Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume Fifteen

僧問。如何是不動尊。師曰。來千去萬。曰。恁麼則腳跟不點地也。師曰。卻是汝會。上堂。至道無難。唯嫌揀擇。但莫憎愛。洞然明白。山僧即不然。至道最難。須是揀擇。若無憎愛。爭見明白。

A monk asked, “What is the Unmoving Venerable?” The master said, “Coming by the thousand, going by the myriad.” The monk said, “Then his feet never touch the ground.” The master replied, “You are the one who understands.” In the hall he said: “The Way itself is not difficult; it is only hindered by choosing. Once hate and love are set aside, all is clear.” This mountain monk says otherwise: “The Way is most difficult; one must choose. Without hate and love, how would clarity be seen?”

澧州聖壽香積用旻禪師

Chan Master Yongmin of Xiangji at Shengshou Monastery in Lizhou.

上堂。木馬沖開千騎路。鐵牛透過萬重關。木馬鐵牛即今在甚麼處。良久曰。驚起暮天沙上鴈。海門斜去兩三行。

In the hall he said: “The wooden horse charges through a road of a thousand cavalry; the iron ox passes ten thousand barriers. Where are the wooden horse and iron ox now?” After a long silence he said: “Startled from the sands at dusk, wild geese cross the sea gate in two or three slanting lines.”

瑞州瑞相子來禪師

Chan Master Zilai of Ruixiang in Ruizhou.

上堂。顧視眾曰。夫為宗匠。隨處提綱。應機問答。殺活臨時。心眼精明。那容妖怪。若也棒頭取證。喝下承當。埋沒宗風。恥他先作。轉身一路。不在遲疑。一息不來。還同死漢。大眾。直饒到這田地。猶是句語埋藏。未有逶脫一路。敢問諸人。作麼生是透脫一路。還有人道得麼。若無。山僧不免與諸人說破。良久曰。玉離荊岫寒光動。劒出豐城紫氣橫。

In the hall he surveyed the assembly and said: “A lineage master raises the essential point wherever he goes, answering according to the occasion, killing or giving life as the moment requires. With clear mind and eye, how could demons be allowed? To seek realization through a stick or accept it beneath a shout only buries the lineage and disgraces those who came before. The way of turning around admits no hesitation. When one breath fails, one is just a corpse. Even if you reach this point, words still conceal you; you have not yet broken through. What is the way of breakthrough? Can anyone say it? If not, I must spell it out.” After a long silence: “Jade from Mount Jing glimmers with cold light; when the sword leaves Fengcheng, purple energy stretches across the sky.”

廬州真空從一禪師

Chan Master Congyi of Zhenkong Monastery in Luzhou.

上堂。心鏡明鑑無礙。遂拈起拄杖曰。喚這箇作拄杖。即是礙。不喚作拄杖。亦是礙。離此之外。畢竟如何。要會麼。礙不礙。誰為對。大地山河。廓然粉碎。

In the hall he said: “The mind mirror is bright and reflects without obstruction.” He raised his staff: “Call this a staff, and that is an obstruction; do not call it a staff, and that too is an obstruction. Beyond these, what is it ultimately? Want to know? Obstructed or unobstructed—who makes the distinction? Mountains and rivers across the earth shatter completely.”

襄州鳳凰山乾明廣禪師

Chan Master Guang of Ganming Monastery on Phoenix Mountain in Xiangzhou.

上堂。日頭東畔出。月向西邊沒。來去急如梭。催人成白骨。山僧有一法。堪為保命術。生死不相干。打破精魂窟。咄。咄。是何物。不是眾生。不是佛。參。

In the hall he said: “The sun rises in the east; the moon sets in the west. They hurry like shuttles, hastening people into white bones. This mountain monk has a method fit to preserve life: birth and death cannot touch it; it shatters the cave of deluded spirits. Bah! Bah! What is it? Neither a sentient being nor a Buddha. Investigate!”

慧林沖禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Chong of Huilin.

東京永興華嚴寺智明佛慧禪師

Chan Master Zhiming, Buddha Wisdom, of Huayan Temple at Yongxing in the Eastern Capital.

常州史氏子。上堂。若論此事。在天則列萬象而齊現。在地則運四時而發生。在人則出沒卷舒。六根互用。且道在山僧拄杖頭上。又作麼生。良久。卓一下曰。高也著。低也著。

A native of Changzhou, born to the Shi family. In the hall he said: “In heaven, this matter displays the myriad phenomena together; on earth, it moves the four seasons and brings forth life; in people, it appears and disappears, expanding and contracting, with the six faculties functioning mutually. What is it like on the end of this mountain monk’s staff?” After a long silence he struck once and said: “High or low, it lands.”

鎮州永泰智航禪師

Chan Master Zhihang of Yongtai in Zhenzhou.

上堂。散為氣者。乃道之漓。適於變者。為法之弊。靈機不昧。亙古亙今。大用現前。何得何失。雖然如是。忽遇無孔鐵槌。作麼生話會。拈拄杖曰。穿過了也。上堂。龍騰碧漢。變化無方。鳳翥青霄。誰知蹤跡。可行則行。不出百千三昧。可止則止。寧忘萬象森羅。所以道取不得。捨不得。不可得中祇麼得。且道得箇甚麼。良久曰。莫妄想。

In the hall he said: “Scattered into vital energy, the Way grows thin; adapted to change, the Dharma becomes flawed. Yet the numinous capacity is never dim, extending through past and present. Its great function appears before us: what is gained or lost? Even so, if you meet an iron mallet without a hole, what will you say?” He raised his staff: “Already pierced through.” He continued: “The dragon soars in the blue sky, changing without limit; the phoenix flies aloft, its trace unknown. Advance when it is time to advance, never leaving the hundred thousand samadhis; stop when it is time to stop, never forgetting the myriad forms. Thus it is said: you cannot grasp it or reject it; in the ungraspable, simply grasp it. What exactly have you grasped?” After a long silence: “Do not indulge in delusion.”

江陰軍壽聖子邦圓覺禪師

Chan Master Yuanjue, Zibang, of Shousheng Monastery in Jiangyin.

僧問。祖意教意拈放一邊。如何得速成佛去。師曰。有成終不是。是佛亦非真。僧擬議。師叱曰。話頭道甚麼。

A monk asked, “Setting aside the patriarch’s intent and the teaching’s intent, how can one quickly become a Buddha?” The master said, “Anything attained is ultimately not it; even a Buddha is not the real.” As the monk hesitated, the master scolded, “What were you saying?”

長蘆夫禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Fu of Changlu.

明州雪竇道榮覺印禪師

Chan Master Daorong, Awakening Seal, of Xuedou in Mingzhou.

郡之陳氏子。僧問。寒山逢拾得時如何。師曰。揚眉飛閃電。曰。更有何事。師曰。開口放毫光。曰。如何是向上一路。師曰。七六八。

A native of the prefecture, born to the Chen family. A monk asked, “What was it like when Hanshan met Shide?” The master said, “He raised his brows and lightning flashed.” Asked what else, he said, “He opened his mouth and emitted rays of light.” Asked for the upward way, he said, “Seven, six, eight.”

真州長蘆宗賾慈覺禪師

Chan Master Zongze, Compassionate Enlightenment, of Changlu in Zhenzhou.

洛州孫氏子。僧問。達磨面壁。此理如何。師良久。僧禮拜。師曰。今日被這僧一問。直得口瘂。上堂。冬去寒食。一百單五。活人路上。死人無數。頭鑽荊棘林。將謂眾生苦。拜掃事如何。骨堆上添土。唯有出家人。不踏無生路。大眾且道。向甚麼處去。還會麼。南天台。北五臺。參。上堂。新羅別無妙訣。當言不避截舌。但能心口相應。一生受用不徹。且道如何是心口相應底句。良久曰。焦甎打著連底凍。參。問。六門未息時如何。師曰。鼻孔裡燒香。曰。學人不會。師曰。耳朵裡打鼓。問。如何是無功之功。師曰。泥牛不運步。天下沒荒田。曰。恁麼則功不浪施也。師曰。雖然廣大神通。未免遭他痛棒。上堂。金屑雖貴。落眼成翳。金屑既除。眼在甚麼處。若如此者。未出荊棘林中。棒頭取證。喝下承當。正在金峰窠裡。上堂。樓外紫金山色秀。門前甘露水聲寒。古槐陰下清風裡。試為諸人再指看。拈拄杖曰。還見麼。擊香卓曰。還聞麼。靠卻拄杖曰。眼耳若通隨處足。水聲山色自悠悠。

A native of Luozhou, born to the Sun family. A monk asked about Bodhidharma facing the wall. The master remained silent for a long time. The monk bowed, and the master said, “That question left me speechless today.” In the hall he said: “After winter comes Cold Food, one hundred and five days later. On the road of the living are countless dead. They bore through a thorn thicket, thinking all beings suffer. What of sweeping graves? It is adding earth to bone heaps. Only those who leave home tread the path of no birth. Where are you going? South to Tiantai, north to Wutai.” He added: “Silla has no wondrous secret; I will not avoid having my tongue cut out. Yet if mind and mouth do not accord, one cannot enjoy its use for a lifetime. What is the phrase where mind and mouth accord?” After a long silence: “A scorched brick strikes the deep freeze through and through.” Asked what it is when the six gates are still, he said, “Burn incense in your nostrils.” Asked what they did not understand, he said, “Beat a drum in your ears.” Asked about merit without effort, he said, “The clay ox takes no step, yet no field lies barren.” The monk said the merit was not wasted; the master replied, “Even with vast spiritual powers, you still get a painful beating.” In the hall he said: “Though gold dust is precious, in the eye it clouds vision. Once removed, where is the eye? If you remain there, you have not left the thorn thicket. Seeking proof beneath the stick and accepting it under a shout still keeps you in Jinfeng’s nest.” He pointed to the scenery: “The purple-gold mountain beyond the tower is lovely; the cold sound of sweet dew flows before the gate. Beneath the ancient locust trees, in the clear breeze, let me point it out again.” He raised his staff: “Do you see?” He struck the incense platform: “Do you hear?” Leaning the staff aside, he said: “When eye and ear are unobstructed, everywhere is enough; the water’s sound and mountain colors flow on freely.”

平江府慧日智覺廣燈禪師

Chan Master Guangdeng, Wisdom and Awakening, of Huiri Monastery in Pingjiang Prefecture.

本郡梅氏子。上堂。良久曰。休休休。徒悠悠。釣竿長在手。魚冷不吞鉤。喝一喝。下座。

A native of the prefecture, born to the Mei family. In the hall, after a long silence, he said: “Enough, enough, enough—only idle wandering. The fishing rod stays in my hand, but the fish is cold and will not bite.” He shouted once and descended.

佛日才禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Cai of Furi.

澧州夾山靈泉自齡禪師

Chan Master Ziling of Lingquan Monastery at Jiashan in Lizhou.

常州周氏子。僧問。金鷄啄破琉璃殻。玉兔挨開碧海門。此是人間光影。如何是祖師機。師曰。針劄不入。曰。祇如朕兆未生已前。作麼生道。師舉起拂子。僧曰。如何領會。師曰。斫額望扶桑。問。混沌未分時如何。師曰。春風𩖼𩖼。曰。分後如何。師曰。春日遲遲。曰。向上更有事也無。師曰。一年三百六十日。上堂。良久顧大眾曰。月裡走金烏。誰雲一物無。趙州東壁上。掛箇大葫蘆。參。上堂。良久打一圓相曰。大眾。五千餘卷詮不盡。三世諸佛讚不及。令人卻憶賣油翁。狼忙走下繩床立。參。上堂。便乃忘機守默。已被金粟占先。擬欲展演詞鋒。落在瞿曇之後。離此二途。作麼生是衲僧透脫一路。良久曰。好笑南泉提起處。刈茆鎌子曲彎彎。參。

A native of Changzhou, born to the Zhou family. A monk asked: “The golden rooster pecks through the crystal shell; the jade hare pushes open the blue sea gate. These are worldly lights and shadows; what is the patriarch’s activity?” The master said, “A needle cannot pierce it.” Asked how to speak before any sign arose, he raised his whisk. Asked how to understand, he said, “Staring toward Fusang with brows raised.” Asked what it was before chaos divided, he said, “The spring breeze blows gently.” Asked what came after division, he said, “The spring days lengthen slowly.” Asked if there was anything beyond, he said, “Three hundred and sixty days in a year.” In the hall, after a long silence, he looked around and said: “A golden crow walks in the moon; who says there is nothing? On the east wall of Zhaozhou’s, a huge gourd hangs.” He drew a circle and said: “More than five thousand volumes cannot explain it; the Buddhas of three ages cannot praise it enough. It brings to mind the oil seller, who hurriedly rose from his rope bed.” He added: “If you forget thought and keep silent, you have already fallen behind Vimalakirti. If you try to wield words, you fall behind Gautama. What is the monk’s way of breakthrough beyond these two?” After a long silence: “How amusing—when Nanquan raised it, his grass-cutting sickle was crooked.”

天缽元禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yuan of Tiantuo.

衛州元豐院清滿禪師

Chan Master Qingman of Yuanfeng Monastery in Weizhou.

滄州田氏子。僧問。如何是佛。師曰。天寒地冷。曰。如何是道。師曰。不道。曰。為甚麼不道。師曰。道是閑名字。上堂。無異思惟。諦聽諦聽。昨日寒。今日寒。抖擻精神著力看。著力看。看來看去轉顢頇。要得不顢頇。看。參。上堂。堪作梁底作梁。堪作柱底作柱靈利衲僧便知落處。驀拈拄杖曰。還知這箇堪作甚麼。打香臺一下。曰。莫道無用處。復打一下曰。參。上堂。看看。堂裡木師伯。被聖僧打一摑。走去見維那。被維那打兩摑。露柱呵呵笑。打著這師伯元豐路見不平。與你雪正。拈拄杖曰。來來。然是聖僧也須吃棒。擊香臺下座。歲旦上堂。憶昔山居絕糧。有頌舉似大眾。飢飡松栢葉。渴飲㵎中泉。看罷青青竹。和衣自在眠。大眾。更有山懷為君說。今年年是去年年。上堂。此劒刃上事。須劒刃上漢始得。有般名利之徒。為人天師。懸羊頭賣狗肉。壞後進初機。滅先聖洪範。你等諸人聞恁麼事。豈不寒心。由是疑悞眾生。墮無間獄。苦哉。苦哉。取一期快意。受萬劫餘殃。有甚麼死急。來為釋子。喝曰。聵人徒側耳。便下座。上堂。喝一喝曰。不是道。不是禪。每逢三五夜。皓月十分圓。參。師凡見僧。乃曰。佛法世法。眼病空花。有僧曰。翳消花滅時如何。師曰。將謂汝靈利。

A native of Cangzhou, born to the Tian family. A monk asked, “What is Buddha?” The master said, “The weather is cold and the earth is chill.” Asked what the Way was, he said, “I will not speak of it.” Asked why, he said, “The Way is an idle name.” In the hall he said: “Do not think otherwise; listen closely. Yesterday was cold, today is cold. Gather your spirit and look with effort. Look with effort—yet looking, coming and going grows more confused. To avoid confusion, look!” He continued: “What can serve as a beam becomes a beam; what can serve as a pillar becomes a pillar. An alert monk knows where this lands.” He raised his staff: “What can this serve as?” He struck the incense stand: “Do not say it is useless.” He struck again: “Investigate!” He said: “Look! The wooden master in the hall was slapped by the holy monk, ran to the head monk, and was slapped twice more. The pillar laughed aloud. Yuanfeng saw injustice and will set things right for you.” Raising his staff: “Come, come! Even if it is the holy monk, he must take a beating.” On New Year’s Day he recalled a verse from a time he lived in the mountains without food: “Hungry, I ate pine and cypress leaves; thirsty, I drank from the stream. After looking at the green bamboo, I slept at ease in my robes.” He said: “This year is the same year as last year.” Later he warned against fame-seeking teachers who mislead novices, urging the assembly not to become monks lightly; he shouted, “The deaf merely strain to listen,” and descended. In the hall he shouted and said: “This is neither the Way nor Chan. On nights of the full moon, the moon is perfectly round.” He often told monks: “Buddha and worldly dharmas are flowers in an afflicted eye.” A monk asked what remained when the clouding vanished; the master said, “I thought you were clever.”

青州定慧院法本禪師

Chan Master FabEn of Dinghui Monastery in Qingzhou.

僧問。古人到這裡。為甚麼拱手歸降。師曰。理合如是。曰。畢竟如何。師曰。夜眠日走。

A monk asked why the ancients, upon reaching this point, folded their hands and surrendered. The master said, “It is only right.” Asked what it ultimately was, he said, “Sleep at night, walk by day.”

西京善勝真悟禪師

Chan Master Zhenwu of Shansheng in the Western Capital.

上堂。揚聲止響。不知聲是響根。弄影逃形。不知形為影本。以法問法。不知法本非法。以心傳心。不知心本無心。心本無心。知心如幻。了法非法。知法如夢。心法不實。莫謾追求。夢幻空花。何勞把捉。到這裡。三世諸佛．一大藏教．祖師言句．天下老和尚路布葛藤盡使不著。何故。太平本是將軍致。不許將軍見太平。

In the hall he said: “Raising your voice to stop an echo, you do not know sound is the echo’s source. Playing with a shadow to escape form, you do not know form is the shadow’s root. Using Dharma to question Dharma, you do not know Dharma is originally not Dharma. Transmitting mind with mind, you do not know mind is originally no-mind. Since mind is no-mind, know mind as illusion; since Dharma is not Dharma, know Dharma as a dream. Mind and Dharma are unreal; do not chase them foolishly. Dreamlike illusions and empty flowers are not worth grasping. Here, the Buddhas of three ages, the entire canon, the patriarchs’ sayings, and the tangled words of old teachers throughout the world are all of no use. Why? Peace was won by the general; the general is not allowed to see peace.”

瑞巖鴻禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Hong of Ruiyan.

明州育王曇振真戒禪師

Chan Master Tanzhen, True Precepts, of Yuwang in Mingzhou.

上堂。今日布袋頭開。還有買賣者麼。時有僧出曰。有。師曰。不作貴。不作賤。作麼生酬價。僧無語。師曰。老僧失利。

In the hall he said: “Today the cloth bag is open. Is anyone buying or selling?” A monk came forward: “There is.” The master asked, “Neither dear nor cheap—what price will you offer?” The monk had no answer. The master said, “I have lost the sale.”