. yuqie yankou in the ming-qing 567
freedom from Dharmas is not thorough, how can there be functioning?
If the functioning is not great, there cannot be mutual correspondence
(xiangying ). If mutual correspondence is not ultimate, how do we
benefit beings? Although the methods of benefiting beings are numer-
ous, in each of them the above seven points are all present. I will show
how these seven can be seen in this one method of Yuqie yankou 23And, after a summary explanation of how the Yankou visualizations
of the Sanskrit seed-syllables appearing on moon disks (yuelun )
should be understood and practiced in relation to the circle diagrams
(yuanxiang ) used in certain Chan lineages, he continues,^24
The principles here are thoroughly the means of the Linji and Yunmen
[lineages] and they can benefit expansively those on the hapless paths.
Furthermore, these means originated from the various Indian mas-
ters who transmitted them until they reached National Master Zhong.25
After three transmissions, they became Yangshan’s^26 principles, which
consist of the ninety-seven circle diagrams. Thus, we know that in this
single method of food-bestowal one can see succinctly the functioning
of mutual correspondence and the principle of chan investigation. How
can this not be the “causes and conditions of the one great matter
?^27(^23) X. 1082.59:300c.
(^24) See Wu 2008, 144–51, for a succinct and clear discussion of Hanyue Fazang’s
combination of Chan and esotericism.
(^25) Chan historiography considers Nanyang Huizhong (675–775) one of
Huineng’s (638–713) main successors.
(^26) Yangshan Huiji (807–883) was a co-founder of the Guiyang Chan
lineage and the third generation after Nanyang Huizhong.
(^27) X. 1082.59:302b–c.