景德傳燈錄

THE JINGDE RECORD OF THE TRANSMISSION OF THE LAMP — FASCICLE 15

FASCICLE 15

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xingsi of Mount Qingyuan in Ji Prefecture.

Fourth generation—17 persons.

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Chongxin of Longtan in Feng Prefecture: 2 persons:

1. Chan Master Xuanjian of Deshan in Lang Prefecture,
2. Venerable Baofeng of Zhotan in Hong Prefecture.

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xingkong of Ji Prefecture: 2 persons:

1. Venerable Maoyuan of Xi Prefecture,
2. Chan Master Guangren of Mount Zao. (Records of these 2 persons are found in the record.)

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Wuxue of Cuiwei in the Capital Region: 5 persons:

1. Chan Master Lingzun of Mount Qingping in Yu Prefecture,
2. Chan Master Datong of Mount Touzi in Shu Prefecture,
3. Chan Master Runa of Mount Daochang in Hu Prefecture,
4. Chan Master Yue of Baiyun in Jian Prefecture. (Records of these 4 persons are found in the record.)
5. Chan Master Yuantong of Mount Funiu. (No record of this 1 person is included.)

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yuanzhi of Mount Daowu in Tan Prefecture: 3 persons:

1. Chan Master Qingzhu Shi of Mount Shuang in Tan Prefecture,
2. Chan Master Zhongxing of Jianyuan in Tan Prefecture,
3. Venerable Luqing. (These 3 persons have records.)

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Tancheng of Yunyan in Tan Prefecture: 4 persons:

1. Chan Master Liangjie of Dongshan in Jun Prefecture,
2. Chan Master Jianhong of Xingshan in Shi Prefecture,
3. Chan Master Sengmi of Shenshan in Tan Prefecture,
4. Venerable Youxi.

– Dharma heir of Chan Master Decheng, the Boatman of Huating: 1 person:

1. Chan Master Shanhui of Jiashan in Feng Prefecture.
Fifth generation, Part One—14 persons:

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Datong of Mount Touzi in Shu Prefecture: 13 persons:

1. Chan Master Wen, the second generation of Touzi,
2. Chan Master Wei of Niutou in Fu Prefecture,
3. Chan Master Chengzhao of Xiangshan in Western Sichuan,
4. Venerable Tianfu of Hepu,
5. Venerable Siming of Hao Prefecture,
6. Venerable Zhaofu of Fengxiang,
7. Chan Master Zungu of Mount Zhongliang in Xingyuan,
8. Venerable Guyin of Xiang Prefecture,
9. Venerable Qiongshan of Jiunao in An Prefecture,
10. The second-generation Venerable of Panshan in You Prefecture,
11. Chan Master Jinghui of Mount Jiunao,
12. Chan Master Yanjun of the Guanyin Cloister in the Eastern Capital. (Records of the above 12 persons are found in the record.)
13. Chan Master Zhen Guiyang Longfu. (No record of this 1 person is included.)

– Dharma heir of Chan Master Lingzun of Mount Qingping in E Prefecture: 1 person:

1. Chan Master Linggui of Mount Sanjiao in Zhuo Prefecture. (A record of this 1 person is found in the record.)
The fourth generation after Master Xingsi.

– Dharma heir of the aforementioned Chan Master Chongxin of Longtan in Li Prefecture.

1. Chan Master Xuanjian of Deshan in Lang Prefecture.

The Master was a native of Jiannan, and his family name was Zhou. He left home while young and, upon reaching the proper age, received the precepts. He devoted himself to studying the Vinaya-pitaka and thoroughly mastered the purport of both the essential nature and characteristics taught in the sutras. The Master frequently lectured on the Diamond Prajnaparamita Sutra. People at the time called him “Diamond Zhou.” Later, the Master sought instruction in the Chan school. He once told his fellow students, “A single hair swallows the ocean, yet the ocean’s nature is not diminished; a tiny mustard seed is cast upon a needlepoint, yet the sharp needlepoint does not move. As for learning and no-learning, I alone understand them.”

He then went to Chan Master Chongxin of Longtan, where each question and answer consisted of only a single utterance. The Master soon took his leave. Longtan persuaded him to remain. One evening, the Master sat silently outside the abbot’s quarters. Longtan asked, “Why do you not return to your room?”

The Master replied, “It is pitch-dark.”

Longtan lit a torch for him. Just as the Master was about to take it, Longtan blew it out. The Master immediately bowed.

Longtan asked, “What have you seen?”

He replied, “From this day onward, I shall never again doubt the tongues of the old venerables throughout the world.”

The next morning, he prepared to depart. Longtan told his disciples, “Among you is a fellow whose fangs are like swords and whose mouth resembles a basin of blood. Even if struck with a staff, he will not turn his head. One day he will establish my Way upon a solitary, soaring peak.”

The Master went directly to Guishan. From the Dharma hall, he passed westward and then returned eastward, gazing toward the abbot’s quarters. Guishan said nothing. The Master said, “It is not so! It is not so!” and went out. In front of the Sangha hall, the Master said, “Even so, I must not be careless.” He then arranged his robes with full decorum and went in once more for an interview. Just as he crossed the threshold, he raised his sitting cloth and called, “Venerable!” Guishan was about to take up his whisk. The Master immediately shouted, flung up his sleeves, and withdrew.

That evening, Guishan asked the assembly, “Where is the monk who arrived today?”

They replied, “That monk met the Venerable, then left at once without even looking toward the Sangha hall.”

Guishan asked the assembly, “Do you understand that monk?”

They replied, “We do not.”

Guishan said, “In the future, he will ascend a grass-thatched summit, reviling the Buddhas and cursing the patriarchs as he goes.”

The Master remained in Liyang for thirty years. When Emperor Wuzong of the Tang dynasty persecuted Buddhism, the Master took refuge in a stone chamber on Mount Dufu. At the beginning of the Dazhong era, Xue Tingwang, Prefect of Wuling, restored the Deshan monastery and named it the Ancient Virtue Chan Cloister, seeking a worthy sage to serve as its abbot.

Having heard of the Master’s practice of the Way, he invited him repeatedly, but the Master would not descend the mountain. Tingwang then devised a plan: he sent an official to plant tea and salt among the Master’s possessions, falsely accusing him of violating the prohibitions. The Master was arrested and taken to the prefecture.

There Tingwang paid homage to him and earnestly invited him to reside at the monastery and widely propagate the essential teaching of the school.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and instructed the assembly, saying, “When there is nothing amiss within yourselves, do not engage in deluded seeking. Even if deluded seeking obtains something, it is still not attainment. You need only be free of affairs in the mind and free of mind amid affairs; then you will be empty yet numinous, void yet wondrous.

If you cling even to the tip of a hair, all explanations of root and branch are merely self-deception. The slightest fixation of thought is a karmic cause for the three evil paths. A single glance that gives rise to emotion binds you for ten thousand kalpas.

The designations ‘sage’ and ‘ordinary being’ are all empty sounds; extraordinary forms and appearances are all illusory colors. If you seek to obtain them, how could you avoid being burdened by them? Yet if you come to loathe them, that becomes an even greater calamity.

In the end, there is no benefit whatsoever.”

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and said, “Tonight, no one is permitted to ask questions. Anyone who asks a question will receive thirty blows.”

At that moment, a monk stepped forward and bowed. The Master immediately struck him.

The monk said, “I had not yet even asked a question. Why did the Venerable strike me?”

The Master asked, “Where are you from?”

He replied, “I am from Silla.”

The Master said, “Before you had even stepped off the boat, you already deserved thirty blows.”

A monk came for an interview. The Master asked, “Karmadana, how many newcomers arrived today?”

He replied, “Eight.”

The Master said, “Bring them all here at once to receive the verdict.”

Longya asked, “If a student, brandishing the Moye sword, were about to take the Master’s head, what then?”

The Master stretched out his neck.

Longya said, “Your head has fallen!”

The Master smiled.

Later, Longya went to Dongshan and related the preceding exchange. Dongshan asked, “What did Deshan say?”

He replied, “Deshan said nothing.”

Dongshan said, “Do not say that he said nothing. Bring Deshan’s fallen head and present it to this old monk.”

Longya awakened and repented. Someone related this to the Master. The Master said, “That old fellow Dongshan does not know good from bad. That fellow has been dead for so long—what use is there in saving him?”

A monk asked, “What is a bodhisattva?”

The Master struck him and said, “Get out! Do not shit there.”

A monk asked, “What is the Buddha?”

The Master said, “The Buddha is an old bhiksu in the Western Land.”

Xuefeng asked, “From ancient times, by what Dharma has our school taught people?”

The Master said, “Our school has no words or phrases; truly, there is not a single Dharma to give anyone.”

Hearing this, Yantou said, “Old Deshan has a spine as hard as iron; it cannot be broken. Even so, within the gate of doctrinal exposition, he still imitates others.”

Ordinarily, whenever monks came for interviews, the Master would most often strike them with his staff. When Master Linji heard of this, he sent his attendant for an interview, instructing him, “If Deshan strikes you, simply seize the staff and thrust it against his belly.”

The attendant arrived and had only just bowed when the Master immediately struck him. The attendant caught the staff and held it upright against the Master. The Master returned to the abbot’s quarters. The attendant returned and related the incident to Linji.

Ji said: “Later, question that old fellow.”

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and said, “To ask is an offense, yet not to ask is contrary.” A monk stepped forward and bowed. The Master immediately struck him. The monk said, “I had only just bowed; why did you strike me?” The Master said, “What would I do if I waited until you opened your mouth?”

The Master had the attendant summon Yicun. When Cun arrived, the Master said, “I called Yicun himself. Why have you come?” Yicun could not answer.

Seeing a monk approach, the Master shut the door. The monk knocked. The Master asked, “Who is it?” He replied, “A lion cub.” The Master opened the door. The monk bowed. The Master seized him by the neck and said, “From where has this beast come?”

Xuefeng asked, “What was the meaning of the ancient master’s cutting the cat in two?” The Master struck him and drove him away, then asked, “Do you understand?” Feng said, “I do not understand.” The Master said, “Though I am as compassionate as an old grandmother, I too do not understand.”

A monk asked, “How far apart are the ordinary and the holy?” The Master immediately shouted.

When the Master was ill, a monk came and asked, “Is there also one who is not ill?” The Master said, “There is.” The monk asked, “What is the one who is not ill like?” The Master said, “A-xie, a-xie! A-yu, a-yu! Wrong, wrong!”

The Master further told his disciples, “Grasping cannot seize sound; you merely weary your minds and spirits. When the dream ends and you awaken, knowing that it was not a real scene, what affair remains?” Having spoken, he sat serenely and passed away. It was the third day of the twelfth month in the sixth year of the Tang Xiantong era, the year Yiyou. He was eighty-six years old and had been a monk for sixty-five years. The emperor bestowed upon him the posthumous title Great Master Jianxing, “Seeing the Nature.”

2. Venerable Baofeng of Letan, Hongzhou

A monk had just arrived. The Master called to him and said, “The matter within this is easy to speak of; speaking without falling into the matter within this, from beginning to end, is difficult.”

The monk said, “While I was still on the road, I knew there would be this question.”

The Master said, “Even if you were allowed to travel on foot for another twenty years, you would not be much different.”

The monk asked, “Could it be that I do not accord with the Venerable’s meaning?”

The Master said, “Bitter gourds are waiting for guests.”

The Master asked a monk, “The ancients had a single path by which they received later generations of beginners. Do you know it?”

He replied, “Master, please reveal the single path of the ancients.”

The Master said, “That is precisely what the acarya knows.”

The monk said, “You are placing another head atop your head.”

The Master said, “Baofeng does not accord with the worthy one’s question.”

He replied, “What harm is there in asking again?”

The Master said, “Here, no one has ever spoken the principles of the Way in confusion. Go!”

– Dharma successors of Chan Master Xingkong of Jizhou

1. Venerable Maoyuan of Xizhou

Pingtian came for an interview. The Master was about to rise. Pingtian stopped him and said, “If you open your mouth, you lose; if you keep your mouth shut, you die. If you continue to refuse in this way, then, Master, please speak.”

The Master covered his ears with his hands.

Pingtian released his hands and said, “One step is easy; two steps are difficult.”

The Master said, “Why are you in such haste to die?”

Tian said, “If it were not for this, Master, you would not escape being sought out everywhere.”

2. Chan Master Guangren of Zaoshan

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, and the great assembly gathered like clouds. The Master came out from the abbot’s quarters, but before reaching the Chan seat he called to the assembly and said, “Do not betray the eyes and ears gained through your lifelong travels on foot. Is there still anyone who can come forward and ask?” Only then did he ascend the Dharma hall and sit down.

A monk stepped forward and bowed.

The Master said, “You do not betray me, but why do you still follow the great assembly?” The Master immediately returned to the abbot’s quarters.

The next morning, another monk requested an explanation of the meaning of the previous day’s words.

The Master said, “At mealtime there is rice for you to eat, and when night comes there is a bed for you to sleep on. Why do you persist in pressing me?”

The monk bowed.

The Master said, “Suffering, suffering!”

The monk said, “Master, please point directly.”

The Master stretched out his legs and said, “Whether they are stretched out or drawn in, leave that to this old monk.”

– Dharma successors of the former Chan Master Wuxue of Cuiwei, Jingzhao

1. Chan Master Lingxun of Mount Qingping, Ezhou

The Master was a native of Dongping, surnamed Wang. In his youth he entered Puti Monastery north of Ezhou, and in the sixth year of the Tang Xiantong era he had his head shaved. Later he went to Kaiyuan Monastery in Huazhou, where he received the full precepts and studied the Vinaya.

One day, the Master said to his fellow students, “A sramana must penetrate birth and death and mysteriously comprehend the Buddha’s principle. If one forever follows books and clings rigidly to written phrases, all of it is merely counting the sands of the sea and wasting the strength of one’s mind.” He therefore abandoned his former studies and traveled afar to investigate the Chan school.

The Master went to Baima Monastery in Jiangling. Upon entering the Sangha hall, he met an elder adept named Huiqin and drew near to question and learn from him. Qin said, “I attended Master Danxia for a long time, but now I am old and weary of teaching. You should go and meet Cuiwei; he was a fellow student of mine.” The Master bowed in thanks, departed, and went to Master Cuiwei.

He asked, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from India?”

Cuiwei said, “Wait until no one is here, and then I shall tell you.”

After remaining silent for a long while, the Master said, “No one is here now. Master, please speak.”

Cuiwei descended from the Chan seat and led the Master into the bamboo garden. The Master again said, “No one is here now. Venerable, please speak.”

Cuiwei pointed to the bamboo and said, “Why is this bamboo so tall, and that bamboo so short?”

Although the Master gained some understanding of these subtle words, he had not yet thoroughly penetrated their mysterious purport.

In the first year of the Wende era, the Master went to Shangcha. The magistrate of Huizhou established the Datong Chan Cloister in accordance with the Dharma and invited the Master to reveal the essentials of the school. The Master recalled the words from his first meeting with Cuiwei and told the assembly, “For my sake, the late Master entered mud and water. From that time onward, I ceased to know good and bad.” The Master taught and guided beings there for more than ten years.

In the Guanghua era, the Master led more than one hundred disciples on a journey to Ezhou. Military Governor Di Hong invited him to reside at the Anle Cloister on Mount Qingping.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and said, “Venerable ones, those who have left the household must understand the Buddha’s meaning. When you understand the Buddha’s meaning, you place no importance on whether one is monastic or lay, male or female, noble or lowly. Simply adapting to each household, whether prosperous or frugal, you will at once be at ease.

“Venerable ones, you have long dwelt in the monasteries and traveled everywhere to inquire of honored adepts. How, then, do you understand the Buddha’s meaning? Try presenting it so that we may discuss it together. Do not be devoid of lofty spirit, lest afterward you accomplish not a single thing and waste your entire life in vain.

“If you have not yet understood the Buddha’s meaning, then even if water gushes from the crown of your head and fire issues from beneath your feet; even if you burn your body and hands, possess intelligence and eloquence, gather one or two thousand followers, preach the Dharma like clouds and rain, and lecture on the sutras so that heavenly flowers fall—still, you will only produce false doctrines and contend over right and wrong. You will remain very far from the Buddhadharma.

“You are fortunate to have strong and healthy bodies and to encounter no calamities. Why shrink from the matter immediately before you? Apply yourselves to understand the Buddha’s meaning well.”

At that time, a monk stepped forward and asked, “What is the Great Vehicle?”

The Master said, “Rummaging through sesame seeds.”

He asked, “What is the Lesser Vehicle?”

The Master said, “A string of coins.”

He asked, “What is the family style of Qingping?”

The Master said, “One dou of flour makes three pots of cakes.”

He asked, “What is Chan?”

The Master said, “A macaque climbs a tree, waves its tail, tumbles, and falls.”

He asked, “What is conditioned and with outflows?”

The Master said, “A bamboo strainer.”

He asked, “What is unconditioned and without outflows?”

The Master replied, “A wooden ladle.”

He asked, “What is it like when meeting face-to-face and presenting it to one another?”

The Master replied, “Entrust it to the cook.”

In all his other responses to circumstances and skillful means, he did not follow conventional sentiments. Whether opposing or according, rolling up or unfolding, his words transcended thought.

At noon on the twenty-fifth day of the first month in the sixteenth year of the Tianyou era, the Master entered nirvana. He was seventy-five years old. In the sixth year of the Later Zhou Xiande era, the emperor bestowed upon him the posthumous title Chan Master Faxi, “Joy in the Dharma,” with the designation Shanying, “Excellent Response.”

2. Chan Master Datong of Mount Touzi, Shuzhou

The Master was a native of Huaining in this prefecture, surnamed Liu. In his youth, he left the household under Chan Master Man of Baotang Monastery at Luoxia. At first he studied contemplation of anapana; later, while reading the Avatamsaka Sutra, the light of his nature was revealed. He then encountered the Dharma assembly of Cuiwei and suddenly awakened to the purport of the school. Thereafter, he wandered freely throughout the land, then returned to his native region and built a thatched hermitage on Mount Touzi, where he lived.

One day, Venerable Zhen of Zhaozhou came to Tongcheng County. The Master also descended the mountain. They met along the road but did not yet know one another. Zhaozhou subtly asked, “If one is a layperson, then”

Knowing that the Master was Touzi, he deliberately went against the usual course and asked, “Are you the yam of Mount Touzi?”
The Master replied, “Please give me money for tea and salt.” Zhaozhou then went ahead and
sat down in the hermitage. The Master arrived later, carrying a jar of oil back to the hermitage. Zhaozhou said, “I have long heard of
Touzi, but now that I have come, I see only an oil seller.” The Master said, “You see only the
oil seller, but you do not recognize Touzi.”
He asked, “What is Touzi?” The Master said,
“Oil! Oil!” Zhaozhou asked, “When one has died and then comes back to life, what is it like at that moment?” The Master said,
“One is not permitted to travel by night; at dawn, one arrives at once.” Zhaozhou said, “I attended upon the white one early,
and now I attend upon the black one.” From then on, the Master’s Way was heard of throughout the realm, and companions of cloud and water
vied with one another to come and meet him.

