玉眉亮禪師語錄序
予昔奉命宰蜀新寧，公事之暇謁曇華三山老人，深蒙扣擊，發明箇事，迎老人於署中諮決宗旨。門人中相與唱酬者，有天湖定公、雲林現公、大笑崇公、冷眼證公，若玉眉禪師所稱機鋒峻捷，識量超群者，予敬服之。老人嘗指目之曰：「此耳菴兄獅子兒也。」方是時，甚幸良師益友晤對一堂，將以永朝而永夕，無何，以併邑歸里，旋任欒城、牧商州，瞬息夢遊廿年於茲。適冰絃大師自蜀來，持玉師語錄問序於予，予受而閱之，見其言言見諦、句句超宗，縱奪所施，不啻身受鉗錘，覺廿年前面目儼然在睹，況冰公克承先志、武林永壽笑公丕振家聲，法化今且南行？夫耳菴嵩和尚紹三巴掌祖之傳，今師繼之能裕其後，只令寶峰巴掌打盡天下無疑矣！述而序之，奚辭？
In my earlier years, I was appointed magistrate of Xinning in Shu. During my spare time, I called upon the venerable elder of Tanhua Sanshan, who deeply inspired and guided me, helping me realize the truth of the matter. I welcomed the elder into my official residence to consult with him on the essential principles of our tradition. Among my fellow students who shared poetry and dialogues with me were Master Tianhu Ding, Master Yunlin Xian, Master Daxiao Chong, and Master Lengyan Zheng. Among them was Master Yumei, whom the elder praised as being sharp in wit and extraordinary in insight. I deeply respected and admired him. The elder once pointed to him and said, "This is the lion's cub of Elder E'an." In those days, it was a great fortune to have such good teachers and virtuous friends gathered together in one hall, a joy I wished could last forever, morning and night. But before long, I had to return home due to the merging of counties, and subsequently served as magistrate of Luancheng and governor of Shangzhou. In the blink of an eye, twenty years passed like a dream.
Now, Master Bingxian has come from Shu, bringing Master Yumei’s recorded sayings and asking me to write a preface. I received and read it, and found every word touched the truth, every phrase transcended the conventional. The way it freely wields authority and release feels no different from being personally hammered and forged by a master. I felt as if the face I had twenty years ago was right before my eyes. Moreover, Master Bingxian carries on the will of his predecessor, and Master Yongshou Xiao of Wulin has greatly revived the family tradition. Now the Dharma is spreading southward. Indeed, Venerable E'an's successor, Master Song, carried forward the legacy of the Three Palms Patriarch. And now, Master Yumei continues it and can expand its reach further. This shows that the "Precious Peak's Three Palms" will sweep away all doubts in the world without fail! Having narrated this, how could I decline writing a preface?
時康熙庚午秋九月上浣，嘉禾法弟沈廷勱頓首撰。
Written in the early days of the ninth lunar month of the autumn of the Kangxi year gengwu (1690), by your humble Dharma brother Shen Tingmai of Jiahe, with utmost respect.
玉眉亮禪師語錄
書記空謐編
Empty Stillness Record