虛堂和尚語錄 10
English (machine translation) 10
- Language
- English
10.1
Gāthās and Verses
10.2
When the Master entered Jingci and mounted the seat, after the dialogue had ended, suddenly an imperial commissioner arrived at the gate transmitting the imperial decree, asking: "Why did Zhaozhou undertake itinerant pilgrimage at eighty, and why did Xutang dwell on the mountain at eighty?" The Master then cited: "One day during his pilgrimage, Zhaozhou arrived at Linji. Just as he was washing his feet, Linji asked: 'What is the meaning of the Ancestral Teacher's coming from the West?' Zhaozhou said: 'It just coincides with this old monk washing his feet.' Linji stepped forward making a listening gesture. Zhaozhou said: 'If you understand, then understand right away; why savor and chew?' Linji returned to the abbot's quarters and shut the door. Zhaozhou said: 'This old monk has made an itinerant pilgrimage at eighty, and today I have been tackled by this donkey.'" He then composed a verse. The imperial commissioner, General Yang, reported it to the throne, and the imperial countenance was greatly pleased. He specially bestowed five hundred piculs of rice and one hundred bolts of silk to open the hall and settle the assembly. Subsequently, as provisions were lacking and the monks' hall was dilapidated and leaking, an imperial memorial was submitted. Humbly receiving imperial favor, wet paddies yielding an annual rent of over thirty piculs were allocated and granted, exempt from official taxes, and one hundred thousand strings of paper currency were also issued to rebuild the monks' hall. The verse said:
10.3
Zhaozhou only set out on pilgrimage at eighty,
Xutang dwells on the mountain again at eighty.
There is another dynamic that expands Buddhas and ancestors,
Stirring the dragon's countenance within the ninefold city walls.
10.4
Sent to the Founding Abbot of Jiqing
10.5
The ruyi comes to preside over the palace of Śakra and Brahmā;
Raining flowers lie scattered, moistening the spring breeze.
Ashamed that in old age I have no spiritual bones,
Daily amid deep clouds I listen to the lecture bell.
10.6
Harmonizing with the Rhyme of Prefectural Judge Lin Jingxue on Visiting Tianze Hermitage
10.7
The ancient path reaches along with Chan;
How many years have you practiced in person?
Heaven and earth support the power of stability;
The mind-moon reflects prior affinities.
Quietness alone is hard for people to learn;
The talk of three lives is not yet complete.
Growing old, there is another appointment—
It will not be beside the Northern Mountains.
10.8
Replying to Layman Dongyang, Assistant Director Mi (Deng)
10.9
Icy cold is the spring of Dongyang;
The bellows of heaven and earth renew all things.
Cast aside the entangling vines, unable to pick them up;
Who knows how many people they have bound?
10.10
Seeing off Attendant Liao on His Journey to Mount Tiantai
10.11
Longing for the scent of mutton, soaring high, what end to the inspiration?
Autumn is in the wind through the yellow reed leaves.
One's own matter not yet clear is like treading on fire;
Deep within the white clouds, meet the Old Man of the Crag.
10.12
Guest Master Lai Visits Rudou at Cifeng and Pays Homage to Mingjue's Pagoda
10.13
Beside the lake asking the way into deep clouds,
For ten years a single stick of heart-incense burned.
Unable to see the true seclusion where Yin secluded,
In morning wind braving dew, leaves are first heard.
10.14
Attendant Xian, Styled Wood Elder
10.15
Crooked and coiled, like an idiot child;
Spring breeze, flowers, and birds naturally forget cunning.
In recent years grown old, entirely useless;
Freely letting the monasteries stir up right and wrong.
10.16
Sent to Attendant Daobin
10.17
The rambling family style entirely follows what is genuine;
Following Chu after all forms no fine writing.
How does it compare to chanting through the clear night on a bamboo couch,
When the moon reaches the flower tips, in what measure?
10.18
Attendant Zhun Returns to Visit His Parents
10.19
Mountains empty, leaves fallen, shore clouds light;
How many stages of frost wind blowing on the face?
The bright moon over the Xiu River brings urgent dreams of returning;
Entering the gate, first offer prayers to the Longevity Star.
10.20
Chan Traveler Qing Travels Abroad
10.21
Golden wind and dew moisten the chrysanthemum autumn;
Brambles and thorns block the path—where will you roam?
Colliding with Hengyue and Mount Lu,
I fear they are not of your kind.
10.22
Chan Traveler Gui, Styled Stone Elder
10.23
Fleeing beyond the empty kalpa, already weathered;
Admiring waters and gazing at mountains for how many years?
Hearing it said that listening to sūtras once gained approval,
In old age having no strength to mend the blue sky.
10.24
Layman Qu, Styled Ignorant
10.25
Meeting conditions and contacting realms, entirely adrift;
Earth vast, sky broad, where can one take stand?
Once a single point is clear, surpassing the realm of things,
One knows not with what to mirror partial and round.
10.26
Presented to Daoist Nun Miaojie
10.27
A wondrous mind, bright and pure, tallies with Suchness;
Her conduct distinct, a true great hero of a woman.
Layman Pang's family style is uniquely non-dual;
Dredging the hedge at a high price, who is permitted to buy?
10.28
Abandoned Monastery
10.29
Entering the view, wild brambles and an ancient hall in autumn;
The years pass and decline, with no one to repair it.
Deep in the night quietly listening to the voice of the wind-chime,
It seems to scold the dānapati for not nodding.
10.30
Mount Yue
10.31
Clusters of emerald coils surround the lakeside;
Cold shadows cleanly polish the dust on the ancient mirror.
Do not ask about the Gazer-for-Husband Stone on the hill—
In the human world, I fear there are heartbroken people.
10.32
Ink Play: Scholar Tu's Ox in the Manner of Master Rong
10.33
True depictions of plants and trees show lofty brush power;
Dai Song's oxen reside within a single autumn hair.
On this trip do not plan to go to Tiantai,
Enduring as a solitary monk crossing the stone bridge.
10.34
Inscribed on the Painting of Pure Karma
10.35
Tempering conduct and cultivating the body ties Buddha-enmities;
Before speaking of it, teeth are already cold.
In old age not wishing to go to the Western Realm,
Delighting that in Jambudvīpa the eye's horizon is broad.
10.36
Instructing Huiling on Becoming a Monk
10.37
How can wise nature compare to penetration through seeing nature?
One must make efficacy make evident our ancestral lineage.
Seizing the moment, cast down the waist-weighing stone;
Laughing, hold up the robe and bowl to succeed the patriarchs' wind.
10.38
Buddhist Rites
10.39
Compiled by Attendant Huiming
10.40
On the eleventh day of the third month of the first year of the Xianchun reign, reverently receiving the imperial decree summoning him into the Great Palace for a general discourse, first at the mourning table hall to move the spirit carriage of Emperor Lizong into the main hall to offer incense; the recorded sayings the Master did not permit to be published.
10.41
"Filial peace extending compassion tallies with past perfuming;
The phoenix carriage and palace depart the Golden Gate.
Heaven, earth, sun, and moon lose their radiance;
Plants and trees are all steeped in former favors."
Respectfully we consider: the Fierce-Literary, Benevolent-Martial, Peacefully-Filial Emperor possessed the posture of dragon and phoenix, the countenance of heaven and sun; with the benevolence of Yao and the virtue of Shun, he aided the world and favored the people. Dropping his robes and holding his hands folded, for forty-one years he manifested the Dao and succeeded the radiance; through thirteen generations the times were at peace and goods were plentiful, heaven was clear and earth was tranquil. The fruit of the ten directions' lands is complete; the single path of the road to the Western Heaven is vital. A thousand blossoms support his feet, a hundred jewels adorn his body; celestial music in the sky comes to welcome him, the great earth shakes in six ways. Now, one after another grasping and escorting the imperial carriage, reverently honoring the royal spring journey, how to understand the phrase without self-interest? Deeply burn purple sandalwood, and the pavilion appears; hundreds of thousands of Buddhas frolic together.
10.42
Chief of the Palace Pharmacy Yang, Reverently Receiving Imperial Decree, Requests an Epilogue for the Monthly Buddha-Mindfulness Chart
10.43
The Monthly Buddha-Mindfulness Chart was compiled by Chan Master Jie, beginning on the first day with Dīpaṃkara Buddha as the head, up to the thirtieth day with Śākyamuni World-Honoured One, ending and starting anew, just like stringing flowers; newly continuous without stopping, thought after thought without ceasing. Chanted by mouth and reflected in mind, bright light manifests, serving as blessings for humans and gods; this is the efficacious verification of sincere devotion in mindfulness of the Buddha. However, when there is a short month, the yellow-faced old fellow has no place to be recited; if shifted to the first day, then Dīpaṃkara Buddha in turn has no place to be recited. Following this thoroughly through, within the immediate thought the Supreme Dharma King stands majestically unmoved, displaying auspicious signs and manifesting good omens, causing Dīpaṃkara not to be prior and Śākyamuni not to be subsequent. In the twelve periods of the day, tossing three to make two, calling away and summoning back, universally responding to the great chiliocosm, unifying and governing the Dharma realm, entirely without obstruction, freely circulating—truly what is called 'merit accomplished and practice fulfilled!'
10.44
Military Commissioner of the Department of State Affairs, Grand Commandant Dong's Raising of the Coffin
10.45
"A stern and imposing reputation departs the forbidden palace;
His actions and retirements mostly harmonized with celestial mechanisms.
Completely luminous stability is possessed by all people;
Subtly attaining the mind-transmission is rare in the world."
Lord Dong, Military Commissioner and Grand Commandant of the Department of State Affairs, had spirit that swallowed Buddhas and ancestors, eyes that covered heaven and earth. In red-hearted service to his superiors, his integrity was like severe frost; in regulating the imperial quarters, his influence moved like wind across the grass. Like Sui's pearl free of flaw, like Zhao's jade without blemish. All affairs of the human world are just like this; with a single great laugh, heaven and earth are void. Now across valley streams and cloud-clad ridges, everywhere encounters him; water birds and groves mutually reveal it. Right now, turning the position to approach accomplishment, what about the phrase upon going out the door? Striking the coffin, he said: "The moon high in the empty sky shines on a thousand gates;
On the great road without people, one walks alone."
10.46
Policy Critic Tang Requests Interring the Stūpa of the Former Abbot of Shuanglin, Venerable Yunfeng De
10.47
The kalpa fire once smelted his iron-skinned face;
never did he let his price be low.
At times he revealed the message beyond the clouds;
his rugged style bewildered all who arrived.
This man all his life shouldered his plank, chewed ginger and sipped vinegar—
even the Buddha's eye could hardly spy him out.
Dwelling as abbot on two mountains, at times halting and at times advancing,
neither sacred nor profane could distinguish him.
In modest retirement he entirely preserved his final years;
following conditions, he responded to the ancient mortar.
Before the clappers were taken up, the great star fell first.
Now the relics overflow, and the jade is opened to this casket.
Although we no longer see his voice and countenance, what can be done about his original face that still remains?
Do you see it?”
He held up the bone and said, “It cannot be contained within the stūpa;
in the land without yin or yang, clouds and thunder arise.”
10.48
Elder Jingsou of Jingshan Entering the Patriarchs' Hall of Jingci
10.49
A hungry dog dragging a boat is an ancient tune made new;
in recent years it has been played into the nomad's reed-pipe songs.
The melody rises to the highest reaches of Lingxiao;
those who listen and those who harmonize are both found wanting.
Blown scattered by heavenly winds, it falls into West Lake;
at the southern flats, the wild rice and reeds, spring waters run green.
In the deep of night, facing each other, with whom can he speak?
In the rank without position, he accompanies the line of patriarchs.
10.50
Applying the Torch
10.51
For Scribe Shijin
10.52
Fujian’s mountains are green, Zhejiang’s waters blue;
going and staying are leisurely, forgetting shadows and traces.
Hastening from the autumn audience to straighten his meditation robe,
he wondered who in heaven and earth would recognize him.
