續傳燈錄 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

3.5 — 4 parts

3.1

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

Eleventh Generation under Dajian
Sixteen Dharma heirs of Chan Master Fenyang Zhao:
Chan Master Shishuang Chuyuan
Chan Master Langye Huijue
Chan Master Dayu Shouzhi
Chan Master Shishuang Fayong
Chan Master Fahua Quanju
Chan Master Bajiao Guquan
Chan Master Longhua Xiaoyu
Chan Master Tiansheng Haotai
Chan Master Longtan Zhiyuan
Chan Master Touzi Yuandxiu
Chan Master Taizi Daoyi
(The above eleven persons have records)
Chan Master Qianming Liaotong
Chan Master Shushan Xiaozhu
Chan Master Zhuyuan of Jingnan
Chan Master Luohan Xing of Huzhou
Attendant of Fenyang
(Passing away while standing; the above five persons have no records)
Eight Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yexian Sheng:
Chan Master Fushan Fayuan
Chan Master Baoying Fazhao
Chan Master Dasheng Huiguo
(The above three persons have records)
Chan Master Shimen Shoujin
Chan Master Guanghui Huaiqing
Chan Master Chengtian Xiameng
Chan Master Fangshui of Shifang
Chan Master Xiangyan Haixian
(The above five persons have no records)

3.3

Eleventh Generation under Dajian

3.4

Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Fenyang Zhao

3.5.1

Chan Master Shishuang Chuyuan Ciming of Tanzhou was a son of the Li family of Quanzhou. In his youth he was a Confucian scholar. At the age of twenty-two, he left home [to become a monk] at Yinjing Monastery on Mount Xiang. His mother, who was of virtuous conduct, had him travel for itinerant pilgrimage. Hearing of Fenyang's renown in the Way, he went to call upon him. Fenyang looked at him and tacitly saw him as a vessel of Dharma. Two years passed without Fenyang allowing him to enter his room. Whenever they met, he would inevitably scold and revile him, or slander the various quarters; and whenever he gave instruction, it was all base matters of worldly vulgarity. One evening, the Master complained, saying, "Since arriving at this Dharma seat, two summers have already passed without my receiving any guidance. It has only increased worldly thoughts of dust and toil. The months and years drift fleetingly by, while my own affair remains unclear. I am losing the benefit of having left home." Before he had finished speaking, Fenyang glared at him and scolded, "You bad kalyāṇamitra! How dare you try to merchandise me?" In anger, he raised his staff to drive him away. As the Master was about to offer an excuse, Fenyang covered the Master's mouth. Thereupon the Master experienced a great awakening, and said, "Now I know that Linji's Way transcends ordinary sentiment." He served him for seven years. He took leave and went to rely upon Chan Master Tangming Song. Song said to the Master, "Academician Yang Danian's views and understanding are lofty, and his entry into the Way is stable and solid. You must go see him." The Master then went to see Danian. Danian asked, "Facing each other, we do not know one another; a thousand miles apart, we yet share the same style." The Master said, "Recently I received an invitation from the monastery." Danian said, "Truly hollow and false!" The Master said, "Last month I left Tangming." Danian said, "Just now I regretted asking you." The Master said, "An adept!" Danian then shouted. The Master said, "Exactly so." Danian shouted again. The Master made a stroke with his hand. Danian stuck out his tongue and said, "Truly a dragon-elephant!" The Master said, "What kind of talk is that?" Danian called to the guest attendant, "Bring tea! He is originally a man of the house." The Master said, "That too is unnecessary." When the tea was finished, he asked again, "What is the Elder's phrase for instructing people?" The Master said, "Urgent!" Danian said, "If so, then a new bride in a long skirt drags through the mud as she runs." The Master said, "Who could be like you, Academician?" Danian said, "An adept, an adept!" The Master said, "I release you from twenty blows of the stick." Danian slapped his thigh and said, "What place do you take this to be?" The Master clapped his hands and said, "Nor can you be let off!" Danian laughed heartily. He asked again, "Do you remember the circumstances of Tangming's awakening back then?" The Master said, "Tangming asked Shoushan, 'What is the precise great meaning of the Buddhadharma?' Shoushan said, 'Beside the city of King Chu, the Ru River flows eastward.'" Danian said, "Just such words—what is their intended meaning?" The Master said, "Hanging a lantern on the water." Danian said, "If so, then you are failing the ancients." The Master said, "If the Academician doubts it, investigate it elsewhere." Danian said, "A three-legged toad jumps up into the sky!" The Master said, "Let it jump as it pleases." Danian then laughed heartily. He lodged the Master in his studio, interrogating him on doubtful points day and night. Hearing of his wisdom, realization, and past words and deeds, he regretted meeting him so late. At court, he saw the Imperial Son-in-law Commandant Lord Li Zunxu and said, "Recently I met a man of the Way who is truly a lion of the Xihe." Li said, "Constrained by regulations, I cannot go to call upon him. What can be done?" Danian remained silent. Returning, he said to the Master, "Lord Li is a man within the Buddhadharma. Hearing that the wind of your Way has reached far, he wishes to see you. Yet precisely because of regulations, he may not associate with the attendants of the court." At dawn, the Master went to call on Lord Li. The Lord examined his calling card and sent a boy attendant to ask, "If you can speak a word, I will meet with the Elder." The Master said, "Today I have come specially to see you." He sent the boy attendant again, saying, "A stele inscription is engraved with plain characters; upon the highway, green pines are planted." The Master said, "Were it not for today's occasion, on other days it would surely be hard to meet." The boy came out again and said, "The Commandant says: If so, then I shall go and meet with the Elder." The Master said, "Head of the feet, sole of the feet." The Lord then came out, sat down, and asked, "I hear that Xihe has a golden-haired lion. Is it so?" The Master said, "Where did you get this news?" The Lord then shouted. The Master said, "A jackal's cry!" The Lord shouted again. The Master said, "Exactly so." The Lord laughed heartily. The Master took leave. The Lord asked, "What is the Elder's phrase on departing?" The Master said, "Take good care of yourself." The Lord said, "How is that different from the various quarters?" The Master said, "What would the Commandant have it be?" The Lord said, "I release the Elder from twenty blows of the stick." The Master said, "Exclusively for circulation." The Lord shouted again. The Master said, "Blind!" The Lord said, "Go well." The Master responded, "Yes, yes." From then on, he frequented the gates of Yang and Li, being friends in the Dharma. After a long time, he took leave to return to Hedong. Danian said, "May I send a phrase to Tangming through you?" The Master said, "The bright moon shines upon the night traveler." Danian said, "On the contrary, it does not match." The Master said, "Late at night is still tolerable; after noon is even more sorrowful for people." Danian said, "The Vajra warrior in front of Kaibao Monastery—why has he been sweating recently?" The Master said, "Known." Danian said, "Upon the Elder's departure, is there no phrase for instructing people?" The Master said, "The mountain-pass road is layered and folded." Danian said, "If so, then I shall go along with the Elder." The Master let out a hiss. Danian said, "A true lion's cub, a great lion's roar!" The Master said, "Released and then taken back." Danian said, "Just now I lost my footing and fell, but the house boy helped me up again." The Master said, "When will there ever be an end to it?" Danian laughed heartily. The Master returned to Tangming. Lord Li sent two monks to inquire after the Master. At the end of the letter, the Master drew a pair of feet, wrote the visiting monks' names, and sent it back. The Lord composed a verse: 'A single black hair extends over a thousand miles; / From the golden coffin, a pair of feet is revealed. / Devas and humans are completely unable to fathom it; / Take care, red-bearded barbarian.' Because his mother was elderly, the Master returned south. Reaching Ruizhou, he led the assembly at Dongshan. At that time, Chan Master Cong resided there. Previously, Fenyang had told the Master, 'I have called upon the descendants of Yunmen everywhere, and my only regret is not having met Cong.' Thus the Master relied on him for three years, and then traveled to Mount Yang. Yang Danian sent a letter to Huang Zongdan, the prefect of Yichun, having him invite the Master to appear in the world and expound the Dharma. The prefect invited the Master to Nanyuan, but the Master did not go. Shortly thereafter, he specially called upon the prefect and expressed his willingness to go. The prefect asked for the reason, and he replied, 'At first it was out of yielding; now I just happen to wish to do so.' The prefect deemed him of great virtue. After taking up residence, he ascended the hall [and said], 'All Buddhas and all Buddhas' teachings of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi emerge from this sutra.' He then held up his staff and said, 'This is Nanyuan's staff. Which one is the sutra?' After a long pause, he said:

3.5.2

The rest of the text is long, so I leave it for tomorrow.’ He gave a shout and descended from the seat. He ascended the hall. After remaining silent for a long time, he said, ‘A person of non-action and non-affair is still troubled by the golden chains.’ He gave a shout and descended from the seat. A monk asked, ‘What is the Buddha?’ The Master said, ‘Water emerging from a high plateau.’ The monk asked, ‘What is the environment of Nanyuan?’ The Master said, ‘The Yellow River with its nine bends, water flowing out of Kunlun.’ The monk asked, ‘What is the person within the environment?’ The Master said, ‘Going along with the flow without looking back, chopping off a hand and gazing toward Fusang.’ He ascended the hall: ‘Clouds gather and mists disperse; the bright sun is in mid-sky. Without falling into light or dark, how do you communicate the message?’ A monk asked, ‘What about when one searches in the deep mountains and cannot find it?’ The Master said, ‘The mouth can invite disaster.’ The monk asked, ‘What is the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?’ The Master said, ‘In Dongting Lake, the waves billow to heaven.’ The monk asked, ‘What about when surging in the east and sinking in the west?’ The Master said, ‘Seek.’ The monk asked, ‘What about walking alone in the quiet of the night?’ The Master said, ‘Three bundles of thatch.’ The monk asked, ‘What about when the precious sword has not yet left its scabbard?’ The Master said, ‘It rings.’ The monk said, ‘What about after it has left the scabbard?’ The Master let out a hiss. The monk asked, ‘What about finding quiet in the midst of noise?’ The Master said, ‘Pillowing the head on a cloth sack.’ The monk asked, ‘What about Niutou before seeing the Fourth Patriarch?’ The Master said, ‘Mound upon mound.’ The monk said, ‘What about after seeing him?’ The Master said, ‘Mound upon mound.’ The monk asked, ‘What about when gaining once is gaining forever?’ The Master said, ‘Embracing a rock and throwing oneself into the river.’ The monk asked, ‘What about relying on the sword Moye to take the Master's head?’ The Master said, ‘Chop it off and take it away.’ The monk hesitated, and the Master struck him. The Master stayed for three years and then departed. He visited Chan Master Shending Yin. Shending was a senior disciple of Shoushan, of revered reputation in his time. Unless patch-robed monks were remarkably refined and outstanding, none dared to enter his gate. Having resided on the mountain for thirty years, his disciples swallowed up the other regions in prestige. The Master’s hair was long and uncut, wearing tattered clothes and speaking with a Chu accent. He announced his visit calling himself a Dharma nephew. The whole assembly laughed loudly. Shending sent an attendant boy to ask, ‘Whose Dharma heir is the elder?’ The Master looked up at the ceiling and said, ‘I come having seen Fenyang directly.’ Shending, leaning on his staff, came out. Looking at him, seeing how tall he was, he asked, ‘Fenzhou has the Lion of Xihe, does it not?’ The Master pointed behind him and screamed, ‘The house is collapsing!’ The boy ran back. Shending looked back with startled eyes. The Master sat on the ground, took off a shoe, and gazed at it. Old Shending forgot what he had asked, and also lost track of where the Master was. The Master slowly stood up, adjusted his robes, and walking away said, ‘Seeing the face is not as good as hearing the name.’ He then left. Shending sent someone to pursue him, but they could not catch him. He sighed and said, ‘Does Fenzhou indeed have such a boy?’ From then on, the Master’s reputation was weighty throughout the monasteries. The śramaṇa Benyan of Dinglin was a person of virtuous practice, well trusted and respected by the scholar-officials. Shending met Yan and praised the Master, saying his understanding could revive the Linji school. It happened that Daowu’s seat became vacant; Yan petitioned the commandery to invite the Master to preside over it. His monastic regulations were orderly and strict; those who forgot their bodies for the Dharma gathered there. He ascended the hall: ‘The former Baoying said, “If you comprehend the first sentence, you are worthy to be the teacher of buddhas and patriarchs. If you comprehend the second sentence, you are worthy to be the teacher of humans and devas. If you comprehend the third sentence, you cannot even save yourself.” Daowu is not like this. If you comprehend the first sentence, you mix with mud and water. If you comprehend the second sentence, you bind yourself without rope. If you comprehend the third sentence, all four corners hit the ground. Therefore it is said, when arising, the seas are serene and rivers clear, and travellers stay off the road; when resting, heaven and earth lose their colour, and the sun and moon have no light. Where do you people breathe out? Right now, is there anyone breathing out? If there is, come out before the assembly and breathe out for us to see. If there is no one, Daowu will breathe out for you.’ Then he let out a hiss, struck his staff once, and descended from the seat. He ascended the hall: ‘Daowu beats the drum, and the four great continents participate together. The staff held horizontally levers up heaven and earth, the great earth. The alms bowl turned upside down covers the worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. But tell me: where do you establish your lives? If you know, you eat gruel and rice in Uttarakuru. If you do not know, you eat gruel and rice on the long connected platform.’ Next he resided at Shishuang. At the end of the summer retreat, he said to the assembly: / ‘Yesterday a baby, / today old age is here. / Not having clarified the three, eight, and nine, / it is difficult to tread the ancient sovereigns’ road. / The hand scoops the Yellow River dry; / the foot kicks Mount Sumeru over. / Floating life is a dream-phantom body; / human life can hardly be preserved by evening. / Heaven and hell / are both created by the mind. / Pines of the southern mountain and northern peak; / grass of the northern peak and southern mountain. / A single rainfall moistens boundlessly; / shoots and dry stalks grow robust. / Those who travel the five lakes to study and practice, / only ask and seek from empty space. / Dying, one sheds the summer shirt; / born, one puts on the winter coat. / Clearly a person of non-affair, / purposely giving rise to afflictions.’ / He gave a shout and descended from the seat. He ascended the hall: ‘A single shout distinguishes guest and host; illumination and function operate at once. If you want to understand the meaning within this: strike the third watch at midday.’ He then gave a shout and said, ‘Tell me, is it guest or host? Is there anyone who can distinguish them? If you can distinguish them, in the morning thirty blows, in the evening eight hundred blows. If you cannot yet, this old monk takes the loss.’ Because companions of the Way visited, he ascended the hall: / ‘A rustling cool breeze and scene; / fellow travellers visit the lonely seclusion. / Boiling tea with water from the mountain; / heating the cauldron with firewood from the cave. / Take care.’ A monk asked, ‘What was it like before Bodhidharma came?’ The Master said, ‘In Chang’an, night after night, the moon shines on every home.’ The monk asked, ‘What about after he came?’ The Master said, ‘Music and songs in a few places; sorrow in a few places.’ The monk asked, ‘What about when not bringing a single thing?’ The Master said, ‘Locust trees form a forest.’ The monk asked, ‘What about when fire comes from the four mountains?’ The Master said, ‘Things flourish according to people.’ The monk asked, ‘What about ascending higher step by step?’ The Master said, ‘Clouds arise beneath the feet.’ The monk asked, ‘What was the ancient's intention in sealing blank paper?’ The Master said, ‘Poor at home, rich on the road.’ The monk asked, ‘What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West?’ The Master said, ‘Three days of wind, five days of rain.’ He ascended the hall: ‘As for a lineage master, he snatches away the gem in the impoverished person's garment, and scrutinizes the insight of those who have attained. If not like this, they are all fellows who mix with mud and water.’ After a long silence, he said: / ‘When meeting a swordsman on the road, one must present a sword; / unless to a poet, do not offer poetry.’ / He gave a shout. He ascended the hall: ‘I have a phrase that cuts off deliberate thought and forgets conditions. It cannot be cleverly spoken; it only requires mind transmission. I also have an utterance that is nothing other than a direct presentation. But what is the sentence of direct presentation?’ After a long silence, he drew a line with his staff and gave a shout. A monk asked, ‘When one's own affair is not yet clarified, what serves as proof?’ The Master said,

3.5.3

Xuansha once went to see Xuefeng. Xuefeng said, "What was the underlying intent?" The Master said, "All his life he did not step outside the mountain range." A monk asked, "Are the Patriarch's intent and the teachings' intent the same or different?" The Master said, "The horse has the gratitude of letting fall the reins; the dog has the kindness of tucking in grass." The monk said, "Then there is no difference?" The Master said, "Western India, Eastern Land." A monk asked, "What is the student's own self?" The Master said, "Cracking the bone and extracting the marrow." He ascended the hall and said: "Entering the water, one sees a tall person. Take care." He ascended the hall and said: "Facing west, walking towards the east; the Northern Dipper is precisely leaving its palace. Speaking of going, when did one ever go? The cowherd boy rides the ox lying down. Take care." He ascended the hall and said: "Spring sprouting and summer growing I do not ask about. What do you people say about the phrase under your heels?" After a long pause, he said, "The abbot of Huaguang Monastery." He then stepped down from the seat. He ascended the hall and said: "When medicines are many, sickness is severe; when the net is fine, fish are crowded." He then stepped down from the seat. He gave an instruction to the assembly: striking the meditation couch once with his staff, he said, "Does the great assembly understand? Have you not heard it said: 'With one strike, what was known is forgotten; no more need for cultivation and maintenance. Those of all quarters who have attained the Way all call it the supreme capacity.' When Xiangyan was awakened in this manner, he clearly awakened to the Tathāgata Zen. But the Patriarch Zen he had not yet seen even in a dream. And tell me, what special merit does the Patriarch Zen have? If you seek a model within words, you will mislead later generations; even if you accept it under the blow of the stick, you fail the ancient sages. The myriad dharmas are inherently at leisure; it is only people who agitate themselves. Therefore, when this mountain monk lived at Fuyan, I saw only the realm of Fuyan: waking late and sleeping early, at times clouds rising from the blue peaks and the moon setting into the cold pool; musical birds flying and singing before the Prajñā Terrace; śāla flowers scattering fragrance beside Zhurong Peak; holding a slender cane, sitting on a flat rock, occasionally talking of the dark subtleties with patch-robed monks of the five lakes. With dust on my head and dirt on my face, when dwelling at Xinghua, I saw only the house style of Xinghua: welcoming and seeing off; the gate connected with the city, carriages and horses bustling; fishermen singing by the Xiao and Xiang rivers, apes crying at Yuelu; strings and flutes, songs and melodies entering the ears from time to time; furthermore, conversing daily on Zen and the Way with noble people from the four seas, completely forgetting the months and years. And tell me, between dwelling in deep mountains and staying in city walls, is there superior and inferior or not? Try and say it!" After a long pause, he said, "Every place is Maitreya; there is no gate and no Sudhana." A monk asked, "What happens when one travels on pilgrimage without meeting anyone?" The Master said, "The fishing line coils through the water." A monk asked, "Searching branches and picking leaves I do not ask about; what is cutting straight to the root source?" The Master said, "The wild-chestnut staff." The monk asked, "What is the meaning?" The Master said, "Walking, it carries on the shoulder the clouds-and-water patch-robe; sitting down, it is held steadily in the palm." A monk asked, "Since they are good spirits protecting the Dharma, why do they draw bows and nock arrows?" The Master said, "Propriety defends against the superior person." A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "Having money, spend money." He ascended the hall and said: "The Patriarch's mind-seal: one impression seals space; one impression seals water; one impression seals mud. Nowadays, is there anyone who cannot be sealed? Try to say a phrase from under your heels! Even if you can say it freely and clearly, above all do not pass through the patch-robed monk's gate. And tell me, what special merit does the patch-robed monk have?" After a long pause, he said, "The king of humanity's three inches of iron; everywhere is covered with swords and spears." He gave a shout, planted his staff, and stepped down from the seat. He ascended the hall and said: "The sky has already brightened, the drum has already sounded; the assembly of holy ones has gathered, palms joined together. Nowadays, is there anyone who does not join palms? If there is, Nirgrantha rejoices; if there is not, Gautama flies into a rage. Standing for a long time—take care." A monk asked, "Grinding a three-foot sword to go reform unfair people: what is the Master's intention?" The Master said, "Go well." The monk said, "Checked." The Master said, "Look at you." The monk clapped his hands once and returned to the assembly. The Master said, "Finished." He ascended the hall and said: "North of North Mountain, south of South Mountain; sun and moon both shine, heaven and earth are dark. The great seas, rivers, and streams all radiate light; meeting Guanyin, ask Maitreya. Take care." A monk asked, "What happens when one has the principle but it is difficult to express?" The Master said, "Bitter." The monk said, "Then the tongue is pressed against the upper palate?" The Master hissed with a breath. The monk said, "I supposed the barbarian's beard was red." The Master said, "Have you seen Xinghua's heels even in a dream?" He instructed his disciples with a verse: "Black, black, black! / Speak, speak, speak! / Clear, clear, clear! / Attained, attained, attained!" In his room, the Master had planted a sword, with a pair of straw sandals and a basin of water placed beside the sword. Whenever he saw someone enter the room, he immediately said, "Look, look!" If anyone went to the side of the sword and hesitated in thought, the Master said, "Danger! You have lost your body and forfeited your life!" and shouted them out. In winter, the Master posted a placard in the monks' hall, writing these characters: 'two two two three table [...]'. Beneath it he wrote a note: 'If someone recognizes this, it does not depart from the four deportments.' The head monk saw it and said, 'Today the upādhyāya exempts us from assembly.' Hearing this, the Master laughed. In the wuyin year of the Baoyuan era, Commandant Li sent an envoy to invite the Master, saying, 'In all the land, my Dharma friends are only you, Master, and Yang Danian. Danian left me and passed away before me. In recent years, I have suddenly felt my decline; holding back death, I hope for one meeting.' The Commandant also sent a letter to the prefect of Tan Prefecture urgently requesting him to dispatch the Master. The Master was moved with sympathy and took a boat eastward with an attendant. While in the boat, he composed a verse: 'The Yangtze River's course is never-ending; / When will I reach the imperial capital? / Having already caught the advantage of the cool breeze, / Cease working the scull and oars.' Arriving at the capital, he met with Lord Li. A little over a month later, Lord Li indeed passed away. On the verge of death, he drew a circle and also composed a verse presented to the Master: 'The world has nothing to rely upon; / Mountains and rivers pose no obstacle. / The great sea is a speck of dust; / Sumeru contains a mustard seed. / Taking off the turban cap, / Loosening the belt from the waist: / If you seek birth and death, / Ask of this skin bag.' The Master asked, 'What is the original Buddha-nature?' The Lord said, 'Today is hotter than yesterday.' Immediately upon those words, he asked the Master, 'What is the phrase on the verge of departure?' The Master said, 'Originally without obstruction; wherever one is, let it be square or round.' The Lord said, 'It is evening and I am weary; I shall not answer further.' The Master said, 'Where there is no Buddha, act as the Buddha.' Thereupon, the Lord passed away peacefully. Emperor Renzong paid particular attention to the School of Emptiness. Hearing of Lord Li's passing and his dialogue with the Master, he sighed in admiration for a long time. The Master wept bitterly for him and parted at the grave. An imperial decree bestowed an official boat for his return south. On the way, he said to the attendant, 'I have suddenly caught wind-paralysis.' Looking at him, his mouth was already skewed.

