撫州曹山元證禪師語錄 1.76

1.76

The Master cited: "A monk took leave of Yaoshan to return to his home village. Yaoshan said, 'There is a person whose entire body is red and festering, lying amidst thorns and briars.' The monk said, 'If so, then should this student not return?' Yaoshan said, 'If you only know to return, I will give you a prescription for abstaining from grain.' The monk said, 'What is the prescription for abstaining from grain?' Shan said, 'Ascending the hall every day without biting through a single grain of rice.'" The Master said, "Just as an ancient buddha said: 'A person whose entire body is red and festering is simply an ugly person; nobody can approach him, there is no place to take hold of him, and he is further said to lie amidst thorns and briars.' It only means being in daily use as of today; there is also no place to take hold of it regarding guarding and maintaining it." At that time a monk asked, "What about when the entire body is red and festering?" The Master said, "Bearing the load." The monk said, "Bearing the load of what person?" The Master said, "May the redness and festering not reach the ācārya." He also asked, "Between the ugly person and the person whose entire body is red and festering, which one is heavy?" The Master said, "The greatly ugly person is heavy." The Master also asked a monk, "What does a person of great maintenance maintain?" The monk had no reply. The Master answered on his behalf, "All day long it is behind his back, yet he has never cast a glance at it."