祖堂集 Zutang ji, Patriarch's Hall Collection: Turns out Hongren Just Like Every Other Zen Master

https://terebess.hu/zen/Zutangji.html

The National Master Läoän succeeded the Fifth Patriarch [H6ng]Rén. He was a resident of Mt. Söng.

Chån master Tänrån asked: "What is the meaning of the Patriarch' s [Bodhidharma] coming to the west'?"

The master [Läoän] said: "Why do [you] not ask about the meaning of 1688 yourself, what' s the point of asking about the meaning of others'?"

[Tänrån] continued, asking: "What is the meaning of Tänrån (i.e. myself)'?"

The master said: '1689 "You should engage in practice secretly.

[Tänrån] asked furthermore: "What does it mean to engage in practice secretly'?"

The master shut his eyes and opened them again, and Chån master Tänrån thereupon was enlightened.

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(Welcome link) (ewk^who?) note: Yet another example of Buddhist apologetics, and Hongren's heirs are just like Huineng's. The other option is of course that within a generation Hongren's students had all "defected", but then that wouldn't explain the Sixth Patriarch.

Practice secretly, my friends. Practice secretly.

Submitted May 18, 2020 at 10:02PM by ewk https://ift.tt/3dXVVqx