Hui-k’o (Jap., Eka), 487-593; the second patriarch of Ch’an (Zen) in China. He was the dharma successor (hassu) of Bodhidharma and the master of Seng-ts’an. According to tradition Hui-k’o came to Shao-lin monas tery in about his fortieth year to ask Bodhidharma for instruction. It is said that initially Bodhidharma did not acknowledge him and Hui-k’o stood for several days in the snow in front of the cell (or cave) where the first patriarch was practicing zazen “facing the wall” (menpeki). In order to prove his earnestness to the Indian master of buddha-dharma and to induce the latter to accept him as a student, Hui-k’o fi n ally cut his own left arm off and presented it to Bodhidharma, who thereupon accepted him as a student. A renowned kōan, example 41 of the Wu-men-kuan, gives an account of the encounter between Bodhidharma and Hui-k’o:
Bodhidharma sat facing the wall.
The second patriarch, who had been standing in the snow, cut his own arm off and said, “The mind [heart, consciousness] of your student has still found no peace. I entreat you master, give it peace.”
Bodhidharma said, “Bring the mind here and I’ll pacify it.”
The second patriarch said, “I have searched for the mind, but in the end it can’t be found.”
Bodhidharma said, “Then I have completely pacified it.”
After six years of intensive meditative training under Bodhidharma, the latter confirmed Hui-k’o through inka-shōmei as his dharma successor and transmitted the patriarchate to him. Thus Hui-k’o became the twenty-ninth patriarch of the Ch’an (Zen) tradition (see Ch’an/Zen Lineage Table), or as is more usually said, the second patriarch of Ch’an (Zen) in China. The state of affairs marked by this transmission is presented in the Denkō-roku as follows:
The twenty-ninth patriarch Taiso Daishi [a Japanese name for Hui-k’o] served the twenty-eighth patriarch. One day he [Hui-k’o] went to the patriarch and said, “I have already ceased having anything to do with outer circumstances.” The patriarch [Bodhidharma] said, “Hasn’t everything been extinguished?” The master [Hui-k’o] said, “It hasn’t been extinguished.” The patriarch said, “What proof is there for that?” The master said, “Since I am always aware of it, no word can touch it.” The patriarch said, “That is just the spiritual body, known to all the buddhas. Have no doubt about it!”
Pui-k’o, who was originally called Seng-k’o, had the reputation of a scholar who was well versed in the writings of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. His book knowledge, however, gave him no satisfaction; and he felt himself ever more attracted to the practice of meditation, through which he could acquaint himself with the profound contents of the scriptures through his own experience. After Bodhidharma had transmitted the patriarchate to him and had died or left Shao-lin monastery, it is said that Hui-k’o remained there for a time and then disappeared, because he did not yet want to accept students. Rather he wanted to train further and to study the Lankāvatāra-sūtra, the importance of which Bodhidharma had stressed. It is said that during this periodhe lived among simple working people in order to develop the humility that should mark a master of the buddha-dharma. After a few years of the wandering life, he settled in Yeh-tu in north China and there taught the buddha-dharma according to his style. Here he probably met Seng-ts’an.
Hui-k’o’s unorthodox lifestyle and his great success as a master at last aroused the anger and envy of orthodox Buddhist circles, which in trigued against him and forced him to flee to south China to escape official persecution. Later he returned to the north and continued to live there until he died at the age of 106. According to some traditions, he was executed because he had once again aroused the envy of influential Buddhist priests. They induced the authorities to charge him with heresy and to condemn him to death.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
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External links: dharma / hassu / Bodhidharma / Seng-ts’an / zazen / menpeki / buddha-dharma / Denkō-roku / Confucianism / Taoism / Buddhism / Lankāvatāra-sūtra