大慧普覺禪師宗門武庫 1.32

1.32

Because the Master Zhantang had entered stillness, the Master [Dahui] asked Juefan to write an account of his conduct and actual deeds. Having also obtained an introductory letter from Chan Master Zhao of Long'an, he went specially to Jingnan to visit Layman Wujin and request an epitaph for the pagoda. When he first met Wujin, Wujin stood and asked, "Why have you come so far wearing straw sandals just like this?" [Dahui] replied, "I have traveled thousands of li begging for food to see you, Minister." [Wujin] asked again, "How old are you?" He replied, "Twenty-four." [Wujin] asked again, "How old is the water buffalo?" He replied, "Two years old." [Wujin] asked again, "Where did you learn such deceit?" He replied, "Today I see you in person, Minister." Wujin laughed and said, "Sit for a while and have tea." As soon as he sat down, [Wujin] asked again, "What business brings you from afar?" [Dahui] then stood up, stepped forward, and said, "When the Master of Letan passed away and was cremated, his eyes, teeth, and prayer beads did not burn, and countless relics (śarīra) were obtained. The elders of the mountain all wish to obtain your great brush, Minister, to compose an epitaph for his pagoda to inspire and encourage future students. I have come from afar specially, presuming to trouble your esteemed attention." Wujin said, "Being here under punishment, I have not written texts for anyone. Now I have a question to ask you. If you can answer it, I will write the epitaph for the pagoda; if you cannot, I will give you five strings of cash to wrap up your feet and return to Doushuai to investigate Chan." [Dahui] then said, "Please ask, Minister." Wujin said, "I hear that old Zhun's eyes did not decay; is that so?" He replied, "It is." Wujin said, "I am not asking about those eyes." [Dahui] said, "What eyes are you asking about, Minister?" Wujin said, "The diamond eye." [Dahui] said, "If it is the diamond eye, it is at the tip of your brush, Minister." Wujin said, "If so, then this old fellow shall dot in the light for him, causing him to illuminate heaven and earth!" The Master then hurried to the steps and said, "My late master is most fortunate; I thank you, Minister, for the epitaph." Wujin chuckled in assent. The summary [of the inscription] said: "Relics are unheard of in the books of Confucius and Laozi. When the former Buddha, the World-Honoured One, attained extinction, his disciples gathered the relics and raised a pagoda to make offerings to them. The relics of Congshen of Zhaozhou numbered as many as ten thousand grains. In recent times, wherever the smoke reached for Xian of Longqing and Su of Baizhang, it all turned into relics. Generally speaking, those who leave home do so fundamentally for the great matter of birth and death. If when birth and death arrive one does not know one's destination, one is not even equal to an uncomplicated fellow in a three-family hamlet who, when facing death, entrusts everything clearly and distinctly. The four elements of the physical body are provisional combinations of various conditions; from the very beginning, how could relics have an essential nature? If pure practice (brahmacarya) is immaculate and white karma is firm, if the spiritual clarity is vast and pervasive so that one knows one's passing beforehand without alarm or dread, then the two retributions of dependent [environment] and proper [body] will not differ by a hair's breadth. The coarse minds of the world do not attend to the subtle flow [of consciousness] throughout the twelve periods of the day in regard to their fundamental duty, and they give rise to great arrogance. This is a ghost of a karmic master coming to borrow a dwelling. In such a state, desiring relics to flow forth like pearls and all sense faculties not to decay—how could that ever be possible!"