Householder
Zen
Chan
Master Dahui Zonggao (1089 – 1163), who was the primary disciple
of Chan Master Yuanwu Keqin, (the Author of the Pi-yenlu
"Blue Cliff Record," noticed that his practitioners
were beginning to attach to the words of his late Master with
blind and superficial understand. Consequently, and without hesitation,
he destroyed the “Blue Cliff Record” printing
blocks, such that the book subsequently became out of print. It
was certainly an unusual event for a disciple to do such a thing
to his master. In the eyes of contemporary people what the disciple
did was outrageous. At that time, Master Dahui Zonggao destroyed
all the printing blocks, nevertheless, years later, later disciples
cut new ones and the book came into circulation once again.
Master
Dahui is known as the functional founder of our modern method
of practice, mainly the hwadou and kongan method of insight and
transcendence. Dahui attained enlightenment at an early age and
was assigned as the principle teacher to the Lay Students who
were practicing under the tutelage of Chan Master Yuanwu. Because
of this, Dahui wrote many of his treatises with the Lay Student
in mind. It is because this great teacher stepped out of the normal
function of a monk and spent his time almost exclusively with
Lay Students in his early years of practice, that we today have
a methodology that can work within the life of a householder.
"To
attain enlightenment, it is not necessary to abandon family
life, quit your job, become a vegetarian, practice asceticism,
flee to a quiet mountain top, or enter a ghost cave of dead
Zen to entertain your subjective imaginings. If you have been
practicing quiet meditation but your mind is still not calm
and fee when in the midst of activity, this means your haven't
been empowered by your quiet meditation. Furthermore, if you
have been practicing quietude just to get rid of agitation,
then when your are practicing quietude just to get rid of agitation,
then when your are in the midst of agitation, the agitation
will disturb your mind just as if you had never done any quiet
meditation.
When
you are studying Zen, as you meet with people and deal with
situations, never allow bad thoughts to continue. If a bad thought
arises, immediately focus your attention and root the thought
out. If, however, you just follow the thought unhindered, this
will not only make it impossible to have any insight into your
own true nature it will also make you a fool.
Good
and bad come from you own mind. But what do you call your own
mind, apart from your actions and thoughts? Where does your
mind come from? If you rally know where your own mind comes
from, boundless obstacles caused by your own actions will be
cleared all at once. After seeing that, all sorts of extraordinary
possiblities will come to you without your seeking them."
Chan
Master Dahui Zonggao
