汾陽無德禪師語錄 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.1

Appeals for the Reprinting of the Recorded Sayings of Master Fenyang

Formerly, Master Fengxue said to Shoushan: 'Unfortunately, the way of Linji will fall to the ground when it reaches me. Looking at this assembly, though the clever are many, those who have seen into their nature are few. Although I have long placed my hopes in you, I still fear that, indulging your attachment to this scripture, you cannot let it go.' Fengxue held high the patriarchal seal, striking a move directly upon the crowns of the thousand sages; it was indeed steep and towering. Yet Shoushan grasped the purport before words were spoken and illumined the source beyond ordinary forms, taking it upon himself right on the spot without leaving the slightest hairbreadth. Later, when Fengxue ascended the hall and brought up the World-Honored One gazing around at the great assembly with his blue-lotus eyes, Shoushan's magnificent capacity darted forth, and flicking his sleeves he walked out—deep as an abyss and towering as a peak; as it is said, 'The higher the melody is sung, the steeper the harmony.' Chan Master Fenyang came from the gate of Shoushan: he handled the Lion of Xihe, brandishing the claws and fangs emerging from the cave; with a single roar, the hordes of Māra fled. When an Indian monk requested the Dharma, he expounded it immediately, striking jade and sounding gold, transcending hearing and departing from views. The great vessels among the six persons are fully recorded in the canonical writings, shining upon antiquity and soaring through the present, a standard for the Chan groves. With the ancestral heritage thus transmitted, the correct tune has its discerning listeners—how could it be left untransmitted? In the past it had already been printed, but over the years it fell into oblivion. Head Monk Zicong of Tiantai, having long accorded with the marvelous functioning and personally received transmission from the master of the lineage, lamented the lasting darkness of the patriarchal house and deplored the decline of the true style. Grasping the black dragon's pearl, he intended to clarify the vast ocean; holding the axe of wisdom, he sought to cut down the forest of heresy. He solicited donations to reprint it, bestowing grace upon future students. Commending his aspiration, I have composed these opening remarks, hoping that those who hear and see it will gladly follow along, so that there may be glory brought to the patriarchal way.

1.3

Written in the spring of the third year of the Zhida era [1310] by Qingmao, Abbot of Kaiyuan [Monastery] in Wu.

1.4

A single flower and a single leaf, the marvelous purport directly pointed and singly transmitted, from Linji was handed down into the hands of Fenyang. It is like holding a one-foot mirror that accommodates the array of myriad phenomena: measuring inside and measuring outside, when has it ever seen the vastness of empty space, the height of the clouds and sky, the brightness of the sun and moon, or the fineness and greatness of hair-tips and protruding mounds? Angry thunder rends Mount Hua apart; a great makara fish drinks dry the waters of the four great oceans; the lion stationed at the gate bites off the life-root of all patch-robed monks; the ten kinds of wisdom sharing one reality block up the throats and lips of all patch-robed monks. This is still an affair on the verge of the samādhi of playful sport, taking non-existence as existence; it is a phrase of tapping and singing in tandem before falling into written words and spoken language. Were it not for direct descendants breaking out from the printing-block to determine that the Dao is not confined to one corner, with great capacity and great function transcendentally as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, how could the effort of Head Monk Mushi have been exerted in vain?

1.5

Respectfully written on the day after the opening of the stove in the xinhai year of the Zhida era [1311] by Bhikṣu Dehai, Abbot of Jianyan [Monastery].

1.6

The Indian monk's golden staff gleamed; / For the Dharma he came to Fenyang. / Six men became great vessels; / Exhorted and requested, he expounded it. / Extending the talons of Xihe, / He shattered the old ruts of past and present. / The sky of meaning is without dregs; / The mirror of mind has no trace. / Round like a bright moon pearl, / Sharp as a vajra sword. / One cut cuts through everything; / One severance severs everything. / Above, there is nothing to climb or look up to; / Below, one's own self is cut off. / The eternal light manifests before one; / Standing wall-like ten thousand fathoms high. / Head Monk Mushi carved and printed it anew / To broaden its circulation, / To cure the many doubts of the reckless, / And rescue the slight awakenings of the accomplished.

1.7

Respectfully inscribed by Qiyu of Longshan.

1.8

If you say Fenyang actually had this record, the entire lineage of Linji is swept clean to the ground; if you say Fenyang actually had no such record, the entire lineage of Linji is swept clean to the ground. But tell me, how will you enter Fenyang's gate and see Fenyang's person? Go straight ahead on level ground! In the spring of the xinhai year of the Zhida era [1311], Bhikṣu Zicong of Tiantai solicited funds to reprint it; a distant descendant of Central India burnt incense and read it once more.

1.9

Fenyang pushed open the door and rose up for the venerable Cong, whereupon the way of Jibei flourished. Rousing himself, he turned back and yawned, startling [...] superiority; this was the Lion of Xihe. His bequeathed words circulate in the world: those who look upon them are no different from drinking hemlock—those who ingest it will surely die. The old printing blocks having worn away, the world was just rejoicing that its poison had subsided, when Head Monk Mushi Cong carved and renewed them again, spreading the poison all the more intensely. Sighing from now onward, who knows how many people, drinking it, will be poisoned, and being poisoned, will be driven to certain death? Respectfully written by Bhikṣu Ruzhi, Abbot of Benjue in Hecheng.

