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贊曰：
乘願而來 從儒入佛 朱履藍衫 遍參吳越
腦門忽開 握住明月 宇宙光輝 人天歡悅
註解：
「乘願而來」：他是以前發過願，他乘著他自已的願力又來的。「從儒入佛」：所以從這儒教裏頭又走到佛教裏頭來。「朱履藍衫」：他本來是個讀書的學者，朱履藍衫的這個樣子。「遍參吳越」：以後他出家了，在吳、越這兩個地方的善知識，他都參過了。
「腦門忽開」：腦門就是這個地方（額頭）；這個地方叫佛眼。腦門忽開，不是開成兩半，這是那個佛眼開了。「握住明月」：佛眼開了總是光明照耀的，也就像明月照似的。「宇宙光輝」：這時宇宙就大放光明。「人天歡悅」：看他證道，人天都歡喜。
或說偈曰：
乘願再來迥非凡 見死知生甚茫然
從儒入佛訪大道 由近而遠求古賢
柳頭明月出本體 花落大地悟真詮
日月並明人皆仰 解脫無礙有淵源
又說偈曰：
「乘願再來迥非凡」：說他是一個乘願再來的菩薩，他以前發過願，要到娑婆世界教化眾生；迥非凡就是迥然不同，跟一般人不一樣，很特別的那個樣子。
「見死知生甚茫然」：他知道活著是怎麼回事；人怎麼樣死，對這個問題他不明白，所以「甚茫然」，就是沒有明白，沒有了悟。因為沒了悟，所以他就要追究生死的道理。
「從儒入佛訪大道」：所以他訪求了生脫死的這個大道。「由近而遠求古賢」：從近的地方到遠的地方，各處去參訪。也就是從他心裏頭而到外邊；從他外邊又到裏邊，來研究這個生死的問題。由近而遠，這是各處參訪。「遍參吳越」這一句就是由近而遠。「求古賢」，這古賢，不是說已經作古的，而是當時的一些個善知識；當時的善知識就是現在的古賢，不是當時的古賢。我們說他去求當時的善知識，現在來說是古聖先賢了，那時這是當時的善知識。
「柳頭明月識本體」：他看見明月到那柳梢頭上面去，他豁然開悟認識本來面目了。「識本體」就是本來面目。「花落大地悟真詮」：那個「女子出定」的公案，他不明白，這以後見到洛陽花開；他看見花開，當然就也知道花落了。這也就代表花落，花落在大地上，那麼「悟真詮」，他把真理都明白了。
「日月並明人皆仰」：他就好像太陽在虛空裏頭那樣光明照耀，人人見到都抬起頭來望太陽。「人皆仰」，人人都仰望他。「解脫無礙有淵源」：他來去自由，能坐脫立亡。這種境界都不是一般人能夠做得到的，所以他是很有淵源，來歷很深的，才能夠這個樣子。
我再補充幾句，我覺得我們這個課程人人都受不了啦，忍不住了，說是時間太長了。各位善知識！我們從無量劫以來，就因為嫌學習的時間太長，所以生死才不了。你懂嗎？我們在生死苦海裏頭出頭沒，不知道經過多少長遠的時間，怎麼不覺得這是多長遠的時間呢？我們現在學佛法，就幾個鐘頭的時間，這有什麼了不起的呢？這個再不能忍，那怎麼能了脫生死，超脫六道輪迴呢？所以各位，這一點我們現在是要求了生脫死，離苦得樂，不是開玩笑的；不是五分鐘的熱度就可以把這個生死的問題解決了，把苦就可以離開，樂就可以得到，不是那麼簡單的。
所以各位！若「捨不了生，就換不了死；捨不了假，就成不了真。」你學佛法，不犧牲這最寶貴的時間來學，那你怎能夠真正地深入經藏，智慧如海？天天忙忙碌碌地跑到外面去求著賺錢啦，幹甚麼的；一天到晚在那兒發神經，發狂，在那地方蹦蹦跳跳，打打鬧鬧。你幹那個也不覺得時間長，也能忍了，你到學佛法的這幾個鐘頭，就忍不了了，就怕「會不會死啊？」
全文完
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A verse in praise says:
On vows he came riding,
A Confucian entering Buddhism.
With red shoes and blue robes,
He studied with all teachers of Wu and Yue.
In a flash the brain's door opened–
The bright moon was held fast.
The universe blazed with light.
People and gods rejoiced.
Commentary:
On vows he came riding, on the power of the vows he made in the past,
A Confucian entering Buddhism. From Confucianism, he walked into Buddhism.
With red shoes and blue robes, he wore the typical garb of a scholar. Later, after leaving home and becoming a monk,
he studied with all the good and wise
teachers of Wu and Yue.
In a flash the brain's door opened–The "brain's door" is the literal translation for forehead. Here, it refers to the Buddha eye. This line means that his Buddha eye opened, not that his forehead split in half.
The bright moon was held fast. With the Buddha eye opened, everything was bright and dazzling, as if illuminated by the bright moon.
The universe blazed with light at that time.
People and gods rejoiced. All were happy to see him attain the Way.
Another verse says:
Upon vows he returned, an extraordinary man.
Seeing death, knowing life, he felt utterly bewildered.
From Confucianism,
he entered Buddhism to seek the Great Way.
Near and far, he inquired from worthies of old.
Bright moon atop the willow: his original self was seen.
Flowers fallen upon the earth: to truth he awakened
Shining like sun and moon, he is esteemed by all.
For unhindered liberation, the source is deep.
Commentary:
Upon vows he returned, an extraordinary man. He was a Bodhisattva who had vowed to come to the Saha World to teach and transform sentient beings. He was a very special individual, completely different from ordinary people.
Seeing death, knowing life, he felt utterly bewildered. He knew what it was to be alive and he'd seen death, but he didn't understand the manner in which a living person died. Since he was unenlightened in this regard, he pursued the issue of life and death.
From Confucianism, he entered Buddhism to seek the Great Way of liberation from birth and death.
Near and far, he inquired from worthies of old. From nearby places to faraway regions, he sought instruction from various teachers. This line also means that, from within his mind to the external world, and from the outside to the inside, he investigated the question of birth and death. "Near and far" corresponds to the line in the previous verse, "he studied with all teachers of Wu and Yue." "Worthies of old" refers to the teachers of his time, who are "worthies of old" from the perspective of the present time. It refers not to ancient historical figures of his time, but to living teachers.
Bright moon atop the willow:
his original self was seen. Seeing the
luminous moon at the top of the willow tree, he experienced a sudden enlightenment and recognized his original face.
Flowers fallen upon the earth: to truth he awakened. He still didn't understand the case of how the girl came out of samadhi. Then he saw flowers blooming in Loyang, which implies that he also saw them wither and fall to the ground. At the sight of the flowers, he understood the entire truth.
Shining like sun and moon, he is esteemed by all. He is like the sun shining in the sky. Just as people raise their heads to look at the sun, they all look up to him.
For unhindered liberation, the source is deep. He was free to come and go. He could just sit there and depart. Ordinary people cannot do that. He was able to do it because he had a past history of cultivation; his origins ran deep.
Let me add a few words. I feel that people are getting impatient with our class. They cannot take any more and complain that the class is too long. Good and wise advisors! Since limitless eons ago, we have balked at long hours of study, and thus have failed to end birth and death. Do you understand? We have been bobbing up and down in birth and death's ocean of suffering for an unreckonably long time. How come we don't feel that it's been too long? What's so unbearable about spending a few hours studying the Buddhadharma? If we can't even bear that, how can we end samsara and transcend the six paths of rebirth? Therefore, everyone should realize that we are seeking to end birth and death, to leave suffering and attain happiness. This is no joke. With five minutes of zeal will not suffice to resolve birth and death, nor to leave suffering and attain happiness. It's not that simple.
If you can't renounce life, you can't change death.
If you can't give up the false, you can't achieve truth.
If you don't set aside this valuable time to study the Buddhadharma, how can you investigate the Sutras deeply and have ocean-like wisdom? Every day you work like a dog, making money and doing various things. Your daily life is crazy and hectic, rife with competition and arguments, yet you don't find it too long or intolerable. On the other hand, you don't have the patience to study the Buddhadharma for even a few hours. And you worry, "Am I going to die?"
The End
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