宏智禪師廣錄 5.24

5.24

Informal gathering. A monk asked: “I recall: Venerable Dongshan had the three paths of practice—the bird’s path, the dark path, and extending the hands. What is the bird’s path?” The Master said: “Where it responds, there are no tracks; not a thread hinders the body.”
The monk asked: “What is the dark path?” The Master said: “Round and identical to the great void, lacking nothing, with nothing in excess.”
The monk asked: “What is extending the hands?” The Master said: “Right on the mark, clearly functioning; clearly functioning, right on the mark.”
The monk asked: “Just as the ancients also said: ‘Knowing how to graft the rootless tree, able to light the lamp at the bottom of the sea.’ I wonder, how does one graft the rootless tree?” The Master said: “Coming back to life after total annihilation; only an intimate friend will recognize it.”
The Master then said: “If we speak of this single real affair, it is fundamentally separate from all appearances, separate from all illusions, separate from all superficial falsity—only then is it called the real affair. True form is the form of formlessness; the true mind is the mind of no-mind; true attainment is the attainment of non-attainment; true function is the function of no-function. If it is like this, it is instead an open, vast working place, instead a real working place. When all phenomena reach their end, their nature is like empty space. At this very moment, one cannot empty it away. Though empty, it is wondrous; though void, it is numinous; though quiet, it is divine; though silent, it is illuminating. If one can be like this, it is the single affair before heaven and earth, the single affair after heaven and earth. Birth and death are images within it; ultimately, birth and death cannot be established. For one who truly reaches birth and death, if it were not like this, drifting along with dreams and illusions, amidst all states of existence there would not be the slightest place of finding strength. If you see through it, discern it thoroughly, summon it back, and bring it into play, then amidst all phenomena you arise alongside images, and amidst all forms you function alongside illusions. Like lightning, like shadows, like dreams, like echoes—not a single thread or hair is taken as true or real; fundamentally pure, at that time it pervades the entire Dharma realm. Truly pure, wondrous, and luminous, at that time it is established. Therefore it is said: ‘The Dharma moves according to the Dharma; the Dharma banner is erected everywhere.’ Where are you not emitting light? Where are you not finding application? Where are you not displaying supernatural powers? Where are you not performing Buddha works?
“If we speak of wearing this skin bag, amidst all realms and within all phenomena, not being obstructed by any phenomenon, yet precisely settling birth and death—going all the way to the end like this, it is said: ‘Knowing how to graft the rootless tree, able to light the lamp at the bottom of the sea.’ At the place where breath is cut off, one can bring it alive; at the place where light and shadows are extinguished, one can make it clear. One must take yet another step: phenomenon after phenomenon is entirely one's own transformation and turning. Just as all forms appear within my body, all forms serve as adornments within my body. At that moment, neither are there seen differentiated marks of poverty and wealth, male and female, right and wrong, gain and loss. Because all of you grasp at marks and discard marks, you cannot merge with empty space and be equal to the Dharma realm.
“A monk arrived at Jiashan. Shan asked: ‘Where do you come from?’ The monk said: ‘I come from Dongshan.’ Shan said: ‘What words and phrases did Dongshan use to instruct students?’ The monk said: ‘He constantly taught students the three paths of practice.’ Shan said: ‘What are the three paths?’ The monk said: ‘The dark path, the bird’s path, and extending the hands.’ Shan said: ‘Are there really such words?’ The monk said: ‘There really are.’ Shan said: ‘A ghost carrying a thousand-mile draft; the person of the Way in the forest weeps.’ If you exhaust all phenomena, you will see that in the ten directions there are no walls, nor are there doors on any of the four sides, completely without reliance, completely without conditions. Penetrating through at that moment—is that not one path of practice? Being able to enter into the world, yet without a single phenomenon being able to defile you, without a single phenomenon being able to ensnare you—is that not one path of practice? Or green and yellow, pointing east and drawing west, ‘these phenomena abide in their phenomenal positions, and the worldly marks are eternally abiding’—is that not one path of practice? Everyone must genuinely arrive at such a moment, and only then will it do. If you have not arrived, you will just be told by Jiashan: ‘A ghost carrying a thousand-mile draft; the person of the Way in the forest weeps.’”} ],