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師諱弘能。宇山庾。浙之餘姚潘氏子。幼多病。欲明生死。至三十三歲。讀高峰語錄。因禮師出家。首參瑞光徹。命參竹蓖話。臂不沾蓆四十五日。有省呈頌。頌有「踏翻大地并天花」之句。瑞曰那要是汝踏翻處。師一喝。瑞曰天花聻。曰敢為重宣。瑞曰也須作禮三拜。師拂袖便出。嗣依菩提密和尚。透洞上宗旨。蒙印可。首住景會。南邁至江浦。道俗景從。請住獨峰。後憩陽谷菴示寂。世壽六十七。塔全身於暘谷之左。
註解：
這位禪師也是曹洞宗第七十一世的祖師。他字叫山庾，名叫弘能，所以說「師諱弘能字山庾」。「浙之餘姚潘氏子」：他俗家姓潘。「幼多病」：他小的時候就很多病痛。因為很多病痛，他就覺得無常迅速，生死事大。「欲明生死」：所以他想要明白這生死的問題。
「至三十三歲」：他到三十三歲那年。「讀高峰語錄」：讀高峰禪師的語錄有點醒悟了，所以就「因禮師出家」：於是乎就拜一個師父，出家去了。「首參瑞光徹」：頭一次他去參訪的是瑞光徹。「命參竹蓖話」：這個瑞光徹禪師就命他參悟話頭。話頭有很多，他是參這一句「竹蓖子」的話頭。
有的人是參「念佛是誰」這個話頭；有的參「世間萬物都會沒有了，都會了了，都是成住壞空；其中有一個什麼東西，它不會壤的，不會沒有的，不會了的？」這一句。就是「如何是沒有了的？」這也是話頭。還有參說是「父母生了之後，我有這身體；那麼父母未生之前，我的本來面目是什麼樣子？」沒有生之前，我那個時候是什麼樣子的？參這個話頭。話頭，只是參這一句話的開始，這叫參話頭，不是參話尾巴；話尾巴就是人說出來之後，你懂得那個意思。這個話語之頭就是這個話還沒有說明白，你想要明白這個話的來源。
好像「念佛人是誰？」你要是說：「念佛是我。」那麼你會念佛；要是死了之後還會不會念呢？你死了之後，又是「誰」念呢？參這個「誰」。這個「誰」字也就是個妄想，不過以這妄想來制止其他的妄想，這叫「以毒攻毒」。好像念佛；念佛本來也是妄想，但是你以念佛的一個妄想把其他的妄想都停止了。就好像把那個心猿意馬拴住它了，它不到處亂跑了，所以要參話頭。我們人一天到晚打妄想，思想不專一；思想不專一所以就不能真正明白，不能真正有智慧。你要思想專一了，你這個真正智慧就現出來了，所以參話頭這個法門就是叫你不打其他的妄想，是「以毒攻毒」。這是參竹蓖話，參怎麼樣劈那個竹子的話頭。
「臂不沾蓆四十五日」：他常常在那兒坐著參，坐著參，有四十五日那麼多，就是長坐不臥，坐單。「有省呈頌」：他有所省悟了，也就是開悟了。「頌有」：那個頌有這麼一句。「踏翻大地并天花之句」：把大地也踏翻了，天花也沒有了，就是那句。
「瑞曰那裏是汝踏翻處」：瑞光徹禪師就又考他一下子，怕他落於口頭禪，就是明白一點空理，不是真正的瞭解。所以就問他說：「哪裏是你踏翻處？」什麼地方是你把這個地方踏翻呢？那麼他說：「踏翻大地并天花」這一句。這根本整個大地他都要給踏翻。他的意思就是翻天覆地；天地都給倒過來了。可是這個瑞和尚怕他只懂得口頭禪，懂得皮毛，還沒有真正瞭解。所以就問他：「什麼地方是你踏翻處？」這又迫他一下。
「師一喝」：他就那麼大喝一聲，這真是發狂了。「瑞曰天花聻」：說「你這不過就是一個聻，也就是一個鬼啊！」他這是在說鬼話，不是真的。「師曰敢為重宣」：問瑞和尚說「敢為重宣」。這也不是說他自己要再說一遍「踏翻大地并天花」。或者瑞光和尚說：「你是天花聻啊！」這裡他沒有說明是誰說，所以「敢為重宣」就是叫你弄不清楚；也不知是他自己敢為重宣呢？還是請瑞光和尚重宣。說：「你敢不敢說啊？」或者「我敢不敢再說呀？」重宣就是再說一遍。
瑞光和尚就說：「也須作禮三拜」。你要想我再說，或者你要再說－－他這也是活動的口氣－－你就要叩三個頭，作禮三拜。「師拂袖便出」：這位祖師把袖子這麼一甩，就走了，不理他了。
「嗣依菩提密和尚」：他以後又到菩提密和尚那兒。他就「透洞上宗旨」：他參透曹洞宗的這個又是五位，又是什麼，參透所說的步驟。「蒙印可」：這個密和尚就傳法給他，也證明他開悟了。「首住景會」：他一開始在景會這個地方做方丈。「南邁至江浦」：他又到南邊江浦，大約南京之類的地方。「道俗景從」：修道的人－－出家人和在家人，都跟著他，很崇拜他，佩服他。「請住獨峰」：又請他到獨峰那兒做方丈。
「後憩暘谷菴」：以後他退休了，到暘谷菴那地方。「示寂，世壽六十七」：他活了六十七歲。「塔全身於暘谷之左」：葬在暘谷的左方。
待續
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Text:
The Master's name is Hong . His style name is Shan Yu. The son of Pan in Zheyao, Master Hong Neng had been sickly since childhood; thus he desired to understand birth and death. When he reached the age of 33, he read the Sayings of Gao Feng, which led him to pay respects to a teacher and leave home as a monk. He first studied under Master Rui Guang Che, who instructed him to investigate the koan (topic) of the bamboo comb. For forty-five days he did not lay down on his mat. After experiencing an awakening, he presented a verse, "I've tread upon and turned over the earth and heavenly flowers."
Master Rui asked, "Where is it that you've tread and overturned?"Master Hong Neng gave a shout. Master Rui exclaimed, "Ghost of heavenly flowers!"
The Master said, "Does one dare to repeat these words?"
Master Rui responded, "To repeat them, you must bow three times." Master Hong Neng then threw back his sleeve and left. He then sought refuge with High Master Pu Ti Mi. Having penetrated the principles of this school, he received the seal of approval. He first stayed at Jing Hui, then headed south for Jiang Pu. Left-home people and laypeople all admired and followed him, thus inviting him to stay at Du Fong. Later on, he rested at Yang Gu An, where he died at the age of 67. A stupa housing his entire body was built to the left of Yang Gu.
Commentery:
This Dhyana Master is also a Patriarch in the 71st generation of the Caodong School.
The Master's name is Hong Neng. His style name is Shan Yu. The son of Pan in Zheyao, Master Hong Neng had been sickly since childhood. His family name is Pan. He was often sick while young; due to his pain, he felt the urgency of impermanence. The cycle of birth and death was the greatest concern for him.
Thus he desired to understand birth and death. Therefore he wanted to understand this issue of birth and death.
When he reached the age of thirty-three, the year that he turned thirty-three, he read the
Sayings of Gao Feng. He read the record of sayings by Dhyana Master Gao Feng. He was slightly awakened by this book of sayings,
which led him to pay respects to a teacher and leave home as a monk. He first studied under Master Rui Guang Che. Master Hong Neng initially went and sought out Rui Guang Che,
who instructed him to investigate the koan of the bamboo comb. Dhyana Master Rui Guang Che ordered him to investigate a huatou. There are many koans; his was to investigate the koan of a bamboo comb.
Some people investigate the koan, "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" Some contemplate that all objects in the world will vanish; they all are created, exist, decompose, and become empty. There is nothing that doesn't deteriorate, disappear and end. These meditators examine the koan, "What does not end?" In addition, there is the koan, "What is my original face before my parents gave birth to me?" I have this body after my parents gave birth to me, but what was I like before I was born? Since
huatou in Chinese means the beginning of words, you should investigate the start of this koan, rather than the tail end of this koan. The tail of the koan is the answer someone else has already uttered, the meaning of which you understand. The beginning of these words is when you don't have the answer to this koan, but you want to understand the koan's origin, the space where your mind pauses to ponder without a verbal answer.
For example, "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" Suppose you say, "I am." If you are mindful of the Buddha, then are you still mindful of the Buddha after you die? Who is being mindful after you die?
It's important to investigate this who. This word
who is also a false thought, but you use this one false thought to arrest all other false thoughts, similar to applying a venom in order to counteract other toxins. Comparably, although reciting the Buddha's name is a false thought, you may utilize the one thought of the Buddha's name to stop all other thoughts. As a result, you strap down your monkey mind and wild horse thought; your mind quits running wild. Therefore we must investigate koans. People strike up false thoughts from morning to night; our thinking is unfocused. When we lack concentration, we are unwise and cannot truly understand. Once you concentrate your mind, then your true wisdom appears. So this dharma door of investigating koans is for you to not think about anything else. This master investigated the koan of "How do you chop down bamboo?"
For forty-five days he never touched the mat. He often sat and meditated, at times for as long as forty-five days, including never lying down to sleep.
After experiencing an awakening, upon becoming enlightened,
he presented a verse: "I've tread upon and turned over the earth and heavenly flowers." Essentially, this line means that he has overturned the entire earth, and the flowers in the heavens are also gone.
Master Rui asked, "Where is it that you've tread and overturned?" Master Rui tried to test Master Hong Neng, fearing that he was caught in the superficialities of intellectual Zen or had comprehended some principles of emptiness without true understanding. So Master Rui asked, "Where is it that you've walked and overturned?"
Master Hong Neng gave a shout. He hollered loudly. This is true insanity.
Master Rui exclaimed, "Ghost of heavenly flowers!" Master Rui said that the Master was just talking senselessly or engaging in ghostly chatter, so it wasn't real.
"Does one dare to repeat these words?" He asked Master Rui if one dares to repeat these words. He didn't say who was to repeat these words, whether it was supposed to be Master Hong Neng repeating the line about treading and turning over the earth and heavenly flowers, or Master Rui repeating his question, "Where is it that you've tread and overturned?" Therefore, "Do you dare to repeat these words?" is also a line meant to confuse you. It's unclear whether it's Master Rui or Master Hong Neng who is to repeat his words. It could be "Do you dare to say these words?" or "Do I dare to say these words?"
Master Rui said, "To repeat them, you must bow three times." Whether you want me to say it again or you yourself will say it again—this still leaves room for interpretation—then you must prostrate three times.
Master Hong Neng then threw back his sleeve and left. He ignored Master Rui and departed.
He then sought refuge with High Master Pu Ti Mi. He proceeded to High Master Pu Ti Mi's place.
Having penetrated the principles of this school, including a thorough investigation of the five positions and other procedures of the Caodong School,
he received the seal of approval. High Master Pu Ti Mi then transmitted the dharma to him and certified that he had become enlightened.
He first stayed at Jing Hui. At first he was the Abbot in the Jing Hui area,
then headed south for Jiang Pu. Then he went to Jiang Pu in the south, probably around Nanjing.
Cultivators and laypeople all admired and followed him. Both left-home and at-home cultivators pursued him. They revered and admired him,
thus inviting him to stay at Du Fong. His followers requested that he become the Abbot of Du Fong.
Later on, he rested at Yang Gu An. Later he retired to Yang Gu An,
where he died at the age of 67. He lived until the age of 67.
His entire body was buried to the left of Yang Gu.
He was buried to the left of Yang Gu.
To be continued
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