THE THIRTY-EIGHTH ANCESTOR, GREAT MASTER TÜZAN RYÜKAI.

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THE THIRTY-EIGHTH ANCESTOR, GREAT MASTER TÜZAN RYÜKAI.

 

Whilst training under Ungan, Tázan asked him, “Who can hear the teaching of the Dharma by the non-sentient?” Ungan replied, “The NON-SENTIENT can hear the teaching of the Dharma by the non-sentient.” Tázan said, “Reverend Monk, do you hear it?” Ungan said, “If I could hear it, you would not be able to hear my teaching of the Dharma.” Tázan said, “If that is the way things are, then I, Ryákai, indeed do not hear the Reverend Monk’s teaching of the Dharma.” Ungan said, “If you have not yet heard my teaching of the Dharma, how can you possibly expect to hear the teaching of the Dharma by the NON-SENTIENT?” Thereupon Tázan had a great awakening to his TRUE SELF and presented Ungan with a poem:

 

Wondrous, wondrous indeed!
The Dharma teaching of the NON-SENTIENT

is beyond imagining or words; Listening with your ears,

you will find IT hard to comprehend But, hearing ITS sound with your eyes,

you can know IT directly! Ungan gave his approval to this.

 

Tázan’s personal name was Ryákai (C. Liang-chieh, ‘The Good Servant’); he was from Kaikei (C. Hui-chi) and his family was of the Yu (C. Yu ̈) clan. When still a child, he was once following a teacher, reciting The Scripture of Great Wisdom. When he reached the passage that says, ‘There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind’, Tázan immediately felt his face with his hand and said to the teacher, “I have eyes, ears, a nose, a tongue and so on; why does the Scripture say that I do not?” The teacher, startled by this, said with regret, “I am not the teacher for you.” Thereupon he directed the boy to Meditation Master Reimoku (C. Ling-mo, ‘He of Courteous Bows’) at Five Springs Mountain (J. Gosetsuzan; C. Wu-hsieh-shan) where he donned the robe of a novice and shaved his head. At twenty- one, he went to Mount Sâ Monastery where he took the full Precepts.

 

Tázan was his mother’s favourite; his elder brother was already dead, his younger one was penniless and his father had also passed away. Once Tázan had become attached to the teaching of shunyata, he took leave of his mother, vowing that he would never return to his former home or see his relatives again until he had realized enlightenment. Having made such a vow, he left his home town and, once he had completed his monastic training and studies, took up residence on Tázan, whence his name. His mother, it seems, had no one to take care of her now that she was separated from her only child; day after day she searched for him until finally she was reduced to beg- gary and wandered about with others in her condition. Learning that her son was living on Tázan, she went there and, driven by her yearnings for him, tried to see him. Tázan firmly refused to meet with her and locked himself in the abbot’s quarters so that she could not enter; this was done to avoid a face-to-face meeting. As a result of this, his mother was filled with regret and died of grief outside this room; after her passing, Tázan himself went out to her. He found among her effects three cupfuls of rice which she had begged so he mixed this into the monks’ customary morning gruel which he offered to them as a memorial for his mother that she might be reborn in some heaven. Not long after, his mother appeared to him in a dream and said, “Because you held firm to your intention and therefore would not see me, my deluded feelings of covetous attachment have been instantly severed and, due to the strength of such good karmic roots, I have been reborn in the Trayastrimsha heaven.”

 

Among Ancestors and Masters there are none better or worse in their virtue. Yet Tázan, as an ancient Ancestor of this gateway of ours, specifically revived a custom of our religious branch through his strength of resolve to leave family behind in order to hold firm to his intention to realize enlightenment. With this strength of resolve as the foundation of his practice and study, he first visited Nansen’s (C. Nan-ch’u ̈an) community just at the time of their memorial commemorating Baso’s death. Whilst making preparations for the service, Nansen said to his assembly, “Tomorrow, when we make our food offering at Baso’s memorial, I wonder whether Baso will return or not.” None in Nansen’s congregation replied so Tázan came forth and said, “He is waiting until he has a companion, then he will come.” Nansen said, “Although young, you are quite a fit gem for cutting and polishing!” Tázan replied, “Reverend Monk, pray do not repress what is good and make it worthless.”

 

Afterwards he went to Isan (C. Kuei-shan) and told him, “I recently heard National Teacher Echâ (C. Hui-chung, ‘Faithful to Compassion’) of Mount Nan’yá (C. Nan-yang) give a talk on the teaching of the Dharma by the non-sentient. I have still not pierced its subtlety.” Isan asked him if he recalled the talk and Tázan replied that he did. When Isan then asked him to recount the event, Tázan gave the following account:

 

