Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (66 page)

BAOSHOU YANZHAO

BAOSHOU YANZHAO (830–88) was a disciple of Linji Yixuan. He lived and taught at Baoshou Monastery in ancient Zhenzhou (near the modern city of Shijiazhuang).

A monk asked Baoshou Zhao, “When all realms come forward and overwhelm you, then what?”

Baoshou answered, “Don’t control it.”

The monk bowed.

Baoshou then said, “Don’t move. If you move it will break you in two at the waist.”

When Baoshou was interviewing a monk in the abbot’s room, he responded to a question by saying, “The hundred thousand saints are not outside of this room.”

The monk said, “That sounds like the ancients saying that the innumerable worlds are like the bubbles in an ocean wave. I don’t understand where the hundred thousand saints are revealed in this room.”

Baoshou said, “They’re manifested right here.”

The monk said, “Who can demonstrate this?”

Baoshou threw down his whisk.

The monk walked from the west side of the room to the east side, and then stood there.

Baoshou hit him.

The monk said, “Without practicing Zen for a long time, how can someone realize its ultimate teaching?”

Baoshou said, “Thirty years from now, these words will be well known.”

Zhaozhou came to visit the monastery. In the meditation hall Baoshou sat down facing away from him. Zhaozhou spread out his sitting cushion and bowed. Baoshou got up and went into the abbot’s quarters. Zhaozhou picked up his meditation cushion and went out.

Baoshou asked a monk, “Where did you come from?”

The monk said, “From West Mountain.”

Baoshou asked, “Did you see the monkey?”

The monk said, “I saw it.”

Baoshou said, “How clever was it?”

The monk said, “I saw that I’m not the least bit clever.”

Baoshou hit him.

A well-known person named Hu Dingjiao [“Door-nail Hu”] came to visit Baoshou.

Baoshou said, “Aren’t you Hu Dingjiao?”

Hu said politely, “I dare not say so.”

Baoshou said, “Let’s see if you can nail down emptiness!”

Hu said, “Please explain it to me.”

Baoshou then hit him.

Hu said, “The master is right to hit me.”

Baoshou said, “In the future, a lot of teachers are going to hit you.”

Later, Hu visited Zhaozhou and told him of his dialogue with Baoshou.

Zhaozhou said, “What did you do to make him hit you?”

Hu said, “I don’t know what my error was.”

Zhaozhou said, “It was just this split seam that Master Baoshou couldn’t tolerate!”

At these words Hu had an insight.

Zhaozhou said, “Just nail up this seam.”

A monk asked, “When there’s not a single cloud for ten thousand miles, then what?”

Baoshou said, “The clear sky also gets the staff!”

The monk said, “I don’t understand why the clear sky has an error.”

Baoshou hit him.

The monk Xiyuan Siming came to study with Zen master Baoshou.

Xiyuan asked him, “When the ‘illusion city’ is knocked down, then what?”

Baoshou said, “Don’t kill people by chopping them in two.”

Xiyuan said, “Chop.”

Baoshou hit him.

Xiyuan continued saying, “Chop! Chop!” and Baoshou struck him each time he spoke.

Baoshou then went back to his abbot’s quarters and said, “That monk who just arrived! I beat him until he was red. What a blasphemy.”

SANSHENG HUIRAN

SANSHENG HUIRAN (n.d.) was a prominent disciple of Linji Yixuan. He compiled his teacher’s words in
The Record of Linji
. After Linji’s death, Sansheng traveled to encounter Yangshan, Xiangyan, Deshan, Daowu, and other well-known Zen teachers. Each of them in turn sharpened Sansheng’s abilities. Eventually Sansheng settled in Zhenzhou (now the city of Zhengding in Hebei Province) and taught at the Sansheng Monastery, where he derived his mountain name.

When Sansheng arrived at Mt. Yang, Yangshan asked him, “What’s your name.”

Sansheng said, “Huiji.”

Yangshan said, “Huiji is my name.”

Sansheng said, “My name is Huiran.”

Yangshan laughed loudly.

When Sansheng met Xiangyan, Xiangyan asked, “Where are you from?”

Sansheng said, “From Linji.”

Xiangyan said, “Did you bring Linji’s shout?”

Sansheng suddenly picked up a cushion and struck Xiangyan in the mouth with it.