No More Learning

Students came to him as if going home. Emperor Lê Dai* Hành464 invited him to court many
times to inquire about the mysterious purport [of Buddhism]. Lê Ðai Hành treated him with appropriate etiquette and rewarded him munificently. <><><><><><><><><><><><>
Sùng Pham passed away in the third year, dinh* mão, of the Quang* Huu* era (1087) of the Lý dynasty at the age of eighty­four. Emperor Lý Nhân Tông had composed a verse in commemoration of him:
Sùng Pham hailed from the southern country,
He returned home successful with mind empty. 465
Long ears reflect his auspicious quality,
[He realized that] all phenomena are inherently detached
[from all forms] and extremely subtle. 466 Van* Hanh*
(? –1025)
Twelfth Generation:
Seven Persons, Five Biographies Recorded
[51b7] Zen Master Van* Hanh* of Luc* To* Temple, Dich* Bang* Village, Thiên Duc* Prefecture, hailed from Cô Pháp. His family name was Nguyen*. His family served the Buddha for generations. As a child he was outstanding
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and uncommon. He was vell versed in all three learnings 467 and had studied hundreds of [Buddhist] treatises. 468 He was plainly indifferent to fame and fortune. At the age of twenty­one, he left home to become a monk, and together with Dinh* Hue*, he served Thien* Ông of Luc* To* Temple. Whenever he had time away from his
duties, he studied indefatigably. After Thiên Ông passed away, he devoted himself to the practice of retention (dharani*) and concentration (samadhi*). 469 From then on, [52a] every word he uttered became prophetic for the people. He was very much revered by Emperor Lê Dai* Hành.
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In the first year of the Tianfu era (980), the Song general Hou Renbao470 came to plunder and stationed his troops at Cu'o'ng Giap, Lãng So'n. Lê Ðai Hành summoned Van* Hanh* to the capital and asked: "[Are we going to] win or lose? " Van Hanh said: "The enemies will withdraw within twenty­one days. " And so it turned out later.
When Lê Ðai Hành wanted to conquer Champa, he held long discussions [with court officials] without reaching any decision. Van Hanh submitted a memorial advising him to act quickly and not miss the opportunity. Afterward, Lê Ðai Hành in fact did win the war. 471
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When a wicked and treacherous man named Do* Ngân472 wanted to plot against him, Van Hanh knew about it beforehand. He sent Ngân a verse that said:
Earth ( ) are mutually produced,473
silver ( ) go together,474
Why harbor a plot against me? 475
The sadness I felt then is ended,476
In the future477 I will bear you no grudge.
Dô Ngân was afraid and canceled his plot. There were many instances like this of his knowledge of the future and his insight into the past. <><><><><><><><><><><><>
At this time Lê Ngoa* Trieu* (r. 1005–1009)478 was on the throne, a cruel tyrant. Both Heaven and men detested his behavior. Emperor Lý Thái Tô was then his bodyguard and had not ascended the throne. During those years strange omens appeared incessantly in many forms: a white dog with hair in his back that looked like the charaters thiên tu'* (Son of Heaven)479 appeared in the Hàm Toai* Hall, Ú'ng Thái Tâm Temple, Co* Pháp Prefecture; lightning struck the kapok tree and left writings [52b]
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on its trunk; 480 sounds of chanting at night were heard around the grave of Great Lord Hien* Khánh;481 insects gnawed at the bark of a bastard banyan tree at Song Lâm Temple, forming the character quoc* (nation). Everything was explained as omens that the [Former] Lê dynasty was going to collapse and the Lý was going to flourish.
Therefore, on the day when Lý Thái To* ascended the throne, Van* Hanh* was at Luc* Tô Temple, but he already knew in advance about the event and told the two
uncles482 of Thái Tô: "The Son of Heaven has passed away. The Bodyguard is in duty [in the imperial palace]. Thousands of Lý men are inside the city [ready to act]. Before the day is out, the Bodyguard will control the country. "
He then placed an announcement at the crossroads that said:
The thorns483 sink into the North Sea,
The Plum tree484 grows under the southern sky.
On all sides the weapons are silent,
In all areas the people celebrate peace.
At these words the two lords were very afraid and sent their men to hasten the imperial palace for information. It turned out to be exactly as Van Hanh said. <><><><><><><><><><><><>
On the fifteenth day of the fifth month of the sixteenth year, at* suu*, of the Thuan* Thiên era (1025),485 without any illness, Van Hanh spoke a verse:
The body is like lightning: it's there and then it's not, It is like myriad plants and trees—fresh in the spring
but fading in autumn.
