止觀輔行傳弘決 1.43

1.43

Next, regarding "Nanyue served Huiwen" and so forth: This clarifies what Nanyue inherited and Master Wen's virtuous practice, of which no original biography has been seen. As for "Gao of Qi": Qi was the dynastic title, and Gao refers to Gaozu. He was a man of Bohai, of the Gao surname, a descendant of the Qi grand master Gao Xi. After Gao Huan came Cheng, and next Yang, who then received the abdication from Wei and made Ye his capital, in Xiangzhou; this was the Northern Qi. Having no rival in transforming others, it is therefore said that he "strode alone." "He" refers to north of the Yellow River, and "Huai" refers to south of the Huai River. Practicing and teaching in the world, it is nonetheless said that "he was not known to the world"; this clarifies that what he realized was so profound that it was not known to others. If we refer to the methods used in the transmission through the nine masters: The first, named Ming, mostly used the seven skillful means—likely the seven skillful means of the Hīnayāna, for prior to Zhizhe no one had ever established the seven skillful means of the perfect school. The second, named Zui, mostly used the fusing mind: the nature is fused, the marks are fused, and all phenomena are unhindered. The third, named Song, mostly used the original mind: across the three times there is originally no coming or going, and the true nature is unmoving. The fourth, named Jiu, mostly used the quiet mind. The fifth, named Jian, mostly used the comprehending mind: able to contemplate single suchness. The sixth, named Hui, mostly used the treading mind: inner, outer, and intermediate mind are unobtainable; utterly pure, resting the mind in five places. The seventh, named Wen, mostly used the awakening mind: repeatedly contemplating samādhi, the samādhi of cessation, and unobstructed samādhi, having no discrimination of mind toward all phenomena. The eighth, named Si, was mostly like the easeful practices following one's own intention. The ninth, named Yi, used gradual contemplation as in the Ci di chan men, indeterminate contemplation as in the Liu miao men, and perfect and sudden contemplation as in the Da zhiguan. Viewing it in this light, although it is said that the transmitted Dharma methods shifted and changed, since Huiwen onward they relied on the Dazhidulun, so we know that what preceded was not what was inherited; therefore it now praises the Dharma practiced by Wen, saying it was not known to the world. Regarding "stepping on the earth, how thick it is": this clarifies Master Wen's Dharma practicing in the world, like one who steps on the earth without knowing the thickness of the earth, or bears the sky without knowing the height of the sky.