萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

Instruction to the assembly: Encountering the strong, be weak; meeting the soft, be hard. When two hard things strike each other, one is sure to be injured. But tell me, how does one turn and interlock?

3.6

Case: Sansheng asked Xuefeng, 'The golden fish that has passed through the net—I wonder, what does it take for food?'
(Without waiting for the line to be cast, it takes the hook of itself)
Feng said, 'Wait until you come out of the net, then I will tell you.'
(When meeting someone, just speak three-tenths of the words)
Sheng said, 'The good friend of fifteen hundred people, yet you do not even recognize the turning word!'
(The prophecy of enlightenment on Spirit Mountain was not even like today's)
Feng said, 'This old monk's administrative duties as abbot are manifold.'
(His cheekbones can be seen from behind his head)

3.7

In recent times, Venerable Changlu Liao was Tiantong's fellow student; he presided over a community of seventeen hundred, and together with Zhu'an Gui he served gruel, passed the summer retreat, and assigned rooms for entering the chamber. Xuefeng and Sansheng, across different generations, shared the same wind. Daguan Zhe said: 'Sansheng may be called someone who, at the myriad-fathom Dragon Gate, was long accustomed to being a guest; Xuefeng was very much like Mengchang with his gates open—how could he fear eminent guests?' When Sansheng posed this question, it was nothing less than bringing out a glue-pot into the thorn thicket. Xuefeng, already thirty paces away, saw him sticking and entangling himself, and said: 'Wait until you come out of the net, then I will tell you.' Extraordinary! It is just like a national master playing chess, seeing several moves ahead. Seeing that this exchange did not settle victory or defeat, Sansheng took another road and said: 'The good friend of fifteen hundred people, yet you do not even recognize the turning word!' Using the claws and fangs of the Dharma cave, he captured him alive. Xuefeng, unhurried, merely said: 'This old monk's administrative duties as abbot are manifold.' Baofu said, 'Striving is not enough; yielding has plenty to spare.' Xuedou said, 'What a pity he let him off; he deserved thirty blows.' Of these blows, not even a single blow could be bargained away. Truly it is rare to encounter masters of the craft. These two old men—one releasing, one snatching—each had a way to extricate themselves. Someone asked Venerable Ding of Gaoyou, 'What does the golden fish that has passed through the net take for food?' Ding said, 'A dried shit-stick.' My late teacher Xueyan heard this and said, 'Thank you for the offering.' This joy in Dharma and delight in Chan was not inferior to the ancients. On Tiantong's part, how was it? The verse says:

3.8

The wave-steps first ascend, escorted by clouds and thunder;
(Regretting that heaven is not reached)
Leaping vigorously, behold the great function!
(Quickly make three prostrations)
With tail burned, it clearly passes Yu's Gate;
(Hurry and fix your eyes to look)
The splendid scales refuse to steep in a pickle jar.
(There is still a black moustached one)
The mature elder does not alarm the crowd;
(Completely settled, entirely secure)
Accustomed to facing a formidable enemy, from the start he has no fear.
(Receiving disgrace like glory, viewing death like life)
Drifting along, just like a weight of five ounces;
(Viewed from afar, indistinct)
Towering up, how could it be merely a thousand jun heavy?
(Seen from up close, clear and distinct)
His high renown across the four seas—who again can equal it?
(Picking the moon in the sky)
Standing steadfast, unmoved even by the eight winds.
(Just as if nothing happened)

3.9

The Master said: Mount Longmen in Jiangzhou was cut through by Yu; it is also called the Yu Gate, and it has three tiers. The *Water Classic* says: 'Sturgeon and tuna emerge from Gong Cave; in the third month they ascend and cross the Dragon Gate. Those that succeed in crossing become dragons; those that do not, bang their foreheads and turn back.' 'At the first rise of waves on the tiers' refers to the waves on the three tiers. The *Commentary on the Words of the Text* of the *Classic of Changes* says: 'Clouds follow the dragon; wind follows the tiger.' Clouds and thunder ushering it along make it a dragon. The two great beings leapt up with awe-inspiring force: Sansheng was like the first rise of waves on the tiers, and Xuefeng was like clouds and thunder ushering him along. Once Sansheng had crossed the Dragon Gate, how could Xuefeng be willing to steep him in a pickle jar? When Linji sent off Luopu, he said: 'Under Linji's gate there is a red-tailed carp, shaking its head and wagging its tail, heading southward; in whose pickle jar will it be steeped to death?' Below, it directly praises Xuefeng's 'the old monk has many administrative duties,' as well as Sansheng's two questions. 'An elder who does not alarm the crowd; / accustomed to facing formidable foes, he has no fear from the start.' In the annals of Emperor Guangwu, the troops of Wang Xun and Wang Yi numbered a million and advanced to besiege Kunyang. Guangwu himself led as vanguard and killed several tens of men. The generals were all delighted, saying: 'General Liu was usually timid upon seeing minor foes, yet today he is valiant upon seeing formidable foes—truly extraordinary!' At first glance he does not even seem to weigh five ounces, yet when carefully examined and inquired into, on a thousand-catty scale he cannot be budged. Later, under Xuefeng's gate, the two schools of Yunmen and Fayan emerged—was this not indeed a deep source with a long flow? Gain and loss, disgrace and fame, praise and blame, pain and pleasure are the eight winds. To a fundamental ancestral master like him, they pass like wind by the ears. Venerable Xing of Tanzhe said to Venerable Yi of Qingshou: 'If I call you a father, what about that?'

3.10

Case 34: Fengxue's Single Particle of Dust

3.11

Instructing the assembly, he said: Empty-handed and bare-fisted, with thousands of transformations and tens of thousands of changes—though this is making something out of nothing, how can one treat the false as true? Tell me: is there still a foundation or not?

3.12

Case: Fengxue gave a guiding phrase, saying: 'If one establishes a single particle of dust, the family and state flourish (gained, it is fundamentally present); if one does not establish a single particle of dust, the family and state perish (lost, it is fundamentally absent).' Xuedou held up his staff and said (is it established or not established?): 'Are there any patch-robed monks who die together and live together?' (I do not say there are none, only that they are few).

3.13

The Master said: Xuedou's raising his staff had its intent in the place where the dust is established. His verse says: 'Let the rustic elder not open his furrowed brow; / for now aim to establish a grand foundation for the family and state. / Where are the strategist ministers and fierce generals now?' This praises 'Are there any patch-robed monks who die together and live together?' 'For ten thousand miles, only the pure wind knows of itself.' 'The rustic elder does not open his furrowed brow'—this case was not cited in full. In the recorded sayings, Fengxue ascended the hall and said: 'If one establishes a single particle of dust, the family and state flourish, and the rustic elder knits his brows. If one does not establish a single particle of dust, the family and state perish, and the rustic elder is at ease. If you understand here, you ācāryas have no share in it—it is entirely this old monk. If you do not understand here, this old monk is just you ācāryas. The ācāryas and this old monk can awaken the people of the whole world, and can also bewilder the people of the whole world. Do you want to know the ācāryas?' Striking once on the left side, he said: 'Right here.' 'Do you want to know this old monk?' Striking once on the right side, he said: 'Right here.' Yunmen said: 'Right here is easy; over there is difficult.' Langya Jue said: 'Ladle divination listening to empty sounds.' Wansong says: Yunmen added a point onto an arrow; Langya pulled a wedge from behind the head. This too is the abolition and establishment of a single particle of dust, the flourishing and perishing of the family and state. In truth, how could the tree trunk in the center ever have moved in the least? In the gateway of Buddhist affairs, Xuedou does not abandon a single dharma; Tiantong, in addition, in the realm of ultimate reality does not admit a single particle of dust. Carrying out both dharmas together, he brings them out at once. The verse says:

3.14

'White-haired at the Wei River, he raised his fishing line— (old, he does not rest his mind)
How could he compare to the pure starving men of Mount Shouyang? (young, they did not exert effort)
It only depends on a single particle of dust to divide the transformations; (holding up his staff, he says: look!)
Lofty fame and meritorious deeds—both are hard to match.' (putting down his staff, he says: Xuedou is still here!)

3.15

The Master said: When the Western Earl was about to go out hunting, he divined it, and the omen said: 'What you obtain will not be a dragon, nor a bear, nor a grizzly bear, nor a tiger; it will be an assistant to an overlord or king.' He indeed obtained Lü Shang on the northern bank of the Wei River. Talking with him, he was overjoyed and said: 'Ever since our late lord, the Grand Duke, it was once said: "There should be a sage who goes to Zhou." Our Grand Duke has hoped for you for a long time!' Therefore he was called Taigong Wang (The Grand Duke's Hope) and established as teacher. Boyi and Shuqi were the two sons of the Lord of Guzhu; both fled after ceding the state to each other. When King Wu marched against Zhou, they pulled at his horse's reins and remonstrated: 'Your father has died and is not yet buried, yet you take up shield and lance—can this be called filial? As a minister slaying your sovereign—can this be called benevolent?' The attendants wished to execute them, but Taigong said: 'These are righteous men,' and supported them away. King Wu pacified the Yin, and the world gave allegiance to Zhou. Boyi and Shuqi were ashamed of it; refusing to eat the grain of Zhou, they gathered ferns on Mount Shouyang and starved to death. Taigong's punishing Yin and securing allegiance to Zhou was the flourishing of family and state. Boyi and Shuqi's ceding the throne and starving to death was the perishing of family and state. National Preceptor Xianshou merely established the transformations of a single particle of dust to expound the Ocean of Meaning of a Hundred Gates. Lofty fame belongs to Boyi and Shuqi; meritorious deeds belong to Taigong. Luopu said: 'Before the rustic elder's gate, court affairs are not discussed.' Thus he was at ease with farming and mulberry, never knitting his brows. Why? Uselessness becomes true usefulness; good conditions are bad conditions.

3.16

Case 35: Luopu's Heartfelt Submission

3.17

Instructing the assembly, he said: Swift dynamic and quick wit parry external paths and heavenly māras. Surpassing the standard and transcending the lineage caters to those of superior faculties and sharp wisdom. If you suddenly meet a fellow who does not turn his head even when struck with a staff, what then?

3.18

Case: Luopu visited Jiashan; without bowing, he stood face to face with him (meeting, they do not dismount; each has his own path ahead). Jiashan said: 'A chicken roosts in a phoenix's nest—you are not of the same kind; get out!' (pushing with one hand, pulling with the other). Luopu said: 'Having hastened here from afar drawn by your renown, I beg the master to receive me' (a sounding pole in hand). Jiashan said: 'Before my eyes there is no ācārya; here there is no old monk' (shadow grass accompanying the body). Luopu then shouted (exhausting his tendons, expending his strength). Jiashan said: 'Stop, stop! Do not be so hasty and careless (those who understand are not flurried; those who are flurried do not understand). The clouds and moon are the same; streams and mountains are distinct (in oblique alleys and dark lanes, a new guest gets bewildered). Cutting off the tongues of everyone under heaven is not without merit (he only sees the sharp point of the awl), but how can you make a tongueless person speak?' (he does not see the square end of the chisel). Luopu had no words (before the long-snake formation, the bow tip hits the ground). Jiashan then struck him (unexpectedly, Jiashan acts like Linji). From this, Luopu submitted in his heart (skill overpowers a master of the trade).

3.19

The Master said: The *Transmission of the Lamp* and other records all say that before Jiashan met Chuanzi, he had already appeared in the world and resided at Zhulin in Jingkou, Runzhou, yet did not record the name of the master who transmitted the Dharma to him. Only Foguo clapped his hands and said: 'Chuanming initially succeeded Shilou'—that is, Shilou of Fenzhou. Chuanming is Jiashan's posthumous title. Chan Master Yuan'an of Mount Luopu in Lizhou had studied under Linji for a long time as an attendant. Linji once said: 'An arrow under Linji's gate—who dares meet its point?' One day he took leave of Linji. Linji asked: 'Where are you going?' He said: 'South.' Linji drew a line with his staff and said: 'If you can cross this, then go.' Luopu then shouted; Linji struck him. Luopu bowed and left. After traveling, he reached the summit of Jiashan and set up a hut, where a year passed. Jiashan learned of it and dispatched an attendant monk to rush a letter to him. Luopu took it and sat on it, then stretched out his hand again to ask for it. The monk had no words; Luopu then struck him, saying: 'Go back and present this to the Venerable.' The monk returned and presented it. Jiashan said: 'If this monk reads the letter, he will certainly come within three days; if he does not read the letter, he cannot be saved.' Three days later, Luopu came; without bowing, he stood face to face with him. Jiashan said: 'A chicken roosts in a phoenix's nest—you are not of the same kind; get out!' Each had the eye to part the grass and watch the wind. Luopu saw that Jiashan's driving him away was in fact keeping him; having arrived, how could he return empty-handed? Seeing also that the methods of the house were high and hard, with neither yielding to the other, he used a soft tactic to adapt to him, saying: 'Having hastened here from afar drawn by your renown, I beg the master to receive me.' Jiashan had another furnace and bellows, saying: 'Before my eyes there is no ācārya; here there is no old monk.' Jiashan knew that having studied for a long time, he would certainly carry out Linji's direct order, and therefore he separately used tongs and hammer that transcend the lineage and surpass the standard. Luopu indeed then shouted. You tell me: is it just this, or is there something else? Jiashan said: 'Stop, stop! Do not be so hasty and careless. There is no need to be flurried. The clouds and moon are the same; streams and mountains are distinct. The same dough and grass depend on how people make them. Cutting off the tongues of everyone under heaven is not without merit—there are only thousand-foot cold pines; how can you make a tongueless person speak?—one must still sprout shoots from bamboo.' Jiashan once had a saying: 'In terms of setting up the house style, it enters deep talk of principle.' Luopu was setting up the house style; Jiashan was the deep talk of principle. Luopu, greedy to gaze at the white waves, lost his oar and suddenly could not keep up. Jiashan was also skillful, taking Linji's direct order and putting an unpolished key into an old lock for him. Luopu was used to drinking the strong home vinegar and knew its sourness; thus he submitted in his heart. Xinghua said: 'Just understand becoming a buddha; why worry about sentient beings?' Wansong says: How can a single tree make a forest? Xuedou said: 'This monk is pitiable and lamentable; he retarded that Linji.' Wansong says: When the raised son does not equal the father, the house declines for a generation. 'Since he says the clouds and moon are the same, I also say the streams and mountains are distinct.' Wansong says: The autumn colors of the southern mountains compete in majestic vigor. 'What is the talk of a tongueless person being unable to speak?' Wansong says: Still an interpreter-official. 'He should have struck him right in the mouth with his sitting cloth.' Wansong says: If he had grabbed it and beaten him to a pulp, what then? 'Jiashan is a man who knows directions; he will certainly arrange things beneath the bright window.' Wansong says: It is better to return his fundamental fodder to him. Wuzu Jie said: 'If he speaks of principles again, watch him leave immediately.' Wansong says: The nature of snakes and scorpions is venomous by birth. Dayang Yan said: 'It also requires the Venerable's verification.' Wansong says: The scent of orchids remains fragrant into old age. The Master also said: The lineage of Yaoshan is truly difficult to carry on and raise up. When Yunyan swept the ground, the dust filled the sky. Luopu submitted in his heart, crying of injustice without end. Fortunately, the tongueless understands speech, and the handless delivers punches. Even though staff and shout fly back and forth, they can only raise half on the side. Supporting this Way, it is entrusted to Tiantong. The verse says:

3.20

'A red-tailed fish, shaking its head and wagging its tail, (mouth greedy for the fragrant bait, body hangs in the net)
Completely without reliance, knows how to turn its body. (today dragged to the bottom of the net)
Though he had the art to cut off tongues, (you are just sweeping snow to look for pine nuts)
Tugging back the nostrils is wondrously divine. (I have already split the staff and obtained poria)
Outside the night-shining screen, the wind and moon are like broad daylight; (not borrowing the power of the three lights)
Before the withered-wood crag, flowers and plants are ever spring. (silently melting away the effort of a single color)
Tongueless person, tongueless person! (responding from within the nostrils)
Fully raising the direct order, the single phrase is intimate. (secretly pulling out the transverse bone)
Walking alone through the realm, distinct and clear, (the true light does not dazzle)
He lets all under heaven rejoice with great joy.' (turbulent on their own, what has it to do with me?)

