續傳燈錄 19

English (machine translation) 19

Language: English

19.1

Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Table of Contents for Fascicle 19

Fourteenth Generation Under Dajian
Sixty-nine Dharma heirs of Chan Master Fayun Shanben:
Chan Master Jingci Chuming
Chan Master Changlu Daohe
Chan Master Xuefeng Sihui
Chan Master Baolin Guochang
Chan Master Yunfeng Zhixuan
Chan Master Huilin Changwu
Chan Master Daochang Yougui
Chan Master Yanqing Kefu
Chan Master Daochang Huiyan
Chan Master Shuangfeng Zongda
Chan Master Wufeng Ziqi
Chan Master Yunmen Daoxin
Lecturer Tianzhu Congjian
Chan Master Chengtian Zixu
Chan Master Wujiang Fa'yan
Chan Master Zifu Baoyue
Chan Master Tianyi Huitong
Chan Master Tiansheng Qiyue
Chan Master Yuanming Xigu
Chan Master Langshan Wenhui (the above twenty persons are recorded)
Chan Master Zhihai He
Chan Master Shuixi Da
Chan Master Nanling Youpeng
Chan Master Tianzhang Chengji
Chan Master Guiyang Fahai
Chan Master Baoci Youcong
Chan Master Ruifeng Huiqing
Chan Master Lingyan Zhichang
Chan Master Huazang Lichong
Chan Master Guangling De'yan
Chan Master Tianyi Bian
Chan Master Dabie Baoxiang
Chan Master Ganci Guangwu
Chan Master Hanbi Dao'an
Chan Master Yunmen Yongsheng
Chan Master Mingzhao Ziqing
Chan Master Ziqing Yin
Chan Master Baoyan Zijian
Chan Master Damei Zhihua
Chan Master Changsheng Xizhao
Chan Master Jingci Rui
Chan Master Jinghui Zelin
Chan Master Chaohua Lingxiao
Chan Master Shouning Jietong
Chan Master Xifang Kehong
Chan Master Shousheng Xiaochu
Chan Master Fozhi Huitong
Chan Master Tianning Yongzhong
Chan Master Wulong Shoujie
Chan Master Bao'en Huaili
Chan Master Chengtian Pu'an
Chan Master Zhiping Ziwei
Chan Master Zisheng Gaoxuan
Chan Master Nanshan Wenze
Chan Master Changqing Sizheng
Chan Master Wanshou Haixian
Chan Master Xiyuan Yonglin
Chan Master Mingjue Huigao
Chan Master Liquan Huichu
Chan Master Taiping Puzhi
Chan Master Huangshan Wuxian
Chan Master Xiangshan Jingyuan
Upādhyāya Yunji
Upādhyāya Tanhui
Chan Master Yanguan Qian
Chan Master Shousheng Jian
Chan Master Jiaoshan Cong
Chan Master Chongde Chun
Chan Master Luohan Jiao (the above forty-nine persons are not recorded)
Thirteen Dharma heirs of Chan Master Jinshan Shanning:
Chan Master Chanyue Zhixiang
Chan Master Luyuan Daoqi
Chan Master Puji Zichun
Chan Master Heshan Yong'an (the above four persons are recorded)
Chan Master Xianju Youlin
Chan Master Chaohua Shoutan
Chan Master Jinshan Fori
Chan Master Xian'yan Huichu
Chan Master Xiyu Daozi
Chan Master Guangjiao Daoben
Chan Master Taiping Jiancai
Chan Master Shengfa Daogang
Chan Master Hongfu Daocai (the above nine persons are not recorded)
Three Dharma heirs of Chan Master Guangling Xizu:
Chan Master Wulong Guangjian
Chan Master Xian'yan Huaiyi
Chan Master Qingxi Zhicheng (the above three persons are recorded)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yuancheng Yan:
Chan Master Zhangfa Song (one person recorded)
Chan Master Baoshan Gongyuan (one person not recorded)
Six Dharma heirs of Chan Master Touzi Xiuyong:
Chan Master Zishou Guan
Chan Master Baima Jiang
Chan Master Xiangyan Zhiyue
Prime Minister Fu Yanguo (the above four persons are recorded)
Chan Master Wenshu Facong
Chan Master Zishou Mingtan (the above two persons are not recorded)
Fourteen Dharma heirs of Chan Master Foguo Bai:
Chan Master Jinshan Weizhong
Chan Master Qianming Yongyin
Chan Master Zhizhe Shaoxian
Chan Master Shengyin Chongkai
Chan Master Fusheng Zhongyi
Chan Master Huilin Huihai
Chan Master Jianlong Yuan (the above seven persons are recorded)
Chan Master Puzhao Fazui
Chan Master Tianning Xiu
Chan Master Huiji Puqian
Chan Master Xuan'guo of Erzu
Chan Master Luohan Yu
Chan Master Ce of Sanzu
Chan Master Guangjiao Yao (the above seven persons are not recorded)
Nine Dharma heirs of Chan Master Changlu Zongze:
Chan Master Hongji Qiong
Chan Master Zhao of Beijing
Chan Master Xuansha Zhizhang
Chan Master Jingci Weiyi
Chan Master Jiangshan Shanqin
Chan Master Benjue Daoru
Chan Master Tianning Zishen
Chan Master Ruifeng Yan
Upādhyāya Sengren (the above nine persons are not recorded)

19.3

Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Table of Contents for Fascicle 19 (End)

19.4

Fourteenth Generation Under Dajian

19.5

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Fayun Shanben

19.6

Chan Master Chuming Baoyin of Jingci in Lin'an Prefecture was from the Zhang clan of Baiyue. He ascended the hall and said: "The mind-seal of the ancestral masters is neither long nor short, neither square nor round, neither inside nor outside, nor is it in the middle. Now I ask the great assembly: exactly what form and appearance does it have?" He held up his staff and said: "Do you still see? Ancient seal script does not form modern characters; flying white calligraphy is hard to match in substance. From the origin it is naturally clear and bright; what need is there to make a special fuss about it?" He struck the Chan bed and descended from the seat. He ascended the hall and said: "Going out the gate, one sees the mountains and waters; entering the gate, one sees the Buddha hall. The numinous radiance penetrates everywhere—why do you all not recognize it? If you do not recognize it, Jingci today will find no convenience." He ascended the hall and said: "The ancestral master said: 'I originally came to this land / To transmit the Dharma and save deluded beings. / A single flower opens with five petals, / And the fruit matures naturally of itself.' If Jingci at that time had seen him speak like this, I would have used my black-lacquered staff to beat him to death with a single blow and bury him in the ground devoid of yin and yang, so that he could not catch his breath. Why? How intolerable that he deceived the people of our Tang land! Is there anyone in the assembly who will vent anger on the ancestral master's behalf? Come forward, and I will bury you along with him at the same time!" He ascended the hall and said: "If we discuss this matter, it is like jewels strewn about and gold and jade piled in disarray. Those who are blind to themselves willingly accept poverty; those with eyes pick them up with a casual hand. Therefore it is said: 'In Jambudvīpa there are great treasures; few are seen, and fewer still are obtained. / If someone were to offer them to me, attaining Buddhahood would take but a moment.'" Thereupon he held up his staff and said: "Now I present it to you all at once. I universally invite the great assembly to open your eyes wide!" He threw down his staff and descended from the seat.

19.7

Chan Master Daohe Zuzhao of Changlu was a son of the Pan clan of Xinghua. A monk asked: "At the unhindered holy gathering, is there still anyone who does not arrive?" The master said: "There is." The monk said: "Who is the one that does not arrive?" The master said: "The iron Kunlun at the feet of the Vajra deity." The monk asked: "'Traveling by night is not permitted; one must arrive by dawn'—what is the meaning of this?" The master said: "A sheep-headed cart pushing the bright moon." The monk said: "What about when one goes right along like that?" The master said: "The road through the Iron Gate is perilous." The monk asked: "What about when 'one hammer strikes twice'?" The master said: "Treading on lotus roots, one returns with a fish." The monk asked: "'A special transmission outside the teachings'—I wonder what is transmitted?" The master said: "An iron pellet." The monk asked: "What about when the journey through a hundred cities is finished?" The master said: "Ahead there is still the checkpoint of Zhaozhou." He ascended the hall and said: "One, two, three, four, five, six— / The blue-eyed barbarian monk cannot count them all. / The mud ox enters the sea and passes to Silla; / The wooden horse chases the wind and reaches India. / India is vast and boundless—where can it be sought? / On the crags of Potalaka, ask Avalokiteśvara. / Samantabhadra claps his hands and laughs, haha! / Return home, oh return! The autumn waters run deep."

19.8

Chan Master Sihui Miaozhan of Xuefeng in Fuzhou was a son of the Yu clan of Qiantang. A monk asked: "What about when there is no lamp in the ancient hall?" The master said: "The eastern wall strikes the western wall." The monk said: "In that case, one crashes into the exposed pillar." The master said: "I do not dare to grant you that." He ascended the hall and said: "When one dharma is penetrated, ten thousand conditions are completely seen through." Holding up his staff, he said: "If you are awakened right here, lift up your staff and walk horizontally across the ocean. If you reach the peak of Mount Yunju, deliver a message for me to Upādhyāya Xuefeng: 'Duo!'" He ascended the hall and said: "Spreading the great net of the teachings to fish for humans and devas, Husheng is not like the old barbarian, dragging through mud and dripping with water; he merely releases the hawk upon seeing the rabbit, and shoots the arrow upon encountering the musk deer." Thereupon he called aloud to the great assembly, saying: "Hit!" He ascended the hall and said: "In former days, Yaoshan would not give morning or evening interviews for months on end. One day, as soon as the great assembly gathered, Yaoshan immediately returned to the abbot's quarters. Venerable Chan monks! At that time the Buddha Dharma was already weak and diluted; yet speaking of it, it was still somewhat better. Nowadays, every day the drum is struck and the hall is ascended, chatting on and on. Those who ask have mouths like spinning wheels; those who answer have tongues like thunderclaps. It all makes the wisdom-life of Gṛdhrakūṭa today precarious as a hanging thread, and the house style of Shaoshi as perilous as a pile of eggs. How then could we find a patch-robed monk of resolute will to uphold and erect the ancestral vehicle, who would step forward and shout the great assembly to disperse? Not only would it make things quiet by our ears, but it would also cause the true Dharma to abide long—would that not be magnificent! If none of you turns into a dragon upon the blow of the stick, this mountain monk will execute this order in reverse!" With his staff, he chased them all away at once. He ascended the hall and said: "The eyelashes span across the ten directions; the eyebrows pierce upward to the azure sky and downward to the Yellow Springs. But tell me, where are the nostrils?" After a long pause, he said: "Zha!" He ascended the hall and said: "On the peak of Mount Miaogao, the sea of clouds is vast and boundless; before the cliffs of Shaoshi, the snow and frost are piercingly cold. Standing alone up to one's waist [in snow] is a vain toil and exhaustion; not meeting for seven days is an utterly shameful defeat. Meeting on a different peak falls halfway; returning west with a single shoe is far, far away!" He tapped his staff and descended from the seat. He ascended the hall and said: "The Great Way is right before your eyes, yet before your eyes it is difficult to behold. If you wish to know the true substance of the Great Way: today is the fifteenth day of the third month. Do not trouble yourselves to stand for long." Upon the change of the reign era to Jianyan, he ascended the hall and said: "'The great virtue of heaven and earth is called life; the great treasure of the sage is called position.' Our present Emperor has ascended the precious throne; the ten thousand states take refuge in his benevolence, and grasses, trees, birds, and fish are all covered by his virtue. This is still a matter concerning the sage lord's appearance in the world. The one phrase before his descent and birth in the royal palace is something that no one in the world can grope for." He ascended the hall and said: "All dharmas are without distinction: Yunmen's sesame cake, Zhaozhou's tea. / In the Yellow Crane Tower a jade flute is blown; / In the river town in the fifth month, plum blossoms fall. / Ashamed is Senior Monk Fu of Taiyuan: / At the fifth watch he hears the drums and horns, / And at daybreak he plays the pipa." He gave a shout. He ascended the hall and said: "Traveling south to consult various spiritual friends, you wear out your straw sandals; ending study and remaining unconditioned, you idly let days and months slip by. Deluded feelings are easy to shed, but holy understandings are hard to forget. As long as there is the slightest wisp, it all becomes leakage. Even if acting for the Way is like the earth holding up a mountain, and manifesting forms in response to things is like a donkey peering into a well—even without calculation, tracks and ruts are already formed. When it comes to true accord, it turns out to have no connection whatsoever. I urge you, worthy friends: do not use your minds mistakenly. Return to the hall, each of you—what more are you seeking?"

19.9

Chan Master Guochang of Baolin in Wuzhou was a son of the Shi clan of Anzhou. The master went into the mountains with Surveillance Vice Commissioner Yang Cigong. While they were touring the mountains together, Yang picked up Mahāsattva [Fu]'s 'meal-rock' and asked: "Since it is a meal-rock, why cannot one bite through it?" The master said: "Only because it is too hard." Yang said: "That still involves superfluous words." The master said: "I wonder how the Surveillance Vice Commissioner would put it?" Yang said: "Hard." The master said: "That too is the second moon." Yang wrote the plaque for the Seven Buddhas Hall, and then asked: "What about when the Seven Buddhas reappear in the world?" The master said: "Each encounter is ever new." He ascended the hall and said: "One is one, two is two; / Smelling it, there is truly no fragrance at all." Abruptly holding up his staff, he struck it once and said: "If you recognize this mountain monk's walking stick, / Do not go toward the South Mountain looking for a turtle-nosed snake!"

19.10

Chan Master Zhixuan Zudeng of Yunfeng in Tanzhou was a son of the Chen clan of Nanyue. He ascended the hall and said: "Cease and desist! Go as a single thought for ten thousand years! Go as cold ashes and withered wood! Go as the incense burner in an ancient temple! Go as a strip of white silk! Great assembly, the ancient masters' realization was like the sun shining in the sky; not abiding in the two extremes, how could they fall into the realm of darkness? Yet it is lamentable that later descendants mostly understand this only on the uniform, passive side. This mountain monk, however, is not like that: I do not cease, I do not desist! Go with karmic consciousness vast and boundless! Go completely topsy-turvy! Go sitting and lying down amid the hubbub and bustling sounds and colors at the crossroad! Go sporting amidst the brambles and thorns that fill the alleys and block the roads in a three-family village! Go splitting the belly and gouging out the heart on the mountain of knives and the forest of swords, having skin pierced and bones rotted in cauldrons of boiling water and stoves of red-hot coals! To raise such a teaching is very much like a three-year-old child rolling an embroidered ball." He ascended the hall and said: "All sounds are the Buddha's voice—the poison-smeared drum penetrates into the ears. All forms are the Buddha's form—iron caltrops pierce right through the eyes. A good thing is not as good as nothing." Then he descended from the seat. He ascended the hall and said: "The entire universe and the great earth is a red-hot iron ball: where can you all sink your teeth into it?" After a long pause, he said: "You cannot swallow it down, nor can you spit it out." He ascended the hall and said: "Slender bamboos and tall pines drip with emerald fragrance; / The drifting wind and sparse moon pass through heat and cold. / I know not who lives in the temple west of the plain; / Daily the sound of the bell sends off the setting sun." He ascended the hall and said: "Sleeping atop sound and form; practicing Chan in the midst of tigers and wolves; turning the body inside a thicket of brambles; playing amidst a grove of snow-bright blades. When the bamboo shadows sweep the steps, no dust is stirred; when the moon pierces the bottom of the pool, no trace is left in the water." He ascended the hall and said: "'It is not the wind moving, it is not the banner moving'—the patch-robed monk loses his nostrils. 'It is the wind moving, it is the banner moving'—clearly a lacquer tub. The two sections are not the same; eyes are blind and ears are deaf. The stream water is as blue as indigo; the mountain flowers are as red as fire." He ascended the hall. A monk asked: "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The master said: "Bumping the forehead, striking the nose." The monk said: "What is the essential import?" The master said: "Donkeys carry it, horses bear it." The monk said: "Is there still anything beyond this?" The master said: "Reaching India in the morning, returning to the Tang land in the evening." The monk said: "Thank you, Master, for answering my question." The master said: "The Great Vehicle is clumsy and rattling." The monk withdrew. The master then said: "The monk asked about the meaning of coming from the West: 'Bumping the forehead, striking the nose.' 'What is the essential import?' 'Donkeys carry and horses bear.' 'Reaching India in the morning, returning to the Tang in the evening; the Great Vehicle is just like something clumsy and rattling.' Why should a person of immeasurable capacity be turned around by the thread of words?" He then clapped his hands, laughed heartily, and descended from the seat. A monk asked: "When Danxia burned the wooden Buddha, why did the temple director's eyebrows and beard fall out?" The master said: "One person transmits a falsehood, and ten thousand people transmit it as truth." The monk said: "In that case, they did not fall out?" The master said: "A twofold gong'an." The monk said: "Your student does not understand, and specially requests further instruction." The master said: "In Jun, Yuan, Qian, and Ji, pens are stuck in their hair." A monk asked: "What is the meaning of Deshan striking with his stick as soon as someone enters the gate?" The master said: "Controlling the rod to govern the people." The monk said: "What about Linji shouting as soon as someone enters the gate?" The master said: "Transforming without words." The monk said: "I wonder how the Venerable Upādhyāya instructs people?" The master said: "One stroke of the blade cuts in two." A monk asked: "Regarding the seamless iron gate, I ask the Master to open it once." The master said: "Step forward three paces." The monk said: "Regarding the barrier with nothing beyond, I ask the Master to close it once." The master said: "Step back eight feet." The monk said: "What about when it is neither opened nor closed?" The master said: "Hong! Hong!" and struck him.

19.11

Chan Master Changwu of Huilin in the Eastern Capital. A monk asked: "'If one does not transmit the Dharma to liberate sentient beings, no one in the world can repay the debt of gratitude.' I wonder what Dharma you transmit?" The master said: "'Opening the Lineage and Clarifying the Meaning,' Chapter One." The monk asked: "What about before Bodhidharma came?" The master said: "Saving the expense of straw sandals." The monk said: "What about after he came?" The master said: "Layer upon layer of passes and mountain roads."

19.12

Chan Master Yougui of Daochang in Anji Prefecture was a son of the Jiang clan of Wuzhou. He ascended the hall, held up his staff, and said: "Do you still see? 'Exhausting all mysterious discussions is like placing a single hair in the great void; draining all worldly mechanics is like dropping a single drop into a huge ravine.' Although the old man Deshan burned his commentaries and subcommentaries, that too was drawing the bow after the thief had gone. But tell me, before the patterns were displayed, how should one discuss it? Where are the three thousand swordsmen today? Zhuang Zhou alone is permitted to bring about great peace!" He ascended the hall and said: "Farming to earn one's meal is Dizang's house style; offering tea when a guest arrives is Zhaozhou's etiquette. But tell me, what special merit is there under the gates of Husheng?" After a long pause, he said: "Ordinarily, the mountain spring is not allowed to run out; / The clear pool beneath the eaves hums, reflecting the person." A fund-raising monk came forward and asked: "My packing is already done; I beg the master for a word." The master said: "Take good care of the matters on the road ahead; do not compare it to when you were at home." The monk said: "In that case, I will go to wait for someone in a three-family village and at the crossroad." The master said: "Take care not to lose your cloth bag."

19.13

Chan Master Kefu of Yanqing in Zhaozhou ascended the hall and said: "When a barbarian comes, a barbarian appears; when a Han comes, a Han appears. If a barbarian and a Han suddenly come together, how will you receive them?" After a long pause, he said: "'The sunset glow flies together with the solitary wild duck; the autumn water shares the same hue with the vast sky.' Engage [in the inquiry]!" He ascended the hall, abruptly held up his staff across his knees, and said: "Deep is the pain and suffering! Deep is the pain and suffering! / The emerald pool is tens of thousands of fathoms deep— / Who is the one that understands the sound?" He tapped it once and descended from the seat.

19.14

Chan Master Huiyan of Daochang in Anji Prefecture ascended the hall and said: "The World-Honored One pressed down his finger, and the ocean-seal emitted light." Holding up his staff, he said: "Do not indulge in false thoughts!" Then he descended from the seat.

19.15

Chan Master Pujiji Zongda Fohai of Shuangfeng in Wenzhou. A monk asked, "What is the realm of Yongjia?" The Master said, "Huagai Peak." The monk said, "Who is the person in the realm?" The Master said, "The Awakened-in-One-Night." He ascended the hall, and once the assembly had settled, he gave a shout and said, "Injustice has its head, debts have their creditors. Take care!"

19.16

Chan Master Ziqi of Wufeng in Yuezhou. A monk asked, "The student has come before you begging the Master to impart instruction." The Master said, "A thousand blossoms open in elegance." The monk said, "The student does not understand." The Master said, "After the rain, ten thousand mountains are green." The monk said, "Thank you for the instruction." The Master said, "How do you understand it?" The monk then gave a shout. The Master said, "Not yet." The monk gave another shout. The Master said, "After one shout and two shouts, what then?" The monk said, "I already knew the Upādhyāya had this pivotal function." The Master said, "What did you just say?" The monk was speechless. The Master then shouted.

19.17

Chan Master Daoxin of Yunmen at Shaoshan in the Western Capital. A monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "A snake in a thousand-year-old tomb today grows horns on its head." The monk said, "Could it be simply the Upādhyāya's house style?" The Master said, "To calculate is to lose body and life." The monk asked, "What is the student's own self?" The Master said, "No one recognizes it." The monk said, "How can one attain liberation and release?" The Master said, "You ask, and I answer."

19.18

Lecturer Congjian Cibian of Shang Tianzhu in Lin'an Prefecture was a native of Songyang in Chuzhou. Possessing great insight, his fame spread through the lecture seats. He had a deep realization of cessation and contemplation (śamatha-vipaśyanā). He frequently associated with Chan patch-robed monks, and once used his power of the Way to interrogate Datong. One day, Datong wrote a letter and sent it to him. The Master broke the seal and saw two circular figures, one black and one white, whereupon he was awakened. He replied with a verse: / 'Black figure, white figure: carrying the cangue and passing the deposition; / Clear or not clear—raising waves where there is no wind. / If you ask what the ultimate matter is like: / Mount Dongting is upon Lake Tai.'

19.19

Chan Master Zixu of Chengtian in Yuezhou was surnamed Huang, a native of Shanzhou. He received his training at Changxing Temple in the Eastern Capital, deeply plumbing the sūtras and treatises and strictly maintaining vinaya practices. He studied under Chan Master Datong and was awakened at his words; he subsequently took up residence at Chengtian. He instructed the assembly, saying: "If one speaks of this matter: embody it and it is divine; revere it and it is numinous. Look at it, and the eyes resemble eyebrows; listen to it, and the mud ox roars. Speak of it, and the tongue contracts; sniff it, and the nostrils are blocked. Touch it, and each blow leaves a welt; contemplate it, and an iron needle cannot penetrate. At such a time, it is called the place unreachable by intellect, the place where mental paths are severed; it is also called the place of peace and joy for the person of no-affairs. Even if a thousand sages were to arise and all the patriarchs were to come forward, they could not express it. In ancient times, the Upāsaka Vimalakīrti revealed this message before all the bodhisattvas. Next, Great Master Bodhidharma expounded the Dharma for the assembly before Shaoshi Peak for nine years, and only the Second Patriarch personally heard it. Thereafter, the Dharma flowed across realms as numerous as the sands. Today Chengtian also has a place to speak before those who know it is so." After a long pause, he said, "Do you see? A hundred flavors spread interlaced make clear the Patriarch's meaning; beneath a single word, the profound debt of gratitude is repaid." He also ascended the hall, held up his staff, and said: "Do you see? Clear as a mirror, level as a balance. The four-sevens and two-threes personally enacted this command. Those with eyes, distinguish it!" He struck the meditation bench once.

19.20

Chan Master Fa'yan of Shengshou in Wujiang, Suzhou. A monk asked, "I do not ask about the Patriarch's meaning coming from the West; what is the matter of opening the hall today?" The Master said, "Clouds arise on the green peaks." The monk said, "The student does not understand." The Master said, "The moon sinks into the cold pool." He then said, "Waves rise on the mountaintops, dust flies at the bottom of the water; flowers in the sky bear fruit, a barren woman gives birth to a child. Nowadays, it is not like that: an intercalary month every three years, the Double Ninth in the ninth month; in winter the days are short, in spring the days gradually lengthen; when cold, face the fire; when hot, seek the cool." After a long pause, he said, "Tell me, where is the Buddha Dharma? Not departing from the present place, it is ever serene. If you seek it, know that it cannot be seen by you." He gave a shout.

19.21

Chan Master Baoyue Faming of Zifu in Zhengzhou, on bathing the Buddha, ascended the seat. A monk asked, "The Dharma body is pure and its wondrous response is without fixed direction. Why bathe the Buddha with fragrant water?" The Master said, "Today is the eighth day of the fourth month." The monk said, "Since it is without defilement, what are you bathing?" The Master said, "If one does not enter the water, how can one see the tall person?" The monk said, "What if one suddenly runs into Old Man Yunmen?" The Master said, "A swift opportunity is hard to meet," and struck him. He ascended the hall and said, "Zifu has nothing else to offer; every five days we assemble and strike the drum. When have we ever spoken of the wondrous or discussed the abstruse? We use only coarse words and direct speech. Licorice has always been sweet; coptis remains bitter as ever. If your nostrils suddenly reach to the heavens, take care never to cite this mistakenly when meeting people." He also ascended the hall and said, "Wind-blown branches and the moonlit islet can both transmit the mind; misty islands and cloudy groves all bring up the wondrous purport. The ready-made gong'an is not in thinking. To speak further of the blue-eyed [one's] coming from the West with a special transmission directly pointing is much like raising waves on flat ground. Is there anyone now who fully understands?" After a long pause, he said, "Stone peaks large and small connect to the clouds in green; cypresses are short and pines are tall, carrying dew in verdure." He descended from the seat. He also said, "If one speaks of this matter, it is like cutting a tree and reaching the root, or moxibusting an illness and finding the acupoint. If you reach the root, why would you need to cut all thousand branches? If you find the acupoint, there is no need to burn the entire six parts." He tapped his staff once and said, "This is the root; that is the acupoint." He gave a shout and said, "What words are these?"

19.22

Chan Master Huitong of Tianyi Temple in Yuezhou. A monk asked, "What is it like when the lion has not yet emerged from its den?" The Master said, "Concealing its fangs and hiding its claws." The monk said, "What about after it has emerged from the den?" The Master said, "The pack of foxes vanishes without a trace." The monk said, "If so, then its awesome wind shakes within the green reeds, and its claws and fangs are revealed before Mount Qinwang." The Master said, "You try roaring and let me see." The monk said, "I'll let this move pass." The Master said, "You cannot spit it out." The monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "The inverted shadow of the green pine hangs over the secluded path." The monk said, "The student does not understand." The Master said, "The cold sound of green bamboo mingles with the turbulent stream." The monk said, "From this, the student has no further doubt." The Master said, "Slow down a bit." He then said, "Today, since the awl in the bag has already been revealed, it cannot avoid trailing through water and dragging through mud." He looked around at the great assembly and said, "Is there anyone? Yet the Patriarch's mind seal is fundamentally complete right here. If you understand it in this way, there is a slight correspondence. If you seek verification through verbal explanations, you only tire yourself in vain. Galloping on the sharp edge of rhetoric, wishing to carry on the true vehicle—this is utterly impossible. Just tell me, what about the phrase before Bodhidharma came? Can anyone say it?" After a long pause, he said, "The iron ox ran off at the third watch last night; the barren woman gave a shout by the stream, and it turned back." He also instructed the assembly, saying: "With a single strike of the bell, the sound shakes the Wondrous Peak; the jade candle blazes with radiance, universally illuminating the great thousand [worlds]. Even Bodhisattva Guanyin has no place to hide his body here. If you ask further, 'How so? What is it?', pass beyond the Iron Surrounding Mountains by three thousand more."

19.23

Chan Master Qiyue of Tiansheng in Huzhou. A monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "In the barbarian lands, bamboo shoots sprout in winter." The monk said, "I beg the Master to point again." The Master said, "The Persian does not tie his sash." The monk said, "Thirty years later, I will circulate this exclusively." The Master said, "What is the meaning of coming from the West?" The monk clapped his hands once. The Master said, "Already a total mess!" The monk bowed, and the Master struck him. The monk asked, "Whose song does the Master sing? Whose ancestral lineage do you inherit?" The Master said, "When fish swim, the water turns turbid." The monk said, "If so, then Jingci's single arrow shoots straight at Cuiwei Peak." The Master said, "The hexagram is the Gate of Heaven; by calculation, there are five omens." The monk said, "To examine a person's authenticity, one knows the tone as soon as they open their mouth." The Master said, "Feel around all you like." He then said, "The Patriarch's mind seal is far beyond sense faculties and sense dust. The wondrous body is not form; it is in vain to surmise it. If the mind retains intellectual understanding and consciousness is mired in views, how could one reach the Patriarch's glorious model? Today, you must thoroughly exhaust thoughts in a single thought, with internal and external views extinguished. Only when great wisdom is fully bright can you penetrate it clearly. Then you will respond to occasions and apply functions, seeing good and ugly as equal. Everywhere is He; there is no other principle. When mountains and rivers proclaim it, who is the intimate knower? When waterbirds speak of reality, who is good at listening? Even though it is like this, only those who know it will know. If your mind's eye is not yet opened, take care never to lay hold of emptiness and grasp at echoes." He tapped his staff once.

19.24

Chan Master Xigu of Yuanming at Yizhang in Liuzhou. He ascended the hall and said, "Heaven and earth have no four walls; the sun and moon have no four seasons. Heat departs and cold comes; the wind is calm and the waves are tranquil. Ancient and present heaven and earth, ancient and present mountains and rivers—the sentient and the insentient all receive the power of grace. There is no need to travel south to inquire of the patriarchs, or travel north to see Mañjuśrī. Before the temple of the ancient Buddha, the inquiry is now completed. What do you see?" After a long pause, he said, "This too is meeting Bodhidharma in confusion."

19.25

Chan Master Wenhui of Mount Lang in Tongzhou. A monk asked, "What was it like before the Upādhyāya saw Jingci?" The Master said, "The iron ox grew horns." The monk said, "What about after seeing him?" The Master said, "The stone horse became pregnant." The monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "Ocean clouds arise at the mountain peak." The monk said, "The student does not understand." The Master said, "The waters of the Yangzi flow east."

19.26

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Shanning of Jinshan

19.27

Chan Master Zhixiang of Chanyue in Xiuzhou ascended the hall and said, "Either dwelling in the city walls or dwelling in the mountains, / Entrusted to conditions, with no affairs to be concerned about. / At times sitting silently makes people laugh; / They say it is leisure, yet it is not leisure. / Let me ask you all: why does it turn out not to be leisure? Does the great assembly understand?" After a long pause, he said, "Yesterday autumn ended; today early winter begins."

19.28

Chan Master Daoqi of Luyuan in Xiuzhou ascended the hall and said, "If one speaks of this matter, directly without partiality, its radiance leaps through past and present. Not departing from the present place, its responsive manifestation is never lacking. To further display the sharp edge of rhetoric is only to tire the ears of listeners. Knocking and tapping at the gate produces ten thousand distinctions and a thousand differences. Arriving here, Old Man Vimalakīrti could only look on from the side; as for Bodhidharma's nine years, watching it has its share." After a long pause, he said, "Investigate!"

19.29

Chan Master Zichun Yuanji of Puji in Wuzhou. A monk asked, "'The maṇi jewel no one recognizes; directly obtained within the Tathāgatagarbha.' What is the jewel?" The Master said, "It turns by itself without being prodded." The monk said, "What is the storehouse?" The Master said, "A single prod and it turns." The monk said, "What about after it turns?" The Master said, "It cannot be held." He ascended the hall: "The rain passes and the mountain is green; the clouds clear and the moon is white. The cold pine bearing snow, the courtyard cypress swaying in the wind. When this mountain monk speaks like this, is there still the Patriarch's meaning or not? If perhaps not..." After a long pause, he said, "Look, look!"

19.30

Chan Master Yong'an of Heshan in Jizhou. A monk asked, "What is it like when the lotus flower has not yet emerged from the water?" The Master said, "Fish push against it and turtles lean on it." The monk said, "What about after it emerges from the water?" The Master said, "Worn upon the water immortal's head, even skilled hands cannot climb up to it." The monk said, "What about when it is neither emerged nor not emerged?" The Master said, "Heaven and earth must cherish it, not letting it be easily seen."

19.31

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Xizu of Guangling

19.32

Chan Master Guangjian of Mount Wulong in Muzhou ascended the hall. After a long pause, he said, "The bright jewel is in the palm, yet those who discern it are still rare. The precious mirror is before the stand; who is it that fully understands? The one road before the blade's edge cuts off all streams; a thousand differences beneath the words follow the waves and pursue the billows. Therefore it is said: at the stick's end attain verification; under the shout take responsibility. In hesitation and deliberation, you are already in the kingdom of Silla. Instructional discourses such as these are accommodated for beginners; if one is of the clear-eyed superior stream, it is not a matter of boring tortoise shells and striking roof tiles. Take care!"

19.33

Chan Master Huayi of Xianyan in Jinyun, Chuzhou. A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "Why wrong yourself?" The monk said, "What is the Way?" The Master said, "You have already spoken it." The monk said, "Is there still anything beyond?" The Master said, "No." The monk said, "If so, then a small departure brings a great encounter." The Master said, "I only fear it is not so." The monk said, "Indeed it is." The Master said, "Yet you go off like that."

19.34

Chan Master Zhicheng of Xichan in Qingxi, Muzhou, instructed the assembly, saying: "When a single parasol leaf falls in the courtyard, the whole world is colored with autumn. When several lines of wild geese pass through the clouds, the entire earth resounds with chilly calls. Suddenly the west wind is recognized, shivering across the clear wild waters. In every single thing it is revealed; in every phenomenon it is fully displayed. Those with eyes all see it; those with ears all hear it. But tell me, where is the Buddha Dharma?" After a long silence, he said: "How distinct and clear!"

19.35

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Yuancheng Yan of Zishou in Shouzhou

19.36

Chan Master Song of Zhangfa in Wuling, Dingzhou. A monk took off his shoes, placed them on his head, and came forward. The master said, "Zhaozhou is still here." The monk took down the shoes and held them up. The master said, "Indeed." The monk picked up the shoes and returned to the assembly. The master said, "Still lacking a little." He then held up his staff and said: / "Walking or sitting, I constantly hold the rabbit-horn staff; / Applying it fully, displaying the forms of dragon and tiger. / Breast Peak exclusively permitted old Shao to thrust it forward; / How many varieties have later generations debated? / There is square and round, there is rescue and salvation; / Striking the iron ox, it rises with the blow. / You must see to it that you fear not the ten-thousand-year vine; / Cut off both ends, desist from speculation! / Neither large nor small, / Propping up the earth and supporting heaven, it is ever brilliant. / Picked up and planted before everyone, / All phenomena, heaven and earth, are completely illuminated!" / He struck once.

19.37

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Zhengwu Xiuyong of Mount Touzi

19.38

Chan Master Guan of Zishou in Shouzhou. A monk asked, "The court ministers have come to the banquet and request the master's instructional discourse." The master said, "Emerald bamboo sways in the wind; cold pines melt into the moon." The monk asked, "What about before the King of Awesome Sound?" The master said, "The hornless iron ox sleeps at Shaoshi; the child-bearing stone woman grows old at Huangmei." The monk said, "Thirty years from now, these words will be widely celebrated." The master said, "Beware of citing them wrongly!" Ascending the hall, after a long silence, he said: "Even if you disperse right now like this, it is already entangling creepers. If I were to chatter on, what benefit would there be?" Striking the meditation bed with his whisk, he stepped down from his seat.

19.39

Chan Master Jiang of Baima in the Western Capital. A monk asked, "I know the master has long harbored the jewel in his bag; today you open the hall, please lend it to us briefly for a look." The master said, "I will not lend it, I will not lend it." The monk asked, "Why not lend it?" The master said, "To sell gold requires a buyer of gold." He then said: "If one speaks of buddhas and speaks of patriarchs, one has not yet severed the root and source of birth and death. Even if not a speck of dust is established, the mind still constantly clings to objects. I dare ask everyone: how can one hit the mark just right?" He held up his staff and said, "Look, look! The staff swallows up empty space, but when has empty space ever had any awareness?"

19.40

Chan Master Zhiyue of Xiangyan in Dengzhou. Ascending the hall, he looked at the assembly and said: "Fine Chan worthies! The mist rolls up from the vast sky; the clouds gather away from the great wilderness. Beneath the Maiden's Terrace—how is it different from before Cock's Foot Mountain? On the shores of the Four Lakes—it is no different from the road to Caoxi. A fisherman's song from a skiff, orioles warbling in tall trees. Wild grasses harbor mist; beach flowers weep with dew. Does the great assembly understand?" After a long silence, he said: "Wherever it is revealed at every turn, observe it carefully and thoroughly!" He also ascended the hall and said: / "The treasury of my house is not begrudged; / Presented face-to-face, few recognize it. / Blazing through present and past when its essence is complete, / Illuminating earth and illuminating heaven, its light is magnificent. / Why consider the fine jade of Mount Jing precious? / The bright pearls of Hepu cannot compare to it. / May I ask, who dares to name a price? / The Persian's nostrils are three feet long!" / He gave a shout.

19.41

Prime Minister and Upāsaka Fu Bi, courtesy name Yanguo. After being spurred on by Lord Qingxian, he applied himself to this Way day and night without rest. Hearing that Chan Master Yong presided over the Dharma assembly at Touzi and was paramount in the Huai River region, he went to resolve his doubts. It happened that Yong ascended the seat for the assembly. Seeing him look around like an elephant king turning back, the prime minister had a slight realization. Thereupon, observing the etiquette of a disciple, he hastened to the abbot's room and instructed the attendant to request admission. Yong, seeing him, immediately said, "The prime minister has already entered; Fu Bi is still outside." Hearing this, the prime minister broke into a sweat all over his back and had a great awakening. Soon after, he sent a verse to Yuanzhao Ben, saying: / 'Upon one meeting with Master Yong, awakening entered deep; / Through these conditions, I obtained the old master's mind. / Do not speak idly of the southeast's distant rivers and hills; / My eyes face the numinous light and the wondrous sound.' / Later, he memorialized the throne to grant Yong a master's title. When Yong ascended the hall to give thanks, he said, "That was an error of the moment; I also acted on the mistake to make the best of it." The prime minister composed a verse in praise, saying: / 'Ten thousand trees and a thousand flowers wish to flourish; / The reclining dragon has not yet emerged from the dark ocean. / Rosy clouds and splendid mists present auspicious omens; / As before, the southern mountain is entirely blue.'

19.42

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Foguo Weibai of Fayun

19.43

Chan Master Fojian Weizhong of Jinshan in Runzhou. A native of Tingzhou, he received full ordination early. He traveled through Mount Lu and the Huai-Zhe region, calling on ancestral masters everywhere. When he reached Mount Gui, Master Bai resided there. Entering the master's room, he heard him cite the nidāna of the cypress tree in the courtyard, and upon these words he attained awakening. He first taught in the world at Huiguo in Cizhou. Shortly afterward, Bai received an imperial edict to reside at Fayun in the Eastern Capital; he went with the master and assumed the post of head monk. In the spring of the third year of the Yuanfu era,

19.44

Emperor Zhezong passed away. During the five-sevens funerary period, inside the palace, Prime Minister Zeng Bu, having heard of the master's renown in the Way, memorialized his name. Intendant of Zhexi Cheng Zhiyuan and Prefect and Grand Eunuch of Runzhou Fu Xie invited the master to reside at Jinshan. The master entered the monastery on the eleventh day of the fourth month in the first year of the Jianzhong-Jingguo era. The Empress dispatched an imperial envoy to offer incense and pray for the longevity of the Emperor. When the senior monk struck the mallet, the master looked to the left and right and said, "Do you understand? The lion leaps; the elephant king turns back. If you understand here, it saves no small amount of effort. If not, and you have doubts, please ask." A monk asked, "On this day when the arena for selecting buddhas opens, with what Dharma will the master repay the imperial benevolence?" The master said, "The ten-thousand-year pine stands on Zhurong Peak." The monk said, "If so, then when the Grand Eunuch attends the banquet, how will you make recompense?" The master said, "Fishermen and woodcutters across a thousand leagues rejoice in peace." The monk said, "Newly fallen rain and dew / Wash clean the old towers and pavilions." The master said, "Talking theory." The monk asked, "What about the phrase for 'sailing a vast boat surging through snow-white waves'?" The master said, "Join the palms at the triple gate; burn incense in the Buddha hall." He then said: "The Dharma originally has no words, but responds to capacity according to affairs. The mind originally has no form, but manifests when encountering conditions. Past and present are like this; ordinary and holy share the same path. Because sentient beings are deluded and unaware, they cycle in transmigration. Therefore, the Benevolent One suddenly forgot emotional views and thoroughly understood the root and source; it is not sought from without, nor attained from within. Thus buddha after buddha extended hands, and patriarch after patriarch transmitted it. The Way penetrates the One Vehicle; the school divides into five branches. Linji features the mutual exchange of guest and host; Shaoyang's observing and reflecting is entirely transcendent; Guiyang sees father and son in accord; Caodong is the joyous meeting of ruler and minister; and Qingliang's Fayan directly points to mind-only. Establishing their lineage styles, each set up their wares, encompassing all phenomena and embracing the great chiliocosm. Deep and dark, it does not blend with form and sound; vast and open, how could it hinder speech and silence? Grasping tightly, the ten directions are cut off—a tiger crouches, a dragon coils. Letting go, a thousand sages appear—the wind blows, the grass bends. Assisting the benevolent governance of Yao, praying for the vast extension of the imperial life, subduing all demons, and universally benefiting all sentient beings. Yet even so, it still traverses the journey. Tell me, when the proper command is executed, how is it discussed?" After a long silence, he said: "The one breath speaks not, yet embraces all phenomena; / Where can the ten thousand spirits thank that which is selfless?" By imperial order of the Empress, an envoy was sent to present incense, requesting the master to ascend the seat on the occasion of the first birthday of the imperial prince, the Duke of Han. A monk asked, "Heavenly incense descends from afar to celebrate the auspicious day of the imperial prince; the envoy attends the banquet to hear the essentials of the Dharma." The master said, "A fine wind comes without end; the red sun shines boundlessly." The monk said, "A single phrase vastly transcends past and present; the pine and vine are not equal to the moon disk." The master said, "If you are clear about this, do not seek elsewhere." The monk said, "The extraordinary affair therein: the imperial pure incense burns in the brazier." The master said, "A wooden man plays a jade flute; the sound enters the Purple Palace." He then said: "Beside the Wondrous High Terrace, dragons and elephants gather; before the Tower of the Conjured City, sages and worthies assemble. This is precisely where our Emperor plants merit, and the arena where Chan practitioners are selected as buddhas. The Dharma gate is thrown wide open; the essential path is broadly revealed. Those who awaken to it find that every single thing reveals the Way, and every phenomenon clarifies the mind; walking lofty in the Great Direction, completely harmonizing with the ultimate principle. Those who are deluded obscure their nature at every turn and violate the lineage with every phrase; in vain do they apply diligent effort, never reaching thorough comprehension. If you can here cut off both extremes at once, without departing from oneself one is identical to right awakening. This can truly be called the Golden Wheel governing, the Jade Candle shining far and wide. The ten thousand states submit; the eight directions are tranquil. Dragons and snakes emerge from their dens; the cinnabar phoenix comes to the parasol tree. Old men of the wilds sing praises; travelers yield the path. The wind of Yao and the wind of the patriarchs blow together; the sun of Shun and the sun of the Buddha shine equally bright. The wandering son rushing about directly returns home; everywhere, eminent people roam the Buddha land. Although it is like this, tell me: what about the phrase for a dragon giving birth to a dragon's son?" After a long silence, he said: "Not only do the heavenly spirits offer secret protection, / They also add long life to assist our Emperor." When the master first opened the Dharma hall, a monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The master said, "Ask with a loud voice." The monk asked, "What is the Way?" The master said, "Discern it beneath your feet." The monk asked, "What is Chan?" The master said, "The tongue props up the Brahma heaven." The monk said, "Today this student gave little and gained much." The master said, "What did you gain?" The monk said, "I cannot repeat the verse." The master said, "Seen through!" He then said: "Such a Dharma spans through antiquity and through the present; everything appears before you without wearying mental effort. From all buddhas above down to animals below, the wondrous, serene tathatā: how could there ever be any difference? It is only because the multitude of sentiments abandons the root to chase the branches, cycling through transmigration without being able to cast off delusion and return to truth. How could they abruptly transcend to the other shore? Therefore Bodhidharma came from afar to this land, directly pointing to the human mind to see one's nature and become a buddha. At Shaolin for nine years he sat coldly without uttering a single word. Only Master Shenguang suddenly had an insight; he then sought the essential instruction for pacifying the mind, but found it completely unfindable. Thereupon, upon these words, he took it upon himself, and from then on succeeded to the ancestral seat. In the end, the gate was thrown wide open, and the branches divided far and wide. The stone man dances out from the mystery barrier; the jade maiden plays a wondrous tune. Such instructional discourse has already yielded to capacity and conditions. Beginners and later students must directly understand it; senior practitioners of high virtue adapt to give verification. But tell me, what about the phrase that cuts off both ends?" After a long silence, he struck the meditation bed once and stepped down from his seat. He also ascended the hall and said: / "Today is the fifteenth day of the second month; / Huiguo ascends the hall and strikes the drum, / Assembling the Chan practitioners of the four seas / For all to discuss the buddhas and patriarchs. / Hanshan hears of it and laughs, 'Ha, ha!' / Shide stands up and begins to dance. / Even if it were the blue-eyed barbarian monk, / He too would have to nod in approval. / Do you understand? Go back to the hall and drink tea." / He also ascended the hall, looked at the assembly, and said: "The spring light is half gone; the spring colors are just melting into warmth. Peach blossoms along the path spray fragrance; willows beside the bank hang gracefully. Below Dayi Ridge, the sound of water gurgles through the whole night; before the gate of Huiguo, the evening clouds spread in gorgeous arrays. Orioles sing on the ridge; butterflies dance before the flowers. Each and every phenomenon is already accomplished, requiring no mental effort." He also instructed the assembly, saying: "All of you in this great assembly are eminent scholars beyond the clouds who have traveled through all quarters, inquiring of lineage masters and seeking understanding and awakening. Do you know that each and every person possesses a radiance of their own? Throughout the twelve periods of the day, it enters and leaves through the gates of your faces, never lacking in the slightest, never separated in the slightest. Those who have not investigated it thoroughly must thoroughly investigate it! What was the purpose of your itinerant pilgrimage all this time? If you see it clearly and distinctly here, it is still an affair on the shore of birth and death. You must know there is the patch-robed monk's one upward step that transcends buddhas and surpasses patriarchs. I dare ask everyone: what is the one upward step?" After a long silence, he said: / "Late at night beneath the bright moon, / Monkeys screech before the jagged peaks." / Striking the meditation bed, he stepped down from his seat.

First 44 of 52 passages. Read on

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續傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese