萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 4.67

4.67

師云。法眼久參長慶稜。既嗣地藏。長慶下昭首座。平昔與師商搉古今。中心憤之。即領眾特詣撫州責問。師知舉眾出迎。特加禮。待賓主位。各挂拂子一枝。茶次。昭忽變色抗聲曰。長老開堂的嗣何人。師曰。地藏。昭曰。何太辜負長慶先師。某同在會下數十餘載。商量古今。曾無間隔。因何却嗣地藏。此事不在多年。也不在久學。如一宿覺高亭簡。豈可外人評量。昭首座黨護門風。不通議論。橫生譏剝。法眼當時深愍此輩不通方者作十規論誡之。學者不可不覽。且人情之與道力。優劣天懸。故將本分事酬他道。我不會一轉因緣。是他大方之家。不辯不爭。却將長慶會下當年曾熟論底事校證。昭以舊日相待纔與拶著。七華八裂。參隨急救。轉見不堪。可謂陣敗不禁苕菷掃也。昭與眾懡㦬而退。眼方略與止住曰。首座殺父殺母。猶通懺悔。謗大般若。誠難懺悔。昭竟無對。自此却參眼。發明己見。更不開堂。古人惡來善應。嗔來慈應。然後以平等佛慧而開發之。此子昭首座還嗣法眼。猶不足以酬厚德洗初心也。天童只將昭公問處法眼末後一句。頌之自然頭正尾正。頌云。

The Master said: Fayan had long studied with Changqing Leng. When he later inherited Dizang's lineage, Head Monk Zhao under Changqing, who had previously discussed ancient and modern with the Master, felt indignant in his heart. He led an assembly specifically to Fuzhou to question and rebuke him. When the Master learned of this, he led the community out to welcome them, showing extraordinary courtesy: at both host and guest seats, a fly-whisk was hung. Over tea, Zhao suddenly changed countenance and said in a raised voice: 'When the Elder opened the hall, whose lineage did you inherit?' The Master said: 'Dizang's.' Zhao said: 'Why do you so greatly fail our late master Changqing? I was with you in his assembly for several decades, deliberating on the ancient and the modern without any distance between us. Why do you instead inherit Dizang?' This matter does not lie in many years, nor does it lie in long study—like the 'One-Night Enlightened' or Gaoting Jian, how could outsiders measure it? Head Monk Zhao factionally defended his house-style, closed to open discussion, and generated wanton slander and picking. At that time, Fayan deeply pitied this kind of person who lacked versatility, and composed the *Treatise on the Ten Guidelines* to admonish them; students cannot fail to read it. Furthermore, between human sentiments and the power of the Way, the superior and inferior are as far apart as heaven and earth. Therefore, Fayan answered him with the fundamental affair, saying, 'I do not understand one turning word of his.' Being a master of the great square, he did not argue or contend; instead, he brought out a matter that they had thoroughly discussed together in years past under Changqing to verify. Zhao treated him with old familiarity, but as soon as they were pressed together, he shattered into pieces. When the attendants rushed to save him, it was all the more unbearable; it can be called a defeated army unable to withstand the sweep of a broom. Zhao and the assembly withdrew in shame. Fayan then gently stopped him, saying: 'Head Monk, killing father and mother can still be confessed and repented; slandering great prajñā is truly difficult to repent.' Zhao was ultimately without an answer. From this point on, he studied under Fayan instead, brought clarity to his own insight, and never opened a hall. The ancients met malice with goodness and anger with compassion, and only then enlightened them with equal Buddha-wisdom. Even if this Head Monk Zizhao were to inherit Fayan's lineage, it would still not be enough to repay such deep virtue or wash clean his initial mind. Tiantong takes only the point of Zhao's question and Fayan's final phrase to versify; naturally the head and tail are properly aligned. The verse says: