法演禪師語錄 3.41

3.41

At an informal gathering, the Master cited: “When Yaoshan first visited Shitou, he asked: ‘The three vehicles and twelve divisions of the teachings, I have a rough understanding of. I have heard that in the south they point directly to the human mind, seeing one's nature and becoming a Buddha, but I am truly not clear about this.’ Shitou said: ‘Like this will not do; not like this will not do; both like this and not like this will not do at all.’ Yaoshan was at a loss. One day while sitting, Shitou then asked him: ‘What are you doing here?’ Yaoshan said: ‘I am not doing a single thing.’ Shitou said: ‘Then you are sitting idly.’ Yaoshan said: ‘Sitting idly would be doing something.’ Shitou said: ‘You say you are not doing; not doing what?’ Yaoshan said: ‘Even the thousand sages do not know.’ Shitou thereupon had a verse: ‘From the beginning living together without knowing the name, / Following its course, walking together just like this. / Since ancient times even the highest worthies still do not know; / How could ordinary worldly folk easily understand in haste?’” The Master said: “Assembly! You must pass through the Patriarch's barrier and understand the bird's path and the dark road before you can begin to understand this sort of talk. Shitou's instructional guidance like this is just like Zhaozhou's cypress tree in the courtyard, Dongshan's three pounds of hemp, and Yunmen's talk of transcending Buddhas and going beyond patriarchs. Wuzu also has a verse: / Following its course without knowing the name, / Lightly turn your eyes to listen. / On the water, the vibrant fresh green / Was duckweed all along.”