English
English version The master asked the monks to answer, but none of them pleased him. At that time, Sansheng (referring to a monk, but who exactly is debated) was unwell and resting in the Nirvana Hall. The master asked the attendant to invite Sansheng to answer. Sansheng said, 'Just say the abbot has something to do today.' The master then asked the attendant, 'I wonder what is the matter?' Sansheng said, 'No further offenses will be tolerated.' Zen Master Nantaguangyong (name of a monk) traveled north to visit Zen Master Linji (name of a monk), and then returned to serve the master. The master asked, 'What are you doing back?' Nantaguangyong said, 'Paying respects to the abbot.' The master asked, 'Did you see the abbot?' Nantaguangyong said, 'I did.' The master asked, 'What is the abbot like? Like a donkey?' Nantaguangyong said, 'I see the abbot is not like a Buddha either.' The master asked, 'If not like a Buddha, what is he like?' Nantaguangyong said, 'If there is any likeness, what difference is there from a donkey?' The master was greatly surprised and said, 'Forgetting both the mundane and the sacred, emotions exhausted, the essence is revealed. I have used this to test people for twenty years, and no one has been able to decide. You must cherish it.' The master often said to people, 'This child is a living Buddha.' Huoshan (name of a monk) came to pay respects, and the master sat with his eyes closed. Huoshan then raised his right foot and said, 'Thus it is, thus it is. The Twenty-eight Patriarchs of the Western Heaven (the twenty-eight patriarchs in Buddhist legends) are also like this, the Sixth Patriarch of China (referring to Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism) is also like this, the abbot is also like this, and Jingtong (Huoshan referring to himself) is also like this.' The master got up and struck him four times with a rattan cane. Huoshan therefore called himself the Great Zen Master of the Four Rattan Canes under Jiyun Peak. The practitioner Chigan (name of a monk) heard the sound of the bell and asked, 'Does an ear strike the bell? Or does no ear strike the bell?' The master said, 'Just ask, don't worry that I can't answer.' The practitioner said, 'I already asked.' The master shouted, 'Go!' The Attendant Liu (title of an official) asked, 'Can the meaning of understanding the mind be heard?' The master said, 'If you want to understand the mind, there is no mind to understand; the absence of a mind to understand is called true understanding.' The Duke Lu Xisheng (title of an official) wanted to visit the master and first made this ○ symbol (referring to a certain diagram or symbol) and sealed it to present it. The master opened the seal and wrote below the ○ symbol: 'Knowing without thinking falls to the second head; knowing through thinking falls to the third head.' Then he sealed it and sent it back. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
公见即入山，师乃门迎。公才入门，便问：“三门俱开，从何门入？”师云：“从信门入。”公至法堂，又问：“不出魔界，便入佛界时如何？”师以拂子倒点三下，公便设礼。又问：“和尚还持戒否？”师云：“不持戒。”云：“还坐禅否？”师云：“不坐禅。”公良久。师云：“会么？”云：“不会。”师云：“听老僧一颂：滔滔不持戒，兀兀不坐禅，酽茶三两碗，意在钁头边。”师却问：“承闻相公看经得悟是否？”云：“弟子因看《涅槃经》有云‘不断烦恼而入涅槃’，得个安乐处。”师竖起拂子，云：“祇如这个作么生入？”云：“入之一字也不消得。”师云：“入之一字不为相公。”公便起去。(法灯云：“上座！且道入之一字为甚么人？”又云：“相公且莫烦恼。”雪窦显于仰山举拂处别云：“拂子到某甲手里也。”又别后语云：“我将谓尔是个俗汉。”) 师因韦宙就沩山请一伽陀。沩山云：“觌面相呈犹是钝汉，岂况形于纸墨？”韦乃就师请。师于纸上画一圆相，注云：“思而知之，落第二头；不思而知，落第三首。” 师为沙弥时，和安通一日召师将床子来。师将到，和安云：“却送本处着。”师从之。和安召慧寂，师应诺。和安云：“床子那边是甚么物？”师云：“枕子。”和安 现代汉语译本 卢公见到后就进山了，仰山禅师便在山门迎接。卢公刚入门，便问：‘三门都敞开着，该从哪个门进入？’仰山禅师说：‘从信门进入。’卢公到了法堂，又问：‘不离开魔界，便进入佛界时，该如何是好？’仰山禅师用拂子倒过来点了三下，卢公便行礼。又问：‘和尚还持戒吗？’仰山禅师说：‘不持戒。’卢公问：‘还坐禅吗？’仰山禅师说：‘不坐禅。’卢公沉默了很久。仰山禅师说：‘明白了吗？’卢公说：‘不明白。’仰山禅师说：‘听老僧说一首偈：滔滔不持戒，兀兀不坐禅，酽茶三两碗，意在钁头边。’仰山禅师反问：‘听说相公看经书有所领悟，是这样吗？’卢公说：‘弟子因为看《涅槃经》(Nirvana Sutra)有‘不断烦恼而入涅槃’的说法，得到一个安乐之处。’仰山禅师竖起拂子，说：‘就这个，你打算怎么进入涅槃？’卢公说：‘“入”这个字也不需要。’仰山禅师说：‘“入”这个字对相公来说没有用。’卢公便起身离开了。(法灯禅师说：‘上座！你说说“入”这个字是为谁而设的？’又说：‘相公且莫烦恼。’雪窦显在仰山禅师举拂子的地方另外说道：‘拂子到了我手里也一样。’又在别后语中说：‘我还以为你是个俗人。’) 仰山禅师因为韦宙(Wei Zhou)的缘故，向沩山禅师(Weishan)请求一首伽陀(gatha，偈颂)。沩山禅师说：‘当面相见尚且是迟钝的人，更何况是形诸纸墨？’韦宙于是向仰山禅师请求。仰山禅师在纸上画了一个圆相，写道：‘思虑而知之，落在第二义；不思虑而知之，落在第三义。’ 仰山禅师做沙弥(sramanera，小和尚)的时候，和安(He'an)有一天叫仰山禅师把床子拿来。仰山禅师拿来了，和安说：‘放回原来的地方。’仰山禅师照做了。和安叫慧寂(Huiji)，仰山禅师应诺。和安说：‘床子那边是什么东西？’仰山禅师说：‘枕头。’和安
English
English version When Lu Gong saw him, he entered the mountain, and the master greeted him at the gate. As soon as Lu Gong entered, he asked, 'All three gates are open; from which gate should I enter?' The master said, 'Enter from the gate of faith.' When Lu Gong arrived at the Dharma hall, he asked again, 'How is it when one enters the Buddha realm without leaving the realm of demons?' The master pointed the whisk upside down three times, and Lu Gong paid his respects. He then asked, 'Does the abbot still uphold the precepts?' The master said, 'I do not uphold the precepts.' He asked, 'Do you still practice Zen meditation?' The master said, 'I do not practice Zen meditation.' Lu Gong remained silent for a long time. The master said, 'Do you understand?' He said, 'I do not understand.' The master said, 'Listen to an old monk's verse: 'Rushing along, not upholding precepts; sitting idly, not practicing Zen; three or two bowls of strong tea; the mind is on the hoe.' The master then asked, 'I have heard that you, sir, have gained enlightenment from reading scriptures; is that so?' He said, 'This disciple, because of reading the *Nirvana Sutra* (Nirvana Sutra), which says 'entering Nirvana without cutting off afflictions,' has found a place of peace.' The master raised his whisk and said, 'How do you intend to enter with this?' He said, 'The word 'enter' is not needed.' The master said, 'The word 'enter' is not for you, sir.' Lu Gong then got up and left. (Deng Fayan said, 'Venerable monk! Tell me, for whom is the word 'enter' intended?' He also said, 'Sir, please do not be troubled.' Xue Douxian, at the place where Yangshan raised the whisk, said separately, 'The whisk is the same in my hand.' And in another saying, he said, 'I thought you were a layman.') Because of Wei Zhou, the master asked Weishan for a gatha (gatha, verse). Weishan said, 'To present oneself face to face is still foolish, let alone to express it in writing.' Wei then asked the master. The master drew a circle on paper and wrote, 'To know through thinking falls into the second meaning; to know without thinking falls into the third meaning.' When the master was a sramanera (sramanera, novice monk), He'an summoned the master one day to bring a bed. When the master brought it, He'an said, 'Put it back where it belongs.' The master did so. He'an called Huiji, and the master responded. He'an said, 'What is that thing on the other side of the bed?' The master said, 'A pillow.' He'an --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
云：“枕子这边是甚么物？”师云：“无物。”和安复召慧寂，师应诺。和安云：“是甚么？” 师为沙弥时，有僧问石霜：“如何是祖师西来意？”石霜云：“如人在千尺井中不假寸绳出得，此人即答汝西来意。”僧云：“近日湖南畅和尚出世，亦为人东语西话。”石霜唤沙弥：“拽出这死尸着。”师后问耽源：“如何出得井中人？”耽源云：“咄。痴汉！谁在井中？”师往问沩山，沩山召慧寂，师应诺。沩山云：“出也。”师住后常举前话谓众云：“我在耽源处得名，沩山处得地。” 师作沙弥时，念经声高，乳源和尚咄云：“这沙弥念经恰似哭。”师云：“慧寂祇恁么，未审和尚如何？”乳源乃顾视。师云：“若恁么，与哭何异？”乳源便休。 师参东寺。东寺问：“汝是甚处人？”师云：“广南人。”东寺云：“我闻广南有镇海明珠，是否？”师云：“是。”东寺云：“此珠如何？”师云：“黑月即隐，白月即现。”东寺云：“还将得来也无？”师云：“将得来。”东寺云：“何不呈似老僧？”师叉手近前，云：“昨到沩山亦被索此珠，直得无言可对、无理可伸。”东寺云：“真师子儿善能哮吼。”(蒋山勤云：“东寺只索一颗，仰山倾出一栲栳。”)师礼拜了，却入客位，具威仪再上人 现代汉语译本 云：‘枕子这边是什么东西？’师说：‘没有东西。’和安又叫慧寂（人名，即仰山），师应声答应。和安说：‘这是什么？’ 师做沙弥时，有僧人问石霜（人名，禅师）：‘如何是祖师西来意（达摩祖师从西方来到中国的真正用意）？’石霜说：‘如有人在千尺井中，不借助一寸绳子就能出来，这个人就能回答你西来意。’僧人说：‘近日湖南畅和尚出世，也为人东说西说。’石霜叫沙弥：‘把这死尸拖出去。’师后来问耽源（人名，禅师）：‘如何才能把井里的人弄出来？’耽源说：‘咄！痴汉！谁在井里？’师前往问沩山（人名，禅师），沩山叫慧寂，师应声答应。沩山说：‘出来了。’师住持后常提起之前的话对众人说：‘我在耽源处得到名，在沩山处得到地。’ 师做沙弥时，念经声音很大，乳源和尚（人名，禅师）呵斥说：‘这沙弥念经好像在哭。’师说：‘慧寂就是这样，不知道和尚您怎么样？’乳源于是环顾四周。师说：‘如果这样，和哭有什么区别？’乳源便不再说话。 师参访东寺（地名，寺庙）。东寺问：‘你是哪里人？’师说：‘广南人。’东寺说：‘我听说广南有镇海明珠，是吗？’师说：‘是。’东寺说：‘这珠子怎么样？’师说：‘黑月就隐藏，白月就显现。’东寺说：‘还带得来吗？’师说：‘带得来。’东寺说：‘为什么不呈给老僧看看？’师拱手走上前，说：‘昨天到沩山也被索要这颗珠子，弄得我无话可说、无理可辩。’东寺说：‘真是狮子儿，善于吼叫。’（蒋山勤说：‘东寺只索要一颗，仰山倾倒出一栲栳。’）师礼拜后，回到客位，整理好仪容再次拜见。
English
English version Yun (name of a monk) asked: 'What is on this side of the pillow?' The master (referring to Yangshan Huiji) said: 'Nothing.' He'an (name of a monk) then called out to Huiji (Yangshan's name), and the master responded. He'an said: 'What is this?' When the master was a novice monk, a monk asked Shishuang (name of a Zen master): 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West (Bodhidharma's intention in coming to China)?' Shishuang said: 'If a person can get out of a thousand-foot well without using even an inch of rope, that person can answer your question about the meaning of the Westward Journey.' The monk said: 'Recently, Chang Heshang (name of a monk) of Hunan has appeared in the world and is also speaking east and west for people.' Shishuang called the novice monk: 'Drag this corpse out.' Later, the master asked Damyuan (name of a Zen master): 'How can the person in the well be brought out?' Damyuan said: 'Bah! Fool! Who is in the well?' The master went to ask Weishan (name of a Zen master), who called out to Huiji, and the master responded. Weishan said: 'Out!' After the master took up residence, he often mentioned the previous conversation to the assembly, saying: 'I got my name at Damyuan's place and my ground at Weishan's place.' When the master was a novice monk, he recited the scriptures loudly. Ru Yuan Heshang (name of a Zen master) scolded him, saying: 'This novice monk recites the scriptures as if he were crying.' The master said: 'Huiji is just like this. I don't know what the master is like?' Ru Yuan then looked around. The master said: 'If it's like this, what's the difference from crying?' Ru Yuan then stopped speaking. The master visited Dongsi (name of a temple). Dongsi asked: 'Where are you from?' The master said: 'From Guangnan.' Dongsi said: 'I have heard that Guangnan has a Zhenhai Pearl (sea-pacifying pearl), is that so?' The master said: 'Yes.' Dongsi said: 'What is this pearl like?' The master said: 'It is hidden in the dark moon and appears in the white moon.' Dongsi said: 'Can you bring it here?' The master said: 'I can bring it.' Dongsi said: 'Why don't you show it to this old monk?' The master clasped his hands and stepped forward, saying: 'Yesterday, when I arrived at Weishan, I was also asked for this pearl, and I was left speechless and without reason to argue.' Dongsi said: 'Truly a lion's son, skilled at roaring!' (Jiangshan Qin said: 'Dongsi only asked for one, but Yangshan poured out a basketful.') The master bowed, returned to the guest seat, composed himself, and visited the master again. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------