鎮州臨濟慧照禪師語錄 The Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Linji Huizhao of Zhenzhou

鎮州臨濟慧照禪師語録序

延康殿學士金紫光祿大夫眞定府路安撫使兼馬歩軍都總管兼知成德軍府事馬防撰。黃蘗山頭、曾遭痛棒。大愚肋下、方解築拳。饒舌老婆、尿床鬼子。這風顛漢、再捋虎須。岩谷栽松、後人標榜。钁頭斸地、幾被活埋。肯個後生、驀口自摑。辭焚機案、坐斷舌頭。不是河南、便歸河北。院臨古渡、運濟往來。把定要津、壁立萬仭。奪人奪境、陶鑄仙陀。三要三玄、鈐鎚衲子。常在家舍、不離途中。無位眞人、面門出入。兩堂齊喝、賓主歷然。照用同時、本無前後。菱花對像、虛谷傳聲。妙應無方、不留朕跡。拂衣南邁、戾止大名。興化師承、東堂迎侍。銅瓶鐵缽、掩室杜詞。松老云閒、曠然自適。面壁未幾、密付將終。正法誰傳、瞎驢邊滅。圓覺老演、今為流通。點撿將來、故無差舛。唯余一喝、尚要商量。具眼禪流、冀無賺舉。宣和庚子中秋日謹序。

Preface to the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Linji Huizhao of Zhenzhou

Compiled by Ma Fang, Scholar of the Yankang Hall; Gentleman of the Gold and Purple Rank in attendance at Imperial Banquets; Emissary in Charge of Keeping Order in Zhending Circuit; concurrently Chief Commandant of Cavalry and Infantry Forces; concurrently Administrator of Chengde Military Prefecture.

On top of Mount Huangbo he met the painful stick.

On Dayu』s ribs he could use his fist.

「Garrulous grandmother!」 「Bed-wetting little devil!」

「This lunatic, twice pulling the tiger』s whiskers!」

In a rocky gorge he planted pines, a landmark for later generations.

He dug the ground with his mattock; the others were nearly buried alive.

Having approved the youngster, Huangbo slapped himself right on the mouth.

On leaving, Linji wanted to burn the armrest; he』ll cut off the tongues [of everyone].

If he didn』t go to Henan, he』d return to Hebei.

His temple overlooked the old ferry landing—he carried travelers across the stream.

He guarded the vital ford like an escarpment ten thousand spans high.

Snatching away the man or the surroundings, he shaped and fashioned superlative students.

With his Three States and Three Fundamentals, he forged and tempered black-robed monks.

He』s always at home, yet forever on the way.

The true man without rank went in and out the face.

The monks of the two halls gave equal shouts, but guest and host were obvious.

Illumination and action are simultaneous, fundamentally without front or back.

A mirror confronting a form, an empty valley echoing a sound.

Marvelously responding in any direction, he left not a trace behind.

Tucking up his robe, he journeyed southward, then went to stay in Daming.

Xinghua took him as his teacher and attended him in the Eastern Hall.

Still using the copper pitcher and iron bowl, he closed his room and stopped his words.

As the pines grew old and the clouds idled, he found boundless contentment within himself.

He had not long sat facing the wall when the secret transmission neared its end.

To whom was the true dharma transmitted? It was extinguished upon reaching the blind ass!

Old Yan of Yuanjue has now undertaken to circulate this text.

It has been examined and corrected, therefore it contains no error or confusion.

There is still one more shout coming; it needs further consideration:

Chan students who have the eye [to see], I entreat you not to exploit this text.

Preface respectfully composed on the day of the mid-autumn festival, the year Gengzi of the Xuanhe era [1120].

鎮州臨濟慧照禪師語錄

The Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Linji Huizhao of Zhenzhou

住三聖嗣法小師慧然集

Compiled by his humble heir Huiran of Sansheng

上堂Discourses

01府主王常侍、與諸官請師升座。師上堂云、山僧今日事不獲已、曲順人情、方登此座。若約祖宗門下、稱揚大事、直是開口不得、無爾措足處。山僧此日以常侍堅請、那隱綱宗。還有作家戰將、直下展陣開旗麼。對眾證據看。僧問、如何是佛法大意。師便喝。僧禮拜。師云、這個師僧、卻堪持論。問、師唱誰家曲、宗風嗣阿誰。師云、我在黃蘗處、三度發問、三度被打。僧擬議。師便喝、隨後打云、不可向虛空里釘橛去也。有座主問、三乘十二分教、豈不是明佛性。師云、荒草不曾鋤。主云、佛豈賺人也。師云、佛在什麼處。主無語。師云、對常侍前、擬瞞老僧。速退速退。妨他別人請問。復云、此日法筵、為一大事故。更有問話者麼。速致問來。爾才開口、早勿交涉也。何以如此。不見釋尊云、法離文字、不屬因不在緣故。為爾信不及、所以今日葛藤。恐滯常侍與諸官員、昧他佛性。不如且退。喝一喝云、少信根人、終無了日。久立珍重。

 The Prefectural Governor, Councilor Wang, along with the other officials, requested the master to address them. The master took the high seat in the Dharma Hall and said:

「Today, I, this mountain monk, having no choice in the matter, have perforce yielded to customary etiquette and taken this seat. If I were to demonstrate the Great Matter in strict keeping with the teaching of the ancestral school, I simply couldn』t open my mouth and there wouldn』t be any place for you to find footing. But since I』ve been so earnestly entreated today by the councilor, why should I conceal the essential doctrine of our school? Now, is there any adept warrior who forthwith can array his battle line and unfurl his banners here before me? Let him try proving himself before the assembly!」

A monk asked, 「What about the cardinal principle of the buddhadharma?」

 The master gave a shout. The monk bowed low.

「As an opponent in argument this young reverend is rather good,」 said the master.

A monk asked, 「Master, of what house is the tune you sing? To whose style of Chan do you succeed?」

 The master said, 「When I was staying with Huangbo I questioned him three times and was hit three times.」

 The monk hesitated. The master gave a shout and then struck him, saying, 「You can』t drive a stake into the empty sky.」

A lecture master asked, 「The Three Vehicles』 twelve divisions of teachings make the buddha-nature quite clear, do they not?」

「This weed patch has never been spaded,」 said Linji. 「Surely the Buddha would not have deceived people!」 said the lecture master.

「Where is the Buddha?」 asked Linji.

 the lecture master had no reply. 「You thought you』d make a fool of me in front of the councilor,」 said the master. 「Get out, get out! You』re keeping the others from asking questions.」

 the master continued, 「Today』s dharma assembly is concerned with the Great Matter. Does anyone else have a question? If so, let him ask now! But the instant you open your mouth you』re already way off . Why is this? Don』t you know that Venerable Śākyamuni said, 『Dharma is separate from words, because it is neither subject to causation nor dependent upon conditions』? Your faith is insufficient, therefore we have bandied words today. I fear I am obstructing the councilor and his staff , thereby obscuring the Buddha nature. I had better withdraw.」

 the master shouted and then said, 「For those whose root of faith is weak the final day will never come. You have been standing a long time. Take care of yourselves.」

02師、因一日到河府。府主王常侍、請師升座。時麻谷出問、大悲千手眼、那個是正眼。師云、大悲千手眼、那個是正眼、速道速道。麻谷拽師下座、麻谷卻坐。師近前云、不審。麻谷擬議。師亦拽麻谷下座、師卻坐。麻谷便出去。師便下座。

One day Linji went to He Prefecture. The governor, Councilor Wang,requested the master to take the high seat.

At that time Mayu came forward and asked, 「The Great Compassionate One has a thousand hands and a thousand eyes. Which is the true eye?」

The master said, 「The Great Compassionate One has a thousand hands and a thousand eyes. Which is the true eye? Speak, speak!」

Mayu pulled the master down off the high seat and sat on it himself. Coming up to him, the master said, 「How do you do?」 Mayu hesitated. The master, in his turn, pulled Mayu down off the high seat and sat upon it himself.Mayu went out. The master stepped down.

03上堂。云、赤肉團上有一無位眞人、常從汝等諸人面門出入。未證據者看看。時有僧出問、如何是無位眞人。師下禪床、把住云、道道。其僧擬議。師托開云、無位眞人是什麼乾屎橛。便歸方丈。

The master, taking the high seat in the hall, said, 「On your lump of red flesh is a true man without rank who is always going in and out of the face of every one of you. Those who have not yet confirmed this, look, look!」

Then a monk came forward and asked, 「What about the true man without rank?」 The master got down from his seat, seized the monk, and cried, 「Speak, speak!」

The monk faltered.

Shoving him away, the master said, 「The true man without rank—what kind of dried piece of shit is he!」 Then he returned to his quarters.

04上堂。有僧出禮拜。師便喝。僧云、老和尚莫探頭好。師云、爾道落在什麼處。僧便喝。又有僧問、如何是佛法大意。師便喝。僧禮拜。師云、爾道好喝也無。僧云、草賊大敗。師云、過在什麼處。僧云、再犯不容。師便喝。是日兩堂首座相見、同時下喝。僧問師、還有賓主也無。師云、賓主歷然。師云、大眾、要會臨濟賓主句、問取堂中二首座。便下座。

The master took the high seat in the hall. A monk came forward and bowed. The master gave a shout.

「Venerable priest,」 said the monk, 「you』d better not try to spy on me.」

「Tell me what you』ve arrived upon,」 the master said.

The monk shouted.

Another monk asked, 「What about the cardinal principle of the buddhadharma?」

The master shouted. The monk bowed.

「Do you say that was a good shout?」 asked the master.

「The bandit in the grass has met complete defeat,」 returned the monk.

「What』s my offense?」 asked the master.

「It won』t be pardoned a second time,」 replied the monk. The master gave a shout.

That same day the head monks of the two halls had met and simultaneously given shouts.

A monk asked the master, 「Was there a guest and a host?」

「Guest and host were obvious,」 replied the master. He continued, 「If you of the assembly want to understand the 『guest and host』 that I speak of, ask the two head monks of the halls.」

Then the master stepped down.

05上堂。僧問、如何是佛法大意。師豎起拂子。僧便喝。師便打。又僧問、如何是佛法大意。師亦豎起拂子。僧便喝。師亦喝。僧擬議。師便打。師乃云、大眾、夫為法者、不避喪身失命。我二十年、在黃蘗先師處、三度問佛法的的大意、三度蒙他賜杖。如蒿枝拂著相似。如今更思得一頓棒吃。誰人為我行得。時有僧出眾云、某甲行得。師拈棒與他。其僧擬接。師便打。

The master took the high seat in the hall. A monk asked, 「What about the cardinal principle of the buddhadharma?」

The master raised his whisk. The monk shouted. The master struck him.

Another monk asked, 「What about the cardinal principle of the buddhadharma?」

Again the master raised his whisk. The monk shouted. The master also shouted. The monk faltered; the master struck him.

Then the master said, 「You of the assembly, those who live for dharma do not shrink from losing their bodies or sacrificing their very lives. Twenty years ago, when I was with my late master Huangbo, three times I asked him specifically about the cardinal meaning of the buddhadharma, and three times he favored me with blows from his stick. But it was as if he were patting me with a branch of mugwort. How I would like now to taste another dose of the stick! Who can give it to me?」

A monk stepped forward and said, 「I can.」

The master held out his stick to him. The monk tried to take it; the master struck him.

06上堂。僧問、如何是劍刄上事。師云、禍事、禍事。僧擬議。師便打。問、祇如石室行者、踏碓忘卻移腳、向什麼處去。師云、沒溺深泉。師乃云、但有來者、不虧欠伊。總識伊來處。若與麼來、恰似失卻。不與麼來、無繩自縛。一切時中、莫亂斟酌。會與不會、都來是錯。分明與麼道。一任天下人貶剝。久立珍重。

The master took the high seat in the hall. A monk asked, 「What about the matter of the sword blade?」

「Heavens, heavens!」 cried the master.

The monk hesitated; the master struck him.

Someone asked, 「The lay worker Shishi in treading the pestle shaft of the rice mortar would forget he was moving his feet; where did he go?」

「Drowned in a deep spring!」 the master replied.

Then he continued, 「Whoever comes to me, I do not fail him; I know exactly where he comes from. Should he come in a particular way, it』s just as if he』d lost [himself]. Should he not come in a particular way, he』d have bound himself without a rope. Never ever engage in random speculation—whether you understand or don』t understand, either way you』re mistaken. I say this straight out. Anyone in the world is free to denounce me as he will.

You have been standing a long time. Take care of yourselves.」

07上堂。云、一人在孤峯頂上、無出身之路。一人在十字街頭、亦無向背。那個在前、那個在後。不作維摩詰、不作傅大士。珍重。

The master took the high seat in the hall and said, 「One person is on top of a solitary peak and has no path by which to leave. One person is at the busy crossroads and has neither front nor back. Which is ahead, which is behind? Don』t make the one out to be Vimalakīrti and the other to be Fu Dashi. Take care of yourselves.」

08上堂。云、有一人、論劫在途中、不離家舍。有一人、離家舍、不在途中。那個合受人天供養。便下座。

The master took the high seat in the hall and said, 「One man is endlessly on the way, yet has never left home. Another has left home, yet is not on the way. Which one deserves the offerings of humans and gods?」 Then he stepped down.

09上堂。僧問、如何是第一句。師云、三要印開朱點側、未容擬議主賓分。問、如何是第二句。師云、妙解豈容無著問、漚和爭負截流機。問、如何是第三句。師云、看取棚頭弄傀儡、抽牽都來里有人。師又云、一句語須具三玄門、一玄門須具三要、有權有用。汝等諸人、作麼生會。下座。

The master took the high seat in the hall.

A monk asked, 「What about the First Statement?」

The master said:

The Seal of the Three Essentials being lifted, the vermilion impression is sharp;

With no room for speculation, host and guest are clear and distinct.

「What about the Second Statement?」

The master said:

How could Miaojie permit Wuzhuo』s questioning?

How could expedient means go against the activity that cuts through the stream?

「What about the Third Statement?」

The master said:

Look at the wooden puppets performing on the stage!

Their jumps and jerks all depend upon the person behind.」

The master further said, 「Each Statement must comprise the Gates of the Three Mysteries, and the gate of each mystery must comprise the Three Essentials. There are expedients and there is functioning. How do all of you understand this?」 The master then stepped down.

10師晩參示眾云、有時奪人不奪境、有時奪境不奪人、有時人境倶奪、有時人境倶不奪。時有僧問、如何是奪人不奪境。師云、煦日發生鋪地錦、瓔孩垂髮白如絲。僧云、如何是奪境不奪人。師云、王令已行天下遍、將軍塞外絶煙塵。僧云、如何是人境兩倶奪。師云、並汾絶信、獨處一方。僧云、如何是人境倶不奪。師云、王登寶殿、野老謳歌。師乃云、今時學佛法者、且要求眞正見解。若得眞正見解、生死不染、去住自由。不要求殊勝、殊勝自至。道流、祇如自古先德、皆有出人底路。如山僧指示人處、祇要爾不受人惑。要用便用、更莫遲疑。如今學者不得、病在甚處。病在不自信處。爾若自信不及、即便忙忙地徇一切境轉、被他萬境回換、不得自由。爾若能歇得念念馳求心、便與祖佛不別。爾欲得識祖佛麼。祇爾面前聽法底是。學人信不及、便向外馳求。設求得者、皆是文字勝相、終不得他活祖意。莫錯、諸禪德。此時不遇、萬劫千生、輪迴三界、徇好境掇去、驢牛肚里生。道流、約山僧見處、與釋迦不別。今日多般用處、欠少什麼。六道神光、未曾間歇。若能如是見得、祇是一生無事人。大德、三界無安、猶如火宅。此不是爾久停住處。無常殺鬼、一剎那間、不揀貴賤老少。爾要與祖佛不別、但莫外求。爾一念心上淸淨光、是爾屋里法身佛。爾一念心上無分別光、是爾屋里報身佛。爾一念心上無差別光、是爾屋里化身佛。此三種身、是爾即今目前聽法底人。祇為不向外馳求、有此功用。據經論家、取三種身為極則。約山僧見處、不然。此三種身是名言、亦是三種依。古人云、身依義立、土據體論。法性身、法性土、明知是光影。大德、爾且識取弄光影底人、是諸佛之本源、一切處是道流歸舍處。是爾四大色身、不解說法聽法。脾胃肝膽、不解說法聽法。虛空不解說法聽法。是什麼解說法聽法。是爾目前歷歷底、勿一個形段孤明、是這個解說法聽法。若如是見得、便與祖佛不別。但一切時中、更莫間斷、觸目皆是。祇為情生智隔、想變體殊、所以輪迴三界、受種種苦。若約山僧見處、無不甚深、無不解脫。道流、心法無形、通貫十方。在眼曰見、在耳曰聞、在鼻嗅香、在口談論、在手執捉、在足運奔。本是一精明、分為六和合。一心既無、隨處解脫。山僧與麼說、意在什麼處。祇為道流一切馳求心不能歇、上他古人閑機境。道流、取山僧見處、坐斷報化佛頭、十地滿心、猶如客作兒、等妙二覺、擔枷鎖漢、羅漢辟支、猶如廁穢、菩提涅槃、如繋驢橛。何以如此、祇為道流不達三祇劫空、所以有此障礙。若是眞正道人、終不如是。但能隨緣消舊業、任運著衣裳、要行即行、要坐即坐、無一念心希求佛果。緣何如此。古人云、若欲作業求佛、佛是生死大兆。大德、時光可惜。祇擬傍家波波地、學禪學道、認名認句、求佛求祖、求善知識意度。莫錯、道流。爾祇有一個父母、更求何物。爾自返照看。古人云、演若達多失卻頭、求心歇處即無事。大德、且要平常、莫作模樣。有一般不識好惡禿奴、便即見神見鬼、指東劃西、好晴好雨。如是之流、儘須抵債、向閻老前、吞熱鐵丸有日。好人家男女、被這一般野狐精魅所著、便即捏怪。瞎屢生、索飯錢有日在。

At the evening gathering the master addressed the assembly, saying:

「Sometimes I take away the person but do not take away the surroundings; sometimes I take away the surroundings but do not take away the person; sometimes I take away both person and surroundings; sometimes I take away neither person nor surroundings.」

Then a monk asked, 「What about 『to take away the person and not take away the surroundings』?」

The master said:

The spring sun comes forth, covering the earth with brocade;

A child』s hair hangs down, white as silken strands.

The monk asked, 「What about 『to take away the surroundings and not take away the person』?」

The master said:

The rule of the sovereign prevails throughout the land;

The general has laid to rest the dusts of battle beyond the frontiers.

Again the monk asked, 「What about 『to take away both person and surroundings』?」

The master said:

No news from Bing and Fen,

Isolated and away from everywhere.

The monk asked, 「What about 『to take away neither person nor the surroundings』?」

The master said:

The sovereign ascends into the jeweled palace;

Aged rustics sing songs.

Then the master said, 「Nowadays, he who studies buddhadharma must seek true insight. Gaining true insight, he is not affected by birth-and-death, but freely goes or stays. He needn』t seek the excellent—that which is excellent will come of itself.

「Followers of the Way, our eminent predecessors from of old have all had their ways of saving people. As for me, what I want to make clear to you is that you must not accept the deluded views of others. If you want to act, then act. Don』t hesitate.

「Students today can』t get anywhere. What ails you? Lack of faith in yourself is what ails you. If you lack faith in yourself, you』ll keep on tumbling along, following in bewilderment after all kinds of circumstances and being taken by them through transformation after transformation without ever attaining freedom.

「Bring to rest the thoughts of the ceaselessly seeking mind, and you will not differ from the patriarch-buddha. Do you want to know the patriarch Buddha?

He is none other than you who stand before me listening to my discourse. But because you students lack faith in yourselves, you run around seeking something outside. Even if, through your seeking, you did find something, that something would be nothing more than fancy descriptions in written words; never would you gain the mind of the living patriarch.

Make no mistake, worthy Chan men! If you don』t find it here and now, you』ll go on transmigrating through the three realms for myriads of kalpas and thousands of lives, and, held in the clutch of captivating circumstances, be born in the wombs of asses or cows.

「Followers of the Way, as I see it we are no different from Śākya. What do we lack for our manifold activities today? The six-rayed divine light never ceases to shine. See it this way, and you』ll be a man who has nothing to do his whole life long. Virtuous monks,

The three realms lack tranquility

Just like a burning house.

This is not a place we remain for long. The death-dealing demon of impermanence comes in an instant, without discriminating between noble and base, old and young.

「If you wish to differ in no way from the patriarch-buddha, just don』t seek outside. The pure light in a single thought of yours—this is the dharmakāya buddha within your own house. The nondiscriminating light in a single thought of yours—this is the saṃbhogakāya buddha within your own house. The nondifferentiating light in a single thought of yours—this is

the nirmāṇakāya buddha within your own house. This threefold body is you, listening to my discourse right now before my very eyes. It is precisely because you don』t run around seeking outside that you have such meritorious activities.

「According to the masters of the sutras and śāstras, the threefold body is regarded as the ultimate norm. But in my view this is not so. The threefold body is merely a name; moreover, it is a threefold dependency. A man of old said, 『The [buddha-]bodies are posited depending upon manifested meaning; the [buddha] lands are postulated in keeping with essential substance.』

Therefore we clearly know that 『dharma-natured bodies』 and 『dharmanatured lands』 are no more than shimmering reflections.

「Virtuous monks, you must recognize the one who manipulates these reflections. 『He is the primal source of all the buddhas,』 and the place to which every follower of the Way returns.

「This physical body of yours, composed of the four great elements, can neither expound the dharma nor listen to it; your spleen and stomach, liver and gallbladder can neither expound the dharma nor listen to it; the empty sky can neither expound the dharma nor listen to it. Then what can expound the dharma and listen to it? This very you standing distinctly before me without any form, shining alone—just this can expound the dharma and listen to it! Understand it this way, and you are not different from the patriarch-buddha. Just never ever allow interruptions, and all that meets your eyes will be right. But, because 『when feeling arises,

wisdom is barred, and when thinking changes, the substance varies,』 people transmigrate through the three realms and undergo all kinds of suffering.

As I see it, there are none who are not of the utmost profundity, none who aren』t emancipated.

「Followers of the Way, mind is without form and pervades the ten directions.

In the eye it is called seeing, in the ear it is called hearing.

In the nose it smells odors, in the mouth it holds converse.

In the hands it grasps and seizes, in the feet it runs and carries.

Fundamentally it is one pure radiance; divided it becomes the six harmoniously united spheres of sense. If the mind is void, wherever you are, you are emancipated.

「What is my purpose in speaking this way? I do so only because you followers of the Way cannot stop your mind from running around everywhere seeking, because you go clambering after the worthless contrivances of the men of old.

「Followers of the Way, if you take my viewpoint you』ll cut off the heads of the saṃbhogakāya and nirmāṇakāya buddhas; a bodhisattva who has attained the completed mind of the tenth stage will be like a mere hireling; a bodhisattva of equivalent enlightenment or a bodhisattva of marvelous enlightenment will be like pilloried prisoners; an arhat and a pratyekabuddha

will be like privy filth; bodhi and nirvana will be like hitching posts for asses. Why is this so? Followers of the Way, it is only because you haven』t yet realized the emptiness of the three asamkhyeya kalpas that you have such obstacles.

「A true follower of the Way is never like this; conforming with circumstances as they are he exhausts his past karma; accepting things as they are he puts on his clothes; when he wants to walk he walks, when he wants to sit he sits; he never has a single thought of seeking buddhahood. Why is this so?

A man of old said:

If you seek buddha through karma-creating activities,

Buddha becomes the great portent of birth-and-death.

「Virtuous monks, time is precious. And yet, hurrying hither and thither, you try to learn meditation, to study the Way, to accept names, to accept phrases, to seek buddha, to seek a patriarch, to seek a good teacher, to think and speculate.

「Make no mistake, followers of the Way! After all, you have a father and a mother—what more do you seek? Turn your own light inward upon yourselves!

A man of old said:

Yajnadatta [thought he had] lost his head,

But when his seeking mind came to rest, he was at ease.

「Virtuous monks, just be ordinary. Don』t put on airs. There』re a bunch of shavepates who can』t tell good from bad; they see spirits, they see demons; they point to the east, they point to the west; they like fair weather, they like rain. The day will come when such men as these, every one of them, will have to repay their debts in front of Old Yama by swallowing red-hot iron balls.

「[You] sons and daughters of good families, bewitched by this pack of wild foxes, lose your senses. Blind idiots! Someday you』ll be made to pay up for the vittles you』ve eaten!」

11師示眾云、道流、切要求取眞正見解、向天下橫行、免被這一般精魅惑亂。無事是貴人。但莫造作、祇是平常。爾擬向外傍家求過、覓腳手。錯了也。祇擬求佛、佛是名句。爾還識馳求底麼。三世十方佛祖出來、也祇為求法。如今參學道流、也祇為求法。得法始了。未得、依前輪回五道。云何是法。法者是心法。心法無形、通貫十方、目前現用。人信不及、便乃認名認句、向文字中、求意度佛法。天地懸殊。道流、山僧說法、說什麼法。說心地法。便能入凡入聖、入淨入穢、入眞入俗。要且不是爾眞俗凡聖、能與一切眞俗凡聖、安著名字。眞俗凡聖、與此人安著名字不得。道流、把得便用、更不著名字、號之為玄旨。山僧說法、與天下人別。祇如有個文殊普賢、出來目前、各現一身問法、才道咨和尚、我早辨了也。老僧穩坐、更有道流、來相見時、我盡辨了也。何以如此。祇為我見處別、外不取凡聖、內不住根本、見徹更不疑謬。

The master addressed the assembly, saying, 「Followers of the Way, it is urgently necessary that you endeavor to acquire true insight and stride boldly [here] under the heavens, not losing your senses owing to that bunch of spirits. [He who has] nothing to do is the noble one. Simply don』t strive—just be ordinary. Yet you look outside, searching side paths and seeking help. You』re all wrong!

「You keep trying to find buddha, but buddha is merely a name. Don』t you know what it is that you are running around seeking? The buddhas and the patriarchs of the three periods and the ten directions appear only in order to seek the dharma. You followers of the Way who are studying today—you, too, have only to seek the dharma. Attain dharma and you』re all done. Until then, you』ll go on transmigrating through the five paths of existence just as you have been.

「What is dharma? 『Dharma』 is the dharma of mind. Mind is without form; it pervades the ten directions and is manifesting its activity right before your very eyes. But because people lack sufficient faith [in this] they turn to names and phrases, attempting to grasp the buddhadharma through written words. They』re as far away as heaven from earth!

「Followers of the Way, when I, this mountain monk, expound the dharma, what dharma do I expound? I expound the dharma of mind-ground, which enters the secular and the sacred, the pure and the defiled, the real and the temporal. But your 『real and temporal,』 your 『secular and sacred,』 cannot attach labels to all that is real and temporal, secular and sacred. The real and the temporal, the secular and the sacred, cannot attach a name to this person.

Followers of the Way, grasp and use, but never name—this is called the『mysterious principle』.

「My discourse on dharma is different from that of every other man on earth. Supposing Manjuśrī and Samantabhadra were to appear before me, manifesting their respective bodily forms for the purpose of questioning me about dharma. The moment they said, 『Venerable Priest, what…,』 I would have discerned them through and through. And if a follower of the Way comes for an interview as I sit quietly here, I discern him through and through. Why is this so? Just because my way of viewing things is different; outside, I make no distinction between the secular and the sacred; inside, I do not dwell in the absolute; I see right through, and am free from all doubt.」

12師示眾云、道流、佛法無用功處、祇是平常無事。屙屎送尿、著衣吃飯、困來即臥。愚人笑我、智乃知焉。古人云、向外作工夫、總是癡頑漢。爾且隨處作主、立處皆眞。境來回換不得。縱有從來習氣、五無間業、自為解脫大海。今時學者、總不識法、猶如觸鼻羊、逢著物安在口里。奴郎不辨、賓主不分。如是之流、邪心入道、鬧處即入。不得名為眞出家人、正是眞俗家人。夫出家者、須辨得平常眞正見解、辨佛辨魔、辨眞辨偽、辨凡辨聖。若如是辨得、名眞出家。若魔佛不辨、正是出一家入一家。喚作造業眾生、未得名為眞出家。祇如今有一個佛魔、同體不分、如水乳合、鵝王吃乳。如明眼道流、魔佛倶打。爾若愛聖憎凡、生死海里浮沈。

The master addressed the assembly, saying, 「Followers of the Way, as to buddhadharma, no effort is necessary. You have only to be ordinary, with nothing to do—defecating, urinating, wearing clothes, eating food, and lying down when tired.

Fools laugh at me,

But the wise understand.

A man of old said,

Those who make work for themselves outside

Are just a bunch of blockheads.

「Just make yourself master of every situation, and wherever you stand is the true [place]. No matter what circumstances come they cannot dislodge you [from there]. Though you bear the influence of past delusions or the karma of [having committed] the five heinous crimes, these of themselves become the ocean of emancipation.

「Students nowadays know nothing of dharma. They』re just like sheep that take into their mouths whatever their noses happen to hit against. They neither discriminate between master and slave, nor distinguish host from guest. Such as these, coming to the Way with crooked motives, readily enter bustling places. They cannot be called true renouncers of home. True householders are what they are.

「Renouncers of home must possess true insight at all times, distinguishing between the Buddha and Māra, between true and false, between secular and sacred. If they can do this, they may be called true renouncers of home.But those who cannot distinguish Māra from Buddha have only left one house to enter another. They may be described as karma-creating beings, but they cannot be called true renouncers of home.

「Now suppose there were Buddha-Māra, inseparably united in one body like a mixture of water and milk. The King of Geese would drink only the milk, but an open-eyed follower of the Way would handle Māra and Buddha equally.

If you love the sacred and hate the secular,

You』ll float and sink in the sea of birth-and-death.」

13問、如何是佛魔。師云、爾一念心疑處是魔。爾若達得萬法無生、心如幻化、更無一塵一法、處處淸淨是佛。然佛與魔、是染淨二境。約山僧見處、無佛無眾生、無古無今、得者便得、不歷時節。無修無證、無得無失。一切時中、更無別法。設有一法過此者、我說如夢如化。山僧所說皆是。道流、即今目前孤明歷歷地聽者、此人處處不滯、通貫十方、三界自在。入一切境差別、不能回換。一剎那間、透入法界、逢佛說佛、逢祖說祖、逢羅漢說羅漢、逢餓鬼說餓鬼。向一切處、游履國土、敎化眾生、未曾離一念。隨處淸淨、光透十方、萬法一如。道流、大丈夫兒、今日方知本來無事。祇為爾信不及、念念馳求、舍頭覓頭、自不能歇。如圓頓菩薩、入法界現身、向淨土中、厭凡忻聖。如此之流、取舍未忘、染淨心在。如禪宗見解、又且不然。直是現今、更無時節。山僧說處、皆是一期藥病相治、總無實法。若如是見得、是眞出家、日消萬兩黃金。道流、莫取次被諸方老師印破面門、道我解禪解道。辯似懸河、皆是造地獄業。若是眞正學道人、不求世間過、切急要求眞正見解。若達眞正見解圓明、方始了畢。

Someone asked, 「What is Buddha-Māra?」

The master said, 「One thought of doubt in your mind is Māra. But if you realize that the ten thousand dharmas never come into being, that mind is like a phantom, that not a speck of dust nor a single thing exists, that there is no place that is not clean and pure—this is Buddha. Thus Buddha and Māra are simply two states, one pure, the other impure.

「In my view there is no Buddha, no sentient beings, no past, no present. Anything attained was already attained—no time is needed. There is nothing to practice, nothing to realize, nothing to gain, nothing to lose. Throughout all time there is no other dharma than this. 『If one claims there』s a dharma surpassing this, I say that it』s like a dream, like a phantasm.』 This is all I have to teach.

「Followers of the Way, the one who at this very moment shines alone before my eyes and is clearly listening to my discourse—this man tarries nowhere; he traverses the ten directions and is freely himself in all three realms. Though he enters all types of situations with their various differentiations, none can confuse him. In an instant of time he penetrates the dharma realms, on meeting a buddha he teaches the buddha, on meeting a patriarch he teaches the patriarch, on meeting an arhat he teaches the arhat, on meeting a hungry ghost he teaches the hungry ghost. He travels throughout all lands bringing enlightenment to sentient beings, yet is never separate from his present mind. Everywhere is pure, light illumines the ten directions, and『all dharmas are a single suchness.』

「Followers of the Way, right now the resolute man knows full well that from the beginning there is nothing to do. Only because your faith is insufficient do you ceaselessly chase about; having thrown away your head you go on and on looking for it, unable to stop yourself. You』re like the bodhisattva of complete and immediate [enlightenment], who manifests his body in any dharma realm but within the Pure Land detests the secular and aspires for the sacred. Such ones have not yet left off accepting and rejecting; ideas of purity and defilement still remain.

「For the Chan school, understanding is not thus—it is instantaneous, now, not a matter of time! All that I teach is just provisional medicine, treatment for a disease. In fact, no real dharma exists. Those who understand this are true renouncers of home, and may spend a million gold coins a day.

「Followers of the Way, don』t have your face stamped with the seal of sanction by any old master anywhere, then go around saying, 『I understand Chan,I understand the Way.』 Though your eloquence is like a rushing torrent, it is nothing but hell-creating karma.

「The true student of the Way does not search out the faults of the world, but eagerly seeks true insight. If you can attain true insight, clear and complete, then, indeed, that is all.」

14問、如何是眞正見解。師云、爾但一切入凡入聖、入染入淨、入諸佛國土、入彌勒樓閣、入毘盧遮那法界、處處皆現國土、成住壞空。佛出于世、轉大法輪、卻入涅槃、不見有去來相貌。求其生死、了不可得。便入無生法界、處處游履國土、入華藏世界、盡見諸法空相、皆無實法。唯有聽法無依道人、是諸佛之母。所以佛從無依生。若悟無依、佛亦無得。若如是見得者、是眞正見解。學人不了、為執名句、被他凡聖名礙、所以障其道眼、不得分明。祇如十二分敎、皆是表顯之說。學者不會、便向表顯名句上生解。皆是依倚、落在因果、未免三界生死。爾若欲得生死去住、脫著自由、即今識取聽法底人。無形無相、無根無本、無住處、活撥撥地。應是萬種施設、用處祇是無處。所以覓著轉遠、求之轉乖。號之為秘密。道流、爾莫認著個夢幻伴子。遲晩中間、便歸無常。爾向此世界中、覓個什麼物作解脫。覓取一口飯吃、補毳過時、且要訪尋知識。莫因循逐樂。光陰可惜、念念無常。麁則被地水火風、細則被生住異滅四相所逼。道流、今時且要識取四種無相境、免被境擺撲。

Someone asked, 「What is 『true insight』?」

The master said, 「You have only to enter the secular, enter the sacred, enter the defiled, enter the pure, enter the lands of all the buddhas, enter the Tower of Maitreya, enter the dharma realm of Vairocana and all of the lands everywhere that manifest and come into being, exist, decay, and disappear.

「The Buddha appeared in the world, turned the Wheel of the Great Dharma, then entered nirvana, yet no trace of his coming and going can be seen. Though you seek his birth and death, you will never find it.

「Then, having entered the dharma realm of no-birth and traveled throughout every country, you enter the realm of the lotus-womb, and there see through and through that all dharmas are characterized by emptiness and that there are no real dharmas whatsoever.

「There is only the man of the Way who depends upon nothing, here listening to my discourse—it is he who is the mother of all buddhas. Therefore buddhas are born from nondependence. Awaken to nondependence, then there is no buddha to be obtained. Insight such as this is true insight.

「Students do not understand this, and, because they adhere to names and phrases and are obstructed by such terms as 『secular』 and 『sacred』, becloud their Dharma Eye and cannot obtain clarity of vision. Take, for instance, the twelve divisions of the teachings—all are nothing but surface explanations. Not understanding this, students form views based on these superficial words and phrases. All such students are dependent and thus fall into causation; they haven』t escaped birth-and-death in the three realms.

「If you want to be free to live or to die, to go or to stay as you would put on or take off clothes, then right now recognize the one listening to my discourse, the one who has no form, no characteristics, no root, no source, no dwelling place, and yet is bright and vigorous. Of all his various responsive activities, none leaves any traces. Thus the more you chase him the farther away he goes, and the more you seek him the more he turns away; this is called the 『Mystery』.

「Followers of the Way, don』t acknowledge this illusory companion, your body—sooner or later it will return to impermanence. What is it you seek in this world that you think will bring you emancipation? You hunt about for a mouthful to eat and while away time patching your robe. You should be searching for a good teacher! Don』t just drift along pursuing comfort. Value every second. Each successive thought-moment passes quickly away. The grosser part of you is at the mercy of [the four elements:] earth, water, fire, and wind; the subtler part of you is at the mercy of the four phases: birth, being, decay, and death. Followers of the Way, you must right now apprehend the state in which the four elements [and four phases] are formless, so that you may avoid being buffeted about by circumstances.」

15問、如何是四種無相境。師云、爾一念心疑、被地來礙。爾一念心愛、被水來溺。爾一念心嗔、被火來燒。爾一念心喜、被風來飄。若能如是辨得、不被境轉、處處用境。東湧西沒、南湧北沒、中湧邊沒、邊湧中沒、履水如地、履地如水。緣何如此。為達四大如夢如幻故。道流、爾祇今聽法者、不是爾四大、能用爾四大。若能如是見得、便乃去住自由。約山僧見處、勿嫌底法。爾若愛聖、聖者聖之名。有一般學人、向五台山里求文殊。早錯了也。五台山無文殊。爾欲識文殊麼。祇爾目前用處、始終不異、處處不疑、此個是活文殊。爾一念心無差別光、處處總是眞普賢。爾一念心自能解縛、隨處解脫、此是觀音三昧法。互為主伴、出則一時出。一即三、三即一。如是解得、始好看敎。

Someone asked, 「What is the state in which the four elements [and four phases] are formless?」

The master said, 「An instant of doubt in your mind and you』re obstructed by earth; an instant of lust in your mind and you』re drowned by water; an instant of anger in your mind and you』re scorched by fire; an instant of joy in your mind and you』re blown about by wind. Gain such discernment as this, and you』re not turned this way and that by circumstances; making use of circumstances everywhere—you spring up in the east and disappear in the west, spring up in the south and disappear in the north, spring up in the center and disappear at the border, spring up at the border and disappear in the center, walk on the water as on land, and walk on the land as on water.

「How is this possible? Because you have realized that the four elements are like dreams, like illusions. Followers of the Way, the you who right now is listening to my discourse is not the four elements; this you makes use of the four elements. If you can fully understand this, you are free to go or to stay [as you please].

「From my point of view, there is not a thing to be disliked. If you love the『sacred』, what is sacred is no more than the name 『sacred』.

「There』s a bunch of students who seek Manjuśrī on Mount Wutai. Wrong from the start! There』s no Manjuśrī on Wutai. Do you want to know Manjuśrī? Your activity right now, never changing, nowhere faltering—this is the living Manjuśrī. Your single thought』s nondifferentiating light—this indeed is the true Samantabhadra. Your single thought that frees itself from bondage and brings emancipation everywhere—this is the Avalokiteśvara samādhi. Since these [three] alternately take the position of master and attendants, when they appear they appear at one and the same time, one in three, three in one. Gain understanding such as this, and then you can read the sutras.」

16師示眾云、如今學道人、且要自信。莫向外覓。總上他閒塵境、都不辨邪正。祇如有祖有佛、皆是敎跡中事。有人拈起一句子語、或隱顯中出、便即疑生、照天照地、傍家尋問、也大忙然。大丈夫兒、莫祇麼論主論賊、論是論非、論色論財、論說閒話過日。山僧此間、不論僧俗、但有來者、盡識得伊。任伊向甚處出來、但有聲名文句、皆是夢幻。卻見乘境底人、是諸佛之玄旨。佛境不能自稱我是佛境。還是這個無依道人、乘境出來。若有人出來、問我求佛、我即應淸淨境出。有人問我菩薩、我即應慈悲境出。有人問我菩提、我即應淨妙境出。有人問我涅槃、我即應寂靜境出。境即萬般差別、人即不別。所以應物現形、如水中月。道流、爾若欲得如法、直須是大丈夫兒始得。若萎萎隨隨地、則不得也。夫如㽄嗄[上音西下所嫁切]之器、不堪貯醍醐。如大器者、直要不受人惑。隨處作主、立處皆眞。但有來者、皆不得受。爾一念疑、即魔入心。如菩薩疑時、生死魔得便。但能息念、更莫外求。物來則照。爾但信現今用底、一個事也無。爾一念心生三界、隨緣被境、分為六塵。爾如今應用處、欠少什麼。一剎那間、便入淨入穢、入彌勒樓閣、入三眼國土、處處游履、唯見空名。

The master addressed the assembly, saying, 「You who today study the Way must have faith in yourselves. Don』t seek outside or you』ll just go on clambering after the realm of worthless dusts, never distinguishing true from false. [Notions] like 『There are buddhas, there are patriarchs』 are no more than matters in the teachings. When someone brings forward a phrase or comes forth from the hidden and the revealed, you are at once beset by doubt. You appeal to heaven, appeal to earth, run to question your neighbors, and are utterly perplexed. Resolute men, don』t pass your days in idle chatter this way, talking of rulers and talking of outlaws, discussing right and discussing wrong, speaking of women and speaking of money.

「As for me, whoever comes here, whether monk or layman, I discern him through and through. Regardless of where he comes from, his words and phrases are all just dreams and illusions. On the other hand, it』s obvious that one in control of every circumstance [embodies] the mysterious principle of all the buddhas. The state of buddhahood does not of itself proclaim, 『I am the state of buddhahood!』 Rather, this very man of the Way, dependent upon nothing, comes forth in control of every circumstance.

「If someone comes and asks about seeking buddha, I immediately appear in conformity with the state of purity; if someone asks about bodhisattvahood, I immediately appear in conformity with the state of compassion; if someone asks me about bodhi, I immediately appear in conformity with the state of pure mystery; if someone asks me about nirvana, I immediately appear in conformity with the state of serene stillness. Though there be ten thousand different states, the person does not differ. Therefore,

According with things he manifests a form,

Like the moon [reflecting] on the water.

「Followers of the Way, if you want to accord with dharma, just be men of great resolve. If you just shilly-shally spinelessly along, you』re good for nothing.Just as a cracked jug is unfit to hold ghee, so he who would be a great vessel must not be taken in by the deluded views of others. Make yourself master everywhere, and wherever you stand is the true [place].

「Whatever comes along, don』t accept it. One thought of doubt, and instantly the demon [māra] enters your mind. Even a bodhisattva, when in doubt, is taken advantage of by the demon of birth-and-death. Just desist from thinking, and never seek outside. If something should come, illumine it. Have faith in your activity revealed now—there isn』t a thing to do.

「One thought of your mind produces the three realms and, in accordance with causal conditions and influenced by circumstances, the division into the six dusts takes place. What is lacking in your present responsive activity! In an instant you enter the pure, enter the dirty, enter the Tower of Maitreya, enter the Land of the Three Eyes, and everywhere you travel all you see are empty names.」

17問、如何是三眼國土。師云、我共爾入淨妙國土中、著淸淨衣、說法身佛。又入無差別國土中、著無差別衣、說報身佛。又入解脫國土中、著光明衣、說化身佛。此三眼國土、皆是依變。約經論家、取法身為根本、報化二身為用。山僧見處、法身即不解說法。所以古人云、身依義立、土據體論。法性身、法性土、明知是建立之法、依通國土。空拳黃葉、用誑小兒。蒺藜菱刺、枯骨上覓什麼汁。心外無法、內亦不可得、求什麼物。爾諸方言道、有修有證。莫錯。設有修得者、皆是生死業。爾言六度萬行齊修。我見皆是造業。求佛求法、即是造地獄業。求菩薩、亦是造業。看經看敎、亦是造業。佛與祖師、是無事人。所以有漏有為、無漏無為、為淸淨業。有一般瞎禿子、飽吃飯了、便坐禪觀行、把捉念漏、不令放起、厭喧求靜、是外道法。祖師云、爾若住心看靜、舉心外照、攝心內澄、凝心入定、如是之流、皆是造作。是爾如今與麼聽法底人、作麼生擬修他證他莊嚴他。渠且不是修底物、不是莊嚴得底物。若敎他莊嚴、一切物即莊嚴得。爾且莫錯。道流、爾取這一般老師口里語、為是眞道、是善知識不思議、我是凡夫心、不敢測度他老宿。瞎屢生、爾一生祇作這個見解、辜負這一雙眼。冷噤噤地、如凍凌上驢駒相似。我不敢毀善知識、怕生口業。道流、夫大善知識、始敢毀佛毀祖、是非天下、排斥三藏敎、罵辱諸小兒、向逆順中覓人。所以我于十二年中、求一個業性、知芥子許不可得。若似新婦子禪師、便即怕趁出院、不與飯吃、不安不樂。自古先輩、到處人不信、被遞出、始知是貴。若到處人盡肯、堪作什麼。所以師子一吼、野干腦裂。道流、諸方說、有道可修、有法可證。爾說證何法、修何道。爾今用處、欠少什麼物、修補何處。後生小阿師不會、便即信這般野狐精魅、許他說事、繋縛人、言道理行相應、護惜三業、始得成佛。如此說者、如春細雨。古人云、路逢達道人、第一莫向道。所以言、若人修道道不行、萬般邪境競頭生。智劍出來無一物、明頭未顯暗頭明。所以古人云、平常心是道。大德、覓什麼物。現今目前聽法無依道人、歷歷地分明、未曾欠少。爾若欲得與祖佛不別、但如是見、不用疑誤。爾心心不異、名之活祖。心若有異、則性相別。心不異故、即性相不別。

Someone asked, 「What about the 『Land of the Three Eyes』?」

The master said, 「When you and I together enter the Land of Pure Mystery we put on the robe of purity and preach as the dharmakāya buddha; when we enter the Land of Nondifferentiation we put on the robe of nondifferentiation and preach as the saṃbhogakāya buddha; when we enter the Land of Emancipation we put on the robe of brightness and preach as the nirmāṇakāya buddha. These Lands of the Three Eyes are all dependent transformations.

「According to the masters of the sutras and śāstras, the dharmakāya is regarded as basic substance and the saṃbhogakāya and nirmāṇakāya as function. From my point of view the dharmakāya cannot expound the dharma. Therefore a man of old said, 『The [buddha-]bodies are posited depending upon meaning; the [buddha-]lands are postulated in keeping with substance.』 So we clearly know that the dharma-nature body and dharma-nature land are fabricated things, based on dependent understanding. Empty fists and yellow leaves used to fool a child! Spiked gorse seeds! Horned water chestnuts! What kind of juice are you looking for in such dried-up bones!

「Outside mind there』s no dharma, nor is there anything to be gained within it. What are you seeking? Everywhere you say, 『There』s something to practice, something to obtain.』 Make no mistake! Even if there were something to be gained by practice, it would be nothing but birth-and-death karma. You say, 『The six pāramitās and the ten thousand [virtuous] actions are all to be practiced.』 As I see it, all this is just making karma. Seeking buddha and seeking dharma are only making hell-karma. Seeking bodhisattvahood is also making karma; reading the sutras and studying the teachings are also making karma. Buddhas and patriarchs are people with nothing to do.Therefore, [for them] activity and the defiling passions and also nonactivity and passionlessness are 『pure』 karma.

「There are a bunch of blind shavepates who, having stuffed themselves with food, sit down to meditate and practice contemplation. Arresting the flow of thought they don』t let it rise; they hate noise and seek stillness. This is the method of the heretics. A patriarch said, 『If you stop the mind to look at stillness, arouse the mind to illumine outside, control the mind to clarify inside, concentrate the mind to enter samādhi—all such [practices] as these are artificial striving.』

「This very you, the man who right now is thus listening to my discourse, how is he to be cultivated, to be enlightened, to be adorned? He is not one to be cultivated, he is not one to be adorned. But if you let him do the adorning, then everything would be adorned. Don』t be mistaken!

「Followers of the Way, you seize upon words from the mouths of those old masters and take them to be the true Way. You think, 『These good teachers are wonderful, and I, simple-minded fellow that I am, don』t dare measure such old worthies.』 Blind idiots! You go through your entire life holding such views, betraying your own two eyes. Trembling with fright, like donkeys on an icy path, [you say to yourselves,] 『I don』t dare disparage these good teachers for fear of making karma with my mouth!』

「Followers of the Way, it is only a great teacher who dares to disparage the buddhas, dares to disparage the patriarchs, to determine the right and the wrong of the world, to reject the teachings of the Tripiṭaka, to revile all infantile fellows, and to look for a Person amidst fortunate and unfortunate circumstances.「Therefore, when I look back over the past twelve years for a single thing having the nature of karma, I can』t find anything even the size of a mustard seed. The Chan master who is like a new bride will fear lest he be thrown out of his temple, be given no food to eat, and have no contentment and ease. From olden days our predecessors never had people anywhere who believed in them. Only after they had been driven out was their worth recognized. If they had been fully accepted by people everywhere, what would they have been good for? Therefore it is said, 『The lion』s single roar splits the jackals』 skulls.』

「Followers of the Way, people everywhere say that there is a Way to be practiced, a dharma to be confirmed. Tell me, what dharma will you confirm, what Way will you practice? What is lacking in your present activity? What still needs to be patched up?

「The immature young monk, not understanding this, believes in these fox-spirits and lets them speak the kind of nonsense that binds other people, nonsense such as, 『Only by harmonizing the principle and practice and by guarding [against] the three karmas can buddhahood be attained.』 People who talk like this are as common as spring showers.

「A man of old said:

If on the road you meet a man who has mastered the Way,

Above all do not speak of the Way.

Therefore it is said:

When a man tries to practice the Way, the Way does not function,

And ten thousand evil circumstances vie in raising their heads.

But when the sword of wisdom fl ashes forth, nothing remains;

Before brightness is manifest, darkness is bright.

For that reason a man of old said, 『Ordinary mind is the Way.』

「Virtuous monks, what are you looking for? [You] nondependent people of the Way who listen to my discourse right now before my eyes, [you are] bright and clear and have never lacked anything. If you want to be no different from the patriarch-buddha, just see things this way. There』s no need to waver.

「Your minds and Mind do not differ—this is called [your] living patriarch. If mind differs, its essence will differ from its manifestations. Since mind does not differ, its essence and its manifestations do not differ.」

18問、如何是心心不異處。師云、爾擬問、早異了也、性相各分。道流、莫錯。世出世諸法、皆無自性、亦無生性。但有空名、名字亦空。爾祇麼認他閒名為實。大錯了也。設有、皆是依變之境。有個菩提依、涅槃依、解脫依、三身依、境智依、菩薩依、佛依。爾向依變國土中、覓什麼物。乃至三乘十二分敎、皆是拭不淨故紙。佛是幻化身、祖是老比丘。爾還是娘生已否。爾若求佛、即被佛魔攝。爾若求祖、即被祖魔縛。爾若有求皆苦。不如無事。有一般禿比丘、向學人道、佛是究竟、于三大阿僧祇劫、修行果滿、方始成道。道流、爾若道佛是究竟、緣什麼八十年後、向拘尸羅城、雙林樹間、側臥而死去。佛今何在。明知與我生死不別。爾言、三十二相八十種好是佛。轉輪聖王應是如來。明知是幻化。古人云、如來舉身相、為順世間情。恐人生斷見、權且立虛名。假言三十二、八十也空聲。有身非覺體、無相乃眞形。爾道、佛有六通、是不可思議。一切諸天、神仙、阿修羅、大力鬼、亦有神通。應是佛否。道流、莫錯。祇如阿修羅、與天帝釋戰、戰敗領八萬四千眷屬、入藕絲孔中藏。莫是聖否。如山僧所舉、皆是業通依通。夫如佛六通者、不然。入色界不被色惑、入聲界不被聲惑、入香界不被香惑、入味界不被味惑、入觸界不被觸惑、入法界不被法惑。所以達六種色聲香味觸法皆是空相、不能繋縛此無依道人。雖是五蘊漏質、便是地行神通。道流、眞佛無形、眞法無相。爾祇麼幻化上頭、作模作樣。設求得者、皆是野狐精魅、並不是眞佛、是外道見解。夫如眞學道人、並不取佛、不取菩薩羅漢、不取三界殊勝。迥無獨脫、不與物拘。乾坤倒覆、我更不疑。十方諸佛現前、為一念心喜、三涂地獄頓現、無一念心怖。緣何如此。我見諸法空相、變即有、不變即無。三界唯心、萬法唯識。所以夢幻空花、何勞把捉。唯有道流、目前現今聽法底人、入火不燒、入水不溺、入三涂地獄、如游園觀、入餓鬼畜生、而不受報。緣何如此。無嫌底法。爾若愛聖憎凡、生死海里沈浮。煩惱由心故有、無心煩惱何拘。不勞分別取相、自然得道須臾。爾擬傍家波波地學得、于三祇劫中、終歸生死。不如無事、向叢林中、床角頭交腳坐。道流、如諸方有學人來、主客相見了、便有一句子語、辨前頭善知識。被學人拈出個機權語路、向善知識口角頭攛過、看爾識不識。爾若識得是境、把得便拋向坑子里。學人便即尋常、然後便索善知識語。依前奪之。學人云、上智哉、是大善知識。即云、爾大不識好惡。如善知識、把出個境塊子、向學人面前弄。前人辨得、下下作主、不受境惑。善知識便即現半身、學人便喝。善知識又入一切差別語路中擺撲。學人云、不識好惡老禿奴。善知識嘆曰、眞正道流。如諸方善知識、不辨邪正。學人來問、菩提涅槃、三身境智、瞎老師便與他解說。被他學人罵著、便把棒打他、言無禮度。自是爾善知識無眼、不得嗔他。有一般不識好惡禿奴、即指東劃西、好晴好雨、好燈籠露柱。爾看、眉毛有幾莖。這個具機緣。學人不會、便即心狂。如是之流、總是野狐精魅魍魎。被他好學人嗌嗌微笑、言瞎老禿奴惑亂他天下人。道流、出家兒且要學道。祇如山僧、往日曾向毘尼中留心、亦曾于經論尋討。後方知是濟世藥、表顯之說、遂乃一時拋卻、即訪道參禪。後遇大善知識、方乃道眼分明、始識得天下老和尚、知其邪正。不是娘生下便會、還是體究練磨、一朝自省。道流、爾欲得如法見解、但莫受人惑。向里向外、逢著便殺。逢佛殺佛、逢祖殺祖、逢羅漢殺羅漢、逢父母殺父母、逢親眷殺親眷、始得解脫、不與物拘、透脫自在。如諸方學道流、未有不依物出來底。山僧向此間、從頭打。手上出來手上打。口里出來口里打。眼里出來眼里打。未有一個獨脫出來底。皆是上他古人閑機境。山僧無一法與人、祇是治病解縛。爾諸方道流、試不依物出來、我要共爾商量。十年五歳、並無一人。皆是依草附葉、竹木精靈、野狐精魅、向一切糞塊上亂咬。瞎漢、枉消他十方信施、道我是出家兒、作如是見解。向爾道、無佛無法、無修無證。祇與麼傍家擬求什麼物。瞎漢、頭上安頭。是爾欠少什麼。道流、是爾目前用底、與祖佛不別。祇麼不信、便向外求。莫錯。向外無法、內亦不可得。爾取山僧口里語、不如休歇無事去。已起者莫續、未起者不要放起、便勝爾十年行腳。約山僧見處、無如許多般、祇是平常。著衣吃飯、無事過時。爾諸方來者、皆是有心求佛求法、求解脫、求出離三界。痴人、爾要出三界、什麼處去。佛祖是賞繋底名句。爾欲識三界麼。不離爾今聽法底心地。爾一念心貪是欲界。爾一念心瞋是色界。爾一念心痴是無色界、是爾屋里家具子。三界不自道、我是三界。還是道流、目前靈靈地照燭萬般、酌度世界底人、與三界安名。大德、四大色身是無常。乃至脾胃肝膽、髪毛爪齒、唯見諸法空相。爾一念心歇得處、喚作菩提樹。爾一念心不能歇得處、喚作無明樹。無明無住處、無明無始終。爾若念念心歇不得、便上他無明樹、便入六道四生、披毛戴角。爾若歇得、便是淸淨身界。爾一念不生、便是上菩提樹、三界神通變化、意生化身、法喜禪悅、身光自照。思衣羅綺千重、思食百味具足、更無橫病。菩提無住處、是故無得者。道流、大丈夫漢、更疑個什麼。目前用處、更是阿誰。把得便用、莫著名字、號為玄旨。與麼見得、勿嫌底法。古人云、心隨萬境轉、轉處實能幽。隨流認得性、無喜亦無憂。道流、如禪宗見解、死活循然。參學之人、大須子細。如主客相見、便有言論往來。或應物現形、或全體作用、或把機權喜怒、或現半身、或乘師子、或乘象王。如有眞正學人、便喝先拈出一個膠盆子。善知識不辨是境、便上他境上、作模作樣。學人便喝。前人不肯放。此是膏肓之病、不堪醫。喚作客看主。或是善知識不拈出物、隨學人問處即奪。學人被奪、抵死不放。此是主看客。或有學人、應一個淸淨境、出善知識前。善知識辨得是境、把得拋向坑里。學人言、大好善知識。即云、咄哉、不識好惡。學人便禮拜。此喚作主看主。或有學人、披枷帶鎖、出善知識前。善知識更與安一重枷鎖。學人歡喜、彼此不辨。呼為客看客。大德、山僧如是所舉、皆是辨魔揀異、知其邪正。道流、寔情大難、佛法幽玄、解得可可地。山僧竟日與他說破、學者總不在意。千遍萬遍、腳底踏過、黑沒焌地、無一個形段、歷歷孤明。學人信不及、便向名句上生解。年登半百、祇管, 傍家負死尸行、簷卻檐子天下走。索草鞋錢有日在。大德、山僧說向外無法、學人不會、便即向里作解、便即倚壁坐、舌拄上齶、湛然不動、取此為是祖門佛法也。大錯。是爾若取不動淸淨境為是、爾即認他無明為郎主。古人云、湛湛黑暗深坑、寔可怖畏。此之是也。爾若認他動者是、一切草木皆解動、應可是道也。所以動者是風大、不動者是地大。動與不動、倶無自性。爾若向動處捉他、他向不動處立。爾若向不動處捉他、他向動處立。譬如潛泉魚、鼓波而自躍。大德、動與不動、是二種境。還是無依道人、用動用不動。如諸方學人來、山僧此間、作三種根器斷。如中下根器來、我便奪其境、而不除其法。或中上根器來、我便境法倶奪。如上上根器來、我便境法人倶不奪。如有出格見解人來、山僧此間、便全體作用、不歷根器。大德、到這里、學人著力處不通風、石火電光即過了也。學人若眼定動、即沒交涉。擬心即差、動念即乖。有人解者、不離目前。大德、爾簷缽嚢屎檐子、傍家走求佛求法。即今與麼馳求底、爾還識渠麼。活撥撥地、祇是勿根株。擁不聚、撥不散。求著即轉遠、不求還在目前、靈音屬耳。若人不信、徒勞百年。道流、一剎那間、便入華藏世界、入毘盧遮那國土、入解脫國土、入神通國土、入淸淨國土、入法界、入穢入淨、入凡入聖、入餓鬼畜生、處處討覓尋、皆不見有生有死、唯有空名。幻化空花、不勞把捉、得失是非、一時放卻。道流、山僧佛法、的的相承、從麻谷和尚、丹霞和尚、道一和尚、盧山拽石頭和尚、一路行遍天下。無人信得、盡皆起謗。如道一和尚用處、純一無雜、學人三百五百、盡皆不見他意。如盧山和尚、自在眞正、順逆用處、學人不測涯際、悉皆忙然。如丹霞和尚、翫珠隱顯、學人來者、皆悉被罵。如麻谷用處、苦如黃蘗、近皆不得。如石鞏用處、向箭頭上覓人、來者皆懼。如山僧今日用處、眞正成壞、翫弄神變、入一切境、隨處無事、境不能換。但有來求者、我即便出看渠。渠不識我、我便著數般衣、學人生解、一向入我言句。苦哉、瞎禿子無眼人、把我著底衣、認青黃赤白。我脫卻入淸淨境中、學人一見、便生忻欲。我又脫卻、學人失心、忙然狂走、言我無衣。我即向渠道、爾識我著衣底人否。忽爾回頭、認我了也。大德、爾莫認衣。衣不能動、人能著衣。有個淸淨衣、有個無生衣、菩提衣、涅槃衣、有祖衣、有佛衣。大德、但有聲名文句、皆悉是衣變。從臍輪氣海中鼓激、牙齒敲磕、成其句義。明知是幻化。大德、外發聲語業、內表心所法。以思有念、皆悉是衣。爾祇麼認他著底衣為寔解。縱經塵劫、祇是衣通。三界循還、輪迴生死。不如無事。相逢不相識、共語不知名。今時學人不得、蓋為認名字為解。大策子上、抄死老漢語、三重五重複子裹、不敎人見、道是玄旨、以為保重。大錯。瞎屢生、爾向枯骨上、覓什麼汁。有一般不識好惡、向敎中取意度商量、成于句義。如把屎塊子、向口里含了、吐過與別人。猶如俗人打傳口令相似、一生虛過。也道我出家、被他問著佛法、便即杜口無詞、眼似漆突、口如楄簷。如此之類、逢彌勒出世、移置他方世界、寄地獄受苦。大德、爾波波地往諸方、覓什麼物、踏爾腳板闊。無佛可求、無道可成、無法可得。外求有相佛、與汝不相似。欲識汝本心、非合亦非離。道流、眞佛無形、眞道無體、眞法無相。三法混融、和合一處。辨既不得、喚作忙忙業識眾生。

Someone asked, 「What about the state where 『mind and Mind do not differ』?」

The master said, 「The instant you ask the question they are already separate, and essense differs from its manifestations.

「Followers of the Way, make no mistake! All the dharmas of this world and of the worlds beyond are without self-nature. Also, they are without produced nature. They are just empty names, and these names are also empty. All you are doing is taking these worthless names to be real. That』s all wrong! Even if they do exist, they are nothing but states of dependent transformation, such as the dependent transformations of bodhi, nirvana, emancipation, the threefold body, the [objective] surroundings and the [subjective] mind, bodhisattvahood, and buddhahood. What are you looking for in these lands of dependent transformations! All of these, up to and including the Three Vehicles』 twelve divisions of teachings, are just so much waste paper to wipe off privy filth. The Buddha is just a phantom body, the patriarchs just old monks.

「But you, weren』t you born of a mother? If you seek the Buddha, you』ll be held in the grip of Buddha-Māra. If you seek the patriarchs, you』ll be bound by the ropes of Patriarch-Māra. If you engage in any seeking, it will all be pain. Much better to do nothing.

「There are a bunch of shavepate monks who say to students, 『The Buddha is the Ultimate; he attained buddhahood only after he came to the fruition of practices carried on through three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas.』 Followers of the Way, if you say that the Buddha is the ultimate, how is it that after eighty years of life the Buddha lay down on his side between the twin śāla trees at Kuśinagara and died? Where is the Buddha now? We clearly know that his birth and death were not different from ours.

「You say, 『The thirty-two [primary] features and the eighty [secondary] features indicate a buddha.』 Then must a cakravartin also be considered a tathāgata? We clearly know that these features are illusory transformations. A man of old said:

The Tathāgata』s various bodily features

Were assumed to conform with worldly sensibilities.

Lest men conceive annihilist views,

He provisionally provided unreal names.

Temporarily we speak of the 『thirty-two,』

The 『eighty,』 also, are but empty sounds.

The mortal body is not the awakened body,

Featurelessness is the true figure.

「You say, 『A buddha has six supernatural powers. This is miraculous!』All the gods, immortals, asuras, and mighty pretas also have supernatural powers—must they be considered buddhas? Followers of the Way, make no mistake! For instance, when Asura fought against Indra and was routed in battle he led his entire throng, to the number of eighty-four thousand, into the tube in a fiber of a lotus root to hide. Wasn』t he then a sage? Such supernatural powers as these I have just mentioned are all reward powers or dependent powers.

「Those are not the six supernatural powers of a buddha, which are entering the world of color yet not being deluded by color; entering the world of sound yet not being deluded by sound; entering the world of odor yet not being deluded by odor; entering the world of taste yet not being deluded by taste; entering the world of touch yet not being deluded by touch; entering the world of dharmas yet not being deluded by dharmas. Therefore, when it is realized that these six—color, sound, odor, taste, touch, and dharmas—are all empty forms, they cannot bind the man of the Way, dependent upon nothing. Constituted though he is of the seepage of the five skandhas, he has the supernatural power of walking upon the earth.

「Followers of the Way, true buddha has no figure, true dharma has no form. All you』re doing is devising models and patterns out of phantoms. Anything you may find through seeking will be nothing more than a wild fox-spirit; it certainly won』t be the true buddha. It will be the understanding of a heretic.

「The true student of the Way has nothing to do with buddhas and nothing to do with bodhisattvas or arhats. Nor has he anything to do with the good things of the triple world. Having transcended these, solitary and free, he is not bound by things. Heaven and earth could turn upside down and he wouldn』t have a doubt; the buddhas of the ten directions could appear before him and he wouldn』t feel an instant of joy; the three hells could suddenly yawn at his feet and he wouldn』t feel an instant of fear. Why is this so? Because, as I see it, all dharmas are empty forms—when transformation takes place they are existent, when transformation does not take place they are nonexistent. The three realms are mind-only, the ten thousand dharmas are consciousness-only. Hence,

Illusory dreams, flowers in the sky,

Why trouble to grasp at them!

「Only you, the follower of the Way right now before my eyes listening to my discourse, [only you] enter fire and are not burned, enter water and are not drowned, enter the three hells as though strolling in a pleasure garden, enter the realms of the hungry ghosts and the beasts without suffering their fate. How can this be? There are no dharmas to be disliked.

If you love the sacred and hate the secular

You』ll fl oat and sink in the birth-and-death sea.

The passions exist dependent on mind;

Have no-mind, and how can they bind you?

Without troubling to discriminate or cling to forms

You』ll attain the Way naturally in a moment of time.

 「But if you try to get understanding by hurrying down this byway and that, you』ll still be in the round of samsara after three asakhyeya kalpas. Better take your ease sitting cross-legged on a meditation platform in the monastery.

「Followers of the Way, students come from every quarter, and after host and guest have met the student will test the teacher with a phrase. Some tricky words are chosen by the student and flung at the corner of the teacher』s mouth. 『Let』s see if you can understand this!』 he says. If you teachers recognize it as a device, you seize it and throw it into a pit. Whereupon the student quiets down and asks the teacher to say something. As before, the teacher robs him of his attitude. The student says, 『What superlative wisdom! A great teacher, indeed!』 To which you teachers instantly retort, 『You can』t even tell good from bad.』

「Or a teacher may take out a bunch of stuff and play with it in front of a student. The latter, seeing through this, makes himself master in every case and doesn』t fall for the humbug. Now the teacher reveals half of his body, whereupon the student gives a shout. Again the teacher tries to rattle the student by using all sorts of expressions having to do with differentiation. 『You can』t tell good from bad, you old shavepate!』 exclaims the student. And the teacher, with a sigh of admiration, says, 『Ah, a true follower of the Way!』

「There are teachers all around who can』t distinguish the false from the true. When students come asking about bodhi, nirvana, the trikāya, or the [objective] surroundings and the [subjective] mind, the blind old teachers immediately start explaining to them. When they』re railed at by the students they grab their sticks and hit them, [shouting,] 『What insolent talk!』 Obviously you teachers yourselves are without an eye so you』ve no right to get angry with them.

「And then there』re a bunch of shavepates who, not knowing good from bad, point to the east and point to the west, delight in fair weather, delight in rain, and delight in lanterns and pillars. Look at them! How many hairs are left in their eyebrows! There is a good reason for this [loss of eyebrows]. Lacking understanding, students become infatuated with them. Such [shavepates] as these are all wild fox-spirits and nature-goblins. Good students snicker and say, 『Blind old shavepates, deluding and bewitching everyone under heaven!』

「Followers of the Way, he who is a renouncer of home must needs study the Way. Take me, for example—I started out devoting myself to the vinaya and also delved into the sutras and śāstras. Later, when I realized that they were only remedies to help the world and displays of opinion, I threw them all away, and, searching for the Way, I practiced meditation. Still later I met a great teacher. Then, indeed, my dharma-eye became clear and for the first time I was able to understand all the old teachers of the world and to tell the true from the false. It is not that I understood from the moment I was born of my mother, but that, after exhaustive investigation and grinding practice, in one instant I knew for myself.

「Followers of the Way, if you want insight into dharma as it is, just don』t be taken in by the deluded views of others. Whatever you encounter, either within or without, slay it at once. On meeting a buddha slay the buddha, on meeting a patriarch slay the patriarch, on meeting an arhat slay the arhat, on meeting your parents slay your parents, on meeting your kinsman slay your kinsman, and you attain emancipation. By not cleaving to things, you freely pass through.

「Among all the students from every quarter who are followers of the Way, none has yet come before me without being dependent on something. Here I hit them right from the start. If they come forth using their hands, I hit them on the hands; if they come forth using their mouths, I hit them on the mouth; if they come forth using their eyes, I hit them on the eyes. Not one has yet come before me in solitary freedom. All are clambering after the worthless contrivances of the men of old. As for myself, I haven』t a single dharma to give to people. All I can do is to cure illnesses and untie bonds. You followers of the Way from every quarter, try coming before me without being dependent upon things. I would confer with you.

「Five years, nay ten years, have passed, but as yet not one person [has appeared]. All have been [ghosts] dependent upon grasses or attached to leaves, souls of bamboos and trees, wild fox-spirits. They recklessly gnaw on all kinds of dung clods. Blind fools! Wastefully squandering the alms given them by believers everywhere and saying,『I am a renouncer of home,』 all the while holding such views as these!

「I say to you there is no buddha, no dharma, nothing to practice, nothing to enlighten to. Just what are you seeking in the highways and byways? Blind men! You』re putting a head on top of the one you already have. What do you yourselves lack? Followers of the Way, your own present activities do not differ from those of the patriarch-buddhas. You just don』t believe this and keep on seeking outside. Make no mistake! Outside there is no dharma; inside, there is nothing to be obtained. Better than grasp at the words from my mouth, take it easy and do nothing. Don』t continue [thoughts] that have already arisen and don』t let those that haven』t yet arisen be aroused. Just this will be worth far more to you than a ten years』 pilgrimage.

「As I see it, there isn』t so much to do. Just be ordinary—put on your clothes, eat your food, and pass the time doing nothing. You who come here from here and there all have a mind to seek buddha, to seek dharma, to seek emancipation, to seek escape from the three realms. Foolish fellows! When you』ve left the three realms where would you go?

「『Buddha』 and 『patriarch』 are only names of praise-bondage. Do you want to know the three realms? They are not separate from the mind-ground of you who right now are listening to my discourse. Your single covetous thought is the realm of desire; your single angry thought is the realm of form; your single delusive thought is the realm of formlessness. These are the furnishings within your own house. The three realms do not of themselves proclaim, 『We are the three realms!』 But you, followers of the Way, right now vividly illumining all things and taking the measure of the world, you give the names to the three realms.

「Virtuous monks, the physical body [composed] of the four great elements is impermanent; [every part of it,] including the spleen, stomach, liver, and gallbladder, the hair, nails, and teeth as well, only proves that all dharmas are empty appearances. The place where your one thought comes to rest is called the bodhi tree; the place where your one thought cannot come to rest is called the avidyā tree. Avidyā has no dwelling place; avidyā has no beginning

and no end. If your successive thoughts cannot come to rest, you go up the avidyā tree; you enter the six paths of existence and the four modes of birth, wear fur on your body and horns on your head. If your successive thoughts can come to rest, then this [very body] is the pure body.

「When not a single thought arises in your mind, then you go up the Bodhi tree: you supernaturally transform yourself in the three realms and change your bodily form at will. You rejoice in the dharma and delight in samādhi, and the radiance of your body shines forth of itself. At the thought of garments a thousand lengths of brocade are at hand; at the thought of food a hundred delicacies are before you; furthermore, you never suffer unusual illness. 『Bodhi has no dwelling place, therefore it is not attainable.』

「Followers of the Way, what more is there for the resolute fellow to doubt? The activity going on right now—whose is it? Grasp and use, but never name—this is called the 『mysterious principle.』 Come to such understanding as this, and there is nothing to be disliked. A man of old said:

[My] mind turns in accordance with the myriad circumstances,

And this turning, in truth, is most mysterious.

Recognizing [my] nature while according with the flow,

[I] have no more joy nor any sorrow.

「Followers of the Way, the view of the Chan school is that the sequence of death and life is orderly. The student of Chan must examine [this] most carefully.

「When host and guest meet they vie with each other in discussion. At times, in response to something, they may manifest a form; at times they may act with their whole body; or they may use tricks or devices to appear joyful or angry; or they may reveal half of the body; or again they may ride upon a lion or mount a lordly elephant.

「A true student gives a shout, and to start with holds out a sticky lacquer tray. The teacher, not discerning that this is an objective circumstance, goes after it and performs a lot of antics with it. The student again shouts but still the teacher is unwilling to let go. This is a disease of the vitals that no doctoring can cure; it is called 『the guest examines the host.』

「Sometimes a teacher will offer nothing, but, the moment a student asks a question, grabs it away. The student, his question having been taken from him, resists to the death and will not let go. This is called 『the host examines the guest.』

「Sometimes a student comes forth before a teacher in conformity with a state of purity. The teacher, discerning that this is an objective circumstance, seizes it and flings it into a pit. 『What an excellent teacher!』 exclaims the student, and the teacher replies, 『Bah! You can』t tell good from bad!』 Thereupon the student makes a deep bow: this is called 『the host examines the host.』

「Or again, a student will appear before a teacher wearing a cangue and bound with chains. The teacher fastens on still more chains and cangues for him. The student is so delighted that he can』t tell what is what; this is called『the guest examines the guest.』

「Virtuous monks, all the examples I have brought before you serve to distinguish demons and point out heretics, thus making it possible for you to know what is erroneous and what is correct.

「Followers of the Way, true sincerity is extremely difficult to attain, and the buddhadharma is deep and mysterious, yet a goodly measure of understanding can be acquired. I explain it exhaustively all day long, but you students give not the slightest heed. Though a thousand times, nay ten thousand times, you tread it underfoot, you are still in utter darkness. It is without a vestige of form, yet is clear in its solitary shining.

「Because your faith [in yourselves] is insufficient, you students turn to words and phrases and base your understanding upon them. Until you』ve reached the half-century mark you continue dragging [your] dead bodies up blind alleys and running about the world bearing your heavy load. The day will come when you』ll have to pay up for the straw sandals you』ve worn out.

