PICTORIAL BIOGRAPHY OF THE VENERABLE MASTER HSO YUN

Continued from issue #71

COMPOSED BY THE VENERABLE MASTER HSUAN-HUA

Illustrated toy a student of Prajna
Translated toy Bhiksu Heng Yo

GOLD MOUNTAIN'S CHIANG T'IEN (HEAVENLY RIVER) DHYANA MONASTERY #39

Commonly called Gold Mountain, this monastery is known as the headquarters of the Ch'an sect. Dragons and elephants as well as discerning, eminent Sangha members assembled here. Throughout the ages, there was never a lack of people to staff it. In the T'ang dynasty, the abbot was the Venerable Master Fa-hai. Ch'an Master Fo-yin1 of the Sung Dynasty defeated Tung-p'o here in debate, and the jade belt which the latter forfeited remains at the monastery to this day.2 When the Master Yun was forty-one, he arrived here to personally meet the Venerable Masters Kuan-hsin, Hsin-lin, and Ta-ting, among other senior-seated bhiksus.

The gatha says:

            Chin Shan’s efficacious bell concealed an eminent Sanghin:

            The stick and shouting of the Dhyana sect have well established repute;

            Who is mindful of the Buddha, who is it who recites?

            When the black pitch barrel bursts open, one’s liberated from the cage.

 1 see

2 from a story in the play

3 Ch'an sect analogy for not yet having realized enlightenment