Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume Ten

南嶽西林崇奧禪師

Chan Master Nanyue Xilin Chong'ao

僧問。一問一答。賓主歷然。不問不答。如何辯別。師曰。坐底坐。立底立。曰。便恁麼會時如何。師曰。舌拄上顎。僧禮拜。師曰。不得諱卻。

A monk asked: 'Question and answer, host and guest are clear. Not asking and not answering — how does one distinguish?' The master said: 'The one sitting sits, the one standing stands.' The monk said: 'What of understanding it just like this?' The master said: 'Tongue against the palate.' The monk bowed. The master said: 'Do not conceal it.'

蔣山元禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Jiangshan Yuan

明州雪竇法雅禪師

Chan Master Xuedou Faya of Mingzhou

僧問。學人不問西來意。乞師方便指迷情。師曰。霹靂過頭猶瞌睡。曰。謝師答話。師曰。再三啟口問何人。曰。爭奈學人未禮拜何。師曰。休鈍置。

A monk asked: 'This student will not ask about the meaning of the coming from the west; I beg the Master's skillful means to point out my confusion.' The master said: 'A thunderbolt passes overhead and he is still dozing.' The monk said: 'Thank you, Master, for answering.' The master said: 'Opening the mouth twice or three times — whom are you asking?' The monk said: 'What about the fact that this student has not yet bowed?' The master said: 'Do not dull me.'

邵州丞熈應悅禪師

Chan Master Shaozhou Chengxi Yingyue

撫之宜黃戴氏子。上堂。我宗無語句。徒勞尋路布。現成公案已多端。那堪更涉他門戶。覿面當機直下提。何用波吒受辛苦。咄。

He was a son of the Dai family of Yihuang in Fu. He mounted the hall: 'Our school has no words and phrases; it is labor in vain to seek a road to spread. The present case has already been set out in many ways; how can one bear to go through other gates besides? Meeting it face to face at the critical moment, one lifts it straight down; what use is it to suffer hardship with groans?' Tsk!

雙峰迴禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Shuangfeng Hui

閬州光國文贊禪師

Chan Master Langzhou Guangguo Wenzan

僧問。不二之法。請師速道。師曰。領。曰。恁麼則人人有分也。師曰。了。曰。錦屏天下少。光國世間稀。師曰。退。

A monk asked: 'The dharma of non-duality — pray, Master, speak it quickly.' The master said: 'Received.' The monk said: 'Then everyone has a share.' The master said: 'Understood.' The monk said: 'Broidered screens are few in the world; Guangguo is rare among the ages.' The master said: 'Withdraw.'

定慧信禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Dinghui Xin

蘇州穹窿智圓禪師

Chan Master Qionglong Zhiyuan of Suzhou

上堂。福臻不說禪。無事日高眠。有問祖師意。連擉兩三拳。大眾且道。為甚麼如此。不合惱亂山僧睡。

He mounted the hall: 'Fuzhen does not speak of Chan; with nothing to do he sleeps till the sun is high. If someone asks about the patriarch's meaning, I give him two or three punches in a row. Great assembly, tell me, why is it so? Because he should not disturb this mountain monk's sleep.'

雲峰悅禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yunfeng Yue

桂州壽寧齊曉禪師

Chan Master Guizhou Shouning Qixiao

上堂。觸目不會道。猶較些子。運足焉知路。錯下名言。諸仁者。山僧今日將錯就錯。汝等諸人。見有眼。聞有耳。嗅有鼻。味有舌。因甚麼卻不會。良久曰。武帝求仙不得仙。王喬端坐卻昇天。咄。僧問。大眾雲臻。合談何事。師曰。波斯入閙市。曰。恁麼則草偃風行去也。師曰。萬里望鄉關。

He mounted the hall: 'Meeting the eye and not knowing the way — that is still a bit better. Moving the foot, how does one know the road? The words are wrongly set down. Good people, this mountain monk today takes a mistake and makes it a mistake. You people see with eyes, hear with ears, smell with noses, taste with tongues — why then do you not understand?' After a long while he said: 'Emperor Wu sought immortality and did not get immortality; Wang Qiao sat upright and ascended to heaven.' Tsk! A monk asked: 'The great assembly has gathered like clouds; what should be discussed?' The master said: 'A Persian enters a busy market.' The monk said: 'Then the grass bends and the wind blows.' The master said: 'Gazing at the home pass from ten thousand miles.'

淨因臻禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Jingyin Zhen

福州長慶惠暹文慧禪師

Chan Master Changqing Huixian Wenhui of Fuzhou

僧問。離上生之寶剎。登延聖之道場。如何是不動尊。師曰。孤舟載明月。曰。忽遇艣棹俱停。又作麼生。師曰。漁人偏愛宿蘆花。問。長期進道西天。以蠟人為驗。未審此間以何為驗。師曰。鐵彈子。曰。意旨如何。師曰。大底大。小底小。

A monk asked: 'Leaving the jewel monastery of superior birth and ascending the practice place of Yansheng, what is the Immovable Honored One?' The master said: 'A lone boat carrying the bright moon.' The monk said: 'If suddenly both oar and pole are stopped, what then?' The master said: 'The fisherman loves to lodge in the reed flowers.' The monk asked: 'In the long term of advancing on the way in the Western Heaven, a wax figure is used as the test. I wonder what is used as the test here?' The master said: 'An iron pellet.' The monk said: 'What is the meaning?' The master said: 'The big ones are big, the small ones are small.'

福州棲勝繼超禪師

Chan Master Qisheng Jichao of Fuzhou

上堂。拈拄杖。良久曰。三世諸佛。盡在這裡𨁝跳。大眾還會麼。過去諸佛說了。未來諸佛未說。現在諸佛今說。敢問諸人。作麼生是說底事。卓一下曰。蘇嚧蘇嚧。

He mounted the hall, picked up his staff, and after a long while said: 'The buddhas of the three ages are all jumping around in here. Does the great assembly also understand? The buddhas of the past have spoken, the buddhas of the future have not yet spoken, the buddhas of the present are speaking now. I venture to ask you people, what is the matter of speaking?' He planted the staff once and said: 'Su-lu su-lu.'

興化嶽禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Xinghua Yue

潭州興化紹清禪師

Chan Master Xinghua Shaoqing of Tanzhou

上堂。祖師門下。佛法不存。善法堂前。仁義休說。然雖如是。事無一向。竊聞哀哀父母。生我劬勞。欲報深恩。昊天罔極。髮膚身體。弗敢毀傷。此魯仲尼之孝也。輪轉三界中。恩愛不能捨。棄恩入無為。真實報恩者。故我大覺世尊。雪山苦行。摩竭成道。往忉利天為母說法。此釋迦之孝也。得大解脫。運大神通。手擎金錫。掌拓龍盂。詣地獄門。卓然尋省。見其慈母。悲泣無量。此目連之孝也。作麼生是興化之孝。良久曰。興化今日不上天堂。不入地獄。於善法堂中．燈王座上。為母說法。以報劬勞。且道我母即今在甚麼處。乃曰。我母生前足善緣。無勞問佛定生天。人間上壽古今少。九十春秋減一年。下座。敢煩大眾燒一炷香。以助山僧報孝。既是山僧之母。為甚麼卻煩諸人燒香。不見道。東家人死。西家人助哀。以手搥胷曰。蒼天。蒼天。

He mounted the hall: 'Within the patriarch's gate the buddhadharma does not exist. Before the hall of good dharma, speak no more of benevolence and righteousness. Yet even so, matters do not go in one direction. I have heard that alas, alas, the parents who gave me birth toiled and labored. If one would repay the deep grace — the vast heaven is without limit. Hair and skin, body and flesh, one dares not injure. This was the filial piety of Confucius of Lu. Turning in the three realms, one cannot renounce love and grace. Renouncing grace and entering non-doing is the true repayment of grace. Therefore our Great Enlightened World-Honored One practiced austerities in the Snow Mountains, attained the way at Magadha, and went to the Trayastrimsha heaven to preach the dharma for his mother. This was the filial piety of Shakyamuni. Having attained great liberation and wielding great spiritual powers, holding the golden staff in his hand and carrying the dragon bowl in his palm, he went to the gate of hell and searched there plainly, saw his loving mother and wept without measure. This was the filial piety of Maudgalyayana. What is the filial piety of Xinghua?' After a long while he said: 'Xinghua today does not ascend to heaven and does not enter hell; in the hall of good dharma, on the seat of the lamp king, he preaches the dharma for his mother to repay her toil. Tell me, where is my mother right now?' Then he said: 'My mother in life had ample good conditions; no need to ask the Buddha — she will surely be born in heaven. A long life among men is rare in any age; ninety springs and autumns, minus one year.' He descended from the seat: 'I venture to trouble the great assembly to burn a stick of incense to help this mountain monk repay his filial duty. Since she is this mountain monk's mother, why trouble you people to burn incense? Have you not heard it said: when the eastern house has a death, the western house helps in the mourning?' He beat his chest with his hand and said: 'O heavens! O heavens!'

玉泉芳禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Yuquan Fang

臨江軍慧力善周禪師

Chan Master Huili Shanzhou of Linjiang Prefecture

上堂。遼天鶻。萬重雲。祇一突。是甚麼。咄。師元祐元年十二月望日。沐浴淨髮。說偈曰。山僧住瑞筠。未甞形言句。七十三年來。七十三年去。言畢而逝。五日後鬚髮再生。

He mounted the hall: 'The falcon of the vast sky, ten thousand layers of cloud — one thrust. What is it?' Tsk! On the full moon day of the twelfth month in the first year of Yuanyou, the master bathed and washed his hair, and spoke a verse: 'This mountain monk dwelt at Ruijun and never formed words or phrases. For seventy-three years coming, seventy-three years going.' Having spoken, he passed away. Five days later his hair grew again.

南嶽下十三世

The thirteenth generation below Nanyue

大溈喆禪師法嗣

Dharma heirs of Chan Master Dawei Zhe

東京智海普融道平禪師

Chan Master Dongjing Zhihai Purong Daoping

上堂。山僧不會佛法。為人總沒來由。或時半開半合。或時全放全收。還如萬人叢裡。冷地掉箇石頭。忽然打著一箇。方知觸處周流。上堂。趙州有四門。門門通大道。玉泉有四路。路路透長安。門門通大道。畢竟誰親到。路路透長安。分明進步看。拍膝一下曰。歲晚未歸客。西風門外寒。上堂。舉盤山示眾曰。似地擎山。不知山之孤峻。如石含玉。不知玉之無瑕。古人恁麼說話。大似抱贓呌屈。智海門下。人人慷慨。生擒虎兕。活捉獰龍。眼裡著得須彌山。耳裡著得大海水。遂拈拄杖曰。不是向人誇伎倆。丈夫標致合如斯。卓拄杖。下座。

He mounted the hall: 'This mountain monk does not understand the buddhadharma and has no grounds at all for acting for others. Sometimes half open, half closed; sometimes wholly released, wholly gathered. It is like dropping a stone in a crowd of ten thousand on a cold ground. If it suddenly strikes someone, only then does he know it flows everywhere it touches.' He mounted the hall: 'Zhaozhou has four gates, and every gate opens onto the great way. Yuquan has four roads, and every road reaches Chang'an. Every gate opens onto the great way — after all, who has personally arrived? Every road reaches Chang'an — step forward and see clearly.' He slapped his knee once and said: 'A guest not yet home at year's end; the west wind is cold outside the gate.' He mounted the hall and brought up Panshan's address to the assembly: 'Like the earth upholding a mountain, one does not know the mountain's solitary steepness. Like a stone containing jade, one does not know the jade's flawlessness. That the ancients spoke like this is very much like crying out while holding stolen goods. Within the gate of Zhihai everyone is generous, seizing the tiger and rhinoceros alive, capturing the fierce dragon alive. The eye can hold Mount Sumeru, the ear can hold the water of the great sea.' Then he picked up his staff and said: 'It is not to boast of skill before people; a great man's bearing should be like this.' He planted the staff and descended from the seat.

洪州泐潭景祥禪師

Chan Master Hongzhou Letan Jingxiang

建昌南城傅氏子。僧問。如何是祖師西來意。師曰。十箇指頭八箇丫。問。我手何似佛手。師曰。金鍮難辯。曰。我腳何似驢腳。師曰。黃龍路險。曰。人人有箇生緣。如何是和尚生緣。師曰。把定要津。不通凡聖。中秋上堂。靈山話。曹谿指。放過初生斫額底。未問龍眠老古錐。昨夜三更轉向西。正當恁麼時。有人問如何是月。嚮明暗未分處道得一句。便與古人共出一隻手。如或未然。寶峰不免依模畵樣。應箇時節。乃打一圓相曰。清光萬古復千古。豈止人間一夜看。師室中問僧。達磨西歸。手攜隻履。當時何不兩隻都將去。曰。此土也要留箇消息。師曰。一隻腳在西天。一隻腳在東土。著甚來由。僧無語。問僧。唯一堅密身。一切塵中現。如何是塵中現底身。僧指香爐曰。這箇是香爐。師曰。帶累三世諸佛。生陷地獄。僧罔措。師便打。師不安次。有僧問。和尚近日尊候如何。師曰。土地前燒二陌紙著。師常叉手夜坐。如對大賓。初坐手與趺綴。至五鼓必齊膺。因號祥叉手焉。

He was a son of the Fu family of Nancheng in Jianchang. A monk asked: 'What is the meaning of the patriarch's coming from the west?' The master said: 'Ten fingers and eight forks.' The monk asked: 'How is my hand like the buddha's hand?' The master said: 'Gold and brass are hard to tell apart.' The monk said: 'How is my foot like a donkey's foot?' The master said: 'The road of Huanglong is perilous.' The monk said: 'Everyone has a birth condition; what is the Master's birth condition?' The master said: 'Holding fast the vital ford, not letting ordinary or holy through.' At mid-autumn he mounted the hall: 'Vulture Peak spoke, Caoxi pointed; let go of the newborn whose forehead is cut. I have not asked the old awl who sleeps with the dragon; last night at the third watch it turned west. At exactly such a moment, if someone asks what the moon is, and you can speak one phrase in the place where bright and dark are not yet divided, then you put out a hand together with the ancients. If not, Baofeng cannot help but copy the model and draw the pattern to meet the season.' Then he drew a circle and said: 'Clear light through all antiquity and again through all ages; how could it be only one night's viewing among men?' The master asked a monk in his room: 'When Bodhidharma returned west he carried one shoe in his hand. Why did he not take both then?' The monk said: 'This land also needed to leave a bit of news.' The master said: 'One foot in the Western Heaven, one foot in the Eastern land — what grounds is there for that?' The monk was speechless. He asked a monk: 'Only one firm and dense body, appearing in every mote of dust. What is the body that appears in the dust?' The monk pointed at the incense burner and said: 'This is the incense burner.' The master said: 'You drag down the buddhas of the three ages and fall alive into hell.' The monk was at a loss. The master at once struck him. Once, when the master was unwell, a monk asked: 'How is the Master's honored health these days?' The master said: 'Burn two strings of paper money before the earth god.' The master often sat at night with folded hands as if facing an honored guest. At the start of a sitting his hands were joined with his crossed legs, and by the fifth watch they were always level with his chest, and so he was called Xiang the Folded-Hands.

和州光孝慧蘭禪師

Chan Master Hezhou Guangxiao Huilan

不知何許人也。自號碧落道人。甞以觸衣書七佛名。叢林稱為蘭布裩。有擬草菴歌一篇行於世。具載普燈。建炎末逆虜犯淮。執師見酋長。長曰。聞我名否。師曰。我所聞者。唯大宋天子之名。長恚。令左右以鎚擊之。鎚至輒斷壞。長驚異。延麾下敬事之。經旬。師索薪自焚。無敢供者。親拾薪成龕。怡然端坐。煙𦦨一起。流光四騰。虜跪伏灼膚者多。火絕。得五色舍利。併其骨而北歸。所執僧尼。悉得自便。和人至今詠之。

It is not known where he was from. He called himself the Man of the Way of the Blue Expanse. He once wrote the names of the seven buddhas on his under-robe, and the monasteries called him the Rag Robe. He had a Draft Song of the Straw Hut circulating in the world, recorded in full in the Pudent. At the end of Jianyan, when the rebels invaded the Huai region, he was seized and brought before the chieftain. The chieftain said: 'Have you heard my name?' The master said: 'What I have heard is only the name of the Son of Heaven of the Great Song.' The chieftain was angry and ordered his attendants to strike him with a hammer, but whenever the hammer came down it broke. The chieftain was astonished, and kept him under his banner and served him with respect. After ten days the master asked for firewood to burn himself, and none dared supply it. He gathered the wood himself, made a niche, and sat upright at ease. As soon as the smoke and flame arose, streaming light spread in all directions, and many of the rebels knelt and prostrated, scorching their skin. When the fire went out, five-colored relics were found, and his bones were taken north. The monks and nuns who had been captured all gained their freedom. To this day the people of Hezhou sing of him.

潭州東明仁仙禪師

Chan Master Dongming Renxian of Tanzhou