Huangbo Xiyun

• Name — Huangbo Xiyun • Born — unknown • Birthplace — China • Died — 850 • Place of death — Mount Huangbo • Religion — Buddhism • School — Ch'an • Lineage — Hung-chou school • Title — Ch'an master • Predecessor — Baizhang Huaihai

Huangbo began his monastic life on Mount Huangbo in Fujian province, receiving the Buddhist name Xiyun (Hsi-yun). As was the custom of the times, he traveled around seeking instructions from various Chan masters. He visited Mt. Tiantai and sought teachings from the National Teacher Nanyang Huizhong (Wade–Giles: Nan-yang Hui-chung; Japanese: Nan’yō Echū). At some point he may also have studied under Nanquan Puyuan (748–835) (Wade–Giles: Nan-ch’üan P’u-yüan; Japanese: Nansen Fugan), a student of Mazu Daoyi (Wade–Giles: Ma-tsu Tao-i; Japanese: Baso Dōitsu) (709–788) However, Huangbo's main teacher was Baizhang Huaihai (Wade–Giles: Pai-chang Huai-hai; Japanese: Hyakujo Ekai), another Mazu student, and it was from Baizhang that Huangbo received Dharma transmission. According to Yuanwu Keqin's commentary in The Blue Cliff Record, when Huangbo first met Baizhang, Baizhang exclaimed, “Magnificent! Imposing! Where have you come from?” Huangbo replied, “Magnificent and imposing, I’ve come from the mountains.”

In 842, a jiedushi official in Jiangxi province, Pei Xiu (Wade–Giles: P’ei Hsiu) (787 or 797–860), invited Huangbo to take up residence at Longxing Monastery. Pei was an ardent student of Chan and received teachings from Huangbo, eventually building a monastery for Huangbo around 846, which the master named Huangbo after the mountain where he had been a novice monk.

Before Huangbo died, he named thirteen successors, the most prominent of which was Linji Yixuan. He was given the posthumous title (probably under the urging of Pei Xiu who became chief minister of the central government in 853) of “Chan Master Without Limits” (Tuan Chi Ch’an Shih). John Blofeld says he died on Mount Huangbo during the Dazhong era (大中) of the Tang dynasty, or between 847 and 859. Blofeld says his memorial pagoda is "The Tower of Spacious Karma" and that it was Emperor Xuanzong who gave him the title "The Chan Master Who Destroys All Limitations".

Huangbo's teaching centered on the concept of "mind" (Chinese: 心 xin), a central issue for Buddhism since its inception. He taught that mind cannot be sought by the mind. One of his most important sayings was "mind is the Buddha." As such, Buddha and sentient beings are "One Mind." He says: All the Buddhas and all sentient beings are nothing but the One Mind, beside which nothing exists. The One Mind alone is the Buddha, and there is no distinction between the Buddha and sentient beings. Huangbo explains that the One Mind is without color, form, or characteristics. He says, "What is right in front of you — that is it." According to Huangbo, "This mind is bright and clear like empty space; it has not even the slightest mark or appearance." Huangbo says: To awaken suddenly to the fact that your own Mind is the Buddha, that there is nothing to be attained or a single action to be performed – this is the Supreme Way. As Buddhas and sentient beings are One Mind, Huangbo firmly rejected all dualism between "ordinary" and "enlightened" states:

Huangbo connected the One Mind with the single spiritual brilliance (or one pure radiance) of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, which divides to become the six sense spheres. According to Huangbo, if one can recognize that the eighteen realms (the six sense organs, six sense objects, and corresponding six consciousnesses) have no objective existence, then the six sensory capabilities will be just a single spiritual brilliance. Huangbo likened mind to the sun which shines spontaneously (ziran), "shining without intending to shine." That is, for Huangbo, when one transcends the dharmas of being and non-being, one's mind is like the sun whose brilliance shines naturally, and this requires no effort. According to Huangbo, since the pure mind is "perfectly bright, its radiance illuminating everywhere," it is thus like the sun in the sky shining in all directions without obstruction. It is only because sentient beings are blinded by their seeing, hearing, sensing and knowing, that they fail to perceive the original essence, which Huangbo describes as "seminal and bright." However, while the original mind is not involved with seeing, hearing, sensing and knowing; at the same time, neither does it exist separately. Thus, for Huangbo, one should not intellectualize or form thoughts on the basis of one's perceptions, and yet neither should one abandon them to seek the original mind elsewhere. In this way, Huangbo says, "there is nowhere that is not the site of enlightenment." Similarly, Huangbo said: Consider the sunlight. You may say it is near, yet if you follow it from world to world you will never catch it in your hands. Then you may describe it as far away and, lo, you will see it just before your eyes. Follow it and, behold, it escapes you; run from it and it follows you close. You can neither possess it nor have done with it. From this example you can understand how it is with the true Nature of all things and, henceforth, there will be no need to grieve or to worry about such things.

Since all is Buddha-mind, all actions reflect the Buddha, are actions of a Buddha. Huangbo’s teaching on this reflected the Indian concept of the tathāgatagarbha, the idea that within all beings is the nature of the Buddha. Therefore, Huangbo taught that seeking the Buddha was futile as the Buddha resided within: If you know positively that all sentient beings are already one with Bodhi [enlightenment, Supreme Wisdom], you will cease thinking of Bodhi as something to be attained. Huangbo was adamant that any form of “seeking” was not only useless, but obstructed clarity: Sentient beings are attached to forms and so seek externally for Buddhahood. By their very seeking they lose it. Furthermore, he claimed that 'Studying the Way’ is just a figure of speech [...] In fact, the Way is not something which can be studied. You must not allow this name [the Way] to lead you into forming a mental concept of a road.

Huangbo was also noted for the manner of his teaching, incorporating the hitting and shouting pioneered by Mazu. There are a number of instances in the record of Huangbo slapping students. The Blue Cliff Record tells the story of the future emperor of China, hiding in the Chan community as a novice monk, receiving slaps from Huangbo for questioning why Huangbo was bowing to an image of the Buddha. The most famous instance was when Linji Yixuan was directed by the head monk, Muzhou Daoming, to question Huangbo on the meaning of Buddhism after Linji had been practicing in Huangbo’s monastery for three years without an interview. Three times Linji went to Huangbo and three times the only answer he got was a slap. His apparent disrespect was extended to his own position:

While Huangbo was an uncompromising and somewhat fearsome Chan teacher, he understood the nature of fear in students when they heard the doctrine of emptiness and the Void: Those who hasten towards it [the Void] dare not enter, fearing to hurtle down through the void with nothing to cling to or to stay their fall. So they look to the brink and retreat. He taught that "no activity" was the gateway of his Dharma but that All who reach this gate fear to enter. [To overcome this fear, one] must enter it with the suddenness of a knife-thrust.

The authorities additionally record the headings Shi Xiyun, Huangbo heshang, Duanji chanshi and Xiyun. His recorded confession was Buddhism.