Book of Serenity 74

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Book of Serenity (Shoyoroku, Congrong Lu) #74
Fayan's Substance and Name

Personnel

• FAYAN Wenyi (Hogen Buneki, 885-958, 15th gen), disciple of Luohan "Dizang" Guichen
• an unnamed monastic

Wansong's Introduction (Sato)

Wealth contains ten thousand virtues;
[Yet] it is swept away, without a speck of dust.
Away from all forms, [yet] one with all dharmas [phenomena];
You step forward from the top of the hundred-foot pole and fulfill your whole body throughout
the world of ten directions.
Tell me, from where does one get this?

Case (Wick)

A monk asked Fayan, "I've heard it said in a sutra that all dharmas arise from a non-dwelling base. What is this non-dwelling base?"[1]
Fayan replied, "Form arises before substance. Name occurs before naming."[2]

[1]"From the basis of non-abiding all dharmas are established" [from the Kanshujôbon in the Yuima-Sutra] (Sato); "From a nonabiding basis are established all things" (Cleary).
[2] “Form arises from what has no substance yet; name comes from what has no name yet" [from Monk Jô’s Hôzôron (5th Century CE)] (Sato); "Form arises before substantiation, names arise from before naming" (Cleary).

Hongzhi's Verse (Wick)

Eliminating footprints, stopping communications.
White clouds are rootless: What color is the pure wind?
Scattering heaven, it has no mind; holding earth, it has power.
It clarifies the deep source of a thousand ages;
makes molds for the ten-thousand shapes.
The way of countries and the way of dust.
Understand this and Samantabhadra is everywhere!
The gate of the tower: open it, and all people are Maitreya.

Sturmer's Verse

Two men with guitars
step out
onto the horizontal branch
of a pohutukawa.
There's a flash
on the horizon.
The evening sky above
is anxious for a song.

KOAN INDEX
Hotetsu's Verses on Koans