景德傳燈錄 4.40

4.40

北宗神秀禪師者（耶舍三藏誌云。艮地生玄旨。通尊媚亦尊。比肩三九族。足下一毛分）開封尉氏人也。姓李氏。少親儒業博綜多聞。俄捨愛出家尋師訪道。至蘄州雙峯東山寺。遇五祖忍師以坐禪為務。乃歎伏曰。此真吾師也。誓心苦節以樵汲自役而求其道。忍默識之深加器重。謂之曰。吾度人多矣。至於悟解無及汝者。忍既示滅。秀遂住江陵當陽山。唐武后聞之召至都下。於內道場供養。特加欽禮。命於舊山置度門寺以旌其德。時王公士庶皆望塵拜伏。暨中宗即位尤加禮重。大臣張說嘗問法要執弟子之禮。師有偈示眾曰。

Chan Master Shenxiu of the Northern School (Tripiṭaka Master Yaśas's record says: "The profound purport arises in the land of Gen; the honored one of penetrative wisdom is honored also by the enchanting one. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the three and nine clans, beneath his feet a single hair splits") was a native of Weishi in Kaifeng. His surname was Li. In his youth, he applied himself to Confucian studies, being broadly versed and widely learned. Soon he abandoned attachments, left home, and traveled to seek a master and inquire after the Way. Reaching the Dongshan Temple on Shuangfeng in Qizhou, he encountered the Fifth Patriarch, Master Ren, who made seated meditation his primary concern. [Shenxiu] sighed in admiration and submission, saying, "This is truly my master!" He vowed to endure hardship and frugality, tasking himself with gathering firewood and drawing water in pursuit of his Way. Ren silently recognized him and held him in deep esteem, saying to him, "I have liberated many people; as for awakening and understanding, none can equal you." After Ren's parinirvāṇa, Xiu went to dwell on Mount Dangyang in Jiangling. When Empress Wu of the Tang heard of him, she summoned him to the capital, made offerings to him in the inner palace chapel, and treated him with extraordinary reverence. She ordered that the Dumen Temple be established on his former mountain to illustrate his virtue. At that time, princes, dukes, scholars, and commoners all bowed in submission from afar. When Zhongzong ascended the throne, he showed him even greater reverence. The grand minister Zhang Yue once inquired into the essentials of the Dharma and observed the etiquette of a disciple toward him. The Master had a verse to instruct the assembly, which said: