Shanciji Chan Master's Recorded Sayings (山茨際禪師語錄)

Residing at Dongming Chan Temple, Hangzhou Prefecture

Taking up incense at the ancestral stupa of Chan Master Saoyu, the Master said: "This old fellow has been hiding himself here for two hundred years, unknown to gods and humans, inaccessible even to Buddhas and Patriarchs. Today, his descendants in the Dharma have arrived and seen through him completely. But tell me, what proof is there of this?" He glanced around to both sides and inserted the incense.

For the Buddha's birthday, the assembly was addressed: When the World-Honored One was born, he pointed one hand to the sky and one to the ground, walked seven steps, and looked in all four directions, saying, "Above the heavens and below the heavens, I alone am the honored one." Later, Venerable Yunmen said, "If I had seen him then, I would have struck him dead and fed him to a dog, just to bring peace to the world." The Master said, "All the venerable elders of past and present praise Yunmen's words as extraordinary, saying this is truly repaying the Buddha's kindness by offering body and mind to the cosmos. But according to Dongming's examination today, that great Yunmen only has one eye. Why? Because he only looks ahead and never checks behind. This morning, in the fifth watch, Dongming lit a stick of incense, offered a cup of water, and called out 'Shakyamuni Tathagata' three times, then spread out his sitting cloth and bowed nine times. This is not just following the occasion, nor is it repaying kindness. Those with the eye to discern the Dharma, try to see through this for me."

Entering the hall, the master addressed the assembly, saying:

"Great Master Nanquan once said, 'This old teacher has been tending a water buffalo since childhood. If I try to let it graze east of the stream, it will inevitably eat the king's grass and water. If I let it graze west of the stream, it will also eat the king's grass and water. Better to just let it be and accept what comes—nothing is truly lost.'

My friends, do you understand where Nanquan's insight lies? If you do, then everything you do during the day—carrying earth, moving stones, dressing, eating, feeling joy or anger, sorrow or happiness, even answering nature's call—are all your own playful expressions of awakening, your own joyful meditation in action.

But if you don't yet see this, then carrying earth will make you a slave to carrying earth, moving stones will make you a slave to moving stones. Dressing and eating will trap you, joy and anger will sway you, even your most basic bodily functions will bind you.

So it is said: 'When you grasp it in your heart, even a stinking tree becomes sandalwood. When you miss the true meaning, even sweet dew turns into a field of thorns.'

Time flies swiftly—you must strive diligently. Once a day passes, that day is gone forever."

Suddenly, the master gave a sharp shout and left the hall.

The Master addressed the assembly, saying: "The ancients said, 'This way is not permissible, that way is not permissible, and this way or that way—both are not permissible.' Brothers, in the end, what way is permissible?" After a long pause, he said: "The dripping at the eaves is not due to rain; the thunder in the mountain stream is not the sound."