Lingrui Chan Master Yanhua Collection (靈瑞禪師嵒華集)

Chamber Inquiry

If Bodhidharma never journeyed to the Land of Liang, what would we call the Ancestor? If the Buddha never descended from the royal palace, what would we point to as the Awakened One? The great path lies plainly before you—why do you not walk it? All entanglements at your feet have dissolved—why do you not abide? Host and guest must exchange places—why is this old monk not the teacher, and the teacher not this old monk? The play of insight must arise in the moment—why does Caodong only speak of sovereign and minister, and Yunmen dwell so much on function and principle? Heaven cannot cover it, earth cannot support it—why can you not leap beyond this very spot? Nothing is more visible than the hidden, nothing more apparent than the subtle—why, when you look there, do you not see it? At the forge, why so much dull iron? At the healer's gate, why so many ailing?

The master went to Lingyan to pay respects to the abbot. The abbot asked, "I hear you've had some realization upon seeing the statue of the World-Honored One at his birth—try to show it to me."

The master gathered his sitting mat and said, "To explain it openly would ruin it."

The abbot said, "Later, if someone asks about the Buddha-dharma at Lingyan, how would you respond to them?"

The master said, "How would I dare to offend you, Master?"

The abbot gave a shout.

The master said, "Truly, such a thing is rarely heard across the ages."

The abbot said, "You've missed it."

The master gave a shout and left.

One day, the Master accompanied several fellow practitioners into the abbot's room. The abbot said, "Recently, there's been much discussion everywhere about the alms-bowl kōan. What do you make of it, fellow cultivator?" The Master replied, "Swallow it all in one gulp." The abbot said, "If you can swallow it but can't spit it out, that's truly a disaster." The Master said, "The abbot has a greatly compassionate heart." The abbot asked, "Where do you see that?" The Master said, "You're worrying on behalf of the ancients." The abbot laughed and said, "This old monk is at fault." The Master said, "I share half of that blame."

The master asked one day, "How do you understand the story of Angulimala saving a woman in labor?" The teacher said, "How dare I presume to spread such news carelessly?" The master said, "You cannot be considered Angulimala's disciple." The teacher said, "Master, you like picking up others' words." The master said, "You say, was the child born in his house a boy or a girl?" The teacher said, "Its face is right here before you." The master said, "A fine 'face right here before you' indeed." The teacher said, "Today I have implicated Angulimala." The master said, "It cannot be saved." The teacher bowed and said, "Fortunately, it was me."

After the rain, a monk asked, "The sky clears and the sun rises; rain falls and the ground is wet—what is the meaning of this?" The master said, "The eyes of the assembly are right here." The monk asked, "What if there is no eye, ear, nose, or tongue?" The master said, "Not even a bit can deceive it." The monk said, "In the heavens of neither perception nor non-perception, how many have stepped back from their positions today?" The master said, "Since you didn't ask, I didn't answer." The monk said, "Speak! Speak!" The master said, "You're misleading the onlookers."