續傳燈錄 6
English (machine translation) 6
- Language
- English
6.1
Table of Contents for Fascicle 6 of the Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp
6.2
Eleventh Generation under Dajian
Twenty-five Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xuan of Dayang:
Chan Master Yiqing of Touzi
Chan Master Qingpou of Xingyang
Chan Master Shencheng of Fuyan
Chan Master Xianru of Luofu
Chan Master Guixi of Baima
Chan Master Hui of Dayang
Chan Master Lingyun of Yunmen
Chan Master Haipeng of Yunding
Chan Master Mingji Cong (The above nine persons have recorded sayings)
Chan Master Hai of Sizhu
Chan Master Cheng of Zifu
Chan Master Daoqi of Juecheng
Chan Master Yuan of Luofu
Chan Master Cun of Dongshan
Chan Master Baoyin of Yunmen
Chan Master Huikong of Taiping
Chan Master Yanfu of Anzhou
Chan Master Xian of Fuyan
Chan Master Zong of Chengtian
Chan Master Long of Fangguang
Chan Master Zhicong of Chongshang
Chan Master Churen of Sizhu
Chan Master Qi of Dayang
Chan Master Guichun of Baima
Upāsaka Wang Shu (Huishu) (The above sixteen persons are unrecorded)
Eighty-four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xian of Xuedou:
Chan Master Yihuai of Tianyi
Chan Master Shengzong of Chengxin
Chan Master Chuanzong of Chengtian
Chan Master Rishen of Nanming
Practitioner Fazong of Touzi
Chan Master Yunguan of Baoxiang
Chan Master Xiansheng of Junshan
Head of the Kitchen Huijin of Dongting
Senior Compiler Zeng Hui, upāsaka
Chan Master Youlan of Baoben
Chan Master Zhifu of Changlu
Chan Master Huiyuan of Dongshan
Chan Master Zi of Xiangji
Chan Master Zihuan of Baoqing
Chan Master Zaihe of Tianyi
Chan Master Shouming of Chengxin
Chan Master Zhongqing of Fengqi
Chan Master Dechu of Lingyan
Chan Master Zhichuan of Longxing
Chan Master Ze of Qianming
Chan Master Zhiying of Qianming
Head Monk Yuanyi of Yunfeng (The above twenty-two persons are recorded)
Chan Master Cong of Anguo
Chan Master Yuanchu of Yong'an
Chan Master Qingyan of Chengxin
Chan Master Shouhuan of Zhengsheng
Chan Master Shou'en of Tangyuan
Chan Master Jingxian of Guangjiao
Chan Master Xian of Dongchan
Chan Master Delong of Shangshan
Chan Master Deqian of Huacheng
Chan Master Yongshu of Guanghui
Chan Master Weizheng of Yinsheng
Chan Master Zhao of Zifu
Chan Master Doxuan of Baiyun
Chan Master Daoman of Xingyuan
Chan Master Dongyuan of Chengtian
Chan Master Xianchong of Luyuan
Chan Master Zhiyi of Jianfu
Chan Master Zongshan of Yuelin
Chan Master Huizhao of Wanshou
Chan Master Zhezhi of Haihui
Chan Master Zizheng of Miaoguo
Chan Master Chun of Shushan
Chan Master Ying of Deshan
Chan Master Yun of Junshan
Chan Master Wenzheng of Nanyue
Chan Master Zhixuan of Qixia
Chan Master Meng of Luoshan
Chan Master Shang of Dizang
Chan Master Ya of Zhenru
Chan Master Chong of Fengtai
Chan Master Gong of Yaoshan
Chan Master Han of Xichan
Chan Master Zheng of Bao'en
Chan Master Xibai of Yuchi
Chan Master Huan of Baoxiang
Chan Master Yi of Yunmen
Chan Master Xian of Hengjin
Chan Master Yuandu of Yunyan
Chan Master De of Wanshou
Chan Master Yiqian of Huguo
Chan Master Zhonggao of Baiyun
Chan Master Yiqin of Jingtu
Chan Master Lizhen of Dajue
Chan Master Weide of Huguo
Chan Master Zhonghua of Tiansheng
Chan Master Ke of Jianfu
Chan Master Pu of Cuifeng
Chan Master Lizhang of Tiantong
Chan Master Chuize of Miaoguo
Chan Master Jue of Longhua
Chan Master Deji of Huguo
Chan Master Zongmi of Bao'en
Chan Master Kegai of Jianfu
Chan Master Xiu of Xifang
Chan Master Xingzong of Xuedou
Chan Master Xiao of Dacheng
Chan Master Chongfan of Qixia
Chan Master Huaixiu of Zhangxi
Chan Master Daoneng of Bao'en
Chan Master Zongpu of Baiyi
Chan Master Zhihua of Baiyi
Chan Master Ruiyun of Shuilu (The above sixty-two persons have no record)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Baoyue Zhiyao of Baizhang:
Chan Master Huaixiang of Huiyin
Chan Master Yining of Huiyin (The above two persons are recorded)
Fourteen Dharma heirs of Chan Master Baoyuan of Nanhua:
Chan Master Yanqing of Xinghua
Chan Master Xingde of Baoshou
Chan Master Shousheng of Baihu
Chan Master Chongqin of Fotuo
Chan Master Faying of Yanxiang
Chan Master Huibao of Shunfeng (The above six persons are recorded)
Chan Master Ziyuan of Ganlu
Chan Master Zongbao of Yongtai
Chan Master Fachong of Shuangfeng
Chan Master Haiyue of Baolin
Chan Master Qingxian of Luohan
Chan Master Zhijing of Qingcuo
Chan Master Wenbai of Wengshan
Chan Master Famou of Yanshou (The above eight persons have no record)
Four Dharma heirs of Chan Master Jipeng of Yungai:
Chan Master Tan of Bao'en (One person recorded)
Chan Master Zhen of Falun
Chan Master An of Baixia
Head Monk Fu of Linqiong (The above three persons have no record)
Two Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zirong of Dongshan:
Chan Master June of Yuantong (One person recorded)
Chan Master Fazhu of Yanqing (One person has no record)
6.3
Table of Contents for Fascicle 6 of the Continued Record of the Transmission of the Lamp
6.4
Eleventh Generation under Dajian
6.5
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Xuan of Dayang
6.6
Chan Master Yiqing of Mount Touzi in Shuzhou was a native of Qingshe and a son of the Li family. At age seven he was exceptionally precocious. He went to Miaoxiang Temple to leave home, and passed the scriptural examination to receive ordination. He studied the Treatise on the Hundred Dharmas, but before long sighed and said, 'Three asaṃkhyeya kalpas is a long road; what is the benefit of exhausting oneself?' He then went into Luoyang to listen to the Avataṃsaka, its meanings flowing like a string of pearls. He once read the verses of the Bodhisattvas of the Forest, and reaching 'Mind itself is the self-nature,' he had a sudden realization and said, 'The Dharma is free from written words; how could it be lectured upon?' He immediately abandoned [the lectures] to travel among the Zen assemblies.
