離塵精進門
Gate of Renouncing Worldly Dust and Vigorous Practice
緣智徹二十六歲。受戒持齋專心念佛。至三十一歲。離火宅為僧參禪請益。師雲峯和尚令參萬法歸一一歸何處。遂與光兄結伴。迤𨓦至于蘷府何堂主庵。所居幽隱就便作住。自於聖像之前然香設誓。立行三年死限誓云。我若懶墮欲求坐臥取安身粘床橙。陷入無間地獄永無出期。自此晝夜徐行周而復始。除二時粥飯方坐。其餘茶湯之類亦不駐足。道友施主相訪。亦不陪侍。言語省減單只舉箇萬法歸一一歸何處。只向這一字上切切用疑。有時得力如青天白日無一點雲翳相似。但覺一字疑情於心中活潑潑地。如珠走盤縱橫無礙。到此不知有身在地上行。亦不知有世間之事動靜寒溫。折旋俯仰大小便利。都無計較分別之心。只隨此疑信步而行。喫粥喫飯信手拈匙放筯。又不知飯食中辛酸醎淡之味。到此方知是淨念相繼。制之一處的工夫也。余舉此一事。或有未做工夫之人疑而不信者。謾說二小喻。譬如世有勇士。發一奮怒入百萬軍中奪其帥者。彼欲得勝收功不顧危亡。一忿直前更無退志。其意與學道人亦然也。又如吾輩欲求無上妙道用報四重深恩。借父母之遺體。或然一香一指一臂。發一念精進之心痛苦皆亡。何故蓋無第二念。纔知痛苦即落第二念也。說此二喻只要學人深信此事不得狐疑。工夫做到方有相應。以此主張做工夫得力底樣子也。
Yuan Zhiche, at the age of twenty-six, received the precepts, maintained a vegetarian diet, and focused single-mindedly on reciting the Buddha's name. At thirty-one, he left his household life to become a monk, and began to practice Chan meditation, seeking instruction from others. He studied under Master Yunfeng, who instructed him to investigate the koan: "The ten thousand things return to the One; where does the One return to?" He then teamed up with his fellow practitioner, Brother Guang, and they made their way to He Tangzhu's hermitage in Kuifu. The place was remote and secluded, so they settled there. Before a sacred image, he lit incense and made a vow: "I will practice for a period of three years, even to the point of death." He swore: "If I become lazy and seek to rest or sleep, or let my body cling to the bed or bench, may I fall into the Avīci Hell, never to escape."
From that point on, he walked slowly day and night, back and forth, without ceasing. He would only sit down for the two daily meals of rice porridge; for tea or other refreshments, he would not even stop. When fellow practitioners or benefactors came to visit, he would not entertain them. He reduced his speech to a bare minimum, simply holding onto the koan: "The ten thousand things return to the One; where does the One return to?" He directed all his doubt and questioning toward this single word "One." At times, his practice bore fruit, and his mind became like a clear blue sky without a single cloud. He would feel as if the doubt about that one word was alive and flowing within him, like a pearl rolling on a plate, moving freely in all directions without obstruction. At such moments, he was no longer aware of his body walking on the ground, nor of worldly affairs, nor of movement, stillness, heat, or cold. When turning around, bending down, or attending to bodily functions, he had no discriminating thoughts. He simply followed this doubt, walking step by step. When eating congee or rice, his hand would naturally pick up the spoon or put down the chopsticks, and he would no longer notice the taste of the food—whether sour, spicy, salty, or bland. Only then did he realize that this was the state of continuous pure mindfulness, the practice of "holding the mind in one place."
Now, there may be some who have not yet engaged in this practice who will doubt this story and not believe it. Let me offer two small analogies. Imagine a fearless warrior who, in a fit of rage, charges into an army of a million men to seize their commander. He is determined to win and achieve his goal, caring nothing for his own safety. He charges forward with single-minded resolve, without any thought of retreat. The same is true for those who practice the Way. Or again, imagine someone who, seeking the supreme and wonderful truth in order to repay the four great debts of kindness, uses the body inherited from his parents to make an offering—perhaps burning a stick of incense, a finger, or an arm—with a single thought of diligent effort. All feelings of pain disappear. Why is this? Because there is no second thought. The moment you become aware of pain, you have already fallen into a second thought.
These two analogies are given so that practitioners will deeply believe in this matter and not harbor doubt. Only when the practice is carried through to completion will you reach the corresponding realization. This is a model of what it means to put effort into practice.