1.10

Preface to the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Wude of Fenyang

1.11

Composed by Yang Yi, Grand Master of the Silver-Blue Treasury with Splendor, Acting Director of the Palace Library, Administrator of the Military and Civil Affairs of Ru Prefecture, concurrently Controller of the Agricultural Colonies, Dikes, Weirs, Bridges, and Roads within the Jurisdiction, Commissioner for Encouraging Agriculture, Upper Pillar of the State, Founding Marquis of Nanyang Commandery, with a fief of one thousand nine hundred households.

1.12

In the past, the white elephant descended to be born, and the teachings arose through the provisional and the real; the blue-lotus eyes gazed and blinked, and the meaning became clear through master and disciple. Thereafter, a single shoe returned to the west, and a single flower spread to the east; lineages succeeded one another, and awakenings gradually broadened. Yet spiritual capacities varied, and the aims of the traditions were raised in turn. After the heirs of Shaolin were differentiated by the shallowness or depth of skin and marrow, the disciples of Daji also displayed stages of mind and eyebrow. Though stirred together into one, is there not a difference between curds and clarified butter? Still, setting out those three carts, one distinguishes the sheep, the deer, and the great ox. In rushing toward the Citadel of Awakening, there are naturally the slow and the swift; without the eye of wisdom, who could illuminate them?

1.13

The elder of Taizi Chan Cloister at Dazhong Monastery in Fenzhou, the monk Shanzhao, was originally a man of Taiyuan. Cultivating practice through repeated learning and perfuming, he was solitary, upright, and aloof from worldly dust. From the time he cast off ornamentation and received full ordination, he took his staff and traveled through regions, staying only briefly wherever he arrived, responding to spiritual capacities to stimulate and inspire them. He visited seventy-one spiritual friends in succession, and finally received the seal from Shengnian of Nanyuan in Ruzhou, thus becoming the Dharma heir of Nian. Nian came from Zhao of Fengxue; Zhao succeeded the former Nanyuan Yong; Yong succeeded Jiang of Xinghua; Jiang succeeded Xuan of Linji; Xuan succeeded Yun of Huangbo; Yun succeeded Hai of Baizhang; Hai came from Mazu; the Patriarch [Mazu] came from Rang of Nanyue; and Rang was the嫡 direct son of Caoxi. From Caoxi to the Master, there were eleven generations in all. After the Master dropped the needle at Linru and shared the lamp from Magadha, the jewel in his robe shone internally, while the tide-sound remained concealed. He traveled through the Xiang and Chu regions, dwelling in the wooded groves; clergy and laity turned to him in admiration, and his renown spread everywhere. Zhang Maozong, the Governor of Changsha, offered the Master four great monasteries, instructing him to choose one to dwell in. Heading north to Xiang and Mian, he stopped at Mount Baima. Liu Changyan, the prefectural governor, went in person to prostrate before him and invite him to take up residence in an araṇya; eight successive invitations were all declined. In the fourth year of the Chunhua era [993], more than a thousand clergy and laity of Xihe, united in mind, drafted a petition and sent the śramaṇa Qicong to Mount Baima to welcome him to their commandery. Thereupon he stayed and rested there, gathering his saṅghāṭī and ascending the seat, waving his rhinoceros-horn whisk to discourse on emptiness. Just as Vimalakīrti of Vaiśālī sat in quiet meditation without leaving his empty room, and Huiyuan of Mount Lu escorted guests without crossing the Tiger Stream, pure assemblies gathered together, and the resonance of the Dharma shook mightily. Furthermore, the Master's vows were heroic and fierce, and his scholarly understanding vast and profound. Wandering through the lakes and mountain ridges, he explored the fish-traps and hare-snares, emulating the universal visits of Sudhana and matching the extensive hearing of Ānanda. As for the teaching of Jiangxi that 'mind itself [is Buddha],' he reduced it to nothingness; the phrase of Shitou's total presentation, he termed the true roar; Nanquan's opening and shutting naturally drew forth superior capacities; Zhaozhou's giving and taking had the power to crush divergent views; Dongshan's establishment of the five ranks was manifest through mutual interplay; Yangshan's setting forth of the various forms was playful and unobstructed; Xuefeng's eye of encounter pecked and tapped simultaneously; Yunmen's provocative words were bitter medicines to the mouth. He mastered all their essentials and raised all their main threads. As for great function manifesting before one, not a single speck of dust is established, all phenomena are obliterated, and the four propositions are far transcended; he indeed possessed the swift capacity of Huangbo and the marvelous lineage of Linji. The three mysteries and three essentials were deployed within his grasp; the two hosts and two guests—how are they any different to the blind and benighted? This is the correct path, directly leading to the Supreme Vehicle. What the Master realized surpasses all measure; unless one's shoulders were equal to the Buddha's wisdom, how could one dip one's fingers into the flavor of Chan! Having long exhausted my mind and contracted illnesses without recovery, I quieted my thoughts in dark silence, though worldly conditions remained entangled. While governing the commandery in northern Chu, I conscientiously attended to my official duties. The Master sent pure companions from afar, personally composing a letter, saying that the compiled records of the Imperial Library included the Master's words, already participating in the editorial work, and that the questions and answers from Ru Prefecture were accompanied by the Master's Dharma associates, thereby linking the school's lineage; sharing the same wind across a thousand miles, he promptly bestowed a volume of the book. The two venerable masters Faxing and Zhishen were truly diligent with their flying staffs and extremely deferential at my seat, expressing the wishes of the local people and desiring to perpetuate the purport of the Southern School; intending to carve the printing blocks, they sought a preface from afar. Appreciating each other's melody, their calluses multiplied as they forgot fatigue. Fortunately my troubled breast was slightly relieved, so I moistened my brush to fulfill the request.

1.14

Compiled by his disciple, Master Ciming Chuyuan, residing at Mount Shishuang.

1.15

When the Master first opened the hall, after the reading of the statement was finished, the rector struck the gavel and said: "Dragons and elephants of the Dharma assembly, you should contemplate the primary meaning." The Master said: "If one speaks of this matter, it completely transcends verbal expression; when the rector struck the gavel, the omens were already formed. Even though this is so, where official [law] does not allow a needle, private [paths] let pass carts and horses—how much more so for the rector. Great Virtues! Your lofty discussions and florid writings, your manifest proclamations are entirely complete; humans, devas, monastics, and laypeople have all arrived at the Dharma assembly together—where would this not be permissible? But to wait further for this mountain monk to strike and stir up this matter is just like digging a pit on level ground. Are all the donors of the entire city and the rector present here?" The assembly responded: "All are present." The Master said: "After so many rounds of courtesies, in each person's own capacity, who is not facing the dynamic? If you do not yet understand, ask if you have doubts." A monk asked: "At the assembly on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, Kāśyapa personally heard it. At today's assembly, who hears it?" The Master said: "Were it not for ascending the precious seat, how could the ability of the six teachers be revealed?" The monk asked: "Whose tune does the Master sing, and whose ancestral style do you succeed to?" The Master said: "Without passing through asaṃkhyeya kalpas, stepping directly forth before the ancient sovereigns." The monk said: "If so, then the prefectural city has hope." The Master said: "The peaks of the Five Sacred Mountains are exquisite; the four seas all pay homage to the court." The monk asked: "When the lion roars before Wuye Hall, what happens inside the Hall of the King of Emptiness?" The Master said: "The stone pagoda's jagged tiers face the cosmos; the gold bells sway and shake, moving humans and devas." The monk asked: "Might this be the Master's way of guiding people?" The Master said: "Humans and devas are both at a loss; directly beneath, it must be clear." The monk asked: "What is the source of the Great Way?" The Master said: "Digging the earth to seek heaven." The monk asked: "Why is it so?" The Master said: "Not recognizing the profound mystery." The monk asked: "To sit cutting off the crown of Vairocana, not taking orders from Śākyamuni—this is still not the student's practice. What is the student's practice?" The Master said: "From where did you get this question?" The monk said: "If so, then the student has erred." The Master said: "Pulling an arrow out from the back of the head." The monk asked: "What is the Way?" The Master said: "Empty space is free from obstructions; coming and going, roaming freely in all directions." The monk said: "If so, then I thank the Master for the instruction." The Master said: "What do you call the Way?" The monk was speechless. The Master said: "You only know how to ride a tiger, but not how to dismount from a tiger." The monk asked: "What is the spiritual pearl of prajñā?" The Master said: "Its radiant light does not penetrate shadows; in all places it adapts to square and round." The monk said: "The student does not understand." The Master said: "Remember the previous words." The monk asked: "What is the view that benefits sentient beings?" The Master said: "The clouds break open, the moon in the blue sky; clear, bright, and very distinct." The monk said: "If so, then it is like gold clattering on the ground." The Master said: "Cease! The vulgar air is not eliminated." The monk asked: "What is a living phrase?" The Master said: "Looking upward, weeping to the blue sky." The monk said: "This is still a dead phrase." The Master said: "Entering the earth, buried even deeper." The monk asked: "How is it when the mind-ground is not at peace?" The Master said: "Who disturbed you?" The monk asked: "What can be done about this?" The Master said: "You create it yourself, you suffer it yourself." The monk asked: "How is it when the ancient mirror is not yet bright?" The Master said: "The heavenly demons tremble with fear." The monk asked: "How is it after it is bright?" The Master said: "Vaiśravaṇa bows his head."

1.16

The Master said: "You ask and I answer—what end could there be? To the ends of the future, there will never be a time of rest. Yesterday, this mountain monk was touched by the prefectural city's distant invitation; today I have already repaid the Buddha's kindness. Benefiting beings according to their capacity, each person's understanding and awakening is only in the present moment. The Heavenly Sons of the Sun and Moon stand before us; the lofty and precipitous peaks of Mount Meru dwell upon our heads. Moving the city, the Way is broad, shaking heaven and earth; debating at the pagoda, fame is high, filling the cosmos. Therefore, the pearl is born within the palm, the herb is gathered from the forest; bringing forth medicine to prolong time, waiting for the person to transmit the Dharma. Thus there was standing in the snow and severing an arm, carrying stones and pounding chaff; only when meeting such resolute people is one capable of receiving the decree. How much more so for this mountain monk, who is crude and careless in all matters—how could I ascend to this seat? Truly I should be ashamed and fearful. Now the prefectural governor, the magistrates, all the officials and donors, along with the monastics and laypeople in this assembly, are all people who received the Buddha's entrustment at the Gṛdhrakūṭa assembly. Do you still remember that matter of entrustment? If you remember it, disclose the news before the great assembly of humans and devas, so that we may distinguish heterodox from orthodox; do not just withhold consent in your belly, secretly harbouring doubts. A bodhimanda is hard to encounter; it is only in the present moment. Is there anyone? Is there anyone? Do not say that Chan is an empty skull; it is crucial to distinguish black from white. If there is no one, then there is no need to speak, raising erroneous words. Much talk exhausts the spirit; few words are easily understood. The officials have stood long, and I fear it brings no benefit. Take care."

1.17

Ascending the hall, the Master said: "Now, Fenyang is vast and expansive, without boundary or shore; the Jin River surges deep and far, with beginning and end. Thus one stream of Qingliang penetrates horizontally through heaven and earth; a thousand golden peaks swallow the universe vertically. The golden vase does not stir; the jade horse moves its wheels. When the arrow pierces the wild goose's nest, who understands it? Is there anyone today who understands? Come forth before the assembly." A monk asked: "How is it when the student has not yet awakened?" The Master said: "Who has not yet awakened?" The monk asked: "How is it after awakening?" The Master said: "Just do not feign clarity." The monk asked: "We have invited the Master from afar; please, Master, raise and proclaim [the Dharma]." The Master said: "Facing the dynamic, there is no reflection; turning around, all disparity is severed." The monk asked: "Are the ancestral intention and the doctrinal intention identical or distinct?" The Master said: "The cliff is high, the pines cold and vigorous; the stream winds, the water flows slowly." The monk asked: "How is it when one rushes urgently to join together?" The Master said: "Naked, meeting Ānanda." The monk asked: "Before Niutou met the Fourth Patriarch, why did the hundred birds hold flowers in their beaks to offer him?" The Master said: "Thundering loudly." The monk asked: "After meeting him, why did they not hold flowers to offer him?" The Master said: "Thundering loudly." The monk asked: "What is the meaning of the Ancestral Master's coming from the West?" The Master said: "A fan of green silk provides enough cool breeze." The monk asked: "The ancestral master's mind-seal does not fall into existence or non-existence. I wonder, what did the Master obtain from the late master?" The Master said: "A thousand-year shadowless tree; these days, bottomless boots." The monk said: "If so, then it spreads across the realm." The Master said: "Though the world is vast, few understand the sound of my actions." The Master said: "Is there anyone today who understands the sound? If there is, let us practice together in the golden colour. And tell me, whom do we practice with?" After a long pause, he said: "The great assembly has stood long. Take care."

1.18

Ascending the hall, the Master said: "Now, the source of the Great Way cannot be reached by verbal explanation; how could deluded sentiments fathom the transmission of the ancestral seal? When the Qin mirror is on the stand, the beautiful and ugly are both distinguished; like the king of geese among ducks, water and milk naturally separate. Is there anyone today who can distinguish it? Bring it forth and let us see."

1.19

A monk asked: "The Tathāgata descended to Trāyastriṃśa; the lotus flower was manifested on the golden wheel—this I do not ask about. What is today's assembly?" The Master said: "The great assembly hears it universally." The monk said: "If so, then the Master is compassionate." The Master said: "The Twin Trees were still bearable; Kuśinagara was open on all four sides." The monk bowed. The Master said: "Today you arrived in the Western Heaven." The monk asked: "The teaching says: 'He who speaks the Dharma has neither speech nor indication; he who listens to the Dharma has neither hearing nor attainment.' I wonder, what Dharma should the Master speak today?" The Master said: "Declare your name after taking the staff!" The monk said: "If so, then the great assembly of humans and devas all receive the power of grace." The Master said: "A crime is not penalized twice." The monk asked: "Empty space is a provisional metaphor, obtaining names according to the place. I wonder, what kind of thing is it?" The Master said: "Abiding among humans and devas, it cannot be fathomed; entering the earth, it is buried even deeper." The monk said: "If so, then although the great assembly does not recognize it, throughout kalpas all are steeped in grace." The Master said: "Let the sword-blade falling on the shoulder cause whatever clamor it will; only by splitting the belly and opening the heart is it truly clear."

1.20

The Master said: "One who speaks the Dharma must possess the ten kinds of wisdom sharing one reality. If one does not possess the ten kinds of wisdom sharing one reality, one cannot distinguish heterodox from orthodox, nor discern black from white; one cannot serve as eyes for humans and devas to resolve right and wrong. It is like a bird flying in the sky with broken wings, or like shooting an arrow at a target with a snapped bowstring: because the bowstring is snapped, the arrow does not hit the target; because the wings are broken, one cannot fly in the sky. When the string is strong and the wings are firm, both target and sky are fully penetrated. What are the ten kinds of wisdom sharing one reality? Let me point them out for you venerable elders: first, sharing the same substance; second, sharing the great matter; third, sharing the common inquiry; fourth, sharing the true aspiration; fifth, sharing universal omnipresence; sixth, sharing full endowment; seventh, sharing gain and loss; eighth, sharing life and death; ninth, sharing the roaring sound; tenth, sharing attainment and entry." He added: "With what person does one share attainment and entry? With whom does one share the roaring sound? What is sharing life and death? What thing shares gain and loss? Which one shares full endowment? What is it that shares universal omnipresence? Who shares the true aspiration? Who can share the common inquiry? Which one shares the great matter? What thing shares the same substance? Is there anyone who can point them out? One who can point them out does not begrudge compassion; one who cannot point them out does not yet possess the eye of study. You must discern this earnestly and know right from wrong. The original face is present right now. You must not stand long. Take care."

1.21

At an informal gathering, a monk asked: "How is it when the ice breaks and the fish scatter?" The Master said: "The water is clear, yet the fish do not appear; the long waves naturally come and go." The monk asked: "In what position should the Dragon King dwell?" The Master said: "In every place the golden palace remains; in heaven and earth, I alone am revered." The monk said: "If so, then none can surpass him." The Master said: "Gripping the sword, who attains its wonder? The person involved does not wound himself."

1.22

The Master said: "If one is a master who grips the sword, Caoshan can do nothing with him. Do you recognize the sword yet? I shall explain it thoroughly for you: within the realm, nothing can withstand it; throughout the seas, alone he strides across. Take care."

1.23

Ascending the hall, the Master said: "Under the gate of Fenyang, there is a Lion of Xihe crouching right at the gate; whenever anyone comes, he bites them to death immediately. By what expedient means can one enter Fenyang's gate and see the man of Fenyang? If you see the man of Fenyang, you are capable of being a master to ancestors and buddhas; if you do not see the man of Fenyang, you are all just dead fellows standing on the ground. Is there anyone today who can enter the gate? Quickly enter, lest you waste your whole life. If you are not a guest of the Dragon Gate, beware of having your forehead marked. Which one is a guest of the Dragon Gate? All of you are marked!" Raising his staff, he said: "Retreat quickly, retreat quickly!"

1.24

Ascending the hall, he said: "Heaven and earth are vast and open; the universe spreads out horizontally. On the patch-robed monk's part, he pierces through to the left and burrows through to the right. The woodcutter shoulders his firewood; the King of Physicians determines the price. Where medicine is abundant, illnesses are severe; where the net is fine, fish are crowded together. Heading east, west, south, and north, braving frost and treading on snow, shrinking neither from cold nor heat, he must make this matter clear. You must be someone who cuts [it] in two with a single blade before you can attain it. If you merely remain foolishly muddled like a rotten winter melon, what will you ever accomplish? Biting through both ends is still dragging through mud and water; how could you keep procrastinating in such a regrettable manner? Brothers! The true Dharma is hard to hear, and the correct cause is hard to arouse; why not reflect upon yourselves? It is like two armies meeting: never yield the first move. Beat the drum and seize the banner; you must swiftly carry it through to the end! Each person bold, everyone heroic—a great hero must not allow himself to fail the initial resolve of his practice or vainly consume the offerings of the faithful. Mountain clouds are vast and wide—when will there ever be an end to them? If you do not penetrate the mystery with your own wisdom, you will surely have to repay your past debts to others. What are you striving for, wandering aimlessly and deceiving your parents? Having lived a wasted life, you then also left home to go on foot, saying, 'I am calling on good spiritual friends, seeing into my nature to cut off the flow of birth and death, and realizing unconditioned phenomena.' Alas, alas! Not one in ten thousand reflects upon himself and returns to the root. Are there any such persons right now? If there are, come forward!" A monk asked: "I have received the Venerable's saying; how can the kindness of one's parents be repaid?" The Master said: "Shatter your bones and pulverize your body." "Does that suffice, or not?" The Master said: "Were it not for drawing near to the precious ground, how could one reach the Jetavana Park?"

1.25

The Master said: "Brothers! You must keep this mind without letting it be lost. Exhort one another mutually and clearly see it for yourselves, so as to avoid becoming careless and vainly spending days and months. Benefiting oneself and benefiting others, one is fit to consume the offerings of the faithful. Therefore it is said: 'Consuming ten thousand ounces of yellow gold a day—how much more so slight and modest offerings!' Each of you should remember this. If there is no business, there is no need to stand for long. Take care."

1.26

Ascending the hall, he said: "Those who preach the Dharma must possess the eyes of an ancestral master, must recognize the profound gates, and must distinguish black from white, perverse from upright. Therefore the ancients said: 'The mystery has its mysterious paths, hard to traverse like the path of birds. If a single word is not profound, one is merely a master of worldly vulgarity.' Now let me ask you elders: what is the mysterious path? Is there anyone who understands it? Speak and let Fenyang see! If you wish to know the truth, do not merely pass your days in this dazed manner, vainly consuming the offerings of the faithful. Ever since the ancient worthies, each had a path that surpassed ordinary men; do you still understand it? The ancient sages said: 'A single phrase must possess the three mysterious gates; a single mysterious gate must possess the three essentials.' Which phrases are those of the three mysteries and three essentials? You had better understand them quickly! Consider this for yourselves: have you attained a secure footing or not? When ancient worthies travelled on foot in the past, if they heard a single cause and condition that was not yet clear, right then and there food had no flavor for them and they found no rest in lying down, urgently seeking to resolve it rather than taking it lightly. Therefore, the Old Man of Great Awakening appeared in the world on account of the one great matter of causes and conditions. Think about how those from the past travelled on foot: it was not to roam the mountains and enjoy the waters, or to look at the luxury of prefectures and cities, or for scraps of clothing and mouthfuls of food. It was all because the sacred mind was not yet penetrated; thus they hastened about on foot, resolving the profound and abstruse, reciting and expounding it, inquiring widely of those who knew beforehand, and drawing near to the highly virtuous. This was simply to continue the lamp of the Buddha's mind, to carry on and exalt the ancestral generations, to promote and honor the sacred lineage, to guide those of future capacity, to benefit oneself and benefit others, and not to forget the traces of the ancients. Is there anyone now who will confer about this? If there is, come forward and let everyone confer together!"

1.27

A monk asked: "What is the phrase that receives beginners?" The Master said: "You are an itinerant monk." "What is the phrase that discerns a patch-robed monk?" The Master said: "In the west, the sun rises at the hour of the rabbit." "What is the phrase where the authentic decree is executed?" The Master said: "Brought from a thousand miles away to present its old face." "What is the phrase that establishes heaven and earth?" The Master said: "In Uttarakuru grows non-glutinous rice; those who eat it have neither greed nor anger."

1.28

The Master said: "Merely taking these four turning phrases to test the patch-robed monks of the world, no sooner do I see you come forward than the testing is already complete." A monk asked: "Where is the student's place to exert effort?" The Master said: "Beating the great statue at Jiazhou." "Where is the student's place of turning around?" The Master said: "Casting the iron ox at Shanfu." "Where is the student's intimate place?" The Master said: "Playing with the lion in Xihe."

1.29

The Master said: "If one understands these three phrases, one has already discerned the three mysteries. Furthermore, there are the phrases of the three essentials; you must urgently realize them—this is no trifling matter. I shall present them in verse for the assembly:

1.30

"The matters of the three mysteries and three essentials are hard to divide; / When one grasps the meaning and forgets words, the Way is easily approached. / A single phrase clearly covers the ten thousand phenomena; / On the ninth day of the Double Ninth, the chrysanthemums are fresh." The Master said: "Do you understand? To understand in this way is not to be a hot-tempered patch-robed monk. How is it best understood? You have been standing for long; take care."

1.31

Ascending the hall, he said: "Fenyang has three determinations, / Difficult for patch-robed monks to distinguish. / As soon as you hesitate and ask how, / The staff strikes straight at your head." A monk asked: "What are the three determinations?" The Master struck him at once. The monk bowed. The Master said: "I shall present them in verse for you all at once:

1.32

"The first determination: / Reception and guidance know no fixed seasons. / Clever words cannot explain it; / Clouds open to reveal the moon in the blue sky.

1.33

"The second determination: / Unfolding radiance discerns the wise and virtuous. / In question and answer lies the mind that benefits living beings, / Pulling out the wedge from within their eyes.

1.34

"The third determination: / Spoken by the barbarian from the Western Regions: / Crossing the waters of the Ji over into Silla, / On the barren earth using refined steel."

1.35

The Master said: "Now tell me: regarding the phrases of the three determinations, is there anyone who understands them? If anyone understands, disclose the news so that we may know near from far. Do not merely memorize words and phrases to serve as your whole life's work; what benefit is there in that? There is no need to stand for long. Take care."

1.36

During an informal assembly, he cited the sayings on the three mysteries and said: "Do you still understand the timing of the three mysteries? You must directly understand the intent of the ancients, and only then will your own mind become clear. Then you will attain freedom in adapting to changes, enjoying limitless function. This is called the Buddha of the Self-Enjoyment Body. Not relying on teachings from others, you will immediately recognize your own family livelihood. Therefore Nanquan said: 'Old Teacher Wang learned to make his livelihood at eighteen.'"

1.37

A monk asked: "The ancient said he learned to make his livelihood at eighteen; I wonder, what kind of livelihood did he make?" The Master said: "Two water buffaloes, / With both horns free of pen or corral." He also said: "If you wish to become clear about this, you must directly grasp the import of the three mysteries before you can attain it. Enjoying unobstructed function, you will rejoice within yourself to gratify your whole life. Great heroes, do not cause yourselves to be hindered by being obstructed in everything, leaving others without benefit or relief. I shall present them in verse for you all at once:

1.38

"The first mystery: / The Dharma realm is vast and boundless. / The array of myriad phenomena / Is completely perfected within the mirror.

1.39

"The second mystery: / Śākyamuni asks Ānanda; / Having heard much, he answers according to each matter, / Responding to capacities without limit.

1.40

"The third mystery: / Rising directly before the ancient sovereigns, / Beyond the four propositions and hundred negations, / Lü Qiujie questions Fenggan."

1.41

"The Master said: "These are the verses on the three mysteries. What is the import of the three mysteries? You must make a distinct and clear determination; do not simply engage in false interpretations directed toward empty space, saying, 'I once drew near to the Venerable, and he explained it to me.' Deceptive and false words mislead and intimidate others; the day will come when you taste the iron staff—do not say I did not warn you. Be careful, be careful! Take care."

1.42

When the townspeople presented a bell, they requested him to ascend the hall. The Master said: "In the past, when Vipaśyin Buddha appeared in the world, there was a faithful layman who cast a gold bell weighing ten thousand catties. There was another faithful layman who was physically strong; he entered the mountains to gather sandalwood for a striker. Because they obtained this merit, the one who cast the bell has now become a Buddha in the eastern direction, named the Tathāgata Golden Light Accumulation. Next, the one who gave the striker was the twenty-fourth patriarch in India, the Venerable Siṃha; his younger brother, who also left home, was the monk Longzi. In wisdom and eloquence, none surpassed him. For ninety-one kalpas, he was constantly born among humans and heavens, enjoying superior blessings and happiness. Today the townspeople donate a bell; it will surely produce good benefit. If you wish to know the fruit of realization, understand it right now! Is there anyone who wishes to ask about this matter?"

1.43

A monk asked: "No sooner is the great bell struck than its sound shakes the great trichiliocosm; I wonder, what is the matter of hearing it?" The Master said: "The monks assemble in the six harmonies, their deportment complete; the laity develop the five virtues, invigorating heroes." "In that case, the entire assembly hears it." The Master said: "Among them, you alone are deaf." The monk bowed and stood up. The Master said: "Do you remember?" "I do not remember." The Master said: "Everyone listen to this verse: / Cast from metal into an instrument, named the great bell, / No sooner struck than its resonant sound penetrates the universe. / Monks assemble in the six harmonies, their deportment complete; / The laity develop the five virtues, invigorating heroes. / Sumeru reports the news with Kāśyapa at the head; / In Central India, Devadatta's school of heterodoxy is crushed. / Forever hanging in the lotus palace as a supreme auspicious sign, / Humans and devas everywhere awaken, with boundless blessings."

1.44

The Master said: "Each of you should remember this; you must all attain awakening. Have you awakened yet? Do not forget it. The assembly has stood for long; take care."

1.45

At early morning gathering, he said: "At the crack of dawn, at the hour of the tiger, there is wild activity; within it is the person of the Way. You all came up upon hearing the sound of the bell; if not wild activity, which is the person of the Way? Is there anyone who recognizes it? If you recognize it now, to the end of future kalpas you will not be deceived by others; if you do not recognize it, toads and earthworms will cheat you."

1.46

A monk asked: "What is the person of the Way?" The Master said: "Raising his feet to tread through dust and dirt." "How does one manage not to tread through dust and dirt?" The Master said: "Do not mistake him for the man waiting by the tree stump."

1.47

The Master said: "If you cling to it, it is still not right after all. You have stood for long; go drink some tea."

1.48

Ascending the hall, he said: "A thousand explanations and ten thousand explanations are not as good as seeing for oneself. If you can see clearly for yourself, you instantly transcend the ordinary and enter the sacred, without being bewildered and disturbed by the hordes of māras; this is called having accomplished the great matter. Whoever comes before you, not a single one of their tricks can be used. Therefore Zhaozhou said: 'This old monk only watches this one thing; it is not an eye that selects Dharmas. Śākyamuni called it the wondrously luminous true nature, which does not rely on adornment.' Understand this, so as to avoid falsely recognizing conditioned dust and spending your time in vain." A monk asked: "What is the meaning of the Ancestral Teacher's coming from the West?" The Master said: "An ancient pine tree is covered with rough bark; / Within its core, there is naturally a streak of brightness."

1.49

A monk asked, "What is the guest within guest?"
The Master said, "Joining palms before the hut, inquiring of the World-Honored One."
"What is the host within guest?"
The Master said, "Facing each other, yet no person is seen."
"What is the guest within host?"
The Master said, "Battle clouds stretch across the sea; drawing the sword, roiling the Dragon Gate."
"What is the host within host?"
The Master said, "With three heads and six arms upholding heaven and earth, wrathful Nata smashes the Emperor's bell."
He asked, "What is the affair before the single phrase?"
The Master said, "Not falling into verbal explanation, the clear intent is disclosed; the moment a fine hair stirs, discrepancy arises."
"What is the affair after the single phrase?"
The Master said, "When two battle lines meet, there is no dodging."
"Then it penetrates skin and pierces to the bone."
The Master said, "Dragging crosswise and hauling upside down, left to the flying dust."
"In the end, I would never dare to let down the Venerable Monk."
The Master said, "Utmost filial piety is Chonghua."
He asked, "How is it when a single hair threads through myriad holes?"
The Master said, "Across ten thousand miles, not a fine hair remains."
"Do you still allow the student to sweep it away, or not?"
The Master said, "If there is anything, you must remove and banish it; if there is nothing, do not apply effort."
"Then I shall practice according to the principle."
The Master said, "The principle is indeed like this; how do you practice?"
The monk stamped his foot on the ground. The Master said, "For one who knows the tune before his very eyes, there is no need for another to announce it."

1.50

The Master said: "The venerable elders in all directions had no other choice but to talk east and speak west. You all assume it must be done like this, extensively laying out explanations, competing to gather your heads together, without sleep or rest, saying, 'I am investigating.' Where do you intend to investigate? An ancient said, 'Applying effort toward the outside is entirely the work of a foolish dolt.' You must quickly have faith in this. There is no need to stand for long. Take care."

1.51

Ascending the hall, [the Master] said: "Facing dark with light, extending radiance in response to things, ten thousand distinctions and a thousand differences are strung together as one. Is there still any place that is not illuminated? If there is, decide it before the assembly and clarify it for yourself directly."

1.52

A monk asked, "Please point out for me, Master, the place of intimacy."
The Master said, "Yeah!"
"What is the meaning of this?"
The Master said, "The pattern of the imperial bulletin."
He asked, "What is the eye of the correct Dharma?"
The Master said, "It has already been poked blind."
"I wonder: is there still an affair beyond, or not?"
The Master said, "There is."
"What is the affair beyond?"
The Master said, "Groping heaven and feeling earth."
He asked, "How is it when the single lamp is not yet lit?"
The Master said, "Extinguished."
"How is it after it is extinguished?"
The Master said, "Bright."
"I wonder: how is it when illuminating?"
The Master said, "Constantly burning without interruption, from past to present perpetually bright."
He asked, "Having long resounded with Fenyang's full might and power, please unfold the golden fur a little for the assembly to see."
The Master said, "It will be revealed after three days."
"Then the student takes three steps back."
The Master said, "Come back again after a month."
He asked, "According to the ancients, it is said: 'It does not dwell in the middle way, nor does it abide in the two extremes.' From the perspective of a patch-robed monk, how does one dock?"
The Master said, "Where do you usually dock?"
"Today it is entirely on account of this question."
The Master said, "Frequently lifting the oar at the shoals—when has it not entered the mud?"
"Then the great assembly listens attentively, and the student bows."
The Master said, "The great assembly has already listened attentively, and the student has already bowed. There is no need to forcibly pursue it; I know you are able to contrive oddities. Is there anyone else contriving oddities? Come forward and I will dispel the oddities for you. When you know an oddity and are not alarmed, the oddity destroys itself."
He further said, "Venerable elders! The Buddha-Dharma is not this kind of reasoning. When the Ancestral Master came, was there this much chattering, or not? Originally the Second Ancestor merely offered three bows and stood in his place—tell me, what kind of principle did he attain that he thereupon succeeded to the ancestral seat? Do you understand? Return to the hall."

1.53

While the Master was sitting in the Abbot's quarters, with monastics and laypeople standing in attendance, an outsider who did not give his name came in, bowed, rose, and asked, "What is the Master's family style?"
The Master said, "My house is vast and great; there is nothing it does not have."
"The student has not yet understood the Master's profound meaning; please deign to use skillful means to unfold your active dynamic."
The Master said, "The lion seat is placed within the Abbot's quarters; the dragon-shaped staff is held in my hand."
"How does one use it?"
The Master said, "Splitting open the hard, stubborn rock, retrieving the star-illuminating jewel."
"What is the star-illuminating jewel?"
The Master said, "I walk among the wild grasses; you enter a remote village again."
The man bowed, stood up, went out the door, and disappeared without a trace, no one knowing where he was.

1.54

On the occasion of plucking chrysanthemums, [the Master] gave an informal gathering and said: "Golden blossoms spread across the ground, jade stamens receive the sky; the bright sun is in the sky, heaven and earth shine brilliantly; the dragon soars and rain pours down, dew congeals into frost. Without harming the nature of things, utter a phrase! Is there anyone who can speak? If you cannot speak, then there is grit in your eyes, and you must get it out. Therefore Master Fengxue said, 'If a single speck of dust is established, the state and family flourish, and the rustic old man frowns; if not a single speck of dust is established, the state and family perish, and the rustic old man is at peace.' If you can clarify it here, the ācārya has no share—it is entirely the old monk. If you cannot clarify it here, the old monk is the ācārya. The ācārya and the old monk can both awaken everyone in the world, and can also blind everyone in the world. Do you want to know the old monk and the ācārya? This one is the ācārya; this one is the old monk. Let me ask you venerable elders: are the old monk and the ācārya the same or different? If you say they are the same, the elder is by himself the elder, and the old monk is by himself the old monk. If you say they are different, it is also said that the old monk is the ācārya. If you can clarify it here, within a single phrase there are the three mysteries and three essentials, guest and host are distinct, your lifelong affair is accomplished, and your investigation is complete. Therefore Yongjia said, 'Grinding bones and smashing body would not suffice to repay; in one phrase, clearly realized, one transcends hundreds of millions.'"
[A monk] asked, "I take note of the Master's words: 'The dragon soars and rain pours down, dew congeals into frost.' Without harming the nature of things, what is the meaning?"
The Master said, "Mist veils the pines and bamboos, freezing the cold hue; clouds scatter from the mountain peaks, the bright sun shines."
"In that case, the ten thousand creatures all receive the power of the genial warmth; though the student grinds his bones, he cannot repay the kindness."
The Master said, "Setting aside the gold and marten outside the frontier; sounding the wooden clapper throughout the world."
He asked, "When Gan Mu served Marquis Wen, how many understood the tune?"
The Master said, "Walking, he is honored; sitting, he is noble."
"What is the meaning of 'Walking, he is honored; sitting, he is noble'?"
The Master said, "Myriad commoners sing of the sovereign's transformation; white clouds arise in the great void."
He asked, "How is it when one is deeply depressed and cannot turn around?"
The Master said, "The dragon-horse is whipped swiftly; the imperial carriage bells ring over the Luo River."
He asked, "When the cloth drum is beaten before the porch, who is the one that knows the tune?"
The Master said, "Resting the hoe, emptying the barley meal, lying in the grass without raising the head."
He asked, "The dragon girl offered a jewel and became a Buddha; the student has no jewel to offer—can I still attain Buddhahood, or not?"
The Master said, "Precious awakening is not of effort; there is no presenting virtue in offering."
"Then without traveling to the south, one directly receives the prediction."
The Master said, "After ten million years, you must not cite it wrongly."
He asked, "The teaching says, 'Anuttara-bodhi all comes forth from this scripture.' I wonder: where does this scripture come forth from?"
The Master said, "The six destinies cannot contain it; how could the five aggregates encompass it?"
"Then it turns constantly and turns in all places."
The Master said, "Try turning it and see."
"Then I faithfully accept and practice it."
The Master said, "Excellent! Clarifying the wondrous purport, not falling into existence or non-existence."
He asked, "Having long resounded as the Lion of Xihe, why is it that upon arriving here, I do not see it?"
The Master said, "Do you recognize the lion?"
"Then the great assembly may all rejoice."
The Master said, "Only when your skull splits will you know you are flustered."

First 54 of 139 passages. Read on

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汾陽無德禪師語錄 — Classical Chinese