景德傳燈錄 25.13

25.13

Guiding Master Wensui of Baoci Monastery in Jinling was a native of Hangzhou. His family name was Lu. While still an infant in his parents' arms, his family moved to Xuancheng. Barely coming of age, he stood out for his love of learning. Thereupon he paid respects to the monastic registrar of Chizhou, tonsured his hair, and received the monastic precepts. At age sixteen, he set out to travel, studying both Chan and doctrinal teachings. He once made a thorough investigation of the ten fascicles of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, distinguishing with precision and breadth the true from the false, as well as the origins and developments of conditioned arising. He then made sectional divisions, composed an interlinear commentary, and entwined the phrases together. When his undertaking was complete, he had an audience with Chan Master Jinghui and recounted his accomplishment, [which] deeply accorded with the sutra's meaning. Jinghui asked, "Does not the Śūraṅgama Sūtra have the doctrine of the eight returns?" The master said, "It does." Jinghui said, "To what does brightness return?" The master said, "Brightness returns to the solar disk." Jinghui said, "To what does the sun return?" The master was bewildered and had no reply. Jinghui admonished him and instructed him to burn his commentary. From then on, the master took his words to heart, requested instruction, and only then began to forget his intellectual knowledge. He first dwelled at Zhiguan in Jizhou. In the second year of the Qiande era, the ruler of the Southern Tang invited him to dwell at Changqing, and subsequently at Qingliang and then the great monastery of Baoci, granting him the title "Great Guiding Master Leiyin Juehai" (Thunderous Sound Ocean of Awakening). He was treated with courtesy unlike others. The master took the high seat and said to the assembly: "Beings of heavenly and human realms all partake of this power of grace. Its authority pervades the three realms, and its virtue covers the four modes of birth. If one partakes of the numinous light, all is called wondrous meaning. The Buddhas of the ten directions ever revere it upon their crowns. Who among you would dare to judge right and wrong? When it comes to this place, it is called opening the gate of skillful means. Establishing teachings in accord with faculties just brings forth this and that, flowing out boundlessly. If you can rely upon it and practice accordingly, what would be amiss? Therefore my late teacher Qingliang said: 'The Buddha is just a person of no affairs.' And now, even seeking a person of no affairs is impossible to find." A monk asked, "The Buddha-dharma of Chongshou was entrusted to Zhiguan; to whom is the Buddha-dharma of Zhiguan entrusted?" The master said, "Try to cite the Buddha-dharma of Chongshou and let me see." [The monk] asked, "Is there also Buddha-dharma on mountain summits and precipitous cliffs?" The master said, "What do you call mountain summits and precipitous cliffs?" [The monk] asked, "What is the Way?" The master said, "Deluded thoughts and topsy-turvy views." The master said to the assembly: "In my whole life, this old monk has understood nothing at all. Day after day is just ordinary; though I dwell here, I accord with conditions and let things take their course. Today, all of you sthaviras are no different from the origin." A monk asked, "What is the matter that has no difference?" The master said, "A thousand distinctions and ten thousand differences." The monk asked again. The master said, "Stop, stop! There is no need to speak. Just understand the thousand distinctions and ten thousand differences." [The monk] asked, "What is the upādhyāya's house style?" The master said, "The wooden door leaves of the abbot's quarters." [The monk] asked, "What is the signless monastery?" The master said, "The shrines of the Fourth and Fifth Lords." [The monk] asked, "What is the hair-severing sword?" The master said, "A noodle roller." [The monk] asked, "What is the one straight road?" The master said, "Far and near." [The monk] said, "What happens when one goes straight along like that?" The master said, "Bah, foolish man! This is a dangerous road." The master asked a monk, "Where have you come from?" [The monk] said, "I come from Mount Cao in Fuzhou." The master said, "How many stages did it take to arrive here?" [The monk] said, "Seven stages." The master said, "You have walked past so many mountains, forests, streams, and gullies—what is your own self?" [The monk] said, "All of it is." The master said, "Sentient beings are topsy-turvy, taking things to be their selves." [The monk] said, "What is the student's own self?" The master said, "All of it is." The master also said: "You sthaviras have each spent winter and summer here at Zhiguan. Has anyone awakened to their own self? Zhiguan will give you confirmation so that your true vision will not be deluded by wicked Māras." [A monk] asked, "What is the student's own self?" The master said, "A fine monk; your eyes are very clear."