釋氏稽古略 4.351

4.351

In the Song dynasty, on the fifteenth day of the tenth winter month, an imperial edict summoned Chan Master Huiyuan, former abbot of Chongxian Xianxiao Chan Cloister on Gaoting Mountain in Hangzhou, to assume the abbacy of Jingde Lingyin Chan Monastery. On the twenty-third day of the second month of the following year, Yuan was summoned for an audience at Xuande Hall and granted a seat. The Emperor said, "How may one escape birth and death?" Huiyuan replied, "Without awakening to the path of the Great Vehicle, one will ultimately never escape." The Emperor said, "How does one attain awakening?" Yuan said, "It is one's inherent nature; when thoroughly investigated, there is none who fails to awaken." The Emperor said, "What of after awakening?" Yuan said, "Only after awakening does it manifest directly, utterly stripped of everything, with not the slightest hair of an appearance to be seen." The Emperor nodded in agreement. The Emperor said, "What about 'the mind itself is the Buddha'?" Yuan said, "Before your eyes there are no phenomena; what does Your Majesty call the mind?" The Emperor said, "What is the mind?" Yuan straightened his posture, clasped his hands, and said, "Only this." The imperial countenance showed great delight. In the eighth year of Qiandao, in spring on the twenty-eighth day of the first month, the imperial carriage visited Lingyin Monastery. In autumn on the seventh day of the eighth month, monks and Daoists of the Three Teachings from Upper Tianzhu, Jingshan, and Lingyin were summoned to assemble in the Neiguan Hall. When the vegetarian meal was over, Yuan was summoned into the Eastern Pavilion and granted a seat. The Emperor said, "There are one or two matters I wish to ask you, Minister. The other day, while asleep and dreaming, I suddenly heard the sound of a bell and thereupon awoke. I do not know how it stands with dreaming and waking." Yuan said, "Does Your Majesty ask about dreaming, or do you ask about waking? If you ask about waking, right now this is sleep-talk. If you ask about dreaming, dreaming and waking are not different—whom would you have distinguish them? Dreams are illusions; knowing illusion, one departs from it; departing from illusion, there is awakening. The awakened mind is unmoved. Therefore it is said: 'If one can transform phenomena, one is identical to the Tathāgata.'" The Emperor said, "Since dream and illusion are neither, from where did the sound of the bell arise?" Yuan said, "It arose from where Your Majesty asked the question." The Emperor asked again, "The other day when I sat quietly in this pavilion, I suddenly thought of 'not keeping company with the ten thousand dharmas' and had a certain insight." Yuan said, "I would be pleased to hear the imperial instruction." The Emperor said, "The four seas are not too vast." Yuan said, "What about 'swallowing all the water of the West River in a single gulp'?" The Emperor said, "Neither has it ever been lacking." Yuan said, "The moment one touches deliberation, it becomes a superfluous dharma. Even if it were like the carver of wheels or like a flash of lightning, it has no relation whatsoever. Why? Dharmas have no two dharmas; views have no two views; mind has no other mind; heaven has no two suns." The Emperor nodded in agreement for a long time. In winter, on the thirtieth day of the tenth month, an imperial edict was issued to Grand Master Fohai Huiyuan of Jingde Lingyin Monastery, specially bestowing upon him the title "Chan Master Fohai." In the first year of Chunxi, on the thirtieth day of the fifth month, Yuan was summoned for an audience. The Emperor said, "Regarding the ancient patriarchs who passed away while sitting or standing, who is there in the present generation?" Yuan said, "During the reign of Emperor Huizong, monks were altered into 'gentlemen of virtue'. On the day the edict arrived, there was Elder Chongning in Jianzhou. He assembled the congregation, ascended the seat, and said: 'Picking up the wooden tablet, laying down the sitting mat. Clouds disperse and waters flow away; serenely, heaven and earth are empty.' Thereupon he sat peacefully and departed. In the twenty-seventh year of Shaoxing, Zonghui of Xiyan Monastery in Nanjian prefecture was summoned by the authorities over a tea plantation matter. He took the seat and uttered a verse: 'The summonses of the official bureaus do not pause for an instant. / How could that compare to departing permanently, with the matter clear and plain? / From of old there has been this song of the unborn; / and how joyful that today the tune is accomplished!' Having spoken, he sat peacefully and departed. Furthermore, when Yuanwu resided at Zhaojue, he had an assembly of five hundred. The head monk was named Daozu. One day, after finishing entering the room [for instruction] for the assembly, another monk asked, 'When birth and death arrive, how should one avoid them?' Zu immediately stood stiff and departed. Yuanwu rushed to his place and repeatedly called, 'Head Monk Zu!' He then opened his eyes. Yuanwu said, 'Rouse your spirit and pass through the barrier!' Zu nodded and departed immediately. These are all persons of the present generation who passed away while sitting or standing." The Emperor praised and sighed in admiration for a long time, and the imperial attendants all looked at one another (Record of Memorials and Responses of Chan Master Yuan). In the third year of Chunxi, in spring on the fifteenth day of the first month, Yuan entered stillness at the age of seventy-four, with fifty-nine summer retreats. He was buried on the western mountain of Lingyin. Assistant Administrator of the Affairs of the Secretariat-Chancellery Zhou Bida composed the inscription for his stupa. His recorded sayings comprise three fascicles, prefaced by Left Grand Councillor Yu Yunwen. On the twenty-ninth day of the second month, an imperial edict summoned Deguang of Bao'en Guangxiao Monastery in Taizhou to succeed to Yuan's seat and reside at Lingyin. In winter, in the eleventh month, he had an audience at Xuande Hall. In the fifth year of Chunxi, the title "Chan Master Fozhao" was specially bestowed on Guang. In the seventh year of Chunxi, on the fifth day of the sixth month, an imperial edict assigned Guang to reside at Guangli Monastery on Mount King Aśoka in Mingzhou. Reaching the fourth year of Shaoxi of Emperor Guangzong, on the twenty-sixth day of the first month, Guang was edicted to reside at Xingsheng Wanshou Monastery on Jingshan in Lin'an Prefecture. He entered stillness in the third year of Jiatai of Emperor Ningzong. Guang was born of the Peng family of Linjiang Commandery and was a dharma heir of Chan Master Dahui Zonggao (Wudeng huiyuan). Chan Master Fohai, named Huiyuan, was born of the Peng family of Meishan. At the age of thirteen, he followed Zongbian of Yaoshi Cloister to become a monk. He traveled among the mountains, listening and studying. When Yuanwu again took charge of Zhaojue, Yuan took refuge with him. Yuanwu gave a general sermon, citing Layman Pang asking Mazu, "Who is the one that does not keep company with the ten thousand dharmas?" Mazu said, "Wait until you swallow all the water of the West River in a single gulp, and then I will tell you." Hearing this, he was greatly awakened. Traveling eastward down through Huqiu, he received an imperial edict to reside at Chongxian on Gaoting Mountain. He successively moved between famous monasteries. He received the transmission as the dharma heir of Chan Master Foguo Yuanwu Keqin (Pudeng lu).