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袁州仰山慧寂禪師語錄 1.56

English (machine translation) 1.56

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English

1.56

While the Master was sitting, a monk came and made obeisance; the Master paid no attention. The monk then asked, "Does the Master recognize written characters or not?"
The Master said, "According to capacity."
The monk then circled once to the right and said, "What character is this?"
The Master wrote the character "十" (ten/cross) on the ground to reply to him.
The monk circled once to the left again and said, "What character is this?"
The Master changed the character "十" into the character "卍".
The monk drew this circular figure ○ and lifted it with both hands, in the gesture of an asura holding the sun and moon, and said, "What character is this?"
The Master then drew this figure [○@卍] to match it.
The monk then assumed the posture of Louzhide. The Master said, "Thus, thus. This is what all the Buddhas protect and keep in mind. You are thus, and I am thus; protect and maintain it well."
The monk bowed in thanks and soared away through the air.
At that time a Daoist practitioner saw this, and after five days he asked the Master about it. The Master said, "Did you see it?"
The practitioner said, "I saw him go out the door and depart through the air."
The Master said, "This was an arhat from India who came deliberately to sound out my Way."
The practitioner said, "Although I witnessed the various samādhis, I do not discern their principle."
The Master said, "I will explain it for you in terms of meaning: these are eight kinds of samādhi; it is the sea of awakening transforming into the sea of meaning, while their substance is identical. This meaning should encompass cause and fruit, the simultaneous and different times; general and particular are not separate from the body-concealing samādhi."

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