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師生毫邑。王氏子。參凝然。求示法要。然曰。向達摩未來時道一句看。師無對。久之。睹秦封槐。忽悟。呈方丈。然一見便曰。契斌參得禪也。師便喝。然曰。作麼。師曰。和尚何得贓誣人。又問趙州勘婆。敗闕在什麼處。師曰。一對無孔錘。曰。趙州意作麼生。師曰。荊棘林中。重加陷阱。曰。石頭道。書亦不通。信亦不達。是何意旨。師曰。千里同風。曰。青原垂足又作麼生。師曰。禍事禍事。然曰。洞上一宗在汝躬矣。景泰壬申示寂。塔少林。
白話解
六十三世俱空契斌禪師，這位禪師是曹洞宗六十三世祖師。「生毫邑」，他生在毫縣，在河南。「王氏子」，他俗家姓王。「參凝然」，他聽說凝然禪師道高德重，所以他就去拜訪他，去「求示法要」，他請他指示佛法的要領，佛法的重要點，什麼是佛法最要緊的地方？請示這個。
「然曰」，凝然禪師就對他說了，「向達摩未來時道一句看」，他問凝然禪師，凝然禪師又問他，說你問什麼是佛法要緊的地方？求示法要？了生脫死的法門？他就說，你現在在菩提達摩沒來以前，你有什麼感想？你道一句看，說一說，我就知道你了。
「師無對」，這位禪師他就不知說甚麼好了。不知說甚麼好，就弗知，等了很久，「睹秦封槐」，他看見秦嶺那兒，有一顆槐樹，他看見這槐樹，他正在那兒想要說一句什麼話呢？這時候他「忽悟」，他忽然間開悟了，這就叫怎麼樣呢，禪宗裡頭，就是要逼得你沒有路走，逼得你置之死地而後生，你無路可通了，然後就豁然開悟了。就是在那無路可通，山窮水盡的時候，你磕著碰著，或者見著什麼境界，豁然間就會開悟，就明白了，這是這個樣子，所以契斌禪師，在這個地方它就忽悟了。「呈方丈」，他就把他所開悟的道理，去向方丈和尚去說。「然一見便曰」，凝然一見他所證得的這種境界，就說了，「契斌」你「參得禪也」，你以後可以好好地參禪了，意思就是你已經入門了，參得禪也。「師便喝」，他這麼一說，噢！因為這是說他參得禪，這是讚嘆的話。一讚嘆，噢！他就發起威來了，根本不需要這麼讚嘆他，凝然既然讚嘆他，他認為是多餘的，所以便喝，就大喝了一聲。這一聲一喝，「然曰」，凝然就說，「作麼」，你做什麼啊？「師曰」，這位契斌禪師就說了，他說「和尚何得贓誣人」，說你怎麼可以給人家栽贓，這麼誣陷人呢？凝然禪師說他可參得禪了，他認為不需要說，凝然禪師一說呢，就好像給他栽贓了似的，對他不乾淨了，所以何得贓誣人，你這麼給我栽贓，硬給我戴高帽子，這是多餘的，這是和尚何得贓誣人。
「又問」，凝然禪師就又問他，說「趙州勘婆」，他去勘查這個無明的婆子，「敗闕在什麼處」，他為什麼到那個地方，好像沒有什麼，他就回去了。想要和他鬥鬥機鋒，他也沒有鬥，怎麼就好像沒有什麼了，這是在什麼地方？就又問，這都是一種無理取鬧，問他什麼叫敗闕？
「師曰，一對無孔錘」，他說在什麼處啊？在那一對無孔錘。你看這都是答非所問的，他不是問他敗在什麼處嗎？他就不答覆他，就說一對無孔錘。你看這講得根本上下的文都不相合的，一對無孔錘，你要是明白了，他就認為對了，這答非所問。「曰」，這時候凝然還是覺得他還不夠，所以又問他，「趙州意作麼生」，究竟趙州的意思在什麼地方？你說一說看。
所以他又說了，「師曰，荊棘林中」，在這很難走的荊棘林裡頭，就是很多刺，不容易進去，也不容易出來；出來了，又不容易進去。這也是一個比喻，就是說你這趙州的門牆，是不容易進去，即使進去了，你也不容易出來的。「重加陷阱」，說這荊棘林已經不容易出來，不容易進去，那裡頭還預備一個陷阱，多預備一個埋伏在裡頭。他問趙州，意在什麼地方？他就說，荊棘林中，重加陷阱。
「曰」，凝然說，「石頭道」，青原行思禪師叫這石頭，去給懷讓禪師送信，叫他快點回來，怎麼叫他回來，他給他個什麼？（弟子答：砍柴的斧子。）就是給了他這個斧子，也就是給他真正智慧，好能斬釘截鐵，能以當機立斷；斧頭就是能有判斷力，就說叫他去。可是這個石頭道，那個石頭去到那兒，也沒有交這封信，回來就說，「書亦不通」，書也沒有給他，信也不達，信也沒有交出去，「是何意旨」，這是什麼意思？他怎麼叫他寄信，他又不寄，這是什麼意思？就又問他，「師曰，里同風」，說，是什麼意思，根本就不需要的，根本就不需要捎信，大家意思都一樣的，又加一封信幹什麼呢？不需要，所以說千里同風，大家都是明白了，因為明白了，所以要信幹什麼呢？就是大家你也明白我，我也明白你，這是千里同風啦！
「曰，青原垂足」，說青原他本來是在那兒盤腿坐著，他這個腿不盤了，故意這麼伸下，搭下一條腿，這是怎麼回事？這幹什麼？他說「禍事禍事」，說真是沒有完的時候，這真是大禍臨頭了。大禍臨頭了，就是很麻煩的，因為教化人也不容易的，所以說禍事禍事。其實禍事禍事，也就是說麻煩的意思。
「然曰」，凝然就說了，「洞上一宗」，大約是曹洞宗，或者洞雲宗吧，這一宗「在汝躬矣」，說這個責任都交給你了，你怕麻煩也不行的，你有禍事也要承擔起來，所以說在汝躬矣。
「景泰壬申示寂」，景泰壬申那年示寂了。「塔少林」，那個塔院修在少林寺。
待續
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The Master was born in Bwo County. He was from the Wang family. He went to learn from Ning Ran and requested for the essentials of the Dharma from him. Ran uttered, "Speak up before Bodhidharma arrives." The Master was dumbfounded for a long while. Then, upon seeing a locust tree in the Chin Mountain Range, he had a sudden enlightenment. Thereupon, he expressed it to the abbot. The moment Ran saw him, he remarked, "Chi Bin can meditate now." The Master let out a shout. Ran asked, "What are you doing?" The Master replied, "How can you plant your plundered