密菴和尚語錄 1.308

1.308

祖師門下，直截省要，不歷堦梯，立地成佛。學道人多不明此，病在於何？只為太殺現成，不肯承當，一味鑽頭入知見網中覓佛覓法、覓玄覓妙，向上向下如何若彼？恰如蒼蠅墮在𥻿盤中，粘手綴脚自作辛苦。看他臨濟在黃檗會裏三年，白日只堆堆地坐，全不知佛法道理。首座勉令問佛法的的大意，三問三遭六十拄杖。後到大愚灘頭驀自知非，便道：「元來黃蘗佛法無多子。」遮般說話豈是心機意識預先安排而能致之然耶？復返黃蘗，蘗見來，乃曰：「遮漢來來去去有甚了期？」濟曰：「只為老婆心切。」檗曰：「大愚老漢饒舌，待來痛與一頓。」濟云：「說什麼待來，即今便喫。」隨後便掌。檗曰：「遮風顛漢，却來遮裏捋虎鬚。」濟便喝。參學人須得一番如此方可入作，亦未為究竟，從上有力量大人，終不肯容易小小了却。纔得遮般柄霸入手，直是撥草瞻風，覓箇咬猪狗惡手段，與他做冤家眉毛廝結，禁得惡拳趯，喫得沒滋味，大爐鞴中千煅萬煉，徹底淨盡跳得出，無絲毫領覽，超情離見，尚恐走作，錮鏴人家男女，安肯向平白地折合却？信知先達拈一機示一境，盡是脫羅籠沒窠臼，曾無針鋒許與人作道理，豈不綽綽然有餘裕哉？

Under the ancestral masters' gate, it is direct and essential, not passing through steps or stages, but becoming a Buddha on the spot. Practitioners of the Way mostly do not understand this. Where does their sickness lie? Only because it is too thoroughly ready-made, they are unwilling to take it up directly, but entirely bore their heads into the net of views, seeking Buddha, seeking Dharma, seeking the profound, seeking the wondrous, [asking] how is it upward, how is it downward, like this or like that? It is just like a fly falling into a bowl of paste, sticking its feet and legs together, bringing suffering upon itself. Look at Linji: he was in Huangbo's assembly for three years, sitting blankly and solidly by day, knowing nothing at all of the principles of the Buddha-dharma. The head monk urged him to ask about the exact, great meaning of the Buddha-dharma; three times he asked, and three times he suffered sixty blows with the staff. Later, when he reached Dayu's rapids, he suddenly realized his mistake and said: 'Actually, Huangbo's Buddha-dharma does not amount to much!' How could such words have been prearranged and brought about by the calculations of consciousness? He returned to Huangbo; when Huangbo saw him coming, he said: 'This fellow comes and goes—when will there ever be an end to it?' Linji said: 'It is only out of a grandmotherly heart.' Huangbo said: 'Old man Dayu is too talkative; wait until he comes and I'll give him a sound thrashing!' Linji said: 'Why talk of waiting for him to come? Take it right now!' and followed up with a slap. Huangbo said: 'This lunatic has come here to pluck the tiger's whiskers!' Linji immediately gave a shout. A practitioner must undergo an experience like this once before being able to enter the work; yet even this is not the ultimate. From antiquity, great persons of power were never willing easily and pettily to conclude the matter. As soon as such a handle comes into one's hands, one directly parts the grass to gaze into the wind, seeking an ugly method of biting dogs and pigs, making oneself an adversary with eyebrows tangled together, bearing vicious punches and kicks, tasting what has no flavor, and undergoing thousands of forgings and tens of thousands of smeltings in the great furnace until completely purified, leaping clear out, without the slightest apprehension, transcending passion and parting from views. Still fearing straying, like tinkering cauldrons for other people's boys and girls, how could one be willing to compromise on flat ground? Truly know that when predecessors brought forth a dynamic or displayed a realm, it was entirely to escape cages and leave behind old ruts, never giving a needle's point of principle to others. How could they not have had ample leeway and ease?