續傳燈錄 25.11

25.11

漢州無為宗泰禪師。涪城人。自出關遍遊叢社。至五祖。告香日祖舉趙州洗鉢盂話俾參。洎入室舉此話問師。爾道趙州向伊道甚麼。這僧便悟去。師曰。洗鉢盂去聻。祖曰。爾秖知路上事。不知路上滋味。師曰。既知路上事。路上有甚滋味。祖曰。爾不知邪。又問。爾曾游淛否。師曰。未也。祖曰。爾未悟在。師自此凡五年不能對。祖一日陞堂顧眾曰。八十翁翁輥繡毬。便下座。師欣然出眾曰。和尚試輥一輥看。祖以手作打仗鼓勢。操蜀音唱綿州巴歌曰。豆子山打瓦鼓。楊平山撒白雨。白雨下取龍女。織得絹二丈五。一半屬羅江。一半屬玄武。師聞大悟。掩祖口曰。秖消唱到這裏。祖大笑而歸。師後還蜀。四眾請開法無為遷正法。上堂。此一大事因緣。自從世尊拈花迦葉微笑。世尊曰。吾有正法眼藏分付摩訶大迦葉。以後燈燈相續祖祖相傳。迄至于今綿綿不墜。直得遍地生華。故號涅槃妙心。亦曰本心。亦曰本性。亦曰本來面目。亦曰第一義諦。亦曰爍迦羅眼。亦曰摩訶大般若。在男曰男。在女曰女。汝等諸人。但自悟去這般盡是閑言語。遂拈起拂子曰。會了喚作禪。未悟果然難難難。目前隔箇須彌山。悟了易易易。信口道來無不是。僧問。如何是佛。師曰。阿誰教爾恁麼問。僧擬議。師曰了。

Chan Master Zongtai of Wuwei in Hanzhou was a native of Fucheng. From the time he left the pass, he traveled widely through monasteries and assemblies. Arriving at Wuzu, on the day of announcing his incense, the Patriarch cited Zhaozhou's 'wash your bowl' story to have him investigate it. When he entered the room, the Patriarch cited this story and asked the master: 'Tell me, what did Zhaozhou say to him that made this monk immediately attain awakening?' The master said: 'He said "Go wash your bowl"!' The Patriarch said: 'You only know the matters on the road; you do not know the flavor on the road.' The master said: 'Since I know the matters on the road, what flavor is there on the road?' The Patriarch said: 'You do not know, do you?' He also asked: 'Have you ever traveled through Zhe?' The master said: 'Not yet.' The Patriarch said: 'You are not yet awakened.' From this point on, for five years the master was unable to answer. One day the Patriarch ascended the hall, looked at the assembly, and said: 'An eighty-year-old grandfather rolls an embroidered ball.' He then stepped down from the seat. Delightedly stepping out from the assembly, the master said: 'Let the upādhyāya try rolling it once for us to see.' With his hand the Patriarch made the gesture of beating a battle drum, and in a Sichuan accent sang a Ba folk song of Mianzhou: / 'On Bean Mountain, beating the tile drum; / Over Mount Yangping, white rain scatters. / The white rain falls, taking the dragon girl; / Weaving silk two zhang and five chi long. / One half belongs to Luojiang, / One half belongs to Xuanwu.' / Hearing this, the master had a great awakening. Covering the Patriarch's mouth, he said: 'It only requires singing to here!' The Patriarch laughed loudly and returned. Later the master returned to Shu. The fourfold assembly requested him to open the Dharma hall at Wuwei, and he later moved to Zhengfa. Ascending the hall: 'This one great cause and nidāna: ever since the Bhagavat twirled a flower and Kāśyapa smiled, the Bhagavat said: "I have the treasury of the true Dharma eye, entrusted to Mahākāśyapa." Thereafter, lamp was transmitted to lamp in continuous succession, patriarch to patriarch in mutual transmission, down to the present day, unbroken and unceasing, straightaway causing flowers to bloom across the entire earth. Therefore it is called the wondrous mind of nirvāṇa, also called the original mind, also called the original nature, also called the original face, also called the supreme truth, also called the śakragra-eye, also called mahāprajñā. In a man it is called a man; in a woman it is called a woman. All of you people: only awaken for yourselves; this sort [of name] is all idle talk.' Thereupon he held up his whisk and said: / 'Understood, it is called Chan; / Not yet awakened, it is truly difficult, difficult, difficult— / Before one's eyes stands Mount Sumeru! / Having awakened, it is easy, easy, easy— / Whatever comes from the mouth is entirely right!' A monk asked: 'What is Buddha?' The master said: 'Who told you to ask like this?' The monk hesitated. The master said: 'Finished.'