大慧普覺禪師語錄 25.20

25.20

Since receiving your letter, my admiration has increased all the more. I wonder if recently you have been wandering freely according to conditions, at ease and self-sovereign as you wish? In the four postures, are you overcome by worldly toil or not? Have the two sides of waking and sleeping become unified or not? In the place of remaining as before, is there any straying or not? Regarding the mind of birth and death, is there no continuation or not? Simply exhaust ordinary feelings; there is no other holy understanding. Since you have laughed once, wide open the true eye, news and messages instantly vanished; whether you have gained strength or not, like someone drinking water, you naturally know whether it is cold or warm. Yet in daily activities, you should rely on what the yellow-faced old fellow said: 'Gouge out the proper nature, remove the contributing causes, and go against the present karma.' For one who has finished the task, this is the true skillful means amidst no skillful means, the true cultivation and verification amidst no cultivation and verification, and the true taking up and abandoning amidst no taking up and abandoning. An ancient worthy said: 'When the skin has completely fallen away, only the one true reality remains.' It is also like sandalwood: when the luxuriant branches have completely fallen away, only the true sandalwood remains. This is the ultimate reach of going against present karma, removing contributing causes, and gouging out the proper nature. Try contemplating this: for one who has finished the task, such talk is very much like a fan in the twelfth month—I only fear that in the southern regions, the cold and warmth are inconsistent. You cannot help but laugh once.