Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (89 page)

(Bajiao said, “The thief’s heart is empty.” Changqing said, “They’ve grown!” Yunmen said, “Barrier.” Cuiyan Zhi said, “Expending complete effort for others, tragedy goes out of one’s own house.”)

A monk asked, “There are words and phrases everywhere and all of it is polluted. What is the higher truth?”

Cuiyan said, “There are words and phrases everywhere and all of it is polluted.”

The monk said, “What is a place where there are none?”

Cuiyan said, “The assembly is laughing at you.”

A monk said, “A speck of dust turns into cinnabar, and with one touch iron turns to gold. A single phrase becomes vast wisdom, and a commoner a saint. I have come here to ask the master for a touch.”

Cuiyan said, “I won’t touch you.”

The monk said, “Why not?”

Cuiyan said, “I’m afraid you’ll fall into discriminating between mundane and sacred.”

A monk asked, “What is the most profound teaching you offer?”

Cuiyan called to his attendant, “Come and boil some tea!”

A monk asked, “When the ancients grasped the handle and raised their whisk into the air, what did this mean?”

Cuiyan said, “A heretical teaching is hard to support.”

A monk asked, “Without resorting to the sacred or mundane, how do you reveal the great function?”

Cuiyan said, “Don’t tell people that I’m clever.”

A monk asked, “When all of the words and phrases of the mysterious function are exhausted but the central matter of our school’s great vehicle is not understood, then what?”

Cuiyan said, “Bow.”

The monk said, “I don’t understand.”

Cuiyan said, “You’ve left home to go on a pilgrimage but you still don’t know how to bow?”

During his final years Cuiyan was invited to reside and teach in the Longce Temple in Hangzhou. There he passed away.

JINGQING DAOFU, “XUN DE”

JINGQING DAOFU (868–937) was a disciple of Xuefeng Yicun. He came from ancient Yongjia (in the district of the modern city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province). According to the
Transmission of the Lamp
, at the age of six he refused to eat meat or strong foods. When his parents forced him to eat dried fish he would immediately vomit it up. As a youngster he entered the Kaiyuan Temple, where he received ordination. He later traveled to Fujian where he met Xuefeng Yicun on Elephant Bone Mountain. The following exchange occurred during their first encounter.

Xuefeng asked, “Where are you from?”

Jingqing said, “From Wenzhou.”

Xuefeng said, “In that case you’re from the same village as the Overnight Guest.”

Jingqing said, “But from where does the Overnight Guest come?”

Xuefeng said, “You deserve a blow from the staff, but I’ll let it pass.”

One day Jingqing asked, “Didn’t the virtuous of old use mind to transmit mind?”

Xuefeng said, “Nor did they establish written or spoken words.”

Jingqing said, “Then without using written or spoken words, how would the master transmit the teaching?”

Xuefeng sat silently.

Jingqing bowed in thanks.

Xuefeng asked, “Would you like to ask me something else?”

Jingqing said, “Rather that the master should ask me.”

Xuefeng said, “If this is so, is there anything else to discuss?”

Jingqing said, “In just this way the master attains it.”

Xuefeng said, “And how about you?”

Jingqing said, “Betraying and killing others!”