續傳燈錄 22.37

22.37

平江府寶華普鑑佛慈禪師。本郡周氏子。幼不茹葷。依景德寺清智下髮。十七游方。初謁覺印英禪師不契。遂扣真淨之室。淨舉石霜虔侍者話問之。釋然契悟作偈曰。枯木無華幾度秋。斷雲猶挂樹稍頭。自從鬪折泥牛角。直至如今水逆流。淨肯之。命侍巾鉢。晚狥眾開法寶華。次移高峯。上堂。參禪別無奇特。秖要當人命根斷疑情脫。千眼頓開。如大洋海底輥一輪赫日上昇天門照破四天之下。萬別千差一時明了。便能握金剛王寶劍。七縱八橫受用自在。豈不快哉。其或見諦不真。影像彷彿。尋言逐句。受人指呼。驢年得快活去。不如屏淨塵緣。竪起脊梁骨著些精彩。究教七穿八穴百了千當。向水邊林下長養聖胎。亦不枉受人天供養。然雖如是。臥雲門下有箇鐵門限。更須猛著氣力跳過始得。擬議之間墮坑落塹以拂子擊禪床下座。上堂。月圓伏惟三世諸佛狸奴白牯。各各起居萬福。時中澹泊無可相延。切希寬抱。老水牯牛近日亦自多病多惱。不甘水草遇著。暖日和風當下和身便倒。教渠拽耙牽犁。直是搖頭擺腦。可憐萬頃良田。一時變為荒草。

Chan Master Fujian Foci of Baohua in Pingjiang Prefecture was a native of the Zhou family of that prefecture. From childhood he did not eat meat. He shaved his head under Qingzhi at Jingde Temple. At seventeen, he went on itinerant pilgrimage. At first, he visited Chan Master Jueyin Ying but did not meet with affinity. Thereupon he knocked at the room of Zhenjing. Zhenjing brought up the dialogue of Attendant Qian of Shishuang to question him. He suddenly had an awakening, and composed a verse, saying: 'A withered tree has borne no flowers for many autumns; / Broken clouds still hang from the tips of the branches. / Ever since fighting and breaking the mud ox's horns, / Straightway until now, the waters flow upstream.' Zhenjing approved him and appointed him to attend with towel and bowl. Later, yielding to the assembly, he opened the Dharma hall at Baohua, and next moved to Gaofeng. Ascending the hall: "In practicing Chan there is nothing extraordinary; one only needs to cut off the life-root of one's own self and shed all doubting sentiments. The thousand eyes will suddenly open, like a blazing sun-disc rolling up from the bottom of the great ocean, ascending to the gate of heaven and illuminating everything under the four heavens; the ten thousand distinctions and thousand differences become clear all at once. Then you can grasp the precious sword of the Vajra King, wielding it freely and seven-long and eight-wide. How delightful is that! But if your viewing of the truth is not genuine, resembling only a vague reflection, and you search words and pursue phrases, following other people's orders, in the Year of the Donkey you might attain joy! Better to shut out worldly conditions, straighten your spine, apply some vigor, and investigate until it is penetrated through and through, settled completely in every way. Then, by the waterside and under the trees, nourish the sacred embryo; you will not have received the offerings of humans and devas in vain. Although it is like this, under Woyun's gate there is an iron threshold; you must still muster all your strength and leap over it to make it. In the moment of hesitation, you fall into a pit and drop into a trench." Striking the meditation couch with his whisk, he stepped down from the seat. Ascending the hall: "At the full moon, I humbly pray that all the Buddhas of the three periods of time, cats and white oxen, may each have ten thousand blessings in their daily life. In my daily life I am plain and simple, with nothing to entertain you; I earnestly hope for your broad forbearance. This old water buffalo has also recently suffered much illness and vexation; not relishing water and grass, on meeting warm sunshine and mild breeze, he instantly falls down with his whole body. Telling him to drag the harrow and pull the plow, he simply shakes his head and wags his brains. Alas! Ten thousand acres of fine fields have all at once turned into wild grass."