虛堂和尚語錄 9

English (machine translation) 9

Language: English

9.1

Later Record of Xingsheng Wanshou Chan Monastery on Mount Jing in Lin'an Prefecture

9.2

Compiled by the studying monks Zhengyi, Jingxi, and Shangxian

Ascending the hall: "At the auspicious beginning of the season, all matters are renewed. Samantabhadra rubs the ink, Mañjuśrī holds the brush, writing 'Great good fortune in everything'; from this time forward, the permanent property will have an abundance, wiping away debts and accumulations. South of the Dipper, the Old Man Star is constantly seen; the Five Summits, towering and lofty, lean against the sky's azure."

9.4

Ascending the hall to thank the monastic officers: "Yangqi carried a paper blanket, entering and leaving the treasury for thirty years, vigorously supporting Ciming; serving as prior, he did not burn the permanent property's oil, and bought large bowls to prepare food and offer it to the great assembly. Later he became an exemplary master second to none, a standard for the Chan groves. What is more, this Dragon Peak is famous throughout the world; those who come are no ordinary timber, and those who dwell here are all pillar-grade wood. From this time forward, day after day of spring breeze will restore the National Teacher's original vigor. And when the right assistants are found, what is the single phrase? The old monk at eighty has countless leisure, earning the right to look at mountains and look again at clouds."

9.5

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Guishan, while picking tea, said to Yangshan, 'All day picking tea, I only hear your voice, but do not see your form.' Yang shook the tea tree. Guishan said, 'You have only attained its function, not attained its essence.' Yang said, 'I wonder, how is it with the upādhyāya?' Guishan remained silent for a long time. Yang said, 'The upādhyāya has only attained its essence, not attained its function.' Guishan said, 'I spare you twenty blows of the stick.'" The master brought this up and said, "Guishan feared Yangshan would not be present, so he took care of him at all times; Yangshan, inheriting the father's business, how would he dare act recklessly? If it comes to essence and function interchanging and letting go of the staff, it is altogether the second moon."

9.6

At the informal gathering for entering the summer retreat, a monk asked, "The Tathāgata's summer regulation confines the feet and protects life; as for patch-robed monks roaming to the Western Heaven at dawn and returning to the Eastern Land at dusk, how can one regulate them?" The master said, "It can only please oneself, not fit to present to you." The monk said, "If so, then not leaving where one is, it is constantly serene; if sought, know that it cannot be seen." The master said, "A hungry dog gnaws a dry skull." The monk asked, "Just as taking Great Perfect Enlightenment as my saṃghārāma, and the body and mind abiding peacefully in samatājñāna—with the mind like an artisan and the thought like an accompanying performer, how can the body and mind abide peacefully?" The master said, "Seeing people, it only knows how to laugh; playing with things, it does not know their names." The monk said, "This summer, I will faithfully accept and uphold it." The master said, "Iron mouth and nail tongue incur people's dislike."

9.7

The master then said, "In the sublime realm of the Numinous Peak, divine dragons transform; where they appear and vanish, their cause is hard to fathom. Transcendent persons outside worldly things do not shrink from lofty ridges and precipitous peaks, arriving upon hearing the wind; not seeking jade on Mount Kunlun, nor looking for pearls in the Red Water, directly causing their heads to plunge into a tub of glue, right at the point where one should push one's body against a naked blade. The time approaches the summer regulation, with its intention in protecting life; the nature-ground is free from dust, with no life to be protected. And during these ninety days, cultivating pure conduct with diligence and accomplishing the body of wisdom—what is the single phrase?" He struck the staff: "'Only after the snow do we know the integrity of pines and cypresses; only when things are difficult do we see the mind of a hero.'"

9.8

He also cited: "Venerable Muzhou, because Xifeng came to visit, set out tea and fruit, and during their conversation on the Way, Muzhou said, 'Where did the Venerable reside for the summer this year?' Xifeng said, 'Lanxi.' Muzhou said, 'How many in the assembly?' Xifeng said, 'Over seventy monks.' Muzhou said, 'Throughout the day, what do you show the disciples?' Xifeng held up a mandarin orange. Muzhou said, 'What deadly hurry is this?'" He brought it up and said: "Although Muzhou did not use the perilous dynamic of crushing Yunmen's foot, nevertheless host and guest were distinctly clear. If someone were suddenly to ask, 'How many are in Jingshan's assembly this summer?'—inside and outside, over seven hundred monks. If they suddenly asked again, 'Usually, what do you show the disciples?'—right along with the voice, a shout! Wait for them to hesitate, and then say: 'Under the gate of Jingshan, who dares pluck the tiger's whiskers?'"

9.9

The next day he ascended the hall: "Geese protecting snow, the La month freezing into ice—perhaps other quarters have this. Here, we slander the Buddha and revile the Dharma, not entering into the tally of the assembly; yet even half cannot be saved. How much less, during the ninety days, like ghosts guarding an ancient tomb—how could they attain realization and entry?" Striking with his whisk, [he said]: "Cultivating the mind and refining practice is an injustice to the Buddhas of the three periods."

9.10

Ascending the hall to express gratitude for holding the whisk during the summer feast: "The two periods of gruel and feast, stepping down to inquire after one another, advancing and retreating with bows and yields—this is called ritual. Striking bells and beating drums—this is called music. Once these two are complete, the three virtues and six flavors descend from heaven. The interchange of staff and shout—from where does it arise? If you understand, 'A fragrant wind blows away withered flowers, and further rains down fresh, fine ones'; if not, 'Excessive solicitude harms your virtue.'"

9.11

He ascended the hall: "Do not love cool and refreshing; cool and refreshing is like fire, like boiling water. Do not hate blazing heat; blazing heat is like ice, like accumulated snow. Neither loving nor hating is not yet the place of untrammeled ease. Ever since Yang Cigong met Venerable Tianyi Huai, he gave free rein to his surging eloquence, evaluating [the masters of] all quarters, and all proclaimed him a later rebirth of the bhikṣu Dharmākara. Jingshan alone has never believed this. In the final analysis, what kind of person is this?" Striking the staff, [he said]: "In a pure dynasty, Yang relies on lecturing; in a degenerate age, the Buddha's Tooth Boy."

9.12

He ascended the hall: "Crows make the cry of crows; magpies make the chatter of magpies. People across the whole earth do not know the apertures. If suddenly a fellow came forward and said, 'In the Great Tang empire there is someone,' this old monk would unconsciously bend his knees and stick out his tongue. Why? Because I thought there was no one."

9.13

Ascending the hall to express gratitude to the supervisor of the harvest: "The grain has ripened; in the world, good affairs are heard by all. Once the sickle is raised, the bottomless alms-bowl stores empty space. The distinctions of past and present penetrate feeling; at the tip of the staff, the road is alive. Tell me, who is the host who enables travelers to be filled with virtue?" Striking the staff, [he said]: "Living east of the sea gate, the Fusang tree is shone upon first."

9.14

Informal gathering for concluding the summer retreat: "The direct descendant of the fifty-third generation of the Great Awakened World-Honoured One, the bhikṣu so-and-so, currently residing at Xingsheng Wanshou Chan Monastery on Jingshan, receiving the Buddha's bequeathed shelter and obeying the Buddha's prescribed Dharma, on the fifteenth day of the fourth month, without needing to distribute tallies or sit on grass, dwelt in retreat together with the Chan currents from the four seas. During the ninety days, amid the four postures, without for an instant misusing body and mind, [we] realized this arhat fruit's taintless Dharma-body, entering life and entering death, attaining great function. What doubt could there still be? If suddenly a fellow came forward and said, 'Old upādhyāya, what proof do you have after all?' this mountain monk would tell him to come forward, and in a low voice say to him, 'As long as you hold firmly, that is fine.'"

9.15

He also cited: "Venerable Jingqing asked a monk, 'Where have you just left?' The monk said, 'Sanfeng.' 'Where were you for the summer?' The monk said, 'Wufeng.' Qing said, 'I release you from thirty blows.' The monk said, 'What fault does this one have?' Qing said, 'Because you left one monastery and entered another monastery.'" He brought it up and said: "When the strings move, one recognizes the tune; when the leaves fall, one knows autumn. The summer in the mountains has dispersed; could there not be patch-robed monks going east and going west? If someone suddenly asks, you must never say you passed the summer at Jingshan. If you say it, your skull will be smashed. Why?" Striking the staff, [he said]: "Wine is drunk with an intimate friend; poetry is chanted to one who understands."

9.16

The next day he ascended the hall: "On the crown of the head a conical hat, below the waist a bundle; thousands of miles, ten thousands of miles of soaring roads. If on the way you suddenly run into fellows like Senior Monk Ding, who say, 'Zhaozhou hung a gourd on the eastern wall—what does it mean?' put down your hat and say to him, 'This summer I resided at Jingshan and once heard Venerable Xutang speak of it; let me reflect on it and see.' Wait for him to hesitate, strike a fist across his chest, put the hat on your head, and walk away!"

9.17

Ascending the hall to express gratitude to the scribe, the keeper of the canon, the rectifying monk (karmadāna), the guest master, and the attendants: "Ritual and music, humility and respect, advancing and retreating with bows and yields—these are the standard of the monastery, the tortoise shell and yarrow stalks for later students. Just because the Master [Confucius] did not know a single character, he implicated that Old Barbarian [the Buddha], who could not finish speaking. Granted that the disciplinary orders are pure and severe and the examining eye is high, set that aside for a moment: if Danxia should suddenly come to visit the National Teacher, what then?" Striking the staff, [he said]: "The three calls must not be leaked."

9.18

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Yunmen instructed the assembly: 'The three vehicles and twelve divisions of the teachings, and Bodhidharma coming from the West—to let them pass is unacceptable.' Later, Great Master Xuedou cited this, immediately followed with a shout, and said: 'Assembly! Where does this fine shout land? If you want your nostrils to face the heavens, you must distinguish this single shout.'" He brought it up and said: "The two great beings inherited the family style, but did not realize there was a place of leakage. Jingshan is not so: if you want your nostrils to face the heavens, you must eliminate this single shout."

9.19

On the memorial day of Venerable Yun'an, he offered incense: "'Hūṃ phaṭ traṭ ra'—tied up in knots; the earth turns, heaven rotates, difficult to distinguish! Not letting Songyuan save on counting coins, accustomed to using the patch-robed monks' formula for locking mouths. Dying together, not living together, specially making ruts and tracks; re-arrayed amid the shadows of the autumn wind. Ties severed, feelings forgotten for forty years—when can one wait for the water turtle to become a soft-shelled turtle?"

9.20

He ascended the hall: "Noise is not as good as quiet; busyness is not as good as leisure. When both quiet and noise are eliminated, it is called attaining the principle and returning to the source, where phenomena and principle are severed. When the sun disk is right at noon, how do you deliberate?" Striking the whisk, [he said]: "I told you not to walk the road beneath the mountain; sure enough, the gibbons' cries are heart-rending sounds."

9.21

Ascending the hall, he cited: "While Yangshan was sitting, an unusual monk suddenly arrived through the sky, bowed, and stood in the courtyard. Yangshan said, 'Where have you just left?' The monk said, 'This morning I left the Western Heaven.' Yangshan said, 'Why did you come so late?' The monk said, 'I was roaming the mountains and enjoying the waters.' Yangshan said, 'Supernatural penetrations and wondrous functions are certainly not lacking in the ācārya, but the Buddhadharma must be returned to this old monk.' The monk said, 'I specially came to the Eastern Land to pay homage to Mañjuśrī, but instead met a little Śākya.'" He brought it up and said: "Yangshan spread a net that covered heaven, weaving a snare for the knowledgeable below Jiyun Peak; for no reason, he was given a single chop on the head with a wax-gourd seal by a small-vehicle śrāvaka, and then he simply let it rest. If he came under the gate of Jingshan, he would have to be tested again to pass. Why?" Striking with the whisk, [he said]: "Ritual is not expressed without jade and silk; music is not transmitted without bells and drums."

9.22

Ascending the hall for opening the hearth: "Jingshan is old in years and solitary at heart. If I am to speak of hearthside life, I will never say the eastern family's ladle handle is long and the western family's ladle handle is short; I only want the alms-bowl to be wetted twice a day. If you suddenly sit until deep in the night and the comet appears, each of you save your own eyebrows!"

9.23

Offering incense on Bodhidharma's memorial day: "Responding to the prophecy of Prajñātāra, the tender cassia was without error; breaking the doubt of Tripiṭaka Master [Bodhi]ruci, his words were sharp and severe. From this time, the six schools withdrew their shadows and the correct lineage flowed and circulated. One flower with five petals, the whole ground blew with fragrance; the heights of the sea and the peaks of the mountains were all moistened by the sage's benevolence. In this auspicious month and early spring, five pods of the calendar plant unfold; burning this turuṣka incense, I faintly express my longing. Tell me, has the Great Master arrived or not?" Inserting the incense, he said: "Respectful inquiries, respectful inquiries."

9.24

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Because Attendant Kuo asked Deshan, 'Where have the sages from antiquity gone?' Deshan said, 'What, what?' Kuo said, 'The order was given for a flying-dragon steed, but a lame turtle poked its head out.' Deshan let it rest. The next day, when Deshan came out from bathing, Kuo served tea to Deshan. Deshan patted Kuo on the back once and said, 'What about yesterday's gong'an?' Kuo said, 'Today this old fellow only just got a glimpse.' Deshan let it rest again." The master brought it up and said: "Everyone says that Deshan's letting it rest in both places was the affinity of raising a child; little do they know that he struck the quiet mallet in a noisy market and set fetters in dead water."

9.25

He ascended the hall: "Morning bell and evening drum, morning gruel and noon feast—in each and every seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing, you cannot deceive him in the slightest. But when you ask him about Guizong cutting the snake or Dasui sheltering the turtle, he cannot go forward. Tell me, where is the obstacle? If there were a robe-and-bowl companion of the Way among the assembly, a genuine patch-robed monk, who came forward to reveal a message and make an offering to the great assembly, that would also be a fine occasion."

9.26

Informal gathering for the winter solstice: "The extreme of yin gives birth to yang; principle changes along with phenomena. These are the tools of you patch-robed monks. If in a single thought you know where to return, not being shifted by cold or heat, naturally the spiritual conduit will be connected through and the warm qi will join together. Granted that the reed pipe's ashes fly and embroidered patterns add thread, what idle entanglements are these? If someone dissatisfied from the side suddenly came forward and said, 'Without involving teaching mechanisms, I beg the master to give instruction,' this mountain monk would only say to him, 'In barbarian lands, bamboo shoots sprout in winter; south of the river, snow bends the plum branches.'"

9.27

He also cited: "Because Layman Pang came to visit, Venerable Luopu, as Pang arose from bowing, said, 'Early summer is getting warm; mid-winter is slightly cold.' Luopu said, 'Do not make a mistake.' The layman said, 'Old Pang is advanced in years.' Luopu said, 'Why don't you just say it is cold when it is cold, and say it is warm when it is warm?' The layman said, 'Why do you suffer from deafness?' Luopu said, 'I release you from thirty blows.' The layman said, 'Muting my mouth plugs up your ears.'" The master brought it up and said: "Luopu was too eager to complete the journey and did not realize he had passed by the phoenix tower; Old Pang secretly employed the gold needle and did not notice the point was already exposed. If scrutinized, neither of the two finished it. Tell me, where is it that they did not finish it? Tomorrow night, let the head monk point it out for the assembly."

9.28

The next day he ascended the hall: "The one breath is wordless, issuing from the bottom of the nine abysses; the first hexagram line has no form, beginning as the ancestor of the myriad transformations. As before, clouds and creatures display auspicious signs, and mountains and forests transform their appearance. If a fellow suddenly broke through the lacquer tub before yin and yang were divided, how would it be then? If it were truly so, even cast iron must be shattered to powder."

9.29

Ascending the hall to express gratitude to the monastery officers, he cited: "Dizang said, 'In all quarters they talk of Chan in a great hubbub; how can that compare to my plowing fields here to exchange for food?'" The master brought it up and said: "Everyone says Dizang sits one and walks seven, but little do they know that putting on hemp sandals backwards looks like leaving while arriving. Jingshan has exhausted astronomy and investigated geography, yet in the end does not know: what after all is this?" Striking the staff, [he said]: "To kill two birds with one stone."