goods in my place?" Ran asked further, "When Jau Jou went to test the old lady, where did he fall short?" The Master retorted, "A pair of weights without any loops." Ning Ran inquired, "What does Jau Jou mean?" The Master answered, "A snare in the thorny underbrush." Ning Ran responded, "The rock (Master Shr Tou) said, 'I delivered neither the message nor the letter!' What does this mean?" The Master replied, "The same wind blows a thousand miles." Ning Ran asked, "Why did Ching Ywan put his leg down?" The Master uttered, "Calamities! Calamities!" Then Ran said, "The responsibility of the Dung school now rests upon you." In the year of Ren Shen, during the reign of Jing Tai, the Master manifested stillness. A pagoda was erected for him in Shau Lin.
Commentary:
Dhyana Master Chi Bin of Jyu Kung was the Sixty-third Patriarch of the Tsau-Dung School.
The Master was born in Bwo County. It was in He Nan.
He was from the Wang family. His lay surname was Wang.
He went to learn from Ning Ran. He heard that Dhyana Master Ning Ran was a person of lofty Tao and virtue, so he went to call on him,
and requested for the essentials of the Dharma from him. He requested Ning Ran to instruct him on the essentials of the Buddhadharma. What is the main import of the Buddhadharma? He sought for guidance on this.
Ran uttered, "Speak up before Bodhidharma arrives." Dhyana Master Ning Ran said to him, "Speak up before Bodhidharma arrives." He inquired from Dhyana Master Ning Ran, who then answered with a question, saying: you asked for the essentials of the Buddhadharma, requested me to expound on the quintessence of the Dharma and on the method for transcending birth and death. Now, tell me, what were your thoughts before Bodhidharma came? Why don't you attempt to communicate? If you speak, then I will know your state.
The Master was dumbfounded for a long while. The Dhyana Master paused for a long time because he did not know what to say.
Then, upon seeing a locust tree in the Chin Mountain Range, he had a sudden enlightenment. Then, he saw a locust tree up in the Chin Mountain Range. As he was about to say something, he suddenly experienced an enlightenment. What does this refer to? In the Chan School, this refers to when you are pressed to the point where there is no way out. It is like undergoing a resurrection after death and thereupon experiencing instantaneous enlightenment. Just at the point where you have no way out, when you arrive at the edge of the mountains and river, unexpectedly you run into something or see some state. You suddenly become enlightened and understand. That's the way it is. Thus, Dhyana Master Chi Bin became enlightened at that very moment.
