宏智禪師廣錄 5.43

5.43

In an informal gathering, [the master] said: A span of brilliance extends from ancient times to now; / Illumining through being and non-being, casting off emotional dust. / Directly encountering it head-on, an error filling the heavens; / Stepping back to undertake it, exceptionally fresh. / In the Palace of the Purple Culmen, birds brood on eggs; / Within the waves of the Silver River, the hare turns the wheel. / It must be taken up by a wondrous hand and put to use: / Dividing the body into hundreds of millions, everywhere true. Brothers, how does this ground touch upon spring conditions? Within it, bias and upright come and go; on the spot, separation and subtlety exit and enter. Fixing the eyes in darkness, concealing the body in brightness; borrowing position to illuminate function, substance resides in the place of function; borrowing function to illuminate position, function resides in the place of substance. The whole body exhausted, letting go on that side: illumination and function are simultaneous, person and environment both snatched away. Established anew from the original ground, in no place are rules retained. Pulled out, it is immediately used; nothing is unacceptable. Walking, standing, sitting, lying down; speech, silence, movement, demeanor—exercising great spiritual penetrations, performing great Buddhist work. Therefore Linji shouted upon entering the gate; Deshan struck with his staff upon entering the gate; whenever Master Dadi was asked, he only struck the ground once; whenever Master Juzhi was asked, he only raised a single finger; Guizong dragged rocks; Yunju moved earth. Are these not the great capacity and great function? Where is there any stagnation? With all of you going to the hall at the two times, opening your bowls and spreading your cloths, it is entirely not at variance. It is solely because emotions arise that wisdom is blocked, and consciousness shifts following affairs; turning one's back on enlightenment to unite with dust, attaching feelings to things, one cannot be free. Now, whether seeing or hearing, whether speaking or silent, if you cast it off right under it, this is still emerging from within the gate, discerning the subtle within dust. But what about the subtlest of the subtle? Remember: Grand Councillor Lu Gen asked Master Nanquan, 'What is your surname?' Nanquan said, 'My surname is Wang.' Lu said, 'Does the King have dependents or not?' Nanquan said, 'The four ministers are not deluded.' Lu said, 'In what position does the King dwell?' Nanquan said, 'Moss grows in the jade palace.' Later, a monk brought this up and asked Caoshan, 'What is the meaning of "Moss grows in the jade palace"?' Caoshan said, 'He does not dwell in the upright position.' The monk said, 'What happens when the eight directions suddenly come to court?' Caoshan said, 'He does not accept homage.' The monk said, 'What is the use of coming to court?' Caoshan said, 'Disobedience brings beheading.' The monk said, 'Disobedience is a matter on the ministers' part; what is the ruler's intent?' Caoshan said, 'The Bureau of Military Affairs receives no decree.' The monk said, 'The merit of harmonious governance falls entirely to the prime ministers.' Caoshan said, 'And tell me: what is the ruler's intent?' The monk said, 'Beyond the realm, who dares calculate or weigh it?' Caoshan said, 'So it is, so it is.' The master said: Caoshan is a master carpenter of the square and circle; beware of meeting him head-on! This monk, from beginning to end an adept, never touched hands with him. Each understands how to adapt skillfully, interchanging, meandering, and collaterally participating. Examining closely, it still becomes reverent service, falling into achievement; they have not yet attained the same body and common life, connected on a single branch with one breath. How can one practice to unite with it? Do you want to understand? 'Inherited, it is non-achievement, not attaining color; / Borrowing achievement, it becomes the condition for birth.'