9.30

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Upādhyāya Qianfeng said: 'Bringing up one, you must not bring up two; letting one move slip, you fall into the second.'" The master took this up and said: "Qianfeng is accustomed to providing commentary for others. Jingshan is not so: bringing up one is not permitted, bringing up two is not permitted, letting it slip is not permitted, holding it fast is not permitted. Why?" Striking the staff, he said: "Another commentary has been added!"

9.31

At the informal gathering on New Year's Eve: "The night watch tallies send off the twelfth month, and look—we are pressed right to the threshold of transition. The handle of the Dipper turns toward spring; counting day by day, another year is added. Add one cup, and young master Pang's hat hits the ground; subtract one cup, and old gentleman Li's drunken eyes kindle in wrath. Let the year-end snows reach the sky—why speak of slaughtering an ox to share the year? All of it is mere name without reality, talking of food to fill the belly. Jingshan has distinct regulations: you must simply know the season and recognize the period. Just as one covers a lamp to cast light afar and quietly guards New Year's Eve—how will you attend to it?" Striking the staff, he said: "Do not resent the old woman having no platters set out; / smiling, she points to the hearth where taro and chestnuts are fragrant."

9.32

He also cited: "Guizong, when a junior disciple took his leave, asked: 'Where are you going?' The monk said: 'I am going to various quarters to study five-flavoured Chan.' Guizong said: 'Here I have one-flavoured Chan; why do you not study it?' The monk said: 'What is the upādhyāya's one-flavoured Chan?' Guizong then struck him. The monk said: 'I understand! I understand!' Guizong said: 'Speak and let me see.' The monk was about to open his mouth when Guizong struck him again. Although that is indeed a matter on the sword's blade, in the final analysis, exhausting the law leaves no citizens. Jingshan enforces only half of the order, bending accommodatingly for the present day. If you were to carry it out fully according to that, then not only would the grass before the Dharma hall grow ten feet deep, but I fear there would be no one to tend Tianze Hermitage."

9.33

Ascending the hall on New Year's Day: "'The kite flies up to heaven; the fish leaps in the deep.' The four barbarian tribes bow and dance; throughout the eight reaches the proclamation spreads. Smiling, we watch the red sun climb over the balustrade. Tell me, on this auspicious morn of the new year, what auspicious omen is it?" Striking the staff, he said: "The Son of Heaven [performs the sacrifice at] the Southern Suburb."

9.34

Ascending the hall to thank the incoming and outgoing two ranks [of monastic officers]: "There being guest and host, there being ritual and music—this is called a sandalwood monastery, its host; upright in mind and sincere in intention, treating things like spring—this is its guest, a standard for future students, weighing and adapting to changes. If suddenly guest and host mutually blend, and ritual and music become one, how then?" Striking the staff, he said: "Though told it was a dragon, they just would not believe it; / indeed, he carried home the brocade banner!"

9.35

Ascending the hall on the Lantern Festival: "With the court's New Year suburban sacrifice, heaven and earth open in peace. The sage Son of Heaven, deeply moved, releases the lanterns for a month to make offering to the Lord on High. Beneath the imperial carriages, blue, red, azure, and green—the streets and lanes are like broad daylight. Within the Chan gate there are also five lamps: the Transmission of the Lamp, the Extensive Lamp, the Universal Lamp, the Continued Lamp, and the Linked Lamp. Lamp after lamp succeeds one another, cycling endlessly. Tell me, what lamp is Jingshan?" Striking the staff, he said: "The walls have ears."

9.36

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Baofu, because a monk was standing in attendance, said: 'How could your mind be so coarse?' The monk said: 'Where is my mind coarse?' Baofu handed him a clod of earth and said: 'Toss it outside.' After tossing it out, the monk asked again. Baofu said: 'I saw you bumping and stumbling about, which is why I said your mind was coarse.'" The master took this up and said: "The first part grants that you personally saw Xuefeng; the latter part does not dare grant it to you. Why?" Striking the whisk, he said: "Gold is tested with stone; humans are tested with words."

9.37

Ascending the hall on the Buddha's Nirvāṇa Day: "Heaven has no pattern, earth has no order; suddenly departing, suddenly arriving, like the moon imprinting upon the water. The years and months have passed—Pāpīmān has his day. The coffin reveals the pair of feet—Pīndoladhvaja (Kāśyapa) rejoices all the more. Sorrowful, yet joyful: spring breezes, peach and plum blossoms. 'My doctrine is traversed by a single thread.' Zengzi said: 'Yes.'"

9.38

Ascending the hall, he cited: "'When seeing seeing, seeing is not seeing; seeing still transcends seeing; seeing cannot reach it.'" He took this up and said: "The yellow-faced old fellow truly wished you all not to grasp, and only then return to the Middle Way. Little did he realize that carving sand lacks the merit of engraving jade. Jingshan will not spare mouth-karma; today I will produce a phrase to offer a commentary for you all." He struck the whisk.

9.39

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Changshui asked Langye: 'Being fundamentally pure, how did the mountains, rivers, and the great earth suddenly arise?' Langye said: 'Being fundamentally pure, how did the mountains, rivers, and the great earth suddenly arise?' Changshui had an awakening." The master took this up and said: "I venture to ask you all: the question was identical, and the answer was no different—whereby did Changshui awaken? Jingshan will provide another commentary for you all." Striking the whisk, he said: "Being fundamentally pure, how did the mountains, rivers, and the great earth suddenly arise?"

9.40

Ascending the hall: "The start of summer is clear and mild, all growing things flourish luxuriantly. Gathering eminent persons from the four seas to probe deeply and investigate shallowly, suddenly with a sneeze it bursts forth: swallowing all rivers dry without leaving a single drop of water; burning Mount Sumeru to ash without consuming even a bean of fire. Who discerns its origin? The pine is fat, the bamboo is lean. Even if the seven items accompany your body, Jingshan says this is not yet it. Why?" Striking the whisk, he said: "Dongshan's Buddha has no light; Han Xin attends court."

