Selections from Dharma Talks in Zhongfeng Extensive Record

Abstract Translation 2 consists of seven dharma talks given to monks and laymen, including a monk from Hami in Xinjiang (the far northwest), a Japanese ascetic, and a Mongol official. Two of the talks are geared to monks who are suffering an illness. Zhongfeng covers such topics as follows: cut off calculation by relying only on a single huatou; no gap exists between monks and laypeople; the four elements and five aggregates are themselves the method for attaining repose; silently probe your tasteless huatou; the huatou that has no meaning or taste is a divine medicine; on pilgrimage never move off your huatou; place your huatou smack in the middle of your daily activities; “Chan is the Chan of Pure Land; Pure Land is the Pure Land of Chan”; and Yongming Yanshou’s separation of Pure Land and Chan into four possible alternatives.