chan doctrines and · pdf file11/22/2009 poceski - chinese buddhism 2 bodhidharma’s...

Chan Doctrines and Practices

Chinese Buddhism (Fall 2008)

Lecture 6

Prof. M. Poceski (Univ. of Florida)

11/22/2009 Poceski - Chinese Buddhism 2

Bodhidharma’s Legend and the Making of Chan

Bodhidharma‘s traditional image

as the founder of the Chan

school in China

The legend of Bodhidharma‘s

transmission of Chan as an

example of religious myth-

making

The putative link with India as a

source of religious legitimacy for

the nascent Chan movement


Formation of the Chan Lineage

The East Mountain tradition as the first historical example of contemplative group associated with the Chan schoolLinking the Bodhidharma and East Mountain traditions, with Sengcan僧璨 (d. 606?) serving as the link between the twoImportance of family pedigree among the aristocratic clans of medieval ChinaPrecedents in the transmission lineages of Indian Buddhism Emergence of competing genealogical narratives among different Chan groups


Construction of Patriarchal Lineage

The Six patriarchs of Chinese Chan – Bodhidharma

– Huike

– Sengcan

– Daoxin

– Hongren

– Huineng

Extension of the genealogical narrative back to India – The story about the Buddha‘s

transmission of enlightenment to Mahākaśyapa

– The twenty-eight Indian patriarchs


Transitions in Tang Chan

Normative notions about the transmission of Chan—the essence of Buddhist enlightenment—via singular patriarchal lineage, which serves as focal point in the demarcation of Chan orthodoxy Plurality of lineages/schools and diversity of approaches to practice in the burgeoning Chan movement during the early part of the Tang era (seventh through early eight century), as uncovered by modern historical and textual research– Northern school

– Southern school

– Niutou (Ox head) school

– Baotang school in Sichuan

Consolidation of the Chan Movement

Disputes over Chan orthodoxy during the eight century, exemplified by the alleged conflict between the Northern and Southern schools– Shenhui‘s attacks against the

Northern school

– Transformation of the historically obscure Huineng into the famous ―sixth patriarch‖

Consolidation of the Chan movement under the Hongzhou school during the mid-Tang period (late eight and early ninth century)



Mazu Daoyi’s 馬祖道一 (709–788) Life

Birth in a gentry family in Sichuan

Study with local Chan teachers

Departure for Southern China

Study with Nanyue Huairang 南嶽懷讓 (677–744) [see Sun-face

Buddha 59-60]

Establishment of monastic

communities in Fujian and

Jiangxi

Teaching in Hongzhou 洪州 and

rise to great fame


Mazu’s Place in Chan History

Training of many capable disciples, who became the dominant Chan teachers of their generation

Mazu’s historical importance as a “founding” figure of a Chan tradition that came to dominate East Asian Buddhism, albeit with many subsequent changes and modifications

Popular image of Mazu as an iconoclast par excellence who established a new type of radical Chan (see the stories in Part 3 of his record of sayings)


Spread of the Hongzhou School

Rapid spread of the Hongzhou school throughout the Tang empire within a couple of decades after Mazu‘s death

Emergence of the Hongzhou school as a “national”tradition, with strongholds throughout the Tang empire, that came to represent the whole Chan movement

Ushering of the Chan school’s classical period and establishment of a new Chan orthodoxy

Youminsi, Mazu’s Monastery in Nanchang


Chan and Buddhist Monasticism

Traditional views about the iconoclastic character of Mazu‘s teachings, which supposedly included his rejection of traditional monastic norms and observances

Importance of considering the actual institutional context in which Chan teachings were developed and disseminated, which was primarily that of mainstream contemplative monasticism

Chan school‘s acceptance of Buddhist ethical norms and traditional monastic practices


Life and Practice in the Monastery

―Those monks who have come to pursue the study should, irrespective of their numbers and social standing, all enter the Sangha (monks‘) hall. They should be given a place according to the number of summer retreats since their ordination. Long [sleeping and meditation] platforms should be set up and everyone should be provided with a stand on which to hang his requisites. During rest- time monks should place their pillows on the edge of the platform and lie down on their right flank in the auspicious posture. They should only take a little rest after the long meditation periods, thus maintaining the four dignities of monkshood at all times….All the monks in the monastery should attend the morning meditation and the evening meeting. When the Elder (i.e. the abbot) enters the [Dharma] hall and ascends to the high seat to preside over the meeting, all the monks should stand on the sides in files and listen [attentively to what is said]. At that time the monks can raise questions about the essentials of the teaching and engage in an open and alive dialogue with the Elder, so that it is shown how to abide in accord with Dharma.‖ (Sun-face Buddha 34)


Monastic Food and Work

―The two meals of gruel and vegetarian food are shared equally by all. The emphasis on frugality should demonstrate how both the Dharma and the food are to be used. For the practice of physical labor all monks should be divided into ten groups according to their abilities, and each group should have one monk who will serve as a supervisor, making sure that everyone performs his task.‖ (Sun-face Buddha 34-35)


Monastic Discipline and Punishments

―If there is someone who falsely pretends [to be a monk], and like a thief enters the pure assembly causing all kinds of disturbance, he should be reported to the Karmadana, who should remove his belongings from his place and expel him from the monastery. This is done out of consideration for the pure assembly. If a monk has committed a [major] offence, then he should be beaten with a stick and his robes, bowl, and other requisites should be burned in front of the community. Then he should be expelled through the side door as a sign of disgrace.‖


Unity of Vinaya, Dharma, and Chan

―When the unsurpassed bodhi (enlightenment) is expressed through the body, it is called Vinaya (precepts); when it is expressed through the mouth as speech, it is called Dharma (teachings); when it is practiced with the mind, it is Chan (meditation). Though these are three different functions, they all return to a single reality. It is like different rivers and lakes which have their own names: though the names differ, the water's nature is always same. Vinaya is Dharma, and Dharma is not different from Chan. How could one falsely create any distinctions among the three?‖ (Sun-face Buddha 36-37)


Chan and the Canonical Tradition

Copious insertion of allusions and quotations from canonical text in the records of Mazu and his disciples– Vimalakīrti Sc.

– Huayan Sc.

– Lotus Sc.

– Lankāvatāra Sc.

Parallels between Chan teachings and key doctrines discussed in canonical texts– Identity of mind and Buddha

– Nonattachment to words and concepts



Purportedly Unique Chan Teachings, Presented in

Mazu’s Record (Mazu yulu 馬祖語錄)

夫求法者應無所求。心外無別佛、佛外無別心。不取善、不捨惡、淨穢兩邊、俱不依怙。達罪性空、念念不可得。無自性故。故三界唯心、森羅及萬象、一法之所印。凡所見色、皆是見心。心不自心、因色故有。汝但隨時言說、即事即理、都無所礙。菩提道果、亦復如是。

―Those who seek the Dharma should not seek for anything. Outside of mind there is no other Buddha, outside of Buddha there is no other mind. Not attaching to good and not rejecting evil, without reliance on either purity or defilement, one realizes that the nature of offense is empty: it cannot be found in each thought because it is without self-nature. Therefore, the three realms are mind-only and all phenomena in the universe are marked by a single Dharma. Whenever we see form, it is just seeing the mind. The mind does not exist by itself; its existence is due to form. Whatever you are saying, it is just a phenomenon which is identical with the principle. They are all without obstruction, and the fruit of the way to awakening is also like that.‖ (see Sun-face Buddha 62)


Another Take on the Same Passage

―[The Vimalakīrti Scripture says] ‗Those who seek the Dharma should not seek for anything.‘ [As it is taught in the Huayan Scripture,] Outside of mind there is no other Buddha, outside of Buddha there is no other mind. [As taught in the Mahāsamnipata-sūtra and the Huayan Scripture,] Not attaching to good and not rejecting evil, without reliance on either purity or defilement, one realizes that [as explained in Foshuo Foming Scriptureand other Buddhist texts,] ‗the nature of offense is empty‘: it cannot be found in each thought because it is without self-nature. Therefore, [as explained in the Huayan and Lankāvatāra scriptures] ‗the three realms are mind-only,‘ and [as stated in the Faju jing] ‗all phenomena in the universe are marked by a single Dharma.‘ Whenever we see form, it is just seeing the mind. The mind does not exist by itself; its existence is due to form. Whatever you are saying, it is just [what Dushun‘s Fajie guanmen refers to as] ‗a phenomenon which is identical with the principle.‘ [As it is said in Huayan texts,] they are ‗all without obstruction,‘ and the fruit of the way to

awakening is also like that.‖

Tathāgatagarbha Doctrine (如來藏) and Chan

The immanence of Tathāgatagarbha (womb/embryo of Buddhahood) or Buddha nature within each and every person

Fundamental human ignorance of the enlightened and pure mind, or true mind, within each person

Chan as a path of reflection and practice that leads to awakening to the true mind or the original nature



Mind and Buddha

A monk asked, ―Why does the Reverend say that mind is Buddha?‖

Mazu said, ―To stop small children‘s crying.‖

The monk asked, ―What do you say when they have stopped crying?‖

Mazu said, ―It is neither mind nor Buddha.‖ (Sun-Face Buddha 78)

Going Beyond Mind and Buddha

The monk asked, ―And when you have someone who does not belong to either of these two, how do you instruct him?‖

Mazu said, ―I tell him that it is not a thing.‖

The monk asked, ―And how about when you suddenly meet someone who is there?‖

Mazu said, ―I teach him to directly realize the great Way.‖



Mind, Buddha, and the Way

―Mind is Buddha‖—affirmation of a fundamental identity between the mind of ordinary person and the Buddha mind

―It is neither mind nor Buddha‖ — refutation of identity and rebuttal of a tendency to reify the two

―It is not a thing‖ — the indescribability of reality and its emptiness

Realization of the Way— direct awakening to the truth

Ordinary Mind as the Way

“The Way needs no cultivation, just preclude defilement. What is defilement? When with a mind of birth and death one acts in a contrived manner, then everything is defilement. If one wants to know the Way directly: Ordinary Mind is the Way! What does Ordinary Mind mean? [It is mind] that is devoid of activity, [notions of] right or wrong, grasping or rejecting, terminable or permanent, worldly or holy. The [Vimalakīrti] scripture says, “Neither the practice of ordinary people, nor the practice of sages, that is the Bodhisattva's practice.” Just like now, whether walking, standing, sitting, or reclining, responding to situations and dealing with people as they come: everything is the Way.” (Sun-Face Buddha 65)


Ubiquitousness & All-encompassing Nature of Reality

―It is in contrast to ignorance that one speaks of awakening. Since originally there is no ignorance, awakening also need not be established. All living beings have since limitless kalpas been abiding in the samādhiof the Dharma-nature. While in the samādhi of the Dharma-nature, they wear their clothes, eat their food, talk and respond to things…. It is because of not knowing how to return to the source, that they follow names and seek forms, from which confusing emotions and falsehood arise, thereby creating various kinds of karma. When within a single thought one reflects and illuminates within, then everything is the Holy Mind.‖ (Sun-Face Buddha 64)

―Whatever is established, it all comes from One Mind. Whether constructing or sweeping away, all is sublime function; all is oneself. There is no place to stand where one leaves the Truth. The very place one stands on is the Truth; it is all one's being…. All dharmas are Buddhadharmas and all dharmas are liberation. Liberation is identical with suchness: all dharmas never leave suchness. Whether walking, standing, sitting or reclining, everything is always inconceivable function. The sutras say that the Buddha is everywhere.‖ (Sun-Face Buddha 66)


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