The preciousness of the Lotus Sutra is that it shows us without concealment that all sentient beings possess the same luminous, subtle, complete and all-encompassing Mind Essence as the Buddha. Practicing based on this Mind-Essence will ensure success. Therefore, the most critical message of the sutra is to reveal, demonstrate, realize and penetrate into this Mind Essence of the Buddha. In order to urge practitioners to work hard and induce them to reflect, and assist future practitioners to progress on the path, the patriarchs from all generations have expounded and discoursed on various clarifications of subtle points regarding this most critical topic in various Zen records.
In the late Qing Dynasty, Master Fazu of Chishan, Nanjing was a great Master of Linji. His teaching and spiritual reputation spread far and wide, and great practitioners and well-known scholars, such as Yuelu, Chu Quan, etc. gathered under his tutelage in their spiritual quest and investigation. One day, the teacher came to the hall and announced: “The Buddha Selection Field is open to all the talented. Each of you shall show your true understanding.
This is where we pick the Buddha, train the dragons and elephants, not the place for having leisurely meal, sleep, or dozing off. Today, I’m going to test you. Let’s see who among you is the real hero, the elite of the lineage.
“The purpose of Lotus Sutra is to reveal, demonstrate, realize and penetrate into the Buddha’s insight. The ancestors of all generations, through their own unique visions and methods, laid out the profound, subtle meanings of the Sutra, which is a beautiful, inexhaustible sight. Everyone who read it have admired it and benefited immensely. But that’s the ancestors’ treasure, not your own. Picking up other people’s saliva and living on words and sentences is useless when it comes to realizing the Path. Today, I want you to say what each of you can say from your own heart to see who has true insight.”
After making the announcement, Fazu pulled out a bamboo stick with name from a tube and called out: “Chu Quan (the ancestor of the monk Laiguo in Yangzhou Gao Ming Temple), you tell us first. Reveal, how to reveal?”
Quan was speechless. Fazu scolded him: “What have you been doing here for many days?! This kind of contemplation is child’s play, wasting time with no hope of make a break through? Kneel down and contemplate!! ”
Fazu ordered the precentor to burn a stick of incense, strike the stop board, instruct everyone to contemplate together, and say he will question individually.
After the incense burned out, the precentor struck the board and ended the quiet period. Fazu asked Chu Quan, “How to reveal it?” Quan still couldn’t answer. Fazu sighed: “To contemplate like this, when will you ever find resolution!” Instructs Quan to keep kneeling down while contemplating.
After two sticks of incense, Quan is still speechless. Fazu won’t give up and scolded him: “If you can’t reveal it today, you will kneel here to your death! ” Poor Chu Quan was in a hurry. He knelt there and his knees were hurting, and beads of sweat as big as soybeans were dripping down. After the third incense stick is over, when the precentor hits the board, with that sound, Chu Quan suddenly had a realization and said loudly, “Yes, yes, it’s revealed.” Fazu asked, “How to reveal? Quan said, “Reveal the immanent.” Fazu followed with “Demonstrate?” Quan said, “Demonstrate there were originally nothing.” “Realize?” “Realize that there is neither being nor non-being.” “How to penetrate?” “Penetrate and emerge freely.” After hearing this, Fazu praised: “Good! This answer is handed in beautifully. If I don’t force you to work hard, how can you be scattered all day long and make any break through! It’s not in vain that you knelt three sticks of incense today.”
Fazu was overjoyed, followed by asking Yuexia (Yuexia is the dharma heir of Yekai Great Chan Master of Tianning Temple in Changzhou) and said: “Yuexia, try it, how to reveal, demonstrate, realize and penetrate?” Xia didn’t think about it and said, “I’ll borrow Brother Chu’s four answers for use.”
Fazu said, “How do you borrow it?” Xia said: “Open the immanent is the Dharma Realm of Noumenon; Demonstrate there were originally nothing is the Dharma Realm of Phenomena; realize that there is neither being nor non-being is the Dharma Realm of the Non-Obstruction of Noumenon and Phenomenon; Penetrate and emerge freely is the Dharma Realm of Non-Obstruction Among Phenomena.” Fazu praised loudly: “Good! It’s even a notch above Chu Quan. This is indeed a Buddha Selection Field. Today, two Buddhas were selected at once.”