佛祖歷代通載 15.4

15.4

（二）　信州鵝湖大義禪師者。衢州須江人也。姓徐氏。李翱嘗問師。大悲用千手眼作麼。師云。今上用公作麼。有一僧乞置塔。李尚書問云。教中不許將屍塔下過。又作麼生。無對。僧却來問師。師云。他得大闡提。上詔入內。於麟德殿論議。有一法師。問。如何是四諦。師云。聖上一帝。三帝何在。又問。欲界無禪。禪居色界。此土憑何而立禪。師云。法師只知欲界無禪。不知禪界無欲。法師云。如何是禪。師以手點空。法師無對。帝云。法師講無窮經論。只這一點尚不奈何。師却問諸碩德曰。行住坐臥畢竟以何為道。有對曰。知者是道。師曰。不可以知知。不可以識識。安得知者是道乎。有對。無分別是道。師曰。善能分別諸法相。於第一義而不動。安得無分別是道乎。有對。四禪八定是道。師曰。佛身無為不墮諸數。安在四禪八定是道邪。眾皆杜口。師又舉。順帝問尸利禪師。大師眾生如何見性成佛。尸利云。佛性猶如水中月。可見不可取。因謂帝曰。佛性非見必見。水中月如何攫取。帝乃問。何者是佛性。師對曰。不離陛下所問。帝默契真宗。

(2) Chan Master Dayi of Ehu in Xinzhou was a native of Xujiang in Quzhou, of the surname Xu. Li Ao once asked the master: “What does the Great Compassionate One use a thousand hands and eyes for?” The master said: “What does the present Emperor use you for?” There was a monk who begged to erect a stūpa. Minister Li asked: “In the teachings it is not permitted to carry a corpse beneath a stūpa. What about this?” The monk had no answer; he returned and asked the master. The master said: “He has obtained the status of a great icchantika.” The Emperor summoned him into the palace to debate in the Linde Hall. A Dharma master asked: “What are the Four Truths?” The master said: “His Sagely Majesty is one emperor. Where are the other three emperors?” He also asked: “In the realm of desire there is no dhyāna; dhyāna abides in the realm of form. Based on what is dhyāna established in this land?” The master said: “The Dharma master only knows that in the realm of desire there is no dhyāna, but does not know that in the realm of dhyāna there is no desire.” The Dharma master said: “What is dhyāna?” The master pointed at the empty air with his hand; the Dharma master had no reply. The Emperor said: “The Dharma master lectures on inexhaustible sūtras and treatises, yet he cannot handle even this one point!” The master then asked the eminent elders: “In walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, what ultimately is the Way?” Someone replied: “Knowing is the Way.” The master said: “It cannot be known through knowing, nor cognized through consciousness. How can knowing be the Way?” Someone replied: “Non-discrimination is the Way.” The master said: “Skillfully discriminating the marks of all phenomena while remaining unmoved in the primary truth—how can non-discrimination be the Way?” Someone replied: “The four dhyānas and eight concentrations are the Way.” The master said: “The Buddha-body is unconditioned (asaṃskṛta) and does not fall into numerical categories. How can the four dhyānas and eight concentrations be the Way?” The assembly all held their tongues. The master also cited: “Emperor Shun asked Chan Master Shili: ‘Great master, how do sentient beings see their nature and become Buddhas?’ Shili said: ‘Buddha-nature is like the moon in the water: it can be seen, but cannot be grasped.’ ” He then said to the Emperor: “The Buddha-nature cannot be seen by necessity. How can the moon in the water be seized?” The Emperor then asked: “What is the Buddha-nature?” The master replied: “It is not apart from what Your Majesty has asked.” The Emperor silently accorded with the true doctrine.