1. YUQUAN SHENXIU 玉泉神秀 THE FOREMOST CHAN DHARMA HEIR

           大滿弘忍  Daman Hongren 601-674    

 玉泉神秀 Yuquan Shenxiu (Shen-hsiu) 605-706

 普寂 Puji (P'u-chi Sung-kao) -739

 義福  Yifu (I-fu lan-shan) -732

   和尚摩訶衍 Heshang Moheyan

Other students of Shenxui were:

Hsiang-mo Tsung

Hui-fu Yu-shan

Ching-hsien Sung Chou

Ta-t'ung Ho-shan

The Contemplation method of 玉泉神秀 Yuquan Shenxiu

This was a fourfold formula for actually sitting:

First, "concentrating the mind in order to enter dhyana."

Second, "settling the mind in that state by watching its forms of purity."

Third, "arousing the mind to shine in insight."

Finally, "controlling the mind for its inner verification."

Analysis of these phases shows them to be:

First, "concentration upon breathing."

Second, "the attainment of attentive Defensive Qi."

Third, "the no-mind and no-action, permitting the passage into the direct experiences."

Finally, "the discernment of the liberation."

The argument against this method:

Shen-hui said, "all this is 'hindrance to bodhi ' (awakening)", and he swept aside all forms of sitting in meditation 坐禪, zuochan (tso-ch'an), including the present zazen practiced by the Soto model, as entirely unnecessary.

He said: "If it is right to sit in meditation, then why should Vimalakiirti scold Saariputta for sitting in meditation in the woods? Here in my school, to have no thoughts is meditation-sitting, and to see one's original nature is dhyaana (chan)."

We have the best view of what Shenxiu's contemplations were by viewing the teachings and contemplations of Heshang Moheyan.

Moheyan taught the "all-at-once" sudden gate as "gazing-at-mind," ganxin, and "no examining," buguan... "no-thought no-examining," pu-ssu pu-kuan... It is the original East Mountain Dharma Gate teaching.

The question is if this is radically different than that which Shenhui was teaching.

Certainly the system was one of "Traditional Sitting" Contemplation while Shenhui's was "sitting of the mind." We must conclude then that the sitting preparation would also be included as part of the "gradual" paradigm.

But Moheyan held that all thought (thinking and ideation) prevented awakening.

He declared, “Not thinking, not pondering, non-examination, non-apprehension of an object---this is the immediate access [to liberation.]"

He also believed that actually performing good or evil acts, as conceptions, led to transmigration rather than liberation. Now this puts his position on daily practice at first glance diametriclly opposed to Huineng, who was imbued totally within the Four Sublime States. But Huineng was not impulsed by Conceptions, but by his Buddha Nature.

However, we must wonder if this too influenced his bitter attacks upon the East Mountain school, for he could hardly have been ignorant of this concept.

It would seem paradoxical that nevertheless he conceded that practices such as the “perfection of morality,” studying the sutras and teachings of the masters and cultivating meritorious actions were appropriate.

This led to the framework of the attack upon the Eastern model as being gradual, but Moheyan declared that these types of actions were only necessary for those of "dim" facility and “dull” propensity. Those of “sharp” and "keen" facility and propensity do not need these practices as they have “direct” access to the truth through contemplation, but he held that not everyone could achieve the highest state of meditation.

Moheyan claimed that when one gave up all conceptions, an automatic, all-at-once attainment of virtue resulted. He taught that there were two independent practices, the direct and the [gradual?], a concession to human psychology and scriptural tradition. The formar was an “internal” practice to liberate the self of widom and the second an “external” practice to liberate others as expedient means.

The question that is important is what the last conceptualization of the practice was that was the vehicle for passing into the possible awakening zone.

Since Shenxiu was the principal and revered disciple of Hongren, we assume that the last conceptualization for direct access was that of Hongren.

All of these seem to indicate a general synthesis of such notions as “Tathāgata,” “tathatā” and “Buddha nature” as the goal which is the “vision” of completed cultivation. That cultivation itself is through observation of the “fundamental true mind” (本真心), but this is never described as being the result itself.

The Contemplation then developed by Hongren and continued by Shenxiu was the Ultimate Conceptualization of the Buddha nature that rested within all human creatures.