第三則 藥山坐次(禪定)
Case 3: Yaoshan Sitting in Meditation
示眾云。行住坐臥無非妙用神通。語默離微總是法門佛事。直饒向空劫前承當。剗地索道未在未在。到這裏還許開口麼。
The master addressed the assembly, saying:
"Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—all are wondrous functions and spiritual powers. Speaking and silence, subtle and profound—all are Dharma gates and Buddha's work.
Even if you grasp it from before the empty eon, you still haven't found the Way. At this point, are you even allowed to open your mouth?"
舉藥山惟儼禪師一日在石上坐次(脚力困時歇)。石頭和尚見乃問云。在這裏作甚麼(老不歇心)。山云一物不為(引惹詞訟)。頭云恁麼則閑坐也(克己復禮)。頭云。汝道不為。不為箇甚麼(要識真金火裏看)。山云千聖亦不識(許汝眼明)。石頭因以偈贊曰。從來共住不知名(却最親切)。任運相將祇麼行(好客無疎伴)。自古上賢猶不識(懶兒攀伴)。造次凡流豈可明(勿謂秦無人)。
One day, Chan Master Yaoshan Weiyan was sitting on a rock. Master Shitou saw him and asked, “What are you doing here?” Yaoshan said, “I’m not doing anything.” Shitou said, “Then you’re just sitting idly.” Yaoshan said, “If I were just sitting idly, that would be doing something.” Shitou said, “You say you’re not doing anything—what is this ‘not doing’?” Yaoshan said, “Even a thousand sages wouldn’t know.” Shitou then praised him with a verse: All along we’ve lived together, yet never known the name— Just going along freely, as things naturally are. Even the wisest sages of old failed to recognize it— How could ordinary people in haste ever understand?
師云。澧州藥山惟儼禪師。絳州韓氏子。年十七依潮陽西山慧照禪師出家。納戒于衡嶽希操律師。愽通經論。嚴持戒律。一日自歎曰。大丈夫當離法自淨。誰能屑屑事細行於布巾邪。首造石頭之室。便問三乘十二分教某甲粗知。甞聞南方直指人心見性成佛。實未明了。伏望和尚慈悲指示。頭曰。恁麼也不得。不恁麼也不得。恁麼不恁麼總不得。子作麼生。師罔措。頭曰。子因緣不在此。且往馬大師處去。師稟命恭禮馬祖仍伸前問。祖曰。我有時教伊揚眉瞬目。有時不教伊揚眉瞬目。有時揚眉瞬目者是。有時揚眉瞬目者不是。子作麼生。師於言下契悟。便禮拜。祖曰你見甚麼道理便禮拜。師曰某在石頭處如蚊子上鐵牛。祖曰。汝既如是。善自護持。侍奉三年。一日祖問。子近日見處作麼生。師曰皮膚脫落盡破有一真實。祖曰。子之所得。可謂恊於心體。布於四肢。既然如是。將三條篾束取肚皮住山去。師曰某甲又是何人敢言住山。祖曰。不然。未有常行而不住。常住而不行。欲益無所益。欲為無所為。宜作舟航。無住於此。師乃辭祖却返石頭。一日在石上坐次。石頭問曰在這裏作甚麼。林泉道。有甚不知。有甚不見。何必重重曲垂方便。山云。一物不為。已是堆山積嶽。塞壑填溝。頭曰恁麼閑坐也。再三撈摝盡力提携。山云若閑坐即為也。靈利衲僧一撥便轉。頭曰。汝道不為。不為箇甚麼。端的為人為徹。殺人見血。山云千聖亦不識。到此之際任誰索。許具金剛眼。怎不教石頭滿口贊伊道。從來共住不知名。任運相將只麼行。想這沒面孔漢不近人情。自古上賢猶不識。造次凡流豈可明。據此父子緣熟師資道契。折麼是誰看他不破。還知丹霞冷眼傍觀處麼。頌曰。
The Master said: Chan Master Weiyan of Yaoshan in Lizhou was a native of Jiangzhou, surnamed Han. At seventeen, he left home under Chan Master Huizhao of Xishan in Chaoyang. He received full ordination from Vinaya Master Xicao of Hengyue. He was well-versed in the sutras and treatises and strictly upheld the precepts.
