Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (37 page)

HUANGBO XIYUN

HUANGBO XIYUN (d. 850) was the disciple of Baizhang and the teacher of Linji Yixuan. He came from ancient Fuzhou. As a youth, he entered a monastery on Mt. Huangbo in his home province. Later, he traveled to the district of Gao’an where he resided at Mt. Huangbo (Xiyun renamed the mountain after his old mountain home in Fuzhou). Huangbo also traveled and lived at Mt. Tiantai, as well as the capital city of Changan, where he received instruction from National Teacher Nanyang Huizhong.

Huangbo’s physical appearance was striking. He had a large protruding forehead that was whimsically described as a “large pearl.”

Regarded as a teacher with simple methods and few words, Huangbo embodied Mahayana Buddhism’s bodhisattva ideal by adhering to the vow to defer the fruit of enlightenment until all other beings can first enjoy it. A famous legend about Huangbo provides a metaphorical teaching on this vow.

While on his journey to Mt. Tiantai, Huangbo met another monk. They talked and laughed, just as though they were old friends who had long known one another. Their eyes gleamed with delight as they then set off traveling together. Coming to the fast rapids of a stream, they removed their hats and took up staffs to walk across. The other monk tried to lead Huangbo across, saying: “Come over! Come over!”

Huangbo said, “If Elder Brother wants to go across, then go ahead.”

The other monk then began walking across the top of the water, just as though it were dry land.

The monk turned to Huangbo and said, “Come across! Come across!”

Huangbo yelled, “Ah! You self-saving fellow! If I had known this before I would have chopped off your legs!”

The monk cried out, “You’re truly a vessel for the Mahayana, I can’t compare with you!” and so saying, the monk vanished.

The
Wudeng Huiyuan
provides this account of Huangbo’s initial encounter with Baizhang:

Baizhang asked, “So grand and imposing, where have you come from?”

Huangbo said, “So grand and imposing, I’ve come from south of the mountains.”

Baizhang said, “So grand and imposing, what are you doing?”

Huangbo said, “So grand and imposing, I’m not doing anything else.”

Huangbo bowed and said, “From high antiquity, what is the teaching of this order?”

Baizhang remained silent.

Huangbo said, “Don’t allow the descendants to be cut off.”

Baizhang then said, “It may be said that you are a ‘person.’”

Baizhang then arose and returned to his abbot’s quarters.

Huangbo followed him there and said, “I’ve come with a special purpose.”

Baizhang said, “If that’s really so, then hereafter you won’t disappoint me.”

One day Baizhang asked Huangbo, “Where have you been?”

Huangbo said, “I’ve been picking mushrooms at the base of Mt. Great Hero.”

Baizhang said, “Did you see a big tiger?”

Huangbo roared.

Baizhang picked up an ax and assumed a pose as if to strike Huangbo. Huangbo then hit him. Baizhang laughed “Ha, ha,” and returned to his room.

Later Baizhang entered the hall and said to the monks, “At the base of Great Hero Mountain there’s a tiger. You monks should go take a look at it. Just today, I myself suffered a bite from it.”

Once, Huangbo was at Nanquan Puyuan’s temple and participated in picking vegetables.

Nanquan asked him, “Where are you going?”

Huangbo said, “To pick vegetables.”

Nanquan said, “What will you use to pick them?”

Huangbo took his knife and held it straight up.

Nanquan said, “You’ve only acted as guest. You haven’t acted as host.”

Huangbo stabbed three holes in the air.

Nanquan said, “Everyone is going to pick vegetables.”

One day, Nanquan said to Huangbo, “I have a song called ‘Ode of the Oxherd.’ Can you recite it?”

Huangbo said, “I am my own teacher right here.”

Huangbo was taking his leave of Nanquan. Nanquan accompanied Huangbo to the monastery gate. Lifting up Huangbo’s hat, Nanquan said, “Elder, your physical size is not large, but isn’t your hat too small?”

Huangbo said, “Although that’s true, still the entire universe can fit inside it.”

Nanquan said, “Teacher Wang!”

Huangbo then put on his hat and left.

Huangbo was at Yanguan’s temple performing rituals. At that time the future emperor Tang Xuan Zong was serving as a novice monk in the temple. The future emperor asked Huangbo, “Not seeking Buddha; not seeking Dharma; not seeking Sangha—when the master bows, what is it you’re seeking?”

Huangbo said, “Not seeking Buddha; not seeking Dharma; not seeking Sangha—one always bows in just this manner.”

The novice said, “Then why bow?”

Huangbo hit him.

The novice said, “You’re really too crude!”

Huangbo said, “What place is this we’re in? Is it for idle chatter?”

He then hit the novice again.

When Pei Xiangguo was the governing official of Wan Ling Prefecture he built a large Zen monastery and invited Huangbo to become abbot there. Because Huangbo loved his old mountain he used the same name for the new monastery.

One day Pei Xiangguo took a figure of Buddha, placed it in front of Huangbo, and kneeling down, said, “I ask the master to provide me an honorific name.”

Huangbo proclaimed, “Pei Xiu!”
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