Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (102 page)

Deshan Yuanmi entered the hall to address the monks and said, “Sometimes people understand the affairs that are in front of the monk’s quarters. But what about the affairs behind the Buddha hall?”

One day, Deshan Yuanmi said to the assembly, “I have three phrases to reveal to you all. One phrase is ‘containing heaven and earth.’ One phrase is ‘cutting off the myriad streams.’ One phrase is ‘following wave upon wave.’ How do you explain them? If you can do so, then you gained some understanding. If not, you must make haste for the capital city of Changan!”

A monk asked, “What is the phrase that penetrates the dharmakaya?”

Yuanmi said, “A three-foot staff stirs the Yellow River.”

A monk asked, “What is it before the hundred flowers bloom?”

Yuanmi said, “The Yellow River’s turbid flow.”

The monk asked, “What about after they bloom?”

Yuanmi said, “The top of the flag pole points toward the sky.”

A monk asked, “How was it before Buddha appeared in the world?”

Yuanmi said, “The river filled with wooden boats.”

The monk asked, “What about afterward?”

Yuanmi said, “Stepping here, lifting there.”

Zen master Deshan Yuanmi entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “You must study living phrases. Do not study dead phrases. Enlightenment that is realized through living phrases is never lost. ‘A single mote of dust—a buddha world’; ‘a single leaf—a Shakyamuni.’ These are dead phrases. ‘With a raised eyebrow and the twinkling of an eye’; ‘lifting a single finger and establishing Buddha.’ These are also dead phrases. ‘The mountains, rivers, and great earth’; ‘never again making errors’; these are also dead phrases.”

A monk then asked, “What are living phrases?”

Yuanmi answered, “A Persian looks up to see it!”

The monk said, “If it is as you say, then we won’t make a mistake.”

Yuanmi hit the monk.

Deshan Yuanmi entered the hall and said, “Whenever anyone came calling, Master Juzhi just held up one finger. When it was cold, all of heaven was cold; when it was hot, all of heaven was hot.”

A monk asked, “What is the style of the master’s house?”

Yuanmi said, “The clouds rise on South Mountain. The rain falls on North Mountain.”

A monk asked, “Before the ram gets its horns, what is it?”

Yuanmi said, “A rat-shit dog.”

The monk asked, “What about after it gets its horns?”

Yuanmi said, “A rat-shit dog.”

A monk asked, “How was it before Niutou met the Fourth Ancestor?”

Yuanmi said, “In the fall, yellow leaves fall.”

A monk asked, “How was it after he met him?”

Yuanmi said, “In the spring, the grass is itself green.”

DONGSHAN SHOUCHU

DONGSHAN SHOUCHU (910–90) was a disciple of Yunmen. He taught in ancient Xiangzhou.

Upon their first meeting, Yunmen asked Dongshan Shouchu, “Where did you come from?”

Shouchu replied, “From Chadu.”

Yunmen said, “Where did you spend the summer?”

Shouchu said, “At Baoci Temple in Hunan.”

Yunmen then asked, “When did you leave there?”

Shouchu said, “The twenty-fifth day of the eighth month.”

Yunmen said, “I spare you three blows with the staff.”

The next day Shouchu inquired to Yunmen about the previous day’s conversation.

“Yesterday the master said he would spare me three blows of the staff. I don’t know what mistake I committed.”

Yunmen said, “Rice bag!
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Will you go on like this throughout Jiangxi and Hunan?”
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At these words, Shouchu experienced great enlightenment.

Shouchu then said, “From this time forward, I forsake any abode, I’ll store not a grain of rice, nor plant even a stalk of vegetable. Receiving what comes from the ten directions, I’ll use it to pull out nails and draw out wedges.
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Taking off the greasy hat and smelly shirt, I’ll spread the teaching freely. Is it not joyous to be a monk unconcerned with the world’s affairs!”

Yunmen said, “Your body’s as big as a palm tree, your mouth is wide like a tiger’s!”

Shouchu then bowed.