法演禪師語錄 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

2.1

Recorded Sayings of Upādhyāya Yan of Haihui on Mount Baiyun in Shuzhou

Ascending the hall, he said: "Gentle breeze and warm sun are the house style of ancient buddhas; green willows and red peach blossoms are the patriarchs' very nostrils. Close eyes and capable hands are not yet real awareness; glib mouth and sharp tongue stray ever farther from the Way. What enters through the gate is not the family treasure. Tell me, how in the end can we meet?"

2.3

He also said, "Nothing has happened to bring me here, yet still I remember you."

2.4

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What is the place where Baiyun is most intimate with people?" The Master said, "I love to twist people's nostrils around." The student asked, "What about when one goes right along like that?" The Master said, "A fellow who feels neither pain nor itch!" He then said: "Extraordinary men from the four seas and five lakes / Surround an unprincipled village bumpkin / Who only knows how to drag a plow and pull a harrow— / Water and grass in a bottomless alms-bowl. / Hanging up a sheep's head to sell dog meat, / In the midst of the hours how can one distinguish fine from coarse? / Continuing the Buddha's lifespan like this— / Truly, heaven and earth are far apart! / Who has the strength to uproot mountains / And shoulder this burden across their back? / Is there anyone? Is there anyone? / If there is, the family gates are wealthy and noble; / If not, how we have let down old Lu!"

2.5

Ascending the hall, he cited: "A monk asked Upādhyāya Baling Jian, 'Are the patriarchal intention and the doctrinal intention the same or different?' Jian said, 'When chickens are cold they go up into trees; when ducks are cold they go down into water.'" The Master said, "Great as Baling is, he only managed to say half of it. Baiyun is not like that: Scoop up water, and the moon is in your hands; / Toy with flowers, and fragrance fills your robes."

2.6

Ascending the hall, he said: "The spring breeze has its own clever skill, / Blowing open a hundred flowers of diverse kinds. / Only with the tree peony and herbaceous peony / Do the people of the time rejoice the moment they see them. / And tell me, on the part of a patch-robed monk, / What sort of matter is accomplished? / Taking them up and sniffing them, where do they return to? / Fragrance piercing to the bone is entrusted to old Lu."

2.7

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What was it like when Bodhidharma faced the wall?" The Master said, "The scheme was not yet accomplished." The student asked, "What was it like when the Second Patriarch stood in the snow?" The Master said, "Compounding error upon error." The student asked, "What about when he cut off his arm to pacify his mind?" The Master said, "Emperor Yang opening the Bian Canal." The student asked, "What about when it is not like any of this?" The Master said, "Go back and ask the Second Patriarch." He then cited: "Bodhidharma asked the Second Patriarch, 'What are you doing?' The Second Patriarch said, 'Please, Master, pacify my mind.' Had Baiyun seen it then, he would have given him twenty blows of the staff. Why? If others caught sight of it, they would think there were two. As for speaking of the method of pacifying the mind, how is it in the end? The bodhisattvas and dragon kings send down moistening rain, / Veiling the body above with layer upon layer of clouds."

2.8

Ascending the hall, he said: "Yesterday was noisy and clamorous; / This morning is quiet and still. / The cuckoo cries upon the branch; / The toad burrows into the grass. / A fine Cold Food festival day— / Letting down old Baiyun!"

2.9

Applying the torch for a deceased monk, he held up the torch and said: "Great assembly! The buddhas of the three periods turn the great wheel of the Dharma in the midst of the flames. Hearing the name is not as good as seeing the face; today, for Senior Zhiwu, seeing the face is not as good as hearing the name."

2.10

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Layman Pang asked Great Master Ma, 'Who is the one who is not companions with the myriad dharmas?' The Great Master said, 'Wait until you swallow all the water of the West River in a single gulp, and then I will tell you.'" The Master said: "In a single gulp he swallows all the water of the West River; / The peonies of Luoyang newly put forth their pistils. / Winnowing dirt and scattering dust, there is nowhere to seek; / Raising your head, you run right into your very own."

2.11

Ascending the hall at the start of the summer retreat, he said: "The sacred regulation has arrived, the season is early summer. In the deep and secluded crags and peaks, lush and verdant, Pippala is no different; in the babbling mountain streams and valleys, clear and cold, Caoxi is mirrored. Befitting a patch-robed monk's dwelling for the retreat, this is truly our school's method of confining the feet. Throwing wide the Chan gate, we extend a great invitation to companions, upholding the ancestral lineage and raising high the Dharma banner, repaying sovereign and parents above and assisting sentient beings below. Truly, within the sandalwood forest is a sandalwood forest; where the lion king resides are many lions. The host of lions scale the heights together; / The myriad phenomena are right within the palm of the hand. / Great assembly! / Let others laugh at our covered-in-ash, mud-streaked faces; / What we gain is leisure amid the mounds of white clouds."

2.12

Ascending the hall, he struck the staff once, then held it up and said, "Staff, I dare ask you: can you still speak Tathāgata Chan?" He said himself: "Cannot speak it." "Can you still speak Patriarchal Chan?" He said himself: "Cannot speak it." "Since you cannot speak it, Baiyun today will follow his own ideas. Following my own ideas is child's play; before the assembly of humans and devas, what handle are you seeking?"

2.13

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What is Baiyun's single drop of water?" The Master said, "Pounding the mortar, turning the mill." The student asked, "What about one who drinks it?" The Master said, "I'll leave you nowhere to put your flour!" He then said: "Like this, like this—the shrimp cannot jump out of the peck-measure; not like this, not like this—trying to be clever only makes a mess. Soft as iron, hard as mud; the diamond eye weighs twelve ounces, but in the patch-robed monk's hand the scale-tip hangs low. It has a price, but there is no bargaining. As for the one without nostrils, what will he smell fragrance with?"

2.14

Ascending the seat in the district town, he said: "White clouds escort me as I come out of the mountains; / Before my eyes the red dust cannot be brushed away. / Do not say there are no good things in the city: / Each dust particle, each kṣetra, each multi-storey pavilion."

2.15

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Great Master Ma was unwell. The monastery director asked, 'Upādhyāya, how has your venerable health been recently?' The Great Master said, 'Sun-Face Buddha, Moon-Face Buddha.'" The Master said, "Do you understand? If you do not understand, Baiyun will verse-comment on it for you: / A coiffured maiden paints her moth eyebrows; / Before the luan-bird mirror-stand, her words seem foolish. / She herself says her jade-like countenance is hard to match, / Yet comes to the rack to put on silken robes."

2.16

Ascending the hall for the roast eggplant gathering, he said: "In the sixth month, during the dog days of summer, / Fiery clouds spread across the countryside. / Sitting by the water among the pines, / Loosening our sashes in shared delight. / Monks in patched robes play with lotus blossoms; / Guests and friends tilt jade cups. / Affairs of the red dust are bustling and luxurious, / But how carefree and elegant is the emerald cavern! / We will meet again next year; / Let us look forward to it and not abandon each other. / Baiyun once made an agreement: / Wishing to form a Blue Lotus Society."

2.17

Ascending the hall, he said: "Buddhas and patriarchs produce enemies; awakening to the Way soils one with mud and dirt. People of non-action and no-affairs are deaf and blind to sounds and sights. And tell me, how is it right? Like this will not do; not like this will not do; both like this and not like this will not do at all. If suddenly a fellow were to come forth and say, 'Like this will do; not like this will do; both like this and not like this will all do,' I would just say to him, 'I know that you are making a living inside a ghost cave!'"

2.18

Ascending the hall, he said: "First entering the gate of Baiyun, / Then crossing the waves of Baiyun, / Chan of caltrop-pod swallowings, / Meals of non-glutinous rice. / If a gentleman should come here, / Carefully consider expedient means."

2.19

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What is the Way?" The Master said, "Zhiping Commandery." The student asked, "What is the person within the Way?" The Master said, "A loyal heart serving the ruler." The student asked, "I wonder, how far apart are the Way and the person within the Way?" The Master said, "His name is renowned throughout the empire." He then cited: "A monk asked Nanquan, 'What is the Way?' Nanquan said, 'Ordinary mind is the Way.' Also, Layman Pang asked Great Master Ma, 'Who is the one who is not companions with the myriad dharmas?' The Great Master said, 'Wait until you swallow all the water of the West River in a single gulp, and then I will tell you.'" The Master said, "Are they the same or different? If the same, gods emerge and ghosts vanish; if different, adding a cup after getting drunk. In the end, how is it? Wait until you have recited it until it is familiar, and then I will tell you."

2.20

Ascending the hall, he cited: "An ancient said, 'Śākyamuni and Maitreya are still his servants.' Tell me, who is he?" He then stepped down from the seat.

2.21

Ascending the hall, he said: "Five thousand and forty-eight scrolls— / Teachings, principles, practices, and fruits form views. / Discussing them under the Patriarch's gate, / One must know what is noble and what is base: / When noble, pearls and jade cannot equal it; / When base, a single copper is far too much. / If someone here can discern this, / Baiyun will give you thirty! / If suddenly a fellow were to come forth and say, 'A great man makes rewards and punishments clear; I wonder, which thirty is that?'" After a pause, he said, "Thirty years later!"

2.22

Ascending the hall, he said: "Moving the arena across three places settles right and wrong; / An obstinate mind unchanged from the time of being at home. / Calling each other elder and younger brothers, always like this— / For now, just being an old awl tucked away in an obscure corner."

2.23

Assistant Instructor Chen entered the mountains to brew tea. Ascending the hall, [the Master] said: "Precepts, samādhi, and wisdom assist one another; / A dignified, majestic great man! / The blow-hair sword gleams brilliantly; / Buddhas and patriarchs walk a different road."

2.24

Expressing thanks to the director of meals, he ascended the hall and said: "Baiyun's crags are dry and withered; this old fellow wants to eat skinless dumplings. The director of meals has skillfully arranged them, leaving everyone to bite and chew as they please." After a long pause, he said, "Though the mutton broth is delicious, it is hard to please every palate."

2.25

Ascending the hall, he cited: "A monk asked Great Master Ma, 'Apart from the four propositions and free from the hundred negations, please, Master, point directly to the meaning of the [Patriarch's] coming from the West.' The Great Master said, 'I am tired today and cannot explain it for you. Go ask Zhizang.' The monk asked Zhizang; Zang said, 'I have a headache today and cannot explain it to you. Go ask Brother Hai.' The monk asked Brother Hai; Hai said, 'Arriving here, I actually do not understand.' The monk then recounted this to the Great Master. The Great Master said, 'Zang's head is white; Hai's head is black.'" The Master [Fayan] said: "Great Master Ma had nowhere to put his shame, so he could only say, 'Zang's head is white; Hai's head is black.' This monk carried a load of dim confusion and traded it for a 'do not understand.' If one's eyes were like shooting stars, how many people would lose their money and incur punishment?"

2.26

Ascending the hall, he said: / "In the courtyard, golden chrysanthemums bloom from old roots; / For the first time, one or two calls of arriving wild geese are heard. / Last night, the Seven Peaks stirred an old man's interest: / A thousand thoughts, ten thousand ponderings, until the dawn."

2.27

Ascending the hall on a winter day, he said: "Bodhidharma's coming from the West has seen many changes over time; the lineage styles of later descendants are boundless, disturbing body and mind like a tangled ball of hemp thread. Baiyun today cuts it completely through. Assembly! One hundred and five [days after the solstice] is close to Qingming; the Upper Prime is definitely the middle of the first month."

2.28

Ascending the hall the next day, he said: / "After the return of the yang, it is severely cold; / The bright, clear moon hangs in the azure sky. / Ice locks the cascading spring, its sound minute; / Wind shakes the perilous tree, its shadow contorted. / Wild apes hold their young, hiding in deep caves; / Lean cranes lead their chicks, following the old immortal. / Do not say Master Ke merely stood in the snow in vain; / Only then do you know the ancient worthy's mind was firm."

2.29

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Deshan asked Longtan, 'I have long looked forward to Longtan (Dragon Pool), but having arrived here, the pool is not seen and the dragon does not appear.' Longtan said, 'You have personally arrived at Longtan.'" The Master said: "Old Man Longtan may well be called riding the thief's horse to chase the thief." Then he stepped down from the seat.

2.30

Seeing off fund-raising monks for various commanderies, he ascended the hall and said: / "Bearing the burden for the assembly, you followers of Chan, / Your talents and abilities are full of dynamic schemes. / Encountering people, there will surely be coin; / Meeting face-to-face, how could there be no wheat? / Already sons of our house, / Long guests beyond worldly things. / With gentleness, one hand raises up; / With firmness, both fists grip. / Fangs and claws fully equipped at once, / Surpassing the white-foreheaded tiger of the Southern Mountain."

2.31

Ascending the hall, he said: "A lifetime's teachings, five thousand forty-eight fascicles, emptiness and existence, sudden and gradual—how could this not be existence? Yongjia said, 'There is also no person, nor any Buddha; the great chiliocosm's sandy worlds are foam on the sea; all sages and worthies are like flashes of lightning.' How could this not be non-existence? Assembly! If you say it is existence, you contradict Yongjia; if you say it is non-existence, you also contradict old Śākyamuni. How can this be weighed just right? If you know the point of landing, in the morning you see Śākyamuni, and in the evening you visit Maitreya. If it is not yet clear, Baiyun will point it out for you: Saying non-existence is not non-existence; saying existence is not existence. Facing east, look at West Aparagodānīya; facing south, behold the Northern Dipper."

2.32

Ascending the hall, he said: "Speaking of Buddha, speaking of Dharma, picking up the mallet, raising the fly-whisk—white clouds for ten thousand miles. Deshan striking with his staff as soon as one enters the gate, Linji shouting as soon as one enters the gate—white clouds for ten thousand miles. Then, 'being like this' will not do, 'not being like this' will not do, 'both being like this and not being like this' completely will not do—even then, white clouds for ten thousand miles. Suppose someone suddenly comes forth and says, 'Elder, your speaking like this is also white clouds for ten thousand miles.' Such talk is called a dwarf watching a play, following others up and down; thirty years from now, it will be a good laugh. And tell me, what laugh is it laughing? White clouds for ten thousand miles."

2.33

Ascending the hall, he said: "The road before Baiyun's gate: walking back and forth with great strides. In the middle there is a square brick—why do all of you fail to step on it?"

2.34

When Judicial Commissioner Wang entered the mountain, [the Master] ascended the hall and said: "Under the Patriarch's gate, it is like an arrow hitting the target: the hand is deft, the eye is intimate, without gain and without loss." A monk asked, "Your Excellency's canopy approaches the banquet, and a pure breeze surrounds the seat. This student comes forward and asks the Master to resolve it conclusively." The Master said, "A single rain at the end of the year gradually welcomes spring." The student said, "Heaven lowers a jeweled canopy, and the earth spreads golden lotuses." The Master said, "That is not yet much." The student said, "What is the matter that is 'much'?" The Master said, "Before the assembly of humans and devas, I do not wish to be hasty." The student said, "The billows of the ocean of awakening swell vast and boundless; the sun and moon of the Śākya heaven shine ever brighter." The Master said, "That too is unnecessary." He then cited: "Ānanda asked Kāśyapa, 'Apart from transmitting the golden brocade robe, what else did the World-Honoured One transmit?' Kāśyapa called, 'Ānanda!' Ānanda responded, 'Yes?' Kāśyapa said, 'Knock down the flagpole before the gate.' Moreover, Yongjia said, 'Erect the Dharma banner, establish the essential teaching; clearly, the Buddha's decree is at Caoxi.'" The Master said: "Kāśyapa taught to knock down the flagpole; Yongjia also taught to establish the essential teaching. And tell me: is knocking it down right, or is erecting it right? Arriving here, one must possess the eye of Dharma selection to begin with. Ultimately, how is it? Knocking down is seven vertical and eight horizontal; erecting is two times three making six. In the pavilion of the Seven Peaks, together talking of the profound; every sentence, every word clears the ears and eyes."

2.35

Ascending the hall upon returning to the new Sangha Hall, he said: "Today is the first day of the tenth month; the newly constructed Cloud Hall is completed. The holy assembly has already found peaceful dwelling; its elegance completely surpasses olden days. When making use of it within, in all matters cherish one another, wishing to preserve the family style of the ancient Buddhas, so the three realms of existence and the four debts of gratitude gain benefit, celebration, and repentance. Separately, there is a report submitted with names inscribed on stone. I venture to urge all dānapatis far and near to keep in mind mahāprajñāpāramitā." Suppose someone suddenly comes forth and says, "The Elder makes a fine composition." Then he said: "Bah! Coming from Baiyun's mouth, who dares say it is not good?"

