虛堂和尚語錄 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.1

Recorded Sayings of Upādhyāya Xutang of Xingsheng Chan Monastery in Jiaxing Prefecture

1.2

Compiled by the practicing student Miaoyuan

1.3

Letter of Invitation from Jiaxing Prefecture

Composed by Yang Lin, Court Gentleman for Consultation, Prefect of Jiaxing Military Prefecture, Director of Academic Affairs, and concurrently Administrator of Agricultural Promotion Affairs within the jurisdiction, wear-purple grant recipient:

1.5

The above is humbly stated: This monastery is no ordinary place, being a site of the sacred traces of Emperor Xiaozong. The monasteries of the various mountains all rejoice. Having received the prime minister's honorable directive to invite someone to take up residence here as abbot, a consummate adept is required. We respectfully reflect that the newly appointed Chan master, the venerable Master Xutang [Zhi]yu, possesses a fame and standing of retiring modesty, with the cultivation and practice of Weishan and Yangshan. Dharma by Dharma he is without mind, clear as the disc of the moon over the Yin River; phrase by phrase he has eyes, loftier than the clouds halfway up North Mountain. It is most fitting that he take up the perfume of the precepts, the perfume of concentration, and the perfume of liberation, and forthwith come to cut off the realms of Buddhas, Māras, and sentient beings. Furthermore, considering that the imperial chapel is solemn and serene within this Buddhist precinct, unless relying on the august adornment of an imperial awakening, how could it match the veneration of our Pure Dynasty? The duty of subjects and sons is weighty; the vows of a bodhisattva are vast. We request the Master to take up the Nine-Belted Chan, to pray on our behalf for the longevity of the Two Palaces. Beside the Drooping Rainbow Bridge, people will vie to see the earth quake and light shine forth; beside the Cold Spring Pavilion, by no means halt your carriage or turn back your steps. Respectfully submitted.

1.6

Letter of Invitation and Exhortation from the Various Mountains

1.7

Composed by the successor bhikṣu Biepu Fazhou, abbot of Bao'en Guangxiao Chan Monastery in the city:

1.8

Tracing his lineage to Linji, taking Yun'an as his teacher, his renown penetrates thoroughly; declining Guangjue, dwelling at Xingsheng, his taking and leaving are distinctly clear. He is fully able to muster our host, bearing no shame before patch-robed monks. We respectfully reflect that the newly appointed upādhyāya Xutang has attained the true reality and manifested the pure body. Rather than idling in the mist-hidden North and South Mountains, how could it compare to roaring aloud like thunder in Eastern and Western Zhe? Moreover, this dragon palace indeed stands upon the rainbow shore. The Grand Chancellor personally questioned me, and our worthy prefect does not grant this lightly to anyone. Come quickly! Come quickly! Rare indeed! Rare indeed! Lüqiu stepped forward and bowed; how could Fenggan be a gossip? Huangmei made the effort to come down the mountain to speak the gāthā of 'No Mind' on behalf of Mazu.

1.9

On the first day of the fifth month in the second year of the Shaoding era [1229 CE], while at Lingyin, the Master accepted the invitation to enter the monastery. Having ascended the hall and concluded the prayer for the Emperor, he took his seat. A monk asked: 'At the mouth of the Calling Ape Cave, one lies back in the moon and sleeps in the clouds without mind; beside the Changshui River, it is just the right time to cast line and throw the hook. Exactly as with the secret entrustment at Gṛdhrakūṭa, do you still permit a student to inquire and consult?' The Master said: 'A Kunlun [slave] chewing raw iron.' The monk said: 'If so, then you have blocked the crucial ford.' The Master said: 'I thought you were a fine steed emerging from the stable.' The monk gave a sigh and then bowed. The Master said: 'Just as expected.' He then said: 'The great function completely responds; the Great Way has no fixed direction. Going and coming are not marked by forms—turn around empty space. Movement and stillness are not governed by the mind—sit majestically facing the veranda. Troops follow the turning of the seal; generals march according to the tally. Meeting things, respond to conditions; everywhere be the master. Thus it brings about the union of auspicious ears of grain and the tributary flow of the Xiu River, the phoenix arriving in majesty and the qilin manifesting auspicious omens, displaying the patriarch's intention coming from the West and establishing the household style of Xingsheng. Although it is like this, in the end what serves as proof?' After a pause: 'The single breath without speaking contains all forms; where can the ten thousand spirits thank its selflessness?'

1.10

He also cited: 'Sansheng said: "When I meet someone, I go out, but in going out I do not act for the person." Xinghua said: "When I meet someone, I do not go out, but if I do go out, I act for the person."' The Master said: 'The two old masters—one beats the drum in the land of Campā, the other dances in the land of the Tajiks. If they want to sustain the orthodox school of Linji, it is much like piecing bamboo together to touch the moon. Today, this mountain monk appears in the world, and likewise has no Chan path or Buddhadharma to offer anyone; I only have a mouth to eat rice. If suddenly a fellow were to come forth and say, "Thank you, upādhyāya, for the instruction," I would pick up the staff and strike him. Why? Having begun, one must not quit; where there is no romance, romance is found.'

1.11

Ascending the hall, he cited: 'Longji instructed the assembly, saying: "It is a pillar, yet one does not see the pillar; it is not a pillar, yet one does not see the pillar. Is and is-not have already been removed; understand it within is and is-not."' Striking with the staff: 'I told you not to walk the road beneath the mountain—indeed, the ape cries with a heart-rending shriek.'

