30Instructions to the Assembly示眾

Zhaozhou addressed the assembly: "It's not that you don't bring something. It's not that I don't answer." Then he said, "Don't bother raising your fists and pressing your palms together. I won't bother answering with the meditation seat or the whisk."

A monk asked, "How about the place thought can't reach?"
Zhaozhou said, "Come over here."
The monk said, "Coming over here is a place thought can reach. What's the place thought can't reach?"
Zhaozhou held up his hand. "What do you call this?"
"I call it a hand. What do you call it?"
Zhaozhou said, "I can give it a hundred names too."
"You can't match your hundred names. So what do you call it?"
Zhaozhou said, "There. That's the place your thought can't reach."
The monk bowed.
Zhaozhou said, "I'll teach you the place thought can reach."
"What is it?"
Zhaozhou said, "The teaching of Shakyamuni, the teaching of the ancestors. Those are your teachers."
"Ancestors and buddhas, the old ones already said all that. What's the place thought can't reach?"
Zhaozhou held up a finger again. "What do you call this?"
The monk stood there a long time.
Zhaozhou said, "Why not just say it straight out? What's left to doubt?"

A monk asked, "What's your house style?"
Zhaozhou said, "I'm hard of hearing. Ask louder."
The monk asked again.
Zhaozhou said, "You ask me my house style, but I already know yours."

A monk asked, "When the ten thousand things all rise at once, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "The ten thousand things all rise at once."
"One question, one answer, that's rising. What's not-rising?"
Zhaozhou said, "The meditation seat is what doesn't rise."
The monk started to bow.
Zhaozhou said, "Do you remember the question and answer?"
"I remember."
Zhaozhou said, "Try repeating them."
The monk went to repeat them, and Zhaozhou cut him off.

A monk asked, "What's the buddha right here in front of me?"
Zhaozhou said, "The one inside the hall."
"That's a buddha with a face and a shape. What's the buddha?"
Zhaozhou said, "Your very mind."
"My very mind is still bounded and measured. What's the buddha?"
Zhaozhou said, "No-mind."
The monk said, "Mind, no-mind, do I get to pick?"
Zhaozhou said, "Mind, no-mind, you've already picked them both. What more do you want me to say?"

A monk asked, "I've come from far, far away to study with you. What's your house style?"
Zhaozhou said, "I don't talk about it."
"Why won't you talk about it?"
Zhaozhou said, "That's my house style."
"If you won't talk about it, what do you do with everyone who comes from all over to study?"
Zhaozhou said, "You're the ocean. I'm not the ocean."
"What goes on inside the ocean?"
Zhaozhou said, "I just hooked one."

A monk asked, "What kind of person is it that even buddhas and ancestors can't reach?"
Zhaozhou said, "Not a buddha, not an ancestor."
"How is it they can't reach him?"
Zhaozhou said, "I told you. Not a buddha, not an ancestor, not a sentient being, not a thing. Got it?"
"What is he, then?"
Zhaozhou said, "If he had a name, he'd be a buddha or an ancestor or a sentient being."
"You can't just leave it at that."
Zhaozhou said, "I'm not finished with you yet."

A monk asked, "What's the everyday mind?"
Zhaozhou said, "Foxes, wolves, jackals. That's it."

A monk asked, "What's the way to hear what's never been heard?"
Zhaozhou said, "Never mind what you haven't heard. What have you ever heard?"

A monk asked, "The teachings say there's a gem that takes on the color of whatever's near it. What's its own color?"
Zhaozhou called the monk by name.
The monk answered, "Yes?"
Zhaozhou said, "Come over here."
The monk came over.
He asked again, "What's its own color?"
Zhaozhou said, "Go on taking on the color of whatever's near you."

A monk asked, "Does a person of everyday mind still need teaching?"
Zhaozhou said, "I don't go through anyone else's gate."
"Doesn't that drown the people on the other side?"
Zhaozhou said, "What a fine everyday mind."

A monk asked, "What's the thing a student should keep and guard?"
Zhaozhou said, "To the end of time, you'll never pick it out."

A monk asked, "What's a person of great practice?"
Zhaozhou said, "The one who runs the monastery."

A monk asked, "I've just arrived and I don't know the first thing about how things work here. What now?"
Zhaozhou said, "What's your name?"
"Huinan."
Zhaozhou said, "Not knowing is just fine."

A monk asked, "I want to learn, but learning means slandering you. How do I keep from slandering you?"
Zhaozhou said, "What's your name?"
"Daojiao."
Zhaozhou said, "Go off to a quiet spot, you sack of rice."

A monk asked, "What's your real meaning?"
Zhaozhou said, "No big, no small."
"Is that it? Your real meaning?"
Zhaozhou said, "If there's a hair's worth of it, you'll miss it for ten thousand eons."

A monk asked, "'The ten thousand things are at peace; it's people who stir up the noise.' Whose words are those?"
Zhaozhou said, "Step up here and die."

A monk asked, "'Not a buddha, not a thing, not a sentient being' is a dead-end answer. What's an answer that isn't a dead end?"
Zhaozhou said, "Above the heavens and below, I alone am honored."

A monk asked, "What's the perfect circle of Vairocana?"
Zhaozhou said, "I've been a monk since I was a kid. My eyes have never gone blurry."
"Will you help me out or not?"
Zhaozhou said, "I hope you keep on seeing the perfect circle of Vairocana forever."

A monk asked, "While the buddhas and ancestors were alive, they handed it down from one to the next. After they were gone, who handed it down?"
Zhaozhou said, "Past and present, it all comes down to me."
"And what exactly got handed down?"
Zhaozhou said, "Every bit of it belongs to birth-and-death."
"You can't just bury the ancestors like that."
Zhaozhou said, "What got handed down?"

A monk asked, "When both the ordinary and the holy are used up, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "I hope you become a great teacher. Me, I'm the fellow who blocks the buddhas and ancestors."

A monk asked, "I'd heard of Zhaozhou from far off. Now that I'm here, why don't I see him?"
Zhaozhou said, "My fault."

A monk asked, "The bright moon fills the sky. What goes on inside the room?"
Zhaozhou said, "Since I became a monk, I've never made a living."
"Then you're no use to people today."
Zhaozhou said, "I can't even cure my own sickness. How could I cure everyone else's?"
"What about a student who has nothing to lean on?"
Zhaozhou said, "Lean on it and your feet touch the ground. Don't, and you drift wherever the wind takes you."

A monk asked, "When the mind can't fathom the mind, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "Fathom who?"
"Fathom myself."
Zhaozhou said, "There aren't two of you."

A monk asked, "When you can't see any edge or boundary, what then?"
Zhaozhou pointed at the water pitcher. "What's that?"
"A water pitcher."
Zhaozhou said, "Quite the no-edge, no-boundary."

A monk asked, "What's returning to the root?"
Zhaozhou said, "The moment you aim for it, you've missed."

A monk asked, "Without leaving words behind, how do I break free?"
Zhaozhou said, "Leaving words behind is breaking free."
"Just now nobody told me to come."
Zhaozhou said, "Then what brought you here?"
"Why don't you sort it out for me?"
Zhaozhou said, "I sorted it out a while ago."

A monk asked, "What isn't mind isn't wisdom. Give me a line, please."
Zhaozhou said, "I'll fall in behind you."

A monk asked, "What's 'ultimate'?"
Zhaozhou said, "Ultimate."
"Which ultimate is it?"
Zhaozhou said, "I'm the ultimate. You don't understand the question."
"It's not that I'm not asking."
Zhaozhou said, "So where's the ultimate?"

A monk asked, "When you're not hanging on to a single thread, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "Not hanging on to what?"
"Not a single thread."
Zhaozhou said, "Quite the not-a-single-thread."

A monk asked, "What about someone working as if his hair were on fire?"
Zhaozhou said, "Then learn."
"Where?"
Zhaozhou said, "Don't go grabbing somebody else's seat."

A monk asked, "In the empty eon, who's in charge?"
Zhaozhou said, "I'm sitting right here in it."
"What teaching are you giving?"
Zhaozhou said, "Whatever you're asking."

A monk asked, "The ancients said, 'Clear and bright, it lights itself.' What's lighting itself?"
Zhaozhou said, "It doesn't borrow anyone else's light."
"What about where the light doesn't reach?"
Zhaozhou said, "There. Your words just fell."

A monk asked, "What's the bull's-eye?"
Zhaozhou said, "The instant before a single thought arises."

A monk asked, "What's the king of the Dharma?"
Zhaozhou said, "The great king in the prefecture."
"That's not you?"
Zhaozhou said, "Are you planning a rebellion? You won't even grant there's one king."

A monk asked, "What's the buddha-mind?"
Zhaozhou said, "You're mind. I'm buddha. Whether you take it up is up to you."
"You've certainly got it. Can you take it up yourself?"
Zhaozhou said, "Let's see you teach me."

A monk asked, "Of the three bodies, which is the original?"
Zhaozhou said, "You can't leave even one out."

A monk asked, "Who's the ancestral teacher of this land?"
Zhaozhou said, "Ever since Bodhidharma came over here, it's all of them."
"Which number ancestor are you?"
Zhaozhou said, "I don't fall into a numbered slot."
"Then where are you?"
Zhaozhou said, "In your ear."

A monk asked, "Don't toss out the root, don't chase the branches. What's the straight path?"
Zhaozhou said, "What a fine monk you are."
"I've never once been a monk."
Zhaozhou said, "Take refuge in the buddha, take refuge in the dharma."
"Is there even a home to leave?"
Zhaozhou said, "You really must leave home."
"Where do I put it?"
Zhaozhou said, "For now, sit at home."

A monk asked, "A clear-eyed person sees everything. Does he still see form?"
Zhaozhou said, "Strike it down."
"How do I strike it?"
Zhaozhou said, "Don't use force."
"Without force, how can I strike it?"
Zhaozhou said, "Use force and you've already gone wrong."

A monk asked, "Who's the great meaning of the buddhas and ancestors meant for?"
Zhaozhou said, "For people today, that's all."
"What about those who don't get it?"
Zhaozhou said, "Whose fault is that?"
"How do I take it on?"
Zhaozhou said, "Right now nobody can take it on."
"Then there's nothing to lean on."
Zhaozhou said, "Still, you can't do without me."

A monk asked, "What about someone who's settled the whole matter?"
Zhaozhou said, "Real great practice."
"Do you practice?"
Zhaozhou said, "I put on my robe and eat my meals."
"Putting on a robe and eating is just ordinary stuff. Do you practice or not?"
Zhaozhou said, "Then you tell me. What do I do all day?"

Officer Cui asked, "Does a great teacher still fall into hell?"
Zhaozhou said, "I'll be the first one in."
Cui said, "You're a great teacher. Why would you go to hell?"
Zhaozhou said, "If I didn't go, how would I get to meet you?"

A monk asked, "When there's the slightest gap, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "Heaven and earth, split wide apart."
"When there's no gap at all, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "Heaven and earth, split wide apart."

A monk asked, "What's the eye that never sleeps?"
Zhaozhou said, "The ordinary eye, the eye of flesh." Then he added, "Even without the divine eye, the eye of flesh has that much power."
"What's the sleeping eye?"
Zhaozhou said, "The buddha-eye and the dharma-eye. Those are the eyes that sleep."

A monk asked, "On the peak of Dayu Ridge he caught up with it. Why couldn't he lift it?"
Zhaozhou picked up his patched robe. "Where'd you get this?"
"I'm not asking about that."
Zhaozhou said, "Then no, you can't lift it."

A monk asked, "Not joined, not scattered. How do you tell them apart?"
Zhaozhou said, "You've got one. I've got one."
"That's joined. What's scattered?"
Zhaozhou said, "Then join them, you."

A monk asked, "What's the road that doesn't go wrong?"
Zhaozhou said, "Knowing your mind and seeing your nature. That's the road that doesn't go wrong."

A monk asked, "With the bright pearl in your palm, does it still shine?"
Zhaozhou said, "Shine? Sure it shines. But what are you calling a pearl?"

A monk asked, "When the sacred sprout has no root, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "Where are you from?"
"Taiyuan."
Zhaozhou said, "Quite the rootless one."

A monk asked, "What about a student who's trying to become a buddha?"
Zhaozhou said, "That's an awful lot of effort."
"What if I don't put in the effort?"
Zhaozhou said, "Then you'll go and become a buddha."

A monk asked, "I'm dull and sunk, bobbing up and down. How do I get out?"
Zhaozhou just sat there.
"I'm honestly asking you."
Zhaozhou said, "Where are you doing this bobbing up and down?"

A monk asked, "Not in the ordinary, not in the holy. How do I dodge both roads?"
Zhaozhou said, "Drop both and I'll answer you."
The monk said nothing.
Zhaozhou said, "Where does 'nothing to say' start? In here, it starts with me. Out in the marketplace, where does it start?"
"Why won't you give me something fixed?"
Zhaozhou said, "I keep telling you. Why not just say, 'Nice breeze today'?"

A monk asked, "What about a person of total disbelief?"
Zhaozhou said, "I'll answer you, but will you believe it?"
"You speak with weight. How could I not believe you?"
Zhaozhou said, "A real disbeliever is hard to find."

A monk asked, "Where do you put a person with no shame at all?"
Zhaozhou said, "There's no room for him here."
"What if he suddenly shows up?"
Zhaozhou said, "Then take him away with you."

A monk asked, "When its working doesn't show, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "The working's there all right. Who says it shows?"

A monk asked, "Is there anyone practicing in the empty eon?"
Zhaozhou said, "What are you calling the empty eon?"
"Not a single thing. That's it."
Zhaozhou said, "Now that's the start of practice. So what are you calling the empty eon?"

A monk asked, "What's leaving home?"
Zhaozhou said, "Don't chase a big name, don't go looking to ruin yourself."

A monk asked, "Without pointing to a single teaching, what's your teaching?"
Zhaozhou said, "I don't preach the Maoshan brand."
"If you don't preach the Maoshan brand, what's your teaching?"
Zhaozhou said, "I told you, I don't preach the Maoshan brand."
"Isn't that it, right there?"
Zhaozhou said, "I've never once shown anyone 'that.'"

A monk asked, "What's the one road right here that breaks you free?"
Zhaozhou said, "No two, no three either."
"There's a road right here. May I step forward on it?"
Zhaozhou said, "Then it's a thousand miles, ten thousand miles off."

A monk asked, "What's the matter beyond Vairocana?"
Zhaozhou said, "I'm under your feet."
"Why are you under my feet?"
Zhaozhou said, "Turns out you didn't even know there was a 'beyond.'"

A monk asked, "What's fitting?"
Zhaozhou said, "You're the one who doesn't fit."
"What's not-fitting?"
Zhaozhou said, "Work it out from my last line."

A monk asked, "What's your real, real point?"
Zhaozhou said, "Stop, stop, no need to explain. My teaching is too subtle to think about."

A monk asked, "Clear and pure, not a speck on it. What then?"
Zhaozhou said, "Down the pit, into the ditch."
"What's wrong with it?"
Zhaozhou said, "You've shortchanged a person like that."

A monk asked, "What about leaving home and vowing to seek supreme awakening?"
Zhaozhou said, "Before you leave home, awakening pushes you around. Once you leave home, you put awakening to work."

A scholar saw the staff in Zhaozhou's hand and said, "The buddha doesn't take away what people wish for. True?"
Zhaozhou said, "True."
The scholar said, "I'd like to ask you for the staff in your hand. May I have it?"
Zhaozhou said, "A gentleman doesn't take what another loves."
The scholar said, "I'm no gentleman."
Zhaozhou said, "And I'm no buddha."

Zhaozhou went out and saw an old woman planting rice. He said, "What if you suddenly met a tiger?"
The woman said, "There's not a single thing that can get to me."
Zhaozhou said, "Bah."
The woman said, "Bah."
Zhaozhou said, "You've still got that in you."

A scholar was taking his leave. He said, "I've been a nuisance to you here a long while, and I've got nothing to repay you with. Someday I'll come back as a donkey and pay you back."
Zhaozhou said, "How am I supposed to get the saddle on?"

Zhaozhou arrived at Daowu's place. The moment he stepped into the monks' hall, Daowu said, "Here comes one of Nanquan's arrows!"
Zhaozhou said, "Watch the arrow!"
Daowu said, "It's already past."
Zhaozhou said, "It hit."

A monk asked, "When the whole skeleton crumbles to dust, one thing stays forever alive. What about that?"
Zhaozhou said, "Wind's up again this morning."

A monk asked, "Never mind the three vehicles and the twelve divisions of teaching. What's the meaning of Bodhidharma coming from the west?"
Zhaozhou said, "The water buffalo's had a calf. Go take a look."
"What's the meaning of that?"
Zhaozhou said, "I don't know either."

A monk asked, "When all the nations come to pay homage, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "Don't call out to anyone you meet."

A monk asked, "How do I sift myself clean throughout the day?"
Zhaozhou said, "The river of death runs muddy, the western waters run fast."
"Will I still get to see Manjushri?"
Zhaozhou said, "You bug-eyed fellow. Where've you been wandering off to?"

A monk asked, "What's the place of practice?"
Zhaozhou said, "You came from the place of practice, you go to the place of practice. Your whole body is the place of practice. Where is it not?"

A monk asked, "Before the sprout breaks ground, what then?"
Zhaozhou said, "One sniff and your skull splits open."
"What if I don't sniff?"
Zhaozhou said, "I don't have time for that idle stuff."

A monk asked, "How do you count it?"
Zhaozhou said, "One, two, three, four, five."
"What about the matter that no counting can hold?"
Zhaozhou said, "One, two, three, four, five."

A monk asked, "What world has no day and night?"
Zhaozhou said, "Is it day right now, or night?"
"I'm not asking about right now."
Zhaozhou said, "What do you want from me?"

A monk asked, "Kashyapa's robe wasn't passed down the Caoxi road. Who gets to wear it?"
Zhaozhou said, "Empty space doesn't appear in the world, and the man of the Way knows nothing of it."

A monk asked, "What's blended but not mixed?"
Zhaozhou said, "I eat vegetarian and keep a long fast."
"Does that get you above it all?"
Zhaozhou said, "There goes the fast."

A monk asked, "What did the ancients say?"
Zhaozhou said, "Listen close. Listen close."

A monk asked, "What's a student's own real business?"
Zhaozhou said, "If that's how it is, what's there to complain about?"

A monk asked, "The ten thousand things return to one. Where does the one return?"
Zhaozhou said, "When I was in Qingzhou I made a cloth shirt. It weighed seven pounds."

A monk asked, "What's a monk?"
Zhaozhou said, "He doesn't bow to the emperor, and his own parents bow to him."

A monk asked, "What about meeting face to face?"
Zhaozhou said, "You're the man face to face."