續傳燈錄 11
English (machine translation) 11
- Language
- English
11.1
Table of Contents of the Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Fascicle 11
11.2
Twelfth Generation under Dajian
Fifteen Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yunju Shun:
Chan Master Jiangshan Faquan
Chan Master Tiantong Danjiao
Chan Master Chongfan Yu
Chan Master Ciyun Xiuhui
Chan Master Chang'er Ziliang
Chan Master Kaiyuan Ying (The above six individuals are recorded)
Chan Master Hengshan Chengxin
Chan Master Xiangfu Xiaoru
Chan Master Baoqin Jian
Hut Master Shanguo Huaiyan
Chan Master Guanyin Yuanyin
Chan Master Xiangfu Fazhou
Chan Master Xichan Huaiyi
Chan Master Kaiping Chuliang
Chan Master Ciyun Juhui (The above nine individuals are not recorded)
Five Dharma heirs of Chan Master Daling You:
Chan Master Guizong Huitong
Chan Master Xingjiao Huixian
Chan Master Chongfu Qingya (The above three individuals are recorded)
Chan Master Chongfu Gui'an
Upādhyāya Dawei (The above two individuals are not recorded)
Twenty-three Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yuwang Lian:
Chan Master Fori Jiebi
Chan Master Tiangong Shenhui
Chan Master Jingshan Weilin
Chan Master Sheng'in Zi of Linping
Hut Master Mituo Zhengyan (The above five individuals are recorded)
Chan Master Jinshan Baojue
Chan Master Anyan Chonghai
Chan Master Guanghui Lihe
Chan Master Mingxian Daoxin
Chan Master Fenghuang Wenxi
Chan Master Fori Daorong
Chan Master Wanshou Hongde
Chan Master Jingyan Tongding
Chan Master Baoyun Youxin
Chan Master Dongchan Zhihua
Chan Master Dongchan Zhixian
Chan Master Jile Xingsi
Chan Master Puxian Chuzhong
Chan Master Shimen Xizhong
Chan Master Jiekong Qingrui
Chan Master Wulei Zhihuan
Chan Master Xiansheng Zongli
Upāsaka Sun Jue, [styled] Xinlao (The above eighteen individuals are not recorded)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Lingyin Zhi:
Chan Master Lingyin Zhengtong (Recorded)
Chan Master Xuefeng Shouchao (Not recorded)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Chengtian Jian:
Chan Master Zhizhe Liyuan
Chan Master Ruian Sengyin (The above two individuals are recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Jiufeng Jianshao:
Chan Master Damei Faying (Recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Chengxin Zong:
Chan Master Huiri Yao (Recorded)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Baoben Lan:
Chan Master Zhongji Kezun
Senior Monk Faming (The above two individuals are recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Chengxin Ming:
Chan Master Shanglan Guangji (Recorded)
Nine Dharma heirs of Chan Master Chengtian Zong:
Chan Master Chongfu Liao
Chan Master Chengtian Shouming
Chan Master Fenghuang Youcong
Chan Master Dalong Dequan
Chan Master Haiyin Fa'an (The above five individuals are recorded)
Chan Master Kunshan Tanyu
Chan Master Yinshang Shijun
Chan Master Fayu Chongjun
Chan Master Huguo Congli (The above four individuals are not recorded)
Six Dharma heirs of Chan Master Changlu Fu:
Chan Master Guanghui He (Recorded)
Chan Master Baoning Zhenjie
Chan Master Changlu Fahai
Chan Master Shouning Chushao
Chan Master Zifu Wenya
Chan Master Sanzu Huiyun (The above five individuals are not recorded)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Tianyi He:
Chan Master Puti Zhizhuan (Recorded)
Chan Master Puti Guangyong (Not recorded)
Fifty-six Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yunju Qi:
Chan Master Yunju Qigui
Chan Master Lingyin Wensheng
Chan Master Ruiyan Yihai
Chan Master Guanghui Zhiquan
Chan Master Baofu Juxu
Chan Master Nanming Weisu
Chan Master Qingxi Qing
Chan Master Wanshan Guangzhi
Chan Master Jin'e Xubai
Chan Master Cuifeng Hong
Chan Master Shanglan Pu (The above eleven individuals are recorded)
Chan Master Longhua Wucheng
Chan Master Bao'en Xingsi
Chan Master Zhangjiang Zhaoyuan
Chan Master Xingguo Hong
Chan Master Yangqi Juyun
Chan Master Jiufeng Zixuan
Chan Master Ehu Lingxin
Chan Master Yunlong Zicai
Chan Master Sanzu Yue
Chan Master Yundou Yuxin
Chan Master Baoben Yiyuan
Chan Master Jianshan Zhigao
Chan Master Yangqi Dehai
Chan Master Shangfang Zicheng
Chan Master Huacheng Huiping
Chan Master Qinghua Zhicong
Chan Master Xiangtian Deyuan
Chan Master Yuwang Jusu
Chan Master Yuantong Lirou
Chan Master Luohan Huaiduan
Chan Master Huacheng Ziyan
Chan Master Jianfu Zhen
Chan Master Qinghua Zichang
Chan Master Longhua Youzhong
Chan Master Xiansheng Juyao
Chan Master Yunju Huizhen
Chan Master Xinghua Shanneng
Chan Master Beichan Juening
Chan Master Huiri Da
Chan Master Ganlu Zhen
Chan Master Dongchan Qingxian
Upādhyāya Yuechu Yongrou
Upādhyāya Binzhou Wenjing
Upādhyāya Mingzhou Zhiyuan
Upādhyāya Yuezhou Chengya
Upādhyāya Nanyue Yanquan
Upādhyāya Xishu Yiquan
Upādhyāya Ande Xuansui
Upādhyāya Xuanji Yixun
Upādhyāya Raozhou Renjian
Upādhyāya Fuzhou Baolin
Hall Master Nanshan Sheng
Upādhyāya Zhengqing Huihong
Mountain Master Lumen Huizhao
Upādhyāya Suzhou Qingsi (The above forty-five individuals are not recorded)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Gongchen Ke:
Chan Master Yaofeng Haoxian
Chan Master Shengshou Zhisheng
Chan Master Gongchen Shouru (The above three individuals are recorded)
Chan Master Baohua Huaigu (Not recorded)
Eleven Dharma heirs of Chan Master Qixian Chengshi:
Chan Master Xingjiao Weiyi
Chan Master Xiyu Tairou
Mountain Master Dingshan Weisu
Chan Master Fuyan Shengxian
Chan Master Yangshan Ziqi (The above five individuals are recorded)
Chan Master Qixian Zhitong
Chan Master Shifo Zong
Chan Master Dongchan Jue
Chan Master Xuedou Weize
Chan Master Xiyu Rong
Upādhyāya Nanyue Fuyan (The above six individuals are not recorded)
Fifteen Dharma heirs of Chan Master Luohan Lin:
Chan Master Changlu Zan
Chan Master Zhiti Zhao'ai
Chan Master Lingfeng Daocheng
Chan Master Yangshan Zehe
Chan Master Chongsheng Daozhen
Chan Master Fule Zhijing
Chan Master Huili Shaozhen
Chan Master Daning Qingcong (The above eight individuals are recorded)
Chan Master Heshan Xiao
Chan Master Xingguo Hui
Chan Master Wanshan Yixuan
Chan Master Zhangjiang Zhaoda
Chan Master Luohan Qiyin
Chan Master Chongsheng Chuqi
Chan Master Bao'en Chuanjin (The above seven individuals are not recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Fengqi Qing:
Chan Master Fengqi Tong (Not recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Wanshan Shuang:
Chan Master Fahua Desong (Not recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Yong'an Chu:
Chan Master Shoushan Chongxiu (Not recorded)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Xuefeng Dun:
Chan Master Xuefeng Shanyu (Not recorded)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Jingqing Su:
Chan Master Heshan Rijian
Chan Master Chengtian Biancen
Chan Master Chengtian Zineng
Chan Master Cuifeng Ziyuan (The above four individuals are not recorded)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Qianming Tong:
Chan Master Shuangchi Zhichang
Chan Master Hanzhudong
Chan Master Puning Changying
Chan Master Nantai Shanyuan (The above four individuals are not recorded)
11.3
Table of Contents for Fascicle Eleven of the Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp (End)
11.4
Twelfth Generation under Dajian
11.5
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Yunju Shun
11.6
Chan Master Faquan Fohui of Mount Jiang in Jinling was a son of the Shi family of Suizhou. A monk asked, "When the ancients could speak no further, I ask the Master to speak." The Master said, "When the Master entered the Grand Temple." The monk said, "The student does not understand." The Master said, "When spring turns warm, the willow branches turn green." He asked, "What is the most urgent and pressing phrase?" The Master said, "Fire burning the eyebrows." He asked, "What is the essential meaning of the Patriarch gazing at the wall?" The Master said, "Holding up Heaven and propping up Earth." The monk said, "What happens when one goes along just like that?" The Master said, "Falling in sevens and eights." He asked, "What is the essential meaning of the Second Patriarch standing in snow waist-deep?" The Master said, "Once every three years comes an intercalary month." The monk said, "Why was the Dharma transmitted and the robe passed on?" The Master said, "The village wine is plentiful enough for people to buy." He asked, "How is it before the lotus flower has emerged from the water?" The Master said, "Aparagodānīya." The monk said, "How about after it has emerged from the water?" The Master said, "The Great Sage of Sizhou." He asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "The monk's hair is long and his appearance is ugly." The monk said, "I do not understand what the meaning is." The Master said, "Closing the door, fearing the cold weather." He asked, "Why was the summer retreat bound at Nanchansi, yet concluded here at Jiangshan?" The Master said, "All streams end when they meet the ocean." The monk said, "If so, then it is all one family's business." The Master said, "Arriving at one's hometown in a dream." Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Coming without coming, going without going. Beneath the feet is Mount Sumeru; behind the head is the pillar propping up heaven. The Great Canon cannot proclaim it; the Buddha Eye cannot glimpse it. Worthies of Chan! Growing old, when one meets the spring, one knows to cherish the spring. Last night flying blossoms fell without count." Ascending the hall, he drew a circular figure, held it up with his hands, and said: "Humane ones, do you still see? Perfectly round, leaving behind the ocean crags; gradually emerging onto the paths of clouds. If you have not yet seen it, do not say that the senior elder of Nanming has taken on the air of a petty scholar and chanted a poem on the mid-autumn moon from upon the throne of the King of Precious Flowers! If you have seen it: this night a single wheel is full; where is its pure light absent?" Ascending the hall, [he said]: "Wanting to go, one cannot go; wanting to stay, one cannot stay. Smashing open the Dasan Pass, casting off the trousers born of one's mother. Humane ones, when you reach the thirtieth day of the twelfth month, tell me, what will you use?" After a long pause, he said, "Willow catkins following the wind, wandering west, wandering east." Ascending the hall, [he said]: "The ancients were like that, but Nanchansi is not like that. The ancients were not like that, but Nanchansi is just like that. Does the great assembly understand? Dame Wang's unlined tunic is short; Li Si's hat brim is long." On the imperial birthday, he ascended the hall, picked up his staff, struck the Dharma seat once, and said: "With this merit and virtue, I pray for the prolongation of the imperial longevity." Then he stepped down from the seat. Ascending the hall, [he said]: "If people of the times wish to know the road to Nanchansi, there is a tall pine tree in front of the gate. Beneath the feet it is distinct and not much different, yet nothing can prevent travelers from going along like that. Do not go like that! Turn back quickly—where towers and pavilions are veiled in mist and the bell sounds." On the occasion of falling snow, the Master ascended the hall, addressed the great assembly, and said: "Is there anyone who can surpass this color?" After a long pause, he said: "Mañjuśrī laughs, Samantabhadra is angry; having no tendons in one's eyes, one is poor for a whole lifetime. Whenever people meet, all say they will resign from office and depart, but beneath the forest trees, when has anyone ever been seen?" Ascending the hall, [he said]: "For a sharp person, one word; for a swift horse, one whip. If your eyes still waver, you cannot escape being wrapped in hemp inside paper. Underfoot is the ground; overhead is the sky. If you do not believe it, just look at the eighth and ninth months: fluttering yellow leaves filling the mountains and rivers." Later in life, the Master received an imperial decree to reside at the Grand Xiangguo Zhihai Chan Monastery. He asked the assembly, "Which is right: going to Zhihai or staying at Jiangshan?" None in the assembly answered. The Master asked for a brush and wrote a verse: 'Neither Buddha nor mind—idle deliberation; / Attaining the skin, attaining the marrow—vain discussion. / As I am about to depart, take care, all you Chan companions! / Outside the gate, upon a thousand mountains, the evening sun is glowing red.' Having finished writing, he passed away sitting upright.
11.7
Chan Master Danjiao of Tiantong in Mingzhou. A monk asked, "The Lin'yun Pavilion rises high, and the peak of Mount Taibai is lofty. Reaching here, how does one take a step forward?" The Master said, "Just look along the edge of the wild grass; do not ask how deep the white clouds are." The monk said, "I do not understand how to comprehend this." The Master said, "Hanshan meets Shide: both foolish at the same time." The monk said, "And how does one expound the vehicle of the highest lineage?" The Master said, "The former words do not match the latter speech." Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: "Most marvelous, most mistaken! Ten fingers, eight gaps! From the beginning, how clear and distinct; no need to praise the tortoise and crack the tile." He then stepped down from the seat.
11.8
Chan Master Yu of Chongfan in Jianzhou. A monk asked, "Linji's shout rarely meets one who knows the tune; Deshan's stick seldom encounters an adept. What does the Upādhyāya do today?" The Master said, "Having received your question, this mountain monk is compelled to step back three paces, sweat streaming down his spine." The monk said, "An adept ancestral teacher is encountered today!" The Master said, "A single word harms a person like a thousand knives churning in the belly." The monk drew a line with his hand and said, "What can be done about this?" The Master said, "The grassroots bandit suffers a total defeat." [A monk] asked, "If someone comes just like this, does the Master still receive him or not?" The Master said, "On an isolated peak there are no overnight guests." [The monk] said, "If someone comes not like this, does the Master still receive him or not?" The Master said, "A steep rapid does not detain a boat." [The monk] said, "Setting aside 'like this' and 'not like this', what is the phrase that pierces through the skull?" The Master said, "Worthy of laughter, also worthy of grief." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "You must directly comprehend before the black bean has sprouted." After a long pause, he called out to the assembly and said, "The sword has long since gone."
11.9
Chan Master Xiuhui Yuanzhao of Ciyun Monastery in Chuzhou ascended the hall: "A sliver of moon is submerged in the cold pool; faint clouds fill the azure sky. To one who has reached the Way, what fine, true news! Is there anyone who has reached the Way? The faint clouds pierce through your skull; the sliver of moon strikes your nostrils. Take care."
11.10
Chan Master Ziliang, 'Chang'er Xiang' (Long-eared Minister), of Nanshan in Hangzhou. A monk asked, "What is it like at the time of the sixth month's resting?" The Master said, "Retiring from office while staying at home." [The monk] said, "If a guest suddenly arrives, how do you receive him?" The Master said, "Chew thoroughly on the pure breeze; feast to the full on the bright moon." [The monk] said, "Does the student have a share or not?" The Master said, "There is no place to bite into." He then said, "Orioles warble in the green willows; magpies chatter on flowering branches. If you comprehend here, everywhere is radiant. There is still another principle: prevent budding shoots and block early growth; dwelling in peace, ponder danger. What kind of talk is that?"
11.11
Chan Master Ying of Kaiyuan in Jianzhou ascended the hall and said, "There is a mirror hanging everywhere; neither ordinary nor sage comes, so who is superior and who is inferior?" He then picked up his staff and said, "This is the staff; which is the mirror?" After a long pause, he said, "The moon in the realm of space over the eternal green pool: / Only after repeated dredging will you come to know it." He also said, "Flickering and darting, surging in the east and sinking in the west; unharmed and uninjured, piercing the skin and penetrating the bone. Its equal function is neither mind nor Buddha. Squeezing open your face—what is this thing? The ancients without reason called it an osprey soaring into the distant sky. Those without eyes, look closely! Alas, alas, alas!" Striking the meditation couch with his whisk, he stepped down from the seat.
11.12
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master You of Dagui
11.13
Chan Master Huitong of Guizong on Mount Lu. A monk asked, "What is the phrase that covers heaven and earth?" The Master said, "The sun rises in the east and sets in the west at night." [The monk] asked, "What is the phrase that cuts off all streams?" The Master said, "An iron mountain lies across the road." [The monk] asked, "What is the phrase that follows the waves and drifts with the currents?" The Master said, "A boat goes down to Yangzhou." [The monk] asked, "What is the samādhi of every speck of dust?" The Master said, "Ashes fly and fire is scattered." [The monk] asked, "What is the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?" The Master said, "The waters of the Yellow River flow out from the mouth of Kunlun." [The monk] asked, "Throughout the twelve periods of the day, how does one practice?" The Master said, "An iron ox treads the spring grass." [The monk] asked, "When [Bodhidharma] returned to the West with a single shoe, what was the reason?" The Master said, "Because there is joy in the place of one's birth, not because one is weary of a foreign land." [The monk] said, "What is the matter right before one's face?" The Master said, "Below the eyes, the nose hangs down." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "Mind arises following forms; perception is born from dust. If you thoroughly realize the original mind and know that mind is without form, then the sea of lands throughout the ten directions is fully luminous thought after thought, and the immeasurable Dharma gates are completely encompassed mind-moment after mind-moment. If one is like this, what need is there to visit Mañjuśrī in the eastern border of the City of Awakening, or only become intimate with Maitreya when the doors of the pavilion open? Therefore it is said: 'The inexhaustible ocean of all Dharma gates gathers together in the bodhimaṇḍa of the One Dharma.'" Picking up his staff, he said, "This is the One Dharma; which is the bodhimaṇḍa? This is the bodhimaṇḍa; which is the One Dharma?" After a long pause, he said, "Look, look! The staff pierces through your skulls; Mount Sumeru presses open your nostrils." Striking the incense stand once, he said, "For now, understand it right here." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "Entering into existence from non-existence is easy; entering into non-existence from existence is difficult. Where both existence and non-existence are exhausted, do not be muddle-headed! Bring it up and let us see: Hanshan and Shide bow to Fenggan."
11.14
Chan Master Huixian of Xingjiao at Da'an in Anzhou ascended the hall: "I have a staff. To what can it usually be compared? Cut down, it came not from the Southern Mountains, nor from the western ridges of Kunlun. When lifted up, radiant light fills the eyes; when set down, the black dragon shrinks its neck. If fellow travelers would borrow a look, it towers high above ordinary men." Striking the incense stand, he stepped down from the seat.
11.15
Chan Master Qingya of Chongfu in Raozhou. A monk asked, "What is the environment of Chongfu?" The Master said, "The chime stone is struck on a cold moonlit night; the incense stick burns on a morning of white clouds." [The monk] said, "What is the person within the environment?" The Master said, "A monk is a monk; a layperson is a layperson." [The monk] said, "Is there still an extraordinary matter beyond this or not?" The Master said, "A golden crown atop the head of Vairocana." [The monk] said, "Repeatedly receiving your instruction, its fragrance will flow down through a thousand ages." The Master said, "This brings roaring laughter to the bystanders."
11.16
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Lian of Yuwang
11.17
Chan Master Jiebi Jinghui of Fori in Lin'an Prefecture. A monk asked, "What is the seal of Vairocana?" The Master said, "Straw sandals treading on snow." [The monk] said, "The student does not understand." The Master said, "Every step leaves a footprint."
11.18
Chan Master Shenhui of Tianguan in Fuzhou ascended the hall: "The eighty-four thousand pāramitā gates—gate after gate is ever open. The Buddhas as numerous as fine dust motes in the great trichiliocosm—Buddha after Buddha expounds the Dharma: not speaking of existence, not speaking of non-existence; not speaking of neither existence nor non-existence; not speaking of both existence and non-existence. Why? Leaving behind the four propositions and cutting off the hundred negations, when meeting face-to-face and raising one's eyes, few people know. Last night the frosty wind leaked the news: plum blossoms as before adorn the cold branches."
11.19
Chan Master Weilin Wuwei of Jingshan in Hangzhou was a native of Huzhou. He first resided at Daming. A monk asked, "Whose tune does the Master sing? Whose ancestral style do you succeed?" The Master said, "Not before Dīpaṃkara, nor after Śākyamuni." [The monk] said, "Might you not be a descendant of Yuwang?" The Master said, "The peak of the Sacred Mountain is high; the waters of the Weilü are swift." [The monk] asked, "What is the house style of Daming?" The Master said, "Sitting with raised eyebrows atop the sacred luan bird; walking with lifted head amid the gorges of the yellow crane." [The monk] said, "I wonder what the meaning is?" The Master said, "If you understand, then understand right away; what meaning are you looking for?" The monk said, "Take care," and was about to leave. The Master said, "Listen to a gāthā: / The embers of wood-knot fire fade, white ashes fly; / Upon this old monk's body, it is white like snow. / Sitting darkly by the hearth, unknown to others; / On the western mountain, a gray gibbon cries to the bright moon. / You have been standing long."
11.20
Chan Master Zi of Sheng'yin at Linping in Hangzhou. A monk asked, "Knowing the Master has long kept the jewel hidden in his pouch, today in this arena please lend it briefly for us to see." The Master said, "Square and round have no inside or outside; let you dislike its ugliness or clumsiness as you please." [The monk] said, "The mind moon is solitary and round, its light containing the myriad forms." The Master said, "Do not take yellow leaves to be real gold." [The monk] asked, "Bodhi cannot be attained with the mind; from what did the Upādhyāya attain it?" The Master said, "Dirty scoundrel!" He then said, "If we discuss this matter, it is like the sun and moon gracing the heavens, shining everywhere throughout the eight directions; the blind do not see it, and those under an inverted basin do not know it—this is not because the sun and moon are not bright, but because of the person's own obstructions. If we rely on the ancestral teacher's authentic command, any hesitation creates a thousand errors. You must directly break through the golden lock and mystery barrier, freely exercising wondrous function in every direction. You have been standing long."
11.21
Hermitage Master Zhengyan of Mituo in Wenzhou. One day he paid homage to Chan Master Liang of Xuedou. Liang asked, "Are you a novice with a master or a novice without a master?" The Master said, "Setting aside having or not having, is the Upādhyāya a Chan master with a master or a Chan master without a master?" Liang said, "Instead, the gourd vine is wound backward around the gourd." The Master said, "What did you say?" Liang was about to reply when the Master flicked his sleeves and went straight out, saying, "Seeing your face is not as good as hearing your name." Liang laughed heartily. That evening [the Master] entered the abbot's room, but Liang did not give approval. The Master then composed a verse: / 'The golden knife shaved off the dark silk hair; / Seeking Buddha, seeking Dharma, also seeking the true. / Huangmei entrusted it to Postulant Lu; / To whom does the Master now extend his hand?'"
11.22
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Zhi of Lingyin
11.23
Chan Master Zhengtong Yuanming of Lingyin in Lin'an Prefecture. A monk asked, "What is the Way?" The Master said, "Walking at night, do not tread on white." [The monk] asked, "Who is the person in the Way?" The Master said, "Yellow Zhang the Third, Black Li the Fourth."
