明覺禪師語錄 2.98

2.98

舉：「紫湖和尚山門立一牌，牌上有字云：『紫湖有狗，上取人頭，中取人腰，下取人脚，擬議則喪身失命。』時見新到，便喝：『看狗。』僧纔迴首，湖便歸方丈。」師云：「眾中總道，者僧著一口，著即著了也，爭奈者僧在。敢問諸人，紫湖狗著者便死，因甚麼者僧猶在？若無知方眼救得者僧，設使紫湖出世，咬殺百千萬箇，有甚益？我當時若見，先斫下牌，然後入院，待者老漢喝云看狗，與伊放出箇焦尾大蟲。如今諸人要見麼？日勢稍晚，歸堂。」

He cited: "Upādhyāya Zihu erected a signboard at the mountain gate, on which were written the words: 'Zihu has a dog: above it takes a person's head, in the middle it takes a person's waist, and below it takes a person's feet; if you hesitate, you lose your body and forfeit your life.' Whenever he saw a newcomer, he would shout: 'Watch the dog!' As soon as the monk turned his head, Zihu would return to the abbot's quarters." The Master said: "Everyone in the assembly says that this monk caught a bite. He certainly got bitten, yet what can be done about this monk still remaining? I venture to ask everyone: when Zihu's dog bites someone, they die—why is this monk still here? If there is no discerning eye to rescue this monk, even if Zihu appears in the world and bites hundreds of thousands to death, what benefit would there be? If I had seen it then, I would first have chopped down the signboard and only then entered the monastery. Waiting until that old fellow shouted 'Watch the dog,' I would have unleashed a scorched-tail tiger on him! Now, do you all want to see it? The day is rather late; return to the hall!"