[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) › 24.16 # 大慧普覺禪師語錄 24.16 大慧普覺禪師語錄 24.16 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [24.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.24.16) 衲子參禪，要明心地，秀才讀書，須當及第。讀書五車而不及第，終身只是箇秀才，喚作官人即錯；參禪衲子心地不明，則不能了生死大事，終身只是箇破凡夫，喚作佛即錯。只這兩錯，實有恁麼事？實無恁麼事？言實有，則讀書人及第做官者時時見之；言實無，則參禪人作佛未嘗目擊。以此易彼，八兩半斤耳。此說至淺近而至深遠，往往學者，以有所得心，參向無所得處，墮坑落塹多矣。雲門此語遂成虛設，真所謂醍醐上味為世所珍，遇斯等人翻成毒藥。昔智常禪師至曹谿見祖師，舉大通和尚所示心要，祖師據其所疑，為說偈曰：「不見一法存無見，大似浮雲遮日面，不知一法守空知，還如太虛生閃電。此之知見瞥然興，錯認何曾解方便，汝當一念自知非，自己靈光常顯現。」常聞偈當下疑情頓釋，大悟祖師方便，乃述一偈呈祖師，末云：「不入祖師室，茫然趣兩頭。」妙詮禪人要知，實有恁麼事、實無恁麼事落處麼？莫管凡夫與佛，秀才與官人，但識取雲門方便。苟能識得，潮陽去曹谿不遠；其或未然，脚跟下且照顧大顛和尚。 > When patch-robed monks practice Chan, they must clarify the mind-ground; when scholars study books, they must pass the examinations. If one reads five cartloads of books and yet does not pass the examinations, for his whole life he is merely a scholar—to call him an official is a mistake. If a Chan-practicing patch-robed monk does not clarify the mind-ground, he cannot resolve the great matter of birth and death; for his whole life he is merely a wretched worldling—to call him a buddha is a mistake. Regarding these two mistakes, is there really such a thing, or is there really no such thing? If one says there really is, one often sees scholars who pass the examinations and become officials; if one says there really is not, one has never witnessed with one's own eyes a Chan practitioner becoming a buddha. Trading this for that is just eight ounces against half a pound. This talk is extremely shallow and close at hand, yet extremely deep and far-reaching. Students often, with a mind of having attainment, practice toward the place of no attainment, falling into pits and dropping into trenches in great numbers. These words of Yunmen thus become a vain contrivance, truly what is called the finest flavor of ghee prized by the world turning into poison when encountering such people. In the past, Chan Master Zhichang went to Caoxi to see the Patriarch, and cited the essentials of mind shown by Master Datong. Based on his doubts, the Patriarch spoke a verse for him: / 'Not seeing a single dharma, yet preserving a view of nothingness, / Is much like floating clouds veiling the face of the sun. / Not knowing a single dharma, yet keeping a knowledge of emptiness, / Is still like lightning flashing in great space. / When this knowledge and view suddenly arise, / Mistakenly recognizing them, how could one understand skillful means? / If in a single thought you yourself know you are wrong, / Your own spiritual light will constantly manifest.' / Hearing the verse, Chang immediately dispelled his lingering doubt on the spot and greatly awakened to the Patriarch's skillful means. He then composed a verse and presented it to the Patriarch, which ended: 'Without entering the Patriarch's room, / Vainly I tended toward the two extremes.' / Chan practitioner Miaoquan, do you wish to know the resting place of whether there really is such a thing or really no such thing? Pay no attention to worldling and buddha, scholar and official; just recognize Yunmen's skillful means. If you can recognize it, Chaoyang is not far from Caoxi; but if not yet so, under your feet just look after Master Dadian. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 24.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.24.15) - [Next: 24.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.24.17) - [Up: 24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.24) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a~en-mt.24.16) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.24.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.24.16) · Pramāṇa