「Virtuous monks, when I state that there are no dharmas outside, the student does not comprehend and immediately tries to find understanding within. He sits down cross-legged with his back against a wall, his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth, completely still and motionless. This he takes to be the buddhadharma of the patriarchal school. That』s all wrong.

「If you take the state of motionlessness and purity to be correct, then you are recognizing the darkness [of avidyā] as master. This is what a man of old meant when he said, 『Fearful indeed is the bottomless black pit!』 If on the other hand you recognize motion to be correct, since all plants and trees can move, must they then be the Way?

「Thus 『motion is the wind element; motionlessness is the earth element.』Motion and motionlessness both are without self-nature. If you try to seize it within motion, it takes a position within motionlessness. If you try to seize it within motionlessness, it takes a position within motion.

Like a fish hidden in a pool,

Smacking the waves as it leaps [from the water].

Virtuous monks, motion and motionlessness are merely two kinds of states; it is the nondependent Man of the Way who utilizes motion and utilizes motionlessness.

「As for the students who come from every quarter, I myself divide them into three categories according to their inherent capacities. If one of less than average capacity comes, I snatch away his state but do not take away his dharma. If one of better than average capacity comes, I snatch away both his state and dharma. If one of superior capacity comes, I snatch away neither his state, his dharma, nor himself.But should a man of extraordinary understanding come, I would act with my whole body and not place him in any category. Virtuous monks, when a student has reached this point, his manifest power is impenetrable to any wind and swifter than a spark from flint or a fl ash of lightning.

「The moment a student blinks his eyes he』s already way off . The moment he applies his mind, he』s already differed. The moment he arouses a thought, he』s already deviated. But for the man who understands, it』s always right here before his eyes.

「Virtuous monks, you carry your bowl-bag and lug your dung-sack, rushing up blind alleys in search of buddha and in search of dharma. Do you know who it is who right now is running around searching this way? He is brisk and lively, with no roots at all. Though you [try to] embrace him, you cannot gather him in; though you [try to] drive him away, you cannot shake

him off . If you seek him he retreats farther and farther away; if you don』t seek him, then he』s right there before your eyes, his wondrous voice resounding in your ears. If you have no faith [in this], you』ll waste your entire life.

「Followers of the Way, in an instant you enter the Lotus World, the Land of Vairocana, the Land of Emancipation, the Land of Supernatural Powers, the Land of Purity, and the dharma realm; you enter the dirty and the pure, the secular and the sacred, the realm of hungry ghosts and the realm of beasts. Yet however far and wide you may search, nowhere will you see any birth or death; there will only be empty names.

Illusory transformations, flowers in the sky—

Don』t trouble to grasp at them.

Gain and loss, right and wrong—

Away with them once and for all!

「Followers of the Way, my buddhadharma is that of the correct transmission, a transmission that has continued in a single line through the masters Mayu, Danxia, Daoyi, Lushan, and Shigong, and has spread abroad over all the world. Yet no one has faith in it and everyone heaps slander on it.

「Venerable Daoyi』s activity was pure and simple; not one of his three to five hundred students could discern what he meant. Venerable Lushan was free and true; whether conforming or opposing, his actions were unfathomable to his students—they were all dumbfounded. Venerable Danxia played with the pearl, concealing and revealing it; every single student who camewas reviled by him. As for Venerable Mayu, his activity was as bitter as the huangbo tree; no one could approach him. Venerable Shigong』s activity was to search for a man with the point of his arrow; all who came before him were struck with fear.

「With respect to my own activity today—true creation and destruction—I play with miraculous transformations, enter into all kinds of circumstances, yet nowhere have I anything to do. Circumstances cannot change me.

「Whenever someone comes here seeking I immediately go out and look at him. He doesn』t recognize me. Thereupon I don various kinds of robes. The student, assigning some meaning to this, straightway falls into words and phrases. What a pity that the blind shavepate, a man without the eye [to see], grasps at the robe I』m wearing and declares it to be blue or yellow, red or white! When I remove the robe and enter the state of purity, the student takes one look and is immediately filled with delight and longing. Then, when I cast off everything, the student is stunned and, running about in wild confusion,cries, 『You have no robe!』 If I say, 『Do you know me, the man who wears these robes?』 he』ll abruptly turn his head around and recognize me through and through.

「Virtuous monks, don』t acknowledge robes. Robes cannot move of themselves, but people can put them on. There is the robe of purity, the robe of birthlessness, the robe of bodhi, the robe of nirvana, the patriarch-robe, and the buddha-robe. Virtuous monks, these spoken words and written phrases are all nothing but changes of robes.

「Churning up the sea of breath in your belly and clacking your teeth together, you devise wordy interpretations. So it』s clear that these are only illusory transformations. Virtuous monks:

Acts of speech are displayed without,

Mental activities are manifested within.

Because of mental activities thoughts arise, but these are all just robes.

「If all you do is acknowledge as real the robes that are merely put on, even after the passage of kalpas numerous as dust you』ll still have nothing but an understanding of robes, and will continue going round and round in the three realms, transmigrating through birth-and-death. Much better do nothing.

I meet [him] yet do not recognize [him],

I speak with [him] yet do not know his name.

「Students of today get nowhere because they base their understanding upon the acknowledgment of names. They inscribe the words of some dead old guy in a great big notebook, wrap it up in four or five squares of cloth, and won』t let anyone look at it. 『This is the Mysterious Principle,』 they aver, and safeguard it with care. That』s all wrong. Blind idiots! What kind of juice are you looking for in such dried-up bones!

「Then there』re a bunch of guys who, not knowing good from bad, guess around and speculate about the scriptures and make wordy interpretations of them. They』re like men who, having held dung clods in their mouths, spit them out for the other people. They』re like peasants engaged in playing a passing-the-word game. They spend their entire lifetime in vain, yet declare 『We are renouncers of home!』 Questioned about buddhadharma, they just shut their mouths, bereft of words. Their eyes are as vacant as black chimney holes and their mouths sag like [loaded] carrying-poles. Such men as these, even though they were to be present when Maitreya appears in this world, would be banished to another region and there, lodged in hell, suffer its torments.

「Virtuous monks, what are you seeking as you go around hither and yon, walking until the soles of your feet are fl at? There is no buddha to seek, no Way to complete, no dharma to attain.

If you seek outside for a buddha having form,

You won』t find him to resemble you;

If you know your own original mind,

It』s neither united with nor apart from [him].

「Followers of the Way, true buddha has no shape, true Way has no substance, true dharma has no form; these three are fused together harmoniously united into one. Just because you can』t understand this, you』re called『sentient beings with unlimited karmic consciousness』.」

19問、如何是眞佛眞法眞道、乞垂開示。師云、佛者心淸淨是。法者心光明是。道者處處無礙淨光是。三即一、皆是空名、而無寔有。如眞正學道人、念念心不間斷。自達磨大師從西土來、祇是覓個不受人惑底人。後遇二祖、一言便了、始知從前虛用功夫。山僧今日見處、與祖佛不別。若第一句中得、與祖佛為師。若第二句中得、與人天為師。若第三句中得、自救不了。

Someone asked, 「What about the true buddha, the true dharma, and the true Way? We beg of you to disclose this for us.」

The master said, 「Buddha is the mind』s purity; dharma is the mind』s radiance; the Way is the pure light pervading everywhere without hindrance.

The three are one, yet all are empty names and have no real existence. With the true man of the Way, from moment to moment mind is not interrupted.

「From the time the great teacher Bodhidharma came from the Western Land, he just sought a man who would not accept the deluded views of others. Later, he met the Second Patriarch, who, having understood at [Bodhidharma』s] one word, for the first time realized that hitherto he had been futilely engaged in striving.

「As for my understanding today, it』s no different from that of the patriarchbuddhas.

He who attains at the First Statement becomes the teacher of patriarch-buddhas; he who attains at the Second Statement becomes the teacher of men and gods; he who attains at the Third Statement cannot save even himself.」

20問、如何是西來意。師云、若有意、自救不了。云、既無意、云何二祖得法。師云、得者是不得。云、既若不得、云何是不得底意。師云、為爾向一切處馳求心不能歇。所以祖師言、咄哉丈夫、將頭覓頭。爾言下便自迴光返照、更不別求、知身心與祖佛不別、當下無事、方名得法。大德、山僧今時、事不獲已、話度說出許多不才淨。爾且莫錯。據我見處、寔無許多般道理。要用便用、不用便休。祇如諸方說六度萬行、以為佛法、我道、是莊嚴門佛事門、非是佛法。乃至持齋持戒、擎油不澗、道眼不明、儘須抵債、索飯錢有日在。何故如此。入道不通理、復身還信施。長者八十一、其樹不生耳。乃至孤峯獨宿、一食卯齋、長坐不臥、六時行道、皆是造業底人。乃至頭目髓腦、國城妻子、象馬七珍、盡皆舍施、如是等見、皆是苦身心故、還招苦果。不如無事、純一無雜。乃至十地滿心菩薩、皆求此道流蹤跡、了不可得。所以諸天歡喜、地神捧足、十方諸佛、無不稱歎。緣何如此。為今聽法道人、用處無蹤跡。

Someone asked, 「What was the purpose of the [Patriarch』s] coming from the West?」

The master said, 「If he had had a purpose he couldn』t have saved even himself.」

Someone asked, 「Since he had no purpose, how did the Second Patriarch obtain the dharma?」

The master said, 「『To obtain』 is to not obtain.」

Someone asked, 「If it is 『to not obtain,』 what is the meaning of 『to not obtain』?」

The master said, 「It is because you cannot stop your mind which runs on seeking everywhere that a patriarch said, 『Bah, superior men! Searching for your heads with your heads!』 When at these words you turn your own light in upon yourselves and never seek elsewhere, then you』ll know that your body and mind are not different from those of the patriarch-buddhas and on the

instant have nothing to do—this is called 『obtaining the dharma.』

「Virtuous monks, at present I』ve no other choice than to speak so much trash and rubbish. Don』t be mistaken. As I see it there really aren』t so many problems. If you want to act, act; if you don』t, don』t.

「There are people in every quarter who assert that the ten thousand practices and the six pāramitās constitute the buddhadharma. But I say to you that they are merely means of adornment, expedients for carrying out the buddha』s work; they are not buddhadharma [itself]. Even those who keep the rules regarding food and conduct with the care of a man carrying a bowl of oil so as not to spill a drop, if their dharma-eye is not clear they』ll have to pay their debts, and the day will come when the cost of their food will be exacted from them. Why is this so?

Since he entered the Way but didn』t penetrate the Principle,

He returned in the flesh to repay the alms he』d received.

When the rich man reaches four score and one,

The tree will no longer produce the fungus.

「Even those who live alone on a solitary peak, or who eat their single meal at dawn, sit for long periods of time without lying down, and worship buddha at the six appointed hours of the day—all such persons are simply creating karma. There are others who give away everything as alms—their heads and eyes, marrow and brains, states and cities, wives and children, elephants, horses, and the seven precious things—but all such acts only cause suffering of body and mind and end up inviting future sorrow. It is better to have nothing to do, better to be plain and simple.

「Even if bodhisattvas having the completed mind of the tenth stage were to search for traces of this follower of the Way, they could never find them. Therefore [it is said]: 『All the gods rejoice, the gods of earth clasp his feet in adoration, and of all the buddhas of the ten directions, there are none who do not praise him.』 Why is this so? Because the person of the Way who is now listening to my discourse leaves no trace of his activity.」

21問、大通智勝佛、十劫坐道場、佛法不現前、不得成佛道。未審此意如何。乞師指示。師云、大通者、是自己于處處、達其萬法無性無相、名為大通。智勝者、于一切處不疑、不得一法、名為智勝。佛者心淸淨、光明透徹法界、得名為佛。十劫坐道場者、十波羅蜜是。佛法不現前者、佛本不生、法本不滅、云何更有現前。不得成佛道者、佛不應更作佛。古人云、佛常在世間、而不染世間法。道流、爾欲得作佛、莫隨萬物。心生種種法生、心滅種種法滅。一心不生、萬法無咎。世與出世、無佛無法、亦不現前、亦不曾失。設有者、皆是名言章句、接引小兒、施設藥病、表顯名句。且名句不自名句、還是爾目前昭昭靈靈、鑑覺聞知照燭底、安一切名句。大德、造五無間業、方得解脫。

Someone asked, 「[The sutra says:]

The Buddha of Supreme Penetration and Surpassing Wisdom

Sat for ten kalpas in a place of practice,

But the buddhadharma did not manifest [itself to him],

And he did not attain the buddha-way.

I don』t understand the meaning of this. Would the master kindly explain?」

The master said, 「『Supreme Penetration』 means that one personally penetrates everywhere into the naturelessness and formlessness of the ten thousand dharmas. 『Surpassing Wisdom』 means to have no doubts anywhere and to not obtain a single dharma. 『Buddha』 means pureness of the mind whose radiance pervades the entire dharma realm. 『Sat for ten kalpas in a place of practice』 refers to [the practice of] the ten pāramitās. 『The buddhadharma did not manifest』 means that buddha is in essence birthless and dharma (dharmas) in essence unextinguished. Why should it manifest itself! 『He did not attain the buddha-way』: a buddha can』t become a buddha again.

「A man of old said, 『Buddha is always present in the world, but is not stained by worldly dharmas.』 Followers of the Way, if you want to become a buddha, don』t go along with the ten thousand things.

When mind arises, all kinds of dharmas arise;

When mind is extinguished, all kinds of dharmas are extinguished.

When mind does not arise,

The ten thousand dharmas have no fault.

Neither in this world nor beyond this world is there any buddha or dharma; they neither reveal themselves nor are they ever lost. Even if such things existed, they would only be words and writings for placating little children, expedient remedies for illnesses, displays of names and phrases. Moreover, names and phrases are not of themselves names and phrases; it is you, who right now radiantly and vividly perceive, know, and clearly illumine [everything]—you it is who affix all names and phrases.

「Virtuous monks, by creating the karma of the five heinous crimes, you attain emancipation.」

22問、如何是五無間業。師云、殺父害母、出佛身血、破和合僧、焚燒經像等、此是五無間業。云、如何是父。師云、無明是父。爾一念心、求起滅處不得、如響應空、隨處無事、名為殺父。云、如何是母。師云、貪愛為母。爾一念心、入欲界中、求其貪愛、唯見諸法空相、處處無著、名為害母。云、如何是出佛身血。師云、爾向淸淨法界中、無一念心生解、便處處黑暗、是出佛身血。云、如何是破和合僧。師云、爾一念心、正達煩惱結使、如空無所依、是破和合僧。云、如何是焚燒經像。師云、見因緣空、心空、法空、一念決定斷、迥然無事、便是焚燒經像。大德、若如是達得、免被他凡聖名礙。爾一念心、祇向空拳指上生寔解、根境法中虛捏怪。自輕而退屈言、我是凡夫、他是聖人。禿屢生、有甚死急、披他師子皮、卻作野干鳴。大丈夫漢、不作丈夫氣息、自家屋里物不肯信、祇麼向外覓、上他古人閒名句、倚陰博陽、不能特達。逢境便緣、逢塵便執、觸處惑起、自無準定。道流、莫取山僧說處。何故。說無憑據、一期間圖畫虛空、如彩畫像等喩。道流、莫將佛為究竟。我見猶如廁孔、菩薩羅漢、盡是枷鎖、縛人底物。所以文殊仗劍、殺于瞿曇、鴦掘持刀、害于釋氏。道流、無佛可得。乃至三乘五性、圓頓敎蹟、皆是一期藥病相治、並無實法。設有、皆是相似、表顯路布、文字差排、且如是說。道流、有一般禿子、便向里許著功、擬求出世之法。錯了也。若人求佛、是人失佛。若人求道、是人失道。若人求祖、是人失祖。大德、莫錯。我且不取爾解經論、我亦不取爾國王大臣、我亦不取爾辯似懸河、我亦不取爾聰明智慧、唯要爾眞正見解。道流、設解得百本經論、不如一個無事底阿師。爾解得、即輕蔑他人。勝負修羅、人我無明、長地獄業。如善星比丘、解十二分敎、生身陷地獄、大地不容。不如無事休歇去。飢來吃飯、睡來合眼。愚人笑我、智乃知焉。道流、莫向文字中求。心動疲勞、吸冷氣無益。不如一念緣起無生、超出三乘權學菩薩。大德、莫因循過日。山僧往日、未有見處時、黑漫漫地。光陰不可空過、腹熱心忙、奔波訪道。後還得力、始到今日、共道流如是話度。勸諸道流、莫為衣食。看世界易過、善知識難遇。如優曇花時一現耳。爾諸方聞道有個臨濟老漢、出來便擬問難、敎語不得。被山僧全體作用、學人空開得眼、口總動不得。懵然不知以何答我。我向伊道、龍象蹴踏、非驢所堪。爾諸處祇指胸點肋、道我解禪解道、三個兩個、到這里不奈何。咄哉、爾將這個身心、到處簸兩片皮、誑謼閭閻。吃鐵棒有日在。非出家兒、盡向阿修羅界攝。夫如至理之道、非諍論而求激揚、鏗鏘以摧外道。至于佛祖相承、更無別意。設有言敎、落在化儀三乘五性、人天因果。如圓頓之敎、又且不然。童子善財、皆不求過。大德、莫錯用心。如大海不停死尸。祇麼擔卻、擬天下走。自起見障、以礙于心。日上無云、麗天普照。眼中無翳、空里無花。道流、爾欲得如法、但莫生疑。展則彌綸法界、收則絲發不立。歷歷孤明、未曾欠少。眼不見、耳不聞、喚作什麼物。古人云、說似一物則不中。爾但自家看。更有甚麼。說亦無盡、各自著力。珍重。

Someone asked, 「What is the karma of the five heinous crimes?」

The master said, 「Killing the father, slaying the mother, shedding the blood of a buddha, destroying the harmony of the sangha, and burning the scriptures and images—this is the karma of the five heinous crimes.」

「What is meant by 『father』?」

The master said, 「Avidyā is the father. When the place of arising or extinguishing of a single thought in your mind is not to be found, as with a sound reverberating throughout space, and there is nothing anywhere for you to do—this is called 『killing the father』.」

「What is meant by 『mother』?」

The master said, 「Covetousness is the mother. When a single thought in your mind enters the world of desire and seeks covetousness, but sees that all dharmas are only empty forms, and [thus] has no attachment anywhere—this is called 『slaying the mother』.」

「What is meant by 『shedding the blood of a buddha』?」

The master said, 「When in the midst of the pure dharma realm you haven』t in your mind a single reasoning thought, and [thus] pitch blackness pervades everywhere—this is called 『shedding the blood of a buddha』.」

「What is meant by 『destroying the harmony of the sangha』?」

The master said, 「When a single thought in your mind truly realizes that the bonds and enticements of the passions are like space with nothing upon which to depend—this is called 『destroying the harmony of the sangha』.」

「What is meant by 『burning the scriptures and images』?」

The master said, 「When you see that causal relations are empty, that mind is empty, and that dharmas are empty, and [thus] your single thought is decisively cut off and, transcendent, you』ve nothing to do—this is called 『burning the scriptures and images.』

「Virtuous monks, reach such understanding as this, and you』ll be free from the hindrances of names [like] 『secular』 and 『sacred』.

