釋氏稽古略 3.276

3.276

The Linji School: Zhenzhou is the circuit of Zhending. Chan Master Linji was named Yixuan. He was born to the Xing family of Nanhua in Caozhou. He shaved his head in his youth. When he first arrived at Huangbo, Venerable Chen of Muzhou was serving as head monk. [Muzhou] asked the master, "How long have you been here?" The master said, "I have been here three years." Muzhou instructed him to ask about the explicit and cardinal meaning of the Buddha Dharma. Huangbo struck him at once. Three times he asked, and three times he was struck. The master then took his leave of Muzhou, saying, "I lament that my own obstructing conditions keep me from grasping the profound meaning; I shall take my leave and depart for now." Muzhou said, "You must take leave of the Venerable Abbot." Muzhou said to Huangbo, "If the senior monk who asked the questions comes to take leave, guide him with skillful means. Later on he will become a great, shady tree providing shelter for the people of the world." The master took leave of Huangbo. Huangbo said, "Go to Gao'an and consult Dayu." The master arrived at Gao'an. Dayu asked, "Where have you come from?" The master said, "From Huangbo." Dayu asked, "What words and phrases did Huangbo have?" The master said, "I asked three times about the explicit and cardinal meaning of the Buddha Dharma, and three times I was struck. I do not know whether I was at fault or not." Dayu said, "Huangbo was so earnest and grandmotherly on your behalf!" At these words, the master was greatly enlightened, and thereupon said, "Actually, Huangbo's Buddha Dharma does not amount to much!" Dayu seized him and said, "You bed-wetting devil! Just now you said, 'Was I at fault or not?' and now you turn around and say the Buddha Dharma does not amount to much! What principle have you seen? Speak quickly! Speak quickly!" The master punched Dayu in the ribs three times. Dayu pushed him away, saying, "Your master is Huangbo; it has nothing to do with me." [The master] returned to Huangbo. Huangbo said, "Coming and going like this, when will there ever be an end?" The master said, "It was simply out of grandmotherly earnestness." Having concluded the courtesies, he stood in attendance. Huangbo said, "What words did Dayu have?" The master related the previous conversation. Huangbo said, "That old fellow Dayu has too much to say! Just wait until he comes; I'll give him a good thrashing!" The master said, "Why speak of waiting until he comes? Strike him right now!" With that, he slapped Huangbo. Huangbo said, "This mad fellow has come here to stroke the tiger's whiskers!" The master then gave a shout. Huangbo said, "Attendant, take him away to the monks' hall." Later, the master resided at Linji in Zhenzhou, where students gathered like clouds. He then said: "In general, when expounding the school's vehicle, within a single phrase there must be three profound gates; within each profound gate there must be three essentials. There are the provisional and the real, illumination and function. How do all of you understand this?" Later he resided in the Eastern Hall of Xinghua Monastery in Daming Prefecture. Reaching this point, on the tenth day of the fourth month in the eighth year of Xiantong, he uttered a verse: / 'Following the stream without cease, one asks how it goes; / True illumination is boundless, yet one speaks as if it were another. / Detached from forms and names, people do not receive it; / The hair-blowing sword, once used, must be swiftly sharpened.' / He passed away sitting upright. His entire body was stupaed in the northwest corner of the prefecture. By imperial decree he was posthumously titled Chan Master Huizhao, and his stupa was named Chenling. He was the dharma heir of Huangbo Yun; Yun was the heir of Baizhang Hai. The monastic community revered him and called [his lineage] the Linji School (Records of the Transmission of the Lamp).