大慧普覺禪師語錄 15.2.4

15.2.4

故經云：「佛真法身猶若虛空，應物現形如水中月。 」黃華若是般若，般若即同無情； 翠竹若是法身，翠竹還能應用。 座主會麼？ 』主曰：『不了此意。 』珠曰：『若見性人，道是亦得，道不是亦得，隨用而說，不滯是非。 若不見性人，說翠竹著翠竹，說黃華著黃華，說法身滯法身，說般若不識般若，所以皆成諍論。 』」師云：「國師主張青青翠竹盡是法身，直主張到底； 大珠破青青翠竹不是法身，直破到底。 老漢將一箇主張底、將一箇破底，收作一處更無拈提，不敢動著他一絲毫。 要爾學者具眼，透國師底金剛圈，又吞大珠底栗棘蓬。 具眼者辨得出，不具眼者未必不笑。 宗杲雖參圜悟和尚打失鼻孔，元初與我安鼻孔者，却得湛堂和尚，只是為人時下刃不緊，若是說禪病，無人過得。 甞思教中有一段因緣，殃崛摩羅要千人指頭作華冠，然後登王位。 已得九百九十九指，唯少一指，要斷其母指填數。 佛知其緣熟，故往化之。 殃崛纔舉意，欲下刀取母指時，忽聞振錫聲，遂捨其母指，而問佛教化一指，曰：『既是瞿曇在此，望施我一指頭，滿我所願。 』纔舉刀，世尊拽脫便去，世尊徐行，殃崛急趕不上，乃高聲叫曰：『住住。 』世尊曰：『我住久矣，是汝不住。 』殃崛忽然感悟，投佛出家。 佛却令持鉢至一長者門，其家婦人正值產難，長者曰：『瞿曇弟子，汝為至聖，當有何法能免產難？ 』殃崛曰：『我乍入道，未知此法，待我回問世尊，却來相報。 』及返具事白佛，佛告殃崛：『汝速去報言：「我自從賢聖法來，未曾殺生。 」』殃崛當便奉佛語，往彼告之，其婦得聞即免產難。 」師云：「這裏使棒使喝，掀倒禪床，引經教說理事，擊石火閃電光，夜半捉烏雞得麼？ 因請益湛堂和尚。 纔舉起此話，湛堂曰：『爾爬著我痒處，這話是金屎法，不會如金，會得如屎。 』曰：『豈無方便？ 』湛堂曰：『我有箇方便，只是爾剗地不會。 』曰：『望和尚慈悲。 』湛堂曰：『殃崛云：「我乍入道未知此法，待問世尊。 」未到佛座下，他家生下兒子時如何？ 「我自從賢聖法來，未曾殺生。 」殃崛持此語未至他家，已生下兒子時如何？ 』老漢當時理會不得，後因在虎丘，看《華嚴經》至菩薩登第七地證無生法忍云：『佛子！ 菩薩成就此忍，即時得入菩薩第八不動地，為深行菩薩，難可知、無差別，離一切相、一切想、一切執著，無量無邊一切聲聞辟支佛所不能及。 離諸諠諍，寂滅現前，譬如比丘具足神通，得心自在，次第乃至入滅盡定，一切動心憶想分別，悉皆止息。 此菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，住不動地，即捨一切功用行，得無功用法身口意業，念務皆息，住於報行。 譬如有人夢中見身墮在大河，為欲度故，發大勇猛施大方便。 以大勇猛施方便故，即便𭔏寤。 既𭔏寤已，所作皆息。 菩薩亦爾，見眾生身在四流中，為救度故發大勇猛起大精進，以勇猛精進故，至此不動地。 既至此以，一切功用靡不皆息，二行相行皆不現前。 此菩薩摩訶薩，菩薩心佛心，菩提心涅槃心，尚不現起，況復起於世間之心。 』」師云：「到這裏打失布袋，湛堂為我說底方便，忽然現前，方知真善知識不欺我，真箇是金剛圈，須是藏識明方能透得。 又有箇尊宿，喚作洛浦和尚，久為臨濟侍者，濟每稱美之，謂之臨濟門下一隻箭子，便是欺負人。 游歷罷直往夾山頂卓菴經年。 夾山知，乃修書遣僧馳到，洛浦接得便坐却，再展手索，僧無對，浦便打曰：『歸去舉似和尚。 』僧回舉似夾山。 山曰：『這僧看書，三日內必來。 若不看書，此人救不得。 』」師云：「古人喚作撈摝人，不知書中有甚閑言長語，洛浦却吞他鉤線，三日內果來。 夾山預令人伺其出菴，便燒其居。 」師云：「只這便是金剛圈。 浦不顧。 」師云：「成佛作祖須是這般漢。

"Therefore the sūtra says: 'The Buddha's true Dharma-body is like empty space; responding to things, it manifests forms like the moon in the water.' If the yellow blossom is prajñā, then prajñā is identical to insentient things; if the emerald bamboo is the Dharma-body, can the emerald bamboo still respond and function? Does the lecturer understand?" The lecturer said, "I do not understand this meaning." Dazhu said, "If one is a person who has seen their nature, saying it is is acceptable, and saying it is not is also acceptable; speaking in accord with function, they do not stagnate in right and wrong. If one is a person who has not seen their nature, when speaking of emerald bamboo they cling to emerald bamboo, when speaking of yellow blossoms they cling to yellow blossoms, when speaking of the Dharma-body they stagnate in the Dharma-body, and when speaking of prajñā they do not recognize prajñā; thus all becomes dispute." The master said: "The National Teacher advocated that 'ever-green emerald bamboo is entirely the Dharma-body'—advocated it straight to the very end; Dazhu refuted that 'ever-green emerald bamboo is not the Dharma-body'—refuted it straight to the very end. This old fellow takes the one that advocates and takes the one that refutes, brings them together into one place without any promoting or expounding, not daring to stir them by a single hair. I require you students to possess the eye to break through the National Teacher's diamond circle and also swallow down Dazhu's chestnut burr. Those with eyes can distinguish it; those without eyes might not fail to laugh. Although I, Zonggao, studied under Master Yuanwu and had my nostrils knocked off, the one who originally put nostrils on me was actually Master Zhantang; only when helping others, he did not press down the blade tightly, but when discussing Chan sicknesses, no one surpassed him. I once reflected on a story from the teachings: Aṅgulimāla wanted the fingers of a thousand people to make a garland, and after that ascend the royal throne. Having already obtained nine hundred and ninety-nine fingers, he was short only one finger, and wanted to sever his mother's finger to fill out the number. The Buddha, knowing his conditions had ripened, therefore went to transform him. Just as Aṅgulimāla conceived the intention and was about to bring down the knife to take his mother's finger, he suddenly heard the sound of the vibrating ringed staff. He then abandoned his mother's finger and asked the Buddha, who had come to transform him, for a finger, saying: 'Since Gautama is here, I hope you will give me a finger to fulfill my vow.' Just as he raised the knife, the World-Honored One pulled away and left. The World-Honored One walked slowly, yet Aṅgulimāla ran swiftly and could not catch up. He then called out loudly, 'Stop, stop!' The World-Honored One said, 'I stopped long ago; it is you who do not stop.' Aṅgulimāla suddenly had an awakening, and took refuge in the Buddha to leave the household. The Buddha then had him carry his bowl to the gate of an elder, where a woman of the family was encountering difficult childbirth. The elder said, 'Disciple of Gautama, you are a supreme sage; what Dharma do you have that can relieve this difficult childbirth?' Aṅgulimāla said, 'I have only just entered the Way and do not know this Dharma; wait until I return and ask the World-Honored One, then I will come back to inform you.' When he returned, he reported the matter fully to the Buddha. The Buddha told Aṅgulimāla, 'Go quickly and tell her: "Since I came to the Noble Dharma, I have never taken life."' Aṅgulimāla immediately followed the Buddha's words, went there, and told her. The woman, upon hearing this, was relieved of the difficult childbirth." The master said: "Here, can wielding the staff, giving shouts, overturning the meditation bench, citing scriptural teachings to speak of principle and phenomena, striking sparks from stone, flashing lightning, or catching a black chicken in the middle of the night do it? Therefore I asked Master Zhantang for instruction. As soon as I brought up this case, Zhantang said: 'You have scratched my itch. This story is the Dharma of gold and dung: when you do not understand, it is like gold; when you understand, it is like dung.' I said: 'Is there really no expedient means?' Zhantang said: 'I have an expedient means, but you will completely fail to understand.' I said: 'I beg the Venerable's compassion.' Zhantang said: 'Aṅgulimāla said, "I have only just entered the Way and do not know this Dharma; wait until I ask the World-Honored One." Before he reached the Buddha's seat, what if her family had already given birth to the child? "Since I came to the Noble Dharma, I have never taken life." When Aṅgulimāla carried these words, before he reached her family, what if she had already given birth to the child?' At that time, this old fellow could not understand it. Later, while at Huqiu, reading the Avataṃsaka Sūtra up to the bodhisattva ascending the seventh ground and realizing the patience with the non-arising of dharmas, it says: 'Disciples of the Buddha! When a bodhisattva accomplishes this patience, he immediately enters the bodhisattva's eighth ground, the Immovable Ground, becoming a bodhisattva of profound practice—difficult to know, nondiscriminatory, free from all signs, all thoughts, and all clingings, which all immeasurable and boundless śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas cannot reach. Free from all disputes, quiescence becomes manifest before him. It is just as when a bhikṣu is endowed with spiritual penetration and attains freedom of mind, gradually up to entering the concentration of cessation, all moving minds, recollections, and discriminations are entirely stilled. This bodhisattva-mahāsattva is also like this: abiding in the Immovable Ground, he immediately relinquishes all effortful practices, obtains effortless bodily, verbal, and mental karma, and all concerns of mindfulness cease, abiding in retributive practice. It is just as when a person in a dream sees his body fall into a great river, and wishing to cross over, arouses great courage and employs great expedient means. Because he employs expedient means with great courage, he immediately awakens. Once awakened, all that he did ceases. The bodhisattva is also like this: seeing the bodies of sentient beings in the four floods, in order to rescue them he arouses great courage and initiates great vigor. Because of his courageous vigor, he arrives at this Immovable Ground. Having arrived here, there is no effort that does not cease; dual practices and sign-bearing practices do not manifest. In this bodhisattva-mahāsattva, the bodhisattva mind, the buddha mind, the bodhicitta, and the nirvāṇa mind do not even arise, let alone the minds of the worldly realm.'" The master said: "Arriving here, the bag was torn open, and the expedient means that Zhantang spoke of to me suddenly appeared before me. Only then did I know that a true spiritual guide does not deceive me. It is truly a diamond circle; one must have clear storehouse consciousness to be able to break through it. There was also a senior venerable named Master Luopu, who was Linji's attendant for a long time. Linji always praised him, calling him an arrow under Linji's gate—which was just bullying people. After finishing his travels, he went straight to the peak of Jiashan and pitched a hermitage for years. Jiashan learned of this, wrote a letter, and sent a monk galloping over with it. Luopu took it and sat down on it, then stretched out his hand again to ask for it. The monk had no reply. Luopu struck him and said, 'Go back and present this to the Venerable.' The monk returned and presented it to Jiashan. Jiashan said, 'If this monk reads the letter, he will certainly come within three days. If he does not read the letter, this person cannot be saved.'" The master said: "The ancients called this 'fishing for people.' Without knowing what idle talk or long phrases were in the letter, Luopu swallowed his hook and line, and indeed came within three days. Jiashan in advance ordered someone to watch for him leaving the hermitage, and immediately burned his dwelling." The master said: "Just this was a diamond circle. Luopu paid no heed." The master said: "To become a buddha and act as a patriarch, one must be this sort of fellow.