Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (93 page)

Zen master Xuansha said to the monks, “All of you are seeing great peril. You see tigers, knives, and swords threatening your life, and you’re experiencing unlimited terror. What’s it like? It is like the world is painting itself with images from hell, making tigers, knives, and swords, all right there in front of you, and you feel terrified. But if you are now having such experiences then it’s a terror that arises from your own personal illusions, and not something that someone else is creating for you. Do you want to understand these illusions and confused feelings? If so, then know that you have the diamond-eye. If you know this, then you realize that all the things of the world don’t truly exist. So where could tigers, wolves, knives, and swords threaten you? If Shakyamuni had dealt with this like you’re doing he’d never have made it.

“This is why I say to you that the eye of a true practitioner envelops the entire world. It encompasses the whole universe. Not a single strand of hair leaks out. So where would there be a single thing left for you to see or to realize? This transcendence! This miraculous state! Why don’t you investigate it?”

Xuansha said, “It’s as if all of you are sitting on the bottom of a great ocean, completely submerged, and you’re still holding your hand out to people and begging for water. Do you understand? If you want to realize wisdom and bodhisattvahood you can do so if you have great wisdom ability. With great wisdom ability you can do it right now. But if your basic ability is somewhat lacking, then you have to be diligent and press on, day and night forgetting about food and sleep, enduring as if both your parents had died, being in just such anxiety. Give over your entire life, and with the help of other people, truly endeavoring for the truth, you’ll certainly reach enlightenment.”

A monk asked, “Why can’t I speak?”

Xuansha said, “Close your mouth. Now can you speak?”

A monk asked, “What is it? And why is it so hard to realize?”

Xuansha said, “Because it’s too close.” ([Later,] Fayan said, “It couldn’t be closer. Actually it’s the monk himself.”)

A monk said, “I’ve just arrived here and I beg the master to point out a gate whereby I may enter.”

Xuansha said, “Do you hear the sound of the water in Yan Creek?”

The monk said, “I hear it.”

Xuansha said, “That’s the place of your entry.”

BAOFU CONGZHAN

BAOFU CONGZHAN (d. 928) was a disciple of Xuefeng Yicun. Baofu came from ancient Fuzhou. According to the
Transmission of the Lamp
, at the age of fifteen he became a student of Xuefeng. Ordained at the age of eighteen at Dazhong Temple in his native city, he traveled to other areas in China before returning to become Xuefeng’s attendant.

One day Xuefeng suddenly called him, saying, “Do you understand?”

Baofu wanted to approach Xuefeng, but Xuefeng pushed him away with his staff. Baofu thereupon understood.

Baofu often inquired of his Dharma brother, Changqing Huileng, concerning ancient and current expedient methods of teaching.

Several ancient lamp records, as well as case 95 of the
Blue Cliff Record
, provide this exchange between Changqing and Baofu.

One day Changqing said, “I’d say that an
arhat
has three poisons, but the
Tathagata
does not have two ways of speaking.
¹³⁹
I don’t say that the Tathagata doesn’t speak, just that he doesn’t have two ways of speaking.”

Baofu said, “What is the speech of the Tathagata?”

Changqing said, “The deaf struggle to hear it.”

Baofu said, “Master Qing has spoken of the secondary!”

Changqing asked, “In that case, what is the speech of the Tathagata?”

Baofu said, “Go drink tea!” (Yunju Ci said, “Where is the place that Changqing speaks of the secondary?”)

Baofu brought up for consideration Panshan’s statement, “When all illuminated realms are gone, what is it that remains?” and Dongshan’s statement, “When all illuminated realms are undiminished, what else is there?”

Baofu then said, “According to what was expounded by these two worthies, there is something left over that isn’t annihilated.”

He then asked Changqing, “What would you say now to exterminate it?”

Changqing was silent for a long time.