Records of the Transmission of the Lamp, Volume Ten

襄州奉國清海禪師

Chan Master Qinghai of Fengguo, Xiangzhou

僧問。青青翠竹。盡是真如。如何是真如。師曰。點鐵成金客。聞名不見形。曰。恁麼則禮謝去也。師曰。昔時妄想。至今猶存。問。承古有云。見月休觀指。歸家罷問程。如何是家。師曰。試舉話頭看。問。放過即東道西說。不放過怎生道。師曰。二年同一春。

A monk asked, 'The green, green bamboo—all of it is true suchness. What is true suchness?' The Master said, 'The guest who turns iron into gold is heard of, but his form is not seen.' He said, 'Then I take my leave with thanks.' The Master said, 'The delusive thoughts of former days still remain today.' A monk asked, 'It is said of old, 'Having seen the moon, stop watching the finger.' Having gone home, stop asking the road—what is home?' The Master said, 'Try bringing up a topic of inquiry and see.' A monk asked, 'If one lets it go, then one speaks of east and west; if one does not let it go, how does one speak?' The Master said, 'Two years share one spring.'

韶州慈光禪師

Chan Master Ciguang of Shaozhou

僧問。即心即佛。誘誨之言。不涉前蹤。如何指教。師曰。東西且置。南北事作麼生。曰。恁麼則學人罔測去也。師曰。龍頭蛇尾。

A monk asked, 'Mind itself is Buddha—that is a word of guidance. Setting aside all former traces, how will you instruct me?' The Master said, 'Set east and west aside for now—how about north and south?' He said, 'Then this student is utterly at a loss.' The Master said, 'Dragon's head, snake's tail.'

韶州雙峰慧真禪師

Chan Master Huizhen of Shuangfeng, Shaozhou

僧問。如何是和尚非時為人一句。師曰。吃棒得也未。僧禮拜。師便打。

A monk asked, 'What is the Reverend's one phrase for people at the wrong time?' The Master said, 'Have you got your blow yet?' The monk bowed. The Master struck him.

潭州保安師密禪師

Chan Master Shimi of Bao'an, Tanzhou

僧問。輥芥投針時如何。師曰。落在甚麼處(梁山雲。落在汝眼裡)。問。不犯詞鋒時如何。師曰。天台南嶽。曰。便恁麼去時如何。師曰。江西湖南。

A monk asked, 'What of when one rolls a mustard seed at a needle?' The Master said, 'Where does it land?' (Liangshan said, 'It lands in your eye.') A monk asked, 'What of when one does not trespass against the blade of words?' The Master said, 'Mount Tiantai, South Mountain.' He said, 'What of one who goes on just like that?' The Master said, 'Jiangxi, Hunan.'

韶州雲門法球禪師

Chan Master Faqiu of Yunmen, Shaozhou

僧問。如何是西來大道。師曰。當時妄想。至今不絕。問。如何是雲門劒。師曰。長空不匣鋒鋩色。曰。用者又如何。師曰。四海唯清日月明。問。如何是道。師曰。頭上腳下。曰。如何是道中人。師曰。一任東西。問。如何是隨色摩尼珠。師曰。色即不無。作麼生是珠。曰。學人不會。特伸請益。師曰。雲有出山勢。水無投㵎聲。問。牛頭未見四祖時如何。師曰。香風吹萎花。曰。見後如何。師曰。更雨新好者。

A monk asked, 'What is the great way of the coming from the West?' The Master said, 'The delusive thought of that time has not ceased to this day.' A monk asked, 'What is the Yunmen sword?' The Master said, 'The long sky does not box in the color of its blade.' He said, 'What of one who uses it?' The Master said, 'The four seas are only clear, sun and moon are bright.' A monk asked, 'What is the Way?' The Master said, 'Above the head, below the feet.' He said, 'What is the person in the Way?' The Master said, 'East or west, as you please.' A monk asked, 'What is the mani jewel that follows color?' The Master said, 'Color is not absent—but what is the jewel?' He said, 'This student does not understand; I especially ask for instruction.' The Master said, 'Clouds have the manner of leaving the mountain; water has no sound of falling into the ravine.' A monk asked, 'What of Ox-head before he saw the Fourth Patriarch?' The Master said, 'A fragrant wind blows on withered flowers.' He said, 'And after he saw him?' The Master said, 'It rains the more on fresh and lovely ones.'

韶州佛陀山遠禪師

Chan Master Yuan of Mount Fotuo, Shaozhou

僧問。如何是佛。師曰。銅頭鐵額。曰。意旨如何。師曰。簸土颺塵。

A monk asked, 'What is the Buddha?' The Master said, 'A copper head and an iron brow.' He said, 'What is the purport?' The Master said, 'Winnowing earth, raising dust.'

連州慈雲山深禪師

Chan Master Shen of Mount Ciyun, Lianzhou

僧問。寶鏡當軒時如何。師曰。天地皆失色。問。如何是教外別傳一句。師曰。扣牙恐驚齒。

A monk asked, 'What of when the jewel mirror is set up in the hall?' The Master said, 'Heaven and earth both lose color.' A monk asked, 'What is the one phrase of the separate transmission outside the teachings?' The Master said, 'Tapping the teeth for fear of startling them.'

廬山化城鑒禪師

Chan Master Jian of Huacheng, Mount Lu

僧問。如何是和尚正法眼。師曰。新羅人迷路。上堂。十方薄伽梵。一路涅槃門。諸禪德。且作麼生是涅槃門。莫是山僧這裡聚會少時便為涅槃門麼。莫錯會好。諸禪德總不恁麼會。莫別有商量底麼。山僧這裡早是事不獲已。向諸人恁麼道。已是相鈍置了也。更擬踏步向前。有何所益。諸禪德但自無事。自然安樂。任運天真。隨緣自在。莫用巡他門戶。求覓解會。記憶在心。被他繫縛。不得自在。便被生死之所拘。何時得出頭。可惜光陰倐忽。便是來生。速須努力。時有僧問。生死到來。如何免得。師曰。柴鳴竹𪹼驚人耳。曰。學人不會。請師直指。師曰。家犬聲獰夜不休。問。如何是菩提路。師曰。月照舊房深。問。如何是和尚家風。師曰。不欲說似人。曰。為甚麼卻如此。師曰。家醜不外揚。問。如何是和尚尋常為人底句。師曰。量才補職。曰。恁麼則學人無分也。師曰。心不負人。問。佛法畢竟成得甚麼邊事。師曰。好箇問頭。無人答得。曰。和尚豈無方便。師曰。雲有出山勢。水無投㵎聲。問。如何是向上關棙子。師曰。拔劒攪龍門。

A monk asked, 'What is the Reverend's eye of the true dharma?' The Master said, 'A man of Silla loses his way.' Ascending the hall: 'The Bhagavans of the ten directions, one road, the gate of nirvana. Chan worthies, what then is the gate of nirvana? Is it that when the assembly gathers here a while, that is the gate of nirvana? Do not misunderstand. Chan worthies, if you all do not understand it thus, is there nothing else to deliberate over? Here this mountain monk has long had no choice but to speak to you people like this.' That is already to have dulled you. To want to step further forward—what benefit is there? Chan worthies, simply be without affairs yourselves, and naturally you will be at peace and happy, following the operation of heaven's truth, at ease according to conditions. Do not go patrolling other people's doorways, seeking understanding and keeping it in mind, bound by it and unable to be free, and so confined by birth and death—when will you get out? A pity that time flies past; the next moment is the next life. You must quickly strive. At that time a monk asked, 'When birth and death come, how can one avoid them?' The Master said, 'Firewood crackles, bamboo pops, startling the ear.' He said, 'This student does not understand; please, Master, point directly.' The Master said, 'The house dog's fierce bark does not stop at night.' A monk asked, 'What is the road of bodhi?' The Master said, 'The moon shines deep on the old chamber.' A monk asked, 'What is the Reverend's family style?' The Master said, 'I do not wish to tell it to others.' He said, 'Why is it so?' The Master said, 'Family shame is not spread abroad.' A monk asked, 'What is the Reverend's ordinary phrase for people?' The Master said, 'Measuring ability and filling the office.' He said, 'Then this student has no share.' The Master said, 'The mind does not betray a person.' A monk asked, 'After all, what matter does the Buddha dharma accomplish?' The Master said, 'A fine question—no one can answer it.' 'A fine question—no one can answer it,' he said. The Master said, 'Clouds have the manner of leaving the mountain; water has no sound of falling into the ravine.' A monk asked, 'What is the pivotal mechanism above?' The Master said, 'Drawing the sword and stirring the Dragon Gate.'

廬山護國和尚

The Reverend of Huguo, Mount Lu

上堂曰。有解問話者麼。出來對眾問看。時有僧出禮拜。師曰。來朝更獻楚王看。便歸方丈。上堂。實際理地。不受一塵。佛事門中。不捨一法。又曰。一法若有。毗盧墮在凡夫。萬法若無。普賢失其境界。諸上座。作麼生理論。朝夕恁麼上來。向諸上座說箇甚麼即得。若說三乘十二分教。自有座主律師。若說世諦因緣。又非僧家之所議。若論佛法。從上祖宗。多少佛法。可與評量。總不如是。須知各各當人分上事。作麼生是諸上座分上事。知有底。對眾吐露箇消息。以表平生行腳。參善知識。具爍迦羅目。不被人謾。豈不快哉。還有麼。良久雲。若無人出頭。買賣不當價。徒勞更商量。珍重。僧問。佛未出世時如何。師曰。雲遮海門樹。曰。出世後如何。師曰。擘破鐵圍山。

Ascending the hall he said, 'Is there anyone who understands how to ask a question? Come forward and ask before the assembly.' At that time a monk came forward and bowed. The Master said, 'Tomorrow I will again present myself before the King of Chu.' And he returned to the abbot's quarters. Ascending the hall: 'In the ground of actual principle, not one speck of dust is received; within the gate of Buddha's work, not one dharma is abandoned.' He also said, 'If one dharma exists, Vairocana falls into the state of an ordinary man; if the ten thousand dharmas are absent, Samantabhadra loses his realm. All you Upadhyayas, how will you reason it out? Coming up like this morning and evening, what can I say to you Upadhyayas? If one speaks of the three vehicles and twelve divisions of the teaching, there are lecture masters and Vinaya masters for that.' If one speaks of the conditions of worldly truth, that again is not what the monks' house deliberates. If one discusses the Buddha dharma—from the ancestral teachers on down, how much Buddha dharma there is to weigh and measure. In sum it is not like that. You must know that each person has his own share of the matter—what is the Upadhyayas' own share of the matter? Those who know it, speak out a message before the assembly, to show a lifetime of wandering, of calling on good friends, of possessing the adamantine eye, of never being fooled by others—is that not delightful? Is there any?' After a long while he said, 'If no one steps forward, the buying and selling is at no fair price; it is labor in vain to deliberate further. Take care.' A monk asked, 'What of when the Buddha had not yet appeared in the world?' The Master said, 'Clouds cover the trees at the sea gate.' He said, 'And after he appeared?' The Master said, 'Splitting open the Iron Ring Mountain.'

廬州天王徽禪師

Chan Master Hui of Tianwang, Luzhou

僧問。如何是一大藏教。師曰。高座不曾登。曰。登後如何。師曰。三段不同。今當第一。向下文長。付在來日。東家籬。西家壁。自己分上又作麼生。僧無對。師便打。問。如何是從天降下。師曰。風雨順時。曰。如何是從地湧出。師曰。稻麻竹葦。

A monk asked, 'What is the whole canon of the great treasury?' The Master said, 'The high seat has never been ascended.' He said, 'And after ascending?' The Master said, 'The three sections differ; now we are at the first. What follows is long—leave it for another day. The eastern house's fence, the western house's wall—what about your own share?' The monk had no reply. The Master struck him. A monk asked, 'What is it to descend from heaven?' The Master said, 'Wind and rain in season.' He said, 'What is it to gush forth from the earth?' The Master said, 'Rice, hemp, bamboo, reeds.'

廬州慶雲和尚

The Reverend of Qingyun, Luzhou

僧問。三乘十二分教即不問。如何是直截根源。師曰。十進九退。曰。如何即是。師曰。何日得休時。問。一言道斷時如何。師曰。未是極則處。曰。如何是極則處。師曰。冬後一陽生。問。諸法實相義。和尚如何說。師曰。口掛東壁上。問。佛令祖令今已委。向上機鋒事若何。師曰。令。曰。學人不曉。如何指示。師曰。收。

A monk asked, 'I do not ask about the three vehicles and twelve divisions of the teaching—what is the direct root?' The Master said, 'Ten advance, nine retreat.' He said, 'What then is it?' The Master said, 'When will there be a time of rest?' A monk asked, 'What of when one phrase cuts off all speech?' The Master said, 'That is not yet the ultimate point.' He said, 'What is the ultimate point?' The Master said, 'After winter, one yang is born.' A monk asked, 'The meaning of the true aspect of all dharmas—how does the Reverend speak of it?' The Master said, 'The mouth hangs on the eastern wall.' A monk asked, 'The Buddha's command and the Patriarch's command are now understood; what of the mechanism above?' The Master said, 'Command.' He said, 'This student does not understand; how will you instruct me?' The Master said, 'Withdraw.'

嶽州永福院朗禪師

Chan Master Lang of Yongfu Monastery, Yuezhou

問僧。汝是甚處人。曰。荊南人。師曰。還過公安渡也無。曰。過公安渡。師曰。汝何不判公驗。曰。和尚何得特地。師曰。爭奈嶽陽關頭何。僧無語。師便打。

He asked a monk, 'Where are you from?' He said, 'A man of Jingnan.' The Master said, 'Did you cross at the Gong'an ferry?' He said, 'I crossed at the Gong'an ferry.' The Master said, 'Why did you not have your papers stamped?' He said, 'Why does the Reverend make such a point of it?' The Master said, 'What can you do about the checkpoint at Yueyang?' The monk was silent. The Master struck him.

郢州芭蕉山弘義禪師

Chan Master Hongyi of Mount Bajiao, Yingzhou

僧問。如何是最初一句。師曰。舉起分明。曰。如何受持。師曰。蘇嚕悉哩。問。學人非時上來。乞師一接。師曰。汝是甚處人。曰。河北人。師曰。不易過黃河。

A monk asked, 'What is the very first phrase?' The Master said, 'Raise it clearly.' He said, 'How shall I uphold it?' The Master said, 'Su-lu-xi-li.' A monk asked, 'This student comes up at the wrong time; I beg the Master to receive me once.' The Master said, 'Where are you from?' He said, 'A man of Hebei.' The Master said, 'It was not easy crossing the Yellow River.'

郢州趙橫山和尚

The Reverend of Mount Zhaoheng, Yingzhou

僧問。十二時中如何用心。師曰。長連床上吃粥吃飯。問。如何是諸佛師。師曰。平地看高。

A monk asked, 'How should one apply the mind through the twelve hours?' The Master said, 'Eating gruel and rice on the long bench.' A monk asked, 'What is the teacher of all Buddhas?' The Master said, 'Looking high from level ground.'

