袁州仰山慧寂禪師語錄 1.15

1.15

While the Master was lying down, he dreamed that he entered the assembly hall of Maitreya's Inner Court. All the seats were filled, with only the second seat empty; the Master thereupon took that seat. A venerable one struck the mallet and said, "Today it is the turn of the second seat to preach the Dharma." The Master arose, struck the mallet, and said, "The Mahāyāna Dharma is free from the four propositions and cut off from the hundred negations. Listen attentively, listen attentively!" The assembly all dispersed. When he awoke, he recounted it to Guishan. Guishan said, "You have already entered the noble stage." The Master then made a prostration. (Guishan Xiu said, "Interpreting the meaning according to the text is not absent. If someone capable in Maitreya's assembly had, as soon as he saw him say 'Mahāyāna Dharma,' immediately said, 'Shut your two lips!'—not only would this have stopped Yangshan's sleep-talk, but it would also have spared people of later times from telling dreams within a dream." Langye Jue said, "Tell me, did the noble assembly approve of Yangshan or not? If they approved, they failed Yangshan; if they did not approve, Yangshan was like someone stumbling on flat ground. Today this mountain monk does not spare his eyebrows and lays it bare for you all: the Mahāyāna Dharma is free from the four propositions and cut off from the hundred negations. If you recount this to the various quarters and they understand it like this, entering hell will be as swift as a shot arrow." Dongchan Guan said, "When the venerable one struck the mallet, the noble assembly immediately dispersed; this might well make people doubt. But waiting until a second ladle of dirty water is splashed before starting to become sober is already too late. As for 'the Mahāyāna Dharma is free from the four propositions and cut off from the hundred negations'—the words have already been spoken; do you still recognize Yangshan?")