[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) › 25.12 # 大慧普覺禪師語錄 25.12 大慧普覺禪師語錄 25.12 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [25.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.12) 承諭：「外息諸緣，內心無喘，可以入道，是方便門，借方便門以入道則可，守方便而不捨則為病。」誠如來語，山野讀之不勝歡喜，踊躍之至。今諸方漆桶輩，只為守方便而不捨，以實法指示人，以故瞎人眼不少，所以山野作辯邪正說以救之。近世魔彊法弱，以湛入合湛為究竟者，不可勝數；守方便不捨為宗師者，如麻似粟。山野近嘗與衲子輩舉此兩段，正如來書所說不差一字，非左右留心般若中，念念不間斷，則不能洞曉從上諸聖諸異方便也。公已捉著杷柄矣，既得杷柄在手，何慮不捨方便門而入道耶？但只如此做工夫，看經教并古人語錄，種種差別言句，亦只如此做工夫，如須彌山，放下著，狗子無佛性話，竹篦子話，一口吸盡西江水話，庭前柏樹子話，亦只如此做工夫，更不得別生異解，別求道理，別作伎倆也。公能向急流中，時時自如此提掇，道業若不成就，則佛法無靈驗矣。記取記取。承夜夢焚香入山僧之室甚從容，切不得作夢會，須知是真入室。不見舍利弗問須菩提：「夢中說六波羅蜜，與覺時同別？」須菩提云：「此義幽深，吾不能說，此會有彌勒大士，汝往彼問。」咄！漏逗不少，雪竇云：「當時若不放過，隨後與一剳，誰名彌勒，誰是彌勒者，便見氷消瓦解。」咄！雪竇亦漏逗不少。或有人問：「只如曾待制夜夢入雲門之室，且道：與覺時同別？」雲門即向他道：「誰是入室者，誰是為入室者，誰是作夢者，誰是說夢者，誰是不作夢會者，誰是真入室者？」咄！亦漏逗不少。 > I received your instruction: 'To cease all conditions externally and have no panting within the mind enables one to enter the Way—this is an expedient gate. Borrowing the expedient gate to enter the Way is acceptable, but clinging to the expedient without letting go is a sickness.' Indeed, it is just as your letter says; reading it, this mountain monk rejoiced beyond measure, leaping with joy. The lacquer buckets everywhere today simply cling to expedients and will not let go, showing people real dharmas, and because of this they blind no small number of people's eyes; therefore, this mountain monk composed the discourse distinguishing the heterodox from the orthodox to rescue them. In recent times, māras are strong and the Dharma is weak; those who take merging into serenity as the ultimate are beyond count, and those who cling to expedients without letting go and act as lineage teachers are like hemp and millet. Recently, this mountain monk brought up these two points with patch-robed monks, exactly as stated in your letter without differing by a single word; unless you keep your mind attentive to prajñā, thought after thought without interruption, you could not thoroughly understand the various different expedients of all the sages from of old. You have already grasped the handle; having obtained the handle in your hand, why worry about not letting go of the expedient gate and entering the Way? Just apply effort in this manner: when reading the scriptures and teachings as well as the recorded sayings of the ancients with their various differentiated words and phrases, apply effort just like this; with 'like Mount Sumeru, put it down,' the 'a dog has no buddha-nature' topic, the bamboo comb topic, the 'swallow all the water of the West River in a single gulp' topic, and the 'cypress tree in the courtyard' topic, also apply effort just like this, and on no account give rise to separate, divergent interpretations, seek other principles, or employ other contrivances. If you can constantly hold this up and examine it by yourself in the rushing torrent, then if your practice of the Way is not accomplished, the Buddha Dharma has no efficacy! Remember this, remember this. You mention that in a night dream you burned incense and entered this mountain monk's room very leisurely; on no account take it as a dream—you must know that it was truly entering the room. Have you not seen Śāriputra asking Subhūti: 'Is expounding the six pāramitās in a dream the same as or different from when awake?' Subhūti said: 'This meaning is profound; I cannot speak of it. In this assembly is the Great Being Maitreya; go ask him.' Bah! No small leak! Xuedou said: 'If at that time he had not let him pass, but followed right behind with a jab: "Who is named Maitreya? Who is Maitreya?"—then you would see ice melting and tiles shattering.' Bah! Xuedou also had no small leak! Someone might ask: 'Leaving that aside, as for Drafter Zeng entering Yunmen's room in a night dream, tell me: is it the same as or different from when awake?' Yunmen would say to him: 'Who is the one entering the room? Who is the one for whom the room is entered? Who is the one having the dream? Who is the one speaking of the dream? Who is the one who does not take it as a dream? Who is the one truly entering the room?' Bah! Also no small leak! > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 25.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.11) - [Next: 25.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.13) - [Up: 25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a~en-mt.25.12) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.12) · Pramāṇa