景德傳燈錄 21.6

21.6

Great Master Zhongji Mingzhen of Tianlong Temple in Hangzhou was a native of Huangyan in Taizhou. Having obtained the Dharma from Xuansha, he returned to the Zhejiang region. King Wusu of Qian invited him to preach the Dharma and reside as abbot. He ascended the hall and instructed the assembly, saying, "If one directly brings forward the tradition of the school and exclusively proclaims the fundamental matter, it is just like a stubborn rock. If one says that news of ordinary and sagely is cut off, there are no mountains and rivers of the great earth, and the worlds of the ten directions are entirely a single eye—this is merely saying so because there is no alternative. Therefore it is often said: 'Blind, deaf, mute, and dumb are saindhava; / People before one's eyes cannot do anything about it. / Just right before your eyes you must realize the subtlety: / Body, mind, and the myriad phenomena in dense array.'" A monk asked, "What is the armillary sphere not moving?" The Master said, "Several folds of green mountains." The monk said, "What is being still and rootless?" The Master said, "A ribbon of white clouds." [A monk] asked, "What is returning to the root and obtaining the purport?" The Master said, "The rabbit's horns have grown." The monk said, "What is following illumination and losing the source?" The Master said, "The turtle's hairs have fallen off." [A monk] asked, "How is it before the lotus flower has emerged from the water?" The Master said, "Who does not know it exists?" The monk said, "How about after it has emerged from the water?" The Master said, "Fragrance met by the eye." [A monk] asked, "How is it when the bright moon shines in the sky?" The Master said, "Just when its light is partitioned, what need is there to point to the jade tower?"