Shenhui

Heze Shenhui (Chinese:菏泽神會/神会; Wade–Giles: Shen-hui; Japanese: Kataku Jinne, 684–758) was a Chinese Buddhist monk of the so-called "Southern School" of Zen, who "claimed to have studied under Huineng." Shenhui is notable for his strident attacks on Yuquan Shenxiu and the associated "Northern School", which was the most prominent branch of Chan Buddhism in China at the time. He accused them of propagating gradual teachings, as opposed to his own sudden teachings. Shenhui's own lineage, called the Heze lineage (菏泽宗), probably died out around the time of the Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution in 845, with Guifeng Zongmi being the only notable monk in the lineage. Shenhui was born in Xiangyang with the surname Gao (高). He learned The Five Classics of Confucius and the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi at a young age. At the age of 14 he became a monk under Huineng, a disciple of Hongren and the founder of the Southern School of Zen. For a time Shenhui served as his attendant. Several extant stories relate encounters between Huineng and Shenhui. In one, Huineng said to his students, I have something which has no head or tail. It is nameless and can't be described. It has no back and no front. Do any of you know what this is?" Shenhui then said, "It is the source of all things. It is the Buddha Nature of Shenhui". Huineng responds, "I said it has no name and no description. How can you say it is the source of Buddha Nature?" Shenhui then bowed and returned to his seat, but Huineng then proclaimed, "In the future if this youngster heads a monastery, it will certainly bring forth fully realized disciples of our school." Shenhui later went to Changan to receive ordination. In his writings and lectures Shenhui attacked what he called the "Northern School" of Zen. Despite his attacks on the Northern School, Shenhui traveled north to live amongst his ideological enemies in the capital city of Luoyang. While in the city he spoke publicly against the teachings of the Northern School.