明覺禪師語錄 1.12

1.12

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "An ancient said that a shout is not used as a shout—is that so?" The master said: "It is." The monk then shouted. The master then struck him with his stick. The monk said nothing. The master said: "Mocking me." A monk asked: "An ancient said, 'Where there is Buddhadharma, you must not stay; where there is no Buddhadharma, run quickly past.' What was the intended meaning?" The master said: "Shortness of breath kills a person." The monk hesitated to speak. The master said: "Where have you gone?" A monk asked: "It is right before our eyes; why do we fail to see it time and again?" The master said: "With cut ears, lying in the street." The monk said: "Exactly so." The master said: "You make me knit my brows." A monk asked: "What about when the black beans have not yet sprouted?" The master said: "Feed the donkeys, feed the horses." The monk continued: "What about after they sprout?" The master said: "Penetrating water, penetrating sand." The monk bowed. The master said: "Just like one who came without eating." A monk asked: "All skills and crafts entirely manifest this affair. What is this affair?" The master said: "Models of the various quarters." The monk continued: "Could that be the student's point of understanding?" The master said: "A fellow with a head but no tail." The master then said: "Past Tathāgatas have already accomplished this gate—letting you off a move. Present bodhisattvas now each enter perfect clarity—a double-layered public case. Future practitioners will all have their nostrils pierced by Cuifeng."