牧羊人的北海大草原

-------------------------------------------------------------

公案4 : 柏樹子成佛

異日僧又問：「柏樹子還有佛性也無？」

師曰：「有。」

僧曰：「幾時成佛？」

師曰：「待虛空落地時[1]。」

僧曰：「虛空幾時落地？」

師曰：「待柏樹子成佛時。[2]」

[1] 何謂虛空，如果虛空不存在又如何能落地？趙州禪師這次並不是故意跟小僧向上篇一樣，用借殼指月的方式打啞謎，而是言外之意又有意。若將禪定的心境比做虛空，那當你可以輕鬆的把這種心態時時保持，那就好像禪已經在你心中生根著地。而如果你已能悟禪，就離成佛不遠了。

[2] 你想待柏樹子成佛，柏樹子也想待你成佛呢！

-------------------------------------------------------------

Case #4 : The Arborvitae tree is Buddha

The Buddhist monk asked the Zen master again[1] : “Can everything, like that Arborvitae tree, become Buddha?”

Zen master answered : ”Yes.”

Buddhist monk : “When will it become Buddha?”

Zen master : “Until the void settles in. [2]”

Buddhist monk : “When will that happen?”

Zen master : “Until the arborvitae tree is Buddha.[3]”

[1] This the second part of the Arborvitae tree in the courtyard. And the same Buddhist monk asked Zen master Chau-Chou about the nature of Buddha, and questioning how can something without a brain like a tree can be Buddha at all, or is it just our imagination?

[2] We have known that words can not be interpreted literally in Zen teachings. Hence in here the void means something (or nothing) entirely different. You may say it represents the heart or the spirit in everything, or maybe it’s just a state of mind. Not the mind of the tree, but the mind of your own.

[3] You may understand the difference between you and a tree. And when you understand this then go beyond this, you will realize that to distinguish this difference has no meaning at all and is ridiculous. Hence you find the void, the void in your heart. It can settle in your mind, and perhaps in the nature of everything. So the void can settle in everything, even the Arborvitae tree is Buddha.

-------------------------------------------------------------