釋氏稽古略 3.90

3.90

The *renchen* year, the first year of Changshou. In the fourth month, an imperial edict summoned Chan Master Renjian for an audience. The Master looked at the Empress Dowager for a long time and said, 'Do you understand?' The Empress said, 'I do not understand.' The Master said, 'This old monk observes the precept of non-speaking.' Having spoken, he left. The next day he presented nineteen short songs. The Empress read and praised them, rewarding him lavishly. Now only one, the *Song of Realizing the Primal*, is preserved in the *Chuandeng yuying ji*. The Master was Venerable Tengteng. He was a dharma heir of State Preceptor Hui'an of Mount Song; the State Preceptor was an heir of the Fifth Patriarch (*Chuandeng*).