The Book of Serenity: Volume II by Thomas Cleary

Author:Thomas Cleary [Cleary, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2017-02-26T16:00:00+00:00

77. Enough

Introduction

Like a man writing on space, as soon as he sets his pen he’s wrong—how can it bear creating a pattern? What is the use of making a likeness? I have already revealed a loose end: if there is a rule, go by the rule; if there is no rule, go by the example.

Case

A monk asked Yangshan, “Do you know written characters?” What characters?

Yangshan said, “Enough.” Where benevolence is concerned, he doesn’t defer.

The monk then circled him once to the right and said, “What character is this?” Already the left and right components are visible.

Yangshan drew the character ‘ten’ on the ground. He goes on to draw lines and dots.

The monk circled him once to the left and said, “What character is this?” Half and full both are distinguished, ideo-phonographs and analogical characters.

Yangshan changed the ‘ten’ to ‘ten thousand,’ the mystic infinity symbol of well-being. Where the wheel of potential turns, even the eye of wisdom is confused.

The monk drew a circle and held it up with his hands like a titan holding the sun and moon, and said, “What character is this?” Watch carefully where you’re going.

Yangshan then drew a circle surrounding the mystic infinity. No monk on earth can leap out.

The monk then posed like Rucika. The thunderbolt bearer outside the gate is laughing at you.

Yangshan said, “Right, so it is. You keep it well.” Shutting the void, locking off dreams, firmly take it into the palm of the hand.

Commentary

A verse beginning Cijiao’s exhortations to Xiawen says,

Before the birth of father and mother,

One solid circle;

Even Shakyamuni didn’t understand it—

How could Kasyapa transmit it?

The fourteenth patriarch Nagarjuna concealed his body on the teaching seat and manifested a circular form. Kanadeva said, “This is the venerable one showing us the form of the body of a Buddha.”

Thus the form of signless meditation is like the full moon; the meaning of Buddha nature is vast emptiness and illumination. But these are only metaphors.

The making of circular symbols in China began with National Teacher Huizhong. He passed them on to his attendant Danyuan, who, receiving his prophecy, transmitted them to Yangshan. So now it has come to be called the family style of the Gui-Yang school of Chan.

Master Liang of Wufeng in Ming province once compiled forty examples; Mingjiao made a preface extolling this. Liang said, “Circular symbols have six names in all: one, circles; two, ocean of meaning; three, meeting of minds; four, study of characters; five, ideas and words; six, silent discourse.

The tradition of the Gui-Yang school says that Danyuan said to Yangshan, “The National teacher transmitted the ninety-seven circular symbols of the sixth patriarch: he said, “’Thirty years after my death there will be a novice in the South who will cause this path to flourish greatly when he arrives.’ As I carefully examine this prophecy, I realize it refers to you.” After Yangshan had gotten the symbols, he burned them. One day Danyuan said to him, “The circular symbols which I transmitted to you before should be kept deeply hidden.

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