1.12

At an informal gathering for concluding the summer retreat: 'At Gṛdhrakūṭa they entered the retreat, but the binding was fundamentally never bound; at Xingsheng we conclude the retreat, but the release was also never released. Since release and binding are without restriction, going and coming have no active marks. Therefore it is said: "Take the Great Perfect Enlightenment as my saṃghārāma, with body and mind abiding peacefully in the samatājñāna."' He gave a shout. 'This straw rope is used in common by all quarters. But what about entering flower streets and passing through willow lanes, spending ninety days in hustle and bustle, and then setting a deadline to realize awakening?' He gave a shout. 'The state has its statutes: three thousand crimes.'

1.13

He also cited the gong'an of Mañjuśrī spending the summer retreat in three places. The Master said: 'Kāśyapa was hot-tempered at the time and brought down a mallet. Do not say that Mañjuśrī spent the summer in three places; even if the yellow-faced old fellow had special spiritual powers, his forehead too would have to hit the ground.'

1.14

The next day, ascending the hall: 'The autumn wind rustles; the autumn waters are chill. Through endless hardships, carrying book boxes and holding umbrellas, Zhang's relay post and Li's inn—straw huts and thatched huts make for short journeys.'

1.15

On the occasion of Prefect Wu, the First Graduate, having a stone tablet erected for the official document exempting the reed tax, [the Master] ascended the hall, took up the staff, and said: 'The yellow-faced old fellow met with trouble right from the start; deep in the Snowy Mountains, for six years he could not lift his feet. Afterwards, at over three hundred and sixty assemblies, he spoke out entangling vines, but in the end could never wash them clear. Great Master Bodhidharma came to this land from the Western Heaven across a hundred thousand li of waters and clouds; that was already inconvenient, and for no reason he stepped forward and trod down, causing branches and leaves to sprout all the more. Who knew that two thousand years later, it would implicate Xingsheng Monastery, where fences collapsed and walls fell, the road was cut off and people were scarce? Fortunately, meeting with dragons and clouds, a powerful person without using an inch of blade cut down the grass and removed the roots, whereupon one sees the peaceful reign attained and sings the days of Shun. Although it is like this, tell me: what is the evidence?' Striking the staff: 'The official pass is distinctly clear.'

1.16

At an informal gathering on New Year's Eve: 'The ashes are cold and the fire chilled; every household fires firecrackers to send off poverty. The twelfth month ends and spring returns; everywhere paper money is burned to summon ghosts. Across three hundred and sixty days, beginning joins to end, unfolding a different livelihood. Stagnant goods of two thousand years that could not sell now have their prices raised anew. Block-wood fire, village-field merriment, the ox on the open ground—no need to bring them forth; the diamond cage, the chestnut burr, the iron sour bun—just the time to present them. Coming from the south and going to the north, there is no door to swallow or penetrate; with hawk's eyes and falcon's vision, how can one swallow it mutely? For Xingsheng to announce it like this is already lowering the head of the clouds. Why? In Jiangnan the ground is warm; in Saibei the sky is cold.'

1.17

The Master spoke again: 'In various quarters they cook dragon liver and phoenix marrow; here it is desolate, with nothing to offer. In the deep mountains and cliff crags where human tracks do not reach, I picked up a thing and tossed it into the armor of nothing-to-do for many years. Tonight, I bring it out completely to share the New Year with you all.' Striking the staff once: 'Take special care not to swallow it whole.'

1.18

Ascending the hall on the Lantern Festival: 'Lamps among mortals, the moon in heaven—matters of brightness and dimness, waxing and waning. Greedy to look, the mind does not rest; inside Xingsheng's room there is no oil, avoiding proving a turtle to be a terrapin.'

1.19

Ascending the hall at Mid-Autumn: 'The golden wind blows down leaves; jade dew drips in clear autumn. Unbearable is that Hanshan, who wordlessly laughs and nods his head. Tell me, what does he laugh at?' Striking the whisk: 'Since it can be as bright as a mirror, why must it be crooked as a hook?'

1.20

Ascending the hall: 'When the sky clears, thatch the roof; seize the season and harvest the grain; having paid the imperial tax, belly drummed, sing songs.' The Master said: 'Dongshan can be said to have slept high without care; pity that he sat right here. Today Xingsheng also sets his hand to thatch the roof, but simply has not yet paid the official tax. Is there still any ground of meeting with the ancients?' Striking the staff: 'Pity that he sat right here.'

1.21

Ascending the hall, he cited: 'Yangqi instructed the assembly: "With meager blessings I dwell at Yangqi; over the years my energy has waned. The cold wind withers fallen leaves; yet I rejoice when an old friend returns. Luololi! Picking up a dead stick of firewood, let us face the smokeless fire."' The Master said: 'Upādhyāya Yangqi was accustomed to having his way; how can one help that fine food does not suit a satiated person?'

1.22

Ascending the hall upon returning to the new abbot's quarters: 'Pine flowers and lotus leaves, acorns, chestnuts, and taro roots—driving off tigers and leopards to gather Chan followers, sitting on thorns and briars to raise up a jewel place. This is the model of former abbots. Xingsheng's conditions are meager; his Way does not equal the ancients. Within two hundred days, toil and moil have wearied you all to complete this ten-foot room. Today, returning to it, how do we enjoy it?' Striking the staff once: 'Intending to dismiss Buddhas and patriarchs, having no mouth to laugh at the various quarters.'

1.23

When Sutra Keeper Lun of Jingshan arrived, [the Master] ascended the hall: 'Unrighteous fellow, who knows you? Stuttering of mouth and deaf of ear, a mule's stubbornness to the end. In one breath turning a whole Canon, right and wrong are ultimately hard to wash away. The Great Dharma declines, defiling people's lips and teeth.'

1.24

Ascending the hall: 'Whittling round the square bamboo cane, covering over the purple plush rug—these are what patch-robed monks ordinarily use. But what about when the Moon Wave Pavilion jumps into the eye of a midge, and the minor king of a thousand sages flies into a rage, kicking over the Mandarin Duck Lake with one foot?'