One day, he sighed to himself: "A true man should purify himself beyond the Dharma. Who would bother with trivial conduct in a cloth towel?" He first visited the room of Shitou and asked: "I have a rough understanding of the Three Vehicles and the twelve divisions of the teachings. I have heard that in the south, there is direct pointing to the human mind, seeing one's nature and becoming a Buddha. I truly do not understand this clearly. I humbly hope the Venerable will compassionately point it out."
Shitou said: "Like this is not it; not like this is not it; like this and not like this—all are not it. What will you do?"
The Master was at a loss.
Shitou said: "Your karmic connection is not here. Go to Great Master Ma instead."
The Master received the instruction, respectfully paid homage to Mazu, and repeated his previous question.
Mazu said: "Sometimes I teach him to raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes; sometimes I do not teach him to raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes. Sometimes raising the eyebrows and blinking the eyes is it; sometimes raising the eyebrows and blinking the eyes is not it. What will you do?"
Upon hearing these words, the Master had a sudden realization and immediately bowed.
Mazu asked: "What principle have you seen that you bow?"
The Master replied: "When I was at Shitou's place, it was like a mosquito on an iron ox."
Mazu said: "Since it is so for you, take good care of it yourself."
He served for three years. One day, Mazu asked: "How is your understanding these days?"
The Master said: "When the skin is completely shed, only one true reality remains."
Mazu said: "What you have attained can be said to harmonize with the essence of mind and spread through the four limbs. Since it is so, take three bamboo strips, tie up your belly, and go dwell in the mountains."
The Master said: "What kind of person am I, that I dare speak of dwelling in the mountains?"
Mazu said: "Not so. There has never been constant practice without abiding, nor constant abiding without practice. If you seek benefit, there is nothing to benefit; if you seek action, there is nothing to act upon. It is fitting to be a boat or a raft, yet not to dwell here."
The Master then bid farewell to Mazu and returned to Shitou.
One day, while sitting on a rock, Shitou asked: "What are you doing here?"
Lin Quan said: "What is there not to know? What is there not to see? Why bother repeatedly bending to provide expedient means?"
Yaoshan said: "Doing nothing is already piling up mountains and filling valleys and gorges."
Shitou said: "So, just sitting idly like this?"
Again and again, he dredged and lifted with all his might.
Yaoshan said: "If it's idle sitting, then that is doing."
A sharp monk turns with one flick.
Shitou said: "You say 'doing nothing'—what is it that is not done? Truly, helping others thoroughly is like killing a person and seeing blood."
Yaoshan said: "Even a thousand sages do not recognize it. At this point, whoever seeks it—grant them the diamond eye."
How could this not make Shitou praise him wholeheartedly, saying: "We have always lived together without knowing the name, just going along with things as they are. Imagine this faceless fellow, so contrary to human feelings—since ancient times, even the highest sages have not recognized it; how could ordinary people in haste understand?"
According to this, the bond between father and son was ripe, the way of teacher and disciple in harmony. So, who was it that could not see through him? Do you still know where Danxia watched coldly from the sidelines?
Verse:
From the beginning, living together without knowing the name, Going along with things as they are, just like this. Imagine this faceless fellow, so contrary to human feelings— Since ancient times, even the highest sages have not recognized it; How could ordinary people in haste understand?
玄微及盡本翛然(果有這箇在)。若為渠閑萬八千(當機不讓)。月印澄江魚不見(可惜蹉過)。釣人何必更拋筌(枉勞心力)。
The profound and subtle, reaching the source, is utterly serene.(There is indeed this reality.) How can one speak of eighteen thousand?(When the moment arises, do not hesitate.) The moon reflects on the clear river, yet the fish remains unseen.(What a pity to miss it.) Why must the angler cast his net again?(In vain, exhausting effort.)
師云。了了了時無可了。玄玄玄處亦須呵。秦䟦陀禪師問生法師講何經論。云大般若經。師曰作麼生說色空義。云眾微聚。曰色眾微無自性曰空。師曰眾微未聚時作甚麼。生罔措。師又問別講何經論。云大涅盤經。師曰如何說涅盤之義。云。涅而不生。盤而不滅。不生不滅故曰涅盤。師曰這箇是如來涅盤。那箇是法師涅盤。云。涅盤之義豈有二耶。某甲只如此。未審禪師如何說涅盤。師拈起如意曰還見麼。云見。師曰見箇甚麼。云見禪師手中如意。師將如意擲于地曰見麼。云見。曰見箇甚麼。云見禪師手中如意墮地。師斥曰。觀公見解。未出常流。何得名喧宇宙。拂袖而去。其徒懷疑不已。乃追師扣問。我師說色空涅盤不契。未審禪師如何說色空義。曰不道汝師說得不是。汝師只說得果上色空。不會說得因中色空。其徒云。如何是因中色空。曰。一微空故眾微空。眾微空故一微空。一微空中無眾微。眾微空中無一微。林泉道。直饒及盡今時。未免狼藉徧地。雖本倐然。坐著即不可。此豈非相隔萬八千也。月印澄江魚全不見。釣人何必更欲拋筌。還知此意麼。非智可知難可測。龍睛天眼覷無門。
The Master said: "When you fully comprehend, there’s nothing left to comprehend. Even the most profound mystery must be let go of."
Chan Master Qin Batuo asked Dharma Master Sheng: "What sutra or treatise are you lecturing on?" The Dharma Master replied: "The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra." The Master asked: "How do you explain the meaning of form and emptiness?" The Dharma Master answered: "Form is the collection of minute particles; emptiness means those particles have no independent nature." The Master asked: "Before the particles were collected, what existed?" The Dharma Master was at a loss.
The Master then asked: "What other sutra or treatise do you lecture on?" The Dharma Master replied: "The Great Nirvana Sutra." The Master asked: "How do you explain the meaning of nirvana?" The Dharma Master answered: "Nirvana means not arising, and not ceasing. Because there is neither arising nor ceasing, it is called nirvana." The Master said: "That is the Tathagata’s nirvana. What is your nirvana?" The Dharma Master asked: "How could there be two meanings of nirvana? This is how I understand it. I don’t know how you would explain nirvana, Chan Master."
The Master picked up his *ruyi* (scepter) and asked: "Do you see this?" The Dharma Master said: "I see it." The Master asked: "What do you see?" The Dharma Master said: "I see the Chan Master’s *ruyi*." The Master threw the *ruyi* to the ground and asked: "Do you see it?" The Dharma Master said: "I see it." The Master asked: "What do you see?" The Dharma Master said: "I see the Chan Master’s *ruyi* fallen to the ground."
The Master rebuked him: "Your understanding does not go beyond ordinary people. How can you be so famous throughout the world?" Then he flicked his sleeves and left.
The Dharma Master’s disciples were deeply perplexed. They chased after the Master to ask: "Our teacher failed to meet your standard when speaking about form-emptiness and nirvana. We don’t understand how you explain these teachings."
The Master said: "I’m not saying your teacher is wrong. He only spoke about form-emptiness in terms of the *result*—not the *cause*. He didn’t understand form-emptiness in the *cause*."
The disciple asked: "What is form-emptiness in the cause?"
The Master replied: "Because one particle is empty, all particles are empty. Because all particles are empty, one particle is empty. In the emptiness of one particle, there are no other particles. In the emptiness of all particles, there is no single particle."
Lin Quan said: Even if you reach the full limit of this moment, you’ll still leave a mess everywhere. Though it’s naturally clear from the start, once you grasp at it, you’re stuck. Isn’t this far, far away—like ten thousand miles apart? The moon shines on the clear pond, but the fish are completely unseen. Why would a fisherman still want to cast his trap? Do you understand this meaning? It cannot be known by intellect—it’s hard to fathom. Even a dragon’s eye or a celestial gaze finds no gate.