A monk asked Echâ, “What is the NATURE of the ancient Buddhas like?” Echâ replied, “Fences and walls, tiles and pebbles.” The monk commented, “But are not fences, walls, tiles and pebbles non-sentient things?” Echâ answered that they were. The monk asked, “Do they comprehend what teaching the Dharma is?” Echâ said, “They constantly teach, vigorously teach, ceaselessly and without rest.” The monk said, “Then why can I not hear them?” Echâ replied, “Just because you fail to hear cannot prevent others from hearing.” The monk said, “It is not clear to me who can hear them.” Echâ said, “All who are saintly can hear them.” The monk replied, “Reverend Monk, do you hear them?” Echâ said, “No, I do not.” The monk said, “Reverend Monk, since you do not hear them, how do you know that the non-sentient comprehend what teaching the Dharma is?” Echâ replied, “Hopefully I do not hear them for, if I heard them, I would be just like all the saintly and then you would indeed not hear my preaching of the Dharma.” The monk said, “If that is so, then are they irrelevant for sentient beings?” Echâ said, “It is for the benefit of sentient beings that I teach the Dharma, I do not teach it for the benefit of the saintly.” The monk asked, “What happens after sentient beings hear them?” Echâ said, “They are no longer sentient beings.” The monk said, “On what Scriptural text is ‘the teaching of the Dharma by the non-sentient’ based?” Echâ said, “Obviously, what I say has to accord with Scriptures otherwise you gentlemen would not discuss it. Surely you have seen in the Avatamsaka Scripture the passage, ‘Temples teach, sentient things teach; everything in the three worlds of time teaches’.”

 

When Tázan had finished the whole account, Isan said, “I have IT here with me too, only it is rare to encounter a REAL PERSON.” Tázan respectfully asked, “Since I am not yet clear about the matter, would you please instruct me?” Isan raised up his fountain sceptre and asked, “Do you comprehend?” Tázan said, “No, I do not. Pray, Reverend Monk, explain it to me.” Isan replied, “Speech born of father and mother will never explain IT for you.” Tázan asked, “Is there anyone else who longed to seek the Way at the same time as you?” Isan said, “Go to Reiryá (C. Li-ling) in Shâken (C. Yu-hsien) where you will find, in a hermit’s cave, Ungan, a man who has attained the Way. If you can sweep away the wild weeds of evil passions and look head on into the winds of the Dharma, without fail you will dispose of the matter that is important to you.” Tázan said, “What kind of person is he?” Isan answered, “He once asked me what a disciple should do who wishes to be obedient to his mas- ter after he is no longer with him. I told him that, straight off, he should sever any remaining attachments and karmic hindrances that he may find within himself. He then asked whether he would be able to avoid breaking the principles of his master. I told him no and, above all, he should not tell people that I am here.” Tázan then left Isan and went straight to Ungan.

 

Referring to what had happened previously, Tázan asked Ungan, “Who can hear the teaching of the Dharma by the non- sentient?” Ungan said, “The NON-SENTIENT can hear it.” Tázan said, “Reverend Monk, do you hear it?” Ungan said, “If I heard it, you would indeed not then hear my teaching of the Dharma.” Tázan said, “Why do I not hear it?” Ungan raised up his foun- tain sceptre and said in response, “Do you hear it?” Tázan said, “No, I do not.” Ungan said, “If you have not yet heard my teach- ing of the Dharma, how can you possibly expect to hear the teaching of the Dharma by the NON-SENTIENT?” Tázan said, “What Scripture talks about the teaching of the Dharma by the non-sentient?” Ungan said, “Have you not seen in the ‘Amida Scripture’ the part that says, ‘Water and birds, trees and forests, all, without exception, invoke the Buddha, invoke the Dharma’?” At this Tázan had a great awakening to his TRUE SELF and told Ungan the story of his meeting with National Teacher Echâ continuing up to the point where he arrived at the TRUTH under Ungan and subsequently presented his poem which began ‘Wondrous, wondrous indeed’! and ended with ‘But, hearing ITS sound with your eyes, you can know IT directly’! Tázan then said to Ungan, “I have old, residual habits that have still not come to an end.” Ungan said, “What were you once doing that these should come about?” Tázan said, “I was not holding to the Four Noble Truths.” Ungan said, “Are you joyful yet?” Tázan said, “I am very joyful indeed, just like someone who has found a lustrous pearl atop a dung heap.” Tázan then asked Ungan, “When I wish to have a face-to-face meeting with the LORD OF THE HOUSE, how should I go about it?” Ungan said, “Ask the LORD OF THE HOUSE.” Tázan said, “I will ask when I see HIM.” Ungan said, “I wonder what HE will say to you?”

 

When Tázan was taking his leave from Ungan he respect- fully inquired, “After a hundred years, if someone were to ask me to describe the TRUTH that you taught, how exactly should I reply?” After a long pause Ungan responded, “Just say that THIS is IT.” Tázan sank deep into thought. Ungan said, “Ryákai Acharya, in order to understand the TRUTH, investigate the matter thoroughly.” Tázan was still embroiled in his doubts but later, as he was crossing a river, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the water and, greatly enlightened as to this previous principle, composed a poem:

 

Truly I should not seek for the TRUTH from others For then it will be far from me;
Now I am going alone,
Everywhere I am able to meet HIM .

HE is ME now,
I am not HIM;
When we understand this,
We are instantaneously with the TRUTH .

 

Tázan had realized what he had spent his life training and study- ing for and his lingering doubts had quickly departed; what is happening in this account is truly correct.

 

These accounts of the teaching of the Dharma by the non- sentient should include one about a lay worker named Cháfun (C. Chang-fen) who was working at Nan’yá Monastery. Pros- trating himself before National Teacher Echâ, he said, “I have heard the Reverend Monk speak of the teaching of the Dharma by the non-sentient; I still do not comprehend this matter. I beg you, Reverend Monk, to instruct me.” Echâ said, “If you inquire into the teaching of the Dharma by the non-sentient, you will then comprehend other non-sentient things and be able to hear my teaching of the Dharma directly. However, when you have heard the teaching of the Dharma by the NON-SENTIENT, pray depart!” Cháfun said, “At the moment I am bound to skillful means for the sentient; how does this relate to the non- sentient?” Echâ said, “If, right now, within all your actions, the two classes of the mundane and the holy do not in the least bit arise or pass away, then this involves a TRUE CONSCIOUSNESS which does not depend on being or non-being and is ablaze with keen perceptual awareness; hearken to the fact that there are no delusionary emotional feelings or binding attachments.

 

Because of this the Sixth Chinese Ancestor Ená said, ‘When the six sensory roots are engaged in discerning boundaries and discriminating between objects, one should know that such thought is not the TRUE CONSCIOUSNESS.’” This comment by Ená is indeed what is behind Nan’yá Echâ’s remarks about the teaching of the Dharma by the NON-SENTIENT when he said, “If, right now, within all your actions, the two classes of the mundane and the holy do not in the least bit arise or pass away, then this involves the TRUE CONSCIOUSNESS which does not depend on being or non-being and is ablaze with keen perceptual awareness.”

 

People, however, usually think that ‘non-sentient’ refers to such things as fences and walls, tiles and pebbles, lamps and winnowing baskets, dewdrops and pillars. This is not what National Teacher Echâ is talking about in the present instance; it is a TRUE CONSCIOUSNESS in which what is seen by ordinary and saintly people has not yet been differentiated, and emotional attachment to notions of delusion and enlightenment has not yet emerged; likewise, there is not the least degree of emotional judgmentalism or intellectual discrimination, nor any signs that birth and death, coming and going, are actively functioning. I assure you this TRUE CONSCIOUSNESS keenly perceives and is aware but is not attached to emotional con- sciousness. This is why Tázan said, “You must comprehend HIM in this way so that you can dedicate yourself at once to THAT WHICH IS.” This is also why someone of old once said, “There is no enlightened wisdom which is apart from the ETERNAL that the ETERNAL illumines; there is no ETERNAL which is apart from enlightened wisdom that enlightened wisdom studies.”

 

THAT WHICH IS is steadfast and unmoving, a clear, bright, constant KNOWING. This is why it is said that complete know- ing, which is perfect and bright, does not depend on intellectual thought; this direct perceptual awareness is not an entanglement or an attachment. As Isan said, “Speech born of father and mother will never explain IT for you” and as Echâ said, “If sentient beings can hear IT, then they are not sentient beings.” Having received this kind of instruction from several teachers, Tázan comprehended the true meaning of ‘the non-sentient’ so do not arbitrarily interpret it as fences and walls. As long as your thoughts and feelings do not delude or entangle you, and your sight and hearing are not scattered or spread all over, this TRUE CONSCIOUSNESS will be bright and undimmed, clear and aware.

 

Were you to try to seize this state, you would never realize IT because IT takes on no form, IT is ‘non-existent’. Were you to try to be rid of IT, you could not separate yourself from IT be- cause IT has accompanied you from the very beginning of time; IT is not ‘non-existent’. Still, IT is not feelings or perceptions, knowledge or thought, much less does IT partake of the four ele- ments and the five skandhas. This is why Wanshi said, “There is an enlightened wisdom apart from emotional judgmentalism and intellectual discrimination; there is a BODY that is not com- prised of the four elements and the five skandhas.” In short, there is this TRUE CONSCIOUSNESS.

 

‘Continually and vigorously teaching’ means that, at no time, does IT not manifest ITSELF; this is called ‘teaching’. IT makes the eyebrows raise and the eyes blink; IT makes you walk, stand, sit and lie down. Hurrying about, stumbling and falling, dying here, being reborn there, partaking of food when hunger arises, getting sleep when exhaustion comes, all are ‘teaching’. Speaking, working, moving, stopping, acting with dignity are ‘teaching’. It is not only spoken and unspoken teaching; there is THAT which wholly comes forth openly, which most clearly does not conceal anything. Because everything down to the croaking of bullfrogs and the mumbling of earthworms comes to be revealed, it is continual teaching, energetic teaching, without ceasing. Just look carefully and, without fail some day, like our lofty Ancestor Tázan, you will be able to be a model for others.

 

Now, how am I to expound this principle?

 

The humble TRUE CONSCIOUSNESS is not emotional attachment

And every day of the week
IT causes IT to teach energetically.