續傳燈錄 23.30

23.30

成都府正法希明禪師。漢州人也。解制上堂。林葉紛紛落。乾坤報早秋。分明西祖意。何用更馳求。若恁麼會得。始信佛祖之道本自平夷。大解脫門元無關鑰。彌綸宇宙偪塞虛空。量不可窮智不能測。若也未明此旨不達其源。任是百劫熏功千生煉行。徒自疲苦了無交涉。若深明此旨洞達其源。乃知動靜施為經行坐臥。頭頭合道念念朝宗。祖不云乎。迷生寂亂悟無好惡。得失是非一時放却。如是則誰迷誰悟誰是誰非。自是諸人獨生異見。觀大觀小執有執無。己靈獨耀不肯承當。心月孤圓自生違背。何異家中捨父衣內忘珠。致使菩提路上荊棘成林。解脫空中迷雲蔽日。山僧今日幸值眾僧自恣化主還山。諸上善人得得光訪。不可緘默隨分葛藤。曲為今時少開方便。也須是諸人著眼各自諦觀。若更擬議尋思白雲萬里。遂拈拄杖曰。於斯明得靈山一會儼在目前。其或未然更待來晨分付。

Chan Master Zhengfa Ximing of Chengdu Prefecture was a native of Hanzhou. Upon the conclusion of the summer retreat, he ascended the hall and said: 'Forest leaves fall in profusion; / Heaven and earth announce early autumn. / Clearly it is the Western Patriarch's intent; / What need to gallop about in search?' If you understand it in this way, you will begin to believe that the path of the Buddhas and Patriarchs is originally level and smooth, and the gate of great liberation fundamentally has no bolt or key. Encompassing the universe and filling empty space, its measure cannot be exhausted, its wisdom cannot be fathomed. If you have not yet clarified this essential tenet and not reached its source, even through a hundred kalpas of perfume-cultivation and a thousand lifetimes of forging conduct, it will merely be wearying toil, entirely irrelevant. If you deeply clarify this essential tenet and thoroughly reach its source, then you will know that in motion and rest, action and conduct, walking, standing, sitting, and lying, every single thing accords with the Way, every thought turns toward the source. Did not the Patriarch say: "Delusion gives birth to quietude and turmoil; awakening knows neither fondness nor dislike. Gain and loss, right and wrong, let them go all at once." If it is thus, who is deluded and who is awakened? Who is right and who is wrong? It is simply that you people independently generate disparate views, observing the great and observing the small, grasping existence and grasping nonexistence. Your own numinous nature shines alone, yet you are unwilling to acknowledge it; the solitary fullness of the mind-moon, you turn against of your own accord. How is this different from abandoning the father in one's own house, or forgetting the jewel inside one's garment? Consequently, upon the road of bodhi brambles grow into a forest, and in the sky of liberation delusive clouds obscure the sun. Today, this mountain monk happens to meet with the community of monks' pravāraṇā and the temple stewards returning to the mountain. You eminent, virtuous people have specially honored us with a visit. I cannot remain silent; according with my lot, I entangle myself in vines and bend slightly to accommodate the present times to open up an expedient means. But you must also fix your eyes and each examine closely. If you still deliberate and muse, white clouds will lie ten thousand miles away.' Thereupon he held up his staff and said, 'If you understand it here, the assembly on Gṛdhrakūṭa is present right before your eyes. If not yet so, wait for tomorrow morning to have it entrusted to you.'