Old monk Xuyun 14

 

Old monk Xuyun 14

 

Master Jiechen walked around the old monk several times every day.

It was not until the seventh day that the old monk finally came out of concentration.

He asked the old monk: "Are you aware in concentration, or are you not aware?

If you are aware, it is not called entering concentration. If there is no awareness, isn't it the so-called dry concentration?

Doesn't a dragon hide in stagnant water?"

The old monk said: "You must know that the method of Zen does not regard concentration as the ultimate, but only seeks to understand the mind and see the nature.

If true doubt appears before him, his mind will naturally be pure. Because doubts are constant, so It’s not ignorance.

It’s also because there is no delusion, so it’s not knowledge.

Although there is no delusional knowledge, you can hear it clearly even if a pin falls on the ground.

I know that you walk around me several times every day.

Because of the power of doubt, there is no differentiation.

Although there is no differentiation, because the doubt is there and the function is continuous, it is not withered concentration.

Although it is not withered concentration, this is just something on the way of function, not the ultimate.

So these past seven days, I just feel as if they have passed with the snap of my fingers.

If I have been discriminating all my life, I will be out of concentration.

People who practice Zen must doubt this to the extreme.

Once the cause and condition comes, break it.

Doubts, rubbing one's nostrils, are the true cognizance of non-arising!"

Since then, Master Jiechen has been following the old monk and is very convinced and respectful of him.

戒塵法師每天都繞著老和尚走幾圈，好不容易才等到第七天，老和尚終於出定了。他問老和尚：「您在定中，是有覺知，還是沒有覺知呢？若是有覺知的話，就不名為入定。如果沒有覺知的話，那豈不是枯定，不就是所謂的死水不藏龍嗎？」

老和尚說：「要知道禪宗這一法，原不以定為究竟，只求明心見性。若是真疑現前，其心自然清淨。由於疑情不斷，所以不是無知。也因沒有妄想，所以不是有知。雖然沒有妄想之知，但就是一支針掉在地上，也能聽得清清楚楚。

你每天繞著我走幾圈，我都知道，只因疑情之力，不起分別而已。雖然不起分別，因為有疑情在，功用不斷，所以不是枯定。

雖然不是枯定，這亦只不過是功用路途中事，並非就是究竟的。所以過去這七天，我只是覺得好像一彈指間就過去了，如果我一生分別心，便會出定了。

參禪辦道的人，必須將此疑情，疑至極處，一旦因緣時至，打破疑團，摩著自家鼻孔，才是真正的道契無生啊！」

自此以後，戒塵法師就一直跟隨著老和尚，對他老人家非常信服和尊敬了。