佛果圜悟禪師碧巖錄 2.13

2.13

Regarding this gong'an, many people misunderstand it, saying, "This is an externalist school; what connection does it have?" The fifteenth ancestor, Venerable Deva, was also originally numbered among the externalists. Because he went to see the fourteenth ancestor, the Venerable Nāgārjuna, who cast a needle into a bowl, Nāgārjuna deeply valued his capacity, transmitted to him the Buddha Mind-Sect, and he succeeded as the fifteenth ancestor. The *Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra* states, "The Buddha's word takes mind as its source and gatelessness as its Dharma-gate." Master Ma said, "Whenever there are words and phrases, it is the Deva school; it takes only this as primary." You all are guests beneath the patch-robed monks' gate—have you ever thoroughly investigated the Deva school? If you have thoroughly investigated it, the ninety-six kinds of externalists in the Western Heavens are subdued by you all at once. If you have not thoroughly investigated it, you will inevitably have to wear your kaṣāya inside-out and depart. Now tell me: what is it like? If you say words and phrases are it, that has no connection. If you say words and phrases are not it, that also has no connection. Now tell me, where did Master Ma's meaning lie? Later, Yunmen said, "Master Ma had good words, but nobody asked [about them]." A monk then asked, "What is the Deva school?" Yunmen said, "Out of ninety-six kinds, you are the lowest kind." Formerly, a monk took leave of Dasui. Dasui asked, "Where are you going?" The monk said, "I am going to pay homage to Samantabhadra." Dasui raised his fly-whisk and said, "Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra are both right here." The monk drew a circle, held it up with his hands to present it to the Master, and then threw it behind his back. Dasui said, "Attendant, bring a packet of tea and give it to this monk to depart." Yunmen gave an alternate phrase: "In the Western Heavens, your head would be lopped off and your arms severed; here, you take yourself out!" He also said, "The red banner is in my hands!" In the Western Heavens, the victor in debate held a red banner in his hand, while the defeated wore their kaṣāyas inside-out and entered and exited by the side gate. When they wished to debate in the Western Heavens, they had to receive the king's decree, sound the bell, and strike the drum in a great monastery; only then would they debate. Thereupon, the externalists sealed off the bells and drums in the sangha monasteries to purge them. At that time, Venerable Kāṇadeva knew the Buddha-Dharma was in distress. He then exercised supernormal powers, climbed the tower, and struck the bell, wishing to expel the externalists. The externalists then asked, "Who is sounding the bell up in the tower?" Deva said, "The heavens." The externalists asked, "Who are the heavens?" Deva said, "I." The externalists asked, "Who am I?" Deva said, "I am you." The externalists asked, "Who are you?" Deva said, "You are a dog." The externalists asked, "Who is the dog?" Deva said, "The dog is you." Seven times like this, the externalists realized they were defeated. Subdued in debate, they then opened the gates themselves. Thereupon Deva came down from the tower holding the red banner. The externalist said, "Why do you not come behind?" Deva said, "Why do you not go ahead?" The externalist said, "You are a base person." Deva said, "You are a good person." Exchanging inquiries back and forth in this way, Deva broke them down with unobstructed eloquence, and because of this they submitted. At that time, Venerable Deva held the red banner in hand; those defeated in debate stood beneath the banner. The externalists all prepared to lop off their heads to apologize for their fault. At that time, Deva stopped them, only transforming them so that they shaved their hair and entered the Path. Thereupon the Deva school greatly flourished. Later, Xuedou used this affair to eulogize it. Among the assembly, Baling was called "Jian the Chatterbox." He often carried his sitting mat on itinerant pilgrimage. He had deeply attained the great matter under Yunmen's heels; hence he was extraordinary. Later he came into the world as a Dharma successor of Yunmen, and first resided at Baling in Yuezhou. He never composed a letter of Dharma inheritance; he only presented three turning phrases up to Yunmen: "What is the Way?" "A clear-eyed person falls into a well." "What is the blow-on-a-hair sword?" "Branches of coral support the moon." "What is the Deva school?" "Snow piled in a silver bowl." Yunmen said, "On the future memorial day of this old monk, just bring up these three turning phrases; that will be enough to repay the kindness." Thereafter, as expected, they did not prepare a memorial day feast, but in accordance with Yunmen's instruction, they only brought up these three turning phrases. However, when various quarters answered this phrase, they mostly answered in terms of concrete matters; only Baling spoke thus, which is exceedingly solitary and towering, certainly hard to understand, yet does not reveal the slightest sharp point. Subject to attack from all eight sides, every step has a path of escape and the dynamic to trap a tiger, stripping away human emotional views. If one discusses the affair on the side of uniform whiteness, when one arrives here, one must have personally penetrated and shed it; but then one must encounter the right person to succeed. Therefore it is said: "Daowu's dancing with a tablet, fellow travelers understand; / Shigong's drawing the bow, adepts know. / If this principle is not sealed and conferred by a master, / By what Dharma could one aim to speak of profound discourse?" Xuedou subsequently brought it up for others; thus he praised it in verse.