Sayings of Nanquan 1.10

1.10

師問座主。講甚麼經。The Master asked a head monk,¹ "What sutra do you lecture on?"
云。彌勒下生經。The head monk said, "The 'Maitreya Entering the World' sutra".²
師云。彌勒幾時下生。The Master asked, "When will Maitreya enter the world?"
云。現在天宮未來。The head monk said, "Presently, [he's] at the 'Heavenly Palace'³ and has not yet come."
師云。天上無彌勒。The Master said, "The heaven above is without Maitreya.
地下無彌勒。The earth below⁴ is without Maitreya."

Notes:
1. 座主 (head monk) literally 'seat master', refers to the 'head seat' or 'first seat' monk in a monastery.
2. Maitreya is supposed to be the next great Buddha after Shakyamuni, who will come into the world at an unspecified future date.
3. 天宮 (the Heavenly Palace) is a palace above the clouds where the Jade Emperor resides in Chinese myths and legends.
4. 地下 (earth below) can mean 'on the ground' or 'underground'.

Submitted March 01, 2023 at 12:11AM by Surska0 https://ift.tt/JxzLkSi