3.5.4

The attendant stamped his foot on the ground and said, "What can be done? All your life you scolded the Buddhas and reviled the Patriarchs; now it has come to this!" The Master said, "Do not worry; I will straighten it for you." He adjusted it with his hand as before, and said, "From now on, I will not cause you embarrassment." On the fifth day of the first month of the following year, he showed his passing. His age was fifty-four; his Dharma age was thirty-two. An inscription of his deeds was set up at Xinghua, and his whole body was stupaed at Shishuang. (According to the Continued Comprehensive Mirror, the pacification of Hedong occurred in the jimao year of Taiping Xingguo. According to the Chronological Record of the Buddhist Lineage, the Master entered extinction in the gengchen year of Kangding. Counting backward from his lifespan, the Master was born in the dinghai year of Yongxi. The record in the Chronicle of the Sangha's Treasures is probably lacking in critical verification.)

3.6

Chan Master Huijue Guangzhao of Mount Langye in Chuzhou was a native of Xiluo. His father served as prefect of Hengyang and died of illness. While escorting the coffin back to Luoyang, the Master passed by the ancient monastery at Mount Yaoshan in Liyang, which felt just like his former dwelling. Because of this, he left home, traveled, and engaged in spiritual inquiry. Having attained the Dharma under Fenyang, he responded to conditions at the Chu River. Propagating the teachings at the same time as Xuedou Mingjue, the four quarters called them the two gates of sweet dew (amṛta). Even today, his lingering influence in Huainan remains as if present. A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "A bronze head and iron forehead." The monk asked, "What is the meaning?" The Master said, "A bird's beak and fish's gills." He ascended the hall and said, "How wonderful! The Buddhas of the ten directions are originally flowers in the eyes. If you wish to know the flowers in the eyes, they are originally the Buddhas of the ten directions. If you wish to know the Buddhas of the ten directions, they are not flowers in the eyes. If you wish to know the flowers in the eyes, they are not the Buddhas of the ten directions. If you are clear about this, the fault lies with the Buddhas of the ten directions. If you are not yet clear about this, the śrāvakas begin to dance and the pratyekabuddhas look into the mirror. Take care." A monk asked, "Not inquiring about Ānanda's compiling [the scriptures], what was the matter of Kāśyapa's subtle smile?" The Master said, "A fixed time, a fixed season." The monk asked, "Ever since the lamp was divided on Gṛdhrakūṭa, it has shone through past and present down to China." The Master said, "A dot of vermilion, a dot of lacquer." A monk asked, "What is the guest within the guest?" The Master said, "Holding book and sword in hand, paying audience to an enlightened ruler." The monk asked, "What is the host within the guest?" The Master said, "Rolling up the blinds, there is nothing to behold." The monk asked, "What is the guest within the host?" The Master said, "Crossing Mengjin at the third watch of the night." The monk asked, "What is the host within the host?" The Master said, "Sitting alone, subduing the entire realm." A monk asked, "What about when the lotus flower has not yet emerged from the water?" The Master said, "A cat wearing a paper hat." The monk asked, "What about after it emerges from the water?" The Master said, "A dog walking in boots." A monk asked, "Not inquiring about holding up the gavel or raising the whisk, what about blinking the eyes and raising the eyebrows?" The Master said, "Zhaozhou once went to see Nanquan." The monk said, "The student does not understand." The Master said, "Much rain and snow this winter; what can a poor family do?" He ascended the hall and said, "If you wish to know the constantly abiding body, you should observe the rotting corpse. If you wish to know the constantly abiding nature, you should observe the staff. The staff swallows Mount Sumeru; Mount Sumeru swallows the staff. If a patch-robed monk wavers here, the sword's ridge falls upon the shoulder, submitting a deed of surrender; with a chest of iron, he reaches the shore of the ocean." He struck the meditation bench and descended from the seat. He ascended the hall and said, "Seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing are all causes of birth and death. Seeing, hearing, perceiving, and knowing are precisely the root of liberation. Just like a lion springing back, from south to north, east to west, it has no fixed dwelling. If all of you still do not understand, do not fail old man Śākya! Hōng!" He ascended the hall and said, "Today the mountain monk will speak plainly for you all: patch-robed monks with clear eyes must not go sit in the mud! Take care." He ascended the hall and said, "The heavens are high and immeasurable; the earth is deep and how can it be known? White clouds fly in wisps over the peak; green waters babble swiftly at the ravine's floor. Not inquiring about the phrase of gushing forth in the east and sinking in the west, how do you speak a phrase before birth and after death?" After a long pause, he said, "The weather is cold; go drink tea." He ascended the hall and said, "Haha! What is it? Opening the mouth is already an error of shutting the mouth. A light boat and short oars drift in the heart of the waves; let the straw raincoat and reed hat be torn as they will. Yi!" He ascended the hall and said, "The Buddhas of the ten directions are rotten wooden stakes. The three worthies and ten sages are toilet-cleaning sticks. When you people come here, what will you do?" After a long pause, he said, "If you wish not to incur the karma of the Avīci Hell, do not slander the Tathāgata's wheel of the true Dharma." He ascended the hall and said, "To eliminate wild bandits and sweep away rebellious stars is still a matter on the side of meritorious function. When ruler and minister accord in the Way and the seas are calm and rivers clear, it is still a matter on the side of the Dharmakāya. What is the fundamental matter of a patch-robed monk?" After a long pause, he said, "The golden scale that breaches the net still lingers in the water; on the return road, the stone horse steps out of the gauze cage." He ascended the hall and said, "In receiving words, one must understand the principle; do not establish rules on your own. If anyone can produce an all-pervading phrase, I shall cut my throat and thank him." He ascended the hall, held up his staff, and said, "Sometimes this mountain monk's single blow acts as a heaven-covering net, catching fine falcons and swift sparrowhawks. Sometimes this single blow acts as a woven silk net, gathering clams and scooping prawns. Sometimes this single blow acts as a golden-haired lion. Sometimes this single blow acts as a toad and an earthworm. If this mountain monk gives you a blow, how will you deliberate? If you can discern black from white, you may open your eyes atop the staff and illuminate the four continents. If not yet so, let yourself stand beside the ancient screen, waiting for the painter's brush to enter the picture." He ascended the hall and said, "Striking the water, the fish get headaches; penetrating the woods, the roosting birds are startled. At dusk the drum is not beaten; at noon the third watch is sounded. Venerable Chan practitioners, since it is high noon, why sound the third watch?" After a long pause, he said, "Yesterday I saw the weeping willows green; today I meet the falling leaves yellow." He ascended the hall, held up his staff, and said, "Holding up the staff, there is nothing higher; putting down the staff, what appearance is it? Not inquiring about behind the Skull Peak, how do you speak a phrase of hiding one's body in the stirrups? If you cannot speak it, the staff will speak it." He struck once and returned to the abbot's quarters. He ascended the hall and said, "Advancing forward is death; retreating backward is demise. Neither advancing nor retreating, one falls again into the realm of doing nothing. Why? Although Chang'an is delightful, it is not a place to dwell for long." He ascended the hall and said, "You people spending the summer with me here, I point out five illnesses for you: First, you must not go to the place where for ten thousand miles there is not an inch of grass. Second, you must not lodge alone on an isolated peak. Third, you must not draw the bow and set the arrow. Fourth, you must not settle your body beyond things. Fifth, you must not stagnate in giving life or killing. Why? If there is stagnation in one place, it is difficult to save oneself; if one penetrates all five places, he is called a guiding teacher. When you all go to various places and meet an accomplished master with clear eyes, pass a word to him so that the ancestral style will not decline. If they are ordinary followers, then let them sleep. Why? Boasting of fine clothes in the land of naked people, I think you are far too unaware of the times." He ascended the hall. Because a monk was reading the ninth gate, 'the gate of skillful accomplishment through mental revolution' in the Essay on the Gold Lion of the Huayan, which also comments: 'It is like a one-foot mirror containing layered reflections,' [the Master said,] "If it is so, to say 'there is' is acceptable; to say 'there is not' is also acceptable; to say 'it is wrong' is also acceptable; to say 'it is right' is also acceptable. Although this is so, you must further know that there is an opening atop the staff. If you still do not understand, the staff pierces the lantern, enters the Buddha hall, collides with Śākya, knocks down Maitreya, and the bare pillar claps its hands and roars with laughter. Now tell me: what is it laughing at?" He struck with the staff and descended from the seat. He ascended the hall, held up his staff, and said, "Panshan said: 'The upward path is slippery.' Nanyuan said: 'Precipitous as a thousand-fathom cliff.' Linji said: 'Flint spark and flash of lightning are dull.' Langye has a phrase that settles heaven and earth: each of you, look high! Look high!" He struck with the staff and descended from the seat.

3.7

Chan Master Shouzhi of Mount Dayu in Ruizhou was a son of the Wang clan of Taiyuan. Just as he ascended the seat, a monk asked, "What is the Upādhyāya's house style?" The Master said, "Once a word is spoken, a four-horse chariot cannot overtake it." The monk asked, "What is the Buddha in the city?" The Master said, "The stone pillar at the crossroads." The monk asked, "What about when not falling into the three inches [of the tongue]?" The Master said, "Qian's three lines are long; Kun's six lines are short." The monk asked, "What is the meaning?" The Master said, "Take special care not to let the earth wax and wane." The monk asked, "Formerly on Gṛdhrakūṭa half the seat was shared; what about the meeting of the two masters?" The Master said, "Do you remember?" The monk paused for a long time. The Master struck the meditation bench once and said, "Forgotten after many years!" He then said, "Stop, stop! If you seek rules in words and understand the functioning in phrases, you are like someone who loses his head and mistakes a shadow [for reality]. If we raise and expound the ancestral vehicle, it is greatly like a bout of sleep-talking. Although it is so, 'the authorities allow not a needle, but privately carts and horses pass.' Leaving a thread of a path, there are vines and entanglements." He then struck the meditation seat once and said, "The Buddhas of the three periods all have headaches! Tell me, assembly, is there anyone who escapes it? If one person escapes it, there is no such truth. If one cannot escape it, the ocean-seal emits light." The Master then held up his whisk and said, "Is this the seal, or is that the light? Is this the light, or is that the seal? At the functioning of a lightning flash, it is in vain to stand and ponder. Do you understand? The old monk talks in his dream. Tell me, what was seen in the dream? Ten night-watches under the southern bough. If you do not understand, listen to a verse: / The Northern Dipper hangs on Sumeru; / The staff's tip carries the sun and moon. / In forest and spring, good to confer; / At summer's end, the autumn wind is sharp. / Take care." A monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "The weather is cold, the days are short." A monk asked, "The mind Dharma is formless; how is it carved and sculpted?" The Master said, "One ding, two dings." The monk asked, "How should one who does not understand grasp it?" The Master said, "Penetrate seven, penetrate eight." He ascended the hall and said, "With a single strike it rings clearly; resounding, it penetrates the universe. A connoisseur barely tilts his ear; Xiang Yu crosses east of the river. Understanding like this, one has merely mistaken a donkey's saddle bridge for his father's jaw." He ascended the hall and said, "Dayu receives the grandson of the Great Hero; cloud-and-water monks of the five lakes rush headlong. Rushing headlong, what gate is there? Striking the arrow, who knows the withered tree remains? The withered tree remains: in one year there were twice springtimes. Twice springtimes: pearls inside the bed-curtain scattered to others. Scattered to others: thinking it over, it is also yearning for western Qin." He ascended the hall and said, "Vertically exhausting the three periods, horizontally pervading the ten directions. Holding it up, Indra's heart is alarmed; putting it down, the earth spirit's gall trembles. Neither holding it up nor putting it down, what do you call it?" He said himself, "A toad." He ascended the hall and said, "The Buddhas of the three periods do not know it exists; cats and white oxen do know it exists." He then held up his whisk and said, "The cats and white oxen are all here emitting light and shaking the earth. Why is it so? The two segments are not the same." A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "A saw cutting a steelyard weight." He ascended the hall. When the assembly had gathered, he said, "The manifest gong'an: even constructing battlements does not manage it." He then descended from the seat. He ascended the hall and said, "Lined up in ranks on the floor of the great ocean, the second from the head has gray hair at the temples. Why not say the first has gray hair at the temples? Do you wish to understand? Gold stamens and silver threads turn into jade dew; an eminent monk does not sit on the Phoenix Terrace." He ascended the hall. The assembly gathered. He then said, "Exerting one's strength for the sake of the community, disaster arises from one's private gate." He then descended from the seat. He ascended the hall and said, "The path of Cuiyan is precipitous; taking a step, one wades through a thousand streams. Furthermore, there is the water of the Great Source, billowing west of the ridge." He struck the meditation bench and descended from the seat. Addressing the assembly, he held up an incense box and said, "Does the light side fit, or does the dark side fit? If you can speak, stride freely throughout the world. If you cannot speak, then close it up." He descended from the seat. A monk asked, "What is a phrase for the sake of people?" The Master said, "Four corners, six sides." The monk asked, "What is the meaning?" The Master said, "Eight hollows, nine bumps." He ascended the hall and said, "There is no oil in sand—a lamentable matter; / At Cuiyan, chewing rice to feed an infant. / Another time, when good and bad are known with certainty, / Only then will one realize that previously one's face was covered in dust." He struck the meditation bench and descended from the seat.

3.8

Chan Master Fayong of Shishuang in Tanzhou. A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "The arms are long, the sleeves of the robe are short." The monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "Cotton trousers worn over the head."

3.9

Chan Master Quanju of Fahua Cloister in Shuzhou went to Upādhyāya Gong'an Yuan. Yuan asked, "What is a monastery?" The Master said, "A lone tiger hidden deep in the mountains; a throng of snakes exposed in shallow grass." Yuan asked, "What is a person inside the monastery?" The Master said, "A green pine cannot cover [him]; how could yellow leaves conceal [him]?" Yuan said, "What are you saying?" The Master said, "In youth, having savored every moon at the edge of the sky; in senescence, struggling with the Fusang tree where the sun never sinks." Yuan said, "When a phrase or two opens the clouds to reveal the moon, how is it?" The Master said, "It illuminates through and shatters buddhas and patriarchs." He went to Upādhyāya Dayu Zhi. Dayu asked, "What was the ancient's intention upon seeing peach blossoms?" The Master said, "The crooked does not conceal the straight." Dayu said, "Let that one be; what about this one?" The Master said, "Gold picked up on the main street—how can the neighbors on all sides know of it?" Dayu said, "Does the elder monk still know?" The Master said, "Meeting a swordsman on the road, one must present a sword; to one who is not a poet, do not offer poetry." Dayu said, "An adept poet!" The Master said, "A single red thread pulled by two people." Dayu said, "Xuansha said: 'Thoroughly correct, most thoroughly correct—I dare guarantee that the venerable brother has not yet penetrated through.' What about that?" The Master said, "When the sea dries up, one finally sees the bottom; when a person dies, their mind remains unknown." Dayu said, "Indeed so." The Master said, "The pavilion soars to touch the clouds; the mountain peaks pile up in layers of emerald." He went to Upādhyāya Langye Jue. Langye asked, "Where have you recently left?" The Master said, "The two Zhe circuits." Langye said, "Did you come by boat or by land?" The Master said, "By boat." Langye said, "Where is the boat?" The Master said, "At the foot of the steps." Langye said, "Without traveling the road, say a phrase: how is it?" The Master struck him once with his sitting cloth and said, "Fabricating elders are as plentiful as hemp seeds and millet grains!" Flicking his sleeves, he walked out. Langye asked his attendant, "Who is this person?" The attendant said, "Elder Ju." Langye said, "Could it be Senior Dharma Uncle Ju? My late master instructed me to seek him out and see him." He then went down, stepped forward, and asked, "Elder monk, could you be Senior Dharma Uncle Ju? Do not blame me for offending you just now." The Master gave a shout. He then asked, "When did the elder arrive at Fenyang?" Langye said, "At such-and-such time." The Master said, "I had long heard your name in Zhejiang, yet your view turns out to be merely like this. How did your name come to spread throughout the realm?" Langye then bowed and said, "This one's fault." The Master went to the Western Hermitage in Hangzhou. The hermitage master had once seen Mingzhao. The master cited a verse saying: 'Upon the topmost Western Peak, / Who dares face the precipitous dynamic? / Transcending beyond both commoner and sage, / At a glance arise two layers of radiance.' The Master asked, "What are the two layers of radiance?" The hermitage master said, "The moon rises from the east; the sun sets into the west." The Master asked, "How was it before the hermitage master saw Mingzhao?" The hermitage master said, "A full cup of oil is hard to exhaust." The Master asked, "How about after seeing him?" The hermitage master said, "Many wicks easily run dry." After becoming abbot, a monk asked, "What is taking away the person but not taking away the environment?" The Master said, "White chrysanthemums newly open in the warmth of the Double Ninth; the centenarian noble youth never meets spring." The monk asked, "What is taking away the environment but not taking away the person?" The Master said, "From the great earth, news is cut off; carefree, he alone relies on reality." The monk asked, "What is taking away both person and environment?" The Master said, "Weeds grow wild as people pale; commoner and sage are both completely emptied." The monk asked, "What is taking away neither person nor environment?" The Master said, "Clear breeze and bright moon; they smile in intimacy at each other from the wilds." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "Śākya did not appear in the world; Bodhidharma did not come from the west. The Buddha Dharma pervades the whole world; in discussing the mystery, mouths do not open." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "Bells toll, drums sound, magpies chatter, and crows caw—for all of you, prajñā has been preached and nirvāṇa has been expounded. Can you all genuinely believe it? Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva displays great supernatural powers right before all of you. If you cannot believe it, he goes off to other lands to relieve suffering and benefit living beings." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "Opening the mouth becomes adding words; not opening the mouth becomes surplus words." He then said, "The edict of the Iron-Wheel-Turning Emperor; the house style of an inn is different." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "The mouths of the buddhas of the three periods are hung upon the wall. Where can the old upādhyāyas under heaven lay their hands? When all of you go to the various quarters, how will you bring this up? That this mountain monk speaks like this is also having birch-waxed lips for a long time." He gave a shout. Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "An ancient said: 'If I were to promote the ancestral lineage without exception, the grass in the Dharma hall would grow ten feet deep.' One cannot seal off the doors of the Sangha hall on account of the ācāryas! Even though this is so, it is also a turtle stirring up dust as it walks on dry land." Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] "Speaking of the gradual, it reverses to the ordinary and accords with the Way. Discussing the sudden, it leaves not a trace. Even if one discusses its suddenness and reverses to its ordinariness, this too is done by forced constraint." A monk asked, "Before Niutou saw the Fourth Patriarch, why did hundreds of birds carry flowers in their beaks to offer him?" The Master said, "When fruit is ripe, the gibbon feels the weight." The monk asked, "Why did they not carry flowers after he saw him?" The Master said, "When the forest is sparse, birds do not pass through." A monk asked, "The radiance of the Seven Stars shines as dawn approaches; without violating the imperial wind, try to speak of it." The Master said, "The general's horse hooves are red." The monk said, "Wrong!" The Master immediately struck him. The monk bowed, spread out his sitting cloth, and then took it back. The Master said, "One spread and one retrieval—every single dharma is complete. Intending to ask further, what reason could there be?" He then asked, "Do you understand?" The monk said, "I do not understand." The Master immediately struck him.

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續傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese