Householder Zen

Chán Master Dàhuì Zōnggăo (1089 – 1163), who was the primary disciple of Chan Master Yuánwù Kèqín (1063-1135), (the Author of the Pi-yenlu "Blue Cliff Record,") noticed that his practitioners were beginning to attach to the words of his late Master with a blind and superficial understanding. Consequently, and without hesitation, he destroyed the “Blue Cliff Record” printing blocks, such that the book subsequently went out of print. It was certainly an unusual event for a disciple to do such a thing to his master. In the eyes of contemporary people what the disciple did was outrageous. At that time, Master Dàhuì Zōnggăo destroyed all the printing blocks, nevertheless, years later, later disciples cut new ones and the book went back into circulation once again.

Master Dàhuì is known as the functional founder of our modern method of practice, mainly the huàguān and koan method of insight and transcendence. Dàhuì attained enlightenment at an early age and was assigned as the principle teacher to the Lay Students who were practicing under the tutelage of Chán Master Yuánwù Kèqín. Because of this, Dàhuì wrote many of his treatises with the Lay Student in mind. It is because this great teacher stepped out of the normal function of a monk and spent his time almost exclusively with Lay Students in his early years of practice, that we today have a methodology that can work within the life of a householder.

"To attain enlightenment, it is not necessary to abandon family life, quit your job, become a vegetarian, practice asceticism, flee to a quiet mountain top, or enter a ghost cave of dead Zen to entertain your subjective imaginings. If you have been practicing quiet meditation but your mind is still not calm and free when in the midst of activity, this means your haven't been empowered by your quiet meditation. Furthermore, if you have been practicing quietude just to get rid of agitation, then when your are practicing quietude just to get rid of agitation, then when your are in the midst of agitation, the agitation will disturb your mind just as if you had never done any quiet meditation.

When you are studying Zen, as you meet with people and deal with situations, never allow bad thoughts to continue. If a bad thought arises, immediately focus your attention and root the thought out. If, however, you just follow the thought unhindered, this will not only make it impossible to have any insight into your own true nature it will also make you a fool.

Good and bad come from you own mind. But what do you call your own mind, apart from your actions and thoughts? Where does your mind come from? If you rally know where your own mind comes from, boundless obstacles caused by your own actions will be cleared all at once. After seeing that, all sorts of extraordinary possiblities will come to you without your seeking them."

Source: Chán Master Dàhuì Zōnggăo
Image: The Cover of a 13th Century Copy of "The Blue Cliff Record"