The Bodhi Seal of the Patriarchs

THE VENERABLE SENG HUI OF K'ANG
AND THE COUNTRY OF WU

by Tripitaka Master Hua
translated by Bhikshuni Heng Ch'ih

      THE VENERABLE ONE WAS A CITIZEN OF K'ANG, a small country west of China. HE SAW THAT IN CHINA THERE WAS LIGHT. He observed a purple energy, an auspicious light, and went in search of it. HE FOLLOWED THE LIGHT AND CAME TO THE COUNTRY OF WU IN THE FOURTH YEAR OF THE CH'IH WU REIGN PERIOD. This was during the Three Kingdoms period: Su was the state of Liu Pei, Wei the state of Ts'ao Ts'ao, his son Ts'ao Pi was ruling, and Wu the state of Sun Ch'uan HE REACHED NAN CHING AND THERE PRACTICED THE WAY. AN OFFICIAL HEARD OF HIM AND INFORMED THE EMPEROR. He let the King know that Dharma Master Seng Hui had come to the country. SUN CH'UAN, the emperor, SAID, " THIS IS THE PERSON THAT THE EMPEROR MING (Emperor Ming of Han Dynasty), DREAMED ABOUT, A DESCENDANT OF THE BUDDHA, NO DOUBT." HE SENT FOR HIM. Master Seng Hui was issued an order to appear before the Emperor. AND ASKED HIM WHY HE'D COME EAST.

      "SHARIRA ARE A RESPONSE." Was the Master's reply. He told the emperor that the Buddha's sharira gave off an endless illumination. 

      CH'UAN SAID, "IF YOU CAN OBTAIN SHARIRA, I'LL BUILD A STUPA FOR THEM. BUT IF YOU DON'T PASS THE TEST, HE HAVE WAYS TO DEAL WITH THE LIKES OF YOU IN OUR COUNTRY." The emperor commanded Dharma Master Seng Hui to seek and obtain the Buddha's sharira or undergo the consequences for having tried to cheat the emperor.

      MASTER SENG REQUESTED A PLATFORM ON WHICH TO SEEK THEM. The platform had to be a pure place where no one was allowed to come. Only he would go there and seek the sharira. AFTER THE APPOINTED SEVEN DAYS HE HADN'T PASSED THE TEST. A week went by and he didn't get any sharira, so the emperor was prepared to have him executed. But Dharma Master Seng requested another seven days in which to seek. Granted it. YET ANOTHER SEVEN DAYS PASSED WITHOUT ANY RESULTS. Two weeks went by and still nothing happened. Beseeching the emperor to give him another week, he continued to seek. ON THE MORNING OF THE SEVENTH DAY of the third week HE HEARD A "PLUNK" AND THE VESSEL WAS FILLED WITH RADIANT LIGHT. Sharira dropped into the bottom with a "ping" on the seventh morning of the third week. HE TOOK THEM TO THE EMPEROR. CH'UAN AND HIS OFFICIALS BEHELD THEM AND CH'UAN EXCLAIMED, "THIS IS TRULY A RARE OMEN IN ALL THE WORLD!" They beheld the Sharira and found them exceptionally unusual.

      HUI SAID, "SHARIRA ARE AN AWESOME SPIRIT WHICH CANNOT BE DESTROYED." There is nothing. which can cause these jewels to perish. CH'UAN ORDERED A STRONG MAN TO SMASH THEM. Not fearing his lack of veneration, the emperor decided to test out the sharira. THE ANVIL BROKE BUT THE LIGHT WAS UNTOUCHED. The iron implement was destroyed but the sharira remained intact. THEREUPON HE ERECTED A STUPA AND A MONASTERY, WHICH IS PRESENT DAY DA PAO EN TEMPLE. The emperor built not only a stupa but also a temple in honor of the Sharira.

      A VERSE IN PRAISE SAYS,

      AT NAN CHING CONDITIONS RIPENED.
      A LIGHT LIT UP THE SKY.
      FOLLOWING THE LIGHT HE ARRIVED.
      THE MASTER WELL INSTRUCTED CH'UAN.
      HE WAS THE FIRST TO SEEK SHARIRA,
      THIS MARKED THE BEGINNING OF BIG DHARMA.
      A STUPA AND TEMPLE WERE ERECTED
      THE TORCH OF WISDOM BEGAN TO BLAZE.

      Dharma Master Seng Hui influenced a lot of people to believe in the Dharma when he sought and obtained Sharira for the first time in China.

      ANOTHER VERSE IN HIS PRAISE SAYS,

      FOLLOWING THE LIGHT HE CAME TO
      CHUNG KUO (CHINA).
      TO SUN CH'UAN, THE LEADER OF WU.
      HE SOUGHT THE SHARIRA AND IT
      APPEARED WITH A "PLUNK."
      THE GATHERING OF OFFICIALS BEHELD
      THEM AND PRAISED THEM AS A RARE OMEN.
      A STRONG MAN TRIED TO SMASH THEM
      BUT THE LIGHT HAS UNHARMED.
      GHOSTS AND SPIRITS BOWED TO THEM
      IN REVERENCE:
      THE LIGHT BECAME LIGHTER YET.
      A STUPA WAS ESTABLISHED IN
      COMMEMORATION AND PAO EN TEMPLE.
      THERE THEY REMAIN FOR FUTURE
      GENERATIONS,
      PRESERVED FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS.