續傳燈錄 10
English (machine translation) 10
- Language
- English
10.1
Table of Contents for Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Fascicle Ten
10.2
Twelfth Generation under Dajian
Nine Dharma heirs of Chan Master Touzi Qing:
Chan Master Furong Daokai
Chan Master Dahong Bao'en
Chan Master Dongshan Yun
Chan Master Fuying Wen
Chan Master Longpan Tanguang (the above five have records)
Chan Master Guanghua Xiang
Chan Master Puxian Biao
Chan Master Yanhong Shan
Attendant Guo (the above four have no records)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yuquan Hao:
Chan Master Linxi Wenqing (has record)
Chan Master Beishan Xizhao (has no record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Jiashan Zun:
Chan Master Fuchang Zhixin (has record)
Twenty Dharma heirs of Chan Master Foyin Yuan:
Chan Master Qingshan Jingwu
Chan Master Shanquan Huitai
Chan Master Chongfu Deji
Chan Master Baolin Huiji
Chan Master Zifu Zongyou
Chan Master Cuiyan Huikong
Chan Master Miyan Depu
Chan Master Yunju Zhonghe
Chan Master Tong'an Youzong
Chan Master Longxing Juyue
Chan Master Wanshan Zizhang
Chan Master Ehu Deyan (the above twelve have records)
Chan Master Wenshu Daoyong
Chan Master Guifeng Zulian
Chan Master Anguo Yiyu
Chan Master Dongchan Yuantong
Chan Master Beita Huike
Chan Master Xiangyan Kai
Chan Master Dabie Zong
Chan Master Yunju Siwen (the above eight have no records)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Guangyin Yao:
Chan Master Miaofeng Rucan (has record)
Chan Master Jianshan Hezhi (has no record)
Eleven Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zhihai Yi:
Chan Master Huangbo Ziyin
Chan Master Dazhong Delong
Chan Master Bailu Zhongyu
Notary Liu Jingchen, Upāsaka (the above four have records)
Chan Master Jianfu Chongyan
Chan Master Baiyun Fang
Chan Master Xingfu Zhizheng
Chan Master Jianfu Yan
Chan Master Fengshan Shiru
Chan Master Shuangfeng Bi
Chan Master Youyan Jue (the above seven have no records)
Three Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zhiti Long:
Chan Master Lingyin Xuanben (has record)
Chan Master Zhiti Wenhan
Hermitage Master Lingyin Xuanshun (the above two have no records)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Jingtu Weisu:
Chan Master Jingtu Weizheng (has record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Baolin Shu:
Chan Master Baolin Yongming (has record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Dongshan Zong:
Chan Master Dingfeng Xiaoxuan (has record)
Three Dharma heirs of Chan Master Fachang Yu:
Chan Master Wufeng Mi
Mountain Master Dahe
Upādhyāya Huiri (the above three have no records)
Three Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xinghua Xian:
Chan Master Nantai Yiwei
Chan Master Huayao Changxuan
Chan Master Chongshou Fen (the above three have no records)
Three Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yuantong Ne:
Chan Master Xingguo Zhiyu
Chan Master Sizhu Yi
Chan Master Sanzu Wenxian (the above three have no records)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Jingzhong Xian:
Chan Master Longfu Shaozhen (has no record)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Ruilu An:
Chan Master Ruilu Yunren
Assistant Prefect Yao Qi (the above two have no records)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Bore Chan:
Chan Master Bore Longyi (has no record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Ruilu Xian:
Chan Master Ruilu Ruzhou (has no record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Zhizhe Ken:
Chan Master Zhizhe Shaozhong (has no record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Shuanglin Yi:
Chan Master Fengqiao Lai (has no record)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zhuyuan Xian:
Chan Master Guang'an Niuxin Daozhen
Chan Master Xiangshui Shouzhen (the above two have no records)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Dacheng Zun:
Chan Master Longshan Jingjing
Chan Master Shuangchi Chong
Chan Master Zhulin Yongchun
Chan Master Zhiman Zhichang (the above four have no records)
One Dharma heir of Head Monk Yi:
Grand Councilor Li Linzong (has no record)
10.3
Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Fascicle Ten: Table of Contents (End)
10.4
Twelfth Generation under Dajian
10.5
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Touzi Qing
10.6
Chan Master Furong Daokai was a native of Yishui in Yizhou, born into the Cui clan. By nature he was resolute and unyielding. From his youth he was able to abstain from grain and study the Way, living in seclusion in Mount Yiyang. Later he traveled to the capital, registering his name at Shudai Temple. Passing the examination on what he had studied, he was ordained and took the full precepts. He visited [Touzi] Qing Huayan at Haihui in the Huai Mountains, asking: "The words of the Buddhas and Patriarchs are like everyday tea and rice. Beyond these, are there any other phrases to instruct people, or not?" Qing said: "Tell me, does the Son of Heaven's decree throughout the realm also rely upon Yu, Tang, Yao, and Shun?" Kai was about to reply when Qing struck him with his fly-whisk, saying: "The moment your intention arose, you already earned twenty blows of the staff!" Thereupon Kai awakened to the meaning beneath these words. Bowing twice, he departed at once. Qing called out: "Come here for a moment!" Kai did not even look back. Qing said: "Have you reached the realm of no doubt?" Kai covered his ears with his hands. Later, he took charge of meals for the assembly. Qing asked: "Managing kitchen affairs is quite laborious." He replied: "I dare not think so." Qing asked: "Do you steam the rice, or boil the gruel?" He replied: "The hired laborers wash the rice and light the fire, and the postulants boil the gruel and steam the rice." Qing said: "What do you do?" He replied: "Out of the Upādhyāya's compassion, he lets me remain idle." He also once accompanied Qing on a walk in the garden. Qing handed his staff to Kai, saying: "In principle, it should be like this." Kai replied: "Carrying your shoes and lifting your staff for the Upādhyāya is not beyond my share of duty." Qing said: "There are fellow travelers with us." Kai replied: "Which one of them does not accept instruction?" Qing then rested the matter. When evening came, Qing said to him: "What was spoken this morning was not finished." Kai replied: "Please bring it up again." Qing said: "At the hour of the Hare (mao) the sun is born; at the hour of the Dog (xu) the moon is born." Kai immediately lit a lamp and brought it. Qing said: "Going up and down, none of it is in vain." Kai replied: "Being by your side, in principle it should be thus." Qing said: "Serving-boys and maidservants—whose household does not have