Record of Chan Master Yangqi Fanghui

Record of Chan Master Hui of Pufeng Temple, Mount Yangqi, Yuanzhou

Jiangning Fu Baoning Chan Closter Dharma Heir, Lesser Teacher Ren Yong, Compiled

The teacher was at Jiufeng Mountain in Junzhou. After receiving the precepts and putting on his robe, he lifted it up and said to the assembly, "Do you understand? If not, today I've unwittingly stepped into a herd of water buffalo. Do you know what I mean? The floating duckweed of Junyang, the Yangqi school..." Then he ascended the seat.

A monk came forward from the assembly. The teacher said, "Before the fisherman casts his line, the leaping scales stir the waves." The monk let out a shout. The teacher said, "Don't you believe it?" The monk clapped his hands and returned to the assembly. The teacher commented, "How much wind from the Dragon King could that be worth?"

A monk asked, "Whose school do you follow? From whom do you inherit your lineage?" The teacher replied, "If you have a horse, ride it; if not, just walk." The monk pushed further, "A young elder indeed, full of wit and strategy." The teacher said, "Out of respect for your age, I spare you thirty blows."

Another monk asked, "What is a Buddha?" The teacher answered, "A three-legged donkey stepping out with its hooves." The monk asked, "Is that all it is?" The teacher replied, "Elder from Hunan."

Yet another monk asked, "To transcend both self and dharmas is not the ultimate point for a monk. The complete extinction of both Buddha and patriarchs is still a matter of doubt for students. May I ask, teacher, how do you guide people?" The teacher said, "You just need to see through the new elder." The monk said, "Then it's like cutting fresh firewood and burning it with the leaves still on." The teacher said, "Seven times nine is sixty-three."

The teacher then said, "Are there any more questions? Try to come forward and face me. Today, the life of Yangqi is in your hands. You may drag me around as you wish. Why is this? A real man must decide these matters openly before the assembly, not secretly like pushing a gourd underwater. Test it in front of everyone—don't just blush. Is there anyone, anyone at all, to come forward and sort this out? If not, then Yangqi has failed."

As soon as the teacher got down from the seat, Elder Qin of Jiufeng grabbed hold of him and said, "Today I'm delighted to meet a fellow practitioner." The teacher asked, "What does being a fellow practitioner mean?" Elder Qin said, "Jiufeng pulls the plow, and Yangqi drags the harrow." The teacher asked, "Right now, in this very moment, is Yangqi in front or Jiufeng?" Elder Qin hesitated. The teacher pushed him away and said, "I thought you were a fellow practitioner—but it turns out you're not."

The Master entered the hall and ascended the seat. A monk asked, "What is the scenery of Yangqi?"

The Master said, "The lone pine stands elegant by the cliffside, while monkeys cry as they descend the mountain."

The monk asked further, "What about the people within this scenery?"

The Master answered, "A poor village girl carries a basket as she goes on her way, and a cowherd plays his flute, gazing toward home from afar."

The Master then said: "Mist seals the vast sky, wind arises across the great wilderness. All the grasses, trees, and plants roar like a great lion, proclaiming the great transcendent wisdom. The Buddhas of the past, present, and future turn the great wheel of Dharma right beneath your feet. If you understand this, all your efforts are not in vain. But if you don't understand, do not say that Yangqi Mountain is dangerous—there is an even higher peak ahead."