The Five Lamps Meeting at the Source, Scroll Five

昔有一老宿。因僧問。魂兮歸去來。食我家園葚。如何是家園葚(玄覺代雲。是亦食不得。法燈雲。汙卻你口)。

Long ago there was an old worthy. Because a monk asked: 'O soul, come back; eat the mulberries of my home garden. What are the mulberries of the home garden?' (Xuanjue spoke in his place: 'They too cannot be eaten.' Fadeng said: 'It dirties your mouth.')

昔有一老宿。曰。祖師九年面壁。為訪知音。若恁麼會得。吃鐵棒有日在。又一老宿曰。祖師九年面壁。何不慚惶。若恁麼會得。更買草鞋行腳三十年(瑯琊覺雲。既不然。且道祖師面壁意作麼生。良久雲。欲得不招無間業。莫謗如來正法輪)。

Long ago there was an old worthy who said: 'The patriarch sat facing the wall for nine years in order to seek one who knew the tune. If you understand it like this, the day will come when you eat an iron rod.' Another old worthy said: 'The patriarch sat facing the wall for nine years — why was he not ashamed? If you understand it like this, go buy straw sandals and walk for another thirty years.' (Langya Jue said: 'If it is not so, then tell me, what was the patriarch's meaning in facing the wall?' After a long pause he said: 'If you would not invite the karma of uninterrupted hell, do not slander the Tathagata's true dharma wheel.')

昔有一老宿。因僧問。師子捉兔亦全其力。捉象亦全其力。未審全箇甚麼力。老宿曰。不欺之力(法眼別雲。不會古人語)。

Long ago there was an old worthy. Because a monk asked: 'When a lion catches a hare it uses its full strength; when it catches an elephant it also uses its full strength. I wonder what strength it uses fully?' The old worthy said: 'The strength that does not deceive.' (Fayan said differently: 'He did not understand the ancients' words.')

昔有一老宿。曰。這一片田地分付來多時也。我立地待汝搆去(法眼雲。山僧如今坐地。待汝搆去。還有道理也無。那箇親。那箇踈。試裁斷看)。

Long ago there was an old worthy who said: 'This piece of land has been handed over long ago. I stand here waiting for you to take it.' (Fayan said: 'This mountain monk now sits here waiting for you to take it. Is there any principle in that? Which is nearer, which is farther? Try passing judgement.')

昔有老宿。畜一童子。竝不知軌則。有一行腳僧到。乃教童子禮儀。晚間見老宿外歸。遂去問訊。老宿怪訝。遂問童子曰。阿誰教你。童曰。堂中某上座。老宿喚其僧來。問。上座傍家行腳。是甚麼心行。這童子養來二三年了。幸自可憐生。誰教上坐教壞伊。快束裝起去。黃昏雨淋淋地。被趂出(眼雲。古人恁麼顯露些子家風。甚怪。且道意在於何)。

Long ago there was an old worthy who kept a boy, and the boy knew nothing of rules. A wandering monk arrived and taught the boy manners. In the evening, when he saw the old worthy returning from outside, the boy went to greet him. The old worthy, surprised, asked the boy: 'Who taught you?' The boy said: 'A certain senior monk in the hall.' The old worthy called the monk and asked: 'You wander about from house to house, senior monk — what sort of mind is this? This boy has been raised here two or three years, and luckily he is a pitiable creature. Who told you to teach and ruin him? Pack up quickly and get out.' In the darkening rain of dusk, the monk was driven out. (Fayan said: 'The ancients showed a bit of family style so openly — very strange. Tell me, where did the meaning lie?')

昔有僧到曹溪。時守衣缽僧提起衣曰。此是大庾嶺頭提不起底。僧曰。為甚麼在上座手裡。僧無對(雲門雲。彼此不了。又云。將謂是師子兒)。

Long ago a monk came to Caoxi. At the time the monk who guarded the robe and bowl lifted the robe and said: 'This is what could not be lifted at the top of Dayu Ridge.' The monk said: 'Why then is it in the senior monk's hand?' The monk had no reply. (Yunmen said: 'Both of them are unclear.' He also said: 'I thought he was a lion's cub.')

昔有僧因看法華經至諸法從本來。常自寂滅相。忽疑不決。行住坐臥。每自體究。都無所得。忽春月聞鶯聲。頓然開悟。遂續前偈曰。諸法從本來。常自寂滅相。春至百花開。黃鶯啼柳上。

Long ago a monk, reading the Lotus Sutra, came to the line 'All dharmas from the very beginning are always of themselves the mark of still extinction', and suddenly was seized by doubt and could not decide. Walking, standing, sitting, and lying, he investigated it himself every moment, and got nothing at all. Suddenly, on a spring night, hearing the cry of an oriole, he was at once awakened. He then continued the earlier verse: 'All dharmas from the very beginning are always of themselves the mark of still extinction. When spring arrives the hundred flowers open, and the yellow oriole cries on the willow.'

昔有老宿問一座主。疏鈔解義。廣略如何。主曰。鈔解疏。疏解經。宿曰。經解甚麼。主無對。

Long ago an old worthy asked a lecturer: 'The subcommentary explains the meaning of the commentary — how do the broad and the brief work?' The lecturer said: 'The subcommentary explains the commentary, the commentary explains the sutra.' The worthy said: 'And what explains the sutra?' The lecturer had no reply.

昔高麗國。來錢塘刻觀音聖像。及舁上船。竟不能動。因請入明州開元寺供養。後有設問。無剎不現身。聖像為甚不去高麗國(長慶稜雲。現身雖普。覩相生偏。法眼別雲。識得觀音未)。

Long ago, when the country of Goryeo came to Qiantang to carve a sacred image of Guanyin, and it was lifted onto the boat, it could not be moved at all. So they asked to install it in the Kaiyuan Monastery in Mingzhou for offerings. Later someone posed the question: 'There is no place where she does not manifest her body. Why did the sacred image not go to Goryeo?' (Changqing Leng said: 'Though she manifests her body everywhere, seeing the mark gives rise to partiality.' Fayan said differently: 'Do you recognize Guanyin?')

泗州塔前。一僧禮拜。有人問。上座日日禮拜。還見大聖麼(法眼代雲。汝道禮拜是甚麼義)。

Before the pagoda at Sizhou a monk was bowing. Someone asked: 'Senior monk, you bow every day — do you see the Great Sage?' (Fayan spoke in his place: 'Tell me, what does bowing mean?')

泗州塔頭侍者。及時鎻門。有人問。既是三界大師。為甚麼被弟子鎻。侍者無對(法眼代雲。弟子鎻。大師鎻。法燈代雲。還我鎻匙來。又老宿代雲。吉州鎻。虔州鎻)。

The attendant at the Sizhou pagoda locked the door at the proper time. Someone asked: 'Since he is the Great Master of the three realms, why is he locked in by his disciple?' The attendant had no reply. (Fayan spoke in his place: 'The disciple locks, the master locks.' Fadeng spoke in his place: 'Give me back the key.' Another old worthy spoke in his place: 'Jizhou locks, Qianzhou locks.')

聖僧像被屋漏滴。有人問僧。既是聖僧。為甚麼有漏。僧無對(韶國師代雲。無漏不是聖僧)。

The image of the holy monk was dripped on by a roof leak. Someone asked a monk: 'Since he is a holy monk, why is there leakage?' The monk had no reply. (National Teacher Shao spoke in his place: 'Without leakage he would not be a holy monk.')

有人問。僧點甚麼燈。僧曰。長明燈。曰。甚麼時點。曰。去年點。曰。長明何在。僧無語。(長慶稜代雲。若不如此。知公不受人謾。法眼別雲。利動君子)。

Someone asked: 'What lamp does the monk light?' The monk said: 'The ever-burning lamp.' [The questioner] said: 'When is it lit?' [The monk] said: 'It was lit last year.' [The questioner] said: 'Where is the ever-burning?' The monk was speechless. (Changqing Leng spoke in his place: 'Were it not so, I would know that you do not accept being fooled.' Fayan said differently: 'Profit moves the noble man.')

有座主念彌陀名號次。小師喚和尚。及回顧。小師不對。如是數四。和尚叱曰。三度四度喚。有甚麼事。小師曰。和尚幾年喚他即得。某甲才喚便發業(法燈代雲。咄叱)。

A lecturer was reciting the name of Amitabha when his young disciple called out 'Master!' When he turned his head, the disciple said nothing. This happened three or four times. The master scolded him: 'You call me three times, four times — what is the matter?' The disciple said: 'The master can call him for years on end and it is fine. I had only just called, and you already gave rise to karma.' (Fadeng spoke in his place: 'Bah!')

有僧與童子上經了。令持經著函內。童子曰。某甲念底。著向那裡(法燈代雲。汝念甚麼經)。

A monk and a boy finished reading a sutra, and he told the boy to put the sutra into its box. The boy said: 'Where shall I put what I have been reciting?' (Fadeng spoke in his place: 'What sutra were you reciting?')

一僧注道德經。人問曰。久嚮大德注道德經。僧曰。不敢。曰。何如明皇(法燈代雲。是弟子)。

A monk annotated the Daodejing. Someone said: 'I have long admired the great worthy's annotation of the Daodejing.' The monk said: 'I would not presume.' [The questioner] said: 'How does it compare with the Ming Emperor's?' (Fadeng spoke in his place: 'I am his disciple.')

有僧入冥見地藏菩薩。藏問。你平生修何業。僧曰。念法華經。曰。止止不須說。我法妙難思。為是說。是不說。僧無對(歸宗柔代雲。此回歸去。敢為流通)。

A monk entered the underworld and saw Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha. Zang asked: 'What practice have you cultivated in your life?' The monk said: 'I recited the Lotus Sutra.' [Zang] said: 'Stop, stop, it need not be spoken; my dharma is wondrous and hard to conceive. For this, should I speak it or not?' The monk had no reply. (Guizong Rou spoke in his place: 'On this return journey, I will venture to circulate it.')

鹽官會下有一主事僧。忽見一鬼使來追。僧告曰。某甲身為主事。未暇修行。乞容七日得否。使曰。待為白王。若許即七日後來。不然。須臾便至。言訖不見。至七日後。復來。覓其僧。了不可得。後有人舉問一僧。若被覓著時。如何抵擬他(洞山代雲。被他覓得也)。

Under Yanguan's assembly there was a monk in charge of affairs who suddenly saw a ghost messenger come to pursue him. The monk told him: 'I am in charge of affairs and have had no leisure to cultivate. May I beg seven days' reprieve?' The messenger said: 'I will report it to the king for you. If he permits, I will come back after seven days. If not, I will be here in a moment.' Having said this he vanished. Seven days later he came again and looked for the monk, but could not find him at all. Later someone raised this and asked a monk: 'If he had been found, how would you have fended him off?' (Dongshan spoke in his place: 'He was found by him.')

台州六通院僧欲渡船。有人問。既是六通。為甚麼假船。僧無對(天台韶國師代雲。不欲驚眾)。

A monk of the Liutong Monastery in Taizhou wanted to cross by boat. Someone asked: 'Since you have the six supernatural powers, why do you need a boat?' The monk had no reply. (National Teacher Shao of Tiantai spoke in his place: 'He did not want to startle the crowd.')

洪州太守宋令公。一日大寧寺僧陳乞請第二座開堂。公曰。何不請第一座。眾無語(法眼代雲。不勞如此)。

The prefect of Hongzhou, Lord Song, asked that the monks of the Daning Monastery petition for the second seat to open the hall. The lord said: 'Why not invite the first seat?' The assembly was speechless. (Fayan spoke in his place: 'No need for that.')

江南相馮延巳與數僧遊鍾山。至一人泉。問。一人泉許多人爭得足。一僧對曰。不教欠少。延巳不肯。乃別曰。誰人欠少(法眼別雲。誰是不足者)。

The chancellor of Jiangnan, Feng Yansi, was roaming Mount Zhong with several monks and came to One Man Spring. He asked: 'The water of One Man Spring — how can many men get enough of it?' One monk replied: 'It is not allowed to run short.' Yansi did not accept it, and said differently: 'Who is it that runs short?' (Fayan said differently: 'Who is the one who is insufficient?')

官人問。僧名甚麼。曰。無揀。官人曰。忽然將一椀沙與上座。又作麼生。曰。謝官人供養。(法眼別雲。此猶是揀底)。

An official asked: 'What is the monk's name?' He said: 'Wujian, No Choosing.' The official said: 'Suppose I suddenly hand the senior monk a bowl of sand — what then?' He said: 'I thank the official for his offering.' (Fayan said differently: 'That is still the choosing kind.')

廣南有僧住庵。國主出獵。左右報庵主。大王來。請起。主曰。非但大王來。佛來亦不起。王問。佛豈不是汝師。主曰。是。王曰。見師為甚麼不起(法眼代雲。未足酬恩)。

In Guangnan a monk lived in a hut. The ruler of the state went out hunting, and his attendants reported to the hut master: 'The great king has come; please rise.' The master said: 'Not only if the great king comes — if the Buddha came, I would not rise either.' The king asked: 'Is the Buddha not your teacher?' The master said: 'He is.' The king said: 'Why do you not rise when you see your teacher?' (Fayan spoke in his place: 'It is not enough to repay the grace.')

福州洪塘橋上有僧列坐。官人問。此中還有佛麼。僧無對(法眼代雲。汝是甚麼人)。

On the Hongtang Bridge in Fuzhou monks sat in a row. An official asked: 'Is there a Buddha among these?' The monk had no reply. (Fayan spoke in his place: 'Who are you?')

昔有官人入鎮州天王院。覩神像。因問院主曰。此是甚麼功德。曰。護國天王。曰。秖護此國。徧護餘國。曰。在秦為秦。在楚為楚。曰。臘月二十九日打破鎮州城。天王向甚處去。主無對。

Long ago an official entered the Tianwang Monastery in Zhenzhou and, seeing the divine images, asked the monastery keeper: 'What merit is this?' He said: 'The Deva Kings who protect the state.' [The official] said: 'Do they protect only this state, or all states?' He said: 'In Qin they are for Qin, in Chu for Chu.' [The official] said: 'On the twenty-ninth of the twelfth month the city of Zhenzhou was broken through — where did the Deva Kings go?' The keeper had no reply.

昔有官人作無鬼論。中夜揮毫次。忽見一鬼出雲。汝道無我。聻(五祖演雲。老僧當時若見。但以手作鵓鴆觜。向伊道。谷呱呱)。

Long ago an official wrote a treatise on the non-existence of ghosts. In the middle of the night, as he was wielding his brush, he suddenly saw a ghost come out and say: 'You say there is no me — how about this?' (Wuzu Yan said: 'If this old monk had seen him at the time, I would just have made a pigeon's beak with my hand and said to him: Coo-coo.')

昔有道流。在佛殿前背佛而坐。僧曰。道士莫背佛。道流曰。大德本教中道。佛身充滿於法界。向甚麼處坐得。僧無對(法眼代雲。識得汝)。

Long ago a Daoist sat with his back to the Buddha before the Buddha hall. A monk said: 'Daoist, do not turn your back on the Buddha.' The Daoist said: 'The great worthy's own teaching says that the Buddha's body fills the dharma realm. Where can one sit that is not on him?' The monk had no reply. (Fayan spoke in his place: 'I recognize you.')

有一行者。隨法師入佛殿。行者向佛而唾。師曰。行者少去就。何以唾佛。者曰。將無佛處來與某甲唾。師無對(溈山雲。仁者卻不仁者。不仁者卻仁者。仰山代法師雲。但唾行者。又云。行者若有語。即向伊道。還我無行者處來)。

There was a postulant who entered the Buddha hall with a dharma master. The postulant spat toward the Buddha. The master said: 'Postulant, show some manners — why spit at the Buddha?' The postulant said: 'Bring me a place where there is no Buddha and I will spit there.' The master had no reply. (Weishan said: 'The benevolent one is not benevolent, and the unbenevolent one is benevolent.' Yangshan spoke in the master's place: 'Just spit at the postulant.' He also said: 'If the postulant says anything, tell him: give me back the place where there is no postulant.')

死魚浮於水上。有人問僧。魚豈不是以水為命。僧曰。是。曰。為甚麼卻向水中死。僧無對。(杭州天龍機和尚代雲。是伊為甚麼不去岸上死)。

A dead fish floated on the water. Someone asked a monk: 'Is it not the case that fish live by water?' The monk said: 'Yes.' [The questioner] said: 'Why then did it die in the water?' The monk had no reply. (Chan Master Ji of Tianlong in Hangzhou spoke in his place: 'Why did it not go and die on the bank?')

鷂子趂鴿子。飛向佛殿欄幹上顫。有人問僧。一切眾生。在佛影中常安常樂。鴿子見佛為甚麼卻顫。僧無對(法燈代雲。怕佛)。

A sparrowhawk chased a pigeon, which flew onto the railing of the Buddha hall and trembled there. Someone asked a monk: 'All living beings are always at peace and always happy within the Buddha's shadow. Why did the pigeon tremble when it saw the Buddha?' The monk had no reply. (Fadeng spoke in his place: 'It was afraid of the Buddha.')

昔有一僧去覆船。路逢一賣鹽翁。僧問。覆船路向甚麼處去。翁良久。僧再問。翁曰。你患聾那。僧曰。你向我道甚麼。翁曰。向你道覆船路。僧曰。翁莫會禪麼。翁曰。莫道會禪。佛法也會盡。僧曰。你試說看。翁挑起鹽籃。僧曰。難。翁曰。你喚這箇作甚麼。僧曰。鹽。翁曰。有甚麼交涉。僧曰。你喚作甚麼。曰。不可更向你道是鹽。

Long ago a monk was going to Fuchuan when on the road he met an old man selling salt. The monk asked: 'Which way does the road to Fuchuan go?' The old man was silent a long while. The monk asked again. The old man said: 'Are you deaf?' The monk said: 'What did you say to me?' The old man said: 'I told you the road to Fuchuan.' The monk said: 'Does the old man understand Chan, perhaps?' The old man said: 'Never mind understanding Chan — I understand the Buddha-dharma through and through too.' The monk said: 'Try and say it.' The old man lifted up his salt basket. The monk said: 'Hard.' The old man said: 'What do you call this?' The monk said: 'Salt.' The old man said: 'What has that to do with it?' The monk said: 'What do you call it?' [The old man] said: 'I cannot very well tell you it is salt.'

昔有婆子供養一庵主。經二十年。常令一二八女子送飯給侍。一日。令女子抱定。曰。正恁麼時如何。主曰。枯木倚寒巖。三冬無暖氣。女子舉似婆。婆曰。我二十年祗供養得箇俗漢。遂遣出。燒卻庵。

Long ago an old woman supported a hut master for twenty years, and always had a girl of sixteen bring him his meals and wait on him. One day she told the girl to embrace him, and said: 'What is it like right at such a moment?' The master said: 'A withered tree leans on a cold rock; through the three winters there is no warm breath.' The girl reported this to the old woman. The old woman said: 'For twenty years I have supported only a common fellow.' She then drove him out and burned down the hut.

昔有一僧參米胡。路逢一婆住庵。僧問。婆有眷屬否。曰。有。僧曰。在甚麼處。曰。山河大地。若草若木。皆是我眷屬。僧曰。婆莫作師姑來否。曰。汝見我是甚麼。僧曰。俗人。婆曰。汝不可是僧。僧曰。婆莫混濫佛法好。婆曰。我不混濫佛法。僧曰。汝恁麼。豈不是混濫佛法。婆曰。你是男子。我是女人。豈曾混濫。

Long ago a monk went to call on Mihu, and on the road met an old woman living in a hut. The monk asked: 'Has the old woman any family?' She said: 'I have.' The monk said: 'Where are they?' She said: 'The mountains and rivers and the great earth, every grass and every tree, are all my family.' The monk said: 'Has the old woman not become a nun, perhaps?' She said: 'What do you see me as?' The monk said: 'A lay person.' The old woman said: 'You cannot be a monk.' The monk said: 'Old woman, do not confuse the Buddha-dharma.' The old woman said: 'I do not confuse the Buddha-dharma.' The monk said: 'Are you not, in this way, confusing the Buddha-dharma?' The old woman said: 'You are a man, I am a woman. How have I ever confused it?'

龐行婆。入鹿門寺設齋。維那請意旨。婆拈梳子插向髻後曰。迴向了也。便出去。

The lay woman Pang entered the Lumen Monastery to set out a vegetarian feast. The director of affairs asked her for her intention. The old woman picked up a comb, stuck it behind her bun, and said: 'The dedication is done.' She then went out.

溫州陳道婆。甞徧扣諸方名宿。後於長老山淨和尚語下發明。有偈曰。高坡平頂上。盡是採樵翁。人人盡懷刀斧意。不見山花映水紅。

Chen Daopo of Wenzhou called on famous worthies everywhere. Later she was awakened under the words of Elder Chan Master Jing of Mount Shan. She had a verse: 'On the high slope's level top, all are woodcutting old men. Every man harbours the mind of axe and bill, and none sees the mountain flowers reflected red in the water.'

昔有施主婦人入院。行眾僧隨年錢。僧曰。聖僧前著一分。婦人曰。聖僧年多少。僧無對(法眼代雲。心期滿處即知)。年秖供養得箇俗漢。遂遣出。燒卻庵。

Long ago a lay woman benefactor came into the monastery and distributed the annual money to the monks. A monk said: 'Set aside a share for the holy monk.' The woman said: 'How old is the holy monk?' The monk had no reply. (Fayan spoke in his place: 'When the mind's term is full, then you will know.') For years I have supported only a common fellow. She then drove him out and burned down the hut.