Guishan Lingyou
Jap., Isan Reiyu
Mt. Guishan Spirit Protect
| born: 771 died: 853 82 years place: China |
| stories: Osho Isan: No Footprints in the Blue Sky (entire book uses stories of Guishan). This, This, A Thousand Times This: The Very Essence of Zen, ch. 8, ch. 10 Zen: The Diamond Thunderbolt, ch. 2 Hyakujo: The Everest of Zen, ch. 5, ch. 9 Rinzai: Master of the Irrational, ch. 7 Kyozan: A True Man of Zen, ch. 1 No Mind: The Flowers of Eternity, ch. 4, ch. 5 Christianity the Deadliest Poison, and Zen the Antidote to all Poisons, ch. 8 The Zen Manifesto: Freedom from Oneself, ch. 11 The Great Zen Master Ta Hui, ch, 2, ch. 34 |
Mt. Guishan is in modern Hunan Province, China.
It is sometimes romanized as "Weishan", for some
unknown reason.
posthumous name: Dayuan Dashi (Great
Perfection Master)
aka: Kuei Shan (old W.G.)
It is sometimes romanized as "Weishan", for some
unknown reason.
posthumous name: Dayuan Dashi (Great
Perfection Master)
aka: Kuei Shan (old W.G.)
| oshobob The Living Workshop |
| Zen Masters |
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| One night Isan was in attendance on Hyakujo, sitting till late in the quietness of the mountain temple. "Who are you?" Hyakujo asked. "Reiyu," replied Isan. "Rake in the fireplace," instructed Hyakujo. Isan did as he was told and said, "I find no embers left." Hyakujo took up the tongs and, raking deep down, brought up a tiny burning ember, which he showed to Isan, and said, "Just this, you see!" Isan was suddenly enlightened. He bowed deeply and related his point of realization to Hyakujo, who said, "You have reached a crossroads on the buddha nature; you should observe time and causation. When the time comes, you will realize it, just like remembering something you have forgotten. It is not obtained from others. Therefore, when you are enlightened, your original nature manifests itself. Now you have attained it – carefully cultivate it." This is a very significant statement of Hyakujo. You cannot cultivate enlightenment, that will be phony. You can walk like a buddha, you can manage to sit in the lotus posture – it may take a little time for you, the bones... and particularly people coming from the West will find it more difficult. Colder countries devise chairs; hotter countries have no problem in sitting on the floor. But in colder countries, to sit on the floor is difficult. So if Buddha is sitting in the lotus posture, that does not mean that you have to sit in the lotus posture, only then you will become a buddha. You can practice it – there are many idiots who are doing that, unnecessarily torturing themselves. Buddhahood is your nature, so you cannot cultivate it. But what Hyakujo means is totally different. He is saying, “Now that you have attained it – carefully cultivate it.” This attainment is so new, it is possible to fall back into darkness. It is possible to start thinking again that it may have been an imagination. All kinds of possibilities are there... --Osho Isan: No Footprints in the Blue Sky, ch. 1 |