景德傳燈錄 7.15

7.15

Chan Master Lingmo of Mount Wuxie in Wuzhou was a native of Piling. His family name was Xuan. First he visited Master Ma of Yuzhang; Ma received him, whereupon he shaved his head and took full ordination. Later he visited Upādhyāya Qian of Shitou. He made a prior pact with himself, saying, "If a single word tallies, I will stay; if not, I will leave at once." Shitou knew he was a Dharma vessel and at once provided instruction. The Master did not grasp its meaning, took his leave, and went to the gate. Shitou called to him, saying, "Ācārya!" The Master looked back. Shitou said, "From birth to old age, it is just this fellow; do not seek anything else." At these words the Master was greatly enlightened, and he snapped his walking staff in two and took up residence there. (Dongshan said, "At that time, had it not been for the former master of Wuxie, it would have been exceedingly hard to undertake. Even though it was like this, he was still on the road." Changqing said, "Perilous!" Xuanjue said, "What was the place where he was on the road?" A monk said, "Because he grasped it on the path of Shitou's three inches of tongue, he was on the road." Xuanjue said, "Did he grasp himself, or did he grasp the three inches of tongue? If it was himself, why did it become the three inches? If it was the three inches, why did he become enlightened? Well, tell me: what was Dongshan's meaning? Do not speak wildly; examine it carefully.") In the early Zhenyuan era of the Tang, he entered Mount Tiantai and lived at the Baisha Bodhimanda; later he dwelt at Wuxie. A monk asked, "What thing is greater than heaven and earth?" The Master said, "No one recognizes it." The monk said, "Can it still be carved and polished?" The Master said, "Try setting your hand to it and see." A monk asked, "What is the matter of beginning and end within this gate?" The Master said, "Tell me, how long has that which is before your eyes been completed?" The monk said, "I do not understand." The Master said, "Here I do not have what you are asking about." The monk said, "Is there no way for the upādhyāya to receive people?" The Master said, "Wait until you seek to be received, and I will receive you." The monk said, "Then I invite the upādhyāya to receive me." The Master said, "What are you lacking?" A monk asked, "How can one attain no-mind?" The Master said, "Though mountains topple and seas overturn, remain serenely tranquil; though the earth quakes, sleep peacefully—why pay attention to it?" On the twenty-third day of the third month in the thirteenth year of the Yuanhe era, the Master bathed, burned incense, sat upright, and announced to the assembly: "The Dharma body is completely tranquil, yet manifests going and coming. The thousand sages share the same source; the myriad spirits return to the one. Now that my bubble is bursting, why falsely give rise to grief? Do not wear out your minds; you must maintain right mindfulness. If you follow this command, you truly repay my kindness. If you obstinately disobey my words, you are not my children." At the time, a monk asked, "Where is the upādhyāya going?" The Master said, "Nowhere to go." The monk said, "Why can I not see it?" The Master said, "It is not visible to the eye." (Dongshan said, "An expert!") When he finished speaking, he quietly passed away. His age was seventy-two; his monastic age was forty-one.