明覺禪師語錄 1.9

1.9

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "What is the affair of true learning?" The master said: "A needle cannot pierce it." The monk continued: "I beg the master's upāya." The master said: "When the water comes, the channel is formed." A monk asked: "What is the phrase of the separate transmission outside the teachings?" The master said: "Look, look, the twelfth month is ending." The student said: "In that case, the sweet fragrance spreads." The master said: "A mute eating bitter gourd." A monk asked: "The arising of words and traces is that from which divergent paths are born. Without clashing with sharp edges, please, master, speak." The master said: "Whose house does not have the bright moon and cool breeze?" The monk continued: "Is it fitting or not?" The master said: "A fellow adding mud on top of dirt." The master then said: "Where the sword wheel flies, the sun and moon lose their brilliance; when the jeweled staff strikes, heaven and earth lose their color. From this the myriad demons have their gallbladders split; by this the thousand sages have their eyes opened. Yet if the two kinds of hearing are not complete, though swift thunder claps, one is unaware; if the solitary root is about to wither, though spring rain pours down, it provides no nourishment. This causes the separation of ordinary and sage, the sorting of awakening and delusion, rushing along the seven destinies, sinking into the four currents, entangling heavy karma without a day of rest. You Chan worthies, I hope you investigate well; like someone climbing a mountain, each make your own effort."