No. 281-B楞嚴經圓通疏序
Preface to the Expository Commentary on the Shurangama Sutra, No. 281-B
余生平有三不幸,而獲三大幸焉。生為楚人而乏楚才,一不幸也;宦途多鈍置,二不幸也;以直道交人而橫遭誣謗,三不幸也。然而因之獲聞西來大教,於西教獲秉天台大師之宗,因台宗而悟明首楞嚴經旨,豈非三不幸中而獲三大幸歟?余始於是經之未悟也,側聞先達搆以心師,發為八難。今悟之矣,而翻然更為八易,此又不幸中之大幸也。試厓略言之,即以是而為圓通疏序,諒亦師所印可者也。此經始祕中印,累葉帝胄,珍為鎮國重寶。慮傳持外國,防衛甚嚴,而般剌密帝三藏入內道場,用薄素細騰,剖臂而寘諸股中,潛持得出,非傳來之難乎?因即附南海估舶,得達五羊。將出之,共房融宰相翻譯,而苦為脂血所凝。賴房妻黠慧,以銅盆盛水,浸而舒解,就之抄錄,非翻譯之難乎?當時密帝正急於流通,實未及奏請,而朝廷責違其制,乃畏而持經遁去。房雖奏入,亦不及頒行。後因神秀禪師入內道場傳寫,歸於度門。慧振法師訪度門得之,經始傳焉。非流通之難乎?自唐天寶十年,西京惟慤法師始作疏解,相沿至今,凡十數名家,孰不謂深契佛心,得骨得髓。至於關鍵大意,修性境觀,展卷則滿目陳言,反照則修途罔指。非疏解之難乎?昔天台大師甞西望此經一十八載,既而入滅期迫,不獲寓目,乃預讖譯入懸記。釋者謂當有菩薩宰官以文章翻譯,復有肉身比丘以吾教判此經歸於中道。余遍觀諸疏,皆無足以應聖讖,惟今大師之圓通疏獨可當之。非應讖之難乎?夫經之流通,貴在得旨,得旨又貴在建壇修進。此經自入支那,海內未聞有建壇之者。惟今大師于幽溪蘭若依經建立,莫不中規中矩。非建壇之難乎?然而建壇方是事相莊嚴,進修又貴在見道。修道師自乙卯始,歲歲引眾修持,莫不解行相資,目足雙運。非進修之難乎?又建壇雖則為難,得地誠為不易。必在名山離諸垢染,波旬不得其便,斯可如意修為。否則,障難孔多,未必成就,非得地之難乎?昔也八難,今為八易,然而非後四而莫成前四,而後四又觸在吾師。微師悟入修證,何以作我導師?若師者,可謂應大師之聖讖,傳古佛之心宗,即肉身而悟法身,即肉眼而具天眼,剖微塵而出經卷,朗金錍而刮翳膜,發古今之所未發,決釋迦之所祕密,可以稱楞嚴之中興,可以滿大師之久望。而今而後,讀是疏而開解修證者,斯可以稱見道而後修道,修道而後證果矣。余廣陵鹺使,千里迎師,坐夏衙齋,耳提密授。示明珠於衣陰,見見為先;賜華屋於旅亭,聞聞居首。非惟得其門而入堂奧,抑亦識解寶而雨珍饈,遂得飽飫醍醐,住持圓覺。富有多寶,藏作長者之子;貴為法王,裔愍貧乞之兒。豈非遇千生罕遇之人,聞萬劫難逢之法歟?所願人人悟入,各各宣傳,俾大法不雍滯於一隅,至道獲流通於永劫,則報恩之心,庶少酬於萬一也。
時皇明萬曆、泰昌、天啟三聖繼體郊天之歲,歲星在上章,涒灘畢相,月哉生魄。欽差疏理兩淮江廣河南等處鹽法道山東按察司廉使宗天台教觀菩薩戒幽溪宣灑滄孺居士蘄州袁世振槃談撰
In the years when the three sagely emperors Wanli, Taichang, and Tianqi of the Great Ming Dynasty successively performed the suburban sacrifices to Heaven — specifically during the year when Jupiter was in the position of *Shangzhang* and *Tuntan*, at the end of the ministerial term, and on the night when the moon was just beginning to wane — I, Yuan Shizhen, a humble layman from Qizhou, serving as the Imperial Commissioner for the Salt Administration in the regions of Huainan, Jiangxiang, and Henan, and also holding the post of Surveillance Commissioner of the Shandong Circuit, as well as a disciple of the Tiantai school of meditation and wisdom, a follower of the Bodhisattva precepts, a wanderer in the pure stream of Xuanxi, composed this discourse.