「Yet a single thought in your mind is doing nothing but Conceiving an empty fist or a [pointing] finger to be real; Senselessly conjuring up apparitions from among the dharmas of the sense-fields.

You belittle yourselves and modestly withdraw, saying, 『We are but commoners; he is a sage.』 Bald idiots! What』s the frantic hurry to wrap yourselves in lions』 skins while you』re yapping like jackals!

「Resolute fellows [though you are], you do not draw the breath of the resolute. Unwilling to believe in what you have in your own house, you do nothing but seek outside, go clambering after the worthless sayings of the men of old, rely upon yin and depend upon yang and are unable to achieve [by yourselves]. On meeting [outer] circumstances, you establish relationship with them; on meeting [sense-]dusts you cling to them; wherever you are doubts arise, and you yourselves have no standard of judgment.

「Followers of the Way, don』t accept what I state. Why? Statements have no proof. They are pictures temporarily drawn in the empty sky, as in the metaphor of the painted figures.

「Followers of the Way, don』t take the Buddha to be the ultimate. As I see it, he is just like a privy hole. Both bodhisattvahood and arhatship are cangues and chains that bind one. This is why Manjuśrī tried to kill Gautama with his sword, and why Aṅgulimāla attempted to slay Śākyamuni with his dagger.

「Followers of the Way, there is no buddha to be obtained. Even the doctrines [including those] of the Three Vehicles, the five natures, and complete and immediate enlightenment—all these are but provisional medicines for the treatment of symptoms. In no sense do any real dharmas exist. Even if they were to exist, they would all be nothing but imitations, publicly displayed proclamations, arrangements of letters stated that way just for the time being.

「Followers of the Way, there』re a bunch of shavepates who try to seek a transcendental dharma by directing their efforts inward. A great mistake! If you seek buddha you lose buddha, if you seek the Way you lose the Way, if you seek the patriarchs you lose the patriarchs.

「Virtuous monks, make no mistake. I don』t care whether you understand the sutras and śāstras, whether you』re a king or a high minister, whether you』re as eloquent as a rushing torrent, or whether you』re clever or wise. I only want you to have true insight.

「Followers of the Way, even if you should master a hundred sutras and śāstras, you』re not as good as a teacher with nothing to do. If you do master them, you』ll regard others with contempt. Asura-like conflict and egotistical ignorance increase the karma that leads to hell. Such was the case of Sunakṣātra bhikku—though he understood the twelve divisions of the teachings, he fell alive into hell. The great earth had no place for him. It』s better to do nothing and take it easy.

When hunger comes I eat my rice;

When sleep comes I close my eyes.

Fools laugh at me, but

The wise man understands.

「Followers of the Way, don』t seek within words, for when the mind is stirred you become wearied, and there』s no benefit in gulping icy air. It』s better, by the single thought that causal relations are [fundamentally] birthless, to surpass the bodhisattvas who depend upon the provisional teaching of the Three Vehicles.

「Virtuous monks, don』t spend your days drifting along. In the past when I had as yet no understanding, all about me was utter darkness. But I wasn』t one to waste time, so with a burning belly and a turbulent mind, I ran around inquiring about the Way. Later, however, I got some help and finally today I can talk to you like this. I advise all you followers of the Way not to live for food and clothes. Look! The world passes swiftly away, and meeting a good teacher is as rare as the flowering of the udumbara tree.

「Hearing everywhere of old man Linji, you come here intending to bait me with difficult questions and make it impossible for me to answer. Faced with a demonstration of the activity of my whole body, you students just stare blankly and can』t move your mouths at all; you』re at such a loss you don』t know how to answer. I tell you, 『Asses can』t bear being trampled by a dragon-elephant.』

「You go around everywhere thumping your chests and whacking your ribs, saying, 『I understand Chan! I understand the Way!』 But let two or three of you come here and you can』t do a thing. Bah! Carrying that body and mind of yours, you go around everywhere flapping your lips like winnowing fans and deceiving villagers. The day will come when you』ll be flogged with iron rods. You』re not [true] renouncers of home. You』ll all be herded together in the realm of the asuras.

「As for the Way of ultimate truth, it is not something that seeks to arouse enthusiasm through arguments and disputes, nor that uses resounding oratory to refute heretics. As for the transmission of the buddhas and the patriarchs, it has no special purpose. Even though there are verbal teachings, they all fall into [the category of] such formulas for salvation as the Three Vehicles, the five natures, and the cause-and-effect that leads to [rebirth as]men or gods. But in the case of the teaching of the complete and immediate enlightenment this isn』t so; Sudhana did not go around seeking any of these.

「Virtuous monks, don』t use your minds mistakenly. The great sea does not detain dead bodies, but all you do is rush about the world carrying them on your shoulders. You yourselves raise the obstructions that impede your minds. When the sun above has no clouds, the bright heavens shine everywhere. When there is no cataract on the eye, there are no [imaginary] flowers in the sky.

「Followers of the Way, if you wish to be dharma as is, just have no doubts.『Spread out, it fills the entire dharma realm; gathered in, the smallest hair cannot stand upon it.』 Distinctly and radiantly shining alone, it has never lacked anything. No eye can see it, no ear can hear it—then by what name can it be called? A man of old said, 『To speak about a thing is to miss the mark.』

「Just see for yourselves—what is there? I can keep on talking forever. Each one of you must strive individually. Take care of yourselves.」

勘辨Critical Examinations

01黃蘗、因入廚次、問飯頭、作什麼。飯頭云、揀眾僧米。黃蘗云、一日吃多少。飯頭云、二石五。黃蘗云、莫太多麼。飯頭云、猶恐少在。黃蘗便打。飯頭卻舉似師。師云、我為汝勘這老漢。才到侍立次、黃蘗舉前話。師云、飯頭不會、請和尚代一轉語。師便問、莫太多麼。黃蘗云、何不道、來日更吃一頓。師云、說什麼來日、即今便吃。道了便掌。黃蘗云、這風顛漢、又來這里捋虎須。師便喝出去。後溈山問仰山、此二尊宿、意作麼生。仰山云、和尚作麼生。溈山云、養子方知父慈。仰山云、不然。溈山云、子又作麼生。仰山云、大似勾賊破家。

One day when Huangbo entered the kitchen he asked the head rice-cook,「What are you doing?」

The cook said, 「I』m picking over the rice for the monks.」

「How much do they eat in a day?」 asked Huangbo.

「Two and a half shi,」 said the cook.

「Isn』t that too much?」 asked Huangbo.

「I』m afraid it isn』t enough,」 replied the cook.

Huangbo struck him. Later the cook mentioned this to Linji. Linji said,「I』ll test the old fellow for you.」 As soon as Linji came to attend Huangbo, Huangbo told him the story.

「The cook didn』t understand—Venerable Priest, kindly give a turningword in place of the cook,」 said Linji, who then asked, 「Isn』t that too much?」

Huangbo said, 「Well, why not say, 『We』ll eat a meal again tomorrow!』」

「Why talk about tomorrow—eat it right now!」 said Linji, slapping Huangbo in the face.

「This lunatic has come here again to pull the tiger』s whiskers,」 said Huangbo. Linji shouted and went out.

Later, Guishan asked Yangshan, 「What did these two worthies have in mind?」

「What do you think, Venerable Priest?」 asked Yangshan.

「Only when you have a child do you understand fatherly love,」 Guishan answered.

「Not at all!」 said Yangshan.

「Then what do you think?」 asked Guishan.

「It』s more like, 『To bring in a thief and ruin the house』,」 replied Yangshan.

02師問僧、什麼處來。僧便喝。師便揖坐。僧擬議。師便打。師見僧來、便豎起拂子。僧禮拜。師便打。又見僧來、亦豎起拂子。僧不顧。師亦打。

The master asked a monk, 「Where do you come from?」 The monk shouted. The master saluted him and motioned him to sit down. The monk hesitated. The master hit him. Seeing another monk coming, the master raised his whisk. The monk bowed low. The master hit him. Seeing still another monk coming, the master again raised his whisk. The monk paid no attention. The master hit him, too.

03師、一日同普化、赴施主家齋次、師問、毛吞巨海、芥納須彌。為是神通妙用、本體如然。普化踏倒飯床。師云、太麁生。普化云、這里是什麼所在、說麁說細。師來日、又同普化赴齋。問、今日供養、何似昨日。普化依前踏倒飯床。師云、得即得、太麁生。普化云、瞎漢、佛法說什麼麁細。師乃吐舌。

One day when the master and Puhua were attending a dinner at a patron』s house, the master asked, 「『A hair swallows up the great sea and a mustard seed contains Mount Sumeru.』 Is this the marvelous activity of supernatural power or is it original substance as it is?」 Puhua kicked over the dinner table.「How coarse!」 exclaimed the master.

「What place do you think this is—talking about coarse and fine!」 said Puhua.

The next day the master and Puhua again attended a dinner. The master asked, 「How does today』s feast compare with yesterday』s?」 Puhua kicked over the dinner table as before. 「Good enough,」 said the master, 「but how coarse!」

「Blind man!」 said Puhua. 「What』s buddhadharma got to do with coarse and fine?」

The master stuck out his tongue.

04師一日、與河陽木塔長老、同在僧堂地爐內坐。因說、普化每日在街市、掣風掣顛。知他是凡是聖。言猶未了、普化入來。師便問、汝是凡是聖。普化云、汝且道、我是凡是聖。師便喝。普化以手指云、河陽新婦子、木塔老婆禪。臨濟小廝兒、卻具一只眼。師云、這賊。普化云賊賊、便出去。

One day when the master and the venerable old priests Heyang and Muta were sitting together around the fire-pit in the Monks』 Hall, the master said, 「Every day Puhua goes through the streets acting like a lunatic. Who knows whether he』s an ordinary person or a sage?」 Before he had finished speaking Puhua came in. 「Are you a commoner or a sage?」 the master asked.

「Now, you tell me whether I』m a commoner or a sage,」 answered Puhua. The master shouted. Pointing his finger at them, Puhua said, 「Heyang is a new bride, Muta is a Chan granny, and Linji is a young menial, but he has the eye.」

「You thief!」cried the master.

「Thief, thief!」cried Puhua, and went out.

05一日、普化在僧堂前、吃生菜。師見云、大似一頭驢。普化便作驢鳴。師云、這賊。普化云賊賊、便出去。

One day Puhua was eating raw vegetables in front of the Monks』 Hall. The master saw him and said, 「Just like an ass!」

「Heehaw, heehaw!」 brayed Puhua.

「You thief!」 said the master.

「Thief, thief!」 cried Puhua, and went off .

06因普化、常于街市搖鈴云、明頭來、明頭打、暗頭來、暗頭打、四方八面來、旋風打、虛空來、連架打。師令侍者去、才見如是道、便把住云、總不與麼來時如何。普化托開云、來日大悲院里有齋。侍者回、舉似師。師云、我從來疑著這漢。

Puhua was always going around the streets ringing a little bell and calling out:

Coming as brightness, I hit the brightness;

Coming as darkness, I hit the darkness;

Coming from the four quarters and eight directions, I hit like a whirlwind;

Coming from empty sky, I lash like a fl ail.

The master told his attendant to go and, the moment he heard Puhua say these words, to grab him and ask, 「If coming is not at all thus, what then?」

[The attendant went and did so.]

Puhua pushed him away, saying, 「There』ll be a feast tomorrow at Dabei yuan.」

The attendant returned and told this to the master. The master said, 「I』ve always held wonder for that fellow.」

07有一老宿參師、未曾人事、便問、禮拜即是、不禮拜即是。師便喝。老宿便禮拜。師云、好個草賊。老宿云賊賊、便出去。師云、莫道無事好。首座侍立次、師云、還有過也無。首座云、有。師云、賓家有過、主家有過。首座云、二倶有過。師云、過在什麼處。首座便出去。師云、莫道無事好。後有僧舉似南泉。南泉云、官馬相踏。

An old worthy came to see the master. Before presenting the customary gift , he asked, 「Is it proper to bow, or is it proper not to bow?」

The master shouted. The old worthy bowed low. 「A fine thief in the grass you are!」 said the master.

「Thief, thief!」 cried the old worthy and started to go out.

The master said, 「Better not think you can get away with that.」 [Later] when the head monk was attending the master, the master asked, 「Was there any fault?」

The head monk said, 「There was.」

「Whose fault was it, the guest』s or the host』s?」 asked the master.

「Both were at fault,」 answered the head monk.

「Where was the fault?」 asked the master. The head monk started to go out. The master said,「Better not think you can get away with that.」

Later a monk told the story to Nanquan. Nanquan said, 「Fine horses trampling one another.」

08師因入軍營赴齋、門首見員僚。師指露柱問、是凡是聖。員僚無語。師打露柱云、直饒道得、也祇是個木橛。便入去。

One day the master entered an army camp to attend a feast. At the gate he saw a staff officer. Pointing to a pillar, he asked, 「Is this secular or sacred?」 The officer had no reply. Striking the pillar, the master said, 「Even if you could speak, this is still only a wooden post.」 Then he went in.

09師問院主、什麼處來。主云、州中糶黃米去來。師云、糶得盡麼。主云、糶得盡。師以杖面前畫一畫云、還糶得這個麼。主便喝。師便打。典座至。師舉前語。典座云、院主不會和尚意。師云、爾作麼生。典座便禮拜。師亦打。

The master said to the steward of the temple, 「Where have you come from?」

「I』ve been to the provincial capital to sell the millet,」 answered the steward.

「Did you sell all of it?」 asked the master.

「Yes, I sold all of it,」 replied the steward.

The master drew a line in front of him with his staff and said, 「But can you sell this?」 The steward gave a shout. The mas, ter hit him. The chief cook came in. The master told him about the previous conversation.

The chief cook said, 「The steward didn』t understand you.」

「How about you?」 asked the master. The chief cook bowed low. The master hit him, too.

10有座主來相看次、師問、座主講何經說。主云、某甲荒虛、粗習百法論。師云、有一人、于三乘十二分敎明得。有一人、于三乘十二分敎明不得。是同是別。主云、明得即同、明不得即別。樂普為侍者、在師後立云、座主、這里是什麼所在、說同說別。師回首問侍者、汝又作麼生。侍者便喝。師送座主回來、遂問侍者、適來是汝喝老僧。侍者云、是。師便打。

When a certain lecture master came to have an interview with Linji, the master said to him, 「What sutras and śāstras do you expound?」

「Insofar as my miserable abilities allow, I have made a cursory study of the Baifa lun,」 replied the lecture master.

The master said, 「Suppose there was a man who had attained comprehension of the Three Vehicles』 twelve divisions of the teachings, and there was another man who had not comprehended it, would there be any difference or not?」

「For the one who had attained comprehension, it would be the same; for the one who had not attained comprehension, it would be different,」 replied the lecture master.

Lepu, who was standing behind the master attending him, said, 「Lecture master, where do you think you are, talking about 『same』 and 『different』!」

Turning his head, the master asked Lepu, 「Well, how about you?」

The attendant gave a shout. When the master returned from seeing the lecture master off, he said to the attendant, 「Was it to me that you shouted just now?」

「Yes,」 said the attendant.

The master hit him.

11師聞第二代德山垂示云、道得也三十棒、道不得也三十棒、師令樂普去問、道得為什麼也三十棒、待伊打汝、接住棒送一送、看他作麼生。普到彼、如敎而問。德山便打。普接住送一送。德山便歸方丈。普回舉似師。師云、我從來疑著這漢。雖然如是、汝還見德山麼。普擬議。師便打。

The master heard that Deshan of the second generation said, 「Thirty blows if you can speak; thirty blows if you can』t.」 The master told Lepu to go and ask Deshan, 「『Why thirty blows to one who can speak?』 Wait until he hits at you, then grab his stick and give him a jab. See what he does then.」

When Lepu reached Deshan』s place he questioned him as instructed. Deshan hit at him. Lepu seized the stick and gave Deshan a jab with it.Deshan went back to his quarters.

Lepu returned and told Linji what had taken place. 「I』ve always held wonder for that fellow,」 the master said. 「Be that as it may, did you understand Deshan?」 Lepu hesitated. The master hit him.

12王常侍、一日訪師。同師于僧堂前看、乃問、這一堂僧、還看經麼。師云、不看經。侍云、還學禪麼。師云、不學禪。侍云、經又不看、禪又不學、畢竟作個什麼。師云、總敎伊成佛作祖去。侍云、金屑雖貴、落眼成翳。又作麼生。師云、將為爾是個俗漢。

One day the Councilor Wang visited the master. When he met the master in front of the Monks』 Hall, he asked, 「Do the monks of this monastery read the sutras?」

「No, they don』t read sutras,」 said the master.

「Then do they learn meditation?」 asked the councilor.

「No, they don』t learn meditation,」 answered the master.

「If they neither read sutras nor learn meditation, what in the world are they doing?」 asked the councilor.

「All I do is make them become buddhas and patriarchs,」 said the master.

The councilor said, 「『Though gold dust is valuable, in the eyes it causes cataracts.』」

「I always used to think you were just a common fellow,」 said the master.

13師問杏山、如何是露地白牛。山云、吽吽。師云、唖那。山云、長老作麼生。師云、這畜生。

The master asked Xingshan, 「What is the white ox on the bare ground?」

「Moo, moo!」 said Xingshan.

「A mute, eh?」 said the master.

「Venerable sir, how about you?」 said Xingshan.

「You beast!」 said the master.

14師問樂普云、從上來、一人行棒、一人行喝。阿那個親。普云、總不親。師云、親處作麼生。普便喝。師乃打。

The master asked Lepu, 「Up to now it has been the custom for some people to use the stick and others to give a shout. Which comes closer?」

「Neither,」 replied Lepu.

「What does come close?」 asked the master.

Lepu shouted. The master hit him.

15師見僧來、展開兩手。僧無語。師云、會麼。云、不會。師云、渾崙擘不開、與爾兩文錢。

The master, seeing a monk coming, spread his arms out wide. The monk said nothing. 「Do you understand?」 the master asked.

「No, I don』t,」 replied the monk.

「It』s impossible to break open Hunlun,」 said the master. 「I』ll give you a

couple of coins.」

16大覺到參。師舉起拂子。大覺敷坐具。師擲下拂子。大覺收坐具、入僧堂。眾僧云、這僧莫是和尚親故、不禮拜、又不吃棒。師聞、令喚覺。覺出。師云、大眾道、汝未參長老。覺云不審、便自歸眾。

Dajue came to see Linji. The master raised his whisk. Dajue spread his sitting cloth. The master threw down the whisk. Dajue folded up the cloth and went into the Monks』 Hall.

「That monk must be related to the Venerable Priest. He didn』t bow and didn』t get hit,」 said the monks.

