大慧普覺禪師宗門武庫 1.28

1.28

When Chan Master Foyan was at Wuzu's place, Yuanwu brought up Linji's saying: 'Understand at the first phrase, and you are worthy to be a teacher of buddhas and patriarchs; understand at the second phrase, and you are worthy to be a teacher of humans and devas; understand at the third phrase, and you cannot even save yourself.' One day, he suddenly said to Yuanwu, 'I present three phrases to you.' Bending his finger, he said, 'This is the second phrase; the third phrase has already been spoken,' and then ran off. Yuanwu related this to Wuzu, who said, 'Quite good, isn't it?' Foyan then took leave of Wuzu and went to study with Master Zhenjing of Guizong. Later, Wuzu said to Yuanwu, 'Guizong's waves are vast; his method is to brandish a great banner. Even if Yuan goes there, they may not necessarily tally.' Within a few days, a letter reached Yuanwu, saying: 'Travelling north to Guizong, by chance I slipped through the net.' Having heard that Head Monk Qing of Yunju composed a portrait eulogy for Huitang saying, 'Heard of, he is wealthy; seen, he is poor,' he had been rather suspicious of him; but when they met, they indeed tallied. After a year, he returned to Wuzu Mountain. The assembly asked him to hold the whisk, but he spoke of 'mind-nature Chan.' Wuzu said, 'Since Yuan speaks of Chan in this manner, let him be.' Master Yuanwu had once studied with Chan Master Fang of Beiwuya in Qizhou, and Master Fojian had once studied with Chan Master Du of Xuanmi in Donglin; both had grasped the purport of illuminating awakening and even simplicity. Together they went into Wuzu's room, but not a single phrase they had attained in their lives was of any use; for a long time they had no awakening, and both said: 'Wuzu forcibly displaces others.' Uttering disrespectful words, they left in anger. Wuzu said, 'Go wander through Zhejiang; when a bout of hot sickness strikes you, only then will you think of me.' When Yuanwu reached Jinshan, he suddenly contracted a severe typhoid fever and was desperately ill. Moved into the ward for the gravely ill, he then tested it with the Chan he had studied all his life, but not a single phrase had power. Recalling Wuzu's words, he vowed to himself, 'As soon as my illness remits a little, I will return directly to Wuzu.' Fojian, at Dinghui, was also suffering from typhoid fever and was in extreme peril. When Yuanwu revived, he passed through Dinghui and urged him to return together to Huaxi. Fojian was still stubborn and bade him go ahead. Yuanwu rushed back to Wuzu Mountain; Master Yan was delighted and said, 'You have come back!' That very day he entered the hall and then joined the attendants' quarters. Half a month later, it happened that Judicial Commissioner Chen laid down his seal of office to return to Shu, and passed through the mountain to inquire after the Way. In the midst of their conversation, Wuzu said, 'In your youth, did you ever read the Little Romance poems, Judicial Commissioner? There are two lines quite close: "She repeatedly calls Xiaoyu, though there is really nothing the matter; she only wants her lover to recognize her voice."' The Commissioner assented with 'Yes, yes.' Wuzu said, 'Consider it carefully.' Yuanwu happened to return from outside and was standing in attendance; he asked, 'I heard the Master bring up the Little Romance poem; did the Commissioner understand?' Wuzu said, 'He only recognized the voice.' Yuanwu said, '"She only wants her lover to recognize her voice." Since he recognized the voice, why then is it not right?' Wuzu said, 'What is the meaning of the Ancestral Master's coming from the West? The cypress tree in the courtyard!' Yuanwu suddenly had an insight; he hastily went outside, saw a chicken fly up onto the balustrade, beat its wings and crow, and again said to himself, 'Is this not the voice?' He then slipped incense into his sleeve, entered the room, and reported his realization. Wuzu said, 'The great matter of the buddhas and patriarchs cannot be attained by those of inferior faculties and base capacity; I share in your joy.' Wuzu also told all the senior monks on the mountain: 'My attendant has attained Chan.' When Master Fojian returned to Wuzu Mountain from Zhejiang, he hesitated and was unwilling to register his stay. Yuanwu said, 'It has barely been over a month since we parted; compared with now when we meet, how is it?' Jian said, 'It is just this little bit in you that I doubt.' He then entered the hall. One day, while attending Wuzu together with Yuanwu, in the midst of conversation during a mountain walk, [Wuzu] cited: Master Dongsi asked Yangshan, 'Where are you from?' Yangshan said, 'A man of Guangnan.' Dongsi said, 'I hear that in Guangnan there is a sea-calming bright jewel; have you ever obtained it?' Yangshan said, 'I have obtained it.' Dongsi said, 'What color is the jewel?' Yangshan said, 'When the moon is waxing it appears; when the moon is waning it is hidden.' Dongsi said, 'Why not present it to this old monk?' Yangshan clasped his hands, stepped forward, and said, 'Yesterday when Huiji arrived at Weishan, I was asked for this jewel; I was utterly left with no words to reply, no reason to put forward.' Looking at Fojian, [Wuzu] said, 'Since he said he had obtained it, yet when asked for this jewel he said, "I had no words to reply, no reason to put forward"—how is this?' Fojian had nothing to say. Suddenly one day he said to Yuanwu, 'Regarding Yangshan's meeting with Dongsi, I have a word: at that time Dongsi only asked for a single jewel, but Yangshan immediately poured out a whole basketful.' Yuanwu deeply approved of him.