四明尊者教行錄 4.131

4.131

正月十八日，天童山景德禪寺住持傳法苾芻（子凝），謹熏沐裁書于延慶堂上教主法智大師（侍者。子凝）甞聞：智者千慮或有一失，愚者千慮或有一得。斯往哲之格言，非潛夫之臆說也。（子凝）素昧達人之旨，輒陳愚者之言，願瀆聽聰，少陳狂狷。近因暇日恭覽《十不二門指要鈔》，義峯孤聳，非郄克之足能躋；教海汪洋，豈師曠之耳能盡者也。珍重珍重。中所援引，達磨門下三人得法而有淺深。尼總持云：斷煩惱證菩提。師云：得吾皮。道育云：迷即煩惱，悟即菩提。師云：得吾肉。慧可云：本無煩惱，元是菩提。師云：得吾髓。但為傳聞，故無實證。未知斯語得自何人？大凡開物指迷，必須據文顯解，豈可以道聽途說將為正解？《禮》云：記憶之言，不足以為人師。此亦慮無稽之言以為正說者也。寧可指鹿為馬，事類趙高；使民戰栗，宛同宰我。今據《祖堂》及《傳燈錄》，只云二祖禮三拜依本位而立。未委彼宗，復何為解？今或有師云：達磨之道但接下根，未通上智。又云：悟即心之理，昧心外之法。斯皆以管窺天，將螺酌海者也。今試辨之。原夫病在膏肓者，失之於針砭；滯名相者，封之於言句。豈教不能明心，而藥弗能瘳疾耶？良由積療增痾夥言惑性，是以祖師西來，直指人心見性成佛，亦方便之一揆耳。或者猶云：但指即心未入佛慧。如《般若》說九類皆住無為涅槃，《華嚴》云一念普觀無量劫。未知此說與祖師之道同耶異耶？噫小智自私賤彼貴我，達人大觀無可不可。古賢之言，信而有徵矣。然則田巴毀三皇、罪五帝，隨而和之者千人。蓋海上有逐臭之夫，詎田巴之道能勝於三皇五帝之道者也。教主大師久積淨行、恢張教網，前無古人，後不可繼，自當依經解義續智者之真風，何必採鄙俚之言玷啟迪之旨乎。願削傳聞，自扶本教，無使滯名相者而取傚焉。幸甚不宣。天童山景德禪寺住持傳法苾芻（子凝）頓首上白。

On the eighteenth day of the first month, the bhikṣu propagating the Dharma and abbot of Jingde Chan Monastery on Mount Tiantong, [Zining], respectfully bathes and burns incense, and writes this letter to the Chief Teacher of the Yanqing Hall, Great Master Fazhi (attendants). [Zining] has heard: 'Even the wisest, in a thousand thoughts, may have one lapse; even the foolish, in a thousand thoughts, may have one gain.' This is a maxim of former sages, not the personal opinion of an obscure hermit. Having always been ignorant of the intent of realized men, [Zining] ventures to state a fool's words; wishing to presume upon your keen attention, I briefly present my rash and unbridled views. Recently, taking advantage of a day of leisure, I reverently read your Zhiyao chao on the Ten Non-Dual Gates. Its peaks of meaning stand solitary and lofty—not even the feet of Xi Ke could ascend them; its ocean of teaching is vast and boundless—how could the ears of Shi Kuang exhaust it? Most precious, most precious! Among what is cited therein, it is said that three persons under Bodhidharma attained the Dharma to varying depths. The nun Zongchi said: 'Severing afflictions, one realizes bodhi.' The master said: 'You have attained my skin.' Daoyu said: 'Delusion is affliction; awakening is bodhi.' The master said: 'You have attained my flesh.' Huike said: 'Originally there are no afflictions; fundamentally it is bodhi.' The master said: 'You have attained my marrow.' This is merely hearsay, with no verifiable proof. I do not know from whom these words were obtained. Generally speaking, to enlighten beings and point out delusions, one must rely on texts to elucidate understanding. How can one take hearsay from the road and regard it as correct understanding? The Rites says: 'Words based merely on rote memory are not sufficient to be a teacher of others.' This also cautioned against taking unverified words as correct teaching. How could one point to a deer and call it a horse, in the manner of Zhao Gao; or make the people tremble with fear, just like Zai Wo? Now, according to the Zutang [ji] and the Chuandeng lu, it only says that the Second Patriarch made three bows and stood in his place. It is not yet clear what understanding that school holds. Furthermore, nowadays there are some masters who say: 'Bodhidharma's way only receives those of inferior faculties, and does not reach the highest wisdom.' They also say: 'He awakened to the principle that mind itself [is Buddha], but was blind to phenomena outside the mind.' These are all looking at the sky through a tube, or ladling the ocean with a snail shell. Let us now examine this. Those whose illness has reached the vitals miss the chance for acupuncture and moxibustion; those who stagnate in names and characteristics are confined to words and phrases. Can it be that the doctrinal teaching cannot illuminate the mind, or that medicine cannot cure illness? Truly, because accumulated treatments aggravate the sickness and abundant words bewilder the nature, the Patriarch came from the West, directly pointing to the human mind, seeing one's nature and becoming a buddha—this is also a single standard of expedient means. Some even say: 'He merely pointed to the immediate mind, but had not entered the Buddha's wisdom.' As the Prajñā[-pāramitā] says, the nine classes [of beings] all abide in unconditioned nirvāṇa; and the Huayan says, in a single thought one universally contemplates immeasurable kalpas. We do not know whether such teachings are the same as or different from the Patriarch's way. Alas, those of petty wisdom are selfish, disparaging others and exalting themselves; whereas realized men have a grand vision, finding nothing unacceptable. The words of the ancient worthies are indeed trustworthy and verified! Even so, when Tian Ba slandered the Three Sovereigns and condemned the Five Thearchs, a thousand people chimed in and harmonized with him. This is because there are people at sea who pursue a foul stench; how could Tian Ba's way surpass the way of the Three Sovereigns and Five Thearchs? Great Master and Chief Teacher, you have long accumulated pure practices and widely spread the net of teachings, without predecessor before you and unmatched by anyone after. You ought naturally to interpret the meaning in accordance with the sūtras and continue the genuine style of Zhizhe; why must you collect vulgar and colloquial words to taint the purpose of instruction? I hope you will excise the hearsay and personally uphold your own school, not letting those who stagnate in names and characteristics follow suit. It would be most fortunate. I do not elaborate further. Respectfully submitted by the bhikṣu propagating the Dharma and abbot of Jingde Chan Monastery on Mount Tiantong, [Zining], bowing with head to the ground.