11.24
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Jian of Chengtian
11.25
Chan Master Liyuan of Mount Zhizhe in Wuzhou. Ascending the hall, he picked up his staff and said, "When the great function manifests before you, it preserves no rules. One point to the east, and heaven and earth become solemn and still. One point to the west, and tiles shatter and ice melts. One point to the south, and the Southern Dipper flees. One point to the north, and the Northern Dipper hides away. One point upward, and it strikes Śakra's nostrils. One point downward, and it pierces through the diamond water boundary. When pointing before all of you, what sort of business is accomplished?" After a long pause, he struck once with it and said, "On the road, pointing at a running deer; before the gate, beating the puppy."
11.26
Chan Master Sengyin of Rui'an in Wenzhou. A monk asked, "What is the homage to the Dharma body?" The Master said, "Head large, ears small." [The monk] said, "What is the function of the Dharma body?" The Master said, "Having finished plowing the southern field, leading the calf and carrying firewood, he returns." [The monk] said, "If so, then the three bodies are not distinguished." The Master said, "A tiger watching the water mill." He then said, "Asking about Buddha with the mind is as distant as heaven; seeking the mind with Buddha makes the Way turn further away. If you encounter Yunmen executing the authentic command, you must be made to recognize dragons and snakes under the stick." After a long pause, he said, "Those who have eyes, look!" On the thirteenth day of the ninth month in the tenth year of Xining, the Master bathed, changed his robes, and left a gāthā: / 'Leaning against the sky, the numinous sword's cold light floats; / Buddhas, patriarchs, and Māra's hosts are reaped by a single blade. / Carrying the moon, roaring in the wind, it returns to the precious scabbard; / The iron ox is startled and scattered at the head of Qujiang.' Having spoken, he sat cross-legged and passed away. Upon cremation, the gathered bones yielded five-colored śarīra.
11.27
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Shao of Jiufeng
11.28
Chan Master Zujing Faying of Damei in Mingzhou was surnamed Zhang, a native of Yin County in that prefecture. He first resided at Baima in Xiangyang. After the question-and-answer session at the opening of the hall, he said, "The ultimate Way is nowhere—how could it be nowhere? The ultimate word is inexhaustible—how could it be exhaustible? Attain it, and it is as clear as what is before your eyes; miss it, and there is a hairline separation. Therefore, even the entire great canon of teachings is not excessive talk; the single silence of Vaiśālī—how could it be called wordless? You must know that Buddhas, patriarchs, humans, and devas are by no means inherently existent; good and bad, long and short are also by no means inherently non-existent. Even if you understand directly, you are still halfway along the road. This matter requires confirmation from one with clear eyes. Today this poor monk's efforts are not spent in vain; holding this up, I offer it to bless the imperial way, so that both the sentient and the insentient attain the forbearance of the non-arising of phenomena." Next he resided at Damei. Zhong Yuan, the administrative commissioner and vice military governor, had a spiritual accord upon meeting him and petitioned to bestow a Master's name upon him. Ascending the hall, [the Master] said, "The ancestral teachers did not understand Chan; the Buddhas did not understand the Way. Studying the Way and studying Chan—the various regions are in a tumultuous uproar! Some take jade for dust; some take stone for a jewel. Having investigated until one has a bellyful, it only creates vexations. Rather than understanding without vexation, how about entering the overgrown weeds? A message for those who investigate Chan and study the Way: / The white hair beside your temples is new year after year. / How about coming to join old Damei / To clear the fields together and earn food to eat? / The business of a lifetime's investigation and study is finished. Take care." He also said, "At the beginning of the thirty-six decades, at the start of the seventy-two pentads: setting aside the final phrase for now, what do you say about the phrase right at the head?" Picking up his staff, he said, "Holding the brush on New Year's morning, all matters are greatly auspicious. Hastily, hastily, as decreed by the statutes and ordinances! Assembly, this mountain monk provides such an instructional discourse; tell me, is there still the ancestral teachers' meaning or not?" After a long pause, he said, "I remember Black Li the Fourth in the eastern village writing it himself before his gate year after year." Striking with his staff, he stepped down from the seat. He also said, "Spring mountain bamboo shoots and ferns are just now flourishing; / Best to hull the yellow millet through the night until dawn. / Do not say the coming from the West lacked this meaning: / The ancestral teacher is entirely inside the alms bowl. / Attend!"
11.29
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Zong of Chengxin
11.30
Chan Master Yao of Huiri in Pengzhou. A monk asked, "An ancient said: 'I have a phrase, and I wait for a tongueless person who understands speech to tell it to you.' I do not yet know what the intention is." The Master said, "Under the shadowless tree it is good to deliberate." The monk bowed. The Master said, "Tiles break and ice melts."
11.31
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Lan of Baoben
11.32
Chan Master Kezun of Zhongji in Fuzhou ascended the hall: "Tut, tut, tut! What is that twittering at the bottom of the well? Even if it were the three thousand great thousand [worlds], it would still just be a den of ghosts. Tut!" Ascending the hall, [he said], "Last night at the fourth watch I got up and could not stop roaring with laughter. Fortunately I had had a fine sleep, but the frosty bell struck it into two pieces." Ascending the hall, [he said], "Heshan and Puhua suddenly went mad; / beating a drum and shaking a handbell, they played out a scene. / While the kalpa fire burns furiously, it is suitable for brewing tea; / when the storm winds blow fiercely, it is fine to enjoy the cool. / Four snakes in the same basket—look at him handling them; / two mice gnawing at the vine do not know their own measure. / When the moon is bright over the vast ocean, where will you go? / The Golden Palace of Guanghan with its white silver bed. Tut!" Ascending the hall, [he said], "The eighty-four thousand profound Dharma gates— / every gate has a path to transcend heaven and earth. / Why is it that not a single one can tread upon it? / Simply because the centipede has too many legs. / Not only does it have many legs, it also has many mouths; / a nail-like beak and an iron tongue only add to its ugliness. / Raising a mallet or erecting a whisk is washing mud with mud; / raising eyebrows and blinking eyes is like a chicken in a coop. / If you want to know the place where the Buddhas and patriarchs cannot reach: / the gate is shut upon falling petals, and the spring birds sing."
11.33
Senior Monk Faming of Kaiyuan in Xingzhou. He relied on Baoben for a short time and deeply attained the Dharma forbearance. Later he returned to his home village, lived a dissolute life, became addicted to drinking wine, and gambled with dice. Whenever he was dead drunk, he would sing several songs of Liu [Yong], making this his daily habit. The villagers insulted him; if invited to a vegetarian feast he refused, but if invited to drink he followed along. He lived like this for more than ten years, and everyone pointed at him and called him the 'Drunken Upādhyāya.' One day he said to the monastery assembly, "Tomorrow morning I must depart. Do not go anywhere else." The assembly secretly laughed at him. The next morning, he gathered his robes, took his seat, and shouted loudly, "I am going! Listen to a verse of mine." Hearing this, the assembly rushed to look. The Master then said, "Throughout my life I stumbled in drunkenness, / yet in drunkenness I still possessed discernment. / Where will I sober up from wine tonight? / Upon the willow bank, in the morning breeze and fading moon." Having finished speaking, he fell silent. When they shook him, he had already sloughed off the mortal coil.
11.34
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Ming of Chengxin
11.35
Chan Master Guangji of Shanglan Monastery in Hongzhou. Ascending the hall, he held his staff horizontally, called to the assembly, and said, "Do you still recognise the old fellow of Shanglan? Eyes like wooden mallets, mouth like a carrying pole. Without asking of fine or coarse, he knows not salty or bland. Operating as an abbot in such a way brings hundreds of thousands of transgressions. Venerable Chan monks, is there anyone who will repent on behalf of this mountain monk?" After a long pause, he said, "Short of breath, killing people!" He tapped his staff and stepped down from the seat.
11.36
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Zong of Chengtian
11.37
Chan Master Liao of Chongfu in Raozhou ascended the hall. A monk asked, "The great assembly has gathered like clouds; we ask the Master to preach the Dharma." The Master said, "The blue lotus is not begrudged in personal bestowal; / rarely does one meet an intimate who understands with a broken smile." [The monk] said, "A single phrase without partiality, relied upon by the multitude of minds." The Master said, "The exact tenet within it / circulates together throughout the sandy realms." [The monk] said, "If one does not approach the vast ocean, how can one know the breadth of the waves?" The Master said, "A single drop of Caoxi's water / causes the people of the time to drown on dry land." He then said, "Slow days and gentle breezes; willows chap and peaches burst into bloom. At the time when the myriad things spring forth, it is the moment when prajñā flows and operates. Grasses and trees are fragrant, and gardens and groves are exquisite and charming. Tell me, has the shadowless tree sprouted branches yet or not?" Thereupon he took up his staff and said, "Look, look! It strikes the nostrils of the Brahmā King; it thrusts through the eyes of Śakra. The entire great earth belongs completely to this mountain monk, and none of you have a share. If you can also grasp it, the entire great earth belongs completely to all of you, and this mountain monk has no share. If not yet so, strike the drum and participate in the communal labour to see." He also said, "Clouds gather about the wondrous peaks, water fills the giant chasms. A small boat is moored across the ancient shore; one angles for the bright moon in the heart of the waves. Red tails and brocade scales are negligible matters for this fellow; the black dragon's pearl and the jade of Jing are not worthy to be treasures. Even if you turn a pinch of earth into gold, how can that compare to transforming the ordinary into the sacred? Assembly, the wise and the foolish, the ordinary and the sacred are the established rules of past and present. Tell me, how do you transform them?" After a long pause, he said, "Everyone possesses the lapis lazuli bowl; / Wuzhuo's only fault back then was being coarse." He stepped down from the seat.
11.38
Chan Master Shouming of Chengtian in Hangzhou ascended the hall and said, "Where the sword wheel flies, it is best to establish the lineage tenets; spark of flint and flash of lightning are specks of dust in the eye. Therefore, Caoxi's taking up the whisk has already incurred a blemish; Xuefeng's rolling the ball urgently requires looking with care. If you are an eminent practitioner on pilgrimage, a genuine Chan follower, even if you shout away the white clouds and charge open the azure sky, such application still belongs to the gate of establishing and transforming. If the primary directive were to be upheld, even if someone with three heads and six arms came forth, he too would have to retreat three thousand miles. Participate!"
11.39
Chan Master Youcong of Huguo Renwang on Mountain Fenghuang in Huzhou. A monk asked, "The udumbara flower has already appeared, looked up to by humans and devas. We pray you open your golden mouth to match the capacities of the crowd." The Master said, "White clouds hang down into the azure sky; / nowhere does it not become soaking rain." [The monk] said, "How is it when one understands it just so?" The Master said, "The nostrils are torn open and turned around." [The monk] said, "If not for putting forward this inquiry, how could I discern my Master's dynamic functioning?" The Master said, "It is of no use." [A monk] asked, "When arrow points meet head-on, it makes patch-robed monks die of laughter. Pecking and tapping simultaneously involves thousands of mountains and tens of thousands of rivers. Without traversing the journey, we ask the Master to quickly retreat." The Master said, "One, two, three, four, five." [The monk] said, "Is that precisely the upādhyāya's way of helping people?" The Master said, "Falling into a cliff, tumbling into a ditch." [The monk] said, "An adept lineage master!" The Master said, "I release you from thirty blows of the stick." He then said, "Once the ancestral vehicle is raised, ocean-like eloquence is hard to explain. When the ancestral directive is executed, the essential crossing has no path. Tathatā, ordinary, and sacred are all words in a dream; Buddha and nirvāṇa are both redundant expressions. In accordance with this truth, can it still be proclaimed or not? Having ascended this seat, it cannot be in vain. Within the gate of expedient means, I open a thread of a path to deliberate with all of you. Tell me, throughout the twelve hours, how should one direct oneself? If you can grasp it right here, then walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are functions engaged in at will; seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing are applied in accord with conditions. In every dust mote is Maitreya; in every realm is Sudhana. The mountains, rivers, and great earth are your own house style; the wondrously bright true mind neither increases nor decreases. If you can be like this, only then are you worthy to be called a great hero. You have been standing a long time."
11.40
Chan Master Dequan of Mount Dalong in Dingzhou. A monk asked, "What is the Dharma body?" The Master said, "Before sound, clappings do not scatter it." [The monk] said, "How is it when a student is just like that?" The Master said, "After the phrase, search leaves no trace."
11.41
Chan Master Fa'an, [titled] Haiyin of Huiyan in Kunshan, Suzhou. A monk asked, "Willows droop by the embankment, flowers bloom amid the groves—how is the Way revealed?" The Master said, "Two colours in a single contest." [The monk] said, "'Ever since seeing the peach blossoms once, / right down to the present I doubt no more.'" The Master said, "In what place do you see Lingyun?" [The monk] said, "Flowers bloom full on the tree; flowers fall, leaving the branches bare." The Master said, "I release you from thirty blows of the stick."
11.42
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Fu of Changlu
11.43
Chan Master Guanghui He of Qingliang in Jinling ascended the hall and said, "Patriarch Bodhidharma, for no reason at all, took a ladle of foul water and splashed it over the heads of the senior monks of the realm, causing the old upādhyāyas of the realm to talk of Chan and talk of the Way, bustling about north and south, continuing the flame and transmitting the fragrance, spanning from past to present. Today, this mountain monk personally met with a ladle, with no way to break free. Extending the profound style of a thousand ages, shaking the model for a single era." After a long pause, he said, "Look, look! This mountain monk is taking a ladle of foul water and splashing it toward the heads of all of you! Do you feel it yet or not? If you still do not know, look at another ladle: / Who can know the house style of the patriarchs and Buddhas? / What is the meaning of the news from the West? / Diligently I announce to the traveller who has not returned: / it is the time when the moon fills the autumn sky and the frost is cold. / Participate!" He also said, "Day after day, / each day hastens a person's aging. / When cold, just gather round the hearth; / when tired, fall asleep in your clothes. / I respectfully inform those coming and going: / originally there is a jewel in the home. / Never searching within the home, / you lean on a stick, begging door to door. / Even if you beg halfway through, / you toil bitterly, giving rise to afflictions. / Better to return home, / and clear away the weeds before your gate." He further said, "Venerable Chan monks, the entire world of the ten directions is weeds—how do you clear them away? Return to the hall and drink tea." He also said, "After many days of sunny weather, it is raining this morning; / the great earth, mountains, and rivers are all showered universally. / Three times the bell is struck, two times the drum is beaten; / in every place it is distinct—grasp it at every turn!" He again held up his staff and said, "Venerable Chan monks, do you understand? The Buddhas of the three times are all inside here." He struck the meditation bench once.
11.44
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master He of Tianyi
11.45
Chan Master Zhizhuan of Bodhi Huguo in Hangzhou. A monk asked, "Having departed from the superior region of Jiahe, I have already arrived at the Haichang bodhimaṇḍa. What is the Immovable Honoured One?" The Master said, "From here to Jiahe is not far." [The monk] said, "In that case, coming and going is without limit." The Master said, "A clever patch-robed monk." The monk then shouted. The Master said, "Beneath the stick, one does not become a dragon." He then said, "To speak of it is as distant as heaven and earth; not to speak of it is to hide the body within the eyelashes and jump about upon the eyebrows. Setting aside speaking and not speaking—" He raised his staff and said, "Tell me, what is this?" After a long pause, he said, "The cold light of the daytime moon appears; / tapping the ground, the plan is first achieved." He struck once and stepped down from the seat.
11.46
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Qi of Yunju
11.47
Chan Master Qigui of Yunju in Nankang. A monk asked, "'Meeting a dead snake on the road, do not beat it to death; / carry it home in a bottomless basket.' I do not know, does the Master accept it or not?" The Master said, "Where did you get it?" [The monk] said, "Then it is not given in vain." The Master said, "Carry it away for now." [A monk] asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "Praise cannot reach him." [The monk] said, "Could it just be this?" The Master said, "He does not cause people to praise him."
11.48
Chan Master Wensheng Ciji of Lingyin in Hangzhou was a son of the Liu family of Wuzhou. A monk asked, "How was it before the ancient mirror was polished?" The Master said, "The ancient mirror." [The monk] said, "How is it after it is polished?" The Master said, "The ancient mirror." [The monk] said, "I do not know whether it discerns or not." The Master said, "Look into it again." [A monk] asked, "What is the upādhyāya's house style?" The Master said, "Do not be surprised at its desolation and neglect." [The monk] said, "What happens if a guest suddenly arrives?" The Master said, "Go drink tea."
11.49
Chan Master Yihai of Ruiyan in Mingzhou was a son of the Hu family of Zhechuan. He visited Yunju's Dharma assembly. Yunju asked, "What thing comes thus?" Under these words, the Master had a great awakening. He then composed a verse: "'What thing is Yunju?' / When questioned about it, my head went faint. / Taking it up right then and there, / I was still buried alive." When he came into the world to reside at Baoben, a monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "If you go to the various regions, just say that Baoben does not know how to answer questions." [A monk] asked, "What is the upādhyāya's house style?" The Master said, "No taboos." [The monk] said, "What if one suddenly offends you?" The Master said, "You do not know how to be a guest, troubling the host." [A monk] asked, "Śākya shut his room in Magadha; Vimalakīrti closed his mouth in Vaiśālī. I do not know how you instruct the assembly?" The Master said, "You do not want me to open my mouth in discourse." [The monk] said, "I do not understand the Master's dynamic functioning." The Master said, "Retire for now." [A monk] asked, "What is the true person of no rank?" The Master said, "There is no place here to accommodate you."
11.50
Chan Master Zhiquan of Guanghui in Mingzhou was a son of the Wei family of Hangzhou. Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What is a patch-robed monk's inherent duty?" The Master said, "Do not bring disgrace upon me." The monk bowed. The Master said, "It is rather the assembly that brings disgrace upon the ācārya." He then stepped down from the seat. [A monk] asked, "How is it when thieves do not rob a poor man's house?" The Master said, "Even if told to people, they would not believe it." The monk said, "Then I bow and withdraw." The Master said, "What did you get?"
11.51
Chan Master Juxu of Baofu at Damei in Mingzhou was a son of the Zhou family of Wenzhou. A monk asked, "What was the ancient's intention in wall-gazing?" The Master said, "Just understand it thus." [The monk] said, "I do not know how to grasp it." The Master said, "Bow down."
11.52
Chan Master Weisu of Nanming in Chuzhou. A monk asked, "Phenomena do not hide; from past to present they are constantly exposed. What is the exposed phenomenon?" The Master said, "Manifestly shown to the great assembly." [The monk] said, "Then this student respectfully withdraws." The Master said, "Knowing an error, one must correct it."
11.53
Chan Master Qing of Qingxi in Jingzhou commandery. A monk asked, "The ancient path is level and broad; how does one tread it?" The Master said, "You are an itinerant pilgrim monk."
11.54
Chan Master Guangzhi of Wanshan in Luzhou. A monk asked, "What is the upādhyāya's house style?" The Master said, "A mountain dweller is just like this." He asked, "What is the exact meaning of [the Patriarch's] coming from the West?" The Master said, "The assembly all hears it." He asked, "How is it when stillness and silence are taken as the principle?" The Master said, "Deceitful words." He asked, "What is the direct shortcut of a road?" The Master said, "How roundabout!" He asked, "What is the very first phrase?" The Master said, "This question comes after." He asked, "What is the Bhagavat's meaning in twirling a flower?" The Master said, "Do you comprehend it yet?" The monk said, "I do not understand." The Master said, "How completely distinct!" He asked, "The Bhagavat's samādhi was not known even to Kāśyapa; what is the Bhagavat's samādhi?" The Master said, "Where did you get this news?" He asked, "Auspicious snow fills the courtyard; from where does it fall?" The Master said, "Do not leak the true mechanism." He asked, "What is the priceless jewel?" The Master said, "Where did it come from?" He asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "All say that with a single shoe he returned to the West." He asked, "What was the ancient's intention in rolling up the mat?" The Master said, "Why not make your bows and return to the hall?" He asked, "What is Mañjuśrī's gate?" The Master said, "The thousand sages all enter from this." The monk said, "What about after entering?" The Master said, "I suppose you would not recognize it." The monk bowed. The Master said, "Indeed." The Master then said, "The Bhagavat remained silent for a good while, and Kāśyapa rose and struck the mallet; Master Ma had barely ascended the seat when Baizhang stepped forward and rolled up the mat. It may be said that the order of Magadha had already been executed; you must not further make this mountain monk add footnotes again. Although it is like this, long-practicing eminent scholars should not wonder at this elaboration for junior students. Venerable monks must also summon up some spirit! If more wordy phrases are used, I fear they will fall short. Take care!"
11.55
Chan Master Xubai of Jin'e in Mingzhou. A monk asked, "What is the direct shortcut of a road?" The Master said, "A bird's path, a sheep's intestine." He asked, "What is the single body?" The Master said, "Camels, donkeys, pigs, and dogs." The monk said, "If so, then it goes into the four forms of birth and six destinies." The Master said, "Mute!"
11.56
Chan Master ShanHong of Mount Cuifeng in Suzhou. A monk asked, "What is the environment of Cuifeng?" The Master said, "One only hears the oriole's song, but does not see spring arrive to announce it." He asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "One can only sigh for the monk standing in the snow."
11.57
Chan Master Pu of Shanglan in Hongzhou. Prime Minister Xia Song asked, "When the hundred bones have all collapsed and scattered, which one is the master of the Elder?" The Master said, "On the twentieth of last month, I left Qiyangkou."
11.58
Dharma heirs of Chan Master Ke of Gongchen
11.59
Chan Master Haoxian of Yaofeng in Suzhou. A monk asked, "I have just entered the monastery and beg the Master to receive me once." The Master said, "Go!" He asked, "According to the teachings, it is said: 'This Dharma is equal, without high or low.' What is the equal Dharma?" The Master said, "Yaofeng is high; Baohua is low." The monk said, "If so, then it turns out to be high and low!" The Master said, "I knew very well you would understand it like that." Hearing the sound of thunder, he instructed the assembly, saying: "Do you still hear the sound of thunder? Do you still know where it arises? If you know where it arises, then you know where your body and life come to rest. If you do not know, as an ancient said: 'Those who do not know heaven and earth stubbornly claim there are Qian and Kun.' You had better go drink tea." A monk asked, "What is the Way?" The Master said, "One may die in the evening, and it would be well." He asked, "What is a Vajra warrior?" The Master said, "He is of no use here." He asked, "When a deceased monk passes away, where does he go?" The Master said, "Blue sky! Blue sky!" He then said, "Just as the monk asked last, 'When a deceased monk passes away, where does he go?' and this mountain monk said to him, 'Blue sky! Blue sky!' tell me, where does the meaning lie? Could it be grieving over the departure and pained remembrance of the person of the Way? If you evaluate it like that, it truly means not knowing where he went. Do you want to know where he went? There is no need to stand here long; go rest!" Ascending the hall, he said, "Winter departs, spring comes, and the tower gates open. If you can enter, there is no need to hesitate. Venerable monks, have you entered here yet? If you have entered, therefore an ancient said, 'Every place is Maitreya; there is no gate and no Sudhana.' If you have not yet entered, it is just that you venerable monks are wildly rushing about. I will say no more wordy chatter. Standing long, take care!"
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- 續傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese