National Teacher Huizhong (675-775CE), widely known as Nanyang Huizhong Guoshi or National Teacher Huizhong of Nanyang, was a revered Tang Dynasty Chan master. He served as imperial preceptor to three emperors (Xuanzong, Suzong, Daizong), earning the title “National Teacher” (imperial preceptor). Born in Zhuji, Yuezhou (modern-day Zhuji, Zhejiang Province), he mastered the sutras and Vinaya texts. As one of the Five Great Masters under the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, he stood alongside figures like Xingsi, Huairang, Shenhui, and Xuanjue. Throughout his illustrious life, Huizhong disseminated Chan teachings far and wide, exerting a profound and enduring influence on the development of Chan Buddhism.
National Teacher Huizhong of Nanyang, moved by his attendant’s thirty years of service, sought to repay him by guiding him toward enlightenment. One day, he called out:
“Attendant!”
Hearing the master’s call, the attendant immediately responded:
“Master! What is it?”
The master helplessly replied:
“Nothing at all.”
A while later, the master called again:
“Attendant!”
The attendant quickly answered:
“Master! What is it?”
Again, the master sighed:
“Nothing at all.”
After several repetitions, the master changed his words and called:
“Buddha! Buddha!”
Confused, the attendant asked:
“Master! Who are you calling?”
The master finally said clearly:
“I am calling you!”
Still puzzled, the attendant replied:
“Master, I am just an attendant — not the Buddha!”
At this, Master Huizhong sadly remarked:
“In the future, don’t blame me for failing you — it is you who failed me.”
The attendant still insisted:
“Master, no matter what happens, I will never fail you, nor will you ever fail me.”
The master replied solemnly:
“In truth, you just have failed me.”
Philosophical Notes
Attachment to Identity:
The attendant remains trapped in the label of being “just an attendant.” He cannot see that his true nature is no different from the Buddha’s. This reflects how people often limit themselves with roles, titles, and identities, missing the deeper truth of their own inherent Buddha-nature.
Direct Transmission Beyond Words:
The master repeatedly calls the attendant not to give instructions, but to awaken him to the present moment — to break through habitual thought patterns and realize the non-dual nature of reality. But the attendant keeps responding intellectually, not experientially.
Who Is the Buddha?
When the master calls “Buddha! Buddha!”, he is pointing directly to the attendant’s true self — yet the attendant fails to recognize it. This echoes the Chan idea that the Buddha is not outside; the Buddha is within.
You Have Already Missed It:
The final line — “In truth, you have already failed me” — indicates that the opportunity for realization was present, but the attendant missed it due to clinging to fixed views. This highlights the Chan teaching that enlightenment is always available — but only if we stop looking for it elsewhere.
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