45.南京禮懶祖塔 Bowing to the stupa of Patriarch Lan at Nan Ching

南京禮懶祖塔

金陵牛頭山。昔唐貞觀時。懶融禪師結茅于山。用功修道。虎狼出沒其間。各不相擾。四祖道信禪師。遙觀山現紫氣瑞云而來。訪之。見懶師示其明心見性妙理。成道塔在。公特往拜之。

宣化偈曰： 觀是何人心何物。虎狼圍繞師作怖。 上座猶有這個存。座書佛字悟未悟。

Bowing to the stupa of Patriarch Lan at Nan Ching

On Niu T’o (Ox Head) Mountain in Chin Ling (Golden Earth) during the Chen Kuan reign period of the T’ang Dynasty, the Ch’an Master Lan Yung built a hut. He exerted himself in his cultivation of the Way, neither disturbing or being disturbed by the tigers or wolves which frequented the area. When the Fourth Patriarch Dharma Master Tao Hsin (Faith in the Way) observed this mountain from afar, clouds of purple energy radiated there. When he reached the mountain, he called on Master Lan, who revealed to him the mind’s brilliance and the wonderful principle of seeing the nature. The stupa which commemorates his accomplishment of the Way still exists, and the Master Yun made a special point of bowing to this stupa.

The verse says: Who is it who contemplates? And what sort of thing is the mind? As tigers and wolves encircled him, the Patriarch expressed fear.  “Venerable Elder,” said Master Lan, “do you still have this?” The Patriarch, writing “Buddha” on the rock and inviting the Master to sit, replied when the Master refused, “You haven’t awakened beyond that?”