Chan master Fu Gong (Fu Shang Zuo) was once teaching The Mahaparinirvana Sutra at Xiao Xian Temple in Yang Zhou. One day, while expounding on the profound meaning of Dharma Body, someone in the audience burst out laughing. After the class, Fu invited this Chan practitioner for tea and asked him, “I was ignorant and unlearned, interpreting the scriptures solely based on the wordings, and I could see that it made you laugh. Would you please kindly share some of your insight with me.”
The Chan practitioner said, “It’s not that you said anything wrong. But what you talked about are only the side matters of Dharma Body, not really its true essence.”
Fu said, “Please would you kindly enlighten me further on the true essence of Dharma Body?” The practitioner said, “Are you still willing to trust me (after I laughed at you)?” Fu replied, “How could I not trust you?” The practitioner said, “If that’s the case, I suggest you stop teaching for half a month to just sit in a quiet place, gather your mind and focus it on the quietude, letting go of all matters good or bad.”
Fu did exactly what he was told, meditating day and night, and one early morning, upon hearing the night watchman striking his drum, Fu suddenly got awakened.
Another story is about Liang Sui paying a visit to Chan master Magu Baoche. Upon seeing Sui, Master Magu picked up a hoe and carried it into the garden to do weeding, without even greeting Sui. Afterwards he went straight back to the abbot’s quarters and just shut the door. The next day Sui came to visit again, but Master Magu still shut himself in the room. Sui knocked at the door. Master Magu asked: “Who’s there?” Upon uttering his name in reply, Sui suddenly got awakened.
Fu and Sui, these two honorable elders, they attained enlightenment by virtue of their deep humility. Most people nowadays are too self-centered and full of themselves – how could they ever have attainment in like manner?
by Grand Master Lian Chi (蓮池大師), the Eighth Patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism
孚遂二座主 – 錄自明末蓮池大師《竹窗隨筆》(初筆)
太原孚上座，於揚州孝先寺講涅槃經，廣談法身妙理，有禪者失笑。孚講罷，請禪者茶，白云:「某甲狹劣，依文解義，適蒙見笑，且望教誨。」禪者云:「不道座主所說不是，然只說得法身量邊事，實未識法身在。」孚曰:「既如是，當為我說。」曰:「座主還信否?」曰:「焉敢不信!」曰:「請座主輟講旬日，端然靜坐，收心攝念，善惡諸緣一時放卻。」孚一依所教，從初夜至五更，聞角聲，忽大悟。又良遂座主參麻谷，麻谷荷鋤入園，不顧，便歸方丈閉卻門。次日復求見，又閉卻門，遂乃敲門。谷問是誰? 遂方稱名，忽大悟。此二尊宿，祇緣是虛心下賢，不存我慢故。今人自高，焉得有此?
Buddha Mind 