續傳燈錄 30.76

30.76

Chan Master Nengren Modang Shaowu of Jiazhou ascended the hall at the start of the summer retreat: "The very first step: the ten directions of the world manifest the entire body. The final word: within a single dust mote, deeply locked and cut off. Sometimes picked up, like a long sword leaning against the sky, illuminating heaven and earth. Sometimes put down, like snow falling on a red furnace, emptily containing the myriad phenomena. Having arrived at such an estate, heavenly demons and outsiders fold their hands and surrender; the Buddhas of the three periods bow their heads simultaneously. One can then take Great Perfect Awakening as one's saṅghārāma, and manifest the jewel king's lands on the tip of a single hair. In this way, going to the Western Heavens in the morning and returning to the Eastern Land in the evening is also observing retreat; sitting amid a hundred blossoms and walking in brothels and taverns is also observing retreat. Even though it is like this, not a single step has been moved here. Thus, the ninety days are not an effort wasted in vain, and the hundred kalpas have their application in the present moment, capable of repaying debts of gratitude that cannot be repaid, so as to assist the transformation of non-action. This is the wondrous mind of nirvāṇa, the precious sword of the Diamond King. I venture to ask the assembly: how does one arrive at this estate? Just as people climbing a mountain, each must exert their own effort." / Ascending the hall, he cited the gong'an of Zhaozhou visiting the two hermits and presented a verse: / "One layer of mountains ends, another layer begins; / Sitting atop the solitary peak, examine it closely. / The mist rolls back, the clouds disperse, and the peaks are serene; / In the vast sky of Chu, a single cold orb."