---
title: "湛然圓澄禪師語錄 · 玄沙備禪師語錄序"
description: "湛然圆澄禅师语录由明代禅宗高僧湛然圆澄所述，其门人明凡记录，丁元公与祁骏佳编撰。该书成书于明末佛教复兴时期，收录圆澄禅师的开示、法语、公案及书信，集中体现其禅学思想与修行指导，倡导直指人心、见性成佛的曹洞宗风。作为明代禅宗重要文献，该语录不仅传承了临济与曹洞宗的精髓，对后世禅修者具有深远影响，是研究明清佛教禅宗思想与实践的重要典籍。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmcxr5xst00lli9047voqt39e"
---

### 玄沙備禪師語錄序

> Preface to the Record of Master Xuansha Bei

聞夫不落階級。囑云好去尋思。洞貫金剛。不意中途折擔。布單纔展。乃云。不敢自欺。凡聖削除。方向𮌎中流出。磕著足指處。頓悟苦樂無生。當場盤詰時。報道非干西土自知宗乘有據。血脈相傳。所謂黃河水從源頭上濁來也。近來多見諸方唱導者。師法無憑。談禪者出世無准。自稱悟道。妄意為人。詰其來源。無可指的。豈能如玄沙大師。遠傳鷲嶺。近接曹溪。為石頭之親孫。作雪峰之真子。心印列祖。教貫楞嚴。對境無心。遇虎恰似家猫。現前大用。斷蛇猶如握土。故諸碩德。多就決疑。余生末世。恨不能面稟嘉猷。法道澆漓。無繇見其全錄。昔年入閩特訪故踪。牌坊如昔。石圈尚存。奈大殿墾作山田。僧房改為民舍。捫心無地欲住焉能。茲得林居士萬容。聿興此志。重建寶坊。偶得全錄。如獲衣珠。念此將來。即已付梓。專人走越。乞余題辭。自惟膚學。何敢與大方闘巧。博地凡愚。未能與聖賢接語。少伸大槩。用慰遠來。其玄風妙旨。盡在錄中。若能入目便知。昔人如在。其或循文背義。覿面猶迷。雖得之在我。何關文字。然悟必繇緣。少他不可。凡具通方眼者。諒必不以文字為病爾。

> I have heard of one who did not settle for any rank or station. He was told, "Go well, and ponder this." He pierced through the \*Diamond Sutra\*, yet unexpectedly lost his burden midway. No sooner had he spread his sitting cloth than he declared, "I dare not deceive myself." Only after eliminating all distinction between ordinary and sacred did the truth flow from his own heart. When he stubbed his toe, suddenly he awakened that suffering and joy are unborn. When questioned on the spot, he replied, "It has nothing to do with the West." He himself knew that the ancestral teaching had a foundation, that the bloodline was passed down. As the saying goes, "The Yellow River has been muddy from its very source." In recent times, I have seen many who claim to teach everywhere—yet their method lacks any basis, and those who speak of Chan have no standard for leaving the world. They call themselves enlightened and presumptuously try to guide others, but when asked for their source, they can point to nothing. How could they compare with Great Master Xuan Sha, who received the distant transmission from Vulture Peak and the close connection from Cao Creek, who was the direct grandson of Shitou and the true son of Xue Feng? He held the mind-seal of the ancestral patriarchs, his teaching penetrated the \*Shurangama Sutra\*. Facing circumstances, his mind was as undisturbed as meeting a tiger—he saw it as just a home cat. In the midst of immediate great function, cutting off a snake was like squeezing mud. Thus many great worthies went to him to resolve their doubts. Born in this degenerate age, I regret I could not receive his excellent counsel face to face. The Dharma path has become thin and corrupted; there is no way to see his complete record. In the past I went to Fujian to search for traces of his old site. The memorial archway remained as before, the stone enclosure still existed. But the main hall had been turned into a mountain field, and the monks' quarters had become civilian homes. Having no place to rest my heart, how could I stay? Now, I have obtained the layman Lin Wanrong, who revived this aspiration to rebuild the precious monastery. By chance, the complete record was found, and receiving it was like obtaining a robe and a pearl. Thinking of its future, I have already had it carved into blocks. A special envoy came from Yue to ask me to write a preface. Considering my own shallow learning, how dare I compete in cleverness with great masters? I am but an ordinary fool on this earth, unable even to converse with sages and worthies. I merely say a few words in general to comfort one who has come from far away. The sublime style and wonderful meaning are all within the record. If you can look into it and understand, it will be as if the people of old are right before you. If, however, you follow the words but turn your back on the meaning, you will be lost even when face to face. Though attainment is within oneself and has nothing to do with words, still awakening depends on causes—and you cannot lack this. All those who possess the eye that sees through to the ultimate principle will surely understand that we should not be hindered by words and letters.