續傳燈錄 16.8

16.8

洪州上藍順禪師西蜀人。有遠識為人勤渠純至。叢林後進皆敬愛之。初出蜀時與圜通訥偕行。已而又與大覺璉游甚久。又善於老蘇公。故黃門後贊其像云。與訥偕行與璉偕處。得法於南為南長子。然緣薄所居皆遠方小剎。又住景福香城雙峯。學者過其門莫肯留。師亦超然自得。視世境如飛埃過目。壽八十餘坐脫于香城山。顏貌如生。平生與潘延之善。將終使邀延之敘別。廷之至而師已化矣。其示眾多為偈皆德言也。有偈曰。夏日人人把扇搖。冬來以炭滿爐燒。若能於此全知曉。塵劫無明當下消。又作趙州勘婆子偈曰。趙州問路婆子。答云直恁麼去。皆言勘破老婆。婆子無爾雪處。又作黃龍三關頌曰。長江雪散水滔滔。忽爾狂風浪便高。不識漁家玄妙意。偏於浪裏覘風濤。又曰。南海波斯入大唐。有人別寶便商量。或時遇賤或時貴。日到西峯影漸長。又曰。黃龍老和尚。有箇生緣語。山僧承嗣伊。今日為君舉。為君舉。猫兒偏解捉老鼠。頗為叢林稱頌云。

Chan Master Shun of Shanglan in Hongzhou was a native of Western Shu. He had far-reaching discernment and was diligent, earnest, and completely genuine in character. Junior monks in the monastic communities all respected and loved him. When he first departed Shu, he traveled together with Yuantong Ne. Later, he also associated with Dajue Lian for a long time. Furthermore, he was on good terms with Old Gentleman Su. Therefore, Huangmen later praised his portrait, saying: 'Traveling with Ne, dwelling with Lian; he obtained the Dharma from Nan and became Nan's eldest son.' Yet his karmic conditions were meager; the places he resided were all remote small temples. He also lived at Jingfu, Xiangcheng, and Shuangfeng. Students who passed by his gate were unwilling to stay. The Master was also aloof and self-content, regarding worldly conditions as specks of flying dust passing before the eyes. At the age of over eighty, he shed his body while sitting at Mount Xiangcheng; his facial appearance was as if alive. Throughout his life he was on friendly terms with Pan Yanzhi. Nearing his end, he sent someone to invite Yanzhi to bid farewell. When Yanzhi arrived, the Master had already passed away. His instructions to the assembly mostly consisted of verses, all of which were words of virtue. He had a verse that went: / 'In summer days, everyone shakes a fan; / When winter comes, they fill the stove with burning charcoal. / If here you can completely understand, / The ignorance of dust-kalpas is dissolved right on the spot.' / He also composed a verse on Zhaozhou interrogating the old woman: / 'Zhaozhou asked the way of the old woman, / Who replied, "Go straight on like this." / All say he saw through the old woman, / But for the old woman, there is nowhere for you to clear her away.' / He also composed verses on Huanglong's Three Barriers: / 'Over the long Yangzi, snow scatters and waters billow endlessly; / Suddenly a wild wind rises, and the waves surge high. / Not knowing the fisherman's profound, wondrous intent, / One perversely watches the wind and billows in the midst of the waves.' / Another said: / 'A Persian from the Southern Sea enters the Great Tang; / When someone recognizes the gem, they make a deal. / At times it meets with low value, at times high; / The sun reaches the western peak and the shadow gradually lengthens.' / Another said: / 'Old Upādhyāya Huanglong / Had a saying on the causes of birth. / This mountain monk succeeded him, / And today raises it for you. / Raising it for you: / The cat is singularly skilled at catching mice.' / These were widely praised in the monastic communities.