萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 1.145

1.145

The Master said: Qingliang said, 'Mastery of the principle is self-cultivation; mastery of exposition instructs the unawakened.' This originally comes from the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra. The Buddha told Mahāmati, 'There are two kinds of mastery. As for mastery of the principle: relying on conditions, one attains by oneself the mark of superior progression, departs far from words, letters, and deluded concepts, and proceeds to the outflow-free realm. Relying on self-realization, one proceeds, and radiance blazes forth. This is called the mark of mastery of the principle. What is the mark of mastery of exposition? It means preaching the nine classes of various teachings, leaving behind marks of difference, non-difference, existence, non-existence, and so on, and preaching the Dharma according to capacity with skillful means. This is called the mark of mastery of exposition.' Lecturers say: 'Mastery of exposition without mastery of the principle is like the sun shrouded by clouds; mastery of the principle without mastery of exposition is like a snake entering a bamboo tube; mastery of both principle and exposition is like the sun dwelling in empty space; mastery of neither principle nor exposition is like a dog barking at a patch of cogon grass.' Having already divided principle and exposition, there are already two branches; how much worse that Chan is divided into five schools and the teachings are ranked in three vehicles! Herein, not even one is established; they are all forced effort. How much more so going out of the mouth and into the ear, seeking instruction, raising cases and versifying them: entangling vines extend their tendrils past Silla, and boiling water in the Gong County tea-kettle never ceases. Not only are discussions surging and roaring in the south! If one is a person whose mouth is not burned by the word 'fire', eloquence like a suspended river originally contains not a single word. Planting fields to barter for rice is an ordinary household affair, but unless one has trained to the full, one does not understand its relish. The ancients cooked unhusked millet rice in a broken-legged cauldron beside a hoe deep in the mountains. Wealth is nothing more than knowing contentment—not begging from others all one's life; nobility is nothing more than pure leisure—why need a seal of office as big as a peck? Therefore it is said: 'Fully trained, one clearly knows there is nothing to seek; / Zifang in the end did not value being enfeoffed as a marquis.' The Records of the Grand Historian says that in the sixth year of the Han, meritorious ministers were enfeoffed. Someone suggested that Zhang Liang had never had combat merits. Emperor Gaozu said, 'Devising strategies within the command tent, deciding victory a thousand li away—this is Zifang's merit.' He told him to select for himself thirty thousand households in Qi. Liang said, 'At first, when this subject met Your Majesty at Xiapi and joined you at Liu, this was Heaven bestowing this subject upon Your Majesty. Your Majesty used this subject's plans, and fortunately they struck the mark. This subject wishes to be enfeoffed with Liu, which is sufficient; I dare not accept thirty thousand households.' This verse means there is no need to open a hall and expound the Dharma in imitation of the south. The 'Fisherman's Song' in the Li Sao says, 'When the waters of the Canglang are clear, I can wash my hat-strings; when the waters of the Canglang are muddy, I can wash my feet.' This is residing together with apes and cranes, swimming along with fish and birds. Now tell me, what kind of person is this? A genuine board-carrying fellow.