明覺禪師語錄 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.1

Compiled by the studying junior monk Weigaizhu.

1.2

Discourses while residing at Cuifeng Chan Monastery of Dongting in Suzhou.

When the master was at Wanshou, after striking the gavel on the day of opening the hall, the master said: "As soon as the ancestral vehicle is sung, the tripiṭaka ceases all exposition. When the ancestral command is put into practice, the ten directions are cut off. If there are eminent people who do not evade life and death, let them twitch their eyebrows and step forward from the assembly to meet face-to-face." A monk asked: "Humans and devas gather everywhere, waiting to hear the sound of thunder. A student steps forward and begs the master to give instruction." The master said: "One hundred and eight thousand is not far." The monk continued: "In that case, the great assembly is moistened with grace." The master said: "Watch after five days." A monk asked: "Whose tune does the master sing? Whose ancestral style do you succeed?" The master said: "Remember it clearly." The monk continued: "In that case, formerly Zhimen, today the upādhyāya." The master said: "What connection is there?" A monk asked: "What is a phrase by which the upādhyāya guides people?" The master said: "Measure ability and assign office." The student said: "Thank you, master, for your upāya." The master said: "Take it yourself and get out." The master then said: "One question and one answer—still nothing of the matter has taken place yet. Even if the grasses, trees, and monastic groves throughout heaven, earth, and the great plains were all to become patch-robed monks, and with different mouths but the same voice each raise hundreds of thousands of difficult questions, it would not take more than a single snap of this elder's fingers, and high and low would be universally answered, before and after without discrepancy, making vast the wondrous spirit of the ancestral buddhas and widening the subtle traces of devas and humans. If it is like this, what need is there for the eastern border of the City of Enlightenment, or for the five assemblies to all dwell before the old buddha's shrine? At this moment, your interview is finished."

1.4

When the master was at Lingyin in Hangzhou, after receiving the letter of appointment, the assembly requested him to ascend the seat. At that time a monk asked: "Today you first mount the precious seat; please, master, shake the thunderous sound with a single phrase." The master said: "It is a waste of effort to cock your ear." The monk continued: "In that case, a single sound is universal across the sands-realms, and the great assembly entirely hears it." The master said: "If someone suddenly asks you, how would you bring it up?" The monk said: "Thirty years from now, I dare spread the sweet fragrance." The master said: "You've missed it." The master then said: "This bodhimaṇḍa, exceedingly supreme under heaven, the spacious seat of the guide of Lingyin, is temporarily borrowed for this humble monk to ascend; truly I feel ashamed at having no talent. How could I dare, before five hundred patch-robed monks, proclaim the buddhas and patriarchs, praise and disparage past and present, or flaunt knowledge and understanding to shame the ancient predecessors? Even if one could speak so that heaven rains the four flowers and earth divides into the six tremors, on the road of Caoxi not a single dot of it could be put to use. Why is this? Eminent practitioners on foot have the eye that holds fast the world and covers heaven and earth; who would dare make the slightest mistake? Those who know of it must mutually understand."

1.5

When the master was at Lingyin, on the day of the tea banquet for the venerable elders of the various cloisters, the assembly requested him to ascend the seat. A monk asked: "The Chan companions have all arrived at the side of your seat; I wonder whether the master will speak or not?" The master said: "The Son of Heaven within the realm, the general beyond the frontier." The monk continued: "In that case, a single clap of thunderous sound fills the Great Tang." The master said: "Watch the command being carried out." The master then said: "When superior persons meet, a word or half a phrase is like striking stone to produce sparks—in a flash it has passed. It must not be clinging to words to fix the meaning, or stagnating in phrases to lose the source. From above, how should the ancestral vehicle be discussed? It leads directly to the buddhas of the three times being unable to expound it themselves, the patriarchs of the six generations being completely unable to bring it forward, and the entire tripiṭaka teaching falling short of explaining it. Therefore, realization is attained at the stick's end, and responsibility is accepted under the shout; where intent and phrase race together, all are alike wandering adrift. If there are masters who know the direction, let us mutually verify it together."

1.6

When the master arrived in Suzhou, monks and laypeople welcomed him at Wanshou, and the assembly requested him to ascend the hall. A monk asked: "The upward path is not transmitted by the thousand sages; from where did the upādhyāya obtain it?" The master said: "I had thought you were a patch-robed monk." The student said: "In that case, the great assembly is moistened with grace, and the student bows in gratitude." The master said: "Dragon's head and snake's tail." A monk asked: "When the arena for selecting buddhas opens, is the student permitted to be selected or not?" The master said: "Take strict care not to dot your forehead." The student said: "In that case, with mind empty I pass the examination and return." The master said: "A fellow beneath the steps." The master then said: "Covering all like heaven, supporting all like earth—having such ease, endowed with such awe-inspiring virtue, who does not receive its grace, who does not gaze upon it in admiration? The past sages, through countless kalpas, thoroughly endured diligent toil; the secret and essential Dharma-gate they attained is now to be shown universally to the great assembly, without using the slightest bit of mental effort. Please, each of you, examine and verify it all at once. If you understand here, you will be able to forever depart the four currents and walk high above the three realms. If someone does not know it, it is simply that you people are avoiding it."

1.7

When the master first arrived at the cloister, he ascended the seat. A monk asked: "Carrying your khakkhara, you already dwell here today; please, master, settle heaven and earth with a single phrase." The master said: "A hundred broken fragments." The monk continued: "In that case, the sea is tranquil and the river is clear." The master said: "Not your realm." A monk asked: "What is the great meaning of the Buddhadharma?" The master said: "The dragon roars and mists arise; the tiger howls and the wind is born." A monk asked: "What is the meaning of the patriarch's coming from the west?" The master said: "The mountains are high, the seas are vast." The monk continued: "The student does not understand." The master said: "Tie your straw sandals tightly." The master then said: "Before coming to Cuifeng, many people had doubts; but when arriving in person, the single realm is quiet and stark. It is not like Sudhana entering the door of the tower, momentarily restraining thought; nor can it be compared to Vimalakīrti's world within the palm, having separate pure rules. I hope you all take your fill of observing this brilliance, to nourish your joy and comfort."

