Tag Archives: anime

Friday, 17 July, 2009

Deshan Xuanjian 德山宣鉴


Deshan Xuanjian is a native of Jiannan in Sichuan province. His surname was Zhou, and he became a monk early in life. He was especially well-versed in teachings of the Diamond sutra and had composed a commentary on it. Thus he was also known as Diamond Zhou. When Deshan heard that the Southern school of Zen held that "mind itself is Buddha", he packed up his commentaries and headed south with the intention of refuting this false teaching.

On the way, he met an old lady selling buns. As he was hungry, he decided to buy some buns from her.
old lady: What are you carrying?

Deshan: My Green Dragon commentary on the Diamond Sutra.

old lady: Let me ask you one question. If you can answer my question, I will give you free refreshments.

Deshan: All right!

old lady: The Diamond sutra says: "past mind is unattainable, present mind is unattainable, and future mind is unattainable." Which mind does the learned monk desire to refresh?

Deshan was not able to answer the old lady's question. Some time later, Deshan arrived at Longtan (literally means Dragon pond) temple and met with master Longtan Chongxin.

Deshan: Long have I heard of Longtan, but when I arrived here, there is neither a pond nor a dragon.

Chongxin: You have really arrived at Longtan.

One late evening, Chongxin said, "It is getting dark. You had better return to your room."
When Deshan stepped outside, he found that the sky was very dark.
So, the master lit a candle and gave it to Deshan, but just as Deshan held out his hand and was about to receive the candle, Chongxin blew out the flame. At that moment Deshan was enlightened and made a bow to the master.

The next day, Deshan took his Green Dragon commentary to the temple hall and burned it.
Deshan:
" Even if we have mastered the profound doctrine,
  it is only like placing a hair in a vast space.
  Even if we have exhausted the human knowledge of the world,
  it is only like letting a drop fall into a great abyss.   "


commentary:
Once dependence on others is gone, then only can one's potential be realized.



德山宣鉴禅师,四川人,俗姓周,幼年出家,曾精研佛法,尤其擅长讲解金刚经,故有周金刚之称。当他听说南方禅宗十分兴盛,便不平道: “佛学如此博大精深,即使修行一辈子,也难以成佛。 南方的小鬼竟敢说什么直指人心,见性成佛。我要捣毁他们的老巢,以报答佛恩。”
于是,他挑着青龙疏抄离开了四川。在湖南澧阳的路上,他看到一位妇人在卖饼,当时他肚子有点饿了,就想买些点心。
妇人: 里面装的是什么书啊?
德山: 是金刚经。
妇人: 我有一个问题,你要答得上来就送你点心吃,如果答不上来就请你走开,没有点心吃。金刚经上说:「过去心不可得,现在心不可得,将来心也不可得」,不知道你点的是哪个心?
德山顿时哑口无言。 随后,他到龙潭崇信禅师那里去,一进法堂他就说道:“久闻龙潭大名,到此一看,即不见潭,也不见龙。”
崇信躬身道:“你已经亲身到了龙潭。” 德山无法回答,就留了下来。
一天夜里,德山侍立在龙潭身旁,龙潭禅师说: “夜深了,你怎么还不回房去。”
德山刚出去又回来说:“外面好黑。”
崇信禅师便点起一支蜡烛给他。他刚伸手接,禅师就一口吹灭。
德山顿时大悟。 第二天,德山便把青龙疏抄在法堂上一把火烧了。
他感叹道:
          穷诸玄辩,若一毫置于太虚。
          竭世枢机,似一滴投于巨壑。

  (意思是:穷尽了玄理佛论,也不过像放在虚空中的一根毫毛;用尽了世间机巧,也不过像投入巨壑中的一滴水珠。)

评注:
当依赖的对象失去以后,自己的潜能才会完全发挥。



蔡志忠动画禅说德山悟禅- 视频- 酷6视频

Tags: video, book, dualism, zen, history, story, 蔡志忠, comic, anime


Posted in Buddhism , Personal , Chinese-中文


Friday, 17 July, 2009

Not attached to anything


A student once asked him: "If I haven't anything in my mind, what shall I do?"

Zhaozhou: Throw it out.

student: What else is there to throw out?

Zhaozhou: Then carry it out.


commentary:
One who says he is not attached to anything - even that idea of non-attachment must be abandoned. One who is attached to the idea of non-attachment will never know silence of mind.



僧人: 一物不将来时如何?
赵州: 放下着。
僧人: 一物也无,究竟要放下什么?
赵州: 放不下,那你就带着吧。

评注:
不持一物,就应该把这个不持一物的观念也要舍弃,既然那么重视不持一物,那就永远无法达致清澄的心境。



蔡志忠动画禅说不持一物- 视频- 酷6视频

Tags: video, book, dualism, zen, story, 蔡志忠, comic, anime


Posted in Buddhism , Personal , Chinese-中文


Friday, 17 July, 2009

To rely on oneself


monk: May I ask what is the meaning of Zen?

Zhaozhou: I would very much like to tell you ...

Zhaozhou: ... but now I have to go to urinate. Think about it. Even for such a trifling thing I have to do it myself.
Zhaozhou: May I ask whether you can do it on my behalf?


commentary:
To understand matters of life and death, one has to rely on oneself. Others cannot do it for you. To rely on explanations from others is to be like a parrot learning to speak.



僧人: 请问什么是禅学的大义?
赵州: 我很想告诉你 。。。
赵州: 但我现在要去拉尿。 想想看,像这种小事也得我亲自去拉才行啊。
赵州: 请问你能不能代替我去?

评注:
悟通生死大事,只有靠自己,别人是代替不了的。抱持别人的观念就像鹦鹉学舌。



蔡志忠动画禅说无法代替- 视频- 酷6视频

Tags: video, book, dualism, zen, story, 蔡志忠, comic, anime


Posted in Buddhism , Personal , Chinese-中文


Friday, 17 July, 2009

How to practise Zen?


man: What kind of person practises the Tao?

Zhaozhou: Someone just like me.

man: Master, you have to practise Tao too?

Zhaozhou: Practising the Tao concerns changing one's clothing ... and eating.

man: These are but mundane tasks. What kind of mind study can be considered practice of Zen?

Zhaozhou: What do you think I do everyday?


commentary:
Practice of Zen comes from everyday conversation, washing your face, eating and that sort of things. One must do them with full awareness. Perception into the nature of things comes from doing such things wholeheartedly.



有客来问赵州禅师如何修行。
客人: 修道的人是什么样的人呢?
赵州: 就像我。
客人: 大师也要修行吗?
赵州: 修行无外乎穿衣。。。 吃饭。
客人: 这是日常琐碎的事情,究竟什么叫修行呢?
赵州: 你以为我每天在做什么呢?

评注:
修行即指从寒暄、洗脸、吃饭等细节,都要诚心诚意,每日奉行,诚意地完成每一件事,而使之与真理产生共鸣。



蔡志忠动画禅说如何修行- 视频- 酷6视频


Related:
Go wash the bowl.

Tags: video, book, dualism, zen, story, 蔡志忠, comic, anime


Posted in Buddhism , Personal , Chinese-中文


Thursday, 16 July, 2009

Go wash the bowl


A man became a monk at the Guanyin temple. He met the abbot, Zhaozhou Congshen of the Tang dynasty.

monk: Please give me some guidance, master.

Zhaozhou: Have you eaten the porridge?

monk: Yes, I have eaten.

Zhaozhou: Then go wash the bowl.


commentary:
Perception, practice of Zen and everyday action are the same thing. It is vital to understand this point. To be absolutely alert is practising Zen; it is not that in making an effort to practise one then gains insight.



唐代时,有一个人来到河北赵州观音院出家。他来到赵州禅师身前,向他请教怎么修行。
僧人: 请师父教我修行。
赵州: 你吃过粥没有?
僧人: 吃过了。
赵州: 那就先去洗钵。

评注:
领悟、修行及日常行动,都是属于同一件事情,要能够确认领悟到这种真实,并加以维持,这才是修行。而不是因为修行才能领悟。



蔡志忠动画禅说洗钵- 视频- 酷6视频


Related:
The Gateless Gate 无门关 (wikipedia)

Tags: video, book, dualism, zen, story, 蔡志忠, comic, anime


Posted in Buddhism , Personal , Chinese-中文


Thursday, 16 July, 2009

Zen cannot be spoken of


Yaoshan Weiyan had not given dharma talks for a long time. One day, the head monk requested him to give discourses.

monk: We disciples would very much like to listen to master's discourses.

Yaoshan: Very well. Sound the bell to summon everyone to the hall.

The master came to the hall. All the monks had gathered because for many days he had not spoken. But when the gathering was complete, when everybody had come, the master returned to his room without saying a word.

monk: Master, why did you leave without saying a word?

Yaoshan: There are sutra teachers to talk about the sutras. There are also shastra masters to talk about the commentaries. I am a Zen teacher, and yet Zen cannot be expressed in words. Even if I talk about it, that serves no purpose.


commentary:
Zen is beyond time - past, present, and future.  It has always been so, and words cannot convey Zen.



药山禅师很久没有升座说法了,弟子们都去请他说法。
弟子: 弟子似都很希望能听师父的示诲。
药山: 好吧! 去打钟叫大家到大殿听法。
可是当大家都坐好了,禅师却连一句话也没说就返回房间。
弟子: 师父,你为什么一句话也没说就走了呢?
药山: 讲经有讲经的法师,说戒有说戒的律师,我是禅师,而禅却是不能讲的,讲了也没有用。

评注:
「禅」不属于过去、现在、未来。它是本来如此,是言语所不能表达的。



蔡志忠动画禅说禅不可说- 视频- 酷6视频


Related:
Fingers pointing at the moon.

Tags: video, book, zen, story, 蔡志忠, comic, anime


Posted in Buddhism , Personal , Chinese-中文


Thursday, 16 July, 2009

Hand of generosity


Zen master Mokusen Hiki was living in a temple in the province of Tamba. One of his adherents complained of the stinginess of his wife. Mokusen visited the adherent's wife and showed her his clenched fist before her face.

lady: What do you mean by that?

Mokusen: Suppose my fist were always like that. What would you call it?
lady: Deformed.

Then he opened his hand flat in her face and asked: "Suppose it were always like that. What would you call it then?"
lady: Still the same - Deformed.

Mokusen: If you understand that much, you are a good wife.

Then he left. After his visit, this wife helped her husband to distribute his wealth as well as to save.


commentary:
All concepts of good and bad, having and not having, benefit and harm, me and others, are products of the mind that discriminates. Zen is the Middle way that is neither the one nor the other.



默仙禅师住在丹波的一座寺院里。一名信徒向他抱怨,说他的妻子太吝啬。
一天,默仙禅师就去拜访这位信徒的妻子。默仙在她面前提起握紧的拳头。
妇人: 您这是什么意思?

禅师问: 假如我的拳头永远这样,始终不变,你称那叫什么?
妇人: 畸形。

禅师伸平手掌放到她面前,问:“假如这只手永远这样,始终不变,你又称它做什么?”
妇人: 这还不是一样,畸形!

禅师: 您若明白这点,就是个好妻子。
禅师说完,起身离去。
禅师走后,妇人协助丈夫既懂得节俭,也懂得施舍。

评注:
一切相对的好恶、有无、利害、人我等等,都是分别心。才一起见便背本心,就落在两边,而禅是中亦不立的。



蔡志忠动画禅说不执着两边- 视频- 酷6视频

Tags: video, book, dualism, zen, story, 蔡志忠, comic, anime


Posted in Buddhism , Personal , Chinese-中文