Explanation of Poetry: Praise of Bodhidharma

The first ancestor, the monk Bodhidharma, said: I was originally from the Tang Dynasty, preaching to save people from infatuation. One flower bloomed with five leaves, and the fruit came naturally. The second ancestor, the monk Huike, sung: Originally, there was land, and peanuts were planted from the ground. But when there was no land, where did the flowers grow? The third ancestor, Monk Can, sung: Flower seeds must be planted on the ground. Peanuts are planted on the ground. Flower seeds have no vitality and will not grow on the ground. The Fourth Patriarch, Monk Daoxin, said: Flower seeds have the nature of life. If peanuts are planted on the ground, if the pre-existing conditions are not harmonious, everything will come to nothing. The Fifth Patriarch, Monk Hongren, eulogized: A sentient being plants a seed, a ruthless flower grows, a ruthless flower has no seeds, and the heart has no life. The Sixth Patriarch, Monk Huineng, sung: The heart contains the seed of emotion, the rain of Dharma is like peanuts, the seed of self-enlightenment is the flower of emotion, and the fruit of Bodhi is formed by itself. "Altar Sutra"·Huineng When the founder of Zen Buddhism, Bodhidharma, taught the Dharma to the second ancestor Huike, he once said a verse:

I originally came from this land to teach the Dharma to save people from confusion.

One flower blooms with five leaves, and the fruit will come naturally.

From a literal meaning, it means that a flower grows five petals and grows into abundant fruits - someone once regarded "a flower blooms with five leaves, and the fruit will naturally grow" as It is the natural achievement of enlightenment that is shown after the "petals of five kinds of wisdom" bloom; while another view is - and this view is also generally accepted by people - "a flower blooms with five leaves, and the result is natural" metaphor After Zen took root in China, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng and his disciples formed the five schools of Southern Zen. The subsequent development of Zen will probably not fall outside the scope of these five schools. They are:

1. Weishan Lingku and Yangshan Huiji founded the "Weiyang Sect";

2. Huangbo Xiyun and Linji Yixuan founded the "Linji Sect" ";

3. Yunmen Wenyan founded the "Yunmen Sect";

4. Dongshan Liangji and Caoshan Benji founded the "Caodong Sect";

5. Qingliang Wenyi founded the "Fayan Sect";

The above means "one flower blooms with five leaves". The "Five Southern Zen Schools" all claim to be the descendants of Huineng and the founder of the authentic Zen.

The Zen of Hui Neng’s period can be called “Zen of the Patriarchs”; the Zen of the time after Huineng can be called “Zen of Yue Zufen Deng”, because of the endless new pursuit of “Super Buddha”, It will inevitably lead to "Yuezu". Moreover, Zen Buddhism focuses on the experience of the present moment, and regards the present moment as the most noble. In addition, the proposition that "if you are as wise as the teacher, you will lose half of the teacher's virtue; if you are wiser than the teacher, you can only teach" which also makes the personality of Zen students improved. Unlimited development. Therefore, after Mazu Daoyi, Deshan, who drank the Buddha and cursed the ancestors, and Linji, who was disrespectful to both the Buddha and the ancestors, appeared together.

The reason why they are divided into five sects is because they grasp and experience the essence of Zen with different emphasis. Zen Master Tianrishan Fengfeng of the Southern Sect believes: "Linji is happy, Weishan is rigorous, Caodong is fine, Yunmen is ancient, and the Dharma eyes are clear"; Zen Master Fayan has a metaphor: Linji is like "the five inverses hear thunder", showing that It's amazing; Yunmen is like a "red flag flashing", showing its slight exposure; Weiyang is like "a broken monument crossing the ancient road", showing its profoundness; Caodong is like "running away from home", showing its return; Dharma Eye is like "a patrolman committing a crime" "Night" shows its subtlety.

Each of the five sects has its own characteristics. Let’s take Weiyang Sect and Linji Sect as examples to talk about their respective characteristics.

Among the five schools of Zen Buddhism, Weiyang Sect is the earliest one and existed before Wuzong destroyed Buddhism. His founders are Weishan Lingzhe and Yangshan Huiji.

Yangshan Huiji (814～890), whose common surname was Ye, was from Shaozhou (now Huaiji County, Guangdong Province). He became a monk when he was very young. Monk Yangshan first started practicing meditation in the hall of monk Shi Shuang Xingkong. Once he heard a monk who was participating in the study ask Xingkong: "What kind of spirit does Master Bodhidharma want to convey when he comes to China from India?" Xingkong's answer was: "If someone falls into the well and you can rescue him without a rope, I will answer you." This obviously aroused Yangshan's interest, and he also knew that there must be a mystery hidden in it. However, he had no way of knowing the exact meaning.

Later, when he visited Danyuan, he asked Danyuan this question: "How can we rescue this person from the well?" Danyuan's answer was: "Who is in the well?" Yangshan suddenly understood.

One day, Danyuan gave Yangshan the Ninety-Six Elements taught by Master Zhongguo. Yangshan took a look at it and burned it with fire. A few days later, Danyuan said to him: "The ninety-six perfect signs are passed down from ancestors by loyal teachers. You must preserve them well." Yangshan said, "I have burned them." Danyuan asked: "Why? Burn it?" Yang said, "You can use it, don't stick to it. If necessary, you can redraw it." Then redraw it to show the source. Later, he asked Weishan this question again, and Weishan called him: "Huiji!" Yangshan immediately responded: "I am here!" Weishan then told him: "The man has come out of the well." Yangshan often mentioned this matter in his later years. , and said that he got the "original body" of Buddhism from Danyuan, and the "certification" of Buddhism from Weishan.

One day, Yangshan asked: "What is the abode of the Buddha?" Weishan said: "With the wonderful wisdom of thinking without thinking, think back to the infinite spiritual flames, the exhaustion of thoughts returns to the source, the nature is permanent, and the principles are There is no duality, the true Buddha is like this." Yangshan realized it with these words. From then on, he served under Weishanmen for fifteen years. After leaving his teacher, he lived in Yangshan in Yuanzhou (today's Yichun area of ??Jiangxi Province). His Dharma was prosperous, he received gifts when traveling, and he was regarded as a model of Zen Buddhism. His sect, together with his teacher, was called the "Wei Yang Sect" by later generations.

The founder of Linji Sect was Linji Yixuan (7877-867), whose common surname was Xing. He was a South Chinese from Caozhou (now Caoxian County, Shandong Province). He became a monk as a young man and traveled far and wide in his prime to participate in Huang Bo's fortune. After obtaining the Dharma, he later lived in Linji Temple in Zhending (now Zhengding, Hebei Province), where he received his title. His power is mainly concentrated in the Hebei area, and his teachings are prosperous and famous throughout the country. He is the most famous among the five major Zen schools in China.

When he was first in the Huangbo Zen Master Association, he was pure and dedicated in the practice of Zen. The leader said with great admiration: "Although he is young, he is different from other monks." Then he asked: "Where are you? How long has it been here?" Yi Xuan replied: "Three years." The chief asked: "Have you ever asked?" Yi Xuan replied: "No, I don't know what to ask." The chief asked him: "You. Go and ask him: What is the true meaning of Buddhism?" Yi Xuan went to this room, and before he finished speaking, Huang Bo hit him.

After Yi Xuan came back, the chief asked: "How about you go and ask questions?" Yi Xuan replied: "He hit me before I finished speaking. I don't know what he meant." The chief said: "You go and ask again." So Yi Xuan asked again. He did this three times and was beaten three times. Yi Xuan was extremely discouraged, so he said to the leader: "I hate myself for being separated by opportunities and not being able to understand the deep meaning. I will say goodbye and leave here now." The leader said: "Even if you want to leave, you must say goodbye to Huang Bo. "Yi Xuan bowed and retreated.

The leader went to Huang Bo and said: "The young man who asked questions is very good. If he comes to say goodbye to you, you should give him appropriate guidance and carve him into a moon tree. Everyone needs to enjoy the shade." So when Yi Xuan came to say goodbye, Huang Bo said to him, "Leave here and don't go anywhere else. Go to Zen Master Dayu in Tantou, Gao'an, and he will tell you." So Yi Xuan came. When he arrived at Dayu's place, Dayu asked him, "Where are you from?" Yi Xuan replied, "From Huang Bo." He asked, "What did Huang Bo have to say?" Yi Xuan replied, "I went to him three times to ask about the Dharma. What is the exact meaning, but I was beaten back by him three times. I don’t know where I went wrong.”

Dayu said: “Huang Bo is such a mother-in-law. He will die from exhaustion for your enlightenment. But you still come to me and ask what's wrong!" When Yi Xuan heard this, he immediately realized: "It turns out that the Dharma mentioned by Huang Bo is really nothing!" Dayu grabbed him and said, "You just said You don’t understand anything, and now you say Huang Bo is nothing, what do you see?” Yi Xuan punched him three times in the ribs, Dayu pushed him away and said, “Your teacher is Huang Bo , it has nothing to do with me!”

What did he realize? Later, when he was giving a lecture, he said: Dear Taoists, Buddhism actually has nothing to practice, it is just It's just my ordinary state of mind. I poop and pee, get dressed and eat, and sleep when I'm sleepy. A fool may laugh at me, but a wise man can understand.

The ancients said: "Those who work externally are always stubborn!" So the so-called "machine" and the so-called "use" have become the means to experience Zen principles in daily life and fully apply them in daily life. in life.

"Be the master everywhere, be true everywhere" deeply explores people's subjective consciousness and subjectivity. In Zen Buddhism, no one can call for freedom, autonomy, and self-reliance like him. "If you want to walk, walk now, and if you sit right now, sit down, without even a single thought about the Buddha. In addition, he often uses the phrase "solitary and clear ground". Expresses the meaning of this absolute subject personality.