禪林寶訓 2
English (machine translation) 2
- Language
- English
2.1
Recompiled by the śramaṇa Jingshan of Dongwu.
2.2
When the Venerable Zhantang Zhun first studied under Zhenjing, he often lit a lamp inside his bed-curtain to read. Zhenjing scolded him, saying, 'What is called a student is one who seeks to discipline the mind. Though your learning may be extensive, if your mind is not disciplined, of what benefit will even endless learning be? Moreover, the divergent teachings of the hundred schools are as high as mountains and as deep as the sea; how could you master them all? Now, forsaking the root to chase after the branches is like making the noble serve the base; I fear it will obstruct your work on the Way. You must cut off all entangling conditions at once and seek wondrous awakening. Looking back on them on another day, it will be as easy as pushing open a door to enter the mortar room; it will not be difficult at all.' Zhantang immediately cast aside what he had been studying and focused single-mindedly on Chan contemplation. One day, hearing a monk reading Zhuge Kongming's 'Memorial on Taking the Field', he had an open awakening. His blockages were instantly dissolved, and his eloquence became unimpeded. Among his peers, few could surpass him.
2.3
Zhantang said: 'Those who have the Way and virtue rejoice in the community; those who lack the Way and virtue rejoice in themselves. Those who rejoice in the community endure; those who rejoice in themselves perish. Nowadays, many who are called abbots confront the community with their personal likes and dislikes, and so the community opposes them. Rare indeed are those who, liking someone, still know their faults, and disliking someone, still know their merits. Therefore it is said: To share sorrows and joys with the community, and to share their likes and dislikes—this is righteousness. Wherever righteousness resides, who under Heaven will not turn to it?' (Two matters from the *Leike zhuiyou ji*).
2.4
Zhantang said: 'The Way is the true expediency of past and present. Those who are skilled in propagating the Way make adaptation essential. Those who do not understand adaptation are constrained by texts, cling to teachings, become stuck in signs, and are bogged down by sentiments. These all stem from failing to master expedient adaptation. A monk asked Zhaozhou, "The ten thousand dharmas return to the one; where does the one return?" Zhaozhou said, "When I was in Qingzhou, I made a hemp robe weighing seven catties." Can one say that ancients who did not master expedient adaptation could respond in this manner? The sage said: "A secluded valley has no bias, yet the echo reaches it; the great bell upon its frame, whenever struck, never fails to respond." From this we know that the superior person of universal understanding will transcend the ordinary to accord with the Way, rather than rigidly clinging to one thing and failing to respond to changes.' (Letter to Li Shanglao).
2.5
Zhantang said: 'When a student seeks a friend, it must be someone who can serve as a teacher. At all times, hold them in reverence, take their actions as a model, and hope for benefit. Or, if their wisdom and understanding are slightly superior to one's own, one may also associate with them to be alerted to what one has not yet reached. If by any chance they are just like oneself, then it is better not to have them.' (*Baofeng shilu*).
2.6
Zhantang said: 'It is the late autumn of the patriarchal grove. People of the forests who are not clamorous and superficial are truly hard to find. In the past, when Zhenru resided at Zhihai, he once said: "When I was at Daowu west of the Xiang River, though the community was not large, there were still several veteran monks who put this Way into practice. Since coming here from Daguishan, there have been no fewer than nine hundred monks, yet not even five or seven understand my speech." From this I know that obtaining the right people does not depend on large numbers.' (*Shilu*).
2.7
Zhantang said: 'A person's conduct cannot be fully known by a single question and answer. For one whose tongue is glib and sharp may not be trustworthy in deeds, while one whose speech is clumsy and hesitant may not be deficient in principle. Even if one refutes their words, one may not have exhausted their principle; being able to subdue their mouth does not mean subduing their heart. Knowing people is difficult—this was a distress even to the sages. How much more so for the monks of recent times! Their cleverness is not applied to understanding the sentiments of things; seeing and hearing are mostly used only to watch for faults and gaps. They run counter to the wishes of the community and diverge from the direction of the Way. They value each other for deceit and conceal things from one another through fraud, causing the Way of the buddhas and patriarchs to decline and become ever more superficial, to the point of being nearly irremediable.' (Letter in reply to Luzhi).
2.8
Zhantang said to Miaoxi: 'In the semblance age, bhikṣus mostly comply with external things on the outside and fail to illumine their minds within. Even if they accomplish grand undertakings, none are ultimate. This is because what they attach themselves to is base and vulgar. A horsefly that strikes an ox can fly only a few paces; but if it clings to the tail of a thoroughbred, it immediately acquires the power to chase the wind and pursue the sun. This is the excellence of what it relies upon. For this reason, a student must choose their dwelling carefully and associate only with worthy scholars; thus they will be able to cut off the crooked and depraved, draw near to the central and upright, and hear correct speech. In the past, the Venerable Ya of Fuyan always admired Zhenru Zhe's exemplary character as worthy of esteem, but did not yet know whom he associated with. One day, seeing him walking together with Daning Kuan, Jiangshan Yuan, and Cuiyan Zhen, Ya was overjoyed beyond measure. Calmly he said to Zhe: "These great beings are dragons and elephants of the Dharma gate. Now that you are able to travel in their company, in the future you will support the collapsing pillars of our Way and manifest the salvific benefit of the ancestral teachings; it surely does not require many admonitions from me."' (*Rishe ji*).
2.9
Zhantang said to Miaoxi: 'To practice Chan, one must have lofty and far-reaching discernment and a transcendent resolve. In uttering words and conducting affairs, maintain trustworthiness toward others. Do not follow power and profit to compromise your nature, so that you are not manipulated or swayed by the whims of your peers.' (*Baofeng jiwen*).
2.10
Zhantang said: 'In the past, Lingyuan and I served Huitang at Zhangjiang Monastery. One day Lingyuan went into the city with two monks and did not return until evening. Huitang asked, "Where did you go today?" Lingyuan said, "We just went to Daning." At that time, Sixin was by his side, and he sternly rebuked him, saying, "In practicing Chan one seeks to escape saṃsāra; in speaking, one must first be truthful. Brother Qing, how could you utter a falsehood?" Lingyuan's face turned hot, and he did not dare reply. From then on, he did not enter the city walls, nor did he speak falsely. I truly knew that both Lingyuan and Sixin were fine vessels.' (*Rishe ji*).
2.11
Zhantang said: 'Lingyuan was fond of reading the classics and histories; he never rested even briefly while eating or breathing, stopping only when he was able to recite them by heart. Huitang therefore scolded him. Lingyuan said, "I have heard that those who expend great effort reap distant success." Therefore Grand Historian Huang Luzhi said, "Brother Qing's love of learning is like the hungry and thirsty craving food and drink; he views profit, support, and ostentation as a foul stench." His sincerity was natural, not merely put on for show.' (*Zhuiyou ji*).
2.12
When the Venerable Lingyuan Qing resided at Taiping in Shuzhou, he observed that Foyan's governance of the community was thorough and meticulous, seldom failing in any affair. He therefore asked him about the essentials. Foyan said: "In managing affairs, it is better to err on the side of leniency than urgency; better to err on the side of brevity than scrutiny. If one is too urgent, it cannot be remedied; if one is too scrutinizing, there will be room for nothing. One should maintain the middle path and treat things with patience and moderation. This should serve as the method for presiding over the community and conducting affairs."' (*Shiyi*).
2.13
Lingyuan said to the Venerable Changling Zhuo: 'The practice of the Way certainly has its proper time. In the past, Ciming gave free rein to his will in the Jing and Chu regions; bearing shame and enduring insults, those who saw him treated him with contempt. Ciming merely laughed. When someone asked the reason, he replied, "When a priceless jewel clashes with broken tiles, I certainly know it will not prevail." It was only after meeting Shending that his reputation spread throughout the monastic groves, and in the end he revived the Linji lineage. Alas! Can the Way and the opportune time ever be forced?' (*Bitie*).
2.14
Lingyuan said to Grand Historian Huang: 'The ancients said: "To hold fire and place it under a pile of firewood, and then sleep on top of it; because the fire has not yet ignited, one considers oneself secure." This is truly an analogy for the turning point between security and danger. The principle of life and death is as clear as the bright sun, not allowing a hair's breadth of delay. People in their everyday leisure rarely take life and death, misfortune and disaster into consideration. Once an unforeseen calamity arises, only then do they stamp their feet and wring their hands; but in trying to remedy it, they will ultimately be unable to succeed.' (*Bitie*).
2.15
Lingyuan said to Fojian: 'Whenever I receive a letter from senior brother Dongshan, he never speaks of worldly matters; he only urges me earnestly to forget oneself to propagate the Way and to guide the younger generation. Recently I received a letter saying: "I have no worry at all about the drought damage to the manors; I only worry that Chan practitioners have no eyes. This summer there were more than a hundred people, yet when I brought up the topic in the room of whether a dog has buddha-nature, not a single person understood it. This is what is worth worrying about." How profound are these words! Compared with those who worry that monastic matters will not be settled, who fear reproach from officials, who fret that their reputation and position will not spread, and who dread that their followers will not be numerous, the difference is truly between heaven and earth. Whenever I think of these truthful words, how could I ever hear them again? As his legitimate Dharma heir, you are capable of vigorously reviving the family style. You should comfort the hopes of our lineage; this is my earnest prayer.' (*Chan shizhe rilu*).
2.16
Lingyuan said: 'When grinding and polishing on a whetstone, one does not see it wear down, yet at times it is worn away. When planting trees and raising livestock, one does not see them grow, yet at times they become large. When accumulating virtue and repeating noble deeds, one is unaware of their goodness, yet at times they prove useful. When abandoning righteousness and turning against principle, one is unaware of their evil, yet at times they lead to ruin. If a student can truly reflect deeply on this and put it into practice, becoming a great vessel and spreading a fine name, this is an unchanging principle through past and present.' (*Bitie*).
2.17
Lingyuan said to the Venerable Gu: 'Misfortune and fortune lean upon one another; auspiciousness and inauspiciousness dwell in the same realm. Since they are summoned only by oneself, how could one not reflect on this? Whether acting solely on one's own pleasures and anger while being narrow in tolerance, or squandering with private intent while yielding to people's desires—none of these are the urgent tasks of an abbot. These are in truth the subtle beginnings of indulgence and the root source of calamity.' (*Bitie*).
2.18
Lingyuan said to Master Yichuan: 'Misfortune can produce fortune, and fortune can produce misfortune. Misfortune producing fortune occurs because when dwelling amidst disaster and danger, one is earnest in seeking security and deep in seeking principle; thus one can be reverent, fearful, and circumspect. Therefore, it is natural that fortune arises. Fortune producing misfortune occurs because when dwelling in peace and tranquility, one indulges one's extravagant desires, gives free rein to arrogance and negligence, and shows especially great slight and insolence. Therefore, it is natural that misfortune arises. The sage said: "Many hardships fulfill one's resolve; absence of hardships ruins one's person." Gain is the beginning of loss; loss is the principle of gain. From this we know that fortune cannot be repeatedly relied upon through luck, nor can gain be constantly coveted. Dwelling in fortune while reflecting on misfortune, one's fortune can be preserved; seeing gain while reflecting on loss, one's gain will surely be realized. Therefore, the exemplary person does not forget danger in times of safety, nor forget chaos in times of order.' (*Bitie*).
2.19
Lingyuan said to Master Yichuan: 'There was a man who hated his footprints and feared his shadow, so he turned his back and ran away. But the faster he ran, the more footprints he made, and the swifter his shadow became. It would have been better to step into the shade and stop; then the shadow would naturally vanish and the footprints would naturally cease. If one understands this in daily application, one can calmly advance into this Way.' (*Bitie*).
2.20
Lingyuan said: 'Whenever an abbot's position exceeds their capacity, they seldom have a good end. This is because their blessings and virtue are shallow, their tolerance is narrow, their learning and experience are vulgar, and they are unable to follow goodness and strive for righteousness to broaden themselves, thus bringing about such an end.' (*Rilu*).
2.21
When Lingyuan heard that Juefan had been banished to the southern sea regions, he sighed and said: 'An orchid planted in the middle of a path can never retain its verdure through the seasons; a cassia tree growing in a secluded ravine will preserve its red blossoms throughout the year. Throughout past and present, those of talent and wisdom who lost their lives to slander and met with disaster are many; those who could drift with the world and preserve themselves are few. Therefore the sage said: "In the present age, those of keen intelligence and deep perception who come close to death are those fond of criticizing others; those of broad eloquence and greatness who imperil themselves are those fond of exposing others' faults." This is truly the case with Juefan.' (*Zhangjiang ji*).
2.22
Lingyuan said to Juefan: 'I hear that during your time in the south, you investigated the *Śūraṅgama-sūtra* and produced special commentaries on it; this is not what I hoped of you. Literary learning cannot penetrate a person's original source of nature; it merely obstructs the wisdom-eye of former buddhas for later students. The ailment lies in relying on others to form interpretations, thereby blocking one's own gate of awakening. Providing fuel for the tongue may overcome shallow learning, but expanding the spiritual dynamic can never attain wondrous realization through this. Therefore, conduct and understanding often become divergent, and everyday sight and hearing become all the more obscured.' (*Zhangjiang ji*).
2.23
Lingyuan said, "A student's conduct cannot but be scrutinized; their words and deeds cannot but be examined. One who is sparing with words is not necessarily foolish; one who is glib is not necessarily wise. The rustic and simple are not necessarily rebellious; the obedient and compliant are not necessarily loyal. Therefore, a kalyāṇamitra does not exhaust people's true sentiments through words alone, nor select students by subjective impression. Among the patch-robed monks of the lakes and seas, who does not wish to seek the Way? Yet among them, those who awaken clearly and see the principle are not one in a thousand or a hundred. Meanwhile, to cultivate the self, exert oneself in conduct, gather learning, and establish virtue cannot be achieved in less than thirty years. If, through a single chance error, the monastic grove abandons them, they will be unable to establish themselves for the rest of their life. Indeed, a pearl that can illuminate a carriage cannot be without flaws; how can a jade disk worth multiple cities be free of defects? Among sentient beings, how could anyone be without fault? The Master [Confucius] was a sage, yet he still spoke of studying the *Changes* at fifty so as to be free of great faults. The scriptures say, 'Fear not the arising of thoughts; fear only being slow to become aware.' How much more so from the sages and worthies on down—who is without faults? When a kalyāṇamitra accommodates and completes them, then no variety of being is abandoned. Therefore it is said: 'A skillful carpenter adapts to the uses of wheels and rafters, so neither crooked nor straight wood is wasted; a good charioteer adapts to the conditions of perilous and easy terrain, so neither a nag nor a thoroughbred loses its nature.' If this is so for things, it should be likewise for people. If advancement and dismissal follow feelings of love and hate, and union and separation depend on preferences for sameness and difference, this is like casting aside the ink-line to cut the crooked and straight, or throwing away the balance-scale to judge heavy and light. Though one may claim it to be refined and subtle, it cannot be without error."
2.24
Lingyuan said, "One who is good at being an abbot takes the mind of the multitude as their mind, never making their mind private; they take the ears and eyes of the multitude as their ears and eyes, never aggrandizing their own ears and eyes. Thus they can communicate with the will of the multitude and exhaustively understand the sentiments of the multitude. Now, when using the mind of the multitude as one's mind, one's likes and dislikes are the likes and dislikes of the multitude; therefore what is liked is not perverted, and what is disliked is not erroneous. What need then to secretly rely on confidants and willingly submit to their flattery? Since one uses the ears and eyes of the multitude as one's ears and eyes, the acuity of the multitude is all one's own acuity; therefore one's sight fails to illuminate nothing, and one's hearing fails to hear nothing. What need then to secretly rely on spies and ears, obstinately inviting obscurity and delusion? As for deploying confidants and relying on eyes and ears: only worthy and eminent individuals do so while striving to seek their own faults, sharing desires with the multitude without partiality; therefore the multitude never fails to give their allegiance. That their Way and virtue, benevolence and righteousness spread far and wide is truly proper. But the intention of the foolish and unworthy is to strive to seek others' faults, conflicting with the desires of the multitude and drowning in partiality; therefore the multitude never fails to become alienated from them. That their evil reputation and treacherous conduct spread far and wide is likewise proper. From this we know that an abbot who shares desires with the multitude is called a worthy and wise person; one who conflicts with the desires of the multitude is called a mediocre sort. In general, the intention behind deploying confidants and relying on eyes and ears differs, yet good and bad, success and failure are as contrary as this. Is this not because their attitude toward seeking faults is different, and their way of employing people is not the same?"
2.25
Lingyuan said, "In recent times, those who serve as elders encounter two kinds of conditions, and often show that their wisdom and discernment are not clear; struck by two winds, they forfeit the Dharma-body. First, when encountering adverse conditions, they are often struck by the wind of decline; second, when encountering favorable conditions, they are often struck by the wind of gain. Once struck by these two winds, the feelings of joy and anger mingle in their hearts, and a look of pent-up indignation surfaces on their faces. This results in bringing disgrace to the Dharma gate and inviting mockery from worthies and the eminent. Only the wise are adept at transforming these into methods for gathering and transforming others, splendidly guiding those who come after. For instance, when Venerable Langye went to Suzhou to visit Fan Xiwen, he received over a thousand strings of cash in offerings from donors. He then sent someone to secretly tally the number of monks in all the monasteries in the city, and covertly sent money to all of them, holding a vegetarian feast on the same day on behalf of all the donors. He himself took leave of Lord Fan in advance and set sail early at daybreak that day. By the time it was fully light and the multitude realized he had gone, some pursued him as far as Changzhou before catching sight of him, receiving the benefit of the Dharma and returning. Looking at this single action of this old master, he caused the monastics and laity of Gusu to all give rise to faith and deepen their seeds of the Way. This is what is meant by transforming them into methods for gathering and transforming others. Compared to those who steal the Dharma seat and seek only gain and sustenance to plan for their own person, the difference is truly between heaven and earth." (Letter to Venerable De)
2.26
Duke Wenzheng said to Langye, "Last year when I arrived here, I hoped to find someone from the monastic groves with whom I could speak. I once asked a clerk, 'Are there good monks in the various mountains?' The clerk cited two monks, Ruiguang and Ximao of the Northern Temple, as excellent. I said, 'Apart from these, are there no others among the various Chan and Vinaya temples?' The clerk replied to me, 'Confucians honor the conduct of scholars; monks are judged by their virtuous deeds. As for these two, Ximao and Ruiguang, for thirty years their steps have not crossed the threshold, their clothing has been only coarse plain cloth, and they have had no attachment whatsoever to fame or gain. Therefore, the people of the prefecture esteem their conduct and revere them as teachers. As for those who ascend the seat to preach the Dharma, proclaim the transformation on behalf of the Buddha, possess unhindered responsive eloquence, and are called kalyāṇamitras, that is not something an obstinate clerk can understand.' When I had leisure, I visited the two worthies, Ximao and Ruiguang, and observed that their customary conduct was just as the clerk had said. Upon reflection, I thought: Suzhou and Xiuzhou have long been said to have fine customs; now seeing that an old clerk can still distinguish the superiority and inferiority of a gentleman and a petty person, how much more so should those who possess discernment!" Langye said, "What the clerk said is truly an elevated discourse. Please record it to instruct those who have not heard it." (*Separate Record of Langye*)
2.27
Lingyuan said, "Venerable Zhongshan Yuan throughout his life did not associate with high officials and nobles, nor did he seek fame and gain improperly. He tended himself with humility and rejoiced in the Way. When scholar-officials first urged him to serve the world, Yuan said, 'If one has fertile fields, why worry about a late harvest? I fear only a lack of talent and ability.' When Duke Jing heard this, he said, 'Seeing the countenance [of danger], it takes flight, hovers, and then alights—Master Yuan has truly attained this!'" (*Zhuiyou ji*)
2.28
Lingyuan said, "The former philosophers said that in studying the Way, awakening to it is difficult; once awakened, guarding it is difficult; once guarded, practicing it is difficult. Now, when it comes time to practice, the difficulty surpasses even awakening and guarding. For awakening and guarding require vigor, firm resolve, and diligent exertion in one's own person alone. Only the practitioner must have an impartial mind and a resolute vow, taking it as their duty to diminish themselves and benefit others. If the mind is not impartial and the vow is not firm, then diminishing and benefiting will be inverted, and one will fall into becoming a common, worldly master. This is something that should be truly feared."
2.29
Lingyuan said, "My elder Dharma-brother Dongshan was uniquely endowed by nature; his speech and silence were in accord with the proper measure. When he ordinarily gave forth statements and phrases, their principle was naturally superior. When those in various regions wished to emulate him, if they did not resort to strange, worldly expressions, they were vulgar and crude, and ultimately none could equal him. Even seeking among the ancients, one could not find his match. Yet he still guided living beings with a humble radiance, no less intensely than hunger or thirst. He once said, 'I have no Dharma to give to Keqin and the other sons; I am truly a sinner in the Dharma gate.'"