信州西禪欽禪師

Chan Master Qin of Xichan, Xinzhou

僧問。如何是函蓋乾坤句。師曰。天上有星皆拱北。曰。如何是截斷眾流句。師曰。大地坦然平。曰。如何是隨波逐浪句。師曰。春生夏長。問。古殿重興時如何。師曰。一回春到一回新。

A monk asked, 'What is the phrase that encompasses heaven and earth?' The Master said, 'All the stars in the sky pay court to the north.' He said, 'What is the phrase that cuts off the massed streams?' The Master said, 'The great earth is level and flat.' He said, 'What is the phrase that follows the waves and chases the currents?' The Master said, 'Spring gives birth, summer grows.' A monk asked, 'What of when the ancient hall is rebuilt?' The Master said, 'Each time spring comes, it is new again.'

廬州南天王海禪師

Chan Master Hai of South Tianwang, Luzhou

僧問。如何是一體真如。師曰。五郎手裡鐵彈子。問。十度發言九度休時如何。師曰。口邊生荊棘。曰。如何免得此過。師曰。半路好抽身。

A monk asked, 'What is the one-body true suchness?' The Master said, 'The iron pellet in the Fifth Son's hand.' A monk asked, 'What of one who speaks ten times and stops nine?' The Master said, 'Thorns grow at the mouth.' He said, 'How can one avoid this fault?' The Master said, 'On the halfway road it is good to withdraw.'

掛州覺華普照禪師

Chan Master Puzhao of Juehua, Guizhou

僧問。大千世界為甚麼轉身不得。師曰。誰礙闍黎。曰。爭奈轉不得。師曰。無用處。問。聲色二字如何透得。師曰。虗空無變易。日月自紛拏。問。如何是真如涅槃。師曰。秋風聲颯颯。㵎水響潺潺。上堂。總似今日老胡有望。然燈佛不如闍黎。總似今日老胡絕望。闍黎不如然燈佛。於此明得。大地微塵諸佛．西天二十八祖．唐土六祖．天下老宿。一時拈來山僧拄杖頭上轉妙法輪。於此明不得。百千諸佛穿你鼻孔。西天二十八祖透過你髑髏。還知麼。若不知。山僧與你指出。良久曰。山河大地有甚麼過。久立。珍重。

A monk asked, 'Why can the great thousand worlds not turn the body?' The Master said, 'Who is blocking you, Acarya?' He said, 'But it cannot turn.' The Master said, 'Of no use.' A monk asked, 'How can one see through the two words sound and form?' The Master said, 'Empty space does not change; sun and moon are in confusion of themselves.' A monk asked, 'What is true suchness and nirvana?' The Master said, 'The autumn wind sighs and sighs; the ravine water murmurs and murmurs.' Ascending the hall: 'If all were like today, the old barbarian has hope, and Dipankara Buddha is not equal to you, Acarya. If all were like today, the old barbarian has no hope, and you, Acarya, are not equal to Dipankara Buddha. If you can understand this, then the Buddhas of the great earth's motes of dust, the twenty-eight Patriarchs of the Western Heaven, the six Patriarchs of the Tang land, and the old worthies of the world—all at once I pick them up and turn the wondrous dharma wheel on the tip of this mountain monk's staff. If you cannot understand this, a hundred thousand Buddhas pierce your nostrils, and the twenty-eight Patriarchs of the Western Heaven pass through your skull.' Do you know? If you do not, this mountain monk will point it out for you. After a long while he said, 'What fault do the mountains, rivers, and great earth have? Long standing. Take care.'

益州鐵幢覺禪師

Chan Master Jue of the Iron Banner, Yizhou

僧問。十二時中如何履踐。師曰。光剃頭。淨洗缽。問。如何是道。師曰。踏著。曰。如何是道中人。師曰。退後三步。問。諸佛出世。當為何事。師曰。截耳臥街。

A monk asked, 'How should one tread it through the twelve hours?' The Master said, 'Shave the head clean, wash the bowl clean.' A monk asked, 'What is the Way?' The Master said, 'Tread on it.' He said, 'What is the person in the Way?' The Master said, 'Step back three paces.' A monk asked, 'When the Buddhas appear in the world, what matter is it for?' The Master said, 'Cutting off one's ears and lying in the street.'