October
QINGSHUI, ALONE AND DESTITUTE
A student named Qingshui said to Caoshan, “I am alone and destitute. Please help me to become prosperous.”
Caoshan said, “Venerable Shui!”
“Yes, sir!”
“You’ve already drunk three cups of the finest wine in China, and still you say that you haven’t moistened your lips.”
WUMEN'S VERSE
With the poverty of Fandan
and the spirit of Xiangyou,
though he can hardly sustain himself,
he dares to compete with others for wealth.
A student named Qingshui said to Caoshan, “I am alone and destitute. Please help me to become prosperous.”
Caoshan said, “Venerable Shui!”
“Yes, sir!”
“You’ve already drunk three cups of the finest wine in China, and still you say that you haven’t moistened your lips.”
WUMEN'S VERSE
With the poverty of Fandan
and the spirit of Xiangyou,
though he can hardly sustain himself,
he dares to compete with others for wealth.
September
QINGRANG’S NONATTAINED BUDDHA
A student asked Qingrang of Xingyang, “The Buddha of Supremely Pervading, Surpassing Wisdom sat in meditation on the bodhi seat for ten kalpas, 5 but the buddha dharma did not manifest itself and he could not attain buddhahood. Why was this?”
Qingrang said, “Your question is exactly the point.”
The student said, “But he meditated on the bodhi seat; why couldn’t he attain buddhahood?”
Qingrang said, “Because he is a nonattained buddha.”
WUMEN'S VERSE
Better than knowing the body is knowing the heart-mind at peace; when the mind is realized, the body is no longer anxious. When body and mind are fully realized, the saintly hermit has no wish to become a noble.
A student asked Qingrang of Xingyang, “The Buddha of Supremely Pervading, Surpassing Wisdom sat in meditation on the bodhi seat for ten kalpas, 5 but the buddha dharma did not manifest itself and he could not attain buddhahood. Why was this?”
Qingrang said, “Your question is exactly the point.”
The student said, “But he meditated on the bodhi seat; why couldn’t he attain buddhahood?”
Qingrang said, “Because he is a nonattained buddha.”
WUMEN'S VERSE
Better than knowing the body is knowing the heart-mind at peace; when the mind is realized, the body is no longer anxious. When body and mind are fully realized, the saintly hermit has no wish to become a noble.
August
XIZHONG BUILDS CARTS
Yue’an said to a student, “Xizhong made a hundred carts. If you take off both wheels and the axle, what would be vividly apparent?”
WUMEN'S VERSE
Where the wheel revolves even a master cannot follow — the four directions, above, below, north, south, east, west.
JULY
ZHAOZHOU’S WASH YOUR BOWL
A student said to Zhaozhou, “I’ve just entered your monastery. Please give me some guidance.” Zhaozhou asked, “Have you had your breakfast?” The student said, “Yes, I have.” Zhaozhou said, “Wash your bowls.” The student had an opening.
WUMEN'S VERSE
Because it’s so very clear, it takes so long to realize. As soon as you know that a candle flame is fire, you’ll discover your rice has long been cooked.
A student said to Zhaozhou, “I’ve just entered your monastery. Please give me some guidance.” Zhaozhou asked, “Have you had your breakfast?” The student said, “Yes, I have.” Zhaozhou said, “Wash your bowls.” The student had an opening.
WUMEN'S VERSE
Because it’s so very clear, it takes so long to realize. As soon as you know that a candle flame is fire, you’ll discover your rice has long been cooked.
June
THE BUDDHA TWIRLS A FLOWER
Once, when the Buddha was at Mount Grdhrakuta, he twirled a flower before his assembled disciples. Everyone was silent; only Mahakashyapa broke into a smile. The Buddha said, “I have the all-pervading true Dharma, the subtle mind of nirvana, and the flawless teaching of no-form. This does not depend on language and is a special transmission outside the scriptures. I now entrust it to Mahakashyapa."
Once, when the Buddha was at Mount Grdhrakuta, he twirled a flower before his assembled disciples. Everyone was silent; only Mahakashyapa broke into a smile. The Buddha said, “I have the all-pervading true Dharma, the subtle mind of nirvana, and the flawless teaching of no-form. This does not depend on language and is a special transmission outside the scriptures. I now entrust it to Mahakashyapa."
May
XIANGYAN UP A TREE
Xiangyan said, “It is as though you were up in a tree, hanging from a branch by your teeth. Your hands and feet can’t reach any branches. Someone appears under the tree and asks, ‘What is the meaning of Bodhidharma’s coming from the West?’ If you don’t answer, you’re not responding to this person’s need. If you do answer, you lose your life. What do you do?”
Xiangyan said, “It is as though you were up in a tree, hanging from a branch by your teeth. Your hands and feet can’t reach any branches. Someone appears under the tree and asks, ‘What is the meaning of Bodhidharma’s coming from the West?’ If you don’t answer, you’re not responding to this person’s need. If you do answer, you lose your life. What do you do?”
April
HUOAN’S BEARDLESS BARBARIAN
Huoan asked, “Why doesn't the Western Barbarian have a beard?”
Huoan asked, “Why doesn't the Western Barbarian have a beard?”
March
JUDI RAISES A FINGER
Whenever Judi was asked a question, he simply raised a finger. One day a visitor asked Judi’s attendant what his teacher taught. The boy raised his finger. Hearing of this, Judi took a knife and cut off the boy’s finger. As the attendant ran from the room, screaming with pain, Judi called to him. When the boy turned his head, Judi raised a
finger, and the boy suddenly awakened.
When Judi was about to die, he said to his students, “I received this one-finger Zen from Tianlong. I used it all my life but never used it up.” With that, he died.
Whenever Judi was asked a question, he simply raised a finger. One day a visitor asked Judi’s attendant what his teacher taught. The boy raised his finger. Hearing of this, Judi took a knife and cut off the boy’s finger. As the attendant ran from the room, screaming with pain, Judi called to him. When the boy turned his head, Judi raised a
finger, and the boy suddenly awakened.
When Judi was about to die, he said to his students, “I received this one-finger Zen from Tianlong. I used it all my life but never used it up.” With that, he died.
February
BAIZHANG’S FOX
Once when Baizhang gave a series of talks, a certain old man was always there listening with the students. When they left he’d leave, too. One day, however, he remained behind. Baizhang asked him, “Who are you?” The old man replied, “I’m not a human being. In the far distant past, in the time of Kashyapa Buddha, I was head priest at this mountain. One day a student asked me, ‘Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect?’ I replied, ‘A person like that does not fall under the law of cause and effect.’ With that I was reborn five hundred times as a fox. Please say a turning word for me and release me from my wild fox body.”
He then asked Baizhang, “Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect?” Baizhang said, “Such a person doesn’t cut the chain of cause and effect.” Hearing this, the old man was himself enlightened. Making his bows he said, “I’ve been released from my fox body. It’s on the other side of this mountain, and I’d like to make a request of you. Please perform my funeral as you would for a priest.”
Baizhang had the monk on duty strike the signal board and inform the assembly that after the noon meal there would be a funeral service for a priest. The students talked about this in surprise. “All of us are healthy. There’s no one in the morgue. What’s this all about?”
After the meal, Baizhang led the students to the foot of a rock on the far side of the mountain. There he used his staff to poke out the corpse of a dead fox. He then performed a cremation ceremony for it.
At the evening teaching, Baizhang told the whole story to the assembly. Huangbo stepped forward and said, “As you say, the old man missed the turning word and was reborn as a fox five hundred times. What if he had given the right answer each time he was asked the question — what would have happened then?”
Baizhang said, “Just come closer and I’ll tell you.”
Huangbo went up to Baizhang and slapped him in the face. Baizhang clapped his hands and laughed, saying, “I
thought the Barbarian had a red beard, but right here is a red-bearded Barbarian.”
Once when Baizhang gave a series of talks, a certain old man was always there listening with the students. When they left he’d leave, too. One day, however, he remained behind. Baizhang asked him, “Who are you?” The old man replied, “I’m not a human being. In the far distant past, in the time of Kashyapa Buddha, I was head priest at this mountain. One day a student asked me, ‘Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect?’ I replied, ‘A person like that does not fall under the law of cause and effect.’ With that I was reborn five hundred times as a fox. Please say a turning word for me and release me from my wild fox body.”
He then asked Baizhang, “Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect?” Baizhang said, “Such a person doesn’t cut the chain of cause and effect.” Hearing this, the old man was himself enlightened. Making his bows he said, “I’ve been released from my fox body. It’s on the other side of this mountain, and I’d like to make a request of you. Please perform my funeral as you would for a priest.”
Baizhang had the monk on duty strike the signal board and inform the assembly that after the noon meal there would be a funeral service for a priest. The students talked about this in surprise. “All of us are healthy. There’s no one in the morgue. What’s this all about?”
After the meal, Baizhang led the students to the foot of a rock on the far side of the mountain. There he used his staff to poke out the corpse of a dead fox. He then performed a cremation ceremony for it.
At the evening teaching, Baizhang told the whole story to the assembly. Huangbo stepped forward and said, “As you say, the old man missed the turning word and was reborn as a fox five hundred times. What if he had given the right answer each time he was asked the question — what would have happened then?”
Baizhang said, “Just come closer and I’ll tell you.”
Huangbo went up to Baizhang and slapped him in the face. Baizhang clapped his hands and laughed, saying, “I
thought the Barbarian had a red beard, but right here is a red-bearded Barbarian.”
January
ZHAOZHOU’S NO
A student asked Zhaozhou, “Does a dog have buddha nature?”
Zhaozhou said, “No.”
A student asked Zhaozhou, “Does a dog have buddha nature?”
Zhaozhou said, “No.”
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