Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (125 page)

During his final years, Fushan retired to Hui Shengyan. There he expounded the deepest principles of the buddas and ancestors. One day, he taught about the “nine teachings.” He repeated each of them, saying, “The teaching of the true Buddhadharma eye; the teaching of the Buddhadharma treasure; the teaching of the penetration of principle; the teaching of the penetration of things; the teaching of the opposition of principle and things; the teaching of the winding path [of a bodhisattva]; the teaching of uniting with the wondrous time; the teaching of the golden needle and two locks [going beyond the opposition of principle and things]; and the teaching of the immediacy of reality.”

The monks repeated the “nine teachings” back to Fushan.

Fushan then said, “But the perfect and ultimate Dharma gate is actually composed of ten teachings. All of you have just recited the nine teachings, but there is one more. Do you see it? If you clearly understand it and are intimate with it, then I invite you to come forward and speak to the assembly so that we can witness your understanding. If you can clearly explain this, then I’ll concede that you have penetrated the prior nine teachings and possess the perfectly clear eye of the Way. But if we see that you’re not really intimate with this teaching, that what you say doesn’t meet with what’s required, and that your understanding is just based on what I have said, then we’ll know that what you have is just a spurious Dharma. Have you all reached this?”

None of the monks spoke.

Zen master Fushan sighed and passed away.

TOUZI YIQING

TOUZI YIQING (1032–83) was the Caodong Zen school Dharma heir, but not the direct student, of Dayang Jingxuan. He came from ancient Qingshe (near the modern city of Yanshi in Henan Province). According to the
Wudeng Huiyuan
, he left lay life at the age of seven to live at Miaoxiang Temple. Initially, he studied the “hundred dharmas doctrine” of the Consciousness-Only school of Buddhism. One day he said, “(This doctrine) is obscure and extensive. Of what advantage is all of this difficulty?” Later he undertook the practices of the Huayan school, but upon reading the words “Mind is self-nature,” he had an insight, saying, “Dharma is not found in the written word, and how can one speak of it?” He then went traveling to find and study under a Zen teacher.

At that time, Zen master Yuanjian [Fushan Fayuan] was staying at Sacred Peak. One night he saw a blue eagle in a dream and took it as an omen.
¹⁷⁴
The next morning, Touzi arrived and Yuanjian received him ceremoniously.

Now, because a non-Buddhist once asked the Buddha, “I don’t ask about that which may be spoken of, and I don’t ask about what may not be spoken of…,“ after three years Yuanjian asked Touzi, “Let’s see if you remember your
huatou
.”

Touzi began to answer when Yuanjian suddenly covered Touzi’s mouth with his hand. Touzi then experienced enlightenment. He bowed.

Yuanjian said, “Have you awakened to the mysterious function?”

Touzi said, “Were it like that I’d have to spit it out.”

At that time an attendant standing to one side said, “Today Qing Huayan [Touzi] is sweating as if he were ill!”

Touzi turned to him and said, “Don’t speak insolently! If you do so again I’ll vomit!”

After three more years, Yuanjian revealed to Touzi the essential doctrine passed down from Dongshan and Touzi grasped it entirely. Yuanjian presented Touzi with Dayang’s portrait, sandals, and robe. He then instructed him to “carry on the method of this school in my behalf, so that it will not end here. Well and befittingly sustain and preserve it.”

Yuanjian then wrote a verse and presented it to Touzi.

Mt. Sumeru stands in the great void.
It supports the spinning sun and moon.
Upon it countless peaks do rest,
The white clouds there transformed.

The Shaolin wind sows a forest.
The Caodong screen rolled up.
A golden phoenix lives in a dragon’s nest.
Imperial moss is crushed by a wagon.

Zen master Fayuan sent Touzi to study with Zen master Yuantong Shen. But when Touzi arrived at Yuantong’s place, rather than going for an interview with that teacher at the appointed time, he remained sleeping in the monk’s hall.

The head monk reported this to Yuantong, saying, “There is a monk who’s sleeping in the hall during the day. I’ll go deal with it according to the rules.”

Yuantong asked, “Who is it?”

The head monk said, “The monk Qing.”

Yuantong said, “Leave it be. I’ll go find out about it.”

Yuantong then took his staff and went into the monk’s hall. There he found Touzi in a deep sleep. Hitting the sleeping platform with his staff, he scolded him, “I don’t offer any ‘leisure rice’ here for monks so that they can go to sleep.”

Touzi woke up and asked, “How would the master prefer that I practice?”

Yuantong said, “Why don’t you try practicing Zen?”

Touzi said, “Fancy food doesn’t interest someone who’s sated.”

Yuantong said, “But I don’t think you’ve gotten there yet.”

Touzi said, “What point would there be in waiting until you believed it?”

Yuantong said, “Who have you been studying with?”

Touzi said, “Fushan.”

Yuantong said, “No wonder you’re so obstinate!”

They then held each other’s hands, laughed, and went to talk in Yuantong’s room.

From this incident Touzi’s reputation spread widely.

Touzi first taught on White Cloud Temple in Jianzhou. He later moved to the Shengyin Monastery in Shuzhou (located on Mt. Qian in Anwei Province).

Zen master Touzi Yiqing entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “To speak of this affair is like a phoenix soaring into the heavens, not leaving a trace behind. It’s like a ram whose horns are entangled in a tree [and thus does not touch the ground]. Where will you find any tracks? A golden dragon is not concealed in a cold swamp. A jade rabbit nests in the moonlight. In order to establish the guest and host, you must stick your head out beyond the noisy world. If you answer my questions properly, you’re singing at the edge of the mysterious road. But in that case, you’re still only halfway there. If you’re still staring in miscomprehension, don’t belabor what you see!”

Zen master Touzi Yiqing entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “Don’t stop in a run-down shack in an isolated village. Go through the mountain pass of the buddhas and ancestors. You are all like Su Taichu, always hitting barriers, never finding your way home.
¹⁷⁵
You’re like Lord Xiang when he reached the Niao River.
¹⁷⁶
Where can you escape your tortured life? All Zen worthies who have reached this state—if they go forward, they fall into the hands of the celestial demons. If they retreat, they slip into the way of the hungry ghosts. If they go neither forward nor backward, then they drown in the dead water. All of you! Where will you find peace?”

After a pause, Touzi said, “Even three feet of snow can’t crush a one-inch spiritual pine.”