萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 6.71

6.71

師云。古人臨行。老病死境界中游戲。就中洞山奇怪。既云微疾。大眾看候。一僧問。和尚病還有不病者麼。這僧言中有響。句裏呈機。也要看病人具眼。山云。有。抓著癢處。病減十分。僧云。不病者還看和尚否。倒行此令。要人知不恁麼。山云。老僧看他有分。若以世情測度。不病者合看病者。洞山却道。老僧看他有分。豈是人情問候道理。這僧要徹底相見。更問。和尚看他後如何。這裏要爾十二時中常須奉重。夜眠早起。問候起居。始是知恩孝順底人也。山云。老僧若看。即不見有病。此是平生行履。臨行得力處也。山復問僧。離此殼漏子。向甚麼處。與吾相見。僧無對。山有頌云。學者雖多無一悟。過在尋他舌頭路。欲得忘形泯蹤跡。努力慇懃空裏步。頌畢剃頭聲鍾。坐堂辭眾告寂。眾號慟。山開目辨愚癡齋。更延七日。再辭眾坐逝。大定繼燈錄。皇統間。咸平府大覺寺法慶禪師。嗣佛國白禪師。甞掌書記。初住泗州普照。後遷嵩少。破汴被虜。北方牧牛。講僧識之。次居東京。因侍者讀洞山錄作愚癡齋。者云。古人甚奇。覺云。吾化後汝可喚之。若能迴來。是有道力也。後預知時至。乃作頌云。今年五月初五。四大將離本主。白骨當風揚却。免占檀那地土。衣物盡付侍者。齋僧始聞初夜鐘聲坐逝。侍者曰昔約令喚。遂喚三聲。覺應曰。作麼。者曰。和尚何裸跣而去。覺曰。來時何有。者欲強穿衣。覺曰。休留與後人。者曰。正恁麼時如何。覺曰。也只恁麼。復書一偈云。七十三年如掣電。臨行為君通一線。鐵牛𨁝跳過新羅。撞破虛空七八片。儼然而化。壽七十三。皇統三年五月五日也。洞山識不病底。大覺識不死底。所以二老來去自由。天童拈云。得往得來。得來得往。我看他有分。他看我不然。正恁麼時如何體悉。良久云。宿霧尚深無見頂。春風常在不萌枝。天童拈彰底事之全機。已如上說。頌見古人之剋力。又作麼生。頌云。

The Master said: When the ancients were about to pass away, they disported themselves within the realm of old age, illness, and death. Among them, Dongshan was extraordinary. When it was said that he had a slight illness, the community came to enquire after him. A monk asked: 'When the Venerable is ill, is there also one who is not ill?' This monk had resonance in his words and presented the active dynamic within the phrase. It also required that the sick person possess the [true] eye. Dongshan said: 'There is.' Scratching the itch, the illness lessened by ten parts. The monk said: 'Does the one who is not ill look after the Venerable?' Reversing this order was intended to make people know it is not so. Dongshan said: 'This old monk has a share in looking after him.' If measured by worldly sentiments, the one who is not ill ought to look after the sick one. Dongshan, however, said: 'This old monk has a share in looking after him.' How could this be the principle of worldly greetings and enquiries? This monk wanted to meet him thoroughly and further asked: 'When the Venerable looks after him, what is it like?' Here, you are required to constantly attend to and venerate him throughout the twelve periods of the day, sleeping late, rising early, and enquiring after his daily activities; only then are you one who knows gratitude and filial piety. Dongshan said: 'If this old monk looks, I do not see that there is any illness.' This was his lifelong practice and the place where he found strength when departing. Dongshan then asked the monk: 'Apart from this husk-bag, where will you meet with me?' The monk had no reply. Dongshan had a verse that went: / 'Although students are many, not one is awakened; / The fault lies in pursuing the path of others' tongues. / If you wish to forget the form and obliterate the traces, / Strive diligently to walk within emptiness.' / When he finished the verse, he had his head shaved, sounded the bell, sat in the hall, took leave of the assembly, and announced his decease. The assembly wept and wailed. Dongshan opened his eyes, instituted a 'Feast of Delusion', extended his stay for another seven days, and again took leave of the assembly and passed away sitting. The *Dading Continuation of the Transmission of the Lamp* records that during the Huangtong era, Chan Master Faqing of Dajue Monastery in Xianping prefecture, an heir of Chan Master Foguo Bai, once served as the monastic recorder. At first he resided at Puzhao in Sizhou, and later moved to Mount Song and Shaolin. When Bian was broken, he was captured and herded cattle in the north. A lecture monk recognized him. Next he resided in the Eastern Capital. Because the attendant read the *Record of Dongshan* holding the Feast of Delusion, the attendant said: 'The ancients were quite extraordinary.' Jue said: 'After I transform, you may call out to me; if I am able to return, that is the power of the Way.' Later, foreknowing the time had come, he composed a verse: / 'This year on the fifth day of the fifth month, / The four elements are about to separate from their original master. / Scatter the white bones to the wind, / To avoid occupying the dānapati’s soil.' / He gave all his robes and belongings to the attendant. Only when the monks had eaten and the initial night bell sounded did he pass away sitting. The attendant said: 'Formerly there was an agreement to call.' Thereupon he called three times. Jue responded, saying: 'What is it?' The attendant said: 'Why does the Venerable depart bare and unshod?' Jue said: 'When I came, what was there?' The attendant wanted to force clothes onto him. Jue said: 'Stop! Leave them for later people.' The attendant said: 'Just at such a time, what is it like?' Jue said: 'It is also just like this.' He further wrote a gāthā: / 'Seventy-three years like a flash of lightning; / On the verge of departure, I open a thread for you: / An iron ox leaps over Silla, / Smashing empty space into seven or eight pieces.' / He solemnly passed away at the age of seventy-three, on the fifth day of the fifth month in the third year of Huangtong. Dongshan recognized that which is not ill; Dajue recognized that which does not die. Therefore the two venerable elders were free in coming and going. Tiantong brought this up and said: 'Able to go, able to come; able to come, able to go. I have a share in looking after him; he looking after me is not so. Just at such a time, how do you understand?' After a long pause, he said: 'The lingering mist is still deep, with no crest in sight; / The spring breeze is ever present in the branch that has not budded.' Tiantong's raising brings to light the full dynamic of the fundamental matter, as has already been stated above. To show the rigorous effort of the ancients in verse—how is it? The verse says: