Extensive Record of Chan Master Hongzhi (宏智禪師廣錄)

Extensive Record of Chan Master Hongzhi, Volume 3

Master Jue of Changlu Temple in Zhenzhou Picks Up Ancient Cases

Attendant's Travel Collection

The World-Honored One, on the day of the Pavāraṇā ceremony, observed that Mañjuśrī had spent the summer retreat in three different places. Mahākāśyapa sought to expel Mañjuśrī. But as soon as he approached the wooden gavel, he saw hundreds of millions of Mañjuśrīs appear before him. Using all his spiritual power, Mahākāśyapa found he could not lift the gavel. The World-Honored One then asked him, "Which Mañjuśrī do you intend to expel?" Mahākāśyapa had no answer.

The master said: "Golden-Hued Ascetic, you have the will but lack the courage. If you had acted decisively then—not to mention hundreds of millions of Mañjuśrīs—even this yellow-faced Gautama should have been expelled. If you could have done so, not only would the true Dharma stand firm like a wall, but future generations would also know that in our monastic lineage, we do not allow idle Buddhas and Patriarchs to linger."

A monk named Wolun composed a verse:

"Wolun has a method, To cut off all thoughts. Facing circumstances, the mind does not arise, Enlightenment grows day by day."

The Sixth Patriarch heard it and said:

"Huineng has no method, Does not cut off all thoughts. Facing circumstances, thoughts often arise, How then does enlightenment grow?"

The master said: "Sunflowers turn toward the sun, Willow catkins drift with the wind."

Master Baizhang ascended the platform. As the assembly was gathering, he struck them all with his staff and drove them away. Then he called out, "Assembly!" The assembly turned their heads. Baizhang said, "What is it?"

Master Huangbo ascended the platform. As the assembly was gathering, he struck them all with his staff and drove them away. Then he called out, "Assembly!" The assembly turned their heads. Huangbo said, "The moon is like a curved bow; little rain, much wind."

Xuedou said, "If it were me, Xuedou, after gathering the assembly and striking them with the staff, I'd simply stop there."

The master said, "Using bait to lure a dove, fishing with a straight hook—each has their own means of connecting with beings and benefiting life. But what about someone who cannot be trapped, who will not turn back when called?" He struck the incense stand once with his staff.

Nanyuan, Guizong, and Magu went to pay their respects to National Teacher Zhong. On the way, Nanyuan drew a circle on the ground and said, "If you can speak about this, we'll go on." Guizong sat down inside the circle. Magu performed a woman's bow. Nanyuan said, "If that's the case, we won't go."

Guizong said, "What kind of attitude is this?"

The Master said, "If I had been there at the time, I would have erased that circle. Not only would I have broken through Nanyuan's trap, but I would have left Guizong with no place to stand, and Magu would have had no chance to show off his tricks. Nanyuan said, 'If that's the case, we won't go.' Indeed, indeed."

Dongshan arrived at Beiyan. Beiyan asked, "Where have you come from?" Dongshan said, "From Hunan." Beiyan asked, "What is the surname of the observation commissioner?" Dongshan said, "It cannot be named." Beiyan asked, "What is his given name?" Dongshan said, "It cannot be given." Beiyan asked, "Is there still the principle and the affair?" Dongshan said, "There is already a staff in place." Beiyan asked, "Does it still come and go?" Dongshan said, "It does not come and go." Beiyan said, "How can it not come and go?" Dongshan flicked his sleeve and left.

The next day, Beiyan entered the hall early in the morning and called to Dongshan, saying, "Yesterday's conversation with the venerable did not satisfy this old monk. I was unsettled all night. Now I ask the venerable to offer another turning phrase. If it satisfies this old monk, we will open the gruel and spend the summer together." Dongshan said, "Then please ask, venerable sir." Beiyan said, "Does it come and go?" Dongshan said, "Too noble and exalted." Beiyan then opened the gruel and spent the summer with him.

The master said, "To uphold the gate, one naturally relies on assistance. With dignified silence and majestic authority, who dares to look directly? Borrowing function to set up, turning positions to uphold—all become the division of authority left and right, without violating the noble and exalted path. Do you know the place of nobility and exaltation? In the jeweled hall, no one stands unattended; without planting the phoenix tree, the phoenix does not come."

The Dharma Lamp held a Dharma assembly and addressed the assembly, saying: "This mountain monk originally intended to dwell quietly in a rocky cave, but there is an unresolved matter left by the old master Qingliang. Today I have come forth to analyze it for him."

A monk asked: "What is this unresolved matter?"

Lamp immediately struck him and said: "When ancestors and fathers fail to resolve it, it brings calamity upon their descendants."

The monk asked: "Where does the fault lie?"

Lamp said: "The fault lies with me, yet the calamity falls upon you."

The master said: "If that monk had been a true man, he would have immediately overturned the meditation seat. Not only would he have found his own path to liberation, but he would also have avoided witnessing how the unresolved matters of ancestors bring calamity upon their descendants."

Xiangyan once posed a koan: "Imagine a person up in a tree, holding a branch in their mouth, with hands not grasping the branch and feet not resting on the tree. Someone below asks about the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West. If you don't answer, you fail the questioner. If you answer, you lose your life. At such a moment, what should you do?"

The head monk Hu Tou said, "I won't ask about being in the tree. Before climbing up, please tell me, Master." Xiangyan laughed heartily.

Xuedou remarked, "Speaking from the tree is easy; speaking from the ground is hard. This old monk is already up the tree. Now, pose your question."

The master said, "Hu Tou is a cunning thief, striking with a meaningless hand where no defense is prepared. Even a true adept often finds their moves unclear. Xuedou understands timing and discerns fortune and misfortune, yet here he too can only hide while revealing a trace. Do you grasp what Xiangyan did? Where are the three thousand swordsmen now? Only Zhuangzi is granted to witness peace."

A monk asked Wind Cave, "In speech and silence, one touches upon separation and subtlety. How can one pass through without offense?"

Wind Cave said, "I often remember the third month in Jiangnan, where the partridges cry and the hundred flowers are fragrant."

Snow Dou commented, "Splitting the belly and gouging out the heart."

The master said, "Exposed and naked, perfectly round and smooth—truly without seams or cracks. Tell me, Wind Cave's seamless cracks—how do they compare to Snow Dou's seamless cracks? Do you understand?

Blending with the light stirs up trouble; scraping and carving make a home."

Master Xuansha asked Jingqing, "The ancients said, 'Not seeing a single dharma is a great fault.' Tell me, what dharma is it that is not seen?"

Jingqing pointed to a pillar and said, "Is it not this dharma?"

Xuansha replied, "In Zhejiang, you may eat pure water and white rice, but you have not yet dreamed of the Buddha Dharma."

The master said, "Jingqing answered in that way, and Xuansha later spoke thus. Did they truly understand each other? Yet Jingqing has long ceased to dream of the Buddha Dharma. It must be that Xuansha was his fellow student to know this."

The Lotus Blossom Hermit Master raised his staff and showed it to the assembly, saying, “When the ancients reached this point, why were they unwilling to stay?” The assembly had no reply. He answered for them, “Because the journey had not yet exhausted their strength.” Then he added, “Ultimately, what then?” And again he answered himself, “Carrying the staff across his shoulder, paying no heed to others, straightaway he enters the thousand peaks, the ten thousand peaks.”

