大明高僧傳 7.27

7.27

釋宗顯號正覺。潼川王氏子也。少選為進士有聲。甞晝掬溪水為戲。至夜思之遂見水泠然盈室。欲汲之不可得。忽爾塵境自空歎曰。吾世網裂矣。往依昭覺白公得度。蕭然一衲隨眾咨參。一日白公問。高高峯頂立深深海底行作麼生會。忽於言下頓悟曰。釘殺脚跟也。白拈起拂子曰。這箇又作麼生。顯一笑而出。服勤七祀。出遊至京都淮淛遍歷叢林。晚登五祖見演和尚問。未知關棙子。難過趙州橋。如何是關棙子。祖曰。汝且在門外立。顯進步一踏而退。祖曰。許多時茶飯元來也有人知滋味。明日入室。祖見顯便問。是昨日問話僧否。我固知爾見處。秖未過得白雲關在。顯珍重便出。時圓悟為侍者。乃以白雲關意扣悟。悟曰。直下會取。顯笑曰。我不是不會。祇是未諳。待見這老漢共伊理會一上耳。次日祖往舒城。顯與悟繼往。適會於興化。祖問記得曾在那裏相見來。顯曰。全火秖候。祖顧悟曰。這漢饒舌。後遊廬山回舉高高峯頂立話所得之意。白五祖。祖曰。吾甞以此事詰先師。先師曰。我曾問遠和尚。遠曰。猫有歃血之功。虎有起屍之德。非索達本源不能到也。顯侍之久。祖鍾愛之。辭返蜀祖為小參。復送之以頌曰。離鄉四十餘年。一時忘却蜀語。禪人回到成都。切須記取魯語。顯歸昭覺。白公尚無恙。再侍之聲譽藹然。初出住長松。次主保福。大張爐鞴。煅煉四方學者。故龍象多出其輪下焉。

Shi Zongxian was styled Zhengjue. He was a son of the Wang family of Tongchuan. In his youth, he passed the examination as a jinshi and had a great reputation. Once, during the day, he scooped stream water in play; at night, thinking of it, he saw water limpidly filling the room. He wished to draw it, but could not. Suddenly, the objective realm became naturally empty, and he sighed, 'My worldly net is torn!' He went to rely upon Venerable Bai of Zhaojue and was ordained. Dressed simply in a single patch-robe, he followed the assembly in asking for instruction. One day, Venerable Bai asked, '"Standing on the highest peak, walking on the deepest ocean floor"—how do you understand this?' Under these words, he suddenly attained awakening and said, 'Nailing down the heels!' Bai held up his fly-whisk and said, 'What about this one?' Xian smiled and walked out. He served diligently for seven years. He then went wandering to the capital and the Huai and Zhe regions, visiting monasteries everywhere. In his later years, he ascended Wuzu and saw Venerable Yan, asking, 'Not yet knowing the mechanism, it is difficult to cross the Zhaozhou bridge. What is the mechanism?' Wuzu said, 'Just stand outside the door.' Xian took a step forward, stamped his foot, and retreated. Wuzu said, 'All this time with meals and tea, it turns out there really is someone who knows the flavor!' The next day he entered the room. Wuzu saw Xian and asked, 'Are you the monk who asked questions yesterday? I certainly know your insight, but you have not yet passed the Baiyun barrier.' Xian said, 'Take care,' and walked out. At that time, Yuanwu was the attendant, so Xian asked Wu about the meaning of the Baiyun barrier. Wu said, 'Understand it directly here and now!' Xian laughed and said, 'It is not that I do not understand; I just am not yet familiar with it. I will wait until I see this old fellow and have an understanding with him.' The next day, Wuzu went to Shucheng; Xian and Wu followed. They happened to meet at Xinghua. Wuzu asked, 'Do you remember where we met before?' Xian said, 'The imperial bodyguard in full fire armor.' Wuzu looked at Wu and said, 'This fellow is quite loquacious.' Later, returning from traveling to Mount Lu, he related the understanding he had gained regarding the words 'standing on the highest peak' to Wuzu. Wuzu said, 'I once questioned my late master about this matter. The late master said, "I once asked Venerable Yuan. Yuan said: A cat has the power to drink blood; a tiger has the virtue of raising corpses. Unless one searches out the fundamental source, one cannot attain it."' Xian attended him for a long time, and Wuzu loved him dearly. When taking leave to return to Shu, Wuzu held an informal gathering for him, and sent him off with a verse, saying: 'Away from home for over forty years, / For a moment I forgot the speech of Shu. / Chan practitioner, returning to Chengdu, / You must carefully remember the speech of Lu.' Xian returned to Zhaojue; Venerable Bai was still in good health, and Xian attended him again, his reputation flourishing. First he came forth to reside at Changsong, and next presided over Baofu. He opened the furnace and bellows wide, forging students from all four quarters; thus many dragons and elephants emerged from his forge.