By Ch'an
Master Hsuan Chuen of Yung Chia. This Ancient Buddha was the Dharma Successor
of Hui-Neng and also the Dharma Successor of Master T'ien Kung who was the 7th
Patriarch of the T'ien T'ai Sect. Yung Chia is called the "Overnight Enlightened
One" by those who dwell at Ts'ao Ch'i.
Do
you not know the ease of the man of the Way who has gone beyond learning, and
whose state is "non-action"
Who neither suppresses thoughts, nor
seeks the "Truth?"
To him the reality of ignorance is the Buddha
Nature;
The empty illusory is the Dharmakaya.
When
one who is awakened to the Dharma-body, there are no objects;
The essence
of all things comes from the self-nature -- Buddha!
The Five Aggregates ---
mere floating clouds aimlessly coming and Going;
The Three Poisons --- bubbles
that appear and disappear.
When
Reality is attained, there is neither ego nor object,
And within that instant,
the karma of eternal suffering is wiped away.
If this is a lie to deceive
living beings,
For ages as numberless as dust, let my own tongue be plucked
out.
When the mind is once awakened
to the Ch'an of the Tathagata,
The Six Paramitas are also fully perfect, as
are the Ten Thousand Expedient Means .
In dreams, the Six Realms are vivid;
When one awakens, not even a Universe of Universes can be found.
There
are no sins, and no loss or gain,
Nothing can be found in Nirvana's midst.
It is like a mirror from which the dust has never been polished clean.
Now
is the moment for all this to be openly decided.
Who
can be without thought?
And who is without birth?
Then the "not-born"
is real, so is the "not-not-born.
Ask a wooden puppet when it will attain
Buddhahood by practicing Self-cultivation.
Release
the Four Elements: cling to nothing!
And in the midst of Nirvana you may eat
and drink!
Seeing that all things are not lasting and are Void,
One attains
the Great Perfect Enlightenment of the Tathagatas.
A
true monk is completely decided....
If you are not convinced, ask me frank
questions.
To be in accord with the Buddha-sealed: Go to The Root!
I have
no help for those who search for twigs.....
The
Mani-pearl is not known to men
It lies in the Tathagata Storehouse, and
Its Six-fold Function is beyond "is" or "is not"
From
it comes One Perfect Light -- it is not formed and yet not formless.
To
purify the five types of vision and pain the five powers,
One must personally
realize that which is beyond conception.
It is easy to recognize images in
a mirror,
But who can grasp the Moon from the Water?
One
like this always walks alone, for one is always alone.
Every Perfectedl One
travels the One Same Path of Nirvana.
Following tradition, his "ch'i"
is clear, his spirits high,
And, if his appearance is dishevelled and his
body hardened, who will take notice?
Sons
of the Buddha are always poor.
Poverty is of the body: Not of the Mind of
the Way!
His body is wrapped in rags,
But his Way-mind possesses the priceless
gem.
This rare gem is used without
restrictions
To assist others, or respond to accessions as required.
The
Three Bodies and the Four Wisdoms are prefected within it,
The Six Powers
and Eight Manners of liberation by realizations are impressed on it.
Superior
men are awakened to one, and awake to all.
Men of lesser ability learn some,
and are skeptical to the rest.
Destroy your dirty garments!
How can one
be boastful about externals?
Let
yourself be criticized and abused,
Those who lift torches to burn Heaven just
tire themselves!
I listen to them, and it is nectaI
I am then able to
instantly enter the Realm Beyond Conception.
Because
of this, offensive words are a blessing,
And the speaker...my good friend!
Without the mind accepting slander and abuse,
How could it manifest the Compassion
of the Unborn?
Penetrate both the
Transmission and the Teachings
And Dhyana and Wisdom will be perfect and unhindered
by the Void.
I am not alone in coming to this...
This is the realization
of all the Buddhas, a number as counties as the sands of the Ganges.
Speak
without fear ---- The Lion's Roar!!!
At who's sound all beasts tremble with
fright.
Even fragrant elephants drop their sedate strolls and lose their dignity.
The Heavenly [)ragon alone listens in silence and calm joy.
I
have crossed many rivers and mountains
Searching for Masters to instruct in
the secrets of Ch'an,
But then I came to know the Path of Ts'ao Ch'i Hui-Neng,
And, I are no longer concerned with birth and death.
Do
not stray from "Walking is Ch'an, sitting is Ch'an"
Essentially
at ease whether talking or remaining silent, moving or staying still.
It is
serene even when greeted with sharp weapons.
And is not worried about poisons.
Our
Master only met with Dipamkara Buddha after many eons
Of disciplining himself
as a "one who suffers in a state of patience."
Going through how
many repetitions of Birth and Death;
Endlessly re-occurring...
Since
my Instantaneous Awakening to the "Law of No-birth,"
I have lost
the sorrow of disgrace and the joy of success.
I stay in a hut on the mountain,
beneath the high peak of the evergreens.
I sit quitely and without cares in
this monk abode, and light heartedly enjoy the stillness.
When
you are awakened, that is all: no striving is needed.
There is nothing common
between "this" and the way of the world.
Charity given with attachment
earns rewards of Heaven, but this is still like shooting an arrow into the sky;
When the force is depleted, the arrow falls: distasteful things follow.
Compare
this to the "Non-active Reality,"
above all things,
Which allows
the instantaneous entry
into the Tathagata Stage.
Take
hold of the root and do not worry about the branches; It is like a crystal pool
reflecting the bright moon.
Now, realizing what the Mani-pearl is, you should
use it to benefit yourself and others without ceasing.
The moon reflected
on the stream, the breeze in the evergreens,
Where is the disturbance on this
quiet night?
The Sila Gem of the
Precepts which is within the Buddha Nature stamps itself on the Mind-ground,
And, One's garments are now fog, dew, and clouds
One's Bowl of the sort that
subdues Dragons;
One's Staff of the kind that separates Tigers by clear sound
of its twin rows of metal rings.
These
are not mere symbols, the relics of history,
But the distinctive traces of
the Tathagata's Holy Staff.
Do not
seek the real nor despise the false,
Both are dualities: Fundimentally E mpty
and Void.
That which is Not Empty nor Void, but is "Not-not empty"
Is the Tathagata's genuine form.
The
Mind is a Mirror that reflects the Pure Bright Light Without Obstruction
As
it penetrates Worlds as numberless as the sands of the Ganges
In it, the diversify
of the Universes appear,
Shining like perfect gems; neither inside nor outside.
Do
not grasp the Void, nor reject the Law of Karma;
This causes confusion and
surely brings troubles.
The same is true regarding the error of rejecting
"is" and grasping "what is not."
This is like leaping
into a fire to escape from drowning!
When
you attempt to obtain the true by rejecting the false,
One makes the error
of artifice, and gives rise to the discriminating Mind .
If a disciple does
this with his training,
He will mistake a thief for his own son.
The
losing of merit and the destruction of Dharma-wealth
Comes solely from the
relative and discriminatory mind.
Because of this, Ch'an followers are taught
to look thoroughly into this
So that they can instantly realize "No-birth"
and the Buddha Wisdom.
A man of
great "ch'i" uses the Wisdom Sword
Whose flaming Vajra-Blade cuts
all.
It destroys not only the heterodox attitude,
But it also gives flight
to spiritual evils.
He rolls the
Dharma Thunder and beats the Dharma Drum,
Raising clouds of compassion from
which nectar pours down.
Dragons and Elephants come to bless countless beings,
And the Three Vehicles carry the five types of beings.
The
Milk from the Himalayas is pure and nourishing, I enjoy the refined butter that
is made from it!
The One Nature perfectly pervades all others, The One Dharma
enfolds all other dharmas,
The One Moon is reflected by all waters, The Dharma-Pody
of all Buddhas pervades my nature;
I am united with the Tathagatas.
When
this stage is attained, so then, are all others.
It is neither form, nor mind,
nor act; and,
The Eighty Thousand Dharma Doors are prefected in a snap of
the fingers:
In but a moment, the Three Endless Ages are wiped out.
