撫州曹山本寂禪師語錄 1.10

1.10

What is a 'recorded sayings'? It is that which was spoken by Great Master Yuanzheng of Heyu. What he spoke exists in antiquity and exists in the present. If we examine what exists in antiquity based on what exists in the present, then what is ancient is acceptable, while what is present is not yet acceptable. If one is to adopt it, should one adopt the ancient and let that be acceptable? Or should one adopt the present and let that be acceptable? Or would it be acceptable to adopt both the present and the ancient together? Alas! What to adopt and what to discard? It is better to collate the present and the ancient and adopt what is acceptable. Generally speaking, works circulating in the world under the title of the Great Master's recorded sayings are mostly spurious compositions—such as fabricating talks given upon ascending the hall to instruct the disciples, or adding auxiliary particles to the verses on the four prohibitions to make them say 'Upon ascending the hall, he said…'. From this, their spuriousness can be known. The Dong-Cao yulu in China was compiled by Guo Limei; this too is modern, not ancient. Nevertheless, although it is not an unblemished jade, its brilliance is also not of the class of swallow stones. Thereupon, unworthy though I am, I extracted the teachings of Heyu from the Wuzong lu, adopting what should be adopted and discarding what should be discarded, and occasionally using old volumes to supplement omissions, so that the recorded sayings was completed. Alas! When the ancients handed down teachings for later generations, those who bore such an aspiration stepped forward for their sake. If the teachings were not handed down, how could those in later generations who bear such an aspiration advance? This is why, unworthy though I am, I wished to collect the catalytic sayings of the ancients, correct the authenticity and spuriousness of the past and present, and untiringly spread his teaching widely. I venture to ask those in later generations who bear this aspiration to step forward for it, enter into it, and embody it. If it is so, it can be said that the ancestral masters and I ride upon the same turtle, floating and swimming in the deep pool—would that not be delightful!