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月舟文載 Yuezhou Wenzai (1452-1524)

六十五世月舟文載禪師
月舟文載 Yuezhou Wenzai (1452-1524), Patriarch of the Sixty-fifth Generation

65th Generational Patriarch Dhyana Master Ywe Jou of Wen Dzai
佛祖道影白話解 Lives of the Patriarchs
虛雲老和尚編輯 Composed by the Elder Master Hsu Yun (虚云 Xuyun, 1840-1959)
宣化上人講 Commentary by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua (宣化 Xuanhua, 1918-1995)
一九八五年五月三十一日, May 31, 1985
金剛 菩提海 Vajra Bodhi Sea (VBS): A Monthly Journal of Orthodox Buddhism, Nos. 282-285.

http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/282/vbs282p014.htm
http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/283/vbs283p012e.htm
http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/284/vbs284p012e.htm
http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/285/vbs285p012.htm

The Master was born in Guang Ning of Wei District to the Wong family. Because he read Patriarch Wan Sung's sentence, "I came back to find my father gone," he sat facing the wall for a long time and then had a sudden enlightenment. Then he went to study with Patriarch Wu Fang and asked the Patriarch this question: "You said a sentence once: 'The essence of cultivation doesn't come from outside. It should well forth from your own bosom.'" Before he finished asking, Patriarch Fang slapped him on the face. The Master was shocked and attained an awakening. He spoke this verse:

The slap on my face
Like lightning, like a spark.
The place where my body and life had been disappeared without a trace.
The lotus flowers bloomed in the dead of winter.

In the beginning of the Jeng De reign period, he responded to the Emperor's edict and went to Shao Lin Monastery to be Abbot. People gathered like clouds to study with him. A day never passed when he did not speak the Dharma. In the year of Jia Shen of the Jia Jing reign period, when the Master was over seventy years old, he made a hut and retired to the Thirty-Sixth Peak to pass his last days.

A verse in praise says:
Out of the blue a thunderbolt pealed:
A slap on the cheek!
The lanterns laughed.
A bare-trunked tree sprouted anew.
The clouds cleared and the sun blazed down.
Within the fire, lotuses abounded.
Where the mind's light penetrates forth,
The seas dry up and the mountains collapse.

Another verse says:
Out of the blue, a thunderbolt severed the root of doubts.
A slap on the cheek ended birth and death.
The lanterns laughed--an unprecedented event!
For a barren tree to sprout again is as rare as a sun among stars.
In a blazing fire, lotuses bloomed--no expedient way to explain it.
The boat passed through deep waters carrying Wen Zai.
Where the mind's light penetrates, hindrances are left behind.
The seas dry up, the mountains topple, all the way to Guang Ning.

Commentary:
This Dhyana Master is the 65th Patriarch of the Tsao Dong School. His name is Yue Zhou Wen Zai. The Master was born in Guang Ning of Wei District to the Wong Family. He came from Guang Ning County of the Wei District and his lay surname was Wang. He shaved his head and left the home-life when he was young. One time when he was cultivating in seclusion , because he read Patriarch Wan Sung's sentence; "I came back to find my father gone"--when he saw Zing Ziu's (Patriarch Wan Sung's other name) line: "I came back..." something struck his mind. And so he sat facing the wall for a long time. He sat there facing the wall for a long time in samadhi contemplating this line.

This line "I came back to find my father gone" is Elder Wan Sung referring to himself. He went out to cultivate the Way and when he returned, his father was gone. This line can also be explained that he went out to study the Way against his father's wishes, and now that he's come back, he encounters his father whom he had gone against. Another way to explain it is that in the beginning, his father did not allow him to cultivate the Way, but he left anyway, and so he went against his worldly father. There are many ways to interprete this line. And so Master Wen Zai sat there facing the wall, studying this line and then had a sudden enlightenment. He suddenly understood and became enlightened: the light of his mind penetrated. Then he went to study with Patriarch Wu Fang and asked the Patriarch this question. You said a sentence once: "The essence of cultivation doesn't come from outside." The mind ground Dharma door is something you must apply effort to on the mind ground; it's not something you can get from outside. It should well forth from your own bosom. "Welling forth" means that basically there isn't anything, and suddenly it bursts out and you become enlightened. It has to come forth from your own nature: the place of the mind ground.

A reminder from the last issue:
Dhyana Master Wen Dzai, the 65th Generational Patriarch of the Tsao Dong School, left home when he was young. Reading Patriarch Xing Xiu's sentence, "I came back to find my father gone" he had a sudden enlightenment….

Before he finished asking-- before Master Wen Zai had even finished his question, Patriarch Wu Fang could tell that he was just intellectualizing, that his mind did not genuinely understand. His mind's light had not penetrated thoroughly. He still had not reached the summit. He was still using the conscious mind to try to get at it. And so the Patriarch decided to help him out a bit. Patriarch Fang dealt him a blow on the face. All of a sudden, "Pow" Dhyana Master Wu Fang slapped him across the face. With that blow, the Master's conscious mind was empty--severed. And so in cultivation one must endure some bitterness. If one only eats honey, one will never become enlightened. After being struck by Patriarch Wu Fang, the Master was shocked and attained an awakening. Suddenly the myriad thoughts were all empty. He suddenly penetrated to the depths of the Dharma.

He spoke this verse: Then he spoke this verse. The slap on my face. All of a sudden he hit me on the face. It was just like lightning, like a spark. It came that fast. The blow he dealt me was just that swift. If I had thought at all, I would have fallen into the second or the third truth. It would not have been the primary truth. A flash of lightning is fast, and so are sparks. The place where my body and life had been, disappeared without a trace. There was no place to put my body and life. No more attachments. Nothing was a problem anymore. All false attachments were cut off. What was it like?  

The lotus flowers bloomed in the dead of winter. In December, it's impossible for there to be lotuses, blossoms, but now in this time of cold, the lotuses have bloomed. This means that while we have this body, which is a temporary combination of the four elements, subject to birth and death it is not easy to realize the fruition of a sage. However, now he has realized the fruition.

  Later, at the end of the Jeng De reign period, he responded to the Emperor's edict and went to Shao Lin Monastery to be Abbot. At that time, the Master received a command from the Emperor to go to Shao Lin Monastery to serve as Abbot. People gathered like clouds to study with him. Like clouds gathering, the people from the four directions came to study the Dharma with him, gathered like clouds. A day never passed when he did not speak the Dharma. He spoke Dharma and lectured on the Sutras every day. Not a single day passed without him speaking. In the year of Jya Shen of the Jia Jing reign period, when the Master was over seventy years old, he made a hut and retired to the Thirty-Sixth Peak to pass his latter days. When he was seventy, he made himself a straw hut and retired there to spend his remaining years of life. Bear's Ear Mountain has thirty-six peaks. He made his hut at the top of the thirty-sixth peak or maybe at the midpoint .

A verse in praise says:

Out of the blue a thunderbolt pealed:
A slap on the cheek!
The lanterns laughed.
A bare-trunked tree sprouted anew.
The clouds cleared and the sun blazed down.
Within the raging fire, lotuses blossomed.
Where the mind's light penetrates forth
The seas dry up and the mountains collapse.

Out of the blue a thunderbolt pealed: He was standing there talking and suddenly he was dealt a blow, just like a thunderbolt out of the blue. A slap on the cheek! The blow landed on his face. At that time the lanterns laughed. Lanterns are insentient things, but they smiled and were happy. This refers to how sentients and insentient alike attain the Wisdom of All Modes. At that time a bare-trunked tree sprouted anew. The tree trunk was bare; there was no life left in it. But it sprouted anew--and brought forth life. This refers to how, at that time, the Tsao Dung Sect was old and on the decline and it looked as if there was no one to carry on the lineage. But then a Dharma son was born. The clouds cleared and the sun blazed down. After that, the clouds disappeared and the sun, at high noon, was white and brilliant.

A reminder from the last issue:
Dhyana Master Wu Fang heard him babbling Chan-talk without any real understanding, so he slapped him across the face, “Pow!” Thereupon, Dhyana Master Wen Dzai was enlightened.

Within the raging fire, lotuses blossomed.  Originally he said, the lotus blossoms welled forth in the dead of winter. This can also be explained that because it was the dead of winter, the fire was raging. And so within that fire lotuses blossomed. Or it could be explained that the lotuses come forth from the mud but are not sullied by it. Rather, they are gorgous and luxuriant. Originally, lotuses cannot bloom in fire, but now the fire brings forth lotuses that will not be destroyed. Doesn't it say in Great Master Yung Jya's "Song of Enlightenment."

Practice Dhyana in the midst of desire, 
through the power of knowledge and insight. 
The lotus born in the fire is never destroyed.

A lotus that is born from the fire will never be destroyed. This refers to the vajra indestructible body.  Where the mind's light penetrates forth,  great wisdom has been opened. Enlightenment has been obtained.

The seas dry up and the mountains collapse.  Sea refers to the sea of suffering we endure. Now it is dried up. The Mount Sumeru within us also topples. What is the sea of suffering? Our afflictions and ignorance are the sea of suffering. What mountains collapse? Our arrogance and haughtiness are Mount Sumeru. Now, that Mount Sumeru is collapsed, which means there is no more arrogance and haughtiness.

In investigating the Patriarchs' biographies, everyone has his/her own explanation. Everyone's interpretation is different. And everyone's explanation has its own insight. If you understand them, then everyone's wisdom will enter your mind. Then even if you don't want to become enlightened, you will anyway. Gradually, you will certainly become enlightened.

These lectures on the Patriarch's biographies are not simply for explaining the biographies. From this, everyone here must become enlightened. If you don't become enlightened, I will also slap you on the cheeks!

Another verse says:

Out of the blue a thunderbolt severed the root of doubts. 
A slap on the cheek ended birth and death. 
The lanterns laughed － an unprecedented event! 
For a barren tree to sprout again is as a sun among stars.

In a blazing fire lotuses bloomed － no expedient way to explain it. 
The boat passed through deep waters carrying Wen Zai. 
Where the mind's light penetrates, hindrances are left behind. 
The seas dry up, and the mountains topple all the way to Guang Ning.

Out of the blue a thunderbolt severed the root of doubts.  On sunny days there aren't any thunderbolts, but when a thunderbolt claps on a sunny day, it will break through your doubts and destroy your ignorance.  A slap on the cheek ended birth and death.  By slapping his cheek, he cut through the root of birth and death. And so birth and death were ended right at that moment because he became enlightened.  The lanterns laughed--an unprecedented event! How can lanterns laugh? Impossible. That's to say originally there was not enlightenment, but now there is. Originally lanterns can't laugh, but now they have. This is an analogy refering to how people's wisdom appears. Just like a lantern's laugh.  For a barren tree to sprout again is as rare as a sun among stars.  A barren tree is useless, but now it has new life. What has dried and withered is now flourishing again. That's why it's as rare as the sun is among stars.

In a blazing fire lotuses bloomed--devoid of expedients.  Fire is hot. Lotuses can only bloom from water. To have lotuses bloom in fire is a rare event. It's so rare that it's beyond all expedients. There is no expedient to speak of.  The boat passed through deep waters carrying Wen Dzai. At first I thought of using "On a moonlit night" instead of "through deep waters" because the Master's name "Ywe Jou" literally means "Moon boat." But then I decided to match "through deep waters" with "In a blazing fire." This line contains the Master's name Ywe Jou Wen Dzai hidden in it. The water is deep so the boat can travel. It glides through and so  where the mind's light penetrates, hindrances are left behind.  The mind's light is penetrating and whatever hindrances there had been disappeared. At this time  the seas dry up, the mountains topple all the way to Gwang Ning.  The sea of ignorance and afflictions dries up and Mount Sumeru topples. And this happens all the way to Gwang Ning. Gwang Ning is Master Wen Dzai's birthplace. Therefore Dhyana Master Wen Dzai can also be called Dhyana Master Gwang Ning, because in the Chinese custom, a person can be referred to by the place name of the place he is from.