大慧普覺禪師語錄 15.2.2

15.2.2

Xuedou said, 'Truly blind!'" The master said, "Intimate words come from an intimate mouth. Hongjue probed a monk, asking, 'Where is the attendant's understanding?' The monk said, 'If he did not understand, how could he answer like that?' Hongjue said, 'You are far from understanding.' He also said, 'If you can see into this, you will know Xuansha.'" The master said, "It puts one deeply to shame! Cuiyan Zhi said, 'Both National Teacher and attendant completely lack understanding.'" The master said, "That is somewhat better. Touzi said, 'Why coerce people?' Xuedou said, 'A fellow sheltering by the root of the target.'" The master said, "When the principle is superior, one yields to it." He further said, "Only Zhaozhou, that talkative fellow, added a footnote that makes people doubtful. A monk asked, 'What was the meaning of the National Teacher calling the attendant three times?' Zhaozhou said, 'Like a person writing characters in the dark: though the characters are not formed, the literary brilliance is already manifest.' Xuedou then gave a shout." The master said, "Tell me: does this shout belong to the side of the National Teacher and attendant, or does it belong to Zhaozhou's side?" Following this, he gave a shout and continued, "If the five-colored cords of the root of life are not severed, how could one penetrate through this? Xuedou said, 'If someone were to ask Xuedou, Xuedou would strike them at once; this also requires all places to examine it.'" The master said, "A thief's heart is fearful. Xuedou also had a verse saying: / 'When master and disciple meet, the intention is not light.'" / The master said, "These words have two failing gates. / 'Without any affair, taking each other by the hand and walking through the grass.'" / The master said, "A man of Puzhou seeing off a thief. / 'Whether I fail you or you fail me, let no one ask.'" / The master said, "Let it cool down and see. / 'Let everyone under heaven vie and dispute over it.'" / The master said, "If you cease right now, then cease; if you look for a time of completion, there will never be a time of completion." He continued, "You wish to seek profound and marvelous intellectual understanding, being concerned only with understanding the National Teacher's calling the attendant three times: where did the National Teacher fail the attendant? Where did the attendant fail the National Teacher? What connection does that have? The king of geese separating milk is naturally not of the duck clan; this is the National Teacher acting on the blade of a sword. Was it merely this little bit? Or was there something else? One day he asked Court Attendant Zilin, 'Where have you come from?' The attendant said, 'I have come from south of the city.' The National Teacher said, 'What color is the grass south of the city?' The attendant said, 'It is yellow.' The National Teacher then asked a boy attendant, 'What color is the grass south of the city?' The boy said, 'It is yellow.' The National Teacher said, 'Even this boy can be granted the purple robe before the curtain to discuss the profound before the Emperor.' Do you say that the National Teacher's speaking grandmotherly Chan drags through mud and carries water? Was it merely this little bit? Or was there something else? One day Emperor Suzong invited him to watch a theatrical play. The National Teacher said, 'What frame of mind does the patron have to watch theatrical plays?' Chan Master Yuantong Yun said, 'Tell me: where did the National Teacher find his footing?' Miaoxi ventures to ask you all: tell me, where did Chan Master Yuantong find his footing? If you can see into this, the three elders are not far apart. Emperor Suzong also asked, 'What is the Tamer of the Ten Bodies?' The National Teacher brought it straight out and said to him, 'The patron walks upon the crown of Vairocana's head; why ask any further about the Tamer of the Ten Bodies?' Do you all want to see National Teacher Zhong? It is right inside your eyes: opening your eyes you miss it; closing your eyes you miss it. Since it is inside your eyes, why do you miss it? Miaoxi speaking like this has also missed it by no small amount. Look further at his dialogue on the insentient preaching the Dharma. I usually do not speak of it; today, having already cast aside good and bad and not avoiding vocal karma, I will shake it all out for you, to clear him of grievance. But you must not understand it as doctrinal principle! A monk asked, 'What is the mind of the ancient buddhas?' The National Teacher said, 'Walls, tiles, and rubble are it.'" The master said, "To answer like this—if the mind seeking avenues of profound and marvelous understanding is not cut off, if the root of life is not severed, and if the Great Dharma is not illuminated, one would definitely not dare to do so. Striking the ground squarely with four corners—one blow, one shout, one push, one squeeze, like sparks struck from flint, like a flash of lightning—is rather easy; this kind of talk is rather difficult to engage in. Only with what was previously described as having a great household, a great portal, a vast dharma-nature, wide billows, and the root of life severed, can one act like this. The monk said, 'Are walls, tiles, and rubble not insentient?' The National Teacher said, 'They are.' The monk said, 'Do the insentient also know how to preach the Dharma?' The National Teacher said, 'They preach constantly, preach blazingly, without pause.' The monk said, 'Why do I not hear it?' The National Teacher said, 'You yourself do not hear it, but you must not hinder those who do hear it.' The monk said, 'I wonder what kind of person gets to hear it?' The National Teacher said, 'All the sages get to hear it.' The monk said, 'Does the Venerable also hear it?' The National Teacher said, 'I do not hear it.' The monk said, 'Since the Venerable does not hear it, how do you know the insentient know how to preach the Dharma?' The National Teacher said, 'Fortunately I do not hear it; if I heard it, I would be equal to the sages, and then you would not hear me preach the Dharma.' The monk said, 'If so, then sentient beings have no share in it.' The National Teacher said, 'I preach for sentient beings; I do not preach for the sages.' The monk said, 'What about sentient beings after they hear it?' The National Teacher said, 'Then they are not sentient beings.'" The master said, "Remarkable! See how freely he turns, not stuck in a corner, not failing the questioner's inquiry: 'Fortunately I do not hear it; if I heard it, I would be equal to the sages, and then you would not hear me preach the Dharma.' Can you call this negligent? If one has not attained the marrow of the buddhas and patriarchs, how could one turn like this? Do not call it having no gain or loss: this is having gain and loss within no gain and loss, and having no gain and loss within gain and loss. Call it entering mud and entering water, riding the thief's horse to pursue the band of thieves, borrowing an old woman's shawl to pay New Year's respects to the old woman—how difficult to cope with! Again, a monk asked, 'Generating the resolve to leave home, I originally intended to seek buddhahood. I wonder how I should apply the mind so as to attain buddhahood?' The National Teacher said, 'When there is no mind to be applied, you will attain buddhahood.'" The master said, "This monk is difficult to tolerate, just like a burdock burr.".