萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 6.83

6.83

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: