景德傳燈錄

THE JINGDE RECORD OF THE TRANSMISSION OF THE LAMP — VOLUME 16

FASCICLE 16
Chan Master Xingsi of Mount Qingyuan in Jizhou.

• Fifth generation (Part 2) — 72 persons:
• Dharma successors of Chan Master Xuanjian of Deshan in Langzhou
• 9 persons:

– Dharma successors of Chan Master Qingzhu of Shishuang in Tanzhou

– Dharma successors of Chan Master Shanhui of Jiashan in Fengzhou

• Chan Master Xingsi — fifth generation.
• Dharma successors of Chan Master Xuanjian of Deshan in Ezhou.

1. Chan Master Quankuo of Yantou in Ezhou.
The Master was a native of Quanzhou, and his family name was Ke. In his youth, he bowed before Chan Master Qingyuan and had his head shaved. He then went to Baoshou in Chang'an, where he received full ordination and studied the scriptures and disciplinary texts of the various schools. Later, he traveled among the Chan monasteries in the company of Xuefeng Yicun, Qinshan, and Wencui. From Mount Daci in Yuhang, the Master went to Linji. When Linji entered quiescence, he then encountered Yangshan. As soon as he entered the gate, he raised his sitting cloth and said, “Venerable.” Just as Yangshan was about to raise his whisk, the Master said, “A fine hand indeed.”

Later, the Master visited the Venerable Deshan. Holding up his sitting cloth, the Master entered the Dharma hall and looked around. Deshan asked, “What are you doing?” The Master shouted. Deshan said, “Where has this old monk erred?” The Master said, “A twofold case,” and then went down to the monks’ quarters. Deshan said, “Which teacher taught that fellow? He rather resembles a traveling monk.”

The next day, the Master came to pay his respects. Deshan said, “Are you the acharya who arrived yesterday?”

The Master replied, “Yes.”

Deshan asked, “Where did you learn such empty-headedness before coming here?”

The Master replied, “Quankuo will never deceive himself.”

Deshan said, “Henceforth, you must not betray this old monk.”

On another day, when the Master came for an interview, he entered the abbot’s quarters, inclined his body, and asked, “Ordinary or holy?”

Deshan shouted. The Master bowed.

Someone related this incident to Dongshan. Dongshan said, “Had it not been Senior Monk Kuo, it would have been extremely difficult to bear.”

When the Master heard this, he said, “That old fellow Dongshan does not know good from bad and has wrongly pursued words and names. At that moment, with one hand I raised him up, and with the other I pulled him down.”

Xuefeng was the rice cook at Deshan’s monastery. One day, when the meal was late, Deshan carried his bowl into the Dharma hall. When Xuefeng came out carrying the rice, he saw Deshan and said, “Old fellow, the bell has not yet sounded and the drum has not yet been struck. Why have you come carrying your bowl?” Deshan immediately returned to the abbot’s quarters.

Xuefeng related the incident to the Master. The Master said, “Great Deshan does not understand the final word.”

When Deshan heard this, he sent an attendant to summon the Master to the abbot’s quarters and asked, “Do you disapprove of this old monk?” The Master tacitly understood his intent.

The next day, when Deshan ascended the Dharma hall, his manner differed from the usual. The Master went to the front of the Sangha hall, clapped his hands, and laughed loudly, saying, “How delightful that the old fellow has understood the final word! From now on, no one under heaven will know what to do with him. Even so, he will have only three years.”

One day, the Master was conversing with Xuefeng Yicun, Qinshan, and Wencui. Yicun suddenly pointed to a bowl of water. Wencui said, “When the water is clear, the moon appears.” Yicun said, “When the water is clear, the moon does not appear.” The Master, for his part, kicked over the bowl of water and departed. Thereafter, Wencui studied under Dongshan. Yicun and Kuo were both descendants in the lineage of Deshan.

The Master and Yicun together took leave of Deshan. Deshan asked, “Where are you going?”

The Master replied, “For the time being, I am taking leave of the Venerable and going down the mountain.”

Deshan asked, “What will you do afterward?”

The Master replied, “I shall not forget.”

Deshan asked, “On what do you rely in saying this?”

The Master said, “Have you not heard it said: ‘Only one whose wisdom surpasses that of his teacher is fit to receive the transmission; one whose wisdom equals that of his teacher diminishes his teacher’s virtue by half’?”

Deshan said, “So it is, so it is. Guard it well.”

The two bowed together and withdrew.

Yicun returned to the Min region and dwelt at Xuefeng on Mount Xianggu. The Master lived in a hermitage on Mount Wolong at Dongting. Chan practitioners gathered there in great numbers.

A monk asked, “Does the Master still have a place from which to emerge?”

The Master said, “The sound of ancient feathers’ footsteps has crumbled away.”

The monk asked, “What is it like when one arrives openly and majestically?”

The Master replied, “The sharp point ruins the eye.”

The monk asked, “What is the Patriarch’s meaning?”

The Master said, “Move Mount Lu here, and then I shall tell you.”

One day, the Master ascended the Dharma hall and told his disciples, “I once investigated the Nirvana Sutra for seven or eight years and found two or three passages resembling the discourse of patch-robed monks.” Then he said, “Enough, enough.”

At that time, a monk came forward, bowed, and requested the Master to speak:

The Master said: “The intent of my teaching is like the three dots of that character.
First, a dot is placed toward the east to open the eyes of the bodhisattvas.
Second, a dot is placed toward the west to mark the life-root of the bodhisattvas.
Third, a dot is placed toward the upper direction to mark the crowns of the
bodhisattvas. This is the meaning of the first passage.” He also said: “The intent of my teaching is like Maheshvara,
who opens a door with his hand and sets up a single eye before one’s face.” This is the meaning of the
second passage. He further said: “The intent of my teaching is also like a poison-smeared drum: when it is struck once,
all who hear it, whether near or far, die.” He also said: “All die.” This is the meaning of the third passage. At that time,
Senior Monk Xiaoyan asked, “What is the poison-smeared drum?” The Master rubbed his hands
against one knee on one side of his body. He was asked, “When Han Xin attends the imperial court, why does he remain sternly silent?”
— Jiashan encountered a monk who was going to Shishuang. As soon as the monk entered the gate, he said, “I do not know how to examine.” Shishuang said, “It may not necessarily be you, Acarya.” The monk said, “If so, take care.”
He then went to Master Yantou and, as before, said, “I do not know how to examine.” The Master said, “Hmph!”
The monk said, “If so, take care,” and then returned. The Master said, “Even so, the younger generation is still capable
of taking charge.” That monk returned and recounted this to Jiashan. Jiashan said, “Great assembly, do you understand?” The assembly could not answer. Jiashan said, “If no one can speak, this old monk will not begrudge his two eyebrows. Speak!” He then said, “Although Shishuang
has a knife that kills people, he does not have a sword that brings people to life.” — The Master and Luoshan
used divination to seek a site for a stupa. On the way, Luoshan suddenly called, “Venerable!” The Master turned
his head and asked, “What is it?” Luoshan gestured with his hand and said, “It is very good in here.” The Master shouted, “An old
melon seller in Guazhou!” After they had walked several more miles along the winding way, Luoshan
bowed and asked, “Venerable, did you not spend thirty years with Dongshan and yet refuse to acknowledge Master Dongshan?” The Master replied, “Yes.” Luoshan asked again, “Venerable,
are you not a Dharma successor of Deshan, and yet you also refuse to acknowledge Deshan?” The Master replied, “Yes.” Luoshan said, “I will not ask about your refusal to acknowledge Deshan; but in what way was Master Dongshan deficient?” The Master remained silent for a long while and said, “Dongshan was a fine Buddha,
only he had no radiance.” A monk asked, “When the sharp sword cuts down all under heaven, who can stand before it?”
The Master said, “A tacit thought.” When the monk asked again, the Master immediately shouted, “Drive this stupid dullard out!” He was asked, “What is it like when one does not pass through past or present?” The Master said, “Drive the spear into the ground.”
He was asked, “What about the affairs of past and present?” The Master said, “Wear rags.” The Master asked a monk,
“Where have you come from?” He replied, “From the Western Capital.” The Master asked, “After Huang Chao, was the sword recovered?”
The monk replied, “It was recovered.” The Master pretended to offer his neck to be cut. The monk said, “The Master’s head has already fallen.”
The Master laughed loudly. — He was asked, “Two dragons contend for a pearl; which one obtains it?” The Master said, “Both
are mistaken.” A monk asked Xuefeng, “A sravaka sees the nature as one sees the moon at night;
a bodhisattva sees the nature as one sees the sun by day. I do not yet know how the Venerable
sees the nature.” Xuefeng struck him three times with his staff. Later, that monk related the preceding exchange and questioned the Master. The Master slapped him three times. — He was asked, “Who is the lord of the three realms?”
The Master asked, “Do you know how to receive an iron cudgel?” — Ruiyan asked, “What is Vairocana, Master?”
The Master asked, “What are you saying?” Ruiyan asked again, “You are now seventeen or eighteen years old. Without inquiring
within the dust, how can you discern the host?” The Master said, “Inside the bronze lantern cage, it fills the head.”
He was asked, “What is it like when the bow breaks and the arrow falls?” The Master said, “Go! Go!” He was asked, “What
is the intent within the crag?” The Master said, “Thank you for the instruction.” The monk said, “Venerable,
please answer the saying.” The Master said, “Take care.” — He was asked, “What is the Way?” The Master said, “Throw
worn-out grass sandals into the lake.” He was asked, “How can one reach the bottom of a well ten thousand fathoms deep?”
The Master said, “Hong!” The monk asked again, “Does the true step cross over?” He was asked, “What is it like when the ancient sail does not cross?” The Master said, “The donkey eats grass behind the garden.”
Thereafter, whenever anyone asked about the Buddha, the Dharma, the Way, or Chan, the Master always responded
with a “Hmph!” The Master once summoned the assembly and said, “When this old fellow departs, I shall roar once
and then go.” Later, during the Guangqi era of the Tang dynasty, bandits arose in the Central Plains, and everyone
fled for refuge. The Master nevertheless remained peacefully where he was. One day, the bandits arrived, and because he offered them no gifts,
they stabbed him with a sharp spear. With a perfectly composed expression, the Master gave one shout and passed away. The shout was heard several tens of li away. It was the eighth day of the fourth month in the third year of Guangqi
(the dingwei year). His disciples performed the cremation rite and obtained forty-nine relics.
The assembly then built a stupa and made offerings to them. He was sixty years old. Emperor Xizong bestowed upon him the posthumous title
Great Master Qingyan, and the stupa was inscribed “Transcending the Dust.”
2. Chan Master Yicun of Xuefeng in Fuzhou.
The Master was from Nan’an in Quanzhou. His family name was Zeng, and his household had served the Buddha for generations. The Master
detested eating fish and meat. While still lying in swaddling clothes, he would listen to the sound of temple bells. Whenever he saw
banners, flowers, or images of the Buddha, he rejoiced greatly. At the age of twelve, he accompanied his father on a journey to
Yujian Monastery in Putian Prefecture. There he saw Vinaya Master Qingxuan, immediately bowed, and called him,
“My master.” He then remained there as an attendant. At seventeen, he shaved his head. He encountered
Great Master Changzhao on Furong Mountain. Changzhao comforted him and regarded him as a vessel of the Dharma.
Later, the Master went to Baosha Monastery in Youzhou and received the full precepts. After receiving the precepts, he
traveled among various Chan assemblies and formed a karmic affinity and accord with Master Deshan. During the
Xiantong era of the Tang dynasty, he returned to central Min, ascended Xianggu Mountain, and established Xuefeng Monastery.
Chan companions gathered there in great numbers. Emperor Yizong bestowed upon him the title Great Master Zhenjue
and presented him with a purple robe. — A monk asked, “Are the intent of the teachings and the intent of the patriarchs the same or different?” The Master
said, “Thunder shakes the earth, yet it is not heard within the house.” He then asked, “Acarya, for what matter
do you travel on foot?” The monk asked, “My eyes were originally true, but because of the Master they became distorted. What was it like at that moment?” The Master asked,
“Did you meet Bodhidharma while deluded?” The monk replied, “Where are my eyes?” The Master replied, “What is attained does not come from a teacher.”
He was asked, “Having shaved your hair and dyed your robes, you receive the Buddha’s shelter through the robe; why do you not acknowledge
the Buddha?” The Master replied, “A good thing is not as good as no thing.” The Master asked a lecturer, “These two words
are entirely explanatory prose; what is the root text?” The lecturer
could not answer. He was asked, “Someone asked: Among the three bodies, which body does not fall within the categories?
An ancient said, ‘I am always right here.’ This is most urgent—what is its essential meaning?”
The Master replied, “The old fellow turned up to Dongshan nine times.” The monk was about to ask again. The Master ordered,
“Drag this monk out!” He was asked, “What is the matter of calling upon someone and meeting face-to-face?” The Master
said, “A thousand miles is not yet far.” He was asked, “What are the marks of a Great Man?” The Master said,
“If you look up in reverence, you have a share.” He was asked, “What matter did Manjusri and Vimalakirti discuss?”
The Master said, “The meaning has fallen.” A monk asked, “What is it like when one is utterly still and relies on nothing?”
The Master replied, “That too is an illness.” He was asked, “What is it like after turning beyond?”
The Master replied, “Boatman goes down to Yangzhou.” He was asked, “An ancient once said…” The Master immediately
lay down and remained silent for a long while. Then he sat up and said, “What did you ask?” The monk repeated his previous words. The Master
said, “The old man lives in vain and dies recklessly.” He was asked, “What is it like when the tip of the arrowhead appears?” The Master replied,
“Even a skilled archer does not hit the target.” He was asked, “What is it like when, as far as the eye can see, no target is raised?”
The Master replied, “It does not hinder the skilled archer from acting according to his capacity.” He was asked, “An ancient said, ‘When you meet a person who has attained the Way midway,
do not respond with words, but answer tacitly.’ I do not yet know what one should use to answer.”
The Master said, “Go drink tea!” The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?” He replied, “From Shenguang.”
The Master said, “By day it is called sunlight, and by night it is called firelight. How could there be ‘spiritual light’?”
The monk could not answer. The Master answered for him, “Sunlight and firelight.” — The temple cook asked,
“An ancient said, ‘Only one who knows that there is a matter beyond has a share in speaking of the Buddha.’ What
is this speaking?” The Master took up his staff and said, “Speak! Speak!” Xi could not answer. The Master
kicked him down. Xi stood up, drenched in sweat. — The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?”
He replied, “I recently left Zhizhong.” The Master asked, “Did you come by boat or on foot?” He replied, “By neither
of the two routes did I travel by boat.”

Someone asked, “An ancient said, ‘When face-to-face, present it to one another.’ What does this mean?”
The Master said, “Blue sky! Blue sky!”

The Master asked a monk, “How old is this water buffalo of yours?”
The monk could not answer.
The Master answered on his behalf, “Seventy-seven years old.”
The monk asked, “Why is the Venerable a water buffalo?”
The Master asked, “What fault is there in that?”

A monk took his leave. The Master asked, “Where are you going?”
He replied, “I am going to pay homage to the Venerable Jingshan.”
The Master said, “If Jingshan asks you what the Buddhadharma is, what will you say?”
He replied, “I shall speak as soon as he asks.”
The Master took up his staff and struck him.

Later, the Master asked Daofu, “Where was that monk at fault that he received a blow?”
Fu said, “If he can ask Jingshan, he will be free of distress.”
The Master said, “Jingshan is in Zhizhong. How could asking him free one of distress?”
Fu said, “Have you not heard it said, ‘Ask from afar and respond at close quarters’?”
The Master then desisted.

One day the Master said to Huileng, “I saw Guishan ask Yangshan, ‘Where have all the sages gone?’ Yangshan said, ‘They are either in heaven or among humankind.’ What do you say Yangshan meant?”
Leng said, “Had he been asked where all the sages were lost, he would have been unable to say.”
The Master said, “You simply refuse to accept it. If someone suddenly asked you, what would you say?”
Leng said, “I would merely say, ‘Mistaken.’”
The Master asked, “Does this mean that you yourself are not mistaken?”
Leng said, “How is it any different from being mistaken?”

The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?”
He replied, “I left Jiangxi and came here.”
The Master asked, “How far is Jiangxi from here?”
He replied, “Not far.”
The Master raised his whisk and said, “Is it separated from this?”
He replied, “If it were separated from this, it would indeed be far away.”
The Master immediately struck him.

Someone asked, “If this student suddenly enters the forest monastery, I beg the Master to show me the way in.”
The Master said, “I would rather grind my own body into particles of dust than dare blind the eyes of a single monk.”

Someone asked, “I shall not ask about the matter after the forty-nine years. What of the matter before the forty-nine years?”
The Master abruptly struck him on the mouth with his whisk.

A monk took his leave to visit Lingyun and asked him, “What was it like before the Buddha appeared in the world?”
Lingyun raised his whisk.
The monk asked again, “What was it like after he appeared in the world?”
Lingyun again raised his whisk.

The monk returned, and the Master asked, “Acarya, why have you returned so quickly after leaving?”
The monk replied, “I went there and asked about the Buddhadharma, but we did not accord, so I returned.”
The Master said, “What did you ask?”
The monk related the preceding exchange.
The Master said, “Ask me, and I shall explain it to you.”
The monk then asked, “What was it like before the Buddha appeared in the world?”
The Master raised his whisk.
He asked again, “What was it like after he appeared in the world?”
The Master threw down the whisk.
The monk bowed.
The Master immediately struck him.

When someone cited the Sixth Patriarch’s words, “It is not the wind moving, nor is it the banner moving; it is the minds of you benevolent ones that are moving,” the Master said, “Great and small, the Patriarch had a dragon’s head and a snake’s tail. He deserved twenty blows.”
At that time, Senior Taiyuan was standing in attendance. On hearing this, he ground his teeth.
The Master added, “What I have just said also deserves twenty blows.”

The Master asked Huiquan, “Where have you gained entrance?”
Quan said, “Let me discuss it with the Venerable.”
The Master asked, “Discuss what place?”
He replied, “The place at which one arrives.”
The Master asked, “What will you do after gaining a place of entrance?”
Quan could not answer.
The Master immediately struck him.

The Master asked a monk, “Where did you recently leave to come here?”
The monk replied, “I left Guishan.”
The monk then asked, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the Western Land?”
The Master continued sitting.
The Master asked, “Do you accept him?”
The monk said, “I do not accept him.”
The Master said, “Guishan is an ancient Buddha of yours. Quickly go bow and repent!”

Xuansha said, “The old fellow at fault was Guishan.”

Someone asked, “This student cannot speak; I beg the Master to speak.”
The Master said, “For the sake of the Dharma, I cherish people.”

The Master raised his whisk to instruct a monk. The monk then withdrew.

The Master asked Huileng, “An ancient spoke of ‘thirty-three before and thirty-three after.’ What does this mean?”
Leng then withdrew.

The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?”
He replied, “From Lantian.”
The Master said, “Why did you not enter the grasses?”

Someone asked, “What of the great matter?”
The Master took the monk by the hand and said, “Senior, whom did you intend to ask this question?”

A monk bowed, and the Master struck him five times.
The monk asked, “Where was my fault?”
The Master struck him five more times, shouted, and drove him out.

The Master asked a monk, “Where have you come from?”
The monk said, “From beyond the enclosure.”
The Master asked, “Did you encounter Bodhidharma?”
The monk said, “The sky is clear and the sun shines brightly.”

The Master escorted a monk out for three or five steps and called, “Senior!”
The monk turned around.
The Master said, “Take good care of yourself along the road.”

A monk asked, “Are the Three Vehicles and the twelve divisions of the teachings expounded for ordinary beings, or are they not expounded for ordinary beings?”
The Master said, “They are not worth a single willow branch.”

The Master said to Jingqing, “In former times, a venerable elder led an official on an inspection of the monastery and said, ‘Everyone in this assembly is a monk studying the Buddhadharma.’ The official said, ‘Though gold dust is precious, what use is it?’ The elder could not answer.”
Jingqing answered on his behalf, “It compares to casting a brick to draw forth jade.”

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, raised his whisk, and said, “This belongs to those of middling and lesser capacities.”
A monk asked, “What of a person of the very highest capacity?”
The Master raised his whisk.
The monk said, “This belongs to those of middling and lesser capacities.”
The Master immediately struck him.

Someone asked, “What was the meaning of the National Teacher calling his attendant three times?”
The Master immediately rose and returned to the abbot’s quarters.

The Master asked a monk, “Where did you spend this summer retreat?”
He replied, “At Yongquan.”
The Master asked, “Did it gush continuously, or only for a while?”
He replied, “The Venerable’s question does not touch it.”
The Master said, “My question does not touch it?”
He replied, “Yes.”
The Master immediately struck him.

Having been invited back to the monastery, the Master encountered a monkey along the road. He said, “This beast carries an ancient mirror on its back and steals this mountain monk’s grain.”

A monk asked, “For many kalpas it has had no name; why is it now displayed as an ancient mirror?”
The Master said, “A flaw arises in the jade.”
The monk asked, “What is dying so suddenly that it does not even understand the words of the dialogue?”
The Master said, “This old monk is at fault.”

The ruler of Min presented silver, which was placed beside the Master’s seat.
A monk asked, “The Venerable has accepted the Great King’s offering. With what will you repay him?”
The Master picked up some earth and said, “You are short of giving me a beating.”

Someone asked, “What is it like when Vairocana has been swallowed whole?”
The Master said, “Was your return to the merit hall peaceful?”

The Master told the assembly, “I speak of east and speak of west, while you seek sentences by following words. If I were an ox or a goat bearing horns, toward what would you reach to seize me?”

The Master resided in Minchuan for more than forty years, and the number of students never diminished. During the winter and summer retreats, the assembly numbered as many as fifteen hundred.

In the spring, in the third month of the second year of the Kaiping era of Later Liang, the wuxu year, the Master became ill. The Commander of Min sent a physician to take his pulse. The Master said, “I am not ill,” and in the end took no medicine. He then composed a verse and entrusted the Dharma.

On the morning of the second day of the fifth month in summer, the Master strolled through Lantian. In the afternoon he returned and bathed. At midnight he passed away. He was eighty-seven years old and had spent fifty-nine years in the monastic life.

3. Chan Master Huigong of Ruilong Monastery on Mount Tiantai

The Master was from Fuzhou. His family name was Luo, and his family had for generations been Confucian scholars. At the age of seventeen, he traveled to the capital to sit for the Presented Scholar examination. While visiting Mount Zhongnan, he came to Fengri Monastery. Upon seeing a sacred image of the Patriarch, he requested ordination.

After Jian passed away, the Master and his disciples established a great Dharma assembly at Ruilong Monastery on Mount Tiantai.

At the hour of noon on the second day of the twelfth month in the third year of the Tianfu era of Tang, the guihai year, the Master instructed the assembly to ring the bell. Looking around, he said, “I am going.” Having spoken, he sat in the full lotus posture and passed away. He was eighty-four years old and had spent sixty-two years in the monastic life. His disciples erected a stupa in his honor.

4. Venerable Waqan of Quanzhou

Deshan asked, “Do you understand?”

The Master said, “I do not understand.” Deshan said, “You are that very one, yet you do not understand.” The Master said, “What does not understanding amount to?” Deshan said, “You are like a lump of iron.” The Master then lifted Deshan’s robe.

5. Chan Master Jian of Gaoting, Xiangzhou.

From afar, on the opposite bank of the river, he saw Deshan and joined his palms, saying, “I cannot discern you.” Deshan, holding a fan in his hand, beckoned to him. The Master suddenly awakened, crossed over, and departed without looking back. Later, the Master expounded the Dharma of Venerable Deshan in Xiangzhou.

6. Venerable Siguo of Danning Monastery in Hongzhou.

Bai Zhao asked the Master to console a household that was in mourning. The Master said, “The suffering pierces the blue heavens.” Zhao said, “Was it the father who died, or the mother?” The Master struck him and drove him out.

Whenever the Master encountered monks coming to him, he would often drive them away with his staff.

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Qingzhu of Mount Shishuang, Tanzhou.

1. Chan Master Sengyi of Mount Nanji in Hezhong.

A monk asked, “I am fortunate to have drawn near to you; I beg the Master to instruct me.” The Master said, “If I were to instruct you, I would wrong what is before us and cause you to become attached.” The monk said, “What should you have the student do?” The Master said, “Above all, avoid right and wrong.” He asked, “What is it when a patch-robed monk’s breath is cut off?” The Master said, “Has it ever perfumed you, or has it not?” He asked, “I do not ask about those of the same kind; what is the other kind?” The Master said, “Split it open with your head and carry it away.” He asked, “What is the sovereign of the Dharma-body?” The Master said, “It does not come and go.” He further asked, “What is Master Vairocana?” The Master said, “It does not transcend.”

The Master first stayed at Moshan. Later, the military governor of Min invited him to expound the Dharma. The Master passed away at the Changqing Chan Cloister. The emperor bestowed upon him the posthumous title Great Master Benjing, and his stupa was inscribed “Free from Dust.”

2. Chan Master Juhui of Mount Daguang, Tanzhou.

The Master was a native of Jingzhao, and his family name was Wang. The Master first went to Venerable Shishuang and attended upon his staff, requesting instruction, for two years. Shishuang then appointed him master of the Northern Stupa. Clad in coarse cloth and wearing straw sandals, he seemed to have forgotten both body and mind.

One day, intending to test the Master’s realization, Shishuang asked, “Each year the state selects candidates and holds the imperial examinations. May one still bow at the court gate?”

The Master replied, “There is someone who does not seek advancement.”

Shishuang asked, “What proof is there of this?”

The Master said, “He does not do it for fame.”

On another occasion, while ill, Shishuang asked, “Apart from today, is there another time?”

The Master said, “He also does not say that today is it.”

Shishuang then acknowledged him. He examined him closely in this way through more than four exchanges, and the Master’s replies never missed the mark. Thus he remained there for twenty years.

The lay devotee Lord Hu of Liuyang invited the Master to Mount Daguang, where he greatly propagated the essential purport of the school. A monk asked, “Was Bodhidharma a patriarch?”

The Master replied, “He was not a patriarch.”

The monk asked, “Since he was not a patriarch, why did he come?”

The Master replied, “Because you have not advanced to the patriarch.”

The monk asked, “What is it like after one has advanced?”

The Master said, “Only then does one know that he was not a patriarch.”

