景德傳燈錄 4.7

4.7

第一世法融禪師者。潤州延陵人也。姓韋氏。年十九學通經史。尋閱大部般若曉達真空。忽一日歎曰。儒道世典非究竟法。般若正觀出世舟航。遂隱茅山投師落髮。後入牛頭山幽棲寺北巖之石室。有百鳥銜華之異。唐貞觀中四祖遙觀氣象。知彼山有奇異之人。乃躬自尋訪問寺僧。此間有道人否。曰出家兒那箇不是道人。祖曰。阿那箇是道人。僧無對。別僧云。此去山中十里許有一懶融。見人不起亦不合掌。莫是道人。祖遂入山見師。端坐自若曾無所顧。祖問曰。在此作什麼。師曰觀心。祖曰。觀是何人心是何物。師無對便起作禮。師曰。大德高棲何所。祖曰。貧道不決所止或東或西。師曰。還識道信禪師否。曰何以問他。師曰。嚮德滋久冀一禮謁。曰道信禪師貧道是也。師曰。因何降此。祖曰。特來相訪。莫更有宴息之處否。師指後面云。別有小庵。遂引祖至庵所。繞庵唯見虎狼之類。祖乃舉兩手作怖勢。師曰。猶有這箇在。祖曰。適來見什麼。師無對。少選祖却於師宴坐石上書一佛字。師覩之竦然。祖曰。猶有這箇在。師未曉乃稽首請說真要。祖曰。夫百千法門同歸方寸。河沙妙德總在心源。一切戒門定門慧門神通變化。悉自具足不離汝心。一切煩惱業障本來空寂。一切因果皆如夢幻。無三界可出。無菩提可求。人與非人性相平等。大道虛曠絕思絕慮。如是之法汝今已得更無闕少。與佛何殊更無別法。汝但任心自在。莫作觀行。亦莫澄心。莫起貪瞋。莫懷愁慮。蕩蕩無礙任意縱橫。不作諸善不作諸惡。行住坐臥觸目遇緣。總是佛之妙用快樂無憂。故名為佛。師曰。心既具足。何者是佛何者是心。祖曰。非心不問佛。問佛非不心。師曰。既不許作觀行。於境起時心如何對治。祖曰。境緣無好醜。好醜起於心。心若不彊名。妄情從何起。妄情既不起。真心任遍知。汝但隨心自在無復對治。即名常住法身無有變異。吾受璨大師頓教法門。今付於汝。汝今諦受吾言只住此山。向後當有五人達者紹汝玄化（圭峯判為泯絕無寄宗。引破相教而印之。有僧問。南泉。牛頭未見四祖時。為什麼鳥獸銜華來供養。南泉云。只為步步蹋佛階梯。洞山云。如掌觀珠意不暫捨。僧云。見後為什麼不來。南泉云。直饒不來猶較王老師一線道。洞山云。通身去也。又一尊宿答前兩問皆云。賊不打貧兒家。僧問一老宿。牛頭未見四祖時如何。云如條貫葉。僧云。見後如何。云秋夜紛紛。又僧問吳越永明潛禪師。牛頭未見四祖時如何。潛云牛頭。僧云。見後如何。潛云牛頭。諸方舉唱甚多不可備錄）祖付法訖。遂返雙峯山終老。師自爾法席大盛。唐永徽中。徒眾乏糧。師往丹陽緣化。去山八十里。躬負米一石八斗。朝往暮還供僧三百。二時不闕三年。邑宰蕭元善。請於建初寺講大般若經。聽者雲集。至滅靜品地為之震動。謂罷歸山。博陵王問師曰。境緣色發時。不言緣色起。云何得知緣。乃欲息其起。師答曰。境色初發時。色境二性空。本無知緣者。心量與知同。照本發非發。爾時起自息。抱暗生覺緣。心時緣不逐。至如未生前。色心非養育。從空本無念。想受言念生。起法未曾起。豈用佛教令。問曰閉目不見色。境慮乃便多。色既不關心。境從何處發師曰。閉目不見色。內心動慮多。幻識假成用。起名終不過。知色不關心。心亦不關人。隨行有相轉。鳥去空中真。問曰。境發無處所。緣覺了知生。境謝覺還轉。覺乃變為境。若以心曳心。還為覺所覺。從之隨隨去。不離生滅際。師曰。色心前後中。實無緣起境。一念自凝忘。