宏智禪師廣錄 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

3.1

Master Jue of Changlu in Zhenzhou: Picking Up Old Cases

He cited: On the day of Pravāraṇā, because Mañjuśrī had spent the summer retreat in three places, Kāśyapa wished to expel Mañjuśrī. Just as he approached the mallet, he saw hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of Mañjuśrīs. Kāśyapa exhausted his spiritual power, but could not lift the mallet. The World-Honoured One then asked, "Which Mañjuśrī do you wish to expel?" Kāśyapa had no reply. The Master said, "The golden-hued ascetic had the mind but lacked the courage. If he had executed the decree fully at that time, not only the hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of Mañjuśrīs, but even this yellow-faced Gautama would have been expelled as well! If he could have done so, not only would the true style have stood like a precipice, but he would also have made later people know that under the gate of us patch-robed monks, there is no place to put you idle buddhas and patriarchs."

3.4

He cited: Wolun said, "Wolun has an artifice: he can cut off the hundred thoughts. Facing objects, the mind does not arise; bodhi grows day by day." The Sixth Patriarch, hearing this, said, "Huineng has no artifice: he does not cut off the hundred thoughts. Facing objects, the mind repeatedly arises; how does bodhi grow?" The Master said, "The sunflower turns toward the sun; the willow catkins follow the wind."

3.5

He cited: Baizhang ascended the hall. Just as the great assembly gathered, he drove them away at once with his staff. He called out again, "Great assembly!" The assembly turned their heads. Baizhang said, "What is it?" Huangbo ascended the hall. Just as the great assembly gathered, he drove them away at once with his staff. He called out again, "Great assembly!" The assembly turned their heads. Huangbo said, "The moon is like a bent bow: little rain, much wind." Xuedou said, "If it were Xuedou, when the assembly gathered, I would drive them away with the staff and simply stop." The Master said, "Setting a decoy to seek pigeons, using a straight hook to fish—each has his method for receiving beings and benefiting creatures. But if it were a fellow who could not be caged, who could not be called back when hailed, what then?" He struck the incense stand once with his staff.

3.6

He cited: Nanquan, Guizong, and Magu went to pay respects to National Teacher Zhong. On the road, Nanquan drew a circle and said, "If you can speak, we will go." Guizong sat down inside the circle. Magu made a woman's bow. Nanquan said, "In that case, we won't go." Guizong said, "What state of mind is this?" The Master said, "Had I seen it then, I would have wiped away the circle at once. Not only would I smash Nanquan's nest, but I would also give Guizong nowhere to settle himself, and Magu would find no way to display his artifice. Nanquan said, 'In that case, we won't go.' Indeed, indeed!"

3.7

He cited: Dongshan went to Beiyan. Yan asked, "Where have you come from?" Dongshan said, "I come from Hunan." Yan said, "What is the surveillance commissioner's surname?" Dongshan said, "I cannot obtain his surname." Yan said, "What is his personal name?" Dongshan said, "I cannot obtain his name." Yan said, "Does he still handle affairs?" Dongshan said, "He naturally has a staff of subordinates." Yan said, "Does he still go out and come in?" Dongshan said, "He does not go out or come in." Yan said, "Could he not go out or come in?" Dongshan flicked his sleeves and left. The next day, early at dawn, Yan entered the hall and called to Dongshan, "What I asked you yesterday did not suit this old monk's mind; I was uneasy all night. Now I invite you to give another turning phrase. If it pleases this old monk's mind, I will prepare porridge and spend the summer retreat with you." Dongshan said, "Then please ask, Venerable." Yan said, "He does not go out or come in." Dongshan said, "Too exalted!" Yan then prepared porridge and spent the summer retreat together with him. The Master said, "Taking charge of the household naturally comes from the side; hands folded in dignified silence, who dares look directly? Borrowing function to set up devices, turning positions to uphold and maintain—fully achieving the division of authority between left and right, not violating the single path of the exalted. Do you still know the exalted place? In the precious palace, no one is absent from attendant duty; not planting the parasol tree avoids the phoenix coming."

3.8

He cited: Fadeng inaugurated his hall and said to the assembly, "This mountain monk originally wished to crouch and dwell in a rock cave. But because the old man of Qingliang has an unsettled public case, I have come forth today to analyze it for him." A monk asked, "What is the unsettled public case?" Fadeng struck him at once, saying, "When the ancestors do not settle it, disaster extends to the descendants." The monk said, "Where does the fault lie?" Fadeng said, "The fault lies in me, bringing disaster upon you." The Master said, "If this monk were a real fellow, stepping forward he would have overturned the meditation seat. Not only would he himself have an exit path, but he would also avoid seeing the ancestors fail to settle it and bring disaster upon the descendants."

3.9

[The Master] cited Xiangyan providing a phrase to his assembly: "It is like a person up a tree, holding a branch in his mouth, with his hands grasping no branch and his feet resting on no tree. Someone below asks about the meaning of [the Patriarch's] coming from the West. If he does not answer, he ignores the other's question; if he does answer, he loses his life. Just at such a time, how should it be handled?" Head Monk Hutou said, "I do not ask about being up in the tree; please tell me, Master, before climbing the tree." Xiangyan burst out into hearty laughter. Xuedou said, "To speak while up in the tree is easy; to speak while beneath the tree is difficult. The old monk has climbed the tree. Bring forth a question!" The Master said, "Head Monk Hutou was a wicked thief: using a lawless hand, he struck an unprepared house. Even an authentic master craftsman would often fail to discern his maneuver. Xuedou was a fellow who recognized occasion and timing, knowing fortune and disaster; when arriving here, he could only hide his body and reveal his shadow. Do you understand where Xiangyan acted? Where are the three thousand swordsmen today? Only Zhuang Zhou is allowed to see the great peace."

3.10

[The Master] cited a monk asking Fengxue: "Speech and silence involve transcendence and subtlety; how can one penetrate without transgression?" Xue said, "I constantly recall Jiangnan in the third month—where the partridges cry, the hundred flowers are fragrant." Xuedou said, "Splitting open the belly, gouging out the heart." The Master said, "Stark naked, brightly rounded, completely without seam or edge. Tell me, Fengxue had no seam or edge—how does that compare to Xuedou having no seam or edge? Do you understand? Blending with the light stirs up trouble; scraping clean founds a household."

3.11

[The Master] cited Xuansha asking Jingqing: "An ancient said, 'Not seeing a single phenomenon is a great calamity.' Tell me, what phenomenon is not seen?" Qing pointed to an open pillar and said, "Could it be this phenomenon?" Sha said, "The clear water and white rice of Zhejiang are yours to eat, but you haven't even dreamed of the Buddha Dharma yet." The Master said, "Jingqing answered like that at that time, and Xuansha spoke like that in the end. Did they accord with one another or not? Nevertheless, though Jingqing had long ceased to dream of the Buddha Dharma, he still needed to be a fellow practitioner with Xuansha to get it."

3.12

[The Master] cited the Hermit of Lianhua holding up his staff and instructing the assembly: "Why were the ancients unwilling to stay when they reached here?" The assembly was silent. He answered for them: "Because on that path they gained no strength." He added, "In the end, how is it?" He answered for them again: "Carrying the short staff horizontally across the shoulders, paying no regard to anyone, going straight into the thousands and myriads of peaks." The Master said, "Bearing it in, not bearing it out—an authentic mountain dweller. Master Si swallowed all the buddhas; Samantacakṣus could not see Samantabhadra. Tell me, where is the illness?" Suddenly grasping his staff, he struck once and said, "The official does not permit a needle, but privately carts and horses pass through."

3.13

[The Master] cited Xuefeng saying: "Sitting beside the rice basket on the ground, countless people starve to death; sitting beside the ocean water on the ground, countless people die of thirst." Xuansha said, "Sitting inside the rice basket, countless people starve to death; with ocean water over their heads, countless people die of thirst." Yunmen said, "The entire body is rice; the entire body is water." The Master said, "I am not so: sitting inside the rice basket, countless people burst to death from overeating; with ocean water over their heads, countless people are drowned to death. The former suffers from not swallowing; the latter fails by not spitting out. Just as Yunmen said, 'The entire body is rice; the entire body is water'—arriving here, there is nowhere for you to swallow or spit out."

3.14

[The Master] cited a monk asking Zhimen: "What is it like when the lotus flower has not yet emerged from the water?" Men said, "A lotus flower." The monk said, "What about after emerging from the water?" Men said, "Lotus leaves." The Master said, "A spiritual turtle has no omens on its shell; an empty carapace is not worth boring into."

3.15

[The Master] cited a monk asking Jingzhong: "What is it like when the lotus flower has not yet emerged from the water?" Zhong said, "Lotus buds drift across the pond." The monk said, "What about after emerging from the water?" Zhong said, "The leaves fall, unaware of autumn." The Master said, "Li Ling holds the Han tally; Pan Lang rides his donkey backward."

3.16

[The Master] cited Yungai asking Shishuang: "I do not ask about when the ten thousand doors are all open; how is it when the ten thousand doors are all closed?" Shuang said, "What about the affair inside the hall?" Gai was silent. After half a year, he finally said, "No one can receive him." Shuang said, "You have indeed spoken well, but you have only said eighty percent." Gai said, "What would the Master say?" Shuang said, "No one recognizes him." The Master said, "In the secure and hidden realm, one dreads falling into merit and achievements. The clothes clinging to the body must surely be stripped off. Discerning the target within the lineage and turning the pivot beyond measure—one must be meticulous to get it. Difference within identity still clearly carries a trace of vagueness; difference within difference is truly difficult to reach the wondrous culmination. Do you reach the place where Shishuang, father and son, turned over? / The candle dawns as the jade figure first breaks from dreams; / The night is cold as the Frost Maiden has not yet mounted her loom."

3.17

[The Master] cited Muzhou instructing the assembly: "Tearing apart is up to me; gathering together is also up to me." A monk asked, "What is tearing apart?" Zhou said, "Three times nine is twenty-seven; bodhi, nirvāṇa, suchness, liberation, mind itself is buddha. I speak thus for now; what do you say?" The monk said, "I do not speak thus." Zhou said, "The bowl falls to the ground; the saucer breaks into eight pieces." The monk said, "What is gathering together?" Zhou folded his hands and sat. The Master said, "Muzhou's functioning was truly long in three and short in five, seven vertical and eight horizontal—thrust before your face, thrown behind your head. It is indeed extraordinary. Nevertheless, setting up the threshold is one family's style; but deep discourse entering the principle falls more than a hundred paces short."

3.18

[The Master] cited the sūtra: "If one sees all characteristics as non-characteristics, one sees the Tathāgata." Fayan said, "If one sees all characteristics as non-characteristics, one does not see the Tathāgata." The Master said, "The World-Honoured One spoke of Tathāgata Chan; Fayan spoke of Patriarchal Chan. Understanding it is very extraordinary; not understanding it is also permitted."

