Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (7 page)

After Bodhidharma’s death, Huike traveled to the capital city, Yedu, in the kingdom of Wei. He remained there, except for a period of political turmoil, for the next forty years, upholding and expounding the practice of his teacher. However, religious rivalry and government persecution embroiled Huike in the upheavals of his era. At some time during this period he sought refuge in the mountains. According to tradition, he met and transmitted the lineage of Bodhidharma to his disciple and Dharma heir Sengcan on Huangong Mountain during this period. In the year 579, when political conditions improved, Huike returned to Yedu.

According to the
Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks
, a historical record written in the seventh century, Huike had several prominent disciples and lay students.
¹⁷
The lamp records offer a traditional account of Huike’s life.

Huike was the Second Ancestor of Zen in China. He came from Hulao and his surname was Ji. His father’s name was Jiji.

Before he had children, Huike’s father thought, “Our house pays reverence to what is good. How can we not have children?”

They often prayed to Buddha. One night they observed an unnatural light pervade their house, and as a result of this Ji’s wife became pregnant. Because of this omen, when the child grew up he was given the name “Light.” As a young man, Huike showed uncommon conviction. He was very skilled at poetry but was uninterested in household affairs, preferring to roam among mountains and rivers. Later, when he read the Buddhist sutras, he excelled in his understanding. He then went to Dragon Gate Monastery on Fragrant Mountain in Luoyang, where he began study under Zen master Baojing. He received ordination at Yongmu Temple. He then traveled to various seats of learning for the Buddhadharma, studying the teachings of the Mahayana and Hinayana. At the age of thirty-two, he returned to Fragrant Mountain. There he practiced meditation throughout the day.

Once, while he sat in silent stillness, an apparition appeared to Huike and said, “If you want to be successful, then why are you remaining here? The great way is not far away. Go south!”

Huike then told his teacher about the apparition. His teacher observed Huike’s head and saw that there were seven bumps on it that stuck up like small peaks.

His teacher said, “You have seen an auspicious omen. The evidence is here on your head. The apparition said that you should go south. This means that you should study with Bodhidharma at Shaolin Temple.”

Huike accepted this instruction and set off for Shaolin.

When Bodhidharma completed the transmission of his Dharma to Huike, Bodhidharma returned to India. Huike then strongly expounded Bodhidharma’s teaching and looked far and wide for a Dharma successor.

In the second year of the Tianping era of the Northern Qi dynasty [536], a layman whose name is not known came to Huike and said, “My body has been wracked by a terrible illness. I ask that you help me absolve the transgression I’ve committed that has caused this.”

Huike said, “Bring to me the transgression you’ve committed and I’ll absolve it.”

The layman said, “I look for the transgression but I can’t find it.”

Huike said, “There, I’ve absolved your transgression. Now you should abide in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.”

The layman said, “Seeing you here, I know what is meant by ‘Sangha,’ but I still don’t know what are called Buddha and Dharma.”

Huike said, “Mind is Buddha. Mind is Dharma. Buddha and Dharma are not two different things. Along with Sangha they comprise the three jewels.”
¹⁸

The layman said, “Today, for the first time, I realize that my transgression was not internal, was not external, and was not in between these two states. It was entirely within mind. Buddha and Dharma are not two things.”

Huike recognized the layman to be a great Dharma vessel. He received him as a student and shaved his head, saying, “You are a great jewel. I give you the name Sengcan [‘Gem Monk’].”

On the eighteenth day of the third lunar month of that year, Sengcan underwent ordination. From that time on his illness gradually subsided.

Sengcan spent two years acting as Huike’s attendant. Then Huike said to him, “Bodhidharma came from India and transmitted to me the
Treasury of the True Dharma Eye
, along with the robe of the ancestral transmission. I now pass it to you. Uphold and sustain it, and don’t allow the lineage to be cut off. Listen to this verse of mine:

Fundamentally, karmic conditions have given rise to the ground
That allows the seeds of flowers to grow.
Fundamentally, nothing has been planted,
And flowers have not grown.”

After transmitting Bodhidharma’s Dharma and robe to Sengcan, Huike said to him, “You have received my teaching, and now you should live deep in the mountains. Don’t circulate in the world, for the country will have a great calamity.”

Sengcan said, “Since you know about this calamity in advance, please instruct me about it.”

Huike said, “I have no foreknowledge about this. It is a prediction made by [the twenty-seventh Zen ancestor in India] Prajnadhara and transmitted to China by Bodhidharma, wherein he said, ‘While it will be auspicious to abide in mind, outside of this there will be evil.’ I have studied these times and see that [this calamity] may befall you. Consider the truth of this prediction and don’t be ensnared by the world’s turmoil. As for me, I have karmic retribution to suffer. You should go and practice what is good. Wait for the time when you can transmit the Dharma to someone else.”

After Huike instructed Sengcan in this manner, Huike went to Yedu and expounded the Dharma. His teaching spread widely, and as a result a great number of people from all directions entered monastic life. He continued in this manner for thirty-four years, but then concealed himself and changed his appearance. Sometimes he would go to wine houses, sometimes to butcher shops, and sometimes he would mingle in the bustling lanes of the city. He also was found among the ranks of household servants.

Some people asked him, “The master is a person of the Way. Why is he acting in this manner?”

But Huike answered them, saying, “I have rectified my mind. Of what concern is this to you?”

On one occasion, Huike expounded the unsurpassed Dharma to a large crowd before the front gate of Kuangqiu Temple in Guangcheng County. At the same time, the Dharma master Bianhe was lecturing on the Nirvana Sutra inside of the temple. As the congregation inside of the temple became aware of Huike’s Dharma talk outside, they gradually were drawn outside to listen to him. Bianhe was unable to control his anger, and slandered Huike to the city magistrate, who was named Di Zhongkan. Di was confused by Bianhe’s slanderous report and charged Huike with a crime. Huike [facing execution because of this criminal charge] remained calmly composed. Those who understand the truth said this episode was the “payment of a debt.” The master lived to the age of one hundred and seven. Huike died on the sixteenth day of the third month in the thirteenth year of the Kaihuang era during the reign of Sui Wendi [594]. He was buried seventy
li
[forty-two kilometers] northeast of Fuyang in Ci Province.
¹⁹
Later, the Tang dynasty emperor De Zong gave Huike the posthumous name “Dazu” [“Great Ancestor”].

([Later,] a Buddhist patron named Haoyue asked Zen master Changsha Jingcen, “An old worthy said that ‘karmic obstacles are fundamentally empty.’ I don’t understand why, when this is realized, there is still a ‘karmic debt’ that must be repaid. For example, in the case of the esteemed Second Ancestor, why did he have to repay a karmic debt?” Zen master Changsha replied, “Your Worthiness doesn’t understand fundamental emptiness.” Haoyue said, “What is fundamental emptiness?” Changsha said, “Karmic obstruction.” Haoyue said, “What is karmic obstruction?” Changsha said, “Fundamental emptiness.” Haoyue was silent. Changsha then recited a verse:

If something is fundamental, it doesn’t exist.
If something is annihilated, it doesn’t cease.
Nirvana and karmic retribution
Are of one inseparable nature.

JIANZHI SENGCAN

JIANZHI SENGCAN (d. 606) was a student of Huike and the Third Ancestor of the Zen tradition. Few details are known about his life. According to the
Transmission of the Lamp
, Sengcan was forced by the political persecution of Buddhism during his era to remain out of sight, living inconspicuously among the general population.

With so little reliable evidence about Sengcan’s life, some scholars doubt his existence. Yet the lack of evidence may be due to the severe suppression of Buddhism by the government during the years 574–77. According to Chinese historical records, the government of this era attempted to exterminate Buddhism by closing temples, destroying written records and monuments, and defrocking much of the Buddhist clergy.

According to tradition, after receiving Dharma transmission from Huike, Sengcan lived on Mt. Huangong in Shuzhou to avoid the upheaval predicted by the twenty-seventh ancestor in India, Prajnadhara.

Sengcan Jianzhi was the Third Ancestor. His surname is not known. He was a layperson when he first visited the Second Ancestor. After he received ordination and Dharma transmission, he lived in hiding on Huangong Mountain in Shuzhou. Later, when Emperor Zhou Wudi persecuted and destroyed the Buddhadharma, Sengcan lived on Sikong Mountain in Taihu County. Thereafter, for more than ten years, he had no permanent home. During that time people remained unaware of him. During the year Ren Zi, the twelfth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui dynasty [592], the novice monk Daoxin, only fourteen years old, came to pay respects to Sengcan.

Daoxin said, “I ask for the master’s compassion. Please tell me of the gate of emancipation.”

Sengcan said, “Who has bound you?”

Daoxin said, “No one has bound me.”

Sengcan said, “Then why are you seeking emancipation?”

Upon hearing these words, Daoxin experienced great enlightenment. Daoxin then acted as Sengcan’s attendant for nine years. He later received ordination at Jizhou, then continued attending to Sengcan. Sengcan repeatedly tested Daoxin’s understanding of the sublime mystery, and when he knew he was ready, he passed to him the Dharma and robe, reciting this verse:

The flowers are planted when the ground is ready.
From this planting the flower blooms.
If no one plants the seed,
The flowers and ground are both extinguished.

Sengcan then said, “Formerly, Great Teacher Ke passed me his Dharma. He then went to teach in Yedu, passing away after thirty years. Now I have received you as my Dharma successor. To where will it pass from here?”

Sengcan then went to Mt. Luofu, where he spent two years. After that he went back to his former abode. For a period of several months, many nobles and commoners flocked to see him, and the temple received many benefactors. Sengcan expounded the essence of mind to everyone alike, until one day when, as he sat under a tree before a Dharma assembly, he placed his palms together and passed away. This was in the fifteenth day of the tenth month of the year Ding Yan, the second year of the reign of Yangdi Daye in the Sui dynasty [606]. The Tang dynasty emperor Xuan Zong gave the master the posthumous name “Zen Master Jianzhi” [“Mirror Wisdom”].