前期提示：元賢禪師洋洋得意地走到方丈室裡，壽昌禪師「 啪！啪！ 」打了他三下，又說以後不得這麼冒失。
「仍示偈曰」：那麼說完了這話之後，又說了兩句偈誦：「直饒跨上金毛背，也教棒下自翻身。」直饒，就是讓你，已經登了法王位了。跨上金毛背，這就是騎在那個大獅子臕––這就是法王的座––登法王座了；就是你做方丈了，登法王座了。也教棒下自翻身，也要我打你一頓，你才真能明白；我不打你一頓，你還是那麼多的習氣毛病在身上，一點也不覺悟，這就是這個。直饒跨上金毛背，就算你成了佛了，你有這種的習氣，也是不行的，我還要打你呢！所以也教棒下自翻身，你不經過鍛鍊，你還是不不行的。
我若講得不對，你們各位也可以來糾正糾正我，不要認為我講的，這都是法律的，都是正確的。我有的時候，發上狂來，亂講亂說，不知道說什麼的，我自己都不知道。
「師疑」：那麼這個時候，這位元賢禪師就生了懷疑。他這麼樣一說：「你就是成佛了，做法王了，我都要打你。」他想：「喲！已經開悟了，怎麼還要挨打呢？」就懷疑了，「因甚更要棒下翻身」：為什麼我還要挨過打之後才能翻身呢？
「後因過劍津」：劍津是什麼地方？在福建。他就過這個地方，「聞僧誦」：聽見僧人誦，「一時謦欬」：這個謦字，讀ㄑ一ㄥˋ（慶音）。「俱共彈指」：僧人誦這兩句話：「一時謦欬，俱共彈指。」謦欬，就是這種音響，雖然有不同的，這個聲音不一樣，可是都在彈指之頃，很短的，你細分析才知道，你不細分析，根本就分別不太清楚。所以俱共彈指，就是同時，就像彈指那麼快。欬，就是咳嗽，那個咳嗽它有兩個音，可是你若不仔細注意聽，聽不出來是兩個音。那麼這樣子，所以俱共彈指，都是在彈指間，就是有這麼兩個音了。
「云云」：就說，「徹見壽昌用處」：在這個時候，他才明白這個壽昌禪師對他這種的慈悲，對他這種的愛護，可以說是用心良苦了，也可以說是壽昌禪師這種大體大用，大造大化；這種是徹底的拳捶，給他當頭棒喝。他知道這個壽昌禪師對他真是慈悲了。用處，就是他對他所用的心是良苦了。那麼這時候，相信他都會流眼淚的。
「崇禎甲戌」：在崇禎甲戌那一年，「住鼓山」：他在鼓山當方丈了，「次開元」：在開元寺也當方丈，「寶善」：寶善寺也當方丈，「及浙之真寂」：和浙江的真寂寺也當過方丈。「丁酉坐脫」：在丁酉年，他就坐著圓寂了，「塔鼓山」：他那個塔在鼓山。
「師通內外典」：內典，就是佛教以內的典；外典就是外道、這個世間所有一切的文字。世間的文字他也都通。就好像慧遠禪師，當時他的學問也是精通內外典，所以當時他的師父許可他研究道教的經，其他經都許可，因為他的學問好。所以，這是通內外典。
「所著補燈」：他著的有一部書叫《補燈》，「繼燈」：又有一部書叫《繼燈》，「禪餘諸書」：又有這個叫禪餘，或者禪餘夜話，或者禪餘飯後這些個東西。諸書就很多啦，「百餘卷」：有一百多卷那麼多，「行世」：都流通在世界上了。
待續 |
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From last issue: Dhyana Master Yuanxian, feeling smug and pleased with himself, went to see the Abbot. The Abbot (Dhyana Master Shouchang) struck him three times with the staff and said, “From now on, don’t be so reckless.”
Then he gave him a verse, “Even if you have mounted the golden-furred beast, you still need to be struck before you can turn around.” The golden-furred beast refers to a lion, which represents the throne of the Dharma king. Ascending the throne of the Dharma king means becoming the Abbot. Even if you have ascended the throne of the Dharma king, you still need to be beaten before you will really understand. If I didn’t beat you up, you’d still cling to your old habits and faults and you wouldn’t wake up. Even if you were riding on the golden-haired lion, even if you’d become a Buddha, it wouldn’t do for you to have these residual habits. I’d still want to beat you up. “You still need to be struck before you can turn around.” You won’t make it unless you undergo the training.
If what I have said is not right, you can correct me. Don’t think that whatever I say is the law and is correct. Sometimes, when I get crazy, I speak recklessly, and even I myself don’t know what I’m talking about.
At that point, the Dhyana Master Yuanxian had a doubt in his mind. He wondered, “Why did he say that he would want to beat me up even if I’d become a Buddha and a Dharma king? Since I’m already enlightened, why do I need to be beaten? Why do I need to be struck before I can turn around?”
Later, when he passed through Jianjin in Fujian Province and heard a monk reciting, “A loud sound and a soft sound occur simultaneously,” and so forth... Although a loud sound and a soft sound are different, if they occur in the same instant, you can’t tell them apart unless you listen very carefully. If you don’t listen closely, you won’t be able to hear them clearly as separate sounds. For example, if two people cough at the same time, you won’t be able to hear the coughs distinctly. At that point, he thoroughly understood Master Shouchang’s painstaking efforts to teach him. He finally recognized the Dhyana Master’s compassion and care for him and his conscientious efforts to instruct him. Dhyana Master Shouchang’s profound application of the principles, his ingenuity in teaching, led him to give the Master such stunning head-on blows, both physically and figuratively. He knew that Dhyana Master Shouchang had been truly compassionate toward him. “Painstaking efforts” refers to his conscientiousness and thoughtfulness. I believe the Master may even have been moved to tears when he realized this.
In the year of jiaxu (1634) during the reign of Chongzhen, he served as the abbot of Gushan Monastery. Later he also served as the abbot at Kaiyuan Monastery, Baoshan Monastery, and Zhejiang Province’s Zhenji Monastery. In the year of dingxi (1657), he passed into stillness while in a seated position. A pagoda was erected for him at Gushan Monastery. The Master was well-versed in both Buddhist scriptures and non-Buddhist texts—the doctrines of externalist religions and all worldly literature. He was like Dhyana Master Huiyuan, who had also mastered the Buddhist scriptures and those of externalists in his time. Because of Dhyana Master Huiyuan’s great erudition, his teacher allowed him to study the scriptures of Taoism and of other religions as well.
Over a hundred volumes of his writings, including The Supplement to the Lamp, The Continuation of the Lamp, and Chan Conversations, remain in the world. Chan Conversations were probably fragments of casual conversations touching on Chan that occurred late at night or after meals. His works, totalling more than a hundred rolls, have been distributed in the world.
To be continue |