2.36

When the Judicial Commissioner entered the monastery, [the Master] ascended the hall and said: "Troops turn following the seal; generals move pursuing the tally. Bodhisattvas of great expedient authority protect and shield sentient beings: those who are compliant, they guide and persuade with good words; those who are fierce and stubborn, they subdue with cangues and staves horizontally and vertically. In the midst of this, there is an immeasurable great fellow: golden locks and mysterious barriers cannot detain him; stages of sage and ordinary cannot contain him. If nothing could be done with him, the Buddha Dharma would have no efficacy. Baiyun has a bit of news; let me try to speak it. An ancient said, 'Boundless realms, self and others, are not separated by the tip of a hair; the ten periods of past and present, from beginning to end, do not leave the present thought.' Storing Sumeru inside a mustard seed, hurling the great chiliocosm beyond the compass, turning the great earth into yellow gold, churning the long river into ghee. Arriving here, what should be done? The lands shake to welcome Mahāsthāmaprāpta; jeweled flowers fill [the sky] to send off Avalokiteśvara."

2.37

Ascending the hall on the Double Fifth, he cited: "Formerly, a scholar composed the *Treatise on the Non-Existence of Ghosts*. Just as the treatise was finished and he set down his brush, a ghost appeared, chopped its hand, and said to the scholar, 'What can you do to me?' If Baiyun had seen this at that time, I would have shaped my hand like a quail's beak, faced him, and said: 'Gugu-gu.'"

2.38

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Emperor Suzong asked National Teacher Zhong, 'What will you need after a hundred years?' The National Teacher said, 'Build a seamless pagoda for this old monk.' The Emperor said, 'Please give the design of the pagoda, Master.' The National Teacher remained silent for a long time and said, 'Do you understand?' The Emperor said, 'I do not understand.' The National Teacher said, 'I have a disciple, Danyuan, who understands this matter well. Please summon and ask him.'" The Master said: "Everyone in the assembly says that the National Teacher was silent for a long time, totally unaware that the suspended drum was awaiting the mallet. If Suzong at that time had been an adept ruler, waiting for him to say to summon Danyuan, he would only have said to him, 'National Teacher, National Teacher, what need is there?' Suzong later summoned Danyuan, and [Dan]yuan presented a verse: / 'South of the Xiang, north of the Tan, / In between, yellow gold fills an entire realm. / Beneath the shadowless tree, the contract boat; / Upon the lapis lazuli palace, no spiritual friend.'" The Master spoke in Suzong's place: "Idle words." "Xuedou's verse says: / 'A seamless pagoda, hard indeed to see; / The clear pool does not permit the blue dragon to coil. / Layers steep and distinct, / Its shadow rounded and full; / For thousands and myriads of ages, offered for people to see.'" The Master said: "Xuedou can indeed let his name be passed down for thousands of ages. This old monk only loves his saying, 'The clear pool does not permit the blue dragon to coil'—the beginning and the end threaded through all at once. Just taking the tangled string from earlier and setting it aside, tell me, ultimately how is it?" Then he said: / "The delicate maiden has already returned to the sky; / The foolish lad still keeps watch over the empty room by himself."

2.39

Ascending the hall, he cited: "A monk asked Yunmen, 'What is the talk that transcends Buddhas and surpasses patriarchs?' Men said, 'Sesame cake.' Baiyun is not like this. If someone suddenly asks, 'What is the talk that transcends Buddhas and surpasses patriarchs?' I would only say to him, 'Donkey dung is like horse manure.' Also I would say, 'A worn-out straw sandal.' Also I would say, 'The sacred tortoise drags its tail.' And tell me: are these the same or different? Try to distinguish them!"

2.40

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What is the ultimate matter?" The Master said, "What need is there to make a special effort?" He then cited: "A monk sought instruction from Langye: 'Pure and originally so, how do mountains, rivers, and the great earth suddenly arise?' Langye said, 'Pure and originally so, how do mountains, rivers, and the great earth suddenly arise?' That monk had an awakening." The Master said: "Though gold dust is precious, falling into the eye it causes a cataract."

2.41

Ascending the hall, he said: / "The Patriarch left behind a single shoe, / For thousands and myriads of ages broadcast into people's ears. / In vain carrying it on the shoulder and walking barefoot, / When have they ever trodden on what is their own?"

2.42

Ascending the hall, he said: "The postulant struck the drum without announcing it; upon the curved-wood chair, I cannot help but make the best of a mistake. Attend!"

2.43

Ascending the hall, he said: "Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai: ending and beginning again, there is revulsion and there is love. Ultimately, how is it? Just see that you recite them thoroughly."

2.44

Ascending the hall, he said: / "Pervading all sandy realms, when has one ever moved a step? / Deep in the mountains, white clouds—what kind of reward land is this? / If one is a person of the true Way, / Twice a day they wash the alms bowl."

2.45

Upon newly skinning the Dharma drum, he ascended the hall and said: / "For many years, stubborn hide made no sound when struck; / The new hide barely stirs, and thunder shakes the sky. / Without obstruction, do not say it merely follows the trend; / When there is sound, who says it does not come from grievance? / Why is this? Both eyes listen and do not hear; both ears gaze and do not see. On a single level, flat road, who is it that lacks expedient means?"

2.46

Ascending the hall, he said: / "Root and branch must return to the source; / Noble and base employ its words. / The sharp sword is thrown into empty space; / The great staff strikes the old rat."

2.47

Ascending the hall, he cited: "After the World-Honoured One passed into extinction, the holy disciples compiled the Dharma treasury in the Pippala Cave. When Ānanda ascended the seat, his appearance and demeanor were no different from the Buddha's. The assembly then gave rise to three doubts: first, suspecting Ānanda had attained Buddhahood; second, suspecting the Buddha had reappeared in the body; third, suspecting a Buddha from another realm had transformed himself. Ānanda chanted, 'Thus have I heard.' The doubts of the assembly all ceased. If at that time there had been a fellow coming out of the assembly saying, 'Assembly! Act according to it and disperse,' it would have saved us from seeing the full treasury of jade scrolls churning people's bowels. Although it is like this, it still has not cut it off completely. Why is that? Ānanda said, 'Thus have I heard'; Baiyun also says, 'Thus have I heard.' If you say that that time was right, you value the ancient and slight the present; if you say right now is right, you value the present and slight the ancient. Do you want to understand? The udumbara flower does not bloom; traces are cut off, without fragrance."

2.48

Ascending the hall, he said: / "The Sixth Patriarch, Great Master Neng, / Was a greatly foolish fellow. / Later descendants are many, / Generating confusion turn by turn. / Consider it carefully: / Baiyun finds no foothold."

2.49

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "How does one take a step forward from the top of a hundred-foot pole?" The Master said, "Only by running fast will you make it." He then cited: "Yunmen said: 'Hearing sound, one awakens to the Way; seeing form, one clarifies the mind. Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva brings money to buy a sesame cake; putting down his hand, it turns out to be a steamed bun.' Yunmen was good, exceedingly good; wondrous, exceedingly wondrous; yet he only managed to speak of grandmotherly Chan. With Baiyun it is not so. What is hearing sound and awakening to the Way, seeing form and clarifying the mind?" He then raised his hand, making the gesture of playing an hourglass drum, and said, "Shan-ba-la-zha!"

2.50

Ascending the hall, he said, "Four or five hundred piculs of wheat, two or three thousand piculs of rice—a fine medicine for fasting, yet Jīvaka could not grasp its marvel."

2.51

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Longya said: 'Visiting the famed mountains of the world is all due to feet; through deep years of toil and hardship they wear grass sandals. Now old and unable to walk, my hands hold a broken wooden ladle.' With Baiyun it is not so: my feet cannot wear grass sandals, nor can my hands hold a wooden ladle. Sitting upright, I receive offerings; may the donors ever enjoy peace and happiness."

2.52

Ascending the hall, he said, "The matter of Bodhidharma coming from the West, people today vainly speculate about it. How can waves rise in the Heavenly River? The cassia on the moon emits no fragrance. Why so? A ready-made gong'an."

2.53

At the feast hosted by the director of An'le Cloister, the Master ascended the hall and said, "Last night I had a dream. I dreamt I saw Master Zhen in the heavenly palace, sitting opposite Śakra. Zhen asked Śakra, 'Are there the five signs of decay in heaven, or not?' Śakra said, 'This is what the Buddha taught; how could it be false?' Thereupon Śakra asked Zhen in turn, 'I hear that in Jambudvīpa there are those who do not uphold the precepts; is that so?' Zhen said, 'This is what the Buddha taught; how could it be false?' After a long pause, Zhen said, 'Although the heavenly palace is delightful, it is not a place to dwell for long.' He then descended to the eighteen hells and saw King Yama sitting in the main hall, whispering in the ear of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. Zhen went out the front gate and saw a boy in blue, who bowed and said, 'The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea invites you to accompany the arhats for a meal.' Zhen then went to attend the meal and returned with several wish-fulfilling gems, which he distributed at once to his disciples. Baiyun was flashed by the light of the gems and suddenly woke from the dream. Thus, this morning the Dharma-offspring have set out a vegetarian feast for Master Zhen and invited Baiyun to ascend the seat. Assembly, tell me: was last night's dream real, or is what I just said real? In this assembly, all are longtime practitioners, elder paragons, the essence of the Chan Way. If anyone can distinguish it, let him come forward and reveal a sign of it! Is there anyone? Is there anyone? If not, Baiyun also has an ancient story: Old Man Śākyamuni entered parinirvāṇa beside the Bhadra River. Only then did Kāśyapa arrive, circling the golden coffin and weeping; thereupon the World-Honoured One manifested both feet for him. Assembly, tell me: was the moment of entering parinirvāṇa real, or was the moment of manifesting both feet real?" He then said: "'Stop, stop! There is no need to speak; / My Dharma is subtle and hard to fathom. / Those with overweening pride, / Hearing it, will certainly not revere or believe.'"

2.54

Expressing thanks to the supervisor of the harvest, he ascended the hall and said, "In the matter of human life and death, the first priority is to ○. If you wish to achieve this ○, you must first guard against ○. If you are a true ○ person, ○○."

2.55

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "Not obscured by the immediate dynamic, I ask the Master to speak plainly." The Master said, "Squeezed together, opened wide." He then cited: "A monk took leave of Zhaozhou. Zhou said, 'Do not stay where there is a Buddha.'" The Master said, "Replacing your heart, liver, and five viscera." "'Where there is no Buddha, hurry past.'" The Master said, "A wild goose passes, leaving its cry." "'When you meet someone three thousand miles away, do not mention this incorrectly.'" The Master said, "Mistaken the moment you step out the door." "The monk said, 'In that case, I will not go.'" The Master said, "Sowing millet, but harvesting beans." "Zhou said, 'Pick the willow catkins, pick the willow catkins!'" The Master said, "Unawares, another day turns to night; how can one make someone young again?"

2.56

At an informal gathering, he said, "Bodhidharma came from the West, not establishing words, directly pointing to the human mind, seeing one's nature and becoming a Buddha. Suppose someone suddenly stepped forward and said, 'Elder, you usually like to ask people in your room what their mind is; I do not understand, so I ask the Elder instead: what is the Upādhyāya's mind?' This old monk would say to him, 'Coming here to pluck the tiger's whiskers—what kind of mind could be spoken of to you so rashly?' If he further asked, 'The story of the cypress tree—how does the Elder understand it?' I would say to him, 'I have an expedient means.' 'What expedient means do you have?' 'You must first ask the head monk!' If he further asked, 'Deshan gave thirty blows with his stick as soon as someone entered the gate; how do you understand that?' Hearing this, my flesh shivers. 'Linji shouted as soon as someone entered the gate; how do you understand that?' What broken grass sandals are these! Even if you penetrate them all at once, seven times nine is still sixty-eight."

2.57

On Mid-Autumn, ascending the hall, he said: / "Mid-Autumn moon, Mid-Autumn moon! / Past and present all call it uniquely different. / Different or not different, / Its brilliant, pure light pervades the great thousand worlds, / Leaving the world to talk in clamour as it will."

2.58

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "The whole lifetime of teachings is a phonetic fanqie; I wonder, what word does it spell?" The Master said, "Prajñā." The student asked, "I only asked for one word; why did you answer with so many?" The Master said, "Seven words, eight words." The student said, "You are indeed accustomed to taking advantage of the situation." The Master said, "Tea and rice for so long—it turns out someone actually knows the flavour." He then said, "The seal of the ancestral master's mind: where the good news is, there is no news; where there is no news, the ancient seal script is clear. Held up, the great thousand worlds tremble; set down, ordinary and sacred share the same source. At times it stamps everyone right on the face, yet you willingly submit to defeat and refuse to take responsibility. This implicates Baiyun in suffering an injustice! Tell me, where does the fault lie?"

2.59

Ascending the hall, he held up his staff: "This staff was not obtained from Tiantai or Nanyue, nor is it in this land or the Western Heaven. Tell me, where was it born? If you know where it was born, we can use it together; if you do not know—" He then leaned it [against the seat] and stepped down. Ascending the hall, he cited: "'O wondrous, clear, dhāraṇī-holding, unshakeable Honoured One, / Śūraṅgama King, rare in the world, / Dissolving my inverted thoughts across countless kalpas, / Without passing through asaṃkhyeyas I attain the Dharma-body.' Assembly! If you take this as Chan, you slander the sūtras; if you take this as sūtra, you slander Chan; if you lump them into one, it is muddled. If someone can leap out, they may consume ten thousand ounces of gold daily; if you cannot leap out, there is a place reserved for you."

2.60

Ascending the hall, he said, "You only know the waxing and waning of the moon; who knows the waning and waxing of the moon? In haste you board a boat to cross the water, not knowing that to cross the water you board a boat. A hundred years are thirty-six thousand days; thoughtlessly the ruddy face grows old. Look in the mirror each of you—what kind of face is that?"

2.61

Ascending the hall, he cited: "A monk asked Dongshan, 'What is the eye of a kalyāṇamitra?' Dongshan said, 'A paper twist without oil.' Were you to ask Baiyun, I would answer, 'Without oil, one does not light the lamp.' Even so, this is still three thousand miles away from Dongshan; yet within it there is a good point. What is the good point? In the pitch-dark, you bump into the bare pillar, and perhaps you will awaken."

2.62

On New Year's Day, ascending the hall, he said, "Before Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja it was just like this; after Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja it is also just like this. The Buddhas of the three periods are also just like this; the four-sevens of the Western Heaven and the two-threes of the Tang land are also just like this. The year before last and last year were also just like this; next year, the year after next, the year after that, and beyond, will also be just like this. If someone suddenly came forward and said, 'Upādhyāya! Upādhyāya!'" The Upādhyāya himself said, "If not called to a halt by him, for a hundred years it would still be just like this." He further said, "The first month opens auspicious fortune, and all things are renewed. Last year I begged for fire, bringing it back along with smoke; today I carry spring water, returning with the moon. As the sun's course shifts, the days grow longer after the solstice. In front of the veranda there is a straight path, but no one is willing to halt their steps. In early spring it is still cold; I respectfully wish the head monk and the great assembly ten thousand blessings in their daily life. Su Wu herded sheep by the seaside for many days with joy; Li Ling looked toward Han from the terrace, laughing all day long. Where does the conclusion lie? Humaneness and duty are severed only where there is poverty; worldly affection turns ever more toward wealthy gates."

2.63

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What is one's fundamental duty?" The Master said, "A tied tongue, without words." He then said, "Every day I get up, hold Linji's staff, blow Yunmen's tune, keep time with Zhaozhou's beat, shoulder Yangshan's hoe, drive Guishan's ox, and plow Baiyun's field. Over seven or eight years, a household has gradually been established. Furthermore, I ask you all: let each person lend a hand to support one another, singing the song of returning to the fields, passing the days with coarse broth and plain rice. Why so? 'Only may the silkworms and wheat ripen this year, / And I will give a copper coin to little Rāhula.'"

2.64

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Nanquan said, 'Last night at the third watch, Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra gave rise to views of Buddha and views of Dharma. I gave each of them twenty blows with the stick and banished them to the two Iron Enclosing Mountains.' Baiyun, however, possesses great compassion." He then clapped his hands and said, "Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra, Great Beings—how do you fare? Do you still dare to do so from now on?" He said to himself, "Once bitten by a snake, one fears a broken well-rope."

2.65

Ascending the hall, he said, "Does a dog have Buddha-nature or not? It is still a hundred thousand times better than a cat. Step down from the seat."

2.66

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Xuefeng asked Deshan, 'With what Dharma did the ancient sages instruct people?' Deshan said, 'My lineage has no words or phrases, nor does it have a single Dharma to give to people.' From this Xuefeng had an awakening. Later, a monk asked Xuefeng, 'When the Upādhyāya saw Deshan, what did you obtain that made you cease?' Xuefeng said, 'I went empty-handed and returned empty-handed.' Baiyun today speaks to those who have not yet penetrated through: two people came from the Eastern Capital. I asked them, 'Where did you come from?' They said, 'From Suzhou.' Then I asked them, 'How are things in Suzhou?' They said, 'Everything is normal.' Even so, they could not deceive Baiyun. Why so? Merely because their dialects were different. In the end, how is it? Water caltrops from Suzhou, lotus roots from Shaobo."

2.67

Ascending the hall, he said, "For twenty-five years I have sat on this curved-back wooden chair. Citing the ancient and citing the present are not lacking, but I have never yet spoken the first phrase. Is there anyone in the assembly possessing great compassion? Try coming forward and speaking it, so that the assembly may all know it, and to fulfill your life's pilgrimage. Is there anyone? Is there anyone? Do not say there is none. If someone suddenly came forward and asked in turn, 'What is the first phrase?' Baiyun could not help but say to him: 'Why let it go?'"

2.68

Ascending the hall, he said, "Difficult, difficult—how many kinds? Easy, easy—no rhyme or reason. Fine, fine—hastens one's aging. Silent, silent—from this it is attained. Having passed these four barriers, a person from Sizhou meets the Great Saint. Participate!"

2.69

Ascending the hall, he said, "'This Dharma cannot be shown; / The characteristics of speech are extinguished.' These two lines are still somewhat close. What about when suddenly encountering an antelope hanging by its horns?" Pointing straight up, he said, "Heaven, heaven! You have stood for a long time."

2.70

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "The mouth is the gate of misfortune." He then said, "Today is the Lantern Festival: everywhere the lantern light is brilliant and clear. I know not what Heaven intends, that auspicious snow should turn into bitter snow. The poor are frozen like stiff silkworms; tortoises freeze until they become turtles. Only among the Chan practitioners of the four seas does each have grit added to their eyes. Why so? I will not say, I will not say." He descended the seat.

2.71

On the occasion of inviting the fundraising monastics, he ascended the hall and said, "The work of creation and transformation, under the gate of the patriarchs, makes the generative qi of Heaven and Earth—spring, summer, autumn, and winter; it resolves the inverted minds of sentient beings into permanence, bliss, self, and purity. Yet if we go by where patch-robed monks function, it is not so at all. Even transforming the great earth into yellow gold and churning the long rivers into clarified butter would still not satisfy Baiyun. If suddenly someone were to come forth and say, 'Talking like this, you are merely a fellow of insatiable greed,'" he said himself, "Well said! Practice!"

2.72

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Great Master Bodhidharma said, 'Who has attained my authentic lineage? Come forward, and I shall verify it for you.' The nun Zongchi said, 'According to my view, it is like Ānanda beholding the Buddha-land of Akṣobhya: seen once, it is never seen again.' Bodhidharma said, 'You have attained my skin.' Daoyu said, 'According to my view, there is truly not a single phenomenon that clings to sentiment.' Bodhidharma said, 'You have attained my flesh.' The Second Patriarch bowed three times and stood in his place. Bodhidharma said, 'You have attained my marrow.'" The Master said, "At that time, had I seen those three speak thus, I would have given each thirty blows of the staff. As for Baiyun today, I should also take twenty-nine blows, leaving one blow for all of you. If among you there is one who knows pain and itch, he will not fail the ancient sages and will also get to see Baiyun. But if you do not yet know, when eating gruel and eating rice in the hall you must chew thoroughly; all too often I see you swallowing it whole."

2.73

Ascending the hall, he cited: "When Śākyamuni Tathāgata went to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven to preach the Dharma for his mother, King Udayana longed for the Buddha and ordered artisans to carve a sandalwood image. When the World-Honoured One descended, the image also came out to welcome him. Tell me, everyone: was the one descending right, or was the one coming out to welcome him right? Furthermore, it is said in the teachings: 'The Tathāgata comes from nowhere and goes nowhere.' Could it be that the Dharmakāya neither comes nor goes, while the transformation body has coming and going? If someone can see into this, he can consume ten thousand ounces of gold a day; but if not, who will you have repay the cost of your straw sandals?"

2.74

Ascending the hall, he said, "Speak of Chan and you are bound by Chan; do not speak, and it manifests naturally. If you truly do not speak, it is truly a wonderful expedient. Like wrestling before a galloping horse, like a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning: understand it and you have great wealth and honour; fail to understand, and you confront it in vain."

2.75

Ascending the hall on the occasion of a vegetarian feast, he said: / "Neither cold nor warm, we delight in the spring outing; / Men and women pour their hearts into building merits for the afterlife. / One spontaneously perceives a lifetime to be like an illusion or a dream, / Only then knowing a hundred years are like floating bubbles. / Where the cuckoo cries is the true message; / When the peonies bloom, the wild spirit is deep and secluded. / Who can understand this lineage style? / In vain the hair of youth turns white."

2.76

Ascending the hall, he said, "What was used before cannot be used today; what is used today cannot be used next time. Unable to be used, unable to be said, one is thrown down again and again. From antiquity to the present, who was wrong and who was not wrong? If suddenly someone came forth and said, 'Baiyun is not wrong only today,'" he said himself, "Wrong, wrong!" He descended the seat.

2.77

One day the Master carried his staff and circled the abbot's quarters. He asked a monk, "Is there anyone born in the year of the ox who wishes to ask about his fortune?" There was no answer, so he said, "Today Sun Bin opened his shop, but not a single person deigned to look. How regrettable: three feet of dragon's whiskers called an ordinary rag!"

2.78

Ascending the hall, he said, "There is a remarkable encounter that I bring up for you all. Wanting to speak of it, one is hindered by speaking; not speaking of it, one is hindered by not speaking. Wanting to bring up the mountains, rivers, and the great earth, one is hindered by the mountains, rivers, and the great earth. Let another head be placed atop the head; true gold is not traded for brass. Such is the mind of a great man—joyful and free of a hundred worries."

2.79

Ascending the hall, he cited: "A monk asked Caoshan, 'How was it before the Buddha appeared in the world?' Caoshan said, 'Caoshan was not as good.' 'How was it after he appeared in the world?' Caoshan said, 'He was not as good as Caoshan.'" The Master said, "If viewed from the worldly truth, Caoshan deserves twenty blows; if viewed from the ancestral path, Baiyun deserves twenty blows. Even though it is so, the tip of the staff has eyes: between the two, one thoroughly approves, and one thoroughly disapproves. If someone can distinguish this, I grant that you possess half an eye."

2.80

Ascending the hall, he said, "All of you, seeing the old Upādhyāya move his lips and raise his whisk, immediately formulate an exalted understanding; but when mountain birds gather and cattle swish their tails, you treat it as ordinary. Little do you know: the sound from the eaves does not cease from the previous night's rain; the flash of lightning still connects to the thunder of the later night."

2.81

Ascending the hall, he said, "Śākyamuni has already passed into extinction, and Maitreya is not yet born; push all phenomena of the universe aside—now, what is your permanently abiding Dharmakāya?" He then said, "Merit or no merit, do not leave the belly empty."

2.82

Ascending the hall on the occasion of inviting the head of provisions to undertake repairs, he said, "Today Baiyun provisionally takes the world of the Great Song as a Go board: first taking Mount Tai of the Eastern Peak, Mount Heng of the Southern Peak, Mount Hua of the Western Peak, Mount Heng of the Northern Peak, and Mount Song of the Central Peak to fix the five directions; next taking Wutai, Emei, Zhiti, and Luofu as support. On the left side, an angled flight of wild geese; on the right side, the tiger's mouth double-gate." He then raised his hand and said, "Tell me, where does this move land? If you know where it lands, you are an equal opponent. If not, Baiyun will try to give some news: / Nineteen level paths, the contest for supremacy has not ceased; / Do not let one move go wrong, for a losing position is hard to recover."

2.83

"Ascending the hall on New Year's Day: The new year initiates good fortune; in India and in this land, all things are renewed. The xiezhi and the qilin bring blessings in accordance with the season; sincere words are not false. Early spring is still cold, with diverse matters in abundance. I respectfully pray that the head monk and the great assembly may share its use throughout the realm; that the duty-distributors, holding talent and embracing righteousness, along with all the fundraising monastics, like dragons and like tigers, enjoy myriad blessings in bodily health and daily life. May you be truly like gold and like jade, and throughout the three hundred and sixty days of each year, surely have plenty of gruel and plenty of rice."

2.84

Ascending the hall on the occasion of a vegetarian feast, he said: / "In the middle of the second month of spring, the phenomena of nature are fresh; / Across worlds numerous as dust and sand, it is the same sky. / Dark moss washed by rain washes away the snow of last winter; / Wild fires stirred by the wind drift the smoke of last night. / On perilous peaks one suddenly hears apes howling at the sun; / Along the Long River one occasionally sees travelers boarding boats. / How many times in a lifetime does one meet such scenes? / It is best with a sincere heart to plant the field of merit."

2.85

Ascending the hall on the Dragon Boat Festival, a monk asked, "This morning is the fifth day of the fifth month; we provisionally cease the weeding drums. Although you are an unconcerned person, please burn a stick of incense." The Master said, "Urgent, urgent, as by the statutes and ordinances!" [The monk] stepped forward and said, "Waiting also for the little ghost to perform a trick." The Master said, "Zhong Kui frightens you." He then said, "Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. Baiyun has a divine talisman that is slightly efficacious; not daring to conceal it, I present it to you all. First, may the present Emperor and the Grand Empress Dowager live ten thousand years in their sagely bodies; second, may the ministers and chancellors of the court, civil and military officials, and prefectural and county officers long hold their salaries and positions; third, may the myriad common people delight in their occupations, with favorable rains and gentle winds. A talisman messenger came to report to Baiyun, saying, 'I have gone everywhere throughout all places, but because my supernormal powers are slight, there is one matter I can do nothing about.' Thereupon I asked him what matter it was. The messenger said, 'The nostrils of the Chan followers are raised toward the heavens.' Baiyun said to him, 'Do not speak only of you; even I can do nothing about it.' Even though it is so, a vast swamp conceals mountains, and principle can subdue a leopard. In the end, how is it? One draws three, two adds four; the yellow ox's horns point toward heaven, eight legs hang down past the nose. Swiftly, swiftly!" He descended the seat.

2.86

Ascending the hall, he cited: "A nun asked Zhaozhou, 'What is the most secret meaning?' Zhaozhou pinched her wrist. The nun said, 'Does the Upādhyāya still have this?' Zhaozhou said, 'It is you who still have this.'" The Master said, "If this nun had been a person of capacity, she would merely have said to him, 'Neither can I let the Upādhyāya off.'"

First 86 of 100 passages. Read on

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法演禪師語錄 — Classical Chinese