Free Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings by Andy Ferguson

meditation, completely self-absorbed, paying no attention to Daoxin whatsoever.
    Daoxin asked him, “What are you doing?”
    Farong responded, “Perceiving mind.”
    Daoxin said, “Who is it who is perceiving mind? And what is ‘mind’?”
    Farong had no answer. Standing up, he bowed.
    Later, he asked, “Where does Your Worthiness reside?”
    Daoxin said, “This poor monk has no permanent home. Sometimes I live here, sometimes I live there.”
    Farong said, “Perhaps you know the master Daoxin.”
    Daoxin replied, “What would you ask him?”
    Farong said, “I’ve respected his virtue for some time now. I would like to pay my respects to him.”
    Daoxin said, “I am Zen master Daoxin.”
    Farong said, “Why have you come here?”
    Daoxin said, “I’ve come here especially to pay you a visit. Do you have someplace we can take a rest?”
    Farong pointed and said, “Over there I have a small cottage.”
    He then led Daoxin to a cottage that was surrounded by wild beasts such as tigers and wolves. Daoxin put both of his hands up in the air as if he were scared.
    Farong said, “Are you still like this?”
    Daoxin said, “What is ‘this’?”
    Farong couldn’t answer.
    Later, Daoxin wrote the word “Buddha” on Farong’s meditation seat.
    When Farong saw this he was horrified.
    Daoxin said, “Are you still like this?”
    Farong didn’t understand, so he bowed and asked Daoxin to explain his meaning.
    Daoxin said, “The hundred thousand gates of the Buddhadharma, they all return to this mind. The source of the countless exquisite sublime practices is this mind. All of the precepts and monastic rules, Zen meditation, Dharma gates of knowledge, and wisdom and every sort of miraculous manifestation are your natural possession, not separate from your mind. Every type of nuisance and karmic impediment is fundamentally empty and without real existence. All causes and effects are but illusions. There are no three worlds that are to be cast off. 26 There is no bodhi that can be attained. 27 The original nature and appearance of what is human and what is nonhuman does not differ. The great way is empty and vast, without a single thought. If you have attained this Dharma, where nothing whatsoever is lacking, what difference is there between yourself and Buddha? When there is not a single teaching left, then you are just left to abide in your own nature; with no need to worry about your behavior; no need to practice cleansing austerities; but just living a life without desires; with a mind without anger, without cares; completely at ease and without impediment; acting according to your own will; without needing to take on any good or evil affairs; just walking, abiding, sitting, and lying down; with whatever meets your eye being nothing other than the essential source; and all of it is but the sublime function of Buddha; blissful and without care. This is called ‘Buddha.’”

    According to tradition, after Farong received this teaching from Daoxin and fully attained the way of Zen, birds no longer left flowers for him. Farong’s enlightenment left no special sign by which it could be recognized.
    Beyond this traditional story, a few dialogues involving Zen teacher Niutou are preserved in the classical records.

    A monk asked Niutou, “The people known as ‘saints’—what dharmas should they cut off and what dharmas should they attain so that they can thus earn this title?”
    Niutou said, “Those who don’t cut off or attain even a single dharma—they are called ‘saints.’”
    The monk then asked, “If they don’t cut off or attain a single dharma, what difference is there between such people and common people?”
    Niutou said, “There is a difference. Do you know why? Because common people try to rid themselves of afflictions and they delusionally scheme for gain. There is nothing that is fundamentally lost or gained by the true mind of a saint. That is why there is a difference.”
    The monk then