師湖廣德安府人。久依黃蘗雲門。復參瑞白和尚於紹興戒珠寺。拔為第二座。一日。瑞示眾曰。無垢世界因甚又要打造浴堂。師曰若不打造怎顯無垢。瑞曰誰不識汝是西堂師。拂袖而出。遂付以衣拂。師中興洞山。道震海內。江西之民皆稱洞山古佛再來。新豐一曲。唱高和寡。順治丁亥三月示寂。塔於金牛峰下。
曹洞宗有一個叫孤崖，又叫淨聰禪「師」。他是「湖廣德安府」的「人」。「久依黃蘗」：他親近黃蘗和「雲門」禪師，承事很久。後來又「參瑞白和尚，於紹興戒珠寺」那個地方。「拔為第二座」：這時候就選拔他作第二座，就除了首座就是他了。第二座就是西堂。上殿過堂頭一個就是首座，上殿走在頭一；西堂就走在第二；後堂走在第三；堂主輪在第四。這都是班首。他在那個地方是次於首座，所以叫拔為第二座，比首座再小一步。這是在叢林裡頭四十八單執事其中之一，所以叫西堂。
「一日」這「瑞」白和尚就「示眾曰」，就對大家說法。說這個「無垢世界」也沒有污染，「因甚又要打造浴堂」呢？既沒有染污了，也不垢不淨了－－「無垢」就是無淨。這個世界為什麼又要造出一個浴室呢？
因為當時也就犯這個毛病。犯什麼毛病呢？一般人就說：「人哪！本來是佛，不必修了。」他自然就是成佛了。就像現在這一些個似是而非的學者所講的道理差不多一樣；說人本來是佛，就不假修證了。現在不也有這些個似懂非懂的這一些個學者？高唱口調兒，就說是：「人本來是佛，不假修行，就可以成佛啦！只要你明白了就得了。」那你明白了；你又不修行，怎麼樣明白法？你要不上學，怎麼會識字？怎麼讀書？所以這種邪知邪見的人真是誤人。所以他說這個無垢世界裡，就譬如說人本來是佛一樣，又為甚麼要造一個沐浴的地方？這也就是說人，理雖頓悟，事須漸修：你還要用一番功夫。
好像神秀說的：「身是菩提樹，心如明鏡臺，時時勤拂拭，休使惹塵埃。」這「時時勤拂拭」，就是在浴缸裡邊兒沐浴。「休使惹塵埃」，就乾淨了。這瑞白禪師問大家為甚麼又要造個浴堂呢？。他說「若不要打造」：你若不打造浴堂，「怎顯無垢」呢？你又怎顯得出這無垢呢？你不加一番功夫，怎麼又能明心見性呢？那個明心見性，雖然是本來有的，但是也要用一番造做的功夫。這時候「瑞曰誰不識汝是西堂」。這是一種呵斥他的意思；雖然是呵斥，但也是由反面嘉許的意思。明明他說得對了，可是他故意還要罵罵他，還要說：「誰不認識你這個西堂啊！你這麼多口多舌幹甚麼？」就是這個意思。
他（瑞白禪師）這麼一說，他也故意就像做戲似的，把袖子一甩就出去了。這也不是說發脾氣，也不是不高興；就是像打太極拳似的，你來一招，他也還一招，就這麼來應你，看你懂不懂，認識不認識。所以這個瑞白禪師也知道他真明白了，也敢作敢為，敢在他（瑞白禪師）的前面來露一手，所以即刻就把衣拂就傳給他了。所以說「付以衣拂」。這個地方都是一些個機鋒，並不是誰和誰不高興。這是在這人世間做陷阱給你們大家看一看，看看你們認識不認識這其中的奧妙。
「師中興洞山」：他把洞山－－曹洞宗，這一宗又中興起來了。「道震海內」：他的道德震動海內。「江西之民」：在江西的老百姓。「皆稱洞山古佛再來」：說這是一個洞山古佛再來。「新豐一曲」：新豐所作出那種歌曲。「唱高和寡」：唱的那聲音雖然很高的，可是能合他這個音樂的是很少的。寡，就是少。「順治丁亥三月示寂」：三月他圓寂了。「塔於金牛峰下」：塔於金牛峰的下邊。
待續 |
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Text:
The Master was a native of De’an Prefecture in Huguang District. He drew near Dhyana Master Huangbai of Yunmen. He studied with the Venerable Ruibai at Jiezhu (Precept Pearl) Monastery in Shaoxing. There he was selected to be the second-seated one.
One day Master Ruibai instructed the assembly, saying, “In the undefiled world, why do we build bathrooms? The Master replied, “If they are not built, how can the lack of defilement be revealed?” Master Ruibai said, “We all know that you’re the xitang!” He shook his sleeves and walked out. Then he immediately transmitted the robe and whisk to him. The Master caused Dongshan (Dong Mountain) to flourish once more. His virtue resounded throughout the land. The people of Jiangxi all praised him as an ancient Buddha of Dongshan come again. The melodies of Xinfeng are high-pitched, and few are those who can sing in accompaniment. He manifested the stillness in the third month of the year of dinghai (1647) of the shunzhi reign period. His stupa is located below Jinniufeng (Golden Ox Peak).
Commentary:
In the Caodong Sect, there’s a Dhyana Master named Guya (Lonely Cliff), also known as Jingcong (Pure Intelligence). He was a native of De’an Prefecture in Huguang District. He drew near Dhyana Master Huangbai of Yunmen and attended upon him for a long time. After being with that Master, he studied with the Venerable Ruibai at Jiezhu (Precept Pearl) Monastery in Shaoxing. There he was selected to be the second-seated one, the erzuo, who comes right after the shouzuo “senior-seated one.” As the second-seated one, he was also called the xitang “west-hall.” In the Buddha hall and dining hall, the senior-seated one always walks in front, the xitang walks second, the houtang “latter-seated one” walks third, and the tangzhu “hall-master” is in fourth place. These are all leaders of the assembly. He was the leader second to the senior-seated one. He was one step below the senior-seated one. His was one of the forty-eight managerial positions in a large monastery. One day Master Ruibai instructed the assembly. He spoke Dharma for them, saying, “In the undefiled world, why do we build bathrooms?” If this world has no defilement, being neither defiled nor pure, what need is there to build a bathroom? “Undefiled” also means impure. He asked this question because at that time, people tended to have a misconception. What kind of misconception? Most people said, “Since people are Buddhas to begin with, they don’t need to cultivate. They’ll naturally attain Buddhahood.” This is similar to what certain authentic-sounding scholars say nowadays. These scholars think they understand, but they really don’t. They sing a lofty tune, saying, “People are originally Buddhas. There’s no need to cultivate to certify to it. No need to cultivate, and you can become a Buddha! All you have to do is understand the principle, and that’s enough.” If you understand, but you don’t cultivate, how is that understanding? Without going to school, how can you learn to read? How can you study? These people with their misguided views really lead people astray. So Master Ruibai spoke of the undefiled world as an analogy for the original Buddhahood of people. If the world is undefiled, then why is it necessary to build a place to take baths? This is also saying that, although people can enlighten suddenly to the principle, they must gradually cultivate the specific practices. You have to put in a period of hard work. As Dhyana Master Shenxiu said,
The body is the Bodhi tree,
The mind a bright mirror stand.
Time and again brush it clean;
Let no dust alight.
The phrase “time and again brush it clean” refers to taking a bath in the bathtub. “Let no dust alight,” and you’ll be clean.
When Dhyana Master Ruibai asked everyone the question of why we need to build bathrooms, Dhyana Master Jingcong replied, “If they are not built, how can the lack of defilement be revealed?” How can you make the lack of defilement obvious? If you don’t apply some effort, how can you understand your mind and see your nature? Although your mind and nature are inherently there, you need to work at it before you can see them.
At that time, Master Ruibai said, “We all know that you’re the xitang!” His remark had a tone of a rebuke, but at the same time it was also meant to praise him. His answer had obviously been right, but he was deliberately scolding him for speaking out. “Who doesn’t recognize you, the xitang!” His meaning was: “What are you piping up for? Why do you have to put in your two-cents worth?” With deliberate drama, he shook his sleeves and walked out. He wasn’t angry or upset or anything; he was just responding to Master Jingcong. It was like taijiquan (shadow boxing): one makes a move, and the other returns with a move. He was responding in that way to see if Master Jingcong understood, to see if he knew what it was all about. Dhyana Master Ruibai knew that he really understood, that he dared to show him his skill in front of him (Dhyana Master Ruibai), so then he immediately transmitted the robe and whisk to him. These are all standard exchanges in Chan. It wasn’t that anyone was upset with anyone else. They were just creating tricky situations in life to see if everyone would recognize the miraculous wonder within them.
The Master caused Dongshan (Dong Mountain) to flourish once more. His virtue resounded throughout the land. His virtue in the Way shook up the whole country. The common people of Jiangxi all praised him as an ancient Buddha of Dongshan come again. They said he was an ancient Buddha of Dong Mountain come back again. The melodies of Xinfeng are high-pitched, and few are those who can sing in accompaniment. The tunes made in Xinfeng are very high, and very rarely can anyone harmonize with that kind of music. He manifested the stillness in the third month of the year of dinghai (1647) of the shunzhi reign period. His stupa is located below Jinniufeng (Golden Ox Peak).
to be continued |
