Pictorial Biography of the Venerable Master

HSU YUN

Composed by the Venerable Tripitaka Master Hua
Translated by Disciple Bhiksu Heng Yo
Illustrated by a Student of Prajna
A GUIDING ADVISOR #26

The Master had transcended the corporeal and was unfettered and unobstructed. He freely wandered about until he reached a cliff hut in Wen Chou, where he stayed. A dhyana adept arrived one-day and seeking his instruction made obeisance. Unable to answer, the Master was shamed and said tensely, "I am stupid, and have no knowledge. I cannot give instruction."  The dhyana adept then inquired how long the Master had been cultivating, and he told him. The Ch'an monk then said that the Venerable T'ien T'ai Master Yung Ching of Hua Ting was the sole knowledgeable advisor of the present day.

The Gatha says:

Setting him straight on the mountain path, a lofty sage appeared;

If one is mistaken but purely dwells, he becomes a heavenly rsi.

There was a knowledgeable advisor, who was said to be the best,

Spreading wide the T'ien T'ai school in front of Ting Hua Peak.

To be continued