Risky Noises from a Precarious Nest

From Daoyuan (1004) Transmission of the Lamp

Perch 1

Chan Master "Bird's Nest" Daolin of Hangzhou was originally a native of Fuyang.

His surname was Pan. His mother, who was of the Zhu clan, became pregnant as a result of a dream in which a sunbeam entered her mouth. When he was born, an extraordinary scent filled the room. Consequently he was named Scent Beam.

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Perch 2

At the age of nine he went forth from the household life, and at twenty-one he received the precepts at Guoyuan monastery in Jingzhou

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Perch 3

Later he went to pay his respects to Dharma Master Fuli of Ximing monastery in Chang'an. There he studied the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and the Awakening of Faith. Fuli used the Ode on Truth and Absurdity to instruct him in the practice of dhyana.

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Perch 4 Daolin asked him: "To start off, what say you about vipaśyanā? What say you about applying the mind?"*

Fuli was speechless for a while. Daolin bowed three times and departed.

[*Daolin's interrogating tone here uses language normally reserved for teachers talking to their students. This role reversal appears to be the context for his teacher's non-response.]

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Perch 5 Next he joined up with Chan Master Guoyi, who had previously been summoned to the imperial palace on the edict of Taizong of the Tang dynasty. After paying respects to him, Daolin obtained the Orthodox Dharma.

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Perch 6 On his return south, he first arrived at Yongfu Monastery, where there was a stupa devoted to pratyekabuddhas. On that day, ordained and lay practitioners were holding a Dharma Gathering there. The Master rattled his staff and entered. Dharma Master Taoguang of Lingyin Monastery was there. He asked Daolin: "What's with all the noise you're making? This is a Dharma Gathering!"

The Master replied, "Without the noise, who would know this was even a Gathering?"*

• Is it a Gathering because Taoguang "made a noise", declaring it so? Is it a gathering because Daoilin rattled his khakkhara?,

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Cliffhanger: the rest of the story goes on to explain all the noise surrounding the name "Bird's Nest". With all that noise, can he live up to the name? Will death be his undoing? Did he remember to transmit the Dharma?

Submitted January 24, 2019 at 01:50PM by grass_skirt http://bit.ly/2FLxgbF