大慧普覺禪師語錄 26.3

26.3

人生一世，百年光陰，能有幾許？公白屋起家，歷盡清要，此是世間第一等受福底人。能知慚愧，回心向道，學出世間脫生死法，又是世間第一等討便宜底人。須是急著手脚冷却面皮，不得受人差排，自家理會本命元辰，教去處分明，便是世間出世間一箇了事底大丈夫也。承連日去與參政道話，甚善甚善，此公歇得馳求心，得言語道斷心行處，滅差別異路，覷見古人脚手，不被古人方便文字所羅籠。山僧見渠如此，所以更不曾與之說一字，恐鈍置他。直候渠將來，自要與山僧說話，方始共渠眉毛廝結理會在，不只恁麼便休。學道人，若馳求心不歇，縱與之眉毛廝結理會，何益之有？正是癡狂外邊走耳。古人云：「親近善者，如霧露中行，雖不濕衣，時時有潤。」但頻與參政說話，至禱至禱，不可將古人垂示言教胡亂穿鑿，如馬大師遇南嶽和尚，說法云：「譬牛駕車，車若不行，打車即是，打牛即是？」馬師聞之，言下知歸。這幾句兒言語，諸方多少說法，如雷如霆，如雲如雨底，理會不得，錯下名言，隨語生解，見與舟峯書尾杜撰解註，山僧讀之，不覺絕倒，可與說如來禪祖師禪底，一狀領過一道行遣也。來頌子細看過，却勝得前日兩頌，自此可已之，頌來頌去，有甚了期？如參政相似，渠豈是不會做頌，何故都無一字？乃識法者懼耳。間或露一毛頭，自然抓著山僧痒處，如出山相頌云「到處逢人驀面欺」之語，可與叢林作點眼藥，公異日自見矣，不必山僧註破也。某近見公頓然改變為此事甚力，故作此書，不覺縷縷。

In a human life, over a hundred years of light and shade, how much time can there be? Arising from a humble home, you have served through pure and vital posts; you are a person of the first rank in enjoying worldly blessings. Being able to know shame, turning your mind toward the Way, and studying the supramundane Dharma for escaping birth and death, you are also a person of the first rank in seeking true advantage in the world. You must urgently apply hands and feet and cool your face, not allowing yourself to be ordered about by others; personally understand your original life and destiny, so that where you are going is distinct and clear—then you are a great hero who has finished the task both in the world and beyond the world. Hearing that you have been going day after day to discuss the Way with the Executive Policy Advisor, this is very good, very good. This gentleman has brought to rest the seeking mind, obtained the severed path of speech and the extinguished place of mental activity, eliminated diverging byways, caught sight of the ancients' methods, and is not ensnared by the ancients' expedient words. Seeing that he is like this, this mountain monk has never spoken a single word to him, fearing to compromise him. I am simply waiting until later, when he himself wants to speak with this mountain monk, and only then will our eyebrows knot together to address the matter; it does not just end like this. If a person studying the Way does not bring the seeking mind to rest, even if his eyebrows knot together with mine in discussing it, what benefit would there be? It would be nothing other than running around madly on the outside. An ancient said: 'Approaching the good is like walking in mist and dew; though it does not soak one's clothes, it constantly moistens.' Just speak frequently with the Executive Policy Advisor; this is my most earnest prayer. You must not recklessly distort the ancients' instructional teachings. For example, when Great Master Ma met the Venerable of Nanyue, he taught the Dharma, saying: 'It is like an ox hitched to a cart. If the cart does not move, is it right to hit the cart, or is it right to hit the ox?' When Master Ma heard this, he understood his return upon the words. How many people in various quarters preach the Dharma like thunder and lightning, like clouds and rain, yet cannot understand these few lines of words, mistakenly affixing names and terms and generating understanding following words! Seeing the fabricated commentary at the end of the letter to Zhoufeng, this mountain monk read it and could not help collapsing with laughter; along with those who speak of Tathāgata Chan and Patriarch Chan, they can all be indicted together and dealt with in one stroke. I have carefully examined the verse you sent; it is indeed superior to the two verses from the other day. From now on, you may stop this; writing verse after verse, when will there ever be an end? Take the Executive Policy Advisor: could it be that he does not know how to compose verses? Why is it that he has not written a single word? It is because one who recognizes the Dharma is cautious. Occasionally revealing the tip of a single hair, he naturally scratches this mountain monk's itch, like the phrase in his verse on the Image of Coming out of the Mountain: 'Everywhere meeting people, right to their face deceiving them.' This can serve as eye-clearing medicine for the monasteries; you will see it for yourself on another day, without needing this mountain monk to explain it away. Having recently seen your sudden transformation and vigorous effort for this matter, I wrote this letter, unconsciously going on at great length.