法演禪師語錄 1.3

1.3

On the day the Master opened the hall, he handed the placard to the assembly, saying: "Troops move with the tally; generals march following the insignia. Please, facing the honorable officials, reveal and disclose it clearly." After the placard was proclaimed, he pointed to the Dharma seat and said: "This Great Jewel Flower King Throne, from morning to evening, rises together and sits together with all of you. Do you all see it? If you see it, there is no need to ascend further; if you do not see it, do not say that today I deceive you." Then he ascended the seat, offered incense, and said: "This one stick of incense is first for the present Emperor; I humbly pray that he may always dwell behind the Phoenix Screen and forever protect the Dragon Tower." Next he offered incense, saying: "This one stick of incense is offered for the officials of the prefecture and county; I humbly pray that they may be both loyal and filial, purely upright and stainless, forever acting as the father and mother of the living people, and long serving as the guiding principle of external protection." Again he offered incense, saying: "This one stick of incense was obtained long ago. For more than ten years I wandered over the seas looking for an enemy, yet never encountered one. Once I arrived at Longshu, I truly met that person, and only then was the vexation in my heart satisfied. Today, clearing my grievances before the great assembly, it must be burned for Upādhyāya Duan, currently residing at Baiyun. Let it perfume the heavens and scorch the earth, freely penetrating Caizhou. Let those with nostrils discern it!" Upādhyāya Longmen struck the gavel and said: "Dragon and elephant assembly of the Dharma feast, you should observe the paramārtha!" The Master said: "If we discuss the paramārtha, the twenty-eight Indian patriarchs and the six Chinese patriarchs stand downwind; the whole great canon of teachings is ten thousand miles of white clouds; Magadha closing its chamber and Vaiśālī shutting its mouth are right in the midst of a dream; the thousand Buddhas appearing in the world have not finished their sleep-talk; Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra bend the crooked into the straight. Therefore it is said: 'Even if you apprehend it before words, you are still stuck in the shell and deluded by the envelope; even though you master it thoroughly under sentences, you cannot avoid wild views at every turn.' If one also seals off the borders, what talk is there of grass growing ten feet deep before the Dharma hall? It directly cuts off the paths of ordinary and sage so that even a flying bird cannot cross, leaving patch-robed monks under heaven without a place to draw breath. Is there anyone in the assembly who is unwilling? Come forward and meet me!" At that time a monk asked: "The udumbara flower appears, the gate of skillful means opens; when court ministers attend the feast, how is it proclaimed?" The Master said: "Today it is fine and clear." The student said: "The bright sun is in the sky, and a pure breeze covers the earth." The Master said: "How much [trouble] you spare me!" He asked: "What is the realm within the person?" The Master said: "A jewelled pavilion soars into the sky as golden bells ring; an uncanny pine leans over the precipice as wild apes cry." The student said: "What is the person within the realm?" The Master said: "Nose vertical, eyes horizontal." He then said: "Are there any more questioners? If not, today Shuangquan opens a path toward the gate of the secondary truth, to meet with all of you, mixing in the mud and water for a while. It is just necessary for Śākyamuni and Maitreya to shake the earth and rain down flowers, and for Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, Avalokiteśvara, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta to each occupy a direction to assist the Buddha in propagating the transformation, all attending to their fundamental tasks, their capacity being fully up to the duty. Shuangquan cannot avoid taking part as well, together discussing how the East House's ladle handle is long and the West House's ladle handle is short, allowing the spring grass to turn green and the burning glare to blaze brightly, autumn tree leaves to fall and winter ice sheets to thin. Why is it like this? It is simply to have everyone follow the seasons and take good care." (Words of thanks are omitted.) Then he held up his staff and said: "The ancients said: 'Held up, heaven turns and earth revolves; set down, the grass bends and the wind blows.' Simian is not like that: held up, it makes seven piercings and eight holes; set down, it adds flowers to brocade. Tell me, is there still a place to help people?" After a long pause, he said: "Next year there will be yet newer shoots, / Troubling the spring breeze without end."