如淨禪師語錄序
Foreword to the Record of Master Rujing
五家宗派中。曹洞則機關不露。臨濟則棒喝分明。苟得其由。門戶易入。雖取捨少異作用弗同。要之殊塗一致耳。惟天童淨禪師不流不倚兼而有之。自成一家八面受敵。始以竹篦子久知痛癢。後因一滴水漸至澎衝。斷塹懸崖斬釘截鐵。所謂用法得法外意。得魚忘筌。得兔忘蹄者也。觀其登寶華座。若猛虎踞。擊大灋鼓作獅子吼。直使人天讚仰魔鬼歸降。至於一偈一頌一話一言。呼風吐雲轟雷掣電。千態萬貌不可窮盡。近世尊宿絕無僅有者。凡歷四大寶剎。孤雲野鶴去住自如。皆於是見焉。故勇猛精進者得之。猶入暗室遇大光明見種種色。退縮未諭者畏之。如子弟之對嚴父師。殊不知藥瞑眩而厥疾。瘳終有益矣。師之得力處。出生入死處。固難以形迹求作實法會。然觀水必觀瀾。涉大海從津涯。故舍其言。無以求其奧也。宗上人以師之法語。俾予序其篇首。予則安能。蓋予與師。為鄉國人。為道誼友。且心眼相照。不可無數語以述大概。因卒爾以附于帙尾。若夫發揚盛美。使燈燈相續師之名愈久而愈隆。則有當世之名公鉅儒在。
Among the five schools of Chan, the Caodong tradition conceals its workings, while the Linji tradition makes a clear show of blows and shouts. If you grasp their essential point, the gateway is easy to enter. Although their approaches vary slightly and their methods differ, all ultimately converge on one path.
Only Reverend Jing of Tiantai, however, neither flowed with one current nor leaned to one side, but embodied both schools—forging his own unique style that could withstand enemies from all directions. Beginning with the bamboo stick, he long understood the difference between pain and pleasure; later, through a single drop of water, his understanding gradually swelled to a flood. He cut through chasms and hanging cliffs, decisive and resolute—truly one who, when employing a method, grasped the meaning beyond the method, who "captured the fish and forgot the trap," "caught the rabbit and forgot the snare."
When he ascended the jeweled throne, he was like a fierce tiger crouching. When he beat the great Dharma drum, he roared like a lion, making gods and humans praise in admiration, and demons and spirits submit. As for his single verses, single hymns, single sayings, and single words—they summoned wind and expelled clouds, rumbled thunder and flashed lightning, assuming a thousand forms and ten thousand faces, impossible to fully fathom. Among the venerable masters of recent times, there is none quite like him. Throughout his sojourn at four great monasteries, he came and went freely like a solitary cloud or a wild crane—all of this reveals such a quality.
Thus, those who are brave and diligent gain from encountering him like entering a dark room and encountering great light, seeing all kinds of forms. Those who are timid and unenlightened fear him as a child fears a stern father or teacher, little knowing that the medicine that brings dizziness and confusion cures the disease, and ultimately yields benefits.
Where the Master found his strength—his "coming to life and coming to death"—is truly difficult to grasp through outward traces or take as a fixed teaching. But to view water, you must look at its waves; to cross the great sea, you must start from the banks. So without his words, there is no way to explore his depths.
Now, Senior Jia has brought the Master's Dharma talks and asked me to write a preface for this collection. But how could I presume? The Master and I are from the same country, and are friends in the Way. Moreover, our minds and eyes recognize each other, so I cannot remain silent. Since I am entrusted with this request, I cannot refuse to say a few words to outline the general picture. Thus, I hurriedly wrote this piece to attach to the end of the volume. As for glorifying his great virtue and ensuring that the lamp of transmission is passed on, making the Master’s name more enduring with time—this is the responsibility of the eminent scholars and great Confucians of our age.
紹定二祀歲在己丑桐柏散吏呂瀟 敬書
In the second year of the Shaoding era, during the year of Jizhou, a humble official of Tongbai, Lü Xiao, respectfully inscribed this text.