[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) › 25.17 # 大慧普覺禪師語錄 25.17 大慧普覺禪師語錄 25.17 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [25.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.17) 示諭：「自到城中，著衣喫飯，抱子弄孫，色色仍舊，既亡拘滯之情，亦不作奇特之想，宿習舊障亦稍輕微。」三復斯語，歡喜躍躍，此乃學佛之驗也。儻非過量大人於一笑中百了千當，則不能知吾家果有不傳之妙。若不爾者，疑怒二字法門，盡未來際終不能壞。使太虛空為雲門口，草木瓦石皆放光明助說道理，亦不柰何，方信此段因緣不可傳不可學，須是自證自悟，自肯自休，方始徹頭。公今一笑，頓亡所得，夫復何言？黃面老子曰：「不取眾生所言說，一切有為虛妄事。雖復不依言語道，亦復不著無言說。」來書所說，既亡拘滯之情，亦不作奇特之想，暗與黃面老子所言契合，即是說者名為佛說，離是說者即波旬說。山野平昔有大誓願，寧以此身代一切眾生受地獄苦，終不以此口將佛法以為人情瞎一切人眼。公既到恁麼田地，自知此事不從人得，但且仍舊更不須問，大法明未明，應機礙不礙，若作是念，則不仍舊矣。承過夏後方可復出，甚愜病僧意，若更熱荒馳求不歇，則不相當也。前日見公歡喜之甚，以故不敢說破，恐傷言語，今歡喜既定，方敢指出此事極不容易，須生慚愧始得。往往利根上智者，得之不費力，遂生容易心，便不修行，多被目前境界奪將去，作主宰不得，日久月深迷而不返，道力不能勝業力，魔得其便，定為魔所攝持，臨命終時亦不得力。千萬記取，前日之語，理則頓悟，乘悟併銷，事則漸除，因次第盡，行住坐臥切不可忘了。其餘古人種種差別言句，皆不可以為實，然亦不可以為虛，久久純熟，自然默默契自本心矣，不必別求殊勝奇特也。昔水潦和尚於採藤處問馬祖：「如何是祖師西來意？」祖云：「近前來向爾道。」水潦纔近前，馬祖攔胸一蹋蹋倒，水潦不覺起來拍手呵呵大笑，祖曰：「汝見箇甚麼道理便笑？」水潦曰：「百千法門無量妙義，今日於一毛頭上盡底識得根源去。」馬祖便不管他。雪峯知皷山緣熟，一日忽然驀胸擒住曰：「是甚麼？」皷山釋然了悟，了心便亡，唯微笑舉手搖曳而已，雪峯曰：「子作道理耶？」皷山復搖手曰：「和尚何道理之有？」雪峯便休去。蒙山道明禪師，趁盧行者至大庾嶺奪衣鉢，盧公擲於石上曰：「此衣表信，可力爭耶？」任公將去，明舉之不動，乃曰：「我求法，非為衣鉢也，願行者開示。」盧公曰：「不思善，不思惡，正當恁麼時，那箇是上座本來面目？」明當時大悟，通身汗流，泣淚作禮曰：「上來密語密意外，還更有意旨否？」盧公曰：「我今為汝說者，即非密意。汝若返照自己面目，密却在汝邊。我若說得，即不密也。」以三尊宿三段因緣，較公於一笑中釋然，優劣何如，請自斷看還更別有奇特道理麼？若更別有，則却似不曾釋然也。但知作佛，莫愁佛不解語。古來得道之士，自己既充足，推己之餘，應機接物，如明鏡當臺明珠在掌，胡來胡現漢來漢現，非著意也，若著意則有實法與人矣。公欲大法明應機無滯，但且仍舊，不必問人，久久自點頭矣。臨行面稟之語，請書於座右，此外別無說，縱有說，於公分上盡成剩語矣。葛藤太多，姑置是事。 > Your letter states: 'Since arriving in the city, putting on clothes and eating food, holding my child and playing with my grandson, everything is just as before. Having eliminated grasping feelings of obstruction, I also make no notion of anything extraordinary; past habits and old obstacles have also become slightly lighter.' Reading these words three times over, I leaped with joy; this is indeed the verification of studying Buddhism. If not an extraordinary great person who, in a single laugh, brings a hundred things to completion and a thousand things to rest, one cannot know that our house truly possesses the wonder that is not transmitted. If it were not so, the dharma-gate of the two words 'doubt' and 'anger' could ultimately never be destroyed through all future time. Even if empty space were made into Yunmen's mouth, and grasses, trees, tiles, and stones all emitted light to assist in explaining the principles, it would be of no avail. Only then does one believe that this matter cannot be transmitted and cannot be studied; one must personally verify and awaken to it oneself, personally approve and bring it to rest oneself, before one reaches the end. Now, in a single laugh, you have instantly forgotten what was attained; what more can be said? The yellow-faced old fellow said: 'Do not grasp at what sentient beings speak of, all conditioned, false, and illusory matters. Although not relying on the path of words, also do not attach to wordlessness.' What your letter says—having eliminated grasping feelings of obstruction, and also making no notion of anything extraordinary—silently accords with what the yellow-faced old fellow said. To speak in this way is called the Buddha's teaching; departing from this speech is the teaching of Pāpīmān. This rustic mountain monk in the past made a great vow: I would rather take this body to endure the suffering of hell on behalf of all sentient beings than ever use this mouth to make the Buddha-Dharma into human sentiment and blind the eyes of everyone. Since you have already reached such a stage and personally know that this matter is not obtained from others, just remain as before and do not ask whether the Great Dharma is clear or not, or whether your response to conditions is obstructed or not; if you produce such thoughts, then you are not remaining as before. Hearing that you can come out again only after spending the summer is very much to this ill monk's liking; if you were to rush about feverishly seeking without rest, it would not be fitting. The other day I saw your extreme joy, and for that reason I did not dare to expose it completely, fearing it would harm the speech; now that the joy has settled, I only now dare point out that this matter is extremely difficult—you must produce shame before you can succeed. Often those of sharp roots and superior wisdom obtain it without spending effort, and thereupon produce a mind of ease, neglecting cultivation; they are mostly snatched away by the objects before their eyes, unable to be their own master, and as days and months deepen, they go astray and do not return. When the power of the Way cannot overcome the power of karma, Māra finds his opportunity, and one is definitely taken hold of by Māra, having no strength at the end of life either. By all means remember: as for the words spoken the other day, in principle there is sudden awakening, and riding upon awakening \[delusions\] are simultaneously dissolved; in phenomena there is gradual elimination, which is exhausted through sequential stages. In walking, standing, sitting, and reclining, you must never forget this. The various differing words and phrases of the ancients can none of them be taken as real, yet neither can they be taken as empty; after a long time of thorough maturity, you will naturally and silently accord with your own original mind; there is no need to seek something distinct, superior, or extraordinary. Formerly, while picking vines, Monk Shuiliao asked Mazu: 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?' The Patriarch said: 'Come forward, and I will tell you.' As soon as Shuiliao stepped forward, Mazu kicked him squarely in the chest and knocked him down. Shuiliao unconsciously got up, clapped his hands, and laughed heartily: 'Ha, ha!' The Patriarch said: 'What principle did you see that you laugh?' Shuiliao said: 'Hundreds of thousands of dharma-gates and boundless subtle meanings—today, on the tip of a single hair, I have completely recognized their source.' Mazu then paid him no further attention. Xuefeng knew that Gushan's conditions were ripe; one day he suddenly grabbed him by the chest and said: 'What is this?' Gushan was thoroughly awakened, and his conscious mind vanished; he only smiled, raised his hands, and waved them. Xuefeng said: 'Are you making a principle of it?' Gushan again waved his hands and said: 'Venerable monk, what principle could there be?' Xuefeng then dropped it. Chan Master Daoming of Mengshan pursued Postulant Lu to the Dayu Ridge to seize the robe and bowl. Lord Lu threw them onto a rock and said: 'This robe signifies faith; can it be contended for by force?' Leaving Lord Lu to take them, Ming tried to lift them but could not move them. He then said: 'I seek the Dharma, not the robe and bowl. I pray the postulant will give me instruction.' Lord Lu said: 'Do not think of good, do not think of evil; right at this very moment, what is the elder's original face?' Ming was greatly awakened at that moment, sweat streaming all over his body; weeping tears, he bowed and said: 'Aside from the secret words and secret meanings from above, is there still any further meaning?' Lord Lu said: 'What I have spoken to you now is not a secret meaning. If you reflect back upon your own face, the secret is on your side. If I could speak it, it would not be a secret.' Taking these three elders' three cases to compare with your being relieved in a single laugh, how do they compare in excellence? Please judge for yourself and see: is there still any other extraordinary principle? If there were still something else, it would be as though you had never been relieved. Just know how to be a buddha; do not worry that the buddha does not understand words. From ancient times, when people who attained the Way had their own selves fulfilled, extending the surplus of themselves to respond to capacities and encounter phenomena, they were like a bright mirror on its stand or a luminous pearl in the palm: when a foreigner comes, a foreigner appears; when a Han person comes, a Han person appears—it is without deliberation. If one deliberates, there would be a real dharma given to people. If you wish the Great Dharma to be clear and your response to conditions unobstructed, just remain as before and have no need to ask others; after a long time, you will naturally nod in assent. As for the words personally spoken at your departure, please write them to the right of your seat. Other than this, there is nothing else to say; even if there were, for your part they would all become superfluous words. The entangling vines are too many; let us set this matter aside for now. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 25.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.16) - [Next: 25.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.18) - [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.25.17) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1998a.25.17) · Pramāṇa