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Source: pramana-mt · Machine translation by Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-10-21) of in.bauddha.taisho.2002a · Machine output without human authorship: no copyright is claimed (CC0 1.0). The original text keeps its own…

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2 — 195 parts

Text

1.1

Preface to the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Rujing

Among the five houses and lineages, Caodong leaves its dynamic functions hidden, while Linji makes its blows and shouts distinct. If one finds their way in, their portals are easy to enter. Although their choices differ slightly and their applications are not the same, in short, they reach one goal by different paths. Only Chan Master Jing of Tiantong neither drifted nor leaned, embracing both. He formed a style of his own, facing opponents on all sides. At first, with the bamboo stick he long knew pain and itch; later, due to a single drop of water, it gradually swelled into a surging torrent. Severing chasms and hanging cliffs, cutting nails and shearing through iron—this is what is called using the Dharma to attain the intention beyond the Dharma, catching the fish and forgetting the trap, seizing the hare and forgetting the snare. Observe how he ascends the precious flower seat: like a fierce tiger crouching, striking the great Dharma drum and making the lion's roar, he directly causes humans and devas to praise and revere, and māras and ghosts to submit and take refuge. As for each gāthā, each eulogy, each story, and each word—calling forth wind, spitting clouds, roaring thunder, and brandishing lightning, their thousands of attitudes and myriad forms cannot be exhausted. Among venerable elders of recent times, he was truly rare and unmatched. Having traveled through four great precious monasteries, like a solitary cloud or a wild crane, leaving and staying at ease—all can be seen herein. Therefore, those of heroic vigor who obtain it are like entering a dark room and meeting a great bright light, seeing all manner of forms; those who shrink back and are not yet enlightened fear it, like sons and younger brothers facing a stern father and teacher. Little do they know that medicine makes one dizzy before the illness is cured, and in the end it brings benefit. The places where the master obtained power, the places where he exited birth and entered death, are indeed hard to seek through outward traces to make a conceptual understanding of real dharmas. Yet in observing water one must observe its surging waves; in wading through the great sea one must start from its shores. Thus, setting aside his words, there would be no way to seek his depths. Venerable Zong, taking the master's dharma words, asked me to write a preface at the head of the volume. How could I be capable of it? Yet the master and I were fellows of the same home region, companions in the fellowship of the Way, and saw into one another's mind and eye. I could not be without a few words to narrate an overview, and so on the spur of the moment I append this to the end of the text. As for exalting his grand splendor, causing lamp after lamp to continue in succession so that the master's renown grows ever longer and more eminent—for that, there are the famous public figures and great scholars of the present age.

1.3

Second year of the Shaoding era, the year being yichou [1229], respectfully written by the unattached official of Tongbai, Lü Xiao.

1.4

Table of Contents of the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Rujing

1.5

Fascicle One

1.6

Preface

1.7

Recorded Sayings at Qingliang; Recorded Sayings at Jingci

1.8

Recorded Sayings at Ruiyan; Recorded Sayings on Re-entering Jingci

1.9

Fascicle Two

1.10

Recorded Sayings at Tiantong

1.11

Ascending the Hall; Minor Convocations; General Addresses; Dharma Words

1.12

Verses on Ancient Cases; Eulogies for the Buddhas and Patriarchs; Minor Buddhist Rites; Verses and Eulogies

1.13

Afterword

1.14

Recorded Sayings While Residing at Qingliang Temple in Jiankang Prefecture

1.15

Compiled by Attendant Wensu

1.16

On the fifth day of the tenth month in the third year of the Jiading era [1210], the master, being at Huazang Baozhong Chan Temple, accepted the invitation to enter the temple.

1.17

Pointing to the mountain gate: / Cutting off the journey, I come straight on. / Qian and Kun are thoroughly penetrated when this gate opens. / Clapping on the left side, blowing on the right side; / Overturning the latch, wind and thunder arise.

1.18

Pointing to the Buddha Hall: / Opening the hall, I see the Buddha; / A poisonous thorn in the eye! Bah! Pull out the thorn. / Bowing and burning incense—topsy-turvy and clumsy.

1.19

Crouching in the abbot's quarters, he gouged out Bodhidharma's eyeballs, made them into mud pellets, and struck people with them. He said in a loud voice, "Look! When the ocean dries completely through, the waves slap high against heaven!"

1.20

The master went before the Dharma seat. Taking up the letter of appointment, [he said,] "The tip of the brush is worn down completely, yet a single hair penetrates through. Utmost governance is vast and silent, in the utmost stillness." Raising the letter, he said, "Look! Stoking wind and clouds, issuing commands; thunder and lightning splash ink, shaking the essential principle of the school. Is there anyone who will bear witness together? Be sure not to tilt your ear!"

1.21

Taking up the invitation document, [he said,] "Gautama's parietal bone, the Master Confucius's eye; two colors in one match, ringing like jade and sounding like gold."

1.22

Pointing to the Dharma seat, [he said,] "The great earth sinks flat away; this seat is high and broad. A thousand transformations and ten thousand changes—rewarded without merit."

1.23

Gathering his robes, he took the seat. (The questions and answers are not recorded.) Then he presented the essentials, saying: "The exposed pillar became pregnant and suddenly burst open, abruptly thrusting out an iron hammer without a hole, broken and ruined through kalpas of time. It directly caused Mahāsattva Jinamātṛ to ascend the Jade Kirin Hall and, right from the hairy brush, blow a gust of karmic wind, making it turn into a water buffalo, utterly mad and utterly frantic—propping to the east, supporting to the west, tumbling to the south, thrashing to the north. Inevitably it infringed upon the water and grass of the peaceful era and ruined the fields of Qingliang, planting brambles deeply and scattering caltrops everywhere. With this, he severed Linji's life-root; with this, he blinded the patch-robed monks' eyes." Slapping his knees with his hands, he said, "Hey! Hey! This beast with donkey jaws and horse cheeks entices and disturbs Jambudvīpa, laughing people to death! Though it is like this, in the end, to where does the merit return? It all rests within our Emperor's sagely transformation." He brought up [an ancient case] to conclude the session: "Sansheng said, 'Whenever I meet someone, I immediately go out; when I go out, it is not for the sake of the person.' Xinghua said, 'Whenever I meet someone, I do not go out; when I go out, it is immediately for the sake of the person.' These two gong'ans test patch-robed monks to the limit, hard to fix an eye upon. Suddenly, my great dānapati, the Prefect of Jiankang, saw through them casually and brought them to Qingliang's attention. This may truly be called: a dragon roars and clouds arise; a tiger whistles and the wind is born. Inevitably borrowing the Minister's nostrils to vent steam for the monastery, I have an impromptu verse to present to everyone: / At the first attempt, your name leads the dragon-and-tiger roll; / In peaceful times, you personally reach the Phoenix Pool. / Giving full life and full death, surpassing words and forms; / Passing beyond even the prior dynamic to the transcendent pivot."

1.24

Ascending the hall to invite the head monk: / Pulling off the tail of the venomous serpent, / Piercing through the black ox's nostrils, / Leading it across the back of empty space, / The great earth quakes in six ways. / How virulent! How hostile! / Excrement, urine, rank and foul; sweat and blood stream forth. / Intending to look with the eye, there is no trace to be found; / This is Qingliang's first head. / He gave a shout.

1.25

Ascending the hall on the Lantern Festival: "The past Dīpaṃkara Buddha, dragging along, toyed with karmic consciousness. The present leaking lamp dish, its light and shadow deceive people's eyes. The future dry paper taper, the thief's stolen goods have nowhere to be pawned. Bah! Pierced through before the skull; seen inside the nostrils. Under the patch-robed monk's gate, it is pitch-black and vast; undivided through kalpas, a single thread passes through."

1.26

Fellow veterans of the Way from various quarters arrived. Ascending the hall: "The Great Way has no gate—it leaps out from the crowns of the heads in all quarters. Empty space has no path—it enters inside Qingliang's nostrils. Meeting in such a way: Gautama's thievish seed, Linji's seed of disaster. Yi! Everyone dances topsy-turvy in the spring breeze, startling down the apricot blossoms to fly in chaotic red."

1.27

Ascending the hall to thank West Hall Yuan: / Plum blossoms in the clear dawn are fragrant, / In full bloom, borrowing function; / Willow threads in early spring are lush, / In the warming sun, shifting positions. / Not going over to that side, / Coming from right here. / Chattering and babbling: host and guest blend marvelously; / Limping and toddling: bias and right completely encompass. / It directly causes the mud man to dance his sleeves, / And the stone woman to play the sheng. / Naturally transmitting the untainted family style—yet this is still an affair of the sons and grandsons. / Tell me, what about the single phrase before Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja? / A thousand beams do not illuminate the hall of the King of Emptiness; / At midnight, the black rooster flies carrying snow.

1.28

Ascending the hall on the birthday of Xuan-yi Chen: / Spring breeze is gentle, spring sun is clear; / Willow eyes are green, yellow orioles sing. / Dense and luxuriant, auspicious vapors arise; / The old man in the world is a star in the heavens. / If seen like this: / Śākya praises it, / Maitreya verifies it; / In a smile, the fairy flat-peaches are presented. / Even so, tell me, what does the patch-robed monk under the trees offer in return? / A single vine staff held in hand from ages past.

1.29

Ascending the hall: / Two parts of the daylight have already passed; / 'On sunny days, rivers and mountains are beautiful.' / The single point of the spirit terrace is not wiped or polished; / 'In spring breezes, flowers and grasses are fragrant.' / Craving life, day by day bustling along; / 'Mud softens as swallows fly.' / Calling him, he does not turn his head; what can be done? / 'Sand warms as mandarin ducks sleep.' / Assembly, Qingliang intercalates verses and recites poetry—does he still have the eyes of the essential principles? Ya! / The cuckoo's crying never ceases; / Blood flows, splitting the mountain bamboo.

1.30

Ascending the hall on the eighth day of the fourth month: / Clouds open, mountain peaks are revealed; / Rain passes, colors are fresh. / Had Gautama not appeared in the world, / Ruin would not have been born before. / Above heaven and below heaven, the thief is a petty man; / Rising from three bows, foul water is poured over him; / Deceitfully taking cosmetic covering as earnest devotion.

1.31

Ascending the hall during an autumn drought: "A single leaf falls, bare and desolate; all under heaven is autumn, parched and peeling. Assembly, if you still sit here, you are all fellows dying of thirst. Tell me, how will you seek a way of life? Qingliang has an expedient." He struck the staff once: "A clap of thunder, a torrential downpour! Laughingly watching the black vine climb backward up the tree."

1.32

Ascending the hall on the eighth day of the twelfth month: / Six years falling into the weeds; / A wild fox spirit jumping about, / His whole body covered in entangling vines. / Losing his eyes with nowhere to seek them, / Deceiving people by claiming he awoke to the bright star. / Qingliang praising him in this way / Is called knowing kindness and repaying kindness. / If not so: / Every year on the eighth day of the twelfth month, a bowl of tea; / Bowing and burning incense only clumsy him up.

1.33

Ascending the hall on New Year's Day: "Today is the first day of the first month. In one go, supreme good fortune! Good fortune with nothing disadvantageous. The spring breeze and harmonious air scatter into the tips of flowers; atop the hundred grasses, in dust after dust and world after world, becoming ever more graceful."

1.34

Ascending the hall on the Lantern Festival: "Before the skull, behind the crown of the head, a single point is thoroughly bright. Walking within light and shadow, in the end what is it? Bah! The ancient Buddha Dīpaṃkara turns even more deceptive."

