祖師的故事 - 菩提達摩祖師（中英‧圖文）

[北斗]

天降紅血　呈示祖師

砍斷了，你說怎麼樣？那個血就如湧泉般地出來，一竄，把雪都染紅了，啊！淌了很多血。他把血和到雪裏，雪雖然是白的，經過血一染，就變成紅的；於是神光法師就拿個東西──中國人掃地裝塵土的畚箕──把這雪撮了一畚箕，紅血、白雪這麼一攪和，都變成紅雪，說：「請祖師爺您看一看，現在這是紅色的雪。


The Snow that Falls from the Sky Turns Red;
He Presents It to the Patriarch

He cut off his arm. What happened then? Well, blood gushed out of the wound, dyeing the snow red. A lot of blood flowed and he mixed the blood with the snow, dyeing the originally white snow red. Dharma Master Shen Guang took something, perhaps a bamboo basket, scooped up a basketful of red snow, and said, "Patriarch, please take a look: now the snow is red."

 

[北斗]

真心求法　祖師傳法

達摩祖師一看，「真的嗎？啊！這真是紅雪！」這本來早就在意料之中，就是要考驗他的真心。

一見這個，達摩祖師就很感動了：「噢！我這趟到中國還真是沒有白來，還遇著你這麼一個真心求法修道的人，能為法斷臂，連自己的臂膀都不要了，這是真有一點誠心。好啦！就傳法給你。」

於是就為他說以心印心的法門──教他直指人心、見性成佛這種的法門，教他怎麼

樣修行，怎麼樣用功，說：「在中國，你是第二代祖師。」就把正法眼藏、涅槃妙心傳給他。

He Seeks the Dharma with a True Mind;
the Patriarch Transmits It to Him

Patriarch Bodhidharma took a look, "Really? Ah! It really is red snow." Actually, the Patriarch had the intention of helping him, he just wanted to test his true mind.

Well, the Patriarch was moved and said, "I did not come to China for nothing, after all! I have met someone who seeks the Dharma with a true mind, to the point he could cut off his own arm for the sake of Dharma. He truly has a bit of sincerity! All right! I will transmit the Dharma to you."


Thus, the Patriarch taught him with the Dharma door of a mind-to-mind seal and certification. He taught him with a direct pointing to the human mind that would allow him to see the nature and realize Buddhahood. He taught him how to cultivate it and how to apply effort. He said, "In China, you are the second patriarch," and transmitted to Dharma Master Shen Guang the Proper Dharma Eye Treasury, the Wonderful Mind of Nirvana.

 

[北斗]

覓心不得　安心已竟

神光法師聽了法後，這時覺得臂痛了；以前他沒有想到臂，只是想方法教雪變成紅的，把臂痛也忘了。在達摩祖師為他講完法後，這時他生了分別心：「啊！我剁下來這隻胳臂好痛！」於是對達摩祖師說：「哎呀！我現在心很痛，受不了了！請祖師替我安心。」

達摩祖師就說：「你心痛？把你的心拿來給我，我才可以幫你把心安好，這才不會痛。」

神光法師就找自己的心，心在什麼地方？東西南北四維上下，所有的地方都找遍了，覓心了不可得！於是對達摩祖師說：「我找不著心，沒有。」

達摩祖師說：「我與汝安心竟！」你找不著心，我已經給你安完了！

二祖一聽這話，豁然開悟了！就這麼一句話，豁然就開了大悟。開了大悟，心也不痛，肝也不痛，汗毛梢也不痛了。從此之後，就依照達摩祖師傳給他的法門來修行。這叫「直指人心，見性成佛，教外別傳，不立文字」的法門。

二祖得到這個法門，就傳給三祖，三祖傳給四祖，四祖傳給五祖，五祖傳給六祖，於是這法就在中國一代一代地傳。現在這法到美國來了；可是到這兒來，沒有人跪九年，也不需要跪九年，現在只要你們能真心修行，就可以得到這個法。

Searching for His Mind, He Cannot Find It;
His Mind Is Already Calmed

After Dharma Master Shen Guang listened to the Dharma, his arm began to hurt. A while ago, he hadn't thought about his arm; he only thought about how he could get the snow to turn red. He forgot all about the pain in his arm. But after Patriarch Bodhidharma had finished explaining the Dharma to him, his discursive mind became active again. "Oow! The stump of the arm I just cut off really hurts!" Then he said to Patriarch Bodhidharma, "Ouch! My mind is in pain. I can't stand it! Please, Patriarch, quiet my mind."


"Your mind is in pain?" said Patriarch Bodhidharma. "Bring out your mind and show it to me. Then I will help quiet it for you and you won't feel any more pain."

Dharma Master Shen Guang searched for his mind. Where was his mind? He looked in the north, east, south, west, in the intermediate points, and up and down. It was simply not to be found anywhere! At last he said to Patriarch Bodhidharma, "I can't find my mind! It is nowhere to be found."

"I have already finished quieting your mind!" said the Patriarch. "You can't find your mind; I have already calmed it for you."

Upon hearing that, the Second Patriarch suddenly became enlightened. Those few words brought him to a great awakening. Having achieved a profound awakening, his mind no longer hurt, his liver did not hurt, nor did the tips of the hairs in his pores. From that time on, he cultivated the Dharma door taught by Patriarch Bodhidharma, known as "a direct pointing to the human mind that leads to seeing the nature and realizing Buddhahood; a special transmission beyond the teaching that is not set forth in words or language."

The Second Patriarch transmitted this Dharma door to the Third Patriarch, who in turn passed it to the Fourth Patriarch. The Fourth Patriarch transmitted it to the Fifth Patriarch. The Fifth Patriarch then transmitted that Dharma to the Sixth Patriarch. That Dharma has been passed down from generation to generation in China. Now it has come to America. But here in America, no one has knelt for nine years, and no one needs to. All you have to do is to bring forth a true mind to cultivate; then you will be able to attain this Dharma.

 

[北斗]

萬法歸一　死生自由

認真講起來，法是無量無邊的，達摩祖師對神光法師所說的法，也是妙不可言的，所以才有這麼幾句話：

萬法歸一一歸合　神光不明趕達摩
熊耳山前跪九載　只求一點躲閻羅

「萬法歸一一歸合」，萬法都歸於一，所謂「一本散為萬殊，萬殊仍歸一本」。萬法歸一，一又歸到什麼地方？一，又要合起來。「合」本來是人一口，「人」字

底下加個「一」字，再加「口」，那就合起來了。這合起來了，就是修道要修的一個法門──萬法歸一一歸合。這個「合」字，又可以說是那個○字。

「神光不明趕達摩」，神光法師當初不懂這個「合」字的意思，所以就去追趕達摩祖師。

「熊耳山前跪九載」，他在熊耳山跪了九年。我們不要說跪九年，我曾說過連跪九個鐘頭都沒有。

「只求一點躲閻羅」，只求達摩祖師指點他這一點點，告訴他怎樣修行，怎樣了生死、脫輪迴，怎樣能閻羅王管不著，求這個。

以前我講這個公案時，有一個小孩子聽得很高興，就問我：「那麼神光法師在那兒跪著，他九年有沒有吃飯？」這小孩子就想起問有沒有吃飯，他大約就歡喜吃飯，就怕餓著；他若不怕餓著，他也可以跪九年。那麼他先問問這九年有沒有吃飯，當時我答覆他：「當然有吃飯啦！在這九年如果不吃飯，怎麼可以活著？他到吃飯時可以起來去吃飯嘛！到大小便時又可以起身去大小便嘛！就是達摩祖師吃飯時，他也吃飯；達摩祖師打坐時，他就跪著。」他是九年都跪在那兒求法，可是在書上沒有記載詳情，我也沒有講明這個問題。

