續傳燈錄 21.24

21.24

蘇州承天永安傳燈元正禪師。鄆州平陰縣人姓鄭氏。受業本州太平興國寺。禮藏智為師參諸方。晚到蘇州萬壽寺。時元禪師居焉。因令師看庭前柏樹因緣。發明心地有偈曰。趙州柏樹子。去處勿人知。拋却甜桃樹。尋山摘醋梨。元印可。舉令住此寺。僧問。承師再集人天會。願示西來掣電機。師曰。煙雲霧鎖。僧云。還有西來意也無。師曰。空生懊惱。僧云。臨濟宗風一時獨秀。師曰。不可有兩箇也。僧云。是處是慈氏無門無善財。師曰。都來七八歲游遍百餘城。問桃花楊柳共談真。如何是共談真。師曰。嶺上梅華白溪邊柳眼青。僧云。未審是什麼人境界。師曰。非汝境界。問實際理地不受一塵。佛事門中不捨一法。如何是一法。師拈拄杖一擊。僧云。一衲橫披高坐上。爐煙起處太分明。師曰。不是這一法。僧云。賣金須遇買金人。師曰。這箇是鍮石。乃曰。天人群生類皆承此恩力。大眾有一人道。我不承佛恩力。不居三界不屬五行。祖師不敢定當。先佛不敢安名。爾且道。是箇什麼人。良久曰。倚石巖前燒鐵鉢。就松枝上挂銅瓶。又上堂僧問。安撫旌麾得得臨。請師為鼓勿絃琴。師。曰。囉囉哩。僧云。這般格調須遇知音。師曰。曲終人不見。江上數峯青。僧云。江月照時琴影現。松風吹處語聲清。師曰。一夜寒溪雪到明。梅花漏泄春消息。僧云。木人聞作舞。石女聽高歌。師曰。且道是何曲調。僧云。伯牙若在恥見永安。師曰。得遇知音。僧云。秖如盡乾坤大地是一面琴。和尚如何下手。師曰。拍拍是令。僧云。而今台斾光臨。還許露箇消息也無。師曰。許。僧云。莫言秖有庭前柏。又得甘棠壯祖宗。師曰。千里同風。廼曰。若於棒下論其得失。德山是明教底罪人。更去喝裏分其賓主。臨濟是法門中魔主。永安恁麼說話。若無明眼人證據。盡大地墮坑落塹。大眾且道。那箇是明眼人。行如昇斗坐如蹲龍。詩正有周南召南。論道廼莊子老子。恁麼說話也未是明眼人。還識明眼人麼。永安與諸人指出。良久曰。巨鼈莫負三山去。留取蓬萊頂上眠。

Chan Master Chuandeng Yuanzheng of Yong'an [monastery] at Chengtian in Suzhou was a native of Pingyin county in Yunzhou whose secular surname was Zheng. He undertook his training at Taiping Xingguo Monastery in his home prefecture, took Cangzhi as his master, and traveled to study with masters in various regions. Later he arrived at Wanshou Monastery in Suzhou, where Chan Master [Baoben Hui]yuan was residing at the time. Yuan had the master look into the nidāna of the cypress tree in the courtyard. Awakening to the mind-ground, the master presented a verse: 'The cypress tree of Zhaozhou— / Where it leads, no one knows. / Casting aside the sweet peach tree, / One searches the mountain to pick sour pears.' Yuan gave his seal of approval, and recommended him to reside at this monastery. A monk asked, 'Receiving the master as you reconvene the gathering of humans and devas, we ask you to show the lightning-flash mechanism of coming from the West.' The master said, 'Locked in smoke, clouds, and fog.' The monk said, 'Is there still a meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West, or not?' The master said, 'Empty irritation arises.' The monk said, 'The Linji lineage style stands uniquely prominent at this time.' The master said, 'There cannot be two.' The monk said, 'Every place is Maitreya; without doors, there is no Sudhana.' The master said, 'At merely seven or eight years of age, he traveled across more than a hundred cities.' A monk asked, 'The peach blossoms and willows together discuss the real. What is together discussing the real?' The master said, 'The plum blossoms on the ridge are white; the willow buds beside the stream are green.' The monk said, 'I wonder whose realm this is?' The master said, 'It is not your realm.' A monk asked, 'The realm of the ultimate principle does not admit a single speck of dust; within the gate of Buddhist activities, not a single dharma is abandoned. What is this single dharma?' The master took up his staff and struck once. The monk said, 'A single patch-robe draped askew on the high seat; where the censer's incense rises, it is exceedingly distinct.' The master said, 'It is not this single dharma.' The monk said, 'To sell gold, one must meet a buyer of gold.' The master said, 'This is brass.' The master then said, 'Humans, devas, and the multitude of living beings all partake of the power of this grace. Assembly, if someone were to say, "I do not partake of the power of the Buddha's grace; I do not dwell in the three realms, nor do I belong to the five phases. The patriarchs dare not determine me, and the former Buddhas dare not give me a name"—tell me, what sort of person is this?' After a long pause, he said, 'Leaning against a crag, heating an iron bowl; hanging a bronze pitcher directly from a pine branch.' He also ascended the hall. A monk asked, 'The Pacification Commissioner's banners have purposely arrived; we ask the Master to play the stringless lute for him.' The master said, 'Luo-luo-li.' The monk said, 'A melody of this sort requires meeting an attuned ear.' The master said, 'When the song ends, the musician is nowhere to be seen; over the river, several peaks are green.' The monk said, 'When the river moon shines, the shadow of the lute appears; where the pine wind blows, the spoken words are clear.' The master said, 'A night of snow on the cold stream until dawn: the plum blossoms leak the tidings of spring.' The monk said, 'The wooden man dances on hearing it; the stone woman sings loudly on listening.' The master said, 'Tell me, what melody is this?' The monk said, 'If Boya were here, he would be ashamed to face Yong'an.' The master said, 'You have met an attuned ear.' The monk said, 'Just as the entire universe and great earth are a single lute, how does the Upādhyāya set his hand to it?' The master said, 'Every beat is the command.' The monk said, 'Now that the commissioner's banners have graced us with their presence, do you still allow exposing a hint of news, or not?' The master said, 'Allowed.' The monk said, 'Do not say there is only the cypress tree in the courtyard; again sweet pear trees invigorate the lineage.' The master said, 'A single wind across a thousand leagues.' He then said, 'If you debate gain and loss under the stick, Deshan is a sinner against the clear teachings; and if you further distinguish guest and host within the shout, Linji is the lord of Māras within the Dharma gate. Yong'an speaks in this manner; if there were no person with clear eyes to bear witness, the entire earth would fall into pits and plunge into trenches. Assembly, tell me, which one is a person with clear eyes? Walking like a sheng and dou measure, sitting like a crouching dragon; in poetry, having the Zhou Nan and Zhao Nan; in discussing the Dao, being Zhuangzi and Laozi—speaking like this is not yet a person with clear eyes. Do you recognize the person with clear eyes? Yong'an will point him out to you.' After a long pause, he said, 'Let not the giant turtle carry away the three mountains; leave them so one may sleep atop Penglai.'