第二則 石頭曹溪(對機)
Second Case - Shitou and Caoxi(Encounter Dialectic)
示眾云。人無害虎心。虎無傷人意。迴戈倒戟時。計穩能周偹。未委乎誰具斯作略。
A teacher addressed the assembly, saying: "When people have no intention to harm tigers, tigers have no intention to hurt people. When weapons are turned around and laid down, plans are secure and complete. But who truly possesses such strategic insight?"
舉石頭遷禪師問青原云。和尚自離曹溪。甚時到此間(家富兒嬌)。原云我却不知汝甚時離曹溪來(念彼觀音力。還着於本人)。頭云某甲不從曹溪來(赤諱白誺)。原云我已知汝來處了也(明眼人難謾)。頭云。和尚幸是大人。且莫造次(啼哭樣拳猶自可。爛泥隱刺更難甘)。
Master Shitou Qian asked Qingyuan, "Since you left Caoxi, when did you arrive here?" Qingyuan replied, "I don't know when you left Caoxi." Shitou said, "I did not come from Caoxi." Qingyuan said, "Then I already know where you came from." Shitou said, "Venerable, you are a great teacher. Please do not be hasty."
師云。南嶽石頭希遷禪師。初至吉州青原山靜居寺參思禪師。思曰子何方來。遷云曹溪。曰將得甚麼來。云未到曹溪亦不失。曰若恁麼用去曹溪作甚麼。云若不到爭知不失。遷又云曹溪大師還識和尚不。曰汝今識吾不。云識又爭能識得。曰眾角雖多一麟足矣。遷又問。和尚自離曹溪。甚時至此間。曰我却不知汝早晚離曹溪。云希遷不從曹溪來。曰我已知汝來處了也。云和尚幸是大人且莫造次。林泉道。子細看來。雖似叉手罵丈母。其奈見與師齊減師半德。見過於師方堪傳授。此亦父為子隱子為父隱。直在其中之別樣也。非世智辯聦可定奪矣。其實來無所從去無所住。故經云。若有人言如來若來若去若坐若臥。是人不解我所說義。何以故。如來者無所從來亦無所去。故名如來。林泉道。如來禪。祖師禪。休爭眉與鏝。只是一文錢。更看丹霞別傳消息。頌曰。
The Master said: Master Shitou of Nanyue, when he first arrived at Jingju Temple on Mount Qingyuan in Jizhou to pay homage to Master Sican, was asked, “Where have you come from?” Shitou replied, “Caoxi.” “And what have you brought with you?” “Even before I reached Caoxi, I lacked nothing.” “If that’s so, why did you go to Caoxi at all?” “If I hadn’t gone, how would I have known I lacked nothing?”
Shitou then asked, “Does the Great Master of Caoxi know you, Revered One?” “Do you know me now?” “Even if I knew, how could I truly know?” “Though many horns exist, a single unicorn is enough.”
Shitou asked again, “Revered One, after you left Caoxi, when did you arrive here?” “I don’t know—when did you leave Caoxi?” “I never came from Caoxi.” “Then I already know where you’ve come from.” “Revered One, you are a great person—please don’t be flippant.”
Lin Quan commented: Look closely—though it seems like playing dumb, the student’s insight matches the teacher’s, yet falling half a virtue short. Only when understanding surpasses the teacher is transmission complete. This is like a father hiding things for his son and a son hiding things for his father—truth lies within, just in a different form. It cannot be judged by worldly cleverness or sharp argument. In reality, there is no place from which to come, and no place in which to dwell. That is why the sutra says: “If anyone says the Tathagata comes, goes, sits, or lies down, they do not understand my teaching. Why? The Tathagata comes from nowhere and goes nowhere—thus he is called the Tathagata.”
Lin Quan says: Tathagata Zen, Patriarch Zen—stop arguing about eyebrows and ink lines. They’re just a single coin. Now see the transmission of Danxia’s separate message. The verse says:
木人來問青霄路(指空話空)。玉女年尊似不聞(耳邊風過)。携手相將歸故國(同行無疎伴)。暮山岌岌鎻重雲(不教人見轉風流)。
A wooden man comes asking the way to the azure sky, A jade maiden, venerable in years, seems not to hear. Hand in hand, they return together to their homeland, While the evening mountains, towering, lock in layers of clouds.
師云。竺土不傳無字印。祇園剛道寄書來。當此之時。木人問路枉向青霄。誰敢臨岐妄傳消息。故年尊玉女聽風柯而聞似不聞。齒缺泥牛耕月色而見如不見。無中唱出。信手拈來。擊碎疑團。歌殘狂解。所以教離心意識。參出凡聖路。學淺知淺見爭免向舌上鑽研。狹智狹聞寧不於言中採摭。此皆生死根本妄想端倪。古人慈悲太甚。行願弘深。籍有言欲顯無言。假無說要知真說。為垂隻手方便提携。擬使初心殷勤趣向。雖暮山之岌岌五眼難窺。奈秋月之輝輝寸心不昧。鎻重雲漫教緊俏。滯玄關枉使因循。放開一線許商量。不惜雙眉通祕訣。還相委悉麼。妙體本來無處所。通身那更有蹤由。
The Master said: "The Land of Bharata never transmitted the seal of no-words, yet Jetavana merely spoke of sending a letter. At such a time, when the wooden man asks for directions, vainly heading toward the azure sky, who dares at the crossroads to recklessly pass on tidings? Hence, the venerable jade maiden hears the wind through the branches as if not hearing; the toothless mud-ox plows the moonlight yet sees as if not seeing. From nothingness, it is sung forth; picked up in trust, it shatters the lump of doubt and dissolves the wild attachments. Therefore, the teaching is to depart from mind, consciousness, and intellect; to investigate and transcend the paths of ordinary and sage. If learning is shallow and knowledge narrow, how can one avoid drilling and boring on the tongue? If wisdom is limited and understanding confined, how can one refrain from picking and choosing among words? These are all the roots of birth and death, the starting-point of deluded thought. The ancients were too compassionate, their vows and practices deep and vast; they used words to reveal the wordless, and relied on silence to convey the true teaching. They extended a single hand as a skillful means to guide, hoping that beginners would earnestly and diligently turn toward it. Though the setting sun on steep mountains is hard for even the five eyes to see, what can be done? The autumn moon's brilliance cannot be dimmed by the inch-mind. Locked in heavy clouds—how can it be bound tight? Stuck in the mysterious gate—vainly procrastinating. Loosen a single thread to allow discussion; spare not both brows to pass on the secret essential. Do you understand? The wondrous substance originally has no location; the entire body—how could it still have traces or paths?"