Sansuikyō

The mountains and waters of the present moment are the manifestation of the ancient buddhas' Way. Both abide in the dharma-position, accomplishing exhaustive virtue. Because they are the activity of time before the empty eon, they are the living activity of the present moment. Because they are the self of when not even a trace of sign has arisen, they are the thorough liberation of the present manifestation.

Since the mountains' many virtues are lofty and vast, the virtue of the Way of riding the clouds is always communicated from the mountains; the wondrous function of following the wind is assuredly liberated from the mountains.

The Elder Kai of Dayang Mountain addressed the assembly, saying, "Blue mountains constantly walk; a stone woman gives birth at night." The mountain lacks nothing of the virtue it should possess. Therefore, it is constantly abiding, constantly walking. You must carefully study and learn the virtue of this walking. Do not doubt the mountain's walking simply because it does not appear the same as human walking. Human walking is like the mountain's walking, so do not doubt the mountain's walking because it does not appear identical to human walking. Now, the teaching of the buddhas and ancestors already points to walking; this is attaining the source.

You must thoroughly investigate the address to the assembly about constant walking. Because of the walking, it is constant. The walking of the blue mountains is swifter than the wind, yet those in the mountains do not realize it, do not know it. "In the mountains" is the flowering of the world within. Those outside the mountains do not realize it, do not know it. Those without the eye to see the mountains are unknowing, unseeing, unhearing—this is the principle.

If you are doubtful and attached about the mountain's walking, you do not yet know your own walking. It is not that your own walking is absent; it is that your own walking is not yet known, not yet clarified. One who knows their own walking should also know the walking of the blue mountains. The blue mountains are already not sentient, not insentient. The self is already not sentient, not insentient. You must not now be doubtful and attached about the walking of the blue mountains. You do not know by how many dharmadhātus to measure and delimit in order to illuminate and reflect the blue mountains.

You should clearly examine the walking of the blue mountains and the walking of the self. You should examine both stepping back and the backward step. You should examine that from the very right moment before any sign appears, and from the other shore of the Empty King, walking—whether advancing or retreating—does not cease for even a moment. If walking ever ceased, the buddhas and ancestors would not have appeared. If walking had an ultimate limit, the buddhadharma would not have reached the present day. Advancing has not ceased; retreating has not ceased.

When advancing, it does not turn away from retreating; when retreating, it does not turn away from advancing. This virtue is called "mountains flow" and "flowing mountains." Because the blue mountains also thoroughly investigate walking, and because "the eastern mountains walk on water" is also studied and learned, this study and learning is the mountain's study and learning. Without altering the mountain's body and mind, just as the mountain's true face is, it has come turning on the path of study and learning. Do not slander the mountain, saying the blue mountains cannot walk or the eastern mountains cannot walk on water.

It is because of the low and base perspective of inferior views that one finds the phrase "blue mountains walk" strange. It is because of the meagerness of limited hearing that one is startled by the words "flowing mountains." Now, even if the saying about flowing water is not perfectly penetrating, it is only because one is sunk and drowned in small views and limited hearing. Therefore, the accumulated virtue is raised up as form and name, as the lifeblood. There is walking; there is flowing.

There is a time when the mountain gives birth to a mountain child; by the principle of the mountain becoming buddhas and ancestors, the buddhas and ancestors have appeared like this. Even if one had the eye that sees grasses, trees, tiles, and stones, walls and fences as accomplished, it would not be a doubtful attachment, nor a moving attachment, nor would it be complete accomplishment. Even if a time appears when they are seen as adorned with the seven treasures, it is not the true return. Even if one sees and accomplishes the realm where all buddhas practice the Way, it is not necessarily a beloved place.

Even if one receives the crown of accomplished vision as the inconceivable virtue of all buddhas, the suchness is not only this. Each one's accomplished seeing is each one's environment and self; these are not taken as the buddhas' and ancestors' practice of the Way—they are a partial, tube-view. Transforming objects and transforming mind is what the great sage censured. Speaking of mind and speaking of nature is what the buddhas and ancestors do not accept. Seeing mind and seeing nature is the livelihood of outsiders.

Sticking to words and sticking to phrases is not the path of liberation. There is one who has penetrated such realms; this is what is called "blue mountains constantly walk" and "the eastern mountains walk on water." You must carefully investigate. "A stone woman gives birth at night" means the time a stone woman gives birth is called night. Generally, there are male stones and female stones, and stones that are neither male nor female. These can mend heaven and mend earth. There are heavenly stones and earthly stones. Although this is what worldly people say, it is rarely known by people. You should know the principle of giving birth. At the time of giving birth, do parent and child transform together? Should you study and learn only that the child becoming the parent is the accomplishment of giving birth? You should study and learn that the parent becoming the child is the practice and verification of the accomplishment of giving birth; you should investigate it thoroughly.

Master Yunmen Kuangzhen said, "The eastern mountains travel over the waters." The principle of the immediate realization of the Way is this: all mountains are the eastern mountains; all eastern mountains travel over the waters. Therefore, the nine mountains, Mount Meru, and so on are immediately realized, are practiced and verified. This is called "the eastern mountains." However, how could Yunmen fail to penetrate through the skin, flesh, bones, and marrow of the eastern mountains, through the vital activity of practice and verification? In the Great Song country now, there is a class of reckless fellows, and now they form a crowd. They are incapable of even a small, solid strike.

They say that present-day sayings like "the eastern mountains travel over the waters" and Nanquan's "sickle" story are "sayings beyond understanding." Their purport is that any words entangled in thought and deliberation are not the Zen sayings of the Buddhas and Ancestors. "Sayings beyond understanding"—these are the words of the Buddhas and Ancestors.

Therefore, they take Huangbo's use of the staff and Linji's raising a shout—these things which are difficult to understand and are not entangled in thought—to be the great awakening before any sign has arisen. They say that the expedient means of the former worthies often used entangled and broken phrases, and that this is "beyond understanding." Those who speak like this have never yet met a true teacher and lack the eye of study. They are petty fools not worth discussing. In the land of Song, for the last two or three hundred years, such demonic children, the six groups of bald-headed ones, have been many. It is pitiable—the great Way of the Buddhas and Ancestors is being abandoned.

Their understanding does not even reach that of the śrāvakas of the Lesser Vehicle; it is more foolish than that of non-Buddhist paths. They are not laypeople and not monks, not humans and not gods; they are more foolish than animals who study the Buddha Way. The "sayings beyond understanding" that these bald-heads speak of are only beyond understanding for you; it is not so for the Buddhas and Ancestors.

Just because you cannot understand them, you must not fail to study the path of understanding of the Buddhas and Ancestors. If ultimately they were to be beyond understanding, then your present talk of understanding would also be invalid. Such types are many in the various places of the Song dynasty. This is what I have personally seen and heard. It is pitiable that they do not know that words and phrases are thought and deliberation, and they do not know how to penetrate through the thought and deliberation of words and phrases. When I was in Song, I laughed at them, and they had nothing to offer, they were merely speechless.

Their present "beyond understanding" is merely a perverse scheme. Who taught you? Though there is no teacher of naturalness, you are children of a naturalistic, non-Buddhist path. Know this: this "the eastern mountains travel over the waters" is the very marrow and bones of the Buddhas and Ancestors. All waters are immediately realized at the foot of the eastern mountains. Therefore, all mountains ride on the clouds and walk across the heavens. The crowns of all waters are all mountains; the walking straight ahead and straight down are both upon the waters.

Because the tips of the toes of all mountains walk upon all waters and make all waters leap out, the carrying of steps is seven-lengthwise and eight-crosswise; practice and verification are indeed not nonexistent.

Water is neither strong nor weak, neither wet nor dry, neither moving nor still, neither cold nor warm, neither existent nor non-existent, neither deluded nor enlightened. When it congeals, it is harder than diamond; who can break it? When it melts, it is softer than milk-water; who can break it? Therefore, one should not doubt the virtue of its immediate, complete presence. For a time, one must study the season when one fixes one’s gaze, seeing the water of the ten directions as the ten directions. It is not only studying when seeing the water of humans and devas; there is studying in seeing water as water, because one practices and verifies water as water.

There is investigating that expresses the Way of water as water; it should make the path where the self meets the self appear immediately. One should advance and retreat along the living path where other and self thoroughly penetrate other and self; one should leap out. Generally, seeing mountains and water differs according to kind. When so-called water is seen, there are those who see it as necklaces of jewels. Yet they do not take necklaces of jewels to be water. What form do we see that they might take as water?

What they see as necklaces of jewels, we see as water. There are those who see water as wondrous flowers. Yet they do not use flowers as water. Hungry ghosts see water as raging fire, as pus and blood. Dragons and fish see it as palaces, as towers and pavilions. Some see it as the seven treasures or a mani jewel; some see it as forests and walls; some see it as the pure dharma-nature of liberation; some see it as the true human body. Some see it as bodily form and mind-nature. Humans see it as water; it is a cause and condition of killing and giving life. Since what is seen differs according to kind, one should for a time doubt and fixate on this.

When seeing one realm, are the various views simply different? Or have they mistakenly taken the various appearances to be one realm? At the very peak of effort, one must make further effort. Therefore, practice, verification, and discernment of the Way should not be one kind or two kinds; the ultimate realm should be of a thousand kinds, ten thousand varieties. Further, when pondering this principle, though the waters of the various kinds may be many, it is as if there is no original water, as if there are no waters of the various kinds.

Yet the various waters according to kind do not depend on mind, do not depend on body, do not arise from karma, are not dependent on self nor dependent on other; there is the thorough penetration of depending on water. Therefore, water is not earth, water, fire, wind, space, consciousness, and so on; water is not blue, yellow, red, white, black, and so on; it is not form, sound, smell, taste, touch, dharmas, and so on. Yet the water of earth, water, fire, wind, space, and so on appears spontaneously, immediately. Being thus, it would be difficult to clearly say what forms and what is formed by the present land and palaces. To say they depend on the wheel of space or the wheel of wind is not my truth, nor another’s truth; it is to speculate with a narrow view. It is because one thinks that without depending on something, one cannot abide, that one says this.

The Buddha says, "All dharmas are ultimately liberated, and have no abiding place." Know that although it is said they are liberated and without bondage, the dharmas abide in their positions. Yet, when humans see water, there is one view that sees it flowing and not staying. There are many aspects to this flow; this is one facet of human perception. It is said to flow through the earth, flow through the sky, flow upward, flow downward. It flows in a single bend and flows in the nine deeps.

It ascends to become clouds, descends to become pools.

Wenzi says, “The Way of water: ascending to heaven, it becomes rain and dew; descending to earth, it becomes rivers and streams.” The common saying today is still like this. Those who would call themselves descendants of the buddhas and ancestors, if they are more benighted than common people, should be ashamed. It is said: the Way of water is not what water itself knows or perceives, yet water fully manifests its activity. It is not that water does not know or perceive, yet water fully manifests its activity. “Ascending to heaven, it becomes rain and dew”—know this: water ascends to countless heavens and heights and becomes rain and dew.

Rain and dew, following the world, are of various kinds. To say there are places water does not reach is the teaching of the śrāvaka scriptures of the Small Vehicle, or else the heretical doctrines of non-Buddhist paths. Water reaches even into the midst of flames; it reaches even into the midst of thought, consideration, and discrimination; it reaches even into the midst of awakening to buddha-nature. “Descending to earth, it becomes rivers and streams.” Know this: when water descends to earth, it makes rivers and streams.

The essence of rivers and streams becomes worthies and sages. Now, the view of ordinary foolish mediocrities is that water must exist in rivers, seas, and streams. It is not so; within water, rivers and seas are made. Therefore, even where there are no rivers or seas, water exists; when water descends to earth, it merely performs the function of rivers and seas. Moreover, one should not learn that because water makes rivers and seas, there can be no world, there can be no buddha-land. Within a single drop, measureless buddha-lands are fully present. Therefore, it is not that water exists within buddha-lands, nor that buddha-lands exist within water.

The place of water is already not confined to the three times, not confined to the dharma-realm. Yet, even though it is thus, it is the kōan of water’s full presence. Wherever the buddhas and ancestors reach, water necessarily reaches. Wherever water reaches, the buddhas and ancestors are necessarily fully present. Because of this, the buddhas and ancestors have always taken up water as body and mind, have considered it. Therefore, the saying that water does not ascend upward is not found in the scriptures, internal or external.

The Way of water penetrates freely upward and downward, vertically and horizontally. Yet, within the Buddhist sutras it is said: fire and wind ascend upward; earth and water descend downward. This ascending and descending is something to investigate. That is, one investigates the ascending and descending of the buddha-way. That is, one takes the place where earth and water go as “downward.” It is not that “downward” is taken as the place where earth and water go.

The place where fire and wind go is “upward.” Although the dharma-realm is not necessarily confined to the measure of up, down, and the four directions, it is provisionally established as a directional dharma-realm based on the spheres of activity of the four great elements, the five great elements, the six great elements, and so on. The Heaven of No-Thought is not above; the Avīci Hell is not below. Avīci too exhausts the dharma-realm; No-Thought too exhausts the dharma-realm. Yet, when dragons and fish see water as their palace, it must be like humans seeing a palace; one should not perceive it as merely flowing.

If a bystander were to explain, saying, “Your palace is flowing water,” then just as we now hear and grasp the Way’s traces of mountains and streams, the dragons and fish would suddenly be startled and doubtful. Furthermore, the railings, steps, pillars, and columns of palaces and towers may also maintain such explanations. One should quietly think this through and carry this thinking forward. If one does not learn to penetrate this boundary, one has not liberated the body and mind of an ordinary being, nor has one exhaustively investigated the lands of the buddhas and ancestors.

One has not exhaustively investigated the lands of ordinary beings, nor has one exhaustively investigated the palaces of ordinary beings. Now, among humans, the mind of the ocean, the mind of the river, are deeply perceived as water, but we do not yet know with what things dragons and fish perceive water as water and use it as water. Do not foolishly assume that the water you perceive is the water all kinds of beings use. Now, fellow students of the Buddha, when you learn about water, you must not stagnate solely in the human perspective. Advance and investigate the water of the buddha-way.

We should investigate: what do we see and perceive of the water that the buddhas and ancestors use? We should investigate: within the house of the buddhas and ancestors, is there water or is there no water?

Mountains have been the abode of great sages since before ancient times and before the present. Wise persons and sages alike have made mountains their inner sanctum; they have made mountains their very body and mind. It is because of wise persons and sages that mountains are fully realized. Generally speaking, one might think how many great sages and wise persons have entered and gathered in the mountains, yet since entering the mountains, there is not a single person who meets another. There is only the full realization of the mountain's vital activity; no trace remains of having come and gone.

The moment of viewing mountains from within the world and the moment of encountering mountains while within the mountains—the peaks and crests, the very eyes, are far apart. The conceptions and the understandings of "not flowing" cannot be identical with the understanding of dragons and fish. When humans and devas attain a place within their own realm, other kinds may doubt and cling to it, or they may not even reach the point of doubt and clinging. Therefore, one must learn the phrases of "mountain flow" from the buddhas and ancestors; one must not leave it to startled doubt.

To pick up one thing is this flow; to pick up one thing is this not-flow. One turn is flow; one turn is not-flow. Without this kind of investigation, it is not the true Dharma wheel of the Tathagata. An ancient buddha said, "If you wish to avoid incurring uninterrupted karma, do not slander the true Dharma wheel of the Tathagata." This Way must be engraved in skin, flesh, bone, and marrow; it must be engraved in body-mind and in the dependent and primary retribution. It is engraved in emptiness; it is engraved in form. It is engraved in trees and rocks; it is engraved in fields and villages.

Generally speaking, although mountains belong within national boundaries, they belong to the person who loves the mountains. When mountains invariably love their master, sages, worthies, and those of high virtue enter the mountains. When sages and worthies dwell in the mountains, because the mountains belong to them, the trees and rocks are lush and the birds and beasts are numinous and splendid. This is because they receive the virtue of the sages and worthies. Know that mountains have the reality of favoring the worthy; they have the reality of favoring the sage.

That emperors often visited the mountains to pay homage to worthies and to pay homage and inquire of great sages is a splendid tradition of past and present. On these occasions, they revered them with the etiquette due a teacher, not following the customs of the common people. Where the transformative influence of the sage reaches, there is no forcing of mountains or worthies. One should know that mountains are separate from human beings. In ancient times at Kongtong and Huafeng, when the Yellow Emperor paid homage and made request, he approached Guangchengzi crawling on his knees. Śākyamuni Buddha once left his father the king's palace and entered the mountains.

Yet his father the king did not resent the mountains, nor did he blame those in the mountains who instructed the crown prince. His twelve years of practicing the Way were largely in the mountains. The inauguration of the Dharma King's activity was also in the mountains. Truly, even a wheel-turning king does not force the mountains. Know that mountains are not the boundary of human beings, nor are they the boundary of the heavens; one cannot know and see mountains using the measurements of human thought.

If one does not compare and measure by the human "flow," who would doubt and cling to such things as mountain flow and mountain not-flow?

Some sages and saints from ancient times have dwelled freely in the water. When dwelling in the water, there is catching fish, there is catching people, and there is catching the Way. All of these are, from of old, the refined activities within water. Further advancing, there must be catching the self, there must be catching catching, there must being caught by catching, and there must be being caught by the Way. In ancient times, the monk Desheng, immediately upon parting from Yaoshan, dwelled in the river's heart; this was attaining the sage of Huating River. How could he not catch fish? How could he not catch people? How could he not catch water? How could he not catch himself?

That one gets to see Desheng is Desheng. Desheng's meeting people is encountering people. It is not merely that there is water in the world; there is a world within the water realm. It is not only that such things exist within water; there are sentient worlds within clouds, there are sentient worlds within wind, there are sentient worlds within fire, and there are sentient worlds within earth.

There are sentient worlds within the dharma-realm, there are sentient worlds within a single blade of grass, and there are sentient worlds within a single staff. Wherever there are such sentient worlds, there is invariably a world of Buddhas and Ancestors. One must thoroughly investigate such principles. Therefore, water is the palace of the true dragon; it is not mere flowing and falling. To perceive it as only flow is for the word "flow" to slander water, as if one were to forcefully insist it is "non-flow." Water is solely the suchness and true aspect of water; water is the virtue and function of water—it is not flow. When one investigates the flow of a single water and investigates non-flow, the exhaustive realization of all things immediately manifests.

There are mountains hidden in jewels, mountains hidden in marshes, mountains hidden in the sky, mountains hidden in mountains. There is a student who makes the hidden mountains his own. An ancient buddha said, "Mountains are mountains, waters are waters." This saying is not merely saying "mountains are mountains"; it is saying mountains are mountains. Therefore, one must investigate the mountains. To investigate the mountains thoroughly is to practice with the mountains. Mountains and waters such as these naturally make the wise and make the sage.