Master Yaoshan's family name was Han. He was born in Jiangzhou [in modern Wenxi County, Shanxi County]. At the age of 17, he studied with Master Huizhao, and then he was instructed by Xi Cao in the Buddhist discipline. He was conversant with the classic works of Buddhism and he followed the monastic discipline strictly.
One day he sighed, "I'm just a human. I can't be confined by all these monastic rules. I should be able to resolve my problems by myself. There's no point in doing every little thing according to all the specific rules."
When Yaoshan first called on Shitou, he said: "I know a little about the Buddhist sutras. I've heard that the southern school [meant is the school of Mazu in Jiangxi Province] points directly to people's minds so they can become Buddhas. I don't understand this and hope you can explain it." Shitou said, "It makes no difference if I explain or not, you'll never understand it. The situation is hopeless." Yaoshan was confused. Shitou said, "Our ways of understanding are different, so I think you should go see Master Mazu."
Yaoshan went to Mazu and asked the same question. Mazu said, "Sometimes I ask a person to raise his eyebrows and blink his eyelids, sometime I don't. Sometimes it's right and sometimes it isn't. There's nothing that can be done." Yaoshan awakened and bowed to Mazu, who asked why he was bowing and what he had understood. Yaoshan said, "When I was with Shitou I was like a mosquito trying to bite an iron ox." Mazu said, "If it's like that, then guard it well."
Three years later, Mazu asked Yaoshan, "What is your understanding these days?" He answered, "The blinders have fallen way, I see only the truth." Mazu said, "Your new understanding is very good. You have wholly grasped the essence: it's spread through your arms and legs. Having this understanding, you can buckle up your belt and establish your own monastery." "I don't dare set up a school of my own. I'm an unimportant person." Mazu said, "No, people should travel around for awhile and then settle down. [Monks should study at different monasteries and later stay somewhere to teach.] You can't always do what you want to do, just as you can't always get what you want. You should be like a floating boat. You mustn't stay here longer." Yaoshan left Mazu and went back to Shitou.
One day Yaoshan was sitting on a stone. Shitou asked what he was doing. Yaoshan said he wasn't doing anything. Shitou said, "You're just sitting here?" Yaoshan said, "Just sitting doing nothing is doing something." Shitou asked, "What exactly do you mean by 'doing nothing?'" Yaoshan said, "If you asked all the sages, they wouldn't be able to tell you."
Then Shitou recited a poem.
A person doesn't know how it works,
Just goes along with it naturally.
All the sages in history can't explain it,
And ordinary people don't understand it either.
Shitou composes a poem to approve Yaoshan's understanding. There are four lines of seven characters in each line, with a rhyme scheme of A,A,B,A.
Sometime later, Shitou taught: "This ordinary mind isn't expressed by words and ideas." Yaoshan said, "No words and no ideas also have nothing to do with this ordinary mind." Shitou said, "You can't penetrate this further." Yaoshan said, "I'm like a flower growing on a rock." [Shitou says literally, "You can't penetrate me." "Rock" of course is also Shitou's name.] Shitou agreed.
Later, Yaoshan became the leader of a monastery in Lizhou [in Hunan Province]. Many students came to study with him. One day Yaoshan said to Daowu, "Shaoxi Mingxi [a student of Mazu] used to be a government official in his previous life." Daowu asked, "What did you used to do in your last life?" Yaoshan said, "I was very weak in my last life, nothing at all important." Daowu asked why and Yaoshan said, "In my last life I didn't study hard."
The temple supervisor said, "The bell is ringing now, so please come to the assembly hall." Yaoshan said to him, "Please bring my eating bowl." Yunyan said to Yaoshan, "Master Yaoshan doesn't use his own hands and feet. How long have you been here?" Yaoshan said to Yunyan, "It's a mistake for you to be wearing a monk's robe." Yunyan said, "I agree, but what about you?" Yaoshan said, "I haven't anything attached." [There's nothing added on to from the outside,such as hands and feet. In other words,Yaoshan has no outside attachments.] Then he told Yunyan to call the attendant for him. Yunyan asked why. Yaoshan said, "I've got a pot with one leg broken, so I want him to hold up the leg for me." [Yaoshan has a vessel with three legs,one of which is broken,so the attendant will have to stand there and keep the pot from falling over.] Yunyan said, "I'll give you just my one hand; you don't need a whole hand and body for this purpose." Yaoshan gave the whole thing up.
