Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume Fifteen

福州普賢元素禪師

Chan Master Yuansu of Puxian, Fuzhou

建寧人也。上堂。兵隨印轉。三千里外絕煙塵。將逐符行。二六時中淨躶躶。不用鐵旗鐵皷。自然草偃風行。何須七縱七擒。直得無思不服。所謂大丈夫秉慧劒。般若鋒兮金剛𦦨。非但能摧外道心。早曾落卻天魔膽。正恁麼時。且道主將是甚麼人。喝一喝。上堂。南泉道。我十八上便解作活計。囊無繫蟻之絲。廚乏聚蠅之糝。趙州道。我十八上便解破家散宅。南頭買賤。北頭賣貴。點檢將來。好與三十棒。且放過一著。何故。曾為宕子偏憐客。自愛貪杯惜醉人。上堂。未開口時先分付。擬思量處隔千山。莫言佛法無多子。未透玄關也大難。祇如玄關作麼生透。喝一喝。

He was a man of Jianning. He mounted the hall: 'The soldiers turn with the seal; three thousand li away the smoke and dust are cut off. The general follows the tally; through the twelve hours he is clean and naked. No need of iron banners and iron drums — of themselves the grass bends and the wind blows. What need of seven captures and seven releases? Straightway none fails to submit. This is what is meant by the true man wielding the sword of wisdom, with the blade of prajna and the flame of vajra.' It not only can crush the mind of the outer paths; it has long since made the heavenly demons' gall fall. At just such a time, tell me, who is the commanding general?' He shouted once. He mounted the hall: 'Nanquan said: at eighteen I already knew how to make a living; in my bag there was not a thread to tie an ant, and in my kitchen not a crumb to gather flies. Zhaozhou said: at eighteen I already knew how to break up the house and scatter the household; I buy cheap in the south and sell dear in the north. Examined closely, they well deserve thirty blows.' And he let it pass for now. Why? 'Having been a wanderer, one pities the traveler; loving the cup oneself, one spares the drunkard.' He mounted the hall: 'Before the mouth opens it is already handed over; where one would deliberate, a thousand mountains intervene. Do not say the buddhadharma is no great matter — without penetrating the mysterious gate it is very hard. And what is the mysterious gate, and how does one penetrate it?' He shouted once.

福州皷山山堂僧洵禪師

Chan Master Sengxun of Shantang, Gushan, Fuzhou

本郡阮氏子。上堂。黃檗手中六十棒。不會佛法的的大意。卻較些子。大愚肋下築三拳。便道黃檗佛法無多子。鈍置殺人。須知有一人。大棒驀頭打。他不回頭。老拳劈面搥。他亦不顧。且道是誰。上堂。朔風掃地卷黃葉。門外千峰凜寒色。夜半烏龜帶雪飛。石女谿邊皺兩眉。卓拄杖雲。大家在這裡。且道天寒人寒。喝一喝雲。歸堂去。

He was a son of the Ruan family of this prefecture. He mounted the hall: 'The sixty blows in Huangbo's hand, if one does not understand the great meaning of the buddhadharma, are a little better. At Dayu's ribs three blows were planted, and he at once said Huangbo's buddhadharma is no great matter — dulled people to death. You should know there is one man: a great staff strikes him on the head and he does not turn his head; an old fist smashes him in the face,' and he too pays no heed. Tell me, who is it? He mounted the hall: 'The north wind sweeps the ground and rolls up yellow leaves; outside the gate a thousand peaks are stern with cold. At midnight the tortoise flies with snow; by the stream the stone woman knits her two brows.' He planted his staff and said: 'Everyone is here — tell me, is it the weather that is cold or the man? He shouted once and said: Return to the hall.'

福州皷山別峰祖珍禪師

Chan Master Zuzhen of Biefeng, Gushan, Fuzhou

興化林氏子。僧問。趙州遶禪床一帀。轉藏已竟。此理如何。師曰。畫龍看頭。畫虵看尾。曰。婆子道。比來請轉全藏。為甚麼祇轉得半藏。此意又且如何。師曰。人無遠慮。必有近憂。曰。未審甚麼處是轉半藏處。師曰。不是知音者。徒勞話歲寒。上堂。尋牛須訪跡。學道貴無心。跡在牛還在。無心道易尋。竪起拂子曰。這箇是跡。牛在甚麼處。直饒見得頭角分明。鼻孔也在法石手裡。上堂。向上一路。千聖不傳。卓拄杖曰。恁麼會得。十萬八千。畢竟如何。桃紅李白薔薇紫。問著春風總不知。示眾雲。大道祗在目前。要且目前難覩。欲識大道真體。不離聲色言語。卓拄杖雲。這箇是聲。竪起拄杖雲。這箇是色。喚甚麼作大道真體。直饒向這裡見得。也是鄭州出曹門。示眾。若論此事。如人吃飯。飽則便休。若也不飽。必有思食之心。若也過飽。又有傷心之患。到這裡。作麼生得恰好去。良久雲。且歸巖下宿。同看月明時。

He was a son of the Lin family of Xinghua. A monk asked: 'Zhaozhou walked once around the meditation seat, and the turning of the canon was finished. What is this principle?' The Master said: 'To look at a painted dragon, look at the head; to look at a painted snake, look at the tail.' He said: 'The old woman said: I came to ask for the turning of the whole canon — why did he turn only half a canon? What does this mean?' The Master said: 'A man without far concerns must have near sorrows.' He said: 'Where is the place where half a canon is turned?' The Master said: 'For one who is not a kindred spirit, it is vain to speak of the cold of the year.' He mounted the hall: 'Seeking the ox one must look for its tracks; learning the Way values having no mind. The tracks are there and the ox is still there; with no mind the Way is easy to seek.' He held up his fly whisk and said: 'This is the track. Where is the ox? Even if you see its head and horns clearly, its nostrils are in the hand of Fashi.' He mounted the hall: 'The one road upward, a thousand sages do not transmit.' He planted his staff and said: 'Understanding it thus, ten thousand eight hundred — after all what then? Peach red, plum white, rose purple; ask the spring wind and it does not know at all.' Addressing the assembly he said: 'The great Way is only before your eyes, and yet it is hard to see before your eyes. If you would know the true body of the great Way, it does not leave sound, form, words and speech.' He planted his staff and said: 'This is sound.' He held up his staff and said: 'This is form. What do you call the true body of the great Way? Even if you see it here, it is still going out the Cao Gate at Zhengzhou.' Addressing the assembly: 'If one discusses this matter, it is like a man eating: when full, he stops. If he is not full, he must have thoughts of wanting food; if he is overfull, he has the trouble of a harmed stomach. Having come to this, how can one get it just right?' After a long while he said: 'Let us go back and lodge under the crag, and watch the bright moon together.'

黃龍逢禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Huanglong Feng

饒州薦福常庵擇崇禪師

Chan Master Zechong of Chang'an, Jianfu, Raozhou

寧國府人也。上堂。舉。僧問古德。生死到來。如何免得。德曰。柴鳴竹爆驚人耳。僧曰。不會。德曰。家犬聲獰夜不休。師曰。諸人要會麼。柴鳴竹爆驚人耳。大洋海底紅塵起。家犬聲獰夜不休。陸地行船三萬裡。堅牢地神笑呵呵。須彌山王眼覷鼻。把手東行卻向西。南山聲應北山裡。千手大悲開眼看。無量慈悲是誰底。良久曰。頭長腳短。少喜多瞋。上堂。問侍者曰。還記得昨日因緣麼。曰。記不得。復顧大眾曰。還記得麼。眾無對。竪起拂子曰。還記得麼。良久曰。也忘卻了也。三處不成。一亦非有。諸人不會方言。露柱且莫開口。以拂子擊禪床。下座。

