[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [撫州曹山本寂禪師語錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1987b) › 2.46 # 撫州曹山本寂禪師語錄 2.46 撫州曹山本寂禪師語錄 2.46 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.46](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1987b.2.46) 一者往來異類者，如今一切聲色言語階級地位，捨父逃逝，盡皆却向上祖，又得為異類。又天堂地獄餓鬼畜生修羅等，皆是異類。二者菩薩同異類者，先明自己，然後却入生死異類中攝他，已證涅槃之果，不捨生死類，自利利他，願一切眾生皆成佛，從末後成佛，所以大權菩薩若不先化眾生，己事無由得成辦。故南泉曰：「先過那邊知有，却來遮邊行李，菩薩具六度萬行。」教云：「若有一眾生未度者，吾終不成正覺。」誓願無邊，眾生無邊，如是行持，故名菩薩同異類。三者沙門異類者，先知有本分事了，喪盡今時一切凡聖因果功行，始得就體，一般名為獨立底人，亦名沙門稱斷事，始得表裏情忘、三世事盡，得無遺漏，得名佛邊事，亦云一手指天地，亦云具大沙門，轉却沙門穪斷邊事，不入諸聖報位，始得名為沙門行，亦云沙門轉身，亦云披毛戴角。亦喚作水牯牛。恁麼時節始得入異類，亦云色類邊事，所以古人道：「頭長三尺、頸長二寸。」秖是這個道理，不得別會。四者宗門中異類者，如南泉曰：「智不到處，切忌道著。道著則頭角生。喚作如如，早是變也。」直須向異類中行，道取異類中事，洞山曰：「此事直須妙會，事在其妙，體在妙處。」余自道：「此事直須虛一位全無的的也，覿面兼帶始得若是。作家語不偏不正，不有不無，呼為異類中虛。此事直須作家橫身，逢木著木、逢竹著竹，須護觸犯，囑囑囑囑。」（有人問余：「如何是異？」曰：「我若向汝道，驢年得異否？所以有人問南泉：『百年後向甚麼處去？』泉曰：『山下檀越家作一頭水牯牛去。』云：『某甲隨和尚去得否？』泉曰：『爾若隨我，含一莖草來。』」余曰：「此水牯牛不同沙門水牯牛，直須子細始得，不迷時候。」） > First is the different species of coming and going. At present, all sounds, forms, speech, stages, and positions that abandon the father and flee away, all turning back towards the transcendent patriarchs, are again deemed a different species. Furthermore, heavenly beings, hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, and so forth are all different species. Second is the bodhisattva sharing with different species. First clarifying oneself, one then enters into the different species of death and birth to gather them in. Having already realised the fruit of nirvāṇa, one does not abandon the species in death and birth; benefiting oneself and benefiting others, one vows that all sentient beings will attain Buddhahood, attaining Buddhahood only at the very last. Therefore, if a bodhisattva of great provisional manifestation does not first transform sentient beings, one's own matter can have no way of being accomplished. Hence Nanquan said, "First cross over to that side and know existence; then come to this side to travel. A bodhisattva is equipped with the six perfections and myriad practices." The teachings say, "If there is a single sentient being not yet delivered, I shall never attain right awakening." The vows are boundless, and sentient beings are boundless; such is the practice, and so it is called 'the bodhisattva sharing with different species.' Third is the śramaṇa different species. Having first known the existence of the fundamental matter, one completely loses all causes, effects, merits, and practices of ordinary beings and saints of the present time, and only then attains identity with the substance, commonly called 'the independent person', also called 'the śramaṇa matters of evaluation and severing'. Only then are feelings of inside and outside forgotten, the affairs of the three times exhausted, and leaving nothing out, it is named 'the matter on the side of the buddhas'. It is also called 'one hand pointing to heaven and earth'; it is also called 'the great śramaṇa'. Turning away from the śramaṇa's matters of evaluation and severing, not entering the rewarded positions of the various saints, one only then comes to be called 'the śramaṇa practice', also called 'the śramaṇa turning the body', also called 'wearing fur and bearing horns'. It is also called 'a water buffalo'. Only at such a juncture can one enter different species, also called 'the matter on the side of the species of form'. Therefore an ancient said, "The head is three feet long, the neck is two inches long." It is simply this principle; you must not understand it otherwise. Fourth is the different species within the ancestral school. As Nanquan said, "Where wisdom does not reach, be sure not to speak of it. If you speak of it, horns will grow on your head. Calling it 'suchness' is already changing it." One must head straight into different species to practice, speaking of the matters within different species. Dongshan said, "This matter must be understood subtly; the matter lies in its subtlety, and the substance lies in the subtle place." I myself say, "In this matter, one must completely empty a single rank so there is wholly no direct target; only when face to face in integration can it be like this. An adept's words are neither biased nor correct, neither existent nor non-existent, and this is called 'emptiness within different species.' In this matter, an adept must set the body across: encountering wood, apply wood; encountering bamboo, apply bamboo. One must guard against violations. Take heed! Take heed! Take heed! Take heed!" (Someone asked me, "What is different?" I said, "If I were to tell you, could it be different in the year of the donkey? Therefore, someone asked Nanquan, 'Where will you go a hundred years from now?' Nanquan said, 'I will go to the donor's house at the foot of the mountain to become a water buffalo.' The monk said, 'May I follow you, Venerable Sir?' Nanquan said, 'If you follow me, come holding a stalk of grass in your mouth.'" I said, "This water buffalo is not the same as the śramaṇa water buffalo. One must be precise so that one is not confused about the juncture.") > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.45](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1987b.2.45) - [Next: 2.47](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1987b.2.47) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1987b.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1987b~en-mt.2.46) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [撫州曹山元證禪師語錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1987a.1.121) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1987b.2.46](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1987b.2.46) · Pramāṇa