筠州洞山悟本禪師語錄 1.27

1.27

When the Master was at Letan, he saw that Head Monk Chu said: "How marvelous! How marvelous! The Buddha-realm and the realm of the Path are inconceivable." The Master then asked, "The Buddha-realm and the realm of the Path I do not ask about; but who is the person speaking of the Buddha-realm and the realm of the Path?" Chu was silent for a long time without reply. The Master said, "Why do you not speak quickly?" Chu said, "Striving will not do." The Master said, "You have not even spoken yet; why talk of striving not doing?" Chu had no reply. The Master said, "'Buddha' and 'Path' are both mere names and words; why not cite the teachings?" Chu said, "What do the teachings say?" The Master said, "'Grasping the meaning, forget the words.'" Chu said, "You are still taking the meaning of the teachings into your mind as an illness." The Master said, "How great or small is the illness of speaking of the Buddha-realm and realm of the Path?" Chu again had no reply. The next day he suddenly passed away. At the time, they called the Master 'Jie Who Questioned the Head Monk to Death.'