緇門警訓 8.41

8.41

吾有一錫裁製有式。上下三停聳榦六尺。十二環圓而無缺。示因緣乃死乃生。兩鈷開而復同。顯空有不離不即。匪以扶羸。唯將丐食。執之兮居然寂寂。振之兮其鳴歷歷。直欲使諸。有門開三途苦息。隨身所止懸之屋壁。塵垢易生長須拂拭。擲雲外兮不以為難。解虎競兮未須勞力。幸哉凡愚。蹈夫聖跡。外露粗暴。內懷荊棘。用之舍之兮能無夕惕。

I have a pewter staff, fashioned according to standard form. Upper, middle, and lower sections in threefold division, its towering shaft is six feet tall. Its twelve rings are round and without flaw, showing how dependent origination leads to death and to birth. Its two prongs part and yet join together again, revealing that emptiness and existence are neither separate nor identical. It is not used to support the frail; it is carried solely to beg for food. Held in hand, it is serenely silent; shaken, its ringing is distinct and clear. It aims directly to cause the gates of the realms of existence to open, and the sufferings of the three evil destinies to cease. Wherever one stays, it is hung upon the room's wall; dust and grime easily gather, so it must ever be wiped clean. Hurling it beyond the clouds is not considered difficult; parting fighting tigers requires no strenuous effort. How fortunate are ordinary fools to tread in the footsteps of the sages! Yet with rough coarseness shown on the outside, and thistles and brambles harbored within, whether employing it or laying it aside, can one fail to be watchful day and night?