舉
僧問雲門。如何是一代時教(直至如今不了。座主不會。葛藤窠裏)
雲門云。對一說(無孔鐵鎚。七花八裂。老鼠咬生薑)。
僧問雲門。如何是一代時教(直至如今不了。座主不會。葛藤窠裏)
雲門云。對一說(無孔鐵鎚。七花八裂。老鼠咬生薑)。
Case
A monk asked Yun Men, "What are the teachings of a whole lifetime?"
Yun Men said, "An appropriate statement."
Notes
Even up till now they're not finished with. The lecturer does not understand; he's in the cave of entangling complications.
An iron hammerhead with no handle-hole. A profuse outburst. A rat gnawing on raw ginger.
A monk asked Yun Men, "What are the teachings of a whole lifetime?"
Yun Men said, "An appropriate statement."
Notes
Even up till now they're not finished with. The lecturer does not understand; he's in the cave of entangling complications.
An iron hammerhead with no handle-hole. A profuse outburst. A rat gnawing on raw ginger.
禪家流。欲知佛性義。當觀時節因緣。謂之教外別傳。單傳心印。直指人心。見性成佛。釋迦老子。四十九年住世。三百六十會。開談頓漸權實。謂之一代時教。這僧拈來問云。如何是一代時教。雲門何不與他紛紛解說。却向他道箇對一說。雲門尋常一句中。須具三句。謂之函蓋乾坤句。隨波逐浪句。截斷眾流句。放去收來。自然奇特。如斬釘截鐵。教人義解卜度他底不得。一大藏教。只消三箇字。四方八面。無爾穿鑿處。人多錯會。却道對一時機宜之事。故說。又道森羅及萬象。皆是一法之所印。謂之對一說。更有道。只是說那箇一法。
有什麼交涉。非唯不會。更入地獄如箭。殊不知。古人意不如此。所以道。粉骨碎身未足酬。一句了然超百億。不妨奇特。如何是一代時教。只消道箇對一說。若當頭薦得。便可歸家穩坐。若薦不得。且伏聽處分。
Commentary
Members of the Ch'an family, if you want to know the mean ing of Buddha-nature, you must observe times and seasons, causes and conditions. This is called the special transmission outside the (written) teachings, the sole transmission of the mind seal, directly pointing to the human mind for the perception of nature and realization of Buddhahood. For forty-nine years old Shakyamuni stayed in the world; at three hundred and sixty assemblies he expounded the sudden and the gradual, the temporary and the true. These are what is called the teachings of a whole lifetime.a The monk (in this case) picked this out to ask, "What are the teachings of a whole lifetime?" Why didn't Yun Men explain for him in full detail, but instead said to him, "An appropriate statement"? As usual, within one sentence of Yun Men three sentences are bound to be present. These are called the sentence that encloses heaven and earth, the sentence that follows the waves, and the sentence that cuts off the myriad streams. He lets go and gathers up; he's naturally extraordinary, like cutting nails or shearing through iron. He makes people unable to comprehend him or figure him out. The whole great treasure house of the teachings just comes down to three words ("An appropriate statement"); there is no facet or aspect in which you can rationalize this.
People often misunderstand and say, "Buddha's preaching was appropriate to the conditions of one time." Or they say, "The multitude of appearances and myriad forms are all the impressions of a single truth,"b and call this "an appropriate statement." Then there are those who say, "It's just talking about that one truth." What connection is there? Not only do they not understand, they also enter hell as fast as an arrow flies. They are far from knowing that the meaning of that man of old is not like this.
Therefore it is said, "Shattering one's bones and crushing one's body is still not sufficient recompense; when a single phrase is understood, you transcend ten billion." Undeniably extraordinary: "What are the teachings of a whole lifetime?" just boils down to his saying, "An appropriate statement." If you can grasp this immediately, then you can return home and sit in peace. If you can't get it, then listen humbly to the verdict:
Members of the Ch'an family, if you want to know the mean ing of Buddha-nature, you must observe times and seasons, causes and conditions. This is called the special transmission outside the (written) teachings, the sole transmission of the mind seal, directly pointing to the human mind for the perception of nature and realization of Buddhahood. For forty-nine years old Shakyamuni stayed in the world; at three hundred and sixty assemblies he expounded the sudden and the gradual, the temporary and the true. These are what is called the teachings of a whole lifetime.a The monk (in this case) picked this out to ask, "What are the teachings of a whole lifetime?" Why didn't Yun Men explain for him in full detail, but instead said to him, "An appropriate statement"? As usual, within one sentence of Yun Men three sentences are bound to be present. These are called the sentence that encloses heaven and earth, the sentence that follows the waves, and the sentence that cuts off the myriad streams. He lets go and gathers up; he's naturally extraordinary, like cutting nails or shearing through iron. He makes people unable to comprehend him or figure him out. The whole great treasure house of the teachings just comes down to three words ("An appropriate statement"); there is no facet or aspect in which you can rationalize this.
People often misunderstand and say, "Buddha's preaching was appropriate to the conditions of one time." Or they say, "The multitude of appearances and myriad forms are all the impressions of a single truth,"b and call this "an appropriate statement." Then there are those who say, "It's just talking about that one truth." What connection is there? Not only do they not understand, they also enter hell as fast as an arrow flies. They are far from knowing that the meaning of that man of old is not like this.
Therefore it is said, "Shattering one's bones and crushing one's body is still not sufficient recompense; when a single phrase is understood, you transcend ten billion." Undeniably extraordinary: "What are the teachings of a whole lifetime?" just boils down to his saying, "An appropriate statement." If you can grasp this immediately, then you can return home and sit in peace. If you can't get it, then listen humbly to the verdict:
對一說(活鱍鱍。言猶在耳。不妨孤峻)
太孤絕(傍觀有分。何止壁立千仞。豈有恁麼事)
無孔鐵鎚重下楔(錯會名言也。雲門老漢。也是泥裏洗土塊。雪竇也是粧飾)
閻浮樹下笑呵呵(四州八縣。不會見箇漢。同道者方知。能有幾人知)
昨夜驪龍拗角折(非止驪龍拗折。有誰見來。還有證明麼。啞)
別別(讚歎有分。須是雪竇始得。有什麼別處)
韻陽老人得一橛(在什麼處。更有一橛。分付阿誰。德山臨濟也須退倒三千。那一橛又作麼生。便打)
太孤絕(傍觀有分。何止壁立千仞。豈有恁麼事)
無孔鐵鎚重下楔(錯會名言也。雲門老漢。也是泥裏洗土塊。雪竇也是粧飾)
閻浮樹下笑呵呵(四州八縣。不會見箇漢。同道者方知。能有幾人知)
昨夜驪龍拗角折(非止驪龍拗折。有誰見來。還有證明麼。啞)
別別(讚歎有分。須是雪竇始得。有什麼別處)
韻陽老人得一橛(在什麼處。更有一橛。分付阿誰。德山臨濟也須退倒三千。那一橛又作麼生。便打)
Verse
An appropriate statement;
(Leaping with life. The words are still in our ears. Undeniably unique and lofty.)
How utterly unique!
(The onlooker has some part in it. Why only stand like a mile high wall? Is there any such thing!)
He wedges a stake into the iron hammerhead with no hole.
(He misunderstands the words. Old Yun Men too is washing a lump of dirt in the mud; Hsueh Tau also is just pasting on ornaments.)
Under the Jambu Tree I'm laughing; ha, ha!
(This fellow has never been seen anywhere. Only those on the same path would know. How many people could there be who know?)
Last night the black dragon had his horn wrenched off:
(It's not just the black dragon who gets twisted and broken. Has anyone seen? Do you have proof? Dumb!)
Exceptional, exceptional-
(Ample praise; it takes Hsueh Tau to do this. Where is he exceptional?)
The old man of Shao Yang got one horn.
(Where is it? To whom is the other horn given? Te Shan and Lin Chi too must fall back three thousand miles. Again, what about that other horn? I strike!)
An appropriate statement;
(Leaping with life. The words are still in our ears. Undeniably unique and lofty.)
How utterly unique!
(The onlooker has some part in it. Why only stand like a mile high wall? Is there any such thing!)
He wedges a stake into the iron hammerhead with no hole.
(He misunderstands the words. Old Yun Men too is washing a lump of dirt in the mud; Hsueh Tau also is just pasting on ornaments.)
Under the Jambu Tree I'm laughing; ha, ha!
(This fellow has never been seen anywhere. Only those on the same path would know. How many people could there be who know?)
Last night the black dragon had his horn wrenched off:
(It's not just the black dragon who gets twisted and broken. Has anyone seen? Do you have proof? Dumb!)
Exceptional, exceptional-
(Ample praise; it takes Hsueh Tau to do this. Where is he exceptional?)
The old man of Shao Yang got one horn.
(Where is it? To whom is the other horn given? Te Shan and Lin Chi too must fall back three thousand miles. Again, what about that other horn? I strike!)
對一說。太孤絕。雪竇讚之不及。此語獨脫孤危。光前絕後。如萬丈懸崖相似。亦如百萬軍陣。無爾人處。只是忒殺孤危。
古人道。欲得親切。莫將問來問。問在答處。答在問端。直是孤峻。且道什麼處是孤峻處。天下人奈何不得。這僧也是箇作家。所以如此問。雲門又恁麼答。大似無孔鐵鎚重下楔相似。雪竇使文言。用得甚巧。
閻浮樹下笑呵呵。起世經中說。須彌南畔吠琉璃樹。映閻浮洲中皆青色。此洲乃大樹為名。名閻浮提。其樹縱廣七千由旬。下有閻浮壇金聚。高二十由旬。以金從樹下出生故。號閻浮樹。
所以雪竇自說。他在閻浮樹下笑呵呵。且道他笑箇什麼。笑昨夜驪龍拗角折。只得瞻之仰之。讚嘆雲門有分。雲門道。對一說似箇什麼。如拗折驪龍一角相似。到這裏若無恁麼事。焉能恁麼說話。
雪竇一時頌了。末後却道。別別。韶陽老人得一橛。何不道全得。如何只得一橛。且道那一橛。在什麼處。直得穿過第二人。
古人道。欲得親切。莫將問來問。問在答處。答在問端。直是孤峻。且道什麼處是孤峻處。天下人奈何不得。這僧也是箇作家。所以如此問。雲門又恁麼答。大似無孔鐵鎚重下楔相似。雪竇使文言。用得甚巧。
閻浮樹下笑呵呵。起世經中說。須彌南畔吠琉璃樹。映閻浮洲中皆青色。此洲乃大樹為名。名閻浮提。其樹縱廣七千由旬。下有閻浮壇金聚。高二十由旬。以金從樹下出生故。號閻浮樹。
所以雪竇自說。他在閻浮樹下笑呵呵。且道他笑箇什麼。笑昨夜驪龍拗角折。只得瞻之仰之。讚嘆雲門有分。雲門道。對一說似箇什麼。如拗折驪龍一角相似。到這裏若無恁麼事。焉能恁麼說話。
雪竇一時頌了。末後却道。別別。韶陽老人得一橛。何不道全得。如何只得一橛。且道那一橛。在什麼處。直得穿過第二人。
Commentary
"An appropriate statement; how utterly unique!" Hsueh Tou cannot praise him enough. These words of Yun Men are independent and free, unique and lofty, prior to light and after annihilation. They are like an overhanging cliff ten thousand fathoms high. Then, too, they are like a million man battle line; there is no place for you to get in. It's just that it's too solitary and perilous.
An Ancient said, "If you want to attain intimacy, don't use a question to ask a question; the question is in the answer and the answer is in the point of the question." Of course it's solitary and steep, but tell me, where is it that it's solitary and steep? No one on earth can do anything about it.
This monk (in the case) was also an adept, and that is why he could question like this. And Yun Men too answered this way, much like "wedging a stake into the iron hammerhead with no hole." Hsueh Tou employs literary language so artfully!
"Under the Jambu Tree I'm laughing; ha, ha!" In the Scripture on the Creation of the World it says, "On the south side of Sumeru a crystal tree shines over the continent of Jambu, making all in between a clear blue color. This continent takes its name from this great tree; hence it is called Jambudvipa. This tree is seven thousand leagues high; beneath it are the golden mounds of the Jambu altar, which is twenty leagues high. Since gold is produced from beneath the tree, it is called the Jambu tree."
Thus Hsueh Tou says of himself that he is under the Jambu tree laughing out loud. But tell me, what is he laughing at? He's laughing at the black dragon who last night got his horn wrenched off. He's just looking up respectfully; he can only praise Yun Men. When Yun Men says, "An appropriate state ment," what's it like? It's like breaking off one of the black dragon's horns. At this point, if there were no such thing, how could he have spoken as he did?
Hsueh Tou has finished his verse all at once, but he still has something to say at the very end: "Exceptional, exceptional the old man of Shao Yang got one horn." Why doesn't Hsueh Tou say he got them both? How is it that he just got one horn? Tell me, where is the other horn?
source NTI Reader, translation by Thomas Cleary
"An appropriate statement; how utterly unique!" Hsueh Tou cannot praise him enough. These words of Yun Men are independent and free, unique and lofty, prior to light and after annihilation. They are like an overhanging cliff ten thousand fathoms high. Then, too, they are like a million man battle line; there is no place for you to get in. It's just that it's too solitary and perilous.
An Ancient said, "If you want to attain intimacy, don't use a question to ask a question; the question is in the answer and the answer is in the point of the question." Of course it's solitary and steep, but tell me, where is it that it's solitary and steep? No one on earth can do anything about it.
This monk (in the case) was also an adept, and that is why he could question like this. And Yun Men too answered this way, much like "wedging a stake into the iron hammerhead with no hole." Hsueh Tou employs literary language so artfully!
"Under the Jambu Tree I'm laughing; ha, ha!" In the Scripture on the Creation of the World it says, "On the south side of Sumeru a crystal tree shines over the continent of Jambu, making all in between a clear blue color. This continent takes its name from this great tree; hence it is called Jambudvipa. This tree is seven thousand leagues high; beneath it are the golden mounds of the Jambu altar, which is twenty leagues high. Since gold is produced from beneath the tree, it is called the Jambu tree."
Thus Hsueh Tou says of himself that he is under the Jambu tree laughing out loud. But tell me, what is he laughing at? He's laughing at the black dragon who last night got his horn wrenched off. He's just looking up respectfully; he can only praise Yun Men. When Yun Men says, "An appropriate state ment," what's it like? It's like breaking off one of the black dragon's horns. At this point, if there were no such thing, how could he have spoken as he did?
Hsueh Tou has finished his verse all at once, but he still has something to say at the very end: "Exceptional, exceptional the old man of Shao Yang got one horn." Why doesn't Hsueh Tou say he got them both? How is it that he just got one horn? Tell me, where is the other horn?
source NTI Reader, translation by Thomas Cleary
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