Three Yiyu Chan Master Recorded Sayings (三宜盂禪師語錄)

Volume 3 of the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Sanyi Yu

Compiled by Jingfan, disciple of the Yunmen Xiansheng Temple

Proofread by Qi Jingchao, Dharma Heir of Shanyin

Dharma Talks at Guzhu Ming Temple, Suzhou

On the tenth day of the twelfth month in the year of Yiwei, the congregation of donors invited me to enter the monastery.

Mountain Gate. "East to west, a hundred thousand miles; south to north, eight thousand miles — all myriad things sealed in one stamp, where sages and enlightened beings enter and depart. After winter solstice, spring returns; plum blossoms are like jade. With every step, a fragrant scent arises, as if treading on lotuses that touch the ground."

In the Buddha Hall: "Kalpas of stars, the Virtuous Kalpa, the Adorned Kalpa; the Dharma-body Buddha, the Reward-body Buddha, the Manifestation-body Buddha; the sounds of heaven, the sounds of earth, the sounds of humans; teaching horizontally, teaching vertically, teaching upside down." He pointed upward and said, "You only know how to draw a bow with your hand behind your back, but you don't consider that the thief might be right in front of you." Then he made three deep bows.

The temple. "Within the golden incense burner rises the fragrant offering that pervades the Dharma Realm; upon the wax candles, their light radiates in all four directions. Had you not long ago awakened the compassionate vow, we would be as distant as the stars Canopus and Antares, though close by."

The incense-offering verse says: "The leap month completes the year; pitch pipes harmonize with yin and yang."

"Eminent Ones. The great masters Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna broke through the wilderness of the Eastern Lands; Bodhidharma, the venerable one, chiseled a hole in primordial chaos. Baizhang set down the rules and regulations, driving a wedge right into the crown of the head. Today, I've run into a heartless fellow.” He then offered incense and said: “I'll burn this very piece.”

*Addressed to the meditation hall:*

"Kicking over the vast ocean, sitting with a roar that shakes heaven and earth— a single brushstroke darkens the Taihang Mountains for a thousand miles, the Yellow River runs clear for one whole turn. The tongue rages like a tidal wave, yet all remains utterly silent."

*He stamps his staff and says:*

"The blue-and-white-spotted leopard sheds its coat; the drops fall in the capital city of Ding."

That day, the Master took the pulpit, picked up the scroll, and said:

"The dragon's patterns and the phoenix's colors, cloud-like script and starry texts—they glow like pearls bright enough to illuminate a chariot, and are as smooth as jade fit to link a city. If these were carved and polished merely as decorations, what use would they be? Once they become patterned and adorned, they are already tainted. But if there is still simplicity before the diagrams, or poetry left unwritten after the Classic of Songs, then this old mountain monk would tie his mouth to the wall."

Then he handed the scroll over and said:

"Let the interpreter see if he can speak of it."

The teacher pointed to the Dharma seat and said, "The lion’s roar—golden everywhere; The elephant’s walk—flowers blooming across the fields. A frosty bird perches on a branch and sings one note, Breaking the spring colors at the mountain pass."

He then ascended the seat, offered incense, and said, "The place where all Buddhas arise: above the flowing waters at Sutai Terrace. A north wind comes from the north, and beneath the eaves, a slight chill stirs. We clear away the thorny thicket of confusion, And conjure a realm like the Jetavana garden. Sunbeams strike the window—phoenixes and lutes sing; The moon rides high on frosty tiles—mandarin ducks cast their shadows. This is the site of Maitreya’s enlightenment, In the midst of a bustling market; A Brahma king’s palace, In the smoke and wells of a city of blessings. Gold bricks laid side by side— Here, Minister Zhu, there, Minister Zhu; A precious sword held aloft— The king’s command, the Dharma king’s command. Bells, chimes, pipes, and songs— They wake you from a yellow-millet dream. I take old, stale goods, Haul them to the crossroads, And sell unleavened Hu cakes of the Yunmen School."

After a long pause, he said, "Take them."