人天眼目 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

When I was travelling on pilgrimage, wherever I arrived I gave my utmost sincerity to inquire of and consult venerable elders regarding the essential guidelines of the Five Houses. Among these items, there were often things that were not yet known even to them. Thereupon I sighed and reflected: 'Having occupied the master's seat, if one still does not know the names of the lines and phrases of the cardinal principles of the lineages, how much less their essential keys! How will one guide later generations and peel away the film of doubt?' Therefore, my mind was set upon these essential guidelines for nearly twenty years. Some I saw in surviving records, some I obtained from broken stone tablets, some I heard venerable elders cite and bring forward, and some I acquired from old monks offering verses. Whenever there were essential guidelines of the Five Houses, I immediately wrote them down and preserved them. Although they grew into voluminous scrolls, I simply had not had the leisure to edit and settle them in detail. Late in life, upon reaching Wannianshan Temple on Mount Tiantai, I first fulfilled my aspiration, compiling and categorising them into the Five Houses, entitling it *The Eye of Humans and Gods*. Its expressions are entirely uniform, adhering to what earlier generations composed, without daring to add or subtract anything. However, as this collection consists of the activities deployed by the great elders of the past to benefit beings and is by no means the concoction of my own mind, in having it circulate in the world, what blame could there be? As for those who grasp the handle of the whisk and occupy the master's seat, outside of this they will have no means to discern and verify the false and the true. Those who possess discernment and broad learning will surely grant their seal of approval.

1.3

Preface by Zhizhao of Huiyan, Mount Yue, the final month of winter in the wushen year of the Chunxi era of the Song dynasty [1188 CE].

1.4

The Linji Lineage

1.5

The Master's taboo name was Yixuan. He was a native of Nanhua in Caozhou, with the secular surname Xing. As a youth he was remarkably gifted, and when grown he was renowned for his filial piety. When he shaved his head and received the full precepts, he resided in lecture halls, meticulously investigating the Vinaya and broadly probing the sūtras and treatises. Presently he sighed, saying: 'These are medicinal formulas for rescuing the world, not the essential tenets of the special transmission outside the teachings.' Thereupon he changed his robes and travelled on pilgrimage. First he visited Huangbo, and next called upon Dayu. His dynamic encounters and sayings are recorded in his biographical record. Having received Huangbo's seal of approval, he soon arrived at the southeastern corner of the city of Zhenzhou in Hebei, by the banks of the Hutuo River, serving as abbot of a small monastery. Linji took its name from this location. On the tenth day of the fourth month in the dinghai year, the eighth year of the Xiantong era of the Tang dynasty [867 CE], having gathered his robes and sat down, upon completing his dialogue with Sansheng, he quietly passed away. His disciples built a stupa for the Master's entire body at the northwestern corner of Daming Prefecture. An imperial decree bestowed the posthumous title 'Dhyāna Master Huizhao', and his stupa was named Chengling.

1.6

The Four Dispositions

1.7

When the Master first arrived in Hebei to dwell in a monastery, he saw the two senior monks Puhua and Kefu, and thereupon said to them: 'I wish to establish the ancestral school of Huangbo here. You two should assist me.' The two men said 'Take care' and went down. Three days later, Puhua nevertheless came up and asked: 'What did the Venerable say three days ago?' The Master struck him at once. Three days later, Kefu came up and asked: 'Why did the Venerable strike Puhua yesterday?' The Master also struck him. That evening at the informal assembly he said: 'Sometimes I snatch away the person but not the environment; sometimes I snatch away the environment but not the person; sometimes I snatch away both person and environment; sometimes I snatch away neither person nor environment.'

1.8

A monk asked: 'What is snatching away the person but not the environment?' The Master said: 'The warm sun bursts forth, spreading brocade across the earth; the infant's hanging hair is white as silk.' (Dahui said: 'Of these two phrases, one phrase preserves the environment, and one phrase snatches away the person.')

1.9

A monk asked: 'What is snatching away the environment but not the person?' The Master said: 'The royal command has already circulated throughout the empire; the general beyond the frontier has eliminated smoke and dust.' (Dahui said: 'The upper phrase snatches away the environment, and the lower phrase preserves the person.')

1.10

A monk asked: 'What is snatching away both person and environment?' The Master said: 'Bing and Fen cut off communication, dwelling isolated in one quarter.' (Dahui said: 'Here you have the very face of snatching away both person and environment.' He also said: 'When I first read the Chan records of the various masters, seeing the words "Bing and Fen's Ji Xin", I had deep doubts about it. Although I questioned various elders, they were all vague and did not distinguish it. Once I read Linji's sayings, I then knew the two characters "cut off communication" [juexin]: they are simply the names of the two prefectures Bing and Fen. A monk asked about snatching away both person and environment, and he answered: "dwelling isolated in one quarter" [duchu yifang]. Its meaning was brightly clear; only then did I realise that the collections of the various masters all suffered from scribal errors.')

1.11

A monk asked: 'What is snatching away neither person nor environment?' The Master said: 'The king ascends the precious palace; the rustic old man sings praises.' (Dahui said: 'This is snatching away neither person nor environment.')

1.12

Kefu's Verses

1.13

Snatching away the person but not the environment / inherently brings with it ambiguity. / Intending to seek the profound tenet, / does thinking on it not rather incur blame? / The black dragon's pearl gleams brilliantly, / the toad and laurel cast swirling shadows. / Face to face there is no inter-resonance; / one is still likely to remain stuck in the net. / (Dahui said: 'The heart of this verse rests mainly on "The black dragon's pearl gleams brilliantly, the toad and laurel cast swirling shadows." For these two lines are the environment. The student asks about snatching away the person but not the environment; "Intending to seek the profound tenet, does thinking on it not rather incur blame?" The main idea is simply: one must not deliberate and speculate. If one deliberates and speculates, the student misses the move of directly presenting face to face, and is then trapped in the snare of words.')

1.14

Snatching away the environment but not the person: / where is the truth in pursuing words? / Inquiring into Chan, Chan is delusion; / probing principle, principle is not intimate. / The sun shines, its cold light pale; / the mountains are distant, their emerald colour fresh. / Even if you profoundly comprehend it, / it is still dust in the eye. / (Dahui said: 'Do you want to understand "The sun shines, its cold light pale; the mountains are distant, their emerald colour fresh"? These two lines are the environment. "Even if you profoundly comprehend it, it is still dust in the eye"—here it is snatched away.')

1.15

Snatching away both person and environment: / from the beginning the true mandate has been enforced. / Setting aside Buddhas and ancestors, / how can one speak of feelings of holy and worldly? / Intending to run against the hair-severing sword / is just like encountering one who is blind. / Stepping forward seeking understanding, / one's vital spirit is especially severed. / (Dahui said: 'Once the true mandate is enforced, it retains neither Buddhas nor ancestors. Arriving here, advancing or retreating, one's life is entirely in the master's hands. Like the hair-severing sword, one must not run against its point.')

1.16

Snatching away neither person nor environment: / thought and intention are unbiased. / Host and guest do not differ in speech; / question and answer are entirely complete in principle. / Treading through the moon in the clear pool; / piercing through the azure sky. / If one cannot clarify the wondrous function, / one sinks into being without connection. / (Dahui said: 'If you want to clearly understand Linji's meaning, just look toward the point where he gave instruction at that time.')

1.17

The Master instructed the assembly, saying: 'When students from the various directions come, this mountain monk makes judgments based on three kinds of capacities. If one of medium or lower capacity comes, I snatch away their environment but do not eliminate their phenomena. If one of medium or upper capacity comes, I snatch away both environment and phenomena. If one of the highest capacity comes, I snatch away neither environment, phenomena, nor person. If a person of extraordinary view comes, this mountain monk here operates with the whole body, without going through capacities. Virtuous ones, arriving here, the place where the student exerts effort admits not a breath of wind; in the spark of a flint or a flash of lightning, it is already missed. If the student's eyes waver, there is instantly no connection.' (Whenever the heads of the Five Houses give instruction, they are referred to as 'the Master'; the rest follow this hereafter.)

1.18

Nanyuan Huiyong asked Fengxue Yanzhao (also written Zhao): 'You tell me, regarding the Four Dispositions, what phenomena are disposed of?' Fengxue said: 'Whenever words do not linger in worldly sentiments, they have already fallen into holy understanding. This is the great affliction of students. The ancient sages, pitying them, applied expedient means for their sake, like using a wedge to extract a wedge.' Nanyuan asked:

1.19

'What is snatching away the person but not the environment?' (The answers of Shoushan and others are all appended.) Fengxue said: 'Golden pellets newly emerged from the red furnace / smash through the ācārya's iron face.' Shoushan said: 'Brought forth before people, it is sent far away to a thousand peaks.' Fahua Ju said: 'White chrysanthemums suddenly open in the warmth of the Double Ninth; the centenarian noble youth does not meet the spring.' Ciming Chuyuan said: 'Shenhui once polished Pujis stone monument.' Daowu Zhen said: 'Sitting idly in the hermitage, white clouds rise over the mountain peak.' Yuanwu Keqin said: 'This old monk has eyes that have never seen it.' Daguan Tingying said: 'At home there is no longer news of a return date; on the distant road one futilely gazes at the homeland marker.' Shimen Focong said: 'The mountains, rivers, and the great earth.'

1.20

'What is snatching away the environment but not the person?' Fengxue said: 'Straw bundles are newly parted, the head splits open; scattered clouds just open, their shadows still remain.' Shoushan said: 'Beaten, yet never angry; enemies are difficult to reconcile.' Fahua said: 'Across the great earth, news is cut off; carefree, he independently accords with the real.' Ciming said: 'You must believe that within the jar there is another heaven.' Daowu said: 'Red flags scatter in flashing light; the immortal youth points directly to the road.' Yuanwu said: 'The ācārya asks with natural intimacy.' Daguan said: 'Let the vast ocean dry up completely to the bottom; grind the green mountains straight into dust.' Shimen said: 'The barbarian has lost his felt tent.'

1.21

'What is snatching away both person and environment?' Fengxue said: 'Stepping forward, one must be swift; urging the whip against the breast-strap, do not delay.' Shoushan said: 'Ten thousand people make a single burial mound; the people of the time all carry grief.' Fahua said: 'The grass is desolate, people's faces change color; both worldly and holy are entirely forgotten.' Ciming said: 'Within the realm, the emperor's imperial decree; beyond the frontier, the general's command.' Daowu said: 'Steely bones entirely submerge with the red shadows; reed sprouts all disperse following the white clouds.' Yuanwu said: 'Gathering.' Daguan said: 'Heaven and earth are still empty of the sun and moon of Qin; mountains and rivers see neither lords nor vassals of Han.' Shimen said: 'What Buddhas or ancestors are there?'

1.22

'What is snatching away neither person nor environment?' Fengxue said: 'The emperor recalls the third month in Jiangnan; where partridges cry, the hundred flowers are fragrant.' Shoushan said: 'Where questioned is distinct, where answered is intimate.' Fahua said: 'The pure wind accompanies the bright moon; the rustic old man smiles intimately.' Ciming said: 'Bright moon and pure wind come and go as they please.' Daowu said: 'Meeting first rain after a long drought; encountering an old friend in a strange land.' Yuanwu said: 'Releasing.' Daguan said: 'Orioles warble in the imperial park where flowers cover the ground; the traveller tours in the third month where grass invades the sky.' Shimen said: 'Question and answer are exceedingly clear.'

1.23

Verses by Cuiyan (named Kezhen, a native of Putian in Xinghua, successor of Ciming):

1.24

Snatching away the person but not the environment: / sun and moon naturally flow and shift. / Mountains, rivers, and the great earth— / a patch of rain passes through the barbarian sky.

1.25

Snatching away the environment but not the person: / inquiring into Chan, where is it intimate? / Meeting each other without bowing, / day and night crossing the border pass.

1.26

Snatching away both person and environment: / the sounding drum falls from the red tower. / Sweeping freely, wielding the Juque sword, / who dares stand before it?

1.27

Snatching away neither person nor environment: / how many rounds through Jambudvīpa? / Facing south to view the Northern Dipper— / how could one be joined with their sort?

1.28

Fojian (named Huiqin):

1.29

The wine atop the vat is mature, everyone is drunk; / smoke above the woods is thick, the flowers are bright red. / At midnight without a lamp, the scented chamber is quiet; / / the swing hangs in the bright moonlight.

1.30

Orioles meet the spring warmth, their singing voices smooth; / people meet peaceful times, their smiling faces beam. / A few petals of fallen flowers follow the water away; / / the sound of a long flute emerges from the clouds.

1.31

Imposing spirit sweeps like thunder and lightning; / stern majesty scoops up frost and snow. / The general issues commands to execute the southern barbarians; / / a swing of the divine sword, blood for a thousand miles.

1.32

The Son of Heaven of the holy dynasty sits in the Mingtang Hall; / the living beings of the four seas all rest their heads in peace. / An elegant youth overturns the golden chalice; / / the peach blossoms filling the courtyard are red as brocade.

1.33

General Verse

1.34

A thousand creeks and ten thousand valleys return to the vast sea; / the four frontiers and eight barbarian tribes pay court to the imperial capital. / Between worldly and holy there have never been two paths; / / do not pursue many tracks with wild views.

1.35

The Three Phrases

1.36

When a monk asked, 'What are the true Buddha, the true Dharma, and the true Way? We beg you to deign to offer instruction,' the Master said: 'The Buddha is the mind's purity. The Dharma is the mind's radiance. The Way is the pure light unobstructed everywhere. The three are one; all are empty and have no real existence. Like a genuine person of the Way, moment to moment without interruption. Great Master Bodhidharma came from the Western land simply to seek a person who would not be deluded. Later he met the Second Ancestor, who understood completely in a single word, only then realising that previously he had applied effort in vain. This mountain monk's view today is no different from the Buddhas and ancestors. If you grasp it within the first phrase, you are worthy of being a teacher to Buddhas and ancestors. If you grasp it within the second phrase, you are worthy of being a teacher to humans and gods. If you grasp it within the third phrase, you cannot even save yourself.' The monk asked:

1.37

“What is the first phrase?” (With the following answers from Fengxue and others appended.) The Master said, “When the seal of the three essentials is opened, the vermilion impression is narrow; before hesitation is permitted, host and guest are distinguished.” Fengxue said, “Following the sound, immediately shout.” Daowu Zhen said, “Directly soaring to the edge of the clouds; on the Eastern Mountain coming and going are severed.” Haiyin Xin said, “Nata's wrath.” Yunfeng Yue said,

1.38

“Hands hanging past the knees.”

1.39

“What is the second phrase?” The Master said, “How could wondrous understanding permit the questioning of Asanga? How could skillful means turn its back on the mechanism that cuts off the flow?” Xue said, “A mistake before opening the mouth.” Wu said, “He does not see the person right before him, yet behind his back complains of bitter injustice.” Yin said, “The patch-robed monk is at a loss.” Feng said, “Ten thousand li to Yazhou.”

1.40

“What is the third phrase?” The Master said, “Look at the manipulation of the puppets on the stage; the one pulling the strings is originally the person inside.” Xue said, “If exposed clearly, it cannot be endured.” Wu said, “A heap of dust atop the head; three feet of earth beneath the feet.” Yin said, “India and this land.” Feng said, “Manure basket and broom.”

1.41

Ciming instructed the assembly, saying: “The late Baoying said: ‘If you realize it in the first phrase, you are fit to be a teacher of buddhas and patriarchs. If you realize it in the second phrase, you are fit to be a teacher of humans and gods. If you realize it in the third phrase, you cannot even save yourself.’ For this mountain monk it is not so: If you realize it in the first phrase, you are mixing with mud and water. If you realize it in the second phrase, you bind yourself without rope. If you realize it in the third phrase, all four edges touch the ground. Therefore it is said: ‘When it rises, the seas are calm and the rivers clear, while travelers avoid the road; when it abides, heaven and earth are murky dark, and sun and moon have no light.’ Where will you people catch your breath? Right now, is there anyone who can catch their breath? If so, come forth and catch your breath before the assembly to let us see! If there is no one, today this mountain monk will let out a breath for you!” Thereupon he gave a hiss, planted his staff, and stepped down from the seat. Shimen Cong said, “If you realize it in the first phrase, you burst out from within the rock. If you realize it in the second phrase, you are pressed forward in confrontation. If you realize it in the third phrase, you cannot even save yourself.”

1.42

The Three Mysteries and Three Essentials

1.43

The Master said, “Generally, when expounding the lineage vehicle, a single phrase must possess the three mysterious gates, and one mysterious gate must possess the three essentials. There is the provisional and the real; there is illumination and there is function. How do you all understand this?” Later, Venerable Fenyang Zhao, citing the previous conversation, said: “Which is the phrase of the three mysteries and three essentials?”

1.44

A monk asked, “What is the first mystery?” Fenyang said, “Personally entrusted before the Light-Drinker.” Wu said, “The World-Honoured One’s light shines upon Ānanda’s shoulder.”

1.45

“What is the second mystery?” Fen said, “Severing marks and leaving verbal explanation behind.” Wu said, “The solitary wheel brings together the myriad forms.”

1.46

“What is the third mystery?” Fen said, “The bright mirror illuminates without bias.” Wu said, “Weeping toward the withered mulberry, tears flow continuously.”

1.47

“What is the first essential?” Fen said, “Within words, there is no fabrication.” Wu said, “It is best to illuminate both the fine and the coarse.”

1.48

“What is the second essential?” Fen said, “The thousand sages enter the mysterious profundity.” Wu said, “Flashing through heaven and earth, the light dazzles brilliantly.”

1.49

“What is the third essential?” Fen said, “Beyond the four propositions and hundred negations, tread the path of Cold Mountain to the end.” Wu said, “Flanking the road, the green pines are old.”

1.50

Fenyang's Verses, with a General Summary

1.51

The first mystery: / Illumination and function are simultaneously complete. / The seven stars glitter brilliantly; / For ten thousand li, dust and smoke are severed.

1.52

The second mystery: / The hook and awl are sharp and piercing. / Before hesitation, they pierce through the cheek; / Splitting the face, they lean against both shoulders.

1.53

The third mystery: / Wondrous function possesses the square and round. / In accordance with the capacity, phenomena and principle are clarified; / Within the substance of the myriad phenomena, all is complete.

1.54

The first essential: / Senses and sense-objects are both forgotten, signs entirely severed. / Mountains collapse, oceans dry up, and flying dust is scattered; / Only when the cold ashes are thoroughly wiped away is wondrousness attained.

1.55

The second essential: / Hook and awl investigate and discern, displaying skill. / Letting go and snatching away, swift as lightning; / Piercing the scabbard, the seven stars shine with dazzling light.

1.56

The third essential: / There is no need to lower the hook or cast the fishing line. / In response to the occasion, a single tune of the songs of Chu; / Causing all who hear it to turn back and reflect (one version has: “having heard it, all forget to turn back and reflect”).

1.57

The affairs of the three mysteries and three essentials are difficult to distinguish; / Grasping the meaning and forgetting the words, the Way is easily approached. / A single phrase clearly encompasses the myriad forms; / On the Double Ninth day, the chrysanthemums are fresh.

1.58

Ciming

1.59

The first mystery: / How can the buddhas of the three periods of time intend to proclaim it? / Extending compassion within a dream gives rise to flippancy; / Sitting upright, one still falls into the extreme of annihilation.

1.60

The second mystery: / The quick-witted patch-robed monk’s eye is not yet clear. / Sparks from flint and flashes of lightning are still dull; / Raising the eyebrows and blinking the eyes involves traversing mountain passes.

1.61

The third mystery: / The myriad forms spread out in array, the universe is vast. / Clouds disperse, the cave is empty, and the mountain peaks are tranquil; / Fallen flowers and flowing water fill the long river.

1.62

The first essential: / How could it speak of the marvel of sages and worthies? / Deliberating and hesitating, one embarks on a long journey; / Raising the head, one is already inverted.

1.63

The second essential: / Striking the wooden mallet atop the peak to summon them; / Coming endowed with unobstructed spiritual powers, / The erudite shout outside the gate.

1.64

The third essential: / Rising and falling make people laugh. / Holding heaven and earth within the palm; / Illuminating all thousand distinctions with a single light.

1.65

I tell you practitioners who penetrate the mystery: / Staff and shout must be applied at the opportune moment. / If you understand the true and exact purport, / At midnight the sun blazes forth. Zhuan (named Shigui, a son of the Shi family of Chengdu, an heir of Foyan) instructed the assembly, saying: “Linji said: ‘Within a single phrase, there must be possessed the three mysterious gates; within one mysterious gate, there must be possessed the three essentials.’ Great assembly, because of these careful instructions, affairs arose, and turning over and over, errors appeared. Listen to a verse: ‘What is difficult to penetrate within the phrase are the three mysteries; / A single phrase encompasses all before the kalpa of voidness. / Linji’s life-root was originally never severed; / A single red thread is pulled in his hand.’”

1.66

The Four Shouts

1.67

The Master asked a monk, “Sometimes a shout is like the precious sword of the Diamond King; sometimes a shout is like a crouching lion; sometimes a shout is like a sounding pole and shadowing grass; sometimes a shout does not act as a shout. How do you understand this?” The monk hesitated. The Master immediately shouted.

1.68

Venerable Jiyin’s Verse

1.69

The Diamond King’s sword is manifest and stately exposed; / As soon as it touches the lips and mouth, one runs against its sharp edge. / The crouching lion originally has no nest or den; / Hesitating and halting the mechanism, it at once becomes an outflow.

1.70

The sounding pole and shadowing grass do not enter the realm of the aggregates; / If not a single speck comes forth, the thief’s body naturally defeats itself.

1.71

Sometimes a shout does not act as a shout; / The Buddha Dharma is abundant, yet there is only a toothache.

1.72

Shoushan instructed the assembly, saying: “This old monk usually asks you: ‘Here, a shout does not act as a shout. Sometimes a shout acts as an inquiry; sometimes a shout acts as a sounding pole and shadowing grass; sometimes a shout acts as a crouching lion; sometimes a shout acts as the precious sword of the Diamond King.’ If it comes acting as an inquiry, you must urgently fix your eyes on it before you can succeed. If it acts as a sounding pole and shadowing grass, what should you all do? If it acts as a crouching lion, the jackal must defecate and urinate before it will do. If it acts as the precious sword of the Diamond King, even the Heavenly King's head must split open. Only by shouting horizontally and shouting vertically in this way is it entirely called discussing principle.”

1.73

Fenyang

1.74

The precious sword of diamond is most majestic and powerful; / A single shout can topple a peak of ten thousand fathoms. / Throughout the realm, heaven and earth completely lose their color; / Mount Sumeru is planted upside down in mid-air.

1.75

The golden-haired [lion] crouches on the ground, completely endowed with all majesty; / A single shout can cause the soul and courage to be lost. / The mountain top and peak are high, no person is seen; / Apes cry in the white day and again at dusk.

1.76

The edge of words probes the grass to discern the person concerned; / With a single shout, you must recognize the false and the true. / The great ocean is deep and serene, containing the myriad forms; / Do not compare deep achievement with the track of an ox’s hoof.

1.77

A single shout facing the sun, its power naturally manifests; / The various regions truly have good discussions. / Those singing ballads that fill the thoroughfares and overflow the roads; / From antiquity to the present, they never change the constant.

1.78

Zhihai Purong

1.79

When a single shout of the diamond sword is employed, / Its cold light flashes, shooting toward the southwest realm. / Hesitating in language damages against the sharp blade; / Throughout the realm, do the skulls know or not?

1.80

With a single shout, the golden-haired [lion] lightly crouches on the ground; / In the sandalwood forest, gentle fragrant breezes rise. / Although its claws and talons have never been deployed, / For ten thousand li, treacherous foxes all flee far away.

1.81

A single shout is taken as the sounding pole and grass; / South, north, east, and west, there is nowhere it does not reach. / Determining carats and grains of short and long, light and heavy; / On the vast level ground, one must lean and fall.

1.82

A single shout does not act as a shout; / Across the three periods of time, ancient and modern, there is no separate commonality. / Fallen flowers in the third month, newly awakened from sleep; / Blue-eyed and yellow-headed ones are all dreaming.

1.83

Phrases of Host and Guest

1.84

The Master took the hall. A monk came forward and bowed. The Master immediately shouted. The monk said, “The old venerable had better not stick his head out to peek.” The Master said, “Where has it fallen?” The monk immediately shouted. The Master immediately struck him.

1.85

Another monk asked, “What is the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?” The Master immediately shouted. The monk bowed. The Master said, “Tell me, was that a good shout or not?” The monk said, “The grass-bandit has suffered a great defeat.” The Master said, “Where was the fault?” The monk said, “A second offense is not permitted.” The Master immediately shouted. That day, the head monks of the two halls met each other and shouted at the same time. A monk asked the Master, “Was there still host and guest or not?” The Master said, “Host and guest were distinct and clear.” The Master said, “If the great assembly wishes to understand Linji’s phrases of host and guest, ask the two head monks in the hall.”

1.86

Ciming's Verse

1.87

The mechanism of pecking and tapping: arrows meeting tip to tip; / In an instant, host and guest are distinguished at that very moment. / The lineage teacher pities beings and distinguishes black and white; / In the northern lands, the Yellow River is murky to the very bottom.

1.88

Zhuan

1.89

When adepts meet, there is never an error; / Both simultaneously peck and tap together. / Although beneath the shout host and guest are divided, / How can that compare to Puhua shaking his handbell?

1.90

The Four Hosts and Guests

1.91

One day the Master instructed the assembly, saying: “Those who study and practice must be extremely careful. When host and guest meet, there is the coming and going of words. Or they manifest forms in response to things; or they function with the entire body; or they wield the provisional means of joy and wrath; or they reveal half the body; or they ride a lion; or they ride an elephant king. Suppose there is a genuine student who immediately shouts, first bringing out a basin of glue; the good spiritual friend does not discern that it is an environment, and immediately goes upon his environment, putting on airs and postures. The student shouts again, but the former person refuses to let go. This is a disease in the vitals, beyond curing; it is called guest looking at host. Or perhaps the good spiritual friend does not bring out anything, but following the place of the student's question, immediately snatches it away; the student, having been snatched away, clings to the death and will not let go. This is called host looking at guest. Or there may be a student who responds with a pure environment, coming out before the good spiritual friend; the good spiritual friend discerns that it is an environment, seizes it firmly, and tosses it into a pit. The student says, ‘What a fine good spiritual friend!’ and [the friend] immediately says, ‘Bah! You don't recognize good from bad!’ The student then bows. This is called host looking at host. Or there may be a student wearing cangue and locks, who comes out before the good spiritual friend; the good spiritual friend adds another layer of cangue and locks for him; the student is delighted, neither discerning the other. This is called guest looking at guest. Virtuous ones, what this mountain monk has cited is all to discern demons and distinguish differences, so as to know their falsity and correctness.”

1.92

Dialogue on Host and Guest

1.93

A monk asked Fengxue, “What is the guest within the guest?” Xue said, “Knitting the brows, sitting among white clouds.” Kefu said, “Leaning against the door and clinging to the household, as if intoxicated; spitting out words and breathing out air without any shame.” Fenyang said, “Running in the red dust all day long, not recognizing one’s own treasure.” He also said, “Palms joined before the hermitage, asking the World-Honoured One.” Ciming said, “Bowing with even more earnestness.” Shimen said, “Bowing very distinctly.” Xuedou said, “The eyes are filled with dust.” He also said, “Alas!”

1.94

“What is the host within the guest?” Xue said, “Entering the marketplace, both pupils blind.” Fu said, “Mouth chanting Amitābha, holding two staffs; the blind pupils do not show their heads.” Fen said, “Recognizing the jewel within the robe, sitting upright, able to make distinctions.” He also said, “Facing opposite, there is no companion.” Ming said, “The staff is always in hand.” Men said, “Gazing at the ground without looking back.” Dou said, “The omen divides into its five.” He also said, “Leading.”

1.95

“What is the guest within the host?” Xue said, “Returning the carriage, the two luminaries are fresh.” Fu said, “Holding high the ancestral seal, functioning in response to the moment; benefiting beings, one should know the words carry sorrow.” Fen said, “Casting a golden hook into the four seas; the jade candle continues the bright lamp.” He also said, “Battle clouds lie across the sea; drawing the sword, stirring the Dragon Gate.” Ming said, “Shouldering a staff horizontally, stirring up heaven and earth.” Men said, “Coming and going, inquiring of the road ahead.” Dou said, “The moon carries double halos.” He also said, “Withdrawing.”

1.96

"What is the host within the host?" Fengxue said, "Grinding a three-foot sword, waiting to behead the unjust." Kefu said, "Holding the Moye blade horizontally, executing the true mandate in full; throughout the tranquil universe, beheading the foolish and obstinate." A monk asked, "Since it is a tranquil universe, why go and behead the foolish and obstinate?" Kefu said, "Not permitting night travel, yet stubbornly carrying a torch; one must let people see it right on the thoroughfare." Fenyang said, "Holding high the sun and moon, illuminating the universe; widely broadcasting a resonant voice, singing the song of Chu." He also said, "With three heads and six arms upholding heaven and earth, wrathful Nata smashes the bell of Indra." Ciming said, "The sword is grasped in the hands of the rice-steamer." Yunmen said, "Ten thousand miles without a single companion." Xuedou said, "Pinching together the great chiliocosm." He also said, "Expose."

1.97

Fushan's Verses

1.98

Guest within guest: / With furrowed brows and eyes devoid of sinew, / Laboring in other lands to seek an intimate friend, / One has lost the priceless jewel inside one's robe.

1.99

Host within guest: / Chasing and seeking with all one's might, there is no place to be found; / In former years one still saw a little something, / But who knew that today both eyes would be blind?

1.100

Guest within host: / My household is vast and truly hard to describe; / Whatever is sought is not begrudged, without high or low; / Noble and base travel together along one level road.

1.101

Host within host: / The seven treasures are without lack in the golden palace halls; / A thousand sons ever surround the sagely countenance; / When devas do not comply, the flying wheel is raised.

1.102

Ciyan

1.103

Guest within guest: / Uttered words have no causal connection; / Without careful and thorough contemplation, / Riding an ox to cross the Meng Ford.

1.104

Host within guest: / Pulling each other along at high noon; / Lacking any ability to unfold or expand, / For now one passes through other doors.

1.105

Guest within host: / From Southern Yue looking toward Western Qin; / Cold Mountain meets Foundling; / Deliberating over yimaoyin.

1.106

Host within host: / Sitting directly facing it, one must be afraid; / Traversing shifting sands for ten thousand miles, / Who speaks of Buddhas and Patriarchs?

1.107

Xuedou

1.108

Guest within guest: / Little joy, much anger; / The grand ambitions of a great man— / To whom should they be entrusted?

1.109

Host within guest: / The fierce tiger of Xuansha; / Half-closed, half-open, / Only mutual recognition among themselves.

1.110

Guest within host: / Reviewing the old and knowing the new; / Mutually interchanging and illuminating each other, / The lion stretches and roars.

1.111

Host within host: / The true mandate is raised in full; / With the long sword leaning against the sky, / Who dares to withstand it?

1.112

Guest and host: divided or undivided? / Muddling along, cut off from strange reports; / Knowing how to spread out the hands of toil and life, / Entrusting words to the arriving white clouds.

1.113

Huayan (named Zi of Dongjing)

1.114

A monk asked, "What is the guest within the guest?" Zi said, "The traveler's road is as distant as the sky."

1.115

"What is the host within the guest?" He said, "The gates of the nobility are as deep as the sea."

1.116

"What is the host within the host?" He said, "The Son of Heaven's decree throughout the realm."

1.117

"What is the guest within the host?" He said, "The general's orders beyond the frontier."

1.118

Zi said: "Asking about the host within the guest is the dynamic of mutual interchange. Asking about the guest within the host is living together and dying together. Distinguishing the host within the host is holding one's breath and swallowing one's voice. Searching for the guest within the guest is white clouds for ten thousand miles. Therefore, within the phrase there is no intention; the intention lies within the phrase. If you understand this clearly, a pair of solitary wild geese strike the ground and fly high. If you do not understand this, a pair of mandarin ducks stand alone in the pond. Zen practitioners who recognize the tune, attest to this with one another. Those of the superficial sort, you must be extremely careful." After a long pause, he said, "Were it Tao Yuanming, he would knit his brows and immediately return home."

1.119

The Four Illuminations and Functions

1.120

One day the Master instructed the assembly, saying: "Sometimes I first illuminate and then function; sometimes I first function and then illuminate; sometimes illumination and function are simultaneous; sometimes illumination and function are not simultaneous. In 'first illuminate and then function,' there is the person. In 'first function and then illuminate,' there is the phenomenon. In 'illumination and function are simultaneous,' one drives away the plowman's ox, snatches away the starving man's food, cracks the bones to extract the marrow, and painfully drives in needles and awls. In 'illumination and function are not simultaneous,' there are questions and answers, establishing host and establishing guest, mixing water and blending mud, responding to capacities and receiving beings. If one is an extraordinary person, before it is even raised, lifting up one's robes and walking away would still be slightly better." At that time, a monk came forward and asked, "What is the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?" The Master said, "You try to say something." The monk then shouted. The Master also shouted. The monk shouted again. The Master then struck him. (First illuminate and then function.) [Another monk] asked, "What is the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?" The Master immediately shouted, and further said, "Do you say that was a good shout?" The monk then shouted. The Master also shouted. The monk shouted again. The Master then struck him. (First function and then illuminate.) A monk entered the door. The Master immediately shouted. The monk also shouted. The Master then struck him, saying, "A good strike! There is only a vanguard, but no rear guard." (Illumination and function are simultaneous.) A monk came for instruction. The Master immediately shouted. The monk also shouted. The Master shouted again. The monk also shouted. The Master then struck him, saying, "A good strike! Playing the host for him does not reach the end and is useless. The householder must snatch it away and make use of it. When thousands and tens of thousands arrive here, they cannot lay a hand on it. One must look closely with urgent eyes before one gets it." (Illumination and function are not simultaneous.)

1.121

An ancient master said: "The host shouts once to test the guest; the guest shouts once to test the host; the host shouts again to test the guest; the guest shouts again to test the host. After the four shouts, there is neither guest nor host. Arriving here, the host snatches it away and tolerates the other no longer." Ciming instructed the assembly, saying: "Sometimes first illuminate and then function; sometimes first function and then illuminate; sometimes illumination and function are simultaneous; sometimes illumination and function are not simultaneous. Therefore it is said: there is light and there is darkness; there is rising and there is falling." He then shouted once and said: "Tell me, is this illumination or is this function? Is there anyone who can distinguish black from white? If there is, try coming forward to show your clumsy ineptitude. If not, this mountain monk suffers a defeat."

1.122

Questions and Answers on Illumination and Function

1.123

A monk asked, "What is 'first illuminate and then function'?" Shoushan said, "Clouds over the peak of the Southern Sacred Mountain; thieves below the Taihang Mountains." Fotuo Xun said, "Red banners gleam in the sun, urging on the marching cavalry; swift steeds whinny in the wind, rolling up the battle clouds." Daowu Zhen said, "The path of speech is clearly expressed; dropping the needle without evading it." Huanglong Xin said, "A clear breeze brushes the bright moon." Wuzu Yan said, "The king's words are like silk threads."

1.124

"What is 'first function and then illuminate'?" Shoushan said, "Thieves below the Taihang Mountains; clouds over the peak of the Southern Sacred Mountain." Xun said, "Having severed the head of the Xiongnu chieftain, returning to the Camp of Fine Willows." Zhen said, "Directly facing Vajra, it is personally entrusted; express the spoken path clearly and well." Xin said, "The bright moon brushes the clear breeze." Yan said, "When spoken forth, they are like corded cables."

1.125

"What is 'illumination and function are simultaneous'?" Shoushan said, "Gathering in the clouds over the peak of the Southern Sacred Mountain; capturing the thieves below the Taihang Mountains." Xun said, "Taihang beckons; Zixia raises his eyebrows." Zhen said, "Walking a different path within the path of Buddhas and Patriarchs; leaving no trace of the body amidst the myriad forms." Xin said, "Clear breeze and bright moon." Yan said, "Raising the Mirror of Xuanyuan, Chiyou loses his dread."

1.126

"What is 'illumination and function are not simultaneous'?" Shoushan said, "Yesterday it was clear, today it rains." Xun said, "The bell strikes for the noon meal after midday." Zhen said, "The golden light of Qingliang illuminates first; the silver realm of Emei is spread all at once." Xin said, "Neither clear breeze nor bright moon." Yan said, "Gold is tested with fire."

1.127

Fenyang said: "Every single phrase must possess the three mysterious gates; every mysterious gate must possess the three essential paths. There is illumination and there is function: either first illuminate and then function, or first function and then illuminate, or illumination and function are simultaneous, or illumination and function are not simultaneous. In 'first illuminate and then function,' for now I consult with you. In 'first function and then illuminate,' you must be a real person to begin with. In 'illumination and function are simultaneous,' how will you resist? In 'illumination and function are not simultaneous,' how will you make sense of it?" Langye Jiao said: "'First illuminate and then function' bares the claws and teeth of the lion. 'First function and then illuminate' unleashes the fierce might of the elephant king. 'Illumination and function are simultaneous' is like a dragon gaining water, causing rain and ascending on clouds. 'Illumination and function are not simultaneous' is holding up and guiding an infant, nursing and cherishing a babe. As for this Dharma gate established by the ancients, should it be like this, or should it not be like this? If it should be like this, Ji Xin rides the chariot of nine dragons. If it should not be like this, Xiang Yu loses his thousand-mile piebald horse. Is there anyone who will vent indignation on Langye's behalf? If not, this mountain monk will speak for himself." He struck his staff and stepped down from the seat.

1.128

Ciming's Verses (along with a summary verse)

1.129

When illuminating, it blocks the roads of heaven and earth, / Testing those who are worthy or foolish until their souls are crushed. / Even if you are capable of wearing the seals of Su Qin, / You must still submit in allegiance and await the imperial grace.

1.130

When functioning, one is captured alive right until breath expires, / Yet brought back to life to exhaust one's remaining body. / Submission of allegiance has already been reported throughout the realm; / Released in your remaining years, do you understand or not?

1.131

Illumination and function simultaneous: profound beneath the staff, / Allowing no hesitation in testing the foolish and wise. / Wheeling swords charge straight into the dragon-and-tiger ranks; / Horses perish, men die, and blood fills the field.

1.132

Illumination and function not simultaneous: / People of the time who understand it are rare. / In the autumn sky, yellow leaves fall; / When spring ends, fallen blossoms fly.

1.133

A single shout distinguishes guest and host; / Illumination and function proceed at once. / If you can understand the meaning therein, / The third watch is struck at high noon.

1.134

Xinghua's Testing of People (Four Bowls, Four Spittings, Four Blindnesses)

1.135

Do not make a bowl sound hot (used for middle and lower capacities). A bowl with bottom fallen out (bottomless words). A bowl bent and twisted (words with no entanglements). A bowl (clarifying the other toward transcendence). Spitting to the face (ghost words). Spitting into the void (spirit words). Spitting behind the back (specter words). Spitting straight down (words of rapid extinction). Not resembling blindness (remembering words but not playing host). Exactly resembling blindness (not seeing before or after in words). A blind fellow (fixed on the other person's side). Blind (not seeing where words come from).

1.136

Fenyang's Ten Wisdoms of Identical Reality (with capping words by Fohai Yuan)

1.137

Fenyang instructed the assembly, saying: "Those who expound the Dharma (chewing ice and frost with a full mouth) must possess the ten wisdoms of identical reality (rarely heard in ancient or modern times). If they do not possess the ten wisdoms of identical reality, they cannot distinguish heterodoxy from orthodoxy, nor separate black from white (striking a burnt brick, frozen solid to the bottom); they cannot serve as an eye for humans and gods (an iron-made skin for a face), deciding right from wrong (one person spreads a falsehood, ten thousand take it as truth). It is like a bird flying in the sky breaking its wings (that which is before it is raised); it is like an arrow shot at a target snapping its bowstring (the place of applying effort does not consume a single drop). Because the bowstring snaps, the shot does not hit the mark (I want that which does not hit the mark); because the wings break, it cannot fly in the sky (exhausting your supernatural powers and marvelous functions; also: where are you going?). When the bowstring is strong and the wings are firm (distant water cannot save a nearby fire), the sky and target are both thoroughly penetrated (tiles collapse and ice melts). What are the ten wisdoms of identical reality? (Starting from the beginning again.) I shall point them out for you: First, identical in one essence. Second, identical in the great matter. Third, collectively identical in investigation. Fourth, identical in true wisdom. Fifth, identical in omnipresence. Sixth, identical in full endowment. Seventh, identical in gain and loss. Eighth, identical in life and death. Ninth, identical in sonic roar. Tenth, identical in attainment of entry."

1.138

"Is there anyone who can point them out? Do not begrudge your compassion; try coming forward to speak and let us see. If you cannot point them out, you do not yet possess the eye of study and investigation. You must discern and take hold of it; if you wish to recognize right and wrong, your original face is present right now." He gave a shout and stepped down from the seat.

1.139

Dahui said: "If Old Man Fenyang at the very end did not have this 'original face present right now,' it would have been a total ruin. Even so, he could not avoid losing my descendants." He gave a shout.

1.140

Jiyin said: "Nowadays, the monasteries are terrified of this Dharma gate and do not wish to hear its voice. Why do I say this? Everywhere, people only want flat and solid views, clinging to them immovably; they only wish to transmit and receive, not believing that there is awakening. Even if Fenyang were reborn and personally analyzed it for them, they would still consider him wrong. In the past, while Ānanda was walking about at night, he heard a novice reciting a verse of the Buddha: 'If a person lives for a hundred years / and does not understand the water-wader crane, / it is not as good as living for one day / and being able to clearly understand it.' Ānanda corrected him, saying, 'It is "does not understand the workings of all Buddhas," not "the water-wader crane."' The novice returned and reported this to his teacher. The teacher laughed and said, 'Ānanda is old and muddled; you should consider my words to be correct.' In front of today's students, speaking of the principles of the Three Mysteries, the Three Essentials, and the Ten Wisdoms of Identical Reality—how is it any different from this?"

1.141

Questions and Answers of Ancient Elders on the Ten Wisdoms of Identical Reality (except for Fenyang, the others are not named)

1.142

1. Identical in One Substance. Fenyang said: “Aconite of Mianzhou, ginger of Hanzhou.” He also said: “Ghosts squabbling over a lacquer bucket—none ever steps outside him. Thieves do not burgle an impoverished household. In the ghosts' cavern, heads emerge and heads submerge. Play at will amidst the tips of the hundred grasses! Settle heaven and earth atop a single hair! The character ‘eight’ (八) is opened wide, yet people do not recognise it. A bowl tumbling down a mound.”

1.143

2. Identical in the Great Matter. Fen[yang] said: “A pinwheel on the Fire God's head. The Great Statue of Jiazhou, the Iron Bull of Shanfu. What broken straw sandal is it worth? Make less of a show! Shoulders cannot carry it; it is not worth half a brass coin. Do you recognise the Wooden Elder yet? The lantern enters the pillar. The staff lifts the sun and moon; the hand grasps heaven and earth.”

First 143 of 187 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

人天眼目 — Classical Chinese