[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大慧普覺禪師語錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a) › 21.3 # 大慧普覺禪師語錄 21.3 大慧普覺禪師語錄 21.3 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [21.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.21.3) 近世士大夫多欲學此道，而心不純一者，病在雜毒入心，雜毒既入其心，則觸途成滯，觸途成滯，則我見增長，我見增長，則滿眼滿耳只見他人過失，殊不能退步略自檢察看，逐日下得床來，有甚利他利己之事。能如是檢察者，謂之有智慧人。趙州云：「老僧逐日除二時粥飯是雜用心，餘外更無雜用心處。」且道：「這老漢在甚處著到？」若於這裏識得他面目，始可說行亦禪、坐亦禪，語默動靜體安然。未能如是，當時時退步向自己脚跟下子細推窮，我能知他人好惡長短底，是凡是聖？是有是無？推窮來推窮去，到無可推窮處，如老鼠入牛角，驀地偷心絕，則便是當人四楞塌地歸家穩坐處。妙喜不得已說這惡口，於了事漢分上看來，正是不識好惡，撒屎撒尿，忽然撞著箇皮下有血底，爛椎一頓也怪他不得。今既無其人，不妨教這漢恣意亂說，已是不識好惡，不免向泥裏洗土說些沒滋味話。然第一不得向我說處會，此是士大夫作聰明底第一義也。世間出世間法，不得言一、不得言二，不得言有、不得言無。一二有無，於光明藏中亦謂之毒藥，亦謂之醍醐、醍醐、毒藥本無自性，作一二有無之見者，對病醫方耳。光明藏喻太虛空，一二有無喻日月晝夜，夜暗時太虛空未嘗暗，晝明時太虛空未嘗明，日月晝夜自相傾奪，如一二有無之見相傾相奪，於光明藏無異。可中有箇英靈漢，不受這般惡水潑，一念緣起無生，只這相傾相奪底，皆是當人逐日受用底家事，前所云醍醐毒藥是也。士大夫學此道，多求速效，宗師未開口時，早將心意識領解了也。及乎緩緩地根著一，似落湯螃蟹手忙脚亂無討頭處，殊不知閻家老子面前受鐵棒吞熱鐵圓者，便是這領解、求速效者，更不是別人，所謂希得返失，務精益麁，如來說為可憐愍者。近世士大夫，千萬人中覓一箇半箇無此病者，了不可得。紹興丙子秋，經由鄂渚邂逅熊使君叔雅，一見傾倒，便以此道相契，却能退步向實頭處著到，如說而行，不似泛泛者，彊知彊會彊領略，直要到古人脚蹋實地處，不疑佛、不疑孔子、不疑老君，然後借老君、孔子、佛鼻孔要自出氣，真勇猛精進勝丈夫所為，願猛著精彩，努力向前，說處行處已不錯，但少噴地一下而已。若有進無退，日用二六時中應緣處不間斷，則噴地一下亦不難。然第一不得存心在噴地一下處，若有此心，則被此心障却路頭矣。但於日用應緣處不昧，則日月浸久，自然打成一片。何者？為應緣處，喜時怒時，判斷公事時，與賓客相酬酢時，與妻子聚會時，心思善惡時，觸境遇緣時，皆是噴地一發時節，千萬記取，千萬記取。世間情念起時，不必用力排遣，前日已曾上聞，但只舉僧問：「趙州狗子還有佛性也無？」州云：「無。」纔舉起這一字，世間情念自怗怗地矣。多言復多語，由來返相誤，千說萬說，只是這些子道理。驀然於無字上絕却性命，這些道理亦是眼中花。 > In recent times, many literati wish to study this Way, but their minds are not pure and focused. Their ailment lies in mixed poison entering their minds. Once the mixed poison has entered their minds, they meet with obstruction at every turn. When they meet with obstruction at every turn, views of self grow. When views of self grow, their eyes and ears see only the faults of others, and they are utterly unable to take a step back and examine themselves a little to see, having gotten out of bed each day, what benefit to others or benefit to themselves there has been. Those who can examine themselves in this way are called people of wisdom. Zhaozhou said: “Apart from the two meals of gruel and rice each day, where this old monk uses his mind in a mixed way, there is no other place where I use my mind in a mixed way.” Now tell me: where did this old fellow apply his effort? If you can recognize his countenance right here, only then can it be said that walking is Chan, sitting is Chan, whether speaking or silent, moving or still, the essence is at peace. If you cannot yet be like this, you should constantly take a step back and examine minutely under your own feet: is that which can know the good and bad, strengths and shortcomings of others mundane or sacred? Is it existent or non-existent? Examine back and forth until you reach the place where there is nothing left to examine—like a rat entering a bull’s horn, when suddenly the calculating mind is severed—then that is precisely where one collapses flat to the ground, returning home to sit securely. Out of necessity, Miaoxi utters these harsh words. Seen from the standpoint of one who has completed the matter, this is simply not knowing good from bad, spilling shit and pissing; if he suddenly bumped into someone with blood beneath the skin, who beat him into mush, he would have no right to blame him. Now, since there is no such person, it does no harm to let this fellow speak at random as he pleases; already not knowing good from bad, he cannot help but wash mud with dirt, speaking some flavorless words. However, above all, you must not understand according to where I speak; this is the primary principle of literati playing clever. In mundane and supramundane dharmas, one cannot say “one” and cannot say “two”; one cannot say “existent” and cannot say “non-existent.” “One,” “two,” “existent,” and “non-existent” within the treasury of radiance are also called poison, and also called ghee. Ghee and poison fundamentally have no intrinsic nature; to form views of one, two, existence, or non-existence is merely prescribing medicine according to the illness. The treasury of radiance is compared to great empty space; one, two, existence, and non-existence are compared to the sun, moon, day, and night. When it is dark at night, great empty space