The Master said, “He bears it in, but does not bear it out—such is the true nature of a mountain dweller. Si Da swallowed all the Buddhas; Puyan did not see Puxian. Now tell me, where does the sickness lie?” Suddenly he lifted his staff and struck it once, saying, “Officially, not even a needle is allowed; privately, carts and horses pass freely.”

Xuefeng said, "Sitting by the rice bowl, countless people starve to death. Sitting by the ocean, countless people die of thirst." Xuansha said, "Sitting inside the rice bowl, countless people starve to death. With their heads submerged in the ocean, countless people die of thirst." Yunmen said, "The whole body is rice. The whole body is water." The master said, "I am not like that. Sitting inside the rice bowl, countless people burst from overeating. With their heads submerged in the ocean, countless people drown." Before, the harm lies in not swallowing; after, the loss lies in not spitting out. As for Yunmen saying, "The whole body is rice, the whole body is water"—when you reach this point, there is no place for you to swallow or spit.

A monk asked Master Zhimen, "What is the lotus flower before it emerges from the water?" Zhimen replied, "Lotus flower." The monk asked, "What about after it emerges from the water?" Zhimen said, "Lotus leaf." The master commented, "The spiritual turtle needs no divination; an empty shell is not worth boring into."

A monk asked Jingzhong, "What is it like before the lotus emerges from the water?" Jingzhong said, "Buds fill the pond, flowing." The monk asked, "What is it like after it emerges?" Jingzhong said, "Leaves fall, unaware of autumn." The master said, "Li Ling held the Han banner; Pan Lang rode his donkey backward."

Yun Gai asked Shishuang, "I won't ask about when all ten thousand doors are open. But when all ten thousand doors are closed, what then?" Shishuang said, "What about the matter in the hall?" Gai had no reply. Only after half a year did he finally say, "No one can receive him." Shishuang said, "You speak quite boldly, but you've only expressed eighty percent of it." Gai said, "How about you, Master?" Shishuang said, "No one can recognize him." The Master said, "In the stable, secret ground, beware of falling into effortful striving. The clothes that cling to the body—they must be taken off. Within the school, discern clearly; turn the mechanism beyond measure. You must be careful. The difference within sameness—still vaguely carries traces. The difference within difference—truly difficult to reach the wondrous ultimate. Have you reached the turning point of Shishuang and his son? The dawn candle, the jade person just awakening from a dream; the cold night, the frost maiden not yet at the loom."

Muzhou once addressed the assembly, saying: "Splitting apart is up to me; gathering together is up to me."

A monk asked, "What is 'splitting apart'?"

Muzhou said, "Three times nine is twenty-seven. Bodhi, Nirvana, True Suchness, Liberation, the mind itself is Buddha—I put it like this. What about you?"

The monk said, "I wouldn't put it like that."

Muzhou said, "The cup falls to the ground, the plate shatters into eight pieces."

The monk asked, "What is 'gathering together'?"

Muzhou folded his hands and sat in silence.

The master commented: "Muzhou's way of working is truly three long, five short—seven vertical, eight horizontal. He tosses it in front of you, throws it behind your head—truly extraordinary. Yet his style of teaching is his own school. When it comes to deep discussion of the principle, it's not even a hundred steps away."

The sutra says: "If you see all forms as not forms, then you see the Tathagata."

Fayan said: "If you see all forms as not forms, then you do not see the Tathagata."

The master said: "The World-Honored One spoke of Tathagata Zen. Fayan spoke of Patriarch Zen. If you understand, it is most extraordinary. If you do not understand, it is still acceptable."

When Mazu saw a monk approach, he drew a circle on the ground and said, “Whether you step in or not, I’ll strike you.”

The monk stepped in, and Mazu struck him.

The monk said, “Master, you cannot strike me.”

Mazu leaned his staff aside and let it be.

The teacher said, “The moment of crossing the threshold, the meaning within the room—those with clear eyes will see it clearly.”

A monk asked Guangde, "What is a sharp and capable person?" Guangde said, "Vimalakīrti never left his room, yet Manjushrī knew before he arrived."

The monk asked again, "What is a sharp and capable person?" Guangde said, "A dirty, sweat-stained robe washed with soapberries."

The monk asked once more, "What is a sharp and capable person?" Guangde said, "A venomous snake in an ancient tomb, horns upon its head."

The master said, "One phrase holds fast the crucial pass; one phrase discards all rules; one phrase illuminates both essence and function. If someone understands this, I grant you sharpness and capability. But do you truly see it? A withered tortoise shell reveals its mystery in Sun Bin's hands—one scorch, and the hexagram lines form a cross."

Xuefeng asked a monk, "Where are you going?" The monk replied, "Going for communal work." Xuefeng said, "Go." The Master said, "Don't stir it up. Stir it up and you'll get thirty blows." Yunmen said, "Recognize the person from their words. Yet it's also like drawing legs on a snake."

Master Jianyuan came to visit because of Baogai's arrival. Yuan rolled up the curtain and entered the abbot's quarters to sit. Gai lowered the curtain and returned to the guest seat. Yuan had an attendant relay the message: "The long journey is not easy. Yet the ford remains." As soon as the words were spoken, Gai struck him a blow. The attendant said, "The abbot is present. Do not strike me." Gai replied, "Precisely because the abbot is present, I strike you." The attendant returned and reported this to Yuan. Yuan said, "Yet the ford remains." The master said, "Indeed, the ford remains. Thus, each is separate, each is its own household. How then can they be born together, die together, share a single life, and be branches of the same tree? In darkness, the crossbone is drawn; in light, the tongue sits."

Baofu asked Changqing, "Master Panshan said, 'When both light and the realm are forgotten, what remains?' Master Dongshan said, 'When light and the realm are not yet forgotten, what remains?' Based on these two venerable masters, neither has fully cut it off. How can one truly cut it off?"

Changqing remained silent for a long while. Baofu said, "I know you're just lingering in the ghost cave." Changqing asked, "What about you?" Baofu replied, "With both hands on the plow, water rises past the knees."

The Master said, "Forgotten or not yet forgotten—seizing the person or seizing the realm—why did Baofu not approve of Changqing? Peace was built by the general, yet the general is not allowed to see peace."

Master Qianfeng addressed the assembly, saying: "The Dharmakaya has three kinds of sickness and two kinds of light. One must penetrate each one thoroughly. Moreover, there is the timely application of illumination and function. The key to the ultimate is present."

Yunmen stepped forward and said: "Why does the person inside the hut not know what's happening outside the hut?"

Qianfeng laughed heartily.

Yunmen said: "This is still where the student has doubts."

Qianfeng said: "What kind of mental activity is this of yours?"

Yunmen said: "I also need the Master to entrust it to me."

Qianfeng said: "Only by being so stable and secret can one sit firmly."

Yunmen said: "Yes, yes."

The Master (commenting) said: "When sitting, sickness lies in the deepest affliction. When applying, the light does not penetrate freely. Even if you maneuver freely across the ten directions, and turn the one mechanism perfectly, you still do not know the key to the ultimate is present. Can you then sit firmly? In the end, the frosty night moon, following its course, falls into the stream ahead."

Master Weishan asked Yangshan, "All summer I haven't seen you come up here. What have you been doing down there?"

Yangshan replied, "I cleared a patch of land and planted a basket of seeds."

Weishan said, "So, Jizi, you haven't wasted this summer."

Yangshan asked, "And what have you been doing this summer, Master?"

Weishan answered, "Eating one meal at midday, sleeping after nightfall."

Yangshan said, "Then you, Master, also haven't wasted this summer." After saying this, he stuck out his tongue.

