..续本文上一页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."

　　第八个七的第三天晚上，开静时，当值斟开水，不慎将开水溅在虚老手上，于是手中茶杯落地，杯碎之声，虚老闻而开悟(明朝时紫柏禅师闻碗碎声而开悟)，乃说偈曰：

　　杯子扑落地，

　　响声明沥沥；

　　虚空粉碎也，

　　狂心当下歇。

　　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.

　　又说：

　　烫着手，打碎杯，

　　家破人亡语难开；

　　春到花香处处秀，

　　山河大地是如来。

　　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.

　　开悟之后，虚老离开高旻寺，更努力精进，云游四方，勤访善知识。后来到云南，重修鸡足山的寺院，因为经费不足，所以到南洋去募款。搭船到新加坡时，在船上患病。下船后，因为没有护照，英国人认为是传染病，把他送到传染病院；这也就是在该处等死的意思。后来才被送到极乐寺闭关，不久病渐得愈。后又到泰国募款，在某寺挂单，入定九天，似死而非死，惊动泰京(曼谷)，上自国王、大臣，下至老百姓，都来皈依虚老。信徒供养，布施巨金，都汇回云南，做为建寺之需。

　　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，南华寺传戒，我才和虚老第一次见面。现在还记得，传完戒之后，虚老受了点刺激，喉咙发炎，不能说话，因此当时不便详问。经过医生的治疗，他才开始慢慢痊愈。

　　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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