Propositions
and Logic are not this, and they have nothing in common with my transcendental
Wisdom
Because it is beyond either praise or censure,
And its substance
is without boundries.
Yet, it is always present when we retain serenity: only
when looked for is it gone.
It can
not be grasped, nor let go of,
But, if you do neither,
It goes its own
way.
If you remain silent, it will speak: Speak and it is silent.
Its
Charitable Gate is wide open.
If I am asked about what teaching I understand,
I call it the Power of Great Wisdom,
And no man can say that I am wrong or
right;
Even the Devas can not agree!
I
have spent many long eons in Self-Cultivation
And do not speak lightly to
deceive.
I have hoisted the Dharma Banner and proclaimed the Teaching of our
Sect.
This is the same as the Buddha commanded Hui-Neng Ts'ao Ch'i to proclaim.
Mahakasyapa
was the first in the line of Transmission,
Twenty-eight Patriarchs followed
Him, moving ever Eastward.
The Dharma reached the Middle Kingdom where Bodhidharma
was again the First Patriarch,
That Six Generations inherited ills Robe and
countless persons realized the Way from this is well known.
Do
not establish the "real" and the "false" is never formed.
When "existence" and "non-existence" are wiped out, there
is also no longer a "not-empty."
From the first, there have not
been the Twenty Forms of Emptiness,
Because the Tathagata's One Nature encompasses
them all.
The Mind is a sensory
organ ... things are its objects.
This duality is like dust on the mirror.
Wipe away the dust and the mirror shines brightly.
Mind and object vanish
when the Self Nature is understood.
Alas!
This is the Dharma Ending Age, and the world is full of evils;
Beings are
ill fortuned and discipline is difficult.
The Sage has long passed and perverted
views are deep.
Evil demons grow strong as the Dharma grows weak, hatred is
everywhere!
But, when they hear
of the Tathagata's Dharma Teaching of Instantaneous awakening,
They regret
not having smashed it like broken tiles.
When the Mind acts,
the body
suffers ills;
Do not blame or accuse
others for this.
If you want to avoid the Karma of Continuous Suffering,
Do not speak ill
of the Tathagata's Right Dharma Wheel.
Other
trees do not grow in a sandalwood forest,
And among the thick growths, lions
alone live.
Alone and at ease in their own quiet and familiar places
From
which all other birds and beasts have fled.
It
is only the lion cubs that follow in these footsteps,
And, when reaching the
age of three years, they too roar.
How can jackals hope to follow the King
of the Dharma?
Ever, after one hundred years, they open their mouths in vain!
The
teaching of instantaneous Perfection is beyond the World's imagination .
When
a single doubt is left, it must be resolved.
I say this, not because I cling
to "self" and "other,"
Instead, I fear that your practice
will be trapped by "permanence" or "impermanence ."
"Right"
is not right, nor is "wrong" wrong:
If you miss this by the slightest,
you will miss by a thousand miles.
The Dragon Maiclen who believed instantly
attained the Buddha Stage,
The scholarly Shang Using did not, and was reborn
in Hell.
In my youth, I gathered
much knowledge, searching the Sutras, Sastras, and Commentaries;
I endlessly
analyzed names and forms, a task as vain as counting sands on the Ocean Floor.
I was severely admonished by the Buddha, who asked, " What is the profit
in counting other persons' treasures?"
Then, I fully realized the futility
of my greatest efforts and the aimless travelling about that I had done.
Due
to perverse natures and wrong views,
The Tathagata's method of Instantaneous
Perfection is not understood
Those of the Hinayana exert themselves enough,
but lack the Way
The wise are intelligent, but lack Wisdom.
In
their ignorance and shallow understanding,
They mistake the pointing finger
of the empty hand for the Moon.
Their efforts are lost like idle dreamers
in the world of sense and object.
When
one encounters the realm of "no-forms, " one can see the Tathagata,
and,
Only then can one truly be called a "Regarder of the Cries of the
World."
Once this is understood, the hindrances of karma become empty;
When there is no such understanding, karma's full price is taken.
