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Worship of Buddha

THERE WAS once a master by the name of Huang Nieh who paid a visit to Ch'an master Yen Kuang. Entering the temple, he knelt respectfully before a statue of Buddha. At this time, a young emperor of the T'ang dynasty named Hsuan Tsung was attending his religious service there as a novice. By chance, he was in the Buddha Hall and saw everything Huang Nieh performed.

"For one who seeks the Truth," Hsuan Tsung then dared to say, "there is no need to worship Buddha or become a monk, or be an adherent of any teaching. Say, Master, why do you pay your respects to the statue of Buddha?"

"Since I need not worship Buddha, or become a monk, or be an adherent of any teaching, I do it," the master replied without delay. "I free myself, that's all."

After pondering the matter a considerable while, the novice asked, "What is the use of the forms of worship, master?"

Huang Nieh slapped him in the face in reply.

"Why, how rude!" the young emperor said, enraged. "How boorish you are!"

"Why?!" retorted the master. "You still dare to discuss who is boorish and who is not—this is really going too far!" said Huang Nieh, to the shame of Hsuan Tsung.

Commentary: In the Ch'an school there is a warning: "Those who recite the Buddha's name once have to rinse their mouths for three days." The Ch'an masters believe that seeing the nature of the self and attaining Buddhahood is a personal matter. It is not possible to realize the Truth by depending on others, including the Buddha. On the other hand, we know how often the Ch'an masters allow themselves to swear at Buddhas. In the Ch'an tradition, there is even the ritual of the burnt Buddha. All this is used to destroy any distinction between "I" and "Buddha" in the practitioner's mind, but not to profane the name of Buddha. Hsuan Tsung thought to himself, "I am the emperor." That is why, although a novice, he dared break into the elder master's worship, and was duly rebuffed. Through the slap, the master destroyed his concept of "emperor" and "subject," showing that the temple was a temple, not the imperial court.