Sixty-Nine: A Half-Full Bottle Sloshes Around 六十九、半瓶晃荡
Teacher Qi Zhijun | 2018-06-23 | Download | AI assisted translation
| 〖公案原文〗 |
[Original Koan] |
| 湛堂和尚云：禅和家乍入众时，初发心菩萨与佛齐肩。一年之外，到佛腰边。恰如个琉璃瓶子相似，元初空裸裸地、净洁洁地，却著了半瓶不净洁底水，摇得来在里面，丁丁当当只管响。 |
Chan Master Zhantang said: “When a Chan practitioner first joins the assembly, an initially aspiring bodhisattva stands shoulder to shoulder with the Buddha. After a year, he is down to the Buddha’s waist. It is like a glass bottle: at first it is utterly bare and perfectly clean, but then it takes in half a bottle of unclean water. When shaken, it clinks and clatters incessantly inside.” |
| 忽然著本色人，向他道：尔这瓶子本自净洁，却被这些恶水在里面，又不满，秖管响。要得不响，须是依前倾出扬却。荡洗了，却满着一瓶好水，便不响。因甚不响？盖谓满了。 |
Then suddenly a genuine person may say to him: “This bottle was originally clean, but now it contains this foul water. It is not full, so it keeps rattling. If you want it not to rattle, you must pour it out and cast it away as before. Wash it clean, then fill it with a bottleful of good water, and it will no longer rattle.” Why does it not rattle? Because it is full. |
| 〖锯解秤砣〗 |
[Sawing Apart a Scale Weight] |
| 湛堂文准禅师说：“禅和家乍入众时，初发心菩萨与佛齐肩。 |
Chan Master Wenzhun of Zhantang said: “When a Chan practitioner first joins the assembly, an initially aspiring bodhisattva stands shoulder to shoulder with the Buddha. |
| ”为什么能与佛齐肩？因为发心猛利呀！当解脱缘熟时，初发心修行，异常猛利，刹那便看穿世间，一下子就把对世间的妄想执著抛到了脑后，空裸裸、净洁洁，故而称“与佛齐肩”。 |
Why can such a person stand shoulder to shoulder with the Buddha? Because the initial resolve is fierce! When the conditions for liberation ripen, one who has just begun to practice does so with exceptional vigor. In an instant, one sees through the world and casts all deluded thoughts and attachments to it far behind. One is utterly bare and perfectly clean; hence it is said that one “stands shoulder to shoulder with the Buddha.” |
| 可是，为什么“一年之外，到佛腰边”哪？因为“着了半瓶不净洁底水”——相似佛法，把自己对佛法的理解误以为是佛法的真谛。因为“不净洁”，成了所知障，再也装不进去好水，这瓶子就装不满了。还是因为这个“不净洁”，瞅哪儿都不如法，看啥都不感冒，逮着谁批评谁，丁丁当当只管响。 |
But why, “after a year, is he down to the Buddha’s waist”? Because he has “taken in half a bottle of unclean water”—a semblance of Buddhadharma. He mistakes his own understanding of the Buddhadharma for its true meaning. Because it is “unclean,” it becomes an obstacle of knowledge; he can no longer take in good water, and the bottle cannot be filled. Again, because of this “uncleanliness,” nothing he sees accords with the Dharma, and nothing appeals to him. He criticizes everyone he encounters, clinking and clattering without cease. |
| 忽然遇着本色人，对他说：你这瓶子本自净洁（菩提自性，本来清净），却装些恶水在里面（佛法不恁么），又不满，秖管响（一瓶不响，半瓶晃荡）。要得不响，须是依前倾出扬却（须“初发心时便成正觉”始得）。荡洗净，满装一瓶好水，便不响（但用此心，直了成佛）。 |
Then he suddenly encounters a genuine person, who says to him: “This bottle was originally clean (bodhi’s intrinsic nature is originally pure), yet you have filled it with foul water (the Buddhadharma is not like that). It is not full, so it keeps rattling (a full bottle does not rattle; a half-full bottle sloshes about). If you want it not to rattle, you must pour it out and cast it away as before (you must realize that ‘at the very moment of first arousing the resolve, one immediately attains perfect enlightenment’). Wash it clean, fill it with a bottleful of good water, and it will no longer rattle (simply use this mind, and directly realize Buddhahood).” |
| 为什么荡洗净就不响了呢？因为已经装满了好水。 |
Why does it no longer rattle once it has been washed clean? Because it has already been filled with good water. |
| 老师，好水是怎么装进去的？ 小师弟 10:27:05 7/24/02(无内容) |
Teacher, how is the good water put in? Little Junior Disciple, 10:27:05, 7/24/02 (no content) |
| 没准跟本就不用装呢。 青龙 14:04:00 7/26/02(无内容) |
Perhaps there is no need to put it in at all. Azure Dragon, 14:04:00, 7/26/02 (no content) |
| 那要先知道恶水是怎么装进去的。 lvm 11:04:53 7/24/02(64) |
Then one must first know how the foul water got in. lvm, 11:04:53, 7/24/02 (64) |
| 涤荡净尽。 大老鼠 11:13:34 7/24/02(无内容) |
Wash it away completely. Big Mouse, 11:13:34, 7/24/02 (no content) |
| 不装之装，是名真装。 lvm 11:19:49 7/24/02(无内容) |
Filling without filling—this is called true filling. lvm, 11:19:49, 7/24/02 (no content) |
| ^o^ 小师弟 11:37:20 7/24/02(无内容) |
^o^ Little Junior Disciple, 11:37:20, 7/24/02 (no content) |
