Dazhu Huihai
Japanese: Daishu Ekai
Great Pearl Wisdom Ocean
| born: c. 730 died: c. 800 place: China |
| Chan master: Mazu (J. Baso) Chan disciples: none recorded |
| surname: Zhu |
| This "Huihai" is sometimes confused with another Zen master, "Huaihai" (see Baizhang Huaihai), both having the same master Mazu, and their dharma names meaning almost the same thing, and also sounding almost the same. See this page for a more thorough explanation on this subject. |
| John Blofeld wrote one of the earliest translations of Chinese Chan on the stories of this Zen master: The Teachings of Hui Hai. c. 1960., included in Osho's Books I Have Loved. |
| stories: Osho Hyakujo: The Everest of Zen, ch. 1, ch. 2, ch. 4 |
| oshobob The Living Workshop |
| Zen Masters |
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| When Hui-hai returned to Yueh Chou, he lived a retired life, concealing his abilities and outwardly appearing somewhat mad. It was at this time that he composed his shastra, called, "A Treatise Setting Forth the Essential Gateway to Truth by Means of Instantaneous Awakening." Later, this book was stolen and brought to the Yangtze region and shown to Ma Tzu. After reading it carefully, Ma Tzu declared to his disciples: "In Yueh Chou there is now a great pearl. Its luster penetrates everywhere freely and without obstruction." Ma Tzu was making a pun on Hui-hai's original surname of Chu... Now, this is something to be understood and it is one of the most debated subject matters for centuries: if enlightenment is sudden, that means there is no cause to it. It can be sudden only if it has no causality. If it has any cause, first the cause has to be produced, then enlightenment will follow. Science believes in causality. You provide all the necessary causes, and this will be the inevitable outcome. But Zen, in the sense of sudden enlightenment, drops the idea of causality. There is no cause that leads to enlightenment... --Osho Hyakujo: The Everest of Zen, with Basho's haikus, ch.2 |