2,500 years ago, the Buddha was born in India to guide sentient beings to understand the world and themselves with enlightened cognition. After Buddhism was introduced to China, countless Zen masters and monks were born one after another, making great contributions to the introduction of Buddhism into China and the introduction of Chinese Buddhism to the world. He is not only a generation of grandmasters in the history of Chinese Zen Buddhism, but also the first person in Sichuan Buddhism to go to the world. Zen Master Yuanwu Keqin went out of Sichuan twice in his life, lived in seven famous temples, and traveled to preach the Dharma, and cultivated a large number of outstanding disciples such as Dahui Zonggao and Huqiu Shaolong. Because of his efforts, the Zen lamp continued to be extinguished and brightened. This article is a paper entitled "A Brief Discussion on the Contribution of Zen Master Yuanwu Keqin to the Sinicization of Buddhism" published by Professor Zhou Sihua of the School of Marxism of Hebei University in December 2023 at the Academic Symposium on Yuanwu Keqin Zen Master and the Sinicization of Buddhism.
Text/Zhou Sihua
Buddhism is not only sinicized, but Buddhism is also Indianized
The sinicization of Buddhism is an organic combination of the Buddha's perfect righteousness, the ultimate meaning of the Dharma, and the corresponding righteousness of teaching. In China, with Buddhism as the cause and Chinese culture as the cause, Chinese Buddhism has formed a logical opportunity. From the perspective of equality in Buddhism, Buddhism offers different teachings for people in different cultures.
By combining Buddhism with different groups of people and regional cultures, Buddhism reveals different teachings and teachings. In this sense, Buddhism is not only sinicized, but Buddhism is also Indianized. Chinese Buddhism is the result of the interlocking between Buddhism and Chinese sensibilities. It can be seen from this that Buddhism has the nature of being unchangeable and unchanging. As stated in the Lotus Sutra: Avalokiteshvara Pumenpin:
If there is a land, sentient beings should be able to attain the Buddha's body, and Avalokiteshvara should be the Buddha's body, and the Buddha's body should be the Buddha's body, that is, the Buddha's body, and the Buddha's body should be the Buddha's body, and the Buddha's body should be the Buddha's body, and the Buddha's body should be the Buddha's body, and the Buddha's body should be the Buddha's body...... It should be said that the one who has attained the vajra body is the one who is now holding the vajra body.
It can be seen that Buddhism evolves with circumstances and is constantly changing according to the changes in the circumstances of sentient beings. Its realization depends on the ability of qualified and powerful people to constantly promote change. ”
In the article "Zen and Pure Double Cultivation", the great master of the modern Yunmen sect pointed out that Zen Buddhism and the Pure Land Buddhism "are the great masters of Chinese Buddhism who have opened up a method with Chinese cultural characteristics that can cure the difficulties and cumbersomeness of Indian Buddhism after a long period of collation and research on Indian Buddhism." The characteristics of these two sects are that the essence of Mahayana Buddhism is always captured in the simple and practical practice of Yuandun, which fully demonstrates the tradition of Confucianism and Taoism that exists in China, so that it can adapt to the local national culture and psychology and can be passed on for a long time. Since the Tang Dynasty, the two sects of Chanjing have swept the society and become the mainstream of Han Buddhism in China, and they still show strong vitality today. This shows that Buddhism must be propagated in a Chinese way in order to truly benefit the Chinese.
The sinicization of Buddhism in the Song Dynasty was significantly more pronounced than the flourishing of Zen Buddhism, which was accompanied by the rise of Zen Buddhism
If the main feature of the sinicization of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty was the emergence of Zen Buddhism, then the most significant feature of the sinicization of Buddhism in the Song Dynasty was the prosperity of Zen Buddhism accompanied by the rise of Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism flourished during the Song and Song dynasties, which made Zen Buddhism deeply integrate into people's lives in the land of China, integrate into the hearts of the people, and reshape the spiritual temperament of the Chinese, thus having a far-reaching impact. The Song Dynasty was the mature period of Zen Buddhism, and it was also the period when the "Zen of Words" was born and reached its peak.
Zen Gate has always been built with the achievement of "transmitting the heart from the heart, not establishing words". From the middle of the Tang Dynasty to the Two Song Dynasty, the practice of Zen became more and more popular, and the phenomenon of light scripture and slow teaching also occurred. Many Zen people find it difficult to understand Zen, do not distinguish between evil and right, vainly increase the degree, and bury the purpose, which is very unfavorable to the spread of Zen Buddhism. In view of this, it is necessary for qualified Zen masters to set an example and uphold justice in the face of the evils of the times. For example, in order to save the shortcomings of the moment, Zen Master Wenyi of the Dharma Eye Sect drafted the "Ten Rules of the Sect" to briefly distinguish and denounce the chaos of the Zen sect. Although the Dharma Eye Sect has the meaning of reviving the religion, but the revival of the sect is really to make the foundation for participating in Zen, emphasizing the simultaneous development of Zen teaching, and its sect style is still the "enlightenment through teaching" advocated since Bodhidharma. The disease of Zen Buddhism summed up by Zen Master Wenyi at the beginning of the Song Dynasty still existed in the two Song Dynasty.
Originally, "Gongshu Zen" (text Zen) focused on guiding scholars to observe and act, or refer to sentences, or references, and focus on the improvement and perfection of insight, which is not only a knock on the door to enter the Tao for Zen Buddhism, but also a sign of enlightenment. Yuanwu Zen Master's "Biyan Lu" is popular in the jungle because of its "picking out the origin, analyzing the bottom line, and pointing directly at the yang", and it is said that there are many people who have inherited the sound of the law and realized it.
The "Zen disease" brought about by "Gongshu Zen"
Although the popularity of "Gongzhan Zen" (Literal Zen) brought vitality to the prosperity of Zen Buddhism in the Song Dynasty, it also brought "Zen disease". In fact, in any era, there is Zen and there is Zen disease, and this is a problem for Zen practitioners, not Zen.
Zen Master Yuanwu said to Zen people that they should "recognize Zen disease", which shows that recognizing Zen disease is a requirement for the Zen practitioner himself, and at the same time, it is also the responsibility of the teacher. In response to the disease of Zen, the Zen masters of the Song Dynasty can be said to have their own hands and eyes, and Wenyi advocated Zen Buddhism at the same time in the early Song Dynasty. Since then, Zen masters such as Yuanwu Keqin, represented by the literal Zen, have advocated starting from the public case sentences of the sect itself to attract Zen people, the so-called "mercy to save the evil". Soon, however, the characteristics of the literal Zen led to the rise of the "mantra" and "kudzu vine" of the Zen sect, and the "direct to the human heart" Zen was also criticized as "the song refers to the human heart" Zen. The so-called "song refers to the human heart" refers to the Zen of "speaking of nature to become a Buddha".
Zen Master Dahui said: "The Five Ancestors Changyun: 'If you say that the heart talks about sex, it is an evil mouth.'" Youyun: "Cats have the power of blood, and tigers have the virtue of raising corpses." The so-called cattle that drive the ploughman and take the food of the hungry, if not, they are all mud men. On the other hand, according to the consciousness of separation, the Bodhisattva leads to delusions, dewy vines all over the ground, and even big self-slowness and big nonsense, which is actually contrary to the purpose of Buddhism only in understanding the original mind.
Originally, Zen Master Yuanwu was confident that through the swift edge of "hitting stone fire and lightning light", it would not be much of a problem to "take enlightenment as the rule" to guide the person who took the opportunity, but Zen Master Dahui had a different view. Therefore, for Zen disease, Dahui Zen Master summed up the following four types: "according to the words of the ancients", "according to the scriptures and texts", "according to the Zen public case", these three can be called "Hailier Zen", the second is "talking about the heart of Zen", the third is "silent meditation", and the fourth is "Zen". For an explanation of these Zen diseases, please refer to Dahui Zen Master's "Dharma Eye Collection".
"Public case Zen" is no different from "Zen of looking at words".
For the "public case Zen", Zen Master Dahui also systematically explained the eight steps that should be practiced by those who participate in the public case Zen: "knowing the big things", "making a decision", "building confidence", "seeking wonderful understanding", "recognizing the wrong way", "raising doubts", "breaking the doubt" and "Ming Dafa", and the eight steps of the "public case" have been completely constructed. Zen Master Dahui himself summed up the characteristics of his Zen method as "sea clam Zen".
In fact, this is based on the Yuanwu Zen Master's "detour to say Zen, the ancient outline, and close the case according to the money" on the basis of the Zen method of "closing the case according to the money, opening the mouth to see the courage", and it is the "stone, fire, lightning, lightning, and light Zen" of the Yuanwu Zen Master, in fact, it is also the Zen method of the public case Zen and the Zen of reading the words.
The Yuanwu Zen Master's "Detour Song Talking Zen" can be said to be an extended version of "Stone Fire Electric Light Zen", because although this kind of Zen says a lot and focuses on highlighting the meaning of Zen "not departing from words", it has always "said in the middle" and "does not say it through". At the same time, "Sea Mussel Zen" is also a vivid saying of "doing things according to one's duty", which is actually a requirement for Zen masters, and it is also an image metaphor for making sentient beings realize that it is originally a "sea mussel" with immeasurable treasures.
In the choice between Gongshu Zen and Kanhua Zen, because the Yuanwu Zen Master and the Dahui Zen Master faced different opportunities, there was a difference in the teachings they focused on. Comparatively speaking, Zen Master Yuanwu Keqin focuses on priing open the sea mussels that sentient beings have their own treasures according to the "Gong Case Zen", aiming to not deviate from the square inch, understand the initiation, and detach the manifestation, while Dahui Zen Master focuses on opening the sea mussels of sentient beings through the "look at the head" based on enlightenment, aiming to sit down and stop life and death, and go straight to the original.
Dahui Zen Master's "Zen of Seeing Words" is actually a Zen method refined on the basis of Yuanwu Zen Master's "Gongshu Zen" to acupuncture the disadvantages of the times. Although the emphasis is different, in fact, as Professor Feng Huanzhen said, "Gongshu Zen" and "Kanhua Zen" are not the same: "Kanhua Zen" is the method commonly used by Zen practitioners, and "Gongzhan Zen" is the stepping stone to realize their true face when their kung fu is mature.
To sum up, the sinicization of Buddhism ushered in another climax in the Song Dynasty, which was reflected in the prosperity of Zen Buddhism during this period.
Fa Yi Renhong, the Zen masters of the Song Dynasty were the powerful promoters of the sinicization of Buddhism in the Song Dynasty, among them, Zen Master Yuanwu Keqin is a well-deserved representative of them. Yuanwu Keqin Zen Master is in line with the Song Dynasty cultural situation, for the Zen Buddhism to socialization and popularization has made an important contribution, at the same time, Yuanwu Zen Master put forward the "text Zen" is also a very important increase in the "Zen of reading words" advocated by the Great Hui Zong Gao Zen Master to this day.
There were many Zen masters like Yuanwu Keqin in the Song Dynasty, who were an important force in carrying the burden of the family business and enabling the transmission of the Buddha's mental teachings, and they were also powerful promoters of the in-depth sinicization of Buddhism, which can be a model for later generations of scholars.