撫州曹山本寂禪師語錄 2.8

2.8

有僧，辭藥山歸鄉去，藥山問：「有一人，遍身紅爛，臥在荊棘之中。」僧云：「恁麼則學人不歸去。」藥山曰：「但知歸去，與爾休糧方。」問：「如何是休糧方？」山曰：「每日上堂不咬破一粒米也。」師曰：「只如古德有云：『遍身紅爛底人，秖是醜陋底人，一切人近不得，無拈掇處，更道臥在荊棘之中。』只道在如今日用也，亦無作拈掇處護持保任邊事。」時有僧問師：「遍身紅爛時如何？」師曰：「荷負。」云：「荷負什麼人？」師曰：「勿紅爛到闍黎」。又問：「醜陋人與滿身紅爛底人，阿那個是重？」師曰：「大醜陋底人重。」師又舉問僧：「大保任底人保任個什麼？」自代曰：「終日在背後，不曾覰著。」

A monk took leave of Yaoshan to return to his home village. Yaoshan asked: 'There is a person whose whole body is festering red, lying among thorns.' The monk said: 'If so, then I will not return.' Yaoshan said: 'Only know to return, and I will give you a recipe for abstaining from grain.' [The monk] asked: 'What is the recipe for abstaining from grain?' Yaoshan said: 'Every day when ascending the hall, do not bite through a single grain of rice.' The Master said: 'Just as the ancient worthy said: "A person whose whole body is festering red is simply an ugly person whom no one can approach and who cannot be picked up or handled; furthermore, he is said to be lying among thorns." This only refers to daily activities nowadays; there is also nowhere to pick up or handle the matter on the side of protection and maintenance.' At that time a monk asked the Master: 'When the whole body is festering red, how is it?' The Master said: 'Shoulder it.' [The monk] said: 'Whom to shoulder?' The Master said: 'Do not let the festering red reach the ācārya.' [The monk] also asked: 'Between an ugly person and a person whose whole body is festering red, which one is heavier?' The Master said: 'A greatly ugly person is heavier.' The Master also brought this up to ask a monk: 'What does a person of great maintenance maintain?' Speaking in his place, [the Master] said: 'All day behind his back, he has never caught sight of it.'