續傳燈錄 17.18

17.18

興國軍智通大死翁景深禪師。台州王氏子。自幼不群。年十八依廣度院德芝披剃。始謁淨慈象禪師。一日聞象曰思而知慮而解。皆鬼家活計興不自遏。遂往寶峯求入室。峯曰。直須斷起滅念。向空劫已前掃除玄路。不涉正偏盡却今時。全身放下放盡還放方有自由分。師聞頓領厥旨。峯擊鼓告眾曰。深得闡提大死之道。後學宜依之。因號大死翁。建炎改元開法智通。上堂。來不入門去不出戶。來去無痕如何提唱。直得古路苔封𦏰羊絕跡。蒼梧月鎖丹鳳不栖。所以道。藏身處沒蹤跡。沒蹤跡處莫藏身。若能如是。去住無依了無向背。還委悉麼。而今分散如雲鶴。爾我相忘觸處玄。僧問。如何是正中偏。師曰。黑面老婆披白練。曰如何是偏中正。師曰。白頭翁子著皂衫。曰如何是正中來。師曰。屎裏翻筋斗。曰如何是兼中至。師曰。雪刃籠身不自傷。曰如何是兼中到。師曰。崑崙夜裏行。曰向上還有事也無。師曰。捉得烏龜喚作鼈。曰乞師再垂方便。師曰。入山逢虎臥。出谷鬼來牽。曰何得干戈相待。師曰。三兩線一斤麻。紹興初歸住寶藏岩。以事民其服。壬申二月示微恙乃曰。世緣盡矣。三月十三為眾小參。仍說偈曰。不用剃頭。何須澡浴。一堆紅焰。千足萬足。雖然如是。且道向上還有事也無。遂斂目而逝。

Chan Master Jingshen, 'Old Man of the Great Death,' of Zhitong in Xingguo Commandery, was a son of the Wang family of Taizhou. From childhood he stood out from the crowd. At the age of eighteen, he relied on Dezhi of Guangdu Cloister to shave his head. He first called upon Chan Master Xiang of Jingci. One day, hearing Xiang say, 'Understanding through thinking and comprehending through deliberation are all the livelihood of ghosts,' his excitement could not be contained. He then went to Baofeng and sought entry to the abbot's room. Baofeng said, 'You must cut off thoughts of arising and perishing, clear away the mysterious path before the empty kalpa, not tread upon the upright and biased, and exhaust all of the present moment. Cast down the entire body; having cast it all down, cast it down further—only then will you have a share of freedom.' Hearing this, the master immediately grasped its purport. Baofeng struck the drum and announced to the assembly, 'Shen has attained the path of an icchantika's great death; later students should rely on him.' Hence he was styled 'Old Man of the Great Death.' In the first year of the Jianyan reign era, he opened the Dharma at Zhitong. Ascending the hall, he said, 'Coming does not enter the gate; going does not leave the door. Coming and going leave no trace—how can it be taught? Truly, moss seals the ancient path and the antelopes leave no tracks; the moon locks Cangwu and the vermilion phoenix does not roost. Therefore it is said: "Where you conceal the body there are no traces; where there are no traces do not conceal the body." If you can be like this, going and staying have no reliance, utterly without facing or turning away. Do you fully understand? "Now dispersing like clouds and cranes, / You and I forget each other, everywhere mysterious."' A monk asked, 'What is the biased within the upright?' The master said, 'A black-faced old woman wearing white silk.' The monk asked, 'What is the upright within the biased?' The master said, 'A white-headed old man wearing a black shirt.' The monk asked, 'What is coming from within the upright?' The master said, 'Tumbling head over heels in excrement.' The monk asked, 'What is arriving within both?' The master said, 'Snow-white blades envelop the body without harming oneself.' The monk asked, 'What is reaching within both?' The master said, 'A Kunlun walking in the night.' The monk asked, 'Is there still a matter going beyond?' The master said, 'Catching a tortoise and calling it a soft-shelled turtle.' The monk said, 'I beg the master to bestow expedient means once more.' The master said, 'Entering the mountain, one meets a tiger lying down; leaving the valley, ghosts come pulling.' The monk said, 'Why treat each other with weapons of war?' The master said, 'Three ounces of thread, a pound of hemp.' In the early Shaoxing reign era, he returned to reside at Baocang Rock; due to an incident, he was defrocked to commoner status. In the second month of the renshen year, he showed a slight illness and said, 'My worldly conditions have ended.' On the thirteenth day of the third month, he gave an informal sermon for the assembly and spoke a verse, saying: 'No need to shave the head, / Why bother taking a bath? / A heap of red flames— / Completely and utterly sufficient.' 'Even though it is like this, tell me: is there still a matter going beyond?' Thereupon he closed his eyes and passed away.