On another occasion, after the gardener had finished planting some vegetables. Yaoshan said, "The earth can't stop you from planting vegetables… can you stop the vegetables from taking root?" The gardener said, "What will people have to eat if the vegetables don't take root?" Yaoshan said, "You still have a mouth, don't you?" The gardener didn't know what to say.
One day Daowu and Yunyan were out walking with Yaoshan, who pointed at two trees with his finger. One was healthy and the other was withered up. He asked Daowu, "Which is better, the withered tree or the healthy tree?" Daowu answered, "The healthy one is better." Yaoshan said, "So everything around it becomes bright and colorful." Then he asked Yunyan the same question. Yunyan said, "The withered tree is better." Yaoshan said, "So everything around it looks gray and withered up." An attendant named Gao appeared suddenly. Yaoshan asked him the same question. Gao said, "The withered one is withered and the healthy one is healthy." Yaoshan turned to Daowu and Yunyan and said, "You were both wrong."
Someone asked Yaoshan, "How can one avoid becoming confused by all kinds of outside appearances?" Yaoshan said, "Just leave them alone and they won't trouble you." The person said he didn't understand. Yaoshan said, "What outside appearances are troubling you right now?"
Someone asked Yaoshan, "What’s the most important thing about Buddhist conduct?" Yaoshan said, "The main thing is not to flatter anyone." This person asked, "What would your mind be like if you never flattered anyone?" Yaoshan said, "Even if you were offered the entire country, your mind would never change."
A monk came back to see Yaoshan. Yaoshan asked his name. The monk said, "My name is Changtan." Yaoshan yelled, "You used to be Changtan and you'll always remain Changtan as well!" [Maybe Yaoshan means that Changtan hasn't made any progress while he was away.]
Yaoshan hadn't been to the lecture hall for a long time. The temple supervisor said, "We've all been looking forward to your giving us a lecture." Yaoshan said, "Ring the bell." As soon as the monks had gathered for the lecture, Yaoshan got up from his seat and went back to the abbot's quarters. The supervisor followed and asked why he didn't say anything, since he had agreed to speak to the monks. Yaoshan said, "They have teachers to teach them sutras and they have teachers to teach Abidhamma, so what is there left for me to do?"
One day Yaoshan asked Yunyan what he was doing. "I just eat and shit." [Literally: "I just bury shit."] Yaoshan said, "Where is your real self?" Yunyan said, "It's right in front of you." Yaoshan: "For whom are you so busy?" Yunyan: "For my body, which eats and shits." Yaoshan: "Why not make the body and self fit together?" Yunyan: "Don't get any false ideas about this body." Yaoshan: "Can't I put it this way?" Yunyan said, "It's ok with me." Yaoshan said, "Are you still just eating and shitting?"
One day after Yaoshan had sat down, a monk came and asked, "What are you thinking about here by yourself?" "I'm thinking about not-thinking." "How can you think about not-thinking?" "By not thinking."
A student asked Yaoshan, "I've got to go home, is it OK?" Yaoshan said, "Your parents are lying in thorns, and their bodies are all red and swollen. Where are you going to go back to?" The student said, "If that's the way it is, I won't go home." Yaoshan said, "But you have to go home, and therefore I will show you how to live without food." The student said, "Please tell me." Yaoshan said, "When you come to the hall in the morning and evening, don't eat a single grain of rice."
Someone asked Yaoshan, "What is nirvana?" [Nirvana means here the state after death.] Yaoshan said, "What was your name before you were born?"
Yaoshan asked a monk, "Where are you from?" "From Hunan." Yaoshan asked, "Is Dongting Lake full of water?" The monk said no. Then Yaoshan said, "Why isn't it full of water after so much rain?" The monk had nothing to say.
Yaoshan asked a monk, "Where are you coming from?" "From Jiangxi." Yaoshan struck his meditation seat three times with his stick. The monk said, "Now I know where I should go." Yaoshan lowered his stick and the monk was silent. Yaoshan called the attendant to give the monk some tea. He was very tired from having travelled such a long way.
Yaoshan asked Layman Pang, "Can there be such a thing as the One Vehicle?" Pang said, "Everyday I just feed myself and there's not much else to do." Yaoshan said, "Then if I said that you hadn't been to see Shitou Xiqian yet, would that be correct?" Pang said, "You like to pick up one thing and drop another [you like to change the subject of conversation]—that really isn't very clever." Yaoshan said, "I've got to look after some abbot's affairs." Pang got up to leave. Yaoshan said, "Actually it's quite clever to pick up one thing and drop another." Pang said, "You were really very clever to ask me that question about the One Vehicle, and I admit I made a mistake today." Yaoshan said, "Yes, yes."
There are three vehicles which can carry sentient beings to Buddha's enlightenment, one each for sravakas, pratyekas, and bodhisattvas. The Lotus Sutra indicates that these three vehicles (the triyana), represented as carts driven by goats, reindeer and oxen, should be viewed together as One Vehicle (ekayana).
Yaoshan, said, "The ancestors told us to protect ourselves so thatthe Three Poisons won't affect us. We should try to prevent them from developing. Don't touch them, don't allow them to arise. For example, if you want to know what a dead tree is, and you go ask Shitou Xiqian to tell you, you still won't pick any leaves or branches from the dead tree. Instead, it would be better to examine the dead tree by yourself, so you can form your own conclusions afterwards. I can say something, but it can't be explained in words. There's nothing for the eyes or ears."
Yaohan and Yunyan were walking on a mountain. Yaoshan's sword made a noise at his side. Yunyan asked what was making the noise. Yaoshan drew his sword and struck the air with it.
A monk named Zun was cleaning the Buddha [maybe a Buddha figure on the altar]. Yaoshan said, "Please continue to clean the Buddha. Can you clean the other one too?" [Yaoshan means the Buddha inside the monk.] Zun said, "Please bring it to me." Yaoshan was silent.
A monk who was a teacher said to Yaoshan, "I've got a problem—can you help me with it?" Yaoshan said, "I'll solve it for you when I'm in the hall." [The meditation hall,also used for lectures.] Later, in the hall, Yaoshan said, "Where is the monk who's got a problem?" The monk stepped out from the group. Yaoshan arose from his meditation seat, grasped the monk and said, "Everybody pay attention: this monk has a problem." Then Yaoshan pushed the monk aside and returned to the abbot's quarters.
Yaoshan asked the head cook, "How long have you been here?" The cook answered, "Three years." Yaoshan said, "I don't know you." The cook went away, feeling puzzled and angry.
A person asked Yaoshan, "What should be done in case of an emergency?" Yaoshan said, "Don't turn your attention to other matters." The same person asked, "What should I lay upon this altar?" Yaoshan said, "Nothing."
Yaoshan ordered a monk to go collect some money. An attendant named Gan asked the monk where he came from. The monk said, "I'm here to spread Buddha's teaching." Gan asked, "Did you bring any medicine?" [The character yao means "medicine" and is the same character as in Yaoshan's name.] The monk said, "What are you sick with?" Gan gave him two pieces of silver [to bring him some medicine] and thought to himself, if there's anyone intelligent on this mountain, the silver will be returned to me—if there isn't, I won't get it back. The monk returned to report to Yaoshan, who asked why he was back so soon. The monk said, "Somebody asked me about Buddha's teaching, so I answered his questions properly and was given two pieces of silver afterwards." Yaoshan asked him to repeat the exact words. When the monk had finished, Yaoshan said, "Send the silver back right away. This person has tricked you." So the monk brought back the money. Gan said, "There's a bright person somewhere around here after all," and then gave the monk some more silver.
