Yongjia Xuanjue

Who is Yongjia Xuanjue?

Yongjia Xuanjue, also known as Yongjia Zhenjue, was a Zen and Tiantai Buddhist monk who lived during the Tang dynasty. The name Yongjia is derived from the city of his birth, which is now called Wenzhou. He is also known by his nickname "The Overnight Guest" because of his first encounter with his teacher, Huineng. On a visit to Caoxi, where Huineng's Nanhua Temple is located, Yongjia was convinced to stay just one night, during which his enlightenment was acknowledged. He supposedly died while meditating in 713. He is best remembered today as the author of the Song of Enlightenment, often known by its Japanese name Shodoka. This work remains popular in contemporary Zen practice. For example, Kosho Uchiyama quotes the following when giving his instructions on seated meditation:

Neither try to eliminate delusion, nor search for what is real. This is because ignorance, just as it is, is the Buddha Nature. This worldly body itself which appears and disappears like a phantom is nothing other than the reality of life. When you actually wake up to the reality of life, there is not any particular thing which you can point to and say, 'this is it'.