Biography
Mazu family name was Ma (Ma-tsu meaning Ma the Father or Master Ma). He was born in 709 in Sichuan province (northwest of Chengdu). During his years as master Mazu lived in Kiangsi province, from which he derived his Chinese name Kiangsi Tao-i).
In the Transmission of the Lamp (Ching-te Ch'uan-teng-lu, compiled in 1004) Mazu is described as follows:
His appearance was remarkable. He strode along like a bull and glared about him like a tiger. If he stretched out his tongue, it reached up over his nose; on the soles of his feet were imprinted two circular marks.According to the Transmission of the Lamp (1004) Mazu was a student of Nanyue Huairang (677-744), in Hunan province by Hengshan
Traditionally a story in the entry on Nanyue Huairang in the Transmission of the Lamp is regarded as Mazu's enlightenment-account, though the text does not claim it as such. An earlier and more primitive version of this story appears in the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall (transcribed in 952):
Reverend Ma was sitting in a spot, and Reverend Rang took a tile and sat on the rock facing him, rubbing it. Master Ma asked, 'What are you doing?' Master said, 'I'm rubbing the tile to make it a mirror.' Master Ma said, 'How can you make a mirror by rubbing a tile?' Master said, 'If I can't make a mirror by rubbing a tile, how can you achieve buddhahood by sitting in meditation?'This story echoes the Vimalakirti Sutra and the Platform Sutra in downgrading puricative and gradual disciplines, instead of the direct insight into the True Nature.
Read more about this topic: Mazu Daoyi
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