Recorded Sayings from Qingzhou Dajue Chan Monastery
In the spring of the year Yǐwèi during the Shunzhi reign, the Master accepted the invitation to reside in the Great Enlightenment Abbot's quarters. On the first day of the fourth month, the assembly requested him to take charge of the monastery's affairs.
In the Buddha Hall. "Danxia adds a sharp point to an arrow, an old woman's heart grows anxious. A true hero need not dwell in lofty realms; Samantabhadra, who knows propriety and perfects music, serves as the standard." Then he lit incense and performed three full prostrations.
The Guardian Spirit of the Monastery. "His fame is resounding, his spirit radiant and pure. Since you, O Lord, already know me, there is no need for repeated reminders. Only believe that heaven and earth serve the one true sovereign."
Ancestral Hall. "One lamp's flame ignites, and a thousand lamps continue to glow; one auspicious flower blooms, and five leaves spread their fragrance. The new elder sets the stage once more, as tender green creeps swiftly over the low wall."
He holds the hall. "By occupying this hall, by enacting this command, he sits astride the Buddha's throat, severing the lives of all monks. Possessing a talent that encompasses heaven and earth, yet finding no gate to enter; equipped with the ability to seize horns and capture banners, a hammer is added behind the head. The new abbot is not one who exhausts the Dharma without regard for the people; from a single drop, the vast ocean is drained, yet one must see the leviathan churning the waves to the sky."
He picks up the commentary. "If it's not the first chapter of learning, why must the Master's words be proclaimed? Before the brush even moves, the essence is fully revealed. If you wish to hear this meaning restated, listen carefully to the next chapter of the sutra."
The Dharma Robe. "Shedding fine silks for coarse cloth, sitting fully exposed to the tide; leaving the green peaks and parting from the clouds, entering the bustling blue. From then on, the whole body is bound—for whom the toil, for whom the sweetness? Is there anyone who will vindicate the new elder? The clouds part over the Rooster's Foot Mountain, and Maitreya returns."