師生崇禎乙亥年。廿四禮靈展耆宿薙染。所參「青州布衫」話。後參報恩曇。曇問。汝習何法門。師舉青州布衫。曇詰之。師無對。自此疑情大發。晝夜提撕。常坐不臥。一夕下樓。被樓板滯足跌倒。覽心胸中空空洞洞。扯破青州布衫。己酉春謁卓錫繼。命入室。屢受綿密鉗錘。遂獲大法。於康熙壬子。開法兜率。幷主卓錫。盛弘道法。龍象悉奔赴焉。
註解：
這位是曹洞宗的七十二世的祖師，名字叫子賢興紀禪師。「師生崇禎乙亥」那個時候。「年二十四」歲，「禮靈展耆宿」。靈展是當時的一位耆宿；「耆」就是年老了。本來我說七十為耄——耄耋之年；周老師說是九十歲才是耄。總而言之，我們知道就是這個意思，他是年紀大的。耆，就是代表年紀大；宿，就是有宿德，就是有很多經驗——老宿。老宿就是老參了，老參上座這叫耆宿，就是年紀很老的，可以說是壽命很大的。
「染」，在（靈展）那兒他就落髮出家了。「所參」，他所參的就是「青州布衫話」那個話，參了很久。「後參報恩曇」，他又參報恩曇這位禪師。「曇問」，曇禪師就問他說：「汝習何法？」你所修持的是什麼法？「師舉『青州布衫』」，這位興紀禪師就告訴他：「我是參『青州布衫』這句話頭。」「曇詰之」，就是審問他，你怎麼參的啊？你怎麼樣用的功啊？「青州布衫」是怎麼樣一個來歷的啊？你現在參到什麼程度上了？就詰問他。
「師無對」，因為他沒有功夫，他參雖然參但是他也不懂，還是一個門外漢；不懂所以就不對，不知道怎麼樣說好。因為他不懂，所以以前他馬馬虎虎的，以為就這麼參了。現在有人一問，他回答不出了，所以「自此疑情大發」。由此就疑情大發，放不下了。「汝持何法放不下？」這個時候他就放不下了。
「晝夜提撕」，晝夜都要來把這個「布衫」研究研究。布衫到底是什麼布做的？是怎麼樣子？是七斤半呢？是八斤半呢？是五斤半呢？是多重呢？都用的什麼材料？越參越糊塗，越糊塗他就越參，就像摘絲似的那麼越摘越亂，也不知怎麼辦了，就「常坐不臥」。他睡覺睡著了就不會參了，那麼他就坐著；坐著，睡著的時候少，醒的時候多，好，那這又參。
「一夕下樓」，有一天，大約是不知道是到廁所是幹什麼，也大約是晚間。夕，就是晚間。晚間下樓大約也沒有點燈，甚至於連油燈也沒有那時候，所以他就摸黑下樓。下樓就「被樓板滯足跌倒」，大約樓板那個地方不知有個釘子，是放著什麼東西，他這沒有小心在那兒就跌倒了。這一跌倒了，摔著也就痛了，就什麼都不知道了。「覺心胸中空空洞洞」，什麼都不知道，但是又覺得在心裏頭空空洞洞，心裏什麼都沒有，都收拾乾淨了。這個布衫就給撕破了。「扯破青州布」，這個時候疑情也都了了，所以扯破青州布衫了。這個七斤半太重了，就不要了。
「己酉春」，在己酉春天的時候。「謁卓錫繼」，他就又去參訪卓錫繼禪師。「命入室」，這卓錫繼就叫他到他房子裏頭去，就傳法給他了。入室弟子就是傳法給他。傳法之後，「屢受綿密鉗錘」，鉗錘就是打，就是罵，傳給他法之後，就常常呵斥或者怎麼樣，故意這麼折磨他。這種方法，這叫鉗錘。綿密的鉗錘，就是不斷地左一次， 右一次，來折磨他，來故意無理取鬧。他做的明明對了，又說他不對。
這都是在考驗他的火候，看他到底是不是夠火候的；不夠火候，還不能放出來。所以就這麼樣來雕琢他，來修理他，就像栽培一棵小樹，把那枝子、杈子都給它弄乾淨了，將來好做佛教的棟樑之材。這時候，他因為屢受綿密的鉗錘，所以他就有所成就了。「遂獲大法」，於是乎正式就傳法給他了，叫他「於康熙壬子」那一年（1672年），「開法兜率」。
這個字本來是個「率」字，但是應該畫個圈。兜率（「律」音）天宮，一般人都唸兜率（「帥」音）；這個應該是兜率（「律」音），不過一般人都稱兜率（「帥」音）天宮了。
「并主卓錫，盛弘道法」，在卓錫那個廟上他也做過方丈。那個時候佛法很盛行。「龍象悉奔赴焉」，法門龍象就是法門的載道之器，是法門裏頭的一些材料，都到他那裏去親近他，跟他學習。
待續
|
|
Text:
The Master was born during the year yihai (1635) of the Chongzhen reign period. At the age of twenty-four, he paid homage to the Elder Lingzhan and donned the dyed robes. He investigated the phrase, "the cloth robe of Qingzhou." Later he studied with Venerable Tan of Bao'en (Repaying Kindness) Monastery. Tan asked him, "What Dharma do you practice?" The Master said, "The cloth robe of Qing-zhou." When Tan questioned him, the Master could not answer. At that point his doubt grew immense. He delved into the topic day and night, always sitting and never lying down. Going downstairs one evening, he tripped and fell on the stairs. His heart felt totally empty, and he ripped the cloth robe of Qingzhou. In the spring of the year jiyou (1669), he visited Venerable Ji at Zuoxi. The Venerable beckoned him to enter the room, and then pounded and hammered at him repeatedly, until he attained the Great Dharma. In the year renzi (1672) of the Kangxi reign period, he established the Dharma at Doulyu (Tushita) Monastery. He was also the abbot at Zuoxi. The Dharma flourished and spread, and many outstanding Buddhists went there.
Commentary:
This is a Patriarch of the Seventy-second Generation. His name is Dhyana Master Zixian Xingji. The Master was born during the year yihai (1635) of the Chongzhen reign period. At the age of twenty-four, he paid homage to the Elder Lingzhan. Lingzhan was an elder of the time, a venerable scholar. The character qi for "senior" usually means seventy years old, although Teacher Zhou explained it as being ninety. In general, it means being advanced in age. Not only was he a senior, but he had virtue and experience. He was a seasoned cultivator in a senior position. One could also say he was long-lived.
And there in Venerable Lingzhan's monastery, the Master shaved his head and donned the dyed robes, leaving the home-life. He investigated the phrase, "The cloth robe of Qing-zhou." He investigated that topic for quite a long time. Later he studied with Venerable Tan of Bao'en (Repaying Kindness) Monastery. Tan asked him, "What Dharma do you practice?" The Master said, "The cloth robe of Qingzhou." When Tan questioned him on how he investigated it. He asked him how he applied his effort. He asked, "Where does the cloth robe of Qingzhou come from? What level have you reached in your investigation of it?"
The Master could not answer, because he didn't have the skill. Although he had delved into it, he had not yet understood it. He was still an outsider. Since he didn't understand, he couldn't reply. He didn't know what to say. Since he didn't understand, he had been very casual in his investigation, just plunging into it. But now that someone questioned him, he could not answer. At that point his doubt grew immense, and he could not put it out of his mind. "What Dharma are you grasping and unable to let go of?" He could not let go.
He delved into the topic of the cloth robe day and night. Ultimately what kind of cloth was it made of? What was it like? Was it seven and a half pounds, eight and a half pounds, or five and a half pounds? How heavy was the cloth? What material was it made of? The more he investigated that topic, the more muddled he became, and the more muddled he was, the more he investigated. It was like plucking silk. The more one plucks, the more chaotic it becomes. He didn't know what else to do, so he investigated, always sitting and never lying down. If he lay down, he would not have been able to investigate. And so he remained sitting, so that he would sleep less and be awake more. That way he could continue to investigate.
Going downstairs one evening, probably to use the restroom or something, he tripped and fell on the stairs. It was at night, and he probably wasn't using a lamp or a lantern. And probably there was no electric lighting back then. With no light of any kind, not even an oil lamp, he went downstairs in pitch dark. Probably there was a loose nail or some other object on the stairs, so his foot got caught and he stumbled. It must have been a painful fall, and he was oblivious to everything but the pain. In that state of oblivion, his heart felt totally empty. There was nothing on his mind; it was totally pure and clean. And he ripped the cloth robe of Qingzhou. That means his doubts were dispelled. The seven and a half pounds was too heavy, and he didn't want it anymore.
In the spring of the year jiyou (1669), he visited Venerable Ji at Zuoxi. The Venerable beckoned him to enter the room, which indicates that he transmitted the Dharma to the Master, and then pounded and hammered at him repeatedly. After transmitting the Dharma to him, he scolded and beat the Master, deliberately giving him a hard time. That kind of method is called "pounding and hammering," and he rained down the blows left and right, purposefully making a lot of trouble. He would criticize the Master even when the Master had done the right thing. The Venerable was testing him to see if he was ready. If he had not yet been smelted sufficiently, he could not be allowed to go forth. So the Venerable kept picking on him and correcting him, pruning his stray branchesso he could make great contributions to Buddhism in the future.
Until he attained the Great Dharma. After being constantlylambasted, he had some accomplishment. Then the Dharma wasformally transmitted to him, and in the year renzi (1672) of theKangxi reign period, he established the Dharma at Doulyu(Tushita) Monastery. The character lyu is the correctpronunciation, but most people pronounce it shuai now, as in theDoushuai (Tushita) Heaven Palace. He was also the abbot of amonastery at Zuoxi. The Dharma flourished and spread, andmany outstanding Buddhists went there. The Buddhadharmawas very popular at that time, and many people who could embodythe Dharma, many talented Buddhists, drew near to study with the Master.
To be continued |
