Yếu Lược Về Thiền Tông Lâm Tế & Những Dòng Truyền Thừa Tập 2 (Sách song ngữ Vietnamese-English PDF)

VOLUME 2

YẾU LƯỢC VỀ THIỀN TÔNG LÂM TẾ -2
(Xem Tập 1: Yếu Lược Về Thiền Tông Lâm Tế & Những Dòng Truyền Thừa Tập 1 (Sách song ngữ Vietnamese-English PDF)

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Thiện Phúc

Preface

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Generally speaking, each Zen school supplies practitioners with its own light, but it can help practitioners to see everything. In Buddhism, meditation functions the job of a torch which gives light to a dark mind. Suppose we are in a dark room with a torch in hand. If the light of the torch is too dim, or if the flame of the torch is disturbed by drafts of air, or if the hand holding the torch is unsteady, it’s impossible to see anything clearly. Similarly, if we don’t meditate correctly, we can’t never obtain the wisdom that can penetrate the darkness of ignorance and see into the real nature of existence, and eventually cut off all sufferings and afflictions. Therefore, sincere Buddhists should always remember that meditation is only a means, one of the best means to obtain wisdom in Buddhism.

After Bodhidharma Patriarch, Zen School was divided into five main sects or the Five Houses of Zen which refer to separate teaching lines that evolved from the traditions associated with specific masters. Three of these traditions, Ts'ao-tung, Yun-men, and Fa-yan, descended from the transmission line traced back to Ch'ing-yuan Hsing-ssu and Shih-t'ou Hsi ch'ien. The other two, the Lin-chi and Kuei-yang, proceeded from Ma-tsu Tao-i and Pai-chang Huai-hai. The Lin-chi House later produced two offshoots, the Yang-chi and Huang-lung. When these last two were added to the Five House, together they are referred to as the Seven Schools of Zen. Lin-chi Tsung is one of the most famous Chinese Ch’an founded by Ch’an Master Lin-Chi I-Hsuan, a disciple of Huang-Po. At the time of the great persecution of Buddhists in China from 842 to 845, Lin-Chi founded the school named after him, the Lin-Chi school of Ch’an. During the next centuries, this was to be not only the most influential school of Ch’an, but also the most vital school of Buddhism in China. Lin-Chi brought the new element to Zen: the koan. The Lin-Chi School stresses the importance of “Sudden Enlightenment” and advocates unusual means or abrupt methods of achieving it, such as shouts, slaps, or hitting them in order to shock them into awareness of their true nature.

According to the history of Zen, Lin-Chi was a disciple of Huang-Po. He was one of the famed chinese Zen masters during the T’ang dynasty. His year of birth is unknown. He was famous for his vivid speech and forceful pedagogical methods, as well as direct treatment of his disciples. Consequently, in China a special Zen sect was named after him “Lin-Chi” of which doctrine was based on his teachings. He never liked those roundabout dealings which generally characterized the methods of a lukewarm master. He must have got this directness from his own master Huang-Po, by whom he was struck three times for asking the fundamental principle of Buddhism. Lin-Chi is regarded as the author of “Kwats!” even though Ma-Tsu was an epoch-maker in the history of Zen, uttered “Kwats!” to his disciple, Pai-Chang, when the latter came up to the master for a second time to be instructed in Zen. This “Kwats!” is said to have deafened Pai-Chang’s ear for three days. But it was principally due to Lin-Chi that this particular cry was most effectively and systematically made use of and later came to be one of the special features of the Lin-Chi school in distinction to the other schools. In fact, the cry came to be so abused by his followers that he had to make the following remark: “You are so given up to learning my cry, but I want to ask you this: ‘Suppose one man comes out from the eastern hall and another from the western hall, and suppose both give out the cry simultaneously; and yet I say to you that subject and predicate are clearly discernible in this. But how will you discern them?’ If you are unable to discern them, you are forbidden hereafter to imitate my cry.” In 867 A.D. when Lin-Chi wa about to die he sat upright and said: “After I’m gone, my Treasury of the True Dharma Eye cannot be destroyed.” Lin-Chi’s disciple, San-Sheng, said: “How could we dare destroy the Master’s Treasury of the True Dharma Eye?” Lin-Chi said: “In the future if someone ask about my teaching, what will you say to them?” San-Sheng shouted! Lin-Chi said: “Who would have thought that my Treasury of the true Dharma Eye would be destroyed by this blind ass!” Upon saying these words Lin-Chi passed away, sitting upright.

Lin Chi Zen School is one of the most famous Chinese Ch’an founded by Ch’an Master Lin-Chi I-Hsuan, a disciple of Huang-Po. At the time of the great persecution of Buddhists in China from 842 to 845, Lin-Chi founded the school named after him, the Lin-Chi school of Ch’an. During the next centuries, this was to be not only the most influential school of Ch’an, but also the most vital school of Buddhism in China. Lin-Chi brought the new element to Zen: the koan. The Lin-Chi  School stresses the importance of “Sudden Enlightenment” and advocates unusual means or abrupt methods of achieving it, such as shouts, slaps, or hitting them in order to shock them into awareness of their true nature. The Lin-Chi uses collections of koans systematically in its temples and downplays the reading of sutras and veneration of Buddha images in favor of seeking the Buddha Nature directly through the use of koans and practical living. After being acquainted with Zen master Lin-chi through Lin-chi's Sayings, we can see Lin-chi as a great smasher of the conventional Buddhism whose ideas are arranged in an ordinary order. He did not like the round-about way in which Buddhist experience was treated by philosophers, but he wanted to reach the goal directly. He destroyed every obstacle that was found in his approach to Reality. He was not only against those intellectualist philosophers but against the Zen masters of his day. Lin-chi's method of handling Zen was quite refreshing and vivifying. However, because of these, he stood so majestically among his contemporaries. And also because of these, Lin-chi became one of the greatest Zen master of the ninth century. He is recognized to have founded the Lin Chi School of Zen. This school, along with the T'sao Tung School, remains today as one of the two existing Zen schools that began in China during the Tang dynasty (615-905), the golden age of Zen. It is his school which is still flourishing in Japan, China, and Vietnam, though in China Zen itself is somewhat on the wane. Lin-chi's Sayings are regarded by many as the strongest treatise we have. Lin-chi had 21 dharma successors. However, this school gradually declined after the twelfth century, but had been brought to Japan where it continues up to the present day and known as Rinzai.

This little book titled “Essential Summaries of the Lin Chi Zen School & Its Lineages of Transmission” is not a profound philosiphical study of the the the Lin Chi Zen School, but a book that summarizes he Lin Chi Zen School & Its Lineages of Transmission and methods of cultivation. Devout Buddhists should always remember the ultimate goal of any Buddhist cultivator is to attain enlightenment and emancipation, that is to say to see what method or methods to escape or to go beyond the cycle of births and deaths right in this very life. For these reasons, though presently even with so many books available on Buddhism, I venture to compose this booklet titled “Essential Summaries of the Lin Chi Zen School & Its Lineages of Transmission” in Vietnamese and English to briefly introduce on the Lin Chi Zen School, one of the most important Zen schools in Buddhism. Hoping this little contribution will help Buddhists in different levels to understand on how to achieve and lead a life of peace, mindfulness and happiness.

                                               

Respectfully,

Thiện Phúc