禪門三喝3 The Three Shouts of Zen3

 禪門三喝3

下面公案

是對禪學有心得的學習者，對挑滿經文趕路的修行者當頭ㄧ喝。

這只是說：請問這佛學知識怎麼使出來?

半寄

「指月錄-婆子點心

　在往澧陽途中，德山禪師遇見一位賣餅的婆子，便卸下擔子想買點心充飢。婆子指著擔子問：「這個是什麼文字？」師曰：「《青龍疏鈔》。」婆子又問：「講的是什麼經？」師曰：「《金剛經》。」

婆子便說：「我有一問，你若答得出來，就施與點心。

若答不得，且別處去。《金剛經》道：『過去心不可得，現在心不可得，未來心不可得。』

不知上座點的是哪個心？」

師當下無言以對，遂挑起擔子，往澧陽參謁龍潭崇信禪師。

見燭吹滅　豁然大悟

　　抵達龍潭崇信禪師的道場，德山禪師走到法堂開口便道：

「久嚮龍潭，及乎到來，潭又不見，龍又不現。」

龍潭禪師引身說道：「子親到龍潭。」

德山禪師聞言但未領要旨，

便留在龍潭禪師座下參學。

一晚，德山禪師侍立在龍潭禪師身旁，龍潭禪師說：

「夜深了，何不回去休息？」德山禪師向龍潭禪師道了珍重，轉身便往外走。

剛走出去，又退回來說：「外面天黑。」龍潭禪師點了一支紙燭遞給德山禪師。

德山禪師正準備接手，龍潭禪師立刻將紙燭吹滅。

德山禪師當下豁然大悟，便朝龍潭禪師禮拜。

龍潭禪師問：「子(你)見個什麼？」德山禪師回答：「從今向去，更不疑天下老和尚舌頭也。」

　　次日，龍潭禪師陞座向大眾說：「可中有個漢，牙如劍樹，口似血盆，一棒打不回頭。

他時向孤峰頂上，立吾道去在！」

「 Ai給的答案

這則公案對那些將「地圖」誤認為「疆域」的學習者來說，是一記響亮的「當頭一喝」。

它為修行者提供了三個層次的啟發：

1. 概念化的陷阱（婆子的提問）
婆子的謎題揭示了佛學研究的悖論。德山在知識層面精通《金剛經》，但他的靈魂依然「飢餓」。
• 啟發： 關於「空性」的知識不等於「空性」的體驗。

如果心是「不可得」的（過去、現在、未來皆無法捕捉），那麼企圖用文字去「定格」或「點亮」這個心，本身就是徒勞的。

2. 言語之外的傳承（吹燭）
當龍潭吹滅蠟燭時，他摧毀了德山對「外在光明」（經文、導師、邏輯清晰度）的依賴。
• 啟發： 真正的覺醒往往發生在「理性的光」熄滅之時。在絕對的黑暗中，德山無法再向外看，只能回歸自性。這就是禪宗的「直指人心」。

3. 焚經的勇氣
德山的焚經並非否定佛經本身，而是否定對經文的「執著」。
• 啟發： 正如他所說，再精妙的辯證法在虛空面前也只是一根毫毛。與現實的直接體驗相比，文字是極其微小的。這提醒修行者：要藉由「指頭」去看「月亮」，但絕對不要把指頭當成月亮。」

The Three Shouts of Zen3

"The following case serves as a 'thunderous shout' to students of Zen, particularly those practitioners preoccupied with the literal weight of scriptures. Its essence is this: How does one manifest this Buddhist knowledge in reality?"

Master Banji

This famous Koan follows the transformation of Master Deshan (formerly a scholar-monk known for his mastery of the Diamond Sutra) from a man of "words and letters" to a man of "direct realization."
Here is a translation tailored for English speakers and practitioners, followed by an analysis of the Buddhist insights it provides.

The Koan: Deshan and the Blown-Out Candle
I. The Old Woman by the Roadside
On his way to Liyang, Master Deshan—carrying a heavy load of his own commentaries on the Diamond Sutra—stopped to buy some rice cakes (known in Chinese as dianxin, literally "dotting the heart") to ease his hunger.

An old woman selling the cakes pointed at his bundles and asked, "What writings are those?"
Deshan replied, "The Qinglong Commentaries on the Diamond Sutra."
The woman asked, "And what is the core teaching of that Sutra?"
Deshan said, "The Diamond Sutra."

The woman smiled and said, "I have one question. If you can answer it, I will give you the cakes for free. If you cannot, you must go elsewhere. The Diamond Sutra says: 'The past heart-mind cannot be grasped, the present heart-mind cannot be grasped, and the future heart-mind cannot be grasped.' I wonder, O Scholar, which 'heart' are you planning to 'dot' today?"

Deshan was struck silent. Unable to utter a word, he picked up his burdens and headed for the monastery of Master Longtan.

II. No Dragon, No Pond
Upon arriving, Deshan walked into the Dharma Hall and declared, "I have long heard of 'Dragon Pond' (Longtan), but now that I am here, I see no pond, and no dragon appears!"
Master Longtan looked up and said simply, "You have truly arrived at Dragon Pond."
Deshan didn't quite grasp the meaning, but he decided to stay and study.

III. The Blown-Out Candle
One evening, while Deshan was standing in attendance, Longtan said, "It is late. Why don't you go back and rest?"
Deshan bid him goodnight and walked out. A moment later, he returned, saying, "It is pitch black outside."
Longtan lit a paper candle and handed it to Deshan. Just as Deshan reached out to take it, Longtan leaned forward and blew it out.
In that sudden darkness, Deshan attained Great Enlightenment. He immediately bowed to the Master.

Longtan asked, "What did you see?"
Deshan replied, "From this day forward, I will never again doubt the words of the old Zen masters."
IV. The Great Bonfire
The next day, Longtan told the assembly: "There is a man among us whose teeth are like a forest of swords and whose mouth is like a bowl of blood. You could hit him with a stick and he wouldn't turn his head. One day, he will stand on a solitary peak and establish our Way!"
Deshan then brought his massive piles of commentaries to the front of the hall. He raised a torch and declared:

> "Exhausting all subtle dialectics is like placing a single hair in the Great Void. Exhausting all the world’s vital mechanisms is like dropping a single point of water into a vast canyon."
>
With that, he set his books on fire, watched them turn to ash, and departed for Guishan.
Insights: What Buddhist "Knowledge" is Produced?
This Koan serves as a "thunderclap" (当头一喝) for those who mistake the map for the territory. It produces three specific levels of insight for practitioners:

1. The Trap of Conceptualization (The Old Woman's Question)
The old woman’s riddle highlights the paradox of Buddhist study. Deshan knew the Diamond Sutra intellectually, but he was "hungry"—both physically and spiritually.
* The Insight: Knowledge about "emptiness" (Sunyata) is not the same as the experience of it. If the mind is "ungraspable" (past, present, and future), then using a book to "fix" or "dot" the mind is an exercise in futility.

2. The Transmission Beyond Words (The Candle)
When Longtan blew out the candle, he destroyed Deshan's reliance on external "light" (scriptures, teachers, and intellectual clarity).
* The Insight: True realization often happens when the "intellectual light" is extinguished. In the total darkness, Deshan could no longer look at the candle; he had to rely on his own innate Buddha-nature. This is the "direct pointing" of Zen.

3. The "Burning" of the Commentaries

Deshan's final act isn't a rejection of the Sutras themselves, but a rejection of attachment to them.

* The Insight: As he noted, even the most profound philosophy is just "a hair in the Great Void." Compared to the direct experience of reality, words are infinitesimally small. This encourages practitioners to use the "finger" (teaching) to see the "moon" (truth), but to never mistake the finger for the moon.

禪門三喝2 The Three Shouts of Zen2

 禪門三喝2

在承受禪師的「大喝」之後，有些修行者曾描述過一種彷彿「耳聾三日」的震撼體會。

這種手法本質上是一種強制的介入，旨在瞬間切斷修行者原有的思維慣性與知覺連續性。

對於一位本身已具備充足「福慧」（福德與智慧）的修行者而言，這種方法具有極大的開發潛力。

當思緒流轉被強制中斷時，修行者長年功力所累積的資糧便能趁勢接軌。

在那一刻，一種迥異於過往的感官經驗油然而生——亦即所謂「身心脫落」的暢快境界。

這種狀態夾帶著前所未有的感官清明，讓修行者得以真正安住在佛法那超越時間限制的時空維度中。

然而，對於大多數的尋求者來說，

這聲大喝恐怕只是切斷了前路、堵死了後路。

若在此刻無法由內自發地擠出突破性的領悟，修行是否就此作廢？

雖然阻斷慣性的感官模式確實能產生某種火花，進而重塑對生命的解讀，

但這種看似神效的方法，

實際上完全依賴於個人能否再次投入自身的思考資源與內省能力。

僅僅阻斷思緒，大腦並不會自動充滿覺悟。

 相反地，大腦必須預先具備以全新方式吸收現實的能力。

說到底，修行最終的果實，完全取決於修行者平時為自己儲備了什麼。

半寄

The Three Shouts of Zen2

Following a Master’s "Great Shout," some practitioners describe an experience akin to being "deaf for three days."
This technique serves as a forceful intervention, designed to abruptly snap the continuity of one's thoughts and perceptions. 

For a practitioner who has already cultivated an abundance of "Blessings and Wisdom" (Punya-Jnana), such a method holds immense potential.

When the stream of thought is forcibly interrupted, it allows their pre-existing spiritual resources to bridge the gap. In that moment, a sensory experience unlike any other emerges—the profound liberation known as "Body and Mind Dropping Away" (Shinjin Datsuraku). 

This state carries an unprecedented sensory clarity, allowing the practitioner to truly dwell within the timeless dimension of the Dharma.

However, for the majority of seekers, this shout may simply cut off the path ahead and block the retreat behind. If one cannot spontaneously generate a breakthrough from within, does the practice simply become void?

While disrupting habitual sensory patterns can produce a "spark" that redefines one’s outlook on life, the efficacy of this seemingly potent method relies entirely on the individual’s ability to re-inject their own contemplative resources.

Silencing thought does not automatically fill the brain with enlightenment. Rather, the mind must already be prepared to absorb reality in a fundamentally different way. Ultimately, 

the outcome depends entirely on what the practitioner has cultivated within themselves.

Master Banji

禪門三喝1The Three Shouts of Zen1

 禪門三喝1

有大德提及他在學禪的時候，
會被禪師「喝一聲」，
楞住了不知道，下一步該怎麼辦？

想起自己曾經非常喜歡禪宗公案，
後來也是因為「被喝一聲」後的不知所措？
因而離開禪宗。

像之前寫過的南泉禪師，說：
昨夜三更失卻牛，今早起來失卻火。 

及其他禪師說的「心行處滅，言語道斷」，
這些基本上是敘述，他們已經證入的境界，

但「被喝一聲」以後，何去何從是修行者很大的問題！

如果你本身對於佛學的內涵不夠深厚，「被喝一聲」以後，通常沒有辦法往下接軌，

禪師說：要考驗你，所以他不會給你方向與答案，
日子久了也是一樁羅生門？

原來這種感覺不只我有，其他人也是，

還好我個人的腦袋，不太能忍受沒有解答的問題太久，

等走了很遠，回過頭看禪宗，覺得自己做了對的決定。

因為你的山，不是我的山，我曾經走過的山，也不會是你的體會，

這種擁各自滋味的體會，跟佛法大多時候基本上是根本不相干的。

換個角度講，如果佛陀的「四聖果」用山來形容，
應該是；
這山裡面，有什麼植物，
種了什麼？
山谷深淺及距離多遠？
修行者必當瞭若指掌。

這跟用一種滋味去形容修行的內涵，是千差萬別的，

因此，我個人講解佛法裡面，
不引用，

見山是山，

見山不是山，

見山是山，

來講解佛法。
半寄

（南禪的翻譯，瑞欣老師去度假，

情商阿惇老師，幫我們翻譯）

The Three Shouts of Zen1

A venerable practitioner once mentioned that during his Zen studies, he was often met with a "sudden shout" from the Zen Master. He would stand there, stunned and frozen, having no idea what to do next.

This reminded me of my own past affinity for Zen koans. Eventually, it was that same sense of helplessness following a "shout" that led me to step away from Zen.

Consider Zen Master Nanquan’s words: "in the middle of late night, the ox was lost; this morning at dawn, the fire was gone." Or the common Zen refrain: "The place where the mind acts is extinguished; the path of language is cut off." These are essentially descriptions of a state of realization these masters have already attained. 

However, for the practitioner, the question remains: where do you go after being shouted at? This is a significant hurdle.

If your foundation in Buddhist philosophy isn't deep enough, you won't be able to "bridge the gap" after that shout. A Zen Master might say he is testing you, so he won't provide a direction or an answer. Over time, 

the whole situation feels like a Rashomon effect—confusing, subjective, and lacking a clear truth.

It turns out I wasn't alone in this feeling; others felt it too. Fortunately, my mind doesn't tolerate unanswered questions for very long. 

Looking back at Zen from a distance, I feel I made the right decision.

Because your mountain is not my mountain. The peaks I have trekked will never be your personal experience.

 This idea of "to each their own taste" is, in many ways, fundamentally disconnected from the core of the Dharma.

To put it another way: if we used a "mountain" to describe Four Fruits of the Noble Path (the stages of enlightenment), 

we should be able to identify exactly what plants grow there, what has been planted, how deep the valleys are, and the precise distances between points. A practitioner should know these details like the back of their hand.

This systematic clarity is worlds apart from using a subjective "taste" or "vibe" to describe the essence of practice.

This is why, in my own explanations of the Dharma, I never use the famous saying: "First, mountains are mountains; then, mountains are not mountains; finally, mountains are mountains again."

Master Banji

滅絕師太4 Miejue Abbess 4

滅絕師太 4

 

介紹一下：

金庸是華人香港知名武俠小說的作者，

 

英文讀者看不懂是因為我藉由武俠小說內容，在做諷刺性質的寫法，

 

由於英文讀者沒有看過金庸先生小說，

所以我寫的內容就請大家多多思考一下了！

半寄

 

 

 

華山大會都說：「罪性本空」，但這是要朝向他們懺悔，罪才可以空，

如果是阿牛的罪，就直達地獄了！

 

操弄權勢，操弄到不能想像的扭曲程度，

 

這華山大會聲稱罪與罰，地獄與天堂都是他們可以操控的，

每當，華山派聽到大眾嗷嗷苦聲的時候，

馬上說：我們華山派最清高了，是不會去聽聞一些大眾受苦、受難的事實，因為要維持著姿態不能鬆動，是不能管的！

 

定點定住他們的利益，掉了一毛錢，必不擇手段打擊到底，

 

眼睛只盯著這個，都沒有別的事幹了？

買贖罪卷的人沒事，

去做事情的人有罪？

 

曾經有人問阿牛說：阿牛沒有追隨指導者怎麼修行？

阿牛說：我親近過高尚的指導者，

只是對眼前這些華山派的，徹頭徹尾的不屑，

給他們教只會越來越像驢，只學會賣「罪性本空」的贖罪卷，

鑄劍本事，一招都不會。

半寄

 

Miejue Abbess 4

 

Introduction:

Jin Yong is a famous Hong Kong Chinese author best known for his martial arts novels

English readers may not fully understand this text because I use stories and characters from martial arts fiction to express satire.

Since many English readers are unfamiliar with Jin Yong’s novels, I invite readers to think carefully about the meaning behind the writing. 

Master 

 

 

At the Huashan Assembly, they repeatedly declare,“The nature of guilt is originally empty.” Yet guilt only becomes empty after it is repented toward them.

If the sinner is someone like A-Niu, he is sent straight to hell.

 

They manipulate power to a level that is deeply distorted.

But the Huashan Assembly claims they control sin and punishment, heaven and hell.

When they hear people crying out in suffering, they immediately respond:

“We, the Huashan Sect, are above such matters. We cannot listen to the suffering of others, because we must maintain our noble image.”

They focus entirely on protecting their own interests. 

Lose even a small amount of money, and they will retaliate at all costs.

Is this all they care about? Do they have nothing else to do?

Those who buy indulgences are considered innocent,

while those who actually take action are labeled guilty.

Someone once asked A-Niu:

“If you do not follow a master, how do you cultivate yourself?”

A-Niu replied:“I have been close to noble guides before.

But toward these Huashan people before me, I feel nothing but contempt.

Learning from them would only turn one into a donkey—

knowing only how to sell indulgences under the slogan ‘original sin is empty, yet unable to forge a sword, not even a single move.”

 

Master Banji

 

  

 

 

突圍Breaking Through

突圍

感謝國外讀者的關心，
台灣的佛教對我寫的佛法及我個人意見很多，

昨天有歐洲讀者說：他們的教會也是這樣，
這是大家都清楚的事情。
沒問題啦！
可以處理。

大家好
不用找我道歉，
各位都是大德才會尋求宗教信仰，
切記不要為你們的宗教吞噬，

你應該利用你的宗教去養出智慧才對！
沒有誰會危害你們的信仰，只有你們會把自己搞垮。

沒能力的人像得歇斯底里症
，被害怕與恐慌淹沒，
恐懼到把別人當假想敵在打，
堅稱天堂、地獄誰去，由特定人士權定，哈哈😄

信仰與斯文皆掃地。
有能力的人永遠無懼！
祝福你們
半寄

（ps;那個叫半寄的，天生好奇寶寶，天堂、地獄都早去看過了，
但名字叫，天堂跟地獄的，都說半寄是皮蛋，沒人要收。）

Breaking Through

Thank you to readers abroad for your concern.
In Taiwan, many Buddhists have strong opinions about my Buddhist writings and my personal viewpoints.

Yesterday, a European reader shared that their church operates in much the same way.
This is something everyone already knows.
There is no issue.
It can be dealt with.
Everyone, please be at ease.

There is no need to apologize to me.
Those who seek religious faith are, in fact, people of virtue.
But remember—do not allow your religion to consume you.
You should use your religion to cultivate wisdom instead.
No one is threatening your faith.
Only you yourselves can undermine it.

Those lacking inner strength tend to become hysterical,
drowned in fear and anxiety,
so frightened that they treat others as imaginary enemies,
insisting that access to heaven or hell is determined by specific individuals —haha 😄

In such moments, both faith and civility are swept away.
Those with true capacity are never afraid.
Blessings to you all,
Master Banji

(P.S. As for the one called Ban-Ji: a born curiosity seeker,
already visited both heaven and hell long ago.
But places named “Heaven” and “Hell” alike
say Ban-Ji is like a preserved egg—
left unwanted, no one willing to take him in.)

🙏❤️

https://youtu.be/jpCd64DJJY8?si=i2DNSmVjT3ZO6-Tg

滅絕師太3 Miejue Abbess 3

滅絕師太 3

 

阿牛在行走江湖期間，看多了華山派私設刑堂，羅織入罪，

便一再表明自己不是、更不屑是華山派的門徒，

沒吃過華山派的食物，

不要為了華山派沒劍可使，就找阿牛的麻煩，

 

但這公公型的滅絕師太，已經是山頭的大王，靠嘴巴判生判死早已無敵手，更何況打手無數，

所謂正義，不過是順我者生、逆我者亡，

反正我們華山大會就是刑堂，法院，你耐我何？

 

阿牛年輕的時候，看過一位劍術高手，只因為他有劍，而且受老江湖規則約制，慘遭華山大會圍毆，

那時候阿牛年輕，沒出手相助，一股恥辱直鬱悶在心裡，

如今阿牛已不是當年的阿牛，

華山大會還要羞辱阿牛，阿牛會行使自己的權利到底。

 

阿牛千真萬確的記得，劍譜上明明寫著，如果認為這個劍譜有問題，

應該提出更好的劍譜來，讓大家知道你的劍譜是優秀的，

 

阿牛的劍，華山派也找不出哪裡出了問題？

 

反而，轉身不敢見人的叫罵，

言之鑿鑿的說：

他們親眼看見阿牛做了什麼歹事，哈哈😄

 

而阿牛他們連看過、照面過都沒有，怎可能親眼看過？

 

這私設刑堂、法院，也該申請一下電燈吧！

 

在暗黑中宣判別人有罪，死不承認，還硬要說自己證據已經齊全，滑天下大稽，

強硬要把阿牛列入華山派的門徒去管理，

這等天堂、地獄直接開在公公家便可，

不要到處行使公公權勢，宣稱你有判誰該去天堂與地獄的權利。

令人不齒。

半寄

Miejue Abbess 3

During his travels in the martial world, A-Niu had seen far too much of the Huashan Sect’s privately run tribunals—

kangaroo courts that fabricated charges at will.

Time and again, he made it clear that he was not a disciple of Huashan,

had never eaten their food,

and that they should not harass him simply because Huashan had no swords to wield.

 

But this eunuch-like Miejue Abbess had long since crowned herself king of the mountain.

With nothing but her tongue, she could decide who lived and who died—unmatched,

not to mention the countless enforcers at her command.

To her, “justice” meant only one thing:

those who obey survive; those who resist perish.

After all, the Huashan Assembly itself was the tribunal, the court.

What could anyone do about it?

When A Niu was young, he once saw a master swordsman.

Just because the man carried a sword and was bound by old martial rules, he was surrounded and beaten at the Huashan Assembly.

At that time, A Niu was young and did not step in to help.

The shame stayed in his heart for many years.

 

Now A Niu is no longer the person he used to be.

If the Huashan Assembly dares to humiliate him again,

A Niu will stand up and fully exercise his own rights.

 

A-Niu clearly remembered that the sword manual said:

if you believe a manual is wrong,

you should present a better one,

so others can judge which is truly superior.

 

Yet the Huashan Sect could not identify any problem with A-Niu’s sword.

 

Instead, they turned away and hurled unseen curses, confidently claiming:

“We saw with our own eyes the evil deeds A-Niucommitted!”

Haha 😄

 

But A-Niu and his companions had never even met them—

how could they possibly have seen anything with their own eyes?

 

This kind of private court should at least install some lights.

They judge people in the dark,

never admit their mistakes,

and still claim their evidence is complete—

it is completely ridiculous.

 

They even tried to forcibly list A-Niu as a disciple of Huashan, so they could “manage” him.

Such kind of heaven and hell should simply be opened in the eunuch’s own household,

instead of abusing their own authority everywhere, claiming they have the right to decide who goes to heaven or hell.

It is shameful.

 

Master Banji