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應庵曇華 Yingan Tanhua (1103-1163)
(Rōmaji:) Ōan Donge
(Korean:) 응암담화 Eungam Damhwa
Yingan Tanhua's Dharma Lineage
[...]
菩提達磨 Bodhidharma, Putidamo (Bodaidaruma ?-532/5)
大祖慧可 Dazu Huike (Taiso Eka 487-593)
鑑智僧璨 Jianzhi Sengcan (Kanchi Sōsan ?-606)
大毉道信 Dayi Daoxin (Daii Dōshin 580-651)
大滿弘忍 Daman Hongren (Daiman Kōnin 601-674)
大鑑慧能 Dajian Huineng (Daikan Enō 638-713)
南嶽懷讓 Nanyue Huairang (Nangaku Ejō 677-744)
馬祖道一 Mazu Daoyi (Baso Dōitsu 709-788)
百丈懷海 Baizhang Huaihai (Hyakujō Ekai 750-814)
黃蘗希運 Huangbo Xiyun (Ōbaku Kiun ?-850)
臨濟義玄 Linji Yixuan (Rinzai Gigen ?-866)
興化存獎 Xinghua Cunjiang (Kōke Zonshō 830-888)
南院慧顒 Nanyuan Huiyong (Nan'in Egyō ?-952)
風穴延沼 Fengxue Yanzhao (Fuketsu Enshō 896-973)
首山省念 Shoushan Shengnian (Shuzan Shōnen 926-993)
汾陽善昭 Fenyang Shanzhao (Fun'yo Zenshō 947-1024)
石霜/慈明 楚圓 Shishuang/Ciming Chuyuan (Sekisō/Jimei Soen 986-1039)
楊岐方會 Yangqi Fanghui (Yōgi Hōe 992-1049)
白雲守端 Baiyun Shouduan (Hakuun Shutan 1025-1072)
五祖法演 Wuzu Fayan (Goso Hōen 1024-1104)
圜悟克勤 Yuanwu Keqin (Engo Kokugon 1063-1135)
虎丘紹隆 Huqiu Shaolong (Kukyū Jōryū 1077-1136)
應庵曇華 Yingan Tanhua (Ōan Donge 1103-1163)
PDF: Chan Instructions
Translated by Thomas Cleary
The Chan master whose instructions are translated here, known as Ying-an, was a disciple of Yuanwu Keqin 圜悟克勤 (1063–1135) and successor to Yuanwu's heir Huqiu Shaolong 虎丘紹隆 (1077–1136). He traveled widely as a student before meeting Yuanwu, and had extensive knowledge of the conditions of Chan teaching in his time. After his enlightenment he was invited to teach at no less than thirteen monasteries, and gained such respect for his teaching that he was sought out even by former abbots. According to Precious Lessons from the Chan Communities, the elder master Xuetang said that he respected Ying-an because he did not delight in gain or strive for fame, did not act agreeable and conciliatory for gain, did not put on a false face or use clever words, and was clearly enlightened and able to go or stay at will. According to his biographer, Ying-an was unremittingly diligent in his duties, still giving personal interviews when in his final illness. He passed away in 1163, in his sixty-first year.
To Chan man Hui
Bodhidharma came from the West and directly pointed to the human mind, to see essential nature and realize Buddhahood; this is undeniably direct and quintessential, but when seen with the true eye it is already way off—he had no choice but to temporarily make medicine for a dead horse. This very mind to which he pointed directly is just what the Buddha could not quite explain in forty-nine years of speaking in every way. It is extremely fine, extremely subtle—rarely does anyone attain this true bloodline. This mind cannot be transmitted—it is only self-realized and self-understood. When you get to where there is no confusion or enlightenment, it is just ordinary wearing clothes and eating food, without so much mystic understanding or ways of interpretation clogging your chest anymore, so you are clean and free.
An ancestral teacher said, “When uniformly equanimous, everything passes away of itself.” On then do you attain great capability; when you get to the border of life and death, you are profoundly still and silent, with no more change at all. Just being so, you are like a polar mountain—isn’t this essential?
In recent years, brethren who come to study may say they are traveling, but it is like pouring cold water on a rock—wherever they go, they are just indulging in imagination and memorization, taking contention to be ordinary. They are truly pitiful. People who travel for the right reason are never like this; seeing how sages since time immemorial carried their bundles from community to company, associating with genuine teachers for ten or twenty years, they retreat into themselves, like cold ashes or dead trees, closely investigating the bit at the root of it all, the point of essential contact with reality. Only then can they let go, come what may. These are called patchrobed monks who have completed their task, eminent travelers.
If your state of mind is not thoroughly clear, how can you stop arousing and stirring thought twenty-four hours a day, all over the place, like a thousand waves, myriad breakers—how can you dissolve it away? Here, if you have no penetration to freedom, you are just an ignorant thief pilfering the food supply. This is what master Linji called blind bald soldiers. Robbing and thieving, they steal until their whole bodies are red bones; when suddenly their lives come to an end, all their usual cleverness and wit is of no use at all when the light of their eyes falls to the ground. Even if you have performed countless meritorious deeds over multiple lifetimes, so much the less your hope of transcending life and death. You just attain human and celestial rewards, and then when the rewards end, as before there is no way out.
If you want to fathom the age of space, throughout the future, so your capability is inexhaustible, you should immediately let your mind be empty; if you can’t thoroughly realize this path, you should take up your great longstanding vow, choose a genuine teacher, put down your baggage and spend the rest of your life investigating this case. Just beware of being inconsistent; your mouth may talk of studying Chan, but in your gut you won’t do it at all. In this case, it is better to go back to the beginning and read the teachings sincerely, working on purification, so you won’t lose your humanity in the future. This is what an ancient worthy was referring to when he said, “Talking ten feet is not as good as practicing an inch.”
But now in monasteries all over those called teachers transmit the school of mind directly pointed out—after all, how is this mind transmitted? How can it be described? There has recently emerged a class of devil—in the teachings these are described as bad companions—each expounding different interpretations, claiming to benefit people. Some teach having people stop and rest, not thinking at all, quickly eliminating active thought as soon as it occurs. Some teach people to be totally unconcerned, not even burning incense or performing prostrations. Some just have people rationally understand the ancients, just like a bumbling professor. Some refer to ancient adepts’ holding forth with naked hearts and call it setting up schools. Some see students come and manage to say something that seems appropriate, then in half a day ask them about another saying; the students then speak further, and if they agree they immediately declare these brothers have an entry. But tell me, do these sorts of ‘benefits’ actually accord with direct pointing to mind? This is why master Fojian said, “Most teachers nowadays are indirectly pointing to mind and explaining nature to be Buddha.”
The true bloodline of Linji, from Baizhang at Master Ma’s shout down through the generations up till the present, not only realize the life root of the great ancestral teachers, but also thoroughly realize the life pulse of untold, inexpressible hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of incalculable Buddhas and masters, without the slightest deviation. Baizhang found Huangbo, Huangbo found Linji, Linji entrusted Sansheng, saying, “Who knew my treasury of the eye of truth would perish with this blind donkey?” If you can see through this saying, how could there be any more “Linji Sect”?
Eminent Dehui, you have followed me dutiful to the path, rigorously pursuing the ancient way, tirelessly investigating the matter under the patch robe. This can truly be called travel that is not in vain. If you want to understand easily, at the arousal of mind and stirring of thought twenty-four hours a day, at this very stirring of thought be immediately open and empty so it cannot be grasped, like empty space, without even any form of empty space, outside and inside one, cognition and objects both disappearing, mystery and understanding both gone, past present and future equal. When you get to this state, you are what is called a free wayfarer beyond study and without contrivance. Then you must also know there is what Wuzu said.
Since the eminent has lit incense and made a sincere request, I have written this for his practice. 8/15/1141
Notes
Bodhidharma is traditionally considered the founder of Chan in China. According to Chan lore, his future successor Huike asked him, “My mind is not yet at ease; please set my mind at ease.” Bodhidharma said, “Bring me your mind and I will set it at ease.” Huike said, “When I look for my mind, I cannot find it.” Bodhidharma said, “I have set your mind at ease.” At this Huike awakened.
Fojian was one of the so-called Three Buddhas in the congregation of Wuzu; some of his sayings are found in Zen Lessons, sections 88 to 95.
Baizhang at Master Ma's shout refers to a famous story of the interaction of master Baizhang Huaihai with his teacher Mazu, “Ancestor Ma,” one of the greatest Chan masters in history. After his first awakening, Baizhang went to see Master Ma again; as he stood by, Master Ma looked at the whisk on the corner of his seat. Baizhang said, “Do you identify with the function, or detach from the function?” Master Ma said, “Later on, when you open your lips, what will you use to help people?” Baizhang took the whisk and held it up; Master Ma said, “Do you identify with this function, or detach from this function?” Baizhang hung the whisk back where it had been before. Master Ma drew himself up and shouted so loud that Baizhang was deafened for three days. For sayings of Master Ma, see Teachings of Zen. For sayings of Baizhang, see Introduction to Chan Buddhism
For the teachings of Huangbo and Linji, see Zen Mind, Buddha Mind. Sansheng was one of Linji's successors, and the compiler of Linji's sayings.
“What Wuzu said”—Wuzu said, “It is as if an ox had passed through a window screen: its head, horns, and four hooves have all passed through; why can't the tail pass through?” See No Barrier: Unlocking the Zen Koan, case 38, and Essential Zen.
The old teachers since time immemorial, when they were first inspired to journey because they had not broken through “life” and “death” they went thousands of miles seeking true teachers to settle this matter definitively. For ten years, twenty years, they discarded all the idle miscellaneous curios of the world, keeping their minds on this. Never for a moment were they not immersed in this, yet still feared they’d veer off and fail to accomplish this task. Master Changqing was at Xuefeng and Xuansha, going back and forth for twenty years, wearing out six or seven sitting cushions—isn’t this a case of someone with great potential still unable to achieve thorough realization? When the ancients studied, they wouldn’t agree to minor accomplishment—if they couldn’t get there in their lifetime, that was that—they never presumed to assume mastery carelessly. Oh, it is really not easy! One day, seeing a blind rolled up, his mind opened up and the tub of lacquer broke, his root of life was severed. Thereupon he uttered a verse:
How wonderful! How wonderful!
Rolling up the blind, I see the whole world.
If anyone asks me what sect I understand,
I’ll pick up a whisk and hit him the moment he opens his mouth.
This is the mind to which Bodhidharma pointed directly—there is no more comprehension or understanding at all. Only thus can one be a Buddhist.Whenever I see brethren working on meditation nowadays, if they are not in states of oblivion or excitement, they are sitting in a state of hypervigilance. When they are hypervigilant, hearing and seeing stimulate their hearts, and they take this for the ultimate state. Just give up the two extremes and put them in one place, constantly aware, so you open up and penetrate through—that is not beyond you.
In Chan communities these days there is a type of students who don’t really practice themselves but love to hear teachers explaining Chan illnesses. When has Chan ever had any illness? It’s just because of arbitrary understanding, taking strong memory for real truth, that no power is actually gained in study. Therefore when teachers use a bit of their own fodder, calling this dissolving sticking points and untying bonds to let students know their errors, instead they consume teachers’ talks explaining illnesses, puffing up their chests, and taking this to be the ultimate state. They are truly pitiful. If you want this work to be easy to accomplish, just be consistent moment to moment, pure, unified, genuine, and eventually you will naturally penetrate to the source of the teaching.
Notes
For Changqing, Xuefeng, and Xuansha, see The Blue Cliff Record, cases 5, 22, 51, 88, and 95.
For Xuansha, see also The Five Houses of Zen and Teachings of Zen.
