景德傳燈錄

THE JINGDE RECORD OF THE TRANSMISSION OF THE LAMP — FASCICLE 22

VOLUME 22

• The Seventh Generation after Chan Master Xingsi (Part 2)
• There were seven Dharma successors of Chan Master Lingzhao of Longhua Monastery in Hangzhou:

1. Chan Master Shijin Duanyan of Taizhou,
2. Chan Master Zhiqiu of Liutong Cloister in Taizhou,
3. Chan Master Gui of Yunlong Cloister in Hangzhou,
4. Chan Master Daoxian of Gongchen Cloister in Yuhang, Hangzhou,
5. Chan Master Wuyuan of Zhenjing in Quzhou,
6. Chan Master Zhao of Baoguo Cloister in Fuzhou,
7. Chan Master Nai of Baiyun in Taizhou (the seven above are recorded in the chronicles).

– There were two Dharma successors of Chan Master Lingsen of Cuiyan in Mingzhou:

1. Chan Master Zixing of Longce Monastery in Hangzhou,
2. Chan Master Zhimuo of Fo'ao in Wenzhou.

– There were nine Dharma successors of Chan Master Hongtao of Anguo Cloister in Fuzhou:

– There were twenty-five Dharma successors of Chan Master Songzhan of Baofu Cloister in Zhangzhou:

– There was one Dharma successor of Chan Master Guan of Jinlun at Nanyue:

1. Venerable Jinlun of the rear peak of Nanyue (this one is recorded in the chronicles).

– There was one Dharma successor of Chan Master Daobo of Chuilongshan in Quanzhou:

1. Chan Master Qingkuo of Baofu Cloister in Zhangzhou (recorded in the chronicles).

– There were twenty-five Dharma successors of Chan Master Wenyan of Mount Yunmen in Shaozhou (Part 1):

• Chan Master Xingsi, Seventh Generation
• Dharma successors of the aforementioned Chan Master Lingzhao of Longhua Monastery in Hangzhou.

1. Chan Master Shijin of Ruiyan in Taizhou.
The Master ascended the Dharma hall. The assembly gathered and stood for a long while. The Master said, “I am ashamed that the Chan worthies have refrained from raising questions.

If you listen for an echo by following a sound, you would do better to return home and draw near the fire. Take care.” A monk asked, “What is the realm of Ruiyan?” The Master said, “Layer upon layer, lofty mountains recede far into the south; to the north, the imperial capital lies but inches away.” The monk asked, “Who is the person within the realm?” The Master said, “For ten thousand miles, white clouds pay court to the beautiful mountain; a light rain drifts before the curtain.” The monk asked, “I do not know how one may draw near to this person.” The Master said, “Bring the ācārya himself into the chamber, and from the outset he is still separated by ten thousand gates.”
2. Chan Master Zhiqiu of Liutong Cloister in Taizhou.
A monk asked, “When the whole body bears a sword, what then?” The Master said, “Fall!” The monk asked, “What about the one who faces it?” The Master said, “It scorches heaven and sears the earth.”
Someone asked, “What is the realm of Liutong?” The Master replied, “Rivers and mountains fill your eyes—look upon them as you please.” The monk asked, “Who is the person within the realm?” The Master said, “From ancient times to the present, he has freely come and gone.” The monk asked, “Apart from the two paths, is there also a matter beyond?” The Master replied, “There is.” The monk asked, “What is the matter beyond?” The Master said, “Clouds and waters—a thousand scenes and ten thousand scenes.”
Someone asked, “Students throng together to request the Master’s instruction.” The Master said, “The great furnace does not fall through Wild Goose Gate Pass.” The monk asked, “What does it mean that the great furnace does not fall through Wild Goose Gate Pass?” The Master said, “How could the blue heavens begrudge the entangling conditions of all people?” The monk said, “Is there anyone who does not know?” The Master said, “There is.” The monk asked, “Who is the person who does not know?” The Master said, “His name is absent from the golden register.”
Someone asked, “What is the Venerable’s house style?” The Master said, “The moon shines brightly over ten thousand homes.”
Someone asked, “What is the second moon?” The Master said, “The mountains, rivers, and great earth.”
3. Chan Master Gui of Yunlong Cloister in Hangzhou.
A monk asked, “After fighting so long upon the battlefield, why has fame and distinction not arrived?” The Master said, “The fault lies over there.” The monk asked, “Is there still a place toward which to advance?” The Master said, “The ice melts and the tiles crumble.”
4. Chan Master Daoxian of Gongchen Cloister in Yuhang, Hangzhou.
A monk asked, “What is Gongchen’s house style?” The Master said, “Laypeople stand on the eastern bank; the Sangha stands on the western bank.”
Someone asked, “What is the student’s own self?” The Master replied, “Just like you and me.” The monk asked, “Then there is no difference between the two.” The Master said, “One hundred and eight thousand.”
5. Chan Master Wuyuan of Zhenjing in Quzhou.
A monk asked, “Among the many hands that refine gold, who is the one who succeeds?” The Master said, “Carving stone beside the stream only wearies you; there is a treasure in your own house, so you must swiftly return.” The monk asked, “Then, from beginning to end, it cannot be obtained from another before departing.” The Master said, “A multitude of troops may indeed have the strength to topple a mountain, yet they still cannot escape the toil of bearing it upon their shoulders.”
6. Chan Master Zhao of Baoguo Cloister in Fuzhou.
The Master ascended the Dharma hall and said, “If I were to reveal the entire dynamic, where would you turn to seek and grope for it? Because your capacities differ, inadequacy immediately arises—what a shame! Can you still seek it through questions?”

Today I shall make an entrance into the Way for you worthy ones.
The Master then raised the meditation platform and struck it twice, asking, “Do you see?”
If you see, simply see; if you hear, simply hear. Do not turn toward consciousness to seek through deliberation, for you will immediately fall into inverted delusive thinking, with no day of escape. Take good care of yourselves.

On the occasion when a Buddha stupa was struck by lightning, someone asked, “Why are the stupas and shrines of the Buddhas and Patriarchs still struck by lightning?”
The Master said, “The functioning of the whole of heaven.”
A monk asked, “Since it is the functioning of the whole of heaven, why does lightning strike the Buddha? In the place of functioning, where is any Buddha to be seen?”
The monk asked, “How can confusion be avoided?”
The Master asked, “What do you see?”

7. Chan Master Nai Baiyun of Taizhou.

A monk asked, “Jingshan possesses jade that is not a treasure kept in a pouch of pure gold. Please bestow a single word.”
The Master said, “My family is poor.”
The monk said, “Where is compassion?”
The Master said, “You are not ashamed of the name ‘practitioner of the Way.’”

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Lingcan of Cuiyan in Mingzhou.

1. Great Master Mingwu Zixing of Longce Monastery in Hangzhou.

A monk asked, “Within the correct position, is there still someone who becomes a Buddha?”
The Master said, “Who is a sentient being?”
The monk asked, “If so, then all become Buddhas together.”
The Master said, “Bring me the correct position.”
The monk said, “What is the correct position?”
The Master said, “You are a sentient being.”

Someone asked, “What is the priceless treasure?”
The Master said, “Bian He did not embrace the genuine.”
The monk asked, “If one suddenly encounters the king of Chu, is there any advancing forward?”
The Master said, “Ordinary beings and sages follow one another.”

Someone asked, “What was the intention of the ancients in grasping the cloth’s nap?”
The Master said, “The acarya’s presentation is not complete.”
Someone asked, “What is it to present it successfully?”
The Master then grasped his kasaya and held it up.

2. Chan Master Zhimo of Fo'ao Cloister on Yunshan in Wenzhou, the second abbot.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and said, “As this mountain monk now sees you venerable ones traveling on foot, tasting bitterness, swallowing hardship, fording streams, and climbing mountains, it is surely not for sightseeing through prefectures and counties or visiting famous mountains and splendid historic sites. It must be for this one great matter. If you now require someone, amid your own inquiry, to communicate the news, Yunshan dares to bear witness together with you. Not only does Yunshan bear witness together with you; even all the Chan groves and Buddha lands likewise bear witness.”

A monk asked, “What is the family style of Fo'ao?”
The Master said, “Seeing a guest off does not go beyond three steps; welcoming a guest takes place only before the thatched hut.”

– Dharma heirs of Great Master Mingzhen Hongtao, formerly of Anguo Cloister in Fuzhou.

1. Chan Master Shigui of Bailu in Fuzhou.

On the day the Master opened the hall, a monk asked, “One branch west of the gorge is no different from Matou. Among Bailu’s thousand peaks, how can one lodge for the night?”
The Master said, “Let the assembly examine it all at once.”

Someone asked, “What is the family style of Bailu?”
The Master said, “What could I say to you?”
The monk said, “Then this student knows the time to depart.”
The Master said, “When the time is known, where does that person arrive?”
The monk said, “One cannot keep muttering.”
The Master said, “Yet letting go will not do.”

Someone asked, “Before Niutou met the Fourth Patriarch, hundreds of birds came bearing flowers as offerings. Why did they cease coming after he met him?”
The Master replied, “Before the morning scenery becomes distinct, everyone eagerly looks forward to it; by the time daylight arrives, it is just as usual.”

2. Chan Master Yitong of Luoshan in Fuzhou.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, and the assembly stood for a long time. The Master said, “If there is something to entrust to you, then this Luoshan does not possess the eye. If there is nothing to entrust, then the labor is arduous and without merit. Therefore, in former times Vimalakirti faced Manjusri. Do you understand this now?”

A monk asked, “What is the lion emerging from its cave?”
The Master said, “Where is there that does not tremble?”
The monk asked, “What sound reverberates?”
The Master said, “The deaf do not hear.”

Someone asked, “With one hand pointing to heaven and the other to earth, he declared, ‘I alone am the World-Honored One.’ Why was he censured and rebuked?”
The Master said, “He was called the red-bearded barbarian.”
The monk asked, “Just what ability did the one who censured him possess?”
The Master said, “Encountering injustice along the road, one must press one’s hand upon the sword hilt.”

3. Chan Master Songgui of Anguo Cloister in Fuzhou.

A monk asked, “The palace of Chan is flung wide open, and the Dharma bell stirs all. As for the single road beyond, I ask the Master to distinguish it clearly.”
The Master said, “The Patriarch is not one who follows the times.”

On one recorded occasion, the Master ascended the Dharma hall and addressed the assembly: “As for Chan and the Way, the master grasps them and clings to one side; are the Buddha and the Patriarchs merely worn-out straw sandals? Speaking this way, have I not wronged you? If you say I have wronged you, then continue traveling on foot. If you say I have not wronged you, then you must keep your mouths shut. Take good care of yourselves.”

On another occasion, the Master ascended the Dharma hall and said, “If one does not meet the Anguo of the Liang dynasty right here, one still cannot deceive one’s way through. Take good care of yourselves.”

A monk asked, “Please, Master, clearly reveal the essential teaching of the school.”
The Master said, “Today we thresh rice; tomorrow we gather firewood.”

Someone asked, “What was it like before Niutou met the Fourth Patriarch?”
The Master said, “The incense burner faces the meditation platform.”
The monk asked, “What was it like after he met him?”
The Master said, “The door stands before the exposed pillar.”

Someone asked, “What is the Venerable’s family style?”
The Master said, “If you ask about the family style, I answer with the family style.”
The monk said, “What about when this student does not ask about the family style?”
The Master said, “The barbarian comes; the Han departs.”

Someone asked, “I shall not ask about anything else. As for the most concise essential point, I ask the Master to say one word.”
The Master said, “Can it still be made concise and essential?”

The Master descended from the Dharma hall and said, “Cunda presents the offering. Take good care of yourselves.”

4. Chan Master Zangyong Changqing of Yishan in Fuzhou.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, and the assembly gathered. The Master threw his fan to the ground and asked, “A fool calls gold earth. What does a wise person do? The younger generation is to be feared; you cannot all persist in foolishness and go on. Is there anyone else? Speak and let us see.”

At that time, a monk came forward, bowed, withdrew, and stood behind. The Master asked, “What else are you doing apart from that?”
The monk said, “Venerable, please discern it clearly.”
The Master said, “A thousand-year-old peach pit.”

Someone asked, “What is the monastery?”
The Master said, “A long stream and cattail fields.”
The monk asked, “Who is the person within the monastery?”
The Master said, “White water of Silla.”

Someone asked, “What is the true host of Lingquan?”
The Master said, “The southern mountain and the northern mountain.”

Someone asked, “What is the Venerable’s family style?”
The Master said, “Before mealtime, the kitchen cooks southern white rice; after noon, the stove brews a cup of northern tea.”

Someone asked, “Does the Dharma body undergo suffering?”
The Master replied, “How could hell be heaven?”
The monk said, “Then it undergoes suffering.”
The Master said, “What offense has it committed?”

5. Chan Master Wanduan of Yonglong Cloister in Fuzhou.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, and the great assembly gathered like clouds. The Master rose from his seat and danced, then addressed the assembly, saying, “Do you understand?”
The assembly said, “We do not understand.”
The Master said, “This mountain monk does not abandon the Dharma of the Way, yet manifests the affairs of an ordinary person. How can you fail to understand?”

Someone asked, “The cloister was originally complete in itself; why instruct so explicitly?”
The Master said, “Examine and reproach yourself.”

6. Chan Master Zhiduan of Ruifeng Cloister on Linyang Mountain in Fuzhou.

The Master was a native of Fuzhou. He received ordination at Nanjian Monastery in that prefecture. At the age of twenty-four, he met Great Master Mingzhen.

One day, a monk asked, “What is it to reveal the solitary body amid ten thousand fathoms?”
Mingzhen raised one finger, and the monk said nothing. Through this, the Master tacitly accorded with the mysterious purport. He then entered the abbot’s room and said, “Just now, when that monk asked his question, Zhiduan attained an awakening.”
Mingzhen said, “What principle of the Way did you perceive?”
The Master likewise raised one finger and replied, “What is this?”
Mingzhen approved.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, raised his fly whisk, and said, “Caoxi used it without exhausting it; the people of that time called him the Horned Fellow. This mountain monk grasps the fly whisk and raises it where heaven and earth are caught and sifted.”

Someone asked, “What is the meaning of the coming from the Western Land?”
The Master said, “The wooden horse runs like smoke; the stone man cannot catch up.”

Someone asked, “What is Chan?”
The Master said, “This year is earlier than last year.”
The monk asked, “What is the Way?”
The Master replied, “The eastern field has been depleted by half.”

Question: What is the student’s own self? The Master immediately kicked him once. The monk made a gesture of acknowledgment, and the Master immediately slapped him once. The monk could not answer. The Master said: “A donkey that kills people.”

Question: What is the person who turns toward the place where the smoke of the Buddhadharma has died out? The Master replied: “The lofty mountain peak, the fragrant sheer cliff.” The monk asked: “Then is this the principle of the one true flower, identical with emptiness?” The Master said: “That is not the principle.” The Master said: “A pair of bamboo chopsticks for one coin.”

One night a monk came for an interview. The Master asked: “Who is it?” The monk replied: “It is I.” The Master said: “The passage boat is at Quanzhou, atop an areca tree.” The monk remained silent for a long while. The Master said: “Do you understand?” The monk said: “I do not understand.” The Master said: “If you understood, the five skandhas would open wide their voice and swallow up the ten directions.”

In the eighth month of the first year of the Kaibao era, the Master left this verse:

Because this verse was transmitted outside by the attendant, the four assemblies all copied it down to remember it. On the twenty-eighth day of the first month of the following year, the people of the prefecture vied with one another to enter the mountain and pay homage. The Master was entirely free of illness and received inquiries as usual. On the first day of the second month, the prefectural governors and officials all came to the mountain to visit, and the monastery grounds were as crowded as a marketplace. On the second day, after taking the morning meal, the Master ascended the Dharma hall and bade farewell to the assembly.

At that time Elder Yuanying came forth from the assembly, bowed reverently, and asked: “Sorrowful clouds and dismal mists gather as the great assembly weeps. We beg the Master for a word before we part.” The Master extended one leg. Ying said: “If the Dharma mirror does not reach this land, in what quarter will the precious moon shine again?” The Master said: “This is not your realm.” Ying said: “Then bubbles arise and bubbles perish, returning again to the water; the Master’s going and the Master’s coming are originally constant.” The Master uttered a grunt. Another monk also asked several questions, all of which the Master answered fully.

Afterward, the Master descended from the seat, returned to the abbot’s quarters, and sat quietly until the hour of Hai. He then asked the assembly: “At what time did the World-Honored One enter extinction?” The assembly said: “At the hour of Zi on the full-moon day of the second month.” The Master said: “Today I shall precede the hour of Zi.” Having said this, he passed into quiescence.

7. Chan Master Man of Xingsheng Monastery in Fuzhou

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and said: “Seeing face to face and entrusting directly, without waiting for spoken words; possessing the eye and responding to the opportunity—this is called a superior person investigating the mystery. If you can be thus, the wind of the lineage will not decline.”

A monk asked: “Formerly, there was the assembly on Vulture Peak; today, there is the gathering at Xingsheng. When the Venerable personally expounds it, how is it presented?” The Master said: “You are one question short.”

8. Chan Master Ming of Tiantong Monastery, Fuzhou

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and said: “How fortunate that there is such a gate and tradition! Why do you not light a bright torch and carry it on? If you have carried it on, you do not dwell in the three realms. If you go beyond the three realms, you destroy the three realms. If you dwell within the three realms, you are immediately obstructed by the three realms. Neither being obstructed nor destroying them is to leave the three realms. This is not leaving the three realms. To penetrate this thoroughly makes one fit to be a seed of the Buddhadharma, upon whom devas and humans may rely.”

A monk asked: “Grasping the clouds without depending upon the tempest, how can one penetrate the body amid swift waves?” The Master said: “How could you abandon the root and follow the branches?”

9. Venerable Xiang of Anguo Monastery, Fuzhou

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, looked all around, and cried out: “There is utterly no clue. Even so, this matter is spoken of only from necessity. If anyone here has not yet encountered it, I shall once again open the gate of expedient means. Do you understand?”

A monk asked: “Without relying upon expedient means, I beg the Master compassionately to instruct me.” The Master said: “Your questioning and my answering are expedient means.”

Question: “Responding to things and manifesting forms, like the moon in water—what is the moon?” The Master raised his whisk. The monk said: “Why did the ancients say that the moon in water has no form?” The Master asked: “What do you see?”

Question: “What is the matter within the vehicle of the lineage?” The Master said: “Zhun Jun, San Hou.”

Question: “What is the Venerable’s family style?” The Master said: “Many eyes are difficult to deceive.”

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Congzhan of Baofu Monastery, Zhangzhou

1. Great Master Xingdeng of Zhaoqing, Quanzhou

Previously, the Master called upon Baofu, and their questions and answers accorded profoundly. One day, Baofu entered the great hall. Seeing a Buddha image, he raised his hand and asked the Master: “What gave birth to the Buddha?” The Master replied: “The Venerable is also extending his body crosswise.” Baofu replied: “One stake—I shall gather it in myself.” The Master said: “The Venerable does more than merely extend his body crosswise.” Baofu approved.

Later, the Master resided at Zhaoqing. On the day the hall was opened, the Master ascended the seat and, after a short while, said: “Great assembly, in the future, when you encounter companions in the Way, how will you present this in the manner of others? If anyone can present it, come before the assembly and show us. If you can present it, you will avoid betraying all the former worthies and also avoid obscuring those who come afterward. The ancients said: ‘When the Way penetrates the minds of noble persons, they meet one another beyond words.’ Is there such a person here? How much more should the descendants beneath the gate of Caoxi know how to discuss this and how to bring it forth?”

A monk asked: “Formerly, in the eastern realm, the king of elephants was surrounded at the city of awakening. Today, here in the south, amid the Min Mountains, how is it taken up and carried on?” The Master said: “Do you understand?” The monk replied: “Then, at the single point where the pivotal mechanism opens, the four propositions are difficult to trace. Yet I still do not understand what matter has been accomplished in the ancestral gate from ancient times onward.” The Master said: “Withdraw, bow with the assembly, and rise and descend with them.”

Question: “I cannot raise it in its entirety; I ask the Master to deliberate upon it.” The Master said: “Can you join hands with it?” The monk said: “Then I comprehend it.” The Master said: “Do not be mistaken.”

Question: “What is it to harm oneself without failing another?” The Master said: “Have you not been wronged by that question of yours?” The monk said: “This has already been clearly pointed out by the Master.” The Master said: “Then why do you wrong me?”

Question: “I beg the Master to speak the single sharp-pointed phrase.” The Master said: “Hmph!” The monk asked again. The Master said: “The old fellow is dozing!”

The Master asked a monk: “From where have you come?” He replied: “From Bao’en.” The Master asked: “Was the monk’s road great or small?” He replied: “Venerable, try saying it.” The Master said: “Why did you not wait to be asked?”

Question: “This student does not understand with his whole body; I beg the Master to instruct me.” The Master said: “Do you still know how to laugh?”

The Master further said: “Before accomplished people in the monasteries, one does not dare offend or oppose them. But if you are beginners and later students who have not yet gained faith, gain faith right here; if you have not yet awakened, awaken right here. Do not consent to false reckoning. At what time has the place of activity within your original portion ever failed to reveal itself? Not a single thing has ever been concealed.

“If now you wish to know it, you need not shift so much as a hair’s breadth, nor employ the slightest bit of effort. You need only turn toward the ground-clearing position and shoulder it. How could you not strive to awaken your minds? Once you have awakened, you stand shoulder to shoulder with all Buddhas. Acting accordingly as conditions require—this is the place of pure activity.

“Today, you must attain pure body and mind and accord with it; only then will you be naturally able to unite with antiquity and the present, escape birth, and leave death behind. The ancients said: ‘Know the mind and penetrate the source; clearly comprehend the unconditioned Dharma—only then is one called a sramana.’

“All you officials and members of the great assembly must personally comprehend this. Do not wholly shift the blame onto the venerable monks above you. The Buddhadharma is impartial: from all Buddhas above down to every being below, all share equally in this matter. Since it is as clear as this, is there anyone who does not understand? Apart from the diligent king, you too must exert yourselves.

“What I have just said in so many ways was only from necessity. Do not say that the ancestral school has always had so many words. As for the ancestral school from ancient times onward, has it ever operated in this way? If anyone can respond to it, this mountain monk will today have been vindicated. Great assembly, you have been standing a long time. Take good care of yourselves.”

2. Great Master Mingbian Kechou of Baofu Monastery, Zhangzhou

A monk asked: “What is the Venerable’s family style?” The Master said: “Snow in the blue sky; water in a jar.”

Question: “What is the hair-blowing sword?” The Master replied: “In the blink of an eye, all falls away.” The monk said: “Does it still have a function?” The Master said: “Do not speak ghostly words.”

3.

Chan Master Ruxin of Bai Shui Haihui Monastery in Shu Prefecture.
The Master ascended the Dharma hall, remained silent for a long while, and then said, “Excessive ceremony leads to disorder.” A monk asked, “What is the essential teaching transmitted from above? Please present it.” The Master said, “It appears all the more solitary.” The monk said, “At the intimate place, I ask the Master for a word.” The Master said, “Even without obtaining snow, one still hears it.” He asked, “What is the matter that Kasyapa understood so swiftly?” The Master said, “If you can understand it, I shall not begrudge it.” The monk said, “Then I need not trouble you, Master?” The Master said, “Do you still need a beating?

How could it not be troublesome?” The monk asked, “The ancients spoke horizontally and vertically, yet still did not know the single upward-facing door bolt. What is the single upward-facing door bolt?” The Master said, “Fortunately, the girl who was born had short arms.” He asked, “What is the Patriarch’s intention?” The Master said, “If the essential Way is sought, what difficulty is there?” The monk said, “I again ask the Master to speak.” The Master said, “I was about to call you clever, but you are no pratyeka.” He asked, “What is it like when the antelope hangs by its horns?” The Master said, “Roaming here and roaming there.” The monk asked, “Why is it so?” The Master said, “You see only the laughter, but do not know why it is so.”
4. Chan Master Huiqian of Zhangjiang in Hong Prefecture.
When the Master first opened the Dharma hall, a monk asked, “In ancient times, King Brahma invited the Buddha because his mind revered the Dharma. Today, Master Zhou has entered the assembly; we do not yet know how the Master will offer aid.” The Master said, “It is not carried out separately.” The monk asked, “Why is it not carried out?” The Master said, “Where could you come and go?” He asked, “The Master has ascended the precious seat and carefully teaches for the present age.

The four assemblies gaze upward in expectation; we ask the Master to receive and guide us.” The Master asked, “Where have you been wronged?” The monk said, “Then this is the compassionate gate of skillful means; right here, you do not disappoint anyone.” The Master said, “It must also be gathered in.” He asked, “What is the realm of Zhangjiang?” The Master said, “Ksitigarbha knits his brows.” He asked, “Who is the person within the realm?” The Master said, “Samantabhadra rolls up his sleeves.” He asked, “What is the water of Zhangjiang?” The Master said, “Bitter.” He asked, “What is Zhangjiang’s first phrase?” The Master said, “When you go elsewhere, do not cite it incorrectly.”
5. Chan Master Wenqin of Baoci Monastery in Fu Prefecture.
He was asked, “What is the realm of all Buddhas?” The Master said, “When rain comes, clouds and mist darken everything; when it clears and dries, the sun and moon shine brightly.” He was asked, “What is the luminous mind of wondrous awakening?” The Master replied, “Winter is late this year; the rice grew and ripened through the autumn rains.” He was asked, “What is the hearing-mind of wondrous awakening?” The Master said, “Snow arises on the verdant mountains; rain falls from the blue heavens.” He was asked, “How does the ordinary mind accord with the Way?” The Master said, “Eating rice and drinking tea, passing each day as it comes; viewing mountains and waters, the heart is truly content.”
6. Chan Master Zihua Qingyun of Wan’an Monastery in Quan Prefecture.
A monk asked, “The single lineage of Longxi divided its lamp at Jinshui. Now that Wan’an has entered the assembly, how will it be? Please instruct us.” The Master said, “Why calculate it?” The monk said, “I do not yet know whether the Master assents.” The Master said, “What else would you do?” The monk said, “In former days, Longxi gave the secret indication; today, Wan’an reveals it openly.

Heaven and humankind hear it distinctly. I pray that the Master expound it.” The Master said, “Do you hear it?” The monk said, “Then the five assemblies have received the Master’s clear instruction; it is no different from ten eyes opening east of the city.” The Master said, “Set aside the five assemblies—what will you, benevolent one, do?” He asked, “Dwelling long in darkness, my whole body understands nothing. I ask the Master to instruct me.” The Master said, “Have you not wronged yourself by asking?” He replied, “Then I shall bow and follow the assembly in ascending and descending.

Does the Master permit this?” The Master replied, “At the pure place, svaha.” He asked, “When the Buddhas appeared in the world, heaven and earth trembled. Now that the Venerable has appeared in the world, we do not yet know how it is.” The Master said, “I tell you it is thus.” The monk said, “Then it is no different from walking with the sages.” The Master said, “Do not speak nonsense.” He asked, “What is the family style of Wan’an?” The Master said, “Fresh green moss and cooked rice.” The monk said, “If an honored guest suddenly arrives, what will you offer him?” The Master said, “After eating rice, drink three rounds of tea.” He asked, “What is the realm of Wan’an?” The Master said, “A single stupa amid short pines and vines, with the sea within.”
7. Chan Master Daoxi of Bao’en Monastery in Zhang Prefecture.
Previously, the Master accompanied Baofu in delivering a letter to Grand Commandant Wang in Quan Prefecture. The Grand Commandant asked, “Has the Venerable of Zhangnan lately been teaching people?” The Master replied, “If I say that he teaches people, I wrong the Venerable;

if I say that he does not teach people, I wrong the Grand Commandant who has come to ask.” The Grand Commandant said, “Speak one phrase and wait until an iron ox grazes on grass and a wooden horse knows how to hold smoke in its mouth.” The Master said, “I rely on my mouth to eat rice.” The Grand Commandant remained silent for a long while, then asked, “Did a donkey come, or did a horse come?” The Master said, “Donkeys and horses do not travel the same road.” The Grand Commandant said, “How could they reach that place?” The Master said, “I especially thank the Grand Commandant for understanding this exchange.” A monk asked, “I shall not ask about sublime phrases and exquisite sayings.

I ask the Master to speak the truth.” The Master said, “Nothing prevents your intention from arriving.”
8. Chan Master Hongren Congshen of Phoenix Mountain in Quan Prefecture.
He was asked, “What is the Venerable’s family style?” The Master said, “If your house style resembles mine, there is no obstruction, but the student is not that person.” The monk said, “What if he suddenly meets that person?” The Master said, “You cannot scratch beforehand; you must wait until it itches.” He asked, “This student’s faculties are dull and slow, and he circles around the gate of skillful means. I ask the Master to look me over.” The Master said, “I have looked you over.” The monk asked, “How dare I speak of the Master’s profound intention?” The Master said, “Far too much!” Once, the Master ascended the Dharma hall.

A monk came forward, bowed, withdrew, and stood at the rear. The Master said, “I am not equal to you.” The monk said, “Yes.” The Master said, “Let it go where no one is.” He asked, “Long ago, at the assembly on Vulture Peak, the Buddha expounded with a single sound. Today, I ask the Master to expound with a single sound.” The Master remained silent for a long while.

The monk said, “Then the great assembly has swiftly severed the net of doubt.” The Master said, “Do not soil the great assembly.” He asked, “The Buddhas appear in the world because of the great matter of causes and conditions. We do not yet know how the Venerable offers aid.” The Master said, “What a cool breeze!” He asked, “What is this student’s own affair?” The Master replied, “By secretly reckoning the affairs of passing years, they may be known.” He asked, “What is the realm of Phoenix Mountain?” The Master said, “On a snowy night, behold the bright moon.” He asked, “What is the intention of the coming from the West?” The Master said, “It makes a man bad and wrong.” The monk asked, “Where does it act for people?” The Master said, “Have you not wronged yourself?”
9. Chan Master Huiming, the Venerable Ying, of Yonglong Monastery in Fu Prefecture.
The Master ascended the Dharma hall and said, “If one speaks of rising early, there are still those who travel by night. Thunder is thunder; right is not right. Take care.” He was asked, “Why is the person of nonaction and no affairs a golden lock that is difficult to open?” The Master said, “Because severing the coarse is esteemed, it is difficult to retain.” He was asked, “Why is it said that a person of nonaction and no affairs wanders freely in true delight?” The Master said, “Because amid turmoil, it must again be severed and sent away.” A monk came for an interview.

The Master said, “There is no need to obtain permission for many things. Speak quickly! Speak quickly!” The monk could not reply.

On another occasion, the Master instructed the assembly, saying, “The sun rising early has its use; there is no need to display cleverness.” He was asked, “How does one advance upward and reach the source?” The Master said, “Act accordingly.”
10. Chan Master Shousheng of Qingquan Mountain in Hong Prefecture.
The Master was a native of Min County in Fu Prefecture, and his family name was Lin. He left home at Yanbei Mountain. After awakening to the mind, he was invited to reside at Qingquan, and companions in the Mystery came eastward.

He was asked, “What is the Buddha?” The Master said, “Go ahead and ask.” The monk asked, “What is the Patriarch?” The Master said, “Answer.” The monk asked, “What did the Venerable obtain upon meeting the ancient worthy, that you dwell on this mountain?” The Master said, “I know full well that you will not accept it.” The monk said, “How do you know that I will not accept it?” The Master said, “By examining your appearance and discerning your expression.” He asked, “At the intimate place, I ask the Master for a word.” The Master said, “Do not go beyond this.” He asked, “What were the ancients doing when they faced the wall?” The Master said, “Clumsy.” He asked, “Is that the power of awakening the mind?” The Master said, “Where is there such a person?” He asked,

“I shall not ask about all other matters.

What is the matter beyond?” The Master said, “Will three bows from you suffice, or did he not deserve your three prostrations?”

11. Chan Master Hạnh Sùng of Báo Ẩn Cloister in Chương Prefecture.

Asked, “What is the great meaning of the Buddha-Dharma?” The Master said, “The millstone and the mortar grind and grind.”

Asked, “Please reveal the single road of Caoxi.” The Master said, “Would that not wrong Caoxi?”

The monk replied, “If so, sentient beings have something upon which to rely.” The Master said, “You too are an old rat that has eaten salt.”

Asked, “How can one discuss it without becoming entangled in public or private matters?” The Master said, “Go drink tea.”

Asked, “What was the meaning of Danxia burning the wooden Buddha?” The Master said, “When it is cold, one lights a fire to warm oneself.”

Asked, “What was the meaning of Cuiwei welcoming the arhats?” The Master said, “Spring belongs uniquely to one household.”

12. Venerable Sơn of Nhạc Ly in Đàm Prefecture.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and remained silent for a long while. Then he called to the assembly and said, “In ancient times, Vairocana; today, an audience at Nhạc Ly. Take care.”

Asked, “What is the phrase beyond sound and form?” The Master replied, “Apes howl and birds sing.”

Asked, “Whose family song does the Master sing, and whom in the West does he succeed?” The Master said, “The five notes and six pitch standards.”

Asked, “Please reveal the tongue-severing phrase, Chan Master.” The Master said, “The sun is hot; the moon is cool.”

13. Chan Master Đức Hải of Đức Sơn in Lãng Prefecture.

A monk asked, “At the assembly on Vulture Peak, who was able to hear?” The Master said, “The Ācārya was able to hear.”

Asked, “I do not yet know what was said at the assembly on Vulture Peak.” The Master said, “It is for the Ācārya to understand.”

Asked, “What is the phrase that encompasses heaven and earth?” The Master said, “A thousand realms are shaken.”

Asked, “What has the transmission of the School from ancient times used as verification?” The Master said, “If even what came down from ancient times is cast aside, what use is verification now?”

The monk said, “The entire assembly sees it.” The Master said, “Your words have fallen.”

Asked, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from India?” The Master said, “Split it apart.”

14. Venerable Khánh of Hậu Chiêu in Tuyền Prefecture.

Asked, “Please discuss the final phrase.” The Master said, “Amid the dust, people commonly grow old; at the edge of heaven, the moon is ever bright.”

Asked, “What is the Venerable’s family style?” The Master said, “One flask together with one bowl; wherever one arrives, there is one’s livelihood.”

Asked, “What is the great meaning of the Buddha-Dharma?” The Master said, “Bustling and hurrying; at dawn the cock crows, at dusk the late bell sounds.”

15. Chan Master Giản of Lương Sơn in Lãng Prefecture.

The Master asked a newly arrived monk, “Where have you come from?”

He replied, “I have returned from Dược Sơn.”

The Master said, “Have you brought any medicine back?”

The monk said, “The Venerable on the mountain is not mistaken.”

16. Chan Master Trừng of Kiến Sơn in Cao An County, Hồng Prefecture.

On the day the Dharma hall was opened, a monk asked, “The governor has invited the Venerable to issue the command. How will you reveal the teaching of the School?” The Master said, “Have you heard it?”

The monk said, “Then the great assembly has something upon which to rely.” The Master said, “Still, you have not heard.”

Asked, “What is the sword of the Dharma King?” The Master said, “What a pity!”

Asked, “What is the sword of a human king?” The Master replied, “Dust lies buried beneath the bed; the wind moves the kerchief upon the rack.”

Asked, “The teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime guide beings in the present age. I do not yet know how the ancestral lineage teaches people.” The Master said, “Someone has already asked about the teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime.”

Asked, “How does the Venerable instruct people?” The Master said, “How sorrowful—the red amaranth before the courtyard produces leaves year after year but never produces flowers.”

Asked, “The old year has passed and the new year has come. Is there anyone who does not accept the year?” The Master said, “Upon the city wall, the horn has already sounded the new year; before the window, the lamp of the old year is still being trimmed.”

The monk asked, “What is the lamp of the old year?” The Master said, “The thirtieth day of the twelfth month.”

17. Great Master Pháp Bảo Khiết An of Khang Sơn in Phước Prefecture.

When he opened the hall, a monk asked, “Since the time of King Awesome Voice, the succession has continued in due order. I do not know from which lineage the disciples in the Master’s present assembly inherit the Dharma.” The Master said, “Tượng Cốt raises his hand; Long Khê nods his head.”

Asked, “Perfect illumination and profound quiescence are not the Master’s essential purport. Why, then, is this student not enlightened?” The Master asked, “Can you discern it yet?”

The monk said, “Then it is consciousness-nature without a root.” The Master said, “Scratching an itch through one’s shoe.”

18. Great Master Tuệ Luân of Diên Thọ Monastery in Đàm Prefecture.

A monk asked, “What is it like before the precious sword has left its sheath?” The Master said, “It is not outside.”

Asked, “What is it like after it has left the sheath?” The Master said, “It is not inside.”

Asked, “What is the one color?” The Master replied, “Blue, yellow, red, and white.”

Asked, “What is the greatest single color?” The Master said, “Just when I was about to say there was no one, there was one—and a half.”

19. Chan Master Thám of Tây Minh Cloister in Tuyền Prefecture.

A monk asked, “What is the Venerable’s family style?” The Master replied, “Bamboo chopsticks and stone bowls.”

The monk asked, “If an honored guest should suddenly arrive, with what would you receive him?” The Master said, “Golden seasoning and green rice.”

Asked, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from India?” The Master said, “Look at the exposed pillar.”

– Dharma successor of the former Chan Master Khả Quan of Kim Luân on Southern Peak.

1. Venerable Luân of Nhạc Kim Hậu Nam.

A monk asked, “What is the first phrase of Kim Luân?” The Master said, “Old fool!”

Asked, “What is Kim Luân’s single arrow?” The Master said, “It has passed.”

Asked, “When the opportunity is met and the arrow is loosed, who is the one who faces it?” The Master replied, “He falls flat.”

– Dharma successor of the former Chan Master Đạo Bạc of Thùy Long Mountain in Tuyền Prefecture.

1. Chan Master Thanh Khoát of Bảo Phước Cloister in Chương Prefecture.

The Master was a native of Vĩnh Thái in Phước Prefecture. Intelligent from childhood, he bowed to National Preceptor Hưng Thánh of Cổ Sơn, under whom he shaved his head and received the full precepts. He first encountered Hermitage Master Khế Như of Chương Sơn and later called upon Master Thùy Long.

One day, Thùy Long asked, “Ācārya Khoát, when you met a venerable adept, did you attain awakening?”

He replied, “I, Thanh Khoát, once met Master Đại Chương and attained this ground of confidence.”

Thùy Long therefore ascended the Dharma hall, gathered the assembly, and said, “I ask Ācārya Khoát to come before the assembly, burn incense, and state the place of his awakening. This old monk will bear witness for you.”

The Master then took up the incense and said, “The incense has already been taken up; as for awakening, there is no awakening.”

Thùy Long was greatly delighted and approved. He then ascended the Dharma hall and told the assembly, “Today this mountain monk will make peace with all of you. Those who are at peace, remain silent; those who are not, speak.”

After a short while, he said again, “Whether at peace or not at peace rests precisely in the present. This mountain monk still has a small matter to attend to. Take care.”

A monk asked, “When a poor household encounters a robber, what then?” The Master said, “Everything cannot be relinquished.”

Asked, “Why can everything not be relinquished?” The Master said, “The robber is a close relative.”

Asked, “Since he is a close relative, why does he become a robber?” The Master said, “When there is no response within, nothing can be done outside either.”

Asked, “If suddenly there is a defeat, where does the East return?” The Master said, “Even rewards have never been heard of.”

Asked, “Then this is toil without merit.” The Master said, “The merit is not nonexistent; once accomplished, it does not remain.”

Asked, “Since the merit has been accomplished, why does it not remain?” The Master said, “Have you not seen the saying: ‘Peace was originally brought about by the general, yet the general is not allowed to see the peace’?”

Asked, “What is the meaning of the coming from India?” The Master said, “The Hu man weeps; the Han man grieves.”

When the Master was about to enter extinction, he left the assembly and went into the mountains to await his death. After crossing the Trữ Stone Bridge at Trữ Stream, he left this verse:

People of the world, cease saying the road is hard to travel;
The bird’s path and sheep’s-gut trail are but inches away.
Take care, Trữ Stream and the water beside the stream;
You return to the blue sea, while I return to the mountains.

The Master went to Quý Hồ and built a hermitage. Before long, he summoned someone and said, “After I die, give my remains to the insects and ants; do not build a tomb.” Having spoken, he entered Hồ Đầu Mountain, sat upon a great rock, and solemnly passed away.

His disciple Giới Nhân entered the mountain and found him. Following his instructions, he left the body there for seven days, but in the end no insects or ants came to consume it. He therefore cremated the body and scattered the ashes throughout the forest. His portrait still remains today in the Portrait Hall of Tịnh Độ Cloister at Khai Nguyên Monastery in Tuyền Prefecture.

– Dharma successor of the former Chan Master Văn Yển of Vân Môn Mountain in Thiều Prefecture.

1. Venerable Bạch Vân Tường of Thiều Prefecture, also called Great Master Thật Tánh.

Previously, while the Master was at Từ Quang Cloister, the military governor Lưu invited him into the prefectural seat to expound the Dharma. At that time, a monk asked, “Just as the Flower of Awakening first blossomed…”

When encountering clarity, do not remain deluded. The assembly requested the Master to expound the tradition through skillful means. The Master said:
“Our king has issued a command.”

Someone asked, “Are the intent of the Teaching and the intent of the Patriarchs the same or different?”
The Master said, “They are not different.”
The monk asked, “Then they are the same?”
The Master said, “There is no harm in understanding the words.”

Someone asked, “Before the Buddhas appeared in the world, what was it like when a single congregation of white clouds spread throughout the great trichiliocosm?”
The Master said, “How many people have been deceived into coming here?”
The monk asked, “Does this mean that the four assemblies have somewhere to take refuge?”
The Master said, “Do not become involved.”

Someone asked, “When it is said, ‘This very mind is Buddha,’ how can instruction be given without becoming entangled in the preceding words?”
The Master said, “Once east and west have been established, why establish north and south as well?”

Someone asked, “What is the Reverend’s house style?”
The Master said, “That bank of the stone bridge has this shore and its boundary. Do you not understand?”
The monk replied, “I do not understand.”
The Master said, “Again you make Lord Ding chant.”

Someone asked, “Why was it not transmitted when he came to the Sixth Patriarch?”
The Master said, “The sea is calm and the rivers are still.”

Someone asked, “What is the Reverend’s single path for receiving people?”
The Master said, “When dawn comes, present it again for the king to see.”

Someone asked, “How is the vehicle of the lineage, transmitted from above, to be presented?”
The Master said, “Today I have not yet drunk tea.”

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, called to the assembly, and said, “Do you people understand? At the head of the road and the end of the marketplace, butchers mince meat and make patties; the cauldron of boiling water in hell is where you will meet. If it is like this, you may serve as teachers and craftsmen among people; but as for patch-robed monks, heaven and earth stand far apart.

“There is also a group who merely turn toward their beds and act as good people. Tell me: of these two kinds of people, which has the better place? There is nothing further. Take care.”

The Master asked a monk, “Without destroying provisional names, how would you speak of the true mark?”
The monk said, “It is this chair.”
The Master flicked it with his hand and said, “Bring the shoes and bag here.”
The monk could not answer.

When the Master was about to pass away, he addressed the assembly: “Although I have raised the seal of the Patriarchs, I have not exhausted what lies within it. Worthy ones, tell me: what matter is there within it? Is it not within the boundless expanse, both within and without oneself? If you understand it in this way, it is like spreading sand over the earth. Hereafter, we shall meet one another in another realm.”

Having spoken, the Master entered complete quiescence.

2. Great Master Yuanming Yuanmi of Deshan, ninth generation, Langzhou

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and addressed the assembly: “Regarding the matter before the Sangha hall, you yourselves know that it exists; but what will you do about the matter behind the Buddha hall?”

The Master further said, “Deshan had three sayings: one saying seals heaven and earth within a box; one saying flows along in pursuit of the waves; and one saying cuts off all streams.”

At that time, a monk asked, “What is the saying that penetrates the Dharma-body?”
The Master said, “A three-foot staff stirs the Yellow River.”

Someone asked, “What is it like before the hundred flowers have blossomed?”
The Master said, “The waters of the Yellow River flow turbidly.”
The monk asked, “What is it like after they have blossomed?”
The Master replied, “The top of the banner pole points toward heaven.”

Someone asked, “What is it like not to violate the sharp point of the words?”
The Master said, “Tiantai and Nanyue.”
The monk asked, “What is it like when one simply lets it go?”
The Master said, “The river west of the lake lies to the south.”

Someone asked, “What was it like before the Buddha appeared in the world?”
The Master said, “Throughout the river, all were wooden boats.”
The monk asked, “What was it like after he appeared in the world?”
The Master said, “At this end one travels on foot; at the other end one rides in a carriage.”

Someone asked, “When one’s own matter is not yet clear, how can it be discerned?”
The Master said, “On the summit of Mount Sumeru.”
The monk asked, “How does one proceed directly from there?”
The Master said, “Beneath your feet, the water is shallow or deep.”

Someone asked, “What was it like before Bodhidharma arrived?”
The Master said, “For a thousand years, the pine tree leaned sideways.”
The monk asked, “What was it like after he arrived?”
The Master said, “The vajra warrior vigorously brandishes his fists.”

Someone asked, “What was it like before the Master appeared in the world?”
The Master replied, “The Buddha hall opened directly toward the south.”
The monk asked, “What was it like after the Master appeared in the world?”
The Master said, “White clouds fly over the mountain peak.”
The monk asked, “Are appearing and not yet appearing to be distinguished or not?”
The Master said, “Jingchu sa-po-he.”

Someone asked, “What is the Reverend’s house style?”
The Master replied, “Clouds rise over the southern mountain; rain falls on the northern mountain.”

Someone asked, “What is the responsive function?”
The Master shouted.
The monk asked, “Is only this something extraordinary?”
The Master then struck him.

Someone asked, “What was it like before the Buddha appeared in the world?”
The Master said, “Monkeys and apes—the exposed pillar.”
The monk asked, “What was it like after he appeared in the world?”
The Master said, “Monkeys and apes crawl into a cloth bag.”

Someone asked, “When Manjusri and Vimalakirti faced each other, what matter did they discuss?”
The Master said, “Together with you, three people bind themselves without a rope.”

Someone asked, “What is Buddha?”
The Master said, “Before the eyes, everything becomes desolate dust.”
The monk said, “This student does not understand.”
The Master said, “Toil without merit.”

Someone asked, “What is it like when the entire great earth cannot formulate a single question?”
The Master said, “The words have fallen.”
The monk said, “The entire assembly has seen it.”
The Master immediately struck him.

3. Master Daoxun, the Reverend of Fayun, also known as Shuinan of the Southern Terrace, Tanzhou

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and addressed the assembly: “What guiding principle can be made from the vehicle of the lineage transmitted from above? What discourse can be made of it? Can it be approached through the two words ‘Buddha-Dharma’? Can it be attained through true suchness and liberation? Even so, the small does not admit the wind, while the great admits carts and horses.

“If assessed through the gate of principle and transformation, a single utterance shakes heaven and earth; the mountains, rivers, land, and seas become calm, and the rivers become clear. The Buddhas of the three times appear before you, expounding the Dharma. If you clearly understand this as well, then together with the ancient Buddha before the hall, you ascend the shore of awakening. There is no teacher. Take care.”

Someone asked, “What is the meaning of the coming from the Western Land?”
The Master said, “It does not run beneath the hillside.”

Someone asked, “What was it like before Niutou met the Fourth Patriarch?”
The Master said, “Wearing clothes and eating rice.”
The monk asked, “What was it like after he met him?”
The Master said, “Bowls hung all over the wall.”

Someone asked, “What is true suchness that contains everything?”
The Master said, “Distinct and perfectly clear.”
The monk asked, “Why, then, are there those of keen and dull faculties?”
The Master said, “Thunder in the heavens beats the drum; atop the tower, the bell is struck.”

Someone asked, “What is the realm of the Southern Terrace?”
The Master replied, “The vajra hand points toward heaven.”

Someone asked, “What are form and emptiness?”
The Master said, “A Daoist adheres to Zhenhong.”

Someone asked, “What is it that is never departed from throughout the twelve periods of the day?”
The Master said, “Certainly.”

4. Reverend Gengqin of Xingfu Cloister, Mount Shuangfeng, Shaozhou

Chan Master Huizhen Guangwu was a native of Yizhou. He received ordination at Moshui Monastery on Mount Xishan in the Emei caves. Traveling in search of the Way, he joined Yunmen’s Dharma assembly and secretly succeeded to his essential teaching. He then opened the mountain and established a cloister, which gradually became a great monastic community.

On the day the Dharma hall was opened, Reverend Yunmen personally came to attest to it.

A monk asked, “What is the great meaning of the Buddha-Dharma?”
The Master said, “Only when the sun rises does one know that all beneath heaven is bright; without oil, how could one light a lamp before the Buddha?”

Someone asked, “What is the realm of Shuangfeng?”
The Master said, “At night one hears water flowing past the bamboo behind the hermitage; by day one sees clouds flying over the mountain before one’s eyes.”

Someone asked, “What is the kalpa of the Dharma King?”
The Master replied, “Brandishing a leaden blade at random is not equal to Longquan.”
The monk asked, “What of its function?”
The Master replied, “Even concealing the point is unacceptable; how could exposing the blade be endured?”

Someone asked, “When Pindola receives offerings from the four continents, can he be present everywhere?”
The Master replied, “Like the moon entering the water.”

Someone asked, “What is function without admixture?”
The Master said, “Before the bright hall, curtains of jade dew hang down; within the crystal palace, pearls are shot forth.”

A practitioner asked, “When I encounter bandits, if I kill them, I violate the Buddha’s words; if I do not kill them, I violate the king’s command. I do not yet know what the Master’s intention is.”
The Master said, “The official does not tolerate so much as a needle; private dealings extend to carts and horses.”

The ruler of Guang, a member of the Liu clan, once came to inquire about the essentials of the Dharma.

In the second year of the Taiping Xingguo era, in the third month, the Master warned his disciples, saying, “I shall not remain alive much longer. Go to the pavilion on the old mountain and prepare my memorial stupa.” By the twenty-third day of the fifth month, it was completed.

The Master said, “At the zi hour on such-and-such a day, I shall depart.” At the appointed time, Reverend Shuang of Yunmen, Elder Shunfeng of Wenmen, and five others—seven people in all—came during the night and engaged in dialogue. The attendant announced the third watch. The Master lit incense, joined his palms, and passed away.

5.

Preceptor Sifu of Shaozhou.
A monk asked, “I do not ask about the vehicle of the School; I request the Master to speak of the mind-seal.” The Master said:
“I will not answer those words.” He asked, “Why will you not answer?” The Master said, “I will not act upon the preceding words.” He asked, “It is difficult to encounter the place where one sees face-to-face. How can one look upon this perilous path? I beg the Master to grant half a verse, lest those who come later harbor doubts.” The Master said, “A single phrase before the point surpasses the Tamer; if one insists on asking how, one goes astray for many kalpas.” He asked, “If so, people of the time know of East Mountain and West Mountain, but whose household’s wind and moon are before the courtyard of Sifu?” The Master said, “Understand the words spoken before.”
6. Chan Master Yuan of Huangyun, Xinhui, Guangzhou.
When he first ascended the Dharma hall, the Master struck the meditation seat with his hand and said, “Do you people know the vast seat of Mount Sumeru? If you do not know, look at this old monk.” He then ascended and sat down. A monk asked, “What is the realm of the Great Han nation?” The Master said, “Songs fill the roads.” He asked, “The teaching says that when a dragon bears a single strand of silk, the garuda cannot swallow it.

What is it like when the Preceptor bears all three things?” The Master said, “Can you be spared again?” The Master ascended the Dharma hall and quoted the words of an ancient: “Before one’s eyes it has never been absent; when the occasion is met, why not speak?” He then said, “Before one’s eyes it has never been absent; when the occasion is met, what is there to say?”
7. Chan Master Lun of Longjing, Yining, Guangzhou.
At the opening of the Dharma hall, the Master raised his whisk and said, “Do you understand? If you understand, you add another head atop your head; if you do not understand, cut off your head and take out your tongue.” A monk asked, “What is the realm of the Great Han nation?” The Master said, “Why run about in confusion?” He said, “It accords with rain falling and the sky clearing.” The Master immediately struck him.

A monk asked, “What is the land of Longjing?” The Master said, “Rank and foul.” He asked, “What is it like after drinking it?” The Master said, “Open in seven directions and penetrating in eight.” He asked, “What is Longjing’s family style?” The Master said, “Tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves.” He asked, “What is Buddha?” The Master said, “Diligently plow the fields.” He said, “This student does not understand.” The Master said, “Harvest the rice early.” The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?” He replied, “From Huangyun.” The Master said, “What is the single phrase of Huangyun that entices away those who have departed, foolishly wiping everything clean for people?” The monk could not answer.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and asked the assembly, “How can a single phrase before the seat continually take the nature and speak of the future?” The assembly could not answer.
8. Preceptor Shuang of Mount Yunmen, Shaozhou.
The Master ascended the Dharma hall. A monk asked, “What is Buddha?” The Master said, “May the sage-emperor live ten thousand years.” He asked, “What is the phrase that penetrates the Dharma-body?” The Master said, “Upon the Silver Incense Terrace, raw radishes grow.”
9. Preceptor Wen of Baiyun, Shaozhou.
The Master ascended the Dharma hall and remained silent for a long while. A monk came forward and asked, “The single path of Baiyun depends entirely upon today.” The Master said, “No, no.” The monk asked, “What of the Preceptor?” The Master said, “Along the single path of the white clouds, the grass is ten feet deep.” He asked, “This student intends to ask a single question, but does not know whether the Master will answer.” The Master said, “A soapberry atop the tip of a tree; when the wind blows, no melody takes shape.” He asked, “Having received offerings from benefactors, with what will you repay them?” The Master said, “By becoming an ox or a horse.”
10. Chan Master Zhiji of Poyun, Shaozhou.
A monk asked, “What is the realm of Poyun?” The Master said, “By day and moon, the idle man is lost.” He asked, “Using the character does not succeed; the eight characters are not it. I do not yet know what character it is.” The Master replied in verse:

Using the character is not it; eight do not succeed;
The myriad phenomena shine brightly within this.
Right here, though many skillfully expound a thousand marvels,
It is neither a song nor a scripture.
11. Great Master Chanxiang, Preceptor Zhang of Jingfa, Shaozhou.
The ruler of Guang, a member of the Liu clan, asked, “What is a Chan master?” The Master then remained silent for a long while. The ruler of Guang understood nothing and, because of this, bestowed the title upon him. A monk asked, “What is it like when the sun and moon shine together?” The Master said, “Though the sun and moon are bright, they cannot illuminate beneath an overturned basin.” The monk asked, “Since it is a golden mountain, why quarry stone?” The Master said, “A golden mountain quarries stone.” He asked, “What is the Way?” The Master said, “Go, go—farther than ten miles.”
12. Chan Master Man of Yunmen Mountain, Shaozhou.
A monk asked, “What is Buddha?” The Master replied, “On his chest is the character wan.” He asked, “What is the Patriarch?” The Master said, “Without journeying through the Western Region, someone saw him painted on a wall.” He asked, “Since it is a thousand-foot pine, why is it beneath the house?” The Master said, “What is the point of putting Mount Sumeru into a mustard seed?” He asked, “What is it to see horns beyond a wall and immediately know it is an ox?” The Master immediately struck him.

The Master was sitting with an elder adept before the national gate. The elder adept said, “The purple robe and honorary title you have already received—what more do you require?” The Master said, “I need to become National Preceptor.” The Master then laughed and said, “Elder!” A monk asked, “What is the Preceptor’s family style?” The Master said, “Have you ever read books?” The monk asked, “When the crown prince was newly born, why did he not know his parents?” The Master said, “He was naturally already noble.”
13. Great Master Haojian of Xinkai in Baling, Yuezhou.
At first, the Master studied under Yunmen. Yunmen raised the saying of Preceptor Xuefeng: “When the door opens, Bodhidharma comes.” He then asked, “What is your meaning?” The Master said, “Establish the Preceptor’s nostrils.” Yunmen said, “When King Asura gave rise to his karma, he slapped Mount Sumeru once, leapt up to the Brahma Heaven, and reported it to Indra. Why did you go to Japan and hide yourself?” The Master said, “Do not harbor wholesome mental conduct.” Yunmen said, “Why do you still speak of bamboo chopsticks?” The Master stood erect.

Later, a monk asked, “Are the Patriarch’s meaning and the Teaching’s meaning the same or different?” The Master said, “When cold, a chicken climbs a tree; when cold, a duck enters the water.” A monk asked, “I do not doubt the three vehicles and the twelve divisions of the teaching, but what is the matter of the School?” The Master said, “It is not the matter of a patch-robed monk’s higher portion.” He asked, “What is the matter of a patch-robed monk’s higher portion?” The Master said, “On seeing white waves, the helmsman loses his hand.” The Master held out his whisk to someone.

The man asked, “Since it has always been pure, what use is a whisk?” The Master said, “Since you know it is pure, do not forget it.”
14. Great Master Mingshi Huici of Dizang Cloister, Lianzhou.
A monk asked, “Since this is Dizang Cloister, why fashion and enshrine the Buddha Blazing Light?” The Master said, “Where is the fault?” He asked, “What is the realm of Dizang?” The Master said, “There is no one who does not roam through it.”
15. Chan Master Ren of Dayong, Yingzhou.
The Master ascended the Dharma hall. A monk asked, “Heaven has bestowed a six-zhu robe to be worn upon one’s back; with what can we repay our sovereign’s kindness?” The Master replied, “When departing, one dons the threefold patchwork robe; when returning, one wears the six-zhu robe.” He asked, “What are the lands of Dayong?” The Master said, “Give me back a single drop.” He asked, “What will it be like when Maitreya descends and is born in the future?” The Master said, “The Compassionate One is in the palace of grass for the three months of spring.” He asked, “What is true emptiness?” The Master said, “Grasping or casting away the sun.” He asked, “What is wondrous functioning?” The Master then closed his hand and held out his fist.

The monk asked, “How far apart are true emptiness and wondrous functioning?” The Master then opened his hand. He asked, “I do not ask about the long serpent concealing the moon; what of one horse and one spear?” The Master said, “Do you understand beneath Majian’s phrase?” He replied, “I do not understand.” The Master said, “Before Shengshou Monastery.” The monk asked, “Since this is Dayong, why do you drive monks away?” The Master said, “The great ocean does not contain dust; little caves contain much.” He asked, “What is the single path of the ancient Buddhas?” The Master pointed at the ground.

The monk said, “I am not asking about that.” The Master said, “Go!” The Master and an elder adept had agreed to travel elsewhere together, but when a matter arose, they did not go. The elder adept said, “A Buddha does not speak two ways.” The Master said, “The Dharma does not have one fixed direction.”
16. Chan Master Chong of Luoshan, Guangzhou.
A monk asked, “What is the realm of the Great Han nation?” The Master said, “When the jade dog barks, dawn has not yet broken; when the golden cock crows, the fifth watch has only just begun.” He asked, “When Danxia questioned the laywoman—the daughter of Layman Pang—and she did not lift her basket, what was it like at that moment?” The Master said, “One still needs to make a turn there.” He asked, “What is the realm of Luoshan?” The Master said, “Water plunges down a thousand fathoms.”
17. Preceptor Bao of Yunmen, Shaozhou.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and instructed the assembly, saying: “The supreme Way is not difficult; it only shuns choosing and rejecting. Is there still choosing and rejecting? Take care.”

18. Preceptor Cánh Thoát of Lâm Khê, Sính Châu.

A monk asked: “What is the phrase that penetrates the Dharma-body?” The Master said: “A clear-eyed person would laugh at you.”

He asked: “What is the Dharma-body?” The Master said: “A traveler from the four seas and five lakes.”

He asked: “What is the person who has been so from the beginning?” The Master said: “The wind blows dust all over his face.”

He asked: “What was Niutou like before he met the Fourth Patriarch?” The Master said: “The wealthy have many guests.”

He asked: “What was he like after meeting him?” The Master said: “When poor and lowly, all coming and going ceases.”

He asked: “What is the Buddha?” The Master replied: “The first ten characters by the roadside.”

He asked: “What is the Dharma?” The Master replied: “Three households in the village.”

He asked: “Are the Buddha and the Dharma one or two?” The Master said: “The exposed pillar crosses three rivers, yet still harbors enduring resentment.”

He asked: “What is the seamless stupa?” The Master said: “The city of Fuzhou.”

He asked: “Who is the person within the stupa?” The Master said: “Longxing Monastery.”

19. Chan Master Tuệ of Huayan in Guangzhou.

A monk asked: “An ancient said, ‘When the deluded mind has no abiding place, that itself is bodhi.’ At the very moment of delusion, is bodhi present or not?” The Master said: “The sound of his coming has already shone forth.”

The monk said: “I do not understand.” The Master said: “When the deluded mind has no abiding place, that itself is bodhi.”

20. Preceptor Thiều of Shunfeng in Shaozhou.

Previously, the Master asked Preceptor Yunmen: “Why does the jeweled moon divide its radiance here?” Yunmen replied: “A thousand lights shine together.” The Master said: “I thank the Preceptor for his instruction.” Yunmen asked: “What have you seen?”

As a monk was entering the abbot’s quarters, the Master immediately asked: “Why are the abbot’s quarters dark?” The monk replied: “An old rat’s den.” Monk Chánh said: “Release a kitten inside.” The Master said: “Try releasing one and see.” Monk Chánh could not answer. The Master clapped his hands and laughed.

The Master and a venerable elder were wading across a river. The Master handed money to the ferryman. The venerable elder said: “It seems there is a piece of green copper in your pouch.” The Master bowed and said: “Elder, do not laugh at me.”

21. Great Master Mingjiao Shikuan of Mount Shuangquan in Suizhou.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, raised his whisk, and said: “This receives people throughout the Central Lands.”

At that time, a monk asked: “What if a person of the highest capacity comes?” The Master said: “Beat the drum for the three commanderies.”

He asked: “How can the tradition of the matter beyond be expressed?” The Master said: “I would not dare.”

He asked: “Then all living beings have something upon which to rely.” The Master said: “The water beneath your feet is shallow and deep.”

He asked: “Every spoken phrase falls into being or nonbeing. What is it that does not fall into being or nonbeing?” The Master said: “East Buddha vu Great.”

He said: “That too falls into being or nonbeing.” The Master said: “The branch grows westward on Snow Mountain.”

A monk once asked Dongshan: “What is the Buddha?” Dongshan said: “Three pounds of sesame.” When the Master heard this, he said: “To the south there is bamboo; to the north there are trees.”

Later, while the Master was at Zhimen, a monk asked: “It cannot be known through wisdom and cannot be understood through consciousness—what is the monastery like?” The Master said: “Do not enter that pack of wild foxes.”

He asked: “What is samadhi?” The Master said: “A frog cannot leap out of a peck measure.”

He asked: “How can it leap out?” The Master said: “Clouds rise over the southern mountain, and rain falls on the northern mountain.”

He asked: “What is the meaning of concealing the body within the Northern Dipper?” The Master said: “When cold, the chicken climbs a tree; when cold, the duck enters the water.”

He asked: “What is the meaning of holding the staff upright?” The Master said: “When one leaf falls, one knows that autumn has come throughout the realm.”

The Master later passed away at Zhimen.

22. Preceptor Quấn Ẵm of Yingzhou.

While the Master was digging a well, a monk asked: “How deep is the well?” The Master said: “It will cost you your nose.”

He asked: “What was Niutou like before he met the Fourth Patriarch?” The Master said: “Guanyin of Yingzhou.”

He asked: “What was he like after meeting him?” The Master replied: “Guanyin of Yingzhou.”

He asked: “What is Guanyin’s wondrous power of wisdom?” The Master said: “The wind blows through the broken window.”

23. Preceptor Lâm Tuyền of Shaozhou.

A monk asked: “Who is the master of Lâm Tuyền?” The Master said: “White stones beneath the rocky cavern.”

He asked: “What is the household style of Lâm Tuyền?” The Master said: “Welcoming guests and attending to guests.”

He asked: “What is the Way?” The Master replied: “Far, far away.”

He asked: “What happens when a student comprehends it?” The Master said: “After a long while, forgetting conditions, one would rather embrace sentiment in coming and going.”

24. Preceptor Húc of Yunmen in Shaozhou.

A monk asked: “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from India?” The Master said: “What meaning is it now?” The monk said: “It fits exactly.” The Master then shouted and ordered: “Get out!”

25. Chan Master Trừng Viền of Xianglin Cloister, Qingcheng, Yizhou.

Previously, the Master resided at Shanwang Cloister of Yingxiang Monastery in Daojiang County, Western Sichuan. A monk asked: “Why does the delicious flavor of ghee turn into poison?” The Master said: “Daojiang paper.”

He asked: “What is it like when, upon seeing form, one immediately sees mind?” The Master said: “Where have you just come from?”

He asked: “What is it like when both mind and objects vanish?” The Master said: “Sleeping while sitting with open eyes.”

Later, the Master resided at Xianglin in Qingcheng. A monk asked: “What is it like to conceal the body within the Northern Dipper?” The Master said: “The stormy moon draws a bow: little rain and much wind.”

He asked: “What is the mind of all Buddhas?” The Master said: “Within, before and after remain within.”

He asked: “How should one comprehend it, and how should one understand it?” The Master said: “Do not be deceived by others.”

He asked: “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from India?” The Master said: “Who is the person traveling on foot?”

He asked: “What is the Preceptor’s good medicine?” The Master said: “It does not depart from the samadhis.”

He asked: “How does one take it?” The Master said: “Swallow it and see.”

He asked: “What is the single lamp within the chamber?” The Master said: “Three people testify that a turtle is a soft-shelled turtle.”

He asked: “What is the matter beneath the patched robe?” The Master said: “In the twelfth month, fire burns the mountain.”

He asked: “The great assembly has gathered like clouds; may the Master expound it.” The Master said: “Three does not wait for two.”

He asked: “What is the central matter of the student?” The Master replied: “Exactly, exactly.”

He asked: “What is the Mystery?” The Master said: “Today goes on again into tomorrow.”

He asked: “What is the Mystery within the Mystery?” The Master said: “Always before the bed.”

He asked: “What is Xianglin’s single stream?” The Master said: “Mindfulness without interruption.”

He asked: “Who is the person who drinks from it?” The Master said: “Measure and weigh according to the place.”

He asked: “What is the true eye of a patched-robed monk?” The Master said: “Without discrimination.”

He asked: “How do illumination and function operate?” The Master said: “The traveler on the road loses his feet.”

He asked: “When the traces of the myriad activities have all vanished and one first recognizes the person who has been so from the beginning, what is it like then?” The Master said: “The pure potential reveals itself.”

He asked: “Then there is no other person?” The Master said: “Only now do you see the person who has been so from the beginning.”

He asked: “What is it like when a fish swims on dry land?” The Master said: “Once words are uttered, there must be a rescue afterward.”

The monk asked: “What is it like when it is beneath the azure pool?” The Master said: “The head is heavy and the tail is light.”

He asked: “If every spoken phrase is merely a guest, what is the host?” The Master said: “Within the city of Chang’an.”

He asked: “How should this be understood?” The Master said: “A thousand homes and ten thousand households.”