萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 3.19

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: