seventh world of chan buddhism - Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun

ecstatic beggars ambling through their estates. All of these reactions were predictable: To
any upper class, a classless society has little to commend it.
In inland, heavily populated northern cities, where long and bitter winters were the
scrims and scrolls of so much tragedy, those who controlled the granary controlled the
destinies of both gods and men. Buddhism could not get very far for so long as the ruling
class ruled against it.
But in the rural south, food was abundant all year round and markets were not
monopolized. Salvation through individual effort, asceticism and filial divorcement was
already legitimatized by Daoism's (and all yoga's) ideal of disciplined retreat. Although a
lack of cash for weaponry and a need to be self-reliant had conspired to create Daoist/ Indian
martial arts, a non-violent nature was still an indispensable characteristic of the man of Dao;
and reincarnation could hardly pose a threat to any man who believed he could obtain
immortality in his present life. Begging was not regarded as a fit occupation for anyone; but
since the man of Dao was not, by definition, a Confucian aristocrat, he was quite used to
working. Being of such humble station, he did not require those additional self-effacements
obtainable through begging's spiritual exercise. Besides, in the sparsely populated south, the
remoteness of most Dao retreats served to moot the issue. There weren't too many people
around to beg from.
But when the Han dynasty fell in A.D. 220 as northern barbarians invaded and seized
power, the old Confucian guard became an enemy of the new state. The spectacular success
of Buddhism in the lands from which it had emigrated did not go unnoticed by the new elite.
Orthodox Buddhism found immediate favor at the Imperial court. Everyone welcomed the
tons of scripture that were being carried in on the backs of camel, horse, pilgrim.
Buddhism had entered North China through a commercial network. In natural tandem
with this commerce had grown a continuously enlarging class of merchants and urban
artisans who operated outside the feudal system and the niceties of Confucian privilege.
Since serfs create no markets, lest it be in serfs themselves, merchants were happy to support
any institution which promoted social freedom - thereby increasing customer volume - and
which also advocated easy pardon for transgressions. (Recall the harsh punishments imposed
for giving short measure.)
When northern, non-Chinese dynasties converted to Buddhism they took with them
this host of eager merchants and a small army of unemployed theologians who, to their
everlasting delight, quickly discovered in the diversity and inconsistency of this mountain of
imported scriptures, a treasure trove, a glory hole, a motherlode of argumentation.
Several scriptures emerged as favorites among the northern clergy: the Vinaya (rules
governing monastic life), which relieved them of work, taxes, military service and the
onerous hazards of civilian law; the Lotus Sutra, an exposition of Mahayana truth; and the
Lankavatara, the `consciousness doctrine' sutra. The Canon, as translated, was not endearing.
CHAPTER 4 ORIGINS OF THE TWO MAIN SCHOOLS OF CHAN
S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM
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