It
is like a hungry man refusing to eat a royal feast,
Or the sick refusing medicine
sent by the Great Physician; How can they be cured?
While in the World of
Desires, Ch'an practice is the most effective:
Like a Lotus that can bloom
in the midst of the fire.
Yung-shih
broke grave prohibitions,
yet awoke to the Uncreate,
And, thereupon attained
Buddhahood
many ages ago.
Teach
the Doctrine of Fearlessness as loudly as the lion roars;
Pity those with
confused, perverse, inflexible minds.
They are only able to understand that
breaking important precepts causes obstructions to Wisdom,
And, they are unable
to realize the profound secret of the Tathagata.
Once
two Monks broke grave precepts: one by killing, the other by carnality.
Both
confessed to Upali, but his own insight was but a feeble glow and he only made
the matter worse by exaggeration.
Thereupon, Mahasattva Vimalakirti wiped
out the doubts of troth,
And, both grief and doubt melted like frost beneath
the hot sun.
This power of emancipation
is beyond thought,
and works wonders as numberless as the sands of the Ganges.
To such a one, the offering of the Four Necessities is given easily.
Indeed,
he returns for them Ten Thousand pieces of gold without incurring a debt !
Our
body and bones may be crushed to a powder,
and we could still not repay enough
for these words
that enable us to bypass
Hundreds of Thousands of Ages.
This
is the King of Dharmas -- Unsurpassed!
Tathagatas beyond all number have testified
to this attainment.
I now have correctly explained the "Mani-pearl,"
and,
Those who understand this are now in harmony with it.
To
him who sees clearly, there is not a thing to be seen;
There is not a man
here, nor is there a Buddha.
The Universe of Universes is but a bubble in
the sea,
All the Saints and Sages are but flashes of lightning.
Even
as the Hot-Wheel of Iron revolved over my head,
The Perfect Brightness of
Meditation and Wisdom is unaltered.
The Sun may turn cold and the Moon hot
by the powers of Demons,
But, they can not alter a word of this truthful teaching.
When
the stately cart is pulled by elephants up the hill,
How can a preying mantis
hope to stop its progress?
As great elephants can walk in the foot--tracks
of rabbits,
The Great Waking goes beyond the power of intellect.
Do
not attempt to measure Heaven
with a small piece of reed for a measuring stick;
If you do not have this insight,
this Song of mine is to settle the matter
for you.
Vimalakirti Sutra
Meditation
Chan: the essence of all Buddhas
The essentials of Chan practice
Chan Handbook
Chan historigraphy and Chan philosophy
Empty Cloud
Hsu Yun's meditation instructions to his
monks
Seventh World
Maxims of Master Han Shan
The Sutra of Hui Neng
Teachings of Shitou Xiqian
The Chan teaching of Mazu
Chan teachings of Bodhidharma
Teachings of Daoxin
Teachings of Fo Yen
Teachings of Hongzhi Zhenjue
Teachings of Master Lin Chi
To investigate Chan
Chan is understanding yourself
What is Zen?
What are you?
Chan is a way at looking at one's own true nature
What is Chan?
Development of Chan in China
Pointing the finger to Chan
Chinese Buddhism
Prerequisites for Chan practice
Prerequisites of the Chan training
Useless Distraction
Sour Grapesby
Essentials of practice and enlightenment for
beginners
Master Han Shan's Elixir
Methods of practice
Practice and attain sudden enlightenment
The Dharma of mind transmission
The building blocks of Chan Buddhism
Discourse on sudden enlightenment
Gnerosity and the spirit of inconceivable liberation
Secrets on cultivating mind
Enlightenment
Governing the mind
Bodhidharma
Insight
Bowing and Samadhi
Meditation
Heart Sutra
Surangama Sutra
Chan Training
A direct explanation of Heart Sutra
Paradise in sudden enlightenment
Suffering
The efficacious language of Heaven and
Earth
Daily lectures at Chan week
Why we chant?
Person of the way who is without thought
The things we cling to
The Absolute and The Relative
Putting on a show
Chan in North America
Buddhist psychology
Back to the source
Buddhist perspective on time and space