撫州曹山元證禪師語錄 1.61

1.61

A monk asked, "What is a lion?"
The Master said, "The multitude of beasts cannot approach it."
The monk said, "What is a lion cub?"
The Master said, "One capable of swallowing its parents."
The monk said, "Since the multitude of beasts cannot approach it, why then is it swallowed by its cub?"
The Master said, "Haven't you heard it said: 'If the cub roars, the ancestor and father are both wiped out'?"
The monk said, "After they are wiped out, what then?"
The Master said, "Its entire body returns to the father."
The monk said, "I wonder, when the ancestor is wiped out, where does the father return to?"
The Master said, "The place is also wiped out."
The monk said, "Why did you say earlier that its entire body returns to the father?"
The Master said, "It is like a prince who can accomplish the affairs of an entire realm." He also said, "Ācārya, in this matter you must not remain isolated and stuck; you must rub some blossoms onto the withered tree."