Yaoshan asked a monk, "I hear that you're rather good at doing calculations, is that right?" [Casting a horoscope could be meant here.] The monk said, "Maybe just a little." Yaoshan said, "You go ahead and calculate and let me watch for awhile." The monk didn't respond.
Yaoshan drew the character for Buddha and asked Daowu what it was. Daowu said, "It's Buddha." Yaoshan said, "You talk too much."
A person asked Yaoshan, "I'm not quite clear about what I'm doing, so please give me some instruction." Then Yaoshan said, "It isn't difficult for me to say something, but it's only good if you understand what I say just as soon as I finish saying it. If my words make you think further, it will be my mistake, so it's better if we both keep our mouths shut."
In the evening the monks were sitting in the hall, which was getting dark. Yaoshan said, "I've got something to tell you after the bull has given birth." A monk said, "Actually the bull already has given birth, but you just don't want to tell us anything. Yaoshan said, "Bring in some light" [so Yaoshan could find out who the monk was]. But the monk had already disappeared back into the group.
Yaoshan asked a monk where he came from. "From Master Nanquan," was the answer. "How long were you there?" "About a year." "Then you've also become an ox." [Nanquan liked to describe himself as an ox, and said that he would be reborn as an ox after his death.] The monk said, "Although I was at his temple, I didn't even enter the dining hall." Yaoshan said, "Did you have anything to drink besides the southeast wind?" The monk said, "Please don't misunderstand. Besides Nanquan, there were others who nourished me."
Someone asked Yaoshan, "Before Bodhidharma came, did chan exist in this country?" Yaoshan said yes. "If so, why did the Ancestor come here?" Yaoshan said, "He came here precisely because chan existed in this country."
One day after Yaoshan had finished reading a sutra, a monk said, "You're always forbidding people to read the sutras, so why are you reading one now?" Yaoshan said, "I want to hide my eyes." [So I won't see anything—in other words,to stop thinking.] The monk said, "What would you think if I behaved like you?" "When somebody like you reads the sutras, it's like trying to look through an ox's hide." [The monk would be thinking about the contents of the sutra and not realizing their essence.]
A monk said to Yaoshan, "There's a large herd of deer on flat terrain without cover. How would you shoot the leader?" Yaoshan said, "Arrow!" [He pretends to pull out his bow and shoot a deer.] The monk fell down to the ground. Yaoshan said, "Attendant, carry this dead person away." The monk left. Yaoshan said, "His situation is quite hopeless if he keeps playing these little tricks."
The head official at Langzhou was Li Ao. He once asked Yaoshan, "What's your family name?" Yaoshan said, "It's the season right now." Li didn't understand and asked the temple supervisor. "Just now I inquired about the Master's family name and he said, 'the season right now.' I don't understand what his family name is." The temple supervisor said, "His family name is Han." [Han means "cold " in Chinese.] When Yaoshan heard about it he said, "Why does he talk so much? From that point of view, if I answered his question in the summertime, would my name be Re?" [Re means "hot" in Chinese.]
One evening Yaoshan was walking around the mountain when he saw the moon appear suddenly through the clouds. He shouted loudly, and the sound of his shout extended 90 li [30 miles] to the east of Liyang City. The city residents asked their neighbors to the east if they'd heard the noise. The question circulated up to Yaoshan's temple. The students said, "It was the teacher who shouted last night at the top of the mountain." Li Ao wrote a poem for Yaoshan:
Choosing a quiet place to live
Fits your wild character.
You don't have to welcome anyone or see them off.
Sometimes at the top of the mountain
You can shout under the moon and clouds!
On November 6th in the eighth year of Tai He [834 CE], when Yaoshan was dying, he suddenly shouted, "Now the meditation hall is going to collapse!" The monks began looking around for wooden poles to support the structure. Yaoshan raised his hand and said, "No, no, you don't understand," and then he died.
His memorial tower was built on the east side of the temple. The Tang Emperor Wenzong granted him the posthumous name Hong Dao, or "Great Master." The pagoda was called Hua Cheng—"A Place for the Teaching."