茶話
Tea Conversation
節晚兩序請,師曰:「大盡三十日,小盡二十九,不肯立下風,要與諸聖賭。不烹北禪牛,止有一味鐵酸餡,滿盤托出供養大眾,咬得破,百味具足。三世諸佛得此一味,發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心,證阿耨多羅三藐三菩提果,說阿耨多羅三藐三菩提法,度無量百千萬億眾生,亦發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心,證阿耨多羅三藐三菩提果。列祖得此一味,出興于世,家築一牆,門別一戶。溈仰得此一味,一十九門施設撈羅學者。臨濟得此一味,設三玄、三要、四料檢、四照用及種種綱宗。洞山得此一味,權顯五位,君臣道合。雲門得此一味,一字函蓋,截斷眾流。法眼得此一味,垂手格外,言說宛轉。大眾得此一味,赤條條、淨裸裸,與諸佛列祖同一眼見、一耳聞、一鼻嗅、一身觸、一意解,出演無量玅義,同一生殺。諸人還咬得破麼?」良久,舉:「洞山與泰首座喫果次,乃問:『有一物,上拄天、下拄地,黑似漆,常在動用中,動用中收不得。且道過在甚處?』泰曰:『過在動用中。』山喚侍者掇退果桌。龍興今日不似洞山,無物可問、無果可掇,只要識此一味。」拈拂子,曰:「還識麼?換骨洗腸重整頓,通身是眼更須參。」
At the evening assembly, both senior and junior monks were present. The Master said: "When the month has thirty days, it ends on the thirtieth; when it has twenty-nine, it ends on the twenty-ninth. If you refuse to stand in a humble position, you are trying to compete with the sages. I will not cook the Ox of Northern Chan. I only have one flavor—an iron-sour dumpling. I offer it fully to the assembly. If you can bite through it, you will experience a hundred tastes in abundance.
"The Buddhas of the past, present, and future, having received this one flavor, aroused the mind of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, realized the fruit of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, and taught the Dharma of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment. They liberated countless hundreds of thousands of billions of beings, who also aroused the mind of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment and realized the fruit of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.
"The Ancestral Masters, having received this one flavor, emerged in the world—each building his own wall, each opening his own gate. Guishan and Yangshan, receiving this one flavor, set up nineteen methods to save and guide students. Linji, receiving this one flavor, established the Three Mysteries, Three Essentials, Four Classifications, Four Illuminations, and all kinds of guiding principles. Dongshan, receiving this one flavor, skillfully revealed the Five Ranks, where sovereign and minister unite in the Way. Yunmen, receiving this one flavor, used a single word to cover everything and cut off all streams of thought. Fayan, receiving this one flavor, let his hands hang down beyond the ordinary, speaking in a winding, indirect way.
"The assembly, receiving this one flavor, is completely naked, utterly bare—seeing with the same eyes as all Buddhas and Ancestors, hearing with the same ears, smelling with the same nose, touching with the same body, understanding with the same mind. You manifest countless profound meanings, and share the same power to give life and to kill. Can you all bite through it?"
After a long pause, he raised the topic: "Once, when Dongshan was eating fruit with Head Monk Tai, he asked: 'There is a thing that supports heaven above and earth below. It is black as lacquer. It is always present in activity, yet cannot be grasped within activity. So, where is the fault?' Tai said: 'The fault is in activity itself.' Dongshan then called his attendant to remove the fruit table.
"Today, Longxing does not resemble Dongshan. I have no thing to ask about and no fruit to remove. I simply want you to recognize this one flavor."
He picked up the whisk and said: "Do you recognize it? After changing your bones and washing your guts, you must reorganize yourself. Even if your whole body is eyes, you still need to investigate further."