圓悟佛果禪師語錄 1
English (machine translation) 1
- Language
- English
1.1
Preface to the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Yuanwu Foguo
1.2
Composed by Geng Yanxi, Auxiliary Academician of the Longtu Pavilion, Grand Master for Court Service, Prefect of Chuzhou, and Concurrent Commissioner for Encouraging Agriculture within the Circuit.
1.3
The Buddha expounds the Dharma with a single voice; therefore, all dharmas are identical to this single voice. The Buddhas of the three periods are this single voice; the Patriarchs of the six generations are this single voice; the old venerable masters throughout the realm are this single voice. 'I have the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, entrusted to Mahākāśyapa'—this is just this single voice; 'The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye is annihilated in this blind ass'—this too is this single voice. Even wind rustling through the forest and water murmuring in the responding valley are this voice; thunderclaps and crossing squalls of rain and hail are this voice; human speech, sounds of the market, turtle-doves, snakes, toads, orioles, and autumn cicadas are this voice; three pounds of flax, the cypress tree in the courtyard, attaining the marrow and attaining the skin, 'Old brother, you have not penetrated', the staff leaping up to the Thirty-three Heavens, the Guanyin sesame cake that turns out to be a steamed bun—none of these is other than this voice. Even all words and phrases, a bronze gong holding oil, a silver bowl holding snow, a partridge calling among blossoms, coral supporting the moon, not falling and not dark, through the whole body and across the whole body, 'Bring me your mind and I will pacify it for you', drinking dry the waters of the West River—none of these is other than this voice. If one does not understand them as this voice, but takes them as discordant verbal wrangling and falsely generates discriminations, there is no truth in it. Formerly Yangqi used this voice to inspire the realm; when it reached Great Chan Master Yuanwu, this voice grew even more resonant. Because the Master heard the sound of 'frequently calling Xiaoyu' and the sound recognized by her lover, he thereafter boldly proclaimed this voice, giving no weight to the songs of Deshan and eclipsing the melodies of Yunmen; even Louzi's sound of 'I have no-mind' and Panshan's sound of 'the red wheel sinking in the west' must yield to him, for they are all old frozen pus. Thus, before the Son of Heaven of the Jianyan Restoration, he presented this single voice, and the four seas fell silent, none daring to sound forth. In the Hall of Peace and Bliss on Mount Yunju, he wielded this single voice exclusively; the multitude envied him, yet none dared chime in. Tell me, through whose gracious power did this old fellow attain such extraordinary wonder? Formerly, Confucius was in distress between Chen and Cai; holding a piece of dry wood with his left hand and striking dry branches with his right, he sang the air of the Shennong clan. It had the instrument but not the meter, it had the sound but lacked the pentatonic modes; yet the sound of wood and the human voice naturally resonated with the human heart. He then said: 'Who among singers today could match this? This too is this voice, yet the world has not known it.' Old Master Yuanwu truly understood it! In my early years I served Fojian, and later in life I met the Old Master; inquiring into this single voice, there was no other tune. The disciple Ruoping, who also sings the Master's family melody, compiled the essentials of the Master's sayings to publish them, and requested a preface to crown the front of the volume. If one knows this voice, then Old Master Yuanwu's labors were not spent in vain; if one does not know this voice and seeks understanding through words and letters, that person walks a deviant path and cannot see the Old Master. Written on the twentieth day of the twelfth month of the third year of Shaoxing [1133/4 CE].
1.4
Chan Master Yuanwu Keqin was once received in audience by the present Emperor, expounding and glorifying the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, and his Way flourished greatly. The monk Ruoping gathered labor and assembled materials, wishing to transmit the Master's Dharma words throughout the realm for the sake of future students; he entrusted the Elder Yuanbi of Tianning in Yanzhou to beg me for a preface. Alas, is this truly the Master's fundamental intent? I have heard that the Master constantly reclined in a single room, cutting off words, turning the unsurpassed dharmacakra beyond deliberation: if you raised an eyebrow or opened your mouth, you instantly lost your life; the moment you touched upon trivialities, the old fist flew at once. Whenever he brought up the gong'an 'Not taking the ten thousand dharmas as companions', he was already dragging through mud and water, falling into the secondary meaning. Now they wish to collect the spittle of his everyday sounds, laying them out and praising them—were the Master to hear of it, would he be untroubled? Even so, when the Master had no choice but to speak, 'I understand it.' It is like timely rain nourishing things according to their kind: in remote corners and secluded places, dried roots and worm-eaten sprouts, whether great or small, all are soaked and satisfied; yet empty space itself is fundamentally without form, nor does it act. Those who peruse this should grasp what lies beyond the surface of words and intent. Wherever this collection circulates, divine spirits will surely protect it. Written in the second month of the fourth year of Shaoxing [1134 CE] by Zhang Jun, Acting Junior Protector, Military Commissioner of the Dingguo Army, Administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs, and Founding Marquis of Nanyang Commandery.
