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靈燄弘燭 Lingyan Hongzhu (17th-18th c.)

七十一世靈燄弘燭禪師
靈燄弘燭 Lingyan (Flaming Spirit) Hongzhu (Radiating Candle), Patriarch of the Seventy-first Generation
佛祖道影白話解 Lives of the Patriarchs
宣公上人講於金山寺一九八五年八月二十二日 Commentary by the Venerable Hua at Gold Mountain Monastery San Francisco August 22, 1985 (宣化 Xuanhua, 1918-1995)
喜雅 英譯 English translation by Grace D'Light
金剛 菩提海 Vajra Bodhi Sea (VBS): A Monthly Journal of Orthodox Buddhism, Nos. 355-356.

http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/355/vbs355p015.htm
http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/356/vbs356p013.htm

Text: The Master was the son of the Mao Family in Shanyang. After taking refuge with High Monk Bodhi Mi, he went to Qixian Monastery at Kuanglu. He paid his respects from afar and became a monk. Later he visited High Master Bo-Shan-Yan. Inadvertently one night he heard the forest roar and suddenly set everything down. He then realized that his job was simply to break up a home and be bankrupt. At that point, the Chan Master went to Tiantong to visit High Master Mi-Yun-Wu (Enlightened to Secret Clouds). After an extended period of time, he revisited Huai. As soon he returned, he immediately received Bodhi's Dharma seal and then went into seclusion at Meili. Commentary: Chan Master Ling-Yan (Flaming Spirit) Hong-Zhu (Radiating Candle) also belongs to the seventy-first generation of the Caodong School. The Chan Master must like lighting lamps because his name contains the word "candle." The Master was the son of the Mao Family in Shan-yang.  The master is the ancestor of a rotten kid, Mao Tse-tong.  After taking refuge with High Monk Bodhi Mi....  Bodhi is one of the names of this high monk, and so is Mi . Mr. Zhou explained the names of this high master in greater detail earlier.  He went to Qixian Monastery at Kuanglu.  Kuanglu is probably Mount Lu, which no one can climb. Qixian is probably the name of a monastery. He paid his respects from afar and became a monk.  There he bowed to High Master Bodhi from afar. Even though he was far away, he still bowed in respect to leave home under this particular sect.  Later he visited High Master Bo-Shan-Yan.  He drew near to High Master Bo-Shan-Yan. Inadvertently one night he heard the forest roar.  Inadvertently means coincidentally; in other words, the forest roared unexpectedly. How could a forest roar'? Guo­Yin just said the hollering comes from the wolves, bears, tigers and panthers in the woods. No. The forest's bellow is the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. He heard this sound  and  he  suddenly set everything down . He let everything go so that there was nothing. He became enlightened upon hearing the sounds of the wind's gust, the stirring of the meadow and the roar of the forest. He then realized that his job was simply to break up a home and be bankrupt.  A broken home is the absence of a home. How could someone have no home? What's a home? Home is a binding shackle. The Chinese character "home" consists of the "roof' radical over the "pig" radical. If you have a home, you are like a pig confined in a pig-pen with no freedom whatsoever. You're neither free to head east nor free to go west. You encounter problems when you move; you face damages despite remaining still. Broken means absent; one has no concept of a family. You don't think about the warmth of a family; you have broken through sticky love and sentimental romance. Having broken through these notions, you have a broken home. What about bankruptcy? That's to want nothing, to have no assets. This type of occupation works on mastering the skill of owning a wrecked home and owning nothing. The responsibilities on this job differ from the way most people operate, which is based on emotions. The majority of individuals is likened to silk worms that wrap themselves in cocoons, entrapping themselves with emotion. They tie themselves up so that they aren't free whether walking, standing, sitting or lying down. A man wants to go out and check on something, but the woman may ask, "Hey! Where are you going?" That's suffocation. If a woman wants to go out for an appointment, the man may then say, "Hey! What are you doing? Are you going out to find a boyfriend?" Suddenly that woman blushes, exclaiming, "No!" This makes everything quite awkward, very embarrassing. All these trouble and problems result from our emotional ties. Following this logic, you may deduce many more examples. Therefore, to have a broken home and be bankrupt is to hone the skill of owning no possessions. Young people usually think that it's better to own a home, so they try to build a family. At that point, he went to Tiantong to visit High Master Mi-Yun-Wu.  He went to Tiantong Monastery, a large temple in China. Mi-Yun (Secret Clouds) is the name of the high master there, whose title is Yuan-Wu (Perfect Enlightenment); thus he was also referred to as High Master Wu. If his full title is Yuan-Wu, why do we only use one part of his name? Out of respect for him we either don't use an honorable one's name at all or only use it partially. After an extended period of time—he was there for a long time. He revisited Huai. He went back to Jiangsu. As soon as he returned he immediately received Bodhi's dharma seal. Upon his return, he received the Dharma door of High Master Bodhi Mi's mind seal. High Master Bodhi Mi transmitted the Dharma to this master. And then went into seclusion at Meili. The Chan Master often went on secluded retreats for indefinite lengths of time.

Text:   During Emperor Kangxi's reign, in the spring of the  gui-mou  year,   Hongfu had a vacancy.  Members of the four assemblies earnestly   requested the Chan Master to exit seclusion and enter the world. It   wasn't until one winter night during the  gui-hai  year that he appeared to have heard the sound of avalanches and earthquakes. That's why he cheerily announced, "The time has come."  When he   heard the ringing of the advisory bells at the fifth drumming, he   summoned his attendant to fetch some rinse-water.  After the Master sat as usual for a while, his attendant made obeisance. The Master had gone at the age of 74. His body was in a stupa to the left of Bodhi's stupa. Two successors inherited his Dharma. Commentary:   During Emperor Kangxi's reign, in the spring of the  gui-mou  year, Hongfu had a vacancy.   The abbot of Hongfu Monastery vacated so that the position was open.  Members of the four assemblies earnestly requested the Chan Master to exit seclusion and enter the   world.  The four assemblies of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas and Upasikas sincerely pleaded with him to leave seclusion and enter the world. Everyone beseeched him to become the abbot of Hongfu Monastery. It wasn't until one winter night during the  gui-hai  year,  which is probably the twelfth or twenty-fourth year of a sixty-year cycle,  that he appeared to have heard the sound of avalanches and earthquakes.  One night he heard a loud noise resembling a tumbling avalanche or a quivering earthquake.  That's why he cheerily announced, "The time has come."   He delightedly proclaimed, "My time has arrived.  I'm about to be liberated from birth and death." When he heard the ringing of the advisory bells at the fifth   drumming,  which occurs at dawn as the roosters crow. He heard the advisory bells at that time. What are advisory bells?  An advisory bell is a small bell about a foot and a half tall that you strike in the Chan Hall. The advisory bell is the smaller bell, not the large bell.  He summoned his attendant to fetch some rinse-water.  The Master told his attendant to bring him water so that the Master could wash his face.  After the Master sat as usual for a while;  that is, sat in the full lotus meditation posture as he did typically,  his attendant made obeisance.  His attendant went over to greet him. Making obeisance here refers to a salutation, not necessarily prostration.  The Master had gone.  When the attendant greeted the Master, he saw the Master had already gone to rebirth. It didn't take too long. He died at the age of 74.  His body was in a stupa to the left of Bodhi's stupa.  The Chan Master's stupa was to the left, or east of High Master Bodhi's stupa.  Two successors inherited his Dharma.  He transmitted his line of Dharma to two people. Praise:   The wisdom life of the Buddhist patriarchy—   Transmitted to this wise saga.   The philosopher king has come—   Grand, gallant and bedazzling.   Whether moving or still, the master   Resembles the sun and spring.   Within the brilliant universe on high,    Heaven and earth shine ever bright. Commentary:   Praise:   The wisdom life of the Buddhist patriarchy. The wisdom life of the Buddhas and patriarchs is the Dharma practice of the mind.  Transmitted to   this wise sage. Who inherits this wisdom life? A wise sage who understands, or a bright-eyed, good and wise teacher. The philosopher king has come. The bright-eyed, good and wise advisor has arrived.  Grand, gallant and bedazzling. Now that this bright-eyed, good and wise advisor has emerged, the Dharma will brighten and expand and people will respect the Buddhadharma. Whether moving or still, the master.  To move is to walk and to be still is to stand in one place. In every move and every word, this patriarch, this Chan Master,  resembles the sun and spring. He is similar to the sun that shines on a myriad of objects and the invigorating energy of spring. Within the brilliant universe on high.  Like the sun in the sky, the radiant sun that looms in empty space,  heaven and earth shine ever bright.  The rays are not harsh. Just as was mentioned in Han Yu's  Original Way , "The way teaches us to use our radiance for humaneness." Radiance is imperfect if it's too intense. That heaven and earth shine ever bright means that it's always warm in heaven and earth. Another verse says: Hearing the forest roar as the night fell, he put it all down.    Homeless and bankrupt, he lost all notion of self and others.    In the vacuous space, birth and death come and go;    Fame and fortune are ephemeral as mirages of flora.    Mountains tumble and earth crumbles—the time had come.    Wide oceans and open skies: everywhere is home.    So he returns, strolling free and easy,   O'Mahasattva in the evil world of the five turbidities. Commentary:   Another verse says: Hearing the forest roar as the night fell, he put it all down.  He heard the forest bellow at night and suddenly became enlightened. He set everything down. He had nothing to fear. Homeless and bankrupt, he lost all notion of self and others. With neither a home nor assets, he had no  I,  no  you,  no  they.  There is no one. He had nothing more to say with a broken family and deaths of loved ones. In the vacuous space, birth and death come and go. He no longer saw empty space, birth and death as problems, but as ordinary affairs. Fame and fortune are ephemeral as mirages of flora. To be greedy for status, offerings, money, beauty, reputation, food or sleep is to pander after mirages. Mountains tumble and earth crumbles—the time had come.  He heard the sounds of the mountains topple and the earth split, informing the master that his time has come. Wide oceans and open skies: everywhere is home.  He's quite serene and unflappable at this time. So he returns, strolling free and easy. This Chan master is at leisure and ease.  O'Mahasattva in the evil world of the five turbidities.  Yet this Bodhisattva manifests himself in the evil world of the five turbidities to teach living beings. This is a Bodhisattva Mahasattva in the Saha World, a great Bodhisattva among all Bodhisattvas.