Indian Dhyana Master Kalayashas was stubborn by nature, very tough, and had a fierce temper. I’m afraid his temper was even greater than mine, because although I talk of beating you, I haven’t done it yet. But this Dharma Master didn’t even forewarn his disciples. When they broke the rules he just started swinging. He was so severe that it was extremely difficult to study under him.
In addition, he was practically devoid of desire, since his self-nature was always very pure. He had penetrated the Tripitaka (the Sutras, Shastras, and Vinaya), and understood them all. In his cultivation he concentrated on Chan practice. Now when we have a Chan session we sit and walk alternately for seven days, but he would sit for seven days straight without getting up from his seat. We find it painful and unpleasant to sit still even for an hour, let alone seven days straight. On the other hand, Dharma Master Kalayashas paid no attention to time, because he would be in samadhi. Once in samadhi he would go off to other places so as to teach and transform living beings. Many people while dreaming or awake, would suddenly see the Master appear before them, hear him speak a few sentences of Dharma and then see him disappear. In samadhi he sat unmoving, and yet simultaneously went everywhere to teach beings.
Can you imagine the samadhi power of this Dharma Master? Measured against what people can do today, he is incomparable. Now, after only an hour of sitting, all of you are bent over out of shape. How can you possibly be said to have any courage at all? Your practice is so insignificant. When you compare yourself to Dhyana Master Kalayashas, you should feel terribly ashamed of how you fail to measure up to him.
Dhyana Master Kalayashas travelled all around India propagating the principles of the Chan (Dhyana) School. But when he heard that the Great Vehicle teachings were flourishing in China, he left India heedless of the long journey. He arrived in Nanjing in 424 A.D.
Emperor Wen (文帝) of the Liu-Song Dynasty greatly respected and believed in Master Kalayashas and invited him to reside at Daolin Monastery (道林寺). Dhyana Master Baozhi (寶誌), who could eat two pigeons every day for lunch and then spit them out alive, also greatly respected Master Kalayashas. He went to study with him and investigated Dhyana under his guidance.
Think it over: Dhyana Master Baozhi, who had such great spiritual penetrations that he could eat two minced pigeons for lunch every day and then spit them back out alive and on the wing, chose to cultivate with, and study under, Master Kalayashas. From this it must be clear that Dhyana Master Kalayashas was certainly a great Good Knowing Advisor. In cultivation it is essential to find a Good Knowing Advisor. Master Baozhi was not like the rash of self-styled patriarchs in America: dancing patriarchs, movie-going patriarchs, drug-taking patriarchs and the like. At that time people knew that it was necessary, if you wanted to cultivate the Way, to draw near a Good and Learned Advisor. If you try to work on your own it is very easy to go down the wrong road. So Dhyana Master Baozhi drew near Dhyana Master Kalayashas.
While in Nanjing, a Dharma Master named Senghan (僧含) asked Dhyana Master Kalayashas to translate The Medicine King and Medicine Superior Contemplations (T.1161, 《藥王藥上觀》), and the Limitless Life Contemplation (T.365, 《無量壽觀》). Dhyana Master Kalayashas knew that The Medicine King and Medicine Superior Contemplations contained secret Dharma devices that could alter people’s karma. Through the recitation of Medicine Master’s Crown-Anointing True Words (藥師灌頂真言, a mantra), and then the cultivation of the Medicine King and Medicine Superior Contemplations, karmic obstacles could be eradicated. He also knew that The Limitless Life Contemplation was an extremely important practice, and a great aid to the penetration of the Pure Land Dharma Door. So he translated these works meticulously and paid particular attention to them. After he made these translations, he travelled to Sichuan and then later returned to Nanjing. Then one day, without any sickness, he completed the stillness at age sixty. His practice and his translations make him a meritorious figure in the history of Chinese Buddhism.
At that time there was also the Indian Shramana, Sanghadatta. 1 [1 The Sanskrit of this is a reconstruction.] Indian Dharma Master Sanghadatta exclusively cultivated Dhyana (Chan). He always dwelt in the mountains and sat in stillness. Very often when he was sitting, he forgot to eat. It was not that he did not want to eat, but that he forgot to do so. When he realized that he had forgotten to eat, it would already be past midday, and because he did not want to break the Precept of not eating after noon, he would let the day pass without taking food. This happened over and over again so that days would go by and he didn’t eat once. Finally it became such a frequent occurrence that some Dharma protectors came to his aid. Who were these Dharma protectors? A flock of birds. When it was time to eat, one bird would come with an apple, another would come with an orange, and yet another would arrive with a banana, or anything else that could ward off hunger. There were forty-eight birds. If each bird brought one thing, altogether they could certainly supply enough to fill a person up. At first Master Sanghadatta did not realize that the birds were bringing the food for him, so he did not eat it. Soon, several days’ accumulation of offerings lay on the ground before him untouched. Then the birds stayed with him and also didn’t eat. They brought their offerings, set them before him, and if he didn’t eat, the birds refused to leave. They stayed there and fasted with him. After awhile he remembered how Shakyamuni Buddha ate the honey which some monkeys offered to him and thought, “If the Buddha can receive offerings from monkeys, why can’t I accept the offerings of these birds?” Then he took all the things which the birds had set before him and ate them all. This pleased the forty-eight birds so greatly that they hopped and frolicked. They were so delighted that they performed a dancing spectacular right on the spot, which in turn made the Dharma Master very happy.
The influence of Dhyana Master Kalayashas and Dharma Master Sanghadatta caused most of the people who left the home life at that time to take up the cultivation of Chan and practice regularly to gain samadhi. Many people became enlightened during that period.
Another Indian Master, Sanghatrata, came from India to China where he strictly observed the ascetic practices. He did not live indoors, but stayed under trees or in graveyards. Wherever he went he begged for his food. He took up his bowl and went begging, refusing any other kinds of offerings and refraining from becoming involved with people. If someone wanted to make friends with him, the Master wouldn’t have anything to do with him. The people were extremely respectful of this Dharma Master.
Afterwards, he went to Zhong Mountain, and on its southern face built a temple and established a retreat called Songxi Monastery (宋熙寺). During the years that followed, many Indian Dharma Masters came to China and so the Chinese Dharma Masters came to study the doctrines of the Indian Dhyana (Chan) School.