大慧普覺禪師語錄 5.2

5.2

On the twenty-third day of the eleventh month in the twenty-sixth year of Shaoxing, the Master opened the hall at Bao'en Guangxiao Chan Monastery in Mingzhou. After proclaiming the statement, offering incense, and praying for the Emperor, he took his seat. Master Tiantong struck the gavel and said, "Assembly of nāga-elephants of the Dharma feast, you should contemplate the paramārtha!" The Master said, "The truth of the paramārtha has been struck and completed with a single blow by Master Tiantong. Is there anyone who knows kindness and repays kindness?" A monk asked, "When Baoshou opened the hall, Sansheng threw himself across to assist. The student has come forward wishing to hear the prayer for the Emperor." The Master said, "Cowhide covering the exposed pillar." [The monk] advanced and said, "Heaven is high and earth is thick without limit; the ocean of the Buddha's merits is truly hard to measure." The Master said, "A thousand sages together transmit the bottomless bowl." [The monk] advanced and said, "Right at such a time, how should one peck?" The Master said, "If you look, then you will have a share." [The monk] advanced and said, "Could that not be the matter of knowing kindness and repaying kindness?" The Master said, "Leave you free to divine with tortoiseshell and strike roof-tiles." [The monk] advanced and said, "With no plan to repay the Son of Heaven's virtue from above, I rely only on this single censer of incense today." The Master said, "That is somewhat better." [A monk] asked, "The World-Honoured One held up a flower and Kāśyapa smiled; the World-Honoured One said, 'I possess the treasury of the true dharma eye, the wonderful mind of nirvāṇa, and entrust it to Mahākāśyapa.' What is the treasury of the true dharma eye?" The Master said, "Pull out the nail in your eye." [The monk] advanced and said, "What is the wonderful mind of nirvāṇa?" The Master said, "Quickly make three prostrations." [The monk] advanced and said, "Had I not come forward to extend this question, how could I have known that the mechanism of the Dharma King was completely revealed?" The Master said, "Known." [The monk] advanced and said, "Just as with today's gathering, how does it differ from Vulture Peak?" The Master said, "Universal." [The monk] advanced and said, "If so, then from this the sun of the Buddha will shine brighter and the wind of the Way will blow forever." The Master said, "Throwing foul water on people again." The monk bowed, and the Master then said, "The essential marvel of the Buddha-dharma is free from the marks of words, free from the marks of letters, and free from the marks of mental conditioning. It cannot be sought with mind, nor can it be attained without mind; it cannot be created by speech, nor can it be penetrated by silence. It is like the poison-smeared drum: on hearing it, the top of one's head splits into a hundred pieces; it is like a blazing mass of fire: if one approaches it, one's face is scorched away. Truly it is called standing like a cliff of ten thousand fathoms, cutting off both sages and mortals. Even if one had wisdom like Śāriputra and eloquence like Vimalakīrti, and came forth together at the same time with the buddhas of the three times, they would still have to enter three feet into the earth. Having such sovereignty and having such awe-inspiring spiritual power, it is only permitted for the Old Barbarian to know, but not permitted for the Old Barbarian to understand. Arriving here, how can one open one's mouth? Yet, while the government does not allow a needle to pass, privately carriages and horses can go through. Opening a thread of a path, there is still room for discussion." Abruptly taking his staff, he struck once and said, "Do you still hear? All obstacles are ultimate awakening; obtaining mindfulness or losing mindfulness are both nothing other than liberation; establishing dharmas or destroying dharmas are both named nirvāṇa; wisdom and foolishness are together prajñā." He struck once again and said, "The sun fills the eyes, and for ten thousand miles not a wisp of cloud hangs; the ancient buddhas intersect with the exposed pillar; Silla and Campā knock their foreheads together. Setting aside asking you all about this, what about Mazu's saying 'Mind itself is Buddha'—how do you discuss it? Do you understand? Peace was originally brought about by the general, yet the general is not permitted to see peace." He struck once more (the words of thanks are not recorded). [The Master] again cited: "The King of Western India asked the Venerable Puṇyatāra, 'I wish to become a buddha, but I do not know what is Buddha?' The Venerable said, 'Seeing one's nature is Buddha.' The King said, 'Does the Master see nature?' The Venerable said, 'I see the buddha-nature.' The King said, 'Where is the nature?' The Venerable said, 'The nature is in function.' The King said, 'What kind of function is it that I do not see it now?' The Venerable said, 'It is functioning right now; the King himself does not see it.' The King said, 'Does it exist in me?' The Venerable said, 'If the King functions, there is nothing that is not it; if the King does not use it, its substance is also difficult to see.' The King said, 'When it is being used, in how many places does it appear?' The Venerable said, 'When it appears, there should be eight.' The King said, 'Please explain the buddha-nature in the eight places for me.' The Venerable said, 'In the womb it is called the body; in the world it is called a person; in the eyes it is called seeing; in the ears it is called hearing; in the nose it distinguishes fragrances; on the tongue it speaks and discourses; in the hands it grasps and holds; in the feet it runs and walks. Appearing everywhere, it covers everything; the sandy realms are gathered within a single speck of dust. Those who discern it know it is the buddha-nature; those who do not discern it call it the spirit-soul.' Hearing these words, the King's mind immediately opened into awakening." The Master said, "I venture to ask the assembly at this Dharma feast: Tell me, did the King of Western India awaken to the buddha-nature, or did he awaken to the spirit-soul? If you say he awakened to it in the eight places, it is merely the spirit-soul; if you leave the eight places, what then do you call the buddha-nature? If you comprehend it here, the imperial kindness and the Buddha's kindness are repaid in full all at once. If you cannot comprehend it, Yuwang today will add a footnote for you all." After a long pause he said, "The phoenix and the qilin are both auspicious omens; sandalwood and campaka are equally fragrant." Master Tiantong struck the gavel again and said, "Clearly contemplate the Dharma of the Dharma King; the Dharma of the Dharma King is like this." The Master addressed the assembly, saying, "Remember Master Tiantong's words!" He then stepped down from the seat.