Trust in your destiny unafraid of ups and downs,
Because ups and downs are [as evanescent] as drops of dew
on a blade of grass. 486
He again instructed his students: "Where do you want to abide? I abide without abiding place, but do not [53a] depend on not abiding to abide. " Shortly after that he
passed away.
The emperor, court literati, and common people [were present as they] cremated his body, collected the relics, and built a stupa to worship them. Lý Nhân Tông had written a poem to commemorate him:
Van Hanh fused present, past, and future,
He matched the workings of ancient prophecies.
His native village was Co* Pháp,
He planted his staff there to guard the royal territory. 487
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Dinh * Hue*
[53a14] Zen Master Dinh Hue of Quang Hu'ng Temple, An Trinh Village, Thiên Ðú'c Prefecture, hailed from Cam* Dien*, Phong Châu. 488 His family name was Khúc. At first, he and Van* Hanh* served Thien* Ông. Afterward, Ðinh Huê received the mind­seal from Thiên Ông. When he passed away he transmitted it to his disciple Lâm Huê Sinh.
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[53b] The Nam Tông Tu'* Pháp Do* [The Diagram of the Dharma Succession of the Southern School] says he succeeded Van Hanh. This might be wrong. I am now following the original biography.
Dao* Hanh* (? –1117)
[53b3] Zen Master Ðao Hanh of Thiên Phúc Temple,489 Mount Phat* Tích,490 had the family name Tù'. His personal name was Lo*. His father Vinh held the office of General Supervisor of Monk­Officers. Vinh used to study at An Lãng Village. 491 He married a girl of the Tang* family492 and made his home there with her. She gave birth to Ðao Hanh.
As a young man Ðao Hanh was a defender of justice, acted quite unrestrained, and had great aspirations. No one could fathom his personality, his words, his actions.
He befriended a Confucian scholar named Phí Sinh, a Daoist master named Lê Toàn Nghia*, and an actor named Vi At*. 493 At night, he devoted himself to arduous study, yet during daytime he would play the flute, play kickball, gamble, and enjoy himself. His father often scolded him for his laziness. One night, the father sneaked into his room to spy on him. He saw the lamp almost out, books piled up at his side, and Ðao Hanh was leaning on his desk sleeping, a book still in his hand. After that his father stopped worrying about him. Subsequently Ðao Hanh passed the royal examination for monk­officers (tang* quan).
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Once, Tù' Vinh offended the Marquis of Diên Thành. 494 Diên Thành asked the sorcerer Dai* Ðiên495 to use black magic to beat Vinh to death [54a] and hurl him into the Tô River. When Vinh's corpse got to Quyet* Kieu* Bridge, where Diên Thành's mansion was located, it suddenly stood up like a living man and pointed [at the mansion]; he remained there the whole day, unmoving. Diên Thành was scared and rushed word of this to
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Dai * Diên. Diên came and said: "A monk's anger should not last overnight! " Even as he spoke, Vinh's body flowed away with the stream.
Dao* Hanh* thought about avenging his father's death, but he had not come up with any plan. One day he lay in wait for Ðai Diên to go outside. As Ðiên appeared, he was about to strike him when suddenly a voice in the air shouted: "Stop! Stop! " Ðao Hanh was frightened, dropped his stick, and ran away. He then wanted to go to India to learn special black magic to fight Ðai Ðiên. He went only as far as the country of the golden­toothed barbarians496 when he realized that the road was full of difficulties, so he turned back.
He then went to Mount Tù' So'n to live in seclusion and devoted himself to chanting the Mind of Great Compassion Dharani* daily. One day, after he had chanted it 108,000 times, a god appeared before him and said: "I'm your servant, the Celestial King who is the Guardian of the Four Directions. 497 I was moved by your achievement in chanting the sutra*, so I came here to place myself at your disposal. " Ðao Hanh knew that his magical power498 was now complete, so he would be able to avenge his father's death. He then went to the head of Quyet* Kieu* Bridge and tentatively threw his walking stick into the swift running water. The stick went against the current like a dragon and did not stop until it reached the Tây Du'o'ng Bridge. Ðao Hanh was pleased, [54b] saying: "Now my magic arts will prevail. "
He went directly to Ðai Ðiên's house. Seeing him, Ðai Ðiên said: "Don't you remember what happened before? " Ðao Hanh looked up to the sky, but it was all quiet— there was nothing to be seen. Then he chased Ðai Ðiên and beat him. Ðai Ðiên sickened and died.
After this, enmity he had felt previously melted like snow and his mundane concerns became like cold ashes. Ðao Hanh wandered to all Buddhist monasteries to
search sanction [for his enlightenment]. When he heard that Kiêu Trí Huyen* was teaching at Thái Bình,499 he came for instruction and presented a verse to inquire about the true mind:
Long mixed with the dusts of the mundane world, still unable to recognize pure gold,
I do not know where the pure mind is. Please point it out truly for me500—
extend your skillful means,
So that I can realize Thusness501 and cease
my painful search.
