景德傳燈錄

THE SECOND GENERATION AFTER CHAN MASTER HUAI RANG

FORTY-FIVE DHARMA HEIRS OF MAZU.

1. Chan Master Zongyin of Mount Sanjiao, Tanzhou;

2. Chan Master Baoyun of Mount Luzu, Chizhou;

3. Chan Master Changxing of Letan Monastery, Hongzhou;

4. Chan Master Zhizang of Xitang, Qianzhou;

5. Chan Master Huaiyun of Zhangjing Monastery, Jingzhao;

6. Chan Master Mingzhe of Baiyan, Dingzhou;

7. Chan Master Dayi of Ehu, Xinzhou;

8. Chan Master Zizai of Mount Funiu;

9. Chan Master Baoji of Panshan, Youzhou;

10. Chan Master Taiyu of Mount Furong, Piling;

11. Chan Master Baoche of Mount Magu, Puzhou;

12. Chan Master Qi'an of Yanguan, Hangzhou;

13. Chan Master Lingmo of Mount Wurui, Wuzhou;

14. Chan Master Fachang of Mount Damei, Mingzhou;

15. Chan Master Weikuan of Xing善, Jingzhao;

16. Chan Master Ruhui of Hunan;

17. Chan Master Wudeng of Ezhou;

18. Chan Master Zhichang of Guizong Monastery, Mount Lu;

(The eighteen persons above are recorded.)

19. Chan Master Qingxia of Mount Zhujing, Shaozhou;

20. Chan Master Weijian of Mount Ziyin;

21. Chan Master Hongjun of Fengshan;

22. Chan Master Shenwan of Lianshan;

23. Chan Master Daoyuan of Qushan;

24. Chan Master Weiran of Yutai;

25. Chan Master Tanji of Kuishan, Chizhou;

26. Chan Master Baoji of Xinsi, Jingzhou;

27. Chan Master Fazang of Hezhong Prefecture;

28. Chan Master Liangjin of Cibei Monastery, Hannan;

29. Chan Master Chong of Jingzhao Prefecture;

30. Chan Master Zhizhou of Nanyue;

31. Chan Master Faxuan of Baihu;

32. Chan Master Weizhi of Jinqu;

33. Chan Master Changche of Bainian, Taizhou;

34. Chan Master Hui of Qianyuan Monastery;

35. Chan Master Daoyan of Qizhou;

36. Chan Master Changjian of Xiangzhou;

37. Chan Master Baozhen of Jingnan;

38. Chan Master Jingzong of Yunshui;

39. Chan Master Lingtuan of Yongtai Monastery, Jingzhou;

40. Chan Master Yuanchang of Mount Longya, Tanzhou;

41. Chan Master Daofang of Shuangling, Hongzhou;

42. Chan Master Xiuguang of Mount Luofu;

43. Chan Master Dingqing of Xianshan;

44. Chan Master Weixian of Dongquan, Yuezhou;

45. Chan Master Puman of Guangming.

(The twenty-seven persons above left no recorded encounters or sayings and are therefore not included.)

SECOND-GENERATION DHARMA HEIRS OF CHAN MASTER HUAI RANG

1. CHAN MASTER ZONGYIN OF MOUNT SANJIAO, TANZHOU.

A monk asked:

– What are the Three Jewels?

The Master replied:

– Rice, wheat, and beans.

The monk said:

– This student does not understand.

The Master said:

– May the great assembly joyfully receive and uphold them.

*

– *

The Master ascended the hall and said:

– If we discuss that matter, we slight the eyebrows( ); then we have already gone astray.

Magu immediately asked:

– I do not ask about “slighting the eyebrows.” What is that matter?

The Master replied:

– You have gone astray!

Magu then overturned the Chan platform. The Master struck Magu.

Magu remained silent. (Changqing said in his stead, “Silent as a sheet of paper.”)

2. CHAN MASTER BAOYUN OF MOUNT LUZU, CHIZHOU.

Someone asked:

– Who is the teacher of all Buddhas?

The Master replied:

– The one with a precious cap upon his head is not it.

A monk asked:

– Then what is it?

The Master replied:

– There is no precious cap upon his head.

*

– *

Dongshan came for an audience. After bowing, he stood in attendance for a short while, then went out and came back in again. The Master said:

– Just so, just so. Therefore, it is thus.

Dongshan said:

– Many people will not acknowledge it.

The Master asked:

– How could your mouth be used to argue the matter?

Dongshan then remained in attendance upon the Master for several months.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– What is speech that does not speak?

The Master asked:

– Where is your mouth?

The monk replied:

– There is no mouth.

The Master asked:

– What do you use to eat your rice?

The monk could not answer.

(Dongshan said in his stead, “He is not hungry; what rice would he eat?”)

*

– *

Ordinarily, whenever the Master saw a monk coming, he would immediately turn to face the wall. When Nanquan heard of this, he said: I ordinarily tell monks, “Understand the time before the Buddha appeared in the world,” yet they have not attained even half a phrase or a single phrase. As for that master, they will not attain it even in the year of the donkey.

(Xuanjue asked, “Could it be that there are words of call and response that cannot be spoken?” Baofu asked Changqing, “Regarding Luzu's customary procedure,* where was there still something that caused Nanquan to speak of him in this way?” Changqing replied, “Among ten thousand people, not one is willing to humble himself and yield to another.”

Luoshan said, “When old Master Chen [Baoyun] manifested in that way, the five fires** had already seized his back. Why was this? Because he knew only how to release, but not how to gather in.”

Xuansha said, “If I had manifested in that way at the time, I too would have been seized by the five fires.”

Yunju Xi said, “Luoshan and Xuansha both spoke in this way. Could it be that there is some other principle that can be presented, allowing the venerable one's Buddha-Dharma somewhere to go?”

Xuanjue said, “Tell me: when Xuansha was seized by the five fires, did he deserve a beating or not?”)

3. CHAN MASTER CHANGXING OF LETAN MONASTERY, HONGZHOU.

A monk asked:

– What is a disciple-guest of Caoxi?

The Master replied:

– The swallows fly south.

The monk said:

– This student does not understand.

The Master said:

– Nurture your feathers and await the autumn wind.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– What is the ultimate matter(*) within the vehicle of the lineage?

The Master replied:

– In the autumn rain, the grass droops and withers.

*

– *

Nanquan came in person and saw the Master sitting facing the wall, so he patted the Master on the back. The Master asked:

– Who are you?

He replied:

– Puyuan.

The Master asked:

– How is it now?

He replied:

– Just ordinary.

The Master said:

– Why are you so meddlesome?

4. CHAN MASTER ZHIZANG OF XITANG, QIANZHOU.

He was a native of Qianhua, and his family name was Liao. At the age of eight, he followed a teacher and left the household life; at twenty-five, he received the full precepts.

A physiognomist, seeing that the Master's bearing and appearance were extraordinary, said to him:

– Your bone structure and vital energy(*) are beyond the ordinary; you will become an assistant to the Dharma King.

The Master then went to the grotto on Mount Foji to pay homage to Daji. Together with Chan Master Huaihai of Baizhang, he entered Daji's chamber, and both received his seal of confirmation.

One day, Daji sent the Master to Chang'an to deliver a letter to National Teacher Huizhong. The National Teacher asked:

– What Dharma does your teacher expound?

The Master crossed from the eastern side to the western side and stood there.

The National Teacher asked:

– Is it only this, or is there something else?

The Master returned to the eastern side and stood there.

The National Teacher said:

– That belongs to Great Master Ma. What about you, worthy one?

The Master replied:

– I have already presented that to the Venerable.

Before long, the Master again went to Jingshan to convey a letter to Chan Master Guoyi. (The dialogue appears in the chapter on Guoyi.) At that time, the military governor Lu Cigong invited Daji to the prefectural hall, just as his teaching was flourishing. Daji entrusted the Master with a monastic robe of ramie cloth and sent him back to the commandery so that students might draw near to him.

*

– *

A monk asked Mazu:

– Apart from the four propositions and beyond the hundred negations, I ask the Venerable to point out directly the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West.(*）

The Patriarch said:

– Today I have no inclination to speak. Go and ask Zhizang.

The monk then went and asked the Master. The Master asked:

– Why did you not ask the Venerable?

The monk said:

– The Venerable instructed me to come and ask you, senior monk.

The Master raised his hand, rubbed his own head, and said:

– Today I have a headache. Go and ask my elder Dharma brother Hai.

The monk then went and asked Huaihai, the Venerable of Baizhang.

Hai replied:

– When it comes to that point, I still do not understand.

The monk returned and related this to Mazu. The Patriarch said:

– Zang's head is white; Hai's head is black.

*

– *

One day, Mazu asked the Master:

– Why do you not read the sutras?

The Master replied:

– How could the sutras be any different?

The Patriarch said:

– Even so, when you later teach others, you should still read them.

The Master said:

– Zhizang is ill and must attend to his own recovery; how would he dare speak of teaching others?

The Patriarch said:

– In your old age, you will cause the Buddha-Dharma to flourish in the world.

*

– *

After Mazu entered extinction, in the seventh year of the Zhenyuan era of the Tang dynasty (791, during the reign of Emperor Dezong), the assembly invited the Master to open the Dharma hall. Minister Li Ao once asked a monk:

– What teachings did Great Master Ma give?

The monk replied:

– The Great Master sometimes said, “This very mind is Buddha,” and sometimes said, “Neither mind nor Buddha.”

Li said:

– Both are mistaken; he is over on this side.

Li then asked the Master:

– What teachings did Great Master Ma give?

The Master called, “Li Ao!” Ao responded, “Yes.” The Master said:

– The drum and the horn are sounding.

*

– *

Chan Master Zhikong said to the Master, “The sun has risen too early.” The Master replied, “It is precisely the right time.”

*

– *

The Master resided at Xitang. Later, a layman asked:

– Are there heavens and hells?

The Master replied:

– There are.

He asked:

– Are there the Three Jewels—the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha?

The Master replied:

– There are.

The layman asked many further questions, and the Master answered each one, “There are.” The layman asked:

– Is there not some error in the way the Venerable speaks?

The Master asked:

– You have previously met some venerable adept, have you not?

He replied:

– I previously sought instruction from Venerable Jingshan.

The Master asked:

– What did Jingshan say to you?

He replied:

– He said that everything is nonexistent.

The Master asked:

– Do you have a wife?

He replied:

– I do.

The Master asked:

– Does Venerable Jingshan have a wife?

He replied:

– He does not.

The Master said:

– It is all right for Venerable Jingshan to say that there is none.

The layman bowed in gratitude and withdrew.

In the ninth year of the Yuanhe era (814, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang), on the eighth day of the fourth month, the Master passed into extinction. He was eighty years old and had been ordained for fifty-five years. Emperor Xianzong of the Tang bestowed upon him the posthumous title Chan Master Great Proclaimer of the Teaching, and named his stupa Yuanhe Realization of the True. Later, Emperor Muzong bestowed upon him the posthumous title Chan Master Great Awakening.

5. CHAN MASTER HUAIYUN OF ZHANGJING MONASTERY, JINGZHAO PREFECTURE.

He was from Tong’an in Quanzhou, and his family name was Xie. He received the mind-seal from Daji. He first resided at Baiyan in Dingzhou and later at Mount Zhongtiao.

In the first year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang dynasty (806–820, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong), Emperor Xianzong issued an edict inviting the Master to reside at Shang Monastery (Upper Huayan Monastery). Students of the profound teaching flocked to him. The Master ascended the Dharma hall and instructed the assembly:

– The ultimate principle is without words. People of the present age do not understand this, but forcibly undertake the practice of that matter, believing it to be accomplished through ability and effort. How could they know that the self-nature is originally not an object of the senses? It is the subtle gate of great liberation. Within oneself is an awakened nature that shines brightly, like a mirror originally unstained and unobstructed. Such radiance has never ceased; from beginningless ages until now, it has never changed. It is like the orb of the sun illuminating all places, near and far: although it appears together with forms, it does not mingle with any form. This wondrously luminous spiritual torch requires no cultivation. Because people do not comprehend it, they grasp at the shapes and images of things. It is as though, by pressing the eyes, they delusively cause flowers to arise in empty space; they merely weary themselves in vain throughout countless kalpas. If one can turn the illumination back upon oneself, there is no second person, and all deeds and activities do not diminish that true aspect.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– When both mind and phenomena have vanished, toward what place does one turn?

The Master replied:

– The man of Ying City is unstained by dirt; it is a waste of effort to wash him clean ( ).

The monk said:

– Please, Master, give me a statement that does not revert to anything.

The Master replied:

– That itself is the statement that does not revert to anything.

(Later, someone raised this question with Dongshan. Dongshan said, “To speak of it is very easy, but it is rare to encounter an adept.”)

*

– *

Venerable Baizhang sent a monk to test the Master. When the Master ascended the Dharma hall, the monk spread out his sitting mat and bowed. He then rose, took off one cloth shoe, held it up before the Master, brushed the dust from it with his sleeve, and turned the shoe upside down. The Master said:

– This old monk is at fault.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– The Patriarch transmitted the Dharma gate of the mind-ground. Is it the mind of true suchness, the mind of deluded thought, the mind that is neither true nor deluded, or a mind that stands independently outside the teachings of the Three Vehicles?

The Master asked:

– Do you see the empty space before your eyes?

He replied:

– I confidently know that it is constantly present before my eyes, yet people do not see it for themselves.

The Master said:

– Do not mistake forms and shadows for it.

The monk asked:

– What does the Venerable do?

The Master traced through empty space three times with his hand. The monk asked:

– What, then, would be correct?

The Master said:

– You will understand later.

*

– *

A monk came, circumambulated the Master three times, and then stood leaning upon his staff. The Master said:

– Correct, correct!

(Changqing said in his stead, “Where are the Venerable’s body and mind, Buddha and Dharma?”)

That monk later went to Nanquan. He likewise circumambulated Nanquan three times and then stood leaning upon his staff. Nanquan said:

– Incorrect, incorrect! This is turned about by the power of the winds of consciousness; it has beginning and end, formation and decay.

The monk asked:

– Zhangjing said it was correct. Why does the Venerable say it is incorrect?

Nanquan said:

– Zhangjing is correct, but you are incorrect.

(Changqing said in his stead, “Venerable, what manner of mental activity is yours?” Yunju Xi said, “Zhangjing did not necessarily say ‘correct,’ and Nanquan did not necessarily say ‘incorrect.’” He also said, “At the outset, that monk needed only to take up his staff and walk out; that would have been exactly right.”)

*

– *

A junior disciple of the Master returned after traveling on foot. The Master asked:

– How many years has it been since you left this place?

He replied:

– It has been nearly eight full years since I left the Venerable’s presence.

The Master asked:

– What have you accomplished?

The junior disciple drew a circle on the ground. The Master asked:

– Is there only this, or is there something else?

The junior disciple then erased the circle and bowed.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– Within this body of the five skandhas and four great elements, which is the Buddha-nature that has existed from the beginning?

The Master then called the monk’s name, and the monk responded, “Yes.” A moment later, the Master said:

– You have no Buddha-nature.

In the thirteenth year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang dynasty (818, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong), on the twenty-second day of the twelfth month, the Master manifested his entry into extinction. A stupa was built for him at Baishui. By imperial decree, he was bestowed the posthumous title Chan Master Great Awakening, and his stupa was named Great Precious Form.

6. CHAN MASTER MINGZHE OF BAIYAN, DINGZHOU.

Once, when the Master encountered Venerable Yaoshan reading a scripture, he said to Yaoshan:

– Venerable, you should not become an ape!

Yaoshan put down the scripture and asked:

– What time of day is it?

The Master replied:

– Precisely noon.

Yaoshan asked:

– Is there any further refinement?

The Master said:

– For me, even nonexistence no longer remains.

Yaoshan said:

– Elder brother, you are exceedingly intelligent.

The Master said:

– I am only thus. What about the Venerable?

Yaoshan replied:

– Lame and hobbling, with a hundred crudities and a thousand clumsinesses, I simply pass the days in this way.

7. CHAN MASTER DAYI OF EHU, XINZHOU.

He was from Xujiang in Quzhou, and his family name was Xu.

Li Ao once asked the Master:

– For what purpose does the Great Compassionate One employ a thousand hands and a thousand eyes?

The Master replied:

– For what purpose does the present emperor employ you?

A monk asked permission to build a stupa. Minister Li asked the monk:

– As for making arrangements for the corpse beneath the stupa, the scriptures have already disallowed it, so what is the use of doing it?

The monk could not answer and went to ask the Master. The Master said:

– He has attained the state of the great icchantika.

*

– *

Emperor Xianzong of the Tang dynasty (806–820) once issued an edict summoning the Master into the inner court to debate doctrine in Linde Hall.

A Dharma master asked:

– What are the Four Noble Truths?

The Master asked in return:

– His Majesty is one truth; where are the other three truths?

He further asked:

– There is no dhyana in the desire realm; dhyana belongs to the form realm. On what basis, then, is dhyana established in this land?

The Master replied:

– The Dharma master knows only that the desire realm has no dhyana, but does not know that the dhyana realm has no desire.

The Dharma master asked:

– What is dhyana?

The Master raised his hand and pointed into empty space. The Dharma master was unable to answer.

The emperor said:

– The Dharma master expounds so many sutras and treatises, yet he does not know how to deal with even this small point.

The Master then asked the eminent worthies:

– In walking, standing, lying down, and sitting, what ultimately is taken as the Way?

One of them replied:

– Awareness—that is the Way.

The Master said:

– It cannot be understood through discriminating wisdom, nor can it be recognized through consciousness. How could such knowing be the Way?

Someone replied:

– Non-discrimination is the Way.

The Master said:

– How could non-discrimination be the Way? Skillfully discerning the characteristics of all dharmas, one remains unmoved with regard to the ultimate truth.

Someone replied:

– The four dhyanas and eight samadhis are the Way.

The Master said:

– The Buddha's body is unconditioned and does not fall within measure or number. How, then, could the Way be the four dhyanas and eight samadhis?

The assembly all fell silent. The Master then cited Emperor Shunzong's (805) question to Chan Master Shili: “How can all sentient beings throughout the world see their nature and become Buddhas?” Shili replied: “Buddha-nature is like the moon in water: it can be seen but cannot be grasped.” On this occasion, the Master said to Emperor Xianzong:

– What the mind sees is not the seeing of Buddha-nature. How could the moon in water be grasped?

The emperor asked again:

– What is Buddha-nature?

The Master replied:

– It is not apart from Your Majesty's question.

The emperor silently accorded with the true teaching and held him in still greater esteem.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the thirteenth year of Yuanhe (818), the Master passed away. He was seventy-four years old. By imperial decree he was granted the posthumous title Chan Master Huijue, and his stupa was named Seeing the Nature.

8. CHAN MASTER ZIZAI OF MOUNT FUNIU, YIQUE.

(South of Luoyang County, Henan)

He was from Wuxing, and his family name was Li. At first, the Master studied under Chan Master Guoyi at Mount Jingshan and received the full precepts. Later, he visited Daji (Mazu) at Nankang and awakened to the ground of mind.

On one occasion, Daji sent the Master with a letter to National Teacher Huizhong. The National Teacher asked:

– What does Great Master Ma use to instruct his disciples?

He replied:

– This very mind is Buddha.

The National Teacher asked:

– What sort of saying is that?

After a long while, the National Teacher asked again:

– Apart from that, does he have any other teaching?

The Master replied:

– Neither mind nor Buddha; or he says, “Not mind, not Buddha, not a thing.”

The National Teacher said:

– There is still a little comparison there.

The Master asked:

– Great Master Ma teaches in this way. I do not yet know how the Venerable teaches here.

The National Teacher said:

Three dots like flowing water,

A bent stroke resembling a sickle.

Translation:

Three dots like flowing water,

Curved like a sickle cutting rice.

*

– *

Later, the Master lived in seclusion on Mount Funiu. One day, he instructed the assembly:

– “This very mind is Buddha” is a phrase that seeks illness where there is none; “neither mind nor Buddha” is a phrase in which medicine and illness counteract one another.

A monk asked:

– What is the phrase of carefree freedom?

The Master replied:

– From ancient times it has been transmitted beneath Mount Funiu.

Later, the Master manifested his passing at Kaiyuan Monastery in Suizhou. He was eighty-one years old.

