English
English version: Chan Master Chan Jing said, 'The Buddha-dharma has been in decline for a long time. Since Elder Jingshan moved beyond the Lingnan region, students have had nowhere to turn. Now that the court is enlightened, the Elder is about to return, which marks a period of revival. And I, Jiucheng, have indeed encountered something on this path, so I wish to seek one or two enlightened individuals here to jointly advocate and awaken those who are in darkness. I sincerely hope that my teacher Huiran will grant my request. Perhaps some may think that Xichan Temple is wealthy while Guangxiao Temple is poor, and therefore will not come to speak on this matter. This is to treat things with worldly sentiments. However, I use this matter to divine the rise and fall of the Buddha-dharma. If my teacher intends to revive it, and everyone contributes a little effort, I would be extremely fortunate. Your sincerity in protecting the Dharma is fully seen by me.' (From 'The Transmission of the Way') Abbot He, was a native of Gusu. He was of noble character and aloof from the world. He once traveled to the Hunan and Hubei area, lodging for the night and leaving at dawn. At that time, Chan Master Jiao was also present. Abbot He saw that he was steady and profound, sitting upright in silence all night, and was amazed in his heart. Abbot He asked, 'You have come from afar, why are you so lonely?' Chan Master Jiao said, 'There were one or two things in the past, but now they are severed.' Abbot He asked, 'Why severed?' Chan Master Jiao said, 'Firstly, someone gave away discarded money to the public. I said that a person who studies the Way should regard money as dirt before giving it away. Although I picked it up and gave it to others, I have not forgotten the benefit. Secondly, someone abandoned his sick and impoverished mother to study the Way. I said that even if studying the Way surpasses the Buddhas and Patriarchs, what is the use of being unfilial? Those who are unfilial and seek benefit are not my friends.' Abbot He admired his virtue and thus associated with him. Abbot He vowed, 'Let us two emulate the hermits of Yinshan, building grass huts on the peaks of solitary mountains, regarding the clouds as our companions, and living as people beyond the world, without falling into vulgarity.' Chan Master Jiao later broke his vow and lived in Tiantong Temple. Abbot He went to visit him, but Abbot He ignored him. Chen Shuyi opened a study as a hermitage, living alone for twenty years, with nothing superfluous, only two tigers attending to his right. He once said, 'A bamboo pipe brings two or three pints of mountain spring water, and seven or five idle clouds float by the window. A Taoist's life is just like this, leaving it for the world to see and hear.' (From 'Records of Snow Window') Chan Master Caoshan Zhang, was a native of Quanzhou, and received the secret teachings from Dongshan Jia (洞山价) . He was initially invited to reside at Caoshan in Fuzhou. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
大振。学者云委。僧问国内按剑者是谁。山云曹山。僧云拟杀何人。山曰但有一切总杀。曰忽逢本父母作么生。山曰拣甚么。曰争奈自己何。山曰谁奈我何。曰为什么不杀。曰勿下手处。复有纸衣道者自洞山来。章问如何是纸衣下事。曰一裘才挂体万事悉皆如。章曰如何是纸衣下用。道者近前叉手脱去。章笑曰。汝只解恁么去。且不解恁么来。僧忽开眼曰。一灵真性不假胞胎时如何。章曰未是妙。僧曰如何是妙。曰不借借。其僧下堂中而化。时洪州钟氏屡请不起。但书大梅山居一首答之。天复辛酉季夏夜。问知事今日是几。对曰六月十五。章曰平生行脚只管九十日为一夏。明日辰时吾行脚矣。及时焚香告寂。(僧宝传) 法云秀禅师。秦州人。前生与鲁和尚厚善。一日谓曰。我死后相寻我于竹铺坡前。其家生儿鲁往视之。儿为一笑。三岁愿随鲁出家。生有异相。轩昂万僧中。凛然如𦘕。尝以怒骂为佛事时。司马温公方登庸。以吾法太盛欲经营之。秀曰。相公聦明人类英杰。非从佛法中来何由致此。而一旦遽忘佛嘱乎。公意回。又李伯时工画马。不减韩干。秀呵之曰。汝士大夫以画名。况画马乎。期人夸以为得妙。他日妙入马腹中矣。伯时于是绝笔。又鲁直好作艳词。人争传之。秀曰。翰墨之妙甘施于此。鲁直笑 现代汉语译本 大振。学者如云般聚集。有僧人问：‘国内手持剑的人是谁？’ 山（曹山，即曹洞宗的创始人之一）回答：‘曹山。’ 僧人问：‘打算杀什么人？’ 曹山说：‘只要有，一切都杀。’ 僧人说：‘如果遇到自己的亲生父母怎么办？’ 曹山说：‘拣选什么？’ 僧人说：‘那自己又该如何处置？’ 曹山说：‘谁能奈何我？’ 僧人说：‘为什么不杀？’ 曹山说：‘无从下手之处。’ 又有一位身穿纸衣的道者从洞山来。章（云居道膺禅师）问：‘什么是纸衣下的事？’ 道者说：‘一件裘衣才挂在身上，万事都如如不动。’ 章问：‘什么是纸衣下的用？’ 道者走上前叉手脱去纸衣。章笑着说：‘你只懂得这样去，却不懂得这样来。’ 僧人忽然睁开眼睛说：‘一灵真性不假借胞胎时如何？’ 章说：‘还未到妙处。’ 僧人说：‘如何是妙处？’ 章说：‘不借借。’ 那僧人走下佛堂，在人群中圆寂。当时洪州钟氏多次请他出山都不肯，只是写了一首《大梅山居》作为答复。天复辛酉年（901年）季夏的夜晚，章问知事：‘今日是几号？’ 知事回答：‘六月十五。’ 章说：‘我平生行脚，只管九十日为一夏。明日辰时我就要走了。’ 到了时间，焚香告别圆寂。(《僧宝传》) 法云秀禅师，秦州人。前生与鲁和尚关系很好。一天（鲁和尚）说：‘我死后到竹铺坡前找我。’（鲁和尚）家生了个儿子，（法云秀禅师）前往看望，那孩子对他一笑。三岁时，（法云秀禅师）就愿意跟随鲁和尚出家。他生来就相貌不凡，高大轩昂，在万僧之中，凛然如画。他常常以怒骂作为佛事。当时司马温公（司马光）刚被朝廷重用，因为觉得佛法太盛，想要加以整治。秀（法云秀禅师）说：‘相公您如此聪明，是人中英杰，如果不是从佛法中来，怎么能达到这样的成就？怎么能一下子就忘记了佛的嘱托呢？’ 司马温公这才回心转意。又有李伯时（李公麟）擅长画马，不亚于韩干。秀（法云秀禅师）呵斥他说：‘你作为士大夫，却以画出名，何况是画马呢？期望别人夸赞你画得好，将来就会妙入马腹中啊！’ 伯时于是就此绝笔。又有黄鲁直（黄庭坚）喜欢写艳词，人们争相传诵。秀（法云秀禅师）说：‘翰墨的精妙之处，怎么能用在这种地方呢？’ 鲁直笑了。
English
English version Greatly flourished. Scholars gathered like clouds. A monk asked: 'Who is the sword-bearer in the country?' Shan (Caoshan, one of the founders of the Caodong school) replied: 'Caoshan.' The monk asked: 'Whom do you intend to kill?' Caoshan said: 'If there is anything, I will kill everything.' The monk said: 'What if you encounter your own parents?' Caoshan said: 'What is there to choose?' The monk said: 'Then what about oneself?' Caoshan said: 'Who can do anything to me?' The monk said: 'Why not kill?' Caoshan said: 'There is no place to start.' Then a paper-clothed Daoist came from Dongshan. Zhang (Zen Master Yunju Daoying) asked: 'What is the matter under the paper clothes?' The Daoist said: 'Only one robe covers the body, and all things are as they are.' Zhang asked: 'What is the use under the paper clothes?' The Daoist stepped forward, clasped his hands, and took off the paper clothes. Zhang smiled and said: 'You only know how to go like this, but you don't know how to come like this.' The monk suddenly opened his eyes and said: 'What about the one true nature that does not rely on the womb?' Zhang said: 'It is not yet subtle.' The monk said: 'What is subtle?' Zhang said: 'Not borrowing borrowing.' The monk went down the hall and passed away in the crowd. At that time, Zhong of Hongzhou repeatedly invited him to come out of the mountain, but he refused, only writing a poem 'Living in Damei Mountain' as a reply. On a summer night in the Xinyou year of Tianfu (901 AD), Zhang asked the steward: 'What is the date today?' The steward replied: 'June 15th.' Zhang said: 'All my life I have traveled, only managing ninety days as one summer. Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 am) I will leave.' At the appointed time, he burned incense and bid farewell to Nirvana. (Biographies of Eminent Monks) Zen Master Fayun Xiu, a native of Qinzhou. In his previous life, he had a good relationship with Monk Lu. One day, (Monk Lu) said: 'After I die, look for me in front of Zhupu Slope.' A son was born in (Monk Lu)'s family, and (Zen Master Fayun Xiu) went to visit him. The child smiled at him. At the age of three, (Zen Master Fayun Xiu) was willing to follow Monk Lu to become a monk. He was born with an extraordinary appearance, tall and imposing, standing out among thousands of monks, dignified as a painting. He often used scolding as a Buddhist practice. At that time, Sima Wengong (Sima Guang) had just been appointed by the court. Because he felt that Buddhism was too prosperous, he wanted to rectify it. Xiu (Zen Master Fayun Xiu) said: 'Your Excellency is so intelligent, a hero among men. If it were not for Buddhism, how could you have achieved such accomplishments? How can you suddenly forget the Buddha's instructions?' Sima Wengong then changed his mind. Also, Li Boshi (Li Gonglin) was good at painting horses, no less than Han Gan. Xiu (Zen Master Fayun Xiu) scolded him, saying: 'You, as a scholar-official, are famous for painting, and moreover, painting horses? Expecting others to praise your painting as wonderful, in the future, you will wonderfully enter the horse's belly!' Boshi then stopped painting. Also, Huang Luzhi (Huang Tingjian) liked to write erotic lyrics, and people competed to spread them. Xiu (Zen Master Fayun Xiu) said: 'How can the wonders of calligraphy be used in such a place?' Luzhi laughed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
曰又当置我于马腹中邪。秀曰。汝以艳语淫动天下人心。不止马腹。正恐堕泥犁中。(语录) 孤山圆法师以奇才奥学翼赞经论盈于千万。高卧西湖之濵。权势不得屈。贵骄不得傲。世俗不得友。是时文穆王公至钱塘郡。僧悉迎关外。慈云遣邀孤山同往。圆以疾辞。笑谓使者曰。为我致意慈云。钱塘驻却一僧子。闻者叹美。圆每多脾疾。床上敷笔砚。半起半卧著述不倦。一日告众曰。吾年四十有九。已知住世不久。若死毋择地厚葬以加罪我也。汝宜陶器合而葬之。及终自属祭语云。谨以湖山云月之奠。祭于中庸子之灵。汝本法界之元常兮。宝圆之妙性兮。尚无动静之朕兮。岂有去来之迹兮。洎乎七窍凿而混沌死兮。六根分而精明散兮。遂使汝见自心而与外境异兮。执生存与死灭两兮。扰扰乎不可止也。昏昏乎不可照也。吾尝欲复混沌归精明兮。乃于非幻法中假作幻说。且非幻尚无。幻法岂有哉。汝中庸子亦以微领其旨。汝既受于幻生。必当受于幻死。故吾托幻躯。有幻病。口占幻词。使幻弟子。执幻笔。成幻文。以预祭汝幻中庸子。且欲令无穷人知诸法如幻也夫。如是则如幻三昧在焉。呜呼。三昧亦幻也。尚享。趺坐而逝。(闲居编) 东坡曰。先妣方娠。梦僧至门。瘠而眇。轼十余岁。时时梦身是僧。 现代汉语译本： 问：难道又要将我置于马腹中吗？秀回答说：你用妖艳的言语淫乱动摇天下人心，不止是马腹，恐怕要堕入泥犁（地狱）之中。（语录） 孤山圆法师以非凡的才能和精深的学问辅助经书理论，著述盈千累万。隐居在西湖边，权贵不能使他屈服，高傲的人不能使他傲慢，世俗之人不能与他为友。当时文穆王公到钱塘郡，众僧都在城外迎接，慈云派人邀请孤山一同前往。圆法师以生病为由推辞，笑着对使者说：替我向慈云致意，钱塘驻扎着一个僧人。听者都叹服赞美。圆法师经常有脾脏疾病，在床上铺设笔砚，半起半卧地著述不倦。一天，他告诉众人说：我年四十九岁，已经知道住世不久了。如果我死了，不要选择好的地方厚葬，以增加我的罪过。你们应该用陶器合起来埋葬我。等到临终时，他自己撰写祭文说：谨以湖山云月的祭品，祭奠中庸子（孤山圆法师的自称）的灵魂。你本是法界（宇宙万法的本体）的元常（永恒不变的真性）啊，宝圆（圆满的智慧）的妙性啊，尚且没有动静的迹象，哪里有去来的踪迹呢？等到七窍被凿开而混沌（原始未分的状态）死去，六根（眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意）分离而精明（精神光明）消散，于是使你见到自心而与外境相异，执着生存与死亡两种对立，扰扰攘攘地不能停止，昏昏暗暗地不能照亮。我曾经想恢复混沌归于精明，于是在非幻（真实的）法中假作幻说（虚幻的说法）。况且非幻尚且没有，幻法又怎么会有呢？你中庸子也稍微领会了其中的旨意。你既然承受了幻生，必定应当承受幻死。所以我依托幻躯，有幻病，口占幻词，使幻弟子，执幻笔，写成幻文，来预先祭奠你幻中的中庸子。而且想要让无穷的人知道诸法如幻啊。像这样，那么如幻三昧（如幻的禅定）就在其中了。唉！三昧也是虚幻的啊。请享用吧。然后他跏趺而坐，逝世了。（闲居编） 东坡（苏轼）说：先母怀孕的时候，梦见一个僧人来到门前，瘦弱而且瞎了一只眼。我十多岁的时候，常常梦见自己是僧人。