1.5
Table of Contents of the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Yuanwu Foguo
1.6
Fascicle 1: Ascending the Hall 1
1.7
Fascicle 2: Ascending the Hall 2
1.8
Fascicle 3: Ascending the Hall 3
1.9
Fascicle 4: Ascending the Hall 4
1.10
Fascicle 5: Ascending the Hall 5
1.11
Fascicle 6: Ascending the Hall 6
1.12
Fascicle 7: Ascending the Hall 7
1.13
Fascicle 8: Ascending the Hall 8; Informal Gathering 1
1.14
Fascicle 9: Informal Gathering 2
1.15
Fascicle 10: Informal Gathering 3
1.16
Fascicle 11: Informal Gathering 4
1.17
Fascicle 12: Informal Gathering 5
1.18
Fascicle 13: Informal Gathering 6; General Discourse
1.19
Fascicle 14: Dharma Words, Part 1
1.20
Fascicle 15: Dharma Words, Part 2
1.21
Fascicle 16: Dharma Words, Part 3; Letters; Critiques of Ancient Masters, Part 1
1.22
Fascicle 17: Critiques of Ancient Masters, Part 2
1.23
Fascicle 18: Critiques of Ancient Masters, Part 3; Verses on Ancient Cases, Part 1
1.24
Fascicle 19: Verses on Ancient Cases, Part 2
1.25
Fascicle 20: Gāthās and Verses; Portrait Eulogies; Miscellaneous Writings; Buddhist Rites
1.26
End of Table of Contents of the Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Yuanwu Foguo
1.27
Compiled by his disciple Shaolong of Mount Huqiu in Pingjiang Prefecture of the Song, and others
1.28
Ascending the Hall 1
1.29
Taking up residence at Wanshou Chan Monastery in Chongning, Chengdu Prefecture. When the Master was at Zhaojue, upon first receiving the invitation from Liuzu, he held up the invitation letter, showed it to the assembly, and said: 'Fortunately, there is nothing the matter; why must one need an amulet to protect oneself? Yet calamity does not enter the gate of a prudent house. And how do you resolve this gong'an? Do you understand? The troops move as the seal commands. I request the rector to disclose it.'
1.30
Holding up the Dharma robe, he said: 'The ancients could not help but hang up worn, soiled robes. Now I cannot push this away; I must enter this herd. It could not be hidden on the Dayu Ridge; now I also must let everyone know.' Pointing to the Dharma seat, he said: 'Throughout the ten directions, all is the jewel flower throne of the King; dwelling constantly within it, why make a special effort? A cart is not pushed sideways; principle is not judged crookedly.'
1.31
He ascended the seat and said: 'Three thousand worlds on a snail's horn; clouds, moon, streams, and mountains share one home. Since karmic conditions cannot be avoided, it is better to take up a little of one's lot. Having started, do not stop. Is there anyone who will establish this together?' A monk asked: 'When meeting someone, one does not go forth; going forth, one acts for someone. When meeting someone, one goes forth; going forth, one does not act for someone. How is this?' The Master said: 'Two iron hammers without holes.' The monk asked further: 'Cutting off the vital pass, is there still a place to act for someone?' The Master said: 'A hundred broken pieces.' The monk said: 'In that case, it is like a dragon reaching water.' The Master said: 'Knowing it, you get it.' The monk asked: 'I have heard the Master say: "Now I also must let everyone know." I wonder, what is to be known?' The Master said: 'When the wind moves, the grass bends.' The monk said: 'In that case, the grace is profound and wordless; the mind's grasp is clear.' The Master said: 'And what about the clear matter?' The monk said: 'Throughout the body there is no shadow; at every step traces are cut off.' The Master said: 'The first does not succeed; the second is not right.' The monk asked: 'What is the supreme treasure in the Way?' The Master said: 'Wait until you shed your karmic consciousness, and then I will tell you.' The monk said: 'Karmic consciousness is already shed; please instruct me, Master.' The Master said: 'Sowing grain does not sprout beans.' The monk asked: 'The precious sword is drawn from its scabbard; the ocean clam first opens. As for the transcendent lineage vehicle, I beg the Master for direct pointing.' The Master said: 'Holding the Moye blade horizontally, the true decree is carried out in full.' The monk said: 'In that case, it cuts off the ten directions.' The Master said: 'Seven vertical and eight horizontal.' The monk said: 'The precious treasury is opened today; the affair of five leaves and a thousand lamps is renewed.' The Master said: 'The crooked does not conceal the straight.' He then said: 'If one strictly gazes into the clouds and stands like a thousand-fathom cliff, one betrays the sages. If one strictly drags through mud and wades through water, with head covered in ash and face covered in dirt, one buries oneself. Now, this way is fine, and not this way is fine, but what is valued is the circulation of the true eye. Do you understand fully? Even if someone who strides high atop the crown of Vairocana, does not receive orders from Śākyamuni, treats śrāvakas as handmaids, and addresses bodhisattvas as slaves were to come, their edge would have to be blunted and their tongue tied. As for the rest, of course they cannot show their heads. Therefore it is said: "The Buddhas of the three periods only speak of knowing it themselves; the successive generations of Patriarchs cannot fully lift it up; the entire Canon cannot explain or annotate it; sharp-eyed patch-robed monks cannot save themselves." If judged by the fundamental fodder, this is still sprouting branches from the joint. How do you utter a single phrase that does not touch upon instructional devices? Cloud ranks stretch across the sea; pulling out the sword stirs the Dragon Gate. He stepped down from the seat.'
1.32
Next, receiving the invitation from Zhaojue, he held up the invitation letter and said: 'Those with eyes see; those with ears hear. It does not descend from heaven, nor does it well up from the earth. Since the order has arrived to be carried out, how could it be concealed in a bag or covered with a quilt? I request the rector to proclaim it.'
