Entangling Vines Read online

  2.Mujaku: A hand-cloth was a small cloth placed over the face of the corpse at the wake. Magu sitting with this on his head signifies death; sitting without it signifies life.

  3.A sign of respect. See Case 37, note 2.

  4.Mujaku: The term usually refers to the other person, but here it represents the speaker, that is, Magu.

  5.What Magu said first is his statement “I’m alright”; what he said next is his statement “Though it’s of no consequence to me.” Mujaku: Piyun sees that Magu is beyond life and death.

  Case 132 Shushan’s Memorial Tombstone1

  The head monk came and told Shushan Guangren that construction of the master’s memorial tombstone was finished. Shushan asked the monk, “How much money will you give the mason?”

  “I will leave that entirely to you,” the monk replied.

  The master asked, “Is it best to give the mason three coins, is it best to give him two coins, or is it best to give him one coin? If you’re able to answer, that indeed would be the finest memorial tombstone you could build for me.” The monk was dumbfounded.

  At that time Luoshan Daoxian was living in a hermitage on Dayu Peak. One day a monk went to the mountain and told Luoshan of the conversation between Shushan and the head monk.

  “Has anyone been able to say anything?” asked Luoshan.

  “As yet, no one,” replied the monk.

  “Then,” said Luoshan, “go back and tell Shushan that if he gave the mason three coins he would never get a memorial tombstone in his entire life; if he gave him two coins, he and the mason would work on the tombstone together; if he gave him one coin, he and the mason would both lose their eyebrows.”2

  The monk went back and gave the message to Shushan. The master assumed a dignified manner, gazed toward Dayu Peak, bowed, and said, “I thought there was no one who could say anything, but on Dayu Peak is an old buddha emitting a brilliant light that reaches even to here. Nonetheless, this is a case of a lotus blooming in the twelfth month.”3

  Upon hearing of Shushan’s words, Luoshan said: “I would have said, ‘The tortoise’s tail hairs are already several feet longer.’”4

  1.“Memorial tombstone” translates , a gravestone erected by monks or nuns prior to their death.

  2.“Coin” translates , a small unit of money. Yoshizawa (2003, p. 136) comments: “Three coins” signifies “smearing oneself with mud and drenching oneself with water,” that is, adjusting the level of one’s teaching to the capacity of lower level learners. “Two coins” signifies the secondary principle (verbal or relative explanation), employed as an upāya to guide middle-level learners. “One coin” signifies the transcendent principle, employed to guide learners of the highest capacity. For “losing one’s eyebrows,” see Case 44, note 2.

  3.“A lotus blooming in the twelfth month” is a metaphor for something exceedingly rare, impossible, or fabulous.

  4.“Tortoise’s tail hairs” is a metaphor for something that does not exist.

  Case 133 King Udayana Thinks of the Buddha

  One day Nanquan Puyuan called, “Head monk!”

  “Yes!” the head monk replied.

  Nanquan said, “During the time that the Buddha was in the Trāyastrimśa Heaven1 preaching the Dharma to his mother, King Udayana missed him and decided to ask Maudgalyāyana for help.2 Maudgalyāyana employed his supernatural powers three times to transport a sculptor to the Trāyastrimśa Heaven. The sculptor was able to represent thirty-one of the Buddha’s thirty-two distinguishing characteristics;3 why wasn’t he able to represent the characteristic of the Noble Voice?”

  “What is the Noble Voice?” asked the head monk.

  “Deceiving people!”4 Nanquan answered.

  An ancient worthy commented in verse:

  The Buddha’s radiance illumines mountains and rivers;

  The heavens and the earth are filled with his virtue.

  He once told Mañjuśrī to lead a great assembly of disciples

  To visit Vimalakīrti in Vaiśālī.”5

  1.In Buddhist cosmology, Trāyastrimśa Heaven (the Heaven of the Thirty-three Deities) is the second of the heavens in the realm of desire, located on a plateau atop Mount Sumeru. In the center is the palace of the god Indra, and at each of the four cardinal directions is a mountain where eight deities reside.

