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紫玉道通 Ziyu Daotong (731-813) 

6.99 唐州紫玉山道通禪師 Chan Master Tangzhou Ziyu Shan Daotong
In: Records of the Transmission of the Lamp: Volume 2: The Early Masters. (Books 4-9),
Translated by Randolph S. Whitfield, 2015

Chan master Daotong of Purple Jade Mountain in Tangzhou (Henan)
was a native of Lujiang (Anwei), who’s family name was He. When
still a young man he succeeded his father as a local official in Nan’an
county, Quanzhou (Fujian), but as a result of this he left the home
life. At the beginning of the Tianbao reign period (742-755 CE),
Mazu was teaching at Jianyang (Fujian) and residing at the Foji Yan
(Buddha-trace Rock). The master went there to pay him a courtesy
call. Later, when Mazu moved to Mount Gong-gong in Nankang
(Jiangxi), master Daotong also followed him there. In the beginning
of the second month of the Zhenyuan period (788) Mazu, soon to
die, said to the master, ‘It would be good for your propagation of the
Way to live where the jade shines and the mountain is very beautiful,
when coming across them.’ The master did not understand these
words.
In the autumn he went on a visit to Luoyang in the company of
Chan master Zizai of Funiu Mountain.184 Returning through
Tangzhou he saw a mountain in the west whose west face was
separated from the rest of the range, with a peak lofty and beautiful.
When he asked a local about it he was told, ‘This is Purple Jade
Mountain.’ The master then climbed it to the top and saw that there
was a rock quite square, lustrously purple of colour. Sighing in
admiration, he said, ‘This is that Purple Jade.’ He began to think
back on the words of the master and then remembered the
prediction. So he cut down the grass, constructed a hut and there he
lived in it. Later many students came from all directions.
A monk asked, ‘What is it to be liberated from the Three Worlds?’
The master replied, ‘How long have you been in them?’
‘How can one get out?’ persisted the monk.
‘The blue mountains do not obstruct the flying white clouds,’ said
the master.
Cabinet Minister Yudi185 asked, ‘What is meant by “a black wind
blows and tosses boats to the man-eating monsters”?’
The master replied, ‘What is the business the honoured guest Yudi
is asking about?’ Yudi was embarrassed and the master then
pointed to him and said, ‘This is falling to the man-eating monsters!’
Yu asked again, ‘What is Buddha?’
‘Yudi!’ called the master.
‘Yes!’ he answered.
‘Just do not ask again,’ said the master.

(Textual comment: A monk raised this with Yueshan [a disciple of Shitou] who
said, ‘He bound this fellow up and he died!’ ‘What about your Venerable Self?’
asked the monk. Yueshan called, ‘Oi, you!’ ‘Yes!’ answered the monk. ‘What?’
asked Yueshan.)

In the 8th year of the Yuanhe reign period Jinzang (813 CE), one of
the master’s disciples had returned from training with Baizhang. He
had an interview with the master, who said to him, ‘Now that you
have finally returned, this mountain monastery has an abbot!’ Then
he entrusted the monastery to Jinzang and left with his walking stick
for Xiangzhou (Hubei, Xiangyang), where he was welcomed by
monks and laymen alike. On the 15th day of the 7th month, without
any illness, he died at the age of eighty-three.

184 A disciple of Mazu, (741-821) see 7.113 below.

185 Cabinet Minister Yudi (died 818 CE), a former persecutor of Buddhist monks,
was present at the death of his great friend Layman Pang. Afterwards he also
composed The Recorded Sayings of Layman P’ang. See the translation in Sasaki et al, A Man of Zen.