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天愚淨寶 Tianyu Jingbao (17th c.)

七十一世天愚淨寶禪師
天愚淨寶 Tianyu (Foolish in Nature) Jingbao (Treasure of Purity), Patriarch of the Seventy-first Generation
佛祖道影白話解 Lives of the Patriarchs
宣化上人講 Commentary by the Venerable Master Hua (宣化 Xuanhua, 1918-1995)
國際譯經學院記錄 Translated by the International Translation Institute
金剛 菩提海 Vajra Bodhi Sea (VBS): A Monthly Journal of Orthodox Buddhism, Nos. 342-343.

http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/342/vbs342p012.htm
http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/343/vbs343p014.htm

The Master was a native of Xincheng in Jiangxi, a son of the Ou family. He studied under the Venerable Jiumo of Bianshan for a long time. After that Venerable manifested the stillness, he studied under the Venerable Shiyu of Baoshou. The Venerable Shiyu asked him, "Where are you from?" The Master replied, "Bianshan." The Venerable Shiyu asked, "Since you're from Bianshan, what have you come here for?" The Master said, "I have come especially to draw near the Venerable One." The Venerable Shiyu said, "What have you brought in coming to draw near this old monk?" The Master held up his handkerchief and said, "I brought this one humble handkerchief." The Venerable Shiyu said, "That's a useless object." The Master said, "Yet one cannot do without it in daily life. Later Venerable Shiyu certified him. In the year bingshen of the Sunzhi reign period, he propagated the Dharma at four Way-places—Nanshan in Yuhang, Xiansheng in Yuezhou, Xingshan in Jiahe, and Ziyun in Hangzhou. The traditions of the school revived and flourished. At the worldly age of sixty-seven and the precept age of forty-one, on the thirteenth day of the eighth month, in the year  yimou  of the Kangxi reign period, he manifested the stillness. Hisstupa was erected on the right of Nanshan. Commentary: The Master was a native of heng County in Jiangxi Province, a son of the Ou family. He  drew near and  studied under the Venerable Jiumo of Bianshan for a long time. After that Venerable manifested the stillness, he studied under the Venerable Shiyu of Baoshou.  After the Venerable Jiumo passed into stillness, he went to Baoshou to study with the Venerable Shiyu.  The Venerable Shiyu asked him, "Where are you from?" The Master  Tianyu Jingbao  replied, "Bianshan." The Venerable Shiyu asked, "Since you're from Bianshan,  since you were studying with the Venerable One at Bianshan, what have you come here for?  The Way-place at Bianshan is a place where individuals of outstanding talent gather. Why don't you stay there and concentrate on your cultivation? What have you come here for?" The Master said, "I have come especially to draw near the Ven­erable One.  I have come to be a student here. I would like to study with the Venerable One." The Venerable Shiyu said, "What have you brought in coming to draw near this old monk?  What kinds of things have you brought for me?" He was not necessarily asking for offerings, but was merely sparring with him verbally. "Have you come with nothing? What did you bring?" The meaning was, "How is your skill?" He was really asking about his skill. "How have you been doing in your cultivation?" The question "What have you brought in coming to draw near this old monk?" also means, "What makes you think you have what it takes to draw near me? What experience have you had? What have you awakened to? How have you been cultivating in other places?" This question is not necessarily a demand that he make offerings. In answer to the question,  the Master held up his handkerchief and said, "I brought this one humble handkerchief." He hadn't brought anything with him, really. All he had was a handkerchief, so he took it out and said, "I brought this handkerchief." He was being honest, knowing that "The straight mind is the Way-place." He had nothing else, just a handkerchief. It's clear that he didn't have any personal possessions. He said, "I just have this very poor, coarse handkerchief." The Venerable Shiyu said, "That's a useless object."  It's just like a piece of furniture sitting there without being of much use. The Master said, "Yet one cannot do without it in daily life.  Although you call it a useless object, it's something you need every day." The handkerchief is a symbol. The fact that he had nothing but a handkerchief is also symbolic. What does the handkerchief represent? The Buddha nature. He said, "I've brought the Buddha nature." But the Venerable Shiyu said, "That's a useless thing. It's totally worthless." This was a test, phrased in the Master's own terms, to see if he understood. The Master replied, "It may be useless, but you can't do without it in daily life. You need it every day." If you don't know how to use it, then it doesn't matter if you don't have it. If you do know how to use it, then you can't be without it. Later the Venerable Shiyu certified him  as being enlightened.  In the year  bingshen  of the Sunzhi reign period, he propagated the Dharma at four Way-places—Nanshan in Yuhang, Xiansheng  Monastery  in Yuezhou, Xingshan Monastery  in Jiahe, and Ziyun  Monastery  in Hangzhou.  He served as abbot in those four monasteries.  The traditions of the school revived and flourished. At the worldly age of sixty-seven and the precept age of forty-one.  He held the precepts for forty-one years, having taken them when he was twenty-six.  On the thirteenth day of the eighth month, in the year yintou of the Kangxi reign period, he manifested the  perfect  stillness. His stupa was erected on the left of Nanshan.

A verse in praise says: With one strike of the gong, his two ears went deaf.   He picked up the handkerchief and said it was very useful.   He sat on Elephant Peak until it toppled.   Like a colorful phoenix he soared through the air. The waters ran deep: Every drop turned to ice. Commentary: With one strike of the gong, his two ears went deaf.  He couldn't hear anything. He picked up the handkerchief.  Upon being asked what he had come for, the Master whipped out his handkerchief  and said it was very useful.  But you have to know how to use it. If you don't know how to use it, it's useless. But if you know how, it can be of use. Likewise, if you know how to use the Buddha nature, you can realize Buddhahood. If you don't know how, you can't. He sat on Elephant Peak,  the name of a mountain,  until it toppled.  This means his skill was mature and perfected. Thus, he was a "dragon and elephant", a leader of people, at four monasteries. He was the cream of the crop within Buddhism. Like a colorful phoenix he soared through the air,  flying back and forth. The waters ran deep:  The waters were very deep. Every drop turned to ice.  In other words, every person who studied under him became a worthy vessel for the Way. All his students became accomplished. Another verse says: Dull in nature and lacking intelligence.  He studied under Bianshan for a long time and worked diligently.   Uncut jade was polished into a priceless gem.  Pure gold was forged into a bell for warning the world.  With a handkerchief, he put an end to birth and death.    With millions of samadhis, he transformed the multitudes.  Gazing up at the high mountain, one muses endlessly.  After the chilly weather, the pines stay green. Commentary: Dull in nature and lacking intelligence.  This is referring to Dhyana Master Tianyu (Dull in Nature) and implies that he was probably not too intelligent. However, he was a lot smarter than I am. Since he wasn't too bright,  he studied under  Master  Bianshan for a long time and worked diligently.  He applied himself with relentless vigor. In polishing an iron pestle down to the size of a sewing needle, When you have put in the required effort, the job will naturally be accomplished. Uncut jade was polished into a priceless gem.  A rough, unpolished piece of jade can be worked until it becomes an invaluable treasure. Pure gold was forged into a bell for warning the world. [Editor's note: It is not clear whether the following English commentary is a translation of the Master's commentary or someone else's explanation.]  Rough, unrefined gold has dross and sand in it. If you want to purify it, you have to smelt it until the dross is burned away and only the pure gold remains. That means the Master's lectures are like the sound of a bell that can awaken us common people from our dreams. With a handkerchief, he put an end to birth and death.  When the Master went to see the Venerable Shiyu, he didn't have anything—only a handkerchief. With that handkerchief, he showed that he was already enlightened and had ended birth and death. With millions of samadhis, he transformed the multitudes.  With the high state of samadhi that he realized after lengthy practice, he was able to teach ordinary people like us. Gazing up at the high mountain, one muses endlessly.  His lectures and his kindness are like a high, high mountain. His words teach us to end birth and death, and we will never forget them. We will always remember his kindness. After the chilly weather, the pines stay green.  When the weather turns cold, many trees die. But the colder it gets, the greener the pine tree becomes. This represents the Master's austere practices which he maintained for a long time.