Song of Precious Mirror Samadhi

Pao-ching San-mei-ko

By Ch'an Master Tung-shan Liang-chieh

Translation of the Text

 

 

寶鏡三昧歌

Song of Precious Mirror Samadhi

 

如是之法　佛祖密附  The dharma of thusness is intimately transmitted by buddhas and ancestors.

汝今得之　宜能保護  Now you have it; preserve it well.

銀碗盛雪　明月藏鷺  A silver bowl filled with snow, a heron hidden in the moon.

類而不斉　混則知處  Taken as similar, they are not the same; not distinguished, their places are known.

意不在言　來機亦赴  The meaning does not reside in the words, but a pivotal moment brings it forth.

動成窠臼　差落顧佇  Move and you are trapped, miss and you fall into doubt and vacillation.

背觸共非　如大火聚  Turning away and touching are both wrong, for it is like a massive fire.

但形文彩　即屬染汚  Just to portray it in literary form is to stain it with defilement.

夜半正明　天曉不露  In darkest night it is perfectly clear; in the light of dawn it is hidden.

爲物作則　用抜諸苦  It is a standard for all things; its use removes all suffering.

雖非有爲　不是無語  Although it is not constructed, it is not beyond words.

如臨寶鏡　形影相覩  Like facing a precious mirror; form and reflection behold each other.

汝是非渠　渠正是汝  You are not it, but in truth it is you.

如世嬰児　五相完具  Like a newborn child, it is fully endowed with five aspects:

不去不來　不起不住  No going, no coming, no arising, no abiding;

婆婆和和　有句無句  P'o-p'o han-han – is anything said or not?

終不得物　語未正故  In the end it says nothing, for the words are not yet right.

重離六爻　偏正回互  In the hexagram "double fire," when main and subsidiary lines are transposed,

疊而成三　變盡爲五  Piled up they become three; the permutations make five.

如茎草味　如金剛杵  Like the taste of the five-flavored herb, like the five-pronged vajra.

正中妙挾　敲唱雙舉  Wondrously embraced within the complete, drumming and singing begin together.

通宗通途　挾帯挾路  Penetrate the source and travel the pathways, embrace the territory and treasure the roads.

錯然則吉　不可犯忤  You would do well to respect this; do not neglect it.

天眞而妙　不屬迷悟  Natural and wondrous, it is not a matter of delusion or enlightenment.

因縁時節　寂然昭著  Within causes and conditions, time and season, it is serene and illuminating.

細入無間　大絶方所  So minute it enters where there is no gap, so vast it transcends dimension.

毫忽之差　不應律呂  A hairsbreadth's deviation, and you are out tune.

今有頓漸　縁立宗趣  Now there are sudden and gradual, in which teachings and approaches arise.

宗趣分矣　即是規矩  With teachings and approaches distinguished, each has its standard.

宗通趣極　眞常流注  Whether teachings and approaches are mastered or not, reality constantly flows.

外寂内搖　繋駒伏鼠  Outside still and inside trembling, like tethered colts or cowering rats.

先聖悲之　爲法檀度  The ancient sages grieved for them, and offered them the dharma.

隨其顛倒　以緇爲素  Led by their inverted views, they take black for white.

顛倒想滅　肯心自許  When inverted thinking stops, the affirming mind naturally accords.

要合古轍　請觀前古  If you want to follow in the ancient tracks, please observe the sages of the past.

佛道垂成　十劫觀樹  One on the verge of realizing the Buddha Way contemplated a tree for ten kalpas.

如虎之缺　如馬之馵   Like a battle-scarred tiger, like a horse with shanks gone grey.

以有下劣　寶几珍御  Because some are vulgar, jeweled tables and ornate robes.

以有驚異　狸奴白牯   Because others are wide-eyed, cats and white oxen.

藝以巧力　射中百歩  With his archer's skill, Yi hit the mark at a hundred paces.

箭鋒相値　巧力何預  But when arrows meet head-on, how could it be a matter of skill?

木人方歌　石女起舞  The wooden man starts to sing, the stone woman gets up dancing.

非情識到　寧容思慮  It is not reached by feelings or consciousness, how could it involve deliberation?

臣奉於君　子順於父  Ministers serve their lords, children obey their parents.

不順不孝　不奉非輔  Not obeying is not filial, failure to serve is no help.

潛行密用　如愚如魯  With practice hidden, function secretly, like a fool, like an idiot.

只能相續　名主中主  Just to continue in this way is called the host within the host.

 

 

寶鏡三昧歌

The Song of the Jeweled Mirror Samadhi

Translated by Toshu John Neatrour, Sheng-yen, and Kazu Tanahashi

 

如是之法　佛祖密附   The teaching of suchness, is given directly, through all buddha ancestors,

汝今得之　宜能保護   Now that it's yours, keep it well.

銀碗盛雪　明月藏鷺   A serving of snow in a silver bowl, or herons concealed in the glare of the moon

類而不斉　混則知處   Apart, they seem similar, together, they're different.

意不在言　來機亦赴   Meaning cannot rest in words, it adapts itself to that which arises.

動成窠臼　差落顧佇   Tremble and you're lost in a trap, miss and there's always regrets.

背觸共非　如大火聚   Neither reject nor cling to words, both are wrong; like a ball of fire,

但形文彩　即屬染汚   Useful but dangerous. Merely expressed in fine language, the mirror will tarnish.

夜半正明　天曉不露   At midnight truly it's most bright, by daylight it cannot still be seen.

爲物作則　用抜諸苦   It is the principle that regulates all, relieving every suffering.

雖非有爲　不是無語   Though it doesn't act it is not without words.

如臨寶鏡　形影相覩   In the most precious mirror form meets reflection:

汝是非渠　渠正是汝   You are not It, but It is all you.

如世嬰児　五相完具   Just as a baby, five senses complete,

不去不來　不起不住   Neither going or coming, nor arising or staying,

婆婆和和　有句無句   Babbles and coos: speech without meaning,

終不得物　語未正故   No understanding, unclearly expressed.

重離六爻　偏正回互   Six lines make the double li trigram, where principle and appearances interact.

疊而成三　變盡爲五   Lines stacked in three pairs yet transform in five ways.

如茎草味　如金剛杵   Like the five flavors of the hyssop plant or the five branches of the diamond scepter,

正中妙挾　敲唱雙舉   Reality harmonizes subtly just as melody and rhythm, together make music.

通宗通途　挾帯挾路   Penetrate the root and you fathom the branches, grasping connections, one then finds the road.

錯然則吉　不可犯忤   To be wrong is auspicious, there's no contradiction.

天眞而妙　不屬迷悟   Naturally pure and profoundly subtle, it touches neither delusion nor awakening,

因縁時節　寂然昭著   At each time and condition it quietly shines.

細入無間　大絶方所   So fine it penetrates no space at all, so large its bounds can never be measured.

毫忽之差　不應律呂   But if you're off by a hair's breadth all harmony's lost in discord.

今有頓漸　縁立宗趣   Now there are sudden and gradual schools with principles, approaches so standards arise.

宗趣分矣　即是規矩    Penetrating the principle,

宗通趣極　眞常流注   Mastering the approach, the genuine constant continues outflowing.

外寂内搖　繋駒伏鼠   A tethered horse, a mouse frozen in fear, outwardly still but inwardly whirling:

先聖悲之　爲法檀度   Compassionate sages freed them with teaching.

隨其顛倒　以緇爲素   In upside down ways folks take black for white.

顛倒想滅　肯心自許   When inverted thinking falls away they realize mind without even trying.

要合古轍　請觀前古   If you want to follow the ancient path then consider the ancients:

佛道垂成　十劫觀樹   The buddha, completing the path, still sat for ten eons.

如虎之缺　如馬之馵     Like a tiger leaving a trace of the prey, like a horse missing the left hind shoe,

以有下劣　寶几珍御   For those whose ability is under the mark, a jeweled footrest and brocaded robe.

以有驚異　狸奴白牯     For others who still can manifest wonder there's a house cat and cow.

藝以巧力　射中百歩   Yi the archer shot nine of ten suns from the sky, saving parched crops, another bowman hit targets at hundreds of paces:

箭鋒相値　巧力何預   These skills are small to compare with that in which two arrow points meet head on in mid air.

木人方歌　石女起舞   The wooden man breaks into song, a stone maiden leaps up to dance,

非情識到　寧容思慮   They can't be known by mere thought or feelings, so how can they be analyzed?

臣奉於君　子順於父   The minister still serves his lord, the child obeys his parent.

不順不孝　不奉非輔   Not obeying is unfilial, not serving is a useless waste.

潛行密用　如愚如魯   Practicing inwardly, functioning in secret, playing the fool, seemingly stupid,

只能相續　名主中主   If you can only persist in this way, you will see the lord within the lord.