New Gem | No More Learning

155 [16a] How could this poor monk add or anything?

He called together the assembly to say farewell and spoke a verse:
Originally there is no abode,79
Our abode is the true school [of Zen].
The true school is illusory like this,
Illusory existence equals emptiness of emptiness.
After his verse ended, he abruptly passed away.
Thien* Lão
[10b9] Zen Master Thiên Lão of Trùng Minh Temple on Mount Thiên Phúc80 in Tiên Du studied with Ða Bao of Kien* So' Temple in his early years and comprehended the essence of mind. Then he moved to Tù' So'n81 and planted his staff there. The influence of his Zen grew stronger and stronger, and students came
to him by the thousands. His temple became one of the most flourishing in the Buddhist community. During the years of the Thông Thuy* era (1034–1038), Lý Thái Tông often [11a] visited his temple.
Once Lý Thái Tông asked him: "How long have you been on this mountain, Master? " Thiên Lão said: "I only know the sun and the moon of today. Who knows about past springs and autumns? " The emperor asked: ''How do you pass the days? " Thiên Lão replied: "The green bamboos and yellow flowers are not external objects.
White clouds and bright moon reveal true nature. "82 The emperor said: "What does this mean? " Thiên Lão said: "If I say too much now, there will be little benefit later. " The emperor suddenly had some insight.
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Once Emperor Lý Thái Tông dispatched an envoy to bring Thiên Lão to court to ask for his advice, but Thiên Lão had already passed away. 83 The emperor deeply mourned his passing and personally composed verses expressing his grief. He sent an envoy to arrange for a vegetarian feast [in honor of Thiên Lão] and to pay his respects. They built a pyre, cremated the body, and collected his remains. They erected a stupa [for Thiên Lão's remains] outside the temple gate [at Trùng Minh]. The emperor had the temple enlarged and repaired, and assigned people to take care of the upkeep and supplies of the temple.
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Viên Chieu * (999–1090)
Seventh Generation: Seven Persons
[11a9] Zen Master Viên Chieu of Cát Tu'ò'ng Temple in the capital of Thang* Long hailed from Phúc Ðu'ò'ng84 in Long Ðàm Prefecture;85 his family name was Mai and his personal name Truc*. He was the son of the elder brother of Empress Lý Linh Cam*. 8 6 As a child he was very intelligent and studious.
When he heard that there was an elder adept in physiognomy at Mat* Nghiêm Temple in his home area, Viên Chiêu went to seek his advice. The elder looked him over thoroughly [11b] and said: "You have a karmic connection to the BuddhaDharma. If you leave home to become a monk you are sure to become a great Bodhisattva among humans. If not, it is difficult to guarantee how long you will live. " Viên Chiêu felt a sense of realization. He said farewell to his parents and received ordination from Dinh* Hu'o'ng on Mount Ba Tiêu. He served Ðinh Hu'o'ng for many years and investigated Zen studies. He always recited the Sutra* of Complete Enlightenment,87 and he was clear in the three methods of contemplation. 88
One night while Viên Chiêu was in deep concentration he saw the Bodhisattva Manjusri*89 cut open his stomach with a knife and wash out his guts. Then Mañjusri applied medicine to the wound. After this, what Viên Chiêu practiced in his mind seemed preordained to mesh [with Reality],90 and he had deep attainment in the samadhi* of words,91 expounding the Dharma most eloquently. Subsequently, he established a temple east of the capital and settled there—students came in droves.
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Once a monk asked Viên Chiêu: "What is the meaning of 'Buddha' and 'Sage'? " Viên Chiêu said: "At the autumn festival,9 2 chrysanthemums are blooming under the
hedge. In the pure air of spring orioles are singing in the branches. "93 The monk continued: "Thank you [for your answer], but I don't understand. Please instruct me again. " Viên Chiêu said: ''By day the sun shines, by night the moon is bright. "
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A monk asked: "I already grasped your true message, but how does the mystic mentality work? "9 4 Viên Chiêu said: "If you carry a full bowl of water without being careful and you slip, what's the use of being sorry? " The monk continued: "Thank you for your instruction, Teacher. " Viên
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Chieu * said: "Don't jump [12a] into the river and drown. You come in person but you sink yourself. " <><><><><><><><><><><><>
A monk asked: "Bodhidharma9 5 and Sakyamuni*9 6 are the supreme adepts. From ancient times until now who have succeeded to them as masters? "9 7 Viên Chiêu said: "Dark and light, the aspects of heaven, depend on sun and moon. Crooked and straight, the lines of earth become Yue and Huai. "98
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A monk asked: "What is the Great Path, the single road to the source? " Viên Chiêu said: "On high cliffs in the strong wind we know which plants are sturdy. When the
country is swept by rebellion we know which ministers are loyal. "9 9 <><><><><><><><><><><><>
A monk asked: "Where do all sentient beings come from and where do they go after they die? "100 Viên Chiêu said: "A blind turtle pierces a rock wall; a lame tortoise climbs a high mountain. "
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A monk asked: "The fresh green bamboos are all Thusness. What is the function of True Thusness? "101 Viên Chiêu said: "I offer this to you a thousand miles away, as I smile and hold a cup of tea. "102 The monk continued: "If so, what have I come here for in vain? ''103 Viên Chiêu said: "Who knew that on the way to the eastern mound104 one's hair would turn white? "
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A monk asked: "Dã Hiên's house is deep in the wilderness:105 Who would know to come knocking at its door in a free and easy way? " Viên Chiêu said: "The Golden Valley106 is deserted, and flowers and weeds grow wild—day and night cows and goats are free to enter it. " The monk continued: "Why is it like this? " Viên Chiêu said: "Those who are wealthy and of noble rank and arrogant to boot should know that richness collapses like a phantom tower. "107
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A monk asked: "The Dragon girl108 [12b] offered her jewel and attained Buddhahood. What would be the merit of a donor who gives many gifts? " Viên Chiêu said: "Cinnamon trees in the moonlight for ten thousand
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ages—they grow thick in [the light] of a single disc. " The monk continued: "What does it mean by 'labor to no effect. '" Viên Chieu * said: "If we hang a mirror in the sky,109 we penetrate every place in the human realm. ''
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A monk asked: "To cross a river you must use a raft. 110 When you reach the shore, it is no longer needed. How is it when we do not cross? " Viên Chiêu said: "When the pond dries up, the fish are left on dry land, but they gain life for ten thousand years of springtime. " The monk continued: "What does it mean by 'in order to attain the wondrous truth one must follow the stream'? "111 Viên Chiêu said: "I've heard that once Jing Ke112 left [for Qin], he never returned again. "
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A monk asked: "Gold and ore are mixed together: originally they are a single [complex of] matterenergy. I ask you, Teacher, please use your skillful methods and refine out the pure form. " Viên Chiêu said: "If you have never been the guest of the King of Qi, how could you know of the giant fish in the ocean? " The monk
continued: "What happens if gentleman Guo113 does not take the advice? " Viên Chiêu said: "If you want to have your wine to drink first, do not try to complicate matters by drawing feet on a snake. "114
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A monk asked: "The snake has died on the road. Please, Teacher, bring it back to life. "115 Viên Chiêu said: "Where are you from? " The monk said: "Originally I'm
from the mountains. " Viên Chiêu said: "Go back to your [13a] cliffside retreat right away and live in seclusion. Do not meet with Xu Zhen. "116 <><><><><><><><><><><><>
A monk asked: "The ocean store is a vast flood—we must not ask about it. What are the drops from the stream of Caoxi? "117 Viên Chiêu said: "Before the wind, under the pines, a cool rhythm. After the rain, on the road, soaked with mud. " The monk continued: "What does it mean by 'it is no different from now'? "118 Viên Chiêu said: "Under the hedge, the autumn chrysanthemums. On the ends of the branches, orioles in the warm sun. "
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A monk asked: "It is clear in the mind's eye and bright in the form body, yet one can neither discriminate its inner truth nor see its characteristics.
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Why can't one see it? " 119 Viên Chieu* said: "The flowers in the garden are bright, the grass on the shore is sparse. " <><><><><><><><><><><><>
A monk asked: "When the season turns cold and the plants wither, what can we display? " Viên Chiêu said: "I'm glad you realize it yourself. Isn't it something to rejoice in? " The monk said: "I'm fortunate to hear today's decisive instruction. From now on I'll avoid careless mistakes. " Viên Chiêu said: ''I've just lifted you out of the shallow water, but you turn back [and dive into] a bottomless pond. "
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A monk asked: "Even inside the citadel of nirvana it is still perilous. Is there anywhere that is not perilous? "120 Viên Chiêu said: "Build your nest on a curtain of flame;121 your grey hair is like reed flowers. " The monk continued: "When one is hard pressed, what good are these two bases? " Viên Chiêu [13b] said: "A real man goes along [with circumstances] with total abandon, and wanders free in the windy moonlight. "
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A monk asked: "They say that all sentient beings are Buddhas, but I'm not clear about this teaching. Please instruct me, Teacher. " Viên Chiêu said: "I urge you, Sir, to
devote yourself to farming. Don't imitate others and waste your energy waiting for a rabbit. "122 The monk went on: "I'm lucky to meet with your clear decisive explanation, Teacher. I won't seek from others ever again. " Viên Chiêu said: "What a pity that, having choked once, you sit here hungry but forget to eat. "
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A monk said: "Today here I see before me the precious jewel that has been hidden in a sack for many long years. "123 Viên Chiêu said: "I was waiting for the midautumn moon, but instead I get caught in clouds and rain. " The monk continued: "Though I hear your explanation, I'm not clear about the principle of it. " Viên Chiêu
said: "I laugh at the guy who held on to the bridge post and was drowned in midstream. "124 <><><><><><><><><><><><>
A monk asked: "What is the one Dharma? " Viên Chiêu said: "Even if you do not see spring birth and summer growth, you still meet with autumn ripening and winter
harvest. "125 The monk continued: "What does it mean by 'many people become Buddha'? " Viên Chiêu said: "Let Zu Long stop bustling around, because Xu Fu126 labored in vain in far away lands. "
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A monk asked: "What is the meaning of 'seeing inherent nature and becoming Buddha'? " Viên Chieu * said: "When spring comes the withered trees are adorned all over with flowers: the wind blows a thousand miles carrying their [14a] divine perfume. " The monk continued: ''I don't understand. Please instruct me again. Teacher. " Viên Chiêu said: "This eggfruit plant has been around for ten thousand years: its dense branches reach to the clouds. "127
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A monk said: "The mani jewel and the many colors are neither together nor apart. "128 Viên Chiêu said: "Spring flowers and butterflies—how many are fond of each other, how many are opposed? " The monk continued: "What does it mean by 'follow them and mix in'? " Viên Chiêu said: "If you do not have the eyes of the Indian monk,129 you labor in vain offering the jewel of Bian. "130
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A monk asked: "What is the enlightenment that meets the eye? "131 Viên Chiêu said: "How many times alarmed by the crooked branch, the bird [which was once shot by a bow]. How often he blows on his cold vegetable, the man [who was once burned by hot soup]. " The monk continued: "I don't understand. Please give me another metaphor. " Viên Chiêu said: "A deaf man listens to the sound of the lute and a blind man looks up at the crescent moon. "
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A monk asked: "Inherently what has form also has shadow. Is the shadow sometimes separate from the form? " Viên Chiêu said: "All rivers head for the East Ocean, where the myriad currents flow together. All stars bow to the North Star, where for a thousand ages all turn their hearts. "
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A monk asked: "What is transcending thousands of millions [of phrases] when you completely comprehend a single phrase? "132 Viên Chiêu said: "From afar he tucks
[the giant mountain] Taishan under his arm and steps across the North Sea. Then turns his face upward133 he throws his staff into the moon. " <><><><><><><><><><><><>
A monk asked: "Only this one is real: the rest are not. 134 [14b] What is real? " Viên Chiêu said: "The wind moves easily on the tip of the staff. Rain on the road makes mud. "
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A monk asked: "What does it mean, 'Do not bring up the wondrous treasury to the Tathagata *; do not ask the patriarchs for fire to keep the lamp lit'? " Viên Chieu* said: "Under autumn skies, the orioles sing; in a snowy landscape, red peonies bloom. "
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A monk asked: "What is the most wondrous phrase? " Viên Chiêu said: "One man stands in the corner, the rest of the guests drink without joy. "
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A monk asked: "I'm not asking135 about the great events of the past and the present; I only want to know the meaning of Bodhidharma especially coming from the
West. "136 Viên Chiêu said: "Some are with clever speech and enticing appearance;137 some are drilling turtle shell and striking tiles. " <><><><><><><><><><><><>
A monk asked: "When mind and phenomena are both forgotten, inherent nature is real. 138 What is real? " Viên Chiêu said: "The raindrops on the cliffside flowers are the tears of a goddess. 139 The wind hitting the bamboo in the courtyard is the sound of Bo Ya's lute. "140
