法演禪師語錄 1.53

1.53

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "What was it like before Niutou met the Fourth Patriarch?" The Master said, "Wearing a heavy burden on his head." The student said, "What about after he met him?" The Master said, "Blue cloth covering the front." The student said, "Before he met the Fourth Patriarch, why did the hundred birds hold flowers in their beaks to offer him?" The Master said, "Riches and nobility are what men desire." The student said, "After he met him, why did the hundred birds not hold flowers to offer?" The Master said, "Poverty and lowliness are what men detest." He then said, "The twenty-eight Indian patriarchs spoke thus, the six Chinese patriarchs spoke thus, and the old venerable monks throughout the realm spoke thus; only Taiping does not speak thus. Why? The few cannot withstand the many. But tell me, how is it in the end? For a wonderful dance, one must know the full rhythm; for the Santai tune, everyone must urge it on."