Friday, July 13, 2012
Some Legends About Zen Master Chân Nguyên, a Famous Vietnamese Zen Master in the 17th Century--Part III
Chân Nguyên’s views about Thiền had some new and special features. It combined both Indian and Chinese spiritual perspectives, and synthesized these with national characteristics. Chân Nguyên considered it fundamental in enlightenment that one is continuously fully aware of the presence of one’s true nature, which is one’s complete and perfect origin. If one is well aware of this, the relationship between one’s deeds and thoughts will naturally in accordance with the enlightenment path. In other words, even without analytical thinking or calculating, none of one’s deeds and behaviors would then go against the noble truth. Therefore, when one’s eyes, ears, nose, body and thinking have to be in touch with events and phenomena, it would be like entering an empty house, there is no fetter to tie one to the karmic cycle of life and death. Chân Nguyên mentioned about this several times in his The True Nature of Thiền (Thiền Tông Bản Hạnh):
Successors, you should know that
The True Mind is present in every word you utter.
It manifests itself everywhere;
Through your six senses it displays its magical power.
[Hậu học đã biết hay chăng
Tâm hoa ứng miệng nói năng mọi lời
Thiêng liêng ứng khắp mọi nơi
Lục căn vận dụng trong ngoài thần thông.
(Vietnamese)]
Chân Nguyên got enlightened when Minh Lương stared at him. From then on in his life Chân Nguyên also used this subtle method. It was said that Chân Nguyên often looked steadily into his interlocutor’s eyes, probably in order to evaluate or to encourage the person’s spiritual development, and help him/her realize the Way. With this special teaching method, Chân Nguyên had several excellent disciples, especially Zen masters Như Hiện and Như Trừng. Later on Như Hiện became his successor in the Trúc Lâm School, while Như Trừng started a new Thiền sect called Lotus Sect (Liên Tông). Then the two were combined into one, and contributed actively to the restoration of many Thiền works in the Trần Dynasty. Như Hiện entered monastic life at the age of 16, and in 1730 the temples which he had taken cared of such as Quỳnh Lâm and Sùng Nghiêm were renovated by the order of Lord Trịnh Giang. In 1748 he was assigned as tăng cang by King Lê Hiến Tông, and in 1757 became Head of the National Vietnamese Sangha most Venerable Thuần Giác.
Zen master Như Trừng was born Trịnh Thập into a rich and ruling Trịnh family. He was the son of Lord Phổ Quang. King Hy Tông had chosen him to be his future son-in-law, and to marry the fourth princess. However, when Như Trừng presented a letter expressing his wish to denounce the mundane world in order to enter the monastic life, the King had to agree with him. As a novice named Như Như in the temple, he had written treatises in Vietnamese about the five precepts and the ten precepts.
Both Như Hiện and Như Trừng were excellent disciples of Zen master Chân Nguyên.
In 1726 at the age of 80, Chân Nguyên summoned his disciples together and read the following gatha:
Present every moment all day and night
Is the True Nature
which through the six senses,
and through all phenomena and events
the enlightened one recognizes myriad displays of its applications.
[Hiển hách phân minh thập nhị thì,
Thử chi tự tánh nhậm thi vi.
Lục căn vận dụng chân thường kiến,
Vạn pháp tung hoành chánh biến tri.
(Chinese Vietnamese)
Bày hiện rõ ràng được suốt ngày,
Đây là tự tánh mặc phô bày.
Chân thường ứng dụng sáu căn thấy,
Muôn pháp dọc ngang giác ngộ ngay.
(Vietnamese)]
After that Chân Nguyên said to his disciples: “Now at 80 years old I am going to back to the realm of Buddhas”. At the beginning of October that year, he got ill, and passed away on the 28th of the same month. His disciples cremated him, and collected his relics to enshrine in the two stupas at Quỳnh Lâm and Long Động Temples.
With his unique viewpoint about Thiền School, and with his glorious legacy about Dharma dissemination, Chân Nguyên may be considered as the brightest torch in Vietnamese Buddhism in the 17th century. The aforementioned legends about him will live on forever.
Source:
http://www.daophatngaynay.com/vn/phatgiao-vn/con-nguoi-vn/10759-Huyen-thoai-ve-vi-thien-su-Viet-lung-danh-the-ky-17.html
25/04/2012