The Myriad Dharmas Returning to the One,
Attaining the Liberation from Birth and Death

At this point, if I wanted to discuss this Dharma, the meanings would be infinite and boundless. Those few words of Dharma that Patriarch Bodhidharma spoke to Dharma Master Shen Guang were ineffably wonderful. Let these few sentences suffice to describe the event:

The myriad dharmas return to the one;
the one returns to unity.
Shen Guang, having not yet understood,
ran after Bodhidharma.
At Bear's Ear Mountain he knelt before him for nine years,
Seeking a little something to escape King Yama.


The myriad dharmas return to the one; the one returns to unity. Ten thousand dharmas return to one. It's said that:

A single source disperses into myriad differences.
Myriad differences return to a single source.

Well, if the myriad dharmas return to one, where does the one return? And how does one become unity? The character for unity (合) is composed of a person (人), the number one (一), and a mouth (口). Beneath the person is a one, and beneath the one is a mouth. Put together, they make unity. In cultivation, we should cultivate one Dharma door. The myriad dharmas return to the one; the one returns to unity. Unity can also be equated to zero (○).

Shen Guang, having not yet understood, ran after Bodhidharma. At first, Dharma Master Shen Guang did not understand the meaning of unity, and so he pursued Patriarch Bodhidharma.

At Bear's Ear Mountain he knelt before him for nine years. He knelt for nine years at Bear's Ear Mountain. Not to speak of nine years, we can't even manage to kneel for nine hours.

Seeking a little something to escape King Yama. All he wanted was for Patriarch Bodhidharma to point out something to him; he wanted to know how to cultivate, how to be able to end birth and death and get out of the cycle of rebirth. He wanted to know how to get beyond King Yama's jurisdiction. That's what he wanted.

This has been a description of some of the events that transpired when Dharma Master Shen Guang encountered Patriarch Bodhidharma.Once before when I spoke this public record, a child who heard it was delighted and asked me, "During the nine years Dharma Master Shen Guang knelt, did he eat or not?"

The child thought up a question about eating probably because he liked to eat and was afraid of getting hungry. If he didn't fear getting hungry, he could also try kneeling for nine years. Anyway, he first had to ask if the Dharma Master got to eat while he knelt for nine years.

I replied, "Of course he ate! How could anyone go nine years without eating and still live? When it was time to eat he could get up and eat. When he needed to relieve himself, he could get up and relieve himself. When the Patriarch ate, he ate, too. When the Patriarch meditated, he knelt. It's true he knelt for nine years seeking the Dharma. It's just that the records don't give all the details of his lifestyle."

 

[北斗]

聖人之體　毒不可侵

達摩祖師到中國，曾經被人下了六次毒。誰來毒他呢？就還是趕跑他兩位徒弟的那位小乘法師菩提流支，又叫光統律師，他最妒忌達摩祖師，所以就做一些齋菜來供養達摩祖師；但是在菜飯裏，下了最毒的毒藥，無論誰吃了，都會死的。達摩祖師知不知道飯菜裏有毒呢？知道！可是還是照吃不誤，把這個毒飯吃了。吃了後，就叫人拿一個盤子給他，他就吐了；吐出什麼來呢？這個毒藥完全都變成蛇了；這是第一次。

以後，菩提流支法師看毒不死達摩祖師，也不知道是怎麼回事，第二次又來加倍下毒；以前沒有毒死你，這回下多一點毒藥！就用另一種更毒的藥來毒達摩祖師，達摩祖師也是又把它吃了。吃了後，怎樣呢？坐到一塊大石頭上，把毒藥屙出去，屙出毒藥的這種力量，把石頭都毒爆了，毒破壞了，一塊大磐石也破壞了，這是第二次。

Poison Cannot Invade the Body of a Sage

While Patriarch Bodhidharma was in China, people attempted to poison him six times. Who poisoned him? It was Bodhiruchi, also called Vinaya Master Guang Tong, the same Small Vehicle Dharma Master who forced the Patriarch's two disciples out of China. He was extremely jealous of Patriarch Bodhidharma. He prepared a vegetarian meal and offered it to the Patriarch. The problem was, he laced the food with a lethal poison. Anyone would have died from the dose.

Well, did the Patriarch Bodhidharma know


that the food was poisoned? He knew! Although he knew it was poisoned, he ate it anyway. After he ate it, he asked someone to bring him a tray, and then he vomited the food onto the tray. The poison he vomited was transformed into a pile of writhing snakes. That was the first time.

After that unsuccessful attempt, Dharma Master Bodhiruchi couldn't figure out why the Patriarch had not been poisoned to death. The second time he doubled the dose of poison. It hadn't worked the previous time; this time he used more poison. He even used a more lethal variety to try to poison the Patriarch. Again, Patriarch Bodhidharma ate the food. Then he sat atop a huge boulder and relieved nature. The force of the poison that was eliminated exploded on the boulder, breaking not only the potency of the poison but also splitting the boulder as well. That was the second time.

 

[北斗]

傳法有人　示入涅槃

以後又有三次、四次、五次、六次，吃了六次毒藥，達摩祖師就對慧可說：「我到中國來，是因為中國有大乘根性的眾生，所以我把大乘佛教帶到這兒來。現在已經傳法有人──有人接續我這個法了，我就不留在這兒，現在就要死了。」

慧可大師就問達摩祖師，說：「你在印度有沒有傳法的徒弟？是不是也要給袈裟，用衣缽袈裟來做憑據？」

達摩祖師說：「沒有！在印度，我們傳法是傳法，但是不用衣缽袈裟來表信。因為印度的人心都很直率，他修道，得道就說得道，有人證明他是開悟得道，就是得道了；如果沒有人證明，自己不會說我得了道，我證了果，我又是阿羅漢，我又是菩薩了。沒有人會這麼講的，所以那裏的人都很正直。中國人不同，中國大乘根性的眾生是多，可是打妄語的人也多。修道道業還沒成，他說成道了；沒有證果，他說證果了，所以要用衣缽袈裟來表信。那麼現在傳給你這個衣缽袈裟，你好好保持著。」

達摩祖師傳法給神光法師後，就為他改名字叫慧可，說他的智慧真可以了，夠了。神光法師──就是慧可大師，聽達摩祖師這樣地吩咐他，也就明白傳法的意義。

Having Transmitted the Dharma to Someone,
He Appears to Enter Nirvana

After that there was a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth time. Each of those six times, he ingested the poison. One day, Patriarch Bodhidharma said to Dharma Master Shen Guang, "I came to China because I saw people and other beings with a propensity for the Great Vehicle. That is why I brought the Great Vehicle Buddhadharma to China. Now I have already transmitted the Dharma to someone who will continue the line. I am not going to stay here any longer. I am ready to die now."


Great Master Hui Ke (Dharma Master Shen Guang) asked Patriarch Bodhidharma, "In India, did you transmit the Dharma to your disciples? Did you also give the robe and the bowl as certification?"

"I transmitted the Dharma in India," replied Bodhidharma, "but I did not use the robe and the bowl as a token of faith. That is because the people of India are straightforward. When they cultivate and attain the fruition, they know they must be certified. If no one certifies them, they do not say, 'I have attained the Way! I have certified to the fruition! I have given proof to Arhatship! I am a Bodhisattva!' They do not speak like that. People there are upright and straight.

"Chinese people, however, are different. In China there are many beings with a propensity for the Great Vehicle, but there are also many people who lie. Having not yet cultivated to successful completion, such people claim to have the Way. Having not yet certified to the fruition, such people claim to be certified sages. That is why the robe and bowl must be used here as a token of certification. Therefore I will transmit the robe and bowl to prove that you have received the transmission. Guard them well and take care."

With the transmission of the Dharma from Patriarch Bodhidharma, Dharma Master Shen Guang received the name Hui Ke, which means "Able Wisdom," evidence that his wisdom was truly up to the task; it was sufficient. Dharma Master Shen Guang, that is, Great Master Hui Ke, listened to Patriarch Bodhidharma's instructions and thereupon understood the Dharma transmission he had received.

 

[北斗]

隻履西歸　遇見宋雲

於是達摩祖師就假裝入滅，人們將他裝在棺材埋到墳裏，以為沒有事了。可是就在同時，北魏有一個使臣叫宋雲，在秦嶺附近，也就是中國終南山那一帶，碰見達摩祖師，一隻手拎著一隻鞋，對宋雲說：「你的國家有事，國王今天死了，國內現在很亂，趕快回去呀！」

宋雲想：「我的國家沒有什麼事啊？」然後就問達摩祖師說：「那麼大師您到什麼地方去？」

他說：「我回印度去。」

「大師，您的法傳給誰了？」

達摩祖師說：「在中國四十年以後，可是也。」可，就是說慧可大師；我的法在中國四十年以後，有位慧可大師，就是我的傳法人。

As He Returns West Carrying One Shoe,
He Encounters Song Yun

Patriarch Bodhidharma then pretended to enter Nirvana. People buried his coffin and thought the matter was finished. However, right at that time, a diplomatic representative from Northern Wei called Song Yun met Patriarch Bodhidharma in the vicinity of the Qin Range on the road to Zhongnan Mountain. When they met, Patriarch Bodhidharma was carrying one shoe in his hand. He said to Song Yun, "The king of your country died today. Your country is in turmoil. Return quickly! There is work to be done."


Song Yun thought, "Nothing is happening in my country." Then he asked Patriarch Bodhidharma, "Great Master, where are you going then?"

"Back to India," he replied.

"Great Master, to whom did you transmit your Dharma?"

Patriarch Bodhidharma replied, "In China after forty years, there will be someone able ('Ke')." "Able" was a reference to Great Master Hui Ke.

 

[北斗]

預言應驗　國王駕崩

宋雲回到自己的國家北魏，就說起這件事：「我前兩天走到秦嶺，就是終南山那一帶，遇見達摩祖師，他手裏拿著一隻鞋。問他到什麼地方去？他說回印度去。他還告訴我，就在我遇到他那一天，我們的國王死了；我現在回來，果然正是那一天。他怎麼會知道？達摩祖師說的話真靈驗啊！」


His Prediction Was True: The Emperor Had Died

Song Yun returned to his country, Northern Wei, and relayed this matter, "A couple of days ago when I was traveling along the Qin Range near Mount Zhongnan, I met Patriarch Bodhidharma. He was carrying a shoe in his hand. I asked where he was heading, and he said he was going back to India. He told me the day I met him that our Emperor had died. Now I have come back and found that it did happen on that very day. How did he know? Patriarch Bodhidharma's words are really efficacious."

 

[北斗]

空棺隻鞋　祖師何在

這些人說：「達摩祖師？喲！你真見鬼了，他早就死了嘛！墳就在某個地方呢！你怎麼會碰見他？」大家都不相信宋雲講的話。「他已經死了，你怎麼會遇著他？我們去把他的墳打開看看。」到了那兒，說：「他死了很久，你又看見他，莫非他沒有死？」於是就打開達摩祖師的墳，打開一看，棺材裏什麼也沒有，空空如也，只剩一隻鞋。因為達摩祖師拿走了一隻，所以棺材裏只剩一隻鞋。

那麼究竟達摩祖師到什麼地方去了？以後就沒有人知道，說不定現在到美國來，也不一定。不過沒人認識他，他可以改頭換面，隨便千變萬化的。他到中國時，就說是一百五十歲，走了還是一百五十歲；到什麼地方去？沒有人知道。說是去考察歷史，歷史上也沒有這些個問題，沒有地方可以考據。這是達摩祖師一生到中國的大概經過。

Only One Shoe in an Empty Coffin:
Where Is the Patriarch?

