Blue Cliff Record 7

175
Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku, Biyan Lu) #7
Dogen's 300 #252
Fayan's "You Are Huichao"

Personnel

• FAYAN Wenyi (Hogen Buneki, 885-958, 15th gen), disciple of Luohan "Dizang" Guichen
• Guizong "Huichao" Cezhen (Kisu "Echo" Sakushin, d. 979, 16th gen), disciple of Fayan Wenyi

Yuanwu's Introduction (Sato)

The one phrase before the voice cannot be transmitted, even by the thousand holy sages.
If you haven't become familiar with it personally, it is as if you were three thousand worlds away from it.
Even if you have attained what is before the voice, and cut off the tongues of all people under heaven, you are still not that bright.
Therefore, it is said: The heaven cannot cover it, the earth cannot hold it, empty space cannot contain it, the sun and moon cannot illuminate it.
When you call yourself the only Honored One in the Buddha-less place, then for the first time you are touching it a little.
If you haven't reached this stage yet, you must thoroughly realize it by the tip of a hair and emit a great light; in all directions, you must be completely free concerning the Dharma.
Then, no matter what you take up, there will be nothing that is unfitting.
But just tell me, by attaining what can you become so extraordinary?
Again I say: does everyone understand?
No one knows the sweat of the steeds in the past; the epoch-making victory must be well discussed once more.
Leaving aside the present matter for a moment, what about Xuedou's koan?
See the writing below.

Case (Sato)

A monk asked Fayan, "I, Huichao, ask you, Master, what is Buddha?"
Fayan said, "You are Huichao."[1]

[1] "Huichao" means "Surpassing wisdom."

Xuedou's Verse (Sato)

In the land of the River, the spring wind hardly blows.
The partridges sing, deep among the flowers.
At the three-tiered waterfall, where the waves are high,
Carps turn into dragons [and soar up to heaven];
Fools still look for it in the pond water in the dark.

Daido Loori's Comment (Dogen's 300)

From ancient times down to the present, upon hearing this koan Zen practitioners the world over have rushed to the words and come up woith intellectual interpretations. Some say Fayan answered as he did because Huichao is himself buddha. Others say it's like the fire god looking for fire, or that just asking the question is it. None of this has anything to do with the reality revealed by Fayan and realized by Huichao.
If you wish to see into this teaching, you must first pass beyond sound and form and then understand the device of simultaneously breaking in and breaking out. This is the place where there are no seams, not a single gap for a thought to slip in. If you can't hear it, you have missed it If you try to figure it out, you will never realize it.

Daido's Interjections

Guizong Cejin (family name Huichao) asked Fayan, "What is buddha?"
   Although this is an old question, it's worth bringing it up again.
Fayan said, "You are Huichao (literally, 'Going Beyond Wisdom')."
   This kind of answer is sure to be misunderstood and provide a nest for future generations.

Daido's Verse

In breaking in and breaking out,
chick and hen do not know each other.
Not knowing each other,
they naturally know how to work together.

KOAN INDEX
Hotetsu's Verses on Koans