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「師生柘浦。張氏子。因大（讀太音）父坐化。輒疑甚。偶街行。聞貓聲。有省。復閱百丈再參話。乃大悟。由此往謁壽昌。道經書林。見東苑。苑忽問。聞壽昌提唱維摩經否。師曰聞。曰彌勒得一生授記。作麼生。師曰大有人疑著。曰你又恁麼去。師異之。因圍爐。師舉古德劫火洞然。有云壞。有云不壞。此意如何。曰你又恁麼來。尋呈所見。苑喜。以偈付之。師辯才無礙。萬曆已未。出世羅山。坐道場五十餘處。內外集六十餘種。已亥示寂。畣於攝山」
贊曰：
石鼓山中 葛藤絆倒 翻轉身來 長天日曉
夢筆華生 天界月皎 寶劍橫抽 佛魔齊掃
這是曹洞宗的一位祖師－－覺浪道盛禪師。
「師生柘浦」。「張氏子」：姓張的所生的一個兒子。「因大（讀太音）父坐化」：因為他祖父，坐著就圓寂了。「輒疑甚」：他就懷疑這件事。怎麼坐著就死了呢？因為生懷疑嘛！所以他就放不下這個事情，就想這個事情，想不通。所以「偶街行」：偶然間到街上去走一走，散散步。「聞貓聲」：他聽見貓叫的聲音。「有省」：他就省悟了。
「復閱百丈再參話」：他看見百丈禪師所提倡的話頭，「乃大悟」：就開悟了。「由此往謁壽昌」：他就去拜訪壽昌禪師。「道經書林」：經過書林這個地方。「見東苑」，「苑忽問」：苑就問他：「聞壽昌提唱維摩經否？」，「師曰聞」：他就問啦！你聽沒聽見這個壽昌禪師，他常常教人研究《維摩經》，有沒有這麼個事情？「師曰」：這位道盛禪師說了，「聞」：我聽過。
「曰彌勒得一生受記，作麼生」：這個彌勒菩薩，將來在一生就得到授記成佛，你對這個有什麼意見呢？「師曰大有人在疑著」：這個道盛禪師說：這個大約有很多的人都懷疑這件事情。「曰你又恁麼去」，說：那麼既然有人在疑，你對這個問題怎麼樣看法呢？「師異之」：這一位道盛禪師就覺得他問得很奇怪，很特別的。那麼就在那兒住下了。
「因圍爐」：大家在火爐的旁邊烤火。烤火嘛，「師舉古德劫火洞然」：道盛禪師就提出來一個意見。說古德說，在這個劫火－－劫火就是那時候把什麼都燒沒有了；山河大地、房廊屋舍，所有世間的一切一切都化為烏有了，都燒光了的時候。「有云壞」：有的人就說這是個壞。「有云不壞」：有的人就說不壞。「此意如何」：這個意思我不明白，究竟怎麼樣？
待續 |
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The Master was born in the district of Zhepu to the Zhang family. When his grandfather passed away in a seated position, he was deeply puzzled as to how this could be. One day when he was walking on the road, he heard the sound of a cat meowing and had an awakening. Then when he read of the meditation topic investigated by Master Baizhang, he was greatly enlightened. At that point he went to pay a visit to Master Shouchang. On the way there he passed by Shulin, where he saw Master Dongyuan. Master Dongyuan abruptly asked him, "Have you heard that Master Shouchang advocates the Vimalakirti Sutra?" The Master replied that he had. Master Dong asked, "Maitreya is predicted to become a Buddha in one life. What do you think?" The Master said, "There are probably a lot of people who have doubts about this." Master Dong said, "Well, what do you say?" The Master found his question compelling.
Once when people were gathered around the stove, the Master mentioned that of the virtuous ones of old, some said that the blazing fire at the end of the eon would bring destruction, while others said it would not bring destruction. "What does this mean?" asked. "Well, what do you make of it?" [asked Master Dongyuan]. After a moment, he expressed his opinion. Master Dongyuan was pleased and presented him with a verse. The Master's eloquence was unimpeded. In the year yiwei (1619) of the wanli reign period, he became the abbot at Mount Luo. He held the abbotship at over fifty monasteries, and he mastered over sixty Buddhist and non-Buddhist texts. He manifested the stillness in the year of yihai (1659), and a stupa was built for him at Mount She.
A verse in praise says:
A vine tripped him up on Stone Drum Mountain,
But when he rolled over, it was clear and sunny.
His writing style flourished like flowers blooming,
The moon glistened in the sky.
He drew his jeweled sword,
Ready to clear out both Buddhas and demons.
Commentary:
This is a Patriarch of the Caodong Sect, Dhyana Master Juelang Daosheng. The Master was born in the district of Zhepu to the Zhang family. He was a son of a man named Zhang. When his grandfather passed away in a seated position, he was deeply puzzled as to how this could be. He wondered how his grandfather could die in a sitting position. He couldn't forget about this matter. He kept pondering it, but couldn't figure out how it could be. One day when he was walking on the road, taking a stroll, he heard the sound of a cat meowing and had an awakening. It suddenly dawned upon him.
Then when he read of the meditation topic investigated and promoted by Dhyana Master Baizhang, he was greatly enlightened. At that point he went to pay a visit to Dhyana Master Shouchang. On the way there he passed by a place called Shulin ("Book Forest"), where he saw Master Dongyuan. Master Dongyuan abruptly asked him, "Have you heard that Master Shouchang advocates the Vimalakirti Sutra? Is it true that Dhyana Master Shouchang often tells people to investigate the Vimalakirti Sutra? Have you heard of this?" The Master replied that he had. Dhyana Master Daosheng said, "Yes, I've heard that."
Then Master Dong asked, "Maitreya is predicted to become a Buddha in one life. What do you think? What's your opinion on this?" The Dhyana Master Daosheng said, "There are probably a lot of people who have doubts about this. Probably many people are dubious about this." He, Dhyana Master Dongyuan, said, "Well, if there are people in doubt about it, what do you say? What's your opinion on this matter?" The Master, Dhyana Master Daosheng, found his question compelling and he decided to stay there to study.
Once when people were gathered around the stove, when everyone was getting warm by the fire, the Master Daosheng raised a question. He mentioned that of the virtuous ones of old, some said that the blazing fire at the end of the eon would bring destruction, while others said it would not bring destruction. The fire at the end of the eon will burn everything up. Mountains, rivers, houses, and everything on the earth will disappear in the blaze. Some people say that it will be the stage of decay, while others say that it will not. "What does this mean?" he asked. "I don't understand this. What will ultimately happen?"
To be continued |