Weishan said, "Jizi, why do you harm your own life?"

The master commented, "In youth, one should strive; in old age, it's fitting to rest. This whole summer, neither wasted. So why did Yangshan stick out his tongue after speaking? If you can see through this, misfortune will not enter the door of the careful."

Zhaozhou said, "Where there is Buddha, do not dwell. Where there is no Buddha, pass through quickly."

The master said: "To sink into emptiness and cling to traces, to grasp the sword and wound its edge—neither is the way of a true monk. You must not enter the marketplace of others, nor sit upon their beds. Do not set up the profound, nor lean upon the partial. Only then can you grasp and release, and have a share of true freedom."

When both head monks from the two halls of Linji gave a shout at the same time, a monk asked Linji, "Is there still a distinction between host and guest?" Linji replied, "The host and guest are clearly distinct."

The Master said: "The blade that kills and the sword that brings to life are both in Linji's hands. Even so, at that moment just one shout would have been enough. Even if he were to perform great miraculous displays, he could only respond with the same sound."

Dongshan asked Yinshan: "What is the host within the host?" Yinshan said: "One who does not leave the house for years."

Dongshan asked: "What is the guest within the host?" Yinshan said: "Green mountains covered by white clouds."

Dongshan asked: "How far apart are guest and host?" Yinshan said: "Waves upon the Yangtze's waters."

Dongshan asked: "When guest and host meet, what words are spoken?" Yinshan said: "A clear breeze brushing the white moon."

The Master said: "The host—clouds veil the crown's form. The guest—snow weighs on the brow's ridge. Their distance—gatekeepers set the bounds. Their speech—jade vibrates, metal rings."

Now, regarding these four lines of mine, tell me: are they the same as Yinshan's, or different? Let those in the assembly with discerning eyes try to distinguish and see.

Yunmen said, "The Dharma is vast and profound, but it's just that my tongue is too short." Later, he added, "Now it's long enough." The master remarked, "Though Master Yunmen raised the question and answered it himself, still, a cart cannot be pushed sideways, and the truth cannot be bent."

Master Weishan and Master Yangshan were picking tea leaves together. Weishan said, "All day long I only hear your voice, but never see your form." Yangshan then shook the tea tree. Weishan said, "You have only grasped its function." Yangshan asked, "I don't understand. How about you, Master?" Weishan remained silent for a long moment. Yangshan said, "Master, you have only grasped its essence." Weishan replied, "I'll spare you thirty blows of the stick." The Master commented: "Weishan and Yangshan—father and son. Throughout the monastery, everyone says each grasped only one side. Yet they do not realize: the sky shares the dawn with white clouds, and water flows with the autumn moon."

At the Shurangama Assembly, the World-Honored One addressed the assembly, saying, "If what can be pushed and investigated is your mind, then you are taking the thief for your own child."

Master Xiushan said, "If what can be pushed and investigated is not your mind, then you are taking your own child for a thief."

The Master said, "Now, whether it is pushed or not, is it the child or the thief? It's like buying a fish and picking out the bones—just eat the fish and leave the bones."

Changqing said, "If everything were like today, the old barbarian would have hope." Baofu said, "If everything were like today, the old barbarian would have no hope." The master said, "The rich complain that a thousand mouths are too few; the poor resent that even one body is too many."

A monk asked Shishuang, "Does the true body ever manifest in the world?"

Shishuang said, "It does not manifest."

The monk asked, "Then what about the true body?"

Shishuang said, "Like the mouth of a glass bottle."

The master said, "When the whole body is exhausted, all effort is utterly gone. Raise your hand and act—everywhere it is of use. Do you recognize the old man Shishuang? In the hall, no trace or shadow; throughout the world, never hidden."

A monk asked Xuefeng, "What about the ancient gorge and cold spring?" Xuefeng said, "Stare, but you cannot see the bottom." The monk asked, "What about those who drink from it?" Xuefeng replied, "It does not enter through the mouth." The monk later told Zhaozhou about this. Zhaozhou said, "It cannot enter through the nostrils either." The monk then asked Zhaozhou, "What about the ancient gorge and cold spring?" Zhaozhou said, "Bitter." The monk asked, "What about those who drink from it?" Zhaozhou said, "Die." When Xuefeng heard of this, he said, "Zhaozhou is an ancient Buddha," and from then on, he stopped answering questions. The master commented: To uphold and establish the teachings of the school, one must rely on a great master. Xuefeng discerned the minds of fifteen hundred wise teachers, while Zhaozhou employed the methods of a one-hundred-twenty-year-old seasoned adept—truly extraordinary. Nowadays, in the assembly, people hastily judge and criticize based on words alone, deeply wronging the ancients. Yet, if one follows the occasion and responds appropriately, it seems there are those who understand. But to engrave it on the bones and inscribe it on the heart—rarely does one encounter clear insight.

The National Teacher called his attendant three times. Each time, the attendant responded. The National Teacher said, “I thought I had failed you, but it turns out you have failed me.”

The Master said: “On the path of benevolence and righteousness, in the relationship between teacher and disciple—to call again and be answered again—we speak of reality, not emptiness. Now tell me: is there failure or not? A flawless white jade, carved patterns lose its virtue.”

A monk asked Master Shaoshan, "In the place where right and wrong cannot reach, is there still a phrase or not?" Shaoshan said, "There is." The monk asked, "What is that phrase?" Shaoshan said, "A lone cloud—not revealing its ugliness."

The Master said, "The whole body turns and interacts, yet does not touch its own dignity. Stepping back to the side, one must be flexible and roundabout. Do you see where Shaoshan meets the monk? With all his might, he pushes his father into the inner chamber."

A monk asked Linji, "What is the sword that cuts a hair blown upon it?" Linji said, "Disaster, disaster!" The monk then bowed. Linji struck him. Another monk asked Baling, "What is the sword that cuts a hair blown upon it?" Baling said, "Coral branches hold up the moon." The master said, "The sword that kills does not cut a single hair; the sword that gives life does not harm a single strand. When there is spirit, add spirit; even where there is no grace, there is still grace."

Dongshan once taught, "Only those who have realized the one above the Buddha are qualified to speak." A monk asked, "What is the one above the Buddha?" Dongshan replied, "Not Buddha." Fayan commented, "For the sake of expediency, we call it Buddha." The master said, "How far apart are these two venerable elders? They are as sharp as blades, yet why is there such subtle confusion? To reach this point, one must turn the mechanism beyond the kalpa, release the arrow before the wind, shoulder the burden with one's whole body, and receive it with open hands. Only with such vision can one truly discern. Can you distinguish it? It is easy to tell snow from powder, but hard to distinguish ink from soot."

Master Ju Xiu once said, "Ordinary people possess the qualities of ordinary beings, yet they are unaware of it. Sages possess the qualities of sages, yet they do not realize it. If sages realized it, they would be no different from ordinary people. If ordinary people became aware, they would be sages."

The master said, "You capture the south, only to worry about the north. When you reach this point, you must let go of all that you have accomplished, all at once. Only then can you sit peacefully. Do you see it clearly? With an equal and impartial heart, all distinctions naturally dissolve."

Master Shi Ti asked his attendant, "Where are you going?" The attendant replied, "I'm going to the hall for the meal offering." Shi Ti said, "Do I not know you're going to the hall for the meal offering?" The attendant said, "What else would you say besides that?" Shi Ti said, "I'm only asking you about your fundamental duty." The attendant said, "If you ask about my fundamental duty, I am truly the one going to the hall for the meal offering." Shi Ti said, "You are truly worthy of being my attendant."

The master said, "To let it pass would not do. Only now, by twisting until the nose hurts and beating until the bones are laid bare, can one avoid seeing the blind donkey chasing after the herd. Therefore, it is said: On level ground, countless people die; only those who can pass through the thorny forest are true masters. Tell me, did the monk just now manage to pass through? Much emptiness is not as good as a little reality."

A monk asked Dharma-Eye, "How can one penetrate the two words 'sound and form'?" Dharma-Eye said, "If the assembly understands what this monk is asking, penetrating sound and form is not difficult."

The master said, "In the past, we failed to understand because the thief within is hard to guard against. Now that it is clearly revealed, let us take shelter in the thatched hut."

Master Jia Shan said, "Right before our eyes, there is no Dharma. The meaning is right before our eyes. Yet it is not the Dharma of the present moment. It cannot be reached by the ears or eyes."

The master said, "Old Master Jia Shan has untied the mouth of his sack and scattered all kinds of rare treasures right in front of everyone. At just such a moment, what do you do? When valuables lie on the road and no one picks them up, the noble person praises it as beautiful."

Master Zhaozhou said, "Grasping the eye of heaven and earth, continuously without the slightest leakage. I want you to understand—how will you comprehend it?"

The master replied, "Is it truly clear yet? Even if you manage to understand here, penetrating in all directions, I know you still cannot escape Zhaozhou’s net."

Jingqing asked Lingyun, "Before the primordial chaos divided, what was it like?" Lingyun said, "A pillar pregnant with life." Jingqing asked, "After the division, what was it like?" Lingyun said, "Like a wisp of cloud dotting the vast sky." Jingqing asked, "But does the vast sky itself accept being dotted?" Lingyun did not answer. Jingqing said, "If so, then living beings do not come forth." Lingyun still did not answer. Jingqing asked, "When it is perfectly pure, utterly without a dot, what then?" Lingyun said, "That is still the true constant flowing forth." Jingqing asked, "What is the true constant flowing forth?" Lingyun said, "It is like a mirror, ever bright." Jingqing asked, "Is there anything beyond this?" Lingyun said, "Yes." Jingqing asked, "What is beyond?" Lingyun said, "Shatter the mirror, and I will meet you." The Master said, "Divided or undivided, the jade loom moves in the night. Dotted or undotted, the golden shuttle is cast in secret. Even if it is perfectly pure and uniform, one has not yet attained complete stability. Tell me, when the mirror is shattered, where do you meet? Do you understand? When the autumn hare swallows the light, and the azure dragon sheds its bones in the deep water."

Master Shi Gong ascended the teaching seat and drew his bow, notching an arrow. Master Sanping stepped forward, baring his chest to meet it. Shi Gong said, "One bow, two arrows—after thirty years, I've only managed to hit half a sage."

The Master remarked, "Shi Gong has yet to shed his old habits. Sanping, playing along with the host's lead, then said, 'Thirty years, one bow, two arrows—and only half a sage is struck.' Isn't this just measuring others by one's own standard? Generally, if you don't brave the startling waves, you'll never find the fish that truly satisfy."

A monk asked Yunmen, "What is the pure Dharma body?" Yunmen said, "The flower medicine railing." The monk asked, "What about when one goes forth just like that?" Yunmen said, "The golden-maned lion." Xuedou added a comment, saying, "Utterly without cause." The Master said, "When a thief comes, you must strike; when a guest comes, you must receive. Yunmen and Xuedou—both are masters. Is there anyone here who goes forth just like that? Be careful not to bump your head and bruise your forehead."

A monk asked Master Caoshan, "When the son returns to the father, why does the father pay him no heed at all?" Caoshan replied, "In principle, it should be so." The monk asked, "Then where is the bond of father and son?" Caoshan said, "That is precisely what completes the bond of father and son." The monk asked, "What is the bond of father and son?" Caoshan answered, "Even an axe cannot split it apart."

The master said: "The beaded curtain hangs low—the fishing line has not yet descended. The purple silk bed-curtain is drawn—sight and hearing cannot penetrate. When the moon rises at night, it touches the tips of the hairs; Take one secret step, and the crane emerges from its silver cage. Do you understand? Freed from form, not a shadow remains; Without sitting in stillness, the same wind accomplishes the great work."

Master Baishui once gave a teaching, saying: "You cannot put sand in the eye. You cannot pour water into the ear."

A monk then asked, "What does it mean that you cannot put sand in the eye?"

Baishui replied, "The true nature is incomparable."

The monk asked, "What does it mean that you cannot pour water into the ear?"

Baishui answered, "Pure and without stain."

The Master commented: "Old Baishui can truly be said to be vast without an outside, small without an inside. He fully possesses a thousand changes and ten thousand transformations, yet he is just this bare-handed, empty body—not receiving a single drop or speck of dust. It is truly filling the eyes and filling the ears—do you see it? Where can one stand without occupying space? How many truly know the mind?"

The "Stone Head's Song of Harmony" says: "Mutual interaction and non-mutual interaction." A monk asked Yunmen, "What is mutual interaction?" Yunmen pointed to the wooden board and said, "Don't call it a wooden board." The monk asked, "What is non-mutual interaction?" Yunmen said, "This is a wooden board."

The master said: Stone Head's tongue had no bone, Yunmen's eyes held a tendon. For a thousand years, their voices and light have shone brightly. Now, if you want to walk hand in hand with them, you must understand that to be like this is to not be like this—only then is there no entanglement. Do you grasp this? In youth, I once broke through the dragon-snake formation; in old age, I still sing like a child.

He held up a banana plant and said to the assembly: "If you have a staff, I give you a staff. If you have no staff, I take your staff away."

The master said: "If you have it, then all is there. If you lack it, then all is absent. Having or lacking is your own affair—what does giving or taking have to do with a banana plant? At this very moment, what is your staff?"

A monk asked Xiangyan, "What is the Way?"

Xiangyan said, "A dragon's cry within a withered tree."

The monk asked, "What is the person on the Way?"

Xiangyan said, "Eyes within a skull."

The monk later brought this to Shishuang. "What is 'a dragon's cry within a withered tree'?"

Shishuang said, "Still carrying joy."

The monk asked, "What is 'eyes within a skull'?"

Shishuang said, "Still carrying consciousness."

The master said, "The king remains within the gate; the minister does not step outside."

The great ear Tripitaka master attained the power of reading minds. One morning he went to see Emperor Suzong. The emperor ordered National Teacher Zhong to test him. When the Tripitaka master saw the National Teacher, he bowed and stood respectfully to the right.

The National Teacher asked, "Have you attained the power of reading minds?"

The Tripitaka master replied, "I dare not claim such."

The National Teacher said, "Tell me, where is this old monk right now?"

The Tripitaka master said, "The Master is the teacher of the nation. Why are you watching the boat races in Western Sichuan?"

The National Teacher asked again, "Tell me, where is this old monk right now?"

The Tripitaka master said, "The Master is the teacher of the nation. Why are you watching the monkey show on Tianjin Bridge?"

The National Teacher asked a third time, "Where is this old monk right now?"

The Tripitaka master was at a loss and could not answer.

The National Teacher scolded, "This wild fox spirit! Where is your power of reading minds now?"

The master said, "Let's set aside the fact that the Tripitaka master could not see the National Teacher. Tell me, did the National Teacher himself know where he was? If you say he knew, then the birds bringing flowers and the heavenly beings making offerings would never cease. So tell me, at that very moment, where was he?"

Master Ju raised the case of Minister Lu Geng. He asked Nanquan, "At my home, there is a stone slab. Sometimes I sit on it, sometimes I lie on it. Can it be carved into a Buddha?" Nanquan said, "It can." Lu said, "Could it also be said that it cannot?" Nanquan said, "It cannot." Yunyan said, "When it is sat upon, it is Buddha; when not sat upon, it is not Buddha." Dongshan said, "When it is not sat upon, it is Buddha; when sat upon, it is not Buddha." The Master said, "Turning function into essence, turning essence into function—that is the way of Dongshan and his lineage. But tell me, what was Nanquan’s true meaning? It is so subtle, not even a needle can penetrate it."

Before the Buddha, there was a woman in deep meditation. The Buddha instructed Manjushri to bring her out of it. Manjushri then employed his divine power, lifting her up to the Brahma Heaven, yet he could not rouse her from her samadhi. The Buddha then said, "Below, there is a great being named Wang Ming who can bring her out of this state." In a moment, Wang Ming arrived. Upon the Buddha's command to bring her out, Wang Ming simply snapped his fingers three times, and the woman immediately emerged from her meditation.

The master said, "Whether in stillness or in motion, it is the person themselves who performs the play. A goose feather is light, yet not light; a great mountain is heavy, yet not heavy. Do you realize that old Shakyamuni's nostrils are in my hand?"

Xuefeng and Sansheng were walking along when they saw a troop of monkeys. Xuefeng said, "Just these monkeys—each one is an ancient mirror." Sansheng said, "Throughout the ages, they have no name. How can you call them ancient mirrors?" Xuefeng said, "A flaw has appeared." Sansheng said, "A teacher of fifteen hundred students, yet you don't even recognize the point of the dialogue." Xuefeng said, "This old monk is busy with the affairs of the monastery."

The master said, "If at that moment I had seen Xuefeng say 'a flaw has appeared,' I would have simply stepped forward and said, 'Yes, yes.' Tell me, why would I do this? When you argue, it is never enough; when you yield, there is always more than enough."

Changqing once addressed the assembly, saying: “When you have cleaned up and put everything in order, step forward and ask me. I’ll give you a sudden blow on the back. If this blow reaches you, you must feel deep shame. If it doesn’t reach you, where will you understand?”

The master said: “They just eat the temple’s rice with dead mouths and stretch their legs on the long sleeping platform—it’s rare to find one who knows shame. Do you know where Changqing’s stick fell?

When thunder opens the hibernating den and lightning scorches the tail, It draws out the towering horns of awakening.”

Master Panshan once gave a teaching, saying: "If we say 'the mind itself is Buddha,' that still hasn't entered the profound and subtle truth in our present time. If we say 'it is not mind, not Buddha,' that too is just pointing to the ultimate principle."

The Master said: "Having money but not knowing how to use it; knowing how to use it but having no money. Tell me, how can one achieve perfection in this? To marry a young bride, one must be a white-haired old man."

Master Jufeng addressed the assembly, saying: "When a matter fits within its cover, the principle should meet it like an arrowhead meeting its target. If anyone can speak to this, I will give them half of this monastery to live in." At that moment, a monk stepped forward and bowed. Jufeng said, "Enough, enough. It's easy to get along when we first meet, but living together is hard on people."

The Master commented: "Under a great reward, there must be a brave man. This monk intended to seize it by force, but Jufeng was unwilling to give it up. Do you know? When the clam and the snipe grapple, both fall into the fisherman's hands. If you can truly discern the 'cover' and the 'arrowhead,' I will hand over the entire monastery to you with both hands."

A monk asked Caoshan, "Before the Buddha appeared in the world, what was it like?" Caoshan said, "Caoshan is not equal to it." The monk asked, "After he appeared in the world, what was it like?" Caoshan said, "It is not equal to Caoshan." The master said, "The Buddha and Caoshan exchange roles as host and guest. Whether appearing in the world or not, each possesses a clear eye. There has never been one who walks long without dwelling, nor one who dwells long without walking. Do you understand? The deep cave does not restrain the intent of the barrier; free and unhindered, how could it involve a person of two ends?"

Yunmen once addressed the assembly, saying: "If you can directly see without obstruction, and thoroughly realize that names, phrases, and all phenomena are empty—that even mountains, rivers, and the great earth are just names, and cannot be grasped either—then you may call this the ocean of samadhi-nature, fully complete. Yet this is still like waves churning without any wind. Only when knowing and awareness are utterly forgotten, and awareness itself is the Buddha-nature, can you be called a person of no affairs. Still, you must know there is one further opening above."

The master said: "When guest and host do not harmonize, both are at fault. Each receives twenty blows. But what about that one further opening above? The rhinoceros, while playing with the moon, grows horns patterned by it; the elephant, startled by thunder, receives flowers into its tusks."

Master Qianfeng addressed the assembly, saying: "When you raise one, you cannot raise two. If you let go of the first move, you fall into the second."

Yunmen stepped forward and said: "Yesterday, someone came from Tiantai, but then went on to Mount Jing."

Feng said: "Tomorrow, there will be no general work duty."

The master said: "When you cut off all ten directions, a thousand differences vanish. When you loosen a single thread, ten thousand streams return to the source. These two venerable elders open up and expand the family tradition—only then do you see a true monk's coming and going. Do you grasp it clearly? The peaceful emperor's decree within the realm; the blood-sweating general's heart beyond the frontier."

Yantou took leave of Deshan. Deshan asked, "Where are you going?" Yantou replied, "I am temporarily leaving the master to go down the mountain." Deshan said, "What will you do in the future?" Yantou said, "I will not forget the master." Deshan asked, "On what basis do you say this?" Yantou replied, "Have you not heard: 'When the disciple's wisdom equals the teacher's, it diminishes the teacher's virtue by half. Only when the disciple's wisdom surpasses the teacher's is he worthy to receive the transmission'?" Deshan said, "So it is, so it is. Take good care of yourself."

The master [Xuedou] said: "Deshan usually refused to establish any buddhas or patriarchs beneath his staff. Yet when it came to this moment, he became so grandmotherly. Though this shows the bond of raising a disciple, how can it avoid being criticized by later generations? Wait until he says, 'Only when the disciple's wisdom surpasses the teacher's is he worthy to receive the transmission'—then grab the staff and strike him right across the back."

Master Nanquan once gave a teaching, saying: "Old Teacher Wang tends a water buffalo. If I take it to the east side of the stream, I cannot avoid the official's grain tax. If I take it to the west side of the stream, I cannot avoid the official's grain tax. How about just paying a little bit according to my means? In the end, nothing is seen."

The Master said: "Nanquan tending the buffalo—this can truly be called extraordinary. It reaches the point where no barrier can obstruct it anywhere. Why is this so? Because he just pays a little bit according to his means."

Huangbo asked Baizhang, "The matter transmitted from the ancestors—how does the master point it out to people?" Baizhang sat upright in his seat. Huangbo said, "What will later generations and descendants transmit?" Baizhang said, "I thought you were someone." Then he returned to his abbot's quarters.

The master said, "Words fill the world, yet no fault is spoken; actions fill the world, yet no resentment arises. Still, Baizhang had it. Huangbo was not without understanding—he only wanted these words to spread widely. Do you understand Baizhang returning to his quarters? In the forest, wind-blown leaves fall; beyond the world, water and sky merge in autumn."

Yangshan asked a monk, “Where have you come from recently?” The monk said, “From Mount Lu.” Yangshan said, “Have you been to Five Elders Peak?” The monk said, “I haven’t been there.” Yangshan said, “You haven’t really traveled the mountain.”

Yunmen said, “These words are spoken out of compassion, but they still fall into the weeds.”

The master said, “Although Yunmen recognized Yangshan’s true intent, he only knew one side and not the other. Tell me, what was Yangshan’s meaning?

Infinite grace, yet too lazy to show off— A fine gentleman who avoids being pointed at.”

The three sages said, "Whenever I meet someone, I reveal myself. But once revealed, it is not for that person." Xinghua said, "Whenever I meet someone, I do not reveal myself. But if I do reveal myself, it is precisely for that person." The master said, "Fallen, fallen! Today is not about diminishing the voice and light of the ancients, but about nurturing the integrity of those who come after. If you are a true practitioner, grasp the seal of the patriarchs, turn the iron ox's mechanism, and pierce through the staff all at once—only then will you see the skill of a monk."

Master Jusheng Ming, a Tripitaka master, went to see the King of Min. The king invited Master Xuansha to test him. Xuansha, standing behind him, tapped a copper fire-tongs against an iron fire-brazier and asked, "What sound is this?" The Tripitaka master replied, "The sound of copper and iron." Xuansha said, "Your Majesty, do not be deceived by foreigners." The master commented, "When principle is realized, it is divine—like a poor man finding the treasure hidden in his robe. When delusion persists, it is obstructive—like the strong man losing the pearl on his forehead. The Tripitaka master only understood what was in front of him; Xuansha could not see what was behind. Do you understand? To falsely accuse another is to bring guilt upon oneself."

A monk asked Master Changsha, "How can one turn the mountains, rivers, and the great earth back into oneself?" Changsha replied, "How can one turn oneself back into the mountains, rivers, and the great earth?"

The master said, "Though host and guest exchange places, still mud and water are not distinguished. If you suddenly twist your nostrils—whether you think it's right or not, neither will do. So what should you do? Nowadays, the king's decree is somewhat strict—no one is allowed to push ahead and seize the market."

Master Guanxi once shared his insights, saying, "At Linji's place, I received one ladleful of wisdom; at Moshan's place, I received another ladleful." He also said, "The ten directions have no walls; the four sides have no doors. Naked, exposed, utterly free—there is nothing to grasp."

The master remarked, "When Guanxi speaks like this, tell me: is it what he gained at Linji's place, or what he gained at Moshan's place? Though it may be like one arrow hitting two eagles, sometimes it exhausts you, sometimes it paralyzes you. How, then, can one find just the right balance? To gather or to release—it all rests with me. To pick up or to cast aside—who else could it depend on?"

A monk asked Muzhou, "Is the meaning of the patriarchs the same as the meaning of the teachings, or are they different?"

Muzhou replied, "Green mountains are simply green mountains; white clouds are simply white clouds."

The master said, "If you can recognize Muzhou here, then Śākyamuni appearing in the world and Bodhidharma coming from the West were both people who did not keep to their own place. Do you understand? When the arm is long, the sleeve is short; when the foot is thin, the sandal is wide."

One day, Nan Yuan was preparing a bath for himself. A monk asked, "Venerable, why not have the novices or attendants do it?" Nan Yuan clapped his hands three times.

The monk later reported this to Cao Shan. Cao Shan said, "Both clapped their hands, but Nan Yuan's was truly extraordinary. The single-finger Zen of Juzhi was because his understanding was not yet clear."

The monk then asked, "Nan Yuan's clapping—wasn't that just the business of servants and attendants?" Cao Shan replied, "Yes." The monk asked, "Is there anything beyond that?" Cao Shan said, "There is." The monk asked, "What is that beyond?" Cao Shan scolded, "You servant and attendant!"

The master said: "To recognize the noble and the humble, to know the precious and the base—Nan Yuan was a true master. To distinguish jade from stone, gold from brass—Cao Shan was unmatched in the world. Though this monk understood polishing and refining, he still remained stuck in the realm of servants and attendants. Do you see? Unrestrained and free, neither harmed nor harming—yet still a guest outside the curtain of the bright moon."

Yunmen addressed the assembly, saying, "I won't ask about the time before the fifteenth day. Now, after the fifteenth day, speak a phrase for me." Then he answered himself, saying, "Every day is a good day."

The Master said: "For those born in the year of the Tiger, this is their birth sign. For those born in the year of the Monkey, this is their opposing sign."

Master Shousheng said: "Before the middle of the month, use a fishing rod; after the middle of the month, use an awl."

A monk then asked: "What about right at the middle of the month?"

Shousheng replied: "A clay ox tramples and shatters the moon in the clear pond."

The master said: "Both ends are useful. Shousheng is a true adept—directly forgetting effort. Who can grasp this? When released, guest and host interchange; when held back, not a trace remains. Is there anyone who can grasp it?"

A jade maiden throws her shuttle at night, weaving brocade in the western chamber.

A monk asked Caoshan, "What is the most precious thing in the world?" Caoshan said, "A dead cat is the most precious." The monk asked, "Why is a dead cat the most precious?" Caoshan replied, "No one can put a price on it."

The master said, "Caoshan's goods do not enter the marketplace. If you look carefully, they are truly worth not a single coin. Caoshan treats the worthless as precious. Here, I treat the precious as worthless. Tell me, is there any contradiction?"

Master Daci raised his hand and said to the assembly, “This mountain monk does not know how to answer questions. I only recognize when someone is sick.” A monk stepped forward, and Daci returned to his quarters. Xuedou remarked, “Xuedou recognizes sickness but does not answer questions. If a monk had stepped forward, I would have struck him across the back.”

The master said, “Daci and Xuedou were both skilled teachers. Yet they only paid attention to what was in front of them, not guarding their feet. If someone who didn’t know good from bad, or east from west, had stepped forward and overturned the meditation seat, even if you had full capacity and great function, you would still be caught off guard and unable to respond. At such a moment, is there anyone with the eye to recognize sickness?”

A monk asked Xuefeng: "When a voice-hearer perceives their true nature, it is like seeing the moon at night. When a bodhisattva perceives their true nature, it is like seeing the sun in the daytime. I wonder, how does the master perceive his true nature?" Xuefeng struck him three times. Later, the monk asked Yantou, and Yantou also gave him three slaps. Xuedou commented: "Prescribing medicine according to the illness—he only struck three times. If one were to act in accordance with the command, how many strikes should be given?" The master said: "Xuedou, in that moment, was just seizing an opportunity to be clever. Later people often take it as a rule to follow, yet they fail to realize that Xuefeng and Yantou were men without rigid certainties."

Master Yunyan asked the head monk, who had just returned from visiting the stone chamber, "I told you to go into the stone chamber and look. Why did you come back so soon?" The head monk had no reply.

Dongshan answered on his behalf, "Someone was already occupying it."

Yunyan asked, "Then what else did you go there to do?"

Dongshan said, "One cannot cut off human connection."

The master commented: "Bowing your head, you lose the needle. Opening your eyes, you pick up the thread. The thread has no end, so it cannot be measured; the needle has no eye, so it cannot be threaded. At this point, only someone like Dongshan can mend the lute string with phoenix glue."

Master Nanquan and Zhaozhou were enjoying the moonlight together. Zhaozhou said, "When will we ever reach such a state as this?"

Nanquan replied, "Twenty years ago, even I, Old Wang, was once like this."

The master said, "Let's set aside twenty years ago. What about twenty years later? Do you know where Old Wang's footsteps lead? In the house, there is no spirit altar; the whole family wears no mourning clothes."

A monk asked Master Xuansha, "What is the seamless pagoda?" Xuansha replied, "How big is this seam?" The master said, "This is a ready-made case. If you say it's settled according to the facts, I know you haven't understood Xuansha. If someone asks Changlu, I would just say: Four corners touch the ground. Now, tell me, do you understand Xuansha or not? Those with discerning eyes, judge for yourselves."

An ancient master once said, "All day long, one picks up incense and selects firewood, yet does not know that the body itself is the place of practice."

The teacher remarked, "Such a fellow, playing with his own spirit—what limit is there?"

Xuansha said, "All day long, one picks up incense and selects firewood, yet does not realize the true place of practice."

The teacher said, "How strange! An eighty-year-old man leaving the examination hall—this is no child's play. Tell me, where does the crucial point lie? Between having wisdom and lacking it, there is a distance of thirty miles."

A monk asked Longya, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch coming from the West?" Longya said, "When the stone tortoise can speak, I'll tell you." The monk asked Xianglin, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch coming from the West?" Xianglin said, "Sitting too long makes one weary." The master said, "One phrase, the more you look up to it, the higher it is. One phrase, the more you drill into it, the harder it is. One phrase, you see it ahead. One phrase, suddenly it's behind. Can you discern it? Few know the sincere heart in every piece. Rare are those who see the truth face to face."

A virtuous Zen visitor asked Master Qinshan, "When one arrow pierces three barriers, what then?"

Qinshan said, "Let the master within the barrier come forth."

The visitor said, "If so, then knowing one's fault, one must change it."

Qinshan said, "What more are you waiting for?"

The visitor said, "A fine arrow, yet it finds no target." And with that, he turned to leave.

Qinshan called, "Come here, venerable one."

As the visitor looked back, Qinshan seized him and said, "Setting aside 'one arrow piercing three barriers' for now, try shooting an arrow at Qinshan."

The visitor hesitated.

Qinshan struck him seven times with his staff and said, "Listen! This fellow will doubt for thirty years."

The Master said: Mountains piled high, peaks heaped up—all crumble and melt away like ice. Though people may know this principle exists, "Let the master within the barrier come forth"— What should be done about this?

Some say, "He should have shouted then," or "He should have struck then." But such momentary, blind reactions may work for a time, Yet they are still not the master within the barrier. Do you understand?

If you do not sit upright in the hall, How will you respond to the two ends of opportunity?

Master Zhaozhou and Attendant Yuan were engaged in a contest of humility, not superiority. Zhaozhou said, "I am like a donkey." Yuan replied, "I am like the donkey's stomach." Zhaozhou said, "I am like donkey dung." Yuan said, "I am like a worm in the dung." Zhaozhou asked, "What are you doing in there?" Yuan answered, "Passing the summer." Zhaozhou said, "Bring me a cake then."

The master commented: Too high, it cannot be pointed out; Too low, it cannot be reached. The eye strives to be first to grasp it, But victory comes through an unexpected move.

Master Xuansha addressed the assembly, saying, "Everywhere they speak of guiding beings and benefiting others. But if suddenly three kinds of sick people were to come, how would you guide them? For one who is blind: you raise the whisk or hold up the staff, yet he cannot see. For one who is deaf: you speak the profound teaching, yet he cannot hear. For one who is mute: you ask him to speak, yet he cannot utter a word. If you cannot guide such people, then the Dharma has no power."

A monk asked Yunmen for instruction. Yunmen said, "You, bow." The monk bowed. Yunmen struck him with his staff. The monk stepped back and said, "You are not blind." Yunmen then called him to come closer. The monk came forward. Yunmen said, "You are not deaf." Then he asked, "Do you understand?" The monk said, "I do not understand." Yunmen said, "You are not mute." At this, the monk had an awakening.

The Master said, "Yunmen laid it out plainly. This monk truly responded. Yet tell me, where was the awakening? An incurable illness is hard to treat with needle or moxa."

The monk bid farewell to Great Compassion. Compassion asked, "Where are you going?" The monk said, "To Jiangxi." Compassion said, "Can you take this old monk with you?" The monk said, "Not only can I not take you, but even someone greater than you could not be taken." The master said, "Great Compassion failed to find a companion. This monk is better off traveling alone. It must be like this to succeed. Even if Great Compassion were an ancient Buddha, he would have no way to deal with this stubborn fellow. Tell me, what other strengths does he have?"

A monk asked Master Shishuang, "Why is it that, though we are so close, I cannot see the master's face?" Shishuang replied, "I say, nothing is hidden throughout the whole realm." The monk then asked Master Xuefeng, "What is the meaning of 'nothing is hidden throughout the whole realm'?" Xuefeng said, "Where is there not Shishuang?" The master [Changlu] said, "How far apart are Shishuang and Xuefeng? Truly, it is a thousand, ten thousand miles. If someone were to ask Changlu about the ultimate meaning of 'nothing is hidden throughout the whole realm,' I would say to them, 'Where is Shishuang?'"

The verse of the Three Equalities says:

The Master said, "Even when we meet face-to-face, there is no connection. The six gates are left unguarded, the four crossroads are empty. The whole world is radiant light, the entire body has no front or back. The shuttle's thread does not hang on the loom's head; patterns spread freely, each meaning unique."

A monk came to take his leave of Master Dasui. Dasui asked, "Where are you going?" The monk replied, "I am going to Mount Emei to pay homage to Samantabhadra." Dasui raised his whisk and said, "Manjushri and Samantabhadra are right here." The monk drew a circle in the air and tossed it behind his back. Dasui said, "Attendant, bring a cup of tea for this monk." The master commented: "Those who understand the Dharma are cautious; those who underestimate their opponent are doomed. To separate cream from water, one must be a king among geese."

When Xuansha saw Gushan arriving, he drew a circle. Gushan said, "No one can escape this." Xuansha replied, "I know you're just living like a donkey in the womb or a horse in the belly." Gushan asked, "What about you, Master?" Xuansha said, "No one can escape this." Gushan said, "Why can you escape it, but I cannot?" Xuansha answered, "I can, but you cannot." The Master commented, "Xuansha is like someone who bullies others by relying on his power, overpowering the weak. Since he can turn it around and play with it, why does he say, 'I can, but you cannot,' when both are the same? Truth cannot be hidden; falsehood cannot be concealed."

Master Xuedou cited an ancient sage's words: "You cannot tolerate sand in your eyes, nor water in your ears." Suppose there is someone who truly believes this, holds firm, and is not deceived by others. To them, the teachings of the patriarchs and buddhas are nothing more than the clatter of hot bowls. Such a person should simply hang up their alms bowl and break their staff—they are sure to become a person of no affairs.

Then again, it is said: "You can tolerate Mount Sumeru in your eyes, and the great ocean in your ears." For an ordinary person who accepts others' guidance, the teachings of the buddhas and patriarchs are like water to a dragon, or a mountain to a tiger. They should shoulder their alms bowl and carry their staff—they too are a person of no affairs.

Yet again, it is said: "Neither this way nor that way will do, and then there is no connection at all." Among these three persons of no affairs, choose one as your teacher.

The Master said: "Sitting still, you cut off heaven and earth; establishing the world, you blend with the ordinary. Each has their own strengths. So tell me, which one should be chosen as teacher?"

Suddenly raising his staff, he said: "It has already pierced through."

Dongshan asked Elder Mi, "What are you doing?"

Mi replied, "Sewing."

Dongshan asked, "What is this sewing like?"

Mi said, "Every stitch is the same."

Dongshan said, "We've practiced together for twenty years, and you say something like this?"

Mi asked, "And what would you say, Elder?"

Dongshan said, "The whole earth catches fire."

The Master said, "When the whole earth catches fire, there's not a hair's breadth of space. The South Sea and Mount Kunlun, yet the heavens are cold and do not cover. From patriarch to patriarch, it's passed down—a single head, bumping and knocking."

Minister Chen Cao and the other officials were on the tower when they saw several monks approaching from afar. An official remarked, "A few Zen practitioners are coming." Chen said, "They are not." The official asked, "How do you know they are not?" Chen replied, "Wait and I will verify it." When the monks reached the foot of the tower, Chen called out, "Venerable ones!" The monks looked up. Chen said, "See, I told you they were not." The officials were left speechless. The Master said, "Minister Chen Cao openly snatched it away right in front of them—not a single speck could be hidden from Changlu."

Xuefeng served as the monastery cook under Dongshan. One day, while washing rice, Dongshan asked, "Are you washing away the sand to leave the rice, or washing away the rice to leave the sand?" Xuefeng replied, "I wash away both sand and rice at once." Dongshan said, "Then what will the assembly eat?" Xuefeng immediately overturned the basin. Dongshan said, "You will meet another teacher in the future." The master commented, "Xuefeng was so focused on climbing higher step by step that he didn't notice his straw sandals had worn through. If one harmonizes the absolute and relative, and blends instruction with response, then words and spirit naturally align, and teacher and student resonate. Tell me, why did Dongshan not approve of Xuefeng's understanding? When the sky is cloudless for ten thousand miles, it still bears a fault; the moon finds it hard to appear in a mirror-like emerald pond."

A monk asked Master Bajiao, "There is one who does not abandon birth and death, and does not attain nirvana. Will the Master still guide them?" Bajiao said, "This mountain monk roughly recognizes good and bad." The Master said, "Although Bajiao recognizes good and bad, he cannot yet lead the plowman's ox or take food from the hungry. Now, if someone asks Changlu, I will respond with a shout. Why is this so? Because I have never recognized good or bad."

Raising great compassion, he showed the assembly and said: "Speaking ten feet is not as good as practicing one foot. Speaking one foot is not as good as practicing one inch."

Dongshan said: "Speak of what cannot be practiced; practice what cannot be spoken."

Yunju said: "When practicing, there is no path of speech; when speaking, there is no path of practice. When neither practicing nor speaking, what path should one take?"

Luopu said: "When both practice and speech fail to reach, the original matter remains. When both practice and speech reach, the original matter disappears."

The master said: "Cut off right and wrong, erase all traces. Meeting without recognizing the face; recognizing the face without meeting. All these venerable elders each have their strengths. Now, on the tongue there is no barrier of ten characters; under the heel there is no five-colored thread. If you want to practice, just practice; if you want to speak, just speak. If someone asks Changlu: 'What is "if you want to practice, just practice"?' I say: 'Take a step.' 'What is "if you want to speak, just speak"?' I say: 'Ah.'"

Master Ju Shuiliao asked Master Ma, "What is the essential meaning of the Buddha's teaching?" Master Ma knocked him down with a kick. Shuiliao suddenly had a great awakening. Getting up, he laughed heartily and said, "All the countless Dharma gates, the immeasurable profound meanings—they are all found right at the tip of a single hair. Once you recognize the source there, it's done."

The master said, "Master Ma shouldn't have let him off so easily. After he got up and spoke like that, he should have asked, 'Just this single hair—where did it come from?' And when he hesitated to answer, he should have given him another kick."

An ancient master once said, "The long is the long Dharma-body, the short is the short Dharma-body." The master then asked, "Tell me, what would you call the Dharma-body of the god Śūnyatā?" After a long pause, he said, "Do you understand? You cannot lengthen a duck's legs or shorten a crane's, nor level mountains to fill valleys."

The verse on the Bag Monk says: "Maitreya, the true Maitreya." The master says: "Break through the face-gate." "Manifests in countless billions of bodies." The master says: "Strike the nostrils." "Constantly showing people of the time." The master says: "Raise your eyes high." "Yet people of the time all fail to recognize." The master says: "Concealed right before their faces."

The master further says: "This foolish leather sack blocks streets and lanes—truly there is no place to avoid it. Can you discern it? If you see cheeks behind the head, do not associate with them."

Master Zhaozhou said, "The ultimate way is not difficult; it only dislikes picking and choosing. As soon as there is language, there is picking and choosing, there is clarity. This old monk is not within clarity. Do you still cherish and protect it or not?"

At that time, a monk asked, "Since the master is not within clarity, what is it that you cherish and protect?"

Zhaozhou said, "I don’t know either."

The monk said, "Since you don’t know, why do you say you are not within clarity?"

Zhaozhou said, "Asking is enough. After bowing, you may withdraw."

The master said, "This monk was like cutting and polishing jade, yet he could not adapt to the moment. Zhaozhou was like carving and grinding, almost failing to handle the situation. In the assembly, some only say, 'Withdrawing is possible,' but they do not realize that one must exert full effort to uphold it. Do you understand? A hot brick strikes a frozen block all the way through."

Master Muzhou asked Elder Wuling, "When you realize it, a single hair-tip swallows the vast ocean; only then do you know the whole earth is but a speck of dust. What do you say to that?"

Wuling replied, "Who are you asking, Reverend?"

Muzhou said, "I'm asking the Elder."

Wuling said, "Why don't you grasp the meaning?"

Muzhou said, "I don't grasp the meaning. You don't grasp the meaning."

The Master said, "Both Muzhou and Wuling said they didn't grasp the meaning. But in between, there are those who, gazing greedily at the white-capped waves, lose their oar."

Then he raised his whisk and said, "Look!"

Master Nanquan once went to a village. By chance, the village head had prepared to welcome him. Nanquan said, "This old monk usually comes and goes without others knowing. Why have you made such elaborate arrangements in advance?" The head replied, "Last night, the local earth god informed me." The attendant then asked, "Since you are a great wise teacher, why were you seen by ghosts and spirits?" Nanquan said, "Add an extra portion of offerings before the earth god." The master said, "Changlu would not act this way. If I saw this village head speaking like that, I would seize him and say, 'I won’t let you go.' Why? Because it is said: 'The one who speaks of right and wrong is the very person of right and wrong.'"

A monk asked Master Dongshan, "If we constantly wipe clean and never let dust gather, why did the Sixth Patriarch not receive the robe and bowl?"

Dongshan replied, "Even if one says, 'Originally there is not a single thing,' it still does not qualify one to receive the robe and bowl. So tell me, who is truly worthy?"

The monk offered ninety-six responses, but none hit the mark. Finally, he said, "Even if it were offered, he would not accept it." Dongshan deeply approved.

Xuedou commented, "Since he would not accept it, that shows he has eyes. But if it were offered, he must be blind."

The master said, "Changlu sees it differently. One must indeed bring it forth. If it is not brought forth, how can one know it is not accepted? One must indeed not accept it. If one does not not accept it, how can one avoid bringing it forth? The one who brings it forth surely has eyes. The one who does not accept it is truly blind. Do you understand?

When illumination exhausts all forms, there is nothing to rely upon. The whole body merges with the great Way."

One hundred ancient cases have now been presented.