續傳燈錄 13.50

13.50

福州聖泉寺紹燈禪師。本郡古田縣臨水人。姓陳氏。生時異香滿室紫帽覆首。幼不茹葷。七歲自厭塵坌。觀諸經論如聽舊書。十歲辭親出家。禮潭州開福寺璡長老為師。精通法華試經得度。受具之後瓶錫遊方。造玉泉芳禪師法席。一見針芥相投筌蹄頓忘。遂還鄉里深自韜晦。郡守丁公嚮師道。延住陀嶺塔院。緇素歸敬。忽一日索浴更衣鳴鼓昇坐。四方檀信湊如市。師乃說頌曰。吾年五十三。去住本無貪。臨行事若何。不用口喃喃。儼然示寂瞑目兩宵。偶聞鍾聲忽然復醒四大輕安。自後身常頻出舍利。元豐中本郡大旱。太守孫公嚮師道風。請令祈雨。次日甘澤大霈。孫公欽仰。遷住文殊。前後郡邑亢旱。府主許公。察院王公。左司葉公。累請禱雨無不應期。遷住聖泉。凡住三道場。僧問。如何是聖泉境。師曰。目前無異草。僧云。如何是境中人。師曰。往來無罣礙。僧云。人境已蒙師指示。向上宗乘事若何。師曰。驢事未去馬事到來。乃曰。般若門中縱說百千妙義不增一毫。直饒結舌亡鋒豈減少分。若論玄中又玄終非妙門。鳥道魚蹤早傷途輒。何也。蓋為出此入彼。去者不至其方。來者不到其所。舉一明三莫窮幽趣。更不用續鳧截鶴夷岳盈壑。霄壤相望去道轉遠。正當與麼時衲僧門下作麼生商量。良久曰。昨夜三更月到窓。

Chan Master Zhaodeng of Shengquan Temple in Fuzhou was a native of Linshui in Gutian County of the same prefecture, surnamed Chen. At his birth, an extraordinary fragrance filled the room, and a purple cap covered his head. In his youth, he did not eat meat. At age seven, he naturally detested worldly dust; reading the various sutras and treatises was like listening to old books. At age ten, taking leave of his parents, he left home and paid homage to Elder Jin of Kaifu Temple in Tanzhou as his teacher. Having thoroughly mastered the Lotus Sutra, he passed the examination on the scriptures and was ordained. After receiving the full precepts, he travelled widely with water bottle and mendicant staff, arriving at the Dharma seat of Chan Master Yuquan Fang. At the first meeting, they agreed like needle and mustard seed, and fish traps and rabbit snares were instantly forgotten. He then returned to his home region and deeply concealed his radiance. The prefectural governor, Lord Ding, revered the master's Way and invited him to dwell at the Pagoda Cloister of Tuoling, where both monastics and laity took refuge and paid reverence. Suddenly one day, he requested a bath, changed his clothes, beat the drum, and ascended the seat; donors from the four directions gathered like a market. The master then spoke a verse, saying: / 'I am fifty-three years old; / In leaving or staying, I am originally without craving. / What of the matter on the verge of departure? / There is no need for mouths to chatter.' / Solemnly, he manifested entry into quiescence, closing his eyes for two nights. Happening to hear the sound of a bell, he suddenly woke up again, his four elements light and comfortable. After this, his body frequently produced relics. During the Yuanfeng era, there was a great drought in the prefecture. Prefect Lord Sun revered the master's way and style, and requested him to pray for rain; the next day, sweet rain poured down copiously. Lord Sun held him in deep veneration and had him move to dwell at Wenshu. Before and after this, the prefectures and counties suffered severe droughts; Magistrate Lord Xu, Censor Lord Wang, and Bureau Director of the Left Lord Ye repeatedly requested prayers for rain, and none failed to be answered in due time. He moved to dwell at Shengquan, residing altogether at three bodhimaṇḍas.

A monk asked, "What is the environment of Shengquan?" The master said, "Before the eyes there are no strange weeds." The monk said, "Who is the person in the environment?" The master said, "Coming and going without obstruction." The monk said, "The person and the environment have already received the master's instruction; what about the matter of the supreme school?" The master said, "Before the donkey's affair is gone, the horse's affair arrives." He then said, "Within the gate of prajñā, even if one speaks of hundreds of thousands of wondrous meanings, not a single hair is added; even if one ties the tongue and loses the sharp blade, how could it be reduced in the least? If one discusses the mystery within the mystery, it is ultimately not the wondrous gate; the bird's path and the fish's traces have already injured the ruts of the road. Why is this? Because entering here and exiting there, those who go do not arrive at their direction, and those who come do not reach their place. Raising one to illuminate three cannot fathom the profound import. Furthermore, there is no need to lengthen the duck's legs, shorten the crane's, level the mountains, or fill the valleys. Looking across heaven and earth, one gets farther and farther from the Way. Right at such a time, how is it deliberated under the gates of patch-robed monks?" After a long pause, he said, "Last night at the third watch, the moon reached the window."