6th Patriarch Great Master Yongming Yanshou 六祖永明延寿大师
In Chinese Buddhism, Amitabha Buddha’s birthday is set on the 17th day of the 11th lunar month every year, which is the birthday of the sixth Pure Land Patriarch Master Yongming Yanshou, who is officially recognised as the incarnation of Amitabha Buddha in our world (like the second patriarch Master Shandao). Hence, this date was chosen because of Master Yongming Yanshou’s birthday.
Great Master Yongming Yanshou （永明延寿, whose name literally means “forever bright and long lifespan”, i.e. Infinite Light and Life) was born in 904 C.E. to a Wang family in Qiantang (钱塘 nowadays Hangzhou 杭州), Zhejiang Province. When he was young, he often recited the Lotus Sutra at home.
During the period of Emperor Qian Wenmu (钱文穆王), he was a tax officer. When he saw animals (fish, prawns, chickens, etc.), he would use his salary to buy and release them. When his own money was used up, he would use the government’s money to purchase and release animals. Later, an accusation was lodged against him, and he was sentenced to death. He was towed to the marketplace to get ready for execution.
Emperor Qian Wenmu sent someone to peep at his behaviours, instructing the prison's executioner that if he saw the convict being fearful, the convict should be killed. If unafraid, the convict should be released. Great Master, when approaching execution, was calm and self-composed. Without grief in his facial expression, he said, 'I, of the treasury's money, not in the least took it for private use, but for liberating millions of lives. Now, with death, is my time to be born in the Western Pure Land Of Ultimate Bliss. is that not a joy?' Emperor Wenmu, upon hearing this, knew that he did not use the money for his own use, and was also touched by his compassionate heart, thus exempted him from punishment and released him.
After being released, the Great Master renounced household life and went to Mt Siming （四明山）to take the monastic life under Chan Master Cuiyan (翠岩禅师). He was 30 years old at that time.
Due to his respect and admiration for the Fayan Chan Tradition's Second Patriarch and Tiantai Master Deshao (德韶大师, who was also the State Preceptor (Guoshi 国师, teacher of the State), he reached Mount Tiantai to study and practice Chan under Master Deshao’s guidance. Before long, he clearly understood the teachings, and was able to enter deep concentration to realise the essence. When he entered deep meditative concentration for 90 days, birds even built nests on his robe. After presenting his insights to the State Preceptor, he received confirmation of enlightenment, thus succeeding as the Fayan Tradition's Third Patriarch.
Master Yanshou once cultivated the Lotus Repentance Dharma, and in his meditative visualisation, he saw Guanshiyin (Avalokiteshvara) Bodhisattva pour ambrosia into his mouth, after which his eloquence became unobstructed.
Later, he was unsure of his main path, whether he should take Chan or Pure Land as his primary cultivation, so he went to the Zhizhe Chan Monastery （智者禅院）and decided to draw lots. He made two lots: one is single-mindedly practising Chan (the Chan lot), and the other is to practise all kinds of practices and adorn the Pure Land (the Pure Land lot).
Great Master prayed deeply before the Buddha, then drew a lot. Seven times, he pulled the Pure Land lot. Thus, the Great Master single-mindedly focused on cultivating the Pure Land path.
During the Sony Dynasty (961 CE), Emperor Zhongyi invited Master Yanshou to live in Yongming Temple (named after him) and bestowed him the title of the Wisdom of Chan Master (智觉禅师).
Great Master's aspiration to attain birth in the Western Pure Land was firm and unwavering, and he was extremely diligent in his cultivation. He would recite Amitabha Buddha's name (Amituofo) a hundred thousand times daily.
Great Master's daily practice includes 108 types of Buddhist practices, such as Nianfo, reciting mantras and sutras, repentance, giving Dharma talks, writing Dharma books, paying homage to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the ten directions (including Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Bodhisattva Maitreya, Bodhisattva Manjusri, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, Bodhisattva Guanyin, Bodhisattva Dashizhi, etc.), offering food to ghosts and wandering spirits etc. In the evening, he would walk to other peaks to Nianfo, and several hundreds of practitioners would follow him. People nearby often heard his chanting sound like heavenly music. Master Yanshou also recites the Lotus sutra throughout his life, a total of 13,000 times.
Upon hearing of Master Yanshou’s diligent cultivation, Emperor Zhongyi, who deeply respected the Great Master's virtues, was greatly moved and exclaimed, 'Since ancient times, of those who sought rebirth in the Western Pure Land, there has never been one with such sincerity.' Thus, he built the Hall Of Western Adornment Of Fragrance for the Great Master.
