---
title: "五燈會元 · 漳州羅漢院桂琛禪師"
description: "五燈會元由宋代高僧普濟編撰，成書於南宋淳祐年間，是中國禪宗重要典籍之一。該書彙編了禪宗五家七宗的傳法譜系與公案語錄，包括法眼、雲門、曹洞、臨濟、溈仰五宗祖師的機鋒對話與悟道因緣，系統整理了禪宗從初祖達摩至唐宋時期的發展脈絡。全書共二十卷，以燈燈相傳為喻，展現了禪宗心法傳承的歷史軌跡。作為研究唐宋禪宗思想的核心文獻，五燈會元不僅是佛教史學的重要資料，更是禪門修行者參究心性的權威指南，在中國佛教史上具有不可替代的地位。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cma8xe9nz0kl2l404tf9kt1af"
---

### 漳州羅漢院桂琛禪師

> Master Guichen of Luohan Temple in Zhangzhou

常山李氏子。為童兒時。日一素食。出言有異。既冠。親事本府萬歲寺無相大師。披削登戒。學毗尼。一日。為眾陞臺。宣戒本布薩已。乃曰。持戒但律身而已。非真解脫也。依文作解。豈發聖智乎。於是訪南宗。初謁雲居雪峰。參訊勤恪。然猶未有所見。後造玄沙。一言啟發。廓爾無惑。沙問。三界唯心。汝作麼生會。師指倚子曰。和尚喚這箇作甚麼。曰。倚子。師曰。和尚不會三界唯心。曰。我喚這箇作竹木。汝喚作甚麼。師曰。桂琛亦喚作竹木。曰。盡大地覓一箇會佛法底人不可得。師自爾愈加激勵。沙每因誘迪學者。流出諸三昧。皆命師為助發。師雖處眾韜晦。然聲譽甚遠。時漳牧王公建精舍曰地藏。請師開法。因插田次。見僧乃問。從甚處來。曰。南州。師曰。彼中佛法如何。曰。商量浩浩地。師曰。爭如我這裏。栽田博飯喫。曰。爭奈三界何。師曰。喚甚麼作三界。問僧甚處來。曰。南方來。師曰。南方知識。有何言句示徒。曰。彼中道。金屑雖貴。眼裏著不得。師曰。我道須彌在師眼裏。一日。同中塔侍玄沙。沙打中塔一棒曰。就名就體。中塔不對。沙乃問師。作麼生會。師曰。這僧著一棒不知來處。僧報曰。保福已遷化也。師曰。保福遷化。地藏入塔僧問法眼。古人意旨如何。眼云。蒼天。蒼天。後遷羅漢。大闡玄要。上堂。宗門玄妙。為當祇恁麼。也更別有奇特。若別有奇特。汝且舉將來看。若無。去。不可將兩箇字便當却宗乘也。何者。兩箇字謂宗乘．教乘也。汝纔道著宗乘。便是宗乘。道著教乘。便是教乘。禪德。佛法宗乘。元來由汝口裏安立名字。作取說取便是也。斯須向這裏說平說實。說圓說常。禪德。汝喚甚麼作平實。把甚麼作圓常。傍家行脚。理須甄別。莫相埋沒。得些子聲色名字。貯在心頭。道我會解。善能揀辨。汝且會箇甚麼。揀箇甚麼。記持得底是名字。揀辨得底是聲色。若不是聲色名字。汝又作麼生記持揀辨。風吹松樹也是聲。蝦蟇老鵶呌也是聲。何不那裏聽取揀擇去。若那裏有箇意度模樣。祇如老師口裏。又有多少意度與上座。莫錯。即今聲色摐摐地。為當相及不相及。若相及。即汝靈性金剛祕密應有壞滅去也。何以如此。為聲貫破汝耳。色穿破汝眼。因緣即塞却汝。幻妄走殺汝。聲色體爾不可容也。若不相及。又甚麼處得聲色來。會麼。相及不相及。試裁辨看。少間又道。是圓常平實。甚麼人恁麼道。未是黃夷村裏漢解恁麼說。是他古聖。垂些子相助顯發。今時不識好惡。便安圓實。道我別有宗風玄妙。釋迦佛無舌頭。不如汝些子。便恁麼點胸。若論殺盜婬罪。雖重猶輕。尚有歇時。此箇謗般若。瞎却眾生眼。入阿鼻地獄吞鐵丸莫將為等閑。所以古人道。過在化主。不干汝事。珍重。僧問。如何是羅漢一句。師曰。我若向汝道。便成兩句也。問。不會底人來。師還接否。師曰。誰是不會者。曰。適來道了也。師曰。莫自屈麼。保福僧到。師問。彼中佛法如何。曰。有時示眾道。塞却你眼。教你󳬇不見。塞却你耳。教你聽不聞。坐却你意。教你分別不得。師曰。吾問你。不塞你眼。見箇甚麼。不塞你耳。聞箇甚麼。不坐你意。作麼生分別東禪齊云。那僧聞了忽然省去。更不他遊。上座如今還會麼。若不會。每日見箇甚麼。問。以字不成。八字不是。未審是甚麼字。師曰。汝實不會那。曰。學人實不會。師曰。看取下頭註脚。問。如何是沙門正命食。師曰。喫得麼。曰。欲喫此食。作何方便。師曰。塞却你口。問。如何是羅漢家風。師曰。不向你道。曰。為甚麼不道。師曰。是我家風。問。如何是法王身。師曰。汝今是甚麼身。曰。恁麼即無身也。師曰。苦痛深。上堂纔坐。有二僧一時禮拜。師曰。俱錯。問。如何是撲不破底句。師曰。撲。問。一佛出世普為羣生。和尚今日為箇甚麼。師曰。甚麼處遇一佛。曰。恁麼即學人罪過。師曰。謹退。問。如何是諸聖玄旨。師曰。四楞塌地。問。大事未肯時如何。師曰。由汝。問。如何是十方眼。師曰。眨上眉毛著。請保福齋。令人傳語曰。請和尚慈悲降重。福曰。慈悲為阿誰。師曰。和尚恁麼道。渾是不慈悲。翫月次。乃曰。雲動有。雨去有。僧曰。不是雲動是風動。師曰。我道雲亦不動。風亦不動。曰。和尚適來又道雲動。師曰。阿誰罪過。師見僧。舉拂子曰。還會麼。曰。謝和尚慈悲示學人。師曰。見我竪拂子。便道示學人。汝每日見山見水。可不示汝。又見僧來。舉拂子。其僧讚歎禮拜。師曰。見我竪拂子。便禮拜讚歎。那裏掃地竪起掃帚。為甚麼不讚歎。問。承教有言。若見諸相非相。即見如來。如何是非相。師曰。燈籠子。問。如何是出家。師曰。喚甚麼作家。問。僧甚處來。曰。秦州。師曰。將得甚麼物來。曰。不將得物來。師曰。汝為甚麼對眾謾語。其僧無對。師却問。秦州豈不是出鸚鵡。曰。鸚鵡出在隴西。師曰。也不較多。問。僧甚處來。曰。報恩。師曰。何不且在彼中。曰。僧家不定。師曰。既是僧家。為甚麼不定。僧無對玄覺代云。謝和尚顧問。王太傅上雪峰施眾僧衣。時從弇上座不在。師弟代上名受衣。弇歸。弟曰。某甲為師兄上名了。弇曰。汝道我名甚麼。弟無對。師代云。師兄得恁麼貪。又曰。甚麼處是貪處。又代云。兩度上名。雲居錫云。甚麼處是弇上座兩度上名處。師與長慶．保福入州。見牡丹障子。保福曰。好一朵牡丹花。長慶曰。莫眼花。師曰。可惜許一朵花玄覺云。三尊宿語還有親疎也無。祇如羅漢恁麼道。落在甚麼處。問僧。汝在招慶有甚麼異聞底事。試舉看。曰。不敢錯舉。師曰。真實底事作麼生舉。曰。和尚因甚麼如此。師曰。汝話墮也。眾僧晚參。聞角聲。師曰。羅漢三日一度上堂。王太傅二時相助。問。如何是學人本來心。師曰。是你本來心。問。師居寶座。說法度人。未審度甚麼人。師曰。汝也居寶座。度甚麼人。問。鏡裏看形見不難。如何是鏡。師曰。還見形麼。問。但得本。莫愁末。如何是末。師曰。總有也。師因疾。僧問。和尚尊候較否。師以杖拄地曰。汝道這箇還痛否。曰。和尚問阿誰。師曰。問汝。曰。還痛否。師曰。元來共我作道理。天成三年秋。復屆閩城舊址。遍遊近城梵宇已。乃示寂。茶毗收舍利。建塔於院之西隅。諡真應禪師。

> I'll translate this classical Chan (Zen) Buddhist text into accessible modern English. --- Guichen was from the Li family in Changshan. As a child, he ate only one vegetarian meal a day and spoke with unusual wisdom. When he came of age, he studied under Great Master Wuxiang at Wansui Temple in his hometown. After receiving full ordination, he studied the monastic rules (Vinaya). One day, while giving a sermon on the precepts, he said: "Observing precepts only restrains the body—this is not true liberation. Interpreting scriptures literally—how could that awaken sacred wisdom?" So he set out to study the Southern School of Chan. He first visited Master Yunjü and Master Xuefeng, diligently seeking instruction, yet still without a breakthrough. Later, he came to Master Xuansha, and a single word from the master opened his mind—his confusion dissolved completely. Xuansha asked him: "The three realms are only mind. How do you understand this?" Guichen pointed to his chair and asked, "What does Master call this?" "A chair," said Xuansha. "Master doesn't understand 'the three realms are only mind,'" said Guichen. "I call this 'bamboo and wood.' What do you call it?" asked Xuansha. "Guichen also calls it 'bamboo and wood,'" he replied. Xuansha said, "Search the whole earth and you won't find a single person who truly understands the Dharma." From then on, Guichen was even more deeply inspired. Whenever Xuansha guided students and brought forth various samadhis, he would ask Guichen to assist. Though Guichen remained modest and reserved among the community, his reputation spread far and wide. At that time, Governor Wang of Zhangzhou built a monastery called Dizang (Earth Treasury) and invited Guichen to teach there. Once, while planting rice, he saw a monk and asked, "Where do you come from?" "From Nanzhou," said the monk. "How is the Dharma there?" asked Guichen. "They discuss it vigorously and noisily," said the monk. "How does that compare to here, where we plant rice and earn our meal?" said Guichen. "But what about the three realms?" asked the monk. "What do you call the three realms?" said Guichen. He asked another monk, "Where are you from?" "From the south," said the monk. "How do the teachers in the south instruct their students?" asked Guichen. "They say, 'Though gold dust is precious, it must not get in your eyes,'" said the monk. Guichen said, "I say Mount Sumeru is in your eyes." One day, Guichen accompanied Zhongta to visit Xuansha. Xuansha struck Zhongta with his staff and said, "According to name, according to substance." Zhongta said nothing. Xuansha then asked Guichen, "How do you understand this?" Guichen said, "This monk received a blow but doesn't know where it came from." A monk reported, "Baofu has passed away." Guichen said, "Baofu has departed, Dizang enters the stupa."<note>A monk later asked Fayan about the meaning of these words. Fayan said, "Heavens! Heavens!"</note> Later, Guichen moved to the Luohan (Arhat) Monastery, where he broadly expounded the essential teachings. \*\*Dharma Talk:\*\* "Students, the mysterious wonder of our school—is it just this? Or is there something more extraordinary? If there's something more extraordinary, show it to me. If not, then stop. You can't just use two words to claim the entire ancestral transmission. "Why? Those two words are 'ancestral school' and 'teaching school.' The moment you say 'ancestral school,' it becomes the ancestral school. Say 'teaching school,' and it becomes the teaching school. "Dharma practitioners, the ancestral school of Buddhism is established by your own mouths—you create names for it, speak about it, and that's all it is. Just now, people talk about 'ordinary' and 'real,' about 'complete' and 'eternal.' But what do you call 'ordinary and real'? What do you take as 'complete and eternal'? "You travel from place to place, and you should distinguish carefully—don't bury yourselves. You pick up a few names and sounds, store them in your minds, and say, 'I understand, I can discriminate.' But what exactly do you understand? What do you discriminate? What you memorize are just names. What you discriminate are just sounds and forms. If it weren't for sounds and forms, how would you memorize or discriminate anything? "The wind blowing through pine trees—that's sound. Frogs croaking, crows calling—those are sounds too. Why not listen and distinguish there? If you think you can find meaning and patterns there, then consider—how much meaning has your teacher here given you? Don't be mistaken. "Right now, sounds and forms are pressing in all around you. Are they reaching you or not? If they reach you, then your spiritual nature—the vajra secret—would have to be destroyed. Why? Because sound breaks through your ears, forms pierce through your eyes, causes and conditions block you, illusions and delusions exhaust you. Sounds and forms are too solid to be contained. But if they don't reach you, then where do sounds and forms come from? "Do you understand? Reaching or not reaching—try to discern it." Later, he continued, "And then people say, 'It's complete, eternal, ordinary, real.' What kind of person says such things? It's not some village fool speaking this way. The ancient sages left these words to help and reveal. But people today can't tell good from bad, so they settle on 'complete and real' and claim, 'I have a special style, mysterious and wonderful.' "Shakyamuni Buddha himself had no tongue compared to you—you think so highly of yourselves, beating your chests with pride? "If we speak of killing, stealing, or sexual misconduct—though these are grave offenses, they're still lighter than this. They have a time when they end. But this—slandering perfect wisdom, blinding sentient beings—you'll fall into the Avichi Hell, swallowing iron balls. Don't take this lightly. "As the ancients said, 'The fault lies with the teacher, not with you.' Take care." \*\*Question-and-Answer Exchanges:\*\* A monk asked, "What is the single phrase of Luohan?" Guichen replied, "If I told you, it would become two phrases." A monk asked, "When someone who doesn't understand comes, will you receive them?" Guichen said, "Who is it that doesn't understand?" The monk said, "I just said it now." Guichen asked, "Are you not diminishing yourself?" A monk from Baofu came to visit. Guichen asked, "How is the Dharma there?" The monk said, "Sometimes the master teaches, saying: 'Block your eyes so you can't see. Block your ears so you can't hear. Sit on your mind so you can't distinguish.'" Guichen said, "I ask you—if I don't block your eyes, what do you see? If I don't block your ears, what do you hear? If I don't sit on your mind, how do you distinguish?"<note>Dongchan Qi commented: "That monk, upon hearing this, suddenly awakened and never traveled elsewhere. Fellow practitioners, do you understand now? If not, what do you see every day?"</note> A monk asked, "It's not the character 'yi,' not the character 'ba.' What character is this?" Guichen asked, "You really don't understand?" The monk said, "I truly don't understand." Guichen said, "Look at the footnote below." A monk asked, "What is the proper food of a renunciant?" Guichen asked, "Can you eat it?" The monk asked, "To eat this food, what method should I use?" Guichen said, "Block your mouth." A monk asked, "What is the style of Luohan Monastery?" Guichen said, "I won't tell you." "Why not?" asked the monk. "Because it's my style," said Guichen. A monk asked, "What is the body of the Dharma King?" Guichen asked, "What body are you right now?" The monk said, "Then I have no body." Guichen said, "Your suffering runs deep." When Guichen sat for a teaching session, two monks bowed simultaneously. Guichen said, "Both of you are wrong." A monk asked, "What is a phrase that can't be smashed?" Guichen said, "Smash!" A monk asked, "When a Buddha appears in the world, it's for all beings. What are you doing today, Master?" Guichen asked, "Where did you encounter a Buddha?" The monk said, "Then I am at fault." Guichen said, "Carefully withdraw." A monk asked, "What is the mysterious intent of the sages?" Guichen said, "Four corners flat on the ground." A monk asked, "What about when the great matter isn't yet settled?" Guichen said, "Up to you." A monk asked, "What is the eye of the ten directions?" Guichen said, "Raise your eyebrows." When Guichen was invited to a meal at Baofu, he sent a message: "Please, Master, be compassionate and honor us with your presence." Baofu asked, "Compassion for whom?" Guichen said, "The way you speak—it's completely lacking in compassion." While enjoying the moon, Guichen remarked, "Clouds move—there is something. Rain comes—there is something." A monk said, "It's not the clouds moving; it's the wind moving." Guichen said, "I say the clouds don't move either, and the wind doesn't move." The monk said, "But just now, Master said the clouds move." Guichen asked, "Whose fault is that?" Seeing a monk, Guichen raised his whisk and asked, "Do you understand?" The monk said, "Thank you, Master, for your compassion in showing me." Guichen said, "You see me raise my whisk and say I'm showing you. But you see mountains and rivers every day—isn't that showing you?" Seeing another monk approach, Guichen raised his whisk again. The monk bowed and praised him. Guichen said, "You see me raise my whisk, and you bow and praise. But when someone picks up a broom to sweep, why don't you praise that?" A monk cited the scriptures, asking, "It's said, 'If you see that all forms are not forms, you see the Tathagata.' What is 'not form'?" Guichen said, "A lantern." A monk asked, "What is 'leaving home'?" Guichen asked, "What do you call 'home'?" Guichen asked a monk, "Where are you from?" "From Qinzhou," said the monk. "What did you bring with you?" asked Guichen. "I brought nothing," said the monk. Guichen said, "Why are you lying in front of the assembly?" The monk had no reply. Guichen asked, "Doesn't Qinzhou produce parrots?" The monk said, "Parrots come from Longxi." Guichen said, "Not far off." Guichen asked a monk, "Where are you from?" "From Bao'en," said the monk. "Why didn't you stay there?" asked Guichen. "Monks are unsettled," said the monk. "If you're a monk, why are you unsettled?" asked Guichen. The monk had no reply.<note>Xuanjue answered on his behalf: "Thank you, Master, for asking."</note> When Grand Minister Wang went to Xuefeng to distribute robes to the monks, the elder Congyan was absent, and a junior monk registered Congyan's name to receive a robe. When Congyan returned, the junior monk said, "I registered for you, senior brother." Congyan asked, "What name did you register for me?" The junior monk had no reply. Guichen answered on his behalf: "Senior brother, you're so greedy." Then he added, "Where is the greed?" He also answered: "He registered the name twice."<note>Yunjü Xi commented: "Where exactly did Congyan register his name twice?"</note> Guichen, Changqing, and Baofu went into town and saw a screen painted with peonies. Baofu said, "What a beautiful peony flower!" Changqing said, "Don't let your eyes deceive you." Guichen said, "What a pity—such a flower."<note>Xuanjue commented: "Among these three masters' words, is there any difference of closeness? And where does Guichen's remark fall?"</note> Guichen asked a monk, "While you were at Zhaoqing, did you hear anything extraordinary? Try to mention it." The monk said, "I dare not misquote." Guichen asked, "How would you express the true matter?" The monk asked, "Why does Master speak like this?" Guichen said, "You've fallen into speech." During evening assembly, hearing the sound of a horn, Guichen said, "Luohan gives a talk once every three days; Grand Minister Wang assists twice each day." A monk asked, "What is my original mind?" Guichen said, "It's your original mind." A monk asked, "Master sits on the jeweled seat, teaching Dharma and liberating people. Who is it that you liberate?" Guichen asked, "You also sit on a jeweled seat—who do you liberate?" A monk asked, "Seeing a reflection in a mirror isn't difficult—but what is the mirror?" Guichen asked, "Do you still see the reflection?" A monk cited, "Just get the root and don't worry about the branches. What is the branch?" Guichen said, "Everything exists." When Guichen was ill, a monk asked, "Master, is your health improving?" Guichen leaned on his staff and asked, "You tell me—does this hurt?" The monk asked, "Who is Master asking?" "I'm asking you," said Guichen. "Does it hurt?" the monk asked. Guichen said, "So you're just reasoning with me after all." In the autumn of the third year of Tiancheng (928 CE), Guichen returned to the old site of Fuzhou. After visiting the temples near the city, he passed away. His body was cremated, and relics were collected. A stupa was built in the western corner of the monastery. He was posthumously given the title Chan Master Zhenying (True Response).