續傳燈錄 10.6

10.6

芙容道楷禪師。沂州沂水人。生崔氏。為人剛勁孤硬。自其少時即能辟穀學道。隱伊陽山中。後遊京師藉名術臺寺。試所習得度具戒。謁青華嚴於淮山海會。問佛祖言句如家常茶飯。離此之外別有為人言句也無。青曰。汝道寰中天子勅。還假禹湯堯舜也無。楷擬酬之。青以拂子摵之曰。汝發意來早有二十棒也。於是楷悟旨於言下。再拜即去。青呼曰。且來。楷亦不顧。青曰。汝到不疑之地耶。楷以手掩耳。後掌眾食。青問。厨務句當良苦。對曰不敢。曰汝炊飯耶煮粥耶。對曰。人工淘米著火。行者煮粥炊飯。曰汝作甚麼。對曰。和尚慈悲放他閑去。又嘗從青遊園。青以拄杖付楷曰。理合與麼。對曰。與和尚提鞋挈杖不為分外。曰有同行在。對曰。那一人不受教。青遂休去。至晚青謂曰。早來說話未盡。對曰。更請舉看。青曰。卯生日戌生月。楷即點燈來。曰上來下去總不空然。對曰。在左右理合如此。曰奴兒婢子誰家屋裏無對。曰和尚尊年缺他不可。曰與麼殷勤。對曰。報恩有分。元豐五年北還沂間居馬鞍山。遂出世說法。初住沂州之仙洞。後遷西洛之招提龍門。又遷住郢州之大陽隋州之大洪。皆一時名公卿為之勸請。洞上之風大振西北。崇寧三年有詔住。東京十方淨因禪院。大觀元年冬移住天寧。差中使押入不許辭免。俄開封尹李孝壽奏。楷道行卓冠叢林。宜有以褒顯之。即賜紫伽黎號定照禪師。楷焚香謝恩罷。上表辭之曰。伏蒙聖慈特差彰善閣秖候譚禎。賜臣定照禪師號及紫衣牒一道。臣感戴睿恩已。即時焚香陞座仰祝聖壽訖。伏念臣行業遷疎道力綿薄。常發誓願不受利名。堅持此意積有歲年。庶幾如此傳道後來。使人專意佛法。今雖蒙異恩。若遂忝冒則臣自違素願何以教人。豈能仰稱陛下所以命臣住持之意。所有前件恩牒不敢祇受。伏望聖慈察臣微悃。非敢飾詞。特賜俞允臣沒齒行道上報天恩。上閱之以付李孝壽。躬往諭朝廷旌善之意。而楷確然不回。開封尹具以聞。上怒收付有司。有司知楷忠誠而適犯天威。問曰。長老枯悴有疾乎。楷曰。平日有疾今實無。又曰。言有疾即於法免罪譴。楷曰。豈敢僥倖稱疾而求脫罪譴乎。吏太息。於是受罰著縫掖編管緇州。都城道俗見者流涕。楷氣色閑暇。至緇州僦屋而居。學者益親。明年冬勅放。令自便菴於芙容湖中。數百人環繞坐臥。楷慮禍。乃日各食粥一盃。不堪者稍稍去。在者猶百許人。政和七年冬勅賜所居菴額華嚴禪寺。明年五月十四日無疾而歿。先寫偈付侍者曰。吾年七十六。世緣今已足。生不愛天堂。死不怕地獄。撒手橫身三界外。騰騰任運何拘束。初楷在大陽。青華嚴遣果侍者。以大陽皮履直裰付之。楷以付襄州洞山道微。微退罷還淛東歿於雙林小寺。今取以還鹿門山。建閣藏之曰藏衣。楷偈句精深有旨法。作五偈述其門風。一曰。妙唱不干舌。偈曰。剎剎塵塵處處談。不勞彈指善財參。空生也解通消息。花雨巖前鳥不嗛。二曰。死蛇驚出草。偈曰。日炙風吹草裏埋。觸他毒氣又還乖。闇地若教開死口。長安依舊絕人來。三曰。解鍼枯骨吟。偈曰。死中活得是非常。密用他家別有長。半夜髑髏吟一曲。氷河紅焰却清涼。四曰。鐵鋸和三臺。偈曰。不是宮商調。誰人和一場。伯牙何所措。此曲舊來長。五曰。古今無間。偈曰。一法原無萬法空。箇中那許悟圓通。將謂少林消息斷。桃花依舊笑春風。楷舊隱與虎為隣。虎嘗乳四子。月餘。楷闞其出往視之。腥臭不可言。竊携其一還。虎得彘曳至弄穴前伏地。喜見脊尾。但見三子。怒以足跑地吼。群鳥皆鳴翔其上。楷即放還之。其伊陽宰韓承議偈曰。老愛依山人事稀。虎馴菴畔怪來遲。寥寥石室塵埃滿。不知何日是歸期。又曰。數里無人到。山黃始覺秋。巖間一覺睡。忘却百年憂。

Chan Master Furong Daokai was a native of Yishui in Yizhou, born into the Cui clan. By nature he was resolute and unyielding. From his youth he was able to abstain from grain and study the Way, living in seclusion in Mount Yiyang. Later he traveled to the capital, registering his name at Shudai Temple. Passing the examination on what he had studied, he was ordained and took the full precepts. He visited [Touzi] Qing Huayan at Haihui in the Huai Mountains, asking: "The words of the Buddhas and Patriarchs are like everyday tea and rice. Beyond these, are there any other phrases to instruct people, or not?" Qing said: "Tell me, does the Son of Heaven's decree throughout the realm also rely upon Yu, Tang, Yao, and Shun?" Kai was about to reply when Qing struck him with his fly-whisk, saying: "The moment your intention arose, you already earned twenty blows of the staff!" Thereupon Kai awakened to the meaning beneath these words. Bowing twice, he departed at once. Qing called out: "Come here for a moment!" Kai did not even look back. Qing said: "Have you reached the realm of no doubt?" Kai covered his ears with his hands. Later, he took charge of meals for the assembly. Qing asked: "Managing kitchen affairs is quite laborious." He replied: "I dare not think so." Qing asked: "Do you steam the rice, or boil the gruel?" He replied: "The hired laborers wash the rice and light the fire, and the postulants boil the gruel and steam the rice." Qing said: "What do you do?" He replied: "Out of the Upādhyāya's compassion, he lets me remain idle." He also once accompanied Qing on a walk in the garden. Qing handed his staff to Kai, saying: "In principle, it should be like this." Kai replied: "Carrying your shoes and lifting your staff for the Upādhyāya is not beyond my share of duty." Qing said: "There are fellow travelers with us." Kai replied: "Which one of them does not accept instruction?" Qing then rested the matter. When evening came, Qing said to him: "What was spoken this morning was not finished." Kai replied: "Please bring it up again." Qing said: "At the hour of the Hare (mao) the sun is born; at the hour of the Dog (xu) the moon is born." Kai immediately lit a lamp and brought it. Qing said: "Going up and down, none of it is in vain." Kai replied: "Being by your side, in principle it should be thus." Qing said: "Serving-boys and maidservants—whose household does not have them?" Kai replied: "In the Upādhyāya's venerable years, you cannot do without them." Qing said: "Why such attentiveness?" Kai replied: "Recompensing your kindness has its share." In the fifth year of the Yuanfeng era, he returned north to the area of Yi and dwelled on Mount Ma'an, whereupon he entered the world to expound the Dharma. He first resided at Xiantong in Yizhou, later moving to Zhaoti and Longmen in Xiluo, and then moving to Dayang in Yingzhou and Dahong in Suizhou. In all instances, renowned officials and nobles of the time urged and invited him. The style of the Dongshan lineage flourished greatly in the northwest. In the third year of the Chongning era, an imperial edict ordered him to reside at the Ten Directions Jingyin Chan Monastery in the Eastern Capital. In the winter of the first year of the Daguan era, he was transferred to reside at Tianning; an imperial commissioner was dispatched to escort him in and would not permit him to decline. Soon after, Li Xiaoshou, the Prefect of Kaifeng, memorialized: "Daokai's practice of the Way is outstanding, topping the monastic community. It is fitting that he be publicly honored." Thereupon, he was bestowed a purple saṅghāṭī and the title Chan Master Dingzhao. After Kai burned incense and gave thanks for the imperial grace, he submitted a memorial declining it, saying: "I have humbly received Your Majesty's special kindness, having specifically dispatched Tan Zhen, Attendant of the Zhangshan Pavilion, to bestow upon your servant the title Chan Master Dingzhao and a certificate for a purple robe. Having gratefully received the imperial favor, your servant immediately burned incense, ascended the seat, and offered respectful prayers for the imperial longevity. Your servant humbly reflects that his conduct is coarse and negligent, and his strength in the Way is weak and fragile. I have constantly made a vow never to accept fame or profit, and have adhered to this purpose over many accumulated years, hoping in this way to transmit the Way to future generations and cause people to concentrate their minds on the Buddha-Dharma. Now, although receiving this exceptional grace, if I were to presume to accept it, your servant would violate his own long-held vow; how then could I instruct others? How could I live up to Your Majesty's intention in appointing your servant as abbot? I dare not accept the aforementioned gracious certificate. Humbly I beseech Your Imperial Mercy to examine your servant's humble sincerity; I dare not offer embellished words. Grant your special consent, so that your servant may practice the Way until his teeth fall out, repaying the heavenly kindness." The Emperor read it and sent it to Li Xiaoshou to go in person and explain the court's intention to honor virtue. Yet Kai remained steadfast and would not yield. The Prefect of Kaifeng reported the matter fully. The Emperor was angered and had him handed over to the relevant authorities. The authorities knew of Kai's loyalty and sincerity and that he had merely offended the imperial majesty. They asked him: "Venerable Elder, you appear emaciated—do you have an illness?" Kai said: "In ordinary times I had illnesses, but now I truly have none." They said: "If you say you are ill, then according to the law you can be spared punishment." Kai said: "How could I dare to take a lucky chance by claiming illness to escape punishment?" The officials sighed deeply. Thereupon he received punishment, had his clerical garments replaced with ordinary scholar's garb, and was exiled under surveillance to Zizhou. Monastics and laypeople in the capital wept upon seeing him. Kai's demeanor remained serene and leisurely. Arriving in Zizhou, he rented a house to live in, and students grew ever closer to him. In the winter of the following year, an imperial pardon was issued, permitting him to do as he pleased. He built a hermitage in the middle of Furong Lake. Hundreds of people surrounded him, sitting and sleeping. Fearing misfortune, Kai restricted everyone to one bowl of gruel per day; those who could not bear it gradually left, but there were still about a hundred people remaining. In the winter of the seventh year of the Zhenghe era, an imperial decree granted his hermitage the name Huayan Chan Monastery. On the fourteenth day of the fifth month of the following year, he passed away without illness. Beforehand, he wrote a gāthā and handed it to his attendant, saying:
"My years are seventy and six,
My worldly affinities are now fulfilled.
In life I coveted no heavenly realms;
In death I fear no hells.
Letting go my hands, casting my body beyond the three realms,
Boundless, according with conditions—what restraint could there be?"
Earlier, when Kai was at Dayang, Qing Huayan had sent Attendant Guo to deliver Dayang's leather shoes and straight robe to him. Kai had passed them on to Daowei of Dongshan in Xiangzhou. Wei retired, returned to Zhedong, and passed away at a small monastery in Shuanglin. Now they have been retrieved and brought back to Mount Luomen, where a pavilion was built to store them, called the Clothing Repository. Kai's gāthās and verses were refined and profound, possessing lineage principles. He composed five gāthās describing his house style:
The first is called "Wondrous singing does not involve the tongue":
"In every land, in every dust mote, everywhere it is expounded; / Without troubling a snap of the fingers, Sudhana pays his call. / Kongsheng also understands how to convey the message; / Flowers rain before the cliff, but birds do not peck at them."
The second is called "A dead snake startled out of the grass":
"Scorched by the sun, blown by the wind, buried in the grass; / When one touches its venomous vapor, disaster strikes again. / If it were made to open its dead mouth in the dark, / Chang'an as of old would be cut off from people coming."
The third is called "Knowing how to needle dry bones to sing":
"Living within death is truly extraordinary; / The secret function of that other house has a special excellence. / In the middle of the night, a skull sings a melody; / In an icy river, red flames turn out to be cool and refreshing."
The fourth is called "The iron saw harmonizes with the Santai tune":
"This is not a tune of gong and shang notes; / Who can harmonize together in a chorus? / Where could Boya apply his skill? / From old this song has lasted long."
The fifth is called "Past and present without interval":
"The one dharma originally does not exist; the ten thousand dharmas are empty. / Within this, how could one permit the realization of complete penetration? / Thinking that Shaolin's message had been severed, / The peach blossoms as of old smile in the spring breeze."
In his former seclusion, Kai was neighbor to tigers. A tigress once gave birth to four cubs. After more than a month, Kai took advantage of her departure to go and inspect them. The stench was beyond words. He secretly took one of them back with him. Having caught a wild boar, the tigress dragged it near the cave, lying down on the ground, wagging her tail in joy. Seeing only three cubs, she angrily pawed the ground with her paws and roared, while flocks of birds screeched and circled above. Kai immediately returned the cub. Han Chengli, the magistrate of Yiyang, composed a gāthā for him, saying:
"In old age one loves to rely on mountains, worldly affairs being rare; / Tigers are tamed beside the hermitage, wondering why you return so late. / Lonely and empty, the stone chamber is filled with dust; / One knows not which day will be the time of return."
He also wrote:
"For several leagues no person arrives; / Only when the mountains turn yellow does one sense autumn. / A single sleep among the crags / Forgets a hundred years of sorrow."