1.33
Ascending the hall, [the Master] said: "Fire does not wait for the sun to be hot; wind does not wait for the moon to be cool. The crane's legs are naturally long; the duck's legs are naturally short. The pine is straight and briars are crooked; the swan is white and the crow is black—everything is explicitly revealed. If you can comprehend this, you will be master everywhere and in accord with the lineage in every encounter, carrying your staff with you and playing the play wherever a stage appears. Is there anyone? Is there anyone?"
A monk asked, "When Lingyun saw the peach blossoms, how should a patch-robed monk send word?"
The Master said, "The whole mountain is a dazzling red."
[The monk] continued, "Those of superior capacity understand immediately, but what about those of medium and lower [capacities]?"
The Master said, "Fix your eyes on the crown of the head."
[The monk] continued, "Then the effort will not have been spent in vain."
The Master said, "What about beneath your heels?"
The monk said, "Treading through the moon in the clear pool."
The Master said, "A thunderbolt cracks in the open sky."
[The monk] continued, "Where the mud ox roars, the celestial pivot turns; when the wooden horse neighs, the earth's axis quakes."
The Master said, "Can the Ācārya match that?"
The monk clapped his hands three times. The Master said, "Wrong, wrong, wrong."
[The monk] continued, "The prediction of buddhahood on Vulture Peak was not yet like this."
The Master said, "Unless one is a person of bitter hardship, one does not know it."
[The monk] continued, "Stepping lightly across the Dragon Gate, one invites a pure breeze that shakes the earth."
The Master said, "I have been implicated by the Ācārya."
[A monk] asked, "On the top of Dayu Ridge, it could not be lifted; why is it now at the Master's side?"
The Master held up his whisk.
[The monk] continued, "Holding it up to face the universe, brocade is layered with more flowers."
The Master said, "When a single leaf falls, one knows autumn has arrived throughout the world."
[The monk] continued, "Nine times nine makes eighty-one; it still returns to the ruler possessed of the Way."
The Master said, "Just have faith in it this way."
[A monk] asked, "Troops move with the seal of authority; today the Venerable holds the troops and the seal in his hands—how will you put them to use?"
The Master said, "Watch when the order is executed."
[The monk] continued, "Can the Venerable still use the sword that executes the feudal lords?"
The Master said, "It frightens people to death."
[The monk] continued, "The waves on the four seas are calm, and the dragon sleeps soundly; the clouds across the nine heavens are still, and the crane flies high."
The Master said, "Instead, I have the Ācārya to bear witness together."
[The monk] continued, "From now on at Zhaojue, the Buddha-sun will shine brilliantly."
The Master said, "There is no need for that either."
Then [the Master] said: "Originally I had no mind to seek anything, yet now this jewel treasury has arrived of itself. Above is heaven, below is earth; on the left are the kitchen and storehouse, on the right is the monks' hall; in front are the Buddha Hall and the triple gate, and behind are the dormitories and the abbot's quarters. Where is the jewel treasury? Do you see it yet? Now, sitting and standing dignified, seeing and hearing unclouded, radiance overflows the eyes, serene and boundless. Exhausting the sentiments of ordinary and holy, shedding the bonds of knowledge and views, the great river turns to ghee, and the great earth transforms into gold. To speak a single phrase flowing forth from one's own breast—how will you speak it? / Always, through past and present, flying like a white silk banner, / A single strip slicing through the green mountain's hue. / Descended from the seat."
1.34
Pointing to the abbot's quarters, [the Master] said: "For patch-robed monks, even demon palaces and tigers' dens are dwelling places of peace, let alone a place for benefiting beings and engaging with people. Do you recognize this room? All the devas protect it; all the sages bear witness to it; a kalyāṇamitra dwells upright within it, untying knots and removing bonds for others. Since there are such excellent marks, how will this mountain monk make use of it? If one does not enter the startling waves, it is hard to find the fish of one's liking. What is the phrase for entering the gate? / Waters return to the vast sea, and the surging waves grow still; / Clouds reach Mount Cangwu, and the atmosphere becomes leisurely." Then he entered the abbot's quarters.
1.35
Opening the hall, he held up the proclamation, showed it to the assembly, and said: "The secret directive uniquely transmitted on Vulture Peak, the authentic voice directly inherited from Caoxi—all of it is right here. I invite the rector to proclaim it."
1.36
Pointing to the Dharma seat, [the Master] said: "Here the Buddhas of the three periods turn the dharmacakra; here the ancestral teachers of successive generations uphold the patriarchal seal. If one wishes to travel a thousand miles, the first step is the beginning. Inevitably, I must make a model and sketch a design." Thereupon he ascended the seat, held up incense, and said: "Offered for the present Emperor, in prayer for the majesty of his sacred longevity: ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!" He held up incense again, saying: "Offered for the Prefectural Administrator, the Academicians of the Hanlin Academy, and all the noble lords." He held up incense again, saying: "This single piece of incense was not brought from the Pamir Mountains, nor did it flow forth from my own breast. In the southern region I met more than thirty venerable adepts; at the very end I ran into an old master, and by him I was struck and shattered with a single hammer blow. Today I disclose it before the assembly, offering it on behalf of the Venerable Wuzu Fayan, currently residing in Qizhou, to repay the debt of his Dharma milk." The Venerable Baofu Zan struck the gavel and said: "Assemble, dragons and elephants of the Dharma banquet; you should contemplate the primary meaning!"
The Master said, "If one cuts off the world, can it still be contemplated? Even if you recognize it before the single hammer blow falls, you still fall into the secondary and tertiary. And what is the primary meaning? Is there anyone who knows where it settles? Come out from the assembly and let us meet!"
A monk asked, "When Śākyamuni preached the Dharma, Prabhūtaratna bore witness; now that the Venerable opens the hall, the Hanlin Academician has arrived to pay his respects. Leaving aside the meeting halfway up the mountain, what about on the solitary summit of the wondrous peak?"
The Master said, "Auspicious vapors soar into the sky."
[The monk] continued, "In that case, a wisp of cloud arises at the mouth of the valley, green and towering ten thousand fathoms high."
The Master said, "How many people can know it?"
[The monk] continued, "With what will you repay the sagacious and enlightened Son of Heaven?"
The Master held up his whisk.
[The monk] continued, "All the stars in the heavens bow to the North; all the waters among humans flow to the east."
The Master said, "You have grasped the words."
[A monk] asked, "Leaving aside capturing seven times and releasing seven times, what about when host and guest meet?"
The Master said, "The jewel sword leans against the heavens, gleaming brightly."
[The monk] continued, "The blue-eyed barbarian monk nods with a smile."
The Master said, "Acquaintances fill the whole world."
[The monk] continued, "Last night at the third watch under the bright moon, I snatched the black dragon's jewel and returned."
The Master said, "Who is the person within it?"
A monk asked, "Unreached by the three grades of wise ones, difficult for the ten stages of sages to know—what is this lineage?"
The Master said, "A hammer without a hole thrown right at your face."
[The monk] continued, "It frightens people to death."
The Master said, "It has frightened one."
[The monk] continued, "I also know the Venerable is used to doing so."
The Master said, "What about you?"
The monk said, "The sparrowhawk flies past Silla."
The Master said, "Knowing it yourself, you are halfway there."
Then [the Master] said: "Singing alone the profound dynamic cuts off all streams; sweeping freely without restraint, there is no mutual accommodation whatsoever. Even Śākyamuni and Maitreya would not dare face it directly and set their eyes on it. The long sword leaning against the heavens possesses an awesome, chilling power; the bright sun high in the sky shines with pure, lucid brilliance. Nothing is not a wondrous function; no phenomenon is not the true vehicle. Reining in the great dynamic of the Buddhas and patriarchs, broadening the correct eye of humans and devas, revealing it openly under the sun, it only values knowing the return. As soon as thought is involved, white clouds stretch for ten thousand miles. Therefore an ancient sage said: 'This Dharma seal of mine is spoken for the sake of benefiting the world; wherever you travel, do not proclaim it heedlessly.' Today, humans and devas have gathered universally; before the assembly I lay it bare with complete clarity." Raising his whisk and showing it to the assembly, he said: "Does the great assembly see? If one place is true, hundreds and thousands of places are simultaneously true; if one phrase penetrates, hundreds and thousands of phrases simultaneously penetrate. When held up, heaven and earth tower high; when put down, the rivers and seas become serene and clear. What about when it is neither held up nor put down? / Fix your eyes high atop the peak of ten thousand fathoms: / The great chiliocosm of sand-realms is a single floating bubble."
He then cited: "Fadeng said: 'This mountain monk originally intended to dwell deep in rocky caves and live in seclusion to pass the time; however, because the old man of Qingliang had an unfinished gong'an, I have come forth to resolve it for all of you.' At that time a monk asked: 'What is the unfinished gong'an?' Fadeng hit him and said: 'When ancestors do not resolve it, disaster reaches their descendants.' The monk said: 'Where is the fault?' Fadeng said: 'The fault lies in your bringing disaster upon me.'"
The Master said: "Fadeng freely dispensed life and death within the realm and grasped authority beyond the borders, truly possessing a spirit that startled the crowd and an independent demeanor. This mountain monk's humble aspiration was originally also like this. Coming forth today is precisely because the old teacher Wuzu has a ready-made gong'an; expounding it before the assembly, if there is anyone who does not begrudge their life, let them step forward and try to test it. If not, I cannot help but handle and play with it myself." He gave a shout, struck the meditation couch with his whisk, and descended from the seat.
1.37
Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "When words do not unfold the matter and speech does not accord with the dynamic, how does one understand?"
The Master said, "Before the question was asked, a hundred fragments."
[The monk] continued, "In that case, only the old barbarian is allowed to know it."
The Master said, "You cannot grope for it."
[The monk] continued, "Even if a thousand sages came forth, they could not grope for it either."
The Master said, "Your eyes bulge out."
Then [the Master] said: "It is not a phenomenon before one's eyes, nor is it a mechanism outside the mind. Directly underfoot, all acceptance is severed; before the sun, there is neither facing nor turning away. When one place is bright, hundreds and thousands of places shine; when one word gets through, hundreds and thousands of words penetrate freely. Not mind, not Buddha—toss it to one side; citing the past, citing the present—cast it all into one place. Right in your own share, can you verify it? If you can verify it, the Buddhas of the three periods attain the Way within it, spiritual penetrations and transformations flow forth from within it, the great earth, mountains, and rivers manifest within it, and the nine classes and four kinds of birth are nurtured within it. And what is the single phrase that encompasses all existing things? / In the coming year there will still be new branches, / Disrupting the spring breeze without end. / Descended from the seat."
1.38
Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "Are the patriarchal intention and the reverent intention identical or different?"
The Master said, "The two wheels illuminate each other alternately."
[The monk] continued, "In that case, it is not adequate to match them."
