圓悟佛果禪師語錄 12.6

12.6

「山僧二十七年，開箇鋪席，與一切人，解黏去縛，抽釘拔楔，令一箇箇無窠臼無計校，不作合頭語，不作相似語，不依倚一物，與他二十八祖馬師、百丈、黃檗、臨濟、天下大宗師所為所行，全體顯露。非止今日，尋常不曾於寶華王座上說世諦語，亦不說禪機，不論生滅，豈可胡說亂說作地獄業？唯只憑此一著真實處，於一切人面前，直截吐露，承當得底真實悟入，得大受用更無凝滯。山僧而今已得退居，不欲更升座小參，此蓋承太夫人使君朝議通判大夫諸官員，晨夕每以此道見照，再三虔請為眾小參，隨分應命。然此一事也不難、也不易，若道難，永嘉到六祖處，一句下便能承當，初至曹溪，遶禪床三匝，振錫而立，祖曰：『夫沙門者，具三千威儀八萬細行，大德何方而來，生大我慢。』永嘉云：『生死事大無常迅速。』六祖開箇方便門便道：『何不體取無生，了取無速？』諸人且道：無生作麼生體，速又作麼生了？一宿覺當頭便領云：『體即無生，了本無速。』如水入水，水乳相同，箭鋒相拄，自然恰好。六祖見他透得過便道：『子甚得無生意也。』只此一句，也有權也有實，也有照也有用，是他永嘉不向死句下坐殺，也不下合頭語，只徐徐地道：『和尚，無生豈有意耶？』奇哉奇哉，而今人纔見師道子甚得無生意，便謂：『和尚肯我印證我，此恩難報。』第三瓣香，不為別人，只是向語句裏死殺，不達本源，討甚麼盌？及至永嘉告辭，祖云：『返太速乎？』云：『本自非動，豈有速耶？』祖云：『誰知非動？』云：『仁者自生分別。』當時幸有大丈夫意氣，可惜放過，便與掀倒禪床，不為分外，又却隨例留一宿。又石頭在六祖會裏作沙彌時，一日問祖云：『和尚遷化後，某甲如何？』祖云：『尋思去。』及至六祖遷化後，他只一味坐禪，只管尋思箇無生底道理，鬼窟裏作活計，其時有同參遂問：『爾作什麼？』云：『和尚教我尋思去，所以坐禪。』同參云：『錯了也。有青原師兄名思，指汝去見他。』石頭方省，遂往青原，原問：『甚處來？』云：『曹溪來。』思拈起拂子問云：『曹溪還有這箇麼？』而今兄弟被人恁麼問，便下喝下語：『野狐精見解。』張眉弩眼強作主宰，總沒交涉。石頭便會，答道：『非但曹溪，西天亦無。』思云：『子莫到西天麼？』曰：『若到即有也。』不妨綿綿密密地，語不失宗，步步踏著。思云：『未在，更道。』石頭云：『和尚也須道取一半，莫全靠某甲。』思云：『不辭向汝道，恐已後無人承當。』一日又問青原：『和尚在曹溪時，還識六祖麼？』思云：『爾只今還識老僧麼？』云：『識又爭能識得，眾角雖多，一麟足矣。』自然氣類相同，羽毛相似，如膠如漆。而今人一句東一句西，有時說心說性，求人印證，有什麼交涉？又藥山在石頭會下坐次，石頭來見便問：『汝在此作什麼？』云：『一物不為。』頭云：『恁麼則閑坐。』而今人不會便道：『喚什麼作閑坐？』又道：『不因和尚問，某甲不知。』心下黑漫漫地，只管胡道，他自有旨趣，乃云：『若閑坐則為也。』頭云：『汝道不為，不為箇什麼？』曰：『千聖亦不識。』由是石頭作一讚云：『從來共住不知名，任運相將只麼行，自古上賢猶不識，造次凡流豈可明。』且道：畢竟不為底是箇什麼？何故却不識千聖？既不識，如何共住？所以這些子事不容爾思量計校，近傍不得，鬼神莫窺，脫却千重萬重惡知惡解，心眼自見；若見刺不除，得失是非關念，則永無交涉。此是山僧不得已為諸人說禪病，又喚作入理深談。只如玄沙令僧馳書上雪峯，峯上堂開緘，見三幅白紙，乃呈似大眾云：『會麼？不見道，君子千里同風。』便下座。其僧同舉似玄沙，沙云：『山頭老漢蹉過也不知。』敢問大眾：如何是雪峯蹉過處。莫是玄沙見解過於師麼？且喜沒交涉，都向情塵裏會，又爭會得。所以真如哲和尚有頌云：『玄沙封白紙，雪老却同風，蹉過人難會，古曲調不同。』到這裏凡聖情盡生死關透，得失是非了然不生，全體如如，如如亦不要，然後騎佛殿出三門，將新羅國與占波國鬪額，搽灰抹土展鉢喫飯，著衣禦寒自在優遊，初無二緣亦無二相，不是心不是佛，全心即佛，全佛即人，人佛不二，只這不二亦不消得。所以千聖出來，無爾提掇處，無爾湊泊處，如猛火聚，近之則燎却面門；如按太阿，擬之則喪身失命。到得恁麼田地，方始會得自家活計，所以古人道：『尋牛須訪跡，學道貴無心，跡在牛還在，無心道易尋。』又云：『佛說一切法，為度一切心，我無一切心，何用一切法？』有一伴共諸人商量，大家有一箇心，所作所為因甚却道無心？既若無心，開口動舌說話底、眾心領底，却是什麼？到這裏若不見徹，只成一場相謾。所以二祖見達磨斷臂立雪，磨云：『將心與汝安。』二祖云：『覓心了不可得。』而今兄弟若被問將心與汝安，便孟八郎，或打箇圓相，或進前三步退後三步，作女人拜，拍一下喝一聲，或撑眉努目，或說心說性，只是情塵業識。所謂『學道之人不識真，只為從前認識神，無量劫來生死本，癡人喚作本來人。』只如二祖，豈不會作許多道理，因甚麼只答道：『覓心了不可得。』須知達磨當頭一拶，二祖當下如暗得燈、如貧得寶，見徹根源，此中不喚作心，不喚作佛，亦不是物，直似紅鑪上著一點雪相似。山僧頃日問五祖和尚，二祖云：『覓心了不可得，畢竟如何？』他道：『汝須自參始得這些好處，別人為汝著力不得。』參來參去，忽因舉『頻呼小玉元無事，只要檀郎認得聲』，忽然桶底脫，庭前柏樹子也透，麻三斤也是，玄沙蹉過也是，睦州擔板也是，不落因果也是，不昧因果也是，三乘十二分教，二六時中眼裏耳裏，乃至鐘鳴鼓響驢鳴犬吠，無非這箇消息，方省懷禪師頌云：『蜀魄連宵叫，鵽𮬪長夜啼，圓通門大啟，何事隔雲泥。』大丈夫漢，一等是踏破草鞋，放下情塵計校得失是非，識得根本，一物不留，絲毫不著，百骸俱潰散，一物鎮長靈，和一靈也不要，然後依時及節著衣喫飯。而今兄弟見恁麼說，便道：『只是虛空裏打筋斗。』兄弟！只這虛空也難得，豈不見祖師傳法偈云：『心同虛空界，示等虛空法，證得虛空時，無是無非法。』又《楞嚴》云：『十方虛空生汝心內，猶若雲點太清裏。』諸兄弟！既是訪尋知識，把生死為念，歇却心猿意馬，荷擔大機大用，於佛祖不為處安穩坐地，有時向高高峯頂立，有時向深深海底行，任運猶如癡兀人，他家自有通人愛。山僧十年在眾，無一時異緣，只是參禪參到第十年方打得徹，旋旋知非，然後穩當，若有一念憎愛得失是非，即是垢衣，須是識得玄旨始得，所以道：『不識玄旨，徒勞念靜，得失是非一時放却，但莫憎愛，洞然明白。』楊岐所謂栗棘蓬有刺而難吞，金剛圈者至小而難跳，勿語中有語，為人解黏去縛，不是人情底事。兄弟參禪，即不得邪解也，須子細始得。只如趙州勘一菴主，入門便問：『有麼有麼？』庵主竪起拳，州云：『水淺不是泊船處。』又訪一庵主云：『有麼有麼？』主亦竪起拳，州云：『能縱能奪，能殺能活。』且那裏是水淺不是泊船處？那裏是能縱能奪能殺能活處？有者道：『趙州先知前庵主不會，所以道：不是泊船處。先知後庵主會，所以道：能殺能活。』有底道：『舌頭在趙州口裏，任渠與奪。』如斯見解，總是邪徒情識卜度，不得真正宗眼，便是吞跳金剛圈栗棘蓬不得也。五祖和尚常云：『諸方參得底禪，如瑠璃瓶子相似，愛護不捨第一，莫教老僧見，將鐵鎚一擊，爾底碎定也。』山僧初見他如此說，便盡心參他，他常問：『有句無句如藤倚樹，作麼生會？』山僧便喝或下語，總不契，他云：『須是情識盡淨、計校都忘處會。』山僧明日便於無計校處胡道亂道，轉沒交涉。後來徹悟實見實用，如明鏡當臺、明珠在掌，得大自在。釋迦老子道：『若有一法過於涅槃，我即說為如幻如化。』此一著子，亘古亘今凝然不變，火不能燒、水不能溺，刀斧不能斫，喚作根本，一切有漏無漏，佛界魔界，淨土穢土，無不真實。若悟得可以丹霄獨步，不受別人處分；若未到恁麼田地，管取被人羅籠。山僧如今已退了院，彼此緣法自有時，所以今日因朝議太夫人請小參，盡情說與諸人，各自參究。佛法本無彼此，諸家總是六祖下兒孫，終不說我是臨濟下人，須得我家宗派盛傳，寧可粉骨碎身，終不作這見解。」復舉：「僧問保壽：『萬境來侵時如何？』壽云：『莫管他。』僧禮拜，壽云：『不得動著，動著打折汝腰。』」師云：「大眾！保壽和尚用金剛王寶劍，一切逆順得失、長短是非，無邊境界不消一瞥。這僧見機而作，當時禮拜，為什麼却道不動著？子細檢點，大似龍頭蛇尾。山僧即不然，或有人問：『萬境來侵時如何？』亦對他道：『莫管他。』這僧或若便禮拜，只向他道：『伶利衲僧，一撥便轉。』」

