續傳燈錄 14
English (machine translation) 14
- Language
- English
14.1
Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Table of Contents of Fascicle Fourteen
14.2
Thirteenth Generation under Dajian
Two Hundred Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Yuanzhao Zongben of Huilin:
Chan Master Shanben of Fayun
Chan Master Xiuyong of Touzi
Chan Master Shanning of Jinshan
Chan Master Xizu of Guangling
Chan Master Chuyan of Zishou
Chan Master Shouyan of Yinjing
Chan Master Shouyi of Benjue
Chan Master Zhongxuan of Ganlu
Chan Master Shou'en of Daping
Chan Master Bianliang of Lingyao
Chan Master Chongxin of Changlu
Chan Master Shoucong of Ruiguang
Chan Master Ke of Shuixishan
Chan Master Huizhang of Qixia
Chan Master Xiaotong of Shifo
Chan Master Shantong of Nanming
Chan Master Wenyi of Xihu
Chan Master Gao of Shaoshan
Chan Master Weiyue of Jingyin
Chan Master Keqi of Tiantong
Chan Master Puqin of Wanshou
Chan Master Yanyong of Xiangshan
Chan Master Shouzhuo of Xuedou
Chan Master Changli of Baoben
Chan Master Daofang of Zifu
Chan Master Zhuo of Jiufeng
Chan Master Fazhou of Xiangshan
Chan Master Zaiyi of Langshan
Chan Master Zunshi of Dinghui
Chan Master Faguang of Guangfa
Chan Master Yongjue of Ruiyan
Chan Master Shichang of Fahai
Chan Master Huideng of Taiping
Chan Master Chongxian of Mishan
Chan Master Yuan of Baohua
Chan Master Yuanheng of Yuelin
Chan Master Shanke of Chenghui
Chan Master Wuben Qing of Baohua
Chan Master Huimin of Jingtu
Chan Master Shimian of Chenghui
Chan Master Neng of Shishuang
Chan Master Cong of Xiaoyao
Chan Master Pucong of Touzi
Chan Master Chuhui of Puzhao
Chan Master Ning of Nanchansi
Chan Master Huiyin of Daochang
Chan Master Xiang of Baoqin (The above forty-seven persons have records)
Chan Master Fahui of Jinshan
Chan Master Huijue of Qianming
Chan Master Youju of Ruiyan
Hermitage Master Chongxin of Mazu
Chan Master Bencong of Lingying
Chan Master Fanren of Shouning
Chan Master Zhongfu of Fuyan
Chan Master Zongyi of Lingquan
Chan Master Yongliang of Baosheng
Chan Master Hui of Shita
Chan Master Youchen of Wanshou
Chan Master Chuchang of Guanghua
Chan Master Hui of Nanchansi
Chan Master Lingyou of Huguo
Chan Master Zijian of Tongqing
Chan Master Ciyun of Lingyan
Chan Master Zhenji of Puzhao
Chan Master Zongling of Gongchen
Chan Master Liangyan of Daochang
Chan Master Faping of Wuxi
Chan Master Chengwu of Shouning
Chan Master Fahai of Yinsheng
Chan Master Farong of Likou
Chan Master Yongcheng of Luohan
Chan Master Daoheng of Guanghui
Chan Master Xianchang of Yixing
Chan Master Jiqing of Zifu
Chan Master Liaozheng of Guangjiao
Chan Master Ande of Renwang
Chan Master Yimeng of Baolin
Chan Master Lingkuang of Xiangshan
Chan Master Zhiyue of Fuyan
Chan Master Zirong of Dazhong
Chan Master Huiduan of Ganci
Chan Master Xisheng of Huazang
Chan Master Kejiu of Qianming
Chan Master Yanhui of Xiangcheng
Chan Master Renxun of Guanghua
Chan Master Xizu of Bailong
Chan Master Zhihai of Chongshou
Chan Master Zuyin of Wufeng
Chan Master Kesong of Shangfang
Chan Master Daosheng of Yunyan
Chan Master Shouyan of Zhaoqing
Chan Master Weixi of Simian
Chan Master Weisu of Huayan
Chan Master Fahai of Fawang
Chan Master Yigao of Wanshou
Chan Master Zhenyi of Xiufeng
Chan Master Zhitong of Baiquan
Chan Master Chongzhen of Bao'en
Chan Master Zongman of Zhaoqing
Chan Master Faying of Pujing
Chan Master Yishen of Jiaoshan
Chan Master Hongzhan of Zhiti
Chan Master Zuyin of Huguo
Chan Master Yongsong of Lingfeng
Chan Master Zhijing of Nanjian
Chan Master Yigao of Huxin
Chan Master Shouren of Chengzhao
Chan Master Zhiyuan of Wuxi
Chan Master Qingwu of Liantang
Chan Master Deqing of Yanqing
Chan Master Daoyuan of Yongming
Chan Master Fahai of Guangjiao
Chan Master Weixian of Chongfu
Chan Master Baoyue of Baohua
Chan Master Qingde of Dizang
Head Monk Shengyu of Chongde
Chan Master Faman of Dabie
Chan Master Chongshan of Jingci
Chan Master Yuan of Wanshou
Chan Master Shengcong of Shengshou
Chan Master Tanqing of Jiufeng
Chan Master Yanqi of Fantian
Chan Master Wenzhan of Liu'an
Chan Master Xi of Jianfu
Chan Master Fazhong of Guangjue
Chan Master Ming of Fahai
Chan Master Guan of Yinsheng
Chan Master Ruying of Longxing
Chan Master Shen of Guangji
Chan Master Fang of Wenshu
Chan Master Daosi of Anle
Chan Master Zhenjue of Guanghua
Chan Master Shouchun of Shishui
Chan Master Zongjie of Xiyuan
Chan Master Zhongjian of Nanxiang
Chan Master Zeka of Shenjiang
Chan Master Xizu of Kunshan
Chan Master Deming of Nanhua
Chan Master Pugui of Shouning
Chan Master Haozhan of Chenyuan
Chan Master Huizhen of Shouning
Chan Master Yuanming of Yinsheng
Chan Master Huixuan of Baofu
Chan Master Yongli of Ruiyan
Chan Master Weishan of Chongfu
Chan Master Yuanzhao of Longxi
Chan Master Ziying of Shousheng
Chan Master Zongyi of Shouning
Chan Master Daohong of Tianwang
Chan Master Ruizhen of Zifu
Chan Master Jingren of Lingquan
Chan Master Heshao of Shenguang
Chan Master Zhishen of Lingquan
Chan Master Faguang of Shangfang
Chan Master Shangyue of Wenshu
Chan Master Yixun of Zisheng
Chan Master Yulian of Bailian
Chan Master Yongxian of Faxiang
Chan Master Huizhen of Taiping
Chan Master Ande of Xiyu
Chan Master Xigao of Baoyan
Chan Master Zisheng of Fahui
Chan Master Xingqing of Longhua
Chan Master Keji of Shouning
Chan Master Huiri of Chanyue
Chan Master Zizhi of An'guo
Chan Master Youjie of Anle
Chan Master Huiman of Liantang
Chan Master Qida of Yangtian
Chan Master Chunjie of Zhenyin
Chan Master Dehui of Huiri
Chan Master Fakong of Jingguang
Chan Master Ziduan of Longxing
Chan Master Daoxiang of Huiri
Chan Master Fahui of Jingtu
Chan Master Zhongning of Xingguo
Chan Master Ziyong of An'guo
Chan Master Jianyu of Yong'an
Chan Master Liaozong of Chengtian
Chan Master Lisheng of Ganquan
Chan Master Shengfang of Qingxiu
Chan Master Yongfang of Lingyan
Chan Master Xinyin of Pianfu
Chan Master Pushun of Longmen
Chan Master Zongying of Qianqing
Chan Master Youcheng of Yongtai
Upāsaka Yang Zhijiang
Upādhyāya Daoqi
Upādhyāya Yuanming
Upādhyāya Shande
Upādhyāya Fahai
Chan Master Zhiming of Bao'en
Chan Master Yongxian of Daning
Chan Master Huizhou of Gongchen
Chan Master Fengjian of Dalu
Chan Master Zihe of Lingfeng
Chan Master Taisu of Duofu
Chan Master Yongqian of Guangji
Upādhyāya Baochen
Head Monk Zhi of Jifeng (The above one hundred fifty-three persons have no records)
14.3
Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Table of Contents of Fascicle Fourteen (End)
14.4
Thirteenth Generation under Dajian
14.5
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Yuanzhao Zongben of Huilin in the Eastern Capital
14.6
Chan Master Datong Shanben of Fayun in the Eastern Capital was of the Dong family. His ancestors originally lived in Zhongshu Village, Taikang. The master's father and grandfather were both officials in Ying, so he became a man of Yingzhou. His mother had no son at first, so she prayed before a Buddha statue, vowing: "If I obtain a son, he must serve the Buddha." When the master was born, his physiognomy was exceptionally distinguished. He was orphaned when only one year old. When he grew up, he was widely learned, and his conduct was pure and ascetic. Yet he had no intention of pursuing official service. He then fasted from grains to study the Way. Since his family was poor, he lived in obscurity as a brush maker. His spirit was resolute and unyielding, and he was silent all day long. In the eighth year of the Jiayou reign era, he arrived at the capital, registered his name at the Xiansheng Dizang Cloister, and was tested on what he had practiced to become a fully ordained monk. His master, the Vinaya Master Yuanji Huiji, told people: "One day Ben will certainly be famous throughout the land!" He then had him listen to and study the Vinaya, and rejoice according to the Lotus Sūtra. One night he dreamed of a boy like the painted images of Sudhana in the world, who pressed his palms together, showed him the way, and pointed south. Upon awakening he said: "The holy ones have bestowed their aid upon me! Do they wish me to seek teachers in the south?" At that time Chan Master Yuanzhao's Way was shaking the Wu region. The master went to Gusu and paid respects to him at Ruiguang, where he silently accorded with the lineage tenets. He served him diligently for five years, completely mastering the essentials. His ability to rectify and arouse the guidelines and to train in discriminative wisdom, his freedom to expand and contract, surpassed all previous standards. Among his peers of the time, none surpassed him. Yuanzhao relied on him to broaden his house. In the spring of the seventh year of the Yuanfeng reign era, he crossed the Jiujiang, traveled to the Huai Mountains, and paid respects everywhere at the patriarchs' stupas. Delighted by the scenic excellence of the rocky crags of Fushan, he had the intention of spending his final days there. He then took up residence at Daji Crag. After a long time, he came forth into the world [as abbot] at Shuanglin in Wuzhou. Monastics and laypeople east of the Zhe River flocked to venerate him, saying that Mahāsattva Fu was reborn. He moved to reside at Fuci in Qiantang, succeeding Yuanzhao. The dining hall provided for more than a thousand mouths daily, all relying on the offerings of patrons. Because the master's Dharma name shared the same final character with Yuanzhao's, at the time Yuanzhao was called "Big Ben" and the master was called "Little Ben."
14.7
Emperor Shenzong heard of his name and issued an edict commanding him to reside at Fayun Temple in the capital, bestowing upon him the title "Chan Master Datong"; he also succeeded after Yuantong Xiu. Standing like jade, solitary and lofty, the master solemnly oversaw the pure assembly, as though myriad mountains encircling the Tianzhu Peak deferred to its cold height. Yet fine and coarse he shared with the assembly; he never used words to cajole people, nor assumed a false countenance for others. Offerings from princes and noblemen filled his gates daily; grand buildings with ten thousand plinths were gilded with gold and laced with jade, like a jeweled monastic compound surging out of the earth. After eight years, he petitioned the court, wishing to retire in his old age by the West Lake. An edict granted his request. He then returned east and thatched a hermitage at Chongde on Longshan. The master resided at three great monasteries in all. His teaching transformed the mundane world; monastics and laypeople gathered like ants in admiration. He once showed the assembly, saying: "Superior people listen to the Dharma with the spirit; mediocre people listen to the Dharma with the mind; inferior people listen to the Dharma with their ears. But tell me, if yet another person comes, what will he listen with?" He then took his staff, struck the meditation couch once, and said: "High it touches, low it touches; the clear and rounded sound pervades the boundless void. In the ten directions, inside and outside, there is nothing else; there is no need to bind oneself without a rope." He also said: "The table mountain preaches the Dharma, and the main mountain listens. The main mountain preaches the Dharma, and the table mountain listens. When the table mountain and the main mountain preach at the same time, tell me, what will you listen with? If you can listen well, the wondrous Dharma preached by all the Buddhas of the three periods of time will all appear before you. Is there anything else? A holeless iron hammer is still an ordinary affair, but it would make the old awl of Vaiśālī laugh to death." He also said: "The patch-robed monk's realm of insight can hardly be compassed by conformity or opposition. Swiftly he goes alone, responding to things and returning again. Sometimes he roosts high beyond the world; sometimes he wades through the dust. If held fast, ice forms on the water's surface; if let go, flowers bloom upon brocade. Old Lu does not know where he has gone; in the shadows of the white clouds, he laughs aloud." He gave a shout and stepped down from the seat. He also said: "The flower's heart has not yet opened; the willow's eye has just begun to bloom. The sobbing cries of returning wild geese; the murmuring sound of flowing water. The myriad phenomena raise and proclaim it as natural—this is the constant standard. If one further says that bondage and liberation share the same source, it is much like a dragon's head and a snake's tail." Again, he ascended the hall, paused for a good while, and said: "Do you understand? The wondrous purport of the patriarchs and Buddhas is right before your eyes. In front of Sunlight of Wisdom Peak, clouds arise beneath one's feet. The lake is clear and the waves are vast, far reaching to the distant sky. Evening singing from a fishing boat; drifting at night under the moon among reeds; joyously touring in a painted skiff; occasionally hearing the sounds of strings and flutes. To further speak of hearing sounds to awaken to the Way, or seeing forms to clarify the mind, is much like abandoning a sweet peach tree and searching the mountains to pick sour pears." He stepped down from the seat. The master lived in a hermitage, shut his gate, swept away tracks, and forgot the world for another ten years. He only conversed with the patch-robed monk Sihui. Lay literati and great ministers admired his noble style and wished to see him, but could not. In the twelfth month of the third year of the Daguan reign era, on the jiazi day, he bent three fingers and said to his attendants: "Only three days left." Soon after, he indeed passed away. A wondrous bird flew over, cried in the courtyard, and departed. His whole body was stupaed on the upper peak. In daily living and conduct, the master looked straight ahead without blinking. In overseeing the assembly for thirty years, he never smiled. Yet when at leisure, he would clap his hands and laugh and talk. Someone asked him the reason, and the master said: "Without dignity and reverence, one cannot lead the assembly. Formerly, for the sake of the monastic community, I forced myself to do so; it was not my actual nature." Wherever he went, whenever he saw painted images of Buddhas or bodhisattvas walking or standing, he did not dare sit. Upāsaka foods named after fish or meat he would not eat. His sincerity in reverent service and his guard over his mind to stay clear of faults were of this kind. When he ascended the hall to lecture and expound, he looked left and right like an elephant king turning around. Students often gained awakening through this. On the eve of his passing, several monks of Yue dreamed that the master returned to Tuṣita Heaven.
14.8
Chan Master Zhengwu Xiuyong of Touzi in Shuzhou was of the Liang family from Zhaocheng in Jinzhou. In his youth, he did not bow at spirit shrines, nor would he accept instruction in secular books. He often said: "I should become a teacher of humans and devas—how could I admire such things?" He then traveled through various regions, arrived at the Dharma assembly of Chan Master Yuanzhao at Ruiguang in Suzhou, and investigated the lineage tenets. On one occasion, the master brought up: "Asaṅga asked Vasubandhu: 'What Dharma does Maitreya preach?' He replied: 'He preaches this Dharma.'" Suddenly, as if having an awakening, he investigated day and night. One day, when entering the latrine, he stumbled, knocked over, and broke a water vase, whereupon he was awakened. He composed a verse: "This stumble, this stumble, / Is worth ten thousand ounces of yellow gold! / Hat upon the head, bag below the waist, / Pure wind and bright moon carried on the tip of the staff." From this his reputation flourished, and he came forth into the world to preach the Dharma. He first resided at Zishou in Shouzhou, and successively moved through several great monasteries, residing at Shaolin in the Western Capital, then moving to Zhaoti, and then moving to Touzi in Shuzhou. His reputation in the Way spread ever wider, and the monastic community jointly called him "Yong of the Huayan." He ascended the hall. A monk had just stepped forward when the master said: "Wrong!" The monk asked: "Where is the error?" The master said: "You do not believe the Way." A monk asked: "'This Dharma is equal, without high or low'—why then did Zhaozhou receive people in three grades?" The master said: "Entering the water, one sees the tall person." The monk said: "What if the student still does not understand?" The master said: "If calling out does not make him turn his head, what can be done?" A monk asked: "What is the mind transmitted from patriarch to patriarch?" The master said: "Three stars encircle the moon palace." The monk said: "What if it goes on just like this?" The master said: "Bole temporarily lowers his whip; the tired nags brag of being the Eight Steeds." A monk asked: "What is the primary truth?" The master said: "A hundred broken fragments." He then said: "At the summit of Laṅkā Peak, who can set foot? Before the crag of Shaoshi, not a drop of water leaks through. Right at such a time, the yellow-headed old man can open his mouth; the blue-eyed barbarian monk can open his eyes. Although this is so, affairs are not one-sided; fortunately, the ancient sages had the gate of the secondary truth, which is sufficient to speak east and chat west with you all. Therefore it is said: 'In spring it sprouts, in summer it grows, in autumn it falls, in winter it withers. The four seasons change and transform, wheeling along a long road. The foolish mind generates this and that; the realized person has one flavor without difference.'" After a good while he said: "The iron ox of Shan Prefecture swallows the great elephant; the Buddha of Jia Prefecture hides in a lotus thread." He also said: "Spring wind roars through ancient trees; morning mist locks the cold waves. Everything is completely manifest; but being manifest is also confused. Look, look! Right under your feet, how is it? A person with clear eyes has no fixed mold: it cannot be spat out, it cannot be chewed to pieces." He gave a shout and stepped down from the seat. He also said: "Lofty Shaoshi forever commands the host of peaks. Sometimes borne forth amidst the clouds; sometimes veiled by mist without a trace; sometimes towering suddenly before one's eyes. Possessing a mouth, it cannot speak; people call it the wall-gazing barbarian monk. Good people, how can this fault be avoided? Drop it, drop it! Better to just recite your texts." After a good while he said: "One: Yuanhe; two: Amitābha; three: Śākyamuni. Beyond that, what sort of cup-shaped hillock is it?" He also said: "Dew drops on the garden sedge; wind roars through the ancient cypress. The bright moon pours down the cold colors of a thousand peaks; the clear Huai River flows with ten thousand leagues of waves. If you comprehend here, I will cut off the multitude of flows for you. If not yet, you cannot avoid following the waves and chasing the billows. For instance, the water in a river: the swift currents rush and race along, each unaware of the others. All phenomena are also like this." He then picked up his staff and said: "Is the staff phenomena? Does it know or not know? If it knows, it is already bound by knowing; if it does not know, on what does it rely to indicate?" Striking [the couch] once, he said: "The single word 'knowledge' is the gate of all wonders!" He added: "Wrong!" and stepped down from the seat. Duke Zheng of Fu had long admired the ancestral style. At first, he met him at Shaolin when [the master] was ascending the seat. [The master] looked left and right at the great assembly with his eyes, and the Duke had an awakening from this. In his later years, having retired from government and living in Luoyang, he deeply respected the master's Way and thirsted to question him. He then invited him to reside at Zhaoti. Awaiting the master's arrival in the region, he went out in person to welcome him. As he was about to board his carriage, Duke Sima Wen arrived by chance and asked: "Where is Your Grace going?" Duke Zheng said: "To receive the new abbot of Zhaoti, Chan Master Yong." Duke Wen said: "I shall go along too." Thereupon they rode together out of the city and waited at the post pavilion. After a long time, they suddenly saw several dozen men carrying loads. They asked them, and the porters replied: "This is the luggage of the upādhyāya of Zhaoti." Duke Wen then asked for his horse to return early. Duke Zheng said: "You wanted to see the Huayan [Master]—why return early?" Duke Wen said: "I have already seen him," and returned first. The Duke waited for him alone. When the master arrived, the Duke respected him even more, so he welcomed him to reside in his rear garden, visiting him morning and evening to inquire. Whenever Duke Fu had a discussion, the master would always consider it wrong, yet the Duke would not stop expounding principles. One day the master said to Duke Fu: "Wait until this mountain monk nods vertically, and then that will be it." From then on, whenever the Duke spoke, the master simply shook his head and never answered. Suddenly, one day at midnight, the Duke had a thorough awakening and went hurriedly to knock on the gate. The master had already locked the door and gone to sleep. Hearing his voice, he called out: "Congratulations, Your Grace, on finishing the great matter! The night is deep; I will not open the gate now. Let us meet in the morning." At dawn the Duke went to see him. When the master saw the Duke coming from afar, before they exchanged a single word, he was already nodding his head. Duke Fu was overjoyed. At that time, Yuanzhao had just received the imperial decree to reside at Huilin. The Duke sent a poem in gratitude, saying: "Because of seeing Master Yong, my awakening and entry are deep; / Through these conditions, I have received the old master's mind. / Do not say the rivers and mountains of the southeast are far: / Before my eyes I face the spiritual light and wondrous voice."
14.9
Chan Master Fayin Shanning of Jinshan in Runzhou was a native of Jiangzhou. He undertook his studies at Ganlu Monastery. When he arrived at the Dharma assembly of Chan Master Yuanzhao, the master and disciple's dynamic affinities resonated as if by a past pact. He exerted all his efforts to assist and support him, spreading the Dharma transformation. When he appeared in the world at Wanshou, the regulations were rigorous and austere; he practiced diligently in person, and there was none among the assembly who did not submit. Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "Tianhuang spoke thus, and Longtan also spoke thus; I wonder, what does the Venerable say?" The Master said, "A white jade whip held in hand, the black dragon's pearls are smashed to pieces." The monk said, "Then there is a share for stepping back." The Master said, "Knowing an error, one must change it." A monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "There are no star-markings at the end of the steelyard." The monk said, "I wonder, what is the meaning of this?" The Master said, "The square peck-measure has a bottom." The monk said, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "Eyebrows like the crescent moon, eyes like shooting stars." The monk said, "What is the Dharma?" The Master said, "Meanings arranged in an intersecting net, stars divided across the great wilderness." The monk said, "What is the Sangha?" The Master said, "An ancient countenance, craggy and steep; the spirited vitality of a great hero." A monk asked, "The pole-puppet is kept on one's person, putting on a play wherever an occasion arises. This morning, the arena for choosing buddhas opens; please, Master, provide an expedient means." The Master said, "The composition needs no correction." The monk said, "It may be called rarely heard of in ancient or modern times." The Master said, "Tell me, what was the topic?" The monk hesitated; the Master struck him at once. He then looked to the left and right and said, "The ancients said: 'In the eye it is called seeing; in the ear it is called hearing; in the nose it smells fragrance; on the tongue it speaks and discourses; in the body it perceives touch; in the mind it clings to conditions.' Although this is so, they only saw the sharpness of the awl's point, not the squareness of the chisel's head. As for Wanshou, it is not so: having eyes, one looks and does not see; having ears, one listens and does not hear; having a nose, one knows no fragrance; having a tongue, there is no speaking or discourse; having a body, one perceives no touch; having a mind, it does not cling to conditions. With one thought in accord, the six faculties are liberated. I dare to ask you Chan worthies: tell me, is this the same as or different from what came before? Is there a patch-robed monk with eyes who can come forward to communicate some news? If not, I shall again explain it thoroughly for you: let go, and carts and horses pass through secretly; gather together, and high and low no longer exist. If you are an adept accustomed to battle, you are left entirely free to criticize and disparage." He also said, "Gathering the mystery dynamic in the palm, hanging an ancient mirror before the terrace—what demon or monster would dare resist? It may be called the luminous Dharma realm: self and other, objective sphere and wisdom, are completely subsumed; the distinct true source: this and that, sage and ordinary, are entirely stilled. Inferring from this: the monks' hall and the Buddha hall manifest the form body face to face; the storehouse kitchen and the three gates jointly propagate this matter. Just please snap your staff and investigate right before your eyes." He also said, "If you discuss Chan and speak of the Way, you immediately see arising and ceasing. If you further bring up the ancient and the modern, it is very much like ignoring the season. Last night the wind and rain were dismal; this morning the oppressive heat is suddenly dispelled. If you can investigate and analyze skillfully up to this point, Bodhidharma's confusion is no different." He also said, "In the entire great earth there has never been a single person who genuinely raised and propagated the lineage teaching. If there were one person who raised and propagated the lineage teaching, all the people in the entire great earth would have to hold their tongues at the sword's edge. Could it be that I am teaching you all to cut off seeing and hearing to tally with this Way? Not at all! Views like this are like a firefly burning Mount Sumeru—even through kalpas as numerous as dust and sand, it could never catch fire. Little do they know that the ancient sages' teachings only require later people to have straight eyes. One whose eyes are straight and who has reached realization may indeed be called rarely heard of in ancient or modern times, outshining the past and surpassing the future. When let loose, every word sees the truth and every phrase illumines the lineage; when gathered in, eye to eye, they stand straight and distinct alongside each other. Where will you see the ancients?" After a long pause, he said, "One must know that the oceans and mountains return to the enlightened ruler; I do not believe there is another heaven beyond heaven and earth."
14.10
Chan Master Foyin Xizu of Guangling in Muzhou was a son of the Zhou family of Chuzhou. Ascending the hall, he said, "The numinous radiance shines through clearly, completely subsuming things and self; the illuminating substance uniquely remains, with both before and after severed. Because of this, unconditioned transformations adapt to capacities in a thousand variations; adopting disparate forms, they merge into one identical nature. Therefore, our head is enlightened, our limbs are capable! The Dharma meets its time, and the Way is in middle revival. Erecting the great Dharma banner, performing great Buddhist works—this is well worthy of praise. Therefore, correct contemplation leaves no traces, names and characteristics are mutually distinct; silent listening is not hearing, the perfect voice universally responds. The frosty bell and dewy drum, host and guest intermingle; the jeweled palace and jasper pavilion, hearing this discourse, become manifest. The six avenues and three markets are everywhere adorned; the willow lanes and flower avenues, morning and evening, are Buddhist works. Sages and ordinary people mingle, gentry and commoners bustle; Indra's net is perfectly harmonious, empty and bright, mutually illuminating. Why must one journey alone to the south, knocking on every door and undergoing hardships, with right and wrong yet undecided? Now, the multilayered, inexhaustible Dharma gates of the Flower Treasury are accomplished right before one's eyes; what need is there for hesitation? Even though this is so, it brings shame upon the ancestral style." After a long pause, he said, "Nine years at Shaoshi—who knew him? A single phrase put into circulation is transmitted for ten thousand kalpas." He also instructed the assembly, saying, "Beside the Yanling Terrace, at the head of the Seven-Mile Rapids, one must directly fish for the giant turtle and the whale; how could it be limited to netting shrimp and clams? Flowing along with the current, carefree and untrammeled, floating or sinking as one's nature pleases; anchoring the boat, the moon rises at the heart of the waves; raising the oar, foam is born upon the water's surface. I dare to ask the great assembly: how do you understand the phrase that does not touch the waves?" After a long pause, he said, "People of the world only look at the fishing line, not seeing the reed blossoms facing the smartweed river."
14.11
Chan Master Yuancheng Yan of Zishou in Shouzhou. A monk asked, "Is there still any extraordinary thing in the teachings of the Great Canon?" The Master said, "I only fear you will not believe it." The monk said, "What is it?" The Master said, "The black is ink; the yellow is paper." The monk said, "Thank you, Master, for answering the question." The Master said, "Grasp the meaning at the tip of the hook; do not fix your mind on the zero-point of the steelyard." He then said, "Clouds rise at the mouth of the valley; the moon fills the long river. The woodcutter chops in the deep orchard; the old fisherman angles at the sandy islet. Arriving here, even Wu Daozi or Zhang Sengyou would have nowhere to apply their hands." After a long pause, he said, "Return to the hall and ask the Holy Monk." He then descended the seat. He also said, "Heaven and earth are solemn and serene; the seas are calm and the rivers clear. The wind does not whistle through the branches, and the rain does not break the clods. Spring sprouts, summer grows, autumn harvests, and winter stores—this is the worldly dharma. What is the Buddhadharma?" After a long pause, he said, "If you wish not to incur karma for the Avīci hell, do not slander the Tathāgata's wheel of the true Dharma. Take care." He also ascended the hall. After a long pause, he said, "The wondrous secret of the lineage vehicle I will now speak for you: the mountains are high, the waters deep, and the cold wind is piercingly chilly. The Patriarch's coming from the West was called a 'resting.' I dare to ask you all: what is the resting place? Do you understand? When it is cold, sit around the stove; when at leisure, sleep as your nature pleases."
14.12
Chan Master Shouyan of Yinjing in Taipingzhou. A monk asked, "When Matanga entered Han, the scriptural canon was clear; what was the purpose of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?" The Master said, "My Dharma is wondrous and hard to conceive; dragon-spirits and devas all take refuge in it." The monk said, "I wonder, are the Patriarch's intent and the teachings' intent the same or different?" The Master said, "Two throws of the dice in a single gamble." The monk said, "When one word returns to having the Way, the myriad phenomena naturally have no mind." The Master said, "That's still a bit off." A monk asked, "When meeting the Great Being Bodhidharma, how does one converse with him?" The Master said, "Rarely does one encounter an adept." The monk said, "Were it not for a court dignitary who understands your tone, how could the Venerable be willing to bring it out?" The Master said, "The golden hammer's shadow moves; the precious sword's gleam is cold." He then said, "Spring clouds and spring rain—the myriad things flourish; warm sun and gentle breeze—the cliff flowers vie in beauty. Green mountains layer upon layer, mountain streams limpid and clear. Encountering Bodhidharma's confusion, by all means avoid explaining it away!" He added, "If anyone can examine and detect it, this mountain monk today has fallen into words." Striking the meditation couch with his staff, he descended the seat. He also said, "When not a single dharma penetrates, the myriad conditions are then completely seen through. If you can understand clearly here, your eyes will pierce through the Iron Encompassing Mountains, and with one gulp you will swallow up the great ocean waters." He then gave a shout and said, "The great ocean waters have already been completely swallowed up! Where will the fish and dragons settle their bodies and establish their lives? Is there anyone in the assembly who can give rise to compassion? Come forth and rescue the Dragon King! If you cannot, it will worry someone to death. Although it is like this, matters are not one-sided. This mountain monk cannot help but explain the principle for you all. Have you not seen what the ancient sage said: 'Ultimate nirvāṇa is the permanently tranquil and extinct characteristic, in the end returning to emptiness'? A cataract in the eye, and sky-flowers fill the realm. If the cataract is not eliminated, one knows the world's affairs without going out the door; if the cataract is completely eliminated, only then does one know that the person inside the hermitage does not see affairs outside the hermitage. If you can be like this, only then do you know how to sit securely and enjoy its function throughout the twelve periods of the day as you please. If not yet so: you have been standing a long time; take care."
14.13
Chan Master Fazhen Shouyi of Benjue in Xiuzhou was a native of Jiangyin surnamed Shen. In his youth he longed for the gate of emptiness. When Yuanzhao resided at Ruiguang, he went to him and left household life, wandering nowhere else. Morning and night he inquired and investigated, suddenly awakening to the lineage tenets. He appeared in the world to preach the Dharma. A monk asked, "Selecting buddhas and selecting officials should correspond to each other; what is the matter of passing the examination at our ancestral seat?" The Master said, "The great roc spreads its wings—the heavenly thoroughfare is distant; the giant sea turtle turns its body—the ocean water is narrow." The monk said, "The Master's family reputation inherits the old enterprise; the foundation and lineage of the Dharma King attain middle revival." The Master said, "Look after five days." The monk said, "Tell me, are ancient times and today the same or different?" The Master said, "A word has already gone forth." A monk asked, "The spring atmosphere has already dispersed with the red rain; the balmy breeze has just brought the cool green shade. A student begs to ask about the meaning of coming from the West; I pray the Master will conveniently expound it." The Master said, "Clearly bring it up to the great assembly." The monk said, "It may be called a single phrase cutting off the flow, myriad mechanisms suddenly sheared away." The Master said, "Bumping and striking against it, what do you say?" The monk said, "The distinct pure regulations are the same ancient and modern; when meeting, there will surely be an intimate friend who brings them up." The Master said, "You are indeed clever." A monk asked, "A lion leaving the pride squats on the ground with full majesty, not showing claws or teeth; I wish to hear its roar." The Master said, "Everyone, exert your strength!" The monk said, "In those years Old Lu was once talkative; today I personally hear the primary dynamic." The Master said, "What about the matter beneath your feet?" The monk said, "The jeweled staff pokes open the eyes of a thousand sages; on the spot, distinguish the lotus amidst fire." The Master said, "Indeed an adept." He then said, "This one Dharma seal is not something transmitted; borne and upheld throughout vast kalpas, it is not obtained from others. Encompassing the six voids without anything outside, blending the ten time-periods into simultaneity. Completely brought forth, the traces of buddhas and patriarchs sink away; set down, sages and ordinary people arise intertwined. Luminescent in daily use, the myriad phenomena suddenly appear in the numinous light; vast before one's eyes, this and that are undivided in the limit of reality. Although completely devoid of traces, it circulates through immeasurable Dharma gates; utterly without reliance, it far transcends all grounds of wisdom. It is not of the characteristic of written words, and is apart from conditions of seeing and hearing. The various vehicles are therefore unable to explain it; the successive patriarchs cannot lift it up here. Today, human and heavenly beings having gathered, it cannot be in vain. Briefly within the gate of establishing transformation, I show it universally to you all. Please, each of you, straighten your minds and gaze directly." He then looked to his left and right and said, "Do you see? If you can undertake it in this way, then the pivotal balance will be grasped in your hands, jointly returning to the power outside the threshold, and the calm waves of the realm of lands will together assist the transformation throughout the realm. Take care." He also said, "You all know of it but cannot speak it; this mountain monk can speak it but does not know of it. Tell me, are these two phrases one principle or two meanings? If someone can determine this, I permit that the eye on your crown investigates correctly." He also said, "Meeting in one's fundamental lot does not consist in 'how'; hitching up one's robes and walking away is still being a dull fellow. If one separates guest and host, both are just mechanically repeating words like Du Bo. To further speak of the wondrous and discuss the mysterious does not qualify one as a descendant of the lineage gate. For this mountain monk to speak like this is already adding frost to snow. What more do you people intend to seek?" Using his staff, he chased them all down at once.
14.14
Chan Master Chuanzu Zhongxuan of Ganlu in Runzhou ascended the hall and said, "Establishing the vehicle of the lineage, crowds of māras vanish; broadcasting the Great Matter, the Tripiṭaka falls silent. How much more so when Ajita has not yet left Tuṣita, and the Yellow-faced Old One has already entered extinction at Kuśinagara! In the great land of Tang there are no Chan masters; the world's patch-robed monks taste only the dregs. Could there be an extraordinary patch-robed monk among you, an adept turning like a leopard, who steps forward, overturns the meditation bed, and scatters the crowd with a shout? Would that not be delightful?" After a long pause, he said, "Auspicious beasts hide their heads and horns; precious birds prize their feathers." He also said, "The rain clears and the mountains are blue; clouds drift across and the water is azure. On the peak of Potala auspicious herbs are about to flourish; in the city of Rājagṛha subtle flowers are about to bloom. Subhūti sits peacefully while Śakra hurries to and fro: each in their moment, how does past differ from present?" After a long pause, he said, "Myriad contrivances are not as good as the ordinary." He also said, "Hold, hold! Hundreds of thousands of wondrous gates return to one single path. Green mountains remain forever, but a kalyāṇamitra is rare to meet. How can that compare to recognizing the master of the house?" Raising his voice, he called out: "Master of the house!" Then he said, "Today, I buy and sell myself." Ascending the hall again, he looked around and said, "In the heart of the Yangzi River, waves rise without wind; beside Mountain Shigong, mounds pile high on flat ground. Understanding how to find the source at every turn—how could that compare to remaining motionless in silent stillness?" After a long pause, he said, "Laughable indeed: Hanshan forgot his way home; for ten years he did not know the road by which he came."
14.15
Chan Master Taiping Shou'en of Fuzhou, a native of Fuqing in the same prefecture, had the surname Qiu. He attained the Dharma from Yuanzhao. When he first took up abbacy, he resided at Dizang, later transferring to Taiping. Ascending the hall, he held up his fist, opened it, and said, "Sometimes a fist, sometimes a palm. If encountering patch-robed monks, those with merit are rewarded." Then lowering it, he said, "The ground is vast, the people sparse; few are they who meet." He also said, "After rain the doves call, before the mountains wheat ripens. Where are the cowherds, riding oxen, laughing and chasing each other? Once more holding transverse the short flute, playing a tune or two into the wind. Investigate!" He also said, "Yunyan played with the lion; Puhua turned somersaults. The monasteries take these as the barrier of the ultimate, but they cannot help but make patch-robed monks laugh their mouths wide open! Stop, stop! There's no cause for it. Instead, it was old Xianggu who could roll the ball." Ascending the hall again, he took his staff, struck the meditation bed once, and said, "The wise upon hearing can faithfully understand; the unwise in doubt and regret lose it forever. Thirty years from now, do not say the mountain monk came up to the hall today merely reciting the Lotus Sūtra." A monk asked, "What is the mind of the ancient Buddhas?" The master said, "Orioles call the same everywhere." The monk said, "I do not understand." The master said, "Oxen and sheep keep to the mountainside on their own." The monk asked, "What is the practice of a śramaṇa?" The master said, "Much emptiness, little reality." The monk said, "Why do you deceive people, Upādhyāya?" The master said, "Truly there is nowhere to conceal it." A monk asked, "Why does the person inside the hut not know what goes on outside the hut?" The master said, "I allow the ācārya possesses an eye." The monk said, "I have long looked up to the Upādhyāya." The master said, "Using a balance line in the dark, who can tell straight from crooked?" A monk asked, "What is discourse that surpasses the Buddhas and patriarchs?" The master said, "A wind every three days, rain every five days." The monk said, "Is there anything beyond this?" The master said, "The moon bright, the three islands are quiet; the woodcutter sings a song of peace." A monk asked, "Who is the original person?" The master said, "Skin withered and bones emaciated." The monk said, "How should those of middling and lower faculties comprehend this?" The master said, "Lying down headlong, sleeping crosswise." A monk said, "For the ancient Buddhas and the present Buddhas, there is no different principle." The master said, "What else are you dreaming of?" The master then said, "What you all know, this mountain monk knows entirely. What this mountain monk knows, you do not know. Today I cannot help but give a donation to you all." After a long pause, he said, "Above the head is heaven, beneath the feet is earth. Investigate!"
14.16
Chan Master Bianliang Foci of Lingyao Temple in Quzhou was a son of the Wu family of Raozhou. Lord Zhao Qingxian invited him to open the Dharma hall at four monasteries: Fuguo in Yuezhou, and Chaohua, Haihui, and Lingyao in Quzhou. A monk asked, "Three transformations of the Chan grove, four times emerging in the world—on the part of the Upādhyāya, what sort of matter has been accomplished?" The master said, "The mouth of the alms bowl faces heaven." The monk said, "For thirty years the operational trigger has now drifted across the five lakes in transmission." The master said, "Which one is this mountain monk's operational trigger?" The monk said, "One word goes beyond shadow and form, not falling away from the ancient style." The master said, "Take care of your eyebrows." Ascending the hall, he said, "Not knowing the length or shortness of time, not knowing whether the months and days are great or small; with ash on my head and mud on my face, I just pass the time like this. Whenever the first day of the month arrives, this mountain monk deliberately hammers out our house style, with rising and falling questions and answers, a whole laughingstock. Even so, scattering dirt with the wind and offering flowers with borrowed water, here are entangling vines and trailing creepers to untangle and pick apart together with you all." He suddenly grabbed his staff, struck the incense stand, and said, "Go to the hall and investigate!"
14.17
Chan Master Changlu Jingzhao Chongxin of Zhenzhou was a native of Luzhou with the surname Gao. At thirteen he relied on the monk Yongcheng of Chengtian in his home prefecture as his master. At twenty he received full ordination. Traveling south, he arrived at the Dharma assembly of Chan Master Jingci Yuanzhao in Hangzhou, matched wits, and received the seal of approval. He first resided at Zisheng in Xiuzhou. A monk asked, "What is the Way?" The master said, "The front gate of every household leads to Chang'an." The monk said, "What is the person on the Way?" The master said, "Where does the elder come from?" The monk said, "Is it not just this?" The master said, "The blue-eyed barbarian monk nods and smiles." The monk said, "Ultimately, how is it?" The master said, "Bow and withdraw." Ascending the hall, he said, "Bleak and chilly, the vast wilderness is desolate; dew drips on withered branches, mist enshrouds distant country houses. Looking as far as the eye can see under the endless sky, the myriad forms are clearly laid out; the frost moon sheds its radiance, reflecting everywhere in a thousand rivers. Preaching like this carries water and drags mud. If the guidelines were wielded strictly according to command, patriarchs and Buddhas would have to stand aside. Letting one move pass, there is another pure rule." He gave a shout.
14.18
Chan Master Ruiguang Zhenjue Shoucong of Suzhou was a native of the prefecture with the surname Gu. He had his head shaved under Chan Master Yuanzhao, then questioned the lineage vehicle and gained the seal of approval. Thereupon he emerged in the world to propagate the Dharma. A monk asked, "'Thinking thus, the Buddhas of the ten directions appear.' Now that thinking is finished, where are the Buddhas?" The master said, "From where does a single phrase directly in the wind arise?" The monk said, "If so, then at every turn one bumps into Maitreya; at every step one treads upon Śākyamuni." The master said, "India and this land are not the same." He then said, "How could the wondrous directive of our lineage consist of talking much? Encompassing it in a single word, you must immediately rest. Clear-eyed patch-robed monks know it only themselves; the Golden-Hued Dhūta is skilled at distinguishing. Winter departs, spring arrives, summer is scorching hot. When meeting Hanshan and Shide, pass word to Fenggan not to babble."
14.19
Chan Master Shuixi Shanke of Xuanzhou. A monk asked, "Are my hand and the Buddha's hand the same or different?" The master said, "Everyone has a share." The monk said, "Though there are a thousand skills, in the end there are not two styles." The master said, "Just do not mistakenly identify it." The monk asked, "When true gold must be smelted in the furnace and is completed with a single hammer blow, what then?" The master said, "Beware of talking about it." The monk shouted. The master said, "This lacquer bucket!" He then said, "I remember the final phrase at the Gṛdhrakūṭa assembly; today I present it to you all." After a long pause, he said, "Do you understand? Even if Mahākāśyapa stepped forward, today he too would have nowhere to state his case. Investigate!" He also said, "Thunder rumbles afar, widely spreading compassionate clouds; sweet dew just opens, and spring fills the whole sky. Willows open green eyes, flowers reveal fragrant faces; birds chirp in secluded groves, fish swim on the water's surface. To speak further of Bodhidharma's meeting in error is very much like gouging out flesh to make a wound. If one says the Dharma is originally like this, that is just naturalistic heresy. Speaking like this as if no one were around, clear-eyed patch-robed monks may scrutinize it as they please."
14.20
Chan Master Qixia Shan Chongfan Huizhang of Mingzhou. A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The master said, "You ask me." "What is the Dharma?" The master said, "Yellow scrolls and red rollers." "What is the Sangha?" The master said, "Square robes and round collars." "What is the transcendent matter?" The master said, "Wait for another time." The monk said, "I ask for it right now." The master said, "You missed it."
14.21
Chan Master Shifo Miyin Xiaotong of Yuezhou. A monk asked, "What is the stone Buddha?" The master said, "Head bearing heaven, feet treading on earth." The monk said, "Is there anything beyond this?" The master said, "Though it passes through frost and snow, it does not change its former countenance." He then said, "The Supreme Way is profoundly void—what governs the myriad things? True emptiness leaves no trace; the Dharma realm is just as it is. If you can be mindless in the face of conditions, whatever meets the eye is nothing other than the Way." After a long pause, he said, "Day and night it radiates light, illuminating existence and non-existence; fools call it pāramitā. Investigate!"
14.22
Chan Master Nanming Renshou Shantong of Chuzhou. A monk asked, "What is the Nanming realm?" The master said, "A spring flies as a sash of snow; a peak emerges through clouds halfway up the sky." "What is the person in the realm?" The master said, "Leaning on a bamboo cane, watching cranes dance; sitting on a rock, seeing clouds return." The monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The master said, "Climbing the mountain, the moon of a thousand leagues; crossing the sea, a sail full of wind." The monk said, "What is the essential meaning?" The master said, "Before words, there is a path; beneath a phrase, there is no selfishness." The monk asked, "What about before the dragon has emerged from the cave?" The master said, "Even the Buddha's eye cannot catch sight of it." "What about after it has emerged from the cave?" The master said, "It raises clouds and breathes mist."
First 22 of 55 passages. Read on
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- 續傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese