Foyan Qingyuan (1067–1120) was an important master of
Chan Buddhism
Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit '' dhyāna'' (meaning " meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming especially popular during the Tang and Song ...
in the Yangqi branch of the
Linji School
The Línjì school () is a school of Chan Buddhism named after Linji Yixuan (d. 866). It took prominence in Song dynasty, Song China (960–1279), spread to Japan as the Rinzai school and influenced the nine mountain schools of Korean Seon.
Hi ...
. He was a student of
Wuzu Fayan (d. 1104), and was known as one of the "three Buddhas of East Mountain" (the mountain whose famous former resident had been the 5th Chan patriarch
Hongren), along with his dharma brothers,
Yuanwu Keqin and
Taiping Huiqin (1059–1117).
Teachings
Foyan emphasized independence and autonomy in his teachings, wishing for his students to be able to stand on their own feet. He said, "What do you go to a 'Zen center' for? You should make a living on your own, and not listen to what others say." He was critical of dependence on teachers, as can be seen in the following story, told by Foyan thus:
In addition to his emphasis on independence and autonomy, Foyan was also critical of reliance on public cases and ''
gong'an
Gong'an County () is a county in southern Hubei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hunan to the south. It is under the administration of Jingzhou City.
History
During the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era, Gong'an County was k ...
'' stories, arguing that such things did not exist during the time of
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and is regarded as its first Chinese Lineage (Buddhism), patriarch. ...
. He said, "In other places they like to have people look at model case stories, but here we have the model case story of what is presently coming into being; you should look at it, but no one can make you see all the way through such an immense affair."
An important theme repeated throughout Foyan's teachings is that of "saving energy." For example:
Similarly, Foyan said:
On the other hand, Foyan taught that while seeking was no different from nonseeking made one no different from inert matter. Thus, Foyan taught that one should harmonize seeking and nonseeking. He said,
[Instant Zen: Waking Up in the Present, translated by Thomas Cleary, page 78, North Atlantic Books, 1994]
References
{{reflist, 3
Chan Buddhism