No. 1318-A
No. 1318-A
達磨西來。道个不立文字。早是立了也。致令千載之下。所至堆山積嶽。堆積既多。覧者厭飫。今此錄者。乃是前眾人厭飫之中。撮出一二。譬若上林春色。在一兩花。豈待爛窺紅紫。然後知韶光之浩蕩也。既知春矣。喚此錄。作立文字也得。不立文字也得。總不干事。戊戌佛成道日。鼓山晦室(師明)序。
When Bodhidharma came from the West, he spoke of "not relying on words." Yet even that statement relied on words. For a thousand years, piles of texts have accumulated like mountains, overwhelming readers. From this abundance, this collection selects a few passages—like picking one or two blossoms from the splendor of spring's royal garden. Do you need to examine every red and purple flower to know the glory of spring? Once you recognize spring, you may call this collection "words" or "no words." Either way, it makes no difference.
Written on the Buddha's Enlightenment Day, 1658, at Drum Mountain's Obscure Chamber(Master Ming).