27.就有道而正焉 Approaching the Orthodox Way

就有道而正焉

時同治九年庚午。公卅一歲。行至天台華頂龍泉庵。參禮融鏡老法師。良久曰。汝像僧道俗何等。如此怪樣。答曰僧。問受戒乎。答已受具。問誰教汝如此。答效法古人。曰汝知持身。未知持心耳。

宣化偈曰： 天台華頂龍泉庵。頂禮融鏡拜老參。 感謝昔日摩訶衍。成就現在大覺仙。

Approaching the Orthodox Way

In the ninth year of the T’ung Chih reign period (1870), the Master was thirty-one years old. He traveled to Lung Chuan (Dragon Spring) Temple on Hua Ting Peak of T’ien T’ai Mountain, where he bowed in reverence to the Venerable Dharma Master Yung Ching. After a long pause, Master Ching said, “You have such a strange appearance. Are you a member of the Sangha? A Taoist? Or a layman”

The Master answered, “A Sangha member.”

The Venerable Ching further asked. “Have you received the precepts?”

The Master replied, “ I have received the Complete Precepts. “

Who taught you to practice in this manner?” asked the Venerable Ching.

“I am emulating the method used by the ancient cultivators,” said the Master.

The Venerable Ching replied, “You know how to sustain your body but you do not yet know how to guard your mind.”

The verse says: Hua Ting Peak’s Dragon Spring Temple is found on T’ien T’ai Mountain. There the Master bowed in reverence to the honored expert Ching. We should be grateful for the Mahayana of days gone by, For it brought about the accomplishment of this greatly enlightened sage!