撫州曹山元證禪師語錄 1.123

1.123

僧舉似：「洞山大師因僧問沙門行，大師曰：『頭長三尺、頸短二寸。』此意如何（新古兩本無有別異）？」余曰：「勝句妙句。」「喚什麼作勝句妙句？」余曰：「勝句妙句有三種：一者世尊出世，四十九年施設方便，十二分教，百千三昧妙門，門門穿究，盡是勝句妙句，此是出世邊說。二者從凡入聖，洞達自己，與佛無異，得無遺漏，始得通身，始喚作一塵一念十方婆伽梵、一路涅槃門，到恁麼時節，不處正位，不擇其身，却入異類中，披毛戴角無異念，故云：『一切物類比況不得，諸佛諸祖計挍不成。』所以古人道：『沙門語，不得將尺寸語與人。』故喚作勝句妙句，此是色類邊語。三者一切所有底物比不得，始呼為勝句妙句。所以古人道：『千般比不得，萬物況不成，智者不能知，上根亦不識。』亦云本來無相似，故勝句妙句。勝句妙句者，天上人間測度不得底事，故古人云喚作超始終句，借此為語類邊說行（至下益詳）。」稠布衲問：「如何是色類？」余曰：「披毛戴角。」「如何是語類？」曰：「曹山只有一雙眉。」「如何是水牯牛？」曰：「矇矇瞳瞳。」「此意如何？」曰：「不知有天地。」

A monk brought up: "Because a monk asked about the conduct of a śramaṇa, Great Master Dongshan said: 'The head is three feet long, the neck is two inches short.' What does this mean (there is no difference between the new and old editions)?" I said: "An excellent phrase, a wondrous phrase." "What is called an excellent phrase, a wondrous phrase?" I said: "There are three kinds of excellent phrases and wondrous phrases: First, the World-Honoured One appeared in the world, establishing expedient means for forty-nine years, the twelve divisions of teachings, and hundreds of thousands of wondrous gates of samādhi; penetrating each and every gate, they are all excellent phrases and wondrous phrases—this is said from the side of leaving the world. Second, passing from the ordinary to the holy, thoroughly penetrating one's self so that there is no difference from the Buddha and nothing is left out, one only then attains the entire body; only then is it called 'every dust mote and every thought the Bhagavān of the ten directions, the single path of the gate to nirvāṇa.' Reaching such a juncture, not residing in the correct rank and not selecting one's body, one instead enters among the different species, wearing fur and sporting horns without any different thought. Therefore it is said: 'No class of things can compare to it; the buddhas and patriarchs cannot measure it.' Thus the ancients said: 'In the speech of a śramaṇa, one must not give speech of measurements to others.' Therefore it is called an excellent phrase, a wondrous phrase—this is speech from the side of classes of form. Third, nothing that exists can compare to it; only then is it called an excellent phrase, a wondrous phrase. Therefore the ancients said: 'A thousand sorts cannot compare to it; ten thousand things cannot match it; the wise cannot know it, and those of superior capacity also do not recognize it.' It is also said that fundamentally there is no likeness; hence it is an excellent phrase, a wondrous phrase. As for an excellent phrase, a wondrous phrase, it is a matter that cannot be measured in heaven or among humans; therefore the ancients called it the phrase that transcends beginning and end, borrowing this to speak of practice from the side of classes of speech (it is explained in more detail below)." Chou Bona asked: "What is the class of form?" I said: "Wearing fur and sporting horns." "What is the class of speech?" He said: "Caoshan has only a single pair of eyebrows." "What is a water buffalo?" He said: "Dim and murky." "What does this mean?" He said: "Not knowing the existence of heaven and earth."