續傳燈錄 29.19

29.19

遂寧府西禪文璉禪師。郡之張氏子。上堂。一向恁麼去。直得凡聖路絕水泄不通。鐵蛇鑽不入。鐵鎚打不破。至於千里萬里鳥飛不度。一向恁麼來。未免灰頭土面帶水拕泥。唱九作十指鹿為馬。非唯孤負先聖。亦乃埋沒己靈。敢問大眾。且道恁麼去底是。恁麼來底是。芍藥花開菩薩面。椶櫚葉散夜叉頭。上堂。諸方浩浩談玄。每日撞鐘打鼓。西禪無法可說。勘破燈籠露柱。門前不置下馬臺。免被傍人來借路。若借路須照顧脚下。若參差邯鄲學唐步。上堂。心生種種法生。森羅萬象縱橫信手拈來便用。日輪午後三更。心滅種種法滅。四句百非路絕。直饒達磨出頭。也是眼中著屑。心生心滅是誰。木人携手同歸。歸到故鄉田地。猶遭頂上一鎚。上堂。正月孟春猶寒。直下言端語端。拈起衲僧鼻孔。穿開祖佛心肝。知有者。達磨不來東土。二祖不往西天。不知有者。誰知當面蹉過。迢迢十萬八千。山僧為爾重說偈言。大眾莫教孤負。孟春猶寒。僧問。師子未出窟時如何。師曰。爪牙已露。曰出窟後如何。師曰。龍頭蛇尾。曰出與未出時如何。師曰。正好喫棒。問以一重去一重即不問。不以一重去一重時如何。師曰。闍黎有許多工夫。

Chan Master Xichan Wenlian of Suining Prefecture was a son of the Zhang family of the commandery. Ascending the hall, he said, 'Going entirely like this, the paths of ordinary and sage are cut off and not a drop of water leaks through; an iron snake cannot bore in, an iron hammer cannot smash it, even for thousands of miles birds cannot fly across. Coming entirely like this, one cannot avoid being covered in dust and mud, trailing water and dragging mud, calling nine ten and pointing to a deer as a horse. Not only do you fail the past sages, but you also bury your own spirit. Dare I ask the assembly: tell me, is going like this right, or is coming like this right? Peony flowers bloom into the face of a bodhisattva; palm leaves scatter into the head of a yakṣa.' Ascending the hall: 'Everywhere they talk vast mysteries, striking the bells and beating the drums daily. Xichan has no Dharma to speak of; I see through lanterns and bare pillars. Before the gate I do not set up a dismounting platform, to prevent bystanders from borrowing the road. If you borrow the road, you must watch your step underfoot; if you falter, you are like someone from Handan learning the Tang walk.' Ascending the hall: 'When the mind arises, various dharmas arise: myriad forms and phenomena crisscross; reach out your hand, pick them up, and use them: the sun wheel at the third watch after noon. When the mind ceases, various dharmas cease: the path of the four propositions and hundred negations is cut off; even if Bodhidharma were to show his head, it would just be dust in the eye. When mind arises and mind ceases, who is it? Wooden men clasp hands and return together; returning to the field of their native home, they still take a hammer-blow to the top of the head.' Ascending the hall: 'In the first month of early spring it is still cold; directly down, words are upright and speeches are upright. Tweaking the patch-robed monk's nostrils, piercing through the hearts and livers of Buddhas and Patriarchs. For those who know it is there: Bodhidharma did not come to the eastern lands, and the Second Patriarch did not go to the western heavens. For those who do not know it is there: who realizes that missing it face-to-face leaves you distant by a hundred and eight thousand miles? This mountain monk will speak a gāthā again for you; assembly, do not let it go to waste: early spring is still cold.' A monk asked, 'What is it like when the lion has not yet left the cave?' The master said, 'Claws and teeth are already exposed.' [The monk] asked, 'What about after leaving the cave?' The master said, 'Dragon's head and snake's tail.' [The monk] asked, 'What about when leaving and not leaving coincide?' The master said, 'Just right to take a blow of the stick.' [A monk] asked, 'Setting aside shedding layer after layer, what is it like when one does not shed layer after layer?' The master said, 'The ācārya has a great deal of leisure.'