景德傳燈錄 12

English (machine translation) 12

Language: English

12.1

Fourth generation of Chan Master Huairang: twelve persons.
Twelve Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xiyun of Mount Huangbo in Hongzhou:
Chan Master Yixuan of Linji in Zhenzhou
Senior Monk Chen of Longxing Monastery in Muzhou
Chan Master Chunan of Mount Qianqing in Hangzhou
Chan Master Lingguan of Mount Wushi in Fuzhou
Chan Master Zongche of Luohan in Hangzhou
Prime Minister Pei Xiu
(The above six persons appear in the record.)
Chan Master Deyuan of Liuhe in Yangzhou
Chan Master Zan of Shimen
Chan Master Zheng of Xiangzhou
Chan Master Hongxuan of Mount Wumen
Chan Master Chao of Youzhou
Chan Master Xian of Suzhou
(The above six persons have no encounter dialogues or phrases and are not recorded.)

12.2

Fifth Generation: Fifty-one people.
Ten Dharma heirs of Chan Master Huiji of Mount Yang in Yuanzhou:
Chan Master Guangmu of the West Pagoda on Mount Yang in Yuanzhou
Chan Master Jingtong of Mount Huo in Jinzhou
Chan Master Wenxi of Longquan in Hangzhou
Chan Master Sunji of Silla
Chan Master Guangyong of the South Pagoda on Mount Yang in Yuanzhou
Upādhyāya of the East Pagoda on Mount Yang in Yuanzhou (The above six people appear in the record)
Great Master Changjuan of Guanyin in Hongzhou
Great Master Huimao of Dongchan in Fuzhou
Great Master Daochong of Mount Mingyue in Fuzhou
Chan Master of Suichang in Chuzhou (The above four people have no encounter dialogues and are not recorded)
Twenty-two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yixuan of Linji in Zhenzhou:
Chan Master Zhixian of Guanxi in Ezhou
Upādhyāya Tankong of Youzhou
Upādhyāya Zhao of Baoshou in Zhenzhou
Chan Master Huiran of Sansheng in Zhenzhou
Chan Master Dajue of Wei Prefecture
Chan Master Cunjiang of Xinghua in Wei Prefecture
Chan Master Shancui of Dingzhou
Upādhyāya Wansui of Zhenzhou
Upādhyāya Yunshan
Master of the Hermitage of Tongfeng
Master of the Hermitage of Shanyang
Upādhyāya Zhiyi of Zhuozhou
Master of the Hermitage of Huxi
Master of the Hermitage of Fupen
Upādhyāya of Licun in Xiangzhou
Upādhyāya Micang of Cangzhou (The above sixteen people appear in the record)
Great Master Qisong
Chan Master Xiu of Zhuozhou
Chan Master Che of Shanquan in Western Zhe
Chan Master Jinsha
Chan Master Yuncheng
Upādhyāya of Mount Jiri in Silla (The above six people have no encounter dialogues and are not recorded)
Two Dharma heirs of Venerable Chen of Muzhou:
Chen Cao, Prefect of Muzhou (One person appears in the record)
Upādhyāya Juntai of Yanling in Muzhou (One person has no encounter dialogues and is not recorded)
Twelve Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zhixian of Xiangyan in Dengzhou:
Upādhyāya Zhiguan of Jizhou
Chan Master Shaozong of Shouzhou
Chan Master Faduan of Yanqing in Xiangzhou (Fascicle 11 has already included him under You of Guishan)
Chan Master Wuran of Nanchan in Yizhou
Upādhyāya of Mount Changping in Yizhou
Great Master Yanjiao of Chongfu in Yizhou
Chan Master Qinggan of Mount Da'an in Anzhou
Upādhyāya of Fengde Temple on Mount Zhongnan
Chan Master Fuyan Hui of Mount Wudang in Junzhou
Practitioner Tian of Shuangxi in Jiangzhou (The above ten people appear in the record)
Upādhyāya of Zhaojue Temple in Yizhou
Upādhyāya of Dongchan in Muzhou (The above two people have no encounter dialogues and are not recorded)
One Dharma heir of Upādhyāya Shuangfeng of Fuzhou:
Chan Master Shuangfeng Gu (One person appears in the record)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Hongyin of Mount Jing in Hangzhou:
Upādhyāya Miling of Hongzhou (The above one person appears in the record)
Chan Master Ji of Qixian Temple in Luzhou; Chan Master Yizhi of Linchuan
Chan Master Lingdao of Gongchen Cloister in Hangzhou (The above three people have no encounter dialogues and are not recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Huijue of Guangxiao Cloister in Yangzhou:
Chan Master Daoyan of Changqing in Shengzhou (One person appears in the record)

12.3

Sixth Generation: Nineteen people.
Five Dharma heirs of Chan Master Guangyong of the South Pagoda on Mount Yang in Yuanzhou:
Chan Master Quanfu of Qinghua in Yuezhou
Chan Master Huiqing of Mount Bajiao in Yingzhou
Chan Master Yichu of Mount Huanglian in Shaozhou
Chan Master Hongjiu of Huilin in Shaozhou (The above four people appear in the record)
Upādhyāya Zhong of Mount Huanglong in Hongzhou (One person has no encounter dialogues and is not recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Guangmu of the West Pagoda on Mount Yang in Yuanzhou:
Chan Master Rubao of Zifu in Jizhou (One person appears in the record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Zhixian of Guanxi:
Upādhyāya Jiao of Mount Ruzu in Chizhou (One person appears in the record)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Cunjiang of Xinghua in Wei Prefecture:
Upādhyāya Baoying of Ruzhou (One person appears in the record; that is, Yong of Nanyuan)
Upādhyāya Tianbo of Wei Prefecture (One person has no encounter dialogues and is not recorded)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zhao of Baoshou in Zhenzhou:
Chan Master Siming of Xiyuan in Ruzhou
Upādhyāya Baoshou the Second (The above two people appear in the record)
One Dharma heir of Upādhyāya Zhiyi of Zhuozhou:
Upādhyāya Tankong of Zhenzhou (One person has no encounter dialogues and is not recorded)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Huiran of Sansheng in Zhenzhou:
Upādhyāya Dabei of Zhenzhou
Upādhyāya Shuilu of Zizhou (Two people appear in the record)
Four Dharma heirs of Upādhyāya Dajue of Wei Prefecture:
Upādhyāya Dajue of Luzhou
Chan Master Minde of Chengxin in Luzhou
Upādhyāya Nanyuan of Ruzhou (The above three people appear in the record)
Upādhyāya Fahua of Songzhou (One person has no encounter dialogues and is not recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Daoyan of Jinling:
Chan Master Chuwei of Guangxiao Cloister in Jinling (One person has no encounter dialogues and is not recorded)

12.4

Fourth Generation of Chan Master Huairang

12.5

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Xiyun of Mount Huangbo in Hongzhou, Foregoing

12.6

Chan Master Yixuan of Linji in Zhenzhou was a native of Nanhua in Caozhou. His family name was Xing. From his youth he bore the aspiration to leave the dust of the world, and upon shaving his head and receiving full ordination, he took a keen interest in the Chan school. At first, he stayed with Huangbo, following the assembly in practicing and attending upon the master. At that time, the head monk in the hall urged him to ask a question. The Master then asked, “What is the exact and genuine meaning of the ancestral teacher coming from the west?” Huangbo immediately struck him. Like this, he asked three times and three times suffered a beating. Thereupon he took his leave, saying to the head monk, “Earlier I received your kind encouragement to ask a question, but I only received the upādhyāya’s blows of the staff. What I regret is my own dullness and stupidity. For now, I shall go traveling on pilgrimage to various quarters.” The sthavira then spoke to Huangbo, saying, “Although Yixuan is a junior, he is nevertheless quite extraordinary. When he comes to take his leave, may the upādhyāya be so kind as to give him further guidance and encouragement.” The next day the Master took his leave of Huangbo. Huangbo directed him to go to Dayu. The Master then went to visit Dayu. Dayu asked, “Where have you come from?” The Master said, “I have come from Huangbo.” Dayu said, “What words of teaching does Huangbo have?” The Master said, “Yixuan personally asked about the exact and genuine meaning of the coming from the west, but received the upādhyāya’s beating. Like this I asked three times and three times was beaten. I do not know where my fault lies.” Dayu said, “Huangbo was such a grandmother, thoroughly exhausting himself for you, yet you still search for where the fault lies!” Thereupon the Master had great awakening and said, “After all, there is not much to Huangbo’s Buddha-Dharma!” Dayu then seized the Master by the collar and said, “Just now you said you did not understand, and now you say there is not much to it! How much is there? How much is there?” The Master struck a fist into Dayu’s ribs. Dayu pushed him away and said, “Your teacher is Huangbo; this is none of my business.” The Master then returned to Huangbo. Huangbo asked, “Why have you returned so quickly?” The Master said, “Only because of your grandmotherly kindness.” Huangbo said, “Wait until I see that old fellow Dayu—I will give him a beating!” The Master said, “Why speak of waiting to see him? Strike right now!” and thereupon gave Huangbo a slap. Huangbo burst out into hearty laughter. One day during the general labor Huangbo was hoeing Job’s tears, and the Master was walking behind him. Huangbo turned his head, saw the Master empty-handed, and asked, “Where is the hoe?” The Master said, “Someone has taken it away.” Huangbo said, “Come forward; I will discuss it with you.” The Master stepped forward with clasped hands. Huangbo held up the hoe and said, “Only this no one in the world can lift up. Is there still anyone who can lift it up?” The Master snatched it from his hands, held it up, and said, “Why then is it in Yixuan’s hands?” Huangbo said, “Today there is naturally someone to do the general labor,” and returned to his quarters. (Guishan was standing in attendance beside Yangshan, and when he brought up this case without finishing, Yangshan immediately asked, “The hoe was in Huangbo’s hands; why was it snatched away by Linji?” Guishan said, “The thief is a petty person whose cunning surpasses that of a gentleman.”) One day during the general labor Huangbo was hoeing the tea garden. Huangbo arrived later. The Master greeted him and stood leaning on his hoe. Huangbo said, “Could you be tired?” The Master said, “I have only just begun hoeing the ground; how can you speak of being tired?” Huangbo raised his staff and was about to strike. The Master caught the staff and pushed the upādhyāya down. Huangbo called out, “Karmadāna, karmadāna, pull me up!” The karmadāna pulled him up and said, “Upādhyāya, how can you tolerate this mad fellow?” Huangbo instead struck the karmadāna. The Master hoed the ground himself and said, “In other places they cremate; here I bury alive.” (Guishan asked Yangshan, “Just then, what was the intent of Huangbo and Linji?” Yangshan said, “The one who played the thief escaped; the one who pursued the thief caught the blows.” Guishan said, “So it is, so it is.”) One day the Master was sleeping in Huangbo’s monks’ hall. Huangbo entered and knocked three times on the platform edge with his staff. The Master raised his head, saw it was the upādhyāya, and went back to sleep. Huangbo struck the mat three times and went to the upper hall where he saw the head monk. Huangbo said, “Isn’t that drunken fellow down there better than this one sitting in meditation? You are just constantly dozing off.” The sthavira said, “Is this old upādhyāya suffering from madness?” Huangbo struck him. (Guishan brought this up and asked Yangshan, “Just what was Huangbo’s intent?” Yangshan said, “One throw, two wins.”) The Master was planting cedars with Huangbo. Huangbo said, “Why plant so many trees deep in the mountains?” The Master said, “First, to create scenery for the monastery; second, to serve as a marker for future generations.” He then patted the ground twice with the spade. Huangbo picked up his staff and said, “You have already tasted my staff!” The Master made a hissing sound. Huangbo said, “When my school reaches you, this prediction will only then come forth.” (Guishan brought this up and asked Yangshan, “Tell me, did Huangbo’s parting words merely entrust Linji, or was there another meaning?” Yangshan said, “He both entrusted Linji and foretold what lay ahead.” Guishan said, “How about what lay ahead?” Yangshan said, “One man will point south, and in Wu and Yue his command will be executed.” Sthavira Nanta noted: ‘Sitting alone shaking with majesty, this prediction will only then come forth.’ He also said, ‘If encountering a great wind, this prediction will also come forth.’ Guishan said, “So it is, so it is.”) Once, during the middle of the summer retreat, the Master went up Mount Huangbo and saw the upādhyāya reading a sutra. The Master said, “I thought you were someone special; it turns out you are just an old upādhyāya who swallows black beans!” After staying a few days, he took his leave. Huangbo said, “You came breaking the summer retreat, and leave before the summer retreat ends.” The Master said, “I merely came for a short while to pay my respects to the upādhyāya.” Huangbo then beat and chased him away. The Master walked a few miles, had doubts about the matter, and returned to finish the summer. One day the Master took his leave of Huangbo. Huangbo said, “Where are you going?” The Master said, “If not to Henan, then to Hebei.” Huangbo picked up his staff and struck him. The Master seized the staff and said, “Old fellow, do not use a blind flail and a sightless staff, lest later you mistakenly strike people!” Huangbo called his attendant, “Bring the desk and meditation board!” The Master said, “Attendant, bring fire!” Huangbo said, “Not so; you just take them with you. In the future you will cut off the tongues of everyone under heaven.” The Master then departed. The Master arrived at the pagoda keeper’s place at Xiong’er. The pagoda keeper asked, “Do you pay homage to the Buddha first, or to the patriarch first?” The Master said, “I pay homage to neither patriarch nor Buddha.” The pagoda keeper said, “What enmity do the patriarch and Buddha have with you, elder, that you pay homage to neither?” The Master made no reply. (Another account says: The Master asked the pagoda keeper, “Do you pay homage to the Buddha first, or to the patriarch first?” The pagoda keeper said, “Whose disciples are the Buddha and the patriarch?” The Master shook his sleeves and departed.) Later, the Master returned to his native region. Bowing to the invitation of the people of Zhao, he resided at the Linji Chan Cloister south of the city. Students rushed there in great numbers. One day he ascended the hall and said, “Within this lump of red flesh there is a true person of no rank, constantly going in and out through the gates of your faces. If you do not recognize him, just ask this old monk.” At that time a monk asked, “What is the true person of no rank?” The Master immediately struck him and said, “What kind of dry shit-scraper is this true person of no rank!” (Later Xuefeng heard of this and said, “Linji is very much like a daylight robber.”) The Master asked Lepu, “From ancient times, one wielded the staff, one wielded the shout: which was the more intimate?” Lepu replied, “Neither was intimate.” The Master said, “What is intimacy?” Lepu gave a shout. The Master struck him. The Master asked Upādhyāya Mukou, “What is the white ox on open ground?” Mukou said, “Hūṃ!” The Master said, “Mute!” Mukou said, “What about you, elder brother?” The Master said, “This beast!” Dajue came to call on him. The Master raised his whisk. Dajue spread his sitting cloth. The Master threw down the whisk. Dajue folded up his sitting cloth and entered the monks’ hall. The monks said, “Could this monk be a relative or old friend of the upādhyāya? He did not bow, nor did he receive a beating.” The Master heard of this and ordered the newly arrived monk to be called. Dajue then came out. The Master said, “The great assembly says you haven’t paid your respects to the elder.” Dajue said, “Peace to you!” and returned to the assembly on his own. Magu (the second generation) came to call on him, spread his sitting cloth, and asked, “Which face of the twelve-faced Avalokiteśvara is the authentic one?” The Master got down from the rope chair, with one hand took the sitting cloth and with the other grabbed Magu, saying, “Where did the twelve-faced Avalokiteśvara go?” Magu turned around and was about to sit on the rope chair. The Master raised his staff and struck him. Magu caught it, and holding each other, they entered the abbot’s quarters. The Master ascended the hall and said, “Great assembly, one who acts for the Dharma does not shrink from losing body and life. At Upādhyāya Huangbo’s place, I received blows of the staff three times, like being brushed with mugwort branches. Now I think of taking another thrashing. Who can lay a hand on me?” At that time a monk said, “I can lay a hand on you. How many blows should the upādhyāya receive?” The Master handed him the staff. As the monk was about to take it, the Master struck him. A monk asked, “What is the first phrase?” The Master said, ‘The seal of the three essentials opens, the vermilion mark is narrow; / Leaving no room for hesitation, host and guest are distinguished.’ The monk said, “What is the second phrase?” The Master said, ‘How could subtle understanding permit Asanga’s inquiry? / How could skillful means fail the mechanism that cuts off the flow?’ The monk said, “What is the third phrase?” The Master said, ‘Look at the puppet show on the scaffold: / The pulling of strings relies entirely on the person behind.’ The Master also said, “Each phrase must possess three mysterious gates; each mysterious gate must possess three essentials. There is the provisional and there is function. How do all of you understand this?” In the seventh year of the Xiantong era of the Tang, bingxu, on the tenth day of the fourth month, when about to display nirvirṇa, the Master spoke this transmission verse: ‘Flowing along the stream incessantly, one asks what it is; / Boundless true illumination is explained to others. / If you do not follow the detachment from signs and detachment from names, / After using the hair-blown sword, you must hasten to hone it.’ Having finished the verse, he passed away sitting. He was posthumously granted the imperial title Great Master Huizhao, and his pagoda was named Chengeling.” } ] ,

12.7

Senior Venerable Chen originally dwelt at Longxing Temple in Muzhou, concealing his traces and hiding his function. He frequently made straw sandals and secretly placed them on the road; as years passed, people came to know of this, so he was given the appellation 'Chen of the Straw Sandals.' At times students would probe and challenge him; he would answer abruptly according to their queries, and because his phrasing was steep and perilous, departing from conventional ruts, people of shallow capacity often mocked him. Only those of quick intellect pursuing the profound admired and yielded to him. From this, [seekers from] all quarters turned their devotion to him and called him Senior Venerable Chen. / Once during the evening assembly, the Master addressed the congregation, saying, 'You people have not obtained a point of entry; you must obtain a point of entry. If you obtain a point of entry, later on you must not disappoint this old monk.' / At that time a monk stepped forth, bowed, and said, 'I would certainly never dare disappoint the Upādhyāya.' / The Master said, 'Already you have disappointed me.' / The Master also said, 'This old monk has been abbot here, yet have never seen a person of no affairs arrive. Why do you not step forward?' / At that time a monk was just stepping forward. The Master said, 'The karmadāna is not present; lead yourself out beyond the triple gate and receive twenty blows of the staff.' / The monk said, 'Where is my fault?' / The Master said, 'Adding handcuffs on top of the cangue.' / Usually, whenever the Master saw a patch-robed monk coming, he would shut the door; or when he saw a lecturing monk, he would call out, 'Sūtra Lecturer!' When the monk responded, the Master would say, 'You board-carrying fellow!' Or he would say, 'There is a bucket here; draw water for me.' / One day the Master was standing on the veranda steps. A monk came and asked, 'Where is Senior Venerable Chen's room?' / The Master took off his straw sandal and struck him over the head. The monk ran away. The Master called out, 'Great Worthy!' The monk turned his head. The Master pointed and said, 'Go over that way instead.' / A monk knocked at the door. The Master said, 'Who is it?' / The monk said, 'Myself.' / The Master said, 'A useless Qin-dynasty drill.' / One day an imperial envoy asked, 'The triple gate is wide open—through which gate should I enter?' / The Master called out, 'Minister!' / The envoy responded. / The Master said, 'Enter through the gate of faith.' / The envoy also saw a wall mural and asked, 'What matter are the two venerables discussing together?' / The Master slapped an open pillar and said, 'Among the three bodies, which one does not preach the Dharma?' / The Master asked a lecturer, 'Are you perhaps lecturing on Consciousness-Only?' / He replied, 'I am.' / The Master said, 'You do not even observe the five precepts.' / The Master asked an elder, '"When comprehended, the tip of a hair swallows the vast sea; only then do you know the great earth is a single dust mote." How do you understand this, Elder?' / He replied, 'Whom are you asking?' / The Master said, 'I am asking you, Elder.' / The elder said, 'Why not comprehend the words?' / The Master said, 'You do not comprehend the words, and I do not comprehend the words.' / The Master saw a monk coming and said, 'A ready-made public case! I spare you thirty blows of the staff.' / The monk said, 'I am just thus.' / The Master said, 'Why does the Vajra guardian at the triple gate raise his fist?' / The monk said, 'Even the Vajra guardian is just thus.' / The Master struck him. / A monk asked, 'What is the road to the transcendental?' / The Master said, 'If you want to speak of it, what difficulty is there?' / The monk said, 'Please speak, Master.' / The Master said, 'At the beginning thirty, in the middle nine, at the bottom seven.' / A monk asked, '"Removing one layer after another"—this I do not ask about. What about when one does not remove one layer after another?' / The Master said, 'Yesterday morning I planted eggplants; today I planted winter melons.' / A monk asked, 'What is the precise meaning of Caoxi?' / The Master said, 'This old monk loves anger and does not love joy.' / The monk said, 'Why is it so?' / The Master said, 'When meeting a swordsman on the road, present a sword; / If one is not a poet, do not speak of poetry.' / A monk came to study. The Master asked, 'Where do you come from?' / The monk said, 'Liuyang.' / The Master said, 'What did the old venerable there say in response concerning the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?' / He said, '"All over the earth one walks without a road."' / The Master said, 'Did that old venerable truly have these words?' / He said, 'He truly did.' / The Master picked up his staff, struck him, and said, 'You fellow who recites others' words!' / The Master asked an elder, 'If brethren come, what will you use to receive them?' / The elder said, 'I will wait until they come.' / The Master said, 'Why not say it now?' / The elder said, 'What does the Upādhyāya lack?' / The Master said, 'Please do not bother with entanglements.' / A monk came to study. The Master said, 'Are you not on pilgrimage?' / The monk said, 'I am.' / The Master said, 'Have you paid homage to the Buddha yet?' / He said, 'Why pay homage to that pile of clay?' / The Master said, 'Lead yourself out.' / A monk asked, 'What about when I lecture and also go on pilgrimage, yet do not understand the intention of the teachings?' / The Master said, 'Speaking truly, you ought to repent.' / The monk said, 'I beg the Master for instruction.' / The Master said, 'If you do not understand, this old monk will keep his mouth shut without a word.' / The monk said, 'Please speak.' / The Master said, 'When the mind does not betray others, the face shows no shame.' / A monk asked, 'What about when one phrase exhausts it completely?' / The Master said, 'The meaning falls into error.' / The monk said, 'Where does the student's meaning fall into error?' / The Master said, 'Whom should I have take the thirty blows of the staff?' / A monk asked, 'Are the intention of the teachings and the intention of the Patriarchs identical or distinct?' / The Master said, 'The green mountain is of itself the green mountain; the white cloud is of itself the white cloud.' / The monk said, 'What is the green mountain?' / The Master said, 'Return me a drop of rain.' / The monk said, 'I cannot speak; please speak, Master.' / The Master said, 'In the Lotus, the battle line before the spear; in the Nirvāṇa, gathered up behind the phrase.' / The Master asked a monk, 'Where were you this summer?' / He said, 'Wait until the Upādhyāya has an abode, then I will explain to the Upādhyāya.' / The Master said, 'A fox is not of the lion's kind; a lamp is not the light of the sun and moon.' / The Master asked a newly arrived monk, 'Where do you come from?' / The monk stared at him with wide eyes. / The Master said, 'You fellow who trails behind donkeys and horses!' / The monk said, 'Please, Master, examine me.' / The Master said, 'Fellow trailing behind donkeys and horses, speak up and tell me!' / There was no response. / While the Master was reading a sūtra, Minister Chen Cao asked, 'What sūtra is the Upādhyāya