Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Gu Meilie of Weishan (溈山古梅冽禪師語錄)

Recorded Sayings of Ancient Plum Master Lie, Volume One

Attendant Zhenqian's Record

Recorded Sayings of Weishan Miyin Chan Temple, Tanzhou

In the autumn of the year 1669, on the twenty-first day of the ninth month, the Master, following the elder abbot's firm resolve to retire into seclusion at Seven Stars Lotus Pond, was invited by lay patrons such as Shao Dingheng and fellow monastics from various mountains—who had diligently undertaken the opening of the mountain—to the Furong Hall, where the Dharma seat was established and the teachings expounded.

The Mountain Gate. "When the tower opens, the door opens—in a snap of the fingers. Taking the path back home, it is one's own." Glancing left and right, he said, "Tell me, what is one's own? The beauty of the ancestral temple, the wealth of the many officials."

In the Buddha hall. "In the palms of ten fingers, all are Buddhas; amidst a crowd of a thousand, I alone am supreme. But tell me, how do we meet?" He glances around and says, "Look here with your eyes." Then he proceeds with the bow.

Weituo. "The entire earth is Dharma, the entire earth is protection. If you wish to protect all Dharma, you must have no Dharma to protect. Through countless eons of compassionate heart, entrusted at Vulture Peak."

The monastery. "Guard the land, keep count of those who come and go — this is the official's duty, this is the official's place. Today, the new elder has arrived, and all that is needed is to sit upright with folded hands and do nothing. Why? Because matters of the ritual vessels and offerings are left to the stewards."

The Ancestral Hall. "The forty-sixth generation, whose face is present now. Upon ascending the hall, entering and seeing, one bows." Then he prostrated himself fully.

Entering the abbot's quarters, [the master] said, "The abbot's room at Mount Gui is steep and hard to climb." Striking the staff, he said, "Climbed. When Elder Zhou Jin'gang arrives, he is not allowed to go from east to west; if Little Shakyamuni tries to slip past, how could he turn his head or hesitate?" Again striking the staff, he gave a shout.

An offering to the benefactors: "The people of the four regions, united in words upon a single scroll. Within it, there is no other purpose—learning Buddhism while understanding Confucianism."

A Discourse on Establishing Fellowship Among Fellow Disciples.

"The elder is like an elder brother, the younger like a younger brother—sharing the same breath of life, one in spirit. How wondrous that jade trees stand side by side, their branches intertwined! The fragrant breeze swirls around endlessly—what could ever surpass this?"

Holding up the mountain-summary text, the master said: "One family's good affair, a hundred families busy; one person appears in the world, ten thousand people praise." Raising the text, he said: "Tell me, where does this news come from?" The rector, who was handing over the text, said: "From the west, from the east, from the south, from the north."

The Dharma seat. "Dwelling in the vast abode, standing in the correct position, walking the great path—this is what is called a great person. If one is such a tamed and guided husband, what path does he take? To raise the seal of the formless Vairocana, one must walk atop a thousand peaks." Then he ascended.

(Incense offering.) "This first wisp of incense is noble and peerless, its preciousness beyond words. I offer it into the jeweled censer, devotedly praying for the long life of the emperor—may he live ten thousand, ten thousand, ten thousand years. May his reign bring blessings to all, and may every nation enjoy peace."

(Second incense offering.) "This wisp of incense is offered for the civil and military officials, the local magistrates, the protectors of the Dharma, and the honored guests gathered here. May they adorn the imperial banner, keep it ever steadfast, and may the sun of Buddhism shine with ever-increasing brilliance."

(Third incense offering.) "This wisp of incense, for fifteen years never left my side, among the multitudes I received the prediction and served personally. Today I offer it with full sincerity, dedicated to the thirty-third patriarch of the Linji lineage, the venerable Master Huishan of this very hall, in gratitude for the nourishment of the Dharma's milk."

(Adjusting his robes, he sits in full lotus.) The Master Fushan strikes the gavel and says, "All you dragons and elephants of this Dharma assembly, you should contemplate the foremost meaning."

The Master says, "The old shop has reopened, with dog meat, goat heads, and dead cats all laid out together. Let those who pay see the goods—refined gold, beautiful jade, and tangled vines, bring them forth quickly." After a pause, he says, "Two kinds of teaching are not the same; we gather them back into the superior category."

He then says, "At the peak of Vairocana, all distinctions are cut off. The spring of the utpala flower spreads fragrance for ten thousand miles. From ancient times, the establishment of schools and doctrines has made the ancestral path vast and flourishing. Now the source runs deep and the stream flows long; the school's style remains unbroken. We can manifest the jeweled king's realm at the tip of a single hair, and turn the great Dharma wheel within a single mote of dust.

For our elder in this hall, he has always illuminated heaven and reflected earth, shining through antiquity and today. Now that Dinglie has arrived here, how shall he unfold and display this?"

He lifts his staff and calls to the assembly, "Do you understand? The talisman hangs behind the elbow, picked up with a trusting hand. The fist follows the talisman; wherever there's a scene, we play our part. Everything is inherently present, not requiring anything from outside. Each move is already complete, not depending on the slightest effort. The father's work is inherited by the son—wielded sideways or used upside down. This is exactly what is meant by 'entering the forest without stirring the grass, entering the water without raising waves.'

Even so, the marvelous wings flap against the wind, their vast shadows veiling the sun. The divine dragon surges forth, making the seas swell and rivers overflow. Startling, the Elephant King rises, its body swaying with joy—without threatening the hundred beasts, the hundred beasts vanish from sight. Frightening, the water buffalo rears its majestic horns—without plowing the great earth, the great earth is all gathered in.

At such a moment, tell me—what auspicious sign appears?" He strikes the staff and says, "Ten thousand peaks all nod in homage; a thousand tiers of pavilions are renewed once more."

He rises and says, "Dinglie is weak in learning and shallow in knowledge, feeble in strength and small in practice. I have no merit to add to the tradition, and I am ashamed to bear this transmission. Moreover, this grand temple rises high, a jeweled shrine beyond compare. What virtue do I possess to take this burden upon myself and shoulder this hall's construction?

But because our elder in this hall devoted his heart at Mount Wei, enduring forty years of hardship and toil, and now in his twilight years, as his son it is fitting that I attend to him with bowl and towel. And since my brother monk and I, mindful of the Dharma gate, have heeded the request of a thousand people, lay and monastic alike—fully yielding and yielding to others—as the younger brother I must obediently follow the unchangeable decree. I have postponed many days, but there is no escape. So, for the celebration of the emperor's birthday and the opening of this Dharma seat, I reluctantly accept this task.

I pray that the sun of Buddhism and the sun of Shun shine together in the heavens, and that the nation's fortune and the Dharma's fortune may both flourish for ten thousand years."

Then he brings up: "Once, when Chan Master Lingyou of this mountain was sitting, Yangshan and Xiangyan stood in attendance. Lingyou raised his hand and asked, 'Nowadays, few are like this, but many are not like this.' Xiangyan walked from east to west and stood. Yangshan walked from west to east and stood. Lingyou said, 'This karmic connection, thirty years from now, will be like gold thrown on the ground.' Yangshan said, 'It still requires the Master to proclaim it.' Xiangyan said, 'Even now, it's not lacking.' Lingyou said, 'You have to grasp it yourself.'"

The Master says, "In ancient and modern times, when fathers, sons, and brothers exchange words on this matter, none was more vibrant than our Master Weishan. It's recorded in the lamp histories, evidence still inspectable. As for this very exchange, I, this mountain monk, will try to set it to verse:

A puppet show of flesh, Spirit and sharpness like children's play. "Like this," "not like this"— a scene that stirs the air for no reason.

Walking from east to west, Mount Sumeru soaks through. Walking from west to east, The great sea turns bright red.

Close your mouth! One phrase— Boundless scenes in mist and haze. A father, a son—gold forging gold. Brothers hard to match—water merging with water. Before the Hall of Good Dharma, laughter and talk, And to this day, for a thousand ages, all admire Weishan."

He strikes the gavel again and says, "Gaze deeply upon the Dharma King's Dharma—the Dharma King's Dharma is thus."

That evening, he bade farewell to the benefactors and supporters, the monastics from various mountains, and the elder monks from both halls, then gave a brief teaching. "For nine years I lay high on the blue mountain peak, long plagued by mist and clouds, my illness like autumn's hue. I thought the green hills would let me be lazy, yet somehow a staff carried me down from the cloud pavilion. Now that I have arrived here, I can only mix with mud and water, drift with the waves, and stir the vast ocean with a broken chopstick, hoping to make fish and dragons understand their true nature. Great assembly! Tell me, what is the saying about 'voices respond in harmony, spirits seek their kind'? A single breeze stirs the eight directions, and without reason, it brushes against the plum blossoms."

The one who manages affairs and leads the assembly steps forward to the hall, saying:

"The drum is beaten, the pipa is played—that is for those who understand. There is none to accept, none to reject; the way of righteousness intertwines. Those we meet are all people of old; only those of old are our true friends."

He flicks his whisk and says: "All at once, they are blown into my gate—I only wish the spring wind would exert its strength together."

Ascending the hall to offer thanks to Master Fushan. A monk asked, "The entire great earth is a single Dragon Pool—why is it that not a drop of water can be found within it?" The Master replied, "It would drown you without leaving your head above the surface." The monk pressed further, "Master, you hold such a view." The Master picked up his staff and said, "What view do you say I hold?" The monk hesitated, and the Master struck him. The monk let out a shout, and the Master struck him again. Then the Master said, "With single hearts and shared effort, he and I, bound by birth and death for over ten years—though not swift in stride, I march ahead bearing shield and spear." Rising, he said, "A brief verse humbly offered, I dare not waste words further." Then he continued, "I recall in the late spring of 1901, when the reverend master Yu'an of Tiantong met me at Weishan. Three days later, he invited my elder brother and Dinglie to speak to the assembly while he sat in attendance. He then presented Dinglie with this verse: 'Dragging plows and pulling harrows in those years admired, the quiet one and Xiangyan followed before and after. Today, fields of the ancestors are tilled anew, pair after pair of horns and hooves return as before.' Having come northward only ten years ago, I dared not follow up with my own lines. But today, as this occasion arises, I happen to match his rhyme, and may present it: 'Water springs from the blue lotus a thousand two hundred years ago, the five schools rose with Dahui leading—how can one succeed such fragrant traces? Yet I delight that father and son share this same hall.'"

I pay homage to the three venerable masters, Longmen, Xichan, and Tongqing, as I ascend the hall to speak.

"Old Master Miyun of Tiantong traced his lineage back to Caoxi and revitalized the Hutuo tradition. From his assembly emerged twelve outstanding teachers of wisdom, and my Grandmaster Wufeng was truly the foremost among them. Grandmaster Wufeng transmitted the Dharma to Master Yangzhuo, who in turn transmitted it to my honored teacher in this hall. Across two generations, the teaching passed down solely through this single line—never seeking branches elsewhere, holding the Dharma lineage with utmost solemnity and earnestness, always pursuing the genuine heart and true marrow of the transmission.

When my honored teacher's gate began to open wider day by day, his influence spread ever more widely. For over twenty years he guided students, with countless seekers coming to consult him, yet only a handful were entrusted with the transmission among us disciples. And even we few have remained modest, concealing our brilliance, practicing true and genuine conduct, complete in virtue, upright in character, and steady in strength. This very seat of Dharma before us—though we may defer in humility and yield in modesty—now that we have reached this point, we dull birds must simply take flight first."

Rising from his seat, he said: "I am grateful for your radiant support. I wish you all well."

The assembly, he went up to Furong Temple for the morning session. "Where does the moment come from? A word, two ends hanging down; where does the moment go? The body divides, seen in two places. Going, yet not truly going; coming, yet not truly coming. Throughout the world, no trace remains; the ancient sages made no arrangements. Even so, above heaven there is no Maitreya, below earth there is no Maitreya. Towering buildings cast layered shadows; in broad daylight, a person is robbed. It cannot be seen through form, nor sought through sound. Seeing a horn beyond the wall does not make it a cow. Here, there is nothing—wind sends the spring's sound to the edge of the mat; there, nothing is absent—moon shifts the flower's shadow before the window. So, what after all?" He looked around, left and right, and said, "Be careful not to mistake the shadow for the head." He gave a shout.

Furong returned and held the evening assembly. "Furong's old resident monk, Dagui's new elder—both shoulders bear equal weight. How fine is the staff? Even so, what difficulty is there in encompassing everything horizontally and vertically?" He then picked up his staff, struck it once, and said, "Strung together on one thread." He continued, "Encompassing all horizontally and vertically, heaven and earth fall within one's grasp. Step back or advance, every move is the reality of practice. Trample all underfoot in the world, squeeze out the bones of emptiness. Those who weep become laughter, those who laugh become weeping; the clinging are loosened, the loosened are bound. Sitting firmly across the ten directions, moving secretly one step—morning arrives in the Western Heaven, evening returns to the Eastern Land. In the pit, the pit is filled; in the valley, the valley is filled. This is not the wondrous function of Elder Lie's supernatural powers." He struck the staff again and said, "It is so because of the Dharma." Then he gave a shout.

At the Ten Thousand Lamps Festival, the two Dharma masters Xie Jueguan and Han Song addressed the assembly. "Lamp after lamp, handed down in succession, from one to ten thousand; every person inherently possesses this, uniting the ten thousand into one. The one encompasses the ten thousand—mountains echo and valleys respond; the ten thousand return to the one—water flows and channels form. Great assembly! Right now, a thousand blessings gather like mist, and ten thousand good deeds arrive like clouds. Tell me, what is the saying when host and guest are in perfect harmony?" He struck the staff and said, "No need to set an exorbitant price to the sky; naturally, a clear radiance will move the earth."

The Master ascended the hall and said: "In every phrase, both the means to kill and to bring to life are present; in every word, there is an echo—both the sweet nectar and poison are offered. Thus, the ancients would speak a single phrase or half a sentence, like a crossbow drawn with a thousand pounds of force—their arrows were never released in vain. It was like a drum smeared with poison, and all who heard it would be utterly lost. Yet, even so, though the skull may be pierced, how can the deaf ever hear?" Then he gave a shout.

Opening the furnace for meditation, the master ascended the hall. Tapping his staff, he said: "The furnace is now open. If you are true gold, you should not change color; but gold that is merely mercury-coated will melt away like ice and shatter like pottery. If the furnace bellows were not widely opened, you would fail to distinguish gold from pyrite, and confuse the similar with the different. Therefore, the ancient sages spared no effort, digging a pit within a pit; later practitioners, following the same pattern, have it upside down, piling charcoal on charcoal. This is called forging the ordinary and refining the sacred, cooking phoenixes and roasting dragons. Is there now anyone here who does not enter the protective community, who does not submit to the tongs and hammer? If pointed at, they are absent."

He then brought up a story: "Xuefeng told the assembly: 'If the world is a foot wide, the ancient mirror is a foot wide; if the world is ten feet wide, the ancient mirror is ten feet wide.' Xuansha pointed at the furnace and said, 'Tell me, how wide is the furnace?' Xuefeng said, 'It is as wide as the ancient mirror.' Xuansha said, 'This old monk's feet have not yet touched the ground.'"

The master said: "Indeed, indeed. When Xuansha spoke thus, he did not realize that his own life-root had already fallen into another's hands." He then picked up his staff and said: "If the world is a foot wide, the ancient mirror is a foot wide; if the world is ten feet wide, the ancient mirror is ten feet wide. But if you crash through the universe, how wide is the ancient mirror? If you smash the mirror, how wide is the world? Is there anyone here whose feet are touching the ground?" He threw down his staff and said: "Before the rain, you first see flowers among the leaves; after the rain, there are no flowers left under the leaves."

Evening meditation. "With eyes open, it is there; with eyes closed, it is also there. If you gouge out your eyes, how do you reconcile this? Stretching out the foot, it is so; pulling back the foot, it is also so. Sever the heels, and there is no 'is' or 'is not.' No 'is' or 'is not' — at midnight, you touch a louse. No 'not' or 'not' — at dawn, you lose the ox." He gave a shout.

Due to the snow, the master ascended the hall. He picked up the whisk and said: "Do you understand? Spreading a net that covers the sky to catch phoenixes and dragons; seizing the glory of the earth with sounds of gold and jade. The bitter wind blows, flower petals fall like rain—these are signs of auspiciousness, precious as jade. Ten thousand miles sing of a single breeze; the four seas receive a brand-new decree. Though this is quite a sight, it is not the ultimate truth. Today, Weishan, sparing no effort in speech, will reveal this to you: all names and forms are illusory. Gold dust, though precious, becomes a spec in the eye when it falls. These are but temporary adornments to grace the Buddhist ceremony. Great assembly! Do you have faith in this? If you cannot believe, you will be sullied on the open ground."

The master ascended the hall and said: "The rain urges the woodcutter to return home, each step quicker than the last. The wind brings the fishing boat to shore; the oars are laid to rest. At such a moment, tell me, what is this? The drums beat solemnly as offerings are made to the river god, yet the old villagers are unaware of the emperor's power."

Evening Dharma Talk.

A monk asked the Old Master Tian Tong Mi, “Having come from afar, I wish to ask the Master for Buddhahood.” The Master replied, “Buddhahood is also something beyond your reach.”

The teacher commented: “The prophecy given at Vulture Peak had not yet reached such a point. But as your unworthy descendant, I cannot help but follow the deluded minds of sentient beings and fulfill their deluded wishes. So I will anoint your head and proclaim: ‘Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha.’ As for what name you will bear, or in what land you will dwell — the World-Honored Maitreya will soon appear in the world, and you shall personally receive His prophecy at the Dragon Flower Assembly.”

The master ascended the hall and said, "In spring, trees burst into bloom, catching the eye; in autumn, leaves fall from the forest, tongues drag on the ground; in summer, the shade is deep and thick, just right for dozing off." After a long pause, he said, "When winter arrives, why not say—having endured the bitter frost and snow, the poplar blossoms fall, startling even the heart?"

At the winter solstice, the master ascended the hall and said: "At the bottom of the sea, dust is stirred, and the vital energy rises upward; stone shoots secretly sprout—the season has arrived."

He took up his staff and said: "The first yang energy is born. Soon you will see jade budding on branch tips, and all nations will enjoy the growing daylight. The great tree casts its shade, and the palace halls are filled with the gentle breeze of summer. Autumn brings harvest, winter stores it away—all begins from this day. This is the start of the three hundred and sixty days, the foremost of the twenty-four solar terms. From this day on, each day grows a little longer, yet the future stretches endlessly without end."

He struck the ground with his staff and descended from the seat.

Evening discussion. Raising the case: "Xuefeng was once asked by a monk, 'What about the ancient stream and cold spring?' Xuefeng said, 'Staring eyes cannot see the bottom.' 'What about one who drinks from it?' Xuefeng said, 'It does not enter through the mouth.' When Zhaozhou heard of this, he said, 'Surely it cannot enter through the nostrils either.' That monk then asked Zhaozhou, 'What about the ancient stream and cold spring?' Zhaozhou said, 'Bitter.' 'What about one who drinks from it?' Zhaozhou said, 'Dead.' Later, Master Yan said, 'If someone asks Wuzu, "What about the ancient stream and cold spring?" Just say, "Water." "What about one who drinks from it?" "It immediately quenches thirst." If someone comes forward to ask, "Is this the same as Caoxi's water or different?" I would tell him, "Divided into branches and streams, freely flowing in all directions—watering the fields in the high places, splashing the vegetables in the low places."' The Elder Tiantong Hongjue said, 'If someone asks Tiantong, "What about the ancient stream and cold spring?" Just say, "It soaks the nostrils through." "What about one who drinks from it?" "It penetrates the skull." Should someone with true awareness of life ask, "Is this the same as Longchi's water or different?" I would tell him, "How could a mountain stream ever remain still? In the end, it returns to the great ocean to become waves."' He then gave a clap."

