續傳燈錄 29.27

29.27

世奇首座者。成都人也。遍依師席晚造龍門。一日燕坐瞌睡間群蛙忽鳴。誤聽為淨髮版響亟趨往。有曉之者曰。蛙鳴非版也。師恍然詣方丈剖露。佛眼曰。豈不見羅睺羅。師遽止曰。和尚不必舉。待去自看。未幾有省。乃占偈曰。夢中聞版響。覺後蝦蟇啼。蝦䗫與版響。山岳一時齊。由是益加參究洞臻玄奧。眼命分座。師固辭曰。此非細事也。如金針刺眼毫髮若差睛則破矣。願生生居學地而自煆煉。眼因以偈美之曰。有道只因頻退步。謙和元自慣回光。不知已在青雲上。猶更將身入眾藏。暮年學者力請不容辭。後因說偈曰。諸法空故我心空。我心空故諸法同。諸法我心無別體。秖在而今一念中。且道是那一念。眾罔措。師喝一喝而終。

Head Monk Shiqi was a man of Chengdu. He visited various masters' seats, and in his later years arrived at Longmen. One day while sitting quietly and dozing, a host of frogs suddenly croaked. Mistaking the sound for the clapper for shaving the head, he hurriedly rushed over. Someone enlightened him, saying, 'The frogs are croaking; it is not the clapper.' The master was struck with realization and went to the abbot's room to lay it bare. Foyan said, 'Have you not seen Rāhula?' The master quickly stopped him, saying, 'Upādhyāya, there is no need to cite it. Wait until I go and look into it myself.' Soon afterward, he had an awakening, and thereupon composed a verse: 'In a dream I heard the clapper sound; / After waking, the toads were croaking. / The toads and the clapper sound: / Mountain peaks are at once level.' From this, he investigated further and reached the mysterious depths. Foyan ordered him to share the seat. The master firmly declined, saying: 'This is no small matter. It is like a gold needle piercing the eye: if it is off by a hair's breadth, the eyeball will be ruined. I vow to remain in the position of a student life after life to forge myself.' Foyan therefore praised him with a verse: 'Possessing the Way is only because of repeatedly stepping back; / Modest and harmonious, he was originally accustomed to turning back the light. / Not knowing he is already above the blue clouds, / He still enters the crowd to conceal himself.' In his twilight years, students earnestly invited him, and he could not refuse. Later he spoke a verse, saying: 'Because all dharmas are empty, my mind is empty; / Because my mind is empty, all dharmas are the same. / All dharmas and my mind have no separate essence; / They are solely within the single thought of the present moment. Now tell me, which thought is that?' The assembly was at a loss. The master gave a shout and passed away.