續傳燈錄 20

English (machine translation) 20

Language: English

20.30 — 4 parts

20.1

Table of Contents for Fascicle Twenty of the Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp

Fourteenth Generation under Dajian:
Sixty-two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Donglin Zhaojue Changzong:
Chan Master Letan Yingqian
Chan Master Kaixian Xingying
Chan Master Wanshan Shaoci
Chan Master Baoqin Yourui
Chan Master Yuantong Kexian
Chan Master Huili Kechang
Chan Master Baizi Desong
Chan Master Heshan Zhichuan
Chan Master Kaiyuan Zhitian
Chan Master Xiangtian Fanqing
Chan Master Hengyue Daobian
Chan Master Xingfu Kangyuan
Chan Master Baoqin Zongyu
Chan Master Longquan Kui
Chan Master Doushuai Zhi'en
Senior Monk Huiyuan
Upāsaka Su Shi, Academician of the Hanlin Academy (the above seventeen persons have records)
Chan Master Fuyan Weifeng
Chan Master Chengtian Desui
Chan Master Chongfu Dehui
Chan Master Donglin Sidu
Chan Master Guangjiao Defang
Chan Master Shuanglin Daoji
Chan Master Wuxiang Jicai
Chan Master Luyuan Jingshen
Chan Master Shouning Chengze
Chan Master Zifu Hubaao
Chan Master Xinghua Yibi
Chan Master Wanshou Zhiyuan
Chan Master Jingfu Weijie
Chan Master Longqing Zhishen
Chan Master Xiangfu Zhixian
Chan Master Pumen Ziyuan
Chan Master Shengguang Qingyou
Chan Master Renwang Zhicheng
Chan Master Anguo Qingchang
Chan Master Cimu-yan Liang
Chan Master Changsong-shan Jin
Chan Master Dongchan Daoji
Chan Master Shanglan Xizhao
Chan Master Lingquan Renmei
Chan Master Fenning Dongwei
Chan Master Shengye Youtong
Chan Master Bao'en Mingchang
Chan Master Miaoguo Faxi
Chan Master Yuelin Yuanming
Chan Master Hanguo Kang
Chan Master Cimu Ziyong
Chan Master Xinghua Yuxian
Chan Master Qianming Zaichang
Chan Master Mushan Jueneng
Chan Master Hengshan Shanzi
Chan Master Fayu Yuanzhi
Chan Master Dongshan Yongbang
Chan Master Lu-yan Chong
Chan Master Doufang Qing
Chan Master Daning Daocai
Chan Master Taiping Pu
Chan Master Qingcheng Qingchuan
Chan Master Shuangfeng Xingcong
Chan Master Qinghua Conglian
Chan Master Luohan Xingxian (the above forty-five persons have no records)
Three Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yousheng Han:
Chan Master Zhidu Yi
Chan Master Daolin Liaoyi
Chan Master Ruiyan Zhi (the above three persons have no records)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Xuedou Rong:
Chan Master Xuefeng Dazhi (one person has a record)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zhizhe Siru:
Chan Master Chengtian Chengyue
Chan Master Huazang Xuwai
Chan Master Jingtu Kesong (the above three persons have records)
Chan Master Baolin Wenhui (one person has no record)
Twelve Dharma heirs of Chan Master Baiyun Duan:
Chan Master Wuzu Fayan
Chan Master Yungai Zhiben
Chan Master Langye Yongqi
Chan Master Baofu Shu
Chan Master Chongsheng Qi
Upāsaka Guo Xiangzheng, Judicial Commissioner (the above six persons have records)
Chan Master Tianzhu Chunao
Chan Master Taiping Chuqing
Chan Master Fushan Honglian
Chan Master Gushan Guangrun
Chan Master Xiangshan Huichang
Chan Master Ganlu Guishan

20.3

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

20.4

Fourteenth Generation under Dajian

20.5

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Donglin Zhaojue Changzong

20.6

Chan Master Baofeng Yingqian of Letan in Hongzhou was of the Peng family, a native of Pingxiang in Yuanzhou. He traveled everywhere to various regions. Late in life he arrived at the Dharma assembly of Chan Master Zhaojue at Letan. After a long time, he had not yet received the seal of approval. [Zhaojue] instructed him with the nidāna of Bird's Nest blowing the cloth fluff, but he did not understand it at all. One day, he suddenly awakened to the principle, and thus composed a verse saying:
"Down-and-out, oblivious to calculation, was Bird's Nest; / Above the Western Lake, reining in the misty creepers. / When the cloth fluff was brought out, there wasn't much to it; / Even eyes of iron and pupils of copper could do nothing about it."
Zhaojue approved him. From this time he was regarded as the head monk. When Zhaojue received the imperial order [to reside at] Donglin, he then had the Master succeed to the Dharma seat. A monk asked: "'The Bhagavats of the ten directions have one road to the gate of nirvāṇa.' I wonder, where is that starting point?" The Master said: "Treading on it, stone is hard as iron." The monk said: "Do you still permit this student to take a step forward?" The Master said: "Dripping drops, as before, fall by two and three." He asked: "Gaining the principle, one forgets words and returns home to sit comfortably. I wonder, how does one say a phrase upon arriving home?" The Master said: "Leisurely watching the white clouds arise in the blue expanse; quietly listening to the flowing water pass the green mountains." The monk said: "When jade meets fire, its luster becomes even more moist; when the lotus is in the water, its leaves remain dry." The Master said: "You must look with higher eyes." He asked: "Solitary and impoverished, stark naked, without a single thing—do you still recognize him?" The Master said: "I do not recognize him." The monk said: "He goes up and down every day; why do you not recognize him?" The Master said: "He has no face and eyes." The monk said: "I have come to study together with the Upādhyāya." The Master said: "What is this matter of studying together?" The monk said: "Having arrived here, this student on the contrary does not understand." The Master said: "It must simply be like this." On the occasion of bathing the Buddha, a monk asked: "The Buddha's body is unconditioned and does not fall into various numbers. Which one is the true Buddha?" The Master said: "An extraordinarily good question!" The monk said: "Setting aside the image of bronze and iron, which Buddha do we bathe today?" The Master said: "Boiled and stewed, it does not get mushy." He asked: "When the golden-haired [lion] crouches on the ground, the hundred beasts conceal their tracks. I have come forward and beg the Master for instruction." The Master said: "The head splits open." The monk said: "I do not yet understand." The Master said: "You still do not know how to stop." The monk said: "Thank you, Master, for the instruction." The Master said: "The assembly laughs at you." He asked: "The spring wind blows gently, the spring birds chirp; the bamboo of Xiangyan is just green, the flowers of Lingyun are not yet withered. Just at such a time, how is it?" The Master said: "A thousand peaks contend in beauty; ten thousand ravines vie in flowing." The monk said: "Since the season is already manifest, how do the Patriarch's meaning and the doctrinal meaning display difference?" The Master said: "The nostrils of Dharma Master Ji." The monk said: "The colt trampled to death the people under heaven; the lay practitioner sucked dry the water of the West River." The Master said: "One must possess the eye." The Master then said: "In heaven the moon is full, on earth the moon is half; swallowing or spitting it out, I know you calculate incorrectly. Last night the pure wind fell into the great void; pearl-like drops splashed and sprayed across the blue cliff face. Sleet and snow fly together—what can be done? From this, Shaolin revealed its style." He gave a shout, and further said: "The golden wind stirs the wilderness—the excellent scheme of the ancient Buddhas; jade dew hangs like pearls—the livelihood of a man of the Way. By the creek, the fishermen all sing of the unborn; on the peak, the stone man repeatedly beats the cloth drum. Little do they know that the qilin in the moon gazes at the Northern Dipper; beside the city of the King of Chu, the river flows east. Stop, stop! What is it? Two, three, four, seven, eight, nine—grabbing the nostrils, one loses the mouth!" In the third year of Shaosheng, a gengzi year, the Master showed signs of illness. After bathing and shaving his hair, he spoke a verse saying:
"Cease granting cutting edges or dripping points; / To a diseased eye seeing empty flowers, pointing is in vain. / For sixty-three years a man of the floating world, / Having trampled down the seas and peaks, I return once again."
Having spoken these words, he passed away.

20.7

Chan Master Kaixian Guangjian Xingying of Mount Lu was a native of Yongfu County in Guizhou, surnamed Mao. He received his training at Bodhi Monastery in his home prefecture. At first, he called upon Chan Master Qingxian and somewhat awakened to the dark purport. Next, he called upon Zhaojue, where his doubts were immediately put to rest. He came forth into the world at Kaixian. A monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The master said, "Junshan dots and breaches the heart of Lake Dongting." The monk said, "What is the meaning?" The master said, "White waves circle on the four sides; from where do the red dusts come?" He asked, "What is the meaning of the wall-gazing at Shaolin?" The master said, "Entering absorption." The monk said, "You fail the ancients." The master said, "Rare is it to meet an intimate knower." He asked, "When the labor of the Dharma-wheel is finished, what is the meaning of pushing it into motion?" The master said, "Lively and leaping." The monk said, "Dharmas do not arise in isolation; only relying on circumstances are they born." The master said, "When there is high spirit, it adds to high spirit; where there is no romance, there is romance nonetheless." The monk drew a circle. The master said, "What can be done about the eyes of the various sages?" He asked, "'If someone asks me what school I understand, picking up the whisk and striking across the mouth'—what is the meaning of this?" The master said, "A monkey entering a cloth sack; an iron rod striking a black turtle." The monk said, "Without seeing the wild geese in the clouds, how can one know the cold of the sand dunes?" The master said, "Great Compassion with a thousand eyes cannot see it; the speechless youth secretly sighs." The monk said, "Why is it like this?" The master said, "Only because it is like this." He then said, "Discussing the dark and speaking of the wondrous is like drawing cakes to satisfy hunger. Entering the holy and surpassing the mundane is much like a flying moth rushing into fire. Resolutely engaging in 'no-affair' is a ruined seed and a scorched sprout; further seeking outside is catching the moon in the water." He then swept with his whisk once and said, "The many views just now have been swept away. What is the one phrase by which all of you break through?" After a long pause, he said, "The iron ox does not eat the grass beside the railing; it sleeps directly atop Mount Sumeru." He struck the Chan bed and descended from the seat. He also said, "Gentle winds blow mild, the spring day is leisurely. Mountain flowers glow bright, creek grasses spread luxuriantly. Purple swallows fly in pairs across the great wilderness; yellow orioles converse in pairs on high branches. If a patch-robed monk stagnates here, to whom is the boundless spring scenery given over?" He gave a shout and also said, "Drawing Shigong's bow, fitting Xinghua's arrow, exercising Nārāyaṇa's strength, fixing Śakra's eyes: not shooting the Daxiong tiger, not shooting the Yaoshan deer, not shooting the Yunyan lion, not shooting the Xianggu macaque. Tell me, what is shot?" After a long pause, he said, "Letting that move pass." He also said, "Water does not wash water; gold does not barter for gold. Solitarily revealing the one mind, pushing aside the myriad phenomena. The whole great canon of teachings is just a few sheets of used paper that cannot wipe things clean. The ancient Buddhas from the past were a troupe of masters with too much intellectual understanding. From here on, cut off the myriad streams, and make no more travels through the hundred cities. Are there any such patch-robed monks?" After a long pause, he said, "To touch upon it is not to reach it." He also said, "There is one person who can speak one zhang and cannot walk one cun. There is one person who can walk one zhang and cannot speak one cun. There is one person who can both walk and speak it. There is one person who can neither walk nor speak it. Among these four persons, Huazang wishes to seek one as teacher. Clear-eyed patch-robed monks, pray try selecting and see." He also said, "Climbing a mountain, one must reach the summit; entering the sea, one must reach the bottom; studying the Way, one must reach where the Buddhas and patriarchs cannot speak. If not like this, all are spirits clinging to grasses and attached to trees, devilish ghosts eating the wild foxes' spit. Huazang speaking thus is like good medicine: bitter to the mouth, yet it seeks to cure the illness—ouch!" Again he ascended the hall, gave a shout, and said, "In the third month, youth is more than half gone. Rain scatters and clouds fly across the creeks and mountains. Courtyard flowers bloom and fall of themselves; roof-beam swallows leave and return in pairs." He added, "In wood there is fire, but without drilling it does not emerge. In sand there is gold, but without panning it is not obtained. In the mind there is the Way, but without studying one does not awaken. Traveling afar on itinerant pilgrimage is called being a person of the Way—have you ever awakened to the Way?" After a long pause, he said, "Do not let the daylight pass in vain; youth does not come again." The master's capacity and vessel were vast; he was resolute in establishing undertakings. Employing people and utilizing things was like rolling a rock into a thousand-fathom ravine—nothing failed to go as he wished. He possessed the bequeathed style of Zhaojue. He remained at Kaixian for nearly twenty years. At first he suffered from chronic phlegm and repeatedly asked to leave, but was not permitted. He lay in the infirmary for three years. One day he arose and completely renovated the Buddhist monastery; it was completed after nine years, reaching the utmost magnificence, astonishing and drawing sighs of praise from those who saw it. He was always close friends with Senior Historiographer Huang Luzhi. Luzhi playfully called the master 'a persuader in the Tathāgatagarbha, a wandering knight in the bodhimaṇḍa.'"

20.8

Chan Master Wanshan Shaoci of Mount Lu was a native of Guizhou surnamed Zhao. At eighteen he received full ordination, and at nineteen he wandered the regions. He studied long under Chan Master Zong. One day as he was standing in attendance, he asked, "Outside of transmitting the gold-embroidered robe, what else did the Bhagavat transmit separately?" Zong held up his whisk. The master said, "Ultimately, how is it?" Zong struck him right across the mouth with the whisk. As the master was about to open his mouth, Zong struck him again. The master suddenly had an awakening; he seized the whisk and made prostrations. Zong said, "What principle did you see?" The master said, "The whisk belongs to me now." Zong said, "A veteran general of thirty years has today been defeated by a low soldier." From then on his fame resounded far and wide, and he was promoted to head monk at Donglin. He then came forth into the world at Wanshan. A monk asked, "'Knowing how to graft the rootless tree, capable of trimming the lamp at the bottom of the sea'—what is the meaning?" The master said, "Extraordinary radiance." The monk said, "Hare horns touch open the eyes of the thousand sages; turtle hairs sweep clean the dust of the nine thoroughfares." The master said, "Hanshan claps his hands." The monk said, "A deft hand presenting a deft hand among hands; shooting the bullseye directly within the bullseye." The master said, "Has the Ācārya grafted it yet or not?" The monk said, "The venerable master of the Lotus Society personally obtained the purport; humans and devas all receive the grace." The master said, "You missed the topic of conversation." He asked, "The thousand sages together transmit the bottomless bowl; on the road of Caoxi, who is permitted to accompany? What is the bottomless bowl?" The master said, "A thousand people cannot jump out of it." The monk said, "Traveling ten thousand li on the vast sea, rejoicing to encounter waves that overturn peaks." The master said, "You are not one who plays with the tide." He asked, "The Patriarch's mind seal is shaped like the mechanism of an iron ox. Right at such a time, is sealing right, or is not sealing right?" The master said, "Look at the iron pellet in the furnace." The monk said, "If it suddenly shatters, how is it then?" The master said, "One must know pain and itch." The monk said, "Today I have had the fortune of meeting the Upādhyāya." The master said, "Turned away within the pulse of speech." He then said, "The sun bird cries of spring, and Avalokiteśvara's door opens. The clear spring reflects the moon, and the realm of Vairocana is manifest. Atop Crane-Calling Peak, sound after sound is indistinguishable. On the Pavilion of Scattered Pearls, pearl after pearl is completely round. Abruptly hidden, abruptly manifest, turning on its own without being nudged—is there anyone who has gathered it up? Pray try presenting it for inspection." After a long pause, he said, "Laughable is the monkey reaching for the white moon, unaware that there truly is a toad." He descended from the seat. He also said, "The pearl of the Red Water, the moon in the clear river: monkeys vie to reach for it, only losing their tracks; Wangxiang is without mind, transcendent and self-contented. As it is said: Looking at it, there is surplus light; gathering it, it does not fill the hand. Emerging and submerging without end, going and coming without bounds. Although it is like this, not running downhill, swift convenience is rare to meet." He then gave a shout, clapped his hands once, and said, "The pearl of the Red Water and the moon in the clear river collapse like tiles and melt like ice. Among the assembly, is there a spirited one who transforms like a leopard? Come forward and rescue half!" After a long pause, he said, "Pitiable that no one understands this meaning; it only makes Tao Qian secretly knit his brows." He also instructed the assembly, saying, "Yuxi does not understand Chan; he only recognizes the ailments of the various quarters. A sudden bolt of lightning scatters them; shifting to kill is also uncertain." Cai Bian, Assistant Director of the Left, praised the master's portrait, saying, "The spiritual light is manifest in each and every thing; the macaque also turns its back. If one wishes to know the master's true face, break the mirror and come meet him."

20.9

Chan Master Yourui of Baoqin and Bohai in the Eastern Capital was a native of Xianyou County in Xinghua Commandery, surnamed Chen. As a boy he was distinct from the worldly dust, sitting in silence all day long. His parents marveled at him and permitted him to leave household life. He took Master Chongquan of Jingde Temple in the Eastern Capital as his master, shaved his head, and received full ordination. He went to the Dharma assembly of Chan Master Huanglong Nan. Master Nan said, "Did you come for worldly affairs, or did you come for the Buddha Dharma?" The Master said, "I came for the Buddha Dharma." Master Nan said, "If you came for the Buddha Dharma, it is conferred right this moment," and thereupon struck him with a fly whisk. The Master said, "Upādhyāya, you must not trouble and distress people either." Master Nan recognized his capacity, yet the Master had not completely penetrated through. Later he relied on Chan Master Letan Zong, and only then awoke to the profound mystery. After serving him for a long time, the assembly recommended him as head monk. He began his teaching career at Taiping Jingde in Anzhou. By imperial decree he was appointed abbot of Baoqin in the Eastern Capital. At the fifth seven-day memorial for Emperor Zhezong, he entered the palace and was bestowed the master's name Dajue. At the hundred-day memorial, he entered the palace again and was further bestowed the Chan master's name Bohai. After opening the hall and concluding the questions and answers, the Master said: "Asking is good, but not asking is also vigorous. If one asks without reaching the truth, it turns into frivolous chatter. If the question has meaning, the answer also accords with the capacity. Why is it that when the ancestral vehicle is spoken of, the thousand sages step back? When the precious staff strikes, the three vehicles lose their tracks? This is because this matter is like the mirror of Qin mounted upon the terrace: from a thousand miles away, crooked minds terrify themselves; it is like the sword Moye in the sleeve: the hundred billion demon armies' guts are crushed. It brings it about that the Great Sage preached by not preaching, and Kāśyapa ceased hearing by hearing. At large, it only requires everyone to turn the light back to the source, collect their thoughts, and gather in their minds. Do not calculate good or evil at all, and naturally you will attain entry into the serene stillness of the mind's essence, its wondrous function countless as Ganges sands, where objects and self blend into one. If someone takes responsibility for it right here, it is still like washing while holding the bridge pier; when one abandons it, it is like gazing at one's hometown from ten thousand miles away; when one grasps it, one falls into the realm of the demon king. This is called: 'When deluded, the person pursues the Dharma; after awakening, the Dharma follows the person.' For the impartial essential Dharma has shared one rule for a thousand ages; a single phrase matching the capacity can only be discerned by oneself. If you understand here, you will see that beginning and end are as one, ancient and modern share the same scope, right down to Zhaozhou's courtyard cypress, where the clear breeze perpetually abides. If you do not understand, you will see Yunmen's bench, as far apart as heaven and earth. Therefore, out of necessity, one strikes the night watch at noon on a lapis lazuli palace, or enacts the spring ordinances in autumn within a shadowless grove. Why is this? Although the wondrous essence has no difference, the wondrous function indeed has many gates. For this reason, the Lord of Śākyas, the Capable and Benevolent One, manifested his traces in Kapilavastu and extended his compassion throughout world systems numerous as sand grains, his spiritual powers and wondrous strength unfathomable. It was because living beings use the samādhi of everyday life yet remain unaware; their karmic consciousness wanders aimlessly without returning, resulting in tumultuous external objects and a tangled, confused origin. For this reason, the Golden Immortal kept silence on this essential point for a long time. In the realm of non-duality, he performed the great Buddha-work; entering stillness in this land, he organized the three realms. His Dao harmonized with the great trichiliocosm, his transformation equally reached a hundred billion worlds. His words filled the Dharma realm, scooping up all living beings. He set forth the profound texts to illuminate cause and effect; he bestowed his natural authenticity to nurture their emotional natures. Before long, capacities were divided into Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, and vehicles into sudden and gradual. Thus he caused those gathering provisions to deduce the subtle from the prominent and find the clues by tracing the beginnings. Then, for the scattered and disordered, he admonished them with concentration and wisdom; for those indulging in pleasures, he showed them impermanence; for those delighting in lesser dharmas, he guided them with the great expanse; for those clinging to views, he instructed them with immobility; for those mired in names and characteristics, he opened the gate of non-duality. Is this not entering the Dao by means of words, and clarifying truth through the teachings? The one mind is brilliantly clear, and the myriad virtues are all revealed. It is indeed because of this. Yet at the very end he said: like pointing a finger at the moon, like an empty fist symbolizing reality. Alas! Such an arising of compassion seems very much like having faults without merit. It does not match my golden-hued ascetic, whose livelihood in hand was a lapis lazuli begging bowl handed down bottomless—let a great being with a thousand eyes inspect it, none could discern its appearance. All the livelihood Bodhidharma possessed was hurled down at the top of Dayuling Pass—even with the bravery of ten thousand men, one could not lift it. Later, the matter of the wind and the banner arose, and the meaning of rolling up the mat became clear. The Buddha's hand was hard to hide, and the donkey's foot naturally exposed itself. Therefore, the descendants, unable to do otherwise, accommodating human feelings, opened up a narrow path. Thus there came the continuation of the lineage style and the linking of the ancestor's flame, wearing the seal of non-self and opening the gate of non-duality. This brought it about that the golden rooster of the transcendental pecked at a single grain of rice, nourishing all ten directions, and the fine steed within the stable of tathatā emerged alone, trampling to death the host of demons. Therefore, everyone says: The Magadha decree is strict, and few take responsibility for it; the subtle echo of China—rare are those who respond to it. Assembly, if judged by such understanding, how exceedingly few they are! But when it comes to knowing flavors and discerning pains and itches, listening to the supreme sound to decide victory or defeat, how could there not be one or half a person? Tell me, what kind of person can be like this?" After a long pause, he said: "The Chan barrier has already met Lord Pei's arrival; / how could the Patriarch's intent lack Prefect Xie's appraisal?" He stepped down from the seat. He also said: "There are Buddha worlds where the Buddha-work is done by means of a single dust mote or hair, causing those who see one dharma to be fully endowed with all dharmas; hence it is temporarily put on the shelf. There are Buddha realms where the Buddha-work is done by forgetting words and maintaining silence, making learners leave all characteristics, which is named the Buddhas; hence they deserve three blows of the fire poker. There are Buddha lands where the Buddha-work is done by means of yellow flowers and green bamboos, causing those who see characteristics to realize that form is emptiness; hence leave that to Maitreya. There are Buddha precious lands where the Buddha-work is shown by taking the emptiness of dharmas as the seat, making students not seek attached to the Buddha; hence having seen through it, cross it off. There are Buddha bodhimaṇḍas where the Buddha-work is accomplished by means of the four necessities of offerings, causing the contented to cut off divergent thoughts; hence they can be relieved of their burden. There are Buddha wondrous realms where the Buddha-work is done by means of all speech samādhis, causing those who enter according to their capacity not to abandon movement or stillness; hence load them up. Assembly, tell me, is there any superiority or inferiority among them?" After a long pause, he said: "Those who arrive must know they are adepts."

20.10

Chan Master Kexian of Yuantong in Mount Lu. A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "Riding an ox to look for an ox." The monk said, "What can I do if I, the learner, do not understand?" The Master said, "Inquire into the one who does not understand." He ascended the hall and, after a long pause, said: "To disperse like this is already inappropriate; how much worse for the elder to flap his two lips and wag his three-inch tongue, talking of east, speaking of west, pointing south, mentioning north, with ever less relevance! Why is it so? When spoken of, heaven and earth and the great world encompass every dust mote; when gathered in, there is not the slightest discrepancy, not a thread exposed. If one can independently transcend beyond appearances and match the great void in measure, then one may speak of affairs all day without being obstructed by affairs. The ancient and modern three periods of time are distinctly before one's eyes; the crooked and straight are orderly, and right and wrong are distinguished. One can blend one's light with the dust, following the crooked and pursuing evil. Speaking like this is also quite groundless. If suddenly there were an outstanding, illustrious Chan practitioner from the monasteries who exerted all effort for the assembly, came forward, overturned the Chan bed, shouted to disperse the great assembly, and pushed the elder down the steps, I would concede he had some life in him. Is there such a person? Since there is none, this old monk will reverse the execution of this decree." He struck the Chan bed once with his staff.

20.11

Chan Master Kechang of Huili in Linjiang Commandery. A monk asked, "Leaving aside the Buddha's power and the Dharma's power, what is the power of wisdom?" The Master said, "Trampling down the mountain of self and other, propping up the bodhi tree." The monk said, "Bodhi originally has no tree; where should one set one's hand to work?" The Master said, "Where there is nowhere to set one's hand is precisely where one should apply effort." The monk said, "Today I have heard what I had not heard." The Master said, "Do not mistake genuine gold for brass." A monk asked, "'One thought for ten thousand years, sitting cut off from the ten directions.' I especially come forward to request instruction." The Master said, "First conferred on Deshan, then given to Linji." The monk said, "I regret offering this single question." The Master then hit him. A monk asked, "Regarding the Patriarch's intent coming from the West, please, Master, bring it up and discourse on it." The Master said, "Bodhidharma had no such matter in those years." The monk said, "Upādhyāya, do not let your words fall [into error]." The Master said, "On the contrary, I have been seen through by you, Venerable." The monk said, "What can be done about the pattern having already been made manifest?" The Master said, "I have spoken to you." A monk asked, "Are the Patriarch's intent and the teaching's intent the same or different?" The Master said, "A single drop of water and ink forms dragons in two places." The monk said, "If so, then when waves are calm on the cold pool, the blue dragon rests; when jade leaves sway, the colored phoenix perches." The Master said, "First remember Moteng; later contemplate old Lu." A monk asked, "The true decree of Magadha is fully raised today. What is the true decree of Magadha?" The Master said, "Shout away the white clouds; strike open the empty space." The monk said, "If so, one charges through the Dharma King's battle array and smashes the Patriarch's barrier." The Master said, "You must apply more effort." The monk said, "If that is so, Rang's old colt has just stepped out of the stable; Master Cun's sacred arrow has just left the bowstring." The Master said, "No need for that either." The monk said, "Truly, water cannot be sprinkled upon it." The Master said, "Who is willing to turn their head right away?" The Master then said: "Where the Dharma King walks, grass and trees glow with radiance; the great sea surges with waves, and Mount Sumeru totters. Before the mysterious function is released, one only fears sleeping in the clouds is not deep enough; as soon as the great function is displayed, one emerges from the White Lotus Society. This is called: acting as master wherever one is, how could it resemble guarding a stump? Holding fast and letting go, free and unhindered. Even if a waterfall reaches heaven, it does not bring clamor to one's ears; let the Double Sword Peaks be high, they are kept from obstructing one's view. Move when it is time to move, stop when it is time to stop; movement and stillness not missing their proper times, their Dao is bright and glorious. Assembly, tell me, which is the matter of brightness and glory?" After a long pause, he said: "The sound of Heshan beating the drum still lingers; / from this moment on, the price of rice in Luling is low." He struck the Chan bed with his fly whisk. He also said: "Bodhi has no form, yet its form covers the great trichiliocosm; the Dharma nature has no words, yet its words fill all under heaven. Therefore Guanyin attained the Dao through hearing, and Maitreya awakened to the mind through seeing. What realm is there under the Patriarch's gate that allows movement and rest without obstruction?" After a long pause, he said: "The National Teacher receives no guests; the attendant goes out the mountain gate."

20.12

Chan Master Desong of Mount Baizi in Huangzhou. A monk asked, "What is the manifest Dharma?" The Master said, "Look up high." The monk said, "Dharmas do not arise in isolation." The Master said, "Discern it upon the exposed pillar." The monk said, "If it does not attain the flowing water, it still must pass over other mountains." The Master said, "How many people know my mind?" He then said: "Heaven and earth are one finger, cutting off the mind of dispute and contention; the myriad things are one horse, without the discussion of right and wrong. Because of this, Māra conceals his traces, and the Buddhas and Patriarchs flourish. Hanshan claps his hands with joy; Shide roars with great laughter. Assembly, what are the two ancient sages laughing at?" After a long pause, he laughed heartily and said: "A single blossom of the udumbara meets spring once again."

20.13

Chan Master Zhichuan of Ganlu at Heshan in Luling ascended the hall and said: "The ox head sinks, the horse head turns back; where the sword wheel flies, fine dust is cut off. South, north, east, and west have no different roads; do not speak of Nanyue and Tiantai. Therefore, before leaving Mount Lu, one only sees the five peaks' steep precipices and the three gorges' mighty roar. In the self-taming hut, one spends the days according to conditions, immediately saying that sitting in the city of nirvāṇa brings great peace. Within the pit of liberation, one cannot settle one's body and establish one's life. When reaching Heshan, one also sees clouds naturally rolling and unrolling on Lingxiao Peak, and the vast sound of the creek before the Arhat Cave. The triple gate and the Buddha hall are no different from other places; the kitchen, storehouse, and monks' hall still run on their old tracks. It is best to snap one's staff, hang up one's begging bowl sack high, ride the white ox on open ground with all the Chan virtues, roam through heaven and earth in a jar and mountains and rivers beyond things, and sing village field songs. Just pass the time like this. Even if all Buddhas appeared in the world, shaking the earth with the six tremors and raining down the four kinds of heavenly flowers, they could never govern it, nor would one doubt them. Tell me, what strong point does this mountain monk have to speak like this?" After a long pause, he said: "The white clouds may well drift to the green cliffs; / why should the bright moon be made to leave the blue sky?"

20.14

Chan Master Zhenjue Zhitian of Kaiyuan in Quanzhou was a native of this prefecture whose lay surname was Chen. Traveling to Donglin, he paid homage to Chan Master Zong. One day in the abbot's room, [Zong] pointed out the nidāna of blowing a bit of cotton cloth; the Master awakened at his words. Thereupon he presented a verse: 'The old teacher once blew upon a bit of cotton cloth; / Where he raised it was clear, the premier turning. / If you wish to know the exact reality within: / Far off above the mountain ridge, the white clouds fly.' In the early Yuanyou reign, he traveled to the capital. The Prince of Xu, hearing of the Master’s style of the Dao, one day dispatched an envoy to summon the Master to enter his palace. In an informal gathering, [the Master] instructed the assembly, saying: 'The true nature of Vairocana has no difference from the original nature of all of you. From vast eons past, transmigrating through the Dharma realm, within receiving birth there is no root and no branch, no going and no coming, no nature and no mark, no antiquity and no present. Not a speck of dust is established; a hair's tip can hardly remain. There is no True Dharma that can be distinguished; how could the Semblance and Final ages intervene? Thus know that sentient beings of the Dharma realm have neither creation nor destruction; the fundamental source of one's own nature is the Buddha. Although it is like this, judged from the patch-robed monk's gate, heaven and earth are vastly distant. Since there is birth, there is extinction; again there is going and there is coming. Since the True, Semblance, and Final ages are without difference, their nature and marks are manifest and can be seen. In between, there is no becoming a buddha, nor is there not becoming a buddha. Within the treasury of prajñā, there is nothing to find fault with. Even if the buddhas of the three periods, the patriarchs of the six generations, and all the old upādhyāyas under heaven had supernatural powers surpassing those of Śāriputra and eloquent wisdom excelling that of Pūrṇamaitrāyaṇīputra, when arriving here they must knot their tongues and dull their spearpoints.' After a long pause, he said: 'The sovereign’s decree has already spread, purifying the cosmos; / Everyone celebrates the year of grand peace.' The prince asked again: 'What is the matter of the Buddha Dharma?' The Master said: 'Seeing the nature—that is it.' The prince said: 'How does one attain seeing the nature?' The Master said: 'Not departing from walking, standing, sitting, and lying down throughout the twelve double-hours—all are the bodhimaṇḍas of the ancient buddhas.' The prince thereupon understood and secretly accorded with the lineage style. He immediately ordered four Chan monks to enter the palace to ascend the seat, and again sought [the Master's] seal of approval. He fed a thousand monks and read through the Great Canon to celebrate and praise him. He also petitioned Empress Dowager Xuanren to bestow on the Master the title 'Chan Master Zhenjue.' [The Master] firmly declined and did not accept. [The court] bestowed an oiled-cloth kaṣāya and an imperial inscription on a gold-ringed sash-ribbon, saying: 'Bestowed upon Daoist Zhenjue: may we together achieve the fruit of buddhahood in the future.' Various palaces repeatedly bestowed more than forty purple robes, which he memorialized in return to be distributed throughout the Chan and Vinaya monasteries everywhere. When Emperor Zhezong ascended as an immortal, [the Master] again ascended the seat in the Funing Palace and was bestowed the title 'Great Master Zhenjue.'

20.15

Chan Master Fanqing of Xiangtian in Shaoxing Prefecture was a native of Jiaxing whose lay surname was Qian. A monk asked: 'What does the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion use so many hands and eyes for?' The Master said: 'The wealthy begrudge that a thousand mouths are too few.' The monk said: 'Ultimately, what is the correct eye?' The Master said: 'Living together from the first, yet not knowing the name.' The monk asked: 'When the cold wind suddenly arises, the patch-robed monks open the hearth. Suddenly I recall Danxia burning the wooden Buddha—why did the abbot lose his eyebrows and beard?' The Master said: 'Zhang drinks the wine, and Li gets drunk.' The monk said: 'Is this returning to weakness upon encountering strength, or is it the wondrous function of supernatural powers?' The Master said: 'The sacred monk in the hall thoroughly knows this matter.' A monk asked: 'Xiangtian has a dragon-slaying sword. What is it like when one wishes to borrow it for a look?' The Master held his staff horizontally across his lap. The monk gave a shout. The Master threw down his staff. The monk was speechless. The Master said: 'This dead toad!' He ascended the hall: 'Spring has already waned, fallen flowers tumble in a red rain. / Will travelers of north and south return or not? / In thousands of woods and tens of thousands of groves the cuckoos cry. / Having no home, where would I return? / Among the lands of the ten directions, what is there to rely upon? / Heaven has a piece of true news: / Last night at the third watch, the moon was in the pond.' He [also] ascended [the hall]: 'The Buddha Dharma has arrived at this point where life hangs as by a thread. Even someone of extraordinary vision transcending the lineage can hardly inherit and continue it.' Holding up his whisk, he said: 'Fortunately there is this which can serve for propagation. If you catch sight of it here, you will see the buddhas of the three periods turning the great Dharma wheel toward the lantern and the exposed pillar, and the sentient beings of the six destinies hearing the essentials of the Dharma at the Iron Surrounding Mountains. Sounds are not sounds, and seeing forms is not forms. According with different species and the four modes of birth, each attains liberation. Discursive expounding like this not only buries the lineage style, but also drowns oneself. Tell me, how can one go on without violating the ordinance?' He slapped the Chan bed and descended from the seat.

20.16

Chan Master Daobian of Hengyue Temple on the Southern Peak. A monk asked: 'Setting aside for a moment taking up the mallet and raising the whisk, how does the upādhyāya guide people?' The Master said: 'When a guest arrives, he must be received.' The monk said: 'Then that is guiding people.' The Master said: 'Coarse tea and plain rice.' The monk bowed. The Master said: 'You must know the flavor before you can attain it.'

20.17

Chan Master Kangyuan of Xingfu Monastery in Fuzhou ascended the hall: 'This mountain monk has a directive that ordinarily is not leaked. Today I will not keep it hidden in a sack, but clearly explain it for you.' After a long pause, he said: 'When it is cold, cold; when it is hot, hot.'

20.18

Chan Master Yu of Baoqin Jingde Temple in the Eastern Capital ascended the hall: 'In Silla the drum is beaten; in the Great Song they ascend the hall. The cypress tree in front of the courtyard asks a question; the lantern and the exposed pillar are flustered. On the incense altar, the staff rises and dances; lying ill, Vimalakīrti is still in bed. I know this old fellow as well; do not wonder at your illness being undisciplined. Bah!'

20.19

Chan Master Kui of Longquan on West Mountain in Longxing Prefecture ascended the hall. The assembly gathered, and the Master said: 'If we just disperse like this, it would not hinder the essential wonder. Although it is like this, already waves are raised without wind, and stakes are driven into empty space. How much more so dragging in branches and pulling along vines, speaking of the wondrous and discoursing on the profound? It is precisely gold dust in the eye causing a cataract, or dust upon the Dharma of the jewel in the robe. Tell me: what kind of person brushes away the dust and removes the speck?' He struck his staff and descended from the seat.

20.20

Chan Master Zhi'en of Doushuai in Nankang Military Prefecture ascended the hall: 'Down and out, living in the village, living in the outer town; reckless and coarse, what is present, what is ancient? Not honoring one’s own spirit, stop talking of buddhas and patriarchs! Strike Śākyamuni’s nostrils; tear off Avalokiteśvara's ears! Let the snowy ridge roll the ball; never mind Mount He beating the drum. If you are an authentic patch-robed monk, you will never wait by the stump for a hare. Attend!'

20.21

Senior Monk Huiyuan was a native of Suanzao in Kaifeng, of the Gan clan. For generations his family were farmers. In his youth, he took Deguang of Jianfu Temple in his district as his teacher. By nature he was rustic and blunt, yet diligent in the ancestral Dao. He sat steadfastly without lying down, and after living thus for several years, was ordained. He traveled to Mount Lu and reached Donglin. He would constantly inquire [of others] about his own great matter. His peers, seeing his ugly appearance and awkward, coarse manners, all made fun of him. One day, walking in the temple courtyard, his foot suddenly slipped and he fell flat. He had a clear and complete awakening. He composed a verse and had an attendant write it on the wall, which said: 'This single tumble, this single tumble! / Even ten thousand ounces of yellow gold it would match. / A bamboo hat on the head, a pack at the waist; / Clear wind and the bright moon carried on the tip of the staff.' That very day he left Donglin. The assembly reported this to Zhaojue. Jue was greatly delighted and said: 'When a patch-robed monk investigates like this, nothing can surpass it!' He sent someone to trace where he had gone, but in the end no one knew.

20.22

Academician of the Hanlin Academy, the Upāsaka of the Eastern Slope, Su Shi, courtesy name Zizhan. Because he stayed overnight at Donglin and discussed the discourse on insentient things with Zhaojue, he had an insight. At dawn, he presented a verse: 'The sound of the stream is indeed the broad and long tongue; / Are not the colors of the mountains the pure body? / The eighty-four thousand verses of last night— / How on another day can I cite them to others?' Before long, he arrived in Jingnan and heard that the sharp dynamic of Chan Master Hao of Yuquan was untouchable. The gentleman intended to pay respects to him, so he sought an audience in plain clothes. Quan asked: 'What is the honorable official’s surname?' The gentleman said: 'My surname is Scale (Cheng)—a scale that weighs the elders under heaven.' Quan shouted and said: 'Tell me, how much does this single shout weigh?' The gentleman had no reply. Thereupon he treated him with honor and respect. Later, passing by Jinshan, someone painted the gentleman’s portrait. The gentleman playfully inscribed it: 'Mind like wood that has already turned to ash, / Body like a boat that is not tied. / You ask about the achievements of my lifetime: / Huangzhou, Huizhou, Qiongzhou.'

20.23

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Xuedou Rong

20.24

Chan Master Dazhi of Xuefeng in Fuzhou. A monk asked: 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West?' The Master held the handle of the whisk in his mouth to show him. The monk said: 'This is Xiangyan’s; what about the upādhyāya’s?' The Master shouted. The monk laughed heartily. The Master scolded him: 'This wild fox spirit!'

20.25

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Siru of Mount Zhizhe in Wuzhou

20.26

Chan Master Chengyue of Chengtian in Wuzhou. A monk asked: 'What is the Dao?' The Master said: 'The lingering sun cherishes the secluded grass.' He asked: 'What is the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?' The Master said: 'This year, firewood and rice are expensive.' Approaching his passing, he had a verse: 'Departing, where to go? / Staying, in what place? / From where does departing or staying come? / Transcendent, cut off from companionship. / Facing the fork in the road, to whom can this one phrase be raised? / The Silver River is white at night; a solitary toad spits [light].' Having finished speaking, he sat cross-legged and passed away.

20.27

Chan Master Xuwai of Huazang in Wuzhou. A monk asked: 'Knowing that the Master has long stored the jewel in his sack, today before the feast I wish to borrow it for a look.' The Master said: 'Twitch your eyebrows.' The monk said: 'After seeing it, what then?' The Master said: 'How clearly evident!' As the Master was about to pass away, he had a verse: 'A young stone woman holds a gold ring; / A one-horned rhinoceros enters Mount Hua. / Pāpīyān claps his hands with a hearty laugh; / The blue-eyed foreigner crosses the Iron Barrier.' Having finished speaking, he sat cross-legged and passed away.

20.28

Chan Master Kesong of Jingtu in Wuzhou was about to pass away and had a verse: 'The numinous tree has no roots; / The Northern Dipper has a handle. / The billows of the great ocean / Are my lifespan. / Eight feet or sixteen feet— / Who is ordinary, who is sacred? / If you ask about where I go: / In spring executing autumn’s commands. / Take care, all you worthy ones: / Make the physical form upright and the exterior correct.' Having finished speaking, he sat cross-legged and passed away.

20.29

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Baiyun Duan

20.30.1

Chan Master Fayan of Wuzu in Qizhou was a son of the Deng family of Mianzhou. At the age of thirty-five, he first left home and shaved his hair. Receiving full ordination, he went to Chengdu to study the Treatise on the Hundred Dharmas of Vijñaptimātra. Because he heard that when a bodhisattva enters the Path of Seeing, wisdom merges with principle and the objective sphere accords with the spirit, with no distinction between the realizing subject and the realized object; an outsider in the Western Heavens had once challenged a monk, saying, 'Since there is no distinction between realizing subject and realized object, by means of what is it realized?' None could answer him. The outsider degraded them, ordering that bells and drums not be sounded and that their kāṣāyas be worn inside out. When Dharma Master Tripiṭaka Xuanzang arrived there, he resolved this point of contention, saying, 'It is like a person drinking water: he naturally knows for himself whether it is cold or warm,' thereby resolving their difficulty. The Master said, 'Cold and warm may indeed be known, but what is the matter of self-knowing?' He then questioned the lecturer, saying, 'I do not know how the principle of self-knowing is to be explained.' The lecturer, not neglecting his question, merely guided him, saying, 'If you wish to clarify this, you should go to the south and consult those who transmit the school of the Buddha-mind.' The Master then shouldered his pack and went beyond the passes. Among the venerable elders he met, there was none he did not consult to resolve this, yet his doubts were never broken. When he went to call on Chan Master Yuantong Ben, he comprehended all the nidānas past and present, except that he did not understand when a monk asked Xinghua, 'What happens when they come from all four quarters and eight directions?' Xinghua said, 'Strike the one in the middle.' The monk made a prostration. Xinghua said, 'Yesterday I went to a village feast; on the way I met a sudden burst of violent wind and heavy rain, but I managed to avoid it by going into an old shrine.' He asked Ben for further instruction. Ben said, 'This is a nidāna belonging to Linji's lineage. You must ask one of his descendants before you can get it.' The Master then went to call on Chan Master Fushan Yuan to ask for further instruction on the earlier dialogue. Yuan said, 'I have an analogy to tell you: you are just like a man selling firewood in a three-family village, who takes a carrying pole, stands at the crossroads, and asks people, "What matter is being discussed in the Secretariat today?"' The Master thought to himself in silence, 'If it is like this, I am indeed far from it.' One day Yuan said to the Master, 'I am old, and I fear I may waste your time in vain. You may go and rely on Baiyun. Although this old man is junior and I have not met him face to face, when I see his verse on Linji's "three rounds of blows" dialogue, it surpasses ordinary men; he will surely be able to settle your great matter.' The Master shed tears, made prostrations, and took his leave. Arriving at Baiyun, he then brought up the dialogue of the monk asking Nanquan about the maṇi jewel to request instruction. Baiyun scolded him. The Master had an awakening and presented a matching verse, saying: / 'A patch of fallow field before the mountain; / With hands folded, I carefully ask the grandfather. / How many times sold and bought back again, / Only out of pity for the pines and bamboos drawing a clear breeze.' / Baiyun gave him a special seal of approval and put him in charge of the mill. Before long, Baiyun arrived and said to the Master, 'A few Chan guests have come from Mount Lu. All have had some awakening. When instructed to speak, they can speak with good reason. When a nidāna is brought up to ask them, they also understand it. When instructed to provide a turning phrase, they can also provide it. It is just that they are not yet there.' At this, the Master was gripped by great doubt. He privately thought to himself, 'Since they are already awakened, can speak when asked to speak, and understand when asked to understand, why are they not yet there?' He then investigated and inquired for several days, and suddenly had an awakening. What he had formerly treasured he let go of all at once and ran to see Baiyun. Baiyun danced with joy, hands waving and feet stamping; the Master also merely smiled. Later, the Master said, 'Because of this, I broke out in a cold sweat all over, and then I understood the clear breeze unloaded.' One day Baiyun instructed the assembly, saying, 'The ancients said that it is like casting an image in a mirror: after the image is formed, where is the mirror?' The assembly's responses did not tally. Baiyun brought it up to ask the Master. The Master stepped forward, inquired after his welfare, and said, 'It is not much more.' Baiyun smiled and said, 'It takes a man of the Way to achieve this.' He then ordered him to share the seat and instruct newcomers. At first he resided at Simian and then moved to Baiyun; in his later years he resided at Dongshan. A monk asked, 'Holding your staff and leading the assembly, the ancestral order should be carried out, cutting off the vital ford—what is the Master's intention?' The Master said, 'The autumn wind blows across the Wei River; fallen leaves fill Chang'an.' The monk said, 'On all four sides there are no gates, yet the mountains are magnificent; today we are fortunate to have the host return.' The Master said, 'Where is the head of your road?' The monk said, 'Why face to face do you not recognize each other?' The Master said, 'I am glad you have arrived.' He asked, 'Are the intention of the Patriarchs and the intention of the teachings the same or different?' The Master said, 'When a man is poor, his wisdom is short; when a horse is lean, its hair is long.' He asked, 'What is the point where Baiyun is most intimate in helping people?' The Master said, 'Twisting their nostrils around.' The monk said, 'What happens when one goes along just like that?' The Master said, 'A fellow who knows neither pain nor itch.' He asked, 'What was Bodhidharma's intention in wall-gazing?' The Master said, 'The scheme was not yet accomplished.' The monk said, 'What about when the Second Patriarch stood in the snow?' The Master said, 'Making the best of a mistake.' The monk said, 'Then what about cutting off the arm to pacify the mind?' The Master said, 'Emperor Yang opening the Bian Canal.' He asked, 'How does one take a step forward from the top of a hundred-foot pole?' The Master said, 'Only by running swiftly will you get it.' He asked, 'What is the matter of Linji's lineage?' The Master said, 'Hearing thunder after committing the five heinous offenses.' The monk said, 'What is the matter of Yunmen's lineage?' The Master said, 'Red banners flickering.' The monk said, 'What is the matter of Caodong's lineage?' The Master said, 'Sending a letter that does not reach home.' The monk said, 'What is the matter of Guiyang's lineage?' The Master said, 'A broken stele lying across the ancient road.' The monk made a prostration. The Master said, 'Why don't you ask about the matter of Fayan's lineage?' The monk said, 'I leave that to the upādhyāya.' The Master said, 'The night patrolman violates the curfew.' He asked, 'What is a single drop of water from Baiyun?' The Master said, 'Pounding the pestle, turning the mill.' The monk said, 'What about the one who drinks it?' The Master said, 'It leaves you without a place to put your face.' He asked, 'The tongues of all under heaven have been completely cut off by Baiyun; who can cut off Baiyun's tongue?' The Master said, 'Old Man Wang of the eastern village.' The Master then said, 'Just now I thought of a nidāna, but now I have already forgotten it. However, the staff remembers it.' He then held up the staff and said, 'The staff has also forgotten it.' He then struck once and said, 'From the same pit there is no different earth. Du!' Ascending the hall, [he said], 'Fortunately there is not a single thing, yet on itinerant pilgrimage one must practice Chan. Instead, one is troubled by the marks of Chan, failing to pass through the Patriarch's barrier. What is the Patriarch's barrier? Taking fire into the cattle pen.' Ascending the hall, [he said], 'Thus, thus—the shrimp cannot leap out of the peck-measure. Not thus, not thus—trying to be clever makes a mess of it. Soft as iron, hard as mud. The Diamond Eyes weigh twelve ounces; in the patch-robed monk's hands, the scale beam hangs low. There is a price, but no bargaining. By means of what does one without nostrils smell fragrance?' Ascending the hall, [he said], 'Difficult, difficult—how many boats? Easy, easy—no grip at all. Fine, fine—it hastens one's aging. Silent, silent—from this it is attained. Having crossed these four barriers...'

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續傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese