北山錄 5.2.1

5.2.1

The Master Facing the Direct Way came to the Lodge of Stone Forest (The Master Facing the Direct Way is a fictitious persona, like Sir Nowhere or Master Nonexistent). Prostrating himself with knees to the ground, he advanced to the steps (Prostrating himself with knees to the ground denotes paying homage. The *Mu tianzi zhuan* says: "Prostrating himself with knees to the ground, he received it." Guo Pu says: "Like the barbarian people paying homage to the Buddha today"), and addressed the host, saying: "In my life I have met with hundreds of sorrows. Formerly, on other days in different chambers, there were sacrificial beasts and sweet wine, zithers and lutes, poems and documents prepared for banqueting. I was fond of chanting and reciting the traditions of the former kings, yet I was still disgruntled and not happy. Now I have come all this way to your lofty dwelling: pines and cassias are solitary and quiet, the encircling walls are empty and bright, and my mean and stingy mind has been cleared away (Disgruntled means resentful. Having long dwelt in the nets of the vulgar world, one constantly loathes the complications and commotions; once one comes to a quiet temple, secluded and empty, one is joyful and relieved). I would gladly relish the tenets of the Golden Immortal, take pleasure in the texts on unproducedness (Buddhist scriptures praise the principle of non-production), drink of the joy of the Dharma (The *Lotus Sūtra* says: "The joy of the Dharma and the pleasure of dhyāna serve as food; drinking and taking the flavor of the Dharma, one is naturally satisfied"), and bathe in sweet dew. I would brighten my troubled and ordinary state in the autumn radiance, and bring forth blooming glory amid spring nourishment. Though my heart and countenance are earnest, not daring to presume, what should I do? (Having bathed in the profound style, the mind of the Dao flourishes. Though having earnestness in mind and appearance, before daring to inquire, what are one's hopes?)"

The host said: "I have long been disabled by illness. Viewing the fleeting world is like having dizzying nausea, taking no pleasure in my own person (The "Instructions of Yue" says: "If medicine does not cause dizzying nausea, then that illness will not be cured." Now, being sickened, I have long been cast aside by worldly people; viewing the followers of the fleeting world, they are dazed before me and do not look on me with pleasure). I have retired and hidden myself in the mountain forests: my dwelling is made of piled grasses and woven threshes (Grass means weeds; thresh means thatch); my clothes are worn coarse wool and plain silk (Coarse wool is animal hair; plain silk is silk thread. The *Analects* says: "Now plain silk is thrifty"); my food is a single bowl and a solitary platter. The crags and streams are deep and still; I make company with wild ducks and deer. Indeed, what Dao can be contemplated, what matters can be inquired about? Yet the harmony of bells and chiming stones sounds in accordance with their being tapped or struck: their capability to respond—in soft or loud, slow or swift tones—may perhaps correspond to your inquiries (Music has no fixed good sounds, but plays in accordance with tapping and striking; a person has no fixed responses, but replies in accordance with inquiries)."

The guest descended and bowed (in order to thank the host for permitting his questions). The host stepped aside, disclaiming competence (Stepping aside from one's place is modesty; competence means being versed and discerning). Once they had returned to their mats, the guest said: "Before the Han dream was interpreted, and before transliteration and translation were established, was there anyone in this land who previously heard the ultimate teaching? (Before Emperor Ming of Han, were there any in this land who knew of the Buddha in the West, or not?)"

The host said: "How distant it is! How could I know it? (Distant means far away; "How could I know" is modest). But clouds brushing against rocks are born from a mere inch (The *Gongyang zhuan* says: "Clouds arise from brushing against rocks, joining together from a mere inch. Four fingers are called a *fu*; two fingers are called an inch"); water sufficient only to shoot a carp can carry a Yu-huang barge (The Yu-huang was the name of the King of Wu's boat. This means that a small waterhole for shooting carp can bear a great ship). How could one expect it to be otherwise? Anciently, when the Great Sage journeyed to the country of Pocha, that country was in the Southern Sea, not very far from this Xia land (The Southern Sea is no more than ten thousand li from Luoyang). How could the faint wind of his influence fail to reach here? Thus King Mu of Zhou encountered the transformed man from the Western Extremity; the Old Sage spoke of the Ancient August Master (The *Laozi xisheng jing* says: "In Tianzhu there is an Ancient August Master"); and Kong Qiu pointed out that in the West there is a Great Sage (The Master said: "In the West there is a Great Sage, who governs without speaking"). Fotudeng knew that beneath the rocks of Linzi there was an ancient statue and an exposed dew-basin; Gandhaha saw the foundations of an ancient monastery on Mount Panchi. How could there not have been those who saw and heard? (These are all cases of those who saw and heard in advance).

When it came to the beginning of the Yuanshou era of Emperor Wu of the Han (The Yuanshou era of the fifth ruler of the Former Han), he commanded Huo Qubing to campaign northward against the Xiongnu. Crossing Juyan, Huo captured King Xiutu (The pronunciation of *tu* is *chu*) and acquired a golden man, which was taken as a great spirit and arrayed in the Ganquan Palace. Incense and lamps were displayed to pay homage and serve it. In the third year, when Kunming Lake was dug (In the third year of the Yuanshou era of Emperor Wu of Han, he reduced the garrison soldiers of Longxi and Shangjun by half, and banished those who played with the law, having them excavate Kunming Lake. The *Xijing zaji* says: "In the lake they carved stone into fish; when it met with thunder and rain, the fish often roared; above it were several hundred turreted ships, and halberds and spears shone brightly." The *Sanfu gushi* says it was three hundred and twenty *mu* wide. When they first dug it, they obtained black ash, which the Emperor intended to ask Dongfang Shuo about), they obtained black ash and asked Dongfang Shuo about it. Shuo said: 'This is not something your servant can know; Your Majesty may ask the barbarian men of the Dao from the Western Regions.'

When Zhang Qian returned from Daxia, he knew there was the country of Shendu (The *Hanshu* biography of Zhang Qian gives the sound *du*; that is, it is the same as India). The *Shanhai jing* says: 'The people of Shendu lean close to people and love people.' Guo Pu's commentary says: 'This is the place where the Stūpa of Tianzhu arose.' It is also called Yindu. Yindu is the name of the moon; the moon there has a thousand names, and this is one of them (Just as in this land it is called the toad, the cassia shadow, the icy wheel, or the golden plate, that land took it as the name of the country, fully possessing the meaning of shining down). In the reign of Emperor Ai, Jing Xian went to the Da Yuezhi and received a Buddhist sūtra, which the King of the Yuezhi had his crown prince transmit to him orally. Liu Xiang said: 'I have extensively searched through the various bamboo records, and from time to time I have seen Buddhist sūtras.' And in the Hongjia era (the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han), when he compiled the *Liexian zhuan* (in two fascicles), he said: 'I searched and examined the stored books, and sought far and wide among the Grand Astrologer's writings to create the *Liexian tu*. From the Yellow Emperor down through six generations to the present day, there were more than seven hundred persons who attained the Way of the Immortals. Examining the genuine and the false, I determined one hundred and forty-six persons, seventy-four of whom already appear in the Buddhist sūtras.'

Inferring from this, the Zhou gave way to the Qin, the Qin fell and the Han arose, and reaching the Yongping era it was truly a thousand years. Prior to this, how could it not have been heard? (This answers the question about the Han dream not yet having been interpreted).

The guest said: 'Anciently, when the mango grove was pressed to the earth and the Vulture Peak soared with radiance, the assembly of sages filled the void (Vimalakīrti from his ten-foot-square chamber made the mango grove behold the Buddha; Śākyamuni preached the *Lotus Sūtra* on Vulture Peak, emitting light and shaking the earth), and the bodhimaṇḍa encompassed the dharmadhātu (The *Lotus Sūtra* earlier thrice transformed the lands, encompassing the dharmadhātu). Why was this not recorded in the classics of the Ji house and Confucius? Why did the people of Qin and Luoyang never participate in the assembly? Could it be that the Great Sage was partial? Or that those who transmitted it exaggerated? (Since the Buddha emitted light that encompassed the dharmadhātu, why did none in the capital Luoyang see or hear it? Was it that the Great Sage's teaching was partial, or that those who transmitted it fabricated and exaggerated?)'

The host said: 'Fish submerged do not know the water; people on land do not see their wind. It is not that it can be known and is known; it is that, dwelling in it, one does not know it.'