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元潔淨瑩 Yuanjie Jingying (17th c.)

七十一世元潔淨瑩禪師
元潔淨瑩 Yuanjie Jingying (17th c.), Patriarch of the Seventy-first 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)
宣公上人講於一九八五年七月二十五日 Commentary by the Venerable Master Hua on July 25, 1985 (宣化 Xuanhua, 1918-1995)
金剛 菩提海 Vajra Bodhi Sea (VBS): A Monthly Journal of Orthodox Buddhism, Nos. 334-335.

http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/334/vbs334p014.htm
http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/335/vbs335p012.htm

Text: The Master was a native of Weiyang whose surname was Zhuang. He studied under the Venerable Ruibai at Jiezhu (Precept Pearl) Monastery in Shaoxing. Seeing the topic, “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” and hearing the sound of the incense board, he straightaway attained the state of the obliteration of empty space. He went to the Abbot's room to report his experience, and Master Ruibai nodded in assent. One day Master Ruibai instructed the assembly by bringing up Master Gaofeng's topic of the mud ox at the ocean bottom. He asked the assembly to say something that would be able to let it go and bring it back. The Master looked at the monk beside him and said, “This monk is from Shaoxing.” Master Ruibai hit him. The Master gave a shout. Master Ruibai beat him with his stick and drove him out. He took up the towel and bottle and attended upon him for twelve years, until he understood the esoteric subtleties to the fullest. He propagated the Dharma at Gudongshan (Ancient Cave Mountain), Yunyan (Cloud Cliff), Bianshan (Mount Bian), Xiansheng (Manifest Sage) Monasteries. In the year of xinhai of the Kangxi reign period, he manifested the stillness at Xiansheng Monastery. Following his final instructions, his disciples built a stupa for him at Yunyan Monastery in Jiangxi. Commentary: The Master  was a Patriarch of the seventy-first generation in the Caodong Sect. His name was Yuanjie (Originally Clear). He was also known by the name, Dhyana Master Jingying (Pure and Lustrous). This Dhyana Master  was a native of Weiyang whose surname was Zhuang. After leaving the home life,  he studied under the Venerable Ruibai at Jiezhu (Precept Pearl) Monastery in Shaoxing.  He went there to study.  Seeing the topic, “Who is mindful of the Buddha?”  This topic came into being only in the Ming Dynasty. It did not exist earlier than that. In the phrase “Who is mindful of the Buddha?” the focus is on the word “who.” The moment you find out “who” it is, you will be enlightened. Before you have found it, you have to keep searching. The Chinese term for the meditation topic is huatou “word head,” meaning the head or beginning of words, not the tail. The tail of words is “after the fact.” If you understand only after the words have been spoken, you have the tail of the words. The “word head” refers to the state of things before a single thought has been produced. Hearing the sound of the incense board  being struck , he straightaway attained the state of the obliteration of empty space.  Hearing that sound, he felt as if space itself disappeared. This is the state of there being no self, no others, no living beings, and no life span. Basically our inherent nature is like space, but for him space didn't exist any longer. Emptiness was gone, too. And so  he went to the Abbot's room to report his experience . He went to tell Dhyana Master Ruibai about his state, and Master Ruibai nodded in assent . He certified his attainment, but did not transmit the Dharma to him yet. One day Master Ruibai instructed the assembly by bringing up  Dhyana  Master Gaofeng  Miao's  topic of the mud ox at the ocean bottom. He asked the assembly to say something that would be able to let it go and bring it back. He wanted to see who could say something that would have the effect of being able to set the mud ox loose as well as rein it back in. The Master , Dhyana Master Jingying, acting as if no one were around,  looked at the monk beside him and said, “This monk is from Shaoxing.”  Since Jiezhu Monastery was in Shaoxing, he said the monk was from Shaoxing. When he said that,  Master Ruibai  didn't know whether or not he really understood, so he  hit him.  Upon being beaten by Dhyana Master Ruibai,  the Master gave a shout.  Without further consideration,  Master Ruibai beat him with his stick and drove him out.  Having his skill tested in such a manner, later he had great admiration for Dhyana Master Ruibai.  He took up the towel and bottle and attended upon him for twelve years, until he understood the esoteric subtleties to the fullest.  He served as Dhyana Master Ruibai's attendant for twelve years, and completely understood Master Ruibai's Mind Dharma. Later  he propagated the Dharma at Gudongshan (Ancient Cave Mountain), Yunyan (Cloud Cliff), Bianshan (Mount Bian), Xiansheng (Manifest Sage) Monasteries.  He served as the Abbot at all those places.  In the year of xinhai of the Kangxi reign period, he manifested the stillness at Xiansheng Monastery. Following his final instructions, his disciples built a stupa for him at Yunyan Monastery in Jiangxi.  They sent him to Yunyan Monastery, where they had a stupa erected for him.

A verse in praise says: Caught and defeated at Heavenly Eye, He saw through everything at the magnificent summit. He was pushed to show his talent on the spot; There were words in the midst of this. In a swift interchange of blows and shouts, Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. The source of Caodong flowed forth, Circulating for tens of thousands of years. Commentary: He was as if  caught and defeated at Heavenly Eye  (Tianmu) Mountain.  He saw through everything at the magnificent summit. At that point, he understood each and every Dharma door.  He was pushed to show his talent on the spot . He was tested on the spot, without time to think, and he passed.  There were words in the midst of this.  His words and thoughts were all within the scope of his enlightenment.  In a swift interchange of blows and shouts  between himself and Dhyana Master Ruibai, Master Ruibai beat him with a stick, and he gave a shout. It was as if  lightning flashed .  And  when he hollered, it was as if  thunder rumbled. The source of Caodong flowed forth . This is how the deep source of the Caodong Sect was,  circulating  ceaselessly  for tens of thousands of years , transmitting his Dharma lineage. Another verse says: The son of the Zhuang family in Weiyang strengthened the country. As the incense boards resounded, the restless waves   were stilled. The mud ox at the ocean bottom is nowhere to be found. The wooden tiger at Cloud Cliff died and came back to life.   A man of iron emerged from under Venerable Ruibai's stick. He was caught in the nets at Jiezhu Monastery in Shaoxing. A thunderclap of tremendous might vanquished the demons and externalists. Peace prevailed under heaven, and even those who didn't want to, became Buddhas. Commentary: The son of the Zhuang family in Weiyang strengthened the country.  Weiyang produced a boy by the surname of Zhuang. Zhuangzi (“son of Zhuang”) here is not to be confused with Zhuang Zhou [the ancient Chinese philosopher]. It refers to Dhyana Master Jingying, who was of help to the country.  As the incense boards resounded, the restless waves were stilled.  At the sound of the incense boards, empty space was obliterated, and the mad mind came to rest. When the mad mind stops, it is just Bodhi.  The mud ox at the ocean bottom is nowhere to be found.  Since there are no traces of the mud ox at the bottom of the sea, there was no need to answer (Dhyana Master Ruibai). And so the Master remarked, as if there were no people around, “This is a person from Shaoxing.”  The wooden tiger at Cloud Cliff died and came back to life.  Dhyana Master Yunyan [that is, Master Jingying] nearly died from the beating, in which case he would not have been able to cultivate the Way.  A man of iron emerged from under Venerable Ruibai‘s stick.  Dhyana Master Ruibai's stick produced men as strong as iron.  He was caught in the nets at Jiezhu Monastery in Shaoxing.  Even Dhyana Master Jingying was trapped by him.  A thunderclap of tremendous might vanquished the demons and externalists.  This kind of Dharma door was as powerful as a great thunderclap or a huge weight.  Peace prevailed under heaven, and even those who didn't want to, became Buddhas.  When there is peace in the world, you are bound to realize Buddhahood even if you don't want to. That's because there isn't much to do in times of peace. If you don't become a Buddha, what are you going to do?