佛果圜悟禪師碧巖錄 8.11

8.11

Regarding this gong'an, in former days when this mountain monk was in Chengdu, I consulted Zhenjue. Zhenjue said, "You only need to look at Mazu's first sentence, and you will naturally understand it all at once." Tell me: did this monk come asking out of understanding, or did he come asking without understanding? This question is quite deep and far-reaching. Departing from the four propositions: existence, non-existence, neither existence nor non-existence, both existence and non-existence. Leaving these four propositions, cut off their hundred negations! You merely make up intellectual rationalizations, failing to recognize the topic, searching for the head but failing to see it. If it were this mountain monk, waiting until Mazu had spoken, I would then have spread my mat, made three prostrations, and seen what he had to say. If Master Ma at that time, seeing this monk come and ask, "Apart from the four propositions and detached from the hundred negations, please, Master, point directly to me the meaning of the Western Come-over," had taken his staff and struck him right across the spine, driving him out—let us see whether he would awaken or not! Master Ma merely engaged in entangling vines with him, so that this fellow missed it right before his eyes; he even sent him to ask Zhizang. Little did he know that Master Ma's incoming wind was keenly discerned. This monk was muddled and ran off to ask Zhizang. Zhizang said, "Why not ask the Venerable?" The monk said, "The Venerable told me to come ask." See how in these places, as soon as he is pressed, he turns; there is no leisure at all. Zhizang said, "I have a headache today and cannot speak for you. Go ask Brother Hai." This monk went again to ask Brother Hai. Brother Hai said, "When I get to this point, I don't understand." Tell me: why did one say he had a headache, while the other said he did not understand? Ultimately, how is it? This monk then returned and reported it to Master Ma. Master Ma said, "Zang's head is white; Hai's head is black." If you make conjectures along the path of intellectual understanding, you will call it deceiving each other. Some say they merely passed it off to one another. Others say all three recognized the source of his question and therefore did not answer. All of these are blind flailings, at once putting poison into the ancients' supreme flavor of ghee! Therefore Mazu said, "Wait until you swallow all the water of the West River in one gulp, and then I will speak to you." It is the same as this gong'an. If you can understand "Zang's head is white; Hai's head is black," you will understand the talk of the West River's water. This monk carried a shoulder-pole of muddle-headedness in exchange for disquiet, further troubling three venerable elders to enter the mud and water; in the end, this monk did not have a flash of insight. Even so, these three lineage masters were nevertheless seen through by a board-carrying fellow! Nowadays people only make a living on the words, saying, "White matches the bright side; black matches the dark side," merely boring and scheming. Little do they know that the ancient's single sentence cuts off the root of consciousness. You must look into the genuine lineage for yourself before you attain stability. Therefore it is said: "Only the final phrase reaches the impenetrable barrier; it blocks the vital crossing, barring both ordinary and holy." If we discuss this matter, it is like holding a sword before the gate: hesitate and you lose your body and life! It is also said: "Like throwing a sword through the empty air, do not discuss whether it hits or not; just understand it in the place that is exquisite on all eight sides." Have you not seen what the ancients said: "This lacquer tub!" or "Wild fox spirit!" or "Blind fellow!" Tell me: are these the same as or different from a blow or a shout? If you know that the myriad differences are just the same, you will naturally be able to face an enemy on all eight sides. Do you want to understand "Zang's head is white; Hai's head is black"? My late teacher Wuzu said, "Mister Fenghou." Xuedou's verse says: