[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [人天眼目](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006) › [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt) › 6 # 人天眼目 6 English (machine translation) 6 - **Language:** English ### [6.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.1) Miscellaneous Records of the Ancestral School ### [6.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.2) Yantou's Three Phrases ### [6.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.3) Biting off and biting firmly. / Wishing to go but not going; wishing to stay but not staying. / Sometimes completely not going; sometimes completely not staying. ### [6.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.4) The Master went up to the hall and said: 'Generally, in proclaiming the teachings, flowing forth from non-desire are three phrases; they are merely theoretical discussions: biting off and biting firmly; wishing to go but not going, wishing to stay but not staying; sometimes completely not going, sometimes completely not staying. None of them know any fixed direction or place. A fellow with clear eyes has no nest or burrow, abrupt and sudden! If one speaks of combat, everyone must possess the technique of biting pigs and dogs. If you have not yet penetrated and not yet clarified it, you must still attain seventy or eighty percent before you can engage in the work. If your eyes have always been dim and muddled, do not recklessly present your confused sack; the mistaken hammer will break your waist! Do not say I did not tell you.' (Note: Regarding Yantou's three phrases: 'Biting off and biting firmly' is one; 'Wishing to go but not going, wishing to stay but not staying' is one; 'Sometimes completely not going, sometimes completely not staying' is one. The old edition took 'biting off' as one, 'biting firmly' as one, and 'wishing to go but not going, wishing to stay but not staying' as one, while disregarding the phrase 'sometimes completely not going, sometimes completely not staying' altogether; this was an error. Having now corrected it, the address given upon ascending the hall is briefly cited as proof.) ### [6.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.5) Fenyang's Five Phrases on the Gate (This response is not seen in the Shimen lu) ### [6.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.6) A monk asked, 'What is the phrase for entering the gate?' / Fen said, 'A guest from afar seeks refuge with an intimate friend; sitting down for a moment, smiling and chanting softly.' ### [6.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.7) Shimen Cong said, 'The six relations do not recognize each other, yet his mouth says he has come from afar.' He also said, 'Blind!' ### [6.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.8) 'What is the phrase within the gate?' / Fen said, 'The four forms stand in rank; with concentrated affection they gaze upon the sacred countenance.' / Men said, 'A secret room admits no wind; sitting alone, having returned home.' He also said, 'Withdrawing.' He also said, 'The host within the guest.' ### [6.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.9) 'What is the phrase right at the gate?' / Fen said, 'Sitting and cutting off the thousands of divergent paths, shedding radiance to illumine the ten thousand functioning capacities.' / Men said, 'Opening the gate without bolting the door; resting a hand on the sword, looking in the four directions.' He also said, 'Beheading!' He also said, 'The host within the host.' ### [6.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.10) 'What is the phrase for going out of the gate?' / Fen said, 'Raising the eyes to gaze at the rivers and mountains; throughout the realm there is not an acquaintance.' / Men said, 'With deportment unkempt, gazing towards Chang'an.' He also said, 'Exile!' ### [6.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.11) 'What is the phrase outside the gate?' / Fen said, 'The woodcutter loves the barren wild; riding the ox, he constantly taps its horns.' / Men said, 'Deportment dignified and majestic, heading towards Chang'an.' He also said, 'The guest within the guest.' ### [6.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.12) The Four Immutabilities of the Zhaolun (With appended remarks by ancient masters) ### [6.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.13) Whirlwinds topple peaks yet are ever still (Has no connection with this place). / Rivers compete in surging yet do not flow (Water cannot sprinkle upon it). Heat hazes billow and drum yet do not move (The wind cannot blow in). / Sun and moon traverse the sky yet do not revolve (Their light has neither back nor front). ### [6.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.14) Yantou's Fourfold Concealment of the Blade ### [6.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.15) The 'Fourfold Concealment of the Blade' was established by the Master. It means: 'approaching phenomenon' is completely phenomenon; 'approaching principle' is completely principle; 'entering and approaching' is both principle and phenomenon; 'emerging and approaching' is principle and phenomenon both obliterated. Later students, not getting to the root of our predecessors' intent in establishing them, changed 'approaching' (jiu) to 'sleeve' (xiu), causing later patch-robed monks to suspect that the lineage masters had something in their sleeves that could be brought out and shown when entering and exiting. Therefore, it cannot but be examined in detail. ### [6.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.16) Verses by Ancient Masters, with Daguan Ying Appended ### [6.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.17) Carrying water and hauling firewood are not mundane dust; / Each and every thing fully reveals the body of the Dharma King. / A small boat drifts beyond the vast blue ocean; / Giant waves like mountains surge with white silver. (Approaching phenomenon) ### [6.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.18) Approaching phenomenon to conceal the blade, phenomenon is completely intact; / One does not look to principle for verbal explanation. / If the brocade-scaled fish does not swallow the fragrant bait, / Shaking its tail and nodding its head, it plays in the azure stream. (Approaching phenomenon) ### [6.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.19) The whole body is revealed right here, towering and clear; / The wondrous body from the very start is never covered or hidden. / Ready-made wherever encountered, who can discern it accurately? / Dust mote after dust mote together radiates the white curl's light. (Approaching principle) ### [6.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.20) Approaching principle to conceal the blade, principle is most subtle; / How could one establish the slightest hair upon phenomenon? / The sparrow-hawk of Silla flies beyond the heavens; / How would it deign to seize a dead little bird in the woods? (Approaching principle) ### [6.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.21) When the entire dynamic rolls up like lightning, how many understand? / A twitch of the eyebrow is already too late. / Face-to-face, not knowing how to open the jewel storehouse, / One hesitates outside the gate amid overgrown grasses. (Entering and approaching) ### [6.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.22) Entering and approaching to conceal the blade, principle and phenomenon are comprehensive; / Over the emerald pool the wind rises, shaking with clouds and thunder. / At Yu's Gate, in the third month's peach-blossom waves, / Bearing horns and holding high its head, it avoids scorching its gills. (Entering and approaching) ### [6.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.23) Stern and majestic light fills the world; / The command of the Dharma King naturally must be so. / Before the gate lies the eternal road to Chang'an; / With one leap, the Peng bird soars through ten thousand miles of sky. (Emerging and approaching) ### [6.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.24) Emerging and approaching to conceal the blade, principle and phenomenon are forgotten; / The brilliant sun in the high heavens presents no hindrance at all. / The Duke of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning speak clearly: / Amid the sound of the thunderbolt, the light of a spark from a flint. (Emerging and approaching) ### [6.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.25) The Three Seals of the Ancestral School (Shimen Cong, Yuquan Da) ### [6.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.26) One seal seals empty space. / Men said, 'The tongue props against the upper palate.' / Quan said, 'The myriad phenomena are gathered back into the ancient mirror.' ### [6.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.27) One seal seals water. / Men said, 'Speaking to a deaf person.' / Quan said, 'The reflection of the autumn moon falls into a thousand rivers.' ### [6.28](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.28) One seal seals mud. / Men said, 'Taking blows of the staff upon the head, muttering from the mouth.' / Quan said, 'Good to watch when the patterns are produced.' ### [6.29](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.29) Verses by Xuedou Xian ### [6.30](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.30) Sealing empty space, sealing water, sealing mud; / The letters and meaning are clear, yet one is still lost. / Even the Yellow-Headed Great Being did not know; / May I ask, who has succeeded in taking it up in person? ### [6.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.31) Sealing mud, sealing empty space, sealing water; / Throughout the earth, cold surging waves rise in competition. / Within them are boundless unicorns and dragons; / In how many places do they struggle to stick out their snouts? ### [6.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.32) Sealing water, sealing mud, sealing empty space; / The patch-robed monk cannot distinguish west from east. / Opening the single upward aperture, / The thousand sages together stand downwind. ### [6.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.33) Huangbo Chu ### [6.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.34) Sealing mud, sealing water, sealing empty space; / Translucent and clear on all four sides and eight directions. / In the great sea the dragon roars and mists arise; / On the high mountain the tiger roars and wind is born. ### [6.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.35) Sealing empty space, sealing water, sealing mud; / High and low, each and every thing is equal. / If you recognize the clearly evident pattern, / What harm is there in south, north, east, or west? ### [6.36](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.36) Sealing mud, sealing empty space, sealing water; / Thunder, lightning, wind, and clouds arise on all four sides. / Seizing the moment, penetrate directly through the Dragon Gate; / Above all, avoid scorching your gills and burning your tail. ### [6.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.37) Yunfeng Yue ### [6.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.38) One seal seals mud; / The wise and the foolish know it together. / Wrenching around the nostrils; / A golden mallet atop the crown of the head. ### [6.39](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.39) One seal seals water; / In vain stretching lips and mouth. / Before wading into the shifting sands, / Vast surging waves rise in competition. ### [6.40](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.40) One seal seals empty space; / Bright moon and pure breeze. / The cakravāḍa eye; / The bell after the noon meal. ### [6.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.41) The Prince of the Three Courts (Fenyang Zhao, Wuzu Yan, Cuiyan Feng) ### [6.42](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.42) A monk asked, 'What is it like when the prince has not yet ascended the court?' / Fen said, 'The six palaces sing snowy songs; the eight kingdoms listen to the music of Shao.' / Zu said, 'When meeting someone, you should ask for the road.' / Yan said, 'Though he does not step out from the deep palace, his fragrant renown has already spread beyond civilization.' ### [6.43](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.43) 'What is it like when the prince is just ascending the court?' / Fen said, 'The jade tablet displays no inscription; the myriad states all bow their heads.' / Zu said, 'Peace under heaven.' / Yan said, 'The two ranks attend the jade hall; the ten circuits all come to pay homage.' ### [6.44](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.44) 'What is it like after the prince has ascended the court?' / Fen said, 'In plain clothes, he inquires of an old farmer; throughout the realm there is not an acquaintance.' / Zu said, 'Who discusses good or bad?' / Yan said, 'Fishermen and woodcutters fill the roads with song; rustic old folk sing of a bountiful year.' ### [6.45](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.45) Fenyang's Verse ### [6.46](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.46) The prince of the three courts is both noble and revered; / Handed down from past to present, who can divide them? / The eight kingdoms and six palaces are fully reformed in goodness; / Let there be no confusion over Fenyang's authentic seal. ### [6.47](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.47) Ven. Nanming Shen's Case of the Lion (Bao'en Cong Appended) ### [6.48](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.48) A monk asked, 'What is it like when the lion has not yet emerged from its den?' / Ming said, 'A pure breeze sweeps the earth.' / En said, 'Its sharp point is hard to tether.' / 'What is it like after it has emerged from the den?' / Ming said, 'The brains of the pack of foxes split open.' / En said, 'No way to hide the body.' / 'What is it like when it is about to emerge but has not yet emerged?' / Ming said, 'Ha!' / En said, 'Life hanging by a thread.' ### [6.49](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.49) Nanming's Verses ### [6.50](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.50) Sitting motionless as if foolish and incapable, / Suddenly turning over, it rears and leaps. / Strange beasts of a hundred years all lie hidden, / Deeply concealed in chaotic mountains of thousands of tiers. ### [6.51](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.51) A single roar shakes heaven and earth; / Amid the pack of hundred beasts, courage and soul are lost. / Torrential waters flow backward, mountain reflections overturn; / In the empty air, dizzying flowers whirl in confusion. ### [6.52](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.52) About to emerge but not yet emerged—who can know? / Crouching on the ground and turning its body is also wondrous indeed. / Even the Thousand-Handed Great Compassionate One finds it hard to grasp; / Let it cause everyone for a thousand ages to be in doubt. ### [6.53](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.53) Changlu Zuyin Fu's Case of the Precious Sword (Tianzhu Jing, Cuiyan Zhi, Chengtian Zong) ### [6.54](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.54) A monk asked, "What is it like when the precious sword has not yet left the scabbard?" Yin said, "Blunt." Zhu said, "In our present dynasty, no one asks." (One source has \*zhao\* \[bright\] instead of \*chao\* \[dynasty\].) Yan said, "Take great care not to speak of it!" Zong said, "Its cold gleam shoots towards the Big Dipper and the Ox." "What is it like after it has left the scabbard?" Yin said, "Sharp." Zhu said, "Across ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, all proclaim great peace." Yan said, "The heavenly demons' gallbladders burst." Zong said, "A thousand soldiers are easy to find, but a single general is hard to seek." ### [6.55](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.55) Zhimenzuo's Saying on the Lotus Blossom (Tianzhu Jing, Ciming Yuan, Yuanjian Yuan) ### [6.56](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.56) A monk asked, "What is it like before the lotus blossom emerges from the water?" Zuo said, "A lotus blossom." Zhu said, "Roots deep, the lotus calyx endures the lingering rain." Ming said, "The depth of the water cannot cover it." Jian said, "When a burnt brick strikes it, it freezes solid to the very bottom." "What is it like after emerging from the water?" Zuo said, "Lotus leaves." Zhu said, "Upon the head of the water immortal, it is truly wondrous." Ming said, "It does not hinder passersby from gazing." Jian said, "At Yanglan and Zuo'e, waves rise without wind." "What is it like after it opens?" Ming said, "Fragrance north and south." "What is it like after bearing seeds?" Ming said, "Feeding fish, feeding turtles." ### [6.57](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.57) Xuedou's Verse ### [6.58](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.58) "Lotus blossoms and lotus leaves I announce to you; How does emerging from water compare to before it has emerged? North and south of the river, asking old master Wang, One fox doubts after another fox's doubt." ### [6.59](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.59) Fengxuezhao's Saying on the Ancient Mirror (Ciming Yuan, Cuiyan Zhi, Dongshan Cong) ### [6.60](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.60) A monk asked, "What is it like when the ancient mirror has not yet been polished?" Xue said, "The heavenly demons lose their courage." Ming said, "In Silla they beat the drums." Yan said, "It illuminates and shatters all skulls in the world." Shan said, "From here to Hanyang is not far." "What is it like after being polished?" Xue said, "Xuanyuan stands in the middle of the road." Ming said, "In the Western Heavens they dance." Yan said, "Black as lacquer." Shan said, "Before the Yellow Crane Tower lies Parrot Isle." ### [6.61](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.61) Wuzu Yan's Saying on Saindhava ### [6.62](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.62) A monk asked, "What is it like when the king demands saindhava?" Zu said, "Pierced sevenfold and holed eightfold." ### [6.63](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.63) "What is the king demanding saindhava?" Zu said, "Before the imperial chariot is lined up, orders are already issued." ### [6.64](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.64) "What is saindhava?" Zu said, "Eyes twitching, ears burning." The monk bowed. Zu said, "Spot on." ### [6.65](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.65) Jingqing asks Fengxue about the Six Scrapings (with Bie Feng's replies appended) ### [6.66](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.66) "What is scraping dust from hair?" Xue said, "When leaves fall, do not bother people to sweep them away; of itself the pure breeze comes to sweep them." Feng said, "The fine hairs stand erect in chill." ### [6.67](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.67) "What is scraping hair from skin?" Xue said, "Though breathing echoes through the secluded valley, seeking the truth, how could one encounter the person involved?" Feng said, "Unceasing at the point of falling—who can discern it?" ### [6.68](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.68) "What is scraping skin from flesh?" Xue said, "Stripping it off directly wins the Heavenly Emperor's approval, yet Prince Nata will not tolerate you." Feng said, "Constantly looking at the red, raw wounds—it satisfies my whole life." ### [6.69](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.69) "What is scraping flesh from bone?" Xue said, "Once the ghee has dissolved, bodily illness is healed; the profound path of the nature-ocean does not depend on a boat." Feng said, "Broken! Fallen!" ### [6.70](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.70) "What is scraping bone from marrow?" Xue said, "Śākya personally encountered Dīpaṃkara Buddha, but at the prediction of enlightenment no sound of preaching the Dharma was heard." Feng said, "Where the hands cannot reach, how can one apply strength?" ### [6.71](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.71) "Just so, how does one scrape the marrow itself?" Xue said, "Even if flowers in the sky bore fruit in the sky, how could a wooden horse allow a celestial horse to overtake it?" Feng said, "Thieves entering an empty city." ### [6.72](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.72) Dialogues on the Five Houses ### [6.73](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.73) A monk asked, "What is the matter of the Linji house?" Wuzu Yan said, "Hearing thunder during the five rebellions." Heshan said, "Illumination and function acting simultaneously." Zhengtang Bian said, "I will never say it to you." Huguo Yuan said, "Killing people without blinking an eye." Xuetang Xing said, "The six directions are plunged into misery." ### [6.74](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.74) "The Yunmen lineage:" Zu said, "Red banners flickering." Shan said, "Principle and phenomena are both fully provided." Tang said, "A wooden horse ascends the golden staircase." Guo said, "The three eyes on the crown of the head illuminate heaven and earth." Xue said, "In the reflections of a thousand waves, a red banner is planted." ### [6.75](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.75) "The Guiyang lineage:" Zu said, "A broken monument lies across the ancient road." Shan said, "Hidden dynamisms harmoniously merge." Tang said, "Before the eyes, there is no different road." Guo said, "Pushed, it does not advance; held back, it does not retreat." Xue said, "A hornless iron ox sleeps at Shaoshi." ### [6.76](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.76) "The Caodong lineage:" Zu said, "Carrying a letter, one does not arrive home." Shan said, "The partial and upright harmonize as one." Tang said, "A crane perches on a parasol tree branch." Guo said, "Holding in hand the night-shining tally, how many know that dawn has arrived?" Xue said, "Facing head-on without violating." ### [6.77](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.77) "The Fayan lineage:" Zu said, "A watchman violates the night curfew." Shan said, "How is it limited to mind-only?" Tang said, "Take great care not to miss the time and season!" Guo said, "Arrowheads meeting each other give no quarter." Xue said, "Accept it by taking a loss yourself." ### [6.78](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.78) Baofeng Cijian's Verses ### [6.79](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.79) "Bronze head and iron brow: grievance of a hundred families; With a single shout, substance and function are fully bifurcated. The three-foot hair-severing blade pacifies the world, Yet on departing, extinguished beside a blind donkey. (Linji)" ### [6.80](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.80) "The three phrases are all strung together on one cord; Casually hung before the imperial tower. How many passing travelers' eyes are fixed and staring! A carp from the Eastern Sea flies up into the sky. (Yunmen)" ### [6.81](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.81) "One scattering unfolds into tens of thousands; A winnowing basket explains talk of the unarisen. Waking from sleep in the thatched hut, pouting his lips, Young Ji must break down the original dream. (Guiyang)" ### [6.82](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.82) "The purple court and yellow corridors carry the warmth of spring; In the bedchamber, no one attends the supreme sovereign. Ever admiring where the hundred offices divide their duties, With a jade whip tapping the stirrup, he departs the golden gate. (Caodong)" ### [6.83](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.83) "Stream light and rustic colors steep the towers and pavilions; A single flute is heard from afar playing 'Falling Plums'. The wind escorts broken clouds back to the mountain ridge; The moon, together with flowing waters, crosses over the bridge. (Fayan)" ### [6.84](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.84) Yuanwu's Essentials of the Five Houses ### [6.85](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.85) "Total dynamism and great function; stick and shout alternating; seeking the person upon blades and swords; extending a hand within flashes of lightning. (Linji)" ### [6.86](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.86) "Hiding the body in the Northern Dipper; the substance revealed in the autumn wind; three phrases discernable; a single arrow piercing the distant sky. (Yunmen)" ### [6.87](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.87) "Lord and vassal harmonize in the Way; the partial and the upright assist each other; the bird's path and the mysterious track; the golden needle and jade thread. (Caodong)" ### [6.88](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.88) "Master and disciple harmonizing in song; father and son under one roof; light and darkness alternating; speech and silence remaining unrevealed. (Guiyang)" ### [6.89](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.89) "Hearing sounds to awaken to the Way; seeing forms to clarify the mind; concealed sharpness within phrases; resonance within words. (Fayan)" ### [6.90](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.90) "The Five Houses change their tones and switch their tunes, deploying the wondrous gate, shifting customs and altering ways, in a thousand manners and a hundred facets—all sung forth from nothingness, adapting accommodated teachings for beginners. If one is an outstanding person, one leaves behind no trace: overturning all displayed texts, cutting through all entangling vines. However, 'a thousand soldiers are easy to find, but a single general is hard to seek.' Entering the weeds to search for someone, one opens a single line of possibility. If there is a standard prior to the dynamic moment, any intention toward it goes astray; if there is no partiality beneath the words, any movement forms a rut. The wondrous edge of the precious sword is magnificently present face to face; those stuck in shells and confused by seals are unfit even to cultivate weeds." ### [6.91](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.91) Yang Wewei's Verses (The Five Houses) ### [6.92](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.92) "The treasury of the true Dharma eye is extinguished beside a blind donkey; Huangbo was an old granny, and Dayu was overly talkative. (Linji) A jade horse ascends the golden staircase; The barbarian is confused in broad daylight. Even if his dynamism flashes like lightning, He is still a teacher of dull capacity. (Yunmen)" ### [6.93](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.93) "One stroke long, one stroke short; one stroke short, one stroke long; Bent and straight, square and round, matching the notes of the scale. The fried cakes beside the river have no one to buy them; They make the barbarian monk laugh in vain. (Guiyang)" ### [6.94](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.94) "The phoenix of Mount Dan visits the imperial hall; In the secret palace, the music of Shun is played nine times over. The rustic old man does not know the value of the imperial carriage; On the six thoroughfares, he still hears the sound of the silence whip. (Caodong)" ### [6.95](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.95) "The sun is warm and flowers vie to blossom; The forest is deep and birds are not startled. A fishing boat passes the southern shore; Waves beat against Stone City. (Fayan)" ### [6.96](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.96) The Three Kinds of Dharma Realm (An Ancient Worthy) ### [6.97](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.97) "What was it like before the Buddha appeared in the world?" "The world was at peace." "What was it like after he appeared in the world?" "A sudden burst of grief." "What was it like at the time between appearing and not appearing?" "Few understand kindness; many turn their backs on kindness." "What is the substance of the Dharma body?" "Mountain flowers bloom like brocade; stream waters are green as indigo." "What is the function of the Dharma body?" "Sitting at night on a boulder joined to the clouds; planting in spring a pine drenched with rain." "What is the Dharma body?" "The willow's color is tender gold; the pear blossom's white snow is fragrant." ### [6.98](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.98) The Five Eyes ### [6.99](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.99) "What is the physical eye?" "Hate and love—how are they worth cherishing? Greed and anger only multiply affairs." "What is the heavenly eye?" "Vast and boundless, never missing a thing; distinctly and completely clear." "What is the wisdom eye?" "Waving the hand from afar in the golden land; nodding the head in secret at Jiangling." "What is the Dharma eye?" "The blue mountain is never exposed, yet throughout the realm it has never been hidden." "What is the Buddha eye?" "Compassionately benefiting all; skillful means have many gates." ### [6.100](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.100) The Three Jewels ### [6.101](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.101) "What is the Buddha?" "Where is he not revered as the Honored One?" "What is the Dharma?" "A cart is not pushed sideways; principle allows no crooked verdicts." "What is the Sangha?" "Leisurely holding a scripture scroll, leaning against a pine tree, he asks the guest, 'Where have you come from?'" ### [6.102](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.102) Sayings on the Staff ### [6.103](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.103) "What is 'you have a staff'?" "When playing chess against an equal adversary, it is hard to hide one's moves." "What is 'you have no staff'?" "Only when the zither meets an appreciative listener is it good to play." "What is the staff?" "Supporting \[one\] across the waters of the broken bridge; accompanying \[one\] home to the moonlit village." ### [6.104](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.104) Phrase and Meaning ### [6.105](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.105) "The phrase arrives but the meaning does not arrive: From the ancient ravine, cold springwater surges; The green pine is cold with dew. The meaning arrives but the phrase does not arrive: On rocks grows rootless grass; In the mountains hide motionless clouds. Both meaning and phrase arrive: Heaven dawn-lit alongside white clouds; Water flowing together with the bright moon. Neither meaning nor phrase arrives: In the blue sky, not a single cloud; On green water, wind and waves arise." ### [6.106](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.106) Dialogues on the Six Patriarchs ### [6.107](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.107) "Bodhidharma's single shoe:" "Sitting coldly for nine years, recognized by no one; A five-petaled flower blossoms, fragrance filling the world." It was also said, "Trampling flat the Iron Enclosing Mountains." ### [6.108](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.108) "The Second Patriarch's single arm:" "Look, look—three feet of snow chills people to the marrow." It was also said, "Holding up the whole world." ### [6.109](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.109) "The Third Patriarch's single sinful body:" "Searching for it, it cannot be found; originally without flaw or blemish." It was also said, "Pinching the eyes, flowers are forced into being." ### [6.110](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.110) "The Fourth Patriarch's single tiger:" "Heroic might shakes the ten directions; sound and glory stir the cosmos." It was also said, "Eye-gleam with the majesty of a hundred paces." ### [6.111](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.111) "The Fifth Patriarch's single pine tree:" "Not aiming to delineate scenic vistas, but merely to fortify the family style." ### [6.112](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.112) "The Sixth Patriarch's single pestle-mortar:" "Stepping onto the treadle lever, only then does one know existence and nonexistence." ### [6.113](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.113) Dialogues on the Ten Nonexistences ### [6.114](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.114) The land of non-action: lying high above Fu Xi, strolling and singing in the days of Emperor Shun. ### [6.115](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.115) The dot-less steelyard: catties and ounces are clearly distinct. ### [6.116](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.116) The rootless tree: without relying on the power of the Eastern Emperor, it constantly blossoms with udumbara flowers. ### [6.117](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.117) The bottomless alms-bowl: lifted up, it conceals the sun and moon; set down, it stores heaven and earth. ### [6.118](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.118) The stringless zither: if one is not an intimate knower of the tune, do not play it for them. ### [6.119](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.119) The bottomless boat: emptily loaded with bright moonlight, returning home. ### [6.120](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.120) The song of the unborn: one tune, two tunes, no one understands; the rain passes over the night pond, the autumn waters deep. ### [6.121](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.121) The holeless flute: idly playing a single tune, together celebrating the times of great peace. ### [6.122](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.122) The beard-less lock: unlatched, it is hard to move by hand; locked shut, it lets no wind pass. Another version says: struck by a golden hammer, it does not budge. ### [6.123](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.123) The bottomless basket: capable of containing the four great oceans, encompassing the five Mount Sumerus. ### [6.124](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.124) One Shout Divided into Five Teachings (Newly Added) ### [6.125](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.125) Chan Master Pan'an Cheng of Jingyin, together with Fazhen, Yuanwu, Cishou, and ten great Dharma masters, attended a vegetarian banquet at the residence of Grand Defender Chen Liangbi. At that time, Emperor Huizong made an informal visit to observe their Dharma assembly. A master skilled in the Huayan \[teachings\] questioned the Chan masters before the assembly, saying: "Our Buddha established the teachings, from the Hīnayāna up to the Perfect and Sudden, sweeping away emptiness and existence, uniquely realizing true permanence; only thereafter, adorned with myriad virtues, is one called a Buddha. The Chan lineage's single shout transforms the ordinary into the sacred, which seems contrary to the scriptures and treatises. Now, if this single shout can enter the Five Teachings, it is correct doctrine; if it cannot enter, it is heterodox doctrine." The Chan masters looked at Cheng. Cheng said: "What the Dharma master asks is not worth being answered by these great Chan masters. A minor elder of Jingyin will suffice to dispel the Dharma master's doubts." Cheng called Shan. Shan answered. Cheng said: "What the Dharma master calls the Buddha's Hīnayāna teaching is the principle of existence. The Mahāyāna initial teaching is the principle of emptiness. The Mahāyāna final teaching is the principle of neither existence nor emptiness. The Mahāyāna sudden teaching is the principle of existence being identical to emptiness. The One Vehicle perfect teaching is the principle of non-emptiness yet non-existence, non-existence yet non-emptiness. As for my single shout, not only can it enter the Five Teachings, but it can even enter the hundred crafts and skills and all the various philosophers. All can enter." Cheng then gave a shout. After the single shout, he asked Shan, "Do you still hear it?" Shan said, "I hear it." Cheng said: "Since you hear it, this single shout is existence, and can enter the Hīnayāna teaching." Moments later Cheng again called Shan, saying: "Do you still hear it?" \[Shan\] said, "I do not hear it." Cheng said: "Since you do not hear it, the shout just now is non-existence, and can enter the initial teaching." Cheng again looked at Shan and said: "When I first shouted, you said there was something. Long after the shout, the sound vanished, and you then said there was nothing. If one speaks of non-existence, originally it truly existed; if one speaks of existence, at present it is truly non-existent. Neither existing nor non-existing can enter the final teaching." Cheng further said: "When I have a single shout, existence is not existence—it exists because of non-existence. When there is no shout, non-existence is not non-existence—it is non-existent because of existence. Existence being identical to non-existence can enter the sudden teaching." Cheng further said: "This single shout of mine is not used as a single shout. Existence and non-existence do not reach it; emotional understanding is entirely forgotten. When one speaks of existence, not a speck of dust is established; when one speaks of non-existence, it horizontally pervades empty space. This very single shout enters hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of shouts; hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of shouts enter this single shout. This is capable of entering the perfect teaching." Shan, without realizing it, stood up from his seat and bowed twice before Cheng. Cheng spoke to Shan once more, saying: "Not only is this true of a single shout, but also speech, silence, movement, and stillness—at all times, in all places, in all things, and in all matters, it tallies with principle and tallies with capacity, completely without remainder." Thereupon the fourfold assembly rejoiced, having heard what they had never heard before. The imperial countenance showed great delight, and \[the Emperor\] said to the attendants and ministers to his left and right: "Chan masters possess such profound conversations and wonderful discourses!" The Grand Defender addressed \[the Emperor\], saying: "These are merely surplus remarks of the Chan master." ### [6.126](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.126) Vernacular Sayings of the Chan Groves (Newly Added) ### [6.127](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.127) A wax person facing fire. / An elephant crossing a river. / Chasing a dog jumping over a wall. Deshan's arhat. / Master Fenghou. / Xu the Sixth carrying a board. Qingping crossing the water. / Grasping hair and delivering to the magistrate's office. / Converting people in the middle of the night. Jinshan's brick bank. / Pawning an ox at the pawnshop. / A carpenter carrying a cangue. Jiazhou's stone statue. / The elder of Hunan. / Carrying a cangue past the indictment. A dwarf plastering a wall. / Changzhou beating "ye". / A broad-horned water buffalo. Hair in a nunnery. / Qingping selling oil. / A fan in the twelfth month. Playing ball in swift waters. / The tea bottle of Gong County. / The fish soup of Li Prefecture. Water soaking Jinshan. / A stone man's belt. / The flowering crabapple of Changzhou. The stonemason of Jian Prefecture. / Yunju's arhat. / Fenglin scolding him. A paper horse entering fire. / Zhang Liang receiving the book. / Taigong fishing. Liangshan's verse. / A cat carrying a mallet. / The three brothers of Li Jing. A beggar's walking staff. / A dog biting a dry bone. / A Persian chanting a dhāraṇī. The stone Buddha of Xinchang. / A horse eating mustard seeds. / A dwarf watching a theatrical play. A yellow hound crossing a river. / A rabbit gazing at the moon. / Master Luo looking into a mirror. A Persian falling into the water. / Xiao He drafting the statutes. / Master Donkey-Lips. Silla straw sandals. / A dwarf crossing a river. / The earth spirit of Mount Mao. The earth spirit of Yunju. / A Daoist striking a mallet. / A scholar directing an ox. A chessboard on the wall. / Guo Prefecture rice cloth. / Fire burning the incense boat. A snake entering a bamboo cylinder. / Touzi's words. / Yunmen's words. Xinghua's words. / Fenyang's words. / Guishan's words. Xuefeng's words. / Yangshan's words. / Xuansha's words. Zhaozhou's words. / Jinniu's words. / Puhua ringing the bell. Autumn moon over Dongting. / Evening snow on the river sky. / Evening bell of the misty temple. Mountain market in clear mist. / Wild geese descending on flat sand. / Fishing village in the setting sun. Sails returning to distant shores. / Night rain over the Xiao and Xiang. / Saindhava. ### [6.128](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.128) An orangutan wearing straw sandals. / Threading a needle in the dark. One horse giving birth to three tigers. / The white elder of Emei. Not understanding three, eight, nine. / The earth spirit deep in the mountains. A mosquito alighting on an iron ox. / A tiger in the bustling market. A mouse moving fresh ginger. / Seeing the Great Saint in Sizhou. A donkey picking a wet spot to urinate. / A tortoise walking on dry land. Mojing people offering a vegetarian meal. / Third Mistress Xie weighing silver. Daoist Deng grinding ink. / A monkey climbing a tree backwards. Red clay smearing a cow's udder. / The great king in the army camp. Spoons and chopsticks in a restaurant. / Red clay painting a winnowing basket. A monkey eating hairy caterpillars. / A crow in a cloth bag. A stele at a crossroads. / A windmill painted on the wall. A monkey riding a turtle's back. / A monkey entering a cloth bag. Number Forty-Eight's xiangqi. / Exiting the Cao Gate in Zhengzhou. The fellow on Tianjin Bridge. / Biancai meeting Xiao Yi. A mouse in the bustling market. / Eldest Sister Wang of the eastern village. A lotus root on a boulder. / A Persian eating black pepper. A cat eating a colorful phoenix. / Stale rice plastering a tea stove. A lotus root thread pulling an elephant. / A tiger watching a water mill. Daoist Master Ma selling ink. / Eighteen mou of fertile fields. A lesser shaman seeing a greater shaman. / Xiao Wang's torn straw sandals. Eight-dou cloth dyed in colors. / Minor Compassion visiting Great Compassion. A Persian entering a bustling market. / Releasing a black rooster in the middle of the night. A rabbit drinking cow's milk. / A twelve-zhang bell tower. A mouse eating fresh ginger. / Elder Bao carrying a lampstand. Handan imitating the Tang stride. / Han Xin attending court. A lion in an ancient temple. / Overlooking a cliff to watch river eyes. A Persian looking into an ancient mirror. / The eminence of Minggong upon the sea. A fellow buying melons in Guazhou. / People of Pu Prefecture escorting thieves. Always Liu Xiahui. / Six days of birch bark turning into lips. Vice Director Su's skull. / Pan Lang riding a donkey backwards. A Qin-era iron drill. / A tiger wearing a paper hat. Selling fruit before the hall. / Asking for Changlu in Zhenzhou. A monk shouldering logs. / A gentleman is flexible. Carrying an awl in a cloth bag. ### [6.129](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.129) A Persian of Ta-shih seeking a ferryboat. / Devī and Kālarātrī. Five liang hanging from the tip of a hundred-foot pole. / Red Hongya beating White Hongya. Third Mistress Xie does not recognize the character she. / Sister-in-law Xu does not recognize crabapples. A windmill on the tip of a monastery flagpole. / Almost capturing Caizhou. A bronze salver full of oil. / Paper money in the Mount Tai temple. A barefoot Persian entering the Great Tang. / A smooth brick at a crossroads. Snapping fingers in Kongming's temple. / A person of Fuzhou eating lychees. Third Mistress Xie does not recognize the character si. / There is no two hundred taels of gold here. A layman buying three pints of wine. ### [6.130](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.130) Gāthā on the True Nature ### [6.131](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.131) When Bodhidharma came from the west, he faced the wall for nine years. Only Shenguang, standing in the snow and severing his arm, attained self-realization. Skillful words could not reach it; only the mind-to-mind transmission was allowed. When those of superior capacity had already accorded with it, he wished to return west. Yet pitying those of intermediate and lower capacities, he reluctantly left behind twenty characters, termed the Gāthā on the True Nature. Read forward and backward, it forms forty rhymes, each possessing its own purport. This was indeed out of grandmotherly kindness, leaving no small mess behind, in the hope that descendants of later generations might see the moon by pointing at the finger. If there should be a fellow who comprehends it before the character "nature" has even formed, its brilliance will manifest of itself, not attained from another. One would then laugh that the old barbarian was rightly given a sound beating with a staff. ### [6.132](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.132) Composed by Great Master Huizhao Keguang of Lingyin ### [6.133](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.133) Rentian yanmu, Fascicle Six (End) ### [6.134](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.134) Postface to the Re-edition of the Rentian Yanmu in the Yanyou Reign of the Great Yuan ### [6.135](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.135) In the past, Chan Master Huiyan Zhao of Mount Yue compiled the cardinal principles of the Five Houses during the Chunxi era of the Song, naming it the Rentian yanmu, and circulated it in the monastic groves. Having been copied by hand for a long time, it inevitably suffered from clerical errors. The manuscript copies were also quite different, with this and that version each having gains and losses. In leisure days, I compared the agreements and differences, correcting the erroneous, supplementing the missing, and deleting the spurious, yet still worried it was not perfect. Furthermore, in its original arrangement, the Five Houses also lost the succession of lineage transmission. Now it has been revised: first Linji and Guiyang are listed, as these two lineages both emerged under Nanyue and Mazu; next Caodong, Yunmen, and Fayan are listed, as these three lineages all emerged from Qingyuan and Shitou. Furthermore, in recent generations someone, falsely using the name of Qiu Xuansu, forged the stele inscription of Chan Master Daowu of Tianwang Monastery west of the city of Jiangling, recording that Tianwang succeeded Mazu and transmitted to Longtan, Deshan, and Xuefeng, thereby shifting the two lineages of Yunmen and Fayan under Mazu—which is utterly laughable. According to the new and old gazetteers of Jingzhou, there was no Tianwang Monastery west of the city. The encounters and verbal expressions of Tianwang fabricated in that forged stele are entirely the historical facts of Chan Master Tanzhao of Baima Monastery west of the city. These historical facts of Tanzhao are detailed in the old gazetteer of Jingzhou and the Jingde chuandeng lu, and can be verified. Moreover, that Tianhuang succeeded Shitou and transmitted to Longtan is recorded in full in the Chuandeng \[lu\], the Gaoseng zhuan, the Deshan stele, and the recorded sayings of the various masters under Yunmen and Fayan, as well as several dozen places in the verses on the essential guidelines of the Five Houses of previous generations, bright as the sun and stars. This can dispel the doubts of the world and future generations, and can prove the errors of earlier and later compilations. Now the Daming Hermitage of Fuzhou in Ji'an Route has carved the printing blocks to share with students of Chan. May those who read this collection overturn the public notices, cut through entangling vines, and clearly open their mouths without relying on the tongue! Should it not be so, the sword has long since gone. ### [6.136](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.136) Respectfully inscribed at the end by Bhikṣu Zhiyou of Tianfeng, Fuzhou, Jiangxi, in the fourth year of the Yanyou era (ding-si). ### [6.137](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.137) Investigation on Longtan ### [6.138](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.138) The Song Jingde chuandeng \[lu\] only records that Tianhuang Wu succeeded Shitou, unaware that at the same time there were two Daowus: one succeeded Mazu and resided at Tianwang Monastery to the west of the city of Jingzhou; the other succeeded Shitou and resided at Tianhuang Monastery to the east of the city of Jingzhou. Successive examinations of the Nanyue stele written by Gui Deng of the Tang, Guifeng's Statement on the Doctrinal Principles in Reply to Chancellor Pei, and the stupa inscription for Mazu written by Quan Deyu all provide evidence. Later, the two stupa inscriptions by Qiu Xuansu and Fu Zai cited by Daguan Ying record it with even greater detail; about this there can be no doubt. However, in Qiu's inscription, Longtan Xin is made to succeed Tianwang Wu, and about this one cannot help but harbor doubt. I once examined the recorded sayings of Xuefeng: speaking to the King of Min, Xuefeng himself claimed to have attained the Way of former Deshan and Shitou. Furthermore, in the preface to the recorded sayings of National Teacher Yan of Gushan, Yan is also called a fifth-generation descendant of Shitou. These two works date from the Five Dynasties period, not far removed from Longtan; how could they have so hastily forgotten their own origin? Based on this, one knows that the one succeeded by Longtan Xin was Tianhuang Wu, not Tianwang Wu; this is the first proof. Furthermore, Longtan Xin's family lived in Tianhuang Lane east of the city of Jingzhou, making a living by selling cakes. Daily he would present ten cakes to the Venerable Tianhuang. Every time Tianhuang finished eating, he would always leave one cake, saying: 'I bestow this on you to provide shade for your descendants.' One day Xin thought to himself: 'The cakes were brought by me; why does he return one to me instead? Does it have another meaning?' Thereupon he approached and asked him. Tianhuang said: 'It was you who brought it; what fault is there in returning it to you?' Hearing this, Xin understood much of the profound import, and thereupon applied to leave household life. Tianhuang said: 'Formerly you honored (chong) merit and good fortune, and now you believe (xin) my words; you may be named Chongxin.' From then on he served him with diligence at his side. Based on this, one knows that the one succeeded by Longtan Xin was Tianhuang Wu, not Tianwang Wu; this is the second proof. Furthermore, one day Xin asked Tianhuang: 'Since my arrival, I have not received your instruction in the essentials of mind.' Tianhuang said: 'Since your arrival, I have never failed to instruct you in the essentials of mind.' Xin said: 'Where did you instruct me?' Tianhuang said: 'When you brought tea, I received it for you; when you served food, I accepted it for you; when you made obeisance, I bowed my head for you. Where was it not instructing you in the essentials of mind?' The Master lowered his head for a long time. Tianhuang said: 'If you see it, see it directly on the spot; deliberate thinking is immediately an error.' On the spot the Master had an awakening. He asked further: 'How should I preserve it?' Tianhuang said: 'Give rein to your nature and wander freely; accord with conditions and be unrestrained. Simply exhaust ordinary worldly mind; there is no other holy understanding.' Another day he asked: 'What is the matter transmitted from of old?' Tianhuang said: 'One cannot do without illuminating where you come from.' Xin said: 'How many people possess this eye?' Tianhuang said: 'Shallow grass is more abundant than tall reeds.' Based on this, one knows that the one succeeded by Longtan Xin was Tianhuang Wu, not Tianwang Wu; this is the third proof. Now that the proofs of these three passages are so manifest, why does Qiu Xuansu's stupa inscription uniquely differ by having Longtan succeed Tianwang? Upon examination, one realizes that this is clearly because later people falsely inserted Chongxin into Tianwang's stupa inscription to serve as grounds for sectarian dispute, nothing more. Otherwise, one would have to wipe out the texts evidenced in the preceding three passages with a single stroke of the brush before their theory could be established. Furthermore, Zhang Wujin once claimed: 'Yunmen's sharp dynamic resembles Linji; he should be a descendant of Mazu.' This is mere rustic prattle from east of Qi! From ancient times, those who received instruction from the same master and yet possessed completely distinct dynamics are many indeed; how must they all be identical? For instance, Yunmen and Fayan both came out of Xuefeng. If Yunmen should be assigned to Mazu, then should Fayan again be assigned to Shitou? The sharp dynamic of Danxia and Touzi was not inferior to that of Linji; Xingshan and Sansheng both lost their dynamic at Shishi; should Danxia, Touzi, and Shishi then again be altered to fall under Mazu? Furthermore, Nanquan and his disciples were all successors of Mazu, yet they did not use the stick and shout; Guishan and his disciples were all successors of Baizhang, yet they did not make a practice of isolated steepness; should they then be altered to fall under Shitou? Moreover, I once examined the complete recorded sayings of Xuefeng: his Chan possessed all manners and styles, vast and wide as oceanic waves. Hence his words sometimes resembled Linji, and sometimes resembled Caodong. His disciples, such as Xuansha, Changqing, Baofu, Gushan, Anguo, Qingjing, and others, were all like this. Even Yunmen, although his dynamic functioning was uniquely steep, in truth his words were not absolute and his dynamic did not provoke offense. Moreover, he successively studied with Caoshan, Shushan, Jiufeng, and Qianfeng; his words are all extant. Words such as 'three kinds of illness and two kinds of light' are entirely based on Qianfeng; this is especially obvious. How can it be said that because he was similar to Linji, he should be a successor under Mazu? It is certainly difficult to debate with the ignorant, but exalted and discerning persons can examine and know this. Therefore I have composed this to inform the wise of the world, hoping they will examine it with care. (See Yongjue wanlu.) ### [6.139](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.139) Afterword to the Re-edited Rentian yanmu ji ### [6.140](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.140) The Single Dharma branched into the Five Houses. Each house has its tenets. If one penetrates the destination of those tenets, then neither the Single Dharma nor the Five Houses can escape. Today, however, it is not so: people chase the shadows and traces of the Five Houses and pick up the leftover scraps of former words. Can the essential tenets truly reside in these? The phrases of the ancients are dead phrases, yet they suffice as instruments for enlivening people. Phrases are neither dead nor alive; otherwise, the person dies and the phrase dies. During the Chunxi era, there was Zhao Huiyan of Yuanshan, who gathered and categorized the essentials of the dynamic words of the Five Houses, calling it Rentian yanmu. Patch-robed monks have copied and transmitted it to this day, and every person has the book. They vainly cherish and preserve it like a contract. The minute differences like those between 'fish' and 'Lu' go uncorrected, and there are mutual additions, omissions, and corrupt mixtures; only the original edition as it first appeared remains truly unknown. Distressed by this state of affairs, I set aside my cumbersome social obligations to search out, weigh, and correct it, capturing somewhat of its essentials, so that later learners may know that the claws and teeth of the ancestral school from of old served people in just such a way. Soon after, I laughed to myself, saying: 'Cliches of words and phrases are the great illness of students nowadays. Secretly, I consider that in instructing disciples, not attacking what they are bogged down in, but conversely increasing it, is to choke the root of their illness. Yet since they are already ill, using this very thing to medicate them—look at how it is applied! Moreover, can the essential tenets truly not reside in this? If our peers, by means of this, make the ancestral principles ever more brilliant and yield nothing to the ancients, would this not indeed be serving as eyes for humans and gods?' For this reason I wrote this afterword. Five days after the end of the summer retreat in the wuwu year of the Baoyou era. Inhabitant of the mountain of Ciyun. ### [6.141](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.141) Preface by Wuchu Daguan ### [6.142](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.142) The reasons for the composition of this book are fully seen in the prefaces and colophons of the two venerable masters, Huiyan and Wuchu. Nevertheless, during the flourishing era of the Zhao Song dynasty, when southern-seeking patch-robed monks transcribed it, errors like mistaking 'wu' and 'yan' for 'ma' were not absent. Thereupon the Chan practitioner Liaogao, with a determined mind to correct them, began from the Chuandeng \[lu\] downward, proceeding to the separate records of the venerable elders of the five houses and lineages, exhaustively consulting, delving into, puncturing, and collating every one of them, and thereby completed an authentic version. Is this not what is called: 'Master Meng's merit was not inferior to that of Yu'? The Daoist of Jingzhi, aspiring to Yan Hui and admiring Lin Xiangru, ordered artisans to engrave the printing blocks in order to grant it enduring transmission. His employment of mind may indeed be called diligent. If students should reflect on why it was titled Rentian yanmu, then this effort will not have been exerted in vain. ### [6.143](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.143) Recorded by Qionglin, the Old Man of the Hall-Hanging, on the eighth day of the first month in the guimao year of Qianyuan. ### [6.144](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.144) First Patriarch ### [6.145](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.145) The old barbarian meddled in affairs, coming to the east; The utpala flower bloomed in the midst of fire. Yet the King of Liang won a move; On the swift waters of Changlu, he released his boat to return. ### [6.146](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.146) Second Patriarch ### [6.147](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.147) Facing the wall at Shaolin, he spoke too much; He received a disciple whose one arm was whole. In the capital and Luoyang, even now three feet of snow falls; How was the bitter cold confined only to the Putong era? ### [6.148](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.148) Third Patriarch ### [6.149](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.149) The waters of the Huan River are azure; The peak of Tianzhu stands high. Translucently clear and luminous, Not separated by the slightest thread. From the beginning, his livelihood was as flat as a palm; Descendants of later generations play in the ocean tides. ### [6.150](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.150) Fourth Patriarch ### [6.151](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.151) The stupa of Ciyun, The Master of Great Medicine; Gazing upon it, looking up to it, The Twin Peaks tower majestically. Lazy Rong did not receive the alms-bowl of the Western Heavens; It was directly entrusted to the boy on the Huangmei road. ### [6.152](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.152) Fifth Patriarch ### [6.153](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.153) How old was he when planting pines! How young when transmitting the robe! Former body and latter body: One dream, two awakenings. White jade flowers bloom atop the peak; The bright moon coldly shines upon them for a thousand years. ### [6.154](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.154) Sixth Patriarch ### [6.155](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.155) A stone tied at his waist, the pounding mortar sounded; Old Lu became heavy, not light. Though he personally obtained the robe and bowl of Huangmei, It was still several tens of stages of journey to Caoxi. ### [6.156](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.156) Northern Lineage ### [6.157](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6.157) Upon the mirror, from time to time, he wiped away the old traces; Birds sang and flowers laughed through how many springs? Atop the White Lotus Peak, there is no news; The iron alms-bowl was conceded to the man treading the mortar. _First 157 of 212 passages. [Read on](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6)_ ## Linked texts (1) - [人天眼目](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006.6.1) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2006~en-mt.6) · Pramāṇa