續傳燈錄 29
English (machine translation) 29
- Language
- English
29.1
Table of Contents for Fascicle 29 of the Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp
29.2
Sixteenth Generation under Dajian:
Sixteen Dharma heirs of Chan Master Taiping Qin:
Chan Master Wenshu Xindao
Chan Master Nanhua Zhibing
Chan Master Longya Zhicai
Chan Master Penglai Qing
Chan Master Heshan Shouxun
Chan Master Letan Zeming
Chan Master Baozang Ben
Chan Master Xiangfu Qinghai
Chan Master Jingzhong Liaocan
Chan Master Gushan Hai
(The above ten appear with records.)
Chan Master Lingyan Zhou
Chan Master Qixia Chuqian
Chan Master Fusheng Shen
Chan Master Qianshan Zhisong
Master of the Canon Rong
Recorder Fa
(The above six have no records.)
Twenty-one Dharma heirs of Chan Master Longmen Foyan Yuan:
Chan Master Longxiang Shigui
Chan Master Yunju Shanwu
Chan Master Xichan Wenlian
Chan Master Huanglong Fazhong
Chan Master Wuju Daoxing
Chan Master Baiyang Fashun
Chan Master Yunju Faru
Chan Master Guizong Zhengxian
Chan Master Daochang Mingbian
Chan Master Fangguang Shen
Head Monk Shiqi of Chengdu
Chan Master Bhikṣuṇī Huiwen of Jingju
Supernumerary Official Peng Ji
(The above thirteen appear with records.)
Chan Master Yunju Yuan
Chan Master Yunju Zu
Chan Master Sansheng Daofang
Retreat Master Ji
Chan Master Sanjiao Jie
Chan Master Sansheng Zhenchang
Attendant Bian
Chan Master Shifo Shiqi of Yuezhou
(The above eight have no records.)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Kaifu Daoning:
Chan Master Dawei Shanguo (Appears with record)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zide Hui:
Chan Master Xuedou Deyun
Chan Master Zhangxi Chongjian
Chan Master Huazang Huizuo
Chan Master Xuedou Huan
(The above four have no records.)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Ruiyan Shichuang Gong:
Chan Master Jingci Chongjiao
Chan Master Jingci Bi
(The above two have no records.)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Dawei Zhi:
Chan Master Xuegai Cheng
Chan Master Shishuang Neng
Chan Master Taiyue Jiu
Upāsaka Chen Yuyi
(The above four have no records.)
29.3
Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Fascicle Twenty-Nine: Table of Contents (End).
29.4
Sixteenth Generation under Dajian
29.5
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Taiping Qin
29.6
Chan Master Wenshu Xindao of Changde Prefecture was a son of the Xu family of Meizhou. At the age of thirty he received ordination. He went to Chengdu to study Consciousness-Only (Vijñaptimātratā), considering himself to have reached the ultimate. A fellow resident questioned him, saying: 'The three realms are mind-only; the ten thousand dharmas are consciousness-only. Now, with the ten thousand phenomena right before our eyes, where are mind and consciousness?' The Master was at a loss and did not know how to answer. He then passed beyond the passes and wandered through the Jiang and Huai regions. Having arrived at Taiping in Shu, he heard Chan Master Fojian cite Zhaozhou's 'Cypress Tree' case during evening instruction, reaching the point where Iron Mouth Jue said, 'My late teacher had no such words; you had better not slander my late teacher.' Because of this he gave rise to great doubt, raising and reflecting on it for a long time. One night, he had a breakthrough of realization. He immediately hurried to the abbot's room intending to recount what he had awakened to. Seeing him coming, Jian shut the door. The Master said, 'Upādhyāya, do not deceive me.' Jian said, 'The ten directions have no walls; why do you not enter through the door?' The Master punched through the window paper with his fist. Jian at once opened the door, seized him, and said, 'Speak! Speak!' The Master cupped Jian's head with both hands, spat in his face, and walked out. He then presented a verse: 'Zhaozhou has a cypress tree case; / Chan travelers pass it down everywhere throughout the world. / Mostly they pluck leaves and seek branches, / Unable to comprehend it directly at the root source. / Master Jue said there were no such words; / This was truly a foul insult cast right in his face. / If a Chan person possesses the eye that sees all ways, / He should distinguish the real from the false right herein.' Jian deeply affirmed this, and always praised him to guests. Later he ordered him to share the seat. The prefect of Xiangzhou invited him to open the Dharma hall at Tianning. Before long he was promoted to Dabie Wenshu. Ascending the hall, he said: 'The lion yawns; the elephant king roars. Yunmen hides his body in the Northern Dipper; why does Baiyun call it his hand? The Buddhas of the three periods cannot know it; wild cats and white oxen, on the contrary, know it exists. Now tell me, what is the matter that they know exists? Rain batters the pear blossoms and butterflies fly; wind blows the willow catkins and balls of fur roll.' Ascending the hall, he held up his staff, pointed straight up, and said: 'At such a time, pierce through the heel of Kauśika.' Striking it once, he said: 'At such a time, smash the crown of King Yama's head.' He then pointed to the eastern side and said: 'At such a time, pierce through the eyes of the carps in the Eastern Sea.' Pointing to the western side, he said: 'At such a time, plug up the nostrils of the Queen Mother of the West. And tell me, what about when it is entirely not such a time? This year there is much rain; each of you should dry your eyes often.' In the first year of the Xuanhe era, an edict was issued converting monks into Daoist 'Gentlemen of Virtue' (Deshi). Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: 'The matter of the Patriarch's meaning coming from the West / Is especially novel this morning. / Formerly bearing the appearance of a bhikṣu, / Now taking the form of Lord Lao. / Over the crane-feather cloak is draped silver-brown wool; / The head is wrapped in a plantain-leaf cap. / An unencumbered guest of the woods and springs, / I have twice received the Sovereign's favor. Therefore it is said: "If you wish to know the meaning of Buddha-nature, you must observe the seasonal conditions." Now tell me, what season is it right now? Vairocana wears a jeweled crown on his head to manifest that the conventional exists within the true; the old fellow of Wenshu wears a crane-feather cloak on his body just to condescend and accord with the times. Since it is so for one person, it is also so for everyone. Together we establish monasteries, rejoicing that the host of immortals gathers together, jointly pouring the wine of bewitched immortals and singing in unison the verses of walking through the void. Either reading the Scripture of Salvation of the Numinous Treasure, or speaking of the medicine of longevity and immortality. The zither is plucked beneath the moon, its fingertips sending forth sounds of high antiquity; chess pieces are set out before the veranda, their wondrous moves surpassing divine design. Taking a step forward, one directly reaches the Great Net Heaven (Daluotian); taking a step backward, one enters into the City of Ninefold Darkness. But what about the single phrase of neither advancing nor retreating—how do you speak it? Even if you take flight to the three purities' road, / In the end it is still a phantom body in saṃsāra.' In the ninth month of the second year, the monks were restored. Ascending the hall, [the Master said]: 'Not hanging the field-robe, wearing the feathered robe; / The appearance of Lord Lao was quite fitting. / In the midst of a year and a half of idle reflection, / Ultimately flourishing and decline each have their time. Our Buddha Tathāgata foresaw that the Dharma would meet with adversity; clearly recorded in the teachings, there is nothing not known in detail. Counting the years, it is precisely at this time. Mara found his opportunity to bewilder and disrupt the authentic lineage: monks took on secular forms and the Buddha's name was changed; deludedly giving rise to deviant interpretations, the scriptural texts were excised and pruned; cymbals and gongs ceased their sound, and feet were added to the alms-bowl. All manner of deceit and fraud deceived our Sage Sovereign. Thanks to the sagely virtue and sagely brilliance of His Majesty the Emperor, not forgetting the entrustment and not abolishing his teaching, he specially bestowed imperial writings to be promulgated throughout the realm, further permitting monks and nuns to don robes and shave their heads once again. Truly it is called cold ashes rekindling and withered wood flourishing anew. Without leaving secular forms one takes on the monk's form; without departing from the realm of Māra one enters the realm of the Buddha. Re-sounding the Dharma drum, once again righting the sagging standards. The bewitched-immortal wine turns into sweet-dew jade nectar; the verses of stepping through the void are transformed into songs of returning home. Laying down the silver and wooden tablets, one picks up the niṣīdana. Yesterday morning bowing with joined palms and raising fists; today bowing low with "How are you?" Only the former appearance was changed, not the former person. May I ask the great assembly: is the former person one or two?' After a long pause, he said: 'The autumn wind also knows to dislike disorder, / Blowing away completely the Daoist ashes of that year.' In the spring of the third year of Jianyan, addressing the assembly, he cited the story of Linji's entering extinction and his entrustment to Sansheng. The Master said: 'The Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma was extinguished in this blind donkey. How could Linji have ever said this? People of past and present all transmit it falsely. If you do not believe it, just watch three months later.' When the intercalary third month arrived, the rebel Zhong Xiang rebelled. His followers wanted to carry the Master to flee south. The Master said: 'The reason one studies the Way is to resolve birth and death; what is there to avoid?' When the rebels arrived, the Master said: 'Kill me quickly to gladden your hearts!' The rebels immediately raised a spear and slaughtered him. His blood was entirely white milk. Astonished, the rebels pulled a mat to cover him and left.
29.7
Chan Master Nanhua Zhibing of Shaozhou was a native of Yongkang in Shu. Ascending the hall, he said: 'This matter is most rare and wonderful; it does not obstruct speaking of it directly face-to-face. The old farmer in the eastern neighborhood gets a piece along with the rest. It not only penetrates sounds and forms, but also accords with seasons and occasions. If you ask what lineage it is: the character "eight" (八) does not touch the left-falling stroke (㇒).' Striking the meditation bench, he stepped down. Ascending the hall, he said: 'Speaking of it day after day, raising it time after time; like the earth supporting a mountain, how much difference is there? The parrots of Longxi are loved by people; on the whole, it is only because they can speak words. Stop deliberating and dragging along companions; the wise person, upon hearing it briefly, fiercely seizes it. There is yet another kind that is also very marvelous: cats are especially adept at catching mice.' Ascending the hall, he stirred the air with his staff and said: 'Stirring the long river into clotted cream—the shrimps and crabs still have rheum in their eyes.' Striking it once, he said: 'Transforming the great earth into yellow gold—the destitute man is, as before, stark naked and broke. Is it that he himself has no share, or is it that he refuses to undertake it? If by chance there is a fellow who can shoulder it and walk off, how many people will lose their money and suffer punishment?' Striking it once more, he said: 'Do you understand? Having reached the treasure mountain, you must open your eyes; do not in your flurry return empty-handed.' Ascending the hall, he said: 'The spring scenery is radiant and flowers vie to blossom; the cuckoo cries down the moon on the western mountain. Gavāmpati constantly sticks out his tongue; who is the clear matter spoken to? Ha!' Ascending the hall, he said: 'Delusion is not deluded of itself; delusion is established in contrast to awakening. Awakening is not awakened of itself; awakening is spoken of due to delusion. Therefore, awakening is the substance of delusion, and delusion is the function of awakening. Delusion and awakening have no point of origin; within this there is no separate commonality. Having no separate commonality, it cannot be stirred. The Patriarch did not bring it here; the nostrils weigh a thousand catties.'
29.8
Chan Master Zhicai of Longya in Tanzhou was a native of the Shi clan of Shuzhou. In his early years, he served diligently in the Dharma assembly of Fojian, never shrinking from difficult monastery duties, and his name was already renowned throughout the monasteries. When he went on itinerant pilgrimage, he arrived at Huanglong towards evening. Sixin happened to be at the triple gate and asked where he had come from. Once he gave his name, [Sixin] knew that he was Cai the estate steward from Taiping in Shuzhou. The next day, he entered the abbot's room. Sixin asked, "If you understand the foremost phrase, then you understand the final phrase; if you understand the final phrase, then you understand the foremost phrase. Setting aside both the foremost and the final, how do you understand Baizhang's wild fox gong'an?" The Master said, "Having stepped into the doorway, I already knew your understanding; what need is there to bring up mud from the ruts?" Sixin said, "The new elder has died at the hands of this senior monk!" The Master said, "Though the words differ, the ultimate principle is not divergent." Sixin said, "What is this non-divergent thing?" The Master said, "Unless one touches the horns of the yellow dragon, how could one know the pearl beneath its chin?" Sixin then struck him. When he first took up residence at Yuelu, on the day of opening the hall, a monk asked, "Deshan's blow of the stick and Linji's shout—today we ask the Master to take them up." The Master said, "Sulu, sulu." [The monk] said, "Does 'sulu, sulu' still have the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West or not?" The Master said, "Sulu, sulu." Because of this, the monasteries called him 'Cai Sulu.' Later he moved to Longya. On the occasion of Emperor Qinzong ascending the throne, all the officials requested him to ascend the hall. Having offered prayers for the emperor, he took his seat, picked up his staff, struck it once, and said, "The memorial presented to the court states that this has originally been a profound realm and a wondrous site of all Buddhas. Just now, this staff has already explained it all for you. If you awaken right here, principle will be fully manifested and phenomena will be completely fulfilled. If this is not yet so, inevitably I must provide another piece of news: 'The Sun of Shun shines again, the four seas are pure; / Auspicious harmony fills the sky, rejoicing in peace and ascension. / This auspicious staff produces great joy; / Thrown to the ground, the mountains cry out, Long live the Emperor!'" He threw down his staff and stepped down from the seat. Ascending the hall, he snapped his fingers once and said, "With a snap of the fingers, the eighty thousand gates are perfectly realized; / In an instant, the three asaṃkhyeya kalpas are extinguished. / If you can see it and practice it: / When vigorous, do walking meditation; when tired, rest. / If you do not understand: / Again a cormorant carries a turtle." Ascending the hall, he cited Upādhyāya Sixin's informal gathering, which said, "If we speak of this matter, it is like a household having three sons: the first son is clever, wise, and filial to his parents, receiving guests and managing the family estate; the second son is fierce, stubborn, deceitful, lustful, and addicted to wine, collapsing in streets and sleeping in alleys, ruining the family estate; the third son is blind, deaf, mute, unable to distinguish beans from wheat, incapable of doing anything, only knowing how to eat. Among these three persons, Huanglong wants to select one for use. Furthermore, there are four phrases: 'in death there is life,' 'in life there is death,' 'in death there is always death,' and 'in life there is always life.' Using these four phrases, I examine the patch-robed monks of the world." The Master said, "What do you call the four phrases? What are the surnames and names of the three sons? If you recognize them, you will walk hand in hand alongside Huanglong, without the slightest separation. If this is not yet so, inevitably I must borrow water to offer flowers: 'The three persons share one substance, function yet non-function; / The four phrases share one tone, empty yet not empty. / If you wish to know the three persons and the four phrases: / When the golden crow first emerges, it is a single ball of red.'" The Master resided at Longya for thirteen years, overseeing the community with austerity and frugality, so that the patch-robed monks revered him. Great Master Xi Zhen moved him to Yunxi, where he spent four years. In the eighth month of the wuwu year of the Shaoxing era, at the full moon, he suddenly gathered the assembly to entrust the monastery's affairs, and wrote a verse: "On the day of Mid-Autumn in the wuwu year, / The affairs of leaving home and serving as abbot are done. / At the point of departure, even myself does not exist; / What empty space is there left to seek?" His instructions were as usual. On the thirteenth day, he gathered the assembly again, presented a question, and said, "Nirvāṇa, birth, and death are all sky-flowers; / 'Buddha' and 'sentient beings' are both redundant words. / What must all of you do?" None of the assembly's answers matched. The Master shouted and said, "Bitter, bitter!" He further said, "White clouds surge from the earth; the bright moon shines in the sky." Having spoken, he smiled and passed away. After cremation, five-colored relics were obtained, and together with his sacred bones, they were enshrined in a stupa at the northwest corner of the monastery.
29.9
Chan Master Qing of Penglai in Mingzhou ascended the hall: "'Being with words or being without words is like a vine clinging to a tree.' For now, let everyone in all directions nod their heads. When the tree falls and the vine withers, above there is no scheme to soar into the sky, and below there is no stratagem to enter the earth. If a sharp fellow can plant an eye right here, he will see seven verticals and eight horizontals." Raising his whisk, he said, "Look, look! 'One tune, two tunes, and no one understands; / The rain has passed over the night pond, and the autumn waters are deep.'" Ascending the hall: "Amid the cuckoo's calls, spring's light draws late; / Fallen flowers cover the ground, impossible to detain. / On the lapis lazuli palace, all footprints are severed; / Who knows how to plant a rootless tree?" Raising his staff, he said, "This is the rootless one. Tell me, does it know how to blossom or not?" After a long pause, he said, "Only because of the continuous night rain, / Another year's spring has passed." Ascending the hall, he cited: "Fayan said, 'Recognizing the citron, everything is more than complete.' Yunmen said, 'Recognizing the citron, heaven and earth are as far apart as can be.'" The Master said, "These two old masters: one stands atop the highest mountain peak, the other walks along the deepest ocean floor. Even though it is so, one is not, and two does not succeed. 'Warblers cry amid falling flowers and flowing water; / Rain ceases at the quiet pavilion as night approaches midnight; / A sliver of moon rises once more from the ocean bed.'"
29.10
Chan Master Fodeng Shouxun of Heshan in Anji Prefecture was a native of the Shi clan of that prefecture. He studied with Chan Master Guangjian Ying without契合 (meeting with affinity). Thereupon he went to Taiping, where he inquired and consulted along with the assembly, but made no entry. He then sealed his quilt, saying, "If in this life I do not penetrate through, I vow never to unroll this." Thereupon he sat by day and stood by night, as if mourning his parents. More than forty-nine days passed. Suddenly, Fojian ascended the hall and said, "The myriad forms and phenomena are sealed by the single Dharma." Hearing this, the Master was instantly awakened. He went to see Fojian. Fojian said, "What a pity that a bright pearl has been picked up by this mad fellow!" He then questioned him: "Lingyun said, 'Ever since seeing the peach blossoms once, / Down to the present day, I doubt no more.' What was the place where he had no doubt?" The Master said, "Do not say Lingyun had no doubt; right now, even if you look for a place of doubt, it cannot be found at all." Fojian said, "Xuansha said, 'Quite accurate, very accurate indeed; yet I dare guarantee that the elder brother has not yet penetrated through.' Where was it that he had not yet penetrated through?" The Master said, "I know deeply the upādhyāya's earnest grandmotherly compassion." Fojian approved him. The Master bowed, arose, and presented a verse: "All day long looking at the sky without raising my head, / Only when the peach blossoms bloomed profusely did I first lift my gaze. / Even if you have a sky-covering net, / Once penetrating the formidable pass, one simply rests." Fojian instructed him to protect and maintain it. That evening, he called out loudly to the assembly, "This time Senior Xun can sleep soundly!" Yuanwu, hearing of this, doubted that it was so, and said, "I must test him myself before deciding." He then had someone summon him. When roaming the mountains together, they happened upon a pool of water. Yuanwu pushed the Master into the water and abruptly asked, "How was it before Niutou saw the Fourth Patriarch?" The Master said, "The pool is deep, fish gather." Yuanwu said, "How was it after seeing him?" The Master said, "The tree is tall, it attracts the wind." Yuanwu said, "How is it when seeing and not seeing coincide?" The Master said, "Stretching out the legs within curled legs." Yuanwu praised him greatly. Fojian moved to Jiangshan and appointed him to share the seat and expound the Dharma. He went out to reside at Heshan in Luling, then retired to his native place. Monastics and laypeople welcomed him to reside at Tiansheng, and later he moved to Heshan and Tianning. Ascending the hall: "The drill that turns with the cart, the axe for dwelling in the mountains; / Even if Buddhas and Patriarchs appear, they do not give it lightly. / Even if ghee filled the world, / If you have no precious vessel, how could you take it? / Aha! Shenshan plays the sieve, Daowu dances. / A sweet melon is sweet all the way to its stem; / A bitter gourd is bitter right down to its roots." Ascending the hall, he cited the story of the old woman burning down the hermitage. The Master said, "Generally, to uphold the lineage and establish the teaching requires the right person. Look at that old woman: although she was a woman, she truly possessed the strategy of a great man. Sifting oil and wasting sauce for twenty years is certainly understandable. One day at the top of a hundred-foot pole, she made a release, exhausting the strength of her wrist throughout her entire life. Unless one is a worldly fellow who understands the opportune moment, when skill is exhausted, awkwardness emerges. Even though it is so, do you all want to understand? 'Only after the snow does one know the integrity of pines and cypresses; / Only when matters are difficult does one see the heart of a great man.'" Ascending the hall: "Tathāgata Chan, the Patriarchs' way— / Be sure not to search outside with your mind. / What is obtained through the gate is not a treasure; / Specially bury the gem inside your clothes. / Flow of Chan practitioners, you must quickly / Throw open the Patriarch's barrier mechanism, / Shake out your old cloth robe of many years. / Entrust right and wrong, slander and praise to emptiness; / Vertical, wide, horizontal, long—all are entirely fitting. / Have you not seen the old man Hanshan, / Joyful all day long, holding his broom year in, year out? / When asked what the matter was within: / Entering a barren field without choosing, he freely picked up weeds. / Practice!" A monk asked, "What is the guest within the guest?" The Master said, "The traveler's road is as distant as heaven; the noble's gate is as deep as the sea." [The monk] said, "What is the host within the guest?" The Master said, "Often at the place of seeing off a guest, one remembers the time of leaving home." [The monk] said, "What is the guest within the host?" The Master said, "When meeting, there is no need to ask about the journey ahead." [The monk] said, "What is the host within the host?" The Master said, "Once holding power over the ancestral command, who is the one stepping forward?" [The monk] said, "Having received the Master's instruction on guest and host, what is the matter of the supreme vehicle of our lineage?" The Master said, "Bring forth your question regarding what is supreme." [The monk] said, "What is the matter of what is supreme?" The Master said, "If the great sea knew contentment, the hundred rivers would flow backwards." The monk bowed. The Master said, "This is what Senior Xun learned over thirty years." The Master once said to the assembly, "Brethren, if you have an awakening, regardless of the time, please come and reveal some news of it." On a snowy night, a monk knocked on the abbot's door. The Master arose, held a candle, shouted with fierce majesty, and said, "Seeking resolution of doubt in the deep snow at midnight—why are your deportment and garments incomplete?" The monk looked at his robe, and the Master drove him out of the monastery. He would often say, "My late master lived only to fifty-nine; I am already fifty-six. My coming days are not many." In the jiayin year of the Shaoxing era, when lifting the summer retreat, he stepped down from the seat of Tianning and said to Upāsaka Shuanghuai Zheng Ji, "The eighth day of the tenth month is the memorial day of Fojian; that is when my time will arrive. I beg to return south of the barrier." On the fourth day of the tenth month, Lord Zheng sent the monk Daoru to inquire after him. The Master said, "You have come at the right time. One day earlier would not be suitable; one day later would be missed. Though I was born on the same branch as Fojian, I will not die on the same branch. Tomorrow morning, find me a small boat." Ru said, "Do you want a long one or a tall one?" The Master said, "About five feet tall." Three days later, at cockcrow, he sat upright as usual. The attendant requested a final verse. The Master said, "I have not composed one." Having spoken, he passed away. After cremation, his tongue root was not destroyed. Chen Shiyan, a man of the prefecture, stored it in his home in a precious casket. His disciples enshrined his sacred bones in a stupa beside Puying Cloister.
29.11
Chan Master Zeming of Letan in Longxing Prefecture ascended the hall and cited the nidāna of Zhaozhou visiting Zhuyu to probe the water. The Master said, "Old Zhao's clouds gather, the mountain peaks appear; Zhuyu's rain clears, the bamboo breeze is pure. In whose other villa's pond could a pair of mandarin ducks fail to be painted?" He also cited Deshan carrying his bowl. The Master said, "From the start, the child of a wealthy house is pampered, leaning especially toward the river to play with the painted oar. Inducing the old father beyond control, he too comes aboard the boat to join in the singing." Ascending the hall: "Yongjia said, 'One moon appears universally in all waters; all waters' moons are gathered into one moon.'" Raising his whisk, he said, "Look, look! A thousand rivers compete in pouring, ten thousand streams vie in flowing. If you are already skilled at navigating a boat and understand the water's veins, you can leisurely roam the ocean of nature and laugh proudly among the misty waves. If this is not yet so, return for now to sit beneath the forest and wait further for when the moon is bright."
29.12
Chan Master Ben of Baozang in Taizhou ascended the hall: "Qingming has passed by more than ten days; / The fading rain of flowers is square-inch deep. / The spring colors trouble one, keeping one from sleep; / An oriole flies past the green willow shade." He then laughed loudly and stepped down from the seat.
29.13
Chan Master Qinghai of Da Zhong Xiangfu Monastery in Jizhou first went to see Foyan. Foyan asked, 'If you swallow all the Buddhas of the three periods of time at a single gulp, where are there any sentient beings left to teach and transform? What is the principle of this?' The master was about to offer words when Foyan shouted at him. The master suddenly grasped the lineage intent and presented a gāthā, saying: 'The bhūtakoṭi from the first receives no dust; / Within it there is neither old nor new. / Green mountains moreover are our family possession; / No need to seek a home or ask the crossing elsewhere.' Foyan said, 'Put it down.' The master bowed and departed.
29.14
Chan Master Fozhen Liaocan of Jingzhong Monastery in Zhangzhou was a son of the Luo family from south of Quanzhou. Ascending the hall, he said, 'On the ninth day of Double Ninth the chrysanthemums are fresh; / A single phrase clearly spans past and present. / Yang Guang's camel is nowhere to be found, / Yet overnight its footprints lie in the pine shade.'
29.15
Chan Master Hai of Gushan in Longxing Prefecture ascended the hall and said, 'Mentioning once without speaking again already falls into secondary and tertiary steps. Meeting without raising eyebrows turns into contrivance instead. Even if you pluck the strings and distinguish the tune, report the past to know what is to come, run at the mere shadow of the whip, or turn back upon glimpsing the temple flagpole—under your heels you deserve thirty blows of the stick! How much less can one bear to pinch spark from flint here or seize flashes of lightning? Expending effort in vain is completely idle business; it makes the blue-eyed barbarian who came from the West double over with laughter!' Striking his staff, he descended the seat.
29.16
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Longmen Foyan Qingyuan
29.17
Chan Master Zhuan Shigui of Longxiang Monastery in Wenzhou was a son of the Shi family of Chengdu. At first he relied on Zongya of Daci; his mind was intoxicated by the Śūraṅgama Sūtra for more than five autumns. Journeying south to call upon various venerable elders, he first ascended Longmen. He immediately reported his usual attainments to Foyan. Foyan said, 'Your understanding mind has reached the utmost, but you lack the effort to open your eyes, that is all.' He then appointed him to the office of hall supervisor. One day while standing in attendance, the master asked, 'What is it like when all duality is cut off?' Foyan said, 'It is just like when you strike the mallet in the Saṅgha hall.' The master was at a loss. In the evening Foyan came to the hall supervisor's quarters. The master brought up the previous conversation. Foyan said, 'Idle words.' At these words, the master had a great awakening. At the end of the Zhenghe reign period, he entered the world [as abbot] at Tianning Monastery in Hezhou. He repeatedly transferred to famous monasteries. During the Shaoxing reign period, he received an imperial decree to open the mountain monastery at Nengren on Mount Yandang. At that time Zhenxie resided at Jiangxin; hearing of the master's arrival, he feared his conditions for the Dharma were not yet ripe, so he specially crossed the river to welcome him to the abbot's quarters and performed nine full prostrations to inspire the people of Wenzhou. Because of this, they gathered in devotion to venerate him. Before the master even assumed the seals of office, his followers feared the implementation of monastic regulations and set a fire late at night, reducing it to a mound of rubble. The master thereupon bound a hut by the trees. Ascending the seat, he instructed the assembly, saying: 'Loving idleness, I do not beat the drum of Gushan; / Reaching old age, I have come to see Mount Yandang. / Towering pavilions and lofty storeys are completely unseen— / By the creek, two or three thatched huts. / Is there anyone who will lend a hand together?' He gave a shout and descended the seat. Lay patrons listening to the Dharma joined their efforts to build, and before long it became a jeweled sanctuary again. Next he succeeded to Jiangxin. Ascending the hall, he said, 'Ten thousand years in a single thought, a single thought for ten thousand years. Rolling in the mud with clothes on, washing feet and going to bed. Things spanning kalpas are only right now. Waves surge in the great sea; a petty person's heart is deep.' Holding up his staff, he said, 'You all have not yet found an entry point; you must find an entry point. Once you have found an entry point, you must have an exit path before you can be done. Assembly, tell me: what is the exit path?' After a long pause, he said, 'Weighed down by snow, the ravine pine is hard to break; blown by the wind, the moon at the edge of the sky does not move.' Striking his staff, he descended the seat. Ascending the hall: 'Where myriad mechanisms do not reach, the eye sees forms and the ear hears sounds. A single phrase right in the open: head crowned by heaven, feet treading the earth. You people only know today is the first day of the fifth month; you do not realize at all that the golden crow departs in haste at midnight, and the jade rabbit rises from the eastern sea at dawn.' Striking the meditation couch with his whisk, he descended the seat. Ascending the hall: 'Clearly there is no awakening; where there is Dharma, there is delusion. You cannot stand here; you cannot dwell here. If you stand, you are in danger; if you dwell, you are blind. You must directly ensure intention does not stop at the mystery, words do not stop at intention, and function does not stop at the trigger. When these three are clear, in all places there is no need to guard them—they naturally manifest before you; no need to attend to them—they are naturally clear. Even though it is like this, you must still know there is a matter directed upwards. A long rain does not clear. Bah!' Ascending the hall: 'When a single leaf falls, it is autumn throughout the world. If you wish to exhaust your sight for a thousand miles, climb another storey higher. When a speck of dust rises, the great earth gathers it in. Jiazhou casts the great statue; Shanfu pours the iron oxen. What should a clear-eyed fellow do?' After a long pause, he said, 'During a long drought from the eaves, at Gouqiao the flowing water does not flow.' Striking his staff, he descended the seat. Ascending the hall: 'When you see seeing, seeing is not seeing. Seeing still departs from seeing; seeing cannot reach it. Falling blossoms intentionally follow the flowing water; flowing water has no feeling to long for the falling blossoms. What can be returned is naturally not you; what is not returned to you, who is it if not you? Ever grieving that spring has gone with nowhere to seek it, not knowing it has turned and entered right here.' Giving a shout, he said, 'After thirty years, do not say Nengren corrupted other people's sons and daughters!' Ascending the hall, a monk asked, 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?' The master said, 'The eastern house lights a lamp; the western house sits in the dark.' [The monk] asked, 'I do not yet understand what the lineage intent is.' The master said, 'The horse takes the saddle; the donkey turns the mill.' The monk bowed. The master said, 'One nimble patch-robed monk is all it takes.' He then said, 'The horse takes the saddle, the donkey turns the mill; / One nimble patch-robed monk is all it takes. / Even though the eastern house brightly lights a lamp, / The western house does not necessarily sit in darkness. / You ask what the intent of the coming from the West is? / A garrulous monk brings disaster upon himself.' A monk asked, 'What is the primary truth?' The master said, 'What you ask is the secondary truth.' [A monk] asked, 'Does a dog have Buddha-nature or not? Zhaozhou said "No" (Wu). What was the lineage intent?' The master said, 'Bitten once by a snake, one fears the sight of a broken well rope.' [A monk] asked, 'Swallows speak deeply of the true mark and are good at expounding the Dharma essentials. What is the principle of this?' The master said, 'Not as good as wild geese carrying reeds in their beaks.' [A monk] asked, 'What is the Buddha?' The master said, 'A tortoise at the mouth of Huayang Cave.' [A monk] asked, 'What was the lineage intent of Luzu facing the wall?' The master said, 'Metal, wood, water, fire, earth; Rāhu and Ketu stars.' [A monk] asked, 'What is it like when having phrases and lacking phrases are like wisteria leaning on a tree?' The master said, 'The thief's heart is timid.' [The monk] said, 'What about the National Teacher calling his attendant three times?' The master said, 'Beating the drum to play with the monkey; when the drum breaks, the monkey runs away.' On the eighteenth day of the seventh month in the bingyin year, he summoned the elder Zongfan of his Dharma lineage and entrusted him with the affairs after his death. The next day, he bathed, tolled the bell to assemble the crowd, sat on his seat, and peacefully passed away. On the day of the cremation, all who came to see him off received relics (śarīra). His stupa for his sacred bones was erected on Mount Gushan.
29.18
Chan Master Gao'an Shanwu of Yunju in Nankang Military Prefecture was a son of the Li family of Yangzhou. At age eleven he left home, studied the scriptures, and was ordained, possessing innate wisdom. Hearing Chan Master Chong cite the nidāna of Emperor Wu questioning Bodhidharma, it was as if he had recovered an old possession. He promptly said, 'Since I am already clear and vast, what holiness can there be?' Chong marveled at his words and urged him to travel south to inquire. He received a prophecy [of realization] under Longmen. One day, a monk had his foot injured by a snake. Foyan asked, 'Since this is Longmen (Dragon Gate), why was he bitten by a snake?' The master immediately responded, 'Indeed, he manifests the mark of a great person.' Foyan valued him all the more. Later these words were transmitted to Zhaojue; Yuanwu said, 'Is there such a monk at Longmen? The Dharma path of Dongshan is not yet solitary!' After taking up residency, he ascended the hall and said, 'Shaolin wall-gazing harbored the eastern lands and western heavens. Oufu ascending the hall fills the four directions, above and below. This causes high mountains to be level as the palm of a hand, and muddy water to remain constantly pure of itself. Flowers without luster bear empty fruit; without the wind blowing, a single leaf falls. People have no dharma to ask about; the Buddha has no mind and can further be realized. Wild greens and bland rice prolong the days; according with conditions and following circumstances, the Way is naturally efficacious. In the end, what is it? Striking the third watch at noon.'
29.19
Chan Master Xichan Wenlian of Suining Prefecture was a son of the Zhang family of the commandery. Ascending the hall, he said, 'Going entirely like this, the paths of ordinary and sage are cut off and not a drop of water leaks through; an iron snake cannot bore in, an iron hammer cannot smash it, even for thousands of miles birds cannot fly across. Coming entirely like this, one cannot avoid being covered in dust and mud, trailing water and dragging mud, calling nine ten and pointing to a deer as a horse. Not only do you fail the past sages, but you also bury your own spirit. Dare I ask the assembly: tell me, is going like this right, or is coming like this right? Peony flowers bloom into the face of a bodhisattva; palm leaves scatter into the head of a yakṣa.' Ascending the hall: 'Everywhere they talk vast mysteries, striking the bells and beating the drums daily. Xichan has no Dharma to speak of; I see through lanterns and bare pillars. Before the gate I do not set up a dismounting platform, to prevent bystanders from borrowing the road. If you borrow the road, you must watch your step underfoot; if you falter, you are like someone from Handan learning the Tang walk.' Ascending the hall: 'When the mind arises, various dharmas arise: myriad forms and phenomena crisscross; reach out your hand, pick them up, and use them: the sun wheel at the third watch after noon. When the mind ceases, various dharmas cease: the path of the four propositions and hundred negations is cut off; even if Bodhidharma were to show his head, it would just be dust in the eye. When mind arises and mind ceases, who is it? Wooden men clasp hands and return together; returning to the field of their native home, they still take a hammer-blow to the top of the head.' Ascending the hall: 'In the first month of early spring it is still cold; directly down, words are upright and speeches are upright. Tweaking the patch-robed monk's nostrils, piercing through the hearts and livers of Buddhas and Patriarchs. For those who know it is there: Bodhidharma did not come to the eastern lands, and the Second Patriarch did not go to the western heavens. For those who do not know it is there: who realizes that missing it face-to-face leaves you distant by a hundred and eight thousand miles? This mountain monk will speak a gāthā again for you; assembly, do not let it go to waste: early spring is still cold.' A monk asked, 'What is it like when the lion has not yet left the cave?' The master said, 'Claws and teeth are already exposed.' [The monk] asked, 'What about after leaving the cave?' The master said, 'Dragon's head and snake's tail.' [The monk] asked, 'What about when leaving and not leaving coincide?' The master said, 'Just right to take a blow of the stick.' [A monk] asked, 'Setting aside shedding layer after layer, what is it like when one does not shed layer after layer?' The master said, 'The ācārya has a great deal of leisure.'
29.20
Chan Master Mu'an Fachong of Huanglong in Longxing Prefecture was a son of the Yao family of Siming. At nineteen, he passed the scripture examination and was ordained. He studied the Tiantai teachings and awakened to the purport of the threefold contemplation in a single mind, but could not efface its traces. He traveled everywhere to consult eminent masters, arriving at Longmen. Watching the watermill turning, he had an insight into the mind essential and composed a gāthā, saying: / 'Turning the great wheel of Dharma, / It is wrapped before the eyes. / Ask further how it is? / Water pushes the stone mill.' / He presented it to Foyan. Foyan said, 'What is the matter within it?' / The Master said, 'The water in the valley stream flows perpetually.' / Foyan said, 'I have a final word, waiting to be entrusted to you.' / The Master immediately covered his ears and walked away. Later he arrived at Mount Lu, where he fasted and sat in pure quietude inside a hollow withered tree at Tong'an. During the Xuanhe era there was a great drought in Xiangtan; prayers brought no response. The Master leaped into the Dragon Pool and shouted, 'Karmic beast, there must be a foot of rain!' Rain followed immediately. Living on the Southern Peak, he often rode a tiger out for excursions; Confucians and Buddhists alike bowed toward the dust he left. After becoming abbot, he ascended the hall: 'When Master Zhang drinks wine, Master Li gets drunk. Thinking it over carefully, it is inconceivable. When Master Li wakes from his drunkenness and questions Master Zhang, it merely makes Master Zhang lose his temper. If he loses his temper, he had better go home and just sleep.' He ascended the hall: 'Today is the middle of the first month. I have a matter to decide for you: by all means avoid having both your eyes swapped away by those lanterns.' He ascended the hall: 'I have a phrase that does not borrow the mouths of the sages, nor move my own tongue; it is not sound or breath, nor is it emotional consciousness or discrimination. Even if Vimalakīrti kept his mouth shut at Vaiśālī, or Śākyamuni closed his room at Magadha, it would be much like plugging one's ears to steal a bell—they could not avoid leaking the heavenly mystery. Even if Deshan struck with his stick the moment one entered the door, or Linji gave a shout the moment one entered the door, if brought under Mu'an's gate and scrutinized, it would amount to only a single peg. A thousand kinds of words, ten thousand manners of speech—all are only to make you rest yourself, letting the great earth and empty space be full of pits and bumps.' A monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?' / The Master said, 'Do not seek outside.' / 'What is mind?' / The Master said, 'Do not search outside.' / 'What is the Way?' / The Master said, 'Do not hunt outside.' / 'What is Chan?' / The Master said, 'Do not transmit outside.' / 'What is it ultimately?' / The Master said, 'In a quiet place, svāhā.' A monk asked, 'The great assembly attends the feast and requests the Master to raise the discourse.' The Master held up his whisk. The monk said, 'I beg the Master to extend an expedient means once more.' The Master struck the meditation seat once. Later he manifested nirvāṇa, and a stūpa was built for him at Xiangyuan Cave.
29.21
Chan Master Xuetang Daoxing of Wuju in Quzhou was a son of the Ye family of Chuzhou. Relying on Chan Master Puzhaoying of Sizhou, he was ordained. He went to consult Foyan. One day, hearing him cite the dialogue of Xuansha stubbing his toe, he attained great awakening. After becoming abbot, he ascended the hall: 'Understand it, and jade originally has no flaw. If you say you do not understand it, flowers bloom from the mortar's pestle. Try asking: How does nine years of wall-gazing compare to the great assembly twirling a flower? Nanming's discussing it like this is also throwing sand along with the wind. Investigate!' He ascended the hall: 'Clouds shroud the peak of the sacred mountain, and the hundred birds are silent. The moon hides in the cold pool, and the dragon pearl shines of itself. Just at such a moment, Shiliang suddenly attains great awakening, and Shidong immediately rests its mind; empty space opens its mouth to bear witness, and the stone monk north of the creek nods his head. You are all dozing right here—the iron ox of Shanfu laughs itself to death.' He ascended the hall: 'The Buddha taught the three vehicles and twelve divisions of scripture, sudden and gradual, partial and complete. One must not tell dreams before a fool. The Patriarch came from the West, directly pointing to the human mind, seeing one's nature and becoming a Buddha. One must not tell dreams before a fool. Linji's three mysteries, Yunmen's three phrases, Dongshan's five ranks. One must not tell dreams before a fool. Nanming speaking like this—can he still avoid facing other people's censure? Therefore an ancient said: "If a stone man's capacity were like yours, he too could sing the songs of Ba; if you were like a stone man, you would harmonize with the song of the white snow." Is there anyone who can harmonize with the song of the white snow? If there is, call him forth to wash this old monk's feet.' He ascended the hall: 'With the entire body as a mouth, one can speak half of it; with the entire body as eyes, one can function with a single peg. Where function does not reach, speech has a surplus; where speech does not reach, function is inexhaustible. Therefore it is said: When functioning, there is no speech; when speaking, there is no function. Function and speech are simultaneous; function and speech are not simultaneous. If you hesitate and deliberate, the Western Peak is beneath your feet.' Arriving at Guoqing, the assembly requested him to ascend the hall: 'The phrase is pruned away, and the meaning is pruned away; where there is not a hair or a strand, it is like a mountain, like a crag. The phrase arrives, and the meaning arrives; where it is like a mountain and like a crag, there is not a hair or a strand. If suddenly squeezed through a single line: meaning and phrase both arrive and both do not arrive, both are pruned away and both are not pruned away. This directly brings about an escape from confinement beyond the three phrases, leaving no target beyond the six phrases. Just at such a moment, how do you speak a phrase? Turning their canopies toward each other, they share the road but not the tracks; together, hand in hand, they ascend the high tower.' He ascended the hall and cited Zhaozhou's instruction to the assembly: 'Apart from the two times for meals and gruel, this old monk is applying his mind to scattered things.' The Master said, 'Today is the first day of the sixth month. The postulant beats the drum, and the elder ascends the hall. You all come here to apply your minds to scattered things.' He ascended the hall and cited: A monk asked Yunmen, 'What is an astonishing phrase?' Yunmen said, 'An echo.' The Master said, 'Yunmen answered this monk's words, yet could not simply rest; instead, he stirred up the vapor of gruel and rice to serve as his life.' He ascended the hall: 'The Huangmei rain, the cold of the wheat harvest; to understand it like this is too groundless. The timing, nidānas, and the meaning of Buddha-nature—overall, the skull must be dry.' He instructed the assembly by citing: Upādhyāya Ji asked a monk, 'What is the meaning of Chan?' The phrases offered by the assembly all failed to accord with the principle. The monk asked Ji for further instruction, and Ji answered on his behalf: 'Its meaning is slander.' The Master said, 'The Buddhas of the three periods are slander. The twenty-eight patriarchs of the Western Heavens are slander. The six patriarchs of the land of Tang are slander. The old upādhyāyas throughout the world are slander. You all are slander. This mountain monk is slander. Amidst this, is there anyone who does not slander? Discourses on the mysterious and talk of the wondrous are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges; how can they compare to the intimacy of the Double Peak's slander?' When the Master showed illness, his disciple Professor Wang Qiaonian came to visit and inquire. The Master entrusted his funeral affairs to him and showed him a gāthā, saying: / 'To know is to know one's own fundamental mind; / To see is to see one's own fundamental nature. / Knowing the fundamental mind and fundamental nature / Is precisely the great illness of our ancestral school.' / He annotated it, saying: 'There are thorns in the soft mud; do not say that not doubting is good.' At dawn, he bathed, changed clothes, sat cross-legged, and passed away. At the cremation, wherever the smoke of the five-colored śarīra reached, they accumulated in abundance. His teeth and tongue were unconsumed. A stūpa was erected for him to the west of the monastery.
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- 續傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese