(670-762 ce)
A Chinese Ch'an monk who is historically credited with instigating the Northern-Southern School controversy. He had been a disciple of the fifth patriarch Hung-jen (601-74) towards the end of the latter's life, and may have later studied with Hung-jen's most successful disciple Shen-hsiu (605-706). However, in 732, concerned with a trend toward the position of gradual enlightenment in the ‘northern’ Ch'an movement, he ascended a platform at the Ta-yun Temple near Lo-yang in 732 and delivered a scathing critique of Shen-hsiu (by that time long dead) and his followers, whom Shen-hui called the ‘Northern School’. He advocated the adoption of the position of sudden enlightenment, which he claimed had been carried on in the south by another of Hung-jen's disciples, Hui-neng (638-713), with whom he had studied after leaving Shen-hsiu. At first, Ho-tse Shen-hui attracted scant attention, but he kept up his attacks from his base at the Ho-tse Temple. By 745 he achieved more fame and followers, but in 753 he aroused the wrath of powerful government officials, and was banished. Later, however, the An Lu-shan rebellion broke out along the northern tier of provinces, and the T'ang dynasty government needed to raise revenue very quickly to finance the military campaigns needed to quell it. At this time, Shen-hui demonstrated a great talent for inducing people to seek ordination, for which they needed ordination certificates from the government. By charging a fee for these certificates, which carried with them an exemption from further taxation and military service, the government was able, with Shen-hui's help, to raise the capital needed to defend the dynasty and retake the fallen capital. He was rewarded with a temple of his own near the capital and imperial patronage; ironically, he had criticized Shen-hsiu for receiving these very things, claiming that the master had sold out the true Dharma for 30 pieces of silver. During the more settled and prosperous final years of his life, he took in many students and perpetuated what came to be called the ‘Ho-tse School’ or ‘Southern School’, but backed away from the extreme, non-dualistic position of sudden enlightenment and taught instead a more nuanced approach that acknowledged the need for some preparation and practice leading up to the enlightenment experience.
