景德傳燈錄 21.16

21.16

天台山國清寺師靜上座。始遇玄沙和尚示眾云。汝諸人但能一生如喪考妣。吾保汝究得徹去。師乃躡前語而問曰。只如教中不得以所知心測度如來無上知見。又作麼生。玄沙曰。汝道究得徹底所知心。還測度得及否。師從此信入。後居天台三十餘載。不下山。博綜三學操行孤立禪寂之餘常閱龍藏。遐邇欽重。時謂大靜上座。嘗有人問曰。弟子每當夜坐心念紛飛。未明攝伏之方。願垂示誨。師答曰。如或夜間安坐心念紛飛。却將紛飛之心以究紛飛之處。究之無處則紛飛之念何存。返究究心則能究之心安在。又能照之智本空。所緣之境亦寂。寂而非寂者。蓋無能寂之人也。照而非照者。蓋無所照之境也。境智俱寂心慮安然。外不尋枝內不住定。二途俱泯一性怡然。此乃還源之要道也。師因覩教中幻義乃述一偈問諸學流偈曰。

Sthavira Shijing of Guoqing Monastery on Mount Tiantai: When he first met Upādhyāya Xuansha, [Xuansha] instructed the assembly, saying, 'If all of you can just spend your whole life as if in mourning for your parents, I guarantee you will penetrate through to the bottom.' The master then took up his previous words and asked, 'Just as the teachings say that one cannot use the cognizing mind to measure the Tathāgata's unsurpassed knowledge and vision, how is that?' Xuansha said, 'Tell me, can the cognizing mind that has penetrated through to the bottom still be reached by measuring, or not?' From this, the master gained faith and entered. Later he dwelt on Mount Tiantai for over thirty years without going down the mountain. He comprehensively synthesized the three trainings, lived with solitary integrity, and in the leisure of his Chan serenity, he regularly read the dragon canon. Those far and near revered him, calling him at that time Sthavira Dajing (Great Jing). Someone once asked him, 'Whenever this disciple sits at night, thoughts scatter and fly. I have not yet understood the method for subduing them. I pray you offer instruction.' The master replied, saying, 'If while sitting peacefully at night thoughts scatter and fly, then turn that scattering and flying mind back to examine the place of its scattering and flying. When you examine it and find no place, where can the scattering and flying thoughts remain? If you turn back to examine the examining mind, where is the mind capable of examining? Furthermore, the wisdom capable of illuminating is originally empty, and the objective realm that is conditioned is also calm. That which is calm without being [merely] calm is because there is no person capable of being calm. That which illuminates without being [merely] illumination is because there is no objective realm to be illuminated. When realm and wisdom are both calm, mental deliberations are tranquil. Outwardly, do not pursue branches; inwardly, do not abide in samādhi. When both paths are obliterated, the one nature is serene. This is indeed the essential Way of returning to the source.' The master, having observed the meaning of illusion in the teachings, then composed a verse to question the students. The verse said: