禪關策進 1.61

1.61

兄弟家。三年五年做工夫。無箇入處。將從前話頭拋却。不知行到中途而廢。可惜前來許多心機。有志之士。看眾中柴乾水便僧堂溫煖。發願三年不出門。決定有箇受用。有等纔做工夫。心地清淨。但見境物現前。便成四句。將謂是大了當人。口快舌便。誤了一生。三寸氣消。將何保任。佛子。若欲出離。參須直參。悟須實悟○或話頭綿密無有間斷。不知有身。謂之人忘法未忘。有到此忘其本身。忽然記得。如在夢中跌下萬仞洪崖。只顧救命遂成風癲。到此須是緊提話頭。忽然連話頭。都忘謂之人法雙忘。驀地冷灰豆爆。始知張公吃酒。李公醉。正好來般若門下吃棒。何以故。更須打破諸祖重關。遍參知識。得知一切淺深。却向水邊林下。保養聖胎。直待龍天推出。方可出來扶揚宗教。普度群生。

Brothers, applying effort for three or five years without an entry point, you toss away the previous huatou, not realising that to give up halfway is to waste all your previous mental effort. A person of resolve sees that among the assembly firewood is dry, water is convenient, and the sangha hall is warm; making a vow not to step out of the gate for three years, they will certainly attain benefit. There are those who, as soon as they apply effort and their mind-ground is pure, whenever an object appears before them, turn it into a four-line verse, supposing themselves to be people who have settled the great matter; glib of tongue and clever of speech, they ruin their entire life. When their three-inch breath ceases, what will they use to maintain it? Disciples of the Buddha, if you wish to escape, in investigating you must investigate directly; in awakening you must awaken truly. Or when the huatou is continuous and uninterrupted, not knowing one has a body is called 'the person is forgotten while phenomena are not yet forgotten.' Some, reaching this point of forgetting their own body, suddenly remember it, as if falling in a dream from a vast precipice of ten thousand cubits; caring only to save their lives, they consequently become mad. Reaching this point, one must firmly raise the huatou. Suddenly even the huatou is forgotten, which is called 'both person and phenomena are forgotten.' All of a sudden, in cold ashes a bean pops; only then do you know that 'when Master Zhang drinks wine, Master Li gets drunk.' It is just the right time to come under Bore's gate to take the stick. Why is this? You must further break through the multiple barriers of the patriarchs, visit spiritual guides everywhere, and come to know all degrees of shallowness and depth. Then turn to the water's edge and beneath the trees to nurture the sacred embryo, waiting until nāgas and devas push you forward before you may come forth to uphold the teaching of the school and universally deliver all living beings.