9.41

At the informal gathering for entering the summer retreat: "At Nālandā Monastery in the Western Heaven, footsteps were never confined, yet their monastic statutes were solemn and strict; in Anāthapiṇḍada's park, no time limit was established, yet many attained the Way. Therefore our Greatly Awakened World-Honoured One, possessing the true divine eye and the knowledge of past lives, observed that his descendants in the Eastern Land would not observe the precepts and Vinaya, their minds wandering along deviant paths; hence he laid down regulations to confine them, making them quickly realize the fruit of the Way within ninety days. When this mountain monk hears of this, his hair involuntarily stands on end; I do not dare take part in hearing it. Why?" Striking the whisk, he said: "Merely keeping the precepts of chickens and dogs, they do not study ancestral master Chan."

9.42

He also cited: "When the lecturer Liangsuì visited Upādhyāya Magu, as soon as Magu saw him coming, he picked up a hoe and went into the vegetable garden without paying him any attention. When Liangsuì visited again, Magu shut the gate. Liangsuì knocked on the gate. Magu said: 'Who is it?' Liangsuì had barely answered when he was suddenly enlightened, saying: 'Upādhyāya, it is best not to deceive Liangsuì! If I had not come to see the upādhyāya, I would have been misled for a lifetime by the sūtras and treatises.' Later he announced to the assembly: 'What Liangsuì knows, you all do not know; what you all know, Liangsuì knows it all.' A verse says: / 'What you all know, Liangsuì knows; / What Liangsuì knows, no one knows. / Recalling the tangled blossoms after persistent rains, / In vain I pour out my sorrowful belly—to whom can I speak?'"

9.43

The next day, ascending the hall, he cited: "'One clarity, three eyes, the dynamic function of a few ounces—why could he not attain it to the end of his life? Roaming freely among cloudy mountains, without bias or preference—why was he tranquil and settled year after year?' Furthermore, in the regulations of the Tathāgata, which class of standard should be adopted as the model for later generations?"

9.44

Ascending the hall: "Setting down one and striking two, they do not know how to pass the barrier; sitting on one and running through seven, they seem close to the high tower. If you understand it, a mass of fire in the sweltering heat is like entering a cool treasure realm; if you do not understand, then a cool treasure realm is like sitting on a mass of fire and a mountain of swords. You must be like Yan Hui sitting in forgetfulness; only then will you have a share in doing the work."

9.45

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Court Gentleman Guo Gongfu invited Upādhyāya Wuzu Fayan to ascend the hall. The Court Gentleman first burned incense before the Dharma throne and said: 'This piece of incense, burned in the censer, becomes a cloud of radiance permeating the Dharma realm, offered to our monastery abbot, elder Dharma brother and Chan master. I humbly pray that upon this broad throne within the cloud, you break open your face and release the form of our late master to depict it for everyone. Why is this? / Formerly we met beside the White Cloud Crag; / past days and today, affairs are not the same. / In the quiet night and cold water, the fish do not bite; / a censer of incense disperses over White Lotus Peak.' / Wuzu then said: 'Namo sattata prabhāya. Like this, like this: / How many times looking out over the White Cloud Creek, / yellow plum blossoms blooming in the snow. / Not like this, not like this: / The tender willow twigs, golden threads, / must arrive in due season. / Have you not seen Layman Pang asking Great Master Ma: "Who is the person who is not a companion to the ten thousand dharmas?" The Great Master said: "Wait until you swallow the water of the West River in a single gulp, then I will tell you." Assembly, swallowing the water of the West River in a single gulp, the ten-thousand-fathom deep pool is plumbed to the bottom. A single plank is not Zhaozhou's bridge; how could the bright moon and cool breeze compare?'" The master took this up and said: "In such talk, what is there to grasp? It all flows out of this samādhi of non-reliance and desirelessness. Someone may say: 'A chess player meets his match; the lute encounters a connoisseur.' Who would not say so? Wait until Xutang changes the bones of an eon, and then I will grant you this turning phrase."

9.46

At the informal gathering for concluding the summer retreat: "Collecting the Dharma canon, verifying realization within a set time—this is the grand model of former sages. In collecting the Dharma canon, it is essential that the wisdom-life flows continuously; in verifying realization within a set time, what matters is suddenly shedding emotional reckonings. Jingshan's assembly this summer manifested the great person's form, yet none recognized each other; host and guest stole ease with each other—why speak of knowingly committing infractions? When it comes to recommending words and rewarding labor, there is simply no place to open the mouth. Tell me, what kind of monastery is this?" Striking the staff, he said: "Han Gan's horse neighs at the ferry of fragrant grass; / Dai Song's ox lies in the shade of green willows."

9.47

He also cited: "Huangbo, when Linji came up the mountain to pay respects and stayed for several days before taking his leave, said: 'You broke the summer retreat to come; why not finish the summer retreat before leaving?' Linji said: 'I came briefly to pay respects.' Huangbo struck him and ordered him to leave. Linji walked a few li, doubted the matter, and returned to finish the summer retreat." The master took this up and said: "If Linji had gone at that time and not returned, leaving Huangbo hanging the drum and waiting for the mallet, he would have had a bit of a patch-robed monk's air. For no reason he returned to finish the summer retreat, just like salt falling into soy sauce again. Tell me, where is the mistake?" Striking the whisk, he said: "Thinking it would not be so, now indeed it is so."