"For twenty-seven years this mountain monk has set up a shop for all people to untie knots and remove fetters, pull out nails and extract wedges, causing each and every one to be free of ruts and free of contrivance, not uttering matching words, not uttering approximate words, not relying on a single thing, bringing the actions and deeds of the twenty-eight patriarchs, Master Ma, Baizhang, Huangbo, Linji, and the great lineage masters of the world into complete, manifest display. Not only today, but habitually I have never uttered worldly phrases upon the jewel-flower king's seat; nor do I speak of dynamic Chan subtleties or discuss arising and ceasing—how could I talk nonsense and create hellish karma? Relying solely on this one real place, I have directly spoken out before all people. Those who can take it up truly awaken and enter, obtaining great application without any further stagnation. Having now already retired to private quarters, this mountain monk did not wish to ascend the seat again for an informal gathering; however, the Grand Dowager, the Prefectural Governor, the Court Gentleman for Consultation, the Assistant Magistrate, the Grandees, and all officials have day and night repeatedly illumined me with this Path, earnestly requesting again and again that I hold an informal gathering for the assembly, so I have responded to their bidding according to my duty. Yet this matter is neither difficult nor easy. If you call it difficult: when Yongjia came to the Sixth Patriarch's place, he was able to take it up beneath a single phrase. When he first arrived at Caoxi, he circled the meditation seat three times, shook his staff, and stood there. The Patriarch said, 'A śramaṇa is endowed with the three thousand deportments and the eighty thousand subtle practices; from where does the Virtuous One come, giving rise to such great conceit?' Yongjia said, 'The matter of birth and death is great; impermanence is swift.' The Sixth Patriarch opened a gate of expedient means and said, 'Why not embody the unborn and comprehend the unswift?' Everyone, tell me: how does one embody the unborn, and how does one comprehend the unswift? Yixiu Jue ('He Who Awakened Overnight') took it up directly on the spot, saying, 'The embodiment is itself the unborn; comprehension is originally unswift.' Like water entering water, like milk blending with water, like arrowheads meeting point-to-point, it naturally hit the mark. When the Sixth Patriarch saw that he had penetrated through, he said, 'You have deeply attained the intention of the unborn.' In this single sentence alone, there is the provisional and the real, illumination and function. That Yongjia did not sit dead beneath a dead phrase, nor did he offer matching words; he merely said slowly, 'Venerable Sir, how could the unborn have any intention?' Marvellous indeed! Marvellous indeed! Nowadays, no sooner do people hear a teacher say 'You have deeply attained the intention of the unborn,' than they immediately say, 'The Venerable Sir confirms me and seals me; this kindness is hard to repay.' The third stick of incense is not burnt for anyone else—they just die inside phrases, failing to reach the original source: what bowl are they searching for? When it came time for Yongjia to take his leave, the Patriarch said, 'Are you returning too swiftly?' He replied, 'Originally, by nature there is no motion; how could there be swiftness?' The Patriarch said, 'Who knows there is no motion?' He replied, 'Benevolent One, you yourself give rise to discrimination.' At that moment he fortunately had the spirit of a great man; it is a pity he let it pass. If he had overturned the meditation seat, it would not have been going too far; yet he simply followed convention and stayed for one night. Furthermore, when Shitou was a novice in the Sixth Patriarch's assembly, he asked the Patriarch one day, 'After the Venerable Sir passes away, what should I do?' The Patriarch said, 'Go seek thoughts (Xingsi).' After the Sixth Patriarch passed away, he merely devoted himself exclusively to sitting meditation, constantly pondering the principle of the unborn, making a livelihood in a ghost cave. At that time, a fellow practitioner asked him, 'What are you doing?' He said, 'The Venerable Sir instructed me to seek thoughts (Xingsi), so I am sitting in meditation.' The fellow practitioner said, 'You are mistaken! There is Senior Brother Si of Qingyuan; he was directing you to go see him.' Only then did Shitou realize it; he then went to Qingyuan. Qingyuan asked, 'Where do you come from?' He said, 'I come from Caoxi.' Si held up his fly-whisk and asked, 'Does Caoxi have this?' Nowadays, when brothers are asked this, they immediately give a shout or utter words: 'A wild-fox spirit's understanding!' They widen their brows and glare with their eyes, forcing themselves to act as the host, but none of it has any connection. Shitou understood at once and answered, 'Not only does Caoxi not have it, even the Western Heavens do not have it.' Si said, 'Have you not been to the Western Heavens?' He said, 'If I had gone, it would exist.' He was truly unbroken and seamless; his words did not lose the ancestral lineage, and with every step he trod upon the ground. Si said, 'Not yet; speak further.' Shitou said, 'The Venerable Sir must also speak half; do not rely entirely on me.' Si said, 'I do not refuse to speak to you, but I fear that hereafter there will be no one to take it up.' Another day, he asked Qingyuan, 'When the Venerable Sir was at Caoxi, did you know the Sixth Patriarch?' Si said, 'Do you know this old monk right now?' He said, 'Even if I knew, how could I truly know? Though the common horns are many, a single qilin is enough.' Naturally their qualities were of the same kind, their feathers resembled each other, joined like glue and lacquer. Nowadays, people speak one sentence to the east and another to the west, sometimes talking of mind and talking of nature, begging others for verification—what connection does that have? Furthermore, while Yaoshan was sitting in Shitou's assembly, Shitou came, saw him, and asked, 'What are you doing here?' He said, 'I am not doing a single thing.' Shitou said, 'Then you are sitting idly.' Nowadays people do not understand, so they say, 'What do you call sitting idly?' Or they say, 'Had it not been for the Venerable Sir's question, I would not have known.' Their minds are pitch black; they just talk wildly. He had his own purport, so he said, 'If I were sitting idly, that would be doing something.' Shitou said, 'You say you are not doing anything; what is it that you are not doing?' He replied, 'Even the thousand sages do not know it.' Thereupon Shitou composed a verse of praise: 'Always dwelling together, yet not knowing its name, / Moving along naturally, we just go on this way. / From ancient times, even supreme sages have not known it; / How could careless, ordinary folk ever comprehend it?' And tell me: ultimately, what is that which does not do anything? Why does it not even know the thousand sages? Since it does not know, how do they dwell together? Therefore, these matters do not tolerate your calculating and deliberating; you cannot approach them, and ghosts and spirits cannot pry. Cast off thousands and tens of thousands of layers of wicked knowledge and wicked understanding, and the mind's eye will naturally see. If the thorn of views is not removed, and gain and loss, right and wrong occupy your thoughts, then there will eternally be no connection. This is where this mountain monk, having no choice, speaks of Chan illnesses for you all; it is also called profound talk entering the principle. Take, for instance, when Xuansha sent a monk to convey a letter up to Xuefeng. Xuefeng ascended the hall, opened the envelope, saw three sheets of blank paper, and held them up to show the great assembly, saying, 'Do you understand? Have you not heard it said: "A noble man shares the same wind across a thousand leagues"?' Then he stepped down from the seat. The monk reported this back to Xuansha, and Xuansha said, 'The old fellow on the mountain peak missed it and did not even realize it.' I venture to ask the assembly: Where was Xuefeng's missing it? Could it be that Xuansha's understanding surpassed his master's? Rest assured, it has no connection to that! If you try to understand it all within the dust of emotions, how could you ever understand? Therefore Master Zhenru Zhe has a verse that says: 'Xuansha seals blank paper; / Old Xue shares the wind. / Missing it is hard for people to understand; / The ancient tune's melody is different.' Arriving here, the feelings of ordinary and sacred are exhausted, the barrier of birth and death is penetrated, and gain and loss, right and wrong clearly do not arise. The entire substance is suchness, and even suchness is not wanted. After that, ride the Buddha hall out through the triple gate; clash the foreheads of Silla and Campā together; smear yourself with ash and mud; unfold your bowl and eat your meal; wear clothes to ward off the cold; roam free at ease. Originally there are no two conditions, nor are there two marks: it is not mind, it is not Buddha; the whole mind is itself Buddha, the whole Buddha is itself person; person and Buddha are non-dual, and even this non-duality is not needed. Therefore, when the thousand sages appear, there is no place for you to lift it up, no place for you to approach: like a blazing mass of fire, if you come near it, it scorches your face; like leaning on the sword Tai'e, if you intend to grasp it, you lose your body and life. Only when you reach such a stage will you begin to understand your own livelihood. Thus the ancients said: 'To seek the ox, one must track its footprints; / To learn the Way, what is prized is no-mind. / Where the footprints are, the ox remains; / With no-mind, the Way is easy to find.' It is also said: 'The Buddha taught all Dharmas / To save all minds. / I have no mind at all; / What use are all the Dharmas?' There is a companion here to deliberate with you: everyone has a mind; why on earth is it said to be 'no-mind' in all our actions and deeds? Since there is no mind, what is that which opens the mouth and moves the tongue to speak, and what is that which the minds of the assembly comprehend? Arriving here, if you do not see through it thoroughly, it only becomes a mutual deception. Therefore, when the Second Patriarch met Bodhidharma, cutting off his arm and standing in the snow, Bodhidharma said, 'Bring your mind, and I will pacify it for you.' The Second Patriarch said, 'I have sought the mind, but it is completely unobtainable.' Nowadays, if the brothers are asked, 'Bring your mind, and I will pacify it for you,' they act recklessly like Meng the Eighth—either drawing a circle, or taking three steps forward and three steps backward, making a woman's bow, clapping once, shouting once, widening their brows and glaring with their eyes, or speaking of mind and speaking of nature—this is merely the dust of emotion and karmic consciousness. As the saying goes: 'Students of the Way do not recognize the real / Only because they have hitherto recognized the conscious spirit. / The root of birth and death for countless kalpas, / Fools call it the original person.' Take the Second Patriarch: could he not have produced many principles? Why did he only answer, 'I have sought the mind, but it is completely unobtainable'? You must know that when Bodhidharma gave that head-on push, the Second Patriarch immediately became like one who finds a lamp in the dark, like a pauper who finds a treasure, seeing through to the root source. Herein, it is not called mind, it is not called Buddha, nor is it a thing: it is just like placing a speck of snow upon a red-hot furnace. Some time ago, this mountain monk asked Master Wuzu: 'The Second Patriarch said, "I have sought the mind, but it is completely unobtainable"—what was it ultimately?' He said, 'You must investigate it yourself before you can attain these fine points; others cannot exert strength for you.' Investigating back and forth, suddenly, because of the quotation, 'She frequently calls for Xiaoyu, though there is really nothing the matter; / She only wants her lover to recognize her voice,' suddenly the bottom of the tub fell out! The cypress tree in front of the courtyard was penetrated; the three pounds of flax was also it; Xuansha's missing it was also it; Muzhou's carrying the board was also it; not falling into cause and effect was also it; not obscuring cause and effect was also it. The three vehicles and the twelve divisions of the canon, throughout the twelve periods of the day, in the eyes and in the ears, even the ringing of bells and striking of drums, the braying of donkeys and barking of dogs—none of it was not this message! Only then did I awaken to Master Huai's verse: 'The cuckoo cries through consecutive nights; / The partridge calls through the long darkness. / The gate of perfect penetration is flung wide open; / Why be separated by clouds and mud?' For a great man, all equally tread to shreds their straw sandals, cast down the emotional dust of calculating gain and loss, right and wrong, recognize the fundamental root, leave not a single thing behind, cling not to a single hair: 'Though the hundred bones all crumble and scatter, the one thing remains eternally luminous'—and even this 'one luminous thing' is not wanted! Afterwards, according to the hour and season, wear clothes and eat food. Now when the brothers hear such talk, they immediately say, 'This is just doing somersaults in empty space.' Brothers! Even this empty space is hard to attain. Have you not seen the Ancestral Master's verse on transmitting the Dharma: 'The mind is like the realm of empty space; / It demonstrates Dharmas equal to empty space. / When one realizes empty space, / There is neither right nor wrong Dharma'? Furthermore, the Śūraṅgama Sūtra says: 'The empty space of the ten directions is born within your mind, just like a fleck of cloud in the great clear sky.' Brothers! Since you visit and seek out spiritual friends and keep birth and death in mind, quiet the monkey of the mind and the horse of the will, shoulder the great potential and great function, and sit securely in the place where buddhas and patriarchs do not act! At times stand on the highest peak, at times walk on the bottom of the deepest sea; moving with conditions just like an unfeeling, foolish person, one naturally has the love of people of thorough understanding. For ten years this mountain monk was among the assembly without a single moment of divergent conditions; I merely investigated Chan, and only when I reached the tenth year did I break through thoroughly. Gradually knowing my errors, only then was I on solid ground. If there is a single thought of love and hate, gain and loss, right and wrong, that is a soiled garment. You must recognize the mysterious purport before you will succeed. Therefore it is said: 'If you do not recognize the mysterious purport, in vain do you labor to quiet your thoughts. Cast off gain and loss, right and wrong all at once; just have no love or hate, and it will be brightly clear.' As Yangqi said: the chestnut burr has prickles and is hard to swallow; the diamond cage is tiny and hard to leap through. Where there are no words, there are words; untying knots and removing fetters for others is not a matter of human sentiments. Brothers, in investigating Chan, you must not adopt deviant interpretations; you must be meticulous. Take, for example, Zhaozhou checking a hermitage master. As soon as he entered the door, he asked, 'Is there? Is there?' The hermitage master raised his fist. Zhaozhou said, 'The water is shallow; this is no place to moor a boat.' He also visited another hermitage master and said, 'Is there? Is there?' That master also raised his fist. Zhaozhou said, 'Able to release and able to seize, able to kill and able to give life.' Now, where was the water shallow and no place to moor a boat? Where was the ability to release and seize, kill and give life? Some say, 'Zhaozhou knew beforehand that the first hermitage master did not understand, which is why he said, "no place to moor a boat"; he knew beforehand that the latter hermitage master understood, which is why he said, "able to kill and able to give life."' Others say, 'The tongue was in Zhaozhou's mouth; it was up to him to grant or take away.' Such views are all the emotional reckonings of deviant factions; not having attained the genuine lineage eye, they are unable to swallow or leap through the diamond cage and the chestnut burr. Master Wuzu often said, 'The Chan that people in various places have investigated and attained is like a lapis lazuli vase: they cherish it and cannot let it go. Above all, do not let this old monk see it, for if I strike it once with an iron hammer, yours is sure to be smashed to pieces!' When this mountain monk first saw him say this, I dedicated my whole heart to investigating under him. He often asked, '"Being and non-being are like wisteria leaning on a tree"—how do you understand this?' This mountain monk would shout or offer words, but none of it matched. He said, 'You must understand it at the place where emotional consciousness is completely clean and contrivance is utterly forgotten.' The next day, at the place without contrivance, this mountain monk babbled and talked wildly, having even less of a connection. Later, when I awakened thoroughly, with real vision and real application, it was like a bright mirror on its stand, like a luminous pearl in the palm, obtaining great freedom. Old Man Śākya said, 'If there were any Dharma surpassing nirvāṇa, I would say it is like an illusion, like a transformation.' This one move, through all of antiquity and up to the present, is stably changeless: fire cannot burn it, water cannot drown it, knives and axes cannot chop it. It is called the fundamental root; all defiled and undefiled, Buddha-realms and Māra-realms, pure lands and defiled lands, are nothing other than real. If you awaken, you can stride alone in the cinnabar sky, without taking orders from anyone else; if you have not reached such a stage, you are certain to be snared in someone's cage. Having now retired from the monastery, this mountain monk knows that conditions for each other have their proper times; therefore, requested today by the Court Gentleman's Dowager to hold an informal gathering, I have spoken exhaustively for you all. Each of you, investigate and examine for yourselves! The Buddha Dharma originally has no this and that; the various houses are all the descendants of the Sixth Patriarch. Never say, 'I am a man of Linji; our house's lineage must flourish and spread!' Even if it means powdering my bones and shattering my body, I would never harbor such a view." He then brought up: "A monk asked Baoshou, 'When the myriad conditions come to invade, what then?' Baoshou said, 'Pay no attention to them.' The monk bowed. Baoshou said, 'Do not stir; if you stir, I will break your back.'" The Master said, "Assembly! Master Baoshou wielded the Vajra King jewel sword: all adversity and conformity, gain and loss, length and shortness, right and wrong—the boundless realms do not require a single glance. This monk acted seeing the opportunity and bowed at that moment; why did [Baoshou] then say 'Do not stir'? Inspecting it closely, it is very much like a dragon's head and a snake's tail. This mountain monk would not do so. If someone were to ask, 'When the myriad conditions come to invade, what then?' I would also tell him, 'Pay no attention to them.' If this monk were to bow, I would simply say to him, 'A sharp patch-robed monk turns at a single poke!'"