Recorded Sayings from Stone Treasure Chan Monastery on Mount Taigong

The Master was in Longtan, Qijiang, and accepted the invitation from Elder Cang'e and others to enter the temple.

Three Gates. He said: "To ascend the precious hall of stone, first cross the stone gate's threshold. Since the path of practice is ever more solid, tell me, how do you enter? Ha! Since the eightfold path has been laid wide open, there has always been one great road."

The Buddha Hall. He said: "Shakyamuni has passed into the past, Maitreya has yet to arrive. This very moment, this new stone treasure—whom should we bow to now?" He gave a sharp shout.

The abbot said, "If you set up a single speck of dust, the nine rooms of the monastery become blazing hot; if you set up not a single speck, the eight-sided skylight remains empty and silent." Pointing to the attendant, he said, "To set it up is you; not to set it up is also you."

Picking up the commentary, it says: "The hundred thousand Dharma gates, the boundless profound meanings—all are revealed in their entirety right before our eyes. Why then seek them elsewhere? Yet even so, it is still necessary for everyone to truly understand."

The Dharma Seat. Striking the ground with his staff, he said: "The stone treasure seat is vast and high, unreachable by climbing or gazing. This old man personally encountered it, yet today I'm dragged and pulled by a bunch of shameless people—the net of karma is hard to escape. Is there anyone here with true discernment? Watch the stone treasure leap!" He then ascended the seat.

After offering incense and praying for the emperor's well-being, he finally took up a stick of incense and said: "This incense cannot be named, cannot be described, cannot be grasped, cannot be discarded. When met with strength, it becomes weak; when met with softness, it becomes firm. Born in a remote village, it flaunts itself at the crossroads. Its sound echoes across the seas, its value is esteemed throughout the world. I now lift it and place it in the incense burner, respectfully offering it to the Great Master Pòshān, the thirty-first patriarch in the Linji lineage, residing at the Double Cassia Hall of the Fúguó Temple on Wànzhú Mountain in Liángshān County, Kuízhōu Prefecture, in gratitude for the nourishment of the Dharma."

Adjusting his robe and sitting in meditation posture, after the leading monk struck the wooden block, the master said: "If one does not meet the right person, it is hard to open the mouth of utmost sincerity. If words do not convey true meaning, there is no opportunity for a face-to-face nod of understanding. Today, I am fortunate that the venerable Cāng'é has sought me out three times at Dragon Pool and brought me here to share the seat and exchange pointers with all you Chan practitioners. It seems the right person has been met, and words have conveyed true meaning. Though this old monk lacks the mouth of utmost sincerity, this staff of mine cannot lightly yield."

Suddenly striking the ground once, he said: "Who is the one who nods in understanding face-to-face? Step forward and converse with this old monk."

After the questions and answers concluded, the master held his staff horizontally, gave a shout, and said: "Do you understand this scene? A single staff moves freely across the land—not that it lacks skill in proclaiming the teachings, but the tongueless child resents too many words."

The winter meditation session began, and the Master ascended the teaching seat.

A monk asked, "All sentient beings possess Buddha-nature. Why do they not recognize it?"

The Master said, "Not recognizing it can save half of them."

The monk pressed, "What about the other half?"

The Master said, "Ask the stone earth-god in front of the gate."

A monk asked, "There is Linji's Three Mysteries and Three Essentials, and Yunmen's One-Word Barrier. Setting aside the One-Word Barrier for now, what about the matter of the Mysteries and Essentials?"

The Master said, "Pierce through the skull."

The monk asked, "What is the First Mystery?"

The Master said, "Before the ancient mirror is formed."

The monk asked, "What is the Second Mystery?"

The Master said, "The ancient mirror is already polished."

The monk asked, "What is the Third Mystery?"

The Master said, "The ancient mirror reflects without bias."

The monk asked, "What is the First Essential?"

The Master said, "Crush the void—no trace or sign."

The monk asked, "What is the Second Essential?"

The Master said, "The sun rises, its bright light shines everywhere."

The monk asked, "What is the Third Essential?"

The Master said, "Blind horses and blind donkeys share the fodder."

The monk asked, "The Three Mysteries and Three Essentials are understood clearly. What about the One-Word Barrier?"

The Master gave a mighty shout.

The monk bowed and said, "The nostrils of Linji and Yunmen are in your hands, Venerable. Is there any distinction between them?"

The Master struck him and said, "Strung together on one thread."

A monk asked, "What is the hair-splitting sword?"

The Master raised his staff and said, "Look carefully."

The monk asked, "Before it leaves the scabbard, how is it?"

The Master struck him and said, "Corpses strewn for ten thousand miles."

The monk asked, "After leaving the scabbard, how is it?"

The Master struck him again and said, "Even the blue sky must taste the staff."

Then he planted his staff firmly and said, "A blazing furnace, fierce tongs and hammers—they temper the sage and the ordinary, melt down demons and buddhas. Even if someone with a head of bronze and brow of iron, forged of pure steel—neither buddha nor demon, neither ordinary nor sage—comes before me, this old monk will not spare effort. I'll use plenty of charcoal and coal, and ensure they pass through the red furnace several times, endure several rounds of fierce handling, melting away all their old knowledge and bad habits, completely tempering their notions of sagehood and ordinariness. I'll make sure they are fully adorned, utterly majestic, upright in form and shadow, bringing glory to the past and prosperity to the future. Assembly! At just such a time, what is the phrase that traces the root and credits the work?"

He planted his staff once more, gave a shout, and said, "Testing jade requires passing through fire; seeking pearls cannot be done without mud."

The master ascended the platform. Suddenly raising his staff, he said: "The Way is in daily life, yet in daily life we fail to recognize it. Shitting and pissing, eating and dressing—each one fully reveals the true meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West. If so, why do we strike three thousand times in the morning and eight hundred times in the evening? After all, what principle are we trying to clarify?" Then he planted his staff firmly and said: "I have nothing to hide from you."

The master ascended the hall. A monk asked, "If I step forward, I violate the principle; if I step back, I lose my place. Neither forward nor back—what should I do?" The master said, "Thirty blows right at your heels." The monk pressed, "If both forward and back are cut off, and no boundaries are established, how then should one dwell?" The master struck him and said, "In the deep of night, with nothing left to do, rest your head on a stone by the stove."

Another asked, "Before black and white are distinguished, what then?" The master said, "Exactly." The monk asked, "After black and white are distinguished, what then?" The master said, "Revealed." The monk asked, "Between distinguished and not distinguished, what then?" The master said, "Pierce."

The master then said, "Pushed forward, it won't go—like a pearl rolling on a plate. Pulled back, it won't retreat—like a plate rolling a pearl. This is not some miraculous function, nor is it the natural order of things. From ancient times to now, it is neither ordinary nor extraordinary. Even if you reach such a state, what then?" Clapping his hands, he laughed heartily and said, "A cow's horns are naturally sharp; a goat's horns are naturally curved."

The master ascended the platform and said: "Trampling the stones of Epang Palace, they rush about in alarm and haste. Yet it remains the business of children and grandchildren—the grandfather never left the hall."

The Great Way is right before your eyes, yet it's hard to see even what's right before you. If you wish to recognize the true essence of the Great Way, it is not separate from sounds, forms, and words.

He raised his staff and said, "Do you see it? Those with eyes all see it." He thumped it once and said, "Do you hear it? Those with ears all hear it. Since you all see and hear it, this is sound, this is form. Now tell me: What is the true essence of the Great Way?"

He thumped it once more, gave a shout, and said: "The moon in the timeless, clear, empty pond— only after trying to grasp it again and again do you truly know."

The master ascended the platform and said: "When you eat, your mouth gets wet; when you wash your face, your hands get wet. This matter is originally complete and present—everyone knows it exists. But it's just that you shouldn't casually ask about it. When questioned, ten people out of five pairs—eyes darting like shooting stars, mouths tight like carrying poles—still end up facing forward or turning their backs, unable to grasp the Dharma smoothly." He slapped his knee and said: "Precisely because it's so clear, you end up attaining it all the more slowly."

The master ascended the hall. A question was asked: "The three delusions of coarse, subtle, and thought—should they be used or not used?"

The master said: "A desperate ape clings to its young, its chest burning with anxiety; a mother bird bereft of her chicks shivers in the cold of midnight."

Another asked: "This student's practice does not progress. I beg the master, in your compassion, to give instruction."

The master said: "If you guard it too tightly, the son steals the family wealth; if you leave the gate unguarded, the father passes the family business to the son. Go and reflect on this."

Then he said: "Daily casting your fishing line into the emerald waves—what is your intent in the deep pool and the great swells? You must penetrate directly to where the old dragon lies hidden, and drink dry the river of the Western Sea. Yet the place where the old dragon lurks is difficult to reach. If you reach it, you lose your life; if you do not reach it, doubt will plague you your whole life. But if you truly arrive at such a place, you will surely make the old dragon draw in its tongue and retract the pearl beneath its chin. Heaven and earth will turn over, mountains crumble and seas split open. Then you may sleep in the dragon's palace and rest in the tiger's den. Who then can have any dealings with you? Suddenly, a thunderclap erupts from level ground—a single staff becomes a vast, long tongue."

He gave a shout.

The master ascended the hall and cited: "Venerable Zhaozhou said, 'A golden Buddha cannot pass through the furnace, a wooden Buddha cannot pass through fire, a clay Buddha cannot pass through water—the true Buddha sits within.'"

The master said: "Venerable Zhaozhou, an ancient Buddha, would often reveal a single principle through a single circumstance. His gaze could illuminate the four directions, yet this very turn still leaves half in shadow. According to Stone Treasure's understanding, however, it is not so: the golden Buddha must pass through the furnace, the wooden Buddha must pass through fire, the clay Buddha must through water—the true Buddha has no fixed abode. If among you there is an outstanding monk who hears this citation, he might step forward and declare: 'Venerable! These very words of yours are precisely what leave half in shadow.'"

He struck his staff once and said: "You thought the beard was red—but there is one with a redder beard."

