大慧普覺禪師語錄 16.4

16.4

悅禪人請普說，僧問：「臨濟示眾云：『有時奪人不奪境，有時奪境不奪人，有時人境兩俱奪，有時人境俱不奪。』如何是奪人不奪境？」師云：「三千里外絕誵訛。」進云：「如何是奪境不奪人？」師云：「拔出眼中楔。」進云：「臨濟道：『煦日發生鋪地錦，嬰孩垂髮白如絲。』未審與和尚答底是同是別？」師云：「咬人屎橛不是好狗。」進云：「王令已行天下遍，將軍塞外絕煙塵時如何？」師云：「適來猶自可，而今更郎當。」問：「十方薄伽梵，一路涅槃門，未審王氏今日是生耶是死耶？」師云：「生耶死耶？」進云：「今古應無墜，分明在目前。」師云：「抽却腦後箭。」進云：「只如十二時中不依倚一物人來，師還接否？」師云：「喚甚麼作一物？」進云：「不可重說偈言。」師云：「礙塞殺人。」乃云：「生耶死耶，非得非失，不道不道，有理有事。若向有理有事處得箇入處，只在教乘裏頭出頭沒；若於非得非失處得箇入處，敢保諸人十二時中未有安身立命處。既未有安身立命處，則不知王氏落處；若知得王氏落處，即知自己安身立命處。且道：王氏即今是生耶，是死耶？是不生耶，是不死耶？若道不生，爭奈死何？若道不死，爭奈生何？若道亦生亦死，又是戲論說；若道非生非死，又是相違說。直饒離四句絕百非，直下如明鏡當臺明珠在掌，胡來現胡、漢來現漢，當人各各脚跟下淨裸裸明歷歷，生死如夢幻空華、去來如浮雲水月，猶未是徹頭處。縱饒如實見得，昔日之生本不曾生，今日之滅本不曾滅，亦是無夢說夢。何以故？生而不生，鏡裏之形；滅而不滅，水中之月；正當恁麼時，那裏是王氏出身處？若委悉得去，王氏只今與諸人把手共行，同入如來大寂滅海；其或未然，有寒暑兮促君壽，有鬼神兮妬君福。」復云：「這箇是近悅上座為母王氏，請妙喜老漢說法底意旨。且法作麼生說？不見道：『法不可見聞覺知，若行見聞覺知，是則見聞覺知，非求法也。』見聞覺知既不可以入道，莫是不見不聞不覺不知便是麼？」良久高聲云：「更是箇甚麼？妙喜盡力說，只說得到這裏。此事決定不在言語上，所以從上諸聖次第出世，各各以善巧方便，忉忉怛怛，唯恐人泥在言語上。若在言語上，一大藏教五千四十八卷，說權說實、說有說無、說頓說漸，豈是無言說？因甚麼達磨西來却言：『單傳心印，不立文字語言，直指人心，見性成佛。』因何不說傳玄傳妙、傳言傳語？只要當人各各直下明自本心、見自本性，事不獲已說箇心說箇性，已大段狼藉了也。若要拔得生死根株盡，切不得記我說底，縱饒念得一大藏教如瓶瀉水，喚作運糞入，不名運糞出，却被這些子障却自己正知見，不得現前，自己神通不能發現，只管弄目前光影，理會禪理會道、理會心理會性、理會奇特理會玄妙，大似掉棒打月，枉費心神，如來說為可憐愍者。古人凡有一言半句，設一箇金剛圈栗棘蓬，教伊吞教伊透，若是箇英靈獨脫，出情塵超理性者，金剛圈栗棘蓬，是甚麼弄猢猻家具、察鬼神茶飯？蓋爾不能一念緣起無生，只管一向在心意識邊作活計，纔見宗師動口，便向宗師口裏討玄討妙，却被宗師倒翻筋斗，自家本命元辰依舊不知落處，脚跟下黑漫漫，依前只是箇漆桶。只如適來上座問奪人不奪境一段話，只知冊子上念將來，如法答他，又理會不得，問一段未了，又問一段，恰如村人打傳口令相似。我今不惜口業，為爾諸人葛藤註解一遍。臨濟一日示眾云：『有時奪人不奪境，有時奪境不奪人，有時人境兩俱奪，有時人境俱不奪。會麼？』良久左右顧視便下座。遮箇便是金剛王寶劍。我昨日說底，將蜈蚣毒蛇蝎子并諸雜毒，貯在一甕裏，爾試將手就中，拈一箇不毒底出來看。若拈得出，不妨於此事有少分相應；若拈不出，自是爾根性遲鈍，夙無靈骨也，怪妙喜不得。臨濟當時道這幾句閑言長語，面目現在，自是爾不會看得出；爾若領得此意，自從胡亂後三十年不少鹽醬，鐘樓上念讚，床脚下種菜之類，不著問人，一一自知下落。古人垂箇方便，豈是間開口，須知爛泥裏有刺。當時有箇克符道者，理會得臨濟意，便出來問：『如何是奪人不奪境？』臨濟當時不知那裏得許多閑言長語，鬪湊得恰好，便道：『煦日發生鋪地錦，嬰孩垂髮白如絲。』諸人還會麼？煦日發生鋪地錦，是境；嬰孩垂髮白如絲，是人。此兩句，一句存境，一句奪人。克符又作頌曰：『奪人不奪境，緣自帶聱訛。』」師云：「有甚麼聱訛？『擬欲求玄旨思量反責麼？』」師云：「誣人之罪。『驪珠光燦爛，蟾桂影婆娑。』」師云：「何不早恁麼道？『覿面無差互，還應滯網羅。』」師云：「依稀似曲纔堪聽，又被風吹別調中。此頌大概在驪珠光燦爛，蟾桂影婆娑之上。蓋此兩句是境，學者問不奪境，擬欲求玄旨思量反責麼？大意只是不可思量擬議，思量擬議者人也。蹉却覿面相呈一著子，即被語言網羅矣。克符此頌，專明煦日發生鋪地錦，所以有驪珠光燦爛，蟾桂影婆娑之句，乃是存境而奪人，故曰覿面無差互，還應滯網羅。奪人之義，醍醐毒藥一道而行，具眼者方能辨別。又問：『如何是奪境不奪人？』答云：『王令已行天下遍，將軍塞外絕煙塵。』」師云：「王令已行天下遍，是奪了境；將軍塞外絕煙塵，是存人而不奪。頌曰：『奪境不奪人，尋言何處真。』」師云：「也須閑處作隄防。『問禪禪是妄，究理理非親。』」師云：「好事不如無。『日照寒光澹，山遙翠色新。』」師云：「貧兒思舊債。『直饒玄會得，也是眼中塵。』」師云：「自起自倒。爾要會日照寒光澹，山遙翠色新麼？此兩句是境。直饒玄會得，也是眼中塵，便奪了也。其餘人境兩俱奪，人境俱不奪，盡是依語就學家問處答。又問：『如何是人境兩俱奪？』答云：『并汾絕信，獨處一方。』便有人境兩俱奪面目。頌曰：『人境兩俱奪，從來正令行。』」師云：「已落第二。『不論佛與祖，那說聖凡情。』」師云：「買石得雲饒。『擬犯吹毛劍，還如值木盲。』」師云：「識法者懼。『進前求妙會，特地斬精靈。』」師云：「前箭猶輕後箭深。『正令既行，不留佛祖。』到這裏，進之退之，性命都在師家手裏，如吹毛劍不可犯其鋒。又問：『如何是人境俱不奪？』答云：『王登寶殿，野老謳歌。』頌曰：『人境俱不奪，思量意不偏。』」師云：「會麼？是法住法位。『主賓言不異。』」師云：「世間相常住。『問答理俱全。』」師云：「添一毫不得，減一毫不得。『蹋破澄潭月。』」師云：「猶有這箇在。『穿開碧落天。』」師云：「勞而無功。『不能明妙用。』」師云：「動著即錯。『淪溺在無緣。』」師云：「却依舊處著。這箇是適來上座請益底公案，謂之四料揀。爾若要分明理會得臨濟意，但向他當時垂示處看。如何看？山僧有時奪人不奪境，有時奪境不奪人，有時人境兩俱奪，有時人境俱不奪。若恁麼便是，爾若作山僧有時奪人不奪境，有時奪境不奪人，有時人境兩俱奪，有時人境俱不奪，便不是了也。所以五祖師翁有言：『如何是祖師西來意？庭前柏樹子。』恁麼會，便不是了也。如何是祖師西來意？庭前柏樹子。恁麼會，方始是。爾諸人還會麼？這般說話，莫道爾諸人理會不得，妙喜也自理會不得。我此門中無理會得、理會不得，蚊子上鐵牛，無爾下嘴處。須信古人垂慈，則有法無法；不垂慈，道眼未開，大法未明，豈免向他人口裏覓禪覓道、覓玄覓妙。覓得了唯恐人知及，至說時又恐說盡了，末後無可說。這箇是無限量底法，爾以有限量心，擬窮他落處，且莫錯。只如世尊在靈山會上，百萬眾前拈華普示，獨迦葉破顏微笑，何曾怕人知？又何曾密室裏傳授來？我這裏禪，許爾眾人聞，不許爾眾人會，如上所解註者四料揀，爾諸人齊聞齊會了，臨濟之意果如是乎？若只如是，臨濟宗旨豈到今日？爾諸人聞妙喜說得落，將謂止如此，我實向爾道：『此是第一等惡口。』若記著一箇元字脚，便是生死根本也。爾諸人諸方學得底玄中又玄、妙中又妙，是甚麼屎禪，一向𡎺在皮袋裏，將謂實有恁麼事，莫錯。諸上座！爾真箇要參妙喜禪，盡將諸方學得底，掃向他方世界，百不知、百不會，虛却心來，共爾理會。」復說偈云：「無諸比丘名近悅，為母王氏請普說，妙喜便登曲彔床，忉忉怛怛恣饒舌。從來法本離言詮，不假思量與分別，說甚地獄及天堂，四聖六凡俱泯絕，縱有魔王欲作難，金剛寶劍當頭截。王氏養子要參禪，只這一念永不滅，彈指頓明諸法門，釋迦彌勒齊超越。還如塗毒鼓當軒，一擊聞之皆腦裂，無邊煩惱悉蠲除，夙業舊殃湯沃雪。末後一句為重宣，凝然萬里一條鐵。」喝一喝，下座。

Chan practitioner Yue requested a general discourse. A monk asked, "Linji instructed the assembly, saying: 'Sometimes I take away the person but do not take away the environment; sometimes I take away the environment but do not take away the person; sometimes I take away both person and environment; sometimes I take away neither person nor environment.' What is taking away the person but not taking away the environment?" The Master said, "Three thousand miles away, doubts and disputes cease." The monk proceeded, "What is taking away the environment but not taking away the person?" The Master said, "Pull out the wedge in your eye." The monk proceeded, "Linji said, 'The warm sun brings forth life, spreading an embroidered carpet upon the earth; the infant's hanging hair is white as silk.' I wonder if this is the same as or different from the Venerable's answer?" The Master said, "A dog that chews on a human shit-stick is no good dog." The monk proceeded, "What about when 'the king's decree has already circulated throughout the empire, and beyond the frontiers the general puts an end to smoke and dust'?" The Master said, "Just now it was still tolerable; now it is even more wretched." The monk asked, "'For the Bhagavāns of the ten directions, there is a single road to the gate of nirvāṇa.' I wonder: is Lady Wang dead or alive today?" The Master said, "Alive or dead?" The monk proceeded, "'From past to present it should never fall; distinctly it is right before the eyes.'" The Master said, "Pull out the arrow from behind the head." The monk proceeded, "What if a person comes who, throughout the twelve hours of the day, does not rely on a single thing—would the Master still receive him?" The Master said, "What do you call 'a single thing'?" The monk proceeded, "One cannot repeat the verse again." The Master said, "Obstructive enough to kill a person!"

The Master then said: "'Alive or dead? Neither gain nor loss; do not say, do not say; there is principle and there are phenomena.' If you gain an entry point in the place where there is principle and phenomena, you will merely be bobbing up and down within the scriptural vehicles. If you gain an entry point in the place of neither gain nor loss, I dare guarantee that throughout the twelve periods of the day you will still have no place to settle your body and establish your life. Since you have no place to settle your body and establish your life, you do not know where Lady Wang has landed. If you know Lady Wang's whereabouts, then you know your own place to settle your body and establish your life. Tell me: right now, is Lady Wang alive, or is she dead? Is she unborn, or does she not die? If you say she is unborn, what can be done about death? If you say she does not die, what can be done about birth? If you say she is both alive and dead, that again is frivolous discourse. If you say she is neither alive nor dead, that again is a contradictory statement. Even if you depart from the four propositions and extinguish the hundred negations, directly like a bright mirror facing the stand or a brilliant pearl in the palm—when a barbarian comes, a barbarian appears; when a Han comes, a Han appears—under the feet of each and every person it is cleanly naked and brightly distinct, birth and death are like dreams, illusions, and flowers in the sky, and coming and going are like floating clouds and the moon in water—still, this is not yet the ultimate place. Even if you see in accordance with reality that past birth was originally never born and today's extinction was originally never extinguished, this too is speaking of dreams where there is no dream. Why so? Born yet unborn is the image in a mirror; extinguished yet unextinguished is the moon in water. Right at such a time, where is Lady Wang's point of emergence? If you can understand thoroughly, Lady Wang right now walks hand in hand with all of you, together entering the Tathāgata's great sea of tranquil extinction. If perhaps you cannot, 'There are cold and heat that curtail your life; there are ghosts and spirits that envy your blessings.'"

The Master also said: "This was Senior Jinyue's intention in requesting this old fellow Miaoxi to preach the Dharma for his mother, Lady Wang. But how is the Dharma to be preached? Have you not heard it said: 'The Dharma cannot be seen, heard, sensed, or known. If one practices seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing, this is merely seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing, not seeking the Dharma.' Since seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing cannot serve to enter the Way, could it be that not seeing, not hearing, not sensing, and not knowing is it?" After a long pause, he said in a loud voice: "What else could it be? Miaoxi has preached with all his might, yet can only preach up to here. This matter definitely does not lie in words. Therefore, the past sages appeared in the world one after another, each using skillful means, chattering and lamenting, solely fearing that people would become bogged down in words. If it lay in words, the five thousand and forty-eight fascicles of the great Canon preach the provisional and the real, preach existence and non-existence, preach the sudden and the gradual—how could they be without words? Why then did Bodhidharma come from the West and say: 'A separate transmission of the mind-seal, not establishing written words and speech, directly pointing to the human mind, seeing one's nature and becoming a buddha'? Why did he not speak of transmitting the mysterious, transmitting the wondrous, or transmitting speech and words? It was only desired that each person directly clarify their own original mind and see their own original nature. Having no choice in the matter, speaking of 'mind' and speaking of 'nature' was already a great mess. If you wish to pull out the roots of birth and death completely, you must by no means memorize what I say. Even if you can recite the entire great Canon like pouring water from a pitcher, that is called carrying dung in, not carrying dung out; instead, it becomes a slight obstruction to your own right view and knowledge so that it cannot appear, and your own spiritual penetrations cannot be revealed. You will merely play with the light and shadows before your eyes, comprehending Chan, comprehending the Way, comprehending mind, comprehending nature, comprehending the extraordinary, and comprehending the mysterious and wondrous. It is much like swinging a stick to hit the moon, vainly wasting mental energy—the Tathāgata called such people pitiful.

Whenever the ancients uttered a word or half a phrase, they set up a vajra-ring or a chestnut-burr, having you swallow it and having you penetrate it. If one is an outstanding, uniquely liberated person who transcends emotional dust and goes beyond rational nature, what kind of monkey-tamer's props or offerings to inspect ghosts and spirits would a vajra-ring or chestnut-burr be? Because you cannot realize in a single thought that conditioned arising is unborn, and merely make your living entirely around mind, intellect, and consciousness, as soon as you see an ancestral teacher open his mouth, you search for the mysterious and wondrous in his mouth. Consequently, you are flipped head over heels by the ancestral teacher; you still do not know the whereabouts of your own fundamental destiny, beneath your feet is pitch black, and as before you are just a lacquer bucket. Take, for example, the dialogue on taking away the person but not taking away the environment that the Senior asked about just now: he only knew how to recite it from a book, and when I answered him according to the Dharma, he could not comprehend it again; before one section of questioning was finished, he asked another, just like villagers playing a game of passing the word. Now, not begrudging vocal karma, I will entangle in vines and annotate it for you all once.

One day Linji showed the assembly, saying: 'Sometimes I take away the person but do not take away the environment; sometimes I take away the environment but do not take away the person; sometimes I take away both person and environment; sometimes I take away neither person nor environment. Do you understand?' After a long pause, he looked left and right, and stepped down from the seat. This very thing is the vajra-king precious sword. As I said yesterday, put centipedes, venomous snakes, scorpions, and all kinds of poisons into a single jar, and try sticking your hand inside to pick out one that is not poisonous and see. If you can pick it out, you will indeed have a slight accord with this matter; if you cannot pick it out, it is simply that your capacity is dull and you have lacked spiritual bones from past lives—you cannot blame Miaoxi. When Linji uttered those few words of idle talk back then, his original face was fully present; it is simply that you cannot see it. If you grasp this meaning, then ever since the disorder of the Hu barbarians, for thirty years you will lack neither salt nor sauce; chanting praises on the bell tower, planting vegetables under the bedposts, and the like—you will not need to ask anyone, and will naturally know where each and every thing lands. When the ancients offered an expedient, was it an idle opening of the mouth? You must know that within the soft mud there are thorns.

At that time, there was the practitioner Kefu, who understood Linji's meaning, and stepped forward to ask: 'What is taking away the person but not taking away the environment?' Linji at that time—who knows where he got so much idle talk—matched it together just right and said: 'The warm sun brings forth life, spreading an embroidered carpet upon the earth; the infant's hanging hair is white as silk.' Do you all understand? 'The warm sun brings forth life, spreading an embroidered carpet upon the earth' is the environment; 'the infant's hanging hair is white as silk' is the person. Of these two lines, one preserves the environment, and one takes away the person. Kefu also composed a verse, saying: 'Taking away the person but not taking away the environment, / It naturally carries a contradiction.'" The Master said, "What contradiction is there?" "'Intending to seek the profound purport, / Does one conversely blame deliberate thought?'" The Master said, "Falsely accusing another of a crime." "'The dragon pearl shines brilliantly; / The shadows of the toad-cassia tree sway gently.'" The Master said, "Why didn't you speak like this earlier?" "'Face to face there is no discrepancy, / Yet one must still be trapped in the net.'" The Master said, "Vaguely resembling a tune, it is barely listenable, / Yet again it is blown by the wind into a different key. This verse basically rests upon 'The dragon pearl shines brilliantly; the shadows of the toad-cassia tree sway gently.' For these two lines are the environment. When the student asks about not taking away the environment, 'Intending to seek the profound purport, does one conversely blame deliberate thought?' The main idea is simply that it cannot be deliberated or conjectured; the one who deliberates and conjectures is the person. Missing the single move presented face to face, one is immediately trapped in the net of words. This verse of Kefu's specifically clarifies 'The warm sun brings forth life, spreading an embroidered carpet upon the earth,' which is why it has the lines 'The dragon pearl shines brilliantly; the shadows of the toad-cassia tree sway gently.' This is preserving the environment while taking away the person; hence it says, 'Face to face there is no discrepancy, yet one must still be trapped in the net.' In the principle of taking away the person, ghee and poison travel the same road; only one with eyes can distinguish them.

He also asked: 'What is taking away the environment but not taking away the person?' The answer was: 'The king's decree has already circulated throughout the empire; beyond the frontiers the general puts an end to smoke and dust.'" The Master said, "'The king's decree has already circulated throughout the empire' takes away the environment; 'Beyond the frontiers the general puts an end to smoke and dust' preserves the person without taking him away. The verse says: 'Taking away the environment but not taking away the person, / Seeking words, where is the real?'" The Master said, "One must also be on guard in quiet places." "'Asking about Chan, Chan is false; / Investigating principle, principle is distant.'" The Master said, "A good thing is not as good as nothing." "'The sun shines, cold light is faint; / The mountains are distant, emerald colors fresh.'" The Master said, "A poor boy brooding over old debts." "'Even if you understand the mysterious, / It is still dust in the eye.'" The Master said, "Rising by oneself, falling by oneself. Do you want to understand 'The sun shines, cold light is faint; the mountains are distant, emerald colors fresh'? These two lines are the environment. 'Even if you understand the mysterious, it is still dust in the eye' immediately takes it away. The rest, taking away both person and environment, and taking away neither person nor environment, were all answered following the words and according to where the student asked.

He also asked: 'What is taking away both person and environment?' The answer was: 'Bing and Fen have cut off news; dwelling alone in one region.' This immediately reveals the countenance of taking away both person and environment. The verse says: 'Taking away both person and environment, / From the beginning the correct decree has been executed.'" The Master said, "Already fallen into the secondary." "'Regardless of buddhas or patriarchs, / How could it speak of the feelings of sages and ordinary people?'" The Master said, "Buying stones, one gets clouds thrown into the bargain." "'Intending to challenge the hair-blowing sword / Is like a blind turtle encountering a piece of wood.'" The Master said, "Those who know the law are afraid." "'Stepping forward to seek a wondrous understanding, / It specifically slashes the goblin.'" The Master said, "The first arrow was still light; the second arrow goes deep. 'The correct decree having been executed, it spares neither buddhas nor patriarchs.' Arriving here, advancing or retreating, life and death are entirely in the master's hands, like a hair-blowing sword whose edge cannot be crossed.

He also asked: 'What is taking away neither person nor environment?' The answer was: 'The king ascends the jeweled palace; the rustic old man sings folk songs.' The verse says: 'Taking away neither person nor environment, / The deliberating intention does not deviate.'" The Master said, "Do you understand? This phenomenon abides in its phenomenal position." "'Host and guest speak no different words.'" The Master said, "The characteristics of the worldly realm are permanent." "'Question and answer are both complete in principle.'" The Master said, "You cannot add a single hair, nor take away a single hair." "'Treading upon the moon in the clear pool.'" The Master said, "There is still this present." "'Piercing through the blue sky.'" The Master said, "Labor without merit." "'Unable to clarify the wondrous functioning.'" The Master said, "As soon as you stir, you are wrong." "'Sinking into the conditionless.'" The Master said, "Returning to abide in the original place. This is the gong'an that the Senior inquired about just now, called the Four Selections. If you wish to clearly understand Linji's meaning, just look at what he instructed at that time. How to look? 'Sometimes I take away the person but do not take away the environment; sometimes I take away the environment but do not take away the person; sometimes I take away both person and environment; sometimes I take away neither person nor environment.' If it is like this, then it is correct. If you take it as 'Sometimes I take away the person but do not take away the environment; sometimes I take away the environment but do not take away the person; sometimes I take away both person and environment; sometimes I take away neither person nor environment,' then it is no longer correct. Therefore my grandfather-master Wuzu had a saying: 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West? The cypress tree in the courtyard.' If you understand it like this, it is not correct. 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West? The cypress tree in the courtyard.' Only when you understand it like this is it correct. Do you all understand? As for talk of this kind, do not say that you cannot comprehend it; Miaoxi himself cannot comprehend it either. In my gate there is no comprehending or not comprehending; like a mosquito on an iron ox, there is no place for you to put your beak.

You must trust that when the ancients extended compassion, there was Dharma and no Dharma; if they did not extend compassion, when the eye of the Way was not yet opened and the Great Dharma was not yet illuminated, how could you avoid searching in other people's mouths for Chan, for the Way, for the mysterious, and for the wondrous? Having searched and found it, you only fear people will know; and when it comes time to speak, you again fear speaking it all, so that in the end there is nothing left to say. This is an limitless Dharma; if you intend to exhaust its whereabouts with a limited mind, do not make a mistake! Take, for example, the World-Honoured One at the assembly on Vulture Peak: before hundreds of thousands in the gathering, he held up a flower and showed it to everyone, and only Kāśyapa broke into a smile—when did he ever fear people knowing? And when was it ever transmitted in a secret room? Here with me, the Chan is permitted for you all to hear, but not permitted for you all to understand. Regarding the Four Selections explained and annotated above, if you all hear them together and understand them together, was Linji's intention really like this? If it were only like this, how could the Linji school have reached today? When you hear Miaoxi speak thoroughly, you will assume it stops at this. I tell you truly: 'This is slander of the first order.' If you hold on to a single stroke of the character yuan, that very thing is the root of birth and death. What you all have learned throughout the various quarters—the mystery within mystery, the wonder within wonder—what kind of shit Chan is that? Constantly stuffing it into your skin-bags, you assume there really is such a thing! Do not make a mistake!

Seniors! If you truly want to practice Miaoxi's Chan, take everything you have learned in the various quarters and sweep it away into other world realms; knowing nothing, understanding nothing, empty your minds and come, and I will investigate it together with you." He then spoke a verse, saying:

"A monk of Wuzhu named Jinyue,
Requested a general discourse for his mother, Lady Wang.
Miaoxi then ascended the curved-back chair,
Chattering and lamenting, freely wagging his tongue.
From the beginning, the Dharma is inherently free from verbal explanation;
It requires no deliberation or discrimination.
What need to speak of hell and heaven?
The four sages and six ordinarles are completely obliterated.
Even if demon kings wish to cause trouble,
The vajra precious sword cuts them off right at the head.
Lady Wang raised a son who seeks to practice Chan;
This single thought alone will never perish.
In the snap of a finger, all dharma gates are suddenly illuminated;
Śākyamuni and Maitreya are equally surpassed.
Just like the poison-smeared drum placed before the hall,
With a single strike, all who hear it have their brains split open.
Boundless afflictions are entirely cleared away;
Past karma and ancient calamities melt like snow in boiling water.
For her, I proclaim once more the ultimate phrase:
Motionless, ten thousand miles of a single strip of iron."

He gave a shout and stepped down from the seat.