The Master said, "Blown by the wind into another tune again."
[A monk] asked, "What is the nirvāṇa mind?"
The Master said, "The ten thousand streams all return to the source."
[The monk] continued, "What is discriminative wisdom?"
The Master said, "The thousand distinctions are all unmoving."
[The monk] continued, "Then altogether there is no need for anything."
The Master said, "Where have you put the jewel sword?"
The monk said, "Fixing my eyes high."
The Master said, "Dividing the talk into two halves."
Then [the Master] said: "Asking about the distant and answering with the near—ten thousand generations are like this right now; raising the east and illuminating the west—a thousand paths share the same rut. Displaying matters where there is no matter, acting where there is non-action: neither form nor sound, blue, yellow, accord, or discord; neither mind nor Buddha, host and guest intermingle. Fully endowed with this awesome brilliance, it does not cycle elsewhere. Tell me: what is this? If you call it Buddha, that is adding a head on top of a head; if you call it Dharma, that is binding oneself without a rope. The ancestral teacher's nose is crying out injustice while holding the stolen goods; the transcendent mechanism is shouting to stop the echo. Only when it is entirely not like this will you be a little bit closer. Tell me: since it is entirely not like this, why is it a little bit closer? / Do not blame the abundant high spirits from before; / His family once had audience with the sagacious and enlightened ruler. / Descended from the seat."
1.39
Ascending the hall, [the Master] said: "A single palm does not clap in vain; a single tree does not make a grove. Establishing the Dharma banner and setting up the lineage style requires mutually being host and guest to settle the homeland. Therefore it is said: 'If I sit, you must stand; if I stand, you must sit. If I lodge alone on a solitary peak, you must lay down weapons. If I am in heaven or among humans, you must have three heads and six arms. Only then can the Buddha-sun be made to shine gloriously.' And tell me: amidst the vast expanse, how do you distinguish the host? / Everywhere is Maitreya; / At every gate there is Sudhana. / Descended from the seat."
1.40
Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "Presenting sand as an offering to the Buddha led to the fruit of being a wheel-turning king; what benefit is there today as the Dharma treasure is opened?" The Master said: "A thousand layers, a hundred wraps." The monk advanced: "The departed are reborn in heaven, while those present gain the benefit." The Master said: "There is no need for the ācārya to add further commentary." The monk asked: "Please, Master, point straight to the single path of the transcendent." The Master said: "One blow of the staff smashes empty space." The monk advanced: "Where is the fault?" The Master said: "A fellow who does not know pain and itch." The monk advanced: "This is still Deshan's [way]." The Master said: "This mountain monk has always merely passed through on a borrowed path." He then said: "Blink your eyebrows and you have already missed it, much like pissing in bed with your eyes wide open. Letting things pass according to the ready-made gong'an is precisely the clever child losing their integrity. Whether thus or not thus, you are merely a spiritual tortoise dragging its tail; 'neither mind, nor Buddha, nor thing' is driving a peg into empty space. Having entered so many idle doors and broken portals, it is only a dragon lurking in stagnant water. How do you utter a phrase that drains the deep pool and overturns the mountain peak? The giant spirit raises a hand with scarcely any effort, cleaving Mount Hua into ten thousand folds." He stepped down from the seat.
1.41
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "Awakening is complete; apply no effort: the bright sun beautifying heaven imprints the vast sky. Purify the five eyes, obtain the five powers: what limit is there to the pure breeze that circles the earth? Those who find their function along the journey are like a tiger leaning on a mountain; those who flow and spread in worldly truth are like moths throwing themselves into a flame. Tell me: is it better to let things go for people's sake, or to hold them fast for people's sake? Laying the Mohe sword horizontally completely upholds the true command; in a tranquil realm, execute the foolish and stubborn." He stepped down from the seat.
1.42
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "The root of transformation and nurture shares a single path with self and other; the source of patriarchs and Buddhas is unchanging throughout past and present. Brilliantly and solitary, it is revealed, thoroughly penetrating sounds and forms without remainder. Openly it appears before you; neither movement nor stillness can constrain it. Cut off opinions, sever speech; within sense faculties and dusts there is not a hair's gap; beyond sounds and forms, coming and going are boundless. Penetrating past and present, birth and death in such a way, sticking the head out and submerging the head are all completely cut off. If you are not yet thus, there are cold and heat to cut short your lifespan, and ghosts and spirits to envy your blessings." He stepped down from the seat.
1.43
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "The realm of phenomena cannot contain its body; the Buddha-eye cannot catch sight of it. Sagely wisdom is free from words; the vast mouth cannot proclaim it. Directly cutting through in broad daylight has already formed steps and gradations; turning the body and exhaling breath appears even more convoluted. Clearly there is nothing hidden; clearly it is devoid of speck or blemish. As vast as the great void, as pure as an ancient mirror—if you see with the eye, Mañjuśrī's body lies across; if you hear with the ear, Avalokiteśvara displays function; if you know with the mind, Samantabhadra is right in the hall. Tell me: where is Vairocana? Blink your eyebrows." He stepped down from the seat.
1.44
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "A single hair pierces through myriad apertures; the great earth has no barrier. Throughout the realm it has never been hidden; throughout past and present it has neither front nor back. Thus in every land, thus in every speck of dust, thus in every phrase, thus in every thought. Do you still understand it? If you understand it thoroughly, without expending a hair's breadth of effort you will enter directly through the gate of liberation. How do you utter a phrase that transcends all undertaking?" Giving a shout, he stepped down from the seat.
1.45
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "Before the dynamic wheel has turned, the great earth is pitch black; when the ancient mirror hangs before the porch, the realm of sands is starkly bare. Cut off the mental faculty so there is no place to stir or turn; plug the throat so there is no place to exhale breath—this is precisely a genuine person. Bring it up, and it is heaven and the human realm; stir it, and ice melts and tiles disintegrate. Right upon the life vein, how do you point? Where is it hot in the autumn of the eighth month?" He stepped down from the seat.
1.46
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "The one is all: the ground of ultimate reality; all is the one: fundamentally not a single thing. Pick it up and it is clattering and rustling; put it down and it is continuous and fine. The three realms are perpetually and uniquely exposed; in the ten directions there is no place to contain the body. Walking backwards atop the solitary peak, lying crosswise at the crossroads. Looking up into the clouds may be set aside for now—how do you utter a phrase on fish swimming in the wine shop? Why play the fool?" He stepped down from the seat.
1.47
When Zhaojue Temple was renamed Chongning and the imperial decree on yellow paper arrived, [the Master] opened the hall. Holding up the imperial decree, he showed it to the assembly, saying: "Everywhere circling the earth and throughout the heavens, all receive the strength of imperial grace; the nine provinces and the four seas all receive his awesome spirit. The uniquely special Dharma gate among hundreds of thousands of Dharma gates, the true supreme meaning among immeasurable wondrous meanings, now descends from heaven. It does not lie in the movement of the eyes or the opening and closing of the lips; its verification is before our eyes, instantly recognized." When the reading of the decree was finished, he pointed to the Dharma seat and said: "Great assembly! This single road is known by all the thousand sages. Walking slowly, one steps through the sound of flowing water; looking far and wide, one traces out the tracks of flying birds. Tell me: how do you advance? If you wish to brandish the signless seal of Vairocana, you must walk upon the summit of a thousand peaks."
1.48
Ascending the seat, he took up incense, showed it to the assembly, and said: "Its radiance swallows myriad phenomena; its breath cuts off all dust. From parting the grass and gazing at the wind at first, to entering the marketplace with open hands—usually one does not wish to display it fully, for fear of startling the flock and stirring the assembly. Today I take it up to offer on behalf of the reigning emperor, to celebrate his sagely longevity." Next he took up incense, saying: "Offered on behalf of the prefectural governor, the minister, and the noble dignitaries of the various offices." Next he took up incense, saying: "Having endured the utmost hardships in the Huai basin for ten years, and having received direct personal verification in the single path of clear emptiness, I dare not be ungrateful: I offer this on behalf of my late teacher, Wuzu, to repay the milk of the Dharma." The Reverend Zhengfa struck the gavel. The Master then said: "Harness a bow of a thousand jun and release it in a single strike; shooting through the Iron Enclosure admits no hesitation. Beneath a single word, killing and reviving are fully displayed; within a tiny dynamic, myriad phenomena are encompassed. You must point directly to it right at the head, so that a thousand eyes may suddenly open; if you look around and hesitate further, you will merely be grabbing at heaven and groping in the earth. If anyone has grasped it, step forward from the assembly and let us meet." A monk asked: "The three rolls of the drum have ended, and the fourfold assembly is present at the banquet. The student has come up: I ask the Master to expound the Dharma." The Master said: "The sky clears and the sun rises." The monk advanced: "Is it only this, or is there something more?" The Master said: "Just settle one end for now." The monk advanced: "What about when there are two ends?" The Master said: "See that you cannot undertake it." The monk asked: "A hundred flowers competing in beauty is the lineage style of Mañjuśrī; a single span of clear sky is the realm of Samantabhadra. Leaving aside these two roads, please give instruction, Master." The Master said: "The bamboo shoot of stone sprouts a stalk ten feet long." The monk advanced: "Could this be the place where the Venerable assists people?" The Master said: "Hanging down on both ends, here and there." The monk advanced: "Please, Master, bring it forth." The Master said: "Still not knowing it yourself." The monk advanced: "In that case, riding an ox through the market." The Master said: "In the end, it is confused and contrary." The monk asked: "There is a phrase that completely fulfills the rules: today at the opening of the hall, what auspicious sign is there?" The Master said: "Heaven and earth are vast without boundary; the bright sun is in the sky, illuminating the universe." The monk advanced: "A single drop of water and ink turns into a dragon in two places." The Master said: "What are you saying about two places?" A monk asked: "Speech and silence touch upon departure and subtlety; how can one penetrate without violating [either]?" The Master said: "Heaven knows, earth knows." The monk advanced: "In that case, the verification is right before our eyes." The Master said: "What do you see?" The monk advanced: "The sun and moon illumine the virtue of heaven; the mountains and rivers strengthen the imperial dwelling." The Master said: "That is somewhat closer." He then said: "Total dynamic and great function are realized wherever one touches; pure radiance filling the eyes runs through past and present. A single dust grain contains the realm of phenomena; a single thought pervades the ten directions. The entire great earth is a genuine person; the whole ocean of lands is great liberation. It only depends on the person reversing their light a little and looking with their own eyes; one can then personally verify the unborn and suddenly surpass expedients. Therefore, the appearance of the Buddhas in the world is for the one great cause; the coming of the Patriarch from the west was also nothing other than seeing one's nature and becoming a Buddha. Just as today, having received the emperor's decree, we construct a great monastery, receive a name plaque, ordain monks, and celebrate his sagely longevity. This one Dharma event shines upon the past and leaps into the present; the prefect's banners brightly arrive, and the carriages of the worthy fully assemble. The fourfold assembly gazes up in reverence, and the myriad people sing songs. For the state we open the hall to extol the lineage teaching. This mountain monk dares not hide it in a pouch or cover it under a quilt; whatever the Buddhas have not exhausted in speech, and wherever the patriarchs could not lift it up, I shall lay wide open in the shape of the character eight before the assembly." He then raised his fly whisk, saying: "Does the great assembly still see?" Striking the meditation bench, he said: "Do you still hear? Penetratingly liberated in the seeing, clear and bright in the hearing: with a single thought returning to the root and heading back to the source, you are endowed with the three eyes on the crown of the head. For ten thousand miles there is not the slightest blemish; the thousand sages all stand in the downwind. Cutting off the heads of the reward and transformation Buddhas, you stand straight like a wall of a thousand fathoms. Tell me: what person's realm is this? The carved bow is already hung up, the beacon fires have ceased; songs of myriad miles celebrate universal peace." He stepped down from the seat.
1.49
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "The entire body being eyes cannot see it; the entire body being ears cannot hear it through; the entire body being a mouth cannot speak of it; the entire body being a mind cannot reflect it. Even if the entire earth were clearly understood without the slightest leakage, one would still be midway. Taking hold of the command and presenting it in full, tell me: how do you unfold it? The sun and moon in the realm hang crisscross; a single span of clear sky is eternal spring." He stepped down from the seat.
1.50
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "Directly present there is a road known by both patriarchs and Buddhas; presented face-to-face, seeing and hearing are not separated. The myriad phenomena cannot cover or conceal it; the thousand sages have no steps to reach it. Brisk and lively, it transcends all undertaking; clean and bare, it has no mutual evasion. Even if the staff falls like raindrops and shouts sound like rushing thunder, they have not yet touched the transcendent pivot. What is the transcendent pivot? Blind the eyes of all sages; strike dumb this mountain monk's mouth. At midday strike the third watch; facing south, look at the Northern Dipper." He stepped down from the seat.
1.51
Hearing the obituary of Wuzu, [the Master] ascended the hall and said: "On the peak of Dayu Ridge, laughter turned into weeping; beneath the gate of Chongning, weeping turned into laughter. Why? In drinking spring water, value the vein of the earth; above all, the true eye must circulate and the lineage style must not decline. As it is said: 'The phenomena of impermanence, birth, and death have nothing to do with me. If one can see in this way, there is no need to weep to the blue sky.' Since there is no need to weep to the blue sky, how do we send word? I ask the great assembly to take up incense and roll the dice for a double victory." He stepped down from the seat.
1.52
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "Prajñā flows and turns; the four appearances shift. The true eye secretly flourishes; the single yang returns. Insects, moving creatures, and plants all receive this grace; treading the earth and upholding heaven, all know to celebrate. Tell me: on the ground devoid of yin and yang, is there still this news or not? The sun reaches its southern extreme; the movement of the sundial's shadow shifts. Wrong!" He stepped down from the seat.
1.53
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "A great person possesses great vision; great wisdom attains great function. In the chest one embraces the six directions; in the sleeve hangs a golden mallet. Holding high the ancestral seal, one commands the realm; for ten thousand miles, a solitary radiance perpetually fills the eyes. Thus the pure breeze circles the earth and rain sprinkles the vast sky; severing both ends, one returns home to sit securely. Therefore it is said: 'When it reflects in the eyes, it is like a thousand suns; the myriad phenomena cannot escape their shadows and forms. Ordinary people simply have not yet observed it; why demean themselves and retreat?' Just as the entire ocean of worlds of the Flower Store and to the utter limits of empty space are altogether a single diamond eye, how do you observe it? At the Roushi Ferry, the wind and waves are calm; three by three, two by two, the fishing boats." He stepped down from the seat.
1.54
Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "In the entire canon of the great teachings, which is the head?"
The Master said, "Thus have I heard."
The monk continued, "This is Ānanda's; what is the Venerable's?"
The Master said, "The mountain monk uses it with great swiftness."
He then said, "When a single word accords with the Way, everywhere is real; when a single phrase is without partiality, it fully manifests the precious seal. It was good that he asked, and not asking would have been extraordinary; the blazing, glorious light fundamentally has neither front nor back. Therefore it is said: 'In the boundless sea of lands, self and other are not separated by the tip of a hair; throughout the ten periods of past and present, beginning and end do not move from the present thought.' Where there is no separation, the ten directions altogether are the true realm; where there is no moving, the ten periods are strung together before one's eyes. Pure and naked, stripping away dust and emotion; bare and exposed, without concealment or cover—it directly brings about the identical course of the thousand sages and the sudden response of myriad dynamic workings. Do you still understand? The silk line on the tip of the pole is left to your play; not disturbing the clear waves, its intent is naturally distinct." He stepped down from the seat.
1.55
Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What is the single phrase transmitted separately outside the teachings?"
The Master said, "Go ask the lantern."
The monk continued, "I thank the Master for answering the question."
The Master said, "Take it upon yourself and get out."
The monk continued, "Then this is a separate transmission outside Chan."
The Master said, "Three thousand li away, beyond Yazhou."
A monk asked, "How is it when the student is not like this?"
The Master said, "Do not cause confusion."
The monk continued, "The cypress in front of Zhaozhou's hall and the nanmu in front of Chongning's hall—are they identical or different?"
The Master said, "Do not get blurred vision."
The monk continued, "The single stringless zither—only the Master can play it wonderfully."
The Master said, "The mountain monk also does not accept it."
He then said, "In heaven forming images, on earth forming shapes; the sun and moon serve as shining illuminators, the four seasons produce cold and heat; dwelling in the valleys it fills the valleys, situated in the pits it fills the pits. Where there is sentience, it acts and functions; where there is insentience, it arrays and shines. Now, on the tip of the mountain monk's staff: point to a mountain and the mountain collapses; point to a sea and the sea dries up; touch iron and turn it into gold; touch gold and turn it into iron; stir the long river into ghee; transform ghee into the long river. Seeing that none of you understand, it transforms into the Bodhisattva of Boundless Body, universally manifesting throughout the ten directions and six realms. Do you still see? The mandarin ducks are embroidered for you to see, but do not pass the golden needle to others." Striking the Chan bench with his staff, he stepped down from the seat.
1.56
Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "Who is the true host?"
The Master said, "The myriad streams all return to the sea; the thousand mountains must look up to the ancestral peak."
The monk continued, "It becomes a ready-made gong'an."
The Master said, "Under your feet it is black as lacquer."
The monk continued, "It would be best not to deceive the student."
The Master said, "Do you possess the eye of pilgrimage yet?"
The monk said, "What did the Venerable say?"
The Master said, "Fallen into a pit, dropped into a trench."
He then said, "The light of wisdom thoroughly illumines the ten directions; the myriad existences completely return to a single thought. Vastness is not outside; solitude is not inside. The Son of Heaven in the bustling marketplace; the old monk at the tips of the hundred grasses. In each and every thing, the complete body; in every dust mote and every land, the great function. The single phrase that does not fall into one's own views or external conditions—how do you speak it? Where Yu's power did not reach, the sound of the River flowed westward." He stepped down from the seat.
1.57
Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "How do you speak the phrase of entering the gate?"
The Master said, "Lured one onto the hook."
The monk continued, "What about swallowing the myriad phenomena?"
The Master said, "A holeless iron mallet."
The monk continued, "The student has lost the advantage today."
The Master said, "Two or three drops grieve a person to death."
He then said, "Seen face to face, even in a sage there is still a defect; as soon as one traverses passes and crossings, white clouds stretch for ten thousand li. At the place of genuine truth, it is inconceivable; at the place of dense intimacy, it is identical with the true limit. Barring the world without a single hair's breadth leaking through, how do you speak a phrase of free detachment? Walking on one foot on a peak ten thousand fathoms high." He stepped down from the seat.
1.58
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "Solitary and towering, lofty and steep; from beginning to end, actively alive. If you call it Chan, the Way, the Patriarchs, or the Buddha, it is putting grit in your eyes; if you do not call it Chan, the Way, the Patriarchs, or the Buddha, it is digging into the earth to search for heaven. Is there still anyone who manages to enter? Let it be pitch-black for a thousand ages and ten thousand ages; filling the ditches and blocking the gullies, no one understands." He stepped down from the seat.
1.59
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "If touched, it does not reach—the entire canon of the great teachings is adding flowers onto brocade. If it reaches, it is not touched—the Patriarch coming from the West is the sounding of gold and the chiming of jade. Tell me: are the patriarchal intent and the doctrinal intent identical or different? The green pool and the clouds beyond are unrelated to each other." He stepped down from the seat.
1.60
Ascending the hall, the Master said: "Turning the dharmacakra thrice in the great chiliocosm, that wheel is fundamentally ever-pure. All Buddhas turn it like this. If one goes downward, there are the three vehicles and five natures, sudden, gradual, partial, and round. If one goes transcendent, not only can one find no place to open the mouth, but Linji and Deshan stare blankly with mouths agape. Tell me: not falling into upper or lower, how is it then? Who is the one that steps forward?" He stepped down from the seat.
1.61
Ascending the hall, a monk said: "'Only when the golden sparks appear does the burning reach its end.' How is it when the student holds the golden sparks in hand?"
The Master said, "Touch."
The monk continued, "If so, then it does not reach the end."
The Master said, "A patch-robed monk running wildly."
The monk continued, "What can be done about the River of Golden Sparks?"
The Master said, "Passed right by it."
A monk asked, "The Patriarch spoke like this, and the old venerables throughout the world also spoke like this; I wonder, how does Chongning speak?"
The Master said, "The mountain monk does not speak like this."
The monk continued, "Crashing into and colliding with it."
The Master said, "What did you crash into?"
The monk continued, "When Chan guests meet, they only snap their fingers."
The Master said, "Two heads and three faces."
The monk continued, "Killing or giving life according to the occasion."
The Master said, "The crown of the foot, the sole of the foot."
The Master said, "Entering uncultivated fields without discrimination; three thousand li away, pitch-black; ox heads sink, horse heads turn back; for a hundred billion kalpas, no connection. Picking up one and letting go of one is sprouting branches outside the joints; bringing up the ancient and bringing up the present is raising waves where there is no wind. Today the mountain monk cuts them all off at once. Tell me: is there still a place to help people or not? The impetus of a thousand peaks halts at the sacred peak; the sound of myriad streams subsides upon the sea." He stepped down from the seat.
First 61 of 63 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- 圓悟佛果禪師語錄 — Classical Chinese