大慧普覺禪師語錄 29.23

29.23

You take the place of your own sudden breakout as the ultimate principle; as soon as you see someone stepping into theoretical paths and entering the mud and water for the sake of others, you wish to sweep it away and make their traces disappear. Seeing the *Treasury of the True Dharma Eye* compiled by Zonggao, you then said: "Under Linji there are several hermitage masters with fine dynamic functioning; why not include them? As for National Teacher Zhong, who spoke of doctrinal-reason Chan and corrupted other people's sons and daughters, he definitely can be deleted." You see the Way so accurately, yet you dislike National Teacher Zhong speaking grandmotherly Chan; sitting in a clean and pure place, you only love the one move of striking flint for sparks and flashing lightning, and beyond this you do not permit a single speck of other principle—truly a pity! Therefore Zonggao upholds it with all his might: if the dharma-nature is not broad, the waves not wide, the views and understanding of the Buddhadharma not eliminated, and the life-root of birth and death not severed, one would not dare to fall flat on all four corners like this and enter the mud and water for people's sake, precisely because the capacities of sentient beings are not the same. From of old, the various patriarchs each established doors and gave provisions, providing for the capacities of sentient beings and gathering and transforming them according to their capacities. Therefore Tiger Cen of Changsha had a saying: "If I were exclusively to extol the ancestral school, grass would grow ten feet deep in front of the dharma hall, and I would have to hire someone to look after the monastery." Having already fallen into this line of work and being called an ancestral master by others, one must provide for the capacities of sentient beings in expounding the Dharma. A move like striking flint for sparks and flashing lightning can only be taken up by those of such capacity; to use it where the capacity is not suitable is pulling up seedlings [to help them grow]. How could Zonggao not know that a single blow of sudden breakout is handy, while making seven penetrations and eight holes is hot-tempered? Therefore, in compiling the *Treasury of the True Dharma Eye*, I made no distinction of categories, asking not whether it was the Yunmen, Linji, Caodong, Guiyang, or Fayan school; as long as there was right knowledge and right view that could enable people to awaken and enter, I included them all. Seeing that the two venerable elders, National Teacher Zhong and Dazhu, had Chan that possessed all forms, I therefore included them to rescue this one class of capacities. You wrote in your letter: "He definitely can be deleted." Looking at your intention, the *Treasury of the True Dharma Eye* would have to eliminate completely the doors of the various houses, and only include those resembling your view, before it would be right. If so, why should you not compile a book yourself to transform those of great capacity? There is no need to make Miaoxi follow your intention to remove them. If it were said that because National Teacher Zhong spoke grandmotherly Chan that dragged through mud and water his lineage was cut off, then great elders such as Yantou, Muzhou, Wujiu, Fenyang Wuye, Puhua of Zhenzhou, Senior Monk Ding, Yunfeng Yue, and Fachang Yu ought to have descendants covering the earth, yet now they too are silent with no one to preside over their transformation—did those gentlemen drag through mud and water speaking grandmotherly Chan? Yet Miaoxi's upholding of the National Teacher and Wugou's destroying him do not obstruct each other in the least.