誰能計動靜。此知自無知。知知緣不會。當自檢本形。何須求域外。前境不變謝。後念不來今。求月執玄影。討迹逐飛禽。欲知心本性。還如視夢裏。譬之六月氷。處處皆相似。避空終不脫。求空復不成。借問鏡中像。心從何處生。問曰。恰恰用心時。若為安隱好。師曰。恰恰用心時。恰恰無心用。曲譚名相勞。直說無繁重。無心恰恰用。常用恰恰無。今說無心處。不與有心殊。問曰。智者引妙言。與心相會當。言與心路別。合則萬倍乖。師曰。方便說妙言。破病大乘道。非關本性譚。還從空化造。無念為真常。終當絕心路。離念性不動。生滅無乖誤。谷響既有聲。鏡像能迴顧。問曰。行者體境有。因覺知境亡。前覺及後覺。并境有三心。師曰。境用非體覺。覺罷不應思。因覺知境亡。覺時境不起。前覺及後覺。并境有三遲。問曰。住定俱不轉。將為正三昧。諸業不能牽。不知細無明。徐徐躡其後。師曰。復聞別有人。虛執起心量。三中事不成。不轉還虛妄。心為正受縛。為之淨業障。心塵萬分一。不了說無明。細細習因起。徐徐名相生。風來波浪轉。欲靜水還平。更欲前途說。恐畏後心驚。無念大獸吼。性空下霜雹。星散穢草摧。縱橫飛鳥落。五道定紛綸。四魔不前却。既如猛火燎。還如利劍斫。問曰。賴覺知萬法。萬法本來然。若假照用心。只得照用心。不應心裏事。師曰。賴覺知萬法。萬法終無賴。若假照用心。應不在心外。問曰。隨隨無簡擇。明心不現前。復慮心闇昧。在心用功行。智障復難除。師曰。有此不可有。尋此不可尋。無簡即真擇。得闇出明心。慮者心冥昧存心託功行。何論智障難。至佛方為病。問曰。折中消息間。實亦難安帖。自非用行人。此難終難見。師曰。折中欲消息。消息非難易。先觀心處心。次推智中智。第三照推者。第四通無記。第五解脫名。第六等真偽。第七知法本。第八慈無為。第九遍空陰。第十雲雨被。最盡彼無覺。無明生本智。鏡像現三業。幻人化四衢。不住空邊盡。當照有中無。不出空有內。未將空有俱。號之名折中。折中非言說。安帖無處安。用行何能決。問曰。別有一種人。善解空無相。口言定亂一。復道有中無。同證用常寂。知覺寂常用。用心會真理。後言用無用。智慧方便多。言辭與理合。如如理自如。不由識心會。既知心會非。心心復相泯。如是難知法。永劫不能知。同此用心人。法所不能化。師曰。別有證空者。還如前偈論。行空守寂滅。識見暫時翻。會真是心量。終知未了原。又說息心用。多智疑相似。良由性不明。求空且勞己。永劫住幽識。抱相都不知。放光便動地。於彼欲何為。問曰。前件看心者。復有羅縠難。師曰。看心有羅縠。幻心何待看。況無幻心者。從容下口難。問曰。久有大基業。心路差互間。得覺微細障。即達於真際。自非善巧師。無能決此理。仰惟我大師。當為開要門。引導用心者。不令失正道。師曰。法性本基業。夢境成差互。實相微細身。色心常不悟。忽逢混沌士。哀怨愍群生。託疑廣設問。抱理內常明。生死幽徑徹。毀譽心不驚。野老顯分答。法相媿來儀。蒙發群生藥。還如色性為。顯慶元年邑宰蕭元善。請出山住建初。師辭不獲免。遂命入室上首智巖。付囑法印令以次傳授。將下山謂眾曰。吾不復踐此山矣。時鳥獸哀號踰月不止。庵前有四大桐樹。仲夏之月忽自凋落。明年丁巳閏正月二十三日終於建初。壽六十四。臘四十一。二十七日窆于雞籠山。會送者萬餘人。其牛頭山舊居。金源虎咆泉錫杖泉金龜等池。宴坐石室今悉存焉。

The first generation was Chan Master Farong. He was a native of Yanling in Runzhou, with the surname Wei. At the age of nineteen, his learning encompassed the classics and histories; soon after, he read through the great division of the Prajñā[-pāramitā scriptures] and thoroughly understood true emptiness. One day he suddenly sighed and said: 'The worldly scriptures of Confucianism and Daoism are not the ultimate teaching; the correct contemplation of prajñā is the boat to cross over the world.' Thereupon he secluded himself on Mount Mao, took a teacher, and had his head shaved. Later, he entered a stone chamber on the northern cliff of Youqi Monastery on Mount Niutou. There was the anomaly of hundreds of birds holding flowers in their beaks [to make offerings].

During the Zhenguan era of the Tang dynasty, the Fourth Patriarch observed the atmospheric signs from afar and knew that there was an extraordinary person on that mountain. He then went in person to seek him out. Asking the monks of the monastery, 'Is there a person of the Way here?', they said, 'Among those who have left home, which one is not a person of the Way?' The Patriarch said, 'Which one is a person of the Way?' The monks had no reply. Another monk said, 'Going about ten li into the mountain from here, there is a Lazy Rong. When he sees someone, he does not rise, nor does he join his palms. Could he be a person of the Way?'

The Patriarch then entered the mountain and saw the Master, sitting upright and composed, having never turned to look. The Patriarch asked, 'What are you doing here?' The Master said, 'Contemplating the mind.' The Patriarch said, 'Who is the one who contemplates? What thing is the mind?' The Master had no reply; he immediately stood up and bowed. The Master said, 'Where does the Venerable dwell on high?' The Patriarch said, 'This poor monk does not settle on a fixed dwelling, sometimes east, sometimes west.' The Master said, 'Do you know Chan Master Daoxin?' He said, 'Why do you ask about him?' The Master said, 'I have long looked up to his virtue and hoped to pay homage to him.' [The Patriarch] said, 'Chan Master Daoxin—this poor monk is he.' The Master said, 'For what reason have you descended here?' The Patriarch said, 'I have come especially to visit you. Is there anywhere else to rest?'

The Master pointed behind and said, 'There is another small hut.' He then led the Patriarch to the hut. Surrounding the hut, one saw only the likes of tigers and wolves. The Patriarch raised both hands in a gesture of fear. The Master said, 'Still there is this?' The Patriarch said, 'What did you just see?' The Master had no reply.

A short while later, the Patriarch wrote the character 'Buddha' on the stone where the Master sat in meditation. When the Master saw it, he recoiled in awe. The Patriarch said, 'Still there is this?' The Master did not understand; thereupon he bowed his head and requested him to expound the essential truth.

The Patriarch said:
'The hundreds of thousands of dharma-gates all return to the square inch [of the heart]; marvelous virtues numerous as the sands of the Ganges all abide at the source of the mind. All the gates of precepts, gates of samādhi, gates of wisdom, and supernatural powers and transformations are completely present in oneself, not separate from your mind. All afflictions and karmic obstructions are originally empty and tranquil; all causes and effects are like dreams and illusions. There are no three realms to escape; there is no bodhi to seek. The nature and characteristics of humans and non-humans are equal. The Great Way is vast and spacious, beyond thought and deliberation. Such a dharma you have now attained, with nothing lacking whatsoever; how are you any different from the Buddhas? There is no other dharma besides this. You need only let the mind be free and spontaneous: do not perform contemplation practices, nor clarify the mind; do not arouse greed and anger; do not harbor sorrow and anxiety. Vast and unobstructed, follow your will in every direction; do not perform various goods, do not perform various evils. Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—whatever meets the eye and encounters conditions—all are the marvelous functioning of the Buddha; joyful and without worry, it is therefore named Buddha.'

The Master said, 'Since the mind is complete, what is Buddha and what is mind?'

The Patriarch said, 'Were it not the mind, one would not ask about the Buddha; asking about the Buddha is not other than the mind.'

The Master said, 'Since one is not permitted to perform contemplation practices, when sense-objects arise, how should the mind remedy them?'

The Patriarch said, 'Sense-objects and conditions have neither good nor bad; good and bad arise from the mind. If the mind does not forcefully assign names, from where can deluded feelings arise? When deluded feelings do not arise, the true mind is allowed to know everywhere. You need only follow the mind in spontaneity, without applying remedies anymore; this is called the permanently abiding Dharma-body, free from alteration. I have received Master Can's dharma-gate of the sudden teaching, and now confer it upon you. You should now carefully accept my words and only remain on this mountain. In the future, there will be five accomplished persons who will inherit your profound transformation.'

(Guifeng judged this to be the School of Complete Extinction Without Abode, citing the teachings of the refutation of characteristics to seal it. A monk asked Nanquan, 'Before Niutou saw the Fourth Patriarch, why did birds and beasts hold flowers in their beaks to make offerings?' Nanquan said, 'Only because step by step he trod the stairs of Buddhahood.' Dongshan said, 'Like observing a pearl in the palm of the hand, his attention did not stray for an instant.' The monk said, 'Why did they not come after he saw him?' Nanquan said, 'Even if they do not come, he is still a line away from Old Teacher Wang.' Dongshan said, 'He has cast off his whole body.' Another venerable elder answered both questions saying, 'Thieves do not break into a poor man's house.' A monk asked an old venerable, 'How was it before Niutou saw the Fourth Patriarch?' He said, 'Like leaves strung on a branch.' The monk said, 'How was it after seeing him?' He said, 'Autumn leaves falling in confusion in the night.' Another monk asked Chan Master Qian of Yongming in Wuyue, 'How was it before Niutou saw the Fourth Patriarch?' Qian said, 'Niutou.' The monk said, 'How was it after seeing him?' Qian said, 'Niutou.' The presentations and verses in various places are very numerous and cannot be recorded in full.)

Having finished conferring the Dharma, the Patriarch then returned to Mount Shuangfeng to end his days. From then on, the Master's dharma assembly flourished greatly. During the Yonghui era of the Tang dynasty, the community lacked provisions. The Master went to Danyang to solicit alms. It was eighty li away from the mountain. He personally carried on his back one dan and eight dou of rice, departing in the morning and returning at dusk, supplying three hundred monks without missing the two meals for three years. The county magistrate Xiao Yuanshan invited him to lecture on the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra at Jianchu Monastery. Listeners gathered like clouds. When he reached the 'Chapter on Extinction and Tranquility', the earth shook because of it. When it was finished, he returned to the mountain.

The Prince of Boling asked the Master:
'When sense-objects and conditions arise regarding form,
one does not say that conditions arise from form.
How is it known that there are conditions,
so that one desires to calm their arising?'

The Master replied:
'When the sense-objects of form first arise,
the natures of both form and sense-object are empty.
Originally there is no knower of conditions;
the capacity of the mind is identical with knowing.
Illuminating the root, arising is non-arising;
at that time, what arose calms of itself.
Embracing darkness, the condition of awareness is born;
when there is mind, conditions are not pursued.
As for before it is born,
form and mind are not nurtured.
From emptiness there is originally no thought;
conception and sensation give rise to spoken thought.
Arising dharmas have never arisen;
what need is there for the Buddha's teachings and injunctions?'

[The Prince] asked:
'Closing the eyes, one does not see form,
yet thoughts of sense-objects become more numerous.
Since form does not concern the mind,
from where do sense-objects arise?'

The Master said:
'Closing the eyes, one does not see form,
yet within the mind many agitated thoughts stir.
Illusory consciousness falsely forms functioning;
arising names in the end cannot be exceeded.
Know that form does not concern the mind,
and the mind also does not concern the person.
Following action, there are characteristics revolving;
a bird departing in the sky is the real.'

[The Prince] asked:
'The arising of sense-objects has no fixed place;
conditioned awareness arises through discerning knowledge.
When sense-objects subside, awareness shifts back;
awareness then turns into a sense-object.
If one uses the mind to drag the mind,
it becomes in turn that which is perceived by awareness.
Following along and drifting after it,
one does not depart from the boundary of arising and ceasing.'

The Master said:
'Form and mind, before, after, and in between—
there are truly no sense-objects of conditioned origination.
A single thought settles and is forgotten of itself;
who can calculate movement and stillness?
This knowing is of itself without knowing;
knowing knowing, conditions are not gathered.
One should examine one's original form of oneself;
why need one seek outside the realm?
The preceding object does not alter or subside;
the succeeding thought does not arrive at the present.
Seeking the moon, one grasps the dark shadow;
tracing tracks, one pursues flying birds.
If you wish to know the original nature of the mind,
it is just like looking inside a dream.
Compare it to ice in the sixth month—
everywhere it is similar.
Fleeing emptiness, in the end one does not escape it;
seeking emptiness, again it is not accomplished.
May I ask about the image in the mirror:
from where is the mind produced?'

[The Prince] asked:
'Just at the very moment one applies the mind,
how is it best to make it secure and tranquil?'

The Master said:
'Just at the very moment one applies the mind,
precisely then there is no mind to apply.
Crooked talk of names and characteristics is wearisome;
speaking directly has no burdensome complexity.
Having no mind, it is applied precisely then;
constantly functioning, precisely then it is absent.
Now speaking of where there is no mind,
it is not different from having a mind.'

[The Prince] asked:
'A wise person adduces marvelous words
that correspond to and tally with the mind.
Words and the path of the mind are distinct;
if matched, they diverge ten-thousand-fold.'

The Master said:
'Using skillful means to speak marvelous words
is the Great Vehicle way to break illness.
It does not concern talking of the original nature;
rather, it is created from the transformations of emptiness.
No-thought is the true and constant;
in the end, the path of the mind must be cut off.
Apart from thought, the nature does not move;
arising and ceasing are without error or divergence.
A valley echo already has sound;
a mirror image can look back.'

[The Prince] asked:
'A practitioner understands sense-objects as existing;
through awareness, he knows sense-objects are annihilated.
The prior awareness and the subsequent awareness,
together with the sense-object, make three minds.'

The Master said:
'The function of sense-objects is not the awareness of the substance;
once aware, one should not think.
Because of awareness, one knows sense-objects are annihilated;
at the time of awareness, sense-objects do not arise.
The prior awareness and the subsequent awareness,
together with the sense-object, are three delays.'

[The Prince] asked:
'Abiding in samādhi, both do not shift;
one regards this as correct samādhi.
Various karmas cannot pull one;
one does not know that subtle ignorance
slowly follows behind.'

The Master said:
'Again I hear that there are other people
who vainly grasp at raising mind-measures.
Among the three, the matter is not accomplished;
not shifting is still empty delusion.
The mind is bound by correct reception,
and considers this the purification of karmic obstructions.
A ten-thousandth part of mind-dust:
not understanding it, they speak of ignorance.
Subtly, habitual causes arise;
slowly, names and characteristics are born.
When wind comes, waves churn;
wishing to be quiet, water returns to levelness.
I would speak of what lies further ahead,
but I fear subsequent minds will be startled.
No-thought is the roar of the great beast;
the emptiness of nature brings down frost and hail.
Stars scatter and foul weeds are destroyed;
flying birds fall in every direction.
The five destinies are truly confused and tumultuous;
the four māras neither advance nor retreat.
It is like a raging fire burning,
and also like a sharp sword cutting.'

[The Prince] asked:
'Relying on awareness, one knows the ten thousand dharmas;
the ten thousand dharmas are originally so.
If one borrows illumination to apply the mind,
one only obtains the applied mind of illumination;
it would not correspond to the matters within the mind.'

The Master said:
'Relying on awareness, one knows the ten thousand dharmas;
the ten thousand dharmas in the end have nothing to rely on.
If one borrows illumination to apply the mind,
it should not be outside the mind.'

[The Prince] asked:
'Following along without selection,
the luminous mind does not manifest before one.
Again fearing that the mind is dark and obscure,
one exerts effort and practice in the mind;
the cognitive obstruction is again difficult to eliminate.'

The Master said:
'Having this, it cannot be had;
seeking this, it cannot be sought.
Non-selection is true selection;
obtaining darkness, the luminous mind emerges.
One who worries is of a dark and obscure mind;
retaining the mind, one relies on effort and practice.
Why discuss the difficulty of cognitive obstructions?
Only reaching Buddhahood does it become an illness.'

[The Prince] asked:
'In striking the mean and comprehending,
it is truly difficult to find peace.
Unless one is a person of active practice,
this difficulty will in the end be hard to see.'

The Master said:
'Desiring to strike the mean and comprehend:
comprehending is neither difficult nor easy.
First contemplate the mind where the mind is;
next examine wisdom within wisdom.
Third, illuminate the one who examines;
fourth, penetrate the indeterminate.
Fifth, liberate names;
sixth, equalize truth and falsity.
Seventh, know the root of dharmas;
eighth, compassionate non-action.
Ninth, pervade the empty skandhas;
tenth, clouds and rain sheltering.
At the very end of that, there is no awareness;
ignorance gives birth to original wisdom.
Mirror images manifest the three karmas;
an illusory person transforms the crossroads.
Do not abide at the extreme of emptiness to the end;
one should illuminate non-existence within existence.
Not going beyond the interior of emptiness and existence,
yet not bringing emptiness and existence together:
this is called striking the mean;
striking the mean is not words.
Being peaceful has no place to be placed;
how can active practice decide it?'

[The Prince] asked:
'There is another kind of person
who well understands emptiness and signlessness;
orally they say that samādhi and disturbance are one,
and further say that there is non-existence within existence.
Equally verifying that functioning is constantly tranquil,
knowing and awareness, tranquil, are constantly functioning.
Using the mind, they tally with the true principle;
later they say functioning is non-functioning.
Wisdom and skillful means are plentiful;
their words accord with the principle.
Suchness: the principle is naturally such;
it is not understood through the discriminating mind.
Since they know that the mind's understanding is wrong,
mind upon mind is again obliterated.
Such a dharma difficult to know
cannot be known in eternal kalpas.
A person who applies the mind like this
cannot be transformed by the Dharma.'

The Master said:
'There are others who verify emptiness,
just as discussed in the previous verse:
practicing emptiness and maintaining tranquility and extinction,
discernment and views are temporarily overturned.
Tallying with the true is a measure of the mind;
in the end know they have not understood the source.
Again, they speak of resting the mind's functioning;
much wisdom is suspected to be similar.
It is simply because the nature is not clear;
seeking emptiness merely wearies oneself.
Dwelling in hidden consciousness for eternal kalpas,
embracing characteristics, they do not know at all.
Emitting light, it immediately shakes the earth;
what do you wish to do about that?'

[The Prince] asked:
'For the aforementioned mind-watchers,
there is again the difficulty of the thin silk veil.'

The Master said:
'Watching the mind has a thin silk veil;
why wait to watch an illusory mind?
How much more so for one without an illusory mind:
it is hard to calmly open one's mouth.'

[The Prince] asked:
'Long possessing the great foundation,
in the divergence of the mind's pathways,
if one attains awareness of subtle obstructions,
then one arrives at the true limit.
Unless one is a skillful teacher,
none can resolve this principle.
Looking up with reverence, may our Great Master
open the essential gate for us,
guiding those who apply their minds
so they are not led to lose the correct path.'

The Master said:
'The Dharma-nature is the original foundation;
dream states make divergences.
The subtle body of the True Mark:
form and mind are constantly unawakened.
Suddenly meeting a person of primal simplicity,
sorrowful and lamenting, pitying the multitude of beings,
relying on doubts, he broadly raises questions;
embracing principle, within he is constantly luminous.
The dark path of birth and death is penetrated;
with blame or praise, his mind is unstartled.
An old man of the wilds reveals partial replies;
the Dharma marks feel ashamed before your arrival.
Receiving the medicine that brings forth the multitude of beings,
it is just like what the nature of form does.'

In the first year of the Xianqing era, the county magistrate Xiao Yuanshan invited him to leave the mountain and reside at Jianchu [Monastery]. The Master declined but could not escape it. Thereupon he ordered the head disciple of his chamber, Zhiyan, and entrusted to him the Dharma seal, directing him to transmit it in succession. When about to descend the mountain, he said to the assembly: 'I shall never set foot on this mountain again.' At that time, the birds and beasts wailed and howled, not stopping for over a month. In front of the hut were four large paulownia trees; in the mid-summer month, they suddenly withered and dropped their leaves of themselves. The following year, the dingsi year, on the twenty-third day of the leap first month, he passed away at Jianchu. His age was sixty-four, his monastic age forty-one. On the twenty-seventh day, he was buried at Mount Jilong. More than ten thousand people gathered to send him off. His former residence on Mount Niutou, the Golden Source, Tiger Roar Spring, Staff Spring, and Golden Tortoise Pool, and the stone chamber where he sat in meditation, all still exist today.