大慧普覺禪師語錄 21.9

21.9

既已知有此段大事因緣，決定不從人得，則便好頓捨外塵，時時向自己脚跟下推窮，推來推去，內不見有能推之心，外不見有所推之境，淨裸裸赤灑灑沒可把，如水上放葫蘆，無人動著，常蕩蕩地拘牽他不得，惹絆他不得，撥著便動，觸著便轉，如是自在、如是瞥脫、如是靈聖，不與千聖同途，不與衲僧徣借，直能號令佛祖，佛祖號令他不得。當人知是般事，便好猛著精彩，向百尺竿頭快進一步，如進得這一步，則不異善財童子，於普賢毛孔剎中，行一步過不可說不可說佛剎微塵數世界。如是而行，盡未來劫猶不能知一毛孔中剎海次第，剎海藏，剎海差別，剎海普入，剎海成，剎海壞，剎海莊嚴所有邊際，似這般境界，亦不是外邊起心用意修證得來，只是當人脚跟下本來具足底道理耳。不見德山和尚有言：「汝但無事於心，無心於事。」則虛而靈，空而妙；若毛端許言之本末者，皆為自欺。何故？毫釐繫念三塗業因，瞥爾情生萬劫羈鎖，聖名凡號盡是虛聲，殊相劣形皆為幻色。汝欲求之得無累乎？及其厭之又成大患。恁麼說話，棒打石人頭，嚗嚗論實事。前所云內不見有能推之心，外不見有所推之境，便是這箇道理也。這箇道理向事上覷則疾，若向意根下思量卜度，則轉疎轉遠矣。所以釋迦老子在法華會上，只度得箇八歲底女人，華嚴會上只度得箇童子，涅槃會上只度得箇屠兒，看他這三箇成佛底樣子，又何曾向外取證，辛勤修學來？佛亦只言：「我今為汝保任此事，終不虛也。」只說為他保任而已，且不說有法可傳，令汝向外馳求然後成佛。幸有如此體格，何故不信？苟能直下信得及，不向外馳求，亦不於心內取證，則二六時中隨處解脫。何以故？既不向外馳求，則內心寂靜；既不於心內取證，則外境幽閑。故祖師云：「境緣無好醜，好醜起於心，心若不彊名，妄情從何起？妄情既不起，真心任遍知。」當知內心外境，只是一事，切忌作兩般看。記得溈山問仰山：「妙淨明心，子作麼生會？」仰山云：「山河大地，日月星辰。」溈山云：「汝只得其事。」仰山云：「和尚適來問甚麼？」溈山云：「妙淨明心。」仰山云：「喚作事得麼？」溈山云：「如是如是。」觀使師重，身生富貴之家，不為富貴囚執，而夙植德本，自然知有此段不可思議事，可以於生死岸頭，為舟為航、為憑為仗，故時時退步，肯向脚跟下推究，乃為立道號曰妙淨居士。師重勉之，行住坐臥造次顛沛，不可忘了妙淨明心之義，妄念起時不必用力排遣，只舉僧問趙州：「狗子還有佛性也無？」州云：「無。」舉來舉去，和這舉話底亦不見有。只這知不見有底亦不見有，然後此語亦無所受，驀地於無所受處，不覺失聲大笑，一巡時便是歸家穩坐處也。多言多語，返相鈍置，且截斷葛藤。

Since you already know of this matter of the great cause and that it is definitely not obtained from another person, it is best to suddenly cast off external dust and at all times investigate beneath your own heels. Investigating back and forth, internally you do not see a mind capable of investigating, and externally you do not see an object that is investigated: cleanly stripped and starkly exposed, with nothing to take hold of. It is like setting a gourd upon the water: untouched by anyone, it constantly drifts freely—it cannot be tethered, it cannot be snagged; prodded, it moves at once; touched, it turns at once. Being free like this, swift like this, spiritually miraculous like this, it does not share the same path with the thousand sages, nor does it borrow from patch-robed monks; directly able to command the buddhas and patriarchs, the buddhas and patriarchs cannot command it. When someone knows such a matter, they should rouse their spirits and quickly take a step forward from the top of the hundred-foot pole. If you can take this step, you will be no different from the youth Sudhana, who within a single pore-realm of Samantabhadra, in taking a single step, traversed worlds as numerous as the dust motes of inexpressibly inexpressible buddha-realms. Walking in this way, even exhausting all future kalpas, one still cannot know the succession of the ocean of realms within a single pore, the treasury of the ocean of realms, the distinctions of the ocean of realms, the universal entry of the ocean of realms, the formation of the ocean of realms, the destruction of the ocean of realms, and all the limits of the adornments of the ocean of realms. Such a realm as this is also not obtained by raising the mind, applying the intellect, and practicing to verify from the outside; it is simply the principle fundamentally complete beneath one's own heels. Have you not seen that Reverend Deshan said: "If you simply have no affairs in the mind and no mind in affairs," then you will be vacuous yet miraculous, empty yet wondrous. If you speak of roots and branches to the extent of a hair's tip, all of it is self-deception. Why so? A hairsbreadth of clinging thought is the karmic cause for the three evil destinies; a flash of emotional attachment becomes the shackles of ten thousand kalpas. Holy titles and mundane names are all empty sounds; extraordinary marks and inferior forms are all illusory shapes. If you wish to seek them, how could you be free of entanglement? And when it comes to being averse to them, that again becomes a great affliction. Speaking in such a manner is striking a stone person's head with a staff—clanging soundly, discussing real affairs! What was said earlier—internally not seeing a mind capable of investigating and externally not seeing an object investigated—is precisely this principle. If you look into this principle on the basis of affairs, it is quick; if you deliberate and speculate from beneath the intellect, you will drift further and further away. Therefore, old Śākya in the Lotus assembly only delivered an eight-year-old girl; in the Avataṃsaka assembly, he only delivered a boy; in the Nirvāṇa assembly, he only delivered a butcher. Look at the ways these three became buddhas: did they ever seek verification externally or study with arduous practice? The Buddha merely said: "I now preserve this matter for you; it will never be in vain." He only spoke of preserving it for them, and never said that there is a Dharma to be transmitted, making you chase outside and only then become a buddha. Fortunately having such an archetype, why do you not believe? If you can directly have complete faith, neither chasing externally nor seeking verification within the mind, then during the twelve periods of the day you will be liberated everywhere. Why so? Since you do not chase externally, the mind within is calm and quiet; since you do not seek verification within the mind, external objects are tranquil and serene. Therefore an ancestral master said: "External conditions have neither good nor ugly; good and ugly arise from the mind. If the mind does not force names, from where could delusional sentiment arise? When delusional sentiment no longer arises, the true mind is free to know everywhere." You should know that the inner mind and external objects are just one matter; under no circumstances view them as two kinds of things. Remember that Guishan asked Yangshan: "The wondrous, pure, bright mind—how do you understand it?" Yangshan said: "Mountains, rivers, and the great earth; the sun, moon, stars, and constellations." Guishan said: "You only attain its phenomena." Yangshan said: "What did the Venerable Monk ask just now?" Guishan said: "The wondrous, pure, bright mind." Yangshan said: "Can it be called phenomena?" Guishan said: "So it is, so it is." Surveillance Commissioner Shizhong, born into an illustrious and noble family, has not been imprisoned by wealth and rank; having planted roots of virtue long ago, you naturally know that there is this inconceivable matter, which can serve as a boat and raft, as support and reliance, at the edge of the shore of birth and death. Therefore, you frequently take a step back and are willing to investigate beneath your heels. Hence I have established the style name Layman Miaojing for you. Shizhong, exert yourself! In walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, in moments of haste and upheaval, do not forget the meaning of the wondrous, pure, bright mind. When stray thoughts arise, there is no need to forcefully dispel them; simply bring up the monk asking Zhaozhou: "Does a dog have buddha-nature or not?" and Zhou saying: "No." Bringing it up back and forth, even the one who brings up the words is not seen to exist. Even this knowing that does not see anything as existing is also not seen to exist. Thereafter, these words too have nowhere to be received. Suddenly, in the place of having nowhere to be received, you will unwittingly burst into loud laughter; at that very instant, it is the place of returning home and sitting securely. Many words and much talk, on the contrary, only dull and impede you; let us cut off the vines.