Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Tian'an Sheng, Volume 4

Recorded by Attendant Yiyuan

The master ascended the hall. The cook asked, "When the great matter is not yet clear, how should one cultivate and maintain oneself?"

The master said, "Cook the rice until it's well done."

The cook pressed further, "Once the great matter is clear, how should one conduct oneself?"

The master replied, "When eating, know when you're hungry and when you're full."

The cook said, "Joyfully partaking of the Dharma feast benefits both humans and gods."

The master said, "For thirty years I've been riding horses, yet today I'm knocked down by a donkey." Then he added, "For thirty years I've been riding horses, yet today I'm knocked down by a donkey—knocked flat on the ground, with no one to help me up."

He struck his staff and said, "Fortunately, this staff of mine has the strength to prop me up. Otherwise, I would have fallen straight to the Vajra Wheel's edge, with no place to rest my feet. If I met Linji now, I'd have to retreat three thousand miles; if I saw Deshan, I'd have to step aside and let him pass. The staff would say, 'Elder! Elder! Usually you're so tough, pressing down on buddhas and patriarchs—why are you so yielding today?'"

He chuckled and said, "Staff! You don't understand—stepping back and yielding to others is also the act of a great person."

Evening assembly. "All of you gathered here are my disciples. Since you are my disciples, you are all members of this household. And since you are members of this household, you have already seen everything this house contains. Having seen everything, there is no need for formalities between us. Without formalities, you may drink tea when tea is offered, eat when food is served, sleep in a bed if one is available, or make do with a mat if not—take what comes, as circumstances allow, and settle into the guest quarters as you will.

So then, what of this mountain monk? When we meet, nothing special happens—yet when you are not here, I still think of you."

The Master ascended the hall. A question was asked: "Having lived in this world for eighty-five years, the clear stream and bright moon illuminate the meditative mind. Now, though aged and frail, I rejoice that the true self remains ever new." The Master said: "Old age should bring greater vigor."

Another asked: "On the ancient, long road, travelers are few; Virtue Cloud ever dwells on Mystic Peak. Only when Good Wealth reached the summit did he see him face to face—how could those unawakened ordinary beings ever glimpse his traces?" The Master said: "An eighty-year-old man rolls an embroidered ball."