Trí Huyên replied with a verse:
The secret sounds in the jewel [pot of Buddha] reveal the subtle voice [of enlightenment].
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In it the mind of Zen appears filling your eyes.
The objects countless as grains of sand on the banks of the
Ganges River are all the path to enlightenment, Yet if you consciously search for enlightenment
it is far, far away.
Dao * Hanh* was confused and could not understand. He then went to Sùng Pham* of Pháp Vân Temple and asked: "What is true mind? " Sùng Pham said: "What is not true mind? " Ðao Hanh was abruptly awakened and asked: ''How am I to preserve it? " Sùng Pham said: "Eat when hungry, drink when thirsty. "502 Ðao Hanh bowed down and took leave.
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From then on, [55a] his Dharma power increased and his karmic affinity for Zen matured. He tamed hosts of mountain snakes503 and wild beasts; burned his finger to
pray for rain; and blessed water with mantras to cure sickness. In everything he did he was effective. 504 <><><><><><><><><><><><>
A monk asked: "Walking, standing, sitting, lying are all Buddha's mind. What is Buddha's mind? " Ðao Hanh instructed him with a verse:
If you think in terms of existence, then even a grain of sand is existent,
If you think in terms of nonexistence, then all phenomena are nonexistent.
Existence and nonexistence are like reflections of the moon in water,
Don't be attached to existence, or take emptiness as empty. And:
The sun and the moon are on the clifftop, Everybody [in this world] loses the jewel. Like a rich man who has a good horse, Yet walks and does not ride it.
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At that time, Lý Nhân Tông had no heir. In the second month of the third year of the Hoi* Tu'ò'ng Dai* Khánh era (1112), the authorities in Thanh Hoá Prefecture reported: "A weird supernatural omen has appeared at the seaside. There is a child about three years old who can speak fluently and calls himself emperor, and who has given himself the religious sobriquet Giác Hoàng [which means 'Enlightened Sovereign']. He knows about everything that the emperor has done. " Lý Nhân Tông
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dispatched an envoy to investigate. It was exactly as reported, so they took the child back to the capital and lodged him at Báo Thiên Temple. Lý Nhân Tông loved him for his intelligence and wanted to install him as Crown Prince. All court officials protested that this should not be done. [55b] Some of them said that if Giác Hoàng was really supernatural, he must reincarnate himself in the royal family before he could be made Crown Prince. Lý Nhân Tông agreed and organized a great reincarnation ceremony, which was expected to last seven days and nights.
Dao * Hanh* heard about it and said: "That child is a devil and has gone too far beguiling people. How can I just sit by and watch without helping, and let him deceive people's minds and disturb the true Dharma? " He then told his sister to disguise herself as a spectator and secretly hung some of his magic seals on the eaves. On the third day of the ceremony, Giác Hoàng505 fell ill and said: "The whole country has been covered with iron net. Although I wish to be reincarnated, I'm afraid all the paths are obstructed. " Lý Nhân Tông suspected that Ðao Hanh had used his mantras to obstruct the ceremony, so he ordered him held in custody for an investigation. Ðao Hanh admitted what he had done. Lý Nhân Tông had him confined in Hu'ng Thánh Palace and assembled court officials to discuss his case.
When the Marquis of Sùng Hien*506 passed by, Ðao Hanh pleaded: "Please try to help me. If I'm fortunate enough to be exonerated this time, in the future I will certainly be reincarnated in the imperial palace and pay back your favor. " The marquis agreed.
In the court discussion of [Ðao Hanh's case], they all said: "Since Your Majesty has no son, you expected Giác Hoàng to be reincarnated [as your son]. Now Lo* wrongly used his mantras to spoil it. It would be fitting to execute his entire family to set an example for the people. " [56a] The Marquis of Sùng Hiên calmly petitioned: "If Giác Hoàng really had supernatural power, even a hundred mantras of Lô couldn't do anything to harm him. Now that things have turned out this way, it only shows that Lô is far superior to Giác Hoàng. I humbly think that it is better to let him reincarnate than to punish507 him. " Lý Nhân Tông thus forgave Ðao
Hanh. 5 0 8
Ðao Hanh came to the marquis' house [to express his gratitude]. At that time the marquis' wife was taking a bath, and Ðao Hanh caught a glimpse of her. The marquis' wife was angry and told the marquis of the event. The marquis already knew the reason, so he did not reproach Ðao Hanh. His wife thus became pregnant. Ðao Hanh enjoined the marquis: "Please let me know just before the baby is due. "
Later, when the messenger came, Ðao Hanh took a bath, changed his clothes, and instructed his students: "My previous nexus of karmic causes
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has not terminated, therefore I have to be reborn in this world again as an emperor for a while. 509 After that lifespan is over, I will again be reborn as a god on the Trayatrimsa* Heaven. 510 When you see my body decay,511 it means I have entered nirvana and do not dwell in cyclic existence any more. " Hearing these words, all
his students were moved to tears. Dao* Hanh* spoke a verse:
Autumn comes without informing the wild geese to return together,
A cold smile for the sadness temporarily generated among men [by death].
I want to warn my students not to be attached to me, How many times have the teachers of old [56b]
reincarnated as the teachers of today!
After speaking these words, he solemnly passed away. The body that he cast off still exists today. 512
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According to Quoc* Su'* [National History], in the eighth year of the Hoi* Tu'ò'ng Dai* Khánh (1117), Emperor Lý Nhân Tông [issued a royal decree to bring the sons of the Marquises of] Sùng Hien*, Thành Khánh, Thành Quang*, Thành Chiêu, Thành Hu'ng, to the royal palace to be brought up and educated. 513 The Marquis of Sùng Hien's* son was only two years old then,514 but he was greatly loved by Lý Nhân Tông and was installed as Crown Prince.
Note: In the twelfth month, in the winter of the first year of the Thiên Phù Khánh Tho* era (1127), Lý Nhân Tông passed away; the crown prince succeeded to the
throne. [He died] at the age of twenty­one515 and reigned for eleven years. 516 It is said that Emperor Lý Than* Tông (r. 1128–1138) was an incarnation of Tù' Ðao Hanh. Some said that Giác Hoàng was an incarnation of Ðai Ðiên.
Trì Bát (1049–1117)
[56b8] Zen Master Trì Bát of To* Phong Temple, Mount Thach* That*,517 Ðai Cau* Village, Tân Trai*, hailed from Luy Lâu. 518 His family name was Van*. Even as a young boy he respected Buddhism very keenly. At the age of twenty, he took the tonsure and received ordination as a monk under Sùng Pham* of Pháp Vân Temple. Sùng Pham appreciated his dilligence and care in dealing with things, so he transmitted the mind­
seal to him and gave him the sobriquet Trì Bát [which means "Carrying the Begging Bowl"].
After Sùng Pham * passed away, Trì Bát traveled to all Zen centers, inquiring of all the experienced worthies. Finally, he came to To* Phong Temple to study. State Minister Grand Commandant Lý Thu'ò'ng Kiet*519 was one of his patrons. Trì Bát always used all the donations he got for Buddhist affairs. He also restored temples such as Pháp Vân, Thien* Cu', Thê Tâm, Quang* An, and others to pay a debt of gratitude for his rearing in the Dharma.
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[57a] On the eighteenth day of the second month of the eighth year of the Hoi* Tu'ò'ng Dai* Khánh era (1117), when he was about to pass away, Trì Bát spoke a verse:
If there is death there must be life,
If there is life there must be death.
Death is what saddens the worldly beings, Life is what they rejoice in.
Sadness and joy are both endless,
They mutually establish each other.
Don't be concerned about life and death, Án tô rô tô rô tat* li*. 520
After speaking this verse, he passed away sitting upright. He was sixty­nine years old. His disciples, Zen Masters Tinh* Hanh*, Pháp Nhãn, and Thuan* Chân, cremated his body.
Thuân Chân (? –1105)
[57a6] Zen Master Thuân Chân of Hoa Quang Temple, Tây Ket* Village,521 Thu'o'ng* Nghi, was a native of Cuu* Ông, Te* Giang. 522 His family name was Ðào. At a young age he was already versed in the classics and history. Everywhere he went scholars vied to befriend him. Subsequently he met Pháp Bao* of Quang Tinh Temple523 and reached accord with the truth at a word from Pháp Bao. He then gave up his previous studies to study with Pháp Bao. Within a few years he was able
to break through obstructions and [became like] lightning or sparks struck from stone. He expounded and propagated [the Dharma] according to the [state of] the inquirer, guiding the deaf and leading the blind to the full extent of his power.
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On the seventh day of the second month of the fifth year, at * dau*, of the Long Phù era (1105),524 when he was about to pass away, his disciple Bon* Tich* came
into his room and asked for instruction. Thuan* Chân spoke [57b] a verse:
The true nature has no fixed identity ever,
And has never undergone birth and destruction.
The body is a thing that belongs to birth and destruction, But the true nature has never undergone [birth and]
destruction.
As his verse ended, he passed away. Regent and Grand Guardian Cao Toi* took charge of the cremation [of his body] and the erection of a stupa to house his remains.
Hue* Sinh (? –1063)
Thirteenth Generation:
Six Persons, Four Biographies Recorded
[57b5] General Superintendent of Monks (Tang* Thong*) Huê Sinh of Van* Tue* Temple in the capital of Thang* Long hailed from Ðông Phù Liet*. 525 His family name was Lâm, his personal name was Khu. He was a descendant of Lâm Phú of Trà So'n, Vu* An. His father Khoáng married a daughter of the Monk Scribe Quách, so he moved to Phù Liêt. The family had two sons. The elder, named Sinh, had held office up to as high as Prime Minister and Attaché of the Department of Army.
Huê Sinh was the second brother. His appearance was extraordinary and his eloquence was like a flowing stream. He was especially versed in literature and skilled in calligraphy and painting. When he was free from Confucian studies he would investigate Buddhist books on the side. He read through all the Buddhist scriptures (sutras*) and philosophical treatises (sastras*). Whenever the words touched on some crucial point in Buddhism, he was always deeply moved to the point of shedding tears.
At the age of nineteen he left the mundane world. Together with Pháp Thông of Hac* Lâm,526 he served Dinh* Huê of Quang Hu'ng Temple. [58a] He made steady progress in mystic studies. Ðinh Huê cherished him and transmitted the mind­seal to him.
After that, he wandered from monastery to monastery to come fully
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to grips with the meaning of Zen. At first, he moved his abode to Bo * De* (Bodhi) Peak, Mount Trà So'n. Every time he entered samadhi* it would go on for five days. His contemporaries called him a Bodhisattva in the flesh.
Emperor Lý Thái Tông heard of him and dispatched an envoy to summon him to the capital. Hue* Sinh told the envoy: "Haven't you seen a sacrificial animal? At first they dress it with embroidered silk and feed it with fine sweet grass. But when they drag it into the royal temple, though it may wish to be just an orphan animal, even that is unattainable, much less anything better. "527 He firmly refused to go.
After Lý Thái Tông's repeated invitations, Huê Sinh at last came to court. After meeting with him, Lý Thái Tông was greatly pleased, bestowed on him the rank of Monk in Palace Service,528 and appointed him abbot of Van* Tue* Temple.
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One day, during a vegetarian feast in the imperial palace, Lý Thái Tông asked: "I have noticed that scholars have disputed about the mind­source of the Buddhas and patriarchs. I wish that each of you here, men of eminent virtue from various districts, would express his point of view to me so that I could see how to apply mind. " Huê Sinh spontaneously uttered a verse:
Dharma is originally like non­Dharma, Neither existent nor nonexistent.
If one knows this truth,
Then sentient beings and Buddha are one: How quiet the moon over Lanka!
Empty, [58b] empty, the boat that crosses the ocean. If one knows emptiness, by means of that emptiness
one realizes being,
Free to go everywhere in samadhi.
Lý Thái Tông lauded and rewarded him more. Subsequently, Huê Sinh was bestowed the rank of General Supervisor of Monks (Ðô Tang* Luc*). At that time princes and nobles such as Phung* Yet* Thiên Vu'o'ng,529 Princes Uy Vu*, Hi Tù',530 Thien* Huê, Chiêu Khánh, Prince Hien* Minh, General Vu'o'ng Tai*,531
Grand Preceptor Lu'o'ng Nham* Van*,532 Grand Guardian Ðào Xu* Trung, Administrator Kieu* Bong*, and others all frequented him to inquire about the Dharma and treated him with respect due a teacher. In the reign of Lý Thánh Tông (1054–1072), Huê Sinh was raised to the office of Ta* Nhai Tang Thong* [General Superintendent of the Academy of Monks], the same rank as a marquis though without the title. 533
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In the fifth year, giáp thìn, of the Gia Khánh era (1063), 534 when he was about to pass away, Hue* Sinh assembled his disciples and spoke a verse:
Water and fire interpenetrate every day,
Yet their origins are still unknown.
You should know that they are without abode, Three and three and three and three. 535
And:
In the old days when he came for instructions, Everybody showed him the way to the south. 536
If there's someone who asks about something new, This is like the first sliver of crescent moon on the
third day of the month. 537
Then he took a bath, burned incense, and at midnight silently passed away.
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Huê Sinh had composed by royal decree inscriptions on steles at the temples of Thiên Phúc,538 Thiên Thánh, Khai Quoc* at Tiên Du, Dieu* Nghiêm Báo Ðú'c, and others at Vu* Ninh. 539 He also composed works such as Pháp Su'* Trai Nghi [Ritual Forms for Dharma Services and Vegetarian Feasts], and Chu' Dao* Tru'ò'ng Khánh Tán Van* [Celebrations and Eulogy of the Site of Enlightenment], which are still in circulation. 540
Thien* Nham (1093–1163)
[59a2] Zen Master Thiên Nham of Trí Qua* Temple,541 Co* Châu Village, Long Biên Province, hailed from Cô Châu. His family name was Khu'o'ng, his personal
name Thông. His family had been Monk Officials for generations. His spirit and demeanor were energetic and outstanding and he had a clear voice. 542 He loved to learn dharanis* and would memorize them and recite them without missing a single word. During the Hoi* Phong era (1092–1110), he participated in the royal examinations on the Lotus and Perfection of Wisdom literature, and both times he passed with highest honors. 543
Subsequently he was approved with the mind­seal by Pháp Y of Thành Dao* Temple,544 so he decided to become a monk there. At first, he dwelt at Thiên Phúc Temple on Mount Tiên Du. His discipline was pure and
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strict, and his Dharma mind expanded. For almost six years he only ate wild fruits and drank stream water. Afterward he returned to his native district, restored Trí Qua * Temple, and became its abbot.
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During the Dai* Thuan* era (1128–1132) there was a drought. 545 A royal edict summoned Thien* Nham to the capital. He was immediately effective in his prayers for rain, so Emperor [Lý Than* Tông] recognized him as an eminent monk and bestowed on him royal robes. After that, whenever there were national ceremonies to pray for rain, he would preside over them.
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In the first year of the Chính Long Bao* Ú'ng era (1163), in the middle of spring, during daytime, Thiên Nham burned incense, gave his disciples last instructions, and passed away sitting upright. His age was seventyone.
At present the body that he cast off still exists. Contemporaries [59b] called him "Living Buddha. "546 Although the temple has gone through many wars through the ages and was burned many times, his body remained intact.
Minh Không (1065–1141)
[59b2] National Preceptor Minh Không of Quoc* Thanh Temple, Tru'ò'ng An,547 was a native of Ðàm Xá Village, Ðai Hoàng. 548 His family name was Nguyen*, his personal name Chí Thành. He traveled around to study [Buddhism] and met Zen Master Tù' Dao* Hanh* of Thiên Phúc Temple. Ðao Hanh took him as a personal attendant for seventeen years. Ðao Hanh admired his aspirations, so he transmitted the mind­seal to him and gave him the sobriquet [Minh Không].
When he was about to pass away, Ðao Hanh told Minh Không: "Formerly, our Lord Buddha had achieved perfect enlightenment yet still suffered retribution from the golden tiger; how can people—in the last period of the Dharma—with little merit protect themselves? I will be reborn in this world as a king. In my next life it is hard for me to escape sickness as a karmic debt. I have a karmic affinity with you, you should save me. "
After Ðao Hanh's* death, Minh Không returned to his native village and took to farming for more than twenty years, indifferent to fame and
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fortune. At that time Lý Than * Tông was suffering a strange disease: his mind was confused, and he was growling and moaning fiercefully. Renowned physicians from all over the country responded to the royal edict, [60a] but to no avail. 549 Meanwhile children were heard singing:
To cure the Son of Heaven, Send for Nguyen* Minh Không.
The court sent emissaries to look for Minh Không among the people and finally found him. When Minh Không arrived at court the renowned physicians were performing their arts in the palace. Seeing how crude and rustic he looked they did not bother to greet him. Minh Không took a nail five inches long and planted it in a column of the palace, shouting: "He who can pull the nail out will get to do the job first. " He repeated it again and again, but no one dared accept the challenge. Minh Không then used two fingers of his left hand and pulled on the nail and it came out easily. Everybody present was struck with admiration.
When he saw the emperor, Minh Không cried out with a stern voice: "Worthy man, you are foremost among the people, why do you act crazy like this? " The emperor trembled with fear. Minh Không had a big caldron brought in, filled it with water, and boiled it again and again. Then he stirred it with his hand four times and had the emperor bathe in it. The emperor recovered instantly. Subsequently, the emperor made Minh Không National Preceptor and the recipient of duties from hundreds of households as reward.
