No. 1281-A
The Sutra of the Forty-Two Sections
上諭。佛祖之道。指悟自心為本。是此說者。名為正知正見。用之以利人接物。令人直達心源。方得稱佛祖兒孫。所言外道魔道者。亦具有知見。因其妄認識神生死本。以為極則。誤認佛性。謗毀戒行。所以謂之外道魔道。朕覽密雲悟天隱修語錄。其言句機用。單提向上。直指人心。乃契西來的意。得曹溪正脈者。及見密雲悟錄內。示其徒法藏闢妄語。其中所據法藏之言。駭其全迷本性。無知妄說。不但不知佛法宗旨。即其本師悟處。亦全未窺見。肆其臆誕。誑世惑人。此真外魔知見。所以其師一闢再闢。而天隱修亦有釋疑普說以斥其謬。然當日魔心不歇。其所著述。不行即燬。如魔嗣弘忍。中其毒者。復有五宗救一書。一併流傳。冀魔說之不朽。造魔業於無窮。天下後世具眼者少。不知其害。即有知而闢之者。有德無位。一人之言。無徵不信。將使究竟禪宗者。懷疑而不知所歸。而傳染其說者。將謂禪宗在是。始而起邪信。繼而具邪見。起邪信。則正信斷。具邪見。則正見滅。必至處處有其魔種。人人承其魔說。自具之性宗不明。而言條之枝蔓肆出。今其魔子魔孫。至於不坐香。不結制。甚至於飲酒食肉。毀戒破律。唯以吟詩作文。媚悅士大夫。同於娼優伎倆。豈不污濁祖庭。若不剪除。則諸佛法眼。眾生慧命所關非細。朕為天下主。精一執中。以行修齊治平之事。身居局外。並非開堂說法之人。於悟修何有。又於藏忍何有。但既深悉禪宗之旨。洞知魔外之情。灼見現在魔業之大。預識將來魔患之深。實有不得不言。不忍不言者。夫禪宗者。教外別傳。可以無言。可以有言。古德云。窮諸元辨。若一毫置於太虗。竭世樞機。若一滴投於巨海。如是言者。言言從本性中自然流出。如三藏十二部。千七百則公案。何一非從本性中自然流出。從無一實法繫綴人天。今魔藏立一○相為千佛萬佛之祖。以袈裟縷縷為宗旨所繫。有四法。有雙頭。有小法大法。有大法之大法。稱為細宗密旨。有傳有授。而魔嗣弘忍。以僧伽難提遇童子持鑑直前。為從來有象可示。證其魔師一○之象為不悖。又以多子塔前袈裟圍繞一事。作袈裟為宗旨所繫之明證。又以臨濟打克苻普化。鑿為黃蘗三頓棒之彖象。種種作為實法。不勝枚舉。全從知解穿鑿。失却自心。黃蘗云。今時人只欲多知多解。翻成壅塞。唯知多與兒酥喫。消與不消。都總不知。三乘學道人。皆是此樣。盡名食不消者。所以知解不消。皆為毒藥。盡向生滅中取。真如之中。都無此事。夫食不消之人多。而魔藏父子。則是已經飽毒者也。佛法不二。豈可執定三四。而更有密傳三四之宗旨。廣引從上古德言句相似者。為之注脚。轉以較勘不立言說。單提向上之正宗。仰面唾雲。反污己面。趙州云。老僧此間。即以本分事接人。若教老僧隨伊根基接人。自有三藏十二部。接他了也。祇說無是非分別相。早不本分。何況宛出個是非分別相。世尊四十九年所說。古錐千七百則公案。總是語言文字。若不識得這個。縱使字字句句。依樣葫蘆。即為魔說。即為謗佛。縱能記得佛祖所說三藏十二部。千七百則公案。字字句句不差。正是光明海中。多著泥滓。況既落言詮。即同教相。即同教相。則三藏十二部現在。又何必立教外別傳之旨。任伊橫說竪說。能出三藏十二部之外乎。聖人多能。佛多神通。能非聖本。神通亦非佛宗。仲尼何嘗知西方之梵語。如來不能作震旦之唐言。能與神通。各有所窮。與這個有何交涉。何況文字一端。魔藏父子。輒以不識字譏密雲。意謂不如伊等學問。若要詮理論文。自有秀才們在。何用宗徒。識字不識字。與這個又有何交涉。博通經史。如剪綵以添樹上之生花。目不識丁。亦飯熟不借鄰家之水火。若魔藏父子。其大病根。正在識丁。而不識這個。今使蒙古人來。便接蒙古。俄羅斯人來。便接俄羅斯。暹羅蘇祿琉球日本人來。便接暹羅蘇祿琉球日本。若必待伊識得文字。然後接得。則佛法不能蓋天蓋地矣。魔藏邪外知見。自以為言言據古。字字稟經。豈知盡三藏十二部。乃至十三經二十一史諸子百家。盡世間四庫縹緗。所有文字。並與貫串配合。極其稜消縫泯。自道佛來也開口不得。正是佛出世也救不得也。阿難三十年為侍者。祇為多聞智慧。被佛呵云。汝千日學慧。不如一日學道。若不學道。滴水難消。況魔藏以邪外知見。唐突佛祖向上邊事。尚安得有呵斥分。祇瞞得有眼無珠之徒。明眼人前。魔形自露。趙州云。如今知識。枝蔓上生枝蔓。都大是去聖遙遠。一代不如一代。只如南泉尋常道。須向異類中行。且作麼生會。如今黃口小兒。向十字街道。說葛藤。博飯噇。覓禮拜。聚三五百眾。云我是善知識。爾是學人。可知法藏父子之魔形。從數百年前。趙州早為判定。更不必到眼始知也。悟修皆以臨濟一棒指人。魔藏斥曰。一橛頭禪。躲跟窠臼。若論個事。無論奇言妙句。俱用不著。雖一棒一喝。亦為剩法。古人不得已而用棒喝。原為勦絕情見。直指人心。魔藏若以情見解會。乖謬之甚。古不云乎。一棒喝不作一棒喝用。何嘗執此一喝一棒也。魔意但欲抵排棒喝。希將伊所妄立之一○相。雙頭四法之實法以邀奇取勝。殊不知其大乖教外別傳無法可傳之旨也。且悟修未嘗謂一棒為千佛萬佛之祖。而魔藏妄揑一○相為千佛萬佛之祖。獨非躲跟窠臼乎。若將一○相作棒喝用。猶是躲跟窠臼。若將一○相為千佛萬佛之祖。直是魔家窟宅矣。忠國師以九十七○相示躭源。躭源以示溈仰。魔藏杜撰。稱為然燈以前無文密印。當日躭源示仰山。仰山一見。即焚却。源後問仰。仰即重集一本呈源。更無遺失。又溈山舉○相。內作一日字。仰山就地畫一○相。內作一日字。以脚抹之。溈山大笑。魔藏但於仰山一見即能記憶處。詫為神奇。而不於溈山大笑處。仰山焚却及脚抹處薦取。所謂韓盧逐塊。若謂九十七○相奇特者。朕今即作八萬四千○相。歸於八千三百九十七○相。又歸於七百九十一○相。又歸於九十五○相。又歸於九○相。又歸於一○相。正如入海算沙。亦遊戲華藏之一具。有何奇特。至於三元三要。自臨濟唱出以來。古今宗師。無不拈提。而皆不能分明舉似。魔藏乃執黃蘗三頓棒以附會之。杜撰差排。是乃全不知三元三要。臨濟不云乎。大凡演唱宗乘。須一句語具三元門。一元中須具三要。首提演唱二字。演唱不能無言句。言句須識元要方成活句。然一元而三要即具。三元而九要全具。如此[○@(一/(三*二))][○@(二/(三*一))][○@(三/(二*一))]。乃元以立要。要以貫元。非九要不能貫三元。得九要而三元始圓。不分而分。分而不分。所以元要之法。無法不該。如一棒喝不作一棒喝用。顯而易見者。又如四料揀之法。亦如春夏秋冬之四時。雖寒景變遷。總不出此一年。此一年即棒喝也。曹洞之五位。亦如五行之互具。不出此一氣。此一氣即棒喝也。若夫浮山九帶。朕謂一句中須具九帶。而九帶中。須具五十五束。又如汾陽十智同真。朕謂一句中須具十智同真。而一同真中。須具五十五實。如此。與元要之旨何別。堆而廣之。難以悉數。總之歷代祖師。雖更換面目接引世人。總不離世尊拈花。臨濟棒喝之旨。離此者。即為魔說。況此棒喝。能具萬法。能消萬法。此棒喝豈有定相。一棒喝何得作一棒喝用。魔藏不識。目為一橛禪。如果言禪。即一橛已屬多設。魔藏意猶未足。不知必待幾橛。方稱其魔意也。三頓棒與三日耳聾。豈更有別意。有何交涉乎。又魔藏作五宗錄序。以窣堵波為喻。以九級為五時教義。以結頂處為如來禪。以千丈旃檀從空破頂為祖師禪。以五光三昧為五家宗派。又自詡其言。為塔頂上加聚沙一掬。種種魔說。夫一切教相。皆屬筌蹄。墾土種瓜。瓜成非土。金從鑛出。鑛豈即金。乃謂教之級盡。其結頂處。即如來禪。直同夢囈。且西來大意。即是如來涅槃妙心。五家分派。的的歸宗。何可分佛分祖而又分五家。雖二乘之與大乘。尚如皮肉骨髓。層次歷歷。而分拆不開。何況單提向上邊事。五光五派。有何交涉。大似漢代迂儒。謂尚書二十八篇。應雲臺二十八將。魔意祇欲推五宗為超佛越祖。而掬沙加頂。已又度越五宗。如來所謂大妄語成者。又魔藏指曹溪本來無一物。為落空亡外道。而弘忍泥黃梅亦未見性一語。死在句下。夫祇就本來無一物句論。固似自了之見。而下既云何處惹塵埃。亦可謂超越功勳。直臻向上也。黃梅亦未見性一語。死在句下者。且不必論。若言掩人耳目者。亦非。黃梅豈肯疑誤眾生。而米白無篩之對。曹溪又豈世法謙讓。悟修所判。雖稍儱侗。而藏忍直斥為空亡外道。轉見不堪。可見其自了尚未能。一味有為實法。邪知邪見耳。弘忍又指斥密雲情與無情煥然頓現。為閨閤中物。引雲門直得大地無纖毫過患為轉句。不見一色為半提。須知更有全提底時節為證。殊不知密雲之一棒到底。正是處處全提。皆是情與無情煥然頓現之力。彼既未到密雲悟處。乃牽引雲門言句。附會蓋覆。狐憑於城。鼠依於社。使人不敢焚熏。究竟城社自是城社。狐鼠自是狐鼠。何能混狐鼠同於城社。弘忍又云。三峯師天童。師其源流。我輩師三峯。師其法乳。魔罪不問自承。豈非並未會實無一法可得。故曰源流。所得有憑有據。故妄云法乳耶。夫工夫了徹。識得自心。師資道合。針芥相投。啐啄同時。從上心印。亦惟言汝如是。吾亦如是耳。何曾有一法可傳。況亦實無一法可得。一言相授受者。如是方名法乳。若藏忍之邪知邪見。魔外師徒。以密傳口授為乳。是乃毒乳。何云法乳。朕謂魔藏原非全無知識。只因離師太早。煩惱妄想。貢高我慢。祇圖爭勝。欲於法門中獨出一頭。不顧己之脚跟全未著地。欲裝點智過於師伎倆。揑定一○四法雙頭等名相。擬為超師之作。每立一妄語。即捃摭文史。穿配古德言句。以證實之。正如永明云。以限量心。起分齊見。局太虗之濶狹。定法界之邊疆。遂令分別之情。不越眾塵之境。向真如境上。鼓動心機。於寂滅海中。奔騰識浪。於管中存見。向壁罅偷光。立能所之知。起勝劣之解。齊文定旨。逐語分宗。蟭螟豈健於鵬翼。螢照那齊於日曜。魔藏父子之語言著作。永明數語。可為判盡。當日魔藏取悅士大夫為之保護。使緇徒競相逐塊。遂引為種類。其徒至今散布人間不少。宗門衰壞。職此之由。朕今不加屏斥。魔法何時熄滅。著將藏內所有藏忍語錄。并五宗原。五宗救。等書。盡行毀板。僧徒不許私自收藏。有違旨隱匿者。發覺。以不敬律論。另將五宗救一書。逐條駁正。刻入藏內。使後世具正知見者。知其魔異。不起他疑。天童密雲悟派下法藏一支。所有徒眾。著直省督撫詳細查明。盡削去支派。永不許復入祖庭。果能於他方參學。得正知見。別嗣他宗。方許秉拂。諭到之日。天下祖庭係法藏子孫開堂者。即撤鐘板。不許說法。地方官即擇天童下別支承接方丈。凡祖庭。皆古來名剎。且常住本屬十方。朕但斥徐魔外。與常住原自無涉。與十方參學人更無涉。地方官勿誤會朕意。凡常住內一草一木。不得動搖。參學之徒。不得驚擾。奉行不善。即以違旨論。如伊門下僧徒固守魔說。自謂法乳不謬。正契別傳之旨。實得臨濟之宗。不肯心悅誠服。夢覺醉醒者。著來見朕。令其面陳。朕自以佛法與之較量。如果見過於朕。所論尤高。朕即收回原旨。仍立三峯宗派。如伎倆已窮。負固不服。以世法哀求者。則朕以世法從重治罪。莫貽後悔。從來邪說之作。易惑人心。然內道外道。是非邪正。亦不難辨。本乎自性而為修為說。即謂之內。不本乎自性而妄修妄說。即謂之外。釋宗每闢元門為外。如紫陽真人。於所著悟真篇後。另著外集。不雜元門一語。一一從性地演出禪宗。即從上宗門禪師。似此曉暢無礙。包括於數篇之中者。亦為罕見。而目之為外可乎。如真人者。是外之內也。如魔藏之徒。攘佛法而壞佛法。乃內之外也。曹溪清派。何可容此濁流。況此魔說。與魔子孫。流落人間。末學受其無窮之遺毒。法眼慧命之所關。朕豈忍不辨其是非。天下後世。必有蒙朕眉毛拖地之深恩者。須知此魔之不可不辨。因其為佛界之魔。此異之不可不揀。因其為同中之異。傳曰。息邪說。正人心。夫祛邪扶正。朕之所不得不然者也。粤稽三教之名。始於晉魏。後世拘泥崇儒之虗名。遂有意詆黜二氏。朕思老子與孔子同時。問禮之意。猶龍之襃。載在史冊。非與孔子有異教也。佛生西域。先孔子數十年。倘使釋迦孔子。接迹同方。自必交相敬禮。蓋五典九經三物六行。治天下之大綱小紀。固始自二帝三王。而集成於我至聖。然必解脫諸相。而後此心方能達萬事萬物之性理。此則其必然者。後世或以日月星比三教。謂某為日。謂某為月。謂某為星。朕意不必如此作拘礙之見。但於日月星之本同一光處。喻三教之異用而同體可也。觀紫陽真人之外集。自可無疑於仙佛一貫之旨。道既一貫。愈可以無疑於三教並行不悖之說。爰附及於此。使天下後世。真實究竟性理之人。屏去畛域。廣大識見。朕實有厚望焉。特諭。
An Imperial Edict.
The Way of the Buddha and the Patriarchs points to awakening to one's own mind as the fundamental principle. Those who speak in this way are said to possess correct knowledge and correct view. Using this to benefit others and interact with the world, enabling people to directly reach the source of mind—only then can one be called a true descendant of the Buddhas and Patriarchs.
What are referred to as external paths and demonic paths also possess knowledge and views. However, because they mistakenly perceive the consciousness-spirit as the basis of birth and death, taking it as the ultimate principle, they misrecognize Buddha-nature and slander and destroy precepts and conduct. This is why they are called external and demonic paths.
We have perused the recorded sayings of Miyun Yuanwu and Tianyin Xiuxiu. Their words, phrases, and skillful means solely point directly upward, straight to the human mind. This accords with the essential meaning brought from the West and attains the true lineage of Caoxi.
Upon seeing within Miyun's record the refutation of the erroneous words of his disciple Fazang, and the words of Fazang cited therein, We were appalled by his complete delusion about inherent nature and his ignorant, false speech. Not only did he not know the essential purpose of the Buddha-Dharma, he had not even glimpsed the awakening of his own teacher. He recklessly gave vent to his wild fancies, deceiving the world and confusing people. This is truly the knowledge and view of external demons. Therefore, his teacher refuted him again and again, and Tianyin Xiuxiu also composed a "General Discourse Resolving Doubts" to expose his errors.
Yet at that time, the demonic mind did not cease. His writings should have been destroyed immediately, not circulated. For example, the demonic successor Hongren, poisoned by his views, further produced a book called *The Rescue of the Five Schools*, which was circulated together, hoping to make the demonic teachings immortal and create endless demonic karma. In the world and for later generations, those with clear vision are few. Not knowing the harm, even if some knew and refuted it, having virtue but no position, the words of a single person lacked evidence and were not believed. This would cause those seeking the ultimate in Chan to harbor doubts and not know where to turn. Those infected by his teachings would think this is what Chan is. First, they would give rise to wrong faith; next, they would possess wrong views. With the arising of wrong faith, correct faith is cut off. With the possession of wrong views, correct views are extinguished. This would inevitably lead to the demonic seed being everywhere, with everyone inheriting the demonic talk. Their own inherent nature-school would not be clear, while the verbal branches and vines would run wild.
Now his demonic sons and grandsons go so far as to not sit in meditation, not hold retreats, even to drinking alcohol, eating meat, destroying precepts, and breaking rules. They only engage in composing poetry and essays, flattering and pleasing scholar-officials, employing the same tricks as courtesans and entertainers. How could this not defile the ancestral monasteries? If they are not cut off and removed, it concerns the Dharma-eye of all Buddhas and the wisdom-life of sentient beings—no small matter.
We, as the ruler of the world, hold to the essence of the Mean to cultivate ourselves, regulate our families, govern the state, and bring peace to the world. We stand outside the situation and are not someone who opens a hall and expounds the Dharma. What connection do We have with Yuanwu and Xiuxiu? Or with Fazang and Hongren? However, having deeply understood the essential purpose of Chan and clearly seen the situation of demons and external paths, We acutely perceive the magnitude of the present demonic karma and foresee the depth of the future demonic calamity. We truly have no choice but to speak and cannot bear not to speak.
Now, Chan is the special transmission outside the teachings. It can be wordless; it can have words. An ancient worthy said: "Exhausting all metaphysical discussions is like placing a single hair in the vast sky; using up all the world's pivotal mechanisms is like dropping a single drop into a great ocean." Words spoken like this flow naturally from inherent nature. Like the Three Baskets and twelve divisions of scripture, and the seventeen hundred public cases—which one does not flow naturally from inherent nature? Never has there been a single substantial dharma to bind humans and devas.
Now, the demon Fazang established a single circle (○) as the ancestor of the thousand Buddhas and ten thousand Buddhas, taking the threads of the kasaya robe as what the essential purpose is tied to. He spoke of having four dharmas, having a double head, having a minor dharma and a major dharma, and a major dharma of the major dharma, calling these the subtle, secret tenets of the school, claiming transmission and bestowal. And the demonic successor Hongren, citing the case of Samgha-nandi meeting a child holding a mirror and walking straight forward as proof there has always been a form that could be shown, used it to validate his demonic teacher's circle-form as not being contradictory. He also used the incident of the kasaya being wrapped around in front of the Many-Children Stupa as clear evidence that the kasaya is what the essential purpose is tied to. He also interpreted Linji's striking of KeFu and Puhua as the symbolic image of Huangbo's three beatings. Countless such instances of creating substantial dharmas, all stemming from intellectual understanding and forced interpretations, losing their own mind. Huangbo said: "People nowadays only want much knowledge and much understanding, which instead becomes an obstruction. They only know to give children much curd to eat, not knowing whether they can digest it or not. Practitioners of the Three Vehicles are all like this; they are all called those who eat but cannot digest. Therefore, knowledge and understanding that are not digested are all poison. They are all sought within birth and extinction. Within true suchness, there is none of this." Those who eat but cannot digest are many, but the demon Fazang and his son are those already satiated with poison.
The Buddha-Dharma is non-dual. How can one rigidly fix upon three or four, and furthermore have a secret transmission of a three-or-four essential purpose? They extensively quote ancient worthy's sayings that seem similar to serve as their annotations, then use these to compare and critique the orthodox tradition of not establishing verbal explanations and solely pointing directly upward. They spit at the clouds facing upward, only to dirty their own faces. Zhaozhou said: "Here, this old monk uses fundamental matters to receive people. If you tell this old monk to receive people according to their capacities, there are already the Three Baskets and twelve divisions of scripture to receive them. To speak of having no characteristics of discrimination between right and wrong is already not fundamental. How much more so to clearly produce characteristics of discrimination between right and wrong?"
The World-Honored One's forty-nine years of speaking, the ancient awls' seventeen hundred public cases—all are just language and written words. If one does not recognize this, even if one imitates them character for character, phrase for phrase, it becomes demonic talk, it becomes slandering the Buddha. Even if one can remember the Three Baskets and twelve divisions spoken by the Buddhas and Patriarchs, and the seventeen hundred public cases, without a single character or phrase wrong, it is precisely adding more mud to the sea of light. Moreover, once one falls into verbal explanations, it is the same as the teaching's characteristics. Since it is the same as the teaching's characteristics, the Three Baskets and twelve divisions are already present. Why then establish the purpose of the special transmission outside the teachings? However one explains it sideways or straight, can it go beyond the Three Baskets and twelve divisions? The sage has many abilities; the Buddha has many spiritual powers. Abilities are not the sage's root; spiritual powers are also not the Buddha's essence. Did Confucius know the Sanskrit of the West? Could the Tathagata speak the Tang language of China? Abilities and spiritual powers each have their limits. What connection do they have with *this*? How much more so with mere literary skill? The demon Fazang and his son actually mocked Miyun for being illiterate, implying he was not as learned as they. If one wants to discuss principles and literature, there are already scholars for that. What use are lineage followers? Being literate or illiterate—what connection does that have with *this*? Being thoroughly versed in classics and histories is like cutting colored silk to add artificial flowers to a tree. Being utterly illiterate is also like cooking rice without borrowing a neighbor's fire and water. For the demon Fazang and his son, their great root illness lies precisely in recognizing characters but not recognizing *this*.
If a Mongol comes now, receive the Mongol. If a Russian comes, receive the Russian. If people from Siam, Sulu, Ryukyu, or Japan come, receive those from Siam, Sulu, Ryukyu, or Japan. If one must wait until they recognize written characters before receiving them, then the Buddha-Dharma could not cover heaven and earth.
The demon Fazang's perverse, external knowledge and view, thinking themselves that every word is based on antiquity, every character derives from the scriptures—how could they know that even if one exhausts the Three Baskets and twelve divisions, even the Thirteen Classics, Twenty-One Histories, the various schools and hundred philosophers, all the writings stored in the world's four libraries, and strings them all together, matching them perfectly, smoothing all edges and seams, claiming even a Buddha coming could not open his mouth—this is precisely what the Buddha appearing in the world also could not save. Ananda served as attendant for thirty years, solely because of his much learning and wisdom, the Buddha admonished him: "You learning wisdom for a thousand days is not equal to one day learning the Way. If you do not learn the Way, a single drop of water is hard to digest." How much more so for demon Fazang with his perverse, external knowledge and view, rashly touching upon the Buddhas' and Patriarchs' matter of pointing directly upward? How could he even have a share worthy of admonishment? He only deceives those who have eyes but no pupils. Before those with clear eyes, the demonic form reveals itself.
Zhaozhou said: "Knowledgeable ones nowadays produce branches and vines upon branches and vines. All are greatly distant from the sages. Each generation is worse than the last. Just as Nanquan ordinarily said, 'One must practice among different species'—how would you understand that? Nowadays, babes at the breast, at crossroads in the streets, speak tangled vines, seeking alms-food, looking for bows, gathering three to five hundred people, saying 'I am a good knowledgeable one, you are a learner.'" One can know that the demonic form of Fazang and his son was already judged by Zhaozhou several hundred years ago. There is no need to see it with one's own eyes to know.
Yuanwu and Xiuxiu both used Linji's single shout and strike to point to people. The demon Fazang condemned this as "one-stump Chan," a hiding-place rut. If we discuss this matter, regardless of wondrous words and phrases, none are of any use. Even a single shout or strike is also an extraneous dharma. The ancients used shouts and strikes out of necessity, originally to cut off emotional views and point directly to the human mind. If demon Fazang uses emotional views to interpret them, the error is extreme. Did not the ancients say: "A single shout or strike is not used as a single shout or strike." When did they ever cling to this one shout or one strike? The demonic intention only wanted to reject shouts and strikes, hoping to promote the circle-form they falsely established, and the substantial dharmas of the double head and four dharmas, to seek novelty and victory. Little did they know this greatly violates the purpose of the special transmission outside the teachings, which has no dharma to transmit.
Moreover, Yuanwu and Xiuxiu never said a single strike is the ancestor of the thousand Buddhas and ten thousand Buddhas. Yet the demon Fazang falsely fabricated a circle-form as the ancestor of the thousand Buddhas and ten thousand Buddhas. Is this alone not a hiding-place rut? If one uses the circle-form as a shout or strike, it is still a hiding-place rut. If one takes the circle-form as the ancestor of the thousand Buddhas and ten thousand Buddhas, it is straightaway a demon's den.
National Teacher Zhong presented ninety-seven circle-forms to Danyuan; Danyuan showed them to Guiyang. The demon Fazang fabricated, calling them the "wordless secret seal before Dipankara." At that time, Danyuan showed them to Yangshan. Yangshan saw them once and immediately burned them. Later, Danyuan asked Yangshan; Yangshan then compiled another copy and presented it to Danyuan, with nothing missing. Also, Guishan raised a circle-form, inside making a sun-character. Yangshan drew a circle-form on the ground, inside making a sun-character, and wiped it out with his foot. Guishan laughed heartily. The demon Fazang only marveled at Yangshan being able to remember after one glance, considering it miraculous, but did not apprehend at the place of Guishan's great laughter, or Yangshan burning them and wiping with his foot. This is so-called "Han Lu chasing a clod." If one says the ninety-seven circle-forms are extraordinary, We now will make eighty-four thousand circle-forms, then reduce them to eight thousand three hundred ninety-seven, then to seven hundred ninety-one, then to ninety-five, then to nine, then to one circle-form. It is precisely like counting sands upon entering the ocean, also a mere plaything in the Flower Storehouse. What is extraordinary about it?
As for the Three Mysteries and Three Essentials, since Linji proclaimed them, ancient and modern lineage masters have all brought them up, yet none could clearly point them out. The demon Fazang then clung to Huangbo's three beatings to force a connection, fabricating and arranging arbitrarily. This is completely not knowing the Three Mysteries and Three Essentials. Did not Linji say: "Generally, when expounding the lineage teaching, a single phrase must possess the Three Mysteries gate. Within a single Mystery, three essentials must be possessed." He first mentions "expounding." Expounding cannot be without phrases. Phrases must recognize the Mysteries and Essentials to become living phrases. However, with one Mystery, the three essentials are already possessed. With three Mysteries, the nine essentials are fully possessed. Thus, the Mysteries establish the Essentials; the Essentials penetrate the Mysteries. Without the nine essentials, one cannot penetrate the three Mysteries. Attaining the nine essentials, the three Mysteries are then complete. Not divided yet divided; divided yet not divided. Therefore, the method of Mysteries and Essentials includes all dharmas. For example, "a single shout or strike is not used as a single shout or strike"—this is obvious. Also, the method of the Four Discernments is like the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, winter. Although the cold scenes change, they never go beyond this one year. This one year is the shout and strike. Caodong's Five Ranks are also like the mutual possession of the five elements, not going beyond this single energy. This single energy is the shout and strike. As for Fushan's Nine Belts, We say a single phrase must possess the Nine Belts, and within the Nine Belts, fifty-five bundles must be possessed. Also, like Fen Yang's Ten Wisdoms Sharing in Truth, We say a single phrase must possess the Ten Wisdoms Sharing in Truth, and within a single sharing in truth, fifty-five realities must be possessed. How is this different from the purpose of Mysteries and Essentials? Piling them up and expanding them is difficult to enumerate fully. In short, successive lineage masters, although changing their appearance to guide people, never depart from the World-Honored One holding up the flower and Linji's shout and strike. Departing from this is demonic talk.
Moreover, this shout and strike can possess all dharmas and can dissolve all dharmas. Does this shout and strike have a fixed form? How can a single shout or strike be used as a single shout or strike? The demon Fazang, not recognizing this, calls it "one-stump Chan." If we speak of Chan, even one stump is already an excessive setup. The demon Fazang is still not satisfied. We do not know how many stumps are needed to satisfy his demonic intention. The three beatings and the three days of deafness—could they have separate meanings? What connection do they have?
Furthermore, the demon Fazang, in his preface to the *Record of the Five Schools*, used a stupa as a metaphor: taking the nine levels as the five-period teaching doctrines; taking the pinnacle as Tathagata Chan; taking a thousand-foot sandalwood breaking through the pinnacle from emptiness as Patriarch Chan; taking the five lights and three samadhis as the five family schools. He also boasted of his words as adding a handful of sand atop the stupa—all kinds of demonic talk.
All teaching characteristics belong to traps and snares. Tilling soil to plant melons—when the melon ripens, it is not the soil. Gold comes from ore—is the ore then the gold? To say the levels of the teaching end, and their pinnacle is Tathagata Chan, is straightaway like talking in one's sleep. Moreover, the great meaning from the West is precisely the Tathagata's Nirvana wondrous mind. The five families dividing into schools—their true aim returns to the source. How can one divide Buddha and Patriarch, and further divide five families? Even between the Two Vehicles and the Great Vehicle, it is like skin, flesh, bones, marrow—the layers are distinct yet cannot be split apart. How much more so for the matter of solely pointing directly upward? What connection do the five lights and five schools have? Greatly resembling Han Dynasty pedantic Confucians who said the twenty-eight chapters of the *Book of Documents* correspond to the twenty-eight generals of the Cloud Terrace. The demonic intention only wanted to promote the Five Schools as surpassing Buddha and Patriarch, and adding a handful of sand atop already surpasses the Five Schools. This is what the Tathagata called "accomplishing great false speech."
Also, the demon Fazang pointed to Caoxi's "Originally not a single thing exists" as falling into the emptiness-annihilation external path. And Hongren clung to the phrase "Huangmei also had not seen nature," dead at the words. Now, considering only the phrase "originally not a single thing exists," it indeed seems like a self-liberating view. But the following line says, "Where could dust alight?" This can also be said to surpass all merit and directly reach the upward matter. The phrase "Huangmei also had not seen nature," being dead at the words—we need not discuss it for now. If one says it was to cover people's eyes and ears, that is also not so. Would Huangmei be willing to mislead sentient beings? And the reply "The rice is white, no sieve needed"—would Caoxi engage in worldly polite deference? Yuanwu and Xiuxiu's judgment, although somewhat vague, and Fazang and Hongren's direct condemnation as "emptiness-annihilation external path," appear even more unbearable. It is evident they have not even achieved self-liberation, solely engaging in conditioned substantial dharmas, perverse knowledge and perverse views.
Hongren also condemned Miyun's "Sentient and insentient, vividly and suddenly appear" as "women's quarters stuff," citing Yunmen's "Directly attaining the great earth without the slightest fault" as a turning phrase, and "Not seeing a single color" as a half-lift, saying "You must know there is also a time of the full-lift" as proof. Little did he know that Miyun's single strike going all the way down is precisely everywhere the full-lift, all due to the power of "sentient and insentient, vividly and suddenly appear." Since he had not reached Miyun's awakening, he dragged in Yunmen's sayings
雍正十一年四月初八日
On the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, in the eleventh year of the Yongzheng reign.