2.30
Lingyuan's learning in the Way and righteous conduct were pure and sincere, and his virtue was profound; he had the style of the ancients. Composed, dignified, and sparing of words, he was especially respected by scholar-officials. He once said, 'What ordinary people neglect, sages are cautious of. How much more so for one who is a master of a monastic grove, assisting in proclaiming the Buddha's transformation! If one's practice and understanding do not correspond, how could one do it? The essential point is to constantly inspect and reprimand oneself, not letting fame and gain sprout in one's mind. If the rules and instructions are not yet trusted, and the patch-robed monks are not yet compliant, one should withdraw, reflect, and cultivate virtue to await the future. I have never seen a case where the person is upright yet the monastic grove is not well-ordered. What is called "observing the countenance of a virtuous person causes people's [bad] intentions to melt away"—the true reality lies in this.'" (*Record of Heard Words*)
2.31
Lingyuan said to Yuanwu, "Although a patch-robed monk may have the endowment to see the Way, if they do not store it deeply and nurture it richly, their deployment of it will surely be harsh and violent. Not only will it fail to benefit the teachings, it will also be feared to invite disaster and disgrace." Chan Master Yuanwu said, "Studying the Way lies in trustworthiness; establishing trustworthiness lies in sincerity. Preserve sincerity within, and thereafter you will cause the multitude to have no doubts. Preserve trustworthiness in yourself, and you can teach others to be without deception. Only with trustworthiness and sincerity will there be benefit and no loss. From this we know that if sincerity is not unified, the mind cannot be preserved; if trustworthiness is not unified, one's words cannot be put into practice. The ancients said, 'Food and clothing may be abandoned, but sincerity and trustworthiness cannot be lost.' Kalyāṇamitras especially should instruct people with sincerity and trustworthiness. Moreover, if the mind is not sincere and deeds are not trustworthy, can one be called a kalyāṇamitra? The *Changes* says: 'Only the utmost sincerity under Heaven can fully develop its nature; being able to fully develop its nature, it can fully develop the nature of others.' If one cannot fully develop it in oneself yet desires to fully develop it in others, the multitude will surely deceive and not follow. If one was not sincere before, yet claims to be sincere afterward, the multitude will surely doubt and not believe. It is said, 'Cutting the hair should reach the scalp; trimming the nails should cut into the flesh.' Truly, if sincerity is not consummate, things will not respond; if diminishing oneself is not consummate, benefit will not arrive. Indeed, it is clear that sincerity and trustworthiness cannot be parted from for an instant." (Letter to Censor Yu)
2.32
Yuanwu said, "Who among people is without faults? To have faults and be able to correct them—no good is greater than this. From ancient times, all have praised correcting faults as worthy, and have not taken being without faults as excellence. Therefore, in people's actions there are many errors; the highest wisdom and the lowest stupidity alike cannot avoid them. Only the wise can correct their faults and move toward goodness, while the foolish mostly conceal their faults and gloss over their wrongs. If one moves toward goodness, one's virtue is renewed daily, and this is called a gentleman; if one glosses over faults, one's evil becomes all the more prominent, and this is called a petty person. Therefore, to be able to shift upon hearing righteousness is difficult for ordinary sentiments; to take joy in following upon seeing goodness is what worthy virtue values. I hope you will forget this beyond words." (To Registrar Wen)
2.33
Yuanwu said, "My late master said: among those who serve as elders, there are those who move people with the Way and virtue, and there are those who subdue people with power and force. It is like the flight of the phoenix, which all birds love, and the prowl of tigers and wolves, which all beasts fear. Their moving and subduing may appear the same, but their kinds are as far apart as heaven and earth." (*Zhuiyou ji*)
2.34
Yuanwu said to Library Keeper Long, "If one wishes to manage a monastic grove without striving to gain people's sentiments, the monastic grove cannot be managed. If one strives to gain people's sentiments without diligently receiving subordinates, people's sentiments cannot be gained. If one strives to diligently receive subordinates without distinguishing the worthy from the unworthy, subordinates cannot be received. If one strives to distinguish the worthy from the unworthy, yet hates being told of one's faults and delights in compliance with oneself, the worthy and unworthy cannot be distinguished. Only worthy and eminent individuals do not hate being told of their faults, nor delight in compliance with themselves; they follow only the Way. Therefore they gain people's sentiments, and the monastic grove is well managed." (*Extensive Record*)
2.35
Yuanwu said, "An abbot takes the wisdom of the multitude as wisdom, and the mind of the multitude as mind, constantly fearing that a single thing will not have its nature fully understood, or that a single matter will not accord with its principle. Diligently consulting and adopting, they seek only goodness. One should ask whether the principle is right or wrong; why debate whether the matter is great or small? If the principle is right, though the expenditure be great, what harm is there in carrying it out? If the matter is wrong, though the expense be small, what harm is there in eliminating it? For the small is the beginning of the great, and the minute is the sprout of the conspicuous. Therefore the worthy are cautious at the start, and the sage maintains vigilance. A trickle not stopped will eventually turn into mulberry fields; a flare not quenched will ultimately burn the plains. Once the spread has grown fierce and disaster has formed, though one wishes to remedy it, it will already be too late. The ancients said, 'Not being scrupulous about minor conduct will ultimately compromise great virtue.' This is what it means." (Letter to Fozhi)
2.36
Yuanwu said to Yuan Budai, "Whenever one assumes the office of elder to assist in proclaiming the Buddha's transformation, one must constantly think of taking benefiting and aiding [others] as one's mind. If one practices this without boastfulness, then those reached will be broad and those aided will be numerous. But once there is a mind of boasting of oneself and flaunting one's abilities, then thoughts of opportunistic gain arise, and an unworthy mind is born." (*Stone Inscription of Shuanglin*)
2.37
Yuanwu said to Miaoxi, "In general, when taking action one should be careful from beginning to end. Therefore, one who is good at undertaking will surely be good at completing; one who is good at beginning will surely be good at ending. If one is careful at the end as at the beginning, there will be no failure in affairs. An ancient said, 'Alas! Before the robe is finished, it is turned into a skirt; ninety leagues is half of a hundred-league journey.' These are all laments over having a beginning but no end. Therefore it is said: 'None lacks a beginning, but few can complete the end.' Formerly, my venerable uncle Huitang said: 'Venerable Sheng of Huangbo was also an extraordinary patch-robed monk, but in his later years he erred. Looking at his beginning, how could he not be called worthy?'" (*Collection of Yunmen Hermitage*)
2.38
Yuanwu said to Fojian: "Every movement and action of Grandmaster Baiyun was sure to be examined against antiquity. He used to say, 'Matters not examined against antiquity are called unlawful. I have memorised many of the words and deeds of the ancients, and so fulfilled my aspirations.' Yet it was not merely that he was fond of antiquity; rather, contemporary people are not fit to be emulated. Our late teacher often said, 'The Grandmaster clings to antiquity and does not understand timely adaptiveness.' The Grandmaster said, 'Changing precedent and altering the constant standard is the greatest calamity of contemporary people. I will never do it.'" (Chanhe Shangren Rilu)
2.39
When Reverend Fojian Qin transferred from Taiping to Zhihai, Commandery Governor Lord Zeng Yuanli asked him, "Who may succeed as abbot?" Fojian recommended Head Monk Bing. The Lord wished to meet him once. Fojian said, "Bing is unyielding and upright as a man, aloof from the world without desires or hobbies. Even if you invite him, I fear he will not comply; how could he be willing to come on his own?" The Lord insisted on inviting him. Bing said, "This is what is called an 'exhibitionist elder.'" In the end, he fled to Mount Sikong. The Lord turned and said to Fojian, "No one knows a son better than his father." He then ordered the various monasteries to firmly invite him, and Bing, having no choice, finally complied with the command. (Chan Shizhe Rilu)
2.40
Fojian said to Xun Fodeng: "People of lofty character do not take fame and position as glory; people who understand the principle are not distressed by setbacks and suppression. Those who exert their strength only upon receiving favour, and show sincerity only upon seeing benefit, are all acting as those of mediocre capacity and below." (Rilu)
2.41
Fojian said to Head Monk Bing: "Whoever is called an elder must strictly have no fondness for any single thing. The moment there is fondness for something, one is harmed by external things. Fondness for desires gives rise to greed and craving; fondness for gain and sustenance causes thoughts of racing and rivalry to arise; fondness for compliance brings sycophantic petty men into alignment; fondness for victory and defeat raises the mountain of self and other high; fondness for extorting wealth causes cries of resentment and grievance to emerge. Summarising and investigating them thoroughly, none of these depart from the one mind. If the mind does not arise, the myriad phenomena naturally vanish. What I have attained throughout my life does not exceed this. You ought to strive diligently and set the standard for future students." (Nanhua Shike)
2.42
Fojian said: "Our late teacher was frugal: his single bowl bag and shoe sack had hundreds of patches and thousands of mends, yet he could not bear to cast them aside. He used to say, 'These two items have followed me since I left the pass, for nearly fifty years. How could I bear to abandon them midway?' There was Senior Monk Wu from southern Quanzhou who sent him a coarse cloth robe, saying of his own accord, 'I obtained it from overseas; it is warm in winter and cool in summer.' The late teacher said, 'In cold weather this old monk has firewood, charcoal, and a paper quilt; in hot weather I have the pine wind, water, and rocks. What would I store this for?' In the end, he declined it." (Rilu)
2.43
Fojian said: "When the late teacher heard that Zhenjing had passed away, he arranged a memorial seat, prepared offerings, and wept with grief beyond the rites. Sighing, he said, 'Such a person is rare to find. His insight into the Way penetrated to the root without clinging to branches and leaves. What a pity that he died so young! I have not heard of anyone who can succeed to his Way at all. From this point on, the monastic groves of Jiangxi will be desolate and lonely.'" (Rilu)
2.44
Fojian said: "The late teacher said: 'Grandmaster Baiyun was open-hearted and without guile throughout his life. Whenever he looked upon righteousness and saw something that could be done, he leaped forward to take the lead in person. He was fond of promoting the worthy and capable, and disliked attaching himself to others through improper compromise. On a single cot, free and detached, he sat upright all day long.' He once said to Attendant Ning, 'Holding to the Way and being content with poverty is the natural lot of a patch-robed monk. As for those whose steadfastness is shifted by hardship or success, gain or loss, one cannot yet speak of the Way with them.'" (Rilu)
2.45
Fojian said: "If one does not worry for the sake of the Way, one's exercise of mind will not be far-reaching; if one always abides in ease, the application of one's will will not be grand. The ancients experienced hardships and tasted perils and hindrances, and only then enjoyed lifelong peace. When matters are difficult, the will is sharp; when one endures bitter toil, one's contemplation is deep. Thus one can turn calamity into fortune and transform things into the Way. I often see students pursuing things while forgetting the Way, turning their backs on light to throw themselves into darkness. Thereupon, they disguise their own incapacities and deceive others, taking it for wisdom; they compel others where they fall short and insult them, taking it for superiority. Deceiving others in this way, they do not realise there are awakened forebears who cannot be deceived; obscuring things from others in this way, they do not realise there is public opinion that cannot be obscured. Therefore, those who consider themselves wise are regarded as foolish by others; those who consider themselves lofty are brought low by others. Only the worthy are not like this. They hold that affairs are scattered and endless, while ability has boundaries and limits. If one wishes to compass endless affairs with limited wisdom, one's understanding will be biased and one's spirit exhausted. Therefore, in the Great Way there will surely be something deficient." (Yu Xiu Zizhi Shu)
2.46
Fojian said to Reverend Longya Cai: "If you wish to reform the abuses of your predecessors, you must not eliminate them precipitously. You must reform them according to circumstances, causing petty men not to be suspicious; then there will likely be no resentment. I have often said: 'Abbotship has three secrets: discernment of affairs, competence in execution, and decisive resolution.' If one of the three is lacking, discernment of affairs will not be clear, and one will eventually be treated with contempt by petty men, leading the abbot's office to fall into decline."
2.47
Fojian said: "Whoever serves as the master of a monastery must value pure and clean conduct, maintaining great trustworthiness to receive the patch-robed monks from the four quarters. If the slightest vulgar or indecent matter remains unpurged from oneself, one will instantly be spied upon by petty men. Even if one possesses the Way and virtue like the ancients, students will doubt and not believe in one." (Shantang Xiaocan)
2.48
Fojian said: "Among Foyan's disciples, only Gao'an is steadfast and unbending, not swayed by human sentiment. As a man, he has no cravings or hobbies; in handling affairs, he relies on no factional support. Pure, rigorous, respectful, and cautious, from beginning to end he establishes himself through honour and integrity. He has the style of the ancients; among patch-robed monks of recent generations, he rarely has an equal." (Yu Geng Longxue Shu)
2.49
Reverend Foyan Yuan said: "The bearing with which one oversees the assembly must be solemn even on days of leisure; the words with which one addresses guests must be strict even during private intimacies. When people of the groves utter words, handle affairs, initiate actions, or execute deeds, they must first deliberate and reflect, and only then carry them out; do not act in haste and violence. If one cannot make a decision oneself, one should consult the elders and widely inquire of worthy forebears to broaden one's knowledge and hearing, supplying what one cannot yet do and illuminating what one does not yet understand. How could one falsely make a show of force, exclusively indulge in haughtiness, and manifest one's own ugliness? If a single action goes amiss before, even a hundred good deeds cannot cover it up afterward." (Yu Zhenmu Shu)
2.50
Foyan said: "Human life is between heaven and earth; it is endowed with the qi of yin and yang to form a physical body. Unless one is an arhat appearing in the world through the power of compassionate vows, the mind of profit and desire seems impossible to cast away abruptly. Only sages know that profit and desire cannot be eradicated from people; therefore, they first rectify people's minds with the Way and virtue, and then educate, transform, and establish embankments against them with benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. Day by day and month by month, they ensure that their profit and desire do not overcome their benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, thereby preserving the Way and virtue intact." (Yu Geng Longxue Shu)
2.51
Foyan said: "Students must not be stuck in written words and spoken language. Written words and spoken language build understanding dependent on others, obstruct one's own gate of awakening, and cannot transcend words and symbols. Formerly, when Daguan Ying first visited Reverend Shimen Cong, he galloped with verbal eloquence in the room. Cong said, 'What you speak of is words on paper. As for the subtlety of the mind, you have not yet seen its depth. You should seek wondrous awakening. When awakened, you will be outstanding and uniquely pre-eminent, neither riding on words nor stagnating in phrases, like the lion king whose roar makes the hundred beasts tremble in fright. Looking back on the study of written words, how could it merely be comparing ten with a hundred, or a thousand with ten thousand?'" (Longjian Jiwen)
2.52
Foyan said to Gao'an: "The pure regulations of Baizhang generally set forth the upright and restrain the depraved, regulate affairs, and align the assembly; they were established in accordance with the times to control the passions of later people. Now, human passion is like water: monastic regulations and the rites and laws are the embankments. If the embankments are not solid, it will inevitably lead to bursting floods; if human passions are not curbed, they will run rampant in disorder. Therefore, to cast out passion, cease delusion, prohibit evil, and stop depravity, one must not abandon monastic regulations for a single moment. Yet, how could monastic regulations, rites, and laws completely guard against human passion? They are merely steps and stairs to assist entry into the Way. The establishment of monastic regulations is as bright as the sun and the moon: those who look up to them will not go astray; it is as broad as the great highway: those who travel it will not be confused. Although the establishments of ancient sages differ, their return to the source is not different. In the monastic groves of recent generations, there are those who are painfully enslaved by the monastic regulations, those who cling rigidly to the monastic regulations, and those who despise the monastic regulations. These all come about because people turn their backs on the Way, lose principle, indulge passion, and pursue evil. They never reflect that the ancient sages rescued the abuses of the semblance age, prohibited negligent passions, blocked the origins of cravings and desires, and severed depraved paths—which was precisely the reason for establishing them." (Donghu Ji)
2.53
Foyan said to Gao'an: "One who can see the tip of an autumn down cannot see one's own eyelashes; one who can lift a weight of thirty thousand catties cannot lift one's own body. This is no different from students who are clear-sighted in censuring others, but blind in forgiving themselves." (Zhenmu Ji)
2.54
Reverend Gao'an Wu said: "When I first traveled to the Ancestral Mountain, I saw Fojian deliver an informal sermon saying: 'Greedy desire and wrathful anger are worse than enmity and bandits; one must counter them with wisdom. Wisdom is like water: if not used, it stagnates; if stagnant, it does not flow; if it does not flow, wisdom does not function. How then could one deal with greedy desire and wrathful anger?' Although I was young at that time, my mind knew that he was a kalyāṇamitra. Thereupon I requested to hang my bowl and staff." (Yunju Shilu)
2.55
Gao'an said: "If what a student harbours within is balanced and upright, even through a hundred setbacks he remains vastly serene without sorrow. But if his orientation is partial and corrupt, busying himself from morning to evening calculating solely for profit, I fear that his imposing physical frame will find nowhere to place itself between heaven and earth." (Zhenmu Ji)
2.56
Gao'an said: "The Way and virtue, benevolence and righteousness are not possessed solely by the ancients; contemporary people also possess them. But because their wisdom and understanding are not clear, their learning is not broad, their capacity is not pure, their aspirations are narrow and inferior, and their practice is not vigorous, they are consequently swayed by sights and sounds without noticing it themselves. This is because their habitual patterns of delusion and emotional thoughts have accumulated deeply and cannot be cast off abruptly. That is why they do not attain the stage of the ancients." (Yu Geng Longxue Shu)
2.57
When Gao'an heard that Cheng Kumudi was living at Jinshan and enjoying extravagant luxury, he sighed for a long time and said, "The Dharma of a bhikṣu values purity and frugality; how can it be fitting to be like this? In vain he joins the younger generation who indulge in light furs and fat horses, increasing insatiable demands. Can he help but feel ashamed before the ancients?" (Zhenmu Ji)
2.58
Gao'an said: "The general principle of an abbot is to take the monastic grove as his home, making proper distinctions and conferring duties upon appropriate vessels. His movements and actions concern the principle of security and danger; his successes and failures touch the very source of education and transformation. Serving as a model for others, how could one take it lightly? I have never seen an abbot who was lax and remiss yet able to make patch-robed monks submit, or one whose institutional rules were degenerating yet wished to prohibit violence and insolence in the monastic grove. Formerly, Chen of Ayuwang dismissed the head monk, and Wei of Yangshan demoted the attendant monk; these instances are recorded in the canonical writings and suffice as fine models. Nowadays, people each indulge their private desires, greatly debasing the rules and compass of Baizhang. They are negligent in rising early, and mostly neglect participation in assemblies, rites, and laws. Some indulge in greed and gluttony without fear, or cause clamour and contention on account of gain and sustenance. As for flatterers and ugly evils, none are absent. Alas! Hoping for the flourishing of the Dharma gate and the prosperity of the lineage teachings—how could that be possible?" (Longchang Ji)
2.59
When Gao'an resided at Yunju, whenever he saw a patch-robed monk in the room whose capacity did not accord with his, he would grasp his sleeve, sternly rebuke him, and say: "Your father and mother nourished your body; your teachers and friends fulfilled your aspirations. You have no distress of hunger and cold, and no toil of corvée or military service. If here you are not resolute and diligent in completing the cultivation of the Way, on a future day with what face will you meet your father, mother, teachers, and friends?" Upon hearing his words, some patch-robed monks wept without stopping. His discipline and strictness were like this. (Dan'an Yishi)
2.60
When Gao'an resided at Yunju, whenever he heard that a monk was ill and moved to the Longevity Hall, he would sigh and lament as if it were happening to himself. Morning and evening he inquired after him, even boiling and decocting [medicines] with his own hands, never giving food without tasting it first. If the weather turned somewhat cold, he would pat the monk on the back and say, 'Is your clothing too thin?' If it was sweltering summer, he would observe his complexion and say, 'Is it too hot?' If unfortunately the monk could not be saved, regardless of whether he possessed anything among the permanent property of the saṃgha, he would send him off with full ritual. If an administrator made excuses, Gao'an would scold him, saying, 'In the past, Baizhang established the permanent property of the saṃgha for the old and sick. Are you never going to fall ill and die?' Discerning people everywhere praised his character. When he retired from Yunju and passed through Tiantai, nearly fifty monks followed him; among those who could not go, some wept bitterly as they parted. Such was the extent to which his virtue moved others (from *Shantang Xiaocan*).
2.61
When Gao'an retired from Yunju, Yuanwu wished to renovate Wolong Hermitage at Foyin as a place for his leisure and rest. Gao'an said, 'If a person of the forests has the joy of the Way and righteousness, the physical body can be treated as external. Having reached the age of following my heart's desires, I am just like the morning star and the dawn moon—how long can their light and shadow last? Furthermore, the Western Hills and Mount Lu, with their forests and springs linked together, are all places for my leisurely old age. Why must I possess them for myself before I can rejoice?' Before long, he took up his staff and went through Tiantai, later passing away on Huading Peak (from *Zhenmu ji*).
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- 禪林寶訓 — Classical Chinese