Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (148 page)

Foguo first studied under a Zen master named Zhenjiao Sheng in Sichuan. During one of their discussions, Sheng pricked his arm and bled a few drops of blood.

Sheng showed it to Foguo and said, “This is a drop of Cao Creek.”

This startled Foguo, and only after some time he responded, saying, “Is it really?”

Foguo then left Sichuan and traveled to several teachers, including Dagui Muche and Huanglong Zuxin. Everywhere he went his teachers said that he was to be a great vessel for the Dharma. Huitang declared, “Someday, the entire Linji school will be his disciples.”

Finally, Foguo met the great teacher Wuzu. However, Foguo felt that their first meeting was a failure because Wuzu seemed aloof and unsympathetic. Foguo became angry and began to walk away. As he left, Wuzu called after him, “Wait until you become feverishly ill, then think of me!”

Foguo went to Jinshan.
²¹⁴
There he became extremely ill. Remembering Wuzu’s words, he pledged to return to study with him when he recovered.

When Wuzu saw Foguo return he laughed and told him to go to the practice hall. Foguo then took the position of Wuzu’s attendant.

An official of the exchequer named Tixing retired and returned to Sichuan, where he sought out Wuzu to learn about Zen. Wuzu said to him, “When you were young, did you read a poem by Xiaoyan or not? There were two lines that went something like, ‘Oh these trinkets mean nothing, for I only want to hear the familiar sounds of my lover.’”

Tixing said, “Yes, I read them.”

Wuzu said, “The words are well crafted.”

Just then, Foguo came in attendance. He asked, “I heard the master mention the poem by Xiaoyan. Does Tixing know it or not?”

Wuzu said, “He just knows the words.”

Foguo said, “‘I only want to hear the familiar sounds of my lover.’ If he knows the words, why doesn’t he understand it?”

Wuzu said, “Why did Bodhidharma come from the west? The cypress tree in front of the garden!”
²¹⁵

At these words Foguo was suddenly enlightened. He went outside the cottage and saw a rooster fly to the top of a railing, beat his wings, and crow loudly. He said to himself, “Is this not the sound?”

Foguo then took incense [to light in gratitude] and went back into Wuzu’s room. There he revealed his attainment and offered this verse:

The golden duck vanishes into the gilt brocade.
With a rustic song, the drunkard returns in the woods.
A youthful love affair
Is known only by the young beauty.

Wuzu then said, “The great matter of the Buddha ancestors is not sought by inferior vessels. I share your joy.”

Wuzu then informed the prominent elders of the temple, saying, “My attendant has attained the goal of Zen practice.” Because of this, Foguo was promoted to the position of head monk.

Another story of Foguo’s early experience under his teacher Wuzu Fayan is recorded in the classical Zen text,
Fozu Lidai Tongzai
(
Complete Historical Record of the Buddha Ancestors
).
²¹⁶

When [Yuanwu’s teacher] Fayan first came to Wuzu Temple, Yuanwu was working there as temple manager. At that time a new kitchen was to be built in an area where a beautiful tree stood.

Fayan said, “Although the tree is in the way, don’t cut it down.”

Yuanwu cut down the tree anyway.

Fayan reacted furiously, and picking up his staff he chased after Yuanwu as if to strike him. Yuanwu began to run away to avoid the beating, but then suddenly experienced great enlightenment and cried out, “This is the way of Linji!”

He then grabbed the staff away from Fayan and said, “I recognize you, you old thief!”

Fayan laughed and went off.

From this time forward, Fayan allowed Yuanwu to lecture the Dharma to the other monks.

During the Chongning era (1102–6), Foguo assumed the abbacy of Zhaojue Temple.
²¹⁷
He later moved to Xingzhou, where a famous contemporary teacher by the name of Zhang Wujin paid him a visit to discuss the doctrines of Zen and Huayan Buddhism. From this event, Foguo’s fame spread widely. Foguo then resided at Blue Cliff Temple on Mt. Jia.
²¹⁸

There his students appended Foguo’s spoken commentaries to an earlier manuscript known as the
Odes on the Hundred Cases
, a collection of kōans and added verses by Xuedou Chongxian. The resulting text, called the
Blue Cliff Record
, has served as a preeminent volume of kōans for subsequent generations of Zen students. Gaining wide popularity during Foguo’s lifetime, the
Blue Cliff Record
received both praise and condemnation. To some it represented the highest standard of Zen literature. To others it represented a subversion of Zen’s tradition of pointing directly at mind and shunning the study of written words as a vehicle for liberation. Foguo’s famous Dharma heir, Dahui Zonggao, was so alarmed by the success of his teacher’s book that he attempted to destroy as many copies as possible. However, the book’s circulation was, for better or worse, beyond Dahui’s ability to stop it.

Among Foguo’s admirers was the high government official Deng Zi, who presented to Foguo the ceremonial purple robe and the name that accompanied him to posterity.
²¹⁹
Emperor Gao Zong summoned Foguo, and conferred upon him the name Zen Master Yuan Wu (“Perfect Enlightenment”).

Foguo entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying: “The eye cannot see the pervasive Buddha body. The ear cannot hear the pervasive Buddha body. Speech cannot describe the pervasive Buddha body. The mind cannot imagine the pervasive Buddha body. Even if you can behold the entire great earth, not missing a trace, then you’ve gone only half-way. And if called on to do so, how could you describe it? Within its boundaries the sun and moon are suspended—the universal clear emptiness—the endless source of spring.”

Foguo entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “Fifteen days before, a thousand oxen can’t drag it back. Fifteen days later, even the swift falcon can’t chase it. Just at fifteen days; the sky serene; the earth serene; equally clear; equally dark. The myriad realms are not revealed here. It can swallow and spit out the ten voids. Step forward and you step across an indescribable fragrant-water ocean. Step back and you rest upon endless miles of white clouds. Stepping neither forward nor back, there is the place where the worthies don’t speak, where this old monk doesn’t open his mouth.”

Raising his whisk he said, “Just when it’s like this, what is it?”