  2.King Udayana is said to have been the king of Kauśāmbī and a great devotee of the Buddha. According to the Zengyi ahan jing 28, when the Buddha ascended to the Trāyastrimśa Heaven to preach the Dharma to his deceased mother, King Udayana missed him so much that he had an image of the Buddha carved. When the Buddha returned from Trāyastrimśa Heaven the king showed him the image, which the Buddha praised as an excellent upāya for teaching. This image is traditionally said to have been the first buddha image made and to have eventually been enshrined at Seiryō-ji in Kyoto. In fact, images of the Buddha were not made until several centuries after the Buddha’s death.

  3.The thirty-two distinguishing characteristics are the primary physical marks of a buddha and a cakravartin (wheel king; see Case 146, note 6), the difference being that a buddha possesses eighty secondary characteristics that a cakravartin lacks. Lists of the characteristics differ to some extent; for the version found in the Mahāvyutpatti, see Hurvitz 1980, pp. 353–55.

  4.Dōmae: “People are deceived that some special ‘Noble Voice’ exists.” Shoushan Shengnian, when asked what the Noble Voice was, responded, “Donkeys bray, dogs bark” (X 80:233b).

  5.A reference to the Vimalakīrti Sutra, in which an enormous multitude of beings, led by Mañjuśrī, visit Vimalakīrti in his ten-foot-square chamber. See Vimalakīrti in the Biographical Notes. The “ancient worthy” is Xutang Zhiyu.

  Case 134 Shoushan’s Stick1

  Shoushan Shengnian of Ruzhou held up his stick2 and said to the assembly, “Everyone, call this a stick and you violate its name;3 say it’s not a stick and you deny what it is. So, everyone, what do you call it?”

  The priest Shexian Guixing, who at the time was studying under Shoushan, went up and seized the stick, broke it in half, and threw the pieces under the altar. “What’s this?” he asked.

  Shoushan said, “Blind!”

  Commenting on this story, Dahui said, “Quick, speak! Quick, speak!”

  1.Also Wumen guan 43, Main Case.

  2.A master’s stick is a short staff of about two to three feet in length and curved like a small bow. It is carried by a master as a badge of office and sometimes used in the sanzen room.

  3.In ancient China it was taboo to say a person’s true personal name.

  Case 135 The World-Honored-One Holds Up a Flower1

  Once at Vulture Peak, Śākyamuni held up a flower in front of the assembly. Although a million gods and humans were present, no one responded except Mahākāśyapa, the Golden Ascetic, who broke into a smile.

  At this the Buddha said, “I possess the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, the ineffable mind of nirvana, the true form of the formless, the subtle Dharma gate. It does not depend on words or letters and is a special transmission outside the teachings. This I entrust to Mahākāśyapa.”

  1.Also Wumen guan 6, Main Case.

  Case 136 Mahākāśyapa’s Temple Flagpole1

  Ānanda asked Mahākāśyapa, “Aside from passing on the brocade vestment, was there any Dharma the Buddha transmitted to you?”

  Mahākāśyapa called, “Ānanda!”

  “Yes!” replied Ānanda.

  Mahākāśyapa said, “Take down the flagpole at the temple gate.”2

  At these words Ānanda attained a great realization.

  1.Also Wumen guan 22, Main Case.

  2.The temple flagpole displayed the banner which signaled that a Dharma lecture or debate was being held. The banner was taken down after the lecture.

  Case 137 Guanghui’s “Evil Karma”

  Yang Danian asked Guanghui Yuanlian, “You say that all evil karma is born of wealth and that people should shun riches. Yet money is life to people in thi
s world, and it is owing to prosperity that people gather in our country. Moreover, the teachings mention two types of offerings: Dharma offerings and material offerings. So why do you encourage people to forsake riches?”

  Guanghui said, “The iron dragon-head on top of the flagpole.”1

  Danian replied, “The horses of Haidan are the size of donkeys.”2

  Guanghui responded, “A chicken from Chu is not the phoenix of Danshan.”3

  Danian said, “Two thousand years have passed since the death of the Buddha.4 Monks today have no shame.”5

  A verse on Danian’s insight said:

  An eight-sided millstone flies through the air; a golden-haired lion turns into a dog.

  If you wish to abide in the northern Big Dipper, you must bow to the Southern Cross.6

  1.ZGJI: Iron dragon-heads were placed on top of temple flagpoles in order to attract people’s attention. According to Dōmae, Danian is asking, “Why do you preach against wealth?” Guanghui replies, in effect, “It’s like advertising for the temple.”

  2.Dōmae: Danian says, “So your true position and your public stance are a bit different?”

  3.Dōmae: Guanghui replies, “There is a resemblance, but they are not the same.”

  4.It is believed that three ages have followed the time of the Buddha. The first age, that of the True Dharma, which lasted five hundred years (or a thousand years, depending on the source), was the era immediately after the lifetime of the Buddha, when the true Dharma was practiced and many people attained enlightenment. The second age, that of the Semblance Dharma, which also lasted five hundred years or a thousand years, was an era in which the Dharma became formalized and few people attained enlightenment. During the Latter Age of the Dharma, which is to last ten thousand years, the Buddhist doctrines still exist but there is no longer any practice or enlightenment.

  5.Dōmae: The statement “monks no longer have a sense of shame” refers to the Buddhist belief that during the Latter Age of the Dharma monks no longer practice the Way.

  6.Both verses of this poem indicate the marvelous functioning of no-mind or nonduality.

  Case 138 Qianfeng’s “Single Road”1

  A monk asked Qianfeng, “‘The Honored Ones of the ten directions have all taken the single road to nirvana.’2 Where is this road?”

  Qianfeng took his staff and drew a line, saying, “It’s here.”

  Later the monk asked Yunmen the same question. Yunmen held up his fan and said, “This fan leaps into Trāyastrimśa Heaven and pokes Indra in the nostrils;3 it strikes the carp of the Eastern Sea a single blow and rain pours down in buckets. Do you understand?”

  1.Also Wumen guan 48, Main Case.

  2.This line is from the Śūraṅgama Sutra (T 19:124c). The stanza in which it appears reads:

  This Dharma may be called the wondrous lotus-flower,

  The royal, indestructible, magnificent awakening.

  This practice of samāpatti, though likened to illusion,

  Can quickly bring you past the ones who need no further training.

  This peerless Dharma is the road that all World-Honored Ones

  Have walked to reach the gateway to nirvana.

  (Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2009, p. 194)

  3.Indra, one of the Vedic gods adopted into Buddhism as guardians, is the chief deity of the Trāyastrimśa Heaven. See Case 133, note 1.

  Case 139 Nanyue Polishes a Tile

  Mazu Daji of Jiangxi in Hongzhou studied under Nanyue Huairang and from him secretly received the Mind Seal.1

  During his training Mazu had surpassed the other monks and gone to live at the temple Chuanfa yuan, where he practiced seated meditation throughout the day. Recognizing him as a vessel of the Dharma, Huairang went and asked, “Worthy monk, why do you sit in meditation?”

  Mazu replied, “I wish to become a buddha.”

  Thereupon Huairang picked up a tile and started to rub it against a stone in front of Mazu’s hermitage. Finally Mazu asked him what he was doing. Huairang replied, “Polishing it to make it a mirror.”

  “How can you make a tile into a mirror by polishing it?” asked Mazu.

  “How can you become a buddha by sitting in meditation?” responded Huairang.

  Mazu asked, “Then what should I do?”

  Huairang asked, “It’s like riding in an ox cart. If the cart doesn’t move do you hit the cart or do you hit the ox?”

  Mazu had no reply.

  Huairang continued, “Are you practicing seated meditation? Are you practicing to be a seated buddha? As for seated meditation, meditation isn’t limited to sitting or lying down. As for being a seated buddha, “buddha” isn’t limited to any fixed form. In the nonabiding Dharma, you should neither grasp nor reject. If you sit to be a buddha, this kills the buddha. If you cling to the sitting posture, you will never realize the essential principle.”

  When he heard this, Mazu felt as though he had just imbibed ghee.2

  1.Mazu Daji is another name for Mazu Daoyi (see Case 5). “Mind Seal” translates , the seal of transmission of the Dharma.

  2.Ghee (Skt. maṇḍa), the most highly refined form of butter, was said to be capable of curing all illnesses. In Buddhism it came to represent buddha nature and enlightenment.

  Case 140 Doushuai’s Lychees

  Qingsu, the attendant of Shishuang Chuyuan, was a native of Gutian Maoyan in Min Province. In his later years he stayed at the temple Luyuan in Xiangxi, where he passed his days in leisurely retirement, enjoying quiet conversation. Doushuai Congyue, not yet a teacher at the time, was staying in the room next to Qingsu’s. A visitor presented him with some fresh lychees. He called Qingsu, saying, “Old fellow, I have some fruit from your homeland—let’s eat it together.”1

  Qingsu said wistfully, “This is the first time I’ve seen lychees since my teacher left this world.”

  “Oh? And who was your teacher?” asked Doushuai.

  “Ciming [Shishuang Chuyuan],” answered Qingsu. Warming to him, Doushuai offered him the rest of the fruit.2 Qingsu then asked who Doushuai had studied under. “Zhenjing Kewen,” answered Doushuai.

  “Who did Kewen study under?” asked Qingsu.

  “Huanglong Huinan,” replied Doushuai.

  “Old Flat-top Huinan3 studied under Ciming, though not for long! Has his line already flourished like this?”

  Doushuai, ever more impressed, reached into his sleeve for incense to offer.4 Qingsu said, “I have little merit and no capacity to teach.5 How could I be anyone’s guide? Still, you might as well present your understanding.” Doushuai proceeded to explain in some detail. Qingsu commented, “With that you can enter the realm of the Buddha, but not the realm of Mara.6 Remember, the ancient masters said that it is only with the final word that one reaches the impassable gate.”7 When Doushuai attempted to reply, Qingsu abruptly asked, “How do you explain nondoing?”

  When Doushuai attempted once again to reply, Qingsu broke out in hearty laughter. Doushuai suddenly understood. Later he spoke of this to Layman Zhang Wujin.

  In 1104, when Juefan Huihong8 was visiting Layman Wujin at Shanxi in Xiazhou, Wujin said, “Years ago I met Zhenjing at Guizong Temple and, in the course of conversation, mentioned the ‘final word’ that [his student] Doushuai had spoken about. Before I finished, though, Zhenjing shouted out in sudden anger, ‘That blood-puking shavepate, totally devoid of insight! Talking nonsense like “the final word”—he’s utterly unworthy of trust!’ Seeing his wrath, I refrained from further explanation. Still, I regret that Zhenjing never understood the matter of the final word.”

  Juefan said, “Sir, you were able to understand Doushuai’s expression of the final word—why, then, when Zhenjing offered you true medicine, were you unable to recognize that?”

  Surprised, Wujin asked, “Was that Zhenjing’s true intention?”

  Juefan answered calmly, “If you still don’t understand, then take instruction with me.”9

  At these words Wujin suddenly perceived what Zhe
njing had been doing.

  1.The lychee is a fruit native to the tropical and subtropical regions of China, from which Qingsu, as well as his teacher Shishuang, had come.

  2.The meaning is unclear, but commentators generally agree that Doushuai had until that moment regarded Qingsu as simply an ordinary retired monk, changing his view upon hearing that Qingsu was a student of Ciming, his own great-grandfather in the Dharma.

  3.Huinan apparently had a flat-topped head. Qingsu’s use of this nickname indicates that he had been on friendly terms with Doushuai’s Dharma grandfather.

  4.Offering incense constituted a formal request for instruction.

  5.Qingsu was told by Ciming that he didn’t have the makings of a teacher.

  6.See Case 141.

  7.“The final word” is the word beyond all words.

  8.Juefan Huihong was Doushuai’s brother disciple under Zhenjing Kewen.

  9.“Take instruction” translates (separate instruction), corresponding to (individual instruction) in modern Japanese Rinzai Zen.

  Case 141 Realm of the Buddha, Realm of Mara

  Dahui said, “Buddha is medicine for sentient beings. When their disease is gone, the medicine is no longer needed. If the disease is gone but the medicine is still present, one enters the realm of the Buddha but cannot enter the realm of Mara. This is a disease as bad as the one the Buddha initially cured. Only when the disease is cured, the medicine gone, and both the Buddha and Mara swept away is one to some degree in accord with the Great Purpose of the Buddha.”1

  One day Zhang Zishao asked Dahui, “The masters before us had all attained realization. Why then did they offer various interpretations of Linji’s four positions and vociferously argue over them?”2