9. CHAN MASTER BAOJI OF PANSHAN, YOUZHOU.

A monk asked:

– What is the Way?

The Master replied:

– Go out.

The monk said:

– This student has not yet understood the meaning.

The Master said:

– Go away.

*

– *

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and instructed the assembly:

If the mind is free of affairs, the myriad forms do not arise. When the mysterious workings of thought cease entirely, how could even a mote of dust be established?

The Way originally has no form; because of the Way, a name is established. The Way originally has no name; because of the name, a designation is established. If one says, “This very mind is Buddha,” one has not yet entered the mystery. If one says, “Neither mind nor Buddha,” one merely follows the tracks of the ultimate principle. The single path beyond is not transmitted by the thousand sages; students who seek its form are like monkeys grasping at reflections. Within the emptiness of the Great Way, what could there be that is before or after? The vast sky is cut off from every boundary—what need is there to measure it? Since emptiness is thus, what more can be said of the Way?

The solitary moon of mind is perfectly full and bright, encompassing the myriad forms. Its light does not illuminate objects, and objects themselves do not remain. When both illumination and objects have vanished, what thing is there then? Worthy Chan practitioners, it is like brandishing a sword and striking empty space: regardless of whether it reaches or fails to reach, the vault of space bears no mark of the sword, and the blade suffers no damage. If each and every mind can thus be without knowing, the whole mind is Buddha, the whole Buddha is the person; only when person and Buddha are not different is it the Way.

Worthy Chan practitioners, one who studies the Way is like the earth bearing a mountain without knowing that the mountain is bare and lofty, or like a stone containing jade without knowing that the jade is flawless. Such a person is called one who has left the household life. Therefore, the Teacher of the Way said, “The Dharma is originally unhindered by characteristics, and the three times are likewise so.” Even a person of nonaction and freedom from affairs still faces the peril of golden chains.* Thus, the numinous source shines alone, and the Way is utterly unborn. Great wisdom is not brightness; true emptiness leaves no trace. True suchness, ordinary beings, and sages are all words spoken in a dream; Buddha and nirvana are merely superfluous expressions.

Worthy Chan practitioners, you must look back upon yourselves; no one can take your place. If there is no dharma in the three realms, where can the mind be sought? If the four great elements are originally empty, upon what can the Buddha abide? The unmoving pivotal mechanism** is quiescent and wordless. Meeting face-to-face, we present it to one another; there is nothing else whatsoever.

Take good care of yourselves.

When the Master was about to follow the course of nature and pass away, he told the assembly:

– Is there anyone who can portray my true likeness?

The members of the assembly all presented portraits of the Master's true likeness. The Master struck every one of them. His disciple Puhua stepped forward and said:

– I can portray it.

The Master asked:

– Why do you not present it to this old monk?

Puhua then turned a somersault and walked out. The Master said:

– Later, this fellow will surely receive people in a wild and eccentric manner.

The Master then suddenly passed away. By imperial decree he was granted the posthumous title Great Master Ningji, and his stupa was named Zhenji.

10. CHAN MASTER TAIYU OF MOUNT FURONG, PILING.

The Master was from Jinling, and his family name was Fan. At the age of twelve, he went to pay homage to Chan Master Huizhong, the sixth-generation teacher of Mount Niutou, and requested the shaving of his head. At the age of twenty-three, he received the full precepts at Anguo Monastery in Jingzhao. Later, the Master met Daji and silently received the Patriarch's intent.

In the thirteenth year of Yuanhe of the Tang dynasty (818, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong), the Master resided on Mount Furong in Yixing Commandery, Piling. One day, while the Master and Layman Pang were attending a vegetarian meal, as the layman received his portion of food, the Master said:

– To give rise to a mind that accepts offerings was long ago rebuked by Vimalakirti. Separated from this by a single path of the pivotal mechanism,* can the layman bear it?

The layman said:

– At that time, was not Subhuti also an adept?

The Master said:

– That has nothing to do with him.

The layman said:

– The food has reached my mouth, only to be snatched away by that.

The Master then ate. The layman said:

– You cannot digest a single phrase.*

The layman again asked the Master:

– In Great Master Ma's place, that which earnestly benefits people—has it been entrusted to you and me?

The Master replied:

– I have not even seen Great Master Ma; how could I know what in his place earnestly benefits people?

The layman said:

– It is only this seeing and knowing; yet there is nowhere to investigate it.

The Master said:

– Even the layman cannot speak of the One.

The layman said:

– In speaking of the One,* you have again lost the essential teaching. If you had to turn toward two or three, could you open your mouth?

The Master replied:

– Indeed, it seems one cannot open one's mouth to speak of the real.

The layman clapped his hands and walked out.

During the Baoli era (825–827, during the reign of Emperor Jingzong of Tang), the Master returned to Qiyun and passed away. He was eighty years old and had spent fifty-eight years in the Sangha. In the second year of Taihe (828, during the reign of Emperor Wenzong of Tang), he was posthumously granted the title Chan Master Dabao, and his stupa was named Lankavatara.

11. CHAN MASTER BAOCHE OF MOUNT MAGU, PUZHOU.

One day, while walking with Mazu, the Master asked:

– What is great nirvana?

The Patriarch said:

– Quickly!

The Master asked:

– Quickly—what?

The Patriarch said:

– Look at the water.

*

– *

Once, while the Master and Danxia were walking in the mountains, they saw fish swimming in the water. The Master pointed at the fish with his hand, and Danxia said:

– Natural, natural.

Only the next day did the Master ask Danxia:

– What did you mean yesterday?

Danxia then let his body drop into a reclining posture. The Master said:

– Blue sky!

The Master and Danxia traveled together to Mount Magu. The Master said:

– I am going in there.

Danxia said:

– If it exists, then from there it will return again. That which exists is also nonexistent.

The Master said:

– Please take good care of yourself.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– I have no doubts concerning the twelve divisions of the teachings. What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West?

The Master immediately rose, took up his staff, swept it once around his body, then stood on one leg and asked:

– Do you understand?

The monk remained silent, and the Master struck him.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– What is the great meaning of the Buddhadharma?

The Master remained silent. (That monk later went to ask Shishuang, “What was that Master’s meaning?” Shishuang said, “The host earnestly extended his hand to guide the acarya who was entangled in trailing vines.”)

*

– *

Danyuan asked:

– Is the twelve-faced Avalokitesvara ordinary or holy?

The Master replied:

– Holy.

Danyuan then slapped the Master once. The Master said:

– I knew that you had not yet reached that realm.

12. CHAN MASTER QI’AN OF HAICHANG MONASTERY, YANGUAN, PROTECTOR OF THE REALM, HANGZHOU

He was a native of Haimen Commandery, and his family name was Li. When he was born, a divine radiance illuminated the house. Moreover, an extraordinary monk said to the Master:

– The one who will raise the banner of unsurpassed victory and cause the sun of the Buddha to shine again—could that not be you?

The Master then relied upon Chan Master Yunzong in his native commandery, under whom he shaved his head and received the full precepts.

Later, hearing of Daji’s renowned propagation of the teaching on Mount Gonggong, the Master set his staff in motion and received training there. The Master possessed extraordinary marks. The Venerable Daji saw him and fully acknowledged him as an exceptional vessel of the Dharma. He permitted the Master to enter his chamber and secretly transmitted the true Dharma to him.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– What is the original body of the Buddha Locana?

The Master said:

– Bring me that pure-water vase.

The monk immediately brought the pure-water vase to the Master. The Master said:

– Take it back to its former place.

The monk returned the vase to its former place and then repeated his previous question. The Master said:

– The ancient Buddha passed away long ago.

*

– *

A monk who lectured on the sutras came for an interview. The Master asked:

– In what work has the lecturer accumulated expertise?

He replied:

– I lecture on the Avatamsaka Sutra.

The Master asked:

– How many kinds of Dharma realms are there?

He replied:

– Explained extensively, they are layer upon layer, inexhaustible; explained briefly, there are four kinds of Dharma realms.

The Master raised his whisk and asked:

– To which Dharma realm does this belong?

The lecturer remained pensive, slowly considering an answer. The Master said:

– Knowing through thought and understanding through deliberation are means of livelihood in a house of ghosts. A solitary lamp in broad daylight has indeed lost its illumination.

(Hearing of this, Baofu said, “If he had bowed, he would have received the Master’s staff.” Heshan spoke in his place, saying, “I do not rely upon the Master; Master, please do not find it strange.” Fayan spoke in his place by clapping his hands three times.)

A monk asked Damei:

– What is the meaning of the coming from the West?

Damei replied:

– The coming from the West has no meaning.

When the Master heard this, he said:

– One coffin, two corpses.

(Xuansha said, “Yanguan is an adept.”)

*

– *

The Master called his attendant and said:

– Bring me the rhinoceros-horn fan.

The attendant said:

– It is already broken.

The Master said:

– If the fan is broken, return the rhinoceros to me.

The attendant could not answer.

(Touzi spoke in his place, saying, “I would not refuse to present the rhinoceros, but I fear the horn on its head is no longer intact.” Baofu spoke in his place, saying, “Draw a circle and add the character ‘ox’ at its center.” Shishuang spoke in his place, saying, “If I returned it to the Master, it would become nonexistent.” Baofu said, “The Master is advanced in years and venerable in virtue; he should not demand things from others.”)

*

– *

One day, the Master addressed the assembly:

– Make empty space into a drum and Mount Sumeru into a drumstick. Who can beat the drum?

The assembly could not answer.

(Someone related this to Nanquan. Nanquan said, “Old Master Wang does not care to beat that broken drum.” Fayan said to himself, “Old Master Wang does not beat it.”)

*

– *

Chan Master Fakong arrived and requested instruction concerning various meanings in the sutras. After answering each one, the Master said:

– Ever since the Chan Master arrived, this poor monk has been unable to act as host.

Fakong said:

– I invite the Master to act as host again.

The Master said:

– It is late today. Return to your quarters and rest, then come again tomorrow.

Fakong withdrew.

Early the next morning, the Master sent a novice to invite Chan Master Fakong. When Fakong arrived, the Master looked at the novice and said:

– Wrong! This novice does not understand the matter. I told you to invite Chan Master Fakong, yet you invited the housekeeper!

Fakong could not answer.

*

– *

The monastery superintendent Faxin came for an interview.

The Master asked:

– Who are you?

He replied:

– Faxin.

The Master said:

– I do not know you.

Faxin could not answer.

Later, though not ill, the Master sat peacefully and passed into quiescence. The emperor conferred upon him the posthumous title Chan Master Wukong.

13. CHAN MASTER LINGMO OF MOUNT WURUI, WUZHOU

He was a native of Piling, and his family name was Xuan. At first, the Master went to visit Great Master Ma in Yuzhang (Nanchang County, Jiangxi). Mazu accepted him, and thereupon he shaved his head, left the household life, and received the full precepts.

Later, the Master went to visit Master Xiqian at Shitou, having first vowed to himself, “If a single word accords, I shall stay; if it does not accord, I shall leave at once.” Shitou recognized that the Master was a vessel of the Dharma and compassionately offered instruction, but the Master did not comprehend the essential meaning. He therefore took his leave and had reached the gate when Shitou called:

– Acarya!

The Master turned his head and looked back. Shitou said:

– From birth until old age, it is only this person. Do not seek anything else.

At these words, the Master attained great awakening and stamped his staff in two. He remained there.

(Dongshan said, “At that time, had it not been the late Master Wurui, it would have been very difficult to bear. Nevertheless, he was still on the road of experience.”

Changqing said, “Perilous!” [Not yet knowing, it is not easy.]

Xuanjue said, “He was still on the road of experiencing it.” A monk asked, “Because he was able to enter the three-inch road,* is that why Dongshan said he was still on the road?” Xuanjue replied, “Either he entered into himself, or he entered the three-inch road. If it was himself, how could it have become three inches? If it was three inches, how could he have awakened? Now tell me, what was Dongshan’s essential meaning? Do not speak recklessly; examine it carefully!”)

In the first year of the Zhenyuan era of the Tang dynasty, 785, the Master entered Mount Tiantai and stayed at the Baisha practice center, after which he went to reside at Wurui. A monk asked:

– What is greater than heaven and earth?

The Master replied:

– No one knows it.

The monk asked:

– Can it be carved?

The Master said:

– Try your hand at it and see.

A monk asked:

– Within this school, how is the matter from beginning to end?

The Master asked:

– Tell me, how long can what is before your eyes be made to endure?

The monk said:

– This student does not understand.

The Master said:

– Here I have nothing for you to ask about.

The monk said:

– How could the Master have no means of receiving people?

The Master said:

– When you need to receive me, I shall receive you at once.

The monk said:

– I again ask the Master to receive me.

The Master asked:

– What do you lack?

A monk asked:

– How can one attain no-mind?

The Master replied:

– Though seas tilt and mountains topple, serene and still;

Though earth quakes, sleeping peacefully—how could it discern him?

In the thirteenth year of the Yuanhe era (818, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang), on the twenty-third day of the third month, the Master bathed, lit incense, then sat upright and addressed the assembly:

The Dharma body, perfectly quiescent, manifests coming and going;

A thousand sages share one source, myriad spirits return to the One.

Now that my foam dissolves, why should you grieve?

Do not weary your spirits; you should preserve right mindfulness.

If you follow this command, you truly repay my kindness;

If you deliberately disobey my words, you are not my disciples.

At that time, a monk asked:

– Master, where are you going?

The Master replied:

– There is nowhere to go.

The monk asked:

– Why can I not see it?

The Master replied:

– It is not a place seen by the eyes.

(Dongshan said, “An adept.”)

Having spoken, the Master peacefully followed transformation.

He was seventy-two years old and had been ordained for forty-one years.

14. CHAN MASTER FACHANG OF MOUNT DAMEI, MINGZHOU

He was a native of Xiangyang, and his family name was Zheng. In his youth, he followed a teacher and left the household life at Yuquan Monastery in Jingzhou.

At first, the Master went to visit Daji and asked:

– What is Buddha?

Daji replied:

– This very mind is Buddha.

The Master immediately attained great awakening.

During the Zhenyuan era of the Tang dynasty (785–805, reign of Emperor Dezong), the Master dwelt on Mount Tiantai, seventy li south of Yuyao County in Zhejiang Province. The plum grove was indeed an ancient place of seclusion.

When a monk from the assembly of Yanguan—the Dharma assembly of Chan Master Qi'an—entered the mountains in search of wood for a staff, he lost his way and came to the Master's hermitage. The monk asked:

– How long has the Venerable dwelt on this mountain?

The Master replied:

– I have seen only the surrounding mountains turn green and then yellow.

He asked again:

– Which path should I follow to leave the mountain?

The Master replied:

– Follow the flowing water downstream.

The monk returned and related this to Yanguan. Yanguan said:

– When I was in Jiangxi, I once saw a monk of whom I have heard nothing since. Could it be this monk?

He then sent that monk to invite the Master to come forth. The Master replied with a verse:

Broken and withered, the dead tree rests in the cold forest;

How many times has spring come without changing its heart?

Even woodcutters who encounter it pay it no heed;

Why should a craftsman of Ying labor so bitterly to seek it?

Translation:

A withered, broken tree lies hidden in the deep forest;

Though spring has returned many times, its heart has not changed.

Even passing woodcutters do not give it a glance;

Why must the craftsman of Ying suffer so in searching for it?

*

– *

When Daji heard that the Master was dwelling on the mountain, he sent a monk to ask:

– What did the Venerable obtain upon meeting Master Ma that caused you to dwell on this mountain?

The Master replied:

– Master Ma told me, “This very mind is Buddha,” and so I came to dwell here.

The monk said:

– Recently, Master Ma's Buddha-Dharma has changed.

The Master asked:

– How has it changed?

The monk replied:

– Recently he has been saying, “Neither mind nor Buddha.”

The Master said:

– That old fellow will never cease confusing people. Let him have his “neither mind nor Buddha”; I know only that “this very mind is Buddha.”

The monk returned and related this to Mazu. The Patriarch said:

– Great assembly! The plum is ripe.

(A monk asked Heshan, “Damei spoke in this way; what was his meaning?” Heshan replied, “Truly, a lion cub.”)

*

– *

From then on, students gradually sought him out, and the Master's teaching became increasingly renowned. The Master ascended the hall and instructed the assembly:

Each of you must turn your own mind back to the root and not pursue the branches. Once you attain the root, the branches will come of themselves. If you wish to know the root, you must clearly understand your own mind, for this mind is originally the foundation, the root, of all worldly and supramundane dharmas. When mind arises, all manner of dharmas arise; when mind ceases, all manner of dharmas cease. Yet mind does not depend upon any good or evil dharma and is able to give rise to the myriad dharmas; it is originally suchness in itself.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– What is the essential meaning of the Buddha-Dharma?

The Master replied:

– Rush flowers, willow catkins, bamboo thorns, and hempen cords.

*

– *

Jiashan and Dingshan were traveling together and discussing the Dharma. Dingshan said:

– If there is no Buddha within birth and death, then it is not birth and death.

Jiashan said:

– If there is Buddha within birth and death, one is not deluded by birth and death.

The two ascended the mountain to pay their respects to the Master. Jiashan presented their statements and asked him, “As for the views of the two of us, I do not know which is more intimate.”

The Master replied:

– One is intimate; one is distant.

Jiashan asked:

– Which one is intimate?

The Master said:

– Go away for now and come tomorrow.

The next day, Jiashan again came and asked the Master. The Master said:

– The intimate one does not ask; the one who asks is not intimate.

(Later, after becoming an abbot, Jiashan himself said, “At that time, I lost one eye.”)

*

– *

One day, the Master suddenly said to his disciples:

– What comes should not be restrained; what has passed should not be pursued.

The Master remained serene and at ease. Just then, he heard the squeak of a mouse. The Master said:

– This very thing is not some other thing. You must carefully preserve it. Now I am departing.

Having spoken, the Master manifested his entrance into nirvana. He was eighty-eight years old and had been ordained for sixty-nine years.

*

– *

Chan Master Zhijue Yanshou's eulogy:

When the Master first attained the Way,

“This very mind is Buddha.”

In his final instruction to the disciples,

“This thing is not some other thing.”

He exhausted the source of the myriad dharmas,

And penetrated the bones of a thousand sages.

True transformation never shifts;

What hindrance can there be in appearing or disappearing?

Translation:

When the Master first attained the Way,

“This very mind is Buddha.”

In the end he taught the assembly,

“This thing is not some other thing.”

He reached the source of the myriad dharmas,

And penetrated the bones of a thousand sages.

True transformation never shifts;

What obstruction is there in remaining or passing away?

15. CHAN MASTER WEIKUAN OF XINGSHAN MONASTERY, JINGZHAO

He was a native of Xin'an in Quzhou, and his family name was Zhu. At the age of thirteen, upon witnessing the killing of living beings, the Master was so deeply grieved that he could no longer bear to eat meat, and he then sought permission to leave home.

At first, the Master practiced the Vinaya—discipline and deportment—and cultivated calming and contemplation. Later, he visited Daji and attained the essential teaching of mind.

In the sixth year of the Zhenyuan era of the Tang dynasty, 790, the Master began traveling and teaching throughout the region between Wu and Yue. In 792, he arrived at Mount Poyang, where a celestial spirit requested to receive the Eight Precepts.

In 797, the Master stayed at Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song. A monk asked:

– What is the Way?

The Master replied:

– The mountain is very beautiful.

The monk said:

– This student asked about the Way. Why does the Master speak of the mountain's beauty?

The Master replied:

– You know only that the mountain is beautiful; how could you ever attain the Way?

*

– *

A monk asked:

– Does a dog have Buddha-nature?

The Master replied:

– It does.

The monk asked:

– Does the Venerable have it?

The Master replied:

– I do not.

The monk asked:

– All sentient beings have Buddha-nature. Why is it that the Venerable alone does not?

The Master replied:

– I am not all sentient beings.

The monk asked:

– If you are not a sentient being, are you then a Buddha?

The Master replied:

– I am not a Buddha.

The monk asked:

– Ultimately, what thing are you?

The Master replied:

– Not a thing either.

The monk asked:

– Can it be seen or conceived?

The Master replied:

– Thought cannot reach it, and words cannot encompass it. Therefore, it is said to be inconceivable.

*

– *

In the fourth year of the Yuanhe era, 809, Emperor Xianzong issued an edict summoning the Master to the imperial court. Bai Juyi often came to visit and question him. Bai Juyi asked:

– Since you are a Chan master, why do you expound the Dharma?

The Master replied:

– Supreme bodhi, when it encompasses the body, is discipline; when spoken through the mouth, it is Dharma; when practiced in the mind, it is Chan. In application there are three, but in their ultimate nature they are only one. It is like the Yangtze, Yellow, Huai, and Han rivers: each is named according to its place. Though their names are not the same, the nature of their water is not two. Discipline is itself Dharma, and Dharma is not separate from Chan. Why falsely give rise to distinctions within “the one”?

He asked again:

– If there is no discrimination, how should one cultivate the mind?

The Master replied:

– Mind is originally unharmed; why must it be repaired? Whether defiled or pure, do not give rise to any thought at all.

He asked again:

– One should not think of defilement, but is it also impermissible to think of purity?

The Master replied:

– It is like the pupil of the human eye: nothing whatsoever may adhere to it. Though gold dust is precious, when it enters the eye it becomes an affliction.

He asked again:

– If one neither cultivates nor thinks, how is that different from an ordinary person?

The Master replied:

– Ordinary people are in ignorance, while those of the Two Vehicles are attached. To be free from these two ailments is called true cultivation. In true cultivation, one must neither concentrate upon it nor neglect it. To concentrate upon it approaches attachment; to neglect it is to fall into ignorance. This alone is the essential teaching of mind.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– Where is the Way?

The Master replied:

– Right before your eyes.

He asked:

– Why do I not see it?

The Master replied:

– Because you have a self, you do not see it.

He asked:

– Because I have a self, I do not see it. Does the Venerable see it?

The Master replied:

– With you and me standing in mutual opposition, it still cannot be seen.

He asked:

– If there were neither me nor the Master, would it then be seen?

The Master replied:

– If there were neither you nor me, who would seek to see it?

*

– *

In the twelfth year of the Yuanhe era (817), on the thirtieth day of the second month, the Master ascended the hall, finished expounding the Dharma, and immediately passed away. He was sixty-three years old and had completed thirty-nine rains retreats since ordination. His remains were taken for burial at Xiyuan in Baling. By imperial decree, he was bestowed the posthumous title Chan Master Dache, and his stupa was named Yuanhe Zhengzhen.

16. CHAN MASTER RUHUI OF EASTERN MONASTERY, HUNAN.

He was a native of Qujiang in Shuixing County (Guangdong Province).

At first he paid respects to Jingshan; later he went to study under Daji. His students became so numerous that the beds and platforms in the Sangha hall were broken and crooked, and people of the time called him “Assembly of the Broken Beds.”

After Mazu passed away, the Master was often concerned that his disciples took the phrase “This very mind is Buddha” and endlessly discussed, recited, and memorized it. Therefore, the Master said:

– Where does Buddha abide that you speak of this very mind? The mind is like a painter, yet you speak of this very mind as Buddha.

The Master then instructed the assembly: Mind is not Buddha; wisdom is not the Way. The sword fell overboard long ago, yet only now do you mark the boat.

People of the time called Dongsi Monastery the “Cavern of Chan” (the stronghold of Chan).

*

– *

Chief Minister Cui Gongqun was reassigned as Surveillance Commissioner of Hunan. He came to pay respects to the Master and asked:

– Master, by virtue of what did you attain it?

The Master replied:

– By seeing the nature.

The Master had just developed an ailment of the eyes. Gongqun said arrogantly:

– Since you say that you have seen the nature, what about your diseased eyes?

The Master said:

– Seeing the nature does not depend on the eyes. What harm can diseased eyes do?

Gongqun bowed in apology and repented.

(Fayan said to himself, “The disease is the Chief Minister’s eye.”)

*

– *

The Master asked Nanquan:

– Where have you just come from?

He replied:

– Jiangxi.

The Master asked:

– Have you brought the true likeness of Great Master Ma?

Nanquan replied:

– It is right here.

The Master said:

– The one behind your back!

Nanquan did not answer.

(Changqing said in his place, “They almost failed to meet each other.” Baofu said, “At that moment, Nanquan nearly failed to reach the Venerable.” Yunju Xi said, “The two venerable ones did their utmost to support what was behind. As for Nanquan’s remaining silent, it was because he had to support what was before him and what was behind him.”)

*

– *

Chief Minister Cui entered the monastery and saw sparrows defecating on the head of a Buddha image. He then asked the Master:

– Do sparrows have Buddha-nature?

The Master replied:

– They do.

Cui asked:

– Why, then, do they defecate on the head of the Buddha image?

The Master asked in return:

– Why do they not defecate on the head of a hawk?

*

– *

Yangshan came to inquire. The Master said:

– We have already seen each other; why was there any need to come up here again?

Yangshan said:

– In seeing each other like this, can anyone take responsibility for it?

The Master returned to the abbot’s quarters and shut the door. Yangshan went back and related this to Guishan. Guishan said:

– Master Ji, what manner of mental activity is that?

Yangshan said:

– If it were not so, how could I know him?

*

– *

Another person asked the Master:

– I intend to invite the Venerable to open the Dharma hall. May I?

The Master replied:

– Wrap something around a rock and wait until the rock has been warmed through; only then may it be done.

The man remained silent.

(Yaoshan said in his place, “The rock is warm already.”)

In the guimao year, 823, during the Changqing era of the Tang dynasty, on the nineteenth day of the eighth month, the Master passed into quiescence. He lived to the age of eighty. By imperial decree, he was granted the posthumous title Great Master Chuanming, and his stupa was named Yongji.

17. CHAN MASTER WUDENG OF EZHOU.

He was a native of Weishi and his family name was Li. He first left the household life at Mount Gonggong. The Master paid respects to Great Master Ma and silently received the essential teaching of the mind. He later resided at Dumen in Suizhou.

Once, he paid a visit to Provincial Governor Wang Changshi. As the Master withdrew and was about to leave through the gate, Wang followed after him and called, “Venerable!” The Master turned his head and looked back. Wang struck a pillar three times, and the Master raised his hand and traced a circle. He then pushed Wang back several times and departed.

Later, the Master resided at Daji Monastery in Wuchang. One day, the great assembly came for the evening inquiry. Seeing everyone ascend to the Dharma hall, the Master first said, “I do not know,” to the assembly, and then told them:

– Great assembly, where has the sound just now gone?

A monk raised a finger. The Master said, “Take care!” The next morning, that monk came for inquiry. The Master turned over, lay facing the wall, and pretended to groan:

– These past few days, this old monk has not been well. Virtuous One, have you brought any medicines with you? Give this old monk a little.

The monk raised his hand, patted the water flask, and asked:

– Where did this water flask come from?

The Master said:

– This water flask belongs to this old monk. Where is the Virtuous One’s?

The monk said:

– It is also the Venerable’s, and it is also mine.

In the tenth month of the fourth year of the Taihe era of the Tang dynasty, 830, the Master manifested entry into cessation. He lived to the age of eighty-two.

18. CHAN MASTER ZHICHANG OF GUizONG MONASTERY, MOUNT LU.

The Master ascended the hall and instructed the assembly:

The virtuous ones of old were certainly not without intellectual understanding; you are noble ones, unlike ordinary people. People today are unable to establish themselves and accomplish themselves, but merely waste their time.

Teachers! Do not mistakenly employ the mind. No one can take your place, nor is there any place for you to apply the mind. You must not seek from others. From the beginning, it has only been understanding derived from others; therefore, whenever you speak, you are obstructed, and the light does not shine through—all because there is an object before your eyes.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– What is the mysterious purport?

The Master replied:

– There is no one who can understand it.

The monk asked:

– What of one who turns toward the mysterious purport?

The Master replied:

– If there is someone who turns toward it, he is mistaken.

The monk asked:

– What of one who does not turn toward it?

The Master asked:

– Who seeks the mysterious purport? The Master further said:

– Go! There is no place for you to apply the mind.

The monk asked:

– Is there not an expedient gate through which a student may enter?

The Master replied:

– Avalokiteshvara’s wondrous power of wisdom can save the world from suffering.

The monk asked:

– What is Avalokiteshvara’s wondrous power of wisdom?

The Master struck the lid of the cauldron three times and asked:

– Do you hear it?

The monk replied:

– I hear it.

The Master asked:

– Why do I not hear it?

The monk could not answer. The Master took up his staff and drove him out.

*

– *

The Master once traveled together with Nanquan, and later, one day, they were about to part. While boiling water to prepare tea, Nanquan asked:

– Earlier, I discussed phrases and sayings with you, senior brother, and this matter and that matter have already been understood. From now on, if someone should happen to ask about the ultimate matter, what then?

The Master replied:

– This lofty hermitage and this one bed are the earth element, you know ( ).

Nanquan said:

– Set the lofty hermitage aside for the moment. I am asking: what about the ultimate matter?

The Master immediately kicked over the kettle in which the water was boiling, then rose to his feet.

Nanquan said:

– Senior brother has finished drinking tea, but Puyuan has not yet drunk any tea.

The Master said:

– Having spoken such words, you are not fit to make use of even a single drop of water.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– In that matter of the distant past, how should one apply the mind?

The Master replied:

Ngưu bì man lộ trụ,

Lộ trụ thu thu khiếu.

Phàm nhĩ thính bất văn,

Thuyết thánh ha ha tiếu.

Translation:

Oxhide stretched upon a bare pillar,

The bare pillar sobs and weeps.

Ordinary ears listen but do not hear;

Speak of sages, and it laughs, “Ha! Ha!”

*

– *

When a lay official came to visit, the Master raised a hat with two ties and asked:

– Do you understand?

The lay official replied:

– I do not understand.

The Master said:

– The wind cannot remove the hat from this old monk’s head; do not find this strange.

*

– *

Once, the Master entered the garden to gather vegetables. He drew a circle around a vegetable plant and told the assembly:

– From this moment on, you must not touch this.

The assembly did not dare touch it. A short while later, the Master returned and saw that the vegetable plant remained intact. He then took up his staff and chased the monks, striking at them. The Master said:

– Among this whole lot, there is not a single person with wisdom.

*

– *

The Master asked a newly arrived monk:

– Where have you come from?

The monk replied:

– I came soaring like a phoenix.

The Master asked:

– Have you brought that with you?

The monk replied:

– I have brought it.

The Master asked:

– Where is it?

The monk raised his hand above the crown of his head, then lifted it up and presented it to the Master. The Master immediately extended his hands as though receiving it and tossed it behind his back. The monk could not answer. The Master said:

– You wild fox!

*

– *

While the Master was clearing weeds, a monk who lectured on the sutras came to pay his respects. Suddenly, a snake crawled past, and the Master used his hoe to cut the snake in two. The monk said:

– I have long heard of Guizong's reputation, but it turns out he is merely a śramaṇa of coarse conduct!

The Master said:

– Lecturer, return to the tea hall and drink some tea.

*

– *

Yunyan came to pay his respects. The Master made a gesture as though drawing a bow. After a long while, Yunyan made a gesture as though drawing a sword. The Master said:

– You are far too late!

*

– *

A monk came to take leave of the Master. The Master called him, saying, “Come closer, and I shall speak the Buddha-Dharma for you to hear.” When the monk came before him, the Master said:

– All of you are so burdened with affairs. When, at some other time, you return here, no one will recognize you. The weather is cold; take good care of yourself on the road.

*

– *

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and said:

– Today I wish to speak of Chan. All of you, come closer.

The assembly stepped forward. The Master said:

– Listen well to the practice of Guanyin, which skillfully manifests responsively in every place.

A monk asked:

– What is the practice of Guanyin?

The Master immediately snapped his fingers and asked:

– Did you hear that?

The monk replied:

– I heard it.

The Master asked:

– What are all of you seeking in there?

The Master took up his staff and drove them out, then returned to the abbot’s quarters laughing loudly.

*

– *

A monk asked:

– How may a beginner find an entry?

The Master struck a pot lid three times and asked:

– Did you hear that?

The monk replied:

– I heard it.

The Master asked:

– Why did I not hear it?

The Master struck it three more times and asked:

– Did you hear that?

The monk replied:

– I did not hear it.

The Master asked:

– Why did I hear it?

The monk was unable to answer. The Master said:

– Guanyin’s wondrous power of wisdom can deliver the world from suffering.

*

– *

Li Bo, Governor of Jiangzhou, asked the Master:

– When the sutra says, “A mustard seed is placed within Mount Sumeru,” I have no doubt. But when it says, “Mount Sumeru is placed within a mustard seed,” could that not be a falsehood?

The Master asked:

– It is said that Your Excellency has read ten thousand volumes of historical records. Is that so?

Li replied:

– It is.

The Master said:

– Feeling yourself from head to heel, you are only as large as a coconut tree. Where are those ten thousand volumes stored?

Li lowered his head and remained silent.

On another day, Li asked again:

– What peripheral matter does the teaching of the Great Canon elucidate?

The Master raised his fist for Li to see and asked:

– Do you understand?

Li replied:

– I do not understand.

The Master said:

– You poor scholar! You do not even recognize a fist!

Li said:

– I ask the Master to instruct me.

The Master said:

– When you meet the right person, transmit it to him at once, even in the street. When you do not meet the right person, let it circulate as conventional truth.

*

– *

Because the Master had two pupils in each eye, he applied medicine with his hand and rubbed his eyes until his eyelids became entirely red. Thus, people of the time called him Red-Eyed Guizong.

Later, the Master manifested entry into nirvana. The emperor bestowed upon him the posthumous title Chan Master Zhizhen.