PICTORIAL BIOGRAPHY OF THE VENERABLE MASTER HSU YUN

Continued from issue #88

COMPOSED BY THE VENERABLE MASTER HSUAN HUA

Illustrated by a Student of Prajna
Translated by Bhiksu Heng Yo

Bows to the Stupa of Patriarch Lan at Nan Ling #45

      On Niu T'o Mountain in Chin Ling, during the Chen Kuan reign period of the T'ang Dynasty, the Dhyana Master Lan Yung built a hut. He exerted himself in his cultivation of the Way, and did not disturb nor was he disturbed by any tigers and wolves who frequented the area. When the Fourth Patriarch, Dharma Master Tao Hsin, observed this mountain from afar, clouds of purple energy-rays appeared. When he reached the mountain, he called on the Master Lan, who revealed to him the mind's brilliance, and the wonderful principle of seeing its nature. The stupa, which commemorates his accomplishment of the Way, still exists, and the Master Yun went to bow to this stupa in particular.

The Gatha says:

Who is it who contemplates,

And what sort of thing is mind?

As tigers and wolves encircled him,

The Master was afraid

And like the senior-seated Yung

To whom this happened too,

He wrote the word 'Buddha' on his seat--

Was he enlightened or not?