汾陽無德禪師語錄 1.67

1.67

A monk asked, "What is the Buddha?" The Master said, "Carrying hemp will never be noble." "What is noble?" The Master said, "Hearing the base, one must become noble." [The monk] asked, "What is the guest within the guest?" The Master said, "Running in the red dust all day long, not believing in one's own treasure." "What is the host within the guest?" The Master said, "Recognizing the jewel within the garment, sitting upright and knowing how to distinguish." "What is the guest within the host?" The Master said, "The golden hook is cast into the four seas; the jade candle continues the bright lamp." "What is the host within the host?" The Master said, "Rising as high as the sun and moon, illuminating the universe; widely proclaiming the great sound, singing the ancestral song." [The monk] asked, "When a gentleman sits among the rafters, how are the Master's affairs today?" The Master said, "Do not cast yourself here again." "In that case, today you were caught and defeated." The Master said, "Having once administered Tiantai mountain-sticks, now I present twenty more branches."