圓悟佛果禪師語錄 14.49

14.49

曹溪大鑒微時，新州一樵夫也，碌碌無所發明，已數十載。一旦聞客誦經，激其本願，遂致母出鄉，謁黃梅大滿。才見，數語間投機，隱確坊八箇月，既聞秀偈，始露鋒鋩，五祖舉衣鉢授之。是時群眾競趁，逐欲奪取，而蒙山道人，最先及之於大庾嶺頭，知不勝，始悟此衣非可以力爭，稽首求法，大鑒以不思善惡本初面目，歛念知歸。盧老以時緣未穩，復遁迹四會縣獵人中久之，尋抵番禺，吐風旛不動，動自於心之語，印宗伸弟子之禮，為之削髮登具，由是開大法要，總二千餘眾，聲徹九重，遣貴近降紫泥召之，確然不應。度龍象，若讓師、清源、永嘉、南陽、荷澤、司空數十人，皆大宗師，何其韙歟！唯聖賢示化，進退存亡了然先照，然考其步驟，從微至著，不斷世緣，而示妙規，百世之下，無與為等，到今數百載，充遍寰海，列剎相望，皆其法孫。欽仰洪範，欲擬其毫末，竭誠罄力，終莫髣髴，惟望後昆有力量者勉旃，聊述梗概爾。

When Dajian of Caoxi was of humble status, he was a woodcutter in Xinzhou, undistinguished for several decades without any discovery. One day he heard a guest reciting a sūtra, which stirred his fundamental vow. He then provided for his mother, left his home village, and called upon Daman of Huangmei. As soon as they met, they tallied with each other within a few words. He hid away in the pestle room for eight months. Once he heard Shenxiu's verse, he first revealed his sharp edge, and the Fifth Patriarch lifted up the robe and bowl and transmitted them to him. At that time the multitude vied in pursuit, chasing to snatch them away. Daoming of Mount Meng was the first to reach him at the summit of the Dayu Ridge; knowing he was no match, he only then awakened to the fact that this robe could not be contested by force, bowed his head, and sought the Dharma. Dajian, with 'neither thinking of good nor thinking of evil, what is your original face?', caused his thoughts to gather and know where to return. Because the circumstances of the time were not yet safe, Old Lu again concealed his traces among hunters in Sihui County for a long time. Soon he arrived in Panyu and uttered the words that the wind and banner do not move, but the movement comes from the mind itself. Yinzong offered the etiquette of a disciple, shaved his head, and had him receive full ordination. Thereupon he opened the great Dharma essentials, gathering a assembly of more than two thousand. His renown penetrated to the ninth level of the palace, and the emperor dispatched close courtiers carrying purple-clay imperial decrees to summon him, yet he firmly refused to comply. He ferried across dragon-elephants such as Master Rang, Qingyuan, Yongjia, Nanyang, Heze, and Sikong—several tens of men, all great lineage masters. How grand and righteous this was! Truly, when sages and worthies manifest transformation, their advancing and retreating, abiding and passing away are clearly foreseen in advance. Yet when examining his steps, advancing from obscurity to prominence without severing worldly conditions and displaying wondrous guidelines, throughout a hundred generations there is none to equal him. Down to the present, several centuries later, filling the world across the seas, monasteries face one another in rows, all of them his Dharma grandchildren. Admiring his grand standard, wishing to emulate even a minute tip of it, exhausting sincerity and fully spending strength, in the end one cannot even resemble it. I only hope that later descendants of great strength will strive diligently; I have merely related the general outline.