大慧普覺禪師語錄 6.28

6.28

When the present Emperor was residing in the Jian Mansion, he dispatched an inner guest master to enter the mountain to make offerings to the arhats, pray for the sovereign's longevity, and request an ascension to the high seat. A monk asked: "Maitreya Buddha, who is to descend and be born in the future, manifests heaven and earth on the tip of a single hair. The present World-Honoured One of Immeasurable Life's great radiance universally illuminates worlds numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Tiantai's five hundred arhats respond to conditions and accord with spiritual promptings, leaving nothing unreached. For an old adept atop the peak of Twin Jingshan, beyond all expedient means, how do you speak?" The Master said: "Buddhas of the present and the future all share the same name." The monk asked further: "If so, then throughout the human world and the heavens, none do not take refuge." The Master said: "A lion within a lion's cave; sandalwood within a sandalwood forest." The monk asked further: "It can truly be said, 'These phenomena abide in phenomenal positions; worldly characteristics abide eternally.'" The Master said: "The tip of the banner pole looks up to the lotus heart." The monk asked further: "Right at such a moment, I wonder whose family's wind and moon this is?" The Master said: "These phenomena abide in phenomenal positions; worldly characteristics abide eternally." The monk asked further: "How is it on the Venerable's part?" The Master said: "Gods, humans, and all classes of living beings all receive the power of this grace." The monk asked further: "If so, then one body has something to rely upon, and heaven and earth are vast; myriad matters are free of anxiety, and the sun and moon are high." The Master said: "When the dragon finds water, its spirit increases; when the tiger encounters mountain colours, its fierce awe grows." The monk asked further: "The edge of the path reaching here, one can only let the troops turn with the seal and the commander proceed following the tally." The Master said: "A clever patch-robed monk turns at a single nudge." The monk asked further: "Only when a man returns to the great state does he know honour; when water reaches the Xiao and the Xiang, it is equally clear." The Master said: "Marked." The monk asked further: "Just as it is said in the teachings: 'Gods and humans attaining the Way take this as witness; the Three Jewels thereupon appear in the world. Saving all living beings with this wondrous Dharma, once received, they never regress and are constantly tranquil.' What is the wondrous Dharma?" The Master said: "Cast in raw iron, forged of solid steel." The monk asked further: "Relying solely on this true report, jade leaves and golden branches will see ten thousand times ten thousand springs." The Master said: "The stars in heaven all bow to the North; no waters in the human realm do not flow to the east." The monk bowed and said: "Who would not speak thus?" The Master then said: "If you wish to know the meaning of buddha-nature, you must observe the seasonal causes and conditions. When the time comes, its principle manifests of itself. I venture to ask the great assembly: What is the principle that manifests of itself?" Raising his fly-whisk, he said: "Do you still see it?" Striking the meditation bed again, he said: "Do you still hear it? What is that which clearly hears and sees? If you can take it up right here, the imperial grace and the Buddha's grace will both be fully repaid at once. If not, Jingshan will go on entangling with vines." He raised the fly-whisk again and said: "Look! Look! The World-Honoured One of Immeasurable Life, on the tip of Jingshan's fly-whisk, emits a great radiance, illuminating worlds as numerous as the dust motes of inexpressible, inexpressible, and again inexpressible buddha-lands. Within those worlds, he turns the great wheel of the Dharma and performs boundless and vast great buddha-work. Among them, whether common or sage, right or wrong, grass or tree, sentient or insentient, those who encounter this light all attain unsurpassed, complete, and perfect enlightenment. Therefore, all buddhas obtain it here and are endowed with the knowledge of all modes; all great bodhisattvas obtain it here and accomplish the pāramitās; pratyekabuddhas and solitary realizers obtain it here, emerge in eras without buddhas, and manifest supernatural powers and radiance; the assembly of śrāvakas and the five hundred arhats invited last night obtain it here, attain the eight liberations, and possess the six supernatural powers; gods and humans obtain it here and increase the ten virtuous deeds; asuras obtain it here and eliminate their arrogance; hells obtain it here and instantly transcend the ten stages; hungry ghosts, animals, and all sentient beings of the four modes of birth and nine categories obtain it here, each gaining benefit according to their capacity. After the World-Honoured One of Immeasurable Life emitted the great radiance and performed all the buddha-works, he then consecrated the crown of the World-Honoured One Maitreya with the waters of the four great oceans, bestowing upon him the prediction of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, to perform great buddha-work as the next in succession. The World-Honoured One of Immeasurable Life possesses such supernatural powers, such sovereign ease, and such majestic spirit. Arriving here, is there anyone who knows the grace and repays the grace? If there is, come forth and meet with Jingshan, and I will verify it for you. If not, listen to a gāthā:
'The person of utmost reach in the dharmadhātus of the ten directions is the mouth,
And all that exists in the dharmadhātu is his tongue.
Relying solely on this mouth and tongue,
I pray for my sovereign's longevity without cessation.
For hundreds of millions of years the source of blessings pours forth,
Vast like the sea, never exhausted.
Within the lion's cave a lion cub is born;
A phoenix will surely emerge from the cave of Mount Dan.
Becoming an auspicious omen, it spreads throughout the nine realms;
Grasses, trees, insects, and worms are all joyful.
I bow my head to this inconceivable event,
Compared to the multitude of stars bowing to the bright moon.
Therefore I now proclaim this wondrous gāthā,
Spoken truly within the paramārtha.'"