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A monk asked: "What is the most wondrous phrase? " Viên Chiêu said: "While the stick is still caught in your throat, you won't live very happily. "141 The monk
continued: "With realization and cultivation the four kinds of illness are revealed;142 transcending them, is one able to be free from the cage of sensory experience? " Viên Chiêu said: "The mountain is high and huge: it is able to contain all things; the ocean is vast and deep: it is able to accommodate many rivers. "
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A monk asked: "Only Buddhas understand that. 143 [15a] What does 'that' mean? " Viên Chiêu said: "In a narrow lane, bamboos are thick; the wind blows, a tune
forms by itself. "144 The monk continued: "No need for ordinariness, no need for naturalness, no need for function, what are we supposed to do now? " Viên Chiêu said: "In the thick grass the swallows nest, in the vast ocean the whales hide. "
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A monk asked: "I have carried along the four elements since time immemorial, please show me the means to get out of cyclic existence. " Viên Chieu * said: "Among the animals in the world, the rhinoceros is most precious, it feeds on thorns and sleeps in the mud. " The monk continued: "Both attachment and renunciation lie within cyclic existence, what is it like when there is neither? "145 Viên Chiêu said: "The purple plant has always been distinguished in its color, it has uneven leaves but no flowers. "1 4 6
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A monk asked: "What does it mean by 'cutting of the route of language'? "147 Viên Chiêu said: "Following the wind the sound of the horn comes through the bamboos, the moon atop the mountain ridge comes over the wall. " The monk continued: "The Buddhas teach in order to transform beings. Awakening to their original intention is called transcending the world. What does 'original intention' mean? " Viên Chiêu said: "Spring weaves flowers like brocade, when autumn comes the leaves look like gold. "
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A monk asked: "What is the one direct path? " Viên Chiêu [15b] said: "Horses and carriages travel back and forth, dust flies morning and evening. " The monk continued: "When there is [a false duality of] subject and object false consciousness arises. How are we to eliminate both subject and object? " Viên Chiêu said: "When you are equal to the lush green towering pine, how can you still be worrying about heavy falling snow and frost? "
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A monk asked: "What is the relationship between the patriarch's intention and the meaning of the scriptural teaching? " Viên Chiêu said: "When my spirits are high I lean on my stick and follow the shortcut through the clouds, when I'm tired I let down the blinds and sleep on my bamboo bed. " The monk continued: "The patriarchs
transmit it to each other, what do they transmit? "148 Viên Chiêu said: "When you're hungry you should find something to eat, when you're cold you look for clothes. "1 4 9
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A monk asked: "Everyone rents a house, where does a leaking man stay? " Viên Chiêu said: "With the sun and the moon, it's hard to tell whether they are full or not. " The monk continued: "What is the one path of Caoxi? "150 Viên Chiêu said: "How pitiable the man who marked his boat,151 he was confused everywhere. "
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Viên Chieu * composed a work called Duoc* Su' Thap* Nhi* Nguyen* Van* [The Twelve Vows of the Medicine King]152 and presented it to the throne. Emperor
Lý Nhân Tông (r. 1071–1127)153 gave a copy to the envoy from the Song court, who sent it along to the Chinese Emperor Zhezong (r. 1086–1100). 154 Zhezong summoned the master of Xiangguo Temple [to interpret the text]. When he had read it, he joined his palms and bowed in homage, saying: "In the south a flesh and blood Bodhisattva has appeared in the world, and he is well able to expound the Dharma.
155 [16a] How could this poor monk add or subtract anything? " The Chinese emperor then had another copy made and returned the original. When the Chinese envoy returned [to Vietnam] and reported this, Lý Nhân Tông was very pleased with Viên Chiêu and rewarded him richly.
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In the ninth month of the sixth year, canh ngo*, of the Quang* Huu* era (1090),156 without any signs of illness, Viên Chiêu instructed his disciples [for the last time] saying: "The bones, joints, sinews and veins in this body of mine are a combination of the four elements157—all are impermanent. It is like a house that is about to collapse, when all the beams tumble down. I bid you all farewell. Now listen to my verse:
The body is like a wall—it crumbles to the ground,
All the worldly people are agitated—none is not distressed. If you comprehend that mind is empty and formless,158 Then you let form and emptiness,
the hidden and the manifest, follow each other in turn.
His verse finished, Viên Chiêu passed away sitting upright. He was ninetytwo years old and had been a monk for fiftysix years. His writings now in circulation include the Tán Viên Giác Kinh [Eulogy on the Complete Enlightenment Sutra*], Thâp Nhi Bo* Tát Hanh* Tu Chú'ng Dao* Tràng [Enlightenment Realized by the
Twelve Bodhisattva Practices], and Tham Do* Hien* Quyet* [Revelation of the Decisive Secret for Students] in one volume. 159 Cú'u Chi*
[16a10] Zen Master Cú'u Chi of Diên Linh Temple on Mount Long Doi*160 in An Lãng was a native of Chu Minh, Phù Ðàm. His family name was Ðàm. When young he studied both Confucian and Buddhist books161 and thoroughly comprehended them all.
