48.寄宿小旅店 Staying overnight at a small inn

寄宿小旅店

十二月末拜至黃河鐵渡。經過光武陵。是處無寺院。不得已尋旅店投宿過初一。行腳滋味異常辛苦。朝拜山川更為艱難。筆者亦曾親嘗其味。飽歷風霜。自東北迢迢萬里訪明師。

宣化偈曰： 行腳參方受苦辛。朝山拜頂磨性真。 露宿霜眠無所住。披星戴月降其心。

Staying overnight at a small inn

At the end of the twelfth month, the Master, continuing his prostrations, reached the T’ieh Hsieh crossing of the Yellow River. He passed by the tomb of Kuang Wu (Bright Warrior), where there were no monasteries, and so there was no choice but to spend the evening at an inn. This was on the first day of the new year. The walking from then on became extraordinarily bleak and bitter, and making prostrations while climbing mountains and crossing rivers was even more difficult. The writer has also had this experience in the past, coming afar from Manchuria, traveling thousands of miles in search of a clear teacher.

The verse says: He explored the country traveling by foot and underwent bitter suffering. By visiting mountains and making obeisance, his character was improved. He rested on dew and slept in the mist and had no place of dwelling. Garbed in the stars and capped by the moon, he overcame his mind.