續傳燈錄 20.30

Chan Master Fayan of Wuzu in Qizhou was a son of the Deng family of Mianzhou. At the age of thirty-five, he first left home and shaved his hair. Receiving full ordination, he went to Chengdu to study the Treatise on the Hundred Dharmas of Vijñaptimātra. Because he heard that when a bodhisattva enters the Path of Seeing, wisdom merges with principle and the objective sphere accords with the spirit, with no distinction between the realizing subject and the realized object; an outsider in the Western Heavens had once challenged a monk, saying, 'Since there is no distinction between realizing subject and realized object, by means of what is it realized?' None could answer him. The outsider degraded them, ordering that bells and drums not be sounded and that their kāṣāyas be worn inside out. When Dharma Master Tripiṭaka Xuanzang arrived there, he resolved this point of contention, saying, 'It is like a person drinking water: he naturally knows for himself whether it is cold or warm,' thereby resolving their difficulty. The Master said, 'Cold and warm may indeed be known, but what is the matter of self-knowing?' He then questioned the lecturer, saying, 'I do not know how the principle of self-knowing is to be explained.' The lecturer, not neglecting his question, merely guided him, saying, 'If you wish to clarify this, you should go to the south and consult those who transmit the school of the Buddha-mind.' The Master then shouldered his pack and went beyond the passes. Among the venerable elders he met, there was none he did not consult to resolve this, yet his doubts were never broken. When he went to call on Chan Master Yuantong Ben, he comprehended all the nidānas past and present, except that he did not understand when a monk asked Xinghua, 'What happens when they come from all four quarters and eight directions?' Xinghua said, 'Strike the one in the middle.' The monk made a prostration. Xinghua said, 'Yesterday I went to a village feast; on the way I met a sudden burst of violent wind and heavy rain, but I managed to avoid it by going into an old shrine.' He asked Ben for further instruction. Ben said, 'This is a nidāna belonging to Linji's lineage. You must ask one of his descendants before you can get it.' The Master then went to call on Chan Master Fushan Yuan to ask for further instruction on the earlier dialogue. Yuan said, 'I have an analogy to tell you: you are just like a man selling firewood in a three-family village, who takes a carrying pole, stands at the crossroads, and asks people, "What matter is being discussed in the Secretariat today?"' The Master thought to himself in silence, 'If it is like this, I am indeed far from it.' One day Yuan said to the Master, 'I am old, and I fear I may waste your time in vain. You may go and rely on Baiyun. Although this old man is junior and I have not met him face to face, when I see his verse on Linji's "three rounds of blows" dialogue, it surpasses ordinary men; he will surely be able to settle your great matter.' The Master shed tears, made prostrations, and took his leave. Arriving at Baiyun, he then brought up the dialogue of the monk asking Nanquan about the maṇi jewel to request instruction. Baiyun scolded him. The Master had an awakening and presented a matching verse, saying: / 'A patch of fallow field before the mountain; / With hands folded, I carefully ask the grandfather. / How many times sold and bought back again, / Only out of pity for the pines and bamboos drawing a clear breeze.' / Baiyun gave him a special seal of approval and put him in charge of the mill. Before long, Baiyun arrived and said to the Master, 'A few Chan guests have come from Mount Lu. All have had some awakening. When instructed to speak, they can speak with good reason. When a nidāna is brought up to ask them, they also understand it. When instructed to provide a turning phrase, they can also provide it. It is just that they are not yet there.' At this, the Master was gripped by great doubt. He privately thought to himself, 'Since they are already awakened, can speak when asked to speak, and understand when asked to understand, why are they not yet there?' He then investigated and inquired for several days, and suddenly had an awakening. What he had formerly treasured he let go of all at once and ran to see Baiyun. Baiyun danced with joy, hands waving and feet stamping; the Master also merely smiled. Later, the Master said, 'Because of this, I broke out in a cold sweat all over, and then I understood the clear breeze unloaded.' One day Baiyun instructed the assembly, saying, 'The ancients said that it is like casting an image in a mirror: after the image is formed, where is the mirror?' The assembly's responses did not tally. Baiyun brought it up to ask the Master. The Master stepped forward, inquired after his welfare, and said, 'It is not much more.' Baiyun smiled and said, 'It takes a man of the Way to achieve this.' He then ordered him to share the seat and instruct newcomers. At first he resided at Simian and then moved to Baiyun; in his later years he resided at Dongshan. A monk asked, 'Holding your staff and leading the assembly, the ancestral order should be carried out, cutting off the vital ford—what is the Master's intention?' The Master said, 'The autumn wind blows across the Wei River; fallen leaves fill Chang'an.' The monk said, 'On all four sides there are no gates, yet the mountains are magnificent; today we are fortunate to have the host return.' The Master said, 'Where is the head of your road?' The monk said, 'Why face to face do you not recognize each other?' The Master said, 'I am glad you have arrived.' He asked, 'Are the intention of the Patriarchs and the intention of the teachings the same or different?' The Master said, 'When a man is poor, his wisdom is short; when a horse is lean, its hair is long.' He asked, 'What is the point where Baiyun is most intimate in helping people?' The Master said, 'Twisting their nostrils around.' The monk said, 'What happens when one goes along just like that?' The Master said, 'A fellow who knows neither pain nor itch.' He asked, 'What was Bodhidharma's intention in wall-gazing?' The Master said, 'The scheme was not yet accomplished.' The monk said, 'What about when the Second Patriarch stood in the snow?' The Master said, 'Making the best of a mistake.' The monk said, 'Then what about cutting off the arm to pacify the mind?' The Master said, 'Emperor Yang opening the Bian Canal.' He asked, 'How does one take a step forward from the top of a hundred-foot pole?' The Master said, 'Only by running swiftly will you get it.' He asked, 'What is the matter of Linji's lineage?' The Master said, 'Hearing thunder after committing the five heinous offenses.' The monk said, 'What is the matter of Yunmen's lineage?' The Master said, 'Red banners flickering.' The monk said, 'What is the matter of Caodong's lineage?' The Master said, 'Sending a letter that does not reach home.' The monk said, 'What is the matter of Guiyang's lineage?' The Master said, 'A broken stele lying across the ancient road.' The monk made a prostration. The Master said, 'Why don't you ask about the matter of Fayan's lineage?' The monk said, 'I leave that to the upādhyāya.' The Master said, 'The night patrolman violates the curfew.' He asked, 'What is a single drop of water from Baiyun?' The Master said, 'Pounding the pestle, turning the mill.' The monk said, 'What about the one who drinks it?' The Master said, 'It leaves you without a place to put your face.' He asked, 'The tongues of all under heaven have been completely cut off by Baiyun; who can cut off Baiyun's tongue?' The Master said, 'Old Man Wang of the eastern village.' The Master then said, 'Just now I thought of a nidāna, but now I have already forgotten it. However, the staff remembers it.' He then held up the staff and said, 'The staff has also forgotten it.' He then struck once and said, 'From the same pit there is no different earth. Du!' Ascending the hall, [he said], 'Fortunately there is not a single thing, yet on itinerant pilgrimage one must practice Chan. Instead, one is troubled by the marks of Chan, failing to pass through the Patriarch's barrier. What is the Patriarch's barrier? Taking fire into the cattle pen.' Ascending the hall, [he said], 'Thus, thus—the shrimp cannot leap out of the peck-measure. Not thus, not thus—trying to be clever makes a mess of it. Soft as iron, hard as mud. The Diamond Eyes weigh twelve ounces; in the patch-robed monk's hands, the scale beam hangs low. There is a price, but no bargaining. By means of what does one without nostrils smell fragrance?' Ascending the hall, [he said], 'Difficult, difficult—how many boats? Easy, easy—no grip at all. Fine, fine—it hastens one's aging. Silent, silent—from this it is attained. Having crossed these four barriers...'

[like] people of Sizhou seeing the Great Sage. Enter.' He ascended the hall and said, 'If you want to see the old upādhyāya in seven vertical and eight horizontal ways, beating the drum and ascending the hall at seventy-three or eighty-four, take the staff and thrust it right into his mouth. Even though it is so, only when you remove the dismounting platform before the gate and cut through the five-colored cords will you finally attain peace and joy.'

A monk asked, 'I have received the Master's words: "Before the mountain, a single plot of idle land." But before the King of the Majestic Voice, I wonder who was the host?'
The Master said, 'Ask the person who wrote the deed.'
The monk said, 'Why does the upādhyāya hire someone else to answer?'
The Master said, 'Only because you had someone else ask.'
The monk said, 'Then I depart on level terms with the upādhyāya.'
The Master said, 'Far from it.'

A monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?'
The Master said, 'The mouth is the gate of calamity.' He also said, 'Fatness enters through the mouth.'

A monk asked, 'The teachings of a whole generation are an initial-and-final spelling. I wonder which character they spell?'
The Master said, 'Prajñā.'
The monk said, 'Your student asked for only one character; why answer with so many?'
The Master said, 'Seven characters, eight characters.'

A monk asked, 'What is the upādhyāya's house style?'
The Master said, 'Iron banner, iron drum.'
The monk said, 'Is there only this, or is there something else?'
The Master said, 'Look at Caishi Ferry.'
The monk said, 'If a guest suddenly arrives, how will you entertain him?'
The Master said, 'Dragon liver and phoenix marrow—let that wait for another time.'
The monk said, 'The guest is the host's physiognomist.'
The Master said, 'Thank you for the offering.'

A monk asked, 'What is illumination first and function later?'
The Master said, 'The king's words are like silk.'
The monk said, 'What is function first and illumination later?'
The Master said, 'Their issuing forth is like cords.'
The monk said, 'What are illumination and function simultaneous?'
The Master said, 'Holding up the mirror of Xuanyuan, Chiyou instantly loses his power.'
The monk said, 'What are illumination and function not simultaneous?'
The Master said, 'Gold is tested with fire.'

A monk asked, 'How was it before the Buddha appeared in the world?'
The Master said, 'A great fool is not as good as a small fool.'
The monk said, 'How was it after he appeared in the world?'
The Master said, 'A small fool is not as good as a great fool.'

A monk asked, 'How was Niutou before he met the Fourth Patriarch?'
The Master said, 'On his head he wore hanging ornaments.'
The monk said, 'How was he after meeting him?'
The Master said, 'Blue cloth covered his front.'
The monk said, 'Before meeting him, why did a hundred birds hold flowers in their beaks to offer him?'
The Master said, 'Riches and honor are what people desire.'
The monk said, 'After meeting him, why did they not hold flowers in their beaks to offer him?'
The Master said, 'Poverty and lowliness are what people detest.'

A monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?'
The Master said, 'Bare-chested and barefooted.'
The monk said, 'What is the Dharma?'
The Master said, 'Not released in a general amnesty.'
The monk said, 'What is the Saṅgha?'
The Master said, 'The third son of Xie on the fishing boat.'

A monk asked, 'On four sides there are no gates, and the mountain peaks are exquisite. How does one distinguish the season within this?'
The Master said, 'The Lord of the East knows the details; over all the earth, shoots and buds sprout.'
The monk said, 'Spring goes and autumn comes—the affair is evident!'
The Master said, 'You have only just rolled a pellet, and already you want to knead a Vajra warrior.'

He ascended the hall and said, 'An ancient said: "If I speak to you, my tongue will become bald. If I do not speak to you, my mouth will become mute." Tell me, is there still a way of helping people, or not? There are times when Simian intended to swallow it for you, but was obstructed by his front teeth. He intended to vomit it out for you, but his throat was too narrow. Tell me, is there still a way of helping people, or not?' He then said, 'Simian by nature has always been a Liuxia Hui.'

He ascended the hall and said, 'For the summer retreat there is nothing to offer as a family banquet to look after you all.' He then raised his hand and said, 'Luoluo beckons, luoluo waves, luoluo sees you off! Do not blame me for being hollow and scanty. I respectfully wish you: Take care.'

He ascended the hall and said, 'Baiyun does not know how to speak of Chan. The triple gate opens to both sides. If someone touches the latch, the two panels fan east and fan west.'

He ascended the hall and said, 'To go entirely like this—the road is cut off and people are scarce. To go entirely like that—one fails the past sages. Leaving aside these two paths, neither patriarchs nor Buddhas can approach. Even if you were to live together and die together with Baiyun, you still would not fulfill your lifelong aspiration. Why so? The phoenix is not an ordinary creature; without a wutong tree, it vows never to roost.'

He ascended the hall and said, 'A thousand peaks arrayed in emerald, the bank's willows sway with gold. Woodcutters sing and fishermen dance; pipes and reeds din upon the ground, and birds chatter softly. Rouge-powdered beauties, romantic young gallants—one and all, for you people, they manifest the highest faculty and open the eye of the correct Dharma. If you can realize it here, the Golden-colored Ascetic will have no place to put his body. If you still do not understand, eating congee and eating rice, I allow you seven perforations and eight cavities.'

He ascended the hall and said, 'This thing props up heaven above and supports earth below. It takes the mouth of Huankou as its eyes and Mount Huan as its nose. Taiping steps back three paces to let you people breathe.'

He ascended the hall and said, 'Does a dog have Buddha-nature, or not? It is also ten times superior to a cat.'

He ascended the hall and said, 'The muddy fellow of Taiping has experienced every single matter thoroughly. Like this for thirty years, there are also people who praise him: What is this praise? "A fine muddy fellow!"'

He ascended the hall and said, 'When all of you see the old upādhyāya moving his lips and holding up the whisk, you immediately produce superior understanding. But when mountain birds flock together and an ox wags its tail, you treat it as ordinary. You little know that the dripping from the eaves continues the rain of the past ten days, and the flashes of lightning still join with the thunder of the night to come. Thanks to the superintendent of harvest.'

He ascended the hall and said, 'The primary matter of a person's life is certainly [circle]. If you wish to accomplish this [circle], you must first guard against [circle]. If one is a true [circle] person, [circle] [circle].'

He ascended the hall and said, 'Where there is a Buddha, you must not stay—exchange your heart, liver, and five viscera. Where there is no Buddha, run quickly past—a passing wild goose leaves its cry. When meeting someone three thousand miles away, you must not quote mistakenly—stepping out the door, you are already mistaken. In that case, I will not go—planting millet produces beans. Pick poplar blossoms, pick poplar blossoms! Unawares, day turns to night again; how can people be kept young?'

He ascended the hall and said:
'Awakened is the same as unawakened;
Returning home, look for the old road.
One word is one word;
One phrase is one phrase.
From childhood not indulging in empty boasting,
At two years old learning to walk.
From clear water lotuses grow,
Blossoming once a year.'

A monk asked, 'What is taking away the person but not taking away the environment?'
The Master said, 'The autumn wind blows over the Wei River; fallen leaves fill Chang'an.'
The monk said, 'What is taking away the environment but not taking away the person?'
The Master said, 'Of the people met on the road, half are monks.'
The monk said, 'What is taking away both person and environment?'
The Master said, 'High in the sky is the moon, shining upon a thousand gates; on the great road there are no people, walking alone.'

[The monk] asked, "What is it like when neither person nor environment is snatched away?" The Master said, "A young wife rows a solitary boat; her singing follows the flowing water." In an informal sermon, he cited Deshan saying: "Tonight I will not answer questions. Anyone who asks a question gets thirty blows of the stick." Many among the assembly cite this; not a few understand it. Tell me, where do you see Deshan? If there is one who does not care for his life, let him try to come forward and speak. If there is no one, this mountain monk will go and meet the old man Deshan for the great assembly. Waiting until Deshan says, "Tonight I will not answer questions; anyone who asks a question gets thirty blows of the stick," I will simply say to him, "I do not ask a question, nor do I take the stick." Tell me, does this tally with old man Deshan? To reach here, you must be a true fellow to succeed. Furthermore, for over ten years I made pilgrimages on the sea, seeing several venerable masters, thinking I had settled the matter myself. But when I reached the assembly at Fushan, I simply could not open my mouth. Later, when I reached Baiyun's gate, I bit through an iron sour bun, and instantly the hundred flavours were fully complete. Tell me, how do you say a phrase about the bun? He then said: "Flowers bloom on the cockscomb, charming early autumn; / Who could dye those purple-silk heads? / Sometimes stirred by the wind, they lean frequently on one another, / As if fighting endlessly before the steps." Ascending the hall: "Yesterday this mountain monk entered the city and saw a puppet booth. I could not help stepping forward to watch. Some appeared dignified and extraordinary; some appeared ugly and unbearable. Moving, walking, and sitting, blue, yellow, red, and white—I saw them every one. When I looked closely, there was originally someone behind the blue cloth curtain. This mountain monk could not suppress a chuckle, so I asked the manager his honorable surname. He said, 'Old upādhyāya, look and finish with it; why ask what my surname is?' Assembly, this mountain monk was asked by him in such a way that I was left without words to reply, without reason to put forward. Is there anyone who can speak for this mountain monk? Yesterday, lost footing there; today, pulling up roots here." Ascending the hall: "Speaking of Buddha, speaking of Dharma, raising the mallet, standing the whisk upright—white clouds for ten thousand miles. Deshan striking with a stick as soon as one enters the gate; Linji shouting as soon as one enters the gate—white clouds for ten thousand miles. Then, like this will not do; not like this will not do; neither like this nor not like this will do at all—this too is white clouds for ten thousand miles. If suddenly a fellow comes out and says, 'Elder, your speaking like this is also white clouds for ten thousand miles,' such talk is called a dwarf watching a play, jumping up and down following others. Thirty years from now, it will be a good laugh! And tell me, what will you laugh at? Laughing at white clouds for ten thousand miles." Addressing the assembly, he said, "The Patriarch said: 'I originally came to this land / To transmit the Dharma and save deluded beings. / A single flower opens into five petals; / The fruit forms naturally.' Master Bodhidharma came as his feet led him, spoke as his mouth led him. Later generations of descendants mostly turn it into contrivances. Do you want to understand the place where flowers open and fruit forms? Pears of Zhengzhou, dates of Qingzhou: of myriad things, nothing surpasses its place of origin being good." Addressing the assembly, he said, "Tathatā, ordinary and sage—all are words in a dream. Buddha and sentient beings are both added words. If someone comes forward and asks, 'What about the old man of Panshan?' simply say to him: 'Were it not for the flowers blossoming early along the purple paths, / How could the yellow orioles alight on the willow branches?' If he further asks, 'What about the old man of Wuzu?' I say myself: 'Yes! Stay wide awake!'" Addressing the assembly, he said, "The Buddhas of the ten directions, the patriarchs of the six generations, and the kalyāṇamitras of the world all share this tongue. If you recognize this tongue, only then do you understand the great fabrication, and can say that the mountains, rivers, and the great earth are Buddha, that the grass, trees, and forests are Buddha. If you have not yet recognized this tongue, it only becomes a small fabrication to deceive yourself. Tomorrow and the day after, there will be great trouble! Does Wuzu's speaking like this have a true reality or not?" He said himself, "There is." "What is the true reality?" "Go back to the hall and drink tea." Addressing the assembly, he said, "Every day I get up, take up Linji's staff, blow Yunmen's tune, keep time to Zhaozhou's beat, shoulder Yangshan's hoe, drive Guishan's ox, and plow Baiyun's field. Over seven or eight years, a livelihood has gradually been made. Further, I tell you gentlemen: let each person lend a hand, and together let us assist in singing the village field-songs. Coarse broth and plain rice—let us pass the time just like this. Why? 'I only wish that this year the silkworms and wheat will ripen, / And I will give a copper coin to the boy Rāhula.'" Addressing the assembly, he cited: "Because a monk asked Master Deshan, 'With what Dharma have all the sages from above instructed people?' Deshan said, 'In my lineage there are no words or phrases, nor is there a single Dharma given to people.' Xuefeng had an awakening from this. Later, a monk asked Xuefeng, 'When the upādhyāya saw Deshan, what did you obtain that you then rested?' Feng said, 'At that time I went empty-handed and returned empty-handed.' Baiyun speaks today to those who have not passed through: There was a man who came from the Eastern Capital. I asked him, 'Where did you come from?' He replied, 'I came from Suzhou.' I asked him, 'How are things in Suzhou?' He said, 'Everything is ordinary.' Even though this is so, he could not deceive Baiyun. Why? Simply because their dialects are distinct. Ultimately, how is it? Water caltrops of Suzhou, lotus roots of Shaobo." Addressing the assembly: "Buddhas and patriarchs produce enemies; awakening to the Way soils you with mud. The person of non-action and non-affairs is as if deaf and blind to sounds and forms. Tell me, how can one be right? Like this will not do; not like this will not do; neither like this nor not like this will do at all. If suddenly someone comes forward and says, 'Like this will do; not like this will do; both like this and not like this will do,' I will simply say to him: 'I already know you are making a living in a ghost's cave.'" In an informal sermon, he cited: "Grand Councilor Lu Gen asked Nanquan, 'In this disciple's home there is a slab of stone. I have sat on it and slept on it. May I carve it into a Buddha?' Nanquan said, 'You may.' Lu said, 'May I not?' Nanquan said, 'You may not.' Assembly, one who is a kalyāṇamitra must be clear in discerning and deciding. Why is it that when another says 'may I,' he says 'you may,' and when another says 'may I not,' he says 'you may not'? Do you know where Nanquan landed? Baiyun will not spare his eyebrows to explain it thoroughly for you: 'May'—who was it who spoke it? 'May not'—who was it who spoke it? If you still do not understand, this old monk tonight will make a model for you." He then raised his hand and said, "Take the three realms and the twenty-eight heavens as the Buddha's head; take the golden wheel and the edge of the water as the Buddha's feet; take the four continents as the Buddha's body. Though having made this child of a Buddha, where will all of you settle your bodies and establish your lives? Assembly, do you understand yet or not?

"This old monk will proceed to make a second model. Take Pūrvavideha as one Buddha; take Jambudvīpa as one Buddha; take Aparagodānīya as one Buddha; take Uttarakuru as one Buddha. The grasses, trees, and forests are Buddha; the wriggling and fluttering sentient beings are Buddha. Since it is so, what again do you call sentient beings? Do you understand yet or not? It is not as good as returning Pūrvavideha to Pūrvavideha, returning Jambudvīpa to Jambudvīpa, returning Aparagodānīya to Aparagodānīya, and returning Uttarakuru to Uttarakuru; returning the grasses, trees, and forests to the grasses, trees, and forests, and returning the wriggling and fluttering sentient beings to the wriggling and fluttering sentient beings. Therefore it is said: 'These phenomena abide in phenomenal positions; the characteristics of the world are ever-abiding.' Since it is so, what again do you call Buddha? Do you understand? If suddenly a fellow comes out and says, 'Baiyun, cease your sleep-talk!' Assembly, remember this turning!" The Three Buddhas were attending the Master, conversing at night on a pavilion. When they were returning, the lamp had already gone out. The Master said in the dark, "Let each of you produce a turning word." Fojian said, "A colorful phoenix dances in the crimson skies." Foyan said, "An iron snake lies across the ancient road." Foguo said, "Look at your feet." The Master said, "The one who will extinguish my lineage is none other than you, Keqin!" On the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month in the third year of the Chongning reign era, [the Master] ascended the hall to take leave of the assembly, saying: "Master Zhaozhou had a final phrase. How do you understand it? Try to come forward and speak. If you can understand it, there is no harm in being at ease and joyful. If not, how do you explain this good matter?" After a long pause, he said, "Having spoken it, it is spoken; it is just that none of you realize it. Do you want to understand? / 'The rich begrudge a thousand mouths as too few; / The poor resent a single body as too many.' / Take care." At that time there was a construction project at the monastery gate. He went in person to supervise it and said, "Strive diligently, all of you; I will not come again." Returning to the abbot's room, he shaved his hair and bathed his body. At dawn, he auspiciously passed away. That night, mountains crumbled and rocks fell; within forty li the crags and valleys roared and shook. When cremated, relics fell like rain. A stupa was erected to the south of Dongshan.