No. 1294-A敘溈山警策
Exhortation of Guishan
夫人之墮地也。固若是芒乎。固亦有不芒者乎。無明以致生。貪欲以致老。瞋恚以致病。愚癡以致死。受其委形。無忘待盡。出而為僧。無違所以。由修照性。由性發修。在性則全修成性。在修則全性成修。然而上根利智。披沙得寶。中下之流。算沙相似。經云。若比丘雖持禁戒。為利養故。與破戒者。用為親附。同其世業。是名雜僧。或在阿蘭若處。瞢𧄼闇鈍。不欲乞食。見非眷屬。不能教詔。名愚癡僧。又云。本性清淨。不為百千億數諸魔之所沮壞。能調如上二部。悉令安住無為勝域。是為護法無上導師。歷覧往古。大溈大圓大師。非其人歟。無論鏡智為宗。應緣為用。名振兩山。道傳千古。即警䇿一文。末尼五色。緇白共利。大小咸收。徧重律儀。篤修玄道。(不肖)屢為敷陳。重因箋釋。欲令大地有情。知世如夢。了法無生。共揚百丈家風。深得寒灰少火。古路斷碑。文生慧𦦨。山前水牯。信步騎歸。雖曰暫時岐路。是謂不芒者也。
When a person is born into this world, is life truly so bewildering? Or is there something that is not bewildering? Ignorance gives rise to birth; craving gives rise to aging; anger gives rise to sickness; delusion gives rise to death. We receive this borrowed body, and without forgetting that it will end, we go forth as monastics, never straying from the purpose. Through practice, we illuminate our true nature; through true nature, practice emerges. In true nature, all practice is perfected into nature; in practice, all nature is perfected into practice. Yet those of superior faculties and sharp wisdom can find gold in the sand, while those of middling or lesser capacity merely count grains of sand and think it similar.
The sutra says: "If a monk, though keeping the precepts, for the sake of personal gain, becomes close to and aligns himself with those who have broken the precepts, sharing in their worldly pursuits—this is called a mixed monk." "Or if one dwells in a remote forest, dull and dim-witted, unwilling to beg for food, unable to teach or guide those who are not his kin—this is called a foolish monk." It also says: "One whose fundamental nature is pure, who cannot be destroyed or obstructed by billions upon billions of demons, and who can guide and settle both of the above two types of monks into the supreme realm of unconditional peace—this is called a supreme teacher who upholds the Dharma."
Looking back through history, is not the great master Dagui Dayuan such a person? Not only did he uphold mirror-like wisdom as his foundation and respond to conditions as his function, with his name resounding across both mountains and his teaching transmitted through the ages—even his single essay "Words of Vigilant Encouragement" is like a five-colored jewel, benefiting both monks and laypeople alike, embracing great and small. He emphasized the importance of precepts and dedicated himself deeply to the mysterious path. Unworthy as I am, I have repeatedly explained it and now add this commentary, hoping that all sentient beings in the great earth may realize that this world is like a dream, and understand that all phenomena are unborn. Together we may carry forward the family style of Baizhang, plumbing the depths of a small flame in cold ashes. The ancient road is severed; wisdom's flame arises from words. The water buffalo before the mountain—I ride it home at a leisurely pace. Though this may be called a temporary fork in the road, it is truly what it means to be un-bewildered.
崇禎歲次甲戌秋中日題於棠溪之淨業樓中
Written in the autumn of the year Jiashen during the Chongzhen reign, at the Pure Karma Tower by Tang Creek.