密菴和尚語錄 1.348

1.348

釋迦如來滅度之後，其徒未免囿於名相，至達磨西來不立文字，直指人心見性成佛，而人始知佛之所以為佛也。六傳而至大鑑，五宗而得臨濟，而佛之道益光明盛大而不可掩矣。臨濟之宗，直截根源不涉階級，全機大用，棒喝齊施。或者喜其路之捷，而得之速也；然未免承虛接響，錯認話頭，撥無因果，生大我慢，却墮邪見了不覺知。自非有明眼宗師見處分明，行處穩實，則何以倒用橫拈，得大總持爐鞴後學皆成法器耶？近世卓然傑出了此事者，則天童密菴師也。密菴得法於應菴華；華得法於虎丘隆；隆得法於圓悟勤，蓋臨濟之正宗，叢林之巨擘也。

After the nirvāṇa of Śākya Tathāgata, his disciples could not avoid being confined to names and forms. It was not until Bodhidharma came from the west, not establishing words and letters, directly pointing to the human mind to see nature and achieve buddhahood, that people first knew how a Buddha is a Buddha. Transmitted six times, it reached Dajian; divided into five lineages, it obtained Linji; and the Way of the Buddha became all the more bright, vast, and impossible to obscure. The lineage of Linji cuts directly to the source without involving stages; with its complete capacity and great functioning, staff and shout are applied together. Some are pleased with the swiftness of its road and the speed of its attainment; yet they cannot avoid grasping at shadows and echoes, misidentifying the huatou, denying cause and effect, and giving rise to great arrogance, thereby falling into evil views without being aware of it at all. Were it not for clear-eyed lineage masters whose vision is distinct and whose practice is secure, how could they use things upside-down and take them up obliquely, obtain the great dhāraṇī, and forge junior students in the furnace so that they all become vessels of the Dharma? In recent times, the one who stood out preeminently and accomplished this matter was Master Mi'an of Tiantong. Mi'an received the Dharma from Ying'an Hua; Hua received the Dharma from Huqiu Long; Long received the Dharma from Yuanwu Qin. Truly he was the orthodox lineage of Linji, a titan of the monasteries.