Dongshan Lianjie was a disciple of Yunyan Tansheng. He is recognized to have founded the Caodong School of Zen. This school, along with the Linji School, remains today as one of the two existent Zen schools that began in China during the Tang Dynasty (CE 618-905), the "golden age" of Zen. Dongshan came from ancient Huiji (in modern Zhejiang Province). A story relates how as a youth he read the Heart Sutra and came upon the words "No eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body..." and asked his teacher, "I have a eyes, ears, a nose, and so on. So why does the sutra say there is none?" The teacher was reportedly dumbfounded at the insight revealed by Dongshan's question, and replied, "I can't be your teacher." He then sent the young prodigy to study under Zen master Limo at Mt. Wuxie.
At the age of 21 Dongshan took the monk's vows on famous Mt. Song, and in the tradition of the Zen School he went traveling to visit the great adepts of his time.
Dongshan first went to see Zen master Nanquan Puyuan. At that time the congregation was working to prepare a feast for the following day in honor of Nanquan's late master Mazu.
Nanquan asked the congregation: "Tomorrow we will have Mazu's feast, but will Mazu come or not?"
The monks were unable to answer. Dongshan then stepped forward and said, "If he has a companion he'll come."
When Nanquan heard this he approved and said, "Though this child is young, he's a worthy gem polisher."
"Don't look down on me, Master," said Dongshan.
Next Dongshan studied with Guishan. One day he said, "I've heard that National Teacher Huizhong had an "inanimate" dharma teaching. I don't understand it clearly."
Guishan said, "Do you remember what he said or not?"
Dongshan said, "I remember."
Guishan said, "Please repeat it."
Dongshan said, "A monk asked the National Teacher, 'What is the mind of the ancient buddhas.'
"The National Teacher said, 'A wall tile.'
"The monk said, 'A wall tile? Isn't a wall tile inanimate?'
"The National Teacher said, 'Yes.'
"The monk asked, 'And it can expound the Dharma?'
"The National Teacher said, 'It expounds it brilliantly, without let up."
"The monk said, 'Why can't I hear it?"
"The National Teacher said, 'You yourself may not hear it. But that doesn't mean others can't hear it.''
"The monk said, 'Who are the people who can hear it?"
"The National Teacher said, 'All the holy ones can hear it.'
"The monk said, 'Can the Master hear it or not?'
"The National Teacher said, 'I can not hear it. If I could hear it I would be the equal of the holy ones. Then you could not hear me expound the Dharma.'
"The monk said, 'All beings can't understand that sort of speech.'
"The National Teacher said, 'I expound Dharma for the sake of beings, not for the sake of the holy ones.'
"The monk said, 'After beings hear it, then what?'
"The National Teacher said, 'Then they're not sentient beings.'
"The monk asked, 'What scripture teaches about inanimate (things) expounding Dharma?'
"The National Teacher said, 'Obviously, this (inanimate expounding) is not found in the scriptures. It's not something that some great people said. But haven't you heard the words of the Flower Garland Sutra which say, "The buddha-worlds, sentient beings, and the three realms all proclaim it.'"
When Dongshan had finished, Guishan said, "I have it here. But one seldom encounters someone who understands this teaching."
Dongshan said, "I'm not clear about it. I ask you for instruction about this."
Guishan held his whisk upright and said, "Do you understand."
Dongshan said, "I don't understand. Please explain it to me master."
Guishan said, "The mouth which my parents gave to the world is utterly unable to explain this to you."
Dongshan said, "Is there anyone else of your generation who you respect and who can explain it?"
Guishan said, "Go to Liling in You county, where there are stone houses strung together. There find a man of the Way named Yunyan. If you can thrash the grass and face the wind (bear his teaching methods), then you'll certainly hold him in esteem."
Dongshan said, "Who is this person?"
Guishan said, "He once asked me, 'When a student greatly admires and respects a teacher, what should he do?'
"I said, 'He must stop all the leaks.'
"He said, 'And he should also not go against his teacher's teaching, right?'
"I said, 'First of all you can't say that I'm at this spot!"
So Dongshan said good-bye to Guishan and proceed on to Yunyan. He related to Yunyan the story about the National Teacher and asked, "Who can hear it when the Dharma is proclaimed by what is inanimate?"
Yunyan said, "What is inanimate can hear it."
Dongshan said, "Can the Master hear it or not?"
Yunyan said, "If I could hear it, then you could not hear me expound Dharma."
Dongshan said, "Why couldn't I hear you?"
Yunyan held up his whisk and said, "Can you still hear me or not?"
Dongshan said, "I can't hear you."
Yunyan said, "When I expound Dharma you can't hear me. So how about when inanimate things proclaim it?"
Dongshan said, "What scripture teaches about inanimate things expounding Dharma?"
Yunyan said, "Haven't you seen that in the Amida Sutra it says, 'The lakes and rivers, the birds, the forests; they all chant Buddha; they all chant Dharma.'"
Upon hearing this Dongshan had an awakening. He then wrote a verse:
How incredible!
How incredible!
Inanimate things proclaiming Dharma is inconceivable,
It can't be known if the ears try to hear it,
But when the eyes hear it, then it may be known.
_____
Dongshan asked Yunyan, "Are there other practices I haven't completed?"
Yunyan said, "What were you doing before?"
Dongshan said, "I haven't even been practicing the Noble Truths."
Yunyan said, "Have you been joyous in this (non-practice)."
Dongshan said, "It's not without joy. It's like sweeping excrement into a pile and then picking up a precious jewel."
_____
As Dongshan prepared to leave Yunyan, Yunyan said, "Where are you going?"
Dongshan said, "Although I'm leaving the Master, I don't know where Ill end up."
Yunyan said, "You're not going to Hunan?"
Dongshan said, "No, I'm not."
Yunyan said, "Come back here sometime."
Dongshan said, "When you have a place of abode, then I'll return."
Yunyan said, "If you leave here, we probably won't see each other again."
Dongshan said, "It will be hard not to see each other."
Just when Dongshan was about to depart, he said, "If in the future someone happens to ask whether I can describe the Master's truth or not, how should I answer them?"
After a long pause, Yunyan said, "Just this is it."
Dongshan sighed.
Then Yunyan said, "Reverend Liang, now that you have taken on this great affair, you must consider it carefully."
Dongshan continued to experience doubt. Later as he crossed a stream he saw his reflection in the water and was awakened to Yunyan's meaning. He then composed this verse:
Avoid seeking elsewhere, for that's far from the Self,
Now I travel alone, everywhere I meet it,
Now it's exactly me, now I'm not it,
It must thus be understood to merge with thusness.
Years later, Dongshan was making offerings to Yunyan's image when a monk asked, "Yunyan said, 'Just this is it,' did he not?"
Dongshan said, "Yes."
The monk asked, "What was his meaning?"
Dongshan said, "Back then I almost misunderstood my teacher's meaning."
The monk asked, "I'd like to know if Yunyan really knew this or not."
Dongshan said, "If he didn't know, how could he speak in this manner? And if he did know, why was he willing to speak this way?" (Later Changqing said, 'If he knew, why did he speak this way?' Changqing also said, 'A child then knew a father's compassion.')
_____
Dongshan hosted a feast of commemoration on the anniversary of Yunyan's death.
A monk asked, "When you were at Yunyan's place, what teaching did he give you?"
Dongshan said, "Although I was there, I didn't receive any teaching."
The monk asked, "But you are holding a commemorative feast for the late teacher. Doesn't that show you approve (his teaching)."
Dongshan said, "Half approve. Half not approve."
The monk said, "Why don't you completely approve of it?"
Dongshan said, "If I completely approved, then I would be disloyal to my late teacher."
_____
A monk asked, "When the cold season comes, where can one go to avoid it?"
Dongshan said, "Why not go where there is no cold?"
The monk said, "What is the place where there's no cold?"
Dongshan said, "When it's cold, the cold kills you. When it's hot, the hot kills you."
_____
Zen master Dongshan entered the hall and addressed the monks saying, "Are there any among you who haven't repaid the four benefits and three existences?
The congregation was silent.
Dongshan said, "If you don't understand this, how can you transcend the tribulations of karmic existence? The mind must not alight upon objects. The feet must walk where there is no place to do so. To finally realize this, you must expend effort and not pass your days idly."
_____
Dongshan asked a monk, "Where have you been?"
The monk said, "Walking on the mountain."
Dongshan said, "Did you reach the peak?"
The monk said, "I reached it."
Dongshan said, "Were there people there?"
The monk said, "There weren't any people."
Dongshan said, "In that case you didn't reach the peak."
The monk said, "If I haven't been to the peak, how would I know there's no people?"
Dongshan said, "Why didn't you stay there?"
The monk said, "I would stay there, but there's someone in India who would dissaprove."
Dongshan said, "Formerly I doubted this fellow."
_____
The abbot of a temple was ill. Whenever he'd see a monk he'd yell, "Save me! Save me!" The monks of the temple couldn't say anything useful to deal with the situation. Dongshan went to pay him a visit.
The abbot said again, "Save me!"
Dongshan said, "What appearance should I save?"
The abbot said, "Aren't you a descendant of Yaoshan, a Dharma heir of Yunyan?"
Dongshan said, "I dare not say so."
The abbot clapped his hands and said, "Everyone has brought you here." He then passed away.
_____
Dongshan and Spiritual Uncle Mi were crossing a stream.
Dongshan said, "What's it like crossing the stream?"
Uncle Mi said, "It doesn't leak to the feet."
Dongshan said, "So old and venerable, and yet you still speak in such a manner!"
Uncle Mi said, "What do you say?
Dongshan said, "The feet aren't wet."
_____
Dongshan became ill. He instructed a novice monk to go and speak to Zen master Yunju Daoying (Dongshan's disciple).
Dongshan told the novice, "If he asks whether I'm resting comfortably, you are to tell him that the lineage of Yunyan is ending. When you say this you must stand far away from him because I'm afraid he's going to hit you."
The novice monk did as Dongshan instructed him and went and spoke to Yunju. Before he could finish speaking Yunju hit him. The novice monk said nothing further.
_____
A monk asked, "When the master is not well, is there still someone who is well or not?"
Dongshan said, "There is."
The monk asked, "Can the one who's not ill still see the Master or not?"
Dongshan said, "I can still see him."
The monk asked, "What does the master see?"
Dongshan said, "When I observe him, I don't see any illness."
Dongshan then said to the monks, "When you leave the skin-bag you inhabit, where will you go and see me again?"
The monks didn't answer. Dongshan then recited a verse:
Students as numerous as sands in the Ganges but few awakened,
They error by searching for the path in another person's mouth,
If you wish to forget form and not leave any traces,
Wholeheartedly strive to walk in Emptiness.
Dongshan then had his attendants help him shave his head, bathe, and get dressed. He then had the bell rung to summon the monks so that he could bid them farewell. He appeared to have passed away and the monks began wailing piteously without let up. Suddenly Dongshan opened his eyes and said to them, "Homeless monks aren't attached to things. That is their authentic practice. Why lament an arduous life and pitiful death?"
Dongshan then instructed the temple director to organize a "delusion banquet." The monks' adoration for Dongshan was unending.
Seven days later the food was prepared and Dongshan had a final meal with the congregation.
He then said, "Don't make a big deal about it. When I pass away don't go carrying on about it."
Dongshan then returned to his room, and, sitting upright, passed away. It was the month of March in the year 869. Sixty-three years of age, he'd been an ordained monk for forty-two years. He received the posthumous name, "Enlightened Source." His stupa was named, "Wisdom Awakening."
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