Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume Fifteen

慧林深禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Shen of Huilin.

臨安府靈隱寂室慧光禪師

Chan Master Huiguang of the Quiet Chamber at Lingyin in Lin’an Prefecture.

錢塘夏侯氏。僧問。飛來山色示清淨法身。合㵎溪聲演廣長舌相。正當恁麼時。如何是雲門一曲。師曰。芭蕉葉上三更雨。曰。一句全提超佛祖。滿筵朱紫盡知音。師曰。逢人不得錯舉。上堂。不用求真。何須息見。倒騎牛兮入佛殿。羗笛一聲天地空。不知誰識瞿曇面。

A native of Qiantang, born to the Xiahou family. A monk asked: “The mountain colors of Feilai reveal the pure Dharma body; the stream through the paired ravines expounds the broad, long tongue. Right at this moment, what is Yunmen’s tune?” The master said, “Rain at the third watch on plantain leaves.” The monk praised the phrase; the master said, “When you meet people, do not misquote it.” In the hall he said: “No need to seek the real; why cease your views? Riding backward on an ox, enter the Buddha hall. One sound from a Qiang flute empties heaven and earth; who knows the face of Gautama?”

台州國清愚谷妙印禪師

Chan Master Miaoyin of Yugu in Guoqing, Taizhou.

上堂。滿口道得底。為甚麼不知有。十分知有底。為甚麼滿口道不得。且道誵訛在甚麼處。若也知得。許你照用同時。明闇俱了。其或未然。道得道不得。知有不知有。南山石大蟲。解作師子吼。

In the hall he said: “Those who can speak it with a full mouth—why do they not know it? Those who know it completely—why can they not speak it with a full mouth? Where is the discrepancy? If you know, I grant that illumination and function occur together and both light and dark are understood. If not, whether you can speak or not, whether you know or do not know—there is a great stone tiger on South Mountain that can roar like a lion.”

台州國清垂慈普紹禪師

Chan Master Pushao, Compassionate Salvation, of Guoqing in Taizhou.

上堂。靈雲悟桃花。玄沙傍不肯。多少痴禪和。擔雪去填井。今春花又開。此意誰能領。端的少人知。花落春風靜。

In the hall he sang: “Lingyun awakened at peach blossoms; Xuansha stood by and did not approve. How many foolish Chan monks carry snow to fill a well? This spring the flowers bloom again—who can grasp their meaning? Few truly know; the flowers fall, and spring wind is still.”

泉州九座慧邃禪師

Chan Master Huisui of Jiuzuo in Quanzhou.

上堂。九座今日向孤峰絕頂駕一隻鐵船。截斷天下人要津。教他揮篙動棹不得。有箇錦標子。且道在甚麼人手裡。拈拄杖曰。看。看。向道是龍剛不信。等閑奪得始驚人。

In the hall he said: “Today at Jiuzuo, atop a solitary peak, I pilot an iron boat, cutting off the world’s vital crossing so no one can wield an oar or move a scull. In whose hands is the brocade prize? He raised his staff: “Look! Look!” He said: “I told you it was a dragon, yet you would not believe. When it is casually snatched away, only then are you startled.”

報恩然禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Ran of Ba’en.

秀州資聖元祖禪師

Chan Master Yuanzu of Zisheng in Xiuzhou.

僧問。紫金蓮捧千輪足。白玉毫輝萬德身。如何是佛。師曰。拖槍帶甲。曰。貫花千偈雖殊品。標月還歸理一如。如何是法。師曰。元豐條。紹興令。曰。林下雅為方外客。人間堪作火中蓮。如何是僧。師曰。披席把椀。

A monk asked: “A purple-gold lotus supports a thousand-spoked foot; white-jade curls radiate a body of ten thousand virtues. What is Buddha?” The master said, “Armed with spear and armor.” Asked what Dharma was, he said, “The Yuanfeng statutes and Shaoxing ordinances.” Asked what Sangha was, he said, “Wearing a mat, holding a bowl.”

慧林海禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Hai of Huilin.

廬山萬杉壽堅禪師

Chan Master Shoujian of Wanshan on Mount Lu.

相州人。歲旦。上堂。有一人不拜歲。不迎新。寒暑不能侵其體。聖凡不能混其跡。從來鼻孔遼天。誰管多年曆日。大眾且道。此人即今在甚麼處。卓拄杖曰。咄咄咄。沒處去。

A native of Xiangzhou. On New Year’s Day he said in the hall: “There is one person who does not bow to the year or welcome the new. Cold and heat cannot invade his body; sages and ordinary beings cannot confuse his trace. His nostrils have always reached the sky—who cares about the calendar of many years? Assembly, where is this person now?” He planted his staff: “Bah, bah, bah! There is nowhere to go.”

開先宗禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Zong of Kaixian.

瑞州黃檗惟初禪師

Chan Master Weichu of Huangbo in Ruizhou.

常州蔡氏子。上堂。我見宗大哥。平生槁默危坐。所謂朽木形骸。未甞口角譊譊。將佛祖言教以當門庭。祇要當人歇得十成。自然不向這殻漏子上著倒。有僧問。既不向這殻漏子上著倒。未審如何保任。師曰。無你用心處。曰。和尚豈無方便。師曰。𨫼餅既無汁。壓沙那有油。

A native of Changzhou, born to the Cai family. In the hall he said: “I saw elder brother Zong: all his life he sat solemnly in silence like a withered tree, never chattering about the Buddha and patriarchs’ teachings as his own family business. He only wanted people to rest completely; naturally they would not stumble over this leaky shell.” A monk asked how to maintain this without stumbling. The master said, “There is no place for you to apply your mind.” Asked whether he had no skillful means, he said, “A cake without juice—how can pressing sand produce oil?”

潭州嶽麓海禪師

Chan Master Hai of Yuelu in Tanzhou.

僧問。進前三步時如何。師曰。撞頭磕額。曰。退後三步時如何。師曰。墮坑落壍。曰。不進不退時如何。師曰。立地死漢。

A monk asked what it was to step forward three paces. The master said, “Bump your head and strike your forehead.” Asked what it was to step back three paces, he said, “Fall into a pit, drop into a trench.” Asked what if neither advancing nor retreating, he said, “A dead man standing in place.”

雪峰演禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yan of Xuefeng.

福州西禪慧舜禪師

Chan Master Huishun of Xichan in Fuzhou.

真定府人。上堂。五日一參。三八普說。千說萬說。橫說竪說。忽有箇漢出來道。說即不無。爭奈三門頭兩箇不肯。山僧即向他道。瞎漢若不得他兩箇。西禪大似不遇知音。

A native of Zhending Prefecture. In the hall he said: “Every five days we gather; on the third and eighth days I address the assembly. A thousand speeches, ten thousand speeches, horizontal and vertical. Suppose someone says, ‘There is no lack of words, but why do the two at the monastery gate refuse to agree?’ This mountain monk would tell him, ‘Blind fellow, without those two, Xichan would hardly have met a true friend.’”

青原下十五世

Fifteenth generation below Qingyuan.

雪竇明禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Ming of Xuedou.

密州𡺸山寧禪師

An unidentified Chan master of a mountain in Mizhou (the source has an obscure character before “mountain,” which cannot be identified).

上堂。有時孤峰頂上嘯月眠雲。有時大洋海中翻波走浪。有時十字街頭七穿八穴。諸人還相委悉麼。樟樹花開盛。芭蕉葉最多。

In the hall he said: “Sometimes I howl at the moon and sleep in clouds atop a solitary peak; sometimes I churn waves and ride breakers in the vast sea; sometimes I make seven holes and eight openings at a crossroads. Do you all understand? Camphor flowers bloom in profusion; plantain leaves are most abundant.”

淨慈昌禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Chang of Jingci.

臨安府五雲悟禪師

Chan Master Wu of Wuyun in Lin’an Prefecture.

苕溪人也。上堂。月堂老漢道。行不見行。是箇甚麼。坐不見坐。是箇甚麼。著衣時不見著衣。是箇甚麼。吃飯時不見吃飯。是箇甚麼。山僧雖與他同床打睡。要且各自做夢。何故。行見行。坐見坐。著衣時見著衣。吃飯時見吃飯。無有不見底道理。亦無箇是甚麼。諸人且道。老漢底是。五雲底是。拈拄杖卓一下。曰。桃紅李白薔薇紫。問著春風總不知。

A native of Tiaoxi. In the hall he said: “The old man Yuetang says: ‘Walking without seeing walking—what is it? Sitting without seeing sitting—what is it? Dressing without seeing dressing—what is it? Eating without seeing eating—what is it?’ Though I share a bed and sleep with him, each of us still dreams his own dream. Why? When walking, see walking; when sitting, see sitting; when dressing, see dressing; when eating, see eating. There is no principle of not seeing, nor is there any ‘what is it.’ Tell me, is the old man right, or is Wuyun right?” He struck his staff: “Peach red, plum white, rose purple—ask the spring wind, and it knows nothing.”

靈隱光禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Guang of Lingyin.

臨安府中竺痴禪元妙禪師

Chan Master Yuanmiao of Chiyuan at Zhongzhu in Lin’an Prefecture.

婺州王氏。僧問。如何是截斷眾流句。師曰。佛祖開口無分。曰。如何是函蓋乾坤句。師曰。匝地普天。曰。如何是隨波逐浪句。師曰。有時入荒草。有時上孤峰。上堂。黃昏雞報曉。半夜日頭明。驚起雪師子。瞠開紅眼睛。上堂。去年梅。今歲柳。顏色馨香。喝一喝。良久曰。若不得這一喝。幾乎道著依舊。且道道著後如何。眼睛突出。

A native of Wuzhou, born to the Wang family. A monk asked for the phrase that cuts through all currents. The master said, “Buddhas and patriarchs cannot open their mouths.” Asked for the phrase that contains heaven and earth, he said, “It covers all lands and all sky.” Asked for the phrase that follows the waves, he said, “Sometimes enter the wild grass; sometimes climb a solitary peak.” In the hall he said: “At dusk the rooster announces dawn; at midnight the sun shines bright. Startled, the snow lion opens its red eyes.” He continued: “Plums last year, willows this year, colors and fragrance. He shouted, then after a long silence said: “Without this shout, I would nearly have spoken the same old words. What after speaking them?” Eyes protruding.

圓覺曇禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Tan of Yuanjue.

撫州靈巖圓日禪師

Chan Master Yuanyue of Lingyan in Fuzhou.

上堂。悟無不悟。得無不得。九年面壁空勞力。三腳驢兒跳上天。泥牛入海無蹤跡。為甚如此。九九八十一。

In the hall he said: “Awakening, nothing is not awakened; attainment, nothing is unattained. Nine years facing the wall were wasted effort. A three-legged donkey leaps into the sky; the clay ox enters the sea and leaves no trace. Why? Nine times nine is eighty-one.”