瑞州洞山良价禪師語錄 1.73

1.73

A monk was unwell and wished to see the Master. The Master thereupon went. The monk said, "Why doesn't the Upādhyāya rescue the son or daughter of a household?"
The Master said, "What kind of household's son or daughter are you?"
He said, "I am the son or daughter of a household of great icchantikas."
The Master paused for a while. The monk said, "What about when the four mountains press in?"
The Master said, "The other day this old monk also passed under the eaves of someone's house."
He said, "Interplay, or non-interplay?"
The Master said, "Non-interplay."
He said, "Where do you instruct me to go?"
The Master said, "Go into the millet field."
The monk exhaled with a sigh and said, "Take care!" and immediately passed away while sitting.
The Master tapped his head three times with his staff and said, "You only know how to go like that; you do not know how to come like that." (Zhaojue Qin said, "Generally, for travelers on foot, what is crucial is to penetrate and break free of this single matter. Since this monk was the son or daughter of a household of great icchantikas, right up until the four mountains pressed in upon him, his hands and feet were flustered. Were it not for Dongshan being endowed with great compassion, letting open a thread of a path and laying it out flat for him, how could he have known how to go like that? Therefore the ancients said: 'At the moment of death, if even a hair's breadth of sentiment regarding sage and ordinary is not exhausted, one cannot avoid entering the bellies of donkeys and horses.' Just consider Dongshan's saying, 'I too passed under someone's eaves,' and 'Go into the millet field.' Did they obstruct the four mountains, or not obstruct the four mountains? Arriving here, one must have the bottom of the pail drop out; only then will you get it. Now tell me, what was Dongshan's meaning? Do you understand? 'The golden rooster pecks open the lapis lazuli shell; the jade rabbit pushes open the green sea gate.'")
Because on an evening gathering no lamp was lit, a monk came forward to ask a question and then stepped back. The Master instructed the attendant to light a lamp, and then called forth the monk who had just asked the question. As that monk approached, the Master said, "Bring three ounces of powder and give it to this sthavira." The monk shook his sleeves and withdrew. From this he had an awakening, and thereupon completely gave away his robes and possessions to host a feast. After three years, he took his leave of the Master. The Master said, "Take good care." At that time Xuefeng was standing in attendance, and he asked, "Just as this monk takes his leave and departs, when will he return?" The Master said, "He only knows going once; he does not understand coming again." The monk returned to the hall, and beside his robe and bowl passed away in meditation. Xuefeng reported this up to the Master. The Master said, "Even though it is so, he is still three lifetimes behind this old monk."