Recorded Sayings of Master Yushan, Volume 5

Residing at Tianning Chan Monastery in Yangzhou

On the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month in the nineteenth year of the Kangxi reign, the Master, residing at Longshu Baiyun Monastery, accepted the invitation from Li Duijian of Yangzhou, his son, the local gentry, literary scholars, lay devotees, senior monastics from various quarters, and the entire assembly of the monastery to take up residence at Tianning Chan Monastery. He entered the monastery on the eighteenth day of the second lunar month of the following year.

On that day, Venerables Tianjing and Lingxi from Nianhua Hermitage, along with the patrons of the Li household, requested the Master to ascend the hall to give a Dharma talk.

Holding incense, he said: "This single stick of incense, matching the sun and moon in brilliance, equal to heaven and earth in vastness, is lit in the burner to sincerely pray for the long life of our present emperor, ten thousand years upon ten thousand years. May it bring about the melting of weapons into plowshares, the breaking of arrows into firewood, peace throughout the land, and prosperity for all people."

He then held another stick of incense and said: "This single stick of incense, emerging as an auspicious sign, dwelling as a precious jewel, is offered to the esteemed officials of this prefecture, the local gentry, provincial graduates, literary scholars, and lay devotees. May they be blessed with the five fortunes, hold high positions, support the state with the words of the sages, and protect the Dharma in accordance with the Buddha's instruction at Vulture Peak."

Again, he held incense and said: "This single stick of incense has root and source, yet no branches or leaves. Today, I explicitly declare it, even if some may find me verbose. It is dedicated solely to making offerings to my late teacher, the Venerable Old Monk Jubo of this very hall, in gratitude for the Dharma nourishment he provided."

Adjusting his robe, he took his seat. The leading monk struck the wooden block and proclaimed: "For this assembly of dragons and elephants, behold the supreme truth!"

The Master said: "Roaming the rivers and lakes for twenty springs, returning, I find my temples newly grey. Earnestly I speak to all you virtuous ones: I am the one of old, yet not the one of old. Is there anyone who can mutually verify this? Please step forward."

Venerable Xingjiao came forth and asked: "Occupying the seat of the Lamp King, the ancestral decree is transmitted through descendants; sitting upon the jeweled flower throne, the father's work is carried on by the son. This principle I have long been intimately acquainted with. But how is the matter beyond this to be pointed out?"

The Master said: "I cannot deceive Venerable Xingjiao."

Xingjiao advanced, saying: "The Venerable should not yield to others."

The Master said: "We must all lend a hand."

Xingjiao said: "If so, then you are supporting the turning of the true Dharma wheel of our late teacher."

The Master said: "What fortune this is!"

Xingjiao said: "Just as Linji of old established Huangbo's essential teaching with two questions and two blows, how would you discuss the message within the staff?"

The Master struck with his staff and said: "The proof is right before your eyes."

Xingjiao said: "Now that the Venerable opens the hall, with what essential Dharma will you establish our late teacher's teaching?"

The Master said: "How is it you still don't grasp the point?"

Xingjiao said: "It can be said: when the sun and moon rise, the torch fire is extinguished."

The Master said: "Assembly, remember this turning of words."

A monk asked: "The Hu-tuo lineage flows directly to Hanjiang. May I ask the Venerable: What is the phrase of continuity?"

The Master said: "The source is verifiable."

The monk said: "If I had not come forward, how would I know the truth of it?"

The Master said: "What, then, is the truth of the matter?"

The monk said: "Today can be called one prize, two victories."

The Master said: "None but you, Venerable, would know this."

The monk said: "The prediction at Vulture Peak was no more than this."

The Master said: "You jest with me."

Another monk asked: "Extraordinary guidance I shall not ask about. What about the matter of direct pointing in full view?"

The Master said: "You are a monk from Wuchang city."

The monk said: "If so, then wooden men dance and stone maidens sing."

The Master said: "And what tune is that?"

The monk shouted. The Master immediately struck him.

Then he said: "Tianning, an ancient temple, a renowned monastery in the Huai-Chu region, is a gathering place for humans and devas, a ground trodden by dragons and elephants. Past Buddhas have already entered nirvana; future Buddhas have not yet appeared. Right now, the Dharma is entrusted to this very day. So, what of today's affair? If you can utter a single phrase here, then you will see the wind and moon ever fresh by the translation platform, the pavilions and towers still standing before the Great Tree Hall. The past fundamentally unchanged, how can the present be altered? It remains the vast gate, the true treasure abode. If you cannot speak, watch as the new Tianning adds legs to a painted snake!"

Suddenly raising his staff, he planted it down and said: "Look! Look! Right here is the Bodhi ground, the Hall of Universal Light, the Great Banner of Peace, the Most Auspicious Land. Therefore, all the sages of the past blew the great Dharma conch, beat the great Dharma drum, turned the great Dharma wheel, and expounded the great Dharma essentials. Not a single dust mote fails to manifest a form-body; not a single instant fails to accomplish perfect enlightenment. Ultimately speaking, though names are manifold, in reality there is no manifoldness; though appearances are manifold, in nature there is no manifoldness. Virtuous ones, if you realize the place where the nature of non-manifoldness settles, then you enter the samadhi of equality in the space of an instant. Only then will you know that old Śākyamuni, before leaving Tuṣita Heaven, had already descended into the royal palace; before emerging from his mother's womb, his work of liberating beings was already complete. The ten periods of past and present, beginning and end, never leave the present thought; the boundless seas of worlds, self and other, are not separated by a hair's breadth. Then, in the space of a hair's breadth, one can broadly perform Buddha's work, manifesting the immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable ocean of liberation, manifesting the immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable ocean of spiritual powers, manifesting the immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable ocean of wisdom, manifesting the immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable ocean of merit and virtue, and even compassion, joy, and giving—all are immeasurable, boundless, and inconceivable, all fully complete on the tip of a single hair. Just as in the past, during the Avataṃsaka assembly, when the laywoman Possessor of Virtue attained the gate of inexhaustible treasury of merit, from a single small vessel she provided abundant, immeasurable delicious food and drink. Or again, like the wise layman Attainer of Spontaneous Birth, when he attained the gate of treasury of merit that arises according to intention, looking up at the sky, he caused immeasurable jewels to rain down, satisfying the minds of all beings. There is such supreme excellence, such abundant benefit, such spiritual wonder, such virtuous function. Therefore, in the past, during the Taiyuan era of the Jin dynasty, the Venerable Bhadanta resided here and translated the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra*, moved the Blue Dragon messenger to protect the Dharma—traces of this sacred event still remain. And in the Tang dynasty, the Venerable Fu also lectured on the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* here, was provoked by a Chan practitioner and awakened to the Way—his fragrant name does not fade even today. Virtuous ones! The *Avataṃsaka* takes the Dharma Realm as its principle; the *Nirvāṇa* takes Buddha Nature as its principle."

Again, he planted his staff down and said: "You must know that the Dharma Realm and Buddha Nature are never separate from right here. If you can accept this here, within the gate of expounding the teaching, it is sufficient to behold the light. But from the perspective of the true eye of a patch-robed monk, this is still one who leans on grass and clings to trees. Have you not heard? In recent times, when Venerable Lingyin Li resided on this mountain, one day he addressed the assembly, saying: 'This mountain monk has kept a mangy tiger since childhood; it lives on meat. Why does it not eat itself?' After a long pause, he said: 'Yunmen understands fasting.' Venerable Lingyin, possessing great compassion, was thus able to erect virtue from a corpse on level ground, perform the work of blood-oath in the midst of thorns. Admirable, indeed! Yet, he only had the tongs and hammer of his original color, lacking the outstanding skill to transcend the crowd. This little grandson of Tianning is not so. This mountain monk has kept a mangy tiger since childhood; with bared fangs and bristling mane, it sits blocking the path. When it casually lets out a roar, not only does wind arise in the great ravines, but its might also shakes the tall forests. If there is anyone who can press out a path here and meet it face to face, this mountain monk's work of appearing in the world for this occasion will be complete. And what of the phrase about continuing the legacy, uniting hearts and virtue?"

After a long pause, he said: "Entirely relying on the strength of many hands to move mountains, we raise again the old monastery banner of Huainan."

The concluding block was struck, and he said: "Contemplate the Dharma of the Dharma King; the Dharma of the Dharma King is thus."

He descended from the seat.

On the nineteenth day of the second month, Senior Monk Hengming of Taizhou, along with lay devotee Liu Zhongchi, the mountain steward, invited the Master to give a Dharma talk.

Someone asked, "A poor old woman offering a single meal moved the heavens; what benefit does a lay devotee gain by providing a vegetarian feast for the assembly?"

The Master said, "Everyone is fully satisfied and sees the light."

The questioner pressed, "Guanyin Bodhisattva bought a flatbread, but when she put it down, it turned into a steamed bun."

The Master replied, "One person spreads a rumor, and ten thousand believe it as truth."

The questioner continued, "Grind flour from the wheat of his own land; sing songs only as a native of the imperial capital."

The Master asked, "Do you, Senior Monk, know how to sing?"

The questioner said, "When Hanshan met Shide, they clapped their hands and laughed heartily."

The Master said, "A truly wonderful melody."

Another asked, "Yesterday's Dharma talk was already made public; today you ascend the seat again. What essential Dharma are you ultimately expounding?"

The Master said, "The braying of a donkey and the barking of a dog reveal perfect penetration."

The questioner pressed, "How about from the Master's own perspective?"

The Master said, "The greatly compassionate Bodhisattva."

The questioner asked, "Is the new Tianning Temple truly different from other places?"

The Master said, "Where do you see this?"

The questioner replied, "If not for today's occasion, such a day would be hard to come by."

The Master said, "Whenever you meet someone, just present it like this."

Then he said, "Spring days are clear, the oriole sings, clearly proclaiming the wondrous meaning—why not lend an ear to listen? If you listen and grasp it, truly it is good. How excellent is Guanyin, emerging wholly from the wild grass. Now that the wild grass has emerged, tell me, where is Guanyin Bodhisattva right now?"

Then, with a mighty roar, he shouted once and said, "The gate of perfect penetration is wide open—who can tread directly the ancient imperial way?"

The two senior monks Shan Zhi and Hong Ji, leading layman Zhang Zhuming, requested the Master to ascend the hall for instruction. They asked: "The essence of emptiness must be personally realized; meditation and wisdom have no gate—do not cultivate in vain. What is the essence of emptiness?" The Master immediately shouted. They pressed further: "If so, then everyone has eyes on the crown of their head, and each person’s steps are free of selfishness." The Master said: "Tell me, where is your dwelling place?" They replied: "Before the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, great compassion is displayed." The Master said: "A disorderly Chan practitioner, as common as hemp and millet." They retorted: "Even the Master should not oppress the good and treat them as lowly." The Master struck them and said: "When told to stop, you refuse to stop—only when the rain soaks your head will you understand."

Then he said: "When the sky clears, the sun comes out; when rain falls, the ground becomes wet. To speak of the matter from the very beginning is already perfectly straightforward—what more need be said about the clear ancestral meaning in every blade of grass, with all phenomena shining brilliantly? I tell you: It is not mind, not Buddha—directly smashing the cave of spirits. You Chan practitioners are accustomed to speaking of suchness, prajñā, bodhi, nirvana. Hearing such words yet not recognizing their fallacy is like having no blood beneath the skin. How can this compare to the temple stewards at Tianning Monastery summoning all laborers? If not moving bricks, then hauling stones. If you try to understand this as mysterious or profound, would you not betray the lay donor who provided today’s meal offering?"

Evening assembly. "The spring wind cuts like a blade, the spring rain enriches like ointment. In the land beyond yin and yang, a single flower blooms into five petals—this I will not ask. But you, tell me: how do you speak the phrase of 'the fruit ripens naturally'?" The assembly's answers did not meet it. The master, stepping forward with hands clasped, said for them: "Not so far off, either."

Evening assembly. "From ancient times until now, what matters most is having no attachments whatsoever. If you seek the Buddha, the Buddha is just an old monk from the Western Heavens; if you seek the Dharma, the Dharma is merely worn-out paper from years past. Those who have attained great liberation rely on nothing and desire nothing; those who have truly realized the Way, what faction or bias do they have? Drag Shu Gang Ridge and Plum Blossom Ridge together to compete for height—strike them down one by one, so forcefully that Mount Tai leaps up to the Thirty-Third Heaven, shouting loudly: 'Great people possess great insight, great wisdom brings great function.' For Chan practitioners, hoping to match this naturally falls short. But if you simply know that rice makes a meal, then your time spent dozing off on Tianning's meditation seat will not have been in vain." Suddenly lifting the bamboo stick, he drew a line and said: "Now, the Buddha, the Dharma—I have swept them all away for you in one stroke. Whether you wander in front of the mountain gate or behind the Buddha hall, go east or west as you please—isn't this the greatest joy of your life?"

Abbot Songyu and Master Suyi, together with layman Ye Chunming, requested the Master to ascend the Dharma seat. A monk asked, "The warm breeze comes from the south, and the hall and pavilion feel slightly cool. What is the phrase that penetrates the Dharma-body?" The Master said, "What Yunmen said." The monk pressed, "Over vast watery fields, white egrets fly; in the deep summer woods, yellow orioles sing." The Master said, "When you penetrate it, I'll tell you." The monk continued, "What about 'where one hides, there are no traces; where there are no traces, do not hide'?" The Master said, "Mount Sumeru has nostrils." The monk asked, "Does such talk hold up or not?" The Master replied, "Whether it holds up or not has nothing to do with you." The monk said, "A thousand mountains end at the peak's edge; ten thousand streams' sounds vanish into the sea." The Master said, "I'll let you off for now."

Another monk asked, "I won't ask about the supreme vehicle, but what about the matter of celebrating the offering?" The Master said, "We'll see in the dining hall later." The monk said, "Then the field of merit in the Great Compassion Hall is widely sown." The Master said, "You still haven't shed your worldly air."

Another monk asked, "For ten thousand miles, not a wisp of cloud; even the blue sky must taste the stick. Whose realm is this?" The Master immediately struck with his staff. The monk hesitated in his response, and the Master said, "Your teeth still taste raw and astringent."

The Master then said, "What is this thing that comes thus? If you recognize it, it's still not it; if you don't recognize it, it's like the sun shining on spring mountains, like the moon reflected in autumn waters—each pattern naturally elegant, every transformation wondrously spiritual. Even if Linji's shout were like thunder, it couldn't diminish its radiance; even if Deshan's staff fell like rain, it couldn't enhance its worth. If you are true adepts meeting, what matters is how you respond in the moment, naturally fitting like needle and thread, blending like milk and water. If you try to connect through words or through silence, that's contrived arrangement—how could you ever dream of our ancestors' way? Haven't you heard Master Xuedou say: 'Meeting an enlightened person on the road, don't respond with words or silence; holding a white jade whip, he shatters every precious pearl.' See how ancient masters taught like this—directly, like a sharp blade leaving its sheath, awe-inspiring and majestic. Who dares look straight at it? Yet nowadays, fellow practitioners all cling to some particular state or mechanism, thinking they've attained realization. They don't recognize the pure, naked, and free essence beyond sound as the true master, but instead take the lively, turning phenomena before their eyes as the ancestral meaning. Stuck in greasy hats and smelly robes, shaking and swaying but unable to shed them—how can they hope to uphold the ancestral wind and keep the true eye flowing? Today, receiving the invitation from Masters Songyu and Suyi, along with layman Ye Chunming, to offer food to the sangha and request Dharma teaching, I couldn't help but ramble like this. Now, is there any outstanding person who transcends independently? If so, you too won't miss this meal in the dining hall later."

Evening assembly. "Why must one meditate on Chan? Why must one awaken to the Way? Awakening to the Way and meditating on Chan only become empty displays. Without such displays, every household's gate opens onto the road to Chang'an. Now, tell me, how does one directly reach the Hall of Supreme Harmony?" After a long pause, he struck the bamboo staff once and said: "Turn back and cross over again, or else remain in your place."