明覺禪師語錄 2.144

2.144

He cited: "A monk asked Zhaozhou, 'I have newly entered the monastic grove; I beg the master for instruction.' Zhaozhou said, 'Have you eaten your porridge yet?' The monk said, 'I have eaten the porridge.' Zhaozhou said, 'Go wash your bowl.' Great Master Yunmen said, 'Tell me, was there instruction or no instruction? If you say there was, what did he say to him? If you say there was none, how did he attain awakening?'" The Master brought this up and said, "I am not like Yunmen, drawing feet on a snake. I tell you directly: the questioner was like a worm eating wood; the answerer was like characters formed by chance. Even though it is like that, it blinds the eyes of patch-robed monks. How can one avoid this fault? Benevolent ones! Do you want to understand? Leaving aside Zhaozhou eating porridge, before taking up this monk having eaten porridge, Xuedou gives you the staff. Return to the hall."