續傳燈錄 31.20

31.20

常州華藏湛堂智深禪師。武林人也。佛涅槃日上堂。兜率降生雙林示滅。掘地討天虛空釘橛。四十九年播土揚塵。三百餘會納盡敗缺。盡力布網張羅。未免喚龜作鼈。末得拘尸城畔槨示雙趺。旁人冷眼看來。大似弄巧成拙。卓拄杖曰。若無這箇道理。千古之下誰把口說。且道是甚麼道理。癡人面前切忌漏洩。參政錢端禮居士。字處和號松窓。從此菴發明己事。後於宗門旨趣一一極之。淳熙丙申冬簡堂歸住平田遂與往來。丁酉秋微恙修書召堂及國清瑞巖主僧。有訣別之語。堂與二禪詣榻次。公起趺坐言笑移時。即書曰。浮世虛幻本無去來。四大五蘊必無終盡。雖佛祖具大威德力。亦不能免這一著子。天下老和尚一切善知識。還有跳得過者無。蓋為地水火風因緣和合暫時湊泊。不可錯認為己有。大丈夫磊磊落落。當用處把定立處皆真。順風使帆上下水。皆可因齋慶贊去留自在。此是上來諸聖開大解脫一路涅槃門。本來清淨空寂境界無為之大道也。今吾如是豈不快哉。塵勞外緣一時掃盡。荷諸山垂顧咸願證明。伏惟珍重。置筆顧簡堂曰。某坐去好臥去好。堂曰。相公去便了。理會甚坐與臥耶。公笑曰。法兄當為祖道自愛。遂斂目而逝。

Chan Master Zhitang Zhishen of Huazang in Changzhou was a native of Wulin. Ascending the hall on the day of the Buddha's Parinirvāṇa, he said: "Descending to be born from Tuṣita, manifesting extinction in the Twin Trees grove: digging in the ground to search for heaven, driving a wedge into empty space. For forty-nine years spreading dust and kicking up dirt; throughout three hundred assemblies taking in full measure of ruin and defects. Straining all powers to spread nets and set snares, inevitably mistaking a water turtle for a softshell tortoise. Finally, beside the city of Kuśinagara, he showed both feet from the coffin—seen by a bystander with a cold eye, it looks very much like trying to be clever only to botch it." Striking his staff, he said, "If there were not this principle, who would open their mouth to speak across a thousand ages? But tell me: what principle is this? Before a foolish person, be absolutely sure not to leak it out!" Participant in Determining Governmental Matters Upāsaka Qian Duanli, courtesy name Chuhe, called himself Songchuang. Under this hermitage, he clarified his own matter, and thereafter exhausted each and every aim and import of the ancestral lineage. In the winter of the bingshen year of Chunxi, Jiandang returned to reside at Pingtian, whereupon they began associating with one another. In the autumn of the dingyou year, suffering a slight ailment, he wrote a letter summoning Jiandang and the resident abbots of Guoqing and Ruiyan, with words of farewell. Dang and the two Chan masters went to his bedside. The lord got up, sat cross-legged, and talked and laughed for some time. Then he wrote: "The floating world is an illusion, fundamentally without coming or going. The four elements and five aggregates certainly have no final extinction. Even though the Buddhas and Patriarchs possessed great power and majesty, they too could not avoid this one move. Throughout the realm, among all the old upādhyāyas and all the kalyāṇamitras, is there anyone who can leap over it? They are merely the causes and conditions of earth, water, fire, and wind gathering together temporarily; one must not mistakenly recognize them as one's own possession. A great man is open, magnanimous, and upright: wherever function is exercised, hold it steady, and every place one stands is real. Sailing with the wind, moving upstream or downstream, all can be an occasion to celebrate the feast, leaving or staying at ease. This is the single path of the nirvāṇa gate of great liberation opened by the sages of old, the originally pure and empty-quiescent realm, the Great Way of non-action. Today, being like this myself, is it not delightful? The defilements and external conditions are swept clean in an instant. I am grateful for the gracious consideration of the various mountains, and wish that all may bear witness. Respectfully take care." Laying down the brush, he looked at Jiandang and said, "Is it better for me to go sitting, or to go lying down?" Dang said, "My lord, just go and be done with it! Why bother about sitting or lying?" The lord laughed and said, "Dharma brother, you must take care of yourself for the sake of the Patriarch's Way." Thereupon he closed his eyes and passed away.