[Original Case]

Chancellor Zhang Wujin went to the capital at the age of nineteen to sit for the examinations, passing through the Xiang family’s home. That night, someone appeared in a dream to the Xiang family and said, “Tomorrow, receive the future minister.” At dawn, they prepared a clean room in anticipation. By evening, they saw a poor scholar wearing a yellow Daoist robe: it was Wujin. Mr. Xiang respectfully invited him in and asked, “Where are you going, sir?” Wujin told him the truth. Xiang said, “You are not yet married. I would like to offer you my daughter to attend to your household needs.” Wujin repeatedly declined out of modesty. Xiang said, “Even if this journey does not turn out as hoped, I shall not break my earlier promise.” Later, Wujin indeed passed the examination and married her.

When he first served as a registrar, he entered a monastery and saw that the Buddhist scriptures, bound in Sanskrit-style folders, were arranged in perfect order. Indignantly, he said, “Are the writings of these barbarians more revered than the teachings of our sage Confucius?” That night, he sat in his study grinding ink and moistening his brush, leaning over the paper and chanting at length. He remained awake until midnight. Madame Xiang called out, “My lord, it is late at night. Why do you not go to sleep?” Wujin told her what he had in mind: he was writing On the Absence of Buddhas. Xiang immediately replied, “If there are no Buddhas, what is there to discuss? You should instead write On the Existence of Buddhas.” Wujin doubted her words and stopped.

Later, when he visited a colleague, he saw a scripture before a Buddha shrine and asked, “What text is this?” His colleague replied, “The Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra.” Wujin casually opened it and, upon reading the passage, “This illness is not of the earth element, yet it is not apart from the earth element,” exclaimed, “Can the words of barbarians be like this as well?” He asked, “How many fascicles does this sūtra have?” The colleague replied, “Three fascicles. You may borrow it and take it home to finish reading.”

Madame Xiang asked, “What book are you reading?” Wujin replied, “The Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra.” Xiang said, “Read this sūtra thoroughly first, and then write On the Absence of Buddhas.” Wujin was startled and found her words extraordinary.

From that point on, he deeply trusted the Buddha vehicle and devoted his attention to the Way of the patriarchs. Later, when he served as Transport Commissioner of Jiangxi, he visited masters throughout the Chan lineage. He first called upon Master Zong of Donglin Zhaojue. Zong questioned him closely about the place of his realization and found that it accorded with his own, so he confirmed Wujin’s realization. He said, “A Dharma-heir of mine resides at Yuxi: this is Ci Gujing. You may also speak with him.” Later, while Wujin was inspecting the region, he passed through Fenning, where the Chan masters came out to welcome him.

Upon arriving, Wujin first paid his respects to Ci of Yuxi, then to the masters of the various mountains, and finally asked about Chan Master Yue of Doushuai. Yue was small in stature. Wujin had once heard Gong Dezhuang say that he was intelligent and likable, so he said, “I have heard that you are skilled in literary composition.” Yue laughed loudly and said, “The Transport Commissioner has lost one eye. I am the ninth-generation descendant of Linji. For me to discuss literature with the Transport Commissioner is precisely like the Transport Commissioner discussing Chan with me.”

Wujin did not approve of what he said and reluctantly counted on his fingers: “It is indeed nine generations.” He then asked, “How far is Yuxi from here?” Yue replied, “Thirty li.” “And Doushuai?” “Five li.” That very night, Wujin went to Doushuai.

The night before, Yue had dreamed that the disk of the sun rose into the sky, and he seized it with his hand. He told the head seat monk, “The sun disk signifies transport and movement. I have heard that Transport Commissioner Zhang will soon pass by here. I shall apply the sharp awl and hard hammer to him. If he is willing to turn back, it will be a fortunate matter for our school.” The head seat monk said, “The scholar-officials of today are accustomed to being served by others. I fear he may become angry and cause trouble.” Yue said, “Even if he does become angry, the worst that can happen is that I lose this abbacy. Nothing else will happen.”

While Wujin was conversing with Yue, he praised Donglin, but Yue did not accept what he said. Wujin then composed a poem at the monastery’s Imitation Waterfall Pavilion, roughly as follows: “Rather than seek where it falls on Mount Lu, the elephant king’s trunk vainly stirs the sky.” Its meaning was to mock Yue for not acknowledging Donglin. The master slowly began speaking of matters of the Chan school. Yue said, “Today I have exhausted myself attending to worldly courtesies with the Transport Commissioner. Take care and go to sleep.”

Late in the night, Yue arose and discussed this matter with Wujin: “Let us burn incense and ask the Buddhas of the ten directions to bear witness. Since Donglin has confirmed the Transport Commissioner’s realization, do you have any lingering doubts about the teachings of the Buddhas and patriarchs?” Wujin replied, “I do.” Yue asked, “What sayings do you doubt?” He replied, “I doubt Xiangyan’s Verse on the Single Leg and the case of Deshan Carrying His Bowl.”

Yue said, “Since you have doubts about these, how can you be without doubts about the rest? Take, for example, the ‘final word’: does it exist, or does it not exist?” Wujin replied, “It exists.” Yue burst into laughter, then returned to the abbot’s quarters and shut the door.

Wujin slept restlessly throughout the night. At the fifth watch, as he got out of bed, he knocked over the footstool—and suddenly awakened. He composed this verse: “The drum is silent, the bell has sunk away; he returns carrying his bowl. At Yantou’s single pressing question, words crash like thunder. Surely he was granted only three more years to live—was it because he had received that prediction?” He then knocked on the abbot’s door and said, “I have caught the thief!” Yue asked, “Where are the stolen goods?” Wujin had no reply. Yue said, “Commissioner, go for now. We shall meet again tomorrow.”

The next day, Wujin presented the preceding verse. Yue said to him, “One investigates Chan only because the life-root has not yet been cut off and one relies on words to generate understanding. In what you have said, you have already awakened deeply. Yet at the most subtle point, one may fall into limited domains without being aware of it.” Later, Yue composed a verse to verify him: “In ordinary conduct, every step is thus. Though dwelling amid sounds and forms, how could one be obstructed by existence or nonexistence?”

“The one mind does not differ; the myriad dharmas are not distinct. Do not divide essence and function; do not choose between refined and coarse. Meeting circumstances, there is no obstruction; responding to things, there is no constraint. When feelings of right and wrong are exhausted, ordinary and sage alike are removed. Who gains? Who loses? What is near? What is distant? Taking the head as the tail, pointing to the real as empty; turning one’s body in the realm of Māra, shifting one’s step onto a heterodox path—when one fully understands that there is neither opposition nor compliance, one does not violate the work of practice.”

Wujin invited Yue to Jianchang. Along the way, he observed him closely in every detail and composed ten verses recounting the events; Yue also responded with ten verses.

This was in the eighth month of the eighth year of the Yuanyou era.

[The Elder’s Marginal Notes]

Why did he not say, “Open the door, and I will show you”? When he opened the door, he should have struck him across the back!

Why did he not say: “It is beneath the Master’s feet!”

How profound these words are!

[Sawing Apart a Steelyard Weight]

This Chan case is, in effect, a brief account of Layman Wujin Zhang Shangying’s study of Buddhism.

The Xiang family learned of Zhang Shangying through a dream and, at their first meeting, actually promised their daughter to him. After Zhang Shangying rose rapidly to high office, he did not break the earlier agreement. This shows that he was a man who kept his word. Who was Madame Xiang? Judging from what she said at crucial moments, might she have been a bodhisattva appearing in the world? Consider her words: “If there are no Buddhas, what is there to discuss? You should instead write On the Existence of Buddhas.”

At that time, Zhang Shangying’s “absence of Buddhas” meant “there are no Buddhas, only sentient beings,” which plainly showed that he was ignorant of the Buddhadharma. Now consider her other statement: “Read this sūtra thoroughly first, and then write On the Absence of Buddhas.” Here, “absence of Buddhas” means “no Buddhas and no sentient beings,” fully revealing the essence of the Buddhadharma. Encouraged and inspired by her, Zhang Shangying—who had always despised the Buddhist community—came to deeply trust the Buddha vehicle and devote his attention to the Way of the patriarchs. The causes and conditions by which Layman Wujin entered Buddhism are inconceivable!

Because Chan Master Yue of Doushuai had dreamed of seizing the sun disk, he applied the sharp awl and hard hammer fiercely to Zhang Shangying. The head seat monk was worried for him, fearing that he would anger Zhang Shangying and bring disaster upon Doushuai. But Master Yue was entirely fearless: “If he becomes angry, at most he will prevent me from serving as abbot; he will not bring harm to the other people in the monastery.” Thus, he simply went ahead and acted.

Who would have thought that this Transport Commissioner Zhang truly was someone devoted to the Way of the patriarchs? Not only did he not become angry, but under Master Yue’s guidance at Doushuai he discovered what had not yet been thoroughly penetrated: he could not see through Xiangyan’s Verse on the Single Leg or the case of Deshan Carrying His Bowl. Then, under Master Yue’s pressing, he suddenly broke through in an instant! When he abruptly dropped the cloth bag, it was as though he had met his own father at a crossroads. He immediately composed this verse: “The drum is silent, the bell has sunk away; he returns carrying his bowl. At Yantou’s single pressing question, words crash like thunder.”

“Surely he was granted only three more years to live—was it because he had received that prediction?” Regardless of the late hour, he went and knocked on Chan Master Yue’s door at Doushuai, declaring, “I have caught the thief!” That is, he had already killed off the last remaining thread of the life-root that had not yet been severed.

Were Xiangyan’s Verse on the Single Leg and the case of Deshan Carrying His Bowl really so difficult to penetrate, requiring such tremendous effort? Certainly, this was so for Layman Wujin, but it need not be so for others. Each person has their own causes and conditions; they need not all be the same. Let us look at these two Chan cases:

Xiangyan’s Verse on the Single Leg:

Chan Master Xiangyan Zhixian composed this verse: “The chick pecks, the mother hen pecks; the chick awakens, the mother becomes the shell. Chick and mother both perish, yet the response to conditions does not err. Fellow practitioners sing in harmony; wondrously, they call it the single leg.”

The chick pecks: the student devotes himself wholeheartedly to breaking through the mass of confusion, just as a chick about to hatch pecks from inside the eggshell.

The mother hen pecks: seeing the right moment, the mother hen pecks from outside, and the chick emerges from the shell. This symbolizes a Chan master with clear vision who, seeing the right moment, gives a blow straight on the head and immediately destroys the student’s deluded thoughts and attachments.

The chick awakens; the mother becomes the shell: the chick emerges from the shell and awakens, while the mother hen falls into the shell. This symbolizes the student who, under the teacher’s encouragement, opens to the original nature in an instant, while the teacher falls into it instead. Why is this so? Have you not heard of “falling into the weeds for the sake of others”? What then is to be done? “Once the hair-blowing sword has been used, it must be sharpened at once!”

Chick and mother both perish, yet the response to conditions does not err: when the conditions for liberation are ripe, do not miss the opportunity. One must suddenly break through the boundary between teacher and student, and the wisdom without a teacher will shine forth clearly before one!

Fellow practitioners sing in harmony; wondrously, they call it the single leg: teacher and student are like fellow travelers in cultivation, one singing and the other responding. They have already become completely one; where could even the slightest discrimination remain? This wondrous function of pecking simultaneously is like breaking through the division of “two legs,” and so it is called “the single leg.”

Let us now look at an ancient Chan master’s comments on this verse. The remarks in parentheses are my own casual comments:

Chan Master Daoxian of Wannian ascended the Dharma seat and said: “Even when the whole mechanism prevails over its opponent, one is still only halfway there. (This is because attachment to dharmas remains intact.) When pecking within and pecking without occur simultaneously, white clouds lie ten thousand miles apart. (The matter of phenomena has arisen!) As soon as the slightest sign appears, one has already fallen into two or three. (Though gold dust is precious, if it falls into the eye it becomes a cataract.) Without revealing a sharp edge, what kind of teaching could there be? (Yes! After all, one cannot simply say nothing.) Tell me, then: how should the matter transmitted from above be handled? (What, then, is to be done?) Falsely accuse someone of a crime, then add that crime to him. (Ha, ha! Now do you understand why, when “the chick awakens,” the “mother” instead becomes the “shell”?)”

Chan Master Nan'yuan Huiyong addressed the assembly: “Teachers everywhere possess only the eye of simultaneous pecking from within and without; they do not possess its function.” At the time, a monk asked, “What is the function of simultaneous pecking from within and without?” Nan'yuan said, “A master hand does not peck; with simultaneous pecking, it is lost.” The monk said, “That is still not where this student is asking.” Nan'yuan said, “Where, then, are you asking?” The monk said, “Lost.” Nan'yuan then struck him.

(Everything before this was merely the shell; here comes the great peck.) The monk did not accord with it. (It was of no use; the peck was wasted.

) Later, when he came to Yunmen’s assembly, two monks happened to bring up this case. One monk said, “At that time, Nan'yuan’s staff was broken!” (Since it was of no use, was that not precisely why the staff was broken?) The monk suddenly awakened. (Only now did he peck his way out—eight kalpas too late!) He immediately returned to Nan'yuan, but Nan'yuan had already passed away.

At that time, Fengxue was serving as the monastic steward. He asked, “Are you the monk who asked the late master about ‘simultaneous pecking from within and without’?” The monk replied, “Yes.” Fengxue said, “What was it like for you at that time?” He replied, “At that time, it was as though I were walking amid lamplight and shadow. (You should have pecked your way out promptly at that time.)” Fengxue said, “You understand. (You truly are worthy to be Nan'yuan’s successor. The ‘shell’ has broken! Quickly grind it away!)”

The Case of Deshan Carrying His Bowl:

Xuefeng was serving as cook under Deshan. One day the meal was late, and Deshan carried his bowl down from the Dharma hall. Xuefeng was airing the meal cloths when he saw Deshan and said, “The bell has not rung, and the drum has not sounded. Where are you going with your bowl?” Deshan then returned to his quarters.

Xuefeng related this to Yantou. Yantou said, “Great Deshan still has not understood the final word.” When Deshan heard of this, he had an attendant summon Yantou. He asked, “You do not approve of this old monk, do you?” Yantou quietly revealed his meaning, and Deshan then let the matter rest.

The next day Deshan ascended the hall to teach, and indeed it differed from his usual manner. Yantou came before the monks’ hall, clapped his hands, and laughed loudly: “What a joy that the old fellow at the head of the hall understands the final word! From now on, no one under heaven will be able to do anything with him. Even so, he has only three years left to live.” Deshan indeed passed away three years later.

Earlier, in connection with the “Xiangyan One-Legged Verse,” I have already said quite a lot of needless words. So I shall not be too verbose here. I will simply raise a few questions for everyone to discuss:

1. Yantou said, “Great Deshan still has not understood the final word.” What is the final word?

2. Yantou quietly revealed his meaning (leaning over to whisper into Deshan’s ear). What meaning did he reveal?

3. The next day, when Deshan ascended the hall, it was indeed different from usual. What was different?

4. Yantou said that Deshan had only three years left to live, and Deshan indeed entered parinirvāṇa three years later. Could it be that the master, Deshan, was inferior to his disciple, Yantou?

Let us return to Zhang Shangying. After struggling through the night, he suddenly understood. In the middle of the night, he went and knocked on Chan Master Doushuai’s door, declaring, “I have caught the thief!” Chan Master Doushuai asked, “Where are the stolen goods?” He was utterly unable to reply.

The old man could not bear to watch, so he offered two replies on behalf of Layman Wujin:

1. Why not say, “Open the door, and I will show you!” When the door is opened, strike him squarely on the back! (Such a blow would be like Linji striking Huangbo.)

2. Or why not say, “Under your feet, Master!” (Ha ha! He has already stepped on it. No more mockery about “the elephant king’s trunk idly probing the sky,” surely.)

Seeing that he could not answer at once, Chan Master Doushuai said lightly, “It is too late today. Let us discuss it tomorrow.”

The next day, Layman Wujin presented the verse he had composed.

Anyone who takes this verse to be an explanation of the case of Deshan carrying his bowl has been deceived by him. Since he had caught the thief, he had already penetrated this koan. The koan was no longer obtainable, and he could manipulate it freely. In fact, he used the circumstances of the koan in this verse to reveal his own mind-ground to Chan Master Doushuai:

“The drum is still, the bell has sunk; carrying his bowl, he returns”—a metaphor: formerly, I thought that my own “drum was still and bell had sunk,” and that I had already returned home and was sitting securely.

“Yantou’s single probing word was like thunder”—a metaphor: through one point from you, Master, like thunder striking the crown of my head, I came to know that I had not yet awakened thoroughly.

“Indeed, he had only three years left to live”—a metaphor: now I have caught the thief.

“Could it be that he had received a prediction from him?”—a metaphor: without your instruction, Master, how could I have penetrated this barrier?

How could Chan Master Doushuai not have known what he meant? He therefore said to Zhang Shangying: “In investigating Chan, one merely fails to sever the root of life and gives rise to understanding by relying on words. You have deeply awakened to teachings of this kind. Yet at the extremely subtle level, one unknowingly and unawares falls into confines.” He also composed this verse as confirmation: “In ordinary conduct, every step is thus. Though dwelling amid sounds and forms, how could one be stuck in being or nonbeing?

With one mind undivided, the myriad dharmas are not different. Do not distinguish essence and function; do not choose between refined and coarse. When encountering circumstances, there is no obstruction; in responding to things, there is no constraint. The feelings of right and wrong are exhausted; ordinary beings and sages alike are eliminated. Who gains and who loses? What is near and what is distant? Taking the head as the tail, pointing to the real as the unreal; turn your body and you are in the realm of Māra, shift your foot and you are on a deviant path. Fully understand neither adverse nor favorable circumstances, and do not violate the work.”

Chan Master Doushuai’s verse is precisely the patriarchal Chan that is unrelated to practice and realization, originally complete and present. The old man praised it, saying, “How profound these words are!”

Layman Wujin still had to go to Jianchang on an inspection tour, and he invited his master, Chan Master Doushuai, to go with him. Along the way, he examined the subtle points one by one in detail and wrote ten verses to express his mind-ground. Chan Master Doushuai Congyue also replied with ten verses.

The occasion on which Layman Wujin saw that Doushuai had thoroughly illuminated the mind-ground occurred in the eighth lunar month of the eighth year of the Yuanyou era of the Song dynasty.

xixi, let me explain a little. Qinglong 19:30:17 8/05/02 (549)

Please, Teacher, explain this case of Deshan carrying his bowl as well! jingke 18:19:57 8/04/02 (320)

Yantou himself already said it. lvm 20:33:04 8/04/02 (3K)

I still understand it through reasoning! jingke 22:07:09 8/04/02 (130)

Your reasoning is not wrong, but it must be directly realized. lvm 11:36:45 8/05/02 (no content)

Brother jingke, long time no see. Have you been well lately? Kangkang 19:27:57 8/04/02 (42)

You have changed your online name, haven’t you? jingke 22:12:46 8/04/02 (61)

Ha ha, let me offer an answer. Big Mouse 22:30:45 8/03/02 (442)

One and manman 22:41:34 8/04/02 (518)

A question: “Great Deshan still has not understood the final word.” Is this praise or criticism? Kangkang 20:36:11 8/03/02 (no content)

Great Deshan refers to Deshan, and Lesser Deshan refers to Xuefeng. lvm 21:23:09 8/03/02 (88)