4. SHITOU XIGIAN 石頭希遷

   石頭希遷 Shitou Xigian (Shih-t'ou Hsi-ch'ien) 700-790

The site of Shitou's grass hut

Orthodox teachings declare that Shitou was a student of Huineng (大鑒惠能 Dajian Huìnéng (638-713), thus bringing him into the Huineng lineage.

Huineng and his temple in Cao Xi was in the process of establishing itself as the dominant chan movement during Shitou's lifetime.

Shitou's posthumous title appropriately was Hongzhi (Hung-chi, Gusai), which means “Helping Others.” Thus title is consistent with Huineng's principles, but very little is known about his biography.

He was born in Gaoyao County in Guangdong with the surname Chen. His birth and death dates are conventionally given as 700 to 790, which allows biographers to declare that he became a student of the great Zen patriach Huineng for a short time prior to the latter's death in 713.

Shítóu, it is said, later became a disciple of Huineng's successor, 青原行思 Qingyuan Xingsi (Ch'ing-yüan Hsing-ssu) 660-740, receiving the seal of ordination in 728 at the age of twenty eight at the temple of Rafuzan.

He was characterized for his intelligence and serenity, which certainly was consistent with Huineng's character and his discursive poem "The Song of the Grass Hut."

It concerns the state of a "mountain sage" who has forsaken the conflicts and business of social existence to pursue a spiritual path, transformed as a statement about the realization of the "Buddha Nature." In the "Grass Shack Song" we see Shitou newly arrived on South Mountain, living in the meditation hut he built for himself on top of a large flat rock.

It is not a usual theme in Buddha Dharma literature at this time, but it does echo the sentiments of Huineng's existence and his contention, with which we must agree, that a true teacher resides within his original mind and not necessarily in a cloister.

The second discursive poem, "The Agreement of Difference and Unity," presents the teaching of 理, li , and 事, shi, which originated in its Buddhist form with the masters of the Huayan school.

Now here is an important lesson apart from the discussion of Shitou and his teachings.

Discard completely the traditional translation of 理, li, as "emptiness". It is not emptiness as we know it at all. Closer is the term "noumenon," which is the intellectual conception of a thing as it is in itself, not as it is known through perception. Yet this too falls short although it complements the 事, shi, which is phenomena.

Correct is the conceptualization of 理, li, as the "inner essence," which is directly related to the contemplations which we perform as awareness of awarenwss itself. As such, the inner essence is the discernment as a consequence of passing the last conceptualization to the right hemisphere operations of the Feminine Principle.

In a mundane sense, one may compare it to the experience of "the grain of wood as a concept that is beyond the actual observable grain itself." This "inner essence" is not cognizable apart from phenomenal existence, no inherent opposition can exist between them. The agreement of both difference and unity may be intuitively experienced only through the process of awareness contemplation. 

Phenomena emerge from inner essence, and are inseparable from it. One and many exist in a state of agreement, since neither may arise without the other. However, paradoxically, there is no relation of dependence.

The relation with the Diamond Sutra is obvious and it too was central to Huineng's thought.

This idea of Mutuality and Indentity is no doubt derived from Avatamsaka philosophy, formulated by Fazang 法藏  (Fa-tsang, 643–712), who was the third of the five patriarchs of the 華嚴宗 Huayan zong (Hua-yen-tsung), who authored over a hundred volumes of essays and commentaries.

Many of the Chan masters were drawn towards the philosophy advocated by the Avatamsaka, and attempted to incorporate it into their own discourses.

For instance, Shitou in his "Ode on Identity" depicts the mutuality of Light and Dark as restricting each other and at the same time being fused in each other.

洞山良价, Dongshan (Tung-shan Liang-chieh, 807-869 ), in his metrical composition called "Sacred Mirror Samadhi" speaks of the clear mutuality of 偏, piän, 'one-sided', and 正, Zhêng, 'correct,' in a way similar to Shih-t'ou in his "Ode," for both Shihtou and Dongshan truly echo the Zaodong branch of Chan Buddhism.

However, Shihtou and Dongshan presented it in a less esoteric manner.

Yet Shitou, to his credit, focused thematically on statements of emptiness (non-duality), but also the Tathagata-garbha theory, thus showing his root beliefs that discarded neither of the two positions.  

He did not disregard the sutras either, for he makes continual reference to them and to the work of the 5th-century Chinese dialectician Sengzhao. Also of paramount importance was his strong emphasis of Buddha-nature theory, which is synonymous with the "awakened mind."

Now before a conclusion is made we must examine a story about  master Qingyuan Xingsi who asked presumably his eventual student Shitou when the latter first came to see him:

 -"Where are you from?"

-"I'm coming from Ts'ao-chi" (the monastery of Huineng)

- "What did you gain at Ts'ao-chi?"

- "I didn't lack anything before I went to Ts'ao-chi."

- "Then why did you go?"

- I"f I wouldn't have gone to Ts'ao-chi, how would I have known that I never lacked anything?"

Fact or fiction? Nevertheless, assuming some truth in the matter, we can allow that the orthodox view would be that Shitou was at Ts'ao-Chi and if it was before the death of Huineng then he would have been twelve or thirteen years old.

Can we assume here he is speaking of the "Buddha mind"? He was an intelligent child and the concept basically is not difficult and the age of twelve or his temperament may have been culminating factors for his future development. His inspiration or moment of truth? That must be doubted, so we must assume that his knowledge and later inspiration (awakening) stemmed alone from Qingyuan Xingsi's teachings.

After becoming, in turn, Xingsi's only successor, Shítóu resided and taught at Nantai Temple on Mt. Nanyue Heng in Hunan. After his death, he was given the honorary posthumous name Wuji Dashi (無際大師).

We can accept then, failing later evidence, that Shitou and his own disciples were elevated by inspiration as Dharma Heirs of Dajian Huìnéng and Qingyuan Xingsi  

                                                   大鑒惠能 Dajian Huìnéng (Hui-neng) 638-713

青原行思 Qingyuan Xingsi (Ch'ing-yüan Hsing-ssu) 660-740

石頭希遷 Shitou Xigian (Shih-t'ou Hsi-ch'ien) 700-790 

                         Tien Huang 748-807                    Yueh Shan 745-828

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

                           Te Shan 782-865                        Tung Shan 807-869

                         Hsueh-feng 822-908

               Hsuan Sha 835-908        Yun Men 896–949       Tsao Shan 840-901 

               Lo Han 867-928

               Fa Yen 885-958 

                    FA YEN                             YUN MEN                      TSAO TUNG

                    Method                              Method                            Method

Other Dharma Heirs of Shih-tou were Ta-Tien (d. 891) and Tan-hsia (739-824?)

On a certain occasion the master was reading Sengchao's treatise when, on reaching the passage that says, "Does only the wise person understand the myriad things in themselves?," he hit the table and exclaimed:

"For the true wise person, everything lacks an I; nevertheless, nothing lacks an I. The Dharma body possesses no form. Who can speak of oneself and others?"

"The round mirror reflects everything clearly and, in it, the wondrous forms of the ten thousand things spontaneously manifest. Knowledge and its objects are neither one nor two.

"Who could say it comes or goes?

"How true are the words of this scripture!"

Then the master rolled up the manuscript and fell asleep, dreaming that he was riding athwart a turtle that swam in a deep lake. When he woke up, he carefully reflected on his dream and concluded that the turtle was wisdom and the lake was the ocean of essential nature.

Later on, he wrote the well-known treatise Tsán t'ung ch'u, "The Identity of the relative and the absolute," and composed a famous poem, the "Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage":

SONG OF THE GRASS-ROOF HERMITAGE

I’ve built a grass hut where there’s nothing of value.

After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.

When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.

Now it’s been lived in – covered by weeds.

The person in the hut lives here calmly,

Not stuck to inside, outside, or in between.

Places worldly people live, he doesn’t live.

Realms worldly people love, he doesn’t love.

Though the hut is small, it includes the entire world.

In ten square feet, an old man illumines forms and their nature.

A Great Vehicle bodhisattva trusts without doubt.

The middling or lowly can’t help wondering;

Will this hut perish or not?

Perishable or not, the original master is present,

not dwelling south or north, east or west.

Firmly based on steadiness, it can’t be surpassed.

A shining window below the green pines —

Jade palaces or vermilion towers can’t compare with it.

Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest.

Thus, this mountain monk doesn’t understand at all.

Living here he no longer works to get free.

Who would proudly arrange seats, trying to entice guests?

Turn around the light to shine within, then just return.

The vast inconceivable source can’t be faced or turned away from.

Meet the ancestral teachers, be familiar with their instruction,

Bind grasses to build a hut, and don’t give up.

Let go of hundreds of years and relax completely.

Open your hands and walk, innocent.

Thousands of words, myriad interpretations,

Are only to free you from obstructions.

If you want to know the undying person in the hut,

Don’t separate from this skin bag here and now.

En cierta ocasión el maestro estaba leyendo el Tratado de Seng-chao cuando, al llegar al pasaje que dice “¿Solo el sabio comprende la miríada de las cosas en si mismas?”, golpeo la mesa y dijo:

“Para el verdadero sabio todo carece de yo; sin embargo, nada carece de Yo. El cuerpo del Dharma no posee forma alguna. ¿Quién puede hablar de uno mismo y de los demás?

El espejo redondo lo refleja todo claramente y en él se manifiestan espontáneamente las maravillosas formas de las diez mil cosas. El conocimiento y sus objetos no son uno ni dos.

¿Quién podría decir que viene o que va?

¡Cuán ciertas son las palabras de esta escritura!”.

Luego el maestro enrolló el manuscrito y cayó dormido soñando que estaba cabalgando a lomos de una tortuga que nadaba en un profundo lago.

Cuando despertó, el maestro reflexionó atentamente sobre le sueño y llegó a la conclusión de que la tortuga era la sabiduría y el lago el océano de la naturaleza esencial.

Mas tarde escribió el conocido tratado Tsán t'ung ch'u “Identidad de lo relativo y lo absoluto” y compuso un poema muy famoso, “Canto de la choza de tejado de paja”.

CANTO DE LA CHOZA DE TEJADO DE PAJA

He construido una ermita de paja en la que no hay nada de valor.

Después de comer me relajo y echo un sueñecito.

Cuando la choza quedó terminada, aperecieron las malas hierbas.

Ahora se han instalado y lo cubren todo.

El hombre vive apaciblemente en la ermita,

Sin trabas ni interiores ni exteriores.

No quiere vivir donde vive la gente vulgar

No le gusta lo que le gusta a la gente vulgar.

A pesar de que la choza sea pequeña, contiene todo el universo.

En diez pies cuadrados un viejo ilumina

Las formas y su esencia.

Un bodhisattva del Gran Vehiculo tiene fe absoluta.

Los hombres vulgares no pueden dejar de dudar:

¿Esta choza perecerá o no?

Perecedera o no, el maestro original está presente

Y no reside ni en el norte ni en el sur ni en el este ni en el oeste.

Enraizado en la perseverancia, esto no puede superarse.

Una ventana brillando sobre los pinos verdes no puede compararse

Ni a los palacios de jade ni a las torres de plata dorada.

Permanecer sentado con la cabeza cubierta, todo permanece en reposo.

Ahí, este monje de las montañas no comprende nada de nada.

Vive allí donde está y ya no hace esfuerzos para liberarse.

¿Quién podría con orgullo disponer de puestos par seducir a discípulos?

Dirigid vuestra luz hacia el interior y dad media vuelta.

No se puede ni afrontar ni evitar la fuente infinita e inconcebible.

Id a ver a los viejos maestros y sed íntimos con su enseñanza.

Trenzad las hierbas para construir una choza y no renunciéis nunca.

Dejad pasar los siglos y relajaos completamente.

Abrid las manos y andad inocentemente.

Los miles de mundos y la infinitud de los conceptos existen

Solo para liberaros de vuestras trabas.

Si queréis conocer lo inmortal bajo la choza,

Aquí y ahora no escapéis de este saco de huesos.