續傳燈錄 8.6

8.6

東京慧林宗本圓照禪師。常州無錫管氏子。體貌厖碩所事淳厚。年十九依姑蘇承天永安道昇禪師出家。巾侍十載剃髮受具。又三年禮辭游方。至池陽謁振宗。宗舉天親從彌勒內宮而下。無著問云。人間四百年彼天為一晝夜。彌勒於一時中成就五百億天子。證無生法忍。未審說甚麼法。天親曰。秖說這箇法。如何是這箇法。師久而開悟。一日室中問師。即心即佛時如何。曰殺人放火有甚麼難。於是名播寰宇。漕使李公復圭命師開法瑞光。法席曰盛。武林守陳公襄以承天興教二剎命師擇居。蘇人擁道遮留又以淨慈堅請。移文諭。道俗曰。借師三年為此邦植福不敢久占。道俗始從。元豐五年神宗皇帝下詔闢相國寺六十四院為八禪二律。召師為慧林第一祖。既至上遣使問勞。閱三日傳旨。就寺之三門為士民演法。翌日召對延和殿問道賜坐。師即跏趺。帝問。卿受業何寺。奏曰。蘇州承天永安。帝大悅賜茶。師即舉盞長吸。又蕩而撼之。帝曰。禪宗方興宜善開導。師奏曰。陛下知有此道如日照臨。臣豈敢自怠。即辭退。帝目送之謂左右曰。真福慧僧也。後帝登遐。命入福寧殿說法。以老乞歸林下得旨。任便雲遊州郡。不得抑令住持。擊鼓辭眾說偈曰。本是無家客。那堪任意遊。順風加艣棹。船子下楊州。既出都城王公貴人送者車騎相屬。師臨別誨之曰。歲月不可把玩。老病不與人期。唯勤修勿怠。是真相為。聞者莫不感涕。晚居靈岩。其嗣法傳道者不可勝紀。僧問。如何是祖師西來意。師曰。韓信臨朝。曰中下之流如何領會。師曰。伏屍萬里。曰早知今日事悔不慎當初。師曰。三皇塚上草離離。問上是天下是地。未審中間是甚麼物。師曰。山河大地。曰恁麼則謝師答話。師曰。大地山河。曰和尚何得瞞人。師曰。却是老僧罪過。上元日僧問。千燈互照絲竹交音。正恁麼時佛法在甚麼處。師曰。謝布施。曰莫便是和尚為人處也無。師曰。大似不齋來。上堂。於一毫端現寶王剎。坐微塵裏轉大法輪。拈起拄杖曰。這箇是塵。作麼生說箇轉法輪底道理。山僧今日不惜眉毛。與汝諸人說破。拈起也海水騰波須彌岌峇。放下也四海晏清乾坤肅靜。敢問諸人。且道拈起即是放下即是當斷不斷。兩重公案。擊禪床下座。上堂。看看爍爍瑞光照大千界。百億微塵國土。百億大海水。百億須彌山。百億日月。百億四天下。乃至微塵剎土皆於光中一時發現。諸仁者。還見麼。若也見得許汝親在瑞光。若也不見莫道瑞光不照。好參上堂。頭圓像天足方似地。古貌稜層丈夫意氣。趯倒須彌踏翻海水。帝釋與龍王無著身處。乃拈拄杖曰。却來拄杖上回避咄。任汝神通變化。究竟須歸這裏。以拄杖卓一下。師全身塔于蘇之靈巖。

Chan Master Zongben Yuanzhao of Huilin in the Eastern Capital was a son of the Guan family of Wuxi in Changzhou. His physical appearance was massive and stately, and his conduct was pure and substantial. At age nineteen, he relied upon Chan Master Daosheng of Chengtian Yong'an in Gusu to leave home. For ten years he served as an attendant, after which he shaved his head and received full ordination. After another three years, he took his leave and went wandering. Arriving in Chiyang, he paid visit to Zhenzong. Zong cited: 'Vasubandhu descended from Maitreya's inner palace. Asaṅga asked: "Four hundred human years are one day and night in that heaven. In a single moment Maitreya brings to fulfillment fifty billion devaputras, causing them to realize the tolerance of the unarisen Dharmas. I wonder, what Dharma did he preach?" Vasubandhu said: "He only preached this Dharma." What is this Dharma?' After a long time, the master had an awakening. One day in the abbot's room, [Zhenzong] asked the master: 'How is it when mind is Buddha itself?' He said: 'What is difficult about killing people and setting fires?' Thereupon his name spread throughout the realm. Li Fugui, the Fiscal Commissioner, invited the master to open the Dharma hall at Ruiguang, and his Dharma assembly grew flourished. Chen Xiang, governor of Wulin, ordered the master to choose between the two monasteries of Chengtian and Xingjiao for his residence. The people of Suzhou blocked the roads to detain him, and Jingci also earnestly invited him. A notice was sent to instruct the monastics and laity: 'We borrow the master for three years to cultivate merit for this prefecture, and dare not occupy him for long.' The monastics and laity then assented. In the fifth year of the Yuanfeng reign era, Emperor Shenzong issued an edict to divide the sixty-four cloisters of Xiangguo Monastery into eight Chan and two Vinaya cloisters, summoning the master to be the founding patriarch of Huilin. Upon his arrival, the Emperor dispatched an envoy to inquire after his wellbeing. After three days, an imperial decree was conveyed for him to expound the Dharma for the literati and common people at the temple's three gates. The next day, he was summoned for an audience at Yanhe Hall to inquire about the Way and was granted a seat. The master immediately sat cross-legged. The Emperor asked: 'At which monastery did you receive training?' He memorialized: 'At Chengtian Yong'an in Suzhou.' The Emperor was greatly pleased and bestowed tea. The master took up the cup and drank deeply, then swirled and shook it. The Emperor said: 'The Chan school is just now rising; it is proper to guide well.' The master memorialized: 'Your Majesty recognizes the existence of this Way just as the sun shines down. How would your servant dare be negligent?' He then took his leave and withdrew. The Emperor watched him leave and said to his attendants: 'Truly a monk of blessings and wisdom.' Later, when the Emperor passed away, he was commanded to enter Funing Hall to preach the Dharma. On account of old age, he begged to retire to the forests, and an edict granted his request: he was permitted to wander freely among the prefectures and commanderies, and none might compel him to serve as abbot. He struck the drum, took leave of the assembly, and uttered a verse: / 'Originally a guest without a home, / How could I not wander at will? / With a favorable wind adding oars and rudder, / The boat heads down to Yangzhou.' / Once he left the capital city, the carriages and riders of the princes, dukes, and nobles seeing him off followed one after another. Taking his departure, the master instructed them, saying: 'The months and years cannot be idly trifled with; old age and sickness make no appointment with man. Only diligence in practice without negligence is true consideration for one another.' Among those who heard this, none failed to weep with gratitude. In his late years he resided at Lingyan. Those who inherited his Dharma and transmitted the Way were beyond counting. A monk asked: 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?' The master said: 'Han Xin attending court.' The monk said: 'How should those of middling and lower capacity comprehend this?' The master said: 'Corpses lying for ten thousand li.' The monk said: 'Had I known of today's matters earlier, I would regret not being careful in the beginning.' The master said: 'Over the mounds of the Three Sovereigns, the grass grows lush and thick.' A monk asked: 'Above is heaven, below is earth; I wonder, what thing is in between?' The master said: 'Mountains, rivers, and the great earth.' The monk said: 'In that case, I thank the master for answering the question.' The master said: 'The great earth, mountains, and rivers.' The monk said: 'How can the upādhyāya deceive people?' The master said: 'Rather, it is this old monk's fault.' On the Lantern Festival, a monk asked: 'A thousand lamps illuminate one another, and wind and string instruments blend their notes. At just such a time, where is the Buddhadharma?' The master said: 'Thank you for the alms.' The monk said: 'Is this not the upādhyāya's way of instructing people?' The master said: 'It is very much like coming without having eaten the midday meal.' The master ascended the hall: 'On the tip of a single hair, the jewel king's lands appear; sitting within a speck of dust, the great wheel of Dharma turns.' He held up his staff and said: 'This is a speck of dust. How do you speak of the principle of turning the Dharma wheel? Today this mountain monk will not spare his eyebrows to lay it bare for all of you. Holding it up, ocean waters surge with waves, and Mount Sumeru totters. Laying it down, the four seas are peaceful and clear, and heaven and earth are hushed in tranquility. I venture to ask you all: Tell me, is holding up right, or is laying down right? Not deciding when decision is called for produces a double gong'an.' He struck the Chan bed and descended from the seat. The master ascended the hall: 'Look, look! A brilliant, auspicious light illuminates the trichiliocosm. A hundred billion dust-mote lands, a hundred billion great ocean waters, a hundred billion Mount Sumerus, a hundred billion suns and moons, a hundred billion four continents, down to dust-mote lands—all manifest simultaneously within the light. Venerable friends, do you see it? If you can see it, I allow that you are personally present in the auspicious light. If you do not see it, do not say that the auspicious light does not shine. Investigate it well!' The master ascended the hall: 'Head round, resembling heaven; feet square, like earth. An ancient visage towering and stark, a hero's mettle. Kicking over Mount Sumeru, trampling upside down the ocean waters, Śakra and the dragon king have no place to set their bodies.' He then held up his staff and said: 'They come instead onto the staff to take refuge! Bah! Let your supernatural powers transform as they will; in the end you must return right here.' He struck once with the staff. The master's whole body was stupaed at Lingyan in Suzhou.