筠州洞山悟本禪師語錄 1.52

1.52

At the conclusion of the summer retreat, he ascended the hall and said: "At the beginning of autumn and the end of summer, brothers, whether going east or west, you must go straight to the place where for ten thousand miles there is not an inch of grass." After a long pause, he said: "Just as for the place where for ten thousand miles there is not an inch of grass, how do you go?" Looking left and right, he said: "If you wish to know this matter, you must be like a withered tree blooming with flowers; only then will you accord with it." A monk went to Shishuang. Shishuang asked: "What phrases does the upādhyāya show the disciples?" The monk cited the previous talk. Shishuang said: "Did anyone offer a turning phrase?" [The monk] said: "No." Shishuang said: "Why didn't they say, 'Stepping out the door, it is just grass'?" The monk returned and related this to the Master. The Master said: "These are the words of a good spiritual friend to fifteen hundred people; how many such people can there be within the Great Tang country?" Later, Ming'an said: "Even if you do not step out the door, grass is still sprawling everywhere."