鐔津文集 19.35

19.35

學有及物之功。文為載道之器。學而不能利乎物。徒學也。文而不能衍乎道。空文也。若夫推其道發於文章。肆其學以援斯人。宋明教嵩禪師其人歟。嗟夫吾佛之教法心法也。生靈同而有焉。但為虛妄所蔽。不能顯現。汩四生淪六趣。何由得已哉。而吾佛愍之。以此心法隨器而諭。俾各得乎本有。或者不仰恩懷德反生譏毀。是則自毀其心非毀其教法也。教中所謂世智辯聰八難之一。且不信而毀。又非虛妄所蔽。若虛妄所蔽。或能了妄即真。不信而毀則自昧其心。自昧其心猶種之敗芽之焦。不復有發生之日矣。得不尤可愍哉。而明教性稟生知。能體佛意。學則必欲援世。非徒學也。文則必在明道。非空文也。況是時天下學士。宗韓氏以拒我。故勸書原教諸文不得不作焉。學者總[禾*(〦/(坐-土+十))]號鐔津文集。斯文行世。真救世明道之要術也。可一日而無哉。舊版湮沒。人皆痛惜。嘉禾天寧首座天全獻公。乃東海慧眼弘辯禪師之弟子。施衣資重梓流行。其亦明教之心也歟。板既成。請敘其後。蒙晚生。讀其文集有不得執筆從游之歎。今獲廁名于後。不亦大幸乎。不亦大幸乎。

Learning possesses the efficacy of benefiting beings; writing is the vessel that conveys the Way. If learning cannot benefit beings, it is mere learning in vain. If writing cannot unfold the Way, it is empty prose. As for extending that Way and expressing it in literature, and employing his learning to rescue these people—was not Chan Master Song, Mingjiao of the Song dynasty, such a person? Alas! The teaching-dharma and mind-dharma of our Buddha are inherently possessed in common by all sentient beings. Yet, obscured by delusion, they cannot manifest; drowning in the four modes of birth and sinking in the six destinies, how could this ever come to an end? But our Buddha took pity on them, and using this mind-dharma, instructed them according to their capacities, enabling each to attain what they originally possessed. Yet some, instead of looking up to his grace and cherishing his virtue, gave rise to mockery and slander. In this, they slander their own minds; they do not merely slander his teaching-dharma. In the teachings, this is what is called 'worldly wisdom and clever eloquence,' one of the eight difficulties. Moreover, to disbelieve and slander is not merely being obscured by delusion. If one were merely obscured by delusion, one might still realize that delusion is itself truth; but when one disbelieves and slanders, one blinds one's own mind. Blinding one's own mind is like a spoiled seed or a scorched sprout: it will never have a day of sprouting again. Could this not be all the more pitiable? Yet Mingjiao was endowed by nature with innate knowledge and was able to embody the Buddha's intent. In his learning, he always sought to rescue the world; it was not learning in vain. In his writing, he always aimed to illuminate the Way; it was not empty prose. What is more, at that time the scholars of the empire followed Han [Yu] in rejecting us; hence writings such as the exhortations and the Yuanjiao had to be written. Scholars brought them all together under the title Tanjin wenji. The circulation of this text in the world is truly an essential technique for saving the world and illuminating the Way. Could we be without it for a single day? When the old printing blocks were lost, everyone lamented it with sorrow. Master Tianquan Xian, Head Monk of Tianning in Jiahe, is a disciple of Chan Master Huiyan Hongbian of Donghai; he donated his robes and funds to recarve and circulate it. Was this not also the mind of Mingjiao? When the blocks were completed, he asked me to write an afterword. Born late and ignorant, when I read his collected writings, I lamented that I could not hold a brush and follow in his footsteps. Now that I have the privilege of appending my name at the end, is this not exceedingly fortunate? Is this not exceedingly fortunate?