4. CAODONG   洞山本寂

                      

Dongshan Liangjie  洞山良价 (Tung-shan Liang-chieh) 807-69

Caoshan Benji 曹山本寂 (Ts'ao-shan Pen-chi) 840-901

 CAODONG 曹洞 is one of the major schools of Ch'an Dharma

Although the school takes its name from these two figures, the line of disciples emanating from Caoshan actually died out after four generations; it was the line of Dongshan's other distinguished student, Yunju Daoying 雲居道膺 (d. 902) that thrived and continued.

 

                                            SHITOU XIGIAN 石頭希遷    

 

                       Tien Huang 748-807                          Yueh Shan 745-828

 

                         Lung Tan 8th-9th c.                           Yun Yen 780-841 

                                                        

                           Te Shan 782-865                              Dongshan 807-869

         

                         Hsueh-feng 822-908

 

        Hsuan Sha 835-908         Yunmen 896–949       Caoshan 840-901 

 

            Lo Han 867-928

 

            Fa Yen 885-958 

 

                   

                    FAYEN                          YUNMEN                       CAODONG

                          Method                           Method                          Method

Caoshan Benji 曹山本寂 (Ts'ao-shan Pen-chi) 840-901

He was one of the two founders of the Zaodong model of Chinese Ch'an Dharma. A quiet man of studious temperament, he received a basic education in the Confucian classics in his youth, and continued Confucian studies even after joining the Buddhist monastic order at the age of 16.

He studied briefly with Dongshan, the other founder of Zaodong, and received from him the dialectical teaching of the Five Ranks. He was not inclined to travel, and spent 30 years living on Mt. Zao.

Although his own line of disciples died out in four generations, his systematization of the Five Ranks became his lasting legacy to the development of Caodong thought and practice.

Dongshan left the household life at the age of 10 and wandered long and far, studying with many masters before becoming a disciple of Yün-yen T'an-sheng (780-841). He made his permanent home on Mt. Dong. At the age of 52 he had many disciples, among whom was the other founding figure of Caoshan Benji (840-901).

He was known for his great sensitivity, including towards the inanimate, as manifestations of the Buddha mind. He was also fond of poetry, and among his literary works there ia a poetic exposition of the Caodong teaching of the Five Ranks.

This is a classic statement of the nature of reality first formulated as Dongshan model representing the central understanding of this line of Ch'an.

Using a series of five verses composed by Dongshan, it presents five different ways of viewing the nature of ultimate reality as it manifests in particular phenomena.

 (1) The Absolute is seen in the identity of all differentiated phenomena in so far as they all share in the ultimate nature of emptiness.

 (2) The Absolute is seen in each and every individual phenomenon considered separately, since the nature of all things is complete and sufficient in itself.

 (3) The Absolute contains within itself the potential to manifest all particular phenomena, even those that are opposite or contrary to one another.

 (4) Despite their identity in terms of their ultimate nature, all phenomena are distinct and unconfused. In fact, it is only in their real differentiation that their relationality to each other and to the Absolute can be seen—for example, both fire and ice arise from the Absolute and share the same fundamental nature, but fire is not ice and ice is not fire.

 (5) The enlightened mind directly perceives the active and dynamic interplay between the Absolute and individual phenomena, and between one phenomenon and another.

Dongshan Liangjie 洞山良价 (Tung-shan Liang-chieh) (807-69)

Other Dharma Heirs with the same principles and practice

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