大慧普覺禪師語錄 3.5

3.5

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.