布水臺集序
天童山翁禪師忞公，以密雲嫡子坐大道場，無舌說法，有聲如雷，施藥樹味，擊塗毒鼓，有寂子小釋迦之目。賈其餘勇作為詩文，如涌身雲、如灌頂水，文人學子用世間智測度，咸以為杼山晝、石門範之流亞。余頃讀其全集，為之心開意解，久之沈吟低回，欷歔煩醒而不能舍然也。
大慧杲禪師有言：「予雖學佛者，然愛君憂國之心與忠義士大夫等。」所謂忠義士大夫者：魏國張公德遠、橫浦張公子韶輩也。當是時，賊檜挾滔天之勢，把持和議，忘北轅之仇、甘左衽之辱。妙喜以壞衣髹髮之人，敢於左袒子韶抗權奸之議而觸冒其鋒刃，故魏國銘之曰：「嗟師何為？拳拳忠孝，欲迪群迷，俾趨正教。」唯其忠誠惻怛之至，根抵種性，槎牙肺腑，雖至於砍臂斬頭，亦將怡然順受，如斷蕅根、如解膠革，於毀衣焚牒乎何有？於乎！〈薦嚴〉之疏，龍髯馬角之深悲也；〈新蒲〉之錄，玉衣石馬之遐思也；〈春葵〉〈玉樹〉之什，空阬崖海之餘恨也。徵諸妙喜，以言乎其道則相符、以言乎其志則相協、以言乎其時世則宋世所謂忠義士大夫迢然不可再見，獨有一禪者孤撐單出，流連涕泗於陸沈滄海之餘，斯尤難矣。於乎！軍國，荊弓也；宗社，鄭璧也；吾君吾父，秦燕楚凡也。天穹廬！地松漠！今之人何其廣大，而禪者如是之隘也。東家食！西家宿！今之人何其圓通，而禪者如是之固也。山河葶藶，世界陶輪；有漏微塵，十方銷殞，今之人何其大覺大悟，而禪者如是之取著也。豈惟禪者哉？琉璃之誅釋種也，世尊樹下拒諫，而阿難愁悶慟哭。開寶之師，東山蘄春肉身為故國而泣血；天寶之亂，荷澤編管殘衲興檀度以濟師。是又何今之人廣大而佛祖之隘，今之人圓通而佛祖之固，今之人大覺大悟而佛祖之取著也？妙喜之言曰：「好善惡邪之志與生俱生。」永嘉謂：「縱使鐵輪頂上旋，定慧圓明終不失。」敢直下自信不疑，吾忞公其幾矣乎！
Zen Master Dahui said: “Though I am a Buddhist practitioner, my love for my sovereign and concern for my country are equal to those of the loyal and righteous scholar-officials.”
By “loyal and righteous scholar-officials,” he meant men like Zhang Deyuan of the Wei Kingdom and Zhang Zishao of the Hengpu School. At that time, the traitor Qin Hui wielded overwhelming power, pushing for a peace treaty that forgot the humiliation of our northern enemies and accepted the disgrace of foreign rule. Miaoxi, a Buddhist monk in worn robes and with shaved head, dared to side openly with Zishao and oppose the powerful traitor’s proposal, directly provoking his wrath. That is why the Lord of Wei wrote in his eulogy: “Why did this master act thus? With a heart so filled with loyalty and filial piety, he sought to guide the confused masses toward the true teaching.”
Indeed, his deep sincerity and compassion were rooted in his very nature, growing as naturally as branches from a tree. Even if his arms were cut off or his head severed, he would accept it joyfully, as easily as snapping a lotus root or untying a leather knot. What did he care about the destruction of his robes or the burning of his scriptures?
Alas! The memorials for the dead, the sorrow deeper than that of a dragon shedding its mane or a horse growing horns; the poems of the new sedge, the longing for jade robes and stone horses; the songs of spring mallows and jade trees, the bitter regrets of empty pits and ocean cliffs—all these echo in Miaoxi’s example. If we examine his way, his aspiration, and his era, we see that the loyal and righteous scholar-officials of the Song dynasty were never to be seen again. Only this one solitary monk stood alone, weeping and grieving in the aftermath of a civilization sinking into the deep sea—this is truly extraordinary.
Alas! Armies and states are but Jingzhou’s lost bow; temples and altars, only the precious jade of Zheng; our sovereign and our father, mere sacrificial vessels of Qin, Yan, and Chu. The sky is a yurt, the earth a desert! How broad-minded people are today, yet how narrow this monk seems! Eat at the eastern house, sleep at the western house! How adaptable people are today, yet how stubborn this monk seems! Mountains and rivers are but mustard seeds, the world but a potter’s wheel; all conditioned existence is but dust, vanishing in the ten directions. How profoundly awakened people are today, yet how attached this monk seems!
But is this true only of this monk? When the Vajra tribe slaughtered the Shakya clan, the World-Honored One sat under a tree, refusing to be stopped, while Ananda wept in sorrow. During the conquest of Kaibao, a monk from Dongshan in Qichun shed blood-tears for his fallen homeland. In the An Lushan rebellion, a ragged monk from Heze organized a great charity to support the army. Are these not cases where the broad-minded today make the Buddhas and patriarchs seem narrow, the adaptable today make them stubborn, and the greatly awakened today make them attached?
As Miaoxi said: “The will to love the good and hate evil is born with us.” And as Yongjia said: “Even if an iron wheel were spinning above my head, my wisdom and mindfulness would remain clear and never be lost.” If we dare to trust in this directly without doubt, are we not then truly close to attaining it?
三世諸佛是三世中有血性男子，不忠不義之人埋沒此一點血性，謂之焚燒善根、斷滅佛性，披毛戴角、刀途血路相習以為固然，是可以為人乎？如是而為文，巧言綺語、譚玄說妙，如刻人糞作栴檀形，是可以為文乎？公同體大悲，惻然憐愍，以為今世之所崇尚者士大夫也，故現忠義士大夫身而為說法；士大夫之所崇尚者文字也，故又現聲名文句身而為說法。有人於一言半句汗下毛豎，留得此一點血性在人世間，即是不斷佛種，斯即公出世為人全提正令之綱宗也。於乎！公欲廣度河沙眾生盡皆作佛，而汲汲然磨牙礪齒，先教之以所以為人，夫焉有不能為人而能為佛者乎？
海印弟子虞山錢謙益槃譚謹書
Your disciple at the Seal of the Ocean, Qian Qianyi of Mount Yu, respectfully writes this piece.