弘明集 11.42

11.42

大道淵玄其理幽深。銜此高旨實如來談。然貧道出家。便是方外之賓。雖未踐古賢之德。取其一往之志。削除飾好落名求實。若使幽冥有在。故當不謝於俗人。外似不盡內若斷金。可謂見形不及道。哀哉哀哉。帶索枕石華而不實。管見之人不足羨矣。雖復養素山林與樹木何異。夫道在方寸。假練形為真。卞和號慟於荊山。患人不別故也。昔聞其名今見其人。故莊周悲慨。人生天地之間。如白駒之過隙。以此而尋。孰得久停。豈可不為將來作資。言學步邯鄲者新則無功失其本質。故使邯人匍匐而歸。百代之中有此一也。豈渾同以通之。貧道已乖世務。形權於流俗。欲於其中化未化者。雖復沐浴踞于云云。奈疑結何。一世之榮劇若電光。聚則致離。何足貪哉。淺見之徒其惑。可謂下士聞道大而笑之。真可謂迷而不反也。貧道形不出人。才不應世。是故毀其陋質被其割截之服。理未能心冥玄化。遠存大聖之制。豈捨其本懷而酬高誨。貧道年與時頹。所患未痊。乃復曲垂光慰。感慶交至。檀越信心幽當大法所寄。豈有一傷毀其本也。將非波旬試嬈之言辭。拙寡聞力詶高命。蓋是不逆之懷耳。

The Great Dao is deep and profound; its principle is obscure and subtle. Bearing this lofty message, it is truly as spoken by the Tathāgata. However, this poor monk left home to become a guest beyond the realm. Although I have not trodden the virtues of the ancient worthies, I have taken their single-minded resolve: stripping away ornament and affection, renouncing fame to seek reality. If the unseen realm exists, then surely one will not take second place to worldly men. Outwardly it seems incomplete, but inwardly it is like severed gold; one might call this seeing the form without reaching the Dao. How lamentable, how lamentable! Wearing rope belts and pillowing on stones is flowery without reality; it is not worth being envied by men of narrow vision. Even if one nurtures simplicity in the mountain forests, how does it differ from trees? The Dao resides in the square inch of the mind; borrowed cultivation of the body passes for the true. Bian He wept bitterly at Mount Jing because he grieved that people did not recognize [the jade]. Anciently I heard his name; today I see the man. Thus Zhuang Zhou sighed with sorrow: man's life between heaven and earth is like a white colt crossing a crevice. Inquiring on this basis, who can stay long? How could one not provide provisions for the future? As for saying one learns the gait of Handan, the new brings no achievement and the original nature is lost, thus causing the man of Handan to crawl home on hands and knees—in a hundred generations there is only one such case; how could one lump all together as the same? This poor monk is already estranged from worldly affairs; his form adapts provisionally among the common herd, wishing thereby to transform those who are not yet transformed. Although people talk of bathing or crouching arrogantly and so on, what can be done about their knot of doubts? The glory of a single lifetime is swifter than lightning; when gathered it leads to separation—how is it worth coveting? The delusion of men of shallow view may be called: when a low fellow hears of the Dao, he laughs aloud at it. This may truly be called being deluded without turning back! This poor monk's appearance is not superior to others; my talent does not meet worldly needs. Therefore I mutilate my base frame and wear these cut-and-pieced garments. In principle I have not yet been able to merge my mind with the profound transformation, but from afar I preserve the rules of the Great Sage. How could I abandon my original resolve to comply with your lofty instruction? My years decline with the passage of time; my ailments have not healed. Yet you have condescended to bestow radiant comfort, bringing mingled feelings of gratitude and joy. Dānapati, with your faithful mind obscurely suited to be the repository of the Great Dharma, how could you inflict any wound to harm its foundation? Could this not be the tempting words of Pāpīyan? My clumsy and ill-informed words strive to respond to your lofty command, but this is merely my mind of unswerving loyalty.