One day as he was reading, [16b] he sighed and said: "Both Confucius and Mozi were attached to being. Both Zhuangzi and Laozi were attached to nonbeing. The conventional classics are not the teaching of liberation. Only the Buddhist teaching approves neither being nor nonbeing and completely comprehends birth and death. One must maintain discipline and advance energetically, and seek the seal of approval from enlightened teachers. " So he abandoned conventional studies and went to call on the Elder Dinh * Hu'o'ng of Cam* Ú'ng Temple on Mount Bà So'n to receive ordination.
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One day while he was asking for instruction, Ðinh Hu'o'ng asked him: "What is the ultimate truth? "162 Cú'u Chi* said: "I don't know. " Ðinh Hu'o'ng said: "I already gave you the ultimate truth. " As Cú'u Chi hesitated trying to think what to say, Ðinh Hu'o'ng said: "You've missed it. " At these words, Cú'u Chi discovered the gist [of the Buddhist message]. Accordingly, Ðinh Hu'o'ng named him Cú'u Chi [which means ''Investigating the Gist"].
Subsequently, Cú'u Chi went to Quang Minh Temple on Mount Tiên Du, where he practiced austerities163 for six years without leaving the mountain. His reputation as a teacher [nevertheless] reached the imperial court. Emperor Lý Thái Tông invited him to the capital several times, but Cú'u Chi did not come. The emperor paid three visits to his temple to inquire after him. The Grand Preceptor Lu'o'ng Van* Nham*164 also greatly respected Cú'u Chi.
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During the Long Thuy* Thái Bình era (1054–1059), Prime Minister Du'o'ng Dao* Gia built a splendid temple and invited Cú'u Chi to become abbot there. Cú'u Chi declined, but [eventually] he had no choice but to obey the summons. The day he left Mount Tiên Du [17a] he said to his disciples: "I will never return here again. " The birds and beasts that lived on the mountain cried with grief incessantly for three weeks.
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After three years in the capital, sometime during the Chu'o'ng Thánh Gia Khánh era (1059–1065), when he was about to depart from the world, Cú'u Chi called together his disciples and said: "All Buddhist teachings originally come from your own inherent nature. The true nature of all phenomena originally comes from your mind. Mind and phenomena are One Thusness: fundamentally there is nothing else. All the defilements that bind you are empty. Misdeeds and merits, right and wrong are all
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illusions. There is nothing but cause and effect. In the realm of karma, do not differentiate: if you do you will not find freedom. You see all phenomena, but without any objects of seeing. You know all phenomena, but without any objects of knowing. You know that all phenomena have dependent origination (pratityasamutpada *) as their basis. You see that all phenomena have true reality as their source. Even amidst defilement, you understand that the world is like a magical apparition. You clearly comprehend that the true identity of sentient beings is the One Reality—there is no other reality. You do not abandon the karmic realm: you use the proper skillful means to show the uncreated Dharma in the realm of the created, but without differentiating and without the marks of creation. [17b] This is because desire is ended, self is forgotten, and conceptual elaborations (prapañca) are abandoned. "
Then Cú'u Chi* spoke a verse:
Body and mind are fundamentally quiescent and still, But through the transformations of spiritual powers,
all forms are manifested.
Both created and uncreated phenomena come from this, In worlds countless as the grains of sand on the banks
of the Ganges,
Though they fill all space,
When contemplated one by one, they are formless. For a thousand ages this has been difficult to describe, But everywhere in every world it is always luminous
and clear. 165
Cú'u Chi's* body was cremated at noon the same day he died. His remains were collected and a stupa was built to house them.
Bao* Tính (? –1034)
Minh Tâm (? –1034)
[17b6] The two Zen Masters Bao Tính and Minh Tâm166 of Cam* Ú'ng Temple on Mount Bà So'n in Thiên Phúc Prefecture were both natives of Chu Minh. Bao Tính's family name was Nghiêm and Minh Tâm's was Pham*. They were friends when young and later became spiritual companions when they left home to become monks. In their early years, together with Zen Master Viên Chieu*, both of them served the Elder Dinh* Hu'o'ng and got the marrow [of his teaching]. Afterward, they carried with them his mindseal and traveled around teaching. They were leading
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figures in the Buddhist community. Viên Chieu * left behind many songs and poems lauding their lofty aspirations. These have been gathered together in Viên Chieu's* collected works167 and need not be recorded here.
The two masters devoted themselves to chanting the Lotus Sutra* for more than fifteen years without ever neglecting it. Every time they came to the chapter on the Medicine King,168 [18a] they would shed tears and tell each other: "This Bodhisattva has influenced his causal ground with many aeons of cultivating the Great Vehicle Mind, but he still generates great vigor and advances energetically without cherishing his own life. How much the more so should beginners169 like us, living in the Last Age170 of the Dharma, do so! If we are not utterly sincere like this, how can we hope to glimpse enlightenment, the true mind of the Great Vehicle? "
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In the fourth month of the seventh year of the Thiên Thành era (1034), when the two masters were about to immolate themselves,171 they were invited to the imperial court. They organized an assembly [at court] to explain the scriptures. Then together they entered into the "samadhi* of firelight"172 [and immolated themselves]. The
bones that remained were all transformed into the seven kinds of jewel. 173 Emperor Ly Thái Tông ordered that the relics be kept in Tru'ò'ng Thánh Temple and offerings be made to them. Because of their unique spiritual qualities, the emperor changed the name of the temple [where the relics were housed] to Nguyên Thông
Tu'* Tháp174 [which means the "StupaTemple of Nguyên Thông"]. Quang* Trí
[18a7] Zen Master Quang Trí of Quán Dinh* Temple on Mount Không Lo*175 hailed from the capital. His family named was Nhan; he was a brother of Chu'o'ng Phung*, the royal concubine. His conduct on the Path was pure as ice. He did not act for the sake of luxury and finery. In the first year of the Chu'o'ng Thánh Gia Khánh era (1059), he left the conventional world and went to study with Thien* Lão on Mount Tiên Du. Under the impact of his teachings, Quang Trí reached accord with the essential message of Zen. From then on he spent his time refining and cultivating himself, his will strongly set on Zen. Before long his reputation had spread far and wide.
Later Quang Trí made his abode on Mount Tù' So'n. [18b] He always wore a patched robe, and he fed himself on pine nuts. He became a
spiritual companion 176 of the hermitmonk Minh Hue*. 177 People said that they were the reincarnations of Hanshan and Shide. 178 The Minister of Public Works Ðoàn Van* Khâm179 admired Quang* Trí greatly. Once he offered him a poem:
Hanging his staff180 on a perilous peak, he has left behind the dusts of the senses. 181
As I dwell silently amidst dreamlike illusion, I ask the floating clouds:
I am earnest, but there is no way for me to study with Fo Tu Teng and Kumarajiiva*,182
Entangled as I am with high society, that flock of [ostentatious] storks. 183
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When Quang Trí passed away sometime during the Quang Huu* era (1085–1091), Ðoàn Van Khâm cried grievously and composed a poem of mourning:
He escaped from the capital and dwelt in the forest184 till his hair turned white,
He shook out his sleeves [rejecting conventional society] for the high mountains,
The more remote, the higher his reputation.
How often I wished to don simple garb and go to his side! Now suddenly comes the news that he has departed185
and his Zen retreat is closed,
Now in the courtyard of his temple the birds cry in vain
to the moon.
Who can compose the inscription for his tomb? Companions in the Path should not be sad
as he departs forever,
The mountains and rivers in front of his retreat
are his true portrait. 186 Thong* Bien*
(? –1134)
Eight Generation: Six Persons
[19a8] National Preceptor (Quoc* Su')187 Thông Biên of Pho* Ninh Temple in Tù' Liêm188 hailed from Ðan Phuong*. 189 His family name was Ngô, and he was the son of Buddhists. By nature he was intelligent and sagacious
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and clearly understood the three studies [of Buddhism, namely, Discipline, Meditation, and Wisdom]. 190 First, he studied with Mai Viên Chieu* of Cát Tu'ò'ng and received the gist of his teaching. Then he moved his abode to the National Temple in the capital Thang* Long191 and gave himself the sobriquet Trí Không [which
means "Empty Wisdom"].
In the spring of the fifth year of the Hoi* Phong era (1096), on the fifteenth day of the second month, Empress Dowager Phù Thánh Cam* Linh Nhân192 gave a [19b] vegetarian feast for the monks at the National Temple. She enquired of the elders present: "What is the meaning of 'the Buddha' and 'the patriarchs'? Which is superior? Where does the Buddha dwell? Where do the patriarchs live? When did they come to this country to pass on this Path? Who came first, the Buddha or the patriarchs? What is the meaning of reciting the Buddha's name and reaching the mind of the patriarchs? "
No one in the assembly spoke. Thông Bien* then replied to the empress dowager: "The Buddha is the one who abides eternally in the world without birth or demise.
