In the back of Cleary's BCR in the Biographical Supplements, I found an alternative account of Lin Chi's enlightenment taken from the Tsu T'ang Chi (Collection from the Halls of the Ancestors):
Master Huang Po said to his community, "In the old days I had a companion in the Way, a fellow student of Ta Chi (Ma Tsu), named Ta Yu (according to the Ch'uan Teng Lu, Ta Yu was actually a successor of Kuei Tsung Fa Ch'ang, who was a successor to Ma Tsu). This man travelled on foot all over, and his Dharma eye was clear all the way through. Now he is at Ta An; he does not like to dwell among crowds, but lives alone in a mountain hut. When we parted, he made a covenant with me, saying, 'Later on, if you should meet a spiritually sharp person, send one to call on me.'" At that time the master (Lin Chi) was in the community; after he heard this, he immediately went to call (on Ta Yu). Once he got there, he told (Ta Yu) all of what (Huang Po) had said. In the evening, in the presence of Ta Yu he spoke of the treatise on Yoga and discussed 'only consciousness.' He also asked questions on difficult points, but Ta Yu remained aloof all night and did not answer. When dawn came, (Ta Yu) said to the master (Lin Chi), "This old monk lives alone in a mountain hut; considering that you came a long way, I let you stay for a night. Why have you been shamelessly spewing filth before me all night?" When he had spoken, (Ta Yu) beat (Lin Chi) several times with his staff, pushed him out the door and shut it. The master returned to Huang Po and told him what had happened. When Huang Po heard this, he lowered his head and said, "An adept is like a blazing fire. It is lucky that you met a man; why then did you go in vain?" The master again went to see Ta Yu. Ta Yu said, "Before you had no shame; what is your reason for coming again today?" When he finished speaking, he drove him out the door with his staff. The master again returned to Huang Po and said to him, "This time I have not come back empty." Huang Po said, "Why?" The master said, "At one blow of the staff I entered the realm of Buddhas: even if I had my bones shattered and my body smashed for a hundred aeons and circled Mount Sumeru countless times carrying it on my forehead, I could never requite this profound debt of gratitude." Huang Po, hearing this, rejoiced exceedingly in it; he said, "You know how to rest, and even assert yourself on your own." After ten days, the master again took leave of Huang Po and went to Ta Yu's place. As soon as Ta Yu saw him, he immediately went to strike him: the master grabbed the staff and immediately pushed Ta Yu down; then he struck him on the back several times with his fist. Ta Yu then nodded repeatedly and said, "Dwelling alone in a mountain hut, I thought I had spent my whole life in vain; I never expected that today I would after all find a son." ... Henceforth the master served Ta Yu for over ten years.
For contrast, here is the standard account featured in the BCR and BoS (taken from Cleary's BoS below):
Linji asked Huangbo, "What is the true essential great meaning of the Buddha's teaching?" Huangbo immediately hit him. This happened three times: then Linji left Huangbo and visited Dayu. Dayu asked, "Where have you come from?" Linji said, "From Huangbo." Dayu said, "What did Huangbo say?" Linji said, "Three times I asked about the truly essential great meaning of the buddhist teaching, and three times I was beaten with a stick. I do not know if I had any fault or not." Dayu said, "Huangbo was so kind, he did his utmost for you, and still you come and ask if there was any fault or not?" Linji was greatly enlightened at these words... In the original record, immediately after Linji was enlightened he said, "Basically there's nothing much to Buddhism." Dayu said, "You bedwetting devil! You just asked if you had any error or not, and now you say there's not much to Buddhism? How much is this?" Dayu grabbed and held Linji, saying, "Speak! Speak!" Linji knocked Dayu three times in the side with his fist. Dayu let him go and said, "Your teacher is Huangbo--it has nothing to do with me." Linji returned to Huangbo, who asked, "Coming and going over and over--when will it ever end?" Linji said, "It's just because you are so kind." Then he told the story of what happend; Huangbo said, "That old fellow Dayu is too talkative--wait 'till I see him; I'll give him a beating!" Linji said, "Why talk about waiting to see him? Hit right now!" Then he gave Huangbo a slap. Huangbo laughed, "Ha, ha! This lunatic comes to grab the tiger's whiskers!" Linji then hollered. Huangbo said, "Attendant, take this madman into the meditation hall."
Debating the historicity of one account over the other strikes me as almost irrelevant, as I imagine the significance behind the parallel series of events in both stories is what was deemed worth preserving.
In both cases we have a novice Lin Chi coming to a mentor looking for clarification on the real meaning behind the ancient teachings. In both instances his inquiries are repeatedly rebuffed with beatings. Finally, Lin Chi comes around to understanding the intentions behind these rough receptions (or rejections), and returns to both teachers with heightened enthusiasm to 'repay their kindness'.
Lin Chi's new approach is warmly embraced by both mentors, and it would seem not an ounce of his former desire to find answers questions remains.
What is going on here? It seems fair to say the 'Buddha Mind' is being transmitted, but how?
Throughout On Transmission of Mind, Huangbo encourages us to abandon conceptual thinking. I didn't find that he advocates us replacing it with anything else; just get rid of it. As for all the beatings, Mike Tyson once said "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Lin Chi is all tangled up in his mind trying to conceptually understand "the true essential great meaning of the Buddha's teaching", and so Huangbo/Ta Yu canes him; "knock it off!" Isn't this 'develop a mind which rests on no thing whatever'?
Lin Chi, now unburdened by questions of 'what, how and why' steadfastly refuses any return to idle speculation. Ta Yu and Huangbo must be sure he is strong, so they put him to the test. For Lin Chi, there will be no further beatings; physical or mental, and all assailants must be dealt with swiftly. Seizing the initiative, he returns their earlier blows. Seeing their son has finally matured, both parents rejoice.
There's a later recorded interaction between Huangbo and Lin Chi that I feel emphasizes the function of his realization:
Linji was in the hall asleep when Huangbo came down to see him. Huangbo rapped on the sounding board with his staff. Linji raised his head, saw it was Huangbo, and went back to sleep. Huangbo hit the sounding board again and went back to the quarters of the senior monks. When he saw the head monk he said, “Down in the hall that young guy is really sitting in meditation. Why are you here engaged in false thought?”
That's how the stories appear to me, at least. Which one of you has the skill to punch me in the mouth?
Submitted July 29, 2022 at 08:29PM by Surska0 https://ift.tt/RtgMm3X
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