Thereupon, he expressed it to the abbot. He went before the abbot to disclose the principle he had awakened to.
The moment Ran saw him, he remarked, "Chi Bin can meditate now." When Ning Ran heard the state he had enlightened to, he said, "Chi Bin, you can now practice Dhyana contemplation well." This means that you have presently entered the door and can meditate. He was lauding him when he mentioned that he could now sit in Dhyana.
The Master let out a shout. When he was being commended, he evinced an awesome mien to exemplify that praises were really unnecessary. There was no need for it. Thus, he hollered.
Ran asked, "What are you doing?" Ning Ran said, "What are you doing?"
The Master replied, "How can you plant your plundered goods in my place?" The Master answered, "How can you put your stolen goods in my place to do me in?" Since Dhyana Master Ning Ran had certified that he could now sit in Dhyana, he did not think there was any need to speak about it. Stating it would be just like placing pilfered goods in his house which would make him impure. Therefore, when he was being acclaimed, he asserted that he had been wrongly accused, for it was absolutely unnecessary.
Ran asked further, "When Jau Jou went to test the old lady, where did he fall short?" Dhyana Master Ning Ran inquired again, "Where did Jau Jou go wrong? Jau Jou set forth to check this ignorant old lady out. But upon reaching that place, he returned as if nothing had happened. He attempted to draw her into a vocal repartee. However, even before the verbal combat had begun, he bowed out and acted like nothing had transpired. So, he queried where Jau Jou had failed. All this is just gibberish.
The Master retorted, "A pair of weights without any loops." He declared, "A pair of weights without any loops." He did not answer his question. Instead of responding to his inquiry, he spoke about a pair of loopless weights. He evaded the question. If you understand, then you would conceive that he's right.
Ning Ran inquired, "What does Jau Jou mean?" Ning Ran did not feel that he was up to the level yet. So, he questioned him again. Define precisely what was jau Jou's real intent.
The Master answered, "A snare in the thorny underbrush." The Master replied: It is amid the thicket which is difficult to tread upon for there is a profusion of thorns. It is easy neither to enter nor to emerge from it. Once you have come forth, it is difficult to get in again. This is an analogy. It means it is hard for you to enter through Jau Jou's door. When you have gone in, it will not be easy for you to come out. The thorny undergrowth makes entering and emerging difficult. Moreover, a trap had been set up there. When Ning Ran asked what jau jou's intent was, the Master replied that a trap was laid in the midst of the bushes.
Ning Ran responded, "The rock said, 'I delivered neither the message nor the letter!' What does this mean?" Ning Ran asked what "Shr Tou" (the rock) meant when he said that he did not deliver the message or the letter. What did Dhyana Master Ching Ywan intend to confer upon Hwai Rang when he told Shr Tou to ask Hwai Rang to return quickly? He was planning to give him an ax. This is a kind of wisdom. Ching Ywan had intended to bestow wisdom upon him so the he could use it to smash the spikes and steel and be capable of discerning instantly. The ax refers to having an acute apprehension. Thus, he told Shr Tou to deliver this message. But, when he returned, he said he had not relayed the message or given him the letter. What did this imply? Why didn't he transmit the message when instructed to? So, Ning Ran questioned Chin Bin again on its meaning.
The Master replied, "The same wind blows a thousand miles." This denotes that it was totally unnecessary. There was no need to send a message to him. They shared an identical awareness. What need was there to sent this letter? It was unnecessary. Thereupon, he uttered that the same wind blows for a thousand miles for we have understood. Since we have already understood, what need is there to write letters? You understand me and I understand you. This is sharing the same wind for a thousand miles.
Ning Ran asked, "Why did Ching Ywan put his leg down?" Ching Ywan must have been sitting in full lotus position when he deliberately let one leg down. Ning Ran asked the Master what was going on. The Master uttered, "Calamities! calamities!"
The Master replied, "Calamities! Calamities!" He meant that there would be no stop to this. This is like great disasters have befallen me. This is perturbing indeed. It is difficult to teach and transform people. That was why he said that calamities had befallen him. Calamities refers to trouble.
Then Ran said, "The responsibility of the Dung School now rests upon you." Maybe he was referring to the Tsau-Dung School or the Dung-Yun School. The future of this school lies within you. You cannot evade it even if it is too burdensome. You have to fulfill your obligation even if it brings you misfortune. So, he asserted that the responsibility rests within him.
In the year of Ren Shen, during the reign of Jing Tai, the Master manifested stillness. A pagoda was erected for him in Shau Lin. In the year of Ren Shen, during the reign of Jing Tai, he manifested stillness. His pagoda was built in the Shau Lin Monastery.
to be continued
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