The Bodhi Seal of the Patriarchs

by Venerable Master Hua
        translated by Bhikshuni Heng Ch'ih
          reviewed by Bhikshuni Heng Tao


      The Twelfth Tien Tai Patriarch
         The Venerable Yuan Hsiu 
         of Kuo Ching Monastery



      The VENERABLE YUAN HSIU FROM KUO CH'ING MONASTERY WAS FROM T'IEN T'AI COUNTY. HE STUDIED THE DOCTRINE OF STOPPING AND CONTEMPLATING WITH DHARMA MASTER WEI OF KUO CH'ING MONASTERY. He studied under Venerable Wu Wai, the 11th Patriarch. "Stopping" means to stop our false thinking, "contemp1ating" means to contemplate our inherent wisdom. If you stop your false thinking your wisdom will manifest. If discussed in terms of the doctrine of stopping and contemplating of the T'ien T'ai school, there are the three aspects of empty, false, and the middle. But you can just remember that stopping means put an end to your false thoughts, and that you do this by contemplating. You contemplate by being singleminded. If you are singleminded, there wi1l be a response, if you are scattered nothing will come of it. You have to pay attention. But this is my own explanation. You won't find it in the annals of the T'ien T'ai literature. If you read the Great Treatise on Stopping and Contemplating (The Mo-ho-chih-kuan) you won't find it explained like this.


      Sometimes the principles I speak don't have a foundation. If you believe then you believe; if you don't, then it's no problem. If you believe me I'm still like I am and if you don't believe me, I'm st111 that way. There's no increasing or decreasing on my part. It doesn't matter in the least to me. It's not necessary for me to have people believe in me. If you slander me it doesn't matter. The more you slander me the happier I am. Why? It would only matter if I were in fact a phony. If what I do is true, then it doesn't matter what you say. You can go all out slandering. But when you spit at heaven, the spit falls back in your own face.

      HE COMPLETELY FATHOMED THE ESOTERIC INTENT. He cultivated stopping and contemplating and attained its wonderful intent. THEN HE GAVE WONDERFUL EXPRESSION TO IT IN LECTURES. He used good and clever expedient means. He would answer whatever questions were asked. He could solve your problems on the spot. His words flowed out with expertise and precision. He never was divided in his thinking WITH REGARD TO THE NUMBER OF HIS FOLLOWING. He wouldn't feel happy if a lot of people followed him or feel worried if he had few disciples. He taught the same whether there were few or many to listen. He did for one what he would do for ten thousand. That's called not being turned by the state. ONE DAY WHEN HE WAS ON THE HIGH SEAT, TEN UNUSUAL SANGHA MEMBERS CAME IN. THEIR AWESOME DEPORTMENT WAS APPARENT. Everything about them was in order. Their clothing was appropriate and their conduct was impeccable. THEY MADE OBEISANCE TO THE DHARMA MASTER AND SAT DOWN IN THE BACK.

      WHEN THE LECTURE WAS OVER THEY MADE A HALF BOW AND WENT OUT. The ten unusual members of the Sangha all made a bow to the Dharma Master Yuan Hsiu and then left. THE MASTER SENT HIS ATTENDANT TO FOLLOW THEM. THEY HAD ALL ASCENDED INTO SPACE WHERE THEY WAVED THEIR HANDS, SMILED IN THANKS, AND DISAPPEARED. DURING THE PERIOD OF HSI AND CHIAO in the T'ang Dynasty, THE EMPIRE WAS IN A TURMOIL. THOSE WHO WERE STUDYING THE TEACHING WOULD ASSEMBLE FOR AWHILE AND THEN SUDDENLY SCATTER. They would come unexpectedly and leave suddenly. OF THOSE WHO WANTED TO STUDY SAMADHI AND WISDOM THERE WERE FEW. ONLY CH'ING SU AND CH'ANG TS'AO FOLLOWED AND SERVED THE MASTER FOR A LONG TIME. THEY FATHOMED THE TEACHING AND DIDN'T FORGET IT.

A PRAISE SAYS:

THOSE WHO CAN SPEAK
THE DHARMA WELL
MUST SPEAK IN ACCORD
WITH THE DHARMA.
WHETHER THERE WAS A CROWD
OR HE WAS ALONE IT
DIDN'T MATTER.
EMPTY SPACE HAD A TONGUE.
STRANGE SANGHANS CAME
TO LISTEN
ANY BOWING WITH A WAVE
THEY LEFT AGAIN.
THEY ASCENDED INTO SPACE
AND LAUGHED IN THANKS.
WORDS AND THOUGHTS BOTH
CEASED TO BE.

 

In empty space, the Sanghans bowed and disappeared. With that, the path of words and
thought came to an end.

ANOTHER VERSE IN HIS PRAISE SAYS:

A GREAT APPOINTMENT CAME FROM
      HEAVEN
AND WAS QUITE UNUSUAL,
MEETING WITH A TIME OF TURMOIL,
       HE WAS A LAMP IN A STRONG 
   WIND.
STRANGE SANGHANS HEARD THE 
   DHARMA,
AROSE IN SPACE, AND SAID,
    "THANKS."
AN UNUSUAL LORD HEARD THE
   SUTRAS AND HE CAME FORWARD
   ON HIS KNEES.
BEINGS WERE MOVED BY HIS WAY
   VIRTUE, AND HE RESCUED AND
   SAVED MANY.
HIS MIND AND NATURE WERE PURE
   AND HE ALWAYS RETURNED TO 
   THE TRUE.
HIS VOWS OF OLD WERE TO RESCUE
   THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE 
   SAHA.
AND HE NEVER CLAIMED ANY CREDIT.

 

      At that time there was a person who came to listen to the Dharma on his knees. It's not written in the prose here and you can believe it or not. It's as I have written it. It doesn't matter to me if you believe it. This person was sick and he was bowing once every three steps. He was very poor. He came to T'ien T'ai Mountain and as he went past Master Yuan Hsiu, he came in kneeling and progressing with bows on his knees. At that time he was sick but after listening he recovered. "You made that up," you said. Okay, if you say so. So What?

      Every move he made and every word he spoke was true. Other people thought he was false simply because they couldn't recognize him. They were blind. If you're phony with them and cover with politeness, they think you're great. They don't understand if you speak the truth for them. That's the way most people in the world are. They're happy if you flatter them.

So people who have left the home life should go to the places no one wants to go.
You don't want to be on the absolute top saying, "Look at how out-of-sight I am." If you do that you'll never stand. Go to the places other people won't go. Clean the bathroom, clean the garbage. "I'11 do the things others don't like to do." That's what cultivators do.