English
English version Regarding cranes. Many people raise them, so why is it necessary to present one to the Supreme One? If one is to be presented, it must be something exceptionally precious and rare in the world. If it has even a little black feather, it is not a true white crane. A true white crane should have pure white feathers. I heard an erudite old man say this when I was a child, and Gao Ruinan also heard it, which can be attested. Some also say that geese and egrets are white, but these are not valued for their whiteness, so they cannot be compared. Like the whiteness of cranes, the whiteness of parrots, the whiteness of turtles, the whiteness of deer, the whiteness of rabbits, and the whiteness of elephants, all are valued for their whiteness and are rare in the world. The pure whiteness of cranes belongs to this category. Please consider it in more detail. Unheard by the ear, unseen by the eye The sutra says, 'There is not even the name of an evil path,' meaning that the ear has not even heard of this name. This is merely to emphasize that there is absolutely no evil path there. If it were said that evil paths are also discussed, there should be someone who has heard of them. In that case, people in that place would probably actually see cranes and sparrows, not just hear about them. Based on this, the text should be changed to say, 'There is even the reality of an evil path, let alone the name?' Previously, I thought their strange writing was inverted, but I didn't know that was what they meant. Layman, you have extraordinary talent and profound learning. There are few in the land of Zhendan (China) who can compare to you. Now that you are in the Chan (Zen) school, both Confucianism and Buddhism hope that you will become a banner. And many people follow your transformation. You should not be misled by those who are attached to names and forms. You should use broad-minded theories to refute their narrow views; use comprehensive and thorough principles to break their biases and stubbornness, so that the true Dharma can shine brightly in the world, to repay the Buddha's kindness. This is your duty. How can you compare east and west on a winding path at the Sarvasti (舍卫城) gate of non-duality; remove the lion's seat of prediction given by Dipamkara Buddha (燃灯佛), and contend for inches on a rope bed? This is not what I expect from you, the reincarnation of Jin Su (金粟, referring to a famous monk of the Song Dynasty who was reincarnated as a prime minister). As for someone untalented like me, I do not desire the position of Dharma master, I do not admire the reputation of a good teacher, and I do not greedily seek the reverence of the fourfold assembly. Even if slander fills the world, and even if I use broken pottery as firewood, I will let them do as they please. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------