If one is recognized, there is still no fixed measure;
the bellows and furnace of Nanshan are blazing hot—look and see what color the fire is!
10.53
For Kegong, Master of the Canon
10.54
Stepping forward, he bustled; folding his hands, he stood;
more than five thousand fascicles could not be reached by glosses and commentaries.
Bathing and changing robes, he walked as he pleased;
a man of the Way, carefree, without bundle or bamboo hat.
Fire does not scorch, water does not wet;
iron walls and silver mountains—enter from right here!
10.55
Elder Xiu of Dongshan Requesting for His Junior Disciple, Attendant Yi
10.56
At a single call he instantly grasped it—in the end he did not fail that National Teacher;
called again, he did not turn back, merely because he was too hurried on his journey.
Spring clouds suddenly gather, night rain has just cleared;
able to turn his body within the flames,
the transmission of the bowl-bag has its proper place.
10.57
For Attendant Benran
10.58
Purity is fundamentally so; foul smoke billows and smolders.
Striding past two barriers, he releases a falcon soaring into the distant sky.
Attendant Ran! You thought I had failed you, but you originally failed me!
Peeping up at the Nirvāṇa Platform, truly you performed dead work.
10.59
For Chan Practitioner Benzhi of Chaozhou
10.60
A withered and gaunt man from the crocodile realm,
he awakened to the secret of mind-transmission.
A rootless tree,
once planted, comes to life.
Not knowing whose side its chilly shadow falls upon,
he only feels a fishy wind rising at the horizon's edge.
Chan Practitioner Zhi, make no distinctions!
Facing the furnace, do not avoid the red-hot iron.
10.61
For Infirmary Director Deyuan
10.62
His conduct was not virtuous, his compass not round;
if dead, then alive; if sick, then cured;
his heart mostly lingered beside the medicinal stove.
Who can comprehend it? It is truly difficult to speak of.
Within the fire of ignorance, he clears the Buddhas and patriarchs of their grievances.
10.63
For Assistant Prior Jujing
10.64
Illuminating the mind with stillness, he fled from his shadow at noon;
contemplating the subtle through emptiness, he just awakened from the great dream.
Across ten thousand leagues of Min and E, a wisp of cloud flies;
how could that compare to the moon reaching the tops of a thousand peaks?
Assistant Prior Jing, all alone and loftily detached:
a stalk of thatch after the fire—once touched, he instantly grasps it.
10.65
For Chan Practitioner Zhiyi
10.66
Turning his back on the Dharma hall, putting on straw sandals and departing,
the patch-robed monk cuts off righteousness and forgets sentiment.
Observing direction, one knows where he goes;
going there, he does not arrive at any direction.
Turning into the furnace and bellows of Nanshan,
he does not guard his own numinous radiance.
A few stalks of dry bones prop up heaven and earth;
a single flat boat carries the Great Tang.
10.67
For Guest Master Weiyi
10.68
Only this one matter is real; the other two are not true.
Thoroughly clear and plain, he still falls into the dust of dharmas.
His own Chan was practiced for only half a summer;
how many springs did he carry the eye of itinerant pilgrimage?
Just strike flint-fire at the cold hearth;
there is no need to test incoming guests with a bowl of tea.
10.69
For Transient Monk Rushi
10.70
He memorized the four great sections of scriptures,
yet in the end did not recognize 'thus'.
Humbling himself, he knocked at Nanping;
stepping over the threshold, he took up the meaning beforehand.
A mass of fire and a mountain of swords were taken as trifling matters;
his going and coming were not in the autumn wind.
10.71
For Hermitage Master Nian of Lingxiao Peak
10.72
When right mindfulness appears, things are topsy-turvy;
raising a fist, host and guest are distinguished;
his eye for testing people is as alert as a falcon's.
Chan in the bustle, stillness without illumination;
the cloud-watcher on the summit of Lingxiao Peak,
when the weather is cold, does not enter this furnace hole.
10.73
For Senior Monk Zuxiu
10.74
Attaining it—how could it lie in the robe and bowl?
He surpassed Southern Neng and Northern Xiu.
His bosom was empty and hollow, with not a thing;
he guided others as if it came from himself.
Just as if wicked, alive as if dead—
an unbridled, rough-and-tumble old fellow;
do not provoke him to arouse ignorance!
10.75
For Chan Practitioner Rusong
10.76
In the night a fine wind blew down a pine branch before the gate;
from south, from north, from west, from east—
beneath Potou Mountain, it was not the same.
Branches withered and leaves fallen, the twelfth month exhausted and the year ended;
washed by snow and frost, it endured the cold;
only this time does it feel delightfully warm.
10.77
For Duty Distributor Weixiao
10.78
Plowing and weeding under the stars—
how can that compare to folding one’s hands and planting the shovel?
Burning slash-and-burn fields at dawn
is better than cultivating fields merely to earn meals.
Lately the regulations urgently pulled your tag;
are you not an authentic follower of the Way?
If you still do not turn your head when called,
the flames will expound the Dharma for you.
10.79
For Senior Monk Miaolian
10.80
Emerging from the water or not emerging from the water—
the patch-robed monk knows before it is even mentioned.
Where there is seed, there must be a pod;
stirring it hinders people's teeth.
Do not talk about half the pond fallen in frost;
just look at the green shadows floating on the waves.
Now transplanted into the fire,
the fragrant wind from beyond the kalpas has not ceased coming;
it has not ceased coming.”
He threw down the torch and said, “Do not make entangling vines!”
10.81
For Tree-Keeper Zuyong
10.82
At Huangmei, the stone at the waist never fell;
on the ridges of Mao, he planted only rain-bearing pines.
Over forty years, today there is proof:
long or short, its use is boundless.
Before the ancestral robe came into his hands,
all conditions were first suddenly emptied.
Where can the handleless mattock be placed?
All at once, entrust it to the fire-boy Bingding.
10.83
Dharma Words
10.84
For Dharma Master Suk of Goryeo on Printing the Canon
10.85
Just as a stone contains jade, without keen discernment how could one recognize its authenticity? The Way is within one's own person; if one seeks it externally, it is difficult to accord with its subtlety. If discernment is not keen, it remains hidden and minute; if seeking is not agile, it remains obscure and vague. To clarify the source of realizing the Way is not something that can be sought in a single morning or evening. Therefore, our old teacher of India, not holding firmly to his resolution, abandoned the dignity and honor of ten thousand chariots and suffered six years of hunger and cold; on the eighth night of the twelfth month, suddenly beholding the bright star, without leaving the grass seat he entered an inconceivable realm and expounded an entire canon of entangling vines, snaring heaven and earth, sun and moon, encompassing yin and yang and the transformative workings of nature, so that sentient and insentient beings could not escape his shadow. The three ranks of sages and ten stages of holy beings all inclined their hearts; the non-Buddhists and celestial demons all folded their hands. It can repay rulers and parents, enrich customs, suppress levity and dispel falsity, providing many hidden benefits and secret assistances. At the very end, however, he said that from the Deer Park at first to the Hirañyavatī River at last, in between these two he had never spoken a single word. How utterly leaky and careless! From then on, the gates and keys were not strictly kept, and we see that across exotic regions and foreign lands, in the Divine Continent of the Red District, the golden writings of the ocean treasury are everywhere present. How could it merely be breaking open a single dust mote to bring forth this sutra scroll? Dharma Master Suk of Goryeo is a kin of the Indian old teacher; having deeply cultivated past seeds, he sailed across the sea, bringing himself from afar, vowing to complete ten sets of the canon. Traversing wind and frost, his determination grew ever more earnest, seeking out spiritual friends everywhere and inquiring into what he had not yet heard. If before unrolling the sutra cord you can enter this Dharma-gate of the letter 'A', then the five thousand-odd fascicles will all be mere spelling guides. Tell me: what character does it spell? Huo! Suddenly your eyelids burst open—do not forget this old monk. Written in the eighth month of autumn in the guihai year of the Jingding reign of the Song by the Old Man of Xutang at the Western Hermitage of Xuedou in Siming.
10.86
Elder Xuepeng Ming Departing for Guangxiao in Hexing
10.87
Elder Xuepeng Ming and I have associated for days; from Yuwang to Dongshan, beneath the eaves for guests, it was warm as spring—this was the power of this elder. At Nanping he occupied the first seat; suddenly he received the honor of public selection at Lake Dian; two years later, he again held a fine assembly at Shuangjing, still returning to the first seat, and all hearts rejoiced. Now, receiving the imperial order, he departs afar for Guangxiao in Hexing. At the crossroads I briefly express a few words to serve as a farewell send-off: having not a spot of ground to stand an awl, in vain his two eyes cover heaven and earth; blowing an iron flute crosswise, he has the spirit to swallow the Yunmeng Marsh. The misty waves are vast and hazy; the magnolia oars linger close; snowy reeds and frosted rushes are cold and well-suited. How many times did he roll them up to face the moon at leisure? In the depths of Lake Yuan, there is no need to dangle a fishing line; at the head of the Changshui River, brocade-scaled fish are naturally obtained. How shall I impart the parting phrase? The wind flutters, blowing the robe; the water chills, murmuring poetry. Written in the ninth month of autumn in the wuchen year of the Xianchun reign by the old monk Xutang at the Pavilion of Immobility, in his eighty-fourth year.
10.88
Colophon to the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Long of Kenchō-ji in Japan
10.89
In the Song there was a renowned monk who called himself Lanxi. With a single walking stick rising high above Mounts Min and E, he journeyed ten thousand leagues southward to inquire in the lands of Wu and Yue. At Yangshan he received the seal of mind, yet to the end he did not recognize ignorance; raising his feet weighing a thousand jun, he was willing to practice the family style of Songyuan. Riding a raft upon the great ocean, he traveled widely throughout the land of Japan; with profound silence like rolling thunder, he held three grand seats of five hundred monks. Accumulated over months and years, it became this collection. Chan Practitioner Ren, having long attended the snowy courtyard, came from afar to visit Siming to carve the blocks where words cannot reach, striving to make the correct lineage circulate without end; take care not to gaze at the forest to quench your thirst.
10.90
Colophon to the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Shuanglin Guo of Xuefeng
10.91
Among the venerable masters under Dahui, there are still many 'full strings of cash'; among the descendants under Huqiu, there are still many 'discounted counts'. The full string makes it limited; the discounted count makes its use boundless. From the Old Man Who Curses Heaven, it was transmitted three times down to Shuanglin; just when the myriad trees were withering, he rose up luxuriantly—this was entirely attained through mastery of the discounted count. Those who are good at examining this record may ascend his hall, but they cannot yet enter his inner room.
10.92
Eulogies for Portraits
10.93
Requested by Elder Qingyuan Jun
10.94
Old and not dying, his heart has not turned to ashes;
when provoked, his fierce temper flares—thunder raging across a blue sky.
Leading on tiger heads and swallow chins,
they contend in stirring up seeds of calamity in the monasteries.
Once touched, he immediately grasps it—
how exceptionally talented he is!
10.95
Requested by Master of the Canon Jingtan
10.96
Easily giving approval to people, it is difficult to speak with him;
the tip of the bamboo spatula he treasures like gold,
the corner of the meditation couch he casts aside like dirt.
Jingtan, Master of the Canon, well knows the crux of the moment;
within the flash of lightning, host and guest are distinguished.
10.97
Requested by Elder Yiwen
10.98
Heaven and earth are not benevolent to produce such a monster:
he possesses the ingenuity to raid camps and plunder strongholds,
yet lacks the precepts of joy, letting go, and compassion.
The correct lineage is about to sink, the Dharma gate withers and decays—
how can the Songyuan lineage be carried on?
After great tribulations, his spirit is all the more vigorous;
his mouth when scolding people is as venomous as bees and scorpions.
10.99
Requested for the Newly Built Tiansi Manor of Jingci
10.100
Meeting without prior expectation, concurring without prior agreement,
the sunny light shines brilliantly, the harmonious air is genial and warm.
Meeting with the sagely sovereigns of two reigns,
reviving the Chan community of Huizong's temple.
Good fields bestowed by Heaven, smooth as a whetstone;
sitting and facing the numinous sprouts, year after year abundant.
10.101
Requested by Disciple Zongpu on Building the Water-Giving Hermitage
10.102
Equally bestowing compassion, originally there is no sectarian gate.
The uncut jade once split open is worthy of admiration;
the pure demeanor, suddenly raised, is difficult to behold.
The cloud-watcher on the summit of Lingxiao Peak,
the foremost patriarch in the Hall of Puhua.
10.103
Requested by Guest Master Jōmyō of Japan
10.104
Since the succession is already clear, his words do not stray from the ancestral source.
In his hands he tosses and turns diamond cages and chestnut burrs;
in the land of the Great Tang, no one understood,
so once more he rides the current to cross over east of the sea.
10.105
Requested by Chan Practitioner Panxi
10.106
Spitting angry breath at people, he is utterly not to be crossed;
though he has gall covering his liver, he lacks the eye to test people.
'Right' is also lopped off, 'wrong' is also lopped off;
clenching his teeth tightly, all his life he shouldered a plank.
10.107
Requested by Chan practitioner Guang
10.108
Pleased at first, weary after long; / Like the luminous jewel of the bright moon, it mostly meets hands clutching swords. / Only if you are able to believe completely will there naturally be spiritual efficacy.
10.109
When Prior Wuze painted my dream-shadow at Yuji, twelve years had passed without our words or voices connecting since the assembly dispersed. Now he has ascended Jingshan to request a panegyric. The brush is aged and the ink is sluggish, but I have exerted myself to write it.
10.110
Revering yet distant, intimate yet estranging, / It brightly reflects the spiritual core and skillfully fixes the weighing scale. / Lingxiao rises high while the myriad peaks pay homage; / The sea cliffs tower while the toad's shadow stands alone. / When the child returns to approach the father, I do not recognize him.
10.111
Requested by the veteran elders of the West Dormitory at Jingshan
10.112
The frost is severe and the vapor fierce; the mountains are desolate and the moon is bright. / Inner nurture has brought realization, leveling every disparity. / When held up, buddhas and patriarchs do not recognize it; / When put down, even the grass and trees vie in flourishing. / Having pressed forward to Lingxiao at eighty-four, / Who knew his name would carry weight within the nine-fold court? Bah!
10.113
Miaoyuan once reverently perused our master's sermons from ten assemblies, such as Nanping and Shuangjing, where the instructions and expositions were exceedingly numerous; what a pity that not all were carved onto printing blocks! Formerly, I attended the master at Lingxiao, and on that occasion made this request, but he did not consent. Now the patch-robed monks of the monasteries all wish to circulate them, so I have respectfully compiled them into a Latter Collection. If those who peruse it understand what lies beyond the words and know where to return, then how could my master's words be superfluous? In the fifth year of Xianchun, the cyclical year jisi, on the Day of the Buddha's Attainment of the Way, Miaoyuan, junior disciple and Dharma-heir, newly appointed abbot of Gushan in Fuzhou, reverently writes.
10.114
Junior disciple (Chu Ping Qingsai) reverently drew from robe-funds to commission craftsmen to print and circulate [this].
10.115
End of the Latter Collection.
10.116
Newly Added [Verses] of Upādhyāya Xutang
10.117
Compiled by Dharma-grandson Bhikṣu Zongzhuo, imperially appointed abbot of Wanshou in Luoyang.
10.118
Panegyrics on Paintings of Chan Encounters
10.119
Huangbo bows to the Buddha and slaps Xuanzong
10.120
A body of seven feet, on his forehead a rounded pearl; / As soon as questioned, he delivers a slap—his courage is great and mind unrefined. / Were he not the Son of Heaven of the Dazhong era, he would almost have called a horse a donkey; / Together, they push down a gourd beneath the water.
10.121
The Prince of Zhao visits Zhaozhou; Zhaozhou does not step down from the Chan bed
10.122
Firm without rigidity, gentle without weakness; / An old man of seven hundred six-decade cycles specifically used this single move. / When a lord of enfeoffed lands arrived, he did not step down from the bed; / His noble style stands as an exemplar for a thousand ages.
10.123
Suzong inquires of National Teacher Zhong about the Ten-Body Guide
10.124
Ruler of ten thousand chariots letting his robes hang down raises the question; / The National Teacher's answer was utterly muddled. / Who knew that in the tenth month the clear frost is heavy? / With every gust of wind comes a bout of cold.
10.125
Li Ao visits Yaoshan
10.126
The black beans are countless; / The green pines cannot cover it all. / An emaciated old bhikṣu: / 'Right here, I have concealed nothing.' / Further bringing up the intricate windings of clouds and waters / Merely adds flowers in the eyes of bystanders.
10.127
Han Yu sees Dadian
10.128
Felt clappers, a holeless flute. / Seeking a single word of concise essential, / An empty crack of thunder roars in the void. / When confronting the moment, unable to turn his body around, / He again follows after sound and form. / Not sound and form— / Beyond Dongting Lake, a thousand peaks stand green.
10.129
Zhuangzong summons Xinghua for dialogue
10.130
Ruler and minister in joyous reunion lay bare the total function; / A hundred billion mountains and rivers all bring tribute and return. / Holding up the priceless jewel of universal peace, / Where in heaven and earth does it not radiate brilliance?
10.131
Shunzong questions Chan Master Dayi of Ehu
10.132
A single word confronting the moment opens the celestial barrier; / The broad sea and distant mountains—how could they be ordinary? / Truly laughable how the winter melon is entirely crude, / Turning instead into a bottle gourd, all twisted and bent.
10.133
Wenzong inquires about the auspicious omen of the clam on Mount Zhongnan
10.134
It cannot be dashed apart, cannot be smashed to pieces; / People call it the responsive body of the Great Being—I, too, suspect it is genuine. / Mount Zhongnan resonates in response; / Joy moves the dragon's countenance, and all hundred officials congratulate him. / Who could know that behind this lies an heaven-filling fault?
10.135
Layman Pang questions Great Master Ma
10.136
Hiding his head and showing a shadow, he asks about the origin; / Yet [Mazu] answers him with all his might using the Western River. / Turning his head, his eyes are vacant and heaven and earth feel narrow, / Unaware that he is wandering down the imperial avenue.
10.137
Danxia meets Maiden Lingzhao
10.138
Every enmity has its head, every debt has its debtor; / Tianran wished to call upon Old Pang, but happened to bump into this maiden. / Divining all the family's assets: the melon is sweet, but its stem is bitter. / Because of this, high and low are not in harmony; / The milk-boy hurriedly smears red earth.
10.139
Layman Pang's entire family gathers around together to speak of unborn [Dharma]
10.140
Poverty fries them together, hunger quarrels between them; / Father and daughter walk different paths, all pulling apart the mortise and tenon. / Ten thousand leagues of the Xiang River cannot wash it clean; / When will the melody of the unborn ever come to an end?
10.141
Layman Pang's entire household departs
10.142
Appearing divine and vanishing ghostly, catching echoes and carrying wind. / This band of scoundrels—their perverse ways are hard to uphold. / Mutually taking fish eyes for luminous pearls, / They make the blue-eyed barbarian of the Western Heavens double over with laughter.
10.143
On the Pure Brightness Festival of the fourth year of Shaoding, while residing at Xingsheng in Jiahe, Zhiyu respectfully inscribed this for Attendant Miaoyuan.
10.144
The bequeathed letter of Upādhyāya Jilin arrives
10.145
I remember coming to Yuji from the Seven Peaks; / Last year, under flowers and the moon, he descended the cloudy knoll. / Before a full year passed, he broke his pledge to me; / Trimming away the spring lamp's wick, my eyes do not close.
10.146
Acupuncturist Dakuang
10.147
Borrowing a path upon the needle's tip, / Moving and abiding among clouds and water. / It is not the marvelous art of the mind-Dharma, / But simply the dexterity of his hand. / Predecessors left many verses behind; / His spiritual capacity surpasses ordinary craftsmen. / Where will he go tomorrow? / Yellow leaves cross the stream breeze.
10.148
Chan practitioner Lin returns to Yuzhang
10.149
Beware of peering through a tube to examine spiritual awareness; / Its application lies in losing the sheep, and shame lies right there. / Do not say the good news belongs only to the Western Hills; / You must know there are renowned monks among the rivers and lakes.
10.150
Small Scene of Clouds and Mountains
10.151
Vast and faint, the clear mist is thin; / Dim and somber, the ancient trees are murky. / The edge of the sky is still not enough; / Facing this, my spirit silently dissolves.
10.152
Solitary Mountain
10.153
Dark and deep green throughout the view, / Aloof and unmatched by the surrounding peaks. / When white clouds disperse entirely and the river sky dawns, / One imagines there is no pathway through the human world.
10.154
(The five pieces above were recorded in the Former Collection, but are not found in the present edition, and are therefore gathered here.)
10.155
Matching Five Gāthās of Master Li Bingyi
10.156
Who stands at Shaolin late at night? / The ready-made public case need not be sought. / Piles of hills and stacked mountains are difficult to dispel; / Facing each other stubbornly with hearts of iron.
10.157
Proclaiming good omens has been reported as an auspicious year, / Yet what is distinct before one's eyes is deceived by others. / Knowing from where one's own warmth and cold arise, / These old bones have never feared the cold since former times.
10.158
A weight of a thousand jun balanced against a single hair's lightness; / It is good to use it to comfort the guest's sentiment. / Even if one compares the strange pine to a jade tree, / As the moon climbs high, it remains pitiful still.
10.159
At dawn, hearing the celebrations between ruler and minister, / The six avenues are bright as day, free of confusion. / The realm of Samantabhadra should be inquired about; / When the handwritten imperial decree arrives, purple clay appears.
10.160
How much can warming cold hands by the stove yield? / The inkstone of Duan stone is innocently ground day and night. / Yet turning mourning verses into songs of snow, / The demon of poetry can hardly conquer the victorious asura.
10.161
Honored to match your five gāthās, the melody is elevated and difficult to continue; unable to avoid crude chatter, I bow and beg you to read them with a smile. Zhiyu bows again.
10.162
Presented to Chan visitor Zhiren
10.163
Planting the banner of victory on the field of the Dharma battle, / How could the topic of discourse be as perilous as the questioning? / Where the ancients reduced cooking stoves to add troops, / Take strict care, when engaging in battle, not to miss him.
10.164
The questioner, Postulant Zhiren, burned incense and requested words, so I presented this to him. On the Winter Solstice of the jinghai year of the Jingding era, old monk Xutang wrote this at the West Hermitage of Xuedou, seeing off Guest Prefect Nanpo of Japan.
10.165
Knocking at the gate, carefully examining and grinding; / Where the road ends, pass through once more. / Clearly I tell the Old Man of Xutang: / The descendants in the Eastern Sea grow more numerous by the day.
10.166
Guest Prefect Ming, after having his awakening, wished to announce his return to Japan. He sought out Guest Prefect Zhao, Head Monk Tong, and Elder Yuan; gathering together, they discussed the family assets within the Longfeng assembly. Sleeving paper, he requested Dharma words. This old monk is eighty-three years old this year, without the strength to ponder; I have composed a verse to furnish his departure. Over ten thousand leagues of sea passage, may you protect yourself with the Way. In the autumn of the dingmao year of the Xianchun era, Zhiyu, residing at Jingshan in the Great Song, wrote this at Budongxuan.
10.167
Dharma Rite for Striking the Bell
10.168
Smelting gold and refining jade, forging the sage and melting the ordinary—without relying on tongs and hammer, a great vessel is immediately formed. In the clear frost and bright moon, the gateway of the complete penetration samādhi is realized; in the faint clouds and low sky, the confused dream of a toilful life is shattered. Longevity equal to emptiness and existence, eternally guarding the transformed city—at the very first stroke, how do you understand it?" Striking the bell once, he said: "The kalpa-stone has a day to wear away, / But the grand sound has no end."
10.169
Striking the bell at Huacheng. On a day in the tenth month, winter, in the wuchen year of the Xianchun era [1268]. Written by Zhiyu, Xutang, abbot of Jingshan.
10.170
Letter in Reply to Elder Xuan of Penglai
10.171
Zhiyu respectfully replies to Chan Master Wushi, abbot of Penglai. On the tenth day of the second month my servant arrived, and I received your kind letter. Moreover, learning that the Dharma conditions of your abbotship are flourishing, I am greatly comforted. Regarding what you mentioned about lacking trusted people to share in your labor—this is caused by the times; one should embody the ancient style. Dizang said: 'The widespread talk of Chan in all directions—how can it compare to my plowing the fields and making rice balls?' Talk of this sort has great ground to stand on. Fengxue saw only a few broken rooms and remained solitary for seven years; Guishan ate acorns for nine years. These are all the deeds of wise men, illuminating later generations like this. One only fears lacking a persevering mind; nowadays profit and the Way run together, so that one cannot even bear to look. Moreover, Penglai is a famous mountain on the sea, a place where forebears practiced the Way; you should naturally step back and be prudent and sincere, keeping the monastery in mind and taking the multitude to heart. Naturally the superior conditions of prajñā will arise, fragrant breezes blowing in all four directions—why worry that there will be no one to share your labor? Exert yourself in this! Thank you for the gift of purple mushrooms. For two months I have not felt very well, and I suppose my fortune is just like this. Lingyin is already left behind; I merely accompany candidates. Old Guang will probably enter the monastery in early third month, so I shall move my register and return to the pagoda of Songyuan, so that my auditory faculty may be pure and clean, and moreover, having brothers of the rivers and lakes for company, drinking tea and talking of the Way will be enough. I have proofread the commentaries you sent one by one, and handed them to Master Ze to seal and dispatch. Because of the letter from Young Gentleman Fang's mother, I do not know how long I will stay at the pagoda. Whenever you frame phrasing and employ words in the future, carefully bore and prick through the ancient and the modern, expounding the great meaning in full, and make the place where the blade falls relatively strict—do not be like those in all directions who wash mud in mud. In the warm spring, care for yourself properly; my best wishes are inexhaustible. Zhiyu respectfully replies on the twenty-eighth day of the second month.
10.172
Instruction Given to Quan, Pure Attendant, for Safekeeping
10.173
For a home-leaver, the priority lies in purity and cleanliness, purely and diligently urging on the three karmas; one should not abide polluted by dust and vulgarity. The old man happened to visit here, giving gentle and meticulous instruction, commanding him to follow the former admonitions, purifying himself and emptying his mind, with studies encompassing his entire person, so as to fulfill the original aspiration of leaving home. If it is not so, please leave this temple.
10.174
Verse on Leaving the World
10.175
Eighty-five years, / Not knowing buddhas or patriarchs. / Shaking my sleeves, I walk straight on; / Great space leaves no trace.
10.176
Recorded Sayings of Venerable Xutang, Fascicle Ten (End)
10.177
Account of Conduct
10.178
The Master's taboo name was Zhiyu; he was a son of the Chen family of Xiangshan in Siming. 'Xutang' was his appellation. His home was near the Puming Monastery of the county, about a li away, where there was a mountain. His grandfather wished to divine a burial site, and a geomancer said: 'If this ground is high, it will shelter descendants with wealth and flourishing; if low, an extraordinary monk will emerge.' The grandfather said: 'I wish to have a monk to fulfill my aspiration of venerating the Buddha.' Within a few years after the grandfather was buried, his mother, née Zheng, dreamed of an old monk, tall and lean, making a deep bow and begging for food, and she consequently became pregnant. On the night of his birth, the mother dreamed as before. At the age of twelve, his parents brought the Master to pay respects at the ancestral grave; when they spoke of that matter, the Master seemed to recall something. By sixteen, he had no intention of engaging in worldly affairs. His parents saw his extraordinary marks—his tongue could reach the tip of his nose—and permitted him to leave home under the monk Shiyun of Puming Monastery. One day, hearing a recitation of Du Fu's poem 'The Heavenly River'—'Always left to manifest or hide, / When autumn comes it is distinctly clear; / Even if obscured by light clouds, / In the end it can be clear the entire night'—he suddenly experienced an awakening. He bade farewell to his parents, left his hometown, and first relied on Venerable Huan of Xuedou and Venerable Jiao of Zhong'an at Jingci. Outside of official duties, he only sat in meditation; the two elders cherished him and constantly kept him by their sides. Passing by Jinshan, Venerable Yanshi regarded him as a great vessel upon their first meeting, talking with him through the night without fatigue. At that time, Patriarch Master Yun'an had retired from his duties and was living in Tianning at Zhenzhou; meeting by chance and conversing, he saw that the Master's air and disposition were uncommon. Soon after, he went to lead a training center and brought the Master across to Zhashang to shave his head and dye his robes, making him an attendant without administrative duties. Whenever he entered the room, Yun'an constantly brought up the case of 'the ancient sail is not yet hoisted,' not permitting any word to be spoken. Reflecting upon it, what was so difficult to understand about the case of 'the ancient sail is not yet hoisted'? In truth, it was merely the matter before a single bubble arose—why would he not let someone speak a word? He approached the abbot's quarters, and before the sound of reporting his view had ceased, Yun'an said: 'Why don't you close your dog mouth and go secretly embody it in a quiet place?' Returning to the dormitory, he felt an unconscious restlessness, and suddenly understood the phrase 'the ancient sail is not yet hoisted' and the phrase 'the pure practitioner does not enter nirvāṇa.' The next day he entered the room, and Yun'an instead asked: 'How about Nanquan cutting the cat?' The Master said: 'The great earth cannot bear it.' Yun'an lowered his head and smiled faintly. From then on he traveled widely through the gates of various great elders, forming an alliance with Uncle Yan of Shifan, roaming through Jianghuai, Xiang, and Han, making pilgrimages to patriarchal pagodas, and spending the summer retreat at Yuquan in Jingmen. Reflecting on Inspector Yu's awakening through the case of Shushan's stupa, he diligently investigated it. He then passed Mount Lu; heavy snow lasted for a full month, and in the overnight hall of Donglin, while sitting at night with no mind, he understood the occasion when the ancient buddha of Daling emitted light. From then on, his blockages melted away. At that time, Venerable Wuer Yue was abbot of Fuyan, where dragons and elephants gathered; the Master went to rely on him, and was immediately appointed librarian. There was Chief Seat Xiu, a veteran of vast learning who had retired to Nanyue and never let his shadow leave the mountain, rarely approving of anyone from any direction; the Master discussed ancient and modern with him, extensively and concisely, and they deeply agreed with each other. There was Venerable Li of Beichan, whose dynamic sharpness was swift and precipitous, such that few patch-robed monks could enter his gate. One day the Master visited him and called out loudly: 'The newcomer comes to pay respects!' Li said: 'The elder is not here.' The Master said: 'I have already received good news of the true person.' Li came out, called an attendant, and said: 'Where is the newly arrived monk?' The Master pointed to the exposed pillar and said: 'The upādhyāya asks, why do you not answer?' Li said: 'Where did you come from?' The Master said: 'Fuyan.' Li said: 'Where is your luggage?' The Master said: 'In the overnight hall.' Li said: 'I am not asking about that luggage of yours.' The Master said: 'If it were that luggage, Beichan's gate could not contain it; I pour it out and cannot bear to leave it.' Thereupon he returned to Zhe and arrived at Jingci. Meeting Venerable Jing, Jing asked: 'Do you know that the parents who bore you have their whole bodies red and ulcerated in the briar patch?' The Master said: 'Good things are not done in a hurry.' Jing followed with a punch; the Master spread his two hands and said: 'Just take it easy.' At that time Venerable Xiaoweng was residing at Lingyin; because of the Master's former post at Huqiu, he commanded the Master to manage the canon once again, and recommended him to reside at Guangjue in Hangzhou. He firmly declined, but Duke Shi Weiwang of Zhongxian held the reins of power; Biepu of Tianning in Jiahe brought the Master's name to his attention, and he appeared in the world at Xingsheng—this was truly the second year of the Shaoding era [1229]. He was then transferred to Bao'en. Grand Preceptor Zhao Cungeng, on account of Xianxiao in Mingzhou, earnestly invited him to be the founding abbot. He then moved to Ruiyan; after two years he begged to retire, shut his doors at Qixia, and compiled verses on ancient cases and alternate verses. The seat at Yanfu becoming vacant, Vice Minister Duke Huang firmly requested him to lead it; subsequently he was transferred to Baolin in Wu. In his fifth year, he encountered the calamity of violent bandits, and returned beneath the pagoda of Songyuan. Venerable Donggu was abbot of Lengquan, and wished to recommend him as front-seat monk; fearing he would not comply, the patch-robed monks repeatedly bowed and requested him, and the Master consented. Opening his room to give general discourses, he put forward three turning words, yet none could approach them. In the wuwu year of the Baoyou era [1258], the seat of Yuwang became vacant; the Chan monks resolutely submitted a petition, and Minister Chen Jizhai of the authorities, praising their fair deliberation, specially submitted a memorial to the throne. In the fourth month of that year, the Master took charge of temple affairs. After three years, Military Commissioner Wu believed slander and harbored resentment, insulting the Master in a desire to damage his virtue. The Master was calm and composed, resisting from beginning to end, his countenance completely unchanged. An imperial edict declared his release, and he composed a verse to offer thanks: 'When I left, morning dew dispelled the stifling heat; / On the day of return, autumn sounds fill the setting sun. / How can I repay such heavy grace and favor? / Gazing where there are no clouds, I pray for the longevity of Heaven.' Minister Yu Guyu, who governed the local commandery, specially invited him with an engraved text; pressed by his advanced years, the Master retired to rest beneath the pagoda of Mingjue, planning to make it his final place. In the jiazi year of the Jingding era [1264], an edict was issued commanding him to reside at Jingci. Patch-robed monks rushed to gather; the hall registers could not accommodate them, and half lived outside the hall. This reached the Emperor's ears, and he bestowed one hundred bolts of silk to make canopies, five hundred piculs of rice, and one hundred thousand strings of paper money. In the autumn of that year, he was also granted more than three thousand mu of land, which is the present Tianci Estate. In the tenth month, the Emperor passed away; the Master was summoned to the palace to give a general discourse before the imperial spirit, and the two palaces bestowed abundant gifts. In the autumn of the dingmao year [1267], he moved to Jingshan. In the tenth month of winter, the court sent incense and dispatched an emissary to pray for snow, asking the Master when it would respond; the Master said: 'Tonight.' Indeed, it arrived at the time without fail. Reporting back to the court, he was granted twenty ordination certificates, silver certificates, and so forth. He completely renewed the monks' hall, the bathhouse, and the practitioners' hall; even amidst minor construction labors, he still urged the assembly never to be idle. The Master was deeply moved by the imperial favor of two reigns; using the bestowed treasury silks, he built a small hermitage east of the Wangyun Pavilion, plaque-named 'Tianze,' and constructed a pagoda beside it as his burial place. Throughout his life, the Master's nature was uncompromising, and he had few agreements with the worldly trends; when facing matters he made no allowances, yet as soon as words left his mouth, he was at ease and without separation; therefore students feared and looked up to him. For twenty years, he constantly brought up Lingyun's two points of no answer, examining patch-robed monks, but few ever matched his intent. On the fifth day of the tenth month of the yisi year [1269], after offering incense on the patriarchal memorial day, he suddenly felt a slight illness. After two days, he wrote a verse, bathed, sat upright, and passed away. His spring and autumn were eighty-five; his monastic age was fifty-three. More than ten men inherited his Dharma. His recorded sayings in two fascicles already circulate in the world. His disciples took his whole body and entombed it in the pagoda. On the eleventh day of the tenth month of the tenth year of the Xianchun era [1274], under the newly issued official appointment.
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- 虛堂和尚語錄 — Classical Chinese