Someone asked, “What was it like before chaos had been divided?”

The Master said, “Who could speak of the teachings of that time?”

The Master also said, “The teachings of an entire lifetime merely gather in and restrain the people of an entire age. Even if one directly strips everything away to the very bottom, this merely produces a person who has settled the matter. You still cannot compare with the affair beneath the patchwork robe. Therefore it is said: throughout forty-nine years it shone continuously without exhaustion, yet throughout forty-nine years it could not be raised.”

Such was the essential manner in which he instructed his students. On the third day of the ninth month in the third year of the Tianfu era of the Tang dynasty, the Guihai year, the Master entered quiescence. He was sixty-seven years old.

3. Chan Master Huaihu of Qixian on Mount Lu.

The Master was a native of Tianyou in Quanzhou and received ordination under Chan Master Chen of Mount Jiuzuo. He then went to study in the quarters of Venerable Shishuang. After obtaining the essential purport, he went to reside at Mount Xie. Since his Way had not yet flourished, he moved to Qixian, where Chan practitioners gathered in great numbers.

A monk asked, “What is the phrase before the Five Elder Peaks?”

The Master said, “For ten thousand ages and a thousand autumns.”

The monk said, “Would that not amount to cutting off continuity?”

The Master said, “Who could hesitate endlessly?”

A monk asked, “I have come from afar; I beg the Master to instruct and spur me on.”

The Master said, “That still does not equal the proper time.”

The monk replied, “I beg the Master to accord with the proper time.”

The Master said, “I still do not change.”

Someone asked, “What is it when dharma after dharma does not differ?”

The Master said, “Adding frost upon snow.”

Later, the Master passed away on Mount Lu. The emperor bestowed upon him the posthumous title Great Master Xuánwu, and his stupa was inscribed “Transmission of the Lamp.”

4. Chan Master Daoqian of Jiufeng, Junzhou.

The Master was a native of Houguan in Fuzhou, and his family name was Liu. He traveled widely among various Dharma assemblies and later received certification from Venerable Shishuang. He guided students at Jiufeng.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall, and a monk asked, “What practices does a person in the Avici hell perform?”

The Master replied, “If one does the deeds of an animal, what other deeds could one perform? One practices the deeds of Avici.”

The monk said, “This person too is on the road to long life.”

The Master said, “You should know that there is someone who does not share that life.”

The monk replied, “What is the life that is not shared?”

The Master answered, “In long life, the vital breath is impermanent.”

The Master further asked, “Brothers, do you know what life is? If you wish to know life, the flowing stream is life, and open emptiness is the body. A thousand waves vying to surge upward are Manjusri’s realm.

The single expanse, utterly empty, is Samantabhadra’s couch. Next, to borrow a phrase, this is pointing at the moon; within the matter, it is speaking of the moon. From ancient times, affairs within the Chan school have been like the signal banner of a military governor.

Moreover, before the ancient worthies in the various regions established so many designations and merely presented it plainly, according to what essence would you brothers discuss that place? Without relying on the three-inch tongue, try to say what understanding is. Without relying on the apertures of the ears, try to discern and hear it completely.

Without relying on the eyes, try to distinguish it clearly. Therefore it is said: the sound of water cannot be cast out; the phrase that follows does not conceal its form. The whole of heaven and earth is entirely your own individual body.

Where, then, will you set eyes, ears, nose, and tongue? You must not merely turn toward the faculty of mind and form an intellectual understanding. Even throughout the whole of the future, it will still never come to an end.

Therefore an ancient said: ‘To seek to study the Mysterious School by means of mind and thought is like traveling west while heading east.’”

At that time, a monk asked, “There is no news of an imperial pardon from within the ninefold palace gates; from where does it come?”

The Master said, “Although the flowing radiance is universal, it does not pervade the inner realm of Min.”

He asked, “How far apart are the flowing radiance and the inner realm of Min?”

The Master said, “Blue waters leap in waves; mountains display their beauty.”

Someone asked, “Everyone speaks of requesting benefit, but I do not yet know what the Master uses to render aid.”

The Master said, “Would you say that the great mountain has ever lacked an inch of earth?”

The monk replied, “If so, what will the search throughout the four seas amount to?”

The Master said, “Elaborating upon the source of delusion, the mind itself goes mad.”

He further asked, “Is there anyone who is not mad?”

The Master replied, “There is.”

He asked, “What is it like not to be mad?”

The Master said, “Suddenly awakening midway along the road, the eyes do not open.”

Someone asked, “What is the student’s own self?”

The Master asked, “Whom are you asking?”

He asked, “What is it like when one directly accepts responsibility at that very moment?”

The Master replied, “Does Mount Sumeru carry another Mount Sumeru on its head?”

Someone asked, “The patriarchs transmitted it from one to another; what Dharma did they transmit?”

The Master replied, “Sakyamuni was stingy; Kasyapa was rich.”

He asked, “Ultimately, what affair was transmitted, and how?”

The Master replied, “Old men of the same age divide the lamp at night.”

Someone asked, “‘The buddhas are not my Way.’ What is ‘my Way’?”

The Master said, “My Way is not the buddhas.”

He asked, “Since it is not the buddhas, why establish ‘my Way’?”

The Master replied, “As it has just arrived, provisionally call it ‘arrival’; as for now, send it out.”

He asked, “Why send it out?”

The Master replied, “If it were not sent out, dust would arise in the eyes.”

Someone asked, “It cannot be found anywhere; is it not the sacred?”

The Master said, “That is because the realm of the sacred has not yet been forgotten.”

He asked, “How far apart are the two kinds of sacredness?”

The Master replied, “Though one may have the art of concealing oneself within the precincts, how could one enter the imperial homeland with the whole body?”

Someone asked, “Since ancient times there has been talk of the true mind and the deluded mind. What does this mean?”

The Master said, “It means establishing the true in order to reveal the deluded.”

He asked, “What is the true mind?”

The Master said, “It does not eat mixed food.”

He asked, “What is the deluded mind?”

The Master said, “It is that which clings to conditions, arises, and collapses.”

He asked, “Apart from these two paths, what is the student’s fundamental essence?”

The Master replied, “It is not apart from the fundamental essence.”

He asked, “Why is it not apart?”

The Master replied, “It does not revere Đồng”

dwelling in the heavens—who would object to the precious darkness? A monk asked, “It has been said since ancient times that the whole of heaven and earth is entirely that eye. What is the eye of heaven and earth?” The Master replied, “Heaven and earth are there.” The monk asked, “Where is the eye of heaven and earth?” The Master replied, “It is precisely the face of heaven and earth.” The monk asked further, “Does it observe and illuminate clearly?” The Master replied, “It need not rely upon those three kinds of light.” The monk asked, “Since it need not rely upon those three kinds of light, on what basis is it called the eye of heaven and earth?” The Master said, “If it were not so, then before the skull you would see countless humans and ghosts.” A monk asked,

“Why could not even a single stroke of the brush capture his likeness?” The Master said, “Sengyou was thus none other than Zhigong.” The monk asked, “I do not yet understand how Sengyou was verified as none other than Zhigong.” The Master said, “The turtle-bird bows its head; Mount Sumeru stands.” A monk asked, “When Dongrong sinks into the ancient road, only one who personally sees it can know—what does this mean?” The Master said, “Steal the Buddha’s money to buy incense for the Buddha.” The monk said, “This student does not understand.” The Master said, “If you do not understand, then light incense and make offerings to your parents.” Later, the Master passed away at Zhutan.

The king bestowed upon him the posthumous title Chan Master Great Awakening, and his stupa was inscribed “Perfect Quiescence.”

5. Chan Master Yongquan of Xintai, Taizhou.

The Master was a native of Xianyou in Quanzhou. He originally received ordination and training on Mount Baiyun. Having been instructed by Shishuang, he went to reside at Langya Yongquan in Danqiu. One day, the Master ate without wearing his kasaya. A monk asked, “Do you not wish to become a layman?” The Master said, “How could I not be a monk now?”

Two Chan travelers, Gang and De, arrived. On the road they encountered the Master riding an ox but did not recognize him. They asked, “Its hooves and horns are perfectly evident; why does everyone fail to recognize the rider?” The Master suddenly struck the ox and went away.

The two Chan travelers brewed tea beneath a tree. The Master drove the ox back and came before the guests, then sat with them and drank tea. The Master asked, “From where have you two Chan travelers recently departed?” They replied, “We departed from over there.” The Master asked, “What were you doing there?” They raised their cups of tea.

The Master said, “This too is an affair of this side; what were you doing on the other side?” The two men could not answer. The Master said, “Do not say that you failed to recognize the man riding the ox.”

6. Great Master Zhiyuan, titled Yuanjing, of Mount Yungai in Tanzhou.

While traveling in search of instruction, the Master asked Yunju, “What is it like when Zhiyuan does nothing whatsoever?” Yunju replied, “It is only that the Acarya’s power has not yet reached the place.” The Master withdrew without bowing. He then went to consult Shishuang and asked the same question as before. Shishuang said, “Not only does the Acarya do nothing whatsoever; this old monk also does nothing whatsoever.” The Master asked, “Why does the Venerable do nothing whatsoever?” Shishuang said, “If this old monk did anything whatsoever, I would thereby take away your fault of doing nothing whatsoever.”

A monk asked, “What is the Buddha?” The Master replied, “The golden face is it.” The monk asked, “What is the Dharma?” The Master replied, “What is in the storehouse is it.” A monk asked, “What was it like before Dipankara Buddha appeared in the world?” The Master replied, “You must not be deluded.” A monk asked, “How can a young snake swallow its master snake?” The Master said, “The color of its entire body is not the same.” A monk asked, “What is a patch-robed monk?” The Master said, “Investigating and seeking, inquiring into the Way.”

7. Chan Master Zang of Gushan in Tanzhou.

A monk asked, “Are the meaning of the teachings and the meaning of the Patriarchs one or two?” The Master said, “By day, the sun shines brightly; at midnight, frost fills the air.”

8. Chan Master Hongcun of Mount Fuquan in Fuzhoushan.

A monk asked, “What is the original face?” The Master closed his eyes and stuck out his tongue. The monk asked, “How many faces have there originally been?” The Master asked, “What did you see when you first arrived?”

A monk asked, “When one encounters a person who has attained the Way on the road, one must not respond secretly with words. I do not yet know what one should use in reply.” The Master said, “This old monk is also thus.”

Three days before the Master was about to pass away, he instructed his attendant to summon the First Seat. The Master lay down and exhaled once. The First Seat called to the attendant, saying, “The Venerable is thirsty and wishes to drink water.” The Master then turned to face the wall as he lay.

When he was about to pass away, he had the assembly gathered. The Master then waved both hands, stuck out his tongue, and displayed it. At that moment, the Third Seat said, “All of you, the Venerable’s tongue is very stiff.” The Master said, “How painful!

How painful! It is indeed exactly as the Third Seat has said: the tongue is very stiff.” The Master bade farewell once more and passed away. The king bestowed upon him the posthumous title Great Master Shaolong, and his stupa was inscribed “Guangji.”

9. Great Master Cunde, titled Huikong, of Deshan in Langzhou.

A monk asked, “What is the single phrase?” The Master said, “Please ask again.” A monk asked, “What is the Venerable’s Senthava?” The Master said, “Last night, during the third watch, I saw the bright moon.”

10. Venerable Chongyin of Jizhou.

A monk asked, “Are the meaning of the Patriarchs and the meaning of the teachings one or two?” The Master replied, “Though Shaolin has the moon, the Congling Mountains do not pierce the clouds.”

11. Chan Master Hui of Shishuang.

A monk asked, “Before the Buddha appeared in the world, he delivered the five Câu Luân. Before the Venerable appeared in the world, whom did you deliver?” The Master replied, “I delivered none of them.” The monk asked, “Why did you not deliver them?” The Master replied, “Because they are the five Câu Luân.” A monk asked, “What is the family style of the Venerable?” The Master said, “Bamboo chopsticks and stone bowls.”

12. Venerable Bajiao of Chengzhou.

A monk asked, “How is the vehicle of the lineage transmitted from above spoken of?” The Master said, “It has already been seen through by those with cold eyes.” The monk asked, “Without falling into any conditions, I ask the Master to point directly.” The Master said, “There is a question, and there is an answer.” A monk asked, “What is the Venerable’s single phrase for the sake of others?” The Master replied, “I only fear that the Acarya will not ask.”

13. Venerable Fu, titled Huijue, of Feitian in Tanzhou.

He was Great Master Huijue. A monk asked, “What is this place called?” The Master said, “Feitian.” The monk asked, “What should one do?” The Master immediately took up his staff, struck him, and drove him away.

14. Chan Master Hui of Luyuan in Tanzhou.

A monk asked, “Without relying upon any conditions, I ask the Master to speak.” The Master raised the brazier. The monk asked, “At the most intimate place, I ask the Master to say one thing.” The Master said, “Do not speak in your sleep.” A monk asked, “What was Niutou like before he met the Fourth Patriarch?” The Master said, “Like the moon in the water.” The monk asked, “What was it like after he met him?” The Master replied, “Water within the moon.” A monk asked, “The Patriarchs transmitted it to one another; I do not yet know what they transmitted.” The Master replied, “You ask me; I ask you.” The monk said, “Then the Way and the secular are not distinguished.” The Master asked, “Where have you come from?”

15. Chan Master Yue of Baogai in Tanzhou.

A monk asked, “Baogai hangs aloft on high; what is the matter within it? I ask the Master to state the essential meaning in a single phrase, without saying too much.” The Master said, “Baogai hangs in empty space; there is a path, yet it does not pass through. If you seek an explanation of the essential meaning, then there will immediately be the Western Cave.”

16. Chan Master Haiyan of Zhunmi Monastery on Mount Yunmen in Yuezhou.

A monk asked, “What is the matter beneath the patchwork robe?” The Master replied, “It is like a person biting hard stone.” A monk asked, “What is the single censer of the ancient monastery?” The Master replied, “It pervades everywhere, yet no one smells it.” The monk asked, “What is it like when one smells it?” The Master replied, “None of the six sense faculties reaches it.” A monk asked, “I have long heard the name Zhunmi. Now that I have arrived, why do I not see Zhunmi?” The Master said, “Acarya, you do not recognize Zhunmi.”

17. Venerable Wenshu of Hunan.

A monk asked, “Why was Sengyou unable to paint a portrait of Zhigong?” The Master replied, “Not only Sengyao—even Zhigong could not paint his likeness.” The monk asked, “Why could Zhigong not paint his likeness?” The Master replied, “The pigments had not been brought.” The monk asked, “Can the Venerable paint it?” The Master replied, “I too cannot paint it.” The monk asked, “Why can the Venerable not paint it?” The Master replied, “He would not carelessly let me use his countenance as a model, so what would I paint?” A monk asked, “What is the secret chamber?” The Master replied, “What is most essential does not reach it.” The monk asked, “What is the person within the secret chamber?” The Master replied, “He does not sit upon the ox.”

18. Venerable Shizhu of Fengxiang Prefecture.

While the Master was traveling in search of instruction, he encountered Venerable Dongshan, who said, “There are four kinds of people: one person speaks beyond the Buddhas and Patriarchs but cannot take a single step; one person walks beyond the Patriarchs and Buddhas but cannot utter a single phrase; one person can both speak and walk; and one person can neither speak nor walk. Who are these kinds of people?” The Master stepped out from the assembly and answered, “The person who speaks beyond the Patriarchs and Buddhas but cannot walk is merely one who has no tongue and is unwilling to walk; the person who walks beyond the Patriarchs and Buddhas but cannot utter a single phrase, cannot utter a single phrase”

can do so—this is merely one who has no feet yet is willing to speak; one who can speak and can walk—this is precisely a box and lid fitting each other; one who can neither speak nor walk—is like one who has lost his life yet seeks to live; this is a barren woman wearing a cangue and shackles. Dongshan asked, “What do you yourself do, Acarya?” The master said, “Completely penetrating, the highest reaches of the assembly are all revealed.” Dongshan said, “What then do you do with the splendid achievement upon the vast, boundless sea?” The master said, “Illusory people meet, clap their hands, and laugh—ha, ha.”

19. Venerable Yungai of Zhongyun, Tanzhou.

A monk asked, “For what purpose does the Venerable open the Dharma hall?” The master said, “For a donkey like you.” He asked, “For what purpose do the Buddhas appear in the world?” The master said, “For a donkey like you.” He asked, “What was it like before the Buddhas and Patriarchs appeared in the world?” The master said, “No image could be obtained.” He asked, “What was it like after they appeared in the world?” The master replied, “Acarya, you too must bow before it will do.” He asked, “What is the transcendent phrase?” The master replied, “Manjusri has lost his mouth.” He asked, “What is the phrase before the gate?” The master replied, “A flower is tucked upon the head.” He asked, “What is it to transcend a hundred kotis?” The master replied, “The one who transcends cannot bear it.”

20. Chan Master Cunshou of Datong Cloister on Qiyan Mountain, Hezhong Prefecture.

The master’s family name was Mei; it is not known where he was from. At first he lectured on sutras and treatises. Later he entered Master Shishuang’s chamber and, in accordance with conditions, taught and guided people at Puban. Monastics and laypeople alike turned to him. A monk asked, “What is it like before the lotus flower emerges from the water?” The master replied, “Why do you not ask about the matter after the lotus flower has emerged from the water?” The monk could not answer. Ordinarily, the master spoke little, but whenever anyone asked, he replied. The master ordained four hundred disciples, including more than one hundred nuns. When he passed away, he was ninety-three years old. His posthumous title was Great Master True Quiescence.

21. Senior Monk Xuantai of Nanyue.

It is not known where he was from. He was calm, quiet, and sparing of speech, and had never worn silk robes; the assembly called him Tai the Cloth-Robed Monk. At first, when he met Chan Master Jian of Deshan, he ascended the Dharma hall.

Later, he met Chan Master Puhui of Shishuang and then entered his chamber—that is, he followed him as a disciple. He stayed at an aranya east of Mount Heng called Seven-Treasure Terrace. He established no formal school or discipleship.

When later students from the four directions came to rely upon him, he always received them with the courtesy due to friends. On Mount Heng, residents frequently felled trees and burned the grass, causing great harm. The master therefore composed “The Ballad of Clearing the Mountain,” which circulated afar and reached the king.

The king then issued an edict prohibiting such acts. Thus, it was through the master’s efforts that the mountain aranya escaped being burned and destroyed.

When the master was about to pass away, there happened to be no monk present, so he himself went out and invited a monk in, instructing him to prepare firewood. He also left this verse:

After reciting the verse, he sat upright,
extended one leg, and passed away.

After the cremation, his relics were gathered and placed in a small stupa built to the left of Chan Master Jiangu’s stupa. The master was sixty-five years old.

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Shanhui of Jiashan, Fengzhou.

1. Chan Master Yuan’an of Puluo Mountain, Fengzhou.

The master was from Linyou in Fengxiang, and his family name was Dan. When young, he left home under Vinaya Master You at Huai’en Monastery in his native commandery, where his head was shaved and he received the full precepts. The master thoroughly mastered the sutras and treatises. At first, he inquired into the Way under Linji and Cuiwei. Linji often praised him before the assembly: “Beneath Linji’s gate is one sharp arrow—who dares withstand it?” Having received acknowledgment and approval, the master considered himself complete. He then went to Jiashan and built a hermitage. Later, upon reading a written instruction from Jiashan, he became alarmed without realizing it, abandoned his hermitage, went to pay homage to Jiashan, and stood solemnly before him.

Jiashan said, “A chicken roosting in a phoenix’s nest is not of the same kind. Get out!”

The master said, “I have come from afar to study; I ask the master to receive me once.”

Jiashan said, “Before my eyes there is no Acarya, and on Jiashan there is no old monk.”

The master said, “That is mistaken.”

Jiashan said, “Acarya, stand there; do not act hastily and carelessly. Clouds and moonlight are the same, yet the mountains on which they rest differ. Among all those under heaven, Acarya, it is not that you lack a tongue; but how would you teach one without a tongue to speak?”

The master was bewildered and could not answer. Jiashan then struck him. From that time onward, the master attended upon him wholeheartedly for many years.

One day, the master asked Jiashan, “How is the place where neither Buddhas nor demons can reach to be understood?” Jiashan said, “A bright torch clearly illumines forms for a thousand miles; in a darkened house, this old monk is bewildered.” He further asked, “The morning sun has already risen, yet at night the moon does not appear—what is it like at such a time?” The master said, “A dragon holds a pearl in its mouth; the fish swimming in the sea do not look back.”

When Jiashan was about to pass away, he told the assembly, “Look at a single branch upon the rock, and then I shall depart.” The master replied, “That is not it.” Jiashan asked, “How is it, then?” The master said, “The green mountain is naturally there.” Jiashan said, “If so, then what I said did not fall away.”

After Jiashan passed away, the master immediately went to Chenyang and met an old friend. When they happened to speak of the Wuling persecution—the calamity in which Emperor Wu suppressed Buddhism—the old friend asked, “Where did you take refuge during all those years of persecution?” The master said, “Right in the marketplace.” He asked, “Why did you not go live in a place where there were no people?” The master replied, “What calamity could there be in a place where there were no people?” He asked, “How could you hide in the marketplace?” The master said, “Although I was in the marketplace, no one knew me.” The old friend could not fathom him.

Someone asked, “In the Western Land there were twenty-eight Patriarchs who successively transmitted the teaching to this realm, one person transmitting it to one person. What is the intricate meaning of this, which is not clearly understood?” The master said, “Before this rustic old man’s gate, there is no discussion of affairs of the imperial court.” He asked, “Then what do you discuss?” The master said, “Before meeting, there is difference; ultimately, one does not brandish one’s fists.” He asked, “If someone came from the imperial court, would you speak together when you met?” The master replied, “Assessing someone outside the functioning, you strain your eyes in vain.” The monk could not answer.

The master went to Puluo Mountain in Liyang to divine a place in which to dwell. Later he moved to Suxi in Langzhou. Chan companions from the four directions gathered there in great numbers. The master instructed the assembly, saying, “Only when the final phrase arrives can the gate be firmly shut and the vital ford cut off, allowing neither commoners nor sages to pass. If you wish to know one of the highest stream, do not take the interpretive understanding of Su and Fu and add it upon your forehead, like the numinous tortoise bearing a pattern upon its back and thereby bringing about its own death.”

He also said, “The compass points to a single road; the wise know its beginning.”

Someone asked, “What is it like when one sees at a glance?” The master replied, “The morning star distinguishes the bright hues, resembling the radiance of the sun.”

He asked, “What is it like when coming in silence establishes nothing, and departing in silence loses nothing?” The master said, “The woodsman prizes firewood and torches; the man of the Way esteems brocade robes lightly.”

He asked, “The sutra says that offering meals to a hundred thousand Buddhas does not equal offering a meal to one person who neither cultivates nor attains realization. I do not know what fault those hundred thousand Buddhas have, or what virtue the person who neither cultivates nor attains realization possesses.” The master replied, “A bank of white clouds flies across the mountain gorge; how many night birds lose their way home to their nests?”

He asked, “What is it like before the sun has risen?” The master said, “In shallow waters and the deep sea, the cage is concealed; clouds billow over the mountain rocks, yet the phoenix still flies.”

He asked, “What is the matter that has been so from ancient times to the present?” The master said, “A single seed in a desolate field—without weeding, the sprout naturally thrives.”

He asked, “If one never weeds at all, will that seed not be buried beneath the weeds?” The master said, “Flesh and bone differ from weeds and refuse; spoiled grain is ultimately difficult to discern.”

He asked, “What is it not to harm living beings?” The master said, “Flowers before the eyes and images of mountains—the deluded falsely take them as bewildering.”

He asked, “What is it when one does not speak of ancient times or the present?” The master replied, “The numinous tortoise shows no strange omen; there is no need to drill the empty shell.”

He asked, “What is it when one is not burdened by light or darkness?” The master replied, “Within the mystery, it is easy to speak; beyond intention, it is difficult to express.”

He asked, “What is it when one is not born into the house of the Tathagata and does not sit upon the Flower-King throne?” The master replied, “Tell me, how many layers of fire are there?”

He asked, “Are the Patriarchs’ intent and the teachings’ intent one or two?” The master replied, “In the lion’s cave there are no other beasts; where the elephant king walks, no fox tracks remain.”

He asked, “What is it when one reaches the inconceivable?” The master said, “Mountain”

Ever advancing into the blue, when day breaks the cart does not move. Asked: “When the barren fields are utterly dried up, what is the matter of standing alone?” The Master replied: “A white horse amid the snow is hard to distinguish; when it passes by a black tree, the matter is likewise hard to discern.” Asked: “What is it when host and guest are both raised?” The Master said: “A withered tree has no lateral branches; when a bird comes, there is nowhere to perch.” Asked: “What is it to remain hazy and confused all day long?” The Master replied: “Cast a jewel among the sand;

one who knows will naturally tell it apart.” Asked: “Then this is waving one’s hand without encountering the Master.” The Master said: “Do not mistakenly take the crane’s song for the oriole’s lament.” Asked: “Everyone esteems those three points of the circle; what is the family style of Luopu?” The Master replied: “After a single peal of thunder, all the drumbeats fall silent.” Asked: “What is it at high noon?” The Master replied: “Even at high noon, half a crow is still lacking before it becomes complete.” Asked: “What is the meaning of the coming from Western India?” The Master replied: “The wind blows through the bamboo veranda;

beyond the mist, it is not cold and desolate.” When the monk pressed the question, the Master said: “You hear only the sound of the wind striking, but do not know how many thousand blows there are.”

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and addressed the assembly: “Guests and descendants, put the tables and chairs in order, for a diviner is coming as well.” A monk came forward and asked: “I request the Venerable to cast a hexagram.” The Master said: “Your father has died.” The monk could not respond.

Asked: “What is the meaning of the coming from Western India?” The Master raised the meditation seat and asked: “Do you understand?” The monk replied: “I do not understand.” The Master said: “Suddenly thunder peals in the heavens, startling the universe, yet the frog at the bottom of the well does not raise its head.”

Asked: “How can one discern the place where neither Buddhas nor demons can reach?” The Master said: “Though the real head has not been lost, one mistakenly recognizes the reflection in the mirror.”

Asked: “What is deliverance from the calamity of birth and death?” The Master said: “Though one may live long following the water, one does not hear the celestial music.”

Asked: “How do the four great elements come to exist?” The Master replied: “When water is still, there are no waves; bubbles arise when struck by the wind.” Asked: “What is it when the bubbles vanish and return to the water?” The Master replied: “Neither turbid nor defiled, dragons and fish swim freely.”

Asked: “What is the matter of birth and death?” The Master replied: “When in a single thought the mechanism is forgotten, not a single speck remains in the vast emptiness.”

Asked: “What is the Way?” The Master replied: “While the mechanism remains, obstruction remains; when the traces disappear, the road is open.”

Asked: “What is it that the entire Canon cannot contain?” The Master said: “Rain moistens the three kinds of excellent grasses; the fragment of jade has shone from ancient times to the present.”

Asked: “A single hair swallows the entire great ocean; what can still be said within it?” The Master said: “If a household has a painting of a white marsh, there surely are no such monsters.”

Asked: “What is it when one is utterly still?” The Master said: “When thunder answers the season, the mountains tremble and the depths are shaken with fear.”

Asked: “What is it when the thousand kinds of movement do not differ from utter stillness?” The Master said: “A numinous goose flies through the open sky; a foolish bird does not leave its nest.” Asked: “How so?” The Master replied: “A white-haired man bows to an infant—throughout their lives, people find it hard to believe.”

Asked: “When all the sages come as they please, with what are they to be offered?” The Master said: “Although Saturn holds a staff, it is not a Brahmin.”

Asked: “Are the Patriarch’s intent and the teaching’s intent the same or different?” The Master said: “The sun and moon travel through the sky; whose household has a separate road?” Asked: “Then light and darkness follow different paths; the matter cannot be summed up as one.” The Master said: “If you yourself have not forgotten the sheep, why need you weep at the forked road?”

Asked: “What is it when the student is about to return home?” The Master replied: “The house is ruined and its people gone—to where will the child return?” Asked: “Then there is no returning.” The Master said: “Before the courtyard, the snow melts and vanishes in the sun; inside the house, dust rises—who will sweep it?”

Asked: “Movement is the sprout of the Dharma King, and stillness is the root of the Dharma King. I do not ask about root and sprout; what is the Dharma King?” The Master raised his fly-whisk. The monk asked: “Is this also the sprout of the Dharma King?” The Master said: “If the dragon does not emerge from its cave, who can do anything?”

At the two mountains, the Master expounded the Dharma, and his words shook every quarter. In the autumn, in the eighth month of the first year of Guanghua under the Tang dynasty (the wuwu year), the Master admonished those in charge of affairs: “The Dharma of those who have left home is to nurture beings without retaining anything. When sowing seeds, one must practice restraint and reflection. All matters of falsity and defilement must be abandoned. The days and months pass swiftly, while the Great Way is profound and mysterious. If you merely drift along in habitual complacency, how can you awaken to it?” Although his exhortations were urgent and earnest, the assembly treated them lightly, let them pass, and showed no reverence.

When winter arrived, the Master became slightly ill, yet he did not neglect the work of receiving inquiries. On the first day of the twelfth month, he announced to the assembly: “I am not speaking of what happens tomorrow. Now there is one matter I must ask about. If you say it is so, you are placing another head atop your head. If you say it is not so, you are cutting off your head in search of life.”

At that time, the head-seat monk asked: “The green mountain does not take a step?” He further asked: “Right there, the lamp is not raised.” The Master said: “At what time is it appropriate to utter such words here?”

At that time, Senior Yansong separately asked: “Apart from these two paths, I ask the Venerable not to question me.” The Master said: “You have not yet reached the point of renewing the Way.” Yansong replied: “Words cannot exhaust it.” The Master said: “I do not need to know whether your words exhaust it or not.” Yansong replied: “There is no attendant present; I am only responding to the Venerable.” The Master descended from the Dharma hall.

That night, he ordered the attendant to summon Yansong into the abbot’s quarters and said: “Today, Acarya, your exchange with this old monk was most reasonable. Judging by you, you accord very well with the intent of the former Master. The former Master said: ‘Before the eyes there is no Dharma; the intent is before the eyes. It is not a Dharma before the eyes, and cannot be reached by ears or eyes.’ He also said: ‘Which phrase is the host phrase?’ If you can select it, I shall entrust you with the robe and bowl.”

Yansong replied: “I do not understand.” The Master said: “You only understand how to assemble words.” Yansong replied: “I truly do not know.” The Master shouted and drove him out, then said: “Painful! Painful!”

Two days later, at noon, another monk brought that same saying and asked the Master about it. The Master answered on his behalf: “The boat of compassion does not row upon clear waves; a sword in its scabbard is wielded in vain to strike a wooden goose.” The Master then took his leave and passed away. He was sixty-five years old and had received the monastic precepts forty-six years earlier. His stupa was erected at the northwestern corner of the monastery.

2. Chan Master Lingchao of Shanglan, Hongzhou

Previously, while residing on Mount Shanglan in Junzhou, the Master expounded Jiashan’s Chan. Fellow practitioners all came to him. Later, in Hongjing, the Master established a Chan cloister and resided there. He again took Shanglan as its name, and his transformative teaching flourished ever more widely.

A monk asked: “What is Shanglan’s fundamental matter?” The Master said: “It does not depend upon the thousand sages; how could it seek the myriad functions?” Asked: “What is it precisely when there is neither dependence nor seeking?” The Master asked: “Can it not be grasped and released in your own hand?”

Asked: “How does one conduct the matter before the spearpoint?” The Master said: “Before the spearpoint, do not reveal even form or shadow; do not seek it on the tip of the tongue.”

Asked: “Two dragons contend for a pearl; who is the one who obtains it?” The Master said: “That pearl fills the whole earth, yet the eye sees it as mud.”

Asked: “What is the meaning of Sudhana’s meeting Manjusri and then going south?” The Master said: “Through learning and the matter of entering the chamber, one first comes to know how to penetrate every direction.”

Asked: “Why did Maitreya send him to meet Manjusri?” The Master said: “The Way is vast and boundless; meeting people is inexhaustible.”

In the Dashun era of the Tang dynasty, on the first day of the first month of the gengxu year, the Master summoned the monks and told them: “I originally pledged to remain here for ten years. Now that the work of transformation is complete, I am about to depart.” On the fifteenth day, after taking the meal, he had the bell sounded, sat in dignified posture, and passed away. His posthumous title was Great Master Yuanzhen, and his stupa bore the inscription “Fundamental Emptiness.”

3. Venerable Sizhan of Yunzhou

A monk asked: “When invited, the ancients did not refuse. If I now invite the Master to enter a well, will you go or not?” The Master said: “Profound and deep, it has no other source; drink from it, and all maladies will be dispelled.”

Asked: “What is the Venerable’s family style?” The Master said: “Having once grasped this person’s intent, one must know the chill hue of the moon.”

4. Chan Master Huaizhong of Mount Xiaoyao, Jiangxi

A monk asked: “Can anyone still speak the phrase that is not the same?” The Master said: “Either five days before the observance feast or five days after it.”

Asked: “When the sword-mirror is bright and keen, what hair could deceive it?” The Master said: “Not without contrivance.”

Asked: “What does the fierce fire in the great furnace smelt?” The Master said: “It smelts Buddhas and smelts Patriarchs.” Asked: “How does it smelt Buddhas and Patriarchs?” The Master said: “Karma is within it.”

Question: What is this called in terms of karma? The Master said: The Buddha’s power cannot compare.

Question: For forty-nine years he did not speak a single sentence. What does it mean that he did not speak a single sentence? The Master said: One sandal returned to the West; the man of the Way paid it no heed.

Question: Is this also the Venerable’s place of peace and security? The Master said: A horse is a government horse; no seal is needed.

Question: What is one aging and one not aging? The Master said: The three meanings follow the six.

Question: What is an extraordinary sentence? The Master said: Sitting upon the Buddha’s couch, he splits apart the Buddha’s simplicity.

Question: Of the Patriarch and the Buddha, which is more intimate? The Master said: Genuine gold will not consent to gambling; who would exchange it for a lump of mud?

Question: Then there is indeed a refusal. The Master said: You are noble; I am lowly.

Question: What is hanging a sword upon a pine tree for ten thousand years? The Master said: It is not that words cannot reach it.

Question: What matter must it be? The Master said: It is only you speaking words.

Question: How can the matter beyond words be illuminated? The Master said: Over many days and many years, the sinews and bones are formed.

Question: Without defeating Mara’s armies, how can one realize the Way? The Master said: The waters of the ocean need not be drawn with a bucket.

Question: Not dwelling upon a mountain where clouds gather, but always remaining in a bottomless boat—what is it like at that time? The Master replied: When the fruit ripens, it happens naturally.

Question: I again ask the Master to speak. The Master said: Before the gate stands a true disciple of the Buddha.

Question: Why does this student not see? The Master said: Everywhere is Old Master Wang.

5. Chan Master Kewen of Mount Panlong, Yuanzhou.

A monk asked: After passing away, where does one go? The Master said: The stone ox walks along the riverbank; throughout day and night the lamp shines brightly.

Question: What is the Buddha? The Master said: A foolish man buries and abandons his father.

The Master later returned to reside at Shanglan Cloister.

6. Chan Master Yuelun of Mount Huang, Fuzhou.

The Master was from Futang in Fuzhou, and his family name was Xu. When he came of age, he went to study under Chan Master Touguan at the monastery on Mount Huangbo in his home commandery. After completing his studies and receiving the full precepts, he set out to travel among the various regions. Arriving at Tushui, he met Venerable Sanfeng. Although their exchanges of questions and answers had coherence, their conditions had not yet accorded.

On hearing that Jiashan’s teaching was flourishing, he went and knocked at his gate. Jiashan asked: What is your name? The Master said: My name is Yuelun—Moon Disc. Jiashan drew a circle and asked: What resembles this? The Master said: In every region there are people who will not accept those words.

Jiashan asked: What of this poor monk, then, and what of you, Acarya? The Master asked in return: Is it the Moon Disc? Jiashan immediately replied: When you speak thus, there are many people here who will not accept what is said in the various regions.

The Master then wholeheartedly engaged in inquiry. One day Jiashan called out and asked: Where are you from? The Master replied: I am from Minzhong.

Jiashan asked: Do you know this old monk? The Master said: Does the Venerable know this student?

Jiashan replied: No. You must first give this old monk the price of his straw sandals; afterward, this old monk will give you the price of rice in Jiangling.

The Master said: If so, then you do not know me, Venerable. You have not yet understood the price of rice in Jiangling.

Jiashan said: You roar well.

The Master then entered the chamber and received confirmation. He relied upon Jiashan for seven years before taking his leave and going to Wuzhou, where he selected Mount Longji as his dwelling place. His companion Xuan went east. The Master then openly expounded Jiashan’s essential purport, and his name became renowned throughout the various regions.

Later, the Master returned to Linchuan and joyfully dwelt on Mount Huang, also called Mount Huangnie. He told his assembly: Dwelling on this mountain accords very well with my intent.

The Master ascended the Dharma hall and addressed the assembly: The Patriarch from Western India came solely to speak of this matter. Because you yourselves do not speak, you turn outward to seek, entering a country to search for a pearl and going to Mount Jing to look for jade. Therefore it is said: “What enters through the gate is not the family treasure.” To take shadows as the source—is this not a great error?

At that time a monk asked: What is the Patriarch’s meaning? The Master said: The palace of Liang produced no accomplishment; in the state of Wei, the traces of mind were extinguished.

Question: What is the Way? The Master said: The stone ox once breathed out the mists of three springs; the wooden horse’s neighing fills the road.

Question: How can one see the original face? The Master replied: There is no need to hang up a stone mirror; when dawn comes, the cock crows.

Question: I ask the Master to deliberate upon a single sentence of the vehicle of the school. The Master said: Mount Huang stands alone, open and beautiful beyond all things; when the moon comes the following year, the wind whistles.

Question: If it cannot be discerned within words, how can it be pointed out? The Master said: The sword fell long ago, yet only now do you notch the boat.

Question: What is the matter beneath the patched robe? The Master said: The stone ox lies upon the water; east and west are freely traversed.

Question: What is the meaning directly before one’s eyes? The Master said: The autumn wind has cadence; the fragment of moon has no fixed direction.

Question: Where should this student apply his mind? The Master replied: Knowing that the gate is not closed, one does not become confused when facing the moon.

Question: What is the path into the clear heavens? The Master replied: A crane perches upon a tree beyond the clouds, unwearied by wind and frost.

Question: What of the affairs of the past? The Master replied: The dragon calls from the depths of the pool; the great waves are naturally sufficient.

The Master dwelt on Mount Huang for only thirteen years, yet none of the students who came to him made the journey in vain or returned empty-handed. Later, on the twenty-first day of the twelfth month in the third year of the Tongguang era of the Later Tang, the Master became slightly ill. At the hour of noon on the twenty-sixth day, he peacefully passed away while seated. He was seventy-two years old and had been ordained for fifty-three years. On the twentieth day of the first month of the following year, his remains were interred in a stupa northwest of the cloister.

7. Chan Master Huanpu of Mount Shao, Luojing.

A monk came for an interview, made obeisance, and stood in attendance. The Master said: Great talent concealed in a humble house. The monk crossed over and stood on the other side. The Master said: The beam of the school has been blocked and buried.

Zun Bunap, on descending the mountain and seeing the Master, asked: Where is Mount Shao? The Master said: That verdant, verdant place is precisely it.

Zun said: Is it only that? The Master replied: It is, indeed, but what business do you have, Acarya?

He replied: I intend to raise a single question, but do not know whether the Master will answer it.

The Master said: Seeing that you are not a gold-toothed fellow, how could you know how to draw the bow and capture Yuchi?

Zun said: The phoenix enters the clouds and mist and departs; who fears the wild magpie in the forest?

The Master said: The painted drum beneath the veranda is yours to strike as you wish; try unfolding a family style resembling this old monk’s.

Zun said: A single sentence immediately transcends the barrier between past and present; the pine and vines do not share the same plane as the moon.

The Master said: You have long since gone beyond the realm preceding the Majestic Voice Buddha, and you also understand half of Mount Shao’s moon presented before you.

Zun asked: Where does the fault lie?

The Master said: The words of Zhou Tang—people of the world know they exist.

Zun said: With what can true jade in the mud be distinguished, without sweeping away the dust of the myriad functions?

The Master said: Before Lu Ban’s gate, you display your clever skill in vain.

Zun said: This student is thus; what is the Master’s meaning?

The Master said: At midnight the Jade Maiden casts her shuttle, sending brocade into the western house.

Zun said: Is that the Venerable’s family style?

The Master replied: The farmer casts away the jade he has dropped; he is no adept.

Zun said: These are words spoken of the family style. What is the Venerable’s family style?

The Master said: The body leaps crosswise through the cosmos; who is there that can poke out his head?

When the Master passed away, he was posthumously titled Chan Master Fearless.

8. Venerable Haihu of Taiyuan.

Once, someone requested that offerings be made to the Tripitaka Master Guanding. When the seat had been arranged, the Master went over and sat down upon it. At that time Lecturer Yunshe asked: In what year did the Venerable practice the Way? The Master said: Lecturer, come forward.

She drew near. The Master said: Just so—then in what year did Kaundinya practice the Way? She was bewildered. The Master shouted: You demon of piss and shit!

A monk asked: Why are there so few people in the Venerable’s cloister, while there are so many in the cloister at Dingshui? The Master said: Where the grass is thick, there are many wild deer; on a lofty mountain, divine goats are few.

9. The Venerable of Baishui Monastery in Jiazhou.

A monk asked: What is the meaning of the coming from Western India? The Master said: Within the four seas there is no household cave; a single drop permeates heaven and earth.

Question: Along the single path of Caoxi, what matter is deliberated? The Master said: In the pine valley, cranes gather after a thousand years; beneath the moon, where cassia glows, the phoenix returns.

10. Chan Master You of Mount Tiangai, Fengxiang.

A monk asked: What is the realm of Tiangai? The Master said: The four seas overflow the pond without encroaching upon a single drop of water.

Question: When this student settles down to read the sutras, what then? The Master replied: Since you are already a great merchant, why seek petty profit?

11.

Master Tongan of Fengqi Mountain in Jianchang, Hongzhou.

A monk asked, “What is the Master’s family style?” The Master said, “The golden cock carries its chick back to the empyrean; the jade hare enters the Purple Tenuity while bearing young.” The monk asked, “If a guest suddenly arrives, what will you offer him?” The Master said, “At dawn, the ape plucks the golden fruit and departs; at dusk, the phoenix carries the jade flower across in its beak.”

A monk asked, “Though one remains in the pool all day long, why can it not be sought and found?” The Master said, “The mysterious source does not conceal the treasure of the unborn; do not falsely claim that the hook lies in the emerald pool.”

A monk asked, “What is it like when, at the moment the pivotal phrase settles, the morning frost does not encounter its season?” The Master said, “Beneath the gate of the great sun there are neither moon nor stars; beneath the Son of Heaven’s hall there are no destitute children.”

A monk asked, “What is Tongan’s place of turning the body?” The Master replied, “Through many kalpas it has never sunk beneath the jade frost; how could it now be obstructed by the grass of the great sun?”

A monk asked, “How does one advance along a perilous and treacherous road?” The Master replied, “The mysterious body penetrates the road of a thousand divergences; when the azure sea is without waves, arriving there is indeed difficult.”

A monk asked, “What is the matter beneath the patched robe?” The Master said, “A single piece of perfect jade endures throughout past and present; how could it be the same as the man who fishes in the stillness of night?”

A monk asked, “What is a person utterly without shame?” The Master said, “The King of Emptiness does not sit in the hall of the unborn; before Kasyapa’s house, no lamp is lit.”