景德傳燈錄 9.3

9.3

Chan Master Lingyou of Mount Gui in Tanzhou was a native of Changxi in Fuzhou. His surname was Zhao. At fifteen, he took leave of his parents to leave household life, shaving his head under Vinaya Master Fachang of Jianshan Temple in his home commandery. He received the full precepts at Longxing Temple in Hangzhou. He investigated the sūtras and vinayas of both the Greater and Lesser Vehicles. At twenty-three, he traveled to Jiangxi and visited Chan Master Baizhang Dazhi. Baizhang granted him entry to his room upon first meeting him, and he subsequently became the foremost among the students. One day, as he stood attending, Baizhang asked, "Who is it?" The Master said, "Lingyou." Baizhang said, "Poke the brazier to see if there is any fire." The Master poked it and said, "There is no fire." Baizhang got up himself, poked deep into it, found a little spark of fire, held it up to show him, and said, "Is this not fire?" The Master had an awakening, bowed in gratitude, and presented his understanding. Baizhang said, "This is merely a temporary crossroad. A sūtra says: 'If you wish to see the Buddha-nature, you should observe the causes and conditions of the proper time.' Once the proper time arrives, it is like suddenly awakening from confusion, or suddenly remembering what was forgotten. Only then do you realize that what belongs to yourself does not come from others. Therefore the ancestral teacher said: 'Having awakened, one is the same as before awakening. Without mind, there are no dharmas.' It is simply being without false, deluded minds of ordinary or holy, and the like. Originally, mind and dharmas are fundamentally complete in themselves. Now that you are like this, take good care to protect and uphold it." At that time, Ascetic Sīmǎ came from Hunan. Baizhang said to him, "This old monk wishes to go to Mount Gui; would that be suitable?" (Aside from practicing Chan, Ascetic Sīmǎ harbored great insight in judging people and had also mastered geomancy. When monasteries were founded in various regions, many consulted him for decisions.) He replied, "Mount Gui is exceedingly marvelous; it can gather a congregation of fifteen hundred. However, it is not where you, Upādhyāya, should dwell." Baizhang said, "Why is that?" He replied, "The Upādhyāya is a person of bone, while that is a mountain of flesh. Even if you dwell there, your followers will not fill a thousand." Baizhang said, "Could someone in my community reside there?" He replied, "Let me examine them all." Baizhang then ordered his attendant to summon the first seat (namely Upādhyāya Hualin). He asked, "How about this person?" The ascetic had him clear his throat once and walk several steps, then replied, "This person will not do." [Baizhang] then ordered the head of the kitchen to be summoned (namely Master Lingyou). The ascetic said, "This is precisely the master of Mount Gui!" That night, Baizhang summoned the Master into his room and entrusted him, saying, "My transformative affinity is here. Mount Gui is a superior place; you should dwell there to continue my school and broadly deliver future students." Hearing of this at that time, Hualin said, "I shamefully hold the position of head; how could Master You become the abbot?" Baizhang said, "If you can utter an extraordinary phrase before the assembly, I will grant you the abbacy." Pointing to a pure water bottle, he asked, "You must not call this a pure water bottle. What do you call it?" Hualin said, "It cannot be called a wooden stub either." Baizhang did not approve and then asked the Master. The Master kicked over the pure water bottle. Baizhang laughed and said, "The first seat has lost the mountain!" He then dispatched the Master to Mount Gui. This mountain was sheer and towering, utterly desolate with no human habitation. The Master made company with apes and monkeys, feeding on acorns and chestnuts. Gradually, the residents below the mountain came to know of him, and leading the multitude, they jointly built a Buddhist temple. Military Commissioner Li Jingrang memorialized the throne, naming it Tongqing Temple. Chancellor Lord Pei Xiu once inquired into its profound mysteries. As a result, Chan students throughout the realm converged there like the spokes of a wheel. The Master ascended the hall and instructed the assembly, saying: "The mind of a person of the Way is straightforward and without deceit, without back or front, and without deceptive or false mental actions. At all times, seeing and hearing are ordinary, with no deviousness; nor does one close the eyes or block the ears. Simply so long as feelings do not attach to objects, that is sufficient. All the sages from ancient times have merely spoken of the faults and perils on the defiled side. If one is free from such many bad perceptions, emotional habits, and conceptual tendencies, it is like autumn waters clear and still—pure, non-active, tranquil, and unobstructed. Such a one is called a person of the Way, and is also named a person of no affairs." At that time, a monk asked, "Does a person of sudden awakening still have cultivation or not?" The Master said, "If one truly awakens to the fundamental, when they know it for themselves, cultivation and non-cultivation are two-ended speech. Nowadays, beginners, though gaining it through conditions and having a moment of sudden awakening to their own principle, still possess habitual tendencies from beginningless eons that cannot be purified all at once. They must be taught to purify and eliminate the current karma-driven flowing consciousness—this is precisely cultivation. I do not say there is a separate dharma to teach them to practice and advance toward. Entering the principle from hearing, the principle heard is deep and wondrous; the mind becomes naturally perfect and luminous, not abiding in the ground of confusion. Even if there are hundreds of thousands of wondrous meanings expounded to praise or disparage at the moment, this is merely obtaining the seat and donning the robe, knowing for oneself how to manage a livelihood. In short, the ground of the ultimate principle does not admit a single speck of dust, while within the gate of myriad practices, not a single dharma is abandoned. If one enters directly with a single sword, then feelings of ordinary and holy are exhausted, the essence reveals true constancy, principle and phenomena are non-dual, and that is just the Tathāgata of suchness." Yangshan asked, "What is the meaning of the [Patriarch's] coming from the West?" The Master said, "A very fine lantern." Yangshan said, "Isn't it just this?" The Master said, "What is this?" Yangshan said, "A very fine lantern." The Master said, "Indeed, you do not recognize it." One day, the Master said to the assembly, "So many people only attain the great dynamic (the old edition has 'great consciousness'; now changed to 'great dynamic'. According to the Guangdeng and other records, all say 'only attain the great dynamic', but in fascicle sixteen, in the chapter on Chan Master Jiufeng Hui, it says 'only attain the great essence'; it is not clear which is correct), but do not attain the great functioning." Yangshan brought this phrase up to an hermitage master at the foot of the mountain and asked, "The Upādhyāya spoke like that; what was his meaning?" The hermitage master said, "Cite it again and let me see." Yangshan was about to cite it again when he was kicked over by the hermitage master. Returning, he recounted it to the Master, who laughed heartily. The Master was sitting in the Dharma hall when the storeroom head struck the wooden fish, and the fire tender threw down his fire shovel, clapped his hands, and laughed heartily. The Master said, "There is indeed such a person in the community!" Calling him over, he asked, "What is it?" The fire tender said, "I did not eat any gruel and my stomach is hungry, so I am happy." The Master then nodded. (When Dongshi heard this, he said, "Know that there was no one in the Mount Gui community!" Wolong said, "Know that there was someone in the Mount Gui community!") During a general call for tea-picking, the Master said to Yangshan, "All day picking tea, I only hear your voice and do not see your form. Please manifest your original form so we may see each other." Yangshan shook the tea tree. The Master said, "You only attain its functioning, not its essence." Yangshan said, "I wonder, what about the Upādhyāya?" The Master was silent for a long time. Yangshan said, "The Upādhyāya only attains the essence, not the functioning." The Master said, "I spare you twenty blows!" (Xuanjue said, "And tell me, where was the fault?") The Master ascended the hall. A monk came forward and said, "I request the Upādhyāya to preach the Dharma for the assembly." The Master said, "I have thoroughly exhausted myself for you." The monk bowed. (Later, someone recounted this to Xuefeng. Xuefeng said, "The ancient had such grandmotherly compassion!" Xuansha said, "The Upādhyāya at the peak missed the ancient's point." Hearing this, Xuefeng asked Xuansha, "Where did this old monk miss the ancient's point?" Xuansha said, "Great and small Mount Gui was smashed into a hundred shattered pieces by that monk's single question!" Xuefeng was startled and dropped the matter.) The Master said to Yangshan, "Ji, speak quickly! Do not enter the realm of the skandhas." Yangshan said, "Huiji does not even establish faith." The Master said, "Do you not establish it having faith, or do you not establish it without faith?" Yangshan said, "It is merely Huiji; whom else would I trust?" The Master said, "If so, you are a śrāvaka of fixed nature." Yangshan said, "Huiji does not even see a Buddha." The Master asked Yangshan, "In the forty fascicles of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, how much is the Buddha's preaching, and how much is Māra's preaching?" Yangshan said, "It is all Māra's preaching." The Master said, "Hereafter, no one will be able to do anything with you." Yangshan said, "Huiji was speaking of a single occasion; where lies my actual conduct?" The Master said, "I only value the correctness of your eye; I do not speak of your actual conduct." While treading clothes, Yangshan lifted them up and asked the Master, "Right at this moment, what does the Upādhyāya do?" The Master said, "Right at this moment, on my side there is no doing anything." Yangshan said, "The Upādhyāya has a body but no functioning." The Master was silent for a long time, then picked them up and asked, "Right at this moment, what do you do?" Yangshan said, "Right at this moment, does the Upādhyāya still see it?" The Master said, "You have functioning but no body." (This exchange took place in the second month.) The Master suddenly asked Yangshan, "In the spring you had words that were incomplete; now try to say it and let me see." Yangshan said, "Right at this moment, by all means avoid making a clay figure." The Master said, "Detaining a prisoner increases wisdom." One day the Master called for the director of the monastery. When the director came, the Master said, "I called for the director; what did you come for?" The director had no reply. (Caoshan said on his behalf, "I knew that the Upādhyāya was not calling me.") He also had his attendant summon the first seat. When the first seat came, the Master said, "I called for the first seat; what did you come for?" He also had no reply. (Caoshan said on his behalf, "If ordered to be summoned by an attendant, I fear he would not come." Fayan gave an alternative: "Just now the attendant called.") The Master asked a newly arrived monk, "What is your name?" The monk said, "My name is Yuelun (Moon Disc)." The Master drew a circular figure and asked, "How is it compared to this?" The monk said, "When the Upādhyāya speaks like this, there are many people in various quarters who would not agree." The Master said, "This poor monk is just like this. What about the ācārya?" The monk said, "Do you still see the moon disc?" The Master said, "When the ācārya speaks like this, there are many people here who would not agree with various quarters." The Master asked Yunyan, "I hear you were at Yaoshan for a long time; is that so?" Yunyan said, "It is so." The Master said, "What are the marks of a great person like at Yaoshan?" Yunyan said, "Existing after nirvāṇa." The Master said, "What is existing after nirvāṇa like?" Yunyan said, "Water sprinkled on it cannot stick." Yunyan in turn asked the Master, "What are the marks of a great person like at Baizhang?" The Master said, "Towering and grand, splendid and magnificent! Before sound, it is not sound; after form, it is not form. Like a mosquito alighting on an iron bull, there is no place for you to insert your beak." The Master passed a pure water bottle to Yangshan. Yangshan made to take it, but the Master pulled his hand back and said, "What is this?" Yangshan said, "What does the Upādhyāya still see?" The Master said, "If so, why bother seeking it from me?" Yangshan said, "Even so, within the path of humaneness and righteousness, carrying the water bottle and drawing water for the Upādhyāya is also my proper duty." The Master then passed the pure water bottle to Yangshan. While walking with Yangshan, the Master pointed to a cypress tree and asked, "What is that ahead?" Yangshan said, "Just this cypress tree." The Master then pointed to an old farmer behind them and said, "Hereafter, this old fellow will also have a congregation of five hundred." The Master asked Yangshan, "Where have you returned from?" Yangshan said, "Returned from the fields." The Master said, "Is the grain ready to harvest yet?" Yangshan said, "It is ready to harvest." The Master said, "Do you see it as green, do you see it as yellow, or do you see it as neither green nor yellow?" Yangshan said, "What is behind the Upādhyāya?" The Master said, "Do you still see it?" Yangshan picked up an ear of grain and said, "When did the Upādhyāya ever ask about this?" The Master said, "This is the goose king extracting milk." In the winter month, the Master asked Yangshan, "Is the weather cold, or is the person cold?" Yangshan said, "Everyone is right here." The Master said, "Why not speak directly?" Yangshan said, "Just now was not crooked either. What about the Upādhyāya?" The Master said, "One must directly follow the flow." A monk came to pay homage, and the Master made a gesture of rising. The monk said, "Why does the Upādhyāya not rise?" The Master said, "This old monk has never sat." The monk said, "I have also never bowed." The Master said, "Why are you without courtesy?" The monk had no reply. (Tong'an said on his behalf, "The Upādhyāya does not take offense.") Two Chan travelers from Shishuang's assembly arrived and said, "In this place, not a single person understands Chan." Later, during a general call to carry firewood, Yangshan saw the two Chan travelers resting; taking up a piece of firewood, he asked, "Can you say something?" Both were speechless. Yangshan said, "You had better not say that no one understands Chan." Returning, he recounted this to Guishan, saying, "Today the two Chan travelers were tested and seen through by Huiji." The Master said, "Where were they tested and seen through by you?" Yangshan then cited the previous words. The Master said, "Ji, you have been tested and seen through by me once again!" (Yunju Xi said, "Where was the point where Guishan tested and saw through Yangshan?") While the Master was sleeping, Yangshan came to inquire after him. The Master turned his face toward the wall. Yangshan said, "Why does the Upādhyāya act like this?" The Master got up and said, "Just now I had a dream. Try to interpret it for me." Yangshan brought a basin of water for the Master to wash his face. A moment later, Xiangyan also came to inquire after him. The Master said, "Just now I had a dream, and Ji interpreted it. You interpret it for me as well." Xiangyan then made a bowl of tea and brought it. The Master said, "The understanding of you two disciples surpasses that of Śāriputra." A monk said, "Without becoming a bamboo hat on Mount Gui, there is no way to reach Moya Village. What is the bamboo hat on Mount Gui?" The Master immediately stepped on it. The Master ascended the hall and instructed the assembly, saying: "A hundred years after this old monk's passing, I will become a water buffalo at the foot of the mountain. On its left flank five characters will be written: 'Mount Gui Monk So-and-so.' At that time, if you call it a Mount Gui monk, it is also a water buffalo; if you call it a water buffalo, it is also called a Mount Gui monk. What should it be called to be right?" (Yunju said on his behalf, "The Master has no different name." Zifu made a circular figure on his behalf and lifted it up. An ancient versified: "Not saying Guishan, not saying ox, / One body with two names is truly hard to answer. / Leaving both ends behind, one ought to speak; / How to speak so as to emerge from the common run?") The Master propagated the tradition of the school for more than forty years. Those who attained understanding were innumerable, and he had forty-one disciples admitted to his room. On the ninth day of the first month in the seventh year of the Dazhong reign era of the Tang dynasty, after washing his face and rinsing his mouth, he sat upright and serenely passed away. He lived eighty-three years, with sixty-four rains retreats. A stupa was erected on his home mountain, and he was posthumously granted by imperial decree the title Chan Master Dayuan (Great Perfection), with his stupa named Qingjing (Purity).