師霅川長興殷氏人。年二十一。參埜山克歸和尚。尚一日問。日間杲日當空。夜間明月炤戶。日月不相炤。眾生尒難睹。如何是不涉明暗一句。予日。今夜普茶來朝祝聖。呈偈曰。日當空，月炤戶。古往今來空裡舞。明暗雙消何所觀。碾破太虛誰解補。若解補。而起木童撾石鼓。印記後至漢陽建歸元寺，於康熙癸亥年。十二月二十五日告寂。眾索偈。師書日。至楚三十年。醜名遍播傳。也有說得好。不與我同參。若要我同參。咄。要與我同參。需要具這般始得。擲筆而逝。壽七十九。臘四十二。塔於本寺之陽。有語錄二卷。
註解：
這位是七十三世曹洞宗的一位祖師。他叫白光，因為光，所以他名字又叫德明，號德明––德明禪師。
「師霅川」長興的人。師俗家姓殷，殷氏子。年二十一歲的時候，參「埜山克歸和尚」：在埜山那兒住一位和尚叫克歸。「尚一日問」：這個克歸和尚一天就問，「日間皋日當空。」說白天的時候，「皋日」，就是很光明的那個太陽「當空」。「夜間明月炤戶」：晚間就有明月照每一個家庭的門戶。「日月不相炤」：假如沒有這個日月來相照了。「眾生尒難睹」：眾生在這個時候什麼也看不見了。「如何是不涉明暗一句」：「如何是」，這是問他怎麼樣是不涉及；不涉就不落到這個「明暗」這一句。這一句話你怎麼說？
「予曰」，還是這個克歸和尚說，說我所說的「今夜普茶，來朝祝聖。」今天是普茶的時候，大家吃普茶。到中國叢林裡頭，多數在半月，十四和三十這一天晚上吃普茶，也就大家談談話，有什麼意見說一說。因為出家人各人用各人的功，沒有機會談話，也都互相不認識了。你不知道我叫個什麼名字，我不知道你叫個什麼名字，這大家住在一起，所以半月就見一次面，大家談談話，這叫吃普茶。
這普茶就是沖一壺茶，拿點點心、花生米啊、朱古力，還有candy（糖果）啊，好像我們這個誰歡喜吃。candy，就拿出一點糖給大家吃吃。這一邊吃一邊談話，很隨便地就談家常，這叫普茶。誰都可以來吃這個普茶。是凡在這個廟上的人，都可以聚到一起在這兒吃普茶。誰都可以參加，不需要請，這是一定的，這叫普茶。說今天晚間是吃普茶的時候，「來朝祝聖」：香讚啦。
我們這兒萬佛城，天天上供念香讚，也做早晚課念香讚。到中國大叢林裡不是這樣子，就初一、十五念香讚，上大供，平時都是上小供，就到齋堂裡上上供就得了，不是在大殿裡上供。
那麼到時候都這樣子，所以這慶祝初一、十五都是要念香讚，這叫 「祝聖」。「祝聖」這個「聖」是四聖，就是韋馱、伽藍、監齋、還有祖堂，這初—、十五祝聖，都是念「寶鼎讚」祝聖，所以「來朝祝聖」。
「呈偈曰」：這德明和尚聽他這麼樣說，他這沒有說是這個不涉明暗怎么樣。這個「予曰」，就是我今天說，今天晚間就是普茶，來朝就是祝聖，這只是說他自己的意見。趕這個德明禪師他就呈個偈頌，就說了：
「日當空，月炤戶」：太陽在天中，月光也照著每一個家庭的門戶。
「古往今來空裡舞」：過去和現在，「空裡舞」，都是在這兒把光陰空過了，在空裡好像跳舞似的，沒有作出什麼事情來 。
「明暗雙消何所觀」：雙消，明也沒有了，暗也沒有了，都沒有了。「何所觀」：你還能看見什麼呢？什麼也看不見了，這就表示這是很自然的一種境象。
「 碾破太虛誰解補」：如果你沒有事情找事情幹，把太處就算你碾破了。「誰解」：誰能把虛空再把它修補好了呢？
「若解補」：虛空壞的，你要能補上它，把它造好了。「驚起撾木童石鼓」：這個時候就能驚起木頭的人。木頭的人在那兒打石頭的鼓。這本來也無所謂什麼石鼓，也沒有什麼木童可以打石鼓的。他就說這根本就是不可能的事情。
「印記」：他說這個偈頌之後，這個克歸和尚看他是懂了天地間大自然的道理和自己自性的關係，所以就傳法給他。「後至漢陽建歸元寺」：他就到湖北漢陽這個地方造歸元寺。
於康熙癸亥「十二月二十五日」：他在康熙癸亥那一年，十二月二十五日那一天「告寂」，告訴大家說我要圓寂了。
「眾索偈」：有道德，有修行的人，臨終都要說一個偈頌，沒有事情耍出一個花樣來。那麼大家和他索偈，他就說了一個偈頌，說：
「至楚三十年」：「楚」是湖南、湖北，這都是楚國的地方，所以說他至楚三十年。
「醜名遍播傳」：他這也不是客氣話，也不是方才有人說是自卑感，不是這樣。這是怎麼呢？他就是算好名，他自己也拿它當醜名，根本沒有一個所謂好啊，醜啊，他好醜都一樣。所以他不自讚毀他，不說，「哦！我這個好名怎么樣！」他說我醜名、醜名，也就是叫大家不要執著這個名了，叫大家破這個好名的心。
（錄音帶中斷，以下註解由當時在場的陳果傑居士筆記本中錄出：）
你有問題，有執著，所以才伯人家不信任自己，看不起自己，生出煩煩惱惱、爭爭吵吵、是是非非。這位和尚一定道德很高超的，所以才會擲筆而逝。「也有說得好。不與我同參」：但是也有說我好的，但他們不與我同參，我不是和他們一樣的。他們是非分得很清楚。「若要我同參」：你要想說是和我同參。「咄」：不！「要與我同參，需要具這般始得」：你要是想和我一樣的，你也要具這種本事。「擲筆而逝」，「壽七十九」，「臘四十二」：戒臘和僧臘相同；戒臘四十二。「塔於本寺之陽」：塔就在寺之南。有語錄二卷。
待續
上人語錄
你禮佛，佛受禮，能增加你的福慧。也就是說拜佛是感，受禮是應，這樣，就是道交。 |
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The Master was from the family of Yin in Changxing, Zhachuan. At age twenty-one, he went to visit the Venerable Kegui of Ye Mountain. One day the Venerable One asked him, "The bright sun crosses the sky in the daytime. The bright moon shines in the windows at night. Without the illumination of the sun and moon, it would be hard for living beings to see. How would you explain the phrase, 'not discriminating between light and dark'? I say, 'Tonight we will have the common tea, and the next morning we will worship the sages.'" The Master submitted a verse:
The sun is in the sky; the moon shines in the windows.
From the distant past until the present day, we have just danced in the air.
When light and dark both disappear, what does one see?
If space is smashed, who would know how to mend it?
If someone could mend it, that would startle a wooden doll into beating a stone drum.
After his verse was certified, he went to Hanyang and built Guiyuan (Return to the Source) Monastery. On the twenty-fifth of the twelfth month in the guihai year of the Kangxi reign period, the Master announced that he was entering the stillness. The assembly requested a verse. The Master wrote a verse saying, "I came to Chu thirty years ago. My bad name has spread all over the place. Some say good things about me, but they are not my fellow cultivators. They may say they are, but it's not so! If they want to be my fellow cultivators, they must have this kind of skill." He threw the brush down and passed away at age 79, with 42 years in the precepts. His stupa was built on the south side of the monastery. His instructional talks were compiled in two volumes.
Commentary:
This is the first patriarch in the 73rd generation of the Caodong School. His name was Baiguang (White Light), and because of the light, he was also called Dhyana Master Deming (Brilliance of Virtue).
The Master was from the family of Yin in Changxing, Zhachuan. His lay surname was Yin. He was a son of the Yin family. At age twenty- one, he went to visit the Venerable Kegui of Ye Mountain. There was a monk by the name of Kegui living at Ye Mountain. One day the Venerable One, Master Kegui asked him, "The bright sun crosses the sky in the daytime. The bright moon shines in the doors and windows of every home at night. Without the illumination of the sun and moon, it would be hard for living beings to see. No one would be able to see anything. How would you explain the phrase, 'not discriminating between light and dark'? Not discriminating means not being attached to light and dark. I, Venerable Kegui, say—this is my answer—'Tonight we will have the common tea.' Today it's time for everyone to have tea together. In large Chinese monasteries traditionally, usually on the fourteenth and the thirtieth of the lunar month, everyone comes to a common tea in the evening. It's a gathering for casual conversation, where people can express their opinions. Usually monastics concentrate on their individual practices and have no opportunity for conversation. As a result, they are not mutually acquainted. They don't even know each other's name. That's why it became a tradition for everyone to get together every half a month to chat. Such a gathering is called a common tea. Tea is made, and refreshments, such as peanuts, or chocolate, or candy, are served. For example, if people like candy, then candy may be served. People can chat about ordinary daily-life matters at the common tea, and everyone is welcome to attend. Everyone who lives in the monastery can join the tea gathering. Anyone can come; there's no need to be invited. That's why it's called a common tea.
Venerable Kegui said, "This evening it's time for the common tea, and the next morning, which would either be the first or the fifteenth of the lunar month, we will worship the sages by chanting the Incense Praise." Here at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, we recite the Incense Praise every day during the Meal Offering Ceremony and the morning and evening ceremonies. In Chinese monasteries, however, they only recite the Incense Praise when they hold the Large Meal Offering on the first and fifteenth. On other days they recite a Small Meal Offering right in the dining hall. They don't do a Meal Offering in the main Buddha hall. "Worshipping the sages" refers to reciting the Incense Praise during the special ceremony for the first and the fifteenth days of the lunar month. Four sages in particular are worshipped: Weituo, Qielan, Jianzhai, and the Patriarchs. On the first and fifteenth, the assembly recites the Jeweled Censor Praise to worship the sages.
The Master submitted a verse. Master Deming heard Venerable Kegui's answer and saw that it did not explain "not discriminating light and dark." Venerable Kegui simply said, "I say that tonight there will be a common tea, and tomorrow we will worship the sages." That was just his own opinion. And so Dhyana Master Deming presented a verse. It says,
The sun is in the sky; the moon shines in the doors and windows of every home. From the distant past until the present day, we have just danced in the air. In the past and present, we have let the time go by in vain, as if dancing in the air. We haven't had any worthwhile achievements.
When light and dark both disappear, what does one see? When the light and darkness are both gone, what can you see? At that time, you won't be able to see anything. This is a natural state of affairs.
If space is smashed, who would know how to mend it? If, having nothing better to do, you crushed and shattered space, who would be able to put it back together again? If someone could mend it and really patch up the parts that were broken, that would startle a wooden doll into beating a stone drum. Actually the wooden doll and the stone drum are both hypothetical and don't exist; they represent an impossible situation.
After his verse was certified: After the Master spoke his verse, Venerable Kegui saw that he understood the principles of the universe and Nature, and their connection with his own self-nature, so Venerable Kegui transmitted the Dharma to him. Thereupon he went to Hanyang in Hubei Province and built Guiyuan (Return to the Source) Monastery in the guihai year of the Kangxi reign period. On the twenty-fifth of the twelfth month in the guihai year (1683 A.D.) of the Kangxi reign period, the Master announced to everyone that he was entering the stillness.
The assembly requested a verse. Virtuous, accomplished cultivators generally speak a verse before they pass away. It's a kind of unnecessary flourish, but the assembly asked for one, so the Master wrote a verse saying,
I came to Chu thirty years ago. Chu refers to the ancient state of Chu, which is the present-day Hunan and Hubei Provinces. He said he had been in Chu for thirty years.
My bad name has spread all over the place. He wasn't being polite, and he didn't have an inferiority complex, as someone had explained. Even if he had a good reputation, he himself considered it a bad one. There was no distinction between good and bad; they were all the same to him. He didn't praise himself and disparage others, saying, "I have such a good reputation!" He called his name a bad one, which was telling everyone not to be attached to name, to get rid of their desire for a good name. [The tape did not record the rest of the lecture. The following commentary was recorded by Upasika Guo Jie Chan, who was present at the time of the lecture.] It's only because you have problems and attachments that you are afraid people won't believe you or will look down on you. Then you become all afflicted and start to argue about rights and wrongs. This Master must certainly have been very lofty to be able to "throw the brush down and pass away."
Some say good things about me, but they are not my fellow cultivators. They are not on a par with me. They may say they are, they may claim to be equal to me, but it's not so! It can't be. If they want to be my fellow cultivators, if they want to be the same as I, they must have this kind of skill." He threw the brush down and passed away at age 79, with 42 years in the precepts. His age in the precepts, which is the same as his age in the Sangha, was forty-two. His stupa was built on the south side of the monastery. His instructional talks were compiled in two volumes.
To be continued
Venerable Master's Dharma Words
♦When you venerate the Buddha, and the Buddha accepts your veneration, your blessings and wisdom will increase. That is to say, when you pray by bowing to the Buddha and the Buddha responds by receiving your bow, the prayer and response are said to be "intertwined in the Way."
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