師古唐人。楊姓。參幻休。休問。甚處來。師曰。
北方。曰。北方法道何似此間。師曰。水分千派。
流出一源。曰。恁麼何用到此。師曰。流出一源。
水分千派。休可之。尋遊初祖面壁處。忽大悟。乃
曰。五乳峰前。好箇消息。大小石頭，塊塊著地。
歸證於休。乃付之。休囑曰。遇風而止。子其知之
。更覓一人。大振洞風。於是遊方來會稽。諸大士
夫。請說法。於止風塗。時湛然澄公。以所得質之
。師一見喜其投旨。始悟休公之記。師示寂。塔顯
聖南山。
白話解：
這位祖師的名字就叫慈舟，號叫方念，他是親近
幻休禪師。
「師古唐人」：他是古唐人，古，是北方一個地
名。那麼這個地名，究竟在什麼地方呢？不太可考
，總而言之，或者是在唐山、或者唐谷、或者西安
等的這些地方，總而言之是屬於北方的的地方。
「楊姓，參幻休」：他的俗家姓楊，出家之後，
他就親近幻休禪師。「休問」：幻休禪師就問他
，說，你「甚處來」呀：你什麼地方來的呀？「
師曰，北方」：這位方念禪師就說，學人是北方
來的。當參學的，到什麼地方都應該稱自己為「
學人」，就是學習的一個人，或者稱「弟子」，
這是一種客氣的話。
「曰，北方法道何似此間」：那麼，幻休禪師
聽說他從北方來就問他了，說，北方的法道，北
方的佛法和人所修的道，何似此間？有哪一種、
哪一樣和南方的佛法是一樣呢？他那兒是弘揚哪
一宗？哪一派呀？哪一派的佛法比較令一般人歡
喜接受呢？這樣大概的問他北方的佛法怎麼樣？
「師曰，水分千派，流出一源」：那麼，他沒
有說佛法，他就說「水分千派」，這個水有很多
，很多的河流，江、河、湖、海。這個細流很多
，可是「流出一源」，就是流出來的時候，是一
個根源。這也就是說，北方的佛法和南方的佛法
，都是佛所傳出來的，都是佛教，沒有什麼不同
，沒有什麼分別。這話也是有點籠統，可是這個
幻休禪師又再考他一下，「曰，恁麼何用到此」
：說「恁麼」？這樣子啊？這樣子你「何用到此
」呢？你到這地方來幹什麼？既然都一樣，你到
這兒來又幹什麼？就這樣問他。
「師曰，流出一源，水分千派」：他還是用這
兩句話，他就倒過來說了，以前是說「水分千派
，流出一源」，這回他說「流出一源，水分千派
」，還是這個意思，問了他也還是這樣答覆，把
這兩句話倒過來用。他沒問這個之前，他說「水
分千派，流出一源」，等他問，一考驗他，看他
究竟懂不懂，他就說「流出一源，水分千派」。
水雖然是千差萬別的不同，那個河流、細流根本
都是從一個源頭流出來。那麼這是說，我到這兒
來當參學。他也沒有說，南方的佛法比北方高、
或者比北方低，會有什麼好、有什麼不好，沒有
這麼講。他就是說「一本散為萬殊，萬殊仍歸一
本」，一樣的東西分開了，分開還是都是一個。
那麼一棵樹，分出很多岔枝，但是它根本都是一
個的。
→待續
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The Master was born in Gu Tang to the Yang family. He
went to study under Dhyana Master Huan Xiu. Dhyana
Master Xiu asked him, "Where do you come from?" The
Master replied, "The north." Dhyana Master Xiu asked,
"In what aspects are the Dharma or the Way of the North
similar to that of this region?" The Master replied, "A
thousand rivers flow from a single source." Dhyana Master
Xiu said, "Then what need is there for you to come here?"
The Master said, "From a single source, a thousand rivers
flow." Dhyana Master Xiu concurred. The Master went to
visit the place where the First Patriarch faced the stone
wall. Suddenly, he experienced a great enlightenment. He
said, "In front of the Five Breasts Summit, there is good
news. Rocks big and small are all lying on the ground." He
went back and sought certification from Dhyana Master
Xiu, who then transmitted the Dharma to him. Dhyana
Master Xiu instructed him, "When you meet up with the
wind, stop there. You will understand. You will find an-
other person who will greatly revive the traditions of
Dong." The Master thus travelled around and went to
Guiji. The scholars there requested him to speak Dharma
at a place called Zhi Feng Tu (literally "the road where the
wind stops.") There was a Venerable Cheng, Dhyana Mas-
ter Zhan Ran, who inquired about his attainment. Seeing
him, the Master was happy to find that they held the same
principles. Only then did the Master understand the Ven-
erable Xiu's predication. The Master manifested the per-
fect stillness. His stupa was built at Mount Xianshengnan
Commentary:
This Patriarch's name was Ci Zhou (Compassionate Ship);
and he was also named Fang Nian. He drew near Dhyana
Master Huan Xiu.
The Master was born in Gu Tang to the Yang family.
He was born in Gu Tang. Gu is name of a place in northern
China. Just exactly where is it? It's probably impossible to de-
termine its location. It could be in Tang Shan, or Tang Gu, or
Xi An, or some other place. In any case, it is in the north. His
family name was Yang. He went to study under Dhyana
Master Huan Xiu. After he left the home-life, he drew near
Dhyana Master Huan Xiu. Dhyana Master Xiu asked him,
"Where do you come from? Where are you from?" The Master
replied, "The north." Dhyana Master Fang Nian said, "I, a
student, come from the north." One who cultivates by traveling
to places should always refer to himself as "a student" wherever
he goes. That means he is someone who is learning. Or one can
refer to himself as "disciple." This is being polite.
Dhyana Master Xiu asked, "In what aspects are the
Dharma or the Way of the North similar to that of this region?"
When Dhyana Master Huan Xiu heard that he came from
the North, he asked him, "In the Buddhadharma and the Way
cultivated by people of the North, what aspects are the same as
those of this region? Which kind of Buddhadharma does the
North have in common with the South? Which sect do you propa-
gate there? Which school of Buddhadharma is more popular?" In
this way, he inquired about the general situation of the Buddhad-
harma in the North.
The Master replied, "A thousand rivers flow from a single
source." He did not talk about Buddhadharma. Instead he said,
"A thousand rivers flow from a single source." There are many
waters: rivers, lakes, and seas. There are many small streams;
however, they all flow out from one source. That is to say, the
Buddhadharma of the North and the Buddhadharma of the South
are both teachings of the Buddha. There is no real difference be-
tween them. This statement is generalizing a bit. But, Dhyana
Master Huan Xiu tested him again. Dhyana Master Xiu said,
"Then what need is there for you to come here? Then what are
you doing here? If they are the same, what do you come here
for?" That's how he questioned him.
The Master said, "From a single source, a thousand rivers
flow." He repeated his previous statement but reversed the order.
Previously, he said, "A thousand rivers flow from a single
source." This time, he said, "From a single source, a thousan
rivers flow." The meaning was the same. When the question was
asked of him, he gave the same reply, but just reversed the parts
of the sentence. Before he was asked, he had said, "A thousand
rivers flow from a single source." After he was asked, tested to
see if he really understood, he said, "Out of a single source, a
thousand rivers flow." Though there are myriad different types of
water, the rivers and streams originally flow from one source. He
was in effect saying, "I came here to study." He did not say that
the Buddhadharma of the South was superior or inferior to that
of the North, nor did he say that it was better or worse. He did not
say that. He merely indicated that, "Though a single root dis-
perses into a myriad ramifications, the myriad ramifications still
return to the one root." When one thing is split up into many
parts, all the parts still belong to the one thing. A tree grows
many branches, but they are still part of that one tree.
→To be continued
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