1.25

At an informal gathering on the Winter Solstice: 'Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat the myriad things as straw dogs. Patch-robed monks are not benevolent; they treat themselves as fans in the twelfth month. Therefore, muddled and indistinct, they use it daily without knowing it. Thus the ancient style is revived once more, and the great simplicity is fully displayed; when the single breath without speaking arises from the bottom of the nine abysses, the initial line without form originates as the ancestor of ten thousand transformations. As before, midwinter is severely cold, and again we see the cloth for cooking rice in Guozhou. How can one avoid falling into change and transition? Whimpering and sighing, it can only be known by oneself.'

1.26

He also said: 'In various quarters tonight, the trays are piled and platters filled; here we scrape and piece together, half-green and half-yellow, simply making you unable to swallow or spit it out. Why? Pears from Zhengzhou, dates from Qingzhou—of myriad things, nothing surpasses what is good from its place of origin.'

1.27

Ascending the hall: 'Within the entire universe, not a single person brings forth truth and returns to the source; within the entire universe, not a single person knows the names of the Buddhadharma. Thus the wind of Yao sweeps broad, the sun of Shun shines bright; the rustic elder sings, and the fisherman rows his oar. Do you understand?' He gave a shout: 'A flaw has appeared.'

1.28

Ascending the hall upon moving into the newly renovated saṅgha hall: 'Shishuang sat withered with a thousand followers—already seen and not forgotten; Nanquan led the ox around the hall—beggars competing in wealth. Xingsheng's old building has been renewed overnight; walking, standing, sitting, and lying, each of you should remember it well. Tell me, what should you remember?' He gave a shout.

1.29

Ascending the hall: 'Hibiscus blossoms congeal dew; wutong leaves rustle in autumn. Meeting scenes and encountering things, know shame according to your lot.' Striking the staff: 'Stop, stop! If the various quarters hear this, they will say I am preaching grandmother Chan.'

1.30

Ascending the hall at Mid-Autumn: 'A year has twelve months; each month is round once. The rest are all waxing and waning; in between, waxing and waning, appearance and disappearance—for the most part they are unseen. Only tonight is it extraordinarily bright and clean; nothing can compare with it. How would you have me speak of it?'

1.31

Ascending the hall, he brought up [the following]: "Because a monk asked Zhaozhou, 'I have just entered the monastery; I beg the master to give instruction,' Zhou said, 'Have you eaten your porridge yet?' The monk said, 'I have eaten the porridge.' Zhou said, 'Go wash your bowl.' That monk had an awakening." The master said: "Zhaozhou had the skill of wielding the axe, and this monk possessed the raw material fit to be carved. Even so, it was shooting at a sparrow from the ground."

1.32

Ascending the hall upon entering the summer retreat: "Today, the Chan practitioners under heaven all enter wild fox dens to perform their tricks. Although this mountain monk has withdrawn with the water to conceal his scales, he will never slice flesh from an egret's leg."

1.33

Ascending the hall, he brought up [the following]: "Xuedou said: 'Spring mountains layer disorganized greens; / Spring waters ripple with empty emerald. / Solitary between heaven and earth, / Standing alone, gazing—where is the limit?' In his old age on Ru Peak, he longed for his homeland, looking east and looking west. How could Xingsheng not know? Outside the Gate of Spring Waves, there is water but no mountain; ordinarily one simply cannot gaze upon it. Why? Although the road is fine, it is not as good as being at home."

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Ascending the hall: "Lengthening the duck's legs and cutting the crane's; leveling the peak to fill the ravine. For patch-robed monks, it is like oil entering flour. Do you still know about using a balance scale on Mount Zhaobao? If you know, I allow you to discuss what is at the eastern end of the Southern Sea; otherwise, in market stalls and taverns, whispering in ears is not permitted."

1.35

Ascending the hall: "'In late spring, when the spring clothes are already made, five or six capped youths and six or seven boys bathe in the Yi, take the breeze at the Rain Altars, and return chanting.' The Master sighed deeply and said: 'I agree with Dian!'" The master said: "Watching someone ride a horse through a window—it is indeed so. Patch-robed monks wear black robes and protect the black pillars; in the end they never say to you: 'Faintly the pines twist and bend; / vaguely the rocks are mottled and colorful.'"

1.36

Having accepted [the abbacy of] Bao'en and bidding farewell to the assembly, he ascended the hall: "The flowing rainbow: seven years, and the affinity is exhausted; / again heading toward Tianning to manage a den of debts. / Having escaped a donkey's womb to enter a horse's belly, / in the weight of fur and hide there is not much difference."

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End of the Recorded Sayings at Xingsheng Monastery

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Recorded Sayings at Bao'en Guangxiao Chan Monastery in Jiaxing Prefecture

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Compiled by the studying monk Kexuan

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The master entered the monastery, ascended the hall, and, having completed the prayers for the Emperor, next took up incense and said: "This incense has been tossed into the armor of nothing-to-do for many years. Today, being poor, I remember old debts, and cannot help bringing it forth to offer to the former abbot of Husheng Wansui Chan Cloister in Anji Prefecture, my late master, the venerable Yun'an, in order to repay the milk of the Dharma."

1.41

The master took his seat. A monk asked: "The golden rooster crows at dawn, the jade phoenix holds a flower in its beak; the court parasols attend the banquet—we ask the master to pray for the Emperor." The master said: "The single-horned qilin climbs the sea island; the nine-hued phoenix dances on the spirit mountain." The monk said: "Sansheng said, 'Whenever I meet someone, I step out; stepping out, I do not act for the sake of the person.' What is the meaning of this?" The master said: "Dig into the ground and bury it deep." The monk said: "Xinghua said, 'Whenever I meet someone, I do not step out; stepping out, I immediately act for the sake of the person.' What about this?" The master said: "A fishing line tangles the water." The monk said: "What auspicious sign is there when the Vice Minister Prefect invites the upādhyāya to open the hall and expound the Dharma, seeing you into the monastery?" The master said: "It alarms the people of the whole city." The monk said: "Is there still any acting for the sake of people?" The master said: "Only under your skin is there no blood." The monk said: "Were it not for the geese of the night, how could one see autumn at Haimen?" He then made prostrations.

1.42

The master then said: "Yellow leaves cover the gate; the staff does not strike this dead fellow. Reed blossoms surround the knees; what livelihood does a blind donkey have? Generally, when one has not forgotten emotional attachment to the Dharma, the more one hides, the more it is revealed. Puhua amid the heaps of red dust, Panshan before the pork butcher's block—they gave play to the heroic dynamic of Vulture Peak and manifested the secret intent of Shaolin. Although this is so, this mountain monk ordinarily has never opened his mouth to say the word 'no' to anyone. Today, matters do not protect oneself; suppressing my majestic radiance, I universally invite everyone together to witness this Buddha-work in the marketplace." He struck with his staff: "Right is indeed right, but you should not have taken a step forward."

1.43

He again brought up: "When Attendant Wang visited Linji, he asked, 'Does this hall of monks read the sūtras?' Linji said, 'They do not read the sūtras.' He further asked, 'Do they practice Chan?' Linji said, 'They do not practice Chan.' The Attendant said, 'If they do not read the sūtras and do not practice Chan, what do they do?' Linji said, 'I make them all become Buddhas and become patriarchs.' The Attendant said, 'Gold dust, though precious, causes cataracts when it falls into the eye.'" The master said: "A fine game of chess: black and white are already distinct, but as for the final move, no one knows where it lands."

1.44

That evening at the informal gathering: "How shall I meet with you all? If meeting by worldly conventions, greetings about the cold and warmth are already finished. If meeting by the Buddha-Dharma, the questions and answers are already complete. What is more, for patch-robed monks, whose eyebrows are like arrow-shafts and eyes like copper bells, who know before a thing is raised and comprehend before a word is spoken—what is there to say about meeting or not meeting? Even so, this mountain monk has just arrived here and does not know the orientations of the wells and stoves or the heights of the door-sills, so I cannot help asking from the beginning. Why? Both sides need to know."

1.45

He again brought up: "Fadeng instructed the assembly: 'Originally I wished to hide deep in the rocky ravines and pass the time in seclusion; but the old man of Qingliang had an unfinished gong'an, so I came out to finish it for him.' At that time, a monk came forward and asked, 'What is the unfinished gong'an?' Fadeng struck him and said, 'When ancestors do not settle it, misfortune reaches their children and grandchildren.'" The master said: "Fadeng lets go too lavishly and gathers in too sparingly. This monk's body presses against a naked blade, his righteous spirit brushing the clouds; yet examining it, it is still unsettled. This mountain monk lived in a small cloister for seven years, dragging through mud and dripping with water, his hands and feet not yet dry. Today, having just taken charge of Bao'en, worldly affairs are bustling; if there were an unfinished gong'an, I would not dare bring it forth. Why? I fear bringing disgrace upon my late master."

1.46

The next day, ascending the hall on behalf of Emperor Huizong: "The ancient Buddha passed away long ago; / who knows where he responds to the multitude of beings? / The mass of purple-golden light is difficult for people to behold; / in the sky, one only hears the sounding of celestial music."

1.47

Ascending the hall: "Bao'en has three things in which it is inferior to the various quarters: first, what is spoken of cannot be practiced; second, what is practiced cannot be spoken of; third—what?" He struck with his staff: "When a person is poor, his wisdom is short; when a horse is lean, its hair is long."

1.48

Ascending the hall, he brought up [the following]: "Yangqi asked Ciming: 'When the secluded bird chatters and leaves the clouds to enter the scattered peaks, how is it?' Ming said, 'I walk in the wild grass, and you again enter the deep village.' Yangqi said, 'An official allows no needle; may I borrow another question?' Ming immediately shouted. Yangqi said, 'A fine shout!' Ming shouted again; Yangqi also shouted. Ming shouted twice in succession, and Yangqi then made prostrations." The master said: "Leaving the tall trees and entering the deep valley—the condition for raising a child. Why did Ciming shout twice in succession?"

1.49

Ascending the hall, [holding up] his staff: "Usually your mouths chatter away, saying: 'I can release and capture, kill and give life.' Yet when asked why Master Yuan did not cross Tiger Creek, you cannot speak. Tell me, where does the illness lie?"

1.50

Ascending the hall: "Leaves fall in the stream woods, / cold are the cries of border geese. / The ready-made gong'an / is greatly difficult, greatly difficult! / A hundred shattered fragments, / an iron lump— / draped along with the wind upon the jade balustrade."

1.51

At the informal gathering for the Winter Solstice: "The weather is cold and people are cold; carving iron with a needle's point. Water drips and freezes instantly; drawing a cake to satisfy hunger. Danxia burns a wooden Buddha; a hungry dog chews a dry skull. Jingqing does not spread his sleeping mat; seeking gravy inside a sesame cake. Since the old men from of old could not keep firm, they could not help following the seasons and pursuing the solar terms: thus one sees the yin waning and the yang waxing, the small departing and the great arriving, ashes flying at the warm pitch-pipe, and threads added to embroidered patterns. But in the land of neither yin nor yang, is there still any change?" He struck with his staff: "The moon is like a curved bow; little rain, much wind."

1.52

He again brought up: "When Dongshan was eating fruit on a winter night, he asked Head Monk Tai: 'There is a thing black as lacquer, constantly in active function; within active function it cannot be contained. Where does the fault lie?' Tai said: 'The fault lies within active function.' Dongshan ordered the attendant to clear away the fruit table." The master said: "Everyone says that the golden ground beckons, and Jiangling nods. Little do they know that with the long snake and the crescent moon, victory and defeat have not yet been seen. When examined, the sword has long since gone."

1.53

Ascending the hall on the Tianji Festival: "The seventy-two peaks of the Southern Sacred Peak, / the eighteen thousand fathoms of Huading— / gazing upon them without limit, / looking up to them without end. / With this inexhaustible measure, / I offer prayers for the sagely and enlightened ruler."

1.54

Ascending the hall on the Day of the Buddha's Attainment of the Way: "Day after day, hour after hour, / reaching the night of the eighth of the twelfth month, / eyebrows are mistakenly placed above the eyes. / East and west not distinguished, / north and south doubted, / let the winds of karma blow for ten thousand kalpas."

1.55

Ascending the hall, he brought up [the following]: "Linji sent his attendant to deliver a message to Deshan. The attendant said, 'Deshan likes to strike people.' Linji said, 'Just go. Wait until he takes up his staff, seize it, and give him a shove; I guarantee he will not strike you.' The attendant followed instructions, and indeed Deshan did not strike him. Returning, he related this to Linji. Linji said, 'I have always suspected this fellow.'" The master said: "Everyone says: 'Deshan only knows how to spread his scales in shallow water, and cannot cast a line in a deep pool.' Little do they know that Linji and his son were buried by Deshan in a heap of wild grass, and to this day they cannot lift themselves up."

1.56

Ascending the hall, he picked up his staff: "If it is thus, the various quarters will definitely not consent; if it is not thus, each should examine and reprove oneself. Being thus or not being thus: loincloths washing wine vessels. Bao'en has an expedient means; do you accept it?" After a long pause, he leaned his staff [against the seat].

1.57

At the informal gathering on New Year's Eve, he picked up his staff: "Before worlds existed, before Buddhas and patriarchs existed, there was already this staff, obstructing east and obstructing west. When worlds were established and Buddhas and patriarchs appeared, it remained scaly and craggy, rough and stubborn as before. Deshan borrowed its nostrils to breathe out air; Bajiao had missing teeth and unconsciously leaked wind. This causes the Chan practitioners under heaven, every one of them, to follow in its footsteps, and at year's end when the year is exhausted, they do not understand how to turn their bodies, solely because they do not distinguish the joints. Having fallen into Bao'en's hands, neither can I cross-examine you. I only want you all to know: 'The three yangs combine in harmony, and the ten thousand things all prosper.' But if you are not yet thus..." He drew a line with his staff, and the assembly retreated.

1.58

He again brought up: "Because a monk asked Xianglin, 'Who is the master of ten thousand acres of waste field?' Lin said, 'Look, look—the twelfth month is ending.'" The master said: "Although Xianglin could bring about peace while sitting, after all he did not understand the nature of things. Were someone to ask Bao'en, 'Who is the master of ten thousand acres of waste field?' I would run five hundred li in one breath without ever turning my head back. Why? At such a time, who dares take on so much land?"

1.59

Ascending the hall on the Lantern Festival: "What a fine bowl of a lamp! It is only that no one trims the wick this way and that. If it were clearly trimmed, the front streets and rear alleys, emerald-green and blue-red, would all be specks in the eye. Tell me, which bowl is it?"

1.60

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Xuefeng, Yantou, and Qinshan went to Hebei to pay respects to Linji. On the road they met Senior Ding. Feng said, 'Is Upādhyāya Linji in good health?' Ding said, 'He has already passed away.' Xuefeng and Yantou looked at each other and sighed deeply. They further asked, 'What words and phrases did he usually give to show his disciples?' Ding said, 'On this lump of red flesh there is a true person without rank, constantly entering and exiting through the face-gates of each of you. Those who have not yet attained proof, look! Look!' Qin said, 'Why not say, "not a true person without rank"?' Ding seized him and said, 'The true person without rank and not a true person without rank—how far apart are they? Speak quickly! Speak quickly!' Qinshan changed color and could not reply. Xuefeng and Yantou urged peace. Ding said, 'If not for the sake of the faces of these two old sacks of pus, I would choke you to death, you bed-wetting ghost!'" The Master said, "Although Senior Ding levied taxes according to the goods, what could he do about Xuefeng and Yantou? If someone can distinguish black from white here, I will change bowls, brew tea, and make an offering to you."

1.61

Inviting the head monk [to take office], he ascended the hall: "When jade is in stone, it lends warmth; when a pearl is in the abyss, it lends charm. When a proper person is in the monastery, the regulatory guidelines are upright and the Dharma decrees are strict. Responding to situations and adapting to changes, he treats poison as sweet dew and takes ignorance as compassion. Do you want to see this person?" Striking his staff, he stepped down from the seat, and together with the great assembly bowed to invite Upādhyāya Ganlu to assume the first seat.

1.62

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Nanquan was asked by Zhaozhou, 'Where does a person who knows there is "this" go?' Quan said, 'He goes to the house of a donor before the mountain to be a water buffalo.' Zhou said, 'I thank the Master for answering my question.' Quan said, 'Last night at the third watch, the moon reached the window.'" The Master said, "Old Teacher Wang's parrying dagger was sharp indeed, but Zhaozhou used the strategy of reducing cooking stoves and almost broke through Caizhou."

1.63

Ascending the hall on the Buddha's Parinirvāṇa: "Old Śākya, two thousand years ago, had a dream from which he has not awakened to this day, leading his descendants to speak of dreams within a dream, bewildering later people like fox spirits. Bao'en, being outnumbered, can only beat his breast with swapped hands and cry, 'O Blue Heaven! O Blue Heaven!'"

1.64

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Lingyun's verse on awakening to the Way upon seeing peach blossoms; Xuansha said, 'Extremely accurate it is, but I dare say the elder brother has not yet thoroughly penetrated.'" The Master said, "One departed first but did not arrive; one came up last and went too far. Ordinarily at Bao'en, eyes see nostrils. Why is that? How many times has the spring breeze made red rain fall? When did anyone ever set eyes upon its depth or shallowness?"

1.65

Ascending the hall: "Deshan's blows fall like raindrops, but after all they cannot hit those who have no blood under the skin; Linji's shouts roar like rushing thunder, but after all they cannot shout at those who have no hearing in their ears. Even if one attains awakening from the blows and realizes through the shouts, Bao'en will not necessarily nod horizontally in approval. Why is that? 'Those who know me, those who blame me.'"

1.66

Ascending the hall, he cited: "'At dusk I take off my socks and sleep; at dawn I rise and casually tie on my leggings. During the night, the wind blew the fence down; the administrator calls a general labor, and the servants split bamboo strips to bind it up.'" The Master said, "All quarters say that old man Shun sits within the armor of doing nothing; how could they know the flowers of a withered tree in the three winter months, or the snow on a cold cliff in the nine periods of summer?"

1.67

At the informal gathering for entering the summer retreat, a monk asked, "Deshan gave no answers at informal gatherings, giving thirty blows to anyone who asked a question. What was the intention behind this?" The Master said, "Drawing a tiger and ending up with a wildcat." The monk said, "Zhaozhou wished to answer questions at informal gatherings, saying, 'Bring forth a single question, anyone who has one.' What about that?" The Master said, "Grappling hooks and tangled ropes." The monk said, "Are the workings of Zhaozhou and Deshan merely the same?" The Master said, "Ghosts fighting over a lacquer bucket." The monk said, "Before Niutou saw the Fourth Patriarch, why did hundreds of birds peck flowers in their beaks to offer to him?" The Master said, "In Wuling, spring comes early; on the terraces and pavilions, green shade is abundant." The monk said, "After he saw him, why did the hundreds of birds not peck flowers to offer?" The Master said, "A broken mirror does not reflect again; fallen blossoms can hardly return to the branch." The monk said, "What skillful means is there for a student like me relying upon the Upādhyāya this summer?" The Master said, "Coarse porridge and plain rice, passing the time according to one's lot." The monk said, "If one does not climb the tower to look, how can one know the depth of the vast sea?" The Master said, "The thief is a member of the family."

1.68

He then said, "Before forms and sounds portend, mountains pile upon mountains; as soon as traces of words become evident, echoes and shadows are hard to seek. Therefore, Śākya shut his room in Magadha, and Vimalakīrti closed his mouth in Vaiśālī, leading the twenty-eight [patriarchs] of the Western Heaven and the six of the land of Tang, those old sacks of pus throughout the realm, to exhaust all their mechanisms without finding any handhold. They could only level the high to accommodate the low, taking a broken cord that could not be used two thousand years ago to pierce the nostrils of patch-robed monks throughout the world, calling it 'restricting footsteps to protect living beings' and 'attaining realization within a set period', which only looks all the messier. Bao'en has no strength in cultivation, so he cannot avoid following the precedent and acting topsy-turvy." Striking his staff: "If not for his skill at shooting condors, who would know General Li?"

1.69

He further cited: "The Sixth Patriarch was asked by a monk, 'What kind of person attained the teaching of Huangmei?' The Patriarch said, 'A person who understands the Buddha Dharma attained it.' The monk said, 'Did you, Upādhyāya, attain it?' The Patriarch said, 'I did not attain it.' The monk said, 'Why did you not attain it?' The Patriarch said, 'I do not understand the Buddha Dharma.'" The Master said, "'High Mountains, Flowing Waters'—Ziqi was indeed good at listening to it. Even so, thirty years from now, there will be someone scolding Bao'en."

1.70

The next day, ascending the hall: "Berating Śākya and scolding Maitreya, the bearing of a patch-robed monk is like a king. Why today bind oneself with a grass rope?" Striking the whisk: "Seeking fire, one gets it with smoke; carrying spring water, one returns bearing the moon."

1.71

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Yaoshan had not ascended the hall for a long time. The administrator said, 'The great assembly has long yearned for the Upādhyāya's instruction.' Shan said, 'Strike the bell.' As the assembly just gathered, Shan shut the door. The administrator said, 'Since you consented to ascend the hall for the assembly, why did you not offer a single word?' Shan said, 'For the sūtras there are sūtra masters, for the śāstras there are śāstra masters; how can you blame this old monk?'" The Master said, "The ancients injured compassion for the sake of beings, and in doing so, there was a flaw. If that monk at that time, as soon as he saw the door shut, had simply drawn a circle on the ground and let everyone disperse, he would have ensured that Yaoshan could not open the door."

1.72

On the major death anniversary of Emperor Huizong, ascending the hall: "The sage has no self, yet there is nowhere he is not self; throughout all dust-mote kṣetras there is nothing that is not it. A hair's breadth of difference loses a thousand leagues. The immortal retinue fluttered away never to return; let the pure wind rise across the six directions."

1.73

Ascending the hall, he cited: "When Nanquan lived in a hermitage, a monk arrived. Quan said, 'I am going up the mountain to do chores. Cook food at mealtime, eat, and send a portion up.' That monk finished eating, smashed all the household utensils at once, and lay down on the bed. Quan waited long and [the monk] did not come, so he returned. Seeing the monk lying down, Quan also lay down. The monk then got up and left. After Nanquan became abbot, he said, 'When I lived in a hermitage in the past, there was a sharp-witted practitioner whom I have not seen to this day.'" The Master said, "If Old Teacher Wang had not looked out for the sharpness of the awl's point, that monk would not have been able to get up and leave. Even so: the rock suppresses the bamboo shoot, which sprouts obliquely; the cliff hangs over the flower, which blooms upside down."

1.74

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Dongshan was asked by a monk, 'When cold and heat arrive, how should one avoid them?' Shan said, 'Why not go to the place where there is no cold or heat?' The monk said, 'What is the place where there is no cold or heat?' Shan said, 'When it is cold, it freezes the Ācārya to death; when it is hot, it scorches the Ācārya to death.'" The Master said, "If that monk at that time had only let out a cold laugh, he would have made sure that Dongshan had nowhere to hide his body."

1.75

Ascending the hall: "Only recently did we see the start of the retreat, and already we meet midsummer. Those who are diligently and untiringly dedicated—ghosts and spirits cannot fathom their origins; those who are confused and bewildered—buddhas and patriarchs cannot distinguish them. Under Bao'en's gate, is there such a person? In my house there is no diagram of the Baize."

1.76

Ascending the hall, he cited: "When Hanshanzi saw the monks roasting eggplants, he struck a monk on the back with a skewer of eggplants. The monk turned his head, and Hanshan held up the skewer of eggplants, saying, 'What is this?' The monk said, 'A lunatic!' Hanshan then turned to a neighboring monk and said, 'Tell me, how much salt and sauce did this monk waste?'" The Master said, "One who underestimates the opponent perishes; did that monk accept it? If Bao'en had seen him hold up the skewer of eggplants and say, 'What is this?', I would have struck a listening pose. At any hesitation, I would snatch the eggplant skewer and strike him at once."

1.77

Ascending the hall: "Whenever Wuzu gave instructions to the assembly, he would 'drop a phrase on the east side, drop a phrase on the west side.' It was very much like dipping winter melon in snow to eat—called the authentic transmission of Yangqi, the secret signal of Dongshan. Little did he realize that as rules emerge, deceit arises, and when affairs persist long, many changes occur."

1.78

Ascending the hall, he cited: "One day the World-Honoured One ascended the seat. When the assembly had settled, Mañjuśrī struck the mallet and said, 'Clearly observe the Dharma of the Dharma King; the Dharma of the Dharma King is thus.' The World-Honoured One then stepped down from the seat." The Master said, "It is indeed so; it was only that striking the mallet was a bit too heavy."

1.79

Inviting the superintendent of harvests [to take office], he ascended the hall: "In the field of the unconditioned, there is sowing and there is harvesting; when the season arrives, it ripens naturally. When patch-robed monks open their mouths, they cannot do without him for a single moment. If one is not an authentic person, it is difficult to cut off leakage. Now, which one is an authentic person?" Striking his staff: "You, sir!"

1.80

At the informal gathering for concluding the summer retreat, a monk asked, "The three months of the retreat are now complete; what about the work and application during the ninety days?" The Master said, "Before the eyes, as tightly bound as before." The monk said, "In the Western Heaven they take the monastic age as proof; what is the frantic rush?" The Master said, "This lacquer bucket!" The monk said, "Thank you for the instruction." The Master said, "Chinese goldthread is not yet bitter."

1.81

He then raised his whisk and said, "Being thus is easy; not being thus is difficult. Being thus is easy: there is tying and untying, taking the mooring-rope and letting go the boat. Not being thus is difficult: there is a beginning and an end, nothing left undone. In other quarters, they force silkworms to make cocoons and special bulls to give birth to calves. Here with me, we buy the hat to fit the head, according to the wealth or frugality of the household. Unawares, another summer has passed. Tomorrow morning, opening the cloth bag, each of you going east and I west along our ways forward, if someone suddenly mentions Bao'en, you need not conceal your father's name. Why is that?" Striking the whisk: "The autumn wind blows over the River Wei; fallen leaves fill Chang'an."

1.82

He further cited: "In ancient times there was an elder venerable who did not speak to the monks for a whole summer. A monk sighed and said, 'I have spent an entire summer in vain like this. I dare not hope that the Upādhyāya would preach the Buddha Dharma, but even hearing the two words "correct cause" would suffice.' The elder venerable heard this and said, 'Ācārya, do not speak rashly! When it comes to the correct cause, there is not even a single word.' Having spoken, he clattered his teeth and said, 'I spoke thus for no reason.' An elder venerable next door heard this and said, 'Such a fine pot of stew, ruined by two pieces of rat droppings!'" The Master said, "Three board-carrying fellows, yet one was slightly better. At Bao'en, for the whole summer the drum has hung waiting for the mallet, but nobody has asked about the two words 'Buddha Dharma'. Why is that? If one does not enter the water, how can one see a tall person?"

1.83

The next day, ascending the hall: "Among the four postures of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, there is always one perilous place, yet you all fail to scrutinize and detect it. If you can detect it, I grant that you are a fellow on Tianjin Bridge. If you fail to detect it, within these ninety days you waste your energy in vain. And tell me, which is that one place?" Striking the staff, he said: "Perilous, perilous!"

1.84

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Because Dongshan arrived, Yunmen asked, 'Where did you leave recently?' Shan said, 'Chadu.' Men said, 'Where did you spend the summer?' Shan said, 'Baoci in Hunan.' Men said, 'When did you leave there?' Shan said, 'August twenty-fifth.' Men said, 'I spare you thirty blows of the stick.' The next day Dongshan asked, 'Yesterday I was spared thirty blows by the upādhyāya, but I do not know where my fault was?' Men said, 'You rice bag! Wandering off to Jiangxi and Hunan like this?' Dongshan had an awakening upon these words." The Master said: "When views perish and attachments cease, only then is one a genuine patch-robed monk. How can Dongshan's fault compare to Yunmen's fault?"

1.85

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Because a monk took leave, Zhaozhou said, 'Where are you going?' The monk said, 'Going to various places to study the Buddha Dharma.' Zhou said, 'Where there is a Buddha, do not stay; where there is no Buddha, run quickly past; for three thousand leagues beyond, meeting people, you must not quote [this] wrongly.' The monk said, 'Then I will not go.' Zhou said, 'Pick willow catkins, pick willow catkins.'" The Master said: "The Divine Arm Bow and Youji's arrows: when Zhaozhou used them, not a single shot failed to hit the mark. Even so, what to do about this monk coming from the Red Eyebrows band?"

1.86

Thanking Upādhyāya Yunhe of Nanshan and the karmadāna, he ascended the hall: "When people of the Way meet each other, like clouds rising into the sky, like waters rushing to a gorge, criticizing Old Zhang's lacking a beard on his chin, scolding the various quarters for pounding damp grain to eat. Suddenly a fellow comes out and says, 'Lower your voice, lower your voice! The new karmadāna's orders are strict; do not speak of people's merits and demerits.' This mountain monk could only desist. Why? Where Yu's power did not reach, the sound of the River flows westward."

1.87

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Xinghua saw a fellow practitioner coming. As soon as he came up to the Dharma hall, Xinghua shouted; the monk also shouted. Xinghua shouted again; the monk also shouted again. Xinghua took up his stick; the monk again shouted. Xinghua said, 'Look at this fellow, still acting as host!' The monk hesitated, and Xinghua struck him. The attendant asked, 'What offense did that monk just commit?' Xinghua said, 'That fellow has provisional and real, illumination and function. I moved my hand across in front of him twice, and he could not proceed. With a blind fellow like this, if not struck now, when else to wait for?'" The Master said: "Galloping a horse on a sword's edge, hiding one's body within raging flames: under Xinghua's gate, this is not out of the ordinary. For no reason this monk played clever, yet [Xinghua] turned around to recover his capital before the attendant."

1.88

Ascending the hall: "All of you are completely turned by sound and form. Why, before the drum sounds, don't you come before the Dharma hall and take a turn or two? Even so, Bao'en will still light a torch and illuminate your faces."

1.89

Ascending the hall for opening the hearth, he cited Danxia burning the wooden Buddha. The Master said: "Danxia was like an insect eating wood; the monastery director's [words] accidentally formed a pattern. Today Bao'en opens the hearth; for now there is no wooden Buddha to burn, only some fire of ignorance constantly in front of you all. The days are short and the nights are long—take care of yourselves, each and every one!"

1.90

An informal gathering on the winter solstice: "Śākyamuni has already passed into extinction, and Maitreya has not yet been born. In such a season, going east is fine, going west is fine. For no reason, wall-gazing at Shaolin and severing the arm in the snow-covered courtyard led a whole group of people to carry a heavy load of a hundred and twenty pounds, like ascending the Sheep's Forehead Ridge. When asked about its origin, it still does not go beyond the bitter cold of midwinter and cotton trousers fiery red. Bao'en has long been silent on this essential point, not eager to speak of it hastily."

1.91

He also cited: "Upādhyāya Wuzu Yan instructed the assembly: 'Just eat the fruit; who cares if the tree is crooked and bent?'" The Master said: "This insatiable old fellow managed to be so ignorant of where it comes from! The dearness and cheapness of Bao'en's fruit, the highness and lowness of its price—I want all of you to know each and every one."

1.92

Ascending the hall, he cited: "An ancient worthy was asked by a monk, 'What is the matter of winter's coming?' The worthy said, 'The capital produces rhubarb.'" The Master said: "Gold is tested by touchstone; a person is tested by words. The ancient person considered himself to have returned with the jade intact, unaware that his body was in the weeds."

1.93

Thanking the monastery administrators, he ascended the hall: "A leap and a bound, the lion's yawn; one new and one old, harmonious atmosphere like spring. Bao'en's foot is not as good as an inch; all he gains is sitting foolishly. Why? There is someone at home."

1.94

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Linji entered the capital to solicit alms, saying, 'In ordinary fashion, fill the bowl.' He arrived at the front door of a household, and the old woman said, 'Far too insatiable!' Linji said, 'I haven't even received rice yet, so why do you say far too insatiable?' The old woman then shut the door." The Master said: "Flies seeing blood, falcons seizing doves; a fist comes, a kick returns; glued and lacquered together. Where it is hard to bring up, it turns even more charming."

1.95

Ascending the hall on the Tianji Festival: "The phrase that establishes heaven and earth is revered in both ancient and modern times; the mechanism that captures tigers and rhinos cannot be discerned by sage or ordinary being. By this, assisting the governance of non-action, the four seas are peaceful and clear; by this, congratulating the supreme venerable one, myriad realms bring jade discs. The holy birthday approaches, and the precious banquet is prepared in advance. As for the single unbiased phrase, how to express it?" Striking the staff, he said: "Quietly melting the snow by the brookside, lightly opening the plums atop the ridge."

1.96

Upādhyāya Wuzhun of Jingshan arrived. Ascending the hall, he cited: "Yangshan said: 'If senior uncle Dongsi were present, Huiji would not be reduced to loneliness.'" The Master said: "When drinking water, Yangshan valued the underground vein. Bao'en, long impoverished and suddenly rich, how could he dare mimic him? Inevitably, I must borrow a small path to walk on. Why?" Striking the whisk, he said: "Moving flowers also brings butterflies; buying rocks gains clouds in abundance."

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虛堂和尚語錄 — Classical Chinese