續傳燈錄 34
English (machine translation) 34
- Language
- English
34.1
Table of Contents for Fascicle Thirty-Four of the Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp
34.2
Eighteenth Generation Under Dajian
Eleven Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yan of Donglin:
Chan Master Zuzhu of Gongan
Chan Master Fayan of Bao'en
Chan Master Yanchong of Jingci
Chan Master Zhenci of Zhizhe
Chan Master Shaoyuan of Zhaojue
(The above five persons have records)
Chan Master Chang of Yannian Hewu
Chan Master Daochang of Jishan
Chan Master Qingjiao of Baofu
Chan Master Kai of Husheng Lin'an
Senior Monk Jian of Huizhou
Chan Master Bian of Qixian
(The above six persons have no records)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xu of Xichan:
Chan Master Anyong of Gushan
Chan Master Nanya of Longxiang
Chan Master Zhiqing of Tianwang
Hermitage Master Anfen of Jianmen
(The above four persons all have records)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Miguang of Jiaozhong:
Chan Master Tanmi of Jingci
Chan Master Huikong of Fashi
(The above two persons all have records)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yue of Dongchan:
Chan Master Zongdai of Gushan (One person has a record)
Chan Master Deqian of Jingshan
Chan Master Shizhao of Baiyun
Chan Master Zhishao of Gushan
(The above three persons have no records)
Three Dharma heirs of Chan Master Jing of Xichan:
Chan Master Zongying of Ganyuan (One person has a record)
Upādhyāya Yun of Huayan
Chan Master Licai of Zhongji
(The above two persons have no records)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Qian of Kaishan:
Daoist Wu the Thirteenth (One person has a record)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yan of Dun'an:
Chan Master Faming of Yuwang
Chan Master Huiqing of Heshan
Chan Master Dayong of Nanchan
Chan Master Deyi of Yizhong
(The above four persons have no records)
Seven Dharma heirs of Chan Master Quan of Wuyong:
Chan Master Kan of Xiaoweng (One person has a record)
Chan Master Xiyi of Lingyin
Chan Master Yunshao of Chengtian
Chan Master Liaozong of Xuefeng
Chan Master Chunan of Xuedou
Upādhyāya Sizhuo of Panshan
Upāsaka Qian Xiangzu Zhi'an
(The above six persons have no records)
Eight Dharma heirs of Chan Master Ying'an Hua of Tiantong:
Chan Master Xianjie of Tiantong
Recorder Nan
Upāsaka Vice Minister Li Hao
(The above three persons have records)
Chan Master Quan of Fengshan
Chan Master Shandeng of Xiangfu
Chan Master Xinjian of Heshan
Chan Master Man of Zhizhe
Professor Yan Zhaokang
(The above five persons have no records)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Quan of Daochang:
Chan Master Youquan of Huazang (One person has a record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Yong of Shuanglin:
Chan Master Yin of Sanfeng (One person has a record)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xing of Dawei:
Chan Master Zijuan of Deshan (One person has a record)
Chan Master Shiben of Deshan (One person has no record)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Shui'an Yi of Jingci:
Chan Master Daguan of Xi'an
Chan Master Siqing of Yangshan
Upādhyāya Shun of Ruiyan
Upādhyāya Zhan of Chengtian
(The above four persons all have no records)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yin of Jingshan:
Chan Master Daoqi of Jinshan
Chan Master Yongcong of Jinshan
(The above two persons have no records)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Zonglian of Yuquan:
Chan Master Xiyi of Yuquan (One person has no record)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Ben of Wannian:
Chan Master Xian of Longming
Chan Master Jian of Dawei
(The above two persons have records)
Chan Master Congjin of Tiantong
Chan Master Chun of Touzi
(The above two persons have no records)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zheng of Dahong:
Chan Master En of Yuquan
Chan Master Shiguan of Wanshou
Prime Minister Lord Zhou of the State of Yi
Lord Zhou, Assistant Administrator
(The above four persons have no records)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Fang of Chu'an:
Chan Master Ruo of He'an
Chan Master Jun of Ne'an
(The above two persons have no records)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Jing of Tiantong:
Chan Master Xiu of Shilin
Chan Master Ying of Guchan
(The above two persons have no records)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Su of Pu'an:
Chan Master Qing of Fohui
Chan Master Li of Tieniu
(The above two persons have no records)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Guang of Donggu:
Chan Master Ju of Zhiweng (One person has no record)
Three Dharma heirs of Chan Master Ti of Huo'an:
Chan Master Zhiying of Tiantong
Chan Master Liaoxiu of Wanshou
Chan Master Yun of Xuefeng
(The above three persons have no records)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Guang of Hui'an:
Chan Master Yuanzhao of Xuefeng
Chan Master Yuancong of Jingshan
Chan Master Zhiyin of Bao'en
Upāsaka Chen Anjie Qiaoyin
(The above four persons have no records)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Ye'an of Shuilu:
Hermitage Master Si'en (One person has no record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Pu of Dayuan:
Hermitage Master Ran (One person has no record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Ran of Ke'an:
Upāsaka Ruru Lord Yan (One person has no record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Ben of Jianfu:
Head Monk Fadeng (One person has no record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Hong of Lingrui:
Chan Master Jie of Fuyan (One person has no record)
One Dharma heir of Chan Master Hui of Feng'an:
Chan Master Dalian of Wansong (One person has no record)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Piao of Cihang:
Chan Master Sengyan of Xuedou
Upādhyāya Zhao of Taiping
(The above two persons have no records)
34.3
Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Table of Contents for Fascicle Thirty-Four (End)
34.4
Eighteenth Generation Under Dajian
34.5
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Yan of Donglin
34.6
Chan Master Dun'an Zuzhu of Gongan in Jingnan Prefecture was a native of Nanping. He ascended the hall [and said]: "It is not mind, it is not Buddha, it is not a thing. Drain the wild fox's drool completely; kick over the mountain ghost's cave. In the level fields amidst shallow grass, reveal the scorched-tail tiger; into the vast and empty void, release the high-flying falcon. Aha! Bone and marrow are exposed! When casually presented before the assembly, what on earth is it clearly after all? Du! Du!"
He ascended the hall [and said]:
"Jade dew hangs on green grass; / A golden wind stirs the white duckweed. / The single cry of a cold wild goose / Wakes those who are not yet awake."
34.7
Chan Master Fayan of Bao'en in Tingzhou was a native of Guozhou. He ascended the hall and brought up the nidāna of Juzhi raising a finger. The Master said:
"A fair lady wakes from sleep, too lazy to comb her hair; / Taking a golden hairpin, she simply sticks it in. / In general, it all comes back to her fine bone and skin; / Without applying rouge or powder, she is naturally captivating."
34.8
Chan Master Kengtang Yanchong of Jingci in Lin'an Prefecture was a son of the Sheng family of Yuqian. When young, he relied on Yikan of Mingkong Cloister as his teacher. He first called upon Dayu, Hongzhi, Zhengtang, and Dayuan. Later, he heard Donglin say to the assembly: "Here with me there is no other mystery or wonder, only wooden-shaving soup and iron-spike rice; chew on them as you will." The Master was secretly pleased with this. He went directly to pay respects and presented what he had understood. Donglin said: "Judging by what you see, you are sitting right in the middle of discriminatory awareness." The Master doubted unceasingly, tossing away everything he had attained previously all at once. One day, he heard a monk cite Nanquan's saying: "People of this age see this single flower as if in a dream." He had a silent awakening and said: "Striking the grass is only meant to startle the snake." The next day, he entered the room. Donglin asked: "Where is the place where Yantou secretly revealed his intention?" The Master said: "Today I caught this old thief!" Donglin said: "The life of Great Master Bodhidharma is in your hands." As the Master was about to open his mouth, he was struck right in the chest by a punch, and he suddenly attained great awakening, breaking into a sweat that soaked his back. Nodding to himself, he said: "Linji said: 'Huangbo's Buddha-Dharma really has not that much to it'—how could that be empty words?" Thereupon he presented a verse, saying:
"To help someone, you must do it thoroughly; / To kill someone, you must see blood. / Deshan and Yantou— / A single piece of iron stretching ten thousand li."
Donglin approved him. After becoming an abbot, he ascended the hall [and said]: "The Bhagavat did not speak, yet spoke; Kāśyapa did not hear, yet heard." He struck the staff and said: "The water carries yellow leaves—where do they come from? An ox, bearing cold crows, passes through the distant village." He ascended the hall and brought up: "Xuefeng instructed the assembly, saying: 'The whole earth is a gate of liberation; why is it that when people are pulled by the hand, they cannot enter?'" The Master said: "Great and small Xuefeng cut his words into two halves! Since the whole earth is a gate of liberation, what is the use of pulling?" He ascended the hall [and said]: "Going constantly in that way, grass grows ten feet deep in front of the Dharma hall. Coming constantly in that way, mud is three feet deep under one's feet. Tell me, how is it right? Once every three years there is a leap month; the rooster crows at the fifth watch." He ascended the hall and brought up: "The late Master Wan'an said: 'Sitting on the Buddha's seat, one chops off the Buddha's feet. Not respecting Confucius of the eastern house, one goes instead to another land to study rites and music.'" The Master said: "Entering the mud and water was certainly not lacking in my late master. Yet what can be done about the cold cicada clinging to a withered tree, weeping its heart out without ever looking back?" He struck the staff and said: "There really are those who do not look back! Jingci bows three times toward you inside the pint measure." He ascended the hall [and said]: "The Buddhas of the three periods speak of existence out of nothingness: a myopic old woman picking up a sewing needle. The six generations of patriarchs search for nothingness within existence: monkeys groping for the moon in the water. Leaving aside these two approaches, how do you understand it? This family cares nothing for rise and fall; all day long, accompanied by clouds, we occupy Dongting." When Yuan'an accepted the invitation of Zhizhe, he introduced his seat, saying: "On the South Mountain there is an old demon king, his piercing eyes flashing lightning. His mouth is like a blood-basin reviling the Buddhas and patriarchs; his teeth are like sword-trees cursing everywhere. Though many times the wind of karma could not shake him, when shaken, beside Mount Yunhuang, together with the ascetic Song and Great Master Fu, a gang of destitute ruffians, he remains reckless Meng the Eighth. He deceives countless foolish boys and girls, causing them to step openly into the boiling cauldron with eyes wide open. If a patch-robed monk suddenly steps out and says: 'Since he is a kalyāṇamitra, why does he deceive people into entering the boiling cauldron?' I would just say to him: 'It is not your realm.'" Later, he manifested nirvāṇa, and a stūpa was erected at the South Hermitage of the monastery.
34.9
Chan Master Yuan'an Zhenci of Zhizhe in Wuzhou was a native of Tongchuan, whose surname was Li. He initially relied on Zhengfa in Chengdu to leave household life and received full ordination. Later, he traveled among the lecture halls to listen to lectures on the Perfect Enlightenment Sūtra. Reaching the passage: "When the four great elements disperse individually, where can this false body of today possibly be? Ultimately lacking substance, it is truly identical to an illusion," he thereby had an awakening and composed a verse, saying:
"A single bright jewel / Is right here with me. / Touch it, move it— / It radiates light and shakes the earth."
He presented it to various lecturers, but none could understand it. Returning, he presented it to his teacher, who then questioned him with the gong'an of the dog having no Buddha-nature. The Master said: "Even hundreds of thousands of myriad kotis of gong'ans do not go beyond this verse." His teacher regarded him as insolent and shouted him out. The Master then traveled south to Mount Lu and hung his bowl at Yuantong. At that time, Wan'an was the western hall and entered the room for the assembly. He cited a monk asking Yunmen: "What is it like when one clears away the dust to see the Buddha?" Yunmen said: "The Buddha is also dust." The Master immediately gave a shout following the words, and pointing to his own chest with his finger, said: "The Buddha is also dust!" The Master again composed a verse, saying:
"Clearing away the dust to see the Buddha: / The Buddha is also dust. / The question asked, the answer given, / Right there turn the body. / I urge you to drain another cup of wine; / Going west past the Yang Pass, there will be no old friends."
He also composed a verse on the dust-to-dust samādhi, saying:
"Rice in the bowl, water in the bucket; / The jewel-recognizing Kunlun sits at the bottom of the pool. / Upon a single speck of dust, Mount Sumeru races; / The clear-eyed Persian smiles and snaps his fingers. / Smiles and snaps his fingers— / Upon the coral branch, a pure wind arises."
Wan'an deeply approved him.
34.10
Chan Master Zhaojue Shaoyuan of Chengdu Prefecture ascended the hall and said: "Smelting vase, platter, hairpin, and bracelet into a single gold; stirring curd, cheese, and clarified butter into a single flavor. Thus host and guest accord in the Way, inner and outer are tranquil and harmonious. The five ranks of lord and minister are all penetrated; the four selections are strung on one cord. When letting go, the fine rain is misty and the autumn wind soughs. When holding fast, it is utterly empty. Who dares look straight at it with open eyes? Now tell me: is it better to let go for others, or better to hold fast for others?" He further said: "Leisurely as when the autumn wind arrives; with no intention to cool people, people cool themselves." / He also ascended the hall and brought up: "A monk asked Yunmen, 'How is it when the trees wither and the leaves fall?' [Yunmen] said, 'The body is exposed in the golden wind.'" The master said: "To understand the mechanism that traps the tiger, one must be a genuine patch-robed monk before it is possible. Great Master Yunmen possessed transcendent samādhi, beating time and knocking on the pass. From within the flash of lightning he stuck out a hand, untying knots and unbinding ropes, pulling out wedges and extracting nails for people—he was indeed a skilled hand. Inspecting it carefully, it is very much like handing a ladder to a thief. Zhaojue is not like that. If suddenly a monk asks, 'How is it when the trees wither and the leaves fall?' I would only answer him: 'The evening glow flies alongside the lone duck; the autumn water shares one hue with the vast sky.' Now tell me: is that the same as or different from Yunmen?" He further said: "Cease, cease, no need to speak—my Dharma is wondrous and hard to conceive." / He also brought up: "When Zhaozhou first met Nanquan, he asked, 'What is the Way?' Nanquan said, 'Ordinary mind is the Way.' Zhaozhou said, 'Does it still admit of directing oneself toward it or not?' Nanquan said, 'If you intend to direct yourself toward it, you immediately deviate.' Zhaozhou said, 'Without intending, how does one know it is the Way?' Nanquan said, 'The Way does not belong to knowing, nor does it belong to not knowing. Knowing is deluded perception; not knowing is indeterminate indifference. If you truly reach the doubt-free Way, it is vast and open like great empty space, without obstacles.'" The master took this up and said: "Remarkable, Chan worthies! Though he was a novice just entering the Way, with a single shove he turned around. Is he not an agile person? Nanquan was like a skilled archer releasing an arrow—arrow after arrow striking the bullseye. If it were not for Zhaozhou, it would have been very hard to bear. Right at the point where 'ordinary mind is the Way,' he activated the mechanism, discarded the thing in his chest, and relinquished the faculty before his eyes. It is clear in every phenomenon and manifest in every object. Then he could walk as his feet wished and speak as his mouth pleased; casually bringing things forth, every move had a way out. What is the proof? Have you not seen: A monk asked, 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?' He replied, 'The cypress tree in front of the courtyard.' [A monk] asked, 'The ten thousand dharmas return to the one; where does the one return?' He replied, 'When I was in Qingzhou I made a cloth robe weighing seven catties.' [A monk] asked, 'What is Zhaozhou?' He replied, 'East gate, west gate, south gate, north gate.' For people he untied knots and unbound ropes, extracted nails and pulled out wedges, cut off the tongues of everyone under heaven, and pierced through everyone's nostrils. Is this not the mechanism of 'ordinary mind is the Way'? Moreover, these were not pieced-together words or arranged and stacked phrases that push people into dead water. This is the model of that novice. How should you learn to take it up?" He then said: "'Wanting to walk a thousand miles, the single step is the beginning.' Under the bright sun and blue sky, quickly muster your spirit!"
34.11
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Xichan Xu
34.12
Chan Master Mu'an Anyong of Mount Gu in Fuzhou was a native of Min County, from the Wu clan. In his youth he became a monk. Before long he visited Lan'an at Yunmen. One day he entered the room. Lan'an said: "'Not asking about having words, not asking about having no words'—the Bhagavat remained silent for a good while. You must not understand it at the Bhagavat's remaining silent for a good while." Following this he immediately gave a shout. The master suddenly accorded and awakened, bowed, and said: "Were it not for today's question, how could I have relinquished the faculty before my eyes?" Lan'an approved him. / After becoming abbot, he ascended the hall: "To clarify this matter, one must possess the method of striking sparks from stone or a flash of lightning; only then can one cast off the whole body at the precipitous cliff-edge, finding great peace and dwelling deep within the white clouds. If one peers at the ground searching for a gold needle, one's crown will burst open directly. Arriving here, even if you adapt according to the moment, not clashing with blade points and standing out completely emancipated, you still wade through mud and water. As for a single phrase that fully brings forth one's fundamental lot, how do you say it?" Striking the whisk, he said: "Tempered to bring forth the Seven Stars' brilliant radiance; if one knows how to wield it, one roams across the world at will." / He ascended the hall and brought up: "Muzhou instructed the assembly, saying: 'If you have not obtained an entry point, you must obtain an entry point. Once you have obtained an entry point, you must not forget the old monk.'" The master said: "To speak like that—how thick can one's face be? Mu'an is not like that: If you have not obtained an entry point, you must obtain an entry point. Once you have obtained an entry point, you must fling away that entry point, and only then will you be done." / He ascended the hall, held up his staff, and said: "The young lad of Linji never addressed it straight on. Today I completely act the fool, wanting you all to know it exists." He threw down the staff and stepped down from the seat. / A monk asked: "How is it when one turns one's body and stands upside down on the summit of Mount Sumeru?" The master said: "I have never seen the comet appear." The monk said: "If so, then the pond collapses and the mountain topples!" The master said: "Do not act blindly." The monk gave a shout. The master said: "The thunder is immense, but there are no raindrops at all."
34.13
Chan Master Baitang Nanya of Longxiang in Wenzhou ascended the hall and said: "On the summit of Ruifeng, beside the Roosting Phoenix Pavilion, a cup of thin gruel keeps us together, patched robes covering our heads as we sit in meditation. The Second Patriarch bowed three times and stood in his place—already this was complicated. That old bearded barbarian Bodhidharma divided up all his marrow and skin—a total mess. What need is there to speak of the rest? When Baitang speaks like this, does he avoid the criticism of all powers or not?" Striking the corded chair, he said: "Almost like prolonging imprisonment to cultivate wisdom." / He ascended the hall and said: "The great capacity values direct cutting off; the great function values sudden emergence. Even if there is an arrow-biting mechanism, a single hammer-blow must strike it dead. Why? 'In my king's treasury there is no such sword.'" / He ascended the hall: "Purple bracken extends its fist; bamboo shoots pierce their tips. Willow catkins have all flown away; green shade intertwines. Distinctly, the Western Patriarch's single transmission phrase: the golden oriole sings and swallows chirp in their nests. If you see clearly here and have reached authentic faith—if it were according to other quarters, they would definitely arrange it beneath the bright window; under Longxiang's gate, it is simply struck dead with a single hammer-blow. Why? It is not that it is hard to live together with others; in general, black and white must be distinct."
34.14
Chan Master Zhiqing of Tianwang in Fuzhou ascended the hall, held up his whisk, and said: "Just this—heaven cannot cover it, earth cannot contain it. Pervading the world, pervading space, formed as a lump, formed as a mass. Arriving here, where do the Buddhas of the three periods grope for it? Where do the six generations of patriarchs uphold it? How do patch-robed monks of the world name or describe it? Unless one realizes and verifies it oneself, striking and singing proceed together. Even though it is like this, it is still not the place where a patch-robed monk treads. What is the place where a patch-robed monk treads? Throwing oneself sideways into the ocean of right and wrong; walking freely amidst the thicket of jackals and tigers."
34.15
Hermitage Master Anfen of Jianmen in Nanjian Prefecture studied together with Mu'an when young. Later, at Anguo, he relied on Lan'an, but had no deep realization. He took leave to visit Dahui at Mount Jing. Traveling along the riverbank, looking up at the palace gates, he heard the street patrol officer shout, 'The Vice Minister arrives!' He was released into great awakening. He composed a verse: 'For years this matter hung in my chest; / Questioning all quarters, my eyes would not open. / At this moment, liver and gall were ripped apart / By a single shout on the river: "The Vice Minister arrives!"' / Thereupon he went straight back to Xichan. Lan'an welcomed him and bestowed the saṅghāṭī robe upon him. From then on, he did not fix his dwelling. Later he resided in a hermitage at Jianmen. His teaching covered the Lingbiao region, and students followed him. The verses he composed flowed directly from his hand; over a thousand of them circulated widely in the world. / He instructed the assembly: "This piece of ground—tell me, all of you: before heaven and earth were divided, where was it? If you penetrate it directly, you have already blunted it; in your portion, there is nothing lacking. If you further deliberate and think, how is it merely ten thousand miles of white clouds?" He suddenly picked up his staff and dispersed the assembly. / He instructed the assembly: "From the Buddhas above down to sentient beings below, their lives are all in this mountain monk's hands. Upon inspection, there are immeasurable transgressions. Is there anyone who can inspect them?" He struck the staff once and said: "Every injustice has its perpetrator; every debt has its creditor." Then, glancing left and right, he said: "'Since leaving the cave, I have had no rival; / Where you can spare someone, just spare them.'" / He instructed the assembly: "Before the fifteenth day, all the stars in the sky bow to the north. After the fifteenth day, all the waters in the human world flow to the east. Before and after are both picked up and set aside: everywhere the local dialects are different." Then, bending his fingers, he said: "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. Brethren, what date is it today?" After a good while, he said: "In this shop's trade, not a single coin is given on credit."
34.16
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Jiaozhong Guang
34.17
Chan Master Hunyuan Tanmi of Jingci in Lin'an Prefecture was a native of Tiantai, from the Lu clan. He left home under Daorong of Zifu. At sixteen he took full ordination and studied Tiantai teachings. Abandoning them, he went to Mount Jing to study under Dahui, and visited Xuechao Yi and Ci'an Yuan. Entering Min, he stayed at East and West Chan, but had no awakening. Jiaozhong at Quannan had him serve as the director of affairs; when his duty ended, he returned to his former status. One day, the nidāna of Xiangyan striking the bamboo was brought up; he was suddenly enlightened and presented a verse to Zhong. Zhong questioned him with Xuansha's saying on 'not having penetrated,' and there was no hesitation. Zhong said: 'Only now can you see Miaoxi.' He then took leave and went to Meiyang to serve diligently for four years. / After becoming abbot, he ascended the hall: "The Buddhas' appearance in the world is robbery and murder; the Patriarch's coming from the West is fanning the wind and setting fires. Kalyāṇamitras of past and present have Buddha mouths and snake hearts; patch-robed monks of the world throw themselves into cages. Is there any person of natural spirit, an extraordinary hero, who will put out a hand for the ancestral lineage and advocate the Buddha Dharma?" After a good while he said: "Even if there were one, he must be cut into three pieces." / He ascended the hall: "Deshan's evening sermon did not answer questions, becoming a legendary tyrant of words in the monasteries for a thousand ages. To those who asked questions: thirty blows of the stick—accustomed to blustering and bossing around. At the time a monk came forward—truly able to strike the mark. Deshan hit him at once—urbane and elegant. 'I have not even asked a question'—a cangue on the head and fetters on the feet. 'Where are you from?'—meeting once, a heartbreak once. 'A man from Silla'—holding hands and smiling cheerfully. 'Before stepping across the gunwale, you should be given thirty blows'—beguiling each other as before. Today Hunyuan judges like this: assessing the situation, he should be given thirty blows. Now tell me: is this a reward or a punishment? Those with the eye of study, try to discern it!" / He ascended the hall and brought up: "Yunmen asked a monk about the nidāna of 'The light silently shines, pervading the sands of the Ganges.'" The master said: "Catching fish and shrimp on dry ground; shooting a flying osprey in the distant sky. Lame old Yunmen: a thousand errors and ten thousand mistakes!"
34.18
Chan Master Zhong'an Huikong of Fashi in Quanzhou was a native of Ganzhou, from the Cai clan. On a spring day, he ascended the hall, picked up the staff, and struck it once, saying: "First, strike the head of the spring ox." He struck it once more, saying: "Next, strike the tail of the spring ox. Startling empty space into entering the lotus-root fiber: Śākyamuni has no way to hide his tracks; Maitreya hurriedly flees a thousand miles. Mañjuśrī, however, knows where it falls, clapping his hands and laughing with delight. Now tell me: what is he delighted about? 'The spring breeze came through the door last night; / Then one sees a thousand flowers bloom on the pestle's tip.'" / He ascended the hall: "Towers and pavilions of a thousand homes, a gust of autumn wind. Just as coolness arises in collars and sleeves, unaware that the orchard trees drop their leaves. If you recognize it here, wherever you touch is completely real. If not yet so, let us meet with conventional pleasantries." / He ascended the hall and brought up: "The Diamond Sūtra says: 'The Buddha said to Subhūti: As many kinds of minds as there are in all the sentient beings in those lands, the Tathāgata knows them all. Why is this? The Tathāgata says that all minds are not minds; this is called mind.' Do you want to understand? 'In the spring breeze of success, the horse's hooves are swift; / In one day, I have seen all the flowers of Chang'an.'" / A monk asked: "The former Buddhas handed down the model of restricting footsteps and remaining in retreat. I wonder, what is the lineage tenet?" [The master] said: "Within the lapis lazuli bowl, propping up Mount Sumeru." The monk gave a shout; the master struck him.
34.19
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Dongchan Yue
34.20
Chan Master Zongdai of Gushan in Fuzhou ascended the hall: "The Bhagavat said, 'One should thus know, thus see, thus have faith and understanding, not giving rise to the marks of phenomena.'" Then he shouted and said, "Jade originally has no flaws, yet it has flaws."
34.21
Dharma Heir of Chan Master Jing of Xichan
34.22
Chan Master Zongying of Qianyuan in Fuzhou ascended the hall, struck his staff once, and said, "For a quick-tempered fellow, it takes only a single hammer-blow." Leaning his staff, he said, "For a sharp-witted person, there is no need to bring it up again. Right now, is there anyone sharp-witted?" After a long pause, he said, "Trying to catch a qilin, one does not even encounter a hare."
34.23
Dharma Heir of Chan Master Qian of Kaishan
34.24
Daoist Wu the Thirteenth of Mount Xianzhou in Jianning Prefecture frequently questioned various Chan masters as well as Kaishan regarding his own matter. He returned and built a thatched hut to the left of [Kaishan's abode] and went to attend upon him. On the night of the eighth day of the third month in the gengshen year of the Shaoxing reign era, he suddenly had an awakening. He composed a verse and presented it to Qian: / "Originally there is no seam or crack; / Touched, it immediately shines with brilliance. / Since it is a jewel worth a thousand pieces of gold, / Why use it as a pellet to shoot sparrows?" / Qian replied: / "When it snaps with a crack, what true jubilation! / Birth and death, commoner and sage all sink flat. / Under Mount Xianzhou, roaring with laughter, / I do not betray the mind that we pledged in the past."
34.25
Dharma Heir of Chan Master Wuyong Quan
34.26
Chan Master Xiaoweng of Yuwang, whose taboo name was Miaokan, was a son of the Mao family of Siming. He had a broad forehead, a flat crown, clear bones, and a heroic bearing. At age ten, he studied Buddhism under Ye'an Daoqin. He visited Songyuan Yue at Lingyin but did not reach accord. He went to Tiantong to visit Master Wuyong Quan. Wuyong asked, "Are you a monk on itinerant pilgrimage, or a monk sightseeing in the mountains?" The Master said, "A monk on itinerant pilgrimage." Wuyong said, "What is the matter of itinerant pilgrimage?" The Master immediately struck him with his sitting mat. Wuyong said, "This monk dares to come here and stroke the tiger's whiskers! Go to the monk's hall!" In the abbot's room, [Wuyong] often showed him the topic of the dog having no Buddha-nature. One day, as [the Master] was about to open his mouth, Wuyong struck him straight across the mouth with a bamboo spatula. Responsive to the sound, the Master presented a verse: / "The great poison drum / Shakes heaven and rumbles the earth. / Turning the brain and looking back, / Corpses lie prostrate across ten thousand miles." / Wuyong nodded to it. For a long time he served as the incense attendant. Taking his leave, he traveled west, visiting the gates of various elders. When he emerged into the world at Miaosheng, he became the heir to Wuyong. He moved to Jinwen and was transferred. At Guangxiao in the yihai year, during a severe drought, prayers were made for rain; the prefectural administrator and military commander placed the Daoists on the left. The Master stated that Buddhism on the left and Daoism on the right was the established rule from of old, and firmly contested it as unacceptable. He retired to Xuedou and submitted a memorial to the imperial court; the imperial decree ordered that the ancient rule be maintained, and only then was it resolved. Prince Wei Shi [Miyuan] recommended the Master to take charge of Bao'en in Tai[zhou]. Tiantai previously lacked the Vinaya school; the Master proposed merging ten temples into a great monastery, building an altar-ground, and propagating the Vinaya. By imperial order, he was moved to Huqiu and oversaw Xuefeng for three years, then ascended to reside at Lingyin. Prince Wei founded Daci; when completed, he invited the Master to be the founding abbot. The Master examined the regulations and established standards, dispensing with superficialities and applying restraint; even if Dazhi were to arise again, he could not have altered them. When Prince Wei passed away, [the Master] retired to Shangbai. The governor of Taizhou, Lord Chen, sent an envoy to invite him on the road with [the abbacy of] Ruiyan. The Master reluctantly took charge of temple affairs, and after more than a month, he departed. Before long, an official communication from Jiangxin arrived; Lord Shi, the supervisory clerk, compelled him, so he arose and with effort crossed the river. The following year, court ministers memorialized asking that Buddhist monks and Daoists purchase purple robes and master titles, and that they serve as abbots based on robes and titles. The Master believed that if it were truly so, sons of wealthy families could all control the Dharma, and our Way would be endangered. He submitted a memorial at the palace steps and addressed a letter to the imperial court, and the proposal was consequently dropped. By imperial decree, he was moved to Yuwang, where he undertook many reconstructions. Soon after, an imperial appointment to Tiantong arrived, but he did not accept it. In the spring of the wushen year, the Master took to his bed with illness. Lord Cao, the vice-prefect of Yongjia, and others entered the mountain to inquire about his illness. At leisure, they conversed about worldly ties. After a while, he called for paper and brush, wrote his testamentary memorial, and wrote a letter to Lord Zhang, the temple director, invoking the precedent of Shangu and Huitang to ask him to oversee the post-mortem arrangements. He wrote a four-line verse to bid farewell to the assembly: / "The mirror of karma has hung high / For seventy-two years. / Smashed with one hammer-blow, / The Great Way is smooth and wide." / Putting down his brush, he took leave of Lord Cao and passed away lying on his right side.
34.27
Dharma Heir of Chan Master Tiantong Hua
34.28
Chan Master Mi'an Xianjie of Tiantong in Qingyuan Prefecture was a son of the Zheng family of Fuzhou. His mother gave birth to him after dreaming of an old monk from Mount Lu entering the house. From youth he was sharp and perceptive; he left home to become a monk. Not shrinking from wandering, he visited kalyāṇamitras everywhere. Later he paid homage to Ying'an at Mingguo Hermitage in Qu[zhou]. He was aloof and stern, difficult to penetrate, and repeatedly suffered scoldings. One day, Ying'an asked, "What is the correct Dharma eye?" The Master promptly answered, "A broken earthenware basin." Ying'an nodded to it. Before long, he took leave to return and visit his parents. Ying'an saw him off with a verse: / "A verse that accords with the trigger of great penetration, / In broad daylight, expands the top of the skull. / We have associated now for four years; / Under cross-examination, completely seamless. / Though the bowl-bag has not yet been entrusted, / Your bearing swallows heaven and earth. / Yet you take the correct Dharma eye / And call it a broken earthenware basin. / On this trip, you are about to visit your kin; / Be strictly mindful not to kick your heels. / I have a final word, / Waiting for your return, demanding your compliance." / He emerged into the world at Wuju in Qu[zhou], and next moved to Xiangfu, Jiangshan, and Huazang. Soon an imperial decree appointed him to reside at Jingshan and Lingyin. In his later years, he resided at Taibai. A monk asked, "When empty space is destroyed, how is it?" The Master said, "A crime is not punished twice." Ascending the hall, [he said], "Niutou spoke horizontally and spoke vertically, not knowing there is an upward turning-point. There is a sort of bucket-stuffing crowd who do not distinguish east from west or separate north from south, and immediately ask, 'What is the upward turning-point?' How does this differ from wetting the bed with one's eyes open? Huazang has a turning word; it is neither upward nor downward. The Thousand-Hand Great Compassionate One cannot grope it; in the rainy cold there is nowhere to hang it out to dry. Today, in universal request, I give it as an alms to the assembly." After a long pause, he said, "Great Master Bodhidharma has no front teeth." Ascending the hall, [he said], "The Bhagavat's speaking without speaking twists the bent into the straight. Kāśyapa's hearing without hearing gazes into empty space to make an announcement. Mazu's 'Mind itself is Buddha' hangs up a sheep's head and sells dog meat. Zhaozhou's checking the hermit buys high and sells low, not worth a single penny. Just as Mañjuśrī is the teacher of the seven Buddhas, why could he not bring the woman out of samādhi? In the river sky, the moon halos and fish spawn; amidst faint wind through oak leaves, deer nurture their velvet horns." Ascending the hall, he struck his staff once and said, "When deluded, one is only deluded about this." He struck it again and said, "When awakened, one is only awakened to this. When delusion and awakening are both forgotten, it is adding more trash onto the heap of sweepings. Is there anyone who can utter a phrase at the place where the whole function emerges in the east and submerges in the west, uniquely detached? If you cannot speak, Huazang will speak for himself." Throwing down his staff, he said, "Thirty years later!" Ascending the hall, he brought up: "Upādhyāya Jinfeng instructed the assembly, saying: 'Twenty years ago, this old monk had an old grandmother's heart; twenty years later, I have no old grandmother's heart.' At that time a monk asked, 'What was the Upādhyāya's old grandmother's heart of twenty years ago?' Jinfeng said, 'Asked about the ordinary, I answered with the ordinary; asked about the sacred, I answered with the sacred.' [The monk] asked, 'What is the lack of an old grandmother's heart of twenty years later?' Jinfeng said, 'Asked about the ordinary, I do not answer with the ordinary; asked about the sacred, I do not answer with the sacred.'" The Master said, "If Wuju had seen him at that time, I would only have let out two cold chuckles. If this old fellow had suddenly caught a glimpse, naturally he would not fall into the ruts of sacred and ordinary." Ascending the hall, he brought up the story of the old woman burning the hermitage. The Master said, "This gong'an is rarely brought up and commented on in the monasteries. Elder Jie tears open his facial skin and cannot avoid admitting defeat once; I also wish to let all quarters examine it." Thereupon he called to the assembly, "This old woman's inner chamber was deep and secure, impervious to water; yet perversely she scattered flowers on withered wood and shot flames from cold crags. That monk, solitary and far removed, was accustomed to plunging into vast surges; with ease he sat through and cut off sky-splashing tides, and in the end not a drop of water was on his body. When examined closely, smashing the cangue and breaking the locks is not lacking, yet if it were the Buddha Dharma, these two people have not even dreamed of it. Wuju comments and upholds like this—where ultimately does the meaning return?" After a long pause, he said, / "A handful of willow threads cannot be gathered up; / Together with the mist, they hang over the jade balustrade." / Ascending the hall, [he said], "Stirring a string to distinguish the tune; seeing a leaf fall to know autumn; bringing up one to illumine three; watching the mechanism with exact precision; like a king wielding a sword, killing and bringing to life as occasions demand—this is still wave after wave on a windless surface. Walking hand in hand with the thousand sages along the upward path, one should enter Avīci Hell. Exactly at such a time, what should one do? Jiangnan and the two Zhe regions: cold in spring, hot in autumn." Ascending the hall, [he said], "Calling the entire universe of the great earth a single phrase is wearing a cangue and carrying locks; not calling it a single phrase is boundless karmic consciousness. Both ends completely penetrated and shed, naked and clean, bare and exposed, with nothing to grasp, the single school of Bodhidharma is completely swept away. Therefore, Great Master Yunmen said, 'The entire universe of the great earth without the slightest fault is still a turning phrase; not seeing a single phenomenon is only half the presentation; one must further know the time of the full presentation.' Great and small Yunmen! The sword has long dropped into the water, and only now do you mark the boat." Later, he manifested nirvāṇa, and a stūpa was erected for him at the Central Peak of the temple.
34.29
Recorder Nan was a native of Fuzhou. For a long time he relied upon Ying'an. At Zhaozhou's topic of the dog having no Buddha-nature, he had a sudden realization and accord. He composed a verse: / "The dog has no Buddha-nature; / The Rahu star enters one's destiny. / If one does not beat someone to death, / One will definitely be beaten to death by others." / Ying'an saw it and was delighted by his free and uninhibited spirit. At the end of the Shaoxing reign era, he passed away at Guizong.
34.30
Attendant Gentleman and Upāsaka Li Hao, courtesy name Deyuan and style name Zhengxin, in his youth heard the Śūraṅgama Sūtra and felt as if traveling in his old homeland; he kept it in mind without forgetting, even while carrying the satchel of office. Later he visited Mingguo, dedicated his sincerity, and entered the abbot's room. Ying'an grabbed him by the chest and said, "After the Attendant Gentleman dies, where will you go?" The gentleman was terrified, with sweat pouring down. Ying'an shouted him out. The gentleman retired and investigated; within less than ten days, he finally ascended to the inner sanctum. He sent a verse to his fellow practitioner Yan Kangchao: / "At the gate is Sun Bin's mat; / In the house resides Gan Zhi's wife. / Sleeping at night and rising early again, / Who is awakened and who is again deluded?" / Ying'an saw it and praised it as good. There was a rouge seller who had also long studied under Ying'an and was quite conceited. The gentleman presented him with a verse: / "Without applying red powder, naturally alluring; / Often Chan followers stop right here. / After breaking through the ancient and modern trap, / One comes back here to eat fists."
34.31
Dharma Heir of Chan Master Daochang Quan
34.32
Chan Master Yian Youquan of Huazang in Changzhou was a son of the Qi family of Changhua in Lin'an. At the age of fourteen, he was ordained. At eighteen, he paid homage to Chan Master Fozhi Yuyu at Lingyin. At that time, Wu'an was the head monk. In the abbot's room, Wu'an questioned him with: 'From the basis of non-abiding, all phenomena are established.' After a long time, the master had an awakening. He replied, 'Threading a needle in the dark; breath coming out of the ears.' Wu'an approved him, and thereupon secretly transmitted the mind seal to him. Once, he sat through the night until dawn. When the one distributing gruel arrived, the master forgot to spread his bowl. A neighboring monk nudged him with a hand. The master had an awakening and composed a verse:
'A pitch-black Kunlun holds a fishing rod;
An ancient sail hung high descends the rushing rapids.
Playing with the bright moon in the shadow of reed flowers,
He lures a blind turtle onto the fishing boat.'
Fozhi once asked, 'When the mind encompasses the great void and its capacity is as vast as the sands of the worlds, what then?' The master said, 'The great sea does not harbor a dead corpse.' Zhi patted his seat and said, 'This fellow will one day occupy this seat, scolding the Buddhas and reviling the patriarchs!' From then on, the master concealed his horns and kept an increasingly low profile. He traveled through Hu-Xiang and Jiang-Zhe for several decades. He relied on Ying'an at Guizong, and consulted Dahui at Jingshan. When Wu'an resided at Daochang, he invited the master to share the seat and preach the Dharma. Thereupon his fame quietly spread. After taking up residence [as abbot], he ascended the hall: 'This morning the mouth of the cloth bag is tied shut; sharp-eyed patch-robed monks, do not run around haphazardly! Where mental activities cease, one understands how to turn the body; even a sneeze becomes the lion's roar. In the sandalwood forest, run freely at will. Pick up your eyebrows and let them grow atop your crown; gouging the flesh to make a wound reveals the family's ugliness.' Ascending the hall: 'Chan, Chan: without faction, without bias! In delusion, separated by a thousand miles; in awakening, right by the lips! Therefore, a monk asked Shishuang, "What is Chan?" Shuang said, "A roof tile." Another monk asked Muzhou, "What is Chan?" Zhou said, "Frying in oil over a fierce fire." Another monk asked Shoushan, "What is Chan?" Shan said, "A monkey climbs a tree, its tail trailing behind." Assembly! The Way has no crosswise path; where one stands is solitary and perilous. These three venerable elders walked the living path before sound, and used the miraculous mechanism beyond the kalpas. If examined with the upright eye of a patch-robed monk, there are nonetheless differences of superiority and inferiority: one is like Zhang Liang entering battle; one is like Xiang Yu deploying troops; one is like Kongming sizing up the enemy. If someone can distinguish this clearly, they can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Buddhas and patriarchs. Although it is like this, should a patch-robed monk suddenly come forth and say, "The venerable elder's words are cut into two pieces! Just now you said, 'The Way has no crosswise path, without faction, without bias,' and now you again distinguish so much superiority and inferiority!"—how would you reply to him? Do you understand? Joining hands to climb the mountain, exert strength together; the breath coming out of one's own throat is known to oneself.' In the autumn of the gengzi year of the Chunxi era [1180], he manifested a slight illness, left a verse, sat cross-legged, and passed away. Upon cremation, his teeth and tongue remained undamaged, and countless five-colored relics were obtained. They were interred in the stupa at Hengshan, and his bones were divided to be buried to the left of Wannian Temple.
34.33
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Shuanglin Yong
34.34
Chan Master Yin of Sanfeng in Wuzhou ascended the hall and brought up the wild fox case, saying: 'Not falling into it, not ignoring it: accusing an innocent person of a crime. Not ignoring it, not falling into it: binding oneself without a rope. Pitiful willow catkins following the spring breeze: sometimes coming from the west, sometimes from the east.'
34.35
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Dagui Xing
34.36
Chan Master Deshan Zijuan of Changde Prefecture was a native of Tongchuan. He ascended the hall: '"At the time of seeing seeing, seeing is not seeing; seeing is still separate from seeing, seeing cannot reach it." He then shouted and said, 'The whale swallows the seawater entirely, exposing the coral branch! If suddenly a patch-robed monk should come out from the assembly and say, "Venerable Elder, cease talking in your sleep!" I would grant that he possesses a single eye.' Ascending the hall, he laid his staff crosswise and said: 'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven; seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Counting forwards and backwards in rotation, count until the endless days of the future! Because of seven, one sees one; because of one, one forgets seven. Trampling through the great void, even the iron ox breaks into a sweat! Breath cut off, without a trace.' He threw down his staff and said: 'One must further put this down, only then is the matter of study and practice complete!' Ascending the hall, he picked up his staff and said: 'Sometimes taking away the person but not taking away the environment: the staff is crisscrossing in all directions. Sometimes taking away the environment but not taking away the person: the mountain monk is topsy-turvy. Sometimes taking away both person and environment: the staff and the mountain monk obliterate their traces and swallow their voices. Sometimes taking away neither person nor environment.' Striking his staff, he said, '"Accompanying me on a journey of a thousand miles, carrying you across ten thousand mountains." If you suddenly run into Great Master Linji, what then?' He shouted and said: 'Before the mind-ground seal is clear, it is difficult to pass through the ancestral barrier.'
34.37
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Wannian Ben
34.38
Chan Master Longming Zai'an Xian of Wenzhou ascended the hall and cited Chongshou's instruction to the assembly: '"Recognizing the bench is all-around more than enough." Yunmen said, "Recognizing the bench, heaven and earth are worlds apart."' The master said: 'Old fellow Chongshou made everyone in the world sit to death; Great Master Yunmen made everyone in the world run to death. Longming is not like this: recognizing that a bench has four legs on the ground, if you want to sit, just sit; if you want to stand, just stand!' Ascending the hall, he cited the story of Zhaozhou examining the old woman and praised it in verse: 'The fair lady of ice and snow has a most exquisite countenance; / She often blows her jade flute toward others. / Within the melody, boundless flower hearts are moved; / Only the first branch is granted to the Lord of Spring.'
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- 續傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese