Tung-shan
Encyclopedia
Liang-chieh of Tung-shan (807–869), often referred to simply as Tung-Shan or Dongshan Liangjie (Ch. 洞山良价), was a Ch'an
(Zen) master of 9th century China. Along with his pupil Ts'ao-shan Pen-chi, he is best known for founding the Ts'ao-tung, or later Sōtō
, school of Ch'an. He is well known for the poetic Verses of the Five Ranks
.
in the town of Kuei-chi, in the southeast of the present day Chekiang Province
. He started his private studies in Ch'an Buddhism at a young age, as was popular among educated elite families of the time. Reputedly, it was during a tutor's recitation of the Heart Sutra
of Buddhism that Liang-chieh voiced his disagreement with the fundamental doctrine. As a result, at the age of ten he left his home and traveled to the nearby Wu-hsieh Mountain, one of many mountaintop monasteries, where he joined the students of Ch'an Master Ling-mo . He also had his head shaved and took on the yellow robes which represented the first steps in his path to becoming a monk. At the age of twenty one he went to Mt. Sung, the location of the Shao-lin-ssu Temple ordination platform, and took the Complete Precepts.
, the founder of another Ch'an sect, he spent a large portion of his early life wandering between Ch'an masters and hermits in the Hung-chou region. Notable among these was Master Yun-yen T'an-sheng (Ungan Donjo) (780-841), of whom Liang-Chieh became the dharma heir
. Most of what is recorded regarding his journey and studies exists in the form of philosophical dialogues, or koan, between him and his various teachers. These provide very little insight into his personality or experiences beyond his daily rituals, style of spiritual education, and a few specific events. During the later years of his pilgrimage Emperor Wuzong
's Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution
(843-845) reached its height, but it had little effect on Liang-chieh or his newfound followers. A little over a decade later in 859, Liang-chieh felt he had completed his role as an assistant instructor at Hsin-feng Mountain, so with the blessing of his last masters he took some students and left to establish his own school.
of Wisdom-awareness, and his posthumous name was Ch’an Master Wu-Pen. According to one of the koan of his sect, Tung-shan announced the end of his life several days ahead of time, and used the opportunity to teach his students one final time. In response to their grief over the news of his coming death, he told them to create a “delusion banquet.” After a week of preparations he took one bite, and told them not to “make a great commotion over nothing,” then went to his room and died.
. The Five Ranks were a doctrine
which mapped out five stages of comprehension of the relationship between the absolute
and relative
realities. The Five Ranks are:
For each of these ranks, Tung-shan wrote a verse trying to bring such abstract ideals in the realm of real experience. He used metaphors of day to day occurrences that his students could understand. His student Ts'ao-shan Pen-chi later went on to relate the Five Ranks to the classic Chinese text, the I Ching
.
"subtle influence spread beneath heaven". Tung-shan had many pupils who provided lineage pathways to carry on his teachings, but his most renowned students were T’sao-shan (840-901) and Yun-chu (835-902).
T’sao-shan refined and finalized on Tung-shan’s works on Buddhist doctrine, which is why his name was – possibly – included in the name of the sect. (Another possibility is that the Ts'ao of the Ts'ao-tung school name refers to Ts'ao-his Hui-neng, the 6th Ancestor of Ch'an.) The lineage that T’sao-shan began, ironically, did not last beyond his immediate disciples, but because he was personally entrusted with Tung-shan’s teaching, including the doctrine of the Five Ranks and the Jewel Mirror Samadhi, he is held in esteem by a variety of Buddhists.
Yun-chu on the other hand, started a branch of Tung-shan’s lineage which lasted in China until the 17th century. Thirteen generations later Dogen Kigen (1200–1253) was educated in the traditions of Tung-shan’s Ch’an Buddhism. Following his education, he returned to his homeland of Japan and started the Soto school.
Almost the only primary sources we have for such information are two collections of doctrine and lineage, T'su-t'ang-chi (Records from the Halls of the Patriarchs) and Chling-te-chum-teng-lu (Transmission of the Lamp). In this case, they both only list the name as having been generated from Tun-shan's connections to "T'sao", and they are equally ambiguous on most other facts. One historian commented that
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
(Zen) master of 9th century China. Along with his pupil Ts'ao-shan Pen-chi, he is best known for founding the Ts'ao-tung, or later Sōtō
Soto
Sōtō Zen , or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of the three most populous sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century...
, school of Ch'an. He is well known for the poetic Verses of the Five Ranks
Verses of the Five Ranks
The Five Ranks, by Chinese Soto master Tung-shan, are fundamental to Sōtō and Rinzai Zen teaching, expressing the fundamental non-dualism of Buddhist teaching, which rejects the duality of dualism and non-dualism...
.
Start of Ch'an studies
Liang-chieh was born during the Tang dynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
in the town of Kuei-chi, in the southeast of the present day Chekiang Province
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
. He started his private studies in Ch'an Buddhism at a young age, as was popular among educated elite families of the time. Reputedly, it was during a tutor's recitation of the Heart Sutra
Heart Sutra
The Heart Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra. Its Sanskrit name literally translates to "Heart of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom." The Heart Sūtra is often cited as the best known and most popular of all Buddhist scriptures.-Introduction:The Heart Sūtra is a member of the Perfection of...
of Buddhism that Liang-chieh voiced his disagreement with the fundamental doctrine. As a result, at the age of ten he left his home and traveled to the nearby Wu-hsieh Mountain, one of many mountaintop monasteries, where he joined the students of Ch'an Master Ling-mo . He also had his head shaved and took on the yellow robes which represented the first steps in his path to becoming a monk. At the age of twenty one he went to Mt. Sung, the location of the Shao-lin-ssu Temple ordination platform, and took the Complete Precepts.
Wandering life
In a manner similar to that of his contemporary Lin-chiLinji
Línjì Yìxuán was the founder of the Linji school of Chán Buddhism during Tang Dynasty China. Linji was born into a family named Xing in Caozhou , which he left at a young age to study Buddhism in many places....
, the founder of another Ch'an sect, he spent a large portion of his early life wandering between Ch'an masters and hermits in the Hung-chou region. Notable among these was Master Yun-yen T'an-sheng (Ungan Donjo) (780-841), of whom Liang-Chieh became the dharma heir
Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission refers to "the manner in which the teaching, or Dharma, is passed from a Zen master to their disciple and heir...
. Most of what is recorded regarding his journey and studies exists in the form of philosophical dialogues, or koan, between him and his various teachers. These provide very little insight into his personality or experiences beyond his daily rituals, style of spiritual education, and a few specific events. During the later years of his pilgrimage Emperor Wuzong
Emperor Wuzong of Tang
Emperor Wuzong of Tang , né Li Chan , later changed to Li Yan just before his death, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, reigning from 840 to 846. Emperor Wuzong is mainly known in modern times for the religious persecution that occurred during his reign...
's Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution
Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution
The Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution initiated by Tang Emperor Wuzong reached its height in the year 845 CE. Among its purposes were to appropriate war funds and to cleanse China of foreign influences. As such, the persecution was directed not only towards Buddhism but also towards other foreign...
(843-845) reached its height, but it had little effect on Liang-chieh or his newfound followers. A little over a decade later in 859, Liang-chieh felt he had completed his role as an assistant instructor at Hsin-feng Mountain, so with the blessing of his last masters he took some students and left to establish his own school.
Establishing the Ts'ao-tung school of Ch'an
At the age of 52, in the tradition of his previous Ch'an masters, Liang-chieh established a mountain school at Tung-shan in Kao-an of the Yu-chang hsien province. This Ts'ao-tung school became regarded as one of the Five Houses of Ch'an. Yet it should be recognized that they have only historically become understood as being “sects,” and at the time were just considered schools led by individualistic masters with distinct styles and personality. In reality, the fact that they were all located in close geographic proximity to each other, with the exception of Lin-chi, and that they all were at the height of their teaching around the same time sparked a custom among students to routinely visit the other masters.Death
Tung-shan died at the age of 63, in the tenth year of the Hsien-t’ung era (869), having spent 42 years as a monk. His shrine, built in keeping with Buddhist tradition, was named the StupaStupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
of Wisdom-awareness, and his posthumous name was Ch’an Master Wu-Pen. According to one of the koan of his sect, Tung-shan announced the end of his life several days ahead of time, and used the opportunity to teach his students one final time. In response to their grief over the news of his coming death, he told them to create a “delusion banquet.” After a week of preparations he took one bite, and told them not to “make a great commotion over nothing,” then went to his room and died.
Teaching
Although Lin-chi and Liang-chieh shared pupils, Liang-chieh had a particular style. Since his early life he had utilized gatcha, or small poems, in order to try to better understand and expound the meaning of Ch'an principles for himself and others. Further features of the school also included a particular interpretation of koan, an emphasis on “silent illumination Ch'an,” and organization of students into the “three root types.” He is stil well0known for his re-evaluation of the Five Ranks.Use of koans and silent illumination
The newly renamed Master Tung-shan argued that the koan should not have a specific goal, because that would naturally “[imply] an artificial distinction between ignorance and enlightenment.” Instead, he encouraged the use of silent illumination Ch'an (mo-chao Ch'an) as a way to “sit just to sit,” and take a self-fulfilling, rather than a competitive, path to enlightenment. These two differences contrasted especially with Lin-chi's new Ch’an sect, which was his main competition for students’ attention at the time. “Silent illumination Ch’an” was originally one of many pejorative terms created by Lin-chi regarding Tung-shan’s style, which demonstrated the threat he felt as several of his students left to join Liang-chieh’s school.Three categories of students
Tung-shan was distinguished by his ability to instruct all three categories of students, which he defined as- "Those who see but do not yet comprehend the Dharma"
- "Those in the process of understanding"
- "Those who have already understood"
Five Ranks
A large portion of Master Tung-shan's fame came from his complete re-evaluation of the longstanding Verses of the Five RanksVerses of the Five Ranks
The Five Ranks, by Chinese Soto master Tung-shan, are fundamental to Sōtō and Rinzai Zen teaching, expressing the fundamental non-dualism of Buddhist teaching, which rejects the duality of dualism and non-dualism...
. The Five Ranks were a doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
which mapped out five stages of comprehension of the relationship between the absolute
Absolute (philosophy)
The Absolute is the concept of an unconditional reality which transcends limited, conditional, everyday existence. It is sometimes used as an alternate term for "God" or "the Divine", especially, but by no means exclusively, by those who feel that the term "God" lends itself too easily to...
and relative
Relativism
Relativism is the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration....
realities. The Five Ranks are:
- The Absolute within the Relative (Cheng chung p’ien)
- The Relative within the Absolute (P’ien chung cheng)
- The Coming from Within the Absolute (Cheng chung lai)
- The Contrasted Relative Alone (Pien chung chih)
- Unity Attained (Chien chung tao), when the two previously opposite states become one
For each of these ranks, Tung-shan wrote a verse trying to bring such abstract ideals in the realm of real experience. He used metaphors of day to day occurrences that his students could understand. His student Ts'ao-shan Pen-chi later went on to relate the Five Ranks to the classic Chinese text, the I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
.
Lineage
According to his students, Tung-shan had a “profound understanding of the ultimate goal,” and was a spiritual leader whose"subtle influence spread beneath heaven". Tung-shan had many pupils who provided lineage pathways to carry on his teachings, but his most renowned students were T’sao-shan (840-901) and Yun-chu (835-902).
T’sao-shan refined and finalized on Tung-shan’s works on Buddhist doctrine, which is why his name was – possibly – included in the name of the sect. (Another possibility is that the Ts'ao of the Ts'ao-tung school name refers to Ts'ao-his Hui-neng, the 6th Ancestor of Ch'an.) The lineage that T’sao-shan began, ironically, did not last beyond his immediate disciples, but because he was personally entrusted with Tung-shan’s teaching, including the doctrine of the Five Ranks and the Jewel Mirror Samadhi, he is held in esteem by a variety of Buddhists.
Yun-chu on the other hand, started a branch of Tung-shan’s lineage which lasted in China until the 17th century. Thirteen generations later Dogen Kigen (1200–1253) was educated in the traditions of Tung-shan’s Ch’an Buddhism. Following his education, he returned to his homeland of Japan and started the Soto school.
Legacy
Liang-chieh’s chief contributions were his systemization of the teaching of the Five Ranks, and his lineage. By clarifying several Buddhist doctrines, he maintained interest in Buddhism among all levels of intellectual capacity. He, along with his contemporaries, also preserved both the teachings and the popularity of the religion at the same time that its followers were being repressed by the government. As it was, even after amnesty was granted by Emperor Wuzong's successor to all foreign religions, Buddhism never reclaimed its former significance in Chinese culture. But he established a tradition that lives on till the present day.Modern scholarship
Regardless of whether it was because their religion discouraged biographical records, or because the information was destroyed in the Buddhist persecution, we are left with very little documentation about his life. Like many masters of the middle period of Ch'an history, information is usually limited to dates, names and general locations. One example of this would be the controversy over whether the T'sao-tung sect is named for Tung-shan and his student, which some argue would be strange since his lineage died out, or Tung-shan and the temple of the sixth patriarch of Ch'an, T'sao-his.Almost the only primary sources we have for such information are two collections of doctrine and lineage, T'su-t'ang-chi (Records from the Halls of the Patriarchs) and Chling-te-chum-teng-lu (Transmission of the Lamp). In this case, they both only list the name as having been generated from Tun-shan's connections to "T'sao", and they are equally ambiguous on most other facts. One historian commented that
"...it is as though Tung-shan were a drop of water that, on striking a pond, was totally swallowed up, leaving only a set of concentric ripples...to examine".