them?" Kai replied: "In the Upādhyāya's venerable years, you cannot do without them." Qing said: "Why such attentiveness?" Kai replied: "Recompensing your kindness has its share." In the fifth year of the Yuanfeng era, he returned north to the area of Yi and dwelled on Mount Ma'an, whereupon he entered the world to expound the Dharma. He first resided at Xiantong in Yizhou, later moving to Zhaoti and Longmen in Xiluo, and then moving to Dayang in Yingzhou and Dahong in Suizhou. In all instances, renowned officials and nobles of the time urged and invited him. The style of the Dongshan lineage flourished greatly in the northwest. In the third year of the Chongning era, an imperial edict ordered him to reside at the Ten Directions Jingyin Chan Monastery in the Eastern Capital. In the winter of the first year of the Daguan era, he was transferred to reside at Tianning; an imperial commissioner was dispatched to escort him in and would not permit him to decline. Soon after, Li Xiaoshou, the Prefect of Kaifeng, memorialized: "Daokai's practice of the Way is outstanding, topping the monastic community. It is fitting that he be publicly honored." Thereupon, he was bestowed a purple saṅghāṭī and the title Chan Master Dingzhao. After Kai burned incense and gave thanks for the imperial grace, he submitted a memorial declining it, saying: "I have humbly received Your Majesty's special kindness, having specifically dispatched Tan Zhen, Attendant of the Zhangshan Pavilion, to bestow upon your servant the title Chan Master Dingzhao and a certificate for a purple robe. Having gratefully received the imperial favor, your servant immediately burned incense, ascended the seat, and offered respectful prayers for the imperial longevity. Your servant humbly reflects that his conduct is coarse and negligent, and his strength in the Way is weak and fragile. I have constantly made a vow never to accept fame or profit, and have adhered to this purpose over many accumulated years, hoping in this way to transmit the Way to future generations and cause people to concentrate their minds on the Buddha-Dharma. Now, although receiving this exceptional grace, if I were to presume to accept it, your servant would violate his own long-held vow; how then could I instruct others? How could I live up to Your Majesty's intention in appointing your servant as abbot? I dare not accept the aforementioned gracious certificate. Humbly I beseech Your Imperial Mercy to examine your servant's humble sincerity; I dare not offer embellished words. Grant your special consent, so that your servant may practice the Way until his teeth fall out, repaying the heavenly kindness." The Emperor read it and sent it to Li Xiaoshou to go in person and explain the court's intention to honor virtue. Yet Kai remained steadfast and would not yield. The Prefect of Kaifeng reported the matter fully. The Emperor was angered and had him handed over to the relevant authorities. The authorities knew of Kai's loyalty and sincerity and that he had merely offended the imperial majesty. They asked him: "Venerable Elder, you appear emaciated—do you have an illness?" Kai said: "In ordinary times I had illnesses, but now I truly have none." They said: "If you say you are ill, then according to the law you can be spared punishment." Kai said: "How could I dare to take a lucky chance by claiming illness to escape punishment?" The officials sighed deeply. Thereupon he received punishment, had his clerical garments replaced with ordinary scholar's garb, and was exiled under surveillance to Zizhou. Monastics and laypeople in the capital wept upon seeing him. Kai's demeanor remained serene and leisurely. Arriving in Zizhou, he rented a house to live in, and students grew ever closer to him. In the winter of the following year, an imperial pardon was issued, permitting him to do as he pleased. He built a hermitage in the middle of Furong Lake. Hundreds of people surrounded him, sitting and sleeping. Fearing misfortune, Kai restricted everyone to one bowl of gruel per day; those who could not bear it gradually left, but there were still about a hundred people remaining. In the winter of the seventh year of the Zhenghe era, an imperial decree granted his hermitage the name Huayan Chan Monastery. On the fourteenth day of the fifth month of the following year, he passed away without illness. Beforehand, he wrote a gāthā and handed it to his attendant, saying:
"My years are seventy and six,
My worldly affinities are now fulfilled.
In life I coveted no heavenly realms;
In death I fear no hells.
Letting go my hands, casting my body beyond the three realms,
Boundless, according with conditions—what restraint could there be?"
Earlier, when Kai was at Dayang, Qing Huayan had sent Attendant Guo to deliver Dayang's leather shoes and straight robe to him. Kai had passed them on to Daowei of Dongshan in Xiangzhou. Wei retired, returned to Zhedong, and passed away at a small monastery in Shuanglin. Now they have been retrieved and brought back to Mount Luomen, where a pavilion was built to store them, called the Clothing Repository. Kai's gāthās and verses were refined and profound, possessing lineage principles. He composed five gāthās describing his house style:
The first is called "Wondrous singing does not involve the tongue":
"In every land, in every dust mote, everywhere it is expounded; / Without troubling a snap of the fingers, Sudhana pays his call. / Kongsheng also understands how to convey the message; / Flowers rain before the cliff, but birds do not peck at them."
The second is called "A dead snake startled out of the grass":
"Scorched by the sun, blown by the wind, buried in the grass; / When one touches its venomous vapor, disaster strikes again. / If it were made to open its dead mouth in the dark, / Chang'an as of old would be cut off from people coming."
The third is called "Knowing how to needle dry bones to sing":
"Living within death is truly extraordinary; / The secret function of that other house has a special excellence. / In the middle of the night, a skull sings a melody; / In an icy river, red flames turn out to be cool and refreshing."
The fourth is called "The iron saw harmonizes with the Santai tune":
"This is not a tune of gong and shang notes; / Who can harmonize together in a chorus? / Where could Boya apply his skill? / From old this song has lasted long."
The fifth is called "Past and present without interval":
"The one dharma originally does not exist; the ten thousand dharmas are empty. / Within this, how could one permit the realization of complete penetration? / Thinking that Shaolin's message had been severed, / The peach blossoms as of old smile in the spring breeze."
In his former seclusion, Kai was neighbor to tigers. A tigress once gave birth to four cubs. After more than a month, Kai took advantage of her departure to go and inspect them. The stench was beyond words. He secretly took one of them back with him. Having caught a wild boar, the tigress dragged it near the cave, lying down on the ground, wagging her tail in joy. Seeing only three cubs, she angrily pawed the ground with her paws and roared, while flocks of birds screeched and circled above. Kai immediately returned the cub. Han Chengli, the magistrate of Yiyang, composed a gāthā for him, saying:
"In old age one loves to rely on mountains, worldly affairs being rare; / Tigers are tamed beside the hermitage, wondering why you return so late. / Lonely and empty, the stone chamber is filled with dust; / One knows not which day will be the time of return."
He also wrote:
"For several leagues no person arrives; / Only when the mountains turn yellow does one sense autumn. / A single sleep among the crags / Forgets a hundred years of sorrow."
10.7
Chan Master Bao'en of Mount Dahong in Suizhou was a son of the Liu family of Liyang in Wei. His clan had been eminent Ruists for generations. Before he was capped, the Master was tested in grand policy and placed in the highest rank. Later, weary of the worldly dust, he submitted a memorial to the imperial court begging to cast off his hairpin and tassel and become a monk. The Emperor granted his request. Thereupon he set his mind on roaming the ancestral Way and reached Touzi. Before long, he awakened to the essential mind. Touzi said, 'You are one who has come again. You should safeguard yourself.' Taking his leave, he paid calls on various eminent elders, and all granted him their seal of approval. Grand Councillor Lord Han Zhen invited him to open the Dharma hall at Shaolin in the Western Capital. Soon after, Dahong changed from a Vinaya to a Chan monastery, and an imperial decree summoned the Master to reside there. Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: 'Five times five is twenty-five. Thunder over the front mountain, rain over the main peak. Patch-robed monks with clear eyes, do not give a mistaken recitation.' A monk asked, 'I do not ask about the Nine Cauldrons upon the clear waves; what about the matter of bringing auspiciousness and portents?' The Master said, 'From antiquity to the present, it has not fallen.' The monk said, 'Setting this aside for a moment, is there still a matter beyond?' The Master said, 'Utterly insatiable!' The monk said, 'An adept lineage master!' The Master said, 'No need to bother.' Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: 'In such a conversational gathering, who is an intimate listener? Even if a thousand eyes suddenly open under a single phrase, truly how many are those who, though confused, have met Bodhidharma? Do you all wish to know the Ancestral Master Bodhidharma?' He then raised his hand in a pinching gesture and said, 'Bodhidharma's nostrils are in the hands of Shaolin. If I let go, this land and the Western Heaven may speak of yellow and talk of black, cheating foreigners and deceiving Chinese. If I do not let him pass, he cannot withstand a single pinch. If someone wishes to take charge of the Ancestral Master, let him come forth immediately to meet Shaolin! Is there anyone?' After a long pause, he said, 'Sure enough.' Ascending the hall, he took up his staff and said, 'In the past, Deshan and Linji took things up freely at hand and could cut off the ten directions, standing like a wall of a thousand fathoms. They brought about flames rising from the icy river and flowers blooming on withered trees. If you all can skillfully shoulder it horizontally and carry it vertically, questioning everywhere throughout the various quarters—if not, Shaolin will carry out this order in reverse.' He struck the meditation bench once. A monk asked, 'I do not ask about an entire flock with one arrow; what about one bird with one arrow?' The Master said, 'Hit.' The monk said, 'Is it truly so?' The Master said, 'Identical sounds respond to each other; identical energies seek each other.' The monk said, 'If so, then Shigong is still here.' The Master said, 'Not only one or two.' The monk said, 'A good thing is not as good as nothing.' The Master said, 'Pierced through.' A monk asked, 'I do not ask about the three mysteries and three essentials; what about the five positions of ruler and minister?' The Master said, 'It is not your realm.' The monk said, 'If so, then the stone man claps his hands and the wooden maiden chuckles.' The Master said, 'Listening to empty sounds in ladle divination; plenty of delirium in deep sleep.' The monk said, 'If I had not come up to present this question, how could I have seen the dynamic functioning of Shaolin?' The Master said, 'Letting you pass is inadmissible.' He then struck him immediately. Ascending the hall, he held his staff horizontally across his lap and said, 'If you rest just like this, you have already fallen into the second or third [rank]. If you chitchat further, you will ultimately produce divergent views. Having arrived here, you must not simply let the bow break and the arrows be exhausted. Furthermore, in the house of patch-robed monks, from afar they can illuminate, and from near they can understand.' Then he took up his staff and said, 'Pierce through Deshan's nostrils, pluck out Linji's eyes, overturn the great sea, and turn empty space around. Now tell me, beyond three thousand miles, who is an intimate listener? If you can understand here, it is greatly like the blazing sun illuminating the heavens. If not yet understood, it cannot avoid clouds rising and bringing rain.' He struck [the floor] once with his staff. A monk asked, 'The Ancestral Master came from the West and gazed at the wall for nine years. I ask the Master to present and discourse upon the final phrase.' The Master said, 'The face is black, the eyeballs white.' The Master once posed a hundred questions to question students. An outline of them said: 'Supposing that through hundreds of thousands of kalpas the karma one has created is not forgotten—why does a single recitation of "Namo Buddha" extinguish sins of kalpas like the sands of the Ganges?' He also drew this circle: ○ and said: 'All phenomena in myriad forms are entirely within it. Let Chan practitioners with eyes try to evaluate and distinguish it.' Ascending the hall, he took up his staff and said: 'Look, look! Across the great earth the snow is boundless; / Spring has arrived, and it is extraordinarily cold. / Lingfeng and Shaoshi / Are completely unrelated. / Cease discussing the Buddha's intention and the Patriarch's intention; / Pointlessly speak of the tips of words and points of phrases. / The iron ox leaves no trace; / The bright moon and reed flowers—see them for yourself.' He struck the floor with his staff and stepped down from the seat. The Master had long been friendly with Layman Wujin, Lord Zhang Shangying. Wujin once sent a letter inquiring about the essentials of the Three Teachings, which said: 'The third fascicle of the Qingliang Commentary states that the heterodox views of the Western Regions do not go beyond the four views, and the Ruist and Daoist teachings of this land also do not go beyond these four views. As when Zhuangzi and Laozi hold that spontaneity is the cause that can give birth to the myriad things, that is a heterodox [cause]. The Book of Changes says: "The Supreme Ultimate generates the two modes." Taking the Supreme Ultimate as the cause is also a heterodox cause. If one says that "one yin and one yang is called the Way" can give birth to the myriad things, this too is a heterodox cause. If one holds that the One is void and non-existent, that is causelessness. Now I wonder whether Laozi's spontaneity is different from the spontaneity of the non-Buddhists of the Western Heaven. Why is this said? Laozi said: "Ever desireless, one contemplates its subtleties; ever having desires, one contemplates its boundaries." Being without desires is the constant "has"; the boundaries are already entering its Way. How can there be grounds to call this a heterodox cause? The Book of Changes says: "One yin and one yang is called the Way. The unfathomability of yin and yang is called the spiritual. As for the spiritual, it is spoken of as making subtle the myriad things. Silent and unmoving, when stimulated it connects through to the affairs of the entire world." Now to refute the way of changes of yin and yang as a heterodox cause and cast aside the unfathomable spiritual—how can there be grounds for this? I hope you will annotate and instruct at the end of the paper to cut away the net of doubts.' The Master replied, saying: 'The non-Buddhist traditions of the Western Regions follow many paths, but when summarizing their convergence, they do not go beyond the four views of existence and non-existence: the view of existence, the view of non-existence, the view of both existence and non-existence, and the view of neither existence nor non-existence. Because they do not identify the single mind as the Way, the Way is not one's own; hence they are called non-Buddhists. Because they do not identify all dharmas as mind, dharmas differ according to views; hence they are called heterodox views. As when something is said to exist, if it exists, then it does not not-exist; when something is said not to exist, if it does not exist, then it does not exist. With existence and non-existence, views of existence contend and arise; with non-existence and existence, views of non-existence thereupon arise. As for the view of both existence and non-existence and the view of neither existence nor non-existence, it is likewise so. Now, if one cannot depart from all views, there is no means to illuminate one's own mind; if one has no means to illuminate one's own mind, one does not know the correct path. Therefore the sūtra says: "The dharmas expounded by verbal phrases / Are falsely discriminated by small wisdom. / Unable to understand one's own mind, / How can one know the correct path?" And it says: "Having views is defilement; / This is not yet seeing. / Far departing from all views, / Only thus does one see the Buddha." Judging by this, the divergent paths of heterodoxy and orthodoxy arise precisely from the different outcomes of views and awakenings. Therefore Qingliang considered Zhuangzi and Laozi holding that the Way conforms to spontaneity and can give birth to the myriad things, and the Changes saying that "the Supreme Ultimate generates the two modes" and "one yin and one yang is called the Way"—taking spontaneity and the Supreme Ultimate as the cause, and one yin and one yang as the Way that can give birth to the myriad things—to be heterodox causes, and holding the One to be void and non-existent to be causelessness. Let us try to discuss this: The three realms are mind only, and myriad conditions share one principle. When mind arises, dharmas arise; when mind ceases, dharmas cease. Extending and expanding it, it envelops the myriad existents yet is not existent; unifying and gathering it, it is ultimate tranquil cessation yet is not non-existent. It is not non-existent, nor is it not non-existent; it is not existent, nor is it not non-existent. Once the four attachments are dead and the hundred negations are dispelled, then spontaneity and cause-and-conditions are both frivolous arguments, and voidness and reality are both provisional names. As for saying that the Supreme Ultimate and yin and yang can generate the myriad things, that constant non-existence and constant existence are the gateway to all subtleties, and that the unfathomability of yin and yang is called the non-localized spirit—although the sages established teachings and showed awakening in many ways, since they diverge from the single mind, how could they not be the four views? How is this illuminated? Because taking voidness as the Way makes the Way non-existent; if spontaneity, the Supreme Ultimate, or one yin and one yang is taken as the Way, the Way is existent. Constant non-existence and constant existence are both non-existence and existence; the unfathomability of yin and yang is neither existence nor non-existence. Earlier Ruists sometimes said that making subtle the myriad things is called spiritual, so it is not a thing among things; if it is not a thing, it is also non-existent. Therefore, all the great treatise masters of the Western Heaven consider having dharmas outside the mind to be non-Buddhist, and the myriad dharmas being mind only to be the orthodox lineage. Because when mind is taken as the principle, all views naturally perish; though their words may differ, they are not sufficient to be differences. When there are dharmas outside the mind, all views contend and arise; though their words may be the same, they are not sufficient to be the same. Even so, the sages of Ruism and Daoism certainly did not fail to know this; they merely reserved it without discussing it. Truly because they did not directly and clearly point to the single mind as the source of the myriad dharmas, even if they sometimes spoke of it, it was still as if not discussed. Just as the non-Buddhists of the Western Heaven were all the displays and transformations of great expedient bodhisattvas, giving rise across the board to various views and exhausting all heterodox extremes to illuminate the Buddhadharma, this is the correct path. This is why for the Way of the sages, whether compliant or adverse, all is the lineage; it is not something that discursive thought can know. Therefore an ancient said: "Because in former times the true lineage had not arrived, Confucius temporarily used [these teachings] to tether the mind. Now that we know where the principle returns, we should not still cling to expedient teachings." Yet knowing the expedient as expedient does not necessarily mean knowing the expedient; only knowing the expedient as the real is truly knowing the expedient. This is also the original intention of the Duke of Zhou, Confucius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi in establishing teachings and putting forth words, that by which the cause and condition of the One Great Matter is accomplished from beginning to end. If so, then the Three Teachings are one mind, following the same path with different tracks. Ultimately the ancestral principle of the Way is originally without speech. Except for the Great Being Vimalakīrti, who could know this meaning?'
10.8
Chan Master Yun of Dongshan in Yizhou ascended the hall: 'The autumn wind sweeps the earth; the night rain churns the sky. Within it there is a distinct coolness, and inside this there is no more vexation. Whose livelihood is this? Only those who have arrived here know. The moment you fall into seeing and hearing, you are dwelling on the road. Now tell me, what about after reaching home? / Moving freely, walking alone without companions; / Dwelling neither in the upright position nor in the inclined.'
10.9
Chan Master Wen of Fuying in Chang'an ascended the hall: 'Clearly at the tip of the hundred grasses; clearly the intention of the Ancestral Master. Taking it up directly on the spot, one mistakenly takes the bow for an arrow. The alert ones bump and knock against it; the muddleheaded ones mix with mud and water. The turtle-hair whisk chokes empty space; the rabbit-horn staff props up heaven and leans against earth. The sun shines on the coral forest; how many are those who know my heart?' He struck the meditation bench and stepped down from the seat.
10.10
Chan Master Tanguang of Longpan Shengshou in Chuzhou. A monk asked, 'Whose melody does the Master sing? Whose lineage style do you succeed?' The Master said, 'Over the peaks of Mount Yangguang, clouds are dense and misty; beside the Yuehua Hermitage, cypresses are lush and green.' The monk said, 'If so, then you are a direct heir of Touzi and a true grandson of Dayang.' The Master said, 'Before straddling the iron ox, blows of the stick fall like raindrops.' The monk said, 'Today I have finally known the truth.' The Master said, 'Let you knock on bricks and strike tiles as you please.'
10.11
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Hao of Yuquan
10.12
Chan Master Wenqing of Xingjiao at Linxi in Yingzhou ascended the hall: 'Six times six is thirty-six. In the east, jia and yi are wood. The great statue of Jiazhou comes out through the pass; the iron ox of Shanfu enters Western Shu. Investigate!'
10.13
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Zun of Jiashan
10.14
Chan Master Xin of Fuchang in Jiangling. A monk asked, 'A single flower blooms with five petals. What is the first petal?' The Master held up his sitting cloth. The monk said, 'Clouds arise piece by piece, raindrops drizzle down.' The Master said, 'Without pain, one does not know injury.' The monk said, 'This is still the wind bringing an intention of rain. What is the first petal?' The Master gave his sitting cloth a shake. The monk clapped his hands. The Master said, 'Flounce about as you like!' A monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?' The Master said, 'The lad of the eastern house, the weaving maid of the western house.' The monk said, 'I do not understand.' The Master said, 'Casting down the brush, tossing aside the shuttle.' Ascending the hall, he called to the great assembly. The assembly raised their heads. The Master said, 'On the Southern Mountain the wind is blowing fiercely.' He then stepped down from the seat.
10.15
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Yuan, Foyin
10.16
Chan Master Tuojingwu of Qingshan at Baizhang in Lin'an Prefecture. A monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?' The Master said, 'Whom are you asking?' The monk said, 'I specially ask the Upādhyāya.' The Master said, 'The sparrowhawk has crossed to Silla.' Ascending the hall, [he said]: 'Speaking is shaking the lips; walking is moving the feet. Even when not speaking and not walking, you are wrong, wrong!' He slapped the meditation bench and stepped down from the seat.
10.17
Chan Master Huitai of Shanquan in Changzhou ascended the hall. 'The Buddhas appeared in the world and expounded the three vehicles extensively; Bodhidharma came from the West and secretly transmitted the Great Matter. Those of superior capacity transcend suddenly at a single word; those of medium and lower streams must gradually illuminate their mind-ground. Either one word proclaims the Way, or three phrases elucidate it; or adapting skillfully to capacities, it turns into diverse meanings. Yet grasping their crux, they are entirely flowers in the sky; exhausting the source in a single phrase buries the ancestral way. Dare I ask everyone: what is a phrase that conforms to the season and suits the moment?' After a pause he said, 'Faint clouds dim the Milky Way; sparse rain drips on the parasol trees. Cultivate!'
10.18
Chan Master Deji of Chongfu in Raozhou ascended the hall. 'If you understand right here, you can enter a single Buddha-land and sit in a single bodhimaṇḍa. The waterbirds and grove of trees together discuss this essential point; the multi-storied pavilions and halls together expound the true vehicle, continuing the inexhaustible lamp of the thousand sages and illuminating the impartial flame on all eight sides. Therefore it is said: in heaven, accord with heaven; among humans, accord with humans. Is there anyone here who knows the tune?' After a pause he said, 'The golden crow at the bottom of the water is the sun in the sky; the pupil within the eye is the person before your face.'
10.19
Chan Master Huiji Zhenjue of Baolin in Wuzhou ascended the hall. 'The legacy of Shanhui has lasted five hundred years; the colors of Mount Yunhuang remain just as they were. Now the ancestral order is executed once more: a single phrase circulates throughout the great chiliocosm. Everyone, tell me: what phrase is this? Could it be "covering heaven and earth, cutting off all flows, and following the waves and pursuing the breakers"? Hum! What connection does that have? Since there were Buddhas and Patriarchs, it has never been stirred. Today, the true dynamic must not be leaked.' Looking at the assembly, he said, 'When you go to various places, do not quote it wrongly.'
10.20
Chan Master Zongyou of Zifu in Hongzhou ascended the hall. 'Longquan will speak some entanglements with you all today.' After a pause he said, 'Upon the vines and creepers, yet more tendrils sprout.'
10.21
Chan Master Huikong of Guanghua at Cuiyan in Hongzhou. A monk asked, 'What is the Way?' The Master said, 'Wild fields are not picked over.' The monk asked, 'Might that be the Upādhyāya's way of guiding people?' The Master said, 'Measuring talent to assign office.' He addressed the assembly, saying, 'Yesterday rain poured incessantly; today the sun shines brightly. Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra have entered entirely into the wild grass. Fortunately, Old Teacher Wang went to sleep and rose early last night.' Raising his staff, he said, 'It comes! It comes! Have you not heard: in spring there are not three sunny days in a row?' He stepped down from the seat.
10.22
Chan Master Depu of Jintu at Miyan in Raozhou. A monk asked, 'What is the realm of Miyan?' The Master said, 'A pure breeze rises above the lotus.' The monk said, 'What is the person within the realm?' The Master said, 'Before the rain and dew increase, the rustic elder sings.' The monk asked, 'How do you point out the supreme lineage vehicle?' The Master said, 'A new sound tunes an ancient song; which one is the connoisseur?'
10.23
Chan Master Zhonghe of Mount Yunju in Nankang military prefecture. A monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?' The Master said, 'The place of your asking is clear.' The monk said, 'Last night a clear breeze arose among the pines and bamboos, blowing away two or three patches of white clouds.' The Master said, 'Just do not bump into the bare pillar.' The monk bowed and returned to the assembly. The Master hissed: 'Xuxu.'
10.24
Chan Master Youzong of Chongshsheng at Tong'an on Mount Lu ascended the hall. Raising his staff, he showed it to the assembly and said, 'The staff is the substance.' Striking the meditation couch once, he said, 'This is the function, enabling high and low to see universally, and far and near to hear alike. Right at just such a time, tell me: is there distinction or no distinction?' After a pause he said, 'Holding the staff horizontally, it bears the Flower Treasury World; on Vimalakīrti's palm, it is not yet much.' He stepped down from the seat.
10.25
Chan Master Juyue of Longxing in Yuanzhou. A monk asked, 'Whose melody does the Master sing? Whose lineage style do you succeed to?' The Master said, 'Since Bodhidharma's stream divided, the myriad branches have all returned to a single family.' The monk said, 'The student does not understand; please, Master, point it out directly.' The Master said, 'Beneath Cloud Gathering Peak, four rattan canes.'
10.26
Chan Master Zizhang of Wanshan on Mount Lu. A monk asked, 'When the Way prospers, the Son of Heaven's decrees are not transmitted; when the times are clear, all sing the song of great peace. What is the song of great peace?' The Master said, 'When clouds vanish, the sun and moon are centered; when snow melts, heaven and earth are spring.' The monk said, 'Then the rain sprinkles a thousand peaks with beauty, and the wind moves branches for ten thousand years.' The Master said, 'The Xingjiang waters are broad, touching the sky in blue; the Five Elders Mountains lie across, the universe is vast.' The monk asked, 'What is it like before master and disciple have met?' The Master said, 'Dīpaṅkara waves his hand from afar upon the golden ground.' The monk said, 'What about after meeting?' The Master said, 'Honored and lowly find their fixed places.'
10.27
Chan Master Diyan of Renshou on Mount Ehu in Xinzhou. A monk asked, 'What is the realm of Ehu?' The Master said, 'A pool of lake water runs emerald as spring arrives; several immortal geese return from beyond the sky.' The monk asked, 'What is the person within the realm?' The Master said, 'Pines whisper where the guest sits; mountain green touches the person's robe.' He then said, 'Many mouths all come to raise questions, / But answering a single point before the void is difficult. / Now the great meaning is proclaimed again: / Raise your eyebrows and look face to face.' He stood for a long time.
10.28
Dharma Heir of Chan Master Guangyin Yao
10.29
Chan Master Rucan of Miaofeng in Fuzhou ascended the hall. 'Today is the occasion of the Tathāgata's descent and birth. None among the monastic assembly under heaven fail to bathe him with fragrant water and together repay his vast kindness. Why, then, does the teaching say: "The Tathāgata comes from nowhere"? Since he comes from nowhere, who is it that descends and is born? Pray, try to tell me. If you can speak of it, his kindness is naturally repaid. If you cannot speak of it, next year on the eighth day of the fourth month, water will still be poured right over his head.'
10.30
Dharma Heir of Chan Master Zhihai Yi
10.31
Chan Master Zhiyin of Guangbo in Ruizhou. A monk asked, 'What is the phrase that gives strength?' The Master said, 'Feet.' The monk said, 'The student does not understand.' The Master said, 'Step by step, advance a step.' He ascended the hall: 'Expounding for forty-nine years, kindness moistened birds and fish; traveling a path of a hundred thousand leagues, he came to warn and awaken humans and devas. These two old fellows each deserve thirty blows of the stick! Why? One spoke of long and spoke of short; one uttered barbarian talk and Chinese speech. Even though this is so, I will let it go for now.'
10.32
Chan Master Delong Haiyin of Dazhong in Fuzhou ascended the hall. 'Dharma has no different Dharma; the Way has no separate Way. At every moment one encounters Śākya; in every place one bumps into Bodhidharma. Releasing your steps, you rub shoulders; opening your mouth, you bite through. If you do not bite through, oh, how vast! Ascended the hall: 'Those who wish to elevate wisdom must first steady movement.' Striking his staff, he said, 'Oṃ suru siri svāhā.' He returned to the hall to drink tea. Ascended the hall: 'Why can someone who meets circumstances without stagnation not raise their head? Why can someone whose ground is secure and close not put down their foot? It is like a heavenly king bestowing a splendid house: though acquiring a grand mansion, one must enter through the gate.' He then said, 'Where is the gate? Fan Kuai kicks it open and the true lord comes forth; Juling raises his hand and brocade fish splash. Cultivate!' Ascended the hall: 'At dawn in the tiger hour, who is awake? In every place, Amitābha Buddha; in every household, Avalokiteśvara. The qilin in the moon looks at the Northern Dipper; the persimmon facing the sun is green on one side.'
10.33
Chan Master Zhongyu of Mount Bailu in Fuzhou. On the day of opening the hall, when the questions and answers were concluded, the Master then said, 'Even if you discern the target in speech and conceal the dynamic in phrases, with thoughts racing, they all amount to wandering astray. Why? Could the Way of our Patriarchs be like this? If you are an adept of superior capacity, you walk alone across the cinnabar clouds and exert great function when facing circumstances. Holding fast, not a drop leaks out; letting go, waves surge across a thousand rivers. Squatting on the ground in complete authority, standing like a wall a thousand fathoms high, how could one not gallantly shoulder the ancestral lineage by oneself? Even so, this does not yet match a patch-robed monk. Tell me: what is extraordinary about a patch-robed monk?' After a pause he said, 'Deep autumn behind screens: rain upon a thousand households; the setting sun on pavilions: wind carrying a single flute.' He stepped down from the seat.
10.34
The signatory-official Liu Jingchen, an upāsaka whose courtesy name was Xingchao, possessed extraordinary talent from his youth and entered the official registry. He did not yet believe in the Buddha Dharma. At the age of thirty-two, he met Chan Master Zhaojue Zong of Donglin, who spoke with him and enlightened him, whereupon he submitted in reverent respect. Because of this, he devoted his heart to the ancestral Way. Sometime later, he arrived at the capital and had an audience with Chan Master Chong of Huilin. Upon hearing a monk ask Xuedou, "What is the source of all Buddhas?" and [Xuedou's] reply, "The cold color of a thousand peaks," he had an awakening under those words. Over a year later, he was serving on the staff at Luo and took the opportunity to participate [in study] under Chan Master Gao of Shaoshan. When he was about to leave his post, he took his leave of Shaoshan. [Shao]shan enjoined him, saying: "With you applying your mind like this, why worry about not awakening? Hereafter, you may encounter an extraordinary realm with boundless joy. You should promptly gather it in. If you can gather it in, you will become a vessel of the Dharma. If you cannot gather it in, then an ailment of unease will arise, leading to the trouble of losing your mind." Before long, he again went to the capital, hastened to Zhihai, and took refuge with Chan Master Zhenjue Yi to inquire into the nidānas. Hai said: "The ancients said: 'The ordinary mind is the Way.' Throughout the twelve periods of the day, you emit light and shake the earth without being aware of it yourself. Running outside to seek it only makes you ever more estranged and ever more distant." The gentleman's doubt deepened, and he did not understand. One evening he entered the [abbot's] room. Hai brought up the account in the Transmission of the Lamp where the King of the Country of Gandhadhāra asked the Venerable Puṇyatāra, "What is Buddha?" and the Venerable said, "Seeing one's nature is Buddha," and questioned him with it. The gentleman could not answer, and his doubt was extreme. Thereupon he returned and went to sleep. He slept soundly until the fifth watch. Upon awakening, just as he was recalling it, he saw various extraordinary marks, completely penetrated through inside and out. The six sense faculties trembled, and heaven and earth whirled around. Like the clouds parting and the moon appearing, his joy was boundless. Suddenly he remembered Shaoshan's words of injunction at their parting, so he tentatively suppressed it. As dawn broke, he hastened to Zhihai and reported all that he had attained. Hai verified it for him and said: "You must still be able to function with it before you have it." The gentleman said: "Does it not require personal praxis?" Hai shouted in a stern voice: "What kind of matter is this, that you turn around and talk about personal praxis?" The gentleman had a silent accord. Thereupon he composed eight verses on "Illuminating the Mind Ground" and wrote the essay "Illuminating the Way to Instruct the Ruists" to admonish the world. The text read: "Illuminating the Way lies in seeing one's nature. What I have awakened to is seeing the nature and nothing more. Mencius said: 'The mouth's relation to flavors, the eye's relation to colors, the ear's relation to sounds, the nose's relation to odors, and the four limbs' relation to ease and rest—these are nature.' Yangzi said: 'Seeing, hearing, speaking, appearance, and thought are what belongs to the nature.' If one has insight into this, then one can be clear about the Way. One should know that the Way is not far from human beings. Human beings in relation to the Way are like fish in relation to water: never separated from it for an instant. It is only because they are deluded about themselves and pursue external things that throughout their lives they walk along it without knowing it. The Buddha is called the Greatly Awakened; the Ruists speak of those who awaken first. They are simply awakening to this. An ancient once had a saying: 'Through past and present it should never fall away; clearly it is right before one's eyes.' And another says: 'The Great Way is only right before one's eyes; yet it is difficult to perceive before one's eyes. If you wish to know the true substance of the Great Way, it is not apart from sights, sounds, and speech.' And another says: 'Night after night sleeping embraced with the Buddha, morning after morning rising again together with him. Rising and lying down constantly following one another, speaking and staying silent residing together. If you wish to know where the Buddha goes, it is just this sound of speaking.' This is what the Buddhists say of the Way in the most intimate terms. 'When standing, see it arrayed before you; when in a carriage, see it leaning on the crossbar.' 'Look up to it in front; suddenly it is behind.' 'Drawing from it left and right, meeting its source.' This is what the Ruists say of the Way in the closest terms. Alas, this Way can only be transmitted from mind to mind and does not establish written words. Therefore the Bhagavat twirled a flower and the wondrous mind was transmitted to Kāśyapa; Bodhidharma gazed at the wall and the lineage tenets were entrusted to Shenguang. Once the six leaves unfolded, a thousand flowers vied in beauty. Schools were divided and lineages arranged, each having its own gate and courtyard. Therefore, some wink an eye or raise an eyebrow, raise a fist or lift a finger; some administer blows or shouts, hold up the whisk or take up the mallet; some hold a trident, draw a bow, roll a ball, or wave a tablet; some drag stones, carry earth, beat the drum, or blow on a hair; some are silent, some speak, some sigh, some laugh. Even all kinds of expedient means are all intimately for the sake of people. Yet precisely because it is too intimate, most people are at a loss. Those who perceive it in an instant are not separated from it by a hairsbreadth. If one hesitates, one is separated by ten thousand li. Those who wish to illuminate the Way should not neglect this. Handed down from patriarch to patriarch without interruption to this day, it truly attains what our Ruists call: 'Not opening up until there is indignation, not developing until there is struggle.' My own attainment is truly in this gate. Reflecting upon it, our Ruists naturally have their own Way. How fine were Confucius's words: 'Silently remembering it; binding it together with one [thread].' Therefore, 'The Way is present at a single glance; the meaning is made clear as if pointing to one's palm.' All such instances accord with the wondrous tenets of the ancestral school and attain the true mechanism outside the teachings. However, Confucius's Way was transmitted to Zisi, and Zisi transmitted it to Mencius. Once Mencius died, the transmission was lost, and what has been transmitted to the world is merely written words. Therefore, my learning had to seek self-attainment before it could rest. Fortunately, one evening I had an awakening: all that the eye sees, all that the ear hears, all that the mind thinks, all that the mouth discusses, all the movements of the hands and feet are nothing other than the wondrous. Having attained it for a long time, it becomes increasingly manifest before me day by day. Whenever I try to offer it to others, they cannot receive it. Only then did I know that this wondrous Way truly cannot be transmitted through written words. Alas! As for this Way, when there is the right person, it is transmitted; when there is not the right person, it is cut off. Now that I have attained it, who knows it for himself? Throughout the rest of my life, will there be such a person, or will there not be such a person? That cannot be known. Therefore, I compose records, verses, and songs to spread these events, and furthermore write this piece to instruct my followers."
10.35
Dharma heirs of Chan Master Long of Zhiti
10.36
Chan Master Xuanben of Lingyin in Hangzhou. A monk asked, "How is it when the clam contains [the pearl] before it is split open?" The Master said, "From where does the light come?" [The monk] asked, "Linji shouted as soon as someone entered the gate, and Deshan struck with a blow as soon as someone entered the gate. What is the meaning of this?" The Master said, "When the sky clears, not willing to go." The Master saw a monk reading a sutra and thereupon asked, "What sutra are you reading?" The monk was silent. Thereupon [the Master] presented a verse, saying: / "Reading the sutra without knowing the sutra, / You needlessly strain your eyes. / If you wish not to damage your eyes, / Distinctly and clearly know the sutra."
10.37
Dharma heirs of Chan Master Su of Jingtu
10.38
Chan Master Weizheng of Jingtu Cloister in Hangzhou was a son of the Huang family of Huating in Xiuzhou. In his youth, he studied under Benru of Zisheng Cloister in Qiantang. When he was about to compete in the examinations before the authorities, Ru had him pray to the image of Avalokiteśvara to seek hidden assistance. The Master declined, saying: "How could I bear to be selfish for myself alone?" Zhu Shao'an, a man of the commandery, heard of this and sighed in admiration, wishing to open his treasury to ordain him. The Master said with deep feeling: "In ancient times, people were ordained through clear capability and esoteric meaning; now it is the opposite, which is far removed from antiquity. My falling into the count of the Three Jewels ought to have its proper time." Later, meeting with the widespread imperial grace of Xiangfu, he was able to fulfill his original aspiration. He wore only a robe of coarse wool that was worn out. His peers slighted him. The Master said: "Buddha! Buddha! Can one speak of deportment and appearance? Monk! Monk! Can one speak of grand attire?" Subsequently, there were those who wished to supply his seasonal living expenses so that he could succeed to the administration of the cloister. He again declined, saying: "I have heard of carrying the alms bowl and begging for food, but have not heard of sitting peacefully to enjoy [offerings]. I have heard of travelling to pay visits to the various patriarchs, but have not heard of abandoning study to assume responsibility for oneself. Moreover, my age is in its prime and my vigor is complete; this is precisely the time to use my physical strength for courtesy, not the season to attend to roofs and cottages." Thereupon, lifting his walking stick, he set off toward the east. He studied the threefold contemplation at Tiantai, and then returned to Jingshan to indulge in the tenets of the solitary transmission under the venerable Weisu. Su presided over Jingtu Cloister at Gongchen Mountain in Lin'an; the Master assisted him for a long time and then succeeded to his seat. However, his character was lofty and simple, and he maintained strict discipline. Eminent ministers and great lords mostly respected and revered him. Secretariat Drafter Ye Qingchen, governing Jinling, invited the Master to speak of the Way. One day, Ye said: "Tomorrow the prefectural office has a banquet. Master, you strictly observe the vinaya; can you linger with me for one day to enjoy quiet conversation?" The Master consented. The next day, an envoy was sent to invite him. The Master left a gāthā and returned, saying: / "Yesterday I made an appointment for today; / Leaving the gate and leaning on my staff, I reflected again. / For a monk, it is only fitting to dwell in cliffs and valleys; / At a banquet of distinguished scholars, it is truly unseemly." / The guests all admired his refined demeanor. The Master's discernment and thoughts were completely rinsed clean, unentangled by worldly burdens. He particularly loved to ride a yellow calf. When going out and coming in, he hung his kuṇḍikā, napkin, and bowl entirely upon its horns. The people in the market jostled to look at him, but the Master was untroubled as usual. Vice Minister Jiang, the prefect of Hang[zhou], was once an otherworldly friend of the Master. Whenever he went to visit, he would dismount from the calf at the courtyard of the commandery, and leave after talking and laughing all day. Jiang had a poem that said: / "The Chan guest ordinarily enters the old capital, / Hanging bottle and bowl on the horns of a yellow ox. / Sometimes bearing snow, passing through clouds he goes; / It would be fine to paint him together with the clouds as a picture." / The Master once composed a mountain gāthā, saying: / "Above the bridge, mountains in ten thousand layers; / Beneath the bridge, water for a thousand li. / Only the white egrets and herons / See me constantly coming here." / In his lifetime, his compositions amounted to thirty fascicles, entitled the Jinxi Collection. He was also skilled in calligraphy, and his brushwork was supreme; Qin Shaoyou treasured it. In winter, he did not sit by a brazier, but made a ball of reed flowers to insert his feet into; when guests arrived, he shared it with them. In summer and autumn, he loved to enjoy the moon, sitting cross-legged in a large tub floating on the pond, rotating the tub himself while chanting and laughing until dawn, doing so as a regular habit. Chan Master Shao of Jiufeng once stayed as a guest at the cloister. One evening, when they were about to go to sleep, the Master invited him, saying: "With the moonlight like this, among those troubled by weary lives, how many can face it?" Feng merely assented and that was all. After a long while, he called a boy attendant to prepare something roasted. Feng, being hungry, thought it was an evening medicinal meal; after a short while, it was just a cup of tangerine peel decoction. Feng chuckled secretly and said, "Is that not perhaps too pure?" Someone asked: "The Master is renowned as a Chan master, yet you do not talk about Chan. Why is that?" The Master said: "It merely wastes words. I am lazy; why resort to convoluted ways? I merely trouble the myriad phenomena day and night to expound it. Words have gaps, but this Dharma is inexhaustible; it is what is called the inexhaustible treasury of the Maker of Things." On the eighth day of the first month of summer in the first year of the Huangyou reign period, he spoke to the assembly, saying: "Activity as opposed to stillness has never had an ultimate boundary. My single activity has passed through sixty-four years. Now it is stillness. Yet originally, what activity or stillness is there?" Thereupon, he passed away in serene stillness.
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- 續傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese