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雲淙淨訥 Yunzong Jingnuo (17th c.)

七十一世雲淙淨訥禪師
雲淙淨訥 Yunzong Jingnuo (17th c.), Patriarch of the Seventy-first Generation
佛祖道影白話解 Lives of the Patriarchs
虛雲老和尚編輯 Composed by the Elder Master Hsu Yun (虚云 Xuyun, 1840-1959)
宣公上人講於一九八五年七月二十六日 Commentary by the Venerable Master Hua on July 26, 1985 (宣化 Xuanhua, 1918-1995)
金剛 菩提海 Vajra Bodhi Sea (VBS): A Monthly Journal of Orthodox Buddhism, Nos. 336-337.

http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/336/vbs336p013.htm
http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/337/vbs337p012.htm

The Master was a native of Huguang, a son of the Wang family. He studied under the Elder Ruibai at Baizhang. On the day of Qingming, he went to sweep the stupa of Patriarch Dazhi. When he returned , Dhyana Master Baizhang asked him, “Did you see the Patriarch?” The Master said, “He was as skinny as a slab of stone. His green robes filled the gardens and groves.” Dhyana Master Baizhang asked, “What instruction did he give?” The Master said, “The gentle breeze felt cool on my face.” Dhyana Master Baizhang said, “Now he's a‘ghost of a ghost'.” The Master said, “It's already come.” Master Baizhang said, “And what happened after it came?” The Master said, “The majestic summits leapt up.” Master Baizhang said, “You only got half.” The Master said, “That's already a lot.” He spread the Dharma at Yi Mountain in Huguang. On the twenty-third day of the fourth month in the year of kuichou in the Kangxi reign period, he manifested the stillness. His stupa was erected at Yi Mountain. Commentary: Dhyana Master Yunzong Jingnuo had the character nuo—“slow in speech”—in his name. This character nuo was used by Confucius when he said, “One who is resolute, enduring, simple, and slow approaches humaneness.” This Dhyana Master was probably simple and slow, meaning he didn't like to talk, but constantly sat in meditation and investigated dhyana. He was probably even reluctant to give instructional talks. And so he was given the name Jingnuo—“pure and slow to speak.” The character nuo ( 訥 ) is composed of the speech radical ( 言 ) and the character for “inside” ( 內 ). That means there was talking going on inside, but on the outside he was silent. In fact, there was quite a lot of talking inside. The Master was a native of Huguang, a son of the Wang family. He initially drew near to and studied under the Elder Ruibai at Baizhang Mountain. On the day of Qingming, he went to sweep the stupa of Patriarch Dazhi. Every year on the day of Qingming (“Clear and Bright”), the monks in the large monasteries also observed the custom of going to sweep the ancestors' graves. And so on that day, they went to sweep the stupa (pagoda) of the Patriarch Dazhi (“Great Wisdom”). Sweeping the stupa was a way of showing their respect for the Patriarch. It was a way of remembering the Patriarch and honoring their forefathers. When he returned from sweeping the stupa, Dhyana Master Baizhang asked him, “Did you see the Patriarch Dazhi when you went to sweep his stupa today ?” The Master said, “ Yes, I saw him. He was as skinny as a slab of stone. There was no flesh on his bones at all! His green robes filled the gardens and groves.” This refers to the lovely green grass growing on his grave and filling the gardens and groves. Dhyana Master Baizhang then asked, “What instruction did he give?” “You said you saw that he was as skinny as a stone slab and his robes filled the gardens and groves; well, what did the Patriarch have to say to you? What were his instructions? What wonderful Dharma did he transmit to you?” Dhyana Master Baizhang was teasing him. The Master said, “The gentle breeze felt cool on my face.” “There was a soft, warm breeze that was very refreshing.” That was just casual conversation with nothing to it, but Dhyana Master Baizhang said, “Now he's a ‘ghost of a ghost'.” He was commencing a verbal swordfight, saying that the Master had seen a ghost. At that, the Master said, “It's already come. You say I've seen a ghost? Well, the ghost has already arrived.” Master Baizhang said, “And what happened after it came?” This is all verbal jousting. Basically there isn't much meaning in his words. He was just trying to see what the Master would say. The Master said, “The majestic summits jumped about.” “Even the towering mountain peaks leapt up.” This was a private conversation between the two of them; other people couldn't understand it. Master Baizhang said, “You only got half.” “You spoke only half of it. You're still mincing your words on purpose.” The Master said, “That's already a lot.” Originally, there's not a single word. The Great Way is devoid of a single word; no one can express it. No appearance is left behind, and no picture can be drawn. His answer of how “the majestic summits jumped about” was already too much. Later on, he spread the Dharma at Yi Mountain in Huguang , establishing a Way-place there. On the twenty-third day of the fourth month in the year of kuichou in the Kangxi reign period, he manifested the stillness. His stupa was erected at Yi Mountain. A Buddhist stupa was built at Yi Mountain, serving as his grave.

A verse in praise says: The Patriarch came, and the majestic summits jumped about. A pearl spun in a round plate; The witty exchange was perplexing and obscure. The principles were subtle and esoteric; The attendants brought about a vast beginning. The light penetrated layer upon layer; A jeweled mirror shone from on high. Commentary: The Patriarch came, and the majestic summits jumped about. With the coming of the Patriarch, the lofty mountain peaks came alive and started jumping about. That's impossible. How could the mountain peaks jump up? A pearl spun in a round plate. It was like a pearl spinning round and round in a jade plate, never able to get off the plate. The witty exchange was subtle and obscure. Their mutual questioning and answering was very inconceivable, beyond the understanding of most  people. They said, “The majestic summits jumped about,” and “The gentle breeze felt cool on my face.” Who knows what nonsense they were uttering? The principles were subtle and esoteric. These principles were spoken back and forth. The attendants brought about a vast beginning. Attendants is literally “talons and teeth.” The principles of the Chan School were being expressed and propagated bit by bit. The light penetrated layer upon layer. His bright light shone in all directions, in endless layers, like a jeweled mirror that shone from on high. Another verse says: Sweeping the grave on “Clear and Bright,” he saw the Patriarch, Thin as a stone slab and dressed in green robes, Yet he couldn't say what instructions were given. Not a single word was uttered of Heaven's secrets. People turn into ghosts after death, and ghosts fear the   “ghost of a ghost.” Ordinary people can become sages, yet sages don't seem extraordinary. Resolute, enduring, simple, and slow, one approaches humaneness. There are the five turbidities in the Saha; purity is in the West. Another verse says: Sweeping the grave on “Clear and Bright,” he saw the Patriarch. Dhyana Master Baizhang asked the Master if he had seen the Patriarch. The Master said that the Patriarch was as thin as a stone slab and dressed in green robes . Yet he couldn't say what instructions were given. When asked what instructions the Patriarch had given, he couldn't say, because there hadn't been any. So, what was he to say? Dhyana Master Baizhang was deliberately questioning him that way. Not a single word was uttered of Heaven's secrets. Not a single word had been spoken. There had not been any revelation of divine secrets. If there had been, then it would really have been a “ghost of a ghost.” People turn into ghosts after death, and ghosts fear the “ghost of a ghost.” Ghosts are the shadows of people. When people are alive, they have shadows. You just don't realize that the shadow following you is a ghost. You're afraid of ghosts? Then you're afraid those shadows. When a person dies, the shadow becomes his ghost. So there are ghostly shadows everywhere. The ghostly shadow is half of a person. It's there and yet not there. It doesn't have any substance. It's a shadow without form, just a mass of dark energy. When a ghost dies, it becomes a ji--“ghost of a ghost.” The ji is half of the ghostly shadow. If a ghost sees the ji and doesn't see the other half of the ghost, it becomes afraid. If we were to see a person with a shadow behind him, we wouldn‘t be afraid and say, “Yikes! There's a ghost following you! How spooky!” But if you saw a disembodied shadow walking by, you'd be scared silly. Do you believe it? If you didn't see any material entity, but only a faint shadow, you'd be afraid. The ji or “shadow of a ghost” is one half of the ghost. But when another ghost sees the ji without the other half [the ghost], it gets scared. It's the same as how a human being gets spooked when he sees a ghost without the other half [a person]. In both cases, because it's something they've never seen before, they think it's uncanny. That's why ghosts fear ji. Ordinary people can become sages, yet sages don't seem extraordinary. If ordinary people cultivate, they can become sages. Other people see sages as being the same as themselves—as not being any different from people. The only difference is that their wisdom is great and their eloquence is lofty, but these qualities are internal; you can't perceive them from outside. That's why people don't consider sages extraordinary in any way. Resolute, enduring, simple, and slow, one approaches humaneness. Resolute means obstinate. Enduring means one has untiring energy. Simple and slow means one is like wood—reluctant to talk. One seldom says anything. These four qualities are very close to humaneness and righteousness. These four are all very good qualities to have in cultivation. There are the five turbidities in the Saha; purity is in the West. Our world is the evil world of the five turbidities. If you want to be pure, there is the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The choice is yours.