On an unknown date in the second year, tân suu*,550 of the Dai* Dinh* era (1141), Minh Không passed away at the age of seventy­six. Bon* Tich*
(? –1140)
[60b2] Zen Master Bôn Tich (formerly called Pháp Mat*) of Chúc Thánh Temple, Nghia* Trú Village, Bình Lac* Prefecture,551 hailed from Tây Ket*. His family name was Nguyên. He was a descendant of General Commandant of Inner Palace Services Nguyên Kha of the [Former] Lê dynasty. Even when he was young he showed contempt for the mundane world. Once he met a strange monk who marveled at his appearance and said: "This child has an extraordinary physique. If he leaves home to become a monk, he will truly carry on the Dharma lineage. "
When he grew up he first went to study with Thuan* Chân of Hoa Quang Temple, took the studies [seriously], and reached accord with its intent. Subsequently he received ordination. Thuân Chân saw that his
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meditation was perfect and his discipline was pure, and that by studying one he understood ten. He patted his head and said: "The propagation of the Dharma in this southern region is in your hands. "
From then on, Bon * Tich* was not attached to being or nonbeing and realized both the sudden and gradual methods. Everywhere he went he showered down the rains of Dharma and moved even remote places with the wind of mystic truth. Monks, laymen, and court officials all turned to him with respect.
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On the fourteenth day of the sixth month, in the summer of the third year, ky* mùi, of the Thieu* Minh era (1140), he assembled his disciples and told them: "There's nothing to be concerned about. " As his words ended, he died.
Khánh Hy* (1067–1142)
Fourteenth Generation:
Four Persons, Only One Biography Recorded
[61a2] General Superintendent of Monks (Tang* Thong*) Khánh Hy of Tù' Liêm Village, Vinh* Khang, hailed from Co* Giao, Long Biên. His family name was Nguyen*. Being a man of the lineage of purity practices, he abstained from eating meat as a child. When he grew up he came to study with Bôn Tich of Chúc Thánh Temple.
One day, while he and Bôn Tich were on their way to a donor's house to receive offerings, he asked: "What is the true intent of the patriarchs of Zen? " Just then they heard the sounds of a sorcerer ceremony in a house nearby; Bôn Tich said: "Aren't these the words of a sorcerer calling down spirits? " Khánh Hy said: "Please do not joke with me, Venerable Teacher. " Bôn Tich said: "I have never showed off to anybody! " Khánh Hy could not understand, so he left Bôn Tich.
When Khánh Hy came to Bien* Tài552 of Van* Tue* Temple, Biên Tài asked: "Where are you coming from? " Khánh Hy said: "From Venerable Tich's* place. " Biên Tài said: "He is indeed the spiritual guide of the region; what has he taught you? " Khánh Hy said: "I served him for many years, yet he never answered even one of my questions, so I left him. " Biên Tài asked: ''What is your question? " Khánh Hy related the previous conversation. Biên Tài said: "Alas! [61b] Venerable Tich has gone out of
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his way to explain everything to you. Better not slander your own teacher! " Khánh Hy * paused in thought. Bien* Tài said: "Haven't you heard that 'When you have realized [mind], all phenomena are sufficient [evidence of enlightenment]; when you are not yet enlightened, you are perpetually confused and at odds. '"553 Khánh Hy
was abruptly enlightened and returned to Bon* Tich*. When Bôn Tich saw him, he asked: "Why are you coming back so quickly? " Khánh Hy prostrated himself, saying: ''I committed the sin of slandering you, Teacher. I'm back here to ask to be allowed to repent. " Bôn Tich said: "The nature of sin is empty, how can you repent? " Khánh Hy said: "I should repent just like that. " Bôn Tich said no more.
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Once, together with two Zen practitioners Tinh* Nhãn and Tinh Nhu', he was standing, waiting on Bôn Tich, when the latter said: "You gentlemen have studied with me for a long time. Why don't each of you present your knowledge to me, so that I can see what your approach to the Dharma is? " As Nhãn and Nhu' were about to
open their mouths, Khánh Hy gave a shout and said: "When there's an optical illusion in your eyes, you see illusory flowers falling in confusion. "554 Bôn Tich said: "Master Khánh Hy, what will you do with the boat? You've broken the bailing buckets? "555 Khánh Hy said: "Why use a boat? " Bôn Tich said: "You haven't opened up yet, smart guy. You only know about things on this side; you haven't even dreamt of things on the Other Side. " [62a] Khánh Hy said: "It's only Him, though. " Bôn
Tich said: "'Leave the top of a hundred­foot pole and take a step'—what do you say about this? "556 Khánh Hy raised his two fists, saying: "Don't be stingy! Don't be stingy! " Bôn Tich said: "I'll spare you a beating! " After that, his fame spread over all the Buddhist communities.
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During the Thiên Chu'o'ng Bao* Tu'*557 era (1133–1138) [Emperor Lý Than* Tông] issued a royal decree inviting him to the capital. The emperor was pleased with his appropriate answers and conferred upon him the rank of Monk Scribe. Later he advanced to General Superintendent of Monks.
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One day, his disciple Pháp Dung asked: "When one comprehends form and emptiness, is form profane or sacred? " Khánh Hy spontaneously uttered a verse:
Don't waste energy enquiring about form and emptiness, There's nothing in the Dharma that is superior
to inquiring of the patriarchs' source.
If you search outwardly for mind, it is difficult
to determine its nature,
[It is like] in this world if one plants one cinnamon tree,
how can it make a thicket?
All the universe is the tip of a hair,
And the sun and the moon are contained in a
mustard seed, 558
The great function appears right before your eyes
like the fist from the hand,
Who cares about sacred and profane, east and west?
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On the twenty­seventh day of the first month of the third year, nhâm tuat*, of the Dai* Dinh* era (1142), Khánh Hy* fell ill and subsequently passed away at the age
seventy­six. 559 He had composed a work entitled Ngo* Dao* Ca Thi Tap* [Collected Songs and Poems on Enlightenment],560 which is still in circulation. 561 <><><><><><><><><><><><>
Su'* Ký [The Recorded History] says that Khánh Hy passed away in the third year of the Thiên Chu'o'ng Bao* Tu'* era (1135). Both sources are available now. 562
Gió'i Không
Fifteenth Generation:
Three Persons, Two Biographies Not Recorded
[62b2] Zen Master Gió'i Không of Tháp Bát Village Temple, Mãn Dau* County,563 was a native of the same county. His family name was Nguyen*, his personal name Tuân. A son of a well­off family, he loved Buddhism as a child. He was first ordained and became a monk under the guidance of Quang* Phúc of Nguyên Hòa
Temple on Mount Chân Ma,564 and he served Quang Phúc for several years.
After comprehending the intent [of Buddhism, he went to Mount Lich* So'n565 and built a retreat there. For five years he devoted himself to quiet meditation. Afterward he descended from the mountain with his
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monk's staff and traveled everywhere to preach the Dharma. On his journey, when he reached Nam Sách 566 he went to Thánh Chúa Cave567 and dwelt there. He stayed put for six years practicing austerities to the point that he could command gods and demons and tame wild beasts.
Emperor Lý Than* Tông summoned him to the capital many times. After repeatedly declining to no avail, Gio'i Không finally came. In the eighth year of the Dai*
Thuan*568 era, there was a great plague. When Gió'i Không arrived in the capital, Lý Thân Tông lodged him at Gia Lâm Temple. Gió'i Không blessed water with mantras and used it to cure the plague. Thousands of sick ones were cured on the spot every day. Lý Thân Tông rewarded him generously and earmarked the tax money of ten households to support him.
Later in his life, Gió'i Không returned to his native village and repaired ninety­five temples. <><><><><><><><><><><><>
One day, without any illness, he uttered a [farewell] verse to instruct his students:
[63a] I have something that's special,
It's not green, yellow, red, white, or black.
Among the ones who stay home or leave home,
Those who cherish life and fear death are traitors. Because they do not know that although life and death
are two separate paths,
They are nothing but the convergence and dispersion
[of the five aggregates].
If they think that life and death are really
two separate paths,
They are deceiving both Sakyamuni* and Maitreya. 569 If they know that life is death and death is life,
Only then do they know the hidden profundity
of this old monk.
You, who are my students and posterity,
Do not wrongly accept the starlight in the tray
as the absolute principle. 570
After speaking the verse, he laughed loudly, joined his palms together, and passed away. His disciples, including Provincial Governor Lê Kiem*571 and Defense Commissioner Hán Ðinh, cremated his body, collected the relics, and built a stupa to house them. A statue of him was also made to be worshipped.
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Pháp Dung (? –1174)
[63a7] Zen Master Pháp Dung 572 of Hu'o'ng Nghiêm Temple, Mount Ma Ni,573 Thanh Hoá Prefecture, hailed from Boi* Lý. 574 His family name was Lê: he was a descendant of the Governor of Ái Province, Lê Lu'o'ng of the Tang dynasty. 575 His family was distinguished and held the office of Provincial Governor for fifteen
generations. His father was Huyen* Ngap*, who had the sobriquet Tang* Phán. 576 His appearance and his spirit were elegant and unusual, and his way of speaking was excellent and clear. He had eulogized all the golden scriptures and jewel verses.
As a child he left home [to become a novice] under the guidance of General Superintendent of Monks Nguyen* Khánh Hy*. 577 Khánh Hy saw at a glance that he was an extraordinary person, and he transmitted [63b] the Dharma seal to him. 578 He then roamed unobstructed over mountains and rivers and converted people
wherever he went. When the time was right he moved his abode to Khai Giác Temple on Mount Thú'u Son*. 579 Students filled the hall.