法演禪師語錄 1.101

1.101

Invited by a donor to ascend the hall, he said: "Daowu and Jianyuan went down the mountain to offer condolences. Yuan patted the coffin and asked, 'Alive or dead?' Wu said, 'I will not say alive, and I will not say dead.' Yuan said, 'Why won't you say?' Wu said, 'I won't say! I won't say!' Halfway back on the road, Yuan said, 'The Upādhyāya must tell me; if you do not tell me, I will hit you.' Wu said, 'Hit me if you will, but say it I will not.' Yuan then hit him. When they reached the monastery, Wu told him to leave quietly. Baiyun is indignant and unsatisfied today; I must settle this gong'an! Daowu, first, did not know how to be master of his own body; second, could not adapt to conditions and enter the mundane. At the time, he should have waited for him to ask, 'Alive or dead?' and simply said to him, 'Wait until we return to the monastery, then I will tell you.' If he had applied these words at that time, that sharp fellow would have stepped right on that grand and great Upādhyāya Daowu, and would also have avoided a round of fists. Those with eyes, look closely!"