The Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Fenyang Wude

Case 20 [608c27]197

Zhaozhou, whenever he saw a monk coming, would ask, 'Ever been here before?' If the monk answered, 'I've never been here before,' Zhou would say, 'Go and drink some tea.' Or, if the monk would answer, 'I have been here before,' then Zhou would also say, 'Go and drink some tea.'

The head of the monastery asked Zhaozhou, 'Never having been here he is ordered to go and drink tea and having already been here why he is also ordered to go and drink tea?'

Zhou called out to him. 'Yes,' answered the head. 'Go and drink some tea,' said Zhou.

Shanzhao's verse:

Zhaozhou has the word - go drink some tea

All the foreign monks under heaven come

If there is no stone bridge, the bottom is slippery

However many times he is called, the patched-robed monk returns

Case 21[609a04]198

A monk asked Ven. Baoying Nian, 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch coming from the West?'

'The wind blows and the sun dries,' replied Nian.

Shanzhao's verse:

The sun dries, the wind blows, not counting the years

A pilgrim's dusty road is difficult to distinguish

A heart of intention is already early, three feet deep199

Who then causes the one within the mystery to ask?

Case 22[609a07]200

Lingyun, on seeing the peach blossom, awakened to the Dao, then composed a verse:

Thirty years searching a swordsman

How many encounters with fallen leaves, pruning the branches

From the moment of seeing the peach blossom

Until now there have been no doubts

A monk brought this up with Xuansha, who said, 'The moment of truth is wholly the moment of truth. It would be presumptuous to affirm that the elder brother had still not penetrated it.'

Shanzhao's verse:

In former days Lingyun came to his own knowing

Peach blossoms fallen, gathered up and removed

The one who draws the sword in this world bears the sharpest point

Not yet penetrated into the body, cut ten thousand times

Case 23 [609a12]201

Ven. Juzhi, when anybody had a question, he just raised a finger.202

Shanzhao's verse:

Tianlong's one finger awoke Juzhi

At that moment there was no self, no limits

Myriad connections, a thousand differences, really nothing to say

Teach the ancient and modern directly, do not mock the gimlet

Case 24 [609a15]203

Guishan had a monk send a mirror to Yangshan. Shan received it, held it up and said to the assembly, 'Can anyone say whether this is Guishan's mirror now in the hands of Yangshan or say whether it is Yangshan's mirror sent by Guishan - is there someone who can determine this right now?'

There was not one word from the assembly so [master Yangshan] smashed the mirror. To the monk who had come [with the mirror Yangshan] said, 'Go back to Ven. Guishan and bring this matter up with him.'

Shanzhao's verse:

Yangshan received Guishan's mirror

Held it up to the assembly, asking for a straight response

An ignorant, confused Chan bunch, eyes not open

Directly under Yangshan the head was quickly nailed

Case 25 [609a21]204

Longtan, when still a layman, would often offer ten rice cakes at Tianhuang [Daowu's place]. Huang would eat them, but every time leave one, saying to Longtan, 'I favour you and all your posterity with protection.'

The master, suddenly surprised at this, asked, 'The rice-cakes were brought by this fellow, why requite, saying that the benefit is for me?'

Huang answered, 'It is you who brought them, so what blame is there to you?'

The master awakened due to this and then asked to leave the home-life.

Shanzhao's verse:

Bringing, taking, all the same business

So Longtan asked; do not confuse things

How many disciples, all contending with the mouth

Spring birds twittering, blaming the falling blossoms

Case 26 [609a27]205

Mazu was walking with Baizhang when they saw some wild ducks flying past. Mazu said, 'What are those?'

'Wild ducks,' answered Zhang.

'Where are they going?'

'Flown away,' said Zhang.

Mazu then wrenched Baizhang's nose, Zhang squealed in pain and Mazu said, 'How so, flown away?'

Shanzhao's verse:

Wild ducks flying in space, still questioning a monk

Necessary it is to transmit the patriarchal seal, to hand over the light of the heart

The capacity to respond, although appropriate, was not lively

Just this wrenching is the guiding principle of the school, so the Dao can flourish

Case 27 [609b03]

Prime minister Pei Xiu, holding a Buddha [rupa] in the palm of his hand, presented himself before Huangbo kneeling and said, 'May the master please confer a Dharma-name.'

Bo called out to him, 'Pei Xiu!'

'Yes,' he answered.

'The Dharma-name has been give to you,' said Bo.

Pei Xiu bowed.

Shanzhao's verse:

Kneeling before the master, holding and asking to be given a name

Suddenly experiencing the sharp point, a single sound calling

Were it not Pei Xiu, who would have dared reply

Directly teaching the deaf and blind, they too can hear the sound

Case 28 [609b07]206

Great Chan Buddha, one evening in the Dharma-hall, exclaimed, 'I have awakened, I have awakened!'

A monk asked, 'To what have you awakened?'

Great Chan answered, 'A Buddhist nun basically behaves as a woman.'

Shanzhao's verse:

If awakening does not come, suffering will be extreme

Penetrate the causes and suddenly you are in the middle

The fixed Dao of a Buddhist nun behaves as a woman

Foolish men amassing snow to build silver mountains

Case 29 [609b11]207

Puhua was eating vegetables. Linji said, 'Puhua bears a great resemblance to an ass.'

Hua then made the braying sound of an ass.

Ji said, 'Put him to work for a year, supply him with fine fodder.'

Puhua: 'Few are the householders who do not know Jinling208 and return there once more.'

Shanzhao's verse:

Linji's single eye

Open for people everywhere

Case 30 [609b17]209

Baoshou was opening the Dharma-hall and Sansheng pushed a monk to the front. Baoshou then hit him.

Sheng said, 'If introductions go like this, then the eyes of someone from Zhenzhou city must be really blind! (Sansheng was from Zhenzhou).

Shou threw down his staff and returned to the abbot's quarters.

Shanzhao's verse:

Sansheng took him on, Baoshou's two-pronged staff

Pushing a monk to the front of the assembly, intent on a discussion

The general beyond the great wall gave the right command

A really blind fellow permeates the great Tang

Case 31 [609b21]210

Puhua saw a master of cavalry coming along the street cursing. Hua, then on the street, raised his hand and said, 'The officer and the monk will get into a fight.'

The officer bellowed at him, saying, 'For insulting a person,' and summoned him there and then to receive five strokes of the stick [under the eaves of a house?].

Hua said, 'This country bumpkin. It is as it is; it's right yet it's not right.'

The officer said, 'What is right and not right? After a beating then you'll be quiet.'

Shanzhao's verse:

Mixing vulgarity with light runs through great difficulties

Meeting each other head on, two winds clashing

Nevertheless, great transformation (Hua) is without limits

A worldly officer is after all not of the monk class

Case 32 [609b27]211

A monk asked Fayan, 'Huichao had consulted the venerable sir by asking "What is Buddha?" and Fayan had replied, "You are Huichao."' (wisdom gone beyond)

Shanzhao's verse:

From the beginning question and answer did not lack principle

Do not identify with cleverness, hasten to the salient point

Pure gold, if not forged in the furnace

How could gold not be referred to as mud?

Case 33 [609c01]

When Xiangyan first opened the hall, Guishan had a monk send him a letter and a staff. Yan received them and wept.

The monk asked, 'What is the venerable sir weeping over?'

Yan replied, 'It is not only a cry on account of spring passing to autumn.'

Shanzhao's verse:

The staff will come, easily penetrating the heart

Tears flowing, not understood, thoughts sunk in doubt

Spring passes to autumn, people are full of wonder

Past cut off, light ahead, beyond ancient and modern

Case 34 [609c05]212

A monk asked Ven. An of Yongxing,...