..續本文上一頁Shore"), the Abbot of Baoji Monastery at Cai Jetty, happened by the retreat at Gaomin, and he encountered the Venerable Hsu Yun, who was sitting upright and properly on the meditation bench, his face radiant and beaming. The Abbot De An was startled, and told the entire assembly about the incident of Venerable Master Hsu Yun”s fall into the river and his rescue. After hearing the story the meditators expressed their unceasing admiration, and in order to allow Venerable Master Hsu Yun to cultivate successfully, they excused him from the rotation of administrative duties. Thus he was able to concentrate on his meditation single-mindedly, until he penetrated to a state of "no further thoughts arising."

　　第八個七的第叁天晚上，開靜時，當值斟開水，不慎將開水濺在虛老手上，于是手中茶杯落地，杯碎之聲，虛老聞而開悟(明朝時紫柏禅師聞碗碎聲而開悟)，乃說偈曰：

　　杯子撲落地，

　　響聲明瀝瀝；

　　虛空粉碎也，

　　狂心當下歇。

　　On the third night of the eighth week, at the end of an hour of meditation, an attendant brought hot water around to serve to the sitters. As he poured a cup of water for the Venerable Master, he carelessly spilled some of the boiling water on the Master”s hand. The teacup fell to the floor and shattered, and the Venerable Master Hsu Yun became enlightened upon hearing the sound of the cup shattering. (A similar event happened to Venerable Master Zibuo, "Purple Cedar," a Chan Master of the Ming Dynasty, who became enlightened at the sound of a shattering bowl). Venerable Master Hsu Yun spoke a verse on the spot:

　　Smashing with a clear, echoing sound,

　　The teacup fell and hit the ground.

　　Shattering empty space,

　　The mad mind finally stops right there.

　　又說：

　　燙著手，打碎杯，

　　家破人亡語難開；

　　春到花香處處秀，

　　山河大地是如來。

　　And then he said another verse:

　　My hand was scalded, the cup shattered.

　　The family”s broken and relatives are gone－

　　Words are hard to find.

　　Spring”s come now; buds are in bloom,

　　Full and sweet in every place.

　　Mountains, rivers, and the earth itself

　　Are just the Thus Come One.

　　開悟之後，虛老離開高旻寺，更努力精進，雲遊四方，勤訪善知識。後來到雲南，重修雞足山的寺院，因爲經費不足，所以到南洋去募款。搭船到新加坡時，在船上患病。下船後，因爲沒有護照，英國人認爲是傳染病，把他送到傳染病院；這也就是在該處等死的意思。後來才被送到極樂寺閉關，不久病漸得愈。後又到泰國募款，在某寺挂單，入定九天，似死而非死，驚動泰京(曼谷)，上自國王、大臣，下至老百姓，都來皈依虛老。信徒供養，布施巨金，都彙回雲南，做爲建寺之需。

　　After his enlightenment, he left Gaomin Monastery and cultivated even more vigorously than before, travelling extensively to look for and pay his respects to good and wise teachers. His travels carried him finally to Yunnan Province, where he rebuilt the monasteries on Jizu ("Chicken Foot") Mountain. Because his resources were insufficient, he journeyed on to Southeast Asia to solicit donations. The Venerable Master fell ill on the boat to Singapore, and, once ashore, the English inspectors interrogated him because he did not have a passport. They suspected that his illness was contagious and confined him in an isolation ward, where he was virtually left to die. However, later on he was sent to Jile ("Utmost Happiness") Monastery, where he went into seclusion, and, before long, regained his health. Travelling on to Thailand to make his almsrounds, he stayed at a certain monastery and entered samadhi for nine days. His external appearance was lifeless, but in fact he was not dead. All Buddhists in Bangkok, the national capital, were startled by the news of his meditation skill; and the populace, from the King and his courtiers on down to the ordinary citizens, flocked to take refuge with the Venerable Hsu Yun. The offerings made by these faithful disciples were gathered into a lump sum and sent back to Yunnan, China, to finance the reconstruction of the monasteries.

　　一九四七年春，南華寺傳戒，我才和虛老第一次見面。現在還記得，傳完戒之後，虛老受了點刺激，喉嚨發炎，不能說話，因此當時不便詳問。經過醫生的治療，他才開始慢慢痊愈。

　　In the spring of 1947, when Nanhua ("Southern China") Monastery held a precept ordination, I personally met the Venerable Master for the first time. I still remember the occasion: After the precepts h…

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