The Buddha attained enlightenment, and the master ascended the platform. "For six years, enduring hunger and hardship, a single star pierced the eyes. Just as they say Shakyamuni reached perfect awakening, the noon sun still strikes the third watch."

The master ascended the platform. "A match head suddenly leaps and dances, striking and shattering the kitchen god's eyebrows. The bottomless steamer's resentment surges to the heavens, while the firecracker head bursts out in laughter. Don't blame Shibao for speaking backwards and upside down—I fear you are not a clever deity. If you truly are a deity, spare us the clamor of bells and chimes." He struck the ground with his staff and said, "I'll burn another coin for you. Don't mistake the wine tray before the gods—don't say we meet but do not recognize each other. The stone-pillowed fisherman covers his face with a net." Then he gave a shout.

The master ascended the hall. A question was asked: "Where is the place where a student's mind does not waver?" The master said: "What bowl are you seeking?"

Then he continued: "The affection between father and son is one, without distinction between self and other; the way of ruler and minister is in harmony, far removed from separation or closeness. In governing the nation and ordering the family, the call from above meets the response from below. Entering is like a vine clinging to a tree; emerging is like an arrow leaving the bowstring. Not only does it pierce through nine layers of armor, but it also directly penetrates the myriad affairs of state. Sometimes the bow and arrow are both withdrawn, and even the sharp edge falls to the ground. Now tell me, where does the advantage and disadvantage lie?"

With a thundering shout, he declared: "The king's decree has spread throughout the land; beyond the frontier, the general has quelled the dust of battle."

The master ascended the hall. Just as firecrackers burst, he said: "With one crack of the firecracker, heaven and earth lose their color. The chanting dragon and roaring tiger all curl their tongues in silence. Stubborn emptiness falls to the ground; the diamond skull splits apart. In an instant, turning their heads, the rainbow bridge breaks. Where there seems to be connection, there is none; where there seems to be none, there is connection. Passing clouds vanish into empty stillness. Elder Yi delivers such a message—tell me, what season is this?"

He raised his staff and drew a circle in the air, saying: "Different, different— a single wheel of moon in the palace of vast cold."

The master ascended the hall. A monk asked, "The other day, the venerable master said, 'With the crack of a firecracker, heaven and earth lose their color.' Where exactly does its profound power lie?"

The master let out a sharp shout. The monk also shouted. The master said, "A good shout." The monk fell silent. The master then struck him and said, "Blocking the vital ford, neither ordinary beings nor sages can pass. Utterly seamless, completely free from contrivance, the Four Heavenly Kings halt in awe, the Eight Vajra Guardians step back in reverence. The buddhas of the three times and the ancestral teachers through the ages, arriving here, find their strategies exhausted and their spirits weary, through countless lifetimes and experiences. Yet now, I cannot but loosen the guiding thread, winding and opening side paths. The crossroads stretch in all directions, a thousand differences converge on the same track. Further, I let the three vehicles and the ten grounds come and go freely; the four sages and the six ordinary states pass without hindrance. Even so, I dare ask the great assembly: Setting aside for now the matters of blocking and releasing, how would you speak the phrase where a single hair-tip contains the whole universe?"

He struck his staff once and said, "The great chiliocosm is but a bubble in the sea; all sages and worthies are like a flash of lightning, a stroke of a whisk."

The master ascended the teaching seat. "In the tangled grass, rabbits and foxes make their dens; alone on the barren peak, the earth yields no growth. Where have the goddess and the King of Xiang gone? They do not ride the imperial carriage, but walk the rainbow bridge. Assembly! These four lines can encompass the entire lifetime of skill of the old man Linji. Within them, there is one phrase that can both release and seize, that can both kill and give life. If you understand it, you may as well bring word of it to the abbot's quarters."

Lantern Festival, end of the retreat, entering the hall. A monk asked: "With three suns opening the way to peace, all plants receive grace. Yet there is still a parting phrase—how can it be shown to others?" The master immediately struck him. The monk pressed: "So, waving my hand, I leave Chang'an." The master struck again, saying: "Not so easy." The monk flicked his sleeve and turned to leave. The master let out a thundering shout, then said:

"Without liberation, without bondage—for ninety days drawing a circle on the ground as a prison. With realization, with practice—throughout the day, driving stakes and rowing the boat. Those who drive stakes and row the boat—truly, they do not move an inch. Those who draw a circle on the ground as a prison—nonetheless, they can travel the whole world. Traveling the whole world yet not moving an inch—what is this? Digging holes in the void, cutting good flesh to treat a sore? If you examine it carefully, it all becomes calculation. You simply do not realize: the sun does not need fire to be hot; the wind does not need the moon to be cool. Ducks are short, cranes are long; pines are straight, thorns are crooked—originally not borrowing from each other, why seek outside? Even so, if you never reach the Lantern Festival, how would you know there is a night of lanterns?"

Then he rose, held his staff horizontally, gave a shout, and said: "Why is the practitioner so busy? For whose sake is the mind so anxiously attached? A single stubborn stone treasure—celebrated and offered to for so long." He tapped his staff and descended from the seat.