禅宗公案 Zen Koan - 古镜未磨 Old Mirror Before Polish

Above: Mirror used in olden days.


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有道禅师当初行脚时，路过一间卖茶的茶坊，因为口渴，就顺道进去想喝杯茶小憩一下，店主一看是位云水僧(Travelling Monk) 就热忱招呼，并且问道：

‘禅师！辛苦了吧？喝茶吗？’
In the early days of starting to be a travelling monk, You Dao ZM passed by a tea shop and stepped in to quench his thirst. Shopkeeper upon seeing a travelling monk, warmly serve him saying:

Zen master! You have suffered? want to drink tea?

　
　　　　

只见有道禅师用平淡眼光看了一下茶架，点一下头，其他一句话也不说。
ZM YD only use a common glance at the tea rack, nodded and remain silent.

　　　

店主似乎也是禅道高手，小心谨慎的说道：

‘想必您是一位禅道高深的禅师！禅师！小的有一个问题想请教您，如果您告诉我，我就供养您！如何？’

Shopkeeper seems like an expert in Zen Dao, carefully said:

I think you are a Zen Master of great depth! Zen Master! 

Little me (Humble form of addressing self) has a question to seek your teaching, if you tell me, then I will gong-yang you! How about it?

　　　　　　

有道禅师：‘你问吧！’

ZM YD : You can ask!

店主问道：‘古镜未磨时如何？’

Shopkeeper asked: What is Old Mirror before polish?

　　　

有道禅师很快的答道：‘黑如漆。’
ZM YD quickly answered: Black as paint.

　　　　　

店主再问道：‘古镜既磨了以后如何？’
Shopkeeper asked again: After polishing old mirror then what?

　　　　

有道禅师回答道：‘照天照地。’
ZM YD answered: Shine on heaven and earth.　　
　　　　

店主不以为然，说道：‘对不起！恕我不供养。’

Shopkeeper, unperturbed said: Sorry! pardon me for not going to gong-yang you.

说着转身就入店内去了。
Saying these, Shopkeeper turned around and enter his shop.　　　　
　　　　

有道禅师愣了一下，心想：

‘我数十年参禅，现在连个店主我都不如，可见其禅道之高了！’

ZM YD was dumbfounded fro a moment, heart thinking:

I study Zen for decades, now can't even match a Shopkeeper, can see his Zen Dao is high!

于是决下苦心闭门深修，以求开悟。
Thus he vowed to cultivate diligently in retreat, to attain enlightenment.

　　　　

三年后，有道禅师又出现在茶坊的门口。

3 years later, ZM YD again appeared at the tea shop's door-step.

店主仍亲切的招呼道：

Shopkeeper still warmly greeted him and said: 

‘呵！三年不见，仍想请教那句老话，“古镜未磨时如何”？’
He! 3 years didn't see you, still would like to ask the same statement, "What is old mirror before polish"?

　　　　　

有道禅师顺口说道：‘此去汉阳不远。’
ZM YD easily said: From her to Han-Yang not far.

　　　　

店主再问道：‘古镜既磨后如何？’
Shopkeeper asked again: After polishing old mirror then what?

　

有道禅师再回答道：‘黄鹤楼前鹦鹉洲。’
ZM YD answered again: Parrot country in front of Yellow Crane Tower.
　　　　

店主听后，诚恳的说道：‘请禅师接受我的供养！’

Upon hearing these replies, the shopkeeper very sincerely said: Please Zen master accept my gong-yang!

随即转身呼么道：‘伙计！泡茶，泡茶，泡好茶！’
Then immediately turned around and said: Waiter! boil tea, boil tea, boil good tea!

　　　　

古镜有否磨过，有道禅师说未磨黑如漆，已磨照天照地。

此古镜喻我们自性，自性本自清净，本不生减，本自朗照，何能分别未磨已磨。

This old mirror represent our Self nature, originally or inherently clean & pure, no increase nor decrease, originally self shining, how to differentiate between polished or not.

自性者在圣不增，在凡不减，故有道禅师未能认识如古镜之自性，难怪吃不到茶。

第二次回答古镜未磨 ‘此去汉阳不远’；

古镜已磨，‘黄鹤楼前鹦鹉洲’；

即能认识自性当下即是，故有好茶吃也。

~~~~~~~~~

Hahaha!

Lovely story? 

The Before and After story of a novice & expert zen master!

Understand why ZM YD weren't serve tea for his first visit and why he was served during his second?

Remember my Body Speech Mind articles in this blog?

Now read those Chats and sieve through their contents carefully, and you can learn to read Body Speech Mind of each writer.

Same with emails/assignments published in this blog.

Have Fun! 

You need efforts to learn, agree?

Giving you answers? Only harm you in the long run!

A good live example is : Answer to enlightenment that LN received from GM Lu! 

Cheers all

Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom

Lama Lotuschef