Ungo Dōyō

Biography

Ungo Dōyō (Yunju Daoying in Chinese) is one of the greatest disciples of Tōzan Ryōkai, the founder of the Caodong school. His birth date is unknown, but he passed away in 902, at the end of the Tang dynasty. Originally from the ancient prefecture of Youzhou (present-day Hubei province), he entered religious life at the age of 25 at Yanshou Temple, in Fanyang (in present-day Zhuo district, Hebei), where he received thorough training in the Vinaya (monastic rule).

He then went to Mount Nan where he studied under the direction of the Chan master Suii Mugaku (Cuiwei Wuxue). Having heard of Tōzan's reputation, he went to Mount Dong to study with him. Tōzan quickly recognized Dōyō's maturity and entrusted him with the direction of the other monks in the monastery.

After leaving Tōzan, Dōyō first resided at the "Hermitage of the Three Peaks," then founded the Zhenru monastery (眞如寺, "Thusness") on Mount Yunju, northwest of present-day Nanchang, in Jiangxi province. He taught there for over thirty years, attracting up to fifteen hundred disciples. Mount Yunju would give him his Dharma name: Ungo Dōyō literally means "Dweller of Cloud Mount."

Upon his death, he received the posthumous title of "Zen Master of Vast Awakening" (Hongjiao Chanshi).

Meeting with Tōzan and Awakening

The annals report several profound dialogues between Ungo Dōyō and his master Tōzan, which reveal the unique relationship that united them:

Then Tōzan asked Ungo his name:

The most famous exchange concerns crossing a river:

Another significant episode is that of the celestial spirit bringing food to Ungo. While he was meditating in an isolated hermitage, a celestial spirit brought him food every day. Tōzan, hearing of this, told him: "I thought you were an authentic being. Why do you still have such understanding? Come see me tonight!" That evening, Tōzan called Ungo by his name; when Ungo answered, Tōzan asked: "Not thinking of good or evil, what is it?" Ungo returned to his hermitage and sat in deep meditation. The spirit, no longer able to find him, never returned.

Tōzan, deeply satisfied, declared: "In the future, a thousand or ten thousand people will not be able to grasp this disciple."

Principal Teachings

The Unity of the Dharma

Asked about the single Dharma, Ungo replied: "What are the ten thousand dharmas?" Faced with the monk's lack of understanding, he explained: "The single Dharma is your own mind. The ten thousand dharmas are your fundamental nature. Are they one thing or two?" He then presented this poem:

The Demand in Practice

In his instructions to the assembly, Ungo quoted an ancient master: "Hell is not a great misery. The greatest misery is to wear these robes without understanding the great matter." He exhorted his monks: "If you assume responsibility for this matter, you must stand atop the highest peak and walk at the bottom of the deepest ocean. Only then will you have the resolution of a disciple."

The Transcendent Way

To a monk who asked: "What is the place of the transcendent way?", Ungo simply replied: "Under Heaven, a great peace."

Legacy and Posterity

Ungo Dōyō occupies a crucial position in the Sōtō lineage as the 40th patriarch. He is the principal disciple of Tōzan Ryōkai to have perpetuated the Caodong lineage. His monastery on Mount Yunju remained a major center of Chan for centuries.

The question of his succession is, however, complex. In the traditional version — that of Huihong's Sengbao zhuan (1119) and recited in Sōtō ceremonies — it is Dōan Dōhi who is considered his heir. But older sources, notably the Zutang ji (952) and the Transmission of the Lamp (1004), suggest that the lineage might have passed through another disciple of Tōzan, Jufeng Puman, via Tongan Wei. Scholar Morten Schlütter argues that this alternative version is more plausible historically.

Whatever the historical truth, the lineage as recited in Sōtō temples today places Ungo Dōyō as the 40th patriarch, followed by Dōan Dōhi (41st), then Dōan Kanshi (42nd).

Sources

• Andy Ferguson, Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings, Wisdom Publications, 2011 — pp. 232–235
• Wikipedia — Yunju Daoying
• Terebess Online — Yunju Daoying File
• Morten Schlütter, How Zen Became Zen: The Dispute Over Enlightenment and the Formation of Chan Buddhism in Song-Dynasty China, University of Hawaii Press, 2010
• Zutang ji (Patriarch's Hall Record, 952) and Transmission of the Lamp (Jingde Chuandeng Lu, 1004)