續傳燈錄 2.16

2.16

Chan Master Dongshan Xiaocong of Ruizhou was a native of the Du clan in Shaozhou. While on his itinerant pilgrimage, he served as the lamp attendant at Yunju. Seeing a monk say that the Great Sage of Sizhou had recently appeared in Yangzhou, someone raised the question, "Since he is the Great Sage of Sizhou, why does he appear in Yangzhou instead?" The Master said, "A gentleman loves wealth and acquires it by proper means." Later a monk recounted this to Hermit Xiang of Lianhuafeng. Xiang was greatly astonished and said, "A descendant of Yunmen still lives!" In the middle of the night he faced Yunju and bowed to him. After becoming abbot, a monk asked, "When Bodhidharma had not yet transmitted the mind-ground seal, and Śākyamuni had not yet untied the crest jewel—if at that time one asked about the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West, was there still a meaning of coming from the West or not?" The Master said, "The sixth month's rain pours down, easing the hearts of myriad commoners." The monk said, "If so, then the clouds disperse and every household has the moon; spring arrives and everywhere there are flowers." The Master said, "From beneath your heels to the edge of the adamantine water, how far is it?" The monk was speechless. The Master said, "The Patriarch came from the West specifically to proclaim this matter. It is simply that you, Elder, do not recognize it. Therefore, that which enters through the gate is not the family treasure. Mistaking the shadow and losing the head—is that not a great error? Since the Patriarch came from the West specifically to proclaim this matter, what need is there to babble on further before the assembly? Take care!" A monk asked, "Where should a rootless tree be planted?" The Master said, "A thousand-year permanent monastic estate; a single morning's monk." The monk asked, "What is the phrase that departs from sound and form?" The Master said, "Jambudvīpa in the south, Uttarakuru in the north." The monk said, "If so, then this student is not blind to the kindness [received]." The Master said, "How deep are the four great seas?" The monk asked, "How was it before the ancient mirror was polished?" The Master said, "Not far from here to Hanyang." The monk said, "How is it after it is polished?" The Master said, "Yingwu Island before the Yellow Crane Tower." The monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "When principle is superior, follow it." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "What can this mountain monk say that will do? The ancient is the present; the present is the ancient. Therefore the Śūraṅgama Sūtra states: 'Pines are straight, brambles are curved, swans are white, crows are black.' Do you understand this? Although it is like this, it is not necessarily so that pines are invariably straight, brambles are invariably curved, swans are always white, or crows are always black. Dongshan says: here there are also curved pines, straight brambles, black swans, and white crows. You have been standing long." Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "When a student can neither advance nor retreat, how is it?" The Master said, "Hold your head and weep to the azure sky." The monk was speechless. The Master said, "Do you know where the alms-bowl and the ladle land? If you know where they land, I will let you ask. Even after thirty years, to suddenly hit upon it is not certain either." Ascending the hall, he cited: "Hanshan says: 'Red dust rises at the bottom of the well; white waves surge atop the high peak. A barren woman gives birth to a stone child; tortoise hair grows inch by inch. If you wish to learn bodhi, just look at this pattern.'" After a long silence, he said, "Do you know where it lands or not? If you do not know where it lands, watch out—bodhi is going right into the monks' hall! You have been standing long." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "The spring chill is biting, and last night brought good snow. Do you see it? Over the great earth the snow is vast and boundless; the spring wind remains as cold as before. Talking of Chan and talking of the Way is easy; becoming a Buddha and becoming a patriarch is hard. Take care!" Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "The morning rooster crows announcing the dawn; after gruel, it is daybreak. The lantern is still drowsy, but the exposed pillar is wide awake." He added, "When wide awake, speak straight of being wide awake; when clear, speak straight of being clear. Tomorrow and the day after, do not mistake the servant for the master. Take care!" On account of an event he instructed the assembly: "When the sky clears, cover the roof; taking advantage of the dry weather, harvest the grain. Having paid the royal taxes early, drum the belly and sing the Ba folk songs." A monk asked, "Deshan delivered a blow of the stick as soon as one entered the gate, which was still drawing a pattern; Linji gave a shout as soon as one entered the gate, which could not avoid pressing the eyes to produce flowers. Departing from these two approaches, I wonder how Dongshan instructs people?" The Master said, "The sky has been clear for long without rain; recently clouds have surged." The monk said, "If another day someone asks about Dongshan's lineage tenets, how should this student recount them?" The Master said, "The garden vegetables are very parched; eaves water splashes on the spinach." Earlier, Vice Director of the Ministry of Justice Xu Gongshi went out to govern Nanchang. Passing Lianhuafeng, he heard Elder Xiang say, "Tiantong Cong is in Jiangxi; you should try to seek him out. This monk is an eye for humans and gods." When Master Xu arrived and heard of Cong's mountain-dwelling house style, he composed a poem and sent it to him, which read: "His words are entirely unobstructed, / High-treading in the footsteps of the patriarchs. / Sitting at night upon cloud-connected stones, / In spring planting rain-soaked pines. / The realm reflects the candles of the golden palace; / The mountain responds to the bell of the moonlit pavilion. / If someone asks the meaning of coming from the West, / The empty hall faces the distant peaks." One day the Master was unwell. Ascending the hall to take leave of the assembly, he recited a verse on the Dharmakāya: "In practicing Chan and learning the Way, do not be bewildered; / Inquire thoroughly into the Dharmakāya hidden in the Northern Dipper. / Now I am decrepit, emaciated, and extremely frail; / Meeting people, I lack the strength to confer with them. / Only the mattock knows my mind; / Planting pines, from time to time I ascend the adamantine [peak]." Having spoken, he passed away. After seven days, his cremation yielded five-colored relics (śarīra). A stupa was erected for him on the Adamantine Ridge.