續傳燈錄 25.12

25.12

蘄州五祖表自禪師。懷安人也。初依祖最久未有省。時圓悟為座元。師往請益。悟曰。兄有疑處試語我。師遂舉德山小參不答話問話者三十棒。悟曰。禮拜著我作得爾師舉話尚不會。師作禮竟。悟令再舉前話。師曰。德山小參不答話。悟掩其口曰。但恁麼看。師出揚聲曰。屈屈。豈有公案。秖教人看一句底道理。有僧謂師曰。兄不可如此說。首座須有方便。因靜坐體究及旬。頓釋所疑。詣悟禮謝。悟曰。兄始知吾不汝欺。又詣方丈。祖迎笑。自爾日深玄奧。祖將歸寂。遺言郡守。命嗣其席。衲子四至不可遏。師榜侍者門曰。東山有三句。若人道得即挂搭。衲子皆披靡。一日有僧携坐具徑造丈室。謂師曰。某甲道不得秖要挂搭。師大喜。呼維那於明窓下安排。上堂。世尊拈華迦葉微笑時。人秖知拈花微笑。要且不識世尊。僧問。如何是祖師西來意。師曰。荊棘林中舞柘枝。曰如何是佛。師曰。新生孩子擲金盆。

Chan Master Biaozhi of Wuzu in Qizhou was a native of Huai'an. At first he attended upon [Wuzu Fayan] the longest, yet had no awakening. At that time, Yuanwu was the head seat. The Master went to ask for his instruction. Yuanwu said, 'Elder brother, if you have any doubts, try telling them to me.' The Master then brought up [the story of] Deshan's informal address where he gave thirty blows of the stick to anyone who asked a question and gave no answers. Yuanwu said, 'Make your bows! I can act as your teacher; you still do not understand the story you brought up.' After the Master finished bowing, Yuanwu had him bring up the previous story again. The Master said, 'Deshan gave an informal address and did not answer questions—' Yuanwu covered his mouth and said, 'Just look at it like this!' The Master came out and cried aloud, 'Injustice! Injustice! How can there be a gong'an that merely tells someone to look at a single phrase like this?' A monk said to the Master, 'Elder brother, you must not speak like that. The head seat must have had an expedient means.' Thereupon he sat quietly and investigated it deeply for ten days, suddenly resolving what he had doubted. He went to Yuanwu to bow and give thanks. Yuanwu said, 'Only now, elder brother, do you know that I did not deceive you.' He also went to the abbot's quarters. Wuzu welcomed him with a smile. From then on, he grew deeper in profound mysteries day by day. When Wuzu was about to pass away into silence, his parting instructions to the commandery prefect appointed [the Master] to succeed to his seat. Patch-robed monks arrived from the four directions in uncontainable numbers. The Master posted [a notice] on the attendants' door, saying: 'Dongshan has three phrases. If someone can state them, he may lodge here.' The patch-robed monks were all dumbfounded and scattered. One day, a monk carried his sitting mat directly into the abbot's room and said to the Master, 'I cannot speak them; I only wish to lodge here.' The Master was overjoyed. He called the karmadāna to arrange a place for him beneath a bright window. Ascending the hall, [the Master said,] 'When the World-Honoured One twirled a flower and Mahākāśyapa smiled, people only knew of twirling the flower and smiling, but after all did not recognize the World-Honoured One.' A monk asked, 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?' The Master said, 'Dancing the zhezhi dance amidst a thicket of brambles.' [The monk] asked, 'What is the Buddha?' The Master said, 'A newborn infant tossing a golden basin.'