English
English version A lawyer, Faming, said to the Zen master: 'Zen masters mostly fall into emptiness.' The master said: 'It is the lecturers who mostly fall into emptiness.' Faming was greatly surprised and said: 'How can they fall into emptiness?' The master said: 'The sutras and treatises are paper and ink writings, and paper and ink writings are all empty. Even establishing names, phrases, and other dharmas on sound is nothing but emptiness. The lecturers cling to the form of the teachings, how can they not fall into emptiness?' Faming said: 'Does the Zen master fall into emptiness?' The master said: 'I do not fall into emptiness.' Faming asked: 'Why do you not fall into emptiness?' The master said: 'Words and the like all arise from wisdom. When great function manifests, how can there be emptiness?' Faming said: 'Therefore, it is known that one who does not understand one dharma cannot be called Siddhartha (Sarvarthasiddha, meaning 'accomplishment of all aims').' The master said: 'The lawyer not only falls into emptiness but also misuses terms.' Faming changed his expression and asked: 'Where is the mistake?' The master said: 'The lawyer does not distinguish the sounds of China and India, how can he lecture?' Faming said: 'Please, Zen master, point out Faming's mistake.' The master said: 'Do you not know that Siddhartha (Sarvarthasiddha) is a Sanskrit word?' Although the lawyer admitted his mistake, he was still indignant in his heart. (The Sanskrit word Sarvarthasiddha is translated into Chinese as 'accomplishment of all aims'. The old translation 'Siddhartha' is still an abbreviated and erroneous term.) He further asked: 'The sutras, vinaya, and treatises are the words of the Buddha. Why do we not see our nature by reading, reciting, and practicing according to the teachings?' The master said: 'It is like a mad dog chasing a clod of earth, while a lion bites a person. The sutras, vinaya, and treatises are the function of self-nature, and the reader is the dharma of self-nature.' Faming further asked: 'Does Amitabha Buddha (Amitabha) have parents and a surname?' The master said: 'Amitabha's surname is Kausika, his father's name is Moon-above, and his mother's name is Excellent Wonderful Face.' Faming asked: 'From which teaching does this come?' The master said: 'It comes from the Dharani Collection.' Faming bowed, thanked, praised, and withdrew. A Tripitaka master asked: 'Does Suchness (Tathata, reality as it is) change?' The master said: 'It changes.' The Tripitaka master said: 'The Zen master is wrong.' The master asked the Tripitaka master in return: 'Is there Suchness?' He said: 'There is.' The master said: 'If there is no change, then you are definitely an ordinary monk. Have you not heard that a good advisor can transform the three poisons into the three pure precepts, transform the six consciousnesses into the six superknowledges, transform afflictions into Bodhi, and transform ignorance into great wisdom? If Suchness does not change, then the Tripitaka master is truly a naturalistic heretic.' The Tripitaka master said: 'If that is so, then Such' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
如即有变易。师曰。若执真如有变易。亦是外道。曰。禅师适来说真如有变易。如今又道不变易。如何即是的当。师曰。若了了见性者。如摩尼珠现色。说变亦得。说不变亦得。若不见性人。闻说真如变便作变解。闻说不变便作不变解。三藏曰故知南宗实不可测。 有道流问。世间有法过自然否。师曰有。曰何法过得。师曰能知自然者。曰元气是道否。师曰。元气自元气。道自道。曰若如是者则应有二。师曰知无两人。又问。云何为邪。云何为正。师曰。心逐物为邪。物从心为正。有源律师来问。和尚修道还用功否。师曰用功。曰如何用功。师曰。饥来吃饭。困来即眠。曰。一切人总如是。同师用功否。师曰不同。曰何故不同。师曰。他吃饭时不肯吃饭。百种须索。睡时不肯睡。千般计校。所以不同也。律师杜口。 有韫光大德问。禅师自知生处否。师曰。未曾死。何用论生。知生即是无生法。无离生法说有无生。祖师云。当生即不生。曰不见性人亦得如此否。师曰。自不见性。不是无性。何以故。见即是性。无性不能见。识即是性。故名识性。了即是性。唤作了性。能生万法。唤作法性。亦名法身。马鸣祖师云。所言法者。谓众生心。若心生。故一切法生。若心无生。法无从生。亦无名字。迷人不知法 现代汉语译本 如果认为真如会有变易，那就会有变易。马祖说道：‘如果执着于真如会有变易，这也是外道。’那人说：‘禅师刚才说真如会有变易，现在又说不会变易，到底哪个才是正确的？’马祖说：‘如果真正了悟自性的人，就像摩尼珠（mani jewel）显现各种颜色一样，说变也可以，说不变也可以。如果是不见自性的人，听到说真如变，就理解为变；听到说不变，就理解为不变。’三藏（Tripitaka）说：‘所以说南宗（Southern School of Chan Buddhism）确实深不可测。’ 有个道士问道：‘世间有法超过自然吗？’马祖说：‘有。’道士说：‘什么法能超过自然？’马祖说：‘能认识自然的法。’道士说：‘元气（primordial qi）是道吗？’马祖说：‘元气是元气，道是道。’道士说：‘如果这样，那就应该有两个。’马祖说：‘知道没有两个。’又问：‘什么是邪？什么是正？’马祖说：‘心随逐外物就是邪，外物顺从心就是正。’有源律师来问道：‘和尚修道还用功吗？’马祖说：‘用功。’律师说：‘如何用功？’马祖说：‘饿了就吃饭，困了就睡觉。’律师说：‘所有人都这样，和尚的用功和他们一样吗？’马祖说：‘不一样。’律师说：‘为什么不一样？’马祖说：‘他们吃饭的时候不肯好好吃饭，百般挑剔；睡觉的时候不肯好好睡觉，千般算计。所以不一样。’律师无言以对。 有韫光大德问道：‘禅师自己知道出生的地方吗？’马祖说：‘未曾死，何必讨论出生。知道生就是无生法（no-birth dharma），没有离开生的法来说有无生。’祖师说：‘当生即不生。’韫光大德说：‘不见自性的人也能这样说吗？’马祖说：‘自己不见自性，不是没有自性。为什么呢？见就是自性，没有自性就不能见。识就是自性，所以叫做识性（consciousness-nature）。了就是自性，叫做了性（understanding-nature）。能生万法，叫做法性（dharma-nature），也叫做法身（dharma-body）。’马鸣祖师（Asvaghosa）说：‘所说的法，指的是众生心。如果心生，所以一切法生；如果心无生，法无从生，也没有名字。’迷惑的人不知道法。
English
English version If there is change in True Thusness, there will be change. The Master said, 'If you cling to the idea that True Thusness is subject to change, that is also an externalist path.' The person said, 'The Chan Master just said that True Thusness is subject to change, but now says it is not subject to change. Which is the correct understanding?' The Master said, 'If one truly sees their nature, like a mani jewel (mani jewel) manifesting colors, it can be said to change, and it can be said not to change. If one does not see their nature, upon hearing that True Thusness changes, they understand it as change; upon hearing that it does not change, they understand it as not changing.' The Tripitaka (Tripitaka) said, 'Therefore, it is known that the Southern School (Southern School of Chan Buddhism) is truly unfathomable.' A Taoist asked, 'Is there a dharma in the world that surpasses nature?' The Master said, 'Yes.' The Taoist said, 'What dharma surpasses it?' The Master said, 'The one that can know nature.' The Taoist said, 'Is primordial qi (primordial qi) the Dao?' The Master said, 'Primordial qi is primordial qi, the Dao is the Dao.' The Taoist said, 'If that is so, then there should be two.' The Master said, 'Knowing there are not two.' He also asked, 'What is evil? What is right?' The Master said, 'The mind following objects is evil; objects following the mind is right.' A Vinaya Master, Yuan, came and asked, 'Does the Master still exert effort in cultivating the Dao?' The Master said, 'I exert effort.' The Vinaya Master said, 'How do you exert effort?' The Master said, 'When hungry, I eat; when tired, I sleep.' The Vinaya Master said, 'Everyone does that. Is the Master's effort the same as theirs?' The Master said, 'It is not the same.' The Vinaya Master said, 'Why is it not the same?' The Master said, 'When they eat, they are unwilling to eat properly, making all sorts of demands. When they sleep, they are unwilling to sleep properly, making all sorts of calculations. Therefore, it is not the same.' The Vinaya Master was speechless. The virtuous Yun Guang asked, 'Does the Chan Master know his place of birth?' The Master said, 'I have never died, why discuss birth? Knowing birth is the dharma of no-birth (no-birth dharma); there is no dharma apart from birth to speak of no-birth.' The Patriarch said, 'When born, it is not born.' Yun Guang said, 'Can those who do not see their nature also say this?' The Master said, 'Not seeing one's own nature does not mean there is no nature. Why? Seeing is nature; without nature, one cannot see. Consciousness is nature, therefore it is called consciousness-nature (consciousness-nature). Understanding is nature, called understanding-nature (understanding-nature). It can generate all dharmas, called dharma-nature (dharma-nature), also called dharma-body (dharma-body).' The Patriarch Asvaghosa (Asvaghosa) said, 'What is meant by dharma refers to the minds of sentient beings. If the mind arises, then all dharmas arise; if the mind does not arise, dharmas have no origin and no name.' Deluded people do not know the dharma. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
身无象。应物现形。遂唤青青翠竹总是法身。郁郁黄华无非般若。黄华若是般若。般若即同无情。翠竹若是法身。法身即同草木。如人吃笋。应总吃法身也。如此之言。宁堪齿录。对面迷佛。长劫希求。全体法中。迷而外觅。是以解道者行住坐卧无非是道。悟法者纵横自在无非是法。 大德又问。太虚能生灵智否。真心缘于善恶否。贪欲人是道否。执是执非人向后心通否。触境生心人有定否。住于寂寞人有慧否。怀于傲物人有我否。执空执有人有智否。寻文取证人．苦行求佛人．离心求佛人．执心是佛人此皆称道否。请禅师一一开示。师曰。太虚不生灵智。真心不缘善恶。嗜欲深者机浅。是非交争者未通。触境生心者少定。寂寞忘机者慧沈。傲物高心者我壮。执空执有者皆愚。寻文取证者益滞。苦行求佛者俱迷。离心求佛者外道。执心是佛者为魔。大德曰。若如是。应毕竟无所有。师曰。毕竟是大德。不是毕竟无所有。大德踊跃礼谢而去。 师上堂曰。诸人幸自好个无事人。苦死造作要檐枷落狱作么。每日至夜奔波。道我参禅学道解会佛法。如此转无交涉也。只是逐声色走。有何歇时。贫道闻江西和尚道。汝自家宝藏一切具足。使用自在。不假外求。我从此一时休去。自己财宝随身受用。可谓快活。无一 现代汉语译本： 身无定相，应物而显现各种形态。于是说，青翠的竹子都是法身（Dharmakaya，佛的法性之身），茂盛的黄色花朵无一不是般若（Prajna，智慧）。如果黄花是般若，那么般若就等同于无情之物；如果翠竹是法身，那么法身就等同于草木。如果有人吃竹笋，岂不是等于吃法身？这样的话，实在不值得记录。人们面对着佛却迷惑不解，长久地向外寻求。在全体的法性之中，迷惑而向外寻找。因此，明白道理的人，行走坐卧无一不是道；领悟佛法的人，纵横自在无一不是法。 一位大德（指有德行的人）又问：‘太虚（指空虚的宇宙）能产生灵智吗？真心会受善恶的影响吗？贪欲之人能悟道吗？执着于是非的人，将来能心意相通吗？接触外境才产生念头的人，有定力吗？安于寂寞的人有智慧吗？心怀傲慢的人有‘我’吗？执着于空或有的人有智慧吗？寻章摘句来求证佛法的人、苦行来求佛的人、离心来求佛的人、执着于心就是佛的人，这些都能称得上是修行正道吗？’请禅师一一开示。 禅师说：‘太虚不能产生灵智，真心不受善恶的影响。贪欲深重的人根器浅薄，执着于争论是非的人尚未开悟。接触外境才产生念头的人缺少定力，安于寂寞而忘记机巧的人智慧沉寂。傲慢自大的人‘我’执更强，执着于空或有的人都是愚痴。寻章摘句来求证佛法的人会更加迷惑，苦行来求佛的人都会迷失方向，离心来求佛的人是外道，执着于心就是佛的人是着魔。’ 大德说：‘如果像您所说的那样，岂不是最终什么都没有？’ 禅师说：‘最终是大德您，而不是最终什么都没有。’ 大德听后非常高兴，行礼感谢后离开了。 禅师上堂开示说：‘各位本来都是无事之人，何苦自寻烦恼，给自己戴上枷锁，下地狱呢？每天从早到晚奔波劳碌，说自己参禅学道，懂得佛法，这样反而越来越不相干。只是追逐声色犬马，何时才能停止？贫道听说江西的禅师说，‘你自己的宝藏一切具足，使用起来自由自在，不需要向外寻求。’我从此一时放下，用自己本有的财宝，随心所欲地享用，真是快乐无比，没有一点… 无。