Enlightenment of Tendai masters

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User 3495
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Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 5:50 pm

Enlightenment of Tendai masters

Post by User 3495 »

Hello everyone

Many traditions have recorded the enlightenment experiences of accomplished masters - Nichiren's experience at Tatsunokuchi, Honen's reading of Shandao's commentary on the Meditation Sutra, Dogen listening to Tiantong Rujing admonishing another monk etc.

What are the enlightenment experiences of the great Tendai masters like Saicho, Ennin, Annen, Ryogen and Genchin? I read that Saicho made vows not to engage in worldly pursuits and donor's meetings until he achieves enlightenment and later in life he participated in those meetings. I never read about the actual story behind his enlightenment though.
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Queequeg
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Re: Enlightenment of Tendai masters

Post by Queequeg »

Zhiyi - According to Hurvitz, Zhiyi went to Mt. Ta Xian to study with Nanyue Huisi. There, Zhiyi studied the Lotus and meditation as taught by Huisi. When Zhiyi reached the Bhaisajyaraja chapter describing the self-immolation practice of Bodhisattva Sarvsattvapriyadarchana, his "body and mind were emptied and he entered, quiescent, into contemplation... His understanding of the Lotus was like a high light shining into a dark valley; his attainment to the nature of the dharmas resembled a long wind coursing through a great empty space." Thereafter, Huisi confirmed his awakening and then retired to Mt. Nanyue, leaving the sangha in Zhiyi's care.

I can't find it now, but I recall reading that when Saicho first retreated to Mt. Hiei as a young, newly ordained monk, he spent a night in a hut during a harrowing storm and attained some awakening that night. Maybe someone else knows these details.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
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FromTheEarth
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Re: Enlightenment of Tendai masters

Post by FromTheEarth »

Not a strictly Tendai one but...

Nanyue Huisi, Ven. Zhiyi's teacher, has the following experience according to Daoxuan,
又於來夏束身長坐繫念在前。始三七日發少靜觀。見一生來善惡業相。因此驚嗟倍復勇猛。遂動八觸發本初禪自此禪障忽起。四肢緩弱不勝行步。身不隨心。即自觀察。我今病者皆從業生。業由心起。本無外境。反見心源業非可得。身如雲影相有體空。如是觀已。顛倒想滅。心性清淨。所苦消除。又發空定心境廓然。夏竟受歲慨無所獲自傷昏沈。生為空過深懷慚愧。放身倚壁。背未至間霍爾開悟。法華三昧大乘法門一念明達。十六特勝背捨除入。便自通徹不由他悟。
My translation:

...(previously, he had auspicious dreams of meeting with Amitabha and Maitreya due to his assiduous practice. Then he came to follow Ven. Huiwen, and there, within Huiwen's order, practiced hard for at least a year but accomplished little.) The next summer, Huisi straightened his body, sat tightly, and established mindfulness. In the first 21 days, he came to develop moderate meditational accomplishments, seeing the good and bad karma of his throughout this life. He was, consequently, very much amazed and became even more industrious. His practice then resulted in the arousal of the eight feelings/touches, and then the first jhana. All of a sudden, the meditational obstacles also arose. Huisi's limbs were enfeebled and he could barely walk. His body no longer answered to the command of the mind.
Huisi then reflected, "all my current illness resulted from my karma, while the karma resulted from my mind. There has been no world external (to one's mind). When one contemplates on its mental origin, karma cannot be found. The body is like the shadow of the clouds. It has appearances but its essence is just emptiness." His illusory thoughts then vanished, and his mind became clear and pure. His sufferings no longer troubled him. Huisi then developed the meditation of emptiness. His mind became apathetic and profound.
By the end of the 90-day rains retreat, however, he was distressed as he had not yet made concrete achievements (toward enlightenment). He regretted over his lassitude, and his life was to be wasted. Being deeply ashamed, he relaxed his body and was about to lean toward the wall behind him. Before his back reached the wall, however, he suddenly achieved enlightenment. He now could master the Lotus Samadhi and Mahayana teachings in a single thought. Without others' instructions, he directly mastered the sixteen extraordinary methods of meditation, eight meditations for emancipation, and the eight spheres of mastery (all three are advanced methods of meditation).
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