3.19

[The Master] cited Mazu: seeing a monk come, he immediately drew a circle and said, "Enter and I strike; do not enter and I strike." The monk entered immediately. Mazu struck immediately. The monk said, "The Master cannot strike me." Mazu set down his staff and ceased. The Master said, "The function of straddling the threshold, the intent within the room—those with eyes should discern it clearly."

3.20

[The Master] cited a monk asking Guangde: "What kind of person is sharp and nimble?" De said, "Vimalakīrti does not leave his ten-foot room; before Mañjuśrī arrives, he already knows in advance." He asked again, "What kind of person is sharp and nimble?" De said, "The greasy undershirt is washed with soap-beans." He asked again, "What kind of person is sharp and nimble?" De said, "In an ancient tomb, the venomous serpent wears horns on its head." The Master said, "One phrase holds fast the vital pass; one phrase retains no rules; one phrase shines doubly on essence and function. If someone understands, I acknowledge you as sharp and nimble. Is it genuine? / The wondrous turtle shell rests in Sun Bin's hands: / With a single scorch, the hexagram splits into a cross pattern."

3.21

[The Master] cited Xuefeng asking a monk: "Where are you going?" The monk said, "Going to the communal labor." Feng said, "Go." The Master said, "Do not stir; if you stir, thirty blows. Yunmen said, 'Knowing the person by following his words'—that too is drawing legs on a snake."

3.22

[The Master] cited Jianyuan when Baogai came to visit: Yuan rolled up the screen, entered the Abbot's room, and sat. Gai lowered the screen and returned to the guest quarters. Yuan ordered his attendant to deliver a message: "Traveling from afar is not easy; you are still separated by a ford." Just as he finished speaking, Gai slapped him. The attendant said, "The Abbot is present; do not strike me." Gai said, "It is precisely because the Abbot is present that I strike you." The attendant returned and recounted this to Yuan. Yuan said, "Still separated by a ford." The Master said, "Indeed, still separated by a ford. Nevertheless, each one of them has their own house. How can they share birth and share death, joined in a single destiny as connected branches? In the dark pulling out the cross-bone; in the light sitting on the tongue."

3.23

[The Master] cited Baofu asking Changqing: "Panshan said, 'Light and realm both vanish—what is it again?' Dongshan said, 'Light and realm have not vanished—what is it again?' Relying on these two old masters, neither has cut it clean yet. How can it be cut clean?" Changqing remained silent for a long time. Fu said, "I know full well that you are making a living in a ghost cave." Qing said, "What about you?" Fu said, "Holding the plow with both hands, the water is past the knees." The Master said, "Both vanishing, not yet vanishing; snatching the person, snatching the realm—why did Baofu not approve of Changqing? The great peace was originally founded by the general, yet the general is not permitted to see the great peace."

3.24

[The Master] cited Qianfeng instructing the assembly: "The Dharma body has three kinds of illnesses and two kinds of light. One must penetrate each and every one of them; furthermore, there is illuminating and functioning in accordance with the moment, and there is the one upward opening." Yunmen came forward and said, "Why does the person inside the hermitage not know the affairs outside the hermitage?" Feng burst out laughing heartily. Men said, "This is still where this student has doubt." Feng said, "What is your state of mind?" Men said, "I also need the Master to examine it." Feng said, "One must be so secure and hidden before one can sit securely on the ground." Men said, "Yes, yes." The Master said, "Sitting down, the disease is in the vitals; functioning, the light does not penetrate freely. Even if you crisscross in all directions and turn a single pivot completely, you still do not know of the one upward opening. Can you sit securely on the ground? / In the end, the moon of a frosty night / Falls naturally into the front stream."

3.25

[The Master] cited Guishan asking Yangshan: "I have not seen you come up for the entire summer; what were you busy with down below?" Yang said, "I hoed a patch of slash-and-burn field and sowed a basket of seeds." Gui said, "Ji, you have not spent this summer in vain." Yang said, "What did the Master do this summer?" Gui said, "One meal at midday, one sleep after nightfall." Yang said, "The Master has also not spent this summer in vain." Having spoken, he stuck out his tongue. Gui said, "Ji, why must you injure your own life?" The Master said, "In youth one should strive; in old age one ought to rest the mind. This whole summer was not spent in vain. Why did Yangshan stick out his tongue after speaking? If you can inspect and discern it: disaster does not enter the gate of a prudent family."

3.26

[The Master] cited Zhaozhou: "Where there is a buddha, do not stay; where there is no buddha, run past quickly." The Master said, "Sinking into emptiness and stagnating in traces, blunting the hand and wounding the blade—neither is the conduct of a patch-robed monk. You must not enter other people's marketplace; do not sit on their couches. The upright does not establish the profound; the biased does not attach to things. Only then can you hold fast and let go, having your own freedom."

3.27

[The Master] cited the head monks of the two halls of Linji shouting in unison. A monk asked Linji, "Was there still a guest and a host?" Ji said, "Guest and host were distinct." The Master said, "The sword that kills people and the blade that brings people to life are in Linji's hands. Even though it is like this, had he given a shout right then, even if they displayed great spiritual powers, they could only respond with the same voice."

3.28

[The Master] cited Dongshan asking Yinshan: "What is the host within the host?" Yin said, "Not stepping out of the door for years." Dong said, "What is the guest within the host?" Yin said, "Green mountains covered in white clouds." Dong said, "How far apart are guest and host?" Yin said, "Waves on the water of the Long River." Dong said, "When guest and host meet, what words are spoken?" Yin said, "A clear breeze brushes the white moon." The Master said, "The host: clouds conceal the crown of the head; the guest: snow presses upon the eyebrows. Their distance: the gatekeeper has limits; their speech: jade chimes and golden sounds. These four phrases of mine—tell me, are they the same as or different from Yinshan? Those with eyes in the monastic grove, please try to discern them."

3.29

[The Master] cited Yunmen saying: "The Buddha Dharma is very much present; it is only that the tongue is short." Later he said to himself: "It has grown long." The Master said, "Although Great Master Yunmen arose by himself and fell by himself, in the end the cart is not pushed sideways, and principle is not crookedly determined."

3.30

[The Master] cited Guishan and Yangshan picking tea: Gui said, "All day I only hear your voice, but do not see your form." Yang then shook the tea tree. Gui said, "You have only attained its function." Yang said, "I wonder, what about the Master?" Gui remained silent for a long time. Yang said, "The Master has only attained its essence." Gui said, "I spare you thirty blows." The Master said, "Guishan and Yangshan, father and son. Everyone in the monastic grove says each attained one end. Little do they know: the sky shares the white clouds at dawn; the water blends with the bright moon in autumn."

3.31

[The Master] cited: At the assembly of the Śūraṅgama[-sūtra], the World-Honoured One addressed the assembly, saying: “If that which is able to deduce is your mind, then you are mistaking a thief for your child.” Mountain Master Xiu said: “If that which is able to deduce is not your mind, then you are mistaking your child for a thief.”
The Master said: “Examining it right now: is it child or is it thief? When buying a hood look at the head; when eating fish remove the bones.”

3.32

[The Master] cited: Changqing said: “If all were like today, the old barbarian would have hope.” Baofu said: “If all were like today, the old barbarian would be in despair.”
The Master said: “The rich begrudge that a thousand mouths are too few; the poor resent that a single body is too much.”

3.33

[The Master] cited: A monk asked Shishuang: “Does the true body still appear in the world or not?” Shishuang said: “It does not appear in the world.” The monk said: “What can be done about the true body then?” Shishuang said: “The mouth of a lapis lazuli vase.”
The Master said: “The entire body fully reached, thoroughly without merit; throwing open hands as inspiration arises, it finds its function everywhere. Do you still recognise the old fellow Shishuang? In the middle of the hall there are no traces or shadows; throughout the entire realm it has never been concealed.”

3.34

[The Master] cited: A monk asked Xuefeng: “How is it when it is cold spring water in an ancient ravine?” Xuefeng said: “Staring into it, one cannot see the bottom.” The monk said: “How about one who drinks it?” Xuefeng said: “It does not enter through the mouth.” The monk cited this to Zhaozhou. Zhaozhou said: “It cannot enter through the nostrils.” The monk then asked Zhaozhou: “How is it when it is cold spring water in an ancient ravine?” Zhaozhou said: “Bitter.” The monk said: “How about one who drinks it?” Zhaozhou said: “He dies.” Xuefeng heard this and said: “Zhaozhou is an ancient buddha.” From then on he did not answer questions.
The Master said: “To support and uphold the ancestral vehicle truly requires a great master. Xuefeng discerned the body and mind of a good friend to fifteen hundred people; Zhaozhou wielded the technique of an old adept of a hundred and twenty years—indeed extraordinary. Nowadays among the community, they fix the purport according to words, making disparaging criticisms at random, gravely wronging the ancients. That being so, following the table and giving the drinking rules seems like having an appreciative listener; carving the bone and engraving the heart rarely encounters a bright mirror.”

3.35

[The Master] cited: The National Teacher called his attendant three times, and the attendant responded three times. The National Teacher said: “I had thought I was letting you down; who would have known that you were letting me down?”
The Master said: “In the way of humaneness and righteousness, on the part of master and disciple, calling again and being able to respond again discourses on reality, not emptiness. And tell me: is there letting down or is there no letting down? Flawless white jade; carving patterns destroys its virtue.”

3.36

[The Master] cited: A monk asked Shaoshan: “Where right and wrong do not reach, is there still a phrase or not?” Shaoshan said: “There is.” The monk said: “What is the phrase?” Shaoshan said: “A wisp of solitary cloud does not expose ugliness.”
The Master said: “Interpenetrating with the entire body, without offending majesty; stepping back from the position and bringing it up indirectly, one must be subtle and accommodating. Do you see where Shaoshan accommodated him? Pushing father inward with all one's might.”

3.37

[The Master] cited: A monk asked Linji: “What is the hair-splitting sword?” Linji said: “Disaster! Disaster!” The monk bowed. Linji then struck him. A monk asked Baling: “What is the hair-splitting sword?” Baling said: “Branch after branch of coral props up the moon.”
The Master said: “The life-taking sword does not spare a single hair; the life-giving sword does not harm a single hair. When there is high spirit, it adds spirit; where there is no elegance, it is also elegant.”

3.38

[The Master] cited: Dongshan offered the phrase, saying: “Only when one has embodied the person who goes beyond the buddhas does one have a share of speech.” A monk asked: “What is the person who goes beyond the buddhas?” Dongshan said: “Not a buddha.” Fayan said: “Expediently called a buddha.”
The Master said: “How far apart are the two venerable elders? Truly like blades of swords resembling one another, yet what can be done about the disparity between fish and Lu? Arriving here, one must turn the mechanism beyond the kalpas, release the arrow before the wind, crosswise bear the burden with one's body, and throw open the hands to take responsibility. Only when endowed with such eyes will it do. Can you still discern it? It is easy to distinguish white powder in snow, but hard to discern charcoal in ink.”

3.39

[The Master] cited: Mountain Master Xiu offered the phrase, saying: “Fully endowed with the phenomena of ordinary beings, ordinary beings do not know it; fully endowed with the phenomena of sages, sages do not understand it. If sages understood it, they would be identical to ordinary beings; if ordinary beings knew it, they would be sages.”
The Master said: “Having captured Annam, one worries again about the northern frontier. Arriving here, only when the genuine matter is cast away all at once can one sit securely on the ground. Is it authentic? On an equal level with a calm mind, vanished of itself into extinction.”

3.40

[The Master] cited: Shiti asked his attendant: “Where are you going?” The attendant said: “Going to the hall for the meal.” Shiti said: “Could I not know that you are going to the hall for the meal?” The attendant said: “Besides this, what else could be said?” Shiti said: “I only asked you about the fundamental affair.” The attendant said: “If asking about the fundamental affair, I truly am going to the hall for the meal.” Shiti said: “You are truly not mistaken to be my attendant.”
The Master said: “Letting it go will not do. Right now one must directly twist his nostrils until they hurt and beat him until his bones come out, only then avoiding seeing a blind donkey following the great herd. Therefore it is said: countless people die on level ground; one who can penetrate the thorn thicket is a skilled hand. And tell me: did this monk just now penetrate it or not? Much emptiness is not as good as a little reality.”

3.41

[The Master] cited: A monk asked Fayan: “The two words ‘sound’ and ‘form’—how can one penetrate them?” Fayan said: “If the great assembly understands where this monk is asking, penetrating sound and form will not be difficult either.”
The Master said: “Previously not understanding was only because thieves of the household are hard to guard against. Directly clear right now, for the time being dwell in a thatched hut.”

3.42

[The Master] cited: Jiashan said: “Before the eyes there are no phenomena; the meaning lies before the eyes. It is not a phenomenon before the eyes, nor is it reached by ear or eye.”
The Master said: “Old man Jiashan untied the mouth of the cloth bag and scattered rare treasures in front of everyone. Just at such a moment, how is it? No one picks up things dropped on the road; the gentleman praises it.”

3.43

[The Master] cited: Zhaozhou said: “Holding fast the eye of heaven and earth, continuous without leaking a hairsbreadth. I want you to understand; how do you understand?”
The Master said: “Is it authentic yet? Even if you understand here, piercing through seven and puncturing eight, I also know you cannot escape Zhaozhou's bamboo basket.”

3.44

[The Master] cited: Jingqing asked Lingyun: “How is it before chaos has divided?” Lingyun said: “The exposed pillar becomes pregnant.” Jingqing said: “How is it after it has divided?” Lingyun said: “Like a wisp of cloud dotting the great void.” Jingqing said: “Just as for the great void, does it still accept dotting or not?” Lingyun did not answer. Jingqing said: “If so, then sentient beings do not come.” Lingyun also did not answer. Jingqing said: “When one reaches pure clarity, completely without dots, how is it?” Lingyun said: “It is still the streaming of the true and constant.” Jingqing said: “What is the streaming of the true and constant?” Lingyun said: “Like a mirror constantly bright.” Jingqing said: “Is there still something going beyond or not?” Lingyun said: “There is.” Jingqing said: “What is the affair going beyond?” Lingyun said: “Smash the mirror, and I will meet with you.”
The Master said: “Divided and undivided: the jade loom moves at night; dotted and undotted: the golden shuttle is cast in secret. Even if it is of a single hue and purely clear, it has not attained complete peace and security. And tell me: when the mirror is smashed, in what place will they meet? Do you still understand? After the old hare in clear autumn swallows the light; when the dark dragon in clear water sheds its bones.”

3.45

[The Master] cited: Shigong ascended the hall, drew his bow and notched an arrow. Sanping bared his chest to face it. Shigong said: “One bow and two arrows, in thirty years only shooting half a sage.”
The Master said: “Shigong's habit energy was not eliminated; Sanping followed the table and gave the drinking rules, yet said: ‘In thirty years, one bow and two arrows only shot half a sage.’ Is this not measuring others by oneself? In general, if one does not enter the startling waves, in the end it is hard to find the satisfying fish.”

3.46

[The Master] cited: A monk asked Yunmen: “What is the pure Dharmakāya?” Yunmen said: “The flowering medicinal herb fence.” The monk said: “How is it when one goes along just like this?” Yunmen said: “A golden-haired lion.” Xuedou added a comment, saying: “Greatly uncalled for!”
The Master said: “When a thief comes, one must strike; when a guest comes, one must entertain. Yunmen and Xuedou—both were adepts. Is there anyone here who goes along just like this? Take care not to bump heads and knock foreheads!”

3.47

[The Master] cited: A monk asked Caoshan: “When the son returns to the father, why does the father pay no attention at all?” Caoshan said: “In principle, it should be like this.” The monk said: “Where is the affection between father and son?” Caoshan said: “Only then is the affection between father and son accomplished.” The monk said: “What is the affection between father and son?” Caoshan said: “Knives and axes cannot cleave it apart.”
The Master said: “The emerald curtain hangs down; the silk decrees have not been issued. The purple gossamer bed-curtain is closed; seeing and hearing are hard to penetrate. Disturbing the hair's tip, the moon rises on the night door; secretly moving a single step, the crane exits the silver cage. Do you know? Casting off the body in a single hue, without leaving a shadow; not sitting in the same wind, the great merit drops away.”

3.48

[The Master] cited: Baishui offered the phrase, saying: “Sand cannot be put into the eye; water cannot be put into the ear.” A monk then asked: “What is ‘sand cannot be put into the eye’?” Baishui said: “The Arhat is incomparable.” The monk said: “What is ‘water cannot be put into the ear’?” Baishui said: “Pure white and without defilement.”
The Master said: “Old man Baishui may be called great without an outside, small without an inside, fully endowed with a thousand transformations and ten thousand changes; just this bare-handed and empty-bodied, not admitting a single drop or a single dust mote, directly filling the eyes and filling the ears. Do you still see? Where one sets foot there is no leisure ground; how many people know the mind?”

3.49

[The Master] cited: Shitou's Harmony of Difference and Sameness says: ‘Interpenetration and non-interpenetration.’ A monk asked Yunmen: “What is interpenetration?” Yunmen pointed to the edge of the wooden seat and said: “It cannot be called the edge of the seat.” The monk said: “What is non-interpenetration?” Yunmen said: “This is the edge of the seat.”
The Master said: “Shitou's tongue had no bone; Yunmen's eyes had sinews. Down through a thousand ages, their voice and light shine brilliantly. Nowadays, if you want to hold hands and walk together, you must first understand thus before you understand not thus; only then is there no connection. Do you understand thoroughly? In youth one once decided the dragon-and-snake battle array; grown old and decrepit, one still joins in children's songs.”

3.50

[The Master] cited: Bajiao instructed the assembly, saying: “If you have a staff, I give you a staff; if you have no staff, I snatch away your staff.”
The Master said: “If you have it, then everything has it; if you have it not, then everything has it not. Having and not having belong naturally to the person in question; what do giving and taking have to do with Bajiao? Just at such a moment, what is your staff?”

3.51

[The Master] cited: A monk asked Xiangyan: “What is the Way?” Xiangyan said: “A dragon humming in a withered tree.” The monk said: “What is the person within the Way?” Xiangyan said: “Eyes in a skull.” The monk cited this to ask Shishuang: “What is a dragon humming in a withered tree?” Shishuang said: “It still carries joy.” The monk said: “What are eyes in a skull?” Shishuang said: “They still carry consciousness.”
The Master said: “The king dwells inside the gate; the minister does not go outside the gate.”

3.52

[The Master] cited: Tripiṭaka Master Da'er had attained the supernormal power of knowing others' minds. He came to court to see Emperor Suzong. The Emperor ordered National Teacher Zhong to test him. When the Tripiṭaka Master saw the National Teacher, he made bows and stood aside on the right. The National Teacher said: ‘Have you attained the knowledge of others’ minds, or not?’ The Tripiṭaka Master said: ‘I would not dare [claim so].’ The National Teacher said: ‘Tell me, where is this old monk right now?’ The Tripiṭaka Master said: ‘The Master is the teacher of a whole country, why are you watching the boat race in Xichuan?’ The National Teacher asked again: ‘Tell me, where is this old monk right now?’ The Tripiṭaka Master said: ‘The Master is the teacher of a whole country, why are you on Tianjin Bridge watching monkeys play?’ The National Teacher asked a third time: ‘Where is this old monk right now?’ The Tripiṭaka Master did not know where he went. The National Teacher shouted: ‘This wild fox spirit! Where is your knowledge of others’ minds?’
The Master said: “Setting aside for a moment that the Tripiṭaka Master did not see the National Teacher—tell me, did the National Teacher himself know where he landed? If you say he knew himself, then a hundred birds holding flowers in their beaks and all the devas making offerings would never cease. And tell me: just at such a moment, where did he land?”

3.53

[Hongzhi] cited: Grand Master Lu Gen asked Nanquan, "In this disciple's home there is a slab of stone; at times I sit on it, at times I lie on it. If I wish to chisel it into a Buddha, may I do so?" Nanquan said, "You may." Lu said, "May I not do so?" Nanquan said, "You may not." Yunyan said, "If one sits on it, it is a Buddha; if one does not sit on it, it is not a Buddha." Dongshan said, "If one does not sit on it, it is a Buddha; if one sits on it, it is not a Buddha." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Turning function to approach position; turning position to approach function—one must give credit to the father and son of Mount Dong. And tell me, what was Nanquan's meaning? Truly, a needle or awl cannot pierce it."

3.54

[Hongzhi] cited: Before the Buddha, a woman entered samādhi. The Buddha ordered Mañjuśrī to bring her out of samādhi. Mañjuśrī exerted his spiritual powers and lifted her up to the Brahmā heaven, but could not bring her out of samādhi. The Buddha then said, "Down below there is the Great Being Wangming, who can bring her out of this samādhi." In an instant Wangming arrived, and was commanded to bring her out of samādhi. Wangming snapped his fingers three times, and the woman immediately emerged from samādhi. The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Whether in samādhi or in motion, the person concerned transforms and plays with it. A goose feather is light yet not light; a great mountain is heavy yet not heavy. Do you know that old Gautama's nostrils are in my hands?"

3.55

[Hongzhi] cited: Xuefeng and Sansheng were walking along, and saw a troop of monkeys. Xuefeng said, "Every one of these monkeys is an ancient mirror." Sansheng said, "Nameless through countless kalpas, how can they be displayed as ancient mirrors?" Xuefeng said, "A flaw has appeared." Sansheng said, "A good friend to one thousand five hundred people, yet you do not even recognise the crux of the words!" Xuefeng said, "This old monk's administrative affairs as abbot are troublesome." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "If at that time one had seen Xuefeng say, 'A flaw has appeared,' one should just step forward and say, 'Yes, yes.' And tell me, why is it like this? Vying for it is not enough; yielding it leaves plenty to spare."

3.56

[Hongzhi] cited: Changqing instructed the assembly, saying, "Having tidied and packed everything clean, you step forward to make demands of me; across your back I give you a blow of the staff. If this blow reaches you, you must possess great shame. If this blow does not reach you, where will you understand it?" The Master [Hongzhi] said, "With dead mouths eating the food of the permanent property, stretching out legs lying on the long communal bed, to seek one who knows shame is difficult to find. Do you know where Changqing's staff lands? Thunder opens the hibernating creatures' doors, and lightning scorches their tails, drawing forth their towering horns."

3.57

[Hongzhi] cited: Panshan gave the instructional remark: "If one says 'this very mind is Buddha', nowadays one has not entered the profound subtlety. If one says 'neither mind nor Buddha', it is still the ultimate standard of pointing out the trace." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Having money but not knowing how to spend it; knowing how to spend it, but lacking money. And tell me, how can one achieve a complete ten-out-of-ten? To marry that young woman, one must be a white-haired man."

3.58

[Hongzhi] cited: Jinfeng instructed the assembly, saying, "Phenomena exist as the box and lid fitting together; principle accords as the arrowheads meeting point-to-point. If someone can speak of it, Jinfeng will give him half the monastery to dwell in." At that time a monk came forward and bowed. Jinfeng said, "Stop, stop! Meeting is easy and pleasant; living together makes it hard to be a person." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Under a heavy reward, there will surely be a brave man. This monk intended to seize it by force, but Jinfeng was not willing to yield. Do you know that when the mussel and the snipe lock together, both fall into the fisherman's hands? If one can distinguish the box and lid, and the arrowheads point-to-point, Jinfeng will hand over the entire monastery with both hands."

3.59

[Hongzhi] cited: A monk asked Caoshan, "How was it before the Buddha appeared in the world?" Caoshan said, "Caoshan is not as good." The monk said, "How about after he appeared in the world?" Caoshan said, "He is not as good as Caoshan." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "The Buddha and Caoshan interchange host and guest. Appearing in the world or not appearing in the world, each possesses a single eye. There has never been constant walking without stopping, or constant stopping without walking. Do you understand? The secluded cavern is unconfined by the intent to lock and bar; / In traversing freely, how could it involve a person of the two extremes?"

3.60

[Hongzhi] cited: Yunmen instructed the assembly, saying, "Even if whatever meets the eye is without obstruction, and one thoroughly penetrates that nominal entities, phrasal entities, and all phenomena are empty—mountains, rivers, and the great earth being nominal entities, which also cannot be grasped—and this is called the samādhi of the nature-ocean being completely equipped, it is still waves rippling continuously without wind. Even if one eliminates knowledge within awakening, and awakening is Buddha-nature itself, being called 'a person of no affairs'—one must still know there is a single opening that goes beyond." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Host and guest do not harmonize; both have faults. Give each of them twenty blows of the staff. But what about the opening that goes beyond? Due to gazing at the moon, patterns form on the rhinoceros's horn; / startled by thunder, flowered patterns enter the elephant's tusk."

3.61

[Hongzhi] cited: Qianfeng instructed the assembly, saying, "Raising one, you must not raise two; letting one move pass, you fall into the second." Yunmen came forward from the assembly and said, "Yesterday someone came from Tiantai, and then went off to Jingshan." Qianfeng said, "Tomorrow there will be no communal work." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Sitting firmly, cutting off the ten directions, the road of a thousand distinctions is severed. Letting open a single line, ten thousand streams pay homage to their source. When the two venerable masters expand their house style, only then can one see the actions of patch-robed monks. Is it genuinely so? The edict within the realm of the Son of Heaven of Great Peace; / The mind beyond the frontier of the blood-and-sweat general."

3.62

[Hongzhi] cited: Yantou took leave of Deshan. Deshan said, "Where are you going?" Yantou said, "I temporarily take leave of the Master to go down the mountain." Deshan said, "What will you do later on?" Yantou said, "I will not forget the Master." Deshan said, "On what basis do you make this statement?" Yantou said, "Have you not heard: 'If one's wisdom equals the master's, it diminishes half the master's virtue; only if one's wisdom surpasses the master's is one worthy of transmission'?" Deshan said, "Just so, just so! Protect and maintain it well yourself." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Usually under Deshan's staff, neither Buddhas nor patriarchs were established. But when it came to this occasion, he was so grandmotherly! Although this was the affinity of raising a child, how could it escape the scrutiny of later generations? Wait until he says, 'Only if one's wisdom surpasses the master's is one worthy of transmission'—then seize the staff and strike him across the back!"

3.63

[Hongzhi] cited: Nanquan gave the instructional remark: "Teacher Wang tends a water ox. If he intends to go east of the stream, he cannot avoid the government grain tax; if he intends to go west of the stream, he cannot avoid the government grain tax. How can that compare to paying a little bit according to one's lot? Then he will never be seen at all." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Nanquan's tending of the ox may be called extraordinary: in all places, he could not be guarded against. Why was it like this? Because he paid a little bit according to his lot."

3.64

[Hongzhi] cited: Huangbo asked Baizhang, "Regarding the affair handed down from of old, how does the Master instruct others?" Baizhang sat firmly in his seat. Huangbo said, "What will later descendants transmit?" Baizhang said, "I took you for a real person!" and then returned to the abbot's quarters. The Master [Hongzhi] said, "'Words filling the world without oral error; conduct filling the world without resentment or enmity'—give credit to Baizhang. It was not that Huangbo did not know it existed; he only wanted this dialogue to circulate widely. Do you understand Baizhang's returning to the abbot's quarters? Among the forest, autumn leaves fall; / Beyond the reach of transformation, the water and sky are autumn."

3.65

[Hongzhi] cited: Yangshan asked a monk, "Where have you recently come from?" The monk said, "Mount Lu." Yangshan said, "Did you visit the Five Old Men Peaks?" The monk said, "I did not visit them." Yangshan said, "The ācārya has not wandered the mountain." Yunmen said, "These words were all for the sake of compassion, having the discourse of entering the weeds." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Although Yunmen recognized Yangshan's inner intent, how can one help that he only knew the one and did not know the other? And tell me, what was Yangshan's meaning? An abundance of style, too lazy to show off, / sparing that fine young gentleman from being pointed out by others."

3.66

[Hongzhi] cited: Sansheng said, "When I meet someone, I immediately go out; going out, it is not for the sake of the person." Xinghua said, "When I meet someone, I do not go out; going out, it is immediately for the sake of the person." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Fallen, fallen! Today it is not to diminish the prestige of the ancients, but to heighten the backbone of later people. If one is a fellow of genuine quality, holding up the patriarchs' seal, turning the iron ox's mechanism, and piercing through both of them at once with the staff, only then can one see the skill of a patch-robed monk."

3.67

[Hongzhi] cited: The Tripiṭaka Master of Śabdavidyā had an audience with the King of Min. The king asked Xuansha to test him. Behind his back, Xuansha tapped an iron brazier with copper fire tongs and asked, "What sound is that?" The Tripiṭaka Master said, "The sound of copper and iron." Xuansha said, "Great King, do not be deceived by this foreigner." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "When principle tallies, it is wondrous: the poor son obtains the jewel in his robe. When feelings are confined, there are merely objects: the wrestler loses the pearl on his forehead. The Tripiṭaka Master only knew how to look forward; Xuansha was unable to look backward. Do you know? To falsely accuse someone of a crime brings that crime upon oneself."

3.68

[Hongzhi] cited: A monk asked Changsha, "How does one turn the mountains, rivers, and great earth to return to oneself?" Changsha said, "How does one turn oneself to return to the mountains, rivers, and great earth?" The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Although host and guest interchange, still mud and water are not distinguished. If one twists their nostrils so that neither like this nor not like this is permissible at all, what should one do? Nowadays the royal law is somewhat strict: people are not permitted to muscle in on lines of business or seize marketplaces."

3.69

[Hongzhi] cited: Guanxi gave the instructional remark: "At Linji's place I got a ladleful; at Moshan's place I got a ladleful." He also said, "In the ten directions there are no walls; on the four sides there are also no gates. Exposed and stark naked, red and bare, with nothing to grasp." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Guanxi spoke like this; tell me, was it what he got at Linji's place, or what he got at Moshan's place? Although with one arrow he shot two eagles, what can be done when at times he runs himself to death, and at times he sits himself to death? And how can one attain it just right? Gathering it together or letting it go rests entirely with me; / taking it up or tossing it away—whom else does it depend on?"

3.70

[Hongzhi] cited: A monk asked Muzhou, "Are the patriarch's intention and the scriptural teaching's intention the same or different?" Muzhou said, "The green mountain is of itself the green mountain; the white cloud is of itself the white cloud." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "If you recognize Muzhou right here, then Śākyamuni's appearing in the world and Bodhidharma's coming from the West are both fellows who did not keep to their fundamental lot. Do you still recognize him? The arms are long, but the robe's sleeves are short; / The feet are thin, but the straw sandals are wide."

3.71

[Hongzhi] cited: One day Nanyuan was stoking the bath fire himself. A monk asked, "Why does the Master not employ a śrāmaṇera or a novice?" Nanyuan clapped his hands three times. The monk reported this to Caoshan. Caoshan said, "Though clapping hands is the same in both cases, Nanyuan's was especially strange. Juzhi's one-finger Chan was simply because his undertaking was not precise." The monk then asked, "Nanyuan's clapping of hands—was that not an affair concerning servant boys and maidservants?" Caoshan said, "It was." The monk said, "Is there an affair that goes beyond?" Caoshan said, "There is." The monk said, "What is the affair that goes beyond?" Caoshan scolded, "You servant boy and maidservant!" The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Distinguishing the noble from the lowly, knowing the precious from the base—Nanyuan is an adept. Separating jade from stone, discerning gold from brass—Caoshan does not appear in the world. Although this monk knew how to cut, file, chisel, and polish, he still only attached himself to the side of servant boys and maidservants. Do you know? Leaving things broad and flowing without harming either side, / he is still a guest outside the night-shining screen."

3.72

[Hongzhi] cited: Yunmen instructed the assembly, saying, "I do not ask about before the fifteenth day. Say a phrase about after the fifteenth day." He said himself, "Every day is a good day." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "For someone born in the year of the tiger, it is their native year; for someone born in the year of the monkey, it clashes."

3.73

[Hongzhi] cited: Shousheng said, "Before the middle of the month I use a hook; after the middle of the month I use an awl." A monk then asked, "What about right in the middle of the month?" Shousheng said, "The mud ox tramples and shatters the moon in the clear pool." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Mastering function at both ends, Shousheng is an adept. Directly forgetting function—who has embodied this? Letting go, guest and host interchange; holding fast, no trace or sign remains. Is there anyone who embodies it? The jade maiden throws her shuttle at night, / Weaving brocade in the western dwelling."

3.74

[Hongzhi] cited: A monk asked Caoshan, "What is the most precious thing in the world?" Caoshan said, "A dead cat is the most precious." The monk said, "Why is a dead cat the most precious?" Caoshan said, "Because no one puts a price on it." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Caoshan's merchandise does not enter the market. If you inspect it closely, it is truly not worth a single cash. When Caoshan encounters the cheap, it becomes precious; here with me, when encountering the precious, it becomes cheap. And tell me, is there any contradiction?"

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宏智禪師廣錄 — Classical Chinese