宏智禪師廣錄 4.72

4.72

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "When the principle of clear voidness ultimately has no body, how is it?" The Master said: "Before decorative patterns left a mark, when news was hard to convey." The monk proceeded: "A secret step shifts and the mysterious road turns; letting go of the entire body, the flask of kalpas is empty." The Master said: "When born to approach the father, joining the substance leaves no illuminating reflection behind." The monk proceeded: "Since principle is like this, what about phenomena?" The Master said: "Distinctly, just as one turns around to manifest transformation, what harm is there in dynamic response throughout the ten directions?" The monk proceeded: "In every dust particle, the original body appears." The Master said: "Penetrating all form, transcending all mind." The monk proceeded: "In accordance with principle and in accordance with phenomena, what is it like?" The Master said: "Meeting a dead snake on the road, do not strike it dead; put it in a bottomless basket and carry it home." The monk proceeded: "Entering the marketplace, one can whistle long; returning home, one wears a short tunic." The Master said: "The wooden figure sings on the ridge; the stone woman dances by the creek." The monk bowed. The Master then said: "Purely illuminating and spiritual, clearly seeing the original nature. Void, unobstructed, and wondrous, constantly contemplating the body of ease. Towering without reliance, numinous and free of counterparts. Continuous and long-lasting, it gets the name Limitless Life. Immobile and enduring, it is therefore called the Immovable Honored One. Neither existing nor non-existing, neither aging nor dying. Lustrous as golden waves breaking the night, pure as a jade well holding autumn. Only experiential realization corresponds to it; verbal transmission cannot reach it. Just tell me: at the very moment of correspondence, what is it like?" After a long pause, he said: "Do you understand? On the path among ten-thousand-year pines, snow lies deep; along the ridge of peaks, clouds veil it further."