筠州洞山悟本禪師語錄 1.75

1.75

Senior Monk Yi asked, "Does suchness everywhere reside in front, or does non-suchness everywhere reside in front?" The Master said, "Suchness everywhere resides in front, and non-suchness everywhere also resides in front." Yi said, "Does suchness everywhere distinguish superiority and inferiority, or does non-suchness everywhere distinguish superiority and inferiority?" The Master said, "Suchness everywhere distinguishes superiority and inferiority, and non-suchness everywhere also distinguishes superiority and inferiority." Yi said, "How is this and that distinguished?" The Master said, "It is also distinguished, and not distinguished." Yi said, "What is distinguished?" The Master said, "Suchness everywhere." Yi said, "What is not distinguished?" The Master said, "Non-suchness everywhere." Yi said, "Could it be the matter concerning the entire body and not the entire body?" The Master said, "It is not this principle." Yi said, "What principle is it?" The Master said, "It is the principle of suchness everywhere and non-suchness everywhere." He also said, "Senior Monk Yi, do you wish to know? It is just like an eighty-year-old woman marrying a three-year-old boy; although she is advanced in years, she is summoned and commanded by the three-year-old boy and has no freedom." Later, a monk brought this up and asked Caoshan, "What is the eighty-year-old woman?" Caoshan said, "Profuse white hair, snow covering the head." The monk said, "What is the three-year-old boy?" Caoshan said, "Not acting as master." The monk said, "Why does he not act as master?" Caoshan said, "Have you not heard it said: a three-year-old boy cannot be surpassed by anything?" The monk said, "Since she is an eighty-year-old woman, why does she marry the three-year-old boy?" Caoshan said, "Only when one is just like an eighty-year-old woman does one begin to know how to honor and serve him."