reading?' / The Master said, 'The Diamond Sūtra.' / The Minister said, 'Among the translations of the Six Dynasties, which translation is this?' / The Master held up the sūtra and said, 'All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows.' / Also, while the Master was reading the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, a monk asked, 'What sūtra is the Upādhyāya reading?' / The Master held up the sūtra and said, 'This is the very end of the chapter on cremation.' / The Master asked a newly arrived monk, 'Where were you this summer?' / The monk said, 'Jingshan.' / The Master said, 'How many people were there?' / He said, 'Four hundred people.' / The Master said, 'You fellow who eats supper!' / The monk said, 'Why does a senior venerable of the monastery speak of eating supper?' / The Master then beat him with a staff and drove him out. / The Master heard that an old venerable was difficult to approach, so he went in person to visit him. As soon as the old venerable saw the Master enter the abbot's quarters, he shouted. The Master placed his hand beside his cheek and said, 'A double public case.' / The old venerable said, 'Where is the fault?' / The Master said, 'This wild fox spirit!' and withdrew. / The Master asked a monk, 'Where did you leave recently?' / The monk said, 'Jiangxi.' / The Master said, 'How many straw sandals have you worn out?' / The monk had no response. / The Master was drinking tea with a lecturing monk. The Master said, 'I cannot save you.' / The monk said, 'I do not understand; I beg the Master for instruction.' / The Master picked up an oil cake, showed it, and said, 'What is this?' / The monk said, 'Material form (rūpadharma).' / The Master said, 'You fellow entering the boiling cauldron!' / A Great Worthy in purple robes arrived and bowed. The Master held up his cap ribbon, showed it to him, and said, 'What is this called?' / The Great Worthy said, 'An audience-at-court cap.' / The Master said, 'In that case, this old monk will not take it off.' / The Master asked again, 'What practice do you study?' / He said, 'Consciousness-Only.' / The Master said, 'How do you explain it?' / He said, 'The three realms are mind-only; all phenomena are consciousness-only.' / The Master pointed to the door leaves and said, 'What is this?' / He said, 'It is material form.' / The Master said, 'Bestowed purple before the curtain and discussing the scriptures in the imperial presence—how is it that you do not observe the five precepts?' / There was no response. / A monk asked, 'I have newly entered the monastery; I beg the Master for instruction.' / The Master said, 'You do not understand how to ask.' / He said, 'What about the Upādhyāya?' / The Master said, 'I spare you thirty blows of the staff; lead yourself out.' / A monk asked, 'Concerning the intention of the teachings, please present the main principle, Master.' / The Master said, 'Just bring your questions, and I will tell you.' / The monk said, 'Please speak, Upādhyāya.' / The Master said, 'Burn incense in the Buddha hall; join palms outside the triple gate.' / A monk asked, 'What are words of expansive elaboration?' / The Master said, 'Weighing talent to assign office.' / The monk said, 'How can one avoid falling into expansive elaboration?' / The Master said, '"We respectfully offer this sacrifice!"' / The Master called Jiaoshan to step forward. He also called an attendant boy to bring an axe. The boy brought the axe and said, 'There is no inked marking-line yet; let us just rough-hew it.' / The Master shouted at him. / He then called the attendant boy again and said, 'What is your axe?' / The boy made a chopping motion. / The Master said, 'You cannot chop off your old man's head.' / A monk asked, 'What is opening a narrow path?' / The Master said, 'Weighing talent to assign office.' / He asked again, 'What is not opening a narrow path?' / The Master said, '"We respectfully offer this sacrifice!"' / A newly arrived monk came to study. The Master said, 'Are you newly arrived?' / He said, 'I am.' / The Master said, 'For now, lay aside entanglements; do you understand?' / He said, 'I do not understand.' / The Master said, 'Carrying your cangue and stating your accusation, lead yourself out.' / The monk then left. / The Master said, 'Come, come! I truly ask you: where do you come from?' / He said, 'Jiangxi.' / The Master said, 'Upādhyāya Letan is behind your back, fearing that you speak wildly—do you see him?' / There was no response. / A monk asked, 'The Vajra guardian in front of the temple gate supports it; the universe and great earth do not support it. What about when not even a thread or hair is encountered?' / The Master said, 'Hūṃ! Hūṃ! I have never seen such a question! First leaping three thousand, then retreating eight hundred—what should you do?' / The monk said, 'Yes.' / The Master said, 'First reproving with a sheet of indictments is fine!' and then struck him. / The monk was about to leave. The Master said, 'Come! I will tangle with you. Supporting the universe and the great earth—tell me, how deep is the water in Lake Dongting?' / The monk said, 'I have never measured it.' / The Master said, 'What about Lake Dongting itself?' / The monk said, 'Just for the present time.' / The Master said, 'You still do not understand even this entanglement,' and struck him. / A monk asked, 'What is the phrase that encounters obstacles nowhere?' / The Master said, 'I do not speak that way.' / The monk said, 'How do you speak, Master?' / The Master said, 'An arrow passes a hundred thousand leagues beyond the Western Heavens, waiting in the Great Tang Empire.' / A monk knocked at the door. The Master said, 'What is it?' / He said, 'My own matter is not yet clear; I beg the Master for instruction.' / The Master said, 'Here there is only the staff!' and opened the door. The monk was about to ask, and the Master immediately slapped him across the mouth. / A monk asked, 'Not forming the character yi (以), not being the character ba (八)—what chapter and phrase is this?' / The Master snapped his fingers once and said, 'Do you understand?' / He said, 'I do not understand.' / The Master said, '"The above expresses praise for boundless supreme causes; / The toad leaps up to the Brahmā heaven, / The earthworm scampers across the Eastern Sea."' / Elder Xifeng came to visit. The Master set out tea and fruit, bade him sit, and asked, 'Where did you, Elder, spend the summer retreat?' / He said, 'Lanxi.' / The Master said, 'How many followers were there?' / He said, 'Around seventy people.' / The Master said, 'Throughout the day, what did you use to instruct the followers?' / The elder picked up a mandarin orange, presented it, and said, 'Already finished.' / The Master said, 'What frantic urgency!' / At that time a newly arrived monk came to pay homage. The Master scolded him, 'Ācārya, why did you steal fruit of the Sangha property to eat?' / The monk said, 'I have only just arrived. Why does the Upādhyāya say I stole fruit?' / The Master said, 'The stolen goods are right here!' / The Master asked a monk, 'Where did you leave recently?' / He said, 'Yangshan.' / The Master said, 'You do not even observe the five precepts.' / He said, 'Where have I told a lie?' / The Master said, 'Here we do not accommodate novices.'

12.8

Chan Master Chunan of Mount Qianqing in Hangzhou was a native of Minzhong. His secular surname was Zhang. From childhood he went to Chan Master Tan'ai at Kaiyuan Temple to renounce household life. When he reached the age of twenty, he shaved his hair, went to Mount Wutai, and took the full precepts. He studied the Xiangbu Vinaya in Zhao Commandery and went to the Western Capital to hear the Vimalakīrti Sūtra. Having deeply investigated the principles of the Dharma yet without having understood the profound mechanism, he then went to pay his respects to Furong. Furong saw him and said, "I am not your master. Your master is Huangbo, beyond the Jiang." The Master bowed, took his leave, and went to study under Huangbo. Huangbo posed a question to him, saying, "Before you manifested the images of the three realms, how was it?" The Master said, "Right now, could it be said that there is existence?" Huangbo said, "Setting aside existence and non-existence, how is it right now?" The Master said, "It is neither past nor present." Huangbo said, "My correct Dharma eye is already in your person." The Master then entered his chamber, held the towel and attended to his ablutions, seeking instruction morning and evening. Soon afterward, Emperor Wuzong of the Tang suppressed the teachings, so the Master went into deep hiding in forests and valleys. When the Dazhong era began, Chancellor Lord Pei Xiu was dispatched to pacify Wanling; he invited Upādhyāya Huangbo to come out of the mountains, and the Master followed him out. From there he reached Bao'en Temple in Gusu, where he assiduously cultivated Chan meditation; for nearly twenty years his feet never crossed the threshold. Suddenly he was invited by the commandery governor to dwell at Baolin Monastery. Shortly thereafter, he was again invited to reside at Mount Zhixing. He also resided at Ciyun Monastery on Mount Qianqing, reviving the profound house style of Huangbo. One day the Master ascended the hall and said, "Disciples, even if you could explain the Buddhist teachings of the three periods of time like water poured from a pitcher, and attain hundreds of thousands of samādhis, it would not compare to cultivating the taint-free path in a single thought-instant, so as to avoid being bound by the causes and effects of gods and humans." A monk then asked, "How does one cultivate the taint-free path?" The Master said, "Directly realize it when there was not yet an ācārya." The monk said, "When there was not yet myself, who realizes it?" The Master said, "The one who realizes it is also non-existent." The monk asked, "What is easy?" The Master said, "Wearing clothes and eating food, without needing to recite sūtras or study the teachings, and without needing to practice the path, perform prostrations, burn the body, or scorch the crown of the head. Is that not easy?" The monk said, "Since this is easy, what is difficult?" The Master said, "If the slightest thought arises, the five aggregates are complete; the transmigration in the three realms and birth and death all arise from your single thought. Therefore the Buddha taught all bodhisattvas, saying, 'That which is protected and kept in mind by the Buddhas.'" Although the Master responded to capacities without wearying, he was constantly and solemnly situated in samādhi, sometimes for more than a month or for ten full days. In the third year of the Guangqi era, the Qian clan invited him down the mountain to receive offerings. Emperor Zhaozong, hearing of his spiritual transformation [of beings], bestowed upon him a purple robe. In the fifth month of the first year of the Wende era, he took leave of the assembly and passed away peacefully. He was seventy-six years of age and had been a monk for fifty-six years. His stupa was relocated to the western corner of the monastery. In the renzi year, the second month of the first year of the Jingfu era (also written as the second year of Dashun), Sun Ru of Xuanzhou raided Qiantang. Soldiers opened the stupa and saw that his whole body had not decomposed, and his nails and hair had grown. They apologized, repented, and departed. During his life the Master composed one fascicle of Verse Eulogies on Chapters of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra and one fascicle of the Treatise on Refuting the Heterodox, which are currently circulating in the world.

12.9

Chan Master Lingguan of Mount Wushi in Fuzhou (who resided at Xue Lao Peak on that mountain, also called Mount Dingmu; at that time he was called Upādhyāya Lao Guan) customarily bolted his door and was rarely seen by people. Only one lay believer would arrive at each mealtime to deliver offerings, whereupon he would open it. One day, Xuefeng watched for an opportunity and knocked on the door. The Master came out and opened the door. Xuefeng grabbed him by the chest and said, "Is it ordinary or holy?" The Master spat and said, "This wild fox spirit!" and pushed him out and shut the door. Xuefeng said, "I only wanted to know you, elder brother." Once, as the Master was weeding grass, he asked a monk, "Where are you going?" The monk said, "Going to West Courtyard to pay respects to Upādhyāya An." At that time there was a small green snake on a bamboo stalk. The Master pointed to the snake and said, "If you wish to know that old wild fox spirit of West Courtyard, just this is it." One day the Master asked Upādhyāya An of West Courtyard, "What is this plot of ground fit to have placed on it?" An said, "It is good to place a formless Buddha on it." The Master said, "A good plot of ground has been defiled with filth by you, elder brother." One day, while the Master was drawing water, a monk came to pay respects. The Master demonstrated by pulling the water-drawing pole across. The monk then left. At dusk, the Master asked his novice, "Where is that monk who came earlier?" The novice said, "He departed." The Master said, "He only obtained half a piece." (Xuanjue said, "Where was he lacking half a piece?") A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master stuck out his tongue and showed it to him. The monk bowed in thanks. The Master said, "Stop, stop! What did you see that makes you bow?" The monk said, "I thank the Upādhyāya for his compassion in showing the characteristic of sticking out his tongue." The Master said, "Lately this old fellow has sores on his tongue." A monk arrived and knocked on the door. After the attendant opened the door, he went out. The monk entered, bowed, and asked, "What is the meaning of the [Patriarch's] coming from the West?" The Master said, "What person was that who just went out?" The monk was about to step forward, but the Master pushed him out and closed the door. When Caoshan was on pilgrimage, he asked, "What is the master of Vairocana and the lord of the Dharma body?" The Master said, "If I were to tell you, it would be another thing altogether." Caoshan brought this up with Dongshan. Dongshan said, "A fine topic of dialogue, but it lacks follow-up words. Why not go back and ask, 'Why do you not speak?'" Caoshan then returned and advanced with those words. The Master said, "If you say I do not speak, that mutes my mouth. If you say I do speak, that stammers my tongue." Caoshan returned and brought this up to Dongshan, who deeply approved of it.

12.10

Chan Master Zongche of Luohan Monastery in Hangzhou was a native of Wuxing County in Huzhou. His secular surname was Wu. He renounced household life in his youth and received the full precepts according to the prescribed age. He traveled to pay respects and studied at the Dharma seat of Chan Master Huangbo Xiyun. Huangbo regarded him highly at first sight. He entered the chamber and grasped the essential import. Later he arrived in Hangzhou. The regional prefect Liu Yan admired his teaching and established a vihāra west of the prefectural seat, named Luohan Monastery, where he transformed three hundred disciples. Once, when the Master ascended the hall, a monk asked, "What is the meaning of the [Patriarch's] coming from the West?" The Master said, "The bones are minced." (The Master often used this phrase when responding to capacities, so people of the time called him the Bone-Mincing Upādhyāya.) A monk asked, "What are the Southern school and the Northern school?" The Master said, "The mind is the school." The monk said, "Do you still read the scriptures or not?" The Master said, "The scriptures are the mind." The monk asked, "The ground of nature is mostly dark; how can one clearly awaken?" The Master said, "When the troublesome clouds are swept away by the wind, the great void is clear and open." The monk said, "How can one attain clarity?" The Master said, "A bright, pure disc casts its radiance for ten thousand miles." Later, the Master manifested illness and passed away. His disciples built a stupa for him at the northern corner of the monastery. In the fifth year of the Zhenming era of the Liang dynasty, King Qian expanded the monastery into Anguo Luohan Temple and moved the Master's stupa to the valley of Mount Daci. Today, both the temple and the stupa still exist.

12.11

Pei Xiu, styled Gongmei, was a native of Wenxi in Hedong (his biography in the Tang History makes him a native of Jiyuan in Mengzhou). When he governed Xin'an, it coincided with the time when Chan Master Yun first left the assembly at Mount Huangbo and entered Da'an Vihāra, mingling among the laborers and sweeping the halls. Lord Pei entered the temple to burn incense, and the monastic administrator received him. Looking at the wall paintings, he asked, "What portrait is this?" The administrator replied, "It is the true likeness of an eminent monk." Lord Pei said, "The true likeness is visible, but where is the eminent monk?" None of the monks could answer. Lord Pei said, "Is there a Chan practitioner here?" The administrator said, "Recently a monk joined the temple to perform manual labor; he is rather like a Chan practitioner." Lord Pei said, "Could he be invited so that I may question him?" Thereupon they quickly sought Master Yun. Lord Pei was delighted to see him and said, "Xiu just had a question that the venerables were reluctant to answer. Now I invite the reverend to offer a reply on their behalf." The Master said, "Please pose your question, Chancellor." Lord Pei then repeated the earlier question. The Master called out in a loud voice, "Pei Xiu!" Lord Pei answered, "Yes!" The Master said, "Where is he?" Right then Lord Pei understood the essential import, as if he had obtained the jewel in the topknot. He said, "My master is a true kalyāṇamitra! Pointing directly and accurately for people, why did you submerge yourself here like this?" The monastic assembly was astonished. From then on, Lord Pei invited him to the prefectural office, kept him, provided offerings, and served him with the etiquette of a disciple. The Master repeatedly declined, but to no avail. Lord Pei then firmly requested him to reside on Mount Huangbo to revive the patriarchal teachings. Whenever he had leisure, he went in person up the mountain to prostrate in audience, or if he thirsted to hear profound discourses, he invited the Master to the prefectural seat. Since Lord Pei had both thoroughly penetrated the patriarchal mind and comprehensively mastered the doctrinal aspects of the teachings, Chan students in various regions all said that Chancellor Pei had not emerged in vain from the gate of Huangbo. When he was transferred to govern Xuancheng, he still wished to gaze upon and pay respects to him, and also founded a vihāra, welcoming and inviting him to reside there. (Xin'an Commandery in the Tang was Shezhou. The biography of Chancellor Pei in the Tang History does not mention his assignment there. Although it is not impossible that he was governor of Shezhou, looking at his preface to the Chuanxin fayao, one knows that he first met Master Yun in Hongzhou and met him again in Xuanzhou, both times by welcoming and inviting him, not by coincidence. The account in this chapter regarding the location of the question about the wall painting of an eminent monk must be an error. If it were truly in Shezhou, how could he not have mentioned it in the preface? According to the Guangdeng, it was in Yunzhou, while the Sijia lu says it was in Hongzhou; neither is correct. According to the Tang History, during the Wude era Jingzhou was established out of Gao'an County of Hongzhou, was renamed Yunzhou, and was soon abolished. It was re-established only during the Southern Tang under Li Jing. How could there have been a commandery governor in the interim? By this we know the error of the Guangdeng. Furthermore, the preface to the Chuanxin fayao states, 'In the second year of Huichang, while serving as investigation commissioner in Zhongling, I welcomed him from the mountain to the prefecture to rest at Longxing Temple.' By this we know the Sijia lu is also mistaken. The rest is distinguished in the chapter on Huangbo.) Although Guifeng was respected by Pei for his comprehensive grasp of both Chan and doctrinal lectures, it was not like his wholehearted submission and deep reverence toward Huangbo. Furthermore, in composing the stele for Guifeng, Lord Pei wrote, "In the Dharma, Xiu and the Master are brothers; in righteousness, we are friends; in benevolence, he is my kalyāṇamitra; and in the teachings, we are internal and external protectors." This can be seen from that. He also collected Huangbo's essential sayings, personally brushed a preface placed at the head of the volume, and left it to protect the mountain gate. He also personally transcribed five hundred cases of the Tripiṭaka, which have been treasured down to the present day. Furthermore, for the Chan Master of Guifeng's Chan Sources and Their Commentaries, Inquiry into the Origin of Humanity, Commentary and Subcommentary on the Perfect Enlightenment Sūtra, and Contemplation of the Dharmadhātu, Lord Pei composed prefaces for all of them. Lord Pei's father, Su, styled Zhongming, served as surveillance commissioner of Yuezhou; fulfilling a three-hundred-year-old prophecy, he rebuilt the great Buddha hall of Longxing Temple and personally composed the stele inscription. (Previously, Śramaṇa Tan'yan of Yuezhou, five feet tall with eyebrows drooping several inches, together with the dānapati Xu Xun, styled Xuandu, built two large stupas of brick and wood. Yan had miraculous powers: heavenly wheels descended from the sky; he could halt the sun to double the work done; and from the ground he stretched his arm to the top of the stupa. Before the stupas were completed, Xun died. Master Yan lived to a great age of about one hundred and twenty years, still waiting for Xun's rebirth as the Prince of Yueyang to come and pacify Yuezhou, truly by the power of vows. Yan told his disciples in advance, "Xu Xuandu has come." The disciples all thought their master was senile and his words untrustworthy, saying, "Xu Xuandu has been dead for over thirty years; why do you say he has come again?" At that time, the Prince of Yueyang had already received a secret indication from Master Zhi, and as soon as he reached the prefecture he entered the temple to search for him. Master Yan stood at the gate gazing into the distance; seeing him from afar, he called out, "Xu Xuandu, why do you come so late? The stūpas of former days are just as they were." The prince said, "This disciple's surname is Xiao and given name is Cha; why does the master call me Xu Xuandu?" Yan said, "Without having attained the knowledge of past lives, how could you know?" He then took his hand, invited him into the room, and sat on the ground with him. Yan blessed the prince with the power of samādhi, and the prince suddenly realized the matter of building the stupas in his past life as clearly as if it were today. Consequently, the two stupas were made even more magnificent. At that time, the main hall of Longxing Temple collapsed, and the assembly asked Master Yan to rebuild it. Yan said, "This is not the power of my conditions. Three hundred years from now, a patron in red robes will come to revive this hall and perform great Buddhist works." The temple assembly carved this prediction on stone. When the time came, Prefect Pei took up his post, promoted the Three Jewels, and donated his salary to complete the reconstruction of the main hall. Only then did they realize that Master Yan's advance prediction was not mistaken.) Lord Pei subsequently devoted his mind to the Buddhist scriptures and penetrated deeply into the assemblies of the Dharma. He wrote a text of vows, which is transmitted in the world.

12.12

Fifth Generation of Chan Master Huairang

12.13

Dharma Heirs of the Former Chan Master Yangshan Huiji of Yuanzhou

12.14

Chan Master Guangmu of Xita on Mount Yang (the second-generation abbot). A monk asked, 'What is correct hearing?' The master said, 'It does not enter through the ear.' The monk said, 'How so?' The master said, 'Do you still hear?' [A monk] asked, 'Are the intention of the Patriarchs and the intention of the teachings the same or different?' The master said, 'Set same or different aside for now; tell me, what object goes in and comes out of the spout of a pitcher?' [A monk] asked, 'What is the meaning of coming from the West?' The master said, 'You have no Buddha-nature.' [A monk] asked, 'What is the sudden?' The master drew a circular figure to show him. [The monk] said, 'What is the gradual?' The master waved his hand in the air three times.

12.15

Chan Master Jingtong of Mount Huo in Jinzhou first called on Yangshan. Yangshan sat with his eyes closed. The master said, 'Just so, just so! The twenty-eight patriarchs of the Western Heavens were also just so. The six patriarchs of China were also just so. The upādhyāya is also just so. Jingtong is also just so.' Having spoken, he turned to the right, raised one foot, and stood. Yangshan got up and struck him four times with a rattan cane. Because of this, the master called himself 'the Great Chan Buddha under Cloud-Gathering Peak, struck with four rattan canes throughout the realm.' (Under Guizong there was also a 'Great Chan Buddha,' named Zhitong, who passed away at Wutai.) Later he resided at Mount Huo. A practitioner asked, 'What is the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?' The master then bowed. The practitioner said, 'Why does the upādhyāya bow to a layperson?' The master said, 'Have you not heard it said: "Respect the disciple"?' The master asked a monk, 'Where have you come from?' The monk held up his sitting cloth. The master said, 'Dragon's head, snake's tail.' A monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?' The master struck him. The monk also struck the master. The master said, 'There is reason for you striking me; there is no reason for my striking you.' The monk had no reply. The master then beat him out. When the master's transformative karmic conditions were about to end, he first prepared firewood in the suburbs, and took leave of all the donors and believers. Having eaten, he walked to the place where the wood was piled and said to his disciples, 'Report to me when it is noon.' When noon arrived, the master held a lamp himself, climbed upon the pile of firewood, placed a bamboo hat behind his head to form the sign of a halo, held a walking stick in his hand in the posture of a demon-subduing pestle, and passed away standing amidst the red flames.

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景德傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese