A foot of water, a wave ten feet high,
On the wondrous peak's summit, laughing heartily.
Seven steps around, all belongs to me,
No harm to leisurely sing the song of peace.
A sharp-witted man, not many needed,
The Dharma gate is vast, pervading all sands.
If one can clearly understand right here,
It's only in this very instant.
Seek not the true, nor search for the false,
Between true and false, let all be dropped.
A dazzling, majestic light shines through the great void,
Who knows who is the one who understands?
Praise brings no joy, blame is but empty talk,
Past, present, future, mindless, all swept clean.
The true form, majestic, with not a single thing,
Buddha or demon, all receive the same staff.
Those of small capacity hear and secretly frown,
A snake born from a rope adds further doubt.
Turn the latch before your eyes,
Only the person themselves can truly know.
Ah, ho ho, within perfect enlightenment,
Flows forth bodhi, pervading the vast expanse.
Hundreds of kinds of ghostly faces and divine heads,
All vanish in the flawless mirror.
Have you not seen? Face to face, the moment flashes like lightning,
Even with the divine eye, one cannot see it;
Pointed out, yet not coming—a truly dead man.
I urge you to inquire, inquire through to the luminous spirit, your own Chan.
Sudhana need not go to the south,
Black and white distinct, right before your eyes.
I urge you to believe, with faith repel the demon army's ranks.
This is the supreme vehicle of the Avatamsaka,
All phenomena in the universe correspond.
I urge you to cultivate, the six gates unobstructed, roam at ease.
Han-shan and Shih-te just met,
Pointing at Feng-kan, laughing without end.
Fire and wind hasten, the four mountains press close,
Then you will see your true face.
There is a gate of liberation, the true emptiness,
Where to find the Thousand-eyed Great Compassion?
Sometimes letting go, sometimes gathering in,
Only the one who understands nods secretly.
If we meet in Apricot Blossom Village,
Leap out, the water buffalo of Mount Wei.
Sometimes joyful, sometimes angry,
The rankless true man bursts forth at the gate.
Earnestly explaining the meaning from the West,
Evening tower bell and drum, moon in the dusk.
Sometimes chanting, sometimes singing,
Rambling, inverted words, what can be done?
Every sound issues from the mother-born mouth,
Not bound by musical notes, let it be.
Sometimes silent, sometimes laughing,
A dull iron hammer without holes or apertures.
A light touch brings forth ignorance,
Just this ignorance is originally the Way.
Sometimes walking, sometimes sitting,
Revealing shadow, hiding body, becoming two.
Not only Zhang Xian can compose doggerel,
Observe carefully, Li Si can turn the millstone.
The seamless pagoda, seen without cause,
Lofty, originally hidden deep in clouds.
The National Teacher's likeness is hard to fashion,
Unaware, a layer of sharp edge is revealed.
The bottomless bowl, held in hand,
Contains within it a hundred thousand sandy realms.
Unable to lift it at the Great Yu Ridge,
All because too much effort is applied.
The bottomless boat, never leaks,
Can penetrate a thousand layers of snowy waves.
Relying only on the one who holds the rudder,
Who cares if the wild wind roars across the land?
The keyless lock, who arranged it?
The lock severs the heavy passes, cutting off coming and going.
The giant spirit lifting his hand labors in vain,
Only the mindless one can open it.
The hairless whisk, what thing is this?
Strikes and shatters the mountain of fox-doubt, the ghost submits.
One shout, they say leaves one deaf for three days,
Who pities the great debater turned mute?
The holeless flute, most difficult to blow,
The notes jiao, zhi, gong, shang do not harmonize.
Sometimes playing the tune of no-birth,
It cuts off the traveling clouds, they dare not fly.
The rootless tree, straight into the clouds,
Its branches dense and lush, covering heaven and earth.
When kalpa-fire blazes, it cannot be burned,
When sharp blades slash, it leaves no trace.
Faceless, a shoulder-pole carrying man,
Playing in water, roaming mountains, without companion.
Before Kasyapa's gate, the flagpole falls inverted,
On Manjusri's sword, the whole body appears.
Sun-face Buddha, a dried shit-stick,
Eight ounces, half a catty, who can distinguish?
A seven-catty robe fits just right,
In Zhenzhou, no need to weigh radishes.
Wild ducks fly, phoenixes dance in pairs,
Three children holding a flower drum.
Old Zhao once read half the canon,
Lingyun saw a peach blossom and was awakened.
True words, I report to you,
No need to ponder, no need to doubt.
When spring comes, surely a thousand flowers bloom;
When winter ends, a lone snowflake flies across the vast sky.
Everywhere the true message leaks out,
Which one, with mind at rest, discerns the truth?
Eyes horizontal, nose straight, all the same,
Not apart from the present place, cease seeking.
Ancient Buddhas' words, Patriarchs' sayings,
The thousand sages' path, one and the same tongue.
Someday, when humans and gods come crowding the earth,
Then will the present resolution be fully shown.