大慧普覺禪師語錄 3.5

3.5

魏侍郎請陞座：「寄居衢州常山縣持服魏矼，謹施淨財入山修設，仍命山野陞于此座舉揚般若，以此功德資薦先考致政宣教往生安養。諸人還知麼？這老居士，便是和州三世接待底魏公也，山僧大觀初行脚時，亦曾到他家，時侍郎尚幼。今日作從官，為國家宣力，皆乃翁陰德所致。此翁平生極修學，喜讀佛書，從方外老衲游，精修梵行，常以王梵志土饅頭頌作佛事，以警悟流俗，比見潘舍人所作行狀，詳書其實，聞疾已革，有來問訊者，亦以慈悲攝化，不及世間一言，啟手足時，談笑自若，跏趺而逝。淨名所謂『設身有苦，念惡趣眾生起大悲心，我既調伏，亦當調伏一切眾生，但除其病而不除法。』」遂召大眾云：「魏公疾已革，而能忍苦，為諸來者隨宜說法，足見學佛之驗。今日幸遇在會諸人同此證明，不免借渠鼻孔出氣。要識法麼？真如佛性菩提涅槃是。要識病麼？妄想顛倒貪瞋邪見是。雖然如是，離妄想顛倒，無真如佛性；離貪瞋邪見，無菩提涅槃。且道分即是？不分即是？若分，存一去一其病益深；若不分，正是顢頇佛性𢤱侗真如。畢竟作麼生說箇除病不除法底道理？有般漢聞恁麼說便道：『即法是病，即病是法，但有言說，都無實義。順真如則顛倒妄想貪瞋邪見悉皆是法，隨顛倒則真如佛性菩提涅槃悉皆是病。』恁麼見解，莫道我披衲衣，便是作他座主奴也未得在。何故？須知平地上死人無數，灼然過得荊棘林者是好手。不見古人云：『設有一法過於涅槃，吾說亦如夢幻。』苟能於夢幻中，如實而證、如實而解、如實而修、如實而行，以如實之法能自調伏，起大悲心作種種方便，復能調伏一切眾生，而於眾生不作調伏不調伏想，亦復不作顛倒想，不作貪瞋邪見想，不作真如佛性菩提涅槃想，不作除病，不除法想，不作存一去一分不分想，既無如是之想，則一道清淨平等解脫。徑山今日說此清淨平等解脫之法，奉為持服魏矼，追薦先考致政宣教，伏願了唯心之淨土，見自性之彌陀，此界他方隨處快樂。」復召大眾云：「今既借渠鼻孔出氣已了，而今徑山却將鼻孔為渠出氣去也。」喝一喝。

Vice Minister Wei requested [the Master to] ascend the high seat: "Wei Gang, residing in Changshan County of Quzhou while observing mourning, respectfully donated pure wealth to enter the mountain and arrange [this service], further requesting the rustic mountain [monk] to ascend this seat to promote and expound prajñā, in order to dedicate this merit to assisting his late father, the retired Xuanjiao, to be reborn in the Realm of Peace and Sustenance. Do you all know? This old lay practitioner was none other than the Master Wei who provided hospitality for three generations in Hezhou. When this mountain monk was on pilgrimage in the early Daguan era, I also visited his home; at that time the Vice Minister was still young. Today he serves as an attendant official, exerting effort for the state—all this has been brought about by his father's hidden virtue. Throughout his life, this old man was extremely devoted to cultivation and study, delighted in reading Buddhist books, associated with old patch-robed monks beyond worldly bounds, meticulously cultivated pure conduct, and often used Master Wang Fanzhi's 'Earth Dumpling' verses to perform Buddhist services in order to alert and awaken the worldly crowd. Recently I saw the biographical sketch composed by Secretariat Drafter Pan, which recorded these facts in detail. I heard that when his illness was critical, whenever visitors came to inquire after his health, he would also gather and transform them with compassion, not uttering a single worldly word. When it came time to lay down his hands and feet, he conversed and laughed with self-possession, and passed away seated cross-legged. This is what the Vimalakīrti says: 'Though there is suffering in one's own body, one thinks of sentient beings in the miserable realms and gives rise to great compassion: Since I have subdued myself, I should also subdue all sentient beings; one only removes their disease without removing the Dharma.'" Then he called to the assembly: "Lord Wei's illness was already critical, yet he was able to endure the pain and expound the Dharma according to what was appropriate for those who came, which is ample proof of his practice of Buddhism. Today, fortunately meeting with everyone gathered here to bear witness together, I cannot help but borrow his nostrils to exhale. Do you wish to know the Dharma? Thusness, buddha-nature, bodhi, and nirvāṇa are it. Do you wish to know the disease? Deluded thoughts, inversions, greed, anger, and false views are it. Even so, apart from deluded thoughts and inversions, there is no thusness or buddha-nature; apart from greed, anger, and false views, there is no bodhi or nirvāṇa. Tell me, is making a distinction correct? Or is not making a distinction correct? If you distinguish, keeping one and getting rid of the other makes the disease even deeper; if you do not distinguish, it is precisely muddle-headed buddha-nature and vague thusness. Ultimately, how do you speak of this principle of removing the disease without removing the Dharma? There are some fellows who, hearing such talk, immediately say: 'The Dharma is the disease, and the disease is the Dharma; whatever is expressed in words lacks any real meaning. If one accords with thusness, then inversions, deluded thoughts, greed, anger, and false views are all the Dharma; if one follows inversions, then thusness, buddha-nature, bodhi, and nirvāṇa are all diseases.' With such understanding, do not speak of wearing patch robes—one would not even qualify to be a slave to a lecture master! Why is this? You must know that countless people die on level ground; only those who distinctly pass through the thorn forest are truly skilled hands. Have you not seen what the ancient said: 'Even if there were a Dharma surpassing nirvāṇa, I would say it is also like a dream or an illusion.' If, within dream and illusion, one can realize it as it truly is, understand it as it truly is, cultivate it as it truly is, and practice it as it truly is, subduing oneself by means of the Dharma as it truly is, giving rise to great compassion to employ various skillful means, and further able to subdue all sentient beings—yet without conceiving thoughts of subduing or not subduing regarding sentient beings, nor conceiving thoughts of inversions, thoughts of greed, anger, or false views, nor conceiving thoughts of thusness, buddha-nature, bodhi, or nirvāṇa, nor conceiving thoughts of removing the disease or not removing the Dharma, nor conceiving thoughts of keeping one, getting rid of one, distinguishing or not distinguishing—once such thoughts are absent, then there is one path of pure, equal liberation. Jingshan today speaks this Dharma of pure, equal liberation, respectfully for the mourning Wei Gang, to commemorate his late father, the retired Xuanjiao, humbly praying that he realizes the Pure Land of mind-only, beholds the Amitābha of his own nature, and enjoys happiness everywhere in this world and in other realms." Again he called to the assembly: "Now that I have finished borrowing his nostrils to exhale, Jingshan will now use his nostrils to exhale on his behalf." He gave a shout.