禪林寶訓

228.—Chan Master Fozhi Yu said: “A fine steed runs as swiftly as a tempest, yet it does not dare give its legs free rein, because it is restrained by bit and bridle. A violent and unruly petty man does not dare give his impulses free rein, because he is restrained by penal law. The wandering consciousness of human beings does not dare follow sensory conditions unchecked, because it is held back by the power of illuminating awareness. Alas! A student of the Way who lacks the power of illuminating awareness is like a fine steed without bit or bridle. And if a petty man were without penal law, what would there be to cut off craving and counteract delusive thoughts?”

Dharma Words Sent to Layman Zheng.^[1]

229.—Fozhi told Shui’an: “The essential substance of an abbot’s office consists of four things: virtue of the Way, speech and conduct, benevolence and righteousness, and rites and rules. Virtue of the Way and speech and conduct are the root of teaching and transformation; benevolence and righteousness, and rites and rules, are its branches. Without the root, it cannot stand; without the branches, it cannot be brought to completion.

The ancient sages saw that students of the Way were unable to govern themselves, so they established monasteries to give them a place in which to dwell and selected abbots to lead them. Yet the monasteries were honored not for the sake of the abbots; nor were food, clothing, implements, and medicines amply provided for the sake of the students of the Way. All was for the sake of the Way of the Buddhas and Patriarchs.

Therefore, one who skillfully serves as abbot must first esteem virtue of the Way and safeguard speech and conduct; one who skillfully studies the Way must necessarily uphold benevolence and righteousness and observe rites and rules. Thus, without students of the Way, the abbot’s office cannot be established. The abbot and the students of the Way are like the body and its arms, the head and the feet: great and small must accord with one another without conflict before they can rely upon one another and carry out their work.

Hence it is said: ‘Students of the Way preserve the monastery, and the monastery preserves virtue of the Way.’ If the abbot lacks virtue of the Way, the monastery will likewise be nearly ruined.”

The Veritable Record.

230.—Chan Master Shui’an Yi said: “The Book of Changes says: ‘The noble person reflects upon calamity and therefore prepares in advance against it.’ Thus, people of old constantly kept in mind the great peril of birth and death and used the Way to guard against it. Consequently, their accomplishments were great and their good names spread far and wide. People today, however, say that seeking the Way is impractical and that seeking profit is essential.

They therefore compete with one another in cultivating ostentation and making petty calculations, seeking only immediate concerns and harboring the intentions of the negligent. They will not even make plans for a single year, much less concern themselves with the great matter of birth and death. For this reason, students of the Way become baser with each passing day, monasteries grow increasingly desolate, and discipline and order decline ever further.

Thus monasteries have reached the point of tottering collapse and are nearly beyond saving. Alas! We must take this as a common mirror of admonition.”

The Veritable Record of Shuanglin.

231.—Shui’an said: “Formerly, while traveling on pilgrimage, I reached Yunju Monastery and heard Gao’an say during the evening assembly: ‘The ultimate Way is a perfectly straight path, far removed from human sentiments. One must therefore make the mind sincere and the intention upright; do not prize contrivance or deviation. Contrivance approaches deceit and flattery, while deviation is neither centered nor upright; neither accords with the ultimate Way.’ I privately thought Gao’an’s words very close to the truth, so I engraved them in my heart and practiced accordingly. Only when I was granted an audience with my late master Fozhi did I suddenly attain great and thorough awakening. Thus I did not betray the lifelong aspiration that had led me to travel on pilgrimage.”

Letter Sent to Yuetang.^[2]

232.—Shui’an said: “Wherever Yuetang served as abbot, he made the practice of the Way his own responsibility. He had no need of alms solicitors and placed no value on offerings. Each year, his food and drink were limited to whatever provisions the monastery possessed.

Whenever a monk of resolve wished to undertake the solicitation of alms to support the teaching, he refused. He would sometimes say: ‘This was possible when the Buddha was still in the world, but if this practice is undertaken today, there will surely be people who covet profit and go so far as to sell themselves.’ From this, I understand that Master Yuetang guarded against faults while they were still subtle, preventing them from gradually growing.

His discernment was truly penetrating and clear. Those truthful words still resound in my ears. Looking at the present day in light of those words, could the harm possibly be limited merely to selling oneself?”

Dharma Words.

233.—Shui’an told Vice Minister You Yanzhi^[3]: “Formerly, Dayu, Ciming, Guquan, and Langya joined together as companions to study under Fenyang. This place was in Hedong, where the cold was exceedingly severe and everyone dreaded it. Ciming alone was firmly resolved upon the Way, practicing diligently morning and evening without indolence.

While sitting in meditation at night, whenever drowsiness arose, he would stab himself with an awl and lament: ‘Because people of old regarded birth and death as the great matter, they went without food and sleep. What kind of person am I, that I should indulge in laxity and indolence, being of no benefit to the world while alive and leaving not even an echo behind when dead? This is to abandon myself.’ One day, Ciming came to take his leave.

Fenyang sighed and said: ‘Now that Chuyuan is departing, my Way is returning eastward.’^[4]

Accounts Heard at West Lake.

234.—Shui’an said: “When the ancient worthies served as abbots, they devoted themselves to practicing the Way and never indulged themselves in laxity or negligence. Formerly, Fenyang often lamented: ‘In the latter days of the Semblance Dharma, people are shallow and perfidious, and students of the Way are difficult to teach and transform.’ Ciming said: ‘That is very easy; it is merely that those who preside over the Dharma do not teach skillfully.’ Fenyang said: ‘Even the pure and sincere people of old required twenty or thirty years before they could accomplish the work.’ Ciming said: ‘Those are not words befitting a discussion of sages and worthies.

One who skillfully advances toward the Way accomplishes the work in a thousand days.’ Some considered Ciming’s words preposterous and did not heed them. Because the region of Fenyang was bitterly cold, the evening assembly had been discontinued. Suddenly, a strange bhikkhu said to Fenyang: ‘There are six great beings^[5] in this Dharma assembly.

Why do you not appear before the assembly and teach the Dharma?’ Indeed, in less than three years, six people attained the Way. Therefore, Master Fenyang often recited this verse:

‘A foreign monk, staff in hand,

Came to Fenyang to request the Dharma,

Urging me to proclaim the Dharma treasure;

Six people realized the golden Way.’

Accounts Heard at West Lake.

235.—When Chan Master Touzi Qing^[6] painted Shui’an’s portrait, he asked Shui’an to compose an encomium to inscribe upon it. It read:

Heir to Qingquan’s Dharma,

Lofty and without peer.

One meal each day,

Never reclining at night.

Deeply entering meditative concentration,

His breath left no trace.

His name resounded through the nine tiers,^[7]

His virtue was chosen for deliberation on Chan.

The imperial countenance shone with delight,

And bestowed golden silk.

Three times he declined,

And the emperor praised him all the more.

Worthy of the true Way,

Even plants and trees rejoiced.

He transmitted his remaining essence to me;

I burn incense and make this vow.

It is indeed perfectly clear:

The color blue is born from indigo,

Yet blue is far deeper than indigo.^[8]

From the Collection of Portraits.

236.— Shui’an said: The late master Fozhi said, “Master Wuzu Fayan of Dongshan often told Jinglong Xue, ‘For this mountain monk to have Yuanwu is like a fish having water or a bird having wings.’ Therefore, Chancellor Ziyan, the layman, praised them, saying, ‘That master and disciple found such mutual accord and harmony is truly rare in our time. From beginning to end, they remained as one, and no one could separate them.’ The layman Ziyan was truly a man of discerning judgment.

Recently, I have seen venerable elders everywhere using schemes to bind patch-robed monks to themselves, while patch-robed monks use power and profit to pay homage to venerable elders. Host and guest associate for gain, and superiors and inferiors treat one another with contempt and deceit. If this is so, how can the Dharma gate flourish and the monasteries prosper?”

From a letter to Meishan Run.

237.— Shui’an said: “If words are to move people’s hearts, they need only be sincere and earnest. If words are not sincere and earnest, they will have little power to move anyone, and who would willingly feel them deeply in the heart? In former times, when our ancestral master Baiyun sent our grandmaster to serve as abbot of Simian Monastery, he earnestly admonished him: ‘The Way of the patriarchs lies shattered, as precarious as a stack of eggs.

You must not become lax or self-indulgent, waste the passing hours, or impair wisdom and virtue. You should possess generous forbearance, support the community, and benefit others. To preserve this is to repay the kindness of the Buddhas and patriarchs.’ At that time, everyone who heard of these words was moved.

You, Touzi, have now been invited to the imperial court to expound the Way; this is truly a fortunate event for the Dharma gate. You must humble yourself and honor the Way, taking the relief and benefit of others as your guiding concern. Do not rely upon yourself or boast.

Follow the humility, gentleness, reverence, and circumspection of the ancient worthies, preserving yourself so that your virtue remains whole. Do not regard power or rank as glory; only then may your pure reputation resound throughout your age and your noble example leave its fragrance for myriad generations. I fear that the light of my life’s shadow will not endure much longer and that I shall not meet you again, so I offer these heartfelt words as my admonition.”

From a letter to Touzi.

238.— Even in his youth, Shui’an displayed outstanding qualities, lofty aspirations, and a reverence for integrity. He disliked ostentation and extravagance and did not concern himself with trifling affairs. Broad-minded and courageous in undertaking righteous deeds, he showed no change of countenance even when calamity and danger stood directly before him. He served as abbot of eight monasteries throughout four prefectures and counties; wherever he went, he devoted himself earnestly and wholeheartedly to practicing the Way and establishing the monastery as his duty. In the fifth year of the Chunxi era, he retired from the abbacy of Jingci Monastery by West Lake and composed this verse:

“For six years I swept and tended the monastery grounds;

Tiles and rubble were transformed into the heavens of Shakra and Brahma.

The fruit of merit is now complete and left behind;

The wind stirs my staff as I roam throughout the ten directions.”

The officials and people there earnestly entreated him to remain, but to no avail. He departed in a small boat for Tianning Monastery in Xiushui County. Before long, he fell ill and passed into stillness.

Record of Conduct.

239.— Chan Master Yuetang Shuang said: “In former times, because bhikshus in the latter age of the Dharma were arrogant and indolent, Chan Master Dazhi specially established regulations to restrain and guard against such conduct. According to each person’s abilities, he assigned a particular office for that person to oversee. The abbot resided in the abbot’s quarters, while the community of monks dwelt in the Sangha hall; the administration was divided among ten principal offices.^[9] Those in charge were as strict and solemn as government officials: those above grasped the general principles, while those below arranged and supervised the various affairs.

Thus superiors and inferiors followed one another in succession, as the body directs the arm and the arm directs the fingers, each obeying commands and carrying out their work. For this reason, our predecessors respectfully followed and earnestly upheld these rules, ensuring that the legacy of the ancient sages did not perish.

“Recently, however, I have seen the monasteries decline. Students of the Way prize talent and cleverness while despising the preservation of integrity and righteousness; they esteem outward splendor while treating sincerity lightly. As days and months pass, this gradually leads to decay.

At first, they evade responsibility merely to enjoy temporary ease; but after long habituation, they call it natural and no longer regard it as unrighteous or unreasonable. Those above anxiously fear those below, while those below glare defiantly at those above. In ordinary times, they utter honeyed words, abase themselves, and observe courtesies, flattering and pleasing one another; but before long, they bring forth wolfish hearts and demonic schemes to attack and destroy one another.

The victor is deemed worthy, while the defeated is made out to be a fool, with no further regard for hierarchy and order or for right and wrong. When one person acts this way, another imitates him; whatever those below say, those above also do; whatever predecessors have done, those who follow copy in the same manner. Alas!

Unless sages and worthies, relying upon the power of their vows, appear and accumulate the meritorious works of a hundred years, how could this deeply entrenched abuse be shaken? Otherwise, it cannot be changed.”

From a letter to Chan Master Shun.^[10]

240.— Yuetang served for a long time as abbot of Jingci Monastery. Someone once said, “The Venerable has practiced and propagated the Way for many years, yet among your disciples we have not heard of a single outstanding student. Have you not thereby failed the lineage of the late master Miaozhan?”^[11] Yuetang did not reply.

On another day, they raised the matter with him again. Yuetang said: “Have you not heard of the man of old who planted melon seeds and loved them to excess? Even on scorching summer days, he insisted on watering them at noon.

The melons not only failed to flourish but withered and rotted. Why? It was not that the man who loved growing melons was not diligent, but because he watered them at the wrong time, the melons withered and rotted.

Venerable elders in various places provide for and promote patch-robed monks without considering whether their cultivation of the Way is full and genuine or whether their capacity and talent are broad and far-reaching. They merely want them to mature quickly. Yet when their virtue is examined, it is defiled; when their speech and conduct are examined, they are perverse.

If they are declared upright, they are in fact crooked flatterers. Could such things also result from loving them to excess? This is no different from watering melons beneath the midday sun.

Because I fear the ridicule of discerning people, I dare not entrust them with weighty responsibilities.”

Beishan Jiwen.

241.— Yuetang said: “When Huanglong was at Jicui Monastery, he became ill and did not leave the abbot’s quarters for three months. Zhenjing was deeply worried. Throughout the night, he made vows and offered prayers, even burning incense upon the crown of his head and lighting lamps upon his arms, hoping for the unseen assistance of divine power.

When Huanglong learned of this, he rebuked him, saying, ‘The principle of life and death is naturally my allotted portion. You are one who practices Chan; have you still not realized this principle?’ Zhenjing calmly replied, ‘The monasteries can do without Keyun—Zhenjing—but they cannot do without the Venerable.’ Discerning people said that one who revered his master and honored the Dharma with such sincerity would surely become a vessel of great attainment in the future.”

Beishan Jiwen.

242.—Yuetang said: “Grand Historian Huang Lu Zhi often said: ‘Chan Master Huanglong Nan was a man of profound and capacious character, unmoved by external things. Throughout his life he had no fondness for adornment. Among his disciples were some who, over the course of their entire lives, never saw him display either joy or anger. Even those who attended upon him and carried out his instructions he treated with a sincere heart. Thus, without raising his voice or altering his manner, he caused Ciming’s Way to flourish. Such an achievement could not have been attained without diligent concern.’”

Inscribed on the stone stele at Huanglong Monastery.

243.—Yuetang said: “On the third day of the third month^[13] in the Jiyou year of the Jianyan era^[12], Zhong Xiang rebelled in Fengyang. Chan Master Wenshu Dao^[14] met with calamity on this occasion. The rebel forces were exceedingly powerful, and all his assembly fled.

The Chan master said: ‘Can calamity be avoided?’ He resolutely remained in the abbot’s quarters and was subsequently slain by the rebels. The layman Wugou wrote in the postscript to his collection of Dharma teachings: ‘Alas! To crave life and fear death is ordinary human feeling.

Only a person of the highest realization understands the principle that there is no birth; thus, although born, he does not cherish his own body. He realizes that birth and death are indestructible; thus, although dying, he has no fear. Therefore, when confronted with the ordeal of life and death, he does not forsake that which he has always upheld.

The Chan master was such a person of the highest realization. His virtue, integrity, and righteousness alone are sufficient to instruct the monasteries and serve as a model for later generations. The Chan master’s name was Zhengdao.

He was a native of Danling in Meizhou and a Dharma heir of Fojian.’”

Recorded in Master Tui’s Accounts of Things Heard.

244.—Venerable Xinwen Bi said: “Patch-robed monks incur far too many maladies on account of their practice of Chan. Some suffer maladies of the ears and eyes, taking the raising of the eyebrows, glaring of the eyes, inclining of the ear, and nodding of the head to be Chan. Some suffer maladies of the mouth and tongue, taking topsy-turvy speech and indiscriminate shouting and scolding to be Chan.

Some suffer maladies of the hands and feet, taking advancing and retreating, pointing east and gesturing west, to be Chan. Some suffer maladies of the heart and belly, taking the reaching of an utterly abstruse and wondrous realm beyond conceptual views to be Chan. To speak truthfully, all these are maladies.

Only a master of the school who has personally recognized the original face can clearly discern the subtlest capacities. At a single glance, he knows whether or not a person has understood; as soon as one enters the gate, he distinguishes whether or not that person has reached the destination. Only then does he employ an awl or a sharp hook to expose the most subtle hidden faults, shatter obstructions, and test what is genuine and what is false.

He does not cling rigidly to one side and thereby obscure the capacity for unobstructed adaptation, but ceases only after enabling the person to enter the realm of peaceful ease where there is nothing further to do.”

Veritable Record.

245.—Xinwen said: “The ancients said:^[15] ‘One whose excellence surpasses a thousand people is called eminent; one whose strength surpasses ten thousand people is called heroic.’ When a patch-robed monk’s wisdom, conduct, and renown resound throughout the monasteries, could he not be called an eminent hero? If a patch-robed monk can diligently investigate, discard the hollow and embrace the substantial, so as to become fit for whatever use is required, then whether a monastery is large or small and whether its assembly is numerous or few, all may accordingly be taught and transformed.

In former times, Fengxue^[16] came to Baiding Monastery, Yaoshan^[17] came to Niulan Monastery, Master Chang^[18] came to Mount Damei, and Ciming^[19] came to the region of Jingchu. At that time, ignorant and doubtful people judged them only by position and appearance; upon seeing them, they inevitably conceived disdain. Yet one day, when these masters took their places at the Dharma assembly and ascended the teacher’s seat, tens of thousands gathered around them, and they made the radiant light of the Buddhas and patriarchs blaze forth in the age of the declining Dharma.

Then everyone throughout the monasteries submitted to them, just as grass bends beneath the wind. Moreover, although these predecessors possessed splendid talents and heroic resolve, even they had to remain concealed before their opportunity arrived, endure bitterness and hardship, and rise and sink amid the waves of worldly life. It was certainly not because they lacked outstanding ability.

Alas! People of ancient times were like people today, and one person is like another. If one must wait for a Yaoshan or Fengxue to serve as teacher, such a person appears only once in a thousand years.

If one must wait for a Damei or Ciming to serve as a companion, such a person comes into the world only once in a hundred years. Matters proceed from the subtle to the manifest, and achievements grow great through the accumulation of small efforts. Never has anyone become accomplished without learning or attained realization without cultivation.

If people understand this principle, they can seek a teacher and choose companions, learn the Way and cultivate virtue, and they can also undertake any affair whatsoever beneath heaven. The ancients said: ‘Knowing people is truly difficult; even sages were troubled by it—how much more so everyone else?’”

Letter to Zhu’an.

246.—Xinwen said: “The Way of the special transmission outside the teachings is exceedingly simple and exceedingly essential. In the beginning, apart from this teaching, there was no other teaching. Thus, the predecessors practiced this Way without the slightest doubt and upheld its virtue without any alteration.

Yet around the Tianxi era,^[20] Xuedou employed his dialectical talent and elegant ideas to modify this teaching. Skillfully seeking novel meanings and further developing the thought of Fenyang, he composed the ‘Verses on the Ancient Cases,’ which captivated students of the Way at that time. Consequently, the style of the school underwent a transformation.

By the Xuanhe and Zhenghe eras,^[21] Yuanwu again put forward his own ideas, expanding upon the ‘Verses on the Ancient Cases’ to produce the Blue Cliff Record. At that time there were venerable elders whose complete purity surpassed even that of the ancients—such as Ningdao,^[22] Zixin, Lingyuan, and Fojian—yet none of them could reverse this teaching. Therefore, younger students who came afterward prized its words and phrases, reciting them in the morning and practicing them in the evening, declaring them to be the teaching of the ultimate Way.

Not a single person recognized that they were mistaken. How grievous! The minds and methods of students of the Way had been corrupted.

“In the first year of the Shaoxing era,^[23] Fori entered the Min region. Seeing students of the Way so deeply enamored of the Blue Cliff Record that they could not be brought back to the former path, and seeing the situation grow steadily worse with every passing day and month, he smashed its printing blocks and vigorously refuted its teaching. He even illuminated the deluded and rescued those who were drowning: he cut away troublesome complications, swept aside superfluous ideas, demolished the false and revealed the true.

Suddenly, the Way of the special transmission outside the teachings was restored and revitalized. Only then did patch-robed monks begin to recognize to some degree that the Blue Cliff Record was mistaken, and they no longer admired it. Had Fori not been a person of lofty wisdom and far-reaching vision, who, relying upon the power of his compassionate vow, remedied the abuses of the age of the declining Dharma, exceedingly dreadful events would have occurred throughout the monasteries.”

Letter to Zhang Zishao.

247.—Venerable Zhuo’an^[24], the monk Fozhao Guang, first practiced Chan under Master Xuetang at Jianfu Monastery. A physiognomist happened to see him and recognized that he was a person of great capacity. He immediately told Xuetang: “Among the assembly is Senior Monk Guang.

The crown of his head is square and upright, his forehead broad, his lips full, and his seven features^[25] well proportioned. One day he will surely become a teacher of emperors and kings.” In the first year of the Chunxi era, during the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, he was summoned to the capital and questioned about the Way. His answers accorded with the emperor’s wishes, and the emperor retained him in the inner palace for seven days and nights, treating him with exceptional favor beyond all customary precedent.

He was bestowed the title Fozhao, “Buddha’s Illumination,” and his renown then spread throughout the realm.

248.—Zhuo’an said to Chancellor Yu Yunwen^[26]: “The Great Way is equal and impartial; fundamentally, it makes no distinction between the foolish and the wise. Yi Yin^[27] and Lü Wang^[28], for example, were a farmer and a fisherman, yet became teachers of emperors and kings. How could this be judged according to intelligence, foolishness, or social rank? Nevertheless, unless one is a great man of resolve, how could one participate in that Great Way?”

Extensive Record.

249.—Zhuo’an said: “Quan Ye’an often related: ‘Chan Master Huanglong Nan was generous, sincere, and trustworthy, dignified and reverent yet compassionate and loving, broad-minded and profound, widely learned and well informed. He once traveled through the Hu-Xiang region with Yunfeng Yue. One day, while the two took shelter from the rain beneath a tree, Yunfeng Yue squatted while Huanglong Nan sat cross-legged, facing one another.

Chan Master Yue glared at Chan Master Nan and said: “The wondrous Way of the Buddhas and patriarchs is not this lifeless semblance of an Earth God in the ancient temple of a tiny village with only three rooftops.” Upon hearing this, Chan Master Nan merely bowed his head in apology and sat even more erect. For this reason, Grand Historiographer Huang Luzhi praised him, saying: “Chan Master Nan always maintained reverent decorum, whether in activity or stillness.

He was truly a leader of the Chan monasteries.”’”

250.—Zhuo’an said: “If one wishes to enter among the great assembly, one must employ wisdom. If one wishes to cast off delusion and eliminate emotional attachments, one must employ awakening. Once one turns away from awakening and conforms to sensory objects, the true mind becomes obscured. When wisdom and foolishness are not distinguished, affairs inevitably fall into disorder.”

Letter to Monastery Superintendent Hua.^[29]

251.—Zhuo’an said: “When Fojian was abbot of Taiping Monastery, Gao’an served as rector. Although Gao’an was still young, his spirit was heroic and lofty. He regarded the venerable masters of the various regions lightly, and few found favor in his eyes.

One day, when the wooden signal was struck to serve the meal, Gao’an saw an attendant carry a separate dish and place it before Fojian’s tray. Gao’an immediately went before the Sangha hall and declared loudly: ‘Here is one who bears the name of a spiritual guide to an assembly of five hundred monks, yet does such a thing! How can he still serve as a model for later students?’ Fojian acted as though he had not heard.

Gao’an hastened to the kitchen to inquire into the matter and learned that the dish was watercress. Fojian had long suffered from an ailment of the spleen and could not consume oil. Looking ashamed, Gao’an went before the abbot’s quarters and asked to resign his position as rector.

Fojian said: ‘What the rector said was entirely correct. Hu勤 acts this way now only because he is ill. I have often heard the sages say: “Use principle to penetrate every obstruction.” Since the food I eat is no better than that of the assembly, there is no further cause for doubt.

The rector is a man of lofty resolve and far-reaching intelligence; one day you will become a pillar of our tradition. I hope you will not be troubled by this trifling matter, but will continue in your position as rector.’ When Fojian later moved to become abbot of Zhihai Monastery, Gao’an went to reside at Longmen Monastery. Gao’an subsequently became a Dharma successor of Foyan.

252.—Zhuo’an said: “Generally, when discussing the Way, exchanging responses, composing verses, or otherwise engaging with officials, one should cut away elaborate intellectual interpretations. Do not let them probe into the depths of your heart; instead, directly present a clear and simple matter of the highest vehicle. My late teacher Miaoxi often said: ‘When meeting scholar-officials, answer at once if they ask a question; if they do not ask, you should say nothing. Moreover, you must know whether they are people who share the same aspiration for the Way.’ These words are highly beneficial in the present age and do not impair the overall responsibilities of an abbot. They should be carefully considered.”

Letter to Pu’an of Xinghua.^[30]

253.—Zhuo’an said: “Good soil skillfully nurtures plants; a capable leader skillfully cultivates worthy people. Most of those called abbots today do not take the mind of the assembly as their own mind. They merely rush to follow their private desires, dislike hearing wholesome counsel, delight in concealing faults, and recklessly pursue improper conduct. They vainly gratify a momentary impulse, while petty people observe their likes and dislikes and imitate them. How, then, could the Way of the abbot avoid falling into peril and ruin?”

Letter to Elder Hong.^[31]

254.—Zhuo’an said to Ye’an:^[32] “Chancellor Ziyan, the lay practitioner, said: ‘Throughout his life, my late teacher Miaoxi always placed morality, integrity, righteousness, and courage foremost. He preferred intimacy but not estrangement, closeness but not coercion, and death but not humiliation. His dwelling was not luxurious, and his food and drink were not rich. Even when confronted with life and death, calamity and adversity, he regarded them as nothing. He was truly like the legendary swords Ganjiang and Moye,^[33] whose blades were difficult for any to rival; yet I fear only that their sharpness might cause unintended injury.’ Later events proved exactly as Ziyan had said.”

Record of Things Heard by Huan’an.

255.—Zhuo’an said: “When Ye’an served as abbot, he thoroughly understood the beginning and end of human sentiments and clearly comprehended the essential principles of the Chan community. He often told me: ‘One who presides over a region must select monastics endowed with wisdom and virtuous conduct to assist him. It is like having a comb for the hair and a mirror for the face: merit and fault, beauty and ugliness, cannot be concealed. Ciming had Yangqi, and Mazu obtained Baizhang; they were like water blending with water, with nothing to impede one another.’”

Collected Works of Huan’an.

256.—Zhuo’an said: “Students of the Way in the age of the decline of the Dharma study only the outermost branches and absorb only the surface skin. They prize what they hear with their ears and slight what they see with their eyes. In the end, they cannot deliver themselves to the lofty and wondrous depths of the Way. Thus it is said: ‘The higher the mountain, the more it contains—layer upon layer of verdant ravines, deep caverns, and extraordinary rocks. The deeper the sea, the more it embraces—the four seas^[34] and the nine springs.^[35]’ If one wishes to investigate the Great Way, one must exhaust both its heights and its depths. Only then can one illuminate its hidden and wondrous profundities and respond to transformations without end.”

Letter to Elder Jin.^[36]

257.—Zhuo’an said to Vice Minister You^[37]: “The intent of the sages and worthies is reserved and harmonious, while its principle is luminous; it is composed and unhurried, while its affairs are clearly ordered. In undertaking matters, they did not seek rapid accomplishment, but entrusted themselves to enduring resolve until their work was fulfilled. By this one may discern the intent of the sages and worthies. Therefore, practitioners of the Way can preserve it throughout ten thousand generations without error. This is precisely its meaning.”

Collected Works of Huan’an.

258.—Vice Minister You said: “Before the time of the ancestral masters, there was originally no establishment of the office of abbot. Later, however, compelled by the need to respond to the times and practice the Way, they had no choice but to institute it. Even so, their dwellings were roofed with grass and leaves, sufficient only to shelter them from wind and rain, and for food they ate merely coarse rice to stave off hunger and thirst.

They endured genuine hardship and emaciation, appearing scarcely able to bear their privations; yet when princes and eminent officials came hoping to pay their respects, they still could not obtain an audience. Therefore, whatever institutions they established were all works of outstanding ability that startled heaven and moved the earth. Those of later generations, however, are incapable of this.

They dwell at ease in lofty, spacious buildings, eat fine food, and wear beautiful robes; whenever they wish something done, they need only purse their lips or point a finger. Thus the demons of Mara Papiyan^[38] strut about complacently, agitating people’s minds, thronging before the gates of the powerful, wagging their tails and begging for favors. Worse still, they employ cunning schemes to seize things and rely upon authority to plunder them, like thieves stealing gold^[39] in broad daylight, unaware that the law of cause and effect still operates in this world.

This letter by Miaoxi was not sent only to Boshan Monastery; in it, he also exposed, without overlooking even the slightest detail, every habitual tendency handed down among the abbots of the various regions. He was like one who drinks Shang Gong’s water from the Upper Pond^[40] and thereby sees clearly into the inner organs of others. If anyone can faithfully accept and practice these instructions, why would there be any need to seek the Buddha-Dharma elsewhere?”

Inscribed on the Stone Stele at Lingyin Monastery.

259.—Vice Minister You said to Zhuo’an: “In former times, Miaoxi was the one who revived the Dharma of the Linji school amid a scene of decline and desolation. Yet he greatly esteemed humility and serenity and never pursued contentious debate or disputation. Throughout his life, he neither curried favor with the powerful nor concerned himself with material support.

He often said: ‘No undertaking can be accomplished through willful indulgence, nor can anything be preserved through wanton extravagance. Some undertakings benefit the times and living beings, whereas others bring only fault and no merit. If we indulge affairs according to willfulness and extravagance, nothing can be brought to completion.’ This unworthy one has always remembered those words and taken them as a lifelong admonition.

The venerable master previously had an audience with His Majesty and was retained to reside at Guantang; this is truly a blessing for the Buddha-Dharma. I earnestly hope that you will not forget your compassionate vow, so that the path of advancement in goodness may be illuminated and the way of assuming responsibility for the assembly may be broadened. Thus, younger generations may be kept from pursuing and studying shallow, short-sighted matters and instead may all cherish aspirations for lofty and far-reaching endeavors.

Would this not benefit and aid the monastic community?”

Recorded by Attendant Ran.^[41]

260.—The Venerable Mi’an Jie^[42] said: “Whether a monastic community flourishes or declines depends entirely upon propriety and discipline. Whether students of the Way become good or bad depends entirely upon custom. The ancients dwelt in caves, drank spring water, and ate fruit; if these practices were applied in the present age, they would not be workable.

People today wear fine clothing, eat polished rice, and partake of delicious food; if these practices were applied in ancient times, they likewise would not have been workable. What is so strange about this? It is merely a matter of what one is or is not accustomed to.

Alas! When people see and know something from morning until evening and regard it as ordinary, they will naturally say that all affairs under heaven are just so. But if one day they must move from one place to another and see all things transformed, they will not only give rise to doubt and disbelief but may even be afraid and refuse to follow those ways.

Observing matters through this principle, we should understand that human nature rests securely in what it has habitually followed and fears what it has never seen or known. This too is only ordinary human feeling; what is there to find strange?”

Letter to Shi Tijian.^[43]

261.—Mi’an said to Head Seat Wu:^[44] “Within the monastic communities, people from Zhejiang are, for the most part, frivolous and feeble, and few are able to establish themselves. Although you too are from Zhejiang, you possess great ability and spirit, a broad and tolerant capacity, upright and sincere aspirations, and, moreover, firm understanding and discernment. It is not yet appropriate to say what your future will be, but you should keep yourself concealed and refrain from revealing your sharp edges.

Hew down the corners of the square so that it fits together like roofing tiles, and steadfastly preserve the Middle Way. Never yield in the slightest to the power of circumstances or personal advantage. If you can do this, then even while dwelling in this realm of defilement and toil, you will still be carrying out the work of a Buddha.”

Letter to Xiao’an.

262.—Mi’an said: “My late teacher Ying’an often said: ‘The worthy and the unworthy are opposed to one another, so one must choose carefully between them. Worthy people establish themselves through the Way, virtue, benevolence, and righteousness; unworthy people conduct affairs through craving for power and advantage, deceit, and flattery. When worthy people attain their aims, they invariably put into practice what they have learned; whatever position unworthy people occupy, they use it only to secure private interests.

They hate the worthy, envy the capable, crave sensual desires, and seek material support; there is nothing they will shrink from doing. Thus, when worthy people are obtained, the monastic community flourishes; when unworthy people are employed, the monastic community declines. If even one unworthy person infiltrates a monastic community, that place will certainly be unable to remain peaceful.’”

Letter to the Venerable Yue.^[45]

263.—Mi’an said: “An abbot should not do three things: when affairs are numerous, he should not be afraid; when there are no affairs, he should not manufacture them; and concerning right and wrong, he should not argue. Once an abbot has thoroughly understood these three points, he will not be deluded by external things.”

Recorded by Attendant Hui.^[46]

264.—Mi’an said: “When a monk follows perverse and deceitful words, he naturally leaves unwholesome traces. Since everyone in the monastic community knows this clearly, such a person is not yet sufficient cause for concern. Only one whom everyone regards as worthy while he harbors unworthy intentions within his heart is truly a cause for concern.”

Letter to Puci.^[47]

265.—Mi’an said to Shui’an:^[48] “When a person is sometimes slandered and humiliated, he should accept it patiently and in accordance with circumstances. How could he rashly listen to what others say and then hastily and indiscriminately set forth his own narrow opinions? Generally speaking, flatterers have many kinds, and deception takes many forms.

Those whose minds are deceitful and unjust delight in indulging their selfish intentions; those who sow suspicion and jealousy are skilled at casting aside public deliberation. Their aspirations are narrow and constrained, and what they have seen and heard is obscure and shallow. Yet they regard their own peculiarities as proof that none can equal them and their obstruction of public opinion as proof that they surpass everyone.

But once we know that our own way of conducting affairs is entirely right, while the slander naturally originates from others, then before long the matter will become clear of itself. There is no need to defend oneself, nor is it necessary to insist that right is on one’s own side and thereby expose and attack others. One who can act in this way is fit to be a member of the monastic community.”

Letter to Shui’an.

266. Venerable Tự Đắc Huy said: “Generally speaking, if a patch-robed monk is sincere at heart and turns toward the true path, then even if he is foolish, he may still be entrusted with responsibilities. But if his mind is deceitful and flattering and he follows a deviant course, then even if he is wise, in the end he will only harm the Way. In general, if those within the monasteries harbor improper intentions, then although they may possess ability, ultimately they will still be unable to establish themselves.”

From a Letter to Giản Đường.

267. Chan Master Đại Trí specifically established the Rules of Purity in order to remedy the corrupt and improper practices of bhikshus in the age of the decline of the Dharma. Therefore, the former worthies followed and transmitted them, observing them scrupulously.

There was instruction, there was order, and there was proper sequence from beginning to end. From the latter years of the Thiệu Hưng era onward, there were still mature elders in the monasteries who upheld the established models and regulations and did not dare set the rules aside even for a moment. In recent years, however, all guiding principles and discipline have been lost in the monasteries: principles are no longer principles, and discipline is no longer discipline.

Even where principles and discipline are maintained, they are no longer correct as they were in former times. Thus it is said: “When the main rope of a net is raised, all its meshes open wide; when one critical opportunity is missed, ten thousand affairs are ruined.” In general, if principles and discipline are not restored, the monasteries cannot flourish. The ancients alone examined the root in order to rectify the branches.

Thus, they worried only that the standards of the Dharma might not be strictly upheld; they did not worry that students of the Way might have no place in which to practice, for such places properly belong to the community. Nowadays, those who preside over various places all intermingle private affairs with public ones and use the branches to rectify the root. Those above seek only profit and give no thought to the Way, while those below contend for gain and pay no regard to righteousness.

Above and below are in disarray, and hosts and guests are thrown into confusion. How, then, could patch-robed monks return to the true path and cause the monasteries to flourish?”

From a Letter to Vice Minister Vưu.

268. Tự Đắc said: “While precious jade still lies within the ore, it differs in no way from ordinary stone. Before the steed Ký has galloped over a long course, it is mingled with the inferior horses Nô and Đài.

But when the ore is split open and the jade is cut and polished, and when the long course is run to test the steed Ký, the distinction between jade and stone, and between the inferior horses and the steed Ký, immediately becomes perfectly clear. Alas! Before worthy and virtuous patch-robed monks are put to use, they remain mingled among the multitude; how could they be distinguished?

It is therefore essential that eminent and discerning persons elevate them according to public judgment and appoint them to positions. When their abilities are tested through the responsibilities entrusted to them, they will prove entirely different from ordinary people.”

From a Letter to Hoặc Am.^[49]

269. When Venerable Hoặc Am Thể^[50] first went to study Chan under Đại Venerable Thử Am Nguyên Bá at Hộ Quốc Monastery on Mount Thiên Thai, he once brought forth the verse “Layman Bàng Selects a Buddha”^[51] during an ascent to the Dharma hall and asked about it. When he came to the line, “This is the arena for selecting Buddhas,” Master Thử Am gave a great shout. At this, Hoặc Am attained great awakening and immediately presented this verse in accord with the occasion:

“Pondering through to the utmost, I perceive the heading;

In the arena for selecting Buddhas, the matter is decisively settled.

The brush sweeps freely as wind and rain surge;

For the rank of Thám Hoa I feel no longing.”

Immediately afterward, he concealed his traces on Mount Thiên Thai. Chancellor Tiền Công,^[52] admiring him as an eminent man, wished to invite him to become abbot of Chiêu Đề Monastery at Thiên Phong and urged him to emerge and engage with the world. When Hoặc Am learned of this, he said:^[53] “I know nothing of ‘hanging up a sheep’s head while selling dog meat.’” That very night, he fled.

270. In the first year of the Càn Đạo era,^[54] Hạt Đường,^[55] while serving as abbot of Quốc Thanh Monastery, one day saw a eulogy composed by Hoặc Am and engraved beneath an image of Master Viễn Thông:

“Not abiding by the fundamental endowment, he vexes living beings;

Gazing upon him, looking upon him—with eyes, one seems blind.

The moon and wind of Trường An have shone brightly from ancient times to now;

Yet the traveler feels along the wall as he goes.”

Hạt Đường was both astonished and delighted, and said: “Who would have known that Thử Am had such a child?” He immediately searched everywhere and finally encountered Hoặc Am in Giang Tâm, whereupon he invited him to occupy the foremost seat among the assembly.

Unofficial Records of Thiên Thai.

271. In the first year of the Càn Đạo era,^[56] Hoặc Am suddenly came to visit Hạt Đường at Hổ Khâu Monastery. When monastics and laypeople in Cô Tô heard of Hoặc Am’s lofty character, they eagerly came to visit him and invited him to become abbot of Giác Báo Monastery within the city. Hoặc Am accepted and said: “Before my late master Thử Am passed away, he instructed me that if, in the future, I encountered a monastery named Lão Thọ, I should remain there. Now this seems to accord with his prophecy.” He therefore gladly accepted the appointment. This was because Giác Báo Monastery had formerly been called “Lão Thọ Hermitage.”

Records of Hổ Khâu.

272. After Hoặc Am became abbot of Giác Báo Monastery, a donor invited him to give an informal Dharma talk. He said: “The Way ever abides, tranquil and unchanging, but phenomena have old and new, good and bad, and therefore undergo change.

In former times, the patriarchs of Giang Tây and Nam Nhạc regularly examined the words of the ancients and took them as lessons, using them to discern what should be done. They maintained the proper measure of the Middle Way, sought to accord with people’s minds, and took realization as their standard. Therefore, their pure and unadorned manner has transcended the ages and remains undiminished even today.

Yet if this is assessed within the gate of this patch-robed monk, those who have advanced only through the first part of the phrase merely subdue our ancestral tradition, while those who have clearly understood the latter part of the phrase merely bury the Buddhas and patriarchs. Even so, those who have reached the very end of the river crossing may sit peacefully there and enjoy watching the drifting clouds.” Monastics and laypeople were therefore greatly delighted to hear him and gathered around him as densely as at a marketplace.

Recorded Sayings, Dị Thử.

273. After Hoặc Am assumed the abbacy,^[57] scholars and commoners gathered around him in great numbers. The patch-robed monks carried this news to Master Hạt Đường at Hổ Khâu Monastery. On seeing it, he jokingly said:

“That fellow is stubborn as a mountain barbarian,

Clinging to blind Chan, he runs this way and that.

Beating clappers and striking cymbals, he puts on a strange display,

Giving instructions to a band of wild-fox spirits.”

After Hoặc Am heard of this, he also wrote a verse in reply:

“You may despise the stubborn mountain barbarian,

Yet only after leading the assembly and supporting the teachings did he become abbot.

The broom handle held backward is like a barrier;

The blind Chan he clings to is used to cure foolish monks.”

Hạt Đường merely laughed.

Records.

274. Hoặc Am told Vice Minister Tằng Công Đãi: “The essential principle of studying the Way is like using a balance to determine whether an object is heavy or light: one need only keep it level. Could it function if it inclined heavily to either side? Push it forward or shift it backward, and it will already lean to one side. Only one who clearly understands this principle is able to study the Way.”

From a Letter to Tằng Công.