1.8

Ascending the hall, after the questions and answers were finished, the master then said: "Śākyamuni has already passed into extinction, and Maitreya is not yet born. Exactly today, the Buddhadharma is entrusted to Cuifeng; releasing and gathering are entirely up to this place. When released, leaping freely in seven ways and eight directions, everywhere filling ditches and blocking valleys; when gathered, the old upādhyāyas under heaven are all on the tip of my staff, not requiring a single prick."

1.9

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "What is the affair of true learning?" The master said: "A needle cannot pierce it." The monk continued: "I beg the master's upāya." The master said: "When the water comes, the channel is formed." A monk asked: "What is the phrase of the separate transmission outside the teachings?" The master said: "Look, look, the twelfth month is ending." The student said: "In that case, the sweet fragrance spreads." The master said: "A mute eating bitter gourd." A monk asked: "The arising of words and traces is that from which divergent paths are born. Without clashing with sharp edges, please, master, speak." The master said: "Whose house does not have the bright moon and cool breeze?" The monk continued: "Is it fitting or not?" The master said: "A fellow adding mud on top of dirt." The master then said: "Where the sword wheel flies, the sun and moon lose their brilliance; when the jeweled staff strikes, heaven and earth lose their color. From this the myriad demons have their gallbladders split; by this the thousand sages have their eyes opened. Yet if the two kinds of hearing are not complete, though swift thunder claps, one is unaware; if the solitary root is about to wither, though spring rain pours down, it provides no nourishment. This causes the separation of ordinary and sage, the sorting of awakening and delusion, rushing along the seven destinies, sinking into the four currents, entangling heavy karma without a day of rest. You Chan worthies, I hope you investigate well; like someone climbing a mountain, each make your own effort."

1.10

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "Clearly between mind and eyes, yet its form cannot be seen; brightly within the dust of form, yet its principle cannot be divided. Since it is between mind and eyes, why can its form not be seen?" The master said: "Flowers must bloom through the night; do not wait for the morning breeze to blow." The monk continued: "In that case, the clouds disperse, and there is the moon at every house." The master said: "Vipaśyin Buddha paid attention to it long ago." As the monk was bowing, the master struck him once with his staff and said: "You cannot be let off." A monk asked: "'The ape embraces its young, returning behind the blue peaks; the bird holds a flower in its beak, dropping it before the green cliff.' What was the ancient's intended meaning?" The master said: "Jiashan is still present." The student said: "How about the upādhyāya?" The master said: "Vaguely resembling a tune, it has just become listenable, / When again it is blown by the wind into a different melody." The monk then asked: "What is the environment of Cuifeng?" The master said: "When spring arrives, peach blossoms also fill the stream." The monk bowed, and the master said: "This mountain monk made a blunder today; if someone can point it out and examine it, I grant that he has an eye atop his crown." He then stepped down from the seat.

1.11

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "When an ancient asked about the affairs of the fields, planting his spade and crossing his hands, what was his meaning?" The master said: "A person comes from Chenzhou, but gets no news from Xuzhou." A monk asked: "An ancient said, 'There is a scholar who has arrived.' What was the intended meaning?" The master said: "For now, stand outside the gate." The student said: "Please, master, meet with him." The master said: "Even if it were Yan Hui, he would not be admitted." The master then said: "Setting up guest and setting up host is like gouging out flesh to make a wound; citing the ancient and citing the present is throwing sand and scattering dirt. To be directly without concerns is precisely an iron mallet without a hole; having a different mechanism warrants entering the Avīci Hell. Patch-robed monks with clear eyes must examine this for themselves."

1.12

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "An ancient said that a shout is not used as a shout—is that so?" The master said: "It is." The monk then shouted. The master then struck him with his stick. The monk said nothing. The master said: "Mocking me." A monk asked: "An ancient said, 'Where there is Buddhadharma, you must not stay; where there is no Buddhadharma, run quickly past.' What was the intended meaning?" The master said: "Shortness of breath kills a person." The monk hesitated to speak. The master said: "Where have you gone?" A monk asked: "It is right before our eyes; why do we fail to see it time and again?" The master said: "With cut ears, lying in the street." The monk said: "Exactly so." The master said: "You make me knit my brows." A monk asked: "What about when the black beans have not yet sprouted?" The master said: "Feed the donkeys, feed the horses." The monk continued: "What about after they sprout?" The master said: "Penetrating water, penetrating sand." The monk bowed. The master said: "Just like one who came without eating." A monk asked: "All skills and crafts entirely manifest this affair. What is this affair?" The master said: "Models of the various quarters." The monk continued: "Could that be the student's point of understanding?" The master said: "A fellow with a head but no tail." The master then said: "Past Tathāgatas have already accomplished this gate—letting you off a move. Present bodhisattvas now each enter perfect clarity—a double-layered public case. Future practitioners will all have their nostrils pierced by Cuifeng."

1.13

Ascending the hall, the master said: "The wise, upon hearing just a little, boldly seize it; do not wait for an instant to lose your head." A monk asked: "What about when walking alone in the cinnabar sky?" The master said: "Treading on a rope beneath your feet." The monk continued: "Then traversing freely throughout the world." The master said: "Xu the Sixth carrying a board." A monk asked: "The student has just entered the monastic grove and does not understand anything; I wonder whether the master will save me or not?" The master said: "Suzhou paper is expensive." The monk continued: "Could the upādhyāya be without upāya?" The master said: "Pulling out the peg from behind the brain." The master said: "In the place of the forge, there is certainly no blunt iron; at the gate of a good physician, who is a sick man? Henceforth, with your nostrils pointing to the heavens, do not disappoint people's high hopes."

1.14

Ascending the hall, the master said: "If you wish not to incur the karma of the Avīci Hell, do not slander the Tathāgata's wheel of the true Dharma." He then stepped down from the seat.

1.15

Ascending the hall, just as a monk came forward and bowed, the master said: "Great assembly, remember this monk's topic all at once." He then stepped down from the seat.

1.16

Ascending the hall, as the great assembly gathered like clouds, he threw down his staff and said: "At the head of the stick is an eye, bright as the sun; if you wish to recognize real gold, look within the fire."

1.17

Ascending the hall, he said: "Descending from heaven, welling forth from the earth, north, south, east, and west, a roost of swift falcons. Looking back at the shuttle, halting the loom—grievous injustice, grievous injustice!"

1.18

Ascending the hall, he said: "The ancients said: 'It is like throwing a sword and cleaving the sky—do not speak of reaching or not reaching.' In this, traces are cut off in the sphere of space, and the sword edge suffers no loss. Fine Chan worthies, if you can be like this, thought-moment after thought-moment without knowing, then you will be perched atop the solitary summit of Wonderful Peak. Not only would Sudhana fail to meet [you] for seven days, but even if Mañjuśrī were to come in person for a hundred kalpas, he too could not lay a hand on you."

1.19

Ascending the hall, a monk came forward, and after bowing, was just about to present a question. The Master said: "Weeping until blood flows is of no use." He then stepped down from the seat.

1.20

Ascending the hall, he said: "Swordsmen who hide their peaks, step forward and show yourselves!" A monk was just coming forward when the Master said: "Where are you going?" He then stepped down from the seat.

1.21

Ascending the hall, he said: "Speaking of the gradual, it returns to the ordinary and accords with the Way; let all of you nod your heads. Discussing the sudden, it leaves not the slightest trace; why then should a patch-robed monk open his mouth?" The Master drew a line with his staff and said: "Above, there is no plan to pierce the heavens; below, there is no scheme to enter the earth. Thousands and tens of thousands in Caizhou—breaching [it] is only a matter of an instant."

1.22

Ascending the hall, after questions and answers were concluded, he said: "When shining on the eyes, it is like a thousand suns; the myriad forms cannot escape their shadows and forms. Ordinary people merely have never observed it; why belittle yourselves and retreat in discouragement?" The Master held up his staff and said: "Holding fast the world without leaking a single hair—can it still be observed, or not? Therefore Great Master Yunmen said: 'Even if heaven, earth, and the great world are without the slightest fault,' this is merely a turning phrase; not seeing a single form is still only a half-presentation. Even reaching such a state, you must further know that there is a time of full presentation. Venerables, if Cuifeng were to present it fully, all the people across the great earth would have to hold their tongues; if a single path is opened, it becomes all the more unbearable." Using his staff, he chased them all down at once.

1.23

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "What is the realm of Cuifeng?" The Master said: "Those with eyes see it." The student said: "Who is the person within the realm?" The Master said: "Greedily watching the white waves, he loses the oar from his hands." [The monk] asked: "What is the Upādhyāya's family custom?" The Master said: "When a guest comes, one must look." [The monk] advanced and said: "In that case, this student has been able to see it." The Master said: "Thirty years later." [The monk] asked: "What is the primary truth?" The Master said: "A Daoist priest riding an ox backward." The student said: "I beg the Master to grant upāya once again." The Master said: "A holeless iron hammer." [The monk] asked: "Is the Way far off?" The Master said: "Green mountains flank the turbulent stream." The student said: "In that case, I have heard what has not been heard." The Master said: "A thousand miles, ten thousand miles." The Master then said: "To sing and respond together before the great assembly, you must be such a fellow before you can do it. If you do not yet have the eye that cuts through the blade in rushing currents, do not bother to bring it up. Therefore it is said: 'Like a great mass of fire—approach it, and your face will be scorched; also like leaning upon the precious sword Tai'e—charge forward, and you will lose your life.'" The Master then recited a verse: / "Tai'e held crosswise makes the ancestral hall cold; / For a thousand miles, the myriad affairs must cease. / Do not wait for its cold gleam to flicker lightly." / He then said: "Look, look!" He then stepped down from the seat.

1.24

Commentary on Ancient Precedents

1.25

He brought up: "Mihu asked a monk: 'Where have you recently left?' The monk said: 'Yaoshan.' Mi said: 'How has Yaoshan been recently?' The monk said: 'Much like a stubborn rock.' Mi said: 'To be so weighty and earnest!' The monk said: 'There is also nowhere to get leverage.' Mi said: 'Not only Yaoshan—Mihu is also like this.' The monk came close, looked around, and stood. Mi said: 'Look, look, the stubborn rock is moving!' The monk then walked out." The Master commented: "Mihu's letting go and taking away was also noteworthy, but what can be done about dying without anyone mourning?"

1.26

He brought up: "The King of Jibin brandished a sword, went to the place of Venerable Siṃha, and asked: 'Has the Master attained the emptiness of the aggregates, or not?' The Venerable said: 'I have already attained it.' The King said: 'Can you give me your head?' The Venerable said: 'The body is not mine, how much less the head!' The King then cut it off; white milk shot up over ten feet high, and the King's arm fell off of itself." The Master commented: "An adept king, naturally possessing [it]."

1.27

He brought up: "In front of the monks' hall, Jingqing struck the bell himself and said: 'What Xuansha said! What Xuansha said!' At that time a monk came out and said: 'What did Xuansha say?' Jingqing drew a circle. The monk said: 'If not for long practice, how could one know it is like this?' Qing said: 'Give me back the money for my straw sandals!'" The Master commented: "[He] was almost breached like Caizhou."

