1
When Nanyue first saw Mazu, he
recognized him by intuition as a vessel
of the dharma.
He visited Mazu in his cell where he
was meditating, and asked him: "In
practicing sitting meditation, what does
your reverence aspire to attain?"
"To attain buddhahood" was Mazu's
reply.
Nanyue then took up a piece of brick
and began to grind it against a rock in
front of Mazu's cell. Mazu asked, "What
are you grinding it for?"
"I want to grind it into a mirror,"
responded Nanyue.
Amused, Mazu said, "How can you
hope to grind a piece of brick into a
mirror?"
Nanyue retorted, "Since a piece of
brick cannot be ground into a mirror,
how then can you sit yourself into a
buddha?"
"What must I do then?" Mazu asked.
Nanyue replied, "Take the case of an
ox-cart: if the cart does not move, do
you whip the cart or do you whip the
ox?"
Mazu remained silent.
"In learning sitting meditation,"
resumed Nanyue, "do you aspire to
imitate the sitting Buddha or do you
aspire to learn the sitting Zen? If the
former, the Buddha has no fixed
postures. If the latter, Zen does not
consist in sitting or lying down.
"The dharma goes on forever and
never abides in anything. You must
not, therefore, be attached to, nor
abandon, any particular phase of it. To
sit yourself into Buddha is to kill the
Buddha. To be attached to the sitting
posture is to fail to comprehend the
essential principle."
When Nanyue first saw Mazu, he
recognized him by intuition as a vessel
of the dharma.
He visited Mazu in his cell where he
was meditating, and asked him: "In
practicing sitting meditation, what does
your reverence aspire to attain?"
"To attain buddhahood" was Mazu's
reply.
Nanyue then took up a piece of brick
and began to grind it against a rock in
front of Mazu's cell. Mazu asked, "What
are you grinding it for?"
"I want to grind it into a mirror,"
responded Nanyue.
Amused, Mazu said, "How can you
hope to grind a piece of brick into a
mirror?"
Nanyue retorted, "Since a piece of
brick cannot be ground into a mirror,
how then can you sit yourself into a
buddha?"
"What must I do then?" Mazu asked.
Nanyue replied, "Take the case of an
ox-cart: if the cart does not move, do
you whip the cart or do you whip the
ox?"
Mazu remained silent.
"In learning sitting meditation,"
resumed Nanyue, "do you aspire to
imitate the sitting Buddha or do you
aspire to learn the sitting Zen? If the
former, the Buddha has no fixed
postures. If the latter, Zen does not
consist in sitting or lying down.
"The dharma goes on forever and
never abides in anything. You must
not, therefore, be attached to, nor
abandon, any particular phase of it. To
sit yourself into Buddha is to kill the
Buddha. To be attached to the sitting
posture is to fail to comprehend the
essential principle."
2
After his first instructions from his
master, Nanyue, on the meaning of the
dharma, Mazu felt as if he were
drinking the most exquisite nectar.
After bowing to the master, Mazu
asked him, "How must one be attuned
to the formless samadhi?"
The master said, "When you cultivate
the way of interior wisdom, it is like
sowing seed. When I expound to you
the essentials of dharma, it is like the
showers from heaven. As you are
receptive to the teaching, you are
destined to see the Dao."
Mazu again asked: "Since the Dao is
beyond color and form, how can it be
seen?"
The master said: "The dharma-eye of
your interior spirit is capable of
perceiving the Dao. So it is with the
formless samadhi."
"Is there still making and unmaking?"
Mazu asked.
To this, the master replied, "If one
sees the Dao from the standpoint of
making and unmaking, or gathering
and scattering, one does not really see
the Dao. Listen to my gatha:
"The ground of the no-mind
contains many seeds
which will all sprout when
heavenly showers come.
The flower of samadhi
is beyond color and form.
How can there be any more
mutability?"
It is said that at this, Mazu was truly
enlightened, his mind having
transcended the world of phenomena.
He attended upon his master for a full
ten years. During this period, he
delved deeper and deeper into
meditation.
After his first instructions from his
master, Nanyue, on the meaning of the
dharma, Mazu felt as if he were
drinking the most exquisite nectar.
After bowing to the master, Mazu
asked him, "How must one be attuned
to the formless samadhi?"
The master said, "When you cultivate
the way of interior wisdom, it is like
sowing seed. When I expound to you
the essentials of dharma, it is like the
showers from heaven. As you are
receptive to the teaching, you are
destined to see the Dao."
Mazu again asked: "Since the Dao is
beyond color and form, how can it be
seen?"
The master said: "The dharma-eye of
your interior spirit is capable of
perceiving the Dao. So it is with the
formless samadhi."
"Is there still making and unmaking?"
Mazu asked.
To this, the master replied, "If one
sees the Dao from the standpoint of
making and unmaking, or gathering
and scattering, one does not really see
the Dao. Listen to my gatha:
"The ground of the no-mind
contains many seeds
which will all sprout when
heavenly showers come.
The flower of samadhi
is beyond color and form.
How can there be any more
mutability?"
It is said that at this, Mazu was truly
enlightened, his mind having
transcended the world of phenomena.
He attended upon his master for a full
ten years. During this period, he
delved deeper and deeper into
meditation.
3
One day, when Mazu was on his way
home from Jiangxi, he stopped to visit
his old master, Nanyue. When Mazu
had burned incense and made bows to
Nanyue, Nanyue gave him this verse:
"I advise you not to go home.
If you do, the Dao is immovable.
And an old woman
next door to you
will talk of your infant name."
Mazu respectfully accepted it and
swore to himself never to go home,
however often he might be reborn.
Staying only in Jiangxi, he had
disciples come to him from all parts of
China.
One day a monk called Damei joined a
training assembly of Mazu. Damei
asked the master: "What is buddha?"
Mazu replied: "It is the present Mind."
On hearing this, Damei attained his full
enlightenment. He took himself off into
the mountains, and over the years
hardly noticed the passing of time; he
only saw the mountains around him
turn green or yellow.
One day, Mazu sent a monk especially
to test him. The monk asked Damei,
"When you once saw Mazu, by what
word did you become enlightened?"
Damei replied, "By Mazu's saying, `The
present Mind is the buddha.'"
"Now his way is another," the monk told
Damei.
"What is it then?" asked Damei.
"Mazu now says that this very Mind
which is buddha is neither mind nor
buddha," replied the monk.
"That old fellow!" said Damei. "When
will he cease to confuse the minds of
men? Let him go on with his `neither
mind nor buddha.' I will stick to `this
present Mind itself is buddha.'"
When the messenger told Mazu of this
exchange, Mazu commented: "The fruit
of a plum has ripened."
One day, when Mazu was on his way
home from Jiangxi, he stopped to visit
his old master, Nanyue. When Mazu
had burned incense and made bows to
Nanyue, Nanyue gave him this verse:
"I advise you not to go home.
If you do, the Dao is immovable.
And an old woman
next door to you
will talk of your infant name."
Mazu respectfully accepted it and
swore to himself never to go home,
however often he might be reborn.
Staying only in Jiangxi, he had
disciples come to him from all parts of
China.
One day a monk called Damei joined a
training assembly of Mazu. Damei
asked the master: "What is buddha?"
Mazu replied: "It is the present Mind."
On hearing this, Damei attained his full
enlightenment. He took himself off into
the mountains, and over the years
hardly noticed the passing of time; he
only saw the mountains around him
turn green or yellow.
One day, Mazu sent a monk especially
to test him. The monk asked Damei,
"When you once saw Mazu, by what
word did you become enlightened?"
Damei replied, "By Mazu's saying, `The
present Mind is the buddha.'"
"Now his way is another," the monk told
Damei.
"What is it then?" asked Damei.
"Mazu now says that this very Mind
which is buddha is neither mind nor
buddha," replied the monk.
"That old fellow!" said Damei. "When
will he cease to confuse the minds of
men? Let him go on with his `neither
mind nor buddha.' I will stick to `this
present Mind itself is buddha.'"
When the messenger told Mazu of this
exchange, Mazu commented: "The fruit
of a plum has ripened."
4
One day, as Baizhang was visiting his
master, Mazu, a flock of wild geese
flew overhead. Mazu asked, "What are
they?"
"They are wild geese, sir," said
Baizhang.
"Where are they?" asked the master.
"They have flown away, sir," replied
Baizhang.
Mazu suddenly took hold of Baizhang's
nose and twisted it. Overcome with
pain, Baizhang cried out. Mazu said,
"You say they have flown away, but all
the same they have been here from
the very beginning."
At that moment, Baizhang attained
enlightenment.
The next day, at a regular assembly,
Mazu had hardly sat down when
Baizhang came to roll up his mat,
which made the master descend from
the platform. Baizhang followed him
into his room.
Mazu said, "Just now, before I had
begun my sermon, what made you roll
up my mat?"
Baizhang said, "Yesterday your
reverence twisted my nose and I felt
acute pain."
"Where did you apply your mind
yesterday?" Mazu asked.
All that the disciple said was, "I feel no
more pain in the nose today."
Thereupon the master commented,
"You have profoundly understood
yesterday's episode."
On another occasion, as soon as Mazu
sat down on the Zazen bench as usual,
he spat.
A monk asked, "Why did you spit?"
Mazu said, "When I sat here, there
were mountains, rivers, and the whole
natural universe in front of me. I spat
because I didn't like that."
The monk said, "But the universe is so
splendid! Why don't you like that?"
Mazu replied, "It may be splendid to
you, but it is disgusting to me."
The monk continued, "What kind of
mental state is this?"
Mazu said, "This is the state of a
bodhisattva."
One day, as Baizhang was visiting his
master, Mazu, a flock of wild geese
flew overhead. Mazu asked, "What are
they?"
"They are wild geese, sir," said
Baizhang.
"Where are they?" asked the master.
"They have flown away, sir," replied
Baizhang.
Mazu suddenly took hold of Baizhang's
nose and twisted it. Overcome with
pain, Baizhang cried out. Mazu said,
"You say they have flown away, but all
the same they have been here from
the very beginning."
At that moment, Baizhang attained
enlightenment.
The next day, at a regular assembly,
Mazu had hardly sat down when
Baizhang came to roll up his mat,
which made the master descend from
the platform. Baizhang followed him
into his room.
Mazu said, "Just now, before I had
begun my sermon, what made you roll
up my mat?"
Baizhang said, "Yesterday your
reverence twisted my nose and I felt
acute pain."
"Where did you apply your mind
yesterday?" Mazu asked.
All that the disciple said was, "I feel no
more pain in the nose today."
Thereupon the master commented,
"You have profoundly understood
yesterday's episode."
On another occasion, as soon as Mazu
sat down on the Zazen bench as usual,
he spat.
A monk asked, "Why did you spit?"
Mazu said, "When I sat here, there
were mountains, rivers, and the whole
natural universe in front of me. I spat
because I didn't like that."
The monk said, "But the universe is so
splendid! Why don't you like that?"
Mazu replied, "It may be splendid to
you, but it is disgusting to me."
The monk continued, "What kind of
mental state is this?"
Mazu said, "This is the state of a
bodhisattva."
5
Mazu had three outstanding disciples
who enjoyed a special intimacy with
him. They were Nanquan, Zhizang, and
Huaihai (otherwise known as Baizhang).
One evening, as the three disciples
were attending on their master,
enjoying the moon together, he asked
them what they thought would be the
best way of spending such a night.
Zhizang was the first to answer. He
said, "A good time to make offerings."
Huaihai said, "A good time to cultivate
one's spiritual life."
Nanquan made no answer, but shook
his sleeves and went away.
Mazu turned to Zhizang and said, "The
sutras will join the zang."
(He was making a pun on Zhizang's
name, zang, which in Chinese means
`basket', as in carrying the word of
Buddha.)
He turned toward Huaihai and said:
"Dhyana will return to the sea."
(Mazu was making a second pun,
since, in Chinese, hai means `sea'.)
Then Mazu concluded, "Nanquan
alone transcends the realm of all
things, all by himself."
Mazu had three outstanding disciples
who enjoyed a special intimacy with
him. They were Nanquan, Zhizang, and
Huaihai (otherwise known as Baizhang).
One evening, as the three disciples
were attending on their master,
enjoying the moon together, he asked
them what they thought would be the
best way of spending such a night.
Zhizang was the first to answer. He
said, "A good time to make offerings."
Huaihai said, "A good time to cultivate
one's spiritual life."
Nanquan made no answer, but shook
his sleeves and went away.
Mazu turned to Zhizang and said, "The
sutras will join the zang."
(He was making a pun on Zhizang's
name, zang, which in Chinese means
`basket', as in carrying the word of
Buddha.)
He turned toward Huaihai and said:
"Dhyana will return to the sea."
(Mazu was making a second pun,
since, in Chinese, hai means `sea'.)
Then Mazu concluded, "Nanquan
alone transcends the realm of all
things, all by himself."
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