The Master said, "Weishan sees it differently. Today, if someone asks, 'What about the ancient stream and cold spring?' — 'It penetrates to the very top and bottom.' 'What about one who drinks from it?' — 'It goes through bones and marrow.' If a monk who truly knows the flavor comes forward and asks, 'Is this the same as Dayou's udumbara flower water or different?' I would tell him, 'Though it flows along in the Xiang River, it carries a unique fragrance all its own.'" He struck his staff, and descended from the seat.

The master ascended the hall and said:

"Not a single thing is given to others, for there is nothing to give; not a single thing is taken from others, for there is nothing to receive. Since there is neither giving nor receiving, there is utterly no connection between things. Manjushri is just Manjushri—in the northern frontier, a tent for a thousand men is set up. Wenshu is just Wenshu—in the southern region, a ship of ten thousand measures is launched. Each does not know the other; each does not reach the other. Above is the sky, with the Southern Star and the Northern Dipper; below is the earth, with the Five Sacred Mountains and the four great rivers. This dharma abides in its dharma-position, and the appearances of the world are ever thus. At this point, not a hair's breadth can be shifted, not a hair's breadth can be added or removed, not a hair's breadth can be accepted or rejected. If there is someone who can speak of this idle matter and directly know where to return, then they may sit at ease. But their crown still lacks a single blow, and the soles of their feet deserve thirty strikes. Why? Because those who transcend conventions do not set foot here. To overturn the earth's axis, the seas must flow sideways; to twist the gate of heaven, let Mount Sumeru stand on its head. Turning iron into gold, leveling peaks and filling valleys; knocking on bones and drilling into marrow, leaving people no place to stand even a needle. Adding flowers on brocade may fill mountains and seas. Yet even so, if such a one comes to the gate of Damei, they too deserve thirty strikes. Do you understand? Holding the sword of Moya crosswise, wielding the true command, in a peaceful world, I slay the stubborn and foolish."

He then picked up his staff and struck it once on the ground.

Teaching on the Precepts, ascending the hall. "The Buddhadharma is not vast—it fills valleys and trenches; yet people differ in capacities, sharing the same boat and destiny. Thirty come from the south, thirty from the north—the sword that kills, the sword that gives life. Those from the east sit to the east; those from the west sit to the west. They neither know nor hinder one another. Everywhere it manifests; on each person's crown shines a great precious light. Every realm is perfectly complete; beneath each one's feet lies a full sitting cloth. Since this is so, why seek a bowl bag here? Precepts arise from the mind; receiving them necessarily relies on the teacher's transmission."

Evening meditation. "The vast void has no back side—north, south, east, west; the supreme path blocks nothing—walls, fences, moats, cliffs. In the eye, in the ear, in the nose—attached to sounds, forms, scents; this side, that side, and beyond that—not being, not false, not middle. If you understand it this way, you get it; if not, you don't. Across the river someone sings the partridge tune, but you mistake it for the barbarian flute's eighteen beats. If you don't understand it this way, then understanding it this way works—only after repeated stirring and fishing do you finally know: the ancient green pool reflects the moon in empty space. Therefore it's said: 'The mind is not Buddha; both mind and Buddha are negated. Wisdom is not the path; both wisdom and the path are cast aside.'" He gave a shout and said, "Even if you pierce through the barrier of right and wrong, behind the Vajra's head there are still three pounds of iron."