1.35

Ascending the hall on the first day of the second month: "Assembly, the fellow with no face and eyes has his face and eyes fully complete: the sun bakes the willow eyes, smoke smears the apricot blossom cheeks. If it were not so, the yellow oriole would never finish singing, specially coming down from the branch." Ascending the hall for Parinirvāṇa: "Gautama did a somersault at midnight: the ten thousand forms sank flat away, and the great earth was empty. This won Pāpīyas clapping his hands in laughter, while the lanterns and exposed pillars secretly beat their chests. Had Qingliang seen it at that time, he too would have clapped his hands and laughed aloud. Why? If reason holds, one complies. Having arrived at today, how is it? Boundless mountain flowers and flowing water; how many crying birds share the spring breeze!"

1.36

Ascending the hall on the eighth day of the fourth month: / Dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes give birth to phoenixes; / Pointing to heaven, pointing to earth, uniquely revered. / An old rat raising its young patrols the roof beams. / Assembly, it is thoroughly checked out! / Together pouring foul water straight over his head; / Ten thousand taels of yellow gold are well deserved.

1.37

Jade Wanshi taking up residence at Bao'en, [the master] ascended the seat: / The white jade is without blemish; / The stubborn stone nods its head. / A single press of the revolving pivot / Makes an enemy of the Buddhas and Patriarchs. / Yi! / The fellow biting pigs and dogs becomes ever more graceful.

1.38

Ascending the hall on Mid-Autumn: "Clouds disperse in the autumn sky: mind itself sees the moon." Raising his whisk, he said, "Look! Before every house gate, the bright moon shines; everywhere travelers share the bright moon. Riding a whale to catch the moon; punting a boat to load the moon. Suddenly the moon sets and the night grows deep—laughing to death the barbarian monk with missing teeth!"

1.39

Requesting West Hall Yuan to serve again as head monk, ascending the hall: "Not revealed in the hall, the master of the house was originally the one of old; fully manifest by borrowing a shadow, the first seat is troubled today. On a snowy night, the golden crow passes through the hall; on a scorching day, the jade rabbit turns its bosom. Wonderfully matching, son and grandson; fully encompassing, grandfather and father. The wooden man claps clappers in the clouds; the stone woman holds a sheng and breathes beneath the water. Although it is like this, tell me: what about the phrase on the side of extending hands? In the narrow alley, he does not ride the golden horse; on the return journey, he wears his tattered robe."

1.40

Ascending the hall to invite the administrators: "Qingliang's great mass of fire blazes without concealment. The patch-robed monk, stark naked, his entire body is a forest of swords. Inside, they jostle and squeeze each other; inside, they let go and hold fast. Letting go and holding fast, displaying gracefulness—always enemies nodding their heads with a smile."

1.41

Ascending the hall on the Winter Solstice: "Yesterday a thread shorter; today a thread longer. Passing through the needle's eye, measured by feet and inches. Short and long abruptly severed; skillfully embroidering mandarin ducks." Raising his whisk, he said, "Look! Do you still see? Self-perception, person-perception, sentient-being-perception, life-span-perception. Bah! None of them are seen; the most intimate see. Brand-new congratulations, a thousand changes and ten thousand transformations."

1.42

On the first day of the tenth month, a scribe arrived. Ascending the hall: / 'Heaven and earth are one finger; / The ten thousand things are one horse.' / The two arise from the one; / The one too must be let go. / Striking with the whisk once, he said: / "Afterward, taking it up right here—it is called the patch-robed monk's firewood tip. In the wave-heart of the great sea, lightly rocking and shaking; atop the summit of Sumeru, sweat streams freely. Today, with this, we light the stove. Without a word of host and guest, Zhaozhou is thoroughly checked out. Although intending to return to the warm place, an arrow has pierced the skull."

1.43

Ascending the hall on the eighth day of the twelfth month: When Gautama lost his eyes, / amid the snow there was only a single branch of plum blossoms. / Now, thorns and briars grow everywhere; / he smiles instead as the spring wind blows in disarray. Everywhere they speak of Chan; Qingliang recites poetry. Can that be sufficient? If indeed it is not, one burns incense, lights candles, and bows to lumps of mud, while behind one's head a hawk flies across the distant sky.

1.44

Ascending the hall to pray for clear weather: One drop without stopping; two drops, three drops; dripping and trickling, from morning until dusk. Turning into a torrential downpour, nothing can be done; mountains, rivers, and the great earth are engulfed in wind and waves. Sneezing once, he said: It all does not go beyond the single outburst of a patch-robed monk's sneeze, which directly brings the clearing of clouds and the rising of the sun! Raising his whisk, he said: Assembly, look right here! A bright and clear sky swallows the eight directions. If the water remains dripping wet as before, the entire household will drift and fall into the land of rākṣasas! Bowing down to Śākya, refuge in Maitreya! One who can save from the suffering of the world—the wonderful wisdom and power of Avalokiteśvara! Du!

1.45

Ascending the hall on building the monks' quarters: Giving a shout: The great earth sinks flat; spread gold across the sky, opening through vastness. High sandalwood frames, vaguely like horse stables, resembling cattle pens. Falcon eyes and hawk pupils are not permitted to look. Therefore, one establishes achievement without achievement, and receives rewards that are not rewarded. The iron fellow painfully pulls out his hairs; the vajra beings join their palms together. Wind blows, rain strikes, the sun bakes down; sitting, reclining, and walking in meditation, rejoicing together! Du!

1.46

Ascending the hall on burning shaven hair: Directly shaving the hair behind the skulls of the herd of cattle; blown by wind and scorched by sun, it turns increasingly rank and foul. Unbearable mess polluting heaven and earth; sins and transgressions are deeply burned by karmic fire. If seen thus, by all means avoid searching for relics in dead ashes; the foul-smelling smoke billows as the flame tips rise high.

1.47

The rice boat returned; ascending the hall: The boat has no bottom, the rice has no grains; piling into peaks and heaping into mountains, entering straight into the great waves. Returning like this, one attains freedom; beneath Qingliang's gate, everyone nods in approval. And tell me: What does Qingliang say? Great merit goes unrewarded, setting a model for a thousand ages.

1.48

Chan Traveler Can arrived; ascending the hall: The diamond jewel sword enters the red furnace, forging out Yangqi's three-legged donkey. Everywhere on the battlefield fighting a bitter war to the death, skulls interlock and blood runs blurry.

1.49

Ascending the hall on the first day of the fourth month: Willow catkins scatter along the path, spreading a white carpet; lotus leaves dot the pond, stacking green coins. Two colors in a single contest. If perhaps it is not yet so: By the bamboo roots the young shoot is seen by no one; on the sand the duckling sleeps beside its mother.

1.50

Ascending the hall: The autumn wind is cool, the cliff cassia fragrant; the guest who has not yet returned longs for his native home. I have concealed nothing from you; to catch a thief, one must seize the loot. Do you understand? Dancing butterflies and roaming bees cross over the short wall.

1.51

Recorded Sayings of Ruiyan Chan Monastery in Taizhou

1.52

Compiled by Attendant Miaozong

1.53

Pointing to the mountain gate: Without ever taking a step, ascending Tiantai; the golden locks of the mysterious barrier are all flung wide open. Sitting cut off on the first phrase of Ban Peak, all myriad functions penetrate through, giving rise to wind and thunder.

1.54

Taking a seat in the abbot's quarters: When hungry, eat rice; when tired, take a nap. The furnace reaches up to the heavens; is there anyone who penetrates the tongs and hammer? Du! Fall back three thousand!

1.55

Pointing to the Dharma seat: Sinking the great earth flat, rising high above empty space. Sitting cut off before any trigger of action, sporting in spiritual powers. Sumeru-pradīpa-rāja stands downwind. (The attendant who requested the talk and took notes omitted it.)

1.56

Ascending the hall to thank the monastic officers: Breaking open the black lacquer bucket, the ten directions are vast and empty. An explosive thunderclap of a shout transforms and penetrates; lightning flashes as a thousand functions suddenly unleash. Then one can sustain the monastic household in the east rank, and furiously berate the Buddhas and Patriarchs in the west rank. Gathering and releasing without cause or trace; moving freely across past and present. Just at such a moment, tell me: what about the single phrase that does not establish merit? Why does everyone add ash and dirt over their heads?

1.57

Ascending the hall: Han Xin built a pontoon bridge; Li Guang entered a cloth bag. A single arrow pierces the double barrier; heaven and earth are without hindrance. Beneath Ruiyan's gate, is there still such a person? Even if there is, cut him into three pieces! For what reason? An old woman's excessive compassion.

1.58

Ascending the hall on the winter solstice: The movement of the sun's shadow shifts. Drawing a circle, he said: Look, the sun reaches its southern extreme and the days grow longer; light shines from the eyes, air comes out through the nostrils. Do you still know the matter transcending above? Eating one's fill, joyfully dropping a pile of shit—this surpasses Gautama's personal bestowal of prophecy.

1.59

Ascending the hall: Slicing off the head and horns of the whale and dragon; lopping off the claws and teeth of the tiger and leopard. A muddy lump of clay has inexhaustible function; only by treading upon thorns does one see an expert. If perhaps it is not yet so: Who is at the painted tower where wine is sold, inviting one another to come and drink Zhaozhou's tea?

1.60

Ascending the hall: Today is the first day of the ninth month; strike the clappers and invite everyone to sit in meditation. First and foremost, avoid sleeping blindly; being fierce and vigorous right underfoot is paramount. Suddenly bursting open the lacquer bucket, vast as clouds dispersing into the autumn sky. A staff splitting the back, a fist striking the chest—only then day and night can one not sleep. Empty space vanishes and vanishes further, penetrating through to before any omen of Bhīṣmagarjitasvararāja. Yi! Chestnut burrs and golden rings freely interlocking; high songs of victory resounding in ecstatic frenzy.

1.61

Ascending the hall: In the middle of the night a black hen embraces a swan's egg; at daybreak it gives birth to an old crane. Long feathers, a short bill, in the shape of an egret; flying up, throwing the stars of the entire sky into disarray. The ancients spoke thus. Just now in the assembly, is there anyone with clear eyes and an awakened mind? Come out and meet the ancients face to face! If perhaps it is not yet so: With one punch, toppling Yellow Crane Tower; with one kick, flipping over Parrot Island! Du! Beside the hedge, swallows and sparrows chirp in vain.

1.62

Ascending the hall on New Year's Day: The beginning of the year inaugurates good fortune; the myriad things are completely renewed. I respectfully hope the great assembly: Plum blossoms bloom in early spring, do you still see? Raising his whisk, he said: A single branch picked up—dust in the eyes.

1.63

Ascending the hall on retiring from the monastery to proceed to Jingci: For half a year eating rice and sitting on Ban Peak; locked away behind thousands of layers of mist and clouds. Suddenly a roar of thunder claps; in the imperial capital spring colors show apricot blossoms red.

1.64

Recorded Sayings of Jingci Chan Monastery in Lin'an Prefecture

1.65

Compiled by the Student of the Way Weijing

1.66

Pointing to the mountain gate: Beneath Jingci's gate: cattle pens and horse stables. One thrust pierces the barrier, flinging open the universe. Yi! By all means avoid chasing the wind and catching shadows.

1.67

Arriving before the Dharma seat, burning incense to give thanks for the imperial favor, and holding up the imperial yellow decree, he said: A turning word upon the golden hall; the blazing red sun shines upon the ten thousand directions. Grasses, trees, and groves achieve right awakening; brickbats and roof tiles emit rays of light. Raising the imperial yellow decree, he said: Look! Such great grace is hard to repay.

1.68

Gathering his robes and taking his seat, he then said (the questions and answers are not recorded): Cutting off thousands of distinctions, singularly holding up this one matter. Over there, set down turtle hair; right here, pick up rabbit horns. Yi! Knocking open the wonderful pavilion of joy; auspicious mists and auspicious clouds fill the blue sky. Turning to enter the plum blossoms and watch them in full bloom; the spring wind shakes the jade balustrade. Therefore humans and devas gather universally, and Buddhas and Patriarchs pass through the barrier. Launching great functioning and displaying great application, the iron hammer joins the ranks, chilling bones and hair. Just at such a moment, patch-robed monks' nostrils—by all means avoid deceiving one another! In the end, what is it? Within the imperial transformation across the four seas and five lakes, the signless state of great peace has its point of origin.

1.69

He also cited: A monk asked Zhaozhou, 'What is the Great Way?' Zhaozhou said, 'The Great Way reaches Chang'an.' Now everyone has arrived here; assembly, tell me: when principle and phenomena correspond, what word should be applied? Do you still understand thoroughly? Four or five thousand lanes of flowers and willows; twenty to thirty thousand pavilions of pipes and strings.

1.70

Ascending the hall to thank the new and old monastic officers: A single word tallies; for myriad kalpas it does not shift. Willow eyes put forth new branches; plum blossoms fill old boughs. Raising his whisk, he said: It is entirely right here. Look, look! Before any trigger of action, every single one is an extraordinary fellow.

1.71

Ascending the hall: Today is the first day of the second month; the whisk's eyeballs bulge out. Bright as a mirror, black as lacquer. Suddenly leaping up, it swallows the single color of heaven and earth. Beneath the gate of a patch-robed monk, it is still knocking into walls and bumping into partitions. In the end, how is it? Completely relinquishing it, laughing haha; letting the spring wind blow as it will, nothing can be done.

1.72

Ascending the hall: A torrential downpour of rain, then broadly clearing up into vast fine weather. Toads croak and earthworms cry; the ancient Buddha has never passed away, radiating the vajra eyes. Du! Entangling vines, entangling vines!

1.73

Ascending the hall on the fifteenth day of the second month: Never born, never dying; peach blossoms in the ravine glow red reflecting upon the water. Pitiful that with eyes open one is deceived by him, giving rise to wind and waves in the human world and heaven above. Is there still anyone who is not deceived? A cup of clear tea, a stick of incense; clearly it is daybreak, yet the third watch is struck.

1.74

Ascending the hall to pray for clear weather on the first day of the fourth month: Eave drips continue without cease from the rains of the past ten days; lightning flashes still connect with thunder in the deep of the night. Wheat fears the intrusion of water, rice seedlings fear the cold; sericulture and mulberries still require warmth to urge them along. Just at such a moment, sentient beings are submerged in suffering; blue heaven is truly to be pitied! And tell me: What is the single phrase efficacious in the Buddha Dharma? Du! The bright sun is in the sky, and the eye of wisdom opens.

1.75

Ascending the hall on the eighth day of the fourth month: Beneath the aśoka tree, bathing the infant; in the clear dawn roses open carrying dew. Turning around to the place where patch-robed monks meet face to face, the donkeys and horses at the back trough emerge from the womb. If perhaps it is not yet so: Let us go together to the Great Buddha Hall to perform the ritual and bathe the Buddha.

1.76

Ascending the hall on the Duanwu Festival: Taking the Buddhas of the three times as the head, the six generations of Patriarchs as the body, and the patch-robed monks of the world as the hands and feet. Drawing a circle with his whisk, he said: Look, painted into a divine talisman, pasted upon the ghost gate! And tell me, how is it? Red mouths and white tongues are entirely eradicated; leaping up, Yangqi's three-legged donkey!

1.77

Ascending the hall in mid-summer: Entering the summer retreat has already passed; releasing the summer retreat has not yet arrived. The single phrase right in the middle: lotus flowers open reflecting upon the water. Why fall into the weeds? Stopping the crying is originally only for the infant.

1.78

Ascending the hall on releasing the summer retreat: On the fifteenth day of the fourth month, entering the summer retreat: an old rat enters a rice jar. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, releasing the summer retreat: a black tortoise climbs a bamboo pole. Everywhere else it is like this; Jingci is not so. Turning the body over, penetrating through the path atop the pole; opening the eyes, overturning the sky within the jar. Du! The two phases are not the same, cease talking in your sleep; before any trigger of action, the hawk is separated by the year of the donkey!

1.79

Ascending the hall at Mid-Autumn: Clouds are boundless, rain is boundless; Mid-Autumn on this night, boundless and pitch-black. Is there any patch-robed monk? In such a true realm, all one gains is leaning against the balustrade.

1.80

Ascending the hall on the memorial day of Emperor Huizong: The wind rustles, the rain pours down. The sage has never entered extinction, expounding the pure, wonderful sound. If one tries to understand it with the ears, it is ultimately difficult to comprehend; a single phrase before any trigger of action penetrates ancient and modern.

1.81

Ascending the hall: The utmost person manifests transformation without birth or death; showing appearance in Jambudvīpa, there is going and coming. In every land and every dust mote, achieving right awakening: golden jewel halls and jade pavilions.

1.82

Returning after leaving the district; ascending the hall: Holding the fishing rod and returning, catching a brocade-scaled fish; filling heaven and stopping up earth, laughing with delight. Although it is merely an ordinary affair, having weathered all winds and waves, one tests all people.

1.83

Ascending the hall to thank the rector: The pure Dharmakāya Rocana: a dried radish among the ranks of patch-robed monks! Day after day summoned to strike a mallet, the myriad phenomena turn round and round like wheels. And tell me: To where does the merit return? Knowing kindness, by this one repays deep kindness; everyone gets to wolf down their vegetarian gruel! Du!

1.84

Ascending the hall: 'Green bamboos half-clothed in sheaths'—the first chapter, the Introduction. 'New shoots just emerging above the wall'—the second, the Main Body. 'Washed by rain, gracefully clean; blown by wind, subtly fragrant'—the third, the Transmission. Jingci borrows poetry to speak the teaching, wishing to open the eyes for patch-robed monks. Is there anyone whose eyes are open? Du! Leap out from the grassy nest right here! If perhaps it is not yet so: In Huating there was formerly a duck that could talk; in the state of Yue there is now no goose that writes characters.

1.85

Ascending the hall on Chan Master Qing's relics returning to the stupa at Shui'an: The old nemesis on the crown of the head of Emperor Shoushang, dearly missing his late teacher's former grassy nest. Merely borrowing a cattail cushion to sit in meditation; everyone claps hands and sings a mountain song. Just at such a moment, gazing upon the radiance of lakes and seas, humans and devas rejoice together. Yi! Completely extinguishing the essential principles of the school, carrying out the true command!

1.86

Ascending the hall on the arrival of the great stone drum: Singly blind in the topknot eye; a great person possesses great vision. Overturning the sky within the jar; great wisdom possesses great functioning. Entering the small by means of the great, the ten thousand transformations are universally bestowed. And tell me: What serves as the proof? The oriole moves to a tall tree, tuning its new tongue; the plum tree breathes pure fragrance, blossoming on old boughs.

1.87

Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Dead effort in the Nirvāṇa Hall— / A wind-rolled gourd floating on the water. / Opening the eye of study in such a way, / Śākya and Maitreya are his slaves. / If suddenly someone should step forth and say, 'How does that compare to: "Sleeping in spring, unaware of dawn, / Everywhere hearing the crying birds amid falling blossoms"?' / What then?" / Striking the meditation bench, he said: "I thought there was no one."

1.88

Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Rain strikes empty space: bone-dry. / The sun illumines the great earth: pitch-black. / If within this one opens the vajra eye, / When was there ever a distinction between life and death? / Mount Sumeru and the waters of the great ocean: / Billows arise atop the patch-robed monk's crown!"

1.89

Ascending the hall on New Year's Day, [the Master said]: "'Heaven attaining the One becomes clear'—the prime month begins auspicious blessings; 'Earth attaining the One becomes tranquil'—the myriad things are entirely renewed. But tell me, when a patch-robed monk attains the One, what must he do? Singing the song of great peace, there is the Way; / With genial harmony, smiling to greet the spring."

1.90

Ascending the hall on the Lantern Festival, [the Master said]: "Lanterns dot by dot, the moon full and round; / Sightseers watch amidst the clamor of songs and drums. / But tell me, what is the single phrase with eyes? / A short distance away, the phoenix tower opens its pheasant-feather fans; / The Jade Emperor's immortal guard amid purple clouds."

1.91

On the Double Fifth, ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Heaven is vast and blue, earth is yellow and wide. Do you still understand? Zhong Kui was originally a ghost! Bah! May red-tongued calumny all perish! But tell me, how is it that for a patch-robed monk, the eight directions have no doors or gateways? Vast and desolate through past and present, the broad daylight is long."

1.92

Ascending the hall at the close of summer, [the Master said]: "Untying the Zen fellow's cloth bag head, / Vast and open as empty space, showing off refined freedom. / Leaving is acceptable, staying is acceptable; / When the great function manifests before you, there are no fixed rules. / Other quarters may be like this, but Jingci is not so. / Bah! At the critical juncture, strictly avoid transmitting it wrongly!"

1.93

On the occasion of the imperial consort's donation of money to establish a Water and Land Gathering for imperial longevity, ascending the seat, [the Master said]: "Buddhas and Patriarchs share the same root, tranquil and unmoving; heaven and earth unite in virtue, responding and thereby penetrating. The realms of the ten directions and the three times, the auspicious destiny of billions of years: towering and lofty, naturally transforming; vast and grand, non-acting. At present, the rains are timely and the winds auspicious, the era is pure and the Way flourishes. Thus the three armies sing and laugh, and the myriad commoners rejoice and cheer; even the plants, trees, insects, dust, sand, and roof tiles all open proper wisdom and all pay court to the source. But tell me, how does the monk serving beneath the forest bring it forward? Do you fully understand? / Constantly taking the sun and moon as heaven's eyes, / Pointing to Sumeru to make a mountain of longevity."

1.94

He also raised: "Remember: a monk asked an ancient master, 'What is the Buddha?' The master replied, 'The one inside the hall.' / Assembly, do you still understand? / The great ocean is vast and billowy, Sumeru stands towering; / Presently preaching the Dharma, inconceivable; / Bowing the head to the radiant light, most wondrous!"

1.95

Ascending the hall at Mid-Autumn, [the Master said]: "'Before the fifteenth day, lake light rippling, fine weather is just right; after the fifteenth day, mountain colors hazy and misty, rain is all the more wondrous.' Right on the fifteenth day: 'If one compares West Lake to Xishi, light makeup or heavy powder are always fitting.' Is there still the meaning of the Ancestral Master's coming from the West? The Mid-Autumn moon is like the mirror of the phoenix terrace; / Earning a single poem from one of great talent. / Bah!"

1.96

Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "After continuous rain, it has just cleared on the first of the ninth month." Drawing a circle, he said: "The sun rises in the east as before. Illuminating and seeing the five aggregates as all empty, the patch-robed monk's task of study is complete. If suddenly it should rain again, what then? One foot of water, ten feet of waves; / Master Xie sings a mountain song aboard his boat."

1.97

Ascending the hall to thank the tenzo, [the Master said]: "Sitting atop Old Lu's crown, / Picking up the handleless wooden ladle, / Suddenly ladling out molten copper and iron pellets, / Suddenly ladling out ghee and butter. / The great capacity of the Buddhas and Patriarchs is hard to fathom, / Yet it is still everyday tea and rice. / But tell me, what about the phrase that chokes off the throat? / Thoroughly boiling empty space: flourless broth noodles."

1.98

Ascending the hall on retaining the head monk again, [the Master said]: "The sword that kills people, the sword that gives people life; / The more it is ground, the sharper it gets; tested repeatedly, proven repeatedly. / Do you still understand? / It is the standard of ancient times / And the essential pivot of today. / Under Jingci's gate, it truly matches: / Leaning against heaven, reflecting off snow, its cold light gleams!"

1.99

Ascending the hall for the Buddha's Bathing, [the Master said]: "Mists hazy, rain misty, / Peony blossoms open, damp and tender red. / Now I bathe all the Tathāgatas; / In the human world and heaven, a pure wind arises. / If you see it like this, there is no harm in responding to the season and the festival. But if not yet so, let us together borrow Yunmen's command: / One ladle of fragrant broth, one blow of blood! / Bah!"

1.100

Ascending the hall on the first of the tenth month, [the Master said]: "Opening the cold ice hell—the mouth is the gate of misfortune; / Igniting the fierce fire of the iron bed—the body is an instrument of suffering. / Jingci uses this to respond to this season. / Is there anyone whose beans pop in cold ashes, whose warm breath connects? / If not yet so: at mealtime, three milk cakes and seven vegetable cakes."

1.101

Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Chanting praises atop the bell tower; / Planting vegetables beneath the bed legs. / Not understanding is not being at ease; / Understanding is an obstruction. / But what should be done? / The white dog eats raw ginger; / The barbarian crosses the pass by night. / Bah! / If one does not gain the flowing water, / One must still pass beyond another mountain."

1.102

Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Someone arrives from Pingjiang, yet receives a letter from Fuzhou. / Bowing for the New Year at the Cold Food Festival; / Empty space suddenly thrusts out a handle. / Ha! / Smashing empty space, laughing without pause; / Let us all thoroughly examine the stubborn fellow!"

1.103

Ascending the hall to thank the Reverend of Yanshi, [the Master said]: "Shutting the room in Magadha, the Old Barbarian threw open his crown; / Stopping the mouth in Vaiśālī, Pure Name flawed his pretext for speech. / Bringing up these two ancient gong'ans, revealing a stretch of majestic radiance today. / Therefore, host and guest are distinct, rivers and lakes have their place. / Do you still understand? / It is not that the poet does not present a poem: / The spring wind blows it into the partridge lyrics."

1.104

Ascending the hall on setting out on an alms-begging round, [the Master said]: "Assembly! Carrying the pole along with oneself, playing the fool wherever one goes. Old Man Śākya blooms with poisonous flowers; Master Bodhidharma is Wang the Second. Blowing flutes and beating drums, jostling the ranks and seizing the market. The myriad forms and phenomena nod in smiles." Drawing a circle, he said: "All of it is within one's own arena. But tell me, right now in this final scene, how do we cheer? Do you fully understand? / Loosening the pendant, offering incense on the downriver boat; / With woven pattern, dipping the oars to greet the New Year."

1.105

Ascending the hall on New Year's Day, [the Master said]: "The prime month begins auspicious blessings; the nostrils are laid bare. The myriad things are entirely renewed; smiling faces greet the spring. Ultimately, what about it? Under Jingci's gate, style and refinement turn ever more; / Rice fills the bowl, tea fills the cup."

1.106

Ascending the hall (on the occasion of a lecturer paying a visit), [the Master said]: "Spring rain washes the spring snow; / The snow melts on the mountains above the lake. / Rain cleared, facing each other to gaze: / Towering, the skull is cold. / But tell me, is this the ancestral intention or the doctrinal intention? / Bah! / Winning the scenery to circle the painted balustrade."

1.107

Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "A spell of rain, a spell of wind; / Wind and rain in the lake and mountains like a painting. / Is there anyone who comprehends the full function? / Wind shakes the water's color, slippery as lapis lazuli; / Rain dashes mountain light, deep emerald green. / Still drowsy with sleep? / Bah! / The cuckoo weeps blood, dripping red onto flowers."

1.108

Ascending the hall on frying bamboo shoots, [the Master said]: "Assembly! Opening the mysterious gate of Jingci, manifesting the World of Joy. At that time, the Venerable Bamboo of Precious Lotus Peak snapped his fingers again and again, earnestly raising his voice. He thought to himself: 'Spirit of wind and moon, bone and frame of ice and frost; genial warmth opens the forge of the Spring God, the spring wind gives birth to descendants with heads and horns.' Bringing them all from the great earth to meet with an adept. Having met, he spoke a gāthā: / 'Zen, Zen! Fried in oil over a fierce fire, / The whole body completely naked, rolling and tumbling together. / Coming before others: look at it, and the eyes dry up; / Smell it, and the nostrils split! / Let teeth be like sword trees and mouths like blood basins; / Choking off the throat, smashing open the lacquer bucket!' / Thereupon, the Venerable Bamboo gave a great laugh, took his leave, and returned. Directly reaching to brush high into the clouds, quietly stroking the crags and ravines. Transforming into a dragon must have its day; the singing phoenix is here right now. At just such a time, tell me, how does the master of the Southern Mountain judge it? Do you fully understand? As before, a hall of wind is cool and plain; / Added all the more, the fragrant intent of a thousand ages. / Raising: An ancient master said: 'Long, long bamboo shoots burst forth from the rock; today I take them, peel them, and fry them. The mud ox at the bottom of the sea devours a meal of them; the belly of the sky-boring sparrowhawk is pierced through.'"

1.109

Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Assembly! Iron sour pastry, vajra sword: swallow it, cut it down; verify it through being alive! When adepts uphold it together like this, it surpasses the Buddhas and Patriarchs, increasing radiance."

1.110

Recorded Sayings of Ruiyan in Mingzhou

1.111

Compiled by Attendant Ruyu

1.112

Pointing to the triple gate, [the Master said]: "No gate to avoid it; this gate is wide open. But tell me, how do you advance? All family property completely cast away; out of nowhere, wind and thunder arise."

1.113

Pointing to the Buddha Hall, [the Master said]: "Wondrous golden form; wearing clothes and eating rice. Because of me, paying homage to you; sleeping early and rising late. Bah! Talking of mystery and speaking of marvels is far too groundless; strictly avoid holding up a flower to deceive yourself!"

1.114

Occupying the Dharma seat, [the Master said]: "Dancing robes and singing fans, flower drums and clappers: all this is showing off many tricks on this theatre stage. Bah! Let the thousand sages step forth; standing downwind, set your eyes high! Erecting the Dharma banner, establishing the school's tenet: clearly, the Buddha's edict is Caoxi." Raising the whisk, he said: "The Dharma banner has been erected, the school's tenet has been established. But tell me, what is the Buddha's edict of Caoxi? Do you fully understand? Singing the song of great peace, there is the Way; the myriad transformations delight in non-action." Having raised the story of the cypress tree in the courtyard, he said: "The ancestral intention from the West is the cypress in the courtyard; / Nostrils solitary, facing the eyes. / As soon as the dead branch falling to the ground leaps up, / The pine creepers on the trellis laugh and toss about."

1.115

Ascending the hall, he struck his staff and said: "This is the realm of Ruiyan." Striking it again, he said: "Deep, firm, secluded, and far: no one can reach it." Striking it again, he said: "Having reached here, what should be done? Bah! The old monk smilingly points to where the apes cry; / There are still sacred traces higher above." Raising: "A monk asked an ancient master, 'In the deep mountains and rocky crags, is there still the Buddha Dharma or not?' The ancient master said, 'Big stones are big; small ones are small.' Verse: / Questioned about the deep mountains and rocky crags, / 'Big stones, small stones' came the reply. / The crag collapses, the rock bursts and shatters, / Empty space clamors noisily."

1.116

Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Tallying at a single word, one stays; smiling faces, flowers bloom on the jade tree. In other quarters they nod like this; Ruiyan is utterly vicious. Bah! The fist is impartial—look after the end! Atop Gautama's crown, brisk and lively!"

1.117

Ascending the hall to thank the two ranks of monastic officers, [the Master said]: "Mounting the theatre stage before the Twelve Peaks, / Nezha strips naked, defying heaven's might. / Trouble the drums and flutes, dancing with head bowed; / Playing the clown is truly worthy of a laugh!"

1.118

Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Autumn wind is pure, autumn moon is bright; / The great earth, mountains, and rivers expose their eyes. / Ruiyan pokes them blind to meet once more; / Staff and shout traded back and forth to test patch-robed monks."

1.119

Ascending the hall at the Winter Solstice, [the Master said]: "Today the sun reaches its southern extreme; black beans sprout. Assembly, respectful greetings and joyous congratulations! The iron tree blossoms. How does it bear fruit? Dragons gallop, tigers rush; / Scattering soil, throwing sand."

1.120

Ascending the hall on retiring from the monastery, [the Master said]: "A single broken wooden boot of Ruiyan: / Several people scramble forward, all wanting to drag it along. / Only this old monk can kick it off; / Walking out the gate barefoot, laughing ha-ha!"

1.121

Recorded Sayings of Residing Again at Jingci Zen Monastery

1.122

Compiled by Attendant Zhihu

1.123

Pointing to the mountain gate, [the Master said]: "The gate inside Jingci's house opens inside Jingci's house. In the past, Jingci once departed from here; from here, Jingci has now returned again. But tell me, how do you advance? Bah! Jingci's crucial mechanism rolls out wind and thunder!"

1.124

Pointing to the Buddha Hall, [the Master said]: "Throwing wide this hall, meeting face-to-face in person. What should be done? Pulling out nails from the eyes, drawing out arrows from behind the head. Originally formless, penetrating opportune changes."

1.125

Occupying the abbot's quarters, [the Master said]: "Sitting atop Vimalakīrti's ten-foot room, exposing King Yama's hell. Is there anyone who meets? Pitch-black through thousands and myriads of ages, sword trees and knife mountains turning like wheels."

1.126

Coming before the Dharma seat, burning incense, and offering thanks for imperial favor, he held up the imperial yellow decree and said: "The single phrase facing heaven: the myriad workings are laid bare." Holding it aloft, he said: "Look! Patch-robed monks receive it upon their heads and practice it; nostrils are verified before the workings!"

1.127

Pointing to the Dharma seat, [the Master said]: "Jingci's Dharma seat: a single wooden scaffold. Propped horizontally, propped vertically, gleaming with black lacquer."

1.128

Gathering his robes, he took his seat. He then struck the left side of the meditation bench with his whisk and said, "This one is host." Striking the right side, he said, "This one is guest. Great assembly, in former days I departed from the host to become the guest; today I come from the guest to become the host. Do you understand yet? / Coming and going without break, smiling with joyous cheer, / I am originally the old host of South Mountain. / Striking a circle with his whisk, he said, "The features are distinct." He raised his whisk again and said, "It transforms right in this place: a cow's head wears horns; a horse's feet tread with hooves; clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger; myriad images leap and soar; the vast array of phenomena dance! That which is called blinding the eyes of humans and devas opens the eyes in brilliance; destroying the household of the Buddhas and Patriarchs makes their household shine with vitality; assisting the imperial capital's brocade of flowers, manifesting the pristine atmosphere of high antiquity; universally responding to all capacities, briefly according with the seasons. If we speak of the patch-robed monk's transcendence: before one even draws near, one is already separated by the great chiliocosm; to plow open great emptiness does not require a single mattock. Even granting it were so, one would still fall into the clumps of grass. What follows below would make the text too long; better to set it aside for now. Just tell me, what about the phrase 'knowing kindness and repaying kindness'? / The four seas and five lakes are clear as a mirror; / The Great Peace without traces honors the days of Yao."

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