大明高僧傳 6.10

6.10

釋袁覺郡之袁氏子。出家傳燈寺。本名圓覺。郡守填祠牒誤寫袁字。守疑其嫌因戲謂之曰。一字名之可乎。對曰。一字已多也。郡守異之。已而往大溈。依佛性和尚入室陳其所見。性曰。汝忒殺遠在。俾充侍司遷掌賓客。佛性每舉法華開示悟入四字令下語。又曰。待我點頭。汝理方是。偶不職被斥。制中無依。乃寓俗士家。一日誦法華。至亦復不知何者是火何者為舍。乃豁然有省。制罷歸寺白性。首為肯之。後至雲居見圓悟述所得。悟呵之曰。本是淨地屙屎作麼。於是所疑頓釋。紹興丁巳郡守請居象耳。法道大振。四方英俊宿德鴻儒聞風禮謁。室無所容。開堂詞辨河傾峽瀉叢林稱之。未詳其終。

Shi Yuanjue was a son of the Yuan family of that prefecture. He was ordained at Chuandeng Temple. His original name was Yuanjue (Perfect Awakening). When the prefectural governor filled out his ordination certificate, he mistakenly wrote the character Yuan (surname Yuan). Suspecting he might take offence, the governor playfully said to him, "Is it acceptable to name you with a single character?" He replied, "A single character is already one too many." The governor marvelled at him. Thereafter he went to Dagui and relied on Master Foxing. Entering the room, he presented his insight. Foxing said, "You are far too off the mark!" He appointed him to serve in the attendant's office, and then transferred him to manage the guests. Foxing frequently brought up the four characters 'open, display, awaken, enter' from the *Lotus Sūtra* and had him give a turning phrase, adding, "Wait until I nod my head; only then will your principle be correct." Happening to fail in his duties, he was dismissed. With no place to rely on during the retreat, he stayed at the home of a layman. One day, chanting the *Lotus Sūtra*, he came to the phrase: "nor do they know what is fire or what is the house"; he suddenly had an awakening. When the retreat ended, he returned to the temple and reported to Foxing, who gave him his initial approval. Later he arrived at Yunju, saw Yuanwu, and related what he had attained. Yuanwu scolded him, saying, "Why shit on what was originally clean ground?" Thereupon his doubts were suddenly dispelled. In the dingsi year of Shaoxing, the prefectural governor invited him to reside at Xiang'er. His Dharma way greatly flourished. The talented, the elder virtues, and the great scholars from all quarters heard of his renown and came to pay homage, such that his room could not contain them. When he opened the hall, his eloquence poured forth like a river descending or a gorge cascading; the monasteries praised him. The details of his end are unknown.