..续本文上一页urself.” At last, Ananda realized that he had to rely on his own efforts if he wished to attain enlightenment. He went off to a solitary and secluded place. As he was about to sit down, he attained enlightenment! Why

　　 At that moment he relied on no one and dropped all of his attachments.

　　Another story describes the dim-witted disciple name Suddhipanthaka, or Small Path. All except Small Path could remember Buddha”s teachings. If he tried to remember the first words of a phrase, he forgot the second, and vice versa. Buddha gave him the job of sweeping the ground, since he did not seem fit to do anything else.

　　After he had swept the ground for a very long time, Small Path asked, “The ground is clean, but is my mind-ground clean

　　” At that moment everything dropped from his mind. He went to see the Buddha, who was very pleased with his accomplishment and affirmed that Small Path had become enlightened.

　　These are recorded in the early texts as true stories, but their meaning goes beyond their original context. The first story illustrates that in practice, knowledge and intelligence do not necessarily guarantee enlightenment and the second story shows that even a slow person can attain enlightenment. Although Shakyamuni Buddha, Mahakashyapa, and Shariputra were people of great learning, Chan has less to do with great learning than with the problem of the mind that is filled with attachments. Enlightenment can be reached only when one”s mind is rid of attachments.

　　It is said that twenty-eight generations of transmissions occurred from the time of Mahakashyapa to the time of Bodhidharma, who is considered the First Patriarch of Chinese Chan. His teachings were transmitted through a single line for five generations until the time of the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng (638-713), whose many disciples established many branches, some of which still survive today. Master Sheng Yen is the 62nd lineage holder of Chan from Huineng and the 57th generation in the Linji (810-866) tradition. In the Caodong lineage, Master Sheng Yen is the 50th generation descendant of the co-founder, Master Dongshan (807-869).

　　Chan is not precisely the Buddhism brought by Bodhidharma from India, but Bodhidharma brought certain insights to China, and the Chan tradition is related to these. He taught that everything comes from the mind, that the nature of the mind is Buddha-nature, that Buddha-nature is inherent in every sentient being, and that the essential method for realizing this original nature is beholding the mind. These ideas were controversial when they were first presented in China, because they seemed to contradict the more complicated philosophies and practices of other Buddhist schools, but they are really just basic Buddhism, stripped to its essence.

　　There is a famous story about the enlightenment of Bodhidharma”s disciple Huike that illustrates the bare-bone nature of Bodhidharma”s Chan. Huike went to Bodhidharma and said, “Master, could you calm my mind for me

　　” Bodhidharma said, “Hand over your mind and I will calm it for you!” Huike searched within and then told Bodhidharma that he could not find his mind. Bodhidharma then said, “There, I have already calmed your mind for you.” This is the account of Huike”s enlightenment. Those of you who have been on retreat and suffered a lot of pain in your legs from sitting meditation apparently need not have done so. Unfortunately, you did not meet Bodhidharma.

　　Bodhidharma”s Two Entries and Four Practices

　　There is an important work attributed to Bodhidharma called The Two Entries and Four Practices, in which he details more explicitly what sentient beings must do to realize their true nature. The “two entries” are entry through principle and entry through practice. Entry through principle means directl…

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