瑞白明雪 Ruibai Mingxue (1584-1641)

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七十世瑞白明雪禪師
瑞白明雪 Ruibai Mingxue (1584-1641), Patriarch of the Seventieth Generation

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)
宣化上人講於一九八五年六月二十二日 Commentary by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua (宣化 Xuanhua, 1918-1995) on June 22, 1985
金剛菩提海 Vajra Bodhi Sea (VBS): A Monthly Journal of Orthodox Buddhism, Nos. 313-314.

http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/313/vbs313p012.htm
http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/314/vbs314p011.htm

The Master was born in Tongcheng, a son of the Yang family. He studied under Master Yunmen. Master Yunmen asked him, "What did you do before?" The Master replied, "I upheld the verse of Vipashyin." Master Yunmen said, "The four elements are unreal. The false mind is empty. Who dragged your corpse here?" The Master was speechless for a long while. Then Master Yunmen brought up the case of killing the cat, and the Master had an instantaneous insight. He threw down his meditation cushion and said, "Your words have shown me the way to Xuzhou." Soon afterwards he became Master Yunmen's attendant at Qiaoshang ("On the Bridge"). Master Yunmen said, "The stream flows on and on. Let's see what you have to say about it."

The Master said, "Knocking on space makes a sound. Beating on wood makes no noise." Master Yunmen was pleased. Six days later, upon hearing the tolling of the bell, he experienced a great awakening. From then on, his eloquence was outstanding in all situations.

Master Yunmen transmitted the Dharma to him. When Master Yunmen passed away, the Master became the next abbot of Xiansheng Monastery. In the year of gengwu during the reign of Chongzhen, he founded the Ancient Longhua ("Dragon Flower") Monastery at Bianshan in Huzhou and served as the abbot at eight monasteries. On the fifteenth day of the third lunar month in the year of xingsi, he told his attendant to help ease him into an upright coffin. He wrote a verse and then beckoned everyone with a wave of his hand. By the time they walked over to him, he had already passed away. A stupa containing his whole body was erected at Longhua Monastery.

Commentary:
This Patriarch is of the Caodong Sect. His name was Mingxue (Bright Snow), and he was also called Ruibai (Auspicious White). The Master was born in Tongcheng, a son of the Yang family. He was born in Tongcheng County. Is that in Henan Province? [Disciple: It's in Anhui Province.] His lay surname was Yang, the same as that of Liulang Yang.

He studied under Master Yunmen. He went to bow to Dhyana Master Yunmen , who asked him, "What did you do before?" The Master , Dhyana Master Mingxue, replied, "I upheld the verse of Vipashyin." This is a verse, not a mantra. It probably refers to a verse spoken by Vipashyin Buddha. Master Yunmen said, "The four elements are unreal. Earth, water, fire, and air temporarily combine to form the body. The false mind is empty. The mind that engages in false, stream-of-consciousness thoughts is also empty. Who dragged your corpse here? "Who has brought you here?" He was deliberately putting him on the spot.

The four elements--earth, water, fire, and air--are not really the self nor do they belong to the self. When a person dies, the earth in his body returns to the element earth in the natural environment. Likewise, water returns to water, fire returns to fire, and air returns to air. Each returns to its own place. Since they all have places to which to return, they do not belong to oneself. They have merely invested a little capital to form a corporation, so to speak. The body is a corporation formed from every member's investments. But when the members each take their share of the money, the corporation--the body--is gone.

The false mind is empty. False thinking has no substance and no appearance; it is like empty space. "Who was it who dragged your corpse over here?" "Who's in charge of you? Do you know? What is it that really causes you to become enlightened and to become a Buddha?" Dhyana Master Yunmen was referring to the Buddha nature, but he didn't say it outright; he merely asked him, "Do you know what it is?"

The Master was speechless for a long while. He had nothing to say in reply. He didn't really understand, so he wasn't able to answer.

Then Master Yunmen brought up the public record (Chinese: gong an, Japanese: koan) of killing the cat, in which a cat was killed (by Dharma Master Nanquan) in order to end the debate. There had been an argument about the true and false, but when the cat was killed, the people had nothing left to argue about, so they stopped arguing. Those on the side of the true stopped arguing, and so did those on the side of the false.

And the Master had an instantaneous insight. Hearing those words, Dhyana Master Mingxue had an insight--he knew that there was a Buddha nature. He threw down his meditation cushion and said, "Your words have shown me the way to Xuzhou." He had been carrying a meditation cushion on his back, and he was quite attached to it, but after hearing Master Yunmen's words, he threw the cushion away. He then said, "Because of that one sentence you spoke, I now know how to get to Xuzhou." He was saying, in effect, that he understood the meaning.

Soon afterwards he became Master Yunmen's attendant at Qiaoshang ("On the Bridge"). Master Yunmen said, "The stream flows on and on. Let's see what you have to say about it. See the stream? Why don't you make a verse about it? This is a test I'm giving you."

The Master Mingxue spoke two verses spontaneously. He said, "Knocking on space makes a sound. I knock on the air, but there's a sound. Beating on wood makes no noise. I hit the wood, but there's no sound." Now, what do you think he means? Knocking on space shouldn't make any sound and beating on wood should, but he said just the opposite.

His meaning was that the principles of cultivation are the opposite of mundane dharmas. What worldly people regard as existing, the cultivator thinks of as nonexistent. What worldly people regard as nonexistent, he takes to exist. Thus, transcendental dharmas are just the opposite of worldly dharmas. In the way of the world, boys want to find girlfriends and girls want to find boyfriends. In terms of transcendental dharmas, it doesn't work that way. Girls don't need to have boyfriends, and boys don't need to have girlfriends. Then they are pure. Thus, the principles for transcending the world are opposed to worldly principles.

Someone might ask, "But didn't the Sixth Patriarch say, 'The Buddhadharma is here in the world; / Enlightenment is not apart from the world. / To search for Bodhi apart from the world / Is like looking for a hare with horns'? Isn't he saying that it's still in the world?"

If you can turn worldly dharmas around, they become the Buddhadharma. If you can turn yourself around, then you have the Buddhadharma.

Worldly people crave good food. They insist on eating well every day. We, on the other hand, aren't greedy for good food; as long as we don't go hungry, that's good enough. Worldly people enjoy wearing beautiful and fine clothes; cultivators of the Way don't need that. They are satisfied as long as their clothes serve to protect them from excessive cold and heat. In general, those who cultivate have to be different from worldly people. That's why I say, "Knocking on space makes a sound. Beating on wood makes no noise." I want to awaken you and make you aware. You were confused before, and now you ought to wake up.

Hearing him, Master Yunmen was pleased and knew that he understood, that he had turned his back on worldly defilement and had merged with enlightenment. "Knocking on space makes a sound; beating on wood makes no noise" represents turning one's back on defilement and merging with enlightenment. If "knocking on space makes no sound and beating on wood does make noise," then that is turning one's back on enlightenment and merging with defilement. It means one is pursuing worldly states and is unable to return to the origin and go back to the source; one has not truly become enlightened. Master Yunmen was very delighted with him, so he showed his approval, saying, "You're right!"

The Master had not yet truly understood at that point. But he continued applying effort without a break, wondering to himself, "I blurted out, 'Knocking on space makes a sound; beating on wood makes no noise,' but what exactly does that mean?" He kept up his investigation of the question, because he hadn't found the answer yet. Even though the words had come from his own mouth, he hadn't truly understood them. That is, he hadn't fully fathomed their meaning; his awakening was not complete. But six days later, upon hearing the tolling of the bell, he experienced a great awakening. He became thoroughly enlightened. He turned around and recognized his original face.

From then on, his eloquence was outstanding in all situations. From that point on, his eloquence was unlimited. No one could outdebate him. No one could match his intelligence. His intelligence, wisdom, and eloquence were without bounds. He was peerless.

Master Yunmen transmitted the Mind Dharma and the robe and bowl to him. When Master Yunmen passed away, the Master became the next abbot of Xiansheng Monastery. Dhyana Master Mingxue took Master Yunmen's place as the abbot of Xiansheng Monastery after Master Yunmen completed the stillness.

In the year of gengwu during the reign of Chongzhen, he founded the Ancient Longhua ("Dragon Flower") Monastery at Bianshan in Huzhou and served as the abbot at eight monasteries. On the fifteenth day of the third lunar month in the year of xingsi, he told his attendant to help ease him into an upright coffin. This kind of coffin is rectangular in shape and the top of it resembles a miniature temple. There is room for one person to sit inside it, so it's also called a "sitting coffin."

He wrote a verse and then beckoned everyone with a wave of his hand. By the time they walked over to him, he had already passed away. He waved his hand telling everyone to gather around, but when they reached him, he'd already completed the stillness. A stupa containing his whole body was erected at Longhua Monastery. A stupa holding his flesh body was built for him at Longhua Monastery.

A verse in praise says:

The master craftsman flourishes in his time,
Like the sun lighting up the dark streets.
The teacher and the disciple see eye-to-eye;
The golden lion lets out a great roar.
Subtly harmonious is the proper, middle path.
The parched and thirsty receive the nourishment of the Dharma.
Grave and dignified is this exemplary teacher
Whom everyone looks up to in admiration.

Commentary:
The master craftsman flourishes in his time, / Like the sun lighting up the dark streets. The "master craftsman" is a great artisan, a great spiritual teacher. He is compared to the sun rising above the dark streets.

The teacher and the disciple see eye-to-eye; / The golden lion lets out a great roar. The teacher and the disciple meet each other and find that their views agree. Their mutual concordance is compared to the thunderous roar of a golden lion.

Subtly harmonious is the proper, middle path. / The parched and thirsty receive the nourishment of the Dharma. The Buddha-dharma moisturizes thirsty living beings, just as water moistens dry, withered trees.

Grave and dignified is this exemplary teacher / Whom everyone looks up to in admiration. One could say that he "revived the souls of the dying." He was able to bring those who were supposed to die back to life. That's why people all looked up to and admired him. As a teacher, he was very upright and proper. He was a bright-eyed spiritual advisor.

Another verse says:

Pure and white are the flurries of auspicious snow.
All living beings return to their homes.
The four elements are but temporarily joined; who is the host?
When all thoughts are emptied, how happy I'll be!
Those who are unenlightened drag their corpses about.
One who recites the Buddha's name and seeks rebirth will have a lotus dais.
The sounds of knocking and beating cause one to enter samadhi.
Whether you are born from a womb, an egg, moisture,or by transformation, don't be dazed.

Commentary:
Pure and white are the flurries of auspicious snow. / All living beings return to their homes. The auspicious snowflakes drift in the air, clean and white. Seeing the snowy scene, every living being should return to his own original hometown.

The four elements are but temporarily joined; who is the host? Of the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air which are temporarily combined, which is the host? There isn't one. When all thoughts are emptied, how happy I'll be! When the myriad thoughts are emptied and there is nothing at all, just think how happy I'll be! I won't be worried about the affairs of the north, south, east or west. I won't remember anything at all. How fine!

Those who are unenlightened drag their corpses about. People in the world who drag their corpses around are unawakened; they have turned their backs on enlightenment and merged with the "dust" of the world. They fail to wake up. One who recites the Buddha's name and seeks rebirth will have a lotus dais. If you want to be liberated from birth and death, simply recite the Buddha's time and seek rebirth in the Pure Land. A ready-made lotus dais is waiting for you there. Amitabha Buddha prepared it for you long ago.

The sounds of knocking and beating cause one to enter samadhi. When you beat on a drum or knock on wood, a sound is made. Only when one enters a state of samadhi can there be a change. This is not referring to the use of spiritual powers. He simply spoke two verses, and it had nothing to do with spiritual powers. So don't be so quick to think that his speaking a sentence involved the use of spiritual powers. It wasn't that way. If you think it was, you're just indulging your imagination. He was in a state of samadhi, so that it didn't matter whether a sound was made or not.

Whether you are born from a womb, an egg, moisture, or by transformation, don't be dazed. Don't get stuck in that state and think that it's pretty nice, that it's quite enjoyable. You're just dazed! You're not enlightened!