祖師的故事 - 菩提達摩祖師_6－福善書院

見鳥出籠　悟裝死人

追達摩祖師，祖師在前面走，他就在後面追，一追，追到這兒，看見達摩祖師幫助這隻小鳥得到了自由。他就想：噢！原來就是這麼回事，要裝死，要裝一個活死人。

Meeting the Parrot Who Escaped from the Cage, He Realizes He Must Pretend to Be Dead

Patriarch Bodhidharma walked on ahead; the Dharma Master pursued him from behind. In his pursuit, he passed the parrot who had gained his freedom through the help of Patriarch Bodhidharma. Suddenly he understood, "Oh! That's what it's all about! I have to play dead. I have to be a living dead person!"

追隨祖師　直至嵩山

神光法師追達摩祖師，達摩祖師也不理他，就前頭走；神光法師就後頭追，一追就追到洛陽的熊耳山去，──中嶽嵩山也叫熊耳山。五嶽就是東嶽泰山、南嶽衡山、西嶽華山、北嶽恆山、中嶽嵩山。

Pursuing the Patriarch, He Follows Him Straight to Mount Song

Dharma Master Shen Guang raced after Patriarch Bodhidharma. The Patriarch paid no attention to him but just kept on walking. Dharma Master Shen Guang followed him all the way to Bear's Ear Mountain, close to Mount Song, the Central Yo [sacred mountain], near Luoyang. The Five Yo [sacred mountains] are Mount Tai (Peace) in the east, Mount Heng (Authority) in the south, Mount Hua (Elegance) in the west, Mount Heng (Constancy) in the north, and Mount Song (Eminence) in the center.

祖師面壁　法師求懺

到那兒追上達摩祖師了，達摩祖師就在那兒打坐、面壁──面壁就不和人講話。他一看達摩祖師在打坐，就跪在那兒不起來，說：「我起先見到您，不知道您是個祖師，是個聖人，還用念珠打您，這真是很對不起，我現在很後悔。我知道您是真有道德的，是一個懷道之士，現在特來向您求道、求法。」

達摩祖師看看他，也沒說什麼，還是在那兒打坐；神光法師在那兒跪著求法，一

跪，就跪了九年。因為達摩祖師面壁坐了九年，他也就跪了九年。

我們現在修行，坐了一陣子，覺得腰也痛，腿也痠，很不舒服的。你們各位想一想，達摩祖師在那兒面壁，坐了九年；而他在那兒跪了九年，這會不會很舒服？會不會很好玩？

各位再想一想，古人為法，跪了九年都還要求法，我們現在甚至連九個鐘頭，九天也沒跪，就覺得很辛苦，很不舒服了，又想：「我早上沒有東西吃啦，晚間沒有蜜糖喝啦！」就打這些個妄想；這和古人比起來，自己應該做什麼感想呢？

你們有沒有替神光法師著急？他在那兒跪了九年呢！大概有人會說：「哎呀！神光法師在那兒跪得腿很痛，比我打坐還痛呢！九年那麼長的時間。」又有人說：「他一定跑了。」那麼我告訴你，他不會跑的！他若跪了九年，一跑，就是前功盡棄，一分錢的價值也沒有了；所以他寧可跪死在那個地方，也不走了：「您這個祖師不傳給我躲閻羅的法，無論如何我也不起身！」

While the Patriarch Sits Facing the Rock Wall, The Dharma Master Seeks to Repent
He caught up with Patriarch Bodhidharma, only to find him sitting in meditation facing a rock wall. He was turned toward the wall and not speaking to anyone. Seeing the Patriarch there in meditation, the Dharma Master knelt down and did not get up, saying, "When I first saw you, I did not know that you were a patriarch, a sage. I hit you with my recitation beads, and I'm really sorry. I am truly remorseful. I know you are a person with true virtue. You are a noble one who cherishes the Way. I am now seeking the Way, the Dharma, from you."

Patriarch Bodhidharma took one look at him and said nothing; he remained sitting in meditation. Dharma Master knelt there seeking the Dharma for nine years. Patriarch Bodhidharma meditated facing the wall for nine years, and Dharma Master Shen Guang knelt there for nine years.

We cultivators of the present time sit for a while and then begin to feel aches in our waist and pains in our legs, getting very uncomfortable. All of us should reflect on what it would be like to kneel for nine years. How comfortable would that be? How much fun?

All of us should reflect on how those of old could kneel for nine years seeking the Dharma. We of today can't endure nine days or even nine hours without feeling it's impossibly bitter and terribly uncomfortable. Some of us also think: "In the morning I don't get breakfast, and at night there's nothing sweet to drink." All sorts of such false thoughts arise. Comparing ourselves to those of old, how do we feel?

Do you feel concerned about Dharma Master Shen Guang? He knelt there for nine long years. Probably some of you are thinking, "Incredible! Kneeling for nine years like that, Dharma Master Shen Guang's legs must have really hurt. It must have been much worse than the leg pain we experience sitting in meditation. Nine years is a long time." Someone else may say, "He must have run away." Let me tell you, he did not run away! If he had run away after he had knelt for nine years, all the effort he made would have been wasted. It would not have been worth a penny. Therefore, he would rather have knelt there until he died than to have run away. "Patriarch, if you don't transmit to me the Dharma for avoiding King Yama, I will not get up under any circumstances."

九載跪求　了生法門

神光法師在那兒跪了九年，這九年他的功夫也差不多了，可是還沒有成就。有一年，天下大雪，在熊耳山上，外邊的雪下得很厚，達摩祖師在那兒打坐，他依然在那兒跪著，這雪就沒了他的腰，把他的腰都給埋了。你看這有多厚！這雪最少有兩尺半到三尺深了，可是他還是在那兒跪著求法。

達摩祖師在那兒面壁坐著，大約到吃飯的時候，站起身要去吃飯，一看神光法師還

在那兒跪著，就說：「你幹什麼在這兒這個樣子，下這麼大雪，你還在這兒跪著幹什麼？」

神光法師說：「我要求法，我要求道！請祖師您慈悲傳給我這個躲閻羅王的法！以前我講經不能了生死，現在我要了生死了，請祖師傳給我了生死的法門！」

達摩祖師一想：「你現在跪在我面前要求法躲閻羅，你不記得我問你話時，你用念珠打掉我兩顆牙，你不記得那時嗎？」然後就說：「你看現在天是不是下雪？」神光法師說：「是下雪！這雪現在都沒我的腰了。」

達摩祖師就問：「雪是什麼顏色的？」

神光法師說：「雪當然是白色的！人人都知道雪是白色的，不是我一個人這麼說！」

達摩祖師就出一個題目，來考他一下，說：「好了！你看雪是白的，從天上下來的。你等著什麼時候天下紅雪，那時我就傳法給你，教你怎麼了生死、躲閻羅王。如果不下紅雪的話，你就不要希望了。你這麼一個惡和尚，一念珠就打掉我兩顆牙，我不向你報仇，就已經最慈悲了，怎麼又會傳給你法呢！」

你們各位想一想，這豈不是在和尚頭上找頭髮──沒有！沒有這個道理。和尚都是光頭的，哪有頭髮？對不對？但是他要在和尚頭上找頭髮。達摩祖師說：「你什麼時候看見雪是紅的，我再傳法給你。」就出了這麼一個題目，來考神光法師一下。

Kneeling for Nine Years, He Seeks the Dharma for Ending Birth and Death
During the nine years he knelt there, Dharma Master Shen Guang's skill was almost perfected, but not quite. One year, it snowed very heavily on Bear's Ear Mountain. Outside, the snow was deep. Patriarch Bodhidharma sat meditating and as Dharma Master Shen Guang knelt there, he became buried in snow up to his waist. Imagine that! The snow must have been at least two to three feet deep, yet Dharma Master Shen Guang continued to kneel there seeking the Dharma.

At about lunch time, Patriarch

Bodhidharma got up from where he had been facing the wall meditating and saw that the Dharma Master was still kneeling. He said, "What are you doing here, acting like that? It's snowing so hard. Why are you still kneeling there?"

Dharma Master Shen Guang replied, "I am seeking the Dharma! I am seeking the Way! Please, Patriarch, be compassionate and transmit to me the method for avoiding King Yama. Before, I lectured on the Sutras, but could not end my own birth and death. Now I want to end birth and death. Please, Patriarch, transmit the Dharma for ending birth and death to me."

Patriarch Bodhidharma thought for a while and said, "Now you are kneeling here pleading with me to teach you the Dharma for escaping King Yama. But do you remember the time when I asked you a question and you responded by breaking off two of my teeth with your recitation beads? Do you remember that time?" Then, he asked, "Is it snowing?"

Dharma Master Shen Guang said, "Yes, it is snowing. I am buried in snow up to my waist."

Patriarch Bodhidharma asked, "What color is the snow?"

Dharma Master Shen Guang said, "Snow is white, of course. Everyone knows that snow is white. I am not the only one who says so."

Then Patriarch Bodhidharma gave him a problem to solve. He assigned him his test question. He said, "Fine. You see that the snow falling from the sky is white. When red snow falls from the sky, I will transmit the Dharma to you. I will teach you how to end birth and death and escape from King Yama. If no red snow falls, you are out of luck. What a vicious monk you are to have knocked out two of my teeth with your recitation beads! I have already been most compassionate by not seeking revenge; how could I possibly transmit the Dharma to you!"

You all think about it: wouldn't solving that problem have been like trying to find a hair on a monk's head? In other words, wasn't it impossible? Monks are bald; there would be no hair to be found, right? But Patriarch Bodhidharma was searching for a hair on a monk's head. He said, "Whenever you see red snow falling, then I will transmit the Dharma to you." That was the test question he gave to Dharma Master Shen Guang to answer.

神光斷臂　考題交卷

出了這樣一個題目，可是神光法師就把這文章給作成了！文章怎麼作的呢？他一看：「這回糟糕了，雪都是白的，怎麼會有紅的？」一抬頭，哦！看見石壁上掛著一把刀，這把刀是修道人的戒刀，就是預備在逼不得已，一定要犯戒時，寧可把自己的頭割下來也不犯戒，保持戒體，預備這樣用的。

神光法師一看，啊！福至心靈了：「好！既然您要紅雪，我就給您紅雪看看！」就

將這把戒刀拿下來，你說他幹什麼？是不是想要殺達摩祖師？不是的。他拿了戒刀，就一刀砍斷了一隻臂；這是他對這樣的考試題目，所作成的文章。

Slicing Off His Arm, Dharma Master Shen Guang Solves the Problem
The problem was stated and Dharma Master Shen Guang solved it. He wrote the essay. How did he solve the problem? He thought, "What a mess I'm in now! The falling snow is white. How could it turn red?" Aha! He raised his head and saw a knife hanging from a rock. That knife was a cultivator's precept blade. It hung there in readiness in case the time ever came when the cultivator faced a situation in which he would be forced to break the precepts.

In that case, he would rather use the knife to cut off his own head in order to preserve

the integrity of his precept substance than to violate the precepts. When Dharma Master Shen Guang saw the knife, he had an idea. "Great! Since you want red snow, I will show you red snow." He took down the knife. Now, what do you suppose he was about to do? Was he going to kill Patriarch Bodhidharma? No. He grabbed the knife and with one swing cut off his own arm. That was how he solved the problem. He completed his essay.

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."