The patriarchs are those who illuminate the source of the Buddhamind and whose understanding and conduct are in accord. 193 The Buddha and the patriarchs are one. Only undisciplined scholars would falsely assert that either is superior or inferior.
"'Buddha' means 'enlightened. 194 Fundamentally, enlightenment is profoundly clear and eternally present. All beings share this inner truth. Because they are covered over by sentiments and sensory experience, they drift according to their karma and revolve through the various planes of existence.
"Out of compassion, Buddha appeared to be born in India. This is because India is the center of the world. 195 At nineteen he left home. At thirty he achieved enlightenment. 196 He stayed in the world preaching the Dharma for fortynine years, setting forth all sorts of provisional teachings to enable sentient beings to awaken
to the Path. This is what is called [20a] creating teachings for a certain period. When he was about to enter final nirvana, he was afraid that people attached to delusion would get stuck on his words, so he told Manjusri*, 'In fortynine years I have not spoken a single word. Will they think something was said? ' So he held up a flower [in front of the assembly on Vulture Peak]. No one in the assembly knew what to say, except the Venerable Mahakasyapa*, who cracked a slight smile. Buddha
knew he had meshed [with truth], so he entrusted the treasury of the eye of the true Dharma to him, and he became the first patriarch [of Zen]. 197 This is what is called the separate transmission of the mindsource outside the scriptural teachings.
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"Later Moteng (Kasyapa * Matanga*)198 brought this teaching to Han China [c. first century C. E. ]199 and Bodhidharma traveled to [the Chinese kingdoms] of Liang and Wei [c. sixth century C. E. ]200 with this message. The transmission of the teaching flourished with Tiantai:201 it is called the school of the scriptural teachings. 202 The gist of the teaching became clear with [the Sixth Patriarch of Zen] Caoxi:203 this is called the Zen school. Both these schools reached our country [Vietnam] many years ago. The scriptural teachings began with Mou Bo204 and Kang Senghui. 205 The first stream of the Zen school began with Vinitaruci* (Ty* Ni Ða Lu'u Chi); the second with Vô Ngôn Thông. Vinitaruci and Vô Ngôn Thông are the ancestral teachers of these two streams [of Zen]. "
The empress dowager asked: "Leaving aside for now the school of the scriptural teachings, what has been accomplished by the two streams of Zen? "
Thông Bien* said: "According to the biography of Dharma Master Tanqian (542–607),206 the Chinese Emperor Sui [20b] Gaozu [r. 580–611] said,207 'I am ever
mindful of the compassionate teaching of the Buddha,208 whose benevolence I cannot repay. As monarch, I have supported the Three Jewels on a wide scale all over the country. I have had all the relics in the country collected, and I have built 49 precious stupas for them. To show the world the way across [to enlightenment] I have built more than 150 temples and stupa. I have built them all across Jiaozhou (Giao Châu), so that their sustaining power and fructifying merit could extend everywhere. Although Jiaozhou belongs to China, we still need to bind it to us, so we ought to send monks renowned for their virtue to go there to convert everyone and let them all attain enlightenment. '
"Dharma Master Tanqian said, 'The area of Jiaozhou has long been in communication with India. Early on, when the BuddhaDharma came to China209 and still had not been established, yet in Luy Lâu210 more than twenty precious temples were built, more than five hundred monks were ordained, and fifteen volumes of scriptures were translated. Because of this prior connection, there were already monks and nuns211 like Mo Luo Qi Yu,212 Kang Senghui, Zhi Jiang Liang,213 and Mou Bo there. In our time, there is the Venerable Pháp Hien*,214 who received the transmission from Vinitaruci, [21a] and who is now spreading the school of the Third Patriarch (Sengcan). Pháp Hiên is a Bodhisattva living among humans: he receives disciples and preaches the Dharma at Chúng Thien* Temple, and the congregation
there numbers over three hundred. Thus, Jiaozhou is no different than China. Your Majesty, you are the compassionate father of all the world. Wishing to bestow your grace everywhere equally,
you would send an emissary [to spread Buddhism to Jiaozhou]. But there are already Buddhist teachers there; we do not have to go to convert them. ' 215
[Thông Bien* continued:] "Moreover, the Tang Minister Quan Deyu composed a preface to transmit the Dharma216 which says, 'After Caoxi passed away, the teaching of Zen flourished and spread. There were Zen schools everywhere. Zen Master Zhangjing Yun217 carried Mazu's essential teachings on mind to spread the
teaching in WuYue. 218 The Mahasattva* (Great Hero) Vô Ngôn Thông transmitted the essential message of Baizhang's teaching to spread enlightenment in Jiaozhou. [So Your Highness,] this is what has been accomplished by the Zen schools. "
The empress dowager also asked: "What is the order of succession in the two Zen schools? "
Thông Biên said: "The present representatives of the Vinitaruci* stream are Lâm Hue* Sinh219 and Vu'o'ng Chân Không. 220 For the Vô Ngôn Thông stream, they are
Mai Viên Chieu*221 and Nhan Quang* Trí. 222 [The successor of Kang Senghui] is Lôi Hà Trach*. 223 The other side branches [of these two streams] are too numerous to mention them all. "
The empress dowager was very happy [with Thông Bien's* reply], so she honored him with the title "Monk Scribe" (Tang* Luc*)224 and gave him a purple robe. 225 She gave him the sobriquet Thông [21b] Biên Quoc* Su' [which means "National Preceptor with Consummate Eloquence"] and rewarded him munificently.
Subsequently, she revered him so much that she summoned him into the palace and paid homage to him as National Preceptor. 226 She enquired into the essential teachings of Zen and had a deep appreciation of its message. The empress dowager once composed a verse on enlightenment:
Form is emptiness, so emptiness equals form, Emptiness is form, so form equals emptiness. 227
Only when you are not attached to either, Do you mesh with the true source.
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In his later years, Thông Biên moved to Pho* Minh Temple, where he opened a great teaching center and showered down the rain of Dharma228 on all. He often
taught people to practice by using the Lotus Sutra*, so his contemporaries spoke of him as Ngo* Pháp Hoa ("Awakened to the Lotus"). In the second year, giáp dan*, of the Thiên Chu'o'ng Bao* Tu'*229 era (1134) on the twelfth day of the second month, Thông Biên announced that he was ill [and passed away].
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Mãn Giác (1052–1096)
[21b6] The Great Master Mãn Giác of Giáo Nguyên Temple in Cú'u Liên 230 was a native of An Cách Village, Lung* Mac*. His family name was Nguyen* and his
personal name was Tru'ò'ng. His father was Nguyên Hoài To*,231 who held the office of Gentleman of the Chancellory. When Lý Nhân Tông was still living in the heir apparent's palace, before he came to power, the emperor [Lý Thánh Tông, his father] issued a royal decree summoning the children of notable families to come to court to attend upon him. Since Mãn Giác was very learned and erudite and had studied and mastered Confucianism and Buddhism, he was among those invited to participate. After the sessions at court, Mãn Giác was always mindful of dhyana*. When Lý Nhân Tông came to the throne, because he had respected Mãn Giác back in those days, he bestowed on him the sobriquet Hoài Tín [which means "Filled with Faith"].
During the Anh Vu* Chiêu Thang* era (1076–1084), Mãn Giác asked permission to become a monk. He received the mindseal from Zen Master Quang* Trí of Quán Dinh* Temple [22a] and then went wandering with his begging bowl and staff, free as a cloud, in search of Dharma companions. Everywhere he went, students flocked to him. He read the great Buddhist Canon and attained teacherless wisdom. 232 He became one of the Buddhist leaders of his time.
The Emperor Lý Nhân Tông and the Empress Dowager Phù Thánh Linh Nhân were turning toward the study of Zen in those days, so they built the Giác Nguyên
Temple next to Canh* Hu'ng Palace233 and invited Mãn Giác to live there, so that it would be easier for them to see him and ask him questions. They did not call him by name, but always "Elder. "
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One day Mãn Giác told the emperor: "When the perfected people234 show themselves, it is always to work for the salvation of beings. There is no practice for which they are not fully equipped, nothing they do not cultivate. Not only do they have the power of concentration and wisdom, they have the merit of praising [Buddha] and renouncing [worldly life]. This is the work we should respectfully take up. " Then he imparted [to the emperor] the teachings of his school and the mindseal of the patriarchs beyond cultivation and realization.
The emperor summoned Mãn Giác into the palace sanctum within the palace and conferred on him the rank of "Inner Palace Teacher of Enlightenment" and the sobriquet "Purple Robed Great Monk. " Mãn
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Giác was given the rank of "Adviser of the Three Bureaus" with tax exemptions for fifty family members. <><><><><><><><><><><><>
At the end of the eleventh month of the fifth year of the Hoi * Phong era (1096),235 Mãn Giác announced that he was ill and spoke a verse to instruct his disciples:
When spring goes, the hundred flowers wither, When spring comes, the hundred flowers bloom.

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