Introduction | The Sword of Wisdom

Between 1982 and 1985, I gave a series of lectures on Yung-chia Hsuan-chueh’s Song of Enlightenment. The lectures were informal talks given during intensive Ch’an retreats, designed to help participants understand Buddhist concepts and practice better. Before the actual commentary begins, I would like to present a brief discussion of Yung-chia’s life and accomplishments, as well as the position of Song of Enlightenment in Buddhist history and thought.

Yung-chia Hsuan-chueh lived during the T’ang dynasty (618-907). He was born in 665 and died in 713 at the age of 48. His given name comes from the town he was born in ─ Yung-chia ─ which is located in present-day Che-kiang province. His Dharma name was Ming-tao, Ming meaning “bright” and Tao, “path.”

He left home to join the monkhood at an early age, but he spent most of his life near Yung-chia. He studied with several masters, including the Fourth Patriarch of the T’ien-tai school. He was also good friends with Hsuan-lang, a master who later became the Fifth Patriarch of the T’ien-tai school. Eventually, he settled at Lung-hsing temple in Wen-chou, Che-kiang, where he built a small cottage for his practice.

By the time he reached forty years of age, Yung-chia had become quite well known, and many practitioners sought his teachings. One monk, Hsuan-ts’e, who was a disciple of the Sixth Patriarch, Hui-neng, visited Yung-chia at Lung-hsing temple. Hsuan-ts’e was amazed that Yung-chia’s insight was mon par with that of enlightened masters, even though Yung-chia had not been recognized as a master.

Hsuan-ts’e asked Yung-chia where and how he had gained such deep insight. Yung-chia replied, “When I studied sutras and sastras, individual masters taught me specific things. Later, when I penetrated the essence of Buddha’s mind through the Vimalakirti Sutra, there was no master who could certify my understanding.”

Hsuan-ts’e was astonished, but he pointed out to Yung-chia that he could only be considered what was called a “naturally attained outer path practitioner, ” because his enlightenment arose spontaneously and naturally, without a specific practice or guidance from a master. Hsuan-ts’e told Yung-chia that such experiences had not been officially accepted since the time of Wei-in Wang Buddha.

Wei-in Wang Buddha, mentioned in the Lotus Sutra, lived in the remote past (innumerable kalpas ago) and stayed in the world for an unimaginably long time. Wei-in Wang symbolizes the earliest Buddha, prior to which there were no thoughts, conception or language. As he was the earliest Buddha, there were obviously no masters who could affirm his understanding. Language and thought evolved after Wei-in Wang, and this enabled masters to test and certify the experiences of their disciples.

Hsuan-ts’e stressed to Yung-chia that naturally attained enlightenment was limited. He advised Yung-chia to seek the guidance of a master. Yung-chia asked if Hsuan-ts’e could affirm his understanding, but the monk deferred to his own master, Hui-neng, and he took Yung-chia to Ts’ao-ch’i to see him.

When they arrived, Yung-chia did not prostrate to the Sixth Patriarch as ritual demanded. Rather, he circled Hui-neng three times holding his scepter in one hand and a vase in the other. Hui-neng said, “A monk should display a solemn appearance. Where do you come from, and why are you so arrogant?”

Yung-chia replied, “It is most important to resolve the problem of birth and death, because death will come soon. I have no time to worry about manners. My only concern is to be free from birth and death.”
Hui-neng countered, “Why don’t you try to experience no birth and no death? Then you will understand that there is no such thing as soon or late.”

Yung-chia answered, “If one knows the principle of the Dharma body, and knows that the Dharma body has no birth or death, then one understands that there is no such thing as soon or late.”

Hui-neng said, “That, indeed, is right.”

The assembly was amazed by this dialogue, and even more amazed at what followed. Yung-chia prostrated to Hui-neng, and said, “It is time that I leave.”

Hui-neng asked, “Isn’t it too soon to be leaving?”

“Since originally there is no such thing as movement, ” Yung-chia answered, “there is no point in saying that there is soon or not soon.”

“Then who is it who knows that there is no motion?” Hui-neng asked.

Yung-chia said, “It is you who makes the distinction.”
Hui-neng praised him: “You really do understand the meaning of no birth.”
Yung-chia countered, “How can no birth have any meaning?”
Hui-neng probed even deeper: “If there is no meaning, then who makes the distinction?”
Yung-chia replied, “Even making the distinction is not the meaning.”
Hui-neng praised Yung-chia again: “Splendid! You have done well. Please stay for the night.”

Yung-chia did stay the night, and returned to Lung-hsing temple the following day. Many practitioners studied with Yung-chia in his remaining years, and his fame grew. He was so highly respected, that upon his death in 713, the Emperor of China bestowed upon him the posthumous title, Wu-hsiang, which means “without phenomenon.”

Yung-chia’s views of the Dharma and practice are made clear, not only in the Song of Enlightenment, but also in the Ch’an-tsung Yung-chia-Chi, which can be found in the Taisho Tripitaka. In the ten articles that make up the latter work, Yung-chia lays out the essentials of his teachings.

He stressed that one who is serious about the Dharma should not have too much pride or desire. One must strive to maintain purity in thought, words and action, which will help to purify one’s personal karma. To do this, a practitioner must abide by the precepts. Yung-chia believed that without precepts, a practitioner could not truly study Buddhadharma or practice samatha (calming the mind) and vipassana (insight). However, with proper behavior and practice, a Dharma seeker can enter samadhi, and eventually generate wisdom. Wisdom will arise only when, as the Vimalakirti Sutra states, principles (noumena) and phenomena are not separate.

Yung-chia also emphasized the importance of making vows. Without sincere vows, a practitioner will progress slowly and accomplish little. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas attained their positions because they all made such great vows as the Four Bodhisattva Vows.

Now, let us turn to the work itself. The Song of Enlightenment was written in the beginning of the eighth century. However, the first commentary did not appear until the eleventh century, during the Sung dynasty (906-1278). There are four Chinese commentaries on the Song of Enlightenment, the last of which was written in the fourteenth century. There are two important Japanese commentaries, written in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and in the English language there is a commentary by Charles Luk.

The dating and authorship of the Song of Enlightenment are in question. In comparing the Song of Enlightenment with Yung-chia’s other works, scholars have found inconsistencies which suggest that the song was written by someone else. For instance, the Song of Enlightenment is not included in the Ch’an-tsung Yung-chia Chi along with his ten other works. Furthermore, in the official history of the T’ang dynasty, Yung-chia and his works are mentioned in the chapter on “Arts, Religion and Literature, ” but the Song of Enlightenment is omitted.

The song itself contains inconsistencies and contradictions. Two lines in the Song of Enlightenment refer to the first six Ch’an Patriarchs symbolically transmitting the Dharma with the robe from one generation to the next. However, this ritual did not become popular until sometime after Yung-chia’s death.

In another part of the song, Yung-chia says that it is important to spend time practicing alone in the mountains. However, it is clear from other writings that Yung-chia usually espoused the opposite opinion. He supported practice within society rather than in the solitude of the mountains. After returning from his meeting with Hui-neng, Yung-chia received an invitation from Hsuan-lang, the future Fifth Patriarch of the T’ien-tai sect. In the invitation, Hsuan-lang extolled the benefits of meditating in the mountains. Yung-chia replied: “Our world is not paying attention to the right path. People study with those who have neither practice nor learning. We cannot leave the spreading of the Dharma to those who do not have genuine understanding and realization, and who do not practice correctly.”

“He who stays in the mountains must be at the stage where there is no digression from the Dharma, not even for an instant. It is wrong to think that it is easier to practice away from ordinary existence because there are fewer disturbances. If your mind is not at peace, you will not find peace in the mountains. The sun, clouds and fog can all upset the calm of your mind. Someone already enlightened to the Path is invulnerable to any interference, so for him there is no difference between living in the mountains and living in society.”

“Anyone who thinks it is easier to practice in the mountains is really clamping two handcuffs on his wrists. The first handcuff is love, and the second is displeasure.”

In the Song of Enlightenment, however, Yung-chia urges practitioners to devote themselves to ascetic practice in the seclusion of the mountains.

For these reasons, scholars feel that Yung-chia could not have written the Song of Enlightenment. In the final analysis, however, knowing who composed the song and when it was written is not important. What is important is that masters of the Sung dynasty emphasized the greatness of this work, and the Ch’an Buddhism which we practice today dates from the Sung dynasty. The methods of hua-t’ou and kung-an (koan) come from the Sung dynasty, and it was also during the Sung dynasty that Ch’an spread to Japan.

The Song of Enlightenment is priceless because it speaks of daily life activities, proper methods of practice, and proper attitudes while practicing, both before and after enlightenment. In fact, Sung dynasty Master Ta-hui Tsung-kao reported that the Song of Enlightenment was so esteemed by Buddhist practitioners that it was translated into Sanskrit. Whether it is true or not, it says something for the reputation of the song.
My guess is that the Song of Enlightenment was written by Yung-chia during the T’ang dynasty, but was not recognized for its virtues. In subsequent generations, Ch’an masters copied it, and in so doing, added comments and edited it, so that it veered from the content of the original work. Nonetheless, the ideas presented in the Song of Enlightenment are in accordance with the teachings of the Sixth Patriarch.
In the Song of Enlightenment, one theme stands out: reality is defined by two sets of terms: real nature, or Dharma nature; and self-nature, or Buddha-nature.

Real nature is the nature of emptiness. It is the original nature of all dharmas. Hence it is also called Dharma nature. All dharmas, both external and internal, arise because of causes and conditions. In and of themselves, dharmas have no intrinsic reality. They have no self-nature. Self-nature is that which is innate in every sentient being. It is by reason of having self-nature that sentient beings can reach Buddhahood. For this reason, it is also called Buddha-nature.

Yung-chia develops his discourse in a loose style. He hops from topic to topic: he will speak of the proper behavior for a practitioner one moment, discuss Dharma nature and Tathagatagarbha the next moment, and then describe the Tao, emphasizing that it does not allude to an actual way or direction, but rather, to methods of practice.

In the Platform Sutra, Sixth Patriarch Hui-neng says that if his disciples truly understand the thiry-six opposites, they can spread the Dharma without difficulties. In the Song of Enlightenment, we find many polarities: sin and blessing, poverty and wealth, direct experience and Buddhist doctrine, birth and death, form and formlessness, truth and falsity, emptiness and existence, rejecting and grasping, silence and speech, cause and effect, right and wrong, trunk and branches, the finger and the moon. The song ends with “no human beings” and “no Buddhas.”

In the course of the text, Yung-chia stresses the importance of maintaining an attitude of neither grasping nor rejecting. He also stresses that, although it is important that one know and understand the teachings of the sutras, one should not rely solely on the written word. A practitioner must devote himself to practice.

The Song of Enlightenment tells us how to practice, how to live our lives, and how to view the world. It tells us how we can help ourselves on the Buddhist path, and how we can help others after entering the door of Ch’an. For all of these reasons, the Song of Enlightenment is a Ch’an classic. It is as important and influential as the Verses of a Believing Mind, the font-style:italic”>Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi, and the Platform Sutra.

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