Those who heard his tale retorted, "Patriarch Bodhidharma? You must have seen a ghost! Patriarch Bodhidharma is already dead. He was buried in such and such a place. How could you have met him?" No one believed Song Yun's story. "He is already dead, how could you have met him? Let's go together and dig up his grave." When they arrived at the grave, they said, "He had already been dead a long time when you say you saw him. Is it possible that he did not die after all?"

So they dug up Patriarch Bodhidharma's


grave and opened the coffin. It was empty. There was nothing inside but one shoe. Since Patriarch Bodhidharma had taken one shoe with him, only one shoe remained in the coffin.

Well, where did Patriarch Bodhidharma go? No one knows. Perhaps he came to America. It's not for sure. But no one would recognize him, because he can change his appearance at will. He goes through thousands of transformations and myriad changes according to his convenience. When he reached China he said he was one hundred and fifty years old, and when he left he said he was still one hundred and fifty years old. Where did he go? No one knows. You may suggest that we look it up in the historical records, but no historical references can be found. This has been a general discussion of Patriarch Bodhidharma's life in China.

 

[北斗]

六祖浣衣　方辯述奇

在《六祖壇經》上有一段文提到，有一天六祖大師在山林裏，洗五祖傳給他的衣缽時，來了一個和尚，向六祖大師叩頭頂禮說：「我名叫方辯，是四川西蜀的人，前幾天在南天竺──就是南印度，看見達摩祖師了。他教我回到唐朝這個地方來。他說：『我由大迦葉那兒一代一代傳下來的正法眼藏，和祖衣──就是二十五條衣僧伽梨──現在在中國傳到第六代，在韶關曹溪那個地方，你趕快到那裏去瞻仰禮拜第六代祖師！』」

各位想一想，初祖達摩在中國已經死了，但是這個方辯和尚在六祖這個時代，又在印度看見達摩祖師，你們說這件事情是不是很奇怪？其實這不足為奇，因為達摩祖師到什麼地方去了？到現在一般人也不知道！

As the Sixth Patriarch Washes His Sash,
Fang Bian Relates a Strange Tale

In the Sixth Patriarch's Platform Sutra is a passage that mentions how one day when the Sixth Patriarch was in the mountain forest washing the sash which he received from the Fifth Patriarch, a monk came and bowed to him. After paying his respects, the monk said, "My name is Fang Bian. I am a native of Sichuan. A few days ago, I saw Patriarch Bodhidharma in South India. He told me to come back here to the Land of Tang [China]. The Patriarch said, 'From Great Kashyapa onward to me and down through the generations, the Proper


Dharma Eye Treasury has been transmitted along with the Patriarch's robe, the twenty-five piece sash--the sanghati. It is now in China, having been transmitted to the sixth generation who is at Cao Creek of Shaoguan. Go quickly to that place and pay obedience to that Sixth Patriarch!'"

Think about it. The First Patriarch Bodhidharma already died in China, but this monk Fang Bian met him in India during the Sixth Patriarch's time. Is it not strange? Actually, it's not that surprising because up to now, no one knows where Patriarch Bodhidharma has gone.

 

[北斗]

王氏孝子　守孝六年

講到這兒，我想起一件事實，這不是公案，這是實實在在的一件事，講給各位聽一聽。

我在中國的東北──那時候叫滿洲里，最初我發心修道，是有種種因緣的。當時我最崇拜的人，就是東北一個叫王孝子的。這個王孝子，二十八歲開始守孝，東北那個地方很冷，他就用木頭板釘那麼一個小茅棚住著，很冷的。先住了三年，三年過後，他又繼續在那兒守孝三年，這樣前後

共守了六年。在最後第六年，他就不講話了；任何人去，都不和人談話，天天在小茅棚裏參禪打坐、誦《金剛經》。

Filial Son Wang Practiced Filiality
Beside the Grave for Six Years

Speaking of that, I recall another true incident I would like to relate to you. This is no story, it's a true tale.

When I was in Manchuria there were several causes and conditions which inspired me to cultivate the Way. The person whom I admired the most in Manchuria was Filial Son Wong. He started his filial period of mourning when he was twenty-eight. It gets very cold in Manchuria. He used wooden boards and nails to build a small hut, but it didn't keep out the bitter cold.


He lived there for three years and then continued the filial mourning period for another three years. He spent six years there altogether. During the last year, he did not talk to anyone, no matter who came to visit him. Every day he

 

[北斗]

守孝圓滿　護法顯聖

在他後來這三年將要圓滿時，就打了一個妄想：「千山和廣寧山，這是東北兩座名山，在這兩座名山裏，都有幾千年的老比丘在修道。等我守孝圓滿了，也到廣寧山修道去。」

打了這麼個妄想，等第二天早起打坐時，就聽見有護法對他講：「今天有貴人到你這兒來。」他聽說有貴人來，以為是個做大官的，或者是個做什麼的，就等著。


At the End of His Filial Mourning,
a Dharma Protector Presented a Sage

When his last three years of mourning were almost over, he had a false thought,

"Mount Qian (Thousand) and Mount Guangning (Expansive Tranquility) are two famous mountains in Manchuria. In those two mountains, many thousand-year-old Bhikshus are cultivating. After I complete this mourning period, I also will go there to cultivate the Way."

Two days after he had that false thought, while he was sitting in meditation he heard a Dharma Protector say to him, "Today a nobleman will come to visit you." When he heard that a nobleman was coming, he assumed it would be a high official of some kind. He just waited.

 

[北斗]

明朝和尚　民國來訪

等著，大約到十點多，就看見一個穿破衣服的和尚，挑著一個挑子；這個挑子就是擔子，擔著他用的衣服和棉被之類的。挑到這兒來，這個人就把挑子放下，和他談話。王孝子是不講話的，所以就在心裏問這人說：「你從什麼地方來？」心裏講，口沒講出來。

這個人就說：「喔！我從廣寧山來的。」

王孝子說：「那麼你姓什麼？叫什麼？」

他說：「我的名字呀，你知道明朝嗎？我是明朝的一個將軍，以後出家修道了，直到現在。我覺得和你很有緣，今天特來見一見。」

他又說：「我知道你要到廣寧山去修道。廣寧山那個地方，是獨善其身的人修道的地方；你呢，應該兼善天下。你在這一方，與這一方的人非常有緣，所以你不要到廣寧山去修道了；等守完孝後，就在這地方造一座廟，在這兒弘揚佛法好了。」和王孝子說完這幾句話，這個人就走了。

這個人自己說是明朝的人，由什麼證明他是真的？因為王孝子在心裏問他話，他就可以知道王孝子問他什麼，足見這個人是已經得到他心通──五眼六通這種境界了。王孝子這個時候是民國時代，由明朝到民國，已經有三百多年了；三百多年，這個人還沒有死，來見王孝子。由這一點證明，達摩祖師入滅後，過了幾百年，有人在印度見到他，和方辯所說傳授衣缽的情形，這是很平常，不足為奇的。所以達摩祖師這種不可思議的境界，是令人永遠都不能忘的，中國人對達摩祖師也是永遠地懷念。

A Monk from the Ming Dynasty
Came to Visit during the Republic

He waited till a little past ten and saw a monk wearing a tattered robe and carrying a stick with a bundle attached that held his clothing and bedding. The monk put down his bundle and spoke to him. Now, Filial Son Wong wasn't talking, but he mentally asked the monk, "Where did you come from?" He spoke with his mind, not his mouth.

The monk answered, saying, "I come from Mount Guangning."

Filial Son Wong asked, "What is your


name? What are you called?"

The monk replied, "My name? Well, are you familiar with the Ming Dynasty? I was a general during the Ming Dynasty. Later, I left home and started cultivating the Way. Recently, I have felt that I have some affinities with you, so I have come here today to see you." He also said, "I know you are thinking of going to Mount Guangning to cultivate. That is a place for people who only take care of their own virtue in solitude. As for you, you should take care of the whole world. Your affinity with people in this place is very strong. Don't go to Mount Guangning. After you finish your period of filial mourning, stay here and build a monastery. It would be best to propagate the Buddhadharma here." After saying those few sentences to Filial Son Wong, the monk left.

That monk claimed that he was from the Ming Dynasty. How can we prove what he said was true? The fact that he knew the question asked in Filial Son Wong's mind proved that he was a person who had already attained the penetration of knowing others' thoughts--a state associated with the Five Eyes and Six Spiritual Powers. However, Filial Son Wong lived during the Republic, about three hundred years after the Ming Dynasty. Over three hundred years had passed, and yet this monk was still alive and came to visit Filial Son Wong. This incident proves that the claim that someone saw Patriarch Bodhidharma in India a few hundred years after he entered the stillness, and that the situation described by Fang Bian regarding the transmission of the sash, are not that unusual. Those incidences were, in fact, rather ordinary occurrences; not all that strange. The inconceivable states of Patriarch Bodhidharma will never be forgotten. The Chinese people will forever remember Patriarch Bodhidharma.

 

[北斗]

(完)

傳法三人　全身空無

除了慧可法師，達摩祖師到中國後，收了很多中國徒弟。當時他在熊耳山那兒面壁九年，不知多少人去皈依、頂禮，拜他做師父。其中得法的有三人，他臨圓寂時說：「我到中國來，法傳了三個人。一個得到我的髓，一個得到我的骨頭，一個得到我的肉。」所以他自己也沒有身體了，把身體都分給人了。

那麼誰得到他的髓？就是慧可大師，得到達摩祖師的髓。道育禪師，得到達摩祖師

的骨。道濟比丘尼，就是總持比丘尼，我講《法華經》時，不是說有一位比丘尼死後，口裏生出一朵青蓮花來嗎？就是這位比丘尼。她得到達摩祖師的肉，把達摩祖師的肉都給吃了；而道育禪師把達摩祖師的骨頭都給啃了；還有慧可祖師把達摩祖師的髓都給喝了；所以達摩祖師連身體都沒有了。因此各位不要在美國找，找不著了！

He Transmitted the Dharma to Three People;
His Body Is Empty and Gone

After the Patriarch transmitted the Dharma to Great Master Hui Ke, he also accepted many other Chinese disciples. While he sat facing the wall for nine years at Bear's Ear Mountain, it's not known how many people came to take refuge, pay their respects, and bow to him as their teacher. Among them were three individuals whom Patriarch Bodhidharma mentioned when he was about to pass into stillness. He said, "I came to China and transmitted my Dharma to three people. One received my marrow, one received my bones, and one received


my flesh." That is why he himself had no physical body. He divided his body up and gave it away to others.

Great Master Hui Ke received Patriarch Bodhidharma's marrow. Chan Master Dao Yu received Patriarch Bodhidharma's bones. The third was Bhikshuni Zong Chi (Dao Ji). Do you remember her? When I lectured on the Dharma Flower Sutra didn't I tell you about how a blue lotus flower grew from her mouth after she died? That Bhikshuni received Patriarch Bodhidharma's flesh. She consumed Patriarch Bodhidharma's flesh; Dhyana Master Dao Yu chewed up Patriarch Bodhidharma's bones, and Patriarch Hui Ke drank Patriarch Bodhidharma's marrow. In the end, Patriarch Bodhidharma had no body at all. And so don't look for him in America; you won't find him.

 

[horton]

阿弥陀佛