釋氏稽古略 4.266

4.266

In the sixth month under the Song, Zhang Shangying was appointed Prime Minister. At that time there was a prolonged drought; that night there was heavy rain. The Emperor wrote the two large characters "Shanglin" ("Shangying's rain") and bestowed them upon Shangying. In the fourth month of the following year, he was dismissed. He died in the fourth year of Xuanhe and was styled Layman Wujin. When he resided in Jingnan, he considered himself a scholar of the Way and seldom praised others. Yuanwu moored his boat and visited him, conversing profoundly on the essential teachings of the Huayan. Yuanwu said: "The realm of direct perception in Huayan is where principle and phenomena are entirely real, originally without false dharmas. Therefore, one is immediately ten thousand, and ten thousand are realized as one; one again becomes one, and ten thousand again become ten thousand, vast and inexhaustible. Mind, Buddha, and sentient beings—the three are without difference. Unfolding and rolling up at ease, unobstructed and completely harmonious. Although this is the ultimate principle, it is ultimately still waves stirring constantly without wind." Thereupon, Wujin unwittingly drew his seat closer. Yuanwu then asked, "Reaching this point, is it the same as or different from the ancestral master's meaning in coming from the west?" The gentleman said, "It is the same." Yuanwu said, "Then it has no connection at all!" The gentleman's expression turned vexed. Yuanwu said, "Have you not seen Yunmen's saying: 'Mountains, rivers, and the great earth have not the slightest fault—this is still a turning phrase. Only when one reaches the point of not seeing a single form is it half the presentation; one must still know that there is a time of fully presenting the transcendental.' Were not Deshan and Linji fully presenting?" The gentleman then nodded in agreement. The next morning, they again brought up the realm of phenomena and the realm of principle, up to the realm of the non-obstruction of principle and phenomena. Yuanwu asked again, "Can Chan be spoken of here?" The gentleman said, "It is precisely suitable to speak of Chan." Yuanwu laughed and said, "Not so. It is precisely within the measure of the dharmadhātu. Because the measure of the dharmadhātu is not yet extinguished. Only when reaching the dharmadhātu of non-obstruction among phenomena where the measure of the dharmadhātu is extinguished is it suitable to speak of Chan. What is Buddha? A dry shit-stick. What is Buddha? Three pounds of flax. Therefore Zhenjing's verse says: 'Phenomena and phenomena unobstructed, at ease as one wishes: / Holding a pig's head in hand, reciting the pure precepts with the mouth; / Chased out of the brothel, wine debts not yet repaid; / Untying the cloth bag at the crossroads.'" Gentleman Wujin said, "How magnificent a discourse! How could it be easily heard?" Luohu commented: "Now, Yuanwu fused the school and teachings like this, thereby causing those who have attained understanding to be delighted and sincerely convinced. Were he not thoroughly versed in both the tradition and the teachings, how could he have achieved this?" (Ying Zhongwen's Luohu lu).