續傳燈錄 28.8

28.8

Chan Master Huazang Miyin Anmin of Jiankang Prefecture was a son of the Zhu family of Jiading Prefecture. At first, he lectured on the Śūraṅgama-sūtra in Chengdu, becoming a refuge for doctrinal scholars. At that time, Yuanwu resided at Zhaojue. The Master was friends with Chan Master Sheng, and accordingly visited there. Hearing Yuanwu's informal gathering, where he cited the nidāna of the National Teacher calling his attendant three times, and Zhaozhou's comment: 'Like someone writing characters in the dark; though the characters are not formed, the patterns are already evident. Where is the place where the patterns are already evident?' The Master harboured doubts about this in his mind, requested incense, and entered the abbot's room. Yuanwu asked, 'What sūtra does the lecture master preach?' The Master said, 'The Śūraṅgama-sūtra.' Yuanwu said, 'The Śūraṅgama has the seven locations searching for the mind and the eight returns discerning seeing. Ultimately, where is the mind?' The Master repeatedly presented theoretical understanding. Yuanwu rejected them all. The Master asked for further instruction. Yuanwu made him understand 'the patterns are already evident' in all places. By chance, a monk requested instruction on the Ten Mysterious Talks; he had just cited the line, 'I ask you, what does the mind-seal look like?' Yuanwu shouted in a harsh voice, 'The patterns are already evident!' Hearing this, the Master had an awakening. He then sought the seal of confirmation. Yuanwu struck him with his genuine tongs and hammer, and the Master was at a loss. One day he addressed Yuanwu, 'Upādhyāya, please cease citing sayings; wait for me to speak and see.' Yuanwu agreed. The Master said, 'Customarily raising the mallet and holding up the whisk—is this not what the sūtra calls, "All phenomena throughout all worlds are just the wondrous, luminous true mind of bodhi"?' Yuanwu smiled and said, 'So you have been making a living here all along!' The Master also said, 'When giving a shout and striking the seat—is this not "turning the hearing back to hear one's own nature, and the nature accomplishes the unsurpassed way"?' Yuanwu said, 'Have you not seen the sūtra say, "The wondrous nature is perfectly luminous, free from all names and characteristics"?' At these words, the Master was freed of doubt. When Yuanwu left Shu to reside at Jiashan, the Master ceased lecturing and accompanied him as an attendant. During an evening assembly for the congregation, Yuanwu cited the nidāna of 'before the ancient sail was hoisted'. Hearing it, the Master did not grasp it, and sought a resolution. Yuanwu said, 'You ask me.' The Master cited the earlier phrase. Yuanwu said, 'The cypress tree in the courtyard.' The Master immediately had penetrating illumination. He said to Yuanwu, 'The ancients said it is like a single drop cast into a vast chasm, but they hardly knew that the great ocean is cast into a single drop!' Yuanwu laughed and said, 'What can one do with this fellow?' Before long, he had him share the seat. Yuanwu recited a verse: 'Do not boast of the Four-Part Vinaya; set aside the Śūraṅgama. / Lower your high airs and thoroughly investigate. / Do not imitate Master Liang attending upon Mazu; / Rather be like Dejiao visiting Longtan. / For seven years travelling back and forth, visiting Zhaojue; / For three years soaring high, ascending Blue Cliff. / Today I trouble you to fill the position of first seat; / Amid the cluster of white flowers, the udumbara appears.' Later, he called upon Fogian at Jiangshan. Fogian asked, 'Foguo had a phrase that he never spoke carelessly for others; did he ever speak it for you?' The Master said, 'Close your dog mouth.' Fogian thundered, 'It is not this principle!' The Master said, 'No one is snatching your salt-and-tea bag; why are you hollering?' Fogian said, 'If Foguo did not speak it for you, I will speak it for you.' The Master said, 'If the Upādhyāya doubts it, retire from the monastery and investigate elsewhere!' Fogian laughed heartily. Before long, the Master opened the Dharma hall at Baoning and then moved to Huazang. Returning to his home region, he took charge of Zhongfeng. He ascended the hall: 'Everyone sells flowers, but I alone sell pine; / Its green colour does not compare to red. / All considered, it never accords with the times; / Let me return home amidst the emerald mists! / How laughable that an ancient spoke thus! / It is very much like fleeing the peak to run into the chasm, or avoiding drowning to jump into the fire. / How could it compare to going along with one's lot to the side of a mattock five parts out of a foot and eight inches, searching for one or half a person? / Even though it is like this, Baoning does not even want half a person. Why? A rich man dislikes a household of a thousand as too few; a poor man resents a single body as too many.' Ascending the hall at the winter solstice, he cited: 'Upādhyāya Yuquan Hao said, "Snow, snow! Flakes falling without difference. Arriving at the twelfth month, and then beginning again: the first month of the coming year, the second month, third month, fourth month, fifth month, sixth month, seventh month, eighth month, ninth month, tenth month—as before, without ceasing, freezing people to death, starving people to death, preventing them from speaking nonsense and reckless talk!"' The Master said, 'This is neither scolding someone nor praising someone. It towers above Linji and Deshan; it is not like Yunju or Luohan. But tell me, what was Yuquan's intention?' After a pause, he said, 'Only let the snow melt away, and naturally spring will arrive.' Later, the Master manifested nirvāṇa at his home mountain. When cremated, the relic-pearls were exceedingly abundant. When the common folk dug into the ground for about a foot, they all found them; they were especially bright, clear, and pure. His heart and tongue also did not decay.