Ts’ao-shan Pen-chi (Jap., Sōzan Honjaku), 840-901. Chinese Ch’an (Zen) master; a student
and dharma successor (hassu) of Tung shan Ling-chieh (Jap., Tōzan Ryōkai). Together with his master Tung-shan, Ts’ao-shan founded the Ts’ao-tung school (Jap., Sōtō school) of Ch’an (Zen), the name of which is derived from the first characters of the names of the two masters. The Sōtō school is one of the two schools of Zen still active in Japan today. We encounter Ts’ao-shan in example 10 of the Wu-men-kuan. His teachings and sayings are contained in the Fu-chou Ts ‘ao-shan Pen-chi ch ‘an-shih yu-lu (Record of the Words of Ch’an Master Ts’ao-shan Pen-chi from Fu-chou).
Ts’ao-shan, who in his youth studied the Confucian classics, left his home at the age of nineteen and became a Buddhist monk. At twenty-five he received full ordination. He lived in the monastery on Ling-shih Mountain in Fu-chou and often visited the public discourses on buddha-dharma of Master Tung-shan in Kiangsi. One day a mondō took place between Tung-shan and Ts’ao-shan through which the master recognized Ts’ao-shan’s potential and accepted him as a student.
Under Tung-shan, Ts’ao-shan came to profound enlightenment. As he took his leave of Tung-shan, the following exchange took place, which is recorded in the Ching-te ch’uan-teng-lu:
Tung-shan said, “Where are you going?”
Ts’ao-shan said, “To where there’s no change.”
Tung-shan said, “How can you go to where there’s no change?”
Ts’ao-shan said, “My going is no change.”
After his departure from Tung-shan, Ts’ao-shan wandered through the country and instructed people in the buddha-dharma in accordance with the circumstances that presented themselves. Finally he was invited to take up residence in a monastery on Ts’ao shan (Mount Ts’ao), from which his name derives. Later he lived on Mount Ho-yu; in both places a great host of students gathered about him.
In example 10 of the Wu-men-kuan, we see Ts’ao-shan in a – hossen with his student Ch’ing-jui (Jap., Seizei):
A monk once came to Master Ts’ao-shan [and said],
“Ching-jui [himself] is very lonely and miserable. Please be so kind as to help me to get ahead.”
Ts’ao-shan said, “Āchārya [ajari] Jui!”
Ch’ing-jui said, “Yes!?”
Ts’ao-shan said, “You have already drunk three cups of superb wine from the house of Pai of Ch’uan chou, and still you’re saying that you haven’t wet your lips!”
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Books on Ts’ao-shan Pen-chi
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