續傳燈錄 36.19

36.19

明州雪竇無印禪師諱大證。族番陽史氏子。生于大德丁酉歲正月二十四日。幼穎異父母知不可留。使從州之昌國寺智節學出世法。年十四薙落受具戒。出遊謁荊石琬公于廬山圓通。機語不契。時思菴睿公居間房。師日親煆煉。雲外岫公方唱曹洞之道于天童。師往依之。一日入室次公云。天童今日大死去也。汝作麼生救。師云。請和尚喫飯。公又云。天童今日大死去也。汝不要相救師云。救他作麼。公又云。天童今日大死去也。阿誰與我同行。師云。和尚先行某甲後隨。公呵呵大笑。自茲情同魚水。猶溈山之與寂子也遂命典藏教。已而謁中峯本公于天目山。公雅相器重。至治間詔天下善書者。以金書藏經與國師妙公偕北上入覲。竣事賜以織金屈眴之衣。泰定初南還江淛。丞相脫歡公領行宣政院事。起師主衢之南禪說法。為雲外之嗣。雲外嗣直翁舉。直翁嗣東谷光。東谷嗣明極祚明極嗣自得暉。蓋隰州古佛之六世也。繼領光孝遷信之祥符。既而洪之翠岩。饒之芝山。俱以行院檄請。師以疾固辭。至正七年主慶元之定水。閱九年遷雪竇。上堂曰。千說萬說不若覿面一見。昨日二十九。今朝七月一。報爾參玄人。光陰如箭疾。娘生兩隻眼。箇箇黑如漆。急急急回頭。看取天真佛。良久是何面目。下座巡堂喫茶。又上堂。妙不妙衲僧鼻孔多無竅。玄不玄剎竿頭上無青天。至士寧容袖手。良馬豈待揮鞭。全超棒喝不落蹄筌。百鳥不來春又去。岩房嬴得日高眠。居四年退居定水之圓明菴。明年辛丑九月二十一日示寂。得年六十有五。奉龕闍維燼餘牙齒數珠不壞。舍利明瑩。門人景雲等斂諸不壞者。建塔圓明庵後。

Chan Master Wuyin Dazheng of Mount Xuedou in Mingzhou was a son of the Shi family of Panyang. He was born on the twenty-fourth day of the first month in the dingyou year of the Dade era. In his youth he was singularly gifted, and his parents, knowing he could not be kept at home, sent him to study the world-transcending Dharma under Zhijie at Changguo Monastery in that prefecture. At the age of fourteen, he shaved his head and took full ordination. Going forth on pilgrimage, he visited Venerable Jingshi Wan at Yuantong on Mount Lu, but their dynamic words did not harmonize. At that time, Venerable Si'an Rui lived in a private room there, and the Master drew close to him daily for tempering. Venerable Yunwai Xiu was just then propagating the Caodong way at Tiantong, so the Master went to rely upon him. One day, as he entered the room, Xiu said, 'Today Tiantong has died the great death. How will you save him?' The Master said, 'I ask the Upādhyāya to eat his meal.' Xiu said again, 'Today Tiantong has died the great death. You do not need to save him.' The Master said, 'Why save him?' Xiu said again, 'Today Tiantong has died the great death. Who will walk with me?' The Master said, 'Let the Upādhyāya go first, and I will follow behind.' Xiu burst into hearty laughter. From this time their rapport was like fish and water, just like Guishan and Zizi; he then appointed him to oversee the canon of teachings. Afterwards, the Master visited Venerable Zhongfeng Ben at Mount Tianmu, who held him in great esteem. During the Zhizhi era, an imperial decree summoned the empire's skilled calligraphers to transcribe the Tripiṭaka in gold, and together with National Preceptor Miaogong, he went north to court. When the work was complete, he was granted gold-woven quxun robes. At the beginning of the Taiding era, he returned south to Jiangzhe. The Chancellor Tuohuan, administering the Commission for Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs, summoned the Master to take charge of Nanshan in Quzhou and preach the Dharma as the heir of Yunwai. Yunwai was the heir of Zhiweng Ju; Zhiweng was the heir of Donggu Guang; Donggu was the heir of Mingji Zuo; Mingji was the heir of Zide Hui—they were of the sixth generation of the ancient Buddha of Xizhou. Next he had charge of Guangxiao, and moved to Xiangfu in Xinzhou. Thereafter, Cuiyan in Hongzhou and Zhishan in Raozhou both sent directives from the provincial branch commission inviting him, but the Master firmly declined due to illness. In the seventh year of the Zhizheng era, he took charge of Dingshui in Qingyuan; after nine years, he transferred to Xuedou. Ascending the hall, he said: 'A thousand words and ten thousand explanations are not as good as meeting face-to-face. Yesterday was the twenty-ninth; this morning is the first of the seventh month. I announce to you who study the mystery: time flies swift as an arrow! The two eyes born of your mother are each as black as lacquer. Hurry, hurry, turn your head at once, and behold the naturally real Buddha!' After a long pause, he said, 'What face is this?' He descended from the seat, walked through the hall, and took tea. Again he ascended the hall: 'Wondrous or not wondrous? The patch-robed monk's nostrils mostly have no holes. Mysterious or not mysterious? Above the monastery flagpole there is no blue sky. How could an accomplished man tolerate folding his hands in his sleeves? How could a fine horse wait for the whip to crack? Completely transcending blows and shouts, not caught in the snare or trap: the hundred birds do not come, and spring passes away once more; in the cliff chamber, one gains only deep sleep until the sun is high.' Having resided there for four years, he retired to Yuanming Hermitage at Dingshui. The next year, on the twenty-first day of the ninth month of the xinhai year, he manifested nirvāṇa, having reached the age of sixty-five. His casket was cremated; of the remnants, his teeth and prayer beads were intact, and the relic grains were bright and glistening. His disciples, Jingyun and others, gathered the indestructible remains and erected a stupa behind Yuanming Hermitage.