3.21

The Master said: Luopu took leave of Linji. Ji said, 'Under the gates of Linji there is a red-tailed carp who, shaking its head and wagging its tail, goes off to the south.' To be thoroughly without reliance and know how to turn oneself around—this is an affair of Linji's lineage; it is not entirely identical with shifting one's position or turning over merit. The *Extensive Record of Linji* says: 'Only the person of the Way who listens to the Dharma without reliance is the mother of all buddhas. Therefore, buddhas are born from non-reliance. If you awaken to non-reliance, even buddhahood is ungraspable.' One who sees like this possesses genuine understanding. Wansong says: If Luopu could not turn himself around, how could he shout at Jiashan? If you say he did turn around, why was he wordless at the very end? Try to evaluate and see. Tiantong grants that he had eyes and skill, and Jiashan also did not lack his ability to cut off the tongues of everyone in the world, being well able to wield the command. It was only a matter of teaching a tongueless person how to speak. The nostrils facing heaven were gently hauled back. When Foguo saw Jiashan speaking like chanting an incantation, he added a turning phrase: 'Where did he get this string of entanglements?' Wansong says: This very thing is precisely Jiashan teaching the tongueless person how to speak. Foguo lacked this string of entanglements; he could only cut off the tongues of everyone in the world. Even granting that there is elsewhere a place to turn oneself around and vent one's breath, it is not necessarily the speech of a tongueless person. Tell me, what is this person's realm? The verse says: 'Outside the night-glowing curtain, wind and moon are like broad daylight; / Before the withered-tree crag, flowers and herbs are perpetual spring.' This is the tongueless person's enjoyment. Emperor Ming of Han built the Hall of Radiant Light, using pearls and gems as curtain screens, with golden thresholds and jade stairs, radiant day and night. Tong'an Cha said, 'Before the withered-tree crag, divergent paths are many.' Dongshan said, 'You must sprinkle a few flowers on the withered tree.' This verse shows that beneath the stick and shout there is no lack of solitary steepness. Having reached the top of the hundred-foot pole, one must take yet another step; only then can one make the tongueless person speak. Thus we know that the words uttered by the tongueless person are precisely the complete presentation of the correct command, a single phrase that hits home. Arriving here, one's eyes look above the four seas, walking alone throughout the realm. Later, Luopu said, 'Let everyone in the world rejoice merrily; I alone do not agree.' Even if everyone in the world willingly lets their tongues be cut off by him, Jiashan said, 'Transcendently, there is still an opening.' What is the transcendent opening? When the tongueless person knows how to speak, he will tell you.

3.22

Case 36: Great Master Ma Unwell

3.23

Instruction to the assembly: Investigating while leaving mind, intellect, and consciousness behind—this still remains. Studying while transcending the paths of ordinary and sage—this is already far too lofty. Iron caltrops burst forth from the red-hot furnace; with sword-tongues and spear-lips, it is hard to open one's mouth. Without clashing against sharp edges, please raise the case and see.

3.24

Case: Great Master Ma was unwell. (Not necessarily like Vimalakīrti.) / The director of affairs asked, 'Venerable, how has your revered condition been lately?' (Busy with affairs of the permanent establishment, I have seldom inquired after you.) / The Great Master said, 'Sun-Face Buddha, Moon-Face Buddha.' (Could this be cramps and cholera?)

3.25

The Master said: The ancients performed Buddha-work even amid illness. When Nanyue Sizhi's sickness obstacle suddenly arose, he took the sickness and made a case of it, inquiring: 'Sickness arises from karma; karma arises from delusion; delusion arises from mind; mind is fundamentally unproduced. Whence does sickness exist?' Having formed this thought, he suddenly recovered. Wansong says: Through Tathāgata Chan, he found a place of peace and joy. Chan Master Shen of Fengsheng in the Western Capital had the style of the nun Zongchi. Upon rising from sickness, she made a verse: 'When breath is cut off, feelings are severed; / Raising an intention, there is no path for intention. / Still lacking the strength even to blink, / For year after year I do not go out the door.' Although this is Patriarchal Chan, it is very much like an old crow in a sack. Venerable Furong Kai said, 'Just this one verse naturally inherits our lineage.' Wansong says: Although this is already too much, it does no harm that there is yet more to it. Great Master Ma was not like this. The director of affairs did not dare ask directly whether his sickness was waxing or waning, but subtly submitted the inquiry: 'How has the Venerable's revered condition been lately?' He did not speak of Tathāgata Chan or Patriarchal Chan, but merely said, 'Sun-Face Buddha, Moon-Face Buddha.' Tell me, what was his intention? Foguo said, 'Nowadays many people say that Great Master Ma was receiving the director of affairs. There are some who glare and say, "It is right here—the left and right eyes are Sun-Face Buddha and Moon-Face Buddha." There are some who say, "Bring a dose of Stomach-Calming Powder; what relevance does it have?"' Chan Master Shou said, 'There is not a single name that does not broadcast the title of the Tathāgata; there is not a single thing that does not expound the form of Vairocana.' Wansong says: In the *Sūtra of the Names of Buddhas* these two buddha-names are present. In the end, what was the Great Master's purport? Haven't you heard it said: 'The colt tramples to death everyone in the world'? Tianjue's verse says: 'The colt of Shifang is ferocious in spirit; / Trampling, he walks atop Vairocana's head. / Just when afflicted with spleen pain and finger aches, / Falling ill, he still retains an artful frame of mind.' Wansong says: One's fundamental nature is hard to alter; mountains and rivers are easy to change. This verse praises Mazu for acting for the sake of others with the fundamental affair even while on sick leave. For those of us whose physical bodies are strong and healthy, we must by no means fail Mazu or treat Tiantong with neglect. The verse says:

3.26

"Sun-face, moon-face— (Look at them and you go blind.)
Stars shooting, lightning rolling. (Already past Silla.)
The mirror faces images without partiality; (Not a speck can be deceived.)
The pearl turns of itself in the tray. (It cannot be seized.)
Have you not seen? Before the hammer and anvil, the hundred-times refined gold; (Vessels, basins, hairpins, bracelets, tallies, bowls, and plates.)
Beneath the shears and ruler, silk from a single loom." (Quilts, blankets, clothes, caps, collars, and sleeves.)

3.27

The Master said: These two buddhas, Sun-Face and Moon-Face, are like stars shooting and lightning rolling, admitting of no deliberation. Formerly, the Qin palace used jade for mirrors to reflect the ministers, so that their livers, gallbladders, and viscera all appeared; moreover, when foxes took human form, only their original shapes appeared in the mirror. This is being without partiality or concealment. The *Record of the Mutual Resonance of Things* states that Langfeng Shoal produces pearls which, when placed in a vessel, turn of themselves, which are called rolling pearls. This verse praises Mazu's mind as being like an ancient mirror and his dynamic like a rolling pearl, leaving no trace of an image. Gold refined a hundred times depends on the hammer and anvil of an adept; silk from a single loom depends on the skillful shears and ruler. A monk asked Yunyan, 'The person of great preservation and that one—are they one or two?' Yan said, 'Silk from a single loom: is it one piece or two pieces?' Dongshan spoke in his place: 'Like someone grafting trees.' This is the convergence of objective realm and spirit, the merging of wisdom and principle, heaven and water sharing the same autumn, ruler and minister in harmonious accord. When silk encounters shears and ruler, cutting is up to the person; when gold encounters hammer and anvil, forging rests with oneself. Tell me, on the part of a patch-robed monk, what sort of business has been accomplished? Sun-Face Buddha, Moon-Face Buddha.

3.28

Case 37: Guishan's Karmic Consciousness

3.29

Instruction to the assembly: Driving away the plowman's ox, haul back its nostrils; snatching away the starving man's food, hold fast his throat. Is there anyone who can lay down such a poisonous hand?

3.30

Case: Guishan asked Yangshan, 'If someone suddenly asked, "All sentient beings only have vast and boundless karmic consciousness with no foundation to rely upon," how would you test him?' (The horse is an official horse; no brand is needed.) / Yang said, 'If a monk comes, I would call out, "So-and-so!"' (A blow behind the brain; he knows not whence it comes.) / The monk turns his head. (From the crown of his head, the three ethereal souls depart.) / Yang then says, 'What is it?' (While the furnace is hot, strike him once more.) / Waiting for him to hesitate, (Beneath the soles of his feet, the seven corporeal souls are pierced.) / I would say to him, 'Not only is your karmic consciousness vast and boundless, you also have no foundation to rely upon.' (Captured alive and taken in the flesh.) / Gui said, 'Excellent!' (Bitter words from the mouth are words of intimacy.)

3.31

The Master raised this: A monk asked Yun'an, 'The *Treatise on the Avataṃsaka* says that the defilement of the entrenchment of ignorance is itself the unmoving wisdom of all buddhas. The principle is extremely profound and mysterious, exceedingly difficult to comprehend.' An said, 'This is most clear and very easy to understand.' Just then there was an attendant boy who was sweeping. An called to him, and he turned his head. An pointed and said, 'Is this not the unmoving wisdom?' Yangshan calling the monk and his turning his head was precisely this moment. Yun'an then asked, 'What is your buddha-nature?' The boy looked left and right, and departed bewildered. An said, 'Is this not the defilement of entrenchment? If you can understand it, you become a buddha right now.' The boy's bewilderment is no different from hesitation; the defilement of the entrenchment of ignorance is also the same as vast and boundless karmic consciousness. Yun'an and Yangshan tested monks and examined people in exactly this manner. Wansong's view, however, is not so: through and through, both the boy and the monk are the unmoving wisdom; from the very beginning, both Yun'an and the peak of Yang are vast and boundless karmic consciousness. If someone can distinguish this, they will have intimately seen Tiantong. The verse says:

3.32

"A single call, a turning of the head—do you recognize me or not? (A true overt thief; what is difficult to see?)
Vaguely, the moon over the vines forms a hook once more. (Hiding the body while exposing the shadow.)
The scion of a thousand pieces of gold has just fallen into wandering; (Though the straw rain-hat is broken, the skeleton remains.)
Vast and bleak along the dead-end road, there is so much sorrow." (A small vessel lacks great capacity.)

3.33

The Master raised this: Baizhang entered the hall. When the assembly had just gathered, he drove them all out with his staff. Then he called to the great assembly. As the assembly turned their heads, Zhang said, 'What is it?' The various quarters designate this as Baizhang's phrase upon leaving the hall. It is well worth investigating. Wang Jinggong said, 'I obtained a single phrase of Xuefeng's and became prime minister.' When someone firmly asked for further explanation, Jinggong said, 'That old fellow used to say to people: "What is it?"' This phrase of the verse praises calling the monk, his turning his head, and 'What is it?' 'Do you recognize me or not?'—the word *bu* has the sound *fu-jiu* [reading *fou*], meaning 'not'; the intention is to ask, 'Do you recognize me or no?' Yangshan wielded an unprincipled hand to strike at an unguarded household. If this monk had caught a glimpse within the flash of flint-sparks, he could be said to recognize the emperor in the bustling marketplace. If he should suddenly hesitate, then 'vaguely, the moon over the vines forms a hook once more.' Huangbo entered the hall; when the assembly had just gathered, he drove them all out with his staff. Then he called to the great assembly. As the assembly turned their heads, Bo said, 'The moon is like a curved bow: little rain and much wind.' The verse's meaning employs this. Shishi Shendao and Yangshan were enjoying the moon. Yang asked, 'When the moon is crescent, where does the round form go? When it is round, where does the crescent form go?' Shi said, 'When it is crescent, the round form is hidden; when it is round, the crescent form is present.' Yunyan said, 'When it is crescent, the round form is present; when it is round, the crescent form is absent.' Daowu said, 'When crescent, it is not crescent; when round, it is not round.' 'Forms a hook' refers to the crescent form. Luo Binwang's poem says, 'Since it can be round as a mirror, / Why must it bend like a hook?' The Huayan school names this the gate of the simultaneous establishment of the secret, the hidden, and the manifest. Moreover, the teachings say that a tenth-stage bodhisattva sees the nature like looking at the moon through fine silk gauze (*luohu*); reading it as 'gauze moon' (*luoyue*) would also work. However, Li Bai's poem has: 'The vine moon hangs before the morning mirror; / Pine winds sound like evening strings.' The word *luo* ('vine') has a more expansive meaning. Tiantong uses the hazy new moon dimly reflected among misty vines: though not round and bright, its sharp corner is already revealed. He versifies this monk's condition of being half bright and half dark, as if existing yet as if perished. Wansong is very much like a commissioner of salt and iron; truly, because Tiantong's needlework is deep and fine, if the threads are not unbroken, it is difficult to complete the woven brocade. When Senior Uncle Mi was walking with Dongshan, they saw a white hare pass by. Mi said, 'How brisk!' Shan said, 'How so?' Mi said, 'Like a commoner appointed prime minister.' Shan said, 'Such an old man, and you speak like this!' Mi said, 'What about you?' Shan said, 'Noble for generations, fallen on hard times for a while.' Sima Xiangru's *Rhapsody on the Shanglin Park* says: 'The scion of a thousand pieces of gold does not sit under the eaves.' Ruan Ji often rode in a wicker cart; whenever he reached a dead-end road, he would weep bitterly and turn back. Wansong says: If you can return home along the road, you can turn yourself around and return to the father. Haven't you heard it said: 'A single thought turning the light around is identical to the original attainment'? Since it is so, why is it that when the unmoving wisdom of all buddhas arrives on the part of all sentient beings, it is called vast and boundless karmic consciousness? Had you known early on that the lamp was fire, the rice would have been cooked long ago.

3.34

Case 38: Linji's True Person

3.35

The Master instructed the assembly, saying: "Taking a thief as one's son; mistaking a slave for the master. How could a broken wooden ladle be the skull of an ancestor? A donkey's saddle-bridge is likewise not father's lower jaw. When dividing the realm and parceling out the land, how do you distinguish the ruler?"

3.36

Case: Linji instructed the assembly, saying: 'There is a true person without status (The foundation has been laid and the feet planted) constantly going out and in through the gates of your faces. (What about behind your backs?) Those beginners who have not yet verified this, look, look!' (Do you still have eyes?) At that time, a monk asked, 'What is the true person without status?' (Do you still understand words?) Linji came down from the meditation seat and grabbed him: (You would deny it further!) The monk hesitated. (Stifling that true person!) Linji pushed him away, saying, 'The true person without status—what kind of dried shit-scraper is it!' (Much like failing to carry the alms bowl.)

3.37

The Master raised the case: Linji's Extensive Sayings states: 'Within the bodily field of the five aggregates, there is a true person without status, manifestly appearing, without a hairsbreadth of separation. Why do you not recognize it? The dharma of the mind has no form; it pervades the ten directions.' Since it is said to pervade the ten directions, it is not only going out and in through the facial gates of the bodily field of the five aggregates. 'Those beginners who have not yet verified this, look, look!' Wansong says: The true person without status looks at the assembly of monks; the assembly of monks looks at the true person. At that time, a monk asked, 'What is the true person without status?' The various quarters call this 'sending off the matter with the sound of the voice.' But what can be done when one who rides the donkey does not see beneath his seat? Linji came down from the meditation seat and grabbed him. Now tell me, at which end was the true person? He deserved a palm strike. The monk hesitated: the true person was not present; what a pity! Linji pushed him away, saying, 'The true person without status—what kind of dried shit-scraper is it!' Denying it directly to his face! Xuefeng said, 'Linji is very much like a daylight robber.' Wansong says: Exposed! Xuedou said, 'One who is skilled at theft is unknown even to ghosts and spirits. Since he was seen through by Xuefeng, Linji was no adept.' He then called to the assembly: 'Today Xuedou has changed all of your eyes! If you do not believe it, go back to your respective quarters and feel around to see!' Wansong says: Xuedou has lost his eyebrows along with them! If you wish to understand being a thief in the hands of a thief, you must ask Tiantong. The verse says:

3.38

"Delusion and awakening oppose each other; (Not separated by a hairsbreadth.)
Wonderfully transmitted and concise. (Wind and mist have already been violated.)
Spring splits open a hundred flowers with a single blow; (Letting go is rather perilous.)
Pulling back nine oxen with a single tug of strength. (Taking back is too swift.)
Helplessly, the mud and sand cannot be cleared away; (My eyes were originally correct.)
Clearly blocking the spring of sweet water. (Deceived because of the teacher.)
Suddenly bursting forth, surging unchecked!" (One cannot blame overturning the meditation seat.)

3.39

The Master said again: "Perilous!" (Throwing down the staff, he said: "Letting you off for one move.")

3.40

The Master said: The Sūtra of Complete Enlightenment says: 'Just as a lost person confuses the four directions, yet in reality the directions have not moved; when he awakens, they are also just as before.' The Zongjing says: 'Originally, delusion and awakening seemed like delusion; today, awakening to delusion is not awakening.' This is truly 'wonderfully transmitted and concise,' generous without expense. If you grasp it, then the lump of red flesh is just the true person without status. If you do not grasp it, the true person goes out and in through the facial gates just as before. This monk also had it, only he could not bring it out, could not put it to use. Instead, he acted as a servant for the true person, delivering words, conveying messages, and inquiring after news. It troubled Linji to lower his honor and approach the lowly, directly using the whole substance. Since the monk was caught unprepared, Linji also pulled away without looking back. Seeing that the spoon could not scoop it up, he then said, 'The true person without status—what kind of dried shit-scraper is it!' This can release and can capture, call together and shout apart, never binding dead words to cause sickness in people's chests. Tiantai says: 'One blow, and the world is formed; one shout, and the world is destroyed.' Furthermore, he says: 'At the very moment of blowing, shout; at the very moment of shouting, blow.' Liezi says: Gongyizi was renowned for his strength. King Xuan of Zhou engaged him with all due rites. When he arrived, he was a weakling. The king asked, 'How great is your strength?' He replied, 'Your subject can break the thigh of a spring insect and bear the wing of an autumn cicada.' The king changed countenance and said, 'My strength can tear rhinoceros hide and drag the tails of nine oxen, yet I still regret its weakness. Being as you are, why are you renowned for strength?' He replied, 'Your subject's renown is not based on bearing strength, but on being able to use strength.' This versifies Linji's powerful function of gathering and releasing. When Fayan dug a well, the spring-eye was blocked by sand. He asked a monk, 'The spring-eye is not clear because sand blocks it. The eye of the Way is not clear; what blocks it?' The monk had no reply. Fayan answered for him: 'It is blocked by the eye.' Now tell me: did this monk block the spring-eye, or did Linji block the spring-eye? When it suddenly bursts forth, how is it? The Master picked up his staff and descended from the seat. The assembly dispersed all at once.

3.41

Case 39: Zhaozhou Washes the Bowls

3.42

The Master instructed the assembly, saying: "When rice comes, open your mouth; when sleep comes, close your eyes. When washing the face, you find your nostrils; when putting on shoes, you feel your heels. If at that time you miss the topic, seeking separately late at night with a lamp, how could you ever attain accord?"

3.43

Case: A monk asked Zhaozhou, 'I have newly entered the monastery; I beg the Master for instruction.' (The monastery is not bad for you either.) Zhaozhou said, 'Have you eaten your porridge yet?' (Pure gold and unhewn jade.) The monk said, 'I have eaten.' (A long-practiced patch-robed monk cannot match the elder monk.) Zhaozhou said, 'Go wash your bowls.' (Do not misjudge.)

3.44

The Master said: Fishing for a dragon with a straight hook is already blunt; keeping the lacquer bucket three inches away from the hook was already monopolized by the Boatman and Jiashan. This does not mean people of today have no share, but for the most part they covet the bait and swallow the hook. Look: that Zhaozhou does not snap the fishing pole, nor does he overturn the boat. Sitting leisurely on the stone bridge, passing the time beside the wooden plank, those who come ashore fall naturally to hand. In the original record, there was a monk who was awakened by this. Truly it can be said: 'Let the line on the pole be manipulated by you; without troubling the clear waves, the meaning is distinct.' Zhaozhou, like Master Ren, attained his purpose beforehand; look further, Tiantong sounds the rattle afterward. The verse says:

3.45

"The porridge finished, he tells him to wash his bowls; (A swift convenience, hard to encounter.)
Spaciously, the mind-ground accords naturally. (Not only today.)
Now, travelers who have had their fill of monastic study, (Still, having eaten porridge, they go wash their bowls.)
Tell me: in between, is there awakening or not?" (One person transmits falsehood, ten thousand transmit it as real.)

3.46

The Master raised the case: Lingyun saw peach blossoms and awakened to the Way. He presented a verse to Guishan. Guishan said, 'Those who enter through conditions will never regress or fall away.' Xuansha heard of this and said, 'Very exact, indeed very exact, but I dare say the old brother has not yet penetrated completely.' Lingyun heard of this and said, 'Has the Venerable penetrated yet?' Xuansha said, 'Only thus can it be so.' Tiantong's verse says this monk awakened and his mind-ground naturally accorded. This monk had newly entered the monastery, yet was proclaimed to have had great awakening and great penetration. Zen travelers who have had their fill of monastic study, tell me: is there awakening or no awakening? This is called an interrogation. Xuedou said: 'Originally without delusion or awakening, [cases] count like hemp; / I allow alone that Lingyun is an adept.' Xuansha said he had not penetrated completely, yet Xuedou alone allowed him as an adept. Xu the Sixth carrying a board sees only one side. Now tell me: did the bowl-washing monk have awakening or not? 'Peace originally was brought about by the general, / But the general is not permitted to see peace.'

3.47

Case 40: Yunmen's White and Black

3.48

The Master instructed the assembly, saying: "Where the pivot of dynamic turns, the eye of wisdom is still confused; when the precious mirror opens, not a speck of dust passes. Opening the fist without hitting the ground; responding to things, knowing well the season. When two blades cross, how do you interchange?"

3.49

Case: Yunmen asked Qianfeng, 'I ask the Master to answer my question.' (Empty-headed, having no crown.) Qianfeng said, 'Has it reached the old monk yet?' (He has already answered you!) Yunmen said, 'In that case, I am late.' (Yielding has surplus.) Qianfeng said, 'Is it so, is it so?' (Be sure not to understand it this way!) Yunmen said, 'I had thought of Hou Bai, but there is still Hou Hei!' (In the hands of an adept there is no adept.)

3.50

The Master said: King Milinda asked the Venerable Nāgasena, 'I wish to raise a question; can the Master answer?' Nāgasena said, 'Please ask your question, O King.' The King said, 'I have already asked.' Nāgasena said, 'I have already answered.' The King said, 'What did the Master answer?' Nāgasena said, 'What did the King ask?' The King said, 'I asked nothing.' Nāgasena said, 'I answered nothing.' This can still be investigated. Where Yunmen asked was like lightning flashing in a clear sky; where Qianfeng answered was like rolling thunder on dry land. When it came to both releasing and both taking back, they were seen to have head and tail. This is why if one is not a patch-robed monk one cannot know it; if one is not an adept one cannot see it. Venerable Tiantong entered deeply into this gate. The verse says:

3.51

"Bowstring and arrow-notch fit each other; (Universally responding high and low.)
Pearls on the net reflect one another. (Meeting the source left and right.)
Shooting a hundred times and hitting a hundred times, no arrow is in vain; (Matching and praising with precision.)
Gathering all phenomena, light and light are unobstructed. (Shining alone without partiality.)
Attaining the dhāraṇī of words and phrases; (Uttering words that form elegant composition.)
Abiding in the samādhi of play. (Every movement matches the rhythm.)
Wonder within it, subtly shifting, partial and complete; (Like a pearl rolling in a dish.)
It must be like this, unconstrained and self-mastered!" (Look at when the order is executed.)

3.52

The Master said: When an arrow is on the bowstring, it must be shot. This versifies the unassailable dynamic of Yunmen's questioning. 'Pearls on the net reflect one another'—this versifies Qianfeng's reply, where guest and host intermingle: the question is in the reply, and the reply is in the question. 'Shooting a hundred times and hitting a hundred times' versifies Yunmen's 'I am late.' Zhijue said: 'Like a person shooting at the ground, there is no principle by which it would not hit.' Mutual interweaving of light, non-obstruction between phenomenon and phenomenon, versifies Qianfeng's 'Is it so?' The Avataṃsaka Commentary states: 'In the hall of Śakra, pearls are strung into a net, reflections appearing mutually, layer upon layer without end.' This versifies the general purport of the gong'an; one need not match it phrase by phrase, gluing the bridges to tune the zither. Yunmen said, 'I had thought of Hou Bai, but there is still Hou Hei.' In the Sui dynasty, there was Hou Bai, courtesy name Junsu, a man of wit and eloquence. General Yang Su recognized him. He composed the Jingyi ji, which details the retributions of humans and spirits, and is also commendable. In the Tang dynasty, there was Li Bai, who was skilled at poetry; later, Li Chi imitated him, but was far from equal, and people made a laughingstock of him. Now saying 'Hou Hei' is also of this type. One edition has: 'I was already Hou Bai; he is even more Hou Hei,' meaning even more extreme. Dhāraṇī has three kinds: many syllables, one syllable, and no syllables, holding together all Dharma gates. Samādhi is right concentration. Tiantong's 'partial and complete' is like phenomenon and principle. National Preceptor Qingliang said: 'Principle is complete, words are partial; when words arise, principle is lost.' Tiantai's Mohe Zhiguan states: 'The three dots of the perfect letter [i] are neither vertical like dots of water nor horizontal like aligned sparks.' Furthermore, extending vertically through the three periods is called high; pervading horizontally across the ten directions is called wide. Therefore the Lotus Sūtra says, 'Its carriage is high and wide.' Tiantong broadly comprehends the ocean of teachings and thoroughly penetrates the heaven of meaning. Yunmen and Qianfeng erected a wordless monument; Tiantong chanted poems entering into wordlessness. It can be said: 'Yang Xiu seeing the young woman—in one glance, he knew its wonder.'

3.53

Case 41: Luopu at the End of Life

3.54

The Master instructed the assembly, saying: "Sometimes, sincere devotion is brought upon oneself, and bitter grievance is hard to express; sometimes, disaster extends to others, and they cannot take it upon themselves. When about to depart, one is belittled and broken down; at the very end, one is most earnestly attentive. Tears flow from an aching heart, harder still to conceal. Is there anyone with cold, detached eyes?"

3.55

Case: When Luopu was about to pass away, he instructed the assembly, saying, "Now there is one matter to ask all of you: (Still speaking of military strategy.) If this is 'it', then it is putting a head on top of a head; (Like this will not do.) if it is not 'it', then it is cutting off the head to seek life." (Not like this will not do either.) At the time, the head monk said, "The green mountains are constantly lifting their feet; the bright sun does not trim its wick." (Speaking so clearly makes emergence even harder.) Luopu said, "What time and season is this to make such speech?" (Losing money and incurring punishment.) There was a Senior Monk Yancong who came forward and said, "Leaving aside these two paths, I ask the Master not to question." (Easy to open the mouth from start to finish; hard to keep a heart through the winter's cold.) Luopu said, "Not yet; speak further!" (Only when a poem is chanted again is its merit seen.) Cong said, "I cannot speak it fully." (Not letting people see makes it all the more charming.) Luopu said, "I do not care whether you speak it fully or not!" (Sinking to the bottom without reaching it; unable to stop.) Cong said, "I have no attendant to answer the Venerable." (The shadow grass follows the body.) That evening, he called Senior Monk Cong: "Your reply today had great origin. (Just practicing sticking to the head.) You properly embodied what the late master said: 'Before the eyes there are no phenomena; the intention is before the eyes. (Chop down the cassia in the moon, and the clear light should be even greater.) That is not a phenomenon before the eyes, nor is it reached by ear and eye.' (When the moon sets, come meet.) Which phrase is the guest, and which phrase is the host? (Strictly avoid cutting the talk into two halves.) If you can pick them out, I will entrust the bowl bag to you." (Holding a staff to call a dog.) Cong said, "I do not understand." (Just right to entrust it to him.) Luopu said, "You ought to understand." (About to complete a mountain of nine fathoms.) Cong said, "Truly, I do not understand." (Failing to add the final basket of earth.) Luopu shouted and said, "How bitter! How bitter!" (Misleading a whole boat of people to death.) A monk asked, "What was the Venerable's venerable intention?" (Gathering cool charcoal where the fire was lost.) Luopu said, "The compassionate boat does not row upon clear waves; in the Sword Gorges, it is futile to release wooden geese." (Trying to be clever only results in clumsy failure.)

First 55 of 132 passages. Read on

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萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 — Classical Chinese