Chan and Enlightenment 禪與悟(英文版)

What is generally referred to as “enlightenment” signifies understanding, being inspired, awakening, and corresponding. “Understanding” means that what was not known previously is now known. You probably had the experience of being teased as a child, when someone covered your eyes from behind and said, “Guess who?” You tried hard but simply could not guess who. Finally they let go and you turned around to look: “So, it’s you!” That is enlightenment in the sense that what was previously unknown is now known.

What about being “inspired?” There is something you don’t understand no matter how hard someone tries to explain it. They give you some hints and suggestions, maybe using analogies or other methods, so you can see it from another angle. When you finally understand, that is being inspired.

What about “awakening?” Originally you may be clueless and muddle-headed, but once reminded by someone you will suddenly see the light, saying, “So that’s how it is. I did not know it before, but I know it now.”

The Chinese word for “corresponding” means to be “in front of ” someone. You may have had the experience of sitting face-to-face with someone, yet you don’t know who that person is. Four months ago a public official from Taipei wanted to take refuge in the Three Jewels.

Since a close friend of his wife is a lay disciple of mine, he decided to take refuge with me and came to Beitou. After the ceremony I invited him to the parlor. He saw the words “Master Sheng Yen” on the scroll hung on the wall, and exclaimed in surprise, “Ah, you are Master Sheng Yen!”

The enlightenment that Buddhism speaks of can be illustrated by the Mahayana sutras. For example, the Shurangama Sutra says that deluded people are walking on the road of delusion, whereas enlightened people attain enlightenment from being in the midst of delusion; they need someone to point out to them how to convert themselves from delusion and attain enlightenment. The chapter on “Skillful Means” in the Lotus Sutra says that there are definitely causes for the buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, to appear in the world. What are the causes? They are to disclose the Buddha’s insightful views to sentient beings, allow them to attain the ultimate purity, enable them to know what the Buddha’s insightful views are, and, eventually, cause them to enter the Buddha’s insightful views.

Therefore, the Tiantai School says that the Buddha’s appearing in the world can be put in four words: “disclosing, showing, awakening, and entering.” This means the Buddha came to disclose his insightful views to sentient beings, to show them his insightful views, to make them awaken to his insightful views, and then to enter into his insightful views. In Chinese we refer to the Dharma talks given by Dharma masters as kaishi, which means disclosing and showing, precisely as discussed above. You can say that I am here tonight to disclose and show the Buddha’s insightful views to you, and enable you to awaken to and enter the Buddha’s insightful views. Based on the Lotus Sutra’s definition, all Buddhist teachings are meant to enable sentient beings to awaken to and enter the Buddha’s insightful views. Now, what are the Buddha’s insightful views? They are views of the formlessness of self, of others, of sentient beings, and of lifespan (the cycle of birth-and-death). No-form is the true form (reality), which means no-self, as well as no-attachment.

As far as the patriarchs of Chan are concerned, it is just as what Chan Master Foyan said, “Deluded people are deluded amidst enlightenment, while enlightened people are enlightened amidst delusion. The enlightened know the direction, while the deluded take the south for the north.” Delusion and enlightenment are actually the same thing. Nevertheless, deluded people are always unable to let go and cast aside, and reluctant to give away, whereas enlightened people feel that all things are innately natural. Greed is a bad thing, and greediness is a kind of vexation, especially the craving for wealth. One may also crave other things such as sleep, profit, reputation, sex, and status, but as long as one craves anything it is a bad thing and there is no exception. Someone asked me, “If trying to get money is greedy, then does that mean that I should not do business? Doesn’t Buddhism also encourage people to give and perform meritorious deeds by donating money? Isn’t that also greed?” I replied, “If the money donated to the temple goes into my pocket and I employ it for my personal use, then it is greed.”

If I employ the money to sustain the activities of the monastery, and these activities are for spreading the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings, then it should not be called greed. Another person asked, “After my company has earned a profit we use it to show gratitude and contribute to society. When we run our business, it is also for the benefit of the general public. So is it also called greed?” I answered, “Of course not.” Therefore, whenever one pursues something with a self-centered purpose it is called greed, while anything that one carries out not for one’s own sake or for the self is not called greed. The enlightenment that the Chan patriarchs talked about refers to attaining the realization that we do not need to cling to the possession a self center, so that we can let go of everything. Only people who are able to let go can take up great responsibilities. In other words, the more one is able to let go, the broader one’s mind will be, and the profounder one’s state of enlightenment.