萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 6.83

6.83

師云。筠州九峯道虔禪師。親傳石霜之道。得殺活杖子。具衲僧巴鼻。首座擔板。只得一橛。當時見道恁麼則未會先師意在。只道吾不如汝。便教九峯無地容身傾心歸伏。不見道。爭之不足。讓則有餘。今時參學人只道。古人坐脫立亡。今人臨行手忙脚亂。又見毆陽文忠公見嵩山老僧。道今人念念在亂。臨終安得定。這迴一向尋速生速滅。覺範頌云。死時應盡便應盡。坐脫立亡誇小兒。酪出乳中無別法。死時何苦欲先知。二朝士問寶峯照和尚。古人臨終去住自在。何道致之。峯云。先僧將來。自縊死去。臨終眾僧。求峯遺訓。峯作惡語數句而終。石霜首座。若到這箇地面。免被九峯逼死。佛果示杲上人法語云。嗟。見一流拍盲野狐種族。自不曾夢見祖師。却妄傳。達磨以胎息傳人。謂之傳法救迷情。以至引從上最年高宗師。如安國師趙州之類。皆行此氣。及誇初祖隻履。普化空棺。皆謂此術有驗。遂致渾身脫去。謂之形神俱妙。而人厚愛此身。怕臘月三十日慞惶。競傳歸真之法。除夜望影。喚主人公。以卜日月聽樓鼓。驗玉池。覘眼光以為脫生死法。真誑諕閭閻。揑偽造窠。貽高人嗤鄙。復有一等。假託初祖胎息說。趙州十二時別歌。龐居士轉河車頌。遞互指授。密傳行持。以圖長年及全身脫去。或希三五百歲。殊不知。此真是妄想愛見。萬松道。今時下視諸方者。多以臨行要人看。好癭上塗烟𭴛。有甚可喜。石霜一生置枯木堂。安枯木眾。往往常坐不臥。坐脫立亡者極多。獨九峯不肯首座。今時好坐脫立亡底。何不參取九峯不肯處。且道。九峯具甚麼作用。問取天童。頌云。

The Master said: Chan Master Jiufeng Daoqian of Junzhou directly inherited the Way of Shishuang; he obtained the staff that kills and brings to life, and possessed the nostrils of a patch-robed monk. The head monk was a board-bearer who only got a single stake. At that time, when he saw him say, "If so, then you have not yet understood the late master's meaning," had he merely said, "I am not as good as you," he would have caused Jiufeng to have no ground to stand on and to submit wholeheartedly. Have you not heard it said: "In striving there is never enough; in yielding there is plenty"? Students of the present day only say, "The ancients departed sitting and passed away standing, whereas people of today are flustered and confused when departing." They also see that Duke Ouyang Wenzhong met the old monk of Mount Song and said, "People of today are disordered in thought after thought; at the end of life, how could they attain stability?" Thus all along they seek swift birth and swift extinction. Juefan's verse says: / "When it is time to die, one should finish, then just finish; / departing sitting and passing away standing is boasting to children. / Curds come out of milk by no other method; / at the time of death, why torment yourself wishing to know beforehand?" / Two court officials asked Venerable Baofeng Zhao, "The ancients were free in leaving or staying at the end of life; by what path did they achieve this?" Feng said, "Bring the former monk here; he hanged himself and died." When Feng was at the end of life, the assembly of monks asked for his dying instructions; Feng uttered a few lines of vile words and died. If Shishuang's head monk had reached this ground, he would have avoided being pressed to death by Jiufeng. Foguo's Dharma words instructing Master Gao say: "Alas! I see a class of blind wild-fox types who have never themselves seen the Patriarchs even in a dream, yet falsely transmit that Bodhidharma transmitted embryonic breathing to people, calling it the transmission of the Dharma to save deluded sentiments. They even cite the oldest ancestral masters from the past, such as National Master An and Zhaozhou, claiming that they all practiced this qi; and boasting of the First Patriarch's single sandal and Puhua's empty coffin, they all claim this technique has efficacy, thereby causing the entire body to depart, calling it 'form and spirit both marvelous.' Because people deeply cherish this body and fear panic on the thirtieth day of the twelfth month, they vie to transmit methods of 'returning to the true': on New Year's Eve watching their shadows, calling out to the master, using this to divine the sun and moon, listening to the drum towers, testing the jade pool, and observing the light of the eyes, taking these to be methods for escaping birth and death. Truly they deceive the common crowd, fabricating falsehoods and building nests, leaving behind the ridicule and disdain of elevated persons. There is also another sort who falsely rely on the First Patriarch's discourse on embryonic breathing, Zhaozhou's song of the twelve hours, and Layman Pang's verses on turning the waterwheel, instructing one another in turn and secretly transmitting their practice, seeking long life and the departure of the whole body, or hoping for three or five hundred years. Little do they know that this is truly deluded thinking and the view of attachment." Wansong says: Those of the present day who look down upon the various quarters mostly want people to watch them when departing, like smearing smoke-grease over a fine goiter—what is there to be glad about? Throughout his life Shishuang set up a Withered Wood Hall and settled a withered-wood community, often constantly sitting without lying down; those who departed sitting and passed away standing were extremely numerous. Only Jiufeng did not agree with the head monk. Why do those today who are fond of departing sitting and passing away standing not investigate the place where Jiufeng did not agree? Now tell me: what dynamic operation did Jiufeng possess? Ask Tiantong. The verse says: