This is called ‘abiding in the world—fully possessing the monk’s treasure.’ Or it’s like having a rain shower, a patch of earth, and the growth of ten thousand things, all of various sizes and assorted sweetness and bitterness. You can’t say that the earth is more important or the rain is more important. Thus, it is said that in the part, the part is revealed, and in the totality, the totality is revealed. How can it be explained?

“The Dharma has no distortion or straightness. When it is revealed to you in whatever way you observe it, it is called ‘manifested in form.’ Do you see it this way? If you don’t, then don’t waste time as you sit!”