Hearing of this, the master sent for Dajue. When Dajue came out, the master said, 「The monks are saying that you haven』t yet paid your respects to the master.」

「How are you?」 said Dajue and rejoined the monks.

17趙州行腳時參師。遇師洗腳次、州便問、如何是祖師西來意。師云、恰値老僧洗腳。州近前、作聽勢。師云、更要第二杓惡水溌在。州便下去。

Zhaozhou while on a pilgrimage came to see Linji. The master happened to be washing his feet when they met.

Zhaozhou asked, 「What is the purpose of the Patriarch』s coming from the West?」

「I just happen to be washing my feet,」 replied the master.

Zhaozhou came closer and, cocking his ear, gave the appearance of listening.

The master said, 「I』m going to pour out a second dipper of dirty water.」

Zhaozhou departed.

18有定上座、到參問、如何是佛法大意。師下繩床、擒住與一掌、便托開。定佇立。傍僧云、定上座、何不禮拜。定方禮拜、忽然大悟。

When Elder Ding came to see Linji he asked, 「What is the cardinal principle of the buddhadharma?」

The master got down from his rope-bottomed chair. Seizing Ding, he gave him a slap and pushed him away. Ding stood still.

A monk standing by said, 「Elder Ding, why don』t you bow?」 Just as he bowed, Ding attained great enlightenment.

19麻谷到參。敷坐具問、十二面觀音、阿那面正。師下繩床、一手收坐具、一手搊麻谷云、十二面觀音、向什麼處去也。麻谷轉身、擬坐繩床。師拈拄杖打。麻谷接卻、相捉入方丈。

Mayu came to see Linji. Spreading his mat, he asked, 「Which is the true face of the Twelve-faced Guanyin?」

Getting down from the rope-bottomed chair, the master seized the mat with one hand and with the other grabbed hold of Mayu. 「Where has theTwelve-faced Guanyin gone?」 he asked.

Mayu jerked himself free and tried to sit on the chair. The master picked up his stick and hit at him. Mayu grabbed the stick; holding it between them, they entered the master』s quarters.

20師問僧、有時一喝、如金剛王寶劍。有時一喝、如踞地金毛師子。有時一喝、如探竿影草。有時一喝、不作一喝用。汝作麼生會。僧擬議。師便喝。

The master asked a monk, 「Sometimes a shout is like the Diamond Sword of the Vajra King; sometimes a shout is like the golden-haired lion crouching on the ground; sometimes a shout is like a weed-tipped fishing pole; sometimes a shout doesn』t function as a shout. How do you understand this?」

The monk hesitated. The master gave a shout.

21師問一尼、善來惡來。尼便喝。師拈棒云、更道更道。尼又喝。師便打。

The master asked a nun, 「Well-come or ill-come?」 The nun shouted.

「Go on, go on, speak!」 cried the master, taking up his stick.

Again the nun shouted. The master hit her.

22龍牙問、如何是祖師西來意。師云、與我過禪板來。牙便過禪闆與師。師接得便打。牙云、打即任打、要且無祖師意。牙後到翠微問、如何是祖師西來意。微云、與我過蒲團來。牙便過蒲團與翠微。翠微接得便打。牙云、打即任打、要且無祖師意。牙住院後、有僧入室請教云、和尚行腳時、參二尊宿因緣、還肯他也無。牙云、肯即深肯、要且無祖師意。

Longya asked Linji, 「What is the purpose of the Patriarch』s coming from the West?」

Linji said, 「Hand me the backrest.」 Longya handed the backrest to the master. The master took it and hit him with it.

Longya said, 「It』s all right that you hit me, but there still isn』t any purpose in the Patriarch』s coming from the West.」

Later Longya went to see Cuiwei and asked him, 「What is the purpose of the Patriarch』s coming from the West?」

Cuiwei said, 「Hand me the rush mat.」 Longya handed the mat to Cuiwei.

Cuiwei took it and hit him with it.

Longya said, 「It』s all right that you hit me, but there still isn』t any purpose in the Patriarch』s coming from the West.」

After Longya had become the master of a temple, a monk entered his room to receive instruction. 「I have heard,」 the monk said, 「that when you were on pilgrimage, Venerable Priest, you had the opportunity to interview two eminent elders. Did you acknowledge them?」

「I acknowledged them profoundly all right, but there still isn』t any purpose in the Patriarch』s coming from the West.」

23徑山有五百眾、少人參請。黃蘗令師到徑山。乃謂師曰、汝到彼作麼生。師云、某甲到彼、自有方便。師到徑山、裝腰上法堂、見徑山。徑山方舉頭、師便喝。徑山擬開口、師拂袖便行。尋有僧問徑山、這僧適來有什麼言句、便喝和尚。徑山云、這僧從黃蘗會里來。爾要知麼、且問取他。徑山五百眾、太半分散。

Five hundred monks were assembled at the monastery at Mount Jing, but few asked the master for instruction. Huangbo ordered Linji to go to Mount Jing, then asked, 「What will you do when you get there?」

「When I get there I』ll know what to do,」 said Linji. Upon arriving at Mount Jing he went to the Dharma Hall, still in his traveling clothes, to see the master. As the master raised his head, Linji shouted, and when the master started to open his mouth, Linji swung his sleeves [as he turned] and left.

Shortly afterwards a monk asked the master, 「What did you say just now that made that monk shout at you, Venerable Priest?」

The master replied, 「That monk came from Huangbo』s assembly. If you want to know, go ask him.」

Of the five hundred monks at Mount Jing, the greater part drifted away.

24普化一日、于街市中、就人乞直裰。人皆與之。普化倶不要。師令院主買棺一具。普化歸來。師云、我與汝做得個直裰了也。普化便自擔去、繞街市叫云、臨濟與我做直裰了也。我往東門遷化去。市人競隨看之。普化云、我今日未、來日往南門遷化去。如是三日、人皆不信。至第四日、無人隨看。獨出城外、自入棺內、倩路行人釘之。實時傳布。市人競往開棺、乃見全身脫去。祇聞空中鈴響、隱隱而去。

One day Puhua went about the streets asking people he met for a onepiece gown. They all offered him one, but Puhua declined them all.

Linji had the steward of the temple buy a coffin, and when Puhua came back the master said, 「I』ve fixed up a one-piece gown for you.」

Puhua put the coffin on his shoulders and went around the streets calling out, 「Linji fixed me up a one-piece gown. I』m going to the East Gate to depart this life.」 All the townspeople scrambled after him to watch.

「No, not today,」 said Puhua, 「but tomorrow I』ll go to the South Gate to depart this life.」

After he had done the same thing for three days no one believed him anymore.

On the fourth day not a single person followed him to watch. He went outside the town walls all by himself, got into the coffin, and asked a passerby to nail it up. The news immediately got about. The townspeople all came scrambling; upon opening the coffin, they saw he had vanished, body and all.

Only the sound of his bell could be heard in the sky, receding away: tinkle…tinkle… tinkle….

行錄Record of Pilgrimages

01師初在黃蘗會下、行業純一。首座乃嘆曰、雖是後生、與眾有異。遂問、上座在此、多少時。師云、三年。首座云、曾參問也無。師云、不曾參問。不知問個什麼。首座云、汝何不去問堂頭和尚、如何是佛法的的大意。師便去問。聲未絶、黃蘗便打。師下來。首座云、問話作麼生。師云、某甲問聲未絶、和尚便打。某甲不會。首座云、但更去問。師又去問。黃蘗又打。如是三度發問、三度被打。師來白首座云、幸蒙慈悲、令某甲問訊和尚。三度發問、三度被打。自恨障緣不領深旨。今且辭去。首座云、汝若去時、須辭和尚去。師禮拜退。首座先到和尚處云、問話底後生、甚是如法。若來辭時、方便接他。向後穿鑿成一株大樹、與天下人作陰涼去在。師去辭黃蘗。蘗云、不得往別處去。汝向高安灘頭大愚處去、必為汝說。師到大愚。大愚問、什麼處來。師云、黃蘗處來。大愚云、黃蘗有何言句。師云、某甲三度問佛法的的大意、三度被打。不知某甲有過無過。大愚云、黃蘗與麼老婆、為汝得徹困。更來這里、問有過無過。師于言下大悟云、元來黃蘗佛法無多子。大愚搊住云、這尿床鬼子、適來道有過無過、如今卻道、黃蘗佛法無多子。爾見個什麼道理、速道速道。師于大愚脅下、築三拳。大愚托開云、汝師黃蘗、非于我事。師辭大愚、卻回黃蘗。黃蘗見來便問、這漢來來去去、有什麼了期。師云、祇為老婆心切。便人事了侍立。黃蘗問、什麼處去來。師云、昨奉慈旨、令參大愚去來。黃蘗云、大愚有何言句。師遂舉前話。黃蘗云、作麼生得這漢來、待痛與一頓。師云、說什麼待來、即今便吃。隨後便掌。黃蘗云、這風顛漢、卻來這里捋虎須。師便喝。黃蘗云、侍者、引這風顛漢、參堂去。後、溈山舉此話、問仰山、臨濟當時、得大愚力、得黃蘗力。仰山云、非但騎虎頭、亦解把虎尾。

When Linji was one of the assembly of monks under Huangbo, he was plain and direct in his behavior. The head monk praised him saying, 「Though he』s a youngster, he』s different from the other monks.」 So he asked, 「Honorable monk, how long have you been here?」

「Three years,」 replied Linji.

「Have you ever asked for instruction?」

「No, I』ve never asked for instruction. I don』t know what to ask,」 replied

Linji.

「Why don』t you go ask the head priest of this temple just what the cardinal

principle of the buddhadharma is,」 said the head monk.

Linji went and asked. Before he had finished speaking Huangbo hit him.

Linji came back. 「How did your question go?」 asked the head monk.

「Before I had finished speaking the master hit me. I don』t understand,」said Linji.

「Then go and ask him again,」 said the head monk.

So Linji went back and asked, and again Huangbo hit him. Thus Linji asked the same question three times and was hit three times.

Linji came back and said to the head monk, 「It was so kind of you to send me to question the master. Three times I asked him and three times I was hit by him. I regret that some obstruction caused by my own past karma prevents me from grasping his profound meaning. I』m going away for awhile.」

The head monk said, 「If you are going away, you should go take your leave of the master.」 Linji bowed low and withdrew.

The head monk went to the master』s quarters before Linji and said, 「The young man who has been questioning you is a man of dharma. If he comes to take his leave, please handle him expediently. In the future, with training, he is sure to become a great tree which will provide cool shade for the people of the world.」

Linji came to take his leave. Huangbo said, 「You mustn』t go anywhere else but to Dayu』s place by the river in Gao』an. He』s sure to explain things for you.」

Linji arrived at Dayu』s temple. Dayu said, 「Where have you come from?」

「I have come from Huangbo』s place,」 replied Linji.

「What did Huangbo have to say?」 asked Dayu.

「Three times I asked him just what the cardinal principle of the bud-dhadharma is and three times he hit me. I don』t know whether I was at fault or not.」

「Huangbo is such a grandmother that he utterly exhausted himself with your troubles!」 said Dayu. 「And now you come here asking whether you were at fault or not!」

At these words Linji attained great enlightenment. 「Ah, there isn』t so much to Huangbo』s buddhadharma!」 he cried.

Dayu grabbed hold of Linji and said, 「You bed-wetting little devil! You just asked whether you were at fault or not, and now you say, 『There isn』t so much to Huangbo』s buddhadharma.』 What did you just see? Speak, speak!」

Linji jabbed Dayu in the side three times. Shoving him away, Dayu said, 「You have Huangbo for a teacher. It』s not my business.」

Linji left Dayu and returned to Huangbo. Huangbo saw him coming and said, 「What a fellow! Coming and going, coming and going—when will it end?」

「It』s all due to your grandmotherly kindness,」 Linji said, and then presented the customary gift and stood waiting.

「Where have you been?」 asked Huangbo.

「Recently you deigned to favor me by sending me to see Dayu,」 said Linji.

「What did Dayu have to say?」 asked Huangbo. Linji then related what had happened. Huangbo said, 「How I』d like to catch that fellow and give him a good dose of the stick!」

「Why say you』d 『like to』? Take it right now!」 said Linji and immediately gave Huangbo a slap.

「You lunatic!」 cried Huangbo. 「Coming back here and pulling the tiger』s whiskers.」 Linji gave a shout. 「Attendant, get this lunatic out of here and take him to the Monks』 Hall,」 said Huangbo.

Later Guishan, telling the story to Yangshan, asked,「On that occasion did Linji get help from Dayu, or Huangbo?」

「He not only rode on the tiger』s head but also seized its tail,」 replied Yangshan.

02師栽松次、黃蘗問、深山里栽許多作什麼。師云、一與山門作境致、二與後人作標榜。道了、將钁頭打地三下。黃蘗云、雖然如是、子已喫吾三十棒了也。師又以钁頭打地三下、作噓噓聲。黃蘗云、吾宗到汝、大興于世。後溈山舉此語、問仰山、黃蘗當時、祇囑臨濟一人、更有人在。仰山云、有。祇是年代深遠、不欲舉似和尚。溈山云、雖然如是、吾亦要知。汝但舉看。仰山云、一人指南、呉越令行、遇大風即止。讖風穴和尚也。

When Linji was planting pine trees, Huangbo asked, 「What』s the good of planting so many trees in the deep mountains?」

「First, I want to make a natural setting for the main gate. Second, I want to make a landmark for later generations,」 said Linji, thumping the ground with his mattock three times.

「Be that as it may, you』ve already tasted thirty blows of my stick,」 replied Huangbo.

Again Linji thumped the ground with his mattock three times and breathed out a great breath.

「Under you my line will flourish throughout the world,」 said Huangbo.

Later Guishan related these words to Yangshan. 「On that occasion did Huangbo put his trust only in Linji, or will there also be someone else?」 he asked.

「There will be,」 replied Yangshan. 「But he』ll come so far in the future that I don』t want to tell you about him, Venerable Priest.」

「Be that as it may, I』d like to know. Come on, try and tell me,」 said Guishan.

Yangshan said, 「One man heading south: Wu and Yue well-governed.

When one meets the Great Wind he stops.」 (Prophesying Venerable Fengxue)

03師侍立德山次、山云、今日困。師云、這老漢寐語作什麼。山便打。師掀倒繩床。山便休。

When Linji was attending Deshan, Deshan said, 「I』m tired today.」

「Old man,」 said Linji, 「what』s the good of talking in your sleep?」

Deshan hit him. Linji overturned the rope-bottomed chair. Deshan desisted.

04師普請鋤地次、見黃蘗來、拄钁而立。黃蘗云、這漢困那。師云、钁也未舉、困個什麼。黃蘗便打。師接住棒、一送送倒。黃蘗喚維那、維那扶起我。維那近前扶云、和尚爭容得這風顛漢無禮。黃蘗才起、便打維那。師钁地云、諸方火葬、我這里一時活埋。後溈山問仰山、黃蘗打維那、意作麼生。仰山云、正賊走卻、邏蹤人吃棒。

Once, during group work, Linji was hoeing the ground. Seeing Huangbo coming, he stopped and stood leaning on his mattock.

「Is this guy tired already?」 said Huangbo.

「I haven』t even lifted my mattock yet. How could I be tired?」 answered Linji.

Huangbo hit at him. Linji seized Huangbo』s stick, jabbed him with it, and knocked him down.

Huangbo called to the duty-monk, 「Duty-monk! Help me up!」

The duty-monk came running and helped him up. 「Venerable Priest, how can you let this lunatic get away with such rudeness?」 he said.

Huangbo no sooner got to his feet than he hit the duty-monk.

Hoeing the ground, Linji said, 「Everywhere else the dead are cremated, but here I immediately bury them alive.」

Later Guishan asked Yangshan, 「What did Huangbo have in mind when he hit the duty-monk?」

「The real thief escapes, and his pursuer gets the stick,」 answered Yangshan.

05師一日、在僧堂前坐。見黃蘗來、便閉卻目。黃蘗乃作怖勢、便歸方丈。師隨至方丈禮謝。首座在黃蘗處侍立。黃蘗云、此僧雖是後生、卻知有此事。首座云、老和尚腳跟不點地、卻證據個後生。黃蘗自于口上打一摑。首座云、知即得。

One day Linji was sitting in front of the Monks』 Hall. Seeing Huangbo coming, he closed his eyes. Giving the appearance of being frightened, Huangbo returned to his quarters. Linji followed him there and bowed low.

The head monk was attending Huangbo. Huangbo said to him, 「Though he』s a youngster, he knows about this matter.」

「Venerable Priest, your own feet aren』t on solid ground, yet you give recognition to this youngster,」 said the head monk.

Huangbo gave himself a slap on the mouth.

「It』s all right as long as you know it,」 said the head monk.

06師在堂中睡。黃蘗下來見、以拄杖打板頭一下。師舉頭、見是黃蘗、卻睡。黃蘗又打板頭一下、卻往上間、見首座坐禪、乃云、下間後生卻坐禪、汝這里妄想作什麼。首座云、這老漢作什麼。黃蘗打板頭一下、便出去。後、溈山問仰山、黃蘗入僧堂、意作麼生。仰山云、兩彩一賽。

Linji was sleeping in the [Monks』] Hall. Huangbo came in, and, seeing him, struck the front plank [of the sitting platform] once with his staff. Linji lifted his head, and seeing it was Huangbo, went back to sleep.

Huangbo again struck the front plank, and went to the upper part of the hall. Seeing the head monk sitting in meditation, he said, 「That youngster down in the lower part of the hall is sitting in meditation; what』re you doing here, cooking up wild fancies?」

「What』s this old man up to?」 said the head monk.

Huangbo struck the front plank once more and left.

Later Guishan asked Yangshan, 「What do you make of Huangbo in the Monks』 Hall?」

「Two wins, one match,」 replied Yangshan.

07一日普請次、師在後行。黃蘗回頭、見師空手、乃問、钁頭在什麼處。師云、有一人將去了也。黃蘗云、近前來、共汝商量個事。師便近前。黃蘗豎起钁頭云、祇這個、天下人拈掇不起。師就手掣得、豎起云、為什麼卻在某甲手里。黃蘗云、今日大有人普請。便歸院。後溈山問仰山、钁頭在黃蘗手里、為什麼卻被臨濟奪卻。仰山云、賊是小人、智過君子。

One day during the group work, Linji was going along behind the others.

Huangbo looked around, and, seeing that Linji was empty-handed, asked,「Where is your mattock?」

「Somebody took it away from me,」 said Linji.

「Come here,」 said Huangbo. 「I want to talk the matter over with you.」

Linji stepped forward. Huangbo lifted up his mattock and said, 「Just this people on the earth cannot hold up.」

Linji snatched the mattock from Huangbo』s grasp and held it high. 「Then why is this in my hand now?」 he asked.

「Today there』s a man who really is working,」 said Huangbo, and returned to the temple.

Sometime later Guishan asked Yangshan, 「The mattock was in Huangbo』s hand. How could it have been taken away by Linji?」

「The thief is an inferior fellow, but in cleverness he surpasses his superiors,」answered Yangshan.

08師為黃蘗馳書去溈山。時仰山作知客。接得書、便問、這個是黃蘗底、那個是專使底。師便掌。仰山約住云、老兄知是般事、便休。同去見溈山。溈山便問、黃蘗師兄多少眾。師云、七百眾。溈山云、什麼人為導首。師云、適來已達書了也。師卻問溈山、和尚此間多少眾。溈山云、一千五百眾。師云、太多生。溈山云、黃蘗師兄亦不少。師辭溈山。仰山送出云、汝向後北去、有個住處。師云、豈有與麼事。仰山云、但去、已後有一人佐輔老兄在。此人祇是有頭無尾、有始無終。師後到鎮州、普化已在彼中。師出世、普化佐讚于師。師住未久、普化全身脫去。

Linji went to Guishan bearing a letter from Huangbo. Yangshan, who at that time was in charge of receiving guests, took the letter and said, 「This is Huangbo』s; where』s the messenger』s?」

Linji slapped at him.

Yangshan seized Linji and said, 「Brother, since you know this much, that』s enough.」 Then they went together to see Guishan.

Guishan asked, 「How many students has my brother Huangbo?」

「Seven hundred,」 answered Linji.

「Who is their leader?」asked Guishan.

「He has just delivered a letter to you,」 replied Linji. Then Linji, in his turn, asked Guishan, 「Venerable Priest, how many students do you have here?」

「Fifteen hundred,」 answered Guishan.

「That』s a lot!」said Linji.

「My brother Huangbo also has no small number,」 said Guishan.

Linji took his leave of Guishan. As Yangshan was seeing him off, he said 「Later on you』ll go to the north and there』ll be a place for you to stay.」

「How can that be?」 said Linji.

「Just go,」 replied Yangshan. 「Afterwards there』ll be a man to help you, my venerable brother. He』ll have a head but no tail, a beginning but no end.」

Later Linji arrived in Zhenzhou; Puhua was already there. When Linji became head of a temple, Puhua was of help to him. But the master had not been there very long when Puhua just vanished, body and all.

09師因半夏上黃蘗、見和尚看經。師云、我將謂是個人、元來是揞黑豆老和尚。住數日、乃辭去。黃蘗云、汝破夏來、不終夏去。師云、某甲暫來禮拜和尚。黃蘗遂打、趁令去。師行數里、疑此事、卻回終夏。師一日、辭黃蘗。蘗問、什麼處去。師云、不是河南、便歸河北。黃蘗便打。師約住與一掌。黃蘗大笑、乃喚侍者、將百丈先師禪板機案來。師云、侍者、將火來。黃蘗云、雖然如是、汝但將去。已後坐卻天下人舌頭去在。後溈山問仰山、臨濟莫辜負他黃蘗也無。仰山云、不然。溈山云、子又作麼生。仰山云、知恩方解報恩。溈山云、從上古人、還有相似底也無。仰山云、有。祇是年代深遠、不欲舉似和尚。溈山云、雖然如是、吾亦要知。子但舉看。仰山云、祇如楞嚴會上、阿難讃佛云、將此深心奉塵剎、是則名為報佛恩。豈不是報恩之事。溈山云、如是如是。見與師齊、減師半德。見過于師、方堪傳授。

Linji came up to Mount Huangbo in the middle of the summer session.

Seeing Huangbo reading a sutra, he said, 「I always used to think you were a man. Now I see you』re just a black-bean-eating old priest!」

Linji stayed a few days and then tried to take his leave. Huangbo said, 「You came in violation of the rules of the summer session, and now you』re leaving before it』s over.」

「I came for a little while to pay my respects to you, Venerable Priest,」 said Linji.

Huangbo hit him and chased him out. After he had gone a few li, Linji, thinking the matter over, returned to the temple and finished the summer session.

One day he took his leave of Huangbo. Huangbo asked, 「Where are you going?」

「If I don』t go to Henan, I』ll return to Hebei,」 replied Linji.

Huangbo hit at him. Linji seized Huangbo and gave him a slap. Laughing heartily, Huangbo called to his attendant, 「Bring me the backrest and armrest that belonged to my late teacher Baizhang.」

「Attendant, bring me some fire!」cried Linji.

「Be that as it may, just take them with you. In the future you』ll cut off the tongues of every man on earth,」 said Huangbo.

Later, Guishan asked Yangshan, 「Didn』t Linji abuse Huangbo』s trust?」

「Not at all!」said Yangshan.

「Well then, what do you think?」

「Only one who recognizes beneficence can requite it,」 said Yangshan.

「From ancient times to the present, has there been anyone like him?」asked Guishan.

「Yes there has, but he lived so long ago I don』t want to tell you about him, Venerable Priest,」 replied Yangshan.

「Be that as it may, I』d like to know. Come on, try and tell me,」 said Guishan.

Yangshan said, 「At the Śūraṅgama assembly, Ānanda, in praising the Buddha, said, 『With my whole heart I shall serve all beings throughout the myriad worlds. This is called 「requiting the Buddha』s beneficence」.』 Isn』t this [also] an example of requiting beneficence?」

「Just so, just so!」 replied Guishan. 「One whose insight is the same as his teacher』s lacks half of his teacher』s power. Only one whose insight surpasses his teacher』s is worthy to be his heir.」

10師到達磨塔頭。塔主云、長老、先禮佛、先禮祖。師云、佛祖倶不禮。塔主云、佛祖與長老是什麼寃家。師便拂袖而出。

Linji arrived at Bodhidharma』s memorial tower. The master of the tower said to him, 「Venerable sir, will you pay homage first to the Buddha or to Bodhidharma?」

「I don』t pay homage to either the Buddha or to Bodhidharma,」 saidLinji.

「Venerable sir, why are the Buddha and Bodhidharma your enemies?」 asked the master of the tower.

Linji swung his sleeves and left.

11師行腳時、到龍光。光上堂。師出問云、不展鋒鋩、如何得勝。光據坐。師云、大善知識、豈無方便。光瞪目云、嗄。師以手指云、這老漢、今日敗闕也。

Linji, while on a pilgrimage, arrived at the place of Longguang. Longguang had already ascended the high seat [to give a discourse] when Linji advanced and asked, 「Without unsheathing the point of a weapon, how can one win a battle?」

Longguang straightened up in his seat.

「Has the venerable teacher no expedient [means]?」 asked Linji.

Staring fixedly at Linji, Longguang exhaled loudly.

Linji pointed his finger at Longguang and said, 「Today you lose, old man.」

12到三峯。平和尚問曰、什麼處來。師云、黃蘗來。平云、黃蘗有何言句。師云、金牛昨夜遭涂炭、直至如今不見蹤。平云、金風吹玉管、那個是知音。師云、直透萬重關、不住淸霄內。平云、子這一問太高生。師云、龍生金鳳子、沖破碧琉璃。平云、且坐吃茶。又問、近離甚處。師云、龍光。平云、龍光近日如何。師便出去。

Linji arrived at Sanfeng. Venerable Ping asked him, 「Where did you come from?」

「I came from Huangbo,」 replied Linji.

「What does Huangbo have to say?」 asked Ping.

Linji said:

The golden ox met with disaster last night,

And no one has seen a trace of it since.

Ping said:

The autumn wind blows a flute of jade;

Who is he who knows the tune?

Linji said:

He goes right through the manifold barrier,

And stays not even within the clear sky.

「Your question is much too lofty,」 said Ping.

Linji said:

The dragon』s given birth to a golden phoenix

Who breaks through the azure dome of heaven.

「Do sit down and have some tea,」 said Ping. Then he asked, 「Where have you been recently?」

「At Longguang,」 said Linji.

「How is Longguang these days?」 asked Ping.

At that Linji went off.

13到大慈。慈在方丈內坐。師問、端居丈室時如何。慈云、寒松一色千年別、野老拈花萬國春。師云、今古永超圓智體、三山鎖斷萬重關。慈便喝。師亦喝。慈云、作麼。師拂袖便出。

Linji arrived at the place of Daci. Daci was sitting in his quarters. Linji asked, 「How is it with you when you』re sitting erect in your quarters?」 Daci replied:

The green of the winter pines endures a thousand years.

An aged rustic picks a flower and in myriad lands it』s spring.

Linji answered:

Forever transcending past and present is the body of perfect wisdom.

Blocking the way to the Three Mountains there is a manifold barrier.

Daci gave a shout. Linji also shouted.

「Well?」said Daci. Linji swung his sleeves and left.

14到襄州華嚴。嚴倚拄杖、作睡勢。師云、老和尚瞌睡作麼。嚴云、作家禪客、宛爾不同。師云、侍者、點茶來、與和尚吃。嚴乃喚維那、第三位安排這上座。

Linji arrived at the temple of Huayan in Xiangzhou. Huayan was leaning on his staff, giving the appearance of being asleep. Linji said, 「Venerable Priest, what』s the good of dozing?」

「A true Chan adept is clearly different!」said Huayan.

「Attendant, make some tea and serve it to the Venerable Priest to drink,」said Linji. Huayan called the duty-monk and said, 「Place this honorable monk in the third seat.」

15到翠峯。峯問、甚處來。師云、黃蘗來。峯云、黃蘗有何言句、指示于人。師云、黃蘗無言句。峯云、為什麼無。師云、設有、亦無舉處。峯云、但舉看。師云、一箭過西天。

When Linji reached Cuifeng』s place, Cuifeng asked, 「Where did you come from?」

「I came from Huangbo,」 said Linji.

「What words does Huangbo use to instruct people?」asked Cuifeng.

「Huangbo has no words,」 said Linji.

「Why not?」 asked Cuifeng.

「Even if he had any, I wouldn』t know how to state them,」 answered Linji.

「Come on, try and tell me,」 said Cuifeng.

「The arrow has fl own off to the Western Heaven,」 said Linji.

16到象田。師問、不凡不聖、請師速道。田云、老僧祇與麼。師便喝云、許多禿子、在這里覓什麼椀。

Linji visited Xiangtian and said to him, 「[It』s] neither secular nor sacred—please, master, speak!」

「I』m just this way,」 Xiangtian replied.

Linji shouted and said, 「What kind of vittles are all these baldpates looking for here!」

17到明化。化問、來來去去作什麼。師云、祇徒踏破草鞋。化云、畢竟作麼生。師云、老漢話頭也不識。

Linji arrived at Minghua』s place. Minghua asked, 「What』s the good of all this coming and going!」

「I』m just trying to wear out my straw sandals,」 said Linji.

 「What for, then?」 asked Minghua.

「Old man, you don』t even know the subject of the conversation!」 replied Linji.

18往鳳林。路逢一婆。婆問、甚處去。師云、鳳林去。婆云、恰値鳳林不在。師云、甚處去。婆便行。師乃喚婆。婆回頭。師便打。

When Linji was going to Fenglin』s place, he met an old woman on the road. 「Where are you going?」 she asked.

「I』m going to Fenglin』s place,」 replied Linji.

「Fenglin happens to be away just now,」 said the old woman.

「Where did he go?」asked Linji.

At that the old woman walked away. Linji called to her. The old woman turned her head. Linji hit her.

19到鳳林。林問、有事相借問、得麼。師云、何得剜肉作瘡。林云、海月澄無影、游魚獨自迷。師云、海月既無影、游魚何得迷。鳳林云、觀風知浪起、翫水野帆飄。師云、孤輪獨照江山靜、自笑一聲天地驚。林云、任將三寸輝天地、一句臨機試道看。師云、路逢劍客須呈劍、不是詩人莫獻詩。鳳林便休。師乃有頌、大道絶同、任向西東、石火莫及、電光罔通。溈山問仰山、石火莫及、電光罔通。從上諸聖、將什麼為人。仰山云、和尚意作麼生。溈山云、但有言說、都無寔義。仰山云、不然。溈山云、子又作麼生。仰山云、官不容針、私通車馬。

Linji arrived at Fenglin』s place. Fenglin said, 「There is something I wish to ask you. May I?」

「Why gouge out [good] flesh and make a wound?」 replied Linji. Fenglin said:

The moon shines on the sea, there are no shadows;

Yet the gamboling fish get lost.

Linji replied:

Since shadowless is the moon over the sea,

How can the gamboling fish get lost?

Fenglin said:

Watching the wind I know the arising of waves;

[And see boats] as port on the water with fluttering sails.

Linji replied:

The solitary moon alone does shine—rivers and mountains are still;

One laugh from me startles both heaven and earth.

Fenglin said:

Your tongue may illumine heaven and earth, but

Try speaking a word apropos of the moment.

Linji replied:

If on the road you meet a swordsman, offer him your sword;

To a man who』s not a poet, don』t present a poem.

Fenglin desisted. Linji then recited this verse:

The Great Way defies comparison—one goes east or west at will.

No spark from flint can go so fast, nor lightning flash pass by.

Guishan asked Yangshan, 「If no spark from flint can go so fast, nor lightning flash pass by, how did the old-time sages save men?」

「What do you think, Venerable Priest?」 asked Yangshan.

Guishan said, 「No words have actual significance.」

「Not so,」 disagreed Yangshan.

「Then what do you think?」 asked Guishan.

「Officially, a needle is not permitted to enter; privately, carriages can get through.」

20到金牛。牛見師來、橫按拄杖、當門踞坐。師以手敲拄杖三下、卻歸堂中第一位坐。牛下來見、乃問、夫賓主相見、各具威儀。上座從何而來、太無禮生。師云、老和尚道什麼。牛擬開口。師便打。牛作倒勢。師又打。牛云、今日不著便。溈山問仰山、此二尊宿、還有勝負也無。仰山云、胜即總勝、負即總負。

Linji arrived at Jinniu』s place. Jinniu saw him coming and, holding a stick crosswise, sat down at the gate. Linji struck the stick three times with his hand, then entered the [Monks』] Hall and seated himself in the first seat.

Jinniu came in, saw him, and said, 「In an interview between host and guest, each should conform to the prescribed formalities. Where do you come from, Elder Monk, that you are so rude?」

「What are you talking about, Old Priest?」 replied Linji.

Jinniu started to open his mouth, and Linji hit him. Jinniu gave the appearance of falling down. Linji hit him again. Jinniu said, 「I』m not doing so well today.」

Guishan asked Yangshan, 「In the case of these two venerable ones, was there a winner or a loser?」

「Call it a victory, then both won; call it a loss, then both lost,」 replied Yangshan.

21師臨遷化時、據坐云、吾滅後、不得滅卻吾正法眼藏。三聖出云、爭敢滅卻和尚正法眼藏。師云、已後有人問爾、向他道什麼。三聖便喝。師云、誰知吾正法眼藏、向這瞎驢邊滅卻。言訖、端然示寂。

When the master was about to pass away, he seated himself and said, 「After I am extinguished, do not let my True Dharma Eye be extinguished.」

Sansheng came forward and said, 「How could I let your True Dharma Eye be extinguished!」

「Later on, when somebody asks you about it, what will you say to him?」 asked the master.

Sansheng gave a shout.

「Who would have thought that my True Dharma Eye would be extinguished upon reaching this blind ass!」 said the master. Having spoken these words, sitting erect, the master revealed his nirvana.

22師諱義玄、曹州南華人也。俗姓邢氏。幼而頴異、長以孝聞。及落髮受具、居于講肆、精究毘尼、博賾經論。俄而嘆曰、此濟世之醫方也、非敎外別傳之旨。即更衣游方、首參黃蘗、次謁大愚。其機緣語句、載于行錄。既受黃蘗印可、尋抵河北。鎮州城東南隅、臨滹沱河側、小院住持。其臨濟因地得名。時普化先在彼、佯狂混眾、聖凡莫測。師至即佐之。師正旺化、普化全身脫去。乃符仰山小釋迦之懸記也。適丁兵革、師即棄去。太尉默君和、于城中舍宅為寺、亦以臨濟為額、迎師居焉。後拂衣南邁、至河府。府主王常侍、延以師禮。住未幾、即來大名府興化寺、居于東堂。師無疾、忽一日攝衣據坐、與三聖問答畢、寂然而逝。時唐咸通八年丁亥、孟陬月十日也。門人以師全身、建塔于大名府西北隅。勅謚慧照禪師、塔號澄靈。合掌稽首、記師大略。

The master』s name as a monk was Yixuan. He was a native of the prefecture of Nanhua in the province of Cao. His family name was Xing. As a child he was exceptionally brilliant, and when he became older he was known for his filial piety. After shaving his head and receiving the full precepts, he frequented lecture halls; he mastered the vinaya and made a thorough study of the sutras and śāstras.

Suddenly [one day] he said with a sigh, 「These are prescriptions for helping the world, not the principle of the transmission outside the scriptures.」

Then he changed his robe and traveled on a pilgrimage. First he studied under Huangbo. Then he visited Dayu. What was said on those occasions has been set down in the 「Record of Pilgrimages.」

After receiving the seal of dharma from Huangbo, the master went to Hebei and became priest of a small temple on the banks of the Hutuo River, outside the southeast corner of the capital of Zhenzhou. Because of its location the temple was called 「Linji」 (「Overlooking the Ford」). By that time Puhua was already there. Pretending to be crazy, Puhua mixed with the people and no one could tell whether he was a sage or a commoner. When the master arrived there Puhua was of help to him. When the master』s teaching began to flourish, Puhua vanished, body and all. This agreed with the prediction made by Yangshan, the 「Little Śākya.」

It happened that local fighting broke out, and Linji abandoned the temple.The Grand Marshal, Mo Junhe, donated his house inside the town walls and made it into a temple. Hanging up a plaque there, inscribed with the old name 「Linji,」 he had the master make it his residence.

Later the master tucked up his robes and went south to the prefecture of He. The governor of the prefecture, Councilor Wang, extended to him the honors due a master. After staying for a short while, the master went to Xinghua temple in Daming Prefecture, where he lived in the Eastern Hall.

Suddenly one day the master, although not ill, adjusted his robes, sat erect, and when his exchange with Sansheng was finished, quietly passed away. It was on the tenth day of the first month in the eighth year of Xiantong of the Tang dynasty. His disciples built a memorial tower for the master』s body in the northwest corner of the capital of Daming Prefecture. The emperor decreed that the master be given the posthumous title Meditation Master Huizhao [「Illuminating Wisdom」] and his stupa be called Chengling [「Translucent Spirit」]. Joining my hands with palms together and bowing low my head, I have recorded in summary the life of the master.

住鎮州保壽嗣法小師延沼謹書。鎮州臨濟慧照禪師語錄終。

住大名府興化嗣法小師存獎校勘。永享九年八月十五日板在法性寺東經所。

Respectfully inscribed by the humble heir Yanzhao of Baoshou in Zhenzhou.

Here ends the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Linji Huizhao of Zhenzhou.

Collated by the humble heir Cunjiang of Xinghua in Daming Prefecture.