He was a man of Ningguo Prefecture. He mounted the hall: 'Bring it up.' A monk asked an ancient worthy: 'When birth and death come, how can one avoid them?' The worthy said: 'Firewood crackling, bamboo popping, startling the ear.' The monk said: 'I do not understand.' The worthy said: 'The household dog's fierce bark does not cease at night.' The Master said: 'Do you people want to understand? Firewood crackling, bamboo popping, startling the ear — at the bottom of the great ocean red dust rises. The household dog's fierce bark does not cease at night — on dry land a boat travels thirty thousand li. The firm earth spirit laughs ha-ha; the king of Mount Sumeru's eyes look at his nose. Hand in hand going east, he turns west; the sound in South Mountain answers in North Mountain. The thousand-handed Great Compassion opens his eyes.' Whose is the measureless compassion? After a long while he said: 'A long head and short feet, little joy and much anger.' He mounted the hall and asked his attendant: 'Do you still remember yesterday's story?' He said: 'I do not.' He turned again to the assembly and asked: 'Do you still remember?' The assembly had no reply. He held up his fly whisk and said: 'Do you still remember?' After a long while he said: 'I have forgotten it too. Three places do not succeed; one is not there either. You people do not understand the local speech — the exposed pillar had best not open its mouth.' He struck the meditation seat with his fly whisk and descended.

天寧卓禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Tianning Zhuo

慶元府育王無示介諶禪師

Chan Master Wushi Jiechen of Yuwang, Qingyuan Prefecture

溫州張氏子。謝知事。上堂。尺頭有寸。鑑者猶稀。秤尾無星。且莫錯認。若欲定古今輕重。較佛祖短長。但請於中著一隻眼。果能一尺還他十寸。八兩元是半斤。自然內外和平。家國無事。山僧今日。已是兩手分付。汝等諸人還肯信受奉行也無。尺量刀剪徧世間。誌公不是閑和尚。上堂。文殊智。普賢行。多年曆日。德山棒。臨濟喝。亂世英雄。汝等諸人穿僧堂。入佛殿。還知嶮過鐵圍關麼。忽然踏著釋迦頂。𩕳磕著聖僧額頭。不免一場禍事。上堂。我若說有。你為有礙。我若說無。你為無礙。我若橫說。你又跨不過。我若竪說。你又跳不出。若欲叢林平帖。大家無事。不如推倒育王。且道育王如何推得倒去。召大眾曰。著力。著力。復曰。苦哉。苦哉。育王被人推倒了也。還有路見不平。㧞劍相為底麼。若無。山僧不免自倒自起。擊拂子。下座。師性剛毅。涖眾有古法。時以諶鐵面稱之。

He was a son of the Zhang family of Wenzhou. He mounted the hall after thanking the officers: 'In a foot there are inches, yet few are those who discern it. At the end of the scale there is no mark — do not misread it. If you would settle the weight of ancient and modern and measure the length of buddhas and patriarchs, then please fix one eye within it. If you can truly return a foot as ten inches and see that eight ounces are originally half a pound, then naturally inside and outside are at peace.' The house and realm have no trouble. 'This mountain monk today has already handed it over with both hands. Will you people be willing to believe, receive and practice it? Measuring feet, cutting with scissors, all through the world — Master Zhi was no idle monk.' He mounted the hall: 'Manjushri's wisdom, Samantabhadra's practice — a calendar of many years. Deshan's staff, Linji's shout — heroes of a troubled age. You people pass through the monks' hall and enter the buddha hall: do you know the danger of crossing the Iron Ring Pass? Suddenly you tread on Shakyamuni's crown.' Bumping his head on the holy monk's forehead, he cannot avoid a calamity. He mounted the hall: 'If I say it exists, you are obstructed by existence; if I say it does not exist, you are obstructed by nonexistence.' If I speak horizontally, you cannot step across it; if I speak vertically, you cannot leap out of it. 'If you would have the monasteries peaceful and everyone untroubled, it would be better to push down Yuwang. And tell me, how is Yuwang to be pushed down?' He called to the assembly and said: 'Put forth strength, put forth strength.' Then he said: 'How bitter, how bitter — Yuwang has been pushed down by others. Is there any who, seeing a matter not level, draws his sword to help? If not, this mountain monk cannot but fall of himself and rise of himself.' He struck his fly whisk and descended. The Master was firm and resolute by nature and governed the assembly by the ancient rules. People of the time called him Iron-Faced Jiechen.

安吉州道場普明慧琳禪師

Chan Master Puming Huilin of Daochang, Anji Prefecture

福州人。上堂。有漏笊籬。無漏木杓。庭白牡丹。檻紅芍藥。因思九年面壁人。到頭不識這一著。且道作麼生是這一著。以拄杖擊禪床下座。上堂。一即多。多即一。毗盧頂上明如日。也無一。也無多。現成公案沒誵譌。拈起舊來氈拍板。明時共唱太平歌。

He was a man of Fuzhou. He mounted the hall: 'A leaky strainer, a leakless wooden ladle; in the court a white peony, at the railing a red herbaceous peony. Thinking of the man who faced the wall nine years, in the end he did not know this one move. Tell me, what is this one move?' He struck the meditation seat with his staff and descended. He mounted the hall: 'One is many, many is one; on the crown of Vairochana it is bright as the sun. There is no one either, and no many; the case is already settled with no error. Picking up the old felt clappers, in bright times we sing the song of peace together.'

安吉州道場無傳居慧禪師

Chan Master Wuchuan Juhui of Daochang, Anji Prefecture

本郡吳氏子。上堂。鍾馗醉裡唱涼州。小妹門前祇點頭。巡海夜叉相見後。大家拍手上高樓。大眾若會得去。鏁卻天下人舌頭。若會不得。將謂老僧別有奇特。上堂。百尺竿頭弄影戲。不唯瞞你又瞞天。自笑平生歧路上。投老歸來沒一錢。上堂。舉臨濟示眾曰。一人在高高峰頂。無出身之路。一人在十字街頭。亦無向背。且道那箇在前。那箇在後。師曰。更有一人不在高高峰頂。亦不在十字街頭。臨濟老漢因甚不知。便下座。

He was a son of the Wu family of this prefecture. He mounted the hall: 'Zhong Kui, drunk, sings the Liangzhou tune; the little sister only nods at the gate. After the sea-patrolling yaksha meets him, everyone claps hands and climbs the high tower. Great assembly, if you can understand, it locks up the tongues of the whole world; if you cannot, you will think this old monk has something extraordinary.' He mounted the hall: 'Playing shadow puppets on a hundred-foot pole, one deceives not only you but heaven too. I laugh at myself — a life spent on forked roads, coming home old with not a copper.' He mounted the hall and brought up Linji's address to the assembly: 'One man is on the high peak's summit and has no road to get out; one man is at the crossroads and has no front or back. Tell me, which is ahead and which is behind?' The Master said: 'There is another man who is not on the high peak's summit and not at the crossroads — why does old man Linji not know him?' Then he descended.

臨安府顯寧松堂圓智禪師

Chan Master Yuanzhi of Songtang, Xianning, Lin'an Prefecture

上堂。蘆華白。蓼華紅。溪邊脩竹碧煙籠。閑雲抱幽石。玉露滴巖叢。昨夜烏龜變作鼈。今朝水牯悟圓通。咄。

He mounted the hall: 'The reed flowers white, the knotweed flowers red; by the stream the tall bamboo is wrapped in green mist. Idle clouds embrace the secluded rock; jade dew drips on the rocky thicket. Last night the tortoise turned into a soft-shelled turtle; this morning the water buffalo awakened to perfect penetration. Ha!'

安吉州烏回唯庵良範禪師

Chan Master Liangfan of Weian, Wuhui, Anji Prefecture

上堂。塵劫已前事。堂堂無背面。動靜莫能該。舒捲快如電。莫道凡不知。佛也覷不見。決定在何處。合取這兩片。薦不薦。更為諸人通一線。良久曰。天下太平。皇風永扇。上堂。舉。僧問趙州。至道無難。唯嫌揀擇。是時人窠窟否。州曰。曾有人問。老僧直得五年分疎不下。師召眾曰。趙州具頂門眼。向擊石火裡分緇素。閃電光中明縱奪。為甚麼卻五年分疎不下。還委悉麼。易分雪裡粉。難辨墨中煤。

He mounted the hall: 'The matter before the dust kalpas stands magnificent, without back or front. Movement and stillness cannot encompass it; spreading and rolling are quick as lightning. Do not say ordinary men do not know it — even a buddha cannot see it. Where does it decidedly abide? Bring those two pieces together. Do you grasp it or not? I will open a thread of it for you people.' After a long while he said: 'The world is at peace; the imperial wind blows on forever.' He mounted the hall: 'Bring it up.' A monk asked Zhaozhou: 'The supreme Way is not difficult; it only dislikes picking and choosing. Is this a nest for people of the time?' Zhou said: 'There was one who asked me this, and I could not sort it out for five years.' The Master called the assembly and said: 'Zhaozhou had the eye on the crown of his head: in the striking of fire from stone he distinguished black from white; in the flash of lightning he made clear what to let go and what to seize. Why then could he not sort it out for five years? Do you understand thoroughly? It is easy to divide the powder in snow; it is hard to tell the soot in ink.'

溫州本寂靈光文觀禪師

Chan Master Wenguan of Benji Lingguang, Wenzhou

本郡葉氏子。上堂。過去諸如來。斯門已成就。好事不如無。現在諸菩薩。今各入圓明。好事不如無。未來修學人。當依如是住。好事不如無。還知麼。除卻華山陳處士。何人不帶是非行。參。

He was a son of the Ye family of this prefecture. He mounted the hall: 'The Tathagatas of the past have already accomplished this gate. A good thing is not as good as nothing. The bodhisattvas of the present each now enter perfect clarity. A good thing is not as good as nothing. Students of the future should dwell thus. A good thing is not as good as nothing. Do you understand?' Apart from the recluse Chen of Mount Hua, who walks without right and wrong? Investigate.

黃龍震禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Huanglong Zhen

常德府德山無諍慧初禪師

Chan Master Wuzheng Huichu of Deshan, Changde Prefecture

靜江府人也。上堂。顧視大眾曰。見麼。在天成象。在地成形。在日月為晦為朔。在四時為寒為暑。鼓之以雷霆。潤之以風雨。且道在衲僧分上。又作麼生。一趯趯飜四大海。一拳拳倒須彌山。佛祖位中留不住。又吹漁笛汨羅灣。上堂。九月二十五。聚頭相共舉。瞎卻正法眼。拈卻雲門普。德山不會說禪。贏得村歌社舞。阿呵呵。邏囉哩。遂作舞。下座。

He was a man of Jingjiang Prefecture. He mounted the hall and, looking around at the assembly, said: 'Do you see it? In heaven it forms images; on earth it forms shapes. In the sun and moon it is dark or new; in the four seasons it is cold or hot. It drums it with thunder and moistens it with wind and rain. And tell me, in a patch-robed monk's share, what then? One kick overturns the four great seas.' One punch knocks down Mount Sumeru. In the rank of buddhas and patriarchs it cannot be kept; again he blows his fisherman's flute at the Miluo Bay. He mounted the hall: 'The twenty-fifth of the ninth month; gathering together we raise it in common. Blinding the true dharma eye, picking away Yunmen's universal. Deshan cannot talk Chan and wins village songs and rustic dances. Ah ha-ha, lo-lo-li.' Then he danced and descended from the seat.

萬年一禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Wannian Yi

嘉興府報恩法常首座

The chief seat Fasheng of Baoen, Jiaxing Prefecture

開封人也。丞相薛居正之裔。宣和七年。依長沙益陽華嚴元軾下髮。徧依叢林。於首楞嚴經。深入義海。自湖湘至萬年謁雪巢。機契。命掌牋翰。後首眾報恩。室中唯一矮榻。餘無長物。庚子九月中。語寺僧曰。一月後不復留此。十月二十一往方丈。謁飯。將曉。書漁父詞於室門。就榻收足而逝。詞曰。此事楞嚴甞露布。梅華雪月交光處。一笑寥寥空萬古。風甌語。迥然銀漢橫天宇。蝶夢南華方栩栩。斑斑誰跨豐幹虎。而今忘卻來時路。江山暮。天涯目送鴻飛去。

He was a man of Kaifeng, a descendant of the chancellor Xue Juzheng. In the seventh year of Xuanhe he was shaved by Yuanshi of Huayan in Yiyang, Changsha. He relied on the monasteries everywhere, and in the Shurangama Sutra he entered deep into the sea of meaning. From Huxiang he came to Wannian and called on Xuechao; their workings accorded, and he was made secretary. Later he led the assembly at Baoen. In his room there was only a low couch and nothing else. In the middle of the ninth month of the gengzi year he told the monks of the monastery: 'In a month I will no longer stay here.' On the twenty-first of the tenth month he went to the abbot's quarters for a meal. Toward dawn he wrote a fisherman's song on the door of his room, and on the couch drew up his feet and passed away. The song: 'This matter the Shurangama once proclaimed: where plum blossom, snow and moon exchange their light. One laugh, faint and far, empties ten thousand ages. The wind speaks in the cup; far off the Silver River crosses the sky. The butterfly dream of Nanhua is just now vivid; who, dappled, rides Fenggan's tiger? And now I forget the road I came by. Dusk over the rivers and mountains; from the world's end I watch the geese fly away.'

嶽山祖庵主法嗣

Dharma heirs of the Master of the Hut, Zuan of Yueshan

廬山延慶叔禪師

Chan Master Shu of Yanqing, Mount Lu

僧問。多子塔前。共談何事。師曰。一回相見一回老。能得幾時為弟兄。僧禮拜師曰。唐興今日失利。

A monk asked: 'Before the many-child stupa, what did they discuss together?' The Master said: 'Each time we meet, each time we are older; how long can we be brothers?' The monk bowed. The Master said: 'Tangxing has lost the advantage today.'

勝因靜禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Shengyin Jing

漣水軍萬壽夢庵普信禪師

Chan Master Puxin of Meng'an, Wanshou, Lianshui Jun

上堂。殘雪既消盡。春風日漸多。若將時節會。佛法又如何。且道時節因緣與佛法道理。是同是別。良久曰。無影樹栽人不見。開華結果自馨香。

He mounted the hall: 'The last snow has melted away; the spring wind grows day by day. If you understand it by the season, what then of the buddhadharma? Tell me, are the working of the seasons and the principle of the buddhadharma the same or different?' After a long while he said: 'The shadowless tree planted by no one; it opens flowers and bears fruit, fragrant of itself.'

平江府慧日默庵興道禪師

Chan Master Xingdao of Mo'an, Huiri, Pingjiang Prefecture

上堂。同雲欲雪未雪。愛日似暉不暉。寒雀啾啾閙籬落。朔風冽冽舞簾帷。要會韶陽親切句。今朝覿面為提撕。卓拄杖。下座。

He mounted the hall: 'The same clouds would snow and do not snow; the loving sun seems to shine and does not shine. Cold sparrows chirp noisily at the fence; the north wind blows shrill and dances in the curtain. If you would understand Shaoyang's intimate phrase, today I raise it before your face.' He planted his staff and descended.