The Master instructed the assembly, saying, “You come here intending to seek novel sayings,
arranging them in fours and sixes like assembled flowers. Your mouths may speak elegantly. This old man’s
strength is failing, and his lips and tongue are slow. If you have questions, I shall answer as circumstances require. My
responses contain nothing more mysterious or subtle than yourselves, nor do I teach you to put down roots. Ultimately, I do not speak of the upward or the downward,
of Buddha or Dharma, of ordinary beings or sages; nor is anything retained. Yet you bind yourselves and manifest
a thousand transformations. All this comes from the understandings you yourselves produce; you bear your own future, act by yourselves, and undergo the results yourselves.
In this matter, I cannot join you. I dare not rave and intimidate
you. Neither outside nor inside is there anything that can be spoken of as resembling you. Do you understand?”

At that time, a monk asked, “When neither inside nor outside is taken in, what is it like?”
The Master said, “You intend to put down those roots.”

A monk asked, “Within the teachings of the Great Canon, is there anything extraordinary?”
The Master said, “Expounding it produces the teachings of the Great Canon.”

Question: “What is the matter of the eye not yet opened?”
The Master said, “The pure eye must be as broad as a blue lotus.”

Question: “All Buddhas and the Dharma of all Buddhas are born from this sutra. What
is this sutra?”
The Master said, “It is the name that you are now upholding.”

Question: “Does a dragon still吟 in a withered tree?”
The Master said, “I say that within a skull, a lion roars.”

Question: “When a single mote of dust contains the entire dharmadhatu,
what is it like?”
The Master replied, “It is already numbered among the motes of dust.”

Question: “When this student wishes to cultivate the path, what should he do?”
The Master replied, “Empty space does not decay.”

Xuefeng was standing in attendance. The Master pointed to a rock
before the hermitage and said, “The Buddhas of the three times are all within it.”
Xuefeng said, “You must know that there is someone who refuses to remain within it.” The Master then returned to the hermitage and sat down.

One day Xuefeng followed the Master and asked about the hermitage master of Longmian. Xuefeng asked,
“Which way leads to Longmian?” The Master raised his staff and pointed straight ahead. Xuefeng asked,
“Should I go east or west?” The Master said, “Lacquer bucket!”

On another day Xuefeng again asked, “What is it like when a single stroke brings completion at once?”
The Master replied, “You are not a fellow surnamed Bao.” Xuefeng asked, “What is it like when one does not rely on a single blow?”
The Master replied, “Lacquer bucket!”

One day the Master was sitting in the hermitage. Xuefeng asked, “Venerable,
is there anyone here who comes to inquire?” The Master got down from his seat, took hold of a hoe, and threw it
down before him. Xuefeng asked, “Where will you dig the earth?” The Master said, “The lacquer bucket is not pleased.”

Xuefeng took his leave and departed. The Master escorted him to the gate and suddenly called loudly, “Wayfarer!”
Xuefeng turned his head and answered, “Yes.” The Master said, “On the way, take good care, for a monk asked:
‘Thus the old year passes and the new year arrives. Is there still someone who does not pass through
these two roads?’”
The Master said, “There is.”

A monk asked, “Who is the person who does not pass through the two roads?”
The Master said, “Just as spring first opens its blessings, the myriad things are renewed.”

Question: “Dim and indistinct, like half a moon without a trace;
like three stars that heaven and earth cannot contain—where does the Master shine?”
The Master asked, “What are you saying?”
The monk said, “I thought the Master had only clear waves upon the water, but no waves that surge beyond the heavens.”
The Master said, “Idle words.”

Question: “What is it like within that class?”
The Master said, “Did you come among humans or among horses?”

Question: “Buddha after Buddha handed it on, and patriarch after patriarch transmitted it. What Dharma was transmitted?”
The Master said, “This old monk does not understand deceitful words.”

Question: “What does it mean to go out the gate without seeing the Buddha?”
The Master said, “There is nowhere to see.”

Question: “What does it mean to enter the private chamber of one’s parents?”
The Master said, “There is nowhere of birth.”

Question: “What does it mean to conceal oneself within a blazing fire?”
The Master said, “Where is there any place of oppression?”

Question: “What does it mean to conceal oneself within a mound of charcoal?”
The Master said, “I say that you are black as lacquer.”

Question: “What is it like when everything is altogether unillumined?”
The Master said, “Illuminate it! Speak!”

Question: “What is the final phrase?”
The Master said, “Could it not be illumined from the very beginning?”

Question: “From the seedling one may discuss the soil, and from words one may know the person. Before such knowing, by what can one judge and know?”
The Master said, “Vermilion at the place where nothing adheres.”

Question: “Among the three hundred people in the monastery, is there anyone not included in their number?”
The Master replied, “Look again a hundred years before and fifty years afterward.”

The Master asked a monk, “I have long heard that you stayed at Shushan. Is that not so?”
The monk was unable to answer.

A monk asked, “I have brought genuine jade to the Master and request that the Master grind, polish, and carve it.”
The Master said, “It is not material for beams and pillars.”
He replied, “That is agitation and equanimity, with nowhere to escape.”
The Master said, “To shoulder and carry it is to suffer hardship and misery.”

Question: “What is it like when one does not shoulder or carry it?”
The Master said, “I did not tell you to bring genuine jade to the Master and request that it be bored, polished, and carved.”

Question: “Prince Nezha returned his bones to his father and his flesh to his mother. What is Nezha’s original body?”
The Master immediately let go of the staff in his hand.

Question: “How can the two words ‘Buddha Dharma’ be discussed in terms of turbidity and clarity?”
The Master said, “The Buddha Dharma is turbid and clear.”

Question: “This student does not understand.”
The Master asked, “What did you just ask?”

Question: “It is uniformly water, so why is seawater salty while river water is fresh?”
The Master said, “Stars in the heavens, trees upon the earth.”

Question: “What is the meaning of the Patriarch?”
The Master said, “Maitreya seeks the place where he will receive his prediction of Buddhahood, but cannot find it.”

Question: “Venerable, what realm is there here?”
The Master replied, “Boys and girls wear silk braids upon white-haired heads.”

Question: “How do insentient things expound the Dharma?”
The Master said, “Ugly.”

Question: “What is Vairocana?”
The Master said, “There is already a name.”

Question: “Who is Vairocana’s teacher?”
The Master replied, “Before there was Vairocana, understand it for yourself.”

Question: “Please, Master, speak one clear and distinct phrase.”
The Master said, “Good.”

Question: “What is it like when the four mountains press in upon one another?”
The Master said, “The five skandhas are all empty.”

Question: “What is it like before a single thought has arisen?”
The Master said, “Truly, those are deceptive words.”

Question: “How far apart are ordinary beings and sages?”
The Master stepped down from the meditation seat and stood.

Question: “When this student asks one question, the Venerable answers; but if there were suddenly a thousand questions or ten thousand questions, what then?”
The Master said, “Like a hen brooding over eggs.”

Question: “‘Above heaven and beneath heaven, I alone am honored.’ What is the ‘I’?”
The Master said, “What fault was committed by knocking down that old barbarian?”

Question: “Who is the Venerable’s teacher?”
The Master said, “Going to meet him, one does not see his head; following him, one does not see his form.”

Question: “Before the statue has been fashioned, where is its body?”
The Master said, “Do not fabricate things recklessly.”

A monk asked, “What does it mean for a star to appear without appearing?”
The Master said, “Where is it hidden?”

Question: “How does one who is not lost advance a step?”
The Master said, “Throughout the ten directions.”

Question: “Without eyes, how can one pervade the ten directions?”
The Master asked, “Can you become eyeless?”

Question: “What is the meaning of the coming from the Western Land?”
The Master said, “Without fear or dread.”

Question: “What is it like before the moon is full?”
The Master said, “Swallow two or three.”

A monk asked, “What is it like after it is full?”
The Master said, “Spit out seven or eight.”

Question: “Before the sun and moon shine, where are the Buddha and sentient beings?”
The Master said, “When you see this old monk angry, you say ‘angry’; when you see this old monk joyful,
you say ‘joyful.’”

The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?”
He replied, “I came from paying homage to the Patriarch in the Eastern and Western Mountains.”
The Master said, “The Patriarch is not in the Eastern or Western Mountains.”
The monk was unable to answer.

Question:

“What is it like within the mystery?” The Master said, “It does not reach your mouth to be spoken.” Asked, “Before Niutou met the Fourth Patriarch, how was it?” The Master said, “He served as a teacher to others.” Asked again, “After he had met the Master, how was it?” The Master said, “He did not serve as a teacher to others.” Asked, “The Buddhas appear in the world solely because of the causal conditions of one great matter.

What is this great matter of causal conditions?” The Master replied, “Minister Yin opened the Dharma hall for this old monk.” Asked, “What is Buddha?” The Master replied, “An illusion cannot be sought.” Asked, “I have traveled a thousand miles to seek the Master; I beg the Master to receive me once.” The Master said, “Today this old monk’s back aches.” The vegetable gardener entered the abbot’s quarters to request instruction.

The Master said, “Wait until no one is here, and I shall tell you, Acarya.” The following day, when no one was present, he came to make his request, saying, “Venerable, please speak.” The Master told him, “Come closer.” The gardener stepped forward. The Master said, “Quickly speak! There is no one resembling you.” Asked, “Without throat, lips, or mouth, I ask the Master to speak.” The Master said, “You only want me to say that it cannot be expressed.” Asked, “Before Bodhidharma came, how was it?” The Master said, “Throughout heaven and earth.” Asked, “After he came, how was it?” The Master said, “It cannot be concealed.” Asked, “Before the Venerable met his former master, how was it?” The Master said, “What could be done with the whole body?” Asked, “After meeting the former master,

how was it?” The Master said, “The whole body cannot be beaten to pieces.” Asked, “Then was it obtained from the Master?” The Master said, “In the end, neither betrayed the other.” Asked, “Then it was obtained from the Master.” The Master said, “Whatever clings to the eyes, drive it away.” Asked, “Then this is betraying the former master.” The Master said, “You have not only betrayed the former master; you have also betrayed this old monk.” Asked, “The Seven Buddhas were disciples of Manjusri.

Did Manjusri also have a teacher?” The Master replied, “What you just said closely resembles bending yourself to exalt another.” Asked, “Before the golden rooster crows, how is it?” The Master replied, “That sound cannot be stopped.” Asked, “After it has crowed, how is it?” The Master replied, “Each knows the time for himself.” Asked, “The lion is king among beasts; why is it swallowed by the six sense objects?” The Master said, “Without contrivance, utterly devoid of self and others.”

The Master dwelt on Mount Touzi for more than thirty years. Those who came and went seeking instruction filled his residence. With fearless eloquence, the Master answered according to each question. His reception and release were simultaneous, and his subtle words were exceedingly numerous; only a small portion is briefly recorded here.

During the Zhonghe era of the Tang dynasty, bandits were everywhere and the realm was in turmoil. A madman carrying a spear climbed the mountain and asked the Master, “What are you doing here?” The Master expounded the Dharma as circumstances required. The bandit leaders heard him, bowed in submission, took off their garments and offered them to him, then departed.

On the sixth day of the fourth month in the fourth year of Qianhua, the jiaxu year, the Master became slightly ill. The assembly invited a physician. The Master told them, “The activity of the four great elements—gathering and dispersing—is the ordinary course of things. Do not worry; I shall take care of myself.” Having said this, he sat in the full lotus posture and passed away, at the age of ninety-six. The king bestowed upon him the posthumous title Great Master Ciji, and his stupa was inscribed “True Quiescence.”

3. Chan Master Runa of Mount Daochang in Huzhou

A monk asked, “What is the meaning of the teaching?” The Master said, “Look for yourself.” The monk bowed. The Master said, “The bright moon hangs in the high sky; the forms of mountains and rivers reveal themselves.” Asked, “How can one attain hearing whose nature is not lost in following conditions?” The Master said, “Listen and see.” The monk bowed. The Master said, “A deaf man sings a northern tune, yet does not himself hear whether it is fine or poor, high or low.” The monk said, “This is precisely the clearly manifest nature of hearing.” The Master said, “A stone stands in empty space; fire burns in water.” Asked, “Does empty space have boundaries?” The Master said, “You certainly know a great deal.” The monk bowed.

The Master said, “A three-foot staff shoulders sun and moon; a speck of dust rises and obscures the sun.” Asked, “What is a person of the Way?” The Master said, “Walking, he leaves no trace; sitting or standing, no one knows.” Asked, “What is right?” The Master said, “The three furnaces are burnt out, without smoke or flame; ten thousand places are peaceful, and the waters do not overflow.” Asked, “When not a single thought arises, how is it?” The Master said, “What use is that?” The monk could not answer.

The Master further said, “Once beyond the Dragon Gate, clouds and rain gather; mountains, rivers, and the great earth leave no trace.”

The Master had double pupils in his eyes, and his arms reached below his knees. He received the prediction of awakening from Cuiwei. He then built a thatched hermitage on Mount Daochang and dwelt there. Students came from the four directions, so a Chan monastery was established and the Dharma teaching was widely propagated. The three robes, alms bowl, straw sandals, and staff for warding off evil that he left behind when he founded the monastery are still kept today in the portrait hall.

4. Chan Master Yue of Baiyun in Jianzhou

A monk asked, “Neither merely sitting at home and watching nor abiding in the stage beyond training—where should such a person be placed?” The Master said, “There is no thunder in the blue sky.”

Venerable Shao of Tiantai came for an interview. The Master asked, “Where have you come from?” Shao said, “From north of the Yangtze.” The Master asked, “Did you come by boat or on foot?” He replied, “I came by boat.” The Master said, “Did you encounter fish and turtles?” He replied, “I encountered them often.” The Master said, “What did you do when you encountered them?” Shao said, “I drew in my head and went on.” The Master laughed heartily.

– Dharma successors of Chan Master Yuanzhi of Daowu in Tanzhou, mentioned above

1. Chan Master Shanqing Zhu of Mount Shishuang in Tanzhou

The Master was a native of Xinqian in Luling and his family name was Chen. At the age of thirteen, he took refuge with Chan Master Shaoluan at Western Mountain in Hongjing and had his head shaved. At twenty-three, he ascended Mount Song and received the full precepts, then went to Luoxia to study the Vinaya. Although he understood the disciplinary precepts through study, in the end this was still the Gradual School. He then returned to Mount Gui and served as cook.

One day, the Master was in the rice room sifting rice. Guishan said, “Do not throw away the donors’ offerings.” The Master said, “I am not throwing them away.” Guishan picked up a grain of rice from the floor and asked, “You say you are not throwing them away; then where did I get this?” The Master could not answer. Guishan further said, “Do not take that grain of rice lightly. Hundreds of thousands of grains arise from this one grain.” The Master said, “If hundreds of thousands of grains arise from this one grain, it is not yet known whence this one grain arises.” Guishan laughed aloud and returned to the abbot’s quarters. That evening, he ascended the Dharma hall and said, “Great assembly, there is a worm in the rice.”

Later, the Master went to study under Daowu and asked, “What is bodhi encountered everywhere?” Daowu called, “Sramanera!” The sramanera responded, “Yes!” Daowu said, “Add water to the pure-water vase.” Daowu then asked the Master, “What did you just come to ask?” The Master repeated his earlier question. Daowu rose and left. The Master was immediately awakened.

Daowu said, “I am ill and shall soon depart. There is something in my mind that has long caused illness; who can remove it?” The Master said, “Mind and things are both wrong; removing them would only worsen the illness.” Daowu said, “Excellent! Excellent!”

At that time, the Master had been a monk for only two summer retreats. Because he sought to escape worldly ties, he went to Changsha and stayed in the home of a potter in Liuyang. He left in the morning and returned in the evening, and no one knew who he was. Later, only when Venerable Jie of Dongshan sent a monk to seek him was his identity revealed. He was then invited to return and reside at Mount Shishuang.

One day, when Daowu was about to pass away, he designated the Master as his legitimate Dharma successor. The Master then went to dwell at Shishuang. Each day he attended Daowu with complete devotion, observing all the courtesies proper between teacher and disciple. When Daowu entered perfect quiescence, more than five hundred fellow students gathered there.

One day, the Master summoned the assembly and said, “Throughout all the teachings of a lifetime, whenever the limbs and faculties of ordinary people are dealt with, there is a reason for everything, and all is studied within the present age. It proceeds directly to the Dharma body that is no body—this is the ultimate principle of the doctrinal schools. We sramanas utterly refuse to follow it. If one distinguishes it, one immediately goes astray; yet if one does not distinguish it, one sinks into mud and water. It is all merely the deluded assertions of the conceptual mind concerning seeing and hearing.”

A monk asked, “What is the meaning of the coming from the Western Land?” The Master said, “A slab of stone in empty space.” The monk bowed. The Master asked, “Do you understand?” He replied, “I do not understand.” The Master said, “Fortunately, you do not understand. If you understood, I would immediately smash your head.” Asked, “What is the Venerable’s fundamental matter?” He replied, “Does a stone sweat?” Asked again, “Why can nothing be said upon arriving there?” The Master said, “How could the feet be attached to the mouth?” Asked, “Does the true body appear in the world?” The Master said, “It does not appear in the world.” Asked, “What is the true body?” The Master replied, “It is the mouth of a crystal vase.” The Master

While the Master was in the abbot’s quarters, a monk outside the window asked, “Within such a short distance, why can I not see the Master’s face?” The Master said, “I say that throughout the whole realm it has never been contained.”

The monk brought this up with Xuefeng and asked, “What is the meaning of ‘Throughout the whole realm it is not contained’?” Xuefeng said, “Where is there that is not Shishuang?” The monk returned and reported Xuefeng’s words to the Master. The Master said, “Why is that old fellow in such a hurry to die?”

He was asked, “I do not ask about when the doors of all the myriad households are closed. What about when the doors of all the myriad households are open?” The Master said, “What is there to be done about the affairs within the house?”

The monk replied, “No one can receive him.”

The Master said, “Though you have spoken, you have spoken most forcefully; yet you have attained only eighty or ninety percent.”

The monk replied, “I do not yet know how the Venerable speaks of it.”

The Master said, “No one can know him.”

He was asked, “What is it like when Buddha-nature is like empty space?” The Master said, “When lying down, it exists; when sitting, it does not.”

He was asked, “What is it like when one forgets to draw in one foot?” The Master replied, “I will not chant in unison with you.”

He was asked, “What is it like when the wind arises and the waves surge?” The Master replied, “Within the city of Hunan, the clamor of killing is loud. There is someone who will not accept the fruit of Jiangxi.”

On hearing a monk relate that Dongshan, when about to send his assembly traveling, had instructed them, “Brothers, at the beginning of autumn and the end of summer, whether you go east or west, you must travel straight for ten thousand miles to a place where not an inch of grass grows. Yet tell me, how will you travel where, for ten thousand miles, not an inch of grass grows?” the Master said, “The moment you go out the gate, there is grass.”

A monk brought this up with Dongshan. Dongshan said, “How many such people are there in the Great Tang realm?”

The Master dwelt at Mount Shishuang for about twenty years. The students in his assembly sat continuously without lying down, standing stark and still like dead trees; throughout the land they were called the “dead-tree assembly.” Emperor Xizong of the Tang heard of the Master’s Way and sent an envoy to bestow a purple robe upon him, but the Master resolutely declined and would not accept it. On the twentieth day of the second month of the fourth year of Guangqi, the wushen year, on a jihai day, the Master fell ill and entered nirvana.

He was eighty-two years old and had completed fifty-nine Dharma years. On the fifteenth day of the third month, he was interred at the northwestern corner of the monastery. The emperor bestowed upon him the posthumous title Great Master Puhui, and his stupa was inscribed “Manifesting the Mark.”

2. Chan Master Zhongxing of Jianyuan, Tanzhou

The Master served as cook under Daowu. One day, he accompanied Daowu to the home of a patron to offer condolences at a funeral. The Master struck the coffin with his hand and asked, “Alive or dead?”

Daowu said, “I will not say alive, and I will not say dead.”

The Master said, “Why will you not say?”

Daowu said, “I will not say! I will not say!”

After the condolence rites were finished, they returned together. On the road, the Master said, “Venerable, you must tell Zhongxing today. If you still will not speak, I shall strike you.”

Daowu said, “If you would strike me, then strike me. I will not say alive, and I will not say dead.”

The Master then struck Daowu several times. Upon returning to the monastery, Daowu told the Master to leave, saying, “Before long, the head of the monastery will learn of this and beat you.”

The Master then bowed in apology and went to Shishuang. He related the former words and his striking of Daowu, then asked the Venerable to explain. Shishuang said, “Did you not hear Daowu say, ‘I will not say alive, and I will not say dead’?” At these words, the Master attained great awakening. He then arranged a vegetarian feast and performed repentance.

One day, the Master carried a hoe into the Dharma hall. Shishuang asked, “What are you doing?”

The Master said, “I am searching for the sacred bones of my late master.”

Shishuang said, “Vast, billowing waves; white-crested breakers surge to the heavens. What use is there in searching for the sacred bones?”

The Master said, “Precisely here one must strive.”

Shishuang said, “Here, even a golden needle cannot pierce through. What use is striving?”

3. Venerable Luqing

A monk asked, “Without falling into Daowu’s mechanism, I ask the Master to speak.”

The Master said, “Before the courtyard, the red amaranth grows leaves but bears no flowers.” The Master remained silent for a long while, then asked, “Do you understand?”

The monk said, “I do not understand.”

The Master said, “This is precisely Daowu’s mechanism; why do you not understand?”

The monk bowed. The Master immediately struck him and said, “Only when this old monk strikes you will it do.”

– Dharma-transmitting disciples of the aforementioned Chan Master Chengtan of Tanzhou

1. Chan Master Liangjie of Dongshan, Junzhou

The Master was from Kuaiji and his family name was Yu. When young, he followed a teacher. While reciting the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, he questioned his teacher about the meaning of there being no sense faculties or sense objects. His teacher was alarmed and said, “I am not your teacher.” He then directed the Master to Mount Wuxie, where he bowed to Chan Master Mo and shaved his head. At the age of twenty-one, the Master ascended Mount Song and received the full precepts.

In his travels, the Master first met Nanquan. It happened to be the day before the memorial feast for Mazu. Nanquan asked the assembled monks, “Tomorrow we shall hold a memorial feast for Master Ma. I wonder whether Master Ma will come?” None of the assembly could answer. The Master then stepped forward and replied, “When he has a companion, he will come.” Hearing this, Nanquan praised him, saying, “Though this man is a junior, he has been deeply polished.”

The Master said, “Venerable, do not regard this worthy Liangjie as base.”

The Master next visited Guishan and asked, “I have heard that National Teacher Nanyang said, ‘Insentient beings expound the Dharma.’ Liangjie does not yet understand the profundity of this.”

Guishan replied, “I have this teaching here as well, but it is difficult to find such a person.”

The Master said, “I ask the Master to explain it.”

Guishan said, “The mouth born of father and mother would never dare explain it.”

The Master asked, “Is there anyone contemporary with the Master who seeks the Way?”

Guishan replied, “From here, near the stone chamber, there is the man of the Way Yunyan. If you can part the grass and discern the wind, he will surely hold you in high regard.”

The Master then went to Yunyan and asked, “When insentient beings expound the Dharma, who can hear it?”

Yunyan said, “When insentient beings expound the Dharma, insentient beings hear it.”

The Master asked, “Can the Venerable hear it?”

Yunyan said, “If I could hear it, you would not be able to hear me expound the Dharma.”

The Master asked, “If so, then I, Liangjie, do not hear the Venerable expound the Dharma.”

Yunyan said, “You do not even hear me expound the Dharma; how much less the insentient expounding the Dharma.”

The Master then presented Yunyan with this verse:

How wondrous! How wondrous!
The insentient expounding Dharma is inconceivable.
If one listens with the ears, its sound is never revealed;
Only when the eyes hear the sound can it be known.

The Master took leave of Yunyan. Yunyan asked, “Where are you going?”

The Master said, “Though I am leaving the Venerable, I have not yet decided where to go.”

Yunyan asked, “Are you not going to Hunan?”

The Master said, “No.”

He asked, “Are you not returning to your native place?”

The Master said, “No.”

Yunyan said, “Sooner or later, you will return.”

The Master said, “I shall return when the Venerable has a dwelling place.”

Yunyan said, “Once you depart from here, it will be difficult for us to meet again.”

The Master said, “It will be difficult not to meet.”

He further asked Yunyan, “After the Venerable has passed away, if someone asks me, ‘Can you still depict your master’s likeness?’ how should I answer?”

Yunyan said, “Simply tell him, ‘Just this.’”

The Master remained silent for a long while. Yunyan said, “You must examine this matter most carefully.” The Master still harbored doubts.

Later, as the Master crossed a stream and saw his reflection, he suddenly attained great awakening to the former meaning. He then composed this verse:

One day, while making offerings before an image of Yunyan, a monk asked, “When the late Master said, ‘Just this,’ was it so?”

The Master said, “It was.”

The monk asked, “What was the meaning?”

The Master said, “At that time, I almost misunderstood the late Master’s words.”

The monk asked, “I do not yet know whether the late Master knew that it existed.”

The Master said, “If he did not know that it existed, how could he have spoken thus? If he knew that it existed, how could he have been willing to speak thus?”

While at Letan, the Master encountered Senior Monk Chu, who instructed the assembly, saying, “How wondrous! How wondrous! The realm of the Buddha and the realm of the Way are inconceivable.”

The Master said, “I do not ask about the realm of the Buddha or the realm of the Way. I merely ask: Who is the person who speaks of the realm of the Buddha and the realm of the Way? Senior, please say one sentence.”

Chu remained silent for a long while and said nothing.

The Master asked, “Why do you not speak quickly?”

Chu said, “There is no winning this dispute.”

The Master said, “You have not yet said anything at all. How can you say there is no winning the dispute?”

Chu did not reply.

The Master said, “Buddha and the Way are merely names. Why do you not cite the teachings?”

Chu said, “What do the teachings say?”

The Master said, “Having grasped the meaning, one forgets the words.”

Chu said, “You still use the meaning of the teachings to make a disease of the mind.”

The Master said, “How great or small is the disease of the realm of the Buddha and the realm of the Way?”

Because of this, Chu passed away.

Toward the end of the Dazhong era of the Tang dynasty, the Master dwelt at Mount Xinfeng, where he guided students. Thereafter, his transforming influence flourished greatly at Dongshan.

Gao’an was in Yuzhang. On the anniversary of Master Yunyan’s death, the Master held a vegetarian memorial feast.

A monk asked, “What instruction did the Venerable receive while staying with your former master?” The Master said, “Although I was there, I received no special instruction.” The monk said, “Since you received no instruction, why hold a vegetarian memorial feast for him?” The Master replied, “Even so, how would I dare turn against him?”

A monk asked, “When the Venerable first met Nanquan, you awakened; why, then, do you hold a vegetarian memorial feast for Yunyan?” The Master said, “I do not esteem my former master’s virtue, nor do I do this for the sake of the Buddhadharma.” “Why do you not esteem him?” “Because he did not explain everything to me.”

Again, during a vegetarian memorial feast, a monk asked, “Venerable, since you hold this feast for your former master, do you acknowledge your former master?” The Master said, “I acknowledge him halfway and do not acknowledge him halfway.” The monk asked, “Why do you not acknowledge him completely?” The Master said, “If I acknowledged him completely, I would be betraying my former master.”

A monk said, “I wish to see the Venerable’s original master. How may I see him?” The Master said, “When the years and months are alike, there will certainly be no obstruction.” The monk presented his doubt. The Master said, “Without following the traces of what came before, please offer one saying.” The monk could not answer. Yunju answered in his stead, “Then I do not see the Venerable’s original master.”

The Master also said, “Is there anyone who does not repay the four kindnesses and the three realms of existence? If you cannot enter this meaning, how can you pass through the difficulty from beginning to end? Mind after mind must not touch any thing; step after step must have no place to abide. Only when there is never any interruption can you attain accord.”

The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?” The monk replied, “I came from wandering in the mountains.” The Master asked, “Did you ascend the mountain peak?” He replied, “I reached it.” The Master asked, “Was there anyone on the peak?” He replied, “There was no one.” The Master said, “Then, Ācārya, you did not reach the peak.” The monk replied, “If I had not reached the peak, how could I know that there was no one?” The Master asked, “Ācārya, why did you not remain there?” He replied, “I would not refuse to stay, but there is someone in India who would not permit it.”

The Master asked Elder Tai, “There is a single thing that supports heaven above and sustains the earth below, black as lacquer, and always present amid activity and function. Where does the fault lie?” Tai said, “The fault lies in activity and function.” The Master immediately shouted, “Get out!”

Someone asked, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from India?” The Master said, “It greatly resembles a horse frightened by a rhinoceros-fowl.”

The Master asked Yunfeng, “Where have you come from?” Yunfeng said, “From Tiantai.” The Master asked, “Did you see Zhizhe?” He replied, “Yicun deserves a beating with an iron staff.”

A monk asked, “When a snake swallows a frog, is it right to save it, or is it right not to save it?” The Master said, “If you save it, both eyes will not see; if you do not save it, its form and shadow will not appear.”

One dark night, when no lamp had been lit, a monk came forward and asked a question. After speaking, he withdrew. The Master had the attendant light a lamp and then called, “Let the monk who just asked the question come forward.” The monk approached. The Master said, “Give this senior monk a few ounces of flour.” The monk brushed out his sleeves and withdrew. From that moment, he awakened and penetrated the mysterious purport. He then gave away all his clothing to help provide the vegetarian feast.

After three years, he took leave of the Master. The Master said, “Conduct yourself well.” At that time, Xuefeng was standing in attendance and asked, “When will this monk who is taking leave return?” The Master said, “He knows only how to go once and never return.” The monk returned to the Sangha hall, sat beneath his robe and bowl, and passed away. Xuefeng went up and reported this to the Master. The Master said, “Even so, he is still three lifetimes behind this old monk.”

Xuefeng went up to inquire after the Master. The Master said, “A person entering the gate must be able to speak. If he cannot speak of the Way, he would be better off dying early.” Xuefeng said, “Yicun has no mouth.” The Master said, “Though you have no mouth, you still come before my eyes.” Xuefeng could not answer.

The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?” He replied, “From the stupa of the Third Patriarch.” The Master said, “Since you have come from the Patriarch’s place, why do you still wish to meet this old monk?” He replied, “The Patriarch is different, but this student and the Venerable are not different.” The Master said, “This old monk wishes to see Ācārya’s original master. May I?” He replied, “The Venerable must first stick out your own head.” The Master said, “This old monk has only just arrived and is temporarily not at Yunju.”

Someone asked, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from India?” The Master said, “Ācārya, there is someone behind you holding a rain cape.” (Another version has someone ask, “Ācārya, why do you turn toward them and associate with officials?”)

Someone asked, “Is there anyone who practices?” The Master said, “Wait until you become a son; then practice.”

Someone cited an ancient saying: “When meeting, nothing is brought forth; when it is brought forth, the meaning is immediately known. What of this?” Zhu then joined his palms and raised them to his head.

The Master asked Deshan’s attendant, “Where have you come from?” He replied, “From Deshan.” The Master said, “Why have you come?” He replied, “I came out of filial devotion to the Venerable.” The Master asked, “What thing in the world is most filial?” The attendant could not answer.

At one time, the Master said, “Only after understanding the matter beyond the Buddha can one have a part in discussing it.” A monk then asked, “What is it to speak in discussion?” The Master said, “When it speaks in discussion, Ācārya does not hear it.” The monk asked, “Does the Venerable hear it?” The Master said, “Wait until I am not speaking in discussion; then you will hear it.”

A monk asked, “What is a proper question and a proper answer?” The Master replied, “It is not spoken from the mouth.” The monk asked, “If someone asks the Master, will you answer?” The Master said, “He has not yet asked.”

Someone asked, “What comes in through the gate is not a treasure—what does this mean?” The Master replied, “Enough! Enough!”

The Master asked a monk who lectured on the Vimalakirti Sutra, “‘It cannot be known by wisdom and cannot be known by consciousness’—what kind of words are these?” He replied, “Words praising the Dharma-body.” The Master said, “The Dharma-body is itself praise; what need is there to praise it again?”

At one time, the Master said, “Even if you say that originally there is not a single thing, you still have not received the robe and bowl.” A monk immediately asked, “Who can attain accord?” The Master said, “One who does not enter the gate.” The monk asked, “Can one who does not enter the gate attain it?” The Master replied, “Even so, it cannot be said that he does not share it with others.”

The Master further said, “Even if you directly say that originally there is not a single thing, you still have not received the robe and bowl. Here, one must produce a turning phrase that accords. After speaking of the Way, what words can be spoken?”

One senior monk gave ninety-six turning phrases after these words, but none accorded with the Master’s meaning. Only the final phrase accorded with it. The Master asked, “Ācārya, why did you not say that earlier?”

A monk heard of this matter and, for three years, attended the senior monk with towel and water pitcher, but the senior monk never brought it forth. The senior monk then fell ill. The monk said, “For three years I have asked the Master to bring forth that saying, but I have not obtained it. Since goodness has not succeeded, I must do evil.” He then came holding a knife and said, “If you do not tell me, I will kill you at once.” Greatly frightened, the senior monk said, “Ācārya, wait! I will tell you.” He then said, “From now onward, there is nowhere to cling.” The monk bowed in thanks.

A monk asked, “The Master ordinarily teaches people to travel the bird’s path. I do not yet understand: what is the bird’s path?” The Master said, “It is not encountering a single person.” The monk asked, “How does one travel it?” The Master replied, “Go directly beneath your feet without revealing yourself.” The monk asked, “Is traveling the bird’s path the original face?” The Master replied, “Ācārya, why are you inverted?” The monk asked, “In what way is this disciple inverted?” The Master said, “If you are not inverted, why do you take a servant for a brother?” The monk asked, “What is the original face?” The Master replied, “Do not travel the bird’s path.”

The Master told the assembly, “Only one who knows the person beyond the Buddha has a part in discussing it.” At that time, a monk asked, “What is the person beyond the Buddha?” The Master replied, “Extraordinary.”

The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?” The monk said, “I came from making sandals.” The Master asked, “Did you know how yourself, or did you rely on another?” The monk replied, “I relied on another.” The Master asked, “Did the other person instruct Ācārya?” The monk replied, “I did not go against him.”

A monk went and asked Master Zhuyu, “What is the conduct of a śramaṇa?” Zhuyu said, “If you do it, everyone will know, and you will immediately go against it.” The Master had the monk depart. The monk said, “I do not yet know where to go.” Zhuyu said, “Buddha goes—Buddha.”

The monk returned and recounted this to the Master. The Master said, “Youzhou is passable enough; what is truly painful is Silla.” The monk then asked the Master, “What is the conduct of a śramaṇa?” The Master said, “A head three feet long and a neck two inches long.”

When the Master saw Senior Monk You arrive, he immediately went and stood behind the meditation platform. You asked, “Why does the Venerable hide from this student?”

The Master said: “Certainly.”
“Ācārya, seek out this old monk.” A monk asked, “What is the Mystery within the Mystery?” The Master said, “Like the tongue of a dead man.”

While the Master was washing his bowl, he saw two birds fighting over a frog. A monk then asked, “Why did that creature come to such a pass?” The Master said, “Only because of you, Ācārya.”

A monk asked, “What is the master of Vairocana’s Dharma-body?” The Master said, “A straw man carrying rice.”

He asked, “Among the three bodies, which body does not fall among the multitude?” The Master replied, “I am always here.”

Once, while the Master was inspecting the rice fields, Senior Lang was leading an ox. The Master said, “Watch that ox carefully; do not let it eat the rice.” Lang said, “If so, it would be best if the ox did not eat rice.”

The Master asked a monk, “What is the most painful thing in the world?” The monk replied, “Hell is the most painful.” The Master said, “No.” The monk asked, “What does the Master mean?” The Master said, “To wear this robe of threads yet remain unenlightened concerning the great matter—this is called the greatest suffering.”

The Master asked a monk, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is A.” The Master asked, “Which one is your true master, Ācārya?” The monk said, “When I see him, I shall answer.” The Master said, “How painful! How painful! People nowadays are all like this. They merely take the donkey in front and the horse behind and make that the self. The leveling hairpin of the Buddhadharma lies precisely here. You have not yet distinguished host from guest within the guest; how, then, can you discern the host within the host?”

The monk again asked, “What is the host within the host?” The Master replied, “Speak for yourself, Ācārya.” The monk asked, “What I have attained is merely the host within the guest; what is the host within the host?” The Master said, “To speak of it is one thing; to sustain its continuity is exceedingly difficult.”

When the Master fell ill, he sent a śrāmaṇera to Yunju to deliver a message. He also said, “If he suddenly asks, ‘Did your abbot say anything?’ simply say, ‘The road to Yunyan is utterly cut off.’ After saying this, you must stand far away, lest he strike you.” The śrāmaṇera understood his meaning and departed. Before he had finished speaking, Yunju struck him once with his staff. The śrāmaṇera could not respond.

When the Master was about to enter nirvana, he told the assembly, “I have an idle name in the world. Who can remove it for me?” No one in the assembly could answer. At that time a śrāmaṇera replied, “May I hear the Venerable Abbot’s Dharma name?” The Master replied, “The idle name has already vanished.”

Someone asked, “Venerable Abbot, while you are ill, is there one who is not ill?” The Master replied, “There is.” The monk asked, “Does the one who is not ill come to visit the Venerable Abbot?” The Master said, “This old monk has a share in seeing that other person.” He asked, “How can the Venerable Abbot see that other person?” The Master said, “When this old monk sees, he does not see that there is any illness.”

The Master further said, “After departing this leaking shell, where will you meet me?” No one in the assembly could answer.

In the third month of the tenth year of the Xiantong era of the Tang dynasty, the Master ordered someone to shave his head and dress him in his robes. He had the bell sounded, then sat upright and serenely passed away. At that time the great assembly grieved and wept, shaking heaven and earth.

The Master suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, and said, “Those who have left the household must not entrust their minds to external things. That is the conduct of true cultivation. If there is birth, there must be death; why grieve and weep?” He then summoned the monk in charge and had the foolish monks brought forth so that he could rebuke their emotional attachment.

Yet the assembly continued to grieve and weep without ceasing. He therefore postponed his departure for seven days. The prepared food was plentiful, and the Master ate together with the assembly.

After eating, he said, “For members of the Sangha, there is no matter greater than the time of departure, yet you make such an uproar.” When the seventh day had elapsed, the Master bathed, sat peacefully, and passed away. He was sixty-three years old and had completed forty-two Dharma summers. The emperor bestowed upon him the posthumous title Great Master Wuben, “Awakened to the Source,” and his stupa was named Huijue, “Wisdom and Awakening.”

2. Chan Master Jianhong of Xingshan in Zhuozhou

A monk asked, “What is the white ox on open ground?” The Master said, “Hong.” Linji said, “Mute is the mouth of Xingshan.” The Master said, “What are you doing, elder brother?” Linji replied, “You old beast.” The Master then ceased.

The Master composed five hymns and ten penetrations, all accordant with the Mysterious Wind. After the Master passed away, a cremation ceremony was held, and five-colored relics were obtained.

3. Chan Master Sengmi of Shenshan in Tanzhou

While the Master was at Nanquan, he was casting a net. Nanquan asked, “What are you doing?” The Master said, “Casting a net.” Nanquan asked, “Are you casting it with your hands or with your feet?” The Master said, “Please, Venerable Abbot, say it.” Nanquan said, “Remember this clearly. Later, when you meet someone with clear eyes, simply raise this saying.”

The Master and Dongshan were once wading across a stream. Dongshan said, “Do not make a mistake beneath your feet.” The Master said, “If I made a mistake, I could not cross.” Dongshan said, “If you are not doing anything, then what are you doing?” The Master said, “Crossing the water together with the Elder.”

One day the Master and Dongshan were hoeing weeds in a tea garden. Dongshan threw down his hoe and said, “I am utterly exhausted today; I have not even a speck of strength.” The Master said, “If you have no strength, how could you know enough to say so?” Dongshan asked, “Do you mean that having strength is right?”

Grand Councilor Pei Xiu asked a monk, “When offerings are made to a Buddha, does the Buddha eat them?” The monk replied, “It is like Your Excellency making offerings to your ancestors.” The Grand Councilor brought the matter to Yunyan. Speaking on the monk’s behalf, Yunyan replied, “There are several groups who eat the meal; they will arrive in just a little while.” Yunyan then asked the Master, “When they arrive a little while later, what will they do?” The Master replied, “Afterward, gather up the basins and bowls.” Yunyan approved.

A monk asked, “What is the place where there is nothing heard?” He then asked to hear a sutra. The Master said, “Awful! Do you understand?” The monk said, “I wish to understand.” The Master said, “If you do not yet understand, listen to the sutra.”

A monk asked, “Nothing is seen on the first bhūmi; what about the second bhūmi?” The Master said, “Are you not mistaken? On which bhūmi are you?”

A practitioner asked, “Concerning the matter of birth and death, please, Master, speak one word.” The Master said, “When have birth and death ever come and gone for you?” He replied, “I do not understand; please explain it, Master.” The Master said, “If you do not understand, you must go and die once.”

4. Venerable Youxi

A monk asked, “When the Great Function manifests before us and no rules remain, what then?” The Master stood up, walked once around the Chan platform, and sat down. The monk was about to speak, but the Master kicked him once. The monk returned to his former place and stood there. The Master said, “You are so, but I am not so; when you are not so, I am immediately so.” The monk was again about to speak, but the Master kicked him once more. “Thirty years from now, I shall speak of the Great Practice.”

– Dharma heirs of Chuanzi Decheng of Huating

1. Chan Master Shanhui of Jiashan in Fengzhou

The Master was from Xianding in Guangzhou, and his family name was Liao. At the age of nine, he left the household at Mount Longya in Tanzhou. When he came of age, he received the full precepts. He then went to Jiangling to study the sutras and treatises, training in the three disciplines, and afterward investigated and studied the Chan school.

At first, the Master went to Jingkou. One day Daowu arrived leaning on his staff and encountered the Master ascending the Dharma hall. A monk asked, “What is the Dharma-body?” The Master said, “The Dharma-body has no form or appearance.” He asked, “What is the Dharma-eye?” The Master said, “The Dharma-eye has no blemish.” The Master further said, “Before the eyes there is no Dharma; the meaning lies before the eyes. It is not the Dharma before the eyes, and cannot be reached by the eyes or ears.” Daowu then laughed.

The Master became doubtful and asked Daowu, “Why did you laugh?” Daowu replied, “Although the Venerable Abbot is an eminent one who has emerged into the world, you have not yet had a teacher. Go to Huating County in Zhezhong and meet Venerable Chuanzi.” The Master said, “May I ask him questions?” Daowu said, “Above him there is not a single tile to cover his head; below him there is no ground in which to plant an awl.”

The Master then changed his robes and went to Huating, where he met Chuanzi, who came tapping his oar. The Master assisted him, saying that in the interval of a blink nothing was retained; the Master had forgotten the mechanisms of worldly life. Students filled his residence, coming morning and evening to inquire and seek reliance.

In the eleventh year of the Xiantong era of the Tang dynasty, the gengyin year, he led the assembly in divining and seeking out Mount Jia, where they established a monastery. The Master ascended the Dharma hall and instructed the assembly, saying:

“Ever since the patriarchs came, those who have understood mistakenly have succeeded one another down to the present day. They take the sayings used by the Buddhas and patriarchs for the sake of people as a model and teacher. In this way, they immediately become madmen and persons without wisdom. They merely show you that there is no Dharma whatsoever that is originally the Way. The Way has not a single Dharma: there is no Buddha to become, no Way to attain, and no Dharma to relinquish. Therefore it is said: ‘Before the eyes there is no Dharma; the meaning lies before the eyes. It is not the Dharma before the eyes.’

“If you turn toward the Buddhas and patriarchs to study, then you have not yet acquired the eye. All of this belongs to dependent dharmas; you cannot attain freedom. Fundamentally, there is only the vast expanse of birth and death, and consciousness-nature has no share of freedom. You travel a thousand or ten thousand miles seeking a good spiritual friend, yet you must possess the true eye and completely escape false and mistaken views. Certainly”

taking the birth and death before your eyes to be truly existent, and again taking it to be truly nonexistent. If anyone can settle this, I shall allow you to show your head. Those of superior faculties awaken to the Way immediately after hearing the words. As for those of middle and inferior faculties, when the waters and waves stretch boundlessly, why do they not turn toward birth and death and settle it? What will you take as your ground? Will doubting the Buddha and doubting the patriarchs take the place of birth and death for you? A wise person would laugh and present you with a verse:

A monk asked: “From ancient times, the patriarchal meaning and the doctrinal teaching have been established. Why does the Venerable say here that they do not exist?” The Master said: “For three years no one has eaten rice, yet before my eyes there is no hungry person.” He asked: “Since there is no hungry person, why have I not awakened?” The Master said: “It is only because of awakening and delusion that you are an acarya.” The Master spoke this verse:

A monk asked: “What is the Way?” The Master said: “The sun fills the eyes; for ten thousand miles, not a single cloud obstructs it.” He asked: “How can this be understood?” The Master said: “In clear water, the swimming fish deludes itself.” He asked: “What is the root?” The Master said: “One drinks the water without losing sight of its source.” He asked: “Why did the ancients spread their hair over the mud?” The Master said: “Nine times one shoots, exhausting all; still, one diseased eye remains. One arrow falls to the ground, yet all beneath heaven does not become dark.” He asked: “Are the patriarchal meaning and the doctrinal teaching the same or different?” The Master replied: “The wind blows upon lotus leaves across the blue pond; ten miles along the road, the traveler departs.”

The Master had a novice who had attended him for a long time. After the Master settled there, he sent the novice away on pilgrimage. The novice traveled throughout the various Chan monasteries but found nowhere to apply his mind. Hearing that the Master had gathered a hall full of followers of the Way, he returned to visit and asked: “Venerable, if you possess such an extraordinary matter, why did you not tell me sooner?” The Master said: “When you cooked the rice, I tended the fire; when you served the meal, I opened the bowls. In what way have I ever failed you?” From that moment, the novice awakened and entered.

One day, after the Master had finished drinking tea, he poured a cup and offered it to the attendant. Just as the attendant was about to receive it, the Master drew back his hand and asked: “What is it?” The attendant could not answer.

A senior monk came and asked the Master: “If it concerns the meaning of the teachings, I have no doubts. But what about the matter within the Chan school?” The Master replied: “This old monk only knows how to turn raw into cooked.”

He asked: “What is the principle of ultimate reality?” The Master said: “On the rock, a rootless tree holds the clouds, unmoving.”

He asked: “What is the lion emerging from its cave?” The Master said: “Empty space has no form or image; beneath one’s feet, the clouds roam.”

The head monk of Western Sichuan traveled through various regions and came to Master Baima. Citing the Huayan teaching, he asked: “What is it when a single mote of dust contains the boundless Dharma-realm?” Baima said: “Like a bird’s two wings, like a cart’s two wheels.” The head monk said: “I had thought the Chan school possessed something extraordinary of its own, but originally it does not go beyond the doctrinal vehicle.” Then he returned to his former place.

Hearing that Jiashan’s transformation through teaching was flourishing, he sent a novice to bring the preceding statement and question the Master. The Master said: “The words touch sand but do not touch jade; binding grass runs contrary to the Wayfarer’s intent.” The novice brought this back and presented it to the head monk. The head monk praised it: “I had thought that the Chan school did not differ from the meaning of the teachings, but originally it does possess something extraordinary.”

A monk asked: “What is the scenery of Jiashan?” The Master replied: “The fledgling roc returns to the green mountain; a bird holds a flower that falls before the curtain of the jade-green cave.”

The Master continued to open wide the mysterious precinct for one full cycle.

In the first year of the Zhonghe era of the Tang dynasty, on the seventh day of the eleventh month, the Master summoned the administrator and said: “I have spoken of the Way with the assembly of monks for many years. You should each know for yourselves the profound meaning of the Buddhadharma. Now this illusory body of mine is about to come to an end, and I shall depart.

Guard it well, just as when I was still alive. Do not make an uproar like worldly people or hastily give rise to sorrow.” Having finished speaking, at midnight he lay down peacefully and passed away. On the twenty-ninth day of that month, he was interred in a stupa on his home mountain, Jiashan.

He was seventy-seven years old and had been ordained for fifty-seven years. The emperor bestowed upon him the posthumous title Great Master Chuanming, and his stupa was named Yongji.

The fifth generation in the lineage of Chan Master Xingsi.

– Dharma-heirs of Chan Master Datong of Mount Touzi in Shuzhou, mentioned above.

1. Chan Master Ganwen of Mount Touzi.

A monk asked: “Whom does the Master ascend the precious seat to receive and instruct?” The Master replied: “Like the moon shining upon a thousand ravines.” The monk said: “Then it fills the whole earth, lacking nothing.” The Master said: “Do not speak that way.” The monk asked: “The father has no head; why is the son called Touzi, ‘the son’s head’?” The Master said: “How could this be an affair in someone else’s house?” The monk asked: “Do father and son belong to merit?” The Master said: “They do not belong to it.” He asked: “If they do not belong to merit, then how is it?” The Master replied: “Father and son are each liberated in themselves.” He asked: “Why is this so?” The Master replied: “You and I understand each other.”

While walking in the mountains, the Master saw the cast-off shell of a cicada. The attendant asked: “The shell is here; where has the cicada gone?” The Master picked up the shell, raised it to his ear, and shook it three or five times, making the sound of a cicada. The monk immediately awakened.

2. Chan Master Wei of Niutou, Fuzhou.

The Master ascended the Dharma Hall and instructed the assembly: “The Buddhas of the three times cannot employ even a single point of clever skill. The mouths of the old masters throughout the land resemble winnowing baskets. What are all of you doing? You most certainly must not take this lightly. Unless you know that it exists, you cannot know it.”

A monk asked: “What is the Venerable’s family style?” The Master said: “(?)” The monk asked: “If an honored guest suddenly arrives, what should be done?” The Master replied: “If he eats, I shall eat with him. If he does not eat, he may go east or west as he pleases.” He asked: “I do not ask about the pearl beneath the black dragon’s throat. How can one know that there is treasure in the house?” The Master said: “Amid pressing busyness, how can one become an idle person?”

3. Chan Master Chengzhao of Xiangshan, Qingcheng, Western Sichuan.

A monk asked: “When the Buddhas meet with peril, they conceal their bodies within a flame. When a patch-robed monk meets with peril, where does he conceal his body?” The Master said: “Place this wave inside a crystal vase.” He asked: “What is the newly risen moon?” The Master said: “It pervades half the person, yet cannot be seen.”

4. Venerable Tianfu of Shanfu.

A monk asked: “What is the great meaning of the Buddhadharma?” The Master said: “The Yellow River has not a drop of water; Mount Huayue is entirely at peace.”

5. Venerable Siming of Haozhou.

When the Master was in the assembly at Touzi, a monk asked: “What is the childlike conduct of the senior novice?” The Master said: “Yes.” The monk asked: “What is the pure Dharma-body?” The Master said: “In excrement, maggots still poke out and draw back in.”

6. Venerable Zhaofu of Fengxiang Prefecture.

A monk asked: “The eastern crows and the western crows all emerge in formation. Why does the Venerable not emerge in formation?” The Master said: “The ways of presiding over a monastery are not all the same. Acarya, why should you find this strange?”

7. Chan Master Xungu of Mount Zhongliang, Xingyuan Prefecture.

A monk asked: “In the empty kalpa, there was no one able to ask about the Dharma. Now that someone asks about the Dharma, how can there be peace?” The Master replied: “The Bodhisattva of Great Compassion sits inside a jar.” He asked: “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the Western Land?” The Master said: “A Daoist carries a cracked bowl.”

8. Venerable Guyin of Xiangzhou.

A monk asked: “What is it that does not touch Baiyun’s pivotal function?” The Master said: “A crane bears the face of a crow; floating life is not forsaken.”

9. The Venerable of Mount Jiunao in Anzhou.

A monk asked: “What is Buddha?” The Master said: “It is precisely you.” He asked: “From afar I heard the fame of Jiunao, but after arriving I see only one nao.” The Master replied: “Acarya, you see only one nao and do not see Jiunao.” He asked: “What are the nine ramparts?” The Master replied: “The waters and waves are swift; the flowers are coarse.”

10. Venerable Panshan.

A monk asked: “How can one escape the three realms?” The Master said: “How long have you been dwelling in the mountains?” He asked: “How can one get out?” The Master said: “The green mountains do not hinder the white clouds from flying.” He asked: “The doctrinal vehicle contains the words: ‘The afflictions of an illusory person are like the child of a barren woman.’ What is the principle of this?” The Master said: “Acarya, right here you are the stone maiden!”

11. Chan Master Jinghui of Jiunao, Anzhou.

A monk asked: “How can one cross the deep pit of liberation?” The Master said: “Do not seek to cross.” The monk asked: “How, then, can one cross?” The Master said: “Seeking to cross is also wrong.”

12. Chan Master Yanxun of Guanyin Cloister in the Eastern Capital.

The Master was a native of Xingtai, and his family name was Lian. At first, he visited Suxi and journeyed widely through the various

In the region of Henglu, Min, and Shu, he once passed through phoenix forests and deep ravines and rejoiced to discover a cache of treasure. His companions discussed keeping it for themselves. The Master said: “When the ancients plowed the earth and found pure gold, they regarded it as tiles and bricks. Wait until I have a ceremonial cap covering my head; then I shall use it here to make offerings to the Sangha of the four directions.” Having said this, he departed.

He later went to meet Master Touzi. Touzi asked, “Where were you yesterday?” The Master replied, “At the Immovable Bodhimanda.” Touzi asked, “If it is called immovable, why have you come here?” The Master said, “Is coming here movement?” Touzi replied, “So it turns out that you spent the night without clinging to any place.” Touzi tacitly acknowledged him.

The Master then made his way to the Eastern Capital. In the assembly was Liang Shaobao Li Pu, the elder brother of Military Commissioner Han of Heyang. Well versed in the scriptures and greatly respectful of the Master, he converted his residence into a monastery named Guanyin Mingsheng and invited the Master to dwell there. While Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou were still in obscurity, whenever they ascended to the abbot’s quarters, they bowed on their knees before him. After ascending the throne, they specially bestowed upon him the Purple Robe and conferred on him the title Great Master of Pure Precepts. His assembly continually numbered several hundred people.

In the third month of the Bingyin year of the Qiande era, the Master suffered from a dental ailment. After giving his final instructions to his disciples, he joyfully joined his palms and passed away. He was eighty-five years old and had spent sixty-five years in the monastic life. On the eighth day of the fourth month of that year, a stupa was erected at Fengtai Village in the eastern suburbs.

– Dharma-heir disciple of Chan Master Lingzun of Mount Qingping in Ezhou.

1. Chan Master Linggui of Mount Sanjiao in Danzhou.

Previously, the Master went to inquire of Master Qingping. Qingping asked, “What have you come for?” The Master said, “I have come to pay homage.” Qingping asked, “To whom do you pay homage?” The Master said, “I have come solely to pay homage to the Venerable.” Qingping shouted, “This dull-rooted teacher!” The Master then bowed. Qingping struck the Master once on the neck with his hand. Thereupon, the Master gathered up his robe and silently understood the essential principle of the lineage.

Later, a monk asked, “What is the Buddha?” The Master told him, “Come here tomorrow, and I shall tell you. It cannot be spoken today.”