At that time, Chan Master Yuanjian resided at Huisheng Crag. One night he dreamt of keeping a blue falcon, which was an auspicious omen. At dawn the Master arrived, and Jian welcomed him with courteous etiquette. He instructed him to investigate the nidāna: 'A non-Buddhist asked the Buddha: "I do not ask about the spoken; I do not ask about the unspoken."' Three years passed. One day [Yuanjian] asked, 'Do you remember the huatou? Try citing it.' The Master prepared to reply, but Jian covered his mouth. The Master had a clear and luminous awakening, and thereupon bowed. Jian said, 'Have you wondrously awakened to the mysterious mechanism?' The Master said, 'Even if I had, it would have to be spat out.' At the time, Attendant Zi was at his side and said, 'Qing of the Huayan is today like someone whose fever broke with sweat.' The Master turned his head, looked at him, and said, 'Shut your dog's mouth! If you babble any more, I will vomit right now.'
After this, another three years passed. Jian frequently brought forth the lineage tenets of the Dongshan branch to show him, and he was in wondrous accord with all of them. [Jian] transmitted to him Dayang's portrait, leather slippers, and direct robe, enjoining him: 'Succeed to his lineage style on my behalf. Do not linger here long; protect and uphold it well.' He then wrote a verse to see him off, saying:
'Mount Sumeru stands in the great void; / The sun and moon attend and revolve around it. / The myriad peaks gradually lean upon it; / Only then do the white clouds transform. / The wind of Shaolin stirs the thicket; / The cave curtain of Caoxi is rolled up. / The golden phoenix roosts in the dragon's nest; / How could imperial moss be crushed by carriage wheels?'
He ordered him to rely on Chan Master Yuantong Xiu. When the Master arrived there, he did not participate in questioning, but merely loved to sleep. The monastery administrator reported to Tong, 'There is a monk in the hall who sleeps by day; we should enforce the communal rules.' Tong said, 'Who is it?' He replied, 'Senior Monk Qing.' Tong said, 'Not yet. Wait until I have tested him.' Tong then dragged his staff into the hall and saw the Master fast asleep. Striking the bed, he rebuked him: 'Here I have no idle rice for you, Senior Monk, to eat and then slumber.' The Master said, 'What does the Upādhyāya instruct me to do?' Tong said, 'Why not go practice Chan?' The Master said, 'Fine delicacies are not fit for a sated person to eat.' Tong said, 'Nevertheless, there are plenty of people who do not approve of you, Senior Monk.' The Master said, 'Waiting for approval—what would that be good for?' Tong said, 'Whom have you seen before, Senior Monk?' The Master said, 'Fushan.' Tong said, 'No wonder you are so obstinate!' He then grasped his hand with a laugh and returned to the Abbot's quarters. From this, the Master's reputation in the Way spread far and wide.
He first resided at Baiyun, and next moved to Touzi. He ascended the hall and called to the assembly: 'If we discuss this matter, it is like a luan or phoenix soaring into the sky without leaving a trace; like an antelope hanging by its horns—where can its tracks be sought? The golden dragon does not stay in the cold pool; how could the jade rabbit dwell in the toad's shadow? If host and guest happen to be set up, one must shake one's head beyond the kalpa of the Voice of Majesty; when questions and answers are expressed in words, one still raises the dark path obliquely as a presentation. If one can be like this, one is still halfway on the journey. If you further fix your gaze, there is no need for us to meet.'
He ascended the hall: 'If the ancestral vehicle is brought forth, the common and the sacred vanish without a trace. When the tower gate opens, one meets through another door. Even if you awaken by rolling up the curtain, how can you escape being a bystander? Coming upon peach blossoms in spring only increases the eye disease. Therefore the ancients said: "The path of the transcendental is not transmitted by the thousand sages." Worthies, since it is not transmitted, why did the iron ox run across into the kingdom of Silla?' He then shouted and said, 'Those who have reached it must know the secret startle!'
A monk asked, 'Whose melody does the Master sing? Whose lineage style do you inherit?' The Master said, 'An arrow before the Voice of Majesty / Pierces through two layers of mountains.' The monk asked, 'What is the matter that has been handed down?' The Master said, 'Entirely because of the moon in the Huai region, / Spring at Yingyang is illuminated.' The monk said, 'Then one enters the water to see the tall man.' The Master said, 'You only know the rarity of the jade of Chu; / How could you discern the King of Chu's mind?' The monk bowed; the Master struck him with his whisk. He added, 'Is there anyone else with a question? If not, each of us should take our leave.'
A monk asked, 'Just now the Upādhyāya offered incense to wish long life to the Emperor; tell me, how old is the present Sovereign?' The Master said, 'The moon veils the cinnabar cassia far away; / The stars encircle the Northern Pole star on high.' The monk said, 'The Southern Mountain towers straight up, rivaling heaven in longevity; / The vast billows of the Eastern Sea match the source of blessing.' The Master said, 'A pair of phoenixes attends the Golden Palace; / The green pine's ancient cadence is lofty.' The monk said, 'We have already received the Master's instruction on the imperial longevity; what about the matter of governing and transforming heaven and earth?' The Master said, 'Better to close one's mouth and retreat; / That indeed is repaying the imperial favor.'
When the Master was about to show his passing, he wrote a verse: 'Abbot in two places, / With nothing to aid the Way. / Take care, everyone; / No need to seek or search.' He tossed down the brush and quietly ceased breathing. At the cremation, many miraculous signs appeared, which cannot all be detailed here; five-colored relics were obtained, and together with his holy bones were entombed north of the temple at Sanfeng Hermitage.
6.7
Chan Master Qingpou of Xingyang in Yingzhou served as the garden supervisor at Dayang. While planting melons, Dayang asked, 'When will the sweet melons become ripe?' The Master said, 'Right now they are fully ripe.' Dayang said, 'Pick the sweet ones and bring them here.' The Master said, 'For whom to eat?' Dayang said, 'For the one who does not enter the garden.' The Master said, 'I wonder whether the one who does not enter the garden will still eat them or not?' Dayang said, 'Do you still know him?' The Master said, 'Although I do not know him, I cannot help but give them to him.' Dayang laughed and left.
After taking up residence, he ascended the hall: 'The great truth of the coming from the West is beyond all one hundred negations. Matching wits within phrases completely violates the wondrous purport. Ceasing when one cannot cease wrongs the ancestral lineage; how much more so with rambling talk—what benefit could there be? Even though it is like this, matters are not one-sided. For now, within the gate of expounding the teachings, let us open a single line of path for everyone to discuss.'
A monk asked, 'When Sāgara emerges from the ocean, heaven and earth tremble; when meeting face-to-face, what about this matter?' The Master said, 'The Golden-Winged Bird King confronts the universe; / Among them, who is the one to poke his head out?' The monk said, 'If he suddenly happens to poke his head out, then what?' The Master said, 'Like a falcon snatching a dove, you do not believe it; / Only when tested before a skull will you know the truth.' The monk said, 'In that case, I fold my hands across my chest and retreat three paces.' The Master said, 'The little black turtle beneath the Sumeru throne— / Do not wait until your forehead is marked again before turning back.'
A monk asked, 'Where have the sages from antiquity gone?' The Master said, 'The moon illuminates a thousand rivers in quietude; / A solitary lamp shines bright on the ocean bed.'
Ministry of Works Official Zheng asked, 'When will the Upādhyāya open the hall?' The Master said, 'Not reckoned in asaṃkhyeyas, / Before the sun and moon were born.'
When the Master lay sick, Dayang asked, 'This body is like a phantom bubble; within the phantom bubble it is accomplished. If there were no phantom bubble, the great matter would have no way to be accomplished. If you want the great matter accomplished, how do you understand this phantom bubble?' The Master said, 'This is still a matter on this side.' Dayang said, 'What is the matter on that side?' The Master said, 'The red orb pierces all around the earth; / On the ocean bed no flowers are planted.' Dayang laughed and said, 'Are you indeed so alert?' The Master gave a shout and said, 'Did you think I had forgotten?' and straightaway hastened into quiescence.
6.8
Chan Master Shencheng of Fuyan on Nanyue was attending and standing beside Dayang. Dayang said, 'There is a person whose entire body is red and festering, lying in a thicket of brambles, surrounded completely by a circle of fire. If one can draw close to this person, the broad markets will open up; if one cannot draw close, what will serve as evidence in daily life?' The Master said, 'The six sense organs are incomplete; the seven consciousnesses are deficient.' Dayang said, 'Tell him to come out; I want to see him.' The Master said, 'Just now there was no one else around to respond to the Upādhyāya.' Dayang said, 'The official does not allow a needle.' The Master then bowed.
The Master later went to the place of Upādhyāya Long of Huayan and cited the previous conversation. Long said, 'Cold as goosebumps, fine as ice and snow.'
Minister Li made a special ascent up the mountain to ask, 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?' The Master pointed to the cypress tree in front of the courtyard. The Minister asked thus three times, and the Master answered thus three times. The Minister was delighted and presented a verse:
'Appearing and disappearing among the clouds, filling the great void; / Originally, the true mark does not have a single speck of dust. / Repeatedly I inquired about the meaning of the coming from the West; / He pointed only to the single cypress tree before the courtyard.'
6.9
Chan Master Xianru of Mount Luofu in Huizhou was a native of Yizhou. When he first arrived at Dayang, Dayang asked, 'Where are you from?' He said, 'Yizhou.' Dayang said, 'How many li from here?' He said, 'Fifty li.' Dayang said, 'Coming like this, did you ever step on the ground?' He said, 'I did not step on it.' Dayang said, 'Do you understand how to soar through the air?' He said, 'I do not understand how to soar through the air.' Dayang said, 'How did you manage to arrive here?' He said, 'Step by step, not losing the direction; throughout my whole body there is nothing to discern.' Dayang said, 'Have you attained the samādhi that transcends boundaries?' He said, 'The sacred mind cannot be attained; how could samādhi proclaim a name?' Dayang said, 'So it is, so it is. You should have faith in this: the fundamental essence is fully manifested, principle and phenomena are not two; protect and uphold it well.'
After taking up residence, a monk asked, 'What is the environment of Luofu?' The Master said, 'Towering, it encroaches upon the sky; / Lofty, it garrisons the edge of the sea.' The monk said, 'What is the person within the environment?' The Master said, 'White clouds scatter above his crown; / Black smoke rises beneath his feet.'
6.10
Chan Master Guixi of Baima in Xiangzhou first asked Dayang, 'This student is ignorant; I beg for an entry path to be pointed out.' Dayang said, 'Alright.' After a good while, he called the Master. The Master responded. Dayang said, 'I have given you an entry path.' The Master had an awakening upon these words.
After taking up residence, a monk asked, 'What is the great meaning of the Buddhadharma?' The Master said, 'A fine dog wearing a license.'
The monk asked, 'How is it when, like a turtle, one conceals the six?' The Master said, 'Bows and arrows inside a cloth sack.'
The monk asked, 'Not seeking from the Buddha, not seeking from the Dharma, where should one seek?' The Master said, 'Villagers kneeling and bowing to a stone lion.' The monk asked, 'What is the meaning?' The Master said, 'Setting out a vegetarian feast under the village shrine tree.'
He ascended the hall: 'Running swiftly, one misses it; walking slowly, one cannot catch up. A patch-robed monk of immeasurable capacity is utterly helpless. Let someone with a big mouth and a glib tongue step forward.'
A monk asked, 'I do not ask about the whole sentence; what is half a sentence?' The Master said, 'Throwing the body down.' The monk said, 'This is a whole sentence.' The Master said, 'You cannot even grope half a sentence.'
The monk asked, 'What is the gate of silence and solitude?' The Master said, 'No clamor! No clamor!'
6.11
Chan Master Hui of Dayang in Yingzhou. A monk asked, 'The Han ruler fought seventy-two battles to dominate the realm; the Upādhyāya approaches the seat without wielding an inch of blade—by whose grace and power is this?' The Master said, 'When the bright sun is at the porch, / The myriad phenomena are viewed alike.' The monk said, 'In that case, the golden crow condenses its fine beauty, and the jade rabbit's auspicious clouds are deep.' The Master said, 'Dripping down, there is no private purport; / Pervading all directions, a single thought is profound.'
The monk asked, 'What is the Upādhyāya's house style?' The Master said, 'A coarse cloth direct robe patched layer upon layer; / A daily-use hoe wiped clean time after time.' The monk said, 'When a transcendent guest arrives, how do you receive him?' The Master said, 'If use is needed, then use him.'
The monk asked, 'What is the meaning of the coming from the West?' The Master said, 'The sun rises in the east; the moon sets in the west door.' He further showed a verse, saying:
'Morning after morning the sun rises in the east; / Night after night the moon sets in the west door. / Nowadays, the officials of the Great Song / Are all golden branches and jade trees.'
6.12
Chan Master Lingyun Baoyin of Mount Yunmen in Yuezhou ascended the hall: 'Last night clouds and rain scattered into the vast sky; / The moon is amidst the myriad phenomena. / The numinous light of the myriad phenomena has neither inside nor outside; / When this is understood, how does a single phrase penetrate?' Have you not seen? A monk asked Upādhyāya Dage, 'How is it when the moon rises from the clouds?' Dage said, 'Three children embrace flower drums; / Do not come to block my way to the ball goal.' 'The moon rises from the clouds'—what side of the matter does this clarify? 'Three children embrace flower drums'—if you try to think, you are separated from it. 'Do not come to block my way to the ball goal'—one must have a place to emerge before one gets it. If there is no place to emerge, one is like a black cow lying in stagnant water. How do you speak a phrase of emerging? Do not trouble yourselves to stand for long.
6.13
Chan Master Haipeng of Yunding in Huai'an Army. A monk asked, 'What is a person of great doubt like?' The Master said, 'Gazing at one another inside the Pippala Cave.' The monk said, 'What is a person of no doubt like?' The Master said, '"Thus have I heard"—Mount Sumeru is shattered to dust.'
The monk asked, 'Are the Patriarch's intent and the teachings' intent identical or different?' The Master said, 'Bodhidharma met Emperor Wu of Liang; / Mātaṅga met Emperor Ming of Han.'
6.14
Chan Master Jicong of Qianming in Fuzhou. A monk asked, 'What is the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma?' The master said, 'This question is not in vain.' He asked, 'What is the environment of Dongchan?' The master said, 'The water of samādhi has never left its old bank; how could the red dust dare enter the waves?'
6.15
Dharma Heirs of Chan Master Xuedou Xian
6.16
Chan Master Yihuai of Tianyi in Yuezhou was a son of the Chen family of Yueqing in Yongjia. For generations, they made fishing their livelihood. His mother dreamed of a star falling upon the house and thereupon became pregnant; when she gave birth, there were many auspicious omens. As a child sitting at the stern of the boat, when his father caught fish and gave them to the master to string up, the master could not bear it and secretly threw them into the river. His father was enraged and whipped him, but the master remained placid as before. When grown, he traveled to the capital and relied upon Jingde Temple as a postulant. During the Tiansheng era, he passed the scriptural examination and was ordained. He visited Jinluan Shan and Yexian Sheng, and received the seal of approval from both. He then went from Luoyang to Longmen, and again arrived at the capital, wishing to continue the lineage style, yet his mind remained undecided. Suddenly he met Yan Fahua, who patted the master's back and said, 'Yunmen and Linji—go!' When he reached Gusu, he paid homage to Mingjue at Cuifeng. Jue asked, 'What is your name?' He replied, 'Yihuai.' Jue said, 'Why not Huaiyi?' He said, 'It was arranged at that time.' Jue said, 'Who established your name?' He said, 'It has been ten years since I received the precepts.' Jue said, 'How many straw sandals have you worn out on your itinerant pilgrimages?' He said, 'It would be best for the upādhyāya not to deceive people.' Jue said, 'I have measureless faults, and you have measureless faults; what do you make of this?' The master had no words. Jue struck him and said, 'Empty-talking, deceitful fellow, get out!' Next, when he entered the abbot's room, Jue said, 'Neither like this will do, nor not like this will do; both like this and not like this will not do at all.' The master hesitated, and Jue struck him out again. This happened several times. Soon after, he became the water carrier. While drawing water, the carrying pole snapped, and he suddenly awakened. He composed a verse presenting his realization: / 'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, / Standing on one foot atop a ten-thousand-fathom peak. / Seizing the bright pearl from beneath the black dragon's chin, / In a single word, I see through Vimalakīrti.' / Hearing this, Jue patted his table and praised him. Later, he occupied seven bodhimaṇḍas, his teaching spread throughout the realm, and those who inherited his Dharma were very numerous. After he became abbot, a monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?' The master said, 'Spreading hair to cover the mud, lying prone across the ground.' The monk asked, 'What is the meaning?' The master said, 'Even Pāpīyas would knit his brows.' The monk said, 'In that case, I thank the master for his instruction.' The master said, 'Western Heaven and this land.' A monk asked, 'The student comes forward to request that the master preach the Dharma.' The master said, 'Birds chirp in the woods; fish swim at the bottom of the water.' He ascended the hall: 'Atop Mount Sumeru, the golden bell is not struck; within Pipala Cave, no one gathers. The mountain monk rides the Buddha hall backward; all of you put on your straw sandals in reverse. In the morning roaming Danda, in the evening reaching Luofu. Retrieve the staff and needle case for yourselves.' He ascended the hall: 'Patch-robed monks speak horizontally and vertically, yet do not know they have an eye on top of the crown of the head.' A monk then asked, 'What is the eye on top of the crown of the head?' The master said, 'Robes worn through, lean bones exposed; the roof broken, sleeping while looking at the stars.' He ascended the hall: 'To be an ancestral teacher, one must drive away the plowman's ox and snatch away the starving man's food. Meeting the base, make it noble; meeting the noble, make it base. Driving away the plowman's ox makes his crops plentiful; snatching away the starving man's food makes him forever severed from hunger and thirst. Meeting the base, make it noble: grasp dirt and turn it into gold. Meeting the noble, make it base: turn gold into dirt. This old monk does not drive away the plowman's ox, nor do I snatch away the starving man's food. Why? What use have I for the plowman's ox? Why should I devour the starving man's food? I also do not grasp dirt to make gold, nor do I turn gold into dirt. Why? Gold is gold, dirt is dirt. Jade is jade, stone is stone. Monks are monks, laypeople are laypeople. Ancient and modern heaven and earth; ancient and modern sun and moon; ancient and modern mountains and rivers; ancient and modern human relationships. Although it is like this, having broken through Dasan Pass, how many who were deluded have encountered Bodhidharma?' He ascended the hall: 'The wild geese cross the vast sky, their shadows sinking into the cold water. The geese have no intention of leaving a trace; the water has no mind to retain the shadow. If you can be like this, only then will you understand walking among different kinds. There is no need to lengthen the duck's legs, cut the crane's legs, level the peaks, or fill the ravines. Giving free rein, there are a hundred uglinesses and a thousand clumsinesses; drawing back, it is contracted and clenched. If used, one dares to contend in wealth with the eight great dragon kings; if not used, it is not worth half a coin altogether. Investigate!' A monk asked, 'Heaven cannot cover him, and earth cannot carry him; who might this person be?' The master said, 'Dig into the earth and bury him deep.' The monk asked, 'Does this person still accept arrangements?' The master said, 'Add even more mud on top of the dirt.' A monk asked, 'How was it before Niutou met the Fourth Patriarch?' The master said, 'The Changjiang has no sixth month.' The monk asked, 'How about after he met him?' The master said, 'Spring arrives once a year.' In the abbot's room, he asked a monk, 'A handless person can throw a punch; a tongueless person can speak. Suddenly the handless person strikes the tongueless person—what does the tongueless person say?' He also said: / 'The cuckoo cries through successive nights; / The francolin weeps throughout the evening. / The gate of complete penetration is flung wide open; / Why are you separated by clouds and mud?' / In his late years, due to illness, he lived at Shanshan Hermitage in Chiyang. His disciple Zhicai, who resided at Fori in Linping, came to welcome him back to attend upon him. When Cai went to Suzhou and had not yet returned, the master urged his return. When Cai arrived at the threshold, the master told him, 'The time has arrived; I am departing.' Cai said, 'What words does the master have to instruct your disciples?' Thereupon he spoke a verse: / 'The red sun shines upon Fusang; / Cold clouds envelop Mount Hua. / At the third watch, passing beyond the Iron Enclosure; / Snapping the horn of the black dragon.' / Cai asked, 'The egg-shaped stupa is already completed; what is the ultimate matter?' The master raised his fist and showed it to him. He then took to his bed, pushed away the pillow, and passed away. His whole body was stupaed on the plain east of the temple. During the Chongning era, he was posthumously granted the title Chan Master Zhenzong.
6.17
Chan Master Xingzong of Chengxin in Yuezhou. A monk asked, 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?' The master said, 'The traveler keeps his mind on the road.' The monk said, 'I do not understand.' The master said, 'Tighten the straw sandals.' He ascended the hall: '"The Buddha-seed arises from conditions; therefore, the One Vehicle is preached." ' Raising his staff, he said, 'The staff is a condition; which one is the Buddha-seed? The staff is the Dharma of the One Vehicle; which one is the condition? Having met Old Man Śākya here, finish and buy straw sandals for itinerant pilgrimage. You must not pass by the gates of patch-robed monks; I will break your waist! And tell me, what does a patch-robed monk rely on?' After a long silence, he said, 'Thirty years from now, do not fail people.' He struck his staff and descended from the seat.
6.18
Chan Master Chuanzong of Chengtian in Quanzhou. A monk asked, 'How is it when great function manifests and no rules are retained?' The master said, 'Today Chengtian hoists high the flag of surrender.' The monk gave a shout. The master said, 'A descendant of Linji.' The monk shouted again. The master struck him. He asked, 'What is the essence of prajñā?' The master said, 'Clouds envelop the blue peak.' He asked, 'What is the function of prajñā?' The master said, 'The moon is in the clear pool.'
6.19
Chan Master Rishen of Nanming in Chuzhou. A monk asked, 'Are the Patriarch's meaning and the scriptural teachings identical or different?' The master said, 'The shadows of water and sky mutually interlace in green.' He asked, 'Ultimately, are they identical or different?' The master said, 'The sounds of pine and bamboo chill each other.'
6.20
Chan Master Fazong of Touzi in Shuzhou was called 'the practitioner' at the time. A monk asked, 'What is the house style of the practitioner?' The master said, 'Straw sandals inside the kāṣāya.' He asked, 'What is the meaning?' The master said, 'Barefoot, going down to Tongcheng.'
6.21
Chan Master Yunguan of Baoxiang in Tiantai. A monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?' The master said, 'Imposing, more than eight feet tall.'
6.22
Chan Master Xiansheng of Junshan in Yuezhou. He ascended the hall: 'The great square has no outside, encompassing the ten directions of space; the ultimate principle has no form, harmoniously integrating the three times. Transcending names and forms, the wondrous essence is fully revealed; far surpassing past and present, the true mechanism alone is exposed. Grasping the black pearl to reflect things, each and every thing pours forth radiance; brandishing the precious sword to slash through emptiness, emptiness itself leaves no trace. Holding fast, Magadha closes its room and Vimalakīrti seals his lips; letting go, Shide shakes his head and Hanshan claps his hands. And tell me, whose realm is this?' Raising his staff, he struck once and said, 'Where eyes blink and eyebrows raise, I rely on you to look carefully.'
6.23
Huijin, the director of meals at Shuiyue Temple in Pingjiang Prefecture, relied upon Mingjue at Xuedou. Hearing the story of Mount Sumeru cited, he had a silent realization. One day, wishing to visit and inquire, he encountered him under the eaves of the hall. Jue asked, 'What is your name?' He said, 'Huijin.' Jue said, 'Who gave you gold?' He said, 'Allow me a moment to go to the abbot's quarters to express my gratitude.' Jue said, 'What about right now?' He said, 'This place cannot accommodate the upādhyāya.'
6.24
The Compiler, Upāsaka Zeng Hui, shared quarters with Mingjue in his youth; upon coming of age, their paths diverged. During the Tianxi era, the gentleman was governor of Chizhou. One day, they met at Jingde Temple. The gentleman cited the Doctrine of the Mean and the Great Learning, matching them with the Śūraṅgama, to tally with the sayings of the ancestral school, and questioned Mingjue. Jue said, 'This does not even accord with the scriptural vehicles; how much less with the Doctrine of the Mean and the Great Learning? If the Academician wants to understand this matter directly and quickly...' He then snapped his fingers once and said, 'Just recognize it like this!' The gentleman grasped the purport at his words. In the early Tiansheng era, the gentleman was governor of Siming, and sent a letter and gifts to invite the master to fill the vacancy at Xuedou. Once he arrived, the gentleman said, 'I recently discussed with Elder Qing the story of Zhaozhou seeing through the old woman; I wonder whether there was truly a place where she was seen through or not.' Jue said, 'What did Elder Qing say?' The gentleman said, 'He went off like that again.' Jue said, 'Elder Qing let a move slip by. Does the Academician know that patch-robed monks throughout the world cannot escape this old woman's snare?' The gentleman said, 'There is something else to be said here: if Zhaozhou had not seen through her, he would have suffered injustice for his whole life.' Jue said, 'He has seen through her!' The gentleman laughed heartily.
6.25
Chan Master Youlan of Baoben in Huzhou. A monk asked, 'The Way has no crosscuts; those who stand are all in peril. What is the Way?' The master said, 'The sun blazes with faint auspicious light.' The monk said, 'What is the meaning?' The master said, 'The wind shakes the rich propitious hues.' The monk bowed. The master said, 'Still lacking a move.' He asked, 'Brushing away dust to see the Buddha is not questioned; how is it when the precious sword is brandished in emptiness?' The master said, 'Look beneath your feet.' The monk said, 'Let beneath the feet be set aside; what about the matter of going beyond?' The master said, 'When the sky clears, the sun comes out; when rain falls, clouds arise.' He asked, 'The Dharma is originally unexpressed; when expressed, how is it clarified?' The master said, 'The taste of salt in water, the blue glue in color.' The monk said, 'How is it precisely at such a time?' The master said, 'Thirty years from now.' The master then said, 'The supreme treasure within the robe—why rely on panning sand? Each bringing it out for yourself, what use is made of it? Interlacing light enters like teeth, neither hidden nor revealed. Bodhidharma dared not make a move for nine years, fearing he would wrong his descendants. Baoben does not begrudge his eyebrows to broadly instruct the great assembly.' He held up his staff. As the great assembly hesitated, he dispersed them with blows all at once. He also ascended the hall and said, 'The great has no bounds; the small has no location. Half-closed and half-open, it cannot yet be granted. The plum blossoms on the ridge first break into bloom, and all the flowers flourish; light rain and slight clearing, the power of spring is universal. The power of spring is universal to the end; do not ask about the Patriarch of Caoxi.' He also said, 'The Dharma has no "suchness"; principle reveals the unusual. The ultimate Way has no boundary; worlds and dust respond to things. Straightforwardly, as the wind blows the grass bends, echoes conform and sounds harmonize. Not a fine speck can be matched; a placard is erected in the bustling market. If you want not to harm harmony, leisurely consult with the exposed pillar. If you can tally with it and nod your head, do not say that the mountain monk is talkative.'
6.26
Chan Master Changlu Zuyin Zhifu of Zhenzhou was a native of Jiangzhou. He was of the lineage clan of Xia Wenzhuang. He left home and underwent full ordination. Then he called upon Xuedou and instantly understood the Patriarch's meaning. His practice and talent were unconstrained and extraordinary. He came forth into the world at Changlu. A monk asked, "What is the phrase of the separate transmission outside the teachings?" The Master said, "The question does not hit the mark." The monk said, "Why does the question not hit the mark?" The Master said, "White clouds for tens of thousands of miles." The monk said, "Your student takes three steps back." The Master said, "For what other time would you wait?" He asked, "What is it like when the precious sword has not yet been drawn from its scabbard?" The Master said, "Rough." The monk said, "What is it like after it has been drawn?" The Master said, "Sharp." He asked, "What is the primary dynamic?" The Master said, "It is not unleashed for a tiny mouse." The monk said, "Could there be no skillful means?" The Master said, "In a quiet place, svāhā." The Master then said, "The question is where the answer is; the answer is in the core of the question. You may nod as you please. But if suddenly the question is not where the answer is, and the answer is not in the core of the question, how will you grope for it?" Thereupon he opened his hands and said, "Without leaving behind a single hair, all is entrusted at once. I ask everyone to observe and scrutinize carefully. If in a single thought you turn the light around, you share the track of the thousand sages. Without traversing countless kalpas, why labor at cultivation and realization? Cut off the ocean of birth and death, occupy the seat of the patriarchs and buddhas, and you will soar high above the three realms, forever leaving behind the four floods. With myriad virtues round and bright, walking alone in the ten directions, can you not together repay the Buddha's kindness and jointly manifest the royal transformation?"
6.27
Chan Master Dongshan Huiyuan of Junzhou called upon Xuedou and grasped the purport. At a very young age his reputation was prominent. Later he relied on the Dharma seat of Chan Master Kaixian Xian. It happened that Dongshan lacked an abbot, and Xian recommended him to answer the invitation of the people of Junzhou. He then came forth into the world to preach the Dharma. A monk asked, "Having departed Lu Mountain from afar and about to reach Xinfeng, without traveling the journey's path, please speak directly, Master." The Master said, "This mountain monk is tired today." The monk said, "Where is the kalyāṇamitra's skillful means?" The Master said, "Blind!" The monk then shouted. The Master said, "Still haven't realized it." Then he said, "My learning does not examine the ancients; my Dao falls short of the times. Bowing and looking up without recourse, I merely follow the assembly's wishes. The ancients said: 'Without business, take a walk up the mountain; may I ask, do the people of the time understand?' Take, for instance, this old monk and all of you coming from Lu Mountain: when encountering night, we rested; when meeting dawn, we walked, directly reaching here. One foot in front, one foot behind. Now that each of you has hung up your alms-bowl bag high and set aside your staff, what further matter is there to understand? Although it is like this, if you do not climb the tower to gaze out, how could you know the depth of the azure sea?" At that time Chan Master Huanglong Nan resided at Huangbo. Having gone to the county town, they met at Jingjie Temple. Nan spoke not a word, but merely burned incense and sat upright opposite him. From the hour of the Monkey until the third drum, the Master stood up and said, "The night is deep; I fear I disturb the Upādhyāya's rest." He then hurried out. The next day each returned to his mountain. Nan casually asked Head Monk Yong, "While on Lu Mountain, did you know the present old Dongshan?" Yong said, "I did not know him; I only heard his name." After a long pause, he asked, "How was it when the Upādhyāya met him this time?" Nan said, "An extraordinary man!" Yong withdrew and asked the attendant, "You accompanied the Upādhyāya to see Dongshan; what did they speak of at night?" The attendant told him the truth. Yong laughed and said, "It would baffle everyone in the world to death!"
6.28
Chan Master Liuhe Xiangji Zi of Zhenzhou. A monk asked, "The pressing of the four mountains is not asked about; what about when the gate of the six directions opens?" The Master said, "Thoroughly open in all directions." The monk said, "Then wondrous function is unhindered." The Master said, "A three-legged toad jumps up into heaven." He asked, "What is a monk who sits in meditation?" The Master said, "Utterly incapable in myriad affairs." The monk said, "What is a monk who enters samādhi?" The Master said, "The four seas are fundamentally clear and still." The monk said, "What is a monk who practices the Dao?" The Master said, "Surging vigor in the six directions." The monk said, "What is a monk who responds to offerings?" The Master said, "The three wheels are equally empty of intrinsic nature." The Master ascended the hall and said, "The path of bodhi cannot be calculated or measured. The myriad phenomena are fundamentally empty—how could there be true or false? Taking non-action as the core, taking signlessness as the root. Its measure envelops worlds as numerous as sand grains; its virtue accords with heaven and earth. Sometimes expounding the One Vehicle, sometimes providing the three phrases; sometimes causing one to awaken to the origin, entirely causing them to return to the source. In ultimate truth, there is certainly no such matter. If you realize the fundamental mind, the mind is clear and distinct; the mountains, rivers, and the great earth are also completely at leisure." He also said, "The fundamentally existent mind is not separated by a hair's breadth. Due to stray thoughts, one consequently falls into wrongdoing and error. When defilements are exhausted and one encounters someone, one then clarifies one's own vision. What is one's own vision?" After a long pause, he said, "The vast waves of the four seas are still; / A single round [moon], heaven and earth in autumn."
6.29
Chan Master Pingyang Baoqing Zihuan of Wenzhou. A monk asked, "The gate of great giving is open; please, Master, resolve it at once." The Master said, "The wind blows and the grass bends." The monk said, "What about the phrase that cuts off the flow?" The Master said, "When the water arrives, the channel is formed." The monk said, "Clouds upon Huagai Mountain; water in the Shen River." The Master said, "The Vice Director is present here." He asked, "What is it like when the ancient mirror is not yet polished?" The Master said, "The pure breeze comes endlessly." The monk said, "What about after it is polished?" The Master said, "The bright moon illuminates the layered city." The monk said, "The Prefect approaches the banquet; please, Master, shine on him once." The Master said, "What face is this?" The monk said, "Thirty years later." The Master said, "Misleading people to death!" Holding up his staff, he said, "Reaching the Western Heaven in the morning and returning to the Eastern Land in the evening—set that aside for a moment. How do you say the phrase that blocks the essential crossing? If you can say it, without stepping out the door you know the world's affairs. If you cannot say it, the staff will laugh at you." He struck the meditation couch once.
6.30
Chan Master Tianyi Zaihe of Yuezhou. A monk asked, "Patriarch after patriarch transmitted each other's patriarchal seal. Now whose Dharma heir are you, Master?" The Master said, "A man tests with words; water is sounded with a staff." The monk said, "Extensively pervading worlds as numerous as sand grains." The Master said, "In one night all the plum blossoms opened, / Yet the myriad flowers do not yet know."
6.31
Chan Master Chengxin Shouming of Yuezhou. A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "What are you saying?" He said, "What is the Dharma?" The Master said, "What are you saying?" He said, "What is the Saṅgha?" The Master said, "What are you saying?" He said, "Thank you, Master, for aiding me again and again." The Master said, "What are you saying?"
6.32
Chan Master Fengqi Zhongqing of Hanyang Commandery. A monk asked, "Ancient buddhas appeared in the world for the sake of the one great causal matter. For what matter has the Upādhyāya appeared in the world?" The Master opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. The monk said, "Is it only this, or is there something else?" The Master said, "Three thousand in the morning, eight hundred in the evening." He asked, "When all hundred bones completely dissolve, one thing remains forever efficacious. What is the one thing?" The Master said, "Alas, O Buddha!" The monk said, "Does the Upādhyāya still have a way to help people?" The Master said, "Fellow playing with ghosts and spirits!" The monk said, "Why must it be like this?" The Master said, "Shying away from having others speak of it." He then said, "The Dao has neither before nor after; reaching it depends on the person. Although faculties differ in sharpness and dullness, in ultimate reality there is fundamentally no distinction. Therefore, the teachings of the three vehicles guide deluded disciples; clinging to signs and stagnating in names, it is hard to suddenly enter. For this reason, past buddhas entered nirvāṇa here, present buddhas attained enlightenment here, and future buddhas cultivate practice here. Have you not seen Great Master Bodhidharma's words: 'I originally came to this land / To transmit the Dharma and save deluded beings. / A single flower opens with five petals, / The fruit naturally ripens of itself.'" Holding up his staff, he said, "Do you understand? That was one time, this is another time. The fruit on Song Mountain is ripe; you may pick it as you please." He planted his staff once and further said, "Lofty and grand, peerless in the three realms; towering and vast, boundless in the ten directions. If you hesitate, you lose body and life; if you deliberate, you make thousands of errors." He gave a shout and stepped down from the seat.
6.33
Chan Master Lingyan Temple Dechu of Mount Yandang in Wenzhou. A monk asked, "When the great assembly attends the banquet, how do you instruct them?" The Master said, "The green grass of Xietang grows year after year; / The tide of Oupu arrives fresh day by day." The monk said, "Could that be the way to help people?" The Master said, "Do not mistakenly recognize it." He asked, "When the stick and shout are both held back, please meet with me, Master." The Master said, "This old monk is not as good as you." The monk said, "Dedicated to spreading it widely." The Master said, "What is it good for?" He asked, "'When mind arises, various phenomena arise.' What is the arising of various phenomena?" The Master said, "I am entangling with you in vine-creepers." The monk said, "Today I have already seen the Master." The Master said, "Happily, there is no connection." The monk bowed. The Master said, "Failing people to death." The Master then said, "Even if your questions could make Mount Sumeru tilt and topple and the ocean waters surge in waves, in the gate of the ancestral Dao you would not have the slightest portion. Why? What enters through the gate is not the family treasure. Fundamentally round and fused, why need special efforts? Everyone occupies the peak of the Wondrous High Mountain; each penetrates the source of all phenomena. Without relying on Maitreya's towers, understand it all at once today. Can you understand it? If you understand it, you are therefore called a true hero, not failing the deep grace of the thousand sages, and also repaying the supreme transformation of the sovereign. Take care."
6.34
Chan Master Longxing Zhichuan of Tanzhou. A monk asked, "Having dwelt long in Huxiang, I intend to put forward a question. Will the Master answer it?" The Master said, "Why drag through mud and water?" The monk then shouted. The Master said, "A spell of rain, a spell of coolness." The monk bowed. The Master said, "A head without a tail." During the Zhiping era, the Master showed his passing. Wherever he had walked, stood, sat, or reclined throughout his life, relics welled up everywhere. Whenever Chan followers received his clothing and utensils at auctions, relics were produced daily. When there were those who prayed with utmost sincerity before his portrait, a response was manifested in accordance with their thought.
6.35
Chan Master Qianming Ze of Xinyang Commandery. A monk asked, "Whose song does the Master sing? Whose lineage style do you inherit?" The Master said, "A wisp of cloud arises from the ocean peaks; a single wild goose crosses the cold sky." The monk said, "Then you are the true son of Xuedou." The Master said, "A mountain ridge brilliant and fine; snow crystals sparkling and clear." He asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" The Master said, "A pure breeze arises in the azure sky." The monk said, "What is the purport?" The Master said, "The bright moon reflects in the long river." He asked, "What is the ocean-seal samādhi?" The Master said, "Just seek within yourself." The monk said, "Your student does not understand." The Master said, "Do not look to others." He asked, "What is the Dao in daily use?" The Master said, "A single arrow reaches the Western Heaven." The monk said, "What about after arriving?" The Master said, "Pervading the Dharma realm."
6.36
Chan Master Qianming Zhiying of Dingzhou. A monk asked, "What is it like when the lotus flower has not yet emerged from the water?" The Master said, "Propping up heaven and supporting earth." "What about after emerging from the water?" The Master said, "Filling gullies and choking ravines." He then said, "Mazu ascends the hall; Baizhang rolls up the mat. / Fire stirs and smoke arises; clouds hold the color of rain. / Facing each other face-to-face, how lightly it was tossed away! / A heavy reward of three thousand, a light recompense of eight hundred."
First 36 of 53 passages. Read on
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- 續傳燈錄 — Classical Chinese