By tradition after the Sixth Ancester Huineng, Pangyun is the earliest master of the Zen way to be acknowledged while a layman. Huineng went on to ordain as a monk and became the source of all contemporary Zen lineages, but Pang remained in the lay life. In fact he’s best known with the title Layman Pang. He married and had children, all of whom according to tradition achieved awakening. Here’s one story about an encounter with his daughter.
The Layman was once selling bamboo baskets. Coming down off a bridge he stumbled and fell. When Ling-chao saw this she ran to her father’s side and threw herself down. “What are you doing!” cried the Layman. “I saw Papa fall to the ground, so I’m helping,” replied Ling-chao. “Luckily no one was looking,” remarked the Layman.
Translated by Ruth Fuller Sasaki, Yoshitaka Iriya & Dana R. Fraser
The Recorded Sayings of Layman P’ang: A Ninth-Century Zen Classic
(New York, Weatherhill, 1971: p.75)
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