佛果圜悟禪師碧巖錄 5.13

5.13

Venerable Xin of Huanglong brought this up and said: "Dongshan makes a collar at the sleeve and cuts a lapel under the armpit; but what can be done if this monk is not satisfied? If someone came forth right now to ask Huanglong, tell me, how would I deal with him?" After a long pause he said: "'Settled dhyāna does not require mountain and water; / when the fire in the mind is extinguished, one is naturally cool.' Everyone, tell me: where did Dongshan's trap fall? If you can clearly discern it, only then will you know that under Dongshan, the five ranks' mutual interpenetration of the biased and the right in guiding people is quite extraordinary. Only when arriving at this transcendent realm can one be like this: without needing contrivance, it is naturally just right. Therefore it is said:
'The Biased within the Right:
In the first watch of the third watch, before the moon is bright;
Do not wonder that meeting, they do not recognize each other;
Hidden, they still harbor old days' dislike.
'The Right within the Biased:
A woman awake at dawn meets an ancient mirror;
Distinct, face-to-face, there is no other reality;
Stop being lost in the head and still recognizing the shadow.
'Coming from within the Right:
Within non-being there is a path to leave the dust;
If only one can avoid offending the present ruler's taboo,
It surpasses even the previous dynasty's tongue-cutting talent.
'Arrival within the Biased:
Two blades cross points, no need to avoid;
A skillful hand is like a lotus in fire;
Naturally having an air that pierces the heavens.
'Attainment within Both:
Not falling into existence or non-existence, who dares harmonize?
Everyone wishes to step out of the common flow;
When settled and matched, they return to sit in the charcoal.'
Master Lu of Fushan Yuan took this gong'an as the standard of the five ranks. If you understand this one case, the rest will naturally be easy to understand. Yantou said: 'It is just like a gourd on water; press it down and it turns, completely without using the slightest bit of strength.' Once a monk asked Dongshan, 'When Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra come to study, how is it?' Dongshan said, 'Drive them into the herd of water buffaloes.' The monk said, 'The Venerable enters hell like an arrow.' Dongshan said, 'It is entirely relying on their power.' Dongshan said, 'Why not go to the place where there is no cold or heat?' This is the Right within the Biased. The monk said, 'What is the place where there is no cold or heat?' Dongshan said, 'When it is cold, let the cold kill the ācārya; when it is hot, let the heat kill the ācārya.' This is the Biased within the Right. Although right, it is yet biased; although biased, it is yet complete. In the Records of Caodong, this is recorded in full detail. If it were under Linji, there would not be so much business; one would immediately understand this kind of gong'an directly. Some say, 'How fine, no cold or heat!' What hold is there on this? An ancient said: 'If you walk on the edge of a sword, it is swift; if you see according to feelings and consciousness, it is slow.' Have you not seen the monk who asked Cuiwei, 'What is the meaning of the ancestral master coming from the West?' Cuiwei said, 'Wait until there is no one around, and I will tell you.' He then went walking into the garden. The monk said, 'There is no one here; please tell me, Venerable.' Cuiwei pointed to the bamboo and said, 'This stalk of bamboo has grown so long; that stalk of bamboo has grown so short.' The monk was suddenly greatly enlightened. Furthermore, Caoshan asked a monk, 'It is so hot; where do you avoid it?' The monk said, 'I avoid it in the cauldron of boiling water and furnace of coals.' Caoshan said, 'How do you avoid it in the cauldron of boiling water and furnace of coals?' The monk said, 'The myriad sufferings cannot reach there.' Look at someone of their family: he naturally understands the speech of someone of his family. Xuedou used matters of their family to versify it: