Sitting Chan

歲旦上堂。歲朝坐禪。萬事自然。

Throughout the year, ascending the main hall at dawn.
Throughout the year, morning sitting chan.
Everything is naturally at ease.

- Hongzhi (from the Extensive Records of Zen Master Hongzhi)

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So we have this poem from Hongzhi, also in his Extensive Records, called "Acupuncture Needle for Sitting Chan", also known as "Admonition for Sitting Chan" (and a bunch of other titles), that gives some insight into Hongzhi's sitting chan. I prefer the title "Acupuncture Needle for Sitting Chan", mainly because it sounds cool, although 箴 can mean both "admonition" and "needle", and translators are all over the map on this one. "Admonition", however, brought me to some cool places in my digging this evening.

坐禪箴

佛佛要機祖祖機要。不觸事而知。不對緣而照。不觸事而知。其知自微不對緣而照。其照自妙。其知自微。 無分別之思。其照自妙。曾無毫忽之兆。曾無分別之思。其知無偶而奇。曾無毫怱之兆。其照無取而了。水清徹底兮。魚行遲遲。空闊莫涯兮。鳥飛杳杳。

Here's a translation by Taigen Dan Leighton:

"The Acupuncture Needle of Zazen"

The essential function of all buddhas, the functional essence of all ancestors, is to know without touching things and illuminate without encountering objects. Knowing without touching things, this knowledge is innately subtle. Illuminating without encountering objects, this illumination is innately miraculous. The knowledge innately subtle has never engaged in discriminative thinking. The illumination innately miraculous has never displayed the slightest identification. Never engaging in discriminating thinking, this knowledge is rare without match. Never displaying the most minute identification, this illumination is complete without grasping. The water is clear right down to the bottom, fish lazily swim on. The sky is vast without end, birds fly far into the distance.

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Here's a translation by Guogu (Dr Jimmy Yu):

"Admonition on Chan Practice"

The essential point of all the Buddhas, the critical essence of each and every patriarch: Without encountering things, it knows; not opposing conditions, it illumines. Without encountering things, it knows— its knowing is inherently subtle. Not opposing conditions, it illumines—its luminosity is naturally wondrous. Its knowing is inherently subtle—it does not involve discriminating thoughts. Its illumining is naturally wondrous—there are no signs whatsoever. Without discriminating thoughts—it knows without pairs; yet, it is solitary. Without any signs of haste—it illumines without any grasping, yet it still goes on knowing: The water so clear—transparent to the bottom. Late, late, fishes have yet to appear. The sky so vast—without boundaries. Distant, out of sight, the birds have left no trace.

Here are several more translations with several more titles:

https://terebess.hu/zen/zazenshin.html#z8

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So here is where things got interesting. There is a text called "Admonition of Sitting Chan" quoted by Wansong in the Book of Serenity.

Book of Serenity, Case 41, Commentary excerpt:

杭州五雲和尚坐禪箴云。沿流劍閣無滯木鵝

In the instructions for sitting meditation written by Master Wuyun of Hangchow it says, "Follow the flow through the ravine straits; don't get stuck with the wooden goose."

(translated by Thomas Cleary)

This, as translated by Cleary, "instructions for sitting meditation written by Master Wuyun of Hangchow" is the text "Monk Wuyun of Hangzhou's Admonition of Sitting Chan", written by Wuyun Zhifeng of Hangzhou, abbot of Langzhan.

The text itself can be found in the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume 8, translated by Randolph S. Whitfield. (https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Lamp8.pdf)

杭州五雲和尚坐禪箴

坐不拘身禪非涉境。拘必乃疲涉則非靜。不涉不拘真光逈孤。六門齊應萬行同敷。嗟爾初機未達玄微。處沈隨掉能所支離。不有權巧胡為對治。驅策抑按均調惛亂。息慮忘緣乍同死漢。隨宜合開靡專壁觀(達磨大師正付法眼外。委示初機修心之要。啟四門四行。匪專一也)馳想頗多安那鉢那(或掉舉猛利及惛住等。宜易觀修於數息。或出或入不得交互) 沿流劍閣無滯木鵝。如火得水如病得醫。病瘳醫罷火滅水傾。一念清淨體寂常靈。是靈是寂非靈非寂。是非迭生犯過無極。前滅後興還如步走。患乎不知知則無咎。日由背夜鏡奚照後。此則不然圓明通透。照而不緣寂而誰守。萬象瀛漚太虛閃電。摧壞魔宮衝倒佛殿。跛者得履瞽者發見。法界塵寰齊輪頓現。曠蕩郊𢌅或坐或眠。既明方便乃號金仙。吾雖強說爰符聖言。聖言何也要假重宣。不動不禪是無生禪。又云。若學諸三昧。是動非坐禪。心隨境界流。云何名為定。故知歷代祖。唯傳此一心。祖光既遠大。吾子幸堪任。聊述無言旨。乃曰坐禪箴。

Below is the translation by Randolph S. Whitfield. Unfortunately he doesn't directly translate our basically awesome "wooden goose" line as Cleary of course did, but it's there in the Chinese. See BoS Case 41 for more on this "wooden goose".

Note that the two bold sections in parenthesis are commentary added into the text, as found in the Transmission of the Lamp, and should not be considered as having been originally written by Wuyun.

Venerable Hangzhou Wuyun Zhifeng:

"An Admonition on Sitting Chan"

Sitting does not constrain the body
Chan does not go over into objects
Constraint would certainly be tiring
So that entry would not be pure
Not going over [into objects], not constraining [the body]
The true light is distant and solitary
The six sense gates are equally responsive
The myriad practices are the same everywhere
Alas, these beginners
Have not yet reached profundity
Sunk and following restlessly
They can only support separation
Not possessing right means
How to respond to the rules [of practice]?
The horse’s whip checks and restrains
Tuning and harmonizing confusion
Worries put to rest
Causal conditions forgotten
Suddenly it is like a fellow dead
Responding appropriately, unity unfolds
It is not only introverting the contemplative gaze
(Textual comment: Great Master Bodhidharma, correctly handing
over the Dharma-eye outside, was entrusted to show beginners the
essentials of cultivating the heart by opening the four gates to the
four practices; there is not only one [method]).
Chasing after thoughts is too much
So count the breaths
(Textual comment: Sometimes acutely afflicted, confused or stuck in
grasping, it is fitting to adapt introspection 觀修 into breath-counting
meditation. Either [count] exhalations or inhalations but both is not
possible.)
Follow the river flowing to Jiange
Without border obstructions (or shallows)
It is just like fire doused with water
Like sickness coming to a cure
Sickness healed, the cure stops
Fire extinguished, water is superfluous
One thought-moment of purity
Then essence is stilled, ever numinous
Being numinous it is quiet
Not numinous, not quiet
Is and is not repeatedly interchange
Faults passed by there are no extremes
Before was cessation, ahead, prosperity
Just like walking step by step
Since there is anxiety in not knowing
Knowing then is without fault
Day from the back is night
How could a mirror reflect its back side?
This then is not the case
For complete clarity, penetrate through
Then it shines, yet without causal conditions
It is quiet yet who is the protector?
The myriad forms are an ocean of bubbles
The great void flashes lightning
Demolished is Mara’s palace
Overturned is Buddha’s temple
The lame can walk
The blind can see
The Dharma-realm and the dusty world
Suddenly appear, wheeling round together
Whether in wide spaces or in the market place
Whether sitting meditation or sleeping
Since skill in means is clear now
He is called the Golden Recluse (Buddha)
Although my words are firm
They should tally with the words of the sages
What are the words of the sages?
It is still necessary to repeat their teachings
No wavering, no Chan
This is the birthless Chan
Also: If students all experience samādhi
This is wavering, not sitting Chan
The heart flows with the phenomenal world
Why is it called meditation?
So, know that the patriarchs through the generations
Only transmit this One Heart
Since the light of the patriarchs is far-reaching
My dear disciples can take on the duty
A little chat, words to no purpose
Call it ‘Admonition on Sitting Chan’

Anyway, that's all I have so far. Any insights and info more than welcome :)

From digging into Hongzhi's sitting chan poem, the title brought me to another text from the Book of Serenity, and then on to the Transmission of the Lamp. Fun little dig.

Submitted September 08, 2021 at 10:11AM by ironbrambles https://ift.tt/38RZBJX