圓悟佛果禪師語錄 12.9

12.9

師云：「現成公案，更不消如之若何，直下一切截斷，猶較些子。佛法本無許多，若以無心、無念、無事、無為、無計校、無分別，至竟著衣至竟喫飯，何曾動著一絲毫，便能坐斷報化佛頭，不起一絲毫佛法見解。所以古人纔見僧來便云：『見成公案，放爾三十棒，布漫天網，打衝浪巨鱗，持萬里鉤，御千里烏騅馬。』也是事不獲已。所以石室和尚，纔見人來舉起拄杖云：『過去諸佛也恁麼，見在諸佛也恁麼，未來諸佛也恁麼，只與爾略露些子鋒鋩。』若是箇人，纔見恁麼道，撩起便行，猶較些子；若是纔入思量，已被漫天網罩却也。如是三十年，只有長沙和尚，知渠落處，便云：『和尚放下拄杖子，別通箇消息來。』方契他意。而今參學兄弟，直須是箭鋒相拄，針芥相投，內外絕消息始得。若只尋見尋聞、求知求解，只成箇生死根本，何不體取無生、了本無速？若能箇箇如是見，生死路一時截斷，全不動一絲毫頭。所以道：『居千人萬人中，如無一人相似，只是歇得身心，百無知解，如無用處一般。』若是隨言逐句作道理，滿肚皮是禪，何時得脫去？故南泉禪師道：『山僧出世，只為諸人拈却佛病祖病。』老僧尋常向兄弟道：『父母未生前，還有形貌也無？』他教中道：『四大五蘊成身，只因父母交感一念染心，而成此身。』我且問爾：哆哆和和時，何不共人相爭？及至纔長大，便有爭人爭我，四大一旦離散，依前還復本來形貌。故云：『菩提本無樹，明鏡亦非臺，本來無一物，何處惹塵埃。』各宜勉力，以悟為期，莫虛度光陰，時不待人。」

The Master said: "The ready-made gong'an does not need any further asking of 'what and how'; directly cutting off everything is still somewhat better. The Buddha-Dharma fundamentally does not have so much. If with no-mind, no-thought, no-affairs, non-action, no calculation, and no discrimination, you wear clothes to the very end and eat rice to the very end, how could you ever have stirred a single thread? Then you can cut off the heads of the reward and transformation buddhas and not give rise to the slightest Buddha-Dharma view. Therefore, as soon as the ancients saw a monk coming, they would say: 'A ready-made gong'an—I release you thirty blows of the staff, spreading a net covering the sky to catch the great surf-breaking fish, holding a ten-thousand-mile hook, and driving a thousand-mile black steed.' This too was done out of having no other choice. Therefore Venerable Shishi, as soon as he saw someone coming, would raise his staff and say: 'The past buddhas were like this, the present buddhas are like this, the future buddhas are also like this; I only reveal a little bit of the sharp point to you.' If it is someone [of capacity], as soon as they see him speaking like this, picking up [their robes] and walking away is still somewhat better; if one immediately enters into deliberation, one has already been covered by the sky-spanning net. For thirty years like this, only Venerable Changsha knew where he landed, and then said: 'Venerable, put down your staff and convey another message.' Only then did it tally with his intention. Nowadays, brothers studying and practicing must directly have arrowheads meeting and needle and mustard seed hitting each other, with internal and external messages cut off, before getting it. If you merely search for seeing and hearing, seeking knowledge and seeking understanding, it only becomes the root of birth and death. Why not experience non-arising and understand that fundamentally there is no swiftness? If everyone can see like this, the road of birth and death is cut off in an instant, without stirring a single hair's tip at all. Therefore it is said: 'Dwelling among thousands and tens of thousands of people, it is as though there is not a single person; merely resting body and mind, completely without understanding, just like being useless.' If you follow words and pursue sentences to make principles, with a belly full of Chan, when will you ever escape? Hence Chan Master Nanquan said: 'This mountain monk appeared in the world solely to remove the disease of buddhas and the disease of patriarchs for everyone.' I usually say to the brothers: 'Before your parents gave birth to you, did you have a form and appearance or not?' In other teachings it is said: 'The four elements and five aggregates form the body merely because of a single thought of defiled mind in the sexual union of parents, thereby forming this body.' Let me ask you: when you were a babbling infant, why did you not quarrel with others? When you grew up a little, then there was contending over others and self; once the four elements disperse, you return to your original form and appearance as before. Therefore it is said: 'Bodhi fundamentally has no tree, / Nor is the bright mirror a stand; / Fundamentally there is not a single thing— / Where could dust alight?' Each of you should make effort, taking awakening as your aim; do not pass time in vain, for time waits for no one."