法演禪師語錄 2.38

2.38

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Emperor Suzong asked National Teacher Zhong, 'What will you need after a hundred years?' The National Teacher said, 'Build a seamless pagoda for this old monk.' The Emperor said, 'Please give the design of the pagoda, Master.' The National Teacher remained silent for a long time and said, 'Do you understand?' The Emperor said, 'I do not understand.' The National Teacher said, 'I have a disciple, Danyuan, who understands this matter well. Please summon and ask him.'" The Master said: "Everyone in the assembly says that the National Teacher was silent for a long time, totally unaware that the suspended drum was awaiting the mallet. If Suzong at that time had been an adept ruler, waiting for him to say to summon Danyuan, he would only have said to him, 'National Teacher, National Teacher, what need is there?' Suzong later summoned Danyuan, and [Dan]yuan presented a verse: / 'South of the Xiang, north of the Tan, / In between, yellow gold fills an entire realm. / Beneath the shadowless tree, the contract boat; / Upon the lapis lazuli palace, no spiritual friend.'" The Master spoke in Suzong's place: "Idle words." "Xuedou's verse says: / 'A seamless pagoda, hard indeed to see; / The clear pool does not permit the blue dragon to coil. / Layers steep and distinct, / Its shadow rounded and full; / For thousands and myriads of ages, offered for people to see.'" The Master said: "Xuedou can indeed let his name be passed down for thousands of ages. This old monk only loves his saying, 'The clear pool does not permit the blue dragon to coil'—the beginning and the end threaded through all at once. Just taking the tangled string from earlier and setting it aside, tell me, ultimately how is it?" Then he said: / "The delicate maiden has already returned to the sky; / The foolish lad still keeps watch over the empty room by himself."