Publish Date:2015-03-19
Huike became the Second Patriarch of Zen Buddhism, which developed with much difficulty due to the difference betweenBodhidharma's way and the way was popular in northern China. The situation lasted in the period of the Second Patriarch Huike to the Third Patriarch Sengcan till the Fouth Patriarch Daoxin and the Fifth Patriarch Hongren, when Bodhidharma's way was introduced to Huangmei area in Hubei Province. Daoxin taught Zen Buddhism at Shuangfeng(twin peaks) Mounatain attracted more than five hundred laypeople and monks. One day Daoxin met a boy on a road in Huangmei and asked,"What's your surname?" The boy replied,"I do have essence(in Chinese surname(姓) is homophone of essence(性)", but not a common one." Daoxin said, "What's it?" The boy said,"It's the essence of Buddhahood." Astonished Daoxin asked again,"How come you don't have a surname?" The boy answered,"Because essence is void." With this Daoxin firmly believed the boy had some potential for the spiritual enlightenment lead to truth and led him convert to Buddhism. Years later the boy became the Fifth Patriarch Hongren, who succeeded Daoxin's seat of teaching Zen Buddhism at Shuangfeng(twin peaks)Mountain. Due to students increased with each passing day, he set up a new temple for teaching at Fengmao Mountain, named it Dongshan(east mountain)Temple. It is called Dongshan Famen. The reputation of Bodhidharma's Zen Buddhism began to overwhelm other schools at that period.(Essay:Liu Tao Chinese Zen Buddhism)
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