大慧普覺禪師語錄 21.3

21.3

In recent times, many literati wish to study this Way, but their minds are not pure and focused. Their ailment lies in mixed poison entering their minds. Once the mixed poison has entered their minds, they meet with obstruction at every turn. When they meet with obstruction at every turn, views of self grow. When views of self grow, their eyes and ears see only the faults of others, and they are utterly unable to take a step back and examine themselves a little to see, having gotten out of bed each day, what benefit to others or benefit to themselves there has been. Those who can examine themselves in this way are called people of wisdom. Zhaozhou said: “Apart from the two meals of gruel and rice each day, where this old monk uses his mind in a mixed way, there is no other place where I use my mind in a mixed way.” Now tell me: where did this old fellow apply his effort? If you can recognize his countenance right here, only then can it be said that walking is Chan, sitting is Chan, whether speaking or silent, moving or still, the essence is at peace. If you cannot yet be like this, you should constantly take a step back and examine minutely under your own feet: is that which can know the good and bad, strengths and shortcomings of others mundane or sacred? Is it existent or non-existent? Examine back and forth until you reach the place where there is nothing left to examine—like a rat entering a bull’s horn, when suddenly the calculating mind is severed—then that is precisely where one collapses flat to the ground, returning home to sit securely. Out of necessity, Miaoxi utters these harsh words. Seen from the standpoint of one who has completed the matter, this is simply not knowing good from bad, spilling shit and pissing; if he suddenly bumped into someone with blood beneath the skin, who beat him into mush, he would have no right to blame him. Now, since there is no such person, it does no harm to let this fellow speak at random as he pleases; already not knowing good from bad, he cannot help but wash mud with dirt, speaking some flavorless words. However, above all, you must not understand according to where I speak; this is the primary principle of literati playing clever. In mundane and supramundane dharmas, one cannot say “one” and cannot say “two”; one cannot say “existent” and cannot say “non-existent.” “One,” “two,” “existent,” and “non-existent” within the treasury of radiance are also called poison, and also called ghee. Ghee and poison fundamentally have no intrinsic nature; to form views of one, two, existence, or non-existence is merely prescribing medicine according to the illness. The treasury of radiance is compared to great empty space; one, two, existence, and non-existence are compared to the sun, moon, day, and night. When it is dark at night, great empty space has never been dark; when it is bright by day, great empty space has never been bright. Sun, moon, day, and night displace each other, just as views of one, two, existence, and non-existence displace each other, yet with respect to the treasury of radiance, there is no difference. If among them there were a spirited fellow who did not accept having such foul water splashed on him, in a single thought where conditioned arising is unborn, just these things that displace each other would all be the everyday household affairs for the person’s daily use—what was referred to above as ghee and poison. When literati study this Way, they mostly seek quick results; before the ancestral teacher has opened his mouth, they have already grasped it with mind, intellect, and consciousness. When slowly pressed on one point, they are like crabs dropped into boiling water, hands flailing and feet scrambling, with nowhere to get their bearings. Little do they know that the one who receives the iron club and swallows the molten iron balls before Old Man Yama is precisely this one who grasps and seeks quick results, and no one else! This is what is called hoping to gain but turning out to lose, striving for subtlety but becoming ever coarser; the Tathāgata called them people to be pitied. Among modern literati, if you seek one or half a person among thousands and tens of thousands without this illness, you will never find one. In the autumn of the bingzi year of Shaoxing, passing through Ezhu, I happened to meet Governor Xiong, Shuya. Upon meeting him, I was thoroughly captivated, and we immediately accorded with each other in this Way. He is able to take a step back and apply his effort to the genuine ground, practicing as it is taught, unlike those who are superficial, forcing knowledge, forcing understanding, and forcing appreciation. He directly strives to reach the place where the ancients stood on solid ground, neither doubting the Buddha, nor doubting Confucius, nor doubting Laozi, and thereafter borrowing the nostrils of Laozi, Confucius, and the Buddha to breathe for himself. This is truly the deed of a valiant, vigorously energetic, superior man. I hope you will rouse your spirits with vigor and strive forward. What you say and where you act are already not mistaken; you only lack that sudden burst. If you only advance and do not retreat, and in your daily use during the twelve hours of the day there is no interruption in meeting conditions, then that sudden burst will also not be difficult. However, above all, you must not set your mind on that sudden burst; if you have such a mind, you will be blocked on your path by this very mind. Simply do not be benighted in meeting conditions in your daily use, and as the days and months deepen, it will naturally form a single piece. Why is that? Because the places where you meet conditions—when joyful, when angry, when judging public affairs, when socializing with guests, when gathering with wife and children, when thinking of good and evil, and when contacting objects and encountering conditions—are all times for that sudden burst to erupt. By all means remember this, by all means remember this! When mundane emotional thoughts arise, there is no need to make an effort to dispel them; as I previously informed you, simply raise the monk’s question: “Does a dog have buddha-nature or not?” Zhaozhou said: “No (Wu).” As soon as you raise this single word, mundane emotional thoughts will naturally become docile. Many words and much talk have always led people astray instead; a thousand explanations and ten thousand explanations are merely this bit of truth. If suddenly upon the word “Wu” you sever your life-root, even this bit of truth will be like flowers in the eyes.