275. Hoặc Am said: “Virtue is the root of the monasteries, and patch-robed monks are the root of virtue. If an abbot detests and abandons patch-robed monks, he thereby forgets virtue. Once virtue has been forgotten, what remains with which to cultivate the work of teaching, regulate the monasteries, and guide those who come to study? The ancients examined the root in order to rectify the branches. Therefore, they worried only that virtue might not be cultivated; they did not worry about losing a place in the monasteries. Thus it is said: ‘The monasteries safeguard patch-robed monks, and patch-robed monks safeguard virtue.’ If an abbot lacks virtue, the monastery will fall into ruin.”

From a Letter to Giản Đường.

276. Hoặc Am said: “Alas! For a good spiritual friend, what is essential lies in knowing those who are worthy, not in being worthy oneself. Therefore, one who harms the worthy is foolish; one who conceals the worthy is benighted; and one who hates the worthy is base. To bring glory to oneself is not as good as establishing a fine reputation for a lifetime. To gain a fine reputation for a lifetime is not as good as nurturing a virtuous monk of the patched robe, so that later students may have a teacher and the monasteries may have a master.”

Letter to Viên Cực.^[58]

277. Three years after Hoặc Am moved to become abbot of Tiêu Sơn Monastery, on the fourth day of the eighth month in the sixth year of the Thuần Hy era, before showing signs of illness, he wrote a letter and sent it together with an inkstone to bid farewell to Tằng Công Đãi, Vice Minister and Governor of the Prefecture. At midnight that same night, he entered final repose. Tằng Công Đãi composed the following memorial verse for him:

“The west wind blows briskly as the lone sandal flies;

Not a single thing is contained within this cloth bag.

The earthen inkstone left behind deepens our sorrow;

Who can know the brush that writes upon empty space?”^[59]

Record of Conduct.

278. Venerable Hạt Đường Viễn told Hoặc Am: “People’s abilities and capacities are inherently great or small; in truth, they cannot be produced through instruction. Thus, a small sheet of paper cannot wrap a large object, and a short rope cannot draw water from a deep well.

The owl seeks food at night; its eyes can see a flea and discern the finest autumn down. Yet in daylight, even if it opens its eyes wide, it cannot see something as large as a hill. This is because each creature has its own particular endowment and limitations.

In former times, Tĩnh Nam Đường^[60] propagated the Dharma lineage of Đông Sơn. He was intelligent and keenly awakened, penetrating its profound and mysterious inner meaning and thoroughly comprehending its intricate principles. Yet when he went forth to serve the world as an abbot, wherever he went he was unable to bring the place to flourishing.

One day, when Chan Master Viên Ngộ was returning to the land of Thục, traveling together with Venerable Phạm, they stopped to visit Đại Tuỳ Monastery. They saw that Tĩnh Nam Đường was careless and inattentive, and that all the affairs of the monastery had been neglected. Nevertheless, my late teacher did not say a single word of inquiry or admonition.

When they were midway home, Venerable Phạm said: ‘Tĩnh Nam Đường studied and practiced the Way together with you as a fellow practitioner. Why did you not offer him a word of guidance?’ My late teacher replied: ‘In serving the world and leading the assembly, what is essential is to place rules and ordinances foremost. The implementation of rules and ordinances depends upon wisdom and ability.

Whether one possesses ability or not is part of each person’s natural endowment; how could it be brought about through instruction?’ Venerable Phạm nodded in assent.”

Things Seen and Heard at Hổ Khâu.

279. Hạt Đường said: “For scholars who study the Way, rectifying the mind must come first; only afterward can they rectify themselves and all things. When the mind has been rectified, the myriad things can be brought to peace and order.

I have never heard of one whose mind was well governed while the person remained disordered. The teaching of the Buddhas and Patriarchs proceeds from within to without, and from what is near to what is far. Delusion through external sights and sounds is a disease of the limbs; the arising of deluded emotions within is a disease of the heart and belly.

I have never seen anyone whose mind was rectified yet who was unable to teach and transform others. This is because the one mind is the root, while the myriad things are the branches and leaves. If the root is strong and sound, the branches and leaves flourish; if the root is withered and weak, the branches and leaves inevitably wilt and break.

Those skilled in studying the Way must first govern the inner mind so as to withstand external things; they must not crave external things and thereby harm the inner mind. Therefore, if one wishes to guide beings, what is essential is purity of mind. If one wishes to rectify others, one must first rectify oneself.

If the mind has been rectified and the self has been established, yet the myriad things do not follow one’s teaching and transformation, such a thing has never occurred.”

Letter to Vice Minister Nhan.^[61]

280. Venerable Giản Đường Cơ had served as abbot of Quản Sơn Monastery in Bà Dương County for nearly twenty years. He ate only glutinous rice and goosefoot vegetable soup, appearing to have utterly renounced all thoughts of advancement and worldly distinction.

One day, as he descended the mountain, he heard bitter and grievous weeping beside the road. Moved by compassion, he went to investigate and inquire into the matter. He learned that a family had been stricken by typhoid fever and had just lost two members, but because they were desperately poor, they could not obtain the articles needed to shroud and encoffin the dead.

He immediately went to the market and purchased coffins so that they could be buried. When the villagers saw this, they ceaselessly praised his righteous deed. Vice Minister Lý Công Thung Niên said to the scholar-officials: “In my village there is the elder teacher Giản Đường Cơ, a monk of the patched robe who possesses the Way and who, moreover, is benevolent, gracious, and loving toward everyone.

How could Quản Sơn Monastery be a place for him to remain for long?” He then joined with Privy Councillor Uông Minh Viễn and the circuit commissioners of the prefectures to present the matter to Lâm Công Thúc Đạt, Governor of Cửu Giang, so that Giản Đường might be invited to become abbot of Viên Thông Monastery, whose seat of Dharma master was still vacant. When Giản Đường heard of this, he accepted the appointment, saying: “My Way shall now be put into practice.” He then joyfully took up his staff and went to assume the abbacy.

Upon ascending the Dharma seat to preach, he said:

“Viên Thông does not dispense the medicine of immortality;

It only sells a dead cat’s head, foul-smelling still.^[62]

How could this thing be fathomed by calculation?

Once swallowed, one finds oneself light and free.”

When the two assemblies of monastics and laypeople heard this, they were all astonished. His Dharma seat consequently became renowned everywhere.

Collected Works of Lại Am.^[63]

281. Giản Đường said: “When the ancients cultivated themselves and governed their minds, they shared that Way with others. When they undertook affairs and established works, they shared the merit of those works with others.

When the Way had been accomplished and their achievements made manifest, they shared the resulting renown with others. Therefore, there was no aspect of the Way that did not shine, no undertaking that did not succeed, and no reputation that was not glorious. People today are not like this.

They devote themselves solely to a self-serving Way, fearing only that others might surpass them. They do not know how to follow goodness and practice righteousness so as to broaden themselves. They seek to claim all merit for themselves and do not wish others to share in it.

Nor do they know how to employ the worthy and the capable so as to enhance themselves. Consequently, their Way cannot avoid being obscured, their achievements cannot avoid being impaired, and their reputation cannot avoid disgrace. These are the three distinctions between those who studied the Way in ancient times and those who study it today.”

282. Giản Đường said: “One who studies the Way is like one who grows trees. If a tree is cut down just as it begins to thrive, it can serve only as firewood.

If it is cut down when it is about to mature, it can serve only as rafters and battens. If it is cut down when it has grown somewhat larger, it can serve only as beams and pillars. Only when it has grown old and great and is then cut down can it be used as a ridgepole.

Thus, is it not true that when one’s efforts are far-reaching and extensive, the resulting benefit is also great? The reason the ancients devoted themselves exclusively to the Way was that their Way was naturally broad and great, not narrow and confined; their aspirations were far-reaching, not shallow and short-sighted; and they regarded noble speech highly and would not stoop to what was base. Although at times they encountered unfavorable circumstances, suffered hunger, cold, hardship, and destitution, or even perished in forests and mountains, the enduring influence and noble legacy they left behind still shone brightly for hundreds of years thereafter, and people continued to take them as exemplars and transmit their teachings.

Suppose the ancients had viewed the Way narrowly merely to seek temporary accommodation, had established short-sighted aspirations merely to gain acceptance, and had uttered base words merely to curry favor with those in power: then the benefit would have brought honor and advancement only to themselves. How could their benevolent influence have extended universally and continued to nourish later generations?”

Letter to Vice Minister Li.

283. In the fourth month of the fifth year of the Chunxi era, Jiantang returned from Jingxing Cliff on Mount Tiantai to Yinjing Monastery. Supervising Secretary Wu Gongfu, who was then living in retirement at Xiuxiu Hall to nurture himself in old age, composed thirteen pieces following the rhymes of Tao Yuanming to bid farewell to Jiantang, as follows:

1. Since becoming a companion of the mountains and forests,

I have lived far apart from the world.

Thanks to a good spiritual friend,

Who sometimes comes to visit my home.

Concerned for me, you speak of the Way;

Cherishing me, you read the Buddha's teachings.

When you return to the mountain,

I, too, go forth to see you off.

Master, you let me savor

The rich flavor of rice and vegetables.

Freed from worldly entanglements,

I wish to dwell in the mountains and chant.

This mountain towers aloft,

Surpassing even the Shanhai Tu.^[64]

Yet compared with the height of the Master's virtue,

This mountain still falls far short.

2. I was born in a mountain valley,

With lofty precipices on every side.

There is a mountain called Jingxing,

Which I have wished to visit many times.

That mountain is truly wondrous and sublime,

Making all the surrounding peaks seem small.

And there is also the Master presiding over it—

Its twofold wonder^[65] is difficult to portray.

3. My home is by a lake in the mountains,

Looking out entirely upon mountains and forests.

Compared with the beauty of the Master's abode,

The scenery here can hardly measure up.

Clouds spread a thousand miles into the distance;

Emerald streams flow without cease.

Though I have only just arrived,

How could even the Five Lakes compare with this scene?

4. I am already seventy-five years old;

The setting sun hangs upon the treetops.

Even if this body has not yet perished,

Not many days can remain.

I still hope to dwell in the mountains and forests,

And share with the Master the lingering light.

A solitary cloud suddenly vanishes;

Near and far, all gaze in bewilderment.

5. Loving the mountains is my destiny,

Yet worldly obligations are also lamentable.

In former times I governed Dangtu Commandery,

But knew nothing of Mount Yinjing.

I rejoice that the Master now comes and goes here,

Yet my heart is filled with astonishment.

I hope you will not be gone too long,

But return to visit me at year's end.

6. The Master's mind is like cold ashes;

His form resembles a withered tree.

Patch-robed monks all gather around,

Like echoes resounding through empty space.

Taking pity on this defiled mortal body,

You cleanse it with pure ambrosia.

I beg the Master to raise the Buddha's lamp

And shine it upon my heart.

7. Scattered trees stand upon the mountain;

In summer their shade covers the sky.

For so many years this was a place of reeds and rushes;

Now the monastery shines resplendently.

Only now, together with the patch-robed monks,

I hear the sound of the ocean tide.

Human life holds many meetings and partings;

Separation grieves and pains the heart.

8. The Master and I have visited one another,

Though the years and months have not been long.

We may be regarded as two venerable elders,

Whose noble bearing is wholly of one kind.

The Master sits peacefully upon the mountain;

I anxiously contribute rice for his support.

If only the Master would return here soon,

This joy would be profound and deep.

9. Students of Chan bustle noisily about,

Bending their backs as they rush to and fro.

Their talk is entirely of tangled vines,^[66]

Reliant on notions they deem marvelous.

Among those who seek venerable persons of virtue in the Way,

How many can be found like the Master?

May you transmit the Supreme Vehicle,

And cause the Linji school to shine brightly.

10. Our region has many members of the Sangha,

Vast and boundless as clouds over the sea.

Daji^[67] passed away long ago,

While Xiaoji^[68] still remains in the world.

Yet Yicen^[69] also remains—

Where could two such men easily be found?

These two majestic elder Chan masters

Are longed for throughout the four seas.

11. In ancient times there was no office of abbot;

There was only the transmission of the essential Dharma.

Whoever awakened to form and emptiness

Immediately transcended the path of birth and death.

Base monks are ignorant of their original state;^[70]

How could they understand the principle of returning to the West?^[71]

Buying invitations to sit upon the Chan seat,^[72]

On whom can the Buddhadharma rely?

12. Among monks there are eminent monks;

Among scholars there are also eminent scholars.

Although I am not eminent,

My coarse mind knows how to restrain itself.

The Master is one of those among them;

As an eminent monk, you should reflect upon this.

How fortunate that the Master and I

Are both men of the same native region.

13. Master, you occupy the rank of a venerable monk;

I am merely a scholar at the end of his road.

Our patient minds have both penetrated through;

Now that we are old, we should return and rest.

Though the Master now departs for a time,

The streams and rocks also linger in sorrow.

When you have finished responding to conditions, return;

How could the Master bear to forsake me?”

Inscribed on a stone stele at Jingxing Monastery.

284. Supervising Secretary Wu Gong said to Jiantang: “The ancients cooled their hearts and exhausted all contrivance amid a thousand mountains and ten thousand valleys, drinking spring water and eating wild fruit, as though they had utterly relinquished all thought of achievement and fame. Yet once they received an imperial summons, they concealed their radiance and hid their traces in humble tasks such as gathering firewood and pounding rice.

Because at the outset they had no intention of attaining glory, they were nevertheless unexpectedly enrolled among those in the lineage of the Transmission of the Lamp. Therefore, when one attains a position through having no calculating mind, one's Way is great and one's virtue broad. If one schemes from a place of craving and seeking, one's reputation is mean and one's aspiration narrow.

The Master alone possesses far-reaching breadth of character and can follow in the footsteps of the ancients. Thus you were able to remain steadfast as abbot of Guanshan Monastery for seventeen long years and become a worthy vessel within the monasteries. The patch-robed monks of today inwardly maintain no discipline, while outwardly they contend for reputation and chase profit.

Few make far-reaching plans, and none possess a sense of the greater whole. Consequently, they are unable to support the honored teaching and naturally fall far short of keeping pace with the Master.”

Recorded by Attendant Gao.^[73]

285. Jiantang said: “Among ordinary human sentiments, few are free from delusion and error. Generally, people are blinded by excessive trust, obstructed by doubt, careless through contempt, and submerged through attachment.

When trust becomes biased, they hear words without examining their truth, and thus make excessive statements. When doubts become numerous, even though words accord with the truth, they refuse to listen; thus they commit the error of losing the truth in what they hear. By treating people with contempt, they neglect important matters.

By becoming attached to affairs, they stubbornly retain people who ought to be dismissed. All these things arise from indulging one's private feelings, failing to examine the principles of the Way, forgetting the Way of the Buddhas and Patriarchs, and losing one's wholesome intent toward the monasteries. Therefore, what ordinary sentiment disdains is precisely what the sages regard as important.

The ancients said: ‘Those who plan for the distant future must first verify what is near; those who esteem great affairs must begin by being careful about the subtle.’ In every matter, one must view it broadly and examine how it is to be employed. It is not a matter of admiring what is lofty and remote or delighting in the strange.”

Letter to Supervising Secretary Wu.

286. Jiantang was pure and incorruptible, lucid and discerning, serene and impartial, extending compassionate kindness and beneficence to everyone. Whenever a patch-robed monk committed even a slight fault, he would shield and protect him while offering admonition, in the hope that he might become a person of virtue. He often said: “Who among people is without faults? What matters is knowing how to correct them; that is good.” While he was abbot of Guanshan Monastery in Poyang, there came a spell of bitterly cold weather, with snow falling continuously throughout the day. There was neither gruel nor rice, yet he acted as though he had neither heard nor known of it. At that time, the following verse was composed:

“The hearth is utterly cold; the guest sits with nothing,

The snow, like willow catkins, falls at year's end.

With patched robe covering his head, he stirs the firewood;

Who would know his body dwells in silent emptiness?”

Throughout his life, he took delight in the Way and did not pursue glory, fame, or profit. When he accepted the invitation to serve as abbot of Yuantong Monastery on Mount Lu, he arrived carrying only a bamboo staff and wearing straw sandals. All who saw him showed reverence and joy. Lin Shuda, the Prefect of Jiujiang, also said upon seeing him: “This is a pillar of the Buddhadharma.” Thereafter, his name was esteemed throughout the four directions. In all his comings and goings, he truly conformed to the manner of the worthies of former generations. When he passed away, even those who had waited upon him and carried out his errands mourned him and shed tears.

287.—Court Attendant Trương Công Hiếu Tường wrote in a letter to Elder Diễn of Phong Kiều Monastery:

“In ancient times, the patriarchs had no such matter as holding an abbacy. Establishing a teaching seat and accepting disciples was something they undertook only under unavoidable compulsion. In this degenerate age of the Semblance Dharma, reports have arisen that monks offer jewels and valuables as bribes to officials in order to buy and sell monasteries.

From past to present, such things have also frequently occurred here at your Phong Kiều Monastery. Everyone knows your background. Yet there remains the matter of mutual collusion—like a singer whose own mother praises the performance—so that no one is willing to exert their utmost, and people merely remain while affinities last and depart when affinities end.

If you allow such traffickers in the Buddha-Dharma to remain in that place, you will only cause them to create the karma of hell. It would therefore be better to part ways.”

Inscribed on the stone stele at Hàn Sơn Monastery.^[74]

288.—Venerable Từ Thụ Thâm^[75] said to Venerable Kính Sơn Nột:^[76]

“Over the past twenty or thirty years, the monasteries of the Chan tradition have become so desolate and deserted that I have no wish even to look upon them. Elders everywhere rush south and race north, too numerous to count. The division into schools and factions has also spread everywhere; it is the same wherever one goes.

Only you, elder Dharma-brother, remain unmoved in spirit and calmly enjoy your ease, truly far removed from the petty people of the day. How venerable! How praiseworthy!

Amid circumstances and conditions such as these, unless one were personally endowed with virtue and had practice and understanding in accord, how could this be accomplished? I earnestly hope that you, elder Dharma-brother, will exert yourself to guide those who come after, causing the now-dry source of Tào Khê to flow abundantly once more and the withered tree of awakening to become verdant again. With utmost sincerity, I place great hopes in you.”

From a handwritten note.

289.—Venerable Linh Chi Chiếu^[77] said: “Do slander and disparagement have the same meaning, or are their meanings different?”

The reply was: Slander must rely upon disparagement to succeed. For there are those who disparage without slandering, but there has never been one who slanders without disparaging. Alas! Slander initially springs from jealousy and resentment, and afterward causes trust to grow weak. Those who engage in it are petty, sycophantic people.

Among people of ancient times, some devoted their loyalty to assisting their sovereign, exhausted their filial devotion in serving their parents, and upheld righteousness in forming friendships. Although sovereign and minister understood one another, father and son loved one another, and friends were close to one another, if one day outsiders slandered them, they might come to regard one another with resentment, quarrel and fight among themselves, drive one another away and sow estrangement, until they regarded one another as enemies. Even those who occupied the station of the sages and worthies of old could hardly avoid such things.

Some such matters could not be clarified when they first occurred but became clear only after the persons concerned had died. Others remained unresolved even after death and could not be made clear throughout all subsequent generations. Cases such as these are too numerous to count.

Master Tử Du^[78] said: “When a minister serving his sovereign remonstrates too frequently, this becomes a cause of humiliation. When friends admonish one another too frequently, this likewise becomes a cause of estrangement.” These words were intended to warn people to stay far from slander. Alas! Slander and disparagement must be examined with the greatest care. The sutras and histories have also recorded such matters clearly.

When students encounter such passages, they all recognize slander as wrong; yet frequently they themselves become trapped by the tongues of slanderers and die in bitter frustration, unable to vindicate themselves. Such people will surely resent those who accepted the slander, thinking that they failed to investigate and were therefore deceived by the slanderers’ flattery and ingratiation. Yet when petty people come before them and slander others, they themselves accept those words as true. How then can they be called discerning?

Those skilled in slander are extremely artful. They contend and argue, anticipate and conform to people’s wishes, and conceal the truth, leaving their listeners bewildered as though bewitched by demons, so that throughout their lives they remain unable to discern the matter clearly. Confucius said: “Slander is like water that gradually seeps in”; that is, it comes silently and slowly, without allowing people to foresee or recognize it. Although Tăng Sâm^[79] was a son of the utmost filial devotion, even his mother suspected him of killing someone. Although a crowded marketplace is not a dense forest, people still suspected that a tiger was in the market.^[80] Those who refuse to believe such things may rightly be called noble persons who clearly understand the Way.

By nature I am dull and indolent, and I dislike flattering or currying favor in order to deceive people and please them; therefore, many people have slandered me. When I heard of this, I privately reflected: “Could that person’s words be correct? If they are correct, I should amend my faults and correct my errors, and that person is therefore my teacher. Could that person’s words be wrong? If they are indeed wrong, then that person is merely uttering groundless words. How could they ever defile my mind?” Thus, although my ears have heard such words, my mouth has never offered a defense.

Whether learned and noble persons can discern the matter depends upon the clarity of their own abilities, wisdom, and knowledge. Why should I explain what is right and wrong in the hope that others may understand clearly? Yet if they do not understand now, will they understand only much later? Will they understand only in a future life? Or will they still fail to understand from one lifetime to another?

Văn Trung Tử^[81] asked: “What can be used to put an end to slander?” The reply was: “There is no need to defend oneself.” I hold these words in the highest esteem.

From the Chi Đồ Collection.

190.—Venerable Lại Am Khu^[82] said:

“Those who study the Way must take complete awakening as their appointed goal and must seek a true good and wise spiritual friend to examine and determine whether that awakening is genuine. If emotional and conceptual views remain entangled by even so much as the tip of a strand of silk and have not been entirely cleansed away, they still constitute the root of birth and death. When emotional and conceptual views have been cleansed away, one must then investigate the source of that state in which they have been exhausted. It is like a person dwelling in a house, who must clearly understand every matter within that house.

“Master Qui Sơn said: ‘People today, although in response to conditions they may realize in a single thought the sudden awakening to the inherent principle, still remain entangled in beginningless habitual tendencies that they have not yet been able to cleanse away. They must therefore be taught to eliminate the active karma and flowing consciousness of the present; this is cultivation. If they do not do so, there is no other path for them to follow.’

“Qui Sơn was an ancient Buddha, and thus he was able to utter such words. If people do not practice accordingly, then when their bright eyes fall to the ground at death, they certainly will not escape trembling and flailing their limbs like a crab dropped into a cauldron of boiling water.”

291.— Lai Am said: “The Vinaya states: ‘The property of the Sangha is of four kinds: 1. Permanently abiding property of the permanently abiding Sangha. 2. Permanently abiding property of the Sangha of the ten directions. 3.

Present property of the presently assembled Sangha. 4. Present property of the Sangha of the ten directions. Since it is property of the permanently abiding Sangha, not even the slightest portion of it may be encroached upon, for that offense is extremely grave.’ The earlier and later sages alike repeatedly gave earnest admonitions concerning this.

People often hear and know of it, yet they do not necessarily believe it. Even those who believe it do not necessarily act accordingly. Whether this mountain monk goes abroad or remains within the monastery, I always inscribe this admonition in the depths of my heart.

Even so, fearing that there may still be places where I fall short, I composed this verse as a warning to myself:

“The Sangha’s goods throughout the ten directions weigh as heavily as mountains;

Through myriad kalpas and a thousand lifetimes, the debt is hard to repay.

If you fail to uphold the words spoken by the Buddha,

When the day comes that you enter the iron prison, do not cry out that you were wronged.

A human body is difficult to obtain—this must be carefully considered;

Birth among animals endures for numberless kalpas.

Why covet a grain of rice and bring such bitter suffering upon yourself?

In making restitution, you may lose the provisions of half a year.”

292.— Lai Am said: “The Nirvana Sutra records: ‘If someone hears another person speak a single sentence or a single word of the Great Nirvana Sutra, yet does not give rise to the conception of a word, does not give rise to the conception of a sentence, does not give rise to the conception of hearing, does not give rise to the conception of a Buddha, and does not give rise to the conception of speaking, such a person is said to possess the “mark of no-mark.”’ When Great Master Bodhidharma crossed the sea and came to the Eastern Land, he established no reliance upon written words.

This was to illuminate the essential meaning of no-mark; it was not that he devised some new doctrine of his own or separately established some other Dharma gate. In recent times, students of the Way have failed to realize this meaning, and so they claim that the Chan school is a separate Dharma gate. Those who take Chan as their principal doctrine disparage the ‘Teaching,’ while those who take the ‘Teaching’ as their principal doctrine disparage Chan.

Thus they become the doctrines of two schools, leading to disputes and mutual denigration that continue endlessly without cease. Alas! That shallow hearing and understanding should lead to such a state—if this is not foolishness, then it is madness.

It is truly worthy of sighs and lamentation.”

The Dharma Gate of the Ground of Mind.

The entire collection comprises 292 teachings in all.

Precious Admonitions of the Chan Grove.

Volume Four

End.

Notes:

^[1] Layman Zheng.—A Dharma heir of Chan Master Dahui Gao, also known as Layman Zheng Ang.

^[2] Yuetang.—Also known as Chan Master Yuetang Daoshuang, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Xuefeng Hui.

^[3] You Yanzhi.—His surname was You, his personal name was Mao, his courtesy name was Yanzhi, and his sobriquet was Layman Suichu. He studied the Way under Chan Master Shui’an Yi.

^[4] Our Way returns to the East.—During the Han dynasty, Zheng Xuan took Ma Rong as his teacher. When he bade farewell to his teacher and returned home, Ma Rong said: “Our Way has gone eastward!”

^[5] The six great worthies.—Ciming Yuan, Dayu Zhi, Langye Bao, Guquan Dao, Fahua Ju, and Tiansheng Tai.

^[6] Touzi Qing.—A Dharma heir of Chan Master Shui’an Yi, of the seventeenth generation of the Nanyue lineage.

^[7] The ninefold steps.—A translation of the term “ninefold,” referring to the emperor.

^[8] These two lines mean that the disciple surpassed the teacher.

^[9] The ten leading offices.—1. Head Seat of the Front Hall, 2. Head Seat of the Rear Hall, 3. Secretary, 4. Canon Librarian, 5. Guest Prefect, 6. General Administrator, 7. Monastery Supervisor, 8. Assistant Administrator, 9. Karmadana, 10. Chief Cook.

^[10] Venerable Shun.—Also known as Xitian Huishun, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Xuefeng Yan.

^[11] Miaozhan.—Chan Master Xuefeng Sihui Miaozhan, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Fayun Shanben.

^[12] Jianyan.—The Jianyan era-name of Emperor Gaozong of the Song dynasty.

^[13] The third day of the third month.—A translation of the expression “Day of Shangsi.”

^[14] Wenshu Dao.—Chan Master Wenshu Xindao, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Fojian Qin.

^[15] The ancients said.—One whose ability surpasses that of ten people is called “Select”; one who surpasses a hundred is called “Eminent”; one who surpasses a thousand is called “Outstanding”; and one who surpasses ten thousand is called “Heroic.”

^[16] Fengxue.—Chan Master Fengxue Yanzhao, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Nanyuan Huiyong. He went to the region of Baiding and taught there. Although he remained for only seven years, the place became a renowned monastic center.

^[17] Yaoshan.—When Venerable Yaoshan reached the region of Fengyang, he saw a beautiful tract of land at the foot of a mountain. He appealed to the landowner for permission to establish a practice center for seated meditation, but because the people of the surrounding area disliked him, he entered another person’s cowshed and meditated there. The owner had no choice but to drive the cattle outside and set fire to the cowshed. Afterward, however, the master again sat in meditation upon the site of the burned cowshed. When the Prefect learned of this, he sold that mountain and allotted the master a tract of land upon which to build a hermitage. That hermitage later became Niulan Monastery and developed into a great monastic center.

^[18] Master Fachang.—Chan Master Fachang of Mount Damei. At first, he practiced Chan under Chan Master Daji and asked Daji: “What is Buddha?” Daji replied: “Mind itself is Buddha.” The Chan master immediately attained great awakening. He later propagated the teaching at Mount Damei, where a great multitude of disciples gathered to study under him.

^[19] Ciming.—Master Ciming stayed in the Jing-Chu region for only a period of time, yet large numbers of disciples from many places came there to study under him.

^[20] Tianxi.—An era-name during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong.

^[21] Xuanzheng.—An era-name during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty, formed from the era-names Xuanhe and Zhenghe.

^[22] Ningdao.—Chan Master Kaifu Daoning, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Wuzu Yan.

^[23] Shaoxing.—An era-name of Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song dynasty.

^[24] Zhuo’an.—Chan Master Fozhao Deguang, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Dahui Gao.

^[25] Seven places.—The two hands, two feet, two shoulders, and the crown of the head.

^[26] Yu Yunwen.—His surname was Yu, his personal name was Yunwen, and his courtesy name was Binfu. Gifted in poetry and literary composition, he was appointed Chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xiaozong.

^[27] Yi Yin.—His surname was Yi and his personal name was Yin. Troubled that China had no virtuous sovereign, and lamenting that circumstances gave him no opportunity to put his Way into practice, he withdrew and plowed the fields at Mount Youshen. King Tang came three times to invite him and appointed him Chancellor.

^[28] Lü Wang.—His surname was Jiang, his personal name was Shang, and his courtesy name was Ziya. He made his living by fishing at the bank of the Wei River, at Panxi in Baoji County. He was later invested as Marquis of Lü by King Wen of Zhou and bestowed the title Taigong Wang.

^[29] Monastery Supervisor Hua.—That is, Chan Master Lingyan Hua, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Taiping Qin.

^[30] Xinghua Pu’an.—Chan Master Yuanzhou Cihua Pu’an Yiji, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Huanglong Zhong.

^[31] Elder Hong.—Chan Master Dahong Laona Zizheng of Suizhou, a Dharma heir of Chan Master Dagui Guo.

^[32] The first part of this passage is intended to praise Master Miaoxi, while the latter part expresses concern that Miaoxi might suffer some deficiency because his wisdom, insight, and learning were too keen.

^[33] Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.—According to the Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye were two celebrated swords. Gan Jiang was a man of Wu, and Mo Ye was his wife. Gan Jiang forged the swords. Mo Ye cut off her hair and fingernails and placed them in the furnace, whereupon the gold and iron melted and formed the swords. The yang sword was called Gan Jiang, and the yin sword was called Mo Ye. Because Gan Jiang and Mo Ye were husband and wife and were also the makers of the swords, the male sword was called Gan Jiang and the female sword was called Mo Ye.

^[34] The four seas.—A translation of the expression “four seas,” meaning the seas of the east, west, south, and north.

^[35] The nine depths.—A translation of the expression “nine abysses.” The deepest place at the bottom of the sea has nine successive swirling currents and is therefore called the nine depths.

^[36] Chan Master Tĩnh Không Trí Cận, Dharma heir of Chan Master Phật Chiếu Quang.

^[37] This passage means that the duty of those who study the Way is to advance without retreating in the face of difficulties; yet they should not expect swift accomplishment, for hasty progress will encounter many obstacles and may cause harm.

^[38] Three weeks.—In Sanskrit, Pàpi, translated into Chinese as “evil demon.” This kind of demon king always seeks to destroy the roots of wisdom in human beings. They appeared to obstruct the work of the Way when Śākyamuni Buddha was about to attain enlightenment.

^[39] Stealing gold in broad daylight.—The Liezi relates: “Long ago, there was a man of the state of Qi who loved gold. One morning, he secretly stole some gold and left. The owner of the gold shop seized him and said: ‘How dare you steal gold in front of such a crowd?’ The man replied: ‘When I took the gold, I saw no one at all; I saw only the gold.’” The general meaning of this passage is to admonish those who, greedy for gain, forget all shame, seeing only the benefit and forgetting the harm.

^[40] The Shangchi water of Master Cang.—The Records of the Grand Historian states: “East of the land of Lư Việt lived Bian Que, whose family name was Qin and personal name was Huan, a native of Bohai Commandery. In his youth, he managed an inn. A guest named Master Cang, seeing that Bian Que possessed an extraordinary and distinctive appearance, frequently came to meet him.

These visits continued for more than ten years. One day, Master Cang invited Bian Que to sit with him in a quiet place and said: ‘I possess a medicinal formula handed down through my family. Now that I am old, I wish to transmit it to you, but you must not divulge it to anyone.’ Bian Que respectfully agreed.

Master Cang then took a packet of medicine from his bundle, handed it to Bian Que, and said: ‘Take this medicine with Shangchi water. Within only twenty-one days, you will be able to see things.’ Master Cang then gave all the medicine to Bian Que and suddenly disappeared. Bian Que followed his instructions exactly and took it for twenty-one days.

Sure enough, he could clearly see people beyond walls. Thereafter, when examining patients, he could see directly into the places where disorders had accumulated in the five viscera. Consequently, he became renowned for his skill in pulse diagnosis and was a celebrated physician of his time.” Note: Shangchi water is the nocturnal dew that remains upon bamboo leaves and tree branches before falling to the ground.

^[41] Attendant Nhiên.—Chan Master Khả Am Nhiên, Dharma heir of Chan Master Đại Tuệ Cảo.

^[42] Mật Am Kiệt.—Chan Master Tú Minh Thiên Đồng Mật Am Hàm Kiệt, Dharma heir of Chan Master Ứng Am Hòa in the seventeenth generation of the Southern Yue lineage.

^[43] Thi Ty Gián.—Also known as Thi Sư Mặc, a man of the Song dynasty.

^[44] Head Seat Ngộ.—Chan Master Linh Ẩn Tiếu Am Liễu Ngộ, Dharma heir of Chan Master Mật Am Kiệt. In making roof tiles, one first molds the clay into a round shape, then splits the form into four, whereupon the tiles become square. Splitting the round to make the square, and joining the square to make the round, symbolizes the meaning of all-embracing tolerance and generosity.

^[45] Venerable Nhạc.—Chan Master Linh Ẩn Tùng Nguyên Sùng Nhạc, Dharma heir of Chan Master Mật Am Kiệt.

^[46] Chan Master Ngu Cự Tuệ, Dharma heir of Chan Master Huân Thạch.

^[47] Phổ Từ.—Chan Master Tuyết Phong Sùng Thánh Phổ Từ Uẩn Văn, Dharma heir of Chan Master Kính Sơn Cảo.

^[48] The general meaning of this passage is that those who study the Way, if they maintain a single and pure resolve, will not be troubled by praise, criticism, or slander.

^[49] Hoặc Am.—Chan Master Hoặc Am, Dharma heir of Chan Master Hộ Quách Cảnh Nguyên.

^[50] This passage is intended to make clear that a wise spiritual teacher who fully possesses the eye of wisdom needs only a single word or half a sentence to provide the condition for complete awakening.

^[51] Layman Bàng’s Verse on the Selection of Buddhas.—Layman Bàng went to study under both Master Mã Tổ and Master Thạch Đầu. One day, Layman Bàng asked Master Mã Tổ: “What is the person who does not keep company with the myriad dharmas like?” Mã Tổ replied: “When you can drink all the water of the Jiangxi River in a single gulp, I shall tell you.” Layman Bàng attained great awakening and presented this verse:

“The ten directions gather together;

Everyone studies the unconditioned.

This is the arena for selecting Buddhas;

With the mind empty, one passes the selection and returns.”

^[52] Master Tiền.—His personal name was Tiền Tượng Tiên, his courtesy name was Tư Nguyên, and he was a native of Suzhou.

^[53] Hanging up a sheep’s head while selling dog meat.—One day, Chan Master Bạch Vân Đoan, while in the abbot’s quarters, brought up Vân Môn’s instruction to the assembly. No one in the entire assembly accorded with or awakened to it, so he went to ask Master Ngũ Tổ Diễn. The Master replied: “That is a case of hanging up a sheep’s head while selling dog meat.”

^[54] The general meaning of this passage is to show how talented and virtuous people of old were esteemed.

^[55] Hạt Đường.—Chan Master Linh Ẩn Hạt Đường Tuệ Viễn, Dharma heir of Chan Master Viên Ngộ Cần.

^[56] Càn Đạo.—A reign era of Emperor Hiếu Tông of the Southern Song dynasty.

^[57] The general meaning of this passage explains how the ancients made use of subtle and wondrous means to praise, criticize, transform, and guide others.

^[58] Viên Cực.—Chan Master Ẩn Tĩnh Viên Cực Ngạn Sầm, Dharma heir of Chan Master Vân Cư Như.

^[59] This sentence means that Hoặc Am’s immense merit was like empty space and could scarcely be fully described by any brush.

^[60] Tĩnh Nam Đường.—Chan Master Nam Đường Nguyên Tĩnh of Đại Tùy Monastery, Dharma heir of Chan Master Ngũ Tổ Diễn.

^[61] A man of the Song dynasty whose personal name was Nhan Kỳ Phục and courtesy name was Di Trọng. He studied under Duke Lã Vinh and held the official post of Vice Minister.

^[62] A dead cat’s head.—This thing naturally gives off an extraordinarily foul odor once dead, but here it is used as a metaphor for something precious that leads one upward.

^[63] Lại Am.—Chan Master Lại Am Dĩnh Nhu, Dharma heir of Chan Master Kính Sơn Cảo.

^[64] Illustrations of Mountains and Seas.—After reading the Illustrated Classic of Mountains and Seas, Đào Uyên Minh composed thirteen poems expressing the contents of that scripture. The Illustrations of Mountains and Seas is a collection of maps depicting mountains and seas appended to the Illustrated Classic of Mountains and Seas. This scripture was created entirely from the fanciful imagination of the age of immortals. Quách Phát of the Jin dynasty composed the eulogy “Illustrations of the Classic of Mountains and Seas.”

^[65] Nhị Diệu.—His personal name was Vệ Quán, his courtesy name was Bá Ngọc, and he was a native of An Ấp in Hà Đông Province. He was profoundly learned, possessed literary talent, and bore the sobriquet Nhị Diệu. Even the descriptive talent of Nhị Diệu could hardly portray fully the beautiful scenery of Cảnh Tinh Mountain.

^[66] Cát Đằng.—Creeping vines. Whenever a matter is spoken of in a roundabout and unclear way, it is called a “cát đằng affair.”

^[67] Đại Cơ.—Chan Master Cơ Minh Cơ, Dharma heir of Chan Master Huyền Sa Bị.

^[68] Tiểu Cơ.—Chan Master Giản Đường Hành Cơ.

^[69] Nhất Sầm.—Chan Master Viên Cực Ngạn Sầm.

^[70] Original Face.—The original face, referring to Buddha-nature and the true mind.

^[71] The principle of returning West.—The episode in which Master Bodhidharma returned to India carrying a single sandal.

^[72] Buying invitations to sit upon the Chan platform.—This is like using letters to buy a monastery and become its abbot, buying the pursuit of glory, wealth, and power, or bribing someone to sit upon the Chan platform and speak about the Way.

^[73] Attendant Cao.—Chan Master Vân Phong Diệu Cao, Dharma heir of Chan Master Văn Yển Khê.

^[74] Hàn Sơn Monastery was formerly named Phong Kiều.

^[75] Từ Thụ Thâm.—Chan Master Tuệ Lâm Từ Thụ Hoài Thâm, Dharma heir of Chan Master Trường Lư Sùng Tín.

^[76] Kính Sơn Nột.—Chan Master Kính Sơn Diệu Không Trí Nột, Dharma heir of Chan Master Trường Lư Tín.

^[77] Linh Chí Chiếu.—Chan Master Viên Chiếu of Linh Chi Monastery, whose courtesy name was Trạm Nhiên, Dharma heir of Không Tướng.

^[78] Ziyou.—Ziyou was a disciple of Confucius. His personal name was Yan, and his courtesy name was Ziyou.

^[79] Zeng Shen.—His surname was Zeng, his personal name Shen, and his courtesy name Ziyou; he was a disciple of Confucius. Gan Mao of the Qin dynasty said: “In the state of Lu, there was also a man named Zeng Shen who killed someone. A person came and told Master Zeng Shen’s mother: ‘Your son has killed someone!’ Master Zeng Shen’s mother said: ‘My son is a filial man and would never kill anyone.’ Having replied, she remained calmly seated and continued weaving. A short while later, another person came and said: ‘Zeng Shen has killed someone,’ yet she remained composed. Afterward, a third person came and told her the same thing. She immediately cast aside her shuttle, climbed over the wall, and fled.

^[80] A tiger in the marketplace.—Master Han said: “When Pang Cong was accompanying the Crown Prince as a hostage in Handan, he said to the King of Wei: ‘Suppose today one person said that there was a tiger in the marketplace.’ The Great King said: ‘There is none.’ ‘If a second person said so, would Your Majesty believe it?’ The king said: ‘I would not believe it.’ ‘If a third person said that there was a tiger, would Your Majesty believe it?’ The king said: ‘I would believe that statement.’ Pang Cong said: ‘It is perfectly clear that there is no tiger in the marketplace.

Yet when three people say that there is a tiger in the marketplace, Your Majesty believes them. Thus one must be cautious of slanderous and flattering words and should not believe them hastily. I beg Your Majesty to examine them clearly.’ The king was greatly pleased.

^[81] Master Wenzhong.—His surname was Wang, his personal name Tong, and his courtesy name Zhongyan. He was a native of Luoyang. After his death, his disciples bestowed upon him the posthumous title Master Wenzhong.

^[82] Lai’an Qu.—Chan Master Lai’an Daoqu of Lingyin Monastery was a Dharma heir of Chan Master Daochang Juhui.