Great Master lived in Yongming Temple for over 15 years, and with his disciples over 1700 people, he often transmitted the Bodhisattva Precepts to the public, offering food to ghosts and wandering spirits, and used money to purchase and release animals, transferring all kinds of good deeds towards attaining rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Master Yanshou wrote Zongjing Lu (《宗镜录》, Record of the Mind Mirror, 100 fascicles) to explain the differences and similarities in teachings between different Mahayana schools such as Tiantai (天台), Huayan (华严), Conscousness-only school (唯识), etc. He also wrote All Good Deeds Come Together （《万善同归集》）, which aims to emphasise that one shouuld transfter all good deeds (and practises) towards being reborn in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, i.e. regardless of what practices one practise, one should all transfer the merit towards attaining rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land. He also wrote the famous Chan and Pure Land Fourfold Explanations （四料简）:
有禅无净土，十人九蹉路。阴境若现前，瞥尔随他去。
With Chan and no Pure Land, nine out of ten people will miss the path.
When demonic states or the Bardo period (the intermediate state between death and the next rebirth)
appear before the person, one follows them swiftly.
无禅有净土，万修万人去。但得见弥陀，何愁不开悟？
Without Chan but Pure Land, ten thousand people practise, ten thousand people can go (to the Pure Land).
If one can see Amitabha Buddha, how can one not attain enlightenment?
有禅有净土，犹如戴角虎。现世为人师，来生作佛祖。
With Chan and Pure Land, one is like a tiger with horns.
One can be a teacher for the beings in this life and be a Buddha in the next.
无禅无净土，铁床并铜柱。万劫与千生，没个人依怙。
Without Chan and Pure Land, iron beds and copper pillars await (i.e. the hell realm).
One cannot rely on anybody for ten hundred kalpas and thousands of lifetimes.
[editor’s note: “A tiger with horns” is a metaphor which means this being is incredibly significant, with great wisdom and strength]
In Song Dynasty's Kaibao's 8th year (975 CE), on the 26th day of the 2nd lunar month, the Great Master woke up at dawn, offered incense and bade farewell to the public. He sat in the meditative lotus position and attained rebirth at ease. He was then 72 years old. After cremation, relics were found all over his body.
Later, a monk came from Linchuan County, Jiangxi Province, to circumambulate the Great Master’s relics pagoda over the years. People asked him why he did so. He replied, 'Once, when I was seriously ill, I went to the hell realm, and saw that on the left side of the hall of Yama, there was an offering to a portrait of a monk, which Lord Yama often prostrated diligently and respectfully before the image. I asked people, "Who is the monk that Lord Yama prostrates to?" The answer I got was, "That monk is Great Master Yongming Yanshou from Hangzhou. The Great Master, when departed, was directly being reborn in the Western Pure Land - highest level of the highest grade." Lord Yama deeply respected the Great Master's virtuous conduct, he would prostrate to him every day. Thus, I have arrived here to circumambulate his pagoda, to show my reverence.'
Many Chan temples nowadays also have Pure Land practice, and many Chan practitioners also aspire to attain rebirth in the Pure Land, this is largely due to Master Yanshou’s influence. No matter what practice one practices, one should all transfer merit and aspire to attain rebirth in Amitabha Buddha’s Land of Ultimate Bliss, as it is the easiest way for anyone to attain enlightenment in one lifetime.
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How do people know Master Yongming Yanshou was Amitabha Buddha’s incarnation?
Once Emperor Zhongyi of Wuyue offered meals to the sangha in the Yongming Temple (Master Yongming Yanshou’s temple) on his birthday.
A long-eared monk came in and sat directly on the throne. Moreover, his body was covered with scabies, and he looked filthy, so nobody liked him. Emperor Zhongyi was also very disrespectful to this monk who came out of nowhere. He originally asked Master Yongming Yanshou to sit on this throne, but unexpectedly, such a monk suddenly sat on it, so the emperor told people to drive him away. After being driven away, the long-eared monk returned to the mountain.
After Emperor Zhongyi finished the meal offering, he asked Master Yanshou: "Has any holy monk come to the meal offering today?"
Master Yanshou said: "The long-eared monk sitting on the throne before was the manifestation of an ancient Buddha called Dingguang (定光古佛 Meditative Light)."
At this time, Emperor Zhongyi regretted it very much and immediately went to the mountain to express his gratitude. He said: "I am an ordinary person with shallow wisdom and do not recognise the ancient Buddha. I want to apologize."
The long-eared monk said: "This Amitabha Buddha talks too much." Upon finishing speaking, he sat in meditative position and discarded his body.
Emperor Zhongyi realised immediately that Master Yanshou was the incarnation of Amitabha. He was extremely happy and immediately went back to Yongming Temple, only to be told that Master Yongming Yanshou had already attained rebirth.
Namo Amitabha Buddha
Namo Amituofo
