景德傳燈錄

THE JINGDE RECORD OF THE TRANSMISSION OF THE LAMP — FASCICLE 13

FASCICLE 13
The separate transmission lines of Chan Master Huairang and Caoxi comprise 77 persons.
(Huairang from the seventh through the ninth generation; Caoxi from the second through
the sixth generation.)

• The seventh generation of Chan Master Huairang comprises 11 persons.
• There were 4 Dharma successors of Chan Master Huiqing of Bajiao Mountain, Yingshan:

1. Chan Master Qingrang of Xingyang Mountain, Chengzhou.
2. Chan Master Fayan of Yougu Mountain, Hongzhou. (Records of the above 2 persons
are found in this collection.)
3. Chan Master Yishen of Xingwang Mountain, Chengzhou.
4. Chan Master Zhuwu of Bajiao Mountain. (The above 2 persons left no recorded
encounter dialogues or sayings.)
There were 4 Dharma successors of Chan Master Rubao of Zifu, Jizhou:
1. Chan Master Zhen Cui of Zifu, Jizhou.
2. Venerable Fushou of Jizhou.
3. Venerable Luyuan of Jizhou. (Records of the above 3 persons are found in this collection.)
4. Great Master Deshao of Baozi, Tanzhou. (This 1 person left no recorded
encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Venerable Baojing of Ruzhou had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Yanzhao of Fengxue, Ruzhou.

– Chan Master Siming of the Western Cloister in Ruzhou had

1 Dharma successor:
1. Chan Master Guiji of Xingyang, Jingzhou.

– Chan Master Hongjiu of Huilin, Shaozhou, had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Venerable Lingrui of Shaozhou.
The eighth generation of Chan Master Huairang comprises 6 persons.

– Chan Master Yanzhao of Fengxue, Ruzhou, had 4 Dharma successors:

– Great Master Deshao Guizhen of Baozi, Tanzhou, had 2 Dharma successors:

1. Chan Master Zhiqian of Sanjiao Mountain, Qizhou. (A record of this 1 person
is found in this collection.)
2. Chan Master Cida of Xingyang, Chengzhou.
The ninth generation of Chan Master Huairang comprises 1 person.

– Chan Master Xingnian of Shoushan, Ruzhou, had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Shanzhao of Fenzhou. (A record of this 1 person is found in this collection.)
The separate Caoxi line in the second generation comprises 30 persons.

– Venerable Dingzhen of Luofu Mountain had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Lingyun of Luofu Mountain. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Venerable Daojin of Zhikong Mountain had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Xuanjue of Jingzhou. (No recorded encounter dialogues or
sayings.)

– Venerable Shankuai of Xiahuitian, Shaozhou, had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Shanwu. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Venerable Benjing of Kongshan Mountain had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Palace Commissioner Yang Guangting. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Venerable Yuansu had 2 Dharma successors:

1. Chan Master Daojin the Younger of Shaozhou.
2. Chan Master Youji of Shaozhou.

– Venerable Qituo had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Daoqian of Hengzhou. (No recorded encounter dialogues or
sayings.)

– National Preceptor Huizhong of Nanyang had 5 Dharma successors:

1. Chan Master Zhenying of Danyuan Mountain, Jizhou. (A record is found in this
collection.)
2. Emperor Suzong of the Tang dynasty.
3. Emperor Daizong of the Tang dynasty.
4. Sun Zhigu of Kaifeng.
5. Chan Master Weijie of Xiangyan, Dengzhou. (The above 4 persons
left no recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Great Master Shenhui of Heze, Luoyang, had 18 Dharma successors:

– Chan Master Shanwu of Xiahuitian had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Wuxue of Tanzhou. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Venerable Daojin of Hengzhou had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Rubao of Hunan. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Venerable Zhenying of Danyuan Mountain had

1 Dharma successor:
1. Chan Master Zhensui of Jizhou. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Venerable Faru of Xuzhou had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Weizhong of Jingnan. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Venerable Huaikong of Heyang had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Daoming of Taizhou. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)

– Chan Master Yuanzhen of Wuyan Mountain had 2 Dharma successors:

– Chan Master Wuming of Wutai Mountain had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Great Master Chengguan of Huayan, Wutai. (No recorded encounter
dialogues or sayings.)

– Venerable Nan’en of Yizhou had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Yifu. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)
The separate Caoxi line in the fourth generation comprises 5 persons.

– Chan Master Weizhong of Jingnan had 4 Dharma successors:

– Ascetic Wu had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Xuangu. (No recorded encounter dialogues or sayings.)
The separate transmission of Caoxi in the fifth generation comprises 4 persons.

– Chan Master Daoyuan of Suizhou had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Zongmi of Guifeng, Zhongnan Mountain. (A record is found in this
collection.)

– Chan Master Shenzhao of Fengguo had 3 Dharma successors:

– Chan Master Mizong of Guifeng had 6 Dharma successors:

– Chan Master Xuancui of Lutai had 1 Dharma successor:

1. Chan Master Nian of Longxing.

– Chan Master Zhiyuan of Huazhou had 4 Dharma successors:

– Dharma successors of the aforementioned Chan Master Qingxiang of Bajiao Mountain,

Chengzhou
1. Chan Master Qingrang of Xingyang Mountain, Chengzhou.
A monk asked, “The Buddha Great Penetrating Wisdom Victory sat at the place of awakening for ten kalpas, yet the Buddha-Dharma did not manifest before him, and he was unable to attain the Buddha Way. What was it like at that time?”
The Master said, “At that time, it was very fitting.”

The monk said, “Since he was already seated in the place of enlightenment,
why did he not attain Buddhahood?” The Master said, “Because he did not become
a Buddha.”

2. Chan Master Fayan of Yougu Mountain, Hongzhou.

A monk asked, “What is the Way?” The Master remained silent for a long while, then said, “Do you
understand?” The monk said, “This student does not understand.” The Master said, “Words of the Way have no
sound, yet they reveal the profound meaning clearly time and again. If you understand
the essential point of Chan as plainly as daylight, there will be no need to seek peace elsewhere afterward.”

– Dharma heirs of the former Chan Master Rubao of Sifu, Jizhou.

1. Chan Master Chengcui of Sifu, Jizhou.

A monk asked, “What principle did the Venerable attain upon meeting the ancient master, such that you immediately came to rest?” The Master
drew a circle and pointed to it. He was asked, “What is the Song of the Ancient Man?” The Master drew a circle
and pointed to it. He was asked, “What is the very first phrase?” The Master said, “Before the world
was complete, Acarya, you were already there.” He was asked, “What is the meaning of Master Baizhang’s
rolling up the mat?” The Master remained silent for a long while. He was asked, “What did the ancient mean by ‘thirty-three before and thirty-three after’?”
The Master asked, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is A, B...” The Master said, “Go drink tea.” The Master
called to the assembly and said, “If, upon seeing Sifu’s staff raised from across the river, one immediately turns back,
thirty blows should still be given to one’s heels—how much more so after crossing the river and arriving here!” A monk
had just stepped forward when the Master said, “You cannot be spoken with.” He was asked, “What is the mind of the ancient Buddha?”
The Master said, “Mountains, rivers, and the great earth.”

2. Venerable Fushou of Jizhou.

A monk asked, “Are the Patriarch’s meaning and the teaching’s meaning the same or different?” The Master thereupon flung out his hands. He was asked,
“Manjusri rides a lion, and Samantabhadra rides an elephant. What does Sakyamuni ride?” The Master raised
both hands and said, “Deviant! Deviant!”

3. Venerable Luyuan of Tanzhou.

A monk asked, “When one becomes a Buddha in another land, does one have another name?” The Master
drew a circle and pointed to it. He was asked, “What is the single road of Luyuan?” The Master said,
“A nimble tongue asks about what is yet to come.” He was asked, “What is it to shut the gate and build a cart?” The Master
said, “The stone bridge of Nanyue—a stone bridge at Nanyue.” The monk asked, “What is it to go out through the gate and follow the wheel-ruts?”
The Master said, “Sandals hanging from the head of a staff.” The Master ascended
the Dharma Hall, flung out both hands, and said, “The life-root of this old monk under heaven
and of all you senior monks is entirely in here.” A monk stepped forward and said, “Can it
be gathered in?” The Master said, “Tiantai, beside the stone bridge.” The monk
said, “I do not see it that way.” The Master said, “Bowing your head in thought, you are still waiting upon a guest.” He was asked,
“What is it that the World-Honored One spoke without speaking?” The Master said, “Mount Sumeru topples over.”
He was asked, “What is it that Kasyapa heard without hearing?” The Master said, “The great ocean
drains dry.”

– Dharma heirs of the former Venerable Baoying of Ruzhou.

1. Chan Master Yanzhao of Fengxue, Ruzhou.

The Master was a native of Yuhang. He aroused the aspiration under Master Shunde of Jingqing in
Yuezhou. Before attaining the essential meaning, he traveled to the Huayan Cloister in Xiangzhou, where he
met the senior monk Shoulang. He then became an attendant to Nanyuan of Ruzhou and thus secretly investigated
Nanyuan’s essential doctrine. When he arrived at Nanyuan, he presented himself without bowing. He immediately asked, “Upon entering the gate, one must see the abbot. I request the Master to speak.”
Nanyuan struck his knee with his left hand. The Master immediately shouted. Nanyuan struck his knee
with his right hand. The Master shouted again. Nanyuan raised his left hand and said, “This one comes from you, Acarya.” Then he raised
his right hand and said, “What about this one?” The Master said, “Blind!” Nanyuan was about to seize his staff. The Master
asked, “What are you doing?” He then snatched the staff and struck the old Venerable, saying, “Do not say that I did not tell you.”
Nanyuan said, “In thirty years as abbot, today I have been reprimanded at my own gate by a yellow-faced brat!”
The Master said, “Venerable, you are like a man carrying an alms bowl who cannot deceive others by saying he is not hungry.”
Nanyuan said, “Acarya, when did you come to Nanyuan?” The Master said, “What sort of words are those?”
Nanyuan replied, “This old monk just asked you.” The Master said, “Even so, you cannot be excused.” Nanyuan
invited him to sit and drink tea. The Master then bowed in homage, thereby establishing the bond of master and disciple. From that time onward, in accord
with the mystical prediction of the Guiyang school, he appeared in the world and gathered disciples. Through him, Nanyuan’s Dharma Way
resounded throughout the regions. The Master ascended the Dharma Hall and addressed the assembly: “Those who investigate and learn with their ears and eyes,
when encountering the pivotal opportunity, must decisively bring the great function directly forth; do not cling to phrases and become entangled in trifles.
If you manage to speak before the words are uttered, you are still obstructed by the shell and deluded by the wind. If
you penetrate only after the phrase has been spoken, you still cannot avoid encountering circumstances with deranged views.
As I see it, if you come in response to this and understand in reliance upon it, the two paths of light and darkness
will be swept away at once. I directly teach each of you to be like a lion cub,
baring its fangs, brandishing its claws, raking the earth, and roaring once; a sheer precipice ten thousand fathoms high—
who dares look upon it with the true eye? If you peer at it, your eyes will immediately be blinded—your great, bulging eyes!”

The Master later entered the government office in Yingzhou, ascended the Dharma seat, and instructed the assembly:
“The mind-seal of the Patriarchs is like a grass mechanism. When the iron ox moves, the seal stands; when it stands,
the seal is empty. But if it neither moves nor stands, then the seal is present, yet that which is not the
seal is also present. Is there anyone who can speak of this?” At that time Elder Lupo
stepped forward and asked, “This student possesses the mechanism of the iron ox; I request the Master not to answer with the seal.” The Master said,
“Accustomed to the whales and leviathans that calm the great depths, one finds frogs croaking... amid mud and sand.” Po stood
thinking for a long while. The Master shouted, “Elder, why do you not speak?” Po was about
to argue when the Master struck him once with the whisk and said, “Do you still remember the opening words? Try
raising them for us to see.” As Po was about to open his mouth, the Master struck him once more with the whisk. The prefect
said, “I truly know that the Buddha-Dharma and the sovereign’s law are of one kind.” The Master asked, “What principle do you perceive?”
The prefect said, “When a matter ought to be decided but is not decided, disorder is invited instead.” The Master
immediately descended from the Dharma seat.

A monk ascended the platform and asked, “Whose household does the Master’s song belong to, and whose lineage does your tradition
continue?” The Master said, “Leaping entirely beyond the time before the Buddha of Awesome Voice, you stand on tiptoe in vain to praise the sandy bottom.”
He was asked, “The ancient song has no melody; how can one harmonize with it?”
The Master said, “The wooden cock crows at midnight; the running dog barks at daybreak.” He was asked, “What is
a single recitation of ‘Namo Buddha’?” The Master said, “The lamp joined to the phoenix’s wings shines brilliantly;
the shadow of the crescent moon falls aslant upon the face.” He was asked, “What is Buddha?” The Master asked, “What is not Buddha?”
The monk replied, “I have not yet understood the mysterious saying; I request the Master to point directly.” The Master said, “The house stands by the harbor;
at dawn its light shines before the mulberry treetop.” He was asked, “What is it when the bright moon is in the open sky?”
The Master said, “It does not come from above the heavens; freely bury it in the earth.” He was asked, “What is Buddha?” The Master said,
“The wind neighs; the wooden horse has no tether. The led ox, wearing its horns, suffers the whip.” He was asked,
“What is the great sword of wisdom?” The Master said, “It cuts no one to death.” He was asked, “What was it like when the ancient mirror
had not yet been polished?” The Master said, “The secret of the heavenly demons was torn apart by a cart.” The monk asked,
“What about after it has been polished?” The Master replied, “Xuanyuan has no Way.”
The monk asked, “What is it when the bright moon is in the open sky?” The Master said, “It is not within the round heaven,
but in the inner village.” He was asked, “Spear and shield originally cure two illnesses; what about
the radiant jewels of Indra’s Net?” The Master replied, “Guishan rises nine fathoms high; a cartload of earth weighs a thousand catties.”
The monk asked, “What does that mean?” The Master replied, “What does it mean?” He was asked, “Presenting carved wood to Marquis Wen—
how many people know the mind?” The Master said, “In youth I once resolved the battle formation of dragons and snakes;
after much hardship, I still hear the Song of the Pheasant Chick.” He was asked, “Who is the master within
Mount Qingliang?” The Master said, “One phrase, with no leisure and no attachment, is asked; to this day he still plays the wild-monk.”
He was asked, “When a phrase does not accord with the pivotal opportunity, how is the Way revealed?” The Master said, “Though the Great Mao is level with the heavens,
the sun is not precisely at noon.” He was asked, “What is the Venerable’s family style?” The Master said, “Though the crane has nine heights, it can scarcely beat
its wings and soar; though the horse lacks a thousand-mile range, it forever chases the wind.” He was asked, “What is Buddha?” The Master said,
“Do not let anyone else hear.” He was asked, “Before any question has been put into words, I request the Master to try to speak.”
The Master said, “Entering the marketplace, let out a long howl; returning home, put on a short robe.”

Question: At the end of the summer retreat today, what is the Master’s meaning?
The Master said: “No pity for the goose guarding the snow; instead, delight in the hunter’s ice.”
Question: When returning home by no road, how is it then?
The Master said: “Look sideways at the place ripened red. Delight in killing the child of one’s ordinary life.”

The provincial official invited the Master to ascend the Dharma Hall. A monk asked: “When the king of the temporal realm and the king of the Dharma meet, how is it then?”
The Master said: “A great dance circles the forest and streams; the questioner rejoices without concern.”
The monk asked: “What do they speak of together?”
The Master said: “Tigers and leopards once sat calmly before the cave; following the bright banner, examine the true tradition.”
Question: “I do not ask about pressing the leaves to seek the branches. What is it to cut through all the roots at once?”
The Master said: “Coming to make offerings at the sacred mausoleum, entering to open the hall, one brings back the rain.”
Question: “Whatever is asked bears a burden. I ask the Master to cut through all the roots at once.”
The Master said: “Rarely does one meet a guest with pierced ears; often one meets those who notch the boat.”
Question: “Precisely at that moment, how is it?”
The Master replied: “Though the blind turtle encountering the log remains hidden in seclusion, the withered tree blossoms in a spring beyond things.”
Question: “What is the matter within the secret chamber?”
The Master said: “Letting down his sleeves, he speaks of ancient and modern times; turning his face away, he privately furrows his brow.”
Question: “How can the pearl beneath the Black Dragon’s chin be obtained?”
The Master said: “Once beside the sea, the withered bamboo sprouted; only now has the lute begun to sound.”
Question: “The great boat rocks as one gazes into emptiness—how can the oar be raised?”
The Master said: “Self-obstruction is not kept in the belly. The whole household does not rejoice.”
Question: “The pursuing wind is difficult to grasp firmly in the future. How is this matter?”
The Master said: “Does the Persian remove his coarse robe?”
Question: “On the prince’s birthday, must one again rely upon passing the examination?”
The Master said: “One phrase of fixed radiance, O child of Chan.”
Question: “The three fears betray the pivotal function of the ancients.”
Question: “Following conditions yet remaining unchanged—if one suddenly meets a kindred spirit, how is it then?”
The Master replied: “Tracing the sand, the hat tilts amid a thousand mountains; channeling the water, it flows around before the Five Elders.”
Question: “Notching the boat and seeking, one cannot obtain the very substance. How is this matter?”
The Master said: “For great merit no reward is established; fanning the firewood, the grass naturally grows deep.”
Question: “From the people of high antiquity onward, the seals have corresponded with one another. What is the seal at the bottom of the eye?”
The Master said: “The light and carefree practitioner knows the transformations of the pivotal function; grasping together the soul-dampened kerchief, he wipes away tears.”
Question: “After nine summer retreats, reward the merit. I ask the Master to speak.”
The Master said: “Leaving the mountains, he spreads forth rain that stirs the dragons; waves overflow, monks leap, and flowers fill the bowl.”
Question: “At the very beginning, who freely answers for himself?”
The Master said: “A single handful of fragrant hay is grasped and not yet released; six rings of the golden staff sound in emptiness.”
Question: “The patriarchs of India transmitted it here. I ask the Master to speak.”
The Master said: “One dog barks falsely; for a thousand autumns the howling is real.”
Question: “How far apart are the Way of Kings and the Way of the Buddha?”
The Master said: “The straw dog barks when heaven and earth unite; after the wooden cock crows, the patriarchal lamp shines.”
Question: “I ask the Master to polish the mind-seal of the patriarchs.”
The Master said: “The patriarchal moon in the sky is round with the wisdom of the sages; on what mountain are the pines and junipers not verdant?”

The great assembly gathered and asked the Master to expound the Dharma.
The Master said: “The barefoot man chases the rabbit; the falcon-bearer eats the meat.”
Question: “There is no need to examine broadly the teachings of the King of Emptiness; briefly employ the mysterious pivotal function and speak for us.”
The Master said: “White jade without a flaw has its foot cut off again.”
Question: “What is the unconditioned phrase?”
The Master said: “The jeweled torch shines before the carriage; golden light illuminates the great void.”
Question: “What is a phrase that accords with the occasion?”
The Master said: “Taking advantage of the wind, little strength is needed.”
Question: “When the white face is presented to one another, how is it then?”
The Master said: “Taking up a kerchief, he immediately covers his face.”
Question: “What is the breath of a monk?”
The Master said: “Running with a pillow under his elbow, the assembly sees him at once.”
Question: “The purple toad has just emerged and autumn has already arrived; the full moon is at the gate—what is the meaning?”
The Master said: “When the moon rises and encounters the bird, everyone sees it; last night frost fell, yet you did not know.”
Question: “What is it to cut straight through the single road?”
The Master said: “Cut straight through the winding turns.”
Question: “What is the lion’s roar?”
The Master said: “Who needs you to utter the cry of a jackal?”
Question: “What are truthful words?”
The Master replied: “The mind hangs upon the cliff.”
Question: “When the mind cannot engage conditions, yet the mouth can speak, how is it then?”
The Master said: “When you meet someone, just present it and see.”
Question: “When the dragon penetrates and immerses itself in the deep pool, how is it then?”
The Master said: “Press the tail down firmly.”
Question: “When one allows one’s nature to sink or float, how is it then?”
The Master said: “Drag the ox and do not let it enter the enclosure.”
Question: “When neither existence nor nonexistence has anywhere to arrive, how is it then?”
The Master said: “For three months, too indolent to stroll the path beneath the flowers; one household sorrowfully shuts its gate amid the rain.”
Question: “Speech and silence are both relinquished—how can one avoid transgressing altogether?”
The Master said: “I always remember Jiangnan during the third month, where the partridge sings amid pervasive fragrance.”
Question: “When there are a hundred willows and a thousand—how is it then?”
The Master said: “Do not allow travel by night; one must arrive when daylight dawns.”
Question: “When there is not an inch of earth in which to lodge the body, how is it then?”
The Master said: “The stupa on Mount Xiong’er stands open, yet no guest knocks.”
A monk asked: “What is it?”
The Master said: “Quickly cut it off.”
Question: “If all the people of the great earth came at once to ask, how would you respond?”
The Master said: “Few are those who understand Boya’s zither.”
Question: “When Angulimala pressed hard upon the Buddha, how was it then?”
The Master said: “The whole household keeps watch while ten thousand fools ask questions.”
Question: “The mind-seal is not yet clear. How can one enter?”
The Master said: “Though I have heard that the border commander truly submitted, I have not yet seen him lead the sheep to the patched-robed monk’s wall.”
Question: “What is the matter that came after Master Linji?”
The Master said: “Jie’s dog barks at King Yao.”
Question: “What is the matter of biting the arrow?”
The Master said: “Recklessly borrowing words to discuss a horse’s horns.”
Question: “Without cultivating samadhi and wisdom, how can one become a Buddha beyond doubt?”
The Master replied: “The golden cock announces the dawn alone; within the lacquer bucket, dark radiance arises.”
Question: “A single thought lasting ten thousand years—how is it then?”
The Master said: “Sweeping the stone, the immortal’s robe is torn.”
Question: “Before the great bell has been struck, how is it then?”
The Master said: “Throughout the great trichiliocosm, all harmonize with the melody; both wondrous and profound—how could it be divided in two?”
A monk asked: “After the bell has been struck, how is it?”
The Master replied: “Cliffs, mountains, and rivers present no obstruction; after the veil dissolves, hearing again becomes all-pervading hearing.”
Question: “What is the meaning of the coming from India?”
The Master said: “Seeking mountains and waters, the mountains are exhausted, yet it is never exhausted.”
Question: “Why are the marks of a great person incomplete?”
The Master said: “At midnight, the owl disparages the hawk.”
Question: “Ancient and present have just been distinguished; I ask for the Master’s secret essential.”
The Master said: “Cut straight through the heavy tongue.”
Question: “What are the marks of a great person?”
The Master said: “Blazing red throughout.”
A monk asked: “I do not yet know how the Venerable is during the two periods.”
The Master said: “Carrying a basket and bearing a staff.”
Question: “What is the host within the guest?”
The Master said: “Entering the marketplace, both eyes are blind.”
Question: “What is the guest within the host?”
The Master said: “Furrowing his brow, he sits among white clouds.”
Question: “What is the host within the host?”
The Master replied: “The worn-out millstone says: ‘The returning phoenix circles beneath a new sun and moon.’”
Question: “What is the guest within the guest?”
The Master said: “A three-foot blade awaits the beheading of an unjust man.”
Question: “What is the matter beside the head of the hoe?”
The Master said: “Before the mountain, a single patch of green.”
Question: “What is the Buddha?”
The Master said: “In the plum grove beneath the bamboo mountain, raise the whip.”

On the first day of the eighth month in the sixth year of Kaibao of the Great Song dynasty, the Master ascended the seat and recited a verse. On the night of the full moon, he sat in full lotus posture and passed away. One day earlier, the Master had written letters bidding farewell to his patrons. He was eighty-seven years old and had spent fifty-nine years in the Sangha.

– Dharma successor of Chan Master Siming of the Western Cloister in Ruzhou

1. Chan Master Guijing of Xingyang in Pinzhou.

Previously, the Master called upon the teacher of the Western Cloister and asked: “When one intends to ask but does not ask, how is it then?”
The teacher of the Western Cloister immediately struck him. The Master remained silent for a long while. The teacher of the Western Cloister said: “If you call this a beating, your eyebrows and beard will fall out.” Upon hearing these words, the Master attained great awakening.

A monk asked: “Whose household song does the Master sing, and whose lineage does his tradition continue?”
The Master said: “The poet’s household before the mountain has no other road.”

– Dharma successor of Chan Master Hongjiu of Huilin in Shaozhou

1. Venerable Lingrui of Shaozhou.

Someone asked: “What is the Buddha?”
The Master shouted and said: “You are a person from the village.”
Question: “What is the meaning of the coming from India?”
The Master said: “One hundred eight thousand miles.”
Question: “What is the original mind?”
The Master said: “Seated upon the summit of Vairocana, it emerges and vanishes within the great void.”

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yanshao of Fengxue,

mentioned previously.
1. Chan Master Huizhen of Guangzhou.
A monk asked, “What is the realm of Guanghui?” The Master said, “The small monastery
comes first; Ziqing [assisting in celebration] comes afterward.” He asked, “What is the family style of
the Venerable?” The Master said, “The shovel climbs upon the hoe.”
2. Chan Master Xingnian of Shoushan in Ruzhou.
The Master was a native of Laizhou, surnamed Di. He received ordination at the Southern Chan Cloister in
his native region and attained the Dharma under Master Fengxue. He was the first abbot
of Shoushan. On the day the Dharma seat was opened, a monk asked, “Whose household’s song does the Master sing, and
whose essential tradition does he continue?” The Master replied, “The little house before the cave.” Propping himself on his hand, he looked at the monk and said, “Once more, I invite
a mighty voice to join in with a single note.” The Master said, “Just now, you must recognize the Great Householder.” The Master
addressed the assembly, saying, “The Buddhadharma was entrusted to kings and great ministers, who, as powerful benefactors,
have enabled lamp after lamp to continue without interruption or extinction down to the present day.”
Then he said to the great assembly, “What is it that continues?” The Master remained silent for a long while and then said, “Today,
you must become brothers with Kasyapa; only then will it do.” A monk asked, “What is
the family style of the Venerable?” The Master said, “One phrase cuts across the mouths of a thousand rivers;
a mountain rising a thousand fathoms alone attains the mystery.” He asked, “What is the realm of Shoushan?”
The Master said, “Everyone may look as they please.” He asked, “What is the person within that realm?”
The Master said, “Have you yet managed to receive the staff?” The monk bowed. The Master said, “Wait
for another time.” He asked, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from India?” The Master said,
“The wind blows, and the sun scorches.” He asked, “Toward what place have all the sages from antiquity gone?”
The Master said, “Pulling the plow and dragging the harrow.” He asked, “What was the purport when the ancients raised a pestle or held up a whisk?”
The Master said, “On the solitary summit of the lofty mountain, there is no guest lodging for the night.” A
monk asked, “I do not know what its purport is.” The Master said, “It is not the man
who embraces a tree stump while waiting for a hare.” He asked, “What is the path of bodhi?” The Master said, “From here it is
five li to Xiang County.” A monk asked, “What is the matter beyond?” The Master
said, “Coming and going, it does not change.” He asked, “What all the sages cannot fully express—I ask the Master
to sing it.” The Master said, “For ten thousand li the divine radiance shines as one; ask who dares compare with
the sun.” He asked, “Does the solitary tree still put forth blossoms?” The Master said, “It blossomed long
ago.” The monk asked, “I do not yet know whether it has borne fruit.” The Master replied, “Last night it met with frost.”
He asked, “Linji had the shout and Deshan the staff; I do not yet know what matter they revealed.” The Master said,
“You try to say.” The monk shouted. The Master said, “Blind!” The monk shouted again. The Master said, “Why does
this blind fellow shout wildly?” The monk bowed. The Master immediately struck him. He asked, “With the fourfold assembly gathered
around, what Dharma does the Master expound?” The Master said, “Strike the grass, and the snake is startled.” The monk asked, “I do not yet know
how you make your move.” The Master said, “Just now, how close you came to your body being shattered and your life lost.”
He asked, “When two dragons contend for the pearl, which one obtains it?” The Master said, “To obtain it is to lose it.” The monk asked, “What if
neither obtains it?” The Master said, “Where is the pearl?” He asked, “Vimalakirti remained silent,
and Manjusri praised him, saying, ‘Excellent!’ I do not know what this means.” The Master said, “At this very moment,
the listening assembly certainly would not act thus.” The monk said, “I do not know the meaning of Vimalakirti’s silence.”
The Master said, “Few know gratitude; many betray it.” He asked, “All Buddhas
emerge from this sutra. What is this sutra?” The Master said, “Speak softly; speak softly.”
The monk asked, “How is it received and upheld?” The Master said, “It is essential that it not be defiled.”
He asked, “After the World-Honored One passed away, to whom was the Dharma entrusted?” The Master replied, “A fine question—
no one can answer it.” He asked, “On seeing form, one immediately sees mind; yet all dharmas are formless. Where can they be seen?”
The Master said, “When one household has an affair, a hundred households worry.” The monk
said, “This student does not understand; I ask the Master to instruct me again.” The Master said, “Look into it for three days.” He asked,
“Suppose someone enters the capital to have an audience with the king but reaches only the city gate and then turns back—what of that moment?”
The Master said, “He too is a dull-witted fellow.” He asked, “If one meets a person who has attained the Way midway,
and may respond neither with speech nor silence, with what should one answer?” The Master said, “I have only just granted you
three thousand whistles.” He asked, “A single lucid phrase surpasses tens of billions; what is that one phrase?” The Master
said, “When you reach the point of raising it, you resemble someone else.” The monk asked, “What is the ultimate matter?”
The Master said, “Only know that Way.” He asked, “What is the Buddha-mind?” The Master said, “The goods
in Zhenzhou weigh three jin.” He asked, “What does empty space take as its substance?” The Master said, “This old monk is beneath
your feet.” The monk asked, “Why is the Venerable beneath my feet?”
The Master said, “To let you know that you are a blind fellow.” He asked, “What is within the Mystery?” The Master said, “If there is something
to say, then it must be said.” The monk asked, “What does this mean?” The Master said, “If it is not said,
the ghosts become angry.” He asked, “What is the eye of a patch-robed monk?” The Master replied, “This question, too,
does not accord.” The monk asked, “What if it does accord?” The Master said,
“Why investigate it?” He asked, “What is it like to be free of all conditions?” The Master said, “Once in a thousand
years.” The monk asked, “What is it like when one is not free?” The Master said, “Standing before
everyone.” He asked, “What is a person of great peace and bliss?” The Master said, “Seeing not a single
dharma.” The monk asked, “What does he use to act for others?” The Master said, “Thank you, Acarya, for understanding these words.”
He asked, “What is it that always abides, and in whom?” The Master said, “Why run about in confusion?” He asked, “When not even
a single hair has yet arisen, what is it like?” The Master said, “Meeting a guest with pierced ears midway.”
The monk asked, “What is it like after it has arisen?” The Master said, “There is no need for hesitation or doubt.”
He asked, “There are no lutes or flutes; I invite the Master to harmonize with the melody.” The Master remained silent
for a long while and then said, “Did you hear it?” The monk said, “I did not hear it.” The Master said, “Why not
hear it loudly?” He asked, “This student has long been submerged in delusion; I ask the Master to receive and guide me.”
The Master said, “This old monk has no leisure for such effort.” The monk
asked, “Why is the Venerable like this?” The Master said, “If you wish to walk, walk; if you wish to sit, sit.”
He asked, “What is the phrase that transcends ordinary beings and sages?” The Master said, “Venerable An of
Mount Song.” The monk asked, “Is that the Venerable’s ultimate principle?”
The Master said, “Chan Master Rang of Nanyue.” He asked, “This student has suddenly entered the monastic community; I ask the Master to instruct me.”
The Master asked, “How long has the Acarya been here?” The monk said, “I have passed through winter and summer [six months].”
The Master said, “Do not mistakenly raise what resembles someone else.” He asked, “When a person who is completely open and free
comes before the Master, will you receive him?” The Master said, “That he is completely open and free is not denied, but who is he?”
The monk said, “Today the wind is high and the moon is cold.”
The Master said, “How many people are sitting and lying down in the Sangha hall?” The monk could not answer.
The Master said, “You exasperate this old monk to death.” He asked, “What are the marks of the Brahma voice?”
The Master said, “A donkey brays and a dog barks.” He asked, “What is it to cut directly across the single road?” The Master said,
“Either atop the mountain or beneath the tree.” He asked, “The single phrase of Caoxi is heard throughout the world;
I do not know who can hear the Venerable’s single phrase.” The Master said, “It does not go beyond the three gates.”
The monk asked, “Why does it not go beyond the three gates?” The Master
said, “What is raised resembles the people of the whole world.” The monk asked, “How does the Venerable
not deceive people’s eyes?” The Master said, “Look, look—the east is coming!” The monk asked, “Ultimately,
how is it?” The Master said, “The spring wind immediately arrives.” He asked, “From afar I heard that the Venerable
had not a single thread upon him; but when I arrived, why were you embracing the whole mountain?” The Master said, “What
are you saying?” The monk then shouted. The Master also shouted. The monk bowed. The Master said, “I spare you twenty blows.”
Later, the Master went to reside at the Guangjiao Cloister on Mount Bao’an, where he was also its first abbot. Later,
at the assembly’s repeated request, the Master entered the city and resided at the Baoying Cloister. At all three Dharma seats,
people came in great numbers. At noon on the fourth day of the twelfth month in the third year of the Chunhua era, the Master
ascended the Dharma Hall and spoke a verse to instruct the assembly:

This year I am sixty-seven;
Old and ill, I follow conditions and pass the days.
This year I recall the affairs of the coming year;
Next year I shall recall this morning.

In the fourth year, the month, day, and hour were no different from his earlier prediction. The Master ascended

Fatang took leave of the assembly and spoke this verse:

The world is white silver, the body golden-hued;
The sentient and insentient share the one reality.
Though illumined from dawn until dusk, nothing is revealed;
When the midday sun declines, the whole body is seen.

Having finished speaking, the Master sat peacefully. When the sun cast its declining shadows, he passed away, at the age of sixty-eight. After the cremation, many relics were collected.

– Dharma heirs of Great Master Deshao Guizhen, formerly of Baozi Monastery in Tanzhou

1. Chan Master Zhiqian of Mount Sanjiao in Zhuozhou.

A monk asked, “What is the Buddha?” The Master said, “Quickly bow three times!”

2. Chan Master Cida of Xingyang in Pinzhou (third generation)

A monk asked, “By how much are the realm of the Buddhas and the realm of sentient beings separated?” The Master said, “It cannot be spoken.” The monk asked, “Which is the real one?” The Master said, “There is that fellow.”

He asked, “The jeweled canopy suddenly enters the precious seat; how is the Master today any different from when he was in the magpie’s nest?” The Master said, “It cannot be spoken.” The monk asked, “What about right now?” The Master said, “I take from you one Buddha-Dharma.”

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xingnian of Shoushan in Ruzhou

1. Chan Master Shanzhao of Fenzhou.

The Master ascended the Dharma Hall and addressed the assembly: “Every single utterance must contain the Three Mysteries, and each mysterious gate must contain the Three Essentials, with Illumination and Function. Sometimes Illumination precedes Function; sometimes Function precedes Illumination; sometimes Illumination and Function occur simultaneously; and sometimes Illumination and Function occur at different times. As for Illumination preceding Function, I can discuss it with you. As for Function preceding Illumination, you must be such a person before you can do so. When Function and Illumination occur simultaneously, what will you do when you arrive at the decisive point? When Illumination and Function do not occur simultaneously, how will you present your case?”

A monk asked, “What is the source of the Great Way?” The Master said, “Digging into the earth in search of the blue sky.” He asked, “How can it be like this?” The Master said, “Know how to grasp the profound mystery.”

He asked, “What is the guest within the guest?” The Master said, “Standing silently with palms joined, asking the World-Honored One.”

He asked, “What is the host within the guest?” The Master said, “Face to face, without a companion.”

He asked, “What is the guest within the host?” The Master replied, “Battle clouds stretch across the sea; drawing the sword, one stirs the Dragon Gate.”

He asked, “What is the host within the host?” The Master replied, “Three heads and six arms startle heaven and earth; the wrathful Nezha strikes the royal bell.”

The second generation of the separate Caoqi line.

– Dharma heirs of the former National Teacher Huizhong of Nanyang

1. Chan Master Zhenying of Mount Danyuan in Jizhou.

While serving as the National Teacher’s attendant, one day the National Teacher was in the Dharma Hall. When the Master entered, the National Teacher gave one stamp of his foot. Seeing this, the Master immediately withdrew. After a while, he entered again. The National Teacher asked, “What was your meaning just now?” The Master said, “To whom could it readily be told?” The National Teacher said, “I am asking you.” The Master said, “Where do you see this disciple?”

The Master further asked, “A hundred years from now, if someone asks about the ultimate matter, what should be said?” The National Teacher said, “Fortunate in yourself, yet pitiable—why seek a protective talisman?”

On another day, the Master himself carried a basket into the abbot’s quarters. The National Teacher asked, “What is in the basket?” The Master said, “Green plums.” The National Teacher asked, “Why have you brought them here?” The Master said, “As an offering.” The National Teacher asked, “How can they be offered while still green?” The Master said, “I use these to express my offering.” The National Teacher said, “The Buddha does not accept offerings.” The Master said, “I offer only this; what of you, Venerable?” The National Teacher said, “I make no offering.” The Master asked, “Why do you make no offering?” The National Teacher said, “I have no fruit.”

When Hai of Baizhang was pulling a cart at Zhoushan, the Master asked, “The cart is here; where is the ox?” Hai slapped the Master’s forehead, and the Master immediately rubbed his eyes.

Magu asked, “Is not the twelve-faced Guanyin a sage?” The Master said, “Yes.” Magu slapped the Master once. The Master said, “I thought you had not yet reached this realm.”

On the anniversary of the National Teacher’s death, a vegetarian feast was arranged. A monk asked, “Will the National Teacher come?” The Master replied, “You have not yet perfected the supernormal knowledge of others’ minds.” He asked, “Then why arrange the feast?” The Master said, “Do not abandon conventional truth.”

– Dharma heirs of Great Master Shenhui of Luoyang

1. Chan Master Fulin of Mount Dashi in Huangzhou.

The Master was a native of Jingzhou, and his family name was Yuan. Born into a Confucian household, he followed the Buddha from an early age. At Xuanzheng Monastery, he was ordained by Chan Master Qianzhu and received the complete precepts. While traveling in search of the Dharma, he encountered Master Heze, who revealed to him the numinous awareness of no-thought, which does not arise from conditions. He immediately awakened brightly and saw the truth. Later, he went to Mount Dashi in Huangzhou, built a hermitage, and dwelt there. Chan companions came to him in great numbers from all directions. In the second year of the Xingyuan era of the Tang dynasty, the Master entered cessation at the age of eighty-two.

2. Chan Master Guangbao of Mount Meng in Yishui.

The Master was a native of Bingzhou, and his family name was Zhou. When he first encountered Venerable Heze, he immediately remained to attend him. One day Heze summoned him and said, “Your name is Guangbao. A name serves to define the essence. ‘Bao’ means that you possess light within yourself and need not seek it externally. You may freely employ it according to your intent without any deficiency; throughout the night it shines without interruption or exhaustion. Do you believe this?”

The Master said, “I believe it, yet I do not know whether Guang and Bao are the same or different.” Heze said, “Guang is Bao, and Bao is Guang; how can they be called the same or different?”

The Master asked, “When the eye and ear engage with forms and sounds, do they oppose one another or complement one another?” Heze said, “Set aside opposition and complementation. Simply tell me: what dharma is the essence of forms and sounds?” The Master said, “According to what the teacher has said, no forms or sounds can be apprehended.” Heze said, “If you understand that the essence of forms and sounds is emptiness, you will also trust that the eye, ear, and other faculties, together with ordinary beings and sages, are equal and like illusions. Whether they oppose or complement one another, the principle is perfectly clear.”

The Master thereby realized the teaching, bowed in gratitude, and departed. At first he dwelt on Mount Meng in Jinshui. In the second year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang dynasty, the Master entered perfect cessation at the age of ninety.

– The fifth generation of the separate Caoqi line.

– Dharma heirs of Chan Master Daoyuan of Suizhou

1. Chan Master Zongmi of Guifeng on Mount Zhongnan.

The Master was a native of Xichong in Guozhou, and his family name was He. Born into a wealthy household, he mastered the Confucian classics while young; when grown, he investigated the Buddhist scriptures. In the second year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang dynasty, as he was preparing to sit for the provincial examination, he happened to attend a Dharma assembly conducted by Venerable Daoyuan. Joyfully finding accord, he immediately requested ordination, and in that same year received the complete precepts.

One day, the Master joined the Sangha for a meal at the minor official residence of Ren Guan. Seated in the rear row, he received in due order the twelve chapters of the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment. Before he had finished reading, he experienced an awakening and shed tears. He then presented his realization to Daoyuan. Daoyuan encouraged him, saying, “You will widely propagate the perfect and sudden teaching. This is what the Buddhas have entrusted to you. Act without confining yourself to a single corner.” Weeping, the Master respectfully accepted these words, bowed in gratitude, and departed.

He then called upon Chan Master Zhang of Jingnan. Zhang said, “One who transmits the teaching must transmit the Way in the imperial capital.” The Master later met Chan Master Zhao in Luoyang. Zhao said, “Who can fathom this bodhisattva?”

The Master traveled to Xianghan, where an ill monk gave him a commentary on the Avatamsaka Sutra, composed by Great Master Chengguan in the Upper Capital. Though the Master had never heard it explained or become familiar with it, after reading it only once he was able to lecture upon it. Delighted by what he had encountered, he said to the masters, “Its ultimate and rare purport is expressed with unsurpassed clarity.

No previous commentary has possessed such a source, flowing eloquence, profundity, subtlety, and lucidity. In Chan, I encountered the Southern School; in doctrine, I encountered Perfect Enlightenment. Thereafter the ground of mind opened and became unobstructed, and the meanings in the scriptures shone brilliantly.

Now I have encountered this peerless masterpiece, and all my aspirations are fulfilled.”

When he had finished lecturing, he wished to meet the author of the commentary. At that time, his disciple Taigong cut off his own arm to repay his kindness. The Master first sent a letter to the author of the commentary. From afar, he recounted their bond as teacher and disciple, and when they met, their joy was even greater. Just then, Taigong recovered from his illness and accompanied him to the Upper Capital, where they observed the rites of teacher and disciple. Chengguan said, “The one who can roam with me through Vairocana’s Lotus Treasury is you.” The Master entered Chengguan’s chamber. Although each day he increasingly renewed his virtue, the malady of clinging to words and grasping at images vanished completely.

The Master traveled north to Mount Qingliang, then returned to E County and stayed at Caotang Monastery. Before long, he entered the hermitage at Guifeng, south of the monastery. During the Taihe era, he was summoned to the imperial palace and bestowed with a purple robe.

The emperor repeatedly questioned him concerning the essentials of the Dharma, and the court officials admired him. Only Chancellor Pei Xiu penetrated the profound and hidden meaning and vowed to serve as his lay protector. The Master believed that students of Chan and the doctrinal teachings should assist one another without engaging in slander; he therefore composed the various writings of the Chan Source and transcribed the works of the different schools.

These writings set forth the fundamental source and principles of the Chan school, comprising prose, phrases, and verses, and formed a collection of one hundred fascicles to be bequeathed to later generations. Each had a preface, which stated in brief:

“Chan” is a word from India. In full, it is “Chan-na,” translated as “cultivation through contemplation,” and also called “serene reflection.” These are all general designations for samadhi and wisdom. The source is the true nature and original awakening possessed by all sentient beings, also called Buddha-nature and also called the mind-ground. When awakened to, it is called wisdom; when cultivated, it is called samadhi. Samadhi and wisdom are collectively called Chan. Because this nature is the source of Chan, it is called the “Source of Chan,” and is also called Chan-na.

With respect to principle and practice, this source is the principle of Chan; forgetting discriminative feelings and accordantly merging with it is the practice of Chan. Hence they are called principle and practice. Yet the writings of the various schools now collected mostly discuss the principle of Chan and say little about the practice of Chan; they are therefore entitled the “Source of Chan.” People of the present age call only the true nature “Chan,” but this is not intended to establish a principle without practice; it is also because they fail to distinguish the Indian term from the Chinese language.

Nevertheless, apart from the true nature, there is no separate essence of Chan. When sentient beings are deluded about the true and accord with sensory objects, this is called distraction; when they turn away from sensory objects and accord with the true, this is called meditative concentration. If one speaks directly of the original nature, it is neither true nor false, neither opposed nor united, neither concentrated nor distracted—what, then, could be called Chan?

Moreover, this true nature is not merely the basis of the Chan school but also the basis of the myriad dharmas; it is therefore called Dharma-nature. It is also the source of the delusion and awakening of sentient beings; it is therefore called the tathagatagarbha and the storehouse consciousness. It is also the basis of the myriad virtues of all Buddhas; it is therefore called Buddha-nature. It is likewise the source of the myriad practices of bodhisattvas; it is therefore called the mind-ground. The myriad practices do not go beyond the six paramitas. The Chan approach is only one of these six and ranks fifth among them. How, then, could the true nature be designated as merely the single practice of Chan?

Yet the single practice of meditative concentration is exceedingly wondrous. It can bring forth from this nature undefiled wisdom; all the wondrous functions of the myriad practices and myriad virtues, even spiritual powers and light, arise from samadhi. Those who study the Three Vehicles and seek the Noble Path must cultivate Chan. Apart from it, there is no other gateway. Even those who recollect the Buddha and seek rebirth in the Pure Land must cultivate the sixteen contemplations of Chan, the Buddha-recollection samadhi, and the Pratyutpanna Samadhi.

Furthermore, the true nature is neither pure nor defiled, and ordinary beings and sages do not differ in it. Chan, however, may be shallow or profound and has differing stages. To cultivate with calculated distinctions, desiring what is above and rejecting what is below, is the Chan of ordinary beings.

To awaken to the principle of the emptiness of self, yet cultivate with a one-sided realization of the truth, is the Chan of the Lesser Vehicle. To awaken to the twofold emptiness of self and dharmas, clearly understand the true principle, and cultivate accordingly is the Chan of the Great Vehicle. If one suddenly awakens to the fact that one’s own mind has always been pure, originally without afflictions, and that the nature of undefiled wisdom is inherently complete—this mind itself being Buddha, ultimately without difference—and cultivates in reliance upon this, it is the Chan of the Supreme Vehicle.

It is also called the Tathagata’s Pure Chan, the Samadhi of One Practice, and the Samadhi of Suchness. This is the root of all samadhis. If one can cultivate it thought after thought, one will naturally and gradually attain hundreds of thousands of other samadhis.

Under Bodhidharma’s lineage, this Chan was transmitted successively. Before Bodhidharma arrived, the understanding of the various schools throughout the ages consisted entirely of the four dhyanas and eight concentrations, and the eminent monks who practiced them all attained their efficacy. Masters Nanyue and Tiantai instructed practitioners to cultivate the three kinds of cessation and three kinds of contemplation in reliance upon the principle of the Three Truths. Although their doctrinal meaning was exceedingly perfect and wondrous, the sequence of entry was still only the mode of practice belonging to the preceding kinds of Chan. Only Bodhidharma’s transmission suddenly identifies one with the Buddha’s essence and differs from all other approaches.

Therefore, it is difficult for those who study this tradition to grasp its purport. If they grasp it, they quickly become sages and swiftly realize bodhi; if they miss it, they become heterodox and swiftly enter hell. The earlier patriarchs therefore all had to adapt their positions to guard against errors and deviations. Moreover, each transmitted it to a single person, upon whom later generations relied. Thereafter, as a thousand lamps spread a thousand lights, with the passage of time the Dharma became corrupted and errors multiplied greatly. Many students of Chan also began to debate, doubt, and disparage it.

Fundamentally, the Buddha taught both the Sudden Teaching and the Gradual Teaching, while Chan opened both the Sudden Gate and the Gradual Gate. The two teachings and the two gates accord perfectly with one another. Nowadays, however, lecturers separately expound the gradual meaning, while Chan practitioners separately transmit the Sudden School. When Chan and doctrine encounter one another, they remain as far apart as Hu and Yue, or Yin and Hua.

I, Zongmi, do not know how this mind was perfumed in former lives. Though I myself have not yet escaped bondage, I wish to release others from their bonds. For the sake of the Dharma I forget myself, and my compassion for others surpasses my concern for my own life. I have often lamented that people err because of the Dharma and that the Dharma becomes diseased because of people. I therefore separately selected the sutras, vinaya, and treatises and wrote commentaries upon them. I opened wide the gates of precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, revealed sudden awakening in order to support gradual cultivation, and demonstrated that the Masters’ words accord with the Buddha’s intention.

Although the intention has been clearly traced to its source and branches, the writings are extensive and difficult to search. Those who study broadly are many, but those who carry on the aspiration are few. How much more difficult is it, amid accumulated involvement in names and characteristics, to distinguish gold from brass?

One labors in vain and to exhaustion without yet encountering those whose capacities respond. Although the Buddha taught that great compassion is the practice, self-attachment is difficult to overcome. The Master therefore left the assembly and entered the mountains to cultivate samadhi and wisdom.

Altogether, before and after, he cut off concerns for ten consecutive years. (Why say “before and after”? Because in the interval the emperor summoned him to the palace for two years, after which he submitted a memorial requesting permission to return to the mountains.)

The subtle arising and ceasing of habitual tendencies became manifest in serene wisdom, while the manifold distinctions in the meanings of the Dharma were arrayed within the empty mind. Like sunlight passing through reveals dust motes in agitation, and like a clear pool reveals distinctly the reflections at its bottom, how could he again regard the vacant silence of deluded Chan as equal to the kind of wild Chan that merely seeks among written and spoken words? Rather, by clearly understanding his own mind, he discerned the various teachings; thus his devotion to the Mind School was earnest. Again, by discerning the various teachings, he clearly understood the cultivation of mind; thus he was utterly sincere regarding doctrinal meaning.

The teachings are what the Buddhas and bodhisattvas preserved in the sutras and treatises; Chan consists of the phrases and verses spoken by spiritual teachers. The Buddha’s sutras, once opened, encompass the entire great trichiliocosm and the beings of the eight classes, whereas Chan verses concisely address one type of capacity in this region. What encompasses all is vast and difficult to rely upon; what addresses a particular capacity is easy to use. The present collection was compiled entirely with this intention.

Pei Xiu wrote in his preface:

“Among the various schools under the Chan lineage, each has those who have attained realization. Yet among the places where they establish their practice, few are comprehensive and many are partial. In the ten years since the Master taught the Dharma, it has increasingly deteriorated.

Taking their inherited traditions as gateways, they each opened their own path widely; taking the sutras and treatises as weapons, they attacked one another. Though their sentiments changed like the tips and shafts of arrows, the Dharma was ranked high or low according to attachment to self and others. Right and wrong became so confused that they were difficult to distinguish and resolve.

Thus, those who turned toward the various regional teachings and schools of the World-Honored One and the bodhisattvas found them barely sufficient for contention, while later generations merely increased the disease of affliction. What benefit could there be?

“Great Master Guifeng had long lamented this, saying, ‘At such a time, I cannot remain silent.’ He therefore used the Tathagata’s three kinds of doctrinal meaning to authenticate the three Dharma gates of the Chan school. He held that bowls, plates, hairpins, and bracelets are all made of one metal—gold—and that ghee, curds, butter, and clarified butter all possess one flavor. When the guiding principle is grasped and raised, all follow harmoniously; when one relies upon the essential convergence and returns, all arrive together.

Still fearing that students would find it difficult to understand, he further pointed directly to the branches and source of the tradition, the union of the true and the false, the concealment and manifestation of the emptiness of nature, the distinctions among the meanings of the Dharma, the differences and commonalities of the sudden and gradual, and the mutual interrelation of negation”

the manifestations, the shallowness and profundity of the provisional and the real, and the right and wrong of agreement and divergence. As for our Master, he embraced the Buddha-sun and meticulously turned its light inward, sweeping away all doubts; he accorded with the Buddha-mind and expounded great compassion, bringing benefit throughout the kalpas. At that time, the World-Honored One was the lord who established the teaching.

Our Master was one who understood the teaching. Root and branch joined together; their Ways closely illumined one another. It may be said that this was the work of the teachings of the Buddha’s entire lifetime.

Some say that the Tathagata never made everything universally accessible, yet now, all at once, the essential purport of the school is violated and not preserved, its safeguards are abandoned and not maintained. Would this not contradict the Secret Treasury rather than secretly accord with the Way? The answer is: Although the Tathagata first separately taught the Three Vehicles, he later united them into the One Way.

Therefore, in the Nirvana Sutra, the bodhisattva Kasyapa said: “The Buddha has secret words, but no secret treasury.” The World-Honored One praised him, saying: “The Tathagata’s words disclose and reveal what is pure and unobscured. Fools who do not understand call it the Secret Treasury. Those with wisdom who clearly understand do not call it a treasury.” This is the evidence.

Therefore, when the kingly Way flourishes, the outer gates need not be closed and guarded against the Rong and Di tribes. When the Buddha’s Way is complete, all dharmas are retained in their entirety, guarding against Mara and heterodox teachings; there is no attachment to sentiments or reliance upon expedient leniency.

In the first year of the Huichang era, on the sixth day of the first month, the Master sat and entered quiescence at the pagoda cloister of Xingfu. On the twenty-second day, monastics and laypeople conveyed the Master’s golden body back to Guifeng. On the twelfth day of the second month, the cremation ceremony was performed, yielding many large, luminous, and lustrous relics. Later, when disciples wept and sought further relics, each obtained some from the still-warm ashes kept in the stone chamber. The Master was sixty-two years old and had completed thirty-four Dharma years.

In his final instructions, the Master directed that his body be exposed and given to birds and beasts, that his bones be burned and scattered far and wide, and that no one should cherish or grieve over him and thereby disturb their Chan contemplation. At each Qingming observance, they were to ascend the mountain and teach the Way for seven days. In all other matters, the regulations of the monastery were to accord with the Vinaya. Whoever violated these words was not his disciple. The fourfold assembly, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, wept and wailed so loudly that the entire village resounded.

When Emperor Xuanzong restored the true teaching, he posthumously bestowed upon him the title Chan Master Dinghui, “Concentration and Wisdom,” and named his pagoda Qinglian, “Blue Lotus.”

Minister Xiaoyi presented his own understanding and requested the Chan Master’s commentary, saying: “Master Heze said: ‘When one sees the pure essence, all the eighty-four thousand samadhis and all the gates of the paramitas simultaneously function upon that seeing; this is called the Wisdom Eye. When one corresponds with true suchness, the myriad transformations become quiescent and cease. At that time, there is no longer anything seen. The samadhis and all the gates of the paramitas likewise become empty and quiescent at once, and nothing whatsoever is attained.’ I do not know whether this means that they simultaneously function upon that seeing. I look to you to instruct me concerning this and to deign to answer the Mountain Man’s ten questions.”

Question 1: What is the Way, and by what is it cultivated? Must it be brought to completion through cultivation, or does it require no effort?

Answer: Unobstructedness is the Way; knowing delusion is cultivation. Although the Way is not something to be perfected, the arising of delusion is bondage. When all deluded thoughts have ended, cultivation is complete.

Question 2: If the Way is accomplished through cultivation, it is therefore something created. It would then be the same as worldly dharmas—false, precarious, and unreal—and, once accomplished, would again decay. How could it be called supramundane?

Answer: Creation and contrivance bind one to karma and are called the falsehood of the mundane world. Non-doing is cultivation and is the true supramundane.

Question 3: Is that cultivation sudden or gradual? If gradual, one forgets what came before and loses what follows; by what can it be gathered together and completed? If sudden, the myriad practices have many approaches; how could they all be perfected at once?

Answer: The true principle is immediately awakened to and suddenly perfected; deluded feelings are severed and gradually exhausted. Sudden perfection is like a seed newly sprouting: in a single day, all its parts are already complete. Gradual cultivation is like nurturing it until it becomes mature: many years must pass before its strength is established.

Question 4: In the Dharma of cultivating the ground of mind, is everything completed immediately upon awakening to the mind, or are there separate gates of practice? If there are separate gates of practice, why is it called the Southern School’s sudden teaching? If awakening makes one immediately equal to all Buddhas, why does one not manifest spiritual powers and radiance?

Answer: Know that a frozen pond is entirely water; through the warmth of the air, it gradually melts. Awaken to the fact that an ordinary being is itself the truth, and cultivate by relying upon the power of the Dharma. When the ice melts, the water flows and moistens, and only then does its cleansing function become apparent. When delusion is exhausted, the numinous mind penetrates freely, and only then do spiritual powers and radiance manifest. Apart from cultivating the mind, there is no other gate of practice.

Question 5: If one attains Buddhahood solely by cultivating the mind, why do the sutras say that one must adorn Buddha lands and teach and transform sentient beings before it may be called attainment of the Way?

Answer: When a mirror is bright, images of a thousand different kinds appear; when the mind is pure, spiritual powers manifest in ten thousand responsive forms. The images are the adornment of Buddha lands; the spiritual powers teach and transform sentient beings. Adornment is precisely non-adornment, and the images, though forms, are not forms.

Question 6: The sutras all speak of liberating sentient beings, yet sentient beings are precisely not sentient beings. Why expend effort liberating them?

Answer: If sentient beings were real and were truly liberated, there would indeed be weariness. Since it is already said that they are precisely not sentient beings, why do you not understand in the same way that liberating is non-liberating?

Question 7: Some sutras say that the Buddha permanently abides, while others say that the Buddha has entered extinction. If permanent, then he does not become extinct; if extinct, then he is not permanent. Are these not contradictory?

Answer: To be free from all characteristics is called being a Buddha; how could there truly be an appearance in the world or an entry into extinction? Moreover, manifestation and disappearance accord with causes and conditions. When causes and conditions are responsive, he appears beneath the Bodhi tree; when causes and conditions are exhausted, he enters nirvana in the sala grove. It is like a clear mirror, which has no mind and no form: it does not manifest forms and possesses no self. The appearances of coming and going belong to external objects and are not the Buddha’s body. How, then, could the Tathagata truly manifest or disappear?

Question 8: How is it that the Buddha produces us through transformation, just as he himself was born? Since the Buddha is unborn, what does birth mean? If it is said that when the mind arises, dharmas arise, and when the mind ceases, dharmas cease, how can one attain the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas?

Answer: It has already been said that it is like an illusion produced by illusion; illusion is empty, and emptiness is non-arising. Why, then, ask about the meaning of birth? When arising and ceasing have vanished, quiescent cessation is the truth. To patiently accept this Dharma as unborn is therefore called the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

Question 9: The Buddhas attain the Way and teach the Dharma solely to liberate sentient beings. Sentient beings exist throughout the six realms. Why, then, does the Buddha manifest and teach only among human beings? Furthermore, after the Buddha entered extinction, he entrusted the Dharma to Kasyapa, transmitting mind through mind. Down through the seven patriarchs in this land, each generation transmitted it to only one person. Since it is said that all sentient beings are regarded as one’s only child, why was the transmission not bestowed universally?

Answer: The sun and moon are in the sky and shine throughout the six directions, yet blind people do not see them, and those beneath an overturned basin are unaware of them. It is not that the sun and moon fail to shine everywhere; the fault lies in obstructing barriers. The meaning of liberating while not liberating is likewise such.

It is not that only devas and human beings are chosen while ghosts and animals are abandoned. It is merely because, among human beings, the teachings can be compiled and transmitted without interruption or loss; hence it is said that the Buddha manifested among human beings. After entering extinction, he entrusted the Dharma to Kasyapa, and it was successively transmitted to one person at a time.

This was also because, according to worldly convention, one person had to serve as the leader of the school at that time, just as a country does not have two kings. It does not mean that only this limited number of beings was liberated.

Question 10: From what cause did the Venerable first arouse the aspiration? Out of admiration for what Dharma did you leave home? How do you now practice? What flavor of the Dharma have you attained? To what stage has your practice reached? Do you cause the mind to abide, or do you cultivate the mind? If the mind abides, that obstructs cultivation of the mind. If the mind is cultivated, thoughts move and do not become still. If the mind is stilled and fixed, how is that different from the class of beings whose nature is fixed in samadhi? I earnestly beseech the Great Virtuous One to exercise great compassion and explain these matters in due accord with the principle of suchness, one by one and in their proper order.

Answer: To know that the four great elements are like illusory tiles, to know that the six sense objects are like flowers in the sky, to awaken to the fact that one’s own mind is the Buddha-mind, and to see that the original nature is the dharmadhatu—this is to arouse the aspiration. To know that the mind does not abide is cultivation; to know without abiding is the flavor of the Dharma. Abiding in and clinging to this Dharma is the movement of thought. Therefore, it is like a person entering a dark place and seeing nothing.

Now there is no abiding place,
neither defilement nor attachment. Therefore, just as a person who has eyes and the
light of the sun sees all dharmas fully, how could those of determinate nature, who no
longer have any place of abiding or attachment, speak of any destination? The Minister Wen Zao of
Shannan further asked: “When a person awakens to the principle and puts an end to delusion, he creates no karma. After
this present life ends in death, on what does his numinous nature depend?” The reply was: “All sentient beings are fully endowed with
the nature of awakening, numinously luminous, empty, and quiescent, no different from the Buddha. It is only
because, from beginningless kalpas until now, they have never fully awakened to it, but falsely cling to the body as
the mark of self, that feelings of love and hatred arise. Following these feelings, they create karma; following
their karma, they undergo retribution, passing through birth, aging, illness, and death in samsara for many kalpas.
Yet the nature of awakening within the body has never died. It is like dreaming that one is
being chased and driven to exhausting labor while the body continues to lie peacefully at rest. It is like water becoming ice,
while its nature of moisture remains unchanged. If one can awaken to this nature, it is the Dharma-body. Originally
unborn in itself, how could it have anything on which to depend? Numinously clear and unobscured, lucidly and constantly knowing,
it has nowhere to go and nowhere from which to come. Yet false attachments from many lifetimes have, through habit, become second nature;
joy, anger, sorrow, and delight continue to operate subtly and continuously. Although
the true nature may suddenly be clearly realized, these feelings are still difficult to eliminate. One must continually examine and recognize them, causing them to diminish little by little,
as when the wind ceases and the waves subside. How could the cultivation of a single lifetime immediately equal the power and functioning
of all Buddhas? One should simply take empty quiescence as one’s own essence and not identify with the physical body;
take numinous awareness as one’s own mind and do not identify with deluded thoughts. Whenever deluded thoughts arise, do not
follow them at all. Then, at the time of death, karma will naturally be unable to bind you. Your destination
in the intermediate existence will be free, and you may be reborn at will among heavenly or human beings. If thoughts
of love and hatred have already vanished, you will no longer assume a body subject to limited birth and death, and will naturally be able to transform what is short
into what is long and what is coarse into what is subtle and wondrous. When every subtle, continuously flowing activity is utterly extinguished,
only the great wisdom of perfect awakening remains, shining brilliantly by itself. Then, responding to capacities, one manifests
hundreds of thousands of millions of bodies to liberate sentient beings with whom one has affinities. This is called a Buddha.” Respectfully responding, I explain:
Bodhisattva Asvaghosa distilled the essential purport of the hundred Mahayana sutras
and composed the Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana. The treatise establishes its central doctrine by saying that the minds of all
sentient beings possess the aspects of awakening and non-awakening. Within awakening are the aspects of Original Awakening
and Initial Awakening. Although the foregoing passage speaks only in terms of illuminating the principle and contemplating the mind,
its Dharma meaning is the same as that treatise. That one has, from time immemorial, been no different from the Buddha
is Original Awakening; yet from beginningless time onward there has been non-awakening.
Awakening from this point onward is called Initial Awakening. Within Initial Awakening there are also sudden
awakening and gradual cultivation. From “it has nowhere to go” onward concerns sudden awakening. Yet from
“false attachments from many lifetimes” onward concerns gradual cultivation. Within gradual cultivation, from the initial arousal of the aspiration
until the attainment of Buddhahood, there are three kinds of mastery. From here through “may be reborn at will” is mastery over
taking birth. From “if thoughts of love and hatred” onward is mastery over transformation. From “subtle, continuously flowing activity” onward
to the end is ultimate mastery. Furthermore, from “one should simply take empty quiescence as one’s own essence”
through “karma will naturally be unable to bind you” is precisely the essential cultivation of calm abiding and insight that a person awakened to the principle must
practice in the mind morning and evening. Master Xumi previously composed an eight-line verse clarifying this meaning. He once recited it
in the presence of the Minister and was commanded to explain it. I now respectfully annotate it. The verse reads:
To act meaningfully is the awakened mind.
To act meaninglessly is the deranged mind.
If, in derangement, one follows emotional thoughts, then at death one is dragged along by karma.
If, in awakening, one does not follow emotions, then at death one can transform karma.
APPENDIX:
The Master ascended the Dharma Hall and said: “Today I shall wholly raise up the Mind Seal of the
Patriarch. When there is movement, the seal stops it; yet stopping is itself the empty seal. But if there is neither movement nor stopping, then
the seal is precisely no seal. Is there anyone in the assembly who can speak of this?” At that time, Elder Lupo
asked: “This student possesses the dynamic function of an iron ox; I ask the Master not to answer by sealing it.” The Master
said: “Accustomed to the words ‘whales and leviathans sink into the great abyss,’ one then laments that a frog’s steps become mired in mud.”
Just as Lupo was about to speak, the Master struck him on the mouth with his fly whisk and said:
“Do you remember the words spoken earlier?” Lupo said: “I remember.” The Master said: “Try to present them.”
As Lupo was about to open his mouth, the Master struck him once more with the fly whisk. The Master ascended the Dharma
Hall and addressed the assembly: “All you eyes and ears who inquire into the Way, when you encounter the pivotal opportunity, you must directly abide where
the Great Function manifests before you; do not cling to minor details. Even if the earlier words could be
presented, that would still be lingering in the shell and losing oneself in the wind. Even if your feelings penetrate the words spoken afterward, you would
still not escape the wild views encountered along the way. I see that, until now, you have relied upon others
to gain learning and understanding, remaining deluded about both paths. Today I shall sweep all of that clean away together with you.
Each of you, as a descendant of the Great Master, must bare your fangs, claw the ground, and let out a single roar,
raising a sheer wall a thousand fathoms high. Who would dare look directly at it—or even steal a glance?
If anyone gazes at it, his enormous eyes will be struck blind.” Someone asked: “Whose household song does the Master sing,
and whose lineage does your teaching style continue?” The Master said: “Leaping beyond and emerging outside the time before King Awesome Voice,
to stand on tiptoe is but a vain and wearisome attempt to praise Tisya.”