has never been dark; when it is bright by day, great empty space has never been bright. Sun, moon, day, and night displace each other, just as views of one, two, existence, and non-existence displace each other, yet with respect to the treasury of radiance, there is no difference. If among them there were a spirited fellow who did not accept having such foul water splashed on him, in a single thought where conditioned arising is unborn, just these things that displace each other would all be the everyday household affairs for the person’s daily use—what was referred to above as ghee and poison. When literati study this Way, they mostly seek quick results; before the ancestral teacher has opened his mouth, they have already grasped it with mind, intellect, and consciousness. When slowly pressed on one point, they are like crabs dropped into boiling water, hands flailing and feet scrambling, with nowhere to get their bearings. Little do they know that the one who receives the iron club and swallows the molten iron balls before Old Man Yama is precisely this one who grasps and seeks quick results, and no one else! This is what is called hoping to gain but turning out to lose, striving for subtlety but becoming ever coarser; the Tathāgata called them people to be pitied. Among modern literati, if you seek one or half a person among thousands and tens of thousands without this illness, you will never find one. In the autumn of the bingzi year of Shaoxing, passing through Ezhu, I happened to meet Governor Xiong, Shuya. Upon meeting him, I was thoroughly captivated, and we immediately accorded with each other in this Way. He is able to take a step back and apply his effort to the genuine ground, practicing as it is taught, unlike those who are superficial, forcing knowledge, forcing understanding, and forcing appreciation. He directly strives to reach the place where the ancients stood on solid ground, neither doubting the Buddha, nor doubting Confucius, nor doubting Laozi, and thereafter borrowing the nostrils of Laozi, Confucius, and the Buddha to breathe for himself. This is truly the deed of a valiant, vigorously energetic, superior man. I hope you will rouse your spirits with vigor and strive forward. What you say and where you act are already not mistaken; you only lack that sudden burst. If you only advance and do not retreat, and in your daily use during the twelve hours of the day there is no interruption in meeting conditions, then that sudden burst will also not be difficult. However, above all, you must not set your mind on that sudden burst; if you have such a mind, you will be blocked on your path by this very mind. Simply do not be benighted in meeting conditions in your daily use, and as the days and months deepen, it will naturally form a single piece. Why is that? Because the places where you meet conditions—when joyful, when angry, when judging public affairs, when socializing with guests, when gathering with wife and children, when thinking of good and evil, and when contacting objects and encountering conditions—are all times for that sudden burst to erupt. By all means remember this, by all means remember this! When mundane emotional thoughts arise, there is no need to make an effort to dispel them; as I previously informed you, simply raise the monk’s question: “Does a dog have buddha-nature or not?” Zhaozhou said: “No (Wu).” As soon as you raise this single word, mundane emotional thoughts will naturally become docile. Many words and much talk have always led people astray instead; a thousand explanations and ten thousand explanations are merely this bit of truth. If suddenly upon the word “Wu” you sever your life-root, even this bit of truth will be like flowers in the eyes. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 21.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.21.2) - [Next: 21.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.21.4) - [Up: 21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.21) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a~en-mt.21.3) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.21.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.21.3) · Pramāṇa