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中邑洪恩 Zhongyi Hongen (n.d.)

aka 朗州中邑洪恩 Langzhou Zhongyi Hong'en

(Rōmaji:) Rōshū Chūyū Kōon

Chan Master Langzhou Zhongyi Hong'en
景德傳燈錄 Jingde chuandeng lu
朗州中邑洪恩禪師 T.51, no.2076, 249b9 377 270 97
Daoyuan. Records of the Transmission of the Lamp: Volume 2 (Books 4-9), The Early Masters, Book 6.104
Translated by Randolph S. Whitfield

Chan master Hong'en was from Zhong city in Lang Province (Hunan). When Yangshan first received full ordination he went to the master to render his thanks for receiving the complete precepts.190 The master, seated on the Chan seat [in the Dharma-hall], saw him coming and clapping his hands said, ‘Oh! Oh!' Yangshan went to stand on the east side of the hall, then on the west side and then in the centre. Having given thanks for the precepts in this way, he went to stand at the back.

The master said to him, ‘Where did you gain this samādhi from?'

‘At Caoqi I learnt to be free from the [Dharma] Seal,' replied Yangshan.

‘And you say that at Caoqi you came into contact with someone making use of this samādhi?' asked the master.

‘The “Enlightened One-nighter” was the contact who used this samādhi,'191 answered Yangshan. ‘Where did the venerable sir obtain this samādhi from?' asked Yangshan in turn.

‘It was at Great Master Ma's192 that it was learnt,' replied the master.

‘How can one see into one's Nature?' asked Yangshan.

‘Take for example a house – a house with six windows. Inside there is a monkey. Out on the east side is a call “Shanshan!”193 and immediately there is a response, “Shanshan!” The six windows are all calling like this and all evoke a response,' said the master.

Yangshan bowed in gratitude, rose and asked, ‘The understanding that this humble monk has received has not gone amiss. Just one more thing – what if the monkey inside is enveloped in sleep yet the outside monkey wants to meet up with him?'

The master descended from his cord seat, took Yangshan by the hands and, dancing around, said, ‘Shanshan and you have seen each other! It's like minute little larvae insects making their nest on the eyelashes of a mosquito, all crying out at the crossroads, “The earth is vast and men are few: to meet each other is rare!”'

(Textual comment: Yun Juti says, ‘Had not [Hong'en] Zhongyi obtained this utterance from Yangshan, where would Zhongyi be?' Chong Shoutiao said, ‘Is there someone able to understand this Way? If it is understood by getting it [from someone else] then that's just a thinking devil with a big horn. So where does the understanding of the Buddha-nature lie these days?' Xuanjue (Yongjia) comments, ‘If it were not Yangshan, who would be able to see Zhongyi? Say, all of you, how is Yangshan able to see the place of Zhongyi?')

NOTES

190 Yangshan Huiji (Kyōzan Ejaku) (807-883), was a famous disciple, together with his Dharma-brother Xiangyan Zhixian (Kyōgen Chikan) (d. 898), of Guishan Lingyu (Isan Reiyū) (771-853), who founded his own ‘house’ (school) known as The House of Gui-Yan, with a preference for action above words.

191 Chan Master Xuanjue of Yongjia.

192 Mazu Daoyi.

193 A monkey screeching somewhere.

ZHONGYI HONGEN
by Andy Ferguson
In: Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings, Wisdom Publications, pp. 117-118.

ZHONGYI HONGEN (n.d.) was a disciple of Mazu. Little information is available about Zhongyi’s life. He taught at Zhongyi Temple in Langzhou (now the city of Nanchang in Jiangxi Province). He is honored as one of the foremost of Mazu’s spiritual heirs. Whenever Zhongyi saw a monk coming, he would tap his own mouth with his hand, making a “woo, woo” sound.

The Wudeng Huiyuan tells of a meeting between Zhongyi and his student Yangshan shortly after Yangshan received the precepts.

Yangshan came to the hall to thank Zhongyi [for conferring the precepts upon him]. As Zhongyi sat on the meditation platform, he patted his mouth, making a “woo, woo” sound. Yangshan walked to the east end of the hall and stood there. Then he went to the west end of the hall and stood there. Then Yangshan went to the center of the hall and stood. He then bowed to Zhongyi for having received the precepts. Afterward, he stepped back and stood there.

Zhongyi said, “Where did you receive this samadhi?”

Yangshan said, “I learned it from Tuo Yinzi of Cao Xi.”

Zhongyi said, “Are you saying that Caoxi used this samadhi to greet people?”

Yangshan said, “When he received the ‘Overnight Guest,’ he used this samadhi. Master, where did you learn your samadhi?”

Zhongyi said, “I learned this samadhi at Great Teacher Ma’s.”

Yangshan said, “How do you see buddha nature?”

Zhongyi said, “Well, let’s say there was a room with six windows. Inside the room is a monkey. From the east side another monkey screeches through the window, ‘eeeh, eeeh!’ The monkey inside then responds, ‘eeeh, eeeh!’ The monkey outside screeches into each of the six windows and the monkey inside responds each time.”

Yangshan bowed and then said, “I understand everything in the metaphor you’ve presented, but there’s one more thing. What if the monkey inside is asleep and the monkey outside wants it to look at him? Then what?”

Zhongyi got off the platform, grabbed Yangshan’s hands, and did a dance, exclaiming, “Eeeh! Eeeh! We see each other! It’s like hearing a tiny mite that has a nest in the eyelash of a mosquito calling out in the middle of a busy intersection! In the wasteland people are sparse. You see few of them!” ([Later,] Yunju Ci said, “At that time if Zhongyi had not heard Yangshan’s speech, then where would he be?” Chongshou Zhou said, “Are there still people who can confirm what was said? If they can’t, then they are just animated ghosts. Where is the essential buddha nature?” Xuansha said, “If not Yangshan, then can Zhongyi be seen? What is the place where Yangshan can see Zhongyi?”)

Book of Serenity
Case 72: Chuyu's "Monkey"

Kyozan [1] asked Chuyu,
"What does buddha-nature mean?"

Chuyu said,
"I will explain it for you by allegory. Suppose there is a room with six
windows. Inside there is a monkey. Outside, someone shouts, 'Monkey!
monkey!' It immediately responds. If someone calls, 'Monkey!' through any
of the windows, it responds just the same. It is just like that."

Kyozan said,
"How about when the monkey is asleep?"

Chuyu descended from his Zen seat, grasped Kyozan and said,
"O monkey, monkey, there you are!"

[1]: At this time Kyozan (仰山慧寂 Yangshan Huiji [Kyōzan Ejaku], 807-883) was about 13 years old.