佛果圜悟禪師碧巖錄 1.50

1.50

趙州臨機。一似金剛王寶劍。擬議即截却爾頭。往往更當面換却爾眼睛。這僧也敢捋虎鬚致箇問頭。大似無事生事。爭奈句中有機。他既呈機來。趙州也不辜負他問頭。所以亦呈機答。不是他特地如此。蓋為透底人自然合轍。一似安排來相似。不見有一外道。手握雀兒。來問世尊云。且道某甲手中雀兒。是死耶是活耶。世尊遂騎門閫云。爾道我出耶入耶（一本云。世尊竪起拳頭云。開也合也）外道無語。遂禮拜。此話便似這公案。古人自是血脈不斷。所以道。問在答處。答在問處。雪竇如此見得透。便道句裏呈機劈面來。句裏有機。如帶兩意。又似問人。又似問境相似。趙州不移易一絲毫。便向他道。東門西門南門北門。爍迦羅眼絕纖埃。此頌趙州人境俱奪。向句裏呈機與他答。此謂之有機有境。纔轉便照破他心膽。若不如此難塞他問頭爍迦羅眼者。是梵語。此云堅固眼。亦云金剛眼。照見無礙。不唯千里明察秋毫。亦乃定邪決正。辨得失。別機宜識休咎。雪竇云。東西南北門相對。無限輪鎚擊不開。既是無限輪鎚。何故擊不開。自是雪竇見處如此。爾諸人又作麼生。得此門開去。請參詳看。

Zhaozhou approaching dynamic action is just like the Diamond King's precious sword: hesitate in thought, and your head is severed; often he further changes your eyes right before your face. This monk also dared to pluck the tiger's whiskers and raise a question-head, much like stirring up trouble where there was none. Yet within the phrase there was dynamic function! Since he came presenting dynamic function, Zhaozhou did not fail his question-head either, and therefore also answered by presenting dynamic function. It was not that he did so deliberately; because a person who has penetrated through naturally falls into accord, as if arranged in advance. Do you not see: an outsider holding a small bird in his hand came to ask the World-Honoured One, saying: "Tell me, is the bird in my hand dead or alive?" The World-Honoured One thereupon straddled the door threshold and said: "Do you say I am going out or coming in?" (One version says: The World-Honoured One held up his fist and said: "Open or closed?") The outsider had nothing to say, and thereupon bowed. This story is just like this gong'an. The ancients naturally had an unbroken lineage-vein; therefore it is said: "The question is in the answer; the answer is in the question." Xuedou, seeing through like this, then said: "Presenting dynamic function within the phrase, it strikes right in the face." Within the phrase there is dynamic function, as if carrying a double meaning: seeming to ask about the person, and seeming to ask about the environment. Zhaozhou did not shift by a single hair's breadth, and directly said to him: "East gate, west gate, south gate, north gate." "The vajra eye is completely free of fine dust." This eulogizes Zhaozhou taking away both person and environment, presenting dynamic function within the phrase to answer him. This is called having both dynamic function and environment: as soon as it turns, it illuminates and shatters his heart and guts. If not like this, it would be difficult to stop up his question-head. "Vajra eye" is Sanskrit [śakra-cakṣus], which means here the firm eye, also called the vajra eye; its illuminating vision is unobstructed. Not only does it clearly examine an autumn hair at a thousand miles, it also determines the heterodox and decides the orthodox, distinguishes gain and loss, discerns dynamic fitness, and recognizes good and ill fortune. Xuedou says: "The east, west, south, and north gates face one another; / Boundless wheel-hammers cannot strike them open." Since they are boundless wheel-hammers, why can they not strike them open? This is naturally Xuedou's insight being like this. How will all of you manage to get these gates open? Please investigate and consider.