1.28

He brought up: "Master Bao said: 'Holding incense and picking up fire all day long, one does not know the body is the bodhimaṇḍa.' Xuansha said: 'Holding incense and picking up fire all day long, one does not know the real bodhimaṇḍa.'" The Master commented: "A pair of holeless iron hammers."

1.29

He brought up: "A master of five superknowledges asked the Buddha: 'The Buddha has six superknowledges; I have five superknowledges. What is that one superknowledge?' The Buddha called to the master of five superknowledges, and he answered. The Buddha said: 'That one superknowledge—you ask me.'" The Master said: "The old barbarian originally did not know there was that one superknowledge, yet he struck the straight through the crooked."

1.30

He brought up: "Upādhyāya Si ordered Shitou to deliver a letter to Upādhyāya Rang's place, saying: 'On the day you return, I will give you a blunt ax to dwell in the mountains.' As soon as Shitou reached Upādhyāya Rang's place, he asked: 'What is it like when one neither admires the sages nor values one's own spirit?' Rang said: 'Your question is too lofty; why not ask downward?' Shitou said: 'I would rather sink in eternal kalpas than seek liberation from the sages.' He then returned. Upādhyāya Si asked: 'Did the letter arrive?' Shitou said: 'The letter did not arrive, nor did the message get through. On the day I left, the Upādhyāya promised me a blunt ax; please give it.' Si lowered one foot, and Shitou bowed." The Master commented: "Shitou was almost completely carrying a board on his shoulder." He also said: "Big or small, Master Rang did not know how to enforce the command."

1.31

He brought up: "Changzi arrived at Shitou's place. Shitou asked: 'Where do you come from?' Zi said: 'From Lingnan.' Shitou said: 'Has the merit of the whole scene atop Dayu Ridge been completed yet?' Zi said: 'It has long been completed; it only lacks dotting the pupils.' Shitou said: 'Do you want the pupils dotted?' Zi said: 'Please do.' Shitou lowered one foot, and Zi bowed. Shitou said: 'What principle did you see that you bow?' Zi said: 'Like a flake of snow on a red furnace.' Shitou then rested." The Master commented: "For merit without eyes, what is there to dot? Upādhyāya Deshan arrived at Longtan and asked: 'I had long heard of Dragon Pool, but having arrived here, no pool is seen, nor does a dragon appear.' Longtan said: 'You have personally arrived at Dragon Pool.' Deshan then rested." The Master commented: "Taking an error and following through with it." He also said: "Big or small, Deshan!"

1.32

One day, occasioned by an incident, the Master brought up: "Formerly, an elder did not speak for the monks during an entire summer retreat. A monk sighed to himself, saying: 'I have passed this whole summer retreat in vain like this; I did not expect the Upādhyāya to speak of the Buddhadharma, but it would have been enough just to hear the two words "correct cause".' The elder overheard and said: 'Ācārya, do not be rash; if one speaks of the correct cause, there is not even a single word.' Having spoken thus, he clicked his teeth and said: 'Just now, I spoke like that for no reason.' An elder on the other side of the wall heard this and said: 'A fine pot of soup, defiled by two pieces of rat dung.'" The Master commented: "Whose pot does not have one or two pieces?"

1.33

Upādhyāya Guan saw a newcomer arriving; Guan was making dough strips and showed them to him. The monk then left. In the evening, Guan asked the head monk: 'Where is today's newcomer?' The head monk said: 'He left at once.' Guan said: 'He is right, but he has only gotten one piece of wood.' The Master commented: "Old Guan was much like losing money and suffering punishment."

1.34

He brought up: "A non-Buddhist asked the Buddha: 'I ask neither with words nor without words.' The World-Honoured One sat firmly. The non-Buddhist bowed and said: 'The World-Honoured One, with great loving-kindness and great compassion, has parted my clouds of delusion and enabled me to enter.' After the non-Buddhist left, Ānanda asked the Buddha: 'What did the non-Buddhist realize that he spoke of having entered?' The Buddha said: 'Like a fine horse in the world, running upon seeing the shadow of the whip.'" The Master commented: "Failing to distinguish between heterodox and orthodox—the fault exceeds the shadow of the whip."

1.35

Mahāsattva Fu said: / 'Night after night, embracing the Buddha to sleep; / Morning after morning, rising together again. / Rising and sitting, constantly accompanying each other, / Just like a body and its shadow. / If you wish to know where the Buddha goes, / Just this sound of speaking is it.' / Xuansha said: 'Big or small, Mahāsattva Fu only recognized that which is lucid and luminous.' The Master commented: "Xuansha was also beating the grass and startling the snake."

1.36

Master Bao sent someone with a message to Upādhyāya Sida: 'Why not come down from the mountain to teach and transform sentient beings? What are you doing gazing into the clouds and the Milky Way?' Sida said: 'The Buddhas of the three periods have been swallowed whole by me in one gulp; where are there any more sentient beings to be saved?' The Master commented: "What kind of stinking shit smell is that?"

1.37

Zhaozhou said: 'The Supreme Way is not difficult; it only dislikes picking and choosing. As soon as there are words, is it picking and choosing, or is it clarity? This old monk is not within clarity. How do you protect and cherish it?' At that time a monk asked: 'Since you are not within clarity, what do you protect and cherish?' Zhou said: 'I do not know either.' The monk said: 'Since the Upādhyāya does not know, why do you say you are not within clarity?' Zhou said: 'Asking about the matter is enough.' The Master commented: "Zhaozhou retreated three thousand [leagues]."

1.38

Nanquan instructed the assembly, saying: 'For thirty years, I have herded a water buffalo. When I thought of letting it graze to the east, it could not avoid encroaching upon the water and grass of that king's realm; when I thought of letting it graze to the west, it could not avoid encroaching upon the water and grass of that king's realm. It is better to pay a little according to one's share, to avoid being troubled by the officials.' Changqing said: 'Do you say Nanquan was acting for others in the first part, or acting for others in the latter part?' Yunmen said: 'Tell me, was it paid inside the buffalo or paid outside the buffalo? Even if you can state clearly where it was paid, I further ask you: where is the buffalo?' The Master commented: "Pierced through all at once."

1.39

Deng Yinfeng was in Xiangzhou at the Hall of Broken Comportment; wearing only his undergarments beside the anvil and mallet, he raised the mallet and said: 'If you can speak, I will not strike.' At that time the great assembly was silent; Yinfeng then struck once. The Master commented: "As expected, as expected."

1.40

A monk asked Xuansha: 'Why did the Tripiṭaka Master of Great Ears fail to see the National Teacher the third time?' Xuansha said: 'Do you say he saw him the previous two times?' The Master commented: "Defeated, defeated!"

1.41

Bringing Up Ancient Precedents in the Room

1.42

[The Master] cited: "Muzhou asked a monk, 'Where have you recently come from?' The monk said, 'Hebei.' Muzhou said, 'In Hebei there is Upādhyāya Zhaozhou; did you ever go there?' The monk said, 'I have recently left there.' Muzhou said, 'What words of teaching does Zhaozhou show his disciples?' The monk said, 'Whenever he sees a newcomer, he immediately asks, "Have you ever been here before?" If they say, "I have," Zhaozhou says, "Go drink tea." If they suddenly say, "I have never been here," Zhaozhou also says, "Go drink tea."' Muzhou said, 'How shameful.' He then asked the monk, 'What was Zhaozhou's intention?' The monk said, 'It was just a temporary upāya.' Muzhou said, 'How miserable Zhaozhou is, to have a ladle of shit splashed over him by you!' He then struck him. Muzhou then asked a novice, 'What do you say?' The novice immediately bowed, and Muzhou struck him as well. That monk went to the novice's place and asked, 'Just now, why did the Upādhyāya strike you?' The novice said, 'If it were not for me, the Upādhyāya would not have struck me.'"
The Master said, "This monk was truly unbearable—taking a ladle of shit and splashing it on two ancient Buddhas. Venerable elders, if you can discern this, not only will the two masters of Zhao and Mu have their grievances cleared, but Cuifeng and the old masters throughout the world will also be blameless. If you cannot speak [it], wherever you go you will be splashing people, and there will be no end to it."

1.43

[The Master] cited: "A monk asked Changqing, 'What is the true Dharma eye?' Changqing said, 'Having made a vow not to scatter sand.' Baofu said, 'One must not scatter it any further.'"
The Master said, "A master of our school must certainly meet [others] with the fundamental allotment; he does not dare to scatter sand. Now then, which is the true eye of you all? Let a fellow who is not deceived by others come forward, speak before the assembly, and let us all know and understand together. If you cannot speak, Cuifeng will point it out to you one by one: opening your eyes hits it, closing your eyes hits it."

1.44

[The Master] cited: "At Huangbo's place, six newcomers arrived. Five of them made bows, while one among them lifted up his sitting mat and made a circle. Huangbo said, 'I hear there is a hunting dog that is very vicious.' The monk said, 'It has come tracking the sound of an antelope.' Huangbo said, 'An antelope makes no sound for you to track.' The monk said, 'It has come tracking the footprints of an antelope.' Huangbo said, 'An antelope leaves no footprints for you to track.' The monk said, 'It has come tracking the trail of an antelope.' Huangbo said, 'An antelope leaves no trail for you to track.' The monk said, 'If so, then it is a dead antelope.' Huangbo then desisted. When the next day came, he ascended the hall and said, 'Where is the hunting dog?' The monk then stepped forward. Huangbo said, 'Yesterday's public case was not finished. When this old monk desisted, what about you?' The monk was speechless. Huangbo said, 'I thought you were a patch-robed monk of the fundamental allotment; turns out you are a śramaṇa of doctrinal studies.' He drove him out with his staff."
The Master said, "Just as sounds, footprints, and trails are nonexistent, where can the hunting dog seek and pursue? Could it be that by cutting off sounds, footprints, and trails one sees Huangbo? Virtuous practitioners of Chan, if you want to be clear about the dynamic of trapping a tiger, you too must be a patch-robed monk of the fundamental allotment."

1.45

[The Master] cited: "A non-Buddhist asked the Buddha, 'I do not ask about what has words; I do not ask about what is wordless.' The World-Honoured One remained silent for a good while. The non-Buddhist said, 'The World-Honoured One with great loving-kindness and great compassion has opened my clouds of delusion, enabling me to attain entry.'"
The Master said, "Virtuous practitioners of Chan, since the clouds of delusion have been opened and he certainly sees the Buddha, do you still allow that he is a fellow practitioner? If there is mutual understanding, then the ancestral masters throughout the world are all companions of the non-Buddhist; if each rejects the seal of verification, then the patch-robed monks of the Eastern Land are not equal to the non-Buddhists of the Western Heavens."

1.46

[The Master] cited: "Upādhyāya Longya asked Cuiwei, 'What is the meaning of the ancestral master's coming from the West?' Cuiwei said, 'Pass me the meditation board.' Longya took the meditation board and handed it to Cuiwei; as soon as Cuiwei received it, he struck him. Longya said, 'As for striking, strike as you will, but still there is no meaning of the ancestral master.' Later, he also asked Linji, 'What is the meaning of the ancestral master's coming from the West?' Linji said, 'Pass me the cushion.' Longya took the cushion and handed it to Linji; as soon as Linji received it, he struck him. Longya said, 'As for striking, strike as you will, but still there is no meaning of the ancestral master.'"
The Master said, "Linji and Cuiwei only understood how to release, but not how to gather in. If I had been Longya at that time, waiting for them to ask for the cushion and the meditation board, I would have picked them up and hurled them right at their chests."

1.47

[The Master] cited: "Paishu asked Dingshan, 'Without falling into numbers and quantities, please, Master, speak.' Dingshan held up his rosary and said, 'Does it fall, or not fall?' Paishu said, 'Everyone possesses the round bead with three holes; please, Master, round off the previous words.' Dingshan immediately struck him. Paishu immediately left. Dingshan said, 'Thirty years from now, you will beat your chest and weep aloud.' Later, Paishu indeed opened a hall and instructed the assembly, saying, 'Thirty years ago, I was deceived by old man Dingshan in no small measure.'"
The Master said, "As for Dingshan's application, apply he did, but how perilous! As for Paishu's knowing, know he did, but still he had never possessed the eye of Dharma-selection. Try to discern it."

1.48

[The Master] cited: "Xuefeng asked Touzi, 'How is it when one hammer blow forms it?' Touzi said, 'Not a fellow of quick wit.' Xuefeng said, 'How is it when not relying on a single hammer blow?' Touzi said, 'This bucket of black lacquer!'"
The Master said, "Thus for a time Xuefeng was frustrated. Moreover, Touzi was an expert furnace and bellows. If I had been Xuefeng at that time, waiting for Touzi to say, 'Not a fellow of quick wit,' I would simply have said to him, 'The tongs and hammer are in my hands.' Venerable elders, what words should rightly be given to Touzi? If you can speak [them], then you will be quick-witted all your life and illuminate the ancestral eye. If you are muddle-headed, a hammer blow atop your crown—do not say I did not tell you."

1.49

[The Master] cited: "Zhaozhou asked a monk, 'Have you ever read the Lotus Sūtra?' The monk said, 'I have.' Zhaozhou said, 'Wearing the patch-robe in quiet seclusion, falsely called an araṇya, deluding and confusing worldly people. How do you understand this?' The monk was about to make a bow, but Zhaozhou said, 'Did you come wearing a patch-robe?' The monk said, 'I came wearing it.' Zhaozhou said, 'Do not delude me.' The monk said, 'How can one avoid deluding [you]?' Zhaozhou said, 'Do not take my words.'"
The Master said, "Great and small Zhaozhou—a dragon's head and a snake's tail! If you can discern this, you will see right through Zhaozhou. If you are not clear about it, each of you tucking your patch-robes high had best not delude Cuifeng."

1.50

[The Master] cited: "Changzi asked a monk, 'Where have you come from?' The monk said, 'From the Stone-Bridle Hermitage on Mount Jiuhua.' Changzi said, 'What kind of man is the master of the hermitage?' The monk said, 'A venerable master under Mazu.' Changzi said, 'What is his name?' The monk said, 'I do not know his Dharma name.' Changzi said, 'Does he not know, or do you not know?' The monk said, 'Where are the venerable master's eyes?' Changzi said, 'Even if the master of the hermitage came in person, he would have to take a blow with the stick today.' The monk said, 'Fortunately I met the Upādhyāya, who let me off.' Changzi said, 'A hundred years from now, such a monk will be hard to find.'"
The Master said, "While it is true that both were experts, still they only understood how to hold the tiger's tail, and could not seize the tiger's head. If Deshan's command were put into effect, both would collapse like tiles."

1.51

[The Master] cited: "Baofu instructed the assembly, saying, 'This matter is like sparks from flint or a flash of lightning; whether you grasp it or fail to grasp it, you cannot avoid losing body and life.' A monk then asked, 'I wonder: does a person who grasps it still avoid losing body and life, or not?' Baofu said, 'Setting aside what was just said, can you, Ācārya, grasp it?' The monk said, 'If I cannot grasp it, I will not avoid being laughed at by the great assembly.' Baofu said, 'An expert, an expert!' The monk said, 'What kind of mental activity is this?' Baofu said, 'A ladle of shit splashed across the face, unaware of the stench.'"
The Master said, "Venerable elders, Baofu has the claws and fangs to capture tigers and rhinos alive, and this monk was not an easy match either. Even so, he still let Baofu off by one move. Now tell me, as for Cuifeng and the great assembly, do you still allow other quarters to examine and reprove us, or not? If we cannot avoid it, on flat ground the dead are countless; among them, is there any who can come to life?" The Master raised his staff and said, "Here it comes! Here it comes!"

1.52

[The Master] cited: "While Guizong was hoeing weeds, he saw a snake and chopped it with his hoe. A monk saw this and asked, 'I have long heard of Guizong, but turns out you are a coarse-acting śramaṇa.' Guizong said, 'Are you coarse, or am I coarse?' Later, Xuefeng asked Deshan, 'What was the ancient's intention in chopping the snake?' Deshan immediately struck him, and Xuefeng ran away. Deshan called out, 'Cloth-robe!' Xuefeng turned his head, and Deshan said, 'When you are enlightened in the future, only then will you know this old fellow's thorough grandmotherly heart.'"
The Master said, "Guizong only knew how to be careful at the beginning, but could not protect the end; Deshan was quite able to seize the command, yet was not clear about chopping the snake." The Master called out to the great assembly, saying, "Watch Cuifeng chop three or five today!" With his staff, he drove them all down at once.

1.53

Examinations and Discernments

1.54

He asked a monk, "Where have you come from?" The monk said, "Whom is the Upādhyāya asking?" The Master said, "I am asking you." The monk said, "Why do you not take in what was said?" The Master said, "Cuifeng has suffered defeat today."

1.55

The attendant of Baohua came to see the Master. The Master asked, "How large is the assembly at Baohua?" The attendant said, "There is no need for the Upādhyāya to be like this." The Master said, "I asked properly; why are you jumping about?" The attendant said, "You must not let me off." The Master said, "A true lion's cub! Drink tea now." The Master seized him and said, "Just now you were so rude!" The attendant hesitated; the Master gave him a slap and said, "Go back and clearly report this to Baohua."

1.56

Several newcomers arrived. The Master said, "Newcomers, eh?" A monk said, "Yes." The Master said, "Go to the hall to participate." The monk went off. The Master called back, "Come, come!" The monk returned. The Master said, "At Dongting, such monks are hard to come by; I will give you a bowl of tea to drink."

1.57

He asked a monk, "Where were you tonsured?" The monk said, "Tianzhang." The Master said, "Have you brought the Lanting record?" The monk said, "How could I dare present it to the Upādhyāya?" The Master said, "There is no need to bring out a draft copy."

1.58

Five newcomers arrived. The Master said, "The highest peak of Dongting has no pathway; without relying on ladders or boats, speak quickly!" A monk said, "I have come specially to pay homage to the Upādhyāya." The Master said, "Mooring a boat in calm waters, vainly boasting of ferrying across." The monk was speechless. The Master said, "Come over to this side." The monks came over together. The Master said, "If the commander is not fierce, he brings disaster upon the three armies. Go to the hall to participate!"

1.59

He asked a monk, "What is your name?" The monk said, "Yihuai." The Master said, "Why not Huaiyi?" The monk said, "It was obtained at the time." The Master said, "Who gave it to you?" The monk said, "It has been ten years since I received the precepts." The Master said, "How many straw sandals have you worn out in your travels?" The monk said, "The upādhyāya would do better not to deceive people." The Master said, "I too have immeasurable transgressions; what about you?" The monk had no words. The Master said, "A deceitful, lying fellow!" and struck him.

1.60

He asked a newcomer, "Where have you recently come from?" The monk said, "Xingjiao." The Master said, "The single school of Bodhidharma has been swept entirely to dust." The monk had no words. The Master said, "In the heavens above and beneath the heavens, I alone am the honored one." He further asked the monk, "What is your name, ācārya?" The monk said, "Zongya." The Master said, "I do not ask about 'ya' [elegance]; what is 'zong' [the ancestral tradition]?" The monk made no reply. The Master said, "I will give you a three-day limit." The monk frequently came to present phrases, but the Master approved none of them. The monk then asked, "My understanding is only like this; what about the upādhyāya's?" The Master said, "Why didn't you ask me?" Just as the monk was about to ask, the Master struck him several times in succession.

1.61

He asked a newcomer, "Where did you set out from?" The monk clapped his hands once. The Master said, "A two-fold public case." The monk said, "Precisely so." The Master then gave a shout; the monk had no words. The Master said, "Return that one clap to me." The monk hesitated. The Master said, "Blind fellow, go to the assembly hall!"

1.62

Six newcomers arrived. The Master asked the lead monk, "As a supreme commander, one must have the seven implements on his person. How is it when two blades clash?" The monk said, "For a long time I have heard that Cuifeng possesses this one move." The Master said, "Letting this one move pass, return to me the money for your straw sandals!" The monk gave a shout, and the Master brought down the stick. The monk restrained the staff and gave the Master a clap. The Master said, "Before you even reached Cuifeng, you had already received twenty blows of the stick." The monk had no words. The Master said, "Stand aside for a while." He then asked, "What about the second-in-command?" The monk was at a loss. The Master said, "A single charge sheet accepted." After tea was finished, the Master seized the lead monk and said, "As for the public case just now, it was like this here; how will you bring it up in the hall?" The monk hesitated. The Master struck him with his sitting mat and pushed him out.

1.63

Stele Inscription and Preface for Upādhyāya Xuefeng

1.64

"Now, what exists through conditions begins, ends, forms, and decays; what is not obtained through conditions remains constantly firm throughout kalpas. Hold to it and it persists; ruin it and it is discarded. Although separation and dispersion have not yet arrived, what harm is there in preparing beforehand? Therefore, piling up stones to make a room, cutting wood to join a coffin, and carrying earth and accumulating stones to form a niche, all matters are already prepared. With head to the south and feet to the north, lying recumbent across the mountain, my only wish is that when the time comes, those who share the Way will not go against my wishes, and those who know my heart will not alter my aspiration. I urge you deeply again and again; fortunately, exert yourselves! Even if on a later day heterodox fabrications become renowned, how could that compare to the present secret propagation of the true eye? Consider it well; examine it closely." The Master commented: / "Brothers add ten characters, / (He said, "The country has no two rulers." He also said, "Do you know?") / With one mind displaying a single comportment. / (He said, "When the wind moves, the grass bends." He also said, "Directly bestow it.") / The local guardian is called Songshan, / (He said, "Looking in all four directions, it is never cut off." He also said, "Look.") / The egg-shaped stūpa is named Nandi. / (He said, "Singly revealed, leaning on one another." He also said, "Steep!") / There is further a song of the foreign tribes, / (He said, "One west, one east." He also said, "Extremely difficult.") / Which all of you must by all means know. / (He said, "From south, from north." He also said, "Understood?") / I sing the roar of the mud ox, / (He said, "Hearing it, do not raise your head." He also said, "Ha, ha!") / You harmonize with the neighing of the wooden horse. / (He said, "Seeing it, one should close one's eyes." He also said, [He] clapped his hands.) / Just look at the fifth and sixth months: / (He said, "How could it be in vain?" He also said, "Alas!") / Flakes of ice fill the long streets. / (He said, "The matter is not careless." He also said, "Painful!") / After the firewood is exhausted and the fire extinguished, / (He said, "Departing, departing, who accompanies?" He also said, "Abide well.") / The secret chamber is rotten as mud." / (He said, "One must reach such a state." He also said, "Strive on!")

1.65

On receiving his master's title, he ascended the hall. A monk asked, "The imperial grace has descended, and the ocean-like assembly gazes upon it together. As I have stepped forward, I wish to hear your proclamation." The Master said, "A fine sound is in the ear; all people listen." The monk further asked, "How is it after listening?" The Master said, "When asked, originally none know at all." The monk said, "Having arrived here, I truly say I do not know." The Master said, "I allow that you are a petty bandit." He further said, "Those of the Chan school are just like battle commanders: seeing combat, they are courageous and strong; if the rope does not yield, they immediately capture [the foe]. Though this is an action of a single occasion, how can it compare to borrowing water to offer flowers and singing songs of great peace? The night rain enriches the mountain grasses; crisp breezes arise from ancient trees. Idly chanting the verses of Indian immortals is superior to chewing gold and jade. Crickets chirp by the ruined wall, barely escaping narrow grief; the person of the Way is an udumbara blossom, distant and lush against the far green mountains. Hence know that the Way is nowhere absent; who says there is an interval? Thus, Heaven has the Way to be light and clear; Earth has the Way to be solemn and still; valleys have the Way to be full; the sovereign has the Way to spread transformation. Therefore, our present Emperor, governing with the golden wheel, allows wise benevolence to pour forth abundantly, reaching far and wide even to grasses, trees, birds, and fish. A person who harbors illness in the crags and wilds has suddenly received this glorious favor; in this life or other lives, there is no way to repay it. The worthy prefect of the Bureau of Seals elevates the ways of Yao and Shun from on high and looks down upon Gong and Huang from below, upholding the refined customs of a thousand ages and locking in the spring colors of ten thousand lands. Soon receiving a bright imperial decree, he will distinctly raise his auspicious renown. As for the assistant magistrate, the commissioner of military agricultural colonies, and the court officials of the various administrative halls, I dare not use adorned words to praise them. Confucius said, 'I have prayed for a long time.'"

1.66

Words on Residing at Xuedou Chan Monastery in Mingzhou

1.67

On the day the Master inaugurated the hall, he looked around at the great assembly before the Dharma seat and said, "If we discuss meeting according to our fundamental share, there is no need to mount the precious seat." He then drew a line with his finger and said, "All of you, look along my hand: immeasurable lands of all the buddhas appear at once before you. Each of you observe closely. If you still do not know their boundaries, you cannot avoid dragging through mud and water." He immediately ascended the seat. After the Controller of Monks finished reading the proclamation, the karmadāna struck the gavel and said, "Assembly of dragons and elephants at the Dharma banquet, you should contemplate the primary truth!" At that time a monk came forward. The Master stopped him and said, "The Tathāgata's treasury of the true Dharma eye is entrusted today. If released, tiles and rubble gleam; if held fast, pure gold loses its luster. The authority is in my hands; killing and giving life depend on the moment. If there is an adept, let us bear witness together!" The monk then asked, "Having departed far from Cuifeng's ancestral seat and already arrived at the Xuedou bodhimanda, I wonder whether this is one or two?" The Master said, "A horse incapable of a thousand leagues vainly chases the wind." The monk further asked, "In that case, the clouds disperse and the moon shines on every house." The Master said, "A fellow with a dragon's head and a snake's tail!" A monk asked, "The stick of Deshan and the shout of Linji are already prominent; how does the upādhyāya receive people?" The Master said, "I let this one move pass." As the monk hesitated, the Master gave a shout. The monk said, "I wonder, is it only like this, or is there something else?" The Master said, "Shooting at a tiger without precision, you vainly exhaust the arrow's feathers." A monk asked, "Spreading hair to cover the mud—for what reason was this done? Offering the entire body for half a verse—for whom was it performed?" The Master said, "In the heavens above and beneath the heavens, I alone am the honored one." The monk further asked, "If so, then standing in the snow, how could the wondrous purport be transmitted? Only after bowing three times was it truly intimate." The Master said, "Do not talk nonsense!" A monk asked, "When King Brahmā invited the Buddha, it was for the sake of sentient beings; when the Scholar invites the Master, for what matter is it?" The Master said, "Acquaintances fill the world." The monk further asked, "In that case, the great assembly receives the bounty." The Master said, "What about your own part?" The monk further asked, "The Scholar bears witness." The Master said, "Not yet!" A layman asked, "Gathered together from the ten directions, each and every one learns non-action. This is the place of the buddhas' selection; empty of mind, one passes the examination and returns home. How does one succeed in passing the examination?" The Master said, "In vain you have your forehead dotted." The layman further asked, "If so, then one's whole life is wasted." The Master said, "Told to cease, you refuse to cease." A monk asked, "With a single burning, dragons duel; all myriad phenomena arrive together. I wonder, what realm is this?" The Master said, "The golden palace is overgrown with grass." The monk further asked, "Is there anything further beyond?" The Master said, "White clouds for a thousand leagues, ten thousand leagues." A monk asked, "Blowing the great Dharma conch, beating the great Dharma drum, while the court officials attend the banquet—how is it right now?" The Master said, "The pure wind comes without ceasing." The monk further asked, "In that case, one has encountered the master." The Master said, "Once a word has left the mouth, a team of four horses cannot overtake it." The monk bowed, and the Master said, "I let this one move pass." The Master then looked all around at the great assembly once again, and said, "With humans and devas gathered everywhere, what matter should be clarified? How could we merely divide guest and host, galloping back and forth in questions and answers, and take that to be the ancestral vehicle? The expansive ancestral style commands sovereign majesty, blazing through past and present, holding fast heaven and earth. The thousand sages only say they know it themselves; the five vehicles cannot establish it. Therefore, awakening to the purport before the sound, one is still confused about the subtle stirrings of observing and reflecting; knowing the ancestral school beneath words, one is still ignorant of what lies beyond emotion and consciousness. If all of you wish to know genuine mutual support, simply look up without clinging above, and cut off your own self below; naturally the constant light will appear before you, and each of you will stand steep as a thousand-fathom cliff. Can you discern and clarify it yet? If you have not discerned it, discern it! If you have not clarified it, clarify it! Having discerned and clarified it, you can sever the stream of birth and death and occupy the seats of the patriarchs and buddhas together. Wondrous and complete transcendent awakening is right at this moment, capable of repaying the kindness that cannot be repaid, so as to assist the transformation of non-action."

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明覺禪師語錄 — Classical Chinese