9.48

The next day, ascending the hall: "The autumn wind blows morning dew; autumn rain sends away the autumn heat. Guests beneath the ancestral master's gate consult and inquire everywhere. If ahead you suddenly bump into a fellow with a gold mouth and a wooden tongue, how then?" Striking the staff, he said: "Joyfully, the great matter is completely settled."

9.49

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Upādhyāya Wuzu Shijie asked a monk: 'Where have you recently come from?' The monk said: 'The Eastern Capital.' Wuzu said: 'Did you see the Son of Heaven?' The monk said: 'He goes out to Jinming Pool once every year.' Wuzu said: 'Where there is propriety, one can be pardoned; where there is no propriety, it is hard to tolerate. Get out!'" The master took this up and said: "If this monk had truly come from the capital, I fear one could not deceive him either."

9.50

Ascending the hall at Mid-Autumn on sending off Western Hall Jingkong to Santa: "The gate faces the ancient road; the pagoda borders the cold river. No need to beckon, he comes of himself; who dares to stride crosswise away? Chan Master Jingkong of the Jingde Hall embodies the models of past masters and possesses the decorum of venerable elders. Having gloriously received the court's command, he brilliantly illuminates the ancestral lineage. Meeting together at Longfeng, how could there not be fond attachment? It makes Hanshan clap his hands and Shide shout with joy. Why?" Striking the staff, he said: "Tonight the single disc is full; / where is clear light absent?"

9.51

Ascending the hall, he cited: "When Xuefeng was serving as the head cook at Dongshan, he was washing rice. Dongshan asked, 'Are you washing away the sand and leaving the rice, or are you washing away the rice and leaving the sand?' Xuefeng said, 'Sand and rice are cast away all at once.' Dongshan said, 'What will the great assembly eat?' Xuefeng overturned the basin. Dongshan said, 'Your affinity with the Dharma properly lies with Deshan.'" The master brought this up and said: "Jixian read the physiognomy of Huzi Lin, who shifted with transformations without distinction, whereupon Jixian pursued him with a drawn sword. Dongshan said, 'Xuefeng's affinity lies with Deshan.' I wonder what physiognomic method this was? Afterward, Xuefeng did indeed succeed Deshan. Isn't this going even further than that follower of Jixian?"

9.52

Ascending the hall for opening the stove, he cited: "Zhaozhou's talk on 'at the stove there is no host and guest' has for many years had no one to bring it up. What about Jingshan's talk on 'at the stove there is no host and guest'? Every day we only manage disputes: casting the porridge cauldron, building the bathhouse, stretching hides over the Dharma drum, constructing river boats—just passing the time like this, when would there be leisure to bring up the talk at the stove? Next spring we also must erect a monks' hall, relocate the attendants' hall, and establish the rankings of postulants. In such a season, how could one shut the gates and do one's work?"

9.53

Offering incense on the memorial day of Great Master Bodhidharma: "Observing that in the Eastern Cīnasthāna there were vessels of the Great Vehicle, he crossed the sea and traversed the deserts to come, arriving from afar at the crimson palace of the Liang dynasty. A single phrase clashed, so as spring returned he tucked up his robes and turned north, snapping a reed to seek a crossing. Truly we know that the cassia prophecy did not deceive people. Recalling with reverence his sacred name, we boil millet and mince watercress. The flowing stream has a rare sound, its strings about to break; I know not what can be used to continue the fragrant dust."

9.54

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Fengxue instructed the assembly, saying: 'If a single speck of dust is established, the house and state flourish, while the old rustic knits his brows. If not a single speck of dust is established, the house and state perish, while the old rustic is at peace.'" The master brought this up and said: "Fengxue only wanted something resembling it, not realizing that heaven tilts toward the southeast and the earth sinks in the northwest. If you understand, you will daily frolic with the sovereign of primordial antiquity in the Great Locust-Peace Kingdom; within it, gain and loss, glory and disgrace, will be known naturally." Striking the staff, he said: "Investigate!"

9.55

Ascending the hall: "Throughout my life I have been fond of attacking Zen sicknesses, not knowing that sickness is the source of the Way. If you wish to know the exact truth of the source of the Way, you must sail a boat on dry land. I recall Chancellor Pei of the Great Tang, who composed a preface to the Sutra of Complete Enlightenment; each word and each meaning stirred gods and humans. I also recall the Duke of Wen of our dynasty, who authored six hymns on unravelling Zen; each praise and each censure made his verbal karma manifest. Had he not cut himself off from his past seeds, even the Buddha does not deliver those without affinity."

9.56

At an informal gathering on a winter night, a monk asked: "Guishan asked Yangshan, 'The severe cold of midwinter is an annual occurrence. What about the shifting movements of the sun's shadow?' Yangshan folded his hands, stepped forward, and stood." The master said: "When the father stole a sheep, the son bore witness to it." The monk said: "Guishan said, 'I knew well you could not answer this talk.'" The master said: "Father and son of one family: the harmonious atmosphere is like spring." The monk said: "When Xiangyan came in, Guishan cited the previous conversation. Xiangyan said, 'I, on the contrary, can answer this talk.' Guishan cited it again, and Xiangyan also folded his hands, stepped forward, and stood. What is the meaning of this?" The master said: "Where Lilou walks, the waves billow to heaven." The monk said: "Guishan said, 'Fortunately, I happened upon Jizi, who did not understand.'" The master said: "The arm never bends outward." The monk said: "Tonight, if someone suddenly comes out and asks the upādhyāya: 'The severe cold of midwinter is an annual occurrence. What about the shifting movements of the sun's shadow?' how would you answer him?" The master said: "The old monk would only answer him like that." The monk said: "In the end, how would you answer?" The master said: "The sword is long gone." The monk bowed.

9.57

The master then said: "The mountain monk has held the title of elder for forty years now. During these forty years, I have resided in ten monasteries. In that time, discussing the present and investigating antiquity, speaking of the east and talking of the west—all of it was an arrangement of thresholds and doors. At the critical crux, I have not yet managed to speak a single word. Today, as the winter solstice approaches and the season arrives to record the clouds, on the contrary, it is not as clear as that single phrase from forty years ago before I had opened my mouth. And what is that single phrase from forty years ago before I had opened my mouth?" Striking the staff: "Above all, it is not this phrase."

9.58

He also cited: "One day Guishan was lying down. Yangshan came, and Guishan turned his face to the wall and lay there. Yangshan said, 'I am the upādhyāya's disciple; there is no need for formalities.' Guishan made a motion to rise, and Yangshan promptly went out. Guishan called out, 'Jizi!' Yangshan returned. Guishan said, 'Listen to the old monk tell a dream.' Yangshan bowed his head and made an attitude of listening. Guishan said, 'Interpret it generously for me.' Yangshan brought a basin of water and a hand towel. As soon as Guishan had washed his face and sat down, Xiangyan came in. Guishan said, 'Just now I performed a feat of supernatural power with Jizi, and it was no small matter.' Xiangyan said, 'I was down below and clearly knew it.' Guishan said, 'Try to say something, let us see.' Xiangyan then prepared a bowl of tea and brought it. Guishan said, 'The wisdom and supernatural powers of you two surpass those of Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana.'" The master brought this up and said: "Guishan's lineage gradually declined by the Five Dynasties period. Tell me, why was it so?" Striking the staff: "The fault lies with Maudgalyāyana and Śāriputra."

9.59

Ascending the hall the next day: "The single primal qi stealthily returns, and the myriad beings stir with life. As the Way of the gentleman waxes, the bare pillars consult and inquire; as the way of the petty person wanes, the lanterns dance. Righteousness emerges in an abundant year; the Way returns to remote antiquity. When the National Teacher joyfully asked how it was, [the answer was]: 'From the winter solstice to the Cold Food Festival is one hundred and five days.'"

9.60

Ascending the hall to give thanks for taking up the whisk at the winter vegetarian banquet: "Giving the profound and wondrous Buddha Dharma as an alms offering to people is like a sparrow filling the azure sea. Making offerings of the supreme flavor of clarified butter to people is like arsenic mixed in honey. It is their habitual karmic condition from past lives; even a Buddha cannot save them. Jingshan is as bright as the karma mirror; here, you have nowhere to seek an advantage."

9.61

Ascending the hall on New Year's Day: "Three snowfalls in the twelfth month, and the primal New Year qi is harmonious. Heaven and earth open in peace, and the myriad things attain their proper order. Why does a single year have two beginnings? If you say that intercalary remnants make up a year, who does not know that? The mountain monk normally says: only when the people under heaven are at peace am I at peace. I straightway ordered the reception clerk to listen and investigate carefully: what sort of climate and fortune is it? Thereupon the reception clerk, without moving half a step, made a complete circuit around the four continents; there was nothing he did not know, nowhere he did not go. He returned leaping with joy: indeed there are signs of an abundant year! The mountain monk said, 'What is the evidence?' The reception clerk said, 'In the alleys and avenues of the capital, the marketplaces and inns, the hamlets and village quarters, firewood, rice, and vegetables—all hundred goods are cheap and steady. After the snow, the two kinds of wheat are lush and magnificent to behold. This is the omen of an abundant year.' The mountain monk asked again, 'Apart from this, is there any other news?' He said, 'At the tips of the mulberry and wild mulberry trees, one hears the cuckoo; amid the shadows of the spring wind, they herd the plow oxen.' The mountain monk said, 'Reception clerk, truly your name and virtue correspond. Toward spring, when the old monk has money, I will buy an oily fried cake to offer you.' He spun his body around, clapped his hands, laughed heartily, and left. The mountain monk only harbors deep doubts about it. Even so, tell me: what was he laughing at?"

9.62

Ascending the hall on the full moon of the intercalary first month for the new Elder of Qingyuan: "Not knowing the intercalary remnants of the year, not knowing the long and short months, muddled and confused—it was like this for nearly thirty years. Suddenly his eyes came alive, and he immediately saw the imperial decree arrive at his door, urging his return to Qingyuan. Patch-robed monks walk secretly and function hiddenly; how can they attain such marvelous efficacy? And what is the single phrase for seeing the road upon mounting the horse?" Striking the staff: "Spring news in Jiangnan comes early; the purple bracken has already extended its fist."

9.63

Ascending the hall: "Within heaven and earth, throughout the universe, there is a treasure within, hidden in the mountain of form. Leaving the mountain of form aside, what is the single treasure? Could it be 'Shang-da-ren, Qiu-yi-ji'? Bah! One can know propriety."

9.64

Ascending the hall, he cited: "When Shushan was building his longevity stupa, the administrative monk reported, 'How much coin should we give the craftsman?' Shushan said, 'Is it better to give the craftsman three coins? Is it better to give the craftsman two coins? Or is it better to give the craftsman one coin? If you can speak, build the longevity stupa for me in person.' The monk was bewildered. Later, a monk cited this to Daling. Daling said, 'Was there anyone who could say something?' The monk said, 'No one has yet been able to say.' Daling said, 'Go back and cite it to the upādhyāya: if you give the craftsman three coins, in this life you will definitely not obtain a stupa; if you give the craftsman two coins, you and the craftsman will put forth a single hand together; if you give the craftsman one coin, you will implicate the craftsman so that his eyebrows and beard fall off.' The monk returned and cited it to Shushan. Shushan bowed and said, 'Daling, the ancient Buddha, radiates light shining all the way to this place. Even so, it is still a lotus in the twelfth month.' When Daling heard this, he said, 'My speaking like that had already made turtle hair grow several feet long.'" The master brought this up and said: "The two great elders shaved iron from the tip of a needle intending to forge the Tai'e sword to slay buddhas and slay patriarchs, but alas, no one has yet nodded their head sideways. Jingshan's longevity stupa was built by Baoye, the Dharma heir of Jianyan in Kunshan; nor do I know its price. Tell me, how far is it from Daling the ancient Buddha's light shining all the way to this place?" Striking the staff: "If an old calendar can still be used, one avoids being reckoned on the fingertips of the patrol official."

9.65

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Deshan visited Longtan. As soon as they met, he asked, 'I have long yearned for the Dragon Pool (Longtan), but now that I have arrived, the pool is not seen, and the dragon does not appear.' Longtan said, 'You have personally arrived at Longtan.' When night came and Deshan was attending him, Longtan said, 'Why don't you go down?' Deshan then bid him farewell, lifted the screen, and went out. Seeing that it was dark outside, he turned back and said, 'It is dark outside.' Longtan lit a paper candle and handed it to Deshan. As Deshan was about to take it, Longtan blew it out. Thereupon Deshan had great awakening and made prostrations. Longtan said, 'What principle have you seen?' Deshan said, 'From this day onward, I will never doubt the tongues of the old upādhyāyas under heaven.' The next day Longtan ascended the seat and said, 'Among you there is a fellow whose fangs are like a forest of swords and whose mouth is like a basin of blood; strike him with a staff and he will not turn his head. Someday in the future, upon an isolated peak, he will twist grass into a hut and establish my Way.' Deshan took his commentaries and sub-commentaries, held up a torch in front of the Dharma hall, and raised them, saying, 'Exhausting all profound discourses is like placing a single hair in the great void; using up all worldly pivotal mechanisms is like casting a single drop into a giant gorge.' He then burned them." The master brought this up and said: "The eye to discern dragons and snakes and the dynamic mechanism to capture tiger cubs have existed since antiquity. It was only because of mistaken indications and explanations that it led to the ruin of the house and dispersal of the family. Is there anyone who can discern it?" Giving a shout, he stepped down from the seat.

9.66

Upon the arrival of West Hall Hai, ascending the hall: "Deducing astronomy, plumbing geography, applying the calculations of the Changes of yin and yang, counting them off on the fingertips beside the shadows of the yarrow stalks—not a single particle is left out. Tell me, which calculation is Zhaozhou's calabash hanging on the eastern wall in? If you understand, things are of the same family; if not, you will mostly head toward the green-grass shores of Dongting, where under the vast skies of Chu you will not know how to return."

9.67

At the informal gathering for entering the summer retreat, a monk asked, "'Everyone suffers from the blazing heat, but I love the long summer days: a balmy breeze comes from the south, bringing a gentle coolness through halls and pavilions.' This is an ancient linked verse; hearing it, Dahui smashed the lacquer tub. Tell me, where does the crucial point lie?"
The Master said, "Where did you see Dahui?"
The monk gave a shout and said, "This too is washing a clod of earth in the mud."
The Master said, "Indeed it is."
The monk said, "Deshan gave an informal gathering where he would not answer questions, and anyone who asked a question would receive thirty blows. What was his intention?"
The Master said, "If the vinegar is sour, why bother hanging out a gourd?"
[The monk] advanced and said, "A monk came forward and bowed, and Deshan immediately hit him—how about that?"
The Master said, "Iron banners and iron drums."
[The monk] advanced and said, "The monk said, 'I have not even asked a question; why hit me?' What about that?"
The Master said, "Righteousness arises in years of abundance."
[The monk] advanced and said, "Deshan said, 'Where are you from?' The monk said, 'From Silla.' Deshan said, 'Before you had even stepped over the boat's gunwale, you deserved thirty blows!' How about that?"
The Master said, "Deshan's life fell into this monk's hands."
[The monk] advanced and said, "Just like this, was Deshan rewarding him or punishing him?"
The Master said, "A sword held in the hand of a potter."
[The monk] advanced and said, "This monk was one accustomed to braving the surging waves and playing on the crest of the tide; why couldn't Deshan see through him?"
The Master said, "Yet you have been seen through by everyone!"
The monk said, "Just tonight, if someone suddenly comes forward and says, 'I haven't asked a question; why hit me?' I wonder how the upādhyāya would answer him?"
The Master said, "I do not have Deshan's grandmotherly heart."
The monk said, "A clear-eyed ancestral master naturally possesses it."
The Master said, "The thief is a member of the household."
The Master then said, "Ancient seals lack ornamentation, yet new regulations impose restrictions: confining one's feet for ninety days is like breaking an urn to look for the sky; protecting sentient beings for three months is like chopping up a lute to boil a crane. It causes people of great aspiration to have nowhere to stretch and expand; even if they possessed another vital impulse, they cannot avoid submitting and listening to their sentence. Tonight, this old monk does not begrudge his eyebrows to offer an expedient means, so that the four assemblies present will not have laboured in vain over the ninety days of summer. Can you genuinely have faith in this? If you can have faith in this, cutting and polishing by the water's edge and beneath the trees, there will surely come a time of cultivation and realization; if not, please return to your respective previous sections."

First 67 of 139 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

虛堂和尚語錄 — Classical Chinese