English
English version: To have the opportunity to meet him. I dare not demean him with the position of abbot. The Chan master and the public officials of various places share the same aspirations, and they will respond to invitations even if they are thousands of miles away. If they do not agree, they will not go even if invited many times. The Chan master uses internal scriptures (Buddhist scriptures) and external books (non-Buddhist scriptures) to ask questions, debate, and enlighten, so that people can reflect on themselves based on what they have learned. If they understand, they will eventually reach the same goal, and if they return to the truth, there is no need to teach them anymore. People from all sides criticize the Chan master for not mixing Buddhist teachings with external books. The Chan master said: 'If you do not see your own nature, then the secret teachings of the ancestors and Buddhas will become external books; if you see your own nature, then the words of demons and heretics will become secret teachings.' Therefore, in the past forty years, many scholars and officials have heard of his demeanor and have gained enlightenment. Huang Tingjian (person's name) had previously received a prediction (Buddhist term, predicting future Buddhahood), and was capable of great Dharma, but his eye of wisdom was not yet complete. He came to pay homage to the pagoda and was deeply admired. So he engraved a stone inscription to express his admiration for him. (Pagoda inscription) Chan Master Hongzhi Jue was from Xizhou (place name). Before traveling abroad, he dreamed of the scenery of Tiantong Temple (temple name). He once recorded: 'The path lined with pine trees, the secluded and winding gate, when I arrived, a faint moon was hanging in the dusk.' During the Jianyan period (Southern Song Dynasty reign, 1127-1130), he resigned from his position at Changlu Temple (temple name) and visited Zen Master Zhenxie's (person's name) Baotuo Rock (place name). When he arrived at Tiantong Temple, he found that it was exactly the same as his dream. Soon, the state and government officials earnestly requested him to preside over Tiantong Temple, but the Chan master firmly declined. Later, he was forcibly carried to the Dharma seat by the monks before reluctantly accepting. He lived in Tiantong Temple for thirty years. In addition to preaching the Dharma, he also comprehensively renovated the temple. More than a thousand monks lived there permanently. The abundance of vegetarian meals was among the best in various temples, and the monks were able to practice with peace of mind. The Chan master once begged for food for the public. People in the Wuyue (place name) area were very devoted to his teachings, and donations of money and silk came unasked. The Chan master said to the donors: 'To influence you to give alms is to break the heart of stinginess, do not only give to me.' Later, monks from small temples came, and he was willing to give to them instead. Or when he saw dilapidated temples, poor old and weak people, he would take out his own clothes and money to make them happy. The Chan master never accumulated wealth, and used it all up. At that time, there was a monk from Xizhou named Zhe Kui, who was a solitary and stubborn person. He sat silently under the Chan master's seat, without revealing his hometown. More than ten years later, people learned that he was a fellow villager of Chan Master Hongzhi. Chan Master Hongzhi was happy to visit him and said: 'So you are my fellow villager, why are you so unsociable?' Chan Master Hongzhi wanted to invite him to live in the abbot's room, but Zhe Kui declined and said: 'My own affairs have not been taken care of, how can I have time to pay attention to local customs?' After saying that, he left with his crutch, and people could not stop him. He went directly to the former residence of Zen Master Zhenxie of Baotuo Rock, where he meditated for more than a month. Before his death... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
召众说法而逝。阇维舍利无数。(雪牕志其事) 驱阳文忠公游嵩山。放意而往。至一古寺。风物萧然。有老僧阅经自若。公与语。不甚顾。公问曰。古之高僧临死生之际类皆谈笑脱去。何道致之。僧曰定慧力。公曰今寂寞无有何哉。僧曰。古人念念在定。临终那得散。今人念念在散。临终安得定。文忠叹服之。(林间录) 冯济川居士施藏经愿文。其略曰。予之施经。一事而具二施。何故。以财赎经是谓财施。以经传法是谓法施。按佛所说。财施后世当得天上人间福德之报。法施当得世智辩聦盖众之报。当知此二报皆是轮回之因。苦报之本。我今发愿。愿回此二报。临命终时。庄严往生极乐世界。莲华为胎。见佛闻法。悟无生忍。登不退阶。入菩萨位。还来十方界内。五浊世中。普见其身而作佛事。以今日财法二施之因。如观音大士具大慈悲。游戏五道。随类化形。说诸妙法。永离苦道。令得智慧。普与众生。悉得成佛。乃予施经之愿也。(舍经碑) 北峰印法师戒睡曰。佛法欲灭而调养幻身。然此臭身终为灰土。苟因树立以致死。不亦大丈夫。又曰。说得过人。不济得事。须是行得过人。若自己分上一点用不着。虽记得千经万论如阿难。亦何足贵。又曰。尝与见识人论住持兴显寺门法曰。不出 现代汉语译本 召集众人说法后圆寂。火化后得到无数舍利。（雪窗记录此事） 驱阳文忠公游览嵩山，随意而行，到达一座古寺。寺庙景象萧条冷落，有一老僧神态自若地阅读经书。文忠公与他交谈，老僧不太理睬。文忠公问道：‘古代的高僧在面临生死之际，大多谈笑自如地离世，用什么方法才能达到这种境界？’老僧说：‘是定慧的力量。’文忠公说：‘现在寂寞无闻，没有这样的人，是什么原因呢？’老僧说：‘古人念念不忘在定中，临终时怎么会散乱？现在的人念念不忘在散乱中，临终时怎么能安定？’文忠公听后叹服。（《林间录》） 冯济川居士布施藏经的愿文，大意是：我布施经书，一件事包含了两种布施。为什么呢？用钱财赎买经书，这叫做财施；用经书传播佛法，这叫做法施。按照佛所说，财施后世应当得到天上人间的福德果报，法施应当得到世间的智慧辩才，超越众人的果报。应当知道这两种果报都是轮回的原因，痛苦的根本。我现在发愿，愿将这两种果报，在临命终时，转化为庄严往生极乐世界的力量，在莲花中化生，见佛闻法，证悟无生法忍，登上不退转的阶位，进入菩萨的果位，再回到十方世界之内，五浊恶世之中，普遍显现身形而做佛事。以今日财施和法施的因缘，像观音大士一样，具足大慈大悲，游戏于五道之中，随着不同的众生种类而化现不同的形体，宣说各种微妙的佛法，永远脱离痛苦的境地，使众生得到智慧，普遍与众生一起，全部成就佛果。这就是我布施经书的愿望。（《舍经碑》） 北峰印法师用以警醒自己，防止睡眠的格言说：佛法将要衰灭，所以要调养这个虚幻的身体。然而这个臭皮囊终究会化为灰土。如果因为弘扬佛法而献出生命，不也是大丈夫的行为吗？他又说：说得比别人好，做不到实际的事情，必须是做得比别人好。如果自己修行上一点用处都没有，即使记得千经万论，像阿难（释迦牟尼佛的十大弟子之一，以记忆力超群著称）那样，又有什么值得称道的呢？他又说：曾经与有见识的人讨论住持和兴盛寺院的方法，说：不出
English
English version He gathered the assembly to preach the Dharma and then passed away. After cremation, countless *śarīra* (relics) were found. (Recorded by Xuechuang) *Qu Yang Wenzhong Gong* (a respectful title for a government official) traveled to Mount Song. He went there freely and arrived at an ancient temple. The scenery was desolate. An old monk was calmly reading scriptures. *Gong* spoke to him, but the monk did not pay much attention. *Gong* asked: 'In ancient times, eminent monks mostly departed with smiles and ease when facing life and death. What method leads to this?' The monk said: 'The power of *dhyana* (meditative concentration) and *prajna* (wisdom).' *Gong* said: 'Now there is silence and no such people exist. What is the reason?' The monk said: 'Ancient people were constantly in *dhyana*. How could they be scattered at the time of death? Today's people are constantly scattered. How can they be in *dhyana* at the time of death?' *Wenzhong* sighed in admiration. (From *Linjian Lu*) *Feng Jichuan* (a lay Buddhist) made a vow when donating the *Tripitaka* (Buddhist canon). The gist of it is: When I donate scriptures, one act embodies two kinds of giving. Why? Using wealth to redeem scriptures is called *dana* (charity, giving) of wealth. Using scriptures to transmit the Dharma is called *dana* of Dharma. According to what the Buddha said, *dana* of wealth will bring the reward of blessings in heaven and the human realm in future lives. *Dana* of Dharma will bring the reward of worldly wisdom and eloquence, surpassing others. One should know that both of these rewards are the cause of *samsara* (cycle of rebirth), the root of suffering. Now I make a vow, wishing to transform these two rewards into the power to be reborn in the *Sukhavati* (Pure Land) at the end of life, to be born from a lotus flower, to see the Buddha and hear the Dharma, to realize *anutpattika-dharma-kshanti* (the patient acceptance of the non-arising of all dharmas), to ascend to the stage of non-retrogression, and to enter the position of a *bodhisattva* (enlightenment being). Then, I will return to the ten directions, within the world of the five turbidities, universally manifesting my body to perform the work of the Buddha. With the causes of wealth and Dharma *dana* today, like *Avalokiteśvara* (the Bodhisattva of Compassion) possessing great compassion, I will roam in the five paths, transforming my form according to different beings, expounding various wonderful Dharmas, forever departing from the path of suffering, enabling beings to attain wisdom, and universally enabling all beings to attain Buddhahood. This is my vow for donating scriptures. (From *Shejing Bei*) *Beifeng Yin* (a Dharma master) used these words to warn himself against sleep: The Buddha Dharma is about to decline, so one must nourish this illusory body. However, this foul body will eventually turn to ashes. If one sacrifices one's life for the sake of establishing the Dharma, is that not the act of a great person? He also said: Speaking better than others is useless if one cannot accomplish practical matters. One must act better than others. If one does not apply the Dharma to oneself at all, even if one remembers thousands of scriptures and treatises, like *Ananda* (one of the ten major disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha, known for his exceptional memory), what is there to praise? He also said: I once discussed with knowledgeable people the methods for upholding and prospering a temple, saying: Not going out --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
勤奉香火。常住洁白。将众人为事。予深喜此说尽理。若无识人论。则污下趋俗。失本色人体矣。(自行录) 资寿总禅师。苏氏。元祐间丞相孙女。年十五懵不知禅之所谓。唯疑人之处世。生则不知来处。死则不知去相。于是敛念。忽有所省。自不以为异。意其为最灵者靡不如是。亦未尝以语人。及勉从庭闱之命。归西徐许寿源。无几何而深厌世相。斋洁自如。且欲高蹈方外。抗志慕古。遂谒荐严圆禅师。圆曰闺门淑质何预大丈夫事邪。总曰佛法分男女等相乎。圆诘之曰如何是佛。即心是佛。汝作么生。总曰久响老师犹作者个语话。圆曰德山入门便棒聻。总曰老师若行此令。不虚受人天供养。圆曰未在。总以手拍香台一下。圆曰。有香台。从汝拍。无则如何。总便出。圆呼曰汝见甚么道理便与么。总回首曰了了见无一物。圆曰者个是永嘉底。总曰借他出气又何不可。圆曰真师子儿。时真歇禅师庵于宜兴。师径造焉。真歇端坐绳床。总才入门真歇曰是凡是圣。总曰顶门眼何在。曰觌面相呈事若何。总提起坐具。歇曰不问者个。总曰蹉过了也。歇便喝。总亦喝。总于江淅诸名宿参扣殆遍。从寿源守官嘉禾。唯未见妙喜为念。适妙喜俱冯济川舟御氐城。总闻之往礼敬而已。妙喜谓济川曰。适来道人却曾见神见鬼来。 现代汉语译本 勤恳地供奉香火，保持身心洁净。将众人的事情当作自己的事情来做。我对此种说法深感欣喜，认为它完全合乎情理。如果没有见识的人来评论，就会被污浊低下的世俗所影响，失去人本来的面目。（出自《自行录》） 资寿总禅师，姓苏，是元祐年间（1086-1094）丞相的孙女。十五岁时，她对禅的含义一无所知，只是疑惑人活在世上，生不知道从哪里来，死不知道往哪里去。于是收敛心神，忽然有所领悟。她自己并不觉得奇怪，认为最灵敏的人大概都是这样。她也从未对人说起此事。后来勉强听从父母之命，嫁给西徐的许寿源。没过多久，她就深深厌恶世俗，保持斋戒洁净，想要隐居世外，立志效仿古人。于是去拜见荐严圆禅师。圆禅师说：‘你一个闺阁女子，怎么能做大丈夫的事呢？’总禅师说：‘佛法还分男女的差别吗？’圆禅师诘问道：‘什么是佛？’（总禅师回答）‘即心是佛。你又怎么理解呢？’总禅师说：‘我早就听说老师您还说这样的话。’圆禅师说：‘德山入门便打，你听说过吗？’总禅师说：‘老师如果能实行这样的命令，才不虚受人天的供养。’圆禅师说：‘还不够。’总禅师用手拍了一下香台。圆禅师说：‘有香台，随你拍。如果没有香台，又该如何？’总禅师便走了出去。圆禅师呼唤道：‘你见到什么道理就这么做？’总禅师回头说：‘明明白白地见到一无所有。’圆禅师说：‘这是永嘉大师的境界。’总禅师说：‘借用他的话来表达我的心意，又有什么不可以呢？’圆禅师说：‘真是狮子之子。’当时真歇禅师在宜兴结庵修行，总禅师直接去拜访他。真歇禅师端坐在绳床上，总禅师刚入门，真歇禅师就问：‘是凡人还是圣人？’总禅师说：‘顶门眼在哪里？’（真歇禅师）说：‘面对面呈现的事情又该如何？’总禅师提起坐具。真歇禅师说：‘我不问这个。’总禅师说：‘错过了。’真歇禅师便喝了一声，总禅师也喝了一声。总禅师在江浙一带几乎拜访了所有著名的禅师，自从许寿源在嘉禾做官后，总禅师一直想见妙喜禅师。恰好妙喜禅师和冯济川同乘一条船前往氐城，总禅师听说后前去拜见。妙喜禅师对济川说：‘刚才那位道人，曾经见过神见过鬼吗？’