The Correct Ch’an Dharma Cannot Be Determined by the Discursive Mind A Ch’an Talk By Venerable Old Master Xu Yun (虚云长老)
(Recorded in Guanzhong by Shi Jie Chen [释戒尘] - Who Spoke with Xu Yun About the Nature of Reality)
(Translated by Adrian Chan-Wyles PhD)
Translator’s Note: This is an English translation of the original Chinese language text entitled ‘虚云长老：禅宗一法，原不以定为究竟’ – which can be rendered as ‘Venerable Old Master Xu Yun - The Correct Ch’an Dharma Cannot Be Determined by the Discursive Mind’. This text was forwarded to me by Upasika Sheng Hua, who is responsible for locating it on the Chinese internet data-base. It is recorded in the earlier biographies of Xu Yun that he was on Mount Zhongnan in 1901, but this dialogue does not appear in those editions (which Charles Luk’s ‘Empty Cloud’ is drawn from). Since those early days, hundreds of people have subsequently come forward with their own stories about encountering Xu Yun – and the text translated below is one such example. Xu Yun had fled westward from Beijing (with the imperial family, who had ordered him to accompany them) to escape the sacking of Beijing by the armies of the Western allies (which would eventually kill around 50,000 Chinese men, women and children in reprisals), following the collapse and defeat of the Boxer Uprising. Although Xu Yun stayed with the imperial entourage for a time in Xian, he quietly slipped away one night and headed into the hills to spend some time in deep meditation. This is when he changed his name to ‘Xu Yun’ (Empty Cloud) in his 61st year of life (1901), in an attempt not to be recognised by other curious parties, and to be left alone to his isolatory practice. However, even then (just over half-way through his life), he was already famous, and people kept coming to seek him out for instruction. The tone of this dialogue is ‘stern’, and I think it shows the danger China was in at the time. Xu Yun wanted to meditate deeply to generate a great virtue that would potentially have the function of restoring peace and tranquillity to China, but other monks, who appear not to have been as aware as Xu Yun of the recent fighting, death and destruction, kept interrupting his practice and ruining the momentum. Not only this, but it is obvious that these monks do not understand the Ch’an method, and yet they are seeking instruction in Ch’an meditation. Xu Yun treats this rather bizarre situation as being frivolous and somewhat childish. However, regardless as to why this situation developed, the resultant document gives an important insight into Master Xu Yun’s life during a very difficult (and dangerous) time in his life. Even before leaving Beijing, a Western soldier had held him at gun-point – threatening to kill him – if he did not answer his questions correctly. Now, having fled Beijing by imperial decree, Xu Yun had left the royal entourage without official permission, a situation that could have been very problematic if China had not already been experiencing inner turmoil. No wonder Xu Yun felt compelled to change his name… ACW 15.12.2016
In the 27th year of the reign of the Qing Emperor Guangxu (1901), I - Dharma Master Jie Chen (戒尘法师 – Jie Chen Fa Shi) - together with Dharma Master Yue Xia (月霞法师 – Yue Xia Fa Shi) and Dharma Master Fu Cheng (复成法师 – Fu Cheng Fa Shi), lived and practised Ch’an meditation together on Mount Zhongnan (终南). At this time, it was our good fortune to learn that Master Xu Yun had built a meditation hut on Mount Zhongnan, as Master Xu Yun was known to be fully enlightened and able to express the Ch’an Dharma correctly, (without any error), whilst not allowing any delusional attitudes to take the place of the truth. Out of respect for this Great Ch’an Master, we decided to call on him, and enquire as to the true nature of reality. After our respectful greetings and initial questions about Ch’an training, Master Xu Yun sternly replied:
‘Why do you insist on this pointless questioning that has no end, and which does not lead to the realisation of reality? I will tell you this, if you do not resolve this matter here and now (by ‘stilling’ the mind), then ‘Yama’ (阎罗 – Yan Luo) – the Lord of Death - will be waiting for you when you throw-off this body, and the blame for this failure will not reside with me. Your (karmic) retribution for talking such nonsense, is like a mirror reflecting your stupidity exactly! In the old days, the ancient sages did not carry-around the delusional burden you inflict upon yourselves, and in an instant they realised the empty mind ground here and now, and did not waste time asking about the ‘right method’. What you have to realise is that due to endless eons of delusion, the karmic-staining is very deep indeed for each individual. However, you must also understand that there are no half-measures on this path, and that the empty essence of the mind must be fully penetrated here and now, if the ridge-pole of (volitional) ignorance is to be permanently ‘broken’, never to return. Know this; you must turn the attention of the mind back to its empty root without any distraction, only then will reality manifest and be personally experienced and understood for what it is. Until you are fully enlightened, your limited discursive minds cannot understand reality as it is, but can only interpret this reality from an unenlightened point of view. I certainly will not encourage such a distortion! If you understand this teaching, you should penetrate the essence of life and death at this very instant, without any further chat – or pointless (and obscuring) movement of the mind. If you do not see this reality, I cannot help you. The genuine Ch’an path is entirely premised on ‘direct’ self-effort, and only you can realise it. No one can liberate you from suffering but yourselves. The correct gate is narrow and difficult to find and enter, but once located and penetrated, you must have no hesitation in the inward direction of your effort – do not be distracted by pointless externality, or intellectual debate that traps you in the world of delusion. Do not be bothered by (the changing scenery of) life and death, but return all thought to its empty origination without fail. Do not become attached to one-sided emptiness in the mind, but willingly jump-off the hundred-foot pole, or let go of the cliff-edge. Do not abide in a limited understanding because you find it temporarily ‘comfortable’, be ruthless in your Ch’an training as delusion is always waiting to trip you up. Let your mind’s awareness expand and encompass your entire surroundings without exception – as this is the dropping away of the delusion of duality. With such determination, even if you do not realise full enlightenment in this life, you certainly will in the next.’
I said: ‘I have also practised the development of virtue (德 – De) through good works within society (which included teaching and guiding many Ch’an students), but since coming to these remote mountains, I follow the Dao of isolatory self-development without distractions. Which path is more virtuous?’
Xu Yun answered: ‘Why do you think that when students no longer manifest here and now, the (virtuous) Dao is no longer present?’
I replied: ‘When a master enlightens a student, the virtuous exchange resides in the interaction between the two that uproots and removes all traces of obscuring delusion in the surface-mind. If this enlightening function is not manifest, then surely the resultant generated ‘virtue’ is non-existent.’
Xu Yun said: ‘The ancient sages did not set-up this type of contradiction, as every act of self-cultivation is also an act of profound instruction (for those who understand it). Considering this reality, how can you ever be without students (in essence)?’
When I heard this exact explanation, I maintained a respectful silence.
Xu Yun continued: ‘When Ch’an is reduced to simply repeating the empty (or dead) phrases of others, even if there are many students, all will be deceived and led down the wrong path. If you do not understand this profound teaching, let us sit together in quiet (and isolated) meditation for a while, then you will start to understand how to manifest ‘genuine’ effort during self-cultivation.’
After this, we sat in a Ch’an Week Retreat, with Master Xu Yun leading the group. As I sat, I experienced an intense wave of delusion (klesa) in the mind, and I looked for the leakage in the eight consciousnesses to find the ‘seed’ of this disruptive karma, but to no avail. This lack of progress was further hindered by my ability to sit ‘still’ for even half a day. This was when I realised that I lacked the required inner-strength to practice the Ch’an method properly.
Xu Yun said: ‘Do you know the difference between ‘wisdom’ and ‘ignorance’? If you do not, how can you ‘still’ your mind? A mind is only ‘stilled’ when it is properly focused through the correct use of the Ch’an method. If you only repeat the dead words of others, you will lack the required power to ‘breakthrough’ the obscuring layer in the mind. If the water is stagnant, the hidden dragon will not be revealed.’
Xu Yun said: ‘The correct Ch’an Dharma cannot be determined by the discursive mind. This is because a ‘moving’ (discursive) mind is not yet ‘stilled’, and a mind that is not yet ‘stilled’, cannot reveal the empty mind ground. Instead of endless obscuration, it is better to directly realise the empty essence of the mind. This requires the Ch’an practitioner going straight to the root, and not being distracted by the branches. When the mind is ‘stilled’, do not be attached to this state, but continue to look into the essence. This continued practice eradicates all ignorance, generates wisdom and reveals the true ‘pure’ (and ‘non-dual’) nature of the mind, that is beyond all suffering. This is how knowledge of how to eradicate ‘obscuration’ (klesa) is generated. Such is the power and refinement of this concentration that if a pin dropped to the floor, it would be clearly heard. However, to achieve this level of intense concentrative effort, the Ch’an practitioner must possess a ‘doubting mind’ (疑情 – Yi Qing) that is not satisfied with deluded being, and which questions the essence of reality in a profound and powerful manner. Without this great ‘doubt’, there can be no powerful practice that returns all phenomena to its ‘empty’ root. This type of doubt is highly focused and is not discursive in nature. This is not a mundane or superficial doubt about this or that triviality, but is rather an all-encompassing and mind-stilling attribute, which is the product of the clearest use of all the mind’s concentrative resources. Trivial doubt keeps the mind in a dualistic state, whilst a truly ‘doubting’ (or ‘enquiring’) mind ‘stills’ the psychic function, and facilitates a profound realisation of the fundamental essence of reality. When this is achieved, the doubting mind, having fulfilled its enlightening function, is transmuted into a higher level of profound understanding.’
At another time during the same year on the mountain, Master Xu Yun gave a public talk about the Surangama (楞严 – Leng Yan) Sutra, and I and my brothers were present to listen. Master Xu Yun discussed the chapter of the Surangama Sutra that deals with self-enlightenment, within which the Buddha enquires as to the exact contemplative methods used by each Bodhisattva to realise full enlightenment. I made a point of debating the idea that the Bodhisattva Manjushri (文殊 – Wen Shu), would state that only the ‘turning the hearing back to its empty origin’ method of Bodhisattva Guanyin (观音), was the most suitable for human beings. I could not understand how this method was considered better than reading or reciting Buddhist texts (and putting into the practice the Buddha’s virtuous instructions), because it seemed to contradict the righteous meaning of the Dharma teachings. We debated amongst ourselves for a few days regarding this teaching. We learned a great deal from these encounters, but were often ‘corrected’ for our apparent use of ‘intellectualism’.
