Lushan Huiyuan
Great Master Huiyuan’s family name was Gu. His ancestral home was Loufan in Yanmen, in present-day Shanxi Province. He was born at Shijiazhuang in the Jiawu year, during the Yanxi reign of Emperor Cheng of the Jin dynasty. The names of both parents are unknown.
At that time, though it was still the era of the Five Hu and there was social turmoil, the ethical teachings of sages had already spread for a long time. From childhood, he was therefore steeped in a refined moral upbringing.
In the 9th year of the Xianhe era, at age thirteen, his parents sent him to study in the Xuluo region. Before long, from Confucianism to the teachings of Laozi, Zhuangzi, and the various schools, he became exceptionally eloquent and deeply learned.
During the Jingping era, at age twenty-one, he felt that the doctrines he had mastered could not resolve the issue of life, death, and rebirth. With this constant concern in mind, he planned to travel in search of the Way together with the recluse Fan Xuanzhi. But because of the Shi Hu disturbances, transportation routes were blocked and the plan could not be carried out.
Later, Dharma Master Dao’an was residing at Nghiệp Trung Monastery in the Taihang Mountains of the Hengshan range, gathering monks and teaching scriptures. Monastics and laypeople, rulers and officials, scholars and commoners were all moved and drawn to him. Hearing of Dao’an’s virtue, Huiyuan went to seek refuge and study under him.
After hearing Dharma Master Dao’an lecture on the Prajna sutras, Huiyuan attained clear understanding and exclaimed: “The Buddha-Dharma is truly vast and sublime. Compared with it, the teachings of Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi are like ashes and dregs!” From then on, he devoted himself day and night to reading, reciting, contemplating, and practicing. Dao’an praised him, saying: “In the future, the flourishing of Buddhism in this Eastern Land may well depend on this Huiyuan.”
In the 6th year of the Taiyuan era, the Great Master traveled to Xunyang in Jiangxi Province. Seeing from afar the broad and graceful scenery of Mount Lu as a suitable place for practice, he established a hermitage there. The place lacked water, and at that time there was also drought in the region, with streams dried up. Out of compassion, he went to a mountain ravine and recited the Hai Long Vuong Sutra, then struck the ground with his staff while making vows. Suddenly a white dragon leapt from the earth into the sky. Soon a heavy rain poured down, water levels returned to normal everywhere, and at that location a cool, clear spring appeared, winding and flowing.
Because of this event, he named the hermitage Long Tuyen. At that time Dharma Master Huiyong, a fellow disciple, was already residing at West Forest Monastery on the western side of Mount Lu and invited him to stay there together. But Huiyuan’s Dharma affinity was flourishing, and more and more students gathered around him. The land near West Forest was narrow and could not accommodate a large assembly. Seeing this, Grand Historian Huan Yi gave support and built a monastery for him on the eastern side of Mount Lu. Due to the Great Master’s spiritual virtue, when construction was about to begin, one night there came a violent storm with thunder shaking the sky. By morning, the assembly found building materials – large precious timbers and piles of sand and stone – already gathered. Because of this seemingly miraculous assistance, the monastery was named Donglin Shenyun Monastery (East Forest Monastery of Divine Transport).
After the monastery was completed, the Great Master personally led the community in diligent day-and-night practice. Before that time, fishermen in Guangzhou had seen a light at dusk appearing over the sea. They went to investigate and recovered a beautiful statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva, then reported it to the local governor Tao Kan. The statue was enshrined at Hanxi Monastery. Later, the abbot once went down to Xiakou and dreamed at night that his monastery had caught fire, while many dragon spirits were surrounding and protecting Manjushri’s shrine. He hurried back and indeed found the monastery burned to ruins, with only the statue intact.
Later, when Tao Kan was to take up another post, he wished to bring this highly efficacious statue with him. But no matter what method he tried, it could not be moved. Hearing of Master Huiyuan’s virtue, he visited him, recounted everything, and asked the Great Master to make prayers so the statue could be respectfully invited to Donglin Monastery. This time, unlike before, dragons and devas all gave support. A gentle wind arrived, the statue suddenly shifted, and the transfer became smooth and easy. The statue was enshrined in a separate, solemn place at Donglin, called the Manjushri Pavilion.
In front of the monastery, to make the scenery more elegant and to mark time intervals, the Great Master had a pond dug and planted with white lotuses. Twelve wooden lotus petals were floated on the water, with spring water led in and out. Each hour, water would fill and pass over one wooden petal. The assembly used this to regulate practice periods; it was called the Lotus Water Clock.
In time, eminent monks and renowned scholars who admired Huiyuan’s way came one after another to join the practice community, increasing daily. Among them were brilliant and distinguished figures, such as Xie Lingyun, who had formerly looked down on the world with contempt. Yet upon meeting the Great Master, they immediately became humble before his serene and liberated conduct and his elegant, penetrating discourse.
The Mount Lu region had long been infested with many venomous snakes that endangered local inhabitants. But since Donglin Monastery was established, these fierce snakes became docile and would day and night gather around the Great Master to hear sutra teachings. Because of this, people of the time honored him with the title “Sage of the Blue Serpents.”
From time to time, famous and talented scholars came to challenge him with difficult questions, including Dharma Master Huiyi and even Grand Marshal Huan Xuan. Yet when they came face-to-face with the Great Master’s broad and dignified presence, calm and self-possessed bearing, they suddenly lost composure, broke into sweat, and withdrew without daring to debate. Afterward, they would marvel and say: “Great Master Huiyuan has an extraordinary power to gather and subdue people. Truly worthy of deep respect!”
In the third year of Long’an and again at the beginning of Yuanxing in Eastern Jin, Regent Huan Xuan sent him two documents: one to suppress Buddhism and one to purge the monastic order. The content included many arguments claiming Buddhism was not beneficial to the state and was fantastical and impractical. During that period, the sangha across the country was constrained by these policies, and many monks had to return to lay life. The Great Master replied in sequence with strong and appropriate reasoning, so those policies could not be enforced in Jiangxi Province.
During the Yixi era, Emperor An traveled from Jiangling to Jiangxi. General He Wuji requested that the Great Master personally receive the emperor, but he declined on grounds of illness and weakness. In the second year of Yuanxing, Huan Xuan again sent a document, with many arguments requiring monks to bow to the king. The Great Master wrote a reply and composed the five-chapter Treatise on Why Monks Do Not Bow to Kings. The court respected his position and had to accept his view.
His moral virtue, spiritual responses, and contributions to protecting Buddhism were numerous; only a brief outline is given here. Even invisibly, these factors transformed Jiangxi into a Buddhist center in the South.
At Donglin, when free, the Great Master gathered the community and said: “All of you who come here to recite the Buddha’s name – are you not all resolved to plant good causes and seek rebirth in the Pure Land?” From this condition, he and the assembly invited skilled artisans, according to scriptural descriptions, to create images of the Western Three Saints. The three statues – Amitabha, Avalokitesvara, and Mahasthamaprapta – were made very large, beautiful, and fully endowed with dignified, majestic marks. These Three Saints were enshrined at the Prajna Terrace of Donglin.
On an early-autumn day in the Mau Thin year, at the dedication ceremony, the Great Master and all the assembly established the White Lotus Society, vowing to be reborn together in the Lotus Land. At that time, Liu Yimin composed a vow-text carved on stone. Other literati such as Wang Qiaozhi wrote a collection of poems titled Buddha-Recitation Samadhi to express their resolve. The Great Master wrote the preface as follows:
“What is samadhi? It is recollection made unified, and imagination made still. When recollection is unified, resolve and mind become one. When imagination is still, vital energy becomes clear and spirit bright. When energy is clear, wisdom illuminates and awakens to subtle truth. When spirit is bright, there is no hidden place that is not penetrated. These two naturally and silently harmonize, and from reliance on them wondrous function arises.
“Moreover, among samadhi methods there are many categories. In terms of supreme efficacy and ease of practice, Buddha-recitation is foremost. Why? Because only by entering profound stillness can one understand the Tathagata, unite in essence with the numinous, and respond throughout the ten directions. Therefore, when entering samadhi, one becomes quietly free of discriminative knowing, while luminous wisdom reflects conditions and the mirror of mind displays myriad forms. Though one cannot physically reach that pure cool realm, one can still see and hear it. In the still clarity of numinous wisdom, there is continual access and penetration. If one’s faculties are not keen and responsive, how could one enter such subtle mystery?
“Today, practicing together with worthy companions, we jointly form this Dharma affinity. We wash our hearts at the Buddha-gate, yet still fear our lotus affinity may be shallow. We focus morning and night, moved by the passing of days that never return. May the aspiration of the three vehicles become unobstructed, and the steps on the path rise higher. We also wish to guide later generations, clearing away contentious paths.
“Please read this text and grasp its intent; do not follow merely poetic expression for entertainment.”
Seeing that the southeastern region still lacked many scriptures, the Great Master sent disciples such as Faxing and Faling, along with others, to cross the Congling range and go to India to seek Sanskrit texts. After many years of crossing rivers and mountains, enduring sun and rain and every hardship, the scripture-seeking group finally returned from the Western Regions with many desired results. However, the originals were in Sanskrit. Great Master Huiyuan then sent people to Chang’an to invite the Venerable Buddhabhadra and others to Mount Lu to translate these scriptures. He also wrote to invite Venerable Dharmaruci from India to translate the Ten Recitation Vinaya. At that time, nearly one hundred scriptures and vinaya texts circulated from Mount Lu.
Although he promoted the Pure Land path, the Great Master also paid attention to other Dharma methods, wrote many prefaces to sutras and treatises, and completed several works including:
- Summary of the Mahaprajna Treatise (20 fascicles)
- Treatise on Dharma Nature
- Treatise on Why Monks Do Not Bow to Kings
- Chapter on Mahayana Meaning (3 fascicles)
- Treatise Explaining the Triple Gem
- Treatise Clarifying Karmic Response
- Treatise on Monastic Simplicity and Attire
- Treatise Distinguishing Mind and Consciousness
- Hymn to the Buddha Image
- Travel Poems of Mount Lu
- Brief Record of Mount Lu
- Record of Mountain Journeys
In addition, many of his letters and Buddhist debates with Venerable Kumarajiva, Liu Yimin, Dai An, and other scholars were widely transmitted at that time. In his Treatise on Dharma Nature, the Great Master expounded the principle of Nirvana as Eternal Abiding. When this treatise reached Guanzhong, Dharma Master Kumarajiva read it and praised: “Excellent! Great Master Huiyuan lives in a frontier region and has not read the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, yet his discourse silently accords with true principle. Is this not marvelous?”
The White Lotus Society founded by the Great Master gathered more than three thousand people, among whom 123 were honored as Worthies. Among these 123 Worthies, there were 18 leading figures known as the Eighteen Great Worthies of Donglin:
- Great Master Huiyuan
- Dharma Master Huiyong
- Dharma Master Huichi
- Dharma Master Daosheng
- Venerable Buddhayasas
- Venerable Buddhabhadra
- Dharma Master Huiyue
- Dharma Master Damshun
- Dharma Master Daojing
- Dharma Master Damhang
- Dharma Master Daobing
- Dharma Master Damtien
- Scholar Liu Yimin
- Scholar Lei Thu Ton
- Scholar Sun Bing
- Scholar Wang Ye
- Scholar Wang Quan
- Scholar Zhou Xuzhi
The Great Master lived on Mount Lu for more than thirty years, never stepping beyond the mountain. He refused all unnecessary contact with worldly affairs, vowing to resolve the great matter of birth and death in this very life. When visitors came, upon their departure he would escort them only as far as the Tiger Stream bridge in front of the monastery, then return.
On one occasion, two famous figures – the Confucian Tao Yuanming and the Daoist Lu Xiujing – came to visit. Their discussion was deeply in accord, and while seeing them off, the Great Master, without noticing, crossed beyond the stream bridge. Just then the setting sun suddenly cast their shadows on the mountainside. All three awakened at once, looked at one another, laughed together, and then parted. Later generations built the Pavilion of Three Laughs there in commemoration. In One Yuan’s One Hundred Western Verses, the event is recorded:
The Buddha’s ancient teaching first arose in the West,
Then spread Eastward as the White Lotus school was opened.
Eighteen great worthies became its leading elders,
At Tiger Stream, the three laughs are still transmitted to this day.
At Donglin, morning and evening, the Great Master constantly contemplated in stillness and focused wholeheartedly on the Pure Land. He saw sacred signs three times but, being deep and reserved, did not speak of them.
In the twelfth year of Yixi, on the night of the thirtieth day of the seventh month, he sat in meditation at the Prajna Terrace. Just as he opened his eyes from samadhi, he suddenly saw Amitabha Buddha, golden in color, filling all space. Within the circular radiance appeared countless transformed Buddhas, each attended on left and right by Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta.
He also saw waters dividing into fourteen streams, rising and falling in winding currents, emitting beautiful rays of light while teaching the Dharma of Suffering, Emptiness, Impermanence, and Non-self. The Buddha told him: “By the power of my original vow, I have come to comfort you. After seven days, you will be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.”
The Great Master also saw former companions from the Lotus Society who had already passed away – such as Buddhayasas, Huichi, Huiyong, and Liu Yimin – all standing behind the Buddha. They stepped forward, joined palms, greeted him, and said: “You set forth your resolve earlier than we did. Why then are you returning later?”
The next day, the Great Master felt slightly ill, called disciples Faxing and Huibao, recounted this, and said: “At Mount Lu, during my first eleven years, I saw sacred signs and extraordinary omens three times. Now that such signs appear again, surely the condition for Pure Land rebirth has reached its time.” He then gave instructions for later matters and drafted regulations to admonish and encourage the assembly in diligent practice.
During his illness, the monks advised him to use medicinal wine as a skillful treatment. The Great Master refused, saying: “The human body is like an illusion. I vow to keep the precepts fully pure.” The elders then asked him to take rice-water gruel, but he said it could not be done because noon had passed. They then requested that he take honey. The Great Master replied: “Please open the Vinaya and see whether this is permitted.” Before the Vinaya masters finished checking, he had already passed away.
This occurred on the 6th day of the 8th month in the Bing Thin year, twelfth year of Yixi. The Great Master was 83 years old.
Governor of Xunyang, Nguyen Bao, together with the assembly, performed his funeral rites and built his stupa on the western side of Mount Lu. Emperor An of Jin, upon hearing the news, deeply grieved and conferred on the Great Master the posthumous titles: “Venerable of Mount Lu, Grand Chamberlain of the Imperial Court, Founder of the White Lotus Society.” Later emperors also conferred honors in remembrance of his merit in protecting the Dharma and bringing peace to the people.