In the previous article, I shared the story of the meeting between Zen masters Yinshan and Dongshan. After the two met, they had some Zen conversations. In this article, I, Shengzhong, will analyze their conversation.

Firstly, Zen Master Yinshan asked Zen Master Dongshan, 'There is no road in this mountain, where did you come from?'? Then Master Dongshan replied, 'If I can walk to you, I cannot say there is no way.'.

In this conversation, there is no road originally, as long as you walk, there is a road, or in other words, the road is under your feet, and the road is paved by your feet. So, where there are feet, there is a path, not where there are feet. So the Zen meaning of this conversation is that Buddha nature is the source that opens up everything, and anything that appears before Buddha nature is immediately created. For example, Bodhi wisdom and Buddha nature manifest, and wisdom will manifest. Wisdom is better than roads, and Buddha nature is like feet. With Buddha nature, there is wisdom.

Then, Master Dongshan asked, how did you get to this mountain again? Master Yinshan replied, 'I am not from Yunshui.'. This conversation is interesting, 'I'm not from Yunshui,' so I can come from anywhere else. It doesn't matter where I come from, since you've already come up the mountain, is it still meaningful to ask me where I'm from?

It's like saying, when you're thirsty, I give you a glass of water, you finish it, and then you ask me where the water came from, what's the point? Even if I received this water from the bathroom, you have already drunk it to your stomach. Can you still spit it out when you know?

That's it. Zen Master Dongshan has already walked up to Zen Master Yinshan and is still asking about the meaning of the road up the mountain? So Master Yinshan said, 'You don't care where I come from.'.
 
Zen means that since you have already manifested your Buddha nature, do not ask about the method of Buddha nature manifestation. It is like saying that if you have reached the other side, do not ask about how to reach it, as it is meaningless.

Going further, Master Dongshan asked, were you here first or was the mountain here first? Zen Master Yinshan replied that he didn't know. Master Dongshan immediately asked, why don't you know? Zen Master Yin Shan replied, 'Spring and Autumn will not come.'.

This conversation is also very interesting. Zen Master Dongshan asked a seemingly childish question, "Are you here first or is the mountain here first?" I think ordinary people don't have to think about this question. It must be the mountain that came here first, and most people wouldn't ask such a question. But the intention of Zen Master Dongshan is not superficial. His intention is, do you (form) come first, or does Buddha nature come first? Master Yinshan replied, 'I don't know.'. It's said that I (the appearance) came first, but that's not true, because all appearances are illusory. Did the illusory or the real come first? Is it like having a chicken or an egg first? No matter how you answer, it's always incorrect. So, Zen Master Yinshan simply replied that he didn't know.

However, Master Dongshan did not spare Master Yinshan and continued to ask why you didn't know? Does that mean, aren't you a great Zen master? Isn't there great wisdom? How could you not know? Zen Master Yin Shan replied, 'Spring and Autumn will not come.'. The meaning of Zen Master Yinshan is that "spring" and "autumn" cannot come at the same time, which means that the virtual and real phases cannot coexist, and the chicken and egg cannot coexist.

Although Zen Master Yin Shan did not truly answer this question, he made it clear that you cannot have both fish and bear's paw at the same time. No one can have both. Although I am a great Zen master, I am powerless.

Then, Master Dongshan asked again, what kind of person is the host among guests? Zen Master Yinshan asked, 'How much is the difference between the guest and the host?'? Master Dongshan answered, like the waves of the Yangtze River. Zen Master Yinshan asked, what are the rules for guests and hosts to meet? Master Dongshan answered, like a gentle breeze blowing on the bright moon.

In this conversation, 'host' refers to the Buddha nature, while 'guest' refers to the virtual form. How much is the difference between emptiness and Buddha nature? Like the waves of the Yangtze River, what does it mean? The waves roll on the water, but eventually return to the water. No matter how beautiful the waves are, they will eventually disappear. No matter what, the virtual form will eventually return to the Buddha nature. The virtual form is like a dream, illusory bubbles, and will eventually disappear.

Then, Zen Master Yin Shan asked, what are the rules for meeting Buddha nature and virtual reality? Master Dongshan answered, 'Just like a gentle breeze blowing the bright moon, what does it mean?'? Will the gentle breeze have any impact on the bright moon? Of course not. Similarly, no matter what one does with the virtual form, it will not have any impact on the Buddha nature.

That is to say, regardless of the likes, dislikes, beauties, ugliness, poverty, wealth, dirtiness, and so on, they will not have any impact on the Buddha nature. The Buddha nature truly emerges from the mud without being tainted.

In fact, the conversations of Zen masters are full of Zen ideas, but they are not complicated. When we think simply, we will understand that there is nothing complicated.