景德傳燈錄 7.21

7.21

Chan Master Ruhui of Dongsi in Hunan was a native of Qujiang in Shixing. At first he visited Jingshan, and later he called upon Daji. His students were so numerous that the beds and platforms in the monks' hall collapsed beneath them; at the time he was known as 'Bed-Collapsing Hui'. After Daji passed away, the Master was often distressed that the disciples incessantly recited and recollected the talk of 'mind itself is Buddha', thinking: 'Where does the Buddha dwell that one speaks of "mind itself"? The mind is like a painter, yet one speaks of "mind is Buddha"?' He then instructed the assembly, saying: 'Mind is not Buddha; wisdom is not the Way. The sword is already far away, yet you are now notching the boat.' At the time, Dongsi was called a 'den of Chan.'
Chief Minister Lord Cui Qun came out to serve as surveillance commissioner of Hunan. Seeing the Master, he asked: 'By what did the Master attain [the Way]?'
The Master said: 'Attained by seeing the nature.'
The Master was just then suffering from an eye ailment. The lord mocked him, saying: 'Since you speak of seeing the nature, what about your eyes?'
The Master said: 'Seeing the nature is not the eyes; what harm is an eye ailment?'
The lord bowed his head and apologized. (Fayan said as an alternative: 'It is the minister's eyes.')
The Master asked Nanquan: 'From where have you recently come?'
[Nanquan] said: 'Jiangxi.'
The Master said: 'Have you brought Master Ma's true [likeness]?'
Nanquan said: 'Just this is it.'
The Master said: 'What about what is behind your back?'
There was no response. (Changqing substituted: 'Too much like not knowing.' Baofu said: 'Almost didn't make it to the Venerable's place here.' Yunju Xi said: 'These two venerable ones entirely support what is behind. But as for Nanquan resting, was he supporting what was in front or supporting what was behind?')
Chief Minister Cui entered the monastery and saw birds dropping dung on the Buddha's head. He then asked the Master: 'Do birds have Buddha-nature or not?'
The Master said: 'They do.'
Cui said: 'Why do they drop dung on the Buddha's head?'
The Master said: 'Why don't they drop it on the head of a hawk?'
Yangshan came to visit. The Master said: 'We have already met; there is no need to come up further.'
Yangshan said: 'Meeting like this—is it not perhaps improper?'
The Master returned to the abbot's quarters and shut the door. Yangshan returned and related this to Guishan. Guishan said: 'What kind of state of mind does Jizi have?'
Yangshan said: 'If not like this, how could I have known him?'
Someone again asked the Master: 'I intend to request the Venerable to inaugurate the hall; may I?'
The Master said: 'Wait until you take something to wrap Shitou and make him warm, then it will be fine.'
The person had no words. (Yaoshan substituted: 'Shitou is warm.')
On the nineteenth day of the eighth month in the guimao year, the third year of the Changqing era of the Tang, he entered quiescence. His age was eighty. An imperial decree bestowed the posthumous title 'Great Master Chuanming', and the stupa was called 'Yongji'.