佛祖統紀 1.2

1.2

佛以心印授之於祖。而祖祖相印以至師。其間隨機立解。以權示實。脈絡分合。蓋不可思議焉。余頃憩烏瞻山。忽邑侯游公招至顧司寇之澄心樓。以校閱事見委。詢其所欲梓。則佛祖統紀也。余夙志闡繹弗敢以不敏辭。甫焚香展卷。有客進曰。吾聞心佛眾生三無差別。何有佛祖之異乎。道絕邊表。理非數量。又何統紀之一乎。若即心境為禪觀本有醍醐自味。何規規然尋牛𤛓乳於村落耶。余曰。子言似矣。猶未足語道也。夫道無統則散。統無紀則亂。散亂之作道理焉依。然道因言顯。理假教明。詎離言教而覓道理乎。試將此典喻村落也。能詮名句喻牛也。所詮諸義喻乳及酥酪醍醐也。若謂直取醍醐上味勿勞牛乳等義請君於牛乳外。別覓一醍醐味可乎。欲明古聖之道。此統紀斯其至焉。子又何疑。所以楊侍御為佛祖發心。游邑侯為眾生垂手。昱道人忍以帝虎誤學人耶。客輾然作禮而退。

The Buddha conferred the mind-seal upon the Patriarch, and patriarch to patriarch sealed one another down to our masters. In this lineage, establishing explanations according to capacity, revealing the real by expedient means, the threads divided and merged in ways truly inconceivable. Recently, while resting at Mount Wuzhan, I was unexpectedly invited by Magistrate Lord You to the Chenxin Pavilion of Minister of Justice Gu, who entrusted me with the task of proofreading. Asking what he wished to print, it was the *Fozu tongji*. Having long aspired to elucidate and expound it, I dared not decline on grounds of lack of ability. Just as I burned incense and unrolled the scrolls, a guest entered and said, "I have heard that 'mind, Buddha, and sentient beings—these three are without difference.' How can there be any distinction between Buddha and patriarchs? The Dao transcends boundary and limit, and the principle is not a matter of numbers. How then can there be a unified chronicle? If one takes mind and object as the basis of Chan contemplation, having inherent clarified butter of one's own flavour, why should one rigidly search for a cow and milk it in a village?" I said, "Your words seem plausible, yet they are not sufficient to speak of the Dao. If the Dao has no unifying lineage, it disperses; if the lineage has no chronicle, it falls into chaos. When dispersion and chaos arise, on what can principle rely? Furthermore, the Dao is made manifest through words; principle is clarified through teaching. How could one leave behind words and teachings to seek principle? Consider this scripture by analogy to a village; the expressive words and phrases are like the cow; the various meanings expressed are like the milk, curds, butter, and clarified butter. If one says that one should directly take the supreme flavour of clarified butter without troubling over cow's milk and the like, may I ask you to seek a flavour of clarified butter apart from cow's milk—is that possible? For those who wish to comprehend the Dao of the ancient sages, this chronicle is the ultimate guide. What doubts do you still have? This is why Censor Yang brought forth his aspiration for the sake of the Buddhas and patriarchs, and Magistrate You extended his helping hand for the sake of sentient beings. Could this man of the Dao, Yu, bear to mislead students by mistaking 'emperor' for 'tiger'?" The guest smiled broadly, bowed, and withdrew.