景德傳燈錄 10.41

10.41

Chan Master Congshen of Guanyin Cloister (also called the Eastern Cloister) in Zhaozhou was a native of Hao Township in Caozhou. His surname was Hao. When he was a child at the Hutong Cloister in his home prefecture, he followed his master to have his head shaved, but had not yet received the precepts when he went straight to Chiyang to visit Nanquan. It happened that Nanquan was resting, and he asked: 'Where have you come from recently?' The master said: 'Recently I left the Auspicious Image Cloister.' Nanquan said: 'Did you see the auspicious image?' The master said: 'I did not see the auspicious image; I only saw a reclining Tathāgata.' Nanquan said: 'Are you a novice with a master, or a novice without a master?' The master said: 'A novice with a master.' Nanquan said: 'Where is your master?' The master said: 'In the severe cold of midwinter, I humbly hope that the upādhyāya's venerable body enjoys myriad blessings.' Nanquan regarded him as a vessel and permitted him to enter his chamber. Another day, he asked Nanquan: 'What is the Way?' Nanquan said: 'The ordinary mind is the Way.' The master said: 'Can one direct oneself toward it, or not?' Nanquan said: 'To intend toward it is to deviate.' The master said: 'When one does not intend, how does one know it is the Way?' Nanquan said: 'The Way does not belong to knowing or not knowing. Knowing is false awareness; not knowing is neutrality. If you truly reach the Way that is free of doubt, it is like the great void—vast, open, and clear. How could one arbitrarily judge it as right or wrong?' Upon these words, the master awakened to the principle. Thereupon he went to the Lapis Lazuli Altar on Mount Song to receive the precepts, and then returned to Nanquan. Another day, he asked Nanquan: 'Where does a person who knows there is "it" rest?' Nanquan said: 'Go down the mountain and be an ox.' The master said: 'Thank you for your instruction.' Nanquan said: 'Last night at the third watch, the moon reached the window.' While the master served as the fire-tender, one day he shut the door and filled the room with smoke, calling out: 'Fire! Fire!' The great assembly all arrived. The master said: 'If you can speak, I will open the door.' The assembly had no reply. Nanquan passed the key through the window to the master, and the master then opened the door. He also went to Huangbo. Seeing him coming, Huangbo immediately shut the door of the abbot's quarters. The master then held a torch in the Dharma hall and called out: 'Fire! Fire!' Huangbo opened the door, seized him, and said: 'Speak! Speak!' The master said: 'Drawing the bow after the thief has fled.' He also went to Baoshou. Seeing him coming, Baoshou sat with his back turned on the meditation bed. The master spread his sitting mat and made bows. Baoshou got down from the meditation bed, and the master then left. He also went to Yanguan and said: 'Look at the arrow!' Yanguan said: 'It has passed.' The master said: 'It hit.' He also went to Jiashan, taking his staff into the Dharma hall. Jiashan said: 'What are you doing?' The master said: 'Sounding the water.' Jiashan said: 'Not a single drop—what are you sounding?' The master leaned on his staff and went out. When the master was about to travel to Mount Wutai, a person of great virtue composed a verse to detain him, which said: