Fundamental to making progress in Ch'an is practicing under the guidance of a master. Ta-hui Tsung-kao (1089-1163) was considered deeply enlightened, yet he was advised to seek out Master Yuan-wu K'och'in (1063-1135). Within a year, Ta-hui had two more profound experiences. Master Yuan-wu was a necessary factor in his development. Ta-hui was fortunate to meet such a great man.

At present, it is quite difficult to have great masters come to the West. This does not mean that there is no hope for the future. People must first adopt the correct mentality. They must properly understand the practice of Ch'an and the importance of cultivating wisdom. When this happens, great masters will appear.

China, during the T'ang dynasty, was ready for the emergence of Hui-neng (638-713), the Sixth Patriarch. But had it not been for the work of the Fifth Patriarch, Hung-jen (601-674), the situation would have been much different. The ground was fertile, ready for a seed such as Hui-neng. When the ground is fertile enough in the West, great masters will appear here also.

STUDENT:

Are you saying good masters have not yet come to the West because Westerners' karma is not ripe enough?

SHIH-FU:

Yes, but I am not restricting my view to the West. There is no such thing as one culture being inherently better for Ch'an. Ch'an is universal. If a person or an entire culture has the right karma to meet a good master, then it will happen, and not before that time. China as a culture during the T'ang dynasty was collectively ready for good Ch'an teachers. If it were true that the remained well suited for Ch'an, then there would be good masters in abundance right now. But there aren't. Perhaps the West is the next fertile ground. Maybe we are planting the proper seeds for this to happen in the near future. The West seems to be embracing the ideas and practices of the East while the East does the opposite. Perhaps the next flourishing of Ch'an will be in the West. That would be great.